How-To Geek

There are times in our lives when we are consumed by the media. While it’s not always the case, a big thing media lovers tend to have fond memories of are those summer blockbusters—you know the ones. Whether it's high-stakes action, funny comedies, or fantasies beyond your wildest imagination, these movies made us smile, laugh, and create fond memories with loved ones during those summer days.

If you have DIY projects around the house that need attention, now is the perfect time to buy some new tools. Ryobi fans will want to run to a nearby Home Depot for its spring sale and grab its latest deal that gets you six power tools for under $300.

Long before everyone got used to plugging things into a familiar rectangular port (and flipping the cable around three times before getting it right), there was another connector quietly doing most of the heavy lifting. The serial port wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast, and it definitely wasn't friendly, but for decades, it was the way you connected almost anything that wasn't already inside your computer case.

Samsung is the dominant Android brand for good reason. Beyond its impressive lineup that spans everything from budget devices to ultra-premium flagships and foldables, Samsung keeps both hardware and software polished to a consistent standard.

Multicolor 3D printing is such a neat idea, but it's hard to justify because of how much waste it generates. I was able to go hands-on with a 12-color no-waste 3D printer a few months ago, and it completely changed the multicolor 3D printing game.

Who'd have thought that we'd still be talking about printers in the 2020s? Wasn't it all supposed to be paperless by now? The reality is that we're about as likely to give up paper as we are to get flying cars, which means we have to deal with all the things wrong with the printing industry.

Streaming TV shows and movies used to be affordable when there were only one or two major streaming platforms. These days, there are almost too many to count, and the prices continue to rise. I've ditched several of my streaming subscriptions, but here are the four I've kept.

Having a Windows and Linux PC doesn’t mean you need entirely different toolsets for each platform. Many apps offer seamless cross-platform experiences, ensuring productivity without the hassle of relearning software. Here are seven apps that work smoothly on both Windows and Linux.

I used to wish that I had an awesome supercomputer so I could run my own AI, but then I found out that I didn't have to. Just like with other DIY projects, you can make a server with what you already have; you just need to think outside the box. If you own a spare PC, can find one, or can buy one cheaply, you're one big step closer to an AI server. What's even better is that LM Studio was built to make this easier for you.

Drills and impact drivers are great for driving lag bolts or self-tapping screws, but they are also the fastest way to ruin a DIY project if you don't respect their power. If you're constantly using your impact driver on 3 (or the fastest setting) and stripping heads, snapping screws, or overdriving, you're using it wrong.

Windows 11 Pro costs more than the Home Edition of Windows, but many people who own Pro aren't making use of some of its most interesting features. They're not flashy, but they provide a very noticeable improvement over Home editions, especially if you like to experiment with applications or customize your PC.

Is bigger always better? For your bank account, absolutely. For the spider currently sprinting across your living room floor? Definitely not.

Mesh Wi-Fi is one of those upgrades that genuinely changes how your home network feels, often doing a lot more than an expensive router ever could. The dead zones disappear, the streaming gets smoother, and you stop fighting with your router every time you walk into the wrong room. For most people, that's the whole story, and honestly, that's where the experimentation ends.

Like many people, I bought Amazon Echo smart speakers, thinking that they were the future of the smart home. Being able to control your smart home using your voice seems ideal, but the reality is that Amazon's proprietary system is restrictive and only supports fairly basic automations.

Obsidian might help you build a second brain, but it won’t help you collaborate with a second person. It’s famously a local-only tool. If you want to share your notes with someone else, you have to zip up your vault and email it over—which is a clunky solution. Alternatively, you can upload your vault to a cloud service like Google Drive—but then your local notes are exposed to a third-party server.

I am having way too much fun with the terminal on my phone. When I learned that Termux was available on Android, I downloaded it and immediately started playing around with the command line itself and integrating the API. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience.

There's no denying that so-called "suitcase" record players are stylish and would look pretty awesome on a shelf or mantle. Even better, you can pick up a cheap one from your local supermarket these days, and all the kids are getting into vinyl records again, so why not?

The Windows Registry is a large database that includes a mountain of settings and configuration data used by Windows programs, services, system components, and hardware. It also includes paths to programs and files stored on your PC, as well as a wide range of other information needed for Windows to function properly.

Cooling your home can be expensive, even with a modern and efficient air conditioning system. If you want to save money, you should aim to prevent your home from getting too hot in the first place.

Artificial Intelligence has been the talk of the town for years now. At first, people tried to ignore it as simply a corporate buzzword, but its prevalence in our daily lives continues to grow, whether we like it or not.