How-To Geek

November, you had a good run, but now it's time for December to take it from here and ride the year off into the sunset. And speaking of sunsets, Hulu has a swath of titles leaving the service you should check out before they're gone.

Everyone has their toolbox of favorite programs that they install on their machines whenever they get a new one. Working with Python, I've built up my own essential toolkit. Here are the libraries and programs I reach for whenever I get a new machine.

If you’re budgeting around the cost of a new Honda Civic, you might be surprised at what the used market can offer. For the same money, a well-equipped luxury SUV from a few years ago delivers far more space, comfort, and versatility than most compact sedans, making it a smarter choice for drivers who need practicality without sacrificing refinement.

If you're tired of repeated calculations, hard-to-read formulas, and sluggish Excel worksheets, the LET function is your solution. It assigns simple names to complex calculations, making formulas clearer, easier to update, and much quicker by calculating expressions only once.

Do you prefer graphical applications? Are you hunting for Windows-like applications after the switch to Linux? Are you on the lookout for a powerful search utility? FSearch is a simple yet promising little utility that's difficult not to find appealing. I have four reasons why I think you'll love it.

If you spend any amount of time in a Windows environment, you know the routine: every new update brings a few helpful tweaks, a few head-scratchers, and at least one new way for OneDrive to wedge itself deeper into your workflow. I love Windows, truly, but OneDrive has always been one of the many parts of it that I tolerate rather than enjoy or use. It tries to sync things I never asked it to, moves files around in ways I don’t expect, and sometimes acts like it knows better than I do about what should actually live on my own PC. After a while, the whole thing started feeling less like a convenience and more like a negotiation.

Self-hosting can save you a lot of money, even when the cost of your hardware is taken into account. I run most of my services on a cheap mini PC, and I've been able to ditch several subscriptions by self-hosting similar versions of the same services for free. There are some subscriptions, however, that I won't be getting rid of any time soon.

The Amazon-owned smart security camera brand Blink offers a wide range of cameras suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. After years of using Blink cameras and wishing for a higher-resolution option, the new Blink Outdoor 2K+ is finally here, and the picture quality is excellent.

It’s time for USB-A to retire, plain and simple. For nearly 30 years, USB-A has held center stage, but I’m ready for USB-C to be the only port my desktop has.

Shoppers looking for a dependable daily driver often gravitate toward familiar nameplates, but one affordable Japanese hatchback is quietly outperforming its rivals where it matters most: long-term reliability. In a segment crowded with budget-friendly options, this model stands out by delivering durability levels that competing small cars simply can’t match. For buyers tired of costly repairs and unpredictable ownership experiences, it offers one of the most worry-free paths in the compact-car market.

Got a vacant USB port or two on your PC? You'd like to use it for something useful, but don't know exactly what? Check out five practical things you can connect to your free USB ports, some of which can reinvent the way you control your PC.

If you’re like me, you know there’s one critical problem with robots: they’re not edible! Thankfully, that pesky shortcoming has been solved by scientists. We're talking 100% edible, battery and actuators included (in multiple flavors, to boot).

Microsoft just rolled out PowerToys version 0.96.1, which is primarily a patch release focused on fixing several stability issues that came after the previous v0.96.0 launch. However, the incredibly useful Image Resizer tool is finally back in this update for Windows 10.

We’ve all been there, at the airport, waiting at the gate ready to board, when that dreaded announcement comes that your flight has been delayed. If you’re lucky, it’s a short wait. If not, it could mean hours in the airport or even an overnight stay—preferably in a hotel, but we’ve all done the four-seat stretch, am I right?

If you’ve ever spoken to an older car enthusiast, you’ve probably heard all the classic complaints about electric vehicles. They’re boring, soulless, and most of all, too quiet. Most car enthusiasts want to hear their sports car; they crave that visceral experience. But EVs, despite their superior performance and speed over internal combustion, just don’t provide it—so automakers turned to trickery.

Rocky Linux 10.1 is officially available for general use, bringing key features like systemd soft reboots and a massive refresh of developer toolchains. This release comes with updated installation media, cloud images, and live images.

Netflix giveth and Netflix taketh away. Yes, it's the end of November and that means the world's biggest streaming giant must shed some movies and TV shows to make way for all the new good stuff coming in December. That means now's the time for you to check your watchlist for any of the titles below to make sure to get them in before they're gone.

There's a common misconception about what the Archive feature in Google Photos actually does. It isn't a delete button, it doesn't recover space in your Google account, and it doesn't make images private. It's purely a way of decluttering your main Photos timeline, and it's actually pretty useful.

When it comes to gaming keyboards, Hall Effect and TMR are the ultimate choice. They offer the lowest latency, let you adjust the actuation point, and include a range of gaming-focused features that give you a real edge in games. Hall Effect keyboards are often expensive, with many models costing over $100.

Surge protectors protect your devices from sudden spikes in voltage caused by electrical storms, power outages, or other power-hungry devices on the same circuit. Unfortunately, these safeguards don’t last forever.