How-To Geek
DietPi just made it easy to host your own Google Photos on a Raspberry Pi
DietPi is a popular operating system for Raspberry Pi boards and other low-power systems, offering improved performance and pre-made configurations for common applications and self-hosted services. DietPi v10.2 has now arrived with Immich as an optional package, along with other changes.
Nvidia quietly moved the legendary GTX 1080 Ti and 4 other classic GPUs to legacy status
I'm the last person to tell you that you need to buy new hardware when you clearly don't. While it's easy to get stuck in an upgrade loop and always want the next best thing in PC hardware, it's not a good idea. GPUs are a great example of this: upgrading every generation isn't optimal for most users.
This is the fastest and cheapest way to build a fully offline Home Assistant smart home
Along with choice and sustainability, privacy is one of the three central pillars of the Open Home Foundation, the non-profit behind the free and open source Home Assistant software. The core of this pillar is the ability to control your devices locally without having to share data with cloud services. If you want to set up an offline smart home, it can be quicker and cheaper than you might think.
5 Microsoft Excel hacks that could blow your mind
Mastering Microsoft Excel's tools is a never-ending process, even for those who have used the program at work or at home for decades. With this in mind, here are some of my favorite Excel hacks I've picked up over the years that you can take away and use to speed up your spreadsheet workflow.
Samsung has been ordered to pay Galaxy S22 owners for deceptive advertising
One of the most common issues that sometimes pops up in smartphones is overheating. It’s very noticeable when the phone in your hands gets too warm, and manufacturers try their best to avoid this. However, Samsung went too far with precautions in the Galaxy S22 series—now they’re paying for it.
Stop reinstalling Windows: Clone your old drive to an NVMe SSD in minutes
So you just bought a new drive, and you're planning on moving all of your files over from your older, slower drive to your newer drive. It can be a daunting task, especially if you're not experienced. It doesn't have to be, though.
Changing these Google Maps settings instantly improved my morning commute
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to get to work or an appointment on time and being slowed down by things out of your control—or are they? By making a few small changes in Google Maps, you can help make your morning commute less of a headache.
5 new movies worth watching this week across Netflix, Prime Video, and more (March 23-29)
I don't know about you, but I love discovering a movie for the first time. There's something special about sitting down to watch a new film, knowing you only get one chance to experience that certain feeling. It's exciting.
Torrents, surveillance footage, and caches are filling your best SSD with garbage
At a time when expensive SSDs are, well, ridiculously expensive, using your best NVMe drive for trivial tasks feels even worse than it ever did before. And yet, many of us clutter those ultra-fast drives with apps that are wasting space and resources.
Stop buying smart home buttons–these NFC tags do the same thing for less than $1
Perfect automation is the ultimate goal for my smart home, but until I reach that point, there are times when I need to make things happen manually. I've used smart buttons in my home, but I often prefer NFC tags, which can do the job for a fraction of the price.
Stop guessing what’s slowing down Linux. Do this instead
With Linux, especially if you're new, it can be confusing when the operating system slows down—seemingly out of the blue. It can happen with any OS, but you might know how to pinpoint it on Windows, yet not Linux.
Wikipedia has banned AI-generated text, with two exceptions
Wikipedia, the beloved online encyclopedia, has debated for a while on how to handle the use of large language models (LLMs) in articles. Now, the practice is officially banned, save for a few exceptions in editing and translation.
Short-stroking was the hard drive hack that actually worked—until SSDs made it pointless
Back when SSDs were a distant future, and we were all using hard drives, there wasn't really much speed to choose other than 5400 rpm and 7200 rpm. So we had to rely on sloppy hacks and tricks to get our drives working faster. One common trick was short-stroking.
These 6 browser extensions are winning the war against invasive websites
The web began by empowering users, serving us with static content that could be repurposed and tailored to whichever device was in use. But, slowly, websites have wrestled back control, enforcing their own preferences for style and behavior.
Switching to Linux saves you money in more way than one
While mobile devices are fine for chatting, reading, and watching, sometimes you need a real computer to get work done. But, it's become expensive to keep Windows PC up to date. Switching to Linux means you can keep using your old PC, and save money in other ways, too.
5 trending Prime Video movies to watch this week (March 23 - March 29)
Alas, spring has sprung, and as we roll through this last week of March, we’re doing so with some of the trending movies on Amazon Prime Video this week.
I’m so glad I gave this unique Android launcher a second chance
Niagara Launcher is famous for reinventing the Android home screen. I love the concept, but I’ve never been able to fully stick with it. Recently, I decided to install Niagara again, and this time it feels different for a few reasons.
I bought this oddball Ryobi tool on a whim, and now I use it all the time
Power tool brands offer a wide range of tools and accessories, giving us more choices than ever these days. Big names like Ryobi and Milwaukee make all the common items, like drills and drivers, but they also make some tools you've probably never heard of. Earlier this year, I bought an oddball Ryobi "bucket top" tool on a whim, and now I wish I had one sooner.
Forget bare metal: Why a hypervisor is the only way to run a professional homelab
Are you still running your servers with Linux installed bare metal? It’s time to upgrade and move to a hypervisor, especially if you want to start working toward a more professional homelab.
Why Airbnb hosts can see everything you do online (and how a $30 router stops them)
Most of the time when you stay at an AirBnB, some kind of Wi-Fi is included. However, you have no control over the security settings and you may run into restrictions on how many or what kind of devices you can connect.


