The common thread between this week's Brief Reality stories is that augmented reality is beginning to prove its worth as a technology that improves workflows and processes. From customer service to healthcare to manufacturing, augmented reality is helping companies improve productivity.
Android O has finally arrived—well, it's technically a beta version, but that isn't stopping Android enthusiasts from going crazy about it. The first Developer Preview was released earlier today and is available right now to install on Nexus and Pixel devices. While Android O doesn't have an official name or Android number yet (we're betting on "Android Oreo"), Google has released a feature list and a blog post explaining almost all of the new changes and features.
Google just released Android 7.0 Nougat, and as usual, they're doing a staged rollout. This means that most users won't actually get the update on their Nexus devices for a few weeks—that is, unless they take matters into their own hands.
The Google Cast feature that serves as the primary interface for the Chromecast and comes bundled with Android TV devices like the Nexus Player is a marvel of modern technology. But as these things go, troubleshooting issues can be difficult with something so groundbreaking, especially when you consider that there are two parts to the equation—the casting device (your phone, tablet, or computer) and the receiver.
Before you sell or give away an old iPhone, Find My iPhone, which works in conjunction with Activation Lock (Apple's anti-theft system) needs to be deactivated from your iCloud account. This also applies if you've lost your passcode and are locked out of the device, if you're restoring to a previous iTunes backup, or just want to remove it from your list of iCloud devices.
When someone asks me why they should root their phone, one of the top reasons I always give is that it enables you to install the Xposed Framework. Created by developer Rovo89, Xposed basically hooks into the Android system, then allows users to simply install mini-apps called modules that can change almost anything in a device's interface or other installed apps.
Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, Apple TV, and iPad Pro dominated the news today, but at the end of their special September 9th event, they quietly released the final version of iOS 9 to developers, called the Gold Master (GM) build.
Smartphones don't generally play nice with tripods, so videos taken with our handheld devices make terrible source material for time-lapse photography.
You can find a plethora of tennis games on the Google Play Store, but if you're a true tennis fan and gaming enthusiast, you should check out Tennis Racketeering by Core Aplikacije. The game lets you use an additional Android device as a racket, giving you Wii-like abilities without Nintendo. It's simple to set up and extremely fun to play, so follow along below to see how it works.
Getting caught using your iPhone at school or work (when you're using it for personal reasons) can be a little bit embarrassing. Even worse, it can be detrimental to how you're perceived by your teacher or boss. But sometimes you just have to beat that next level of Candy Crush, view a risqué photo on Snapchat, or send an important WhatsApp message.
If you own multiple Android devices, you're surely familiar with the struggle of keeping apps and games in sync. While games with proper Google Play Games support will indeed sync progress across your phone and tablet, many developers neglect to include this feature in their wares.
With the Power key located on the back of the device, LG included a convenient "double-tap to sleep" function in their G2 and G3 devices. The function allows users to simply double-tap the display to put their device to sleep instead of picking it up and pressing the Power key.
It didn't take long at all for developer Chainfire to sort out a root method for the new Android 5.0 Lollipop. After handling a few issues with changes to the SELinux kernel module, Chainfire pushed out an update to his popular SuperSU root app.
It's hard enough to keep tabs on the battery life of one device, let alone all of the different gadgets that a typical consumer owns in this day and age. Say your smartphone is running low on juice, so you switch to your tablet only to find out that it's almost dead as well. Better hope your laptop is fully charged, right?
If you've ever owned an HTC device or anything in the Nexus line, odds are, you have typed the word "fastboot" into your command line at one time or another. That said, odds are, you have only just barely scratched the surface of what this handy little Android tool can do. Let's take a deeper look.
Officially, in order to use AirPlay to stream music from your iOS device, you would need either an Apple TV, AirPort Express, or an AirPlay-enabled receiver or set of speakers. Despite what Apple wants you to think, there is another way to stream music without any of those AirPlay-capable devices—you just need to have two iOS devices (or just one iOS device and a Mac).
Audibly, from iOS developer Nick Frey, allows you create playlists and sync your music across other iOS devices. Like the Samsung-exclusive Group Play or the older Seedio app, you can connect a slew of compatible devices to create a surround-sound stereo of sorts when playing your music.
A month ago, we showed you what I, and many around the web, dubbed the "Nexus Killer". That device is the OnePlus One, a low-priced, high-powered, CyanogenMod-run Android device.
You probably use your smartphone to mostly surf the web, play games, and communicate with others, but there's so much more it can do. Thanks to integrated features and third-party apps, you can seamlessly control things around your home, including your TV, tablet, Bluetooth speakers, and even lighting fixtures.
Sending and receiving files between Android devices has no shortage of options—Bluetooth, email, MMS, and Wi-Fi are just a few of the more popular ones that we use.
One of the coolest features of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is Group Play, which lets you connect other Samsung Galaxy S4s up to yours so you can use them as extra speakers to create a surround-sound stereo of sorts.
An average of 140,000 hard drives crash in the United States each week, according to online backup service Mozy. Additionally, 70 percent of Americans have lost a laptop, smartphone, or tablet, and the average person now loses 1.24 devices each year—less than half of which are ever recovered.
UPS Tracking provides several convenient ways to track packages online, including on-the-go with your mobile device. Track your package using UPS Quantum View Notify to get real-time updates on packages in your supply chain or send delivery notification alerts.
While the majority of America was watching the Super Bowl yesterday, the crew over at the evad3rs was finishing its work on their untethered iOS 6.1 jailbreak called evasi0n. Well, the wait is finally over!
Depending on what mobile device you own, you'll see something that says "via device name" next to the date of your post on Facebook. If you're device is not recognized, you'll simply see a "via Mobile" note, which is what happens when I post from my phone. If you allowed your iPhone to be called iPhone when you logged into the app, it'll show up as a recognized device on Facebook, and will post "via iPhone." Same thing goes if you have a Samsung Galaxy S3 or Nexus 7 or iPad. It could also jus...
Did you know that you can easily pin programs that you often use and access to the taskbar in Windows 7? Pinning a program to the taskbar allows you to quickly open it without having to access the start menu or an icon on your desktop.
Photoscape is a piece of free, photo editing software to use instead of more costly programs such as Photoshop. The program is pretty cool but you may want to install more fonts than what it comes with. If so, check out this video and you'll find out how to get it done. You'll need a zip program like winzip or winrar and you'll of course need Photoscape which you can get here.
YoVille is a pretty cool game, but wouldn't it be cooler if you could get in and tweak a few things? Maybe make some art? Well, you can! This how-to takes you through the steps to let you make your own art on the whiteboard in the game. You can find the necessary file here.
Windows Phone 7 is just beyond the horizon, and is poised to be the finest mobile phone for gaming yet released. If you want to get a head start on making your own games for the Windows phone, watch this video for a walkthrough of making a shuffleboard game in Silverlight that will work on Windows Phone 7.
Adobe Creative Suite is an expansive (and expensive!) array of programs for graphic artists of all kinds. However, you can assemble your own suite of completely free programs, like the GIMP, paint.net, Synfig, Komposer, PrimoPDF, InkScape, Scribus and Jahshaka - all freeware alternatives to Adobe programs.
In this clip, you'll learn the ins and outs of using variables and strings when writing code in Python 2. Whether you're new to the Python Software Foundation's popular general purpose programming language or a seasoned developer looking to better acquaint yourself with the features and functions of Python 2, you're sure to benefit from this free video programming lesson. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this video guide.
In this clip, learn how to split and join strings when coding in Python 3. Whether you're new to the Python Software Foundation's popular general purpose programming language or a seasoned developer looking to better acquaint yourself with the new features and functions of Python 3.0, you're sure to benefit from this free video programming lesson. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this video guide.
In this clip, learn how to generate and employ objects when coding in Python 3. Whether you're new to the Python Software Foundation's popular general purpose programming language or a seasoned developer looking to better acquaint yourself with the new features and functions of Python 3.0, you're sure to benefit from this free video programming lesson. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this video guide.
In this clip, you'll learn how to create and call simple functions when coding in Python 3. Whether you're new to the Python Software Foundation's popular general purpose programming language or a seasoned developer looking to better acquaint yourself with the new features and functions of Python 3.0, you're sure to benefit from this free video programming lesson. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this video guide.
In this clip, you'll see what it takes to write a "Hello, World" app in Python 3. Whether you're new to the Python Software Foundation's popular general purpose programming language or a seasoned developer looking to better acquaint yourself with the new features and functions of Python 3.0, you're sure to benefit from this free video programming lesson. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this video guide.
Spaces is a very cool feature that is included with all newer versions of Mac's OS X. With Spaces, you can organize your programs and keep your desktop clutter free. This program is similar to Expose, but instead of having your windows open on the desktop, Spaces minimizes them but keeps them ready for a quick reload. You can choose a number of spaces and decide which shortcuts you want to use to access them.
In this five-part video tutorial series, we learn how to get started using the OpenCL API for programming in C. 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.
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to use the Nokia N97 phone. The power button is located on the top of the phone to turn on/off the device. The menu key will open a list of applications for use. The call key will allow the users to make a phone call. The end key will bring the user to a previous screen or end a call. There is a headphone jack at the top of the device. One the side there is a Micro connector, and lock key. This video will benefit those viewers who are just using the N...
If you just purchased an Android enable mobile device with Bluetooth, then one of the main objectives you'll have on your to-do list is to set it up in your vehicle for hands-free dialing and phone calls. Activating Bluetooth inside your car is easy, and all you need to remember is a little number called zero. Actually, you need to remember it 4 times — Best Buy has answers. The Best Buy Mobile team explains how simple it is to activate Bluetooth settings on an Android cell phone.
From "Butterscotch" tutorial Michael Callahan walks you through updating your driver for Windows 7 operating system. This will help to improve communication between your printer, scanner, or any other devices digitally connected to your Personal Computer. Simply by going through the "start" menu you can then search and find out if there is new drivers for your devices. After that it will tell you and assist you downloading the new driver. Leaving you with the best driver software for your dev...