Amazon’s Kindle line of devices are some of the most popular E Ink gadgets for reading eBooks, and for good reason. They’re relatively inexpensive, have good displays, offer long battery life, and make reading books from Amazon’s Kindle store super easy. But what about books you didn’t buy from Amazon? Kindles can support books that […]
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What to do if your 2017 Amazon Fire tablet stops showing Google Play apps
Have a recent Amazon Fire, Fire HD 8, or Fire HD 10 tablet with the Google Play Store installed? Sometime in the past few weeks a number of users noticed that they were having trouble using some of the apps installed from the Play Store. Update: Some users are reporting they’re having the same problems […]
Amazon Fire tablets: Installing apps from unknown sources in Fire OS 5.6.0
Amazon recently starting rolling out Fire OS 5.6.0 for the Amazon Fire, Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 tablets. Among other things, it includes an updated notification tray that shows icons for apps that want your attention rather than just a number showing how many notifications are available. But folks who have tried installing […]
How to get Android apps without using the Play Store
Most Android phones, tablets, and TV boxes sold in the US ship with the Google Play Store pre-installed. Some devices, like the Amazon Fire line of tablets lack the Play Store, but it’s often easy to find a way to load it yourself. But the Play Store isn’t the only place to find Android apps. […]
Making Amazon’s 2017 Fire tablets more Googley (Play Store, third-party launchers)
Amazon’s tablets run an Android-based operating system called Fire OS. While Amazon has developed a custom user interface for the operating system, featuring tight integration with the Amazon Appstore, Kindle, Music, and Movies apps, it’s surprisingly easy to install the Google Play Store on Amazon’s most recent tablets. You may not be able to root […]
How to sideload Android apps on a Chromebook
Now that Chromebooks can run Android apps downloaded from the Google Play Store, you might be wondering whether they can run apps not downloaded from the Play Store. It turns out the answer is yes. For now you have to jump through a few extra hoops to make it happen, but here’s how I managed to […]
Fix the time problem on dual-boot computers (Windows and Linux or Android)
I’ve been testing a number of tablets, notebooks, and other computers that can dual-boot Android and Windows recently. And I’ve noticed that many of them have the same problem: set the time in Windows, reboot into Android, and when you reboot into Windows again the time will be off by several hours. It turns out […]
How to listen to OverDrive library audiobooks on nearly any mobile device
Many public libraries around the world partner with OverDrive to let you borrow eBooks and audiobooks. While OverDrive lets you listen to audiobooks in a web browser or using mobile apps, there are also other ways to listen. You can burn audiobooks to CDs. Or you can just download use OverDrive’s desktop app to download […]
How to upgrade RAM on the Acer Aspire 11 convertible notebook
The Acer Aspire R11 is an 11.6 inch notebook with a touchscreen display and a 360 degree hinge that lets you use the computer like a tablet. It’s a relatively low-cost device, with prices starting at about $330 in the US. For that price, you get a computer with an Intel Braswell processor, 4GB of […]
How to install Android 5.1 on a NOOK HD or NOOK HD+
The Barnes & Noble NOOK HD and HD+ were released in 2012, and the tablets offered high-resolution displays, dual-core processors, and microSD card slots, among other features. But they weren’t hugely successful for B&N, and the NOOK HD and HD+ were the last tablets the book store chain ever produced on its own. These days […]