How-To Geek

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We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 18 min 22 sec ago

4 streaming services I kept after canceling everything else

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 16:46

Streaming TV shows and movies used to be affordable when there were only one or two major streaming platforms. These days, there are almost too many to count, and the prices continue to rise. I've ditched several of my streaming subscriptions, but here are the four I've kept.

Categories: IT General, Technology

7 essential apps that work perfectly on both Windows and Linux

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 16:37

Having a Windows and Linux PC doesn’t mean you need entirely different toolsets for each platform. Many apps offer seamless cross-platform experiences, ensuring productivity without the hassle of relearning software. Here are seven apps that work smoothly on both Windows and Linux.

Categories: IT General, Technology

LM Studio's new headless mode turns any old PC into a private AI server

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 16:30

I used to wish that I had an awesome supercomputer so I could run my own AI, but then I found out that I didn't have to. Just like with other DIY projects, you can make a server with what you already have; you just need to think outside the box. If you own a spare PC, can find one, or can buy one cheaply, you're one big step closer to an AI server. What's even better is that LM Studio was built to make this easier for you.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why your Impact Driver is stripping screws—you’re not using the right mode

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 16:15

Drills and impact drivers are great for driving lag bolts or self-tapping screws, but they are also the fastest way to ruin a DIY project if you don't respect their power. If you're constantly using your impact driver on 3 (or the fastest setting) and stripping heads, snapping screws, or overdriving, you're using it wrong.

Categories: IT General, Technology

You paid extra for these Windows 11 Pro features, now use them

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 15:45

Windows 11 Pro costs more than the Home Edition of Windows, but many people who own Pro aren't making use of some of its most interesting features. They're not flashy, but they provide a very noticeable improvement over Home editions, especially if you like to experiment with applications or customize your PC.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The biggest car touchscreens ranked from useful to overly complicated

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 15:31

Is bigger always better? For your bank account, absolutely. For the spider currently sprinting across your living room floor? Definitely not.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your mesh Wi-Fi system has a hidden superpower—and it's free

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 15:01

Mesh Wi-Fi is one of those upgrades that genuinely changes how your home network feels, often doing a lot more than an expensive router ever could. The dead zones disappear, the streaming gets smoother, and you stop fighting with your router every time you walk into the wrong room. For most people, that's the whole story, and honestly, that's where the experimentation ends.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Home Assistant and Alexa are actually a match made in heaven—here's how I've made them work together

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 14:46

Like many people, I bought Amazon Echo smart speakers, thinking that they were the future of the smart home. Being able to control your smart home using your voice seems ideal, but the reality is that Amazon's proprietary system is restrictive and only supports fairly basic automations.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I turned my Obsidian vault into a shared workspace—for free

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 14:30

Obsidian might help you build a second brain, but it won’t help you collaborate with a second person. It’s famously a local-only tool. If you want to share your notes with someone else, you have to zip up your vault and email it over—which is a clunky solution. Alternatively, you can upload your vault to a cloud service like Google Drive—but then your local notes are exposed to a third-party server.

Categories: IT General, Technology

4 things I never thought I could do on Android until I discovered Termux

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 14:16

I am having way too much fun with the terminal on my phone. When I learned that Termux was available on Android, I downloaded it and immediately started playing around with the command line itself and integrating the API. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your cheap suitcase turntable is slowly damaging your vinyl

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 14:00

There's no denying that so-called "suitcase" record players are stylish and would look pretty awesome on a shelf or mantle. Even better, you can pick up a cheap one from your local supermarket these days, and all the kids are getting into vinyl records again, so why not?

Categories: IT General, Technology

The truth about Windows registry cleaners (and why people still use them)

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 13:30

The Windows Registry is a large database that includes a mountain of settings and configuration data used by Windows programs, services, system components, and hardware. It also includes paths to programs and files stored on your PC, as well as a wide range of other information needed for Windows to function properly.

Categories: IT General, Technology

A smart thermostat won't lower your summer energy bill, but this smart device will

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 13:00

Cooling your home can be expensive, even with a modern and efficient air conditioning system. If you want to save money, you should aim to prevent your home from getting too hot in the first place.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I asked Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT to build my portfolio, but only one nailed it

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 12:30

Artificial Intelligence has been the talk of the town for years now. At first, people tried to ignore it as simply a corporate buzzword, but its prevalence in our daily lives continues to grow, whether we like it or not.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why the Hyundai Ioniq 9 Black Ink feels more premium than expected

Tue, 05/12/2026 - 23:00

The luxury EV market in the U.S. has hit a bit of a reality check after its early hype phase. With tax credits disappearing and the initial rush fading, buyers are now a lot more focused on practicality than buzz.

Categories: IT General, Technology

6 devastating movies that destroyed me—and why I can never watch them again

Tue, 05/12/2026 - 22:00

What are your feelings about sad movies? I've realized you can't always be happy at the cinema. Sometimes, you need to let out a good cry. It's healthy, or at least that's what I told myself after shedding some tears during Hamnet. I'm OK with movies that make me cry, but I struggle with depressing stories. Those are the movies that I don't want to revisit.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Tesla tests virtual Supercharger queues—no more fighting over EV chargers

Tue, 05/12/2026 - 21:56

The days of lining up at Supercharger stations might soon be over. Tesla is testing a Supercharger "waitlist" in its mobile app that amounts to a virtual queue for EV drivers.

Categories: IT General, Technology

4 acclaimed HBO Max shows to get you through the work week (May 12 - 18)

Tue, 05/12/2026 - 21:45

Some weeks, no amount of coffee can jolt you from the fog of the Monday to Friday grind. But what I do know that helps is a solid watchlist waiting for the moment your laptop slams shut at the end of the day.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Spotify crashes on its 20th anniversary—hundreds report login and search failures

Tue, 05/12/2026 - 21:17

Hundreds of users have taken to X to report issues they are having with the music streaming platform Spotify. On the same day that Spotify released a new feature to celebrate its 20th anniversary, music lovers worldwide are facing error screens left, right, and center.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The quirky crossover that proves Korean SUVs can rival Toyota in reliability

Tue, 05/12/2026 - 21:00

For years, the default answer to “what used SUV should I buy?” has almost always pointed buyers toward Japan. Reliability has become so deeply tied to Toyota and Honda that a lot of shoppers overlook just how much Korean automakers have improved over the last decade. Quietly, some of the most dependable, budget-friendly crossovers on the road have started coming out of Seoul instead.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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