The Latest from Gadget Hacks: Page 18

The latest Pixel Drop from Google introduces something that feels straight out of a sci-fi movie: Gemini can now handle real-world tasks like ordering your groceries and booking rides. This isn't just another incremental update—it represents a significant leap toward truly agentic AI that can take actions on your behalf, not just provide information or suggestions.

Apple is reportedly opening Siri to rival AI assistants in iOS 27, ending OpenAI's exclusive position and replacing it with a platform-wide Extensions system. That's the news, reported by Bloomberg last week based on unnamed sources. But the iOS 27 Siri AI extensions story has a second layer most coverage has left unexplored: Apple already shipped the technical infrastructure to connect those AI services directly to app data and automation logic. It's been sitting inside Shortcuts since last...

Apple pulled the vibe coding platform Anything from the App Store on March 26, citing Guideline 2.5.2, the rule barring apps from executing code that modifies their features or behavior after review. The move goes further than the update blocks Apple had already imposed on Replit and Vibecode earlier this month, making Anything the first such removal reported so far in this category, according to Techzine and MacRumors.

Families are consolidating around single smartphone brands at a remarkable rate, and the reasons go deeper than simple preference. Some parents reported shifting from standalone parental control apps to integrated family apps like Apple's Family Sharing, according to research published in the Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium.

Android desktop mode shipped as a stable feature with the March 2026 Pixel Drop, and the first wave of coverage reflected that. Android Authority reported at launch that after months of beta testing, the feature had arrived ready for real use. Pixel 8 and newer can connect to an external monitor via USB-C, pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and get resizable windows, a taskbar and dock, virtual desktops, and title bar controls. Android Police's hands-on from February 2026 published during the...

Two new pieces of visual evidence surfaced this week suggesting the iPhone 18 Pro will ship with a dramatically smaller Dynamic Island: a screen protector image from leaker Ice Universe and a prototype photo from an X account called @earlyappleleaks. Neither is conclusive on its own. But they land on top of independent reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and backing from display analyst Ross Young and that combination is harder to explain away than any single source.

Google Maps has quietly become the most widely available EV trip planner in the world. Starting today, it automatically calculates and inserts charging stops for drivers of more than 350 electric vehicle models on Android Auto, covering everything from a Rivian R1T to a Nissan Leaf, across a global rollout with more models promised over time, TechBuzz reports.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the first phone to ship with Samsung's APV codec, a format Samsung says is built for professional post-production workflows and designed to stay visually lossless through repeated edits. That distinction matters more than any sensor spec for creators who take footage off the phone and do serious work with it. But there's a catch, addressed below, that determines whether this changes anything for your pipeline today.

Ask someone what they want most in their next phone and you'll probably guess camera quality or a lower price tag. Both are reasonable. Both are wrong.

The phrase has been circulating through headlines and cable segments for months: "The White House has an app, and Trump wants you to report people to ICE on it." The White House ICE reporting app claim is real enough as media shorthand, but the actual infrastructure behind it is more complicated than any single product description suggests. What exists is a cluster of mobile tools and public-facing reporting channels that together form an immigration enforcement system running well ahead of...

The Google Pixel 9a is $399 at Amazon, Google's own store, and other major retailers a $100 reduction from its $499 list price that covers every available color, according to Kotaku this week. Engadget already called it the best-value Android available at $499. At $399, the math shifts considerably.

A fan has remade the Windows 10 Hero wallpaper in the visual style of Windows 11, and you can download this Windows 11 inspired Windows 10 Hero wallpaper right now for free. One hard constraint before clicking anything: the file is 1920×1080 only. If your monitor runs above 1080p and resolution fidelity matters to you, skip this file entirely. The official Hero variants go up to 4K and are already stored locally at %SystemRoot%\Web\Wallpaper\4K on any Windows 10 machine, according to the...

This guide walks through building a single USB drive that boots Windows 11, runs MemTest86 for memory diagnostics, and holds additional tools all without ever reformatting. By the end, you'll have a drive you update by copying files, not rebuilding from scratch.

Android 17 Beta 3 Priority Charging has surfaced in a teardown published today, pointing to a feature that would pause background activity like app updates to free up capacity for a faster charge when time is short. The feature, discovered by Android Authority, has no user-facing presence in Beta 3 settings and has not been confirmed by Google. What makes it worth paying attention to anyway: it suggests Google is building toward a charging system organized around scenarios rather than a single...

These games exist nowhere else. Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV is the only way to watch two MLB games every Friday night in 2026, and if your subscription isn't set up, you'll miss first pitch tonight. This guide covers exactly what you need: the right plan, which devices work, what it costs, and every confirmed game through June 26.

Google released Android 17 Beta 3 on Thursday, and the headline feature is one the company technically announced a month ago: a floating windowed mode called Bubbles that never shipped in Beta 2. It's live now. So is Desktop Interactive Picture-in-Picture for external displays. Both land at Platform Stability, meaning the API surface is locked and the Android Developers release notes confirm stable Android 17 is on track for June 2026.

The world of rugged smartphones just got a whole lot more interesting. While most of us worry about our phones surviving a simple drop, there's a new breed of Android device that's designed to literally help you survive in the wilderness—complete with fire-starting capabilities and enough juice to charge other devices, including some laptops when you're miles from civilization.

Apple's privacy-first approach has always been a cornerstone of its brand identity, but recent developments suggest the company might be preparing for a significant strategic shift. Reports from The Information and other tech industry sources indicate that Apple has reportedly asked Google to explore hosting a future Gemini-powered Siri on Google-run servers, potentially marking one of the most surprising partnerships in Big Tech history.

AdHoc Studio's Dispatch is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, supported gaming handhelds, and Xbox Cloud this summer as a full Xbox Play Anywhere title, Xbox Wire confirmed today. The Dispatch Xbox release date is summer 2026, though no specific date within that window has been announced. One purchase covers both console and PC, with save progress shared across devices.

Netflix has raised prices across all its U.S. subscription plans, including a first-ever increase to its ad-supported tier. The Netflix price increase 2026 takes effect immediately for new customers and at the next billing cycle for existing subscribers, covering the U.S., Canada, Portugal, and Argentina.