How-To Geek

College is expensive. So is the software you need to get through your classes, including science, math, or video production, even with academic discounts. There are open-source alternatives to popular proprietary apps that can help you survive college without spending too much money.

If you've ever bought a new motherboard and read the user manual or just checked the diagram on the manufacturer's website, you've likely noticed that the fastest (usually PCIe Gen 5) M.2 slot for an NVMe SSD is usually located right underneath the CPU, while the slower, older-generation slots are placed elsewhere.

Most devices you use in your smart home are designed to do specific jobs. That doesn't mean that you can't make these devices do more than they were intended to do. There are some clever Home Assistant projects that can help you get more out of the devices you already own.

I've been an Android user since the beginning with the original T-Mobile G1. I bought the Nexus One the day it came out, but eventually, Samsung won me over. It's no secret Samsung makes some of the best phones, which is why I've been buying and reviewing Galaxy devices for over 14 years. I loved most of them, but here are what I consider the worst Galaxy phones of all time.

3D printing is a hobby that quickly turns casual observers into enthusiasts. That means it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and overlook the rougher edges, even if you’re completely taken in by it.

A 3D printer can produce an endless array of tools and accessories to enhance your existing hobbies. Since the weekend is the best time to get crafty, why not print a few things to get you in the mood this weekend?

Seven years ago, Google introduced a more affordable series of Pixel phones, and we've seen 10 models since. The whole point of the lineup, at least to me, has been to give people the Pixel experience without the flagship price tag—and that's the basis on which I ranked them.

Most Fire TV updates feel like they change things just to change them, and I've thought that plenty of updates have made things worse. This recent update is different. Amazon pushed out changes that actually make the device easier to live with day to day, such as a smart home control panel that doesn't interrupt what you're watching, a navigation overhaul that puts everything where it should have been from the start, and a few other additions that fix things that should've been fixed years ago.

Encrypted DNS sounds like an easy privacy win if you set it up correctly, and it is, but please don't treat it as some bulletproof, foolproof solution that hides everything you do from everyone who might want to know. In fact, it doesn't hide your browsing from your ISP.

The youngest driver in the house often ends up with the oldest car in the driveway, or at least that is how it always went when I was growing up. When your teen takes the keys to a “hand-me-down” vehicle for the school year, there are a few things you can ask your mechanic to look at, or even do at home, to ensure its long-term reliability.

I'm a big fan of the Linux Operating System. I have been using it in some form or another for about two decades (starting with Red Hat). I enjoy working with it and experimenting with different distros. I even occasionally teach beginner-friendly Linux courses. While Mint has been my daily driver for a while (and is, itself, a derivative of Debian, according to Debian.org), I'm always open to test-driving a different distro and found myself pleasantly surprised when I took Debian 13.6 (released July, 11 2026) for a spin a few weeks ago.

Google accounts come with 15 GB of Google Drive storage. While 15 GB may sound like a lot, it fills up surprisingly quickly, especially once you realize all the things that back up to Google's servers—pushing you to the point where Google prompts you to pay for more.

If you enjoy superhero content, you're going to love our list of new shows to watch this weekend. I've been looking forward to the top-ranked show on this list. It's one of the main reasons to keep your HBO Max subscription. The show is part of the DC Universe, but it should appeal to mass audiences.

You'll have to wait a while if you're eager to buy Ford's affordable electric pickup truck. Ford has revealed that Fathom EV production won't start until sometime after March—in part because the automaker just finished the factory overhaul needed to make it.

Paramount+ U.S. subscribers have a pretty great weekend in store, especially if you're looking for something a bit different. While its streaming calendar isn't exactly spilling over with new documentaries at the moment, some serious action kicks in on Saturday when UFC 330 makes its way to the octagon—and the lead-up special that precedes it, to get fans focused and ready, is my top pick this weekend.

Are you still buying those cheap throw-away printers every time you need to print a book report? Yes, they’re cheap, but they end up costing you way more money than you think they do.

Buying a luxury SUV doesn't necessarily mean spending luxury money, especially if you're willing to look at a lightly used model. Depreciation can turn once-expensive premium SUVs into surprisingly affordable alternatives to new mainstream crossovers, but reliability is often the catch. Fortunately, one American luxury SUV bucks that trend, offering a comfortable, well-equipped cabin and a stronger reputation for dependability than you might expect.

When you hear the phrase “home lab,” do you picture a server rack, tons of monitors, and screens/devices everywhere? I don't blame you if you do, but my home lab is nothing like what I just described. It's much, much smaller. However, I still needed to keep an eye on things, so I turned an old phone into an always-on monitor for my work.

Mid-August has a way of sneaking up on you, and HBO Max has so far done a great job of dangling several delicious carrots in front of its U.S. subscribers with movies like Mortal Kombat II and The Drama creeping up its top 10 chart (not to mention House of the Dragon). As for this weekend, things are about to get awesome, with the premiere of a new action film I'm personally stoked for.

Android Auto does a decent job out of the box, but some of its default settings are clearly designed for the average case instead of your specific situation. That kind of thing is okay at first, but it gets really annoying when the novelty of the apps wears off. None of these are terrible on their own, but together they add up to something more annoying than it needs to be. Luckily, they’re easy to change.