The Latest from Gadget Hacks

WhatsApp is finally addressing one of its biggest privacy limitations with the upcoming introduction of usernames, allowing users to connect without revealing their personal phone numbers. The messaging platform is currently gearing up to launch this long-awaited feature, which has been spotted in recent beta versions and represents a major shift from the app's traditional phone number-based identity system. Even more interesting, WhatsApp is introducing a username reservation feature that will...

When tech giants flex their app store muscles, whole communities feel it. The recent removal of ICE-spotting applications from both Apple and Google's platforms was not just another moderation call, it put the collision of technology, civil liberties, and corporate responsibility on center stage.

Google's online store has been making some quiet changes lately that might affect your next Pixel purchase. Look closely and a pattern emerges, lifecycle triage, safety first. The removal of certain refurbished models from the Google Store reflects broader market dynamics where Google secured 3% market share in Q2 2025, all while the company deals with hardware challenges that force tough calls about what to keep selling.

Halloween season is upon us, and if you're like me, you've probably got a yard full of decorations that need to be plugged in every night and unplugged every morning. No more shuffling across a cold driveway at sunrise. The folks over at HomeKit Weekly have mapped out exactly how to automate this seasonal chore using Apple's smart home framework, and honestly, it's a game-changer for anyone tired of trudging outside to flip switches.

YouTube Music is jumping into the AI-powered music experience game, and honestly, it’s about time. Companies continue finding ways to integrate AI into their products, and YouTube Music is the latest platform to get the AI treatment with something it is calling "Beyond the Beat." Think of it as your own personal radio DJ who actually knows what they are talking about. At least, that is the idea.

The smartphone world just got a lot more interesting. Motorola's latest challenger to Samsung's premium Galaxy S25 Edge popped up in a leaked promo, giving us a first real look at a potential flagship contender. The Edge 70 will depart from the design of recent Edge smartphones like the Edge 60 Pro, a sign Motorola is ready to shake things up when design has felt stuck in place. While an Edge 70 global release date remains unknown for now, the footage shows enough to spark real interest. And...

The streaming wars have morphed into something unexpected, a collaboration race. For years services fought for your attention, and your wallet. Now they have discovered a twist: team up, keep you subscribed longer, help you spend less.

Looking at Apple's latest headphone lineup, you are faced with two compelling but dramatically different options. The AirPods Pro 3 just landed at $249, with what Apple claims is twice the noise cancellation power of its predecessor. Meanwhile, the AirPods Max holds steady at $549 with a premium over-ear experience and 20-hour battery life. So which deserves your money?

Picture this: you're jamming to your favorite workout playlist when your partner picks up your phone to queue up their indie rock collection. Suddenly, your carefully curated algorithm thinks you've developed a sudden obsession with obscure 90s bands. Sound familiar? This plays out in households everywhere, but here's the thing, it doesn't have to be this way anymore.

Apple's next major leap into wearable technology is generating serious buzz, and for good reason. Apple is reportedly scrapping plans for its rumored Vision Air headset in favor of developing its first pair of smart glasses, a clear shift in the company's AR strategy. The smart glasses are expected to be announced in 2026 with an official launch following in 2027, mirroring the two-stage rollout we saw with the Vision Pro. It fits the moment, Apple has reportedly paused major upgrades to its...

When someone offers you a "free" TV, your first instinct should be to check for the catch, because there's always one. I've covered the streaming industry for years, and the shift I've watched up close now shows up in the numbers: 81% of viewers consider ads a fair trade for free or cheaper content. That acceptance has unleashed a sophisticated business model that is reshaping how we watch.

The tech world is buzzing as the OnePlus 15 launch date appears to have leaked, and the timing looks surgical. T3 reports that official OnePlus Weibo images show October 27 displayed on the device screen, suggesting this could be the China launch date. If that holds, OnePlus could beat Samsung’s Galaxy S26 to market by months.

Your Galaxy Watch is about to become a life-saving device in ways we've never seen before. Samsung has developed new AI algorithms in collaboration with Medical AI, a leading Korean medical device company, to enable its smartwatches to detect signs of heart failure. This is not just another health feature update, we are talking about the world's first LVSD detection through a smartwatch. The technology builds on existing ECG functionality that can already monitor blood pressure and heart rate,...

Apple's rumor mill is in overdrive, and the latest whispers about a 20th anniversary "iPhone 20" and the long-awaited iPhone Fold have us genuinely excited about what could be the biggest iPhone shake-up in years. With production schedules ramping up for 2026 and leaked specifications painting a picture of Apple's most ambitious iPhone yet, this could be the most significant evolution since iPhone X transformed the industry. Here is what we know, what we think we know, and why Apple's foldable...

The tech world just witnessed one of those moments that makes you pause and think about how quickly digital freedoms can vanish. Apple has removed ICEBlock and other apps that allow users to anonymously report sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from its App Store. Now you might be wondering why this matters. It is not every day that a simple app removal sends ripples through the tech community and sparks questions about who really controls what we can use.

Apple just dropped some serious updates to the ecosystem, and there's plenty to chew on. iOS 26 came out recently, with a fresh interface and power-user capabilities. Right on its heels, Apple released the first iOS 26.1 developer beta for iPhone, pushing the platform even further. But it's not all smooth sailing. We're also seeing concerning durability issues with the iPhone 17 Pro that have Apple scrambling to respond. So what actually matters here?

Just days after the iPhone 17 Pro hit shelves, a familiar tech-world pattern shows up. Brand-new phones, fresh out of the box, already sporting scratches and scuffs. Normally, the internet gave it a name: Scratchgate.

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

Google is intensifying its efforts to bring a full-fledged Android experience to desktop PCs, teaming up with semiconductor company Qualcomm to challenge traditional operating systems. Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon has lauded an early version of the Android desktop software as "incredible." Sounds exciting. Still, the red flags are hard to miss. The pitch feels revolutionary, the early signals point to headaches.

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

If you've been hit with an unexpected popup telling you to verify your age on YouTube, you're not alone. What started as a limited test is now a broad rollout affecting users across the platform. That rapid expansion means millions more people are suddenly subject to algorithmic age checks that can reshape what they can watch.

YouTube has been listening to its users, and for once, the feedback loop actually worked. After years of viewers complaining about those pesky end-screen popups cluttering up their viewing experience, Engadget reports that YouTube will now let viewers dismiss the popups and video suggestions that appear at the end of videos with a new "Hide" button. While these end screen popups are a standard part of most YouTube videos (Engadget), viewers increasingly wanted the ability to dismiss them and...

When emergencies strike, every second counts. Whether you are caught in severe weather, facing a natural disaster, or dealing with other urgent threats, timely, accurate information can be the difference between life and death. That is exactly what makes TuneIn's new partnership with FEMA so compelling, it brings real-time emergency alerts directly to drivers through their vehicle dashboards and mobile streams.

Three days out, Apple TV+ yanks a major series. Something is up. Apple’s decision to postpone "The Savant" on Tuesday, September 23, originally set to debut September 26, created a rare public rift with one of its biggest stars. Jessica Chastain expressed her disappointment with the call, a striking break from the usual united front. The timing made it sting more, with Apple pulling mentions of the launch from social channels just as viewers were getting ready to hit play.

Ad, skip, another ad. Sound familiar? YouTube Premium Lite aims to break that loop without blowing up your budget. YouTube Premium Lite costs $7.99 a month, positioning itself as a more affordable alternative to the full Premium experience. The service removes ads on most YouTube videos, wherever you are watching them, while YouTube doesn’t charge a cent for hosting all of your uploaded videos or showing them to the world. With interruptions getting longer and more frequent, the question is...

Your iPhone is about to become your passport, well, sort of. Apple confirmed that iPhones will add US Passport support by the end of 2025, marking a significant evolution in how we think about digital identity. Not a gimmick. It is Apple’s answer to the slow rollout of digital driver’s licenses and a direct response to Google Wallet’s passport support that launched in December 2024. The feature will let you create an ID with your passport in the Wallet app, so you can verify your identity at...

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro is in the spotlight for two very different reasons: a bold thermal design and some eyebrow-raising durability quirks. iFixit's comprehensive teardown analysis takes us inside the hardware, showing why Apple made its first return to aluminum in eight years, and how the new cooling system and the so-called "scratchgate" can both be true at once.

Ever been stuck with a dying iPhone battery when you need your phone most? Picture this: you are halfway through a cross-country flight, your iPhone’s battery icon is flashing red, and you have three hours of travel left. That used to mean scrambling for cables and wall outlets. Not anymore. MagSafe technology has changed the game entirely. WIRED confirms that MagSafe is integrated into iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 models, using a ring of magnets that lets you attach wireless charging...

When I examine the Android ecosystem, with its commanding 70% global market share, what strikes me most is the mobility between brands. I keep coming back to this: people move. A lot. While Samsung dominates with 19.7% market share in Q2 2025, recent survey data reveals something unexpected, Galaxy users are not automatically planning to stick with Samsung for their next upgrade.

Spotify's triumphant return to Mac DJ software is not just news, it is a game-changer for the Apple ecosystem. After five years of silence, Spotify integration launches today across three major DJ platforms: djay, Serato, and rekordbox. Spotify Premium subscribers in 51 markets worldwide can browse the service's library and mix tracks in real time. For Mac users, that is a tangible shift in creative workflow inside the ecosystem many of us live in every day.

Disney's latest price hike announcement couldn't have come at a worse time. While Disney has raised prices every October for three years running, this round lands with a thud. The company is hiking prices across almost all streaming plans starting October 21, 2025, with increases ranging from $2 to $3 per month. What makes this especially problematic? The timing collides with ongoing subscriber cancellations after recent controversies, with subscriptions reportedly "hemorrhaging" after the...

Apple's 2025 smartwatch lineup brings some compelling choices, but there's one model that's quietly stealing the show. The Apple Watch SE 3 just landed with major upgrades that make it surprisingly competitive with its premium siblings. The Apple Watch SE 3 sports the brand's latest S10 processor, the very same one found in the $399 Apple Watch Series 11 and $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3. Plus, the Apple Watch SE 3 is the first SE model with an always-on display, finally addressing one of the...

When you look at the payments landscape today, it is hard not to be impressed by how quickly Apple turned a complex, hardware dependent process into something as simple as tapping two phones together. The company’s latest announcement that Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available in five countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Monaco, and Norway might read like a routine expansion. It is not. We are watching the late innings of a transformation in how European businesses accept payments.

Google's mobile gaming ecosystem just got a major overhaul, and honestly, it's about time. Google is rolling out significant updates to Google Play Games that fundamentally change how we interact with mobile gaming across devices. With over 200,000 titles now available across mobile and PC platforms, these changes are more than cosmetic. They are reshaping the entire player experience. Let's break down what these updates mean for gamers, and why they matter right now.

This mobile update fits into a wider overhaul of calendar collaboration. Google Workspace Updates announced that users with "Make changes to events" permission can now see the members of shared calendars, which improves transparency when multiple people are involved.

The iPhone 17 series is off to a genuinely impressive start. The numbers coming in are telling a story that even surprised Apple's own internal forecasts. Since its September 19 launch, the new lineup has been defying skeptics who wondered if incremental upgrades could spark real excitement. Here is the twist, this is not following the typical iPhone launch playbook.

YouTube TV just dodged a major bullet, but not without taking some hits. In a classic streaming industry nail-biter, Google managed to secure NBC's channels with a last-minute extension, keeping roughly 10 million subscribers from losing access to Sunday Night Football and other premium content. The win came with a sting, Univision and its Spanish-language networks have officially gone dark on the platform.

When Elon Musk's legal team filed papers in a Texas federal court this August, they were not just taking aim at Apple's App Store policies, they were launching what could be the most consequential antitrust battle in the AI era. xAI's lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI alleges a coordinated effort to suppress competition, with Apple and OpenAI jointly moving to dismiss the claims. The stakes? Billions of dollars in damages and potentially the future of AI competition itself.