How-To Geek

Dialogue is the most important part of movies and shows. You notice immediately when dialogue is too loud or too quiet, and having issues can ruin the entire experience. So, if you want the best quality, you need to focus on making sure your setup is done correctly for dialogue.

You know how they say that things keep evolving into crabs in nature? Well, it seems that, for some reason, social media platforms all eventually become TikTok. Which is very annoying for those of us with too much chronic back pain to be on TikTok in the first place!

You may have switched to Linux recently or years ago, but how much has your thinking changed? Linux is more than software to me; it's an entire ecosystem with its own set of ethics. I've outlined 5 markers that clearly indicate that I have moved on; perhaps you have too?

You've probably noticed a trend with recent smartphone launches that not everyone loves. The new Google Pixel 10 series looks almost identical to last year's Pixel 9 series, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 series looked very, very similar to last year's Galaxy S24 series. I don't think that's a big deal—let me explain.

While the shine of streaming services seems to be dulling right now, there's no getting around the fact that in the long run plastic discs with movies and shows on them will probably stop being a thing.

Vivaldi is the first truly unique browser I ever came across. It feels like it's built on a cohesive philosophy entirely, and even if other browsers can't copy that philosophy, they can steal the many awesome features this browser has.

If you want an affordable EV, buying used is still the smartest move. With new EVs averaging around $60,000 in the U.S., getting a nice one without spending a fortune can be tricky.

Sometimes you try to take a screenshot, but it turns out blank, or your phone freezes for a second and shows you a toast that it couldn't take the screenshot. It's a feature, not a bug.

The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is not a very uncommon sight on a Windows PC. While most of the time you will be able to get rid of the BSOD with a simple restart, at other times you might require expert guidance. To make it easier for you, Microsoft has introduced Quick Machine Recovery, a new feature that quickly recovers your Windows 11 PC if it fails to boot properly.

Google Maps is mainly used to navigate from one place to another, but what if I told you that you could use it for many other purposes as well? Here are seven ways I use Google Maps besides navigation.

There's always a bunch of new content coming to Netflix. So much, in fact, that it can be hard to keep track of what's worth putting a pin in your calendar for. The good news is that Netflix puts out trailers for its upcoming and newly released shows and movies almost constantly.

This was another busy week in tech, with new Pixel devices from Google, updates to Thunderbird Mail and Excel, price hikes on PS5 consoles and Apple TV+ subscriptions, a new major LibreOffice release, and much more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.

While most USB-C hubs follow a similar design trend, Hyper went a different route with its HyperDrive Flex MagCharge USB-C Hub. Featuring a built-in MagSafe charger as well as 4K60 HDMI output and 100W USB-C Power Delivery passthrough, this hub found a permanent home in my on-the-go setup.

The Insta360 Go Ultra is a larger, upgraded version of Insta360's smallest camera. Like previous models, this is still a pricey way to record video, but for those who aren't put off by the excessively busy Insta360 app, this is a worthwhile upgrade.

I dislike change as much as the next person, more actually, according to my psychiatrist, yet it seems it's fans of the popular tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons that hate it most of all. My social media is flooded with complaints about changes to the rules and lore of the game, so clearly there are some pretty deep schisms in the hobby.

Between now and the end of November, many residents in the Southeast United States are focused on one concern: the potential for hurricanes. The beginning of hurricane season creates significant stress and uncertainty for everyone. People in coastal and inland regions begin preparing for potential effects when tropical storms and hurricanes intensify as they pass over warm ocean waters.

AOL has recently announced that it will discontinue dial-up internet services, including its associated software, before the end of the year. This announcement left many shocked that dial-up internet hadn’t been completely phased out over a decade ago. It may be easy to assume that the only remaining customers are those who forgot to discontinue their subscription or weren't able to. As surprising as it is, however, there are still people and businesses actively accessing the internet in this antiquated fashion.

For those who put a lot of effort into managing their eBook library, the latest Calibre update (8.9) is here to make your life a little bit easier. It might not be a major overhaul, but it brings some quality-of-life improvements you’ll appreciate the next time you dive into your book collection.

You may have heard people on social media platforms use terms like "unalive" when they mean "kill" or "Yahtzee" when they mean "Nazi". These are euphemisms for words that are related to sensitive topics, and if you stumble upon one of these videos it can feel like you're hearing another language entirely.

If you're sick and tired of too much clutter on your iPhone's home screen, you can hide the app names by using a hidden iOS 18 feature that not a lot of users know about. I made the switch several months ago, and I absolutely love how it makes my iPhone's screen look less busy.