How-To Geek

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We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 22 min 8 sec ago

The used hybrid that still holds nearly 75% of its value

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 19:00

The used hybrid market is hotter than ever in 2026. Sales are up 34 percent year to date, prices keep climbing, and the average new vehicle now costs $50,900—about the same as a new Honda Pilot TrailSport or Ford Explorer ST-Line.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop wasting money on mesh routers—this enterprise Wi-Fi gear is actually cheaper

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 18:30

I finally got tired of the poor performance of my old standard mesh Wi-Fi network and replaced it with a UniFi setup. I wish I had done this years ago. UniFi might have been brutal to set up, but it was so worth it in the end.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 new movies to watch this week across Netflix, Paramount+, and more (July 6-12)

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 18:16

With the Fourth of July weekend behind us, our attention now turns to a new crop of movies on streaming. My top pick is an adaptation of a novel that features William Shakespeare, his wife, Agnes, and an emotional ending. Plus, it features one of the best acting performances of 2025.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The compact sedan too many buyers are overlooking

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 18:00

Sedans may not dominate the roads like they once did, but they’re far from gone. As SUVs continue to steal the spotlight, the list of new four-door cars available in the U.S. has become a lot shorter.

Categories: IT General, Technology

People think Google is feeding their photos to Gemini, but the reality is worse

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 17:16

I recently came across an interesting discussion about the strange things happening in Google Photos: children being made up as oil paintings or hand drawings, etc. People suggested it was most likely an AI filter, not an AI-generated image, but that got me thinking about what Google is actually doing with our pictures.

Categories: IT General, Technology

You're using your laptop's USB-C port wrong: Here's what it can actually do

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 17:00

USB-A ports are confusing enough, with their different colors that sometimes mean something (but not always). USB-C, however, is next-level because most ports look exactly the same, but they still have different capabilities on the inside.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 refreshing Prime Video movies to watch this week (July 6-12)

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 16:30

Aside from snowballs, swimming pools, and air conditioning, nothing keeps the summer vibe chill like a refreshing movie. They provide zen-like escapes to help lower stress levels and offer mental rejuvenation, leaving us feeling hopeful and relaxed.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I blocked my smart bulbs from the internet, and you can too

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 16:00

My home is full of cheap Wi-Fi smart bulbs that were hard to ignore because of how little they cost and how easy they were to set up. But as I got more into home labbing, I started questioning how much of my own setup was dependent on cloud services just for basic functionality.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Some MiniLED TVs look better than others, and the Hisense U6SF Pro proves it

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 15:31

The term “MiniLED” has become a hot buzzword as this technology spreads across the entire price range of modern televisions. The average person buying a TV knows that MiniLED technology is the successor to older LCD backlighting solutions and is the best of them.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I tested the top 5 Linux distros on DistroWatch—here’s how I rank them

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 15:30

There are a ton of Linux distributions out there, and figuring out which one to use can get overwhelming fast. DistroWatch is a great place to start because it's the go-to hub for tracking what's popular in the Linux world. At the time of writing, it’s ranking CachyOS, Linux Mint, MX Linux, Pop!_OS, and Debian as the five most popular distros.

Categories: IT General, Technology

4 free alternatives to popular paid Android apps

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 15:01

The Play Store is packed with millions of apps, which means there are alternatives to pretty much all of them. This is especially nice when it comes to paid apps—up-front or subscription. Sometimes, a free option is just as good.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I tried self-hosting email and quickly remembered why people don't

Mon, 07/06/2026 - 00:00

I self-host almost everything. I have a half-dozen Raspberry Pis, two PCs, and an old thin client running most of my digital life. The services range from a Pi-hole with Unbound, fully redundant VPNs, a file server, a Google Photo replacement, Joplin, and a dozen AI services.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3 reasons why the Honda CR-V outsold the Ford F-150 for the first time in 44 years

Sun, 07/05/2026 - 22:45

Ford counts the F-150 through the heavy-duty F-600 as one nameplate, and by that measure, the F-Series has been America's best-selling vehicle for 44 consecutive years. Break the F-150 out on its own, the way analytics firm Jato Dynamics and Automotive News do, and the streak has actually been interrupted twice since 2009: by the Toyota Camry that year, and by the Toyota RAV4 for the full calendar year in 2024.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Subaru's most polarizing redesign just proved the doubters wrong with a 32% sales surge

Sun, 07/05/2026 - 21:30

Subaru has never been afraid to do things differently, but few changes have sparked as much debate as the latest evolution of one of its most iconic nameplates. Longtime fans questioned whether the brand had abandoned what made the model special, and early sales figures suggested those concerns might have been justified.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I install these 9 Python tools on every new machine

Sun, 07/05/2026 - 21:17

Everyone has their toolbox of favorite programs that they install on their machines whenever they get a new one. Working with Python, I've built up my own essential toolkit. Here are the libraries and programs I reach for whenever I get a new machine.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Steam's hidden storage trick just saved me $200 on an SSD

Sun, 07/05/2026 - 20:30

For the longest time, I always defaulted to storing my games on my lightning-fast SSD. Then the inevitable happened—my SSD filled up, and I found myself playing that miserable little game of "which titles do I uninstall so I can squeeze this new one in?"

Categories: IT General, Technology

8 Samsung background apps you can safely uninstall (without breaking anything)

Sun, 07/05/2026 - 19:30

Samsung wants to make its own software, but it’s also required to ship Google apps if it wants access to the Play Store. This means Galaxy devices come with an overabundance of icons, some of which run in the background regardless of whether you ever open them. Here’s what’s safe to purge.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 underrated Android features I'm constantly showing people

Sun, 07/05/2026 - 19:28

Android has come a long way since its early days, and whether you're a long-time user or recently switched from iOS, tons of excellent features are hiding in the shadows. I'm constantly showing friends and family several lesser-known Android features, and here are a few of my favorites.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Here's why your phone smells weird when it gets hot

Sun, 07/05/2026 - 19:00

It’s always worrying when your phone feels warmer than it should, but there are levels of severity. Slight warmth after a particularly long streaming session is usually fine, but scalding and a burning odor are the most concerning. If this happens to you, it’s a sign that shouldn’t be ignored.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 overlooked Jellyfin features I wish someone had told me about sooner

Sun, 07/05/2026 - 18:45

When I first switched from Plex to Jellyfin, I was immediately taken with how easy it was to set up and how reliable it seemed in use. And yet it took a while before I discovered all of Jellyfin's capabilities. What seems like a fairly stripped-back app actually hides many powerful features that can enhance your user experience.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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