Transparent status bars and new lock screens weren't the only new additions that came with the Galaxy S3 KitKat update. Along with better battery life and a smoother user experience, we got a new toggles design and recent apps menu. Of course, Samsung's infinite wisdom left these two aesthetic features hidden away. Luckily, with root, you can easily enable them with just a few quick edits.
When it comes to smartphones, we can sometimes get a little carried away with the "smart" aspect of it all. Things like apps, games, and softMods take center stage, and we can almost forget that the device also functions as a phone.
As Nexus owners, we love our device's operating system, and it's probably the reason we went for a pure Google experience in the first place. But that doesn't mean there's not room for improvement in Android, especially when the OS has so many freely available softMods to tinker with.
The list of streaming services is pretty vast, from HBO GO to Hulu to Netflix, these subscription-based services have never been so popular, and have never been easier to watch now that they have Chromecast support.
If you lend someone your phone, even if it's just for a second, there's a chance they can enter an app and see something you'd rather they didn't. Whether it's a personal email or a private photo, there are plenty of reasons why you'd want to keep snoops out of certain apps.
I still remember when I had to get up from my comfy spot on the couch to change the channel on my old television. So for me, the remote control may be one of the most underrated inventions of the last century. These days, remotes take on all sorts of shapes, not just the typical brick, but also in the form of watches and cell phones.
Accessing notifications and quick settings from the lock screen just makes things move quicker and more efficiently, unless of course we're using a secure lock screen. It makes sense that if we have face, pattern, or pin security enabled, we may not want notifications accessible, but really, that should be something we decide for ourselves—and now we can.
When you're scrolling through your iPhone's home screens, you'll inevitably reach the end and have to either swipe backwards or hit the Home button to return to the first page. Why Apple didn't instill an endless scrolling feature, or at the very least an option for it, is anyone's guess, but just because you can't do it out of the box doesn't mean you can't do it.
A great aspect of using Android is having the ability to change and tweak aspects of the user experience to your liking. You can easily change things like home screens, widgets, and icons on your Nexus 7 tablet, but also core system settings if you want, like volume settings. Most stock systems come standard with a "15 step" volume control. That means simply that you have 15 levels from mute to the loudest volume settings. Whether your an audiophile or just someone who wants a little more con...
Managing multiple applications on an iPhone is as simple as double-tapping the home button, long pressing the app you want to close, and tapping on the minus sign in the red circle. If you're using Mac OS X, the dock at the bottom of the home screen plays the role of the multitasking bar on the iPhone, just not as sleek or simple.
It only takes a minute for something well intentioned to turn into something sinister. Facebook created 'memorial pages' as way for friends and family to share their thoughts and feelings for those that are no longer with us.
For many busy people, time is of the essence, and for others, it's simply just being impatient. But no matter what your vice, having your computer start up as quickly as possible is usually a plus for anyone.
Taking screen captures is a standard feature on iPhones and newer Android smartphones, but for some reason it's not very intuitive. Screenshots allow you to share your phone's screen with your friends, document technical problems for customer support, and even make how-to guides easier to follow. So, it's definitely worth remembering. Here's how you do it.
If you're new to Google+ and want to know how photos that are uploaded by Google+ users can be browsed or viewed, take a look at this tutorial. You can use the arrow keys to navigate the Google+ photo galleries, or simply click on the photos at the bottom of the lightbox.
If you want to instantly resize your active window so that it fills any extra window space on your screen, try the free utility WinMaximumize featured in this Tekzilla segment. Hit the default hotkey (Ctrl+F1) or remap it to whatever keybind you want.
The Achievement Hunter demonstrates how to earn the 'Get Dizzy Y'all' achievement and the 'Shut Your Mouth' achievement in the Xbox 360 game Green Lantern; Rise of the Manhunters. The first achievement is earned by spinning consecutively and the second achievement involves performing several combo hits.
Homefront is the surprise hit shooter of 2011 so far, and if you've just gotten the game or are thinking about it check out this video. It will give you a rundown of all the different customization options for multiplayer characters, including weapons, drones, and perks, so you can decide how to play your character or whether it looks interesting to you. It should.
Killzone 3 is the biggest shooter to hit the PS3 in quite some time, and one of it's few awesome unique IPs. This video will teach you how to not be a n00b in this awesome game while using the Marksman (hint: spawn trapping), Infiltrator (stabby stab), Engineer (helps Marksman with ammo for more spawntrapping), Medic (revives Marksman for more spawntrapping), Tactician (spawn-point seizing) classes. Spawn
Given a function, you can easily find the slope of a tangent line using Microsoft Excel to do the dirty work. That is to say, you can input your x-value, create a couple of formulas, and have Excel calculate the secant value of the tangent slope. This is a fantastic tool for Stewart Calculus sections 2.1 and 2.2.
Marvel vs. Capcom has been the flagship series for frenetic 2D fighting games for years, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 hit store shelves in February. This video tutorial will teach you the basics of the game, including basic combos, hyper combos, team combos, special attacks, and more. Everything you need to start off your MvC3 career right.
If you're a MetroPCS user and would like to tether your phone to your PCS to use it as a modem, this video will show you how it's done. First of all, hit the subtitles button to make sure you're getting the instructions in english. Next, you'l want to go here to get the Samsun PC Studio link tool which will let the connection be made. Enjoy!
Time lapse videos can be used to distort a sense of time around your subject, which makes them very useful special effects in documentaries. By using time lapse, you can show the transition from sunrise to sunset in just a few seconds, or slow down a drop of water hitting a table. The tools in Adobe Premiere can be used to create this effect, and the following tutorial shows you how to take your raw footage and turn it into a time lapse shot.
If you engage in any nefarious activity on Xbox Live or simply like to swear a lot when you're playing online, your account may be flagged for a ban. Getting banned sucks, so watch this video to see how to use a program called XVAL to check your account and see if it's been flagged for banning in the next ban wave.
Ke$ha has become more of an icon that she probably ever could have even a decade ago (before OCD autotune use spread through the world's producers) and her latest music video "We R Who We R" continues her hit parade. This video will show you how to make a t-shirt reconstruction inspired by the one Ke$ha wears in the video.
Come on baby light my fire! If you're going to be a survivalist, the first thing you'll need to know is how to start a fire. This simply video shows how to use a piece of quartz and a piece of steel to build yourself a fire and stay alive! In addition, the video shows how to pack it all together in a nifty little Altoids tin.
Yes, there's a whole lot more than 3 chords out there and this lesson of aural training will help teach you the intervals of a minor 6th, minor 7th, and an augmented 4th - thus completing an entire octave in melodic interval ear training. Justin Sandercoe takes the mystery out of music with this clear and comprehensive lesson to make sure you'll be more than a one hit wonder.
The HTC Desire Z continues the HTC hit parade of awesome smart phones. It offers some awesome standard features that used to be hard to make on older Android phones, like flip-to-speaker and flip-to-silence. This video will show you how to use these features and take full advantage of your phone.
If you recently unearthed your silver from storage hoping to use the pieces to set your holiday table, you may have been a bit disappointed at how tarnished all those spoons and forks look.
Triboluminescence is the quality that makes a substance emit light when you crush, smash, hit, or otherwise break it's molecular bonds. If you want some triboluminescent (smash-glow) crystals, watch this video to learn how to make some out of a battery, glowpaint, and fire.
Justin Timberlake and T.I. are two of the hottest artists around, or at least T.I. would be if he could stay out of the joint. Watch this video to learn how to cover their hit collaboration "Dead and Gone" on piano.
Lady GaGa has taken over the pop universe largely on the power of her the awesome electronic production of her songs. If you want to capture some of that magic in your own tracks, watch this video to learn how to make the beat to her hit song "Poker Face" in Reason 4.
Dance lead synth tracks with oscillator sync (osc sync) effects have powered some of the biggest pop hits of recent years, notably "Sandstorm" by Darude and "Poker Face" by Lady GaGa. In this video you'll learn how to use osc sync and other effects create a dance pop synth lead in Reason 4.
Halloween is only a few weeks away, fellow goblinesses, which means it's time to begin planning for your costume, makeup, and nail look. If you're planning to dress up as a vampire this Halloween or simply want a mischevious nail look that screams "Halloween" and "Twihard" all at once, check out this nail tutorial for creating a bloody fang vampire nail look.
The forehand volley is one of the most important shots in tennis, allowing you to get to the net and move the ball, far away from your opponent. Watch this video to learn the basic technique of forehand volleying and some more advanced pointers.
Nail polish is such a fun and quick way to display your mood - or current fashion fascination - with pizazz. But we hate it when, just a day into application, we notice the first few chips and tears and cracks.
In this quick clip from Lifehacker, you'll see how you can skip pre-video commercials on YouTube by hitting your web browser's Refresh button. For more information, including a complete demonstration of this simple technique, and to get started annoying skipping pre-roll ads on YouTube yourself, take a look.
If you like Justin Bieber and you like to play piano, oh boy do we have a video for you. This video will teach you how to play a solo piano instrumental cover of Justin's hit song "Stuck in the Moment". It's a very pretty song and pretty easy to play, so check it out!
Justin Bieber appears to be here to stay, at least until his voice gets deeper, and his parade of hit songs continues unabated. This video will show you how to play one of his many huge singles, "U Smile" on the piano. You can even check out the sheet music to the song here.
Ear training is incredibly important to any musician. Knowing to hear and identify root and chord movement and being able to analyze a chord progression quickly is so important to your career. In this video you will get a great ear training lesson on how to analyze the chord progression of a song simply by using the movement of the melody to identify the tonic and chord progression.
Pretty Little Liars is the newest part of the increasingly puzzling lineup of shows on ABC Family that seem to be creating a new demographic to target as they go along. The girls on it are very pretty, and this video will show you how to create a makeup look inspired by the show's star Alison DiLaurentis.
