Home Office Setup & Equipment

At Google I/O 2025, the company announced that Gemini Live Camera and Screen Sharing is rolling out to iPhone starting today. This means that you'll be able to use your phone's camera to live stream a feed to Gemini, and have a conversation about with the AI agent about what it sees. This feature has been available on Android for some time, but it's coming to iPhone for the first time starting today. This could be useful for many things, such as showing Gemini a video of something in your neighborhood and asking it to identify the item. In theory, you could ask it to identify cars, trees, or important landmarks in your neighborhood, or ask it general knowledge questions …

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 the right time to upgrade your Apple Watch, the Series 10 has quietly become one of the best-value picks around. It launched in September and has already dropped to $299 on Amazon—that’s $100 off the $399 sticker price. Apple Watch Series 10 GPS 42mm Smartwatch (Rose Gold, Plum Sports Loop) $299.00 at Amaz…

You might be having a bad week, but AI is having a worse one. First there was the "racism glitch" that beset Grok, and now music platform SoundCloud is facing some serious criticism for a clause buried in its terms of service. The imbroglio began in February 2024, when SoundCloud quietly changed its TOS to include: In the absence of a separate agreement that states otherwise, You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services. That quietly sat there in the TOS for more than a year, but this week, Ed Newton notice…

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 looking for a wireless outdoor camera that doesn’t need constant babysitting, the Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera (2nd Gen) bundled with a solar panel is now at its lowest-ever price (according to price trackers)—$69.99, down from $99.99. Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera $69.99 at Amazon …

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. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Sony might be better known for its headphones, but it also makes decent speakers. Its latest portable speaker is the ULT Field 3, which launched along with the ULT Field t and ULT Tower 9 this spring, all made to be portable and rugged. Right now, you can get the smallest one of the lineup for $148 (originally $199.99), the lowest price it has been, according to price tracking tools. Sony ULT Field 3…

Chromebooks have been a major success for Google, but they have their limits. While they're great for school and light work (especially if you're all-in on Google), they aren't necessarily the best choice for more intense or professional computer work. For that, people often turn to two main platforms: Mac or PC. It seems Google sees an opportunity to add another to the mix: The company looks like it wants to capture Android users who might be choosing from one of the other two platforms for their computing needs. iPhone users often choose Mac, after all, so maybe Android users would choose the right Google computer, too. Googlebooks are a new laptop from Google Enter G…

YouTube is an amazing tool. If there's anything you want to do, from playing an instrument to fixing household appliances, there is a video on the site somewhere outlining exactly how to do it. The problem: YouTube doesn't always act like a tool. It's easy to get sucked down a rabbit hole of related videos, comments, and other distractions (mostly because the site it designed to make sure you do exactly that). If you wish YouTube behaved more like a tool and less like a dopamine factory, I recommend Untrap. This browser extension, available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Opera, lets you make almost 300 tweaks to the YouTube website, allowing you to remove the dis…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If your current version of Office is starting to feel a little old, this might be the right time to upgrade without committing to a subscription. Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is down to $49.97 on StackSocial—marked down from its regular $219.99 price. It’s a one-time purchase with a lifetime license for one Windows PC. That means no monthly fees, no renewals, and no cloud dependency to use the core apps. You’ll get instant delivery of your license key after checkout, and setup is straightforward. Just note that the license ties t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The latest iPad mini 7 was released in Oct. of 2024, bringing a smaller and more compact design with Apple Intelligence features to the already smallest iPad on the market. Today, the iPad Mini is nearly $100 off. You can get it for $399.99 (originally $499), $0.99 off the lowest price it has ever been, according to price-tracking tools. Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) …

All throughout 2025, I've been bursting with podcast recommendations (which might not be surprising, given writing a podcast recommendation newsletter is part of my job). I've shared my lists of the best podcasts about liars and scammers, podcasts that expose the nonsense in politics and pop culture, and podcasts you'll like if you miss Heavyweight. But then I awoke and realized that we are almost halfway through the year, and I haven't spent nearly enough time talking about my favorite new shows that debuted this year. June is a great time to take stock of all the new podcasts from the first half of the year. These are the shows that made my jaw drop, made me laugh, an…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Many years ago, I saw a tweet go around that said something like, "You have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyoncé." On the one hand, that was annoying, because while it’s true, I don’t have the same amount of resources. Still, yes, everyone has the same amount of hours in a day—point made. But as it turns out, what may be more important thing to understand is that we all have the same amount of hours in a week. That’s the basis for the "168 method," so named for the number of hours in a week. This productivity technique calls on you to expand your thinking around how much time you really have to get everything do…

In the beginning, WhatsApp users could not protect their chat backups with encryption—while all communications were encrypted end-to-end, backups weren't afforded the same protection. Since 2021, however, WhatsApp has offered two ways for users to encrypt these backups: a standard password, or a 64-digit encryption key. There are security issues with both of these methods. Passwords can be secure, but let's be real, many of us use very simple passwords that are easy to remember, and, in some cases, we even repeat passwords from account to account to make things easier on our brains. If your password for WhatsApp backups is the same password you use for your email, and th…

Forgetting where you parked your car isn't just a sitcom trope—though it does make for classic TV. Even in the age of the smartphone, it's all too easy to walk away from your car and retain zero memory of where you left it. As it happens, Google Maps has a solution—provided you have an iPhone. So long as you're running the app on an Apple device, Google Maps can automatically remember where you parked and display that information on the map. There's no need to mark the location yourself, tell the app to save your spot, or take a picture of the cross streets in case you forget: You can simply glance at the screen to find a "You parked here" label. The thing is, while som…

One of the most annoying restrictions in Gmail is that, once you've picked an email address, you're stuck with it. There are exceptions for third-party addresses, like work emails tied to a company's domain, but for the typical @gmail.com account, no dice. Personally, I've had a number of loyalty programs and store accounts tied to an embarrassingly edgy email from high school for decades now, but finally, it seems like I'll be able to change it. A recently updated Google support page says the company is now "gradually rolling out" the ability to change your Gmail address, with some limitations. Oddly, the page is only available in Hindi for the moment, so I've reached o…

I tend to go out of my way to avoid using Meta AI, but today, I gave it a fair shake. That's because, as reported by Bloomberg, Meta's AI service is now testing a shopping assistant. The idea is to compete with similar services from AI platforms like ChatGPT or Gemini, where users tap into the power of generative AI to search the web for product recommendations. That's all fine and well in theory, but in execution, Meta AI's shopping assistant is a bit of a disaster—even if it is only in testing. Meta AI's shopping suggestions are useless When I tried accessing Meta AI's web app logged out, I didn't see the shopping assistant. But once I signed into my Meta Account, a n…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The original Peloton bike is currently on sale during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, dropping from its original price of $1,445 to an appealing $1,195, saving you $250. This is one of the most competitive prices I've seen for the original Peloton bike. Of course, you'll need to consider the true cost of a Peloton after bundling all the necessary accessories. For instance, Peloton sells its bike shoes separately—normally for $125, but you can get them for $100 during this spring sale. Another cost includes a monthly subscription to the app, which grants …

I'm strongly in favor of using password managers to store your credentials, but, so far, I've resisted the prompts that ask me to switch to passkeys—even though passkeys are better than passwords in just about every way. You don't need to remember or store a long string of random characters if you use passkeys, because they don't actually use a password at all. Instead, you use your device's authentication method, such as a face scan, a device passcode, or fingerprint unlock, to log in to your accounts. Passkeys are also more resistant to phishing attacks because your password manager won't let you use a passkey to log in to dummy websites created by scammers. Despite t…

It's officially Tax Day. If you already filed months ago, first off: Good for you. And secondly, you may have already received a pleasant surprise in the form of a slightly larger tax refund compared to last year. According to the most recent IRS report, over $211 billion has been refunded this cycle so far—a 5% increase over last year. On an individual basis, the average direct deposit refund amount is $3,186, up 3.2% from last year's $3,088. But what's driving these larger refunds? Inflation adjustments boost refundsThe primary reason for the increase in tax refunds stems from the IRS's annual inflation adjustments. For the 2024 tax year (filed in 2025), the IRS implem…

If you don't yet have a REAL ID, you can continue to fly, but it's going to cost you. Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will start collecting a $45 fee from travelers using non-compliant forms of identification at airport security checkpoints. The agency previously proposed a fee of $18 to cover the administrative and IT costs of ID verification for those traveling without a REAL ID or passport but increased the total to $45 in an announcement released earlier this month. REAL ID requirementsThe 2005 REAL ID Act mandated the standardization of state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards. After multiple delays since 2008…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Earlier this week, YouTube and Disney both warned YouTube TV subscribers that they might lose access to Disney-owned channels, including ESPN and FX, starting on Oct. 31. It's probably not the Halloween treat you were looking for, but now that the end of the month has come, that's exactly what's happened: Right now, more than 20 of Disney's channels have gone dark on YouTube TV. Why did Disney pull its Channels from YouTube TV? Not to be confused with YouTube Premium, YouTube TV is Google's Live TV service—kind of like cable without the cable box. As such, it needs to pay content providers like Disney fees to offer their…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When it comes to having the hottest, crispiest snacks at the ready, I’ve always had your best interest in mind. While any air fryer is better than no air fryer, in a perfect world the best air fryer would be available to us all at an affordable price. Well folks, my favorite air fryer is 39% off for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale and it’s a deal worth jumping on. The Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is $139.95 right now, compared to its usual $229.95, and while it’s not cheap per se, I would say it dips down into a much lower price bracket for sure. If you were looking for air fryers in the $100 to $150 range, then the Cuisinar…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Hisense’s mid-range TVs tend to land in that sweet spot of good features at a not-astronomical price. That certainly describes the 2025 U7 Series right now, as the 65-inch model is discounted by $800 at Best Buy, dropping to just $699. It's one of Lifehacker's picks for the best 65-inch TVs in 2026, especially at this price. The sale price is good through April 19, and Best Buy is sweetening the deal with a discount on mounting and free haul-away for members, which will make upgrading your older TV a bit less of a chore. …

The company behind the Opera browser is launching yet another AI tool with Opera Neon, an agentic AI browser. This basically means that it's a browser with an AI agent built in, which can go beyond answering questions and will purportedly be able to browse the internet for you to help you get various things done. This includes helping you plan trips, booking vacations, and even creating web apps with simple natural language prompts. Oddly enough, this isn't Opera's first go at agentic AI, as it follows the announcement for the standard Opera browser's Browser Operator tool. Technically, Browser Operator isn't released yet, but it seems the difference is that Neon's use c…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. We might be living in the era of the PS5 Pro, but speaking from personal experience, the base PS5 is still plenty good enough for most people. There are no exclusive games for the upgrade yet (and there likely never will be), but one nice thing about its existence is that the original PS5 is now more likely to go on sale. Consider this week's discounts on both models of the PS5 Slim (sorry, that's what everyone calls it, Sony), which you can snag with a free copy of Astro Bot thrown in. They aren't technically a part of Amazon's Big Spring Sale, bu…