How-To Geek

One of the most universal experiences that I'm sure computer geeks can relate to is that friends and family approach us whenever they have a computer problem. As my family's designated IT guy, I hear cries for help on a monthly basis.

The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra have always shared a platform and a family of engines, but they have been aimed at different buyers. In so many words, they are similar trucks but not exactly the same. It might be said that the Silverado handled the volume, reaching a wider swath of everyday buyers, while the Sierra leaned more toward the premium side.

Samsung phones outsell other Android phones by a large margin, and it isn't even close—but Samsung's advantages have started to erode, so much so that I'd contend the company is no longer making the best Android phones.

Between my desktop, laptop, phone, and veritable zoo of other smart, internet-connected devices, it feels like I'm constantly online. To more easily log off, I built a one-push internet switch that functionally disconnects almost every device on my network from the internet instantly.

Building a system-level Android utility requires massive local SDK installations and hours of coding. However, Google’s recent AI Studio revamp introduced native, browser-based Android app building capabilities. I decided to test this new "vibe coding" workflow to see if it could actually build, test, and deploy a complex app from a single prompt.

Streaming is not the only technological development that has impacted pop culture, as online communities and viral trends have paved the way for several small productions to earn mainstream success. Online communities have allowed small artists to make the leap from niche creator to partnering with major studios to bring their tales to wider audiences.

Let's face it: hard drives are never that fast to begin with, but if yours is an external drive, it might be slower for a particular reason. While it's true that a mechanical HDD is never going to beat one of the most expensive SSDs (or any SSDs, period), it can still be a great option for bulk storage -- provided you give it the right tools to work with.

Linux servers and desktop distros are essentially the same thing. Am I wrong? A minimalist distro serves the same job as one designed as a server. Ignoring convenience for a second, they're entirely configurable to suit any need. Understanding that changes how you use and see Linux.

Are your Raspberry Pis sitting unused in a drawer? Well, it's time to pull them out, because these are seven Raspberry Pi projects that you'll definitely use every day.

Don't you think it's a little weird that Google has two separate apps services that help you find your way around this planet?

Summer is officially here, which means you're probably taking care of the lawn, tackling home maintenance, or letting the kids go outside to enjoy the warm weather. Milwaukee is best known for its array of cordless power tools on job sites and in mechanic shops, but the company has all sorts of excellent tools you'll want to have this summer.

Most people never give a second thought to how their phone connects to a cell tower. It’s something that constantly happens in the background without our input, and therein lies the potential for trouble. What if that tower isn't what it seems? Android can tell you about it—maybe.

There’s no denying that items produced with a 3D printer have a certain look to them. A lot of this stems from visible layer lines, a result of the way that 3D printers fabricate items.

You can't buy any speaker you want and then hook them up together and expect a real home theater from scratch. This isn't a soundbar; these are speakers that need to work together to do well. You have to know what you're doing and why it works to have the theater sound you want.

When I heard that Microsoft had created a real Linux distro, my first instinct was to look out the window for airborne pork. But as with WSL, it seems that Microsoft has become a Linux distributor with Azure Linux. I decided to give this distro a spin.

Toyota's production issues have opened the door for rival automakers to make a serious play for buyers who would otherwise have gone straight for the segment leader. Among the growing list of alternatives, two Japanese hybrids stand out as particularly compelling options.

One of the best things about Home Assistant is how it can be expanded to incorporate a wide array of devices, add-ons, and remote services. But not all of these have to be directly related to your smart home.

Conditional formatting and PivotTables are two of Excel's most powerful features, but they don't always play nicely together. Apply a standard color scale or data bar to a PivotTable, and a refresh, filter, or layout change can quickly throw things off. Fortunately, Excel includes a lesser-known PivotTable-aware mode that scopes formatting rules to fields rather than fixed worksheet ranges.

Luxury SUV shoppers tend to head straight for the Cadillac Escalade, but there's another GM full-size SUV hiding in plain sight. The GMC Yukon Denali shares much of what makes the Escalade so desirable, yet costs thousands less.

The Linux terminal is incredibly powerful, but using it can feel like a chore—especially if you’re new to Linux. You have to remember too many commands, type out long strings with absolute precision, and parse dense, text-only output. But that friction is just the default experience. With the right tools, you can make the terminal far more intuitive and visually useful. To help you out, here are three such must-have Linux terminal apps to try this weekend.