How-To Geek

Smart bulbs are a common gateway into the world of smart home devices. Setting one up is as simple as screwing in a light bulb, and you get instant results with the ability to turn your lights on and off remotely, change the brightness, and even use different colors with the right bulbs. Smart bulbs aren't always the best solution to every problem, however.

After using Jellyfin for a while, I've finally got it running how I want. But the process wasn't without a few issues, and the software comes with a steeper learning curve than Plex. Here are some of the things I wish I knew before I started using Jellyfin.

You no longer have to spend a fortune to get a quality, automated, hands-off 3D printer. This is a sentence I didn't expect to write just a few years ago, but it's reality today. Here's how I used an off-the-shelf, untuned cheap 3D printer to print something that even my more expensive printers would have struggled with.

Smart features on a TV can be very useful. You can stream content using apps such as Netflix or control your TV remotely with your smart home. You need to connect your TV to the internet to use some of these features, and doing so can expose a lot of your data.

There was a time, not too long ago in the grand scheme of things, when one GPU just wasn't enough. If you wanted the fastest machine possible, you bought two identical Nvidia GPUs, connected them with an SLI bridge, and hoped your favorite game could take advantage of both.

Are you looking at building your homelab on a Raspberry Pi foundation? This Raspberry Pi alternative actually competes with mini PCs more than the Raspberry Pi, but it still might not be the best choice for your homelab.

When it comes to self-hosted alternatives to Google Photos, it doesn't get much better than Immich. The app is designed to provide a seamless experience for people switching from Google Photos—and it definitely shows.

Whether you like it or not, there's no denying that Samsung's One UI packs more features than any other Android skin. Some are as handy as a pocket on a shirt, and once you discover them, you'll use them every day. But even those that might not look particularly useful at first glance can offer value that many Galaxy phone owners will greatly appreciate.

If you don’t have sensors hidden all over your house, do you really have a smart home? These devices make it possible to use all sorts of useful automations and alerts, from turning on lights to avoiding thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Since Linux is so widely used for servers, it has a lot of utlities for monitoring network information and accessing remote resources. There are some networking commands people still use because they know them, but some are outdated and deprecated. Here are some deprecated utilities along with what you should use instead.

Life is busy, and I don't always have time to sit and read articles when I discover them. Pocket used to allow me to save these articles and read them later, but it's sadly long gone. I decided to set up a Pocket replacement using a mini PC and my Kindle.

This is a PSA: Please stop abusing your SSD. Mistreating it is easier to do than it might seem. We all do it to some extent, but if you do it too much, it'll eventually backfire.

Most people treat Bluetooth earbuds as a passive accessory, something that sits in your ears and plays audio. The security conversation around them, when it happens at all, tends to focus on whether someone can intercept your music or track your location. Many devices can be hacked, and your Bluetooth earbuds are no exception.

If there are three things folks typically know about me, it's that I love Linux, I'm an avid reader and I have a bit of an obsession with modding Kindles and Fire Tablets. I would say, "Hey, I resemble that remark!" and then wait patiently while no one catches the reference. One Kindle has eluded me all these years, but I finally found one: a Kindle Fire 7 (2012). I tried to mod it, with a little help from Claude.

Basic 3D printing filament is relatively affordable, but nobody likes wasting their money. Avoiding disaster requires that you not fall into the trap of making rookie mistakes. Knowing what these are can save you filament, money, and time.

Network issues can often be infuriating because everything seems to work as it's supposed to—except your internet connection. Then your internet connection starts working fine, but websites take forever to load. Then there are those frustrating intermittent connection issues that come and go seemingly at random.

Pop!_OS has a strong following, and one reason is its COSMIC desktop. Being unfamiliar with both, I decided to take a look at COSMIC and see what all the fuss was about. Could it make me give up my go-to Xfce?

Most of us deal with the same handful of headaches on our daily commute, from aggressive drivers and traffic congestion to the occasional speeding ticket. Here in Detroit, where I live, there are even some unique road and infrastructure designs that can make rush hour driving a challenge.

I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit diagnosing stubborn Windows problems: sluggish laptops, desktop crashes, weird startup behavior, you name it. Over the years, I’ve used plenty of different tools, from flashy “PC optimizers” that promise too much, to hidden system utilities that actually deliver. What I’ve learned is that many of the best ones are lightweight, reliable, and give you a clear view of what’s really happening under the hood, so to speak.

We're at the halfway point of 2026, making it a great time to look back at what Netflix has released so far while also looking ahead to the rest of the year. Personally, my two favorite Netflix movies from earlier this year are The Rip and War Machine. As for what's in store for the rest of the year, it's a mix of horror, animation, crime, and drama.