How-To Geek

As we slide right on in to October’s streaming season, its first weekend is on fire with multiple new releases. From the Josh Hartnett-led action flick Fight or Flight to the highly anticipated new season of Netflix hit anthology series Monster, these titles are guaranteed to be well worth your time. Besides, you know you’re curious. There’s even a Cillian Murphy movie in the mix.

If you want to master the Bash shell on Linux, macOS, or another UNIX-like system, special characters (like ~, *, |, and >) are critical. We'll help you unravel these cryptic Linux command sequences and become a hero of hieroglyphics.

Last week, YouTube TV and NBC Universal were both rather public about their ongoing negotiations, which led to a lot of coverage about YouTube TV losing access to countless important TV stations and channels. After a short-term deal was announced earlier this week, we finally have some better news.

I've never been truly satisfied by any weather widget that I've found for my iPhone. The native Weather app's widget is fine, and options such as CARROT Weather are funny, but neither lets me see what the weather is like in an instant, without having to interpret all the data and icons. That's why I decided to create my own using Shortcuts.

Families looking for the perfect balance of space, comfort, and fuel efficiency are turning to hybrid SUVs more than ever in 2025. Rising fuel costs and the growing demand for eco-friendly options have made these vehicles the smart choice for drivers who don’t want to compromise on practicality.

While there seems to be no end to the ever-increasing prices of all the major streaming services, it's no surprise that the menu of free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) movie sites and services continues to expand, too.

After you start using Linux for the first time, you may wonder what you should install to make use of it. There's a ton of software to choose from, but it's hard to sort through it all. Here are three I think are worth trying.

Do you hear that? That’s the sound of Star Wars fans everywhere simultaneously whispering, “This is the way,” in celebration of finally seeing The Mandalorian and Grogu film’s first official trailer, released September 22. It’s been quite a wait since the two were announced as the focus of Lucasfilm’s ever-evolving movie slate, and now that the trailer is here, fans are left with one burning question: What the heck is this movie about?

Some of the best software in the world is produced entirely by volunteers and released for free. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on many of these tools to stay productive and in control of my Mac.

I'm not a big LED person, but the idea of a backlight that reacts to what I'm watching and playing was too cool to ignore. I wasn't sure how well the Govee TV Backlight 3 Pro would perform, but I came away very impressed.

For me, every weekend is a binge weekend. And there’s nothing I love more than unplugging and settling in on my couch to escape into another world of a great TV show for a while.

I'm still discovering new things to watch on Paramount+, which is a good sign. Of course, there are all kinds of Star Trek movies and series I can sink my teeth into, but many of them are more long-term commitments than what I'm suggesting here—nice, bingeable TV shows you can get through in a weekend.

Bad news. Android, which has for years been pretty democratic when it comes to sideloading, is locking things down a lot starting next year. The company has now gone into detail on how this will work, and while there's some silver linings, it might still be bleak for some of you.

Whether the year of the Linux desktop is here or not, switching distros is still a pain. If you're planning to make a move to another Linux distribution, here's how I batch-install all my old applications I was using on the previous one.

Immich, the self-hosted alternative to Google Photos, iCloud Photos, and other similar services, is now officially stable. The project just reached its v2.0 release, and is now intended for anyone to try without a significant risk of bugs and stability issues.

You can score a massive 28% discount on the powerful HP Victus 15.6" Gaming Laptop right now. The price has dropped to a surprisingly low $650 at Best Buy, a savings of $250 from its original $900 listed price.

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are currently available for a surprisingly low price of just $128 on Amazon, which is a massive 36% discount off the original list price of $200. This is a great value for a pair of high-end wireless gaming earbuds that are packed with features like Active Noise Cancellation.

Hybrid cars have earned a reputation for delivering impressive fuel economy, but their real strength often lies in long-term dependability. While many buyers focus on new models, the used market is full of hybrids that still offer excellent efficiency, proven durability, and lower ownership costs. For budget-conscious drivers, these vehicles provide a way to enjoy modern technology and strong reliability without stretching finances.

As a successor to Dell's XPS line, the Dell 14 Premium (DA14250) laptop is a slight disappointment. It's an excellent laptop, but falls short in a couple of areas I wish it didn't. What makes it worthwhile is its Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, gorgeous OLED display, and long-lasting battery life.

Are you looking for something new to watch in October? Or maybe some old favorites to fall in love with all over again? Either way, Prime Video has you covered!