How-To Geek

My local LLM struggles with big questions—here's what it's actually good at

Adam Davidson — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:30:13 GMT

When I first installed a local LLM, I expected to use it the same way that I'd been using ChatGPT. It soon became apparent that on my modest hardware, this wasn't going to work. By changing the way I use my local LLMs, they've become much more useful.

3 award-winning movies to watch on Netflix this weekend(July 17-19)

T.M. Amrita — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:00:13 GMT

Awards don't always mean a great movie or a streaming session worth sitting through, but they do make narrowing down Netflix's extensive catalog a little easier, especially when you are getting overwhelmed by new releases that flood your home page recommendations.

The new SUV that finally gets the adventure formula right

Adam Gray — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:00:13 GMT

Finding the right SUV can feel impossible. There are fuel-efficient hybrids, massive family haulers, and serious off-roaders, but most buyers want something that can handle everyday life and still escape the pavement when needed.

4 uncomfortable truths about Home Assistant

Adam Davidson — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:52:13 GMT

Home Assistant is, in my opinion, the best smart home software available. It's free, open-source, privacy-focused, works with a huge number of devices, and can make your smart home do almost anything you can think of. Despite all that, Home Assistant definitely has its faor share of problems.

3 thrilling Prime Video shows to watch this weekend (July 17-19)

Keeley Brooks — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:45:13 GMT

With most of Amazon Prime Video’s July TV show highlights having already dropped, aside from the new season of Batman: Caped Crusader, now is the perfect time to indulge in series that will bring on some summertime thrills. Whether they're psychological, science fiction, or full of action, the streamer has plenty to offer in that vein.

How I saved my overflowing NAS without buying a single new hard drive

Nick Lewis — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:30:13 GMT

A NAS is a great way to host a few services and back up your files, but you shouldn't rely on one device to protect you against file loss. I have two separate NASes on my network that do two very different things: One serves as a daily driver, the other is "cold storage" that only receives periodic backups.

How a $300 phone became the most highly coveted Android device of 2014

Ismar Hrnjicevic — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:28:06 GMT

Back in the day, Android phones were a lot more daring. Companies experimented with all kinds of wild designs, features, and even pricing. Among all the phones that tried to stand out over the past decade, one captured the enthusiast fanbase like no other: the coveted OnePlus One.

3 juicy Paramount+ documentaries to watch this weekend (July 17-19)

Derek Malcolm — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:00:13 GMT

If you've already binged your way through Paramount+'s fantastic new docuseries The Real Wolf of Wall Street that we included in last week's roundup, then now is the perfect time to take a dive into the streamer's vault as we unearth some juicy and controversial shows from not too long ago that still make for compelling weekend viewing.

3 Raspberry Pi projects that make Home Assistant more useful this weekend (July 17 - 19)

Patrick Campanale — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:45:13 GMT

It's time for more Raspberry Pi projects! This weekend, however, I'm going to be showing you three unique ways to use your Raspberry Pi with Home Assistant.

I stopped comparing mesh router specs after learning they all use the same hardware

Sydney Butler — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:30:13 GMT

There are a lot of different mesh router brands, models, and designs. So much so, that it can be daunting to step into the world of mesh routers for the first time.