Home Office Setup & Equipment

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 Vitamix 1. Prepare the nuts, if needed I 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 …

One of the ways AI models are rapidly improving is in their image editing capabilities, to the extent that they can now quickly take care of tasks that would previously have taken a substantial amount of time and effort in Photoshop. This is undoubtedly one of the main reasons Adobe has decided to introduce its own ChatGPT plug-ins. Want your t-shirt to be blue rather than red? Need to cut out a person or an object from an otherwise perfect group selfie? These are tricks that AI chatbots are now able to do cleanly and professionally, from just a text prompt. You don't need to have any digital photo editing skills; you only need to describe what you want to happen. Over th…

Google has unveiled a major update to its Material 3 design language, which guides the visual appearance of apps across Android and the web. Called Material 3 Expressive, the new look is intended to make software "more engaging and easier to use," and is quite a departure from what's gone before. It's not easy to sum up what Material 3 Expressive is, but you can see a few of Google's example screenshots included in this article. Google says that expressive design is design that "makes you feel something" when you use it. "Expressive interfaces have an emotional impact, fostering connection by evoking a feeling or mood through visual design and interaction," as per the off…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Let's talk about one of the most confusing terms you’ll see on your fitness tracker—specifically your Apple Watch. Next to REM sleep, which you’ve probably heard of, and “deep” sleep, which feels self explanatory, there’s “core” sleep. And if you Google what core sleep means, you’ll get a definition that is entirely opposite from how Apple uses the term. So let’s break it down. On an Apple Watch, "core sleep" is another name for light sleep, which scientists also call stages N1-N2. It is not a type of deep sleep, and has no relation to REM. But in the scientific literature, "core sleep" is not a sleep stage at all. It ca…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. My smart home routines are ready for a refresh. As new standards have emerged for connecting gadgets in the home, and Google and Amazon have been updating their respective hardware and apps, I've been lagging in keeping things sharp and running smoothly. So, I'm doing something about it now. If you've been feeling bored by your smart home and its current routines too, keep reading. These are ways to configure the smart devices around you to make them for more than just turning the lights on and off (although there's always plenty of that). Although my personal smart home is in the Google Home ecosystem, these features a…

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 …

A few months ago, ChatGPT got an app store of its own, which means you can access tools like Photoshop and Apple Music right inside the ChatGPT prompt box. Now Malwarebytes has joined the ChatGPT app store, which means you can get some expert help when investigating web links, emails, text messages, domains, and phone numbers you think might be suspicious. The app is free to use for everyone, whether or not they're signed up to a paid ChatGPT subscription, and you can enable the tool via the ChatGPT app store or by entering the prompt "Malwarebytes, is this a scam?" Once you've used the app for the first time, you can access it again via the + (plus) button on the prompt …

There's more than one way to use Windows now. As well as sitting down in front of a locally installed copy of Windows, running on a hard drive inside your desktop or laptop, you can also fire up the Microsoft Windows app—a one-stop central hub for managing connections to remote PCs and Windows in the cloud. The Windows app is available for Windows (as you would expect), as well as macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and (in preview form for now) Android. First rolled out in September 2024, the program brings with it support for multiple monitors and local USB peripherals, so you can carry on using your own webcam (for example) with your cloud copy of Windows. It's likely that significant…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you find running intimidating, know that there is another way to get some fresh air while doing a reasonably intense workout. It’s called interval walking training (IWT), or sometimes "Japanese walking" or "3x3 walking." It’s a form of HIIT, but it won’t end in you collapsing on the floor, hating your life. Here’s how to do it. How to do the 3x3 "Japanese walking" workoutThe original protocol for this exercise, as published here in 2007 by Hiroshi Nose’s team at Shinshu University in Japan, used a lab test to help people determine how fast they should walk during the workout. Since that’s not practical for most of us,…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Soundcore Boom 2 is built for people who don’t want to baby their speakers. With an IPX7 rating and a floatable design, it’s something you can toss in the pool, hose off after a beach trip, or take out on a boat without much worry. And right now, the black model is $89.99, down from $139.99, its lowest price ever according to price trackers. Soundcore Boom 2 by Anker …

Back in December, Sony rolled out themes for the first time on PS5. While the selection was nowhere near the variety offered by other consoles, they were enticing all the same: These themes were modeled after the UI designs of all previous PlayStation consoles, including the PSOne, PS2, PS3, and PS4. These themes are, frankly, really cool. They adopt each console's unique sound design, like the clicks you hear when switching between menu items. If you had a PS3 back in the day, you'd probably like the wave background this PS5 theme adds here. Similarly, PS2 fans would appreciate the second generation's menu shapes. If you had a particular favorite, you could inject a lit…

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. Every time I see a newly budding tree or a daffodil leaping out of a scruffy patch of grass, it brings me a fresh moment of cheer. Spring is coming to New York. That means sun and spring fashion, but mostly I’m excited for the variety of veggies that’ll be available. I’m choosing to celebrate Spring’s approach with an appropriately veggie-forward Cookbook of…

Arc, the much-hyped privacy-forward internet browser, won't be getting any more new features. This fact was announced months ago by its developer, The Browser Company, and clarified yesterday in a blog post in which the venture capital-backed entity that built Arc announced plans to focus on an as yet unreleased AI-based browser instead. For now, Arc will still be getting security updates, most of them inherited from the open-source Chromium project, but it's understandable that some dedicated Arc users may be looking for an alternative, and I know of a good one: the open source Zen Browser, currently in beta. Zen is beautiful in the same way Arc is, with its elegant vert…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. You know that I love a good running watch, but there’s a soft spot in my heart for the more lifestyle-y Garmin Vivoactive 5. It’s a sleek touchscreen watch with plenty of fitness features, and it’s going for as little as $209 today in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. The original price of the Vivoactive 5 is $299, and depending on the color you want, you can get it for somewhere between $209 and $219 in today’s sale. It’s available in black, white, navy blue, and orchid purple. Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS Smartwatch With…

If you're a Firefox user, you need to update your browser. Mozilla has released a security patch for two zero-day vulnerabilities identified at the recent Pwn2Own hacker contest held in Berlin. Zero-days are critical security flaws that have been actively exploited or publicly disclosed before an official fix is available. Browsers are targets for malware, and Firefox isn't the only browser to discover zero-day exploits in recent days. Earlier this month, Google released an emergency patch for Chrome to address a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2025-4664) that permitted full account takeover—CISA later confirmed that this flaw was being actively exploited in attacks. (I…

The next time you open WhatsApp, you might notice some changes. As announced in a blog post on Thursday, the app is rolling out a dozen new features, affecting the chats, calls, and even the Updates tab. Here's what's new: Chat updates Group chats are getting a number of updates this go-around. WhatsApp is adding an online indicator to group messages, so you can see who in the thread has WhatsApp open at any given moment. That change should help you gauge how many people are currently reading the chat. You'll see the new indicator directly below the group chat name. Similarly, WhatsApp is adding a new "Notify for" section in group chat settings to manage the notificati…

If you don't like how the internet makes you feel right now, you're not alone. The entire ecosystem seemingly exists to manipulate you, which can make finding clarity hard. I've written about how to avoid anxiety bait, which can be an important step toward healthy and productive engagement, but an important step is recognizing when you're being manipulated. RageCheck is a potentially useful tool here. Built using concepts from social science research, this website can analyze any link or screenshot. It points out examples of potentially manipulative language, from us-versus-them framing to emotionally loaded phrasing. "The system analyzes text for linguistic patterns comm…

For decades, the only way to buy a car was to physically go to a dealership. If that idea gives you an anxiety attack, you’re not alone, so it’s a relief to know that the industry is finally embracing online shopping—even Amazon has gotten in on the act, and about half the buyers in one survey shopped for their car online. But just like anything else on the internet, buying a car online comes with the risk of fraud. Scammers are setting up entire fake online dealerships and ripping people off to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. You might think you’re too savvy to get fleeces like that (who buys a $50,000 car sight unseen anyway?), but the risk is real. These fake…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re tired of subscription-based software but still need Microsoft Office, this lifetime license for Office 2024 (Home & Business for Mac or PC) might be worth considering. It's currently on sale for $159.97 on StackSocial until March 30 (down from $249.99) and is a one-time purchase that gives you access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote without the recurring fees of Microsoft 365. After buying, the license ties to your Microsoft account, not a specific device, so you can reinstall it if you switch computers. The catch is …

Our hearts beat faster when we exercise, which is why heart rate training can be so useful. But when we aren’t doing anything, our heart rate can still be useful to know. If you have a wearable that measures your resting heart rate (RHR), here’s how to understand what it’s telling you. What is a normal resting heart rate? Medical professionals usually consider anything between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm) to be a “normal” resting heart rate. But they are usually measuring resting heart rate in people who are in a healthcare setting, sitting quietly. Notably, they are awake, and some may be a bit nervous about being in a doctor’s office. Your smartwatch or other wea…

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 pets First, 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 t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Lifehacker's Ultimate Spring Cleaning Guide aims to bring you all the best spring cleaning ideas, but I won't lie: Some of them are pretty labor intensive. But whether you don't have the time for a major undertaking or you're just feeling a little lazy this year, there are still ways you can spring clean your home to get it in shape for the months ahead. Clean your microwave the easy way A microwave is supposed to be cleaned every two weeks, but if that's too often for you (it's OK to be honest), you're probably looking at some serious grime in there. Cleaning it is actually remarkably easy, though, and you can make a b…

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 Work Like 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 no…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is a speaker that packs a serious punch for its size. Normally priced at $299.99, it’s down to $139.99 on Woot for the next 13 days or until stock runs out—and if you have Amazon Prime, shipping is free. Non-Prime members will have to pay $6, but either way, it’s only available to the contiguous U.S. (no shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, or PO boxes). Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) …