Gadget Hacks: Page 6

Microsoft began removing Publisher from Microsoft 365 subscriptions on October 1, 2026, with access ending on or shortly after that date as removal updates roll out. Anyone sitting on a folder of old newsletters, flyers, or brochures saved as .pub files now has one real question: can you convert Microsoft Publisher files with LibreOffice instead, and will the results actually hold up? Devaland ran 25 real .pub files through LibreOffice's free converter earlier this month and found the text...

WhatsApp says it is introducing guest calling, a feature that lets people without a WhatsApp account join a voice or video call through a shared link, the company announced yesterday. Guests open the link in a computer browser, type in a name, and wait for the host to let them in. No app install, no sign-up.

Apple is preparing to make its next move in the smart home market. The company has confirmed a "Welcome home" event for October 13, 2026, in New York, where it is widely expected to introduce its first dedicated smart home display, reportedly called HomeView.

Microsoft is turning Windows Search into a more capable control center, allowing users to type commands like "turn on Bluetooth" or "dim my screen" and execute them directly from search results. The redesigned experience began rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders on Oct. 7, with the goal of completing everyday tasks without opening another app or navigating through Settings.

Samsung's Galaxy S26 FE and Google's Pixel 11 offer two different routes to a flagship Android experience, with roughly $100 separating their 256GB models in the United States. The Galaxy S26 FE costs $799.99 at its regular retail price, while the Pixel 11 starts at $899. Choosing between them comes down to more than the price difference.

Microsoft has built a working prototype that moves Edge to a newer, more secure version while you continue working, without a restart prompt. The demo required clicking an Update button, but Microsoft aims to eliminate that step. That version isn't available yet. Microsoft says plainly that the prototype is not in production code and not part of Chromium today.

Google rolled out a new, Gemini-powered tier of scam protection for Google Messages yesterday, and it isn't landing on every Android phone at once. The list of Google Messages scam detection supported phones for this upgraded tier is much shorter than the list of devices that already run the feature's standard version, according to Google's security blog.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra pairs Nvidia's RTX Spark SoC with up to 128GB of unified memory and up to 1 petaflop of AI compute. The company has confirmed a $2,599.99 starting price, with preorders open ahead of its Oct. 16 release.

Google Play's Gamer DNA feature is now official. Google announced the AI-powered Game Finder on Oct. 13, turning an earlier code discovery into a personalized game recommendation tool that's rolling out to US users. The feature analyzes gaming activity and stated preferences to suggest titles that match how people actually like to play.

The Google Phone Contacts tab is returning to the bottom navigation bar for beta testers, reversing a change that buried the shortcut inside a sidebar menu last year.

Google is reportedly redesigning how business conversations appear inside Google Messages, pairing rounded-square icons and verification checkmarks with tools for identifying and deleting promotional RCS chats. That sounds like progress against Google Messages ads clutter, but visual identification addresses only part of the problem. Recognizing a marketing message doesn't necessarily explain why it arrived or how future contact will be handled.

From its official launch back in September, iOS 11 has been equal parts revered as it has been criticized. Even with all the great, new features we've come to expect from a major iOS update, plenty of bugs and glitches have forced users to overlook the positives. Perhaps that is why, four months later, 25% of iPhone owners are still running iOS 10.3 or earlier.

Google Wallet automatic pass saving expanded automated boarding-pass check-in configurations to 10 additional airline carriers, according to an announcement dated June 30, 2026. Travelers flying with an eligible airline could see a boarding pass land in Wallet without ever tapping "Add to Google Wallet," though Google hasn't named which carriers qualify or which regions they serve.

Five years after Google introduced the Pixel 6, owners who have held onto the phone are approaching a decision they can no longer put off indefinitely. Its guaranteed software support ends in October 2026, making the Pixel 10a and Pixel 11 two potential replacements. But spending more doesn't automatically mean getting the better upgrade.

Open the Together tab in Samsung Health and spot a string of asterisks where a friend's name should be, and the first thought is usually that something broke. But Samsung Health friends shown as asterisks can be the result of a privacy feature introduced in version 7.1, rather than a glitch or missing contact.

Apple's support documentation still requires an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch, even though some third-party guides describe ways to use a cellular model alongside an Android phone after initial setup. That sentence is the extent of what's confirmed. Apple hasn't published eligible models, carriers, regions, or setup steps to go with it.

Microsoft recently confirmed that KB5127648, the October 2026 Windows 11 security update, can leave the Smart App Control toggle grayed out on some PCs. The known issue applies to devices running Windows 11 24H2 and later, and it only shows up on machines where Smart App Control had already been switched off before the update installed.

The Google Translate Android redesign rollout is underway, but it's patchy, and Google still hasn't said a word about it officially. Android Authority reported last Friday that the new interface showed up on two of its test phones running version 10.39.34.99, while other devices on the exact same build kept the old layout. Antihype reported the same day that Google is pushing the interface out gradually, with no official explanation yet of who qualifies or when.

A new leak claims four Samsung Galaxy S27 price points: $899 for the base model, $1,099 for the Plus, $1,299 for a new Pro tier, and $1,399 or $1,499 for the Ultra, according to PhoneArena's October 9 report.

Android Authority's teardown of Gmail version 2026.10.05.993506826 found code for an in-development Gmail settings page redesign that folds the Android app's separate "General" and per-account settings into labeled categories. The outlet says it only got the screens to render through "a lot of tinkering," and Google has not announced a public test or given any rollout timeline.

Some Pixel owners reported getting stuck in a bootloop after installing the March Android 16 QPR3 update, with phones hanging on the Google logo or failing to boot at all, according to a report from XDA Developers earlier in 2026. The reports span models from the Pixel 6 through the Pixel 10 and surfaced across several Reddit threads, according to the same report.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra launched October 16, following preorders that opened October 7 at a $2,599 starting price. The laptop is built on Nvidia's RTX Spark platform and targets developers, creators, and users running demanding local AI workloads, according to Microsoft's launch announcement and Tom's Hardware.

Saying "stop" to Gemini for Home used to be a gamble. Sometimes it killed whatever was playing; sometimes it just ended the back-and-forth while an alarm kept blaring in the background. Google's October 14 release notes for the Google Home app describe a fix for that: say "stop" now, and Gemini immediately ends the active listening session without a follow-up response, and it's supposed to correctly halt active music, a timer, or an alarm instead of just wrapping up the conversation. That's the...

TextExpander introduced a free-forever plan in 2026 that needs no credit card and syncs the same snippet library across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows, and Chrome, according to 9to5Mac and TextExpander's own site. The TextExpander free plan gives individuals a genuine no-cost entry into cross-device text expansion, not a time-limited trial that pushes a sale.

Google is rolling out a Review toggle inside Gemini Notebook that lets users see and reshape Gemini's proposed outline before it builds a Slide Deck, or check producer notes before it renders a Video Overview. The feature adds a planning checkpoint that wasn't available in the previous generation flow, according to Google's October 19 announcement.

A new rumor claims the Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra could introduce DC dimming, a technology Samsung hasn't traditionally offered on its Galaxy S flagships, according to Android Central.

Apple hasn't announced any smart home hardware made with LG, and neither company has confirmed a partnership. But an Apple LG smart home accessories leak lays out two iPhone-based features that could define how Apple Home users eventually set up and control a trio of LG-built devices: a proximity-triggered control shortcut and a way to begin pairing before an accessory has power. Code and firmware details shared by leaker pdfu describe both features, according to MacRumors.

Google started rolling out Personal Intelligence to Android Auto on October 20, giving Gemini permission-based access to Gmail, Calendar, Photos, Maps, YouTube, and Search while a driver is behind the wheel, according to Google's announcement. The Gemini Gmail integration in Android Auto is opt-in from the start: personal app data isn't connected until a driver enables the feature, and it can be switched off anytime in Gemini's settings.

President Donald Trump has canceled plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, following bipartisan criticism of the proposed broadcast. Hasan remains scheduled to die by firing squad on December 3, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously said he wanted the execution made public, and Pentagon officials told reporters it would be livestreamed.

A Reddit post covered by Android Authority describes a workaround to switch from Gemini back to Google Assistant by uninstalling updates to the Google app and then reopening the Assistant listing in the Play Store. It isn't an official Google procedure, and the reporting doesn't establish which phone models or Android versions it works on.

Xiaomi's next premium phones could come with a hefty price tag in Europe — and potentially smaller batteries than their Chinese counterparts. A new leak puts the Xiaomi 18 Pro at €1,449 (approximately $1,629), just €50 ($56) below the Xiaomi 17 Ultra's European launch price, while the larger 18 Pro Max could reach €1,849 (about $2,079).

Fenix 8 and Forerunner 970 owners are reporting serious battery drain tied to Garmin's "OK Garmin" wake word, with battery estimates falling from 15 days to nine in some cases and from 12 days to six in others, according to TechRadar, reporting October 19.

Anyone googling "YouTube testing hidden dislike button on videos" is running into a policy that's been live for almost five years, not a new experiment. YouTube started hiding the public dislike count on November 10, 2021, while leaving the dislike button itself fully visible and clickable. The sources reviewed for this article do not establish that YouTube is conducting a new test to hide the dislike button itself.

Apple's new HomePod mini 2 isn't the only speaker getting Sound Glow, the music-reactive lighting effect introduced alongside it earlier this month. Release Candidate testing shows the feature coming to speakers already sitting on shelves and nightstands: HomePod mini, HomePod mini 2, and HomePod (2nd generation) all support it, while the original full-size HomePod is left out entirely.

Apple Maps lets you request that your house be obscured in Look Around, its street-level photo feature. This is an imagery request, not an address-removal request: blurring your home doesn't remove its address from search results, map pins, or driving directions. That distinction is worth knowing before walking through how to blur your home on Apple Maps.

Google Photos code suggests its 2026 Recap could let people replace or remove individual photos and swap out the background music track, rather than relying only on the current hide-and-regenerate workflow.

If your Google Home Speaker's data usage looks abnormally high this week, you're not imagining it. Some owners are seeing the new speaker consume gigabytes of data in the background with no voice commands, music streaming, or other obvious activity to explain it.

Straight Talk raised the hotspot data included with its three unlimited plans without touching the monthly base prices, according to a Verizon announcement published Oct. 20. Silver, Gold, and Platinum Unlimited still run $45, $55, and $65 a month, but each now comes with a bigger hotspot allowance, 5G Ultra Wideband access for eligible customers, and a cheaper home internet bundle.

Windows 11 24H2 reached end of support Oct. 13, 2026, for Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations editions. The deadline has already passed, and the October security update was the last monthly update for those editions.

Microsoft is reportedly targeting a holiday 2027 launch for a next-generation Xbox handheld, with a home console called Project Helix following in holiday 2028.