Hot Gadget Hacks Posts

How to Install Remix OS: Android on Your Computer

If you read the reviews on Google's Pixel C, you'll notice one big complaint about the tablet/laptop—most reviewers feel that Android simply isn't ready to be used as a desktop OS. The developers at Jide felt the same way, so they set out to make a custom version of Android with proper multitasking support and a UI optimized for the mouse and keyboard.

How To: The Easiest Way to Cast from Chrome

Previously, you'd need to install the Google Cast extension to cast webpages from your Chrome web browser to your Chromecast-connected TV, but as of March 24th, you don't need it anymore. Casting now works natively in Google Chrome (which had been available in the Beta version for a few months), and you can activate the hidden feature right now.

News: Our Favorite WTF Gadgets from CES 2016

There was lots of new tech to check out at CES 2016, but you could argue that the majority of the big-ticket items weren't the most unique things in the world. Thankfully, there were a few innovative, unconventional ideas on display, and here are some of our favorites.

How To: Record Phone Calls on Any Android Device

There are plenty of legitimate reasons that you might want to record a phone conversation. Let's say you operate a business and take orders over the phone, and you don't want to miss an item. Or perhaps you need to jot down some notes from a recent conference call, and things were just happening too quickly in real time.

CES 2016: LG Shows Off Its Newspaper-Like Flexible Screen

LG literally rolled out a prototype of its cutting-edge flexible display at CES 2016 in Las Vegas. The company showed off an 18-inch screen with 1,200 x 800 pixel resolution that you can roll up like a magazine or newspaper and take with you. And while an 18-inch HD screen that rolls up is already pretty impressive, LG plans to build them up to 55 inches and beyond, with 4K resolution.

How To: Buy a USB Type-C Cable That Won't Fry the Battery on Your Nexus, MacBook, or Pixel

Ready or not, the USB-C cable is about to take over your electronics. The new industry standard is fully reversible and packed with enough power to serve as a laptop charger or an HDMI cable, so it actually has the potential to replace every cord, wire, and connector in your house. In fact, the conversion has already started: The latest MacBook, Chromebook Pixel, and Nexus phones are sporting USB-C connectors out of the box.

How To: Turn Off Find My iPhone Remotely

Before you sell or give away an old iPhone, Find My iPhone, which works in conjunction with Activation Lock (Apple's anti-theft system) needs to be deactivated from your iCloud account. This also applies if you've lost your passcode and are locked out of the device, if you're restoring to a previous iTunes backup, or just want to remove it from your list of iCloud devices.

How To: Top 7 Surface Book Hacks for Artists

The Microsoft Surface has been the go-to device for many professional artists since its initial release back in 2012. Since then, the Surface line has continued to offer customers a portable, high-powered machine that's a near perfect value for both casual and professional artists. And the Surface Book is its best model yet—a full laptop convertible with a detachable screen and a dedicated GPU.

How To: Share Albums in Google Photos

There's a feature in Google's Photos app for Android, iOS, and the web that lets you create shared albums with your friends and family. It's really a useful feature that makes it fun and easy to collaborate on an album with a person or persons of your choosing.

How To: Clear Your Web Browsing History in a Hurry

If you've been visiting websites of ill repute, or if you've been Christmas shopping and don't want to spoil the surprise, it would be a disastrous situation if anyone were to come across your browsing history. Visited sites, cookies, and cache can paint a very clear picture of your recent internet activity, and depending on the situation, you may only have a few seconds to delete your history before someone else barges in.

How To: Add Chrome Custom Tabs to Every App on Android

Android has a built-in browser called WebView that any app can use, which makes it easy for developers to display webpages without actually having to build an internet browser into their apps. But WebView is a stripped-down, bare bones browser with no ties to Android's default browser, Chrome, so none of your synced data like bookmarks, passwords, and history is available when an app is using WebView to display a page.

How To: Completely Erase Your Smartphone of All Personal Data

When it comes time to sell your smartphone or trade it in for your annual upgrade, you'll have to make sure that all of the sensitive data the device accumulated while you owned it is properly erased so that no one else can access it. This process is referred to as a "Factory Reset," and regardless of if you own an iPhone or Android device, like a Samsung Galaxy model, HTC One, or Nexus, I'll show you how to do it below.

News: 7 New Games Just Released for Chromecast

Now that Chromecast has taken the title of top-selling media streaming device and held onto it for well over a year, game developers absolutely have to take Google's $35 streaming stick seriously. As a result, we're starting to see big-time media and game companies throw their hats into the proverbial Chromecast ring, with new interactive offerings that pair your smartphone and your big screen in spectacular fashion.

News: Samsung to Debut Galaxy S7 & Others in March 2016

A slide shown during a China Mobile conference indicates that Samsung's Galaxy S7 handsets should be hitting the market next March. If this chart is to be believed, it strongly suggests that Samsung will unveil its flagships at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (Feb. 22-25, 2016). For reference, the public got its first look at the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge on March 1st at last year's MWC; the handsets were released a little over a month later on April 10th.

How To: Turn Off Your iPhone with a Broken Power Button

As one of only three hardware buttons on an iPhone, the Sleep/Wake button gets a lot of use day in and day out. If you've had your iPhone for a considerable length of time, this button—which is also used to power down the device, as well as turn it on—may begin to malfunction or stop working completely, leaving you confused on how to now turn on/off your iPhone.

How To: Turn Your Phone into a Lightsaber & Fight Stormtroopers

Star Wars season is definitely upon us. No matter where you turn, you can't go a day without being bombarded by merchandising and co-branding advertisements that attempt to draw a parallel between some character from a galaxy far, far away and a galactic cruiser like the Dodge Viper, or a midichlorian-laden power source like Duracell. Yep, it's kind of annoying, but at least we can get some fun out of it here and there.