In spite of the degree of difficulty it is to install, CyanogenMod has steadily climbed the ladder to become one of the most popular third-party firmwares for Android devices. To increase its fan base, they even put an easy-to-download installer on Google Play to help people ...more
Have you ever wondered how some people know you're online even though you swear you set the Messenger app to hide your active status? No, you're not crazy — it's an issue with two conflicting settings, and there's an easy fix. Many don't realize this, but you have two differe ...more
If your dryer will not run or spin, you will probably have to replace the dryer door switch. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair. Video: .
If your stovetop igniter will not click or click continuously, you will probably have to replace the top surface ignitor switch. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair. Video: .
Nostalgia sometimes gets the best of us—hence the reason we geek-out when we see emulators for SNES on Apple devices or N64 on Android. The excitement lies in getting our hands on classic video games and their respective systems, but older computer operating systems are also ...more
Okay, you can't really become the king of the world by stacking three pistons. For that, you have to stack four pistons. Seriously though, stacking pistons is an incredibly useful thing to know how to do, and it can be used to make invisible doors, hidden staircases, portcull ...more
Most of us have probably used a GIF at least once or twice to respond to a message, and that's why a lot of messaging services and keyboards have GIF search tools readily available to use. Now, Google wants to take GIF responses to a more personal level, by allowing you to cre ...more
The Galaxy S7 edge comes with a feature called Edge Apps that lets you quickly launch your favorite apps by swiping in from the edge of your screen. It's a natural and intuitive gesture, and as a result, we've seen a recent influx of apps that look to emulate this feature. Bu ...more
It wasn't too long ago that I showed you how to unlock the LG G3 bootloader and install TWRP, and while the process was extremely easy, the custom recovery can look a little intimidating to new users. Even long-time users who know how to navigate it find it boring to look at, ...more
Parlez-vous français? While we all wish we were fluent in multiple languages like Jason Bourne, most of us are probably one-trick ponies. When traveling abroad, or even when taking language courses, having a translator handy is extremely important. You can buy one of those hu ...more
The built-in Files app on your iPhone has only gotten better since it was introduced in iOS 11, with small improvements after each new iOS version. You can manage files on your internal storage as well as in iCloud Drive, but one of the best features is being able to manage me ...more
Hacking web applications can sometimes be challenging due to the sheer amount of moving parts they possess. At the core of these apps are HTTP requests and parameters, but these things are often concealed from the user, due to security reasons, convenience, or both. However, a ...more
Tim Cook claimed 85% of new iPhone buyers are switchers from Android back in 2015. Now, after financial analysts noted a drop in the company's stock prices, Apple has unleashed a series of ad campaigns directly targeting the users it needs to win over. That's you, Android love ...more
Dark mode is simply a way of life these days now that both Android and iOS officially support it. Most major apps now use the system-wide setting on Android and iOS, and many had their own dark themes in-app before Google and Apple got with the program. But the social media gi ...more
Starting with Android 8.0 Oreo, the process of sideloading apps has changed dramatically. Google removed the old "Unknown Sources" setting and replaced it with a permission that you have to grant to individual apps. It's really an interesting security feature. In the old days ...more
The guitar is a double-edged sword. I've played all my life, and though I love the act of guitar playing, there are quite a few people I could live with never hearing play again—ever. Paradoxically, it seems that the less dexterous and committed to practicing are the more lik ...more
Sometimes you might find that a certain app keeps sending you notifications. What are you to do? There are plenty of useful apps that might send one too many push notifications, but that doesn't mean you should dump them. Luckily, Android gives you complete control over how ea ...more
If you're tired of the so-called "top" tweets appearing first in your Twitter timeline instead of only the latest from the people, companies, and bots you follow, there's a way to get rid of them. Twitter switched to an algorithm-based timeline in 2016, which replaced the sta ...more
Unity 5.6 was just released on March 31, and it will be the last entry in the Unity 5 cycle. With all of the new features, it looks like Unity 5 is going out with a bang. We already covered some updates that were added to 5.6 during the beta, especially things pertaining to m ...more
One of Android's biggest strengths is its ability to interact with other operating systems. When you plug your phone into your Windows PC, you instantly see all of the files it holds—and all it takes is a simple syncing app to do the same with Mac. To top that off, apps like P ...more
While most are still fighting through a somewhat ridiculous invite system, OnePlus is starting to ship out a decent number of their One flagship devices to those who were able to obtain one. We all know that the price is the phone's biggest selling point, but there's still mu ...more
Apple is finally adding profiles to Safari, so you can now keep your personal, work, and other topical browsing totally separate in their own instances, with their own history, cookies, website data, and active extensions. Creating profiles for different parts of your life ha ...more
If the front cover is scratched up or discolored, or the selector switch is not working properly, you will have to replace dispenser front cover. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair. Video: .
If your dryer Knob shaft is cracked and you can no longer turn the switch, you will probably have to replace your dryer control knob. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair. Video: .
Whenever I hand my tablet over to someone, my heart always races for a second at the thought that they may stumble across my private pictures, texts, and videos. I trust them, and they may not be the snooping type, but it can be easy enough to come across private stuff by acci ...more
It's exciting to get that reverse shell or execute a payload, but sometimes these things don't work as expected when there are certain defenses in play. One way to get around that issue is by obfuscating the payload, and encoding it using different techniques will usually brin ...more
If you've just upgraded to an HTC One M8, chances are you've got some media files you want transferred over from your computer or previous phone. Even after you've done that, there will be times when you want to transfer content back to your computer for safe keeping. The old ...more
One of Android's biggest strengths relative to iOS was the ability to switch to a third-party keyboard. While Apple has finally included this feature in its latest OS and leveled the playing field a bit, the variety of options still pales in comparison to what's available on A ...more
Climbing into bed and shutting your eyes each night is heavenly—but waking up the next morning isn't. We all hate dragging ourselves out of the comfort of sleep and into the groggy, exhausting work day. Yet starting your day doesn't have to be awful if you know how to hack you ...more
TouchWiz might not be the Android skin of choice for hardcore aficionados, but the Galaxy's OS still has a ton of great features up its sleeve that help provide one of the most enjoyable smartphone experiences out there. Many of these are relatively hidden and overlooked featu ...more
BUD (Block Update Detector) switches can essentially take the place of a regular switch like a lever or a button, but instead of having a "usable" function like pressing the button or flipping the lever, BUD switches trigger when a block next to a piston changes states. There ...more
A week into my internship, I experienced pretty serious back pain and slight difficulty breathing. I scheduled a doctor's appointment to make sure nothing was wrong, and I got a surprising diagnosis: bad posture. Yep, slouching at my desk had caused all of my maladies. In an ...more
The awesome thing about Android is that you rarely need to settle for what comes stock on your device. If your music app sucks, switch it. If you don't like your home launcher, swap it for a better one. Don't Miss: 7 Cool Things You Can Do with the Developer Options That bei ...more
The ability to stay organized and be resourceful with data gathered from recon is one of the things that separates the true hackers from the script kiddies. Metasploit contains a built-in database that allows for efficient storage of information and the ability to utilize that ...more
While hackers know and love the Raspberry Pi, many don't know of its cheaper cousin, the microcontroller. Unlike a Pi, which can be used more or less like a regular computer, microcontrollers like the Wi-Fi connected ESP8266 require some necessary programming skill to master. ...more
Samsung Experience (better known as TouchWiz) can take some time to get used to when you switch to a Galaxy from another Android device. It's a bit heavy-handed with the features, and many consider the UI theme to be a little over the top. Thankfully, there are several stock s ...more
Just in time for the release of Pixar's highly anticipated sequel, AR Emoji based on characters from The Incredibles 2 have arrived for Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. Originally announced at the launch of Samsung's latest flagship devices, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash ...more
If you just installed the iOS 11 beta on your iPhone, you're automatically sending your location data to Apple — even if you don't want to. Luckily, there's an easy way to prevent Apple from seeing this data if you don't want them to. Now, this is nothing new. Apple always as ...more
Good news for those of us who are both directionally impaired and like to hold our own concerts while driving: Waze and Spotify are teaming up to make your drive easy to navigate with a sweet soundtrack. The new Waze and Spotify update gives you the option of getting directio ...more
Eavesdropping from a distance can be tricky because it usually requires some sort of bug or transmitter. It's easy to transmit audio through lasers, but you can also use lasers to build a microphone that picks up audio from a distance. LucidScience built the Laser Spy System f ...more
If the solenoid is shorted or arm broke, the dispenser does not switch between crushed ice and cubed ice, you will probably have to replace the solenoid. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair. Video: .
Gboard is one of the best third-party keyboards available for iPhones, but you probably don't know everything you need to know about it to become a real Gboard pro and stop using Apple's stock keyboard for good. I've tried many third-party keyboards on my iPhone since they we ...more
While Google would rather you use Google as the default search engine in Chrome, there's a way to switch to the more privacy-geared DuckDuckGo search engine for all your web browsing needs. With DuckDuckGo, the company does not track anything you search or allow anyone else to ...more
When Google released the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, they added official support for fingerprint scanning to Android's main code base. On the surface, this was done to ensure that the fingerprint scanner in their own devices could be used to its full extent, but because it was adde ...more
There are a gazillion lock screen apps available on Google Play, but the majority of them are subpar and not worth your time. However, in my opinion, there is definitely one out there worth your time—one that constantly learns and adapts to what apps you use when and where to ...more
Tripwires are a new mechanic released in Minecraft 1.3, and people are still trying to figure out how best to use them. Minecart returns are a great idea, but what about traps? I've constructed examples of my three favorite tripwire traps, and I'll show you how to make them. ...more
It's finally out. After months of testing, iOS 13 is available to install on your iPhone, which means over 200+ new features you can use right now. The update, released on Sept. 19, can be installed over the air or from a restore image using iTunes in macOS Mojave and older or ...more
We're almost there to completing the setup of your Mac for hacking! Now that we have Git and Homebrew under our belts, it's time to take on something fairly easy, but very important for our hacking needs. Ruby is an object-oriented scripting language used to write powerful pr ...more
Samy Kamkar, the security researcher known for the MySpace Worm and his combination lock cracking skills (using an online calculator), is back—and this time, he's after your credit cards! Well, not really, but his latest project, dubbed MagSpoof, can spoof any magnetic stripe ...more
Writing longhand may boost learning and goal achievement, but that doesn't mean squat if you don't have pen and paper on you. For me, I'm usually on the go when I have a note or idea to jot down, and I don't always have writing materials in my pocket. Who does? But what I do ...more
We've already done a tutorial explaining why buttons are superior to levers, but now I want to show you a way to make them even more useful than they already are. You can't get this sort of functionality with levers! A button only emits a one-second (or so) pulse of power. We ...more
Your iPhone's audio messages may get you in trouble if they haven't done so already. It's way too easy for your iPhone to start recording without your knowledge, only to send a friend or family member a conversation you're having about them. (Awkward.) Luckily, protecting your ...more
Lots of Google apps are getting dark mode. Google Drive has had it on Android 10 for a few months. But it hasn't been accessible to all Android users until now. With the latest update, there's a manual dark mode switch you can turn on regardless of what OS version you have. D ...more
On Yelp, you have the option to check in to a business you're visiting. For you, broadcasting who you're with and where you're at is fun for social purposes, but for business owners, you're basically giving them free publicity. Well, almost free publicity. Since there's incent ...more
One of the biggest advancements in the new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR is the dual SIM functionality that will let you use two cellular networks at once. Like Sinatra, however, Apple is known to do things its own way, so their dual SIM setup is a bit different than you might thi ...more
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, a new smartphone manufacturer named Nextbit emerged, then released its first flagship device—the Nextbit Robin. The headlining feature of this colorful gadget is its cloud-based app storage, but the phone itself comes with a very polish ...more
Smartphone games are getting pretty good these days, but they still can't beat the retro appeal of a good emulator. I mean, who wouldn't want to have their all-time favorite console and arcade games tucked neatly in their front pocket? Classics ranging from Super Mario Bros. t ...more
Closing all of your tabs open in Safari is not an exceptionally quick task—you have the choice of either tapping the X on the left edge of each page or swiping each tab to the left of the screen. If you have a load of tabs open, you'll have to swipe or tap through all of them. ...more
A typical resistance spot welder can range in price from about $200-$800, but with a little resourcefulness and a bit of free time, you can make one like this for about $10 or less. Before starting on this project, there are a couple of videos you should check out, because yo ...more
If you bought the new iPhone 5 or upgraded your old one to iOS 6, you may be having issues when you try to upload photos to Facebook. After updating, the first time you try to share an image from the Facebook app, it will ask you to allow access to your Camera Roll. If you're ...more