Nate Swanner

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 the strength of Shazam, and the recognition engine that is Siri, you’re bound to find out what that catchy tune playing is. How do you […]

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 that the list populates automatically, and a bit later on we’ll discuss how that happens. Finding and messaging your favorite contacts 1. Double-tap your Home

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 for the day. Customizing Notification Center 1. Pull down from the top of your home screen (note: you can’t edit from the lock screen), opening

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 Galaxy S5. One we’re pretty sure you know about, but the other might blow your mind. It’s not new to Samsung, but if you’re new

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 to set a timer for the perfect selfie. Hey, you could even get some friends involved! Setting a timer for selfie shots in iOS 8

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. Select “Fingerprint manager”. 3. Drag your finger over the scanner as shown. 4. Choose a password back-up (be crafty with this one!). 5. Select “OK”

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 done: Settings First! 1. Head into “Settings”. 2. Find the “”Sound and Display” section, and select “Multi Window”. 3. Make sure it’s turned on. Note:

One of the cooler features of the HTC One (M8) is Blinkfeed. The social newsfeed app makes it easy to access things like Facebook and Twitter in one stop, but some users aren’t fans. In fact, a vocal few feel as though Blinkfeed is pushed on them by HTC. If that sounds like you, we’ve got a solution you might like. Here we’ll show you the quick and easy way to get rid of Blinkfeed on your HTC One (M8). 1. From the home screen, pinch with two fingers to bring up the overview screen. 2. Long-press on the Blinkfeed

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 gestures make their way to the camera as well, even when the device is in sleep mode! Here’s how to jump right into the camera

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 get access to those you use most frequently a lot faster. It’s a great way to keep your app drawer clutter-free, too! Here’s how you

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 need to fork over your phone, and don’t need the kids checking Instagram, this is go-to functionality. Here’s how it’s done: 1. Long press the

HTC’s Zoe is a pretty special feature that draws a lot of users in. It’s never been better than with the HTC One (M8), either. One of the neat features in Zoe is that ability to quickly and easily create GIFs from your video clips. In fact, HTC takes all the hard work out of your hands. Here, we’ll show you the quick and easy step for taking a video taken with your HTC One (M8), and creating a GIF from it. First, let’s talk about shooting a video with Zoe: I. Shoot a Video with Zoe 1. Launch your

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 as easy as working any other remote. Here’s how it’s done: I. Setup the TV 1. In your app drawer, find and open the TV