Samsung devices may dominate the Android market, but that doesn't mean everybody loves TouchWiz, the user interface on all of their smartphones and tablets. It's difficult to modify, comes with lots of bloatware, and isn't much to look at, to say the least.
Amazon's Fire TV set-top box has been out for over a month now, and the hacks are starting to come together. Sure you can play your Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, and Netflix content without any issue, but what about your personal media, like movies and music?
So you've decided to transform your drab backyard into a Japanese Zen garden. You've made the right choice. Yes, tire swings and crab grass can slowly kill the soul. That being said, a bit of planning lies ahead. This article offers a list of How To tips, culled from the Landscape Network and other professional Japanese style landscapers, for planning an effective Japanese style landscape in your home. Step 1: Research.
Videos are great for catching fleeting moments, and photos are insanely easy to share with anyone, but how can you get the best of both worlds?
Apple has acknowledged a problem with the sleep/wake key, better known as the power button, on a certain number of iPhone 5's manufactured through March 2013. As a result, the company has announced the iPhone 5 Sleep/Wake Button Replacement Program, which will replace the power button mechanism, free of charge, for certain iPhone 5 models.
In a flurry of moves today, Microsoft has not only released their suite of Office apps for the iPad, but they also updated their Android and iOS Office Mobile apps to allow for creating and editing documents without requiring an Office 365 account (so long as it's for "home" use). Microsoft Office Mobile for Android & iOS
Rock-hard ice cream is the bane of my culinary existence. If I try and scoop it out with a spoon, the spoon invariably bends. If I use a traditional ice cream scooper, I end up with a torqued wrist and one or two pathetic curls of ice cream for my efforts.
Privacy features have become quite the hot commodity, emerging from the aftermath of the NSA scandals that rocked the United States this past year. While the NSA has the means to gather information on all of us (regardless of any security software we implement), it doesn't mean that they're the only ones looking.
While it may not serve much of a purpose here in sunny Los Angeles, it's still a good idea to keep constant tabs on the weather forecast, because you don't want anything to rain on your parade.
Leaving your Wi-Fi radio "on" allows your smartphone to auto-connect to trusted wireless networks in lieu of using cellular data, but it also consumes battery power while it's constantly network hunting.
With the the general computer users understanding of Information security rising (at least to the point of not clicking on unknown links), and operating system security getting better by default. We need to look for new and creative ways to gain a foothold in a system.
If somebody really wants to gain access to your iPhone, they'll get in. Phone thieves (and mischievous friends) can easily figure out your passcode just from looking over your shoulder or tracing over the oily smudges on the screen. And if you're using popular passcodes, birthdays, and addresses on your iPhone, you might as well disable lock screen security entirely.
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.
The Chromecast may be slowly weaving its way into the smartphone ecosystem, but the amount of supported Android apps that are available for the streaming media player are still severely limited.
What you watch in the privacy of your own home should be no one's business but yours. That was the case until Prime Minister David Cameron decided that there was too much porn available to minors in the United Kingdom.
Voodoo you want the best costume this year? You're probably laughing so hard right now that you need to hold yourself together with pins and needles, right?
Cloud storage looks pretty good compared to the heavy restrictions that hard drives and other types of external memory carry. The cloud is not only limitless in what it can hold, but it can also easily be accessed from any device that has Internet—your smartphone, work computer, personal laptop, tablet, and more. While accessing a specific cloud storage system like Dropbox or Google Drive may be easy on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2, managing all of them individually can not only get confusing, ...
For the most part, Xbox Live is amazing, but there is one thing that has been annoying for pretty much everyone, to say the least. Microsoft Points.
Facebook knows who all of your closest friends and family are. When you backpacked across Europe last summer, they went along on the trip. Remember that break up two years ago? Yeah, they were there. The breakfast you ate this morning? They probably have a picture of it. They're even right under your own feet.
Plastic red cups are synonymous with college parties, beer pong, and generally a good time. The reason these cups are so rampant in the party scene is because they're cheap, easily disposable, and, well... who wants to drink out of a blue cup?!? Oh, to be young and in debt.
During the colder months, it seems like almost everyone wears boots. Even when it's hot out, people can be spotted with knee-highs and westerns. Whether it's for fashion or because you live in a place where 3 feet of snow is common, a good pair of boots (or five) is nice to have.
Facebook has been looking to launch a new product for a while now, and it seems they've finally realized what they're best at—being as creepy as possible. If you thought your boss checking out your girlfriend's beach photos was weird, Facebook's new Graph Search has only upped the ante. Now, I don't want to be an alarmist, because I'm sure there are a bunch of great things a Facebook search would find. If you're single, perhaps you could search "Girls that are single that like Goodfellas." Th...
Maybe not water per-se, but with this simple technique you can turn one of the most abundant materials on earth into a highly explosive gas.
Facial recognition software is being more widely used with every passing day. Your local law enforcement is probably already using it, and it will be even easier for them now that the FBI handed out its own facial recognition software to state authorities. Even the fine folks at Facebook are using this technology. Obviously, this brings up some pretty serious privacy concerns amongst most people, because honestly, who wants to be tracked? Right now, there's not a lot we can do about it being ...
Sometimes you just want to grill. It doesn't matter where you are, what you have, or whom you're with—you just want a delicious burger and you don't care what it takes.
If you've ever wondered what exactly goes into a McDonald's sandwich (or what the heck that secret sauce stuff is anyways), you might be a little surprised to learn that all of the ingredients are readily available at your local grocery store. In an interesting move, McDonald's has released a video featuring Executive Chef Dan Coudreaut showing, step by step, how to make your own Big Mac sandwich at home. Here is the video, and if you'd like to read along with Coudreaut's instructions, you ca...
Get a crash course on HScript Expressions, Variables, and Attributes in Houdini 10. If you don't even know what this means, then you probably need to check this video tutorial series out. Understanding how to massage data in Houdini is key to giving yourself the creative edge and allowing you to unleash mind-blowing visual effects. This 18-part video series covers a variety of simple yet essential weapons in your arsenal including Global, Standard and Custom Variables to Math and String Modif...
In this tutorial series Mike Lively shows how to convert Wordpress into the Adobe Flex 3 application Flexpress.
This video turtorial is on how to make a free website (without any cost at all). There are two ways to make a website and you can choose whichever one you want. First, go to Webs.com. Go down to "pick a site address" and create a password. Click "create a website". Fill in the information requested. Choose a template. Agree to terms of service. Click create site. Press "No thanks" and continue to next page and start to build. Click content box button. Choose page options. Edit template.
In this tutorial, we learn how to remove stains from your car seats and carpet. To start, you will need cheap orange cleaner that you can find from your local Dollar Store, as well as cheap carpet cleaner. When you find the stain that is on your carpet, you will first spray it with the orange spray, then go over it once more with the carpet spray. After this, use a scrubbing brush and wash cloth to scrub out the stain in the affected area. When finished, let dry or use a vacuum to soak up any...
In this video you will learn how to check your internet speed without using any software. In order to do that just follow these simple and quick steps and instructions: The first thing that you need to do is to double-click on your Local Area Connection icon. A window will appear and you will see what your speed is on the right of it. The speed of your internet will be in Mbps. If you follow these easy and quick steps you will now how to check your internet speed without using any software or...
There’s nothing more special than a beautiful pearl necklace. But how do you know if they are real? Knowing some qualities that pearls have should help you determine when there is an obvious fake in your presence. It might ultimately be necessary to leave it to a professional to authenticate those pretty little presents from the sea.
A cold frame is a great way to extend the growing season in your garden. When you set up a cold frame, you can keep your plants healthy and growing, even when it's cold outside. In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to set up and use a cold frame.
Aerating your soil is an essential part of gardening, but it can be long and back-breaking work. In this episode of Growing Wisdom, Dave Epstein will teach you how to use a broadfork to aerate your soil. Using a broadfork, you can aerate the soil without damaging the soil's ecology.
Looking for a great idea for a science project? In this video series you'll learn how to build a battery-run light board which can test the electrical conductivity of various objects. You can find these supplies easily at your local hardware store.
Amy Kline shows us in this arts and crafts series, how to make a hemp beaded necklace. Yes, you’ve seen them around the necks of all of the coolest people in town. Now learn how to make your own with relatively little training or financial outlay. Our expert will show you how to measure the length of your necklace to match your body size, how to anchor the necklace as you’re making it, and two different knotting techniques to create two different designs for your necklace. So the next time yo...
Learn how to choose the best pet bird from a pet store in this free online guide to bird care, including what to consider before buying a pet bird, how to set up a birdcage, health medical costs, diet and more.
In this series of how-to videos, home improvement expert Amelia Tallman shows you step-by-step instructions on how to install a new power outlet in a wall of your home. She demonstrates how to strip the existing wires, drill holes and properly install a new box for a new outlet. She also shares tips for improving your home by installing insulation using a blower, which should help you save money on energy costs by maintain temperature. By following the advice and techniques shown in these fre...
With the growing popularity of buying local, many people are rediscovering the benefits of preserving fruit at home. Concerns over food origin, additives and preservatives are driving this trend and in just 20 minutes you can enjoy fresh produce all year long. Watch this how to video to learn more about picking fresh food and the preservation process.
The Digispark is a low-cost USB development board that's programmable in Arduino and capable of posing as a keyboard, allowing it to deliver a number of payloads. For only a few dollars, we can use the Digispark to deliver a payload to a macOS computer that will track the Mac every 60 seconds, even bypassing security like a VPN.