Technology often yields ridiculous conveniences, like being able to turn on your computer from miles away without pushing the power button. Wake-on-LAN has been around for a while, so let’s see how it works and how we can e…
One of the most common issues with aging laptops is overheating, something many people aren’t sure how to fix. We’ll help you figure out what’s causing the heat and how to keep your notebook functioning at a lower tempe…
This trick is for Linux and SSH users who often log in to remote systems. Having to type the same info over and over again is mind-numbingly repetitive, but using an SSH config file makes the process much more convenient….
Sound engineers take really sterile tracks and make them sound natural through audio effects. The most common tools to do this are delay/echo and reverb, and with some know-how you can tweak your own tracks for the better….
Although modern routers handle most functions automatically, some applications will require you to manually forward a port to that application or device. Fortunately, it’s really simple to do if you know where to look….
Ubuntu has a lot of GUI-based methods for installing applications, but they take some time to search and find. Since the keyboard is usually faster than the mouse, managing your software via the command-line can be a real tim…
If you’re running Linux, then it’s likely that you’ve needed to change some options for your file systems. Getting acquainted with fstab can make the whole process a lot easier, and it’s much easier than you think….
Unless you’re into math or programming, the word “algorithm” might be Greek to you, but it’s one of the building blocks of everything you’re using to read this article. Here’s a quick explanation of what they are,…
Passive noise reduction, active noise cancellation, sound isolation… The world of headphones has become quite advanced in giving you your own private sound bubble. Here’s how these different technologies work….
Bitcoin is a virtual currency that employs some very interesting principles. Here’s the skinny on what exactly it is and how the fascinating technology behind it works.
ASCII, UTF-8, ISO-8859… You may have seen these strange monikers floating around, but what do they actually mean? Read on as we explain what character encoding is and how these acronyms relate to the plain text we see on sc…
Dynamic Range Compression is used in everything. Most audio editors have a “compressor effect,” and mastering it can mean the difference between an amateur and pro-level mix. To understand how it works, we need to see wha…
It’s in your car, home theater system, phone, and audio player but it doesn’t have an instruction manual. It’s an equalizer, and with a little know-how you can tweak your audio and fall in love with it all over again….
With so many musical genres, it’s no surprise there are plenty distortion pedals out there. But what makes them so different? Let’s take a closer look at what happens to audio signals as they pass through these relatively…
If you’ve been using Linux for some time (and even OS X) you’ll probably have come across a “permissions” error. But what exactly are they, and why are they necessary or useful? Let’s take an inside look….
Phones get stolen or lost everyday. With a plethora of data ripe for identity-theft on it, a lost phone can easily make your blood run cold. Take a deep breath, How-To Geek will talk you through this.
You send and receive it everyday, it’s instantaneous, and it doesn’t cost a thing. It’s email, one of the most important tools of today. Let’s take a look at how it works, under-the-hood and in normal language….
Digital audio has been around a very long time so there’s bound to be a plethora of audio formats out there. Here are some of the more common ones, what differentiates them, and what to use them for….
DHCP makes it simple to configure network access for your home network, and port forwarding makes it easy to those computers from anywhere. By configuring static DHCP on your router, you can combine the best of both worlds….
Ever need to record something on your computer exactly as it comes out of your speakers? Enabling “Stereo Mix” will let you do exactly that, and here’s how to do it.
SSH is a lifesaver when you need to remotely manage a computer, but did you know you can also upload and download files, too? Using SSH keys, you can skip having to enter passwords and use this for scripts!…
New to the Linux command-line? Confused by all of the other advanced text editors? How-To Geek’s got your back with this tutorial to Nano, a simple text-editor that’s very newbie-friendly.
The term “shell scripting” gets mentioned often in Linux forums, but many users aren’t familiar with it. Learning this easy and powerful programming method can help you save time, learn the command-line better, and bani…
Display technology has really been advancing and 3D is starting to become very commonplace, but with manufacturers using different technologies, things can get confusing quickly. We’re here to help you decide which to choose …
That’s right! It’s the holiday season once again, which means we’re here to help you shop for that important geek in your life. Time to Geek up Christmas with a silly song, the How-To Geek way!
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