Home Office Setup & Equipment

If you're at the stage where you want to do more with your phone and start building automations—customized mini-apps to carry out tasks—then Tasker (for Android) and Apple Shortcuts (for iOS) are likely to be included in the tools you turn to. You'll find an introduction to both these apps and what they can do for you below, as well as an explanation of how they're similar and how they're not. The main difference is that Android continues to allow its apps to dig deeper into the operating system and its features than iOS does, and Tasker can take full advantage. For those who've never looked into phone automations, there's an almost limitless array of possibilities here, …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Sometimes I fear my running career has plateaued. Well, not my career, but my pace. I lace up four or five times a week, push hard enough to feel pleasantly wrecked, watch my mileage climb steadily upward, and then—after months of honest effort—still find myself running the exact same pace I was running a year ago. It's clear that in order to get faster, effort alone isn't enough. I'm not alone here. It's well known in running circles that a lot of us unconsciously settle into what coaches call "the gray zone"—an effort level that's too hard to be truly easy and too easy to create meaningful high-end adaptation. It feels …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Beats Studio Buds+ have been around long enough to feel familiar, but this current deal adds a layer that makes them worth a second look. Right now, they are bundled with two years of AppleCare+ and listed at $123.95 (down from $198.95)—price trackers show this is the lowest this bundle has ever been. Wireless earbuds are easy to misplace, drop, or wear down over time. AppleCare+ extends repair coverage and adds accidental damage protection, which can save you from paying full replacement costs if something goes wrong. For a product that lives i…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A flagship soundbar rarely comes cheap, but Woot is currently shaving a big chunk off Samsung’s 2025 model. The Samsung HW-Q990F, a premium 11.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar, is marked down to $887.99. That’s nearly half of Samsung's list price for brand-new units, and also the lowest price yet, according to price-trackers. This deal is live for the next three weeks (or until stock runs out). Shipping is free for Prime members (otherwise it's $6 for shipping), though restricted to the lower 48 states. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. This past weekend I ran a 10K while wearing both the Garmin Forerunner 970 and the Forerunner 165 Music, and while I'll be doing a full comparison soon, the experience made one thing immediately clear: Sometimes it's worth it to have a premium running watch. While both watches have excellent running features, the 970 has a few that the 165 lacks—and after putting them to use on race day, I can say that two of them in particular made a real difference. Garmin Forerunner 970 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Apple Notes is an excellent note-taking app that often goes under the radar because many of its best features are hidden. The app does a great job at capturing your ideas and syncing them across Apple devices, but when you start digging deeper, you'll quickly realize that it has powerful features under the hood. As someone who's used the app for over a decade, I've discovered quite a few of the best Apple Notes hacks on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Here are 10 I think everyone should know. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. April's 10 most-streamed movies offer a diverse collection of styles and genres, so there is, as they say, something for everyone. If you like stylistic horror, don't miss Dust Bunny. If you're into stripped down thrillers, Apex is for you. If you like sports movies, there's Marty Supreme—or you could just re-watch The Devil Wears Prada before you head out to the theater for the sequel. The Housemaid (2025) The Housemaid …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The AirPods Max finally got their anticipated upgrade—and no, I'm not talking about the 2024 refresh when they added a USB-C and called it a "new" version. These are the AirPods Max 2, with improvements that warrant putting that "2" after the name. Now, the new AirPods Max 2 are getting their first decent discount, currently $509.99 (originally $549.99), their lowest price yet after their recent release, according to price-tracking tools. Yes, they're still expensive, but these are Apple's latest flagship headphones and the best Bluetooth headphones…

If your console of choice is PlayStation and you tend to buy your video games digitally, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you might be entitled to some money thanks to a proposed lawsuit settlement from Sony. The bad news is, it's probably not going to amount to all that much. In a press release on Wednesday, the Saveri Law Firm announced a class action settlement for a case filed against Sony. The case, which is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, centers on Sony's PlayStation Store: The plaintiffs in the case claim that Sony acted as a monopoly in the sale of its digital games, which drove prices for game…

You don't necessarily need an app to see where an aircraft is at any given time—if you type the airline and flight number into Google, it'll show you the arrival and departure information and where it is en route based on data pulled from Flightview (which also has a standalone app). However, there are a handful of native and third-party flight trackers, both paid and free, that provide live updates and other alerts so you have the most current information when you travel, often faster than the airlines themselves. Here are five of my favorite recommendations. Flighty costs money but can be more accurate than your airline's own appFlighty is an iOS app with robust flight…

If you're a long-time Samsung Galaxy user, your messaging app of choice might be Samsung Messages. Despite the company removing the app as a default several years ago, many still rely on it—though not for long. Samsung is shuttering the app in July, marking the end of an era for the Galaxy ecosystem. The app won't be completely useless after this date, as Samsung says that you'll still be able to contact both emergency services and emergency contacts. But aside from these limited scenarios, Samsung Messages will essentially be defunct. As such, all Samsung Messages users need to plan for how they want to continue messaging on their Galaxy. While Samsung hasn't told us w…

The AI chatbots are coming for your smart home. Both Alexa+ and Gemini for Home are now rolling out to users who've opted in to the upgrades, replacing standard Alexa and Google Assistant, respectively. Once you get access, they'll do everything we've become familiar with from these next-gen AI assistants—natural language conversations, complex queries and responses, various hallucinations—while retaining all the previous smart-home functionality, whether that's turning off lights or checking in on video doorbells. I got access to these two upgrades within the space of a week, giving me the opportunity to test them against each other. With an Amazon Echo Show, a Google Ne…

This week, a meme-based generational civil war is breaking out on TikTok, and only one side knows it's even happening; a throwaway tweet from rapper Young Thug has me looking into why so many rappers put "ASAP" in front of their names, and we're going back in time to 2012, when prank videos ruled the internet. TikTok’s Le Snack Demon and why it signals a generational riftTikTok has been around since 2016; Instagram, since 2010. Both have lived long enough to see long-time users butting heads with newcomers, and generational battle lines are being drawn around a little AI cartoon character called Snack Demon. It started on (older-coded) Instagram, where this video from a…

As powerful as LLMs can be, all have one shared weakness: hallucination. For reasons beyond our understanding, AI models have a habit of making things up, totally out of the blue. A response might be accurate, with well-cited sources and relevant information; then, all of a sudden, the AI pushes a false claim, or mistakenly interprets an ironic forum comment as fact. (That's how you end up with Google's AI Overviews recommending adding glue to your pizza.) Some LLMs may hallucinate less than others, but none are immune. That's why anytime you use a chatbot, you'll see some kind of warning on-screen, letting you know that the AI can make mistakes. Apple Intelligence, App…

The Opera you're using today is obviously a very different browser from the one it was decades ago. Perhaps the most significant change is that it's a Chromium-based browser, which means you can install Chrome extensions to fill any features you may be missing. That said, the browser still retains its core philosophy of shipping useful integrated features—even if those options aren't always obvious. From bypassing unskippable YouTube ads to using a built-in volume booster for every tab, here are the best Opera hacks you should know about: Use "Early Bird" to try experimental features before releaseIf you live on the bleeding edge of tech, you can use Opera's "Early Bird" …

If you're in the Google ecosystem or use Google Workspace at work, Google Chat is a popular choice for messaging and collaboration. The app replaced Hangouts in Gmail (RIP), originally launching for business before rolling out to everyone. Regardless of the context for using Google Chat, there are a handful of hacks to maximize its features. Add Chat to Gmail to keep everything in one tabIf you already have too many tabs open—and one of them is Gmail—you don't actually need another one for Google Chat. Instead, you can add Chat to your Gmail taskbar and toggle between your inbox and chat interface in the same tab (as long as they are under the same Google Account). Hit t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Portable projectors provide a big screen for cozy movie nights without committing to a full home theater setup, and they’ve come a long way in the past few years. Still, many force you to choose between design and function. The LG CineBeam Q portable projector blends a sleek look with true 4K laser projection, making it perfect for flexible viewing—and right now, it’s $200 off at $799.99 (originally $999.99). LG CineBeam Q HU710PB 4K Smart Portable Projector …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A versatile portable speaker is a great addition to your summer kit—but while lots of speakers claim to be portable, many of them are surprisingly bulky, not very durable, or deliver tinny sound. The JBL Go 4 has none of those issues. It's currently one of the best travel speakers in its price range, and right now, it's even cheaper on Amazon: At $40, it's 20% off and at its lowest price ever. JBL Go 4 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Echo Show has come a long way since its humble beginnings. The latest smart display from Amazon came out in the winter of 2025 and, for the first time, brings Fire TV integrated into the display, so you can stream your shows directly on it, as well as Alexa+ AI voice control, among other improvements. Right now, the 11-inch Echo Show 11 is $169.99 (originally $219.99) and the 8-inch Echo Show 8 is $139.99 (originally $179.99), both at their lowest prices according to price-tracking tools. …

Instagram ain't what it used to be. What started as a simple platform to share retro-inspired photos with friends and family quickly turned into a social media mega-app. You can still share photos, sure, but the platform now offers just about everything, from livestreams to short-form video feeds. In fact, for some users, the Instagram algorithm has turned their feeds into bona fide meme machines, with low-effort videos, images, and carousel posts dominating their experience as they scroll through the app. If you use Instagram, you may have a similar experience—especially if you have a taste for quirky, niche, or otherwise alternative internet humor. Instagram is putting …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Soundcore C50i open-ear earbuds have dropped to $39.98 (originally $69.99), their lowest price so far, according to price trackers. That drop makes them easier to consider, especially if you’ve been curious about open-ear designs but didn’t want to spend too much. Its clip-on design wraps around your ear with a flexible memory titanium frame, forming a C-shape that sits securely without going into the ear canal. Soundcore C50i by Anker Op…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Sony LinkBuds Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker is now down to $98 (originally $179.99), which is the lowest price it has hit so far, according to price trackers. This is not a party speaker or a smart assistant hub—it's built as a simple, portable option for home use, especially if you already use Sony’s LinkBuds headphones, and the design reflects that. It's compact, light, and comes with a built-in strap, so you can move it from your desk to the kitchen or bedroom without much trouble. It also supports multipoint pairing, so you can stay co…

Google I/O is rapidly approaching. Google's big developer conference kicks off May 19 and will be available to stream live for anyone not invited to the keynote in California. While you likely won't get a look at the company's upcoming Pixel products, this presentation will contain a slew of software announcements—though we don't exactly know what Google has up its sleeve. Last year, the company made a number of interesting announcements. We got our first look at Android XR, Google’s platform for smart glasses; AI Mode’s general rollout for Search, following an initial beta period; Gemini Live's official rollout on iPhones; Try it on, a feature that lets you virtually t…

Earlier this month, Nikkei Asia reported that the ongoing memory crisis was not slowing down anytime soon. RAM supply is currently in extreme demand, as AI companies are scooping up the hardware to power their ever-growing data centers. Unfortunately, there are only so many memory manufacturers in the world, and only so many resources available to actually manufacture those chips. There are really only three key players—SK Hynix, Micron Technology, and Samsung—and while all are ramping up production as much as possible, it doesn't appear to be enough to meet demands for the immediate future. Samsung can't meet memory demand this yearNow, Samsung is officially confirming a…

Amazon Prime Day 2026 is sure to be the biggest online sale of the year, and it's coming a bit sooner than you may have expected. In a press release yesterday, quickly issued after the sale's timeframe was revealed in Amazon's own first-quarter earnings statement, the company confirmed this year's event will be held in June. This is the first time Amazon has moved its biggest sale of the year earlier since the height of the pandemic in 2021. Amazon doesn't usually announce its sales months beforehand, typically waiting until at most a month out to give shoppers a heads-up on when a shopping event will take place. But after this early news drop, it's likely the other major…