How-To Geek

I have a Motorola phone that I like to use for experiments, home lab projects, and, well, an actual phone. Lately, it runs slower than I did when I tried out for the high school track team. Anyhow, I wanted to try de-bloating it to improve the speed and performance. You might not think of Motorola phones as being bloated, but a few key changes worked great for me.

There's a meme I saw that was a little too close for comfort. It read "Marriage is basically just asking each other 'What do you want to eat?' until one of you dies." It feels like a lot of our lives are spent trying to decide what to cook, so I decided to see if I could get a local AI model to help.

Starting a smart home doesn’t have to break the bank, but some of the best upgrades you can make require a significant investment. I’d argue that they’re all worth it, and some can even save you money.

For the longest time, I treated downloads as a backup feature I'd use before, say, a flight or when my network was acting up. Obviously, streaming is more convenient, and I don't want to eat up my device's storage space by building a library for a rainy day.

I generally tend to prefer Samsung apps over Google's, so I'm not typically one of the people who consider the pre-installed Galaxy apps to be "bloatware." Still, Samsung's software isn't perfect, and there are default apps that even I feel compelled to swap out.

While Linux gets most of the attention of open-source fans, I've also long had a soft spot for the BSDs as a former Mac user. While FreeBSD is serviceable as a desktop OS, I wanted to find out how well its rival, NetBSD, could serve as a desktop.

Filament is the biggest ongoing expense you'll encounter as a 3D printer owner. It doesn’t matter how much you have, you’re always going to want more. This means buying different materials, colors, finishes, and blends.

I've always struggled to find good books that I really love. I've read a lot of the things that regularly make lists of the best books, and it's tricky to find new things to read that aren't a little disappointing. I decided to see if I could use a local LLM to give me personalized recommendations.

Luxury SUVs have long been tied to German badges, premium interiors, and ownership experiences that don’t exactly come cheap. But more buyers are starting to realize that the smartest choice isn’t always the most prestigious name on the grille.

You're about to get more purchase options inside Android apps. Google is widening its Play Store "billing choice" program starting on June 30, giving you ways to pay beyond the official solution — although fee changes mean you're not guaranteed to save money.

USB-C is finally making its way into everything, and I'm all for it. It's no longer just a cable for phones and laptops. There are all sorts of wild things you can power with a USB-C cable, and I recently bought three items that I never knew I needed.

Android Auto is the same Android that's running on your phone, but with a very limited interface. That's the point, of course, but you'd be surprised by how many Android apps are actually supported by Android Auto. Here are four apps you might typically think of as phone apps, but work as full-fledged Android Auto apps as well.

The Toyota RAV4 has been setting the pace in the small SUV segment for nearly 30 years. Since arriving in the United States in 1996, it has become the best-selling small SUV in America, with more than 6.4 million units on the road. For 2026, Toyota made one of the boldest moves in the RAV4's history, dropping gas-only engines entirely and moving to a fully electrified lineup of hybrids and plug-in hybrids.

Spotify is constantly adding new features, but many of its useful updates fly under the radar. Over the past few months, the streaming giant has introduced a handful of improvements that make managing your library and streaming experience much easier.

Annoyingly, many of the tools I use most in Excel aren't available as single-step commands in the ribbon or Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). That's why I built a personalized command layer that works in every XLSX file I open, turning repetitive actions into instant, reusable shortcuts.

When it comes to family-friendly hybrid SUVs, most buyers tend to end up looking at the same handful of models. Toyota dominates the conversation with options like the Highlander Hybrid, while Honda continues to attract families who want efficiency without giving up practicality.

There’s no question that putting Google Maps on a smartphone was an absolute game-changer. We now walk around with powerful GPS navigators in our pockets. However, you may have noticed Maps choosing longer, slower routes for trips. There’s likely one setting causing this.

OpenAI has revealed its first custom chip after announcing plans nine months ago, and the Broadcom-built design promises to upturn the AI industry — particularly for Nvidia, one of the company's most important hardware suppliers.

Beth and Rip will return for more drama in Texas, as Paramount+ has renewed Dutton Ranchfor season 2. The announcement comes with two episodes remaining in the first season.

My time with a Samsung Galaxy phone was mostly positive—it was the first device I'd owned that had received more than a few Android updates. However, when it was time to upgrade, I ended up going with a Google Pixel 10 Pro instead of another Samsung handset, and these Pixel-exclusive features were a major reason why.