Can anyone help me....I have a Samsung A06 phone running Android 15. I am having a problem when I playback mp3 files. The problem is that after about 15 seconds of play the sound dips for a millisecond, like a hiccup! and then continues to play. I have tried about 5 different mp3 players on my phone and it happens on all of them. I do not have any problem if I play audio off YouTube or BBC Sounds etc. Also, I have tried these apps on my Android tablet and there is NO problem on that so I think it must be some sort of setting on my phone. (I don't know if this is important but the mp3 files are stored on an SD card in the phone.)
Can anyone advise why this might happen and what could I do or change to stop it happening.

Many thanks in advance for any advice

vivo have begun rolling out the February 2026 security patch to their global models of the X Fold3 Pro. Better late than never, it is simply the security patch and may have been delayed because of the Chinese New Year celebrations. See screenshot for details...

In Android Studio, I can launch Device Manager and then start a previously created Android Virtual Device.

What I want to know is, is it possible to start an AVD independently, without first opening Android Studio and launching Device Manager?

Thank you all in advance.

How can I delete selected cookies on Android Duck Duck and Firefox without deleting browsing history? Going into SETTINGS I don't see any separate setting just for cookies. If I select deleting it warns me it wil delete data.

Android Battery Health Test App – Monitor Temperature & Run Stress Test​

I’ve just released a new Android battery test app designed to help users check battery health, monitor temperature, and run a battery stress test in a simple and lightweight way.

Google Play: Battery Healt Test

If you're looking for a way to test battery performance on Android or diagnose battery drain issues, this might be useful.

What the app does:​

✔ Run a real-time battery stress test on Android
✔ Monitor battery temperature and voltage
✔ Track battery performance under heavy usage
✔ Analyze battery behavior during gaming or intensive apps
✔ Save test results to compare battery degradation over time

Many Android devices don’t show detailed battery health information, so this app helps you get deeper insights into your battery condition.

You can download it here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sugus.batterytest

is there a list of icons at the top of the screen for Android16 somewhere?

I did a search, but two results I found don't seem to go anywhere.

I'm looking for one that has a triangle with curved corners, and something inside it - too small for me too see clearly.

edit: I've since managed to see inside the triangle icon: It's two vertical arrows, one pointing upwards, one pointing downwards.

I just installed Windows 11 on a 10-year old PC — this method still works

(Cut and Paste from another source/not my article)

rufus windows 11 hardware restrictions.

Gavin is the Segment Lead for the Technology Explained, Security, Internet, Streaming, and Entertainment verticals, former co-host on the Really Useful Podcast, and a frequent product reviewer. He has a degree in Contemporary Writing pillaged from the hills of Devon, more than a decade of professional writing experience, and his work has appeared on How-To Geek, Expert Reviews, Trusted Reviews, Online Tech Tips, and Help Desk Geek, among others. Gavin has attended CES, IFA, MWC, and other tech-trade shows to report directly from the floor, racking up hundreds of thousands of steps in the process. He's reviewed more headphones, earbuds, and mechanical keyboards than he cares to remember, and enjoys copious amounts of tea, board games, and football.

I'm still rocking Windows 10 on a number of devices around my home. It's not that I don't like Windows 11; it's more that I just don't always have the time to back up the hardware and make sure everything is compatible with Windows 11 hardware requirements.

That's in part because Microsoft tightened the rules around what hardware could run Windows 11, and it was a big step up from the more carefree approach to Windows 10. In fact, Windows 11 hardware requirements made so many folks so angry that they left Windows behind for good once Windows 10 was officially declared dead.

But if that's not an option and you need to stick with Windows, there is a better option. The free USB creator, Rufus, has built-in options that let Windows 11 ignore the hardware requirements, meaning you can upgrade your computer either way.





Interestingly, Rufus doesn't change how Windows functions or how Windows itself works. You still end up with a "full" version of Windows 11 without any modifications. That's because Rufus modifies the installation package rather than the operating system, making some tweaks to how the installer works.


When you create a Windows 11 USB installer with Rufus, you can remove TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, RAM, and CPU checks. Under the hood, Rufus disables the compatibility checks built into the Windows installer. One key component is appraiserres.dll, a file used during setup to verify whether your PC meets Microsoft’s requirements. Rufus replaces or neutralizes this file, so the checks simply don’t run.


It can also inject registry entries (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig) that tell the installer to bypass TPM, Secure Boot, RAM, and CPU validation. Normally, you’d have to manually add these during setup using Command Prompt, but Rufus automates the process.


As said, this isn't the same as "cracking" Windows like the older days of stolen Windows installations and keygens. Microsoft's Windows 11 hardware requirements are enforced during installation, which is how Rufus' workaround lets Windows 11 run on unsupported hardware.



First up, head to Rufus and download the latest version of the app. Also note that the Windows 11 hardware bypass options don't appear until you press the Start button — they were a specific menu previously, but Rufus has changed this functionality.

1. Select the USB device you're using for installation from the dropdown menu.
2. Now, select the Windows 11 ISO file you previously downloaded.
3. From here, Rufus should auto-populate most of the menus and options. The Partition Scheme should default to GPT, and the Target system should default to UEFI. You shouldn't need to toggle any other options.
4. Next, press Start. Rufus will give you a warning that your drive will be wiped during the process.
5. On the next screen, choose your Windows 11 restriction settings. I tend to stick with the default options, but you can adjust as you see fit. The only options you shouldn't disable in this situation are the "remove requirements," as that's what you're trying to achieve.

Then, you just have to sit back and wait for the installation to complete.

Before you attempt to upgrade a computer that doesn't fit Microsoft's specific hardware recommendations for Windows 11, I strongly advise you to take a whole system backup.

If the worst happens and you can't boot into Windows 11 or something else in the process breaks and locks you out, you'll at least have a whole system backup to reboot from and start again.

How do I know this is worth doing? This is what happened to me when I tried to use this workaround a few weeks back, and ended up staring at what looked like a dead PC. As I'm sure you'll agree, it's not a fun experience.


On Windows 10, it's surprisingly simple to back up your whole PC.

1. Input backup in the Start menu search bar, and select the Best Match. Note that this uses the older, original Windows backup tool, which is more robust for this type of backup.
2. Next, select where you want to store your backup. Don't choose the drive hosting your operating system, as that will get wiped during the Windows 11 upgrade. You can use an external hard drive with enough storage.
3. Now, select Let me choose. From here, you can choose which files and folders to back up. I tend to back up the C: drive, as this is typically where the operating system is stored. Note that the Windows 11 installation process shouldn't do anything to your other drives—only the target drive for the operating system.
4. Make sure the Include a system image of drives option is checked, then press Next.
5. On the next screen, you can check the settings, then run the backup.

Depending on your drive size, this can take a significant amount of time.






There are two main ways to use the Windows 11 bootable USB drive. The first is to use it to upgrade to Windows 11 directly from Windows 10. This involves inserting the USB drive, letting it check for updates, and allowing the installation process to complete.


This process is simple and straightforward, and gives you the added option of choosing files and folders you want to keep. The other big difference is that the direct upgrade gives you the "Go back" recovery option, which allows you to revert the installation up to 10 days after upgrading. It's a handy additional backup option.


In fairness to Microsoft, its "upgrade in place" option has massively improved over the years. It's a much better prospect than when Windows 11 launched in late 2021, when the process was beset with errors, bugs, data loss, and more problems. I upgraded a laptop from Windows 10 to 11 using this method, and it hasn't had a problem. I also found an older laptop my kids were using had upgraded itself (go Windows?) and was also still working fine.

The other option is the more nuclear version, which is to use the bootable USB drive to make a clean Windows 11 installation. This option doesn't allow you to choose any files or folders to save during the process, but most experts agree that it's the better option as it reduces the chances of errors and other bugs after installation. However, there is no "easy rollback" process during a clean installation, as you're not using the existing Windows 10 files to upgrade. It's a completely new version of Windows.

It sounds like skirting Microsoft's Windows 11 requirements is some sort of underground hack, but in reality, it's just clever tinkering with the installation files. It's also great because it gives you a way to upgrade older machines still running Windows 10, meaning they can still receive important security and feature updates.


I'd really strongly advise you to take the full system backup before making any changes to Windows 10. Just because you can skip the requirements and upgrade to Windows 11 doesn't mean you shouldn't take adequate precautions when doing so.

Drug Lord 2 - Mafia Empire

Download: Drug Lord 2 - Mafia Empire - Apps on Google Play

This game is remake of the original Drug Lord 2 from Windows PC, but i extended it with extra features, like business, drug lab, property and etc..
Welcome to the high-risk world of drug dealing! In this game you assume the role of a wannabe drug dealer with a couple of thousand bucks in your pocket. It is your goal to turn that small investment into as much wealth as you can in just 50 days by selling and buying drugs. You can boost days if you earn bigger rank, or buy business. Be warned though, the life of a drug dealer is a risky one; it seems everyone is out to do you harm in one way or another--the police, street gangs, loan sharks, and yes, even your own customers.

Main features:
- 50 Starting days, what can be extend to few houndred
- 6 Ranks
- 17 Drugs
- 15 Cities
- 19 Business
- 17 Druglabs
- 9 Property
- 10 Weapons + 2 type of armor
- 5-10% Bank invest rate
- Leaderboard

Finally... it is spring training time which means baseball is around the corner. I love football and I love basketball and enjoy watching some golf but there just isn't a game that I enjoy more than a good baseball game. It is likely due to the fact that it was the only game I grew up playing and strived to be decent at. I am all in as a MLB fan and can't wait for the season to start. I will be holding my breath that DirecTV will once again give me their baseball package because of my loyalty. They gifted me the NBA package which I don't really care for. I watch college basketball but only watch the NBA when I can't find anything on TV. If DTV isn't kind enough to gift me the MBL package this year I will be a consumer. I see their price is now $150 for the season. I doesn't not include any spring training or post season coverage.

Tried plugging it into my PC. The tablet opens but nothing shows.Even though I have lots of stuff on it.
What am I doing wrong?
Love the tablet but want to put more on it to save me squinting at my phone.

I swipe down to get to the quick settings (or whatever it's called), and no matter how many times I've set it to auto rotate the screen, it's switched back to either portrait or landscape lock a few minutes later. When it goes to landscape lock all on it's own, it's making a lot of stuff difficult as you'd expect. Is this a common issue?

I did ask co pilot this but English seems to fail me from time to time:

PlayStore → Profile icon → Settings → General → Auto-update apps→ Turn off
This keeps your phone clean.

- I do not see the Auto-update apps in my profile, anyone can look this up for me... Unless it means via p.c.

Hello.

I have two separate questions I was hoping someone could help me with.

1) I noticed that the "flip to shhh" feature that automatically puts the phone into "Do Not Disturb" mode when it is set on a table face down is gone. Was it discontinued on purpose, or was it an accident? I'm only curious, because I liked that feature, and would like to see it return.

2) Yesterday I sent my sister a text with the name of a website that she asked me for. I only wanted to send her an ordinary text which included "----.com" in my message. The moment I hit the send button... POOF!... my phone automatically added an advertisement for the website onto my text. I can see how many people would think that that is pretty cool, but I did not like it. I did not like content being automatically added to my message that I did not include on my own. Is there a way to turn this off?

Thank you for your assistance.

My friend's phone is stuck on what appears to be some kind of download screen. I think it might be a virus. He has been visiting rather unsavory sites. I cannot shut the phone off or do much of anything with it except take a picture or two with my own substandard Moto G Stylus camera. By the way, it's a relatively new Samsung from Cricket. He's had it maybe a few months

We can ill afford to lose any members so this is fair warning to treat your significant other with a bit of Valentine Love. Even just a gesture of caring will suffice. DON'T LET THE 14th PASS without some sign that you still care. Trust me on this one. 🤣
When my wife and I started dating, we both had loose ends hanging out there. It was Valentine's day that we committed to each other. Lord save me if I ever forget the date. Seriously, it is a special day and it's sad that a day has to be set aside to express one's love for another. Never let it be "understood". Love is special!

Recently the Moto G Stylus has begun not to "wake up" when it's jostled, grabbed, etc. Before it was maybe too sensitive. Now I have to make sure it's plugged in and take it off the charger. I checked out gestures and told it to work with both tapping and moving, but no dice.

I know I posted about this maybe a year ago but cannot find it. As godawful as they already were, understaffed, overpriced and rising, they've really taken the cake this time. They are NO LONGER ACCEPTING CASH?!@$ They have a lot of nerve trying to screw over regular people without platinum cards or private jets. How do they stay in business? Their employees hate working for them. Let's all tell as many as possible about the horror that is public storage and hope they'll just vanish.

It seems crazy that it's Baseball time again. However, I'm very ready for some baseball. I enjoy football and college basketball. I even enjoy golf but my love is baseball. I hope to be so fortunate for DTV to gift me the baseball package again this year but if not, I'll be a buyer.
I love watching the games. It doesn't take complete attention to watch baseball which give me the chance to read or play on the internet while the games are on. There are some rule changes for 2026. The ABS system will be implanted.
This is grabbed from the net:
Starting in the 2026 season, Major League Baseball will officially implement the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System across all 30 ballparks for regular and postseason games. Players will retain the ability to challenge, with teams receiving two challenges per game to review umpire calls.
Key 2026 MLB Rules:

• ABS Challenge System: Human umpires remain on the field, but hitters, pitchers, and catchers can challenge called balls and strikes, which will be verified by Hawk-Eye tracking cameras.
• Challenge Mechanics:Players signal a challenge by tapping their head; if successful, the team retains the challenge
  .
• • Expanded Replay: Additional updates include expanded replay capabilities and further refined pace-of-play adjustments.
  • Implementation: Following extensive testing in the minors, this system will be used in all 2026 Spring Training, regular-season, and postseason games.

The initiative aims to improve accuracy in critical situations, with successful challenges resulting in the pitch being displayed on stadium videoboards.

The ABS system becoming official pleases me. If they are going to show me a strike zone and slow-mo the bad calls, I need for the players to have the ability to challenge or take the superimposed strike zone out of my picture.

I'm ready for some baseball!!

I haven't watched any competitions yet but did manage to watch some of the opening ceremony.
I always enjoy the thrill and drama displayed at the games. When you consider the effort and dedication to become an elite competitor on the world's largest stage, it's mind blowing. And to peak at your ability during the games and be so fortunate to not falter in your one chance to excel against athletes that have invested their life to out perform you is incredible odds. I admire the athletes and enjoy watching them compete.

Just recently I did save some files. When I went to save more, it wouldn't. The only reason I did not include those the first time was that they somehow got bumped. I figured maybe uncleared cache was to blame but apparently that wasn't it. Late last night I did reboot the phone, which took a looong time. Other than this it seems to be running normally.

This Sunday will be the big Superbowl Sunday. I remember back in the day of hosting or attending some pretty wild parties and watching the big game. Mostly I remember lots of smoking and grilling going on before the game. That was the past. The past decade or so we have just hung out and watched the game. I usually manage to cook something good on the patio but we don't party down on the big day. I will do the same this year. I hope to smoke out something tasty for the occasion. Do you have any big plans for the Sunday game? Special eats or people to party with? Even when the game isn't fun to watch... the commercials are often entertaining. I hope you have fun.

Error in payment​

Installed 'Paybyphone' and 'Google Pay' a few weeks ago and registered with Google Pay to use car parks.
I don't use any other payment methods on my Galaxy A33
After working well for few weeks it has stopped working with 'Payment error'
Advice Please.

I get a 'contact 101000' message on the phone

OB don't you ever go home ??????