Home Office Setup & Equipment

We may earn a commission from links on this page. To the disappointment of Judgment Day fans, The Rapture did not happen as predicted at the end of September, but keep your fingers crossed for November, when aliens are expected to invade. This one's a way more concrete prediction than the Rapture. Unlike Jesus, we can actually see the alien starship in our telescopes, cleverly disguised as an interstellar comet. And it's not just conspiracy theorists or Joe Rogan Podcast guests sounding the alarm—a Harvard astrophysicist kicked off the whole thing. So hold on to your butt! The ballad of 3I/ATLASBack in July, NASA spotted 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar comet about the size of M…

Mind-mapping is beneficial for productivity in your daily tasks, but it’s also a technique that is widely used for studying. A mind map isn’t just a diagram that lays out tasks, but a visualization of how ideas connect to one another. Once you see the core concepts represented with shapes and their connections represented with lines, you can better understand your material overall, especially if you're more of a visual learner. Here’s what you need to know when using a mind map for studying and how to make the creation of one a lot easier. What is the benefit of a mind map for studying?A mind map helps you generate ideas based on their association to other concepts, plus …

As a rule of thumb, if you receive an unsolicited text, especially one claiming to include a security code, it's likely part of a phishing scheme. Such is the case with a recent spate of unprompted texts purporting to be from the crypto wallet service Coinbase. If you receive such a message, even if you have a Coinbase account, delete it. Someone is likely trying to scam you. Coinbase isn't texting you Here's how the scam works: You receive an unsolicited text message that reads "Your Coinbase withdrawal code is..." followed by a six-digit number. The message continues: "Please do not share this code with anyone. If you have no requested this, please call:" followed by a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When you track a strength training workout on a fitness watch, that watch will happily tell you what heart rate zones you were in during the workout. In fact, they'll do that for any workout, whether it makes sense or not. So you might be tempted to interpret this data in terms of the benefits of zone 2 training. If my heart rate is in zone 2 when I’m lifting weights, that means I just did an hour of zone 2 training, right? Unfortunately, no. Heart rate zones only apply to cardioZones are meaningless for strength training, but to understand why, we have to go back to the reason zones were invented in the first place: to gi…

Over the past few months, I felt overwhelmed by all the changes going on in my life—and the things I need to do because of and for them. I've been providing administrative help to my partner as he opens a new business, managing professional expansions of my own, studying for a certification exam, overseeing renovations to my apartment, and restructuring my finances while still keeping up with my regular jobs and responsibilities. For a while, I was waking up tired before the day even started despite the fact that most of these boil down to never-ending, tedious, but little tasks like "send that email," "return that phone call," "confirm that account number," and "pick a p…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve been eyeing a big-screen upgrade without blowing past your budget, the Vizio 65-inch 4K UHD LED Smart TV (V4K65M-08) might just be the solution you need. It’s currently $348 at Walmart (down from $428)—a solid deal for a name-brand 65-inch TV that supports 4K, Dolby Vision, and HDR10. VIZIO V Series 65" 4K HDR Full Array LED Smart TV (V4K65M-0804) …

Memes can be fun. But when a big corporation decides to get in on the action, the fun usually dies. As spotted by Android Authority, Google is currently working on a new feature for Google Photos called "Me Meme," though Android Authority thinks it could be called "Meme Me" upon release. The feature is simple: Through the power of AI (sigh), you can turn pictures of yourself or a family member into "your favorite memes." Cool. Here's how it's supposed to work: You choose a "meme template," along with a sample photo of yourself, a friend, or a family member. That photo reportedly needs to be backed up to Google Photos before you can use it here. And while not a requiremen…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Pretty much every fitness tracker and smartwatch has an optical heart rate sensor, but they're not always perfectly accurate. Not only can you get better accuracy by wearing a chest strap heart rate monitor, you can even use a chest strap without a fitness watch—just connect it to your phone. Chest straps don't break the bank, either; my favorite is around 30 bucks. CooSpo H808S Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor $29.87 …

I recently reviewed Even Realities G1 smart glasses (they're very cool) and the first real-world thing I used them for was scamming someone. I told a local bartender I had an encyclopedic knowledge of film, and I would answer the hardest movie trivia question he could come up with in exchange for a drink. After a short consultation with Google, dude came back with "Who directed 1922's Cabinet of Dr. Caligari?" I tilted my head thoughtfully and repeated the question as if verifying I heard him right. The AI agent silently did its thing, and in about three seconds, the answer was floating before my eyes, totally invisible to everyone around me. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Walmart joins Best Buy in announcing its Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale early. This year, Walmart seems to take a page out of Best Buy's strategy and split the sale into smaller ones. Here's everything we know so far about Walmart's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale for 2025. What is Walmart doing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?Walmart will hold three sales, all called "Walmart Deals Events," from November to December, according to their press release. The sales will be a combination of online and in-store for members and non-members. When …

If you’ve ever heard the word “kanban,” you probably remember it, since it is inarguably fun to say. You likely heard it tossed around by someone who works in a corporate office, as it's extremely popular in that setting. “Kanban,” it turns out, is more than a fun word or something practiced by that friend whose job makes no sense to you. It’s an effective system for scheduling tasks in a highly productive way—and it can be used by anybody, not just people who also use corporate jargon about how they'll "put a pin in that" and "circle back." Don't be intimidated. While it's a little involved, it's ultimately just a visual method for determining what you need to do, what …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Even though the newer Hero13 Black is out, the Hero12 Black still nails the fundamentals that made GoPro the go-to name for action cameras. And right now it’s available at a solid discount—$299.95 at Walmart, down from $349.99, and cheaper than Amazon’s current $369 listing. GoPro Hero12 $299.95 at Walmart …

Adobe just wrapped up its Max keynote, which means its time for its biggest free competitor to announce its own set of new features. While Adobe's done its best to keep up with Canva by adding its own free, web-based tools to its lineup, the simple browser-based editor has become a key part of my creative routine. Now, it's coming for more of Adobe's lunch by launching a "creative operating system," which while largely a rebrand of existing (but expanding) tools, smacks of the Photoshop makers' "creative cloud" branding. As part of the update, Canva's introducing a bunch of—say it with me—AI to its products, but is also taking a big swing by making popular Photoshop alter…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you don’t need luxury earbuds and are simply looking for wireless sound with solid performance, the JLab Go Air Pop Bluetooth Earbuds are a great option. Right now, they are on sale for $17.49 (originally $29.38), making them a great option for everyday buds that you can toss in a bag with your other daily essentials. At this price point, you might even want to grab a backup pair in case you misplace them. JLab Go Air Pop Bluetooth Earbuds …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon’s early Black Friday sale just made one of Samsung’s best midrange OLEDs a lot more tempting. The 65-inch Samsung S90F OLED TV is now $1,397.99, down from its regular price of $1,997.99—the lowest price so far, according to price trackers. SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class OLED S90F 4K Smart TV $1,397.99 at Amazon …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Fire tablets have always been about stretching value, and the Amazon Fire Max 11 takes that idea further. It’s the biggest and most powerful tablet Amazon has made so far, but it stays well under the typical premium tablet price tag. Right now, a refurbished, like-new 64GB model with ads is down to $124.99 from $199.99 as an early Black Friday deal. Meaning, you’re basically getting a refreshed unit that looks new, works flawlessly, and costs a lot less. (For $65 more, you can get the 128GB version brand new and ad-free.) It came out last summer and…

If you have multiple Android devices, you might like to keep the experience about the same across them. If you download an app that's useful on your phone, there's a good chance you'll also want that app on your tablet, or even your Chromebook. Likewise, if you no longer find an app useful on one device, you likely won't want to keep it on your other devices, either. It can be annoying, however, to uninstall the app from each of your devices individually. Maybe you're using the app on your smartphone and you decide to delete it, but forget to delete it on your other devices. It might live on your tablet or Chromebook for a while before you realize you want it gone. That's…

Good news, Android users: It no longer matters whether or not you have one of Google's latest and greatest devices—at least when it comes to recording calls with Google's Phone app. As spotted by 9to5Google, Google just opened up call recording in its app to Pixel 6 and newer. You won't get access to the Phone app's latest AI features, but if all you want is a reliable way to record phone calls, you'll be set. Google announced this new rollout back in September, calling the ability to record calls a "fundamentally useful feature," even without transcription or automatic note taking. That's certainly true: While the idea of recording phone calls might strike some as nefar…

A lot of people are wrong about low testosterone. The "low testosterone" hashtag on TikTok features over 20,000 videos from real doctors, fake doctors, real doctors who seem like fake doctors, bodybuilders, wellness weirdoes, straight-up scammers, and, seemingly, everyone else. Some of the content is accurate, some is wildly inaccurate, some is in the middle, but the overall impression is a confusing miasma where solid medical information is given equal space with people recommending boosting your testosterone by exposing your privates to direct sunlight for 10 minutes a day. So let's clear this up a little. What low testosterone actually isTestosterone is a hormone prod…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Gifting season is coming up, and this affordable 2023 edition of the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet makes an easy, practical gift. A convenient way for kids aged 6-12 to consume Amazon content safely, it’s 45% off at $104.99 (originally $189.99) in three different colors, marking its lowest price ever. The tablet, which has won awards for its strong parental controls and earned an “Excellent” rating from PCMag, features built-in safeguards that enhance online security. It comes in a durable slim case with a kickstand handle and a 10.1-inch Full HD displ…

Sometimes, it's not the tasks on your to-do list that overwhelm you, but simply the act of sorting them out and figuring out where to start. Before you can prioritize your responsibilities and setting out a schedule for getting everything done (using strategies like "eating the frog" or creating a 1-3-5 to-do list), you have to identify what those big tasks are and what capacity you have to take them on. If you are the type of person that finds it helpful to visualize these things, let me introduce you to a pair of strategies that both involve imagining tasks as rocks: The "pickle jar theory" and the "big rocks theory." What is the pickle jar theory?The pickle jar theory …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming up soon, but deals are already trickling out across marketplaces across the Internet. If you're shopping for home goods or home improvement items (like I always am), this is the time to load up on tools, organizers, appliances, and more, all for cheaper than you'll pay during other times of the year. Check this live blog often to see the best sales on home products that we're finding in the lead-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $849, the unlocked 256GB Google Pixel 10 Pro is now at its lowest price yet on Amazon, down from its original $1,099 launch price (according to online price trackers). That’s a significant drop for one of Google’s latest flagship phones. Google Pixel 10 Pro $849.00 at Amazon …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is now available at a $100 discount for Black Friday, bringing the Bluetooth model down to $399.99 from its original $499.99, and the LTE version to $449.99 from $549.99. That extra $50 for LTE only really matters if you plan to use the watch without your phone nearby. For most people who keep their phone close, the Bluetooth version is more than enough. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic (46mm, Bluetooth, Black Band) …

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…