Home Office Setup & Equipment

I love movies, and especially when I can watch them for free: And while streaming the latest Hollywood blockbusters might come at a price (at least for those wanting to stay on the right side of the law), there's an ever-growing collection of older films that you can get at online without paying a dime. The site WikiFlix (as spotted by the fine folks at Gizmodo) lists movies available to stream that are now in the public domain. The way that copyright works in the U.S. basically means that copyright expires on films after a period of 95 years—so with every year that passes, a batch of new flicks become available to view by anyone, free of charge. If you're looking for som…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you want a tablet and a laptop but can’t justify buying two separate devices, there’s no need to choose—there are plenty of two-in-one designs out there like the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, a lightweight laptop that flips back 360 degrees and combines the perks of both. Right now, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 laptop and tablet is $1,549.99 (originally $ 1,999.99), bringing it to 23% off and its lowest price ever, according to price-trackers. Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 …

Last month, Google told online publishers that it had started testing AI-generated headlines in Google Discover, replacing stories' carefully handcrafted titles with truncated alternatives made up by Gemini. Some journalists were predictably unhappy, but now, the company says that the AI headlines are no longer an experiment—they're a "feature." Back when the testing began, the results ranged from poorly worded to straight up misinformation. For instance, one AI-generated headline promised "Steam Machine price revealed," when the original article made no such claim. Another said "BG3 players exploit children," which sounds serious, until you click through to the article a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $99 on Woot, the factory reconditioned Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones are nearly $60 cheaper than the next best price on Amazon and the lowest they’ve been to date, according to price trackers. While “refurbished” might scare off some shoppers, this deal includes all accessories in retail packaging, a 90-day warranty, and a professional inspection that guarantees like-new functionality. Cosmetic wear should be minimal and only noticeable up close, if that. You get a 90-day Woot warranty, and free shipping if you’re a Prime member (with a …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you're like most people in 2026, you don't have cable and only miss it occasionally—mostly when there's a specific live sporting event taking place and you need a way to catch it. What if you could get cable for a single day, then ditch it? That's the basic idea behind Sling's 1 Day Pass. For $5, you can get a day's access to ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and a few more channels besides. That array will cover quite a few nationally broadcast sporting events. Unfortunately, like most everything related to watching live television in the age of streaming, this is more complicated than I'd like. A 1 Day Pass is only available for Sli…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Things seemed very quiet this week in the world of youth culture, so I asked my always-connected son what kids were talking about. "Dad, the Epstein files," he said. "That's all anyone is talking about." I like to keep things light here, but it's not possible at the moment; The Epstein files are the culture right now, no matter what age you are. Younger people are trying to figure out how to fit this massive thing into their idea of the world, just like you probably are. Smaller kids are contextualizing the files by visiting/making Roblox Epstein Islands and joking about it in school (then asking their folks what it reall…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. In Apple TV's Silo, Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette Nichols, an engineer who gets wrapped up in an investigation involving the local sheriff (David Oyelowo)—usual procedural stuff, except that the characters all inhabit a massive silo, 144-levels deep, protecting the remaining 10,000 humans from the allegedly poisoned world above. It's an addictive show in spite of its smart, dystopian vibe and, it's been renewed through a concluding fourth season, doing one better than the three-book Hugh Howey novel series on which it's based. Season three is expected sometime in 2026. In the meantime, you can catch these other shows…

Instagram will soon alert parents if their teen repeatedly searches for content related to suicide and self-harm on the platform. According to an announcement from Meta, these notifications will be available to parents in the U.S., UK, Australia, and Canada who supervise their teen's accounts starting next week. As TechCrunch reports, this feature is being rolled out amid numerous lawsuits over how Meta and other tech companies have failed to protect kids and teens across their platforms. How the new safety alerts workInstagram will use teens' search activity to generate alerts. Searches that are flagged include "phrases promoting suicide or self-harm, phrases that sugg…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Apple just announced new Mac products, and among them is a new M5 MacBook Air. As is often the case after such announcements, the previous model is starting to get some discounts: The 15-inch M4 MacBook Air with 16GB Unified Memory and 256GB SSD Storage is currently $999, a $200 discount we haven't seen since January, according to price-tracking tools. Even at full price, this M4 offers remarkable value for your money, even compared to earlier models. 15-inch M4 MacBook Air …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Hisense U65QF in a massive 100-inch size is currently selling for $1,497.99 on Amazon, down from $1,997, and price trackers show this is the lowest it has reached so far. That price is notable for a screen this large, since 100-inch TVs often cost well over $2,000 even from budget brands. Reviews have also been encouraging. PCMag gave the TV an “outstanding” rating and named it the best budget TV of 2025. The U65QF replaces the earlier U6N, a model many buyers liked because it delivered solid picture quality without a premium price. This newer v…

When you hit the share button on social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook, or Threads, these sites tack on a tracker to the link you're sharing. This tracker means that Instagram can tell who you've shared the link with, and it likely uses this information to further optimize its algorithm for ads. While the tech here is sneaky, it is easy to remove tracking information from these links. How do social media tracking links work?It's actually pretty easy to spot a link that has trackers. To check it out, copy the link to any Instagram post and paste it somewhere safe, like your notes app. A normal Instagram link looks like this: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVrMKV…

I write frequently about the threat of malware and how threat actors are using it to do everything from steal personal information to fully take over users' devices or add them to botnets. These malicious programs spread through various forms of phishing, ClickFix attacks, malvertising, and even apps that have been vetted and approved by Apple and Google. However, as users (and security tools) have gotten better at identifying the signs of a malware infection and savvy enough to avoid them in the first place, some cybercriminals have changed tactics: Living Off the Land (LOTL) attacks exploit built-in system utilities and tools that may be less likely to raise red flags.…

I find it satisfying to do a word puzzle (or three) each day. Wordle is great, but it’s not really exciting anymore. Crosswords are fun if you have the time (I love an NYT Thursday puzzle) but I don’t always bother. My sweet spot, lately, are games like Minute Cryptic and Parseword—which are entry points into the incredibly bizarre world of British “cryptic” crossword clues. What is a cryptic puzzle?Cryptics are a type of word puzzle unlike anything else. There exist whole crosswords full of them, but the daily puzzles I’m writing about are just one clue per day, so you can focus on exactly what’s going on in that single clue. Cryptics look like a regular crossword clue…

Google Meet's "Take Notes for me" feature is one particularly useful implementation of AI. When you're on a video call, Gemini can dictate what's being said, offering summaries and highlights of the conversation. That way, your attention doesn't need to be split between the conversation at hand and writing down notes to remember key points later: You can just check the notes that are automatically generated as a Google Doc once the meeting is over. It's the kind of feature that sells me more on the whole "AI assistant" thing, rather than something trying to order me a coffee. Of course, video conferencing isn't the only time dictation can be useful. An in-person meet…

YouTube Music isn't the most feature-rich of all the music streaming services, but it is a great option for those who love music videos, user-generated content, and the YouTube ecosystem overall. If you have YouTube Music, or are considering switching from another platform, these are the best tips and tricks to get the most out of your listening experience. Use these tools to transfer your playlists from another streaming serviceIf you're moving to YouTube Music from another app, you don't have to start from scratch. YouTube has a direct integration with Apple Music for playlist transfers. For other streaming services like Spotify, you can import using third-party apps l…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Soundcore Boom Go 3i Portable Bluetooth Speaker has dropped to $49.99 from its usual $79.99, and price trackers suggest this is the lowest it has reached so far. It is a compact, palm-sized speaker designed for portability, weighing just about 380 grams. There’s also a built-in silicone strap, which is basic but practical, letting you loop it onto a bike handlebar or hang it at a campsite without needing extra accessories. Soundcore Boom Go 3i …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The rumors are true: Google has announced a $99.99 smart band called the Fitbit Air, and is relaunching the Fitbit app as Google Health. There's a lot here I'm excited about: an affordable smart band without a mandatory subscription, with a full-featured app that may, if Google's promises check out, offer a meaningful alternative to Whoop's app. Here's what we know about the band, and how it's going to fit into the ecosystem if you already have a Fitbit or a Pixel Watch. The band is impressively lightweight and comfortable-looking Left: the Fi…

Virtual meetings are essential to remote work—but they can also be tedious. If Zoom is your video conferencing platform of choice, there are lots of hidden features you can tap to make meetings more efficient for hosts and engaging for participants. Here are the best tips and tricks for getting the most out of Zoom. Use self-selected breakout rooms to create a virtual networking eventVirtual networking is already awkward, and potentially even more so if you send people to random breakout rooms to force conversation. While meeting participants are commonly assigned to breakout rooms automatically, Zoom has a feature that allows individuals to choose their breakout and mov…

Canvas, the cloud-based learning management system used by more than 8,000 colleges and universities, including all top ten colleges in the U.S., is being held for ransom. A group called Shinyhunters has claimed responsibility for the hack and has given Canvas' parent company, Instructure, until May 12 to reach a settlement, or else "everything is leaked." Canvas outages have been reported nationwideThere's no word on how many schools have been affected, but reports of students being unable to access Canvas are coming in from universities and colleges all over the country. Over the last half an hour, complaints of Canvas being down have gone from nearly none to over 8,000…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As the average running watch gets increasingly high-tech, there’s a new normal for pre-race rituals: Staring at your watch the week before a big event, hoping the algorithm has good news for you. Both Garmin and Strava offer race time predictions, but how accurate are they, really? I put each platform to the test during the Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 16, 2026. Here’s what I experienced, and what I think every runner needs to know about what these tools actually measure. How Garmin's Race Predictor worksGarmin's Race Predictor has been a fixture on its mid-range and advanced running devices for more than a decade. The f…

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 my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Not all Prime Days deals are open to just anybody. Since 2023, some of the best offers in Amazon's annual sale are invite-only—meaning you have to sign up for them in advance of the sale going live, and hope you get chosen to receive the discount. These deals have become a common fixture for Amazon's major sales, including this past summer's Prime Day. With Prime Big Deal Days 2025—the fall version of Prime Day—kicking off on Oct. 7, you can expect to see mo…

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 my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. A lot of outdoor speakers will float on water or be rated IP68 waterproof, but the only one that will also float facing up and be resistant against salt water is the Soundcore Boom 3i, making it the best portable speaker for water activities. It also has plenty of useful features that make it a great outdoor speaker. Right now, you can get it for $99.99 (originally $139.99). …

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. I'd be willing to bet the one thing most of us want from our iPhones is quite simple: more battery life. Apple can keep adding new features and designs with each new smartphone iteration, but if the company just announced a new iPhone with record-breaking battery life, customers would be thrilled. While we may have to wait for a time when the iPhone can go a couple days in between charges, Apple has added a new option to iOS 26 in an effort to help extend your iPhone's battery life. The feature, Adaptive Po…

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. The whole point of studying is to retain information you’ll need later in life, even if it’s just for an impending test on a subject you may never think about again in the future. That’s not easy when you’re taking in a bunch of unfamiliar phrases and concepts—which is why you need a quality method to structure your study sessions. Try the SQ3R technique next time you’re studying, and see the difference it can make. What is the SQ3R study method?I touched …