How-To Geek

Multi-tools are an essential gadget that I think everyone should own. With the right model, you'll have an invaluable tool perfect for everyday tasks around the house, on the job, or for your next outdoor adventure. And while many enthusiasts probably have a Leatherman they've owned for years, several exciting new multi-tools arrived in 2026 and are worth buying.

One of the most underused lookup and reference functions in Microsoft Excel is the DROP function. This powerful yet simple function lets you remove a specified number of rows or columns from the start or end of an array without altering the original dataset.

Those of us who are DIY-minded reach for a few common tools every day. Screwdriver, utility knife, tape measure, pencil, tweezers, and more. I wanted to find a way to keep these tools nearby, so I designed a pocket toolbox with magnets.

The way you play your music, listen to your favorite podcasts, and immerse yourself in your comfort movie can be a deeply personal experience. This also calls for the best sound quality your device can deliver, but not all devices are set up by default to give you what you may be looking for.

Most garages fill up with tools the same way attics fill up with boxes. You hang onto stuff because it seemed worth keeping at the time. If your dad was the type to buy quality once and hold onto it, there's a real chance some of what's sitting on his shelves is actually a piece of history. These aren't just fun finds for collectors. Each one changed how power tools were built, wired, or sold to contractors and homeowners. A few of them still work today, as long as you know what to check before you plug them in.

Everyone knows the obvious apps that you'll miss without Google: Gmail, Maps, Photos, etc. However, it's the Android features that rely on Google Play Services that are sneakier. One such feature is Android Auto, but it's easier than you might think to use on a de-Googled Android phone.

Zigbee is still the only mesh network protocol I use in my smart home. Though I know a switch to Matter over Thread is inevitable when I run out of IKEA’s color-changing bulbs, I’m still very much of the opinion that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Living in a dense neighborhood used to mean dealing with noise and parking. Now it means your neighbors can slow down devices in your own home without ever touching them. Your neighbors don't even need to do this on purpose, which is part of what makes it hard to fight against.

I'm generally pretty good at coming up with the right words to find what I need on Google. But every now and then, I run into a question where I don't quite know the right vocabulary to type into a search bar, or where it would take a paragraph to explain what I'm looking for. That's usually when I realize I've been staring at a problem for 20 minutes that I could solve in two if I just pointed my camera at it. Here are five times Google Lens came to my rescue.

Infrared (IR) remote controls have been commonplace since the early 1980s, and are still around today. Despite the development of Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, and Matter, my TV still works using this old technology. Infrared has some important benefits that modern protocols still can't match.

Most tool buyers don't think much about where the electronics live inside their gear. You pick up a drill, it works, and you move on. Ryobi's ONE+ system makes a different choice than most of the industry, putting battery-management logic in the pack instead of the tool. That sounds like a big deal, but it doesn't seem to change much.

Netflix puts out a pretty wide array of original shows, ranging from massively popular icons like Stranger Things to questionable and poorly rated shows like Hype House. Sometimes, though, Netflix puts out some brilliant masterpieces that don't quite reach mainstream popularity, instead garnering cult followings or, more sadly, fading slowly into obscurity.

I had a dream. A dream where I had a stable Ethernet connection in every corner of the house. But wiring up the whole place was impractical (and borderline impossible), so I've almost resigned myself to using Wi-Fi, which is famously unreliable in my area.

My homelab runs a lot of my house. My smart home, media streaming, photo library, and dozens of smaller apps are spread across two computers running Proxmox. As far as I could tell, everything was healthy, but to make sure, I asked Claude to access both devices and look for problems without changing anything. It found some serious issues that I'd missed for months because none of them had broken anything that I could see.

I have an extra Android Auto Wireless adapter with a USB-C to USB adapter. Since I recently upgraded to a different one, I figured I could make some use of the adapter portion of it. What better way to do that than hook random stuff up to my phone and tablet and see what works? So I tested basically every USB device I had with my phone and tablet. My benchmark for most of these tests is how well a device works, whether it has any input lag, and how long I can use it before it drains my battery.

Fall is here, and if your yard is starting to become overgrown by leaves, having a proper leaf blower that can actually handle heavier debris, like dry clippings on your driveway, can make getting yard chores done a lot easier. Ryobi's 40V HP Cordless Leaf Blower Bundle delivers all the power you need, and then some, as it has enough power to blast through damp leaves and even compacted grass, all without the need of straining over a pull start—or the hassle of mixing fuel. Right now, you can grab this complete kit (which includes a battery and charger) from The Home Depot and save 20% off an already affordable price.

Your car will soon know more about you. Google is rolling out Personal Intelligence in Gemini to both Android Auto and cars with Google built-in, giving your ride details that can save you time.

With the arrival of the next-generation, AI-focused Googlebooks, it's natural to wonder how the Chromebooks that have been around for over a decade compare, and if it's still worth considering one over a new Googlebook. Optimized for artificial intelligence, with native Android integration and new cross-device services, Googlebooks promise to be the future of Google laptops, but that doesn't mean they're the best choice right now.

Despite its age, the Wii Remote can still be a useful device. It includes Bluetooth connectivity, motion sensors, an infrared camera, and multiple physical buttons. These features make it a great option for interacting with your smart home, and there are a few ways that you may be able to get your Wii Remote to control Home Assistant.

Your carrier sees a lot more than you think it does, and it's all because everything you do is being logged. Before any of the encryption you're used to seeing kicks in, your phone has already sent your carrier a plain-text record of every site you're trying to reach. That happens constantly, in the background, for every app on your device, not just your browser.