Nate Swanner

How to Use Siri to Recognize a Song in iOS 8

Don’t act like you don’t — everyone knows. Nobody wants to admit it, but we all talk to Siri. She’s pretty smart, and kind of funny, so why wouldn’t you chat with her, right? Hey, we get it. You can stop explaining yourself. In addition to all the normal weird stuff you ask her, Siri might even know what song is playing. With iOS 8, Siri uses Shazam to query what music is playing. With …

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How to Quickly Get to Favorite Contacts in iOS 8

Apple’s newest iteration of their mobile platform, iOS 8, adds a lot of functionality. While iOS 7 brought in the visual update Apple wanted, iOS 8 brings in the powerful features we’ve been asking for. One of those features is a quick way to access your favorite contacts, and it couldn’t be simpler. Here, we’ll walk you through how to quickly and easily get hold of those people you chat with most. Keep in mind …

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Unboxing

How to Use ‘Find My Mobile’ on the Samsung Galaxy S5

We’ve all been there; the lost smartphone panic. You can’t find your phone, and someone may be trying to reach you. Who has it? What are they doing with it? Even worse, what if they see those pics in your gallery? This is urgent — what can you do?! Before any of that happens, follow these easy steps to be able to find and/or remotely control your device to make sure your contacts’ info (and …

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How to Customize the Notification Center in iOS 8

Notification center for iOS used to be pretty stagnant. It fed you what Apple thought you needed to know, but that’s all changed with iOS 8. Now you can get updates and notifications on a variety of topics under the “Today” header. Here, we’ll show you just how to that. While not all your apps will take advantage of this feature, those that do provide an awesome quick-look at what you might need to know …

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How to Take a Screenshot with the Samsung Galaxy S5

Taking a screenshot is the easiest method to capture and/or share what you see on your screen. You might think you’ve got the practice down to a science, but if you’ve got a Galaxy S5 — there might be a better way. A special screenshot method for the Galaxy S5 means you won’t even have to touch buttons at all! Here, we’ll walk you through the two methods for taking a screenshot with the Samsung …

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How to Set a Timer for Selfie Shots in iOS 8

Let’s face it: selfies are awkward. They’re always too close to your face, and you’ve got that arm sticking up at the bottom or side of the camera. Selfies are terrible, but you’re not going to stop taking them, so let’s just make this situation better, shall we? With iOS 8, you can take a selfie — but not have it look so quick and terrible! In this article, we’ll walk you right through how …

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How to Use the Fingerprint Scanner on the Samsung Galaxy S5

That home button on your Galaxy S5 is much more than just a way to get back to your home screen. Samsung cleverly hid a fingerprint scanner in there, following Apple’s footsteps into biometric security. If you want to start using the fingerprint scanner, it’s not hard to set up. We’ll show you how! Set-up the Fingerprint Scanner 1. Select the settings icon in your notification pull-down shade. Find “Finger Scanner”, and tap that icon. 2. …

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5 Best iOS 8 Third-Party Keyboards

One of the best tweaks to iOS has been the ability to launch third-party keyboards. With iOS 8, you can download and install third party keyboards quickly and easily. For those of you who may have considered jumping ship to get a fresh take on your keyboard, you can keep that iPhone. Here we’ll round up the top five iOS 8 third-party keyboards for you, and even give suggestions on who may be best served …

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How to Use Multi-Window on the Samsung Galaxy S5

Your big screen can do more than show you stuff on Facebook, you know. If you want to do two things at once, leave that “recents” tab to the others. You’ve got multi-window support, and you can probably run two of the apps you want at once. Meant as an enterprise solution, multi-window view on the Galaxy S5 can also make things like finding links and sharing them via email much easier. Here’s how it’s …

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How to Quickly Launch the Camera on the HTC One (M8)

Ever been in that situation where you go to snap a picture of something, but by the time you open your camera app — the moment is gone? We all have, and it’s the worst feeling ever (not really, but it definitely sucks). With the HTC One (M8), you may never have to miss another one of those moments! Some of the coolest features on the One (M8) are gesture controls. Luckily for us, those …

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How to Hide Apps on the HTC One (M8)

You love that HTC One (M8), and you’ve downloaded a ton of apps. You don’t use many of them that often, but you don’t want to get rid of them altogether. What can you do? We’ve got great news! You can keep your all the apps you want, but not have to see them all the time (also stops you from looking at those bloatware apps, too). By hiding some of your apps away, you …

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How to Quickly Launch Kids Mode on the HTC One (M8)

Sometimes, the quickest way to get your kid to stop making you want to pull your hair out is to let him or her watch a movie or play games. If you’re in a car, or otherwise tangled up doing other adult-type stuff, dealing with the kids can be more work than you’re prepared for. Luckily, your HTC One (M8) has a kids mode, and it’s super easy to access. For those times when you …

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How to Control Your TV with the HTC One (M8)

When you’re sitting on the couch, there are definitely times when you go wanting for that remote. The big, bulky remote is nowhere to be found… and that show you hate is coming on! Don’t worry — you can still turn the channel, just grab your HTC One (M8)! Getting your TV working with your HTC One (M8) can be a bit of work at first, but once you’re over the initial hump — it’s …

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