How-To Geek

I'm on the record saying the Oscars are my favorite awards show in pop culture. For me, it's like watching a championship game in sports. You better believe I'm filling out a ballot to see if I can predict the night's biggest upsets, though I missed on Michael B. Jordan winning Best Actor at the 2026 Oscars.

The sportswagon or shooting brake is (normally) the calling card of European premium and luxury brands. Historically, this style of vehicle was designed to carry a gentleman’s party and their gear, essentially merging the sleek styling of a sports car with the extended cargo space of a wagon. In modern terms, it describes a vehicle that prioritizes an athletic silhouette and interior comfort while still offering the utility of a traditional SUV or crossover.

The Netflix machine never stops. The streaming giant continues to release hit movies that capture a massive audience. The latest example is Apex, a riveting thriller that premiered on April 24. Apex is our top movie of the week to watch on Netflix in the U.S. because of its gripping premise and massive star power.

Every so often, a background or supporting character does such a good job at stealing scenes from the stars of a show or movie that Hollywood has no choice but to take notice. And sometimes, they're given the chance to shine in their own spinoff. We know the success stories (Frasier Crane and Saul Goodman come to mind) and the flops (Joey, we had such high hopes), but bit players have been proving their worth at the top of the marquee for decades, often shining brighter than their original incarnations.

Physically carrying media between computers, known as "sneakernet," is one of the oldest "networking" protocols in that it lets me share files between machines. Despite the availability of cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox, I still use sneakernet in some situations.

Microsoft’s free productivity suite for Windows power users has never sat still for long. After introducing a dockable command palette last month, the company is back with PowerToys 0.99, and this time, it might be the most feature-packed release in recent months. This version brings two brand-new utilities along with refinements to the existing features. From better monitor management to smarter window controls, this version update is worth looking at.

Android Auto is the same Android that's running on your phone, but with a very limited interface. That's the point, of course, but you'd be surprised by how many Android apps are actually supported by Android Auto. Here are four apps you might typically think of as phone apps, but work as full-fledged Android Auto apps as well.

Reliability has always been a big deal in the U.S. car market because for most people, a car isn’t a luxury—it’s how daily life actually happens. With long distances and limited public transport in many areas, drivers need something they can trust without constantly worrying about breakdowns or expensive surprises.

I recently attended the unveiling of Hyundai’s latest flagship three-row electric SUV trim level at a media event near the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Ellabell, Georgia. The newly revealed vehicle is the 2027 Hyundai IONIQ 9 AWD Performance Calligraphy Black Ink, and it made a striking first impression.

Canonical has outlined plans to bring AI features to Ubuntu Linux over the next year, with major implications for how the distribution will evolve.

Google Fi is one of many alternatives to the “big carriers,” but it offers a few perks that set it apart from the others. If you happen to travel a lot, it’s an especially attractive option. Here’s why I like to keep Google Fi in my suitcase.

USB ports on a NAS are there for a reason. You might occasionally need to plug in some stuff, like peripherals, or maybe even charge a device. Using it as a method for expanding storage, though? Please don't.

It feels a bit like the clock got rolled back, because gas prices aren’t exactly doing anyone any favors right now. Sitting anywhere from around four to five dollars a gallon on average, and even higher in places like California, filling up isn’t exactly painless.

From the day I learned to read, I've been an avid comic book reader. Graphic novels, superhero stories, science fiction, cyberpunk, and fantasy all line my bookshelves (and e-reader).

Back in the day, I wanted a Sony Discman for a long time, and when I finally got one, I fell in love. The experience was far from perfect, however. Devices such as iPods and smartphones made it easy to forget just how bad using CDs could actually be.

Google Translate may not be the company’s flashiest app, but it’s one of the most important. It launched 20 years ago on this day, and to celebrate, the Android app is getting a much-requested feature: pronunciation practice.

Printers are one of the most frustrating pieces of consumer tech. Despite decades of incredible progress in all other areas of consumer tech, it seems like printers are still living in 1999—just with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth instead of a parallel port.

For as long as Android phones have existed, they’ve stuck with a tried-and-true UI. You get a home screen with a dock of icons, and a “multitasking” screen with recent apps. I wanted something better, so I looked to another tried-and-true UI: the Windows taskbar.

Get ready for Coach Lasso and his positive affirmations to return this summer. Apple TV announced that Ted Lasso season 4 will premiere in the U.S. and around the world on August 5, 2026.

For years, Excel was powerful but temperamental. You learned pretty quickly to walk on eggshells around your formulas just to keep things from breaking. But while most of us were building workarounds and muscle-memory fixes, Microsoft was quietly upgrading the engine under the hood in ways that weren't obvious from the surface.