It's always a big deal when the company that makes Android releases a new phone. Google's Pixel series has made a name for itself in three short years behind its camera prowess, but now it's time to start competing with the major players. That said, Google should like how thei ...more
There's always an iPhone in our list of top phones for privacy and security, due in large part to advanced security measures like Face ID, consistent iOS updates, and easy ways to prevent unwanted access and excessive data sharing. However, some of those options actually do th ...more
The iPhone XR has touched down alongside the XS and XS Max, and it utilizes tried and tested materials found on the iPhone 8, while being molded in the same vein as the iPhone X. The budget-friendlier flagship comes with its own set of design elements to set it apart from its ...more
In many urban areas, GPS doesn't work well. Buildings reflect GPS signals on themselves to create a confusing mess for phones to sort out. As a result, most modern devices determine their location using a blend of techniques, including nearby Wi-Fi networks. By using SkyLift t ...more
Even though most phones don't have Oreo yet, Google has released Android 9.0 Pie. It's available on Google's own Pixel devices, and updates should soon be available to partnered devices from Essential, Nokia, Oppo, Sony, Vivo, and Xiaomi. We're already digging into it to highl ...more
Uber as a service is great, but using it requires you to hand over your location data to the company. What's worse is that you may be giving them precious access to your GPS even when don't have the Uber app open. This is both a major privacy issue and a drain on your battery. ...more
When we talk about augmenting our reality, we often first think about vision instead of our other senses—but there's more to an immersive experience than what you see. One inventor figured out how to utilize sound and touch to create a simple, upgraded version of laser tag tha ...more
It feels strange to be walking through an open field in a small village in the English countryside. There's no one else around — just the four of us: me, my husband, my 12-year-old son, and my adult niece. The day is spectacular, particularly for England. The sun is shining, a ...more
Your social security number, credit card information, and medical history can fall into the wrong hands if you're not careful about how and where you share your data online. If you really care about your data, there are tools and techniques you can utilize to protect yourself ...more
The next big iOS version for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch was revealed by Apple at WWDC 2018 and dropped for everyone on Sept. 17, 2018, less than a week after Apple revealed the new iPhone lineup. We've rounded up all the big picture items and secret features and changes we c ...more
Configuring onion services for the first time can be tricky. A surprising number of system administrators make seemingly trivial mistakes that ultimately lead to catastrophic cases of de-anonymizing supposedly anonymous sites on the dark web. OnionScan is a tool designed to id ...more
The iOS 12.0 beta earned admiration for its superior performance to last year's controversially buggy iOS 11. That doesn't mean it was free from problems before the stable release went live. During the initial iOS 12.0 beta testing phase, there were plenty of bugs and glitches ...more
OnePlus, whose phones always challenge for the title of best spec-to-price ratio, releases two main devices every year. There's the primary flagship in late spring, then an iterative update with the "T" suffix in fall. Typically, there's not much difference between the two, bu ...more
Since the Razer Phone's announcement in 2017, we've seen a new subgroup of phones emerge. Gaming phones are now a thing, leading to companies like ASUS creating phones that are thoroughly optimized for the mobile gaming experience. And with their second iteration, they perfect ...more
Learn how create a Point Of Interest (POI) database using Google Earth and KML2CSV. You can upload this file to your GPS or GPS-enabled phone to create custom tracking searches. Google Earth: http://earth.google.com KML2CSV Converter: http://kmlcsv.sourceforge.net Garmin PO ...more
The HP TouchPad is a webOS tablet capable of displaying media, browsing and connecting to the web, downloading and accessing apps, and more. This guide walks you through the process of configuring a number of settings on the device. Learn how to adjust the time, location servi ...more
Since it's introduction, iPhone has become the standard for design and ease of use, redefining what's possible on a mobile phone. And now with iPhone 3G, this revolutionary device gets even better, offering even more advanced capabilities. iPhone 3G works with fast 3G cellular ...more
No matter how lost you get, your iPhone always knows where you are. Know what your iPhone knows by tracking your iPhone live. Watch this video and learn how to set up iPhone tracking so you can see where you are all the time.
Hak5 isn't your ordinary tech show. It's hacking in the old-school sense, covering everything from network security, open source and forensics, to DIY modding and the homebrew scene. Damn the warranties, it's time to Trust your Technolust. In this episode, see how to track a U ...more
Azimuth is simply the angle of an object in the sky along the horizon. Yes, it's spherical trigonometry but it's not difficult! Check out this video and in just a few minutes you will be able to solve azimuth problems on your own. You Will Need: * The latitude and longitude of ...more
If you are sick of hearing that recorded robotic voice on your GPS device, check out this tutorial. In it, you will learn how to record your very own voice (or that of a friend or loved one) and have it give you directions instead! This can make for a pretty cool prank on some ...more
Low battery – two words you never want to hear. Banish them with these tips. You Will Need * An iPhone * A computer with internet access * An external battery extender Step 1. Lock iPhone Lock your iPhone down when you’re not using it. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button ...more
In the past, geocaching has been an activity overlooked by most. Partly because nobody really knew what it was and partly because you needed a GPS-enabled device to participate, like a Garmin. But now, thanks to GPS-enabled Android and Apple devices, geocaching will finally be ...more
In this video we learn how to disassemble a T-Mobile G1 HTC phone for repair. First you want to make sure to wear an ESD wrist strap and make sure it's secure around your wrist. Then remove the battery from the device. Next unfasten the screws from the back of the housing on t ...more
Special Case has this handy video tutorial on Motion… the motion graphics editor in Final Cut Studio. See how to create light-writing with Motion's tracking feature. The motion-tracking feature is a great device to take advantage of, and doesn't just apply to light writing.
Jeremy Wood has turned the normally mundane task of lawn mowing into an art process. For the past nine years, Wood kept his mother's yard perfectly manicured, tracking every single motorized lawnmower ride with a GPS, and then converting the data into "maps". Via Rhizome: "T ...more
This video will show you how to use the map function on your iPhone. Follow these steps to use the map function on your iPhone: From the Home screen, tap 'maps' to open the Map window. Use your finger to navigate and scroll around the map. Pinch your fingers apart and you will ...more
Android smartphones have all sorts of connectivity chips built in, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, and mobile data. But what about AM or FM radio, two of the most common methods of wireless communication? The truth is, it really depends on your device. Some phones come ...more
Driving around and notice an accident the road keeping you from getting where you need to go? Well, you're in need of a GPS navigation system. Check out this video tutorial on how to Use media functions on a TomTom Go 930 Traffic navigator device. You'll see how to use the GPS ...more
Don't let an overpriced professional take over your Garmin battery replacement when you can do it yourself for a far less price and a higher feeling of satisfaction. Your GPS will thank you with years of use. This step-by-step video demonstration will show you the procedure fo ...more
While iPhones may be more expensive than ever, it won't stop us from losing them or having them stolen. Whether you have an iPhone 5S or an iPhone XS Max, there's a good chance it'll go missing at some time during your ownership. It could end up in a couch cushion or in the ha ...more
Android 6.0 Marshmallow added a new permissions system that can make your digital life much more secure. Unlike previous versions, apps now have to ask for your consent before they can access certain data, which puts you firmly in the driver's seat. As if that weren't enough, ...more
Droids are apparently very popular in the world of Apple's ARKit developers. We've seen robot battle games, a realistic robot commander walking the streets, and happy dancing robots. But so far there hasn't been a robot that you actually can't see. At least not without a spec ...more
André Broessel of rawlemon has developed a solar energy generator that can use both sun and moonlight to create usable power. Oh... and it's gorgeous. The device is essentially a huge glass sphere filled with water that uses a ball lens to refract light in a way that increases ...more
When you have to take four different freeways to go twelve miles, Google Maps becomes a very close and dear friend—especially in Los Angeles. Without my trusty Samsung Galaxy S3, I seriously don't know if I could make it back home half of the time. Of course, you'd probably ge ...more
When learning Wi-Fi hacking, picking a compatible Wi-Fi network adapter is the first step to learning to crack Wi-Fi passwords. Many compatible adapters have swappable antennas, and there are several different kinds of specialized antennas you can add to a network adapter to ...more
After weathering an executive departure and reports of a failed sale to Apple, Leap Motion is getting back to the business of pushing the envelope for augmented reality development and interaction. This week, the company released a pair of experimental features for its motion ...more
The total solar eclipse is just a few days a way and everyone is buzzing about it. It will be visible in the US from Oregon to South Carolina with 16.5 million people able to view it. However, the other 306 million people in the US are out of luck when it comes to viewing the ...more
A car is stolen every 33 seconds in the United States, and from that, the percentage of vehicles recovered in the first day is a whopping 52 percent. Over the next week, that number rises to around 79 percent, but after those initial seven days are up, it's unlikely the vehicl ...more
Your Android phone could be listening to ultrasonic ad beacons behind your back. The unwelcome news comes year after app developer SilverPush promised to quit using its (creepy!) eavesdropping software. But it looks like the privacy-threatening technology — which can track us ...more
The augmented reality walking navigation mode for Google Maps appears to be closer to an upcoming release for the general public. Google recently granted the Wall Street Journal (paywall) a sneak peek at the navigation mode via a preview build, and the newspaper published its ...more
In the last couple of days there's been a lot of speculation about the powers of Microsoft's HoloLens 2, but few have had a chance to get their hands on one to see if the company's claims live up to what HoloLens inventor Alex Kipman showed off on stage. Nevertheless, amid th ...more
Silence spreads over these mountains like nothing I've ever felt. If I didn't have Moby blasting in my earphones, there'd probably be no other sounds around. Well, except for someone, Phil probably, murmuring in a nearby tent just low enough to make his words indiscernible. W ...more
MLB.TV is a great service that lets you watch most Major League Baseball games in North America, as long as you're a subscriber, of course. While I personally love it, blackouts can ruin the ability to watch my favorite teams. Fortunately, MLB At Bat Android users have an easy ...more
"Necessity, not novelty," is a phrase I use often when it comes to HoloLens development. It would be fair to call it my mantra, or mission statement, as I prototype and explore software creation on this new frontier of mixed reality. "What kind of experiences will keep people ...more
Ever notice how some augmented reality apps can pin specific 3D objects on the ground? Many AR games and apps can accurately plant various 3D characters and objects on the ground in such a way that, when we look down upon them, the objects appear to be entirely pinned to the g ...more
With HoloLens 2 (hopefully) just around the corner, Microsoft has announced that it will no longer be providing any major operating system updates to the original HoloLens. The HoloLens 1 was released back in 2016, which feels a bit like ancient history in the ever-evolving w ...more
Have you ever wanted to control a swarm of robots? Well, now you can! Robotics researchers at New York University (NYU) have created an app which controls 'bots from your smartphone, using augmented reality. This AR app would certainly come in handy when you want to make a cof ...more
Augmented reality is beginning to leak out into the mainstream world. This is thanks, in part, to ARKit and ARCore. These releases turned the current smartphones owned by millions of Apple and Android users into AR-capable machines. And while there are definitely some awesome ...more
Welcome back, my greenhorn hackers! In many cases when a computer, phone, or mobile device is seized for evidence, the system will have graphic images that might be used as evidence. Obviously, in some cases these graphic images may be the evidence such as in child pornograph ...more
Driving in your car can cause a pretty spasmodic GPS connection on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Making a lot of turns, speeding past large buildings, and going underneath trees and highway underpasses can all disrupt your GPS signal, making it difficult for the satellites (in t ...more
Thanks to Project-Infrared, there's now a pretty straightforward way to add motion tracking to the HoloLens: Connect it to a Kinect. Wavelength LLC's created a way to get the Microsoft Kinect working as a motion-tracking input device for HoloLens, which my colleague Adam Dach ...more
While keeping your iPhone out of the bedroom might help to avoid unnecessary distractions before bedtime, it could be better served right by your side to help diagnose sleeping issues you may be experiencing each night. With the Apple Health app, and all of the apps and devic ...more
Featured on MTV's Catfish TV series, in season 7, episode 8, Grabify is a tracking link generator that makes it easy to catch an online catfish in a lie. With the ability to identify the IP address, location, make, and model of any device that opens on a cleverly disguised tra ...more
If you lose your AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max, you can turn to Find My to locate them. But sometimes, things don't go according to plan, and many things can go wrong. For example: Nothing happens whenever you try to play a sound through your AirPods. Their location wo ...more
A new contender has entered the mixed reality ring. San Fransisco-based Occipital has just released an "Explorer Edition" of Bridge—an iPhone-based mixed and virtual reality headset that uses their popular Structure Sensor. At a fraction of the cost of a HoloLens developers ki ...more
If your iPhone can't last a full day without being recharged multiple times, something's wrong—but it might just be working harder than it needs to. So before you take a trip down to the Genius Bar, try some of the tricks out first to conserve your battery power throughout th ...more
Today in Santa Clara, California, at the Augmented World Expo, Scope AR revealed a major new update that will add markerless tracking for their remote assistance application, Remote AR, on standard devices. This update, powered by real-time image tracking solution Wikitude, p ...more
Now that the Magic Leap One is officially out in the wild, users are already beginning to find out exactly how it works and what it might be useful for in the augmented reality space. But there are still other, more unique questions that remain unanswered. That is, until now. ...more
A new set of APIs for Unity promise to make it easier for developers to publish apps that support both ARKit and ARCore. AR Foundation allows developers to leverage the common features, such as plane detection and world tracking, found in the mobile AR toolkits. Available in ...more