How To: Fix the Random Auto Brightness Spikes on Your Nexus 5
If you've ever noticed, even just for a fleeting moment, that the auto brightness on your Nexus 5 seemed to "glitch out"—you are not alone.
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Hollywood's Nightmare: Watching Pirated Movies on Your HDTV Is as Easy as Buying a $35 Chromecast
Popcorn Time is an app that streams movies directly from torrents on to your computer, and it's seen its fair share of publicity, being lauded as a free Netflix alternative and chastised as an illegal file-sharing network.
How To: Get Custom Notifications on Your Nexus 5 for Just About Anything
If you've ever used IFTTT, you know how well it can automate your online world. The premise is simple—If This, Then That—but the results are powerful. From automatically printing images based on hashtags to getting around Twitter bans, the service is quite useful with a wealth of possibilities.
How To: 12 April Fool's Day Pranks for Your Smartphone-Addicted Family & Friends
April Fool's Day, aka National Screw with Your Friends Day, is finally here. You can always pull a conventional prank, like strategically placing a whoopee cushion on your mom's chair, but that joke has been exhausted generations before smartphones were around. We live in a day and age where smack cam is the new level of pranking, so it's time to step your game up, novices.
How To: Add Thumb-Friendly Quick Settings to Your Nexus 7 Tablet
There are two types of tablet users in the world—those who like their quick settings up top, and those who want them on the bottom. I fall into the latter category, and there are a couple of reasons for it.
How To: Bypass the SD Card Restrictions in Android 4.4 KitKat on Your Galaxy S4
One draw that Samsung's Galaxy S line has had over the Google Nexus 4 and 5 and the HTC One (though the M8 appears to be following suit) is expandable storage. Pop a microSD card into the slot and you have extra storage for music, photos, and even apps themselves in some cases.
How To: Unroot & Relock Your Modded Nexus 5 Back to Factory Condition
Okay, so you're rooted and need to return your Nexus 5 to its stock firmware. Whether it's because you need to send your phone in to the manufacturer to fix a defect or you just want to use the device's over-the-air updating feature, unrooting and returning your Nexus 5 back to its fresh-out-of-the-box state is a fairly simple process with the right tools.
How To: The Easiest Way to Access Recent Files & Photos on Your Nexus 7
If you use your Nexus 7 like me, then you're constantly downloading APKs, installing new games from Google Play, taking a million photos, and using multiple apps at the same time.
How To: Create Restricted Profiles on Your Nexus 7 for Guest Users
Whenever I hand my tablet over to someone, my heart always races for a second at the thought that they may stumble across my private pictures, texts, and videos. I trust them, and they may not be the snooping type, but it can be easy enough to come across private stuff by accidentally opening a gallery or messaging app.
How To: Set Your Current Location & Weather Forecast as Your Galaxy Note 3's Wallpaper
Muzei Live Wallpaper is a popular Android app that refreshes your home screen background at set intervals, turning it into blurred pieces of artwork or photography while keeping your icons and widgets in the spotlight.
How To: (Updated) The Extremely Vulgar (& Hilarious) "Cards Against Humanity" Game Has Been Cloned for Chromecast & Android
If you've never played Cards Against Humanity, it's time to get initiated. Originally funded through Kickstarter, the free to download card game is basically an obscene version of Apples to Apples.
How To: Navigate Apps & Settings with Slides & Gestures on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Slide to left, slide to the right, one hop this time. Okay, so maybe those are some of the dance instructions for the "Cha Cha Slide", but sliding and swiping on your Samsung Galaxy S3 can become so much more than just a simple gesture.
How To: View Google Play Pages for Installed Apps Faster on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
On more than one occasion, I've wanted to check out the Google Play page for an app I was currently using, whether it was to get contact information or read recent reviews to see if others were experiencing issues that I was.
How To: Everything You Need to Know About Apple's iOS 7.1 for iPad, iPhone, & iPod Touch
After many beta builds, Apple has finally released iOS 7.1 to the public. It includes bug fixes for the old iOS 7.0.6, along with UI enhancements and even some new features.
How To: Get the Exclusive Nokia X Browser, Camera, Ringtones, & More on Your Nexus 5
Nokia's recent foray into the world of Android brought a plethora of goodies along with it. The Finnish smartphone manufacturer offers a slightly different take on our favorite mobile operating system, with customizations ranging from ringtones to its very own app store.
How To: Use Samsung's New Ad-Free "Milk Music" Streaming Service on Your Galaxy Note 2
In direct competition with Pandora, iTunes Radio, and Spotify, Samsung has just launched Milk Music—a strangely named, yet completely free music streaming service for Android.
How To: Mimic the Galaxy S5's New Speed Reader Technology on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
You can read at 500 words per minutes. Don't believe me? Here, see for yourself. This amazing technology comes from the startup Spritz, and they're ready to unleash it onto the smart device world, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Gear line of smartwatches.
How To: Single Out Data-Hungry Apps on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
If you have a limited or restricted data plan, monitoring your usage can be the difference between escaping the month without overage fees or emptying out your wallet.
How To: Install the Leaked KitKat Build on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (International Variant Only)
While the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 are enjoying their official KitKat updates, those of us with Note 2s are left to play the waiting game. While we know our devices will eventually see an update to Android 4.4.2 KitKat, it's unclear when an official update for our devices will come.
How To: Install the Xposed Framework on Your HTC One for Super Easy Customization
There are plenty of ways to customize your stock HTC One (or any Android device), from playing retro games to adding rotating live wallpapers. But to get the most out of your device, you need root access.
How To: Improve Your Samsung Galaxy S3's Math Skills with Calculator Themes & Gestures
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.
How To: Play NES Game ROMs on Your iPad or iPhone—No Jailbreak Required
Apple hates game emulators. Go ahead, look around in the iOS App Store, you won't find any. But who needs 'em anyway?
How To: Get Constantly Changing Wallpapers on Your Galaxy S3 That Adapt to Your Likes
No matter how cool my 3D live wallpaper is, or how often my Google Now wallpapers automatically change, I always want more backgrounds. Zedge has made it easy for me to find new ones, and 500 Firepaper helps me keep my background lively with rotating wallpapers—but these aren't enough.
How To: Stream Personal Movies, Music, & Photos to Chromecast from Any Android Device
It's been a great week for Chromecast owners. First, Google released the development kit, allowing devs to install the casting code into their apps. Then, CyanogenMod dev Koush updated his AllCast app to support the Chromecast. That means you can shoot personal movies, music, and photos directly from your Android device over to a Chromecast-connected display.
How To: Quick Reply & Compose Text Messages Without Leaving the Current App on Your iPhone
Texting can be difficult sometimes. When you're browsing the web or playing a game on your iPhone and need to respond to text message real quick, you have to exit your current app to do so. Not exactly efficient, especially if a quick "K" is all you need to say.
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: Add Your Favorite Apps to the Pen Window Drawer on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
There wasn't really anything too special about the S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, with its limited capabilities and finicky sensitivity. Luckily, the S Pen was greatly improved on the Note 3, the biggest enhancement being Air Command, a floating menu that appears when the S Pen is removed that gives quick access to all the new features.
How To: Install the Xposed Framework on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 for Instant softModding
There are plenty of apps on Google Play for customizing your Samsung Galaxy S3 with wallpapers and new lock screens, but to be honest, you're not really customizing until you root.
How To: Root Your Nexus 5—An Easy Guide for First-Timers
It's time. You've experimented with apps from the Play Store, you've switched your lock screen, and maybe you've taken different launchers out for a spin. If, throughout your tinkering, you've found yourself chanting, "More. More. Give me more!" then now is the time. It's time to root.
How To: Apple's 3rd iOS 7.1 Beta for iPad, iPhone, & iPod Touch Is Out—Here's What's New
Apple has released the third beta of its iOS 7.1 software to developers, just a few weeks after their second beta introduced us to button shapes, a new calendar list view toggle, a hidden Car Display control and several other tweaks and performance improvements.
How To: Multitask Like a Boss on Your Nexus 7 Tablet with Faster Access to Apps & Settings
I have literally played Madden, watched YouTube videos, and listened to music on my phone all at the same time. Some would call this pathetic, but I call it talent. Life is way too short, so I need to get the most out of it when I can. Thank goodness for multitasking, which should be a key feature when you're looking into a new tablet or phone.
How To: Make Your HTC One Feel Like a Nexus 5 with Android 4.4 KitKat
The launch of Android 4.4 KitKat alongside the Nexus 5 was met with much fanfare from Android enthusiasts. Unfortunately, if you don't have a Nexus device or are still awaiting the 4.4 update, you may feel a bit left behind.
How To: Never Miss Important Dates Again with These Countdown Widgets & Apps for Your Nexus 7 Tablet
I can't begin to tell you how many times I've forgotten a special day or event. Once, I even showed up to class where everyone was turning in essays while I sat there empty-handed. Important dates sneak up on us. Especially one-time events we just can't wait for, like the release of a new movie when we count down the days, minutes, and hours.
How To: Enhance the Music Listening Experience on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
When choosing a phone or tablet, I always take in to consideration what my music experience will be. Unfortunately, the Nexus 7 doesn't have Beats by Dre technology, which some may view as overrated, though it's definitely one of the better ways to get perfect-sounding tunes with headphones. But it's not all about the Beats. There are many other ways to make listening to music on your Nexus 7 tablet a better experience, and we'll highlight some of the options and add-ons that you can try out.
How To: Use a Smartphone or Tablet as a PlayStation 4 Keyboard
No matter how much of a gamer you are, typing with your PS4 controller is a bitch. Let's just be real. Having to move left, then right, then down, for every single letter can make writing a message very time consuming; so much so that I usually avoid messaging altogether.
How To: Take Screenshots & Upload or Stream Gameplay Videos on the PlayStation 4
It has been 7 long years since the PlayStation 3 was released, which makes it no surprise that over 1 million gamers purchased the new PlayStation 4 this weekend.
How To: Add More Steps to the Volume Slider on Your Nexus 7 for More Gradual Control
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...
How To: PIN-Protect Mobile Data & Wi-Fi to Prevent Procrastination & Unwanted Charges
Normally, "restricted access" is something you despise. No one likes to be told they can't do something, especially when it comes to the Internet. Unfortunately, having web access at all times can not only eat away at your wallet, but make your day less productive overall, so some sort of moderation is needed.
How To: Turn Your HTC One into a Portable N64 Gaming System
My favorite type of video game is first-person shooters, and the one that started it all for me was GoldenEye 007. There was just something about the controls, fast-paced action, and free-roaming environment that got me hooked.
How To: Whip Your Tunes into Shape with CyanogenMod's Apollo Music Player for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2
With over 8 million active users, CyanogenMod is definitely the most popular ROM for Android devices, which explains why venture capitalists invested $7 million last month for future development.