Chris Hoffman

Contributing since August, 2010

2888

articles

Page 88

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

Why Your Photos Don't Always Appear Correctly Rotated

Ever wonder why some photos look correct in some programs, but appear sideways or upside down in others? That's because there are two different ways a photo can be rotated, and not every program is on the same page.

May 21, 2016

Features

How to Reset Your Web Browser To Its Default Settings

Want to reset your web browser to its default settings? You can't necessarily just uninstall it -- your personal files will stay on your computer.

May 20, 2016

PlayStation

Should You Use "Rest Mode" on Your PlayStation 4, or Turn It Off?

Sony encourages you to use "Rest Mode" on your PlayStation 4 instead of completely powering it off.

May 20, 2016

windows 7

The Last Windows 7 ISO You'll Ever Need: How to Slipstream the Convenience Rollup

Microsoft has finally released a "Convenience Rollup" for Windows 7 that combines updates from the past few years into one package (like a service pack).

May 20, 2016

Features

How to Erase and Format a USB Drive on Your Mac

Macs support a variety of file systems.

May 19, 2016

windows 7

How to Update Windows 7 All at Once with Microsoft's Convenience Rollup

When you install Windows 7 on a new system, you traditionally have to go through a long process of downloading years of updates and constantly rebooting.

May 19, 2016

Xbox

How to Play Video and Music Files on Your Xbox One

The Xbox One has integrated TV features and support for streaming media apps like Netflix and Hulu, but that isn't where it ends.

May 18, 2016

Features

How to Manually Upgrade Your Nexus Device with Google's Factory Images

Google's Nexus devices are supposed to receive timely updates, but the staggered rollout means it can take weeks for devices to receive over-the-air (OTA) updates.

May 17, 2016

Features

PC Cleaning Apps are a Scam: Here's Why (and How to Speed Up Your PC)

PC cleaning apps are digital snake oil.

May 17, 2016

Xbox

How to Enable Parental Controls on Your Xbox One

Parental controls allow you to restrict child accounts on an Xbox One.

May 17, 2016

Xbox

How Much Does the Xbox One's "Energy Saving" Mode Really Save?

While setting up your Xbox One, you'll be asked whether you want to use "Instant On" mode or "Energy Saving" mode.

May 15, 2016

Xbox

How to Take Screenshots and Record Videos on an Xbox One

Microsoft's Xbox One allows you to easily capture a screenshot or record the last thirty seconds of gameplay as a video.

May 12, 2016

Xbox

How to Factory Reset Your Xbox One

Before you sell your Xbox One or pass it on to someone else, you should perform a factory reset.

May 11, 2016

Features

The Freeware Download Sites That Don't Force Crapware On You

It's been more than a year since we drew attention to the crapware regularly foisted upon unsuspecting users by pretty much every big freeware site, including the venerable SourceForge.

May 11, 2016