How-To Geek

Holiday streaming is a seasonal joy that only rolls around once a year, and I always look forward to relaxing with my collection of holiday music. I like to use YouTube Music to stream tunes during this season for many reasons, the main one being its YouTube integration.

Are you just starting out with soldering and want to practice on a few cheap and easy projects? That’s exactly where I am in my microcontroller journey, and these are the simple projects I did first to really start to hone my soldering skills.

I've been using the free tier of Google Gemini's API to generate snarky descriptions of visitors captured on my video doorbell in Home Assistant. It worked perfectly until very recently. Google has unfortunately slashed the number of free requests for many of its models, with Gemini 2.5 Flash cut down to just 20 requests per day. If you've been hit by the same problem, here's what to try instead.

This was another busy week in tech, with big updates for Home Assistant, Steam's 2025 replay going live, a revamped Jellyfin desktop app, iRobot's bankruptcy, and much more. Here are the biggest stories from this past week you might have missed.

Canonical has given cute animal-themed codenames to Ubuntu releases since the earliest versions of the operating system, but these releases didn't always come with default animal-themed wallpapers. A lot of default Ubuntu wallpapers have just been abstract blobs and waves of light, but starting with version 17.10, every Ubuntu version has defaulted to an animal-themed wallpaper to go with its animal-themed name. Here are my favorite picks.

This was another busy week in the Linux ecosystem, with a new major release for Kali Linux, updates to Docker and Armbian, and much more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.

Compact sedans are evolving quickly, but not always in ways enthusiasts appreciate. For 2026, one premium Japanese brand has updated its compact sedan with fresh styling, improved tech, and subtle refinements aimed at keeping it competitive in a shrinking segment. While many rivals use refreshes as an excuse to simplify lineups or remove enthusiast-focused elements, this update takes a more thoughtful approach, modernizing where it matters without losing the character that helped the car stand out in the first place.

Much of the world runs on open-source software that is free to deploy, adapt, and incorporate into other projects. Even though this software is offered at no charge (or has a significant free option), that doesn’t mean that the projects don’t have costs associated with them.

Whole-column references in Excel are silent performance killers, often forcing the program to manage a range of over a million rows. As a result, they can significantly slow your workbook's performance. So, stop using A:A references and, instead, create dynamic ranges.

When it comes to ultralight gaming mice, aesthetics and feel are normally left in the dust in favor of cutting that extra half a gram. Somehow, with the Sabre v2 Pro, Corsair managed to create what is essentially a near-perfect ultralight gaming mouse that’s the lightest I’ve ever used—and it even has a full shell.

Cloud storage services like Google Photos and Dropbox force you to overpay for storage. And can you really trust these corporations to respect your privacy? For those who want to escape from cloud storage, Synology's BeeStation is the easiest, most user-friendly solution.

The gifts don’t stop coming once December ends—at least not in the streaming world. Paramount+ has revealed its January 2026 lineup, and in addition to new seasons of popular shows and the premieres of several new original series—scripted and unscripted, we’re also getting a captivating docuseries and a slew of classic movies.

If you’re shopping for a 3D printer, you might have considered opting for an open-source model from a company that heavily leans into this philosophy. While it’s understandable that open-source printers might seem like the best choice, it’s not always a black-and-white decision.

'Twas the last weekend before Christmas, when all through the...okay, I'm not doing that. No one would blame you if you didn't read every single Android article published this week. Lucky for you, I've hand-picked five for you to check out—along with a cheat sheet of top headlines.

FiiO just announced the Snowsky Disc, a brand-new digital audio player that blends throwback CD style with serious modern audio guts. This device follows the success of the Snowsky Echo Mini and Nano players, but it offers a unique aesthetic twist that adds nostalgia.

Are you ready to take your Raspberry Pi out of the house for some outdoor adventures? This weekend, I’m taking a look at three fun Raspberry Pi projects that can track wildlife in your yard, capture star trails in the sky, and even let you know when a lightning storm is nearby.

You’ve probably customized your Android phone with a new launcher, swapped out the keyboard, and maybe even installed an icon pack. But you might be missing out on a tiny, powerful secret that could fundamentally change how you use your phone.

Instacart is set to pay $60 million in refunds to consumers after settling claims brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC claimed the company used deceptive tactics regarding advertised delivery prices and automatic subscription enrollment.

Modern phones are beautiful feats of engineering. Many are also smudge magnets. It’s difficult to appreciate high-end industrial design through a thick coating of fingerprints and smears. Fortunately, a change in screen protector might be the only solution you need.

I'm not in a situation where I can really build a big home theater setup. I have limited space, and I don't think my neighbor would enjoy the sound of a bass beating against their wall at one in the morning.