Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
How To: Turn Your Android Phone into a Personal Distress Beacon with Motorola's "Exclusive" Alert App
Loving parents can suffer bouts of insomnia when their children leave the house. Not just when they move out, but when hanging out with friends or during out-of-town weekends. Others may worry about their significant other who has to work late all week and their only option for getting home is that sketchy nighttime bus.
News: This Is What iOS 8 Would Look Like with "Widgets"—And It's Pretty Amazing
Apple's grand reveal of iOS 8 at WWDC in San Francisco is still a few days away, but that doesn't mean there isn't any speculation as to what features and enhancements might come packed in the new mobile operating system.
News: Moto 360 Design Contest Underway, Offers Free Smartwatch to Winner
With the release date of its round-faced smartwatch drawing near, Motorola is calling on the public to help design clock faces for its new Android Wear device.
How To: Stream Your Favorite SoundCloud Tracks to Your Chromecast
With its growing popularity, it's clear that the Chromecast isn't going away anytime soon, with options for casting games, cloud files, music, and much more. But not all content providers are in a hurry to add support for the device, and SoundCloud is one of them. While My Cloud Player is by no means an official SoundCloud app, it comes pretty darn close.
How To: Fix the Yellow Tint on Your Nexus 5's Display
The Nexus 5 has a known issue with its display. Affecting all models from the first manufacturing run and most models thereafter, this display issue is easiest to notice on something with a white background. A yellowish tint, most noticeable when compared to other devices, seems to emanate from the Nexus 5's screen.
How To: 8 Ways to Cool Down & Prevent Your Samsung Galaxy S5 from Overheating
It's one hell of a device, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 is still susceptible to the many hazards that other smartphones are prone to: theft, cracked screens, poor battery life, and particularly, overheating.
FingerSense: The Future of Touch Input
Over the past decade, touch screens have changed the way we interact with our electronic devices. Gone are the days of clicking and pecking at keyboards, with these gestures replaced by swipes, taps, and long-presses on most of our newer devices. From the early years spent swapping out vaccuum tubes and reading light indicators, human interaction with computers has been constantly evolving. Can Qeexo's FingerSense usher in the next era in manual input?
How To: Make Your Facebook News Feed STFU
Facebook is a black hole. The constant stream of baby photos, #hashtags, BuzzFeed quiz results, and unintelligible status updates is mind-numbing. I know too much about too many people I hardly know.
News: Immensely Popular Go Launcher Gets Big Update & Offers Free Prime Until June 1st
With the Galaxy S5's root bounty over $18,000 and climbing, there's still no Superuser in sight. That doesn't mean we can't tweak and personalize our shiny new toys, though. Several customization options are available just by virtue of the S5's Android base, and installing a custom launcher is one of the fastest ways to get a fresh look.
News: (Updated) Your First Real "Look" at iOS 8
Update: June 2nd, 2014 Over the weekend, someone snuck in to Apple's presentation dry run, and grabbed a quick video of the new iPhone will look like.
How To: Change System Fonts on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (Root & Non-Root Methods)
Samsung has multiple built-in font styles to choose from in TouchWiz, but they're limited to just four types. While there are many font installers available on Google Play, they usually cost money and only replace some of the text on the device, not all of it, creating an inconsistent and erratic user interface.
News: Google Joins Netflix in Shaming ISPs into Faster Service
Netflix releases monthly reports on major ISPs relating to how well their service works on each provider. The purpose is to educate the public on their choice of service provider, but since many of us hardly have any choice at all when is comes to an ISP, it backhandedly works to shame them (if they're even capable of feeling shame under all those millions of dollars).
How To: Reduce Lag & Boost Performance for Games on Your Nexus 5
Aside from the newer HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5, the Nexus 5 still has one of the fastest processors on the market today. However, despite its superpowers, some graphically intensive games can still have a bit of lag to them during gameplay.
How To: Turn Lens Blur Photos from Google Camera into Stunning Live Wallpapers for Your Galaxy S4
If you have Android KitKat, you're fortunate enough to be able to use the new Google Camera, which has tons of great features, including Photo Sphere, Tiny Planet, Panorama, and Fisheye. With so many photo options and no additional hardware needed, it's hard to not to like this camera.
News: Google Camera Update Adds a Self-Timer, Fisheye Effect, 16:9 Photos, & More
Just over a month ago, Google made its camera app available to all devices running Android 4.4 and higher. Originally exclusive to Nexus devices, the app got a UI overhaul and a new Lens Blur mode, but lost some features in the transition.
How To: Add "OK Google" Hotword Search to HTC Sense & Other Android Launchers
When I'm showing off my HTC One, the first thing I do is unlock my device and say, "OK Google". It may earn me a weird look or two, but in the end people are amazed by the voice recognition and automation of the Google Now Launcher.
How To: View Your Twitter Feed Faster & Tweet from Anywhere on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
Fact: we live in a world where social media dictates our behaviors and shapes our perceptions. Maybe some of us are addicted more than others, but most of society uses some type of social media, whether it's Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat , or something new that I've never heard of.
How To: Cast Amazon Instant Video to Your HDTV
Amazon just signed a deal with HBO to host the cable channel's original content on its Instant Video service. For those of us with Amazon Prime accounts, this is great news—but there aren't any readily apparent options for playing it on Chromecast.
Data Breach: Spotify Users Need to Update Their Android App Right Now
Adobe, eBay, and iCloud have been hacked...now add Spotify to that list. The company has stated that on May 27th, they became aware of "some unauthorized access to [their] systems and internal company data" but that "only one Spotify user's data has been accessed and this did not include any password, financial or payment information."
How To: Save Pics from Webpages Directly to Dropbox Without Downloading Them to Your PC
I am a graphic designer, so I have to collect massive pics from webpages to provide me with inspiration. But sometimes I need to use them everywhere, even if I've no access to computers or laptops, so I have to resort to mobile devices.
The LG G3 Has Arrived: Here's Everything You Need to Know
After lots of anticipation and leaks, the LG G3 has been unveiled. Sporting a gorgeous 5.5" Quad HD display, the first of its class for smartphones, this flagship device is ready to put some scare into Samsung and HTC. It's currently available for purchase from AT&T and Sprint, and for preorder at T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
News: Apple Devices Are Being Remotely Locked & Held for Ransom—Here's How to Protect Yourself
It started in Australia, and now seems to have made its way statewide—hackers are remotely locking iOS and Mac devices, holding them for a $100 ransom. Users awoke to the loud "lost iPhone" ringtone, with a message on their lock screen stating that "Oleg Pliss" has hacked their device, and that "they" will unlock it after being sent $100 through PayPal.
How To: Use Headphones to Automatically Launch Apps on Your HTC One
Every morning I walk out the door with my headphones plugged in and music blaring. While it's not be the most difficult thing in the world, unlocking my phone and starting my music manually every time feels like a hassle. Pressing play on my headphone's remote will auto-start music in the HTC Music app, but I prefer Google Play Music instead.
Boredom Killer: How to Play a Game of Pool Directly on Your Android Home Screen
We don't typically cover games here on softModder, unless they have some special feature to offer like unlocking your device, but sometimes you've just gotta game. When you've only got a few minutes to do so, you've gotta choose the right game, and I've got just the thing for you.
How To: Change Sound Alerts for Individual Apps on Your HTC One
Normally, your sound settings only let you change up a few of the sounds on your device—generally your ringtone and default notification sound. While some developers include the option to choose custom notification sounds within their app's settings, most of the time you are left with an ambiguous ringer for everything—not very helpful for identifying what app that alert just came from.
How To: Get Weather Forecasts in the Notification Shade on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
When looking at weather applications and widgets, one major characteristic I look for is efficiency; something that will separate it from the rest of the herd. The stock weather widget looks great on my home screen, but I have to exit whatever app or game I'm in when someone asks me about the weather.
How To: Get iOS-Exclusive Google Hangout Stickers on Your HTC One
The official Google Hangouts app has been around for a while, and is the standard messaging app on Nexus devices, but Google didn't make each version equal. On the iOS version, you get the feature of adding "stickers"—GIF emoticons—but Google left that out of the Android version.
How To: Theme the Nav Bar on Your Nexus 5 for a Fresh Look
The fact that we own a Nexus means we get to experience the Android interface exactly as Google intended it. But that doesn't mean we can't make a UI tweak here and there, does it?
How To: Use Pinterest & Tumblr to Find Your Next Great Job
If you've ever searched for a new job online, chances are you've been completely overwhelmed by the process. Clicking through pages and pages of semi-relevant job postings, sending out hundreds of emailed résumés, and filling out applications is tiresome and dull.
How To: Bypass the 31-Character Limit in Snapchat Captions on Android
Twitter found a sweet spot with its 160-character limit, but Snapchat sports a social media low of 31 characters, forcing us to condense our ideas into a few short words when typing in picture captions because of their ephemeral nature. While this severely limited amount of words is Snapchat etiquette, I've got so much more to say than 31 characters!
How To: Automate Wi-Fi & Data Connections to Extend Battery Life on Your Galaxy S3
It's been over two whole years since the Samsung Galaxy S3 was released, so let's face it—our beloved GS3, once an iconic heavyweight in the tech arena, is almost as washed up as Sylvester Stallone.
How To: Save Instagram Photos Without Posting Them (And Stack Filters for the Perfect Pic)
We all have that one friend on Instagram: every day, they post a million perfectly filtered selfies, sharing 15 different angles of their outfit. But let's be honest—no one likes to see a million posts in rapid succession, and more importantly, no one wants to be that person.
How To: Type Common Phrases Faster with Custom Keyboard Shortcuts on Android
There are a lot of instances where we find ourselves typing virtually the same phrase that we've typed many times before. Whether it's the standard spousal reply of "I'll be home in a few", or a work-related phrase like "I'll have that to you by the end of the day", typing phrases like these can feel very redundant at times.
The Nexus Killer: OnePlus One Phone Review
A month ago, we showed you what I, and many around the web, dubbed the "Nexus Killer". That device is the OnePlus One, a low-priced, high-powered, CyanogenMod-run Android device.
Calling All DJs: Spotify's 20 Million Song Catalog Is Now Yours to Mix With
DJ applications aren't anything new, but recently, algoriddim GmbH has teamed up with Spotify to open the floodgates for DJs—amateurs and pros alike. The partnership will bring Spotify's 20 million+ tracks to your fingertips while mixing, and also help introduce you and your listeners to new music.
How To: Enable Autocorrect & Predictions in Any Text Field on Your Galaxy Note 3
Autocorrect, a common feature available on most Android keyboards, helps fix fat-finger typos and even predicts the words you want to write. Without this feature, it'd take me about 5 minutes to write a sentence, and even then, it'd probably still be intelligible.
News: 11 Hidden Features You Need to Know on Your HTC One M8
HTC's Sense 6 has been out for over a month now with the One M8, and most of you have probably played around with its better known features, like the new Camera app and Harman Kardon audio.
Nostalgia Warning: Must-Have Classic Games for Chromecast (Android & iOS)
Video games have come a long way over the last 30 years. In the late-'80s, Atari, Nintendo, and Sega were taking gaming from arcades to living rooms. Back in 1994, the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis were in bedrooms everywhere, and over the next couple of years, were slowly being replaced by Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, and the first ever Sony PlayStation.
How To: Set Gmail Tabs
This video will describe you how to set Gmail tabs on your computer. Through this Gmail tab you could organize you Gmail's in category like Social Media mail, forum mails, Promotional mails etc. Watch the video and do it yourself.
How To: Block Email Address in Yahoo and Gmail
This video will provide an idea how to block an email address in Yahoo and Gmail. This video will show in two steps. Watch the video and follow all the steps to block email ids in Yahoo and Gmail account.