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Hacks & Workarounds

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All articles tagged Hacks & Workarounds.

Why Paying for Both ChatGPT and Claude Makes Sense

A power user explains why switching to Claude as a primary AI assistant didn't mean canceling ChatGPT. Each tool has distinct strengths that justify the combined $40 monthly cost for serious productivity work.

Huma Shazia·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Pi Zero 2 W Projects That Punch Above Their Weight

The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W costs around $15 and fits in your palm, but it can run network-wide ad blocking, a backup VPN server, and other services that typically require beefier hardware. Here are five projects that make this tiny board surprisingly practical for home labs and self-hosted setups.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Mailspring vs Outlook vs Thunderbird: A Free Email Client Wins

A longtime Outlook user switched to Thunderbird, then discovered Mailspring. The open-source email client offers native conversation view, a modern interface, and zero ads. Here's why it beat both alternatives.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Why Excel Slicers Beat Standard Filters for Data Analysis

Standard Excel filters bury your criteria in menus and make it hard to see what's active. Slicers offer a visual control panel that shows your filtering choices at a glance. Here's when to use each approach.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Android 17's Gemini AI Wants Full Access to Your Photos, Voice

Google's Android 17 update, codenamed Cinnamon Bun, embeds Gemini AI so deeply into the operating system that it can scan your photos, listen to your voice, and autofill passport data from images. The convenience is impressive. The privacy trade-off is significant.

Huma Shazia·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

9 Best Picture Winners You Can Stream Free Right Now

As streaming subscriptions pile up costs, free ad-supported services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel offer a surprising catalog of Oscar-winning films. From the very first Best Picture winner to modern classics like The Godfather and No Country for Old Men, here's what's available without spending a dime.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

10 Apple Passwords App Tips You Probably Missed

Apple's built-in Passwords app does more than store logins. From CSV imports on iPhone to storing recovery keys and adding two-factor codes, these lesser-known features turn a basic tool into a capable password manager.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Canva's Gemini Integration Turns AI Images Into Editable Layers

Canva launched a Connected App for Google Gemini that pairs Google's Nano Banana image model with Canva's Magic Layers technology. The feature lets users generate AI images and split them into editable layers, solving a frustration that has plagued AI image workflows. Brand Kits also sync natively with Gemini, auto-applying fonts, logos, and colors to generated designs.

Huma Shazia·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 Things a Raspberry Pi Travel Router Can Do That Others Can't

A Raspberry Pi travel router offers capabilities far beyond standard travel routers. From serving as a backup PC to hosting game servers on the road, the tiny computer transforms into a versatile travel companion that commercial alternatives can't match.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

The RCCF Method: A Better Way to Prompt Claude AI

Most people blame AI chatbots for lackluster responses, but the real problem is lazy prompts. The RCCF method, a structured approach to prompting that went viral on Reddit, transforms how Claude handles complex requests by giving it the context it needs to deliver useful answers.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Delivers 32 MPG Without Hybrid Tax

The non-hybrid 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross achieves 32 MPG combined, making it the most fuel-efficient gas-powered SUV of the year. For buyers who want low running costs without paying the hybrid premium, this compact crossover offers compelling math.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Plex Triples Lifetime Pass to $750: Is Jellyfin Worth It?

Plex is raising its Lifetime Pass from $250 to $750 on July 1, 2026. The company says the increase reflects 'real, ongoing value,' but users have six weeks to lock in the current rate. Free alternative Jellyfin offers similar features for those willing to handle more setup.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Vivo: The Lin-Manuel Miranda Musical Netflix Quietly Buried

Sony Pictures Animation's Vivo features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a voice cast including Gloria Estefan and Zoe Saldaña. Released directly to Netflix in 2021 due to the pandemic, it never got the theatrical push that made Encanto a cultural phenomenon. Here's why it deserves your attention.

Manaal Khan·20 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

3 True-Story Films That Seem Too Insane to Be Real

Some real events are so extraordinary they read like fiction. These three films capture moments of survival, deception, and infiltration that actually happened. Each one earned critical acclaim for bringing impossible-sounding true stories to the screen.

Manaal Khan·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

METROV Launcher Turns Any Android Phone Into a Windows Phone

A new Android launcher recreates the Windows Phone 8.1 Metro UI with surprising accuracy. METROV brings back the live tile home screen, transparent lock screen widgets, and scrolling app layout that made Nokia Lumia phones feel unique.

Huma Shazia·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 Open-Source Projects That Keep the Internet Running

The internet depends on free, community-maintained software most people never think about. From DNS resolution to web servers, these five open-source projects handle billions of requests daily and would bring the web to a halt if they stopped working.

Huma Shazia·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

7 Python Tricks for Image Editing Without Photoshop

Python's Pillow library handles most common image editing tasks with just a few lines of code. From resizing and cropping to background removal and GIF animation, here are practical techniques that replace expensive software.

Huma Shazia·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

Why VLANs Are the Simplest Way to Secure Home Wi-Fi

That cheap smart bulb on your network can see your work laptop, NAS, and everything else. VLANs sound intimidating but they're the easiest fix for a home network security problem most people don't know they have.

Huma Shazia·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

4 Open-Source Apps That Replace Android Auto Defaults

A tech writer swapped Google Maps, the default music player, and stock podcast apps for open-source alternatives on Android Auto. The result: offline maps, ad-free music playback, and more control over in-car media without subscriptions.

Manaal Khan·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Why Jellyfin's Bugs Pushed Me to a Different Media Server

Jellyfin is free, open-source, and feature-rich. But after months of troubleshooting HDR passthrough failures, metadata nightmares, and hardware transcoding crashes, one power user gave up. Here's what broke and why self-hosted media servers demand more than enthusiasm.

Manaal Khan·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

4 Smart Home Devices You Can Replace With a Pi Zero 2 W

The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W costs around $15 and can replace several expensive smart home gadgets. From presence detection to air quality monitoring, this tiny board offers a subscription-free alternative to commercial solutions.

Huma Shazia·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Google Tests Weekly Usage Cap for Gemini Free Users

Google appears to be testing a new weekly usage limit for Gemini that sits on top of existing rolling limits. If deployed widely, the change could force heavy free users to upgrade to paid plans or face multi-day lockouts from the AI assistant.

Huma Shazia·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

5 Things You Shouldn't Self-Host, Even If You Can

Self-hosting saves money and keeps your data under your control. But email servers, payment systems, and a few other services create more headaches than they solve. Here's where the DIY approach costs more than it saves.

Huma Shazia·19 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

5 Korean SUVs That Match Toyota in Reliability

Modern reliability data shows Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis SUVs now rival Japanese brands in dependability. J.D. Power scores reveal several Korean models posting reliability numbers that match or beat established competitors from Toyota and Honda.

Huma Shazia·19 May 2026