How-To Geek

I don't drive much these days, but it's nice to have Android Auto whenever I have a long drive ahead of me. However, every time I use it, I keep landing on the same conclusion: a cheap USB cable still beats the wireless experience where it counts.

The rise of AI has been both a blessing and a curse for software development. On the one hand, experienced programmers can turbo-charge their productivity. On the other, vibe-coding means anyone can have a go—even if they have little experience.

Back in April, OpenAI released Computer Use as a feature of Codex. I've used it quite a few times over the past handful of months, and it's actually so much more useful than I ever thought it would be.

Streaming has taken over the music industry, and Spotify has come out as the champion—but it's lost a lot of love along the way. I personally want a streaming service that provides a better experience both for me and for artists, one where I still have the option to actually buy music to call my own.

You've likely been sitting on automation potential right in your pocket or attached to your keys. While Apple AirTags started out as a way to find lost luggage or misplaced wallets, they've quietly evolved into the coolest and most versatile Home Assistant accessory out there right now. They are devices that give you precise locations, but they can easily be used in a smart home. Location tracking doesn't have to be as simple as we make it. Using just a cheap tag, you add more features to your home without much effort.

Weather is one of the most searched-for topics on the internet, especially this time of year, with heat waves, monsoons, and tropical storms. And while there are hundreds of ways to watch and track the weather, including dozens of free apps, I still happily pay for a weather app, and here's why.

I used Windows for many years before switching to macOS, and I still regularly use Windows on a laptop and in virtual machines. Switching between the two often makes me wish that my Mac had some of the native features of Windows.

The unibody platform of the original 2006 Honda Ridgeline stood in stark contrast to the standard truck recipe when it was revealed at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Although models like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz have since come along with their own unibody designs, the Ridgeline has remained perhaps the most notable outlier in the truck segment for two decades and counting.

For a long time, I've recommended an off-the-shelf NAS unit for anyone that wanted networked storage in their home. For a few hundred dollars you could get a device that worked and then add whatever storage you'd like. It wasn't necessarily the most cost-effective way to build the setup, but it was extremely easy.

Ever since the death of Flash, I've not been much of an Adobe fan. There are open-source alternatives to almost all of their Creative Cloud apps that don't lock you into a subscription or require a secondary program to uninstall them. Because of its simple interface, Pinta is one of my favorite image editing apps. It's cleaner and simpler than GIMP, and it does everything I'd use Photoshop for without the associated cost.

The market is stacked with compelling options for anyone considering a 3D printer, but three brands usually float to the top: Bambu Lab, Creality, and Prusa. These aren’t the be-all and end-all of the 3D printing world, but they earned their status for a reason.

It’s fair to say that git is one of the most complicated commands you have installed on your machine. With over 180 subcommands (in version 2.55), it’s also a pretty good bet that there are one or two you’ve never even heard of, let alone tried out.

A few minutes spent trying the right Excel tools this weekend could save you hours in the weeks ahead. These five built-in features tackle common frustrations like scrolling through huge workbooks, cleaning up pasted data, and finding problem cells, so you can put them straight to use on Monday morning.

Google isn't slated to unveil the Pixel 11 series until August 12, but it's already bracing would-be customers for a price increase. The company has confirmed that all devices will see higher prices than before, including the unreleased Pixel 11 line.

There's not much in the way of slick and splashy new documentaries premiering on HBO Max as we head down the home stretch of July, and you know what? That's fine. Few streaming services have a better track record when it comes to documentaries, and a bit of a lull in new releases is sometimes just the excuse you need to dive into the archives.

Luxury sedans have long been defined by German brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. They offer refinement, performance, and prestige, but they also come with ownership costs that can quickly add up once they're out of warranty.

July is almost out the door, folks, but Netflix isn't taking its foot off the gas just yet, adding a handful of new TV shows to binge, if you've already ripped through I Will Find You, The Hawk, and maybe even Little House on the Prairie. There's still plenty worth watching for U.S. subscribers, including a series so new it just landed yesterday.

Windows notepad has been a staple of the Windows operating system literally for decades. It is lightweight, simple, easy to use, and it won't mess with your files, which makes it a great option if you need to quickly edit a configuration file. However, recent additions to the program are a pretty significant departure from what originally made notepad appealing to me.

Luxury SUVs are often associated with high purchase prices and equally expensive running costs. While premium interiors and advanced technology are easy to find, impressive fuel economy usually isn't, especially once you move beyond mainstream options and start exploring the luxury segment.

I use a stylus with my phone so often that I carry one in my pocket at all times. This stylus used to be an S-Pen, but no more. I've been surprised to see that the Moto Pen Ultra is better than an S Pen in both expected and unexpected ways