Gadget Hacks: Page 9

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Ever plugged in your iPhone only to see that dreaded "Slow Charger" notification pop up in your battery settings? You’re not alone. This orange warning has become increasingly common since iOS 18 introduced better charging diagnostics. It looks scary, sure, but it is really Apple nudging you toward a faster setup. iOS 18 and later displays a 'Slow Charger' message when a higher-wattage charger could improve your charging experience. Here's the playbook.

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Reviewed by Meg Flores

When artificial intelligence meets the smartphone market, the battle lines are drawn between two tech giants with very different approaches. Samsung leverages its massive global reach and comprehensive device ecosystem, while Honor focuses on innovative features and accessible pricing. Let’s break down how these brands stack up in the ultimate AI showdown.

Social media is buzzing with footage that is hard to watch: Google’s flagship Pixel 10 Pro XL completely falling apart while trying to run Genshin Impact. Clips showing distorted textures, broken controls, and severe screen tearing are spreading like wildfire across platforms, according to Android Authority. The timing could not be worse for Google, because these viral moments are raising blunt questions about the company’s bold decision to switch GPU architectures in its latest flagship...

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Reviewed by Meg Flores

WhatsApp is finally addressing one of its biggest privacy limitations with the upcoming introduction of usernames, allowing users to connect without revealing their personal phone numbers. The messaging platform is reportedly gearing up to launch this long-awaited feature, which has been spotted in recent beta versions and represents a major shift from the app's traditional phone number-based identity system. Even more interesting, WhatsApp's beta builds show a username reservation feature that...

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

Halloween season is upon us, and if you're like me, you've probably got a yard full of decorations that need to be plugged in every night and unplugged every morning. No more shuffling across a cold driveway at sunset. The folks over at HomeKit Weekly have mapped out exactly how to automate this seasonal chore using Apple's smart home framework, and honestly, it's a game-changer for anyone tired of trudging outside to flip switches.

YouTube Music is jumping into the AI-powered music experience game, and honestly, it's about time. Companies continue finding ways to integrate AI into their products, and YouTube Music is the latest platform to get the AI treatment with something it is calling "Beyond the Beat." Think of it as your own personal radio DJ who actually knows what they are talking about. At least, that is the idea.

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Reviewed by Meg Flores

The tech world just witnessed one of those moments that makes you pause and think about how quickly digital freedoms can vanish. Apple has removed ICEBlock and other apps that allow users to anonymously report sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from its App Store. Now you might be wondering why this matters. It is not every day that a simple app removal sends ripples through the tech community and sparks questions about who really controls what we can use.

Looking at Apple's latest leaks feels like watching a perfectly orchestrated symphony of speculation come together, only this time, we are dealing with more than just rumors. Between FCC documents accidentally revealing hardware identifiers and YouTubers unboxing devices that are not supposed to exist yet, we are getting an unprecedented peek behind Apple's curtain. Cue the popcorn.

Looking at Apple's latest headphone lineup, you are faced with two compelling but dramatically different options. The AirPods Pro 3 just landed at $249, with what Apple claims is twice the noise cancellation power of its predecessor. Meanwhile, the AirPods Max holds steady at $549 with a premium over-ear experience and 20-hour battery life. So which deserves your money?

OnePlus is taking a bold step into the AI-powered smartphone era with its upcoming OxygenOS 16, and the integration with Google's Gemini is shaping up to be a game-changer. OxygenOS 16 will feature tight integration with Google's Gemini, allowing it to access OnePlus' Mind Space function and many more first-party built-in OnePlus apps. This is not just another AI feature tossed into the settings. It is a plan to make your phone actually work with your personal data. OnePlus introduced the AI...

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Reviewed by Meg Flores

The latest iOS 26.1 updates take aim at persistent problems that have been driving iPhone users up the wall, especially the basics like alarms. This is not just routine bug fixing. It reads as Apple recognizing that reliability has to land first, before any shiny feature really matters.

When someone offers you a "free" TV, your first instinct should be to check for the catch, because there's always one. I've covered the streaming industry for years, and the shift I've watched up close now shows up in the numbers: 81% of viewers consider ads a fair trade for free or cheaper content. That acceptance has unleashed a sophisticated business model that is reshaping how we watch.

Looking at Apple's 2025 roadmap, one thing becomes crystal clear: this is not just another product update cycle. We are watching one of the most significant strategic pivots in the company's history, and the implications reach far beyond flashy new gadgets.

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Reviewed by Meg Flores

Prime Day is wrapping up, but there’s still time to snag one of the year’s most compelling smartphone deals. Amazon’s October Prime Big Deal Days event launched on October 7th, bringing significant discounts to Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S25 lineup (Mashable). Several Samsung Galaxy models even hit their lowest prices of the year during this window (Mashable). Unlocked versions are the sweet spot, full carrier flexibility without plan strings attached (Mashable).

Microsoft just dropped a strategic bombshell that could reshape the AI productivity landscape. Microsoft is officially discontinuing the sale of Copilot Pro and folding its consumer features into Microsoft 365 Premium, a new subscription tier that bundles Office and AI for exactly $19.99 per month. That's the same price as ChatGPT Plus, and it's no coincidence. The play is obvious: give consumers a full productivity ecosystem with AI woven into the tools they already use.

Apple's latest strategic pivot tells a fascinating story about reading the market and knowing when to change course. Bloomberg reports that Apple has paused work on a cheaper Vision Pro headset to focus on smart glasses development, following the slow uptake of Vision Pro with limited content and a $3,499 price tag.

Apple Maps just got smarter in iOS 26, and it's not just about finding your way from point A to point B anymore. With Apple Intelligence getting 20+ new features, Maps is stepping up its game with enhanced search capabilities that actually understand how you talk.

Nothing's latest widget creation feature is making waves in the Android community, and for good reason. Nothing Phones now lets you make your own widgets, and here's the kicker: you can use them not just on Nothing Phones, but on any Android device.

Samsung's Galaxy TriFold is making waves before it even hits the shelves, and for good reason. Leaked animations from Samsung's own software give us our most detailed look yet at what could be the most ambitious foldable phone ever created. This is not just another incremental upgrade; it looks like a device that could fundamentally change how we think about mobile computing. Big claim? The demos back it up.

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., 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 edits within...

The iPhone 17's charging capabilities take a real step up from previous generations, with ChargerLAB testing showing peak speeds of 27W to 28W across a wide range of Apple chargers. That is up from the iPhone 16's 23W peak, and it trims real time off your daily top-ups. Better yet, Apple promises every iPhone 17 can hit 50 percent in 20 minutes with compatible chargers, a 10-minute improvement that changes what a quick plug-in can do.

Looking at the sticker price for American Express's Platinum card, you'd expect some pretty impressive perks when you're shelling out nearly $900 annually. Free airport lounge access? Absolutely. Hotel upgrades and solid dining credits? You bet. What you probably wouldn't expect is that one of the "premium" features you're paying for is the ability to make your mobile app a slightly darker shade of blue.

The mobile emulation scene just watched a rocket launch, then burn up on reentry. Eden launched on August 19 with the promise of bringing legitimate Nintendo Switch emulation to mainstream Android users. For a brief stretch in late 2024, it looked real. The app surged past 100,000 downloads with glowing reviews, then vanished from Google’s Play Store.

Apple finds itself in hot water over delayed AI features, but the company isn't backing down. Apple filed a motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit targeting its Apple Intelligence rollout delays on Thursday. The company says two missing Siri features do not justify sweeping legal claims. The twist, and it is a big one, is how this fight spotlights the stakes of the AI arms race and the risk when Apple's famously polished marketing collides with the messy reality of shipping AI.

So you're probably thinking I've lost my mind when I say Xiaomi slapped a second screen on the back of its newest flagship. But here we are. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max has a 2.9-inch display on its back panel, turning a premium smartphone into something that looks suspiciously like a classic handheld gaming console.

Reviewed by Meg Flores