How-To Geek

Two years ago, I refused to use AI in any way, shape, or form. Today, I use it heavily, but not necessarily in the ways you might think. I don't use AI to think for me, but I have definitely turned my $100 ChatGPT Pro subscription into a virtual assistant for my small business. Here are three projects that have justified my subscription, and I can't wait to find more ways to continue justifying it without increasing what I spend.

When you buy an iPhone or an Android phone, you'll not only get the underlying operating system, but also the apps that form part of a specific ecosystem. So, for example, you'll find Google Drive, Google Play, and various other Google apps that are not actually part of the core Android build.

After years of complaints about how little you could customize the Windows Start menu, Microsoft is finally overhauling it in the 26H2 update. In reality, though, they are only catching up to something an open-source app figured out years ago. Meet Flow Launcher, a keyboard-first app launcher that is superior to the current Start menu from all directions.

My current phone is the most expensive one Motorola sells — the Razr Fold. But I've fallen in love with many more adorable Moto phones over the years: a Moto E, a Moto G, a Moto G Stylus, and a Moto Edge. Some of these were very cheap, but they punched above their weight, and it's possible to jazz them up even further still.

Thrillers are currently dominating Netflix's weekly top 10. The Whisper Man, which was one of our top movies to watch in August, remains at No. 1. The Secret Woman and Ready or Notalso landed in the top 10, so thrillers are of interest to subscribers at the moment.

I spent nearly six years running a dual-socket decade-old Xeon server as my primary NAS. Recently, I moved to an off-the-shelf Ugreen NAS and started comparing the two. The thing is, they really can't be compared, and I realized I've spent way more money on that old Lenovo than I originally thought.

Most of us learned Microsoft Word while growing up and never really questioned it. It was on most computers, so it became the default for everything, including notes that had no business being formatted like a printed document. You don't need an entire document to take a few notes; you should use an app built to manage them like databases.

I am suspicious of fitness trackers. I'm not saying we can't trust companies to safeguard the data they generate, but it would be nice to not have to trust them in the first place. That is why I've been happy to wear a Pebble Time 2, which is the first Android-compatible product I've worn that generates health metrics without also uploading that information to the web.

If you're new to Linux, or you've happily existed in Mint's easygoing ecosystem for years, you might want to hear what its downsides are. That comfortable feeling may cost you dearly.

Google Lens tends to get catalogued as a way to figure out how to identify plants or translate a menu while traveling. That's true, but it can do a lot more than that. You don't need to wonder about stuff or run vague Google searches to figure it out; Google Lens is basically Google search on your phone.

If you've ever used a mesh Wi-Fi system, you've probably noticed that the satellite nodes usually have a spare Ethernet port. It is tempting to use that port to attach a NAS. After all, it seems like a good way to get your NAS connected without running a cable across the floor or through a wall.

Physical media has been dying quietly for years, and most people didn't fight it because streaming was just easier. Buying a digital copy felt like the same thing, just without the disc. The problem is that it isn't the same thing at all, and it's not just about ownership; it's about the quality that we're all losing out on.

When I first tried out Google Drive, it changed everything. Being able to share files and collaborate on documents with others so easily was a complete game-changer, and it made us all so much more productive.

You want your phone to last as long as it can on a charge, but you should pause before you swipe away those background apps — closing them might cause your phone to use more power, not less. It's counter-intuitive, I know, but here's why.

Most Linux distros you'll find are basically a pile of separate programs—a panel, a compositor, a window manager, and so on—all exchanging information and coordinating their behavior to create a cohesive experience.

By a show of hands, how many of you clean your power tools? I didn't think so. Those Ryobi tools in the garage are built to handle life's daily wear and tear, tackle DIY projects, and more, but when they get covered in dirt, sawdust, and other grime, a proper cleaning is more important than you think.

Whether you're looking to boost your spreadsheet efficiency, elevate your data analysis capabilities, or improve your career prospects, learning new tricks in Microsoft Excel is sure to help you along the way. So, add these six Excel hacks to your toolkit today.

Owning your own media, be it movies, music, or TV shows, is a great way to ensure that a change to a licensing agreement doesn't suddenly deprive you of one of your favorite pastimes.

If you've been on the fence with whether to buy a NAS (network-attached storage) or not—let me show you a different way. ORICO's latest 9948RC3 PRO DAS (direct-attached storage) system offers great transfer speeds, RAID, and more, all without a pesky network connection or custom operating system to deal with, and I actually really enjoyed using it.

Whether you're just trying to kill some time or you have some chores to get done, there is nothing worse than sitting around in silence. To me, having a little background noise can ease the pain of any mundane task. I particularly like to put something on that I can half pay attention to, which usually means opting for something light and easy.