How-To Geek

Qualcomm hit the mid-range laptop market with the release of the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a powerful new system-on-a-chip built to power the next wave of affordable Windows PCs. This new chip slots right below the flagship X2 Elite, which was revealed a few months ago.

In a world of satellites and cell towers, radio may seem hopelessly outdated. But there are plenty of good reasons to get a ham radio license in today's world. From personal hobbies to emergency situations, you never know when it might come in handy.

WD_Black solid state drives are some of the best SSDs for workstations, gaming PCs, PlayStation 5 consoles, and anything else that needs high-performance storage. However, you'll soon find them under a new name: SanDisk Optimus.

Amazon is rolling out a major software update to Fire TV devices, bringing a completely redesigned, faster user interface, and simultaneously debuting a brand-new TV line. The company is making sure you don't spend too much time searching for something to watch.

Midsize SUVs keep getting pricier, more complicated, and honestly a bit samey—but this one still feels like it’s playing a different game. Instead of chasing luxury-brand prices, it focuses on giving you real substance for the money, and that’s getting harder to find.

For years, the Alexa voice assistant has been on phones, tablets, smart home devices, and everything in-between. Now, it's coming (back) to your web browser, designed as an alternative to generative AI chatbots like Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

Controlling your smart home with a dashboard or smart buttons is great, but the real power of a smart home comes from automation. There's nothing more satisfying than having the actions you want to occur happen like magic without you having to do anything at all. When you're creating automations in Home Assistant, there's a key setting you should be aware of.

Anker's Soundcore has released the AeroFit 2 Pro, which are dual-form earbuds that can physically switch between an open-ear design and a noise-canceling, semi-in-ear fit. This is a genuinely clever piece of engineering that makes it great for anyone who wants the best of both worlds.

Before you say anything—Linux is great. I've been writing Linux advocacy pieces for more than a decade. Desktop Linux has come along by leaps and bounds, and has yet to reach its full potential. However, for those who have never used Linux in any of its flavors, there are still reasons to think twice before diving in.

Managing emails in Outlook can feel like an endless chore—your inbox fills up faster than you can clear it. But what many people don’t realize is that behind Outlook’s familiar interface lies several hidden features. Once you start using them, sorting, replying, and organizing emails become easier.

People love to use single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi for niche projects like retro game emulation, building a custom NAS, or home automation.

Most of us use the mouse only for clicking, scrolling, and dragging files, overlooking how much more Windows lets us do with it. With a few lesser-known tricks, your mouse can save you time, reduce clicks, and make navigating your PC feel smoother.

Everyone wants bigger and longer-lasting batteries in their phones, and some companies are delivering on that with innovative silicon-carbon batteries. But not all phone manufacturers are on board with this, and there are some reasons why.

Trying to work on two separate calendars is mentally exhausting. You're constantly flipping back and forth between browser tabs and phone apps just trying to nail down whether you're actually free or not. Maybe you're handling a personal Gmail schedule alongside your professional Microsoft 365 account, or maybe you're juggling multiple clients who all insist on different platforms.

A fresh Windows installation takes time, and after all that effort, we want to use the device right away. While that’s fine at first, there are a few steps you shouldn’t delay for long—they help keep your system stable, protect your privacy, and make recovery much easier.

JBL's new Soundgear CLIPS aren't just traditional earbuds; they're the company's first OpenSound earclips. These are designed to function as genuine open-ear clips with high-quality sound. This means you don't have to choose between your accessories and your music.

If you deal a lot with code, config files, or big sets of data, you know how important your text editor is. Notepad++ is fast, reliable, and it's easy to load up to make changes to your code. In fact, I use it for minor programs because of how lightweight it is.

Happy new year, fellow Primers. I hope your holiday season was as magical as the movies are. Speaking of, let’s jump right into what to watch during this first week of what I hope turns out to be your best year yet.

AI is extremely powerful, there’s no denying that. However, AI is not perfect, and I don’t think it ever will be. When it comes to programming apps or building services with AI, it’s a great tool, but it’s still no match for human coders. Here’s why I think experienced developers don’t have to be worried about AI taking over the programming world.

Ring has long ruled the home security camera niche, and its newest release, the Outdoor Cam Pro, continues to prove why this is the case. New visual technology, AI-powered features, and excellent surveillance tools make it an amazing camera, though it all comes at the usual Ring price.