Hack And Tech Town

After years of releasing smartphones with four-figure price tags, Apple is reintroducing a lower-cost, stripped down iPhone model in an apparent effort to broaden its customer base. During a virtual presentation with reporters on Wednesday morning, a new normal for tech launches during the global pandemic, the company announced a new version of the iPhone SE , which launched in 2016. The second-generation SE model starts at just $399, far less than the entry-level iPhone 11, which costs $699, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which starts at $1099.   At 4.7 inches, the new SE is smaller than the latest lineup of iPhones -- the iPhone 11 is 6.1 inches -- but comes with the same fast processor that's in the11 Pro. It also offers a Retina HD display, 4K video and a home button that enables TouchID.   The smaller size , display choice and Touch ID feature may help keep the cost down but could turn off customers who are accustomed to the current lineup of b...

Between adjustable wrenches and socket sets, mankind has plenty of perfectly adequate tools to fasten and loosen nuts. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting this (concept) irising wrench all the same. The design, the brainchild of Seattle designer Jordan Steranka, uses the same system as your camera lens to make the six-sided hole smaller or larger, depending on the type of nut you’re fiddling with. There’s also a light surrounding the aperture, so you can see what you’re trying to unscrew. In theory, it simplifies your life by reducing the number of wrenches you need; in reality, it’s a more expensive/complicated version of two-moving-parts adjustable wrenches that have fixed your sinks for decades. But despite that, it’s so darn pretty, I want one just to hang up in my workshop.

It’s that time of year again. With a brand-new Android version comes the immediate question: when will my device get the upgrade? As a general rule, if your phone was made in the last two years, there’s a good chance you’re in luck — though every manufacturer is different and it really depends on what you own. Before Android 8.0 Oreo broke cover, 7.1.2 Nougat was the latest version of the platform, and it’s still unavailable to the wide majority of currently-supported phones. Still, that didn’t stop us from posing the question to all of Android’s major manufacturers. Here’s what they had to say. Alcatel Alcatel’s track record with Android updates is unfortunately spotty, and at the moment, there’s only one phone we expect to receive Android Oreo: The just-released  Idol 5S . The Idol 5S is currently Alcatel’s only product running 7.1.1 Nougat. The company’s lower-priced handsets, the A50, A30 Plus, and A30, all launched with 7.0 Nougat. Alcatel also promised to eventual...