How-To Geek

There are tons of Linux distros. Most of them are new, some of them are old, some of them so old they don't exist anymore. But there's one distro that has stood the test of time, surprisingly. And that's none other than Slackware.

I've cut my streaming subscriptions and replaced them with a mix of digitized CDs and FLACs, but the default media players built into Windows and Linux don't offer the same convenience as Spotify. This is how I made my own music streaming service.

I have a bunch of cheap smart devices, and I've never felt comfortable putting them on the same Wi-Fi network as my phone and PC. When you hook up a new Wi-Fi-powered smart home gadget, it always asks to connect to your home Wi-Fi. But did you know that there’s an easy way to make the devices work without giving out your real Wi-Fi password?

Recently, we've heard a rumor of a coming apocalypse in the tech world: QR codes will soon be used up. I can tell you that this simply isn't true. In reality, it's an absurd way to talk about QR codes and similar technologies. Here's why.

Matter was meant to unite smart home ecosystems, but instead, it has made the landscape more confusing. Rather than simplifying compatibility, it has added another layer to the problem it set out to solve.

Excel tables are essential for keeping large datasets organized, but they're even better when you know the right keystrokes. Whether you're inserting new rows or toggling a total row for a quick analysis, these shortcuts will speed up your daily workflow, leaving more time for the work that actually matters.

Despite my best efforts, I still spend way too much time on my phone. Some of that time is genuinely useful, such as dealing with work issues or responding to important messages. However, we all have plenty of bad smartphone habits that waste our precious time.

I used to shy away from buffers and tabs because the confusing terminology and obscure keyboard shortcuts put me off. But rest assured, learning all about buffers, windows, and tabs has transformed my Vim usage. I now wonder how I ever worked without them!

Those 24TB drives on Amazon look tempting, I know. Imagine all of the stuff that you can fit inside of that drive. But maybe you shouldn't pull the trigger yet.

While the franchise's future may be in the hands of Amazon MGM, the James Bond franchise has returned to Netflix. The entire 25-movie saga of Sir Ian Fleming's gentleman spy is currently available on the streaming service, allowing viewers to watch the franchise's evolution from the fantastical, over-the-top adventures of Sean Connery's era to the franchise-redefining debut of Pierce Brosnan's Bond in GoldenEye.

The week around the Super Bowl is one of the best times of the year to upgrade your TV, and Hisense is making the choice of what set to upgrade to practically a no-brainer.

Microsoft is famous for breaking windows and forcing AI integration where no one asked for it, but there are also a few hidden gems out there.

If you’re using the Raspberry Pi for all of your projects—even the simple ones—you’re using the wrong board for the job. While the Raspberry Pi is a great machine, sometimes an ESP32 or Arduino is just the better tool. Here’s when I think you should skip the Raspberry Pi and go for a microcontroller instead.

Digging through Settings or Control Panel to make simple changes—like switching default audio device, managing users, or deleting temporary files—isn’t the best use of your time. With a few simple Run commands, you can do the same tasks much faster. Here are some commands to keep at your fingertips.

New cars have gotten seriously expensive, and by 2026, finding anything under $20,000 is basically a thing of the past. A big reason for that is simple—buyers keep flocking to SUVs and pickups, and those segments just keep getting bigger and pricier.

Google Home gets a lot of flak for not being a great smart home platform, but the company is seemingly always adding new features to change that. The latest update brings some welcomed new automation triggers, more specific automation actions, and more.

Paramount+ is one of those streaming services where a wide range of movie genres, niche gems, and blockbusters, classic and new, can hide in plain sight. And with the calendar flipping over to a brand-new month, there's a whole new crop of movies added to the service.

If you're annoyed by generative AI features creeping into Firefox, there's some good news. Mozilla is now publicly testing an 'AI controls' page for Firefox, with the ability to turn off individual features or everything.

Raspberry Pis are fantastic if you need a low-power, versatile device for any range of DIY projects, including robotics and simple self-hosted services. With a little bit of work, they can also become a fantastic DOS gaming station.

If your Netflix movie watchlist needs a bit of a jolt this week, I've rounded up four picks that have been aimed at very different pleasure centers.