When the power goes out, having the ability to contact others becomes extremely important, and your cell phone can be one of the most important tools to have. But if the power is out for an extended period of time, battery life becomes a constant problem. Without the ability ...more
There's no denying the coolness of an iPhone. But what if you pulled a homemade wooden cell phone out of your pocket instead? You'd probably be the talk of the town. If you like that idea, then make it a reality by building your own cell phone! A team over at MIT's High-Low T ...more
For those who have never traveled abroad, you may not know that different carriers around the world use different bands of frequency to provide service to their customers. This means that a phone bought in the U.S. may be unable to acquire signal from a carrier in Europe. Up ...more
Want to show off vacation photos on the big screen or project goofy videos on the wall? Using a shoebox, magnifying glass, and a smartphone, you can make your own photo or video projector for super cheap. Read below for instructions. Click on image to enlarge.
Flight disruptions can cost billions of dollars, but most modern commercial flights rely on air traffic control systems that harbor serious vulnerabilities. The Federal Aviation Administration uses an infrastructure called NextGen, which relies on Automatic Dependent Surveilla ...more
The newest feature for Pixel smartphones puts a home theater in your pocket. Spatial Audio outputs sound that appears to come from in front of and behind you, adding a new level of immersion to your streaming video and music apps. Google's new audio feature works with any con ...more
Are your smartphone's built-in speakers not loud enough? Don't want to fork out the cash for some additional speakers? Instructables user urant's got you covered. He created the Whirlwind—a portable paper stand and speaker that folds up to fit in your pocket or wallet so you c ...more
Whether you're the proud owner of a Verizon LG Ally Google Android smartphone or perhaps just considering picking one up, you're sure to benefit from this free video tutorial, which presents a complete overview of how to activate and get started using the Ally. For details, an ...more
Security-minded users can reduce the risk of phishing by enabling Advanced Protection on important Google accounts, requiring a U2F security token to log in. Using these keys isn't intuitive on most popular smartphone platforms, and you can find yourself locked out if you don' ...more
In this clip, you'll learn how to gain root access on a Samsung Epic 4G mobile phone. Whether you're the proud owner of a Sprint Samsung Epic 4G Google Android smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more i ...more
In my days as a hardware tech, I often came across motivated do-it-yourselfers who watched a video or two on how to repair a phone and thought that they'd give it a go. More often than not, they failed miserably and damaged their phones (and wallets) even more in the process. ...more
Gingerbread almost always requires eggs. Gingerbread cookies, on the other hand, aren't as dependent on them. But when dealing with the sophisticated recipe for Android 2.3 Gingerbread, it couldn't be completely baked without an egg or two. More specifically— an Easter egg. G ...more
Tons of people listen to music while going to sleep, but some don't like to leave it playing all night. If you hate waking up in the middle of the night and having to turn off your music, why not make your smartphone do it for you? For Android users, there's a free app called ...more
Who said sports need parity to be fun? For the third year in a row, the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing off against the Golden State Warriors on the NBA's biggest stage, and basketball fans everywhere couldn't be more excited. It's the most star-studded Finals in NBA history, ...more
When it comes time to sell your smartphone or trade it in for your annual upgrade, you'll have to make sure that all of the sensitive data the device accumulated while you owned it is properly erased so that no one else can access it. This process is referred to as a "Factory ...more
Now that Vision Pro, Apple's mixed reality headset, has been announced, Apple can free up some R&D resources to commit to its upcoming foldable iPhone, which has been rumored for just as long as Vision Pro has. Will it be a flip-style or a larger foldable? Let's see what all t ...more
If you don't smoke, your car's ashtray is probably either unused or, if you're like me, full of loose change. And if your car is older, unless you've installed one, it probably doesn't have a place for you to plug in your phone. This quick hack by Jalopnik's Jason Torchinsky w ...more
In early 2000, at the age of 19, Noah Kalina began taking a photo of himself with the same facial expression—every single day. Six years and over 2,000 photographs later, Kalina turned his project into a time-lapsed montage on YouTube. In just one day, his video received over ...more
Whether you're trying to become an influencer or just want to share better photos and videos, the best camera to start with is your smartphone. It is likely the only camera you always have on you and it's probably capable of excellent pictures and video capture. But with a lit ...more
We've all been there. Channel surfing lazily whilst reclining on the sofa—then all of a sudden, the remote stops working. Out of frustration, you hold the remote up higher, press the buttons harder, or maybe a even give it a good smack hoping that will fix it. Right around thi ...more
If you want to keep listening to music on your Android smartphone or tablet using the Spotify app, take a look at this video guide from Cnet on how to use Spotify in offline mode. This will let you keep listening to music while in an elevator or when you lose a data connection.
One of the more innovative features about the new Windows 8 operating system is the ability to unlock the screen via a picture password. This new feature allows the user to select any photo they would like and use taps, circles or straight lines to unlock the device. The video ...more
Having access to your computer from your cell phone is an extremely useful feature. Whether you need to edit documents or send files that are on your home desktop, or you simply want to watch movies you have saved on your computer, access is key. Kind of makes you wish you co ...more
If you have a Samsung Galaxy S, Vibrant, Captivate, or I9000 and want to unlock it, this video will show you how to do it. Also, this method will let you do it with one click. You'll need your USB cable to connect to your desktop or laptop to download the necessary script. Enjoy.
It's the holidays. That means new smartphones, and new smartphones mean new cases. Whether it's the Galaxy S8, the iPhone X, or the Note 8, your new phone deserves to be protected. Of course, good cases can get pricey fast. That's what Black Friday is for, of course. While no ...more
This is, by far, the easiest way to root your Android phone, and it's even got its own name— the "SuperOneClick" method. This is a universal technique that applies to most Android-based smartphones (minus the HTC Evo and T-Mobile G2/Vision). TheUnlockr shows you the secret beh ...more
Often, it's much quicker to copy and paste text than to retype it completely. Fortunately for Droid users, it's easy to copy and paste text on Android phones! So easy, in fact, that this home-computing how-to from the folks at Butterscotch can present a complete, step-by-step ...more
Root your Droid 2 the easy way! Unlock your mobile phone's hidden potential by running custom ROMs, overclocking it, and even turning it into a wireless hotspot with WiFI tethering. For all of the details, and to get started rooting your own Droid 2 cell phone, take a look. L ...more
If you're interested in installing an application that you can't find in the Android Market, you'll need to use an apk (or Android packet) file. Don't know how to load an apk onto your phone? No problem: this Android owner's guide will walk you through the process. You'll find ...more
Whether you're the proud owner of a Verizon LG Ally Google Android smartphone or perhaps just considering picking one up, you're sure to benefit from this free video tutorial, which presents a complete overview of the phone's various features. Specifically, this video demonstr ...more
Using a fingerprint scanner to keep intruders out of your phone might not be as secure as you think. Two researchers from Michigan State University, Kai Cao and Anil K. Jain, developed a relatively cheap and effective way to beat fingerprint readers, and successfully tested th ...more
Three years ago, with VR enthusiasts prepared to throw their money at Oculus to get their hands on the yet-to-be-release Rift headset, Google surprised the audience for Google I/O with Google Cardboard, a seemingly late April Fool's joke that actually jump-started virtual real ...more
Android 12L and Android 13 have a taskbar just for tablets that lets you quickly open recent, suggested, or pinned apps and drag and drop apps into split-screen mode. While the taskbar is meant just for tablets and foldable devices, you can unlock this new feature for your And ...more
Need to print something but you're on the go and only have your smartphone or iPad with you? No worries! This tutorial shows you how to use a little app called Dropbox to print to your home printer anywhere, anytime, with any mobile device. Print THAT! Links: Google Cloud Pr ...more
Gizmodo's interactive breakdown of the iPhone 4, Blackberry Torch, Nokia N8, and Google's Nexus One examines the wholesale cost of hardware versus the end retail price, as well as how each company prioritizes each category below: "They all cost roughly the same to manufacture ...more
Root your G2 the easy way with an app you can download directly from the Android market! Unlock your mobile phone's hidden potential by running custom ROMs, overclocking it, and even turning it into a wireless hotspot with WiFI tethering. For all of the details, and to get sta ...more
Fujitsu Limited has developed what they call the world's smallest Windows 7 PC, which will become available shortly on NTT DoCoMo, Japan's predominant mobile phone operator. The dual-boot device acts as both a smartphone and a portable personal computer that runs the Windows 7 ...more
If your phone won't boot or you need to dig deeper into the Android operating system on your Motorola Droid Bionic, this tutorial on booting the Bionic into recovery mode should help you out. Just be careful, because a factory reset on the Verizon Wireless smartphone will caus ...more
No longer do you need to crowd around your tiny smartphone to watch a funny YouTube video with your friends. If you've got a display nearby with a web browser and internet access, you can take control of it with your mobile device for free with the new Clik app. It's simple. ...more
It is well documented that what you say and do online is tracked. Yes, private organizations do their best to protect your data from hackers, but those protections don't extend to themselves, advertisers, and law enforcement. Whether you are a journalist, a protestor, or a hi ...more
3D printers have been surging in popularity for both professional and personal applications, and now OLO is on the verge of making 3D printing practical wherever you go. Their eponymous 3D printer is battery-powered and uses the light from your smartphone's screen to create 3D ...more
Want to know how to set a custom wallpaper or ringtone on a Droid 2? Whether you're a proud owner of the Moto Droid 2 Google Android smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to benefit from this video tutorial, which also takes a look at the Swype typin ...more
Interested in scanning QR matrix codes with an Android phone? This clip will show you how it's done. It's easy! So easy, that this video tutorial can present a complete, step-by-step overview of the process in about two minutes. For more information, including detailed, step-b ...more
This time last year, computer vision company uSens introduced a stereo camera module capable of hand tracking. Now, uSens can achieve the same thing with just a smartphone's camera. On Thursday, at the Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara, uSens unveiled the beta version of it ...more
All those Apple commercials encouraging people to use their iPhones to make their smartphone movies look amazing, but how can you achieve some of the same looks? That's the question many often ask after plunking down over $1,000 for a brand new iPhone, shooting some video, and ...more
Learn how to access Nokia's Ovi services by creating a Nokia account. It's easy and this clip will teach you everything you need to know. For all of the details, including complete, step-by-step instructions, watch this brief, official C6-01 owner's guide from the folks at Nokia!
Have an HTC smartphone? Chances are that some of your stored personal data has been hijacked by malicious apps on your device. Android apps that have permission to access the Internet, which is pretty much every ad-supported app out there, can snag valuable information such as ...more
You've had a hard day at work and need to get out of the house, have a few drinks, but you don't want to go just anywhere—you want the right crowd and the right bar. For those nights, barhopping just isn't the answer, it's SceneTap. It's a new free mobile application coming s ...more
The Google Nexus S smartphone is finally here! Well… almost. Nexus S is the first smartphone based on the Gingerbread OS (Android 2.3) and will be available for purchase online and at Best Buy store locations everywhere, come December 16th, with T-Mobile service. Aah… just ...more
Now that everyone has an Android or iPhone in their pocket, there's no excuse for being late to an appointment or job interview. Thanks to that GPS receiver in your smartphone, navigating your way through city streets and highways is a cinch, in or outside of your vehicle. But ...more
Whether you use an iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android smartphone, it definitely doesn't deserve to get scratched up by car keys or other sharp objects that may be in your pocket or handbag. If you're too cheap to invest in a protective phone case, how about making your very own of ...more
In this clip, you'll learn how to set up and use free wireless tethering with a Motorola Droid 2 Google Android mobile phone. Whether you're the proud owner of a Moto Droid 2 Google Android smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by t ...more
Gone are the days when you had to carry a clunky DynaTAC to make phone calls, pocket phone book for you contact list, Sony Discman for your tunes, and wallet for you cash and credit cards. Today, all you need is your smartphone. To be specific, Google's Nexus S 4G on Sprint. ...more
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. This week, China-based Nreal made the potential mass adoption of its N ...more
Are you interested in video editing, but have no background in it? Are you looking to put together a short from some clips you've shot, but don't know where to start? You could use iMovie, an application that comes free with every iPhone, but then what would you do on Android? ...more
There's no shortage of DIY smartphone accessories out there. From a stylus for your tablet to a design-your-own iPhone case, there's something for just about everyone. The best part is that you can usually make your own accessories for way less than you'd pay for them in store ...more
There are so many unpleasant things about flying. You have to wait in line after line, take off your shoes, belt, and jewelry, and somehow make sure your luggage stays intact. And then, once you've made it onto the plane, there are the awful movies that most airlines play—if y ...more
Are you lucky enough to have gotten your hands on an HTC EVO - the world's first ever 4G cell phone? If you have, then check out this helpful tutorial. In this video you will not only get an introduction to your new smartphone but also a step by step walk through of how to set ...more
With Tasty dominating Facebook videos and online cooking flourishing, it can be cumbersome to keep track of all your recipes. Someone might send you something, and storing it in an app like Pocket is like jamming all your school papers in one folder — it just isn't practical. ...more
Cheap Chinese knockoffs have been around for ages, but recently, skyrocketing demand has led to a massive influx of counterfeit smartphones. Sellers on Craigslist seem to have no trouble getting ahold of these fake devices, then passing them off as the real deal and turning a ...more