How-To Geek

There are several power tools and accessories that I want but don't necessarily need. I'm constantly thinking about which new Ryobi tool I might buy next, even though I already own plenty. With that in mind, I started tracking which tools I use the most around the house to help me decide. I figured my trusty drill would top the list, but surprisingly, it came in fourth place.

If you're new to Linux, you might wonder whether you really need to use the terminal. While Linux comes with modern desktop environments, you can benefit from knowing the Linux terminal. It's easier than you think. Just a few simple steps, and you'll be a pro in no time.

Those of us who complain about slow Wi-Fi are often left scrambling for answers. And scramble, I have.

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is arguably one of the most popular text editors and integrated development environments widely used by individual coders and professionals. But the standard setup can make you work harder than necessary for simple tasks. Whether it's catching a syntax error that requires you to squint at the Problems panel at the bottom or scrolling through dozens of lines to find a matching closing tag for your HTML block.

Android trackers used to lag far behind AirTags, but they've closed the gap considerably. Google's Find Hub now supports crowdsourced location finding, tracker sharing, and Ultra Wideband (UWB) precision finding when using compatible phones and trackers. AirTags still do a few things that Android trackers can't when using Google's Find Hub.

Foldable phones are expensive, so I get why you would be nervous about breaking their flexible internal screen — especially after the horror stories that plagued the first-generation models. But as someone who has used folding phones for the past couple of years, I can tell you firsthand that those screens are more durable than you think.

If you need a display for a Raspberry Pi project, the obvious solution is to buy a dedicated accessory specifically designed to work with your single-board computer. For many projects, however, a used $25 Kindle can actually be a better choice.

Move over, Jack Reacher. It's Frances Neagley's turn to step into the spotlight. TheReacher television universe on Prime Video is set to expand with its first spin-off series, Neagley, with Maria Sten reprising her role as the titular character.

Most people buying a high-end monitor spend real time researching panel technology, refresh rates, and color accuracy, then plug it into the cable that came in the box without a second thought. That cable is usually a budget part from a generation or two ago, rated for a fraction of the bandwidth the display actually needs. That's the problem. You have to stop pretending that the cable is part of the whole package; it's more like a bonus when you pick the right monitor for your PC.

We all know someone who loves building a ridiculously complicated Excel formula and proudly announcing that it works. I used to be that person. I've been writing Excel formulas for decades, and I loved the satisfaction of making a single formula handle a problem that once seemed impossible. The trouble was, those formulas could become a lot less impressive when I came back to them later. Then along came the LET function.

Giving your old phone to a friend or family member is a great way to get some extra life out of a device you no longer need. But before you hand it over, consider more than deleting your photos and removing a few apps. Your phone may still contain personal information, remain connected to your accounts, or have hardware inside it that you don't want to accidentally give away.

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Phone and watch notifications are one of the most effective ways to share information from Home Assistant. A recent update to the Home Assistant Companion app quietly made these notifications even more powerful.

One of the best things about Waze is also one of the worst. The app lets users report hazards, which are then shared with every other Waze user on the same stretch of road. These alerts can be really useful, but they can quickly get incredibly annoying.

Once you've spent $2,000 on a new graphics card or a high-end CPU, your first instinct is probably to download a suite of benchmarking tools. You want to see the numbers, compare your score with other systems, and make sure you got what you paid for.

For TV nerds, it's the most wonderful time of the year—Fall TV season! It's the time when many of the shows you've been waiting on are finally coming back. But it also means that you've got a few weeks to get it together before your remote and your watchlists go into overdrive.

Google is releasing its second Pixel Drop for September, and it's big news if you need to get in touch with loved ones — or just can't get enough of Hogwarts. The new update for Pixel phones delivers VIP contact updates and a set of Harry Potter themes, among other perks.

I write about Excel shortcuts a lot, and I've picked up plenty over the years. Some are useful only in very specific situations. Others become so familiar that I don't even think about pressing them anymore. Since Microsoft introduced Ctrl+Shift+V to Excel in 2022, it's become one of those shortcuts for me.

I was a massive science fiction fan growing up (I still am). I never imagined that one day I'd have a fully functioning computer that could do just about anything in my pocket. That tiny computer does a lot every single day. The fact that it runs on a battery is amazing. Unfortunately, some processes, apps, and usage can kill your battery fast. But if you're on Android, your phone probably has a hidden feature that will warn you when it happens.

Most Linux advice targeted at newcomers starts and ends with “just pick Ubuntu or Linux Mint,” but I find that to be an oversimplification. However, at the same time, I do understand that it’s not helpful to overwhelm someone with the hundreds of distros out there. So, we’ve developed a quick cheat sheet that walks you through a dozen beginner-friendly distros and shows how they compare across the four key areas that matter for a Linux newcomer. This should help you decide for yourself instead of simply listening to someone else’s opinions.