How-To Geek

Home networking is something we all wish was simple, but anybody who has spent more than a weekend messing with routers knows that it's really not. Stuff breaks for no apparent reason, and there are so few ways to know what kind of problem you're having.

If your car came with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, you may have used it during the trial period and then let it expire, assuming your phone's hotspot could handle everything just as well. For short trips around town, that's probably true.

Snagit is a powerful screen capture tool that packs a ton of handy features, but it also costs a pretty penny. Worse still, you can't buy a perpetual license anymore, and instead need to shell out $39 a year to keep using it.

In its early days, Android was pretty barebones. You had to install standalone apps to perform all sorts of basic tasks and get functionalities that Android simply didn't include. Many built-in features we now take for granted actually started life as standalone apps before Google folded them into the OS itself.

For many years, building a digital music library involved ripping CDs and downloading free songs. If you wanted a specific song or album, you'd have to find it and pay good money for it or wait until a used copy popped up for sale. Streaming services like Spotify flipped digital music on its head by allowing anyone to stream almost any song in the world, either for free with ads or through a small subscription.

Excel's Remove Duplicates button looks like a harmless cleanup shortcut, but one wrong click can permanently delete data you actually still need. Instead of risking your source records, use built-in tools to safely inspect, extract, or rebuild datasets without destructive edits.

While there are some interesting specialty filaments for 3D printing, most of us stick with basics like PLA. It has many great qualities, but I’m often left feeling like my prints don’t feel substantial enough. The solution isn’t more infill—it’s plaster of Paris.

There have been plenty of times when my Windows PC has felt slow online, and my first instinct is usually to blame the connection. I'll run a speed test, which is easier now that Windows can surface a speed test from search, and check whether I'm actually getting the speed that I'm paying for. If the numbers look off, the next move is obvious: reboot the PC, reset the Wi-Fi router and modem, and hope the problem clears itself up.

Luxury SUV ownership is starting to feel like more hassle than it’s worth for a growing number of buyers. Between complex tech, turbocharged engines, and rising repair costs, the shine of premium badges isn’t hitting the same way it used to.

Compact SUVs have become more expensive than ever, especially as automakers push heavily toward electrification and higher-tech interiors. For many buyers, the Toyota RAV4 has traditionally been the default recommendation thanks to its efficiency and reputation for reliability. However, its latest redesign and hybrid-only approach have also pushed pricing noticeably higher, leaving room for rivals to make a strong case on value.

On the heels of what has (and still is!) been a pretty great month of May, which saw an exploding blood-bag-filled series finale of The Boys, a great new season of Citadel, John Krasinski returned to the role of Jack Ryan, and (still to come this week) Nicolas Cage is Spider Noir, Prime Video just released its lineup of June TV shows and movies to kick off the summer!

Volvo has spent decades building one of the most respected names in the automotive industry. The Volvo XC40, which arrived for the 2018 model year, brought that reputation into the compact SUV segment. Not surprisingly, it earned a loyal customer base on the strength of its Scandinavian roots, which are evident throughout the vehicle, from its interior design to its safety credentials.

When the concept of an "always-on" display was first introduced, many people were immediately turned off by the idea due to battery concerns. I was one of those people. However, after spending years without it, and now owning a phone with an AOD, I’ve realized the feature is far more useful than it initially appears.

Whether you drive a Ford or a Ferrari, you want your car to look its best. I know I do. But the reality is that cars, trucks, and SUVs exist in the real world. They travel on highways where flying rocks and debris pose a constant threat. In parking lots, they're surrounded by vehicles owned by people who may not care as much about their cars as we do about ours.

USB-C feels like the sensible ending to a long story, and not all of that story made a whole lot of sense. USB took plenty of strange detours before getting there, and some ideas were genius, while others didn't stand the test of time.

Summer is kicking in with full force, and with the temperature rising, Netflix's summer slate of releases, too, picks up heat. It's time for your watch list to get a new look, whether you're looking forward to a cozy romance watch or an addictive new series.

If you’re shopping for an affordable luxury sports sedan, the usual answer has always been a compact Lexus. However, rising prices and a shrinking lineup have opened the door for a newer rival to steal the spotlight. In 2026, one Korean sedan stands out by offering sharper performance, a richer interior, and a lower starting price than its Japanese competitor.

Google has set steep requirements for Android 17's marquee Gemini Intelligence feature. They rule out most existing phones, to the point where some of the company's own Pixel 9 devices might not support the agentic AI.

Your router is literally the gateway between the internet and every phone, laptop, camera, and smart device in your home. If you leave the default settings alone, everything else on your network is significantly less secure.

I've been a Gmail user for almost two decades. It took one app to change that—and honestly, I didn't see it coming. If your Gmail app feels like a chore, Spark is a serious upgrade. It's fast, smart, and earns your trust quickly—with a few privacy tradeoffs worth knowing upfront.