How-To Geek

It's that time of the year again—not Prime Day, but for the Amazon Big Spring Sale. This seasonal event is much like Prime Day, but you don't need to wait until July to enjoy it. With thousands of items on sale, it can be overwhelming to find what are the best discounts. Don't worry, we have you covered.

Using your laptop in bed is one of the best things about having a portable computer. For those of us who work from home, it makes the dream of working from a comfortable bed a reality. However, did you know that this seemingly harmless habit could be slowly killing your laptop's expensive SSD without you even realizing it?

If you’re running Home Assistant to control your smart home, there’s a good chance you’ve got some sensitive stuff in backups like device credentials, API keys, and automation routines. Home Assistant will now help you keep that data secure with an overhauled backup system, following the 2026.3 version that arrived earlier this month with new features.

Spring is here, and the weather is finally warming up. If you're planning a family getaway or road trip, a portable charger is an essential accessory, but finding one that packs a decent amount of power without taking up too much space in your bag isn’t always easy.

We geeks like plugging tech into other tech. This is one of the best things about desktop computers. Here's the thing—there's more tech than you might think out there that you can now plug into a modern phone.

Lightweight design has always been at the core of what makes a great sports car, and few models embody that philosophy better than the Mazda MX-5. At a time when most vehicles are gaining weight due to added technology and safety features, keeping a car light has become increasingly difficult. Yet Mazda appears determined to push in the opposite direction with its next-generation roadster.

You’ve stayed strong through the week, and now it’s time for some Raspberry Pi projects to occupy your weekend. Today, I’m showing you how to get your budget under control, document your homelab, and avoid prying eyes in your baby’s room.

Timeless movies are the certified classics that would work in any era. You know the list by now—It's a Wonderful Life, The Godfather, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc. These films would be revered by audiences in both 1966 and 2006. Unfortunately, not every movie ages with grace. For some films, their thematic elements and questionable characters have aged poorly. In other words, they've aged like milk.

Cheap GPUs, expensive GPUs, they can all struggle and fail for any number of reasons. More often than not, one of the main problems they face is heat. If your GPU is forced to work overtime for years and the conditions are far from ideal, it'll start showing its age a lot sooner than a card that was hardly ever pushed to the limit.

The Samsung Internet Browser has been around for years as the built-in web browser on Galaxy phones and tablets, and Samsung has been working on a Windows version. Now, the desktop browser is finally available for everyone, with a few unique Samsung integrations.

Distro-hopping is not for the faint of heart, but for a number of Linux users, it's practically a sport. Not two single Linux distros are equal, and each provides its own advantages, so it's not hard to get into the habit once you've learned how to do it.

When was the last time you bought a new phone that actually had a new hardware innovation? I'm not talking about a slightly better camera, bigger screens, or all the AI software these days. Aside from folding phones, not much has changed on the hardware front. Some might say innovation has stalled, but Samsung's new phone just broke that trend.

For years, the Amazon Fire TV Stick has been almost singularly defined by how well it streams video. Whether you're catching up on the latest Netflix original, binge-watching Amazon Prime Video, or tuning into live sports, Amazon sells many sticks just to let you stream content.

Outlook has a lot of cool features that you can check out for your own email client. One of them comes in the form of a surprisingly powerful automation tool that can greatly save you time.

Got a pile of old filament spools taking up too much space? Before you throw them away, you might want to consider how you can upcycle them so that they don’t go to waste. Here are some ideas.

The impact of halo vehicles on the automotive industry is complex. They generate a lot of buzz for the automaker and can be important marketing tools, serving as a way to get people to walk through the showroom doors. These are the low-volume, high-cost, technology-packed machines that influencers fight to get their hands on to drive more traffic to their channels. Think of machines like the Bugatti Mistral, McLaren W1, and Mercedes-AMG One.

I tried Waze for the first time back in 2016 during a cross-country road trip, and it saved me from sitting on a shut-down highway for 3 hours because of a major accident. It's not just a map and navigation app, but an invaluable tool that'll get you from point A to B as quickly as possible, avoiding traffic, police, and accidents. I don't plan on ever switching back to Google Maps.

Spring means it’s time for some spring-cleaning, but throwing out old junk cluttering your workspace is only part of the solution. If you work without the right ergonomics, no amount of dusting will put a “spring” back in your step.

Reliable internet is one of those things we've come to depend on day in and day out for work and leisure, but it seems like half the time I'm traveling the Wi-Fi is a pain. There aren't any perfect solutions, but a travel router has made my life much easier, and it is only the size of a small portable battery.

Preserving privacy is one of the primary reasons that many turn to open-source software. Unfortunately, publicly available source code hasn’t stopped some apps from breaking their users’ trust. Here are some of the most high-profile worst offenses.