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: 32 min 31 sec ago

I gave Ubuntu another chance, and now I'm tempted to leave Zorin OS behind

Wed, 07/08/2026 - 12:30

Early this year, I installed Zorin OS on a couple of older PCs that originally ran Windows 10, and it turned out to be exactly what I needed. The desktop felt familiar enough that I could start using Linux without feeling like I had to relearn everything. Before long, it stopped feeling like an experiment and became something I actually enjoy using.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Baseus Security X1 Pro Review: A weird, smart, and surprisingly useful security camera

Wed, 07/08/2026 - 12:00

Baseus, the phone charger and cable company, is starting to step out into more fields. I recently went hands-on with their newest security camera, the X1 Pro, and it actually impressed me in quite a few ways.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Ford issues massive Mustang recall, but the reason why is bizarre

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 23:30

If you drive a Ford Mustang or Mustang Mach-E, you may need to take your vehicle to the dealership in the near future. Ford has issued two separate recall campaigns covering 110,626 vehicles due to a windshield wiper defect and a rear differential issue that can result in a sudden loss of power.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I cut my screen time by 2 hours a week with one Android setting nobody uses

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 22:30

I used to think I didn't spend a lot of time on my phone—then I saw the harsh reality. I wanted to fix this, so I did some research and found a tool that helped me decrease my phone use when it's at its worst: late at night. The solution I found is surprisingly easy and requires no third-party apps.

Categories: IT General, Technology

What to expect when the Pixel 11 is unveiled on August 12th

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 22:04

Google announced an event to introduce the Pixel 11 in New York City on August 12th. The invitation says little, but includes a teaser image of the phone that appears to confirm a rumored all-black camera bar. The design will otherwise be familiar to Pixel 10 (and Pixel 9) fans, but there are more interesting details to look forward to.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3 excellent HBO Max shows to binge this week (July 7-12)

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 22:00

With most of HBO Max's July highlights, like Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, landing in the last ten days of the month, and House of the Dragon painstakingly dropping only once a week, now's an excellent time to raid one of the deepest catalogs in streaming.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Hyundai just overtook Toyota in one crucial market—and nobody saw it coming

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 21:45

Hyundai's rise over the last decade has been impossible to ignore. Once known primarily for affordable transportation, the Korean automaker now builds vehicles that regularly challenge, or even outperform, more established rivals in value, technology, and refinement. That steady improvement is now translating into something even more important: consistently stronger sales.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop opening your browser for these 8 tasks, the terminal does them better

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 20:45

The terminal looks like an unassuming (sometimes intimidating) black box and feels like it’s only meant for pros or experts. It’s not as inscrutable as it seems though. Anybody can learn to use it and get stuff done. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll often find yourself launching a terminal instead of opening a new browser tab. That’s because the terminal is faster, reliable, and never shows ads.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your old 250GB SSD is too small for Windows, but it's perfect for this

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 20:30

Small SSDs may seem a bit useless in this day and age, when a single AAA game can take up over 100GB. But I have a bunch of these old, outdated drives, including 120GB and 250GB options, that still work just fine. I can bet that you might have some too, if you dig through old drawers or disassemble an old PC.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop believing these myths about Qubes OS. It's much easier than you think

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 19:30

If you've heard of Qubes, you've probably heard about its steep hardware requirements or difficulty of use. While there's an element of truth there, the reality is considerably different. One or two hurdles are all that's in your way, and I'll cover some of the misconceptions surrounding this amazing system.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 networking devices that are officially too old for anything in 2026

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 18:31

That old Wi-Fi router you've had for 15 years? It's time to replace it. Oh, and that DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem you bought in 2015? Yeah, it's time to replace that, too. Here are five networking devices that are officially too old to be using in 2026.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 great classic shows I wish I had watched sooner

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 18:15

We all have our blind spots when it comes to streaming. I've admitted the classic movies I was late to, including L.A. Confidential and To Live and Die in L.A. Now, it's time to come clean about the classic TV shows I wish I had watched sooner. Some of these I can blame on my age — two of these shows premiered before I was born.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The hybrid SUV that finally gets three rows right

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 18:00

The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid is quietly becoming one of the hottest family SUVs around. In March 2026 alone, 8,275 buyers took one home, pushing first-quarter sales to 20,532 units—an 86.9-percent jump from the same period last year.

Categories: IT General, Technology

iFixit made a toolkit for repairing your home appliances and building furniture

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 17:32

You might associate iFixit with tools to repair your electronics, but now it's taking on a bigger challenge: helping you with all the mid-size DIY projects around your home. The company has released a Megalodon Driver Kit that sits between its precision gadget toolsets and the power tools reserved for heavy-duty jobs.

Categories: IT General, Technology

6 Excel features I wish I'd learned years earlier

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 17:15

You can spend years using Excel without realizing some of its biggest time-saving features are hiding in plain sight. Looking back, these are the six tools that would've saved me the most time, clicks, and frustration if I'd discovered them sooner.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop forwarding ports on your router—here are 2 safer alternatives

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 17:01

Are you port forwarding tons of ports on your home network? Well, you shouldn't be. It's a risk just to have one port forwarded, let alone dozens. Instead, you should use Cloudflare Tunnels or Tailscale—here's why.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Pluto TV brought back something I didn't realize I missed from cable

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 16:45

I spend most of my workday in front of a screen. I'm developing projects, reading, editing, writing, and making decisions for hours at a time. Since I work from home and my wife doesn't, the end of my workday usually means feeding and walking the dogs, making dinner, and getting things ready for the next morning.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This self-hosted Raspberry Pi audio book server syncs progress across every device I own

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 16:30

I was tired of Amazon getting all of my audiobook listening history (and money), so I knew there had to be a better way. Taking an old Raspberry Pi I had lying around and installing Audiobookshelf on it was just the ticket to building the private audiobook server I had always wanted.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This one Samsung Galaxy feature fixed my notification overload

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 16:16

Android's notification system is one of its best features. However, we've all experienced those moments of notification overload, where you end up swiping everything away or start scrolling for what's important. And while there are tons of ways to supercharge or improve Android notifications, I've been using one Galaxy feature that calms the chaos and does all the work for me.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The SUV that thinks like a minivan

Tue, 07/07/2026 - 16:00

Honda has built its reputation on more than just reliable engines and fun-to-drive cars. Some of its smartest engineering has gone into making everyday vehicles feel far roomier and more practical than their size suggests.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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