How-To Geek
Stop using your car's USB port to charge your phone
If you have a relatively new vehicle, it probably has USB-A and newer USB-C ports on the dash, in the center console, and maybe in the back for passengers. They're everywhere, and it makes charging phones fast and easy, right? Nope.
Stop using your car's USB port to charge your phone
If you have a relatively new vehicle, it probably has USB-A and newer USB-C ports on the dash, in the center console, and maybe in the back for passengers. They're everywhere, and it makes charging phones fast and easy, right? Nope.
Stop buying PCs expecting them to last 10 years
If you're the type of person who only upgrades their PC once in a blue moon, you're not alone. So, it might seem logical to spend some extra cash now to build a top-tier PC that can last longer. However, that isn't a good approach to PC building. Allow me to explain.
Stop buying PCs expecting them to last 10 years
If you're the type of person who only upgrades their PC once in a blue moon, you're not alone. So, it might seem logical to spend some extra cash now to build a top-tier PC that can last longer. However, that isn't a good approach to PC building. Allow me to explain.
9 clever ways to use vibration sensors in your smart home
Vibration sensors are just another tool in your smart home arsenal for building useful and entertaining automations. These wireless, battery-powered helpers can stick to virtually anything and sense movement or changes in angle that you can use as triggers.
9 clever ways to use vibration sensors in your smart home
Vibration sensors are just another tool in your smart home arsenal for building useful and entertaining automations. These wireless, battery-powered helpers can stick to virtually anything and sense movement or changes in angle that you can use as triggers.
SDUC promised 128TB memory cards: The engineering wall keeping SD cards at 2TB
The first time I held a 512GB microSD card in the palm of my hand, I was duly impressed, but that was a long time ago. Today, the biggest SD card you can buy is 2TB in size.
SDUC promised 128TB memory cards: The engineering wall keeping SD cards at 2TB
The first time I held a 512GB microSD card in the palm of my hand, I was duly impressed, but that was a long time ago. Today, the biggest SD card you can buy is 2TB in size.
This $6 gadget made my old smart lights feel new again
A smart home is never done evolving, for all it takes is one new addition to make many of your older products feel fresh. One of my most recent upgrades was a cheap, wall-mountable remote that breathes new life into the lights in my home.
This $6 gadget made my old smart lights feel new again
A smart home is never done evolving, for all it takes is one new addition to make many of your older products feel fresh. One of my most recent upgrades was a cheap, wall-mountable remote that breathes new life into the lights in my home.
Don't be fooled by those 3D printing YouTube videos, they're lying to you
If you're like me, you spend a lot of time watching YouTube in order to learn as much as you can about your hobbies. For me, that includes videos about 3D printing, which is a technology that fascinates me and I want to know as much as possible about it.
Android phones stopped being fun after this legendary brand gave up
Modern smartphones are more powerful than ever, but almost every Android brand plays it safe. The cost of creating a new smartphone is so high that experimenting rarely makes sense.
7 free apps to supercharge a fresh Windows installation
Everyone has their own selection when it comes to installing apps on a fresh Windows installation. However, there are a few apps that every power user should have on their Windows PC. Allow me to share my Windows essentials.
Don’t see Avengers: Doomsday until you've watched these 6 Marvel movies
Following a seven-year wait, 2026 will finally see Earth's Mightiest Heroes assemble once more for Avengers: Doomsday. The MCU's most iconic figures will join forces to defend existence from the machinations of a plot by the long-anticipated villain Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. Avengers: Doomsday will mark the beginning of the end of the Multiverse Saga that began in 2021.
The new KDE Plasma, Dolphin's big emulation update, the Pixel 10a, and more: News roundup
This was another busy week for tech news, with the arrival of the Google Pixel 10a phone and KDE Plasma 6.6 desktop, an impressive update for the Dolphin emulator, new EVs from Polestar, and much more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.
7 Python mistakes That make your code slow (and the fixes that matter)
Python is awesome because it's one of the easiest languages to learn and lets you prototype incredibly fast. However, that convenience often hides major inefficiencies that can seriously slow things down. That clean script you wrote might quickly turn into a huge performance bottleneck if you're not careful.
When to pick Z-Wave over Zigbee or Thread for your smart home
Mesh networks are a low-power alternative to Wi-Fi for connecting smart home devices like plugs, switches, and sensors to your server. While Zigbee is a longstanding favorite and Thread is the hot new thing, Z-Wave offers an alternative to both with some notable upsides (and a few drawbacks).
From "unknown artist" to perfection: How I finally cleaned up my music library
Do you have a mass of music files that are disorganized and hap-hazardly labeled and tagged? Fixing that can be a pain, and it may not even seem worth it—for now. But I found a super helpful app for folks who enjoy listening to an offline digital music collection.
I just survived another winter storm on battery power—here's how I did it
I love in a rural area where losing power also means losing access to water, and being snowed in means being cut off from help. When combined with the need to stay warm, these challenges make winter storms particularly scary—but at my house, we face them with confidence using batteries as our only source of emergency power. Let me tell you how.
Alfa Romeo’s luxury sedan is cheaper to maintain than its rivals
Luxury sedans are often synonymous with high ownership costs, especially when it comes to maintenance and repairs. But one Italian-built four-door upends that stereotype in 2025 by delivering premium refinement and surprisingly sensible upkeep compared with many rivals. While its competitors can come with hefty service bills and expensive parts, this luxury sedan’s maintenance profile keeps long-term costs more manageable, a rare combination in a segment known for costly ownership.


