How-To Geek

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We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 55 min 43 sec ago

I finally fixed the annoying Samsung Galaxy camera bump wobble with a simple ring

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 19:53

Samsung Galaxy phones have a dirty secret: the official thickness measurements do not include the camera bump. Most smartphones have this same secret, but Samsung’s design choices make it a particularly annoying problem. I set out to fix it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why governments worldwide are abandoning Windows for homegrown Linux alternatives

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 19:30

Windows is still the most popular desktop wos.While Linux may be obscure on the desktop, there are some prominent users already adopting it. Governments around the world are doing it to be independent or sometimes cut off from Western software. Here are some of the governments building their digital infrastructure around Linux.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop storing your Milwaukee tools dirty—how to clean them the right way

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 19:00

Milwaukee tools are built to take a beating, but caked-on grease, sawdust, and other messes will quietly wreak havoc on your gear. You're probably thinking, "Who cleans their power tools?" but it's pretty common and more important than you think.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your smart TV might have a camera—here's what you can do with it

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 18:47

Did you know that a number of smart TVs come equipped with cameras? While that idea may raise privacy concerns for many people, and rightfully so, these cameras offer several neat features you can explore.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I ditched Claude's built-in search for a local embedding model, and my context window finally stayed clean

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 18:30

If you've ever had a long session with Claude Code or Cowork, you've probably had your context compressed before. Once that happens, Claude starts to lose track of the things you've already worked on. When you reference something in your code, like the "retry logic" section, Claude is going to have a harder time specifically finding that segment of your code. If you pay attention to what it is doing, you'll often see it run multiple commands trying to search for strings that turn up the correct portion of the code.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This is how I use my Android phone like a flash drive

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 18:00

These days, most of us share files using methods like email or cloud storage with shareable links. While thumb drives don't seem to be going anywhere, the days of carrying one around with you wherever you go are long over.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 new movies to watch this week across Netflix, Prime Video, and more (August 31-September 6)

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 17:30

With September starting this week, many of the major streaming services will be adding new movies. Paramount+ welcomes the latest installment of a long-running comedy franchise that hit theaters in June. At Prime Video, Gal Gadot headlines an original thriller set in London.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I will never wall-mount a TV again

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 16:30

I've always thought a wall-mounted TV was the cleanest, highest-tier TV installation unless you move into the realm of custom cabinets that hide your TV until you're ready to watch it. I lived in a place with walls that could not take a wall mount for years, but when I moved into a more modern house, one of the first things I did was pay a professional to install our TV, mounted on the wall.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The 5 times you really should use solid infill on your 3D printer

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 15:00

When you slice a 3D model to print, you have to make a decision about what the inside of that model will look like. Unless the designer created a custom internal structure, any open volume inside the model will be filled somehow.

Categories: IT General, Technology

4 creative ways people use Android Auto outside of their cars

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 15:00

Android Auto is strongly associated with cars and driving. I mean, it is right there in the name. But while navigation gets most of the attention in its interface, Android Auto is really a simple interface with large buttons, voice controls, and easy access to a few essential apps, which makes it surprisingly useful beyond the driver's seat.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Passkeys were supposed to be more secure than passwords. Now they're getting hacked

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 14:30

The promise of passkeys was a higher level of security than passwords, stemming from the fact that you can't give away a passkey. You cannot share it, and a malicious actor cannot phish a passkey like they can a password. But a recent post by Arie Olshtein, who works for cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, detailed a set attacks collectively nicknamed Pass-ta-key that can, in the worst case, extract all locally synced passkeys and then use them to log in to websites and do all kinds of bad things. The catch is that Pass-ta-key is possible to pull off only on Windows, and by the looks of it, only if the passkeys are managed by Google Password Manager in Chrome for Windows.

Categories: IT General, Technology

A $25 power bank is all you need to stay online during a power outage

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 13:30

As a general rule, it makes good sense to plug your networking gear into an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). But does that mean that every single home and every single router requires that additional expense?

Categories: IT General, Technology

You pay these 4 hidden costs every time you use Gmail

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 12:30

Gmail is arguably the most ubiquitous email service used by the majority of us, including me. It's simply because of the convenience it brings to the table—one Gmail ID for everything from email, YouTube, Maps, Drive, and every other Google product we rely on in our day-to-day life.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I switched to a better USB cable and my Pixel stopped overheating while charging

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 12:30

My Pixel used to run hot every time I plugged it in—so much that I'd pull it off the charger mid-session. Surprisingly, simply swapping the cable fixed it completely, and the reason why says a lot about how charging actually works.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Here’s why wood is a 3D printer’s best friend

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 12:00

Having access to a 3D printer can, at times, cloud your judgment. You start to think in terms of printing your way out of a problem, which can mean overlooking easier and more economical options.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Android phones used to be made of metal—here's why glass replaced it

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 02:00

During the early days of Android, even flagship phones were fully plastic. But then manufacturers started introducing metal backs and frames, with HTC leading the pack. I remember that even my budget-focused HTC One V had a body mostly made of metal, while HTC's premium offerings, like the legendary HTC One, had premium aluminum unibodies, with metal being the preferred material for Apple as well back then.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Here's why NAS owners and homelabbers keep buying this $17 IKEA table

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 00:30

There are two things that get a homelabber's pulse going. The first is a pile of thrown-out server gear that still works, but no one wants it because it's obsolete for data centers and professional server rooms.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3 exciting Netflix thrillers to watch this week (August 31-September 6)

Mon, 08/31/2026 - 00:15

It's the end of the month, meaning many movies will be leaving Netflix U.S. Thankfully, these three thrillers will remain on the service throughout September. Our first movie is one of David Fincher's most controversial films of the last 20 years. I happen to think it's one of his best.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 Google Maps features that will save you time on your busiest days

Sun, 08/30/2026 - 23:30

When your day is packed, getting from one place to another can become a task in itself. Whether I'm heading out for a day of leisure or working my way through a long to-do list, Google Maps often ends up doing more than just giving me directions.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 Milwaukee tools that are tiny but ridiculously useful

Sun, 08/30/2026 - 22:00

Milwaukee makes dozens of excellent power tools, and you probably own a few of its most popular, big, powerful models. But did you know the company also makes some tiny yet incredibly versatile and useful tools? Whether you're low on space, looking for something unique, or just don't want big tools, here are some small Milwaukee tools that produce big results.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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