How-To Geek

Home Assistant has come a long way since the days when all your automations had to be written in YAML. These days, you can build automations in the automation editor without seeing a single line of code. With so many actions to choose from in the automation editor, it's easy to miss some of the most useful ones.

If reliability is at the top of your shopping list but you don’t want to pay near-new prices for a Toyota, the used SUV market has a surprising alternative. One affordable Japanese crossover has earned a reputation for dependability that rivals, even matches, what many buyers expect from Toyota’s storied reliability. That makes it a standout choice for budget-minded drivers who want years of trouble-free ownership without sacrificing practicality.

There's so much going on in February in entertainment that I don't even know where to begin. Not only are we up against the day of sugar highs—i.e., Valentine's Day—but we also have awards season and the 2026 Winter Olympic Games to contend with. That's not affecting HBO Max, though, which is gearing up for a hot and heavy month, according to its latest list of everything coming to the platform in February.

While most people are happy with 1 Gig internet speeds, if they even get that, Google isn't, and wants to give faster speeds to all of its Fiber customers. Today, the company announced that GFiber's cheapest Core 1 Gig plan will triple to 3 Gig in select cities, and it'll still be only $70 per month. Whoa!

At a time when SSDs are already wildly overpriced and getting worse by the minute, is now really the time to pay extra for brand tax?

LM Studio is one of the best tools for running generative AI models locally on your computer, giving you something comparable to ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini without using cloud services. Now, LM Studio 0.4.0 has arrived with an overhauled interface and new options for self-hosted servers.

In a segment where efficiency and refinement both matter, one hybrid SUV is carving out a niche by offering surprising levels of luxury without the luxury price tag. While the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is often the go-to choice for buyers seeking fuel savings and utility, this rival delivers a more upscale interior, refined ride quality, and premium touches that put it closer in feel to a Lexus, yet it still costs noticeably less. That combination of efficiency and near-luxury comfort makes it one of the most compelling choices in the hybrid SUV category.

Did you take advantage of the huge tool deals at Home Depot over the holidays? If not, you're running out of time to score a free battery through buy-one-get-one deals, free Makita battery packs, or nearly 40% discounts. That's because all the best Home Depot power tool deals end on February 1st, and here's what you need to know.

If you’re experiencing slower file transfer speeds on your Windows 11 PC, there are tweaks you can make to your system to speed up the transfers.

I honestly believe that the Apple TV streaming box is the best overall streaming solution on the market today. It offers the best image quality, in my opinion, and when it comes to the user experience and privacy it's the least worst of the bunch.

GParted Live, a bootable Linux distribution dedicated to editing disk partitions, has been updated to version 1.8.0. It follows the release of version 1.8.0 of the GParted application this week, and the distro release includes updates to the package base and some important bug fixes.

A jailbroken Kindle can be so much more than an eReader. Unlocking it lets you install third-party app stores and tackle some really wild projects. Not all of them are especially useful, but they can be a lot of fun.

JetBrains just dropped a major update for its Python IDE, PyCharm 2025.3.2. PyCharm and Google Colab are normally treated like separate tools, with the former PyCharm for that serious, heavy-duty local IDE power, and Colab for easy, GPU-accelerated cloud access. This update merges them.

Every web browser is being loaded up with generative AI features, whether you like it or not. Now, Chrome is getting more Gemini integrations, the Nano Banana AI image generator, and an 'Auto Browse' mode comparable to ChatGPT Atlas.

Once considered a DC fan’s paradise, HBO Max is the dedicated Warner Bros. streaming platform. Sadly, due to Warner Bros.' questionable business model, that is no longer the case. Warner Bros. has continued to sell the streaming rights to several of its most popular titles, all the way up until the company’s sale. Despite being the streaming home of all Warner Bros. content, HBO Max has less than half of DC’s media library available.

With much of the Northern Hemisphere fully covered in snow, we can safely say that winter is here. While we’re cozy in our warm homes, our cars unfortunately have to take all that beating outside (unless you have a garage, of course). One of those cars is my poor old BMW, which I thought wouldn’t be drivable this winter—until I fixed a surprisingly simple issue.

Lexus has long been a go-to for luxury, tech, and value, especially with models like the UX300h, NX, and RZ—all starting under $44K. Step up to higher trims with bigger engines and fancier features, though, and you’re easily looking at $60K or more.

The popularity of USB flash drives was undeniable a decade ago, but they’ve somewhat fallen out of fashion in favor of much faster external SSDs. However, now that SSD prices are creeping up and showing no signs of slowing, it might be time to give traditional USB drives another look.

Transmission is my favorite BitTorrent client, with excellent ports to Windows, Linux, macOS, and headless servers. Now, Transmission 4.1 has arrived after over a year of development, and it has some great changes.

Apple's native messaging app is the obvious choice for your texting needs as an iPhone user, especially if you're seeped into the Apple ecosystem. There are, however, a few changes you can make so your conversations feel smoother. If you're a new Messages user or want to improve your texting experience on the app, make sure you enable these settings now.