Smartphones

Advertisement Google has launched what it’s calling Digital Wellbeing Experiments. These are apps designed to reduce your smartphone use. While installing more apps in order to spend less time on your phone sounds wrong, it actually makes perfect sense.We’re all spending too much time on our smartphones. And that time spent mindlessly scrolling through Twitter, watching random videos on YouTube, and playing addictive mobile games The 10 Best Free Mobile Games With NO Ads or In-App Purchases The 10 Best Free Mobile Games With NO Ads or In-App Purchases Here's our pick of the best mobile games with no ads or in-app purchases, all of which are available on Android and/or iPhone. Read More could be put to much better use. Which is where Google comes in.How to Try Google’s Digital Wellbeing ExperimentsGoogle launched its Digital Wellbeing Experiments in a post on The Keyword. The initiative is described as “a platform to encourage designers and developers to … [Read more...] about Google Launches Apps to Reduce Your Smartphone Use

Advertisement Bicycle dynamos are nothing new, but charge-while-you-ride technology has improved by leaps and bounds in the last few years. Affordable powerpacks in the form of portable batteries make it possible to not only charge devices, but store energy for when you really need it. They’re essential gadgets for cyclists and bike riders.These days you can charge just about any device that uses USB power using your own physical exertion, including smartphones, tablets and rechargeable lights. Here are the best power solutions for cyclists who need to charge on the go.Dynamo SolutionsSometimes when you’re designing the next generation of technology, you need to look back at past inventions and improve on them. Dynamo efficiency is reaching new heights, but the premise of harnessing the rotational energy of the wheels is nothing new.Siva Atom ($129)The Siva atom is a charger with integrated dynamo that attaches to the rear of your bicycle and provides a 5V charge … [Read more...] about Charge Your Smartphone While You Ride Your Bike

Advertisement Our smartphones are more than capable of keeping track of our daily schedules, and our desktops make it simple to stay on top of tasks. It’s not enough that this capability comes included out of the box — there is an overabundance of third-party alternatives The 8 Best Free Calendar Apps for Android The 8 Best Free Calendar Apps for Android Want to see which of the best free calendar apps for Android is right for you? We compare several great calendar apps to find the best. Read More .Nevertheless, you can still see paper planners lined up on store shelves. And you know what? It’s not just the old or computerless who are buying them. There are practical reasons to prefer a physical product over a digital solution, even if thinking of them can leave some of us scratching our heads.Why Even Consider a Paper Planner?This question may seem ridiculous, especially to someone of an older generation, but when I was in high school, Microsoft Outlook was … [Read more...] about Why Paper Planners Are Relevant in the Age of Smartphone Calendar Apps

Advertisement Your phone is very smart. With Angry Birds, Facebook and mobile office applications, it’s all too easy to forget that some of the features we use most were often available on those very old mobile phones as well. Obviously, that includes calling and texting, but recording audio isn’t a cutting-edge technology either.Nevertheless, recording audio with your smartphone or tablet hasn’t always been a walk in the park. The microphones traditionally found in mobile devices weren’t something to write home about. With HD cameras, the need for better audio is put in a new light.Even now, with ever better technology in our pockets, recorded audio is often of inferior quality; choppy and with a low tolerance for loud and chaotic environments. Below are a number of tips to get better audio recordings.1. Eliminate Distractions Coming From Your PhoneWhile using your smartphone or tablet to record audio, you shouldn’t forget it’s a multifunction … [Read more...] about 5 Great Tips For Recording Audio With Any Smartphone Or Tablet

Advertisement I’ve had a few smartphones and tablets over the years, and one of the things that has always filled me with fear is the possibility that due to some tinkering, I may have bricked the device.“Bricking” a device is the act of leaving the oblong of plastic and metal largely useless, other than as a paperweight. It’s easily done, so we’re lead to believe, and next to impossible to undo.Actually, that’s not strictly true. Whether you’re rooting, installing a new operating system ROM or simply installing an app, bricking can occur but it isn’t as difficult to undo as you might think.Back in the day, a bricked device would be very tough to recover, but over the years some resilience has been built into smartphones and tablets. These days a few clever button presses, useful additional software, a USB cable and a few prayers (the prayers are optional, of course) will sort out many bricking issues.But as it turns out, you don’t … [Read more...] about Are You Sure It’s Bricked? How You Can Fix Your Broken Smartphone