How-To Geek

External HDDs have their merits. Slower than SSDs, they make great backup targets (especially if you don't leave them on 24/7). They also feel a lot sturdier than an SSD, what with their massive size, at least by comparison. And in many ways, they are pretty durable, but no piece of electronics is immortal.

Google Photos is the default way to back up photos for more than a billion people around the world, and the service works so well that many of us never even think about switching to something else. But if you care about your privacy and would like to share as little of your personal data with Google as possible, backing up your photos to Google Photos becomes a liability.

Spam calls are one of those annoyances that can quickly turn from a minor inconvenience into a daily problem. A single unwanted call is easy enough to ignore, but when robocalls, sales pitches, and potential scams start interrupting you throughout the day, constantly checking your phone becomes exhausting. Installing a third-party app might seem like the obvious solution, but you may not need one at all.

Ubuntu got me through a decade of Linux use, but I've come to realize that there's a better way — not just for me, but for most non-hardcore Linux users. Immutable distros might just be your choice.

Motorola is better known for its Razr foldables than its conventional flagship phones, particularly in the U.S. — it skipped the country entirely this year with the first-generation Signature. However, that's changing with the debut of its latest high-end Android phone, the Signature 27.

I have the Samsung Galaxy A21s from 2020. Six years of use and many repairs later, it's still kicking. It's not in the best shape or has the best battery life, but with some management, it lasts more than a day, and even a few days on battery.

For better or worse, DNS failures feel like an internet problem. I mean, if the website fails to load, then it kind of is an issue with your internet—but not in the same way as it is when your ISP fails, for instance. With DNS failures, everything else might be peachy, but websites will struggle.

Move-in day is already a few hangovers behind you, the mini fridge is working overtime, and someone down the hall is already playing music too loud (or not loud enough). Whether you're the student or the parent who drove home with an empty back seat, the right movie (or series) can capture that freshman mix of first-time freedom, panic, and bad decisions.

If you are paying for Google News subscriptions to get your latest stories and events within various Google services, you can now curate your news for free by choosing news sources that don't require subscriptions. A new feature released by Google allows me to handpick sources and connect them to my Google account so they are accessible in various Google products — with no subscription required. So far, I like the functionality, especially how easy it is to add sources to my curated news and see them in the Top Stories section of my Google News feed, or customize topics for my daily audio news briefing.

Google is in the midst of transitioning Android to what it calls an “intelligence system.” It’s made a big deal about enabling phones to do more without your input. The idea is solid, but in real-world use, I’ve found that Samsung’s less flashy features are much smarter.

Almost everyone needs a screen capture tool at some point, from explanations and references to humorous shares and valuable project steps. Windows screenshot tools (Snip & Sketch, classic Snipping Tool, and the newer Snipping Tool) work great for quick, simple captures, but they have limits on editing, sharing, and resizing. I used to capture screen areas with the "classic" Snipping Tool and the new Windows 11 version, and I briefly tried Snip & Sketch before it was deprecated. None of them offered the options I needed to work more productively and efficiently, even for home use.

3D modeling is a great skill for getting the most out of your 3D printer, but there’s no denying that there’s a learning curve. Thankfully, there are easier ways to solve a problem, and it all comes down to making clever use of work that’s already been done for you.

You can now get a taste of the AirPods Max 2 without paying for the privilege. Apple has released the Beats 360, Beats' first customizable headphones, and they offer that familiar customization at a discount — and better support for Android.

What defines a PC has changed substantially over the course of my life. They've drastically changed shape and size, but until I bought my most recent one, they were all at least vaguely similar. Now my concept of a PC has been completely turned on its head.

For months, dialogue on my soundbar sounded muddy and inconsistent, and I assumed the hardware was to blame. It wasn't. A small shift in placement solved almost the entire problem.

Bambu Lab might be best known for its 3D printers, but today, it's taking the next step in conquering the maker space with the R1. The Bambu Lab R1 is the brand's first dedicated laser with a 55W CO2 glass tube, and after spending a few weeks with it, I am thoroughly impressed.

You no longer have to get an iPhone to use Adobe's flagship video editor on your smartphone. Almost a year later, Adobe has released Premiere for Android as a free editor for anyone serious about mobile video production, albeit with limits.

My computer speakers aren't very good. Sometimes I wonder if sticking my phone in a coffee can would sound better. I used to own a nice set of M-Audio monitors that I used for my record player. But they broke. So I replaced them with a $15 set of Logitech computer speakers. I can usually get them to sound fine by messing around with different settings in the audio apps I use, but they still didn't sound great. But I found a solution to make them sound better (that didn't require buying new speakers): Easy Effects for Linux.

The Raspberry Pi has found its way into hundreds, if not thousands, of projects, some of which you may own without realizing it. This includes kits built around retail single-board computers, compute modules that are embedded in the hardware, and microcontrollers that perform secondary functions.