Home Office Setup & Equipment

Microsoft announced a plethora of Copilot upgrades at the start of the week, and we're now starting to see some of them roll out—to Windows Insiders, at least. The Copilot app for Windows has now been updated to support Copilot Vision and file search, so the AI bot is better able to interact with whatever's on your PC. Copilot Vision first appeared on the web last year, but it's new to the Windows app: It essentially lets the AI "see" what's happening on your computer, so you can ask it about websites you're viewing, or documents you're editing, or songs you're listening to, without having to take a screenshot or do any copying or pasting. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Hot on the heels of Oura’s AI Advisor, another app feature from the smart ring company is leaving beta and becoming available to all users: meal logging. But this isn’t just another calorie tracking app—Oura’s Meals feature provides feedback on what you’re eating and when, without judging you for how much. Oura Ring 4 $349.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg …

Many, but far from all, otherwise mobile-only applications are available on the Mac App Store for Macs with an Apple silicon processor. Such Macs can hypothetically run any iPhone or iPad application, though individual developers can choose whether or not to offer that functionality. There are multiple reasons why a company might not offer their iPhone app on Mac—maybe they don't want to optimize it for a bigger display, maybe it's broken in some way, or maybe they just aren't interested in supporting another platform. You might disagree with that decision, though, and wondering whether it's possible to use those apps on your Mac anyway. And it is, sort of: PlayCover is a…

Another wave of malicious browser extensions capable of tracking user activity and compromising privacy have been found across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, some of which may have been active for up to five years. The campaign, known as GhostPoster, was identified by Koi Security in December and included 17 Firefox add-ons designed to monitor users' browsing activity. Threat actors planted malicious JavaScript code in the extension's PNG logo, which served as a malware loader to retrieve the main payload from a remote server. Researchers at LayerX have found an additional 17 malicious extensions across multiple browsers that have collectively been installed more than 840,00…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. We like to think that our home is also our fortress of privacy: Once you walk through your front door, you’re free from prying eyes (or lenses) and can relax. There are a ton of ways to ensure your privacy inside, starting with items like window films, shades, and curtains. And if you want to protect your outdoor space from neighbors peering over the fence, you have several easy options. Most of those options, however, assume your neighbors are on the same level as you. If the neighboring homes are located above yours, you’ll need to re-think your privacy plan. This is especially true if your neighbors have outdoor areas t…

AI video generators are rapidly improving and becoming more widely available, with Google's Veo 2 now built into the Gemini app for anyone paying for a Google One AI Premium plan. Like OpenAI's Sora, Runway, Adobe's Firefly, and others, Veo 2 enables you to create a professional-looking video from nothing more than a text prompt. With Veo 2 now available to paying users, it seems like a good opportunity to test these different AI video generators against each other, and compare their strengths and weaknesses—and to assess where we're at with AI video in general. We keep being told that these tools will transform movie-making, or at least fill the internet with AI slop, bu…

Neighbor relations can be fraught—a whopping three-fourths of Americans dislike at least one neighbor, although just about the same number of people report being friends with a neighbor as well. It's safe to say that most people want to be good neighbors, and are generally willing to observe little courtesies like keeping the noise down or accommodating the occasional contractor truck parked on the street. Sometimes you want to go a little above and beyond for a neighbor and do a surprise good deed. The idea of helping someone out with no expectation of reward can make you feel great, and seems like a surefire way to build a solid neighbor relationship and bank some good …

Clicking through search results to a website comes with the risk of landing on a spoofed page that is actually a phishing scam, but so does navigating directly by typing a URL into your browser. As reported by Krebs on Security, researchers at security firm Infoblox have identified a swath of scams on lookalike and parked (or placeholder) domains. If you end up on one of these websites, you'll be directed not to the trusted page you're expecting but scam content, including scareware and other malware. Lookalike domains contain malicious contentThis scam capitalizes on you navigating directly to a website by typing the URL into your browser's address bar. If you accident…

When Spike Jonze's movie Her dropped back in 2013, I thought it was a great work of total fiction. Who would actually befriend an AI bot, let alone fall in love with them? Fast forward 12 years, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only do people love chatting with AI bots, they are actually developing deep connections with them. I still don't get it, but I can't deny it: People like these chatbots a lot. Part of what people like about conversations with generative AI is the "personality" of each bot—or, at least, its perceived personality. After all, ChatGPT isn't a monolith: You can adjust the bot to sound wildly different than it does on someone else's app, which r…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Pixel 10 came out in August this year, and at a $799 starting price, it was worth considering. Fast forward a couple of months, and now you can get one for almost half off, at $449. Amazon is discounting the flagship Pixel 10 (128GB) to $549, and there’s a promo code (PIXEL10) that drops it down a further $100. At under $500, this might be the best Android smartphone deal of the year. Google Pixel 10 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $749, the unlocked 128GB Google Pixel 10 Pro has slipped into its most affordable price yet on Amazon, down from its original $999 launch price, according to online price trackers. Stack the promo code PIXEL10, and you shave off another $100, which reframes the phone entirely. At full price, it felt like a confident but pricey Android flagship. At this discount, it becomes a far easier recommendation for people who value polish over raw benchmark wins. Google Pixel 10 Pro …

After months of beta testing, DuckDuckGo's AI integrations are going live for everyone and getting some upgrades at the same time: They're free to use (with certain limits), and stay in line with DuckDuckGo's commitment to user privacy (you don't have to create an account to use them, and your searches aren't tracked). As with Google, Bing, ChatGPT, and others, you can now get AI answers to your web searches at DuckDuckGo. They appear in a small box with an Assist label attached, but they aren't as prominent and don't show up as often as they do on Google or Bing—DuckDuckGo is aiming for a less-is-more approach to the feature. …

With the April 15 tax deadline looming tomorrow, many Americans are rushing to complete their returns. Personally, my phone is blowing up with all my procrastinator friends asking last-minute questions. And good for them for making the deadline at all, no matter how frenzied. But what happens if you miss the deadline? The consequences vary dramatically depending on whether you simply file late or don't file at all. Let's take a look at what happens in either scenario, and what options you have if you're not ready to file by tomorrow. What happens if you file your taxes late?First off, it's important to clarify the difference between failure to file and failure to pay. Fa…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 is one of those software tools that you don’t fully appreciate until you’re knee-deep in receipts, invoices, or tax prep docs. If you’re running a small business, freelancing, or handling books for a family member’s side hustle, having a solid desktop-based solution like this one can help you get organized without relying on cloud subscriptions or recurring fees. Right now, it’s available for a one-time payment of $249.99 (down from $699) on StackSocial, and you get lifetime access, whether you're on Windows or Mac. …

If you're eager for the new Nintendo Switch 2, the current preorder situation should make you a bit nervous. Nintendo's upcoming console is scheduled to launch on June 5, but without a preorder, there's no telling how difficult it'll be to buy one. Fortunately, things are improving. On Friday, Nintendo finally announced the new date fans can expect to preorder a Switch 2, as well as some good and bad news regarding price increases. Here's the latest. Switch 2 preorders open next weekIt's official: If you live in the United States or Canada, you can preorder a Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday, April 24. The new date replaces the original April 9 preorder schedule Nintendo ann…

Fresh produce is probably one of the greatest gifts we can enjoy from nature. Call me a tree-hugger, but plants are seriously incredible. I don’t have a proper garden at the moment—it’s a north-facing potted plant set-up on my balcony—but if you’ve ever grown vegetables or even flowers from seeds, you know what I mean. Plants make gigantic blooms and fruit out of dirt and sunshine. That’s magic, and we reap the benefits. In this monthly article, I'll take a look at the fruits and veggies coming into season and some recipes you can use them in. As for this month: It's been spring for a while but it finally feels like it. And after a long winter, greens and a few fruits ar…

Despite all of the technological advances that have made our lives so comfortable and convenient, from on-demand movies to smart devices that can be controlled from a handheld computer in our pockets, there are still some primitive situations we have to endure. For example, that seemingly endless time spent shivering in the shower while you wait for the water to heat up. Or that painful moment when you go to wash your hands and water that feels like it’s being pumped directly from the Arctic splashes you. Waiting for the water to heat up is an age-old problem caused by simple laws of physics: Your water heater is far away from the tap or shower head, and it takes time to …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. While there was no question we'd be getting another Prime Day in 2025, now it's official: In a press release, Amazon has confirmed the return of what is sure to be biggest online sales event of the year. Here is everything we know so far about this year's sale. What is Prime Day?While Amazon holds several sales throughout the year (including its recent Big Spring Sale and last year's October Prime Big Deal Days),the summer sale is typically Amazon's biggest, most-hyped annual event. It's typically a two-day affair, with deals in virtually every category you can think of. Prime Day is usually when you can expect to see some…

There's no doubt Google is keen to track just about everything you do online and inside its apps, but it's also fair to say the company puts a comprehensive set of security and privacy tools at its users' disposal. You can use these tools to manage data in everything from Google Maps to YouTube. And there is a lot of data to manage: With Gmail, Gemini, Android, Chrome, and all the other apps and services it runs, Google can suck up a vast amount of information about you and what you're up to. It's important to make sure this data is being managed in a way you're comfortable with, and kept safe from unauthorized access. All of these security and privacy settings can be fou…

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…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. With dietary differences and grocery budgeting, eggless dessert recipes are more sought after than they used to be. Of course, eggs play an important role in the structure of your batter, so you can’t just leave it out. (Well, sometimes you can.) You’re better off knowing what sorts of egg replacements you can use for different types of baking. Here’s a list of the best egg replacement you can lean on during lean times. By the way, if you find yourself modifying recipes a lot, I highly suggest you buy The Elements of Baking. It can give you the tools (and ratios) you need to modify almost any recipe for different diets; y…

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 back for a second year and runs through March 31. It’s not quite the frenzy of Prime Day, but there are still plenty of decent tech deals worth checking out. You don’t need a Prime membership to shop the sale either, though Prime members do get access to a few better prices. If you’re curious, you can always sign up for the free 30-day trial and cancel later. Either way, this week’s a solid time to pull the trigger on those bigger purchases you’ve been eyeing. Like, say, a giant new TV. Right now, the 65-inch Sony Bravia …

While getting a home you're thinking of buying inspected to make sure it's not harboring any hidden problems goes without saying, it's just as important to do a deep dive on the neighborhood you'll be moving into. But while you can look up crime stats and compare property values, how can you know if you’re going to personally vibe with the new surroundings? Here are seven strategies you can try in order to vibe-check your potential new neighborhood before signing a lease or taking out a mortgage. Walk the area instead of driving aroundWhether you’re a walker or you believe strongly in driving to the end of your driveway to collect the mail, a stroll through a prospective…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Running seems like a cheap sport—you just need shoes!—until you actually go shoe shopping. The right footwear can make or break your experience. They can also break your budget; even the most basic models are well over $100 new. (That being said, keep in mind that the most expensive shoe isn't necessarily the best for you.) Of course, you can search for deals at any time—there's usually something being discounted no matter when you look. But if you want a specific shoe on sale, it's worth watching the schedule of new releases. And the ultimate hack: New shoe models tend to be introduced in the spring, making right now an e…

Max's May lineup brings the return of two of the streamer's original comedy series. First up is the second installment of Conan O'Brien Must Go (May 8), an unscripted travel series in which Conan reconnects with fans he previously met on his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. This season's three episodes will debut weekly. At the end of the month, Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That... (May 29) returns for its third season, following original SATC characters—plus a few additions—navigating life in New York City in their 50s. On the film side, Max will debut HBO original Mountainhead (May 31), starring Steve Carrell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael S…