Home Office Setup & Equipment

You've probably heard you can use your phone's personal dictionary to save time typing. It's one of our favorite time-saving tricks. However, there's an even easier way on Android to save whole blocks of text, and you've been using it without realizing it: your clipboard's history. This feature may vary depending on your model of phone, so we'll focus on Google's Gboard. By default, the keyboard will keep a history of what you copy, so you can paste multiple blocks of text without bouncing back and forth between apps. You can see this history by tapping the Clipboard icon on your keyboard (in some contexts, you may have to press the four-square apps button to pull it up).…

No matter what you've heard, Macs get viruses too. There are a handful of indicators that your Mac may be infected by malware: your computer running slower or working harder than usual (or overheating), apps or programs crashing unexpectedly, or unfamiliar software or processes running on your device. Here's what to do if you suspect a malware infection on your Mac—and how to get rid of it. Disconnect your Mac from the internetAn active internet connection may allow malware to spread across your network to other devices or communicate information to and from bad actors, ultimately making it more challenging to isolate and remove. If you need to download any programs to …

If your Mac's close to running out of space, don't ignore the problem. These machines can run into issues when their storage is 100% full: Updates may struggle to install; the machine may slow down; apps might not work well; and you may notice that some stop backing up their data to the cloud, too. To avoid all of these issues, free up space. It's not as daunting as it seems. Use built-in tools to free up space on your Mac Credit: Pranay Parab Apple gives you plenty of easy tools to start clearing unwanted files from your compu…

Priority Notifications is a new Apple Intelligence feature that's rolling out with the iOS 18.4 update, which is currently in beta. It's one of the last AI features that we will see with the iOS 18 update cycle, and it goes hand-in-hand with Apple's Notifications Summary feature, though they are distinct. Perhaps because of the backlash Apple got to Notification Summaries, this feature isn't even enabled by default. You have to enable it instead. How Priority Notifications WorkLike many new Apple Intelligence features, Priority Notifications uses on-device AI processing to figure out what your most important notification is at any given point. Then, it surfaces those noti…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. HBO was, for at least a couple of generations, the home of movies on cable—no one else could compete. For a while, it seemed like Max could well be the ultimate streaming destination for movie lovers, but the jury is still out there. Even still, Max maintains a collaboration with TCM, giving it a broad range of classic American and foreign films. It's also the primary streaming home for Studio Ghibli and A24, so even though Max hasn't been in the business of making as many originals as it used to, it still has a solid assortment of films you won't find anywhere else. Here are 23 of the best of Max's recent and/or exclusive…

Bluesky's latest update adds a few more useful options to its impressive arsenal of anti-harassment tools. The changes make it easier to hide direct messages (DMs) from strangers, and to mute accounts even faster. You don't need to do anything to receive these features, too. As long as you're using the latest version of Bluesky's apps or log in to the website on any browser, you should see them. Here's everything that's now available as a part of Bluesky's 1.99 update. Block DMs from strangersNo one wants a bunch of DMs from strangers, and Bluesky has now acknowledged that. If you're on the end of a targeted harassment campaign, you'll now be able to sort out DMs from str…

You can now use Siri with added ChatGPT on your iPhone, but Google is keen for you to use its Gemini AI bot instead: A few months ago, an official Gemini iPhone app was launched, and now we have some lock screen widgets to go with it. While you can't swap out the iPhone's default digital assistant entirely, as you can on Android, these six new lock screen widgets do give you easier access to Gemini on iOS, and are handy shortcuts if you prefer Google's AI. The widgets are available to you whether or not you're paying $20 a month for Gemini Advanced. To make use of these widgets, you first need Google Gemini for iOS installed. Launch the app after it's been downloaded, and…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Whenever a new friend comes over, one of the first things they say to me is that I am "so lucky" to have an exposed brick wall in my apartment. This is true, for the most part, because it's pretty and cozy and has that classic New York vibe. It's not entirely true that I'm lucky, though, because it's massive. It is about nine feet tall and 17 feet wide, which is a lot of brick to take care of. I don't know how (and I am too scared to try) to put nails in it, so beyond the one nail leftover from a previous tenant who was braver than I am, there's no way to hang any art, which leaves me with a ton of space to clean and deal…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Ever since my home was broken into, I've installed as many security cameras, floodlights, and other security measures in place as I could get away with (and they've been working great so far). The video doorbell I chose to go with for my front door is the Reolink Video Doorbell. Right now, you can get one of the best video doorbells of 2025 for a $51.99 (originally $109.99), the lowest price it has ever been, even cheaper than used ones on Amazon, according to price-tracking tools. Reolink Video Doorbell …

Americans are living through interesting times, economically. The tariffs imposed, delayed, and frequently adjusted by the government have thrown household budgets into confusion. One thing that’s pretty certain is that the baseline tariffs applied to just about every country are likely to raise prices at the grocery store no matter what happens from here (prices could go up by about 3% overall). For families that are already struggling to make their grocery budgets work, this is unwelcome news, but there is one thing you can do right now—while prices are still largely unaffected by tariff chaos—to help mitigate the impact and protect you from future grocery inflation: s…

Whenever I open Reddit these days, it feels like I'm just asking to see outrage bait. That means posts from AITA, posts from AIO (Am I Overreacting), and posts about political turmoil. As a writer, I need to check Reddit to keep a tab on interesting new app launches, common problems people face with technology (so that I can write about the solutions), and sometimes, to solve a niche problem that I face with my own tech. But if I accidentally open Reddit's default home page, my mental health starts tanking, and my thoughts become angrier, too. Yes, a lot of bad things are going on in the world right now, but I don't want to hear about them all the time. My brain needs a b…

Reddit is giving users more control to choose which activity other users can see on their public profiles. A new "curate my profile" feature allows users to selectively show or hide posting and commenting activity, as well as follower counts and NSFW content and communities. What's changed with Reddit profile settingsWith new "Content and activity" settings, Reddit users can choose to hide all public posts and comments or selectively display activity from some subreddits on their profiles while keeping others hidden. Users can also hide follower counts as well as NSFW content and communities from their profiles. Previously, all posts and comments were visible on a user's…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The movies and television shows below are the best of what's coming to Hulu this month—according to me. Because I'm an expert at watching things. The best of the month is Deli Boys, a fishes-out-of-water comedy about pampered Pakistani brothers who inherit a criminal empire. Also of note: Good American Family, a series based on a very strange true story. Deli Boys, season 1 Created by Abdullah Saeed, Deli Boys is an outrageous comedy series about a pair of sheltered, pampered Pakistani American brothers whose lives are upended when their father dies, and they learn that baba's real money didn't come from the delis…

Sometimes you need a day off. Sometimes you don’t need a day off, but you take one anyway. If you have any anxieties about what exercise means to you, you may spiral into worry or guilt: Am I a slacker? Am I losing all my gains? And if rest days are so important, why do I feel guilty every time I take one? You probably know the answers to these questions, which all boil down to: A day off doesn’t define who you are. But feelings of rest day guilt are pretty common, and I’ve felt them myself. So here's a pep talk to help you understand these contradictory feelings, and some options for what to do when you feel this way. Tell yourself these things: Know that one day doesn…

Have you committed to a new habit—exercising, let’s say—but keep falling off the wagon? Do you give up when the going gets tough? Does this whole “pursuing goals” idea seem really daunting? You may have low self-efficacy. But don’t worry: Self-efficacy is something that you can build with practice. Here's how. What is self-efficacy?Self-efficacy, as psychologists understand it, is related to the idea of confidence, but it’s not just being cocky for no reason. It’s a feeling something like determination and related to discipline and motivation. When you have high self-efficacy, you believe that you can do the thing. Whatever that thing may be. Maybe you’re just getting sta…

The average balance per consumer now stands at $6,580—up 3.5% year over year, according to a recent report from TransUnion. Altogether, consumers owe a record $1.21 trillion on their credit cards, according to a separate report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. If you're struggling with credit card debt, it's safe to say you're not struggling alone. Carrying a growing balance on high-interest credit cards can put a huge financial strain on your monthly budget. Whether it's an unexpected expense—like a car repair or medical bill—or you're going through a period of reduced income, being saddled with credit card debt can make it feel impossible to get ahead financia…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Pixel Tablet didn't do too well for Google when it came out in 2023, costing more than the entry-level iPad but not offering a better experience. But with its current price of $279 (originally $399) for the 128GB storage and 8GB RAM version, it's matching its lowest Black Friday price, according to price tracking tools. This makes the tablet perhaps what it should've been in the beginning, a very well-priced Android tablet-smart display hybrid. Google Pixel Tablet 128 GB …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A good video doorbell should do two things well: show you who’s at your door and make it easy to interact with them. The Arlo Video Doorbell 2K (2nd Gen) does both. Originally priced at $129.99, it's now $59.99, its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. Arlo Video Doorbell 2K $49.97 at Walmart …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Americans are predicted to spend a whopping 2.5 billion dollars on flowers this Valentine’s day. If you are one of the people who are considering such a gift to your paramour, you may want to stop for a moment and consider your beloved’s beloved: Many popular flower choices are toxic for dogs and cats. Here's what to know before you choose your bouquet so you won’t have to apologize for a vet visit later. Flowers that aren't safe for petsFirst, consider whether your intended recipient has a cat or dog (or both), as they can have different reactions. For instance, lilies, a common Valentine’s Day choice, can be lethal to c…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I have a problem: My garden is a finite size. It will hold only so many trees, though I’ve been trying for years to squeeze in more. The solution might be a micro orchard, which provides distinct benefits. First, all the fruit on your trees is reachable (because nothing is as frustrating as a peach just out of your reach) because the trees are kept small and fruit is encouraged to grow close to the ground. That small stature of tree means you can pack more into a smaller space. Being able to have many trees instead of one allows you to diversify your harvest, or improve the pollination of one kind of fruit tree by having a…

For some, spooky season begins sometime in late August—when Target puts out the animatronic skeletons and ghost projectors, and when every vacant retail space is possessed by a Spirit Halloween. For others, it's after Labor Day. For yet another subset, spooky season runs year-round. A quick check of the calendar reveals that at least one of those criteria have been met, which means it's time to queue up something with chilling vibes—even if the sun is shining. Talk to Me (2022) A group of teens comes across an embalmed hand and realize that they can use it to conjure spirits, which is all tremendous fun until it most assuredly isn't. While there are elements of "e…

The Nintendo Switch 2 is quite a bit different than the OG Switch: The Joy-Cons are beefier and connect via magnets; when docked, the console supports 4K 60fps output; and you can finally charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. But at the end of the day, what matters most about a new console like the Switch 2 is the games: If there's nothing new to play, what's the point? Of course, Nintendo shared a number of Switch 2 exclusives during its big Direct on Wednesday. This isn't a repeat of the Nintendo 3DS launch: There are games to play if you buy a Switch 2 on day one. But there are also a number of interesting titles coming soon and later this year. (There's ev…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Apple Watch has a built-in sleep tracker, but it can be hard to find. Here’s how to access it, how to set it up so that it properly records how much sleep you’re getting, and how to understand the results. Does my Apple Watch support sleep tracking? Sleep tracking was introduced with WatchOS version 7 (released in 2020). That version of WatchOS works on watches from Series 3 and newer, paired with an iPhone 6S or newer, with iOS 14 and newer. In other words: The oldest devices that will work are a 2015 phone, a 2017 watch, and 2020 releases of the software that run on them. As long as your Apple Watch isn’t truly anc…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you're not an Apple user, Garmin fitness watches are the no-brainer smartwatches to go for if you're looking for the most trusted brands (some Apple users might still want to consider some Garmins depending on their sport). The Garmin Forerunner 955 has been one of the best Garmin watches since its release and can track many activities. It's currently available for $349.95 (originally $499.99) for the rechargeable battery version and $399.99 (originally $599.99) for the solar version, both at the lowest prices they have ever been. …

Every once in a while, you come across a beautiful app that makes you smile whenever you use it. Tinker is one of those apps for me. It allows you to create beautiful analog clock widgets for your iPhone, and its attention to detail is remarkable. It has a few curated designs to get you started, but you can also bring in your own clock faces and customize every aspect of the widget. The best part—it works with StandBy mode. In addition to your calendar, the iPhone's StandBy mode lets you view photos, live activities, or a clock when the iPhone is charging in landscape mode, essentially turning it into a convincing substitute for a real alarm clock. Tinker adds far more op…