How-To Geek

The debate between Microsoft and Google is an old (and divisive) one. For many, it might look like there's an obvious winner, based on their preferences, but when it comes to productivity, the answer may be a bit more complicated.

While Google has owned Waze since 2013, it only started incorporating Waze's best features into Maps in the last few years. Now, both navigation apps do many of the same things, but that doesn't mean they're the same. Here are a few of the differences, and why I still prefer Waze.

Before smartphones, keeping passengers entertained on a long road trip meant packing a case of CDs, hoping the AC held out, and answering "are we there yet?" every 45 minutes (or seconds).

Personally, I use Winhance to create a custom Windows 11 ISO free of Windows bloatware, so I don't have to spend hours disabling and deleting superfluous apps and features after installing Windows. You can use Rufus instead if you'd like, since the utility not only allows you to install Windows 11 with a local account, but also to disable unwanted Microsoft apps and features such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Copilot, and so on.

If you can spend a few hundred bucks on a 3D printer and some filament, you can afford to spend a little on a few upgrades to ensure that your hobby is a safe one.

There's a massive difference between a spreadsheet that looks good and one that actually works. Many beginner spreadsheet habits are secretly ticking time bombs for your data. Here are the core mistakes messing up your files, and the simple settings that fix them.

Making custom keychains, engraved coasters, and decorative items sounds fun until reality hits you—complicated software, sketchy open-frame machines, and a price tag that makes the whole hobby feel like a small business investment. xTool now wants to change that with its newest product for everyday users and casual creators. The company has unveiled the xTool M2, and it stands out instantly with the built-in color printing.

Nicolas Cage, one of the most eccentric movie stars in Hollywood, heads to television to play a different version of Spider-Man in Spider-Noir. All eight episodes of the superhero show premiere on Prime Video on Wednesday, May 27, at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET in the U.S.

HBO Max gets most of its prestige reputation from the tentpoles it continuously delivers—House of the Dragon, Euphoria, The White Lotus among them—that dominate the charts and social media for weeks and then disappear for a year. But between those behemoths, though, HBO Max's catalog is full of unique shows that do a ton of heavy lifting, like award-winning documentaries, oddball superhero spinoffs, and cult-hit animated series.

Luxury cars used to feel attainable if you were willing to stretch your budget a little. These days, even entry-level premium models are creeping into price territory that would’ve bought you something seriously high-end a decade ago.

Customer satisfaction says a lot about how well an automaker is really serving its buyers. According to Consumer Reports’ latest owner satisfaction study, these are the brands that owners are most likely to buy from again in 2026, based on how happy they are with their vehicles overall.

Paramount+ has well-stocked shelves of movies spanning every conceivable genre and going back decades. Between the steady drip of Taylor Sheridan dramas, the latest Star Trek installments, and a deep back catalog of MTV and CBS classics, there's already plenty pulling at your attention this spring. Throw in a fresh wave of films landing over the last few weeks, and the "what should we watch tonight?" debate just got more chaotic.

Modern sports cars are increasingly defined by big horsepower figures, aggressive styling, and eye-watering price tags, but that formula often misses what actually makes a car enjoyable to drive. While many buyers assume real performance starts at six figures, the reality is that some of the most rewarding driving experiences come from far more accessible machines that prioritize balance, feedback, and lightness over raw output.

The running season is in full swing across the Northern Hemisphere. The mild spring weather right before the summer heat has brought a lot of runners back outside for the first time in months, or in my case, years. Unsurprisingly, fitness apps that track your workouts have risen in popularity as well. Strava, in particular, has taken social media by storm, with many people sharing their personal records on Instagram.

Over the last five years, hybrid SUVs in the U.S. have gone from a niche option to something you see everywhere on the road. Automakers have flooded the market with new models, turning what used to be a small corner of the industry into a full-blown mainstream segment.

Most of us rarely think about routers until they stop working, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Routers are designed to quietly handle your internet traffic 24/7 for months without a single break. However, just because they can do that, it doesn't mean that they should. Like many other devices, they can benefit from a simple restart, and fortunately, it's easy to set up an automatic schedule that can do just that.

You can now use Spotify to catch up on your magazines in addition to your podcasts and audiobook backlog. The streaming service is introducing long-form magazine articles to audio, keeping you up to date even during your commute.

The Ford Ranger MS-RT isn’t trying to be another hardcore off-road pickup. Instead, it leans into something very different for this segment—a proper street-focused take on Ford’s midsize truck.

Planning on buying new tools for summer DIY projects or home repairs? If so, you don't want to miss Home Depot's huge Memorial Day sale, which ends in under 48 hours. While we've seen buy-one-get-one deals in the past, right now there's an even better deal on DeWALT tools and battery packs.

For years, switching to new Outlook felt like a downgrade. That's no longer the case. Here's why the version you've been avoiding has quietly become the one worth using.