Samsung Features
How To: Switch Between Running Apps on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 Without Ever Lifting a Finger
I've covered a few multitasking app switchers before, but none of them are as sleek and smooth as the aptly titled Switchr, a new app developed by Mohammad Adib that lets you move from one app to another quickly and smoothly—just like how I switch between my women. Well, not really, but I would.
How To: Stop Retail Stores from Tracking You While Shopping with Your Galaxy Note 3
Pretty soon, every restaurant and store you walk into will know exactly what you're doing. Retail analytics companies like Euclid, ShopperTrak, RetailNext, and Prism Skylabs have penetrated hundreds of food shops and retail stores across the country, installing sensors that track and log customers' moves while they dine and shop.
How To: Turn Photos & Selfies into Moving 3D Images on Your Galaxy S3
The way you use your camera just got a bit more interesting. Phogy, a brand new camera app for Android, allows you to capture pictures with a 3D effect that comes alive when shifting your phone from side to side.
News: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly of Facebook Home on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Facebook just released its new "home on Android" last Friday, appropriately called Facebook Home. Taking a cue from Amazon's Kindle, Home serves as an "operating system" that runs over Android.
How To: Increase Battery Life on Your Samsung Galaxy S5 by Automating Data
When you're not using your phone, it doesn't make much sense that it would be wasting power by maintaining an internet connection for the inside of your pocket or purse. Well, perhaps you need a little bit of intermittent data here and there so that apps can update themselves in the background and still post notifications, but it doesn't need to be constant.
How To: Remove Unwanted Ads for More Screen Real Estate on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
One thing we can probably all agree on is that ads suck. In particular, ad-supported mobile apps are both a gift and a curse. Most are free, but supplement that non-existent price tag with non-stop banner or video ads. Sometimes, those ads can ruin the entire app, especially if it's a game that requires your undivided attention.
How To: Move Any App's Window Around on Your Galaxy Note 3 for Better One-Handed Operation
Your Note 3 is a magnificently large phone. So much so that it has a handful of built-in options that make it easier to use with one hand, collectively called "One-handed operation." While these settings are helpful, they have to be manually enabled and disabled whenever you're done using them.
How To: Add a Gesture-Based Launcher on Top of Your Samsung Galaxy S3's Current Launcher
I could write about a new launcher everyday, because there are so many options out there for Android users, but one of my favorites it Everything Home. You probably have your own favorite, but what if you could actually use two launchers together, taking advantage of each one's awesome features?
How To: Black Out YouTube’s Background for Better Battery Life on Your Galaxy S5
The Galaxy S5's screen is truly a feat of modern technology. It uses what is known as an AMOLED display—an acronym for Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emmitting Diode. In short, this technology means that every individual pixel on your phone's screen emits its own light. This is a break from the traditional LCD technology that requires a backlight for any pixels to be visible.
How To: Get Lollipop's "Priority Mode" Notifications for Calls on Your KitKat Device
Android 5.0 has a cool new feature called Priority Mode that allows you to silence your phone's ringer except for when certain people call you. It's something you'd enable right before bedtime, for instance, if you don't want to be disturbed unless it's someone important trying to reach you.
How To: Play Your Favorite N64 (Nintendo 64) Games on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Nothing can beat a portable system designed specifically for gaming. There are tons of emulators available on Google Play, but most have awkward controls, large game files, resolution issues, and hardware compatibility problems. The list could go on...
How To: Automate Wi-Fi & Data Connections to Extend Battery Life on Your Galaxy S3
It's been over two whole years since the Samsung Galaxy S3 was released, so let's face it—our beloved GS3, once an iconic heavyweight in the tech arena, is almost as washed up as Sylvester Stallone.
How To: Get Windows Phone-Style Notifications on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
Windows 8's interface was met with criticism when it was released, mainly directed at the tiled Start screen, a departure from Windows versions of old. Many felt that this new home screen style was better suited for mobile devices like Microsoft's Surface tablets and Windows Phones.
How To: Prevent the Screen from Waking When Plugging in Your Galaxy S4 to Charge
Much like the high volume warning, there are various minute features on Android that users either hate or just find annoying. Thankfully, there are developers out there that sympathize. It may seem frivolous, but one feature that a lot of people want eliminated is the screen waking whenever a charger is plugged in.
How To: Patch the Latest Android "Master Key" Bugs on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
A few weeks ago, Bluebox Security uncovered a bug that could potentially effect 99% of Android devices. Bug 8219321, dubbed the Master Key bug, works by allowing applications with modified code to pass Android's signature verification system, thereby bypassing security measures that normally wouldn't allow these apps to be installed.
How To: Bypass the Lock Screen for Instant Access to the Last Used App on Your Galaxy Note 3
Some of my favorites hacks are the ones that speed up the process of accessing my favorite and most-used apps. So, in this softModder guide, I'll be showing you a super fast way to open those apps straight from your Samsung Galaxy Note 3's lock screen.
How To: Add Custom Colors & Google Voice Typing to Swype on Your Galaxy S5
Most variants of the Galaxy S5 come with the gesture-based Swype keyboard preinstalled. If you're into gesture typing, you probably already switched to this input method from the default Samsung keyboard (whose gesture service is nice, but it's no Swype).
How To: Switch Between Running Apps & Games Faster on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Quickness and efficiency should always be a fundamental aspect of the experience when using any Android device. Anything less, and we've got a problem. As app development continually progresses, these adjectives become much more refined and polished, making the use of a smartphone a flawless affair of swipes and gestures.
How To: Take Selective Focus Pics & Shoot 4K Videos on Your Galaxy S5
Smartphone manufacturers strive to craft the most powerful cameras they can, but are limited to using hardware that will conform to small form factors. In most cases, the cameras end up fairly underwhelming, unless we're talking about the 41-megapixel shooter in the Nokia Lumia.
How To: Preview New Google Hangout Messages from the Home Screen on Your Galaxy Note 3
Like what iMessage is to iOS, Google Hangouts is to Android—allowing users to share messages instantly, as if quickly wasn't good enough. With Google Hangouts, you can share locations and send maps, receive and send SMS, share animated GIFs, make video calls, and chat not only with your phone's contacts, but also your Google+ and Gmail buddies.
How To: Access Apps, Settings, & More Anywhere on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with This Customizable Sidebar
As things begin to clutter on your device, navigating through it can become much more difficult than when you first got it. The sheer number of added apps and mods that build up after time take its toll not only on the quickness and memory of your device, but also on your efficiency to access everything easily.
How To: Add Floating, Resizable Widgets for Instant Multitasking on Android
Multitasking is useful in pretty much all walks of life. Being able to do two things at once is better than just doing one thing... who would've thought. When it come to multitasking on my phone, I am constantly jumping between apps—whether it's browsing Facebook while looking at pictures to post or reading my Twitter timeline while keeping up on sports scores.
How To: Burnt or Buttered? How to Add App Names & Icons to Your Galaxy S4's Toast Notifications
Toast notifications are a type of pop-up alert built into Android, letting us know when an app has performed a certain action. Whether it's Gmail saving a draft or Firefox opening a new tab, toasts are meant to be informational while not being totally intrusive.
How To: Use Custom Voice Commands to Sleep or Snooze Your Galaxy S4’s Alarm Hands-Free
My stock alarm clock does exactly what it's supposed to—it wakes me up. But for those really tough mornings when I just need to hit the snooze, getting my head out of the sheets is a no-go. This leads to trying to find my phone with an outstretched arm, which means knocked-over water glasses and my phone falling under my bed—even more out of reach. Ugh!
How To: Make App Shortcuts on Your Galaxy Note 2's Lock Screen Adapt to Your Routine
Not particularly good looking, TouchWiz's lock screen adequately supplements the clunky and almost cartoonish-look of the infamous user interface on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. While there are hundreds of lock screen options in the Google Play Store, I've never quite discovered one that I've thoroughly enjoyed, due to the obfuscation from so many options.
How To: Run MIUI's Apps & Launcher on Your Galaxy Note 2 Without Rooting
While rooting your Galaxy Note 2 certainly has its advantages—everything from increasing security to relieving the Power button of its duties—it's definitely not for everyone.
How To: Lock Individual Apps on Your Galaxy S3 Based on Location
If you lend someone your phone, even if it's just for a second, there's a chance they can enter an app and see something you'd rather they didn't. Whether it's a personal email or a private photo, there are plenty of reasons why you'd want to keep snoops out of certain apps.
News: 10 Free Android Apps That Make Math Fun (Yes, Really)
I am an English major physically allergic to all algebraic formulas, so you're unlikely to get any help from me when it comes to solving any expressions. But in the glorious technological age we live in, there are plenty of apps that actually make math and problem solving fun, even a little bit addictive.
How To: Customize Brightness Settings for Apps Individually on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 to Improve Battery Life
Adjusting the brightness on your Samsung Galaxy S3 can be a real pain sometimes. Each app you open may need a different amount of light to better optimize its use of the screen, and then you have to worry about it potentially eating up your battery life if it's too bright.
How To: Get the Best User Experience with the Samsung Galaxy S6
The wait is over. The Samsung Galaxy S6, arguably the best Android phone of this year, has just launched. There was already a lot of hype about this super phone—its looks, its specifications, and its other functions have been under the microscope for quite some time. It will not be a good idea that you take this phone in your hand and use it in the same fashion as you have been using your other phones in the past.
How To: Play Metal Gear Solid & Other Game Boy Color Games on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
If playing Metal Gear Solid didn't make you want to crawl on the floor of your living room throwing imaginary flash grenades, then I don't think we could be friends. Solid Snake was the man. Period.
How To: Turn Your Favorite Pics from Instagram, Tumblr, & More into Daydreams on Your Galaxy Note 3
Initially introduced as an Easter egg deep within Android's operating system, the Daydream screensaver feature turned official in the release of 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Now, it's been out for a few months, which means developers have already figured out how to take advantage of it in their own ways.
News: Here's Everything You Should Know About Samsung Pay
Mobile payment systems have been around for almost 5 years now, starting with Google Wallet. But when Apple got into the game last year with their new Apple Pay service, things really started to take off. Around this time, Samsung responded by acquiring an up-and-coming mobile payments company that owned the rights to an incredibly innovative technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST).
How To: Translate Languages on the Fly with This Floating Translator for Your Samsung Galaxy S3
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.
How To: Set Chromecast Background Images as Your Android's Wallpaper
Google's Chromecast streaming device is a marvel of functionality and form. Even with powerful features such as screen mirroring and collaborative party playlists, it's the device's idle screen that first catches the eyes of most folks.
How To: Ditch Your Boring Alarm Sound & Wake Up to a Real Voice on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
The movie Her is getting a lot of love from viewers and critics alike. While I find it kind of creepy to fall in love with a computer program, if Scarlett Johansson talked to me every day, I'd probably fall in love too.
How To: Post to Multiple Social Networks at the Same Time on Android
Since the days of Friendster and MySpace, social media platforms have taken leaps forward, revolutionizing how we live our lives by changing the way we communicate with others. Not only has social media become a catalyst for major uprisings around the world, but on a personal level, it connects people together in ways that were unimaginable even 10 year ago—no one was taking pictures of their brunch to share with the world in 2004.
How To: Set Your PIN Unlock to Auto-Sync with the Current Time on Your Galaxy S4
From personal photos and videos to online banking passwords saved in your web browser, your phone has all kinds of sensitive data that needs to be protected. One of the best things you can do for your Samsung Galaxy S4's data is have a lock screen with a hard-to-guess PIN or password.
How To: Get CyanogenMod's Sleek Graphing Calculator & Widget on Your Samsung Galaxy S4 Without Rooting
It's that time of the year again when scores of students are flocking to stores for school supplies. Pens, pencils, books, and for math students, calculators.
How To: Lock Down Facebook App Permissions for More Privacy on Your Galaxy Note 3
It's a modern day nightmare to accidentally reveal too much information on Facebook. I've inadvertently told the world my location more times than I can laugh off, and my friends haven't fared too well either. Just take a look at the requested app permissions next time you're about to click install and you'll quickly realize how much that app can reveal about you.