How-To Geek

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.

Well, if you haven’t gotten your fill of a sappy Christmas on HBO Max by now, you’d better get to it. The end of the month will see a major clear-out of Hallmark-type seasonal content. Additionally, all but the first movie of the Harry Potter franchise are peacing out, as are plenty of classic and popular hits like Taxi Driver and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, as well asHBO documentaries and Max Originals.

Over the years I've had to buy numerous external SSDs for myself, and my wife, who is a video professional. You'd think that one external SSD is pretty much like the next, but as I've learned the hard way, there's more to it than just picking the fastest or the cheapest drive.

Wireless earbuds are the greatest thing since sliced bread. They’re a compact audio solution that lets you listen to music, block outside noise, hold meetings, and so much more. Unfortunately, they have one fatal flaw that makes them fall short for gaming—latency.

Are you experiencing hardware issues on your Linux device? Or maybe you're just curious about what information you can gather using terminal commands? You should try these lspci command examples.

There are a ton of USB Type-C hubs that all have similar ports and designs, but Belkin just introduced another one at CES 2026 with a more uncommon feature. It has a one-click privacy button to shut off external monitors, which is handy for shared workspaces or presentations.

MagSafe and magnetic Qi portable batteries can be a great alternative to larger portable batteries, and now Belkin has revealed one at CES 2026. The new UltraCharge Pro can snap onto your phone for a battery boost, while also providing a convenient kickstand and charging your other devices.

Many factors play into how good or bad your internet connection might be, but ultimately, none of it matters if your internet service provider (ISP) is just plain bad. I learned that harsh truth the hard way some time ago.

The phone sold simply as the “iPhone” isn’t the cheapest phone Apple sells. There’s a cheaper model currently known as the iPhone 16e—and while this is described as the most affordable iPhone, that doesn’t actually make it an affordable phone.

Even as a Microsoft Word power user, I'm always stumbling upon different ways to speed up my workflow and make the most of the program's tools. Here are some nifty tricks you should know.

Podcasts have become a lot more popular as time has gone on. They jumped from being niche to becoming a huge media powerhouse. However, as this medium matured, the platforms that host it seem to have rewarded video content over the audio itself.

If you work with strings in your Python scripts and you're writing obscure logic to process them, then you need to look into regex in Python. It lets you describe patterns instead of writing procedural logic. Let's look into some real-world examples where Python’s re module makes scripts smarter.

Are you interested in building an app with AI? I used to think that AI was worthless and dumb, but 2025 was the year I started to fully embrace AI in many aspects of my life. As 2025 came to a close, I ran into AI programming head-first and was actually pleasantly surprised with just how far AI coding has come. Here are things that really impressed me.

What if you could have a massive portable monitor for your PC, phone, tablet, or gaming handheld anywhere? XREAL did that with its augmented reality glasses, and now the company has announced an updated model and optional external hub at CES 2026.