How-Tos

Google+, the social network Google is integrating into almost all of its other Web services, is rolling out a new feature today: Events. The idea is to make scheduling events and keeping track of the details (attendees, photos, etc.) a breeze.

Creating an event To create an event, simply head to your Google+ page. Click on Events in the left-hand side menu to open the details window.

There are a lot of stock pictures with small animations -- called "cinegraphs" -- added by default in the theme section at the top of the window, and they look pretty … Read more

MightyText is similar to iMessage, except for Android. You can send SMS from your computer or tablet (all you need is a Web browser), and still use your own phone number. You'll also be able to screen incoming calls by seeing the caller information on the computer. This is also a great way to stay in touch with friends and family if you forget your phone at home or work and can't run off to get it right away.

Note: You will need a Google account to use this app. The account is used for syncing access from … Read more

Flipboard is your one-stop app for many networks and news sources. In fact, Flipboard supports Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Google Reader, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr, and a few others! Once you have all your networks linked to the Flipboard account, a beautiful stream of information will appear in the app.

Here's a quick guide to getting your feet wet with an app favored by many:

First you'll want to get a copy of Flipboard for Android. After it's installed, open the app and flip your finger upward on the screen to reveal the Get Started and Sign In … Read more

Despite having an official mobile client available for Instagram, there are still a lot of third-party apps out there for viewing photos from the service. Instamap, one of the alternative clients, offers a feature not yet present in the official app: finding photos by geotag. Think of Instamap as Instagram meets Google Maps -- a lovely pairing.

Grab a copy of Instamap for Android. After installing, open the app and choose whether or not to use your Instagram account when browsing photos around the world. If you sign in, then you can Like or comment on photos, as well … Read more

You could keep your call logs for months at a time, but chances are your phone wouldn't appreciate that too much. Instead, take a look at Nextcall.

This app will help you see how long it has been since you were in touch with someone. Additionally, it will let you schedule calls with someone every X days or weeks. This can come in handy if you need to remember to follow up with someone for business. Sure, you could add them to your calendar and get a reminder, but it might get lost among all the other things you … Read more

Android is great about multitasking in the sense that background applications will be suspended where you left them. That means you can go back and look at the previous app you were using, but it's going to be in full-screen covering whatever you're trying to look at now. This makes note-taking for research really difficult when you're always having to tab back and forth and can only see one app at a time.

Hovernote seeks to remedy this issue by adding a floating notepad to your Android tablet screen. That way, you can read a … Read more

Android design has come a long way -- and evidently so has at least one file explorer app. Solid Explorer is a fully featured file management app with menu organization that makes sense paired with a classy user interface.

Generally when you open a file explorer you'll just see a directory listing, a few feature buttons, and maybe even a search box to look for specific files. Solid Explorer puts apps like these to shame with its arsenal of features.

Dual-panel browsing is the next step for Android file browsers and Solid Explorer knows it. Why would … Read more

During the WWDC keynote, Apple demoed several of the new features in iOS 6, including Facebook integration, the new Maps app, turn-by-turn directions, a "Do Not Disturb" feature for when you don't want to answer your phone, and several enhancements that make Siri "smarter." In total, iOS 6 brings more than 200 new features over iOS 5 and, with today's announcement, tons of app developers are flocking to Apple's iOS Dev Center to download the beta.

Before you can even think about installing the iOS 6 beta you'll need to have an … Read more

Customization is a major perk offered by Android devices. From widgets to menus to live wallpaper, you can make the device feel like your own. For some, going the extra mile of rooting their device for ultimate customization is no big deal. However, if you're not ready to root your Android but want to learn about another feature you can customize, you're in luck. Samsung's Galaxy Android devices will let you change the system font with just a few simple steps.

Note: Depending on your device, you may have preinstalled fonts to choose from; if … Read more