How-To Geek

For years, I thought good photo management meant good organization. The larger my photo library became, the more time I spent creating folders, albums, and filing systems that I assumed I'd eventually need.

If you're a video editor, photographer, or other power user that needs ultra-fast portable storage, the options are relatively limited. Samsung's latest P9 USB4 External Solid-State Drive changes that, though, with up to 4,000MB/s transfer rates.

Open-source developers have spent decades proving that powerful software doesn't have to come with a price tag. GIMP, LibreOffice, and Blender started as alternatives to expensive commercial tools and have grown into applications people rely on every day. Now, AI coding assistants are speeding things up, making it possible for a single developer to attempt what once required an entire team. That's good news for anyone tired of subscription fees that can add up to hundreds of dollars a year.

Android’s answer to the iPhone’s “Find My” network rolled out a couple of years ago, but it’s struggled to find its AirTag competitor. Google hopes to change that with its own branded Pixel Tag, and it has a few tricks that set it apart from previous Android trackers.

Gaming is great, but it usually takes place in a virtual world on your gaming device of choice. I wondered if it would be possible to create a game that spilled over into the real world. With a cheap handheld and Home Assistant, I was able to do exactly that.

If you're an Android user looking for a smartwatch that actually keeps up with your phone, the Google Pixel Watch 5 is worth looking into. This latest model brings Gemini Intelligence, a domed Actua 360 display, and up to 40 hours of battery life. The $400 list price might have been too high for some, but right now Amazon has the 44mm Wi-Fi model available for $300, 25% off the MSRP. If you've been eyeing the Pixel Watch 5, now's the chance to grab one.

My home server plans usually die when I look at the hardware list. Everyone claims you need a dedicated box, which is rough if you don't have a spare machine sitting around. In reality, the PC you already have can handle most of it. Docker Desktop runs on Windows, and plenty of useful tools are small enough that they barely register next to my browser tabs.

Long-time Android fans are well aware of the legendary Tasker app, but the experience isn’t limited to phones. The “AutoWear” plugin brings Wear OS devices, such as the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch, into the fold.

Laptops compromise the computer experience in exchange for portability and mobility. There's no way around that fact.

The air around us is full of signals that we can't see. Despite the technology being more than 100 years old, radio waves are still frequently used by music stations, satellites, aircraft, and more. You don't need expensive equipment to pick up these signals; you can do it with a dongle that can cost as little as $25.

3D printing can mean a lot of trial and error, especially when you're fighting with bed leveling or tangled filament. The Bambu Lab P2S AMS Combo 3D Printer takes on both laser-based bed leveling and an AI vision system that detects tangled filament. Right now, you can get one for $100 off in a Best Buy holiday deal.

Some movies leave a lasting impression because of their ability to make us laugh or cry. Other movies remind us of the importance of family, friendship, and community. I have always found that the best classic movies are the ones that manage to do both, telling deeply personal stories that resonate long after the credits roll. Whether they explore the horrors of war, the strength of friendship, or the pain of losing someone we love, these films have a way of making us reflect on our own lives.

The unfortunate truth is that the global memory shortage is affecting SSDs as well, with their prices shooting up to the stratosphere throughout this year. While the SSD market’s pretty grim if you need, say, a drive with a capacity of 500GB or more, you can still get an SSD for cheap as long as your PC doesn’t need lots of storage.

Sure, Zune was a commercial flop, and it never had a large enough user base to justify Microsoft keeping it around. But if you used it, you'll probably agree with me that nothing else felt, feels, or will ever feel quite like it. Yes, at the end of the day, it was a music player you used to play your music. But it did so with a design language so distinctive and iconic that it still looks modern today. And so, with Zune turning 20 this month, I decided to bring the software back with a little help from Claude.

Switching outdoor string lights on and off manually gets old fast. The Kasa Apple HomeKit Outdoor Smart Plug lets you control them from your phone or with voice commands. Right now, you can get it for $16.99 as part of an early Black Friday deal on Amazon.

AirTags have had their moment, but their time has passed. The push for universal compatibility and Google's efforts to revitalize its Find Hub have led to an explosion of competition in the Bluetooth tracker market. Previously known as Find My Device, the Find Hub creates a web of Android devices to help you locate your lost mobile devices. Popular trackers now offer dual compatibility for Google and Apple's findability networks, but users still have to choose a single ecosystem to rely on at a time.

Linux is everywhere, even when it looks and feels nothing like the desktop operating system most people think of when they hear the name.

Ryobi's latest lineup of Power Source chargers are truly versatile, turning your boring charger into go-anywhere portable power for everything from phones to laptops. And yes, you can charge your tool battery and your phone at the same time. But while they nail utility, a silly design choice keeps them from being an absolute home run.

You never know what delays to expect when traveling, and the last thing you need is your phone or laptop running out of power while you're trying to catch up on work or watching content while waiting for your flight. You won't have to worry about this during the holidays with the Baseus 20000mAh USB-C Portable Charger, which offers ample capacity to meet all your charging needs.

Every time I've tried to use Google Sheets from my phone, I've ended up frustrated and gone back to my laptop. But I spent a week living in Microsoft's Excel app on Android, and I can't believe a Microsoft app is built better than any other version I've seen. I am normally against Microsoft's ports, but this one is a whole new app when used on a phone.