Home Office Setup & Equipment

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 phon…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Getting my floor clean is not for the weak. There's the muddy paw prints, the mulch the dog tracks in, and I'm notoriously messy when cooking in my kitchen. I have created, unintentionally, the perfect lab for testing robot vacuums and mops, and not for nothing, but I'm rarely that impressed. Last year, that changed when Roborock released the S8 MaxV Ultra—it blew my mind. Right now, it's 45% off during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, knocking its price down to $999 (originally $1,799). Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra Robot …

Renovating your house has serious upsides in terms of your enjoyment of the property and the return on your investment—but there’s a price to be paid in time and discomfort. Renovation projects can take weeks or months to complete, and during that time your home will mostly likely be filled with dust, debris, and workers. It’s little wonder people choose to move out of their homes and live in a rental while the work is being done. Not everyone can do that, of course—and not everyone can spend the next few months living in a construction zone. If you’ve got limited time (and limited tolerance for the mess and disruption), you might choose to put off home improvement projec…

The Opera you're using today is obviously a very different browser from the one it was decades ago. Perhaps the most significant change is that it's a Chromium-based browser, which means you can install Chrome extensions to fill any features you may be missing. That said, the browser still retains its core philosophy of shipping useful integrated features—even if those options aren't always obvious. From bypassing unskippable YouTube ads to using a built-in volume booster for every tab, here are the best Opera hacks you should know about: Use "Early Bird" to try experimental features before release If you live on the bleeding edge of tech, you can use Opera's "Early Bird…

I thought it was just me, a non-native English speaker, who loved watching everything with subtitles on. But clearly, it's not. Based on a recent survey, more than 50% of US viewers watch content with the subtitles on. And there are many reasons why. Sometimes you want to watch something on a low volume in bed, and sometimes it's just too hard to understand what a character is saying. Or, you could be watching with cheap TV speakers that make your audio hard to hear. Netflix is starting to understand this, and so for people who don't necessarily need to see sound effects in their subtitles, is adding a new dialogue-only subtitles mode. This mode removes text-descriptions …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. GoPro is the indisputable king of small outdoor action cameras. Its latest flagship camera, the GoPro Hero13 Black came out this past September, but the older GoPro Hero12 (released in 2023) has a good bundle deal you should consider. The Black Creator Edition bundle offers the Volta pack, a media and light mod, extra battery, and carrying case all for just $55 more than the camera alone. You can get the bundle for $399 (originally $499), its lowest price yet, according to price-tracking tools. GoPro HERO12 Bl…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The greatest regret of my life is choosing to take French in high school. Don't get me wrong, I find French beautiful, and I was a dedicated A+ student. But as an adult, I’m constantly embarrassed by how little Spanish I know. But even in adulthood, I knew it wasn't too late for me to learn Spanish, so I did what literally everyone does: I downloaded Duolingo. It's free, popular, and has a mascot with deeply threatening energy. What's not to love? Eventually, I reached a 300-day streak—nearly a full year of daily practice!—but when I tried to have an actual conversation in Spanish, I could not hold my own, to put it gentl…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Google TV Streamer 4K is Google's latest iteration on the smart TV stick. No longer is it hiding behind your TV, but now takes center stage with a hub on your TV stand. Right now, you can get the Google TV Streamer 4K for $79 (originally $99.99), its first discount since its release last summer, according to price tracking tools. Google TV Streamer 4K Connectivity: Wi-Fi or Ethernet, Connector: HDMI, Special Feature: Google TV and Voice Search Remote …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As Lifehacker's resident marathon runner and senior finance writer, there is one perfect point where my worlds intersect: buying sneakers. When it comes to investing in—and maybe even splurging on—running gear, nothing affects your running experience more than your shoes. Finding the perfect running shoes is about much more than style or brand preference. Proper footwear can be the difference between achieving your running goals and suffering through preventable injuries. Why proper shoe fit mattersMany runners unknowingly wear the wrong shoes for years. According to Jessica Lyons-Quirk, director of footwear merchandising…

When Apple released the first beta for iOS 26.4 this week, testers immediately got to work looking for each and every new feature and change. To their credit, there's more new here than in iOS 26.3, including an AI playlist generator for Apple Music and support for end-to-end encryption with RCS (finally). But one update slipped under the radar, since it's not actually available to test in this first beta: CarPlay support for AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. AI assistants are coming to CarPlay in iOS 26.4 As spotted by MacRumors, CarPlay's Developer Guide spills the beans on this upcoming integration. On page 13, the entitlement "CarPlay voice-based conver…

On Monday, Apple released iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 for compatible devices. But Apple Watch owners might have noticed watchOS 11.4 curiously missing from the list. Apple pulled the update at the last minute, something of a rarity from the company that likes to release all software updates together. But now, the new watchOS update is finally available to everyone, and the slight delay was worth it. This update enables a feature that many Apple Watch users have wanted for a long time: the ability to break through Silent mode when an alarm goes off. The iPhone already does this really well. You're in Silent mode, or you have Do Not Disturb enabled, but y…

As much as Apple keeps hyping them up, those 4K 60fps videos will chew through your iPhone's storage space like you wouldn't believe. When you get to the point where you have to choose between keeping videos of your kids and clips from that beloved once-in-a-lifetime vacation, you have a problem. But I've got a solution—not all videos need to be stored at full quality, at all times. There are many ways to go about compressing your iPhone videos, but like most things in life, the simplest option is often the best. Kompresso is a free to use, native iPhone app that uses the powerful processor on your smartphone to compress files. This means there's no need to upload or shar…

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. You’ve seen it at the end of hundreds of recipes: “Add salt to taste.” Whether it’s beef stew or a chocolate chip cookie, salt is a seasoning we often lean on as an inoffensive way to wake up the palate. But, like it or not, sometimes salt needs help. (Coming from a long-time salt worshiper, this is saying a lot.) For a surefire way to kickstart your tastebuds, crack open the MSG. I do it on a regular basis. What is MSG? Though the misinformation about MSG is waning, there are still plenty of folks who’ve heard (and believe) that it’s poisonous, leads to health problems, or is bad for you just because. This is incorrect. O…

Just 25 years ago, the disease of measles was declared to have been eliminated from the U.S. Cases were sometimes imported from overseas, from people who traveled from Europe, Africa, or Asia. But not until this year did we have a measles death on U.S. soil; and not until this year have we had a notorious anti-vaxxer as the head of our Department of Health and Human Services. That department head, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has sorta-kinda acknowledged that vaccines have a role in preventing measles. This opinion piece that appeared under his name at Fox News carefully weaseled around the needed vaccine messages, saying that parents “should consult with their healthcare pr…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Google Nest Wifi Pro is currently $99.99 on Amazon, which is half off its usual $199.99 price, and according to price trackers, the lowest it's ever been. At this price, it’s a solid entry point for anyone looking to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E without diving into full-blown mesh systems or complicated installs. The router itself is designed to be discreet—no antennas, no buttons, just a small LED that quietly tells you if things are working. Setup happens through the Google Home app and takes only a few minutes. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Bone conduction headphones are ideal for activities where it is vital to your safety to hear your surroundings. That's because they use a technology that sends audio vibrations through to the inner ear while leaving your ear canals open. Shokz is one of, if not the best, brand making bone conduction headphones right now; at the high end of Shokz's offerings is the OpenRun Pro 2, which I got to review and put to the test. But the OpenRun Pro are also quality headphones and are currently discounted on Best Buy for $99.99 (originally $179.95), the lo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re dreaming of ditching a multi-monitor gaming setup without sacrificing too much screen space, the Samsung 49-inch ViewFinity S95UC monitor delivers that idea in a single curved panel. A versatile option for both multi-tasking at work and casual gaming, it’s currently 33% off at $799 (originally $1,199). Samsung 49-inch ViewFinity S95UC Monitor …

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. When my wife and I bought our house two decades ago, one of the most exciting things about the process was finally having in-house laundry after spending our whole lives (almost literally) sitting in laundromats. The laundry center in the house wasn’t fancy—and it was small—but it represented freedom and we were excited. Of course, upon moving in, the laundry machine was instantly non-functional, so we had to scrape out the bottom of our bank account and buy a new one. And that machine has been humming along for 20 years, and might still be running when the sun swells into a red giant and destroys the planet. Considering t…

Intrauterine devices, or IUDs, are an extremely effective and convenient form of birth control for many people—but it can also very painful to get one inserted. Current medical guidelines say that your doctor should be discussing pain management with you, and they also give advice to doctors on what methods tend to work best for most people. The newest set of guidelines is from ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. These guidelines actually cover a variety of procedures, including endometrial and cervical biopsies, but today I'll be talking about the IUD insertion portions. And in 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's released n…

I don't expect Meta to respect my data or my privacy, but the company continues to surprise me with how low they're willing to go in the name of data collection. The latest such story comes to us from a report titled "Disclosure: Covert Web-to-App Tracking via Localhost on Android." In short, Meta and Yandex (a Russian technology company) have been tracking potentially billions of Android users by abusing a security loophole in Android. That loophole allows the companies to access identifying browsing data from your web browser as long as you have their Android apps installed. How does this tracking work? As the report explains, Android allows any installed app with int…

Scammers and cyber attackers are always looking for new ways to steal your information, and even the most cautious among us can be at risk when using our mobile devices for everyday activities. Google is rolling out new security features for Android to help users protect against scams, fraud, and theft, and revealed a bunch of them during its mobile-focused event "The Android Show: I/O Edition," leading up to this year's Google I/O event starting May 20. Here's what's coming soon to your Android device. Expanded scam detection featuresGoogle recently rolled out real-time, AI-powered scam detection that alerts users to possible fraud when suspicious conversational pattern…

Letterboxd is the social media app of choice for many movie fans out there—and for good reason. The service has long been a platform for rating movies, sharing and viewing recommendations, and organizing your watch lists. Now, however, the company is gearing up for a new business model: on-demand video streaming. Letterboxd announced the news at the Cannes film festival on Tuesday. While the company's reveal is lacking many details, we do have some idea of what to expect. The new streaming service will be called the Letterboxd Video Store, and will host "shelves" of select titles. These movies are curated by Letterboxd, and are quite specific. According to the company, …

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 …