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Google changed the way custom searches work in Google Chrome. Now, you can no longer type your custom search keyword and press Space to quickly search. There’s an alternative, though—and a way to get the old custom search behavior back. What’s a Custom Search? Google Chrome has a search feature that lets you assign “keywords” to custom searches. For example, after you set it up, you could type “w chickadee” to search Wikipedia for “chickadee” or “h windows” to search How-To Geek for articles about Windows....

You can use Microsoft Outlook with just about any email account, including Gmail—but Outlook doesn’t provide a built-in way to sync your Gmail contacts. If you’ve amassed a bunch of contacts in either service, you’ll have to import them from the other manually to use them. You could re-enter each contact one by one, of course, but we recommend importing all of your contacts in one go. In this article, we’ll demonstrate how to first export your contacts from Gmail into Outlook, and then export from Outlook into Gmail....

Autocorrect can be a blessing until it isn’t. Once you have an infamous auto-correct fail, then you’re likely to be wary so it doesn’t happen again (though it probably will). Here’s how to take control and even improve autocorrect on Android. We want to concentrate solely on Google Keyboard because it’s typically the default on many Android devices. We’ve covered Google Keyboard in the past, specifically how to turn off its sounds and vibrations and now we want to turn our attention to improving text entry, so it is more effective and useful....

Google rolls out Android updates slowly, even to their own Nexus devices. It may take weeks before an over-the-air update becomes available via the System updates screen, but you can skip the wait. When Android L launched, it took over three weeks before we saw the update on several Nexus 4 phones. One 2012 Nexus 7 still can’t see the update two months later. That’s just a ridiculous amount of time to wait....

If you (or someone you love) has vision issues, however, the tiny fonts and complex colors on modern phones can makes them nearly impossible to use. Fortunately, there’s a feature built in to Android that allows users to easily invert the colors, making things much easier for those with poorer eyesight. RELATED: How to Invert the Colors of Your iPhone’s Screen How to Invert Colors on Stock Android If you’re using a stock Android device, like a Google Pixel, inverting colors is actually a breeze....

How the iOS Do Not Disturb Feature Works Do Not Disturb automatically mutes all calls, notifications, and alerts you get when your iPhone is locked. The feature can be enabled by tapping on the “Crescent moon” icon from the Control Center. If you 3D Touch/Haptic Touch the Do Not Disturb icon, you can enable it from one hour or until you leave the current location. You can also set up Do Not Disturb on a schedule by going to Settings > Do Not Disturb > Scheduled....

Android users have not been dealt a great hand when it comes managing their devices from Windows. Different manufacturers provide device management tools ranging from the mediocre to the just plain bad – Kies, I’m looking at you. But I have discovered SnapPea, one of the easiest ways to manage, control and backup Android from Windows. iTunes may have improved somewhat in its most recent incarnation, but it is still one of the least appealing aspects of being a fan of portable Apple devices....

Have you ever wished your Hypervisor could be installed at the push of a button, without the tedious searching for the install CD and answering the same boring installation questions? HTG explains how to PXE an automated installation of Citrix-Xen. Photo Credit: Pink Sherbet Photography via Compfight cc Overview We’ve shown you what is PXE and how you can easily install a server for it with FOG. In this guide, we will again extend on the excellent FOG foundation and add a menu entry to install an automated Citrix-Xen server....

If you don’t want to leave your spouse or roommate in the dust with your smart new doorbell, here’s how to share Ring Doorbell access with the people in your home. RELATED: How to Install and Set Up the Ring Video Doorbell If you just have the RIng Doorbell, the only way you know if someone came to your door and rang the doorbell is through a phone notification–unless you get the add-on Chime device or hook up the Ring unit to your existing doorbell’s wiring....

Say Goodbye to iCloud Photos Before iOS 15 RELATED: Apple’s Controversial On-Device Child Abuse Scanner Delayed This feature will arrive with the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, so you’ll want to make this change before your devices install the operating system update in the fall of 2021. As of the release of iOS 15, this scanning will only happen in the USA. If you’re in another country, your iPhone won’t be locally scanning your photos—not yet, at least....

The Oculus Go is a great VR headset, but it doesn’t have a lot of storage. All your videos and movies are on your PC, so rather than copy them to your Oculus, why not just stream them? Here’s how to do that. Watching a movie in a VR headset is a very cool experience—you can basically watch a movie in a huge virtual theater that makes it feel like you are really there....

One of the most common problems photographers face is nailing focus. It’s always annoying when you think you’ve taken a good image on location and then go home to find your subject is slightly blurry. Here’s how to make sure your photos are always in focus. Focus is super important for photography. It’s a big part of taking sharp images and also a way to guide the viewer’s eyes. Humans are automatically drawn to the sharp areas of an image....

Have you ever wanted to get more out of your Android convergence device? How about using it as a hassle free video recorder for your car trips? HTG explains how you can accomplish this with just “off the shelf” components. Image by Ernest, dinglisch, rubberbigpepper, Svet Ivantchev & Aviad (a.k.a. Hotfortech). Why would I do this? Many people have asked me, why do you record your trips? Why is that interesting?...

Contrary to all the criticism out there, a Chromebook can be surprisingly useful offline. The key to using a Chromebook offline is preparing ahead of time and ensuring your apps and data will be ready. Sure, a Chromebook is more useful when you’re online, but that applies to all computers these days. A Chromebook’s offline mode can get you through a flight, subway ride, or some other period of time without Internet access....

If you’re in the market for a dependable router with simple setup, administration, and simple network attached storage, the D-Link DIR-880L is a slender and far reaching workhorse that meets your needs. What is the D-Link DIR-880L? The D-Link DIR-880L (no catchy nickname, herein referred to simply as the 880L) is D-Link’s current top-of-the-line offering in the premium AC-enabled Wi-Fi router market. It features AC1900 Wi-Fi (a Wi-Fi deployment scheme that combines advanced 802....

Introducing the New, New, Paperwhite RELATED: How to Jailbreak Your Kindle Paperwhite for Screensavers, Apps, and More Form and Styling The form factor of the new Paperwhite is identical to the old Paperwhite (although through the magic of engineering it did slim down from 213 grams to 206 grams). Unlike iPad iterations where each new version needs to shave a millimeter or two off, the Paperwhite stayed exactly the same size in every dimension: a case that fits Paperwhite 2012 fits Paperwhite 2013....

You’ve probably heard all about how the Java browser plug-in is insecure. 91% of system compromises in 2013 were against that insecure Java plug-in. But Java isn’t the same thing as JavaScript — in fact, they’re not really related. Most of our readers probably understand the difference, but not everyone knows it. Any confusion isn’t accidental — JavaScript was originally named JavaScript just to associate it with Java in people’s minds....

Windows XP isn’t dead and buried yet. Microsoft will be creating security updates for XP for years to come, but those updates won’t be available to normal users. No, they’re just for large businesses and governments with money to burn. Most people still using Windows XP at home are happy with their PCs and don’t want to pay more money, so Microsoft isn’t offering this service to normal users. They’d probably just be upset if a request for $200 popped up....

Apple’s new iPhone XR doesn’t include 3D Touch. App developers already didn’t use 3D Touch, but now they really won’t use it. Apple will have to design the iPhone operating system not to rely on 3D Touch so much. Sure, the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max still have 3D Touch. But we wouldn’t be surprised to see it vanish from future iPhones. App developers can no longer rely on it....

Microsoft’s OneNote is now free. Once a Windows-only note-taking application included with Office, it’s now a free cross-platform note-taking service for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and the web. This is Microsoft’s free Evernote competitor. OneNote is a compelling, well-loved application. Now that it’s free and untethered from Windows, it’s a compelling option no matter what platform you use. It’s more feature-filled than Evernote and offers better support for styluses and handwriting....