Blogroll

I forgot FaceTime on Android still works—so did Apple

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 17:50

FaceTime is a feature that has become almost as well-known as the iPhone itself. Android has simply never had an answer to it—except for the fact that they literally can answer FaceTime calls. This has been possible for five years, and you’re not alone in forgetting about it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your dying hard drive probably isn't dead—here is how to check it for free

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 17:30

HDDs are reliable, but do they live forever? Nope. In fact, while modern drives are highly reliable, unexpected mechanical failures can still strike early in a drive's life span. And of the ones that fail, half fail within their first year of operation, according to a recent Secure Data Recovery study.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This app recovered files I deleted years ago—and it creeped me out

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 17:00

It's happened to all of us at some point. You're cleaning up your PC, or uninstalling something, and then you realize you've deleted something important. It's not in the recycle bin, it's not in any of your cloud drives, and you don't have any backups. So what to do?

Categories: IT General, Technology

Apple launching its first water-resistant iPad soon

Mashable - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 16:54

For years, iPhones have had various levels of water resistance. However, if you've previously submerged your iPad in water, you'll know that Apple's tablets, however, are not water-resistant. 

That will soon change.

Apple's first water-resistant iPad is currently planned to launch by the end of this year, according to a new report. The water-resistant model is expected to be the new, redesigned iPad mini.

SEE ALSO: Why pay more for iPhone Fold? This reminds me of Apple's first iPhone

The report says that Apple's approach to water resistance in the iPad differs from the iPhone. According to the report, Apple designed a "vibration-based speaker system," where sound transmits from the surface of the tablet's chassis. This means that the new iPad mini will not need physical speaker holes, which will greatly limit points of entry for water, dust, and other unwanted particles.

MacRumors points out that Apple described such a technology in a 2014 patent, which means the company has been working on this for some time.

The new iPad mini's IP rating, which measures a device's resistance to dust and liquids like water, is currently unknown. The iPhone 17 has an IP68 rating, which means it could be submerged in a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes.

The iPad mini line last had a refresh when it received the A17 Pro chipset in 2024. However, other than that, the device remained the same. The iPad mini was last redesigned in 2021. 

Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman has previously reported that the iPad mini was set to get some big upgrades, including an OLED display, which would be a first for the device. 

A release before this summer's beach trips and pool parties would've certainly been ideal. But you could always start planning for next summer. The new iPad mini is expected to launch by October.

Apple currently sells the base model iPad mini for $599 after the company hiked prices across its products earlier this year. However, according to Gurman, the addition of an OLED display could result in even higher prices for the new iPad mini.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This Samsung Galaxy camera feature completely changed how I take photos

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 16:30

Smartphones have great cameras, and Samsung Galaxy phones are some of the best, but I always end up tweaking a few settings for an even better camera experience. If you're looking for the easiest, fastest way to instantly improve all your photos and videos, you'll want to turn on one setting.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Free iPhone deal: T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to qualify

Mashable - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 16:17

TL;DR: The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro are available for free right now with T-Mobile. Here's how to qualify for this limited-time offer.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone 17 Free when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.. Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone 17 Pro Free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience Beyond plan. Shop Now

Samsung has been the center of attention this week, and that makes total sense. It's not every week that a major brand drops three new foldables smartphones, two smartwatches, and smart glasses. But can we hold some space for Apple?

Apple prices are bumping in the face of RAMageddon, but you can still secure a limited-time offer on iPhones from T-Mobile. This popular mobile carrier has just dropped a fresh batch of free iPhone deals on the latest handsets:

  • Apple iPhone 17 — free when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.

  • Apple iPhone 17 Pro — free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in needed).

Needless to say, T-Mobile isn't handing over a new iPhone without some strings attached. The retail cost of your new phone is offset by 24 consecutive monthly bill credits. Your monthly statement will show a standard charge for financing the phone, which is immediately balanced out by an equal credit.

What exactly does this mean? You're signing up for a 24-month commitment with the network, and any unpaid balance on the phone's retail value will become due immediately if you decide to cancel your service, switch to another carrier, or upgrade to the iPhone 18 before the end of your deal.

You will also need to pay standard upfront taxes and a one-time $35 activation fee, but that's a small price to pay for the latest iPhone.

We get that at this point, it's tempting to wait for the next batch of iPhones to be announced. According to our rumor tracker, Apple is "widely expected to launch a new lineup of iPhones later this year, including the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and the rumored iPhone Ultra, the company's first-ever foldable." That's exciting news for iPhone fanatics, but with prices on the rise, this could be the last example of mobile carriers offering new phones for free.

Get the Apple iPhone 17 for free this weekend with T-Mobile.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Windows won't let you fix these 3 annoyances without PowerShell

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 16:15

Windows 11 is still my go-to operating system, but using it sometimes feels like a constant tug of war between how I want to work and how Microsoft thinks I should work. I like Windows, I know my way around it, and it fits my workflow better than the alternatives. What frustrates me is how often Microsoft gives me plenty of ways to customize the little things while making some of the bigger annoyances much harder to change.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 must-see crime shows without a single bad season

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 16:00

While the television and streaming landscapes are littered with many excellent crime shows, not all of them maintain a consistent level of quality for their entire run. In fact, few offer flawless seasons throughout their run that have kept fans hooked from start to finish with their tight, high-stakes narratives and exceptional character development, eliminating the need for any filler episodes.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to pick your second 3D printer (it's a bigger decision than your first)

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 15:45

So you’re thinking about a second 3D printer. You’re enjoying the hobby to the extent that you’re rubbing up against limitations that can only be solved with a hole in your wallet.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This one customization is worth jailbreaking your Kindle for

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 15:30

I held off jailbreaking my Kindle for a long time, as I was afraid of bricking a device I was still using. When Amazon dropped support for my Kindle 4, there was no longer anything holding me back, so I performed the jailbreak and installed KOReader. Now I wish I'd done it sooner; KOReader's PDF support is so much better.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your sleek flat Ethernet cable is picking up interference like an antenna

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 15:07

Flat Ethernet cables give you a sleek, out-of-the-way option instead of those big, round cables that are just tough to conceal and many are great for gaming. Its thin, ribbon-like shape makes it great for tucking under carpets, along baseboards, or neatly behind your entertainment center. This helps you get that clean, professional look without needing a lot of in-wall wiring.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Can't see The Odyssey in theaters? Matt Damon's great sci-fi movie is the perfect weekend watch

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 15:06

If you're having trouble landing IMAX tickets to The Odyssey, another Matt Damon movie now streaming on Prime Video. The sci-fi epic is the perfect weekend watch, especially for fans of the famous Boston native.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 reasons I don't trust my Amazon Kindle anymore (and you shouldn't either)

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 15:00

I love my Kindle. I've used it for 15 years, and it's served me well throughout that entire time. The problem isn't the hardware; it's the ecosystem that goes with it. That's why I won't ever buy another Kindle; I don't trust Amazon to give it the long life it deserves.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Amazon hid years of my digital music purchases—here's how I added them to my Jellyfin library

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 14:30

I'm frustrated with various companies because we live in a time when everything is licensed to us; we don't own it after making the purchase. Amazon has never been one of my favorite corporations. But, like many of you, I've bought things from them numerous times over the years. That includes quite a bit of my current music collection.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I built a free network dashboard in Home Assistant that beats expensive router apps

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 14:00

If you want to monitor your home network, router apps can often provide useful information. Some of these apps require paid subscriptions to access the most useful data. I built my own network monitoring dashboard in Home Assistant, and it cost me nothing.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why homelabbers are ditching Unraid for Proxmox

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 13:30

Anyone building a homelab today has more choices than ever. A few years ago, Unraid was often the first recommendation for anyone who wanted to store files and run Plex. It made home servers approachable, especially for users who did not want to learn enterprise virtualization.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3D-printed wall art is a trend you should follow fast

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 13:00

I like to think that my house is full of interesting things, but I’m very aware that the walls are a bit bare. One option is to use a 3D printer to brighten the place up since there are so many decor options available.

Categories: IT General, Technology

5 non-FOSS apps I refuse to give up on Linux

How-To Geek - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 12:30

Free and open source software (FOSS) is the default choice when you're running Linux—it is a huge talking point and a very real part of Linux culture. However, while that is an ideal worth striving for, the reality is that some of the best tools available for a given job don't yet have FOSS alternatives.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch F1 live streams online for free

Mashable - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 12:25
How to live stream 2026 F1 for free: Best Apple TV Deal Apple TV 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Prime Video Deal Apple TV Prime Video Channel 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Apple One Deal Apple One 30-day free trial Shop Now

This season of F1 is unlike any other. Every season of F1 has a number of fascinating storylines to follow, but due to a major set of regulation changes, there's so much uncertainty right now. And uncertainty can lead to exciting racing.

Lando Norris secured an incredible title victory on the final day of last season. Now the pressure is on McLaren to defend that title against a long list of talented drivers and motivated teams. The likes of George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton are all challenging for race wins this season. Mercedes are the team to beat this season, but Ferrari are not far behind.

If you are interested in watching F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is F1?

Formula One (F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars. A season consists of a series of races (Grands Prix) that take place in multiple countries and continents on either purpose-built circuits or closed public roads.

Lando Norris is the defending champion. McLaren won the Constructors Championship in 2025.

When is F1 in 2026?

The 2026 F1 season is the 77th edition of the championship. This year's championship features 24 Grands Prix events held all over the world between March and December:

  1. Australian Grand Prix — March 8

  2. Chinese Grand Prix — March 15

  3. Japanese Grand Prix — March 29

  4. Miami Grand Prix — May 3

  5. Canadian Grand Prix — May 24

  6. Monaco Grand Prix — June 7

  7. Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix — June 14

  8. Austrian Grand Prix — June 28

  9. British Grand Prix — July 5

  10. Belgian Grand Prix — July 19

  11. Hungarian Grand Prix — July 26

  12. Dutch Grand Prix — Aug. 23

  13. Italian Grand Prix — Sept. 6

  14. Spanish Grand Prix — Sept. 13

  15. Azerbaijan Grand Prix — Sept. 26

  16. Singapore Grand Prix — Oct. 11

  17. United States Grand Prix — Oct. 25

  18. Mexico City Grand Prix — Nov. 1

  19. São Paulo Grand Prix — Nov. 8

  20. Las Vegas Grand Prix — Nov. 21

  21. Qatar Grand Prix — Nov. 29

  22. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — Dec. 6

It's important to note that these dates are only for race days. The Chinese, Miami, Canadian, British, Dutch, and Singapore GPs will host a sprint race.

How to watch F1 for free

For the first time, Apple TV has made an entire F1 race weekend available for free to viewers in the U.S., with live coverage of the Austrian Grand Prix from June 26–28. Fans can watch every session live on Apple TV — including practice, qualifying, and Sunday’s Grand Prix — with no subscription required.

In the U.S., F1 is now exclusive to Apple TV. If you want access to the whole season, an Apple TV subscription costs $12.99 per month or $99 per year.

Apple TV Opens in a new window Credit: Apple TV Apple TV (7-day free trial) Apple TV comes with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. This is a sneaky trick, but you could sign up to watch the next F1 race and then cancel your subscription before you need to spend anything. This obviously isn't a long-term fix, but it does give you the opportunity to live stream select F1 race weekends for free. Shop Now Apple TV Prime Video Channel Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel (7-day free trial) Already an Amazon Prime member? You're in luck. You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels. This lets you watch select F1 races live with the Prime Video app. The subscription typically costs £9.99 per month after the trial ends, but you can cancel at any time. That means you can watch select races without actually spending anything. Shop Now Apple One Opens in a new window Credit: Apple One Apple One (30-day free trial) Apple One bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness Plus, Apple News Plus, and 50GB of iCloud Storage for $19.95 per month after a one-month free trial. Time it right and this trial could provide access to up to four race weekends for free. You do need to be a new or returning subscriber to each of the included services to get the free trial. Shop Now

It's worth noting that the best Apple TV free-trial offer comes with purchases of new Apple devices. New subscribers can get three months of Apple TV for free after purchasing any eligible Apple product, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, or Apple TVs. This special offer goes live for 90 days after the new device is activated — that's a good chunk of the season.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Im watching the Hungarian GP for free this weekend — how to live stream F1 for free

Mashable - Sun, 07/26/2026 - 12:25

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Hungarian GP for free with the Prime Video app.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel Watch the Hungarian GP for free with a 7-day trial Shop Now

Another weekend, another battle between the best drivers in the world. Seriously, what would we all do without a little bit of F1 to see us through to Monday?

This season of F1 continues to throw up interesting storylines. Mercedes is flying at the top of the standings, but there are clearly some issues between George Russell and his team. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli raced away from the competition to win again at the Belgian GP. He extended his lead over Lewis Hamilton, but Ferrari continues to cut the gap. Will we see another epic battle this weekend in Hungary?

SEE ALSO: ExpressVPN review: A stylish VPN service with proven privacy and a large U.S. presence

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the Hungarian GP?

The Hungarian GP is the 11th race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Hungaroring:

  • Practice 1 — 7:30-8:30 a.m. ET on July 24

  • Practice 1 — 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on July 24

  • Practice 1 — 6:30-7:30 a.m. ET on July 25

  • Qualifying — 10-11 a.m. ET on July 25

  • Race — 9 a.m. ET on July 26

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the Hungarian GP for free

Most subscribers hang onto Amazon Prime for the fast shipping, Prime Day discounts, and Prime Video library. But for F1 fans in the U.S., Prime Video is a secret weapon. Because Apple TV holds exclusive U.S. broadcasting rights for F1, you can sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV directly through Prime Video Channels.

That trial gives you full access to stream select races — including this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix — for free. While the subscription rolls over to $12.99 per month after seven days, you can cancel auto-renewal in your settings right away and still stream the entire race weekend for free.

Of course, if you're already paying for Amazon Prime, calling it "completely free" is open to interpretation. But if you don't have an active membership, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Stacking that Prime trial with the seven-day Apple TV channel trial means you are genuinely spending nothing to stream the race.

If you've already burned through that specific loophole earlier in the season, you still have a few solid workarounds:

  • Apple TV: New standalone subscribers qualify for a direct seven-day free trial through Apple's app.

  • Apple One: If you want more than just streaming, the Apple One tier packages Apple TV alongside Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and 50GB of iCloud storage — and it comes with a full one-month free trial ($19.95 per month after the promotional period).

  • Apple: The most generous Apple TV offer is tied to new hardware purchases. Buying an eligible iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV grants new subscribers three months of free service. You obviously have to spend money on hardware, but if you were already planning an upgrade, it effectively unlocks a massive chunk of the F1 season for free.

How to live stream 2026 F1 for free in 2026 Best Apple TV Deal Apple TV 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Prime Video Deal Apple TV Prime Video Channel 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Apple One Deal Apple One 30-day free trial Shop Now
Categories: IT General, Technology
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