How-To Geek

There are plenty of things you can do with an old Kindle, from loading it with children's books and giving it to your kids to trading it in for a newer model. You may be surprised by how much more you can do with an old Kindle. Here are five real projects that I've done with my jailbroken fourth-generation Kindle.

Whatever your personal feelings on using AI in coding, plenty of people are happy to take advantage of tools like ChatGPT and Claude when building smart home projects. It's increasingly likely that some of the code that's already running in your smart home was written with the help of AI.

Ryobi has made power tools for decades, and while some have become industry stalwarts, others are now relics of the past and collectibles. Here are five unique Ryobi tools so rare you'll only see them in a collector's house — and the third one down is my favorite.

I know that Halloween is a month away, but tell that to the guy down my street who's already got a 15-foot skeleton on his lawn. While that might be a tad premature, it's never a bad time for a good nightmare-inducing horror film, and Netflix has a coffin-full of 'em for U.S. subscribers to get in the mood for Spooky Season.

Using Ethernet for every device that allows it is the smart thing to do. You're prioritizing stability over convenience, and if that's fine by you, then you're unlikely to regret it.

Every so often, there comes along a discount that may make you stop and think, 'Is this too good to be true?' Well, when we tell you that, right now, you can pick up the Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus software package for as low as $40, we're here to tell you that this is indeed an honest price. Here's the catch: you'll have to use our exclusive code to get the complete discount—but this deal is only valid until Oct. 9.

ChatGPT has been my everyday AI companion since it became popular in late 2022. Even though there are strong alternatives like Claude and Gemini in the market, perhaps because of my early-adopter bias and familiarity with ChatGPT, I still stick with it for most of my everyday tasks. But I've often found ChatGPT's advice is full of fluff and too generic, using buzzwords like "stay consistent" and "prioritize tasks"—the kind of one-size-fits-all advice that doesn't suit my taste. Also, it's annoying to repeatedly include the persona and output format every time you prompt.

My Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 had started running out of battery way earlier than I expected, and I couldn’t figure out why. I hadn’t suddenly started using it more. I was still doing my usual stuff: replying to WhatsApp messages, checking Instagram, looking up recipes, and opening Google Maps when I was heading somewhere.

Windows is hands down the most popular desktop operating system in the world, and while Linux is far from Windows' mainstream appeal, most of the world's servers run on Linux. Both systems have a rich history, and they both draw a lot of inspiration from operating systems of yore, which laid some of the most important cornerstones both Windows and Linux are standing on.

Do you want to start replacing subscriptions with your own self-hosted services? The Raspberry Pi might be a good place to start, especially since you can pick one up for just $35. Here are six subscriptions a Raspberry Pi 3 B can replace, and how much you'll save per year if you do it.

Amazon has been in the middle of a price-slashing spree as the mega retailer gets ready for one of its largest shopping events of the year: Prime Big Deal Days. This means that you get to reap all the savings now and score excellent deals before the frenzy begins. Surprisingly, its markdown on its Fire TV Stick 4K Max is still available, given that it has been at this price for quite a few days, but that means today is better than ever to score yours, as this price will likely change come Oct. 6 when its massive sale goes live (or even before then).

You're driving through the countryside, or you're in an office surrounded by concrete, and for some reason your Google Pixel seems hotter than usual. Not only that — your battery has drained! What gives? Take a look at the signal bars in the top-right corner of your screen. If your phone is struggling to hold on to one bar, that may just be your culprit.

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking of hardware temperature as one-dimensional: one GPU temperature, one RAM temperature, and one CPU temperature. However, almost every one of those components can actually have several temperature readings spread across its tiny surface area, with the CPU often having the most complex temperature readings.

It's easy to assume an old Chromecast has reached the end of its useful life once you've upgraded your TV or moved on to a newer streaming device. After all, if you no longer need it to stream movies and shows, what else could a tiny HDMI dongle possibly do? For many people, the answer is simply to toss it into a drawer and forget about it, or throw it away when they finally get around to cleaning out their old electronics.

If there's one Google app that has fundamentally transformed the way we deal with life and experiences, it has to be Google Maps. Since its launch in early 2005, the app has evolved, taking different shapes and features, which has made it one of the indispensable tools in my day-to-day life. The app has been constantly evolving, from offering improved Street View features to adding a generative AI layer—and so has my usage.

Google Maps has a long list of useful features for everyone, from drivers and cyclists to walkers and public transit users. The navigation app also has some underrated features that often fly under the radar, especially if you don't know what to look for.

The start of the month on Netflix means the streaming service has unveiled its list of news movies and shows. Ben Affleck's Animals and Chris Evans' Sacrifice are two of the new movies to watch this month. For TV, Florence Pugh headlines a famous literary adaptation, which is now streaming on Netflix. Plus, Josh Hartnett battles a mysterious underwater monster.

If you've heard people talking about Linux, they've probably said that it's complicated. The thing is, the right distribution changes that. After five years of actually using Linux in my rotation of operating systems, I keep recommending the same three options to friends and family who barely know what an OS is. Here is why they work.

3D printing is easier to access than ever, and part of that is because great printers are cheaper than ever. The best part of 3D printing is that it can actually enhance other hobbies in ways you might never expect, so here are three hobbies that 3D printing can make nearly free once you buy the printer itself.

It seems that 2026 is the year that PCs shrink, and I'm fully on board with that. The Lenovo Yoga Mini Gen 11 is a system I didn't expect though. With an overall size right around that of an MX Master mouse, and enough power to actually handle some decent gaming, this mini desktop might be my favorite mini PC of the year.