The Latest from Gadget Hacks: Page 5

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...

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.

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 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 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 is testing a new HomePod Lock Controls setting in the Home app that shuts off touch input on the speaker's top surface, according to a report published yesterday by Apfelpatient. The toggle currently appears in the iOS 27.2 Release Candidate alongside matching HomePod 27.2 software, and once switched on, it stops the touch panel from registering play, pause, skip, or other gestures.

Google has confirmed that Android Auto's squiggly media progress bar is sticking around, closing out months of uncertainty after the design repeatedly appeared and disappeared for some drivers.

Apple may be preparing to change one of the MacBook Pro's most familiar features: how you interact with its screen. After years of keeping touch controls exclusive to devices like the iPad, the company is reportedly preparing its first touchscreen MacBook Pro, complete with an OLED display and a redesigned interface.

Learning how to use AI Network Guard on Samsung One UI 9 won't turn your phone into a systemwide ad blocker, but it can prevent new ads from loading inside certain offline-capable apps.

GarageBand is free for Mac users and comes stocked with a large library of bundled sounds and effects, plus support for up to 255 audio tracks, according to Apple and a PCMag UK review. 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.

Getting locked out of Windows 11 because a PIN won't work is a different problem than losing an account password, and it calls for a different fix.

Roku's TV lineup used to be a simple three-rung ladder: Select, Plus, Pro. That changed last month, when Roku added two OLED models under the Pro name, which means "Pro" now covers three different panels at three different prices. Comparing Roku Select vs Plus vs Pro isn't a three-way decision anymore. It's a five-way one.

Reports that Samsung is exiting the Exynos Auto chip business have surfaced in Korean industry media, and they're detailed enough to take seriously even though Samsung itself hasn't confirmed them.

Microsoft 365 Current Channel Version 2609 Build 20430.20182 started reaching devices on October 13, 2026, and Microsoft's update-size page lists it as the most current Current Channel release.

Microsoft started rolling out a rebuilt Photos app for Windows 11 to Windows Insiders on October 15, combining a new Gallery, Editor, and Viewer into a single interface that pulls in photos from a PC, OneDrive, and iCloud.

Microsoft says Windows 11 is now "up to 20% more responsive," with gains the company describes as noticeable from the moment a PC boots and extending through Start, File Explorer, Search, Snipping Tool, Microsoft 365, and Edge, according to the Windows Experience Blog.

A one-time passcode arrives on your Android phone as a text, but it never shows up in Phone Link on your 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.

Spotify podcast memberships began rolling out in 34 markets on October 20, giving eligible shows a way to sell exclusive content through Spotify, with purchases handled on the web. Creators can offer paid Memberships with multiple tiers and pricing options, charging listeners in addition to any Spotify plan they already have.

Google Photos may be swapping the name on one of its most-used creative tools. Android Authority found references to a "Video maker" label hiding inside version 7.98 of the app, right where the existing Highlight video feature normally sits. The change isn't visible on any regular install, and Google hasn't announced anything about a Google Photos Video maker feature, so treat this as unconfirmed for now.