How-To Geek

FreeBSD 15, the next major update for the free and open-source operating system, is now available as a beta release. If you've been looking at FreeBSD as a possible alternative to Linux, or you just want to try it out in a virtual machine, there are a few new features and a ton of smaller changes.

It’s well worth taking the time to set up a Home Assistant server so that you can take your smart home experience to the next level. But if you go through with this, you should take the time to do it properly and avoid one of the most common mistakes that newcomers make.

T-Mobile is making significant changes to its fee structure, specifically increasing the fixed minimum charge for customers who fail to pay their wireless bills by the due date. Effective November 1, 2025, the minimum late fee will rise from the current $7 to a notably higher $10.

Wi-Fi 7 just got out of the door very recently, but innovation doesn't stop. It's a given that Wi-Fi 8 is already in the works, but you'll be surprised to learn there are actually prototypes in testing already.

Matter was supposed to be the savior of the smart home. It was proposed to bring together all major ecosystems—like Google Home, Amazon Alex, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings—and make it easier to build your smart home without worrying about which accessories worked with which platform.

True crime has become a major obsession in books, podcasts, and television miniseries. Audiences just can’t get enough of these real stories involving murder, theft, and deception pulled straight from the headlines. Learning more about the evils that lurk within our world has an intoxicating allure.

Hyundai is on a hot streak in 2025, shattering sales records and solidifying its position as one of the fastest-growing automakers in the world. The brand’s Q3 performance marks a new milestone, driven by strong demand across its SUV, hybrid, and EV lineups. It’s a clear sign that Hyundai’s strategy of blending value, technology, and design is paying off.

Let’s face it: the better the weekend, the more bitter Monday feels. It can be hard to return to the grind after having a couple of days off. But one thing can make it better—watching a killer movie or two once you get home! And as luck would have it, I’m back to recommend some of my favorite films on Prime Video for you to watch this week.

Most eReader brands, including Kindle and Kobo, utilize highly-optimized operating systems with a narrow scope of functionality. They're good products with good software, but they're designed to lock you into a singular storefront and user experience. But I just can't deal with that. So, I bought an Android eReader last September, and I have zero regrets.

Custom ROMs still exist, even as you might not be popping into our sister site XDA-Developers to download them as often as you used to do. LineageOS remains one of the most popular projects out there, and now, it's finally getting updated to Android 16—with some notes that reflect just how dire things have gotten.

There’s almost certainly a good open-source alternative for most apps and services you depend on. Not all of them are comparable to paid software, and some require significant setup or technical knowledge, but all are worth considering.

Over the years, the Steam client has become exceptionally flexible when it comes to managing your game files, and that includes game installations on external drives. It's as simple as plugging in your drive, and adding it as a library under the "Storage" section of Steam's settings.

I love a good used gadget deal, and I have no issue buying stuff from places like Facebook marketplace for a good bargain, but when it comes to "refurbished" products you're often getting nothing more than an exterior wipe-down of the device and a very limited discount versus buying the same thing new.

If you have a mechanical keyboard, you’ve probably thought about mixing keycap sets—whether it’s a few accent keys or a full mix, it’s a fun way to make your board unique. However, before you begin, let’s go over a few key points to ensure your mix is just right.

Home Assistant is powerful open-source smart home software that can control and automate a huge number of smart devices. Unlike popular smart home ecosystems such as Alexa and Siri, Home Assistant isn't locked to any specific devices or protocols; you can use it with virtually any smart home device you want.

Television has the power to entertain and inform, but it’s a medium driven mainly by what audiences want to watch. Something controversial or provocative, whether a rousing season finale or an important historical event, can easily become a ratings hit. The allure has made television both essential for our understanding of the world and fragile because of how easily it can be manipulated.

I don't use Safari on my Mac; I use Chrome instead. I'm frequently tempted to make the switch—I generally prefer using the default or ‘official’ app, especially on macOS because everything tends to integrate so well. But I'm sticking with Chrome; here’s why.

About a decade ago, I used to daily drive a custom Android ROM called CynanogenMod. In its settings app, there were in-built switches for cutting off any app’s internet access. Sadly, native Android still doesn’t have this feature, even in the latest version 16 update. Let me show you a workaround and why you might want to use it.

Believe it or not, the first ever 3D movie I saw was the original Avatar, and boy did that set a high bar for what 3D movies can be. During the peak of the last 3D movie fad, it was mainly a cinema experience for me. 3D TVs and Blu-rays were just too expensive for me back then, but these days people can hardly give their 3D movies away.

There was a time when the first thing you did after getting a new Android phone was to throw a new launcher on it. Nova Launcher, Go Launcher, Apex Launcher, Action Launcher, ADW Launcher, and C Launcher come to mind. Today, however, outside enthusiast circles, people don’t seem to care about the launcher on their Android phone.