How-To Geek

You've just unboxed and powered up your shiny new Windows laptop and once you've gone through the needlessly complicated OOBE (Out-of-Box Experience), you're good to go, right?

I've owned a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE for more than three and a half years now, and while I recently demoted it to my secondary phone, I continue using it at least a few days each week. I've got tons of apps installed on it, with a good chunk of them being open source.

RebeccaBlackOS is a fan-made Linux distribution (the title is a reference to the singer of the viral song "Friday," which I'm listening to for the first time as I write this). It sounds like a meme distro, but unlike actual meme distributions (Hannah Montana and Justin Bieber Linux come to mind), RebeccaBlackOS wasn't abandoned within months. Its developers have regularly released updates for the past 14 years, with the latest upgrade rolling out on February 22, 2026. Surprisingly, it's actually a useful and practical distro for Linux users.

Luxury SUVs from German brands have long set the standard for performance, prestige, and premium design. But for buyers who want sharper handling and more personality without paying the usual premium, one Italian contender makes a surprisingly strong case. It delivers the kind of driving engagement typically associated with a sports sedan, while still offering the space and practicality expected from an SUV.

I clearly remember the first time I walked into someone's house in the 1990s and saw a rear-projection TV. At the time, we had just upgraded to a 20-inch Panasonic TV, which was a big step up from the 11-inch TV we'd had up to that point.

When you open a ZIP file on your Windows PC, what happens? Does an app like WinRAR or 7-Zip pop up and show you the contents of that archive?

ESP32 boards are a cheap way to build your own smart devices, but the thought of having to solder pins or wire things up to a breadboard can be enough to put people off. If you're yet to try making your own ESP32 devices, there's a new kit on the way that will make things much easier.

When I recently built a privacy-focused desktop, I knew I wanted a tablet–not a laptop–to go with it. Instead of an Android tablet, I purchased one running Linux. Here’s how it has fared.

Rufus has always been one of the best apps to create a bootable USB drive for installing Windows 11. The latest version of the app now includes even more features to significantly de-bloat Windows 11 and remove Microslop before installing the operating system. The update even introduces a new “Silent” mode for unattended installation.

Google has finally brought Continued Conversation to Gemini for Google Nest devices, so you can stop repeating "Hey Google" to keep the conversation going.

Framework has unveiled its latest wave of modular laptops and accessories, and the highlight is the addition of a long-awaited feature: a touchscreen. The newly introduced Laptop 13 Pro is billed as a "ground up redesign" whose centerpiece is a custom 2,880x1,920, matte finish display with touch support.

It's only been about four months since the Stranger Things series finale, but the iconic franchisereturns to streaming this week. If you think it's a new episode from season 5, think again. Stranger Things: Tales from '85, an animated spin-off series, premieres on April 23, 2026, on Netflix in the U.S.

A developer has just released his own version of Circle To Search for all Android devices. This open-source alternative to Google’s Circle To Search allows users to draw a circle, search for what they want, and use it on any Android device that’s on Android 10 and above.

There's something supremely therapeutic about sinking into the couch after a long day at the computer or on the job site—and getting lost in a great TV show. HBO Max has spent decades making sure you have something good to watch when you do, but we're here to make sure you find it.

Microsoft is responding to complaints about expensive Xbox Game Pass subscriptions with price cuts, although there are conditions attached.

Ads already appear in some Apple apps, including the App Store, Apple News, and some live sports on Apple TV. Now there's a new app to add to the list, as Apple has confirmed that ads will soon be coming to the Apple Maps app, too.

One of the most promising movie adaptations of a video game is quickly taking shape. A24 and Bandai Namco are producing a live-action movie version of Elden Ring, the popular (over 30 million copies sold) and often-challenging fantasy action role-playing game based on a story by Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin. Here's everything you need to know for the premiere.

If you’ve ever tried building a smart home across brands, you already know the frustration of devices disconnecting, apps not syncing, and ‘universal standards’ still requiring workarounds. This is a problem that Samsung is now trying to solve. The brand’s global smart home platform, SmartThings now offers native, hub-free integration with 25 IKEA smart home devices. Notably, the partnership goes deeper, instead of the two brands just slapping a compatible sticker on the box and calling it a day.

Many gamers don’t mind spending hundreds of dollars on a new graphics card the moment they notice a performance drop in their favorite games, while the CPU remains untouched for years. While this upgrade pattern can work to some extent, since most games are GPU-bound, that strategy only holds for so long. CPUs aren’t immune to time, and modern games are starting to demand more from them than ever before.

Amazon is facing a proposed class action lawsuit in California state court for allegedly forcing early Fire TV Stick users to upgrade by dropping software support.