The iPad will close apps [...]]]> Since iOS 4 introduced multitasking, you may or may not know that each iPad or iPhone app you launch (quietly) runs in the background. This occurs when you jump to another application, hit the home button, etc. The purpose is to enable you to quickly jump back and forth between apps.

The iPad will close apps as memory is needed, but certain apps (GPS apps in particular) can still nibble away at your battery. Being a hardcore user of my iPad 2 and iPhone 4, I have a habit of running 30 or more apps in the multitask bar before I start killing apps. I don’t typically run into battery issues since I have made it a habit to kill my GPS app once I no longer need it.

Whether you want to kill a battery-hogging GPS app, need to kill an app that isn’t behaving properly, or just would like to clean out all the apps running in the background, you’ll find these steps helpful.

Step 1: Double Tap the Home button to bring up the multitasking bar. All apps running in the background will appear via their icon in this section. Swipe to the left to scroll and reveal each.

Step 2: Press and hold the app you want to kill

Step 3: Tap the red minus sign that appears to successfully kill the app

Unfortunately, unlike Android, I haven’t found any apps (other than a jailbreak app) that kills all background apps so you’ll need to kill one app at a time. Let me know if you have any problems or if you’ve found an app that can automate this process.

Universal remote controls have become increasingly popular. Sure they take a bit of time to setup and learn to use, but not having 17 remotes on your coffee table makes it worth it. And in keeping with the tradition of combining gadgets, [...]]]> Today’s post is a guest article written by Genna from The Neat Geek.

Universal remote controls have become increasingly popular. Sure they take a bit of time to setup and learn to use, but not having 17 remotes on your coffee table makes it worth it. And in keeping with the tradition of combining gadgets, now you can use your smartphone or tablet to control your entertainment system.

iRule works with multiple devices in your home and gives you the ability to control them all with your iOS device – Android coming soon. Connect your stereo and AV equipment, home theater system, lights, fireplaces, thermostats and more. Simply purchase the correct gateways and licenses and iRule will control it all over your WiFi connection.

To create your own remote control interface you will use the iRule Builder website. Everyone in the house will be able to set up their own custom interface, which includes favorite channels, and your own buttons and images. After you’ve customized your remote exactly how you want it, download the free app from the App Store or Android Market. Assign devices to their gateways and you should be all set.

The iRule gateways start at $95, but since you already own the smartphone or tablet, the price is comparable to other universal remotes.

And if you’re anything like me, you probably have your phone or tablet with you at all times, so there won’t be those where is that darn remote moments.

The Neat Geek Because There Is A Place – And An App – For Everything

“From the moment I got my first PalmPilot, I was in love.   And some form of digital organizer has not left my hand since. Technology is in our lives every day and if we use it in the correct capacity, it can actually make our lives a little easier. And it can also make our lives a little complicated.

I am here to help.  I believe that if you own a computer, you should know how to use it.  I also believe that there are many websites out there that can confuse you more, so I want to provide easy to understand tips, so you don’t actually throw that laptop or cell phone out the window like you’ve threatened to do.”

Ready to cut your cable? There’s plenty of video content available on a variety of websites, mobile apps and other sources that can potentially [...]]]> Today’s article is a guest post by William Taylor. William is interested in mobile tricks, latest hacking tips, ubuntu and internet. You can check out his site at ” simonly.

Ready to cut your cable? There’s plenty of video content available on a variety of websites, mobile apps and other sources that can potentially save you a ton of money wrapped up in your cable bill. Finding content by using the countless sites is simple, but keeping track of all the sources is an absolute pain.

5 Functions: iPad to TV, PC to iPad, Friends, Watch Later and Featured

You will find the new iPad application pairs with Boxee Media Manager enabling you to stream videos from your PC to iPad. This feature provides “Watch Later” bookmarklets and new firmware for the Boxee Box 1.2.

iPad to TV 
Have you ever been watching videos on your iPad, but wish you could view them on a larger screen? Now you can send videos to your TV via a Boxee Box so everyone in the living room can enjoy the videos. You can even play games on your iPad simultaneously while watching videos. This goes over well with parties.

PC to iPad
You can literally waste hours syncing and converting videos for your iPad. Boxee streams videos from your PC/Mac to your iPad via a Wi-Fi connection. You can choose your video (Boxee supports a variety of formats) and play it directly on your iPad. Boxee Media Manager makes this capability possible. The “manager” is a lightweight utility for your PC/MAC, and it works magically on video files.

Friends
The Friends feature delivers new videos from friends on Twitter, Tumblr and Twitter to your iPad. This task is quite simple, letting you administer with just two taps.

Watch Later
Watch Later is a bookmarking option for internet videos. You can have them conveniently waiting for you on your iPad. Gone are the days of searching endlessly for videos or shows. Now, you can create playlists for your viewing pleasure.

Featured
This feature contains useful, entertaining and innovative videos shared by the Boxee editorial staff. You can keep yourself up-to-date on the best material available on the Internet through these helpful recommendations.

Boxee 1.2 version
This update includes the following:
• Ability to receive “Beta Releases” of firmware
• AFP and NFS support
• Updated software categories
• “Featured software” section
• Filter of premium sources in library
• OS X Lion will be supported as a source for video files
• Improvement with HTML5 browser support

Boxee Labs
The company has been experimenting with AirPlay, which is now included in the Beta phase of the release. Simply click on AirPlay located on your iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone and you will see your Boxee Box.

Boxee for iPad is loaded with features. Let’s recap a few good reasons you should check out Boxee!

• Boxee provides bookmarking from your computer at home/work
• You can watch whatever you bookmarked on the bus or subway going home
• You can send content to your Boxee Box, so it’s ready for you to watch when you get home
• Boxee lets you use your iPhone to control your Boxee Box

The article is contributed by William Taylor. William is interested in mobile tricks, latest hacking tips, ubuntu and internet. Visit his site for ” simonly.

For me, problems began [...]]]> I’ve jailbroken every iOS device I have. The collection consists of an iPhone 4, iPad 2 and an Apple TV. The pros for jailbreaking far outweigh the few negatives. However, occasionally you may install a jailbreak app that can cause your device to go a little haywire.

For me, problems began when I installed a series of iPhone 4 Jailbreak Apps. When restarting my device, all my apps displayed in a tiny little screen in the left hand corner of my phone.

My immediate thought was for me to restart the device, which didn’t help. Next, I tried to uninstall the apps I downloaded from Cydia. Problem is the screen is too small to perform even the simplest tasks.

After trying everything I could think of, I wanted to see if I could still launch SBSettings with a swipe. Sure enough, I could. Here’s how I resolved my issue with apps displaying in a small screen on my iPhone.

1. Swipe the top of the screen to access SBSettings
2. Tap the “Power” button
3. Tap the “Safe Mode” tab
4. Once the device restarts, click the “Restart” tab

Once it finishes Respringing, launch an App and it should display in the full screen. I’ve narrowed down the offending app and believe it’s InfiniFolders, but am not yet 100% sure.

SBSettings is a life saver and saved me restoring my iPhone, which would have broken the jailbreak. SBSettings is the best jailbreak app you’ll find and it’s free. Do yourself a favor and install SBSettings.

Full press release below;

COLUMBUS, OH – January 31, 2012 – Brand Thunder LLC ( Great news for all the folks who enjoy customizing their browser with Brand Thunder. In short, Brand Thunder just merged with BrowserNation. What that means for you is more interactive browser themes will be at your fingertips.

Full press release below;

COLUMBUS, OH – January 31, 2012 – Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the browser theme specialists, announced today it is the provider of record for BrowserNation clients. The agreement merges the client list of the two leading companies for interactive browser themes and takes BrowserNation clients from Firefox only and extends themes to their fans on Chrome, the fastest growing browser, and Internet Explorer, the world’s most used browser.

With more than 200 world-class brands already listed as Brand Thunder clients, the BrowserNation agreement delivers an immediate 25% boost to its size with further growth possible from multi-theme agreements. The growth complements Brand Thunder’s core business by building upon its European and Asian presence and creates a foothold in the burgeoning Latino markets of Central and South America.

Brand Thunder sports foundation continues to grow with BrowserNations’s worldwide-appeal with football clubs like Barclays Premier League Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea F.C. and Liverpool F.C., rugby teams like Saracens and Munster, ICC Cricket World Cup, the NBA and Indy Car racing.

The agreement builds on the surge in music industry browser themes. Brand Thunder’s own relationships with RCA Records, Sony Music and Universal Music Group will be enhanced with the addition of artists representing EMI, UMG Latin, Epic Records and more. Artists like Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias and Shakira plus a host of others from Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Radio, to India’s legendary singers Mohd Rafi and Asha Bhosle, and numerous Indie artists have discovered browser themes as an exceptional channel to engage with their fan base.

“Adding a list of premier brands with a global footprint is an incredible boost to our company,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “We know the demand is there based on the tremendous international use of BT:Engage, Brand Thunder’s do-it-yourself browser theme creator. This will help us make a bigger splash in the market.”

“Both companies have demonstrated the power of online engagement through the browser in a visual and interactive way,” said Romain Rousseau, COO of BrowserNation. “Yet given the changes in the once stable browser market, it makes sense to combine efforts and deliver this powerful communication tool across all leading browser platforms.”

About Brand Thunder:
Brand Thunder is the world leader in browser themes and custom interactive browser themes for Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Chrome. Brand Thunder formed in April 2007 to leverage the power of customization within the web browser and offer companies a compelling, patent-pending solution for creating a more persistent presence with their Internet consumer. Brand Thunder has branded the browser and extended its functionality for some of the most recognizable brands in sports, music and the Internet including: Bob Marley, CBSSports.com College Network, CollegeHumor, The Huffington Post, IGN, NASCAR, NBA, NFL, SONY Music, Universal Music, WeatherBug and many more. Create, find or have us build your browser theme at http://brandthunder.com.

Thanks to AppBrain, we can [...]]]> When you visit the Android Market and Amazon Appstore for Android what kind of apps are you searching for? While many users simply browse the top charts, the next step is searching to find the right app. Which keyword do you think users are searching for the most?

Thanks to AppBrain, we can find intriguing market stats for not only Android Apps, but Android devices and OS versions. Today, I’m diving into the top 10 keywords Android users are searching for.

The information consists of only AppBrain users and covers searches conducted over the last two days. While not all users use the AppBrain market, these keywords give us a strong indication of what users are seeking the most.

This information is interesting to the casual user, but extremely valuable to developers and advertisers. Here is the top 10.

1. analog clock (1217 Android Apps) Does Android need to provide a better analog clock on their devices?
2. evi (9 Android Apps) Android users are clearly craving a Siri-like app.
3. ring tones (493 Android Apps) Noone uses the small selection of ringtones that comes with their Android device, but do we have a go-to app?
4. Ice Cream Sandwich (1158 Android Apps) Google needs to find a solution to deliver Ice Cream Sandwich to every device, so we don’t have to patch together launchers, wallpaper and other apps to make us feel like we have the new OS.
5. adobe flash (446 Android Apps) May be popular search term now, but will be a non-factor in the near future with Adobe pulling their support for the mobile versions
6. contact (20,233 Android Apps) Users want a better way to manage their contacts and to integrate them with Facebook and other services.
7. magic locker theme (127 Android Apps) Can’t get any more specific than this. Users are digging the Magic Lock Theme for its clock and lockscreen.
8. steam (233 Android Apps) The Steam community is quickly growing and users are looking for just the right Steam app.
9. google sms (1694 Android Apps) People are getting tired of the ridiculously priced text messaging plans. While iOS users have iMessage, Android users are settling with Google Voice until there is a better solution.
10. clock blue (462 Android Apps) The blue clocks do look pretty sharp on the Android screen. This also ties in with the most searched keyword on the list, analog clock.

So, based on the most searched terms, this tells me Android users want a better clock, Siri for Android, a go-to ringtone app, ICS on their device, a better way to manage their contacts and an iMessage like solution for SMS on their Android.

What are your thoughts about the list?

The subject for this installment of best damn [...]]]> I’m on a mission to find the music mashups. Problem is, there are just too many that have been released on a variety of platforms. Rather than continuing on with a longer list of hot mashups, today I’ll begin a series highlighting the best damn music videos.

The subject for this installment of best damn music mashup videos is Johnny Cash, with a concentration on hip hop and rap. As it turns out, good ole Johnny Cash can make some pretty hot beats when paired with current and former Hip-Hop artists. Enjoy my personal five favorite Johnny Cash hip hop video mashups.

I’ve had a full night of mashups, trimming down the list to my five favorite Johnny Cash vs. Hip-Hop videos. Enjoy!

Gonna Cut You Down Remix (ft. 2 Pac vs. Johnny Cash) – by Church Beats

Folsom Prison Gangstas (ft. Eazy E vs. Johnny Cash) – by DJ Topcat

Lose Yourself with God’s Gonna Cut You Down (ft. Eminem vs. Queen vs. Johnny Cash)

Oddz N Endz Mashup (ft. Notorious BIG vs. 2 Pac vs. Johnny Cash) – by Oddz N’ Endz

Get Rhythm (ft. Cypress Hill vs. Johnny Cash)

To kick off the list, I thought I’d start with Beast Break, which adds a little [...]]]> After digging into the Best of Bootie track list, I’m left wanting more music mashups. While I typically present direct links for you to download mashups, today I thought I’d explore some pretty awesome music mashup videos on YouTube.

To kick off the list, I thought I’d start with Beast Break, which adds a little dubstep. This is easily one of my favorite mashups of 2011.

B.O.B. vs. Zeds Dead – Beast Break (DOSVEC DubStep Mashup)

Pop Rockin On The Floor (2011 Mega Mashup) – Top 25 Billboard Official Music Video

This is one of the better roundups of 2011, combining a total of 25 Billboard top hits of the year.

DJ Schmolli – Give it Away Bitch HD

Who knew the Red Hot Chili Peppers would sound so great with a little Prodigy behind them?

Mashup – The Prodigy vs. Dr. Dre feat. Eminem – Forgot to Breathe

Combining two solid songs can sometimes mean disaster, but this one definitely works. Dr. Dre has never sounded better, thanks to a little Prodigy.

Dirty Rockk 

What do you get when you mix Kevin Rudolph, Evanescence, Limp Bizkit, Jay Z and the Prodigy together? Dirty Rockk features a pretty intriguing video with a well blended mixture.

What’s your favorite mashup?

The sites listed below utilize content from angry coworkers, drunk text messages, awkward photos, parody videos and some [...]]]> Everyone needs a good laugh now and then. With the surplus of humor-based sites on the net, it can be a challenge narrowing the list. After trimming down my personal favorites to five, I thought I’d share.

The sites listed below utilize content from angry coworkers, drunk text messages, awkward photos, parody videos and some pretty amazing comics taking a clever approach to a variety of subjects.

PassiveAggressiveNotes

“Many of the notes found here aren’t really passive-aggressive even by our generous standards. Some of these notes are really more aggressive in tone, and some of them are more passive — polite, even — but for the most part they share a common sense of frustration that’s been channeled into written form rather than a direct confrontation. It’s barbed criticism disguised as something else — helpful advice, a funny joke, simple forgetfulness. After all, as Dr. Scott Wetzler, a clinical psychologist and author of Living with the Passive-Aggressive man, observed: “A joke can be the most skillful passive-aggressive act there is.”

image via PassiveAggressiveNotes.com

Texts From Last Night 

“Texts From Last Night (TFLN) was founded in February 2009 by two friends for reasons that may or may not include: the tendency to press send more easily as the night turns to morning, friends’ social habits, disgraced government officials, exes, law school, closing down bars and leaving tabs open, general debauchery and/or a common disgust for all the negativity surrounding the ‘sexting’ phenomenon.”

Image via TextsFromLastNight.com

Key Of Awesome

“In 2009, Barely Political expanded beyond the political realm with the comedy network Barely Digital — a comedy network devoted to parodying digital and pop culture. Combined, these networks have now been viewed over 900 million times and are home to such hit shows as the Obama Girl series, Tech Know, Autotune the News, and the Key of Awesome. The Key of Awesome is currently the 2nd most popular web series on the internet according to Mashable. And President Obama himself called Barely Political videos an “example of the fertile imagination of the Internet.” We love making videos — thank you for watching them.”

Awkward Family Photos and Awkward Family Pet Photos

“Childhood friends Mike and Doug began the blog after Mike saw an awkward vacation photo hung in his parents’ house. Realizing there were probably plenty of other people out there with their own awkward family images, the two friends decided to create a friendly place where everyone could come together and share their uncomfortable family moments. Thus, Awkward Family Photos was born. The authors started by posting a few of their own childhood photos and those provided by friends, and the site quickly took off and became an internet sensation; it now receives millions of hits daily and submissions from around the world.”

Image via AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com

The Oatmeal

“Everything on this site was written, drawn, and coded byMatthew Inman. The Oatmeal’s real name is Matthew and he lives in Seattle, Washington. He subsists on a steady diet of crickets and whiskey. He enjoys long walks on the beach, gravity, and breathing heavily through his mouth. His dislikes include scurvy, typhoons, and tapeworm medication.”

Image via TheOatmeal.com

What’s your go-to sites to get a laugh? Let me know what you think of the sites above.

Beginning on February 4th with UFC 143, Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, we’ll get to [...]]]> The UFC has accomplished what no other sport has in bringing their live PPV events to select movie theaters. To make things a little more juicy, the event will be in 3d, which is sure to further excite many fans.

Beginning on February 4th with UFC 143, Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, we’ll get to watch 3+ hours of MMA action for $25 a ticket. To get a good seat, you’ll need to arrive early as seating will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Want to see which theaters in your area will be showing the event? Visit UFC 3D and enter your zip code to get a listing. I’ve already purchased my ticket from my local theater and can’t wait to check out this exciting event, donning my 3d glasses. What about you? Will you be going?

Some projects have caught both my eye and my imagination. Creators [...]]]> I’ve helped fund a few successful Kickstarter projects recently. I’ve been 100% pleased with the projects I’ve received so far. A few I haven’t yet received have pushed their ship date back, but have done a good job properly communicating the slip in schedule.

Some projects have caught both my eye and my imagination. Creators with fantastic designs, great pitches and ideas I wish I thought of have made me extremely optimistic with the projects. In addition to making a half dozen pledges in the last month, I’ve dedicated posts to highlight some projects and even included widgets of my favorites on the site sidebar.

Today, I stumbled upon an extremely interesting piece by Matt Haughey, who has invested in a total of 72 KickStarter projects. According to Matt, the successfully funded i+Case, which had over 1000 backers and pulled in $85,371 in funding, is “the worst KickStarter project he has ever funded.”

I wanted to share this interesting article that both Kickstarter Project Creators and potential backers of future projects could learn from. It’s also a good read and lesson learned from a business standpoint.