How-To Geek

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.