Smartphones Features

How To: Celebrate Your 2022 Music Year in Review on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, and More

It's that time of year again. No, not the holiday season … the "share your year in music listening" season. And no matter which music streaming service you use, there's a way to find and share (or not share) your activity from 2022.

How To: Mount your iPhone hard drive on your computer

In this clip, you'll learn how to mount your Apple iPhone as an external hard drive on your Windows PC or Apple computer. Whether you're the proud owner of an Apple iPhone 3G or perhaps just considering picking one up second hand, you're sure to benefit from this free video tutorial. For more information, including a detailed overview, watch this iPhone user's guide.

How To: Enable Dark Mode in Microsoft To Do for iPhone or Android

Microsoft is quickly adding dark mode to its full line of apps. Microsoft To Do is the latest to receive this treatment, and it looks great. Now you can tick items off your to-do list without straining your eyes or draining extra battery life.

News: Magic Leap's Unity Conference Presentation Uncovered Many New Details, Here's What We Found Out

During its presentation at Unite Berlin, Magic Leap gave attendees a crash course in developing experiences for Magic Leap One (ML1), we found out quite a bit more about how the device works and what we can expect to experience with the device.

News: Patent Applications Offer Closer Look at Magic Leap One & How It May Work

Eventually, even the most private company has to file its patents and unveil its tightly-held secrets, and Magic Leap is no exception.

Hands-On: Hands-On with the Nreal Light, Smartphone-Powered Augmented Reality Immersion

While Microsoft dominated the augmented reality news at this year's Mobile World Congress, a small AR startup we've covered in the past arrived in Barcelona, Spain, to unveil the next phase of its mission.

News: Now the HoloLens Can Measure Your Heart Rate by Scanning Your Face

Researchers have developed a new method that harnesses the power of augmented reality to detect a patient's heart rate using a Microsoft HoloLens and computer vision.

How To: Copy files to iPhone using DataCase for Windows XP

In this instructional video, learn how to transfer files from your Windows PC to your iPhone or iPod Touch using DataCase. Datacase basically converts your iPhone or iPod Touch into a wireless drive that you can access your information on the Mac, PC, or Linux.

How To: Turn an iPhone into a remote control with Apple's Remote app

In this clip, you'll learn how to install and use the Apple Remote application. It's an easy process and this video presents a complete guide. For more information, including a full demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this helpful iPhone owner's guide from popSiren.

Instagram 101: How to Customize Markup Colors in Your IG Stories

Decorating your Instagram Stories with different types of markups is a good way to engage your audience in what you are doing. You can customize the brightness and adjust the coloring of your markup and text right though the Stories feature.

News: NFL Audibles to Augmented Reality for Fan Experience

Beginning in November, National Football League (NFL) fans visiting New York's Times Square can come as close as any civilian can to stepping onto a professional football field. All for less than the price of a pair of cleats.

News: The Future of the AR Cloud — a Thousand Walled Gardens Bloom

By far the most significant development for AR in the coming months and years — the development that will drive AR adoption — will be our reliance upon the AR cloud.

How To: Google Photos Has a Great Way to Privately Discuss Your Pictures with Friends

Commenting on Facebook pictures is a commonality. But you may not want to share your private and personal pictures on Facebook. Maybe you just want a select few to comment on your photos. Fear no more, you can send your pics and get private comments using Google Photos.

How To: The Ultimate Checklist for Getting Your Phone Travel-Ready

Smartphones are now indispensable when traveling. Domestic and overseas travel alike require food, navigation, translation, and so much more to make work or vacation successful. Gone are the days of lugging multiple tourist books around with you everywhere you go — you need to let your smartphone handle the dirty work.

News: ARCore Closes Gap with ARKit via Image Recognition from Viro Media

Upon Google's release of ARCore in February, the platform wasn't only playing catch-up with Apple and ARKit in terms of downloads, but it also lagged in capabilities, as Apple already had vertical surface recognition and image recognition on the way with ARKit 1.5 for a March release.

News: Here's How the Weather Channel Is Using Augmented Reality to Make Us All Safer

The Weather Channel, by virtue of its name, has always been tasked with the difficult problem of making the weather interesting. As Mashable notes, they've turned to augmented reality for a solution and can now render a 3D storm in their studio, as well as help us understand how bad a storm might be with 3D forecasts.

YouTube 101: Is YouTube Red Worth It?

When Google announced YouTube Red — a paid monthly subscription service that disables advertising, among other perks — many of us thought "just use an ad blocker." But it isn't really that simple.

News: Latest 'Ready Player One' Trailer Is a Stunning Gallery of AR/VR Hybrid Concept Designs

Master director Steven Spielberg's virtual reality epic Ready Player One is coming to theaters in just a few weeks, but you can get an early look at some of the best parts the latest trailer, "Come With Me," which was revealed on Thursday.

News: Google AR Prototype Enables 3D Model Viewing Through Web Browsers

Unsurprisingly, Google wants to be the caretaker for augmented reality on the web, and its latest move in this endeavor is a 3D model viewer prototype called Article that's designed to work across all web browsers.

Hands-On: Hands-On with Google Maps Walking AR Navigation Experiment, a Peek into Our Smartglasses Future

While Google isn't ready to commit to a wide release of the AR walking navigation mode for Google Maps, the company has begun testing the feature with members of its Local Guides crowdsourcing community.

News: The HoloLens Lets You Watch TV in a Whole New Way

Are there any benefits to watching a movie in a holographic mixed reality headset, or should you just stick with your TV? It's not as cut and dried as you might think. While TVs have some advantages, so does the virtual screen of a Microsoft HoloLens.

News: One of the Best Android File Managers Is Finally on the Play Store

When we reviewed the best file managers on Android, MiXplorer easily topped our list with its abundance of features, including tabbed browsing, support for up to 19 different cloud services, file and folder encryption, and much more. The only major complaint we had was the fact it couldn't be installed from the Play Store, but now, that is no longer the case.

How To: Embed web content into a mobile Android application

Designing a cool app for Android? If you were looking to integrate web content into your Android app, you can—and the Android Developers are here to show you how it's done! It's all done with an embedded WebView, allowing you to embed HTML, Javascript and style sheets from your web content. If you were looking for a quick answer on how you embed your web content into your app, let the pros at Google teach you the right way.

How To: Spotify Codes Now Makes It Easier to Share Dope Music — Here's How

Open your Spotify app, search for an artist, view its "Spotify Code," and display it to that friend lurking over your shoulder. Sound familiar? Probably not ... yet.

News: Snapchat & Facebook Kick Off the World Cup with Augmented Reality Effects

With the 2018 FIFA World Cup underway in Russia, soccer (aka "football") fans worldwide can show support for their favorite teams and players in augmented reality via Snapchat and Facebook.

How To: Install Installous on any iPhone or iPod Touch

How to Install Installous on any iPhone or iPod Touch? Learn about it in this video tutorial in the Electronics category. For this purpose you will need a jailbroken iPod Touch or iPhone. First go to Cydia and open it. It takes a little time to load. Go to manage -> source -> edit -> add. Then type in this source: Cydia.touch-mania.com. Download and install it. Now you go to search and type in Installous in the search box. Download it and go back to your springboard. Open it up, search for an...

How To: The Best Wordle Spinoffs You Should Be Playing on Your Phone

There are two types of people in this world: those who recognize Wordle grids of yellow, green, and gray/black blocks and those who do not. No matter which category you fall in, there's a Wordle-inspired game that's perfect for you.

News: Apple AR Smartglasses Concept Shows the Virtual Desktop of the Future

The focus on augmented reality over at Apple is, so far, restricted to the iPhone and the iPad. But if some of the most reliable analysts in the business are to be believed, we'll probably see some kind of AR or VR wearable from the company later this year.

Have You Seen This?: New 'Crayon' HoloLens App Brings Back the Fun of Drawing on Walls

Crayon, a free 3D drawing application by the mysteriously named arkalian, showed up in the Windows Store recently, so I gave it a try like I do all new apps for Windows Holographic. Truthfully, I loaded it up not expecting much, but wow, was I wrong. It's a simple idea, but it's executed well enough to make it a truly great experience on the HoloLens.

News: Microsoft Fuels Efficiency at Chevron with Remote Assist App for HoloLens

Four months after unveiling the latest productivity apps for the HoloLens, Microsoft now has a series of compelling real-world use case videos showing how the augmented reality device and its apps are helping oil giant Chevron.

News: Magic Leap Used to Bring AR to H&M & Star Wars Fashion Collaboration in Tokyo Developed by Warpin Media

There may be questions from some about the future of Magic Leap, but in Japan, The Force is with the augmented reality startup.

How To: Use and understand Apple's iPhone, For Dummies

From the people who brought you the Dummies instructional book series, brings you the same non-intimidating guides in video form. Just watch this video tutorial with loads of easy to understand information about how to use and understand Apple's iPhone, For Dummies.

How To: Remove apps from Cydia using Cydelete on your iPhone

In this how to video, you will learn how to remove apps from your iPhone Touch or iPhone with cydia. This is useful if you have a hard time removing your apps from your device. First, open cydia and find cydelete. Download and install this application to your device. Once this is done, you will be able to delete your applications from your home page. All you have to do is click on the application and it will be uninstalled quickly. Using your iPhone is much easier once you download this progr...

How To: Make a Google Keep List That Syncs to Your Work & Personal Accounts

Google's G Suite collection of premium cloud services and apps have become popular with business customers, with more than six million subscribers now.

How To: Install a custom ROM on an HTC MyTouch 3G Google Android smartphone

Unlock your MyTouch 3G's hidden potential by running a custom ROM on it! Loading custom ROMs lets you do fun things with your HTC G1 like overclocking it, and even turning it into a wireless hotspot with WiFi tethering. For all of the details, and to learn how to put a custom ROM on your own MyTouch, take a look.

News: Snap's Acquisition of 3D Mapping Startup Signals Move to Build AR Cloud

The concept of Metaverse, otherwise referred to as AR cloud, where a digital twin of the real world filled with virtual content anchored persistently for all to see, has been a sci-fi dream of futurists for years and an aim for most tech companies who are serious about AR.

News: Create Your Own Holograms at Home with the Volu iPhone App

With the release of Object Capture this fall, Apple is giving everyone with a Mac and a camera the means to create their own 3D objects.

Roundup: The 5 Best Capacitive Gloves for Using Your Smartphone in the Cold

For some of us, winter puts the brakes on apps like Pokémon GO since smartphone screens usually only respond to bare fingers. Nobody wants to be that guy who caught frostbite chasing a Sneasel. When you use normal gloves, the display's sensor simple doesn't activate, so that doesn't help any. Fortunately, several options for touchscreen-friendly capacitive gloves are on the market to help you through this last blast of winter.

Hands-On: Spotify Premium on Magic Leap One Is Futuristic, But Not Quite the iPod of AR

Back when I worked in the music industry, I never imagined there would be a day that I'd be able to sit in a room surrounded by virtual album covers while listening to beats, but that day is really here.

News: Lenovo Expands Mirage AR Headset Beyond Star Wars with Marvel's Dimension of Heroes

Move over, Star Wars. You're not the only Disney property that can play in the Lenovo Mirage AR headset anymore.