The Award Winning Place for Plain English Explanations of Internet Stuff
Did you just get one Operation Amber Alert too many on your smartphone? Fed up with how the vast majority of Operation Amber Alerts are not about stranger abductions that endanger the child (or about stranger abductions at all)? You’re not alone. Here’s how to turn off and disable Operation Amber Alerts on your iPhone and Android phone.
A study out of Virginia Tech, dubbed “The iPhone Effect”, found that even just the very presence of an iPhone or Android phone, or other versions of smartphones, has a substantial negative impact on the quality of in-person conversations and connection. It also introduces us to the concept of ‘polyconsciousness’.
Have you ever wished you could have a second screen for your Macbook or Windows PC, but just couldn’t justify the expense or real estate? Well if you have an iPad or Android tablet you’re in luck, because there’s an app to turn your Android tablet or iPad into a second screen! You can even use your iPod or iPhone as a second screen, if you want to!
If your Android is operating on the 4.2 operating system, AKA Jelly Bean, you may notice something in your calendar is missing – the entire month of December. Those running the 4.2 operating system on the Nexus 4 device, Nexus 10 device, Nexus 7 tablet and Galaxy Nexus smartphones have reported the issue.
How many times has it happened? You miss that it’s your move in Words with Friends because you’ve turned the sound off on your phone. So you turn it on, and instantly get annoyed all over again by all of those other Words with Friends sounds. You know the ones – the sounds that get made within the Words with Friends game every…single…move..you…make. Argh! Well, it’s actually really easy to turn off all of the game sounds in Words with Friends, while still being notified with a sound when it’s your move. Here’s how.
Are you part of the new so-called ‘gig economy’? If you don’t know what the gig economy is, probably not, but even if not, you almost certainly know someone who is. According to recent statistics, 16% of the American workforce is working in the gig economy – that’s nearly 1 in 5 people. And at least one pundit factors smartphones and mobile apps into why the gig economy is growing.
We recently had an opportunity to review this wireless bluetooth selfie remote for iPhone and Android, and its selfie remote app, and it’s a great addition to your selfie-taking bag of tricks! And it does so much more than just selfie remote shutter control – you can switch between front and back cameras, zoom in and out, turn the flash on and off, even switch between photo and video! Of course, a selfie stick also allows you to hold your phone, with the remote, you need to prop it up somewhere or use a tripod. The best combination is one of each!
AT&T is offering live streaming television direct to your smartphone or tablet, and even your Android or Apple Watch, through its U-Verse apps and offerings. While you do have to have an AT&T U-verse television package that includes home television (and includes giving you a DVR), there is no reason you have to use it at home or use the DVR, you can choose to access only the online streaming service.
Facebook has just announced, and started to roll out, their new See First setting, which gives you control over who gets priority in your Facebook news feed timeline. While the announcements today say that it is being rolled out to iOS today, and Android and the web later, some folks, including us, have it on the web right now (and yes, we rubbed our hands with glee when we discovered that).
You know you don’t want that person or telemarketing calling or texting you, but how do you block their number if they haven’t called you first? Or maybe you have a list of numbers that telemarketers use and you want to block them. Here’s how.
We got such a great response to our article on the iPhone holder for cars that uses the cassette deck, that we thought we’d write an article about a similar device that holds your phone using your CD slot in your car. We especially figured we should do that because we got a couple of questions asking whether there was a smartphone holder that uses your car’s CD player. There is.
With today’s announcement of the new Apple watch, with all of its nifty functions, features, apps, and functionality, some people are wondering whether they can use an Apple iwatch with an Android phone. The short answer is “no”, but there are ways that you can still get the functionality of an Apple watch while using an Android phone.
Hold on to your hats – and your phones. Some states, such as Iowa, are experimenting with digital drivers licenses which can be carried and displayed on your iPhone, Android phone or other smartphone.