Technology

4 useful Excel projects beginners can finish in under an hour

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 22:30

Are you staring at a sea of empty cells and don't know where to begin? Excel feels far less intimidating when you treat it as a toolbox instead of a test. These beginner-friendly projects help you create practical trackers and planners in under an hour while learning core skills.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Skip the new Mazda CX-5—This used turbo model is more luxurious and fun

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 21:45

The newest version of Mazda’s compact SUV may be more modern and more practical than ever before, but not every change has been for the better. As automakers continue moving toward bigger screens, softer driving dynamics, and broader mainstream appeal, some of the sharpness and character that once made certain crossovers stand out is starting to disappear. That is exactly why some buyers may be better off shopping slightly used instead of buying brand new.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I automated 5 boring tasks by letting Claude control my PC

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 20:45

You probably already use Claude for the occasional question or writing your emails, but that’s barely scratching the surface of what it can do. There’s a big difference between using Claude as a chatbot and using it as an automation tool that quietly handles the parts of your digital life you’ve been avoiding for years. If you’ve been curious about what agentic AI actually looks like in everyday life, here are five boring tasks I automated with Claude.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Elon Musks SpaceX could go public by next month

Mashable - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 20:36

Elon Musk's space exploration company, SpaceX, could be going public sooner than many expected.

According to a new report from Reuters, SpaceX is "accelerating" its IPO launch in hopes of going public next month. SpaceX is aiming to make the official announcement this week to promote the IPO launch to potential investors in June. 

SEE ALSO: The Musk vs Altman trial: What happens next

Musk's space company is eyeing a June 12 listing date, with an early share sale the day before. SpaceX would be listed under the SPCX ticker on Nasdaq.

According to previous reports, SpaceX is seeking a valuation of more than $1.75 trillionMusk and the company have recently made moves that clearly show intent to launch SpaceX as a publicly traded company. Earlier this year, Musk's SpaceX acquired Musk's AI company xAI in order to bolster the combined company's value.

In addition, recently announced deals between SpaceX and big tech and AI companies would certainly be eye-catching for potential investors.

Just last week, a report found that Google was in talks with SpaceX to launch rockets into space for orbital AI data centers. Musk previously touted these data centers in space as essential for future AI technology and a prime reason as to why SpaceX needed to acquire xAI.  Prior to that news report, AI company Anthropic and SpaceX announced a partnership that included potential orbital AI data centers.

All signs point to SpaceX going public – and very soon. The only thing that's unclear at this time is exactly what date the IPO launch will take place. And, it seems we may also know that in the near future, too.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Google Pixel’s best feature finally has its own app, and it’s now my favorite part of my phone

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 20:30

Now Playing wasn’t one of the reasons I wanted to switch to Pixel. I knew about it and, aside from thinking, "Okay, so it's an offline Shazam, whatever," I didn’t give it much thought. Worse still, the feature was completely broken during the first few days of owning my Pixel 10 Pro, so I couldn’t even test it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

These 4 underrated Pixar movies will be remembered as classics

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 20:00

Pixar is the champion of animation, but not all of their movies have had the chance to shine. For 40 years, the studio has brought families together across 30 movies. Certain movies never enter the discussion of being among the studios' best — they were overshadowed by other films, or they went direct-to-streaming on Disney+.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your old phone is a $300 Wi-Fi diagnostic tool in disguise

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 19:30

We all have one sitting in a drawer somewhere. That phone you replaced two or three years ago, still working fine but gathering dust because the battery isn't quite what it used to be, or because the camera on the new one is just better. You keep telling yourself you'll do something with it eventually.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I set up Home Assistant voice control for my to-do list — here's what actually worked

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 19:01

Far too often, I think of something to add to my to-do list, but then by the time I've gotten around to opening the list and adding the tasks, I've forgotten what it was. I decided to see if I could quickly add tasks to a to-do list with my voice by using Home Assistant.

Categories: IT General, Technology

6 Windows services I disabled to fix my sluggish PC

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 18:30

While I’ve got a pretty solid gaming desktop, my partner is still rocking an ancient Windows desktop that I used for gaming for a few years before I built a new gaming PC in 2020. It’s powered by what was once an excellent budget gaming CPU, the dual-core Intel Pentium G4560, along with an AMD Radeon R9 270 GPU, and only 4GB of RAM. The machine originally had 8GB of DDR4 RAM running in dual-channel mode, but one of the sticks died a few years ago.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 more great Netflix miniseries you can binge in one sitting

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 18:15

I miss the days of binging one show over the course of several months. It’s how I completed shows like The Wire and Friday Night Lights. I must admit that I streamed the shows in college when I had significantly more free time on my hands. Since I write about entertainment for a living, I have less spare time to watch long-running shows that take weeks. Occasionally, I just need a show that I can finish on a Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Colin Jost and Michael Che swap Weekend Update jokes in SNL season finale

Mashable - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 18:01

Tradition continues on Weekend Update.

On the season 51 finale of Saturday Night Live, Colin Jost and Michael Che continued their long-running gag of writing each other's jokes to cap the season's last Weekend Update.

From penis jokes to Michael Jackson references, Jost and Che made sure this season's Weekend Update joke swap was as brutal as ever. Also, it seems like Jost just promised a big hairstyle change, courtesy of what Che wrote for him to say, of course.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Powerline adapters solve Ethernet's biggest problem for $60

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 18:00

Before I made the jump to a unified mesh Wi-Fi network, I was confronted with the conundrum of moving into a bigger house, and suddenly having no Wi-Fi signal in my office or in our bedroom.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Ghost of Jeffrey Epstein visits Trump in the SNL season finale cold open

Mashable - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 17:46

Just because it's the middle of Spring doesn't mean we can't get a little parody of "A Christmas Carol" on Saturday Night Live in May.

In the season 51 finale of SNL on Saturday, President Donald Trump, played by cast member James Austin Johnson, falls asleep in the Oval Office. However, Trump is soon visited by the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein, played by host Will Ferrell.

SEE ALSO: Will Ferrell confronts his look-alike during his 'SNL' monologue

Ferrell's Epstein gives Trump a look into the future, offering the president a peek at what his cabinet members, past and present, will be up to, ostensibly, after they leave their positions. The cold open also features Ashley Padilla as former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Colin Jost as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Aziz Ansari as FBI Director Kash Patel.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Aurora Store, Obtanium, and 2 more: The Android app stores Google doesn't want you to know about

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 17:30

Google Play Store might be the default app store on Android, but the good thing about Android is that it gives you a choice. That includes the choice of the software store. Here are some alternatives to the Google Play Store worth checking out.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This 10-minute Home Assistant automation saves me hours every week

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 17:15

Sometimes you can spend hours creating a Home Assistant automation that saves you about 30 seconds. On rare occasions, however, it's the other way round. I set up an automation in just a few minutes that saves me far more time each day.

Categories: IT General, Technology

"Private DNS" isn't as private as you think

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 17:00

Switching on "private DNS" feels like flipping the privacy switch. The name alone makes it sound like a one-click solution to keep your browsing habits to yourself, hidden from your ISP, your network admin, and anyone else who might be peeking at your traffic.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This Android task killer promised to speed up your phone—until Google found out what it was really doing

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 16:45

Before smartphones, most people’s experience with operating systems was from computers. Naturally, many of those desktop habits carried over, and malicious Android developers were more than happy to take advantage.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why I stopped using third-party antivirus on Windows

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 16:33

Not so long ago, running a Windows PC without some kind of special antivirus would have all but ensured that your PC got infected with malware. Now, however, the situation is different. Microsoft has made huge improvements to the operating system, and you probably don't need to pay up for antivirus.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Windows 11 looks and runs better without transparency or animations—here's how to disable both

How-To Geek - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 16:30

While it can be subtle, Windows 11 is filled with lots of little animations and details that give the OS an overall impression of being shiny and modern. Of course, this is only skin-deep, but setting aside whether Windows 11 actually is shiny and modern under the hood, these aesthetic effects aren't free.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Will Ferrell confronts his look-alike during his SNL monologue

Mashable - Sun, 05/17/2026 - 16:28

Saturday Night Live had its Season 51 finale over the weekend as former cast member Will Ferrell hosted the show for his sixth time.

However, before Ferrell could come out and perform his hosting duties, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers attempted a coup. Smith came out first to open the show, hitting the stage and acting as if he were Ferrell. There's been a long-running joke that Ferrell and Smith, the drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, bear a striking resemblance to each other, and SNL continued the gag on its final show of the season.

Shortly after Smith thanked the audience, Ferrell came out dressed exactly like Smith, claiming the drummer had attacked him backstage as part of his takeover attempt.

Ferrell convinces Smith to get off the stage but the former SNL cast member acts as if the whole ordeal has thrown for a loop and has trouble getting back to his duties as host. Ferrell decides to take questions from the audience, and the first question is from a very casual audience member – Sir Paul McCartney.

The legendary musician believes that Ferrell is actually the imposter Smith and demands Ferrell leave the stage and get back to his drum set, where he belongs.

Categories: IT General, Technology
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