Hot Gadget Hacks How-Tos
How To: Block RFID Signals, Build an RFID Reader Detector, and Make Custom RFID Tags
RFID chips are everywhere. They're in passports, credit cards, and tons of items you've bought in the last 5 years or so. Big retailers like Walmart started using tracking products with RFID as early as 2004, and today, they're used in everything from mobile payments to hospital record systems. Chances are, unless you're a hermit (in which case you wouldn't be reading this anyway), there's an RFID tag within a few feet of you. Photo by sridgway
How To: Use the Grey's Anatomy Sync App for iPad to View Interactive Content
Grey's Anatomy fans— you have just gotten a better viewing experience— an interactive viewing experience. But you need an Apple iPad to bask in the sweet delight of doctorly debauchery and do-goodery.
How To: Create a simple waterproof case for your iPad or eReader
Are you one of those people who likes to take their books into the bathtub? If you've got an eReader or an Apple iPad, you may be weeping at the inability to soak without junking your reading device. Here's a great and cheap solution for you! All you need is a Ziploc bag.
How To: Turn on autoscrolling in the Mozilla Firefox web browser with ScrollyFox
Looking for a quick guide on how to use autoscrolling in Firefox? This clip will show you how it's done. It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this handy home-computing how-to from the folks at Tekzilla can present a complete overview of the process in about two minutes' time. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.
How To: Sync data between a BlackBerry phone and a Windows PC
Want to know how to synch information between your BlackBerry smartphone and your computer? Connect your BlackBerry to your computer with a USB cable and launch BlackBerry Desktop Manager. Configure to taste, then click Next. For a complete video overview of the process, watch this BlackBerry owner's guide.
How To: Jailbreak and unlock an iPhone 4 with iOS 4.0 or 4.0.1 with jailbreakme
It's official! You are both able and allowed to jailbreak the iPhone 4. And oh boy is it easy! This video will show you how you can jailbreak your iPhone 4 quickly and easily using a program called Jailbreakme that you can acquire very quickly and for free right on your iPhone browser. How much easier could it be?
How To: Delete your Facebook account
In this tutorial, we learn how to delete a Facebook account. First, log onto the internet and log into your Facebook account. Once you are logged in, you will be presented with your home page. Now, click on the account settings on the right hand side and find the button that says you want to cancel your account. Once you have confirmed you want to cancel your account, Facebook will send you an e-mail that asks you to confirm it one last time. After you are done with this, your account will be...
How To: Downgrade from Windows 7 or Vista to Windows XP
Learn how to downgrade and install Windows XP from Vista. You will need a Windows XP disc, a computer, and CD/DVD drive, backup of all files. Be sure to backup all the data before doing this Windows XP will not save your files. Insert your Windows Up disc. Then in the screenGo to devices->CD/DVD devices->Host drive D.Make sure your computer sees the disc. From start menuGo to computer->CD drive D from devices with removable storage. And select run setup.exeThen vista will die and restart your...
How To: Silence the ring on your iPhone
This quick video shows you how to silence the ring on your iPhone in a few simple steps. When a call comes in, all you have to do is just push the sleep button once to silence the ring. If you want to send the call to voicemail, push it twice. You can turn off all sounds with the silent ringer switch.
How To: Make a Pandora battery on 5.50 Gen-B (Full)
Make a Pandora Battery on 5.50 Gen B (full) 1. Make sure you are running on 5.50 Gen-B (full)
How To: Make LED ice cubes
Learn how to make LED ice cubes with this tutorial! Steps:
How To: Build a one-string electric bass guitar
MAKE and Kipkay brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. Make Magazine celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will.
How To: Reveal blocked numbers
HouseholdHacker reveals the trick to seeing blocked numbers. Find out who is prank calling you or catch a secret admirer with Trap Call: http://www.trapcall.com
How To: Make and upload widescreen videos to YouTube
Make the most of your YouTube videos! Watch this video tutorial to see how to make the most out of the YouTube player by uploading widescreen video. Here's how to prepare your videos for widescreen viewing:
How To: Build a simple Van de Graaff generator
Want to build a Van de Graaf electrostatic generator? Who doesn't! This video tutorial will show you how. To follow along at home, you'll need the following items: a rubber band–the longer the better–, a small motor, a small glass object like a Christmas tree light, and some type of plastic roller. For simple, step-by-step instructions, watch this Van de Graaf-buildin' how-to.
How To: See who last called you on your Vodafone
Here's a neat and useful trick for you Vodafone users out there. In this how-to video, Stuart Miles demonstrates how to recover the number of the person who last phoned you and the time at which he or she called simply by entering *#147# on your phone's keypad and pressing send.
How To: Save websites to your Apple iPhone's desktop
Watch this iPhone tutorial video to learn how to use the new web clips function, which lets you save a shortcut to a Web site right to your iPhone desktop. Saving websites to your iPhone desktop will be easy even for new iPhone owners after watching this how-to video.
How To: Make a DIY hologram illusion with a monitor
Using a computer screen and a sheet of glass you too can create a hologram! As this video shows, simply use the correct monitor (depending on what you want to do) and a piece of glass positioned appropriately to create the holographic image.
How To: Program Wiimote buttons with GlovePie
Learn how to program basic script in GlovePie to allow your Nintendo Wii Wiimote to function as an input device on your PC. Using GlovePie input emulation software and a bluetooth connection you can connect your Wiimote to your PC.
How To: Make a USB-powered Furby
If you thought your Furby was annoying as is you should try this out. Learn how to modify a Furby to run on USB power.
How To: Automatically Turn on Speakerphone for Every iPhone Call
When you make or receive a call on your iPhone, you're forced to use the built-in ear receiver at the top of the phone to hear anything—unless you're already connected to a Bluetooth device. If you don't have Bluetooth in your car, or prefer to just use the speaker instead, having to manually switch to speaker mode can get annoying real fast.
How To: Unlock the Bootloader on Your Pixel 3a
The first thing you'll always have to do before getting your customization game on with most phones is to unlock the bootloader. Doing so opens the true potential of the device, allowing you to root, install TWRP, Magisk, custom ROMs, and other mods. No matter your wants or needs, there's no way around it — the bootloader must be unlocked to modify the system.
How To: Use Google Maps or Waze with Siri Instead of Apple Maps
When driving, you can get directions hands-free by asking Siri. You can also make general map searches, show a location's details, call a query's phone number, and view traffic details. However, Siri defaults to Apple Maps for all those. If you prefer Google Maps, Waze, or another third-party navigation app, the map-based Siri commands won't work. But that doesn't mean you can't still use Siri.
How To: Change or Replace Your Android's Home Screen App
One of the easiest ways to change up your Android experience is by swapping out the stock launcher with a new one. The word "launcher" is Android lingo for "home screen app," and it's a common term because of how easy it is to switch to a new one. So if you're looking to revamp your home screen, this guide's for you.
How To: There's a Handy Shortcut for Typing Fractions on Android
If you're using the default Samsung Keyboard on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone or Gboard on a Google Pixel or any other Android device, here's a cool trick you should know about.
How To: Change Slack's Default Browser to Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
Slack's in-app web browser works fine, but it just doesn't offer the functionality and features that a dedicated browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari can. Features like the ability to bookmark a page, search for specific text, or request the desktop site are missing. Luckily, Slack makes it easy to change your default browser.
How To: Everything You Can Do with the Camera Control Button on Your iPhone 16 or 16 Pro
The devices in the new iPhone 16 series lineup have one feature no other iPhone models have: a physical Camera Control button. If you use your iPhone to take photos or record videos, the Camera Control speeds up the process and gives you immediate control over adjusting settings and values using intuitive gestures. But what exactly can you do with it?
How To: Change the Default Snooze Time on Your iPhone's Alarm Clock
While hitting snooze won't help you much if you fall back asleep, it can help you wake up more gently. However, your iPhone's default nine-minute snooze may be too long or too short for your preferences. If you tend to fall back asleep quickly, you might be better with a two-minute snooze.
How To: Check Your Android Security Patch Level to See if You're Protected Against the Latest Vulnerabilities
Numerous potential exploits are found for every operating system each month, and Android is no exception. Trouble is, lots of Android devices don't receive timely updates — but many are now getting regular monthly security patches to at least shore up these vulnerabilities.
How To: Check Your Android Phone's DPI Value to See the Screen Density
There are at least 24,000 different Android devices, and they all have varying hardware components. This is why many developers publish several unique variants of their apps, which, among other things, helps accommodate all of the different display sizes and resolutions on Android phones and tablets.
How To: Resize Widgets on Your iPhone's Home Screen on iOS 14 Through iOS 17
Home Screen widgets come in various sizes on iOS 14 and later, and which size you choose will depend on how much content or data you actually want to see. But what happens when you pick the wrong widget size? In a perfect world, you would just edit the current widget's settings, but Apple didn't make it that easy.
How To: Use Wireless ADB in Samsung's One UI 3.0 (It's Actually Pretty Easy)
Samsung's One UI 3.0 skin is built on top of Google's Android 11 open source code base, which means you get all of the standard features, plus some cool bonus stuff from Samsung. However, it's one of those standard AOSP features that you might find most useful if you send a lot of ADB commands.
How To: Install TWRP Without a Computer
TWRP is the premiere custom recovery for Android because of how many devices it supports and how simple it is to use. But installing it in the first place hasn't always been the easiest thing to do — until now. With the help of a Magisk module, you can finally use one Android device to flash TWRP on another.
How To: Set Custom Notification Sounds for Individual Contacts in Samsung Messages
Some messages take precedence over others, so having the same notification tone for all your threads isn't always the best solution. Fortunately, Samsung Messages has a simple option you can tweak to set custom sounds for specific chats to help you stay on top of priority conversations and reply much faster.
How To: Transfer Your Authy Account to a New Phone
One of the main reasons Authy was able to top our list of the best two-factor authentications apps was its ability to transfer access to a new device. This feature ensures that whenever you get a new phone, you don't lose all your tokens. However, if the process is done incorrectly, you can leave your account vulnerable.
How To: Add Foreign Language Dictionaries to Your iPhone to Look Up Definitions Faster
The native dictionaries in iOS, which have been around since 2011, let you define words on your iPhone on the fly in Safari, News, Notes, and other apps. But if you read or write in more than just English, you won't be able to see accurate definitions unless you add those other languages to your list of dictionaries manually.
How To: 3 Ways to Find TikTok Videos You've Already Watched
It's easy to lose the TikTok video you were watching when you accidentally refresh your For You feed, but it's not gone forever. TikTok has a new feature for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device that can show you all your watched videos over the last seven days. There are also other, more hidden ways to see your watch history — one that goes well beyond a week.
How To: Import Apple Calendar Events into Google Calendar on iPhone or Android
If you have devices that run different operating systems, you know how frustrating it is that Apple's Calendar app isn't available on other platforms. If you use Siri to quickly create an event on your iPhone or Mac, you're not going to see that event on your PC or Android tablet unless you sync your calendar to another service.
How To: This Shortcut Lets You Download YouTube Videos on Your iPhone Straight from the Source, No Shady Services Needed
If you've ever wanted to download YouTube videos directly to your iPhone, there's an easy solution — just update to iOS 12 and install Apple's new Shortcuts app. With the Workflow-replacement app, you can add a shortcut that lets you download any YouTube video you want, without needing to jailbreak or use shady third-party tools.
How To: Unroot & Revert Your OnePlus 5 or 5T to 100% Stock
To please those of us who love to mod and root our Androids, OnePlus has made both the OnePlus 5 and 5T relatively easy to customize — so much so that the 5T topped our list for the best phones for rooting. Unfortunately, unlocking the bootloader and using root to modify the firmware on your OnePlus 5 or 5T makes it hard to update to a new firmware such as Oreo when compared to stock.