How-To Geek

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We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 20 min 37 sec ago

Taylor Sheridan's next Paramount movie is based on a video game, not Yellowstone

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 23:45

Taylor Sheridan is hanging up his cowboy hat and entering the video game world for a new project at Paramount. Sheridan is best known for creating the Yellowstone empire and all of its spin-offs. However, Sheridan's new movie will be an adaptation of Call of Duty.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The last Android 17 Beta is rolling out now

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 22:58

The Android 17 beta releases are really heating up now. After a month between Beta 2 and Beta 3, Android 17 Beta 4 is now available just three weeks later. This is the last “scheduled” beta release, meaning the stable update is only a few months away.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why this American midsize SUV beats pricier German rivals

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 22:31

The current-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee has been on the market for a few years now, and the 2026 update brings a mild refresh with sharper styling and updated tech. It still sits in that sweet spot as an American midsize SUV trying to punch into the premium space.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 new shows to watch this weekend across Netflix, Prime Video, and more (April 17-19)

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 22:00

The first few weeks of April have kicked off the final seasons for several marquee shows. The Boys is now three episodes into its fifth and final season on Prime Video, while Hacks recently kicked off its last run on HBO Max. Elsewhere, Euphoria ended its four-year hiatus with an explosive season 3 premiere. What's great about television is that we can do it all again this weekend with a new crop of shows.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Intel's new Core Series 3 CPUs are timely answers to soaring laptop prices

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 21:49

Intel has delivered what could be an antidote to surging PC prices, however unintentionally. The chip giant has launched Core Series 3 mobile processors (codenamed Wildcat Lake) that share the same architectural roots and 18A manufacturing process as Core Ultra Series 3 (aka Panther Lake), but are aimed at "value buyers" watching every cent.

Categories: IT General, Technology

4 smart ways to use your 2026 tax refund to save thousands on your car

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 21:46

It’s April, which means two things are likely true: spring is finally here, and you’ve either just received or are anxiously awaiting your tax refund. According to the latest IRS data, the average refund for the 2026 filing season will be around $3,521.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Android's new Tap to Share sounds great, but it has one fatal flaw

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 21:01

It’s no secret that Android and iPhone regularly borrow from each other. Usually, the features on one side are useful to the other side, too. However, Google is currently in the process of adopting a classic iPhone feature, and I have my doubts that Android users will care.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This Linux shell revives the worst version of Windows, and it's glorious

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 20:33

Believe it or not, there are people who actually miss the Windows 8 interface. One enthusiast liked it so much that they decided to recreate the Windows 8 Metro user interface for Linux systems. I tried it, and it's easily the most janky-but-lovable graphical interface I've ever seen.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This hybrid SUV could be the only car you need for 20 years

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 20:30

Cars have gotten a lot more tech-heavy over the past decade, and that hasn’t always made them simpler or easier to live with. A big reason is the push to electrify internal combustion engines to meet stricter emissions rules, which forces modern cars to balance regulations with what drivers actually want.

Categories: IT General, Technology

After 20 years of building PCs, here's why I'm finally buying a prebuilt

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 20:00

I built my first PC in my early teens, and I just never really stopped. A passion for building desktops turned into a career, and two decades later, I still love everything about the process of building a PC, from picking the parts to actually assembling them and benchmarking the final rig.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Jellyfin's free plugins do what Plex charges for—and then some

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 19:45

Although I'm a long-time Plex user, I also keep its best open-source alternative, Jellyfin, installed alongside it. One of the things I admire most about Jellyfin is its support for plugins, which let developers flex their creative muscles and add features that Plex either charges for or doesn't offer at all. Here are some of my favorites.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Raspberry Pi projects to try this weekend (April 17 - 19)

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 19:30

Are you ready to dive into a weekend full of fun and functional Raspberry Pi projects? Today, I’ll show you how to track your internet speed, display some motivational quotes, and even build a custom touchscreen macro keypad for your setup.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop waiting for your PC to fail: 5 warning signs I check every month

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 19:14

When every little thing costs a small (or big) fortune, now's not the time to go shopping for a new PC. It's more important than ever to stay on top of maintenance and to keep an eye on the state of your computer. This helps you step in before anything ever goes south, and can save you lots of time and money on unnecessary repairs, replacements, and upgrades.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Thinking about a Meta Quest 3 or 3S? Buy it before the April 19 price hike

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 19:09

You'll want to act quickly if you've been eying a Meta VR headset, as the company is raising prices for its entire Quest lineup on April 19. The entry-level Meta Quest 3S with 128GB of storage will climb from its current $300 to $350, while the 256GB version will jump from $400 to $450. The steepest increase affects the flagship Quest 3, which will surge from $500 to $600 for its lone 512GB variant.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Transmission flushes: When they help and when they hurt your car

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 18:30

If you’ve ever read the phrase "lifetime fluid" with regard to vehicle maintenance, you might be tempted to breathe a sigh of relief. It sounds like one less bill to worry about. However, lifetime in this context is more of a marketing term referring to the length of your vehicle’s factory warranty, not its actual life beyond that.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Skip the long shows—6 best miniseries you can finish in one weekend

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 18:15

Nothing makes me happier than a free weekend. Between the grind of the 9-to-5 lifestyle and the pressure of fulfilling social obligations, a weekend of rest and relaxation feels like a luxury. If I find myself with an open weekend, I love to start a show that I know I can finish before work on Monday morning.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This deal saves you $80 a year on YouTube Premium, but there's a catch

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 18:13

Hot on the heels of YouTube Premium’s recent price hike, Google is quietly dangling a discount that may or may not soften the sting depending on how deep you’re already in the company's ecosystem.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I tried to ditch cloud storage for self-hosting. Three drives and a mini PC later, I gave up

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 17:58

I don’t like the idea of storing my files on someone else’s PC, losing access whenever the internet goes down and having to trust strangers not to take a peak—and that was before companies started training AI models on whatever files they could get their hands on. I’ve long dreamed of going local only, but I’m starting to realize the many ways in which self-hosting my own cloud is worse.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3 clever Home Assistant projects to try this weekend (April 17 - 19)

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 17:45

There are some parts of your home that are full of smart home devices; I have a lot of smart devices in my living room, kitchen, and bedroom, for example. Other areas can often get neglected, including utility rooms or even your outdoor space. Here are some Home Assistant projects that can give those areas some love.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The 15 terminal commands that made me forget about Linux file managers

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 17:30

Whether your file manager is KDE’s Dolphin, GNOME’s Files, or an alternative, it’s probably an essential part of your workflow, used daily to navigate and organize your files. However, Linux users have been performing these tasks for decades, long before GUI desktops even existed.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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