How-To Geek

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.

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+.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anker's Soundcore has released the AeroFit 2 Pro, which are dual-form earbuds that can physically switch between an open-ear design and a noise-canceling, semi-in-ear fit. This is a genuinely clever piece of engineering that makes it great for anyone who wants the best of both worlds.

Before you say anything—Linux is great. I've been writing Linux advocacy pieces for more than a decade. Desktop Linux has come along by leaps and bounds, and has yet to reach its full potential. However, for those who have never used Linux in any of its flavors, there are still reasons to think twice before diving in.

Managing emails in Outlook can feel like an endless chore—your inbox fills up faster than you can clear it. But what many people don’t realize is that behind Outlook’s familiar interface lies several hidden features. Once you start using them, sorting, replying, and organizing emails become easier.

People love to use single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi for niche projects like retro game emulation, building a custom NAS, or home automation.