Smartphones Features
How To: Improve Your Pokémon's Stats in Pokémon GO
In Pokémon GO, having an in-depth understanding of your Pokémon's stats and abilities is crucially important to becoming a better player. Not all Pokémon are created equal; as such, it's critical that you look at each of your Pokémon—even duplicates—with a keen eye.
How To: Test for Dead Pixels on Your Smartphone
Every smartphone manufacturer is susceptible to defects, but after dropping a good chunk of change on a shiny new device, we as consumers have little tolerance for such issues. We want our gadgets to be perfect in every regard, so even the tiniest flaw is irksome.
How To: Chat with Friends on Messenger Without a Facebook Account
For some of you, whether or not to delete Facebook is a daily struggle. One reason you might not have pulled the trigger on your Facebook account yet could be because of Messenger, which provides millions of people with different devices an easy way to communicate with each other. But here's a secret you might not know: you don't need to have a Facebook account to use Facebook's popular chat app.
How To: Disable Those Annoying Looping Videos When Playing Songs on Spotify
Back in 2018, Spotify began testing a new mobile feature that has grown very tiresome: three to eight-second looping videos that take over the entire screen. Known as Canvases, they effectively hide the cover art and lyrics of the current song — and they're still very much around to annoy and distract the hell out of you. Thankfully, Spotify has also included a way to get rid of these things.
TIDAL 101: How to Create & Edit Playlists
Playlists are a vital feature for any music streaming service. For many, the ability to add and organize songs into the perfect order is a deciding factor in which streaming service to choose. The folks at Tidal (including owner Jay-Z) certainly recognize this, as they've provided users with the tools to not only create perfect playlists, but edit them as well.
News: This Android App Lets You Search for Specific Words in Books & Documents via Augmented Reality
One of the neatest tricks available in Google Lens, an app that can identify and interpret real world information, is the ability to copy text from the app's camera view and paste it into a digital document.
How To: Use the chompSMS messaging app on your Android phone
Addicted to text messaging? If so, you might want to consider giving chompSMS a go. This clip will show you how to use it. It's easy! So easy, that this video tutorial can present a complete, step-by-step overview of the process in about two and a half minutes. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started using chompSMS on your own Android smartphone, watch this video guide.
Ranked: The 7 Best Paid Word Games for iPhone & Android
Word games can expand your vocabulary skills in all sorts of exciting and creative ways. Because of this, both the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store are awash with word games, making it hard to differentiate between good and bad titles. This is especially troublesome if you're looking to purchase a game, as everyone hates to waste hard-earned cash.
How To: Send Reminders to Your Family Members' Phones with Google Assistant
The Google Assistant is available almost everywhere. It powers smart speakers like the Google Home, it's built into Android phones, and it can even be installed on iPhones and iPads. So when Google adds a feature like the ability to send reminders to other people's Assistants, it's far reaching.
How To: Purge Your 'Following' List with Instagram's New Sorting Features
Is your Instagram feed a bit cluttered? Maybe you're seeing posts from people you don't even recognize. Perhaps the content isn't interesting. Whatever the case, it's common after years of having an account to follow too many users whose posts just aren't doing it anymore. Luckily, Instagram has an easy way for you to purge unwanted accounts from your following list.
How To: Get Out of Your AT&T Contract Early Without an Early Termination Fee (ETF)
Earlier this month, AT&T quietly introduced a new "Mobility Administrative Fee" which levies a $0.61 monthly charge to all postpaid contracts. While it's a seemingly small amount on an individual basis adding up to $7.32 per year, with its huge customer base, AT&T stands to make around half a billion from the tight-lipped move. AT&T has stated that the fee will "help cover certain expenses, such as interconnection and cell site rents and maintenance" that's consistent with other phone carrier...
How To: Everything You Need to Know About RCS Universal Profile
Google is on a mission to bring a better messaging experience to Android users. We've seen them try and fail over the years with various messenger apps, but this time, they're taking a different approach by working with industry leaders to create a new messaging standard. The result is RCS Universal Profile, or simply Chat, and it's finally catching on.
How To: There's a Super-Fast Way to Redial the Last Phone Number You Called
If you need to call someone back in a hurry, don't bother redialing the number. In fact, don't bother digging through your phone app to tap on the number in the call log. Instead, use this simple trick to quickly redial the number, whether you have an iPhone or Android.
News: Augmented Reality in Cars — the Companies & Tech Driving Us into the Future
While autonomous vehicles are almost assuredly the future of personal transportation, we are likely many years from seeing self-driving cars become as ubiquitous as manually-driven ones, as the auto industry has a myriad of government regulations and other constraints to contend with. Until then, augmented reality is looking like the next big thing in automotive technology.
News: Microsoft's HoloLens Morphs Paris Museum Model of Mont-Saint-Michel into Masterpiece of AR
Amid the opulent and historic confines of Paris, Microsoft is now hosting an exhibit at a local museum that brings a historic map of a Normandy tourist destination to life in augmented reality.
How To: Bulk Delete Multiple Instagram Comments at the Same Time
When you post a photo or video on Instagram, it's always nice to see positive comments from friends, family, and even fans. On the other hand, it's never fun to see spam or hate messages underneath your posts. Before, you'd have to delete these comments one by one, but now you can delete comments in bulk.
Gaming: The 9 Best Games to Play When You're Taking a Dump
My bathroom is like my own private arcade room. Whenever I'm seated comfortably on the toilet, no one is going to disturb me, so I can play anything I want on my smartphone. You probably do it, too — and your parents, kids, friends, colleagues, and boss — so don't be afraid to admit it.
How To: Make Text Pop in Instagram Stories with 3D-Like Drop Shadow Effects for Any Font
There are tons of apps to help you create unique and compelling posts and stories on Instagram, but you already have the tools you need to make something eye-catching. You can insert line breaks in captions, create translucent overlays for photos, rainbow-up your story font, and even add a 3D text effect to your stories.
How To: The 5 Best Streaming Cable Apps for Watching Live TV on Your Phone
These days, it's easy to cut the cord. Thanks to a new crop of streaming TV apps, you can get the same service offered by a traditional cable subscription at a fraction of the price. After some extensive testing, we believe we've found the absolute best apps for cord cutting.
How To: Add Variety to Your Favorite Pandora Stations
Whether you're out for a drive, commuting to work, or just taking a stroll, listening to your favorite tracks on Pandora takes the legwork out of choosing which songs to play next. After a while, however, you go-to playlist can get repetitive, as the same songs from the same artists seem to play over and over. Luckily, Pandora makes it easy to add variety to your stations in just a few taps.
News: Microsoft HoloLens 2 Brings Extinct Animals Back to Life at Paris National Museum
We already know that the US Army will be using its modified HoloLens 2 for special missions, and major businesses are deploying the augmented reality device for enterprise use cases.
News: Niantic Conjures Preview of Harry Potter Augmented Reality Game, Opens Pre-Registration on Google Play
While a release date for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has not yet materialized, co-developers Niantic and WB Games have finally released gameplay footage and an in-depth game description to whet the appetites of eager Harry Potter fans.
How To: 14 Tips Every New TikTok User Should Know About
By now, there's no way you haven't stumbled upon a TikTok video, whether it was on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. Just watching these addictive short-form videos is enough to make you want to join up and make your own, and when you do, we've got some tips that will help get your TikTok account in order.
How To: Make YouTube Videos Fill the Whole Screen on Any Phone
Fullscreen isn't always fullscreen, especially on your smartphone. As screens get taller and bezels get slimmer, more phones end up with an aspect ratio that doesn't match most YouTube videos. Luckily the video-sharing app has a nifty workaround to fill your screen.
How To: Add Shoulder Buttons to Any Phone with a Few Strips of Tape
With ultra competitive games like Fortnite Battle Royale and PUBG taking the mobile world by storm, gamers are looking for ways to get a leg up on the competition. One of the biggest advantages you can give yourself is the ability to aim and shoot while on the move, but that's not exactly easy with a touchscreen.
ARKit 101: How to Measure Distance Between Two Points on a Horizontal Plane in Augmented Reality
In our last ARKit tutorial, we learned how to measure the sizes of horizontal planes. It was a helpful entryway into the arena of determining spatial relationships with real world spaces versus virtual objects and experiences.
How To: Change the Owner of a Telegram Group Chat to Pass the Torch to a Different Member
Group chats are fun, effective ways of staying in touch with the many people in our lives. Whether it's the local friend chat or the group from work, we rely on these groups to keep connected. Running one of these group chats, however, can be a monster task. If you're feeling overwhelmed with administrative responsibilities, why not pass on that burden to another member of the Telegram group?
How To: Import Your Photos into Snapseed & Get Them Ready for Editing
If you've ever wondered how to import your photos in Snapseed, then you've come to the right place. Snapseed is a wonderful photo-editing app and will provide you with many tools to take your photos to the next level. But you can't get to that next level if you don't know how to get your images into Snapseed in the first place.
Keep Flapping: 10+ Flappy Bird Clones & Alternatives for Android, iOS, & Web
In a much-hated move, Flappy Bird developer Dong Nguyen removed his incredibly popular, yet extremely frustrating app from both Google Play and the iOS App Store. The jury is still out on the exact reason behind the move, though we can rule out pressure from Nintendo, but one thing is for sure—Flappy Bird has fallen for good.
How To: Block a cell phone number
Jordy with AT&T teaches us how to block your cell phone number when making outgoing calls. By doing this, any person you call cannot read your ten digit cell phone number. It's as simple as entering a code before you dial the desired number. The code is *67 followed by the ten digit number and then placing it as a regular call. This does not allow the person you are calling to see your number. Instead it will show up on their caller ID and read as "Private Caller". Follow Jordy's advice and k...
News: Puma's QR Code-Covered Sneakers Put Augmented Reality at Center of Design, with Mixed Results
We've seen a variety of AR experiences related to athletic footwear over the years, but Puma is betting sneakerheads will buy into a version of interactive design where sneakers are the augmented reality experience
How To: Flash a new recovery image with ADB on a Windows PC
Want to flash a new recovery image on your Google Android smartphone? With ADB, it's easy! So easy, in fact, that this rooter's guide can present a complete overview of the complete process in just over five minutes. For all of the details, including step-by-step instructions, take a look.
How To: Watch Films Remotely with Family & Friends at the Same Time Using Movies Anywhere's Watch Together Rooms
Wearing masks and social distancing doesn't sound like a fun movie night with friends, but you can still be comfortable and watch films together remotely. Services like Discord and Netflix Party make it possible to watch movies simultaneously from different parts of the U.S., and now you can do it with Movies Anywhere too.
How To: Apps & Websites Send Your Activity to Facebook — Here's How to View, Manage & Delete It
It's pretty much a given at this point that Facebook has a lot of data on us. While you might be conscious of the data you share with Facebook when you post, upload photos, or chat with friends on Messenger, you might not be thinking about all the data it receives from websites and apps you use outside the social media giant. Now, you can actually do something about it.
How To: Video or Audio Chat in Instagram Direct Messages for Quick Calls with One or More Users
The app that started as simply a photo-sharing social media platform has expanded to encompass so much more than that. Between live videos, stories, chat, and animated stickers, Instagram is more than the sum of its pictures. Now, there's a new feature to add to that list for Android and iOS — video and audio calls.
How To: Boost Internet Speeds & Hide Your Browsing History from Your ISP
If you have friends who aren't privacy-conscious, you've surely heard the old "What do I have to hide?" excuse. Despite the fact that billions of people are using the internet each day, many of them don't know the dangers that can find them. And many don't know the tools to combat them.
How To: Add Time & Location Stickers to Media Files on WhatsApp for More Context
For quite some time, popular messaging apps like Snapchat have had features that let you place stickers on photos and videos to add time and location-based information. To catch up, WhatsApp has now added the same functionality to its messaging platform in an effort to remain among the most well-rounded messaging apps available.
How To: Get a Dark Theme on Gboard for iPhone or Android
If you've been paying attention to the smartphone industry, you've certainly noticed a rise in dark mode lately. With most phones now sporting OLED panels, which use less power to display darker colors, users have been begging developers to include a dark theme in their apps. Lately, Google has been happy to oblige.
How To: Retrieve Deleted Notes on Google Keep
Everyone occasionally has tipsy fingers that lead to mistaken button taps. Even if you didn't accidentally delete your note, you may have found that it is in fact still relevant and not time for that note's demise. Thankfully, there's a simple way to undelete your Google Keep notes.
News: Save Money on Hulu by Picking the Plan That's Right for You
Hulu used to be simple — just a site with all the latest clips and episodes from your favorite shows. Watch some ads, watch some free TV. Easy, right? Not so much anymore. Hulu is no longer free, and on top of that, offers different pricing plans and add-ons.