The Latest from Gadget Hacks: Page 218

That didn't take very long! Yesterday, after a lengthy delay, Google opened up the development kit for their Chromecast HDMI dongle.

The inclusion of the parallax effect caused a shitstorm amongst iPhone users when it was released in iOS 7, especially when it came to creating custom wallpapers. It was hard to control, and even disabling it didn't fully get rid of it, making it one of the most hated new features in Apple's latest mobile OS.

Falling in line with tradition, Samsung is ever-so-subtly teasing their big Galaxy S5 reveal at an event dubbed Unpacked 5.

Getting the volume on our phones to be just right can be a pretty annoying task. Some people like to listen to music and videos with max volume while some like it a little lower. With the default volume control on your Samsung Galaxy S3, there are only 15 steps before you reach max volume, making it tough to find that sweet spot.

After months of waiting, Google has released the SDK (Software Development Kit) for their Gadget of the Year, the Chromecast.

How to Update Galaxy S3 Software

This year's NFL playoffs have been nothing short of spectacular. With Super Bowl XLVIII coming up on Sunday, February 2nd, people are already gearing up for another classic showdown between the NFC and AFC, and this time it's the Seattle Seahawks versus the Denver Broncos.

At a certain moment in our lives all of us wanted to be a fire fighter. To simulate that effect, we created a super-awesome siren. With two 555-timer chips and lots of trail and error, we were able to create this awful noise.

As announced today, Sprint customers can manually update their HTC One devices to the latest version of Android, called KitKat.

Good battery life is one of the most important things any phone or tablet should have, but iOS 7 isn't always that great at handling power consumption. That leads to tunnel vision on the status bar's battery meter. After all, you don't want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere with no juice left to make a call.

My friends can be pretty shitty sometimes, but they're my friends nonetheless. On various occasions, they've secretly taken my device and made me look foolish by posting crude and embarrassing posts to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. With friends like these, who needs enemies, right? And it's because of these types of friends that we need to substantially upgrade the app security on our devices.

There wasn't really anything too special about the S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, with its limited capabilities and finicky sensitivity. Luckily, the S Pen was greatly improved on the Note 3, the biggest enhancement being Air Command, a floating menu that appears when the S Pen is removed that gives quick access to all the new features.

I know there are some apks that you can use through Xposed

Midway through 2013, a popular custom ROM called Paranoid Android introduced their multitasking feature "Halo." Bubble-style notifications inspired by Facebook chat heads pop up near the top of the screen, and you simply tap on them to bring up the app in a floating window.

We softModders come from all walks of life, and sooner or later, our devices begin to reflect who we are. Maybe you've followed one of our guides on customizing your Nexus 7, such as getting the exclusive Google Experience Launcher or hiding the navigation buttons for more screen space, or maybe you used one of the various Xposed mods we've covered.

I know all of you softModders love these little modifications, like enabling the hidden battery percentage on the Nexus 7 or getting the exclusive Google Launcher on your Nexus, so here's an easy one that lets you hide the soft-keys from your tablet, which will actually expand your screen to look a little bit longer.

A long time ago, we recommended the Hover Zoom extension for Chrome as an easy way to blow up small image thumbnails without actually have to "click" on the images themselves. Over the past year, there have been reports that Hover Zoom now collectsandsellsyour browsing data to third-party advertisers without your consent.

Currently, all Nexus tablets running Jelly Bean or higher can enjoy multiple user accounts. With tablets often migrating between various people in the same household, there's no reason for Dad's finances to mingle with little Tammy's candy crushing. Multiple users, each with separate profiles, just makes sense on an Android tablet.

this tutorial is about how to fix google chrome and chromium in linux

The guys over at @evleaks continue their slow trickle of leaks about Samsung's upcoming flagship device.

Android's deeply customizable platform has long been the attraction for those of us looking to make our smartphones more unique, but that doesn't mean that it's always easy. Flashing mods and installing custom ROMs can be difficult at times, as well as dangerous.

There are a lot of things your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 can do straight out of the box, but there's also a ton of things it can't, or simply could be better at. That's why most of us end up rooting—to enhance the mobile experience.

Scrolling through Instagram, you're going to come across a lot of photographs and videos that you "like." But sometimes, you're going to want to remember a photo, and naturally want to save it to your device so you can look at it for forever and ever.

Google announced that they are selling Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91 billion, seemingly marking the end of their partnership that began 19 months ago.

Thanks to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, video games are constantly evolving to higher degrees of sophistication, with complex graphics, lifelike resemblances and storylines that create exciting experiences that relieve the tediousness of our everyday lives.

Fresh off the heels of their latest agreement, Google and Samsung may soon be further aligned in their mobile technology outlook. The two tech giants signed a cross-licensing patent agreement, but that doesn't mean that Samsung was just going to start putting out stock Android devices. Quite the opposite really, as we saw from leaks of its new Magazine UX.

There is only one time every year where I will willingly watch advertisements—during the Super Bowl. Maybe a Victoria's Secret commercial every now and then, too, but that's about it.

There are plenty of apps on Google Play for customizing your Samsung Galaxy S3 with wallpapers and new lock screens, but to be honest, you're not really customizing until you root.

Exclusive to only a handful of smartphones, including the Nexus 5, the Google Experience Launcher allows us to open Google Now simply by speaking out a certain phrase, at any time—dubbed a "hotword."

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 video of what's happening on your screen, this is now the best way to do it.

Let's be honest for a second; we all have sensitive material on our phones that we wouldn't want anyone else to ever see. Maybe it's to protect ourselves or someone else, or maybe it's none of your business why I don't want you to see pictures of my bachelor party. Regardless, sometimes we need to keep things hidden and safe.

"Beware of the unknown" is pretty good advice for dark woods and creepy houses. But when you are trying to pimp out your Galaxy S3, you're going to want to delve deep into the unknown. While the Play Store has a ton of great apps, many softModders want to customize their phones with third party apps that are blocked by default.

Android 4.4 KitKat has begun rolling out for the Galaxy Note 3 in India, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, and several other countries, and an unofficial build for AT&T customers has been leaked for all of us stateside.

Earlier today, @DesignGears leaked an unofficial KitKat build for the Galaxy Note 3, and now they've dropped one for our Galaxy S4s, too.

The @DesignGears guys have been busy today, leaking an unofficial KitKat build (Android version 4.4.2) for the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The latest is a peek into what the international variants are beginning to see, although this build is far from official. Still, if you want to give it a shot, I'll show you how to install it, but make sure to check out the details below the how-to to see what you can expect, good or bad.

Update January 27, 2014: Samsung has released a statement to address the flip cover issue, claiming it as a bug with a "fix" coming soon:

One of the best things about iOS 7 is the Control Center, which gives you quick access from anywhere on your iPhone to turning on or off Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more. It also makes it very easy to adjust the brightness of your display, and gives app shortcuts for your Flashlight, Calculator, Timer, and Camera.

Texting something as simple as "What up, bruh?" can be transformed into something way more baller by adding emojis, emoticons, GIFs, and textspeak. Some people would even argue that texting is a form of art, similar to Shakespearean sonnets, but it still has a ways to go if you ask me.

Whether you're on the john or sitting quietly on the bus to work, there's always time for a little video. And thanks to my favorite high school procrastination site, I'm going to be turning that little into a lot.

My sister was playing a game on my dad's phone and the phone froze and asked her to pick a launcher to use ..my sister pushed the wrong launcher and now my dad's phone stuck on the wrong custom settings . How do I put my dad's phone to his original launcher ?