News and Updates from Gadget Hacks: Page 24

When I booted up my second Sega Forever title, I wasn't sure what to expect. Sonic 1 was fun, but the controls weren't great. Touch screen controls can be excellent when the game is designed for them, but retrofitting a game designed for a physical controller to be played on a smartphone, well, sometimes is a bit disastrous.

Baseball fans can now leave their wallets behind at specific stadiums throughout the country. A new upgrade by Appetize to the foodservice and retail technology used at ballparks means you can now use Apple Pay to make purchases at 5 Major League Baseball stadiums.

Anchor has been called the audio equivalent of Snapchat. The app lets you record audio and broadcast it to whomever you follow. If you haven't heard of the app, get familiar with it because it has announced an easy way for you to record and publish podcasts from your smartphone.

The latest video game developer to hit the scene is a hotel chain, and they're offering big prizes for high-scorers.

There is a seemingly endless supply of games on mobile. While many of these games are fantastic, many are also, well ... garbage. And unfortunately, the platform as a whole has been dismissed because of those garbage games. This situation leaves gamers like myself wondering what can be done to develop a deeper public respect for gaming on smartphones.

If there's one thing I know, it's that people hate buying mobile games. I'm the same way — no matter how good a game looks, if I have to pay for it, I have to fight the urge to immediately walk away. That's why it's such a big deal when a great game goes on sale. Right now, that game is 'Reigns.'

Snapchat announced today that you can now design geofilters in-app, making it easier than ever to customize your snaps. This new feature incorporates a mobile creative studio, so you no longer have to use your computer to create your custom masterpiece.

I can't stand trying to use my phone in direct sunlight. It drives me crazy — I just want to get through a game of Sonic, but I can't see where I'm going. No one has it harder than I do. But my troubles might soon be over, as researchers are developing anti-glare films for smartphones, based off of the eyes of moths. Weird.

The OnePlus 5 may have received a lot of flak for its design mirroring the iPhone 7 Plus' very closely, but that doesn't change the fact that dual cameras have become increasingly more common over the last couple years. Samsung's next smartphone, the Galaxy Note 8, is rumored to be the next major smartphone to sport the technology. Now, Samsung may have confirmed those rumors as truth.

Tinder, marketed as a free 'dating' app, is no stranger to paid features. The company has long allowed users to step up their game by spending money on their 'Tinder Plus' service. Tinder would like more of your money, it seems, as it rolls out a new paid service with a highly-desirable premium feature — the ability to see who has swiped right on your profile, without having to match.

Honestly, this deal is pretty sweet.

The peaceful, pastel and doily-filled world of Pinterest is my oasis. My account conveys who I want to be and what I want to accomplish, so the idea of someone hacking it and ruining my favorite escape for me is heartbreaking. Fortunately, Pinterest has updated its security, implementing three new features to hack-proof your account.

While it might be a little past its prime now, the running gag about Nokia phones never breaking was one of the internet's favorite jokes. "If you buy one," they would say, "you'll never need another phone again." I think if those users could see into the future, they'd change their tune, as the Nokia 6 is now available to preorder — and I'm guessing it would give any of Nokia's old bricks a run for their money.

It seems we've come full circle in alternative dating routes. Just like a long time ago when people were able to go to matchmakers and watch videos of potential matches, the dating app 'Hinge' is now allowing you to add videos to your profile.

Admit it — many of us have not gotten in the Uber's we've requested. Sometimes, you just need to get someone else a cab that you're not going to be going with. No biggie ... but your friend doesn't have any connection to Uber or the driver, which can be a little awkward. Uber is addressing this slight issue today, with an update that allows you to officially request Ubers for others.

If you're like me and you typically find yourself scrolling through Twitter before bed, you will be psyched about this new update for Android.

For people that like to get things done, Android's home screen widgets are almost indispensable. Rather than packing your launcher with a bunch of icons, you can utilize widgets to get quick information in a beautiful package or provide one-tap access to a particular functionality within your apps.

Apple promised at WWDC to release the iOS 11 public beta by the end of June, and they've just followed through on their promise.

If you're like me, then your perfect Friday night has your friends over for some group-YouTube streaming. If you're not like me, you're probably cool. But for the rest of us, YouTube is meant to be a shared experience. I think YouTube has caught on to that trend, since it has developed Uptime, an app that lets you watch YouTube with other people wherever you all are.

Cell phones have advanced rapidly since their inception. However, one frustrating aspect of our handheld computers is that we sometimes expect more than they can handle. We want smartphones to do all our PCs can do, but in many cases, that just isn't possible; especially when that comes to viewing and sending certain file types. WhatsApp is taking steps to bridge that gap now, by allowing users to send whatever kind of file they want, with one or two restrictions ...

Well, get ready to have your battery depleted if you use Google Photos. The backup app has just removed the "Backup While Charging" feature in their app.

The beauty gurus, gamers, and daily vloggers of the world are getting a great gift from YouTube very soon. No, it's not exclusive swag or diamond awards. Instead, it's an update to the YouTube mobile app that will support all video formats and let you send in-app messages.

More video content is making its way to Facebook as the social network relentlessly tries to get its video platform up to par with YouTube. Now, they seem to be making more of an effort to improve their video tab, as new features have started to appear on some Android phones.

A new dating app has arrived, and it'll finally land you a date with your celebrity crush ... kind of. The app — Dating AI — uses face search technology to help you search for potential love interests that resemble a celebrity you're attracted to.

Researchers have created a possible replacement for traditional camera lenses, using an "optical phased array" to function as both a lens and sensor of a camera.

Attention iOS 11 Developer Beta users — Dev Beta 2 is now ready for a software update. If you're running the beta already, you're going to want to download this one because it combines two excellent features: much, much needed bug fixes, as well as Do Not Disturb While Driving.

Volunteer project Standard Ebooks strives to enhance some of the work available from Project Gutenberg and other public domain text sources, making them easier on the eyes.

Pokémon GO updates will have new deterrents for cheaters, and these seem to use shame more than just prevention. The changes were mentioned by a Pokémon GO support account on Reddit. (There are other updates coming soon to Pokémon GO as well.)

Virgin Wireless, perhaps best known for Sir Richard Branson and all of his antics, is an affordable cellular option here in the US. Virgin customers can enjoy — if that's the right word for it — Sprint's cellular service, at a discounted rate, however, there are usually some compromises for that. Now, there will be yet another compromise for Virgin customers who don't like iPhones — Virgin will now only carry Apple's phone on their network.

Uber drivers do a lot for us. They sit through traffic, make conversation, put on our favorite tunes, drive us however far we need to go, and they work long hours. Some even have to deal with people who may have had too much to drink, which we all know can be obnoxious. So yeah, we'd say that it's about time for Uber to include a tipping feature in their app.

Have you ever been on a Netflix binge and thought to yourself "man, these characters are so dumb. Why would you go back to the haunted house, Jenny? You know what's in there, and now you're going to die. This whole situation was so easily avoidable, JENNY." If you've ever thought you'd make better decisions than the characters in your favorite TV shows, Netflix has your back.

Music has always been able to connect us. Spotify is now offering an innovative new way to do just that. The company announced today that they have launched a new feature in collaboration with the Messenger app that allows you to share and make playlists with friends.

For $0.25 per transaction, PayPal will soon be allowing you to transfer money through their app that will get delivered within seconds rather than days.

The OnePlus 5 just made its official debut, so we now have all of the juicy details. From the announcement, this device definitely sounds like it's going to be another flagship killer, following in the footsteps of its predecessors.

iCloud can occasionally be the worst part of being an Apple user. It's useful for backing up your information, however, sometimes the problems that stem from Apple's cloud service are so tremendously frustrating they almost seem intentional. Well, buckle in, because it's possible there may be a widespread login issue.

A new Google Search update lets job-seekers streamline their search process. Searches like 'jobs near me' are now designed to show relevant opportunities from multiple sites.

Update 6/20/17: Olixar, a smartphone case manufacturer, has released images of an iPhone 8 case design. While at first glance this might seem to confirm the iPhone 8's final design, 9to5 Mac reports that Olixar admits they produced these renders based on "information and schematics they've acquired through their factories and contacts in the far east."

Combine the word "fake" with the word "Instagram" and you get what's called a "Finsta." If you are concerned about posting pictures on social media that you wouldn't want your family or boss to see, then a finsta account might be the thing that you need.

Aura, a highly rated app for mindfulness and mental health, just became available on Android and is currently on sale.

We've been following the rumors surrounding the OnePlus 5 for a while, and we are more than excited to get our hands on it. That excitement has only increased today, as we learn OnePlus has included a feature in its newest device that resembles the iPhone 7 Plus — real dual cameras.