How-To Geek

In these times of necessity, that old laptop gathering dust in your drawer isn't just junk—it's a goldmine. Those old hard drives might have a lot of life left in them.

If you haven't already figured it out, I'm talking about the one and only Winamp. For all of the 2000s and a good chunk of the 2010s, Winamp was one of the first apps that I installed on a fresh Windows installation or new computer. This one app was literally the soundtrack to my life for all those years. Whether I was studying or just chilling with my friends.

James Van Der Beek has died at the age of 48 following a long battle with colorectal cancer. His wife, Kimberly, confirmed the tragic news in a heartfelt Instagram post. Van Der Beek publicly announced his cancer diagnosis in 2024 and shared health updates over the past year. Van Der Beek was the father of six children.

There are two sides to the Netflix equation. On one hand, the streamer adds a new selection of movies every month. Independence Day, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Zero Dark Thirty all arrived at the beginning of February. Unfortunately, the influx of new movies means that several popular titles must leave.

There's a pretty good chance that the computer you currently use doesn't have any hard drives with spinning magnetic platters inside it. Solid State Drives (SSDs) have matured enough that they've essentially replaced hard drives when it comes to running operating systems and software.

UniFi Drive is the network attached storage solution for UniFi NAS and UNAS systems, allowing you to set up shared folders to access from any device. Now, it's getting a significant update that includes automatic photo backups from iPhone and iPad.

Wireless Android Auto adapters promise a cleaner dashboard and a more seamless driving experience, eliminating the need to plug in your phone every time you get behind the wheel. On paper, it sounds like the perfect upgrade, especially for drivers who rely heavily on navigation, music streaming, and hands-free communication.

The price of the average new car now exceeds $50,000. As a result, many Americans are holding onto their current cars longer than ever. A study by S&P Global Mobility found that in 2025, the average age of a vehicle in the U.S. was 12.8 years.

A long time ago, in the burgeoning smartphone era, Google launched Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on the Nexus 4. Along with it came a brand new camera mode called "Photo Sphere," which allowed for taking full 360-degree photos. It was a big hit, but Google removed the feature in 2023, and that's a shame.

Linux Mint has been a popular Linux distribution based on Ubuntu and Debian for years, with new versions coming (roughly) every six months. That might change in the future, though.

The winter doldrums are almost behind us, and that means new Android phones are on the horizon. Samsung has announced the date for the first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026, which is when the Galaxy S26 series will be officially shown off. The company has also shared information about pre-order promotions.

Home Assistant is incredibly powerful, but there are so many features that navigating your way through all the menus can be a chore. You can do things much faster if you stick to using your keyboard.

I have a lot of storage for my Plex server—over 60TB, actually. However, even I sometimes run into space issues and have to find ways to free up hard drive storage without deleting things. That’s where Tdarr comes in, and here’s how I used it to free up over 7TB of space on my server.

The third-generation AirPods Pro come with several upgrades over the previous model, especially in sound quality and noise cancellation. While those improvements may not sound dramatic on paper, they do make a noticeable difference, whether you’re listening to music alone or in public.

Years before I started buying Samsung phones, you could unlock your phone by scanning your eyes. This went away with the release of the Galaxy S21. Now iris scanning is back, not on the latest Galaxy phone, but on a device where it inherently makes sense.

The first major release of Windows 11 for 2026 has arrived, as Windows 26H1. However, it won't be rolled out to any existing PCs, and it will only exist as a starting point for specific new PCs.

There aren't many mainstream sedans that come to mind when you think luxury, but one affordable midsize four-door delivers comfort, refinement, and premium features once reserved for upscale brands, without the luxury-brand price tag. While many shoppers settle for basic transportation in this segment, this model’s higher trims bring near-luxury appointments and thoughtful touches that feel a level above the mainstream.

3D printing gives you a way out of boring mass-market limitations, letting you create custom solutions and enjoy being completely self-sufficient. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm often means people rush into neat projects that everyone sees circulating online, without thinking about how usable the end result really is.

Android phone in a bit of a lull? Before you give it a kick and toss, a small change here and some optimization over there can dramatically improve the speed, performance, and efficiency of your smartphone.

CrossOver, the Windows app compatibility layer for Linux and Mac, just got a massive upgrade. The latest update is now based on Wine 11, allowing Borderlands 4, Helldivers 2, Starfield, and other games to finally work on Mac.