Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
Updated: How to Fix the Rapidly Draining Battery Issue on Your Nexus 5
Update (March 18, 2014): Skype has issued an update to their Android app, and among other things, has "fixed" the runaway camera process issue by creating a workaround...and that's about all we know. No details were provided, but with the considerable uproar over the bug, let's hope it's been squashed for good.
News: This Extremely Offensive Insult Generator Dishes Out Disses for You on Your Galaxy Note 2
I can't begin to tell you of the many times my friends and I get into arguments that eventually lose any semblance of structure, becoming shouting matches where we just lob the stupidest, meanest insults we can fathom.
How To: Get Windows Phone-Style Notifications on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
Windows 8's interface was met with criticism when it was released, mainly directed at the tiled Start screen, a departure from Windows versions of old. Many felt that this new home screen style was better suited for mobile devices like Microsoft's Surface tablets and Windows Phones.
How To: Cast Videos Directly from Your Mobile Browser to Your Chromecast
With the development kit fully open, the functionality of our Chromecasts seem to expand with each passing day. From a portable gaming system to your own personalized news station, our little gadgets have a lot going for them.
How To: Turn the Screen Off Faster & Alleviate Power Button Stress on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Normal wear and tear, combined with unfortunate accidents, can take a toll on any smartphone leading to scratches, cracks, and breaks that can leave physical buttons useless. One of the first buttons to usually go is the power button, since it's the main way to turn your phone (and screen) off and on.
How To: Turn Your Chromecast into a Portable Gaming Console
With the emergence of rumors that Amazon, Google, and Samsung are all making their foray into the gaming console market, it's a possibility that our Android-powered mobile devices might become tools that play a central role.
How To: Use a Firewall to Control Web Access for Apps & Stay Private on Your Nexus 7
Apps that have no business accessing the internet can share your location, device ID, and other personal information with potentially malicious data snatchers. If you're connected to the internet on your Nexus 7 tablet, you're a potential target for cyber threats.
How To: Control Music Using the Power & Volume Keys When Your Nexus 7's Screen Is Off
I regularly listen to music on my Nexus 7 while working or playing my Xbox. It's light and easy to carry around, and has basically become an extension of my body. The only thing that bugs me is having to constantly turn the screen on to pause or change music tracks. Even if I can do it from my lock screen instead of the actual music player app—I don't want to.
How To: Perform Stealth Searches on Your Galaxy Note 2 So ISPs & Websites Can't Keep Track of You
Privacy features have become quite the hot commodity, emerging from the aftermath of the NSA scandals that rocked the United States this past year. While the NSA has the means to gather information on all of us (regardless of any security software we implement), it doesn't mean that they're the only ones looking.
How To: Install Hundreds of Custom Themes on Your HTC One Without Rooting
Changing your wallpaper and downloading icon packs is nothing new to the HTC One, but some people will go overboard with remapped keys, icon layouts on custom grids, and extensive wallpaper cropping—processes that could take hours to get just right.
How To: Revert Back to the Default Sense Launcher or Switch to a New Launcher on Your HTC One
So, you've installed a shiny new launcher but find that it doesn't quite meet your needs? Unfortunately, Sense doesn't come with a setting to choose the default launcher. No worries, though, because in this short guide, I'll show you how to revert back to any launcher, including the stock one. All you have to do is clear the default settings for your current launcher.
Watch the Oscars Online: How to Live Stream the 2014 Academy Awards on Any Device
The Academy Awards, commonly referred to as The Oscars, are airing this weekend. If you're a movie buff or just want to watch the dimes walking on the red carpet, The Oscars is not to be missed.
Split Screen Multitasking: How to Run 2 Apps in Separate Windows on Your Nexus 7 Simultaneously
Efficiency is one integral attribute that I need from my Android device. I want to be able to multitask like a maniac and do things on the fly. While multitasking itself is nothing new, actually being able to watch Netflix while scrolling through IMDB at the same damn time was reserved mainly for newer Samsung-ier devices.
How To: Turn the Google Now Launcher on Your Galaxy S3 into a Home Screen Powerhouse
The new Google Now Launcher has hotword detection and one-swipe access to Google Now, but personally, it's not enough to convert me away from other launchers like Apex or Nova. Just because it's Google's official launcher for stock Android doesn't make it better than all the rest.
How To: 7 Hacks That Will Make Text Messaging Faster & More Fun on Your iPhone
WhatsApp may be one of the most popular mobile messaging services around since it's multi-platform, but if most of your family and friends use iPads and iPhones, there's no need to go beyond the stock Messages app.
How To: Get Back Your Galaxy S4's Missing Apps After Updating to Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Many Samsung Galaxy S4 users, specifically for Sprint, are reporting that the latest KitKat upgrade to Android 4.4.2 is causing some strange behavior.
News: Apple Developers Running Beta Builds of iOS 7.1 Still Vulnerable to SSL Security Flaw
Apple released iOS 7.0.6 last week, an update to fix a serious security flaw that allowed hackers to not only capture sensitive user information such as bank statements and passwords, but also modify that same data on secure HTTPS sessions.
How To: Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update Rolling Out Right Now for Your AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4
The newest version of Android, 4.4.2 KitKat, is making its way onto AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4s right now. Itching to try out the latest that Google has to offer? Keep an eye on your status bar for a notification letting you know that a system update is ready.
How To: Send Shutdown, Sleep, & Other Commands to Your PC Remotely from Your Galaxy Note 2
You probably use your smartphone to mostly surf the web, play games, and communicate with others, but there's so much more it can do. Thanks to integrated features and third-party apps, you can seamlessly control things around your home, including your TV, tablet, Bluetooth speakers, and even lighting fixtures.
How To: Patch the SSL Bug Without Updating Your Jailbroken iPad or iPhone to iOS 7.0.6
Last week, Apple issued an iOS 7.0.6 update that fixed a serious security vulnerability that could allow hackers to steal passwords, read emails, and get info from other SSL-encrypted communications.
How To: Keep Nosy Friends Out of Your Apps by Password Protecting Them on Your iPad or iPhone
As respectful as you may be, it's hard to resist looking through someone's iPhone when given the chance. You're not trying to snoop around, but it's just too easy to open up apps and read embarrassing emails or find scandalous Instagram follows. It's like looking through a digital diary riddled with deep, dark secrets.
How To: Install the Xposed Framework on Your HTC One for Super Easy Customization
There are plenty of ways to customize your stock HTC One (or any Android device), from playing retro games to adding rotating live wallpapers. But to get the most out of your device, you need root access.
How To: Turn Your Nexus 4 into an Android/iOS Hybrid
Alright, I'll admit it, iOS can be quite nice. Android loyalist that I may be, I'm not so stubborn that I can't recognize a good thing when I see it. Apple's iOS has a lot of strengths, and our Nexus 4s, god bless 'em, are growing a little long in the tooth.
News: Everything You Need to Know About the New Samsung Galaxy S5
The Samsung Galaxy S5 was just officially announced at Mobile World Congress. The new flagship device will be available worldwide beginning April 11, 2014, including all major U.S. and international carriers. With over 200 million Galaxy devices sold to date, the S5 doesn't stray too far from the trend, at least not aesthetically. We've still got a high-grade plastic shell with perforated back covers, and four color choices at launch. Our highlights of the release event are as follows.
How To: Add Endless Scrolling to Home Screen Pages & App Folders on Your iPad or iPhone
When you're scrolling through your iPhone's home screens, you'll inevitably reach the end and have to either swipe backwards or hit the Home button to return to the first page. Why Apple didn't instill an endless scrolling feature, or at the very least an option for it, is anyone's guess, but just because you can't do it out of the box doesn't mean you can't do it.
How To: Jot Down a Quick Reminder Note Instantly from Anywhere on Your iPhone
Jotting quick notes can be a pain. There have been countless occasions where I've needed a pen and paper to quickly write something down, but either didn't have them near me or was doing something on my phone and neglected to remember.
News: How to Watch the Samsung's Galaxy S5 Launch Today Live
Starting at 20:00 CET (11:00 PST, 14:00 EST), you can stream the live feed from Samsung's Unpacked 5 event, happening today at Mobile World Congress. While the company may have more than one trick up their sleeve, the star of the show will be the launch of the Galaxy S5.
How To: Install Firefox OS (& Other Experimental ROMs) On Your Nexus 5 Without Any Risk
You probably already know by now that a custom Android ROM can change your user experience and give you what feels like a new OS on your device, and there's no shortage of them out there to try out.
How To: Change the Color, Position, Shape, & Size of Badge Alert Icons in iOS 7 (Plus, Animate Them!)
Once you jailbreak, there are hundreds of options available for you to fully customize your boring stock iPhone into something more efficient and fun. We've already shown you a bunch, like how to beautify app icons and change battery icons, but now it's time for a badge alert makeover.
How To: Improve Your Samsung Galaxy S3's Math Skills with Calculator Themes & Gestures
Sometimes you need more than just your brain to split the bill at a restaurant or to calculate how much your cable company is ripping you off.
How To: Turn Your iPad or iPhone's Bland Keyboard Blue with This Easy iOS 7 Tweak
Keyboards tend to get overlooked as we rapidly text or type up emails, but when we do find the time to look at it, it's pretty bland. That's why we showed you how to spruce things up with a dark keyboard on your iPhone, which served as my default keyboard...until now.
How To: Translate Languages on the Fly with This Floating Translator for Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Parlez-vous français? While we all wish we were fluent in multiple languages like Jason Bourne, most of us are probably one-trick ponies. When traveling abroad, or even when taking language courses, having a translator handy is extremely important.
News: Cast Your Own Personalized News Station Pulled from Local & National Sources to Your TV
With Chromecast-capable applications slowly seeping into the market, it's difficult to find useful ones that we might use on a daily basis.
How To: Enable Unknown Sources on Your HTC One to Install Apps Not Found on Google Play
There are plenty of times where you'd want to install an app, but either the developer or Google has taken the app off the Play Store (like with Flappy Bird). To bypass the need for Google Play, you can just download the app's APK from a reliable source on the internet and install it manually.
How To: Add the Local Weather to Your iPhone's Status Bar for a Quick Glance Forecast
While it may not serve much of a purpose here in sunny Los Angeles, it's still a good idea to keep constant tabs on the weather forecast, because you don't want anything to rain on your parade.
News: Samsung Teases the Galaxy S5 Ahead of Launch
Samsung released a teaser video today, touting its next flagship Galaxy device, presumably the Galaxy S5. With an official announcement expected on Monday at Mobile World Congress, this video should serve as a final teaser before the big day.
How To: Save Battery Power by Pairing Wi-Fi Connections with Cell Tower Signals on Your Galaxy Note 3
Leaving your Wi-Fi radio "on" allows your smartphone to auto-connect to trusted wireless networks in lieu of using cellular data, but it also consumes battery power while it's constantly network hunting.
News: Join the Google Cast Chrome Extension Beta Program
Google has opened up their Beta version of the Google Cast extension for the Chromecast. If you don't know, you can cast tabs from a Chrome browser to your Chromecast connected display. Today, they've released the beta version of the extension to the public, and you can grab it right now.
News: KitKat Rolling Out Right Now for the Sprint & U.S. Cellular Variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Starting today, and over-the-air (OTA) update is hitting the Sprint variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, carrying the latest Android version (4.4.2 KitKat) as well as some other upgrades to Samsung's proprietary apps, like new launcher settings and a lock screen camera shortcut.
How To: Sync Your Galaxy S3's Music with Any Android Device Without Using Group Play
Whenever a new version of a phone comes out, there's always that one cool feature you wish you had on yours. For me, that's Group Play.