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Hacks & Workarounds

1183 articles

All articles tagged Hacks & Workarounds.

5 Android Auto Improvements Worth a Second Look in 2026

Android Auto has quietly fixed many of its longstanding issues. A tech writer who abandoned the platform years ago revisited it and found stable connections, better navigation, and more useful features than before.

Huma Shazia·3 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 Terminal Apps That Replace Heavy Linux Desktop Software

Terminal-based apps with real interfaces are replacing bloated desktop software for Linux power users. These five TUI (Terminal User Interface) tools handle file management, system monitoring, writing, tasks, and calculations with minimal resource use and keyboard-first workflows.

Manaal Khan·3 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Why Harry Potter's Full-Cast Audiobooks Beat the HBO Reboot

Audible's new full-cast Harry Potter audiobooks feature Hugh Laurie, Riz Ahmed, and James McAvoy. For fans seeking an immersive return to Hogwarts, the audio experience may deliver more than another TV adaptation.

Manaal Khan·3 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

5 Home Assistant Integrations That Feel Like Sci-Fi

Home Assistant users can now connect cloud-based LLMs, run local AI with Ollama, and build custom voice assistants using affordable hardware. These integrations turn basic smart home setups into conversational systems that understand natural language commands.

Huma Shazia·3 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

PDFgear for Android: Free PDF Editing Without the Laptop

PDFgear brings desktop-grade PDF editing to Android phones at no cost. The app offers annotation, text editing, page organization, and AI-powered document summaries. With 2.4 million downloads and a 4.7-star rating, it's challenging the assumption that serious PDF work requires a computer.

Manaal Khan·3 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Projectivy Launcher Ditches Google TV Bloat for Speed

Google TV's home screen comes loaded with trailers, recommendations, and background processes that slow things down. A free launcher replacement called Projectivy strips all that away, delivering a faster, cleaner interface without requiring advanced technical skills.

Huma Shazia·3 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Android Security Features Disabled by Default

Android ships with powerful theft protection and privacy tools that most users never discover. Google buries Theft Detection Lock, Private Space, and other genuinely useful features in settings menus, leaving phones less secure than they could be.

Huma Shazia·3 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

3 Paramount+ Documentaries to Stream This Weekend

Paramount+ offers a compelling mix of true crime documentaries for the first weekend of May. The lineup includes a new series about a father accused of murdering dozens of women, a returning series on female crime bosses, and an acclaimed film about a journalist's fight for justice.

Huma Shazia·3 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Why ChatGPT Feels Worse: You Outgrew It

A longtime ChatGPT user explains why the AI chatbot now feels limiting. After four years of daily use, the problem isn't that ChatGPT degraded. It's that power users developed needs it was never designed to meet.

Huma Shazia·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

AI Vibe Coding Creates Hidden Risks for Home Assistant Users

Tools like Claude Code and Codex let anyone create Home Assistant integrations without coding knowledge. But these AI-generated components, often shared freely on forums, can expose your smart home to serious security vulnerabilities.

Huma Shazia·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Can Python Predict a Spotify Hit? One Analysis of 30,000 Songs

A data journalist used Python and a Kaggle dataset of 30,000 Spotify tracks to explore what makes a song popular. The project demonstrates how accessible data science tools can help anyone analyze music trends.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 Nvidia Settings Mistakes That Hurt Your PC Gaming

Common Nvidia Control Panel and app settings can tank your frame rates and add input lag without you noticing. A veteran PC gamer breaks down the five most frequent errors and how to fix them.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 Free Wi-Fi Tweaks That Beat Buying a New Router

Before you spend money on new networking hardware, try these free software and physical adjustments. Changing your DNS settings, repositioning your router, and updating firmware can recover significant speed and stability without any cost.

Huma Shazia·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

5 Netflix Miniseries You Can Finish in One Weekend

Netflix's catalog includes several limited series perfect for single-sitting binges. From the AI horror thriller Cassandra to the Margaret Atwood adaptation Alias Grace, these five miniseries offer complete stories without multi-season commitments.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 TV Shows That Blew $300M+ and Still Flopped

Streaming services spent unprecedented budgets chasing the next Game of Thrones. Amazon's Citadel cost $300 million for six episodes. Most of these expensive gambles failed to find audiences, and their franchises collapsed within a season or two.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

6 PowerShell Commands That Fix Common Windows 11 Problems

Windows 11 troubleshooting often means clicking through endless menus. These six PowerShell commands let you fix network issues, repair corrupted files, and update apps with a single line of code. Copy, paste, run.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 RP2040 Boards That Outdo the Raspberry Pi Pico

The Raspberry Pi Pico popularized the RP2040 chip, but third-party boards often fit specific projects better. From tiny wearables to battery-powered sensors, these alternatives save time and hassle for DIY builders.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 ESP32 Projects You Can Build in Under an Hour

The ESP32 microcontroller is cheap, powerful, and perfect for quick weekend projects. From air quality monitors to smart home sensors, here are five builds that take less than 60 minutes to complete.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 Apps That Turn Your Plex Server Into Real Infrastructure

A personal Plex server starts simple but quickly becomes a system that needs proper tooling. These five self-hosted apps handle the gaps Plex leaves exposed, from file naming chaos to user request management.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

6 Ways to 3D Print Photos Beyond Lithophanes

Lithophanes are the most famous technique for turning photos into 3D printed objects, but they're just one option. From filament painting to topographic maps, modern 3D printers can reproduce images in ways that weren't possible even a few years ago.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Nissan Drops US EV Manufacturing: 89% Sales Crash Cited

Nissan has scrapped plans to produce electric vehicles at its Mississippi plant, pivoting to hybrids and gas vehicles instead. The decision follows an 89% year-over-year collapse in U.S. EV sales and the end of federal tax credits. The Japanese automaker joins Ford, GM, and Volkswagen in scaling back American EV production.

Huma Shazia·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

10 Opera Browser Hacks That Boost Your Workflow

Opera ships with powerful features most users never discover. From skipping unskippable YouTube ads to running social apps in a sidebar, these hidden tools can replace several standalone applications and cut daily friction.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

10 Google Chat Hacks That Save Time Daily

Google Chat replaced Hangouts and now serves millions of Workspace users. These ten features turn the basic messaging app into a more efficient collaboration tool. Most users never discover them.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Samsung's Next Galaxy Book May Run Android, Not Windows

Samsung is reportedly developing a new line of Galaxy Book laptops running Android-based One UI 9 software instead of Windows. The move would unify Samsung's device ecosystem under a single design language for the first time.

Manaal Khan·2 May 2026