How-To Geek

Almost everyone needs a screen capture tool at some point, from explanations and references to humorous shares and valuable project steps. Windows screenshot tools (Snip & Sketch, classic Snipping Tool, and the newer Snipping Tool) work great for quick, simple captures, but they have limits on editing, sharing, and resizing. I used to capture screen areas with the "classic" Snipping Tool and the new Windows 11 version, and I briefly tried Snip & Sketch before it was deprecated. None of them offered the options I needed to work more productively and efficiently, even for home use.

3D modeling is a great skill for getting the most out of your 3D printer, but there’s no denying that there’s a learning curve. Thankfully, there are easier ways to solve a problem, and it all comes down to making clever use of work that’s already been done for you.

You can now get a taste of the AirPods Max 2 without paying for the privilege. Apple has released the Beats 360, Beats' first customizable headphones, and they offer that familiar customization at a discount — and better support for Android.

What defines a PC has changed substantially over the course of my life. They've drastically changed shape and size, but until I bought my most recent one, they were all at least vaguely similar. Now my concept of a PC has been completely turned on its head.

For months, dialogue on my soundbar sounded muddy and inconsistent, and I assumed the hardware was to blame. It wasn't. A small shift in placement solved almost the entire problem.

Bambu Lab might be best known for its 3D printers, but today, it's taking the next step in conquering the maker space with the R1. The Bambu Lab R1 is the brand's first dedicated laser with a 55W CO2 glass tube, and after spending a few weeks with it, I am thoroughly impressed.

You no longer have to get an iPhone to use Adobe's flagship video editor on your smartphone. Almost a year later, Adobe has released Premiere for Android as a free editor for anyone serious about mobile video production, albeit with limits.

My computer speakers aren't very good. Sometimes I wonder if sticking my phone in a coffee can would sound better. I used to own a nice set of M-Audio monitors that I used for my record player. But they broke. So I replaced them with a $15 set of Logitech computer speakers. I can usually get them to sound fine by messing around with different settings in the audio apps I use, but they still didn't sound great. But I found a solution to make them sound better (that didn't require buying new speakers): Easy Effects for Linux.

The Raspberry Pi has found its way into hundreds, if not thousands, of projects, some of which you may own without realizing it. This includes kits built around retail single-board computers, compute modules that are embedded in the hardware, and microcontrollers that perform secondary functions.

If you don't have $100 (or more) for a standalone Windows license, then you can download any distro of Linux for free right now and have a working computer in just a few minutes. However, the cost of something can be measured in more than just dollar bills, and there are more than a few ways Linux ends up costing you more than a commercial operating system like Windows or macOS.

Phone makers used to spend years chasing the thinnest flagship possible, and buyers mostly shrugged. The sales numbers have been in for a long time; the compromises are obvious, and I still don't get why there are attempts at bringing thin phones back. Still, here's why an extra millimeter or two is worth it.

I love the convenience of my battery-powered home security cameras, but buying a dozen new AA batteries every few months—not so much. Most of the big-name security and smart device brands, like Arlo and Blink, strongly advise against rechargeable batteries, but I tried it anyway, and the results are better than I expected.

If you have a Roku, then you know the home screen is no stranger to advertisements. Whether you're scrolling through your apps or just taking in the pretty landscape of Roku City, ads are everywhere.

I've always thought a PC's power button should be fairly self-explanatory. Press it, and the computer shuts down safely. But Windows 11 is never that straightforward. It gives you several choices for what that button actually does, including one that makes shutting down your PC much simpler.

A router that keeps dropping out sends most of us straight to firmware, settings, and the internet provider. Sometimes the culprit is duller: the power feeding it. Here is what changed when I moved my router, why it works, and how to avoid the same headache.

Want to add more USB ports to your desktop PC? There are several ways you can do it, from simply connecting a USB hub to adding a PCIe add-in card. Here are four different ways to add extra USB ports to your desktop.

If you've spent any time working with data in Excel, you've probably come across filtering. It's a quick way to focus on the records you need, analyze a subset of your data, and hide everything else from view. But Excel's regular filter buttons come with a few annoyances: they hide entire worksheet rows, can make the original dataset harder to see, and leave you with filters to clear when you've finished.

I got a new phone for my birthday. And you know what happens next: you start playing around with everything. Relatable enough, right? At first, I was genuinely excited. New phone, new tricks, new excuses to spend way too much time digging through settings.

For years, my dishwasher drove me insane. No matter what settings I changed or how carefully I loaded it, some things always came out far from clean, and I had to wash them myself or run another cycle. The solution I discovered through a truly awesome YouTube video was incredibly simple: I just needed to add a little dishwasher powder.