Desktop land grab: Essential tips for multimonitor productivity

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100045614 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt2.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/07/multimonitortips_primary-100045614-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="presentedBy" href="http://adfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/12309-189045-1105-2?mpt=%%CACHEBUSTER%%" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);float:none;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/ads/DellLogo-Blu-54px.png);display:block;width:300px;height:30px;text-align:right;padding-right:30px;vertical-align:middle;line-height:30px;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">PRESENTED BY</a><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/office-hardware" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Two is definitely better than one when it comes to monitors. A single display may suffice for basic computing, but multiple monitors make a big difference for heavily graphical work, intensive multitasking—and of course, serious gaming. LCD prices continue to drop, too, making multimonitor setups more affordable.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But before you go on a monitor-buying spree, make sure your computer can support more than one display. This usually isn't a problem with recent desktops, but it can be with laptops. After confirming that your system is multimonitor-ready, check out these tips for setting up those displays to maximize your productivity.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Prepare before you purchase</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">More monitors take up more space, so start by measuring your work area. The average-size desk is unlikely to comfortably accommodate more than three large (23- to 27-inch) monitors side by side. (If you're short on space, consider buying a single <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2038124/humongous-is-here-eyes-on-with-three-29-inch-displays.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">extrawide display</a> instead.)</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once you've decided how many monitors you need, try to buy them all at the same time rather than piecemeal. The model you buy today may not be available in two months, and pairing different models can leave you to deal with variations in bezel thickness, screen resolution, or even screen size. The result, all too often: Monitors don't line up properly, navigating your displays becomes unnecessarily difficult, and your productivity suffers.</p> <img alt="" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/04/displayport_productivity_580x388-100033757-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"><small class="credit" style="font-size:9px;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;display:block;float:left;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/furniture/techhive/backgroundwhite70.png);color:rgb(51,51,51);padding:1px 3px 2px;background-repeat:initial initial">ROBERT CARDIN</small>Choose monitors equipped with DisplayPort 2.1 so you can daisy-chain monitors easily.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> In addition, you can future-proof your purchases by getting monitors equipped with <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2035700/how-displayport-multi-streaming-delivers-new-levels-of-multi-monitor-madness.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">DisplayPort 1.2</a>, which supports daisy-chaining.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Arrange the monitors</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">When working with multiple monitors, it's important to arrange them so as to achieve the most comfortable viewing angles. Using monitor arms like those from <a href="http://www.ergotron.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Ergotron</a>, and monitors with VESA mounting support, you can pan, tilt, rotate, and lift the display to the optimal position. Higher-end monitors typically have their own adjustable stands, but monitor arms are superior in most cases—especially because they can retract to the edge of the desk to maximize available desktop space.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Arranging monitors in portrait mode is one unorthodox option that permits you to squeeze in more monitors. (We recently reviewed a few monitors that can <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2042888/review-three-widescreen-hd-monitors-that-pivot-from-portrait-to-landscape.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">pivot into portrait mode</a>.) Portrait mode is excellent for first-person-shooter games, but some desktop application windows may feel cramped and awkward in that orientation. Using monitor arms to stack a second row of monitors above the first row may enable you to position more monitors comfortably.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Regardless of how you decide to arrange your monitors, take time to wire everything up neatly, using either cable ties or a cable wrap.</p><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/01_tidycables-100045607-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="Cable Wrap" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/01_tidycables-100045607-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>With good planning and some work, your multimonitor setup doesn't have to be overrun with cables.<h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em"> Maximize input ports</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Practically all monitors these days come with multiple input ports, including DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, and VGA. You can use one port for your primary computer, and the others to connect to a nearby server or a test machine. Alternatively, you could connect an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 via the HDMI port. Obviously, a video switcher box would do the same thing, but that's an additional piece of hardware to purchase, and it also adds to the clutter on your desktop.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Get software help</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Microsoft has steadily tweaked the Windows operating system to work better with multimonitor systems, by introducing a number of noteworthy shortcuts. Using the Windows-Left arrow key or Windows-Right arrow key combination, for example, will dock the active window to the side of the current monitor. Additional key presses will move the docked window to the next monitor, while Shift-Windows-Left arrow or Shift-Windows-Right arrow will move the window to the next monitor without docking.</p> <img alt="Monitor Manager" border="0" height="345" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/02_windowmanager-100045606-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580">Use a monitor manager to help you work better with your extra screen real estate.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> But <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2036581/crisp-your-desktop-with-a-window-manager-utility.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">third-party window managers</a> can still help you navigate across multiple monitors more easily. These programs add features such as creating a taskbar across monitors (for Windows 7 and earlier, since Windows 8 has this built in), remembering the position of app windows, offering shortcuts keys for managing app windows, and more.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Tweak your mouse settings</h2><strong style><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/03_mousecursor-100045605-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="Windows Mouse Properties" border="0" height="310" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/03_mousecursor-100045605-medium.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="300"></a></strong>Finding the mouse cursor can be tricky when you have multiple monitors to check.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Finally, you may want to enable mouse acceleration on your multimonitor system. Mouse acceleration significantly increases the speed of the mouse cursor when fast mouse swipes are detected. It's especially useful for moving quickly across multiple monitors. Relying exclusively on a trackpad to navigate a multimonitor system can be a pain, due to the excessive amount of swiping needed.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Other mouse-related configurations include changing your mouse pointer's size and color to make it stand out more. Finally, consider selecting the 'Show location of pointer when I press CTRL key' option under <em style>Mouse Properties</em> > <em style>Pointer Options</em>, as well as the 'Snap To' feature to move the mouse cursor to the default option of a dialog box automatically.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Enjoy the view</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once you've worked with multiple monitors, you'll have a hard time going back to a solo monitor. All that space. All those windows open at the same time. As the computing world becomes increasingly graphical, expanding your view will prove well worth the extra real estate on your desk or wall. The most recent port technologies and Windows enhancements make upgrading even easier. Or perhaps you already have two, three, or four displays set up? Let us know how it works for you.</p> </span>

Desktop land grab: Essential tips for multimonitor productivity

PRESENTED BY Two is definitely better than one when it comes to monitors. A single display may suffice for basic computing, but multiple m...

Read more »

Desktop land grab: Essential tips for multimonitor productivity

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100045614 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt2.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/07/multimonitortips_primary-100045614-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="presentedBy" href="http://adfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/12309-189045-1105-2?mpt=%%CACHEBUSTER%%" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);float:none;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/ads/DellLogo-Blu-54px.png);display:block;width:300px;height:30px;text-align:right;padding-right:30px;vertical-align:middle;line-height:30px;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">PRESENTED BY</a><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/office-hardware" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Two is definitely better than one when it comes to monitors. A single display may suffice for basic computing, but multiple monitors make a big difference for heavily graphical work, intensive multitasking—and of course, serious gaming. LCD prices continue to drop, too, making multimonitor setups more affordable.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But before you go on a monitor-buying spree, make sure your computer can support more than one display. This usually isn't a problem with recent desktops, but it can be with laptops. After confirming that your system is multimonitor-ready, check out these tips for setting up those displays to maximize your productivity.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Prepare before you purchase</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">More monitors take up more space, so start by measuring your work area. The average-size desk is unlikely to comfortably accommodate more than three large (23- to 27-inch) monitors side by side. (If you're short on space, consider buying a single <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2038124/humongous-is-here-eyes-on-with-three-29-inch-displays.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">extrawide display</a> instead.)</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once you've decided how many monitors you need, try to buy them all at the same time rather than piecemeal. The model you buy today may not be available in two months, and pairing different models can leave you to deal with variations in bezel thickness, screen resolution, or even screen size. The result, all too often: Monitors don't line up properly, navigating your displays becomes unnecessarily difficult, and your productivity suffers.</p> <img alt="" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/04/displayport_productivity_580x388-100033757-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"><small class="credit" style="font-size:9px;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;display:block;float:left;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/furniture/techhive/backgroundwhite70.png);color:rgb(51,51,51);padding:1px 3px 2px;background-repeat:initial initial">ROBERT CARDIN</small>Choose monitors equipped with DisplayPort 2.1 so you can daisy-chain monitors easily.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> In addition, you can future-proof your purchases by getting monitors equipped with <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2035700/how-displayport-multi-streaming-delivers-new-levels-of-multi-monitor-madness.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">DisplayPort 1.2</a>, which supports daisy-chaining.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Arrange the monitors</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">When working with multiple monitors, it's important to arrange them so as to achieve the most comfortable viewing angles. Using monitor arms like those from <a href="http://www.ergotron.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Ergotron</a>, and monitors with VESA mounting support, you can pan, tilt, rotate, and lift the display to the optimal position. Higher-end monitors typically have their own adjustable stands, but monitor arms are superior in most cases—especially because they can retract to the edge of the desk to maximize available desktop space.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Arranging monitors in portrait mode is one unorthodox option that permits you to squeeze in more monitors. (We recently reviewed a few monitors that can <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2042888/review-three-widescreen-hd-monitors-that-pivot-from-portrait-to-landscape.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">pivot into portrait mode</a>.) Portrait mode is excellent for first-person-shooter games, but some desktop application windows may feel cramped and awkward in that orientation. Using monitor arms to stack a second row of monitors above the first row may enable you to position more monitors comfortably.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Regardless of how you decide to arrange your monitors, take time to wire everything up neatly, using either cable ties or a cable wrap.</p><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/01_tidycables-100045607-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="Cable Wrap" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/01_tidycables-100045607-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>With good planning and some work, your multimonitor setup doesn't have to be overrun with cables.<h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em"> Maximize input ports</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Practically all monitors these days come with multiple input ports, including DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, and VGA. You can use one port for your primary computer, and the others to connect to a nearby server or a test machine. Alternatively, you could connect an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 via the HDMI port. Obviously, a video switcher box would do the same thing, but that's an additional piece of hardware to purchase, and it also adds to the clutter on your desktop.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Get software help</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Microsoft has steadily tweaked the Windows operating system to work better with multimonitor systems, by introducing a number of noteworthy shortcuts. Using the Windows-Left arrow key or Windows-Right arrow key combination, for example, will dock the active window to the side of the current monitor. Additional key presses will move the docked window to the next monitor, while Shift-Windows-Left arrow or Shift-Windows-Right arrow will move the window to the next monitor without docking.</p> <img alt="Monitor Manager" border="0" height="345" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/02_windowmanager-100045606-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580">Use a monitor manager to help you work better with your extra screen real estate.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> But <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2036581/crisp-your-desktop-with-a-window-manager-utility.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">third-party window managers</a> can still help you navigate across multiple monitors more easily. These programs add features such as creating a taskbar across monitors (for Windows 7 and earlier, since Windows 8 has this built in), remembering the position of app windows, offering shortcuts keys for managing app windows, and more.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Tweak your mouse settings</h2><strong style><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/03_mousecursor-100045605-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="Windows Mouse Properties" border="0" height="310" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/03_mousecursor-100045605-medium.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="300"></a></strong>Finding the mouse cursor can be tricky when you have multiple monitors to check.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Finally, you may want to enable mouse acceleration on your multimonitor system. Mouse acceleration significantly increases the speed of the mouse cursor when fast mouse swipes are detected. It's especially useful for moving quickly across multiple monitors. Relying exclusively on a trackpad to navigate a multimonitor system can be a pain, due to the excessive amount of swiping needed.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Other mouse-related configurations include changing your mouse pointer's size and color to make it stand out more. Finally, consider selecting the 'Show location of pointer when I press CTRL key' option under <em style>Mouse Properties</em> > <em style>Pointer Options</em>, as well as the 'Snap To' feature to move the mouse cursor to the default option of a dialog box automatically.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Enjoy the view</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once you've worked with multiple monitors, you'll have a hard time going back to a solo monitor. All that space. All those windows open at the same time. As the computing world becomes increasingly graphical, expanding your view will prove well worth the extra real estate on your desk or wall. The most recent port technologies and Windows enhancements make upgrading even easier. Or perhaps you already have two, three, or four displays set up? Let us know how it works for you.</p> </span>

Desktop land grab: Essential tips for multimonitor productivity

PRESENTED BY Two is definitely better than one when it comes to monitors. A single display may suffice for basic computing, but multiple m...

Read more »

Transform your PC into a mean, media-streaming machine

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100045375 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt2.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/07/pcstreaming_primary-100045375-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043851/transform-your-pc-into-a-mean-media-streaming-machine.html" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"></a><ul class="tags" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;float:left;list-style:none"> <li style="line-height:1.45em;float:left;margin-left:0px;margin-right:5px;color:rgb(181,181,181);font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:14px;text-transform:lowercase"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/tag/movies/" style="color:rgb(181,181,181);float:left"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">If you're anything like me, you've built an impressive media empire inside your PC. You've compiled album after album of sweet jams. You've got reams of cherished photos from all your adventures, and your video collection spans everything from smartphone gag reels to family movies to high-resolution videos ripped from your DVD collection.</span><br> </a></li></ul></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Problem is, they are all trapped in your PC. What if you want to watch one of your videos on the big, beautiful HDTV in your living room, or listen to your complete music collection on a storage-strapped smartphone?</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The solution is simple: Turn your PC into a media slinger, a machine that can stream your music, movies, and photos wherever you want them to go. It's easier  than you might think, though the tricky part is deciding just which server solution you want to use—and how much you want to spend.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Pick the right PC for the job</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The first step is to make sure your computer is up to the task. Server software can place a heavy load on your PC, especially when it first indexes your media library—but also when it's actively streaming. What's more, you'll need to leave your PC running 24/7 if you want your media library to be available around the clock.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/09/p4_system_foun-100004644-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/09/p4_system_foun-100004644-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>You can configure any PC to sling media over the Web, but it's best to set up a dedicated machine that can run 24/7 in a closet or basement. If it's housed in an eyesore of a case that looks best in the dark, so much the better!<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Indeed, many users elect to repurpose an older system as a dedicated media server: one that can sit quietly out of the way in a closet or basement until called upon to sling. If you can afford to devote an entire PC to media slinging, it won't matter as much whether it's a screaming powerhouse of a system, because it can devote all its resources to server duty.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The software we're going to explore today won't place a <em style>huge </em>demand on your PC, but to be on the safe side, you should probably use a PC that's running Windows 7 or later, with at least 4GB of RAM, and a discrete video card to ensure smooth rendering while you're streaming movies. <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2011906/how-to-optimize-windows-8-on-old-hardware.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Optimizing Windows 8</a> to run on an older machine is probably the best way to go, but there are also a few decent <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/242306/how_to_optimize_your_windows_pc_for_free.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">free tweaks</a>you can make to improve performance on Windows 7.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Choose the software that meets your needs</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To start slinging, you'll need some reliable media server software. This will dictate not only what media you can share, but where you can share it.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For example, <a href="http://pogoplug.com/software" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Pogoplug PC</a> is a fairly straightforward Windows utility that makes your media available on your mobile devices, other PCs, and pretty much anything with a Web browser. Just choose the folders you want to share, and then sign into your account via one of <a href="http://pogoplug.com/downloads" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Pogoplug's free companion apps</a> (available for Android and iOS) or any browser. From there you can open an individual photo, watch a slideshow, stream a video, or listen to music.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/pogoplug-ios-100045273-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="497" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/pogoplug-ios-100045273-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Set up Pogoplug on your PC, and you can use the free Android and iOS apps to access your media library from anywhere.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You're not limited to media, either. The software can "stream" files as well, handy if you need mobile access to, say, some Microsoft Office documents while you're traveling for work. There's an integrated preview feature that supports Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and other popular formats.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Pogoplug also allows you to share items with friends and family members, generating links others can use to view your content. Plus, you can download files if you're working at another PC and need to pop into your home server for some documents or music.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The full version of Pogoplug PC will cost you $29.95. The price includes 5GB of cloud storage that you can use to store items you want to access even if your computer is offline.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you want the added option of streaming your media to your TV, consider <a href="http://www.playon.tv/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">PlayOn</a>. This media-streaming service turns your PC into something akin to a Roku box, giving you access to channels such as ABC, Food Network, Hulu, Netflix, and TBS. But it can also stream your personal media libraries (though not your documents, sadly).</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/playon-100045272-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="409" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/playon-100045272-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>The simple PlayOn interface isn't much to look at, but it makes sharing your PC's media folders with smartphones, set-top boxes, and other devices a cinch.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> What's more, PlayOn works with a huge range of devices, including most game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and set-top boxes (including Google TV and Roku). It also supports DLNA, a relatively new media-streaming standard designed to make home streaming simpler. Plenty of new smart HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and the like support DLNA streaming, so chances are you probably have a DLNA-certified device in your home. If you want to see your media on your HDTV, PlayOn's probably got you covered.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The service and software cost $39.99 per year (though you can often find it on sale for less—it's currently $24.99 as part of a spring sale). However, if you mostly want to stream your own library and don't care about the premium channels, PlayOn Lite lets you do just that (and <em style>only </em>that) for free.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Finally, there's <a href="http://plexapp.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Plex</a>, a streaming media solution that PCWorld's Alex Castle said would <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2020227/meet-plex-the-media-streamer-that-will-make-you-forget-netflix-and-hulu.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">make you forget Netflix and Hulu</a>. That's because it's more powerful than either Pogoplug PC or PlayOn, with features like automatically downloading metadata for each item in your library, and on-the-fly transcoding: If a particular video or music file isn't directly compatible with the device you're viewing it on, Plex will transcode it to a format that <em style>is</em>compatible.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/plex-server-100045275-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="355" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/plex-server-100045275-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Plex sports a slick menu that makes browsing your media library an enjoyable task. Plus, Plex will automatically pull in metadata to fill out missing info like release date, artist, etc.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Like the aforementioned PlayOn, Plex offers a number of subscription channels, such as CBS, Hulu, and NBC. It even has a <a href="https://my.plexapp.com/queue/help" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">browser bookmarklet</a> that you can use to add any Web video to your queue. You also get a unique email address you can use to send links to your queue, which is very handy when someone shows you an awesome video on a smartphone in the middle of a party. Just borrow the phone, email yourself the link, and watch it on your HDTV when you get home.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The downside is that Plex is a little obtuse. Setting up and using the service can be a bit confusing, and several of the company's support pages are incomplete. Thankfully, there's a very active <a href="http://forums.plexapp.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">user forum</a> you can rely on for technical support.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Furthermore, although the required<a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/249838/free_plex_media_server_offers_a_streamlined_experience.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Plex Media Server</a> software is free (for both Windows and Linux), certain apps and features aren't. For example, if you want to stream your stuff to another PC, you'll need to install the free Plex desktop client on that PC. If you prefer to stream from a Web browser, you will have to pay a $4 monthly subscription to use the Plex browser client. Plex also offers decent apps for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 7, but each of them will cost you $4.99.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Take advantage of your cloud storage</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">As long as we're talking mobile devices, if you really just want to access all your media from your smartphone or tablet, there's one more option to consider: cloud services.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/photo-jul-08-2-59-27-pm-100045350-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="210" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/photo-jul-08-2-59-27-pm-100045350-small.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="140"></a>The free Dropbox app.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> For example, the apps for both Dropbox and SugarSync let you view your cloud-stored photos, documents, and videos on your phone or tablet. They include rudimentary music players as well, though if you want an even better mobile jukebox experience, it's hard to beat Google Music—currently available for Android only.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">In other words, if you're already syncing your media to the cloud, you can probably cut your PC out of the equation and stream everything to an app. Both Dropbox and SugarSync offer <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2037131/supersize-your-free-cloud-storage-to-100gb-or-more.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">free accounts</a>—2GB and 5GB of storage, respectively—but if you want more you'll have to pay for the privilege of streaming your media from someone else's servers. It's not a bad solution, but nothing beats the convenience of setting up your own media-slinging machine that can deliver your files to you anywhere in the world on almost any device you own.</p> </span>

Transform your PC into a mean, media-streaming machine

If you're anything like me, you've built an impressive media empire inside your PC. You've compiled album after album of swe...

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Transform your PC into a mean, media-streaming machine

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100045375 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt2.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/07/pcstreaming_primary-100045375-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043851/transform-your-pc-into-a-mean-media-streaming-machine.html" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"></a><ul class="tags" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;float:left;list-style:none"> <li style="line-height:1.45em;float:left;margin-left:0px;margin-right:5px;color:rgb(181,181,181);font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:14px;text-transform:lowercase"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/tag/movies/" style="color:rgb(181,181,181);float:left"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">If you're anything like me, you've built an impressive media empire inside your PC. You've compiled album after album of sweet jams. You've got reams of cherished photos from all your adventures, and your video collection spans everything from smartphone gag reels to family movies to high-resolution videos ripped from your DVD collection.</span><br> </a></li></ul></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Problem is, they are all trapped in your PC. What if you want to watch one of your videos on the big, beautiful HDTV in your living room, or listen to your complete music collection on a storage-strapped smartphone?</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The solution is simple: Turn your PC into a media slinger, a machine that can stream your music, movies, and photos wherever you want them to go. It's easier  than you might think, though the tricky part is deciding just which server solution you want to use—and how much you want to spend.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Pick the right PC for the job</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The first step is to make sure your computer is up to the task. Server software can place a heavy load on your PC, especially when it first indexes your media library—but also when it's actively streaming. What's more, you'll need to leave your PC running 24/7 if you want your media library to be available around the clock.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/09/p4_system_foun-100004644-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/09/p4_system_foun-100004644-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>You can configure any PC to sling media over the Web, but it's best to set up a dedicated machine that can run 24/7 in a closet or basement. If it's housed in an eyesore of a case that looks best in the dark, so much the better!<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Indeed, many users elect to repurpose an older system as a dedicated media server: one that can sit quietly out of the way in a closet or basement until called upon to sling. If you can afford to devote an entire PC to media slinging, it won't matter as much whether it's a screaming powerhouse of a system, because it can devote all its resources to server duty.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The software we're going to explore today won't place a <em style>huge </em>demand on your PC, but to be on the safe side, you should probably use a PC that's running Windows 7 or later, with at least 4GB of RAM, and a discrete video card to ensure smooth rendering while you're streaming movies. <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2011906/how-to-optimize-windows-8-on-old-hardware.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Optimizing Windows 8</a> to run on an older machine is probably the best way to go, but there are also a few decent <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/242306/how_to_optimize_your_windows_pc_for_free.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">free tweaks</a>you can make to improve performance on Windows 7.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Choose the software that meets your needs</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To start slinging, you'll need some reliable media server software. This will dictate not only what media you can share, but where you can share it.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For example, <a href="http://pogoplug.com/software" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Pogoplug PC</a> is a fairly straightforward Windows utility that makes your media available on your mobile devices, other PCs, and pretty much anything with a Web browser. Just choose the folders you want to share, and then sign into your account via one of <a href="http://pogoplug.com/downloads" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Pogoplug's free companion apps</a> (available for Android and iOS) or any browser. From there you can open an individual photo, watch a slideshow, stream a video, or listen to music.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/pogoplug-ios-100045273-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="497" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/pogoplug-ios-100045273-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Set up Pogoplug on your PC, and you can use the free Android and iOS apps to access your media library from anywhere.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You're not limited to media, either. The software can "stream" files as well, handy if you need mobile access to, say, some Microsoft Office documents while you're traveling for work. There's an integrated preview feature that supports Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and other popular formats.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Pogoplug also allows you to share items with friends and family members, generating links others can use to view your content. Plus, you can download files if you're working at another PC and need to pop into your home server for some documents or music.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The full version of Pogoplug PC will cost you $29.95. The price includes 5GB of cloud storage that you can use to store items you want to access even if your computer is offline.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you want the added option of streaming your media to your TV, consider <a href="http://www.playon.tv/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">PlayOn</a>. This media-streaming service turns your PC into something akin to a Roku box, giving you access to channels such as ABC, Food Network, Hulu, Netflix, and TBS. But it can also stream your personal media libraries (though not your documents, sadly).</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/playon-100045272-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="409" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/playon-100045272-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>The simple PlayOn interface isn't much to look at, but it makes sharing your PC's media folders with smartphones, set-top boxes, and other devices a cinch.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> What's more, PlayOn works with a huge range of devices, including most game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and set-top boxes (including Google TV and Roku). It also supports DLNA, a relatively new media-streaming standard designed to make home streaming simpler. Plenty of new smart HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and the like support DLNA streaming, so chances are you probably have a DLNA-certified device in your home. If you want to see your media on your HDTV, PlayOn's probably got you covered.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The service and software cost $39.99 per year (though you can often find it on sale for less—it's currently $24.99 as part of a spring sale). However, if you mostly want to stream your own library and don't care about the premium channels, PlayOn Lite lets you do just that (and <em style>only </em>that) for free.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Finally, there's <a href="http://plexapp.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Plex</a>, a streaming media solution that PCWorld's Alex Castle said would <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2020227/meet-plex-the-media-streamer-that-will-make-you-forget-netflix-and-hulu.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">make you forget Netflix and Hulu</a>. That's because it's more powerful than either Pogoplug PC or PlayOn, with features like automatically downloading metadata for each item in your library, and on-the-fly transcoding: If a particular video or music file isn't directly compatible with the device you're viewing it on, Plex will transcode it to a format that <em style>is</em>compatible.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/plex-server-100045275-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="355" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/plex-server-100045275-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Plex sports a slick menu that makes browsing your media library an enjoyable task. Plus, Plex will automatically pull in metadata to fill out missing info like release date, artist, etc.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Like the aforementioned PlayOn, Plex offers a number of subscription channels, such as CBS, Hulu, and NBC. It even has a <a href="https://my.plexapp.com/queue/help" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">browser bookmarklet</a> that you can use to add any Web video to your queue. You also get a unique email address you can use to send links to your queue, which is very handy when someone shows you an awesome video on a smartphone in the middle of a party. Just borrow the phone, email yourself the link, and watch it on your HDTV when you get home.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The downside is that Plex is a little obtuse. Setting up and using the service can be a bit confusing, and several of the company's support pages are incomplete. Thankfully, there's a very active <a href="http://forums.plexapp.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">user forum</a> you can rely on for technical support.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Furthermore, although the required<a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/249838/free_plex_media_server_offers_a_streamlined_experience.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Plex Media Server</a> software is free (for both Windows and Linux), certain apps and features aren't. For example, if you want to stream your stuff to another PC, you'll need to install the free Plex desktop client on that PC. If you prefer to stream from a Web browser, you will have to pay a $4 monthly subscription to use the Plex browser client. Plex also offers decent apps for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 7, but each of them will cost you $4.99.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Take advantage of your cloud storage</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">As long as we're talking mobile devices, if you really just want to access all your media from your smartphone or tablet, there's one more option to consider: cloud services.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/photo-jul-08-2-59-27-pm-100045350-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="210" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/photo-jul-08-2-59-27-pm-100045350-small.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="140"></a>The free Dropbox app.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> For example, the apps for both Dropbox and SugarSync let you view your cloud-stored photos, documents, and videos on your phone or tablet. They include rudimentary music players as well, though if you want an even better mobile jukebox experience, it's hard to beat Google Music—currently available for Android only.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">In other words, if you're already syncing your media to the cloud, you can probably cut your PC out of the equation and stream everything to an app. Both Dropbox and SugarSync offer <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2037131/supersize-your-free-cloud-storage-to-100gb-or-more.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">free accounts</a>—2GB and 5GB of storage, respectively—but if you want more you'll have to pay for the privilege of streaming your media from someone else's servers. It's not a bad solution, but nothing beats the convenience of setting up your own media-slinging machine that can deliver your files to you anywhere in the world on almost any device you own.</p> </span>

Transform your PC into a mean, media-streaming machine

If you're anything like me, you've built an impressive media empire inside your PC. You've compiled album after album of swe...

Read more »

Make your Galaxy S4 more like stock Android, without rooting

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100045343 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt5.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/07/gs4-100045343-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.techhive.com/category/phones" style="color:rgb(215,114,39);float:left;font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">The moment Google announced the Google Play edition of the</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2038903/google-releasing-a-samsung-galaxy-s4-with-stock-android-os.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,167,215)">Samsung Galaxy S4</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">, you could almost hear the buyer's remorse from millions of people who had already picked up the regular version of the handset. Not only is the Google Play edition of the phone free from bloatware, but it also benefits from timely updates similar to Google's line of</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2039976/lg-releases-white-google-nexus-4-pours-cold-water-on-nexus-5-rumors.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,167,215)">Nexus devices</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">. Suddenly, that pricey new phone you signed a 2-year contract for isn't looking as lustrous as when you first got it.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I do have some good news, though: Thanks to Android's flexible nature, you too can get your <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2036247/review-samsung-galaxy-s4-is-a-worthy-successor-but-not-revolutionary.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">regular Samsung Galaxy S4</a> looking like the Google Play edition—without voiding your warranty.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Getting things started</h2><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/gestures-100044985-large.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="533" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/gestures-100044985-medium.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="300"></a>The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a lot of features you'll need to turn off to get your phone to "stock Android."<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> The first thing you're going to want to do is clean house: Look through the apps that came preinstalled on your phone and uninstall all of the ones you don't want. You can do this by pressing the Menu button while in the App Drawer and selecting Uninstall, or by going to the Application Manager in the Settings app. The number of apps you'll be able to uninstall will vary depending on which carrier you're on—Sprint generally lets you remove more pre-installed apps than Verizon, for instance.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If there's an app you can't uninstall, don't worry too much about it. Just make a note of it—we'll deal with it a little later on.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> When you're done ousting any unwanted apps, head on over to the Settings and get ready to do the same to most of the Galaxy S4's marquee features. Under the My Device tab, tap on Motions and gestures and turn off all of the options inside. Do the same for Smart screen, Air view, and Voice Control. These last few steps are completely optional, though they will help in getting that authentic "Android feel" and could potentially help you conserve your battery.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">New coat of paint</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Now that you've freed up some space and turned off any annoying extra features, it's time to download the apps you'll need to make it look like your phone is running stock Android. Jump into the Google Play Store and download <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&feature=nav_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Nova Launcher (free)</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.calendar" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Calendar (free)</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Keyboard (free)</a>, and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.widgetlocker" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">WidgetLocker Lockscreen ($3)</a>.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/homescreen_before_after-100044973-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/homescreen_before_after-100044973-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Samsung's TouchWiz launcher (left) and Nova Launcher (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Nova Launcher is a launcher replacement app that lets you customize your home screen and app drawer. It gives you extra functionality not found in Samsung's TouchWiz launcher, such as the ability to personalize your app icons, and overall feels much faster than Samsung's offering.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/lockscreen_ba-100044984-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/lockscreen_ba-100044984-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>TouchWiz lock screen (left) and WidgetLocker Lockscreen (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> WidgetLocker Lockscreen is like Nova Launcher, but for your lock screen: It lets you add custom shortcuts to your lock screen and allows you to choose how you phone behaves when you wake it up. It's the only paid app on this list, but it's well worth the $3 entry fee to remove the bland Samsung lock screen and its grating sound effects.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/keyboard22-100044989-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="307" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/keyboard22-100044989-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>The Samsung Keyboard (left) and Google Keyboard (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Although I have no real qualms with either the Samsung keyboard or calendar, you're going to want the Google Calendar and Google Keyboard apps to really complete the stock Android look. Neither of these apps have any real benefits over the ones included in the Galaxy S4, I'm just recommending them to be throrough.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once those apps have finished downloading, press the Home button on your phone and select Nova Launcher from the prompt that pops up. Your home screen will resemble the stock Android home screen, albeit with a few extra animations for opening and closing apps.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Remember those apps you couldn't uninstall? The paid version of Nova Launcher offers the ability to hide those unwanted apps from appearing in your app drawer, and might be worth investing in if you're sick of seeing that NFL Mobile app on your phone. It's not the same thing as actually removing the apps, but it's out of sight, out of mind, right?</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/calendar_ba-100044983-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/calendar_ba-100044983-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>The Samsung Calendar (left) looks better than the Google Calendar (right).<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You'll need to setup Google Keyboard and WidgetLocker Lockscreen before you can use them, but the process is dead simple. Just follow the onscreen prompts. Google Calendar will display the calendar for whatever Google account is the default for your phone, so there's no setup required. If you prefer Samsung's keyboard or calendar, just uninstall Google's.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">What we can't change</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Even though your Galaxy S4 now looks like the one you can buy directly from Google, the changes we've made here are mostly cosmetic and don't extend much beyond the home screen and lock screen. The dialer, notification shade, messages, and many other parts of the operating system will look the same as when you first picked up the phone and they can't be changed without rooting the device—a somewhat complicated and warranty-voiding process.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Another downside of not owning the Google Play edition is that system updates are still handled by your carrier, so your Galaxy S4 might not always run the latest version of Android. This may open you up to security vulnerabilities and means you might miss out on cool new features down the line.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But a big advantage of not having a Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 is that you can always undo your changes and regain access to all of Samsung's extras and goodies. Samsung included a number of noteworthy additions to the Galaxy S4, none of which you get access to if you bought your phone directly from Google. You take the good with the bad when you buy a phone on contract, but at least this way you get to experience the best of both worlds.</p> </span>

Make your Galaxy S4 more like stock Android, without rooting

The moment Google announced the Google Play edition of the   Samsung Galaxy S4 , you could almost hear the buyer's remorse from millio...

Read more »

Make your Galaxy S4 more like stock Android, without rooting

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100045343 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt5.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/07/gs4-100045343-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.techhive.com/category/phones" style="color:rgb(215,114,39);float:left;font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">The moment Google announced the Google Play edition of the</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2038903/google-releasing-a-samsung-galaxy-s4-with-stock-android-os.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,167,215)">Samsung Galaxy S4</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">, you could almost hear the buyer's remorse from millions of people who had already picked up the regular version of the handset. Not only is the Google Play edition of the phone free from bloatware, but it also benefits from timely updates similar to Google's line of</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2039976/lg-releases-white-google-nexus-4-pours-cold-water-on-nexus-5-rumors.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,167,215)">Nexus devices</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">. Suddenly, that pricey new phone you signed a 2-year contract for isn't looking as lustrous as when you first got it.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I do have some good news, though: Thanks to Android's flexible nature, you too can get your <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2036247/review-samsung-galaxy-s4-is-a-worthy-successor-but-not-revolutionary.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">regular Samsung Galaxy S4</a> looking like the Google Play edition—without voiding your warranty.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Getting things started</h2><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/gestures-100044985-large.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="533" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/gestures-100044985-medium.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="300"></a>The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a lot of features you'll need to turn off to get your phone to "stock Android."<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> The first thing you're going to want to do is clean house: Look through the apps that came preinstalled on your phone and uninstall all of the ones you don't want. You can do this by pressing the Menu button while in the App Drawer and selecting Uninstall, or by going to the Application Manager in the Settings app. The number of apps you'll be able to uninstall will vary depending on which carrier you're on—Sprint generally lets you remove more pre-installed apps than Verizon, for instance.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If there's an app you can't uninstall, don't worry too much about it. Just make a note of it—we'll deal with it a little later on.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> When you're done ousting any unwanted apps, head on over to the Settings and get ready to do the same to most of the Galaxy S4's marquee features. Under the My Device tab, tap on Motions and gestures and turn off all of the options inside. Do the same for Smart screen, Air view, and Voice Control. These last few steps are completely optional, though they will help in getting that authentic "Android feel" and could potentially help you conserve your battery.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">New coat of paint</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Now that you've freed up some space and turned off any annoying extra features, it's time to download the apps you'll need to make it look like your phone is running stock Android. Jump into the Google Play Store and download <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&feature=nav_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Nova Launcher (free)</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.calendar" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Calendar (free)</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Keyboard (free)</a>, and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.widgetlocker" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">WidgetLocker Lockscreen ($3)</a>.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/homescreen_before_after-100044973-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/homescreen_before_after-100044973-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Samsung's TouchWiz launcher (left) and Nova Launcher (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Nova Launcher is a launcher replacement app that lets you customize your home screen and app drawer. It gives you extra functionality not found in Samsung's TouchWiz launcher, such as the ability to personalize your app icons, and overall feels much faster than Samsung's offering.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/lockscreen_ba-100044984-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/lockscreen_ba-100044984-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>TouchWiz lock screen (left) and WidgetLocker Lockscreen (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> WidgetLocker Lockscreen is like Nova Launcher, but for your lock screen: It lets you add custom shortcuts to your lock screen and allows you to choose how you phone behaves when you wake it up. It's the only paid app on this list, but it's well worth the $3 entry fee to remove the bland Samsung lock screen and its grating sound effects.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/keyboard22-100044989-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="307" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/keyboard22-100044989-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>The Samsung Keyboard (left) and Google Keyboard (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Although I have no real qualms with either the Samsung keyboard or calendar, you're going to want the Google Calendar and Google Keyboard apps to really complete the stock Android look. Neither of these apps have any real benefits over the ones included in the Galaxy S4, I'm just recommending them to be throrough.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once those apps have finished downloading, press the Home button on your phone and select Nova Launcher from the prompt that pops up. Your home screen will resemble the stock Android home screen, albeit with a few extra animations for opening and closing apps.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Remember those apps you couldn't uninstall? The paid version of Nova Launcher offers the ability to hide those unwanted apps from appearing in your app drawer, and might be worth investing in if you're sick of seeing that NFL Mobile app on your phone. It's not the same thing as actually removing the apps, but it's out of sight, out of mind, right?</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/calendar_ba-100044983-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/calendar_ba-100044983-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>The Samsung Calendar (left) looks better than the Google Calendar (right).<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You'll need to setup Google Keyboard and WidgetLocker Lockscreen before you can use them, but the process is dead simple. Just follow the onscreen prompts. Google Calendar will display the calendar for whatever Google account is the default for your phone, so there's no setup required. If you prefer Samsung's keyboard or calendar, just uninstall Google's.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">What we can't change</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Even though your Galaxy S4 now looks like the one you can buy directly from Google, the changes we've made here are mostly cosmetic and don't extend much beyond the home screen and lock screen. The dialer, notification shade, messages, and many other parts of the operating system will look the same as when you first picked up the phone and they can't be changed without rooting the device—a somewhat complicated and warranty-voiding process.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Another downside of not owning the Google Play edition is that system updates are still handled by your carrier, so your Galaxy S4 might not always run the latest version of Android. This may open you up to security vulnerabilities and means you might miss out on cool new features down the line.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But a big advantage of not having a Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 is that you can always undo your changes and regain access to all of Samsung's extras and goodies. Samsung included a number of noteworthy additions to the Galaxy S4, none of which you get access to if you bought your phone directly from Google. You take the good with the bad when you buy a phone on contract, but at least this way you get to experience the best of both worlds.</p> </span>

Make your Galaxy S4 more like stock Android, without rooting

The moment Google announced the Google Play edition of the   Samsung Galaxy S4 , you could almost hear the buyer's remorse from millio...

Read more »

Tweak your HTC One for a more pure Android experience

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="galleryImage imgId100045342 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt4.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/07/htcone-100045342-gallery.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.techhive.com/category/phones" style="color:rgb(215,114,39);float:left;font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">Your</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2033315/review-htc-one-is-the-android-phone-to-beat.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,167,215)">HTC One</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">may rank among the best Android phones ever, but that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. In particular, you may find yourself hating HTC's various software "enhancements" and longing for a more pure Android environment. Although you can find a</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2040350/why-you-wont-benefit-from-googles-unlocked-phones.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Play edition</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">of the HTC One that comes bearing Google's stock Android with no modifications, that model doesn't work on all carriers, and sometimes it isn't worthwhile to break your contract just for a slightly better handset.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you want your phone to look and behave like a stock Android phone, you can download several apps capable of dramatically altering the look and feel of your phone and getting it looking just the way you want it. The best part? None of these apps require a rooted phone in order to work.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Let's get Sense-less</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To ditch HTC's custom Sense overlay and embrace <a href="http://www.ghacks.net/2013/05/06/android-what-does-holo-mean/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Android's Holo UI</a>, you need to search the Play Store for the following apps: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&feature=nav_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDMsImNvbS50ZXNsYWNvaWxzdy5sYXVuY2hlciJd" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Nova Launcher</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.calendar&feature=search_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5nb29nbGUuYW5kcm9pZC5jYWxlbmRhciJd" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Calendar</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin&feature=search_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5nb29nbGUuYW5kcm9pZC5pbnB1dG1ldGhvZC5sYXRpbiJd" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Keyboard</a>, and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.widgetlocker&feature=search_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS50ZXNsYWNvaWxzdy53aWRnZXRsb2NrZXIiXQ.." style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">WidgetLocker Lockscreen</a>. All of these apps are free, save for WidgetLocker, which will set you back a modest $3.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/homescreen-100045270-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/homescreen-100045270-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>HTC's Sense launcher (left) and Nova Launcher (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> If you hate <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdJInzTJI0U" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">BlinkFeed</a>, or if you just wish you had more control over your home screen, Nova Launcher will feel like a godsend. The app lets you customize your home screen and app drawer—you can do everything from installing entire themes to merely tweaking your phone's font sizes. You can even choose the type of animation that occurs when you swipe from one home screen to another.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once the app has finished downloading, pressing the home button will bring up a prompt to select a launcher. Choose Nova Launcher from the pop-up list, and your home screen will transform into something similar to what you can find on Google's Nexus line.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/keyboard-100045269-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="268" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/keyboard-100045269-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>HTC's keyboard (left) and Google Keyboard (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> The built-in HTC keyboard may be fine for some users, but quite a few people prefer Google Keyboard for its word predictions and <a href="http://www.swype.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Swype</a>-like capabilities. To set up Google Keyboard as your default input method, launch the Google Keyboard app and follow the on-screen prompts.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you think the keyboard is too cramped, or if you want to go back to the HTC keyboard, you can do so by going to the Settings and disabling Google Keyboard from the 'Language and Keyboard' menu.</p> <img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/lockscreen_htc-100045271-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580">HTC Sense lock screen (left) and WidgetLocker Lockscreen (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> WidgetLocker Lockscreen is another app that you'll need to set up before you can use it. Simply launch the app and continue through the tutorial until you reach the lock-screen customization page, which resembles the stock Android lock screen. The WidgetLocker lock screen includes a slider that lets you mute your phone by swiping it, but you can easily remove it if you're set on getting that pure Android look and feel.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/calendars-100045268-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/calendars-100045268-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>HTC's calendar (left) and Google Calendar (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Google Calendar is the same basic calendar app that you can find on<a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2013559/review-google-nexus-4-offers-great-specs-but-bad-battery-life.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Nexus Android phones</a>, and it doesn't offer anything special over the built-in HTC calendar app. Still, it's available if you need more Holo in your life.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">What you can't match</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Although your HTC One now resembles the version Google sells, you're still at the mercy of your carrier when it comes to receiving system updates. If a new version of Android is released for the Google Play edition of the HTC One, it could be weeks (or more likely, months) before your phone receives the same features and bug fixes. While that delay leaves you vulnerable to bugs or security holes, it's the compromise you make when you buy a subsidized phone from a carrier.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But it's not all bad news: Your HTC One benefits from HTC's custom camera and imaging software, which allow it to take better-looking photos than you'd get from the stock Android camera software. Sure you're missing out on the ability to capture 360-degree panoramic Photo Spheres, but you can use the<a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2033240/htc-one-debuts-ultrapixel-technology-but-is-the-phones-camera-all-its-cracked-up-to-be-.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Zoe camera </a>to create animated GIFs—arguably a much more useful feature.</p> </span>

Tweak your HTC One for a more pure Android experience

Your   HTC One   may rank among the best Android phones ever, but that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. In particular...

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Tweak your HTC One for a more pure Android experience

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="galleryImage imgId100045342 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt4.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/07/htcone-100045342-gallery.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.techhive.com/category/phones" style="color:rgb(215,114,39);float:left;font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">Your</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2033315/review-htc-one-is-the-android-phone-to-beat.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,167,215)">HTC One</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">may rank among the best Android phones ever, but that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. In particular, you may find yourself hating HTC's various software "enhancements" and longing for a more pure Android environment. Although you can find a</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2040350/why-you-wont-benefit-from-googles-unlocked-phones.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Play edition</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif"> </span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif">of the HTC One that comes bearing Google's stock Android with no modifications, that model doesn't work on all carriers, and sometimes it isn't worthwhile to break your contract just for a slightly better handset.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you want your phone to look and behave like a stock Android phone, you can download several apps capable of dramatically altering the look and feel of your phone and getting it looking just the way you want it. The best part? None of these apps require a rooted phone in order to work.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Let's get Sense-less</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To ditch HTC's custom Sense overlay and embrace <a href="http://www.ghacks.net/2013/05/06/android-what-does-holo-mean/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Android's Holo UI</a>, you need to search the Play Store for the following apps: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&feature=nav_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDMsImNvbS50ZXNsYWNvaWxzdy5sYXVuY2hlciJd" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Nova Launcher</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.calendar&feature=search_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5nb29nbGUuYW5kcm9pZC5jYWxlbmRhciJd" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Calendar</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin&feature=search_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5nb29nbGUuYW5kcm9pZC5pbnB1dG1ldGhvZC5sYXRpbiJd" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Keyboard</a>, and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.widgetlocker&feature=search_result%23?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS50ZXNsYWNvaWxzdy53aWRnZXRsb2NrZXIiXQ.." style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">WidgetLocker Lockscreen</a>. All of these apps are free, save for WidgetLocker, which will set you back a modest $3.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/homescreen-100045270-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/homescreen-100045270-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>HTC's Sense launcher (left) and Nova Launcher (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> If you hate <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdJInzTJI0U" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">BlinkFeed</a>, or if you just wish you had more control over your home screen, Nova Launcher will feel like a godsend. The app lets you customize your home screen and app drawer—you can do everything from installing entire themes to merely tweaking your phone's font sizes. You can even choose the type of animation that occurs when you swipe from one home screen to another.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once the app has finished downloading, pressing the home button will bring up a prompt to select a launcher. Choose Nova Launcher from the pop-up list, and your home screen will transform into something similar to what you can find on Google's Nexus line.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/keyboard-100045269-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="268" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/keyboard-100045269-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>HTC's keyboard (left) and Google Keyboard (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> The built-in HTC keyboard may be fine for some users, but quite a few people prefer Google Keyboard for its word predictions and <a href="http://www.swype.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Swype</a>-like capabilities. To set up Google Keyboard as your default input method, launch the Google Keyboard app and follow the on-screen prompts.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you think the keyboard is too cramped, or if you want to go back to the HTC keyboard, you can do so by going to the Settings and disabling Google Keyboard from the 'Language and Keyboard' menu.</p> <img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/lockscreen_htc-100045271-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580">HTC Sense lock screen (left) and WidgetLocker Lockscreen (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> WidgetLocker Lockscreen is another app that you'll need to set up before you can use it. Simply launch the app and continue through the tutorial until you reach the lock-screen customization page, which resembles the stock Android lock screen. The WidgetLocker lock screen includes a slider that lets you mute your phone by swiping it, but you can easily remove it if you're set on getting that pure Android look and feel.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/calendars-100045268-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/calendars-100045268-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>HTC's calendar (left) and Google Calendar (right)<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Google Calendar is the same basic calendar app that you can find on<a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2013559/review-google-nexus-4-offers-great-specs-but-bad-battery-life.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Nexus Android phones</a>, and it doesn't offer anything special over the built-in HTC calendar app. Still, it's available if you need more Holo in your life.</p> <h2 style="font-family:ff-enzo-web,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">What you can't match</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Although your HTC One now resembles the version Google sells, you're still at the mercy of your carrier when it comes to receiving system updates. If a new version of Android is released for the Google Play edition of the HTC One, it could be weeks (or more likely, months) before your phone receives the same features and bug fixes. While that delay leaves you vulnerable to bugs or security holes, it's the compromise you make when you buy a subsidized phone from a carrier.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But it's not all bad news: Your HTC One benefits from HTC's custom camera and imaging software, which allow it to take better-looking photos than you'd get from the stock Android camera software. Sure you're missing out on the ability to capture 360-degree panoramic Photo Spheres, but you can use the<a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2033240/htc-one-debuts-ultrapixel-technology-but-is-the-phones-camera-all-its-cracked-up-to-be-.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Zoe camera </a>to create animated GIFs—arguably a much more useful feature.</p> </span>

Tweak your HTC One for a more pure Android experience

Your   HTC One   may rank among the best Android phones ever, but that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. In particular...

Read more »

Get a disposable email address from MailDrop

<div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/web-apps" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><img alt="" border="0" height="154" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/07/maildrop-100045341-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Your email address is like your home address: Never give it out unless absolutely necessary.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Thus, if you're registering online for some freebie, promotion, or Web site that you just know is going to deluge you with ads and other spam, it makes sense to supply a disposable address—something you can access as needed for confirmation messages or the like, but that won't otherwise interfere with your primary inbox.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"><a href="http://maildrop.cc/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">MailDrop gives you a free throwaway email address</a>. Use it in place of your own address, then head to the site to retrieve any messages you might need.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">It works like this: Think up whatever prefix you might like for your address, then add <strong style>@maildrop.cc</strong>. Presto, there's your disposable email. For example, I might use hasslefree@maildrop.cc.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I use that address where needed, then go to the MailDrop site, type in the prefix, and click <em style>Go</em>. Now I'm looking at my inbox, where I can read (and, if desired, delete) messages. Simple as that.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">However, this is essentially a public inbox: Anyone else who uses your same prefix will have access to "your" mailbox. One easy fix: Use something unique that no one else will guess (MarsN33dsWom3n, for example). Another: Don't use MailDrop for anything that demands security or privacy. As noted on <a href="http://maildrop.cc/how-it-works" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">the site's FAQ page</a>, there's none of either.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That may sound crazy, but, again, for simple things like Web registrations and confirmation emails, where you just need to retrieve the message and then be done with it, a service like this makes a ton of sense. It's free, and it couldn't be much simpler. There's nothing to sign up for and no password to remember.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If MailDrop sounds a little familiar, you might be thinking of <a href="http://maildrop.cc/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Mailinator, a similar service</a> I wrote about a few years back. That one is still around, though MailDrop keeps your messages indefinitely rather than just a few hours. However, it can store only 10 per inbox, and it lacks Mailinator's forwarding option.</p> </span>

Get a disposable email address from MailDrop

Your email address is like your home address: Never give it out unless absolutely necessary. Thus, if you're registering online for ...

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