How-To Geek

Syndicate content
We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 2 hours 12 sec ago

The iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air have arrived

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 17:07

Apple is kicking off its week of announcements with the iPhone 17e, the company’s latest budget iPhone, and an M4 version of the iPad Air. Both devices will be available for pre-order later this week.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The uncomfortable truth about multi-color 3D printing

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 17:00

Multi-color or multi-material 3D printing involves combining different spools of filament into a single print. Though it’s easier than ever before, the practice comes with a hefty drawback and some other things to keep in mind.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I saved $50 on a security camera by using my old Android phone instead

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 16:45

When I found out my neighbor’s apartment had been broken into shortly after I moved into my new rental, I knew I wanted some way to keep an eye on my place and get notified if motion is detected. At the same time, I also wanted an easy way to check in on my cat while I’m not home.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why I switched from Ubuntu to Garuda Linux

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 16:30

Do you feel like Ubuntu is holding you back, but switching feels too risky? What if a "niche" distro could give you more power and better stability? Well, here’s how switching to a less popular alternative helped me find my forever distro.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why reusing your old modular PSU cables is the deadliest mistake in PC building (and 4 other parts to trash)

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 16:15

One of the best advantages when it comes to desktop PCs is the ability to reuse parts from your previous build in your new system, but it can also be a trap that ends up costing you extra time and money that could have been avoided if you'd used a new replacement part from the get-go.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your smart home shouldn't end at the front door: Here's how I took my lighting outdoors

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 16:00

I've installed smart switches to control my indoor lights, but as much as I appreciate what this has done for my home, I'm starting to feel that smart lighting is even more useful when I take it outdoors.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 mistakes I made setting up my first NAS

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 16:00

Are you shopping for your first NAS? I made a lot of mistakes when I bought my first networked storage system, and I still regret some of the decisions to this day. Here are five ways I messed up, and how you can avoid making the same mistakes I did.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Running out of phone storage? These 5 apps are almost always to blame

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 15:45

Your phone's storage is bound to get depleted over time. We often blame it on photos and videos, but apps use a lot of storage, too. There are, however, some apps that use much more storage than others. Here are 5 to keep an eye on.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stay productive on any distro: 6 portable Linux apps I always keep on me

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 15:30

I do almost all my computer on Linux devices these days, and I don't manage that without a lot of useful Linux software. One of my favorite formats for Linux software is AppImages, and these are the ones I always keep on-hand.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The 1,200 MB/s mechanical drive: How dual-pivot actuators push HDDs past SATA SSD speeds

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 15:00

Fast solid-state drives have effectively replaced hard drives as the main storage devices on our computers. However, the hard drive itself still has a lot going for it where SSDs fall short. This means that not only are hard drive still common today, but that development of them has been ongoing.

Categories: IT General, Technology

8 Linux commands so good, they feel like cheating

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 14:30

While the Linux command set is great on its own, it seems that programmers can't stop reinventing it. Here are some of the best modern takes on classic Linux tools that fix some common annoyances with Unix-like systems. You might wonder how you ever got by before you knew about them like I did.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I ran my smart home without the internet for a day—here’s what broke

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 14:15

One of the reasons why I use Home Assistant to run my smart home is that it is focused on offering local control. I'd always wondered just how much of my smart home was truly local, so I decided to test it out. I disabled internet access for my smart home, but kept my local network up and running, and this is what stopped working.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 noteworthy Prime Video movies to watch this week (March 2 - 8)

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 14:00

While it might be true that time speeds up as you get older, what never changes—at least for me—is my inner child’s desire to consume quality entertainment, and that’s where Amazon Prime Video comes into play.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Forget the standard terminal—Kitty is the most powerful tool in my workflow

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 13:30

When you think of a terminal app, it might seem like a program stuck in time—just a solid window that interacts with your shell and displays text. However, modern terminal apps have come a long way. And I've found no terminal app better than Kitty. Give me a chance to convince you to switch to it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The 1GB Raspberry Pi isn't useless—in fact, it's perfect for these 5 projects

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 13:00

The huge increases in RAM costs are forcing some companies to raise their own prices. In December 2025, a new model of the Raspberry Pi 5 was introduced, with just 1GB of RAM to try to keep the price down. Having so little RAM doesn't make this Pi useless; there's still a lot you can do with it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

When not to use tables in Excel: 5 scenarios where regular ranges are better

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 12:30

Excel gurus love to tell you, "Always format your data as a table." While that's usually solid advice, it's not always the best move. In some scenarios, a simple range outperforms a table entirely. Here's when to skip the table and stick with the regular grid.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Premium Android tablets make a comeback with Lenovo's Idea Tab Pro and Legion Tab

Mon, 03/02/2026 - 00:00

Not everyone wants an iPad, but there aren't many options for high-end Android tablets. Thankfully, Lenovo just revealed two tablets to help fix that problem: the Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 and Legion Tab Gen 5.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Autoplay is terrible—turn it off on your favorite apps

Sun, 03/01/2026 - 22:00

Streaming services love autoplay. Whether it's playing a trailer for a show you don't want to watch or automatically starting something else when you've finished watching, autoplay features can quickly become annoying. Here's how you can turn autoplay off in your favorite streaming apps.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Remembering Honeycomb: Google's iPad killer that never took off

Sun, 03/01/2026 - 21:30

I am writing these words on a foldable tablet that fits in my pocket, but my dream of a big touchscreen goes back to a much older era of Android tablets. All the way back to the beginning, in fact, when Google unveiled the first version of Android made for larger screens.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Mini PCs are just laptops without screens: The hidden hardware compromises of ultra-compact builds

Sun, 03/01/2026 - 21:15

These days I have a bit of a mini-PC addiction, but when I bought my first one I didn't quite know what I was getting into. So, in case you're looking at all the cool mini PCs that are for sale these days, I thought it would be a good idea to go over some aspects of mini PC ownership that I wish I knew right from the start.

Categories: IT General, Technology

eXTReMe Tracker