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. High-refresh-rate gaming monitors are getting faster every year, but a 480Hz OLED panel still feels like a technical flex—and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP is one such example. This 27-inch OLED gaming monitor is currently $662.36 on Amazon, down from its usual $799 price, and price trackers show that’s the lowest it has dropped so far. It sits in a very small group of monitors built around a 1440p panel with a 480Hz refresh rate, competing with models like the Sony Inzone M10S. It is designed first and foremost for high-end PC gaming, where extr…

Meta has pulled a 180 on its flagship metaverse app. On Tuesday, the company announced the date it planned to shut down virtual hangspace Horizon Worlds. Then late yesterday, the company announced it will actually keep Worlds open to VR users "for the foreseeable future." In an Instagram story, Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth said, "We decided, just today in fact, that we will keep Horizon Worlds working in VR for existing games, to support the fans who have reached out." According to Bosworth, Meta won't be working on any new VR games within Worlds, but the current content will still be around for VR users. "People who already have games they like, that they're using in Horiz…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Samsung announced the new Galaxy S25 Series back in January 2025, a three-phone collection that competed with Google's Pixels for the title of the best Android phones you could buy in 2025. Out of the new lineup, the Galaxy S25+ is the middle-of-the-pack model, and a cheaper alternative to the top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra. Currently, you can pick one up for $749.99 ($250 off the original $999.99 retail price). With prices of many tech products going up, including Samsung phones, it's nice to see others going down. After the discount, the S25+ is…

Windows users contend with a lot of updates. There's a new update every month on the stable channel, and every week on the Windows Insider channel. But not all updates are created equal. Some are mission-critical, with important security patches you won't want to miss. On the other hand, some can create issues themselves, introducing bugs or new features you don't want. Until now, there wasn't much you could do when an update showed up. You could try to delay, but you'd be forced to install it a week later, sometimes in the middle of important work. With the latest Insider update, however, Microsoft is trying to fix that. Now, the company is testing a roundabout way to de…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Samsung’s 27-inch Odyssey G5 (G51F) gaming monitor has dropped to $159.99 on Amazon, which is the lowest price it has reached so far, according to price trackers. That’s a noticeable discount from its usual $249.99 price, and it makes a lot more sense now for anyone ready to move on from a basic 1080p setup without jumping into the much higher cost of OLED displays. It’s a flat panel (unlike Samsung’s many curved gaming displays), with a matte coating that helps minimize glare in brighter rooms, and comes with a stand that supports height, tilt, and…

When Google announced AirDrop support for Pixel devices last year, it was a bit of a bombshell. For years, file sharing was just one of those things that didn't mix well between iPhone and Android. Email, texting, agreeing on a third-party app; none of the options were convenient, especially when each platform had its own easy-to-use solution: AirDrop or Quick Share. But opening up AirDrop support for Android phones bridges the gap in a meaningful way: Now, you can send a friend with an iPhone a picture, video, or file from your Pixel, and vice versa—as quickly and efficiently as if you both had the same type of smartphone. Unfortunately, in the six months since Google's…

When your PC is acting up, one diagnostic tool at your disposal is the Windows Recovery Environment (or Windows RE). Windows RE offers a series of functions to help you root out whatever is ailing your machine. Using it, you can choose to reset your computer, run an automated diagnosis and repair tool, adjust settings to see if any are causing the issue, uninstall previous updates that might be tripping up Windows, and restore to a previous back Windows backup, among other potentially helpful options. It's a necessary feature of the operating system, meant for times when a simple shut down and restart doesn't help your PC get back to normal operations. So it's not ideal …

If you used the internet at all on Monday, you probably noticed a lot of things weren't working all that well. Sites and services around the world experienced interruptions, including the likes of Facebook, McDonald's, and even Fortnite. You might have heard by now that the issues were caused by an AWS outage. If you don't know what AWS is, however, that explanation might not be all that clear. "Amazon Web Services" runs the internetAWS is an Amazon subsidiary, short for Amazon Web Services. The company offers over 200 cloud-based products to customers, including applications for all of the following: Accessing AWS services Analytics Application integration Blockchain Bu…

Different productivity hacks work for different people, which is why there are so many of them. But if you happen to be a visual learner, there’s one in particular that might be suited for you: mind mapping. Mind maps are diagrams designed to organize information and data points that relate to each other, making everything you need to do easier to follow. They're particularly popular for students who need to visualize how the concepts they're studying link together, but they have wide applications outside the classroom. What is a mind map?A mind map isn’t just a diagram that lays out tasks. Rather, it does so in a hierarchical way, connecting things that are related and …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Earlier today, you might have seen reports that Grammarly is changing its name to Superhuman. That's not really the whole story. While the company did announce a broader rebrand coinciding with the release of a new AI assistant (more on that later), it also assured users that "the Grammarly brand isn't going anywhere." Essentially, what that means is that while Grammarly the company has a new name, Grammarly the product is still going by the same tried-and-true moniker as ever. The confusion follows Grammarly's acquisition of AI-powered email app Superhuman in June, which the company said "accelerates Grammarly's evolution…

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 planning to tighten up your home security without spending much, the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera is worth a look. It’s selling for $49.99 (down from $99.99), which is its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. Blink Wired Floodlight Camera $49.99 at Amazon …

Since you're already carrying your phone with you everywhere like a digital appendage, you might as well use it for journaling. It's always at hand, can capture photos, videos, and voice notes as well as text, and is able to log locations, trips and more. Its new AI tools can even draft a few entries automatically for you. What's more, your phone probably now comes with a journal app preinstalled: Apple's Journal app launched in 2023, and a brand new Journal app from Google, initially exclusive to the Pixel 10, is now available on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 too (apparently because these phones also have Gemini Nano on board). Plus, a wide selection of third-party options is …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. 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 an…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A wired floodlight camera isn’t something most people buy on impulse, but the Eufy E340 makes a good case for acting while the price is right. It’s now down to $139.99 from $219.99, which is its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. Eufy E340 Wired Floodlight Camera $139.99 at Amazon …

It’s likely you’ve heard of the Pareto principle (maybe even while reading my tips on how to be more productive at work or study more effectively). But do you really know what the Pareto principle is? To be honest, I only just started to get a grip on it fairly recently, because it's a lot easier to read about than put into practice. Also known as the 80/20 rule or the law of the vital few, it can be little confusing at first, but understanding and implementing it can truly transformative, helping you to better manage your time and get more done with less effort. Who doesn't want that? What is the Pareto principle?Basically, the Pareto principle states that 80% of your …

There’s plenty of chatter and research surrounding the so-called “laws” of productivity, but even the laws we use to govern other areas of our lives can be applicable when there are things that need to get done. Newton’s Laws of Motion can be adapted to productivity, especially the first one. What’s Newton’s first law all about?Newton’s first law of motion is this: “An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force.” Obviously, he was talking about physics here, but in productivity spaces around the web, people who spend their time thinking about more efficient ways…

If you've engaged in any sort of doomscrolling over the past year, you've no doubt encountered some wild AI-generated content. While there are plenty of AI video generators out there producing this stuff, one of the most prevalent is OpenAI's Sora, which is particularly adept at generating realistic short-form videos mimicking the content you might find on TikTok or Instagram Reels. These videos can be so convincing at first glance, that people often don't realize what they're seeing is 100% fake. That can be harmless when it's videos of cats playing instruments at midnight, but dangerous when impersonating real people or properties. It's that last point that I thought w…

The pace of AI technology is so rapid, it's tough to keep up with everything. At Google I/O back in May, Google rolled out an AI-powered shopping feature that let you virtually try on clothes you find online. All you needed to do was upload a full-length photo of yourself, and Google's AI would be to dress you up in whatever article of clothing you liked. I still can't decide whether the feature sounds useful, creepy, or a little bit of both. Google's virtual try on feature only needs a selfie to workWhat I can say, however, is that the feature is getting a little creepier. On Thursday, Google announced an update to its virtual try on feature, that takes advantage of th…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Roku Sticks have useful features that can make your dumb TV smarter (or replace the interface on your smart TV), and they are seeing great discounts right now. In particular, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K with HDR and Dolby Vision is $24.99, the lowest price it has ever been after a 50% discount, according to price tracking tools. It's also my personal favorite option, and the one I would recommend to most people. …

The Kindle has become the default e-reader for many bookworms, and I get it. I've used Kindles for well over a decade, and I've enjoyed using my latest Paperwhite quite a bit. It helped me read more than 30 books last year, so I'm not complaining. The basic Kindle setup is okay, but if you learn your way around the device's gestures, hidden features, and additional services, you can really get a lot out of this unassuming reading device. Kindle Gestures that you really should knowThere’s only one button on the Kindle. Everything else happens using touch. And like every touchscreen device, there are countless gestures you need to know to use the device. The most obvious …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. While I was covering CES, the big consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, I gave myself a side quest: try on every exoskeleton I could find. I kept seeing them at booths and events, promising to help me walk farther without fatigue, or reach my athletic potential as I'm (judging from their marketing videos) sprinting up a mountain. I ended up testing six of them—four assisted me at the hip, one at the knee, and one at the ankle. Exoskeletons first landed on my radar as I was considering products for the Best of CES awards. I was helping to judge "age tech"—devices designed to help people as they age—and devices that assist…

I've been using Firefox as my default browser for over two decades now, and during this time, I've learned a thing or two about making the most of its many features. There are some features that are turned on by default that I would recommend turning off, and some simple tweaks you can make that will greatly enhance your privacy and security. Here are all the Firefox hacks I use to make my browsing experience better, so you can try them yourself. Make the home screen truly yoursFirefox pushes the Firefox Home screen as the default whenever you open a new tab. There's nothing particularly wrong about that, but it does come with some unnecessary sponsored content, which you…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $249.99 for a three-pack, the TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro Tri-Band Mesh System is sitting $150 below its usual $399.99 price, and price-trackers show this is the lowest it has gone so far. That discount matters because this is not an entry-level mesh kit. It’s built around Wi-Fi 6E, which adds access to the cleaner 6GHz band alongside the familiar 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. In practice, that means less congestion if you have newer devices that support 6E, and more consistent speeds across a larger home. The three cylindrical nodes are understated and easy …

On Monday, Discord announced its plan to begin rolling out mandatory age verification globally. Starting in March, new and existing accounts will start moving over to a "teen-by-default" setting, which will lock certain chats and features away until the account's owner proves they're an adult. Here's what you'll lose, how to get it back, and for good measure, what your other options are. Discord will require age verification starting in MarchIn its announcement, Discord said the new age verification settings will start with a "phased global rollout" in March, so it may be some time until it hits you. However, once the changes make their way to your region, you'll lose acc…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A new software update for recent Garmin watches adds “glances” for types of data that weren’t previously viewable from the watch face. These include battery usage stats, lifestyle logging, sleep alignment, and even a few extras like sports scores. The update also includes features other than glances, including, notably, fitness coaching. The features I’m writing about are now available in the Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, and Vivoactive 6, as well as the Fenix 8 series, Venu 4, and X1. (The watch in my photos here is a Forerunner 570.) New glances for Garmin watches …