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Hacks & Workarounds

1183 articles

All articles tagged Hacks & Workarounds.

How to Disable RAM Plus on Samsung Galaxy for Better Speed

Samsung's RAM Plus feature uses slower storage as virtual memory, which can cause stuttering on flagship Galaxy phones. Disabling it takes seconds and can noticeably improve UI responsiveness on devices with 8GB or more RAM.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

6 Films That Invented the Summer Blockbuster Formula

From Jaws pioneering the wide-release strategy to Batman revolutionizing movie marketing, these six films didn't just break box office records. They rewrote the rules for how Hollywood makes, markets, and releases its biggest movies.

Manaal Khan·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

2027 Subaru BRZ Keeps Manual Standard While Rivals Go Auto

Subaru announced pricing for the 2027 BRZ, starting at $36,140 with a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment. In a market where most affordable sports cars have shifted to automatic as the default, the BRZ goes the opposite direction, making the automatic the upgrade option.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

YouTube's Gemini Search Jumps to Exact Answers in Videos

YouTube's new 'Ask YouTube' feature uses Gemini AI to understand natural language questions and skip users directly to the relevant timestamp in a video. The feature is currently limited to Premium subscribers but will roll out to all users later this year.

Manaal Khan·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·7 min

5 Python Libraries That Outperform Excel for Data Analysis

A practical walkthrough of five Python libraries that handle data tasks Excel struggles with. From NumPy's statistical functions to Pandas DataFrames, these tools scale beyond spreadsheet limits and make analysis reproducible.

Manaal Khan·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 Free Apps That Make Windows-Android Beat Apple's Ecosystem

A tech journalist argues that Windows and Android users can replicate Apple's ecosystem integration using five free applications. The setup combines a custom Windows PC, Pixel 10, and Mi Pad 5 to create seamless cross-device functionality without the Apple tax.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Linux CLI Tools That Fix Archive, Update, and Systemd Hassles

Ouch, Topgrade, and ISD are Rust-based command-line utilities that unify fragmented Linux workflows. They won't make your system faster, but they'll make your terminal sessions less frustrating.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

How to Fix Silent Excel Formula Errors That Break Your Data

Excel rarely warns you about the most dangerous formula mistakes. From shifting cell references to hidden spaces that break lookups, these silent errors can corrupt your calculations while your spreadsheet looks perfectly normal. Here's how to catch and fix them before they cost you.

Manaal Khan·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Cloudflare Tunnels: Free Static IP Alternative for Home Servers

Running a home server behind a real domain used to require a static IP or complex workarounds. Cloudflare Tunnels solves this for free, letting you expose local services over HTTPS without port forwarding, static IPs, or fighting carrier-grade NAT.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

6 Ryobi Tools Under $130 That Belong in Every Garage

Ryobi's ONE+ battery platform powers over 350 tools, making it the largest DIY ecosystem in the industry. Here are six budget-friendly additions under $130 that deliver solid value for homeowners and weekend warriors.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Smart Home Devices You Can Buy Cheap Without Regrets

Not every smart home gadget deserves a premium price tag. From Home Assistant servers to temperature sensors, here are five categories where budget options work just as well as expensive alternatives.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Windows 11 Tweaks That Actually Improve Performance

A fresh Windows 11 install comes loaded with bloatware, ads, and data collection enabled by default. These five steps take about 30 minutes and make a noticeable difference in how the OS feels and performs.

Manaal Khan·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Why Curved TVs Disappeared From Living Rooms

Curved TVs launched in 2013 with promises of IMAX-like immersion at home. A decade later, they've vanished from store shelves. The technology failed because it demanded a single 'sweet spot' viewer position, proved impossible to wall-mount cleanly, and cost 20-30% more than flat panels with no meaningful benefit for most households.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 Windows 11 Features to Disable for Nearly 1GB Free RAM

A tech writer disabled five default Windows 11 features and recovered almost 1GB of RAM on an 8GB laptop. The culprits: widgets, OneDrive sync, startup apps, and telemetry services that run silently in the background.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

3 Ways to Monitor Appliances with ESP32 Instead of Smart Plugs

Smart plugs cap out at 15-20 amps and don't work with hardwired appliances. A $5 ESP32 paired with the right sensor can monitor almost anything in your home, from water heaters to dryers, without the per-device cost adding up.

Manaal Khan·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

How to Make Gemini Actually Useful on Android

Google's Gemini has frustrated Android users for years by failing at basic tasks like setting timers. The fix is a hidden extension called Gemini Utilities that transforms the chatbot into a proper system assistant. Here's how to enable it.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Samsung DeX Features That Make It a Real PC Alternative

Samsung DeX has matured into a capable desktop replacement for many users, but some of its most useful features remain hidden. From surprisingly usable wireless mode to full Linux compatibility, here are the capabilities that transform a Galaxy phone into a genuine workstation.

Manaal Khan·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Samsung's Customization Service Drains Your Battery. Here's the Fix

A hidden Samsung background service called Customization Service can silently consume 5% to 20% of your daily battery. The fix takes about 30 seconds and requires no technical knowledge.

Huma Shazia·7 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

Claude vs ChatGPT: Which AI Refuses Fewer Legitimate Requests?

A tech journalist tested both AI assistants on the same edge-case prompts. Claude completed tasks that ChatGPT refused, revealing a growing gap in how each model balances safety with usefulness.

Huma Shazia·6 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Navidrome: A Self-Hosted Spotify Alternative That Actually Works

An open-source music server running on hardware as modest as a Raspberry Pi Zero can replace your Spotify subscription. Navidrome uses just 48MB of RAM at idle and connects to dozens of client apps through the Subsonic API.

Manaal Khan·6 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

2 Linux Tools That Fix Storage Problems in Minutes

Running out of disk space on Linux doesn't require hours of manual file hunting. Two tools, Baobab and BleachBit, can identify space hogs and clear system junk in under five minutes. Here's how to use them effectively.

Manaal Khan·6 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Ways to Fix 3D Printing Support Marks and Waste

Support structures remain one of the most frustrating aspects of 3D printing, consuming filament and leaving ugly marks on finished prints. These five techniques can help you minimize or eliminate the problem entirely.

Manaal Khan·6 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

ChatGPT vs Gemini for Excel Dashboards: Which AI Wins?

A How-To Geek editor pitted ChatGPT Free against Gemini Flash in a direct Excel dashboard creation test. Both AI tools struggled with file generation, but Gemini produced a usable blueprint while ChatGPT delivered incomplete results.

Manaal Khan·6 Jun 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Prime Video Thrillers to Binge This Weekend: June 5-7

Prime Video's thriller lineup offers three distinct flavors of tension this weekend. From Nicolas Winding Refn's neon-drenched crime fever dream to espionage drama, here's what's worth your time.

Manaal Khan·6 Jun 2026