How-To Geek - We Explain Technology

Gigabit Ethernet vs. Fast Ethernet: What’s the Difference?

Not all Ethernet is created equal. These days there are two available standards, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit, which are completely distinct speed interfaces. It’s important to understand the difference between them and which one you should choose.

What To Do If Your Mac Gets Stolen

Having your Mac get stolen might seem like the end of the world, but there are some steps you can take to try and get it back, or failing that, make an insurance claim. Let’s have a look at what to do if your Mac goes missing.

6 Things All New Home Server Users Should Have

Whether you’re running a Plex media server, virtual machines galore, or just maintaining your own cloud storage system, there are a handful of things aspiring home server aficionados should have in their arsenal.

The Best Luxury iPhone Cases (To Match Your Designer Purse)

Want an iPhone case that will keep your phone safe without looking like piece of safety equipment? Here’s our rundown of some of the best super luxury iPhone cases out there, for both iPhone 8 and X, so you can match your case to your fashion sensibilities.

How To Force Microsoft Excel To Show Leading Zeroes

By default, Excel doesn’t show the leading zero in any non-decimal numerical data set. But if you need to show the leading zero — usually because of some weird numbering system at your job, it’s easy to keep that zero in its place.

How to Move Ubuntu’s Launcher Bar to the Bottom or Right

You can now move the Ubuntu desktop’s launcher bar from the left side of your screen to the bottom or right instead. This works on Ubuntu 17.10 and 18.04, as Ubuntu now uses GNOME Shell instead of Unity.

Instant Pot Review: If You Buy One Kitchen Appliance, Buy This One

Everyone has that one friend who bought an Instant Pot and won’t shut up about how awesome it is and how you should get one—and they’re right. You should get one of these multi-function cookers and give it a permanent home in your kitchen.

What Can You Do with Samsung Health?

Samsung offers a lot of tools, many of which you probably just ignore. Health is one of the tools you should probably take a closer look at, however, because it’s actually really useful.

Six Tips to Help Save Yourself from Poor Computer Posture

Sitting is killing you. Sitting on its own isn’t inherently bad, but if you work at a computer, sitting for hours every day is ultimately hard on your body. Here are some simple tips you can do to help, though.

Should You Build Your Own DIY Security System?

There are plenty of security systems out on the market that come with professional installation and support, but what about DIY setups that offer many of the same features and are often much cheaper? Here are the pros and cons of doing it yourself.

The Best Smart Toothbrushes for Everyone

It’s easy to brush your teeth ineffectively by brushing too hard, too little, or not giving each area of your mouth the attention it deserves. These smart toothbrushes not only make brushing interesting but effective too.

How To Automatically Add Citations And Bibliographies To Microsoft Word

Properly formatting bibliographies has always driven students crazy. With modern versions of Microsoft Word, though, the process is streamlined to the point of almost being automatic, and today we’re going to show you how to add citations and bibliographies to your Word documents.

The Best Podcast Clients for Android

There’s no shortage of podcast apps in the Play Store, so finding a good one can be a challenge—especially if you’re shelling out a few bucks for it. Here are a few deserving of your attention. And dollars.

YouTube TV Review: Finally, Live Television Is Tolerable In the 21st Century

While Netflix creates a new way to watch TV online, regular live TV languished for years in an old distribution model. YouTube TV is the closest I’ve found to bridging the gap between the old ways and the new.

How to Stop Ubuntu From Collecting Data About Your PC

Ubuntu 18.04 collects data about your PC’s hardware and software, which packages you have installed, and application crash reports, sending them all to Ubuntu’s servers. You can opt out of this data collection—but you have to do it in three separate places.

The Best Free Screenshot Apps for Windows

There are many ways to take screenshots on Windows. Windows 10 itself has quite a few built-in screenshot tools, and there are some excellent free options out there if you want more features. Here are all the best ones screen capture utilities.

Organize Your Entire Video Game Collection in One Place with LaunchBox

Your various ROM collections, Steam games, and various other Windows games are, at the end of the day, all just games. Wouldn’t it make sense to launch them all from the same place?

Android Easter Eggs from Gingerbread to Oreo: A History Lesson

Android is fun. Its versions are named after desserts, and Google often sprinkles little Easter eggs throughout. None are more popular than the Easter egg associated with each Android version, however, so here’s a bit of history.

Which Synology NAS Should I Buy?

Synology offers a plethora of NAS models to choose from, but the selection can be a bit dizzying if you’re not sure what all the differences are. Here are some things you should know to help you narrow down your ideal choice.

The Best Pet Cams for Cats, Dogs, and Their Doting Owners

Pet cams are a convenient way to make sure your fur babies are safe (and staying out of mischief) while you’re not home. Check out our roundup of best pet cams that not only entertain and calm your pet down, but give you peace of mind.

Why Do Some Smartphones Use Multiple Cameras?

Lots of high-end smartphones have added multiple camera modules and lenses to the back of their designs. But why? The fact is that they do different things for different phones, so we’re here to break it all down for you.

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FYI GEEK

How To Download All Your Instagram Photos

You can now download all of the pictures you’ve ever uploaded to Instagram, as well as all your comments and likes. Read More »

Spotify’s Free Tier Now Offers (Some) On-Demand Music on Mobile

Spotify’s free mobile version can now play songs on demand, provided the song you want is on one of your personalized playlists. Read More »

Uber Might Stop Drivers From Looking Up Your Address History

Your Uber driver literally knows where you live, and they can look it up if they forget. Uber is considering changing the second point. Read More »

Standard Ebooks Offers Public Domain Downloads That Aren’t Ugly

There are several sites offering thousands of free ebooks, but the formatting and typography is often pretty bad. Standard Ebooks is the exception. Read More »

Facebook Insists You’re Not The Product

You’ve heard the old adage: “if you’re not paying for something you’re the product being sold.” Facebook has a compelling counterpoint: “Nuh-uh.” Read More »

Facebook’s ‘Download Your Data’ Feature Leaves Out a Lot

Facebook lets you download a ZIP file with all of your data—in theory. Turns out a lot of information isn’t included. Read More »

Is Bossing Around Alexa Teaching Your Kid To Be Rude?

Voice assistants don’t deal well long sentences: you have to get to the point, with no niceties whatsoever, or there’s a good chance you won’t be understood. Read More »

Google and Carriers Plan to Replace SMS With a New Protocol Called ‘Chat’

Google tried, and failed, to dominate messaging with Hangouts, Voice, Allo, Duo, and even Wave at one point. The next strategy: replacing SMS with the RCS protocol, and calling it “Chat.” Read More »

Facebook Is Using Dark Patterns To Undermine EU Privacy Rules

GDPR, a new European privacy law, means users must explicitly give permission for most data collection. Facebook would like you to give them that permission. Read More »

‘My Time at Reddit Made the World a Worse Place’ Says Former Head of Product

Dan McComas, former Head of Product at Reddit, does not feel great about growing one of the web’s biggest sites. Read More »

Microsoft Kills OneNote Desktop in Favor of the Microsoft Store Version

Microsoft is killing off the “desktop” version of OneNote, and recommends people use the Windows 10 version instead. Read More »

Skill Blueprints Lets You Design Your Own Alexa Responses

Amazon just launched Alexa Blueprints, meaning you can create custom responses for your Echo and also set up a bunch of personalized games. Read More »

Minecraft’s Official Website Distributed Malware-Infested Skins

Minecraft skins hosted on the official Minecraft website were infected with malware, according to Avast. Read More »

You Can Still File Your Taxes Today

Good news if you missed yesterday’s US tax deadline: the IRS issued a 24-hour extension. You have until tonight to file on time. Read More »

Chrome Now (Sort Of) Mutes Auto-Playing Videos

Chrome 66, out today, supposedly blocks one of the most annoying things on the web: auto-playing videos with sound. Read More »