Some Android phones use the default onscreen keyboard built into the OS, while others have preinstalled keyboards that are meant to enhance the user experience. However, not everyone is content with either keyboard, so that's why the Android Market is full of alternative choices. Below are a few easy steps for changing your Android's software keyboard to one that is better aligned with your needs.

Search the Android market for "keyboard." Many keyboards cost a few dollars, but also offer trial versions before purchase. Ultra Keyboard Trial is a great example free-to-try app.

After installing, open … Read more

One of the selling points RIM has taken advantage and capitalized on over the years with its BlackBerry platform is security. RIM has used the same claim when providing reason for leaving out native e-mail, calendar, contacts, and other PIM applications on its tablet, thePlayBook. Accodring to RIM, the secure way to access this information on the PlayBook is through a BlackBerry smartphone using an application called BlackBerry Bridge.

This simple tutorial will cover how to set up BlackBerry Bridge on both the PlayBook and a BlackBerry smartphone. In the tutorial I will be using a BlackBerry Torch, but the … Read more

This simple tutorial will cover how to set up a Gmail or Google Apps e-mail account as an Exchange account on any iOS device. The setup process is fairly simple, and it won't take long at all.

When you first go to set up your e-mail on an iOS device, you are given the option of choosing Gmail as the service provider. Using this setup method is simple and straightforward, however, it does confine you to getting your e-mail fetched at a preset timed interval (15, 30, or 60 minutes). The benefit of setting up a Gmail account as … Read more

In this first video, we show you how to gain root access on your Android phone or tablet using the program SuperOneClick (and we give a shout to Unrevoked for HTC phones). If you're not able to watch the video, check out our written instructions on how to root your Android device.

So you've rooted your phone. Now what? How to install a custom Android ROM video and instructions details how to install a custom ROM, which is a heavily customized version of Android. Using a custom ROM can give you super-Android powers, such as better battery life, … Read more

You've rooted your Android device, flashed a custom ROM, and reaped the benefits of better power management, extra features, and the radiant glow that comes from treating that phone like you own it. Because you do own it, right? Now it's time to get a new phone. How can you make your old Android-powered hardware resalable?

We've got a way for you to restore the stock version of Android, thanks to the rescue guides at DroidForums.net. The procedure requires caution, because just like when you rooted your phone and installed a custom ROM, there's a … Read more

Congratulations, you've successfully gained root access to your Android device, maybe even using CNET's how to root your Android video as a guide. Now comes the hard part: installing a customized version of Android. We've got that covered in a video, but be careful: this one's for advanced users only.

Before we begin, let's review some of the reasons you might want to install and run a custom Android ROM. It's highly likely that there are Android features your phone company or hardware manufacturer has decided won't get pushed to your device, and … Read more

Sure, you can watch movies and TV shows on your iPhone or iPad, but there's always a catch--usually a monetary one. Hulu and Netflix cost money. PlayOn costs money and requires you to leave your PC on. The ABC Player is iPad-only and, well, ABC-only.

Enter Crackle, a new app that lets you watch dozens of TV shows and a couple hundred movies, all free of charge (but with ads, natch).

Available for iPhone, iPod, and iPad (the app is universal), Crackle delivers much of (but not all) the same content as its eponymous Web service. On the TV … Read more

In the early days of Android, gaining root access was a complicated process, involving around a dozen steps and patience enough to test even the most serene of ascetic monks. Nowadays, not only do you not need a saffron-colored robe, it's much simpler: There's an app for that.

However, do note that rooting your phone voids your warranty, and the process is risky even in this streamlined form: there is still a chance that you can brick your phone and render it permanently inoperable.

That being said, also note that these are general instructions. There might be device-specific … Read more

Android doesn't offer a native backup service, so it's easy to ignore the need to do so. But don't wait until it's too late to start thinking about backing up your phone. Many of us rely on our phone cameras to snap day-to-day photos of our lives and save text messages to have some of the most important conversations. So before a thief swipes that phone, or a spilled cup of coffee bricks it, follow these tips:

Google has your back. Go to Settings > Privacy, and make sure that "Back up my settings" … Read more