Home Office Setup & Equipment

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. The internet isn't private, but that doesn't mean you have to willingly give up all of your information to use it. By default, trackers steal a lot of your data while you browse the web, but simple settings can block a lot of those trackers from functioning. As it turns out, by updating to iOS 26, your iPhone gets an upgraded tool against tracking. The feature, called Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection, is an option in Safari that hides certain browser and device data trackers typically use to b…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Practicing a new language can be fun, but premium language apps can be expensive. Babbel makes it easier with practical, bite-sized lessons designed for real-life use, focusing on conversations you’d actually have—ordering food, chatting with the locals, asking for directions (read PCMag's in-depth review of Babbel to learn more)—and right now, its lifetime subscription is on sale for a huge discount: A lifetime subscription to Babbel is on sale for $159 with promo code LEARN. The sale ends October 2. It's a one-time payment—no recurring fees, no mo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. I've written a lot of e-bike reviews for Lifehacker, and almost all of the bikes have come from established companies like Canyon, Aventon, and Specialized. Though they came from big brands, you generally can't buy these bikes from large retailers like Amazon or Best Buy; you gotta buy 'em direct or through a bike shop. That means you have to put in a little more legwork to get one, but it's worth it. I always recommend test riding as many bikes as you can…

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. One of the best ways to retain knowledge when studying for a test is to maintain a particularly strict study schedule. The technique is called “distributed practice,” and I won't pretend it is easy to set up, but it's much more efficient than trying to cram. Here's what to do so you actually remember what you're supposed to be learning. What is distributed practice?Distributed practice, like a number of the most common study techniques you can try, has its roots in the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus, a Germa…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. This brand-new Microsoft Surface Pro 7 offers portability, flexibility, and power that still holds up for most people who want a dependable Windows machine without overpaying, and it's on sale for $659.99 at StackSocial right now. The 12.3-inch PixelSense touchscreen remains sharp and responsive, with a 2736x1824 resolution that makes documents, spreadsheets, and streaming look crisp. It’s lightweight at 1.7 pounds, and the built-in kickstand turns it from tablet to laptop on demand—something the Surface line has always nailed. The Surface Pro 7 is …

You know the feeling. You sit down to work on something important, and within minutes, your hand is reaching for your phone. Maybe it buzzed. Maybe it didn't. Either way, you're suddenly 20 minutes deep into Instagram Reels or doomscrolling through news you'd rather not read. When you finally look up, your focus is shattered, and you can't quite remember what you were doing in the first place. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. The average American now spends over six hours a day staring at screens, with much of that time devoted to mindless scrolling on smartphones. I don't go a day without lamenting my "phone addiction" and vanishing attention span. If smartphon…

When OpenAI was started in 2015, its founders (including both Sam Altman and Elon Musk) chose to make it a nonprofit. Its initial goal was to guarantee that artificial general intelligence (AGI), a type of AI that is theoretically better at humans at most tasks, would benefit everyone. The company has gone through a number of changes in the years since. It hasn't been a true nonprofit since 2019, when it moved to a "capped-profit" structure, which limited profits to 100 times any investment. Musk even sued the company last year, claiming it had ditched its original mission in favor of profits. But now, OpenAI is looking more like a traditional for-profit company than ever…

Sora, OpenAI's short-form AI video generator, has been out for just about a month now, and already, it's helping to spread disinformation on social media. Accounts share Sora generations without any transparency, sometimes with the Sora watermark removed, and while shrewd observers see through the AI, many people scrolling by don't think twice and believe things happened that didn't. That could be as innocuous as Jake Paul putting on makeup, or as dangerous as a fake interview meant to manipulate viewers towards a political bias. It's getting scary out there. So far, for the free model, Sora has capped video generations at 30 per day. If you pay for the Pro model, you ge…

Responding to posts on social media claiming that ChatGPT will no longer offer legal or health advice, OpenAI is clarifying that "model behavior remains unchanged" and there is "not a new change to our terms." The clarification follows a since-deleted viral post from betting platform Kalshi, which claimed "JUST IN: ChatGPT will no longer provide health or legal advice." Since then, concerned users have repeated the claim, while others have attempted to push back against it. The confusion likely stems from an Oct. 29 update to OpenAI's Usage policies, which appeared to add a stipulation that users cannot use OpenAI for "provision of tailored advice that requires a license,…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Creator/writer/star Mae Martin's Wayward is Netflix's biggest show right now. It's a sly mystery involving cult behavior and cycles of trauma at a school for troubled teens, given added relevance by its proximity to real-life stories of abuses at similar facilities. Wayward does a few different things well: It's a mystery box show, first of all—meaning that we're presented with not just one but several intriguing puzzles right off the bat, with resolutions handed out frugally. It's also a great example of the "small towns are weird" subgenre, one that likes to remind us that there are strange and ominous doings in even the…

Windows 10 is no longer officially supported by Microsoft, but that doesn't mean the company has actually stopped supporting it. It's not as confusing as it sounds: As of Oct. 14, Microsoft has stopped issuing security updates for Windows 10 users by default. However, Windows 10 users can continue receiving security updates if they enroll in Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program. The ESU gives these users an extra year of security support, so they can continue using an internet-connected Windows 10 device safely. Or, at least, that's how it's supposed to work. As reported by How-To Geek, Microsoft's first ESU update crashed upon release on Tuesday. When users try…

Today, short-form videos dominate our free time (and our working time, at that)—but this wasn't always the case. Before the likes of TikTok and Instagram Reels, online video content was more long-form than not. It might have felt short by the standards of cable TV, but many of the videos on platforms like YouTube were regularly anywhere from two to 10 minutes, if not longer. The first platform to really popularize short-form content as we think of it now was Vine. These videos were short—a maximum of six seconds at a time, which should have spelled the platform's doom. Who would want to watch these tiny videos back to back for hours at a time? A lot of us, apparently. V…

Android 16 officially started rolling out back in June, with most of the Material 3 Expressive visual overhaul added in a major update in September. Now, the second big Android 16 update is here, ushering in a host of new features across notifications, customization, accessibility, and device restrictions. As is the norm, this update will arrive on Pixel devices first. For other Android devices, including those made by Samsung, it's up to each phone and tablet manufacturer to adjust the software update as needed and push it out to their users. Despite the limited rollout, Google says this marks a "new chapter" for Android releases, which, going forward, will be "more freq…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Black Friday may have passed, but there are still some serious deals out there for gamers—especially PS5 owners. This PlayStation VR2 bundle with Horizon Call of the Mountain is currently $299 on Amazon, a 25% discount off the usual $399 and its lowest price ever according to price tracking tools. PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of The Mountain™ Bundle …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A popular productivity method encourages you to start your day by “eating the frog”—that is, tackling your biggest, most important task of the day first, then moving through the lesser ones in turn. For many, structuring their to-do list around their greatest responsibility is a good way to stay motivated and ensure top priorities are handled expediently. But not every person works best that way. I know I don't. Even for people who generally do enjoy tackling the hard stuff first, not every day is the same. If you find the prospect of jumping into a massive project first thing in the morning daunting—every day, or just tod…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Philips Hue is one of the most well-respected and popular brands in smart lights—but what about its smart security cameras? Parent company Signify has been developing Hue cameras for a couple of years now, with a video doorbell and 2K camera upgrades recently added to the portfolio of devices. (Note: This 2K version hasn't yet landed in the U.S., but the existing 1080p versions are quite similar.) I got a chance to test out the new 2K Hue Secure camera, and alongside all the basics of a camera like this, it came with an extra bonus that worked better than I expected: seamless integration with Philips Hue lights. These two…

My concentration is shot. I know this because I've checked my phone four times while writing this opening paragraph. I'm addicted to my phone in a way that feels both embarrassing and completely normal, which is perhaps the most damning part. My phone feels essential for everything: my job requires Slack and email responsiveness, my hobbies live in apps and group chats, and even my downtime involves scrolling through feeds I don't actually enjoy. These days, we tend to think of upgrades (in life, in tech, wherever) as adding features, but sometimes the real upgrade is eliminating. So I did something a little radical this year: I bricked my iPhone. Well, sort of. And it's …

CES is the time of year for weird computers, and Asus is bringing back an old fan favorite to help fill its unusual form factor quota. Gamers who miss the days of dual screens, get excited: the ROG Zephyrus Duo is returning for 2026, and it's bigger than ever. Looking a bit like a gigantic Nintendo DS, the new ROG Zephyrus Duo stacks two full-sized 3K OLED screens on top of each other, with a standard laptop hinge in between. It's a lot like the company's existing Zenbook Duo, but that one's geared more for productivity users—the Zephyrus Duo is fully specced out for gamers, with a 120Hz refresh rate on both screens, the latest Intel Core Ultra chips, up to an RTX 5090 la…

Whenever you have a bunch of looming tasks—as many of us do at the start of the new year, when everyone actually "circles back" on the things we've been putting off—having a structured to-do list is an essential part of getting everything done. Determining what goes on that list and in what order, though, is a task all its own. I've covered a lot of ways to do that, but if you're stuck with a high volume of important responsibilities, you need an approach that matches the complexity of what you're trying to do—and that's where the RICE method comes into play. What is the RICE method of prioritization?RICE, as you probably guessed, is an acronym. Here's what it stands for:…

If you've been running several email accounts through your Gmail, you might want to double-check your settings this month—that's because Google is ending support for the POP3 protocol that can sync emails from third-party accounts. And while there are some other solutions, they don't work quite the same. POP3 is an older standard of syncing emails between multiple accounts that allowed users to import emails from a third-party account and manage them in one spot. It's also a less secure method of transferring emails, so it's not a total surprise that Google is phasing it out, but the company hasn't broadcast the change too loudly, so it might come as a surprise to some us…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The 65-inch Samsung QN90F Neo QLED TV is currently $1,199.99 on Woot in "factory-reconditioned" condition. That undercuts a new unit, which sits around $1,600 on Amazon, and even slips below what some retailers ask for “like-new” stock. This deal runs for seven days or until it sells out. Shipping is free for Prime members, while everyone else pays a flat $6 fee. One thing to note before checkout: This item doesn’t ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or PO boxes, and you’ll need to provide a valid phone number and physical shipping address. The QN90F isn’t a mi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Winter makes the comfort gaps in your home impossible to ignore. Cold corners, stale air, rooms that never feel evenly warm, no matter how long the heater runs. You can try smaller fixes first—blocking drafts, layering rugs, or improving airflow, which actually helps rooms feel warmer without cranking the thermostat. But if you’re still juggling space heaters, fans, and an air purifier, this deal on the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 is worth a closer look. It’s currently $499.95, down from $659.99, and price trackers show this is the lowest it’s ever …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A comfortable, good-looking pair of headphones with bass-forward sound and deep Apple integration doesn’t usually dip below the $100 mark, but this one just did. The Beats Studio Pro headphones in factory-reconditioned condition are down to $94.99 on Woot. Beats Studio Pro headphones $94.99 at Woot …

If you have Verizon, yesterday might have been a bit chaotic. The wireless carrier's coverage was down for large swaths of the country for much of the day, leading to confusion, frustration, and, for some, conspiracy theories. I saw some users on X post cryptic messages like "This is how it starts," and "These are the end times." It's good to know in times of service disruption, we can all keep a level head. But despite claims to the contrary, the world didn't end yesterday, and Verizon fixed the issue. The company issued a statement at 10:20 p.m. ET, confirming the outage had been resolved, and that Verizon would contact affected customers directly to issue account cred…

You may have heard of people—elderly folks in particular—getting a heart attack from shoveling snow. This is a real risk for a lot of people, especially if you are sedentary and have certain health conditions. Here's a breakdown of what’s so dangerous about shoveling, and who's most at risk. Snow shoveling is hard exerciseThe connection between shoveling and cardiac events is real: The American Heart Association cites several studies that found higher rates of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths after snowstorms. Shoveling is hard work, and it can cause your blood pressure and heart rate to rise far higher than levels that are considered safe for sedentary people wit…