Home Office Setup & Equipment

There are many ways to set a schedule, from using a pen and paper planner to getting out some dry erase markers and scribbling on your clock. They range from tedious to totally archaic, but there's a technique for everyone. One method I have come to enjoy aims to work by giving you more insight into how you spend your time—and helping you manage your day down to the minute. It’s called time blocking. What is time blocking? Time blocking is the act of arranging your schedule so every activity you need to do in a day is accounted for visually. Ideally, you’ll do this using a digital calendar tool like Google Calendar or iCal, but it's possible with a planner and some highl…

Back in 2021, Apple announced a new feature for the Wallet app, that allowed users to add their driver's licenses or state IDs to their iPhones. To me, it sounded like the beginning of the end for physical wallets. In reality, it was anything but: Not only are the applications limited, but even after all this time, only 12 states and Puerto Rico actually support the feature. While the rest of us wait for our respective states to get on board, many might have another option for these virtual documents. On Wednesday, Apple announced "Digital ID," a new initiative that lets you create an ID in the Wallet app using your passport. This bypasses the waiting period for the 38 …

To me, the under-desk treadmill is the ultimate symbol of productivity culture (read: late-stage capitalism). And I'm exactly the type to buy into the under-desk treadmill appeal. Why shouldn't I want to walk while I work, burn calories during calls, and transform my sedentary office prisons into a wellness wonderland—all without sacrificing a single billable hour? (Never mind that I don't work in an office or bill my hours.) Office fitness is the perfect hack for our optimization-obsessed culture, promising that we can have it all: career success and physical health, no trade-offs required. But when I see an under-desk treadmill, I also remember when we all swore that r…

Your Mac now has a built-in clipboard manager, which means that it can finally remember everything you've copied. This feature is disabled by default, but you can enable it pretty easily and start keeping track of the text, photos, and other files that are in your clipboard. The catch is that you need to be running macOS 26 Tahoe to use the built-in clipboard manager, which isn't an option for those with older Macs. Also, Apple's implementation of the clipboard manager is pretty basic, and if you need more features, you're going to have to use third-party alternatives. With that in mind, here is how to pick the best clipboard manager for your Mac. Spotlight search: The…

Have you ever woken up and been filled with immediate dread because the day ahead of you is so busy? It happens to me all the time and is, frankly, a miserable way to greet the morning, setting an equally miserable tone for the day. It simply does not set you up to have a positive experience or be productive. There’s a way to quickly right the ship, however, and turn all those tasks into motivation. It’s called a “brain dump” and you should try doing one in the morning to have a more productive and peaceful day. What is a brain dump? A brain dump is similar to a brainstorm, except you’re actually (figuratively) dumping the contents of your brain. In this case, you’re du…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find. Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find. Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices an…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. We’ve reached the end of television. Since the invention of the technology in the 1920s, TV screens have gradually grown larger, pictures clearer, and sets cheaper, until now: For all intents and purposes, we’re at the end of the road. This "nothing special" 65-inch Samsung unit, is, for most people, as good as a TV ever needs to be. It displays an image more highly detailed than most viewers can perceive from a couch-length viewing distance, its screen is as big as the average American living room can handle, and it costs less than $500. For 100 years, manufacturers and consumers have been chasing screen size and image …

Not to be outdone by the likes of Samsung and TLC, Amazon is joining the picture frame TV space. At CES 2026, the company announced a new line of unobtrusive smart TVs, complete with a new brand name and a redesigned FireTV OS, which will also show up on other FireTV devices. Meet the Ember Artline TV series Credit: Amazon Amazon is calling its new line of art TVs "Ember Artline." They will ship in two sizes, 55 inches and 65 inches, with pricing starting at $899 for the base model—some $200 cheaper than the list price of Samsu…

There's something deeply satisfying about tracking your running progress in a spreadsheet you built yourself. No algorithm showing off other people's workouts, no concerns about what happens to your data if the company pivots or shuts down. Just you, your numbers, and a system designed exactly the way you want it. And when I wrote about this earlier this year, I received some truly heartwarming messages from runners who'd been thinking the same thing. So many of us runners are tired of relying on apps, and we're instead drawn to a simple, customizable spreadsheet. Why build your own spreadsheet?Sure, there's no shortage of fitness tracking apps out there. Strava, Garmin C…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. My Canadian in-laws include a famous (I'm told) ice hockey star, and yet I've still spent more time engaging with hockey via the HBO Max streaming sensation Heated Rivalry than from the stands of any actual court or rink or whatever it is you call the place where people pass around their pucks. Not that I know any more about the game after watching, because frankly, that's not why we're here, nor is that what the buzz is all about. Heated Rivalry is all about the very horny relationship between Japanese-Canadian team captain Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie), a headstrong Russian playing for a different …

Before this CES, I thought gaming headsets had gotten about as complex as they ever would. How many improvements can you possibly make on speakers and microphones? Well, forget all that. Apparently, the future of gaming headsets is mind-reading. In a private demo with a colleague from IGN this CES, I tested out a collaboration between HP's HyperX gaming brand and brain-computer interface company Neurable. Neurable's been at CES before, but most of its work has been in the defense and enterprise sectors. The idea behind the brand is specifically aimed at helping you nail down your focus, and now, Neurable thinks it can use that to help gamers. …

Gaming controllers are just one of those things that I love to collect, but living in a small New York apartment, eventually enough is enough. At CES this year, I saw three new controllers that are all trying to be the last ones I'll ever need to buy (for specific systems, at least). It seems like modularity is in, and all three of these devices want to meet all of your needs. However, they're not settled on what the best approach is. GameSir x Hyperkin X5 AlteronThe GameSir x Hyperkin X5 Alteron is probably the cutest controller on this list, especially if you grew up playing GameCube or Nintendo 64. Essentially, it's a telescopic mobile controller that stretches to fit …

Like many Apple devices, your Apple TV works pretty well right out of the box. You plug it in, download your favorite streaming services, and you're off—while much of your data stays put. But while this is a perfectly fine way to watch shows and movies, there are things you can (and should) change to make your Apple TV work even better. Here are 10 such hacks every Apple TV owner should consider using: Disable the fullscreen profile selector Credit: Apple The first time I booted up my Apple TV after updating to tvOS 26, I was…

Ideally, a winter storm is merely uncomfortable and annoying, but they can sometimes be dangerous for you and your home. This weekend, a potentially historic winter storm is bearing down on some 200 million Americans, who may face dangerously icy conditions and significant snowfall. It's important to know your area's risk and understand the meaning and potential impact of different weather terms (advisory, watch, and warning) so you can respond quickly in the event of an emergency. You should also use the next few days to take steps to prepare your home and lower the chances of damage and danger. Winter prep starts with a thorough inspection of your property, both insid…

Impersonation scams are everywhere: bad actors are constantly trying to convince you that they represent organizations like LinkedIn, PayPal, your bank, the FBI, the FTC, and the IRS as they look to steal your money and information. When it comes to phishing schemes, which typically try to trick you into handing over sensitive data or account credentials via malicious links, tech brands are (perhaps not surprisingly) among the most commonly spoofed. A recent report from Check Point Research found that Microsoft was imitated in nearly a quarter of all branded phishing attempts in Q4 of last year—nearly double the next most-impersonated company. The most popular brands f…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Quality power tools are an investment, and if you take proper care of them, they’ll last a long time. It’s not unheard of for someone to have a decades-old drill or a circular saw that was manufactured in a previous century. Even older cordless power tools can maintain their usefulness for a surprisingly long time if you take good care of them and observe proper battery maintenance. But power tools have seen a lot of advancement in recent years. While your old warhorses might still perform their core function well enough, if your drills, saws, and other power tools are five years old or older, it’s time to consider upgra…

It's been more than a year since the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra were unveiled, which means we're overdue some new flagship phones from Samsung. While nothing has been officially revealed about the Galaxy S26, a number of leaks and rumors that have appeared online, providing a pretty good idea of what to expect. With the caveat that none of this is confirmed (though this information all comes from well-known tipsters with decent track records when it comes to future Samsung products), here's everything the rumors are telling us right now. We'll know how much of it is spot-on once the devices are announced—perhaps as soon as the end of this month. Wha…

I'm one of those folks who has completely moved from X to Bluesky, and for the most part, it's been a pretty seamless experience. It's not hard to move your following list over; you can upload (almost) all of your old tweets if you want; and the scrolling and posting experience is almost identical to what you'll remember from the old days of Twitter. The only feature I've missed? Drafts. Finally, drafts have arrived. In a post to the official Bluesky account, the company announced that it's added drafts to the platform, and that they're rolling out now. To create a draft, just start writing a post, and instead of tapping the Post button, hit Cancel or Drafts instead and …

Live translation is probably the most genuinely useful thing to come out of the AI boom, but if you want to use it during a phone call, you usually need to use a specific device or a separate app. T-Mobile is looking to change that. The carrier announced today that it will soon introduce live translation to all phones connected to its 5G or 4G networks, and to get in on the action, you're going to want to sign up for the beta now. According to a press release sent to journalists today, the new feature will kick in for you automatically once you're selected for it, no matter what phone app or device you use. All you'll need to do to access it is type in "87" on the keypad…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Augmented reality smart glasses blend digital content directly with the physical world, enabling hands-free device use, but a persistent pain point remains: Low brightness can make them unusable in certain settings. Many models max out at 400 to 600 nits, but a rare few exceed that, making them more practical in different conditions—like the Viture Luma Pro AR glasses, which can hit 1,000 nits of brightness. Right now, the Viture Luma Pro AR glasses are over $200 off during Amazon's early President’s Day sale, bringing them to an an all-time low …

With iOS 18, Apple introduced a feature that allowed you to set a charge limit on your iPhone. The goal was to extend the lifespan of the battery, by limiting how often you fully charge it up. Batteries age with each full charging cycle, so by preventing your battery from charging to 100% every time you keep it plugged in, you can slow down that aging process, which means your device will last longer in between charges. Now, that same feature is coming to your Mac. Apple is currently testing the feature as part of macOS 26.4, which means you'll soon be able to ask macOS to stop charging your laptop once the battery level hits a specific charge level. This feature is gre…

Samsung Unpacked 2026 is nearly upon us. On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Samsung will take the stage in San Francisco to make some pretty major product and feature announcements. Unlike some other big tech companies, however, Samsung isn't being 100% secretive here. The company has already told us that it will reveal the next Galaxy S Series, and while they haven't said exactly what it will be called, it's pretty safe to assume this will be the Galaxy S26 series. The rumors suggest Samsung has plenty of other updates up its sleeve, too, including the new Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy AI announcements. Based on the leaks and rumors, it seems the S26 series will likely be a small year…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you follow tech news, you're likely familiar with Apple's two big events each year: WWDC in June, where the company reveals new OS updates (like iOS 26), and its fall event, where it typically announces the latest round of iPhones. But while these are Apple's best known events, they're not the only ones. The company does mix things up, hosting mid-year keynotes every now and then to announce new products, especially when those products aren't the latest flagship iPhones. The March event is just the latest such example. Apple will be hosting this special event Wednesday, March 4, live from New York City. While we wo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Amazon MGM Studios has a rather massive hit on its hands with Project Hail Mary, a sci-fi adventure based on the book by Andy Weir, whose novel The Martian was also met with stellar success when adapted to film around a decade ago (pun intended, by the way). It's a fun and fairly smart popcorn movie, starring a charming Ryan Gosling and his spider-rock-thing best buddy, who save two worlds through the application of science and the power of interspecies friendship. Though Weir's book stands alone, there's already talk of turning the movie into a franchise. Even if I'm not remotely sold on the idea of some kind of wider H…