How-To Geek

There are some pieces of technology that are at their best when they don't stand out. If they're doing the job you need them to do, you'll forget they're even there. The Baseus Spacemate RD1 Plus 14-in-1 (WIN) Docking Station is exactly that type of device.

While my Pixel 10 Pro doesn’t have the best hardware or cameras around, it packs a slew of cool and unique features that are, at least in theory, perfect party tricks. Some aren’t really that intuitive to show off to your friends, but there are a few I love to show people, especially those who haven’t seen a Pixel phone before (I’m still surprised by just how many people don’t recognize one).

I'm a big Excel advocate. Whenever I see someone recommending that I replace it with another app, my first reaction is usually the same: what's the point? Excel already does most of what I need. One app I keep seeing recommended, though, is Airtable.

We’ve all experienced searching for something on the internet only for ads about that thing to follow us around for weeks. It even crosses devices; targeted ads show up on your computer after searching a keyword on your phone. Perhaps it’s just a mild annoyance, but it’s a visible reminder that we’re all tracked across the web.

One of the biggest benefits of Zigbee is that it uses less power than Wi-Fi, so many devices can run on batteries. You can put battery-powered devices almost anywhere without worrying about where the nearest power outlet is, but the downside is that all batteries will eventually run out. There are plenty of ways that you can use Home Assistant to keep track of your batteries so that your devices don't keep dying.

When many of us think of ebooks, we think of an Amazon Kindle eReader. But these days, there's another portable piece of tech that is literally shaped like a book—the book-style foldable phone. I carry one in my pocket, and I'm now reading more than ever.

Jellyfin is a self-hosted media server that you can use to stream your TV show and movie collection to other devices. It's a popular alternative to Plex that many people run on a device such as a Raspberry Pi or a mini PC. However, an old phone can also work, and there are some significant benefits over other options.

Facebook Marketplace is still probably the best place to buy and sell things within walking or driving distance of your home. For me, it’s the best reason to keep my Facebook account alive in 2026, but not everything listed is a bargain or even worth buying.

I've been annoyed for years by that awkward gap between clicking a browser icon and actually seeing a window. It's only a couple of seconds, but it happens dozens of times a day, and it adds up. It also feels like we're too far in the future for this to be an issue. Microsoft seems to have fixed this in Edge on Windows 11, and Chrome is what it is being tested against. So I set up a few launch tests on real machines to see what changed and what didn't.

Back when I built my current PC in late 2020, I thought its six USB ports, along with the two on my case’s front panel, would be enough for my needs. The one thing I didn’t account for was that I’d still be using the same motherboard six years later, and that I’d end up with a bunch of USB peripherals, each needing its own port. Something had to be done, so I took the road less traveled: instead of getting a PCIe USB card, I expanded my USB ports with a USB-C dock.

As a puzzle lover, I am a huge fan of apps that challenge the mind. Solving logic-based problems or riddles scratches an itch inside my brain that nothing else can. If you're a Wordle addict, you'll relate. One popular format that I keep coming back to is an age-old classic: sudoku.

I never thought about auditing my carrier's software because I never knew how easy it was. I'd checked app permissions, turned off ad tracking, and cleaned out old apps, but the preloaded packages that came with my Galaxy stayed untouched because I assumed they were just part of the phone. I spent an afternoon looking into what T-Mobile and Samsung put on my device, what it can actually do, and what happens when you turn it off. It's easy enough to try yourself.

That Game Boy in your closet or the stereo you spotted at an antique store probably isn't as dead as it looks. A lot of vintage electronics come back to life with a new belt, a few fresh capacitors, or a drop-in screen that needs little or no soldering. Others, like a CRT that can run around 27,000 volts, deserve a lot more respect. Here are five restorations worth your time, starting with the easiest.

If your Linux system breaks after an update, refuses to show the login screen, or throws another error during startup, you don't have to reinstall your entire distro. Linux provides several boot options that can help you recover a broken installation, troubleshoot startup problems, and get back into your system.

I'm usually the first person to look for a free alternative before paying for an app. Why spend money when the Play Store is full of apps that promise to do the same thing without charging a dime? But I've also learned that free doesn't always mean better. Sometimes, I end up dealing with annoying limitations or missing features that make a simple task unnecessarily complicated.

If you're looking for raw utility that takes up the least space in your pocket, you'll want to buy a good multi-tool. And while there are plenty of excellent options these days, Leatherman remains one of the best. The company has over 20 models available this year with a variety of capabilities, and if you're wondering which Leatherman has the most tools, we have you covered.

USB ports are a fact of life, as ubiquitous as power outlets and water faucets. Before USB-C, there was the bigger USB port we’re all familiar with that technically goes by the name of USB-A. In between the two, there’s USB-B — and I won’t blame you for never giving it any thought. No one ever says “plug this into your laptop’s USB-B port.”

If you're looking for a mix of classics and modern blockbusters, there are few platforms with a catalog quite as strong as Paramount+. There are some really solid new movies to choose from alongside some brilliant genre-defining films that are well worth revisiting. The list of choices keeps growing every month too, with November bringing things like Gone Girl and Twister to your TV screen.

The market for wireless over-ear headphones is crowded, but the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 wireless headphones remain a standout for listeners who prioritize sound quality. Right now, Amazon's got these headphones on sale for $200, down from their standard $300 price tag.

Even if you’ve never used it before, there’s a very good chance that your CPU actually has a GPU built into it. This extra hardware often goes unused because of dedicated graphics cards, but there are quite a few reasons why you might want to put that integrated GPU to work, like offloading your Plex transcodes or speeding up your video editor’s timeline.