How To: Access the App Switcher from Your iPhone's Control Center
How many times do you think you press the Home button on your iPhone? You probably can't place a number on it, but you know it's a lot.
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Mario Live Wallpaper: Classic Side-Scrolling Action for Your Home or Lock Screen
Nothing else quite sums up my childhood like Super Mario, the Italian plumber who constantly had to defeat Bowser to save Princess Peach (aka Princess Toadstool) from danger. While it's easy to relive the classic gameplay on your Android with Nintendo emulators, not everyone has time for lengthy quests. Instead, you can get your Mario nostalgia fix with a live wallpaper for your home and/or lock screen.
How To: Tweak System Settings & Activate Hidden Features in Yosemite with TinkerTool
Most diehard Mac users have used TinkerTool at some time or another, and if you haven't, it's time to start. Whether it's to change your system's font or to disable UI animations, it seems like anything you could ever think about tweaking in Mac OS X is doable through TinkerTool. And now, developer Marcel Bresink has updated his app to work with Yosemite, so let's see what it can do now.
How To: Spend Less on Steam Games Using Tracker Discounts for Android
Steam is by far the biggest and best service for getting games on your Linux, Mac, or Windows PC. With their catalog containing everything from the biggest blockbusters to indie games created by one-man development teams, it's no easy task to keep track of their best values—until now.
How To: Make Your Android Look & Feel Like Lollipop Right Now
The new Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 models will be shipping with Android 5.0 Lollipop preinstalled, and the Nexus 4, 5, 7, and 10 will be getting the new OS update from Google very soon. But where does that leave the rest of us?
News: Google Calendar Gets a Huge Makeover & New Features (APK Inside)
It's been a long time coming, but Google's Calendar app for Android has finally received a visual makeover. In the spirit of Android Lollipop, Google's new Material Design permeates throughout the update.
How To: Receive Urgent Calls & Texts When Your Android Is in Silent Mode
Silencing my phone always gives me mild anxiety; while my Android is muted, my girlfriend or boss may be trying to reach me with some urgent news or task. On the one hand, I want to enjoy some peace and quiet, but on the other, I don't want to come back to a phone with 100 missed calls and countless exclamatory texts.
How To: Find Out if Your Wireless Carrier Is Tracking You on Android
A shady practice in place by AT&T and Verizon Wireless—and possibly more wireless carriers—was recently uncovered. Outgoing data requests sent from devices on these service providers are being injected with a Unique Identifier Header (UIDH) that allows websites, the carriers, and potentially even government agencies to track your online activity.
How To: Use the Much-Improved Face Unlock Feature in Android Lollipop
I think it's safe to assume that most of us appreciate a little privacy and security when it comes to our mobile devices, which is exactly why we have lock screens that require unique passwords, patterns, or PINs. Although someone can discretely peer over your shoulder to see what your password is, it's much more difficult for them to duplicate your face to unlock the device.
How To: Automatically Disable Distractions on Your Mac for a Productivity Boost
Getting things done isn't easy when you're bombarded with alert sounds and notifications all day long on your Mac. Here's how you can quickly remove those distractions with just a single click.
How To: Get Android Alerts for When Your Favorite Websites Update Content
The problem with striving to be on the bleeding edge of what's new for your smartphone, or really anything else in life, is having to constantly check websites and forums for new content. And with lots of that browsing happening on our phones, the aimless page loading and refreshing is not just annoying when there isn't new content, but can lead to wasted data usage, not to mention time.
Be Maleficent for Halloween: DIY Horns, Dress & Makeup for Cheap
Casting Angelina Jolie as Maleficent was a no-brainer on Disney's part. No one else could project beauty, elegance, and fear simultaneously just like the animated villain in Sleeping Beauty did. But what sets the character apart from other evil witches, or any other Disney character for that matter, is the sinister, yet gorgeous-looking horns and headdress. And with news that a Maleficent sequel is currently in the works, this will surely be a great Halloween costume this year.
How To: Enable Experimental Cards in Google Now for Android
Google has a practice known as dogfooding, where they use their employees to test new and upcoming features for their various services. Back in March, they accidentally released a dogfood version of YouTube on Google Play, and many Android users got their first behind-the-scenes glance at the internal testing features.
How To: Delete "Phantom" iCloud Songs on Your iPhone
One of the best ways to free up space on your iPhone is to use iCloud storage, and one of the best uses for iCloud is music. If you're using iCloud for music, you can choose which songs and albums to upload, and then you can download them to your device later for offline use if need be.
How To: New App Switcher Gives Faster Access to Any App from Anywhere
App switchers are a great way to conveniently access your favorite applications from any screen, but most limit the number of apps you can use. That means that whenever you want to switch over to another app, you have to leave your current one, and either find the one you want in recents, on your home screen, or in your app drawer.
News: Hackers Have 92% Success Rate Hacking Gmail on Android
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside and the University of Michigan announced recently that they have developed a hack that works 92% of the time on Google's Gmail system on Android, as well as with the H&R Block app.
How To: Make a Smartphone Projector for Less Than $5
There's nothing better than gathering up all the cushions, pillows, and blankets in your home and having a good ol' fashion movie night. But if you're still rocking the old 19-inch TV your parents gave you in college, you may want to upgrade to something bigger.
How To: Secretly Record Videos Using the Volume Keys on Your Galaxy S4 or Other Android Phone
Unlike the suave 007 that Daniel Craig portrayed, I am not a spy, nor am I that charming, but I do occasionally enjoy taking a stealthy video. Maybe I'm a jerk, but I often catch people doing ridiculous things and just think, "Aren't you embarrassed?"
How To: Launch Apps Straight from the Status Bar on Your Nexus 5
Even with display sizes increasing by the year, smartphone screen real estate is still at a premium. We want the content we're viewing to take center stage, and this leaves little room for functionality beyond the focused app.
How To: For Great Pan-Fried Steak, Salt the Skillet First
There are a lot of techniques out there for how to cook the perfect steak, from flipping it multiple times to applying a spice rub or dry brine to aging the beef. But it turns out that there's a super-easy way to make a great steak at home, and all you need is a good cast-iron skillet and some salt.
How To: Use Drawing Gestures on Your Galaxy S4’s Lock Screen to Perform Actions Faster
Lock screen apps are a dime a dozen, but every now and then one pops up that defies expectations. We've already covered some good ones for the Samsung Galaxy S4, including Picture Password Lockscreen (which gives you secret unlock gestures), SlideLock (which improves notifications), and TimePIN (which gives you a more clever PIN).
How To: Recover Deleted Photos & Videos from Your iPhone or iPad in iOS 8
What happens when you accidentally delete a photo or video from your iPad or iPhone? How do you get it back?
How To: The Good & Bad About iOS 8's New Swipe Gestures in Mail for iPhone
Staying on the move while managing email is a priority for many of us, from parents to students to business professionals. Seems that Apple had this in mind when improving the stock Mail application in iOS 8, which now includes swipe gestures that make marking messages as read/unread, as well as flagging and deleting, a whole lot quicker.
How To: Get Custom Screen-Off Effects for Your Nexus 5 or Other Android Device
When theming Android, it's the little touches that complete the look, making your device yours. If you're rooted, you probably know by now that there's virtually nothing you can't change the look of on Android.
How To: Turn Lens Blur Photos from Google Camera into Stunning Live Wallpapers for Your Galaxy S4
If you have Android KitKat, you're fortunate enough to be able to use the new Google Camera, which has tons of great features, including Photo Sphere, Tiny Planet, Panorama, and Fisheye. With so many photo options and no additional hardware needed, it's hard to not to like this camera.
How To: Add "OK Google" Hotword Search to HTC Sense & Other Android Launchers
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.
How To: Add Menu & Search Soft Keys to the Navigation Bar on Your Nexus 7
Many of our everyday apps include a menu tab or search bar, like Chrome and Twitter. In fact, a lot of times those are the first things we go for, as search is universal in most apps, and app settings are just about always accessible through the menu.
How To: Cast Endless Streams of Videos You'll Definitely Like
The folks behind StumbleUpon have created a video service that is just as awesome at introducing you to new content as their website service is.
Heartbleed Still Lingers: How to Check Your Android Device for Vulnerabilities
Unless you've been living under a rock with no internet connection, it's safe to say that you've heard of the Heartbleed flaw that allows practically anyone with the right knowledge to steal your personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and e-mail addresses using OpenSSL.
How To: Put Your Nexus 7 in Deep Sleep Mode to Conserve Battery Power Throughout the Day
Battery life is precious to all mobile device users, and nothing is worse than running out of it. The only thing that can save a device from the dreaded low battery warning is the charger, but who carries those around?
How To: Mimic the S5’s Selective Focus Camera on Your Galaxy S4 for More Impressive Photos
The recently released HTC One M8 and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 are both boasting selective focus features for their camera apps, but with a 13 megapixel camera, the GS4 can take some pretty stellar pictures, too.
News: Everything You Need to Know About the New Xposed Installer (Version 2.5)
Allowing us to easily get features that would otherwise be available only through flashing mods and custom ROMs, Xposed Installer has been a godsend since its development, simplifying the sometimes tasking and potentially harmful process of changing the core components of Android's operating system.
How To: Share Photos & Videos from Your Google Glass to Facebook & Twitter
The ability to see the world around you and instantly share that "vision" is something that makes Google Glass great for everyday use. No reason to pull out your phone to show off the amazing sushi plate you were just served—look at it, give a couple of quick taps and voice commands, and boom, your social network is salivating in jealousy.
How To: Access Notifications & Quick Settings from a Secured Lock Screen on Your Nexus 7
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.
How To: Turn the Screen Off Faster & Alleviate Power Button Stress on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Normal wear and tear, combined with unfortunate accidents, can take a toll on any smartphone leading to scratches, cracks, and breaks that can leave physical buttons useless. One of the first buttons to usually go is the power button, since it's the main way to turn your phone (and screen) off and on.
How To: Install Jailbreak Tweaks on Your iPhone Without Cydia or iFile
There are a ton of great mods and tweaks available in Cydia, but occasionally there will be one you want to install that hasn't quite made it into one of the main repositories yet. If you're not patient, it can be still be installed by manually placing the .deb file directly onto your device and installing it with iFile.
How To: The Perfect Way to Eat a Burger with No Mess or Sticky Fingers, According to Science
I don't know many meat eaters who don't appreciate a good burger, but unless you eat it plain, it usually gets pretty messy. Toppings falling off and sauce running down your arms seems like it's all just part of the process.
How To: Liven Up Your Background with These Free 3D Parallax Wallpapers for Your Samsung Galaxy S3
The inclusion of the parallax effect caused a shitstorm amongst iPhone users when it was released in iOS 7, especially when it came to creating custom wallpapers. It was hard to control, and even disabling it didn't fully get rid of it, making it one of the most hated new features in Apple's latest mobile OS.
How To: Stop YouTube Surfing with a Personal Video Concierge for Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Whether you're on the john or sitting quietly on the bus to work, there's always time for a little video. And thanks to my favorite high school procrastination site, I'm going to be turning that little into a lot.
How To: Get Chat Head Bubbles for Text Messages on Your Nexus 5
A while back, Facebook released a killer feature called "Chat Heads" to its Facebook Messenger app. Messages from users would "pop up" in small bubbles that floated on the screen that could be seen, accessed, and moved around from within most apps.