How-To Geek

I stopped keeping a spare Windows computer around for testing sketchy software once I deployed a virtual machine server. Virtual machines are the perfect disposable Windows install for testing things that could harm your system. Here's why you should switch your Windows sandboxes to virtual machines.

Life is usually all about compromise—less flavor for fewer calories, less fun for more practicality, that kind of trade-off. Cars are no different, especially if you’ve spent any time looking at sports cars versus something you can actually live with every day.

June is upon us, and with it, HBO Max has announced its June lineup, which includes some hugely anticipated new seasons of shows, the biggest of them being the third season of House of the Dragon (June 21) and season 9 of Rick and Morty (June 15). Things don't start heating up until a bit later in the month, but now would be a great time to delve into an older HBO show you maybe haven't given a shot yet.

A Galaxy Watch is a lot easier (and cheaper) to upgrade than a Galaxy phone, which means you may have one or two lying around if you’ve been in the ecosystem for a while. Thankfully, these old smartwatches don’t have to be useless pucks in a box. Let’s get creative.

The Subaru Outback used to occupy a unique space in the market, blending wagon practicality with SUV capability in a package that felt refreshingly different from the sea of crossovers around it. With the latest redesign pushing it further toward a traditional SUV shape, some longtime fans have been left wondering where that distinctive wagon-like character went. Ironically, the answer may have arrived wearing a different badge.

I love Claude, but it can be incredibly frustrating to use. I constantly found myself having to type the same prompts over and over again to force Claude to do what I wanted. The solution was simple but now Claude is removing the feature it relies on.

One of the worst things about the explosion of AI tools is how much more advanced scam calls have become. It’s now entirely possible to get fake calls with voices that sound exactly like people you know. The June Android drop is here to address this (and add some other goodies).

I like a good, well-designed and visually appealing website as much as the next guy, but more and more often, I find myself turning to RSS feeds to cut through the clutter and distraction.

Having the right tool for the job can make all the difference, which is why many DIYers and mechanics still use a wide range of air tools. Milwaukee is well-known for its wide array of tools, but it also makes a bunch of specialty items. A prime example is the all-new M18 STRIKER Hammer Chisel (3771-20), which Milwaukee says is the world's first cordless option.

Old office mini PCs have been flooding online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace for years. They’re often listed for as little as $50 or even less, but with limited demand, they can easily be overlooked. At first glance, they might seem like outdated hardware that isn’t worth much attention, but once you install a Linux server OS, it could quickly become one of the most useful pieces of tech in your home.

It's no secret that the MacBook Neo has been selling well, but now it's clearer just how strong that demand really is. IDC analysts report that Apple shipped over 1.1 million units of its first budget laptop within the first three weeks of its March launch.

When I first discovered Excel's dynamic array functions, my entire approach to spreadsheet design shifted. They replaced my clunky, multistep workarounds with smart, self-expanding formulas that adapt as data grows, turning complex workflows into single-cell systems.

An unexpected side effect of Amazon switching to its newer Vega OS for its streaming devices was that it made the older Fire Sticks much more useful. The devices built on the Android-powered Fire OS continue to offer the power, flexibility, and customization that made them popular in the first place and that are largely absent from the newer models. Instead of throwing your old device in a drawer, now might be the best time to keep it around.

If you're unhappy with the state of your internet connection, and you've done the usual troubleshooting to optimize your Wi-Fi, the logical next step might often be buying a new router. Or is it?

Crossovers may dominate driveways these days, but the sedan isn’t going anywhere. For plenty of drivers, a lower seating position, better road manners, and a more comfortable daily commute still matter more than maximum cargo space.

Movie night has always been a staple in my household, especially with all the streaming services we subscribe to. We pop the popcorn, everyone picks their favorite seat in the room, and then we start the film.

The Android ecosystem is lucky to have a wide selection of excellent, free, open-source apps. These apps are so good that they could easily charge a fee. I started by listing 7 of these apps, then 4 more—now here are another 3 I currently have installed on my phone. They're free of cost, don't show any ads, or sell subscriptions.

There's an easy solution if you want to watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day before your friends and avoid spoilers: sign up for Amazon Prime. Sony Pictures and Amazon are offering U.S. Prime members access to early screenings for the Marvel superhero movie on July 29, two days ahead of its official July 31 premiere.

If you ask Nvidia, its RTX Spark chip represents a fundamental shift in computing: we'll soon rely on AI agents to get most of our work done, and enjoy a powerhouse for creativity and gaming in the meantime. And the ingredients are certainly there between a wildly fast integrated GPU, a solid CPU, and talk of "all-day" battery life.

When Lincoln introduced the Navigator in 1997, it took the bones of a pickup truck and wrapped them in the kind of interior luxury that buyers had previously associated with European brands. Nearly three decades later, the Navigator has evolved into something no one saw coming from Ford, or perhaps any other automaker for that matter: a rolling wellness retreat.