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Hacks & Workarounds

1192 articles

All articles tagged Hacks & Workarounds.

2024 Toyota Camry Hybrid vs 2026 Corolla: 52 MPG for Less

A used 2022-2024 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE delivers 52 MPG combined, 18 more than the new 2026 Corolla, at roughly the same price. The older model also offers more space, more power, and years of hybrid battery warranty remaining.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

TimeLapseCam Turns Your Old Android Into a Free Time-Lapse Rig

An open-source Android app called TimeLapseCam lets you repurpose old phones as dedicated time-lapse cameras. It runs in the background with the screen off, draining far less battery than native camera apps. No subscriptions, no ads, just raw functionality.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

3 USB Port Uses Beyond Charging That You're Missing

Your laptop's USB ports can do far more than charge phones and transfer files. Wired tethering, bootable security keys, and USB Gadget Mode turn that simple connector into a powerful tool for connectivity, security, and hardware automation.

Huma Shazia·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

20 iOS 27 Features Apple Didn't Mention at WWDC 2026

Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote focused on Siri AI and stability improvements, leaving dozens of useful iOS 27 features buried in footnotes. From independent volume controls to extra-large widgets, here are the hidden additions worth knowing about.

Huma Shazia·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

3 Raspberry Pi Kitchen Projects for Your Weekend

A new roundup from How-To Geek offers practical Raspberry Pi builds for the kitchen. Two projects solve real problems like recipe organization and meal planning. The third is just for fun.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

How to Watch the 2026 World Cup for Free or Cheap

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off today across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. With 104 matches over five weeks, cord-cutters face a maze of broadcast options. Here's a breakdown of every free, cheap, and premium way to stream the tournament.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Stress Tests That Crash Your PC on Purpose

Stress testing software pushes your computer's CPU, GPU, and RAM to their breaking point. The goal is to find hardware defects or instability before they ruin a render job or competitive game. Here are five tools that do exactly that, and what each crash tells you.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Everything Search Finds Files in 0ms Where Windows Can't

Windows Search's background indexing drains system resources while still missing files. A free tool called Everything bypasses the OS entirely by reading the NTFS Master File Table directly, delivering results before you finish typing.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

9 Documentaries Worth Streaming in 2026 on Netflix, HBO Max, and More

The first half of 2026 has delivered standout documentaries across major streaming platforms. From Elizabeth Smart's first-person account of her kidnapping to a two-part retrospective on Mel Brooks at 99, here are the best nonfiction films and series to watch right now.

Huma Shazia·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Why Google Gemini Can't Do What Google Now Did in 2014

Google's Gemini assistant lacks basic utility features that Android's Google Now mastered over a decade ago. Users are finding that while Gemini excels at chat and content generation, it fails at simple context-aware tasks like remembering where you parked.

Huma Shazia·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Self-Hosted Apps That Replace $2,400 in Yearly Subscriptions

A tech writer details how running Plex, Nextcloud, and other open-source tools on home hardware eliminated his streaming and cloud storage bills. The approach requires upfront investment and ongoing maintenance, but offers full data ownership and immunity from price hikes.

Huma Shazia·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Package Managers That Work on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Package managers have escaped their Linux origins. Several tools now install software identically across Windows, macOS, and Linux, eliminating the manual download ritual when you switch machines.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Subcompact SUVs Under $25,000 That Make Sense in 2026

With average new vehicle prices near $50,000, budget-conscious buyers are turning to subcompact SUVs. The 2026 Nissan Kicks, Chevrolet Trax, and Kia Seltos all start under $25,000 and deliver strong fuel economy, modern safety tech, and practical cargo space.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

PDFgear vs Adobe Acrobat: Is the Free Alternative Enough?

Adobe Acrobat's $20-a-month subscription makes sense for legal departments but feels excessive for occasional PDF users. PDFgear offers text editing, OCR, and document signing without subscription fees, watermarks, or cloud uploads. Here's what it does well and where it falls short.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

4 Oscar-Winning Movies to Stream on Hulu Right Now

Hulu's library includes several Academy Award winners worth your time this weekend. From James Cameron's visual landmark Avatar to the still-controversial Brokeback Mountain, plus the newly added Sentimental Value fresh off its historic 2026 Oscar win, here's what to watch.

Huma Shazia·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

6 Excel Myths That Slow Down Your Spreadsheets

Common Excel advice often does more harm than good. Merging cells, hiding rows for security, and other widely shared tips can break your workbooks and create unnecessary manual work. Here are six myths worth abandoning.

Huma Shazia·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Android Launchers That Defined the Customization Era

Custom launchers were once essential for Android users escaping carrier bloatware and sluggish OEM skins. From ADW on Gingerbread to Nova Launcher's modern dominance, these apps let users rebuild their phones from scratch. Here's a look back at the launchers that made Android what it is.

Huma Shazia·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Why Refresh Rate Beats Resolution for Gaming

Chasing 4K pixels might be the wrong priority for your next monitor upgrade. A tech journalist argues that 120Hz or 240Hz displays deliver smoother gameplay and faster response times than high-resolution screens stuck at 60Hz.

Manaal Khan·11 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

Why Good Lock Keeps Me on Samsung Over Pixel

Google's Pixel phones deliver a clean Android experience, but they lack the deep customization that Samsung's Good Lock app provides. For power users who want control over every aspect of their phone's interface, Samsung remains the clear choice.

Manaal Khan·10 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

4 Ways to Force Quit Frozen Apps on Windows Without Hard Reboot

A frozen full-screen app can lock you out of your entire Windows PC. These keyboard shortcuts and system tweaks let you kill unresponsive programs without holding down the power button and risking data loss.

Manaal Khan·10 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Claude Code's VS Code Mode Beats Terminal for Big Projects

Running Claude Code inside VS Code instead of the terminal gives developers visual diffs, file context, and fewer errors on complex codebases. The shift from chatbot to embedded coding assistant changes how AI fits into real development workflows.

Huma Shazia·10 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Claude Recovered 1,000 Dead Bookmarks in Minutes

A tech journalist with over a decade of accumulated bookmarks used Anthropic's Claude to organize and resurrect dead links from his browser. The AI sorted 1,000+ URLs, categorized them by topic, and traced broken links back to archived versions.

Manaal Khan·10 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

5 Apps to Uninstall on Every New Samsung Galaxy Phone

Samsung phones ship with useful features, but also carry redundant apps that waste storage and clutter your app drawer. A veteran Android reviewer shares the apps he removes from every Galaxy device, from shopping portals to Microsoft bundles.

Huma Shazia·10 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

6 Obsidian Settings to Configure in Every New Vault

Obsidian's default setup works, but a few tweaks make it far more usable. Here are six settings and plugins worth configuring the moment you create a new vault, from themes to trash management to essential community plugins.

Huma Shazia·10 Jun 2026