Home Office Setup & Equipment

If you are still using the same email address for everything, it’s time to diversify. Don’t make the mistake I made for too long, clogging up one inbox with absolute nonsense unrelated to the things you actually want to receive and read. You likely already have separate emails for your job, school, and personal life, and many of us also have a designated “spam” email to enter into pop-up boxes in a hurry—but you might even benefit from a couple more. Here are the email addresses I advise setting up. You need an email for logging into appsI have a special email address just for my streaming services and random apps, so when Peacock or Hulu mysteriously log out on my TV, I …

You can customize more on your Mac than you might have realized, and that extends to the file management software you use to browse around your system. Take, for example, Finder: There are a good number of alternatives around that bring with them extra features and different layouts. I've been testing out three of the most well-known and highly rated alternatives to Finder to see what I might be missing. Each one has its own appeal, but the third in the list here is so good that I might switch to it permanently for all my file and folder needs on macOS. Commander One …

Rewarding yourself can backfire. If you tell yourself, “I’ll only listen to my favorite podcast while I’m at the gym,” it takes just one moment of weakness to realize you can cheat and listen to it any time you want. Instead, try this: Reward yourself with something that has no enjoyment value whatsoever. Like a checkmark on your calendar. I first heard this tip from writer Tim Clare’s podcast. If you want to stay motivated, he says, the reward has to be so crappy that you’re not actually working for the reward. He said that he puts a checkmark on his calendar every day he writes, and at the end of the week enough checkmarks earn a gold star. The same approach has worked…

Skinny is officially back in—not that it ever really left, if you ask me. Between "what I eat in a day" videos and before-and-after transformations, there's always been this undercurrent of weight loss anxiety masquerading as wellness. "Weight loss" is assumed to be synonymous with "healthy," but that's never been the whole story. And during this time for reflection and goal-setting, I urge you to think bigger than simply making yourself smaller. If you've struggled to identify health goals beyond weight loss, you're not alone. We've been conditioned to believe that smaller bodies are the ultimate achievement, when in reality, health is so much more expansive, personal, a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Withings launched their $600 Body Scan 2 smart scale at CES Unveiled last night—but they're positioning it as a "longevity station" rather than a smart scale. The device has a handle in addition to the footplate, which allows for extra sensors, and the new features include things like hypertension notifications that we've previously seen from smartwatches. (Hypertension notifications only just came to the Apple Watch a few months ago.) I got to see the Body Scan 2 at a CES event but haven't had a chance to use it for myself. According to Withings, the Body Scan 2 can measure "60+ biomarkers" that it says are relevant to t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. “Smart” glasses have been big at CES this year, but the headset that has impressed me most is a device that helps people with central vision loss, including those who are considered “legally blind,” to see what they otherwise couldn’t. At a press event, I met a woman with macular degeneration, Liz Baker, who uses them daily—and I got to try them myself. What eSight Go is, and how it works Credit: Beth Skwarecki The device is called eSight Go. It’s a headset with little screens …

It's been nearly two years since Apple announced a more intelligent Siri, and yet, we're still waiting to get our hands on it. Aside from being able to answer a few questions about Apple products or shunt your questions off to ChatGPT for you, the voice assistant is essentially still the same it was before Apple Intelligence launched for other Apple features in iOS 18.1. Now, the iPhone maker seems to be throwing in the towel on developing an AI-enabled Siri entirely on its own, and is asking Google for help. I can't imagine Tim Cook is too happy about that, but on the flip side, that does mean an AI Siri might finally come out, and soon. In a statement to CNBC's Jim Cram…

Love it or hate it, the Apple ecosystem really does have its perks. Take "Handoff," for example. With this feature, you can be working in one app on one of your devices, then continue on in the same app on one of your other devices. You can start an article in Safari on your iPhone, then finish it on your Mac, without needing to google the piece and scroll to find your spot. It isn't 100%, but when it works, it's pretty great. Microsoft actually offers a similar feature over on Windows, though it's so limited, you might not even know it exists. The feature is called Resume, and the idea is to allow you to pick up your place in an app from another device on your PC. For t…

Customers of automated investment platform Betterment are being targeted with a cryptocurrency rewards scam following a data breach that allowed threat actors to obtain some user data and send fake emails promising huge returns on Bitcoin and Ethereum deposits. According to a Jan. 12 security update posted on Betterment's website (and sent to users via email), hackers gained unauthorized access on Jan. 9 to a third-party platform used for marketing and operations. Following the breach, they sent fraudulent messages to some customers with offers to triple crypto investments. Betterment crypto rewards scamThe scam emails were sent to Betterment users on Jan. 9, soon after…

Age-verification is all the rage these days. Governments around the world are putting the pressure on tech companies to make sure users are actually the age they should be in order to access their services. Sometimes, that means uploading an ID to prove your age; other times, it involves an AI system guessing how old you are based on your appearance, activity, and behavior. Roblox is the latest platform to roll out new age-verification rules, following intense criticism from parents, researchers, and even attorneys general, who, among other claims, assert that Roblox enables predators to connect with children via the platform. In response, the company announced new age-ve…

If you just tried to open Instagram on your phone or computer, only to find that nothing would load, don't worry: It's not your wifi, nor is Verizon experiencing another outage. The fault instead lies with Meta, as Instagram is currently down. That's according to Downdetector, owned by Lifehacker parent company Ziff Davis, which shows over 2,000 user reports of issues with Instagram at the time of this writing. The issues seem to affect Instagram in all forms. While the mobile app was working last time I checked, I couldn't get it to load in Safari. That means you might not be able to check out posts, add new posts, or send and receive DMs—at least until Meta figures out…

Tech companies are getting increasingly pushy with their large language models—prominent buttons for these AI features coat every surface designers can think of, including in three of the most prominent browsers: Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. If you want these AI features to go away, and stay away, there's a script for that. JustTheBrowser is a free and open source tool from developer and tech blogger Corbin Davenport that removes AI features, telemetry data reporting, sponsored content, product integrations, and other annoyances from Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. Basically, you can run this once and never think about these features again. To get started, head to the …

If you tried hopping on TikTok Sunday, you might have noticed something odd: the app wasn't working. Outages happen, of course, as anyone who has Verizon can attest. But in the moment, theories were flying left and right. TikTok had just officially moved into U.S. control, leading some to speculate that the outage had something to do with this change in ownership. As one user put it, "TikTok being down days after the people they were forced to sell to take it over does not feel like a coincidence." As it happens, it does appear that the changing of the guard was responsible for the outage—just not in the way that some conspiracy theories might suggest. TikTok finally rel…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. There's a certain level of performance you expect from active noise-cancelling earbuds (ANC) or headphones—even if they are "budget" priced. If you're looking for a great pair of ANC earbuds for a price that won't make you cry if you lose them, consider the Anker Space A40, currently $44.98 (originally $99.99 at launch). I've been using these earbuds for over a year and cannot recommend them enough for the price. Soundcore by Anker Space A40 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Wifi problems tend to reveal themselves at the worst times—laggy Zoom calls, buffering mid-binge, or a smart device that refuses to connect. The Eero Pro 7, named the best mesh wifi system of 2025 by PCMag, is built to solve exactly that. Right now, the two-pack is down to $449.99 on Amazon from its usual $549.99, its lowest price to date according to price trackers. Amazon Eero Pro 7 Mesh Router …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Samsung’s fan editions are meant to give you most of the flagship experience without the flagship price—and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE does just that. Right now, it’s down to $509.99 from $709.99; a price drop that, according to price tracking tools, marks its lowest price yet. That puts it well below the regular Galaxy S25 while keeping much of the same look and software. Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 256GB Unlocked Phone (JetBlack) …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Meta's strategy for its Quest 3 and 3S VR headsets is clearly to make virtual and mixed reality as easy, fun, and affordable as possible, but they might have done the job a little too well. All that user-friendliness has left a lot of power on the table. Casual Questers don't know that the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor is powerful enough to handle spatial computing and multitasking that rivals some laptops, and that they can link their headset to a PC for close-to-4K visuals that rival much more expensive headsets. With the right software and a little bit of monkeying around with (often-hidden) settings, you can take the …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I’ve been tracking my sleep and recovery with the Oura ring for nearly five years now, and today I’ll share with you several of my favorite and most-overlooked features—including one feature you should turn off, and one feature you can use even if your subscription is expired. Oura Ring 4 $499.00 at Amazon …

Every major browser puts a thin strip of tabs at the top of the window. It's great, until you open dozens of tabs, and all you can really see are little website favicons. A better way exists—placing tabs vertically in a sidebar—but browsers have been resisting it for years. Arc was the first mainstream browser that pioneered a sidebar-based navigation system, and since then it has propagated to Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Arc's spiritual successor, Zen browser. If you're using one of these browsers, I highly recommend making the switch. Why vertical tabs make more sense So much wasted space on…

Google's AI has gone through a couple of stages thus far. First, Google launched "Bard" as a direct competitor to ChatGPT. Soon after, the company rebranded to "Gemini," encompassing everything from its chatbot to its LLMs. During The Android Show: I/O Edition, Google revealed its newest AI iteration: Gemini Intelligence. It might sound suspiciously similar to another company's AI suite, but Gemini Intelligence offers a number of unique features—at least, according to Google. Gemini Intelligence's new agentic abilitiesGoogle is positioning "Gemini Intelligence" as an agentic assistant. While the company already offers agentic capabilities, like ordering cabs through Uber…

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…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. Apple's new sleep score, now available on the Apple Watch and in the Apple Health app, grades how well you slept on a scale from 0 to 100. Since it grades you retroactively, I can look back at my last month (or even years) of sleep scores to see how the new numbers compare to the scores I’ve gotten from Oura and other wearables. I tried this out, and one thing stood out: Apple is way too easy on me. I’m kidding, sort of. Yes, Apple’s scores are consistently …

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. Earlier this month, we saw a new running world record—more specifically, running backwards. In heels. Christian Roberto López Rodríguez claimed the fastest 100m backwards in high heels with an impressive time of 16.55 seconds. I may not be setting that sort of record, but I do see running backwards crop up time and time again as a trendy idea for the average runner. Sometimes called "reverse running," it's exactly what it sounds like: runners literally turning around and jogging backwards. But does running b…

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 you install a major update like iOS 26, you find yourself discovering things the more you use it. You might find a new way to boost your battery life, or stop those spam calls and texts for good. For me, however, one of my favorite discoveries was a small but excellent change to group chats—which doubles as a way to discover which of your contacts have also updated to iOS 26. Typing indicators join the group chat Once people update their iPhones to iOS 26, group chats start supporting typing indicators…

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. This week, neurotech startup Neurable launched its MW75 Neuro headphones with a pretty seductive pitch—one that I'm not quite buying. Just slip on this pair of headphones, and you’ll gain unprecedented access to your brain's inner workings. Track your focus. Measure your mental fatigue. Quantify your cognitive performance. It's supposed to be the quantified-self movement's next frontier—moving from steps and heart rates to the most intimate data source of all: your brainwaves. If you ask me, a pair of hea…