FEATURED ARTICLES / THE BEST OF HOW-TO GEEK
Between the browser history and tracking cookies, it’s easy to feel like your browser is tracking and spying on you. But web browsers store this private data for good reasons.
Linux users often use the terminal to accomplish tasks. This can be intimidating if you’re a new Linux user who wants a graphical environment that’s easy to come to grips with, but you shouldn’t be put off by the Linux terminal.
There is more to an Internet connection’s speed than just its bandwidth. This is especially true with satellite Internet connections, which can offer speeds of up to 15 Mbps – but will still feel slow.
Few people disable JavaScript, but many who do are very vocal about it. JavaScript makes the type of web pages we have today possible. While you could disable JavaScript, it would be a lot of annoyance for little benefit.
At first thought, it seems that generating an accurate estimation of time should be fairly easy. After all, the algorithm producing the progress bar knows all the tasks it needs to do ahead of time… right?
The Galaxy S III is the highest-selling Android phone, but much of the geeky buzz is around the Nexus 4 – and the Galaxy Nexus before it. Nexus devices are special because they don’t have some of Android’s biggest problems.
The tech press is constantly writing about new and dangerous “zero-day” exploits. But what exactly is a zero-day exploit, what makes it so dangerous, and – most importantly – how can you protect yourself?
A new version of the Apple’s desktop operating system is here, and with it comes a whole slew of interesting new features. Here are some of the best to watch out for.
If you have a Mac that’s always running low on space, macOS Sierra is a breath of fresh air. It includes a new tool that provides recommendations and helps free up space on your Mac.
macOS has a feature called “Gatekeeper” designed to lock down your Mac, forcing it to only run Apple-approved software by default. But a Mac is locked down in the same way Android is locked down–you’re still free to run any application you want.
Public transit is intimidating. Working out the schedules, stops, and the rest can feel like a big job, especially if you’re new to a city or just visiting for a week. But catching a ride doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right apps, you can look up directions, work out connections, and know when the next bus is coming, all at a glance.
Facebook recently introduced “Facebook Live”, a live video streaming function that allows Facebook users to broadcast events in real time to their friends and followers. It seems innocuous enough, but by default, it sends notifications to all of someone’s friends whenever they start a stream–which means you end up with a bunch of notifications you don’t want.
Microsoft desperately wants you to use its Edge web browser and Bing search engine. In fact, Microsoft will literally pay you to use it. Microsoft pays in Amazon gift certificates, which are as good as cash if you’re a frequent Amazon shopper.
Free, ad-supported apps have two hidden costs: They use your phone’s data connection and battery power to download and display ads. In the long run, using a free app may be more expensive than buying the paid version.
Geeks often consider encryption a fool-proof tool to ensure that data stays secret. But, whether you encrypt your computer’s hard drive or your smartphone’s storage, you may be surprised to know the encryption can be bypassed at cold temperatures.
Many gamers refer to any performance problem in an online game as “lag.” But if your computer’s frame rate is low, that isn’t the same thing as lag – lag and low FPS are different problems with different causes.
Multiple user accounts were once impractical to use on Windows, but they aren’t anymore. If multiple people use your computer – particularly children or guests – you should give each person a separate user account.
Android geeks often unlock their bootloaders to root their devices and install custom ROMs. But there’s a reason devices come with locked bootloaders – unlocking your bootloader creates security risks.
Whether you’re installing the latest version of Windows or upgrading your Linux distribution, most geeks agree that you should probably perform a clean installation rather than try your luck with an upgrade.
The news is full of reports of “spear-phishing attacks” being used against governments, large corporations, and political activists. Spear-phishing attacks are now the most common way corporate networks are compromised, according to many reports.
Phones have improved dramatically in the last ten years. Modern smartphones seem like a technology from an alien civilization when placed next to the original cell phones. But battery life hasn’t improved. In fact, battery life feels like it’s getting worse.
The last few years have seen the rise of closed platforms — operating systems that only allow you to install software approved by the operating system’s developer. However, many popular platforms — even mobile ones — are still open platforms.
Cloud gaming has much in common with streaming videos. Essentially, the cloud-gaming server runs a game and streams a video of the gameplay to you. Your keyboard, mouse, and controller input actions are sent over the network to the cloud gaming server.
The Digital Millennium Contract is a US law passed in 1998 in an attempt to modernize copyright law to deal with the Internet. The DMCA has a number of provisions, but we’ll be focusing on the ones that have most affected the web we have today.
Windows allows desktop apps to remain running whether they’re visible or not, while Apple’s iOS only allows apps to perform a few limited tasks in the background. Android sits somewhere in between — apps running in the foreground are prioritized, but apps have much more freedom to run in the background than they do on iOS.
