What's the first thing you would do once you realized you were lost in, say, a desert? If you're like me, you would immediately pull out your cell phone and start dialing every number. But what if you have no service? What if your battery is dead? If you make this survival so ...more
Change a normal 9v battery into a life saver. If you have ever run out of juice on your phone and could really use a quick charge then you need a USB battery. list: 1 5.1v zener diode 1 330-ohm resistor 1 9v battery connector 1 9v battery solder and soldering iron (you can ge ...more
I was in college, and my 15-inch Sony Vaio laptop was my prized possession. It was my first PC and probably the most important thing I brought with me to my dorm — it was both how I completed my assignments and my primary source of entertainment. How could it turn its back on ...more
Preserving battery life has become one of the biggest problems for the average user. Whether you're on Android or iPhone, your battery is probably a massive concern. While there are a ton of battery-saving tips out there, they mainly rely on you manually performing actions you ...more
After Apple's recent fiasco, it's now common knowledge that smartphone batteries degrade over time. But aside from causing terrible battery life, a degraded battery can also trick your phone's software into thinking the device has more juice left than it actually does. I'll e ...more
Android's stock battery menu is pretty decent. You can see which apps have been using the most power, and you can tell when your CPU was awake or asleep, among other things. But a lot of times, battery-sucking services will get lumped under the generic "Android System" header, ...more
The old "my battery is dead" excuse for not calling your mother may soon be a thing of the past. A team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), led by Professor Jo Byeong-jin, has developed a "wearable thermo-element" that can be built into clothin ...more
Use a universal cell phone battery charger to boost your batteries on the go, no matter where you are.
New technologies in current-generations smartphones allow for much faster charging—Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, VOOC Flash Charge, and USB Type-C, for instance, can charge a phone up to 4 times faster than traditional methods. However, the majority of phones on the market still ...more
Paper clips and any kind of power adapter that gives 5 volts will do the job for charging your phone battery. Video: . Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel for more awesome videos from the macobt projects!
If your car battery is nearly dead, you run the risk of being stranded on the road in the middle of nowhere. To prevent being a victim of a drained car battery, always have a set of jumper cables on hand. Store them in your trunk for emergencies, because you never know when it ...more
Ever been stuck on the side of the road with no clue how to use those jumper cables in your trunk? Chris on WatchMojo will show you how to diagnose the problem, and the safe way to hook up those jumper cables, get the battery working again, and get you on your way. This step b ...more
Opps! Left my lights on again. Luckily watching this video by Eric the Car Guy will help you learn how to jump start you car and get you ready to get back on the road without waiting for AAA. This video with clear instructions show you the safe way to jump start a car from ano ...more
Android-enabled mobile devices are taking the world by storm, giving Apple's iPhone a run for their money. And if you're holding an Android cell phone in your hand, getting accustomed to all the flashy features can be daunting, especially if you're new to multimedia smartphone ...more
Lost in the wilderness? Did you forget your emergency personal beacon (EPERB)? Learn from the BBC how to start a signal fire using your car battery and a piece of wire wool. Let's just hope you have a car . . .
Strike a fire with a battery. "Sticks and stone may brake your bones, but they will take forever to start a fire!" This is a good video if you need to survive in the wild by creating a fire.
Tired of worrying about where you can get your next charge? Watch this video to learn how to save your Android phone's battery life. Don't let your phone charger become a ball and chain, use the techniques shown here to conserve your Android device's battery life.
In this clip, we learn how to pin things to the Start screen on a Windows Phone 7 smartphone as well as how to change the theme color. Whether you're the proud owner of a Microsoft Windows Phone 7 smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well serv ...more
While there are many ways to see the exact battery life left on your iPhone, you can take all the work out of it by making your iPhone verbally tell you the current percentage every time you start or stop charging it. Best of all, this trick works whether you use wired or wire ...more
When it comes to blocking unwanted calls, your Android device comes stocked with a native blocking feature that allows you to reject certain phone numbers. That being said, the native blocking feature on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 isn't the prettiest or the smartest, with its n ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to jump start a car using another car's battery. First, you will need to position the two cars in front of each other. Turn off both of the cars completely, then attach the jumper cables. You need to connect the positive post of the dead battery ...more
If you've ever left the lights on in your car for a long time or just have a bad alternator, then you know all too well the pain of a dead battery. This video will teach you how to push start a dead battery car, which can often restore it for long enough to get you to the shop.
You don't want to get stuck on the side of the road when your car's battery dies. Learn how to charge your car's battery off of someone else's using jumper cables. Don't let a dead battery leave you stranded! Every driver should know how to jump start a car.
Want to know how to check the battery life on a Nexus One smartphone? Whether you're the owner of a Nexus One Android phone or just covet one, you're sure to enjoy this Nexus One owner's guide from Nexus One Hacks, which presents a complete, step-by-step walkthrough of how to ...more
Want to change the default web browser page on your BlackBerry Curve 8520? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video guide. For detailed ...more
Want to know how to initiate Messenger conversations on a BlackBerry smartphone running version 5.0 of the BlackBerry OS? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to b ...more
The Evo 4G does a lot of fancy things. Unfortunately, a lot of those fancy things are power-intensive. Interested in getting the most out of the HTC Evo 4G's battery? Whether you're the owner of an HTC Evo 4G Android smartphone or just covet one, you're sure to enjoy this Evo ...more
Tired of always having to charge your phone? Don't want to pay for an expensive upgrade? This tutorial shows you how to get the most out of your phone's battery life. Make sure your data and Internet features are under control, those will suck the most juice.
If you find yourself recharging your HTC EVO from Sprint more than once a day, you might find these tips from CNET more than helpful. In this video, CNET shows you how to maximize the battery life on your HTC EVO running the Android software. These tips can also be applied oth ...more
Lenovo announced at Tech World '16 a slew of new products, and one of them aims to upend the smartphone accessory ecosystem: Moto Mods. Moto Mods are proprietary modular add-ons developed for two new Motorola phones that were also announced in the keynote, the Moto Z and Moto ...more
Forget the sticks and drop the matches, Joe Kelley shows you the easiest way to start a fire in the woods: steel wool and a battery. All you need to do is touch the volt battery to the steel wool. Watch this video camping tutorial and learn how to start a fire with steel wool ...more
This video shows the viewer how to start a fire using a steel wool and a 9 volt battery. This is done by first selecting a charge battery and clean steel wool. The gently rub the battery terminals across the steel wool and blow gently. The wool should glow and become superheat ...more
What happens when you need to build a fire, but you forgot your matches and lighter? What if you don't know the fire-plow method, the bow and drill method, or even the flint and steel method (not that you would have flint, because you forgot your lighter)? Watch this survival ...more
Learn how to initiate conversations in BlackBerry Messenger on your BlackBerry phone. This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video guide. F ...more
Here's a quick tip for Android phone users! You can use the App Launcher (the icon is at the bottom of your phone, near the center) to open up your app screen, listing all your apps. From there, run all your favorite Android apps!
It doesn't really matter what kind of cell phone you have—battery life is one of the most important features for any electronic device. We've written tons of articles on how to get better battery life from your Android, iPhone, Kindle, and more, but we've never really covered ...more
You can add a timestamp to any YouTube video in just a few clicks from the desktop website on your computer but not from YouTube's iOS or Android app. Until YouTube adds a "start time" when sharing videos from the mobile app, you'll have to use one of these workarounds on your ...more
In the case of Apple Watch v. Fitbit, the winner comes down to the judge at hand. Apple currently offers two smartwatches — the Series 5 and the Series 3 — while Fitbit offers three models — the Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Ionic, and Fitbit Versa Lite. Whatever your assumptions abo ...more
Sorry, Galaxys S11–19, Samsung's jumping straight to Galaxy S20 this year. They're also going with essentially three base models before accounting for niche variants. Of these three models, it's clear which one's the best: the Galaxy S20 Ultra. We've rounded up all the specs ...more
Starting in October, many Nexus 6P users have been experiencing a bug that causes their phone to completely shut down, even though there was 20% or more battery life remaining. At first, it was thought to be a direct result of the recent Android Nougat update, but a combinatio ...more
It's always a big deal when the company that makes Android releases a new phone. Google's Pixel series has made a name for itself in three short years behind its camera prowess, but now it's time to start competing with the major players. That said, Google should like how thei ...more
Automation is everywhere in our daily lives. Faucets and hand dryers that turn on for you when they detect your presence. Automated teller machines to handle your bank account. Timed sprinklers to water your lawn every morning. DVRs to record your favorite TV shows when you're ...more
If you're in the market for a non-root ad-blocker, developer Julian Klode has an app that you'll definitely want to check out. It uses Android's VPN system in a similar manner to alternative apps like NetGuard and AdGuard, but it's got a new twist that should save lots of batt ...more
Whenever you need to record a quick message to yourself or someone else, the stock Voice Recorder app on the Galaxy Note 2 does a fine job. However, the situations when you need it the most are when you forget or don't care to actually use it, like during a heated argument or ...more
Clumsiness is the great equalizer when it comes to smartphones — it makes no distinction between the most expensive flagship handset and cheaper mid-range models. A hard drop onto pavement will usually result in a shattered screen, regardless of how pricey your device is. And ...more
Mobile gaming has exploded in recent years, with experts predicting 2.4 billion global mobile players by the end of 2019. It already accounts for 47% of the worldwide gaming market, besting console and PC. No wonder we've seen the rise of gaming smartphones, a class of phones ...more
For many of us, our work phone and our personal phone are one and the same. Just any old phone isn't going to cut it when you need to meet a deadline — a phone with built-in features that make it easier to get things done is almost a must. For this article, we defined product ...more
Ever since the announcement of the Razer Phone, a wave of gaming smartphones started to hit the market. With ASUS being such a big name in gaming, it made sense for them to throw their hat in the ring. The result is the ROG Phone. And with this first try, ASUS has topped the r ...more
Russians are well known for their knack at documenting exciting and horribly beautiful events on the go, from insane car accidents to attempted insurance fraud and even a superbolide meteor streaking across the sky. Videos like these aren't limited to just Russia—dashcams are ...more
Whether you're just getting your first Android, or are already on your fifth annual cycle of picking up the latest flagship, there is always the question of what to do after booting up your device for the first time. You can go the route of keeping your device the way the man ...more
The Pixel 3 XL versus Galaxy Note 9. Stock Android versus Samsung Experience. When I began this comparison, I thought the Pixel 3 XL would be unfairly outmatched. But after looking at the specs side-by-side, you'll see a different picture. This year, Google delivered a worthy ...more
I have the AT&T version of the Galaxy S5, so every time I start my phone I get the pleasure of hearing AT&T's lovely jingle. Actually, that's sarcasm—I absolutely abhor this sound. I haven't had the chance to play around with a Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon variants of this pho ...more
When it comes to smartphone screens, there are two predominant technologies—the traditional LCD panel, and the newer AMOLED display. Most phones still use LCD screens, as the tech is more cost-effective due to its longstanding reign as the primary display type in TVs, smartpho ...more
Lenovo, the company that now owns Motorola, just announced two new entries in their wildly successful midrange Moto G series. The Moto G5, and its bigger brother, the Moto G5 Plus, were both shown off in detail at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. Highlights for ...more
In a bold move, Samsung has decided to forgo the Galaxy S11 moniker and jump straight to the S20. Perhaps it's marketing for the new 20:9 aspect ratio and 120 Hz display, or maybe it's just the fact that it's releasing in 2020. Besides the number, Samsung is borrowing from Ap ...more
It looks like Samsung is stronger than ever, as evidenced by their quarterly forecast, which suggests a global profit of $8.8 billion, the company's highest mark in three years. Impressive, considering the spectacular failure of the Note7, Samsung's last flagship prior to the ...more
Newer smartphones are more power hungry than ever before, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has a mighty appetite for amps that only Jenny Craig could possibly curb. On average, your Note 2 (or other Android device) lasts for what, a day, maybe two days before dying. Mine barely l ...more
iPhones with Face ID all retail for at least $999, which many still believe is just too much for a smartphone. But that's okay, because Apple just introduced the iPhone 11 for roughly $700. It's not necessarily the best value, though, because the iPhone 11 already has some sti ...more
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 stella ...more
Whether it's a short road trip or an 18-hour flight, our phones are now essential travel companions. No longer do we need a GPS unit, maps, cameras, camcorders, or even boarding passes. However, not all phones are created equal in this regard. Some are more suited for travelin ...more