How-To Geek

When you read about Linux, you probably see a lot of talk about commands to use in the terminal. The command line can seem intimidating if you aren't used to it, which is understandable. But what if we told you you don't have to worry about that?

Keep Notes is sneakily one of Google’s most useful apps. It’s awesome for making lists or simply jotting down a quick idea before it leaves your brain. If you use Keep, you probably know the basic features, but are you using it to its full potential?

DirectStorage can do wonders for your games. But you'd be surprised by how many people don't use it, or aren't aware it exists, despite being a staple Windows feature.

Does your thermostat or other temperature sensor feel out of whack? Do you find that certain parts of the house feel too hot or cold, even when you set the temperature to a comfortable number?

We all have a bunch of old cables that work just fine, so there's no apparent pressure to get rid of them or replace them right away. A good quality cable won't have any sort of physical failure during normal home use ever.

There was a time when saving a Word doc to your desktop was the best way to find it the next day. That time ended a decade ago. Today, saving an Office file to your desktop is the most dangerous habit in your workflow because it's a modern productivity dead-end.

Home Assistant gets most of the hype, and I’m happy to see an open-source project get so much love—but that doesn’t mean it’s your only local smart home option. If you find Home Assistant intimidating, unreliable, or requiring more maintenance than you care to put in, know that there are other smart home hubs available that give you cloud-free control of your smart home.

Oftentimes, I catch myself using data instead of Wi-Fi to stream Netflix or YouTube. It's almost never on purpose, and I end up burning my data plan for no reason. Since these apps don't give you a warning when you're streaming on data, I set up my own warning system using a simple automation.

You've probably heard of the Emacs text editor, but did you know it's often repurposed to replace full-blown desktop applications? It's not common knowledge, but Emacs has a very mature ecosystem and is multi-functional beyond its original purpose. From RSS readers to email clients, I have four Emacs use cases I prefer over traditional software.

Microsoft Publisher, the king of the church bake-sale flyer, is officially retiring in October 2026. If you're still using it for your layouts, you're on a collision course with a "file not found" error. Here's why this once-popular legacy app is disappearing, how to rescue your files, and the modern tools you can use instead.

Operating systems are complex and large pieces of software, and the same goes for Linux systems. Fortunately, there are still plenty of small Linux distros available. They're also quite useful things to keep on spare USB drives or virtual machines. Here's why.

Windows 11 comes loaded with a bunch of different apps and features that I neither want nor use. Normally, after a fresh install I spend quite a bit of time just getting rid of things. This application let me create my own Windows 11 ISO that cuts the bloat before I even install it.

Your Galaxy Watch can do far more than track steps and show notifications. It can be your productivity partner, complete wellness companion, and even an entertainment device. Here are over ten hand-picked apps (and games) to help you get the most out of your smartwatch.

When it first arrived on the scene, there really was nothing else like the Raspberry Pi single-board computer. Here was a full PC capable of running a desktop operating system that fit in the palm of your hand. It wasn't long before people discovered all sorts of other uses for these little computers, beside being disposable educational tools.

If you use your garage to park your car, charge your power tools, or store things you’d rather not keep in your house, you might be missing out on some useful smart home upgrades. Here are some accessories you can add to your garage, and the best ways to use them.

Your Linux command line is filled to the brim with commands you can use to learn about and use your device more effectively. Recently, I figured out a few handy uses for the lsusb command. Here's what I found.

Go Viking was designed to capture the most dangerous question in tabletop gaming: do you push your luck, or return home while you still can?

As the name suggests, Home Assistant was designed for smart home automation. It's a powerful tool for automating all the smart devices in your home. To my surprise, some of the best ways that I use Home Assistant have nothing to do with my smart home at all.

National Vehicle Safety Recalls week is March 2nd through the 8th here in the United States, raising awareness of the importance of checking for open recalls on our vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) organizes the campaign, which coincides with the spring-cleaning season, but it's good practice to check for recalls on your car year-round.

With so many Linux distros out there, and each maintaining unique and not-always-consistent release cycles, it can be hard to keep up with what's new. To keep you in the loop, here are some of the major Linux releases from January 2026.