How-To Geek

Like many computer geeks, I tend to be a stickler for the right terminology. For example, I can never let it go when someone refers to a computer case as the "CPU" of the computer. Pedantic? Maybe. But there are some hills I just have to die on for some reason.

Samsung's all-new Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra are finally here, but one of my favorite pre-order deals is no longer available from Samsung's website. I'm talking about the free upgrade that doubles the internal storage when you pre-order.

If you hear the term "open-source," you might think of Linux. However, Linux distros aren't the only open-source operating systems. There are plenty in use today besides Linux. Some date back to even before Linux existed.

Small phone lovers are passionate, but there aren’t enough of them to stop the phone industry from shipping increasingly large phones. Fortunately, 2026 is shaping up to be the year that lesser-known companies are supplying some of the smallest smartphones we’ve seen in years.

SUVs have basically taken over, and for years the usual names have run the show. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Toyota built the blueprint, and models like the X5 became the default pick if you wanted something sporty but still upscale.

The idea of an Android phone as the brains inside a desktop PC-like setup didn’t catch on over a decade ago, but there’s much more promise this time around. In fact, there’s a good chance the phone you already own has a “desktop mode” just waiting to be unlocked. Here’s how to use it.

Affordable luxury SUVs are supposed to balance comfort, technology, and price, but many end up excelling in only one of those areas. In 2026, however, one compact luxury SUV manages to bring all three together more convincingly than its rivals. The Volvo XC40 delivers premium design, advanced safety tech, and everyday usability at a price point that undercuts much of the luxury competition, making it one of the smartest buys in the segment.

Desktop Linux is doing better than it ever has before, partly because of missteps by Microsoft in the development of Windows and partly because of the work in the Linux community over the years to turn it into a serious competitor for everyday computer users.

Not every discontinued app was a failure. Some of them worked exactly the way they were supposed to. They were fast, focused, and dependable. People built habits around them. They slipped into daily routines naturally and just did their job. Then one day they were gone.

Are you trying to figure out if it's worth it to buy a premium NAS? What if I told you the hardware was mostly the same across most units, and there was only one main difference between most brands? Here's why you shouldn't focus on NAS hardware, and instead should focus on the OS.

Everybody knows that one of the simplest ways to keep an Android phone feeling fresh is to factory reset it. What puts people off is the fear that it'll take ages and you might lose your data in the process. So when I was left with no choice but to reset my Pixel recently, I was surprised to find that it wasn't nearly as bad as I remembered.

The Nvidia Shield TV is one of the best Android product lines in history, including phones. That’s why people are still using models that are nearly a decade old. However, keeping a device running smoothly for that long requires some upkeep.

Are you tired of Arch-based distros that are just reskins with slightly different system defaults? Are you looking for a distro that actually tackles a real pain point the average user can’t solve on their own? Well, here are three Arch distros that genuinely solve real problems.

Zigbee2MQTT is one of the most popular ways to enable Zigbee devices to communicate with Home Assistant. When Zigbee2MQTT is working well, you mostly won't even notice it's there, but if it stops working, your Zigbee devices effectively disappear from Home Assistant. Running Zigbee2MQTT on a separate device from your Home Assistant server can solve a number of common issues.

I really want to use wireless CarPlay, but my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica doesn’t offer that—it only has wired CarPlay. Over the years, I’ve tried multiple wireless CarPlay adapters, and I always go back to a wired connection at the end of the day.

There are tons of Linux distros out there, but one that's been around for a while, offers a unique experience, and doesn't get much coverage is Q4OS. So what is this four-character operating system, and is it worth trying?

HBO Max is taking us for quite an exciting ride in March. Not only is the streamer dropping a slew of hit movies from the past on us, but it’s also presenting us with some appetizing debuts of new series, films, and documentaries, one of which feels like a giant belated Valentine’s Day present for Big Lebowski fans.

The Scream franchise is not only a champion of the slasher subgenre but also stands as one of the pivotal horror franchises of all time. Centered on killers slaughtering teens in the now-iconic Ghostface mask, the franchise is smart and rewarding to longtime horror fans while also acting as the perfect entry point to the genre for newcomers across three decades. And 30 years after her first encounter with the Ghostface Killer, Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott must take everything she's learned to protect her family in Scream 7.

The needs of home networks have changed a lot since the early days of home LANs. I often walk into the homes of people I visit only to see an absolutely ancient router, or a generic model that came from the ISP and hasn't been touched since.

The Lincoln Navigator underwent a full redesign for the 2025 model year, entering its fifth generation. Among the new features was something called Lincoln Rejuvenate, which makes the Navigator a “spa on wheels.”