PC Hardware

Content related to PC Hardware, laptops, Windows machines, ARM on Windows, desktop CPUs and GPUs, and more.

Control a Device with a Broken Screen From the Comfort of Your Windows PC

Control a Device with a Broken Screen From the Comfort of Your Windows PC

June 19, 2014
Occasionally, the situation arises when our cell phone screens die completely. Be it due to a nasty fall, playing a bit too rough with other items in your pocket or backpack, or other device trauma, these things unfortunately happen from time to time. We hope that you never have to experience this rather unpleasant situation, but...
Easy ADB Tool Makes Using ADB Simple on Windows

Easy ADB Tool Makes Using ADB Simple on Windows

June 10, 2014
ADB is the most basic and in many circumstances, one of the most powerful Android debugging tools available. With ADB, one can easily install an app, flash your favorite ROM, or grab a logcat to help developers. ADB has one major disadvantage to newcomers, though, and that's command line. Command line is great for scripting, and practically every advanced user becomes...
Kill all the Apps with a Friendly GUI using ADB Task Manager for Windows

Kill all the Apps with a Friendly GUI using ADB Task Manager for Windows

May 17, 2014
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is very powerful tool, and Android power user is well aware of this. This tool allows users to accomplish many tasks, such as sideloading your favorite ROM or kernel, finding out what's wrong with an app, or simply stopping or starting a service. As you can see, it can be used to almost everything...
Turn Your Android Device into a Fancy, Motion-Sensing Wireless Gamepad for Windows

Turn Your Android Device into a Fancy, Motion-Sensing Wireless Gamepad for Windows

April 27, 2014
Much of Android's power comes from its relatively open nature and developer-friendly versatility. If you wish to create an application that performs a particular task, you can do so. And once created, you can upload it to the Google Play Store or simply sideload it to your device. This has lead to some interesting use cases, such as using...
Microsoft Build 2014: Windows Phone 8.1 with Cortana and Action Center, Windows to Bring Back Start Menu

Microsoft Build 2014: Windows Phone 8.1 with Cortana and Action Center, Windows to Bring Back Start Menu

April 2, 2014
Today in San Francisco's Moscone Center, Microsoft kicked off its annual Build developers conference. Up until now, many had been questioning Microsoft's continued relevance in this new mobile-friendly age. However, today's keynote clearly shows that Microsoft doesn't intend on letting Google and Apple have all the fun. Does Windows have what it takes to be your...
Build Android on Windows, Mac. and Other OSes with Builduntu

Build Android on Windows, Mac. and Other OSes with Builduntu

March 2, 2014
Creating an Android build is a fun, but oftentimes difficult process. First of all, you need to use an UNIX-like OS such as Linux or Mac OS, and not everyone uses said OSes every day. Having a native set up of Ubuntu would be great to compile, but not all of you know that Android...
BlueStacks to Offer Full Android OS on Windows PCs

BlueStacks to Offer Full Android OS on Windows PCs

January 7, 2014
Running Android on your standard "traditional" computer is nothing new. After all, there's the Android x86 project, which allows users to natively run Android on their standard desktop-architecture x86 computers. There are other solutions for getting Android onto your PC as well, such as Genymotion and Jar Of Beans. Then, there's always BlueStacks. But BlueStacks has always been more of...
Device Review: Microsoft Surface Pro 2

Device Review: Microsoft Surface Pro 2

November 9, 2013
There I was, lined up in the queue of the local electronics store, waiting to collect my Microsoft Surface Pro 2 from the seemingly tired and overworked store attendant behind the counter. I glanced over at the section of the store where all the Surfaces were lined up for display, thinking to myself about whether...
Guide to Enable ADB and Fastboot on ChromeOS

Guide to Enable ADB and Fastboot on ChromeOS

April 22, 2013
ADB and fastboot are both incredibly handy and easy-to-use options for manipulating your device, and we've mentioned both here on the Portal on several occasions. Whether you're using Windows, Linux, or OSX, it's generally not too difficult to get either of these set up and begin tinkering with your device. One thing I hadn't previously seen...
Microsoft Confirms Lockdown of ARM Devices Running Windows 8

Microsoft Confirms Lockdown of ARM Devices Running Windows 8

March 8, 2012
Microsoft is at it again. First, they forced many mobile device OEMs to pay a fee for every Android device shipped. Now they want to put the stranglehold on manufacturers wishing to use ARM with Windows 8. In their infinite wisdom, Microsoft has decided that customers who purchase a Windows 8 devices with ARM architecture...