How-To Geek

Automation is the key to any good smart home. Controlling your smart home with apps, voice commands, or wall-mounted dashboards is fine, but ultimately, you're still just pushing buttons. True automation makes things happen without you having to lift a finger, but it's all too easy for the number of automations to get out of control.

Nearly every high-end smartphone today is made of metal and glass—and they all look the same. Glass on the front, metal wrapped around the sides, and usually a combination of the two on the back. Plastic has been banished to “cheap” phones, but it really shouldn’t be that way.

Hardware transcoding is one of my favorite features of my media server, which is powered by Plex. It allows me to have one copy of a movie on it and then simply transcodes it into any container or format it needs. However, it took me a while to get it working properly with Docker.

Another day, another DLSS version sows discord among the gaming masses. It takes me right back to the release of the first public version of DLSS, and all the surrounding negativity. Yet, today, all but a vocal minority of gamers deny that DLSS has been the killer feature of the generation.

It's easy to think the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is more of the same, seeing as how it looks just like the last three or four models. In a lot of ways, it is. No surprise, this is a big, fancy, excellent smartphone. It's still expensive, but this year we received meaningful upgrades and an innovative new feature, making it a return to form for Samsung.

The Nvidia Shield TV is old, but it’s still better than many other Android streaming devices. That’s why so many people still use one. Part of the appeal is the power inside, which makes them good for far more than just Netflix and Disney+.

When Linux users get into arguments about init systems, the conversation usually circles back to systemd. systemd came out of a time when the Linux ecosystem was experimenting a lot, as distros searched for a better replacement for the aging SysV init system that had powered most Unix-like systems since the 1980s.

SUVs have become the backbone of the modern automotive market, and few brands offer a lineup as broad and diverse as Toyota. From compact crossovers designed for city driving to rugged body-on-frame models built for serious off-road use, Toyota’s SUV range covers nearly every need and budget. With electrification also playing a growing role, buyers now have more choices than ever before.

Not sure what to do with those odd spools of filament you have leftover? Don’t throw them away; there are plenty of ways to use them, and some are a little more obvious than others.

Don't panic! That "lost your Excel file" moment is scary, but your work is probably still hiding somewhere. From temporary files to hidden recovery folders, Excel and Windows both have safety nets—you just need to know where to look.

Home Assistant releases regular updates, with a major release of Home Assistant Core once a month, and Home Assistant Operating System (HAOS) every few months. While keeping Home Assistant updated is a good idea, giving you access to new features and security fixes, these days, I never update on the day of release.

Have you tried building a second brain but ended up just building a pretty folder structure? Tried Zettelkasten, PARA, and every other note-taking framework—only to abandon them all? Me too. And here’s how Obsidian’s daily notes feature finally helped me build my second brain.

Luxury cars aren’t getting any cheaper in the U.S., and it’s easy to see why. Development costs keep climbing, logistics aren’t getting simpler, and automakers know they can charge more for premium models and protect their margins.

Not all screens and monitors are built to the same standards of color depth and accuracy, and your eyes also have their limits. Now, you can find out just how well you (and your devices) can tell colors apart, potentially for bragging rights.

Who wants to start the week off on an exciting night? If yes, then head to Netflix to check out the thrillers ready to be streamed with the push of a button. This week, our top selection is a crime thriller about the drug war between the United States and Mexico. One scene in particular is considered one of the best action sequences of the 21st century.

Looking for a good movie to watch this week? I think I can help. Paramount+ has a library of an estimated 2,500 movies in it, from Paramount Pictures, CBS, Showtime, and other studios. Some are hits, some are not, but there's a breadth to choose from, including blockbusters, biopics, and classics to dramas, comedies, action movies, and everything in between.

Hot take: If I were buying a GPU right now, in 2026, I wouldn't touch Nvidia with a ten-foot pole. I wouldn't buy AMD, either. I'd buy Intel. No, I'm not joking.

Who remembers walking up and down the aisles of DVDs and (gulp) VHS tapes at Blockbuster on Friday night looking for something good to watch? I mean, I don't either; I was just testing to see if you did. With its rows and rows of movies and shows to watch, Netflix can feel like that, too, sometimes. Well, since I've been around the, er, Block, let me help.

I often write about the best practices for homelabbers, but I don’t always follow my own advice. That came to bite me in the butt recently when my homelab was compromised and a crypto bot started running my server’s CPU at 100%—here’s what I did to fix it.

In honor of the 98th Academy Awards last night, this week we’re focusing on movies that have claimed the golden statue. There’s a catch, though. Instead of looking at current nominees and winners, we’re exploring some of the 20th century's Oscar winners streaming on Amazon Prime Video.