How-To Geek - We Explain Technology

How to Protect Your PC From the Intel Foreshadow Flaws

Foreshadow, also known as L1 Terminal Fault, is another problem with speculative execution in Intel’s processors. It lets malicious software break into secure areas that even the Spectre and Meltdown flaws couldn’t crack.

What is a tar.gz File, and How Do I Open It?

A tar file, often called a tarball, is a collection of files wrapped up in one single file for easy storage. Rather than keep track of a whole folder of files, you only need to keep track of one. Tar files are often compressed after being created, giving it the .tar.gz file extension. Technically these are TGZ files, but nearly everyone calls both .tar and .tar.gz files simple “tar files.”

The Best TV Wall Mounts

You could set your TV on a stand in your living room, but if you want a really clean look with minimal clutter, a wall mount will be even better. These are our favorite wall mounts.

How to Contact Gmail Support

Although you may not be able to directly contact Gmail support without subscribing to G Suite for businesses, there are a couple of ways to get the answers you’re looking for online. Let’s look at how you can get help with your Gmail issues.

The Best Mice For Travelling

Laptop trackpads have improved drastically over the years, but they still can’t beat a mouse for precision. If you can’t do without one, these are the best mice to throw in your laptop bag.

How to File a Chargeback on a Credit Card Purchase (to Get Your Money Back)

A chargeback lets you dispute a credit card transaction and reverse it, getting your money back. For example, if you paid a subscription fee to MoviePass and the company just won’t let you cancel your subscription, you can do a chargeback.

Can You Host a Web Server on Your Home Internet Connection?

Setting up a web server and hosting your own website can be a fun and challenging learning experience. But if you’re looking to do this, you should check with your ISP first; it might be a violation of their terms of service.

The Best Cheap Portrait Photography Gear For Your Camera

Portraiture is a big genre of photography. You don’t need a lot of gear to take good ones, but there are a few bits of kit that can help. Let’s look at some of the best portrait photography gear for your camera.

How to Take Better Photos in Burst Mode

Burst mode, where your camera keeps taking photos as long as you hold down the shutter button, is handy when you’re trying to take action, sports, wildlife, or any other kind of photos where the subject is moving quickly. There’s a knack to doing it right, so let’s dig in.

How To Organize Your Messy Windows Desktop (And Keep It That Way)

The desktop is a convenient place to store files and program shortcuts, but it can get messy fast. Here’s how to tidy your desktop up so you can quickly find everything you’re looking for—and make sure it stays nice and organized.

What You Should Know Before Buying a Wired Security Camera System

Wired security camera systems are nice and far more reliable than Wi-Fi cameras, but there are a handful of things you should be aware of before you go out and buy a wired camera system.

The Best Apps and Services to Help You Save Money When Shopping

No one likes spending more money than they have to. With the right apps on your smartphone, you could put quite a few dollars back in your pocket at the end of a shopping trip.

How to Open (or Convert) a Photoshop File If You Don’t Have Photoshop

Photoshop is a popular and powerful graphics editing tool, but what do you do if you need to open a PSD file and don’t have Photoshop? We have several solutions for you that don’t involve buying (or renting) an expensive copy of Photoshop.

The Best Tool Kits for College Students

If you’re a high school graduate making your way to college this year, you might be shocked to find how much stuff needs assembling and repairing. Here are the best compact tool kits to get the job done.

How to Set Up Parental Controls for Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video offers parental controls, letting you set age restrictions on videos. You can bypass these age restrictions with a PIN. You can even apply the age restrictions only to specific devices, like the ones your kids use.

Six iPhone Features You Won’t Find on Android

Android and iOS are in constant competition for unique features, but more often than not they just end up taking features from the other platform. That said, iOS still has a few tricks up its sleeve.

The Best Ways to Give Your House Guests a Phone Charger

In the 21st century, offering a phone charger to your guests is almost as essential as offering a drink. We have some suggestions on how to integrate communal chargers into your living space.

How to Easily Remove People from Your Photos With Photoshop

There are few things more annoying than tourists ruining an otherwise great photo. You can painstakingly edit them out by hand but, with a bit of forethought, you can get Photoshop to do it automatically.

How Does File Compression Work?

Software engineers have always developed new ways of fitting a lot of data into a small space. It was true when our hard drives were tiny, and the advent of the internet has just made it more critical. File compression plays a big part in connecting us, letting us send less data down the line so we can have faster downloads and fit more connections onto busy networks.

The Differences Between the 1st-Gen and 2nd-Gen Nest Protect

The Nest Protect smart smoke alarm is on its second generation, and if you’re not sure which model you have, there are a few things you can do to find out, as well as some significant features that separate the two different versions.

The Best Free TV and Movie Streaming Services

Cutting the cord still leaves you with a ton of entertainment options, but they don’t all have to cost money. In fact, there are a number of free ways to watch TV and movies online.

All the Best Microsoft PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

Even if you’re familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint, you might be surprised by the number and variety of keyboard shortcuts you can use to speed up your work and generally make things more convenient.

How to Use and Configure Screen Time on Your iPhone or iPad

Screen Time tracks how much you’ve used your iPhone or iPad. It also lets you schedule times when you shouldn’t be using apps or set maximum amounts of time you’d want to use specific types of apps, like games.

The Best Credit Card Multitools

We love multitools of all shapes and sizes here at Review Geek. We’ve recommended around everything from a full size Leatherman down to a jumped up bottle opener. Now, let’s take a look at credit card multitools.

The Best PC Speaker Systems

Desktop PCs don’t come with speakers, and the ones included in laptops leave a lot to be desired. If you want some decent sound, you’ll need to add your own. Here are your best options.

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Which Of These Early Game Consoles Eschewed Raster Graphics For An Authentic Arcade Display?

FYI GEEK

Facebook Bans Ads for Kodi Boxes Because Pirates Are Ruining Everything

Facebook banned all ads for Kodi boxes this week, the latest in a long run of similar crackdowns. Read More »

You Can Now Talk to Alexa Using Cortana

You can now use Cortana to talk to Alexa, if you live in the US. Other countries are coming later. Read More »

Yell “Enhance!” At Your Computer, Just Like on TV, In This Browser Game

In the movies clearing up fuzzy photos is easy: just yell “Enhance!” and “Zoom in!” Enhance, a browser game by programmer Nicole He, works just like that, and it’s hilarious. Read More »

Watch This Maniac Connect a Floppy Drive to His Android Phone

There’s no good reason to plug a floppy drive into your phone…but you can. Read More »

Instagram Accounts Are Being Hacked, Lock Yours Down Now

Attackers are compromising Instagram accounts and locking out users, so take a moment to lock down your account. Read More »

These Android Phones Support Fortnite Right Now (Not Just Samsung!)

Fornite for Android is here, but for now it only works on certain devices. Here’s the list—is your phone on it? Read More »

Spotify Might Get a “Skip Ad” Button

Spotify’s free version might let you skip ads, the way YouTube sometimes lets you. Read More »

Disabling Location History Doesn’t Stop Google From Tracking Your Location

Disabling Google’s Location History doesn’t stop Google from tracking your location on Android and iOS devices. Read More »

Google Warns Play Users About Potential Fortnite Scams

Search “Google Play” for Fornite and you’ll be told it’s not available, as shown above. This is going to head off so many scammers. Read More »

Facebook Kills Friend List Feeds, The Best Feature Ever Stolen From Google+

Facebook is killing Friend List Feeds, which let you browse custom news feeds from curated lists of friends. Read More »

File Explorer’s Supposedly Complete Dark Skin Doesn’t Really Look Done

Microsoft seems to be struggling with Windows 10’s dark mode, as a supposedly “complete” dark version of File Explorer makes clear. Read More »

People Think Their Passwords Are Too Awesome For Two Factor Authentication. They’re Wrong.

Two factor authentication vastly improves your security, but hardly anyone uses it: only 10 percent of Google users enable the feature, for example. Why is that? Read More »

Watch Free TV and Movies in Your Browser With The Roku Channel Online (No Roku Required)

The Roku Channel, a collection of free TV shows and movies, is now available online— meaning you don’t need a Roku device in order watch. Read More »

How-To Geek Has Switched to Disqus for Comments (If You Didn’t Already Notice)

After many years of people complaining that we don’t use Disqus, we’ve finally decided to make the switch. So now you can give us your opinions directly on the article page using a much simpler system. Read More »

Temporarily Disable Your Laptop Keyboard So You Can Clean All That Gunk Off

Laptop keyboards are filthy, but cleaning them means pressing keys. KeyboardCleanTool for macOS and ToddlerTrap for Windows are two simple apps that temperarily disable your keyboard, giving you a chance to clean. Read More »