How-To Geek

Excel has changed dramatically since I first started using it. Microsoft has added features like AI tools, dynamic arrays, Power Query improvements, Python integration, and many new functions—but one of the first "advanced" features I learned is still one of the tools I use most. Setting up Custom Lists only takes a few minutes, yet it quietly saves me time every time I enter or sort recurring data.

The Raspberry Pi may have fallen out of favor among homelabbers and hobbyists for its high price-to-performance ratio, but the single-board computer still has some compelling use cases. Detecting earthquakes and other seismic activity is up there with the best of them.

If you struggle to learn terminal commands, I have four perfect remedies I've picked up over many years, some of which will boost your skills instantly.

I've heard about Linux distributions designed to be difficult to break, and it got me wondering whether I could build something similar with Windows. I actually have a few good reasons to want one. I keep a PC in my garage connected to a large monitor next to my workout equipment. In addition, I do a lot of software testing for my job, and there's a shared media PC in my living room that my family and guests can all use. In all three cases, being able to restart the computer and immediately return it to a known-good state could be incredibly useful.

Even as August's newest movies and TV show titles trickle in on HBO Max, for documentary enthusiasts, one new series that's been building some excitement has finally arrived, and I can confirm after watching the first episode that it's been well worth the wait.

A few years ago, running low on storage for a laptop meant a ten-minute fix with a screwdriver. Now it means either buying a new machine or paying a premium to have more storage configured. Neither option feels reasonable when the laptop itself works fine. I've dealt with this across multiple machines, and the workaround I've landed on costs almost nothing to start and scales as you need it. If you can't upgrade your laptop easily, use my method instead.

If you've bought a Framework PC, you'll want to keep an eye out for identity thieves. The modular computer maker informed all its customers on August 6 that a data breach compromised their sensitive information.

August has a ton in store for Netflix subscribers in the U.S., particularly if you're a fan of thrillers (The Last House, The Whisper Man), insane documentaries (Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy), and Shane Gillis (Tires, season 3). But the streaming gods do like to tease us, so unfortunately, it's not all available just yet. But what is available isn't too shabby either, and I've got some new and new-to-Netflix shows you can binge all weekend long, below.

The Xbox Kinect was Microsoft’s big push into motion and gesture-controlled gaming, debuting right around the same time as the PlayStation Move and the up-on-your-feet console that started the craze, the Nintendo Wii. The only issue is the latter hardware had a head-start over the competition by about four years. Microsoft never really knew how to market the Kinect, which is too bad because—for 2010—it was pretty cutting-edge.

A Raspberry Pi is a great way to get started in the world of self-hosting. Some models are still relatively inexpensive; they use very little power, and you can run a surprising number of self-hosted services. Some services, such as Pi-hole, can run well on a Raspberry Pi indefinitely, but there are other services that can soon grow beyond what the single-board computer can handle.

Netflix's library is full of acclaimed movies that can often get buried under the rubble of trending titles that turn up every week. Whenever I can't decide what to watch on Netflix, I like browsing through older award-winners. And more often than not, I end up finding some real winners.

The problem with high-performance cars is that the version at the top of the lineup isn't always the one that makes the most sense. Manufacturers spend years perfecting their flagship models, adding sharper handling, more power, and track-focused upgrades, but those improvements often come with compromises that make them harder to live with every day.

I've been using an M4 Mac mini as my main workhorse since December 2024, and for most of that time, its lack of USB-A ports was a major limitation, as I noted in my review. For more than a year and a half, I had to make do with USB-A adapters, using them to connect all kinds of peripherals, and they genuinely limited how I used the tiny Mac desktop. Recently, however, I got my hands on a Thunderbolt dock, which allowed me to finally start using the Mac mini as a proper desktop PC.

I never realized that 3D printing could be used in so many ways. Recently, I wanted to mount an LED strip in a way that I would normally have to either buy a special light kit for or a custom LED channel. However, with some translucent filament and a few clicks, I printed my own LED channel for a fraction of the cost.

If you've ever put too much faith in a storage device, you're not alone. We've all been there. It doesn't matter if you're buying a portable SSD, an NVMe drive that goes inside your PC, or even a good old HDD—the risk of data loss is always real, and always mildly scary.

I have several security cameras in my smart home, both inside and out. I wanted to use a security camera for another project, but I didn't have one spare. Instead, I used a free app to turn my old Samsung Galaxy S8 into a dedicated smart camera.

My current phone is a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with 256GB of storage. While that doesn't sound like much, thanks to a 2TB cloud Google One subscription, it's never been an issue. My photos, videos, and other files are just offloaded to the cloud.

With the economy in shambles, I'm a fan of repurposing the hardware you already own. I've even found uses for my tiny 120GB SATA drives, so it shouldn't surprise you that I believe a 250GB SSD can be just as useful.

Documentary fans have been treated to some pretty great stuff on Netflix lately, with a couple of chilling true-crime titles burning up the Top 10 charts in the U.S. recently—The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare and A Toxic Love Story—both of which we've covered in this weekly recommendation list. With August now upon us, though, the streaming giant isn't letting you off the hook just yet.

Luxury sedans aren't exactly known for being cheap, but there's a big difference between an expensive car and an expensive car that keeps getting more expensive as you add the features you actually want. That's where the BMW 5 Series can start to sting.