Media center “sticks” like the Chromecast are more popular than ever and many of them come with little 3-4″ HDMI extension cables. What are the cables for and do you actually need to use them? Read on as we explain why, even if your Chromecast is working fine without it you may want to plug it in anyway. We’ll admit that when we first unpacked our Chromecast for review around this time last year we kind of chuckled at the tiny little extender....

LastPass offers a lot of security options for locking down your account and protecting your valuable data. We’re fans of LastPass here at How-To Geek – it’s a great service that a lot of you already use. You’ll find most of these options in your LastPass account settings dialog – either click here to access your account settings or log into your LastPass vault and click the Settings button in the sidebar....

I’ve been writing about technology on the web for seven years now, with much of that time occupied covering mobile gaming. And before that, I played PC and console games for more than two decades, ever since I could pick up a Genesis controller. And in all that time, no game has made me think quite so hard—or feel quite so humble—as a little browser clicker about making paperclips....

Windows 10, like Windows 8 before it, is integrated with Microsoft’s online services. Microsoft would prefer you sign into Windows with your Microsoft account, although you can still create a local account. Certain features are only available if you sign in with a Microsoft account, however. What Is a Microsoft Account? There’s a good chance you already have a Microsoft account, even if you’ve never used Windows 8 or Windows 10 before....

Even though Android games and applications can support keyboards, mice, resizable windows, and other behaviors expected on a desktop operating system, many of them aren’t thoroughly tested on Chromebooks. With games, this can mean using a mouse or touchpad to perform swipes and taps instead of a touchscreen, which is clunky at best and impossible at worst (especially for fast-paced games). Google is now taking action into its own hands, by enabling “an early Alpha of the game controls feature for a select set of touchscreen-only Android games....

The imperial system that’s used in the US isn’t all that complicated, but it’s amazing how much easier the metric system can be when used in certain situations. RELATED: The Best Free Programs and Websites for Converting Units and Currency In the US, we actually do use the metric system for some things, like 5K running events, two-liter bottles, nutrition facts measured in grams, and car engine sizes measured in liters....

It’s 2017, and I still see people criticizing Android for “fragmentation”. This gives Android in general a bad name, and I want to make the facts clear: this isn’t Google or Android’s fault. It’s the fault of your manufacturer. While this has been a talked about issue for some time, a recent piece from Boy Genius Report got me thinking about it—infuriatingly titled “No iPhone user can even imagine dealing with what Android users have to tolerate”....

Google has announced in its annual India event that it’s working with pharmacists to decipher the handwriting of doctors, and make prescriptions easier to read with the help of technology. To that effect, the company is working on a solution that will allow you to upload a picture of a prescription and have Google decode it and give you the names of the prescribed medicines, as well as their dosage and instructions....

Windows allows desktop apps to remain running whether they’re visible or not, while Apple’s iOS only allows apps to perform a few limited tasks in the background. Android sits somewhere in between — apps running in the foreground are prioritized, but apps have much more freedom to run in the background than they do on iOS. We’ll take a look at exactly how Android is managing the apps and processes running on your phone or tablet, demystifying what’s going on in the background....

While most of us never need to see or access the hidden files on our Windows systems, others may need to work with them more often. Is there an easy way to toggle back and forth between showing and hiding hidden files? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the solution to a frustrated reader’s problem. Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites....

Whether you’re a bit of a parts hoarder or just trying to reuse old parts and keep them out of the dump, it’s easy to amass a pile of electronic components. Storing them is no good if they’re damaged when you go to use them, though; read on as we talk safe storage and how to keep your old HDD and friends alive. It always warms our geeky hearts when we come across people who are interested in best practices and how to protect data (no matter how old or redundant it might be)....

If you use the Control Panel a lot, you may find it helpful to add it right to the “This PC” section of Windows’ File Explorer window. Here’s how to do it. Though many important Windows controls are now part of the new settings interface in Windows 10, the old Control Panel is still around and still important. We’ve shown you how you can add it to your taskbar for quick access, but if you want, you can also have it appear in your File Explorer window with nothing but a mild Registry hack....

If you’re tired of seeing sensitive content, receiving unwanted messages, or getting spammed on Instagram, you can block the culprit’s account. By blocking the account, the user won’t be able to contact you and won’t show up in your feed. Here’s how to do it. Blocking vs. Restricting Instagram has several different privacy and security features available for its users. Two of these features include blocking and restricting other accounts....

What Is a CPU? The CPU is the heart and soul of a computer. It runs applications, performs actions, and receives instructions, to name a few of its functions. Over the years, CPUs have evolved into multi-core processors. Previously, single-core CPUs were only able to handle one process at a time. As of this writing in early 2022, CPUs can offer up to 64 cores, and it’s expected this will increase to 128 cores in 2023....

The default slide size (16:9) in Google Slides works for most situations, but you may occasionally want to change the aspect ratio depending on the situation. There are a few presets, but you can also customize the slide size. Adjust Aspect Ratio in Google Slides To change the size of your slides in Google Slides, you need to open the presentation that contains the slides you want to resize. Once open, click “File” in the menu bar....

Your internet service provider offers its own DNS servers, which help you turn websites like www.howtogeek.com into their respective IP addresses. Your devices use those by default, but you can set your own preferred DNS servers for a bit of improved speed. RELATED: What Is DNS, and Should I Use Another DNS Server? Many DNS servers will also block malware, pornography, and other types of websites, if you want them to....

Since iOS 7, Apple devices have had limited support for opening ZIP files in Messages and Mail, while a few other third-party apps provide methods for opening ZIP files. But what if you’re on the other end and want to share multiple files with someone in a zipped file? RELATED: How to Open Zip Files on an iPhone or iPad Bundler is a free app that allows you to group files from your iOS device into “bundles” and share each bundle as a ZIP file through AirDrop, iMessages, email, and other cloud services....

If you bought your PC from a vendor, you’ve likely seen the manufacturer information in the “System” window. But did you know you can change it—or even add it if you build your own PCs? RELATED: How to Open the System Information Panel on Windows 10 or 8 The “System” window on your PC has a lot of useful information, like your processor model, the amount of installed RAM, what version and edition of Windows you’re running (and don’t forget, you can get even more of this kind of stuff with the System Information tool if you need it)....

Before we begin, be sure to check if you have administrator privileges on the Mac. To verify this, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your Mac’s desktop and open “System Preferences.” How to Remove User Accounts in macOS In macOS System Preferences, go to “Users & Groups.” This will show all the user accounts on your Mac. Your account will appear at the top of the left pane and if you see “Admin” below your user name, you have administrator privileges....

Outlook remembers every email address you’ve typed into email messages. These email addresses become part of the auto-complete list and matching items from that list are suggested as you type in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields. The auto-complete list even includes mistyped addresses and old addresses you don’t use. Over time, the auto-complete list can get very long and you will see addresses you don’t need or want anymore....