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: 1 hour 20 min ago

Claude Code killed my need for an IDE—and I'm not going back

1 hour 27 min ago

IDEs, or integrated development environments, have long been a staple of the development world. I’ve used one for decades. However, switching to Claude Code completely changed the tools I use for development, and I’ve simply left IDEs in the dust.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop overlooking your pets in your smart home setup—6 ways cats and dogs can benefit too

1 hour 42 min ago

Who said the utility of a smart home has to be limited to humans? With a few accessories and some careful automations, your furry friends can benefit from your Home Assistant setup too.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 shows that retconned their worst seasons (and how they did it)

1 hour 57 min ago

Television is often considered one of America's past times, for good reason. Television shows have become central to society since technology's invention and have been responsible for some of the greatest pop culture influences of the last century. Yet, even the most popular shows drop the ball now and again.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I stopped wasting time in my driveway after setting up these 4 Android Auto automations

2 hours 12 min ago

Android Auto is a highly convenient feature on most modern cars, even if it's a bit underused. If you're not using it, now is a good time to start. And once you do, you'll want to take advantage of a few automations and routines that'll transform your driving experience.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop watching blurry old videos: Nvidia's hidden upscaling feature can fix them

2 hours 57 min ago

Nvidia's graphics cards may not be cheap, but they do come with a host of fun features that can come in handy. An obvious software and hardware benefit is DLSS 4.5, but many people missed the memo on a hidden feature that can make old videos look a whole lot better.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Syncing passkeys to Google defeats the whole point of passkeys

3 hours 27 min ago

It's not an exaggeration to say that if you're one of the six billion people who use the internet, it's probably one of the most important technologies in your life. Just about everything you do every day relies on the internet in some way, but that also means you have sensitive information locked away on servers far away and out of your control.

Categories: IT General, Technology

If I had an unlimited budget, here's what my smart home would look like

3 hours 42 min ago

I don't like to think about how much I've spent on my smart home over the years. Some smart home devices, such as Zigbee sensors, can be incredibly cheap, but a lot of smart home tech comes with a higher price tag. I don't have the money to do everything I want to my smart home, but if I did, I know where I'd start.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to customize Excel slicer styles and colors

4 hours 27 min ago

Excel's built-in slicer styles are like pre-packaged airplane sandwiches: they get the job done, but they haven't changed in years and aren't exactly exciting. But with a little-known duplication trick, you can escape these bland presets and create high-end, custom dashboards.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I "de-Amazoned" my Kindle, and it was the best upgrade I never paid for

4 hours 57 min ago

I've had my Kindle for more than a decade, and it's served me well during that time. That's why I was disappointed to learn that Amazon was going to be ending support for my model. I decided to remove Amazon from my Kindle, and I wish I'd done it sooner.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Claude vs. ChatGPT vs. Gemini: I tested them on a real coding challenge and one dominated

5 hours 27 min ago

You've probably seen the meme where a guy opens all the popular AI chatbots in different browser tabs, gives them the same coding prompt, checks the output of each, and then copies the best one. For a moment, I thought I'd do the same experiment. So, I chose three of the most popular AIs and gave them the same problem to solve. Here's how each one performed.

Categories: IT General, Technology

USB-C was supposed to unify everything, but desktop PCs are stuck in the past

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 22:00

USB-C was supposed to be the one. One cable, one port, any device. Just plug it in and it should work. The reality has turned out to be a little different than promised.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 classic series that are guaranteed to turn you into an anime fan

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 21:30

There are so many streaming platforms out there, each with their own shows to watch. Whether it’s an HBO subscription or maybe a Netflix subscription, every site seems to have something new. But today, I’m not going to talk about new live-action films or television. No, I’m going to talk about anime, one of my favorite genres.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google's Pixel Desktop is missing five features Samsung perfected years ago

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 21:00

I have long looked forward to the arrival of Android-based desktop modes, and Google has finally released one for Pixel phones—but it's still a far cry from the experience you find in Samsung DeX. Here are some ways Google's implementation just isn't the same.

Categories: IT General, Technology

That used hybrid might take 7 years (or more) to pay off

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 20:45

Although there are things you can always do to ensure you receive the best service at any car dealership, rising fuel costs and higher vehicle prices have made it a challenge for anyone looking to replace their current vehicle.

Categories: IT General, Technology

SLC caching tricked me into thinking my SSD was faster than it really is

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 20:30

The type of NAND you choose for your SSD makes all the difference when it comes to performance, but sometimes, SSD manufacturers will have party tricks to help you boost your performance. One of those party tricks is SLC cache. And it actually does make a difference.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Forget Family Guy, Ted is Seth MacFarlane's best TV series

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 20:00

Love him or hate him, Seth MacFarlane has an immovable place in the realm of TV comedy, and Ted is an excellent showcase for the writer at his best. A seasoned actor and writer of over 3 decades, he has created numerous hit productions, including adult animation tentpoles like Family Guy and American Dad!, as well as The Orville.

Categories: IT General, Technology

7 ESP32 projects you can do in 1 hour

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 19:45

ESP32 projects are a tinkerer's dream. They're cheap to build, incredibly flexible, and can be quick to put together. There are plenty of ESP32 projects that you can build in an hour or less.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop writing percentage formulas in Excel—use this instead

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 19:30

Calculating percentages in Excel often means wrestling with absolute cell references and division symbols. But why do the work when a built-in tool can do it for you? By using the PivotTable Show Values As option, you can calculate complex ratios in seconds without typing a single formula.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Hot-swappable hard drives seemed brilliant in the '90s—here's why Iomega Jaz never stood a chance

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 19:00

Computer storage has always been a problem. There never seems to be enough of it. Just as we get bigger disks and drives, file sizes swell to accommodate them. So you can imagine in the '90s what a chore it was to move large media files or make backups when all you have are 1.44MB floppy disks.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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