Home Office Setup & Equipment

This week's Out-of-Touch guide explains the online mogging competition that is Omoggle and examines who was behind a hack that brought learning to a screeching halt nationwide. We also look at a viral AI music trend, and discuss how technology we use every day might kill us all. Mogging get organized on OmoggleThe Omoggle website is blowing up. As you can read in my glossary of Gen A and Gen Z slang, "mogging" is the act of being more attractive than someone else, usually in an intentional or aggressive way: If you're a young gentleman having a conversation with a woman, and a more handsome young man stands next to you and takes over, you have officially been mogged. Omo…

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 waiting for a Kindle that holds more than just a handful of books, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is worth a closer look, especially at today’s price. This like-new version with 32GB of storage is selling for $126.99 on Amazon (its lowest price yet, according to price-trackers). For context, a brand-new unit currently lists at $199.99, so you’re saving a soli…

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 there’s one area where MacBooks lag behind Windows laptops, it’s gaming. But if there’s another area, it’s display technology. Yep, while Apple still stands behind its trademark LCD “retina” displays, Windows machines have been adopting OLED and touchscreens for years now. Luckily, according to industry experts, MacBook owners will soon be able to plan on having better screens, too. The latest rumors come courtesy of TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as well as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, …

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. The fall version of Amazon's Prime Day is approaching fast. Prime "Big Deal Days" will take place from Oct. 7-8., and we'll keep you updated with all the best deals leading up to and all throughout the sale. But before you purchase anything, here's how to set your own prices for Prime Day and every other day. If you're an impulse buyer, you know that shopping events like Prime Day can be bad. Even though we know Amazon is using all kinds of manipulation tech…

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…

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. Though its mobile app is quite bad, the web version Google's NotebookLM has become one of my most-used tools since I started playing around with the AI large language model last spring. I've found a ton of ways to use it to be more efficient in my everyday life, which is (much) more than I can say for other AI-enabled applications I've tried. Instead of (poorly) doing the work for you, NotebookLM acts as a true helper, assisting in organizing information for you without being intrusive. And one of the mo…

One of the main reasons I've always insisted on having a keyboard with a full number pad—apart from being able to bash out numbers quickly—is that it lets me type out the Windows shortcut codes for an em dash (ALT+0151) and en dash (ALT+0150). They're punctuation marks I use a lot, and apparently AI bots do too. What you'll notice about those shortcut codes, if you've spent time with both Microsoft and Apple operating systems, is that they're longer and more awkward to type than the equivalents on macOS. On a Mac, you can type an em dash by holding down Shift+Option and pressing the hyphen ("-") button. For en dashes, it's even easier: Hold down Option, then press hyphen.…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I like Coros running because they do nearly everything Garmins do, at a lower cost. But there have always been a few areas where they fall short, which I’ve noted in my reviews. Now, that seems to be changing—the most recent beta firmware update adds a critical new feature while fixing some of my pet peeves. I tried out the new features through a public beta from Coros. You can sign up for beta access with these instructions Coros posted on Reddit. (On iOS, you'll install a Testflight version of the Coros app, which can then give you access to the firmware update. On Android, you'll need to download the beta app, then go h…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. RAM, also known as random-access memory (or just memory for short), is an important part of most electronics these days. It essentially allows programs to keep key information at the ready so they don't have to dig through your storage (like your hard drive or solid state drive) to find it. RAM is in laptops, phones, tablets, gaming consoles, and even cars, and all apps rely on it at least a little bit. Essentially, if your device has a computer in it, it probably comes with RAM equipped, or it'll want you to install some before it'll boot up. But that dependency has become a big problem recently. While RAM has historical…

The more you work out, the fitter you'll get. Your VO2max, sometimes described on wearables as a "cardio fitness" score, is a number that tends to be higher among people who are more cardiovascularly fit. But it's not the only measure of fitness, and you should know what it really means. What VO2max really is (as measured in a lab)Smartwatches and fitness trackers don't actually measure VO2max; they just estimate it. To actually find your VO2max, you'd need to go to an exercise lab and do a test on a treadmill or cycle while hooked up to equipment that measures your heart rate and the air you're exhaling. I did exactly this kind of test to compare my real VO2max to the n…

What if a team of super magicians used their talent and training to stage elaborate heists? That’s the high concept that drives the Now You See Me franchise. Critics were lukewarm when Now You See Me was released in 2013, categorizing the film as a heist flick with thin characters and a plot that fell apart as often as it twisted, but Now You See Me pulled off its own escape act—audiences loved the movie's flashy style, whipsaw pace, and all-star cast featuring names like Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, and Morgan Freeman. The result was box office magic: a movie with a $75M budget that returned over $300M worldwide. Now You See Me has since grown into an …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. While the market today is flooded with smart-health-tracking rings, few monitor detailed sleep stats like sleep apnea risks, which is where one truly stands out—especially if your priority is quality zzz’s. Right now, the RingConn Gen 2 smart ring is 20% off in gold, future silver, and rose gold at $239.20 (originally $299), making this wearable the perfect tech-meets-jewelry gift for yourself or a partner with Valentine’s Day on the horizon. RingConn Gen 2 …

If you're subscribed to Spotify, start checking your inbox. The music streaming service is sending emails to customers letting them know about yet another price hike coming next month. To Spotify's credit, the price hike is pretty minor. But starting on whatever your February billing date is, individual premium plans will jump from $11.99/month to $12.99/month, while student plans will go from $5.99/month to $6.99/month. More extensive plans will see a slightly more costly jump. The Duo plan, which gives premium access to two people at the same address, is going from $16.99/month to $18.99/month. The Family plan, which gives premium access to up to six people at the same…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes' candy-colored, ultra-stylized period piece has been a legitimate sensation for Netflix, adapting the Julia Quinn novel series that itself owes plenty to Jane Austen (as does just about any Regency romance). With a large, rotating ensemble—led, perhaps, by Nicola Coughlan's Penelope Bridgerton, who is ably assisted by Adjoa Andoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ruth Gemmell, Polly Walker, and Julie Andrews (as the voice of the mysterious Lady Whistledown)—the show revels in the tropes of the literature of the era while turning up the dial on sex, scandal, and drama. With four seasons and a spin-off, Bridgerton …

Forming a habit is a powerful tool. You work the new thing into your daily routine, and soon enough, it becomes automatic. That's the dream, anyway—in reality, you have to work at it. But how long does it take to fully form a habit? Despite what you may have heard, it’s not necessarily just 21 days. The number of days it takes to form a new habit depends on the habit, on you, and on what strategies you’re using to build and maintain that habit. Scientific estimates have ranged from as little as 21 days, to eight months or more. Let’s look at why that range is so big, and what you can do to build habits faster. The myth of the 21 day habitThe idea that a habit takes 21 day…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $699.99, down from $999.99, the Roborock Qrevo Curv is at its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. That puts a top-tier robot vacuum and mop within a price range that is still expensive but no longer out of reach for people who were already considering a premium hybrid. This is the model our reviewer, Amanda Blum, called the most adaptable robot vacuum she’s tested, and PCMag backed that up with an “excellent” rating. Roborock Qrevo Curv Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. January has a reputation for being a dumping ground at movie theaters, but that's certainly not the case when it comes to streaming, as the apps begin to load up on the prior year's critical and commercial hits—and 2026 came in like a champion, with the list of the top movies streaming including banger after banger, from One Battle After Another, to Sinners, to F1. January's streaming winners are heavy on social commentary. One Battle After Another plays it straight in its bracingly contemporary story of anti-fascist revolutionaries and immigration raids, while Sinners, Bugonia, and 28 Years Later use sci-fi and horror tr…

Built-in lyrics are one of my favorite features of modern music streaming services. Back in ancient times, I had to google the lyrics to the songs I was listening to—which was fine if I was near a computer, but impossible when I was on the go with my iPod. This is probably why there are so many songs I think I know the words to, only to discover, once I read the actual lyrics, that I am sorely mistaken. Built-in lyrics are thus a feature that is equal parts useful and humbling. As it happens, Spotify's existing lyrics features are getting some upgrades to kick off February. The company announced three key updates on Wednesday—two that impact free users, and one exclusive…

A new phishing scam is targeting Apple Pay users, attempting to lock them into phony support calls or emails that could see them handing over their passwords and credit card numbers. The news was first highlighted by AppleInsider and involves warnings that look suspiciously like official Apple messaging. While AppleInsider's report doesn't link to any specific user complaints of this happening, it does include example screenshots, and reports matching AppleInsider's description have popped up on both Reddit and Apple's official support forums over the last 30 days. The scam might come over either email or text, and usually warns the recipient about a potentially fraudulen…

We should all take common-sense steps to make sure our data stays safe and secure: use strong passwords with our accounts, and never reuse passwords; employ two-factor authentication on any account that offers it; and avoid clicking strange links in emails or text messages. But even when you follow all those rules, your personal data can still be at risk, strictly because the services you rely on aren't following these rules themselves. Some websites are putting your passwords at riskResearchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered that a concerning number of browser extensions can access sensitive information that you enter into websites. Think passwords, c…

I'm one of those folks who has completely moved from X to Bluesky, and for the most part, it's been a pretty seamless experience. It's not hard to move your following list over; you can upload (almost) all of your old tweets if you want; and the scrolling and posting experience is almost identical to what you'll remember from the old days of Twitter. The only feature I've missed? Drafts. Finally, drafts have arrived. In a post to the official Bluesky account, the company announced that it's added drafts to the platform, and that they're rolling out now. To create a draft, just start writing a post, and instead of tapping the Post button, hit Cancel or Drafts instead and c…

Threat actors don't have to work that hard to obtain sophisticated malware to deploy against unsuspecting targets. A new spyware platform known as ZeroDayRAT is reportedly being sold on Telegram, complete with customer support and updates. According to mobile security company iVerify, this aggressive spyware grants full remote control over devices running Android 15 through 16 and iOS versions up to iOS 26. Once deployed, it allows everything from user profiling and location tracking to live surveillance and financial theft. What ZeroDayRAT can gather from your deviceThis spyware has wide-ranging capabilities that, according to iVerify, have traditionally been found on …

Bad news, OpenClaw fans: Anthropic wants you to pay more to use its AI models. This wasn't something Anthropic necessarily announced, either; rather, the company started sending emails to affected users, letting them know they could no longer use their Claude Code subscription limits with third-party "harnesses," including—and most notabl—OpenClaw. Anthropic confirmed users could still connect to OpenClaw with their Claude account, but they'd have to pay more money in order to do so—including a "pay-as-you-go" option tacked onto the cost of the subscription. According to Anthropic, this policy change isn't without logic or reason. As highlighted by TechCrunch, Boris Cher…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. DirecTV has launched for Meta Quest headsets. While there are already single-channel streaming apps like Peacock available on the headset, this is the first full TV distributor to be available for Quest users. It gives DirecTV subscribers access to over 150 live channels—CNN, HGTV, and NFL Network, etc.— and a huge library of on-demand movies and shows. Meta Quest 3 512GB Mixed Reality VR Headset with Controllers $599.0…