Gadget Hacks: Page 12

There's a serious issue with Google Fi's service for iPhone that prevents sending any MMS pictures via the Messages app. The problem doesn't affect all iPhone users on Google Fi, but if you're like me and keep getting that frustrating "Not Delivered" alert, there's a fix.

You're caught up on "Squid Games," and you've rewatched "Seinfeld" for the umpteenth time. You're looking forward to the next season of "Stranger Things," but it isn't out yet. Why not play Stranger Things on Netflix instead?

If you have an iPhone running iOS 15 that's connected to Google Fi or another mobile virtual network operator, you may not be getting any photos or videos in Messages. That may be because you recently installed a software update, and you'll have to restore your cellular data network settings to get MMS working again.

Some of the new features in iOS 15 take some getting used to, and the biggest one of those is Safari's relocated search bar, aka address bar. There are more than a few reasons why it's a jarring change, but the good news is that you can return Safari's search bar to its pre-iOS 15 position at the top of the screen.

Apple's next big iOS update is ready for your iPhone, and it's out just a little bit more than a month after the iOS 15.0 update was released — and 14 days after iOS 15.0.2. The hottest feature you'll find in iOS 15.1 is definitely SharePlay, but what else is hiding within Oct. 25's new firmware?

Google Lens has easily been one of the more useful AR apps and a tantalizing tease of life with smartglasses in the not-so-distant future. Now, Apple has its own version of Lens, dubbed Live Text, built right into iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

Apple's hottest new FaceTime feature, SharePlay, comes packed with sharing options, and the biggest one lets you share your device's screen with the people you're FaceTiming. It didn't make it in time for the big iOS 15 release, but it did arrive in iOS 15.1, released Oct. 25, and here's how it works.

Some Android phones have had scrolling screenshots for years, but now that Apple added the feature to iOS 13 for iPhones, it should be standard on all phones. Thankfully, if your Android didn't come with the ability to take long, vertical screenshots, you can download an app that brings this feature to the masses.

Google's new Material You theming engine in Android 12 adds a personal touch to your user interface. The main colors of your wallpaper dynamically affect the colors in menus and apps, essentially putting you in control of the overall theme. But there's another new design element for app icons that's hiding in your settings.

The new Material You theme engine with its fancy widgets is a sexy change for Android, but there's another new Android 12 feature that's more than just pretty colors and curves.

If you've never used the Home button shortcuts on your iPhone before, you've been missing out. And no, I'm not talking about opening up Siri. By clicking the Home button three times, you could quickly pull up tools such as Magnifier, VoiceOver, Zoom, and Assistive Touch, but that's all changed on the iPhone X, XS, XS Max, and XR, which don't have Home buttons to click.

After updating to iOS 15 or iPadOS 15, you'll notice a new "Shared with You" section in certain Apple apps that contains recent shares from conversations in Messages. If you don't like seeing shared content from specific contacts or groups, there's a way to block them from Shared with You on your iPhone or iPad.

With its latest version of Apple Maps, Apple has made perhaps its strongest push since the launch of the app to dethrone Google Maps from its perch atop the App Store rankings.

With the arrival of Facebook Ray-Ban Stories smartglasses commanding the recent spotlight, the tech world acted like it forgot about Facebook's first foray in consumer hardware — the Portal line of video calling devices.

Wireless charging is pretty much ubiquitous among modern iPhones and Android smartphones, but the technology has brought a lot of clutter with it.

So now that we know what the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro and their respective mini and Max versions are all about, you've probably made your decision on whether or not to upgrade (or swap over from Android) during this cycle.

During its annual autumn keynote address, Apple didn't move heaven and earth. Instead, the company pushed the envelope ever so slightly forward for its marquee consumer devices.

After the dust settled from Apple's annual iPhone event, there's not a lot to get hyped up about the iPhone 13 lineup, particularly if you upgraded your smartphone last year.

I drop my smartphone a lot. Like an absurd amount of times. Practically multiple times a day. So it's surprising that my iPhone 12 Pro has lasted nine months without a cracked screen yet. Part of that has to do with the late-2020 model's durability, and the other part is thanks to my protective case.

When you're a writer with work published across various online platforms, building a portfolio of your work can be pretty time-consuming. That's where Authory comes in.

In the early days of the internet, if something was there and not password protected, you could see it. In the process of becoming the indispensable work and entertainment resource that it is, the internet also grew the same borders that countries have while also getting less safe for the people using it. If you want to watch something, you have to hope it was available in your country. If you want to keep your information safe, you have to take some extra steps to make sure that happens. The...

Your privacy is important, especially online. Almost anywhere you go on the internet, you leave a trail of data that companies can use without your permission. VPNs are the easiest way to keep your browsing private and your information safe. Ivacy VPN is one such service, and it's one of the best deals you can get on a VPN because it will cover 5 of your devices for a lifetime, and this is a two-account bundle, so you'll be able to cover 10 total devices for $49.99.

In the dark, even the lowest brightness option on the iPhone can still feel a thousand burning suns. No matter whether you're in bed or at the movie theater, you don't want to create a distraction with your smartphone. That's why you might want a brightness that isn't readily available on your device — but luckily, there may be a way to go lower than the lowest brightness.

Whether you're using your phone's map to navigate or entrusting your passenger with the responsibilities of the mobile DJ, your phone needs a secure place in your car. And if it could charge while it's there, that's great too. The Naztech Smart Grip Wireless Charging Car Mount is exactly what you're looking for if you need a place to keep your phone secure, charging, and able to be used when it's safe to do so. Right now, this adjustable phone mount is on sale for $39.99, an 11% discount.

Apple released the fifth iOS 14.7 betas to developers and public testers today, Thursday, July 8. The update appears to be minor, adding new splash screens when opening Reminders and Podcasts for the first time.

One of the most frustrating things you can experience as a music lover is to hear a song you've heard a thousand times, only to realize you're not hearing it correctly because your headphones aren't giving you the whole picture. A good pair of headphones will give you the exact music experience your favorite artists want you to have. These S6 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones are designed to give you authentic music down to every detail and note, and you can get them on sale for $33.95 — over 60%...

Losing your important data can be more painful than losing the hardware the data was stored on. Precious memories, files you don't often access but always want to have, there's so much you store on impermanent devices that you can't live without. Backing up your information to a secure, cloud-based location is the best way to stave off disaster here. Polar Backup Unlimited Cloud Backup Storage will give you an unlimited amount of cloud storage while making the process super easy.

Safari saw many new features and improvements with Apple's latest iOS update, including webpage translations, privacy reports, and picture-in-picture. While the updates were well-received, Apple's mobile browser is still lacking some very basic features. Thankfully, there are shortcuts to bridge the gap.

Apple released the fourth beta for iOS 14.7 today, Tuesday, June 29. The update comes 15 days after iOS 14.7 beta 3, and restores battery service messages that may have disappeared after reboot on some iPhone 11 models.

Apple's AirPods Pro offer three different audio modes for your convenience: "Transparency," which pumps in sound around you,"Noise Cancellation," which actively blocks out surrounding sounds, and "Off," which uses neither mode. Off saves battery, and does a decent job at passively cancelling noise on its own, but you can't seem to be able to use it with the AirPods Pro stem. Here's how.

Reading is as gratifying as it is time-consuming, the more you put it off, the bigger your to-be-read stack gets. Eventually, that stack will become a shelf, then a case, and then even if you want to read, who has the emotional fortitude to pick just one from all those unread books. With 12min Micro Book Library: Lifetime Premium Subscription you can read an entire book from start to finish in 12 minutes without losing any of the meaning, and it's on sale now for $39.

You might think your photo is amazing, but in the midst of editing it and getting ready to post it on social media, you notice something in the background. Maybe it's an unwelcome stranger or a wide-open dumpster, or it's the entire backdrop, but suddenly you realize that it's bad. Although you look good in it, the background just doesn't work — which is why you can always get rid of it.

When we think about operating systems, we tend to view them from the perspective of a user. After all, most of us have spent a substantial amount of time on our computers, and so we've become more than acquainted with the ins and outs of whatever system we have running on our personal device. But there is one operating system that, while being less commonly used on the user side, is behind a great deal of design and business technology: Linux.

If you're trying to get your start in the web development and IT field, then one of the best places to begin is by building confidence with your coding by practicing Python and sharing your work on Git & Github. The Learn Python & Django Developer Bundle can help get you up to speed in Python, Django, Git & Github, and more, and right now it's on sale for $29.99.

Apple released the second beta for iOS 15 on Thursday, June 24. The update includes FaceTime's "SharePlay" feature for the first time, a new Maps icon, updates to Focus mode, in addition to many other changes and bug fixes.

Your iPhone is full of apps that are all vying for your attention. Notifications from Facebook, Instagram, and even Apple Messages can get out of hand fast. With iOS 15, Apple gives you the tools to choose exactly who can contact you and when. Keep reading to see how to take control of your iPhone's notifications so that you only receive the most important alerts.

Apple introduces several new privacy settings with iOS 15, including the ability to better manage the metadata in your photos. With just a few taps, you can effectively spoof a photo's geolocation and change its creation date and time, providing a sort of disguise over your personal information. If you constantly take and share photos, it's a welcomed feature, but its results are not permanent and can be reversed.

The draw of wireless earbuds is convenience, and many still offer the same sound performance as their wired counterparts. The difficult part is finding a pair that will stay in your ear reliably, work when you need them, and give you the best audio quality.

Your iPhone's Sound Recognition feature is a powerful tool to help keep you alert to the world around you. With it, iOS will inform you if it hears a fire alarm, a door bell, glass breaking, among many other kinds of sounds. In iOS 15, Apple is updating the feature, allowing you to choose the alert tone that plays when iOS recognizes a specific sound.

Apple released the third iOS 14.7 public beta for iPhone Tuesday, June 15. The update comes one day after Apple released the third 14.7 developer beta, and twelve days after the second iOS 14.7 beta, which was only released to registered developers.