Home Office Setup & Equipment

Americans spend almost $28 billion on interior decorating every year, and there are good reasons why. Our homes are incredibly personal spaces—they’re where we walk around in our underwear, where we talk to ourselves, where we spend intimate moments with our families. That’s why decorating our homes isn’t frivolous—it’s important that the space we live in feels comfortable, usable, and, maybe most importantly, personal. Making your home beautiful while reflecting your personality can seem daunting, though. Design shows on TV offer an impossible standard of supposed taste, and it’s easy to believe that you need a professional interior designer or your house will look tack…

Strava announced today a complete overhaul of its strength training experience. It's one of the bigger gym-based updates I've seen from the app—the new features include 14 partner integrations, a dedicated workout log, auto-populated muscle maps, and five new strength-specific shareables. According to Strava, the update is rolling out globally in the coming weeks, so you should be able to try all of these new goodies soon. For anyone who has ever wished Strava treated their weight training with even a fraction of the seriousness it gives to runs and rides, the update certainly looks promising. Whether it fully delivers on its potential is a question that will require some…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Youth culture moves fast. New slang is created and abandoned in days, whole communities organize around a blurry photograph, jokes become memes, memes become rituals, and everything might is abandoned before you even notice it exists. It's like to trying to study a snowflake: Once you can look at it, it's already melted. So it is this week, as I take a look a new lexicon of brain-rot slang (that might not really be slang), a meme format based on threatening to eat your Uber driver, and the performative disappointment of youth. Plus, as a reminder that we still still share something, a video about humanity's never-ending …

There's a lot of advice out there for proper password management: Each of your passwords should be strong and unique; use a secure manager to store your passwords; use two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security to your accounts. But there's another piece of advice that is held in the same regard as the others: Change your passwords often—perhaps once every three months. This habit is so emphasized, many companies and organizations will make you change your passwords multiple times a year in the name of security. The thing is, in all likelihood, this isn't actually doing anything to help your security. This idea that changing your passwords multipl…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Modern movie audiences seem to be as prudish as ever when it comes to sex on the big screen, as online discourse frequently runs to the tiresome topic of whether or not sex scenes are strictly "necessary" to the plot of any particular film. I'm not convinced movies ought to be so laser-focused on plot anyway—reducing a Shakespeare play to just the dialogue that advances "plot" would have us in and out in 20 minutes—but suggesting sex is somehow uniquely unnecessary strikes me as an overcorrection. Yet it seems explicit sex scenes in Beau is Afraid, All of Us Strangers, Infinity Pool, Passages, Saltburn, Baby Girl, and Qu…

Never learned to play chess and don't know where to start? Duolingo, the gamified education app most famous for its language learning lessons, is adding chess lessons to the iPhone application later this month. You can learn how each piece moves before eventually moving on to tactics, all in the familiar Duolingo user interface. A "limited number of learners" on iOS will get the chess feature on Tuesday, April 22; it will roll out to other English-speaking iPhone users "in weeks following." Other operating systems, along with versions for non-English speakers, are "planned in the months ahead," according to Duolingo. This isn't the first offering outside of language learn…

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).…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. Another Italian cookbook—I know. But trust me, you’ll want to be here for this one. Milk Street Backroads Italy is a cookbook that may make you question some of your “rules” about cooking Italian food. Constantly stirring polenta? Adding slabs of mozzarella to your eggplant parm? Loading Italian wedding soup with meatballs? While I will probably continue put…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 is currently $129.99 on Woot, a massive drop from its usual $499.95 price tag. According to price trackers, this is its lowest price ever—and if you're a Prime member, you get free shipping (otherwise, it's $6). This deal is set to last for the next 27 days or until it sells out, but note that you can't have it shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, or a PO box address. Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 …

Android is getting a new security feature that makes it harder for someone to break into your device if it has been lost, stolen, or seized. With the latest Google Play services update, Android phones and tablets will automatically restart (and require a passcode to decrypt) if they remain locked for three consecutive days. How Android auto-restart worksAndroid and iOS devices already revert to a Before First Unlock (BFU) state when restarted, requiring a user to enter their passcode or PIN before certain features—such as notifications and biometrics—are enabled. Data is encrypted and inaccessible in a BFU state until the correct passcode is entered to shift the device t…

“Activation” exercises are often recommended at the beginnings of workouts. You might get the idea—whether from random TikToks or from a trainer you pay for their expertise—that activations are necessary to get your muscles firing correctly and able to take advantage of the workout to come. That’s not exactly true, though, so let’s dive in to what activations really do. What does it mean to “activate” your muscles?The explanation you’ll hear most often is that our muscles—often specifically our glutes, or butt muscles—“forget” how to fire correctly. But that isn’t really a thing that happens, as physical therapist Tyler Detmer told Lifehacker when discussing so-called glu…

Google I/O, the company's annual developer's conference, doesn't start until May 20, but expectations are already swirling about what will be announced during the event. Here's what we think might show up at this year's Google I/O, plus details on how to watch. When and how to watch Google I/O 2025This year's Google I/O is scheduled for May 20 and 21, with the first keynote beginning at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET). The event will be live streamed online at io.google and on YouTube. Anyone can view the keynotes and sessions without registering, though developers can register for free to receive event communications. What's coming to Google I/O 2025The schedule for I/O 2025 has…

As someone whose job involves testing and writing about Mac apps, a crowded menu bar is an occupational hazard. Until its ownership change last year, my go-to recommendation for tidying up your menu bar was Bartender. But once it became clear that we don't really know who owns Bartender now, I tried a few alternatives, and none of them had all the features I was looking for. So, I abandoned menu bar managers until recently, when the apps in my menu bar began extending more than halfway into my screen and I was finding it hard to even locate which app I was looking for. That's when I discovered Barbee, a powerful menu bar manager for Mac. It can do everything from hiding…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. After more than a week of teasing it on social media, Whoop has finally announced the release of its 5.0 device, along with a version called the “MG” (medical grade) that can do ECG readings and estimate blood pressure. Members can upgrade for a $49 fee or by extending their membership in one of the three new membership tiers: One ($199/year), Peak ($239/year, similar to current offerings) or Life ($359/year). Whoop is the screenless fitness tracker that earned four stars in my review of the 4.0 model for its integrated fitness and recovery tracking and its handling of strength training. It’s only available by subscriptio…

The Mail app on iPhone got quite a visual overhaul in iOS 18.2. Suddenly, there was a whole AI-powered Priority mailbox, smart Categories up top, and an icon from every sender. For longtime Mail app users on the iPhone, that's a big shift—with seemingly minimal returns. The contact photos feature is perhaps the worst offender here, as most icons are just stock Apple icons. Even if you get an email from Lifehacker, it won't show the Lifehacker website logo, like it does when you visit the website in your browser. And this is the case with the vast majority of email addresses. …

Heart rate zones are a way to describe how hard you're working during a cardio workout, like running or cycling. The faster your heart beats, the harder you're working. So an easy jog might have you in zone 2 for a whole workout, while a HIIT workout might have you bouncing between zones 1 and 5. Read on for a breakdown of what heart rate zones are, how to use them, and some of the caveats you should know when you're training this way. One quick thing before we dive in: heart rate zones are for cardio. Cardio means exercise that involves doing the same rhythmic movement over and over, like running or swimming or stair climbing. Heart rate zones mean nothing for strength…

Max's April slate includes anticipated new seasons of several original series. First up is the fourth installment of Max Original comedy Hacks starring Jean Smart as an aging comedian and Hannah Einbinder as her young writer trying to get their late night show up and running. Two episodes will premiere on April 10, with additional episodes dropping weekly until the season finale on May 29. Next is the sophomore season of HBO Original post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us (April 13), based on the video game franchise of the same name. This season picks up five years after the events of the season one—Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will return as Joel and Ellie, with Kaitly…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. You've probably heard of Sonos smart speakers and soundbars. They're one of the best in the market for audio quality and simple user experience. But unless you're in the weeds of tech audio, you probably missed their debut in the headphone space with the Sonos Ace, which was released last summer. You can get the Sonos Ace for $349 (originally $449), the lowest price they've been according to price tracking tools. Sonos Ace …

Journalists love a good tech prototype. These exciting experiments break up the monotony of covering the same incremental refreshes day-in and day-out.They also come with a downside: As attention grabbing as they are, there’s no guarantee that they’ll ever actually come to market. That’s why covering them can be a bit tricky, as it can be difficult to decide how much attention to give a product consumers might never actually see. Luckily, Lenovo actually made good on one of its earlier promises at CES this year, showing off a rollable laptop that’s set to launch sometime in 2025. Now, the company has three additional concepts it's showing off for Mobile World Congress, a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you missed the chance to grab a new TV during recent Prime Day or Black Friday sales, the Super Bowl is your next best shot at scoring a deep discount. Plenty of TVs from the top brands are on sale right now, and you still have time to get them before the game on Sunday, Feb. 9. (Note: Some models may not be available in your part of the country.) The best deals on TVs under 45 inchesDon't be distracted by the fact that TVs keep getting bigger and bigger. If your living room isn't huge, or you don't have wall space, a massive TV isn't better. 40…

Notion Mail is finally out in the wild, for anyone who has a Gmail account. And it's quintessential Notion. If you've used the standard Notion app, you really can't confuse it for anything else. Notion Mail is a minimalist and text-based take on the Mail app that isn't trying to do anything revolutionary. There are no AI summaries, and no complicated split views like in Superhuman. It's just your email, sorted in a way that you like. What does it mean, though, to apply the Notion philosophy to email, and is it good enough for you to make the switch? That is, if you even can. Currently, Notion Mail only works on the Web and on Mac, and it only supports Gmail accounts (leav…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. What exactly makes a movie a “classic” varies wildly and with the viewer, as does the appropriate timescale. For some, a movie from a decade ago might be eligible (I call these movie fans “children”). For others, you have to go back much further. Today, I’m going to do the latter, taking a look at some of the great (or, at least, greatly entertaining) movies that were released no later than the tail end of the 1970s. (Even if I find it personally distressing to label movies younger than I am “classics.”) Quibbling over semantics aside, these offerings prove how deeply rewarding it is to dig through the back catalog of mo…

When everything bagel seasoning dropped as a supermarket seasoning blend, I admit, I bought a giant container of the stuff. The powerful concoction that transforms consolation prize, plain bagels into the most coveted bagel could now be mine? And I could use it on everything? And by golly, I did. I put it on everything—that is, until everything tasted the same. I lost myself for a while in that hoi polloi of seeds and dry onion, and I had to reset. Now when I crave a savory, oniony flavor, nigella seeds are my secret ingredient for better breads, salads, and spreads. What are Nigella seeds? Nigella seeds are from the nigella sativa plant. They’re small, black seeds that …

I love gimmicky social media trends as much as the next person, but that doesn't mean I understand what they are right away. For a few months, I've seen people on TikTok and Reels engaging in a "Sunday reset," but each reset seemed to be a little different—In one video, I'd see someone cleaning their apartment, and in another, someone would be doing pilates. Over time, though, the idea of a "Sunday reset" finally started to make sense to me, and I actually think it's a great way to incorporate a bit of structure and mindfulness into a routine before the work week begins. What is a "Sunday reset," anyway? There are over 500,000 videos tagged #SundayReset on TikTok right …

The first Pixel Drop of 2025 is here—quarterly upgrades coming to Google's phones, tablets, and watches include improvements to Gemini Live and other AI-powered functionality (like scam detection for calls and texts), health and safety features, and camera and connectivity updates. Here's everything in the March drop, rolling out now. Gemini upgradesAs with the December Pixel Drop, much of what's new for Pixel this month is powered by Google Gemini. Gemini Live is getting smarter with the ability to automatically switch between 45 languages in conversation without having to change your language settings. Multimodal capabilities for adding images, files, and YouTube vide…