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Hacks & Workarounds

1182 articles

All articles tagged Hacks & Workarounds.

5 ESP32 Projects That Push This $5 Chip to Its Limits

The ESP32 microcontroller costs about as much as a coffee, yet hobbyists are using it to host websites, run real-time AI inference, and monitor utility meters. These five projects show what's possible when you push cheap silicon beyond its intended purpose.

Manaal Khan·25 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

BentoPDF Replaces Adobe Acrobat for Free

Adobe Acrobat's $180 yearly subscription has pushed users toward alternatives. BentoPDF, a free and open-source tool, handles PDF editing, signing, and merging without cloud uploads or login requirements. It can even be self-hosted for team access.

Huma Shazia·25 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·6 min

10 YouTube Music Features That Improve Your Listening

YouTube Music lacks some polish compared to Spotify and Apple Music, but it has unique strengths. These tips help you transfer playlists, upload personal tracks, fine-tune audio quality, and control how the algorithm learns your taste.

Manaal Khan·25 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

RAMMap Shows What Task Manager Hides About Your Memory

Windows Task Manager shows you RAM usage. Microsoft's free RAMMap tool shows you why. This portable Sysinternals utility breaks down memory allocation by type, revealing hidden culprits like NTFS metadata caches and driver-locked memory that Task Manager collapses into a single unhelpful graph.

Manaal Khan·25 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

5 Award-Winning Movies to Stream on Netflix This Weekend

Netflix's catalog includes several Golden Globe winners worth your time this weekend. From Rosamund Pike's dark comedy performance in I Care a Lot to Ali Wong's sharp stand-up special, here are five acclaimed titles available for streaming in the U.S.

Manaal Khan·25 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

How to Switch Android Dark Mode Using Your Light Sensor

Android's built-in dark mode automation is limited to schedules or sunrise/sunset times. A free app called Adaptive Theme uses your phone's ambient light sensor to switch themes based on actual room brightness, not the clock.

Huma Shazia·25 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Excel Formulas You Should Replace With Modern Alternatives

VLOOKUP, manual duplicate removal, and static filtering are still slowing down spreadsheet work in 2026. Excel added XLOOKUP, UNIQUE, and FILTER years ago, but many users never switched. Here's how to upgrade your workflow.

Huma Shazia·25 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Linux Distros That Bridge the Gap After Mint

Linux Mint is a solid starting point, but intermediate users often hit its limits. Fedora, and two other distributions, offer more flexibility without throwing you into the deep end of manual configuration.

Manaal Khan·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

How to Turn Your Old Tablet Into a Second Monitor for Free

A free app called spacedesk transforms any old Android tablet into a wireless second display for your Windows laptop. No subscription, no account, no cables. The setup takes about 10 minutes and works over your existing Wi-Fi network.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

5 3D-Printed Mechanical Keyboard Projects to Build This Weekend

Joe Scotto's open-source keyboard designs let makers 3D print everything from a simple 16-key macropad to a full split ergonomic board. All files and firmware are free, with detailed build guides for each project.

Manaal Khan·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

6 Free 3D Prints That Upgrade Your Nintendo Switch Setup

A tech writer shares six functional 3D prints from Makerworld that improve the Nintendo Switch experience. From Zelda-themed game holders to ergonomic controller grips, these free designs solve real usability problems without spending money on accessories.

Manaal Khan·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Why Your Phone's Battery Percentages Don't Add Up

That battery usage screen showing which apps drain your phone? The percentages are misleading. Here's how phone battery stats actually work, and why adding them up will never equal 100%.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Homelab Projects to Try This Weekend

Looking for weekend projects that give you more control over your digital life? These three homelab setups let you replace Google Analytics, build a better dashboard, and create your own documentation wiki.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Vim Statusline Plugins That Replace the Boring Default

The default Vim statusline is functional but dull. Three plugins offer ready-made upgrades with git integration, file info, and customizable themes. Each has trade-offs in setup complexity and resource use.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Why One Tech Writer Ditched Samsung for a Fairphone

After a year using Galaxy devices exclusively, tech journalist Bertel King switched to a Murena Fairphone 6. His reasons: escape the endless upgrade cycle and avoid Big Tech tracking. The move highlights growing frustration with planned obsolescence in consumer electronics.

Manaal Khan·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

4 Milwaukee Utility Knives That Can Replace Your Pocket Knife

Milwaukee's utility knife lineup now includes multi-tools that go beyond cutting. From the $22 FASTBACK 6-in-1 to the new $17 compact model with a pry bar, these four options cover jobsite pros and everyday carriers alike.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

7 ESP32 Weekend Projects for Hands-On Makers

The ESP32 microcontroller has become the go-to platform for DIY electronics enthusiasts. This weekend roundup covers seven interactive projects you can build at home, from retro gaming handhelds to virtual pets.

Manaal Khan·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

3 Paid Services That Beat Free Software After a Year-Long Test

A tech journalist spent 2024 replacing paid subscriptions with free and open source alternatives. Most worked fine on paper. Three services kept pulling him back because they eliminated daily friction that free tools couldn't match.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

6 Games That Will Crush Your 8GB GPU (and How to Fix It)

Modern AAA games with path tracing can overwhelm GPUs limited to 8GB VRAM. A new guide identifies the most demanding titles and the specific settings tweaks that make them playable on cards like the RTX 5060 and RX 7600.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

Why Samsung's Missing MagSafe Magnets Force Cases on Users

Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra supports Qi2 wireless charging but lacks built-in alignment magnets. This forces users who want MagSafe-style accessories to add cases, even if they prefer going caseless.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

Why Wi-Fi Is Your Smart Home's Weakest Link

Your router handles streaming, browsing, and work traffic. Adding dozens of smart plugs and bulbs on top can overwhelm it. There's a better approach using dedicated protocols like Zigbee and Thread.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·4 min

3 Paramount+ Shows Worth Binging This Weekend

Looking for weekend viewing? Paramount+ offers three standout series: Dexter: Resurrection brings Michael C. Hall's serial killer to New York with an all-star cast, Killing Eve delivers spy thriller twists, and Everybody Hates Chris remains a comedy classic. Here's what makes each worth your time.

Manaal Khan·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

GPT-5.5 vs Claude Opus 4.7: OpenAI Reclaims Agentic AI Lead

OpenAI's new GPT-5.5 model scores 82.7% on Terminal-Bench 2.0, outpacing Claude Opus 4.7 by over 13 points. The benchmark measures an AI's ability to execute complex command-line workflows autonomously. This could shift developers back to ChatGPT after months of Claude dominance.

Huma Shazia·24 Apr 2026

Hacks & Workarounds·5 min

RANK vs. RANK.EQ vs. RANK.AVG: Which Excel Function to Use

Excel has three different RANK functions, and most users have no idea why. The answer comes down to how Microsoft chose to handle tied values in 2010, and which function you pick can change your results.

Manaal Khan·24 Apr 2026