How-To Geek

Remember when everyone tried to tell you that gold-plated HDMI cables were the (forgive me) gold standard of home theater? Or gold-plated audio cables, that was also a thing. Well, I think that home networking has finally found its equivalent, and it comes in the form of Cat 8 Ethernet cables.

Microsoft is delivering on its promise to fix more of Windows 11's longstanding problems. The company is starting a large-scale rollout for a series of updates that both improve performance and rework key apps, including a new Photos app.

Scrolling through Netflix might take a long time when searching for a movie for the weekend. Seeing what everyone else has been watching can be a good place to start. And I love the underrated gems, but some of the platform’s most-watched movies this year are actually worth the hype.

The most important part of your computer, if you had to choose just one, would be the central processing unit (CPU). It's the primary hub (or "brain"), and it processes the instructions that come from programs, the operating system, or other components in your PC.

Automatically updating your Docker containers might sound like the peace of mind you've been wanting—it's anything but that. I tried auto-updating Docker containers in my homelab, and it ended in disaster one too many times. Here's what happened and how I run Docker in my homelab now.

There are lots of ways to get a 3D model to print on your 3D printer. You can model it yourself, or use a 3D scanner to turn real-world objects into data that can be converted into a printable format. Most people, however, will likely download a model someone else has created from 3D printing websites.

Taylor Sheridan is in the empire business. Over the last eight years, Sheridan has built a roster of television shows that few creators can match. From building the Yellowstone universe to establishing a signature aesthetic, Sheridan's shows are uniquely his. When fans see Sheridan's name attached to a project, they know what they're going to get.

Are you looking for an alternative to Docker that’s fully open source and doesn’t have any vendor-lock in? Well, there are four tools that you can use which are completely free of Docker’s influence.

I've used a plethora of gaming handhelds over the years, but my go-to for portable gaming has been the ASUS ROG Ally X for over two years now. Even when ASUS and Xbox announced a partnership and the Xbox Ally family was unveiled, I wasn't tempted to upgrade—why should I, when the Xbox Ally X features the same display, just marginally improved performance and endurance, and only a handful of improvements? Even the headlining full-screen Xbox experience swiftly came to other handhelds, including my trustworthy ROG Ally X.

I regularly try out new launchers to replace my Android home screen, and most are variations of how my phone already works — but I’ve recently stumbled across one that does things so differently, it’s had a noticeable impact on how I live my life.

It's fair to say that I am a lifelong Windows user. Pretty much everywhere I’ve worked has required me to use a Windows PC. More recently, I've begun to rely on Linux. At first, it was a way to extend the life of my old Windows 10 machines, but the more I used it, the more I realized there was very little keeping me on Windows. My favorite Linux distros are the ones that are closely modeled after Windows. While the underlying operating systems may work differently from Windows, they have a look and feel that works for me.

Shopping for networking gear is an ... interesting experience, to put it mildly. You can spend $10 on an Ethernet adapter and get wild returns on your investment, but you can also throw away a good chunk of change on gear that's essentially a waste of your time and resources.

Writing a new cover letter for every job application gets tedious, especially when you're repeating the same points about your skills and experience. AI tools may seem like an easy way out, but you can end up with a letter that doesn't sound like you. Instead, I turn to an underappreciated old-school tool: mail merge.

Samsung has started rolling out One UI 9, introducing a bunch of new features to Galaxy users. While the rollout is still pretty limited, more devices in more regions are slowly but surely getting the update. There are some new features, however, that are so hidden, that even some people who have been using One UI 9 for a little while now still haven't found.

Off-grid mesh networking is something that I've never really thought a whole lot about, but it has gotten much more intriguing to me lately. You can actually do a lot with off-grid mesh networking, way more than just messaging. Here are some projects that you can build with mesh-capable microcontrollers, and the third one definitely is my favorite.

Googlebooks have arrived as the next-generation successor to Chromebooks, with native Android app integration, a bevy of AI features, and a new, supposedly more powerful local file system. Look no further for all the details you need on that last point; here's how to find all your files in Googlebook OS, including everything you've downloaded.

Let’s be honest: I’m bored with Google Maps and Spotify. On my phone, in my car, everywhere.

Most of us have ruined a project by driving a screw half an inch too deep into drywall or snapping the head right off a brass fastener. It is easy to blame a cheap screw or an overeager trigger finger, but most of the time the problem is the collar right behind the chuck that you've been ignoring. I once added a wooden beam to my bed for extra support, and I had to buy a new beam because I didn't realize how important the clutch was. Once you know how that collar works, you'll have a lot more control over your drill, and it could save you a lot of money.

Things are starting to get spookier—the weather, the falling of the leaves, and creepy misty evenings—so the desire to hunker down in your living room with a good, nail-biting thriller is getting stronger. Luckily, Paramount+ has no shortage in that department, and this week there are some intense options for your movie nights.

If file transfers between your PC and NAS feel painfully slow, your first instinct might be to run a speed test to check your internet connection. But even if the test results show much faster speeds than you're getting in practice, your internet connection isn't actually to blame for those painfully slow local transfers.