Gadget Hacks How-Tos
How To: Make a Clothespin Pocket Pistol (AKA Mini Matchstick Gun)
Clothespins are pretty innocent-looking, but with a mod here and a hack there, that innocence quickly turns into danger. Well, sort of. In this project, we'll be turning an ordinary spring-action clothespin into powerful matchstick and toothpick shooter that can shoot apples and lob fiery darts over 20 feet.
How To: Exploit Apple's AirPlay to Record & Save Music from an iPhone to Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Ever since its introduction back in iOS 6, AirPlay has been helping us iOS and Mac users stream content over to an Apple TV or third-party speaker system. It's an incredibly useful feature. However, it's also severely limiting. The few compatible products out there are extremely expensive, making wireless streaming a not-so-easy task.
How To: Burnt or Buttered? How to Add App Names & Icons to Your Galaxy S4's Toast Notifications
Toast notifications are a type of pop-up alert built into Android, letting us know when an app has performed a certain action. Whether it's Gmail saving a draft or Firefox opening a new tab, toasts are meant to be informational while not being totally intrusive.
How To: Slim Down Those Annoying iOS 7 Banner Alerts on Your iPhone for Smaller, Scrolling Notifications
So, I'm playing Injustice: Gods Among Us and whooping some serious superhero ass when out of nowhere I receive a stupid notification that ruins my game and subsides my thunder!
How To: Close Apps in Apple iOS 6 on iPad
Closing apps in iOS 6 was different that what is now in iOS 7. Shown in the video below is the old clumsy way of closing apps on the old iPads.
How To: Get Faster Access to Settings for Your Installed Xposed Mods on the Nexus 7
If you're reading this, chances are you're utilizing Xposed Framework to apply unique customizations to your device . We've covered various Xposed mods, like how to how to unlock KitKat's full screen capabilty and make your battery percentage easier to read on the Nexus 7, but today, we're showing you an Xposed module for Xposed. In order to access the modules on your device, you typically enter the Xposed Installer, go to Modules, then select your mod. Easy enough, right? Well, things just g...
How To: Get Chat Head Bubbles for Text Messages on Your Nexus 5
A while back, Facebook released a killer feature called "Chat Heads" to its Facebook Messenger app. Messages from users would "pop up" in small bubbles that floated on the screen that could be seen, accessed, and moved around from within most apps.
How To: The Fastest Way to Monitor Memory & Storage Usage on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Modern smartphones can easily handle anything you throw at them, but it's always good to keep a tight grasp of what your phone is actually doing and how well it's doing it. System information can be viewed by looking through your Application Manager, but this process makes it difficult to keep an eye on usage in real time.
How To: Don't Tap—Swipe Back to Previous Screens on Your Nexus 7 Tablet Instead
Facial, voice, and hand gestures are the way of the future for controlling our devices, and even gaming consoles like the Xbox One have incorporated them. Unfortunately, our Nexus 7 tablets have not. We're currently limited to using soft keys for most actions, but we can inch closer to the future by replacing one critical action with a simple touch gesture—going back.
How To: View App Usage Stats in Your iPhone's Multitasking Menu
Those of you using iOS 7 probably know by now that swiping down on an app's preview screen in the multitasking menu does absolutely nothing. Swiping up force closes the app, but down is useless—unless you're jailbroken.
How To: Snapchat Increases Its Security Push, Adds Image Captcha Feature
Snapchat has had more than its fair share of security failures and mishaps. The photo-sharing company is looking to better address some of these security gaps by adding new features, and today its most recent addition is live: the Captcha. New users will be asked to verify their "humanness" by selecting the infamous Snapchat ghost out of a selection of images. The feature is supposed to help block hacker-made bots from creating fake accounts or accessing existing ones. But rather than using t...
How To: Tweet or Post to Facebook Directly from iOS 7's Notification Center on Your iPhone
Many of us were left scratching our heads when the iOS 7 update removed the Twitter and Facebook options from the Notification Center. Allowing you to quickly tweet and post Facebook updates, these were features used, and missed, by many—including me.
How To: Make Your Galaxy S4 Scroll-to-Top When Tapping the Status Bar—Like iOS Does
While browsing the internet on your Samsung Galaxy S4, you've probably scrolled to the bottom of a very long webpage, Twitter feed, or down into the abyss of some other app. Depending just how far down you've scrolled, it can be a test of your patience (and fingertips) scrolling back up to the top.
Never Miss an Alert: View Your Galaxy S3's Notifications Directly on Your Computer Screen
Having quick and immediate access to your notifications is one of the most important features for any modern day phone, but these alerts can be easily missed when your device isn't in the palm of your hand.
How To: Beef Up Your iPhone's Passcode Security with a Blank Keypad on Your iOS 7 Lock Screen
Are you tired of your snoopy coworkers and friends lingering over your shoulder as you type in your security passcode? Unless you have the newer iPhone 5S with Touch ID that scans your fingerprint, you've only got a couple of security options—either a 4-digit numeric passcode or a cumbersome password.
How To: A Better Way to Select & Edit Text on Your iPhone
It feels like someone just overheard me talking shit about my iPhone. I really hate when I need to edit an email, text, iMessage, or whatever because of the way you have to select words and phrases. You either hold down on the screen where you want to bring up the menu, or double-tap to highlight a word. It's crap.
How To: Insert an SD Card into a Samsung Galaxy Y
If you have an older Samsung Galaxy Y smartphone, one thing you should be doing is using an microSD or microSDHC memory card to help improve your Android's processing speed and make it easier to transfer large or small files easily. These cards are also compatible with certain cameras and can be inserted into some computers. While all this is all good and well, you'll still need to know how and where to put your SD card in order to indulge in any of these benefits. Your Samsung Galaxy Y (the ...
How To: Access Your Favorite Apps "Quickr" on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
To say that there are a lot of app switchers and launchers available is an understatement. We've covered a few ourselves, including Loopr and Switchr. But why not check out one more?
How To: Everything You Need to Know About Apple's 4th Beta for iOS 7.1 on the iPad, iPhone, & iPod Touch
Well, that was quick. A little over a week after releasing the third beta for iOS 7.1, Apple presented a fourth build to developers.
How To: Make Secure Phone Calls Without Using Your Cellular Network for Enhanced Encryption
In the wake of the NSA controversy and its subsequent fallout, many dashed towards finding means of secure communication—using private internet browsing and encrypted text messaging applications—out of fear of being spied on.
How To: Watch the 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII Commercials Right Now
This year's NFL playoffs have been nothing short of spectacular. With Super Bowl XLVIII coming up on Sunday, February 2nd, people are already gearing up for another classic showdown between the NFC and AFC, and this time it's the Seattle Seahawks versus the Denver Broncos.
How To: Speed Up Your iPhone by Removing the Super Slow Transition Animations
When iOS 7 was released, there were actually news reports of people getting disoriented and sick due to the motion of the parallax effect, along with the speedy animations when opening and closing apps and folders.
How To: Stream Your Google Play Movies & TV Shows on an iPad or iPhone
Apple and Google are not only two of the biggest names in the tech world, but also two of the biggest competitors. So, it's no surprise that you can't watch movies or TV shows purchased from iTunes on an Android device. Likewise, you can't watch any videos purchased on Google Play with your iPad or iPhone—until now.
How To: What Kind of Porn Are Your Neighbors Watching—And How Much?
Most people keep their ungodly sexual desires deep inside, only to be indulged in private on their computers. It makes you wonder... what secrets do your neighbors have? What kind of porn are they watching? And how much and for how long? Thanks to some public (and anonymous) data, you can now find out.
How To: Add Ambient Album Art to Your Lock Screen When Listening to Music in iOS 7
One of many cool features in iOS is the ability to listen to your Music app and have the player options, as well as album art, available on your lock screen. While that's super convenient, it's not all that easy on the eyes. The player is placed over a blurred version of whatever your lock screen wallpaper is.
Dropping the Beat: How to Make Google Translate Beatbox for You
I know that after seeing 8 Mile for the first time, you and your friends tried a few freestyles yourself. Nothing to be embarrassed about. As one person dropped the beat, you started your stuttering flow, and everyone else nodded their head. And for a second you probably thought you sounded pretty good, until the beat maker started coughing and threw you off.
How To: The Fastest Way to Roll Through Multitasking Cards in iOS 7.1
Apple baked multitasking and quick app switching into iOS back in 2010 with the launch of iOS 4, but the multitasking view changed in iOS 7 to show previews of the apps you have open. Unfortunately, this made swiping through open apps slower than before.
Quick Tip: Chrome Has a Built-in Task Manager to Help Fix Your Misbehaving Tabs
I can't tell you how many times I've force-closed or restarted Chrome due to it freezing or loading pages incorrectly. And don't even get me started on that obnoxious "Aw, Snap!" error. I guess you could say I have a love-hate relationship with my most used browser.
How To: Get Majestic App Icons on Your iPhone with This iOS 7 Winterboard Theme
Winterboard for iOS 7 allowed us to use some pretty great-looking themes. Circulus and Space BlueBerry are both great, but a little too "fun" for me. If you want something serious, yet appealing to the eye, then M'flat is for you.
How To: Set Different Wallpapers for Home & Lock Screens on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
There are countless things you can do to your lock screen to customize it, including adding app shortcuts that adapt to your time and location or custom widgets with DashClock. However, one thing you can't easily do in KitKat is change your lock screen background to be different from your home screen wallpaper.
How To: Ditch Your Boring Alarm Sound & Wake Up to a Real Voice on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
The movie Her is getting a lot of love from viewers and critics alike. While I find it kind of creepy to fall in love with a computer program, if Scarlett Johansson talked to me every day, I'd probably fall in love too.
How To: Add iOS 7-Style Blur Effects to Backgrounds on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Apple's implementation of blurred backgrounds was met with mixed reception in concurrence with iOS 7's release. Some viewed the design as rather dull and headache-inducing, while others like myself enjoyed it because the translucency created a more focused and noticeable foreground.
How To: Root Your Nexus 5—An Easy Guide for First-Timers
It's time. You've experimented with apps from the Play Store, you've switched your lock screen, and maybe you've taken different launchers out for a spin. If, throughout your tinkering, you've found yourself chanting, "More. More. Give me more!" then now is the time. It's time to root.
How To: Your Starbucks Habit Could Be Putting Your Personal Data at Risk
Starbucks' app is the most used mobile payment app in the U.S. because it's well-designed and convenient. But if you use the iOS version on your iPhone, your username, email address, password and location data could be compromised because the app stores them in plain text.
How To: Control the Text Cursor Using the Volume Keys on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
One of the most frustrating things about full touchscreen phones, especially for those coming from one with a physical keyboard, is typing and editing text. Whether it's a quick text message, or Swyping out a full e-mail, it sucks realizing you've messed up a few words and have to go back and fix them.
How To: Fix Wallpaper Zooming Issues in Apple's New iOS 7.1 for iPad, iPhone, & iPod Touch
When the first version of iOS 7 was released, there was a wealth of awesome new features, but there was also a lot to complain about. The biggest issue by far was, and still is, how custom home and lock screen wallpapers work on iPads and iPhones.
How To: Open the Air Command Menu Without Using the S Pen on Your Galaxy Note 3
Improved S Pen functionality materialized in the form of Air Command controls on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, allowing users to access shortcuts for their stylus features from anywhere on the screen. While the pie-interface controls are extremely useful, the only way to access them is when the S Pen is removed—making it impossible to use otherwise.
No More Crappy Vertical Videos: This App Auto-Levels Your iPhone Vids Horizontally
It's pretty much agreed upon that all videos taken on your cell phone should be shot horizontally, i.e. landscape mode. The viewing size is already small, so making it skinnier only exacerbates the problem. Viewing vertical videos is terrible, and when you transfer those videos to your computer, it's even worse.
Forget Boring Ringtones: How to Make Your Phone Announce Your Caller's Name Instead
Wouldn't it be cool to know exactly who is calling or messaging you without ever looking at your phone? It'd be a great way to keep you from reaching into your pocket or purse every time you get a message, and an efficient method to ignore people you'd rather not deal with.
How To: Add a Pulsating Battery Energy Bar to Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Long before Windows Phone hit the scene, Windows Mobile was the operating system for Microsoft's older brand of smartphones through the early 2000s. But due to its clunkiness and inability to keep up with modern features, it was scrapped in 2010.