How-To Geek

It's a new week, which means many of the major streaming services will be adding movies to their respective services. At HBO Max, one of the most divisive superhero movies in recent memory finally makes its streaming debut. Netflix has a pair of new releases: one comes from Tyler Perry, and the other is based on a beloved comedy series.

Every so often, I learn about a new Linux app that seems like it would be interesting and help streamline my work. It's never a bad idea to expand your software horizons. So I checked out an app called Albert to see if it could improve my workflow.

I've owned a lot of houseplants in my time and killed many of them. The biggest issue has always been knowing when to water them. Wi-Fi moisture sensors can help, but if you have a lot of plants, the cost can soon add up, and if your Wi-Fi goes down, they become useless. Using an ESP32, you can make a moisture sensor that works offline and is a fraction of the price.

Plex is best known as the streaming platform that lets you host your own video content and then stream it to devices on your local network. However, Plex has so much more to it, and chances are there's at least one of these five features you weren't aware of.

Third-party apps get most of the scrutiny when it comes to permission creep, but Google's own apps are often the bigger offenders. Here's a look at three permissions Google's ecosystem quietly holds onto well past the point they're needed.

I recently hooked up an old PC to my TV, expecting it to be the perfect way to turn my living room into a makeshift gaming setup. The hardware was more than capable, and both the PC and TV supported the refresh rates I wanted, so I assumed everything would work without a hitch. Instead, I was greeted by constant stuttering, flickering, and occasional black screens that made the whole setup feel broken.

You don't have to buy a Mac Studio or RTX Spark system to get a mini PC that excels at AI. Acemagic used IFA 2026 to launch and showcase a raft of its latest compact desktops, including a fresh workstation based on AMD's Gorgon Halo chip, a premium Intel Panther Lake model, and even a pair of models with not-so-subtle tributes to classic Nintendo consoles.

I often open an Excel spreadsheet and wonder what has changed since the last time I used it. Sometimes I've made the changes myself and simply forgotten what I did, and other times, someone else has edited the workbook. Either way, figuring out what happened can mean digging through the spreadsheet's history.

The 1GB Raspberry Pi 5 was introduced in the midst of a RAM crisis that has seen prices of the once-affordable single-board computer hit the roof. You can still get your hands on one for $45 (for now), and your investment can pay for itself in a matter of months if you use it to ditch your subscriptions.

A popular project is to install Linux on an old PC. While it's useful for keeping an old machine from the recycler, Linux isn't magic. It's a result of how Linux is designed.

Last week, I recommended watching The Whisper Man, an exciting new thriller starring Robert De Niro and Adam Scott. The movie is now the No. 1 movie on Netflix in the U.S. for the past week, so hopefully you're getting in on the discussions, especially involving the polarizing ending.

You may have been using Windows for years. You might love it, hate it, or just wonder if there's a real alternative. Here are the reasons to tell if you've outgrown Windows and should consider checking out Linux.

Deleting files is easy, but making sure those files cannot be recovered later requires a different approach. A normal file deletion operation usually removes filesystem references while leaving the underlying data in place. That allows operating systems to delete files quickly, but it also means recovery software can sometimes retrieve information from previously used storage space.

I always saw Android widgets as little information panels sitting on my home screen. What changed was noticing which apps I was opening purely to glance at something, then immediately closing. So, I started treating them as functional shortcuts rather than just a fancy UI thing, and they reduced my habit of launching the app in the first place.

Amazon's Fire TV devices offer great value for money, but not when you're intent on private listening with wireless earbuds. When I've used a Fire TV Stick, I've had to make do with stereo audio if I wanted to avoid waking my family. What's the point of paying for Dolby Atmos in my streaming services if I can only use it some of the time?

Wireless Android Auto is easy to use. You get in the car, and your phone connects on its own — which is what attracted me to it to begin with. However, as I started to use it more, I realized that the wired setup was actually worth all the hassle. I would rather have a phone that always works than the convenience of wireless.

Microsoft’s Phone Link is arguably the best cross-OS integration tool that closes the gap between your smartphone and Windows PC. For Android in particular, Microsoft has built some strong partnerships with major OEMs like Samsung, OnePlus, ASUS to integrate deeply with the OS, unlocking powerful features such as screen mirroring, app streaming, and cross-device clipboard.

PLA is the cheapest, safest, and arguably most versatile 3D printing filament, but it’s not without its drawbacks. In addition to being a poor choice for prints that live outside or need to withstand heat and direct sunlight, PLA can deform over time.

You have it way easier these days, but back in the day, when you wanted to play a game on your PC, you had to take a similar approach to consoles. Go to a physical store, get a disc, then pop it into your PC. Chances are, though, that nowadays your PC doesn't have a CD drive. So what do you do when you want to play your old games on your new PC?

How many of you still partake in streaming marathons? I'm talking about those binge-watching sessions where you wake up and crush an entire season of television in one sitting. I'm usually pressed for time, so I have to make strategic decisions about what I can watch in under 90 minutes. However, I still enjoy finishing a show in one sitting from time to time.