Gadget Hacks: Page 2

Google Home just got a game-changer that’s been quietly rolling out, and honestly, it’s about time. The Verge reports you can now control more Google Home devices from your desktop, while 9to5Google confirms device controls are now widely rolled out to the Google Home web app. This ability to control smart devices from Home’s web app was first teased by Google back in June, and now it is here for real.

The European Union just fired its biggest regulatory salvo yet at Big Tech's handling of online financial fraud, and Apple finds itself right in the crosshairs. The timing is hard to ignore. Just as regulators forced Apple to support third-party app marketplaces in Europe, they are asking whether the company is doing enough to stop scams across its ecosystem. This is not another routine skirmish, it is a direct test of how Apple balances security, control, and compliance in a messy, real-world...

Google has been making waves in the tech world with a significant expansion of its AI-powered photo editing capabilities. Google has just announced that it is rolling out conversational editing to other Android phones in the U.S. from today, marking a major step forward in making advanced photo editing accessible to a broader audience. This feature leverages Gemini's sophisticated AI capabilities to transform how we interact with our photos, allowing anyone with an eligible phone to make AI...

Apple's announcement that Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Monaco, and Norway is not just another feature drop. It is a strategic move that shows how regulatory pressure, technological innovation, and market demand are reshaping Europe’s payments scene. Apple announced today that the contactless solution turns any iPhone into a payment terminal, no extra hardware required beyond a partner-enabled iOS app. The timing matters, coming after Apple's 2024...

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S26 series is getting real buzz, and not just from spec-sheet chasers. The latest leaks point to Samsung Galaxy S26 could get support for APV, Samsung's Advanced Professional Video codec, the kind of feature that can flip how we think about shooting on a phone. With APV supporting lossless video recording with full LOG and HDR capabilities, pros get latitude, hobbyists get headroom. And because APV offers up to 20% better space efficiency than comparable codecs,...

WhatsApp just rolled out one of its most requested features, and it’s about time. WhatsApp is now rolling out message translations on its iOS and Android apps, bringing real-time language support directly to your chats. The twist, translations are handled on your device to help protect your privacy, so WhatsApp still can’t see your encrypted chats. Not a gimmick, a useful fix to a real barrier, done without poking holes in encryption.

You've just invested in Samsung's latest powerhouse tablet, and that gorgeous 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is staring back at you. How do you keep it pristine? The Galaxy Tab S11 features a stunning 1600 x 2560 resolution with 1600 nits peak brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate, and all that brilliance means little if your screen gets scratched. With Samsung already offering official screen protectors and the tablet supporting advanced features like the redesigned S Pen with increased tilt...

WhatsApp just made communicating across languages ridiculously easy. Engadget reports that the messaging giant is now rolling out message translations on both iOS and Android apps, a big step for more than 2 billion people who chat across borders. The twist, and it matters, is that translations are handled entirely on your device to maintain privacy, so WhatsApp still cannot peek at your encrypted chats.

Google's mobile gaming ecosystem just got a major overhaul, and honestly, it's about time. Google is rolling out significant updates to Google Play Games that fundamentally change how we interact with mobile gaming across devices. With over 200,000 titles now available across mobile and PC platforms, these changes are more than cosmetic. They are reshaping the entire player experience. Let's break down what these updates mean for gamers, and why they matter right now.

Looking at T-Mobile's latest free line promotion feels a bit like watching a magician's performance. The trick lands, the crowd claps, you know there is more happening under the stage. T-Mobile's giving away free lines, so check your T-Life app, but the reality is more nuanced than the headline suggests. The service charge is zero, while customers still pay initial activation, taxes, fees, and the free line does not qualify for equipment discounts.

You know that feeling when a software update makes you do a double-take? That's exactly what these One UI 8.5 leaks are doing. While One UI 8 is just starting to roll out to Galaxy phones worldwide, Samsung is already cooking up something that might make iPhone users pause and wonder if the grass really is greener on the Android side.

The deal everyone's been talking about is finally taking shape. What does it mean for TikTok users, creators, and the broader tech landscape? After months of uncertainty and political maneuvering, the US and China have reached what appears to be a breakthrough agreement on TikTok's future in America. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Americans will hold six of seven board seats overseeing TikTok's U.S. operations, while Oracle will control the app's algorithm under the...

Microsoft's strategic shift to expand Xbox Cloud Gaming beyond its premium Ultimate tier represents a pivotal moment in cloud gaming accessibility. After years of restricting cloud streaming to the $19.99 Ultimate subscription, Microsoft is now testing broader access through its Xbox Insider program, opening cloud gaming to Game Pass Core and Standard subscribers. This expansion comes at a critical juncture when the company has been restructuring subscription tiers and implementing price...

Reviewed by: Jame Jimenez

The racing world has always been about speed, danger, and putting viewers right in the heart of the action, but nothing quite prepared me for what CANAL+ just delivered. Tour De Force is not just another sports documentary. It is the first third-party Apple Immersive Video production to hit Vision Pro, and it is absolutely wild.

The world of Android 17's medical device integration represents a profound shift from the incremental health tracking improvements we have grown accustomed to. Earlier Android updates chased steps and simple fitness metrics. This round points at something heavier, the integration of functional safety principles that could turn Android devices into reliable partners in critical healthcare.

Apple's iPhone 17 launch delivered something rare in tech, genuine surprise backed by numbers. While Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives just bumped his price target to $310, citing "positively surprised" demand, the real story is the gap between early Wall Street skepticism and the rush at retail.

You know what's fascinating? Samsung's been quietly perfecting DeX for eight years now. You might have written it off as a nice-to-have that never quite delivered. Then they cracked the code. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 becoming the first compact folding phone to support desktop mode signals an important shift, Samsung is expanding DeX beyond flagship phones and tablets into their entire ecosystem. And here is the real breakthrough that makes the expansion matter: Samsung reimagined DeX around tablets...

Apple's latest updates to Final Cut Pro and the new Final Cut Camera 2.0 feel like a massive leap for mobile video production. Apple today updated Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad with support for ProRes RAW video recording on iPhone 17 Pro models, alongside the announcement of Final Cut Camera 2.0 as the first major update since its June 2024 launch. This is not another incremental bump. It is Apple positioning the iPhone as a legitimate professional filmmaking tool that can stand next to...

Apple's latest iPhone 17 Pro has hit the market with plenty of fanfare, but early adopters are discovering an unexpected issue that's got everyone talking. Just days after launch, reports from users and tech reviewers show these premium devices scratch more easily than expected. Several users have shared photos showing scratches on iPhone 17 Pro models displayed in Apple stores, and durability tester Zack Nelson says "Scratchgate" is real and exclusively Apple's fault. What's particularly...

Apple's iOS 26 update brings some genuinely exciting developments, and honestly, it's about time. Live Translation can now translate another person's words into your language and pipe them through your AirPods, as ZDNet reports, while Tom's Guide confirms iOS 26 added new Apple Intelligence languages and expanded AirPods Live Translation capabilities. SlashGear notes the feature uses on-device AI models, so conversations stay on your iPhone and never hit the cloud.

Apple's latest iPhone lineup hit the market with impressive promises, but reality has a way of humbling even the most advanced technology. The iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air all arrived sporting Apple's brand-new custom N1 chip, a significant milestone marking the company's first foray into designing their own connectivity hardware. Yet within days of launch, users discovered their shiny new devices had developed an annoying quirk: Wi-Fi connections that...

When Apple announced the iPhone Air, their thinnest phone ever at just 6.5mm thick, the repair community collectively held its breath. Surely this ultra-slim design meant a return to the dark days of glued-together nightmares that required a full phone swap for minor issues. Then iFixit's teardown landed. The iPhone Air doesn't sacrifice repairability for thinness, earning an impressive 7 out of 10 repairability score. For context, it's even thinner than Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge, yet Apple...

Privacy is messy on a packed train or in a coffee line, and Samsung appears to be tackling it in a surprisingly thoughtful way. A recent APK teardown of One UI 8.5 uncovered code referencing something called "Private Display" or "Privacy Display," and the feature looks like a real swing for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The leaked build shows Samsung is developing tech that limits screen visibility from side angles to protect your privacy in crowded public places. One UI 8.5 is expected to be the...

The smartphone market in 2025 is getting more interesting by the day, and Samsung's Galaxy A36 5G is making quite the splash, especially with one carrier offering it absolutely free. When I first heard about this deal, I was skeptical. Free phones usually come with significant compromises. Too good to be true? After digging into what the Galaxy A36 brings to the table, I changed my mind. This might actually be one of those rare deals worth your attention.

Apple's entry into the foldable phone market has been one of the tech world's most anticipated developments, and recent reports suggest we might finally get our first glimpse next fall. The foldable iPhone is currently underway in Cupertino and with Apple's manufacturing partners overseas, a significant shift in the company's smartphone strategy. This timing is not coincidental. Apple's newfound focus on ultra-thin engineering creates the foundation for tackling foldable challenges.

Apple has been methodically building toward this moment for years. Starting with the iPhone 14's US-only eSIM transition in 2022, the company tested the waters for a complete departure from physical SIM cards. Now, with the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air bringing eSIM-only designs to global markets, we are seeing the final phase of a transformation that began with the iPhone XS series in 2018.

The mobile industry just witnessed a major leadership shake-up that's bound to reshape one of America's biggest wireless carriers. T-Mobile confirmed that Mike Sievert will step down as CEO on November 1, 2024, with current COO Srinivasan Gopalan taking the helm. This is not just another corporate reshuffle, it signals T-Mobile's shift from aggressive customer growth to premium positioning built on robust fiber infrastructure. The timing stands out, Sievert's contract was set to run until 2028,...

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

The iPhone 17 Pro teardown is already making waves in the tech community, and 9to5Mac has delivered some fascinating insights about Apple's latest flagship. It signals a real shift in Apple's design philosophy, one that balances cutting-edge technology with the practical choices that extend device lifespan and user satisfaction.

Microsoft's pricing strategy for the Xbox ecosystem just delivered a reality check that is reverberating through gaming communities worldwide. In May 2025, the company announced some of the most aggressive price increases the console industry has seen, pushing the Xbox Series X from $500 to $600 and bumping the Series S from $300 to $380. Then came the curveball. Microsoft tried to push game prices to $80, met a tidal wave of backlash, and quickly backtracked to $70 after criticism around...

Apple's iPhone 17 lineup feels like the biggest generational leap in years. After going hands-on with all four models, I can say this is not another incremental update. Apple brought its best new features to the iPhone 17 this year, including a 120Hz display and Center Stage, and the Pro models stayed remarkably cool during intensive testing thanks to a new thermal management system. The ultra-thin iPhone Air stands out too, Apple's boldest design swing in a long time, packing serious power...

Apple just dropped something that's got the entire video production world buzzing, and trust me, this isn't your typical incremental update. Apple has announced Final Cut Camera 2.0, adding ProRes RAW recording and genlock sync support for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The free app update makes Apple's high-end iPhone 17 models the first smartphones that can shoot ProRes RAW. Meanwhile, Blackmagic Design announces Blackmagic Camera ProDock that adds professional camera connections to...

Samsung just dropped some serious tablet upgrades, and if you're eyeing the new Galaxy Tab S11 or S11 Ultra, you're probably wondering which one deserves your hard-earned cash. Samsung announced both models on September 4, 2025, and they're already hitting shelves. The Tab S11 costs $800 while the Tab S11 Ultra is $1,200. Price is only half the story. The rest is how you plan to use it.

Looking at Apple's latest iPhone lineup, I am in an unusual spot. After years of camping out on livestreams, testing every new toggle, and chasing tiny year‑over‑year gains, I am sitting this one out. The iPhone 17 series looks strong, yet it still is not enough to pull me from my current phone.

Apple's latest decision to switch from titanium back to aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro models has tech enthusiasts buzzing, and not always for the right reasons. The aluminum unibody looks sleek, runs cooler, and unlocks those eye-catching new color options. Early reports, though, are raising red flags about everyday durability you should know about.

The Nest app, once the elegant control center for what many considered the most beautiful smart home products ever made, is officially living on borrowed time. Google’s latest moves make it crystal clear that we’re witnessing the final chapter of Nest as we knew it, and the transformation has been accelerating faster than most users realize. The writing is on the wall.

Apple just dropped iOS 26. If you've got your hands on one of the shiny new iPhone 17 models, you need this update, no way around it. iOS 26 is out now and ready to download, bringing what Apple calls the biggest update to the software since iOS 7 in 2013. Here's what to know to get your iPhone 17 up and running with the latest from Cupertino.

Federico Viticci's comprehensive iOS 26 review has landed, and it feels like a line in the sand for Apple's software. With Apple's new Liquid Glass design language dominating the conversation and Viticci testing nearly 70 third-party apps with the new interface, this is not another incremental update. After Apple spent over two months fine-tuning the Liquid Glass appearance before shipping, we are looking at Apple's most ambitious design overhaul in years.