If you're someone who likes to customize their user experience, stock Android is a lot like a blank canvas. The firmware that comes preinstalled on Nexus devices is just Android—no manufacturer skins or carrier bloat involved. This simplicity opens up the door for many root mods and flashable ZIPs that can be installed in a custom recovery.
The volume is maxed out, but that doesn't stop me from hitting the volume key on my Nexus 7 in hopes that it will magically get louder. This happens to me everyday as I watch videos or play music. The simple fact is that a Nexus 7 tablet just doesn't get very loud. At least, not loud enough for me.
An uncapitalized proper noun in a message or email is a serious no-go for those skilled in the art of grammar. But trying to make a lowercase letter uppercase (and vice versa) is not a fun task if you're using an iPhone. You've got to point the cursor is just the right spot to change a letter, and that's a skilled art in and of itself.
Allowing the use of third-party keyboards on iOS 8 was a great move on Apple's part, providing iPhone users with choices when it came to an often-used and important aspect of their operating system. Unfortunately, as cool as all these keyboards are, they all use the same boring, stock font.
If you're trying to get a new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, we know you've been struggling to find one, and we're here to help. With Apple's preorder numbers topping 4 million in the first 24 hours, it was nearly impossible to get one during the first wave.
Oddly enough, stock Android does not come with a "do not disturb" function out of the box. Samsung has their own version built into to TouchWiz called "Blocking Mode," and Apple has had their "Do Not Disturb" feature since iOS 6, so why is stock Android so late to the game?
Honestly, Android's stock alarm icon is completely useless. It doesn't relay any information other than the fact that, at some point in the future, you have an alarm coming up. Considering how pointless it is, I normally install GravityBox or other similar mods just to get rid of it.
It happens to everyone: you set a lock screen password in a hurry and cannot remember it the next day. To unlock your device again, you need to reset the password (or PIN, pattern, etc). There are two official methods of doing this.
Samsung devices may dominate the Android market, but that doesn't mean everybody loves TouchWiz, the user interface on all of their smartphones and tablets. It's difficult to modify, comes with lots of bloatware, and isn't much to look at, to say the least.
When I'm showing off my HTC One, the first thing I do is unlock my device and say, "OK Google". It may earn me a weird look or two, but in the end people are amazed by the voice recognition and automation of the Google Now Launcher.
With CyanogenMod 10.2 recently released and the Samsung Galaxy S4 still waiting on Android 4.3, it only makes sense that the coveted features from both firmwares are highly desired by Android owners all over. We've already brought you a feature from each firmware—the cLock home/lock screen widget from CyanogenMod and the Google Play Edition Camera and Gallery from Android 4.3. Now we're bringing you another in the form of an updated text messaging application, ported from both Android 4.3 and...
I never really get tired of staring at the beautiful Halle Berry wallpaper on my Samsung Galaxy S3, but occasionally she needs a break. There are literally thousands of different wallpapers to choose from, but since the new Moto X just came out, its stock wallpapers are ripe for the picking. Step 1: Download the Moto X Default Wallapers
You've probably already figured out that your Nexus 7 doesn't have a rear camera, but that doesn't mean you can't do some awesome things with your tablet's front camera!
To make a Spinner Card you need some essential tools like, Paper Cutter, Scissors, Stamps, 1/2" Circle Punch, 2 Pennies, a Stamping Dimensional and any embellishments. Have the card stocks one for the card part and the other for the front of the card. In the first step, take the circle punch, flip it over for easy viewing. Push the paper all the way in and to the farthest left without going out of the paper. Punch your 1st hole here. Do the exact thing on the right side of the 1st hole. It wo...
Nothing says “New Orleans” like this thick soup. This recipe makes a Creole-style gumbo, using chicken or shrimp.
Learn how to play straight gin. Grab a friend, pull out a deck of cards, and get comfortable. Straight Gin is easy to learn.
In older Android versions, you could flood your status bar with a wall of notification icons. But starting with Android 9, Google made it to where you can only see four icons by default, and it was mostly done to accommodate phones with notches. But Google's only notched phone is the Pixel 3 XL, so what if you have literally any other Pixel?
While iOS has many strengths, in-app settings are not among them. Sure, third-party apps often come with a settings gear, but stock apps? No way. To change settings in Music, Photos, Camera, and other Apple apps, you'll need to leave the app. But there's a hidden trick to quickly access an app's settings — without needing to open the Settings app itself manually.
Samsung Experience isn't for everyone. While it's a far cry from the TouchWiz days, it is still too heavy of a skin for Android purists. But you shouldn't let that dissuade you from a powerful device that checks nearly all other boxes — there are ways to make the Galaxy Note 9's software look and feel almost exactly like stock.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ haven't even hit shelves yet, but some of the stock apps from Samsung's latest flagships have already been leaked. The biggest one so far is the new Samsung Experience Launcher, which replaces TouchWiz Home, and is quite a bit different from anything you'll find on previous Galaxy models.
Whether you made the switch from iOS, or you came from a different Android device, there's a lot to learn about your new Galaxy device. Samsung does things a bit differently, and thanks to their TouchWiz interface, there are tons of added features to take advantage of—though some folks might find these extras to be a bit too much.
These days, the user experience on stock Android is a lot more refined and polished than manufacturer skins like Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC's Sense. This is mostly due to Material Design, the look and feel that Google implemented back in Android Lollipop, which has finally started to give Android a unified appearance with its sleek icons and abundant use of colors.
Because of Apple's iron grip over iOS, hiding stock applications is a topic we frequently like to cover. While not everyone may think that Apple's preinstalled iOS apps are bloatware, that's exactly what some of them are. For instance, the Apple Watch app; it's basically just an advertisement on your home screen unless you actually have an Apple Watch.
Cooking rice, pasta, and other grains in water is so boring. There is a much better way to guarantee they will have your mouth chewing something seriously tasty: cook them in something that isn't water. Alternative liquids such as stock, milk, juice, or even tea will give bland dishes a fresh new flavor boost. If you're not sure how your dishes might taste, never fear: we tested them out. Before getting started, be sure to read this article first so that you know why it's important to rinse y...
Located at the bottom of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 lies the speaker from which music, notifications, and most other audio comes from, which provides warm and clear sound when needed.
Keeping your OnePlus One running smoothly can be taxing, especially if you spend most of your day looking for ways to tweak performance settings like me. Sometimes I get lucky and end up with a faster phone, but because I experiment so much, I often end up restoring it back to stock. This process can get old really quick, but when I started using the Bacon Root Toolkit from WugFresh, it became exponentially easier.
Transition animations are an essential element of any mobile operating system. They give the user a sense of what's happening on the screen, where the apps are coming from, and where they're going.
Google's upcoming Android release hasn't even received a name or version number yet, but the third-party development community is already having its way with the firmware.
Although lacking in megapixels, the HTC One M8's camera can be considered a top-tier, flagship-level shooter. With the Duo Camera and UltraPixel technology behind it, it can make even the most inexperienced photographer snap pictures like a pro. There seems to be little missing for the average user, but for the more seasoned photographers, some of the standard settings may seem a bit too dumbed down.
Sometimes you need more than just your brain to split the bill at a restaurant or to calculate how much your cable company is ripping you off.
Point-and-shoot cameras are practically extinct these days now that every new phone on the planet has a camera built right in. This makes the smartphone market highly competitive, because the camera specs and features are a big selling point.
During last week's D11 event, Sundar Pichai, head of Google's Android division, announced that a Google Edition of the HTC One would be available for sale on June 26th in the Google Play store.
Check out this how-to video to play the board game "Goa." Goa is for two to four players and lasts for ninety minutes. In Goa, each character takes on the role of a 16th century Portuguese spice trader (pretty specific, huh?) To win, you have to be the most efficient at growing your spice export business.
Jad Cooper shows us how to make perfect couscous. First, soak the chickpeas, then peel and cut some turnips, a cauliflower or cabbage, some zucchini, sweet potato, green peppers, onions and tomatoes. Wash some cilantro and tie it up with string so it doesn’t fall apart during the cooking. Put the onions, tomatoes and cilantro into a large pot for the base of the stock.
This video on typhoon preparedness comes from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, where typhoons are common. The key to surviving a typhoon or other disaster is preparation. Stock up on enough food and supplies to last your family for about a week. Routinely check expiration dates on food, water and batteries and rotate your stock. Be sure window screens are in place and in good condition in the event the power is off for several days.
Ryan Archer shows viewers how to make a slow cooker pot roast in your crock pot! First, chop up your onions, two tomatoes, three sticks of celery, 2 cloves of garlic and potato wedges. Put all of your vegetables in your crock pot first. Also, put in four whole carrots. Turn a skillet on high. Next, put all-spice on your roast, black pepper, sea salt and paprika. Rub these spices into the roast and repeat this process on the other side of the meat. Now, sear your meat on both sides for about o...
Making an AK-47 gun out of paper is quite easy as shown in this video. You will need: scissors, tape and pieces of paper. ; Make four tubes by rolling each piece of paper and taping them beside each other. ; Take another piece of paper, roll it and tape it including the end sides. ; Attach this tube in the second tube of the four-piece tube you previously made. Tape them very well. You are now done with the shooting tube. ; Take another piece of paper, roll it and tape it. ; Attach this tube ...
Soups do not have to be limited to winter. Daal soup can be enjoyed anytime of the year. It is so hearty and filling, that we really do not need anything else with it. But if you are one that has to have bread, rice or chapatis, go ahead and do just that! Watch this how to video to learn how to make Indian style daal soup.
This Halloween, make a delicious soup dish using the innards of the pumpkin you carved into a jack-o'-lantern! This video recipe will show you how to make a delicious pumpkin spicy soup. The fact that you can pick a chicken or veg stock makes this great for vegans who want to celebrate Halloween.
The internet has created amazing new standards for how closely information can be followed. If you want a portable analog unit that will monitor one important piece of online info continuously and have some DIY electrical knowhow, watch this video. It will show you how to use an Arduino Ethernet Shield to make an internet meter to monitor email, stocks, and other online info on a simple analog display. You will need to know some PHP to make this work.