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: 21 min 3 sec ago

PowerToys 0.96 brings a better Command Palette and Advanced Paste to your Windows PC

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 19:02

PowerToys utility suite just dropped version 0.96 and it's coming with plenty of quality-of-life improvements across the board. This is a substantial update if you’ve been relying on the Advanced Paste feature for text manipulation.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 wild smart home sensors you can integrate with Home Assistant

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 19:00

Smart home sensors show useful information and provide triggers around which you can build automations. But not all sensors are “useful,” and not all automations are obvious.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Everything coming to Netflix in December 2025

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 18:02

Netflix is wrapping up 2025 with a nice bow on top. The streaming service has saved its best for the last month of the year, giving us movies and shows that we've long anticipated. So, get ready to fill your watchlist with exciting new titles and a scoop of holiday cheer.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop scrolling—these secret Netflix codes reveal exactly what you want to watch

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 18:00

Not to state the obvious here, but Netflix has a lot of stuff to watch. So much, in fact, that sites like How-To Geek employ experts like me to help readers sift through it all to help you find something good.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Ditch the monthly subscription and save up to 60% on pCloud’s lifetime cloud storage bundle

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 17:59

Black Friday is always a great time to score deals on tech, but this year, pCloud is offering one of the most valuable digital upgrades you can make. From November 17th through November 29, 2025, the popular cloud storage service is discounting all of its lifetime plans along with a new Limited Edition 3in1 Bundle that combines secure storage, private encryption, and a password manager.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I bought an SUV for the extra space and I regret it

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 17:30

SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) are one of the most popular types of vehicle in the USA. Actually, that's really underselling how popular these beefy cars have become. Alongside trucks, SUVs dominate the market in America, and they are certainly popular in the rest of the world.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your next Google TV might have a remote with infinite battery

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 17:19

Google TV remotes still mostly use good old AA or AAA batteries, which you need to replace. That's still standard on TV remotes, for the most part. But now, upcoming Google TVs might come with a solution that could mean you'll never run out of battery.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Here's how I rank the most popular lightweight Linux desktops

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 17:15

If you want to use Linux to breathe life back into an old PC, you're going to want one of the desktop environments (DEs) designed to be lean and fast. Based on my experience, this is how I'd rank each of the most popular options.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Sling's day pass is now just $1

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 17:12

Back in August, Sling TV revealed its new day pass feature, allowing you to watch sports games or other traditional TV broadcasts without signing up for a monthly subscription. Now you can try it out for just $1, following Disney's failure in court to block its rollout.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Blender 5.0 has arrived with a ton of improvements

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 17:05

Blender 5.0 has arrived, bringing with it a massive list of updates across the entire program. The developers didn't hold back this time, and it feels like most of the pipeline has new features, all of which are welcome because they make the application better.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Lincoln Corsair PHEV: the most reliable plug-in hybrid SUV right now

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 16:30

Plug-in hybrids have long had a bit of a reputation for being finicky, thanks to their complicated powertrains. But that’s old news—today’s PHEVs are more reliable than ever, often matching traditional gas cars and EVs in dependability.

Categories: IT General, Technology

What is a WebExtension, and how is it different from a Chrome extension?

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 16:15

If you want to develop browser extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and other browsers, you’ve probably seen the phrase ‘WebExtension’ in support documents. Even though WebExtensions and Chrome extensions are (somewhat) interchangeable terms for the same technology, you do need to be aware of the differences for cross-browser extension development.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This self-hosted open-source budgeting software saves me $150 per year

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 16:00

Keeping track of your spending is the best way to ensure that you live within your means and can put money aside for a rainy day. Budgeting software such as YNAB can help you keep track of your financial transactions, but you have to pay to use the service. Now I'm self-hosting my budgeting software and saving money instead of handing it over to someone else.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Do cases really protect your phone?

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 15:30

You shelled out a grand for a new smartphone, and the last thing you want is to see it lying on the ground, cracked and damaged. The natural inclination is to slap on a case, right? While cases are pretty standard practice, you should know that not all are created equal.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Yardcare's N1600 Pro brings big technology to big lawns

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 15:13

For many, maintaining a perfect lawn is a constant battle. Thankfully, robotic mowers are turning this chore into a hands-off experience. Yardcare is no newcomer to the world of garden solutions. With popular models like the Yardcare E400, V100, and M800plus selling tens of thousands of units and finding their way into homes everywhere, the brand has earned a stellar reputation and user trust in the lawn and garden equipment space.

Categories: IT General, Technology

7 tips for choosing your first Linux distro

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 14:30

Choosing your first Linux distro can be a daunting experience. Ask the community where you should start, and you’ll get ten different answers. If you know what to look for in a Linux distro, then you'll be able to choose on your own. The key is to do a little research and understand what actually matters when you’re starting. Your first Linux experience depends less on the distro's name and more on a handful of practical things I'm going to cover here.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The most well-balanced Japanese luxury–practical sedan for 2025

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 14:15

Finding the right sedan in 2025 often means choosing between comfort, efficiency, or everyday usability, but one Japanese model manages to deliver all three without compromise. It offers upscale refinement, intuitive tech, and a cabin that feels far more premium than its price suggests, making it a standout for drivers who want luxury without luxury-car headaches.

Categories: IT General, Technology

4 advanced git commands you probably haven’t heard of

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 14:00

Git is an enormous program, with nearly 200 sub-commands and countless options among them. You probably only use a handful, those reliable stalwarts like init, add, commit, and branch. But some commands go way further than the basics, and can radically improve your coding life if you get to know them.

Categories: IT General, Technology

What is globbing and how do I use it in Linux?

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 13:30

Globbing is like regular expressions for your filenames. Unfortunately, it’s often misunderstood, despite being an essential command-line skill that everyone knows at least something about. Turn that superficial knowledge into a better understanding.

Categories: IT General, Technology

These open-source DNS tools block annoyances and speed up your browsing

Wed, 11/19/2025 - 13:00

Most people don’t think about DNS at all. I know I didn’t, at least not until I started running into those little internet headaches that never quite go away. You know the ones I'm talking about, pages that hang for a second before loading, apps that stall when they try to reach the internet, or smart home gadgets acting like they're waking up from a long nap. A lot of that slow, messy behavior can be traced back to DNS, the quiet system your devices rely upon to look up every site and service. When your ISP’s DNS is slow, unreliable, or quietly gathering more data than you realize, you'll likely feel it even if you're not sure why.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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