Hot Gadget Hacks How-Tos — Page 184 of 336

How To: Add App Shortcuts to the Pull-Down Notification Center on Your iPhone—Without Jailbreaking

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but the shortest way to launch an app on an iPhone can be a much more complicated process.

How To: Make Your HTC One's Screen Turn On When Receiving New Text Messages

If you're new to Android phones, one of the first things you've probably noticed is how notification alerts differs from Apple devices, especially in regards to getting a text message.

How To: Use Hashtags in Texts to Quickly Share Locations, Music, & Other Info on a Galaxy Note 2 or Other Android Phone

If you're a Twitter user, it's a safe bet to assume that you've used a hashtag. On all social networking sites that have the capability, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Google+, the pound (#) symbol is used to mark and designate specific keywords or topics in order to make it effortless for users to connect with one another.

How To: Hide That Pesky NFC Icon from Your HTC One's Status Bar (Root Required)

If you turned on your HTC One for the first time and wondered what that weird icon that looks like an N is, it indicates that NFC is on. It seems strange to me that HTC wanted to waste Status bar space on an NFC indicator, but sometimes we just have to deal with it. However, if you're a softModder, you don't have to just deal with it. The icon can't be removed permanently, but there is a very easy way to hide it forever.

How To: Remove Blinkfeed from Your HTC One for a Stock Feel Without Rooting

For someone used to the old-style HTC Sense, upgrading to an HTC One with Sense 5 is a pretty intuitive experience, but there's one thing that some users find obtrusively different. Blinkfeed, an app which aggregates newsworthy articles from various sources and pins them in a scrolling feed on your home screen. If you don't like staying current on news, or don't like how much RAM it eats up, you probably want to get rid of it. There's been some questions about removing Blinkfeed in our forum,...

How To: Get CyanogenMod's Sleek Graphing Calculator & Widget on Your Samsung Galaxy S4 Without Rooting

It's that time of the year again when scores of students are flocking to stores for school supplies. Pens, pencils, books, and for math students, calculators.

How To: Get the Leaked HTC Update with Sense & Android 4.3 on Your HTC One

If you don't want to wait for Android 4.3 Jelly Bean to hit your HTC One, you don't have to. Android developer LlabTooFeR released his MaximusHD ROM, which includes a leaked copy of HTC's own 4.3 update, complete with Sense 5.

How To: Install CyanogenMod 10.2 on Your Nexus 7 for a More Mod-Friendly Stock 4.3 Experience

In the past, we've shown you how to install CyanogenMod 10.1 on your Nexus 7, but that version was based off of the older Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. If you want to stay current, the newer CyanogenMod 10.2 is out in the nightly stage, which is based on Android 4.3, and you can get it right now.

How To: Get "Metro-Inspired" App Icons on Your Samsung Galaxy S4 for a Sleek-Looking Home Screen

The stock Android app icons that come with your Samsung Galaxy S4 can vary wildly in shape and size, as they will with any out-of-the-box Android device.

How To: Read Facebook Messages on a Samsung Galaxy S3—Without Your Friends Knowing

I get along with most of my friends just like anyone else. We chat on the phone, go out drinking, and play video games—and we choose who to hang out with and when. That same sort of freedom is hard to find on Facebook.

How To: Make a Shared Album on Facebook

This video will show you how to utilize the shared album on Facebook. Multiple users could view, upload and edit picture of the same album. Thanks for watching my video.

How To: Ditch Phone Mode & Get the Full Tablet UI on Your Nexus 7—Without Rooting

If you've never played with a Nexus 10 tablet, then you probably have no idea that your Nexus 7 actually has a different user interface. For some reason, Google decided it was better for the Nexus 7 to use a phone UI instead of a tablet one, but luckily for us, we don't have to accept that.

How To: Get Lenovo's Super Camera & Gallery on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for Better Pics & Filters

You probably know Lenovo from their low-cost Windows PCs here in the states, but something you may not be aware of is that they also make smartphones. Right now, their biggest market is in China, but a rumored merger with BlackBerry could make Lenovo a contender in North America, not to mention one of the biggest smartphone manufacturers in the world.

How To: Play Metal Gear Solid & Other Game Boy Color Games on Your Samsung Galaxy S3

If playing Metal Gear Solid didn't make you want to crawl on the floor of your living room throwing imaginary flash grenades, then I don't think we could be friends. Solid Snake was the man. Period.

How To: The Easiest Way to Transfer Files Wirelessly from Your Nexus 7 to Your Computer (& Vice Versa)

For the most part, transferring files from your computer to your Nexus 7 (and vice versa) is a simple process. Just hook up your tablet to your computer with the USB cable and transfer. However, most of the time you'll need additional software on your computer to do this, and then, of course, you need the USB cable.

How To: Get Complete Control Over System Audio & Alert Sounds on Your Samsung Galaxy S3

The sound I get when receiving a new text message is the camel from that Geico commercial yelling "Hump Day!" Sure, I could find a less obnoxious notification sound, but it makes me laugh every time, and that's important.

How To: Install Adobe Flash Player on Your HTC One to Play Flash Games, Stream Amazon Instant Videos, & More

Chrome has some built-in Flash support, which is great, but sometimes it just doesn't work—and it doesn't work for everything. Unfortunately, the Flash Player plugin was discontinued by Adobe back in the days of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), and you can't get it on Google Play.

How To: Make the Simplest Motor Ever

For this project, you will need a magnet, two AA batteries, two keys, a metal plate, and a copper wire coil.

How To: 5 Apps for Your Nexus 7 Tablet That You're Not Supposed to Have

One of the best features on the new Moto X is Touchless Control, which lets you verbally ask the device questions or perform tasks without ever touching or turning on the display, a feature that would do quite nicely on the Nexus 7, if it could handle it.

How To: Watch American Netflix from Other Regions on Your iOS Device

Not every country gets the same TV shows and movies on Netflix, and there are definitely differences between the American version of Netflix and other regions, such as Canada (where I live). So, it's not surprise that people are looking to "unlock" that content.

How To: The Best Way to Automatically Adjust Screen Brightness on Your Samsung Galaxy S3—Exactly How You Like It

"Ain't No Sunshine" might just be a classic song to you, but for me and my Samsung Galaxy S3, it means so much more. For the most part, my GS3 does a decent job at automatically adjusting the brightness of the screen when I'm in normal lighting, but when I'm in little or no lighting, or there's just way to much, I usually have to switch over to manual to get the right balance. Luckily, we're not stuck with Samsung's built-in auto brightness feature. There are some really good third-party solu...

How To: Get CyanogenMod's cLock Home & Lock Screen Widget on a Non-Rooted Samsung Galaxy S4

Probably the most favorite custom ROM among softModders is CyanogenMod, a theme-friendly take on stock Android that not only makes it easier to customize your device, but also increases performance using a variety of system tweaks and enhancements.

How To: Get the Google Play Edition Camera & Gallery on a TouchWiz Based Samsung Galaxy S4

While there's still no set date, Jelly Bean 4.3 is rumored to be released on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and other TouchWiz devices within the next couple of weeks (or months), presumably sometime after the upcoming Samsung Unpacked event.

How To: Get Sleek Ubuntu-Style Lock Screen Notifications on Your Samsung Galaxy S3

Ubuntu isn't just a cool sounding name, but pegs itself as the world's favorite free operating system. It gained its popularity for being lightweight, fast, and visually appealing, and now that great look and speed can be placed right on the lock screen of your Samsung Galaxy S3.

How To: Play Space Invaders & Other Classic Atari Games on Your Samsung Galaxy S3

Atari was one of the very first video game consoles, bringing the joy of arcades right into the living room. Now gaming consoles are a dime a dozen, but there's still something about those old retro systems that makes me want to travel back in time.

How To: Find Your Android Phone with the RingMyDroid App

There have been those times in everyone's life when we have kept our phones on silent mode and forgotten where we kept it. Well, if you have an Android powered phone there is a way by which to find your phone by ringing, just when you want it, even when it is kept on silent mode.

Editor's Choice: 11 Camera Apps to Put Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 on Steroids

There are many impressive features on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but just like any other smartphone on the market, the most used one is the camera. How many times did you take a picture today? Or admire all the selfies in your gallery? Or upload a video to Instagram, Vine, or Snapchat?

How To: Get Better Quick Settings on a Samsung Galaxy S3 with This Fully Customizable Control Center

Apple may have unabashedly lifted their upcoming "Control Center" from Android devices, but visually speaking, it's an awesome take on Quick Settings that would look pretty good on a Samsung Galaxy S3.

How To: The Easiest Way to Completely Customize Your Samsung Galaxy S3 with Wallpapers, Ringtones, Games, & More

Android gets a lot of love for its immeasurable amount of customization, and for the most part, you don't even have to do any heinous hacking to swag out your Samsung Galaxy S3 or other Android device.

How To: Control the Auto-Rotate Settings for Apps Individually on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Controlling the screen rotation on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is one of the easiest things you can do. Just slide down the Notification tray and you have instant access to the Screen Rotation toggle in the Quick Settings menu. If you want your screen orientation to automatically rotate when you move from vertical to horizontal positions, just make sure it's turned on. To lock the current orientation, turn it off.

How To: Get Moto X-Style 'Active Display' Notifications on a Samsung Galaxy S3

The new Moto X may not have a lot going for it when it comes to hardware, but there are some pretty cool software features that makes it a tempting device. One of these cool features is its Active Display notifications that appear on the lock screen.

How To: Monitor System Resources Right from the Notification Tray on Your Samsung Galaxy S3

Anyone who uses a computer on a regular basis probably knows how to access the task manager to check system resources and usage stats. However, on a Samsung Galaxy S3 or other Android device, it may not be so obvious. There's no equivalent to Control-Alt-Delete, but it's still fairly easy to monitor running processes and battery usage.

How To: Be a Multitasking Ninja with Floating Apps & Notifications on Your Samsung Galaxy S3

From a very early age we have an intrinsic obsession with things that float. Why do you think we love balloons and bubbles so much? So, it's no surprise that our smartphones are being invaded by floating features.

How To: The Flashlight That Finally Lets You Adjust LED Brightness on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

I know what you're thinking. Why spend time talking about another flashlight application when there are literally thousands of them scattered throughout Google Play? As it turns out, there is a void in the realm of flashlight Android apps. Flashing lights, strobe lights, cop lights, warning lights—they're all available, but the one feature that's missing is adjustable brightness.

Digital Tinfoil Hat: How to Block the Government & Other Privacy Invaders from Connecting to Your Nexus 7 Tablet

The NSA's massive internet spying efforts will continue. In President Obama's latest press conference, he went public to (in so many words) say that the NSA's spying efforts will continue uninterrupted. This, coming just weeks after the Amash Amendment which would have defunded the program, was narrowly defeated in the House (you can check if your congressmen voted against it here).

How To: Replicate the Moto X's "Active Listening" Hands-Free Assistant on Your Samsung Galaxy S3

On the new Moto X smartphone, the only thing you have to do to activate the virtual assistant is say "Okay, Google Now." That's it. You don't have to press a button or tap on the display at all. It's always ready for your voice commands via its "Active Listening" feature, making it a truly hands-free experience.

How To: Add No-Bulk Wireless Charging to Your Samsung Galaxy S4 for Under 30 Bucks

Why do we still need to plug in our phones to charge them? Wireless charging exists, and has for quite some time, but most manufacturers don't include it in their devices. When it comes to the Samsung Galaxy S4, you can buy a QI-compatible wireless charging kit, but between the charging pad and the battery cover, you're looking at around $90 or more.