Mobile data is expensive. The internet connection that comes with your cell phone plan is generally limited to a certain amount of gigabytes that can be downloaded before your monthly cap kicks in, at which point you run the risk of incurring costly overage fees.
Since Android is an open source operating system, that means anyone with a little know-how can download, view, and even alter its underlying code base. Manufacturers do it all the time, which is how we end up with skins like TouchWiz and Sense. But when Android's awesome third-party development community gets their hands on this code, we end up with custom ROMs like LineageOS and MIUI.
Brand loyalty is one of the main factors behind our decision to choose a particular mobile device, but it doesn't have to be the entire equation. Educated consumers know that certain devices simply fit their budget and usage better than others, which means you can't always let a logo dictate what kind of phone or tablet you buy.
Considering that nearly half a million brand new apps were published to the Google Play Store in 2015, you can definitely call it a banner year for Android development. In fact, it's getting to the point where we're a bit spoiled as end users, since we've grown to expect something new and exciting practically every week.
Android Marshmallow was recently released, and as we've grown to expect, a root method was quickly made available to devices running the brand new operating system. Legendary root developer Chainfire has stated that he's working his way towards retiring from the scene, but he still had enough left in the tank to quickly publish an update to his popular SuperSU root method.
Your average Android phone or tablet comes with quite a few apps already installed—even before you turn the device on for the first time. These pre-installed apps are certainly helpful when it comes to getting your feet wet with Android, but in many cases, they're not always the best apps available for accomplishing the tasks that they perform. Additionally, many third-party apps can add lots of cool functionality to your device, so you might say that sticking with only the pre-installed apps...
Due to the way Android works, you normally need to be rooted to uninstall the pre-loaded system apps, aka bloatware, that came with your device. This is because the underlying files for these apps are stored on your system partition, which can only be modified with root-level access.
With smartphone screens getting bigger by the generation, one-handed mode mods are becoming rather prevalent. Most of these function by shrinking the screen to a more manageable size, but this is actually kind of boring when you think about it.
When you send an emoji from your Android device to someone that uses an iPhone, they don't see the same smiley that you do. And while there is a cross-platform standard for emojis, these don't work the same way as unicode-based smilies or dongers, so not every operating system displays these little guys the same way.
Keeping expensive mobile devices safe and secure is a priority for most of us, but the process of repeatedly unlocking a phone or tablet can seem like a pointless task. This leads to disabling the lock screen altogether, especially when in a safe place (e.g., home, office, car, etc.).
Koushik Dutta, the developer behind the Android app AllCast, has made the leap over to the realm of personal computers with his latest offering.
When Apple recently unveiled iOS 8, many of the newly-added features in their mobile OS seemed eerily familiar to Android users. This is probably because the vast majority of these new features have been available in Android for quite some time.
It's been a great week for Chromecast owners. First, Google released the development kit, allowing devs to install the casting code into their apps. Then, CyanogenMod dev Koush updated his AllCast app to support the Chromecast. That means you can shoot personal movies, music, and photos directly from your Android device over to a Chromecast-connected display.
Big bad Apple recently announced its next iterations of iPhones and the world went crazy—as usual. Displaying an array of cool colors and futuristic features, the new iPhone 5S and 5C will both be rocking iOS 7, a sleek, modern operating system that gets rid of the old icons and glossy finish for a more flat and contemporary design.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) 4G LTE on Verizon has only been released for a couple months now with good reviews. It comes with dual cameras, memory expansion, and very quick 4G LTE speeds, without needing a contract. While most users are satisfied with the tablet as is, there are others that prefer rooting the tablet in order to install their own custom ROM. Now you can do it with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.
Looking to game on your Android phone? Watch this video to learn how to get the game APK files onto your Android device. Download and install games on your Android device and spend the rest of your day having fun playing.
Trying to install an app on your Android smartphone that you got somewhere other than the Android market? You'll need to side load it. Watch this video to learn how to side load third party Android apps downloaded on your mobile device.
Concerned about unwanted eyes setting upon the information in your Android phone? This video will show you how to turn on the screen lock feature of your Android smartphone. Keep the information on your Android device to yourself with a lock screen.
Want to watch Netflix Watch Instantly on your Android device? Watch this video and follow these instructions to learn how to hack any rooted Android device with an APK to work with Netflix. Watch thousands of streaming movies and TV shows with your hacked Android tablet or smartphone.
Make your Android phone your own by customizing the wallpaper. You spend a lot of time looking at the screen of your Android device, so make sure you've got something easy on the eyes there. This video will show you how to set the wallpaper on an Android HTC Thunderbolt.
iPhone and Android both have a lot of great features. Enjoy the best of both worlds when you install Android lock on your iPhone. This is a great way to secure your iPhone. Use Android lock to get an extra layer of security.
If you're looking to get a faster Android phone without resorting to installing a custom ROM, check out this helpful video to learn seven tips for speeding up an Android smartphone. There are a number of easy adjustments to the standard Android settings that will make the phone seem much faster.
Get started on your new Android smartphone by installing some apps! This video will show you how to install apps to your Android cell phone by visiting the Android market and downloading them. You'll also learn how to remove an app from your phone.
Get the most out of your T-Mobie myTouch 4G! This guide offers a software tour of the myTouch 4G Google Android smartphone. Android novice? Not a problem. This exhaustive, eleven-minute guide will teach you everything you need to know. Become an Android pro with this video guide.
Get the most out of your HTC Desire HD! This guide offers a software tour of the Desire HD Google Android smartphone, which features a 4.3" display. Android novice? Not a problem. This exhaustive, eleven-minute guide will teach you everything you need to know. Become an Android pro with this video guide.
Learn how to install Android 2.2 ("Froyo") on your HTC Hero Google Android smartphone! This hacker's how-to presents a thorough, step-by-step overview on installing Froyo on an HTC Hero smartphone. For detailed instructions, and to get started running Android 2.2 on your own phone, watch this free video tutorial.
Trying to focus on studying for your Stats final in the library but getting a serious ADD spell? Then make use of your time - while having a little fun with whoever else is in the library - by hacking into your computer's command prompt.
This clip offers a whirligig tour of the best and brightest new features of Apple's iOS 4.2, the latest version of the mobile operating system that runs on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Learn how to get the most out of your iOS 4.2 Apple mobile device with this video guide.
First comes navigation, then comes customization. That's how it always works. You need to familiarize yourself with the workings of the new Samsung Galaxy Tab first, then learn to customize the Samsung Galaxy Tab operating system to your liking. See how to customize your five homescreens!
Slosh sled dragging is, as you may guess, dragging a weight. Like dragging a sleigh with your brother sitting on it during the winter, slosh sled dragging operates on the same principle of pull and, well, pull.
Here's another fun summertime craft for your budding engineer - make a spinning paper pinwheel or fan! You'll need a C-battery, a toy motor, two soda caps, a popsicle stick, foil paper, copper wire, a small sheet of foam, a sharp pencil, a hot glue gun and some safety scissors.
In this tutorial, we learn key commands that will allow you to sleep, restart or shutdown an Apple computer running the Mac OS X operating system. They're easy to use and remember and this video presents a complete guide. For more information, including a full demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this helpful home-computing how-to.
In this tutorial, we learn how to set up and use custom key commands on an Apple computer running the Mac OS X operating sytem. It's an easy process and this video presents a complete guide. For more information, including a full demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this helpful home-computing how-to.
Ubuntu Linux is capable of many cool effects that other systems don't offer. This video tutorial will show you how to enable all of these effects, such as minimizing and maximizing windows. What? All operating systems do that, right? Yes, but this video will help you to select and modify them. Click here or here for more information about desktop effects.
A great tool for any system administrators, the iPhone (or other Apple wifi device) app Ping a Majig allows you to enter in the IP addresses of websites. Then you can keep checking on them to make sure they are running smoothly and operating correctly. You can click on the website for more data regarding pings and site health.
Need some help figuring out how to install and uninstall programs when operating within Windows' Safe Mode? This clip will show you how it's done. It's simple! So simple, in fact, that this home-computing how-to can present a complete, step-by-step overview of the process in just over three minutes. For more information, including complete, step-by-step instructions, take a look.
This clip presents a general overview of Apple's iOS 4.0. Apple's new iOS 4 for the iPhone and iPod Touch brings with it a host of new features. While that's certainly a cause for celebration, there's also, believe it or not, a downside: learning how to take advantage of them. Happily, the web is awash in helpful video tutorials like this one which make the process a pleasure (and a simple one at that).
With some mobile devices you can't be certain exactly what's running and it can be difficult to stop programs. Not true on your Android device. You can easily look at running services and stop them if desired. One of the salient advantages of a Google Android smartphone over, say, an Apple iPhone, is the inherent extendibility of the open-source Android mobile OS. There are a seemingly infinite number of settings to tweak and advanced features to discover and use. This free video tutorial, in...
Many applications, especially those found in the Android Market are more effective when they know your physical location; like an app that's going to find the nearest gas station, restaurant or ATM. One of the salient advantages of a Google Android smartphone over, say, an Apple iPhone, is the inherent extendibility of the open-source Android mobile OS. There are a seemingly infinite number of settings to tweak and advanced features to discover and use. This free video tutorial, in particular...
XML is a file type that can cause a lot of compatibility issues when you are working on multiple operating systems. With iPhone being the newest medium people work on, it presents new problems. But don't leave yourself in the dark. This video will show you how to open XML on your iPhone.
