If you're constantly going from dark to brightly lit areas, you've probably noticed that the stock auto brightness feature on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 doesn't work that well. Either the screen is really dim and unreadable, or it's just way too damn bright. Sure, you can disable auto brightness, but then you have to manually adjust the brightness all of the time for that perfect comfort level. This isn't really all that bad of an option, but don't be surprised when you see this: However, the...
Since The Guardian published leaked documents exposing the depth of the NSA's spying powers, many people who've never put much effort into protecting their privacy are finally starting to pay attention. Evidence of public opinion concerning PRISM can be seen from the rise in traffic for pro-privacy sites like DuckDuckGo to the petitions demanding that the program be scaled back or done away with altogether. Some would argue that you waive your right to privacy by signing the terms of agreemen...
If smartphone video games have a weakness, it's probably their inability to emulate the riveting and immersive experience that consoles offer.
Rooting your Samsung Galaxy S4 has many advantages; theming, free wireless hotspots, deleting system apps, and generally being ahead of the curve when it comes to updates. It's also great for simple things like centering your clock or freezing apps.
Cooking may be an art, but baking is a science. It requires precise measurements since the outcome is based on chemical reactions. Using too much or too little of one ingredient can be the difference between perfect, crunchy-yet-chewy cookies and the dreaded "one big cookie." That's why frozen cookie dough and pre-made bread and cake mixes are so popular. They're easy to throw together, and pretty much guarantee success every time. But what if you're feeling so lazy that you don't even want t...
Plastic red cups are synonymous with college parties, beer pong, and generally a good time. The reason these cups are so rampant in the party scene is because they're cheap, easily disposable, and, well... who wants to drink out of a blue cup?!? Oh, to be young and in debt.
There is a substantial number of helpful tools at your disposal in Microsoft Word when it comes to writing; grammar check, word count, dictionary, thesaurus, and tons more. One tool that doesn't necessarily make itself obvious is testing your document's readability. With this built-in tool, you can not only check your spelling and grammar, but also the reading level of your document.
During the colder months, it seems like almost everyone wears boots. Even when it's hot out, people can be spotted with knee-highs and westerns. Whether it's for fashion or because you live in a place where 3 feet of snow is common, a good pair of boots (or five) is nice to have.
You know that moment when you finally figure out something, but you figured it out years after you really needed it? Don't you freaking hate that?!
Gaining remote access to a phone isn't only for super hackers and spies. There are plenty of times when the average smartphone user would want to have remote access to their device.
I rarely ever turn my desktop off. For starters, it takes a few minutes to boot up, which I hate, and secondly, putting the computer to sleep is perfectly adequate. You really only need to completely shut down your computer every once in a while.
If you're the type of person who constantly uses multiple tabs in your browser, you know how annoying it is when one of them starts playing unwanted music or video.
The gold standard of great foods on a stick is reserved for honey battered corn dogs and shish kabob (which is surprisingly spelled just like it sounds). But when I saw this absolutely amazing concoction of breakfast food combined with the queen of meats, I fell in love. Now, if you are looking at this picture and still don't know what it is, you are definitely not a chicken and waffles fan, otherwise you would have figured it out right away. I mean, what else goes well with syrup-drenched wa...
While there is definitely no shortage of video game emulators in the Android Market, it lacks in modern gaming consoles. Nintendo 64, Game Boys, and Sega Genesis are all accounted for, but what about emulators for some of the gaming consoles that have come out in the, let's say...past decade?
Are you constantly traveling? Well, as a Hilton HHonors member, you can enjoy special treatment at all of their hotels and resorts. It's free to register, but the difficulty lies in climbing up their membership level. To reach Gold elite status, Hilton HHonors requires that you have a minimum of 20 stays, 40 nights, or 75,000 base points—all in one year. While this may very will be easily attainable for those with jobs that revolve around traveling, it's almost damn near impossible for the re...
When it comes to live wallpaper for your Android device, the choices are pretty much limitless. Anything from a planet's elliptical orbit around the sun to a school of fish swimming across your screen are just a click and a download away. With the advancement of smartphones, live wallpapers have greatly improved. What once used to be a bit of snow falling down the screen has now evolved into very complex animations, with some that are even susceptible to your interaction with them.
The first alarm clock in recorded history can be traced back to ancient Greek philosopher Plato, known for laying the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Plato was said to possess a very large water clock with an alarm signal similar to that of a water organ.
A car is stolen every 33 seconds in the United States, and from that, the percentage of vehicles recovered in the first day is a whopping 52 percent. Over the next week, that number rises to around 79 percent, but after those initial seven days are up, it's unlikely the vehicle will be found.
If you use Facebook's Messenger app on your iPhone, your cell phone bill might just get a little cheaper. After recently adding voice chats to Messenger, the company just rolled out its new Free Call feature on the latest version of the iOS app, which allows users to make calls over Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection. The feature only works between two people who are both using the latest version of Messenger and is not yet available on the Android app. Facebook says it "will be rolling out ...
If there's anything the Internet has taught us, it's the fact that, just because two things shouldn't go together, does not under any circumstances mean that someone won't find a way to make them go together.
At some point or another, we've all been in that awful situation when someone walks up behind you while you're looking at something you don't want them to see. Whether you're tweeting during class, shopping for gifts online, or looking at something a little more NSFW, there are times when it would be nice to just click a button and have all your open tabs disappear.
Those of you who have attended a Steampunk convention in the last year or two may have heard of something called "Tea Duelling" and been intrigued.
Roughly five million years ago, humans split off from chimpanzees, who had in turn split off from gorillas five million years earlier.
When it comes to the quality of a photo, lighting can make or break it. Too much light, and your subject looks washed out. Too little, and you can't even tell what your subject is.
Remember the 1960's American television series Batman, with Adam West as Bruce Wayne? It was waaaaay before my time. The caped crusader that I'm more familiar with is actually this one... When I first heard of Adam West, it was him doing the Batusi on The Simpsons. I had no idea what was going on, so I looked up Adam West and his sensual dance and found myself face to face with the 1960's Batman.
So you've learned all of the dance moves to Gangnam Style and made your very own papercraft version of PSY that dances whenever you want him to. Now it's time to take your obsession a step further—by making yourself the star of the Gangnam Style music video. JibJab, the custom e-card site, has created a free tool that lets you use any photo to replace PSY's face with yours (or whoever you choose), then share the video with your friends.
When money's tight and you're tired of re-watching and re-watching your gigantic DVD collection, there's always live television. Of course, you probably don't have cable, which means you're resorting to a homemade antenna like this to get broadcasted channels in your area. But, let's face it—it's just not good enough.
As a kid, I remember hearing the myth that Twinkies could last forever. The rumor was that they were made from chemical ingredients that caused the Twinkies to stay fresh and edible for years and years. Right along with the cockroach, Twinkies were supposed to be the only survivors of the nuclear holocaust that would destroy the entire world. As I got older, I realized the rumor wasn't true. Twinkies actually have a shelf life of just 25 days. And with the news that Hostess is going out of bu...
Microsoft's updated web browser, Internet Explorer 10, has only been out for a few days on Windows 8, and there is already a storm of controversy surrounding its launch.
Link shorteners like TinyURL and Bitly are great for Twitter (or anytime you're limited on space), but they're also great for hackers. It's easy to hide a malicious link in an innocent-looking shortened URL, which increases the chances that people will click on it.
In college, I enjoyed eating, sleeping and making my roommate's life a living hell. My most satisfying prank involved 500 red cups stapled together, filled with water, and strewn across his bedroom floor. He was not happy. To clean up, he had to unstaple each cup, carry it to the bathroom, and dump the water. He was furious, but I was okay with sacrificing our friendship in exchange for a fantastic story that I'll probably tell my grandkids one day. If you're not as cruel as me, there are oth...
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.
Everything is documented these days, thanks to the Internet and mobile devices. Most people who own a smartphone use it to take lots of pictures. If you're one of those people, an app called Scoopshot can help you turn some of those photos into extra cash. Scoopshots lets you post your pics so that news organizations can pay you to use them. Companies can also post tasks, so if someone is looking for a particular photo in your area, you can accept the task, go take the photo, and earn money f...
Gerridae—you've probably seen these weird bugs gliding across the surface of the water when you're out swimming or fishing. These insects are commonly referred to as water striders, or more cleverly, Jesus bugs, for their ability to "walk on water". It's a pretty cool trick, but what could it do for science, right? Turns out, quite a bit. Photo by felixtsao
Sometimes you just want to grill. It doesn't matter where you are, what you have, or whom you're with—you just want a delicious burger and you don't care what it takes.
Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8) is out today, available in the Mac App Store for just $20. Unfortunately, installing Mountain Lion requires that you already have a Mac running Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) or Lion (OS X 10.7). If you're currently running a Leopard system, you're out of luck, and need to pay $29 to upgrade to Snow Leopard, and then an additional $20 to upgrade again to Mountain Lion. That sounds like way to much trouble to me. But why exactly is Leopard incompatible? Turns out it's not—m...
Wish your home wireless network was faster? You can always buy a signal booster, but if you'd rather not spend the money, here are a few tips and tricks to speed up your wireless connection, including how to make a homemade signal booster with things you probably already have lying around.
Custom ring and text tones are great for knowing who's attempting to contact you without having to actually look at your iPhone. However, this feature is useless when your device is in silent/vibrate-only mode.
Paper towels are really cool. I like having them around for quickly cleaning up messes and what not. However, I do not have a stand or something similar for my paper towels, so it can sometimes get a bit taxing to pick up the roll and unravel it every time I need a towel.
Flavored oils are amazing. They add a new flavor and depth to dishes not possible with plain oil. Most unfortunately, however, flavored oils almost always come with a hefty price tag to reflect their deliciousness and to capitalize on the general cluelessness of the public.
