How-To Geek

You're only a true geek if you have a huge box or drawer full of cables that you don't actually need but are keeping on the off chance. Not every cable is created equal, however. There are some cables that have connectors that are so frustrating they should be banished to tech hell forever.

I’ve been conditioned to believe that opening up gadgets is the domain of experts and professionals. But the idea that the simple act of changing a battery is beyond the realm of mere mortals like you and me is a lie.

There are two ways to measure the performance of PC components: synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark or PCMark, and real-world benchmarks that test performance in games and various software using real-life scenarios. The latter's much better, here's why.

A network attached storage device (NAS) is one of the most useful things you can add to your home network, but a specialized NAS can run you hundreds of dollars just for the shell, and that is before you even buy additional hard drives for storage. If you want a large, robust NAS, you'll be on the hook for even more.

The right documentary can wow you, entertain you, and even make you question what you thought you knew—about your own brain, the simmering planet beneath your feet, or weirdo musical geniuses wearing flower pots on their heads.

Spending long hours at a desk can take a toll on your body, especially if you don’t have a good ergonomic setup. Aside from the inevitable neck cramps, if you use dual or triple monitors, you might also be running out of desk space.

One of Home Assistant’s biggest selling points is its ability to bring a vast range of devices together under one platform. To guarantee longevity, you might also want to choose brands that are committed to maintaining device compatibility with Home Assistant.

You can get more out of your Linux PC with the right software. I know from experience, though, that can be hard to find. Fortunately for you, I've found a few more free and open source Linux tools worth trying out this weekend.

If you’re shopping for a family SUV and planning to keep it long-term, resale value matters just as much as space, performance, or fuel economy. Yet one well-known American three-row model loses a startling amount of its value after just five years, far more than most shoppers realize. Its steep drop in price leaves owners with far less equity than expected, making it one of the segment’s biggest depreciation risks.

Are you looking for a new Raspberry Pi project to dive into this weekend? Why not spend some time to build your own UniFi gateway so you don’t have to buy Ubiquiti’s expensive solution. Or maybe build a flight tracker?

As we wrap up November and carefully maneuver into December, Amazon Prime Video is here to ensure you stay fully entertained at whichever pace you choose to move. Laughter always sparks energy for me, so that’s where we’re starting, courtesy of the absurdly funny Alan Tudyk. Next, we’re fighting for justice and freedom in the 12th century with a legendary hero, then we’re hunkering down for a new psychological thriller spanning across Greece and London.

I subscribe to a lot of streaming services, but Paramount+ has bailed me out more times than I can count when I've been in the mood for a TV series I can binge in a couple of sittings—nothing too long, but still juicy enough to sink into.

The Timekettle W4 semi-in-ear bone conduction earbuds are designed to translate face-to-face conversations in over 40 languages—and it can definitely help with that, but don't expect magic.

Are you ready to take your homelab to the next level this weekend? Here are three projects to try out as we head into the Thanksgiving weekend.

Pi-hole just dropped a triple update, releasing FTL v6.4, Web v6.4, and Core v6.3. If you run Pi-hole on an older Raspberry Pi or a container that’s already pushing its limits, you’ll be happy to see these changes focus heavily on making the backend snappier and more efficient.

If you’re shopping for a dependable luxury car but don’t want to stretch your budget, the used market offers a surprising contender. For the price of a mainstream new sedan, you can step into an American luxury model that has quietly earned a reputation for reliability on par with the best from Japan. It delivers the comfort, refinement, and all the premium features you’d expect.

Buying a monitor for work can seem daunting, with so many specifications and features to consider. And with countless models on the market, even an experienced PC hardware veteran like myself sometimes struggles to find the perfect one.

I've given a lot of time and thought to the wallpapers on my phones. All along, there was a simple solution—no wallpaper at all. Black is the only background color a growing number of us actually need.

Valve has dropped a significant new Proton Experimental update. While today's update specifically targets launch issues in Uno and Far Cry 4. It comes after a wave of updates for other titles.

When was the last time you thought about the devices that run your home network? You might have some devices that are officially too old to be using in 2025.