Gadget Hacks

Picture this: You're about to download factory images for your Pixel 6a, maybe to flash some custom firmware or restore from a bootloop, and suddenly… they're gone. Google has quietly pulled all Pixel 6a factory images from its developer portal, and the timing couldn't be more telling. This move comes just as the company prepares to roll out a mandatory battery update that will fundamentally change how affected devices work.

Your phone's security just got a lot more complicated. While device manufacturers have been racing to encrypt everything from your photos to your deleted messages, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been quietly building an arsenal of tools to dig deeper into seized devices. But here's the thing: the agency isn't just looking for what's on the surface anymore—they're hunting for data you didn't even know existed.

You've probably heard this song before: "world's thinnest foldable phone!" But the Honor Magic V5 might actually deserve the hype. At just 8.8mm thick when folded and weighing a mere 217g, this thing makes other foldables look chunky by comparison. Honor didn't just chase thinness records though, they packed in a 64MP periscope telephoto camera and the world's first 6,100mAh silicon-carbon battery for a foldable. The engineering feat represents something bigger than spec sheets: it's the moment...

Picture this: you set your Pixel Watch 3 down somewhere in your house, can't remember where, and instead of the usual "somewhere in a 30-foot radius" hunt, your phone guides you directly to the exact couch cushion where it's hiding. That's the power of what Google quietly introduced with precise Bluetooth tracking on the Pixel Watch 3.

You lose cell service in the middle of the day, and twenty minutes later, your bank account is empty. Welcome to SIM swapping—the nightmare scenario that's plagued millions and cost victims over $25 million in 2024 alone. The good news? AT&T just rolled out a feature that could slam the door on these attacks before they start. ZDNet reports that Wireless Account Lock is now live for both postpaid and prepaid customers, joining T-Mobile and Verizon in offering SIM protection tools.

Picture this: OnePlus drops news about a 7,100mAh battery in the upcoming Nord CE5, and suddenly everyone's talking about all-day power that could outlast your weekend camping trip. But here's where things get interesting — that massive cell isn't coming to every region. The OnePlus Nord CE5 sports a massive 7,100mAh battery, but not in every region, which means your location might determine whether you get this power-packed experience or something more traditional.

Apple's next big software updates for iPhone and iPad — iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 — are ready to test out. If you're willing to live on the bleeding edge, the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 betas let you explore the new features months early — just be prepared for the occasional bug or app crash along the way.

Netflix's move into live programming just got a rocket boost. NASA announced this summer that its NASA+ live feeds—including rocket launches, spacewalks, and those mesmerizing Earth views from the International Space Station—are heading to Netflix. This marks the first time Netflix has embedded live programming from an outside source directly into its U.S. platform.

Picture this: you're walking downtown, phone in pocket, completely unaware that a small device nearby is quietly intercepting your calls, texts, and location data. This isn't some dystopian future—it's happening right now with "Stingray" surveillance devices. But Android 16 might finally give you the heads-up you never knew you needed.

Apple's shiny new CarPlay Ultra promised to transform your entire dashboard into an iPhone-powered command center. But three years after its grand debut, most automakers are delivering a collective "thanks, but no thanks" to Cupertino's most ambitious in-car takeover yet. What you need to know: Apple's next-gen CarPlay goes way beyond mirroring your phone to control A/C, speedometer, and radio — but major brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Volvo are saying "don't invade our systems."

Picture this: you're firing off a quick text about weekend plans when a friendly AI bubble pops up in Google Messages, ready to help craft the perfect response. Seems harmless enough, right? Here's the kicker: that helpful assistant is quietly collecting way more than you probably signed up for—and Google openly admits human reviewers might be reading your conversations for up to three years.

When you don't feel like talking, let your iPhone do all the work.

Thousands of emoji are available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and you can use these in many of the apps you have installed on your Apple devices. But there's one emoji you'll likely never see on any of Apple's official emoji keyboards, and its absence may surprise you at first, considering it's embedded in virtually every Apple product. That emoji is, of course, the Apple logo icon.

Your iPhone has a powerful feature that can keep your secrets hidden from other people. With it, you'll never have to worry about sharing or showing someone something embarrassing or incriminating ever again.

Apple just killed the iPhone SE, replacing it with something bigger, better, and packed with more modern features. The iPhone 16e ditches the old-school design for a large OLED display, a more advanced camera system, and Face ID, making it the most dramatic upgrade in Apple's budget lineup yet.

With Apple's Photos app, you no longer need a third-party tool on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to blur or pixelate faces in your photos, helping you safeguard identities when sharing online.

A single tap will soon turn hard-to-read text into words that feel like they were written just for you.

You can lock practically any app on your iPhone or iPad behind biometric or passcode protection. And we're not talking about using any funky workarounds. There's now an official Apple way to protect sensitive apps and their data. It even safeguards your personal information, keeping it out of sight across the system. You can even hide apps, making it harder for others to know they're there.

The iOS 18.5 update is now out for iPhones, landing on May 12 with a tidy bundle of convenience tweaks sprinkled across Apple's core apps and settings. It isn't a headline‑grabbing release like last time, but the update still shaves steps off everyday tasks, surfaces helpful info where you need it, and quietly prepares your device for what's coming next.

Apple's iOS 18.5's code has introduced a new localization string that suggests the company is preparing support for "5G Advanced," the next evolution of cellular technology.

Apple's next iPhone update is shaping up to be the most dramatic makeover since iOS 7, blending a fresh, glassy look with long‑delayed AI tricks that should finally make Siri feel truly smart. Here's the full rundown before Apple lifts the curtain at WWDC 2025.

A good e‑reader lets you disappear into a story without the headaches of blue‑light glare, notification pings, or dead‑weight battery anxiety. The latest crop goes further, adding color E Ink for comics, warm front‑lights for night reading, and waterproofing so you can finish that chapter poolside. We put the year's most compelling models to the page‑turn test and narrowed the field to five standouts for every kind of book lover.

Why are there no official Star Wars emoji in the Unicode Standard? We've got the Vulcan Salute from Star Trek, so where's the force choke hand gesture?! While you may never see Star Wars officially invade your emoji keyboard, there are ways to send Star Wars emoji and stickers to your friends in your favorite chat app.

Even if you don't know a gundark from a gonk droid, you can still sling Baby Yoda stickers and lightsaber emoji like a seasoned Jedi Master. And if you happen to be reading on May 4, may the 4th be with you.

Streaming is great until you're 30,000 feet up, riding the subway, or stuck on a network that suddenly drops to dial-up-slow speeds. That's why Amazon's offline access remains one of Prime Video's best perks.

Over time, your Android phone or tablet has likely connected to dozens of Wi-Fi networks — and it remembers every single one. Whether it's a hotspot at home, school, work, the gym, a coffee shop, a relative's apartment — or even from a friend's phone — each time you type in a Wi-Fi password, your Android device saves it for safekeeping and easy access later.

Editing out unwanted objects, people, and distractions from your photos just got a lot easier on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Before, you would have to use apps like Google Photos or Snapseed to erase background distractions or perform spot healing, but it's now a native feature in Apple's Photos app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Flagship earbuds like Apple's AirPods Pro, Sony's WF‑1000XM5, Jabra's Elite 10, and Soundcore's Liberty 4 Pro sound fantastic, but they come with equally premium price tags. Luckily, there are plenty of stellar alternatives that won't gut your wallet. Spend less than $100, and you can still land punchy audio, rock‑solid active noise canceling (ANC), and marathon battery life without feeling like you settled.

A crucial part of the system that keeps your iPhone, iPad, Android device, and computer secure just lost US government funding — and the ripple effects could soon reach your gadget's next update.

Your iPhone's Mail inbox may look a little different lately — with faces, initials, brand logos, and even icons like an airplane, shopping bags, storefronts, or a heart with an ECG waveform on it showing up beside emails. That's by design, and if it's not your thing, you can turn it off.

One UI has an exciting privacy feature that lets you lock apps, photos, videos, and files on your Galaxy device behind Samsung's defense-grade Knox security platform. Only you can unlock it using a pattern, PIN, passcode, and/or biometrics like fingerprints and iris scanning. It's like having a safe built right into your smartphone, and it couldn't be easier to set up.

Apple's iOS 18.4 update for iPhone is finally available, and it brings some exciting new tools, smart refinements, and deeper Apple Intelligence integration that make your iPhone experience even better. Whether you're looking for ways to stay more organized, enhance your daily workflow, or enjoy new forms of entertainment, this update has something for everyone.

If you're in the US, your iPhone lets you set default apps for emailing, messaging, calling, web browsing, and even contactless payments and access. With iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, Apple also lets you pick a new default translation app.

In an era where cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, knowing whether a website is secure is more important than ever. Apple has finally addressed a long-standing limitation in Safari for iPhone and iPad, allowing us to view SSL/TLS certificate details in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 — something we could already do on macOS for over a decade.

Apple introduced a new Ambient Music feature for iPhone and iPad designed to enhance user well-being through curated soundscapes. This option offers four distinct categories — Chill, Productivity, Sleep, and Wellbeing — each providing a curated auditory experience to suit various moods and activities.

The last emoji refresh for iPhone was over a year ago, but thanks to the Unicode 16.0 update, a new wave of fun and expressive characters just hit your Apple devices, bringing fresh glyphs to your keyboard.