How-To Geek

Think back to the 1990s. I imagine some of you—myself included—were in school. You're in a classroom when, suddenly, the teacher rolls in a television and pops in a VHS tape. It was one of the best feelings a student could have. Nowadays, a teacher would pull up a video on YouTube to play on the computer.

I had an old mini laptop lying around that had been gathering dust for years. It's too old to run modern operating systems and its screen doesn't work. It doesn't even have a storage drive inside. It sounds like it belongs in the bin, but it's not useless. I turned it into a tiny home server, and it now runs a handful of Docker containers. It consumes very little power (no screen) and it has perfect uptime because of its built-in battery backup.

Although the number of Linux Desktops has fluctuated over time, the fact that several are available is an important Linux tradition. It follows the principle that programs should be modular and composable; you should be able to swap out your desktop for an alternative, easily and seamlessly.

Your 3D printer setup is only as good as the tools you have. I’ve been 3D printing for years at this point, and I’ve found that there are a few essential tools that most 3D printer owners forget to buy because I wish someone had pointed these out earlier to me on my 3D printing journey.

Tech products can be expensive, so when you see what appears to be a great deal, it can be hard to resist. The trouble is that when a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Linux is a great operating system, but I just can't use it as my main desktop. I've tried in the past, and there are a few things that hold me back from switching over. I would if I could, but I just simply can't.

Whether you're commuting to work or heading on a cross-country road trip, your car's infotainment system is vital. For years, I settled for the average Android Auto experience that's often laggy, cluttered, and tethered to a USB cable, but not anymore. I recently made several changes and now have the ultimate Android Auto setup, and here's how.

Paying for multiple apps when I don't even use them to the fullest seemed like a waste. Each one served different purposes but had one common goal: managing and organizing my files. Individually, each app made sense. Together, they felt like overkill.

Sensors are some of the most useful devices you can add to your smart home. If you want true automation rather than simply control, sensors can give you the signals you need. Smart home sensors can be relatively expensive, but you can make your own using an ESP32 board for just a few dollars.

With the age of streaming, audiences have greater access to television from across the globe. From simultaneous global releases of the latest hits to classics and lesser-known gems, streaming viewers can access the latest hits at the touch of their fingertips. However, even with this greater availability, it hasn't stopped studios from reimagining existing series from a new cultural perspective.

I think Pixel devices have attractive hardware, but personally, it’s the software that turns me off. Google has gone all-in on Gemini and AI, introducing it in an ever-growing number of ways. Fortunately, that turning off can go both ways. If you also think “No, thanks” every time Gemini rears its head, here are various ways you can take back your phone.—

It doesn't feel that long ago that one of the first things I did with a new WIndows installation was get some antivirus software on there. At first, I used free software like Avast, but eventually I ponied up for paid software, especially after my computer was connected to the internet and I had more to worry about than an infected USB drive.

Turn your MacBook into your all-in-one workstation—and save while you're doing so.

Not only is the Raspberry Pi a cheap and good purchase, but it can even help you save even more money in the long run if you use it correctly. Here are some ways your Raspberry Pi can be helpful in keeping money in your bank account.

It’s one of those "out of sight, out of mind" maintenance items on our cars. Most of us don't think about our brakes until they start squeaking or the pedal feels a bit mushy or strange under our foot. We change our oil religiously and rotate our tires when it's time, but brake fluid is often the most neglected fluid in the entire vehicle.

For years, Pi-hole occupied a comfortable place in the self-hosting stack. It was the thing I recommended to friends who wanted "network-wide ad blocking" without understanding DNS. It ran on a Raspberry Pi, required minimal maintenance, and gave me that quiet satisfaction of watching ad domains get blackholed at the network edge.

When you’re consumed by a hobby, it’s normal to want to spend some money on it. But what if you’re spending your money on the wrong thing? And what if you bought something else that both kickstarts a new hobby and augments your existing pastimes?

Repurposing a 1TB or 2TB SSD is easy enough. There's always something you can do with those, from game drives to external drives for backups. But when it comes to things like 250GB HDDs or 120GB SATA drives, it might seem like we're not as spoiled for choice.

Live-action video game adaptations seem to be populating on streaming services these days, and I couldn’t be happier about it. After years of teasing that my favorite game might be adapted into a live-action series, it’s finally happening. In 2022, Sony confirmed the development of a God of War TV show and, in January, cast its lead.

My homelabbing journey started off like many of you, with just one server. I finally moved to using multiple servers about a year ago and I can say that my homelab has never been more stable than it is now, and I couldn’t be more happy with the setup.