Home Office Setup & Equipment

LastPass has come under fire in recent years following a 2022 data breach that compromised user vaults. Despite the controversy, it remains a popular and user-friendly option for saving credentials. But you don't have to stick to LastPass' default setup: If LastPass is your password manager of choice, these are the best hacks to optimize your experience. Use vault identities to keep work and personal credentials separate If you have one LastPass account for both work and personal use, you can separate relevant items into sub-vaults. When you toggle between them, you'll see only the credentials relevant to that identity, and LastPass will suggest only those items for auto…

Remember when Spotify was just for listening to music? It used to be the app for streaming tunes, but in 2026, the app has more of a do-it-all attitude. You can still use it to listen to just about any song you can think of, but you can also listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and DM with friends. (Really, there's an in-app chat function.) Even after launching all of these features, Spotify's quest to capture all of your attention isn't over: The company has announced an effort to get you to listen to magazine articles as well. Spotify's new audio articles feature uses AISpotify announced its new "narrated articles" feature in a press release on Tuesday. According to the …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. There are a lot of excellent earbuds out there, but if you're in the Apple ecosystem, few options are better than AirPods. While Apple's earbuds offer fantastic audio quality in their own right, their real selling point is how well they work with the company's other products. If you have one device, like an iPhone, your AirPods will instantly pair with it when you pop them in your ears; if you have multiple devices, like a Mac or an iPad, your AirPods will automatically switch between them as you start different audio sources. If you have an Apple TV, you can quickly pair your AirPods with a button press on the remote and …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. 41 years ago, The Golden Girls taught us to pay attention to older people, who still have plenty to offer; that same year, Ron Howard's Cocoon taught us about the importance of leveraging alien eggs for eternal youth. That last one is probably slightly more relevant to sci-fi thriller The Boroughs, though it does feel like it's been a while since retirees have had the spotlight on television. The new Netflix show finds an invariably talented and thoroughly recognizable cast (Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, Clarke Peters, and Geena Davis, among others) confronting a series of freaky mysteries in their seemingly …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Asus ROG Strix XG34WCDG packs a 34-inch QD-OLED panel with a 3440x1440 resolution, 175Hz refresh rate, and a near-instant 0.03ms response time into a monitor that can comfortably handle both high-end gaming and creative workloads. It also comes factory-calibrated, so color accuracy is already dialed in out of the box instead of requiring extra tweaking. Normally priced at $999, it’s currently down to $699—the lowest price it’s ever hit, according to price-tracking tools. ASUS ROG Strix 34” Ultrawide Gaming Monitor (XG34WCDG) …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A 100-inch TV used to be the kind of purchase reserved for sports bars and people with more money than restraint. The Samsung QN80F is changing that math. Right now, the 100-inch model is down to $3,997.99 from $5,497.99—a $1,500 drop—and price trackers confirm this is a record low. That's still a serious chunk of change, but for a Mini LED TV with four HDMI 2.1 ports all running 4K at 144Hz with full VRR support, it's a genuinely hard number to argue with. Samsung 100-Inch QN80F TV $3,997.99 …

When you make a regular phone call from your mobile device, it is not guaranteed to be secure. Cellular protocols are not encrypted end-to-end, meaning that audio could be intercepted along the way, such as by carriers, law enforcement, or threat actors. You may have worked to ensure end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for your text messages using a secure messaging app or specific iOS-to-iOS and cross-platform RCS protocols, but the same consideration can be made for voice calls you want to keep private. What is end-to-end encryption? End-to-end encryption protects the contents of messages and calls between users. Everything is scrambled in between and can only be unlocked and…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Nothing over-ear headphones have been quietly taking over the audio game since launching in 2025, with a unique industrial aesthetic, impressive battery life, and ANC that rivals top brands like JBL and Sony. Launched in 2026, the Nothing Headphone(a) are a more affordable alternative to the flagship Nothing Headphone(1)—and still retain many of the same premium features and overall vibe. Right now, a pair is 15% off, bringing the price down to a record-low $169 (originally $199). Nothing Headphone(a) $169.…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A ton of early Memorial Day sales are going on right now, and if you're an audiophiles, one of the best is happening over on Amazon, where tons of Sonos speakers are seeing huge discounts. Nearly every soundbar, smart speaker, subwoofer, or portable speaker the company makes is on sale right now, some for as much as $200 off. Sonos Era 100 SL - Compact, Microphone-Free Speaker with WiFi, Bluetooth - White $169.00 at …

In all likelihood, Apple won't acknowledge iOS 27's existence until WWDC 2026, but that doesn't mean the company is saving all its iOS 27 announcements until then. On Tuesday, Apple published a press release announcing a slew of new accessibility features coming "later this year." While Apple didn't specify, that almost assuredly means they will arrive with iOS 27. Apple does have a good track record when it comes to accessibility features, and it usually announces a slate of new accessibility updates ahead of WWDC. But this year feels a bit different: While these features will indeed likely benefit users with limitations or special needs, Apple also advertises them as "…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. As extreme weather, power outages, and energy uncertainty get harder to ignore, home generators and portable power stations are becoming an essential part of your emergency kit. While smaller power banks are helpful for camping trips or keeping your phone alive, a more substantial generator like the Jackery HomePower 3000 is a better choice for people who want something a lot more substantial. Right now, a bundle with the battery and solar panel attachments is $1,300 off on Amazon, a more than 40% discount from the original $2,999 price. Jacker…

Strava announced today a complete overhaul of its strength training experience. It's one of the bigger gym-based updates I've seen from the app—the new features include 14 partner integrations, a dedicated workout log, auto-populated muscle maps, and five new strength-specific shareables. According to Strava, the update is rolling out globally in the coming weeks, so you should be able to try all of these new goodies soon. For anyone who has ever wished Strava treated their weight training with even a fraction of the seriousness it gives to runs and rides, the update certainly looks promising. Whether it fully delivers on its potential is a question that will require some…

Flipper Devices, the company behind the semi-infamous Flipper Zero "hacking" multi-tool, is developing a Linux-powered mini-PC with the goal of creating a "truly open hardware platform." The Flipper One is described as a pocket-sized ARM device for high-performance computing, IP networking, and on-device AI use. The device is in development, so there is no price or release date as yet. The Flipper One is being built on a Rockchip RK3576 processor and the modular design means it can be expanded. "Flipper Zero taught us how much you can do with a tightly scoped, open product and a community that pushes it further than you can. Flipper One is what happens when we apply the …

We all get enough spam messages these days that we can avoid the obvious scams: If an unknown number texts you asking for money, or a spammy email address warns you about a computer virus, you'll likely delete them and move on. But if the message comes from a company you trust, like Microsoft, with a legitimate email address at that, you wouldn't be blamed for assuming that email was real. In this specific case, however, it's not, and you should be wary when interacting with it. As reported by TechCrunch's Zach Whittaker, scammers are sending emails from a legitimate internal Microsoft email address: msonlineservicesteam@microsoftonline.com. Microsoft uses this address t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. That book you tried to avoid reading in high school? It's now a pretty damn successful, and fairly faithful, BBC miniseries—succeeding either because brutal times invite brutal narratives, or maybe just because we like watching kids go wild. And the kids, indeed, are absolutely crucial to the series and to William Golding's original novel: The book version of Lord of the Flies is perhaps better known than read because of its relatively straightforward narrative about how fast humans will devolve once the strictures of society are removed. We know that story, and we can imagine echoes of it in the news every day, but Goldi…

If you're like me, you're probably juggling multiple audio apps throughout the day. I listen to audiobooks on Audible, switch over to music on Spotify, check out podcasts on Pocketcasts, and there's always something on YouTube in the background. Usually, switching between audio sources means opening the app, finding the playback function (or the media itself), and pressing play, every time you want to listen to something new. With Android 17 (currently in beta), Google is giving us a more advanced version that lets you easily switch between playback sources right from the Notifications panel. The new Now Playing media switcher is rolling out to Android 17 QPR Beta 3 users…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The first-generation Sonos Beam has dropped to $260.93 at Woot for an open-box unit, and according to price trackers, that’s the lowest price this soundbar has hit so far. For comparison, the same model is still sitting around $488 on Amazon, where it has never dropped below $299. The “open box” label here is also less risky than it sounds. Woot says the packaging may have been opened for testing or display purposes, but the soundbar itself is new and still covered by a standard 12-month manufacturer’s warranty. Shipping is free for Prime members, w…

If you have a Microsoft account that uses SMS for two-factor authentication, you may soon have to choose a more secure method for logging in. As reported by Windows Latest, the company is ditching text-based authentication codes for personal accounts, stating that these are "now a leading source of fraud." Users will be prompted to set up a passkey instead. Microsoft is trying to eliminate passwordsMicrosoft has already started moving toward a password-less environment—last year, the company made passkeys the default on new accounts at setup. Now, it is phasing out SMS codes for 2FA and account recovery in favor of passkeys, authenticator apps, and verified backup email …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The 65-inch Toshiba C350 Fire TV is down to $264.99 on Amazon right now, which is half off its usual $529.99 price and the lowest it has dropped so far, according to price trackers. At this price, it sits in the same territory as many smaller budget sets, but with a much bigger screen. The main appeal here is simple: You’re getting a straightforward 65-inch 4K TV with Amazon’s Fire TV platform already built in—and because of that, setup is pretty painless if you already use Amazon devices. Once you sign in with your Amazon account, Prime Video recom…

The word “calorie” may bring up thoughts of nutrition labels and treadmill readouts, but really calories are just units of energy. Your car runs on gas, your house runs on electricity, and your body runs on food energy. So how many calories do we burn each day, and how many should you burn? Let’s dig in. You actually burn most of your calories at restCalories aren’t only burned during exercise. It takes energy to keep the lights on, so to speak—for your heart to beat, your brain to think, your cells to repair themselves, and more. In fact, most of our calories are burned doing these maintenance chores. Scientists call this baseline calorie burn our "basal metabolic rate,…

It's no secret that Google, like most big tech companies, has gone all-in on AI. The company believes it is the future, and, as such, has injected the technology into every one of its products, none more visibly than Google Search. Over the past two years, Google has introduced AI summaries that seek to answer your questions, pulling the information from websites that fewer and fewer users are actually visiting and reading for themselves. Given this trend, it should hardly come as a surprise that during I/O 2026, Google announced "a new era for AI Search." This "era" essentially marks an expansion of its investment in AI in Search: In addition to rolling out its new Gemi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Earlier this month, I strapped on two different Garmin watches to race a 10K—a mid-range model on one wrist, a premium one on the other—to see how they stacked up. This time, I branched outside of Garmin's ecosystem. For the Brooklyn Half-Marathon, I wore the Garmin Forerunner 970 ($749.99) on my right wrist and the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro ($449.99) on my left, pitting one of the most trusted running watches in the game against Amazfit's more affordable and most ambitious claim to the long-distance running space. Here's how it went. Garmin® Forerunner® 970, Premium …

Google announced a lot of updates at I/O 2026. The company's first modern smart glasses (dubbed "Intelligent Eyewear) are coming later this year, as is Google's Universal Cart shopping assistant. There's even a brand-new AI model, Omni, that can create any output from any input, which should do wonders for our AI-generated misinformation problem. But not everything Google announced on Tuesday is available now (or for free, for that matter). Most of the new Workspace features, for example, require some type of subscription, as do many of the AI enhancements coming down the pike. If you want to test out Omni today, you can, but you need to pay for one of Google's AI subscri…

I'm strongly in favor of using password managers to store your credentials, but, so far, I've resisted the prompts that ask me to switch to passkeys—even though passkeys are better than passwords in just about every way. You don't need to remember or store a long string of random characters if you use passkeys, because they don't actually use a password at all. Instead, you use your device's authentication method, such as a face scan, a device passcode, or fingerprint unlock, to log in to your accounts. Passkeys are also more resistant to phishing attacks because your password manager won't let you use a passkey to log in to dummy websites created by scammers. Despite the…

My fellow Lifehacker writer Beth Skwarecki is a weightlifter. I'm a marathon runner. Together, we make one reasonably competent Hyrox athlete—and in a little over one week, we're going to find out if that's enough. Beth and I are competing together in a Hyrox doubles race on May 29. It's something of a joint experiment to see just how little training you can get away with before showing up to one of these things. Hopefully, we will each bring our respective strengths to the competition, cover for the other's weaknesses, and survive. But before we're put to the test, let's take a look at what proper Hyrox prep looks like, and the bare minimum you can (probably) get away w…