Rooting, bootloaders, custom ROMs, CyanogenMod, ClockworkMod... it's all pretty confusing, isn't it? You're not the only one having trouble with this. Many users in the Nexus 7 SoftModder forum have been scratching their heads at these many terms. First, let's cover the terms ...more
The new iPhone X sets itself apart from its predecessors not only as the first Apple smartphone to use an AMOLED screen, but also as the first iPhone to cost over $1,000. True to form as an exclusive device, Apple's latest flagship also features a distinct ringtone. With a lit ...more
Sony's Xperia Z, which has generated quite a deal of excitement since its launch at the CES in Las Vegas last month, is already sold out in France with its expected U.S. release to be sometime in March. It's 5-inch, 1080p display puts it up there with some of the best smartpho ...more
For me, the idea of a smartphone with internet access was overkill for a cell phone. Wasn't that what my computer was for? Do I really need immediate access to the web? Must I update my Facebook every hour, from the palm of my hand? Do I need turn-by-turn directions from Googl ...more
When you want to post a breathtaking landscape or picture-perfect portrait that you just took with your DSLR camera to Instagram, Facebook, or some other social platform, there's an easy way to do so — even if you don't have a computer handy, which is typical when you're out a ...more
For a hacker, there are a lot of advantages to creating a fake network. One advantage forces nearby devices to use their real MAC address if you happen upon a network that's stored in their preferred network list. There are a lot of tools out there for creating fake access po ...more
Update, November 12, 2014: Android 5.0 Lollipop is officially out now. If you haven't gotten the OTA yet, check out our new guide on installing the official Lollipop builds on any Nexus for download links and instructions, for Mac or Windows. Update, October 17, 2014: In adv ...more
PirateBox is a great way to communicate with others nearby when cellular and Wi-Fi networks aren't available. With it, you can anonymously share any kind of media or document and even talk to one another by voice — without being online. However, it needs a Raspberry Pi, which ...more
Full disclosure: I really like Apple's stock ringtones on the iPhone. After all, there are over 50 to choose from if you include the classic ones. With all that choice, why would you ever need more? Personally, I get bored easily, and I'd like my music to play when people call ...more
Now that the iPhone 4 is on Verizon, there's an increasing number of ex-Android users wanting to know how to take a screenshot on their new iOS device. We all know what a nightmare it was to take a screenshot on your Android device. You had to download the Android SDK, enable ...more
"Ahoy-hoy." If telephone titan Alexander Graham Bell had his way, we'd all be answering phones like Mr. Burns. Thankfully, frienemy Thomas Edison had enough sense to realize we weren't always on the briny. He preferred "hello" as our standard telephone greeting, which he is c ...more
In the past, updating a rooted Samsung Galaxy device has always involved the complicated process of downloading the proper firmware for your variant, installing device drivers, then sideloading the update with Odin. Luckily, though, with the release of the Galaxy S6, Samsung ...more
There are many different reasons that you might want to revert your Samsung Galaxy S5 back to stock. The main one would probably be that you need to return your device to the manufacturer for warranty purposes. And if you've used root to modify system-level files and component ...more
As a former English major, I have a love/hate relationship with many books. And when I saw that this NFC-enabled charging dock project included a little book mutilation, I was suddenly more interested. Now, for those of you who have nothing against books, this is still a great ...more
I'm back. School's an ass. On my quest for knowledge, which started approximately 3 years ago, I can upon an interesting little artifact. It is called the Arduino. What Is the Arduino? The Arduino is an open-sourced prototype board. You use it to make projects, and is great ...more
One of the lesser known features brought along by the roll-out of Android 4.4 KitKat is the ability to screen record from within the device. This features isn't overtly obvious, nor is its implementation the most streamlined, but if you were ever looking for a way to capture v ...more
Ready to start rooting your Samsung Galaxy S4? For those of you with the GT-i9500 model GS4, this quick video will walk you through the entire rooting process using Odin and CWM. Video: . Step 1: Power off you Galaxy S4 and hold down Volume Down, Center Home, and Power button ...more
There's over 20 million people out there who use Ubuntu as their main operating system, and the number is steadily increasing due to its thriving community. While it's easy enough to download Ubuntu on your PC, the process to get it on your mobile devices can be fairly more di ...more
A relay is an electrical component that works like a light switch, where it's turned on or off with an electrical signal. By connecting a relay to a Wi-Fi connected microcontroller like an ESP8266, you can build a connected switch that can be controlled from the web browser of ...more
An emergency battery charger for your mobile phone comes in handy, but it's not the ultimate solution; once it's dead it's useless (what a waste). If you want to really get off the metaphorical grid, you can follow the steps in this video to construct a more robust circuit tha ...more
In this video, Gary from MacMost gives some tips on how to set up a new printer with your Mac. Some printers don't work for Macs, so make sure it's compatible before purchasing it, by checking the internet. Check if a USB cable comes with a cable and buy one if necessary. Igno ...more
This video will show you how to tether your Samsung Messager 2, (the MetroPCS phone) to your PC to use as a modem for internet access. This will allow you to use your cell phone as your internet connection point, meaning you'll connect to the net for the cost of your cell phon ...more
Samimy is at it again. And this time, his ingenuity has tackled a clever way to take something old and broken and restore it to something new and useful. What are we talking about? Modding a broken hard drive and some busted cell phones into a useful rechargeable USB / solar-p ...more
Is your Xbox 360 lacking on storage space? Need just a little bit more room? Maybe a new hard drive isn't the answer for your needs. Maybe all you need is a USB flash drive. You could also use an external hard drive that connects via USB cable. You need to make sure you have ...more
This video tells us the method to transfer photos from your iPhone to your Mac. In the first step, launch the image capture. Connect your iPhone to Mac via a USB cable. 'Download To' option is used for specifying the folder in which you want the downloaded files. 'Automatic Ta ...more
You never know when your computer could eat up all of your work, but you can backup your important files on the music player you already own! Watch this video tutorial to see how to turn your Apple iPod into a backup hard drive. You will of course need an iPod, a computer wit ...more
Sweaty summer day by the computer? Office A/C broke? Watch this how-to video! You can make a simple USB fan using a compact disc, a USB cable, and a small fan motor. It's quick and easy! Don't suffer from the heat. Watch this video tutorial and with these circuitry tips, build ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to use your Mac screen as a gaming display. First, you will need to plug a USB cable into your computer that also has a source to place in a cable to your television. After you have connected these, the program will start automatically. To change ...more
Take a look at this instructional video and learn how to run a USB cable through existing phone cords. You'll need two phone jacks, a USB extender, and a phone cord. Although dual jacks are featured in this video tutorial, single jacks are preferred. The process is fairly simp ...more
This video tutorial is in the Video Games category which will show you how to unban your Xbox 350 live account. For this you will need the eXen card and the eXen Neox card with the USB cable. Turn off your Xbox and plug in the eXen card in to the front of the Xbox with the USB ...more
A few days ago, CloudOn released their free mobile app that brought Microsoft Office directly to your Apple iPad. The cloud-based service effectively runs Office on their end, allowing you to use apps like Word and PowerPoint to edit your documents, which you would house in Dr ...more
In this video from AppleGenius0921 we learn how to sync a Blackberry with a Mac and iTunes. There is now Blackberry software for Mac. After downloading, start up the application. Take your USB cable and connect it from your Blackberry to your Mac. You can see all the applicati ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to put music onto any iPod using the iTunes application. First, plug in your iPod to your computer via the USB cable. Then, open iTunes on your computer and find your music library. After this, you will find the songs that you want to put on your ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to put music on an iPod shuffle using iTunes music. First, open up iTunes on your computer and then connect your iPod to your computer via the USB cable. From here, you will see the summary information about your iPod and other tabs at the top of ...more
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to upload pictures from their cell phone to their computer. Begin by connecting the DCU60 USB cable to the cell phone and connect it to your computer/laptop. Then insert the software CD into the computer. Install the software, dependin ...more
In order to jailbreak and unlock an IPhone 3 G with redsnow v 0.8, you will need to use Windows Vista. When it asks if you are sure you want to run this software, then you should click "run". Browse your files and search for "iPhone 2.1 3.0_7A341_Restore". Click on it, and it ...more
1.First download correct firmware for the iPhone or iPod Touch. And change the dot extension of the file before that open the explorer and select Tools menu then go to Folder options, open view tab and deselect "Hide extension for known file types" option and click ok.2.Now ri ...more
This video demonstrates how to turn your favorite songs into ringtones for your Blackberry Curve. You will need a USB cable to connect your Blackberry to your computer. After connecting your Blackberry, a message will ask you if you would like to turn on "Mass Storage Mode". S ...more
This video will show you how to download or put music into your PSP Gaming Console. In order to do that you just need to follow these easy steps and instructions: The first thing that you need to do is to connect your PSP via USB Mode Connection. Now open the PSP folder and cr ...more
Do you want to know how to sync an iPod with the XBox 360? You must have an iPod and a XBox 360. Connect your iPod with your XBox with the USB cable. Transfer the files from the iPod to the XBox XBox helps play AAC format as well as MPEG movies. The iPod must be connected to t ...more
In this four part video series, learn how to "hack" the LG Rumor/Rumour. In part one, learn the codes you can do, without using the USB cable. Part two and three goes over hooking the phone up to bitpim. Lastly, part four sums up what you will have learned. Again, by hacking y ...more
This video demonstrates how to connect a printer to a Mac. From the people who brought you the Dummies instructional book series, brings you the same non-intimidating guides in video form. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to connect a printer to a Mac, For Dummies. Conn ...more
Do you have some footage from the Sony XDCAM EX digital camera memory card that you need to get into Final Cut Pro? Well, check out this brief tutorial on ingesting that XDCAM EX footage into Final Cut Pro with ease by downloading some software, like upgrades. You'll need the ...more
This video shows how to make a USB or adapter powered keyboard vacuum. You will need a piece of cardboard, scissors, a fan, a DC adapter, electrical tape, and a ruler. On the cardboard draw four triangles and cut them out. Tape two pieces together (not too tight because they w ...more
One of the many reasons Circuit City should go out of business is their sale of ridiculously expensive cables, wire and cords. The secret to the industry of Monster Cables is that it is unnecessary and ineffective. Gold-plated or otherwise, Monster's $100 cables are not intrin ...more
Whether you're in high school or college, you no doubt will have your iPhone in your pocket all day long. To make your iPhone last the whole time and even help you out with your studies, these are the accessories you'll want to get your hands on. You might not think you need ...more
You may have noticed your Note 10 came with quite a bit of bloatware. Even the unlocked version of the phone comes with Facebook preinstalled, and if you bought it from a carrier, it's much worse. Luckily, there's a way to remove any apps you don't want, and you don't need roo ...more
Okay, so you're rooted and need to return your Nexus 5 to its stock firmware. Whether it's because you need to send your phone in to the manufacturer to fix a defect or you just want to use the device's over-the-air updating feature, unrooting and returning your Nexus 5 back t ...more
If you've ever tried to update your Android phone manually, you know the process can be unnecessarily hard. There are so many steps and parts, that if one thing goes wrong, the whole process doesn't work. Recognizing this, the Android team came up with an even easier way. Wit ...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
It didn't take long at all for developer Chainfire to sort out a root method for the new Android 5.0 Lollipop. After handling a few issues with changes to the SELinux kernel module, Chainfire pushed out an update to his popular SuperSU root app. Nexus Root Toolkit developer W ...more
For new Android users, rooting an Android phone can often be an intimidating process, especially since there are so many different ways to gain root access, depending on your model and firmware version. I've previously covered a way of doing it for the AT&T version of the Sam ...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
This is a illuminated pen holder that I made out of a couple recycled hard drives. The LEDs receive power from the standard USB cable connected to a computer. The stand for the penholder is taken from a clip light, and the penholder itself is made from 3 hard disk drive platte ...more
With smartphone cameras and software getting better and better every year, more and more users are getting passionate about photography. So when you're shopping for a gift to get someone, if they have a smartphone, chances are they'll more than appreciate some tools and access ...more
No more carrying around heavy laptops and thousands of Linux Live CDs and USBs to always be ready for pentesting on the fly! I hope you had a good Christmas and happy new year! Update1: Added the section "weaponizing your Android" where I talk about apps and fundamental Kali ...more
The Motorola XOOM was just released last week to Android-hungry fans waiting the next best thing to Apple's iPad. But should it have been released, considering Verizon's switching to the 4G LTE network soon? From what I saw across Android forums, yes—because most could not wa ...more
When the Chromecast first came out about a year ago, developers were quick to find a way to root the streaming device. Google was almost as fast, however, in updating the Chromecast's firmware to close the loophole that this method used. Recently, the developers at Team Eurek ...more
TWRP is the premiere custom recovery for Android because of how many devices it supports and how simple it is to use. But installing it in the first place hasn't always been the easiest thing to do — until now. With the help of a Magisk module, you can finally use one Android ...more
The biggest hurdle to rooting is that it usually requires a computer. Things get complicated when you're trying to use a desktop operating system to exploit a mobile OS, and the connection isn't always reliable. But with the help of Magisk, you can now use one Android phone to ...more