How-To Geek

One of the best quality-of-life and security upgrades you can make to your network doesn't require you to buy any new hardware or install any software—it relies on DNS filtering instead.

Microsoft has unveiled major Surface Laptop and Surface Pro updates that it says can outperform the M5 MacBook Air, but the highlight is a feature from the Android world: the Surface Laptop 8 has a privacy display similar to that of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

If you've spent any time with Python, you've probably used it for data work, scripting, or maybe some automation—but image editing likely wasn't on your radar. It turns out Python can handle a surprising amount of what Photoshop does, and with way less code than you'd expect. This includes resizing or cropping, removing backgrounds, or even animating a still image into a GIF. Here are seven ways I use Python to edit and animate images. I'm also sharing the code snippets to help you get started.

Open-source software is literally crucial to the modern world. Without it, many technologies we take for granted couldn't interoperate, and the biggest machine ever built—the internet—simply wouldn't work.

Most people assume their work is safe as long as they save often enough, but saving manually only protects you when you actually remember to do it. RAM doesn't hold onto anything the moment power cuts out or an app crashes, and that gap between making a change and the system writing it to the drive is where work disappears. Windows has a hidden tool called File History that handles this automatically in the background, and most people have never touched it despite it being right there the whole time.

There's always some debate about what the best schedule is to run your robot vacuum (or vacuums). When will they be the most efficient and the least in your way?

VLAN sounds like an enterprise-grade, Cisco-certified, command-line-interface nightmare reserved for network engineers. We have been conditioned to believe that network segmentation is “advanced networking,” when in reality, it is the simplest way to secure your network.

For years, upgrading your home entertainment setup meant buying a bigger TV. Moving from 55 to 65 inches felt significant, and beyond 75 inches was considered high-end. Now, 85 and even 100-inch TVs are more accessible, but something hasn't really changed—the experience.

I liked Notion until my workspace became harder to manage than the tasks inside it. Moving my workflow into Excel gave me a faster, offline-friendly system built around simple tables, filters, and structured data. What surprised me most was how naturally Excel handled the parts of Notion I actually used every day.

Looking to upgrade your tool collection or shop this year? Ryobi has an excellent selection of power tools, and while we've already seen several new products arrive in 2026, more are on the way. The company has released over 75 new items in the last year, which is part of what makes the brand so successful. Here are a few new Ryobi tools I'm still looking forward to this spring and summer.

After a harsh winter across much of the U.S., warmer weather has finally arrived, ushering in road trip season. Soon, millions of Americans will be packing up their cars with kids, dogs, and luggage, ready to hit the open road.

Controlling your content is a big reason people move to Jellyfin, and it is much better than Plex. Self-hosted media setups keep you from getting stuck with one service, paying ongoing fees, and having companies control your media. However, relying on a project built by volunteers in their spare time can cost you time. You can spend more time managing the server than actually using it; it's only free in terms of money, and it's not a complete solution.

Android Auto is a peculiar beast. Some users seem to have quite a bit of trouble with it, while others tend to love using it. If you wish, it was better. I learned Android Auto is compatible with a variety of apps that you might not expect—including open-source apps.

There is a specific, sinking feeling that every Plex user knows intimately. You log into your server, ready to unwind with your meticulously curated media library, and you are greeted not by the familiar grid of movie posters, but by a sterile orange screen. The database is corrupted and the carefully hand-picked collections you spent weeks building have vanished into the digital ether.

Smart home devices can get expensive quickly, especially if they rely on subscriptions or cloud services to unlock their full utility. That is why I've switched to using a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W for as many smart home projects as I can. It is small, inexpensive, and low-power, but it is also exceptionally versatile.

While Windows 11 has been one of the largest visual and under-the-hood overhauls Windows has ever seen, a ton of UI elements, options, and even apps from older Windows versions still linger in Windows 11’s nooks and crannies. While some, like the Control Panel, Command Prompt, and Device Manager, are hiding in plain sight, many more are buried beneath the surface.

The BMW M3 turns 40 this year, and unlike me, it’s still quick in middle age!

Luxury SUVs have gotten so good across the board that they almost start blending together. Most of them chase the same formula too—quiet cabins, smooth rides, big screens, and just enough performance to feel expensive.

Here we are, facing down the lane of the third week of May. Who's ready to roll a strike with three movies that have come to Netflix this month and that have been knocking down movies on the Netflix Top 10 like bowling pins? If your focus hasn't been locked on Remarkably Bright Creatures or the excellent new Martin Short documentary, then check out the movie selection below.

Bluetooth trackers are useful, but for situations where you need precise location tracking—like if you lose your keys inside your home and don’t want to play hide and seek with the tracker’s alert sounds—Ultra Wideband (UWB) comes to the rescue.