How-To Geek

Most old PCs end up running a lightweight Linux distribution, but that path keeps narrowing as distros abandon older hardware. Haiku, the open-source successor to BeOS, takes a different approach, and its new R1/beta6 release makes a surprisingly strong case for reviving ancient machines.

A dedicated smart-home control panel makes Home Assistant easier to use. You can tap a screen to control your lights, check the weather, or adjust your thermostat without reaching for your phone. The trouble is that dedicated smart displays can cost considerably more than the hardware inside them.

Smart thermostats can learn your habits, but if your routine changes, you can't just tell them what's different and expect them to adapt. If a Large Language Model (LLM) were running my heating, I'd be able to do exactly that. I decided to let an LLM take control of my heating for a week to see how it compared to popular smart thermostats.

It's November, which means Netflix U.S. has an entire slate of new movies arriving on the service. Some of the notable licensed content includes Whiplash, Air Force One, Fury, and Bridesmaids. As for genre-focused content, there are a few nail-biting thrillers that should be saved to your My List.

When your Wi-Fi drops unexpectedly, what's your first guess? Mine is, naturally, to blame the ISP. Then, if I'm on my phone or something else portable, I'll start wondering about Wi-Fi dead zones.

Apple's 2009 "There's an app for that" slogan rings even truer in 2026. Anything you want to do, you'll find an app that's supposed to help you, and productivity apps are no exception.

Whether or not you find Google TV compelling on a TV, there’s a different form factor where it’s a genuine game changer—on a projector.

Your Samsung Galaxy phone is great for many things, but one of the best parts about it is how you can personalize and set it up for your convenient use. You may not even realize it, but one simple way to set up your phone for daily use is with its buttons.

KDE Plasma has been my desktop for years, and it earned that spot. But Plasma’s latest direction changed the math for me, and Xfce now fits the way I work better. Here’s where Xfce pulls ahead, where KDE still wins, and who should pick which.

An ESP32 development board can cost just a few dollars, making it a popular choice for DIY projects such as building your own smart home devices. The cost of the ESP32 itself doesn't tell the whole story, however. There are often additional costs that can be easy to forget.

The Google Play Store is the primary method of downloading Android apps on all Android phones. There are many reasons why you would want to install apps from sources other than the Play Store. Maybe you don't want to use a Google account, or perhaps you're using a de-Googled phone for privacy reasons.

Hard drives became expensive very quickly—over the last year or so, hard drive prices have jumped about 50%, and prices show no sign of coming back down.

I am a long-time Roku user, going all the way back to when it was a little square box that plugged into my TV with RCA jacks. I have several Roku TVs and a few streaming sticks as well. While there's plenty of competition out there, I've always stuck with Roku because it was simple and straightforward. I would turn on the TV, choose a streaming service, pick a show and start watching. I never wanted Roku to recommend shows to me or make decisions for me. I just liked the fact that it was an easy way to access my streaming services. In fact, simplicity was the biggest selling point in my opinion.

I used to use Google Calendar almost passively, mainly to keep track of bookings and recurring bills. Even though it's not a particularly clunky app, I didn't manage to make it work for anything else.

If you own a Pixel phone running Android 14 or newer, there’s a neat feature that allows you to turn it into a webcam for your computer anytime you need one, using only a USB-C cable. The setup is seamless; you can do it in seconds, and the feature works on all three major desktop platforms — Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Windows is still, by a large margin, the most dominant operating system. Microsoft has enjoyed decades of being the default OS provider for the vast majority of computer users, and its market position hasn't changed much—yet!

The Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero 2 W are both still very affordable despite price hikes across the rest of the lineup.

Nvidia's RTX Spark and DGX Spark share—more or less—a chip, but that is where the similarities end. The DGX Spark is positioned as a personal AI supercomputer, while the RTX Spark is a Windows laptop or desktop optimized for AI and everyday use.

Serial numbers are unique identifiers that manufacturers use to track warranty coverage, register hardware, and prevent fraud. Because they function as personally identifiable information, you should never post them publicly or share them with unverified support channels.

It's the last stretch of the year, and Hulu is readying to release some of its final new shows and movies of the year. First, several shows that premiered last month are still airing, including Reasonable Doubt season 4 and FX's The Lowdown season 2. Stream all of the episodes you might have missed on Hulu.