How-To Geek

It's easy to end up with multiple versions of the same Excel report. You might need one for each region, department, or product, so you copy the report and change the data it shows. I've done this plenty of times, and for a while, I didn't see much of a problem.

Samsung is rolling out its One UI 9 update in earnest, if later than expected. The custom take on Android 17 is starting to reach Galaxy S26 devices in the U.S. roughly a week after the launch was supposed to start.

Streaming was supposed to be a cheaper alternative to cable television. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. Streaming has now become a necessity for major media companies. Between new originals, licensed content, live broadcasts, and sporting events, many streaming services have significantly expanded their content offerings. More movies and shows lead to bigger spending, which, ultimately, has resulted in higher subscription prices.

Want to tackle some DIY car repairs? Well, having the right tools can make or break the experience. Here are the nine essential tools every DIY car repair kit should include, and why each one matters.

Android is a powerful operating system with tons of potential. As a result, many set-top box makers often settle on it. It's hard not to see why: it gives users an easy way to install Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and more. But what if you could make your Android-powered TV box? Here's how you can do it with a Raspberry Pi.

Pet hair, kitchen crumbs, and muddy footprints can make floor cleaning a daily job. A robot vacuum that cleans, mops, and even handles its own mop care can take most of that work off your hands.

External drives, like the WD Elements, are essential storage devices everyone should have to protect valuable data from crashes or theft. They're also great for storing your movie and music collections because you can take them anywhere and access the offline files without a subscription.

We all know that finding the right tool for the job is important, but sometimes it's pretty difficult amid all the outside noise, different tool ecosystems, battery platforms, and endless options scattered across store shelves. Milwaukee makes some extremely popular and common tools everyone enjoys, but it's those "sleeper" tools that are often overlooked you'll love the most.

I spend a lot of time behind a computer, and for decades Windows has been my daily driver. Mostly, that's because it's the environment I had to work in at the different companies I've worked for over the years. That said, the gap between Windows and Linux keeps getting smaller for the things I actually do every day. At this point, I can see pretty clearly that Linux can handle my regular workload and workflow without too much compromise.

Open-source is a promise, not a guarantee. And if you've been homelabbing long enough, there's a good chance that you're running some stale, unmaintained Docker containers. While these containers may be safe to use in the short term, they do pose some long-term risk (or may simply break at some point), so you should disable or replace them as soon as you can.

As much as I want to like Galaxy phones, Samsung makes some software decisions that I just don't get. This is particularly true when it comes to notifications. One of my favorite conversation features on Pixel phones is technically present on Galaxy phones, but Samsung broke it.

I got tired of randomly finding out a hard drive I thought was good wasn't actually good, so I built a tool to automatically benchmark and test my drives before I trust them with my data. Here's what I built and how you can use it to make your homelab more reliable.

Retailers are beginning to prep for the holiday shopping season, with stores like Best Buy leading the way, slashing prices and adding on massive markdowns on tons of products and gear—good news if you're looking to get your shopping done early. A fantastic strategy is to look at products that are just slightly out of season, like this massive 77-inch OLED TV from LG.

I can't count how many side projects I've killed so far. Some never even saw the light of day. Others were abandoned at the initial stage. There were many reasons, but one common reason was my fear of breaking the rules professional software engineers follow.

It's tempting to import a Chinese phone for U.S. use, and for good reason. They frequently have more powerful cameras, gigantic silicon-carbon batteries, and clever features at prices that undercut their American and Korean counterparts. I've used some myself, and it's wonderful to have even mid-range Android devices that take quality photos and last two days on a charge.

Home Assistant isn't just a great way to control your smart home locally and privately, but it can also save you money. You can use Home Assistant to replace multiple subscription services, which could save you more than $455 per year.

You know it's heading into spooky season when freaky things start happening. For starters, Ryan Phillippe has not one but two movies in the top spots on the Paramount+ U.S. movie charts. Shudder. I'm kidding, of course, but what's no joke are the 71 movies that the streaming service dropped into its catalog on October 1st, three of which are below and are well worth watching this week.

Most people know to avoid sketchy downloads or suspicious links, but they don't think twice about USB cables. People buy whatever they find at a gas station because it looks harmless. The problem is that the cable connecting your phone or laptop to power can do more than you think. Never plug in a cord you just found or know nothing about. You're still plugging in a gadget, even if it doesn't seem like one.

Every few years, the programming world converges on a handful of languages and treats them as the only serious options. JavaScript, Python, Java, C, and now Rust and Go dominate job listings, tutorials, and conference talks. That consensus is useful, but it also buries languages that solved hard problems elegantly, influenced everything that came after them, and still do useful work today. Underrated does not mean unknown. It means the gap between a language’s actual quality and the attention it receives is embarrassingly large. These five languages live in that gap.

Touchscreen laptops, like the HP Omnibook 3, are a practical way to boost your productivity and are now cheaper than ever. You can simply swipe across the display to navigate, and you don't need to worry about clunky trackpads or buying a mouse. It also has decent power under the hood to handle work or play.