News and Updates from Gadget Hacks: Page 2

You know that feeling when you see something so impossibly thin you almost can't believe it's real? That was me when I first held the iPhone Air's remarkable 5.6mm profile. Then came the wild part, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that next year's iPhone Fold could measure just 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded. Let me put that in perspective. We are talking about a foldable phone that is potentially a full millimeter thinner than Apple's thinnest device ever.

You have probably heard Apple just switched to its own cellular modems. Here is the twist that caught everyone off guard: the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, Apple's flagship models, are still running on Qualcomm hardware. Meanwhile, Apple quietly shipped two in-house modems in other devices, a strategy that favors refinement over spraying new silicon across the lineup.

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

When two tech titans start talking money, the industry perks up. Intel has approached Apple about a potential investment as part of its comeback strategy, a twist in a long, complicated relationship. The talks land as Intel is partially owned by the U.S. government and scrambling to regain footing in semiconductors. When the news hit, Intel's stock jumped 6% and Apple's dipped 1%. Both companies kept quiet. Of course they did.

YouTube has been listening to its users, and for once, the feedback loop actually worked. After years of viewers complaining about those pesky end-screen popups cluttering up their viewing experience, Engadget reports that YouTube will now let viewers dismiss the popups and video suggestions that appear at the end of videos with a new "Hide" button. While these end screen popups are a standard part of most YouTube videos (Engadget), viewers increasingly wanted the ability to dismiss them and...

When Samsung announced its latest price cuts on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it wasn't just another seasonal sale. It was a calculated strategic maneuver that sends ripples throughout the entire smartphone industry. With the iPhone 17 Pro Max hitting shelves at $1,199 and Samsung's flagship starting at $1,299, this move signals more than competitive pressure, it is Samsung doubling down on value while Apple leans into premium positioning.

When emergencies strike, every second counts. Whether you are caught in severe weather, facing a natural disaster, or dealing with other urgent threats, timely, accurate information can be the difference between life and death. That is exactly what makes TuneIn's new partnership with FEMA so compelling, it brings real-time emergency alerts directly to drivers through their vehicle dashboards and mobile streams.

Three days out, Apple TV+ yanks a major series. Something is up. Apple’s decision to postpone "The Savant" on Tuesday, September 23, originally set to debut September 26, created a rare public rift with one of its biggest stars. Jessica Chastain expressed her disappointment with the call, a striking break from the usual united front. The timing made it sting more, with Apple pulling mentions of the launch from social channels just as viewers were getting ready to hit play.

Ad, skip, another ad. Sound familiar? YouTube Premium Lite aims to break that loop without blowing up your budget. YouTube Premium Lite costs $7.99 a month, positioning itself as a more affordable alternative to the full Premium experience. The service removes ads on most YouTube videos, wherever you are watching them, while YouTube doesn’t charge a cent for hosting all of your uploaded videos or showing them to the world. With interruptions getting longer and more frequent, the question is...

Your iPhone is about to become your passport, well, sort of. Apple confirmed that iPhones will add US Passport support by the end of 2025, marking a significant evolution in how we think about digital identity. Not a gimmick. It is Apple’s answer to the slow rollout of digital driver’s licenses and a direct response to Google Wallet’s passport support that launched in December 2024. The feature will let you create an ID with your passport in the Wallet app, so you can verify your identity at...

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro is in the spotlight for two very different reasons: a bold thermal design and some eyebrow-raising durability quirks. iFixit's comprehensive teardown analysis takes us inside the hardware, showing why Apple made its first return to aluminum in eight years, and how the new cooling system and the so-called "scratchgate" can both be true at once.

Ever been stuck with a dying iPhone battery when you need your phone most? Picture this: you are halfway through a cross-country flight, your iPhone’s battery icon is flashing red, and you have three hours of travel left. That used to mean scrambling for cables and wall outlets. Not anymore. MagSafe technology has changed the game entirely. WIRED confirms that MagSafe is integrated into iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 models, using a ring of magnets that lets you attach wireless charging...

Spotify's triumphant return to Mac DJ software is not just news, it is a game-changer for the Apple ecosystem. After five years of silence, Spotify integration launches today across three major DJ platforms: djay, Serato, and rekordbox. Spotify Premium subscribers in 51 markets worldwide can browse the service's library and mix tracks in real time. For Mac users, that is a tangible shift in creative workflow inside the ecosystem many of us live in every day.

YouTube’s latest policy reversal reads like a plot twist. Alphabet announced Tuesday that YouTube will give creators a path back if they were banned under COVID-19 and election misinformation policies that no longer exist. The move reflects the company’s commitment to free speech and continues YouTube’s loosening of moderation.

Apple's 2025 smartwatch lineup brings some compelling choices, but there's one model that's quietly stealing the show. The Apple Watch SE 3 just landed with major upgrades that make it surprisingly competitive with its premium siblings. The Apple Watch SE 3 sports the brand's latest S10 processor, the very same one found in the $399 Apple Watch Series 11 and $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3. Plus, the Apple Watch SE 3 is the first SE model with an always-on display, finally addressing one of the...

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'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.

The AirPods Pro 3 pack real upgrades, including a built-in heart rate sensor, the new H2 chip, and better battery life. Then the gut punch: iFixit has declared these earbuds "unrepairable," handing them a score of zero out of 10. Zero. So when your 249 dollar earbuds start showing their age, and they will, you are staring at a full replacement instead of a simple fix.

The iPhone 17 series is off to a genuinely impressive start. The numbers coming in are telling a story that even surprised Apple's own internal forecasts. Since its September 19 launch, the new lineup has been defying skeptics who wondered if incremental upgrades could spark real excitement. Here is the twist, this is not following the typical iPhone launch playbook.

When you see a rapper's face mysteriously blurred in photos and videos, your first instinct might be to credit Apple's privacy features. Here's the twist. That blur is not coming from your iPhone or any Apple device, it is a deliberate creative choice that plays with our assumptions about technology and privacy. The intersection of celebrity culture, privacy expectations, and digital manipulation shows how our relationship with tech-driven anonymity has shifted in surprising ways.

When Elon Musk's legal team filed papers in a Texas federal court this August, they were not just taking aim at Apple's App Store policies, they were launching what could be the most consequential antitrust battle in the AI era. xAI's lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI alleges a coordinated effort to suppress competition, with Apple and OpenAI jointly moving to dismiss the claims. The stakes? Billions of dollars in damages and potentially the future of AI competition itself.

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.

Microsoft just dropped a strategic bombshell that could reshape the AI productivity landscape. Microsoft is officially sunsetting Copilot Pro and launching 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.

The UK government has just hit Apple with another secret demand for encrypted user data. This time the target is British citizens only. According to reports that surfaced this week, the Home Office issued a second Technical Capability Notice (TCN) in early September, demanding Apple create backdoor access to encrypted iCloud backups specifically for UK users. That undercuts earlier claims from US officials that Britain had completely backed down from its encryption-busting efforts.

The second-generation Apple Watch SE has hit another record-breaking price point, and this time it is happening just ahead of Amazon's Prime Day. CNET reports that the GPS-only 40mm model has dropped to $179, down from its original $249 price tag. Meanwhile, the 40mm GPS + Cellular version is available for $189, and 44mm models start at $199. One of the biggest discounts yet on Apple's budget-friendly smartwatch. If you have been eyeing an Apple Watch without torching your budget, this is it.

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 $3,500 price tag. This shift comes as Meta unveiled two new smart glasses models, and analysts have likened the Vision Pro to Apple's "biggest miss since the Newton". Here’s the twist: Apple is not...

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 is now widely rolled out.

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...

T-Mobile's digital transformation journey represents one of the most aggressive moves we've seen in the wireless industry recently. T-Mobile says it expects T-Life to handle the majority (or nearly all) of account transactions by 2026 as it embraces a comprehensive digital-first approach that's reshaping how millions of customers interact with their carrier. Not just another app update. A fundamental shift that touches everything from upgrading your phone to managing your account.

While One UI 8 has just started rolling out on the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung is already working on what comes next. More than a dozen new One UI 8.5 features have leaked, and some of them look genuinely useful. The update isn't expected until the Galaxy S26 launch early next year, but these early glimpses offer a clear preview of what Samsung is cooking up for your phone.

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 3 billion monthly users 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.

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 for eligible customers, 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 often does not qualify for equipment discounts.

Apple's latest iPhone releases have sparked intense curiosity about their real-world durability. With the iPhone Air being Apple's thinnest phone (5.64mm) and the iPhone 17 Pro featuring new aluminum unibody designs, tech enthusiasts are eager to see how these devices hold up under extreme conditions. Thin is in, but durability still matters. Recent testing reveals a fascinating story of engineering triumph and persistent vulnerabilities that every potential buyer should understand.

When Apple announced the iPhone Air, its thinnest phone ever at just 5.64mm 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 revelation is that 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...

If you've been following Apple's silicon roadmap, you know the drill. M1 arrived in 2020, M2 in 2022, M3 in 2023, and M4 rolled out across the Mac lineup throughout 2024. Apple's cadence has been remarkably predictable, until now. The M5 timeline is shaping up to break from tradition in ways that might surprise you.

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.

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

Samsung's latest Color E-Paper display is the kind of gadget that gets passed around group chats. Samsung launched the 32-inch Color E-Paper, EM32DX, globally in June 2025, and the pitch is simple. Static image on screen — rated 0.00W under IEC reporting (measured <0.005 W when static). Samsung says the built-in 4,600mAh battery that can last up to 200 days on a single charge if content is updated once per day, and it is no wonder people are asking when this shows up in phones.

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez