How-To Geek

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is one of the greatest ideas ever conceived, and we all rely on and benefit from it every day of our lives. Whether you're using a FOSS app for your own benefit directly or using a service that's built on FOSS, it affects us all.

Routers and modems can be unreliable. The best course of action is to replace any weak links in the network chain, but it’s also a good idea to have a backup plan for when things go pear-shaped.

I always make sure to add clear instructions to any shared Excel workbook so the next person knows exactly how to interact with my spreadsheets. For years, I relied on the built-in notes and comments tools. However, I found a secret method that is 100% cleaner and far more reliable.

IP security cameras are a dime a dozen, so you might not think to look twice at the Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro, except to note its premium design. However, beneath this flagship smart home camera is a cutting-edge smart home device.

If you need the fastest possible speeds for external storage, Hyper might have the tool for you. The company's new HyperDrive enclosure uses USB4 V2 to turn any NVMe drive into a high-performance external drive, but you'll have to pay a hefty sum for the privilege.

Side projects usually seem like a hobby, but they can be the most powerful career launchpad available. While traditional metrics like university degrees and years of professional experience still hold weight, a well-executed side project acts as a direct, unfiltered view of your technical capabilities, your problem-solving approach, and your passion for creation.

Xfinity is completely refreshing its national video plans, introducing all-in pricing, and officially dropping annual contracts for new and existing customers. Every new package now comes standard with an included X1 4K TV box and the company’s voice remote.

Visual Studio Code just released its November 2025 update, version 1.107. There are more improvements for AI coding agents and TypeScript support, but I'm mostly excited about another change: a much more powerful terminal.

One of the things I love about the Christmas holidays is the time they provide to sink into my couch and watch some classic festive comfort flicks. JustWatch has revealed their list of the most rewatched movies of the season, based on the last three holiday periods, and it’s official—viewers crave humor, warmth, and nostalgia.

With the price of memory and storage rising rapidly with no hope of relief visible in the near future, it makes more sense than ever to try and get the most out of your old PC hardware instead of buying something new.

Google is dramatically expanding the early access program for its new Gemini for Home voice assistant. This expands availability to millions of users and adds support for third-party speakers. This is great news for anyone who owns a non-Google smart speaker and felt left out of the initial rollout.

Sometimes the right tool for the job is whatever is within arm's reach, like a utility knife that's always in your pocket. While Milwaukee is most known for its wide array of M12 and M18 power tools, the company also makes some great hand tools, including this Milwaukee multi-function utility knife.

One of the downsides of Home Assistant is that, because it can do so much, it's all too easy to completely miss some of the most useful features. You may never have ventured into the "Developer tools" section, for example. If so, you're missing out, as it holds some incredibly useful tools.

You may have noticed people discussing GitHub alternatives recently. In particular, several projects have migrated to a competitor called Codeberg. Having investigated further, I’m convinced it’s a solid alternative, and it’s not the only one.

Spotify is rolling out what could be a game-changing feature for new and loyal users after years of waiting. With this new integration, Spotify will be eliminating a major point that has proved an obstacle for users of other music platforms from finally making the switch.

In a rare piece of good news for streaming subscribers, HBO Max is actually getting cheaper for certain Verizon customers who currently use the service as an add-on perk. Seeing a price cut in the streaming world is almost unheard of these days, but this price cut is rolling out now.

Picking between the 2025 Kia K4 and K5 can feel like choosing between siblings—same family, but very different personalities.

There's an overwhelming number of file managers on the Google Play Store, but a good chunk of those are riddled with ads, proprietary, or both. File managers have access to the entire user file system, so you want to be sure you can trust them with all your data. Here are four open-source, privacy-friendly file managers you can try.

Home Assistant and Nabu Casa released the ZBT-2 adapter back in November, which adds Zigbee, Thread, and Matter to any Home Assistant server. Now you can buy one right on Amazon.

In general, most Chromebooks (especially modern ones) are whisper-quiet. So it can be a little surprising to hear the fans on your laptop spin up. In particular when there's no obvious reason for it. The good news is that sometimes a laptop needs extra cooling and it doesn't mean something is wrong. In some cases, you do however need to do something about it.