News and Updates from Gadget Hacks: Page 13

When Bethlehem High School in Upstate New York banned students' cellphones and started offering analog entertainment, it sparked a culture change you could notice even with your eyes closed. "Our cafeteria is loud again," social studies teacher David Rounds observed. Then it got interesting. Students did not just accept these bans, they adapted in ways few predicted. Young people are turning to legacy technology such as MP3 players and cassette players to fill the digital void. A simple policy...

You think current iPhone prices are high? We haven't seen anything yet. While everyone debates whether a $2,000 iPhone 17 Pro Max makes financial sense, Apple is quietly lining up a device that makes even top-shelf slabs look like budget buys. The iPhone Fold is coming, and it is about to reset what "expensive" means in phones.

Google's latest move might surprise you. It fits a bigger pattern across the tech landscape. After December 16, 2025, Google will no longer support Tables, its ambitious Airtable rival that launched on September 22, 2020. The platform, which let users create database tables and design custom views through kanban boards, offered 100 tables with 1,000 rows each for free. Here's the twist: Tables has been discontinued in favor of Google AppSheet, marking another chapter in Google's complex...

Four years. That's how long Spotify users have been waiting since the streaming giant first announced its Hi-Fi tier in 2021. Meanwhile, Apple Music rolled out lossless audio support in 2021, and Amazon Music made its lossless streaming free after launching a paid HD tier in 2019. But here's what you need to know: Spotify is finally making good on that promise, and the rollout is happening right now.

Samsung's Galaxy XR headset is finally stepping out of the shadows, and this is way more than just another VR device announcement. After years under the Project Moohan codename, Samsung's answer to Apple's Vision Pro is taking shape with some serious credentials. The big hook is software and timing. The headset will use Google-made Android XR software and is tapped to arrive in October 2025, putting it squarely in the premium XR ring.

If you thought the smartphone chip wars were competitive before, Apple's A19 Pro just rewrote the entire playbook. We're talking about a mobile processor that's outperforming multiple desktop CPUs, and when I say outperforming, I mean the A19 Pro is leaving AMD's flagship Ryzen 9 9950X eating dust in single-thread performance. After years of covering chip launches and testing countless devices, I can tell you this is not an incremental improvement, it is a fundamental shift in what mobile...

Android 16 QPR2 is finally polishing desktop mode. Android Authority spotted a new Universal Cursor toggle that lets you decide whether the mouse can cross between displays, preventing those moments when the pointer hops to the wrong screen while you are trying to work. Found in the first QPR2 beta, this addition gives users tighter control over Android's DeX-like desktop experience (Android Authority).

Microsoft isn't just updating Copilot—it's redefining enterprise AI adoption. The October announcements mark a shift from optional productivity boosts to AI as baseline infrastructure.

Apple and Samsung have entered an absolutely fascinating phase of their ongoing rivalry, where traditional performance expectations are being turned upside down. For years, iPhone users could confidently claim single-core superiority, while Samsung fought back with more RAM and feature-packed specs. Now the latest benchmark results are telling a different story that is reshaping the entire smartphone performance landscape. Wild, right?

Looking at these new AirPods Pro 3, Apple’s timing is remarkably strategic. Three years after the Pro 2, Apple used that runway to push AirPods toward health devices that happen to play music, not the other way around.

Apple's been teasing us with Center Stage on iPads for years, and now it's finally making the leap to where we actually need it most, our iPhones. The iPhone 17 introduces a new 18-megapixel Center Stage front camera, which sports a sensor that's roughly twice the size of the one in the previous iPhone. But here's what makes this particularly exciting: Apple didn't just port over the iPad feature and call it a day. It reimagined how a smartphone camera sensor should work.

When your smartphone screen feels more like looking at printed paper than a glowing display, you know something revolutionary is happening. The TCL NXTPAPER 60 Ultra represents the first smartphone equipped with the latest version of NXTPAPER technology, and early reviews suggest it just might be a favorite smartphone display of all time. With NXTPAPER 4.0 featuring a redesigned substrate and nano-matrix lithography application to enhance brightness and color accuracy, this is not just another...

Samsung's SmartThings ecosystem is about to get a major upgrade that could change how we think about connected living. The company is rolling out its new "Home to Car" feature, which puts vehicle controls directly into the SmartThings app. This is not just another tech gimmick, it is Samsung tying the connected car into the connected home, so your morning routine can literally start your car while you are still getting dressed. With SmartThings reaching hundreds of millions of users and...

The late-night television landscape just saw something rare, maybe unprecedented: affiliate stations essentially forcing a network to yank one of its flagship shows. When Sinclair and Nexstar refused to carry Jimmy Kimmel Live!, they did more than flex corporate muscle; they exposed the structural cracks in a broadcasting model that has been melting like an ice cube for years. The numbers are blunt: roughly 23% of U.S. households (about a quarter) were reached by stations that preempted the...

Apple's iOS 26 update brings a significant expansion to the table: new hearing protection settings for AirPods Pro users in the EU and UK. This isn't just another minor software tweak, it is Apple turning everyday earbuds into serious health tools. Apple's Hearing Protection technology, including the Hearing Test, is now available to users in the EU and UK after receiving certification in those regions, a clear step beyond the initial US launch.

Apple's latest AirPods Pro 3 announcement has tech enthusiasts buzzing, and for good reason. Apple says AirPods Pro 3 will include real-time, in-ear translation, a leap forward in how we communicate across language barriers. This isn't just another incremental upgrade. It is a glimpse of a future where language differences fade into the background. Apple Intelligence parses what someone nearby says and plays the translation back in your preferred language, so you can order coffee in Paris or...

Apple Watch Series 11 has officially arrived, and it's bringing some serious health upgrades to the table. Apple announced its latest generation smartwatch with features that could genuinely change how we monitor cardiovascular health. The standout addition, Hypertension detection that Apple says will eventually roll out in over 150 countries, pending regulatory approval. The twist, this year's model is incredibly similar to last year's Series 10, so Apple is betting on meaningful refinements...

When Apple discontinued the MagSafe battery pack back in 2022, many of us thought it was gone for good. After all, it wasn't exactly flying off the shelves, and Apple seemed to be moving on to other accessories. But here's the thing, sometimes a product fails not because it's a bad idea, but because the timing isn't quite right.

Apple's next iPhone generation is bringing some serious selfie game to the table. Reports suggest the iPhone 17 series could jump from the current 12MP front cameras to a to a 24MP sensor, potentially across all four models. But here's where it gets interesting: this isn't just about cramming more pixels into your selfies. The enhanced sensor, combined with what leaks suggest may be a 6P lens design, could change how we capture group photos and video calls, no awkward phone flipping required.

Apple just crossed a major pricing milestone with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, marking the first time any iPhone has reached the $2,000 threshold when maxed out with 2TB storage. The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199, but that 2TB configuration pushes Apple's flagship into unprecedented territory. Two grand, on a phone. With the 6.9-inch display and 37 hours of video playback capability, Apple is betting that power users will pay premium prices for premium storage.

Reports indicate Apple's OLED MacBook Pro is on track for late 2026, and this is not just another incremental upgrade. It is shaping up to be the most significant MacBook redesign we've seen in years. Samsung Display is once again rumored to be the supplier and will allegedly start production in the middle of 2026. The Korean tech giant has already begun producing prototype OLED panels specifically designed for Apple's upcoming premium laptop. The kicker: Samsung has invested approximately $3.1...

When we talk about major operating system updates that truly redefine a platform, visionOS 26 stands out as something genuinely special. After three months of beta testing, Apple has officially announced that visionOS 26 will be available from September 15, bringing the most significant update yet to the Vision Pro platform. This is not just another incremental upgrade. It reimagines spatial computing and how we interact with digital content in our physical world.

Tetris on an iPod? Pac-Man? Sonic the Hedgehog? It sounds odd now, but in 2006 it felt like the future. Apple partnered with major gaming companies like Sega and EA to ship something new and slightly wild, 54 clickwheel games built for that circular controller we all spun through our music libraries.

When you're dropping nearly $1,799 on Google's latest foldable device, the burning question is not just about specs or camera quality, it is about longevity. How long will the Pixel 10 Pro Fold actually receive software support? For foldables that cost this much, knowing Google's update commitment is part of the purchase decision, not a footnote.

Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is being talked about as a true course correction, the comprehensive upgrade many felt the iPhone 16 missed. With Apple's event just days away on September 9, the leaked details point to a family of phones that narrows the gap between standard and Pro models while introducing features that actually feel new.

When you are shopping for a smartwatch, one question keeps nagging: how long will this thing stay current? With the Google Pixel Watch 4 on the horizon, here is what to expect from Google’s software support, and why it matters more than you might think. Spoiler, it matters.

So you’ve heard about Google’s latest flagship and its promise of an impressive display experience, but the real question is: does the Pixel 10 Pro actually live up to its user-friendly claims? The phone packs a 6.3-inch screen delivering 2,856 by 1,280 pixels resolution, with peak brightness soaring up to 3,300 nits. At 495 pixels per inch, it is technically the sharpest display in the entire Pixel 10 lineup. What matters, though, is how those specs feel in your hand, on a bright sidewalk, or...

Apple's about to make its biggest battery leap in iPhone history, and the numbers are genuinely impressive. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will see an iPhone break the 5000mAH barrier for the first time, topping out at 5088 mAH, which puts it squarely in flagship Android territory. And here is the kicker: the 5088 number is in the ballpark of high-end Android phones, but iPhones generally run much more efficiently as well. Big cell, bigger payoff.

Samsung's aggressive push toward the One UI 8 stable release is picking up serious momentum, and it feels like a shift in how the company handles big software drops. After months of beta testing that started back in May, the pieces are finally falling into place for what could be Samsung's most polished update in years.

Apple's latest iPhone 17 Pro leaks are hitting different this time around. Just days before the official September 9th announcement, Leaked Korean carrier documents have surfaced with upgrades that could finally put iPhones on par with flagship Android thermal management. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to feature 8x optical zoom, up from the 5x on iPhone 16 Pro models, alongside a cooling system Apple has been quietly building toward for years. The interesting part is how these...

When you've been using Android for over a decade, you form attachments to the apps that shape your daily routine. Nova Launcher was one of those apps for millions, the customization powerhouse that made Android feel truly yours. After more than 13 years of steady innovation and polish, that chapter has closed.

The courtroom drama is over, and the tech world is buzzing. Judge Amit Mehta delivered his long-awaited remedies decision on September 2, 2025, in what many are calling Google's biggest legal "win" in years. But here's the thing, this isn't exactly the victory lap Google might have hoped for.

The iPhone 17 Air has been shrouded in skepticism, particularly around one critical concern: battery life. When Apple announced plans for an ultra thin device measuring just 5.5 mm thick, tech enthusiasts immediately questioned whether such a sleek form factor could deliver the endurance users expect. But here’s the thing, the latest regulatory leaks are painting a surprisingly optimistic picture that might just silence the doubters.

Apple's latest AirPods Pro have been the gold standard for wireless earbuds since 2022, and the rumor mill is buzzing with news that could change everything. Ming-Chi Kuo, one of Apple's most reliable analysts, recently dropped fresh intel about the AirPods Pro 3 timeline that has tech fans rethinking their upgrade plans. Apple is expected to launch AirPods Pro 3 in the second half of 2025, and here is the twist, Kuo now believes that the 2026 update will be more substantial than the 2025...

Today marks exactly 10 years since Apple first introduced the iPad Pro on September 9, 2015, and the timing couldn't be more perfect for what many are calling the most significant iPad announcement in years. Apple's "Awe Dropping" event lands alongside reliable leakers sharing model numbers for both 11-inch and 13-inch M5 iPad Pro variants in Wi-Fi and cellular configurations, all pointing to a launch that could fundamentally redefine professional tablet computing.

Apple's upcoming product launches in 2025 are shaping up to be the priciest generation the company has ever sold. With four new iPhone models announced, the plan moves well past routine refreshes. Apple plans to raise iPhone 17 prices by 5% through storage configuration shifts, a jump that tops market expectations of just 1% growth.

iOS 26 is bringing some seriously impressive battery improvements to your iPhone, and honestly, it is about time. After years of watching our phones drain faster than we would like, Apple has finally rolled out features that actually make a difference. CNET reports that the new Adaptive Power feature acts like "the scalpel that intelligently trims energy savings here and there as needed," while beta testing shows that battery life seems more consistent and background tasks now use less energy....

Google's decision to roll out its Gemini AI chatbot to children under 13 has lit up the tech community. The assistant is arriving through Family Link accounts, Parents can manage or disable a child's access to Gemini via Google Family Link; children can enable access under supervision and parents receive a notification when their child first uses Gemini. Google says children's data will not be used to train the AI, yet experts are raising serious red flags about the rollout.

Looking at Amazon's latest smartphone deals, the Galaxy S25 Ultra just got its biggest price cut yet, a legitimate $300 discount that drops Samsung's flagship from $1,299 down to $1,000. Here is the twist. This deal is not available on every color option, and the limits say more about smartphone retail than you might expect.

The tech industry is facing unprecedented antitrust scrutiny, with regulators worldwide launching investigations, imposing massive fines, and even floating breakups of major technology companies. Yet in Silicon Valley, the chatter says we might already be past the crest. That shift lines up with political developments that point to a more balanced regulatory environment in 2025. At the same time, the rapid rise of generative AI has pushed agencies to zero in on new M&A and alliances in the AI...