Home Office Setup & Equipment

It finally happened. After months of speculation, ChatGPT officially has ads. OpenAI revealed the news on Monday, announcing that ads would roll out in testing for logged-in adult users on Free and Go subscriptions. If you or your organization pays for ChatGPT, such as with a Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education account, you won't see ads with the bot. OpenAI says that ads do not have an impact on the answers ChatGPT generates, and that these posts are always clearly separated from ChatGPT's actual responses. In addition, ads are labeled as "Sponsored." That being said, it's not exactly a church-and-state situation here. OpenAI says that it decides which ads to s…

Apple’s iOS 26 drops today, and with it comes a bunch of small tweaks and improvements to how your iPhone works. The catch? A lot of them are opt-in, so you need to turn them on before you can reap their benefits. Here are the settings you should turn on after updating your iPhone to Apple’s latest operating system, although note that some of them require an iPhone 15 Pro or later, as they rely on Apple Intelligence. Adaptive battery modeIf you’re like me, you can never decide whether it’s worth it to swap your phone over to Battery Saver mode. Now, if you have an iPhone 15 Pro or above, your iPhone can make the decision for you. Apple’s new Adaptive Power mode uses Apple…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The holidays are the perfect time to settle into your couch and check out a classic Christmas movie or 12. Streaming services have made just about any of them available at will, from traditional classics like Miracle on 34th Street, to potential future classics like Hot Frosty. That said, choosing what to watch (and finding where it's available) can be a chore, so I've compiled the best 50 Christmas movies and specials in an alphabetical list. Revisit an old favorite, or check out a classic you've never seen before (preferably with a nice cup of cocoa at hand). Bad Santa (2003) Cut through the treacle of the seaso…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When you're using devices that are always connected to the internet, it's difficult to completely protect your privacy. Luckily, there are plenty of great privacy hacks for your iPhone, which you can use to make it hard for trackers and spies to collect your data and snoop on your business. From built-in solutions, like adjusting app permissions, to purchasing privacy screen protectors, here are 10 hacks every iPhone user should consider to protect their privacy. Get yourself a privacy screen protectorNo software privacy hack can protect you from people looking over your shoulder to memorize your password, or from peeking …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Soundcore Boom 2 is built for people who don’t want to baby their speakers. With an IPX7 rating and a floatable design, it’s something you can toss in the pool, hose off after a beach trip, or take out on a boat without much worry. And right now, the black model is $89.99, down from $139.99, its lowest price ever according to price trackers. Soundcore Boom 2 by Anker …

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…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon is having a big Google sale right now while retailers are churning out early Black Friday deals. The standout deal is the Google Pixel 10, with the 128GB going for $599 (originally $799) and the 256GB for $699 (originally $899), both at record low prices, according to price-tracking tools. Google Pixel 10 - Unlocked Android Smartphone with Gemini, Your AI Assistant - Advanced Triple Rear Came…

If you and your friends have the same taste in music, you probably text each other what you're listening to. I know when I stumble upon a new discovery I love—or even something I think is trash—I fire it off to the group chat to talk about it. Of course, I just forward the song to the group chat in the Messages app, like any other thing I'd want to send to that group. If you have Spotify, however, you have a new group chat option to choose from: Spotify itself. Spotify heads might already know that the app has had a messaging feature since August. While the point of the feature is to send Spotify content to your friends, it's a basic messaging service, which means you ca…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Amazon Echo Dot line has long been a good choice if you're seeking compact, budget-friendly way to enter the Alexa smart home ecosystem, combining decent sound quality with versatile smart home capabilities. And right now, the newest Amazon Echo Dot Max, released late last year, and offering improved audio and connectivity features, is on sale for $79.99 (originally $99.99) in every color. Amazon Echo Dot Max …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. If you’ve been looking for a security camera that works where wifi doesn’t reach, the Eufy Security 4G LTE Cam S330 might be the one to consider. Currently, it’s selling for $161.49, down from its usual price of $249.99 on Amazon. Eufy Security 4G LTE Cam S330 …

Since the days of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, you've always have a choice when it comes to the program you use to access the internet—but we now have a whole new breed of software to consider: The AI browser. These browsers place AI models front and center, even more so than integrations like Gemini in Chrome or Copilot in Edge. These browsers give you AI-powered search, AI-powered answers to just about any question you can come up with, and even agentic AI control—so the browser can actually do some browsing and complete simple tasks for you. A future where we never have to manually fill out another web form or compare prices on sixteen different flights is…

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find. Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. When I reviewed the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold last year, I called it "a big step forw…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. On Monday, Apple released a new AirTag—but you wouldn't know that from looking at it. The new AirTag is visibly identical to the old one, despite dropping nearly five years later. But the point of this refresh wasn't to introduce a new design, or even a remarkably improved tracker. Instead, Apple added a couple subtle upgrades that benefit new buyers, without displacing existing AirTag users. There are two key improvements here: The first impacts Precision Finding, Apple's system to guide you to lost items. Your device uses its ultra wideband (UWB) chip to give you detailed directions to the location of your AirTag, inclu…

Last month, Spotify announced "Prompted Playlist," a new feature the company claimed let users "steer the algorithm." This was a bold—if not vague—claim, to be sure, but it was backed by everyone's favorite tech trend of the last three years: AI. The pitch was that Spotify would let subscribers use the company's AI models to better control their listening experience, so long as they lived in the country of New Zealand. That's a very small slice of Spotify's very large user base. Luckily for those of us in the United States and Canada, Prompted Playlist is expanding to our side of North America. Spotify announced the move today, Jan. 21: Now, Premium subscribers in any of…

The internet is a wild place, and not particularly kid-friendly. Unfortunately, it's highly impractical to keep your kids entirely off the web. That's where family accounts come in handy: Parents can set their kids up with supervised accounts, giving them access to essential apps and services, without allowing unfettered access to the entire net. It's often imperfect, and kids find workarounds for the guardrails, but still; it's better than nothing. Every company that offers a family account handles things differently. Meta, for example, continues to update their policies in the wake of criticism surrounding how addictive and harmful their apps can be for children. These…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $239, down from its usual $299, the Nothing Headphone (1) is currently at its lowest price ever, according to price trackers—and that might just be the nudge you needed if you’ve had your eye on them. Nothing Headphone (1) $239.00 at Amazon $299.00 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Nest Doorbell (Wired, 3rd Gen) is currently selling for $132, down from $179.99, and price trackers confirm this is the lowest it has ever dropped. Google Nest Doorbell (Wired, 3rd Gen) $132.00 at Amazon $179.99 Save $47.99 …

I am not a morning person, and I never have been—well, unless I have to make money. For years, my start time at my old job was 5 a.m. and, against all odds, I made it in every day. Now, I teach a 6 a.m. spin class twice a week after being moved off the more-tolerable late morning shift. Until a few months ago, though, I was sleeping through every alarm on all the other days, even though I knew I should be getting up and going to the gym early as a solid way to start my day. It took me a long time, but I have managed to force myself into being the kind of person who is up before the sun and done with my daily exercise routine before my friends are even out of bed. Here's e…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company just had "its best launch week ever" for customers picking up a Mac for the first time, as the MacBook Neo, M5 MacBook Air, and M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pros went on sale. It sounds as though people are switching to the Mac in significant numbers, with the $599 MacBook Neo likely to be having the most impact. If you're one of those responsible for Apple's record-breaking launch week for first-time customers, you might be wondering where to get started with macOS—and how it differs (or doesn't differ) from the Windows OS you're already used to. Windows is the operating system I grew up with, ri…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The 44mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (LTE) is down to $229.99 at Woot, which is a steep drop from its $429.99 launch price. That also undercuts its current $339.99 price on Amazon, and price trackers suggest this is the lowest it has ever been. Woot's deal runs for another three weeks or until stock sells out, so don't wait too long to make a decision here. Amazon Prime members get free standard shipping (while everyone else pays $6), though shipping is limited to the contiguous U.S. Samsung Galaxy…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. January 2026's ten most-streamed TV series are a balanced group, including six reality-based dramas and four fantasy/sci-fi hits. One the side of realism, we've got medical drama vérité The Pitt, a pair of spy shows (The Night Manager and Ponies), and a gay hockey romance in Heated Rivalry. The fantasy side includes the post-apocalyptic black humor of Fallout, the suburban supernatural series Stranger Things, and a trip back to Westeros with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. A more important running theme this month: These shows are all critical darlings, including a couple perfect Rotten Tomatoes 100% winners (The Night Man…

Poshmark has been implementing a lot of changes lately, like lower shipping fees (that come with a downgrade from USPS Priority mail to standard ground mailing) and Smart Sell features. It's most recent change, though—the removal of the bulk-share option—has many users (including myself) frustrated. The removal of bulk sharingPoshmark has long functioned in a more social way than other resale platforms like Depop or Mercari. You can follow sellers the same way you can on Instagram or X, for instance. Notably, users have always been encouraged to "share" their own listings and others' listings, which would then appear in the homepage feeds of anyone who followed them. A fe…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. The Eufy X10 Pro Omni is currently selling for $549.99 on Amazon, a steep drop from its $899.99 list price and the lowest it has gone for, according to price trackers.] Eufy X10 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Kindle Colorsoft is Amazon's most expensive e-reader (technically, the Kindle Scribe is more of an e-note), but that doesn't automatically make it the best Kindle. In fact, if you mostly use your Kindle for novels or even black-and-white manga rather than color comics or picture books, the Colorsoft will actively make that content look worse. While I've been banging this drum about color e-readers for a while, you don't have to take my word for it: Amazon actually used to warn buyers about this too, but has since taken that warning down. As far back as February, according to a page saved by The Internet Archive, Amazon…

Smart fitness technology is becoming the norm. Just this morning, my smart rowing machine corrected my form (seems I need to drive more power from my legs, not my arms), while my Garmin watch told me to quit rushing my recovery between runs. Even as an AI-skeptic, I find myself listening to the robots on this front. The risk of improper technique is too great—so what's the harm in taking all the feedback I can get? The answer, like with so many things AI, is the gap between data and wisdom. So much wisdom gets lost—forfeited, even—when I blindly trust an AI coach to correct my form, and too great a reliance on this breed of fitness tech could quickly lead to more harm tha…