How-To Geek
AMD's next-gen laptop processors have arrived
AMD has just revealed the Ryzen AI 400 series at CES 2026. It's the company's new lineup of premium laptop processors, with a Zen 5 architecture, CPU boost clocks up to 5.2 GHz, and even more TOPS.
This new OLED Alienware gaming laptop could also be a MacBook Pro alternative
Dell has announced the new Alienware 16X Aurora at CES 2026, one of the company's first gaming laptops with anti-glare OLED screens. Beyond gaming, it could also be a potential MacBook Pro competitor if a Windows is a hard requirement.
Stop connecting your gaming PC via HDMI: DisplayPort is better
If your monitor is connected to your PC via HDMI, you might want to consider switching to DisplayPort. While the two can be functionally the same if your monitor and graphics card both support HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort is often a better option.
This new ASUS laptop has two 3K OLED screens, with touch and stylus support
ASUS is announcing the 2026 ROG Zephyrus Duo, a powerful dual-screen laptop that finally lets you draw directly on both its 3K OLED touch panels. This machine is rocking the Next Gen Intel Core Ultra Processor and can be configured with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU.
This new ASUS ROG PC has holograms in the case window
ASUS has just announced its newest gaming desktop, the ROG G1000, and it comes with a full-color holographic display built right into the side panel. The visuals are made with the ROG AniMe Holo, a full-color hologram technology that blows RGB lighting out of the water.
There's an RTX 5090 and 240Hz OLED in this new HyperX gaming laptop
HP's gaming brand, HyperX, just revealed an updated OMEN MAX 16 at CES 2026. It could be an impressive gaming laptop when it arrives, complete with hardware configurations up to an RTX 59090 graphics card, a 240Hz OLED screen, and improved cooling.
Acer Swift Go 16 has a trackpad that doubles as a drawing tablet
Acer is making an interesting hardware splash with the new Swift Go 16 AI, a flagship laptop centered around a touchpad that doubles as a drawing tablet for digital creators. This new generation of Copilot+ PCs is powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, but the 16-inch model takes things further.
The Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 have returned
Dell is bringing back its iconic XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops for 2026, reversing the 'Dell Premium' name change that didn't really work out. You'll have to wait longer for an updated XPS 13, though.
No, Microsoft Office didn't just get renamed to Microsoft 365 Copilot
You may have seen posts on social media claiming that Microsoft just changed the name of its Office suite to "Microsoft 365 Copilot." However, that name change probably isn't for the 'Office' you are thinking about, and it's certainly not new.
3 Paramount+ movies you must watch this week (January 5 - 11)
I know we're a few days into 2026, but Happy New Year! Now that the dust has settled after Stranger Things madness and my annual holiday screenings of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Inglourious Basterds, it's time to ease into January with some classics and a doc on Paramount+.
16 years ago, Google launched one of the most important phones in Android history
Many phones have come and gone in Android’s nearly 20-year history, but some phones stand out more than others. Phones that changed the landscape. Phones that held a special place in our hearts. One such device is the aptly named Nexus One, and it was released 16 years ago today.
5 open-source Raspberry Pi projects I'm self-hosting to save money
It’s never a bad time to think about saving money, and self-hosting your own software is a great place to start. With the help of my always-on Raspberry Pi, I’m hoping to buck trends and avoid subscriptions by hosting the following projects on my own.
Thermaltake has new 1990s-inspired PC cases and AIO coolers
If you're a big fan of 1990s PC hardware design, but you still want your modern tempered glass side panel, Thermaltake might have the PC case for you. The company revealed two new chassis options at CES 2026 inspired by 90s desktops, as well as a cooler that looks like a tiny CRT monitor.
Cars that just keep going—reliable picks you can count on
When you’re shopping for a used car, reliability is king. Sure, used rides cost less than new ones, but there’s always the gamble of how well the previous owner cared for it—and you probably won’t get a full warranty.
Siri is useless—except for doing these 5 things
When Siri first appeared on the iPhone way back in 2011, it felt like the way we would interact with our smartphones was about to change forever. Fast forward nearly 15 years, and all that promise has come to nothing. Siri is still mostly useless, although there are a few instances where it can be genuinely useful.
What Home Assistant’s configuration.yaml file does (and why you should care)
Despite being almost infinitely customizable, Home Assistant can feel relatively straightforward on a surface level. Sometimes, however, you might find that you need to set up integrations or make changes manually, and at those times, you might be directed to the configuration.yaml file.
HP's new 14-inch Chromebook might be perfect for work and play
HP has just announced its new convertible laptop, the Chromebook Plus x360, bringing an 8-core Intel processor and a high-resolution 14-inch screen to the popular ChromeOS platform. This has gotten a lot of upgrades to meet the Chromebook Plus standard.
This Snapdragon chip could help PCs fight the MacBook Air
Qualcomm hit the mid-range laptop market with the release of the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a powerful new system-on-a-chip built to power the next wave of affordable Windows PCs. This new chip slots right below the flagship X2 Elite, which was revealed a few months ago.
Get Your Ham Radio License: Vital for Emergencies & Remote Areas
In a world of satellites and cell towers, radio may seem hopelessly outdated. But there are plenty of good reasons to get a ham radio license in today's world. From personal hobbies to emergency situations, you never know when it might come in handy.
RIP WD_Black: SanDisk's best SSDs are getting new names
WD_Black solid state drives are some of the best SSDs for workstations, gaming PCs, PlayStation 5 consoles, and anything else that needs high-performance storage. However, you'll soon find them under a new name: SanDisk Optimus.


