Food Tool Friday: Make Fast Espresso on the Go
Coffee lovers take their beverage of choice seriously. Some even go out of their way to find their own kopi luwak (cat poop coffee) just to see if it lives up to all the hype.
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How To: Get 90 Days of Google Play Music for Free (Instead of Just 30 Days)
When it comes to subscription-based music streaming services, the conversation doesn't go much further than Spotify and Google Play Music (previously called "All Access"). Both services are essentially the same aside from slightly different catalogues and social options, and they both run ten bucks a month for unlimited music streaming and offline track saving (although Spotify does have a free, ad-supported service).
How To: Thermo Diem Tells You How the Weather Feels Today as Compared to Yesterday
When I get weather information, I prefer to receive it in a straight-forward, minimalistic fashion. Living in California, I could care less about wind speeds, humidity, or any other calculations that I can't analyze in a second. I essentially use the information to help decide whether I'll be wearing shorts or pants on a given day, so give it to me bluntly.
News: Amazon Echo Is Google for Your Living Room
You have to give Amazon credit where it's due. Aside from being a retail powerhouse, they're not averse to dipping their feet in new and sometimes strange areas. Take Fresh, the first major effort at bringing your local goods directly to you in same-day fashion. Or Amazon Dash, which aimed to make adding items to your cart a breeze by allowing for scanning goods or speaking them into a small, hand-held device. Along these lines, the company has now introduced an invite-only product, the Amazo...
How To: Force Google Voice Typing to Use Offline Mode (& Save Data) on Android
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.
How To: Build the Ultimate DIY RoboCop Helmet with Cardboard
"Dead or alive, you're coming with me!" That iconic quote from the 1987 movie RoboCop was repeated by kids like me for years. The 2014 reboot introduced the baddest robot-cop on the planet to new audiences worldwide. While it didn't live up to the amazingly high expectations set by its predecessors, RoboCop 2014 did show off some newly upgraded gear. The modern look is cool and all, but rolling to a party rocking the 1987 helmet with the retro visor cannot be beat. With Halloween coming up, i...
How To: Add Email, Text, & Callback Shortcuts for Missed or Ended Calls on Android
Living in a densely populated city means that I usually have a strong cell signal, but that isn't always the case when I start driving out to the boonies. When I do get that occasional dropped call, it makes more sense to shoot off a text or email instead of trekking around trying to get more bars.
How To: Preserve Battery Life on Android in Just One Tap
Contrary to what you may think, clearing or swiping away apps in the Recent Apps view on your Android device does not necessarily stop app activity or running tasks—and these running processes can actually be eating away at your battery life. Depending on the app or process, it may only be a small percentage, but every little bit helps these days.
How To: Set Chromecast Background Images as Your Android's Wallpaper
Google's Chromecast streaming device is a marvel of functionality and form. Even with powerful features such as screen mirroring and collaborative party playlists, it's the device's idle screen that first catches the eyes of most folks.
How To: Claim 100 GB of Free Google Drive Storage for Your Bootloader-Unlocked HTC One
HTC is one of the few OEMs that make it easy to unlock the bootloader on their devices. And while they do warn you that doing so voids your warranty, they don't tell you that it also prevents you from collecting promotions that come with their devices.
How To: Get Truly Local Weather Readings from Your Galaxy S5's Built-in Sensors
Your Galaxy S5 is jammed to the brim with all sorts of electronic sensors. These are capable of reading humidity levels, ambient temperature, air pressure, and much more. Yet, while this data is constantly being collected by your phone, there aren't any built-in apps that are capable of displaying much of it.
How To: Android + Drive Assist = Augmented Reality Goodness for Your Car
While texting and driving may get you a ticket, there are still a ton of uses for your phone in your car, music and navigation just to name a couple. Every Android device comes with access to GPS and traffic updates, but none of those apps really have your back in real-time.
How To: Record Phone Conversations on Any HTC One
While the legality of recording phone conversations varies from state to state, it's still a sought-after feature for most people. How else are we going to shame all of those bad Comcast customer service reps? Since it's a legal gray area, HTC and other smartphone manufacturers have omitted call recording capabilities from their devices.
How To: Exclusive Keyboard Themes for the LG G3
Personality is something we're constantly attempting to inject into our lives, whether it be the car we drive or clothing we wear—and our mobile devices are no exception.
News: BloomSky Is Your Personal Backyard Weather Reporter
If you live in a small town, weather apps can be unreliable. Before moving to Los Angeles, I always had to add or subtract five degrees or so from what my weather app said because I couldn't trust it. With the help of BloomSky, you will be able to get an accurate weather reading directly from your backyard.
The Padfone X: The 5-Inch Phone That Doubles as a Tablet
There is a question that has haunted man since the dawn of time: What if you could combine your tablet and your smartphone? Historians around the world have documented wars on the subject, and philosophers and kings who dared ask the question went down in the annals of history.
News: Chromecast's First Real Competitor Gets Leaked
Chrome and Firefox are the leading third-party web browsers on the desktop platform, so it would make sense that they'd go head-to-head in a fight for living room supremacy.
News: Get Ready to Send Scents Through Text
Admit it, since childhood you've thought to yourself, "When oh when will they finally make Smell-o-vision?" And while that technology hasn't yet made it to our living rooms, we may soon be a step closer towards that particular American dream with the oPhone.
News: Facebook Wants to Sell Your Browsing History to Advertisers
Facebook wants to take your browsing history and sell it to advertisers. Video: .
News: Google's Self-Driving Car Is Here & You've Gotta See This Thing in Action
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past five years, you've at least heard murmurs of Google's self-driving car, with Big G even getting California and Nevada to sign off on legislation to allow these motorist-less vehicles on the road. But now, Google is showing off their in-house manufactured vehicle, as opposed to the Prius' that doned their hardware in the past. And it's...well, it's something.
Boredom Killer: How to Play a Game of Pool Directly on Your Android Home Screen
We don't typically cover games here on softModder, unless they have some special feature to offer like unlocking your device, but sometimes you've just gotta game. When you've only got a few minutes to do so, you've gotta choose the right game, and I've got just the thing for you.
How To: Remove Moving Objects & Unwanted People from Photos on Your Galaxy S5
Fast moving cars, strangers in the background, and even birds flying by can all ruin a great shot. Thankfully, TouchWiz provides the tools to remove unwanted objects, right in the stock camera application.
How To: How You Should Really “Fold” Socks to Prevent Stretching Them Out
I don’t buy socks—I get a pack from my parents on Christmas Day, so I’ve got to make sure they last all year. Other than losing them mysteriously in the dryer, the biggest threat to my limited sock collection is a stretched out cuff. Nothing's more frustrating than a loose sock sliding down into your shoe.
How To: 6 Mischievous April Fool's Day Pranks You Can Pull on Anyone
So, you want to cause a little mischief, do you? Here are six super-easy pranks to help you make the most out of April Fool's Day (or pretty much any other day of the year). There's something here for everyone—TV fiends, magic trick lovers, fruitoholics, and even spam companies.
How To: Take Perfectly Straight & Level Photos with Your iPhone Every Single Time
You can easily level picture frames on your wall using your iPhone, but leveling the photos you actually take is a whole 'nother story. There are no built-in leveling tools in your stock Camera app, or in most camera apps for that matter.
News: Solid Details on the Samsung Galaxy S5 Emerge as Its Release Date Approaches
With the Samsung Galaxy S5 all but assured to be showcased in a just a few weeks, we've got our hands on some fresh details of the upcoming flagship device.
How To: Snapchat Increases Its Security Push, Adds Image Captcha Feature
Snapchat has had more than its fair share of security failures and mishaps. The photo-sharing company is looking to better address some of these security gaps by adding new features, and today its most recent addition is live: the Captcha. New users will be asked to verify their "humanness" by selecting the infamous Snapchat ghost out of a selection of images. The feature is supposed to help block hacker-made bots from creating fake accounts or accessing existing ones. But rather than using t...
How To: Add a Pulsating Battery Energy Bar to Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Long before Windows Phone hit the scene, Windows Mobile was the operating system for Microsoft's older brand of smartphones through the early 2000s. But due to its clunkiness and inability to keep up with modern features, it was scrapped in 2010.
Blackphone: The Answer to NSA Snooping
Every day it seems like new information comes to light about how the National Security Agency creeps into our lives. Knowing that they can backdoor into our seemingly private devices is a scary thought, whether you have information to hide or not.
How To: Squeeze Out an Extra 5 Minutes of Battery Life in Critical Situations on a Galaxy Note 2 or 3
We've all been there. Rushing to find an outlet because your smartphone's battery is about to die and you're in the middle of uploading a picture on Instagram or something else of dire importance. Android's operating system shuts down automatically when ever there is 1% left in order to allow for a proper shut down, and so as not to mess with the calibration of the battery, extending its overall life.
How To: Beautify the Weather Forecast on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 with Solar
Living in Los Angeles so long has perhaps spoiled me a bit. The only time I check my weather apps is to send screenshots of my 70 degree Decembers to my friends in Chicago and New York. So for these bragging occasions, I like to have a good looking app.
Multitask Faster: How to Switch Between Running Apps More Rapidly on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
It's fairly easy to switch between running apps on the Nexus 7 by hitting the Recent apps key in the Navigation bar at the bottom of your screen, but for me—it's just not good enough. I don't particularly like leaving the app I'm currently in to see this menu, and the menu itself is kind of clunky, and overall, not as fast as I'd like it to be.
How To: Turn an Innocent-Looking Cucumber into a Slithering Snake Using a Sharp Knife & Precise Cuts
There are plenty of good reasons to always make sure your knife is as sharp as it can be. Obviously a honed blade cuts better, but you're also less likely to hurt yourself with it. And have you ever tried to slice a tomato with a dull knife? You may as well just skip the extra step and crush it with your hands.
How To: Make Your Jack-O'-Lantern Shine Lite-Brite Bright This Halloween
I loved my Lite-Brite as a kid. There was just something about using those little multicolored pegs to make my own designs, and it's not exactly a secret that kids love anything that lights up (LED sneakers, anyone?). So how do you combine the old-school fun of Lite-Brite with pumpkin carving?
Day of the Dead: DIY Sugar Skull Halloween Look with Rick Baker, Horror Makeup FX Master
Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos, is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 or 2 each year to honor the dead. It's often lumped in with Halloween, and while some people do dress up in costumes, the day is much more focused on remembering the lives of friends and family members who have passed. People who are unfamiliar with the holiday sometimes consider one of its most pervasive symbols, the sugar skull, rather morbid. And special makeup effects artist Rick Baker is no stranger to the ...
How To: Get Reviews and Trailers for Movie Files by Right Clicking on Them
Understand the Problem of Couch Potatoes I have a lot of movies stored on my PC and when I have to finally have the time to watch something, I do not always remember which movie is which. So now I have to google for each movie with the keyboard or search in IMDB.
How To: Use Your Mascara as an Eyeliner
Mascara application for me is not only for the eye lashes, but also for the water line and eye lids. Through the different techniques I tried, I can certainly and undoubtedly say that it works like a charm and is truly two-in-one.
How To: Use Eyebrow Stencils
Eyebrows are made to frame your eyes. See how well-shaped and defined eyebrows creates a huge difference to one's face? Yeah, but most of the time, girls experience a hard time creating the perfect outline that would complement their eye shape and defining while making it look even is another story. This tutorial will help you (if you are experiencing eyebrow hurrahs as well) :
How To: Install Jelly Bean 4.2's Photo Sphere Camera & Gallery on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
The rumors are flying everywhere about the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 getting updated to Jelly Bean 4.2, but as of now, we have no freakin' idea when. Among all of the features sported in the update, Photo Sphere is one of the more popular, allowing you to snap incredible and immersive 360 degree photographs. So, until that update comes, you're probably still marooned with Jelly Bean 4.1.2 on your Note 2, and that means no Photo Sphere camera.
How To: Forget Remembering! Schedule Recurring Texts, Emails, Tweets, & Facebook Posts on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
I'm sorry your mom hates you now, but it's pretty hard to forgive someone who forgets to say "Happy Mother's Day." Your poor ole ma could've spent anywhere from 10 to 20 hours popping you out, so the least you could do is set aside two minutes every year to say thanks. If you live to be 90 years old, that's only 3 hours over your entire lifetime!