Home Office Setup & Equipment

With the weather warming up, your thoughts may be turning to spending lazy summer afternoons at the beach with a good book. Tina, an online creator and co-host of the podcast Book Talk, Etc., opened her edition of the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday to find the newspaper's "Summer reading list for 2025." If Tina were me, someone who isn't in-tune with the latest in literature, this article might have seemed like a useful jumping-off point for some new book recommendations. But seeing as Tina creates content all about books, I imagine she is acutely aware of which authors are writing which books—which is why she was able to immediately spot a number of books on the list that s…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon's Memorial Day sale is in full swing, featuring deals on garden, sports, beauty, home items, electronics, and more. A particular sale that stood out to me, as a deals writer who frequently reviews headphones and speakers, is the one on Beats products. While it's not uncommon to see Beats products with a good discount, it is rare to see the newest product (the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2) included in the sale. Right now, you can get the Beats Pill, Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, and the Beats Studio Buds+ for up to 41% off. All of these options are at t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. While Anker might be known best for its power banks, speakers, and smartphone accessories, the brand also has a track record for delivering high-quality audio products. Currently, Anker Soundcore AeroClip open-ear earbuds are available for the lowest price ever at $129.98, according to price-trackers. These earbuds are lightweight and flexible, yet stay in place due to their open-ring design. Anker Soundcore AeroClip Earbuds …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The gold standard for a bang-for-your-buck portable speaker is the Beats Pill, which you can easily find for $100. But if you're looking for an even more affordable equivalent, it is the Tribit StormBox Flow, which you can currently find for $55.99 (originally $79.99) after using the 30% on-page coupon. Tribit StormBox Flow 30H Playtime, IP67 Waterproof, Bluetooth 5.3, TWS, Custom EQ, Type-C. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones are down to $174.99 for a refurbished Grade “A” unit, compared to their regular $399.99 price tag (and Amazon’s current refurbished listing at $239.97). They arrive in near-mint condition, showing little to no cosmetic wear, and include a carrying case, USB-C charging cable, and a 3.5mm audio cable for wired use. You also get an aftermarket one-year warranty, which helps ease any secondhand purchase worries. Free shipping across the contiguous U.S. sweetens the pot a little more. When it comes …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve bounced between gaming on a Switch, a PC, and maybe even your phone, the 8Bitdo Pro 2 makes a pretty solid case for itself, especially now that it’s going for $36.36 on Amazon (down from $49.99). This is the lowest it’s ever been, according to price tracking tools like Keepa. 8Bitdo Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller $36.36 at Amazo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. QLEDs attempt to look like OLED TVs without the hefty price tag, and within QLEDs, there is diversity in price. A great mid-tier QLED is TCL's QM7, which I got to review. But you can find budget QLEDs for cheaper: That's where the Hisense QD6 QLED, currently $379.99 (originally $499.99), half the price of the QM7 for the same 65-inch size and matching the lowest price it has ever been, according to price-tracking tools. And you still get a lot of the nice features normally found on mid-tier or higher TVs. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you're anything like me, you spend 90% of your time using your laptop with it docked and plugged into a monitor (or two). And if you're at that point, you might be wondering why you even bother having a screen attached to your computer at all. If so, HP's got your back. Announced at this year's CES, the HP Eliteboard G1a looks like a normal keyboard on the outside, but on the inside, it's got a whole Windows PC. That's not exactly a new concept, but with the experimental days of Windows XP long behind us, it's mostly been reserved for less powerful, Linux-based single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi. That's great …

Microsoft has released its latest monthly Patch Tuesday update, this time offering fixes for 72 security vulnerabilities across its systems. Five of the malicious bugs addressed are zero-days that have been actively exploited, and two have been publicly disclosed. As Bleeping Computer reports, the May update addresses 17 elevation of privilege flaws, two security feature bypass flaws, 28 remote code execution flaws, 15 information disclosure flaws, seven denial of service flaws, and two spoofing flaws. In addition to the zero-day exploits, six of the remote code execution vulnerabilities are labeled "critical" along with one information disclosure flaw. If you're a Wind…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 might've made headlines for their heart-rate monitoring feature, but that's actually their worst feature. These new earbuds, which came out in February, compete against the AirPods Pro 2, since they're normally the same price. Right now, though, you can get Beats' Powerbeats Pro 2 for $199.95 (originally $249.99) after their first major discount, according to price-tracking tools. Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Noise Cancelling, Heart Rate…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. It's Amazon's Big Spring Sale—not quite Prime Day, but as close as you're going to get in March. But while Prime Day usually includes a bunch of discounts of Apple devices, including the ubiquitous AirPods, they aren't included among the retailer's Spring Sale offers. But that's fine, because the Apple-made headphones I would actually recommend buying over the AirPods Pro actually are in the Big Spring Sale: the similarly full-featured, great-sounding Beats Fit Pro, which are currently $30 off. Beats Fit Pro A…

Apple just released iOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4 for the iPhone and Mac, respectively. Once you complete the update, you'll see a prompt informing you that, as part of the update, the company has enabled automatic updates on your device, even if you had previously switched them off. This means that, unless you do something, Apple will start downloading and installing future software updates to your devices on its own. To test this out, I disabled automatic updates on my iPhone and on my Mac, and then began updating to iOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4. Sure enough, once the updates were complete, Apple duly informed me that it had gone ahead and enabled automatic updates on my devices. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The only thing I didn’t love about the Mammotion Luba robot lawn mower I tested last summer was its size. It’s a hulking four-wheel-drive robot and I live in the city, where we don’t have huge lawns. Enter the Luba Mini, a halved version of the Luba meant for smaller lawns (and tighter budgets). In fact, if you paid attention this spring, miniaturized versions of some of my favorite technology were everywhere. These mini-me versions seem to be driven, according to the companies themselves, by two market needs. While smart home tech is incredible in terms of functionality and independence, it often comes at a steep cost. Bu…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Ever since Apple released the latest Apple Watch Series 10 earlier in September, it has been steadily dropping in price; it's currently sitting at $299 (originally $399) after a $100 drop, matching the lowest price yet, according to price-tracking tools. This price is for the 42mm case, 130 to 180mm size bands, in black, denim, and rose-gold case colors. The bigger 46mm case is down to $329 (originally $429), also its lowest price after a $100 discount. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Mobile gaming stopped being a casual distraction a while ago. Big-budget titles, console-quality ports, and cloud streaming have turned phones into credible gaming machines. The problem is still input. Touch controls work until they don’t, especially once games demand precise movement, aiming, or long sessions. The Razer Kishi Ultra is built to fix that gap. And it’s currently $79.99 on Amazon, which online price trackers confirm is its lowest price to date. It fits most phones, even with cases, and can expand wide enough to hold an iPad mini, which…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. When Samsung dropped the Galaxy Watch Ultra last summer, it was clearly swinging at the Apple Watch Ultra crowd—people who run marathons for fun, hike trails that end in the clouds, or just want a tank of a smartwatch on their wrist. Now that the hype’s settled and the price has dropped to $378 (down from $649.99), its lowest yet according to price trackers, it’s a more interesting pick, especially if you’re big on the outdoors. SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Ultra 47mm LTE AI Smartwatch …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Peloton's app and its fitness equipment have tons of options for workouts, but they can't do everything. If you track some of your workouts with other devices, like a Garmin watch or bike computer, they wouldn't show up in your Peloton workout history—until now. A new Garmin integration is rolling out, and here's how it works. How to link your Peloton and Garmin accountsThe new integration allows Peloton to import workouts from Garmin Connect. Garmin Connect is the name of the Garmin app, so this means workouts you do on a watch (say, your Forerunner 570) sync to the Garmin Connect app, and from there to Peloton. This doe…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Adding more visibility to a driveway or backyard is cheaper than you might think. The Blink Wired Floodlight Camera is currently selling for just $44.99 on Amazon, down from its usual $99.99, and price-tracking tools show that's the lowest it has ever been. It’s a wired camera, so it replaces an existing outdoor light and runs on household power. In exchange, you get a 1080p camera with a wide 143-degree field of view and dual LED floodlights that emit 2,600 lumens. Blink Wired Floodlight Camer…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Audio enthusiasts need no introduction to Sony's 1000X series. They've been around since 2016, improving on the previous iteration to eventually land on the latest Sony WH-1000XM6, the best over-ear headphones for ANC your money can buy in 2025. As you can imagine, that means the still excellent 1000XM5 is dropping in price. If you're willing to splurge, it's a good time to do so during Amazon's Memorial Day Sale. The WH-1000XM5 are currently $298 (originally $399.99), matching Black Friday and Christmas prices, according to price-tracking tools. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Two months ago, I downloaded and started using the Steppin app, which locks up your most distracting apps and forces you to trade your real-world steps for them. After just three days, I was finding it enjoyable enough to review it, but now that I've spent 68 days with the app, I'm even more impressed. While it's still only available on iOS, an Android version is available on a waitlist and not much has changed in terms of interface or use since I first reviewed it, but I've found it much easier to navigate and incorporate into my life. My social media use is definitely downThe app works by syncing with your Apple Health …

If you’re like most folks, you use your home's entryway to hang a few coats, store an unruly pile of shoes, and give you a place to drop your keys and the mail when you walk in. If you have the space, you might use it as a full-fledged mud room—a space to shed your wet coats, boots, and umbrellas before stepping into the house proper. But your entryway could be a lot more than that—especially if you live in a small space and need to make use of every inch of square footage. Just because it’s a space you and your guests pass through on the way to somewhere else doesn’t mean you can’t use it for other purposes. And you can enhance the space for the guest experience as well,…

Picture-in-picture (PiP) is a great feature for us multitaskers. We have things to do, sure, but there are so many videos to watch, too. Why not kill two birds with one stone, and cross off our to-do lists with a floating media player in the corner of our screens? The thing about PiP, however, is it's not always the most convenient feature to use—especially on desktop. Usually, you need to learn how to activate it in the first place, which might entail a keyboard shortcut, or perhaps a double right-click to reveal a hidden menu. Unless your browser or app contains a convenient shortcut, it's often more of a hurdle than it should be. Contrast that with how it works on mobi…

The Google I/O 2025 keynote was all about Gemini and AI. But it's nice to see that the Chrome desktop browser got some new updates and features, too. While Gemini has been available in every web browser so far, until now, it's still very much just been a website. Meanwhile, over on Android, the Gemini app integrates deeply into the ecosystem. Thankfully for AI fanatics, it can now do that in Chrome, too. Plus, Google is adding some quality-of-life upgrades to the password management system, as the browser can now change your passwords for you, automating one of the most tedious but important security tasks there is. Gemini comes to Chrome on desktop Starting tomorrow, Gem…