News and Updates from Gadget Hacks: Page 2

Samsung launched the W27 in China this week, a China-exclusive, dressed-up version of the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra priced from CNY 18,999 (roughly $2,852) to CNY 21,999 (roughly $3,303), according to SamMobile and Android Headlines. That pricing already lands above what's been reported for Apple's iPhone Duo in China, according to Android Headlines.

Ask Play, Google Play's AI-powered search feature, can now generate side-by-side comparisons between apps alongside its existing conversational recommendations.

Finished installing a One UI update? The "Software Update Complete" notice only confirms the operating system installed. It says nothing about whether Google Play Store or Galaxy Store have caught up too, which is why knowing how to update Samsung apps after a One UI update means checking both stores manually instead of trusting that one notification to cover everything.

Google's program is scheduled to become available on December 1, 2026, on devices running Android 17 QPR2 or later in the countries listed in Google's official eligibility FAQ, provided a third-party store has completed registration and received approval.

OpenAI is testing a ChatGPT Google Messages integration that lets its autonomous Dots agents text users directly, instead of keeping conversations locked inside the ChatGPT app, Slack, or Microsoft Teams. ChatGPT said on Wednesday that the feature is "rolling out now as a preview for Pro users in the US." Android users reach a Dot through RCS in Google Messages, while iPhone users reach it through iMessage.

A Galaxy tablet owner asked Samsung Community how to reorder "the first 6 buttons" on their Quick Panel, and the reply pointed to a setting called Edit top quick settings. Samsung now documents that option in its official support materials for newer Galaxy devices, although the exact menu layout can vary by software version and model. For One UI 7 users, the key distinction is between editing the full Quick Panel and customizing the shortcuts shown in the combined notifications view.

The Pixel 11 Pro HiLight notification feature just picked up its most requested upgrade: message alerts. Owners running Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6.1 on the Pixel 11 Pro, Pro XL, or Pro Fold can now flip on a toggle that makes the camera-ring LED blink for texts from favorite contacts, confirmed working with Google Messages according to 9to5Google. That's a real expansion for a feature Android Police called a "dud" at launch over its narrow scope, per Android Police.

Samsung has started rolling out One UI 9.0 based on Android 17 to the Galaxy A16 5G on Verizon.

Motorola has started rolling out stable Android 17 to the Razr Ultra 2025, but only a narrow group of owners has confirmed receiving it so far. The update has been reported on an unlocked unit in the United States, according to Android Authority and TuttoAndroid.

Apple's current support page lists up to 25W MagSafe charging for iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max, while iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are rated for up to 22.5W. An independent Techtest report also found faster charging with a third-party Qi2.2 pad after updating an iPhone 16 Pro Max to iOS 26.

The Samsung Galaxy A37 has worn three different price tags in about six months, and that's the central question of this Galaxy A37 review. The hardware hasn't changed.

A fork of an open-source project called nxnative has reportedly got Mario Kart World, a Switch 2 exclusive, running on a Mac, with developer Will Faust posting video footage of the game on Oct. 27.

Google Photos has replaced its old shortcut grid with a layout users can actually control, giving people a real way to rearrange the Collections tab instead of relying on shortcuts the app picked for them, according to Android Authority and Android Police.

Yes, a laser pointer can damage a phone camera sensor, but the outcome isn't a single fixed result. Research on camera sensors shows effects ranging from temporary overexposure that clears on its own to permanent dead pixels or a sensor that stops producing usable images altogether. None of the studies cited here support the blanket claim that any laser pointer aimed at any phone will wreck the camera. The risk depends on the laser's power, wavelength, exposure duration, and how much energy...

Calling a contact with more than one saved number through Android Auto has always meant one extra step: picking home, work, or mobile before the call actually connects. A teardown of a daily Android Auto build suggests that step might finally disappear, surfacing what's being described as an Android Auto preferred phone number feature buried in a set of unfinished code strings (Android Police, yesterday).

iOS 27 introduces a change to how iPhone handles sound: alarms, ringtones, and notification alerts no longer have to share one volume slider. Owners can now turn down a ringtone or text alert without quietly lowering the alarm that's supposed to wake them up. That's the practical answer to a question a lot of iPhone owners have been asking for years: how to set separate alarm and ringer volumes on iPhone without one setting dragging down the other.

WhatsApp scheduled messages on iPhone are now in testing, but access right now is limited to select iOS beta users, not the general public. The tool has surfaced in WhatsApp's iOS beta version 26.42.10.19, distributed through Apple's TestFlight program, according to Digital Trends. If you're hoping to schedule a WhatsApp message on your iPhone today just by updating the app, that won't work unless you're already enrolled in that specific beta.

Before installing anything billed as the latest AMD chipset drivers for Windows 11, check two things first: the exact chipset on your motherboard and the version already installed. AMD currently lists chipset driver revision 8.09.28.1124, released Oct. 21, 2026, as its Windows 11 64-bit package for both the X870 and WRX80 platforms.

Samsung's next budget fitness tracker is coming into focus, and anyone expecting a dramatic redesign may be disappointed. Newly uncovered Galaxy Fit 4 renders show a device that looks remarkably similar to the Galaxy Fit 3, with Bluetooth 5.4 emerging as the clearest documented upgrade.

The new Shortcuts features in iOS 27.2 arrived this week, covering automation triggers, actions, and editor tools documented in Apple's release notes. Several of these Shortcuts improvements also extend to iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, which received their matching 27.2 updates on October 26.

Samsung has started rolling out the Galaxy M54 One UI 9.0 update, based on Android 17, according to SamMobile and Zoomit, which reported the release on Oct. 27. Zoomit cites SamMobile for the global rollout, rather than independently confirming a separate release. Samsung's model-specific update documentation has not yet established which Galaxy AI features are included.

Samsung has begun releasing a second October 2026 update for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8, following the earlier security patch that expanded from South Korea to Europe and India.

The iPhone Duo can finally double as a digital notepad, but owning an Apple Pencil doesn't necessarily mean you're ready to start writing. Apple's foldable iPhone now supports stylus input through iOS 27.2, released October 26, 2026, but only the Apple Pencil (USB-C) works. Even the more expensive Apple Pencil Pro is incompatible.

Google is rolling out a Google Home and Nest speaker update that the company says fixes disappearing speaker groups and stereo pairs, the exact symptom Nest owners have been describing for months. The release notes name the bug directly: stereo pairs and speaker groups that "unexpectedly disappear or become undiscoverable" in the Google Home app, according to Google's October 29 release notes, also reproduced by 9to5Google. The same update bundles in faster local device discovery and a separate...

Google wants Android users in parts of Canada to check their phones before Nov. 1, the day several provinces and territories stop turning clocks back.

Tom's Guide put the iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 through a 20-minute 3DMark Wild Life Extreme stress test earlier this week, and the result reads backwards at first glance. The phone that ran hotter to the touch also posted the stronger sustained performance. In Tom's Guide's test, the Duo registered approximately 103°F on its rear surface, compared with roughly 96°F for the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Apple's iOS 27.2 release notes confirm that Shared Albums in Photos now support editing captions and comments, according to the full notes reproduced by iClarified. The update is available now through Settings > General > Software Update.

Apple released iOS 18.7.11 and iPadOS 18.7.11 earlier this week, delivering a fix for a CoreGraphics flaw the company says "may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals" on iOS versions before iOS 27. This is the iPhone XR and iPhone XS security update that matters most right now, since it's the only version that brings the fix to iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, hardware that can't run iOS 26, along with the seventh-generation iPad.

A notification pings when someone tags you in a group chat, but after you open WhatsApp, finding that message can mean scrolling through dozens of other texts. WhatsApp is testing a fix: a mentions and replies filter spotted in Android beta version 2.26.42.12, according to WABetaInfo's Oct. 24 report.

Score a last-second win in a mobile game with no recorder running, and a Google headline from 2024 suggests the moment might not be lost. The Google sources reviewed here do not establish whether a 30-second retroactive recording feature is currently available on Android.

Night mode can turn a dark porch into a glowing Halloween scene, but depending on how dark the scene is, the capture can stretch to several seconds, Apple says. That's exactly what trips people up once trick-or-treaters start moving.

Samsung's latest Galaxy Watch 7 update isn't packed with new features, but it targets parts of the smartwatch experience that owners use throughout the day. Watch faces, the always-on display, and Quick Settings are among the areas receiving attention in the fifth One UI 9 Watch beta.

DIRECTV Genre Packs are eight themed streaming bundles built around specific types of programming instead of one do-everything lineup. Base prices start at $20.99 a month, with no satellite dish, no annual contract, and no Signature TV plan required. Five are base packs (MyEntertainment, MySports, MyKids, MyNews, and MiEspañol), while three are Mini Packs that work as paid add-ons to eligible base plans.

Apple just gave iPhone owners a direct way to control Siri AI's access to apps, and it's a fix years in the making. iOS 27.2 adds a new Settings > Siri > Excluded Apps menu that lets users block Siri's AI engine from reading specific apps, replacing a multi-toggle setup that previously required disabling several settings per app or turning off Siri AI entirely.

Google Meet's real-time voice translation jumped from six languages to 63 this week, powered by a new Gemini 3.5 Live Translate model that automatically detects which language someone is speaking instead of locking a call into one fixed pair. This expansion brings Google's Gemini 3.5 Live Translate model to Meet's web and mobile apps, and it removes the old meeting-wide language-pair limit so each participant can pick their own translation language. Most people will still need an eligible paid...

YouTube added six new educational Playables games built with Khan Academy, Veritasium, TED-Ed, Math with Mr. J, Black Girls Code, and The Jed Foundation, turning STEM, music, and mindfulness concepts into short interactive games, according to YouTube's announcement published today.

Google Photos now packs a Redact tool into its Markup editor, letting Android users blur license plates, account numbers, and other sensitive details before sharing a photo or screenshot. The Google Photos Redact tool started rolling out globally on Android last month, with no beta sign-up required.

Apple released watchOS 27.2 on Oct. 26, adding conversation memory to Siri AI on Apple Watch for the first time. Apple's release notes confirm Siri AI can retain useful context from previous interactions, including the ability to recall recommendations made days earlier. For example, users can ask Siri about restaurants it suggested last week without repeating the original conversation.

Apple's iOS 27.2 software update arrived October 26, according to Apple's own release log (Apple Developer). The release adds a Messages feature called Suggestions that can surface a Calendar action based on a plan mentioned in a text conversation, the clearest example yet of iOS 27.2 Messages calendar event suggestions in practice. Apple's release notes put it plainly: the system can act on conversation context to help with "adding a Calendar invite for a dinner," among other quick actions...

A developer named Ismail Shah announced on LinkedIn three weeks ago that he built the Knit Easy Android app to fix a problem he says plagues knitters and crocheters working from printed or PDF patterns: losing track of the row mid-stitch. The post describes a row highlighter, linked counters, and fully offline operation, and includes a Google Play link. However, the app's current listing details, including its price, permissions, and user ratings, have not been independently verified.