How-To Geek

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We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 11 min 9 sec ago

This open-source Windows tool converts files instantly from the right-click menu

Mon, 03/23/2026 - 14:31

You download a file from the internet only to discover that it isn't in the format you need. Your editing programs don't like it, the thumbnail isn't displaying properly, and what is a WebP anyway? Thanks to an open-source project, you can now instantly convert most common media files by simply right-clicking them.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Jeep brought back an iconic SUV—but only as a hybrid

Mon, 03/23/2026 - 14:15

Automakers often revive iconic nameplates to tap into nostalgia, bringing back familiar designs with modern updates. But in today’s market, those revivals increasingly come with electrified powertrains rather than traditional engines. One of Jeep’s most recognizable SUVs has returned under exactly those conditions, blending heritage styling with a very different kind of technology under the hood.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Early cell phones used a dangerous file storage method that wouldn't fly today

Mon, 03/23/2026 - 14:00

If you dig an old smartphone out of a drawer and plug it in, you can usually expect it to power on and be largely how you left it. That's not the case with many older phones, despite how rugged many of us recall them being. Even if they do come on, you may find that many of your fond memories are gone.

Categories: IT General, Technology

High availability is the homelabbing trick everyone should know about

Mon, 03/23/2026 - 13:30

Downtime is the enemy of any homelab—mine especially. So, I finally decided to do something about it and made my homelab highly available. I only was able to do that because I already knew about it, so, if you’ve never heard of high availability, here’s why you should know about this unique trick.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I turned a Raspberry Pi into a speed tracker, and now I know exactly when my ISP is lying

Mon, 03/23/2026 - 13:00

The internet is a vital part of daily life, and you should get the speeds you pay for. This is a quick and easy way to turn a Raspberry Pi into an internet speed monitor so you can be sure you can know for a fact if your ISP is ripping you off.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I replaced Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Publisher with this open-source alternative

Mon, 03/23/2026 - 12:30

I love making creative projects the old-fashioned way. As a teenager, I played around with Dreamweaver, Quark Xpress, and Flash. In college and at work, I used Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Publisher for most of my projects. For me, a desktop publishing project or a handmade website is a fun journey where I learn things and feel enriched by the experience. The end result matters, but it isn't the entire point of what I do.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This $43k SUV seats 7 and gets 73 MPGe—rivals can’t match it

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 23:30

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are perfect if you want some electric driving without the stress of range limits. Most have enough pure EV range to cover your everyday drives, and when the battery dips, the hybrid mode kicks in as a handy backup.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Eco mode doesn’t always save gas: 5 reasons to reconsider using it

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 21:45

Gas prices are skyrocketing across the country. According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular fuel is $3.88 at the time of this writing. That is about a 33 percent increase from just one month ago. Last night I paid $5.09 per gallon for 94 octane. I could have gone out for a nice steak dinner for the price of filling my tank. So, in times like these, it is natural for people to try to get the most out of a gallon of gas.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Aurora Borealis lighting, digital scents: 6 wild features of the 2026 Lincoln Navigator

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 20:45

Nearly three decades after helping establish the large luxury SUV segment alongside the Cadillac Escalade, the 2026 Lincoln Navigator is showing off its new exterior and a tech-focused interior that centers on wellness and relaxation. Lincoln sometimes refers to the 2026 Navigator as a “spa” or “sanctuary” on wheels, a mantra the automaker adopted after the large SUV's redesign in 2025.

Categories: IT General, Technology

7 settings I change after installing Ubuntu

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 20:22

Every time I install Ubuntu, whether it's a fresh setup or an upgrade—I follow a checklist of tweaks I immediately apply. It's a set of changes I always make to ensure the system feels comfortable, familiar, and efficient for me.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Microsoft just killed triangle-by-triangle ray tracing

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 20:00

It's hard to believe that the whole real-time ray-tracing thing started all the way back in 2018, with the release of the NVIDIA GeForce 20-series of GPUs. Suddenly, the lighting method used in high-end pre-rendered Hollywood movies could be used in live video games. Well, at least that was the promise.

Categories: IT General, Technology

On The Inside: How our writer makes his WFH space cozy and useful

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 20:00

It's important to make your workspace comfortable. You'll likely be spending 8 hours a day there—and staring at a drab, lifeless setup isn't conducive to productive work, especially if the space isn't even designed to make working easier.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3 hard-to-find classic TV shows you can finally stream

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 19:45

Everyone loves a good television show, but what makes one a classic is its ability to stand the test of time. That means immense rewatchability, cultural impact, and consistent, high-quality storytelling. Shows that do are often nostalgic and resonate across generations, creating memorable characters and embedding themselves in the public consciousness.

Categories: IT General, Technology

My Android notification tray was a mess until I discovered this sorting feature

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 19:30

Android’s notification system is one of its strongest features. However, as much as I try to keep things tidy, there are a lot of settings to check. Thankfully, a recent “Notification Organizer” feature does all the hard work for me.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I built a NAS from an old laptop—here's what Linux taught me the hard way

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 19:00

I recently repurposed an old laptop I had lying around into my first makeshift NAS by adding a hard drive and USB-C hub to it. It initially started mostly as a curiosity, mostly to see what it’s like to own a NAS. What I thought would be a quick weekend project quickly turned into an ongoing learning experience, but I’m glad I did it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop automating Home Assistant the hard way—"Continue on Error" changes everything

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 18:45

Have you ever had a Home Assistant automation grind to a halt because something went wrong during one of the actions? Sometimes this is desirable, but in some circumstances, it might be better if the rest of the automation continues to run even if one of the actions fails. Thanks to a recent Home Assistant update, it's now possible to get your automations to continue running even when an error occurs.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop sleeping on Apple TV and watch these 3 great shows this week (March 23-29)

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 18:30

Apple TV has all kinds of new shows and new seasons scheduled to land over the next five or so months. But that's kind of the problem—you're paying for the service, so what's there to watch right now? I've got you.

Categories: IT General, Technology

AirTags aren't the best Bluetooth trackers anymore

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 18:15

AirTags used to be the best trackers in Apple's Find My network, but that is no longer the case. The ecosystem has expanded, and there are now many more devices to choose from. Here is how the AirTag lost its crown as the top Bluetooth tracker—and what you should buy instead.

Categories: IT General, Technology

6 cheap PC upgrades that fix real problems (without breaking the bank)

Sun, 03/22/2026 - 18:00

When we think of PC upgrades, we usually think of a graphics card, RAM, maybe a CPU, maybe an SSD ... Coincidentally, all but one of those components are outrageously overpriced right now, and CPUs were never that cheap to begin with.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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