How To

5 tips for maximizing your Android screen space

No matter how tricked-out your Android layout is, you'll always find something new you want to do that takes one click too many to reach. Just as all projects go over budget, all your favorite apps and bookmarks are sure to spill over beyond your home screen. There's no one perfect solution for everyone, but there are a few habits and tools that can help keep your digital life close at hand.

Be ruthless. Clear your device of any applications you don't use, and clear your home screen of everything you don't either use every day (… Read more

3 tricks to using less data when browsing on Android

You've got access to the world wide Web in your pocket. Now you want to start looking up info and reading sites. Unfortunately, you must keep your data use within your data plan's limit, or having a smartphone could be prohibitively expensive. No problem. Check out these three tips to keep your data usage in check while Web browsing.

Tip 1: Make sure you're on mobile Most Web sites have full and mobile versions. The differences between the two are their layouts and amount of content. Generally, the mobile version has far fewer page elements to load … Read more

Clearing the browser history on Galaxy Tab 10.1

Keeping your browsing history from prying eyes is difficult on a device that you may share with family or friends. Whether you're shopping for a surprise present or an engagement ring or surfing the Web for some other personal reason, you may want to keep your activities private. If you're looking to erase the sites you've visited from the memory of your Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, follow these quick steps:

Step 1: Open the Web browser on your Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Step 2: Click on the menu in the top right corner, and choose Settings.

Step … Read more

10 ways to improve iPad battery life

The iPad 2 offers excellent battery life--it lasted nearly 12 hours in CNET Labs testing--but after so many charges, battery life invariably begins to fade. How can you extend the life of your iPad 2's aging battery? Let us count the ways:… Read more

Mirror iPad 2 on your TV with iOS 5, AirPlay

In our never-ending quest to prep our faithful readers for iOS 5 we cover an amazing new iPad 2-specific feature in iOS 5: mirroring. Mirroring via AirPlay and an Apple TV (which will also have to be running iOS 5) will allow you to display your iPad 2 screen on any TV with an HDMI port.

Sending your iPad 2's screen to your TV is as easy as:

Entering the fast app switcher dockSwiping left-to-rightPressing the AirPlay iconSelect AppleTV and toggle the Mirror switch

What do you think? Is this something you will use on a regular basis? Or, … Read more

Start recording video faster with your iOS device

Quick, grab your phone, we should be recording this!

If you have a toddler who is learning to talk or walk or reach other video-worthy milestones, you've either heard or uttered these words frequently and recently. Same goes for owners of hilariously curious cats, I'd imagine.

Even if you have your phone in hand, you can still miss a shot, as you mistakenly take a still shot with your iPhone's camera app, then scramble to move the slider over and start recording video. Well, no more! The recently released Swift app by CodeGoo lets you start capturing video faster. Granted, it saves only a few seconds compared with using the iPhone's native camera app, but sometimes only a few seconds is the difference between getting the shot and missing it.… Read more

How to get free books for your Kindle or Nook

Many Kindle and Nook owners will agree: having an e-reader makes you read more. The problem is that e-books aren't cheap--in fact, they don't cost much less than their hard-copy counterparts.

Luckily, the Internet is pretty good at making otherwise expensive things free. We scoured the Web and found a few different options for finding free e-books for your Kindle or Nook.

1. Search for "0.00." This is the oldest trick in the book (pun intended). Simply go to the Barnes and Noble bookstore or the Kindle bookstore and search for "0.00." … Read more

12 tips for mastering Android

There's so much you can do with Android that it can seem impossible to experience all the operating system has to offer. With these tips, tricks, and guides, we show you how to go beyond the tip of the iceberg to unearth Android's most awesome features. Whether you're new to Android, considering making the switch, or looking for new ways to make the most of your powerful device, we've got you covered.

Getting started

How to switch from iPhone to Android If you feel locked into your iPhone, freedom has arrived! Learn how to transfer much … Read more

Keep your iPad data safe

The more you use your iPad for work, the more important it becomes to safeguard the data and applications stored on the device. These tips let you apply password protection to specific iPad apps, replace the four-digit passcode with a password, track your iPad's location and lock or wipe it remotely, and erase the machine's contents after a set number of unsuccessful passcode entries.

Assign passcodes on an app-by-app basis Passcodes are the primary method of securing an iPad, but they can be overkill when you merely want to browse or access e-mail and other services that are … Read more