How-To Geek

Syndicate content
We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 23 min 50 sec ago

This new ASUS ROG PC has holograms in the case window

Tue, 01/06/2026 - 01:00

ASUS has just announced its newest gaming desktop, the ROG G1000, and it comes with a full-color holographic display built right into the side panel. The visuals are made with the ROG AniMe Holo, a full-color hologram technology that blows RGB lighting out of the water.

Categories: IT General, Technology

There's an RTX 5090 and 240Hz OLED in this new HyperX gaming laptop

Tue, 01/06/2026 - 00:00

HP's gaming brand, HyperX, just revealed an updated OMEN MAX 16 at CES 2026. It could be an impressive gaming laptop when it arrives, complete with hardware configurations up to an RTX 59090 graphics card, a 240Hz OLED screen, and improved cooling.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Acer Swift Go 16 has a trackpad that doubles as a drawing tablet

Tue, 01/06/2026 - 00:00

Acer is making an interesting hardware splash with the new Swift Go 16 AI, a flagship laptop centered around a touchpad that doubles as a drawing tablet for digital creators. This new generation of Copilot+ PCs is powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, but the 16-inch model takes things further.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 have returned

Tue, 01/06/2026 - 00:00

Dell is bringing back its iconic XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops for 2026, reversing the 'Dell Premium' name change that didn't really work out. You'll have to wait longer for an updated XPS 13, though.

Categories: IT General, Technology

No, Microsoft Office didn't just get renamed to Microsoft 365 Copilot

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 23:00

You may have seen posts on social media claiming that Microsoft just changed the name of its Office suite to "Microsoft 365 Copilot." However, that name change probably isn't for the 'Office' you are thinking about, and it's certainly not new.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3 Paramount+ movies you must watch this week (January 5 - 11)

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 23:00

I know we're a few days into 2026, but Happy New Year! Now that the dust has settled after Stranger Things madness and my annual holiday screenings of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Inglourious Basterds, it's time to ease into January with some classics and a doc on Paramount+.

Categories: IT General, Technology

16 years ago, Google launched one of the most important phones in Android history

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 22:26

Many phones have come and gone in Android’s nearly 20-year history, but some phones stand out more than others. Phones that changed the landscape. Phones that held a special place in our hearts. One such device is the aptly named Nexus One, and it was released 16 years ago today.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 open-source Raspberry Pi projects I'm self-hosting to save money

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 22:00

It’s never a bad time to think about saving money, and self-hosting your own software is a great place to start. With the help of my always-on Raspberry Pi, I’m hoping to buck trends and avoid subscriptions by hosting the following projects on my own.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Thermaltake has new 1990s-inspired PC cases and AIO coolers

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 21:58

If you're a big fan of 1990s PC hardware design, but you still want your modern tempered glass side panel, Thermaltake might have the PC case for you. The company revealed two new chassis options at CES 2026 inspired by 90s desktops, as well as a cooler that looks like a tiny CRT monitor.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Cars that just keep going—reliable picks you can count on

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 20:31

When you’re shopping for a used car, reliability is king. Sure, used rides cost less than new ones, but there’s always the gamble of how well the previous owner cared for it—and you probably won’t get a full warranty.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Siri is useless—except for doing these 5 things

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 20:00

When Siri first appeared on the iPhone way back in 2011, it felt like the way we would interact with our smartphones was about to change forever. Fast forward nearly 15 years, and all that promise has come to nothing. Siri is still mostly useless, although there are a few instances where it can be genuinely useful.

Categories: IT General, Technology

What Home Assistant’s configuration.yaml file does (and why you should care)

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 19:00

Despite being almost infinitely customizable, Home Assistant can feel relatively straightforward on a surface level. Sometimes, however, you might find that you need to set up integrations or make changes manually, and at those times, you might be directed to the configuration.yaml file.

Categories: IT General, Technology

HP's new 14-inch Chromebook might be perfect for work and play

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 18:00

HP has just announced its new convertible laptop, the Chromebook Plus x360, bringing an 8-core Intel processor and a high-resolution 14-inch screen to the popular ChromeOS platform. This has gotten a lot of upgrades to meet the Chromebook Plus standard.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This Snapdragon chip could help PCs fight the MacBook Air

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 18:00

Qualcomm hit the mid-range laptop market with the release of the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a powerful new system-on-a-chip built to power the next wave of affordable Windows PCs. This new chip slots right below the flagship X2 Elite, which was revealed a few months ago.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Get Your Ham Radio License: Vital for Emergencies & Remote Areas

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 18:00

In a world of satellites and cell towers, radio may seem hopelessly outdated. But there are plenty of good reasons to get a ham radio license in today's world. From personal hobbies to emergency situations, you never know when it might come in handy.

Categories: IT General, Technology

RIP WD_Black: SanDisk's best SSDs are getting new names

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 17:58

WD_Black solid state drives are some of the best SSDs for workstations, gaming PCs, PlayStation 5 consoles, and anything else that needs high-performance storage. However, you'll soon find them under a new name: SanDisk Optimus.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your Fire TV is getting a new interface and faster performance

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 17:22

Amazon is rolling out a major software update to Fire TV devices, bringing a completely redesigned, faster user interface, and simultaneously debuting a brand-new TV line. The company is making sure you don't spend too much time searching for something to watch.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This American midsize SUV delivers value buyers expect from Japan

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 17:15

Midsize SUVs keep getting pricier, more complicated, and honestly a bit samey—but this one still feels like it’s playing a different game. Instead of chasing luxury-brand prices, it focuses on giving you real substance for the money, and that’s getting harder to find.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Amazon Alexa now has a real web app (again)

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 17:07

For years, the Alexa voice assistant has been on phones, tablets, smart home devices, and everything in-between. Now, it's coming (back) to your web browser, designed as an alternative to generative AI chatbots like Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The one setting I change before building any Home Assistant automation

Mon, 01/05/2026 - 17:00

Controlling your smart home with a dashboard or smart buttons is great, but the real power of a smart home comes from automation. There's nothing more satisfying than having the actions you want to occur happen like magic without you having to do anything at all. When you're creating automations in Home Assistant, there's a key setting you should be aware of.

Categories: IT General, Technology

eXTReMe Tracker