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: 59 min 47 sec ago

4 unfortunate truths about self-hosting on a Raspberry Pi

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 23:00

Raspberry Pis are one of the most popular computers among tinkerers, and I use mine constantly for one thing or another. Despite their enduring popularity, they do have some downsides.

Categories: IT General, Technology

NVIDIA just brought back PhysX, and it's a complete waste of time

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 22:30

With NVIDIA’s RTX 50-series graphics cards, PhysX support was dropped. Recently, NVIDIA decided to bring PhysX support for select games back—but does it even matter?

Categories: IT General, Technology

7 storage drives that are officially too old for 2026

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 21:00

If you told me 20 years ago that CDs would be so obsolete that they're now just coming back in style, I'd have laughed. But CDs aren't the only type of storage media that's completely outdated.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The cheapest new car in America is more reliable than a Corolla

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 20:00

Shoppers looking for an affordable new car in 2025 don’t have many options left, which makes the country’s cheapest new model stand out even more. While most automakers have abandoned the entry-level segment, this budget-friendly compact remains one of the last true bargains on the market, and it’s not just inexpensive. It offers durability and day-to-day dependability that rival, and in some cases surpass, more established nameplates.

Categories: IT General, Technology

PSA: Messaging apps are lowering the quality of your photos and videos

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 19:00

Have you ever received a photo from a friend on a messaging app and thought, “Man, Patrick’s phone sucks”? It turns out it might not be their phone at all—many messaging apps lower image quality on purpose. Let me explain why, and if you stick around, I’ll show you how to fix it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Excel's hidden formula trick: Alt+Enter shortcut revealed

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 18:30

There's a certain kind of dread when seeing a massive block of text fill the formula bar in Microsoft Excel. When everything is crammed onto one line, your eyes skip over the mistakes that end up breaking your data. Luckily, one simple keyboard shortcut fixes the chaos instantly.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This underrated Netflix romcom is a perfect binge for Christmas

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 18:01

While there is certainly no shortage of Christmas films to choose from, holiday-themed TV shows are harder to come by. But thankfully, Netflix has the perfect festive series that also just so happens to be a quick binge. In fact, you can easily watch it in one day. So, instead of trying to pick which Christmas movie to watch, you should check out Dash & Lily on Netflix.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The most reliable Lexus sedan to watch in 2026

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 17:30

Lexus has built its reputation on luxury, reliability, and durability—traits that set it apart from most other brands. But even within Lexus, some models rise above the rest.

Categories: IT General, Technology

An introduction to the most useful special and environment variables in Bash

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 17:15

Are you currently learning Bash? Have you seen things like $0 and $EUID and wondered what they mean? Or what the difference is between $UID and $EUID? I'll cover these and more: what they do and why they're important.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This holiday, have "the talk" with your family about those fake Facebook videos

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 17:00

I don't spend any more time on Facebook than I need to, and even then I get exposed to countless AI slop videos in my feed. Given what I do for a living, I can spot them pretty easily. However, a worrying number of people in the comments don't seem to understand that they're looking at something that never happened.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Alternative NAS operating system OpenMediaVault got a big Christmas Eve update

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 16:51

OpenMediaVault 8 was released on December 24, bringing with it a Christmas wishlist of improvements, including a package base upgrade and an improved update interface. There is a little bit of coal in the stocking though if you're running OpenMediaVault (OVM) on older hardware.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 free and open source (FOSS) apps that are better than its paid alternatives

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 16:30

Are monthly software subscriptions draining your wallet? Wondering whether you can replace your premium tools with free alternatives? Well, here are five free, open-source apps that don’t just match their paid counterparts—they often surpass them.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Don't throw away your old hard drives—do this instead

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 16:15

Do you have old hard drives lying around in a drawer doing nothing? I did—until I found a purpose for them. Here’s how I rescued my old hard drives and gave them a new lease on life.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Want real privacy? Ditch big-tech OSes and go Linux

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 16:00

I still remember with fondness when the only privacy concern I had when it came to my computer is that my dad would go sniffing through my files while I was at school. Which is why I had a BIOS and Windows login password! These days I have to worry about some random tech employee or a hacker browsing through my activity logs and files thanks to built-in spyware in big commercial operating systems.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I put my subwoofer against my couch and it changed my life

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 16:00

I played by the rules when I first set up my subwoofer, but I wasn't satisfied with the sound. On a whim, I moved the subwoofer against the back of our double recliner, and now I really feel like I'm at the cinema.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I abused my Starlink Mini for months: Here's why I'd buy it again

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 06:00

It isn't every day that a new technology can be described as a paradigm shift, but Starlink is pretty close. Satellite internet, which used to be relatively slow and very high latency, is now competitive with broadband. My Starlink Mini has quickly become one of my favorite gadgets, and is my constant companion in my car.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0.3 is adding several new features

Wed, 12/24/2025 - 01:20

The Raspberry Pi Foundation just rolled out Raspberry Pi Imager version 2.0.3. This brings a massive list of under-the-hood improvements focused heavily on performance, reliability, and security for the cross-platform utility. This update makes the imaging process less frustrating.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to unlock the massive SSD boost Microsoft is saving for Server 2025

Tue, 12/23/2025 - 23:30

Microsoft has recently added native NVMe support in Windows Server 2025. I know what you must be thinking—about time, right? Better late than never, I suppose.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Bought something from the Google Play Store? You might get a payout

Tue, 12/23/2025 - 23:06

Google has officially agreed to pay $630 million to settle a massive class-action antitrust lawsuit regarding the monopolistic practices of its Play Store. If you ever bought an Android app or made an in-app purchase over the last several years, you might automatically qualify for a payout.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I'd choose this $380 OLED over a 4K monitor in a heartbeat

Tue, 12/23/2025 - 22:30

If you're looking for a gaming monitor upgrade, 4K seems like the obvious choice. While resolution definitely matters, it’s far less important than the underlying panel technology. OLED is the clear winner there—and if you can only afford either 4K or OLED, there’s only one right answer (hint: it’s not the resolution).

Categories: IT General, Technology

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