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. It's rare to see a deal on a premier Apple device so soon after release, but that's exactly what's going on with the M4 MacBook Air right now. Announced just a few weeks ago, it's now $50 off (or $60 off if you go for an upgrade) as part of Amazon's Big Spring Sale event. While not the biggest discount in the world, that's a pretty quick turnaround on our favorite MacBook Air right now. Apple M4 MacBook Air …

Zelle has been around as a convenient digital payment platform since 2017, but has now closed down payments inside its standalone apps for Android and iOS, as it promised it would last October—though the move is a sign of Zelle's success rather than its failure, and most Zelle users aren't going to need to change anything. If you're one of the 150 million or so people who make use of Zelle, you're no longer going to be able to use the Zelle app to send money to friends, family, and businesses. However, Zelle lives on as a platform: It's now integrated into the operations of more than 2,200 financial institutions, so you'll still be able to use it through your banking app.…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. We all know that renovating and remodeling a house is expensive. An average kitchen renovation costs more than $27,000, and a bathroom will run you more than $25,000 even if your plans are relatively modest. A lot of that cost is labor, which runs anywhere from $20 to $150 per hour depending on the trade involved and the specific contractor. If you’re looking to save some money on your home project, doing it yourself is one of the most obvious ways to go. But there are other, less obvious ways you can trim costs on your DIY renovation or remodel. To save money on a house project, it’s not always about buying cheaper materi…

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. I love cookbooks that combine comfort food with a smattering of unfamiliar recipes that make me think, “Ooh, I wonder what that's like.” This mingling of brand-new dishes with ones that stir a bit of nostalgia is usually a hit for me. This week, I chose Salt, Sugar, MSG to feature for my cookbook of the week. Not only does it tick those boxes above for this As…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you want to begin coding—either for a career shift, a hobby, or just to better understand your favorite apps—this bundle is worth a look. You can get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 bundled with the Learn to Code Certification course pack currently on sale for $55.97—a steep markdown from its original $1,999 price tag. The standout here is that you’re not just getting a license for Visual Studio, which is already a powerhouse development environment, but also lifetime access to more than 60 hours of beginner-to-advanced coding instructi…

The deadline for obtaining a REAL ID has come and gone. If you're planning on flying or entering a federal building, you'll need a driver's license or state identification card that complies with the Department of Homeland Security's new requirements (or an alternative like a passport or Trusted Traveler card). There are plenty of people who still need to upgrade to a REAL ID for upcoming travel—in some states, fewer than half of residents have a compliant license and may encounter long lines to obtain one. And where there's urgency, there's opportunity for scammers to strike. Here's what to know about REAL ID scams and how to avoid them. How REAL ID scams workScammers …

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. Can you remember the last time you had a totally pain-free back? I know I’m on a never-ending search for relief. Percussive massage guns, non-percussive massage guns, regular foam rollers, even percussive foam rollers—I’m determined to try it all. Now, my search has brought me to decompression devices. These devices promise personalized, premium massages and decompression right in your own home. It's the closest thing you can get to replicating an actual m…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A lot of the productivity techniques and organizational hacks out there claim to make work easier and more efficient, and they really can—though you have to find just the right one for you. A few methods that originated in Japan have proven especially popular—consider the Toyota-approved Kanban scheduling method—including one of my favorites: kaizen. The man who took the philosophy mainstream, Masaaki Imai, died two years ago, but left behind a legacy of productivity and efficiency we can all learn from, because this technique not only helps you get more done, but helps you do everything better. What is kaizen?In Japanes…

What kind of New Year’s resolution you make depends on your unique goals—which means you need a way to track your progress that is just as unique. If your resolution is to cut back on social media use and your friend’s is to run a faster mile, you won’t measure success the same way. Even if you swear 2026 is the year you spend less time on your phone (which I've sworn every year), tap into the power of handheld tech and use these apps to keep yourself on track. I like all the best general progress tracking apps, but when it comes to resolutions, you are looking at something time-bound and specific by its very nature, so you should try apps that are tailored more to what y…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I typically hesitate to suggest making peanut butter in blenders, but the Vitamix Ascent X5 is the exception. It's the best blender I've ever tried, and you should definitely make nut butters with it. Not only is it the absolute fastest nut processor I’ve ever tested (under a minute in some cases), but the resulting peanut butter is incredibly smooth. Here’s how to make any nut butter in the Vitamix Ascent X5. How to use the nut butter function on the Vitamix1. Prepare the nuts, if neededI like to roast the nuts in the oven first, because I love the sweet, toasty flavor. To do it, spread out your nut of choice (I used waln…

You have probably heard of skimming, a type of fraud in which criminals install physical devices capable of capturing your payment card details on ATMs, gas pumps, and point-of-sale terminals. If you enter your debit or credit card into one of these fake card readers, your data is stored for later download or transmitted wirelessly in real time to a device controlled by scammers, who will use the information to steal from your accounts. Unfortunately, online shoppers aren't immune from this scheme. Web skimming is a type of cyberattack that uses malicious code to steal card data during checkout, and researchers have identified an ongoing campaign targeting major payment …

If you receive an email from Google that appears to be a legitimate security alert, do not proceed. Scammers are taking advantage of vulnerabilities in Google's authentication protocols to send phishing messages that appear convincing enough to steal unsuspecting users' account credentials. Here's how to protect yourself. How this new Google phishing scam worksAs Android Authority reports, a developer named Nick Johnson was recently targeted by a phishing email with the subject line "Security alert." The message was sent from no-reply[at]accounts.google.com and signed by accounts.google.com, making it seem like a legitimate email directly from Google. However, the message…

Software updates are great when they make features better, but that doesn't always happen. Case in point: a recent Google Pixel update that's brought in a flurry of complaints. One of the least popular changes altered how Pixels handle the Do Not Disturb feature. Previously, you could swipe down from the top of your Pixel's screen and press the Do Not Disturb button in quick settings to toggle it on or off. The March 2025 update changed that, forcing you to make multiple taps to activate or deactivate Do Not Disturb on your Google Pixel smartphone. Plenty of Google Pixel users took to Reddit to complain about this change. Fortunately, there are easy ways to fix this behav…

AI tools are suddenly everywhere, and you've probably tried out using an AI program to generate text and images, or perhaps even audio and video. But AI isn't just coming for media you passively experience: Companies are also using interactive entertainment, including video games. We've seen examples of this over the past year or so. Google's Genie model, for example, aims to generate playable video game environments from user prompts. Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled a similar AI model, called Muse, and that model's first mainstream experience is now here: The company is offering an experimental version of Quake II, a game originally released in 1997, that is power…

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. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re looking for tools to up your DIY game, you've probably noticed that they can be expensive. Buying new tools to expand a set or replace worn-out ones adds up quickly, but having the right tool for the project you’re working on can cut your work time in half and get you better results. DeWalt tools are on sale right now on Amazon for up to 57% off, so you can build out your toolkit without spending your whole DIY budget. Cordless tools setsIf you’re building out a new set of cordless tools, a combo set is a good way to get started. Sets will…

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. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Apple just casually announced the new M4 MacBook Air with sales beginning on March 12. While that may be exciting news for anyone looking to get the latest and greatest devices, it can also be a boon for anyone hunting for deals. After new products launch, there tend to be some great discounts on earlier models to help clear inventory. Apple unfortunately has a pretty controlled sales market, so finding new units of earlier models may be difficult. But if you’re familiar and comfortable with the wide world of refurbished products, you can find some …

I have a lot of apps on my phone. Many of these are there because I want them to be; some are there because I test them out for work; and others are a total mystery. What's worse, some of those—and even some of the ones I enjoy, but don't need—pull money out of my bank account monthly, quarterly, or annually ... and I have no idea. For me, agreeing to a "free trial" is ultimately just a guarantee that I'll lose money because I'm never going to actually check on that app's subscription status again. Or, at least, I didn't used to. I thought it was too hard to scrape through my bank statement, identify recurring charges that only show up as "Apple.com," figure out what app…

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…

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…

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…

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. The Shortcuts app for iOS was introduced all the way back in 2018, and in the years since, more and more shortcuts have become available—both added by Apple and shared by Shortcuts users. Shortcuts, in case you've never used the app, essentially lets you put together mini apps that connect a trigger (like a time of day or a button push) with an action (like opening an app or turning off wifi). With a vast number of triggers and actions available, there are lots of potential possibilities here. The best way to explain how Shortcuts works is to give you a few examples of what it can do, and how these little connectivity tool…