How-To Geek

If you’re like me, you have an old laptop lying around somewhere collecting dust. It’s not that it doesn’t work anymore; it’s just that you got a different laptop that better fits your current needs, or you just wanted an update.

Most Android Auto users never look past the main settings screen because it feels like the app was built ready to go. Google and car manufacturers keep the interface locked down on purpose, and it's honestly great for daily driving. However, if you get into the developer menu by pressing the "Version and permission info" text about 10 times in the app's settings menu, you'll get way more tools to use. It looks a little rough, but the developer settings hold plenty of cool features that can make things smoother.

Android apps will soon get to charge you based on how often you need them. Google is rolling out usage-based billing in the Play Store, letting developers meter your access to services.

Tailscale is pretty much the default option when you want to access anything remotely. It's definitely the option most people will give you when you ask them for recommendations. There's a good reason for that: Tailscale handles NAT traversal automatically, usually establishes direct encrypted connections, and can always fall back to a Tailscale Peer Relay or DERP when there's no direct path.

YouTube and I have a long and storied relationship. It’s one of the video platforms I turn to the most when I want to hear music or find out news about my favorite bands. Like many YouTube users, I also use it to learn new skills, figure out new songs, fix my cars, or get more out of the guitar and music production gear I spent good money on. YouTube does a lot of heavy lifting in this space for me.

LibreOffice Calc is often dismissed as a spreadsheet that's fine for basic number crunching, but something you'd quickly outgrow as soon as your work gets serious. As someone who's used Excel for decades, I understand that view. Excel is incredibly powerful, and after all this time, I still find myself reaching for it when I need to get something done.

Seven years after Samsung's first foldable phone, Apple finally joined the club with the iPhone Duo. It's a very solid first attempt, but if you dare suggest it's better than a Galaxy Z Fold in any way, supporters are quick to chirp: "Um, actually, Samsung made the iPhone Duo parts." Respectfully, who cares?

Linux is such a part of the modern landscape that it's hard to remember a time when it was just starting out. Linux's road to world domination could be bumpy at times. Here's how some early predictions about Linux have held up.

Many DIYers start with one brand of power tools, then eventually switch things up. Like initially buying Milwaukee or DeWALT, then moving to Ryobi's more affordable line. A common solution to having a mix of different tools, battery packs, and chargers is to buy a battery adapter. And while some people use adapters just fine, you probably shouldn't use them on your Milwaukee battery packs, and here's why.

The main alternative to Chrome just got one of its largest overhauls in recent memory. Mozilla has released a redesigned Firefox web browser for desktop and mobile that it says is easier to navigate while bringing back a much-loved feature.

Despite the name, the UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Ultra is not among the most powerful NAS that UGREEN sells (far from it), but it does represent the pinnacle of what most of us might realistically ever need. It’s a great product, but unless you already know UGREEN’s excellent line of more affordable options aren’t capable enough, your money may be better spent on a slightly weaker NAS.

One time when I was on a work trip years ago, I left my camera on a bus and never saw it again. I have since decided that would never happen again, so I 3D printed an invisible AirTag lens cap that simply attaches to my camera so I never have to worry about losing it ever again. Here's how I'm planning to keep my camera secure, and some other options you could consider if you don't want to use a 3D-printed lens cap.

It's hard to keep the idea at bay that we're actually living in a cyberpunk dystopia. After all, we're all living under a small handful of trillion-dollar mega-corporations that seem to have a huge amount of clout, and a very unhealthy interest in knowing absolutely everything we do every day. Worst of all, we didn't even get the cool '80s synthwave aesthetic in this deal.

Fall is the perfect excuse to slow down your pace, stay home, and pick up a show that's easy to settle into. And while cozy TV usually brings comforting romances to mind, it can also mean a coming-of-age story, a close-knit friendship, or even something a little bittersweet.

If you’ve spent any time in hobbyist electronic spaces, you’ve probably come across the term “LoRa” before. Like Wi-Fi and cell networks, LoRa can be used to send and receive data through the air.

This beautiful Linux terminal app will help you ditch the git command line for good. Its responsive layout and keyboard interface help to tackle the challenge of even complex git commands.

While driving, I have always turned to Android Auto as my infotainment ecosystem to get directions, control music, and contact people. It’s a staple in my driving experience, and I personally can’t drive without it.

I bought my Lenovo Legion Y520 in mid-2018, roughly a year after Lenovo released it. At the time, its specs made it a perfectly capable gaming laptop. It was never particularly light or refined, though, and the mediocre speakers and usual gaming-laptop quirks were always part of the package.

We have two Windows gaming laptops in the house, and both of them are hooked up to TVs. For the most part, this works well, but even though the laptops and TVs are all different brands and models, I keep getting stability issues using a direct HDMI connection.

Obsidian is one of my favorite apps. I use it to build Knowledge Bases, write articles, take notes, and learn as much as I can. It's pretty versatile. It works well, but I don't pay for a premium subscription. Instead, I will either email my notes in MD (Markdown) format to myself, transfer them directly from the device via USB, or sync them using Syncthing inside Termux and a special folder on my desktop computer. But that seems like a lot of work to merely sync some files. So, I found two excellent alternatives that let you self-host your syncing without an insane workaround like mine.