Home Office Setup & Equipment

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Blink Mini 2K+ (2-pack) is currently down to $44.99 on Amazon, half off its usual $89.99 price and the lowest it has ever been, according to price-trackers. That makes it one of the cheapest ways right now to add basic indoor security with sharper video than the older 1080p models. Blink, which is owned by Amazon, has always leaned toward simple and affordable cameras, and this one follows that formula closely. It records in 2K resolution, so faces and fine details come through more clearly than on earlier Minis. It also adds a built-in spotligh…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Cooking can be a creative outlet, a way of showing affection, and a way to take control of your health. But cooking can also be stressful and time-consuming, especially on a weeknight when you're already exhausted from a long day at work and you've got a hungry family (or just yourself) to feed. Ordering in is always tempting, but that gets expensive and can have an adverse impact on your waistline. You might already have some of the more obvious and established time-saving appliances in your kitchen, but you can always shave a few more minutes and adrenaline spikes off your nightly cook. These kitchen gadgets will make co…

I have always found it annoying to search for anything in Apple's Messages app. Admittedly, things have gotten better in recent years, especially as Messages allows you to use search filters now, but my biggest complaint still stands: searching in Messages can be both slow and complicated, particularly if you just want to find a specific text. If you have the same experience, I have good news: I've found a workaround that offers a massive improvement to Apple's built-in search function. The problem with searching in MessagesFor most people, the easiest way to search for texts on an iPhone involves opening the Messages app, tapping the search bar near the base of the scre…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Resistance bands and dumbbells are both great for strength training at home, since they don’t require much storage space and tend to be a lot cheaper than a full setup with a barbell and plates. But they each have pros and cons, so let’s talk about how to choose. Resistance bands can offer more total weightIf you buy beefy enough resistance bands, they offer a lot of resistance. A pair of “strong” bands from EliteFTS will pull on a barbell with the same force as 122 to 275 pounds of weights, depending on how far you stretch them. During the time gyms were closed because of COVID, coach Greg Nuckols told us that a set of b…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are down to $129.99 on Amazon, from their usual $179.99. That is their lowest price so far, according to price trackers. PCMag gave them an “excellent” rating, largely because they deliver strong sound and active noise cancellation without pushing into premium pricing. At this price, they sit in the crowded midrange category, but they offer a feature set that competes with more expensive earbuds. OnePlus Buds Pro 3 Wireless ANC Earbuds (Midnight Opus) …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Gamers and multi-taskers shouldn’t sleep on the 27-inch LG 27UP650K-W Ultrafine 4K monitor—like most options from LG, it’s a versatile and visually striking display with appeal for multimedia, gaming, and office usage. Right now, it’s cheaper than it's ever been at 30% off, bringing its price down from $279.99 to $196.99. LG 27UP650K-W 27-inch Ultrafine 4K Monitor …

If you're in the market for a new iPhone, good news: Apple just announced one. Despite the company's big event planned for Wednesday, it decided to drop some product news early, including its newest "affordable" phone, the iPhone 17e. While affordable certainly doesn't mean "cheap," the "e-series" offers most of what you'd expect in an iPhone with a price tag lot lower than $1,000. At first glance, the new iPhone 17e looks remarkably like the iPhone 16e. That's because the phones are functionally the same in design. You'll still get the same 6.1-inch display with 800 nits of brightness (1200 nits for HDR); the same overall dimensions, minus an extra .08 ounces; the sam…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Five years can feel like a commitment, but not for a quality VPN this cheap. Right now, you can get an iProVPN five-year subscription on sale for just $19.99 at StackSocial, down from its $360 list price. Instead of paying month to month or even annually, you’re effectively paying about $4 per year. At that price, the money isn't as much a concern as whether the service fits how you actually use the internet. So let's focus on that. iProVPN positions itself as a general-purpose VPN, not a niche privacy tool meant for power users. In day-to-day use, …

One of the nicest things about Apple software, at least in theory, is its uncluttered design. That's why many users (myself included) were annoyed when Safari's Compact Tabs feature was dropped in macOS 26 or iPadOS 26. It was a great way to neaten up your browser bar, and people have been complaining about the missing feature ever since. Happily, the complainers now have something to look forward to, as the upcoming ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 releases will bring back the Compact Tab option, according to MacRumors. Their reporting shows a screenshot of the Safari settings on macOS, with "Separate" and "Compact" tab style both on offer. Why I love Compact TabsHere'…

On Wednesday, Apple unveiled its long-rumored "low-cost" laptop, the MacBook Neo. To get to its attractive price point, the machine cuts some corners—it runs an iPhone chip, rather than a Mac chip; it only has 8GB of RAM; the keyboard lacks a backlight; the base model doesn't come with Touch ID. But none of that really matters when Apple is offering you a brand-new MacBook for just $599—or $499 if you buy through the Education Store. (Given the company doesn't actually require proof that you're a student or teacher to shop the Education Store, the Neo, is, effectively, a $500 MacBook. Wild.) If I were any other computer company, I'd be nervous right now. Apple is, of cour…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A basic TV can only do so much with its built-in speakers. Thin cabinets leave little room for proper drivers, so dialogue sounds flat, and action scenes lose their impact. A soundbar is the usual fix, and this Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with subwoofer and surround speaker bundle tries to solve that problem without creeping into the price range of premium home-theater gear. Right now, the open-box bundle is $219.95 on Woot, while the same configuration is listed for $414.99 on Amazon, making the discount significant. The deal also includes free st…

If you're shopping online, or just trying to access certain websites, and things aren't loading properly, it's (probably) not your internet: Amazon is down. As of Thursday afternoon, Amazon services, including both Amazon.com and AWS, are having issues loading and running. You can see that from Downdetector, a site used to track user reports of issues with websites and services. (Disclosure: Lifehacker's parent company, Ziff Davis, owns Downdetector.) As of this article, Amazon.com has tens of thousands of user reports, while AWS has thousands. Prime Video, Amazon's streaming service, also has user reports at this time, though they aren't as drastic. It's not clear what'…

While many of us iPhone owners just installed the recent iOS 26.3.1 bug patch, Apple is currently at work on another update altogether: iOS 26.4. This update is in beta testing, and brings new features and changes, like AI playlists for Apple Music and support for end-to-end encryption for RCS. But Apple's most recent beta for 26.4 includes something new that most iPhone users will likely enjoy: eight new emojis. These new emojis aren't necessarily Apple's creations. Instead, they're based on the Unicode Version 17.0, an emoji standard released on Sept. 9, 2025. When the Unicode Standard releases new emoji standards, it's up to developers to create their own art for thei…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A carnival thrill-ride that manages to evoke America's radical revolutionary history while referencing and responding to decades of cinematic rebellion, One Movie After Another is one of writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's richest films, and somehow maybe even his most fun. Its 13 Oscar nominations put it in line with the most-honored movies ever, alongside the likes of From Here to Eternity, Mary Poppins, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and The Fellowship of the Ring. Of course, One Battle has the slight misfortune to be running against Sinners, with its all-time high of 16 nominations. Still: not bad. With a variety …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold (256GB, Unlocked) is currently $1,499 (originally $1,799) on Amazon, and price trackers show this is the lowest it has reached so far. Physically, the phone keeps the same overall size as the earlier 9 Pro Fold, but it runs on the new Tensor G5 processor with Android 16 and, since the phone is unlocked, works across major U.S. carriers like Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. That flexibility is helpful if you plan to change carriers down the line. Google Pi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ (128GB) is currently $499.99 (down from $649.99) on Amazon, and price trackers confirm this is the lowest price it has ever reached. According to PCMag’s “excellent” review, the Tab S10 FE+ works well as a general-purpose tablet for both entertainment and productivity, making it one of the best tablets you can buy in 2026. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ 13.1” 128GB WiFi Android Tablet …

As a tech journalist who uses Google Docs a lot, I'm used to clicking past various AI prompts and offers of assistance whenever I want to write something with my own human brain. Now, I'm going to have to use up even more clicks to hide the AI integrations on a blank page—though, this time, some of them actually seem genuinely useful. Google is further upgrading Gemini's capabilities in Google Drive and its online office apps: Docs, Slides, and Sheets. You can now produce entire documents and spreadsheets with a prompt, create text that matches a particular style, and pull in relevant information from your Google Drive files, Gmail, Google Chat, and the web. These chan…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. On Monday, Apple officially announced the AirPods Max 2. As the name implies, this is the first major update to the AirPods Max since Apple introduced the over-the-ear headphones in 2020. The company previously rolled out a minor refresh for the AirPods Max, but this only replaced the original pair's Lightning port with USB-C, and enabled Apple to add a couple neat perks via software update. AirPods Max 2, however, come with new features out of the gate—features that Apple's earbuds have actually had for years. First, an answer to the question most likely on your mind: No, Apple did not change the price. These headphones …

Spotify keeps adding new features lately. Last week, the company rolled out "Exclusive Mode" for desktop users to stream in the highest quality possible; last month, Spotify announced "Smart Reorder," which automatically sorts your songs by BPM; and in January, the company's AI-powered "Prompted Playlists" landed in the U.S. after an exclusive stint overseas. It's still not easy to pick a favorite among other services like Apple Music, but Premium subscribers can at least say Spotify is giving them something for their money. Now, the company is rolling out another new feature, one that actually seems like a cool way to learn about your music. On Tuesday, Spotify annou…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Building my garage gym is one of the best investments I’ve ever made. No matter the weather, or the traffic, or how much time I have available on a given day, I know I can always get to the gym (my gym) and get a workout in. If you’ve been thinking of setting up your own home gym, the Amazon Big Spring Sale is a good time to start buying the essential pieces. Here are my picks for what I’d get if I were just starting out. Some notes before I dive in: Everybody’s needs will be different, so feel free to skip any items that don’t fit the way you like…

TikTok has gone through a lot of changes as of late, especially since U.S. companies took a majority stake in the company. But while users have had to decipher new terms of service, some of which raise alarm bells, they've also had some innocuous adjustments to contend with as well. Case in point: TikTok now has a game, built right into your DMs. You just need to know where to find it. TikTok told TechCrunch about the game on Tuesday. While you might assume the gameplay has something to do with TikTok itself—short-form videos, influencers, etc.—the game itself is a very basic platformer. In fact, it strongly resembles "Doodle Jump," if you ever played that on your iPhone…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Garmin Forerunner 970 is the newest and best Forerunner watch (aka Garmin's flagship running watch line). It’s an improved version of the Forerunner 965, though it does come with a shorter battery life and a higher price tag. Whether that tradeoff is worth it depends on what you're looking for. For data-driven racers and endurance athletes who want to track, analyze, and optimize every aspect of their performance, the 970 is one of the best watches out there. My full in-depth review is still in the works, but a few standout features are already making a strong impression. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It’s a safe assumption these days that every smartwatch and fitness tracker can be taken into the shower, rinsed off when you wash your hands, or worn into a pool. Many have swimming modes, or water lock features that suggest they can be used while wet. And yet, people keep finding out that the watch they thought was waterproof isn’t. For example, this Redditor’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (released in 2022) died this year during an ocean swim, with signs of salt corrosion inside. Another Redditor recently lost functionality in their first-generation Apple Watch SE (2020) after swimming. Older watches tend to lose their water res…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As the world outside of our streaming boxes has gotten nastier, we've seen an uptick in the population of amiable goofballs within them, with comfort shows like Ted Lasso and Schitt's Creek having set the template. Rooster's Greg Russo (Steve Carell) isn't exactly one of this crowd; his world is falling apart around him rather precipitously in the opening episodes of the HBO series, but the vibe is far less dour. It's a show about a likable, well-meaning character who struggles to maintain his principles and outlook when faced with a world that's more than happy to throw mud in his face. If that's something you need more …

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…