How-To Geek

Smart locks can be wonderful — until you're locked out of your home when the battery dies. Amazon's Ring believes it has a solution with a new Ring Smart Lock that you can recharge with a crank.

Unmanaged switches are as easy as a Sunday morning. Plug in power, connect Ethernet, forget about it.

Even older Kindles are surprisingly capable, but Amazon's stock firmware limits what you can do. I've jailbroken several Kindles in my time and unlocked a ton of useful features. These are the apps and plugins I always install first.

LG is diving into the smart home space occupied by heavyweights like Google's Nest and Amazon's Ring — with some unconventional help. Apple is reportedly co-developing a slew of devices with LG as part of a reset of its smart home strategy.

Usually, when we think about Docker, the first thing that comes to mind is a terminal and that is how most people start using Docker, but it does not have to be the only way you manage it.

Cordless tools have gotten good enough that reaching for a corded option feels like a step backward for most jobs. Milwaukee knows this, and it's priced its M18 lineup accordingly. The problem is that "cordless" doesn't justify a higher price on every tool. Some of these tools cost much more than a comparable option, and the extra money doesn't get you better cuts or finishes or save you any time. You're mostly paying for the battery and the name.

Amazon's Big Deals Days sale is in full swing, and the clock is ticking to get unbelievable deals on all kinds of products. You're in luck if you're looking for quality headphones, as the Bose QuietComforts are now43% off during this limited-time promotion.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve needed to reuse a command, only to find that it’s no longer in my Bash history. If you’re anything like me, you know how frustrating that can be. But the default history settings only store a limited number of commands, meaning important ones might disappear when you need them most.

Android phones can do so much, but that doesn't stop many of us from also having a laptop or desktop PC in our lives. That's why it's handy to have apps that can work on both screens. There's no need to switch devices and break your flow.

3D printing is one of the best things that's happened to cars. There's a near-endless sea of modifications and improvements you can make, ranging from universal stuff like dashboard mounts to highly specific pieces that are no longer being made for older cars.

I’ve been using Linux for over a decade now, and during that time I’ve tested dozens of distros — both popular and obscure options. Like most distro hoppers, I usually find my next one on DistroWatch. However, it’s worth remembering that DistroWatch’s rankings aren’t representative of a distro’s quality or user count. It simply ranks how many people visit each distro’s page on DistroWatch.

I built a brand new PC in 2024, and it cost me around $3,000. I built it with the expectation that I'll be able to play all of the latest games at max settings for the next few years. And yes, I obviously knew that DLSS would play a part in that.

You might not think of Excel as a tool for managing your PC. I didn't either. But after years of accumulating files, I used it to build an inventory of everything in my Windows user folder, and suddenly I could see my computer in a way I never had before. Once that information is in Excel, I can filter it, combine different criteria, build dashboards, and follow whatever rabbit hole I happen to find.

Google Maps is usually associated with directions, traffic updates, and finding nearby places. But it also has a solid set of accessibility tools that many people don’t know about. These cover different needs, including mobility, vision, and hearing, and many of them help everyone, not just the people they were built for. Stair-free walking routes can help if you’re carrying luggage or pushing a stroller, and spoken walking directions let you keep your eyes up while you move.

If you're a fan of Ryobi power tools, there's a good chance you use multiple tools across both its 18V ONE+ and 40V battery platforms. Do you ever wish you had a single charger that could recharge both systems? Thankfully, earlier this year, Ryobi finally answered users' calls, and the new dual-platform hyper charger is finally available.

If you're a middle-aged geek like me, you'll love a good hobby. Whether you're obsessed with pulling the perfect god shot of espresso or building the perfect audiophile setup, a lot of hobbies can get very expensive. They don't have to start that way; plenty of great tech hobbies let you start with gadgets you may already have lying around.

Eye strain is something many people struggle with, especially if you stick to your phone's default display settings. If you use your phone a lot for work, or you simply like to doomscroll (both of which apply to me), you've likely experienced fatigue from staring at your screen for long periods. Thankfully, you can change things pretty easily.

Your digital information can start to add up over the years, and next thing you know, you're running out of storage and cloud space. If you're trying to save family pics, work files, or videos, having a mega storage machine like a NAS device is the way to go, and thanks to Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, you can score this UGREEN device for just $347.

Steve Jobs famously revealed the first iPhone as three devices in one: an iPod, a phone, and an internet communications device. While a smartphone can replace plenty of devices, there are some gadgets that a phone just can't match.

That scratchy throat you went to bed with has evolved into a full-on head cold the next morning—yep, you're sick. You've emailed your boss, set your Slack status to that cute emoji with the thermometer in its mouth, and have enough meds on your nightstand to take down a rhino. Now comes the one perk of being sick—a full day of guilt-free TV.