How-To Geek

If your Linux system breaks after an update, refuses to show the login screen, or throws another error during startup, you don't have to reinstall your entire distro. Linux provides several boot options that can help you recover a broken installation, troubleshoot startup problems, and get back into your system.

I'm usually the first person to look for a free alternative before paying for an app. Why spend money when the Play Store is full of apps that promise to do the same thing without charging a dime? But I've also learned that free doesn't always mean better. Sometimes, I end up dealing with annoying limitations or missing features that make a simple task unnecessarily complicated.

If you're looking for raw utility that takes up the least space in your pocket, you'll want to buy a good multi-tool. And while there are plenty of excellent options these days, Leatherman remains one of the best. The company has over 20 models available this year with a variety of capabilities, and if you're wondering which Leatherman has the most tools, we have you covered.

USB ports are a fact of life, as ubiquitous as power outlets and water faucets. Before USB-C, there was the bigger USB port we’re all familiar with that technically goes by the name of USB-A. In between the two, there’s USB-B — and I won’t blame you for never giving it any thought. No one ever says “plug this into your laptop’s USB-B port.”

If you're looking for a mix of classics and modern blockbusters, there are few platforms with a catalog quite as strong as Paramount+. There are some really solid new movies to choose from alongside some brilliant genre-defining films that are well worth revisiting. The list of choices keeps growing every month too, with November bringing things like Gone Girl and Twister to your TV screen.

The market for wireless over-ear headphones is crowded, but the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 wireless headphones remain a standout for listeners who prioritize sound quality. Right now, Amazon's got these headphones on sale for $200, down from their standard $300 price tag.

Even if you’ve never used it before, there’s a very good chance that your CPU actually has a GPU built into it. This extra hardware often goes unused because of dedicated graphics cards, but there are quite a few reasons why you might want to put that integrated GPU to work, like offloading your Plex transcodes or speeding up your video editor’s timeline.

Smart lighting often promises more than it delivers, usually resulting in a dim bulb that barely illuminates your room while demanding a dozen apps to function. Govee’s Pendant Lights break that pattern by offering genuine utility alongside millions of color options. It currently sits at $110 on Amazon, which is a $40 discount off its regular $150 price.

The iPhone Duo is an expensive grab-bag of compromises that definitely is not for everyone. But it's also the most fun iPhone I've used in years

Every week, I'd receive another Excel report that eventually had to make its way into a PowerPoint presentation. Then came the repetitive part: combining the latest figures with previous data, updating my charts, and making sure the slides reflected the changes. None of those tasks were particularly difficult, but they were easy to forget and tedious to repeat.

In today’s fast-paced world, who still carries cash? Let me tell you a secret: I do. I love having a few notes in my wallet instead of carrying a bunch of cards. It's comforting to know I have cash on hand whenever I need it.

More people are trying Linux distros these days. Modern desktop environments make Linux easier to use than ever, while offering the freedom and flexibility that Windows users often crave. But there's still one thing that intimidates newcomers: the terminal.

My oldest and my newest eReaders both have something in common: physical page-turn buttons. They may have been released more than a decade apart, but both have buttons built into the device that you can press to turn pages forward and backward. After using my wife's 2024 Kindle, I realized how much I'd miss these buttons if they were gone.

The holiday season is fast approaching, and many of us will be traveling to visit our loved ones. You can make your journeys more fun and less stressful with the right travel accessories.

Whether you're a longtime Samsung owner or just bought your first Galaxy, you know they're some of the best phones around. That said, they're also packed with bloatware and pre-installed apps that take up storage space, slow things down, and make the app tray a mess. Here are the apps I always uninstall within minutes of unboxing any new Galaxy phone.

So you've won the lottery, and the first thing you do is buy a shiny new graphics card, but what do you do with the old one? Common sense says you should sell it and defray the cost of the new card. However, what if I told you that your old GPU could keep providing value to you, worth more than any money you could get for it?

The year may be coming to a close, but that doesn't mean your Netflix watch list has to go through a drought of exciting titles. This November, the streaming platform's release schedule is packed with thrillers, classics, and more, offering variety before the holidays hit.

It’s no secret that the iPhone Duo launch has been plagued with issues. However, a nasty screen defect is far from the only reason why people are unhappy with Apple’s first foldable phone. The complaints go beyond the surface.

I spend a good chunk of my day in a browser, jumping between research, source-checking, writing in a CMS, and keeping up with emails. Chrome has been my home base for years, so switching browsers wasn't exactly something I was looking to do.

My husband and I can’t seem to agree on one thing whenever we’re in the car: the infotainment interface. He’s firmly on Team CarPlay, while I prefer Android Auto and keep finding reasons to defend it. I use it for Google Maps and Spotify on almost every drive, so I notice even the small things that could improve the experience. I’ve often wished Google would refresh the interface instead of making us stick with the same familiar layout.