Now that the Xposed Framework has finally been updated for Android Lollipop, we’re starting to notice that some modules function properly, while others are a bit buggy or even worse—don’t work at all. Most of this is a result of changes to elements of the Android system that KitKat modules relied upon, and such modules will need to be updated for 5.0 compatibility.

In these early stages of development, bugs are to be expected. For many folks, this means a “wait and see” approach is in order, and others still remain on the fence. But if there’s that one feature that you just can’t go without… more

If you don’t think you are a creative person or you balk at the idea of taking art class, you can find ways to exercise your right brain in indirect ways, which will ultimately make you a more creative, intuitive person and help you come up with unexpected solutions for your problems.

As a simple exercise, simply have a conversation between your left hand and your right hand. Write down a question with your right hand and then use your left hand to write down an answer. You will notice that your right hand (controlled by the left brain hemisphere) and your left hand (controlled by the right… more

After installing an app from the Google Play Store, its icon will appear on your home screen, creating a shortcut for you to easily access it without needing to look very far. But if you’ve installed as many apps as I have, these shortcuts begin to add up and eventually make your home screen look like an iPhone, turning it into just another app drawer.

With a simple setting, you can disable these shortcuts from automatically being placed on your home screen and spare yourself from repeating the pointless process of manually removing apps.
Video: .
On your Android, open the Google Play Store… more

Welcome back, my amateur hackers!

When you are using and administering Linux, it is important to be conversant in the use of the log files. As you know, log files are the repository for much information about our system, including errors and security alerts.

If we are trying to secure Linux, it is crucial to know how to manage the logging functions to be able to know if your system has been attacked, and to then decipher what actually happened and who did it. If you are the attacker, it is crucial to understand what information can be gathered about you and your methods from these same log… more

The oven is arguably our most essential kitchen appliance (right alongside the fridge, freezer, and yes, even the microwave). But even though we’ve been using them for a few millennia, many of us know so little about our ovens that our cooking or baking can feel like a roll of the dice sometimes.

Even fancy state-of-the-art post-modern metallic ovens from Mars have their quirks, and you’d better learn those quirks or keep that pizza delivery number handy. So here is what you need to know to master your oven and get the most out of its use.

Observe & Record

The first step is to observe all… more

Macs, like pretty much all Apple products, are notorious for not having a highly customizable UI. They do this to keep a consistent look and feel across all of their devices, but I’ve grown bored of it over the years.

To help liven things up, Bhavin121 found a way to change the background image for the Mac OS X login window. Note that this is different than the password screen displayed after your Mac has woken up from sleep which, for the time being, cannot be changed.

This process is fairly simple and doesn’t require any Terminal wizardry.
Video: .
Before We Get Started

By default… more

Welcome back, my amateur hackers!

When you are using and administering Linux, it is important to be conversant in the use of the log files. As you know, log files are the repository for much information about our system, including errors and security alerts.

If we are trying to secure Linux, it is crucial to know how to manage the logging functions to be able to know if your system has been attacked, and to then decipher what actually happened and who did it. If you are the attacker, it is crucial to understand what information can be gathered about you and your methods from these same log… more

When it comes to making pancakes in the morning, most of us probably follow the instructions on the box. Mix all the ingredients together, pour onto a hot greased pan, and form perfect circular flapjacks one by one.

But pancakes are so much more than that. You can turn them into a rainbow-colored breakfast, cook them in a rice cooker, make fun shapes, and even turn them into miniature works of art. Below are ten of my favorite pancake art designs that are easy to replicate at home.

What You’ll Need

Pancake mix
Squeeze bottle
Food coloring

1. Lace Pancakes

In this tutorial, Miss Recipe… more

Most custom ROMs are built from the freely-available source code of AOSP, so they share a lot of common ground with stock Android. The difference, though, is the fact that Google adds many minor tweaks and finishing touches to AOSP while creating the version of Android that ultimately comes pre-installed on Nexus devices.

Take the system sounds for example. When Google finished off its official Lollipop builds, they tossed in some professionally made ringtones, alarms, and notification sounds. They didn’t, however, merge these changes upstream with AOSP, so custom ROMs are stuck with the… more

When you hear a song you like but can’t quite catch enough of its lyrics, it can be nearly impossible to search for it online. That’s where Shazam comes in. For the past decade, they’ve been making music easier for us to identify by analyzing a track’s acoustic footprint, requiring only a few seconds of audio for accurate identification.

Shazam became so ubiquitous with song identification (and even TV show identification) that Apple introduced it as a native iOS 8 feature within Siri. Just activate Siri, ask her what song is playing, and in a few seconds she can recognize the artist and… more