Ten awesome things you didn't know your phone could do

1. Take a screenshot

Have you ever wanted to capture something on your phone's screen? Maybe it's a hilarious text from a friend, or an interesting Facebook post, or you want to send someone an image to show her how to do something.

iPhone

Press and hold the Home button along with the Sleep/Wake button. You should hear a shutter click. The screenshot will appear in your Camera Roll or Saved Photos section.

Android

Hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. The image is saved to the "Captured Images" folder in your Gallery app. That only works in Android 4.0 and higher, though. For Android 3.0, 2.3 or earlier, use an app like AirDroid.

2. Block calls and texts

Have you ever had someone who just won't stop calling or texting you, even after you asked nicely? Here's how to block him.

iPhone

To block calls on an iPhone with iOS 7 or later, open the Phone or FaceTime app. If the person is already a contact, tap his name, scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Block This Caller. Then tap Block Contact.

If the person isn't a contact, tap the Info button, then scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Block this Caller. Then tap Block Contact.

If you want to block texts, open the Messages app and tap a message from the person you want to block. Tap Contact in the upper right and then tap the Info button. Scroll to the bottom and tap Block this Caller. Then tap Block Contact.

You can edit your blocked contacts later at these locations:

Settings>>Phone>>Blocked

Settings>>Messages>>Blocked

Settings>>FaceTime>>Blocked

Android

On Android, go to Settings>>Call settings>>Call block. Under "Incoming calls" tap "Call block list" and then tap Create. You can enter a number, or tap the picture icon to find the number in your Contacts list or in your call logs.

If you don't see these steps or want more blocking options, check out these call- and text-blocking apps.

3. Use a real password

iPhone and Android both default to a 4-digit PIN for unlocking the phone. That's OK as long as you don't use something simple like 0000 or 1234. However, I know some people who want even more security.

iPhone

To set a real password on an iPhone, go to Settings>>Passcode. From there, swipe off the option that says Simple Passcode. Here, you can set your passcode with letters and special characters for better phone security.

Android

Go to Settings>>Lock screen and tap Screen lock. You can set what level of security you want, from a simple swipe to a password. Select Password and type in the password that you want. It should have a mix of letters, numbers and special characters to be really safe.

4. See text more easily

Having a hard time reading things on your phone's small screen? Bump up the font size to something a bit easier to see.

iPhone

Go to Settings>>General>>Accessibility and turn on Bold Text and Larger Text. You can choose either one or both, depending on your preferences. You will need to restart your phone for Bold Text to take effect.

Android

Go to Settings>>Accessibility. Under Vision, tap Font size and set it to Large. Some phones include an even larger Huge option.

5. Read things out loud

Want to keep your eyes off your phone for a bit? Have it read things to you out loud.

iPhone

Go to Settings>>General>>Accessibility and turn on VoiceOver. You have the option to practice with VoiceOver, set the speaking rate and more.

You will need to do some playing around to get used to it. For example you can touch and drag your fingers around the home screen to have it read what's there. Double tap to activate an app, while one tap will give you details about it.

VoiceOver will read directions to you in Maps, have your camera tell you how many people are in your shot, and get spoken photo descriptions. You can also handwrite notes and letters on the screen and have VoiceOver translate your messages into text for Mail and other apps.

Android

Go to Settings>>Accessibility and tap TalkBack. If you don't see it, you can download it from the Google Play store.

Turn it on and your phone will read whatever you touch on the screen and incoming notifications. Hint: To perform a regular swipe gesture, you have to use two fingers instead of one.

To adjust your TalkBack settings, go to Settings>>Accessibility and tap Text-to-Speech options. You can adjust the voice engine and speed rate.

Then go to Settings and turn on Hands-free mode. This will tell you who is calling or messaging.

6. Customize alert vibration patterns

You've set a custom ringtone for each of your contacts, but that doesn't help when you have your phone on vibrate. Fortunately, you can create custom vibration patterns as well.

iPhone

Go to Settings>>Sounds>>Ringtone>>Vibration. You can tap out patterns to record. Or, you can go into your contacts list and hit Edit and select the Vibration option for each contact.

Android

Go to Contacts and tap on a contact name. Under Vibration Pattern, tap Default and choose a preset pattern. Or tap the Create button and tap on the screen to create your own pattern.

If you don't have this built in, there are third-party apps like Vybe that can do this as well.

7. Flash camera LED for notifications

Need a quiet alert about notifications and don't want to use vibrate? Have notifications trigger your phone's LED camera flash instead. Just make sure you turn this off or keep your phone hidden when you go to the movies.

iPhone

Go to Settings>>General>> Accessibility and turn on "LED Flash for Alerts." Now every time you get a notification, your phone's rear camera will flash.

Android

Go to Settings>>Accessibility and turn on "Flash notification."

8. Better ways to take pictures

Tapping your phone's screen to take a picture sounds good in theory, but in practice it can make shots a little shaky. Here are some better options.

iPhone

Point your camera and press the phone’s Volume Up button.

Android

Open the camera app and tap the gear to see the settings. Scroll down to Voice control and turn it on. Now you can take pictures with the commands "Capture," "Shoot," "Smile" and "Cheese."

9. Take multiple pictures at once

If you're taking pictures of a moving object, squirming kid or people who tend to blink, you often want to take a bunch of pictures at once.

iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c

Open the Camera app. Tap and hold the shutter release button on the screen – or press and hold the Volume Up button – and the camera will start taking multiple pictures. Release the button when you want to stop.

The iPhones can take up to 10 pictures a second. It will group the photos for you automatically so you can quickly find the best ones.

Android

Open the Camera app. Tap the gear icon to open the settings and turn Burst Shot on. Then tap and hold the shutter release button and the phone will take multiple images until you release the button – or it hits the preset limit for your phone. The photos will be grouped for you in your gallery.

10. Turn off music automatically

A lot of people use their phone to listen to music as they go to sleep, or as they're doing a project. But you don't want the music to play. There are also third-party apps like Sleep Timer available.

Four Secrets Wireless Hackers Don't Want You to Know

You're using a wireless access point that has encryption so you're safe, right? Wrong! Hackers want you to believe that you are protected so you will remain vulnerable to their attacks. Here are 4 things that wireless hackers hope you won't find out, otherwise they might not be able to break into your network and/or computer: 1. WEP encryption is useless for protecting your wireless network. WEP is easily cracked within minutes and only provides users with a false sense of security. Even a mediocre hacker can defeat Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)-based security in a matter of minutes, making it essentially useless as a protection mechanism. Many people set their wireless routers up years ago and have never bothered to change their wireless encryption from WEP to the newer and stronger WPA2 security. Updating your router to WPA2 is a fairly simple process. Visit your wireless router manufacturer's website for instructions.
2. Using your wireless router's MAC filter to prevent unauthorized devices from joining your network is ineffective and easily defeated. Every piece of IP-based hardware, whether it's a computer, game system, printer, etc, has a unique hard-coded MAC address in its network interface. Many routers will allow you to permit or deny network access based on a device's MAC address. The wireless router inspects the MAC address of the network device requesting access and compares it your list of permitted or denied MACs. This sounds like a great security mechanism but the problem is that hackers can "spoof" or forge a fake MAC address that matches an approved one. All they need to do is use a wireless packet capture program to sniff (eavesdrop) on the wireless traffic and see which MAC addresses are traversing the network. They can then set their MAC address to match one of that is allowed and join the network.
3. Disabling your wireless router's remote administration feature can be a very effective measure to prevent a hacker from taking over your wireless network. Many wireless routers have a setting that allows you to administer the router via a wireless connection. This means that you can access all of the routers security settings and other features without having to be on a computer that is plugged into the router using an Ethernet cable. While this is convenient for being able to administer the router remotely, it also provides another point of entry for the hacker to get to your security settings and change them to something a little more hacker friendly. Many people never change the factory default admin passwords to their wireless router which makes things even easier for the hacker. I recommend turning the "allow admin via wireless" feature off so only someone with a physical connection to the network can attempt to administer the wireless router settings.
4. If you use public hotspots you are an easy target for man-in-the-middle and session hijacking attacks. Hackers can use tools like Firesheep and AirJack to perform "man-in-the-middle" attacks where they insert themselves into the wireless conversation between sender and receiver. Once they have successfully inserted themselves into the line of communications, they can harvest your account passwords, read your e-mail, view your IMs, etc. They can even use tools such as SSL Strip to obtain passwords for secure websites that you visit. I recommend using a commercial VPN service provider to protect all of your traffic when you are using wi-fi networks. Costs range from $7 and up per month. A secure VPN provides an additional layer of security that is extremely difficult to defeat. Unless the hacker is extremely determined they will most likely move on and try an easier target.

Andriod Lollipop 5.0 How to permanently Removed or Disable Cell Broadcast

Removing/disabling cell broadcasts
1.Head to Menu and tap on 'Device Control' tap the option bar.
2.Scroll down and tap More,and then tap App Manager.
2.Find and click the cell broadcast,there will be option to remove or disable.

Enable Chrome's Hidden “Reader Mode” on Your Android

Reading articles on an Android phone using Chrome Browser can be a little bit of a battle; it often times requires adjusting the page to fit the screen in order to make it easier to read and scroll through. I sometimes lose this struggle and give up trying to read on my device, saving the article for a later time when I'm on my laptop.

If you have the same issue with Chrome, well, the battle just shifted in our favor. There's an experimental "Reader Mode" option available for web articles, and I'm going to show you how to unlock it. Just make sure you have the latest version of Chrome Browser installed on your device.

Enabling Reader Mode
In your Chrome Browser, type chrome://flags into the navigation bar. Once you're on the settings page, scroll down until you see "Enable Reader Mode Toolbar Icon Android," or use the three-dot menu option for "Find in page" to jump directly to this particular flag. Hit the option to "Enable" the feature, then tap on "Relaunch Now" to activate it.

Using Reader Mode
While on a heavy-content website, Chrome will now provide you with a small "reader" icon near the address bar. Tap it and the page will automatically be reformatted to exclude all but relevant pictures and other clutter that can potentially dampen the reader's experience.

[1] Regular Mode, [2] Reader Mode

As you can see, Reader Mode removed ads, article suggestions, some pictures, and reformatted the page to fit perfectly on my screen. If you're an avid reader, then definitely make sure to enable this beneficial feature.

How to Hack Someone's Cell Phone to Steal Their Pictures

Do you ever wonder how all these celebrities continue to have their private photos spread all over the internet? While celebrities' phones and computers are forever vulnerable to attacks, the common folk must also be wary. No matter how careful you think you were went you sent those "candid" photos to your ex, with a little effort and access to public information, your pictures can be snagged, too. Here's how.

Cloud Storage
Apple's iCloud service provides a hassle free way to store and transfer photos and other media across multiple devices.


While the commercial exemplifies the G-rated community of iPhone users, there are a bunch of non-soccer moms that use their iPhones in a more..."free spirited" mindset. With Photo Stream enabled (requires OS X Lion or later, iOS 5 or later), pictures taken on your iPhone go to directly to your computer and/or tablet, all while being stored in the cloud.

If you think the cloud is safe, just ask Gizmodo reporter Mat Honan. His iCloud account was hacked by someone who contacted Apple Support and requested a password reset by working around the security questions and using available information of Honan's social media accounts. The hacker remotely wiped all of Honan's devices and hijacked the Gizmodo Twitter account. Luckily for him, his photos were not of any concern to the hacker, but other people might not be so lucky.

Email
Email is one of the most used applications on a person's mobile device. While remotely hacking into someone's phone and gaining access to their system files and photos is extremely difficult, hacking into an email account is much easier. While MMS is usually the method of choice for those sending images over their phone, many people still use their email accounts for sharing files.

That's how some "intriguing" photos of Scarlett Johansson ended up all over the internet last year. The hacker simply found her email address by trying random iterations of her name in combination with common email clients like Gmail or Yahoo, and then used the forgotten password helper. After answering the security questions by using public information and scouring the internet, he gained access to her email account, which contained some of her photos.


Once a hacker has an email address, the information he or she now has access to has multiplied. Many people prefer paperless billing for their obligations, cell phone bills included. On those cell phone bills is the number of the account holder as well as a ton of other information like outgoing and incoming calls. And if you are using Gmail, you can send text messages right inside the email client, making it even easier to get in touch with other contacts.

So, while email hacking might not get you to the images directly, it can lead you to various sources of information that will get you closer to your goal, like a cell phone number. With your target's cell phone number in hand, those photos are within reach.

Cellular Provider
Sometimes the cellular provider is the weakest point of defense for a cell phone user. Both AT&T and Verizon allow user ID's to be the customers wireless number. If you have the number of the phone, you can use the "forgot my password" feature to request for a temp password, or even change the password altogether by either entering a 4 digit pin code, crackable by brute force, or by answering a few security questions.


Studies have shown that most people are terrible at choosing PINs, so you may not even have to use brute force—just try the list of most common ones that people use. Once inside the account, you have access to all the usage and data the phone has sent or received in the latest billing period.

Spoofing
With access to the numbers a cell phone has contacted and access to the text messages that have been sent from it, it's not too hard to spoof someone's number. Instead of trying to steal the photos off the phone, you can trick them into sending them directly to you. There are a bunch of cell phone spoofs and Caller ID apps you can use to make your number appear to be someone else's.

While none of these methods are guaranteed, there's a good chance that one of them (or a combination of a few) will work, unless your target is more security savvy than the average person. Most of us give away more information than we know online, and it only takes one opportunity-minded individual to take advantage of it.

If you do decide to give it a shot, though, just remember: hacking into someone's email or cell phone accounts is not only in the moral grey area, it's also completely illegal, so proceed with caution.

Disable Forced Encryption on the Nexus 6 for Faster Performance

One of the more talked-about features of Google's new flagship device is the fact that all of the data on the Nexus 6 is encrypted by default. At face value, this certainly seems like an added bonus for the 6-inch phablet, especially in this day and age with growing security concerns abound. It's definitely something that the FBI is none too pleased about.

But the encryption methods used in the Nexus 6 are not without their faults. Rather than using a dedicated hardware chip to perform the functions necessary for maintaining encryption, Google opted to use a software layer that handles all of the strenuous legwork. This results in decreased performance and battery life over what the device is capable of, most notably read and write speeds that are almost 3 times slower than they would be without encryption.

Since there's no option in the settings for disabling encryption on the Nexus 6, developer Brandon Berhent created a modified boot.img file that will disable encryption automatically. The process is relatively simple, but decrypting the Nexus 6 means that any existing data will need to be wiped. So make sure you have everything important backed up before proceeding.

Requirements

Nexus 6 (this mod is not intended for use on any other device)

Windows PC

Step 1: Put Your Phone into Bootloader Mode

First up, power your Nexus 6 completely off. When the screen goes black, press and hold the Volume Down button with one finger, then press and hold the Power button with another. This will bring up Android's Bootloader menu.

From here, go ahead and connect your phone to your PC using a good quality USB cable.

Step 2: Download Necessary Files

For this method, you'll need to download two image files and the Nexus Root Toolkit. From your Windows PC, click the following links to get each of the image files:

Modified boot.img fileom/ds1cncvms6pg/fo71ueht1wezc8b/boot_noforceencrypt.img

Stock userdata.img file

With those downloaded, grab the Nexus Root Toolkit installer file from this link.

Step 3: Set Up the Nexus Root Toolkit

First, go ahead and launch the Nexus Root Toolkit installer file that you just downloaded. Follow the prompts for installation, then NRT will ask what device you have and what Android version it's currently running. For device, go with Nexus 6, obviously. Then, select "Android 5.0.0 - Build: LRX210" as the Android version and click "Apply."

Next, NRT will ask to download some additional files. Go ahead and click "Download + Update All File Dependencies."

After that, you should be taken directly to the Nexus Root Toolkit's main menu. To begin, click the button labeled "Full Driver Installation Guide."

From here, skip ahead to Step #3, then click the "Google Drivers" button.

Follow the prompts to get all of your ADB and Fastboot drivers installed, then exit the Driver Configuration Guide.

Step 4: Unlock Your Bootloader

Before you can flash the modified boot.img file that automatically decrypts your phone, you'll have to unlock your bootloader. From NRT's main menu, click the "Unlock" button in the middle of the screen.

From here, click "OK" on the first popup. The second popup will ask if you're currently booted into Android—since your phone is in bootloader mode, be sure to click "No" on this dialog box.

A message will pop up on your phone at this point asking if you'd like to unlock your bootloader. Make sure that "Yes" is selected, then press your phone's Power button to confirm your choice.

After that, wait a few minutes for the process to complete. Your phone will boot back into Android automatically when it's finished, but don't bother going through the initial setup process just yet. Instead, put your phone into bootloader mode again by powering it off, then holding the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously.

Step 5: Flash the Modified boot.img File

With your phone back in bootloader mode and the USB cable still connected, it's time to flash the modified boot.img file that automatically disables encryption. From the NexusRoot Toolkit's main menu, click the "Launch" button under the Advanced Utilities header.

From here, make sure that "Flash (Permanent)" is selected at the top of the middle column. With that done, click the "Boot" button, then press "OK" on the popup.

Use the next screen to navigate to your PC's Downloads folder, then select the "boot_noforceencrypt.img" file and click "Open."

The Nexus Root Toolkit will automatically flash the modified boot.img file at this point, and after a few minutes, your phone should boot back up. You'll likely encounter a screen on the phone asking you to enter a password, but ignore that and simply put your phone back into bootloader mode by powering it off, then pressing and holding the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously.

Step 6: Flash the Stock "userdata.img" File to Factory Reset

With your Nexus 6 still connected to the PC and back in bootloader mode, click the "Userdata" button in the Nexus Root Toolkit's Advanced Utilities menu, then hit "OK."

From here, select the userdata.img file that you downloaded earlier, then click "Open."

This will wipe all of the old encrypted data from your device, paving the way for you to start fresh without encryption. After a few minutes, your phone will boot back into Android, at which point it is safe to disconnect the USB cable.

You'll have to run through initial setup again, but now your shiny new Nexus 6 should have a bit more oomph to it. Has the performance or battery life on your phone shown a noticeable improvement since you've disabled encryption? Let us know in the comment section below, or drop us a line on our Facebook and Twitter feeds.

How to Create an Admin User Account Using CMD Prompt (Windows)

Step 1 Open CMD Prompt...
On Windows XP, click the Start button, then open up Run..., and type in "cmd" and click OK.

On Windows Vista or Windows 7, click Start, search for "cmd" and press Enter.

Step 2 Add username and password
Now, in the command prompt window, type:

net user /add [username] [password]

Step 3 Add as admin
Now type:

new localgroup administrators [username] /add

Done!
You should now have a new Admin Account on your PC!