HackerThings

Alexa can now send SMS messages in the US, here's how

thenextweb.com Amazon just added a handy feature to its Alexa assistant, which lets you send texts via SMS just by issuing a voice command to your Echo speaker.

Apple is reportedly launching 3 new Macs with custom chips this year

thenextweb.com Apple has at least three new Macs in the works for 2018, including a desktop and two laptops. Oh, and they're said to feature custom processors too.

Smarter Time is the ultimate Android time tracking app

thenextweb.com Smarter Time wants to guilt you about the time you waste watching Rick and Morty

After notebooks, Google is reportedly bringing Chrome OS to tablets

thenextweb.com Google's browser-focused Chrome OS has been available on notebooks and desktops - and it looks like we'll soon see the platform arrive on tablets.

3 neat iOS 11.3 features coming this spring

thenextweb.com Apple has released a beta of the next version of iOS - v11.3 - to developers today, and listed a bunch of new features that the update will bring.

Uber CEO: self-driving cabs will hit the streets by mid-2019

thenextweb.com Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said that the company is gearing up to roll out self-driving cabs for passengers to ride, by around mid-2019.

This Android live wallpaper brings you a bird's eye view of your location

thenextweb.com I'm happy to report that I've just come across one of the best tools for livening up your wallpaper. All you need to do is move around!

Instagram tests new 'Type' feature for Stories and screenshot alerts

thenextweb.com Instagram’s Stories are one of the most popular ways to share content on social media, but sometimes images and videos just aren’t as effective as plain old text. Instagram knows this too, so now it’s testing a new feature – simply called ‘Type’ – that puts the emphasis on written stor...

Apple will soon make iPhone performance throttling optional

thenextweb.com An upcoming iOS update will allow you to prevent your iPhone from automatically slowing down performance as your battery ages.

Facebook gave up on news too soon, for no good reason

thenextweb.com Facebook recently announced a major change to its News Feed: Namely, that it was shifting away from brand and news posts and prioritizing what your friends and groups post. This comes after Facebook spent several months being raked across the coals for its inability to police its fake news and propa...

A Nintendo Switch emulator for PC is in the works

thenextweb.com The folks behind the Citra emulator for Nintendo 3DS are now at work on an exciting new project: Yuzu, an emulator for the Nintendo Switch.

HD Key Chain

This HD Keychain can capture photos, record audio and record video! This is a complete stealth operation that uses a Micro SD card and is USB transferable. No software is needed, just plug in and download!

hackerthings.com This HD Keychain can capture photos, record audio and record video! This is a complete stealth operation that uses a Micro SD card and is USB transferable. No software is needed, just plug in and download!

On Apple emoji’s 10th anniversary, the intern who designed them tells all

thenextweb.com When design leads to friendship, and that friendship leads back to design, magic happens. This is the story of how an intern and her mentor designed Apple’s original emoji set and together changed the way people communicate around the world. It was also a project that led them to become lifelong f...

Skype finally gets end-to-end encryption, thanks to Signal

thenextweb.com Microsoft has partnered with Signal, the secure messaging app that counts whistleblower Edward Snowden among its fans, to add end-to-encryption to Skype.

Samsung confirms Galaxy S9 will be unveiled next month

thenextweb.com A few months ago, rumors were floating around that Samsung would unveil the Galaxy S9 – or at least tease it – during CES. Two days into the event, it’s clear that’s not the case; Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh confirmed the device would instead be revealed at Mobile World Congress late Februar...

It's about time Alexa, Google, and Siri learn to play nice

thenextweb.com I use voice assistants more than most people. My parents have made fun of me barking at my phone to do stuff for years, but I actually enjoy chatting it up with Google, Alexa, and their kin. I just wish they were better at talking to each other. Voices, voices everywhere CES has made it …

The only thing that matters at CES is this self-driving Pizza Hut delivery van

thenextweb.com Toyota and Pizza Hut teamed up to announce a partnership that could have the latter delivering hot and fresh pizza to your door without a driver. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) today, Toyota revealed its autonomous concept vehicle, the e-Palette, a vehicle that may one day not only deliver,�...

US driverless car lead vanishing as China and UK put pedal to the metal

thenextweb.com The US enjoys an advantage in the driverless car space, but China isn't content to remain a runner-up and now even the UK is getting in on the action.

Dell's new XPS 13 is even smaller and goes all-in on USB-C

thenextweb.com Dell’s XPS 13 is arguably the best traditional Windows laptop around, but it’s gotten a bit aesthetically stale in recent years as the design has hardly changed since 2015. While 2018’s model doesn’t radically change the formula, a new white-and-rose-gold colorway and even smaller frame is w...

Spy Flash Drive

Spy Flash Drive! Plug this flash drive into any USB port and start recording high definition video and audio. It looks just like a typical USB flash drive. You can fit up to a 16 GB Micro SD Card and the unit has a battery life of one hour.

hackerthings.com Plug this flash drive into any USB port and start recording high definition video and audio. I looks just like a typical USB flash drive. You can fit up to a 16 GB Micro SD Card and the unit has a battery life of one hour.

You can now try the Pixel 2's single-camera portrait mode without a Pixel 2

thenextweb.com The Pixel 2 has one of the best portrait modes around, made all the more impressive by the fact that it uses a single camera to achieve the effect rather than the dual-sensor setup of most competitors. Now you don’t even need a Pixel 2 to try it out. Developer Arnova8G2, who had previously ported ...

Android will keep dominating iOS (despite iPhone X) and 6 other tech predictions for 2018

Another exciting year in

thenextweb.com 2018 promises to be yet another exciting year in consumer electronics. From surprisingly impressive Android phones to everything for the smart home, we can expect important advances in every industry where consumer electronics play a role. Of course, these days that’s just about every industry the...

From all of us at HackerThings...Happy New Year!!

2017 in Review: TNW's favorite iOS Apps Launched this Year

thenextweb.com 2017’s list of new apps came with some real winners, and several of them we really enjoyed. To be clear, this isn’t a rundown of apps that were insanely popular this year. It’s a mix of ones we’ve reviewed and others that were just really good. We think everyone should download at least one ...

How developers will work in 2018

thenextweb.com What does 2018 hold for developers? What trends will change the way they work? TNW spoke to developers across a number of segments, and asked what they thought next year would bring. Here’s what they said. All about the containers Containerization is a great idea. When you put a bit of code into a...

These 7 technologies ruled 2017

thenextweb.com Now that we've survived 2017, let's take a look back at the technology that drove us.

Apple reportedly plans to support unified apps on iOS and macOS

thenextweb.com Apple's Project Marzipan will allow apps to work across iPhones, iPads, and macOS desktops and laptops, without the need for multiple versions.

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

Chrome will start auto-blocking the web's most annoying ads in February

thenextweb.com Google is going to make your web browsing experience a lot less annoying soon. The company today revealed it will stop showing ads in Chrome that don’t meet certain standards for quality starting February 15. Google had announced its intention to do so back June, but this is the first time it’s ...

Sony announces Alexa support for PlayStation Vue subscribers

thenextweb.com Sony today announced PlayStation Vue subscribers can now control their TVs, hands-free, with Amazon’s smart assistant, Alexa. The addition is a welcome one. As good as Sony’s TV remote is, there’s nothing quite as simple as barking orders at a digital device instead. Besides, if we’re being ...

Why the innovation race is getting automated

thenextweb.com Today’s business climate is fraught with a justified sense of existential dread. Its source is not new – competition and disruption have existed since the beginning of commerce. But today that anxiety is aggravated by bigger stakes, readily available funding, rapid information flow, and an unpre...

YouTube reportedly plans to rival Spotify with a streaming music service

thenextweb.com YouTube is gearing up to launch a paid streaming music service by March 2018 to take on Spotify and Apple Music, reports Bloomberg.

Google is killing Chrome Apps for desktops, for good

thenextweb.com Google is officially done with Chrome Apps for desktops: it's now removed the Apps section from the Chrome Web Store, and plans to introduce PWAs soon.

These 3D-printed objects don't need batteries to connect to Wi-Fi

thenextweb.com Researchers at the University of Washington figured out a way to 3D-print plastic objects with wireless capabilities baked right in - no power necessary.

Apple Pay Cash lets you send money via Messages; here's how to use it

thenextweb.com Apple Pay Cash is now live for users in the US, which means you can use your iPhone to send and receive money from friends right within Messages.