How-To Geek

When we think of powerful apps, we normally think of massive, complex programs like Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Office, but an app doesn’t have to be a heavyweight to pack a lot of power. These three open-source apps I always keep on my computers prove it.

I'm fairly selective about what I install on my Windows PC. There are plenty of popular apps I've consciously never installed, and a few I've tried and deliberately got rid of. In every case, though, the reason is the same: I don't see a good enough reason to give them space on my computer.

Google Pixel phones are jam-packed with useful features, and sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything. A prime example is the new Pixel "Screen Reactions" feature in Android 17, the first green screen tool for reaction videos built directly into a phone.

For years, if you wanted powerful and capable tools for any job, you needed a big 18V or 20V tool. Or at least that was the assumption. If you still think you need a massive 18V tool for big jobs, think again. Milwaukee's M12 Fuel (12V) ecosystem punches far above its weight class and can handle just about anything, whether that's in the shop or around the house.

I'm not going to lie; I was a massive fan of Windows Aero when it debuted with Windows Vista, and I continued to rave about the famous translucent glass UI in Windows 7, which is my favorite version of Windows to this day.

A rainy day means staying warm inside, unless you feel like catching a cold! However, it seems we all have the same hobbies these days when stuck inside. You'll probably end up watching TV, playing video games, or reading a book.

I'm willing to bet that you have dozens of USB-powered gadgets in your house. Be it USB-C or USB-A, we all have masses of random electronics, many of which often lie there for ages, unused. If they disappeared tomorrow, you might not even notice. (Or is that just me?)

Desktop pets are back, and this time they are not just nostalgic clutter. Between AI coding agents running unattended and a renewed appetite for low-effort personality on our screens, the tiny animated companions from decades past have found genuine, if unexpected, utility.

Many of you will remember that before Google had Pixel phones, there was the Nexus series. I was a huge Nexus fan and looked forward to every new release, but when Google killed the line in favor of Pixel, I gradually lost interest. I realize now it's never coming back.

Most Linux users learn basic commands like cd, mv, and ls pretty early on. You're going to use them often, but there are other short and useful commands that I like to teach my trainees and students right away. Here are 4 short commands that are not only useful, but they have names so short, you'll remember them forever.

The start of my Home Assistant journey was more of a stumble than a confident stride, and I’m still trying to right some of those wrongs years later. Here are some things I’d recommend that newcomers do right out of the gate.

Anyone who has ever used Android Auto has likely experienced this issue at some point: you get a call on your phone, pick it up, and then... nothing. You can't hear the person talking, or perhaps you can hear them, but they can't hear you.

You've probably opened ports on your router on more than one occasion, maybe for remote access, maybe for a game. And although opening ports isn't necessarily the safest thing to do, many people treat it as something super harmless, because hey, how's anyone going to find that one port?

Even as we squeeze every last drop out of the summer, HBO Max still doesn't do things in moderation when it comes to documentaries and docuseries, even if they do start blurring the line into reality-TV territory.

Saying that Pixel phones are filled to the brim with exclusive features would be, well, quite an appropriate way to describe the amount of stuff Google has packed into its phones. The catch is that many of them are hidden in plain sight, which is why a number of handy Pixel apps and features fly under many people's radar.

August is limping towards the finish line, but apparently Netflix didn’t get the memo about winding down, because in addition to the final season of Outer Banks, three new additions landed on the streamer within the last week, and two of them are already parked in the Top 10.

Summer is never particularly kind to technology, and my home server is no exception. Like most homelabbers, I run mine 24/7, and while Ubuntu Server was perfectly happy to keep chugging along, the hardware was starting to give up in the extreme heat. Thankfully, I found a solution, and it was way simpler than you'd think.

When it comes to Wi-Fi, most of the time our concerns are related to the signal not going far enough, but the opposite problem also exists. What if you don't want a Wi-Fi signal leaving a room? Or, alternatively, what if you don't want people within a room to receive any radio signals?

Most people shortlisting distros completely skip over MX Linux. There’s no glossy marketing campaign behind it, most YouTube channels don’t cover it, and you probably won’t see it trending on social media. However, at the time of writing, MX Linux ranks number three on DistroWatch, beating popular names like Ubuntu, Fedora, and even Zorin OS—which recently got a million downloads. Here are three reasons that justify its dominant position.

Recently, I had the realization that phone cases are underdeveloped real estate. Few things are with us as often as our phones, and that includes anything attached to them. So, why not have a phone case that can also be used as a tool?