How-To Geek

Windows is prone to errors and bugs, and you might be tempted to download third-party optimization apps to solve the problem. Sometimes they can be helpful, but as often as not, PowerShell has a command that'll get the job done more quickly.

Got an old Mac mini or looking to pick one up? Apple’s smallest computer isn’t just a pint-sized box of tricks, it’s a very capable streaming device and media player. For many, it’s a better buy than the Apple TV 4K.

Proxmox is one of the most popular distros among homelabbers and self-hosting enthusiasts because it allows you to convert almost any PC into a server in the amount of time it takes you to install the operating system.

Recently, I’ve noticed the battery life on my Android phone is not as good as it used to be. So, I went digging around the battery settings to see what I could find. What I discovered was a few apps that have been sucking up battery despite rarely being opened.

Pirating TV shows and movies used to be a major problem that cost the industry huge amounts of money. Nothing seemed to be able to stop its rise until Netflix came along. Piracy declined sharply, but it's becoming increasingly popular again.

If you're a fan of Ryobi's bright neon-colored tools found at Home Depot, or even own several, you likely already know that the company makes a lot more than just tools for around the yard and house. The company has a bunch of obscure tools you'll love, along with outdoor items like coolers, camping lights, and so much more.

There are a lot of things Windows 11 has been criticized for, but some of the big problems are with seemingly basic features. Even years after they were implemented, these four Windows features are still giving me trouble.

Windows collects quite a bit more data about your browsing habits than you might expect, and between the operating system itself, optional programs and settings, and bad habits, there are dozens of different ways your browsing history can leak.

Do you remember how graphics cards used to be fun? And no, I don't just mean that they used to have mind-blowing specs and huge gen-on-gen performance gains. I mean when their designs were actually fun. And mildly horrifying, but that's another thing entirely.

Every smart home is a work in progress, though some aspects need a little more attention than others. The reality is that your smart home probably has a few problems that you can solve right now, and others that you can at least acknowledge and start to fix.

When enthusiasts talk about smartphone displays, there’s a long list of specs to obsess over. While resolution was and still remains the headline feature everyone cares about, there’s a different spec that makes the biggest difference day to day—yet it doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. Of course, I’m talking about refresh rate.

I finally got tired of not having my photo library properly backed up and decided to do something about it—deploy SyncThing. This free and open source backup tool keeps my entire photo library neatly backed up to my storage server without me having to lift a finger or spend a dime, and here’s how I did it.

If you were an early adopter of the smart speaker revolution, chances are there's an older model of the Amazon Echo lying in a drawer, especially if you ditched the brand. This device isn't just a paperweight; it's a powerful piece of hardware that's underutilized. Don't sell your spares for pennies or toss them out, instead use them as dedicated smart home tools to solves everyday household problems.

Terminal multiplexers like screen or tmux are invaluable if you're working on a PC over SSH or sitting in front of one that only has a command-line interface. Despite its age, screen is always my first choice. This is why.

I like a good escapist fiction show or movie to remove me from reality from time to time, or most of the time, really. But when reality often proves wilder and stranger than fiction, it's even more compelling. A good documentary or docuseries can transport you and teach you something new you didn't know.

3D printing can feel wasteful. Every discarded bit of filament you throw away costs you money, and over time, these off-cuts can add up. Though necessary to ensure overhanging elements print correctly, supports can be a major source of 3D printing waste.

An operating system is only as good as the apps it runs. Linux has been able to challenge proprietary systems because it can deliver some "killer apps." Here are some of the best applications, both on servers and on the desktop, that have grown up alongside Linux.

A second Ethernet port is fairly common among NAS devices. Even affordable options usually come with two ports, often 2.5GbE or faster. While you could spend a lifetime without touching the second port, there’s a breadth of useful features that open up once you plug a network cable into it.

Linux has more than a dozen different desktop environments available, and a big part of what differentiates distros is how they choose to customize those desktop environments. POP!_OS used GNOME for most of its history, but in late 2025, they released an entirely new desktop environment called COSMIC.