News: Google Celebrates Chromecast's Birthday with Free All Access Music
It's hard to believe it's already been a year since I was frantically searching every Best Buy in the Los Angeles metropolitan area to find one with a Chromecast in stock.
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News: Bringing the Shortcut Key to Android Is Easier & Cheaper Than You Think
Taking pictures, sharing your location, and making calls are easy enough to do with an Android device, but for the most part, they all require your screen to be on with some sort of swiping and pressing actions. Dedicated shortcut keys are virtually non-existent on any modern day phone, but their utility is something that can be very useful.
How To: Stay on the Bleeding Edge of Google's Apps
Google I/O, the national developer conference for the Mountain View giant, has come and gone. We saw the preview for Android L (which you can get right now on your Nexus 5 or Nexus 7), Android Wear, and Android Car and TV.
News: Daily Show Highlights Public Perception of Glass Explorers
They say that behind every joke is a half-truth. If that adage itself contains a grain of verity, the Daily Show's satirical Glass piece should raise a few eyebrows amongst the Glass Explorer community.
News: Google to Spend Billions on Satellites to Provide Internet Access Anywhere on Earth
Just in case you weren't aware, Google has more money than you and I will probably ever see in our lifetime, and now it seems that the search giant will be spending that money sending satellites into space.
News: Android 4.4.2 KitKat Is Finally Here for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2
The Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is available via firmware upgrade for the international GT-N7100 variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, about a month after we saw its first leak. The update is available via Kies in France, with and OTA update soon to follow. Details courtesy of SamMobile are as follows:
How To: Tint Your Status Bar's Color to Match Apps on Your HTC One
The little black status bar at the top of your screen is great for at-a-glance info, but let's face it—it's pretty ugly. If you want to hide it completely, only showing it when you need it, check out our guide on using Immersive Mode in KitKat. However, if you want to keep the at-a-glance convenience and have it blend in with your apps, try out Tinted Status Bar.
News: Is the HTC One M8 Indestructible? No, But It Comes Pretty Close
The new HTC One M8 has only been out for a few hours, but it's apparent that some people had their hands on the device before the announcement. And well, one them decided to drop the thing in water.
News: Google Releases "Dogfood" YouTube App to Google Play
If you watched a YouTube video on your Android device today, you may may noticed something just a little different. If you haven't, go check out the app in your drawer or homepage. Google today pushed out an update to their YouTube app, but by all accounts, it was never meant to hit the public. This is labeled a dogfood build, which is a term used to describe products going through in-house testing, in effect "eating their own dogfood".
How To: Make Your Own Makeup Remover Wipes Using Oil, Water, & Paper Towels
For me, the worst thing about makeup has always been taking it off. It's always that one last thing you have to do before you go to bed, and if you don't, you instantly regret it when you wake up. When you're tired, makeup removing wipes are a godsend because they're so quick.
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: Make Your Own Sriracha at Home
The possibility of the Sriracha factory in Irwindale, CA being shut down was one of the biggest food stories of 2013. Huy Fong Foods was almost forced to close the plant due to complaints about the factory's smell, but luckily the brand emerged triumphant.
How To: Remove Ads When Watching Videos in the YouTube App on Your Galaxy Note 2
While ads certainly pay the bills (thank you guys, we love you), they can also be obtrusive and annoying when it comes to accessing and viewing content (not our advertisers though, they rule).
How To: Make a Super Secret Wall Safe for Less Than $3
Sometimes the best place to hide something is where people least expect it, so in this project, we're making a super secret safe that only you'll know about.
How To: Play PSP Video Games Smoothly on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
If smartphone video games have a weakness, it's probably their inability to emulate the riveting and immersive experience that consoles offer.
How To: Identify Genuine Beats by Dre Studio Headphones
How do you know if the Beats By Dre Studio headphones that you are about to buy online are genuine? Always ask the seller to use the youVerify app before you buy. Smarter Selling, Safer Shopping.
How To: Silence Obnoxiously Noisy Laptops & Smartphones with a Simple Device-Muting Key Fob
Electronic devices seem to have an uncanny ability to make noise at the worst possible times. It's always during an important meeting, a quiet study session at the library, or a biology final that your laptop or smartphone decides to play some obnoxious or embarrassing sound.
How To: Swap the Menu & Back Buttons on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for Easier Left-Handed Navigation
Throughout history, almost every superstition dealing with evil has had something to do with left hands. In the seventeenth century, it was thought that the Devil himself baptised his followers using his left hand. Today, studies show that left-handed people are more likely to be schizophrenic, alcoholic, delinquent, dyslexic, have Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and a slew of other medical problems. To top it all off, left-handed people have an average lifespan that is 9 years shorte...
How To: The Dead-Simple Trick to Getting Chips Out of a Pringles Can—Fast & Mess-Free
Pringles are just as well known for their cylindrical packaging as for their suspiciously addictive fried crisps. Yes, that's crisps—not chips.
How To: The Easiest, Most Practical Way to Separate Egg Yolks from Egg Whites Without Getting Messy
Separating an egg yolk from the white is one of the most universally hated kitchen tasks out there. Most cooks prefer using their hands or the egg's own shell to separate them. For those who don't like getting messy, there are countless devices designed solely for this purpose, and a lot of shortcuts that use household items to make it easier. Remember this water bottle trick?
How To: Can't Spare Two Fingers? Use This Secret Trick for Smooth Zooming in Google Maps with One Finger
Every single year technology companies have a little bit of fun on April Fool's Day by releasing absurd, yet almost believable stories of some new product or feature. Yesterday, Google publicized the release of Google Nose—a new project in beta—that supposedly allowed users to sniff a variety of smells through their smartphone screens.
How To: Hair Chalk
In this video, we show you how to add some green to your hair (or any colour for that matter) using chalk. It is simple and won't damage your hair or your clip-in extensions.
How To: Recycle Your Junk Cardboard Boxes into a Super Simple & Stylish Cube Lamp
The problem with a lot of DIY projects is that they can require a lot of materials. You still end up with the satisfaction of something you built with your own hands, but the shopping trips can get pricey.
How To: Do Easy Heart Nails for Valentines Day
This is one of my personal favorite designs from last year, that I wanted to share with you all for this year's valentines day !
How To: This DIY Can of Pepper Spray Shoots a Photo of Your Attacker While You Spray Them
Unfortunately, there are plenty of situations where having a can of pepper spray could come in handy. Even worse, in most of those situations your state of mind isn't really conducive to remembering important details like the facial features of the person who's trying to mug you, which means the police will have a harder time catching the culprit.
How To: Do Black and White Puzzle Nails
This is a very interesting puzzle nail design that I did the other day ! It is super easy to create and uses a combination of matte nail polish and glossy nail polish to create a light crisp effect !
How To: Do Zip Nail Designs
Here I have used some very smart and easy to use nail art decals to create this lovely zip nail art design !
How To: Turn an Old Metal Slinky and Coat Hanger into a Bird Feeder
While the heyday of the Slinky may have been a few decades ago, I still think it's one of the coolest toys to ever go to market. Not to mention it probably has the best commercial ever created.
News: Review of Apple's New Lightning to Micro USB Adapter for iPhone 5, iPad Mini, 4th Gen iPad, 5th Gen iPod Touch & Nano
Thanks for stopping by to view my Apple Lightning to Micro USB adapter review. The unit comes in a low profile cardboard box and some misc documentation -none of which appear to include any instructions but I think I can figure out how to use it. The adapter is small and well constructed as you would expect from an Apple product and for almost $24 including tax. The plastic encasing the connector is a little larger than with Apple's Lightning cable.
How To: Get Unlimited Free Magazines from Google Play on Your Android Device
While the Google Play Store is filled with big name magazines like Time, Forbes, Sports Illustrated and Maxim, it also panders to smaller audiences, like with Coin Prices, Soap Opera Digest, Watch Journal and Quilter's World (which yes, is all about quilting). If you have a select few that you enjoy reading, prices aren't usually a problem; issues range from $1.99 to $4.99 for each one, or from $19.99 to $39.99 for yearly subscriptions. If you're someone that is a magazine connoisseur, prices...
News: Majestic Airship Needs Votes to Get Produced by LEGO
LEGO has not attempted a blimp, zeppelin, or similar airship since 1999, the 5956 Expedition Balloon which used highly specialized parts. This is unfortunate as these vessels are well and truly part of the pulpy adventure and steampunk scene.
How To: Hide an Inductive Charging Station Inside Your Furniture
Inductive charging has been around since the days of Nikola Tesla, but it has yet to be integrated into a lot of popular devices. This is partially because it's slower and more expensive than methods that involve direct contact.
How To: Get Instant Alerts for When the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 Are Back in Stock on Google Play
There is nothing worst then having to wait for something you really want. It doesn't matter how old you are or what the item is, the fact that you have to wait for it makes you want it even more. It's the love-hate relationship I have with Amazon and anything I order, and when that anticipation is for a new smartphone, it's amplified by about a thousand. The LG Nexus 4 has received great reviews and is one of the most sought after phones this holiday season, but it's a hard one to get a hold ...
How To: Get All of Your YouTube Videos Back from Google Using Takeout
While putting content and information online gets easier every day, it seems like getting it back is only getting harder. In a lot of cases (we're looking at you, Facebook), once you upload something, it's forever in the hands of someone else. That's where The Data Liberation Front comes in. Believe it or not, The Data Liberation Front is a team of Google engineers who work to make it easier for users to take their stuff back whenever they feel like it.
How To: Make Your Jailbroken iPhone or iPad Infinitely Customizable with DreamBoard
One of the biggest downsides to the iPhone is that it isn't as easy to customize as other smartphones. It's true that this makes Apple products more secure in some ways, but it also means that you have to jailbreak your phone and void your warranty if you want to change certain things.
How To: Turn Your iPad Mini's Box into a Free Stand and Charging Dock
You can make a dock for an Apple device out of almost anything, even the box it comes in. People have been turning Apple's product packaging into DIY docks for a few years now, including the iPod nano, iPod touch, and iPhone 4. So, it's no surprise that the newly released iPad mini already has one, too. Obviously, if you ever anticipate selling yours, modifying the box probably isn't a good idea since you get more money for used devices with original packaging. But, if you plan on keeping it ...
How To: Light Up Your iPhone's Apple Logo in Old School Rainbow Colors
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 ...
How To: Make Your Own Halloween Masks by Modding Your Shop Vac into a Vacuum Forming Machine
You may have never heard of vacuum forming, but you use products made with the technique all the time. The lid on your coffee cup, the plastic bowls you used at last week's barbeque, and the blister packs your prescriptions come in are all made with a vacuum forming machine.
How To: Don't Have an Apple TV? Use AirPlay to Stream Content to Your Mac Instead
AirPlay is probably one of the most underutilized features in Apple products. It allows users to wirelessly stream photos, music, or video directly from their iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Mac to their Apple TV or AirPlay-supported speakers. The Apple support page has a complete list of all the supported and needed devices. Mirroring is also available, but only for the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPad 2, all of which need to be running iOS 5 or later.
How To: Trick Your Twitter Followers into Thinking You're Verified (By Hacking Your Header Photo)
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.