Smartphones Features
How To: Turn Off Your iPhone's Timer and Alarm Just by Waving Your Hand
Whether it's because you're too startled from a sudden awakening or you're elbow-deep in cake batter, turning an alarm or timer off on your phone can be annoying. So why not simplify the process by eliminating the need to even touch your phone? With these free apps by Augmented Minds, you can turn off your timer or alarm with just a wave of your hand. That means no more fumbling in the dark for the right button, and more importantly, no more worrying about getting food on your iPhone.
How To: 12 Quirky Accessories You'll Actually Want to Use with Your iPhone or Android Phone
There is a whole world of smartphone accessories out there, some of which are more quirky than others and don't get the recognition they deserve. But these sometimes strange, sometimes embarrassing products can really make life easier on your iPhone or Android phone.
How To: Make an Anonymous Facebook Profile to Keep Your Personal Data Private
Between the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the revelation that Facebook logs your calls and text history on Android, many are considering joining the #DeleteFacebook movement. But it can be difficult to leave the site, because so much of its content is only available to active users. If you want to keep in the loop without sacrificing your privacy, you'll want to follow the steps below.
How To: The 4 Best Phones for Making Actual Phone Calls in 2019
While our smartphones are many things, one of their primary functions is to make calls. Many of us try to avoid ever having to make calls, but there are situations when it's a must, such as wishing your grandma happy Birthday or calling 911 — and in those times you want stellar call quality.
How To: Download All the Songs from Your Google Play Music Library Before Google Deletes Them on Feb. 24
After a slow phase-out, Google Play Music was shut down in December 2020. The songs you uploaded or purchased are still on Google's servers, but even those will be deleted on Feb. 24, 2021.
How To: Accidentally Post to Your Snapchat Story? Here's How to Delete It
Snapchat is a wonderful app that allows users to "talk with pictures." You can send other users pictures of what you have going on in your day-to-day life, and they can respond with what's happening in their own. It's a seamless way to have a conversation with someone using visuals — sometimes even faster than you would be able to with words.
News: 23 Important Apps That Work Great on Both Android & iOS
Brand loyalty is one of the main factors behind our decision to choose a particular mobile device, but it doesn't have to be the entire equation. Educated consumers know that certain devices simply fit their budget and usage better than others, which means you can't always let a logo dictate what kind of phone or tablet you buy.
How To: Download Movies & TV Shows on Amazon Prime Video for Offline Playback
Back in 2015, Amazon Prime Video was the first subscription-based streaming service to introduce the ability to download movies and TV shows for offline viewing on mobile devices. For travelers and users with limited data plans that like to watch films and episodes on the go, this was a godsend. Amazon has updated its apps many times since then, but the process remains relatively the same.
Snapseed 101: Use Portrait Mode & Head Pose to Get the Perfect Selfie
Google's Snapseed app has a plethora of editing tools to help make your photos even better. But did you know it has specific tools designed to edit your face? Not that it needs any help, of course!
How To: Polish And Buff An iPod
Materials Needed: iPod
How To: Hide Your WhatsApp Online and Last Seen Statuses from Everyone or Just Some of Your Contacts
By default, everyone on WhatsApp can see when you're using the app. If someone recently messaged you and sees you're currently online, they may think you're avoiding them if you don't respond right away — especially if you don't share read receipts. However, you can block them from seeing your online or last seen status and apply it to everyone or just specific contacts.
News: How to Watch Japan's Viral 3D Cat Live, and How It All Started in China & South Korea
The most viral internet cat of the moment is a virtual kitty trapped in a billboard in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Japan.
News: You Can Now Try-On & Test Samsung Galaxy Smartwatches in AR via Snapchat
Now that Snapchat has extended its virtual try-on powers from the face and feet to the wrist, Samsung is leveraging the new capability, along with an interactive twist, to sell its smartwatches.
How To: Disable Read Receipts in WhatsApp So Nobody Can See Those Blue Check Marks in Chats
WhatsApp, like other popular messengers on iOS and Android, shows when recipients have read your sent messages with a blue double check mark indicator. On the flip side, for those of you who are bad at replying promptly or don't feel like replying at all, you can disable "read receipts" so the senders won't know when or if you even read their messages.
How To: Pin Reminders to Your iPhone's Lock Screen (So You Stop Forgetting Things)
On the iPhone, the Reminder app is a great way to keep track of your to-do list. I use it for a bunch of crap I forget, like picking up a must-have item at the store or calling or emailing my friends back.
Telegram 101: How to Password-Protect Your Chats for Extra Security
If you're using Telegram for its "Secret Chats" feature, which provides end-to-end encryption for your messages, then I'd highly recommend locking down the app itself with a passcode, PIN, or password. While your phone itself may have a secure lock screen already, if that gets compromised, you'll at least have an extra layer of security on your important conversations.
How To: Find & Share Local Wi-Fi Passwords for Free Internet Everywhere You Go
Thanks to Verizon Wireless, I pay over $220 a month for my phone bill. It's just me on the plan—no family members, and it's not even unlimited data. So, when I receive that data alert message telling me that I've used up 90% of my plan and that I've still got a few more week until my billing cycle starts over, you know that I'm left scrambling to connect to some Wi-Fi.
How To: Change Your Android Device's Wi-Fi Country Code to Access Wireless Networks Abroad
Ever found yourself not able to connect to a Wi-Fi network on your Android device that you know damn well was there? The worst part is that you know it's your device, because you can see everyone else around you on that network! WHAT GIVES?!? Well, maybe it has something to do with your phone’s Wi-Fi country code!
HoloLens Dev 101: How to Install & Set Up the Software to Start Developing for Windows Holographic
In this first part of my series on getting started with Windows Holographic, we are going to cover everything you need to get set up for developing HoloLens apps. There are many pieces coming together to make one single application, but once you get used to them all, you won't even notice. Now there are different approaches you can take to make applications for HoloLens, but this way is simply the fastest.
Snapchat 101: How to Use the Snap Map Without an Account
While it's easy enough to make yourself invisible on Snap Map, nothing is quite as private as not having a Snapchat account at all. Whether you're concerned about your privacy or you simply never signed up for the social media platform, Snapchat's web-based map is an easy way to check in on what's happening in your area and beyond.
News: Why It's Worth Giving Gboard Permission to Record What You Type — Even in the Online Privacy Age
With Gboard, Google created a keyboard with more functionality than just inputting words. The app includes features such as GIF search and live text translation, but it gets even better when you let it learn more about you. With this data, Gboard grows from a good keyboard to one that can complete your sentences.
News: Microsoft's Azure Kinect Standalone Depth Sensor Powers Major Augmented Reality Improvements for $399
As the opening act to the grand unveiling of the long-awaited HoloLens 2 at Mobile World Congress Barcelona on Sunday, Microsoft showed off the standalone Azure Kinect time of flight sensor, which also happens to supply the improved human and environmental understanding capabilities of the next-generation augmented reality headset.
How To: Choose Which Microphone Your Phone Uses When Recording Video in Fimic Pro (To Capture Clearer Audio)
When shooting video on your phone, you have two cameras at your disposal, the rear camera and the selfie camera, and you can switch freely between the two. As for microphones, you may have more than one but, unlike with the cameras, it's not easy to switch between them. Filmic Pro solves this problem by isolating the mics so you can choose the best option for the audio track.
How To: Use Facebook Messenger's Hidden 'Vanish Mode' for Disappearing Messages Whenever You Want
Saving a chat's history is useful for finding valuable information later on or just reliving a favorite conversation from the past. Sometimes, however, it's good to delete chat threads, and it's even better to have them auto-delete right after you see new messages. While some apps have had disappearing messages for some time (e.g. Snapchat), Facebook Messenger now has it too with "Vanish Mode."
How To: Upload, Buy, Send, Receive, & Redeem Almost Any Gift Card on Your Phone
Big box stores love to sell gift cards, and as consumers, we snap them up almost as quickly as they can be printed. This industry has become rather profitable, though, because portions of the gift card balances often go unused.
Instagram 101: How to Add a Link in Your Story
For the longest time, the only clickable link you could throw up on Instagram was in your profile's bio, and that's still true for a lot of users. The only way to add a clickable link aside from the aforementioned one is in an Instagram story, where users checking out your story would swipe up to load the webpage before going back to finish your story.
How To: Undo a Thumbs-Down Rating for a Song You've Grown to Like on Pandora
Pandora has a simple rating system that works by hitting either the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon on a track that's playing on your station. If you choose the former, the song you like along with others similar to it will play with more frequency, while selecting the latter will prevent that song and others like it from playing in your station moving forward.
How To: Transform Gift Card Balances into Cash from Any ATM with Google Wallet
Most people don't ask for gift cards, but they're always a popular gift choice for notoriously hard-to-shop-for people—or the time-constrained gift-giver. While most gift cards are attached to certain stores, many folks will get a prepaid Visa or MasterCard card that allows them to make purchases wherever those companies are accepted.
How To: Use Snapchat to Figure Out What Song Is Playing Around You
Say you're sending a snap to a friend at a restaurant, bar, store, what have you, but you're curious about the song that's playing in the background. You could leave the app to Shazam it, or you could ask screen-hogging Siri or Google Assistant what the track is, but why not just have Snapchat do the work for you? With its built-in scanner, you can discover a song without ever leaving the app.
How To: Unroll a Twitter Thread for Easier Reading
While tweetstorms were a part of Twitter since the beginning, threads, which makes tweetstorms more viable, didn't show up until late-2017. Still, threading multiple tweets at once to create long-form stories, opinions, tirades, and other lengthy Twitter posts, can be hard to digest. However, you can make reading them easier with just a single message.
How To: USB Tether Your Android Device to Your Mac—Without Rooting
Android devices are known for their USB and Wi-Fi tethering abilities—rooted or unrooted—which comes in handy for those that travel and need internet on their laptops in areas that don't have any Wi-Fi networks available, but have a strong cellular signal.
How To: Change This Privacy Setting Before You Share Any Pictures on Google Photos
Sharing pictures from Google Photos by sending a link saves time because you don't have to download the image from Google, then reupload it somewhere else. But anyone who has your link can access your pictures, and baked into every file is metadata that you may not want prying eyes to know about.
How To: Chat with End-to-End Encryption Using Facebook Messenger's Secret Conversations
Traditionally, if you were looking for end-to-end encrypted messaging, you'd stick with something like iMessage, WhatsApp, or Signal. However, if you already use Facebook Messenger, you have all you need for truly private chats with its built-in E2E encryption. It's available to all users, on Android and iOS — you just need to know where to look.
How To: Everything You Should Know About Rolling Shutter on Your Phone's Camera
Smartphone videos get better and better each year. Seven or eight years ago, who would have thought iPhone and Android phones could support 4K video recording. Some phones can even shoot slow-motion at 960 fps. But no matter the resolution or frame rate, a phone's rolling shutter can make quick movements in front of the camera appear wobbly, distorted, or with artifacts.
How To: Use the ring/silent switch on your iPhone
In this video, we learn how to use the ring/silent switch on your iPhone. First, you will find the switch which is on the side of the phone. This will allow you to turn your notifications on or off. Simply flick the switch until you see an orange dot, which means it's off. If you wish to receive vibration alerts, you can tap on settings, then sounds, then you can turn the vibrate section as either off or on. This is important, because if vibrate is off and the silent mode is on, you won't rec...
How To: Install Nintendo emulator on the iPhone or iPod touch
This video shows you how-to install Nintendo DS roms on your iPhone or iPod touch so you can play all of those great Nintendo games right in the palm of your hands. You'll need a jailbroken Apple device to get this done.
News: This Billie Eilish Oculus Quest 2 Video Inadvertently Offers a Peek at AR Gaming on the VR Headset
It's always fun to get an unexpected glimpse of the future, especially when that peek is so close you can actually feel the excitement of the new emerging dynamic.
How To: Install an SNES emulator on a Verizon Droid 2 Google Android smartphone
In this clip, you'll learn how to install and use a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) emulator on a Droid 2 phone. Whether you're the proud owner of a Verizon Droid 2 Google Android smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to see what it takes to play Nintendo ROMs on a Droid 2 cell phone, take a look.
How To: Get Unique Face Filters by Following AR Creators on Instagram
It's easy to forget just how cool face filters are. Augmented reality has come a long way, and apps like Instagram now offer a suite of impressive effects to play with, but some of the best ones aren't easily found. There is a treasure trove of exclusive, custom face filters that are unavailable to the general public, but not at all inaccessible — you just need to know the trick to getting them.
How To: How Many TikToks Have You Watched?
If you're as addicted to TikTok as much as I am, you probably heard about the app's alleged, hidden views counter, which can show you how many TikToks you've watched on your account. Most people who look at their counters are horrified to see that they've watched hundreds of millions of TikToks so far. Can that be right?