How-To Geek

Lengthy software support has become one of the main selling points in modern smartphones. Manufacturers that offer only three or four years of updates are often criticized when competitors promise half a decade or more of support, even on mid-range phones.

You probably have a lot of old hardware that has outlived its usefulness. And if you're desperately looking for storage in these dire times of price hikes, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Whether you're an Excel novice or a seasoned spreadsheet pro, we all share one dream: for our formulas to just... work. These five data integrity habits ensure your data stays clean, and your formulas stay functional, giving you more time to focus on the stuff that actually matters.

I’m old enough to say that I’ve been a Sonos user pretty much since the start, and let’s be honest—the last couple of years have been tough on the brand. They’re still recovering from the app overhaul gaffe that frustrated a lot of customers (myself included), while competitors like Bluesound and Wiim have taken a few bites out of their lunch.

After months of rumors, leaks, and speculation, Apple has finally revealed its new affordable laptop: the MacBook Neo. There are some notable downgrades compared to the MacBook Air, but it looks like a fantastic computer for $599, and education customers can get it for just $499.

Lossless Scaling often gets framed as cheap frame generation. It's true: It costs $7, and it can do incredible things, such as bringing your old Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU out of retirement for the purpose of being a second GPU.

Open Microsoft Word in 2026, and before you type a single word, you're greeted by a search bar, a ribbon full of icons, a Share button, templates, and an AI assistant in the margins. All you wanted was a blank page. Instead, you got a dashboard.

Your smart home can make your life a little easier, but it can also make your home safer. There are several smart home sensors that can help to protect you and your home.

New homeowners getting ready for upcoming projects or maintenance will want to find power tools that balance power, price, and versatility, all in a compact form factor. You have several brands to choose from, and Milwaukee is a popular option among DIYers and professionals.

These days, new phones come with brighter screens, more RAM, and increased durability, but there was also a time when an important aspect of considering a new phone involved checking its selection of ports. Quite a few ports came and went before Android phones settled on the one USB port to rule them all.

Your smart home going down can be a real pain. There may be automations you rely on daily that suddenly no longer work. If there's a power outage, your smart home doesn't have to give up the ghost.

Remember when cord-cutting and canceling cable were all about saving money? It's no secret that streaming services just keep getting more expensive. Sling TV started at $20 per month and now costs double that, and YouTube TV launched at $35 but slowly ballooned to over $80. Last spring, I canceled my service and went a different route that only cost me around $40 for the entire year.

If you run a Pi-Hole server, you probably, like me, have experienced downtime when updating or rebooting the server. To fix this, I started running two Pi-Hole instances. Here's how I did it, and how I keep them in sync, too.

Whether you're a beginner or a hardened Bash-writing veteran, there's always room for picking up new tips. Some of the best ones take only moments to learn but are so transformative that they change your entire approach. I have four that will unscramble your Bash spaghetti into a well-formatted work of art.

National Vehicle Safety Recalls week is March 2nd through the 8th here in the United States, raising awareness of the importance of checking for open recalls on our vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) organizes the campaign, which coincides with the spring-cleaning season, but it's good practice to check for recalls on your car year-round.

Magnetic USB-C cables (the kind that use a dongle to connect) sound like the perfect convenience hack for ultra-fast wired charging, especially if you're not on the wireless charging bandwagon or if we're talking about a device that doesn't support it, like a laptop.

There was a time when saving a computer program sounded like a modem arguing with a fax machine. Before floppy drives were crunching and grinding away in our homes, the humble cassette was an affordable and effective way to sell, store, and record data.

One of the easiest ways to up your Linux terminal game without memorizing a ton of commands is just to start using TUIs. These are the ones I keep on virtually all day long while I work on my Linux computers.

Affordable luxury SUVs often promise premium style and features, but many fall short when it comes to long-term value and everyday usability. In 2026, one compact luxury SUV manages to deliver upscale design, advanced technology, and strong efficiency without carrying the high ownership costs usually associated with the segment. The Lexus UX stands out as the smartest choice for buyers who want true luxury at an attainable price.

Smart switches aren't only for controlling lights. These switches can control anything your prior wall switch could, and that means you can have much more fun with a smart switch than you might expect.