Hot Gadget Hacks How-Tos
How To: Hack an Old Cassette Tape into a Retro-Style MP3 Player
Cassette tapes, much like the boombox, Walkman, and record player, aren't used much anymore. With the ability to put music on our smartphones, most of us don't carry tapes or CDs around because it now seems inconvenient.
How To: Make the Deadliest Looking Redneck Pen Set Ever
Do you guys remember those things you hold with your fingers to write stuff down? I think they're called pens, or something like that...
How To: This DIY 'Bicycle Barometer' Lets You Know If You Should Bike to Work or Catch the Bus
If you don't have a car, or just prefer to take public transit to work, you know that an unexpected change in the weather can quickly...er, dampen your day. If you're not expecting it, rain or snow can turn your trip into a long, hellish ordeal—especially if you bike.
How To: Watch the 2013 Super Bowl XLVII Commercials Live Online
It's almost here. Another year has come and gone, and it's time to watch the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers battle it out in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII. For the truly football-obsessed, this Sunday is a day almost as exciting as Christmas. Personally, I just use it as an excuse to cook food that's way less healthy than usual since I never quite became a football fan (sorry, Dad).
How To: Listen to YouTube Videos in the Background While Using Another Android App
I love YouTube for listening to music I don't already have on my phone or in my iTunes library, but there is one very simple thing that you think they would've figured out by now—the ability to have your video continue to play outside of the app!
How To: 10 Cool Tricks and Secret Features That Make YouTube Even Better
YouTube is the third most popular website in the world, after Google and Facebook. Millions of subscriptions happen each day on YouTube, with over 800 million unique users visiting each month. In that timespan, roughly 4 billion hours of video are watched, with 72 hours of video uploaded every single minute.
How To: Convert Your 6 Second Vine Videos into Animated GIFs
I recently wrote about Twitter's super now app called Vine, which lets people create 6 second video clips that can be embedded in a tweet. Those videos have their own proprietary extension, but if you want to turn those 6 second videos into an animated GIF, you can now do so thanks to developer Esten Hurtle, who created VineGifR, a seamless way to transform your (or someone else's) Vine movies into GIFs.
How To: Filter Profanity, Bad Grammar, and Other Undesirable Comments on YouTube with Comment Snob
YouTube is home to some of the most vile commenters on the internet—completely void of literacy, accuracy of facts, respect, and goodness in general. Known to many as the cesspool of the internet, the YouTube comment board can be a tough place for a person who's not accustomed to hostility on the web. "Tracking my cookies? They will never get my recipe!"
How To: Play Practically Any Old Game on Almost Any Platform with the RetroArch Emulator
Just about anyone who's been gaming for a long time occasionally feels nostalgic for the simpler consoles of yesteryear. I don't play much anymore, but my grandmother (yes, grandmother) got me started on NES when I was about three years old, and most days I'd still take that over the 360 or PS3.
How To: How Dropbox Could Help You Find Your Lost or Stolen Smartphone
I had my wallet stolen a few months ago, and I knew I would never see it again. My biggest gripe was not the credit cards in there, since they're easily cancelled, but the gift cards. I had some pretty good gift cards in there, and there's no way to get those back.
How To: Run a Full Version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on Your Windows PC
Being able to run mobile apps on a computer is nothing new. Maybe you don't have a mobile device, or maybe you just like seeing the apps on a larger screen. Whatever the reason, with programs like Bluestacks, you can use your laptop to Instagram, play Angry Birds, and run countless other apps made for smartphones.
How To: Turn Your Bluetooth Keyboard into an Apple TV Remote
If you have an iPhone, you probably already updated to iOS 6.1, which was released earlier this week. The new release came with some very subtle updates, including LTE support for more carriers, the ability to purchase movie tickets from Fandango via Siri, some security patches, and more.
How To: Install an HTC Sense-Style Task Manager on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
As much as I love my Samsung Galaxy S3, I'm always on the lookout for cool features I can borrow from other smartphones. One of the most recent "borrowed" features I've added to my S3 is the Galaxy Note 2's smart rotation feature, which uses the front camera to detect my face-to-screen angle, which then rotates my screen accordingly. But the S3 already comes packed with some awesome features, as well as some less-than-stellar ones. One of these less-than-stellar features is the task manager, ...
How To: This DIY Can of Pepper Spray Shoots a Photo of Your Attacker While You Spray Them
Unfortunately, there are plenty of situations where having a can of pepper spray could come in handy. Even worse, in most of those situations your state of mind isn't really conducive to remembering important details like the facial features of the person who's trying to mug you, which means the police will have a harder time catching the culprit.
How To: Find Out Where (And When) You Can Watch Movies and TV Shows Online Using CanIStream.It?
Streaming video has definitely changed how we watch movies and television shows, but with the constantly growing number of services out there, it can be hard to keep track of who's got what. Who's got Disney now? Starz? Netflix? Who knows. And when you add sites that let you rent or purchase titles, you could spend all evening trying to find something to watch. Here to simplify the process is a service called Can I Stream It?, which lets you search for your favorite movies and TV shows to fin...
Spraffl: A New Location-Based Social Network That's Completely Anonymous
The long standing popularity of 4chan has been due to the entirely anonymous setup. The site's anonymous community and culture has provoked media attention, in turn inciting larger audiences. On the other side of the spectrum is Facebook—popular for its connectivity and easily identifiable names. With the brush of keyboard stroke, you can be connected with your entire high school class in a matter of seconds.
How To: Find Out If Facebook Owes You Ten Bucks
For the most part, nobody makes money off of Facebook. Sure, some people make a living by updating pages for businesses and celebrities, but hardly anyone gets a dime from the site itself.
How To: Watch the 2013 Super Bowl XLVII Game Live Online and on Your Phone
It's finally here. After months of amazing games and one of the best playoffs I've seen in years, two teams have finally made it to the top of the mountain. The Baltimore Ravens and the San Fransisco 49ers are set to square off February 3rd at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana for Super Bowl 47. Historically, the most watched event on television is the Super Bowl, but that's exactly where the problem lies—television.
How To: Keep Your Android Device's Screen Wide Awake with Wakey
Google Play continues to grow faster than the iOS App Store and may even hit the million app mark before Apple does. In the Android market, you'll find apps for everything, ranging from augmented reality multiplayer games like Ingress to wireless computer mouse apps like WiFi Mouse.
How To: Share Your Links More Securely Using These Temporary, Self-Destructing Short URLs
We share links on an almost daily basis, usually not even thinking twice about it. Whether you're sending a funny cat video to your sister, or letting your coworker know where to go to download relevant files, there are plenty of reasons you might be giving someone a URL.
How To: Turn Old Books into an Incognito NFC-Enabled Phone Charging Dock
As a former English major, I have a love/hate relationship with many books. And when I saw that this NFC-enabled charging dock project included a little book mutilation, I was suddenly more interested. Now, for those of you who have nothing against books, this is still a great project to add some style to your tech devices.
How To: Control YouTube and Vimeo Videos in Chrome from Your Smartphone
YouTube and Vimeo are two of the most well known video websites, and each receive millions of views a month, with YouTube being one of the most visited sites in the world. Well, for folks who have mobile phones, but like watching videos on a TV or other large display, now there is a cool way to view them in Google Chrome using your smartphone as a remote control.
How To: Easily Remove Unwanted Objects from Photos on Your Windows Phone
Photobombing, the act of covert sabotage on a photographer and unsuspecting subject, can be a terror. This malicious and disingenuous art form has steadily grown since it first received significant coverage in 2009.
How To: This DIY WiFi-Detecting 'Sting' Blade Is Perfect for Any Hobbit Looking for a Hotspot
There are very, very few things better than a solid Hobbit songI mean, I was almost brought to tears when Pippin busted out this one in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
How To: Twitter's New Vine App Lets You Embed GIF-Style Videos into Your Tweets
I can't say that I'm a huge Tweeter, but I'm definitely a good follower. Having the ability to follow comedians, brands, and athletes helps me stay up to date on the things I'm interested in, and I appreciate being thrown a good joke every now and then.
How To: Keep Apps from Stealing Data on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 or Other Android Device
When downloading any application on an Android device, you will always be prompted by the following... Whether it's Angry Birds, Shazaam, or Chrome, every application will ask for permissions. If you try and deny these permissions, it won't install, leaving you with no other option but to accept. So what can you do?
How To: Sync Your Android Text Messages and Phone Calls with Your Web Browser
A lot of people text nonstop, but there are situations where it's either not allowed or considered rude to use your phone. Let's say you're in class or in a meeting at work, band you're expecting an important message or phone call. Rather than trying to check your phone discreetly, wouldn't it be better if you could just see your calls and messages on your computer?
How To: Hunt Down and Eradicate Post Profanity for a Squeaky Clean Facebook Profile
Being politically correct on social media sites is super boring. I've had my fair share of rage tweets and angry Facebook posts with some colorful wording, but sometimes using and F-bomb just gets the point across better. Now that Facebook is pushing out their new Graph Search, it might be time to clean up your profile. FaceWash is a web app that searches your Facebook profile for common bad words. You will need to give the app permission to access all of your wall posts (or course). Once acc...
How To: Track the Location of Your Family and Friends on Any Mobile Device
Being lost sucks. There really is nothing worse than going to a huge event with a bunch of friends or family and then getting separated. Instead of partying with the bros, you get stuck next to this lame couple who keeps seriously making out every ten seconds. SMH.
How To: Use a Flatbed Scanner and Raspberry Pi to Take Super Sharp Macro Photos
You can take macro photos on a huge variety of devices, whether you're using a DSLR with expensive lenses or just your iPhone (or any smartphone, for that matter). One common issue, though, is that it can be hard to get the image as crisp as you want because the depth of field is so small.
How To: Watch This Sunday's 2013 Pro Bowl Football Game Online
The Pro Bowl has definitely had its ups and downs. It's probably the most glorified exhibition game on earth. I mean, even the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, wanted to cancel it this year.
How To: Play SNES Games on the Windows Surface RT and Windows 8 with This Free Emulator
In a huge win for Windows 8 and Surface owners everywhere, a free SNES emulator appeared in the Windows Store last month called Snes8x—and it's awesome.
Open Sesame: Make Siri Open Your Garage Door via Raspberry Pi
You can make Siri do all kinds of things it was never designed to do. From installing it on older jailbroken iDevices to using it to bypass an iPhone's lock screen, people have managed to come up with some interesting hacks—and that's only the beginning.
How To: Make a Dandelion Lamp Using LEDs, Optical Fibers, and Straws
Albert Einstein once said, "We know less than one thousandth of one percent of what nature has to reveal to us."
How To: Download Your Twitter Archive for Every Single Tweet You've Ever Sent
A few weeks ago, Twitter announced that they would be creating an archive feature for its members, which they've been slowly rolling out to select users. After signing in today, I noticed the feature was finally available for my account, so I went to test it out.
How To: This DIY Deathly Hallows LED Clock Is Perfect for Any Harry Potter Loving Muggle
In the Harry Potter world, there was a character by the name of Beedle the Bard, who told a story about witnessing the three Peverell brothers building a bridge out of magic and successfully crossing a very dangerous river that had claimed many lives.
Deal Alert: StackSocial's Freebie Bundle Sale Gives You 8 Totally Free Mac Apps
I love my Mac just the way it is. Well, minus the fact that I accidentally deleted iPhoto and would now have to pay $14.99 to get it back. Other than that, my Mac is pretty sweet.
How To: Disable the Face Tag Feature on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2
If you've got a Samsung Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2, you probably either love or hate the Social Tag feature. Using facial recognition, much like Facebook does, it scans your photos and lets you tag a name to a face. If your device recognizes the face by itself, it will automatically tag it for you. If the person is in your contacts, it will give you the option of calling, texting, or emailing them. While it's a great feature for some, it doesn't always work perfectly. If the flash from the ca...
How To: Resize the Browser Windows on Your Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
Since the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, many of its features have been replicated by Android developers for other devices. The most popular feature, aside from Smart Rotation, on the Note 2 has been the multitasking multi-screen/multi-window feature, which allows you to run several apps at the same time.
How To: Sick of Your Cell Phone Provider? Go Prepaid with Ting and Skip the ETF for Breaking Your Contract
Prepaid phones are becoming more and more popular, and tons of people can see the benefits of switching now that some companies are offering prepaid services that are on par with the big players. For a lot of folks, the only thing keeping them from switching is the huge early termination fees that service providers charge to break a contract early.