The Latest from Gadget Hacks: Page 7

A Reddit post covered by Android Authority describes a workaround to 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 establish which phone models or Android versions it works on.

Is the Xiaomi 18 Ultra cancelled? That's the claim circulating after leaker Digital Chat Station posted on Weibo, with the information subsequently relayed by Abhishek Yadav and multiple technology outlets.

Fenix 8 and Forerunner 970 owners are reporting serious battery drain tied to Garmin's "OK Garmin" wake word, with battery estimates falling from 15 days to nine in some cases and from 12 days to six in others, according to TechRadar, reporting October 19.

Microsoft built a developer-focused configuration of Windows 11 it calls Project Zenith, and the company says it "represents Windows at its best": tips switched off, account notifications silenced, and a quieter File Explorer and Start menu.

Apple's new HomePod mini 2 isn't the only speaker getting Sound Glow, the music-reactive lighting effect introduced alongside it earlier this month. Release Candidate testing shows the feature coming to speakers already sitting on shelves and nightstands: HomePod mini, HomePod mini 2, and HomePod (2nd generation) all support it, while the original full-size HomePod is left out entirely.

Hidden code for a "Focus Peaking" toggle has turned up inside Snapseed's Android app, but the Snapseed focus peaking feature doesn't actually work yet, even when testers force it on.

Google Photos code suggests its 2026 Recap could let people replace or remove individual photos and swap out the background music track, rather than relying only on the current hide-and-regenerate workflow.

A missing Wi-Fi icon can make it look as though your Galaxy phone has lost its connection, even when the internet is working perfectly. For some users who updated to Samsung's One UI 9, however, the problem isn't Wi-Fi itself. It's how the phone displays its status bar indicators.

Straight Talk raised the hotspot data included with its three unlimited plans without touching the monthly base prices, according to a Verizon announcement published Oct. 20. Silver, Gold, and Platinum Unlimited still run $45, $55, and $65 a month, but each now comes with a bigger hotspot allowance, 5G Ultra Wideband access for eligible customers, and a cheaper home internet bundle.

Apple says the HomePod mini 2 can work as a Mac's system audio output on compatible hardware, automatically routing audio that plays through macOS instead of requiring a manual AirPlay selection every time.

Microsoft is reportedly targeting a holiday 2027 launch for a next-generation Xbox handheld, with a home console called Project Helix following in holiday 2028.

Apple's new HomeView puts a familiar grid of apps and widgets on a screen built for your kitchen counter, bedside table, or living room wall. At first glance, it looks like a convenient alternative to keeping an iPad within reach. But there's a catch: four of Apple's own apps aren't built into the display, and using them depends on your iPhone.

Apple market share growth amid industry decline: what the Mac and iPhone numbers actually show

A claim circulating in tech roundups and social posts says the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is pulling ahead in sales because shoppers are turning away from a device some posts call "iPhone Duo." None of the versions of that claim reviewed for this article link to a retailer ranking, search-trend export, or analyst note tying a Fold 8-specific increase to a dated window.

Twelve South's AirFly Drive wireless CarPlay and Android Auto adapter went on sale Oct. 1 for $39.99 in the US, promising to erase the daily cable plug-in for drivers whose cars already run wired CarPlay or Android Auto.

Every launch Googlebook keyboard turns F1, F2, and F3 into dedicated Android navigation keys, giving the Googlebook physical navigation buttons a permanent spot on the hardware instead of leaving them as onscreen taps.

In a poll Android Authority ran yesterday, 93% of respondents said they would consider buying the OnePlus 16 if it were available in their market. But US buyers may not get that chance. OnePlus has already said it is pulling out of the US market, putting that apparent demand at odds with the phone's expected availability.

Open an app on a tablet or foldable and get a stretched, phone-sized window with blank space on either side, and that's the problem Google's Play Store large-screen labels aim to address.

The Paramount WBD merger officially closed on Oct. 6, combining HBO, HBO Max, CNN, Paramount+, CBS, and dozens of other brands under a new parent company named Skydance, according to Skydance's closing announcement. The company said the transaction received the required regulatory approvals across nearly 70 jurisdictions worldwide.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 deal spotted by Tom's Guide puts the foldable at $1,649 on Best Buy's site, a price the outlet described as a discount in its October report. The Tom's Guide article appeared ahead of iPhone Duo preorders, which opened Oct. 16. Apple's foldable is now launching Oct. 23, starting at $1,999 for the 256GB model, according to Apple's announcement.

The idea that high school students oppose full-day cellphone bans gets repeated as settled fact, but the national data behind it cover a broader group than high schoolers alone.

Two enterprise AI reports published earlier this year could be misread as evidence against buying Macs for a managed fleet.

Google Messages appears to be preparing to remove its per-contact RCS toggle after an APK teardown uncovered interface strings warning that the setting is going away.

Google Photos may be renaming one of its video-creation tools. Android Authority found references to a "Video maker" label inside version 7.98 of the app, where the existing Highlight video feature appears. The change isn't visible in the regular app, and Google hasn't announced a rebrand, so it remains unconfirmed.

Microsoft held a rare live hardware event on Oct. 7, 2026, unveiling the Surface Laptop Ultra on Nvidia's RTX Spark platform, along with new AI features for Windows 11. The Microsoft Surface event 2026 stood out partly because of its format: Tom's Guide noted that Microsoft rarely holds live hardware events of this scale.

Link to Windows is testing a Power menu that lets a paired Android phone remotely shut down a Windows PC, restart it, or put it to sleep, replacing the app's standalone Lock PC button, according to Android Authority.

Pixel's Face Unlock has one well-known weak spot: it struggles in the dark because its camera-based system needs enough light to recognize a face.

Hit a broken link on Apple Music's website, and you won't land on a dead end. Instead, an interactive replica of the original 2001 iPod loads on screen, complete with a working scroll wheel you can use with a mouse, trackpad, or finger. It's the Apple Music iPod Easter egg, and it surfaced around the 25th anniversary of Apple's original iPod announcement, spotted by Kian and Alex Greenland and reported by MacRumors on Oct. 23.

Typing "how to remove Google Browser from Chrome" into a search bar usually doesn't mean what it sounds like. Chrome is already Google's browser; there's no separate app called Google Browser hiding inside it to delete.

Samsung says combined European sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra climbed 45% compared with the Z Fold 7, a number it published in a company blog post on Oct. 22. The timing is hard to ignore: Samsung released that figure just one day before Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, reached store shelves on Oct. 23.

Anyone who delayed a flight purchase waiting for a "magic" weekday can stop checking the calendar. Google's latest breakdown of its booking data answers the best time to book holiday flights question: buying on the cheapest day of the week saves about 1.4% compared with the most expensive day, a gap much smaller than the savings associated with choosing different travel days or taking a connecting flight.

This guide covers how to save articles for offline reading on iPhone and iPad using tools already built into iOS and iPadOS. No subscription is required, and the core workflow needs no additional account.

Gemini's Personal Intelligence feature expanded on Oct. 22 to include a user's Google Maps searches and saved places, adding another source of personal data the assistant can draw on when generating responses.

A new Android app called Foldy turns the prop-and-fold trick on book-style foldables into a lock-screen dashboard. When a supported phone like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is locked and set down in tent mode, it can automatically launch a Foldy Android StandBy display showing the time, a calendar, or other widgets, without unlocking the device.

Pokémon Night Out 2026 is officially confirmed, and its first event has already taken place. The Pokémon Company announced the electronic dance music concert series on April 13 as part of Pokémon's 30th anniversary celebrations. The Los Angeles show was held at Intuit Dome on October 24, while the second event is scheduled for November 10 at The O2 in London.

A leaker claims Samsung has reworked how the Galaxy S27 Ultra manages power during charging, potentially improving charging speed by 2% to 3% over the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, and Doja Cat have all released iTunes-exclusive editions of recent albums, stacking bonus tracks, alternate versions, and collectible artwork behind a storefront most listeners assumed had faded into irrelevance. The pattern amounts to an iTunes Store comeback built around chart strategy, not a mass return to downloading.

iPhone Duo reached buyers on October 23, about six weeks after Apple unveiled the foldable iPhone on September 9. The hardware launched on schedule, but app support remains uneven. Some developers have optimized their apps for the new displays and folding design, while others are still adapting their software.

Google's Certified Refurbished storefront lists the Pixel 9 for $499, $100 less than the Pixel 10a, the newer midrange phone currently sitting in Google's lineup. On paper, that refurbished Pixel 9 price undercuts a newer device while matching its chipset and beating its RAM. Whether that actually makes it a smart purchase depends on two things no spec sheet shows: what's in stock when you order and what Google's refurbishment terms cover.

Android Auto Maker modifies an APK or XAPK to attempt to make it appear in Android Auto's parked games category. That's a different path from the one official developers use, where games go through Play Console submission and get tested against Google's car app quality guidelines before publishing.