Gadget Hacks Features

How To: Peel Potatoes the Fast Way

Today we show you how to peel potatoes with a drill! It's So Easy a Guy Could Do It!

How To: Rename Multiple Files at Once in Mac OS X Yosemite

With the sheer amount of photos, videos, and miscellaneous files we place on our computers, proper organization becomes necessary. Not only so that we can quickly get to a file when it's needed, but also to declutter folders and keep them from looking like random file dumps.

How To: Update TWRP Recovery with a Material Design Theme on Your Nexus 5

TWRP is hands-down the best custom recovery out there. Its interface, on the other hand, is... well, let's just call it utilitarian. The guys over at Team Win made sure that their product was robust, functional, and easy-to-use, but they didn't put a tremendous amount of effort into polishing the looks.

News: Will It Bend? iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 3

With the release of the iPhone 6 Plus, comparisons to the Samsung Galaxy Note series have been circulating like crazy, and it's only natural. The Note was panned as an oversized gimmick when it was released, but after its enormous success, Apple caved and built their own "phablet," something that Samsung took little time to call them out on.

Dev Report: A Breakdown of the What Apple's New ARKit Can Do for iPhones & iPads

At Apple's yearly event, the World Wide Developers Conference, the tech giant finally announced their decision to enter the augmented reality space. Through adding basic AR functionality to the beta release of Xcode 9, the development environment for Mac computers, as well as their line of iOS devices, the company has said they understand the importance of the tech.

News: Nickelodeon Reels in AR Mode for Popular Mobile Game Sky Whale

One of the most popular mobile games out there for kids has added an augmented reality mode that brings the titular character into the real world.

News: Google Brings Marvel's Avengers & Childish Gambino to AR with Playground for Pixel

If you own a Google Pixel, you'll soon have augmented reality versions of Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Childish Gambino on your camera.

How To: Replace the LCD screen on the LG Xenon GR500

Repairs Universe demonstrates how to replace the LCD screen on the LG Xenon GR500 cell phone. First, remove the battery and the SIM card from the phone. Then, use a small phillips head screwdriver remove six screws from the back of the phone. Next, use a safe pry tool to release the clips by running it along side of the phone. Remove the back layer. Remove the two screws on the inside of the phone. Also remove the volume key, the hold button and the camera button. Slide the phone to the side ...

How To: Take apart your G1 HTC T-Mobile phone for repair

In this video we learn how to disassemble a T-Mobile G1 HTC phone for repair. First you want to make sure to wear an ESD wrist strap and make sure it's secure around your wrist. Then remove the battery from the device. Next unfasten the screws from the back of the housing on the G1. Then separate the housing from the device and then the speaker from the housing. Next unplug the UMTS cable and the GPS coaxial cable. Then remove the UMTS board and GPS boards from the device. Then disconnect the...

How To: View Animals, Spaceships & Products in Augmented Reality with Google Search

While much of the world is currently in some form of quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, augmented reality (AR) gives us all the opportunity to see virtual content while stuck in our homes.

News: No, Your iPhone Isn't 5G — Even if It Says So in the Status Bar

There's a lot of talk about 5G these days. You might even think your iPhone is 5G-ready, since, well, it says so right in the status bar. 5G E, right? Sorry to burst your bubble, but no iPhone is capable of connecting to 5G networks yet, no matter how much you pay for that 11 Pro.

News: Everything You Need to Know About the Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge

After months of speculation and sifting through rumors, Samsung finally unveiled its Galaxy S7 and S7 edge flagships, and they're pretty much what we had been anticipating. But just because there weren't any major surprises doesn't mean that it's not still exciting. Let's have a look.

News: How to Catch All the Fish?

Everyone who loves fishing, knows the feeling when you miss a fish that is already nibbling on your bait. This can however be prevented by using a bite indicator. The following video will help you to build a custom bite indicator that catches all the fish!

News: Apple Just Released iOS 13.3.1 Public Beta 1 for iPhone

Yesterday, Dec. 17, Apple released the first developer beta for iOS 13.3.1. The update marked the first new beta in almost a month since iOS 13.3's fourth beta dropped on Nov. 20. Now, one day later, Apple has pushed out iOS 13.3.1 public beta 1 to everyone who wants to try out new features first.

Action Launcher 101: How to Use Quicktheme to Make Your Home Screen Match Your Wallpaper

If you're like me, you change your wallpaper often. After maybe a week of looking at the same picture, you just have to have something different. Depending on the new wallpaper, you may spend another hour changing the background color of folders, the app drawer, and even Quickpage to match your overall theme. But you probably don't want to spend that much time tweaking your layout every week, so let me show you a way that reduces the time from an hour to a few seconds.

News: Google's New Pixel AR Stickers for 'The Last Jedi' Let You Take Star Wars Characters Anywhere

With just a few more days to go before its release in theaters, the Star Wars: The Last Jedi push has gone into overdrive. On Monday, Google released "The Last Jedi AR Stickers," a set of augmented reality stickers that lets users put a number of different Star Wars characters and objects into the real world.

How To: Hack Windows XP into Giving You 5 More Years of Free Support

Windows XP will always have a special place in my heart—it's the operating system I grew up on. It guided me through the glory days of AIM, Napster, and MySpace, but now it's dead. The OS that had been supported by Microsoft for twelve years officially lost its support on April 8th, 2014. Just like that, Microsoft has killed the beast, but for those of you who stubbornly refuse to cooperate, you can resurrect the dead. If you have Windows XP, this little known hack will get you further suppor...

How To: Follow Businesses on Google Maps to Stay Updated on Events & News for Your Favorite Spots

When you need to know how to get somewhere, Google Maps is the app to beat, but the king of navigation doesn't want to stop there. Google aims to make its navigation app for more than just directions, as made clear by its recent feature that lets you follow businesses in the app. Combining timely news and events posted by local businesses with real-time transit seems like the perfect match.

News: Walmart Turns Its iPhone App's Barcode Scanner into an Augmented Reality Price Comparison Tool

While many retailers have introduced try-before-you-buy features in their apps, Walmart has gone in another direction by bringing shoppers an augmented reality tool to help them compare products they want to buy.

How To: Access a hidden menu on a Verizon Motorola V3m Razor

Use a special code to access a special system menu inside of a Verizon Motoroloa V3m Razr cell phone. Access a hidden menu on a Verizon Motorola V3m Razor - Part 1 of 2.

How To: Find your public IP address & use dynamic DNS

In this video from apexcctv we learn how to find your public IP address and then use dynamic DNS to keep it updated in regards to your security needs. If you go to Whatismyip.com you will see your IP address. You can also go to Google and search for "find my IP address." A service called Dynamic DNS keeps track of your customers IP address. It will map a name to an IP address. Static DNS entries do not change. To set up DNS you can go to CCTV tutorials on the ApexCCTV website. You should set ...

News: U2 Kicks Off Latest Tour with Augmented Reality App Experience

One of the most successful rock bands still making music has just made augmented reality an integral part of its upcoming tour. Irish rock band U2 has announced a new mobile app experience that allows you to preview the group's live performance in your own home in AR.

News: The Crazy Process Behind the HoloLens Optics That Make Mixed Reality Possible

Tricking your eyes into seeing 3D images isn't all that hard in movies or even in virtual reality, but when you start projecting holograms into the physical world, you run into some difficult problems. Microsoft obviously figured them out with their HoloLens, but how? The process is pretty amazing.

How To: Animate & Share Drawings on Your iPhone Without Any Third-Party Apps

Creating doodles on an iPhone is made easy thanks to the "Draw" tool in Notes and "Digital Touch" for iMessages, but these are limited in scope. Drawing in Notes has no animated effects, and while Digital Touch does, its drawing tools are lacking and the animations can only live within iMessages. If it's animations you want, Apple has another app that can help you create them.

Notes 101: How to Pin Important Notes to the Top of Folders

If the Notes app on your iPhone is anything like mine, it's a mess. Even with the addition of folders, adding note after note can really clutter things up. You need a way to quickly identify the notes that are most important, and that's where pinning comes in.

How To: The Safe & Secure Way to Get Your Phone to Remember Your App Passwords

LastPass is a password manager that's been around for some time, and has finally made its way over to Android for use with apps, not just websites.

How To: Embed web content into a mobile Android application

Designing a cool app for Android? If you were looking to integrate web content into your Android app, you can—and the Android Developers are here to show you how it's done! It's all done with an embedded WebView, allowing you to embed HTML, Javascript and style sheets from your web content. If you were looking for a quick answer on how you embed your web content into your app, let the pros at Google teach you the right way.

How To: Make free online domestic phone calls in Gmail using Google Voice & Video Chat

Forget Skype. Google's in the market for online phones, and their answer lies within Gmail. It's call Google Voice and Video Chat, and it allows you to make free domestic phone calls from within North America (United States & Canada). This phone service is indeed free, but it does charge for international rates. This video walks you through some of the features, so you can start making free online phone calls with Google Voice.

How To: Create an apostrophe when texting with Swype

Swype is a cool new app that you can use on tons of phones to improve your texting and e-mailing speed. In this tutorial, learn what to do when you hit a word that requires an apostrophe so that you don't slow down your typing!

How To: Use Gmail's New Confidential Mode to Send Private, Self-Destructing Emails from Your Phone

Back in July, Google rolled out a new design for the web version of Gmail. The rollout included new features alongside the visual changes, one of which being Confidential Mode. This new privacy-centric feature has now finally arrived on the mobile app version of the service, and here's what you need to know.

News: Jack in the Box Partners with Paramount to Promote 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie with Snapchat AR

There might not be a better brand partnership for the speedy Sonic the Hedgehog character than a fast-food restaurant. For that matter, augmented reality is also the ideal technology for promoting a movie that features an animated talking rodent living life in the real world.

How To: Change the ringtone on your iPhone

Here you will see how to change the ringtone on your iPhone Follow these steps to change the ringtone on your iPhone: From the Home Screen tap Settings Sounds. Here you can input all kinds of settings, for example silent mode, vibrate, etc. Tap Ringtone, and tap the ringtone you wish to change. When you are done tap Sounds and change any other settings you wish to.

How To: Set Up Face Unlock on the Google Pixel 4

The Pixel 4 and 4 XL are the first Android phones released in the US to support secure facial recognition. You no longer have to hate on your Apple's friends because you now have "Face ID" as well. So I assume you want to set it up right away — here's how.

How To: Use Your Android Smartphone as a Real-World Search Engine

When you're browsing the internet on a computer, you just need to hit Ctrl F (or Command F) and type something out to find all instances of that word in the webpage. It's a handy feature baked into most browsers (nearly all mobile browsers have a "find" feature, too), but unfortunately, it doesn't work with real-world documents, signs, and menus—or at least it hasn't, up until now.

News: Updated Release Dates for Every Major Phone Coming in 2020

It is safe to say 2020 sucks. With the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest, things haven't been great. But beyond impacting your emotional state, that upcoming phone you've been waiting for has likely had its release date pushed back.

How To: Download & install Adobe Flash Player plug-in on Firefox

In this video tutorial, learn how to find, download, and install the Adobe Flash Player plug-in onto Firefox. Written instruction can be found here. Certain video sites, such as YouTube, require you have this plug-in to view videos.

News: Theaters Turn to Mobile AR Gaming to Reclaim Pre-Show Movie Experience

Moviegoers who arrive at the theater early are no longer a captive audience for the ads, trivia, and miscellaneous content that precede the movie trailers than run before the feature presentation, as the ubiquity of the smartphone has become the preferred distraction for early birds at the theater.

How To: Auto-Toggle Your Android Device's Wi-Fi On and Off When Near or Away from a Hotspot

Whether it's using precious data or wasting battery power, switching between Wi-Fi and cellular service on your Android device can be a hassle. If your Wi-Fi is off, you may not know about free hotspot networks in the area you're in, leading you to waste network data (which more than likely is not unlimited). If your Wi-Fi is on all of the time, this leads to quicker battery depletion. There are already a few Android apps, like Auto WiFi Toggler, that combat this problem, but they just period...

News: Learn a New Language While Stuck at Home Under Quarantine

There's only so much Netflix and TikTok a person can take in quarantine before they've had enough. We've only just started our stay-at-home lifestyle, but already TV and movies are getting old. The COVID-19 lockdown doesn't just have to be a mindless watch party, so why not take the time to learn a new language?

Chrome 101: How to Make Sites Stop Asking to Show Notifications

As the go-to browser for millions worldwide, Chrome makes web surfing a breeze with its simple interface and Google integration. But many websites are starting to ask if they can send you notifications, and this can interrupt your browsing. Thankfully, you can completely disable these prompts if you prefer.