Hacking Emperor

If you live in the US, it's pretty simple: The Google Pixel 4a is the best phone for rooting and modding in 2020. Its price keeps the risk-reward ratio nice and low, and its unlockable bootloader makes it easy to modify virtually any aspect of Android. But recent updates to Android's security systems have made it to where TWRP and other custom recoveries won't be officially available for this phone for quite some time, if at all. So you can't just install TeamWin and use it to flash a ZIP to root — you have to do things through Fastboot. You'll be downloading a file from Google, using an app... more http://dlvr.it/RfkLbj

"What's your Wi-Fi password?" That's usually the first thing guests ask for when you have them over. You tell them the network name, then try to explain your complicated hacker-resistant password, which becomes a whole ordeal. But there's a better way to do it, which doesn't rely on using the same mobile OS as your guests. Some of the Ways You Can Share Your Wi-Fi Credentials If you have an iPhone, and your guests have an up-to-date iOS device or Mac they want to connect to the internet, you can just move the devices close together to share your credentials with them instantly. You could... more http://dlvr.it/RfTN0F

Most streaming platforms have seen a huge viewership increase in the past few months. As a result, wireless carriers and ISPs are struggling to provide the necessary bandwidth for everyone, resulting in some customers being limited to DVD quality. The same applies to YouTube, YouTube Music, and YouTube TV, but you can see the resolution being used and change it to something better. Honestly, the feature that YouTube, YouTube Music, and YouTube TV have should be available on all streaming services since you can see a detailed list of playback data for any video you're watching. It includes the... more http://dlvr.it/RfPlpy

Samsung's One UI has slowly become the model for Android skins. The old iOS-like TouchWiz already feels like a relic, thanks in part to the newer user interface's exceptional design and fast but meaningful updates. One UI is so good, other OEM skins have copied elements of it. The latest release is One UI 2.5, which has over 20 new features that make the skin even better. Debuting on the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, One UI 2.5 is the sixth version of Samsung's skin. It's also the last update for the One UI 2 family before One UI 3, based on Android 11, comes in the fall. It's surprising... more http://dlvr.it/RfL3WB

Even if you're new to Android phones, chances are you've heard of the power of Android's customization, and that applies to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series as well. Your brand new Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra's operating system is capable of modification beyond what's available in the basic Settings app — and it all starts with the hidden "Developer options" menu. Why You Should Unlock the Developer Tools For power users, unlocking "Developer options" is one of the first things to check off when setting up a new Android phone. Hidden by default, the secret menu opens up tools generally... more http://dlvr.it/Rf5mjQ

Google is doing a major revision of its Pixel lineup in 2020, and the Pixel 5 smartphone will be a different beast than years past, morphing into what can only be described as a more worthy successor to the Google's discontinued Nexus series than the Pixel models. It all started with the heavily delayed Pixel 4a, which released on Aug. 20, 2020. Before that release, however, its announcement on Aug. 3 also gave us information on the rest of the 2020 lineup — the Google Pixel 4a (5G) and Google Pixel 5 — both of which will be Google's first foray into the 5G market. 2020 is also the year in... more http://dlvr.it/Rf5mbB

Millions of people use YouTube every day, whether it's for trailers, new music, or gameplay walkthroughs. But according to Pew Research Center, over half of U.S. adults use YouTube to figure out how to do things. If you fall into that crowd, adult or not, sometimes it's good to have written instructions to follow along with the video or in lieu of it completely. Well, now you can read YouTube videos instead of just watching them, all thanks to the free Videoticle service. With the power of the Shortcuts app on your iPhone, you can turn any video you're watching into a Medium-style article... more http://dlvr.it/Rf2DNW

If you are reading this article right now on your Galaxy Note 20, you are using one of the most powerful smartphones on the market — but are you taking full advantage of it? The answer is likely no, but you can change this with a few apps. The S Pen is the biggest differentiating factor between the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S series these days. But if you're not an artist, you might not see much use in a stylus at first. But with the help of a few apps, you can find usage beyond just creating. And that's not all. With all that power contained in the Galaxy Note 20, the preinstalled apps aren't... more http://dlvr.it/Rdy9WV

Emoji are, without a doubt, an integral part of messaging on smartphones. Whether you're team iPhone or Android, chances are you send emoji daily. However, years after their introduction, emoji remain static in most cases, even with animated stickers and GIFs supported on almost every major chat app. That said, one of those chat apps, Telegram, makes things more lively. Since mid-2019, Telegram has provided support for animated emoji. The best part? There's no extra download involved, no third-party app, and no need to search for the right sticker pack. Instead, Telegram adds the capabilities... more http://dlvr.it/RdtYxW

Deep fakes, the art of leveraging artificial intelligence to insert the likeness and/or voice of people into videos they don't otherwise appear in, typically focus on celebrity parodies or political subterfuge. Now, with the Reface app for iOS and Android, you can easily replace actors and actresses in iconic movie and TV scenes with your own mug, or insert yourself into popular GIFs and memes. Here's how to get in on the deep fake action. Don't Miss: Add Custom Animated Stickers to Your Snapchat Photos & Videos Step 1: Install Reface The app is free to download from the App Store or... more http://dlvr.it/RdqtTW

Emoji are, without a doubt, an integral part of messaging on smartphones. Whether you're team iPhone or Android, chances are you send emoji daily. However, years after their introduction, emoji remain static in most cases, even with animated stickers and GIFs supported on almost every major chat app. That said, one of those chat apps, Telegram, makes things more lively. Since mid-2019, Telegram has provided support for animated emoji. The best part? There's no extra download involved, no third-party app, and no need to search for the right sticker pack. Instead, Telegram adds the capabilities... more http://dlvr.it/RdqSnh

Why pay for a movie when you can get it for free? Thanks to Movies Anywhere, you can claim and download a video for your digital film collection right now at no cost. And getting your freebie flick couldn't be any easier. Movies Anywhere is celebrating its new partnership with DirecTV by offering users one of five flicks to download for free, in up to 4K resolution. The following films are included, with their current price on Amazon Prime, so you know how good of a deal you're getting: "Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" ($14.99) "Smallfoot"($14.99) "The Meg" ($7.99) "The Matrix" ($9.99) "Crazy... more http://dlvr.it/RdpzX1

Google always sets aside a few cool software features to remain exclusive to its Pixel phones. But that's the thing about Android: software features can be ported to other devices. Developer Pranav Pandey, whose work we've covered before, took the Pixel 4a's wallpapers APK and extracted just the relevant bit: a new live wallpaper called "Eclipse," otherwise exclusive to the 4a, that doubles as a battery meter of sorts. The wallpaper itself is a pretty subtle gradient that looks a lot like the sky just after dusk — or during an eclipse, perhaps. But it's the power indicator that makes it cool... more http://dlvr.it/RdkYPV

Google always sets aside a few cool software features to remain exclusive to its Pixel phones. But that's the thing about Android: software features can be ported to other devices. Developer Pranav Pandey, whose work we've covered before, took the Pixel 4a's wallpapers APK and extracted just the relevant bit: a new live wallpaper called "Eclipse," otherwise exclusive to the 4a, that doubles as a battery meter of sorts. The wallpaper itself is a pretty subtle gradient that looks a lot like the sky just after dusk — or during an eclipse, perhaps. But it's the power indicator that makes it cool... more http://dlvr.it/Rdh0nN

There's an official way to install apps onto your Android phone using basically any device that has internet access — heck, you can even download new apps from an iPhone and they'll install in seconds on your Android device. If you come across a cool Android app while you're using something other than your Android phone, instead of saving the link for later, you can actually install the app right then and there. By visiting the app's Play Store page from your other device, you can install it on your phone or tablet without even having physical access to it. Don't Miss: How to Use Your... more http://dlvr.it/RdcDPD

While Google Play Music fans mourn its demise, its replacement, YouTube Music, is gaining some neat features that its predecessor never had. On the heels of the AI-powered Suggestions for building playlists, YouTube Music users can now recruit friends to contribute to playlists. Are you ready to get social with your YouTube Music playlists? If so, read on. (If not, still read on so you'll be prepared when you are ready.) Don't Miss: 4 Tips to Improve YouTube Music Recommendations Step 1: Update YouTube Music This feature is a server-side addition, but it may rely on a minimum app version... more http://dlvr.it/RdbsBt

You may be wondering what exactly makes the Pixel 4a's camera so great. Compared to its predecessor, it has the same Sony IMX363 sensor and no additional hardware. Well, beyond stellar image processing, it also has several great new features that Google has added since they released the Pixel 3a last year. The features that have been added to Google Camera recently and the improvements ushered in by the Pixel 4a itself are huge for photography, and it's what helps separate Google's camera from the competition. I'll give you a little summary of each one below to help get you up to speed... more http://dlvr.it/Rdbs5D

If you have a Samsung device, you probably know the hassle of dealing with both the Galaxy Store and the Google Play Store at the same time for apps. Samsung's offering is forced onto you whether you like it or not; however, it's the only way to officially receive essential updates for your Samsung apps. The good news? You can keep on top of these updates with a super simple trick. Locate the "Galaxy Store" app from your app drawer or home screen, then long-press the icon to reveal a new set of shortcut options. Long-press the "Updates" shortcut, then drag and drop it anywhere on your home... more http://dlvr.it/RdRtCg

We all know Android updates have been iffy in the past. But Google has implemented several measures recently that have sped up the process substantially, and OnePlus is taking advantage of these. Still, a staged rollout update might keep you waiting for a few days or longer. So if you'd rather skip the wait, there's a better way to manually check for system updates. To get started, open your app drawer and look for the "Settings" app, then long-press the icon to bring up a few new options. Tap "Widgets", then drag and drop the "Settings" widget anywhere onto your home screen. Once you drop... more http://dlvr.it/RdRt9V

In a similar vein to Facebook's colorful backgrounds for text posts, Instagram has a way to add vivid text-only status updates for your stories. That way, you can conjure up colorful stories that make a statement without even needing to take a photo or video in the first place. And now there are even more fonts to choose from. Instagram first add text-only images to stories on Feb. 1, 2018, when it was called "Type" mode, and it included five fonts: Classic, Modern, Neon, Typewriter, and Strong. Eventually, the typing mode became apart of "Create" mode, and four more fonts began rolling out... more http://dlvr.it/RdRKNM

The new Google Meet integration in the Gmail app isn't quite subtle, to say the least. The feature takes up a huge chunk of the display, screen real estate that would otherwise be occupied by, you know, emails. While Google doesn't require you to live with the integration, it doesn't make it clear how to disable it. That's where we come in. It's not difficult to return your Gmail's home page to its former full-screen glory. The issue is solely that Google buries the setting. To find it, tap the hamburger menu in the top left, then tap "Settings." From here, tap an email account you'd like to... more http://dlvr.it/RdN8sk

In Android 11, music player controls have been moved from the notification tray to the Quick Settings. The change frees up space for the new Conversations notification section. It also adds media output controls, making it possible to switch from your phone speakers to a Bluetooth device with only two taps. When your device receives Android 11 is entirely dependent on your OEM. While Pixel users will get it day one, everyone else will have to wait at least some time. Even Samsung and OnePlus users, who have been getting pretty timely updates recently, may want to try it out now to get a feel... more http://dlvr.it/RdN8lr

The new Google Meet integration in the Gmail app isn't quite subtle, to say the least. The feature takes up a huge chunk of the display, screen real estate that would otherwise be occupied by, you know, emails. While Google doesn't require you to live with the integration, it doesn't make it clear how to disable it. That's where we come in. It's not difficult to return your Gmail's home page to its former full-screen glory. The issue is solely that Google buries the setting. To find it, tap the hamburger menu in the top left, then tap "Settings." From here, tap an email account you'd like to... more http://dlvr.it/RdMbL3

One of the underrated components of the Galaxy Note 20 series is its usage of Gorilla Glass Victus. Think of this as Gorilla Glass 7, the latest innovation from Corning. And this release is a big deal, delivering protection without sacrifices. There are two common types of glass damage: scratches and cracks. Sadly, the two are inversely correlated, so Corning has always had to sacrifice one to improve the other. Gorilla Glass 6 is an excellent example of this — it could withstand multiple drops from one meter, but leaving it in your purse or pocket would result in a scratch or two. Gorilla... more http://dlvr.it/RdD5qP

In Android 11, music player controls have been moved from the notification tray to the Quick Settings. The change frees up space for the new Conversations notification section. It also adds media output controls, making it possible to switch from your phone speakers to a Bluetooth device with only two taps. When your device receives Android 11 is entirely dependent on your OEM. While Pixel users will get it day one, everyone else will have to wait at least some time. Even Samsung and OnePlus users, who have been getting pretty timely updates recently, may want to try it out now to get a feel... more http://dlvr.it/RdCkfH

It's been a while since Android got a true Easter egg with a new software update. Remember when Google added Marshmallow's Flappy Bird-style mini game? For Android 11, we get a new game, and like Android Nougat, it revolves around the infamous Android Neko cat. Google's apparently a big fan of virtual pet game Neko Atsume, because they've once again added an Easter egg heavily inspired by it. It's very similar to the one in Android Nougat, but this time it takes advantage of the revamped power menu in Android 11. And unlike past versions, there is more to it than just taping on the version... more http://dlvr.it/RdCH4y

Late last year, Snapchat introduced Cameos, deep fake-ish stickers animated from your own selfies. Now, Cameos have evolved as a sticker option to use in photos and videos captured with the app's camera. If you're interested in adding your animated doppelganger to your Snaps, you've come to the right place. Don't Miss: Morph into a Gecko & Learn About Reptiles with PetSmart's Snapchat AR Lens Step 1: Install or Update Snapchat First, you'll need to have the Snapchat app installed on your mobile device of choice, which would include signing up for an account. If you have it already, it... more http://dlvr.it/Rd8TM3

Once again, Samsung has certified its flagship Note series with an IP68 rating. With this rating, the Galaxy Note 20 and 20 Ultra have some degree of dust and water resistance. The IEC standard 60529 lays out a series of tests created by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association which determine the official IP rating. According to the standard: This standard describes a system for classifying the degrees of protection provided by enclosures of electrical equipment for two conditions: 1) the protection of persons against access to hazardous parts and protection of equipment against... more http://dlvr.it/Rd83FJ

Google Play Music has been approaching end of life for a while now, but we now know that Google will begin cutting off access to the service in September 2020 ahead of a complete shutdown in December 2020. In addition, Google will begin closing its music store on Google Play this month. If you plan to jump over to its Google-sanctioned replacement, YouTube Music, the transfer process is straightforward and covered here. However, if you're moving over to Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, or another streaming service and want to save the music you've uploaded to Google Play Music's locker service... more http://dlvr.it/Rd7ZM4

Samsung has finally taken the lid off its 2020 line of Galaxy Note devices. There's the spec behemoth Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and then there's the slightly more cost effective Galaxy Note 20. Excuse the pun, but there's a lot to unpack here. These are the first phones with support for Xbox cloud gaming, and they've received some serious security upgrades. But, of course, there's a lot more to them than the headlining features, so let's take a closer look at all the gory details. Jump to a section: Standout Features | Dates | Storage | Price | Body | Basics | Software | Skin | Display |... more http://dlvr.it/Rd4LVQ

Wearing masks and social distancing doesn't sound like a fun movie night with friends, but you can still be comfortable and watch films together remotely. Services like Discord and Netflix Party make it possible to watch movies simultaneously from different parts of the U.S., and now you can do it with Movies Anywhere too. Movies Anywhere's new feature is called Watch Together, and with it, you can host a movie viewing with up to nine far-away family and friends at the same time. It can be a better option over Discord, Netflix, etc. since you can sync movie libraries to Movies Anywhere from... more http://dlvr.it/Rd4LRn

Have you ever received a toast message, but weren't sure where it came from? While usually harmless, sometimes, it can be an indication of the presence of an app long forgotten. But with numerous running background apps, it can be hard to identify the source. Developer Michal Jakubowkski must have been tired of this as well, because he created a solution. Any toast message that appears can now be logged with the information of the time, the content, and the app which they originated from. Toasts can also be saved to a database locally to be reviewed later at your leisure. Step 1: Install... more http://dlvr.it/Rd3slY

Discovering great mobile games is difficult. With over 300 thousand games on the Play Store — not including the hundreds more available by sideloading — finding the right one to invest your time and money in can be hard. The Play Store's rating system is helpful, but ratings are often skewed by external factors. MiniReview attempts to solve this problem. Instead of relying on the community to rate games, their team of reviewers does it. Not only are they avid mobile gamers, but don't give low scores simply because the game fails to load on their device. MiniReview acts like the mobile gaming... more http://dlvr.it/Rd0dtT

It feels like every few months, some new feature is discovered in the Pixel's Camera app. By taking advantage of machine learning and the high-quality camera, Google continues to add hidden functions that improve your life even if they're a little niche. The Pixel's Camera app can tell you the angle of a slope. To activate it, you need to have "Framing hints" enabled in the camera's settings, which you can by tapping the down-facing arrow at the top of the viewfinder while in Camera mode, then choosing the gear icon. Once enabled, direct your camera viewfinder to a flat surface and hold it... more http://dlvr.it/Rd0dmT

At $349, you won't find many smartphones that provide a better deal than the Google Pixel 4a. It has flagship-level performance, a headphone jack, and one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, all for less than $400. But if you act now, you can save even more. At Best Buy, you can get the Google Pixel 4a for as low as $249.99. You read that right: the already-inexpensive phone can be purchased for $100 below its MSRP. How? For that price, you'll need to add a new line or make a new account on Sprint. You'll also need to activate the phone at the time of purchase, meaning it will have... more http://dlvr.it/Rd08w0

If you're in the market for a new smartphone, there are some pretty fantastic options for $400 or less. Both Apple and Google have unveiled budget smartphones with high-end specs in 2020, so you no longer have to suffer from subpar quality to save a few bucks. Low prices no longer mean cheap phones. Apple's second-generation iPhone SE, released April 24, doesn't have many contenders in its price range when it comes to raw power. It has the same system on a chip (SoC) as the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, which already has the best chipset available on a smartphone, so there was no compromise... more http://dlvr.it/RcwzJY

Last year, many were caught off guard when Google released a midrange Pixel device. It was quickly crowned the best value-buy phone on the market, as it brought most of the camera tech people loved in the flagship Pixel for almost half the cost. Google's 2020 entry in this series has finally made its long-awaited debut. The Pixel 4a appears to be a worthy upgrade for Pixel 3a owners looking for more power and a better camera. Google also simplified the choices. There are no multiple RAM and internal storage variants or an XL version. There is one 6 GB/128 GB model, and it only costs $349. The... more http://dlvr.it/RcwzGt

Last year, many were caught off guard when Google released a midrange Pixel device. It was quickly crowned the best value-buy phone on the market, as it brought most of the camera tech people loved in the flagship Pixel for almost half the cost. Google 2020 entry in this series has finally made its long-awaited debut. The Pixel 4a appears to be a worthy upgrade for Pixel 3a owners looking for more power and a better camera. Google also simplified the choices. There are no multiple RAM and internal storage variants or an XL version. There is one 6 GB/128 GB model, and it only costs $349. The... more http://dlvr.it/RcwVyg