Home Office Setup & Equipment

Home renovation projects always start out in a rush of excitement—you’re finally going to solve all those annoying problems, update those dated aspects of the house, and live the life you deserve! And sometimes it actually works out that way—but there are a lot of ways a renovation can go wrong. That’s why nearly three-quarters of homeowners come to regret their renovations to some extent. Most of the reasons behind renovation regrets are pretty straightforward: Cost overruns, dissatisfaction with the final result, or shoddy work (either by contractors or DIY efforts) are the problems most people worry about when embarking on a renovation. But there are other, less obviou…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. For anyone who dabbles in photo editing but doesn’t need the full creative suite and its subscription fees, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2025 offers a simpler alternative, and it’s currently available for $99.99 for a three-year license on StackSocial. That’s a one-time payment for three full years of access—no monthly charges or auto-renewals. It's the 2025 version with updates included, and yes, it works on both Mac (including M1/M2 chips) and Windows as long as your system meets the basic requirements (8GB RAM, 10GB storage, modern OS, etc.). This ve…

In a move that should surprise no one, Meta—the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—wants to monetize its websites. Threads, which launched two years ago, had somehow mostly avoided showing ads until now, only allowing a limited number to certain users in the US and Japan. But the site has become quite popular since then, so now, it's time for it to start contributing to the family business. Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced this update in a Threads post this week, which reads, "Ads are rolling out more broadly on Threads today, and our goal is still for them to enhance your overall experience. We’re closely monitoring and will continue listening to you…

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…

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…

The vernal equinox, marking the first day of spring, occurs in late March every year. Sometime around then, most planting zones encounter what is known as the last frost date, which is the experts' best guess, based on averages, of when your last hard freeze will be. The cherry, plum, and peach blossoms are exploding on trees all around us and tulips are popping up from the ground. There are all kinds of markers that gardening season has arrived, but the most prominent one is the return of people to working on their front yards on sunny days, which should be happening now with some regularity. It is finally full steam ahead for this year, and there are tons of things you …

If you're a Switch fan, you might know that Nintendo dropped a pretty significant update this week. Version 20.0.0 introduced a number of new features and changes for Nintendo's consoles, including virtual game cards and GameShare, and set the stage for the launch of the Switch 2. However, the update brought with it something Nintendo did not intend: instability. It turns out that after updating to version 20.0.0, some Switch users ran into error codes when booting up their consoles—specifically, Error Code: 2206-1015, which caused some Switches to crash. While it doesn't appear to be affecting most Switches, the problem was bad enough for Nintendo to acknowledge it via …

I am a huge fan of Peloton's various at-home workout offerings, especially the company's classic Bike and its incredibly versatile mobile app. Both of those offer me a gigantic archive of on-demand classes as well as access to live ones, all of which come in various lengths, intensity levels, and structures. Because I am an iPad baby in an adult's body, I can get bored pretty easily when I do any one thing for too long, so I rely on the 10- and 15-minute classes to spice up my life and keep me engaged. On days when I have enough time, I like to take these back-to-back—especially because Peloton offers warm-up and cool-down rides in the 10-minute length—but it's always th…

YouTube Music is a decent Spotify alternative, especially if you're already paying for YouTube Premium to remove the ads. There's a big downside, though: Google doesn't offer a desktop app for YouTube Music, meaning you have to run the application in a browser. It also means you can't really customize YouTube Music the way you can with Spotify. That's why YouTube Music Desktop App—a free application not made by Google, to be clear—exists. The app, compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux puts YouTube Music in its own window, outside of your browser, while also adding extensions for things like downloading songs, skipping the non-music parts of videos, and blocking ads. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Most of us aren’t great at hunting down cheap flights—we just hit refresh until the prices stop hurting our feelings. That’s where Matt's Flights Premium Plan comes in. It’s like outsourcing your flight anxiety to someone who actually enjoys digging for mistake fares and limited-time deals, and from now through April 27, StackSocial is offering a lifetime subscription to this deal-hunting service for $79.99 with the promo code SAVE10—but only for new users. And yes, it's truly lifetime: Pay once, and you get access to every jaw-dropping, typo-priced…

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. …

Like the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy handsets come loaded with a bunch of preinstalled Samsung apps that you don't necessarily need and might never use—especially as there are Google-made equivalents for a lot of them that you'll also find on your phone. As these Samsung apps come preinstalled, you might think that removing them might break something on your device, but you can safely uninstall most of them without worrying (and find them again on the Galaxy Store, if you ever need to get them back). Clearing out the apps you're not using regularly means your phone won't need to download updates for them, and you'll free up some storage space too. It's well worth taking a few …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Pixel 9 Pro is the latest and most premium model in the Pixel lineup, and right now, the unlocked 128GB Google Pixel 9 Pro is discounted to $749 (originally $999). That's the lowest price it has ever been on Amazon, according to price-tracking tools. The 256GB version is also at a record-low price of $799 (originally $1,099), doubling your storage for $50. Google Pixel 9 Pro, 128 GB …

Months after enabling Deep Research in its expensive $200 ChatGPT Pro plan, OpenAI is now rolling out the feature to all users. Anyone can now access a lightweight version of Deep Research for free. This new version of Deep Research sits somewhere between a regular ChatGPT search and a ChatGPT Pro-style in-depth report. These searches usually take around five to ten minutes, and give you a report that's about a page or two long. In my experience, its reports are practical, to-the-point, and well-researched. How the new "lightweight" ChatGPT Deep Research worksDeep Research is different from a regular ChatGPT search. Here, ChatGPT will use all of its resources, like its re…

Losing your job can be overwhelming, but taking immediate control of your finances is crucial for maintaining stability during your job search. I've written before about the steps you need to take immediately after losing your job. One of those is to assess your budget—but what does that look like, exactly? If you've never used a formal budget before, now is the time to start. But if you already have a budget, how should you adapt it to your current situation? Here's how to evaluate your budget and make strategic cuts that will help extend your financial runway. First off, calculate your new monthly cash flowBefore making any cuts, assess your current financial situation…

While it may not have the high profile of Spotify or Apple Music, YouTube Music has its own band of loyal users—not least because of the wealth of audio material you can find across YouTube as well as the designated YouTube Music library. The service integrates neatly with other Google services of course, and is available across a multitude of devices. Despite the rather functional and basic appearance of the YouTube Music apps, there's plenty going on behind the scenes, from the option to upload your own MP3s to your library, to the opportunity to collaborate on playlists with other people. Add videos to playlistsYouTube Music gives you something you don't get with any o…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Streaming services have basically come full circle: What started as a cheap alternative to cable TV has become an expensive monthly cost in its own right, as price hikes and crackdowns on password sharing have made subscribing to multiple streaming services just as expensive, if not more so, than some conventional cable plans. Luckily, there are often discounts, deals, and loopholes to exploit that can make streaming more affordable—and sometimes even free. Here are the best streaming deals you can get right now. This month's best streaming deal …

Letterboxd is the best thing to happen to film nerds since IMDb, which is almost surprising given how straightforward it is. Like the Film Twitter answer to Goodreads, it is a social network/online catalogue where you can rate or review movies, pick a few of your favorites to highlight on your profile, and follow your friends and favorite critics. Yet, Letterboxd is more than just "what if social media, but for movies?" Dig a little deeper and you'll find some useful tools for managing your cinema obsession. If you haven't used Letterboxd before, it's available for Android, iOS, or on the web. Anyone can access it to browse movies, read reviews, and see user ratings, but …

Google is planning a new update for its upcoming Pixel 9a which includes a new feature dedicated to protecting and prolonging the phone's battery. While the goal is longevity, this new battery management feature will actually end up reducing the battery capacity of the Pixel 9a over time. It won't just be the Pixel 9a, as other Pixel series phones will eventually receive the feature too. The kicker, though, is Pixel 9a users can't turn this feature off. Why do Lithium-ion batteries need management?All lithium-ion batteries degrade over time. As you use your smartphone, and as you continue to charge it, the total battery capacity goes down. Eventually, charging your phone …

A recent YouTube video from channel The Ultimate Discovery makes some claims that might surprise fans of actor Gene Hackman. According to the video, FBI agents searching Hackman's home following his death discovered a "hidden passageway concealed behind the library wall" that led to a "vast, eerie underground warehouse" containing documents, antiques, old photographs, and parts of unidentifiable machines. The walls were covered in runes and symbols that seem to be of ancient origin and could not be translated. Not only that, the bunker connects to larger network of tunnels, "similar to the catacombs of Paris." It's a pretty good story (if you can swallow the pre…

Whatever happened to chunky mashed potatoes? There’s a lot of hype for the silky, nearly pudding-like variety of mash—which seem to be the only kind served at restaurants these days—but for me, nothing beats a heaping pile of fluffy smashed potatoes studded with knobbly bits of soft, uncrushed tuber. And if you too are a supporter of chunky mashed potatoes, you can use your stand mixer to get the best consistency. Stand mixer versus hand-mashed potatoesThere is nothing wrong with hand-mashing potatoes, but I’d like to bring stand mixer mashing to your attention simply because after I tried it, I couldn't help but appreciate the difference in consistency. I hadn’t even ex…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Garmin Fenix 8 $799.99 at Amazon $999.99 Save $200.00 Get Deal …

Tax season can reduce even the most organized individuals to stressed-out procrastinators. And if you're anything like me, you're not exactly the most organized individual in the first place. The complexity of gathering documents, understanding deductions, and meeting deadlines creates anxiety that many of us dread each year. But with a well-designed tax preparation checklist, I've been able to turn my taxes into a manageable (maybe even even satisfying?) task well before the April 15 deadline. Here's how you can, too. A tax preparation checklist serves as your personalized roadmap through the filing process. Luckily, I've create this template to get you started. It inclu…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Garmin is well-known among fitness smartwatch enthusiasts, and if you're a runner, the Forerunner 265 is the best option in the Garmin lineup. The Forerunner 265 is without question the best fitness watch for runners, according to Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki's review. While it's typically a costly smartwatch at $449.99, it's currently on sale for $349.99, which is the lowest price it has ever been, according to price tracking tools. (Both the 46 mm model and the smaller 42 mm model are on sale for the same price.) …

Growing seeds is a relatively simple process: Bury seeds in dirt, add water, heat, and light from the sun, and in most cases, something is going to sprout. The problem is, most of us conduct this process inside, because we’re trying to get a jump on the growing season. Inside, where there’s no sun, heat is hard to control, and the most your seedlings can stretch out their new little root legs is the size of the plastic cell they’re planted in. As such, it takes some practice to grow strong, resilient seedlings, and beginners make plenty of mistakes. The good news is, most of them are solvable. Not enough light …