Home Office Setup & Equipment

Microsoft has released its "Patch Tuesday" update for January, and you should ensure your computer receives these security fixes as soon as possible. This update addresses 114 vulnerabilities in total, including three zero-days (bugs that have been actively exploited or publicly disclosed before an official fix is available from the developer). As reported by BleepingComputer, security flaws were found across the following categories: 57 elevation-of-privilege vulnerabilities, three security feature bypass vulnerabilities, 22 remote code-execution vulnerabilities, 22 information disclosure vulnerabilities, two denial of service vulnerabilities, and five spoofing vulnerab…

If you receive a warning on a LinkedIn post that your account has been restricted, don't engage with it. Scammers are using LinkedIn branding in official-looking "reply" comments to spread phishing links intended to harvest users' login credentials. As reported by BleepingComputer, this impersonation campaign relies on fake company pages and LinkedIn's official link shortener to trick users into "verifying" their identities on a domain run by threat actors. Here's what to look for. How LinkedIn reply comment phishing worksScammers are replying to posts on LinkedIn with messages claiming that users have in some way violated the platform's policies. The comments include a…

Stock Android added the concept of App Pairs back in Android 15. You choose two apps to use in split screen mode, add a shortcut to the paired apps to the home screen, and it's now trivially easy to trigger split screen multitasking (instead of having to perform multiple tap and drag gestures). It sounds neat, but I never really used it, because on my small Pixel 9a, using apps in 50:50 split-screen mode is hardly user-friendly. There's just not enough room on the screen for each app to take up half of it and still be usable. But that changed with Android 16, thanks to a small update to how split screen works. In Android 16, the split screen ratios for app pairs are much …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. After Verizon's unexpected nationwide outage Wednesday, the carrier came out yesterday to try to save face, saying it was offering a $20 credit to all accounts in the myVerizon app. Now, its low-cost offshoot carrier, Visible, is also trying to make its own amends. As spotted by 9to5Google, Visible is texting its customers with the following message, promising a $5 credit on their next bill as an apology for the outage: Yesterday we let you down and for that we are sorry. We are giving you a $5 credit towards your next month of service that can be redeemed after Jan 16 when paying with a credit card online. This credit isn…

Duolingo, no matter how you feel about it, accomplishes one thing: It makes practicing a skill every day easy. The application focuses on language, but it also offers math, music, and even chess lessons if you dig around a bit. There are many other subjects worth learning, though, and many ways you can use gamification to learn new skills and generally improve your life. Here are five I found: Learn geography with Globo Credit: Justin Pot I love traveling and learning about the world, but I'll admit there are some regions I don…

I've been using Firefox as my default browser for over two decades now, and during this time, I've learned a thing or two about making the most of its many features. There are some features that are turned on by default that I would recommend turning off, and some simple tweaks you can make that will greatly enhance your privacy and security. Here are all the Firefox hacks I use to make my browsing experience better, so you can try them yourself. Make the home screen truly yoursFirefox pushes the Firefox Home screen as the default whenever you open a new tab. There's nothing particularly wrong about that, but it does come with some unnecessary sponsored content, which you…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Surround sound systems are not cheap, especially if you want to go for flagship options like Bose, Sonos, or JBL. However, one brand offers a complete surround sound system that is still on-par with the rest as far as quality, but offers a much better bang for your buck—that's Samsung's HW-Q990F/ZC, and right now it's 58% off on Woot for a new system. You can get it for $847.99 (originally $1,997.99), the lowest price I've seen it on sale. Samsung HW-Q990F/ZC Soundbar …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When the cold weather arrives, there’s a tendency among homeowners to focus on the interior—namely, our personal comfort and the utility bills. That’s perfectly sensible—no one wants to shiver in their own house, and no one wants to be slammed with an enormous utility bill, either. But the exterior of your house is just as important. Heavy snow and icy buildup during extended periods of severe cold can really take a toll on your house. Snow and ice combined with melt/freeze cycles during sunny periods can do some serious (and often completely silent) damage to your home in a variety of ways, from water intrusion through y…

There’s an art and a science to picking a good starting word when you play Wordle. And now that the New York Times has announced it will start repeating previously used words, it may be time to rethink your strategy. While previous solutions used to be off-limits for future puzzles, that rule has changed. As of February 1, 2026, they're fair game again. That rule change matters because every word choice in Wordle has to be split between two jobs—gaining information about what to guess next, and trying to solve the puzzle with your guess. If you don't care whether your starting word might be a solution, then the rule change may not affect you. But some solvers prefer to us…

When the Nintendo Switch 2 came out, I was a bit skeptical that such a thin and light device could handle AAA, blockbuster games. But when I actually got it in my hands and reviewed it, I was impressed to see that it was capable of running demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 just as well as my Steam Deck could. Since then, it's continued to prove itself by capably running other beefy games like Star Wars Outlaws and, more recently, Final Fantasy VIII Remake. The catch? All these games were all a few years old, and with the exception of Star Wars Outlaws, they all had versions for last-generation systems. As we started moving into 2026, I was still left wondering how well…

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. Amazon announced Alexa+, its overhauled digital assistant with generative AI capabilities, about a year ago. Shortly thereafter, it kicked off an early access program allowing interested users to try it out free of charge. Unfortunately, that honeymoon period has come to an end: Alexa+ has now officially launched, and now you'll need to pay to access its most useful features. While certain features will still be free to use, the majority of the Alexa+ experience is now locked behind a paywall. True, you might already pay for that paywall—but if you don't, it's going to cost you quite a bit to keep the features you've been …

We should all take common-sense steps to make sure our data stays safe and secure: use strong passwords with our accounts, and never reuse passwords; employ two-factor authentication on any account that offers it; and avoid clicking strange links in emails or text messages. But even when you follow all those rules, your personal data can still be at risk, strictly because the services you rely on aren't following these rules themselves. Some websites are putting your passwords at riskResearchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered that a concerning number of browser extensions can access sensitive information that you enter into websites. Think passwords, c…

We're heading toward the back half of February—and according to your weird aunt on Facebook, this is an unusual, maybe magical month. Some say it is a "miraclein," a lucky calendar configuration that only occurs once every 823 years. Others say February 2026 is a "perfect month." Some say it is the beginning of an extremely unlucky year. Some say that a late-month planetary alignment will cause great upheaval. The February 2026 "miraclein"Though it is not a word used by astronomers (or even astrologers, to my knowledge), some are describing this month as a "miraclein," a month in which every day of the week falls four times during the month. This only happens every 823 y…

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-…

The newest Galaxy series is officially here. Samsung announced its latest batch of flagship phones During its big Unpacked 2026 event. The company had announced as much ahead of the presentation but was silent on the name, though few will be surprised to learn this year's phones are the Galaxy S26 series—specifically, the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra. While the new devices look similar to last year's models, there are some new features and changes (including ones exclusive to the S26 Ultra) that may make them worth upgrading. The S26 series comes with new Galaxy AI features …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Open ear design headphones are picking up steam, possibly because ANC technology has become so good that people are forgetting what the sound of birds singing sounds like (or is that just me?). Nothing is a newer brand that has started off well, making good value products with great features that are very competitive with more well-known brands. The Nothing Ear (Open) is their first open ear design earbuds from 2024, and it's currently $99 ($149) for Prime Members, the lowest price it has been, according to price tracking tools. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. I didn't understand the need for a power station until this past winter gave me a rude awakening. Although I ultimately didn't lose power, the prep for that what-if scenario of facing freezing temperatures without power was enough for me to decide to get one. While I went with the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus, I should have waited, because the more powerful EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 is $1,999 right now—a steep 46% discount from the $3,699 list price. This is its lowest price ever, according to price tracking tools. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Apple's "affordable" MacBook is official. The company revealed the "MacBook Neo" in a non-livestreamed event on Wednesday, following a series of product announcements throughout the week. Despite the hoopla, there aren't a ton of surprises here: The rumors pointed to a low-cost MacBook running an iPhone chip that came in a variety of fun colors to choose from. That's basically exactly what we got: The Neo runs the A18 Pro—the same chip as the iPhone 16 Pro—and comes in Blush (pink), Indigo, Citrus (yellow/green), and Silver. Really, the biggest surprise of the day is the price: $599, or $499 if you buy through the educatio…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Breaking news out of Florida: Lee County deputies reportedly arrested a man recently on the beach near the Sanibel Causeway. The unnamed suspect was found dripping wet and drawing detailed diagrams in the sand. He told officials he'd been kidnapped by dolphins, pulled under the surface, and forced to build an underwater city. The man said the Head Dolphin, "Gerald," communicated with him through clicks, and found some way to help him breathe for several days. You can get more details in this TikTok video that's been viewed over five million times in the last few days: It turns out, unsurprisingly, that this story is fals…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When digital music first started popping off, the vast majority of us didn't care all that much about audio quality. Some of the less, erm, legal methods of downloading music offered horrific quality audio, while even the best options at the same (i.e., iTunes) only supported MP3, a relatively low-quality codec. Times have changed: While most of us still aren't necessarily audiophiles, we do expect high-quality tracks from the streaming services we use—especially if we pay for them. It might not be the "gold standard," but streaming sounds great, even with wireless headphones. But there is a clear ceiling in audio qualit…

If your browser of choice happens to be Firefox, good news: Your web surfing is about to get a bit more private. On Tuesday, Mozilla announced a number of upcoming updates to Firefox, all under the theme of user customizability. One such option happens to be a built-in VPN that Mozilla will offer users free of charge. This new VPN option in Firefox rolls out March 24, as part of Firefox 149. There are no downloads required, since the VPN is baked into the update: Once it hits your browser, you'll be able to turn on the VPN and start hiding your IP address and location while you use Firefox. The only caveat here is that Mozilla is capping VPN data usage at 50GB per mont…

Netflix's April lineup is packed with something for everyone. There are new installments of reality series Million Dollar Secret (April 15), Netflix's answer to NBC's The Traitors, and Temptation Island (April 10). Comedy series Running Point (April 23) also returns for a second season, with Kate Hudson starring as the president of her family's pro basketball franchise. Big Mistakes (April 9) is a new crime comedy series created by Dan Levy, who stars alongside Taylor Ortega as one of a pair of siblings who get blackmailed into participating in organized crime. And Kevin Hart has a new comedy competition series: Funny AF with Kevin Hart (April 20) incorporates real-time …

Tax time is high season for scammers, who target taxpayers with fraud campaigns ranging from IRS impersonation to "ghost" preparers that take your money and run. In fact, the IRS publishes its annual "Dirty Dozen," a list of the tax scams consumers should be especially aware of. And this year's list reveals that, as with romance scams and scams targeting travelers, AI is making tax scams appear more sophisticated—and harder to spot. AI is facilitating tax scamsOne of the IRS' top scams for 2026 is AI-powered impersonation by phone: fraudsters are using AI tools for voice cloning and caller ID spoofing so recipients believe they are talking to a legitimate IRS representat…

If Steam is one of your gaming apps of choice, then you might not typically spend too much time interacting with the program—you probably want to get straight to the gaming. Take a few minutes to dive into the settings and features on offer though, and there's a lot to explore. From remapping gamepad controls to launching games with custom restrictions applied, here's what's possible. (Note: The tips below are based on the current Steam client for the Windows desktop, but you should find comparable options on the other Steam apps too.) Run a privacy audit to prevent strangers from learning about your gaming habitsYou need to pay attention to your privacy on Steam as well …