How-To Geek

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We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 45 min 39 sec ago

Dell's new, redesigned XPS 13 is built to beat the MacBook Neo

Mon, 06/01/2026 - 01:00

Dell is continuing its XPS revival by launching a redesigned XPS 13, and it's not just a major rethink of the company's smallest premium laptop — it's a direct bid to capture would-be MacBook Neo buyers.

Categories: IT General, Technology

8 new shows and movies streaming on HBO Max in June

Mon, 06/01/2026 - 00:00

Get ready for a documentary-heavy month on HBO Max, with new and returning original shows and some delectable movies making their streaming debuts. Whether you’re craving epic fantasy, sharp comedy, or prestige indie films, the platform has plenty of new content to satiate your desires.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Euphoria season 3 finale streams tonight on HBO Max. Is this the end of the show?

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 23:40

Euphoria season 3 comes to a close with tonight's finale, which airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max. Will this episode wind up being the series finale?

Categories: IT General, Technology

This $40,000 Nissan SUV beats a $57,000 Lincoln on fuel economy and towing

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 23:00

Lincoln introduced the Aviator in 2003 as a three-row luxury SUV, but it shared its platform and its look with the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer. While it was more upscale than both, Aviator sales were still modest as buyers noticed the all-too-close family resemblance. As dealers struggled to move units, Lincoln discontinued the model line not long after its debut. The 2005 model year was the last of the Aviator for quite some time.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Samsung finally fixed One UI's messy Quick Settings to match the Pixel

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 22:30

I am not the biggest fan of Samsung phones, and that’s mostly due to the software. The plethora of features and options is nice, but I just don’t like some of Samsung’s design choices. Thankfully, One UI 8.5 improved one such thing in a big way: the Quick Settings panel.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why families keep coming back to the Toyota Highlander

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 22:00

SUV buyers in the U.S. are paying a lot more attention to what it actually costs to own a vehicle these days. It’s not just the sticker price anymore—it’s everything that comes after it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The 6 settings I change on every Android phone for better Jellyfin streaming

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 21:30

Jellyfin works pretty well on Android with all the default settings in place. But there are still a few tweaks I make in both the Jellyfin client and Android itself to tailor the service to exactly how I want to use it. From enabling wider codec support to improving offline use, to enabling background play, these tips can improve your Jellyfin experience too.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your Steam Deck can be a NAS—and 4 other devices hiding in your closet

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 21:00

Cloud storage is expensive, we like to host our own content locally these days, and can you really put all your trust in third-party backup solutions?

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why you should always buy a new car on a weekday this summer

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 20:45

If you have been researching a new vehicle but have noticed that prices seem higher than ever, that is not your imagination! The average new-vehicle transaction price is hovering at or near $50,000 today, the highest it’s ever been in the automotive industry. It seems the days of ultra-affordable cars have passed, and even a six-figure salary may not leave enough margin when factoring in the total cost of vehicle ownership.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Windows has 5 hidden features that will improve how you use your PC

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 20:30

Microsoft has spent the last several years pushing Copilot and new user interface designs, which has meant that several great features included with Windows don't get the recognition that they deserve. These are some of my favorites that will run on any Windows 11-compatible PC.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Forget Plex, YouTube Music lets you stream your music collection without a home server

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 20:00

Plex is great, but setting up and maintaining a home server is more effort than many people want. If you only want to use it for music and audiobooks, you don't need to go to that trouble. You might already have a simpler alternative that you're ignoring. It's YouTube Music.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google claims sideloaded apps are dangerous, but the Play Store is where the real scams live

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 19:45

Google is changing the way we install Android apps from developers that haven't registered with Google. There will be ramifications for those of us who use Android with open-source apps and alternative app stores. Google says these changes are in the name of security, and that's valid—but what about the far more numerous and far more dangerous threats that exist inside the Play Store?

Categories: IT General, Technology

The tech that promised to kill USB cables 20 years ago (and why it died)

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 19:30

The picture above is of a wireless USB dongle, and if you've used proprietary 2.4Ghz USB mice, keyboards, or game controllers, you know that your computer doesn't know the difference between those devices and wired USB versions of them.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This used sports sedan gives you BMW power and Lexus luxury for under $30,000

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 19:00

A used sports sedan market is full of compromises, but every so often a model comes along that completely breaks the usual value equation. Most buyers expect to choose between performance, luxury, or affordability, yet a few rare vehicles manage to blend all three into a single package once depreciation kicks in. That’s exactly where this Korean performance sedan now sits, offering serious power, a refined cabin, and everyday usability for the price of a new economy car.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I ditched Google's ecosystem with these 5 self-hosted apps—and I'm never going back

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 18:45

Android is often seen as a Google product, and in many ways it is. Google and its services sit at the center of the experience, but underneath all of that, Android is still built on an open-source foundation, which means the core system doesn’t actually require Google to function the way most people assume it does.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I hate these 5 smart home gadgets, but I still use them every day

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 18:30

Some smart home devices are so good that I fall in love with them the instant I start using them. That's not always the case, however. There are plenty of smart home devices that I soon grew to hate, although I still use some of them every day.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 Netflix Original shows that got over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 18:15

If your Netflix queue has been feeling a little repetitive lately, it might be time to revisit some of the platform’s most critically acclaimed original shows and refresh your watch list.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Don't upgrade to Cat6: Your Cat5e Ethernet is doing just fine

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 18:00

If you've just moved into a new home and found out it has Cat5e Ethernet wiring, don't fret. The same goes if you're considering upgrading your home Ethernet from Cat5e to Cat6 or Cat6a but don't want to turn your house into a trench while running new cabling. Cat5e is, in fact, more than fast enough for most people. Unless you specifically need 10Gbps connections all over your house, you should stick with Cat5e wiring.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The hidden car rental checklist most travelers completely ignore

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 17:45

When the pandemic hit in 2020, major rental car companies sold off more than 770,000 vehicles to stay afloat amid the lockdowns. When national travel returned faster than expected after the lockdowns ended, those same companies didn't have enough cars to meet demand, and daily rates nearly doubled at airports across the country.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your Linux system is secretly using your hard drive as RAM, and that's a good thing

Sun, 05/31/2026 - 17:30

If you spend time around serious Linux users, you'll likely hear a reference to "swap space." Or maybe you wondered what the swap partition that your Linux installation program created is. Virtual memory and swap space can be confusing. Here's what you need to know on Linux.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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