Chris Hoffman

Contributing since August, 2010

2888

articles

Page 85

About Chris Hoffman

Chris Hoffman is the former Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. Chris has personally written over 2,000 articles that have been read more than one billion times---and that's just here at How-To Geek.

With over a decade of writing experience in the field of technology, Chris has written for a variety of publications including The New York Times, Reader's Digest, IDG's PCWorld, Digital Trends, and MakeUseOf. Beyond the web, his work has appeared in the print edition of The New York Times (September 9, 2019) and in PCWorld's print magazines, specifically in the August 2013 and July 2013 editions, where his story was on the cover. He also wrote the USA's most-saved article of 2021, according to Pocket.

Chris was a PCWorld columnist for two years. He founded PCWorld's "World Beyond Windows" column, which covered the latest developments in open-source operating systems like Linux and Chrome OS. Beyond the column, he wrote about everything from Windows to tech travel tips.

The news he's broken has been covered by outlets like the BBC, The Verge, Slate, Gizmodo, Engadget, TechCrunch, Digital Trends, ZDNet, The Next Web, and Techmeme. Instructional tutorials he's written have been linked to by organizations like The New York Times, Wirecutter, Lifehacker, the BBC, CNET, Ars Technica, and John Gruber's Daring Fireball. His roundups of new features in Windows 10 updates have been called "the most detailed, useful Windows version previews of anyone on the web" and covered by prominent Windows journalists like Paul Thurrott and Mary Jo Foley on TWiT's Windows Weekly. His work has even appeared on the front page of Reddit.

Articles he's written have been used as a source for everything from books like Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff, media theory professor at the City University of New York's Queens College and CNN contributor, to university textbooks and even late-night TV shows like Comedy Central's @midnight with Chris Hardwick.

Starting in 2015, Chris attended the Computer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas for five years running. At CES 2018, he broke the news about Kodak's "KashMiner" Bitcoin mining scheme with a viral tweet. A wave of negative publicity ensued, with coverage on BuzzFeed News, CNBC, the BBC, and TechCrunch. The company's project was later reportedly shut down by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

In addition to his extensive writing experience, Chris has been interviewed as a technology expert on TV news and radio shows. He gave advice on dark web scans on Miami's NBC 6, discussed Windows XP's demise on WGN-TV's Midday News in Chicago, and shared his CES experiences on WJR-AM's Guy Gordon Show in Detroit.

Chris also ran MakeUseOf's email newsletter for two years. Nearly 400,000 subscribers received the newsletter complete with a handwritten tip every day.

Latest Articles

Features

How to Easily Boost Your Cell Phone Signal at Home

Poor signal strength could be your carrier's fault, or it could be because of signal-blocking materials in your home's walls.

Jul 29, 2016

Windows 10

One Year Later: Did Microsoft Listen to Windows 10 Complaints?

Windows 10 is an odd beast.

Jul 28, 2016

Features

How to Recover Your Files From a BitLocker-Encrypted Drive

Microsoft's BitLocker encryption always forces you to create a recovery key when you set it up.

Jul 27, 2016

Features

Download.com Has Finally Stopped Bundling Crapware

SourceForge and Tucows aren't the only download sites cleaning up their act.

Jul 27, 2016

Windows 10

Windows 10 Is Great, Except for the Parts That Are Terrible

Windows 10 is a great upgrade.

Jul 26, 2016

iPhone & iPad

Jailbreaking Explained: What You Need to Know About Jailbreaking iPhones and iPads

iPhones and iPads are locked-down devices.

Jul 26, 2016

Features

Forget Flashing ROMs: Use the Xposed Framework to Tweak Your Android

Many low-level tweaks can normally only be performed on Android by flashing custom ROMs.

Jul 26, 2016

Features

How to Enable a Pre-Boot BitLocker PIN on Windows

If you encrypt your Windows system drive with BitLocker, you can add a PIN for additional security.

Jul 26, 2016

Features

How to Stress Test the Hard Drives in Your PC or Server

Which of your hard drives is the fastest, and is it really as fast as the manufacturer promised? Whether you have a desktop PC or a server, Microsoft's free Diskspd utility will stress test and benchmark your hard drives.

Jul 23, 2016

Features

How to Disable the Trash and Screenshot Sound Effects on a Mac

Move a file to the trash, empty the trash, or take a screenshot of your Mac's desktop and your Mac will play a sound.

Jul 22, 2016

Windows 10

You Only Have a Week Left to Get Windows 10 Free. Here's Why You Should Update

The free Windows 10 upgrade offer ends on July 29, 2016.

Jul 22, 2016

Features

How to Connect an External Monitor to a Chromebook

Chromebooks include ports that allow you to connect them to a computer monitor, television, or other display.

Jul 20, 2016

iPhone & iPad

How to Use Your iPhone's Personal Hotspot to Tether a PC or Mac

If you're out and about and there's no free Wi-Fi available, you can use your iPhone's internet connection on another device, like a laptop or tablet.

Jul 19, 2016

Features

How to Use a USB Key to Unlock a BitLocker-Encrypted PC

Enable BitLocker encryption, and Windows will automatically unlock your drive each time you start your computer using the TPM built into most modern computers.

Jul 19, 2016