How-To Geek

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is binge a good miniseries. I'm passionate about miniseries, whether they're based on real-life individuals, fictionalized interpretations of true events, book adaptations, or stories that portray both past and contemporary life.

When smartwatches first hit the scene over a decade ago, they were expensive, often costing a few hundred dollars. While many still do, a range of third-party options now offer similar functionality—especially for fitness and health tracking.

JSON is a hugely popular format, used for configuration, API responses, game save data, and much more. But it has its critics, and JSON is not the only option.

Just a few months ago, I deemed SATA SSDs all but obsolete. HDDs had their uses, but mostly outside of a PC instead of inside it.

In today’s world, you can never be too cautious when driving and staying aware of your surroundings. While keeping your eyes on the road, you also need to monitor other vehicles in case they suddenly merge or stop.

The landscape of AI is changing faster than anything in tech ever has. As such, the “best” AI tool is constantly changing from one company to another, and back again at dizzying speeds. I’ve stopped caring, and that’s the best thing that I’ve ever done in the world of AI.

ESP32 boards are great for a whole range of projects because they often come with onboard Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. This means you can use them for projects that require an internet connection, but there are plenty of ESP32 projects that will work even when the internet is down.

I recently went to see the third Avatar film, and, of course, I saw it in 3D, since Jim Cameron’s blue space cats are the pinnacle of 3D filmmaking.

Despite the improvements since it was released, Windows 11 still feels a bit rough around the edges—almost unfinished. It has few customization options, and several basic features that you'll find in competing operating systems are missing completely.

I love solar panels, but using them isn't as simple as plugging a rechargeable battery into the wall. 400W panels often provide 200 watts of power, and that number can get even lower if you're not using them properly. Fortunately, with the right knowledge, it's easy to give those panels a boost.

Excel makes it easy to turn numbers into visuals, but "easy" doesn't always mean "accurate." Some chart types do more to hide your data than highlight it. If you want your reports to be readable and professional, stop using these confusing layouts right away.

The ASUS Zenbook A16 (2026) is so close to perfection that I'd buy one tomorrow and tell all my friends to do the same. Not only does it pack fantastic power into a feather-light chassis, but it also boasts a gorgeous OLED screen, AI features, and an impressive speaker system.

Although the shooting-brake silhouette might draw you in at first, the real story of the Crown Signia is the somewhat unexpected level of refinement and standard features Toyota has packed into the vehicle. Since its debut in late 2023, the Crown Signia has served as a textbook example of understated luxury, complete with a wagon-style profile that avoids traditional SUV or wagon classifications.

Paramount+'s May slate of new movies are here, providing U.S. subscribers with some solid choices for weekday movie nights this week and beyond—that is, if you're not going to be preoccupied with Taylor Sheridan's newest Yellowstone spinoff, Dutton Ranch, coming May 15.

In addition to the Charlize Theron thriller Apex and the new comedy Roommates that have been holding steady on the Netflix Top 10 in the U.S. recently, the new slate of movies added to Netflix's library for the month of May has started to trickle in, and there's a great selection, spanning all kinds of genres.

I used a Samsung Galaxy phone for the past two years, and as much as I loved its hardware, it was the software that I liked most. Samsung apps felt a step above that of most other Android phones—but I'm not so sure how long that will last.

Tesla is taking advantage of a change in Canada's policy on Chinese electric cars to sell the Model 3 at a considerably lower price in the country, and it might have an effect on the EV market as a whole, including for U.S. buyers.

Homebridge is a popular open-source toolkit, and it was designed to add support for devices that do not function on Apple HomeKit. It basically allows you to connect such devices to Apple Home. There’s support for thousands of smart home devices so far, and if that wasn’t cool enough, there’s now support for Matter added too.

Another week has passed, and Apex is still the top thriller on Netflix and the No. 1 movie in the streamer's current top 10. Audiences are loving the cat-and-mouse battle between Charlize Theron's rock climber and Taron Egerton's serial killer. It will be interesting to see what movie inevitably knocks it down to second place.

If you are looking for a new vehicle for your family, hybrid SUVs are becoming increasingly popular for good reason. They offer many benefits of electrification, like enhanced power and impressive fuel efficiency, without requiring you to fully embrace the electric vehicle lifestyle or its potential drawbacks. However, before you get swept up in the hybrid hype, it’s important to consider the hidden costs that may come with owning a hybrid SUV.