Home Office Setup & Equipment

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The expected release of glasses from huge players like Apple and Google has industry analysts predicting sales of smart glasses will rise from six million units in 2025 to 20 million in 2026. In other words, this year is looking like an inflection point, where tech-enabled spectacles make the transformation from tech wear for early adopters to everyday gear for regular folks. Whether you're looking for a pair of audio-first glasses, display glasses, or full augmented reality, here's what to expect from the major players and smaller operators in the smart-glasses space. CES's major smart glasses announcementsThis year's Con…

Say what you will about AI (and I've said plenty) but the progress in transcription and speech-to-text software is genuinely impressive. Whereas before such software was either clumsy or expensive, there are now all kinds of great open source tools that work well. Which brings me to Pipit, a free Mac dictation app that works offline, meaning it's totally private. Even more interesting, it can be used to do more than just transcribe speech—it can launch apps, toggle settings, and even launch a web search or query an AI service. The first time you open the application, it will ask for permission to use your microphone before downloading the Parakeet model for offline transc…

Back before Reddit became the unofficial "front page of the internet," you would dig up your next long read or binge watch on Digg. Starting in 2004, the original version of the site worked much like Reddit does today, with community members submitting content they found interesting to premade category pages and others voting on it until an algorithm eventually decided what should make its way to the front page. Aside from the lack of user-made pages like subreddits, it was generally pretty familiar to what modern users might expect—and, speaking from experience, it was a big deal to be featured on Digg. Unfortunately, starting in 2010, the site went through a few drasti…

Live translation is probably the most genuinely useful thing to come out of the AI boom, but if you want to use it during a phone call, you usually need to use a specific device or a separate app. T-Mobile is looking to change that. The carrier announced today that it will soon introduce live translation to all phones connected to its 5G or 4G networks, and to get in on the action, you're going to want to sign up for the beta now. According to a press release sent to journalists today, the new feature will kick in for you automatically once you're selected for it, no matter what phone app or device you use. All you'll need to do to access it is type in "87" on the keypad …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. For bass-heads and audiophiles, there’s arguably no more acceptable choice than bass-y over-ear headphones. They have superior immersive sound, larger drivers that produce richer sound, and bigger cups that avoid that dreaded ear-squishing feeling. Skullcandy is known for its wide range of over-ear headphones, and the Skullcandy Crusher Evo wireless headphones are a mid-range option known for their bass. Right now, they’re 52% off, down to their lowest price ever of $99.99 (originally $209.99). …

If you use Google Chrome, you should install the latest update ASAP. Google has issued a patch for a high-severity flaw that has been actively exploited in the wild—the first Chrome zero-day in 2026. What the Google Chrome patch fixesThe latest flaw, catalogued as CVE-2026-2441, is a use-after-free vulnerability in CSSFontFeatureValuesMap, Chrome's CSS font feature implementation. A use-after-free vulnerability is a flaw in which an application attempts to use memory after it has been released back to the system. This type of bug allows attackers to execute code, escalate privileges, cause app or system crashes, and leak sensitive data. CVE-2026-2441 would allow "a remo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Samsung HW-Q800F soundbar is down to $547.99 on Woot right now, which is a good chunk less than its $747.99 Amazon price tag, and even lower than the lowest price it’s ever gone for before ($697.99), according to price trackers. This offer is valid for a month or until it sells out, with free shipping for Prime members and a $6 fee for others. It comes with a 90-day Woot limited warranty, but the real appeal here is the performance: It’s a 5.1.2-channel system with Dolby Atmos support, meaning you get immersive audio, even without extra satellit…

Anthropic is taking steps to make it easier to switch to Claude. While the AI chatbot app is popular among developers and vibecoders, it's also been infamous for keeping its more advanced features behind a paywall (and for rate-limiting free users). But now, Claude is finally catching up to ChatGPT and bringing its memory feature to free users. The move follows Claude overtaking ChatGPT in the App Store to become the #1 most downloaded free app in the U.S., so the timing makes sense. As for what could have caused the sudden interest in the app, OpenAI recently announced that it will be working with the U.S. Department of Defense (unofficially titled the Department of War…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The MacBook Neo might just eclipse the iPhone Air as the most interesting Apple product in years. This machine offers buyers the full macOS experience, in their choice of fun new colors, for $599 ($499 for "students"). Not so long ago, Apple's cheapest laptop, the MacBook Air—long priced at $999, but increased to $1,099 with the launch of the current M5 model—felt like a good deal. Now, you can get a machine that includes all of Apple's latest Mac features for as little as half the price. Of course, the Neo isn't a MacBook Air. To get the price of a Neo down to $500 or $600, Apple had to make some concessions, like using a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When digital music first started popping off, the vast majority of us didn't care all that much about audio quality. Some of the less, erm, legal methods of downloading music offered horrific quality audio, while even the best options at the same (i.e., iTunes) only supported MP3, a relatively low-quality codec. Times have changed: While most of us still aren't necessarily audiophiles, we do expect high-quality tracks from the streaming services we use—especially if we pay for them. It might not be the "gold standard," but streaming sounds great, even with wireless headphones. But there is a clear ceiling in audio qualit…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Cardio zones aren't real—not in the way your fitness app makes them sound, anyway. Yes, heart rate zones are a way to describe how hard you're working during a cardio workout, like running or cycling. But the cardio zones everyone's always buzzing about are just a way of bucketing exercise intensity into digestible categories. They're a useful shorthand, but there are no physiological lines in the sand where your body suddenly switches from "zone 2" to "zone 3." It's a spectrum, and the specific cutoffs vary depending on who you ask (or what app you're using), what formula they rely on, and whether they measured your lacta…

Alongside the new emojis, AI playlists, and other goodies that rolled out with iOS 26.4, Apple included a less-welcome upgrade for users in the UK: age verification. Once the update has been installed, anyone in the UK with an iPhone has to verify how old they are. There'll be a prompt to do this, and if that's dismissed, there's a persistent reminder in Settings. The same change is happening with iPads and iPadOS 26.4, but not with Macs. If you're in the UK and aren't 18 or over (or can't prove you are), then certain restrictions get applied—including filters on the kind of websites you can access and the content you can send in messages. It's an enforced requirement tha…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station with a 400W solar panel is down to $829.98 (from $1,116.99) on Amazon—its lowest price, according to price trackers. Anker has been building out its Solix line as a more serious push into home backup, and the C1000 Gen 2 sits in that space where it is still portable but capable enough to handle essential appliances. It weighs just under 30 pounds, so it isn't something you’ll carry all day, but it is manageable to move from room to room or load into a car. …

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. Among competitors like Twitch and even Instagram, YouTube might not be the go-to name in livestreaming, but its latest features are doing their best to change that. Announced at Google’s Made on YouTube event today, the site will soon let streamers go live with simultaneous horizontal and vertical streams, plus use AI to automatically “clip that.” Oh, and there’s some new corporate cross-promotion, too. Stream horizontally and vertically at the same timeCurrently in testing and set to get a wider release …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As a new parent, it’s unfortunately pretty normal to be paranoid about whether your baby is breathing when you put them down for a nap. Gadgets promise peace of mind—like heart rate or movement sensors that attach to your baby or their crib. But the FDA is warning against most of them. As the FDA writes in a safety communication to parents and pediatricians, no devices are approved to prevent or reduce the chances of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUID). If a device says it will do this, the FDA advises avoiding that product entirely. When it comes to devices that just claim …

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. As fall creeps toward winter, we know we’ll have to turn on the heat. But when is the right time? If you’re arguing with your partner or roommate about the thermostat, we’re happy to be able to end that argument for you. (They’ll probably never admit they’re wrong, though.) The easiest answer, which is not necessarily the correct answer, is to look for nighttime lows falling below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. That said, neither the calendar nor the weather forecast can give you very good advice here. The temperatu…

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. 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 …

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. Right now, you can get a 2nd Gen Ring Indoor Cam with a free Ring pet tag on Amazon for its lowest price ever at just $30, making this bundle ideal for pet owners who want to increase indoor surveillance. The camera itself is a mid-tier indoor security camera that offers a solid blend of affordability, features, and smart home integration with those in the Alexa ecosystem, while the…

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. Summer and fall are the perfect time to prepare for standardized aptitude tests. Prepping through summer will help you be ready for a fall exam, giving you enough time to retake for a higher score it in the spring, if needed, or you can prep through fall and target that spring test. Even if you studied all summer, fall is the ideal time to review and cram down to the last minute. And no matter how you tend to learn, an app can probably help. Here are some of the best ones available on iOS and Android (som…

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'm going to say something that sounds contradictory at first, though I swear it does make sense eventually: You should always study in silence, but a little noise can be helpful for remembering things. Specifically, your noise can be helpful—that is, when you’re speaking out loud. If you practice the “production effect,” it can help you remember what you’re studying. Here’s how to use it the next time you’re trying to remember something challenging. What is the production effect?The production effect ref…

I love Severance as much as the next TV obsessive (though I admit I'm a serial avoider of Ted Lasso—sorry), but I must be honest: Nobody calls the service those shows are hosted on "Apple TV+." And now, they don't have to, because the streamer is getting a new name. I get what Apple was going for with that "+" symbol. It already had a streaming box called an Apple TV, and a pay-per-view app called Apple TV, so it needed to call its subscription-based streaming platform something else. But everyone I've ever talked to about an Apple TV+ show, whether online or in-person, tends to drop the "plus" from the name, perhaps even forgetting it was there in the first place—especia…

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…

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 new Sony WH-1000XM6 are the best premium headphones of 2025, and they keep getting better. One of my favorite features is its LE Audio Bluetooth compatibility, which is a newer Bluetooth type that uses less energy and supports better audio quality. If you've tried to use LE Bluetooth in the past on your XM6 headphones, you might've noticed some features were missing, like head tracking, Find My Device, Gemini Live, and Audio Sharing with Fast Pair. Well,…