How-To Geek

October is slowly coming to an end, but Halloween is still a top priority for Netflix. The streamer has plenty of horror hits for spooky season, including The Black Phone and Fear Street. I don't mind watching something that can scare me, but I prefer to stream thrillers.

Although USB-A's color-coded cables and ports may be a nuisance to navigate, there's no replacing this tech, old as it may be. While USB-C is endlessly more convenient, convenience isn't everything, even in 2026.

Many Linux veterans still vouch for Vim for editing documents and writing code. As a Linux user myself, I can see why. When many companies are going AI-first with their code editors, Vim stays true to what it was meant for: a simple terminal text editor that makes you efficient while programming.

Do you, like me, obsess over your Claude sessions, trying to optimize everything down to a single token? If so, you’re in good company — I’ve been trying everything to stretch my $20 Claude Pro subscription as far as I can. However, all your tweaks and adjustments only work if you’re building them on a solid foundation. As it turns out, the way I was using Claude was actually working against me and inflating my token usage from the very first message.

As someone who tries to spend one weekend night at a theater, I see as many movies as I can. Not all of these movies will be masterpieces. Some might even feel like a waste of time, though I can usually justify why I watched them in the first place. Like most cinephiles, I have a sixth sense for a certain type of movie: one I don't have to rewatch.

Say you want to copy a file to another folder on your Windows PC, but not for backup purposes. If you just want to have the same file appear in multiple folders, you don’t have to copy it the usual way, where each copy takes up the full amount of storage space. What you can do instead is hard link it, which makes the same file show up in another folder, indistinguishable from the original, with the benefit of this “copy” not using any extra storage.

Tools looking grimy from years of neglect? Thinking of selling a driver or sander and want to get top dollar for it? Here’s how to get your tools looking their best, with a proper clean.

Terminal apps have a reputation for being too minimal, confusing, and useful only for technical workflows. And while that might have been true a few years ago, modern terminal apps are a lot more intuitive and functional, covering plenty of everyday computing use cases. This makes them excellent lightweight alternatives to typical desktop apps. In fact, here are five TUI (terminal user interface) apps that have completely replaced GUI (graphical user interface) apps in my workflow.

I'm no stranger to finding weird things for my USB drives to do, such as repurposing them as "rescue drives." But this year, with the RAM shortage spilling over to every area of the PC market, I've found new ways to make good use of just about every piece of tech that I own. From a tiny file server to a retro gaming console, here's what I used my USB flash drives for in 2026.

I switched to Jellyfin from Plex some time ago, and I haven't looked back. While Jellyfin gives me control over my media collection, its clients don't always feel designed for people who run their own servers. The free and open-source Moonfin client supports Jellyfin and Emby and was built specifically with homelabbers in mind.

Microsoft has spent what feels like years pushing Copilot updates into Excel, but for me, it's the little usability improvements that make the biggest difference when you use the app every day. A small change to a dialog box can save you a few clicks, remove an annoying extra step, or make a good habit easier to stick to. One recent change to the way Excel creates tables is a good example, and it's something I've wanted for years.

I regularly need to move files between my Linux PC and my Android phone, but there are surprisingly few good options. You can manually attach your phone to the PC, email the files to yourself, or use a cloud storage service, but those options are either clunky or involve more steps than I'd like. KDE Connect is great for transferring a few files now and then, but it isn't designed as a sync program.

Want to 3D print items that live outside? One option is to throw caution to the wind, print with whatever material you like, and seal everything up with an aftercoat. Unfortunately, this requires time and money, and things can still wear with time.

When people think of homelabbing, they often picture endless racks of servers and tangled cables. In reality, a $50 refurbished office PC can be all you really need to start self-hosting apps on a home server. But before spending your money on one, run through this checklist to make sure you're actually getting a good deal rather than buying e-waste.

Spooky season has officially kicked off, and this month, there are a lot of scares in store for Netflix viewers. From classic horror hits to new-age thrillers, the platform's horror collection is extensive enough to keep your watch list loaded until Halloween.

I don't know about you, but I have more bills, invoices, bank statements, and healthcare documents than I know what to do with. Finding a specific detail, understanding a complicated term, or comparing this month's charges with last month's can take up more time than I'd like, not to mention the frustration involved. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude can make this much easier, but I'm not particularly comfortable with the idea of handing my financial, medical, or other sensitive information over to big tech companies just to get a few questions answered. I have enough concerns about how much data these companies collect without voluntarily giving them more.

When it comes to wireless technologies, most people are aware of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the various cellular standards. However, when you want to send messages or information, there are actually tons of alternative radio-based digital technologies that can get the job done.

Some of the best software in the world is produced entirely by volunteers and released for free. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on many of these tools to stay productive and in control of my Mac.

As a long-term Android user, MagSafe was the biggest source of envy for me when looking at iPhones. Built-in magnets inside smartphones open the door to a million creative accessories, eliminating the need for 3M adhesive or annoying clamps. It is a beautiful solution to a hundred different accessory-related problems.

Did you know that 3D printing and woodworking are very similar? They're actually way more similar than you might think. I've woodworked for longer than I've 3D printed, and these are the tricks that I think you should steal to take your 3D printing to the next level.