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16 simple ways to transfer files from your Android to your PC or Mac
File transfers are way easier than you'd think
Although the top Android phones have a minimum of 128GB of storage, it may not be sufficient for everyone. You may need to back up photos to free up storage space or move the music you downloaded on your phone to your desktop. Because of Android's open and transparent nature, there are many ways to do it. You can use a USB cable, Bluetooth, a third-party app, or a local wireless connection.
The most common Roblox error codes and what they mean
Keep Roblox ticking with these error code fixes
As creativity toys go, Roblox is one of the best, providing stylized game development tools that generate infinite possibilities. Even the most popular apps on the Play Store have bugs and errors. Roblox is no exception. Most are easily fixable or out of the player's control and resolved quickly.
How to install Minecraft mods on Android
Enhance your Minecraft experience on Android with some awesome mods
You can always rely on the Minecraft app to change when you're not looking, having advanced light years since 2011. How many of us took a break from Mojang's famous survival game, only to re-discover what might as well be a different game? Whether it's new biomes, new items, new mobs, or a huge variety of new mini-games, you'll never run out of new content with Minecraft on your bargain Android phone. But one of the best aspects of Minecraft is player-made content, editions to the game produced by fans, either to improve the existing game or create entirely new ones. This edge gives Minecraft literal infinite potential, with uncapped amounts of Minecraft mods for you to explore, providing cosmetic, functional, and practical alterations to the game you love, so you'll love it even more.
Microsoft makes it easier for Android users to retrieve text from screenshots
Your PC will alert you when you can snip the text from an Android screenshot
When you need to pull information from a screenshot, having a tool that can retrieve the text from the image can speed up the process. However, it isn’t always easy to share and edit a screenshot when you’re working with two devices that have incompatible operating systems. Now, Microsoft is making updates to its Snipping Tool and Phone Link features to make it easier for Android and PC users to work with screenshots.
There’s no doubt that Android 12L was designed with tablets and foldables in mind, but the prospect of running Android on PCs is always looming in the background with any changes that aim to support larger form factors. Google doesn’t appear to be interested in shipping Android on laptops and desktops, but there are several projects run by other developers that aim to do just that. Thanks to Bliss OS founder Jon West, we can see how Google’s re-designed Android 12L interface looks when it’s built to run on a computer.
How to choose the right Plex server: PC vs. NAS vs. Shield vs. Raspberry Pi
Some are cheaper, some are better
You can still load discs into a dedicated player like a caveman if you want, but we live in the age of streaming. Almost every piece of media you could ever want is at your fingertips... as long as you can figure out which streaming service it's currently on. If you care about control, you can manage your own media library with Plex, and the first step in that journey is to decide what kind of hardware will run your Plex server. You can just use your PC, but a dedicated piece of hardware like a NAS box is more efficient. What's a movie buff to do?
HyperX is a fairly well-known peripheral manufacturer that grew popular thanks to its affordable gaming headsets. The company operates as Hewlett Packard's peripheral arm, now dabbling in all manner of hardware, such as mice, microphones, and keyboards. Well, since CES 2022 is in full swing, HyperX has announced its very first gamepad, and it's an Android-focused controller called the HyperX Clutch that will support Android and PC out of the box, and it even comes with a detachable mobile phone clip.
Windows 11 will launch without Android app support
The new operating system is coming in October, sans one of its most exciting features
One of the most interesting announcements around Windows 11 was that Microsoft plans to support Android apps in its long-running OS, delivered and serviced by the Amazon Appstore. That's still true, but unfortunately our enthusiasm has been sufficiently curbed. As Microsoft announced the release date for Windows 11, it also said that Android app support would have to wait a while.
All-in-one PCs are hot again as HP sticks Chrome on a display that swivels
The company thinks it fits the bill as a new age 'family computer'
In addition to a new Chrome OS convertible tablet and a plug-and-play monitor, HP is getting freaky by announcing an all-in-one Chrome machine with a rotatable display. The company is hoping to redefine how a family computer serves its users by fueling good performance for basic tasks with a more tactile experience.
Valve's Steam Deck is the latest attempt to make portable PC gaming a thing
Aggressively priced to start at $399, but you'll probably want more storage
For the last 4 years, the Nintendo Switch has been out on its own as the best portable gaming experience outside of playing on your smartphone. Other attempts at a portable gaming PC have come and gone without much success, but for the first time, the Switch may have a real contender.
A whole bunch of Samsung phones can now stream multiple apps to Windows PCs
Microsoft's Your Phone app gets better as promised
Windows Insiders who own a 2020 Samsung flagship phone are due for a big improvement in their continuity experience as their PCs will be able to stream not just one, but multiple Android apps at a time through Your Phone.
How to play GeForce Now in your Chrome browser without installing anything on your PC or Linux machine
You just have to spoof your browser's user agent with an official Google tool
While Google Stadia needs nothing but your browser to work, the story is different for GeForce Now. Nvidia would like you to install its dedicated application for its game streaming service on Windows and Mac. But ever since GeForce Now is available on Chromebooks, we know that it's capable of running inside Chrome, and where there's a will, there's a way. By spoofing your browser user agent with an official Google tool, you can use GeForce Now right in Chrome on your PC, Mac, or Linux machine — nothing but an extension required.
The ultimate guide to using Windows Your Phone with Android
The A to Z of bringing your Android phone and Windows PC closer together
No matter how much we slam Apple for its closed ecosystem, many of us often find ourselves raving about how well coordinated the iPhone and Mac are. Then we turn to Android, which just can't do all those tricks, leaving us feeling a little peeved— at least until Microsoft came into the picture. Microsoft has all but adopted Google’s mobile OS after its own phone business crumbled, and it has increasing sought to bridge the deep divide between Windows 10 and Android with the Your Phone app.
Microsoft bringing screen mirroring to Your Phone was a big deal since it was supposed to work irrespective of your phone or PC make, unlike some branded applications. Besides ironing out some bugs, the company now wants to make "Phone screen" compatible with more Windows 10 computers. But its approach pulled a classic one step forward, two steps back, as the feature has dropped support for all phones except for some newer Samsung models.
Microsoft is bolstering its PC-to-phone bridging app, Your Phone, with the release of the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview — in fact, it's the bulk of the changes touted in this preview version. For build 18908 (20H1), fast ring insiders will be able to try out new accessibility tools and messaging features with more Android devices. Oh, and there's a new logo, too, but that's just the start of things.
It has always been the dream to reliably control one's smartphone from a computer — through syncing notifications, texting from the PC, and screen mirroring. Several apps have targetted different aspects of this — Microsoft's Your Phone being one of the more high-profile ones. With the recent v.3.8.4 update, the Your Phone app now supports MMS and using mobile data to sync notifications, photos, and messages.
Not too long ago, Microsoft announced phone screen mirroring between Windows 10 and Android. It's a neat feature, letting you effectively have your Android apps on your computer. It was previously limited to a handful of devices and select testers, but now the tech giant is opening it up to more devices.
It may not be perfect quite yet, but Samsung's DeX implementation for using your phone as a desktop computer actually works better than expected. In response to user requests, it seems the development team behind DeX is now working towards making DeX connections even more accessible by removing the need for a cable.
Given that not all displays are equal—IPS is better than TN, HDR is better than non-HDR, some people prefer LCD, others prefer OLED—a certification system for what displays can do seems overdue. The display standards body VESA has (at least partially) filled that void with the newly-announced DisplayHDR standard, which defines the abilities of display panels used in notebook PCs and monitors for desktop PCs.
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The days of multiple browser toolbars in Firefox and Internet Explorer are (mostly) gone, but malicious browser extensions are still prevalent. In fact, you don't even have to venture outside of the Chrome Web Store to find a few. Today, Google announced that it is taking further steps to alert users about malicious extensions/setting changes.