A quick search on Google will bring up countless ways to make DIY speakers (or volume boosting amps) for a smartphone. From a paper cup to a glass jar, nearly all of these will give you some extra volume, but which ones work best? We decided to test out a few of the most popular tricks.

To test the volume, we're using the not-entirely-scientific iPad app Decibel Meter Pro to check sound levels from an iPhone 4S's speaker. We'll also use the same song for each method, The Beatles "Helter Skelter" since it starts out nice and loud with the peak around the 12 second mark. Each different amp had its sound directed at the iPad as best as possible.

The average decibel level in the room prior to playing music was 51. With that, let's take a look at the results.

No Amp

Our first test was just the iPhone sitting with no amp on a tabletop. This result of a decibel level of 59 will be our baseline for the amps from here on out.

Decibel Level: 59
Decibel Change: +8
Sound Quality: Poor. Lots of highs and no lows.

Headphones into Paper Cups

We've walked you through this method before. It's essentially shoving a set of earbuds into a paper cup.

Decibel Level: 53
Decibel Change: -6
Sound Quality: Okay. The volume is lower, but the stereo sound provides a nice effect provided you have a quiet place to listen.

Ceramic Cup

The most common variation on the smartphone DIY amp is to place it in some sort of cup. We tested glass and ceramic, but plastic is known to do well too. Here's how the ceramic cup did.

Decibel Level: 60
Decibel Change: +1
Sound Quality: Good. It didn't pick up a lot of volume, but the sound quality increased and made it more clear.

Toilet Paper Roll

We've heard the toilet paper roll doesn't do much good but we decided to try it our for ourselves. As it turns out it kind of stinks.

Decibel Level: 63
Decibel Change: +4
Sound Quality: Poor. Not matter how we shaped the toilet paper roll we couldn't get the music to sound better than when there wasn't an amp at all.

Rolled Up Paper

A rolled up sheet of paper as an amplifier is one of the easiest and most common tricks. You'll get louder sound from a longer roll, but we used one sheet of letter size paper.

Decibel Level: 64
Decibel Change: +5
Sound Quality: Good. Lows sounded better than no amp and the highs seemed to carry further.

Cereal Bowl

Another one of the old tricks is to stick your smartphone into a ceramic cereal bowl. The shape of a bowl supposedly creates a nice little volume boost.

Decibel Level: 64
Decibel Change: +5
Sound Quality: Okay. Some rattling kept the lows from sounding good, but the sound carried far.

Glass Cup

When we covered the smartphone in a glass jar tip before we talked about it as a way to boost your alarm clock sound. It only makes sense it'd be worth trying out for music too.

Decibel Level: 67
Decibel Change: +8
Sound Quality: Poor. It was louder, but the two different glasses we tested it with created an echo effect that was hard to ignore.

Make-Shift Cardboard Amp

When I last worked in an office I only had an ancient PC with a barely functional copy of Windows XP installed on it and no music player. This cardboard construction was my solution. I figured I'd introduce it into the test to see how it faired. It's an oatmeal box cut to fit around the iPhone and project the sound.

Decibel Level: 67
Decibel Change: +8
Sound Quality: Good. The sound quality doesn't change much but it carries well across the room and kept a good mix of the highs and lows.

Paper Cup

37 Signals programmer Sam Stephenson posted the coffee cup as iPhone amp a while back. It might not seem like paper would boost volume better than the other methods, but it ended up being the loudest in our tests and sounds good.

Decibel Level: 72
Decibel Change: +13
Sound Quality: Good. The paper cup was not only the loudest it also sounded the best regardless of where we were in the room. Quality was on par with non-powered speakers I've heard.

As we noted at the beginning, this isn't exactly the most scientific test in the world and your mileage may vary. For our conditions the paper cup was not just the loudest, but also the best sounding. None of these methods make listening to music great but they do offer a boost so you can hear better.

We've seen quite a few of these tricks over the years so if we missed your favorite method sound off in the comments. If you want to test and post your own results, please do.

Ever been told that you should fully discharge your battery to prolong its life? Or that jailbreaking your phone is illegal? Or that you should wait for the newest Intel processor because it's going to be "so much faster"? These are tech myths we hear all the time, and likely spread to our friends—but most are just a waste of your time (and in some cases, they can actually harm your gadgets). Here are some of the worst offenders.

10. Better Hardware Specs = Better Gadgets

If you're waiting to upgrade your gear until the next big processor comes out, or until the latest Android phone with even more RAM appears, you're probably wasting your time. These days, most hardware specs don't even matter that much. Processors have more power than most users will ever need, and phones come out so often that by the time your dream phone comes out, another one will have already been announced. There are exceptions to these rules, of course—both for computers and smartphones—but in general, stop crying over your current device and just upgrade. You'll be a lot happier once you do.

9. Lossless Music Sounds Better than MP3

While bitrate can make a difference in your music, there's a pretty big misconception that as long as you have a good ear, you can hear the difference between lossless files and MP3. It takes a lot more than just careful listening—you'd need a very fine-tuned ear, some really high-end speakers, and a specific type of music, like classical or jazz. Don't believe me? Take an ABX test with your own music files and find out for yourself. You may be surprised at the results. Of course, that doesn't mean you should junk all those FLAC files—they're still ideal if you want to convert that music to a new format later on. Photo by Tess Watson.

8. Android Task Killers Are Necessary for Good Performance

Not only have we Android users perpetuated this myth, but lots of hardware manufacturers and cellphone carriers will recommend you use a task killer to lengthen your battery life and speed up your phone. Not only will they do nothing for your battery life, but most are designed to solve problems that don't actually exist (like running out of RAM). If you experience performance boosts with a task killer, it's because you're killing a task that's either gone awry (in which case you're better off just rebooting your phone) or because you've downloaded a poorly written app (in which case you should uninstall it). Task killers can cause other problems with your phones, and you shouldn't use them unless you're using a very, very old phone with very, very outdated software. Check out our explainer on task killers to learn more, and if you want to speed up your phone, check out these other tried and true methods instead.

7. Jailbreaking Your Phone Is Illegal

While jailbreaking your phone will definitely void your warranty, people have been going around saying it's actually illegal to do—which is 100% false. The Copyright office has officially said that jailbreaking is completely legal to do with a device you own, as long as you aren't using it to pirate apps, of course. That said, there are a lot of ways you're probably breaking the law without knowing it, so read up on those if you're curious. But if you were holding back on jailbreaking your phone, now would be a great time to check out all its awesome, legal benefits.

6. Mac Users Don't Need to Worry About Malware

Mac users have often touted their computers as "more secure" than Windows PCs, which is a very hotly-contested issue—some say OS X's UNIX underpinnings make it inherently more secure, while others claim it's only because the Mac isn't a big target for viruses. Either way, it's important to note that while viruses aren't as widespread as they are on Windows, Macs are far from immune—in fact, we've already seen a few instances of real Mac malware. Don't let your choice of OS obscure the fact that safe browsing and common sense are the best protection against viruses and other malware. After all, just because that email virus didn't infect you doesn't mean you didn't pass it on to your other Windows-using friends.

5. You Should Buy an Extended Warranty for New Gadgets

No matter how careful you are, we've all broken at least one gadget in our lives—and it may have tempted you to buy an extended warranty the next time. However, extended warranties aren't all they're cracked up to be. Sometimes they only cover half the things that could go wrong, or sometimes the chances of your device failing are just plain slim. Instead, you're better off setting up an extended warranty fund for yourself—as long as you aren't really clumsy, you'll probably come out ahead in the end.

4. You Should Fully Discharge Your Laptop Battery Every Time

Battery life is always at a premium these days, and you've probably heard a whole host of tricks for keeping your battery in tip top shape. This particular myth—that you should fully discharge your battery every time you use it—is left over from old nickel cadmium batteries that suffer from a memory effect no longer present in modern lithium batteries. Today's batteries take less maintenance, but there are still some good ways you can prolong its lifespan, so check out our guide to battery care for more info.

3. Password-Protected Wi-Fi Networks Are Safe from Hackers

So you've heard about how important security is on public Wi-Fi networks, but a lot of people are still misinformed about what really constitutes a public network. Just because your network's protected with a password doesn't mean it's secure. In the case of home networks, it means it's secure from outside hackers, but if you head to a coffee shop or hotel, that network is still public. Anyone with a password can still connect to the network (like other coffee shop patrons) and potentially sniff your traffic. So, unless you're at home, always protect yourself when connected to Wi-Fi—you never know who else is connected. Photo by °Florian.

2. PeerBlock will Keep You Safe and Anonymous on BitTorrent

A lot of BitTorrent users are looking to cover their tracks these days, and most are doing so by enabling encryption and using something like PeerBlock to keep unwanted eyes from watching their downloads. However, this does not make you anonymous in any way—encryption only keeps your ISP from throttling you, and PeerBlock is not even close to being foolproof. If you really want to stay anonymous, you have to use a VPN or a proxy service like BTGuard. You can also use a private tracker, which offers other benefits as well, but still isn't quite as secure as other methods.

1. [Insert Tweak Here] Will Speed Up Your Computer

These are some of the worst myths out there. Everyone's always looking for a quick, free way to drastically increase their computer's speed, and a lot of them are loads of baloney. At best, they'll do nothing, and at worst, they can actually degrade performance. We've talked about a ton of them before, so brush up on your myths before you go trying to speed up your PC. If you really want some speed boosts, upgrade your hardware, or at least make sure you're performing regular maintenance. With proper care, you should never need to do a clean install of Windows again.

Everyone loves the iPhone's headset with volume and music controls on the inline remote, but if you have an Android phone, you can actually get iPhone-designed buds working with your device. All it takes is a little DIY magic.

Android users have a few headphones on the market with inline remotes, but if you already have some iPhone ones lying around—or if you've found a pair of iPhone ones you like better—you can make them Android compatible with a few small resistors. You'll need to be careful opening it up and you'll need to know how to solder, but when you're done, all three buttons should work with any Android device. While you're at it, you may want to check out Headset Button Controller so you can further customize what each button does. Check out the video to see the modded buds in action, and hit the link below for the full how-to.

Galaxy Nexus (and Others) Headset Remote with Media Controls | Instructables via Hack a Day

Feeling indecisive? Need a little help figuring out where to eat, drink, or what music to listen to? Sure, plenty of apps and web sites can help you out, but when you really want to get to the point, nothing beats the direct approach. These helpful sites get right to the point, telling you what the f**k to do.

After having run into a lot of aggressively helpful web sites lately, we thought it might be fun to pull some of our favorites together in one, big TGIFF list.

The F**king Weather

An honorable mention among your picks for best weather web site, The F**king Weather gives you a no-nonsense forecast without bloat or fluff. Just the temperature and a general idea of what it's like outside. Scroll down a bit for the five day f**king forecast.

Where The F**k Should I Go To Eat?

Share your location or type in your zip code, and the webapp will find you a restaurant in your neighborhood, complete with a link to the restaurant's site and a Google Map showing you how to get there. Don't like it? Click "No, that place looks like s**t" for a new suggestion. Obviously works best when you have a lot of options in your area, but it came up with great suggestions when I tested it.

Where The F**k Should I Go For Drinks?

Made by the same folks behind Where The F**k Should I Go To Eat?, this webapp uses your location or zip code to suggest a bar or brewpub in your area where you can enjoy a tasty adult beverage. Refresh for a different recommendation.

What The F**k Should I Make for Dinner?

If you feel like cooking in instead, this site will help you figure out what you should make this evening—and link you to the recipe. Vegetarian? Click the "I don't f**king eat meat" at the bottom of the page for a veggie-friendly option, or "I don't f**king like that" for a new recipe.

What The F**k Should I Listen To Now?

Need a little help figuring out what to listen to once your playlist is over? Pandora not holding your attention anymore? Type in an artist to What The F**k Should I Listen To Now? and let the site's last.fm-powered search come up with a suggestion for you, complete with an artist bio.

The F**king Time

Yup, it's a clock. Select your time zone from the drop-down menu, and you've got the f**king time, down to the second.

Learn Your Damn Homophones

For those folks looking for more ammo in their grammar cannons, Learn Your Damn Homophones may not have f**king in the title, but it isn't afraid to drop the f-bomb in support of a good cause: namely making sure people can tell the difference between "affect" and "effect," "complement" and "compliment," and "loose" versus "lose," among others.

Honorable Mentions

For those of you who work with social media every day, maybe What The F**k Is My Social Media Strategy can help you figure out what exactly your company is doing on Facebook or Twitter. According to the site, you're probably "Exposing new users to the brand through organic conversations," whatever that actually means. Also, getting in shape is that much easier when you follow The F**king Trainer on Twitter. He'll praise you when you feel the burn, but he won't pull punches when you slack off.

If you're looking to expand your vocabulary, try The F**king Word Of The Day, a blog and iOS app that will expose you to a new English word every morning—and not all of them are profane, we promise.

Update: A few of you have mentioned What F**king Gifts Should I Buy as another great site in the same category - if you need to buy gifts, especially around the holidays, they're straight, to the point, and actually offer some really good gift ideas. Thanks to everyone who sent it in!

Finally, if you want to build your own version of one of these sites, it's easier than you think: just pick up the WTF Engine over at Github, load it up on your own host, and start telling the world what the f**k you want them to know. Have any sites we missed in the roundup? Think this is all too profane for your tender tastes? Whatever you think, let us know in the comments below.