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: 30 min 23 sec ago

Your NAS's USB ports are a marketing trick, not a storage solution

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 19:00

USB ports on a NAS are there for a reason. You might occasionally need to plug in some stuff, like peripherals, or maybe even charge a device. Using it as a method for expanding storage, though? Please don't.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Forget the Lexus RX—this Japanese hybrid SUV matches its comfort for less

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 18:46

It feels a bit like the clock got rolled back, because gas prices aren’t exactly doing anyone any favors right now. Sitting anywhere from around four to five dollars a gallon on average, and even higher in places like California, filling up isn’t exactly painless.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why digital archivists chose a comic book format over everything else

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 18:30

From the day I learned to read, I've been an avid comic book reader. Graphic novels, superhero stories, science fiction, cyberpunk, and fantasy all line my bookshelves (and e-reader).

Categories: IT General, Technology

I loved my Sony Discman, but the nostalgia for CDs is overrated

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 18:15

Back in the day, I wanted a Sony Discman for a long time, and when I finally got one, I fell in love. The experience was far from perfect, however. Devices such as iPods and smartphones made it easy to forget just how bad using CDs could actually be.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google Translate just got an AI coach for pronunciation practice on Android

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 18:00

Google Translate may not be the company’s flashiest app, but it’s one of the most important. It launched 20 years ago on this day, and to celebrate, the Android app is getting a much-requested feature: pronunciation practice.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I've owned this Brother printer since 2021, and it's still the only one I recommend to friends

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 18:00

Printers are one of the most frustrating pieces of consumer tech. Despite decades of incredible progress in all other areas of consumer tech, it seems like printers are still living in 1999—just with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth instead of a parallel port.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How I added a Windows-style taskbar to my Android phone

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:45

For as long as Android phones have existed, they’ve stuck with a tried-and-true UI. You get a home screen with a dock of icons, and a “multitasking” screen with recent apps. I wanted something better, so I looked to another tried-and-true UI: the Windows taskbar.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Ted Lasso is back this summer, but he's coaching a very different team

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:35

Get ready for Coach Lasso and his positive affirmations to return this summer. Apple TV announced that Ted Lasso season 4 will premiere in the U.S. and around the world on August 5, 2026.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Excel finally fixed its worst problems—but you're still using the old workarounds

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:34

For years, Excel was powerful but temperamental. You learned pretty quickly to walk on eggshells around your formulas just to keep things from breaking. But while most of us were building workarounds and muscle-memory fixes, Microsoft was quietly upgrading the engine under the hood in ways that weren't obvious from the surface.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I tried to go passwordless with passkeys, here’s why it didn’t hold up in practice

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:30

Passwords have always been a maintenance problem. You either remember them and risk reusing them, or you store them somewhere else and depend on that system being available at the exact moment you need access. Passkeys take a different approach in which authentication relies on public key cryptography, where the private key stays on your device and never leaves it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Kindle Colorsoft gets a key feature that budget models have had for years

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:27

If you’ve squinted at a blazing white Kindle screen late at night, you already know how much dark mode matters. Amazon is making that experience less punishing by rolling out a system-wide dark mode to the Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. The update may seem small on paper, but it matters for anyone who reads at night or in dark environments, especially for hours at a stretch.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 premium Milwaukee products that aren't power tools

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:15

Milwaukee is well known for making some of the best tools. Everything from drills, impact wrenches, sawzalls, and oscillating tools, but that's not all the company has to offer. Milwaukee makes a bunch of obscure tools you'll love, along with heated clothing, speakers, coolers, and more.

Categories: IT General, Technology

OpenAI is building a smartphone, and it hopes to kill app stores

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 17:13

OpenAI is reportedly building its first smartphone, and it could prove disruptive by ending the historic dominance of app portals like Apple's App Store and Google Play.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Forget the Corolla—this used luxury hybrid feels more premium for less

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 16:46

Everything feels expensive right now, and affordability is pretty much front and center for most people. Even so, the appeal of driving something nicer hasn’t really gone away.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 useful things you can do with a cordless drill (aside from drilling holes)

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 16:30

While the primary job of a cordless drill is to create holes or drive screws, this garage staple has a lot more to offer. A powered drill is essentially just a high-torque motor that spins things. With the right attachments, it becomes one of the most versatile tools in your arsenal.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I ditched cloud voice assistants for a local LLM and my smart home finally feels private

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 16:15

Technology that's meant to simplify our lives can lead us to give up all privacy at home. Most smart speakers rely on the cloud, where every whispered command to a voice assistant is sent to remote servers for analysis and training, turning your house into a data collection point.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This 3-row luxury SUV costs around $40K—and beats most new family SUVs

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 16:00

Shopping for a new three-row family SUV with a $40,000 budget usually means choosing between practicality and premium comfort. Most new options in that price range focus on value first, offering solid space and features but rarely delivering a truly upscale experience. The used market, however, opens the door to something far more special.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This free Obsidian sync setup is better than Obsidian Premium

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 15:30

Obsidian Sync is the official Obsidian service that lets you sync your Obsidian notes between devices. However, it's a monthly subscription that costs $5 or $10 a month, depending on the feature tier you pick. Now there are workarounds that let you sync Obsidian notes between devices, but they're either too complicated to set up or have too many moving parts prone to failure, or both. I'd like to show you a free Obsidian sync system which is just as convenient and robust as Obsidian Sync, while giving you more control and features.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google Keep templates will fix your cluttered notes library

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 15:00

Google Keep is a great tool for jotting down notes and thoughts in the moment. Like any note-taking app, it’s easy to create a new note and fill it with text, voice recordings, or photos.

Categories: IT General, Technology

6 reasons your 3D prints look fine but feel weak

Tue, 04/28/2026 - 14:45

3D printing strong objects can be easier said than done. For everyday items, you usually don’t have to worry about this. But for prints that need to take a beating, remain strong when bearing weight, or weather the elements, it can pose an issue.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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