How-Tos

How to print wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch

Some say that printers are soon to be extinct. Others rant about their hate for the dead-tree format. And most recently, research has shown that printer companies are, in fact, experiencing a slow and steady demise.

But if you're a student, connoisseur of Pinterest printables, or just appreciate hard copies, the printer still holds a very important place in your home or office.

Thing is, you might not necessarily be at your desktop computer when you realize the need to print something out. If more of your time is spent on your iOS device, like an iPhone or iPad, … Read more

Add Quick Launch shortcuts to your Android lock screen

You may be familiar with the TouchWiz shortcuts on Samsung Android devices -- well Quick Launch is similar in how it works, but not how it looks. Instead, this lock-screen replacement is bit more modern than TouchWiz, which means it pairs nicely with the Ice Cream Sandwich/Jelly Bean design style.

Since you're going to be using the lock screen each time you pick up your phone, it may as well be something you like to look at. In addition to looking good, the lock screen should have added functionality that compliments the many features of your actual device.… Read more

Train your Android phone to act automatically with Tasker

Every day, we repeat the same routine tasks: turning on Wi-Fi at work, decreasing the brightness in the evening, enabling silent mode at night, and so on.

By now, you probably perform these actions subconsciously, but what if you could "train" your phone to automatically complete these tasks, so you don't have to?

Tasker, a $6.49 app for Android, lets you do just that. It works like this: If the phone is in X situation, then Y happens. Within the app, this formula is defined by using "contexts" and "tasks."

The context … Read more

How to use Mail's VIP list in OS X Mountain Lion

In Apple's Mail program, there are options for flagging and coloring messages that you might find important, but in order to automatically do so, you have to set up a special rule to identify the message and then perform an action on it. With the version of Mail that Apple ships in OS X Mountain Lion, Apple has changed this to a degree by adding a VIP list.

Unlike rules that require that you set up conditions that act on incoming messages once, the VIP option in Mail is a dynamic filter that provides an easy way to locate … Read more

How to sync your Outlook.com e-mail with iOS

Although the mobile Outlook.com Web site is gorgeous, it's hardly efficient to access the browser each time you want to check your mail, especially if you have other accounts already synced with your iOS device.

But more than that, getting your Outlook.com e-mail in the official Mail app gives you access to a very coveted feature: Push.

Since Outlook.com is still in beta, and Hotmail is still very much alive, it will be some time before Apple replaces Mail's "Hotmail" setup option with "Outlook.com."

Until then, here's the embarrassingly … Read more

Preload YouTube videos with Wi-Fi for better mobile playback

Update, 2:02 p.m: It looks like this feature is missing from some of the Android 4.0 tablets. Hopefully it'll be added in the next update so everyone can take advantage of this tip.

The YouTube app on Android lets you watch and discover awesome videos while you're away from the computer. However, if your connection is slow in certain areas of your city -- or wherever you wander to -- the experience may not always be a pleasant one.

If you're interested in avoiding those buffering patches while watching a video, you're in … Read more

Tips for deduping Android contacts

The contacts app on your phone is the most boring, neglected app ever created. I don't care how much you love your phone -- the only reason you're reading a blog post about contacts right now is because things have gotten out of hand.

Are there people listed in your phone three or four times? Do you have 500 contacts, but only 10 of them have phone numbers? Well, then, it's time to take out the garbage.

The video above has all of my best advice, but I'm going to use this blog post to distill … Read more

InstaWifi for Android shares Wi-Fi access via NFC or QR code

InstaWifi lets you share access to your wireless connection by using NFC tags or a generated QR code. This is a great tool for business owners who have customers or office guests who want to connect to their wireless connection. It's definitely a faster option than giving them a password to type in, or keeping said password written down with the potential of getting lost.

If you need a quick recap on how to create NFC tags, check out Jason Cipriani's How to program an NFC tag with your Android device before you get started. The … Read more

Control music at home with Android

Here's the dream. You want to walk into your home, cue up some music on your phone, and have it start playing on a nearby speaker. No cables, no docks -- just instant, effortless, wireless music.

For iPhone owners, there's a very clear, prescribed solution: AirPlay. But my phone is Android. It's supposed to have more "does" but what exactly am I supposed to do?

Well, there are a bunch of options out there for Android users looking for an Airplay alternative, and in this How To, I'm going to walk you through my … Read more

Add shortcuts to your notification shade on Android

Widgets can make toggling Wi-Fi, GPS, or ringtone volume quick and easy. But what if you want more options to help you skip through app menus or even the Settings area?

1Tap Quick Bar is an app that will let you customize shortcuts to be added to your notification shade. You can also personalize the look and feel of the panel that gets added -- meaning you get to pick all the shortcuts from a huge selection.

Here's a list of popular features from the developer:

Direct dialDirect message1-tap direct Web page launcherApplication shortcutApplication launcherDirect e-mail labelNew event, new … Read more