Gadget Hacks: Page 6

OnePlus just dropped a bombshell, the kind that might make Samsung sweat. The company officially announced through Weibo that the OnePlus 15 will pack a massive 7,300mAh battery. Not just impressive; it flips the script and makes the Galaxy S25 Ultra's expected 5,000mAh pack look quaint by comparison.

When Nothing unveiled their budget-friendly Phone 3a Lite today, they delivered exactly what the name promises: most of what makes the Phone 3a compelling, just more affordable. This stripped-down version launches in the UK and Europe at £249/€249 for the 128GB model, according to The Verge, making it Nothing's cheapest smartphone to date. Unfortunately for US consumers, The Verge reports this budget option won't see a stateside release. Tough break.

Here's what we know about the iPhone 17's early sales performance, and the numbers are painting a compelling picture for Apple that goes beyond typical launch metrics. The data tells a story about consumer behavior and market dynamics that might surprise anyone who's been following the somewhat cautious reception of recent iPhone launches.

T-Mobile's decision to discontinue its JUMP! On Demand program marks the end of an era for one of the wireless industry's most customer-friendly upgrade initiatives. The carrier is discontinuing its lease-based upgrade service that previously allowed customers to swap devices as frequently as monthly, with new enrollments already suspended and only current participants benefiting from what amounts to an unexpectedly generous farewell package, according to Find Articles.

Apple's M4 Pro Mac mini just hit a new pricing milestone, and it's worth a double take. The compact powerhouse that once carried a premium price tag is down to $1,299, according to Mac Prices, a $100 drop from Apple's official price. Not a routine sale, more like a strategic pivot in desktop pricing. Research from multiple retailers shows every Mac mini configuration is discounted, which points to a market-wide adjustment rather than a one-off promo.

The early numbers tell a lively story about Apple's newest iPhone lineup, and even Cupertino seems a bit surprised. The iPhone 17 series is beating projections overall. Yet there is a clear split, a winner and a struggler, that says a lot about what people actually want from a phone in 2025.

Social media is buzzing with a so-called revolutionary Hinge hack that claims to liberate attractive matches from "Rose Jail", but this viral trend might be costing users more than just money. A trending strategy promises women they can access higher-quality matches by manipulating the dating app's algorithm, according to Mashable. The technique has gained traction across platforms like TikTok, where creators promote a specific method involving account deletion and premium purchases. The...

Hurricane season brings a familiar anxiety to millions of Android users across storm-prone regions. Your phone's built-in weather app might say rain is coming. Fine for a picnic. Not so helpful when a Category 3 hurricane is bearing down on your neighborhood. In that moment, you want more punch. You want specialized weather apps that turn your Android into a command center.

Think of Google Wallet as your digital assistant that's always watching your back. Picture that mad dash at JFK, one hand on a roller bag, the other balancing coffee, while the gate agent calls final boarding. Your phone buzzes. There's the pass. No digging. No panic.

When Google first introduced the Pixel 10 Pro Fold back in August, they painted an impressive picture of durability. Here was a device that could supposedly withstand around 180,000 fold cycles over approximately 10 years of regular use, complete with IP68 dust and water resistance and a titanium backplate designed to enhance structural integrity. But sometimes reality has a way of crushing even the most carefully crafted marketing promises, literally.

If you have been wondering when smart home control would finally become as simple as hitting a single button, Google might have the answer you have been waiting for. The tech giant is quietly developing something pretty clever for your living room, a feature that could change how you pull up your home security cameras without leaving the couch.

Samsung's latest move should not surprise anyone who has watched the ultra-thin smartphone saga unfold. The company has reportedly shelved the Galaxy S26 Edge after seeing the Galaxy S25 Edge struggle to gain traction with consumers. Samsung has decided to abandon its ultra-thin smartphone experiment following disappointing market performance, according to Times of India. The company will return to its traditional three-model strategy for next year's flagship series, the outlet reports. Even...

When you look at the iPhone 17's launch numbers, something remarkable becomes clear. We're watching a performance that is not just meeting expectations, it is reshaping Apple's financial trajectory in real time. Apple's stock reached an all-time high of $262.24, driven by sales figures that tell a compelling story of sustained consumer demand in a crowded smartphone landscape. The iPhone 17 outperformed its predecessor by 14% in those crucial first ten days, according to Counterpoint Research,...

Apple's iOS 26.1 beta 4 landed on October 20th with changes beta testers have been hoping to see for months. Instead of endlessly tweaking Liquid Glass opacity based on complaints, which Apple has been doing throughout the beta cycle, the company handed the controls directly to users. A notable shift from Apple's typical "we know best" approach to interface design. About time.

Apple's latest Vision Pro update goes straight at the headset's biggest adoption barriers. Apple paired the powerful M5 chip with a comfort fix that turns one of the original model's most persistent pain points into a selling point.

Apple's ambitious expansion into India has built an impressive manufacturing ecosystem, but a financial storm is forming. As the tech giant accelerates its shift away from Chinese production, the specialized assembly equipment needed for future iPhone lines could trigger billions in unexpected taxes. This is not just moving factories, it is rebuilding a technological infrastructure inside a very different regulatory maze.

Recent Microsoft 365 outages have created a pivotal moment for organizations to reconsider their productivity platform dependencies. As businesses increasingly rely on cloud-based collaboration tools, the fragility of centralized systems has become painfully apparent. Recent analysis reveals how infrastructure failures can cascade across entire ecosystems, affecting millions of users globally. These disruptions are not just technical inconveniences. They raise hard questions about business...

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Apple just hit a milestone that felt out of reach not long ago. The tech giant has officially crossed the $4 trillion market capitalization threshold, becoming the third company to join the club with Nvidia and Microsoft. What is powering the sprint? The iPhone 17 series, whose launch lit up sales charts in key markets.

When Apple's stock hits historic highs and crosses into $4 trillion territory, you know something significant is happening in Cupertino. The company has reached a milestone that felt out of reach just a few years back, becoming the third tech giant to reach this valuation alongside Nvidia and Microsoft. What is driving the surge? The latest iPhone lineup, which has outkicked expectations and reminded everyone why Apple's ecosystem still sticks. Apple's shares climbed 13% since the iPhone 17 and...

When you think about chip performance, it is rare to see numbers that make you sit up. The first benchmark results for Apple's M5 chip do exactly that. MacRumors revealed initial performance data from the 14-inch MacBook Pro, pointing to a leap in processing power that stretches what we expect from a laptop.

When Apple announced its five-year Formula 1 streaming partnership, it was not just another sports deal hitting the headlines. It read like a calculated chess move, a signal that American motorsport viewing is about to change. The tech giant has officially secured exclusive U.S. media rights for F1 races starting in 2026, according to Apple's press release, and the financial commitment tells the story of their ambitions.

Samsung's journey with One UI 8 has been a rollercoaster, and we can finally see the end of the ride. After a pause to sort things out, Samsung has resumed the One UI 8 rollout for both the Galaxy S23 and S24 series, now with beefed-up security that makes the wait feel worth it.

Samsung's One UI 8 rollout stumbled, forcing a pause, but the Android 16-based update is now back on Galaxy S23 and S24 phones. After hitting the brakes earlier this month (Android Authority), Samsung has restarted in South Korea and says more regions are next. This is not just another patch cycle, it is a reset of trust and process, especially after the messy One UI 7 launch that knocked confidence in the company's update pipeline.

YouTube's transformation is happening right now, and it's bigger than most people realize. The platform has launched multiple interface updates that represent the most significant visual overhaul in more than a decade, according to Tom's Guide. The redesign touches everything, from player controls to how you save and browse, and it landed right after major mobile interface changes that rolled out less than two weeks earlier. The timing isn't a coincidence. YouTube is modernizing its entire...

You're looking at the next big evolution in Android security, and it's happening right now. Curious which apps on your phone actually lean on Google's most powerful protection? You can finally tell. Recent work makes it possible to spot which apps tap Android's strongest security feature, and the ripple effects are bigger than most people expect. Google's Android Protected Confirmation (APC) is an OS feature that leverages the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) and Trusted UI to provide...

When Apple's services chief Eddy Cue said Apple TV+ would simply become 'Apple TV,' plenty of people did a double-take. Maybe we shouldn't have. We have seen this movie before. Apple lets real-world language steer the label, then makes it official. 'iPhone OS' slid into 'iOS' because developers already said it that way, and 'Apple Computer' pared down to 'Apple' when the company grew beyond Macs.

Twitch is making another run at live commerce, and this time they've got Amazon's full advertising arsenal backing the play. The gaming-focused streaming platform has rolled out fresh live-shopping capabilities powered by Amazon Ads, marking a significant shift in how streamers might monetize their content. This isn't Twitch's first rodeo with shopping features, they experimented with similar functionality back in 2017 before pulling the plug, according to StreamsCharts. With live commerce...

Tim Cook's recent commitment to deepen Apple's China investment lands at a delicate intersection of geopolitics and corporate calculus. His pledge during a Beijing visit is more than routine. It is a bet on managing one of tech's most tangled relationships. How high are the stakes? China generates roughly $360 billion a year from its Apple partnership, roughly the GDP of South Africa. And most iPhones worldwide are produced or assembled there.

When you think about flagship smartphones these days, you usually have to pick your battles. Do you want incredible camera performance or all-day battery life? Well, Oppo just said "why not both?" with their new Find X9 Pro, and the specs are genuinely revolutionary.

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Reviewed by Meg Flores

When you are scrolling through your Google Wallet app, you might notice something new tucked alongside your payment cards and transit passes. Google has been quietly rolling out support for Play Points as a loyalty card within the Wallet app, according to Android Authority. It makes sense once you think about it, your Play Points are just another kind of digital reward card, so why not keep them with everything else?

You've probably heard about ultra-thin smartphones becoming the next big thing in mobile tech, but Samsung's latest strategic reversal shows how tricky that niche really is. What began as an ambitious swing at redefining flagship design with the Galaxy S25 Edge ended with the Galaxy S26 Edge getting cancelled, before it even launched. Not a minor hiccup; a loud warning about what happens when engineering flair drifts away from what buyers actually want.

The wireless earbuds landscape is crowded, with manufacturers racing to pack premium features into cheaper packages. Enter the Google Pixel Buds 2a, a compelling middle ground that brings active noise cancellation and flagship-level performance to the $129 price point. What makes these earbuds particularly significant is that they represent Google's first foray back into budget ANC territory in about four years, powered by the same Tensor A1 chip that drives their premium counterparts.

The Pixel 10 Pro's impressive 100x zoom capability has a serious flaw that Google didn't advertise; fortunately, it is one you can solve at home. The phone nails long-distance stills that would make wildlife photographers jealous. Zoom video, though, can lurch and stutter, especially as you cross lens ranges. Thinking you need to return your $999 phone or wait months for a fix? You don't.

OnePlus is talking a big game about its next flagship, pitching the OnePlus 15's display as a straight upgrade. Peek under the hood of leaks and official teasers, and the story gets more layered. The company's president Li Jie Louis has been teasing an "ultra-high" refresh rate display, according to NotebookCheck, and leaks point to 165Hz, the highest the brand has tried.

Apple's next-generation iPad Pro is stirring things up before Apple has said a word. Reports point to advanced testing on what could be the most meaningful tablet update in years. The upcoming device is expected to feature Apple's powerful new M5 chip, a deliberate move to debut fresh silicon in a tablet first, not a Mac. That says a lot about where Apple wants the iPad Pro to sit. Internally, the new models are being identified by code names J817, J818, J820, and J821, a hint at multiple...

Apple just made a move that perfectly captures everything wrong with its entertainment branding strategy. The tech giant is dropping the "plus" sign from Apple TV+, trimming the name to plain "Apple TV." Sounds tidy, right? It is the platform's first name change in its six-year history. Instead of fixing the mess, it turns a muddle into a minor crisis.

Apple's latest iOS 26 update has transformed digital boarding passes from simple ticket stubs into sophisticated travel companions, and the rollout is already underway. Digital boarding passes have consistently ranked among Apple Wallet's most utilized features, making this upgrade particularly significant for millions of travelers. The enhanced boarding pass experience was announced with iOS 26, delivering three major improvements: Live Activities for real-time flight tracking, integrated...