How-To Geek

Even if you’ve never used FFmpeg, you’ve almost certainly used a video editor or media conversion tool based on it. FFmpeg is one of the most popular tools for recording, converting, and streaming audio and video, and version 8.1 has arrived with some Vulkan-powered enhancements.

If you're using Windows, there's a good chance Microsoft is collecting all kinds of telemetry data from your PC to help improve your user experience, fix bugs, and troubleshoot errors.

Buying a hybrid is a major step toward saving money at the pump, but simply owning the vehicle is only half the battle. While the hybrid system and its corresponding technology do most of the work, you can put a few more fuel economy points on the board by having a thorough understanding of how to strategically use that technology to your advantage while driving.

If your bookmarks folder is stacked with saved sites, you’ll know the struggle of finding anything on Chrome for Android isn’t exactly quick. Unlike on desktop platforms, where everything sits neatly in a bookmarks bar, phones have a multi-step process just to open any bookmark. Google is finally fixing that friction with a desktop-style bookmarks bar that’s rolling out now.

Android Auto is easily the coolest feature your car can have if you're an Android user. It turns your car's head unit into an extension of your smartphone, and when it works correctly, it's perfect for displaying your maps, music, and messages all on a large screen that doesn't distract you during driving.

Most of the time when I hear that a movie I like is getting remade, my first reaction isn't excitement. It's confusion. I find myself asking the same question: why? If the original worked, why revisit it at all? Hollywood doesn't exactly have a great track record here. More often than not, the remake ends up feeling like a thinner, louder, or more unnecessary version of something that was already good the first time around.

Nothing kills your Excel workflow like manually zooming in to tiny text or zooming out to see the bigger picture. Instead of playing "too big, too small" with the slider or fighting your mouse wheel, you can use a two-second trick to snap any range into a perfect fit. It's better for your eyes, and much better for your productivity.

When we think of exciting graphics cards, we usually think of the most expensive GPUs. Think the RTX 5090s or the RTX 5080s, not the RTX 3050s. But cheap or pricey, most people are no longer thrilled by the idea of an old Nvidia GTX GPU, and rightfully so. Nvidia has moved on to the RTX 20-series in 2018, after all.

Why pay for Adobe Acrobat or risk your data with online editors when excellent open-source PDF tools offer powerful, private alternatives? These PDF editors give you complete control over your documents and are free of cost.

Automation is the key to any good smart home. Controlling your smart home with apps, voice commands, or wall-mounted dashboards is fine, but ultimately, you're still just pushing buttons. True automation makes things happen without you having to lift a finger, but it's all too easy for the number of automations to get out of control.

Nearly every high-end smartphone today is made of metal and glass—and they all look the same. Glass on the front, metal wrapped around the sides, and usually a combination of the two on the back. Plastic has been banished to “cheap” phones, but it really shouldn’t be that way.

Hardware transcoding is one of my favorite features of my media server, which is powered by Plex. It allows me to have one copy of a movie on it and then simply transcodes it into any container or format it needs. However, it took me a while to get it working properly with Docker.

Another day, another DLSS version sows discord among the gaming masses. It takes me right back to the release of the first public version of DLSS, and all the surrounding negativity. Yet, today, all but a vocal minority of gamers deny that DLSS has been the killer feature of the generation.

It's easy to think the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is more of the same, seeing as how it looks just like the last three or four models. In a lot of ways, it is. No surprise, this is a big, fancy, excellent smartphone. It's still expensive, but this year we received meaningful upgrades and an innovative new feature, making it a return to form for Samsung.

The Nvidia Shield TV is old, but it’s still better than many other Android streaming devices. That’s why so many people still use one. Part of the appeal is the power inside, which makes them good for far more than just Netflix and Disney+.

When Linux users get into arguments about init systems, the conversation usually circles back to systemd. systemd came out of a time when the Linux ecosystem was experimenting a lot, as distros searched for a better replacement for the aging SysV init system that had powered most Unix-like systems since the 1980s.

SUVs have become the backbone of the modern automotive market, and few brands offer a lineup as broad and diverse as Toyota. From compact crossovers designed for city driving to rugged body-on-frame models built for serious off-road use, Toyota’s SUV range covers nearly every need and budget. With electrification also playing a growing role, buyers now have more choices than ever before.

Not sure what to do with those odd spools of filament you have leftover? Don’t throw them away; there are plenty of ways to use them, and some are a little more obvious than others.

Don't panic! That "lost your Excel file" moment is scary, but your work is probably still hiding somewhere. From temporary files to hidden recovery folders, Excel and Windows both have safety nets—you just need to know where to look.

Home Assistant releases regular updates, with a major release of Home Assistant Core once a month, and Home Assistant Operating System (HAOS) every few months. While keeping Home Assistant updated is a good idea, giving you access to new features and security fixes, these days, I never update on the day of release.