Oh no... your precious iPhone is in shambles. Maybe you shattered your screen after a crazy night of celebrating, or maybe your two-year-old jabbed a toy into your iPhone's charging port, completely destroying it in the process. Now what? Do you take it to a repair shop, or go ...more
Samsung and Apple are back in court, but this time it's not just money at stake. The Supreme Court's decision could have a far reaching effect on patent law and innovation in design. Smartphone design timeline. The so-called "Smartphone Patent Wars" began in 2011 when Apple su ...more
The big day has finally come—the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have been officially unveiled. Apple debuted their new flagship devices at a keynote event in San Francisco on September 7, and as we've grown to expect, there are tons of changes in store for the world's top-sell ...more
Pokémon GO, the global augmented reality game that's brought fans out of their homes to catch Pokémon across the planet, has brought about plenty of real-world positives. Unfortunately, when players get power hungry and start taking game hacks too far, we all get a little scre ...more
No matter how far technology advances, battery life continues to be an issue. Powerful new hardware is introduced each year, but smartphone batteries only get a few extra milliamp-hours to compensate. There are several power-saving Android apps that aim to help with this issu ...more
When it comes to note-taking, Google Keep is one of the most diverse and functional applications on the Android platform. Sure, there are a plethora of other note-taking apps to choose from, such as ever popular OneNote and Evernote, but Google Keep differentiates itself from ...more
As exciting as it can be to crack open a beer, there's nothing fun about wandering around a party and asking other partygoers for a bottle opener. Don't worry, we've got you covered: here are 10 crazy ways to get to drinking while impressing your friends with your ingenuity. ...more
We already know that Samsung's Galaxy S7 is one of the most versatile smartphones ever made, complete with edge-to-edge displays, water resistance, and a huge battery. But what's versatility without durability? How much punishment can the Galaxy S7 take? Let's play a game of S ...more
Welcome back, my greenhorn hackers! As expected with Null Byte's dramatic growth over the last year, we have added many new aspiring hackers who are still lacking in the basics of networking. In addition, with the new "White Hat" certifications coming out shortly, the exam wi ...more
When anyone brings up Tasker, the first topic that always gets discussed is how powerful the Android automation app can be. But all of that power can be overwhelming for some people, so even if you're a Tasker pro, it's hard to share your awesome creations with friends that do ...more
Apple's special September event just wrapped up with the company unveiling several new products, including the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPad Pro, and the new Apple TV set-top box. In addition to hardware, Apple also discussed a couple of its latest software platforms, iOS 9 ...more
I've been involved in the Android scene for a very long time and have grown to develop a love/hate relationship with CyanogenMod. While I do like the stability they offer in their custom ROMs, they don't always include the flashy features on top of their vanilla Android base. ...more
While most of your iPhone's features are intuitive or well-covered across the web, there are some features hidden deep within iOS that you probably never even knew about. (These could also apply to an iPad or iPod touch.) Some of these secret tricks take advantage of function ...more
It seems like whenever someone sees my phone, they ask me two questions right off the bat; "What phone is that?" and "How did you get your Android to look like that?" The first one is pretty straight-forward, but the second one not-so-much. I've spent countless hours searchin ...more
Update My sincere apologies guys, but I just got a call from Rackspace to set up my "managed account". After a long discussion, there is no longer an "un-managed" option. This means that there is a minimum support fee of 50 dollars USD tacked on to every account. The instruct ...more
Texting has become the king of communication—gone are the days where everyone called each other. These days, it's down-right weird when someone calls first. Whether it be on a phone or on a computer, SMS and MMS messages are the most common way people keep in contact, so why n ...more
Whether I'm in my car or making dinner, I always have music playing. And since I don't like to keep my headphones on me at all times, I end up using my Android's built-in speakers a good portion of the time. Companies like HTC know how much people use their phone's speakers, ...more
Welcome back, my aspiring hackers! Although this article may have been better placed first in this series, I doubt that anyone would have read it when just starting out studying Linux. Now, that you are well into your Linux studies and have some familiarity with how it operat ...more
Coffee mugs: nothing proliferates more quickly in my kitchen cabinets. People are always handing them out as gifts or as swag, plus I always seem to find a vintage model or two at a garage sale that I'm compelled to buy. I used to do a yearly purge of my excess muggage, but it ...more
The autocorrect feature in Apple's default iOS keyboard is anything but perfect. Sometimes it can't autocorrect things on your iPhone to want you want, while other times there's a software bug that just flat out gets it wrong. These autocorrect issues can get even worse thanks ...more
As I've explained before, black app backgrounds save you a bit of battery life on your Samsung Galaxy S5. This is because the AMOLED display on your S5 does not have to power pixels or a backlight for portions of the screen that are black. Developer Kdio knows this, and that' ...more
Phone in one pocket, wallet in the other? It's the classic combo guaranteed to give you more pocket bulge. But it's 2024. Half that stuff in your wallet is practically antique. It's time to finally ditch all the dead weight and get a MagSafe wallet for iPhone — and we've got t ...more
If you save your passwords in Chrome or even just use Android's default password manager, Google has some new security tools you'll be interested in. In just a few taps, you can scan your entire password database against lists of accounts that are known to have been compromis ...more
If you're in the market for a new smartphone, there are some pretty fantastic options for $400 or less. Both Apple and Google have unveiled budget smartphones with high-end specs in 2020, so you no longer have to suffer from subpar quality to save a few bucks. Low prices no lo ...more
AirPods not only let you listen to music on your iPhone — they let you quickly stop listening to your iPhone's audio by pulling out a single AirPod to pause. If, however, you'd rather have music, audiobooks, podcasts, and other audio files continue playing when you pull out on ...more
Picture-in-picture mode on Chromebooks is almost identical to the one found on Android phones. Once activated, it transforms your video into a small window so you can do other things while watching. But the Chrome OS version is actually a bit better thanks to the addition of a ...more
The global gaming market is expected to generate $160 billion in 2020. With emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa, the planet's 2.5 billion gamers are always looking for the next great adventure. Many gamers are exceptional at their craft. Someone has to design the w ...more
These days, AirDrop's distinct "doo-doo-doo-doo" sound is almost as iconic as Apple's classic Marimba ringtone. And just like with ringtones, that AirDrop alert on your iPhone doesn't need to sound like everyone else's. In just a few taps, you can make it sound like anything y ...more
Updating your Galaxy to the latest software version is optional, but you wouldn't know that from the persistent notification and status bar icon that are constantly reminding you to. Thankfully, you're just an app away from hiding these eyesores without the need to update your ...more
We know our Null Byte readers would like to see some iPhone-hacking scenarios on the site soon, but until we get some of those up, we understand that some of you actually use an iPhone as your primary phone. If that's you, and you would like an easier way to get information fr ...more
Null Byte readers are no strangers to the powers and benefits that come from learning how to code. By knowing only a handful of programming languages and platforms, an intrepid developer can create everything from best-selling apps to spyware in the comfort of his or her own h ...more
Touch typing on a Chromebook is difficult. With displays well over seven inches, it's barely possible to type in portrait mode, and landscape mode is a joke. But you don't have to resort to a physical keyboard, because there's a better way that works regardless of the screen s ...more
No matter how you feel about Apple, I think most Samung fans would agree that AirPods have some great features, including the ability to pair and use the earbuds without messing around with Bluetooth settings. But did you know your Samsung Galaxy S20 has this feature as well? ...more
When using your right hand, Gboard's one-handed mode will help you type faster with a single thumb. But not all of us hold our phones the same way — some of us prefer our left hand or hold our phones higher or lower than where the keyboard is positioned. But with the latest ve ...more
If your phone has an A/B partition layout, there are two virtual hard drives that each contain a copy of Android. After every restart, it picks a partition to boot from, then the other lays idle. The idle partition can be overwritten with a new copy of the OS and it won't affe ...more
Despite Samsung's long running support for Wi-Fi Direct, most users still struggle to transfer files between their devices. Whereas Apple has AirDrop, Samsung's previous solution wasn't so obvious. With the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung hopes to correct this with "Quic ...more
The Galaxy S20's Wireless PowerShare is a must-use feature. With even the base model packing a 4,000 mAh battery, you have more than enough juice for all your Qi-enabled devices. The default settings make it so that in certain situations, you may have to choose between your ph ...more
The shift to remote working in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed Google's efforts to fulfill its annual Android update cycle, as the third developer preview of Android 11 dropped on Thursday. In addition to bug fixes and quality of life improvements for develop ...more
The first thing any Android power user does with their phone is unlocked the Developer options. The hidden menu has many low-level tweaks, such as forcing Dark mode on all apps, speeding up animations, or enabling hidden Quick Setting tiles. And most modifications require noth ...more
For audiophiles, few smartphones come close to LG flagship devices. With either the latest G series or V series phone, you can be sure you're getting the best audio experience of any smartphone thanks to Quad DACs and headphone jacks. And with some tinkering, you can make this ...more
For the Pixel 4's face unlock feature to work in the dark, Google had to add a front-facing IR camera. If you download a specific app, you can actually see a live feed from this camera. It's true night vision for your phone, and it's completely free. So grab HedgeCam 2 from t ...more
Even with Pixels now coming with 128 GB of internal storage, many folks still struggle with low storage. The culprit is usually photos and videos, which can quickly eat away the space. Thankfully, there's a feature that solves this problem. With Google Photos, you can back up ...more
Copying and pasting is even more important on a phone since there's no mouse and keyboard. And like on a computer, copying is usually limited to one item at a time — but with the Samsung Keyboard app, you have the ability to copy multiple sets of text. Tap the ellipses (•••) ...more
Most people are aware that you can reply to messages within notifications. The "Reply" button has been a feature in Android since 7.0 Nougat, saving precious seconds needed to open the app and respond there. But did you know the convenience doesn't stop there? As long as you' ...more
By default, as soon as you join a meeting on Zoom, both your microphone and camera turn on, sharing your audio and video to the other chat participants. While that isn't usually a problem, it can be an issue if the meeting hasn't started or you're entering in the middle of a c ...more
The awkward silence when you're adding someone's name and number to your contacts is worse than usual since you're meeting a new person and this is part of their first impression of you. So don't get labeled as clumsy or slow before you even get a chance to network with your n ...more
It's gotten so much easier to screen record on your Galaxy thanks to One UI 2. You no longer need third-party apps — just tap a button. And while the built-in recorder doesn't have an indicator to show what's being touched on the screen, there's a simple way to enable it. Don ...more
Every 5G model of the Galaxy S20 comes with 12 GB of memory. This amount of RAM is overkill, but Samsung's been putting similar amounts in its flagships for years. Since you have it, why not put it to use? With One UI 2, you can. With any recent Samsung flagship, including th ...more
Pressing the side key on your Galaxy S20 wakes or locks the device, while pressing and holding the button activates Bixby. So "side key" is an apt name — it's not really a power button anymore. That begs the question, how exactly do you restart this thing? Well, here's what h ...more
Apple got rid of the iPhone's home button and assigned its long-press action (Siri) to the power button. Since it now did more than sleep and wake the screen and bring up the power off dialog, they renamed it the "Side button." Well, Samsung just removed the Bixby key, and the ...more
Many of us install TikTok just to see what it's like, but most of us stay for good. Inevitably, that involves creating an account. The problem is, TikTok assigns you a username, usually based on your email address — an odd choice for a platform made for self-promotion. If you' ...more
When Google first launched the Pixel 4, it was and still is the only phone in existence that uses a radar system for motion gestures. Yes, that radar — the same kind of motion-sensing technology used in the military for years — is available on our phones. The Pixel 4 did come ...more
The iPhone's ingenious trackpad function offers an intuitive way to place the cursor where it's needed. Not to be outdone, Samsung phones like the Galaxy S20 have a similar feature baked in. If you're running One UI 2, it's even enabled by default. To use the function on One ...more
The Alt-Tab keyboard shortcut makes switching between apps and programs a breeze on your Windows PC. Just like your computer, your Android phone has the same feature baked in to make switching between recent apps just as hassle-free. With Android 10, switching between apps is ...more
Selecting multiple pictures or videos in Google Photos can be tedious. Usually, you'd long press on the first image to select it, then tap on other pictures one by one to select them as well. But there is a much easier and faster way to do this. Long press on the first image ...more
OnePlus often introduces unique features that receive praise from the smartphone community. But they can sometimes change things up and confuse their users as well. Take dark mode, for example, which became a huge hit thanks to Android 10. Both Google and Samsung offer their d ...more
Your Galaxy's built-in flashlight is handy, but if it takes you more than a split second to turn it on, it's not as useful as it could be. Thanks to One UI 2, you're now just a swipe away from instantly lighting up the room. With Samsung's Android 10 update, you can add the f ...more
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, a ...more
Songs new and old are given a fresh purpose through the TikTok meme machine, but it can be tricky to figure out where a track originally comes from. Sure, you can tap the name of the song to see the source on TikTok, but if it were a snippet uploaded by someone other than the ...more
Does TikTok scare you? Trust me, I get it. It's a strange, unfamiliar place to those of us not accustomed to its ways, populated by teenagers and college students with their own subcultures, memes, and humor. But here's the thing: TikTok has something for everyone, you include ...more