The build.prop file in an Android device is home to many system-level values and settings. Everything from screen density to video recording quality is covered in this file, and people have been editing these entries to get new functionality and better performance since Android has existed.
BoomSound has spoiled me when listening to music on my HTC One M8, but when someone comes into my room, it can be a hassle trying to quickly pause or mute my music.
Safari has some cool new features in iOS 8, but the app that seems to have gotten the biggest update so far is Messages. A lot of the new Messages features were discussed during Apple's developers conference, but we found many others and picked out our favorite hidden ones below.
Welcome back, my aspiring hackers! Those of you who've been reading my tutorials for some time now know that I am adamant regarding the necessity of learning and using Linux to hack. There is no substitute, period.
Out amongst the ether of the internet lies a completely different version of the Netflix library you've come to know and love. Because of licensing and rights fees, the streaming media giant maintains separate libraries for each country it services. Ultimately, this means that certain movies and TV shows are only available in certain countries.
Now that the Chromecast development kit has been out for over a month, more and more Android apps are being released or updated to work with the Chromecast.
While both Rdio and Beats Music look to be developing support for Chromecast, Spotify has kept their distance from the Google dongle, focusing instead on "several prevailing priorities."
If you're a user of Google Play Music, but not a fan of being relegated to a browser tab, I've got you covered. Developer Sajid Anwar has created a desktop client for Google's music service, but since he made no attempt to hide logos and trademarks, it may not be long before the app vanishes completely. So get it while it's hot...and before Google takes it down.
There are countless mods and apps for Android devices that give them an iOS-style look, but maybe it's about time we take some notes from Android, especially when it comes to the iOS 7 lock screen.
When lending our iPhone to our kids, siblings or friends, it's not uncommon to have it returned with what seems like a million apps open in the background. What's worse is being too lazy to close all those open apps, in turn having our battery drain much faster than normal.
Apple's implementation of blurred backgrounds was met with mixed reception in concurrence with iOS 7's release. Some viewed the design as rather dull and headache-inducing, while others like myself enjoyed it because the translucency created a more focused and noticeable foreground.
Wouldn't it be cool to know exactly who is calling or messaging you without ever looking at your phone? It'd be a great way to keep you from reaching into your pocket or purse every time you get a message, and an efficient method to ignore people you'd rather not deal with.
There are thousands of fonts you can download online. Some are free, some you have to pay for, but they all have something in common—if you can get them, so can everyone else. If you want a truly unique font that no one else is using, you have to make your own, and what's more unique than your own handwriting?
While some Android applications have built-in gestures that allow you to perform certain actions, it's not a feature that's been comprehensively, let alone consistently implemented. If you're on Twitter or Facebook and you want to go back, the only global way is by tapping on the capacitive back button at the bottom of your device. Thanks to XDA dev PeterCxy, you can now enable a global swipe back gesture on your Android smartphone or tablet, making it easier than ever to backtrack within apps.
Let me begin this tutorial by reiterating how boring an iOS device can get, like my iPhone. It's extremely popular, yet extremely strict in terms of personalization.
Thanks to the popularity of casual gaming on smartphones, handheld gaming consoles like Sony's PlayStation Vita have been on the decline. But if you own a new PlayStation 4, the Vita is a nice thing to have, since you can easily connect it to your PS4 for Remote Play.
Quickness and efficiency should always be a fundamental aspect of the experience when using any Android device. Anything less, and we've got a problem. As app development continually progresses, these adjectives become much more refined and polished, making the use of a smartphone a flawless affair of swipes and gestures.
Like a beautiful woman, curves can enhance the appeal of certain things, so why not your Nexus 7 tablet? If you're tired of the uniformity of right-angled corners on your screen, add a little character by rounding them out.
Automation is everywhere in our daily lives. Faucets and hand dryers that turn on for you when they detect your presence. Automated teller machines to handle your bank account. Timed sprinklers to water your lawn every morning. DVRs to record your favorite TV shows when you're not home.
Adjusting the brightness on your Samsung Galaxy S3 can be a real pain sometimes. Each app you open may need a different amount of light to better optimize its use of the screen, and then you have to worry about it potentially eating up your battery life if it's too bright.
Using a phone that hasn't been updated is like playing NBA 2K10 in 2013. Everything works fine, but you're missing all those new features and current rosters.
Panoramic live wallpapers for the iPhone? If the first beta version of iOS 7 is indicative of the imminent public release of Apple's revamped mobile operating system, the answer is a resounding yes.
According to Nielsen, the average American spends about 34 hours per week watching television. That may sound like a lot, but when you factor in multi-screen viewing, it could be even higher—81 percent of Americans use their smartphones or another device while watching TV. It's the new picture-in-picture.
We've all had that awful, sinking feeling when something you've been typing away at is suddenly gone. Maybe you accidentally hit the Back button, lost your internet connection, or your computer crashed, but whatever the reason, losing your work totally sucks. A lot of word processing programs have a built-in auto-save feature to prevent you from losing everything, but most websites and blogs haven't gotten there yet. An extension for Chrome and Firefox called Lazarus: Form Recovery can help y...
Editing and formatting large amounts of text can be a hassle. From finding and replacing words to creating uniform spacing, text editing can be a real drag. But with this Windows application, you can take your text edit skills to the next level.
This video demonstrates how to calculate shipping costs with UPS. UPS provides an easy-to-use online calculator to help customers accurately estimate shipping costs. By following a few simple steps, this tool can help customers control their shipping costs and avoid confusion during the billing process.
If you ask me, one of the best things about winter weather is drinking warm beverages to beat the cold. Coffee is my favorite, but hot chocolate is a close second. Whether it's the just-add-water mix from a pack or a spicy homemade Mexican variety, there's something comforting about sipping on warm, liquid chocolate. Looks delicious, doesn't it?
As with most things on the Internet, browser cookies can be either helpful or harmful, depending on how they're used. On one hand, they make your experience more convenient by storing information about sites you use frequently. On the other, they can help companies track you across the web or cause your computer to be more vulnerable to attacks on public networks.
There's nothing worse than that feeling when you realize you've forgotten something important. Maybe you left an assignment sitting on your desk at home, or forgot to log out of your accounts on the shared family computer.
Playlists are a great way to organize and share groups of videos on YouTube. Playlists can consist of your videos, someone else's videos, or a combination of the two.
Like a computer, your brain can store and process large amounts of information. It can remember names, solve math problems, and save tips that you might need at a later time.
In our society, multitasking is an obsession. Whether it's driving while using your phone (DON'T DO IT) or drinking a cup of coffee while typing up some work, we multitask at every turn of the day. People that work all day in front of a computer are especially prone to multitasking, and that's why XDA-Developers member Floyd1973 has developed a way to control any Android phone while connected via USB to a Windows or Linux PC. Android Remote Phone Tools
Have a PC but hate Windows? Maybe you've just heard a ton about the new Mountain Lion OS X and want to see if it lives up to expectations. Either way, you can install Mountain Lion on your Intel-based PC in a few easy steps. All you need is a copy of the OS X and an 8 GB USB flash drive. The first step is getting Mountain Lion onto the flash drive. You'll need to format the drive with one partition as Mac OS Extended, Journaled and select Master Boot Record under options so that it's able to ...
Some of us use our smartphones for almost everything. Manufacturers know this, so they try to make their devices as convenient as possible to use, but sometimes that convenience comes with a cost to security. The very same technology that allows you to easily share music with friends and make purchases can also put you at risk. Photo by sam_churchill
Since its inception, Google+ fans have been clamoring for Google Calendar integration. Today, Google+ has launched something better: Google+ Events.
Just because it's spring doesn't mean you have to forego wreaths! This tutorial shows you how to crochet leaves, butterflies, daffodils and flower buds to assemble into a spring wreath. Since this is for spring, choose pastel colors for your yarn.
Spring is officially wedding season, so chances are that you're invited to a coupling of two families or may even be holding a lavish wedding yourself. Whether you're going to be a bridesmaid or will be choosing your bridesmaids soon, make sure they look elegant and polished by creating this makeup look.
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a family photo album from digital photos. iPhoto from Apple has a ton of different options for you to make a great photo album. You can first start out with loading these on your computer and then creating them into a book. After this, you can choose the borders and text that you want to include in this, then drag the pictures in. After this, you can add in captions for each of the photos and then design the layouts of the different pages. After this, yo...
In this tutorial, we learn how to use GPS and maps on the Nokia N97. From the home screen press the menu key. Then, scroll down and tap the maps icon. After this, tap yes to go online. You can now navigate around the map by using your finger and you can zoom in and out by using the zoom icon. This icon is on the left hand side of the screen. To search for an address, tap the search icon and then tap address or places to choose where you want to go. You will then be shows the GPS and have dire...
In this video we learn how to make a phone call with the Nokia N97. First, go to the main screen on your phone, then tap the dialer icon. From here, you will see a keypad with numbers on it. Enter in the phone number that you want to call, then press on the call key. The phone will then start dialing the number you chose. To hang up, press the end key. You can also call out from the contacts menu, by simply selecting the person you want to call, then pressing the call icon on your phone and u...
