How-To

How to understand, manage, and shrink your digital footprint — from basic social media hygiene to full TOR-level anonymity.

A cheap, simple trick — sticking a light behind your TV — reduces eyestrain and boosts perceived picture quality. Here's the science behind it, and how to choose the right bulb.

An introduction to Tasker, Android's most powerful automation app — covering Actions, Tasks, Contexts, and Profiles, with a walk-through of building your first automated Profile.

Plex can stream all of your movies and music across the house — and to your mobile. Here's a comprehensive guide to setting it up and getting the most from it.

How to calibrate your TV for a more cinematic picture — from professional setup services and calibration discs to navigating contrast, colour temperature, and motion interpolation settings.

Part 2 of the Ultimate Tasker Guide: how to use variables and if/else flow control to make your automated Tasks smarter and more context-aware.

Part 3 of the Ultimate Tasker Guide: how to pull live web data using HTTP Get, parse XML with Variable Split, and act on it within Tasker — illustrated with a weather forecast automation.

How to set up and calibrate a surround sound system — covering optimal speaker placement angles for 5.1 and 7.1 systems, the subwoofer crawl method, and SPL-based manual calibration.

Password managers not only increase security but make life easier — here's how to use KeePass across all your devices, including Dropbox sync for fully portable access.

How to get your music collection playing through every room in the house — and in your pocket — using network streamers, UPnP servers, and smartphone control.

A step-by-step guide to digitising your vinyl records and cassettes using Audacity — including which turntables and soundcards make the job easier.

Get more out of your speakers without spending a cent — a practical guide to optimal placement, from wall distances and the equilateral triangle sweet spot to height and toe-in.

Achieve digital zen: a guide to cleaning up a messy music library using MediaMonkey, covering missing tags, tagging inconsistencies, and automatic file organisation.

A comprehensive guide to home theatre projectors — covering DLP, LCD, and LCoS technologies, how to read spec sheets, and how to choose and position a screen.

A guide to choosing, connecting, and calibrating a subwoofer — covering driver size, power, connection options, crossover settings, and phase calibration.

A practical guide to upgrading your car's factory audio system, starting with speakers and head units, before amplifiers and subwoofers next issue.

Taking your car audio further with a separate amplifier and subwoofer — covering enclosure types, power ratings, and how to pair an amp to your speakers.

Stream live or recorded TV to any Plex-compatible device by combining Plex with the free NextPVR software.