Amateur Plans Search Results

How To: Make 24-Hour Sangria in 5 Minutes or Less

The best sangria I ever had in my life was made by a Spanish friend for my birthday party. The ingredients included a giant box of Franzia red, one bottle of Bombay Sapphire Blue, one cup of sugar, a liter of 7-Up, and some cinnamon sticks. She put everything but the 7-Up in a giant zinc bucket from Home Depot and insisted that it had to sit overnight so the flavors could blend (and so the Franzia wouldn't taste so, well, Franzia-ish).

How To: Fill a 7 Hour Layover in Guangzhou

One of the down-sides of international long-haul travel is layovers between flights in unfamiliar places. We have a flight to Europe this year via Guangzhou, China, and I've been putting together my notes on how to make the best use of 7 hours between flights, which I'd like to share.

News: Dropbox Releases Two New Apps to Help Corral Your Emails & Pictures

Dropbox, the cloud backup tool that is a mainstay on many of our devices, has added two companion apps to its service. Earlier today, we showed you a glimpse into a new testing version of the Gmail app, with features like pinning and snoozing to keep your inbox in check. Now, Dropbox has released Mailbox for Android, about a year after they purchased the company and its iOS app, with a simple goal: taming your inbox.

How To: Dry Fruit in Your Oven—No Dehydrator Required

Dried fruit makes a great, healthy snack by itself, and it's a nice addition to both sweet and savory dishes. Most people assume you have to have a dehydrator to make it at home, but you don't really need one unless you plan on drying fruit pretty frequently. Your oven does the job just fine. Drying fruit in an oven is a pretty simple process: just bake it at a low temperature for a long time. It's usually cheaper than buying dried fruit from the grocery store, and a great way to use extra fr...

How To: Turn Your Favorite Pics into Photo Mosaics on Your Nexus 7

Photo mosaics have interested me since I was a kid. I could never understand how someone took the time and effort to make one large masterpiece out of hundreds of smaller images. Maybe I'm too daft to grasp the concept, but it seems extremely difficult. I certainly don't have the necessary skills to make my own work of art, but luckily my Nexus 7 does.

How To: Back Up Your Nexus 7 Without Rooting or Adding a Custom Recovery

At some point, we all need to back up our device. Maybe it's time to take it in for repairs or maybe you're just cautious and paranoid. Maybe you're trying out a new ROM on your Nexus 7—then you definitely need to back up. The most secure way would be to use a custom recovery like ClockworkMod or TWRP, but if you're not rooted or planning to root, then you'll need an easy alternative.

How To: Cook a Moist & Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey Without a Baster

A turkey baster is one of those single-use kitchen items that most people only need once or twice a year (although you can use it for a few other things). You never seem to miss having one until the holidays roll around when it's time to cook your Thanksgiving turkey. But do you really need a baster to end up with a moist, delicious bird? The short answer is no.

How To: Use Android Device Manager to Find, Wipe, & Lock Your Android Phone or Tablet

If you haven't heard yet, Google made it possible a couple months ago for every Android user running 2.2 or higher to track his or her smartphone or tablet using their Android Device Manager service. It's a super easy way to track, lock, and secure erase your Android device from the web without ever having to download a third-party application, like Droid Finder, since it occurs in the background via Google Services.

How To: Bee-Do, Bee-Do! 5 Awesome DIY Minion Halloween Costumes from 'Despicable Me'

Last summer, Universal Pictures released the sequel to the popular 2010 animated film Despicable Me, bringing back everyone's favorite characters—the Minions. They're adorable, yellow, and they speak a gibberish "Banana Language." What's not to love? If you're planning on dressing yourself (or your kids) as Minions for Halloween this year, you'll be in good company. There are tons of costumes out there you can buy or make, and here are five of the best DIY options for you.

How To: Don't Buy Vitamin Water—Make Your Own Healthier Version at Home Without All That Sugar

How many of us actually drink enough water? It's one of the easiest ways to improve your health, but most people don't get nearly as much as they should. We've grown so accustomed to soda, coffee, and sugary juices that water just seems bland by comparison. That's why drinks like VitaminWater are so popular. They're marketed as being just like water, but better tasting and with even more vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and antioxidants. Who wouldn't want all the benefits of drinking water a...

How To: Remember Your Life One Second at a Time with the Upcoming 'One Second Everyday' App for iPhone

While one second may not seem like much, it's the perfect amount of time to encapsulate your day. Photographs are just that, instant snapshots of your day that can send you flying back to that exact moment of time. A couple of months back I visited New York, but I don't recall what I ate, what I wore, or even what I felt. Whenever I look at this picture though, it all comes flooding back to me. I remember that it was a Friday. I remember I ate a brownie, because after I got off the bus I was ...

How To: Get Around the Nonexistent iPhone 5 Dock

For the first time in history, Apple has decided to scrap the dock for its new iPhone release. As if the maps fiasco wasn't enough, users took to the web to complain not only about the dock ordeal, but why Apple decided to make it obsolete. 9to5mac first posted about a concerned iPhone user who decided to email Phil Schiller, Apple Senior VP of Marketing, to ask why there were no docks included in the iPhone 5 package. Schiller replied with,"We do not plan on making a dock for the iPhone 5. M...

How To: A Guide to Downloading Console Games Online

In last week's guide, we covered the best places to purchase digital copies of computer games online. This week we'll cover another type of downloadable content: those available for video game consoles. Every major console out today either has or plans to have a DLC platform, but which one is the best? If you don't like leaving your house and want to play console video games, which console should you get? Below I will break down what the online marketplace offers so you can decide which conso...

How To: Build a gazebo

In this video series, our expert will show you how you can build your own gazebo. You will get easy to follow step-by-step instructions on how to design an octagonal gazebo, how to find the right building materials and how to actually put together a gazebo. This is a great project for amateur builders and do-it-yourselfers, and will add beauty and value to your yard or property.