Instagram recently rolled out their new Layout app that helps users build photo collages more easily, and it's quick and easy to use with great results. Unfortunately, only those with an iOS device can enjoy Layout at the moment, with the Android version slated for release "in the coming months." Luckily, there are a trove of alternatives that you can use right now, and here are the three we like best.
Apple is offering free full episodes of popular TV shows and free songs from artists with its most recent update to the iTunes Store. In the Music section, "Free on iTunes" seems to have replaced "Single of the Week," which used to give lesser-known independent artists a chance to give their music away in hopes that it would increase their popularity.
As competition for Spotify and Pandora, Samsung released Milk Music earlier in 2014, a free music streaming service for their Android devices. While Milk was unique to Galaxy owners only, it was popular enough that we showed you ways to get it on non-Galaxy devices as well.
The original implementation of Android's face unlock feature was a mess. It took too long to unlock (when it worked), brought up a huge interface that overpowered the lock screen, and maybe most egregiously, was able to be "hacked" by someone holding up a picture of your mug.
As smartphones become increasingly integral parts of our lives, so does data throttling. Personally, I try to save data any way that I can, so to stave off unnecessary usage, I use the GoogleOfflineVoice to limit the amount of data consumed by voice typing.
Peeling apples is pure grunt work, especially if you have a recipe that calls for a lot of 'em, like apple pie. You can make this task go by much more quickly if you use something from your tool box—your literal tool box, that is.
A good prank requires decent effort, creativity, and impeccable timing. If you're in the office, there are plenty of hilarious pranks to play on coworkers, and for your family and friends, there's everything from toothpaste-filled Oreos, to solid milk, to impossible-to-solve Rubik's Cubes and smartphone-friendly pranks.
Google Chromecast is only 35 dollars. That's about 2 and a half drinks at a decent bar in Los Angeles. So, my roommates and I looked to make the investment. The small box arrived in the mail and the setup couldn't be easier. Simply, plug the Chromecast into the HDMI port on your TV and pair the two devices. Done and Done. Having the ability to stream anything on our computers or cellphones right to the TV was the main reason for getting Chromecast. Now, for streaming through the Chrome browse...
Some of my fondest memories from childhood was when I'd bust out my Moonwalker VHS and practice all of Michael Jackson's greatest moves. Needless to say, as I sit here typing this post, that my dancing career failed before it began. I have a few decent moves on the dance floor now, but don't expect to see me trying anything special unless tequila is involved.
With millions of options to choose from in Google Play's expansive library of songs and albums, it can most definitely take a toll on the wallet after a while. As (slight) consolation, Google offers one free song a day, available for download straight from Google Play onto your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or other Android device. Google's daily free song sure beats other services' free selections. Apple only offers one free single each week, and Amazon offers a decent selection of free songs from r...
There are plenty of ways to create decent looking special effects on a budget. You can use basic, inexpensive materials to make ground explosions or realistic looking alien landscapes. But nothing says Hollywood quite like your own green screen.
If you have an iOS device, chances are you've spent a decent amount of time in the App Store—without at least a few apps, smartphones are pretty boring. There's an app to do just about anything you could ask for, but the problem is finding them. Searching the App Store sucks.
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.
Reading in bed with a book and bedside lamp is so 1990s. As tablets get smaller and content continues to be digitized, reading on an electronic device is pretty standard.
There are plenty of ways to create time-lapse photos and videos, but most of them are taken over the course of several hours. If you want to do a longer term shoot over several weeks or months, you'll need a battery that can last that long, and you probably don't want to leave your DSLR sitting somewhere for that amount of time anyway.
The cell phone may have replaced the pocket watch, but thanks to some clever mods and hacks, "old-fashioned" time telling is making a comeback. Smart watches that connect to your mobile device cannot only tell you what time it is, but also change the song you're listening to and let you know how many Facebook notifications are waiting for you. Frank Zhao, an electrical engineering student at the University of Waterloo, decided to do something a little different with his LED pocket watch. It h...
As far as logos go, few are as iconic and instantly recognizable as Apple's old-school rainbow emblem. No matter how sleek their products get, people are still nostalgic for the old, colorful logo, and this mod from Adafruit basically proves it. If you have some pretty decent soldering skills, you can make the Apple on the back of your iPhone light up like the old rainbow logo. In the video below, Becky Stern from Adafruit uses a kit with a replacement glass back, tweezers, screwdrivers, and ...
You can do a lot with water guns. Have trouble waking up? Make a water gun alarm clock that (almost) no one could sleep through. Prefer real ammo? Turn your water gun into an airsoft BB gun. And if you don't have one, you can even make your own.
If you bought the new iPhone 5, you've probably been less than thrilled with the lack of cases and accessories that you can use it with. Docks are no exception—users were disappointed to learn that Apple has no plans to even make one for the newest addition to the Apple family.
Steam is an online platform that lets you download and play over 2,000 video games, from first-person shooters to RPGs, as well as a pretty long list of indie games. You can play on your PC, Mac, mobile device, or even your television, and it has a community of over 40 million gamers. Prices are different depending on the type of game and how new/popular it is, but they're generally about the same as what you'd pay for an Xbox or PlayStation version. They also have a decent list of free games...
Ever been halfway to work or school and suddenly remembered you forgot to log off your computer? A lot of people are constantly logged in to email and social media accounts, so if you have a mischievous roommate or sibling, this situation could be disastrous. That's where TweetMyPC comes in—it's a free Windows application that lets you send commands to your computer just by tweeting. Image by Twittermania
Have you ever wanted to be famous? Of course you have! Now you can make your Twitter profile look like it's verified, just like professional skater Lil' Wayne. With Twitter's new header, you can now upload a cover photo onto your profile to be seen online and on mobile devices. Just click here and change your header with the images below to get "verified" in seconds! Note that this will not work on the newer Twitter profile designs, since the verified symbol is located outside of all images.
Tired of the Instagram wave? If you're sick of having to view the world through low-contrast and sepia-toned filters, there's a way to get them back to how they're supposed to look, and it's called Normalize, which undoes the magic filtering that Instagram and similar photo filter apps provide. The process of un-Instagramming your (or anyone else's) photos with Normalize is perhaps easier than Instagramming them in the first place. All you need to do is copy and paste them into the app and wa...
If you've found alternatives that you prefer to the stock apps on your Android phone, delete the ones you don't use. It's easy, just watch this video and learn how to use root explorer to delete stock apps from your Android device.
PhotoKey is a cheaper alternative to Photoshop if all you want to do is work with green screen effects. This tutorial shows you the basic Chroma Key functions available to editors in PhotoKey, so you can start adding your own backgrounds and special effects.
Protein shakes are an easy and tasty way to get nutrition throughout your day. In this clip, learn how to avoid that chalky taste that normally comes along with health shakes and make a fresh and delicious alternative that even your kids will appreciate.
Is work, the recession, life in general stressing you out? Maybe all these stresses are causing hyper tension. This video shows you what you have to do to control your hyper tension. Some alternatives, as well as symptoms so you can better understand and in turn control your hyper tension and reduce stress.
Using specific measurements and settings, this video details how to use a Canon 5D Mark II with a Steadicam Merlin. The Steadicam Merlin is a great, low-budget alternative to larger, more cumbersome Steadicam rigs, but it still gives you a steady, smooth image. Paired with the 5D and you've got a slick, professional looking video.
This video tutorial is an easy intro to making gradient text in GIMP… the free Photoshop alternative. It's easy to make your text a little more fancy with a gradient. It's so easy to use a gradient, that you have to learn it, or you'll never forgive yourself. This is GIMP 101. Learn it. Master it.
Learn how to install the Xubuntu OS on a Playstation 3. This is an alternative to installing yellow dog Linux.
For a hearty, healthy, vegetarian alternative to a hamburger, try a grilled portobella mushroom burger. Made with portabella mushrooms, garlic, arugala, red and yellow roasted peppers, goat cheese on a soft roll.
What did ancient cultures use to sweeten their food? Pressed grape must, of course! Grocer Rick Mindermann recommends a spoonful of Saba as an interesting alternative to sugar.
If you do not like the QuickTime video but would still like to view your .mov video files, follow these simple instructions to have your file play in any media player.
Kevingianni shows you how to make some nacho cheese bites for your parties. These are a healthy alternative to nacho platters. Take cashews, peppers, garlic, nutritional yeast and turmeric for color. Mix your ingredients together and refrigerate. Make nacho bites by adding lettuce to a meatless filling adding some vegetable toppings and garnish. Enjoy at a party with friends for this simple raw cook-less meal. It's a quick recipe but you do need a food processor and a heavy duty blender to bl...
So you finally decided to make the switch from iOS to Android, huh? Well first off: welcome to the world of tomorrow. And secondly: good call, mate.
If you are looking for an alternative to Odin, you can try Heimdall, a third party software designed for flashing firmware to Samsung mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. Watch this video to learn how to use Heimdall to install firmware on your Samsung Android devices.
Here's a handy guide to unlocking all of the alternate costumes available from the Krypt in Mortal Kombat 9, on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. Expand your Mortal Kombat wardrobe by exploring the Krypt and purchasing the alternative costumes for your favorite characters.
Make popcorn the way your grandparents made it! This is a healthier alternative to microwave popcorn, and also lets you decide what flavors you want to add. You can make a traditional popcorn the old fashioned way using your kitchen stove.
The Slip and Slide achievement comes with the new DLC available for the hit racing game, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. This tutorail shows you an alternative method to earning this achievement by drifting 1,000 yards (worth 15 gamerscore when you get it!)
Coffee as a table decoration? You bet. You're probably used to having coffee in a cup as a hot drink or a cold latte, but coffee - rather, coffee beans - has so many uses than just for food.
