Setting Up Your Home Office

I have a lot of apps on my phone. Many of these are there because I want them to be; some are there because I test them out for work; and others are a total mystery. What's worse, some of those—and even some of the ones I enjoy, but don't need—pull money out of my bank account monthly, quarterly, or annually ... and I have no idea. For me, agreeing to a "free trial" is ultimately just a guarantee that I'll lose money because I'm never going to actually check on that app's subscription status again. Or, at least, I didn't used to. I thought it was too hard to scrape through my bank statement, identify recurring charges that only show up as "Apple.com," figure out what app…

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 meaning to grab an e-reader for the first time, this Kindle Paperwhite deal on Woot might be worth a closer look, especially if you don’t mind a gently used product. It’s the 11th Gen model from 2021, refurbished to Grade-A condition, starting at $89.99 for 16GB and $109.99 for 32GB versions. You can knock another $5 off with code FIREFIVE at checkout, but only through April 29—or until they sell out. 11th Gen Kindle Paperwhite (grade A condition) …

Have you ever been scrolling along, minding your own business, when an ad suddenly hijacks your page with a full-screen warning about a computer virus or account insecurity? These are invariably scams, but to the untrained eye, they could look like a genuine pop-up from a firewall. That’s why Microsoft Edge is using AI to help users spot when someone’s trying to frighten them into downloading malware or giving up sensitive information. Available now to all users via a preview, the browser’s new “Scareware blocker” is an AI-based tool for dismissing and navigating away from these troublesome interruptions. While Edge’s built-in Defender SmartScreen tool already blocks know…

After five long years, Apple TV has made it to Android phones and tablets, bringing a polished and Apple-like interface to every Android device out there. You can finally binge-watch Severance on your Samsung smartphone (as you very much should), and if you're like me, you might actually prefer it there than on iPhone. The Apple TV app for Android, it turns out, is a stripped down version of the TV app from iPhone and iPad, not including content from partner streaming services or the ability to buy or rent movies. But it's this stripped down approach that actually makes the Android app better than the iPhone counterpart, at least in my opinion. In the language of Dieter R…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Finally, AI is being put to good use, without taking anyone's job (I think?). The Soundcore Rave 3S uses a unique AI feature to turn any regular song you play over Bluetooth into a karaoke track by digitally removing the vocals. I praised it highly in my review, and I've had a lot of fun making it a centerpiece at my parties this year. Right now, the speaker has gotten its first significant discount—you can pick one up for $299.99, $50 of the usual price. Soundcore Rave 3S …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. International Women's Day, in one form or another, has existed since around 1909—placing the holiday's inception roughly in line with the early days of film. It seems fitting, then, to take a look at movies that examine and celebrate the accomplishments (and trials) of real women in history. This isn't an exhaustive list of movies about women who've changed the world (or at least changed their worlds), and there are plenty of very important women whose lives have never been touched by filmmakers (and others, sadly, with movies that aren't streaming—I'm looking at you Hypatia of Alexandria and Agora). But, like Internationa…

iOS users will find a handful of new emojis with an update to the 18.4 beta, including a "Face with Bags Under Eyes," which represents us all right now. The new characters were recommended for release in September 2024 with Unicode Emoji 16.0, though it typically takes designers for Apple (as well as Google, Samsung, and others) to interpret and create their versions of the new emojis and push them to users. The last round of characters rolled out with the iOS 17.4 update in March 2024 and included "Head Shaking Horizontally" and "Head Shaking Vertically," as well as a phoenix, lime, brown mushroom, and broken chain. What new emojis are coming to iPhone?These are the ne…

After years of intense rumor and speculation, Nintendo finally revealed the Switch 2 in January of this year. While the company hasn't yet announced each and every new feature the Switch's successor will sport, the company did confirm a number of details leakers had been hinting for a long time, including a larger display, redesigned magnetic Joy-Cons, a new kickstand, backwards compatibility, and, least consequentially, a large "2" embossed on the console and dock. Since the initial announcement, we've learned a bit more about the Switch 2 in advance of its full unveiling later this year. Nintendo announced a worldwide tour, where fans can try out the Switch 2 early. It …

All batteries age, and the lithium ion battery in your iPhone is no exception. Overtime, the battery degrades, meaning it can no longer hold as much of a charge as it could when it was new. After a few years of using the phone, you may notice your phone needs more frequent juice-ups throughout the day. When the inevitable happens to you, you don't need to buy a new iPhone. Instead, you can simply replace the battery at a relatively inexpensive cost. Depending on your iPhone, you may not only notice an increase in time away from the charger, but also a boost in performance, since iOS slows down the processing power of your iPhone when its battery is too degraded. Though re…

Amazon is apparently not happy being the face of e-commerce, so it’s planning to start wearing other companies’ hats, too. It's currently beta testing a feature in the Amazon app that will show you products Amazon doesn't actually sell; when you click on them while shopping, you'll be invited to leave the app to shop directly from the brand itself. “We’re now testing a new shopping experience in beta where we’ll show select products in our search results even if we don’t sell them in our store,” Amazon wrote in a blog. A gif demonstrating the feature suggests these products will be bunched together under a “Shop brand sites directly” banner, and will show an image and a p…

It can be useful, while studying any topic, to get an overview of when major events happened relative to each other. History textbooks commonly use a timeline for this—a chronological chart that shows when various events happened. WikiTimeline is a free website that uses a large language model to turn any Wikipedia article into a visual timeline you can use to see major events in a sequence. Wikipedia's open nature means there's all kinds of third party tools that use the articles in interesting ways. There's WikiTok, a sort of TikTok for Wikipedia, which allows you to scroll through articles to learn topics at random. WikiTimeline is another tool like that, putting the f…

Creating and sticking to a cleaning schedule is difficult, but only because life is difficult. Finding time to clean can feel impossible sometimes, especially when you've had a stressful day at work, with your family, or just in general. But what if you could harness that negative energy and turn it into cleaning power? That's the idea behind TikTok's "angry cleaning" trend—also known as "rage cleaning"—and if you're as grumpy as I am, you mind find it helps you get your home a lot cleaner. What is TikTok's rage cleaning trend about?I see the terms "angry cleaning" and "rage cleaning" all over TikTok, but quickly realized they describe something I already do: When I'm an…

April brings the highly anticipated return of some of Netflix's most popular series, including Season 7 of Black Mirror (April 10) and Season 5 of You (April 24). The former—Charlie Brooker's dystopian sci-fi anthology series—is getting six new episodes, including a sequel to "USS Callister" from season 4. The new season includes appearances from Paul Giamatti, Issa Rae, Will Poulter, Chris O'Dowd, Rashida Jones, Awkwafina, and Tracee Ellis Ross. And in the final 10-episode season of psychological thriller You, serial killer Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) returns to New York to live peacefully but is haunted by his past. Also debuting in April is Wester…

Backups are always a smart move. If your data is only stored in one location, it's not safe, as it only takes one device failure to lose all that information for good. While there are plenty of ways to back up your data, companies like Google make it easy with built-in cloud backups. Once you set it up, all of the photos and videos you take are synced to the cloud, so you never need to worry about losing everything if your phone goes belly-up. While cloud backups are convenient, they're far from the only option you have, as you could routinely save copies of your photos and videos to an external drive. If you move platforms—say, from Android to iPhone—and you'd prefer to…

The average balance per consumer now stands at $6,580—up 3.5% year over year, according to a recent report from TransUnion. Altogether, consumers owe a record $1.21 trillion on their credit cards, according to a separate report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. If you're struggling with credit card debt, it's safe to say you're not struggling alone. Carrying a growing balance on high-interest credit cards can put a huge financial strain on your monthly budget. Whether it's an unexpected expense—like a car repair or medical bill—or you're going through a period of reduced income, being saddled with credit card debt can make it feel impossible to get ahead financia…

Blue Shield of California shared the protected health information of 4.7 million individuals with Google over a nearly three-year period, a data breach that impacts the majority of its nearly 6 million members, according to reporting from Bleeping Computer. This isn't the only large data breach to affect a healthcare organization the last year alone. Community Health Center records were hacked in October 2024, compromising more than a million individuals' data, along with an attack on lab testing company Lab Services Cooperative, which affected records of 1.6 million Planned Parenthood patients. UnitedHealth Group suffered a breach in February 2024, resulting in the leak…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Every person's definition of funny is a little different, which is why it’s cool that Netflix has an impressive variety of movies representing a broad genre. If you’re looking for something to make you laugh, you can choose a smart, critically-acclaimed classic or a brainless comedy that critics hated. High-minded satire or expertly timed farts: Many of the best comedies blend highbrow and lowbrow, but, at the end of the day, the best comedy is the one that makes you laugh the most. Barbie (2023) The movie that absolutely slayed the zeitgeist in 2023 is also, perhaps surprisingly, a ton of fun. Greta Gerwig's Matt…

So, you want to buy a MacBook? You have no shortage of options. If you go directly through Apple, you can pick between the Air or the Pro, in two different sizes, across a seemingly endless number of configurations. If you're shopping from a third party retailer, the issue only compounds. There are a lot of MacBooks out there. Which machine you should purchase is entirely up to you and your unique needs. However, unless you have demanding or specialized work to do, there is one model that makes more sense than most. Before today, I recommended the M2 MacBook Air to most people. Its combination of price, portability, and power made it not just the best MacBook for most peo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. Another Italian cookbook—I know. But trust me, you’ll want to be here for this one. Milk Street Backroads Italy is a cookbook that may make you question some of your “rules” about cooking Italian food. Constantly stirring polenta? Adding slabs of mozzarella to your eggplant parm? Loading Italian wedding soup with meatballs? While I will probably continue putti…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Apple just casually announced the new M4 MacBook Air with sales beginning on March 12. While that may be exciting news for anyone looking to get the latest and greatest devices, it can also be a boon for anyone hunting for deals. After new products launch, there tend to be some great discounts on earlier models to help clear inventory. Apple unfortunately has a pretty controlled sales market, so finding new units of earlier models may be difficult. But if you’re familiar and comfortable with the wide world of refurbished products, you can find some …

Back in December, Sony rolled out themes for the first time on PS5. While the selection was nowhere near the variety offered by other consoles, they were enticing all the same: These themes were modeled after the UI designs of all previous PlayStation consoles, including the PSOne, PS2, PS3, and PS4. These themes are, frankly, really cool. They adopt each console's unique sound design, like the clicks you hear when switching between menu items. If you had a PS3 back in the day, you'd probably like the wave background this PS5 theme adds here. Similarly, PS2 fans would appreciate the second generation's menu shapes. If you had a particular favorite, you could inject a lit…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Valentine's Day is tomorrow. By this point, you should've already ordered your love a dozen roses. And of course, there are plenty of non-floral gift ideas that are perfect for the day of love, which I've rounded up for you here. But don't panic if you haven't found the perfect gift yet—or if you forgot about the holiday entirely. I've curated a selection of thoughtful, budget-friendly presents that prove you don't need to break the bank to show someone you care. Personalized photo gifts Transform your favorite memories into meaningful presents using same-day printing services at a local drugstore or big-box retailer. Cre…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Two TVs are better than one, especially when you only had to pay for one of them. Best Buy is currently offering a free 40-inch Samsung Class 5 Series LED Full HD Smart Tizen TV (a value of $249.99) when you buy one of three massive Samsung TVs. Here are your three options, followed by a quick description of each to help you determine which is best for you. Resolution: 4K (2160p), Screen Size: 85 inches, Display Type: LED, …

As the April 15 tax filing deadline approaches, it's important to separate fact from fiction when it comes to preparing your returns. "Tax laws are often summarized for [the] sake of quickly explaining a potential benefit—or conflict," says Andy Phillips, Vice President of H&R Block’s Tax Institute. "When details are omitted, it’s easy to misinterpret law or consider the advice of a trusted friend versus taking time to do firsthand research." Blindly following someone else’s bad tax advice could cost you precious time and money. "I can file my tax return with the details from my last paycheck stub." The figures listed on your last paycheck stub may be close to what …

If you want your iCloud data to be as well-protected as possible, you need to turn on Advanced Data Protection (ADP)— but that's no longer going to be an option in the UK. Apple is pulling ADP from the country, reportedly following a request from the UK government for a backdoor into encrypted iCloud files, and the fallout is likely to have global consequences. What is ADP? ADP applies end-to-end encryption (the gold standard for data security) to just about everything you've got backed up in iCloud, making it virtually impossible for anyone else to access it. If ADP isn't enabled, only certain types of data get this protection, such as passwords and payment info, Message…