Home Office Setup & Equipment

I love being able to go to the pharmacy for my own (or my kids’) flu shots. Pop in, get the shot, then go about my day. That process has now gotten even easier: Last year, the FDA approved the first flu vaccine that you can administer yourself, or that parents can administer to their children, and it's now available for at-home ordering. I just placed my order. And best of all: It’s a nasal spray, so no needles. How can you get the at-home flu vaccine? The nasal spray vaccine, called FluMist, still needs to be prescribed by a medical provider. But since nearly everyone aged two through 49 is eligible, FluMist’s maker (AstraZeneca) has a telehealth website that bundles the…

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. When you’re studying, you can try to simply memorize phrases and facts long enough to pass a test, but you should really be trying to retain concepts for the long term. What are you putting all this time and effort (and money) into if it's not preparation for the future? One way you can do that is by using “elaborative interrogation,” a technique that helps you learn more effectively by challenging the facts you’re going over. Even if you do only want to pass a test, this can help you understand how the m…

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. Sometimes, Apple hosts grand presentations to announce new products and services. Other times, the company simply drops the news on a random Wednesday morning. This Wednesday morning is one such example: Following a preview on social media, Apple has announced the M5 chip, as well as three products that will kick off this new era of Apple silicon: the M5 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pros, and Vision Pro. The M5 chip The big news that unifies all updated Apple products today is the M5 chip. As the name might…

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. It's 2025, so every piece of tech needs to have some kind of AI integration—even Roku, apparently. On Wednesday, Roku announced a number of new features and changes coming to its many streaming devices, but headlines zeroed in on one announcement in particular: the company's new AI assistant. The assistant, which will be a part of the existing Roku Voice feature, lets you ask the streaming device questions about shows and movies, including the characters and actors that are in them. You could ask the assista…

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. It's the end of an era: TiVo no longer manufactures or sells the DVRs that made the company a household name. If you still have one, the company will continue to support it, but don't go looking for one: TiVo as we know it is effectively over. TiVo didn't make a big deal about this discontinuation, however. As it happens, Luke Bouma of Cord Cutter News was the first to spot the development. Earlier this month, Bouma reported that TiVo Corporation had silently ended its DVR line, removing all references to th…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. 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. According to price trackers, one of Amazon’s most popular security cameras—and what we've described as a “worthwhile entry-level wireless camera”—just hit its lowest price yet. The refurbished Blink Outdoor 4 (2-pack) is now $62.99, down from $164.99, and significantly cheaper than buying new at $179.99. Like-New Blink Outdoor 4 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Apple Watch’s hypertension notifications may soon have a competitor. Oura, maker of smart rings, is planning to pursue FDA clearance for their own warning feature for high blood pressure. Oura members can sign up for a study soon in the Oura app. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can lead to problems with your heart and blood vessels over time. That’s why medical professionals measure it at office visits and why people who have high blood pressure may take medications or use diet and exercise to try to control it. What Oura is planning for its blood pressure featureOura said in a press release that the feature wi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Right now, black JBL Live 460NC on-ear headphones are down to $39.99 (originally $129.95), offering a nearly 70% discount on this long-lasting, noise-cancelling alternative to in-ear buds from a reliable brand with free shipping. JBL Live 460NC Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones $39.99 at Walmart …

If you've ever had to drink an extra cup of coffee the next day to make up for a scrolling spiral watching TikTok videos or YouTube Shorts, we have something in common. As a safeguard to keep us from scrolling on and on (and on) into the wee hours of the morning, YouTube's adding a system to limit the amount of Shorts a user watches in a day—but it's a little less strict than what exists on other apps. Still, it's better than nothing. Once you have the update, you'll be able to set your limit under Settings, although YouTube hasn't specified the specific steps yet. I assume it'll be under the General tab (I don't have the feature yet), but I've reached out to YouTube for …

You may or may not have heard of "eating the frog." It's one of those things that triggers the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon once you learn about it: Suddenly, everyone seems to be saying it, which is jarring, since it's a little graphic and evocative. Luckily, it doesn't mean you have to eat any frogs for real; it's just a way to refer to the productivity philosophy that says you should tackle your biggest, toughest task first thing in the morning. What it means to "eat the frog"“Eat the frog” means “do the day’s worst task as soon as you wake up.” It comes from a quote attributed to Mark Twain, though there are a few different versions floating around. (Lifehacker Editor-i…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Investing in a smart thermostat won’t just keep your home comfortable — it also can help you save money on energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint. By automating scheduling and learning preferred temperatures, smart thermostats conserve energy and make your home more comfortable. The 2022 Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium might not be the newest option on the market, but to this day, it receives consistently excellent ratings, and right now, it’s $198.99 (originally $249.99) on Walmart, marking its lowest price ever according to price trackers. …

For the past few years, Google's Pixel phones have had recurring problems with calling 911, and the issue has once again reared its ugly head. Over the past 24 hours, multiple users on Reddit have complained about being unable to call 911, while the Bell carrier in Canada issued a warning that the Pixel 6 and up was also having problems contacting emergency services on its network. According to user Fabulous_Disaster730, who posted yesterday about difficulties contacting emergency services during a gas leak, her Pixel 9 Pro repeatedly prompted her to turn on wifi calling or turn off airplane mode before she could call 911, despite her having full signal on both 5G and wif…

There was once a time where first-party apps and experiences on Apple devices were exempt from advertisements. Other app marketplaces might happily show you ads, but not the App Store. Most news sites place ads in between every other paragraph, but Apple News was an ad-free experience. Say what you wanted about Apple and its products, but you certainly dealt with far fewer ads than on other platforms. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case. Apple has slowly made ads a part of its business model in order to boost revenue. You might have noticed them already while scrolling through stories in News, or when looking for a new game on the App Store. Even the Wallet app has …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Prioritizing your to-do list is key to getting everything done. You need to make sure you’re allocating enough time to the difficult and important tasks but saving space for the little ones, too, all while not designating too much time, either. Try the ABC method for categorizing your responsibilities for the day. It's simple to implement and will help you make sense of your to-do lists. What is the ABC method?Categorizing your tasks by need, timeline, and time necessary for completion is important, which is why some people use the Eisenhower matrix and others overload their Google Calendars. These are great methods, but y…

More accurate translations seem to be making their way to Google Translate, as first spotted by 9to5Google. While Lifehacker has not been able to confirm this independently, the publication says some of its iOS devices now show an option to pick an "Advanced" translation model in the Google Translate app. The new model shows up as an option in a model picker at the top of the page, similar to the Gemini app, and advertises "High accuracy for complex translations." Engadget was also able to get the model picker to appear, where the Advanced model said it "specializes in accuracy using Gemini." Those wishing to use the old translation tools can instead continue to use the "…

If you're keeping up with generative AI, especially generative AI video models, then you've probably heard about Sora, OpenAI's short-form AI video app. Even though the app has only been available for a bit over a month, you've probably seen Sora videos on your other feeds—whether you realized it or not. Sora is capable of producing hyperrealistic AI videos that can be hard to distinguish from clips of actual reality. It doesn't help that the app's "cameo" feature lets you insert real people into these videos, leading to confusion and creating a risk of spreading misinformation. While the memes might be fun, if you ask me, there's really not much good that can come out o…

Yesterday, Nintendo launched a new Nintendo Store app for iOS and Android, finally catching up with Sony and Xbox. On the surface, it does about what you'd expect, making it easy to browse games and Nintendo news, and even purchase games outright (albeit through an in-app browser window, presumably to avoid funneling Apple hefty commission fees). But hidden in the tiniest, most out-of-the-way button in the app is a detailed tracker for your play activity—finally fixing a feature that Nintendo consoles have dropped the ball on since the original Switch launched way back in 2017. The Switch has its own activity tracker, but it doesn't tell you much …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Thanksgiving should be one of the least stressful holidays—the sole achievement you’re trying to unlock is to eat yourself into a coma, which many of us can do any time, with zero prep. But there are some sneaky sources of stress, from the expense of pulling it all together to the travel arrangements needed to make sure everyone arrives in time for appetizers—not to mention the stress of cooking Thanksgiving dinner. The unlucky host has the responsibility of not only feeding a large group of people, but making sure everything comes out more or less on time—and then cleaning up the spectacular mess afterward. Luckily, moder…

iPadOS 26 is a huge deal for anyone who wishes Apple would just make a touchscreen MacBook already. The update rolls out a major multitasking redesign that introduces macOS-like windows, a macOS-like menu bar, and a macOS-like file management. The iPad even has the Preview app, for crying out loud—though, to be fair, so does the iPhone. Apple has toed the line with its tablets over the years, introducing features and functions that make the experience more like using a computer, while never really committing to the bit entirely. To that point, iPadOS 26 probably won't replace your MacBook, but it comes pretty close. If your major concerns have to do with things like win…

Contactless payment, also known as tap-to-pay, has become a fast, easy, and relatively common way to complete a transaction using your smartphone or credit card. It relies on Near Field Communication (NFC) to transmit data between your device and a payment terminal when the two are in close proximity, up to an inch or two away. While NFC technology does provide some additional security—transmitting a virtual account number instead of your actual card details, for example—scammers have found a way to capitalize on tap-to-pay to steal money from unsuspecting targets. These "ghost tapping" schemes may exploit both cards and mobile wallets. How tap-to-pay scams workAccording…

AI has been the tech buzzword over the last few years, but it's stolen attention from other technological advancements that are possibly more impactful in your everyday life. Take satellite connectivity for example: For most of the time cellphones and smartphones have existed, losing cell signal meant your mobile device was largely useless. With satellite connectivity, however, as long as you're within range of a satellite, you can continue to make calls and send texts. It's remarkable, for both the convenience of communication, as well as your safety. Right now, there are only a few companies leading the satellite connectivity charge, at least as far as consumer technol…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Your home is under constant threat from the elements—but especially from water. From roof leaks to burst pipes—water damage is the second-most claimed loss on home insurance policies, just below “wind and hail.” In fact, there are way more losses due to water damage than fire. And the most troubling aspect of water damage is how silent it can be. You can have a leak for a long time before the damage becomes bad enough to notice. And even if you know you have a water leak somewhere, locating it can often be difficult because water can travel a long way from the source before making its presence known. That’s why you need th…

Google really wants you to use its AI to help you do your holiday shopping, and to that end, it's finally letting AI Mode and Gemini directly link you to products. The new feature is powered by Google's "Shopping Graph," a list of 50 billion products that also informs Google's Shopping tab, and it's available to everyone on both desktop and mobile starting today. Here's how it works: In Google search's AI Mode or the Gemini app/website, you can ask a question or send a prompt about a physical product, like "Help me find an espresso maker that has a steam wand, is affordable, and is good for beginners." If the AI can find relevant product information in the Shopping Graph,…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Scheduling your day is an important part of being productive. You can (and should) prioritize your to-dos by timeliness and time box your way to a jam-packed, detailed schedule, but there’s more to time management than that. You should also consider dividing up not only your day, but your week overall, to maximize productivity. The trick here is to theme your workdays. Instead of jumping from task to task on any given day, try grouping all the similar ones together and parking them on a specific day, when your schedule allows. By putting similar tasks together on the same day, you’ll stay in that “zone” longer, focusing o…

When it comes to productivity hacks, there are two things I love: the tried-and-true classics, like the Pomodoro method, and shaking them up with a few customizations. I've written before about other ways to mold Pomodoro to match what you need, but today's idea, Pomodoro 2.0, is one of the easiest and most effective adaptations. What do I mean by "Pomodoro 2.0?"First, a refresher on what the Pomodoro technique even is. When you're using this technique to focus and be productive, you set an alarm for 25 minutes, work for that time, then take a five-minute break. You complete that cycle four times, then give yourself a longer break at the end, up to half an hour, before s…