How-To Geek

As any carpenter will tell you, there's nothing more important than having the right tool for the job. But in Linux repositories, there are countless tools for all sorts of jobs. So what to use? Here are a few good apps I came across recently.

Looking for a great TV show to binge this weekend? If you're a Peacock subscriber (or a newcomer to the brand-new Apple TV and Peacock bundle), you basically just have to throw a rock and you'll hit something.

As the Halloween season peaks and then winds down, that doesn’t mean the fun has to dwindle. As you hunker down for a weekend in a candy coma, make sure you have a variety of options to keep rolling on your TV screen. This week on Prime Video, we’re keeping it weird while getting that last little bit of need for creepiness out of our system, and we're venturing across the galaxy to explore a deep space mystery. Then, we’re headed to a quaint little town with the best name ever, because what better way to stroll into November than in a good mood, with a lot of laughs.

When it comes to used muscle cars, the options are seriously tempting. From 2005 Mustang GTs that roar to classic El Caminos that can haul just about anything, there’s something for every kind of enthusiast.

Just when I thought I'd seen everything in AI transcription, I tried the Plaud Note Pro. This ultrathin handheld device is a credit-card-sized pro voice recorder that provides audio recordings, AI note-taking, and extra features that make it a stand-out accessory for professionals and students.

The internet sometimes feels like a dangerous place, but with so many options to protect your data, your anonymity, and your privacy, how do you know which tool to use and when? Here is what you need to know about proxies, VPNs, and Tor.

Zen 5 chips have been out for a while, but the next big thing is already in development, as you might have been able to tell by the countless leaks and rumors. We know some things already, but nothing official. That is, at least, until now.

Although a VPN encrypts your traffic and hides much of your online activity from your ISP, it’s a common misconception that it makes you completely invisible. Even with a VPN active, your ISP can still see specific details you might assume are hidden. Let’s explore what information they can access.

Everyone knows the moment. You hear a song playing out in the world, and you either just can’t quite remember the name, or it’s your first time hearing it, and you want to know more. What if your phone automatically identified it all on its own? That's the magic of Pixel's "Now Playing," and Apple is still scrambling to catch up.

Don't listen to anyone who tells you that the VALUE function in Microsoft Excel is obsolete. You'll probably seldom need to use it on its own, but when combined with other functions, it's still as powerful today as when it was first introduced in 2007.

Windows 10 recently reached its end of life and I finally upgraded the last PC I had running Windows 10 to Windows 11. Despite how long I've been using Windows 11 on another PC, I still found the change a bit jarring. These apps made the transition a bit easier.

Affinity Photo and the other Affinity apps have a popular alternative to Adobe software, especially since they didn't require a subscription for access. Canva, the new owner of Affinity, has revealed a revamped version that is completely free to access.

I think EVs are pretty darn cool, and I like ICE vehicles too! A controversial opinion for some perhaps, but cars are cool no matter what they run on. What I don't like are gimmicks and fakery.

Every Android user has used the Google Play Store at some point, but what you might not know is that the Play Store app has a background service that is constantly running in the background. This background process is called “Google Play Services,” and it has access to everything on your phone.

The difference between Wear OS skins is not as evident as it is between Android skins, but it's there. Now, though, it's increasingly getting more marked, as Google is slowly but steadily removing its apps from third-party watches. The latest one is Google Clock.

For a while, recertified hard drives were the secret weapons of anyone who wanted to do some self-hosting at home or run a large NAS, but recently the prices on these drives seem to climbing, making them much less of a good deal.

Google Maps is an extremely useful tool that millions rely on for driving and navigation instructions, but if your phone runs out of battery, you're in trouble. Smartphones have several battery-saving modes users can take advantage of, but now it sounds like Google's busy building its own ultra-low-power mode specifically for Maps.

A collection of 16 books centered around Raspberry Pi projects is available for only $18 dollars on Humble Bundle. The normal price for all 16 books would be $357. If you're looking to learn the ins and outs of developing a Raspberry Pi, this is a great place to get started.

If you have a Meta Quest headset, you can now use it as a multi-monitor setup for a Windows PC without third-party software. The app Mixed Reality Link is now available for most Windows 11 PCs.

As a South African, and despite it practically being our national sport, I'm not much one for patriotism or national pride. Yet, sometimes a fellow countryman does something so undeniably cool that I can't help but feel a little undeserved secondhand smugness.