Gadget Hacks Features

How To: Type at Guinness World Record Speeds on Your Galaxy S4

In a world where mobile devices are the new norm for interacting and staying in contact with one another, it's important to make the experience as smooth as possible, and typing is the biggest problem for me.

News: Snap Boosts Augmented Reality Body-Tracking Arsenal with Acquisition of Ariel AI

The year 2021 is already promising to yield a number of major shifts in the augmented reality landscape, and Snap is signaling that it has every intention of being an aggressive part of that narrative.

How To: Use Launcher 7 to give your Android phone the look of Windows phone 7

Give your Android phone a makeover with the Launcher 7 app. You can organize your favorite apps with tiles and move between them as you would on a Windows Phone. Combine your Android phone's performance with the aesthetics of Windows Phone 7.

How To: Switch between applications using the Home button on a Google Nexus S

With the new Nexus S from Google, multitasking is easier than ever before. In this brief, official guide from the folks at Google, we learn how to switch between multiple applications by holding down the Home button. Soon all smartphones running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) will be able to take advantage of the newest multitasking features!

How To: Start Shooting a New TikTok in a Split Second with This Trick

If you have a great idea for a TikTok, you probably need to take your time to execute it perfectly. But what if something crazy and unexpected is happening in front of you, perfect for an impromptu video? You don't want to miss the action, but getting all the way to TikTok's camera might take too long — that is, if you don't know this trick.

News: Watch JerryRigEverything Scratch, Burn & Bend the New All-Glass OnePlus 6

With the change to a glass back, many of us are concerned about the durability of OnePlus 6. While glass does offer some benefits such as lighter weight, without proper reinforcement, it can easily shatter in one drop. Now we have our our first look at its durability thanks to JerryRigEverything.

YSK: You Can Manage App Downloads & Updates Right from Your iPhone's Home Screen

Everyone knows that app updates on iOS are found in the App Store. What you might not have known, however, is that you don't need to manually open the App Store app to manage your updates and downloads. In fact, that work can be started or completed directly from the first place you interact with on your iPhone — the home screen.

News: DARPA, Honeywell Harness AR & VR to Develop Windowless Mini-Tanks

Honeywell recently completed successful testing of virtual window technology that enabled drivers to maneuver an otherwise windowless combat vehicle on rough terrain at speeds exceeding 35 miles per hour.

How To: Use keyboard shortcuts on a Google Android smartphone

Sure, the touchscreens are convenient — but are they the fastest way to get around your Google Android smartphone? Not always. This video guide from CNET will teach a number of especially ones that are certain to save you time when navigating around your phone.

News: Microsoft's HoloLens 2 Is an Enterprise Workhorse, but It's Sexy, Too, Here's a Close-Up Look

It's confession time. Through a couple of sources, I managed to get an early look at the HoloLens 2. But I was sworn to secrecy, and I take my tech oaths seriously (shame on you, leakers).

How To: Replace the LCD screen on the BlackBerry Pearl

In this tutorial, we learn how to install a replacement LCD screen on a Blackberry Pearl. First remove the cover and battery from the phone. Then, you will take a tool and remove the clips from the left and right side of the back to remove the bottom. You will now find two more screws that need to be removed from the phone that are on the top. Once done, you will nee to pry open the top and bottom of the phone and take it apart. You can now remove the motherboard from the casing which is wher...

News: Terrifying Swarms of Mosquitoes Help David Beckham Fight Malaria with Facebook AR Effect & Billboards

Former soccer star and current celebrity David Beckham has the augmented reality abilities of Facebook and Instagram as allies in the effort to eradicate malaria from the world.

News: No KitKat for You! HTC Ends the Update Cycle for the One X and One X+

Via Twitter, HTC, the Taiwanese device manufacturer, announced today that their barely 18 month old flagship phones will not see official updates for anything past Jellybean. HTC went on to elaborate, saying:

How To: Install Nintendo SNES on iPhone or iPod touch

This video shows you how-to install Nintendo DS roms on your iPhone or iPod touch so you can play all of those great Nintendo games right in the palm of your hands. You'll need a jailbroken Apple device to get this done.

How To: Use a prime lens on a Canon EOS DSLR camera

Need a primer on how to utilize prime lenses with a Canon EOS DSLR camera? Look no further! This clip will teach you everything you'll need to know. It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this video guide can present a complete overview of the process in just over a minute. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to get started using prime lenses with your own t2i, 7D or 5D camera, take a look.

News: The US Government's Spat with Huawei Is Depriving Americans of a Wonderful Phone

With Huawei's recent emergence as the second largest OEM in the world, the company was poised to finally make a big push into the US market. Instead, their efforts were derailed by an unlikely foe, the US government. As a result, American customers will miss out on the newly-released Huawei P20.

How To: Use favicons to display extra information in Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome

Greasemonkey scripts allow Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome to be augmented in powerful ways. Take these two Greasemonkey scripts will help add information to your favicons when using Google Calendar and Gmail - now you can see the current date and unread message counts on their respective favicons.

How To: Install and use Adblock Plus in Mozilla Firefox

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to install and use Ad Block Plus in Mozilla Firefox. Begin by clicking on Tools and select Add-on. Then click on Get Add on and search for the extension in the search box. Now install the add on and restart the browser. Users will be able to selectively block out text ads or even just elements of web page that is not wanted to be seen. This video will benefit those viewers who use the Mozilla Firefox web browser, and would like to learn how to install...

How To: Amazon's AutoRip Gives You Free Digital Copies of 15 Years Worth of Bought CDs, But There's a Catch…

When was the last time you bought a CD? Most of us listen to music through a number of digital channels—MP3s, Internet streaming services like Pandora and Spotify, and satellite radio, to name just a few.

How To: Play the Comets and Craters iPhone tower defense game

Need a new iPhone app? Check out Comets and Craters, a new iPhone tower defense strategy game. These ten video tutorials cover all of the gameplay troubles you may have. Steve explains the features and gameplay to help you get the most out of playing Comets and Craters on your Apple iPhone. For those more seasoned Tower Defense players, the video's also provide some insight regarding scoring, upgrades, plus Tower and Enemy capabilities.

News: JigSpace Puts Together $4.7 Million in Funding to Expand AR Tutorial Technology

The startup JigSpace, which was among the first apps to support ARKit and LiDAR for iPhone augmented reality apps, has capitalized on its early mover status by innovating within the space.

Opinion: Cash App & Megan Thee Stallion — Making Smartglasses Cool Again Starts Here, with the Culture

No, Jack Dorsey's Cash app isn't about to launch an augmented reality device (er, I don't think...), but its latest outing is about as close as we've come to full confirmation that the wearable AR age is upon us.

How To: Telegram Has a Fun Way to Jump Back into Group Chats

Although Telegram wasn't able to make our roundup for the best encrypted messaging app, it's my go-to for group messaging thanks to its ever-expanding list of features. The app even makes jumping into group chats fun and easy by allowing you to set a home screen shortcut for your favorite Telegram threads.

How To: Achieve good soldering joints

Learn how to solder wires with this video. Clean the area to be soldered, scraping the wire down to bare metal and then wiping it clean with alcohol or acetone. Use rosin-core solder for electronic applications. This solder normally comes in coils. Tin (coat with solder) the soldering tip first: Wrap one or two inches of solder around the tip while the iron is cold; set the iron to the solder's temperature range; and allow the solder to melt. Clean the tip with a sponge. Set the soldering too...

How To: Use the GPS navigation system on a Blackberry Pearl

Lost and don't want to stop and ask for directions? Your Blackberry Pearl comes equipped with a global positioning system, GPS, navigator. Watch this video cell phone tutorial and learn how to use the GPS on a Blackberry Pearl. Use the GPS navigation system on a Blackberry Pearl.

Apple AR: Fruit Ninja Makers Aim for Viral AR Gaming Hit with Siege Breakers

Rovio created one of the first mobile gaming hit franchises with Angry Birds, so perhaps it is surprising that, aside from a promotional mini-game developed with Zappar, the company has yet to adapt the game to augmented reality via ARKit.

How To: Tag friends and fan pages in Facebook

In this tutorial, we learn how to tag friends and fan pages on Facebook. First, open up your Facebook account and go to your main profile page. After this, you can start to type in your status update that you want all of your friends to see. When you are ready to tag in your friend or fan page, type in "@" and then type in the first letter of the name. From here, their name will show up and you can click on their name to tag them. Now, your update will show up on their page as well as yours, ...

News: ODG's Remaining Inventory & Physical Assets Become Available to Purchase via Auction

While the story of augmented reality headset maker Osterhout Design Group has come to an end, the epilogue of its demise continues.

News: Sea Shepherd's Web-Based Augmented Reality Experience Spotlights the Damage Done by the Fishing Industry

Augmented reality's status as a new storytelling medium has already led to the reinvention of filmmaking and journalism.

How To: Sync iPhoto albums with Facebook

In this tutorial, we learn how to sync iPhoto albums with Facebook. First, open up iPhoto on your computer and highlight all of the pictures that you want to import into Facebook. Once you've done this, go to the top of the window and click on "share". Next, click on "share with Facebook" and then choose who you want the pictures viewable to. After this, click on the "publish" button and wait for the program to load the pictures. After this, go to your Facebook account and see the pictures th...

News: iOS 8.3 Brings Siri Speakerphone Calling & Easier App Downloads

After receiving the fourth beta for iOS 8.3, we can assume that the official release shouldn't be too far behind. Along with plenty of bug fixes from prior iOS versions, Apple is also ushering in a few minor features that are sure to ease some annoyances.

How To: Translate any text in Firefox with gTranslate

Want to know what that foreign YouTube comment says without loading a separate webpage to translate it? Downloading gTranslate, a Firefox addon that translates any text, will help you see what that comment is or any small sentence. Just highlight the text, right-click on the text and go to the translator, the foreign language will be automatically detected and translated.

News: Apple Just Released iOS 12.2 Public Beta 3 for iPhone, Fixes Group FaceTime & Lock Screen Issue

While developers received iOS 12.2 beta 3 on Feb. 19, public beta testers had to wait one extra day, following suit with previous iOS 12.2 beta releases. The third beta update includes fixes for Group FaceTime and the missing date on the lock screen, as well as a few tiny app updates.

News: This Group Is Backing Up SoundCloud Content in Case It Shuts Down

After laying off 40% of its staff this month to cut costs, SoundCloud appears to be struggling to stay afloat. While blog posts from the company have assured fans that the music platform is not in danger of shutting down, some people aren't so sure this is the truth. Internet Archive — a non-profit dedicated to preserving websites and services — announced today that they will be conducting a partial backup of SoundCloud to safeguard the site's content in case of closure.

News: Verizon FINALLY Offers iPhone (Link Round Up)

It seems like all of us Verizon users have been waiting for EONS, and it's finally happened. Today Verizon officially announced the iPhone 4 will be available for pre-order February 3rd for existing Verizon customers, and will be generally available for pre-order on February 10th. The device will start at $200 for the 16GB version, equipped with a new antenna and hotspot application that will allow you to connect your computer or any other device to the web.

How To: Repair cooling fans in power supplies, video cards etc

Here's a quick and simple way to repair small cooling fans and extend their life. It's a video made with a how-to article from http://beecherbowers.com This is a delicate mr. fixit tutorial. Clean the fan so that it runs smooth and quiet. You need oil to do this repair.

How To: Selectively block friends in Facebook Chat

Is there a certain someone whom you'd rather not have to talk to on Facebook? Learn how to block him or her (and only him or her) with this helpful guide. For specifics, including step-by-step instructions on the blocking process, and to get started blocking your own friends and frenemies, watch this helpful how-to.

News: Social Media All-Star Chris Brogan Shares His Top Tips on Mastering Mobile

Chris Brogan is no stranger to using multiple social media platforms all from the comfort of his phone. In fact, not only does he have over 350,000 followers on Twitter, but he's also an avid YouTuber, Instagrammer, podcaster, and blogger.

How To: Monitor social network activity with Net Nanny

Danny with Top Ten Reviews will show you how to monitor social network activity with the Net Natty program. This will be helpful for monitoring social networking accounts on websites such as Facebook and MySpace. First, open Net Nanny. Go to the dashboard and select Additional Settings under Filtering. With this section, social networking sites that have been used on the computer will be listed. You can check whichever account you want to monitor. Under the dashboard, go to Reports and select...

The Nexus Killer: Your Next Android Phone

After lots of waiting and anticipation, the OnePlus One Android smartphone has been unveiled, and it's ready to take down the Nexus.