How-To Geek

I made the switch to Mac as my daily driver two years ago after decades of being a Windows user. Still, I spend enough time between the two PC platforms — and both have their pull. I understand the appeal of having access to the same software everywhere. Windows has an enormous software library, but it’s not the same thing as what Mac’s best apps offer. The most celebrated macOS apps aren’t just functional—they’re known for their design, workflow, and tight integration with the operating system.

Amazon is overhauling its media streaming devices. The shopping giant has not only introduced a revamped Fire TV Stick 4K, but is slimming down its lineup and promising more software upgrades.

You had a friend over last night for movie night, and you've just discovered that they didn't log out of their Netflix account on your TV. What a shame. Now, the right move would be to log them out and get back to your own watch list. The more fun move is to tiptoe through their My List and Continue Watching rows because nothing says more about a person than the shows they're into, amirite?

Sometimes, being sedentary is just part of the job. Lengthy, highly focused desk sessions might be part of your daily work, but you don’t need to suffer through the discomfort of prolonged sitting in the right chair. The right ergonomic seating option is the office investment that goes far beyond aesthetics.

Linux has a somewhat contradictory reputation. On the one hand, it's known as a rock-solid operating system that never goes wrong and offers countless hours of uptime. On the other hand, it's also known for being easy to break in the wrong hands when you start digging around under the hood.

Day in and day out, there's one thing keeping your Android phone ticking: the battery. You may already know that your charging habits determine the battery's long-term health, but this is not some mysterious metric. It's a thing you can actually find and track.

There are countless shows on Netflix, but only a handful are good enough to become part of your regular viewing rotation. These are the shows you can put on after a long day without worrying about finding something new and the ones that somehow remain entertaining even when you already know exactly how the story unfolds. For me, some series have become an almost yearly tradition.

Supports are a frustrating but often necessary part of 3D printing. They make it possible to print overhanging elements, but they can feel wasteful and leave behind unsightly marks. While you might be used to standard or tree-like supports, fins are another option that don’t (currently) exist within your slicer of choice.

Samsung is refining its item tracking tag to challenge Apple's AirTag on its home turf. The company has introduced the Galaxy SmartTag 3 with support for both Galaxy phones and iPhone in addition to a few leaps in design and functionality.

Even though Microsoft ended support for the Windows Subsystem for Android, which let Windows 11 users run Android apps natively, you can still use Android apps and games on your Windows machine. Your options include emulators such as BlueStacks, the Google Play Games Windows app, which lets you play Android games on your PC, and tools such as scrcpy, which lets you display and control your Android phone or tablet from your Windows PC.

You may think that if you've spent money on one of the most expensive SSDs (hopefully not too recently, given the prices), you've got the fastest storage in the world. In a way, it's true. But not in every context.

I used to hate combining weekly Excel reports. Copying data from one workbook to another works well enough, but it gets tedious when you have to do it every week. Then you have to remember whether you've done it, or worry about overwriting existing data. Thankfully, Excel can connect to a folder and combine those files for you, and even though it sounds like Excel wizardry, the setup takes just four simple steps.

Android Auto is a bit of a double-edged sword. It makes driving easier in plenty of ways, but throw Gemini into the mix, and suddenly there’s a lot more you can ask your car screen to do. It’s not just “play this” or “text that” anymore. Gemini can actually have a conversation with you.

Ryobi is a go-to in the DIY and homeowner space for multiple reasons. Not only do they have a ton of tools for just about any task, but they also make dozens of accessories for hobbies, outdoor activities, and more. Just like tools in general, there's a lot of personal preference and brand loyalty involved, and while Ryobi gets hate online, they're clearly winning in several ways.

Changing your DNS server is one of those simple networking tweaks that can make browsing safer, but DNS privacy is easy to misunderstand. Changing your DNS provider does not make your browsing history invisible. Your ISP, employer, school, or network administrator may still have other ways to determine which services you are connecting to.

Raspberry Pi users should be familiar with a program called Scratch. I've been doing more and more work with it lately, and I realized that, as I've moved away from spending time with streaming and doomscrolling, I've gotten more into making things with my various devices. Scratch is quite fun to use, and I wanted to share a few easy projects/mini apps you can make with it in less than a few hours.

For the past couple of days, I noticed that my Windows 11 laptop has been having some hiccups. Browsing feels slow. Navigating the file system causes lag. Opening a file takes twice as long as before. So I had to hunt for the reasons that were eating up my computer resources.

When I mention that solar panels blanket the roof of my house, the first thing people ask is whether I have an electric bill. Well, yes and no — but that's only part of the story. Here's what I've truly gained from rooftop solar.

Some workdays end in flames. Thankfully, most just end. For the dumpster-fire days, I've already rounded up some great Netflix miniseries for a bad day at work—twice. These four comedies, all on Netflix in the U.S., are funny regardless, but are perfect when you just want a laugh before bed.

If you've ever browsed a torrent website (it's OK to just look, right?) you've surely seen movies listed with a retail UHD Blu-ray as the source. Logically, the only way this could happen is if someone used a computer Blu-ray drive to make a digital copy of the original.