Home Office Setup & Equipment

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 my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Early October Prime Day Deals are here, and some good ones are rolling in. Amazon devices have big discounts right now, and that includes Kindle readers. Right now, Amazon is offering Prime Members bundles for the Kindle, Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Scribe, where most of them are cheaper than getting the standalone tablet, making…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Valve's Steam Deck revolutionized PC gaming when it came out in 2022, popularizing the handheld gaming PC format. In 2026, it's still got a great performance-to-price ratio, and is plenty relevant compared to more expensive and more finicky alternatives like the Asus Rog Xbox Ally X. But that doesn't mean it's fully stacked right out of the box. SteamOS presents a more intuitive pick-up-and-play experience than I've used on any other handheld gaming PC (or gaming PC in general, to be honest), but there are plenty of hacks and customizations you can use to make it truly yours. Steam Deck's desktop mode basically turns it in…

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. It's an exciting time to be an iPhone user. There's iOS 26, of course, which brings a number of major changes to the platform. For the daring, there's the iOS 26.1 beta, which continues to build upon the foundation of Apple's latest OS. If that weren't enough, however, it seems Apple is also working on yet another iPhone update—this time intended mostly to fix problems with the last one. The update, iOS 26.0.1, could drop any time in the coming days. These types of updates aren't necessarily unusual: Apple …

At this late stage in the streaming era, we're all overwhelmed by more digital subscriptions than we can keep track of, from fitness apps to cloud storage. Still, it certainly feels as though Netflix is one of the subscriptions that people are least likely to ditch—and that's backed up by the numbers. Perhaps it's because Netflix was the first company to really make streaming work, or perhaps it's the vast catalog of content it's amassed, or perhaps it's just because of Stranger Things and Squid Game. Whatever the reason, Netflix's churn rate is impressively low. Subscribers stick with it. Certainly it's always something I've long considered a mainstay on my streaming dev…

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. The latest Apple Watches now boast a sleep score, which gives you a number on a scale of 1 to 100 for how well you slept. But that’s not all—you can even get this number without the Series 11 watch, as I discovered this morning while waiting for my new watch to be delivered. To get the new sleep score, just make sure you have iOS 26 and watch OS 26 installed. Where to find the sleep scoreYou can view the sleep score on your iPhone or on your Apple Watch. On the watch (Series 6 or later), go to the Sleep app…

Perhaps you completely forgot about the “Secret Santa” gift exchange, or your estimated delivery date got pushed back to 2026. Whatever your reasons, you’re in need of a last-minute gift, and your options are limited. If you're reading this at a time when it's too late for online delivery, and in-person store options are already closed, then all that’s left is the glory of your local 24-hour drug store. If you have access to a major chain like Walgreens or CVS, you could be in surprisingly good shape for this last-minute gift. All it takes is a little ingenuity to level up this gift from "a protein bar" to "a gym bro collection," or "some loose nail polish" to a "curated …

Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. New Year’s resolutions are all about improving ourselves, right? The same goes for your best buddy—your dog. While your dog can’t physically tell you what they need to feel their best, there are simple things you can do to help set them up for success. Right now, you can save 50% off your first box of human-grade The Farmer’s Dog pet food, so that’s a great start. Check out these pup-centric resolutions and help keep their tail wagging into 2026—and for years to come. The Farmer's Dog Save…

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. "Never pay full price for a MacBook Air" seems to be the takeaway from the latest Apple launches. Apple unveiled its updated lineup of M4-powered MacBook Air laptops in early March, and all the M4s saw their first discounts a few weeks later. The M4, M3, M2, and M1 MacBook Airs are all discounted right now, with some at their lowest prices ever, according to price-tracking tools. If…

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, he repeatedly promised to reduce the amount of bots on the site, and pitched plans to "authenticate all real humans." Now, in 2025, the social media site known as X's true bot numbers are unknown, although a cybersecurity firm speaking to Mashable said that 76% percent of traffic coming from X during last year's Super Bowl was fake. Toss in the fact that those plans to authenticate real users have now been replaced by a paid verification scheme, and it's clear the site …

Although OpenAI is most famous for creating ChatGPT, I've been mostly focused on their efforts with AI video generation. Sora, the company's short-form AI video generator, is already tricking people across social media with hyperrealistic AI slop. I fear we've already reached a point where it's too difficult to trust that what you seen on your feeds is actually real. But today, we're taking a break from the AI video doom, and returning our attention back to OpenAI's flagship product. On Wednesday, the company announced the latest versions of GPT, the model that power ChatGPT: GPT-5.1 Instant, and GPT-5.1 Thinking. OpenAI says Instant is the company's most-used model, but …

Spotify playlists are a surprisingly big part of my life. I make a handful of new, curated, choreographed ones for the spin classes I teach every week and otherwise meticulously maintain quarterly playlists designed to represent the overall vibe of specific, three-month periods in my life. I only edit those during the 12 weeks of the quarter, then leave them alone so I can revisit them and relive the era. This means I am constantly fiddling with the present playlist to make it just right, searching for songs that feel precisely aligned with however I'm feeling. It's actually a time-consuming hobby—but I stumbled across a feature the other day that has made creating spin p…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. For all the talk about Stranger Things taking nearly a decade to produce just five seasons of television, consider The Night Manager: It took this British spy thriller 10 years just to get to season two. Luckily, audiences seem to have been willing to wait, as they show performed decently in the streaming ratings when it dropped on Prime Video earlier this year. There's a reason viewers were anxious for more, even after such a long wait: Based on a John le Carré novel and starring Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, the series finds the manager of a luxury Cairo hotel running afoul of an Egyptian crime boss with ties to Dicki…

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. YouTube's end screens are useful for creators, but often annoying for viewers. They allow creators to insert links to other content during the last moments of the video. The issue, however, is those links appear as large on-screen elements that cover the video you're watching. While many videos are basically over by this point, some are still going, and you might miss out on the final five to 20 seconds because of the end screen. Now, YouTube is giving you a way to hide these screen—albeit, with a major cave…

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 my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Buying an unlocked cellphone means you have the liberty to choose whichever carrier offers you the best plan, and switch to another whenever it's convenient for you. I've done it this way for many years, and have been able to take advantage of some sweet deals and perks from carriers trying to convince me to switch. If this sounds fun to you, then you're going to need to start by buyin…

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. Ever get a suspicious text from someone claiming to be your friend, but they appear to be texting from the right number? Well, in an era of number spoofing, which involves manipulating Caller ID to make yourself look like someone you're not, one can never be too careful. That's why Google is finally taking out of beta a Messages feature that helps you fight back. Called "Android System Key Verifier," the idea is simple, and has actually been available as a separate app before. Now, right from the Messages…

iOS 26 is one of Apple's biggest operating system updates in years. The new "Liquid Glass" design, while controversial, offers the first major UI overhaul since iOS 7, while new features like call screening and hold assist might change the way your make and receive phone calls. If you have an iPhone, you may be tempted to install the new update—and, seeing as it has been out for a week and a half now, you might have updated already. If you haven't installed iOS 26, yet, however, think twice before you do, because you're going to be stuck with it: Apple has made it impossible to downgrade and return to iOS 18. You can't go back to iOS 18As reported by MacRumors, Apple sto…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The PlayStation 5 Pro’s price has finally eased up a bit, dropping to $648.99 from $749.99, which is the lowest it has gone on Amazon so far according to price trackers. For anyone who has been eyeing a console upgrade but didn’t want to spend full price, this discount makes it easier to consider. Sony - PlayStation 5 Pro Console - White $648.99 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. It's a good day for Apple shoppers looking for the latest Apple Watches. The Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple's latest and most premium smartwatch, dropped to its lowest price, and now, the Apple Watch SE 3, their most affordable smartwatch (and truly, the best one for most people), also dropped to its lowest price yet, according to price-tracking tools. Despite being released just this past September, you can get the GPS 40mm Apple Watch SE 3 for $199.99 (originally $249). The bigger 44mm case is $229.99 (originally $279), also with a $50 discount. …

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Drugs, death, and depravity are probably what come to mind whenever you hear about the dark web. Or, is it the deep web? Is it both? You might find yourself conflating the two terms, with the assumption that both the dark web and the deep web are the same place—a spot people flock to for reasons that include illegal and/or generally shady activities. But while the dark web is a part of the deep web, the deep web isn’t really the dark web. The "regular internet" is the surface webI need to start this explan…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Target has joined Walmart and Best Buy in unveiling its Black Friday sale plans. Target will be holding multiple sale events leading up to Black Friday across departments, including clothes, toys, electronics, and more. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming sales. What sales will Target have for Black Friday?Target says it will have week-long deals every Sunday starting Nov. 2 through Dec. 24. It'll also have "Deal of the Day" sales with items going up to 50% off. Then, there will be an official Early Black Friday Sale followed by an…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The U.S. power grid is suffering more outages than ever—about 45% of utility customers experienced one in the first half of 2025—and the resultant blackouts are lasting longer. As our aging electrical grid struggles to keep up with increasing air conditioner use due to a hotter planet, not to mention artificial intelligence’s insatiable thirst for power, the problem will likely get worse: The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the risk of power outages will increase a mere 100 times over the next few years. If you're looking to stave off the worst of the fallout from our shaky power grid, you might be looking to purchase …

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. I am the biggest booster of Google's NotebookLM, an AI tool that functions like a personal ChatGPT. I have recommended it for studying, used it for my own work loads of times, and generally found it to be one of the best bits of software available right now. But recently, I tried using it on my phone, not just on my computer browser—and it fell surprisingly flat. Here's how I've been managing to use it via mobile, anyway, and why you should stick to the computer version for now. What is NotebookLM?Notebo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. It's Cyber Monday, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before the sales are 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. There are still a few hours l…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Exercise is a healthy and, one might argue, necessary part of our lives. The guidelines from public health organizations tell you to aim for at least 150 minutes of “moderate” exercise each week, and that each minute of “vigorous” exercise counts double. That raises the question: What the hell is “moderate” exercise? How do you know when you’re doing it? Scientists measure METs, but you don't have to If you have any kind of smartwatch or fitness tracker, it may try to tell you that "moderate" exercise occurs at a certain heart rate. This isn't actually the case. The scientists who came up with the exercise guidelines didn…

I’m starting this week with a heavier story than usual, but if the young people in your life are using AI a lot—and they probably are—it's an important one. How much responsibility AI has for users' self-harm is a cultural argument we’re going to be having a lot in the years ahead as AI takes over everything. But the rest of the column is lighthearted, so sorry in advance for the mood-swing What is TikTok's "Devil Couldn't Reach Me" trend?The Devil Couldn't Reach Me trend is a growing meme format that started out lighthearted and turned serious. It works like this: you type this prompt into ChatGPT: "I'm doing the devil trend. I will say 'The devil couldn't reach me,' and…