How-To Geek

Ever wished you could turn on your home computer while you’re miles away? With the Wake-on-LAN (WOL) feature, that’s entirely possible—a capability many Windows users don’t even know exists. Set it up once, and you’ll be able to power on and access your computer remotely whenever you need.

For years, Toyota and Honda were the go-to names for cars that just keep running. Their long-standing reputation for reliability made them the default choice for many buyers.

As the big November holiday inches closer, that means more time we all have to watch plenty of movies. Amazon Prime Video is seeing to it that there’s no shortage of titles in their catalog. This week, I’ve chosen some gems consisting of pure, unadulterated entertainment. Join me as we venture through action and thrills, a perilous open-water situation, a scandalous drama, and plenty of absurd circumstances to laugh at. There's even some group therapy—but don't worry, no participation is required.

Under normal usage, a Windows laptop should typically last between three and six hours on a single charge. But what if your laptop's battery isn't getting the job done?

While I’m confident in my ability to spend lots of money on a 3D printer to kickstart a new obsession, knowing what you’re getting yourself into before you pull the trigger is probably a good idea. Thankfully, there are some good ways to try out 3D printing before you buy.

I’ve been deeply entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem for most of my career. From PowerPoint and Word to Excel and Teams, I’ve relied on them for everything from writing and editing to collaboration and file management. But over the years, the software has grown heavier, slower, and more expensive. Every new version seems to bring more features I don’t need and more nudges toward cloud subscriptions I never asked for. At some point, I began to think that I was spending more time managing licenses and updates than actually getting work done.

Many of us have a large collection of physical media sitting around, be that CDs, vinyl records, or cassettes. Unfortunately, there isn't nearly as much to do with them as there used to be—you'd be hard-pressed to find a modern vehicle that runs CDs, much less cassettes.

Are you looking for really good open source software for your Linux computer? There are some applications that I use so much, I'd be first in line to pay if there was suddenly a price tag on it.

If you know what you're doing, you can mess around with the BIOS on your computer to personalize your experience to the letter. However, if you're new to tweaking BIOS, you should leave some settings alone, lest you cause some serious problems.

A sports car usually isn’t the place you look for long-term value, yet one Japanese performance model is defying that rule entirely. While the average enthusiast coupe tends to lose value quickly, this one is holding onto its price so well that it actually depreciates less than a Toyota Corolla, a benchmark economy car famous for rock-solid resale. For buyers who want thrills without financial fallout, it’s a rare combination.

Some people will claim Linux gaming is awesome, while others will complain that it’s broken and doesn’t work! This vast difference in experience largely boils down to the choice of distribution. As such, I only recommend three Linux distros, because they’re the best when it comes to gaming on Linux.

In the tech world, it’s easy to get lost in specs, but a bigger number isn’t always better. When it comes to a smartwatch, this is especially true. I recently upgraded from a bigger watch to a smaller one, and it has been a vast improvement.

At $1800, Galaxy XR is half the price of the Apple Vision Pro, but it’s still far from an impulse buy. Yet I’ve decided to buy one and am about to take the plunge into VR for the first time. Here's why this headset appeals to me when others have not.

Road construction is a necessary evil when we talk about infrastructure, but it always brings along a frustrating mix of traffic jams, surprise detours, and trips that take way longer than they should. For most drivers, seeing those orange cones and flashing lights means their day is about to get worse, turning a normal drive into a real test of patience.

The entire point of mobile payments is to be more convenient than a physical card. Any little bit of friction ends up feeling more cumbersome than just pulling out your wallet. While Google Wallet is genuinely great, there are a few often-hidden tweaks that can make the tap-to-pay process even better.

3D printing is a hobby that quickly turns casual observers into enthusiasts. That means it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and overlook the rougher edges, even if you’re completely taken in by it.

We've all purchased a tool, gadget, or tech item that we eventually regret or don't use enough. However, if there's one thing you'll end up using frequently, or be glad you have a few extras in your garage, it's power tool battery packs.

A smart home needs solid foundations, and that means reliable wireless pathways that ensure your lights, sensors, and remotes can communicate effectively. If you’re suffering from dropouts and spotty performance, there’s a cheap trick you can use to get a bit more range out of your Thread, Zigbee, or Z-Wave networks.

Toyota has long been synonymous with resale value, but one of its newest models breaks sharply from that reputation. Despite wearing one of the most trusted badges in the industry, this vehicle sheds more than 80% of its original price within just five years, an eye-opening contrast to the brand’s usual strong performers. For shoppers who assume every Toyota is a safe financial bet, this outlier proves that name recognition isn’t everything.

I've always loved to read. My house is so full of books that I'm struggling to find places to put them all. I've listened to audiobooks in the past, but I always found myself returning to physical books. I finally decided to give audiobooks another try, but the experience still left me cold.