The Latest from Gadget Hacks

No source covering Samsung's software plans, not executive statements, not developer documentation, not leaked builds, names a project called Samsung Galaxy OS or describes a plan to retire the One UI brand. What's confirmed is narrower, but still worth tracking: Samsung adopted Google's Trunk Stable development process, and the company's own R&D leadership tied that shift to a notably fast One UI 8 launch on its newest foldables last year.

Microsoft has resolved a known issue that caused black screens, desktop loading failures, and Explorer crashes right after sign-in on Windows 11. The company confirmed the Windows 11 black screen after sign-in fix is included in Windows updates released on October 13, 2026 and later, naming KB5127648 as an example, and said the fix shipped as part of October's Patch Tuesday cumulative updates (BleepingComputer). Microsoft is recommending that affected devices install the latest update rather...

A one-time passcode lands on the Android phone as a text, but it never shows up in Phone Link on the PC, and no desktop notification appears either. That's the specific symptom this guide fixes: an MFA code not showing in Phone Link on Windows 11, specifically SMS-based codes that already reached the phone. It does not cover codes that never arrive on the phone at all, and it does not cover a Microsoft Authenticator code not showing on Windows 11, since Authenticator-generated codes are a...

Google has confirmed a fix for Android Auto's missing signal icon, addressing a bug that's had drivers checking twice to see if their phone actually has reception. A Google representative acknowledged the issue directly in a Reddit comment, stating a fix is "currently rolling out" though "not widely available yet," according to 9to5Google today. That's the clearest answer yet for anyone searching for an Android Auto missing signal icon fix after watching the bars vanish mid-drive.

Microsoft started rolling out a rebuilt Photos app for Windows 11 to Windows Insiders yesterday, combining a new Gallery, Editor, and Viewer into a single interface that pulls in photos from a PC, OneDrive, and iCloud (Microsoft Windows Experience Blog; The Verge). iPhone owners get there by installing Apple's iCloud for Windows app, while both iPhone and Android owners can route their camera rolls in through OneDrive's Camera Backup feature in the OneDrive mobile app (Microsoft Windows...

Microsoft highlighted five cross-device capabilities yesterday for surfacing Android phone activity on the Windows 11 desktop: resizable phone-app windows, phone files inside File Explorer, one-click photo notifications, message previews in the Start menu, and a cross-device "Resume" feature that picks up where you left off. That's a notable expansion of Windows 11 Android phone integration, but it's not evenly documented.

Apple's "Welcome Home" event on Tuesday introduced nine product lines in one announcement: three core devices and a six-piece Home Collection built with LG and Schneider Electric. Sort through all of that with a renter's eye, and most of it isn't something you can buy, use, and box up when the lease ends.

Google is testing a new Google Nest speaker firmware update, version 3.79.550760, but for now the rollout is limited to people enrolled in Google's speaker Preview Program. The build currently covers four older speakers, the original Google Home, Home Mini, Nest Mini, and Nest Audio, according to 9to5Google. The supplied reporting does not include a Google announcement describing the update.

Apple spent this week shipping something Google has only sketched out in app code. On October 13, Apple announced HomeView, a $299 smart display built for shared households, with facial recognition for up to six family members, Siri AI, and controls that adapt as someone walks closer. Pre-orders are open now, and the device starts shipping November 13.

Apple lists Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K among the compatible devices for its current remotes, but the compatibility entries hinge on the tvOS version, not just the device name. That distinction is the whole ballgame for anyone trying to sort out Siri Remote compatibility with older Apple TV hardware before spending money.

Microsoft says Windows 11 is now "up to 20% more responsive," with improvements stretching from boot-up through Start, File Explorer, Search, Snipping Tool, Microsoft 365, and Edge, according to a Windows Experience Blog post published today. The company singles out PCs with 8GB of RAM as seeing an "especially meaningful difference" from new memory-management work, according to the same post.

Google's Pixel VIPs widget redesign started rolling out last month, and if that Contacts app widget is already part of a daily routine, it's worth checking for the update now. Shipping as Pixel VIPs version 2.0.97, the redesign brings one-tap calling and texting to the widget for the first time (Android Authority, last month). The changes landed alongside the September 2026 Pixel Feature Drop, which also added notification badges for urgent messages and a new way to swipe between VIP profiles...

Sony has officially canceled the Android 17 update for the Xperia 10 VI, abandoning a software commitment it made when the midrange smartphone launched in 2024. The device was originally promised three major Android upgrades, but it will now stop at Android 16 after receiving just two.

Google began rolling out Universal Cart across Search and the Gemini app in the U.S. yesterday, giving shoppers a way to save products from different retailers in one running list instead of juggling browser tabs and screenshots. The feature also sends alerts when saved items drop in price or come back in stock, built on top of Google's Shopping Graph of more than 60 billion product listings.

Apple says the HomePod mini 2 can work as a Mac's default system speaker on compatible hardware, automatically routing audio that plays through macOS instead of requiring a manual AirPlay selection every time. That's according to MacRumors, citing Apple's own compatibility documentation, two days ago. If you're trying to use HomePod for Mac system audio today, that default-output option hasn't been independently verified as live in macOS yet, so the dependable path right now is still standard...

Google Pixel Connected Camera support is rolling out to 11 additional apps, including Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack, through an update to Pixel Camera Services spotted by Android Authority.

Google built Googlebook to run on Android, then quietly defaulted several of its biggest apps away from it. That's the short answer to why Googlebook apps run as web apps instead of native Android experiences: Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Sheets, and YouTube all open as Chrome-based web experiences on these laptops, not the Android apps that ship on phones. Google Keep is the one confirmed exception, running natively on Android Authority's test unit, though a single result doesn't prove every...

Samsung representatives confirmed earlier this year that the Galaxy S26 series uses 480Hz PWM dimming, with no higher-frequency mode, no DC-like dimming option, and no dedicated flicker-reduction setting, according to Android Authority.

Apple HomeView ships without an on-device app store. Third-party apps only show up when the display recognizes you and detects a paired iPhone or iPad that's been unlocked recently, a setup MacRumors compares to CarPlay. Apple confirms HomeView supports compatible third-party audio and video apps, but it hasn't published a HomeView-specific compatibility checklist. Checking your iPhone's CarPlay apps may help identify candidates, though it won't confirm which apps HomeView supports.

A new leak claims Samsung is considering a plan to replace One UI with something called "Galaxy OS," a rebrand that could debut with the Galaxy S28 series in 2028. Samsung has not confirmed any of it, according to the original report (Gizchina, yesterday).

Nvidia RTX Spark Windows on Arm laptops are shipping at workstation prices before the software built around them is finished. The Surface Laptop Ultra configuration Tom's Hardware tested lists for $5,899 with 1TB of storage, and lead times on that unit already stretch into late December, according to Tom's Hardware's week-long review.

Apple opened preorders for HomePod mini 2 on October 13, and the pitch leans on five capabilities framed as reasons to buy. Run a HomePod mini 2 vs HomePod mini comparison against Apple's own materials, though, and the comparison gets harder to make than the marketing suggests: Apple's October 13 announcement does not provide enough acoustic specifications to establish a measurable improvement over the original HomePod mini.

Apple unveiled HomeView at a New York event yesterday, its first dedicated smart home display, and the pitch sounds simple: a $299 screen that controls your smart home, recognizes who's standing in front of it, and turns a saved recipe into guided, hands-free cooking steps.

There's no universal best time to charge a Samsung Galaxy Watch. Generally, an optimal charging schedule is something you have to monitor yourself, and that premise holds up here: the right window depends on whether you track sleep, how much battery you're carrying into the evening, how fast your specific model refills, and when you're reliably inactive during the day. The four-question framework below turns that idea into something you can actually use.

Apple is selling the new Apple TV 4K as supercharged by Siri AI, but the AI doing the supercharging isn't exclusive to the new box. Apple confirmed yesterday that Siri AI runs as a beta on Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later), which means eligible existing Apple TV 4K owners can use the beta without buying the new box, subject to Apple's software, language, and regional requirements.

Microsoft 365 Current Channel Version 2609 Build 20430.20182 started reaching devices this week, dated October 13, 2026, and Microsoft's update-size page now lists it as the most current Current Channel release (Microsoft Learn, today). Microsoft also announced updates for Monthly Enterprise Channel and Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel users as part of the same gradual rollout, which began October 13 Pacific time, though the notice doesn't name Build 20430.20182 specifically for those two...

Hold a phone to your ear during a call, and the display should go dark almost right away. If it doesn't, a cheek pressed against the glass can mute the microphone, hang up the call, or open a menu without anyone meaning to touch anything. That small failure is usually the first time most people stop to wonder what a phone proximity sensor does: it's a tiny component near the earpiece that tells the phone something, usually a face, has gotten close to the screen, so the system can shut the...

ArtCraft, the studio run by Brandon Thomas, has published three free Microsoft Office alternatives on GitHub: WordCraft, a Word alternative; GridCraft, an Excel alternative; and DeckCraft, a PowerPoint alternative, all built as open-source Rust applications, according to Pasquale Pillitteri. The three apps are available right now as free installers for Windows, macOS, Linux, and FreeBSD, with no account or sign-in required.

Google has announced YouTube background playback for cars with Google built-in, allowing users to watch YouTube videos while parked and continue listening to the audio when they shift into drive. The feature needs an active YouTube Premium subscription.

If "Switch to Google Assistant" has vanished from the Gemini app's account menu, you may have been moved to Gemini as part of Google's mobile migration. Google still publishes switch-back instructions, but 9to5Google found that the option had disappeared on devices it tested in September.

A single Reddit post, picked up and verified by Android Authority yesterday, describes a way to force switch from Gemini back to Google Assistant by uninstalling updates to the Google app and then reopening the Assistant listing in the Play Store. It isn't an official Google procedure, and the reporting doesn't say which phone models or Android versions it actually works on. Still, if you've been searching for how to switch from Gemini to Google Assistant since your phone switched over on its...

Both Microsoft's new magnetic charging cable and Apple's MagSafe are designed to detach instead of yanking a laptop off a desk if someone trips over the cord (Engadget, today; PCWorld, last year). That part is simple enough. What most Microsoft Magnetic Connect vs Apple MagSafe comparisons skip is what each system does to the rest of your ports while the magnet is doing its job, and that detail changes how useful the "magnetic charging" label actually is.

Samsung has started pushing the Galaxy S26 October 2026 security update to the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra, marking the first update for the lineup since One UI 9.0 (Android 17) went stable, according to SamMobile. The patch addresses 62 security issues, per the same report.

GPTK 4 and CrossOver are making some modern Windows titles genuinely playable on Apple Silicon, which sounds like great news if you're trying to play Windows games on an M5 Max Mac Studio you already own, or one you're thinking about buying. Before installing anything, know this: the most detailed benchmark report behind this guide tested a 40-core GPU, 48GB M5 Max MacBook Pro, not the base M5 Max Mac Studio, which has an 18-core CPU, a 32-core GPU, and 36GB of unified memory. Apple also offers...

Searching "new YouTube app icons" turns up a story that sounds bigger than it is. The reported change isn't a platform-wide redesign of YouTube's icon library. What's actually circulating is narrower: on a limited number of Android phones, YouTube was testing watch-page buttons, including Like and Share, with their text labels removed when Android Authority reported the change in June 2026.

Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 owners have spent the past two months watching full charges stretch to two, three, even four hours, well beyond Samsung's advertised charging times for the Watch9 and the Watch Ultra2 in fast-charging mode. Samsung separately lists a 190-minute normal-charge time for the Ultra2.

Nidal Hasan, convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, is scheduled to die by firing squad on December 3, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said he wants that execution made public, and an unnamed Pentagon official told reporters it will be livestreamed, according to The Verge.

If your texts are going through fine but photos, videos, GIFs, or other media sit there unsent, you're not alone. Google has confirmed a bug causing disrupted RCS message delivery for a subset of Google Messages users and says a fix is rolling out now.

GarageBand is free for all Mac users and comes stocked with 15GB of bundled sounds, 48 effects, and support for up to 255 audio tracks, according to a PCMag UK review updated earlier this year. For this workflow, there's no need to buy additional plug-ins or sound packs. This GarageBand for Mac beginner tutorial walks through how to make music in GarageBand for Mac starting from a blank project, built from Apple Loops, Drummer Loops, and optional recorded audio.

OPPO is reportedly developing a 16:9 wide-format flagship smartphone with a body wider than any mainstream Android phone currently sold, according to a Weibo post from tipster Digital Chat Station, cited by Android Authority this week. The leak describes LIPO display technology capable of symmetrical 1mm bezels on all four sides, with the chassis measuring roughly 81mm wide.