Gadget Hacks How-Tos

How To: Build Your Own Internet Radio Player, AKA Pandora's Box

Growing up, my family would get together in the living room every Saturday night and gather around my mom's old boombox radio and listen to Disco Saturday Night on 104.3 FM from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. (the show ended in 2008 after 14 years of consecutive shows). The old ladies in the picture below are the best representation of these nights that I could find. Now, the radio is all but dead (just like the old ladies above) in this world of music streaming services and torrenting. All of our music is...

How To: Build a Radio Controlled Watermelon Air Boat

There are tons of remote controlled cars and boats out there that you can buy or build, and you can add remote control functionality to almost anything. But if you really want to stand out, there are few things more attention-grabbing than this radio-controlled watermelon boat by the folks over at Starting Electronics. The body, obviously, is made from a hollowed out watermelon with a propeller and the parts from a remote controlled airplane mounted on a wooden block. A servo allows the prope...

How To: Save Snapchat and Facebook Poke Videos to Your Computer

The allure of Snapchat is that all pictures and videos sent through the app vanish a few seconds after being sent. They're completely obliterated not only from the phone, but from the Snapchat server, as well. The popularity of the application has even incited Facebook to release its own real-time picture and video messaging application, aptly titled Poke. One of the biggest criticisms (besides the wave of recent security issues) of Snapchat is that even though the messages self destruct and ...

How To: Donate to Charity by Just Surfing the Web as Usual with Tab for a Cause

When we surf the web, we tend to do it for selfish reasons. Whether it's on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, or Wikipedia—we're trying to connect with people, voice our opinions, watch funny videos, or do research for that 12-page paper due tomorrow. Whatever it is, it's usually to benefit ourselves. Well, what if you could not only benefit yourself while surfing the web, but benefit others in need, without even having to alter your habits?

How To: Remove Facebook Ads from Internet Explorer 10 on Your Microsoft Surface

I think most people can agree that advertisements are just annoying. There is only one day out of the entire year when commercials and advertisements are actually welcomed, and that's the Super Bowl. But, since it can't be the Super Bowl every day (if only), those ads that float around on your Microsoft Surface's screen are just obnoxious. Luckily, there is a way to get rid of them, on Facebook at least. Facebook is one of the most visited sites in the world, so having the ability to hide ads...

How To: Access Your Android Apps from Anywhere with the GYF Sidebar Launcher

Google is constantly adding new ways to do things quicker on its devices. Everything from multi-screen capabilities to lock-screen widgets has been added to the new updates of the Android OS, making its devices very powerful and efficient. Something that Android hasn't paid much attention to, though, is the ability to access applications easily from places other than the home screen. So, XDA Developers member Cyansmoker decided to take matters into his own hands creating an application that a...

How To: Hack Someone's Cell Phone to Steal Their Pictures

Do you ever wonder how all these celebrities continue to have their private photos spread all over the internet? While celebrities' phones and computers are forever vulnerable to attacks, the common folk must also be wary. No matter how careful you think you were went you sent those "candid" photos to your ex, with a little effort and access to public information, your pictures can be snagged, too. Here's how.

How To: Hack a Skype Password

Skype is a great way to stay in contact with friends and family over the internet, and people tend to share a lot in their chats, so why not try and find a way to hack it! Once a Skype account is hacked, you can view all conversations within the last three months, see how long each video call was, and even access files that were shared through chat.

How To: Run Multiple Instances of the Same App in Mac OS X

With the use of Terminal, anyone can run multiple instances of the same application on a Mac. When you have multiple windows open in a web browser, the windows are all running under the same Process ID (PID). But, with multiple instances, each has its own unique PID. So why would you want to run multiple instances of the same app? There are several reasons a person may run clones of the same application, but the most popular would be so that the user could multitask. Some applications, like t...

How To: Invert the Colors on Your Apple or Android Device for Better Sleep

Inverting colors on your mobile device not only saves battery life, but also helps prevent straining your eyes, especially during the nighttime. Bright white screens interfere not only with your eyes, but with your sleeping patterns, as well. The bright lights greatly reduce your melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain that helps you go to sleep. Thus, the onset of sleep is delayed and the possibility of deep sleep is reduced greatly.

How To: Turn a Game Boy Advance into an Old-School Miniature Arcade Cabinet

No matter how advanced technology gets, there will always be room for classic video games in the hearts of nerds everywhere. Mini arcades became very popular, as they allowed users to take arcade games on the go. As Game Boys and other mobile gaming devices appeared, the mini arcade slowly disappeared. Well, believe it or not you can combine the best of both worlds! Metku user Japala wanted to make his old Game Boy Advance SP "look cool again," so he turned it into a mini arcade cabinet.

How To: Automate Tasks on Your Mac Whenever You Come or Leave Home via Bluetooth

As a multitasker, I've embraced the hustle and bustle that has filled my life. I'm constantly doing several things at a time, while looking for shortcuts to finish all of these things quicker than before. I brush my teeth with my cell phone in hand and drive to work with breakfast in mouth—I spare no time. Well, now there's an application for the Mac users among us that can help take some of the stress out of doing a thousand things at once.

How To: 3 Music Player Apps That Put Your iPhone's Built-in Music App to Shame

The stock music player on the iPhone hasn't changed much since its inception. Sure, with the recent iOS 6 update the design became sleeker, but it's not really what you'd expect from a top of the line smartphone. And when I say "MEH," it isn't directed towards the Kendrick Lamar album (which is awesome). It's the layout of the application, the lack of gesture control, and the sometimes tedious job of shuffling through certain albums and artists.

How To: Turn Off Your iPhone's Timer and Alarm Just by Waving Your Hand

Whether it's because you're too startled from a sudden awakening or you're elbow-deep in cake batter, turning an alarm or timer off on your phone can be annoying. So why not simplify the process by eliminating the need to even touch your phone? With these free apps by Augmented Minds, you can turn off your timer or alarm with just a wave of your hand. That means no more fumbling in the dark for the right button, and more importantly, no more worrying about getting food on your iPhone.

How To: Control iTunes via Your Android Device Using the Retune Remote App

For a long time, Apple has had Remote—an app that can be used on any iOS device in order to remotely control iTunes. Remote allows users to walk around their home and change the music by simply going through their phone. And now, Android has released its own version of the Apple Remote app! Retune is a free app found on Google Play that has the capability to control iTunes—change songs, TV shows, and movies—using your Android device. You can view the entire iTunes library on your Android devi...

How To: Get a Game Boy Advance (GBA) Emulator on Your BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, PSP, Mac, or PC

For those of you still using a BlackBerry smartphone, this article will show you the tips and tricks to installing emulators and playing some classic Game Boy Advanced games on your device. You can find a few tutorials and videos out there on getting Game Boy Color or NES games on an Android device, but the most elusive mobile emulator is for Game Boy Advanced (GBA) on a BlackBerry.

How To: Clear All Caches and Free Up Disk Space in Windows 8

Clearing the cache on your computer is (usually) a quick and easy way to help speed it up. Deleting those temporary files frees up space, helping you computer run smoother, especially if you have not cleared the cache for a extended period. However, finding the different caches in Windows 8 is a little trickier than in previous Windows systems.