Home Office Setup & Equipment

Whether you're filling a prescription, rebooking a flight, or asking a question about your taxes, it seems like the first line of defense between you and any sort of real human helper is a never-ending string of automated prompts. But not all questions can be answered by a computer—especially when it comes to your taxes. The IRS expects more than 140 million individual tax returns for 2024 to be filed this season, which has a deadline of April 15, 2025. That's a lot of taxpayers on hold. Over the past few years, the IRS has certainly made improvements on its phone service, as well as expanding online tools. Still, anyone who has tried calling the IRS knows it can seem i…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. When the new iPad Air with the M3 chip came out in March, Senior Tech Editor Jake Peterson warned you not to buy it, as its advantages didn't justify the premium price compared to an older model. But things have changed in the time since: Both sizes of the new iPad Air have dropped $100 in price, reaching their lowest levels since their release, according to price tracking tools. The 11-inch version starts at $499 (originally $599) and the 13-inch version starts at $699 (originally $799). This means they can now be picked up for less than the older…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon's Big Spring Sale is in full swing, and we've done some work to weed out the best deals available, like our associate tech editor, Michelle Ehrhardt's, favorite tech deals, the best tech deals at 50% off or higher, and other discounted products that resonate with us. While it's not Prime Day, the sale still has deals worth checking out. You can learn more about the sale here. As Lifehacker's deal writer, I used price-tracking tools to vet deals to make sure they're legit and will keep rounding up the best tech deals at 50% off or higher throu…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Online security and an ad-free browsing can be expensive, but right now, StackSocial is offering the AdGuard Family Security Suite for just $49.99, bundling two services that would normally run you a lot more. You can also add the promo code GUARD5 to take off an additional $5, bringing the final cost of this sale down to $44.99. This bundle includes a five-year AdGuard VPN subscription (for up to 10 devices) and a lifetime Family Plan subscription to AdGuard Ad Blocker (covering up to 9 devices) across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and common brows…

It doesn't mean much to anyone with a job, but summer's coming in quick, and only grade-grubbers are still paying attention in school. The other kids are wasting their time exactly how you'd expect: watching kitten body horror videos, discovering 20-year-old RPGs, and throwing bowling balls into helicopter blades. Here's what's shaping (and warping) young minds this week. The rise of terrifying AI kittens on YouTubeIf you have younger kids, summer can mean more screen time, and I wanted to check out what kids are watching when their guardian hands them that tablet, so I spent some time on YouTube looking at animated videos that seem geared to children. The place is lousy …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Roborock is the maker of many fine robot vacuums (and vacuum/mop combos). They are so fine, in fact, that even when they're on sale, as many of them have been for the past few days during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, they can cost you several hundred dollars. One Roborock vacuum-and-mop combo, however, is really discounted right now: The Q7 Max is $189.99 (Amazon lists its regular price as $299.99 and the Roborock website shows the original price as a whopping $599.99). The Roborock Q7 Max specs Roborock Q7 Max Ro…

Summer is on the way—at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere—and Google has pushed out some useful upgrades across several apps to make your travel planning a little easier (and a little more reliant on AI). First, the AI Overviews that you've no doubt noticed up at the top of Google search results are being expanded to cover travel itineraries for regions and countries, as well as cities. All you need to do is ask for a plan for a certain place (like the south of France), together with any requirements (such as kids or a specific budget), and the AI will do the rest. You get a day-by-day breakdown of where you should go and what you should do, and you can che…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. When you think of the best wireless earbuds, it's easy to think of popular brand names like Bose and Sony, but a newer entry to the market has also made a splash. EarFun has made a name for itself by punching well above its weight class with earbuds and headphones that don’t cost nearly as much as the competition but, as I can personally attest, bring audio quality and features that even some of their pricier rivals lack. But if the value offered by EarFun’s buds wasn’t already good enough, many of its products boast solid discounts as part of Amazo…

If you haven't filed tax returns for several years, you're not alone: The IRS anticipates a $500 billion decrease in tax revenue this year. (That’s a more than 10% decline compared to last year.) More anecdotally, the IRS has also noted increased talk online from people saying they won’t pay taxes this year, and that they're willing to take the gamble that they won’t be audited. So, with just a few days left before the April 15 deadline, you might be wondering: What if I keep on ignoring my taxes? How long can this con go on? Unfortunately, that's a mighty risky gamble. You're better off filing as soon as you can, or else be on the line for costly penalties and interest.…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Play borrows the same compact, round design as the brand’s more expensive models, like the Wonderboom 4, but dials back on a few key features to hit a lower price point. Currently at $36.99 on Woot—its lowest price yet according to price trackers and well below the $89.99 list price (and $59.49 on Amazon)—this deal runs for two days or until it sells out. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Play …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If your photo library lives across five devices and looks like digital chaos, Lightroom can help, and this $119.88 deal on a one-year Adobe Lightroom subscription gives you access to a full suite of tools that work just as well on a phone as on a desktop. The cloud-based platform comes with 1TB of storage, so even if you’re editing a vacation album on your tablet in transit, the edits sync seamlessly everywhere. You can start on your phone, tweak more on your laptop, and finish on your desktop—without exporting or juggling file versions. Adobe’s AI …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Samsung announced the new Galaxy S25 Series back in January, a three-phone lineup with a fourth variation that was teased a month later, which you can preorder right now with a $50 Amazon gift card before its May 30 release. Out of those four, the Galaxy S25 is the most basic model with the lowest price, and currently, it's hitting a new record low price of $624.99 (originally $799.99), according to price-tracking tools. SAMSUNG Galaxy S25 128GB AI Smartphon…

I keep looking for ways to free up storage space on my iPhone and on iCloud. I am a data hoarder who hates deleting things, but when I almost managed to fill up my 256GB iPhone, I knew I had a problem and began aggressively deleting unwanted data. However, photos takes up most of the storage on my iPhone, which has put me in a bit of a spot. I find it hard to delete old photos, but if I don't do that, I may eventually have to start paying a lot more for cloud storage to back up my data. If you're in the same boat as I am, the answer is simpler than you might think. Here are a few ways to delete photos and free up storage space on both your iPhone and on iCloud. Define wha…

If you were under the assumption that Siri was soon going to be supercharged with AI, you wouldn't be alone. In fact, Apple has advertised as much since last WWDC, showing off its ChatGPT-like assistant in commercials and promotional materials. It's been nearly a year since WWDC 2024, and that new Siri is still not here. The thing is, it likely won't be for a long time. How long is anyone's guess (I've been tracking the delays here), but one thing seems for certain: Apple is not showing off AI Siri at next month's WWDC 2025. Apple's AI program is a mess In Mark Gurman's latest piece for Bloomberg, he describes a chaotic situation regrading Apple's AI department. The pie…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Right now, the Amazon Fire TV 4-Series (50-Inch) is down to $319.99 from its regular $399.99, which price trackers confirm is the lowest it's ever been. Amazon Fire TV 50" 4-Series $319.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $399.99 Save $80.00 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Whoop’s new 5.0 hardware launched this week, along with a premium version of the device that they’re calling the MG. Along with the launch came a new upgrade policy, requiring users to pay for what many thought would be a free upgrade. The company has walked back some of the new policy, but most users will still need to pay to get the new device. Here’s what you should know. WHOOP Peak – 12-Month Membership – 5.0 Health and Fitness Wearable – 24/7 Activity and Sleep Tracker with Heart Rate, HRV, Stress Monitor, Personalized Coaching, Healthspan – 14+ Days Battery Life …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Finding great travel deals is a skill, but it’s one that can be honed—if you know where to source a bargain, can be patient and flexible, and if you know you can take advantage of the 24-hour free federal cancelation policy to lock in a time-sensitive opportunity. Here are some of the best travel websites you can use to snag your next trip on the cheap. Use Skyscanner to find the cheapest flightsYes, Google Flights is more user-friendly and has cool features (like the “explore” tool to see a map of your potential destinations and their prices), but…

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 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve been waiting for a low-stakes opportunity to buy an iPad, this $159.99 bundle on StackSocial could check enough boxes. It includes a refurbished 7th-gen Apple iPad (2019) with 32GB of storage and wifi in Space Gray, plus a pair of refurbished Beats Flex headphones. The refurbished condition means it’s been tested and certified to work as expected, though you might spot some cosmetic wear. You’re also getting a solid handful of accessories—a case, screen protector, stylus, charger, and cable—all generic but usable. This isn’t the newest iPa…

Scammers are targeting travelers planning their vacations in a new campaign that spoofs popular online travel agency (OTA) Booking.com. The scheme, identified by Malwarebytes Labs, uses malicious CAPTCHA forms to gain remote access to victims' devices, allowing threat actors to harvest personal and financial information. How the Booking.com scam worksThe campaign begins with links posted on social media and gaming sites, including sponsored ads, that redirect to websites posing as Booking.com—an OTA through which users can search and book flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel experiences. When users click the link, they'll see a fake CAPTCHA pop-up with a check…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The old cliché "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies perfectly to the first-generation Google Pixel Watch. Released in 2022, Google's first smart watch looks great, is designed to work with FitBit's infrastructure, and is one of the best deals for Amazon's Big Spring Sale. You can pick one up for $129.99, 61% cheaper than the regular list price of $329.99, and the lowest price this model has ever sold for. Google Pixel Watch …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When I wrote about adding baking soda to ground beef for better browning and moisture retention, the readership was starkly divided—those who think this chemical reaction is pure snake oil, and those who want to know immediately how to apply this technique to hamburgers. Well, for those of you mapping out your Memorial Day weekend grill game, saddle up. This very real chemical reaction is indeed perfectly suited to improving your summer burgers. How does baking soda make meat tender? Baking soda reacts with the proteins in meats, whether ground or not, preventing them from winding up as tightly as they normally would when …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. For lean protein that’s tasty, low fat, and affordable, you can't go wrong with shrimp, especially if you buy frozen. I like to do just that, and stretch it out over many meals. I think we can all agree that when you’re eating a lot of one particular thing, the best way to keep things interesting is to try new recipes and to find different cooking methods for it. And my latest shrimp obsession is to “grill” it using my waffle iron. Why waffled shrimp worksThe waffle iron is one of the most versatile appliances in your kitchen—it's good for so much more than making waffles. The benefits of using a waffle maker to cook your…

Now more than ever, it's time to curb your online shopping habit. The The President administration's tariffs will hit American families hard, with estimates ranging from nearly $4,000 to almost $8,000 per household. With a general attitude of "recession indicators" all around us, one thing is clear: Times are tight. And as time goes on, your restrictive behavior can swing too far in the other direction, leading to something called “revenge spending.” If you’ve found yourself responding to tight times with overcompensatory spending, here’s what you can do to get your budget back on track. What is "revenge spending"?As the name suggests, revenge spending occurs when you th…

Data breaches targeting healthcare and compromising patient information seem to be coming fast and furious, the latest of which occurred at Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), a massive nonprofit healthcare network in Connecticut. Hackers stole the data of more than 5.5 million individuals during an attack in March 2025. Other major cyber incidents revealed by healthcare organizations in recent weeks include Blue Shield of California's exposure of 4.7 million members' data to Google along with a breach at Maryland's Frederick Health Medical Group, which affected nearly a million patients. What happened at Yale New Haven Health? According to a public notice on the YNHHS websi…