How-To Geek
7 reasons installing KOReader on an old Kindle beats buying a new eReader
You may be thinking about investing in a new eReader, especially if your Kindle is one of the older models that are no longer supported by Amazon. Before you spend money on a new device, it's worth considering installing KOReader on your old Kindle. I put KOReader on my jailbroken Kindle 4, and it can do a lot that even a new Kindle can't do.
4 things you can plug into your Home Assistant server's USB ports
Whatever hardware you’re running Home Assistant on, there’s probably a spare USB port or two that you can use. You’ll need these if you want to connect some of the most useful accessories to your smart home server.
4 more new Ryobi tools I'm still looking forward to this year
Want to buy more tools this year? Ryobi has an excellent selection of power tools, and more are on the way later this summer or in early fall. While Ryobi has released over 70 new items as of late, including several capable tools this year, the company recently highlighted several more options worth waiting for.
I replaced 4 apps with Excel—and I don't miss them
Like a lot of people, I'd ended up with a surprising number of tiny productivity apps over the years. One tracked my tasks, another handled budgets, another organized related data, and another helped me visualize information. Eventually, I wondered how many I actually needed—and the answer turned out to be "far fewer than I thought." I consolidated my workflow by replacing four separate apps with Microsoft Excel.
I 3D printed custom keycaps for the function row shortcuts I actually use
I’ve been wanting to print some keycaps for a while, so when an excuse presented itself to make the function row a little more “functional,” I leapt at the opportunity.
I gave Ubuntu another chance, and now I'm tempted to leave Zorin OS behind
Early this year, I installed Zorin OS on a couple of older PCs that originally ran Windows 10, and it turned out to be exactly what I needed. The desktop felt familiar enough that I could start using Linux without feeling like I had to relearn everything. Before long, it stopped feeling like an experiment and became something I actually enjoy using.
Baseus Security X1 Pro Review: A weird, smart, and surprisingly useful security camera
Baseus, the phone charger and cable company, is starting to step out into more fields. I recently went hands-on with their newest security camera, the X1 Pro, and it actually impressed me in quite a few ways.
Ford issues massive Mustang recall, but the reason why is bizarre
If you drive a Ford Mustang or Mustang Mach-E, you may need to take your vehicle to the dealership in the near future. Ford has issued two separate recall campaigns covering 110,626 vehicles due to a windshield wiper defect and a rear differential issue that can result in a sudden loss of power.
I cut my screen time by 2 hours a week with one Android setting nobody uses
I used to think I didn't spend a lot of time on my phone—then I saw the harsh reality. I wanted to fix this, so I did some research and found a tool that helped me decrease my phone use when it's at its worst: late at night. The solution I found is surprisingly easy and requires no third-party apps.
What to expect when the Pixel 11 is unveiled on August 12th
Google announced an event to introduce the Pixel 11 in New York City on August 12th. The invitation says little, but includes a teaser image of the phone that appears to confirm a rumored all-black camera bar. The design will otherwise be familiar to Pixel 10 (and Pixel 9) fans, but there are more interesting details to look forward to.
3 excellent HBO Max shows to binge this week (July 7-12)
With most of HBO Max's July highlights, like Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, landing in the last ten days of the month, and House of the Dragon painstakingly dropping only once a week, now's an excellent time to raid one of the deepest catalogs in streaming.
Hyundai just overtook Toyota in one crucial market—and nobody saw it coming
Hyundai's rise over the last decade has been impossible to ignore. Once known primarily for affordable transportation, the Korean automaker now builds vehicles that regularly challenge, or even outperform, more established rivals in value, technology, and refinement. That steady improvement is now translating into something even more important: consistently stronger sales.
Stop opening your browser for these 8 tasks, the terminal does them better
The terminal looks like an unassuming (sometimes intimidating) black box and feels like it’s only meant for pros or experts. It’s not as inscrutable as it seems though. Anybody can learn to use it and get stuff done. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll often find yourself launching a terminal instead of opening a new browser tab. That’s because the terminal is faster, reliable, and never shows ads.
Your old 250GB SSD is too small for Windows, but it's perfect for this
Small SSDs may seem a bit useless in this day and age, when a single AAA game can take up over 100GB. But I have a bunch of these old, outdated drives, including 120GB and 250GB options, that still work just fine. I can bet that you might have some too, if you dig through old drawers or disassemble an old PC.
Stop believing these myths about Qubes OS. It's much easier than you think
If you've heard of Qubes, you've probably heard about its steep hardware requirements or difficulty of use. While there's an element of truth there, the reality is considerably different. One or two hurdles are all that's in your way, and I'll cover some of the misconceptions surrounding this amazing system.
5 networking devices that are officially too old for anything in 2026
That old Wi-Fi router you've had for 15 years? It's time to replace it. Oh, and that DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem you bought in 2015? Yeah, it's time to replace that, too. Here are five networking devices that are officially too old to be using in 2026.
5 great classic shows I wish I had watched sooner
We all have our blind spots when it comes to streaming. I've admitted the classic movies I was late to, including L.A. Confidential and To Live and Die in L.A. Now, it's time to come clean about the classic TV shows I wish I had watched sooner. Some of these I can blame on my age — two of these shows premiered before I was born.
The hybrid SUV that finally gets three rows right
The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid is quietly becoming one of the hottest family SUVs around. In March 2026 alone, 8,275 buyers took one home, pushing first-quarter sales to 20,532 units—an 86.9-percent jump from the same period last year.
iFixit made a toolkit for repairing your home appliances and building furniture
You might associate iFixit with tools to repair your electronics, but now it's taking on a bigger challenge: helping you with all the mid-size DIY projects around your home. The company has released a Megalodon Driver Kit that sits between its precision gadget toolsets and the power tools reserved for heavy-duty jobs.
6 Excel features I wish I'd learned years earlier
You can spend years using Excel without realizing some of its biggest time-saving features are hiding in plain sight. Looking back, these are the six tools that would've saved me the most time, clicks, and frustration if I'd discovered them sooner.


