How-To Geek

Home Assistant may be smart home software, but that doesn't mean that you're limited to using it inside your home. There are plenty of ways that I use Home Assistant outside my home, and they're some of my most useful automations.

There was a time when the luxury car experience was inseparable from the badge on the hood. If you wanted rich leather upholstery and cutting-edge tech (like CD players and heated seats back in the day), you paid a prestige tax to a handful of legacy brands. In that landscape, the logo was a status symbol that told your friends, neighbors, and colleagues you’d arrived.

Despite the initial excitement, Disney has seemingly forgotten its streaming catalog's Blu-ray releases. Beginning in August 2023, the company began releasing content from Disney+ on physical media, allowing us physical media collectors to own the best that the platform has to offer on our shelves. The last of the currently released 12 titles was released in 2024, with no further waves having been announced since.

I will put it upfront that I do not like iPhones. Despite being a Mac and iPad devotee, my three-year dalliance with iPhones has come to an end and I could not be happier. Coming back to an Android phone (an S25 Ultra) feels like being unchained, but it's not all fireworks and celebration.

I have loved my Galaxy Z Fold 6 for over a year, but something bad has happened—I reviewed the Google Pixel 10a. That phone fit so perfectly into my hand that I'm questioning if I really want to return to my boxy foldable.

Americans have always had a soft spot for SUVs. It’s not hard to see why, since they’ve pretty much replaced the old station wagon for hauling kids, gear, and everything in between.

When Linus Torvalds released the Linux kernel all the way back in 1991, I wonder if he had the faintest inkling of how world-changing it would be. Not only because it's a robust clean-sheet approach to replicating UNIX, but also thanks to its open software license.

2026 is an incredible year for movies and shows alike, with some highly awaited titles dropping in theaters and streaming platforms. And if you're an anime lover, there's something for you too, whether it's a returning hit show or a new adaptation that fans have been waiting for.

I love the Apple TV adaptation of Foundation. These are some of my favorite books of all time, and the actual show is a top-tier prestige sci-fi epic that puts 90% of sci-fi movies to shame. However, it also has a two-year gap between seasons. It then only offers 10 episodes per season.

Using a Large Language Model (LLM) with Home Assistant has a number of benefits. It can add natural language understanding, power your voice assistant, and even analyze images. A local LLM can help maintain privacy, but you don't always need to use the largest model.

The Google Play Store has a treasure trove of apps, but it's not the only game in town. In fact, some of the most innovative and privacy-focused Android apps are hiding just beyond Google's official storefront.

Believe me, I know the pain of troubleshooting 3D prints to the point where I just feel like throwing my printer in the garbage and buying a new one.

Another day in 2026 means it's time for a streaming service to raise its prices. This time, it's YouTube, which is raising subscription fees for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music. Netflix, Spotify, Paramount+, and Prime Video have all announced price hikes this year, and it's only April. When will it end?

PLA, or polylactic acid, is the most common material of choice for filament deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printers. It looks like plastic, smells like plastic, and probably tastes like plastic. It’s the filament that most of us start with, and it’s the one that many of us should stick with in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

Over time, Android phones and tablets accumulate a lot of junk files that take up space and clutter your storage. I found a wonderful free app that makes it easy (and fun) to clean up the mess. It even has a "feature" for keeping or deleting personal files just by swiping right or left on them.

We've all gone through the soundbar upgrade cycle. You start off with a cheap soundbar that's at least better than your TV's built-in audio but later buy a much nicer unit or even go all out with a surround setup.

I love foldables. After taking a break from smartphones, foldables caught my eye and led me back in. But there are downsides—some I reflected on, and some I didn't!

Windows 11 looks sleek and modern, but it still suffers from usability and quality-of-life shortcomings that make running it daily a bit tedious. Luckily, several developers have created free programs that make up for those deficits.

If you're a Ryobi fan and own several of those bright green tools from Home Depot, there's one type of tool from the company you don't want to miss. Have you ever seen Ryobi's "Hybrid" tools that work with or without a battery? If not, you'll want one.