Setting Up Your Home Office

I didn't know it until recently, but apparently boxed cake mixes are a popular store-bought ingredient to experiment with. Thanks to you, the good people reading my food hacks, I’ve been made aware of yet another ingredient that can masquerade as an egg in cake mix. Honestly, who needs eggs when you have soda? Replacing eggs in baking can be trickyEggs continue to be unreasonably expensive, which is especially frustrating for a person like me who used to rely on them for most of my protein. I’ve made some adjustments, though, and now I try to use them only for the recipes that really require them. It might take a few failed attempts, but it's becoming easier and easier to…

Ads are an unavoidable part of modern life. They support both free and discounted services, for better or for worse, and unless you pay for premium services like YouTube Premium or expensive Netflix tiers, it's likely you'll run into these commercials one way or another. But just because ads are deeply entwined in our digital devices, that doesn't mean they get a free pass in all situations. As reported by Ars Technica, it appears Roku is pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable here, experimenting with placing ads when you first boot up your streaming device. Moana 2 ads are rolling on Rokus at launchOne Reddit user noticed the change when they turned on their Roku…

Months after enabling Deep Research in its expensive $200 ChatGPT Pro plan, OpenAI is now rolling out the feature to all users. Anyone can now access a lightweight version of Deep Research for free. This new version of Deep Research sits somewhere between a regular ChatGPT search and a ChatGPT Pro-style in-depth report. These searches usually take around five to ten minutes, and give you a report that's about a page or two long. In my experience, its reports are practical, to-the-point, and well-researched. How the new "lightweight" ChatGPT Deep Research worksDeep Research is different from a regular ChatGPT search. Here, ChatGPT will use all of its resources, like its re…

Notion Mail is finally out in the wild, for anyone who has a Gmail account. And it's quintessential Notion. If you've used the standard Notion app, you really can't confuse it for anything else. Notion Mail is a minimalist and text-based take on the Mail app that isn't trying to do anything revolutionary. There are no AI summaries, and no complicated split views like in Superhuman. It's just your email, sorted in a way that you like. What does it mean, though, to apply the Notion philosophy to email, and is it good enough for you to make the switch? That is, if you even can. Currently, Notion Mail only works on the Web and on Mac, and it only supports Gmail accounts (leav…

You might not think about it, but you're probably pretty used to how Gmail's search function works. You type in your query, wait a moment, then scroll through the results, looking for the email in question. These results are always in chronological order, with the most recent results appearing at the top. After years of searching this way, you're likely subconsciously expecting this order, scrolling backwards in time to find the result you have in mind. I imagine it's going to be a bit confusing the next time you search for something in Gmail, and the results are not sorted by recency. That's because Google is changing the way it returns Gmail results for users: Google an…

Intrauterine devices, or IUDs, are an extremely effective and convenient form of birth control for many people—but it can also very painful to get one inserted. Current medical guidelines say that your doctor should be discussing pain management with you, and they also give advice to doctors on what methods tend to work best for most people. The newest set of guidelines is from ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. These guidelines actually cover a variety of procedures, including endometrial and cervical biopsies, but today I'll be talking about the IUD insertion portions. And in 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's released ne…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon's Big Spring Sale is back, running from March 25 through March 31. It’s basically Prime Day’s laid-back cousin—longer, with slightly less fanfare, but still a decent time to pick up things you've been eyeing for months. And no, you don’t have to be a Prime member, but the better deals go to those who are. Luckily, Amazon still hands out 30-day Prime trials like candy, so you can sign up now, grab the deals, and bail before paying a dime. If you’ve been waiting to upgrade your action cam setup, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro just dropped to its low…

Sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is sitting right in front of you. If your problem is that you need a webcam, you can try using your Android phone for the job instead of buying a dedicated device. This is especially useful if you have a spare Android phone lying around and you need it for video calls on your PC or Mac. You can also use your primary Android phone as a webcam, but its utility will be limited since you'll have to keep unplugging it, remembering to put it into do not disturb, or turning on airplane mode to ensure that your video call isn't interrupted. Here are all the ways you can use your Android phone as a webcam. Use the webcam mode on your Andr…

There was a time, not so long ago, that I was completely abusing my right to use boxed mixes. I made a crumb cake out of muffin mix, peach dump cake, very convincing black and white cookies, and a super tender boxed cake by adding too much oil and not enough egg. I’ve learned a lot from all this screwing around with boxed mixes (for science, of course). With the recent surge in egg prices and the rate of birthday celebrating as consistent as ever, I began to wonder if there was a way for folks to make boxed cakes without using up all of their precious eggs. Then I remembered, of course there is—you can skip them completely. It was when I was trying to manipulate boxed ca…

You likely update devices like your smartphone or laptop fairly frequently. (Perhaps you've put the latest one off a little longer than you should.) But how often are you updating other types of devices, like your TV? Despite how routine and simple your TV use may be, it can be important to keep the tube, like other devices, updated to the latest software and firmware version. And while many smart TVs routinely check for the latest updates, it's possible yours doesn't. I don't keep my TV connected to the internet, for example, so there's no way for me to check for updates via wifi. You don't need to hook your TV up to your network to update it, however, nor do you need a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you're in the market for a sleek wireless speaker, the Sonos Era 100 is currently $50 off during Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Normally priced at $249, the current discount brings the speaker down to just $199. This is as low a price as this speaker has ever been, according to price-tracking tools. The Sonos Era 100 is a smart speaker that can work as stereo with a pair or as rear speakers in a Sonos surround sound system. It is an updated version of the Sonos One smart speaker, offering better bass and other improvements. The speaker is a favorite a…

Companies like Apple have their own ecosystems, where it's easier to interact with other devices from the same company. For example, it's trivially easy to transfer photos from one iPhone to another, or to share a Wi-Fi password between iPhones with one tap. The same goes for a hotspot as well. You can start using your iPhone's internet connection on your iPad or Mac, without even lifting your iPhone. Android, unfortunately, mostly lacks this level of cross device integration. Samsung and Pixel devices do offer some exceptions, but usually only with other Samsung or Google devices, respectively. Now, though, a formerly Pixel-exclusive tethering feature named Instant Hotsp…

With tax season in full swing, it's prime time for married couples to maximize all the tax breaks available to them. One strategy that you don't want to leave on the table: making spousal IRA contributions. If one spouse isn't employed, they might be missing out on putting retirement assets in their name—not to mention reducing the tax-deferred growth possibilities as a couple. Spousal IRA contributions can double your retirement tax breaksThe IRA contribution limits for 2024 are $7,000 for those under age 50, and $8,000 for those age 50 or older. To clarify: You can make 2024 IRA contributions until the tax deadline on April 15, 2025. Generally, you can only contribute…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Kitchen appliances seem to gain more and more functionality each year, and with that, the lines can blur. Two appliances that might seem similar and equally capable (some look nearly identical) are the juicer and blender, but they’re actually quite different. Before you start shopping, consider the differences between these machines. It’s pretty likely that one will serve you better than the other. How does a juicer work?A juicer, as its name implies, is specifically and exclusively for producing juice from whatever you cram inside. Typically, that means fruits and vegetables. Some juicers are simple handheld machines with…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Apple’s AirPods Pro are among the best wireless earbuds you can buy, especially if you’re already entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. Like many Apple products, AirPods Pro are pretty simple to set up and use. However, there are also plenty of settings you should be using (and changing) from the default. Because many of the features are found in the same settings page, here's some advice: When I refer to AirPods Pro settings, I'm talking about those found in Settings > [Your AirPods] (iOS). You can also find these options in Settings > Bluetooth (iOS), or System Settings > Bluetooth (macOS), then by tapping the (i)…

The alphabet soup of TV terminology is overwhelming enough, but you might have seen a particularly confusing term pop up lately: mini-LED. LEDs are already tiny, so what exactly could the "mini" here even mean? It turns out, quite a lot, and that distinction can mean the difference between washed out colors and a more vivid display. The thing is, almost every TV you see is technically some kind of LED display. Most use bright white LEDs as a backlight, which shines through an LCD matrix and color filter to produce a coherent image. (The exception is OLED, which lights up each pixel individually and thus doesn't require a backlight.) Mini-LEDs are an improvement over the b…

Fraudsters are increasingly using recognizable and trusted domains to perpetuate phishing schemes that trick people into handing over their personal and financial information. In recent months, bad actors have exploited settings for both Google and PayPal to lull targets into a false sense of security, making these attacks harder to spot. Another way scammers are trying to look legitimate while evading detection is through Google Forms that request sensitive data. How scammers use Google Forms to steal your personal dataPhishing via Google Forms is not new. As a recent report from ESET Security points out, Google Forms are free, easy to create and implement, and trusted…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 is one of those software tools that you don’t fully appreciate until you’re knee-deep in receipts, invoices, or tax prep docs. If you’re running a small business, freelancing, or handling books for a family member’s side hustle, having a solid desktop-based solution like this one can help you get organized without relying on cloud subscriptions or recurring fees. Right now, it’s available for a one-time payment of $249.99 (down from $699) on StackSocial, and you get lifetime access, whether you're on Windows or Mac. …

There's a new Apple security issue in town, and this time it's Airborne. Or, well, that's what the security researchers are calling it. As cybersecurity firm Oligo revealed on Tuesday, a collection of security vulnerabilities are now affecting the AirPlay feature in Apple products, and the AirPlay SDK used in third-party gadgets like TVs, speakers, receivers, and more. As reported by Wired, the vulnerability lets hackers take over the AirPlay protocol to inject malware into and take control of impacted devices. This is a zero-click attack, so it works even if you don't click on anything. AirPlay is a widely supported protocol, and a popular way for Apple devices to share …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve ever stood in front of a wall trying to figure out what shade of white it is, the Nix Mini 3 Color Sensor can save you from guessing games and bad decisions. This tiny gadget is made for painters, designers, contractors, or DIYers who needs to match a paint shade or reproduce a brand’s exact color. About the size of a golf ball and weighing just 20 grams, it’s small enough to toss into your bag but precise enough to scan colors with serious accuracy. The Nix Mini 3 is currently on sale for $79.99 on StackSocial (down from $119), which isn'…

There was once a time when LG was among the major smartphone manufacturers. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case for a while now: LG gave up on the phone business in April 2021, reducing the choices Android customers have—especially in the United States. It was a shame, since LG made some cool phones back in the day. The V20, for example, included a thin secondary display along the top of the device, while the LG Wing sported a full-size second display that swiveled out—a design that is still unique in the smartphone market (if not particularly practical). The company produced a number of smartphones in its time—some good, some great, some forgettable—but over the las…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 is currently $129.99 on Woot, a massive drop from its usual $499.95 price tag. According to price trackers, this is its lowest price ever—and if you're a Prime member, you get free shipping (otherwise, it's $6). This deal is set to last for the next 27 days or until it sells out, but note that you can't have it shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, or a PO box address. Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 …

With tax season in full swing, smart filers are looking to maximize every deduction available to them. We're all familiar with common tax deductions like mortgage interest, charitable donations, and retirement contributions. However, there are plenty of unexpected deductions and other little-known uses for pre-tax money. Andy Phillips, Vice President of H&R Block’s Tax Institute, shares some more unexpected facts about deductions. For instance, people who are wrongfully incarcerated may be able to exclude settlement money they receive to compensate them. And if you’re just starting to repay your student loans for the first time, you might not know that most taxpayers…

Many of us want the right to repair our own devices, and at least with Apple products, things have been moving in the right direction on that front. Three years ago, Apple launched its self-service repair program, which finally gave people access to the tools and repair manuals needed to fix their broken Apple products for themselves. The program launched with support for iPhone repairs, and it later added some Macs, the Beats Pill speaker, and the Apple Studio Display to its roster as well. Now, Apple is expanding its self-service repair program to include some iPad models. Which iPads can I repair?Unfortunately, not all iPads are in the self-repair program at the moment…

If you use the internet, you've probably had at least some personal information go missing. It's just the nature of the web. But this latest discovery, as reported by Wired, is something different. Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler found a public online database housing over 180 million records (184,162,718 to be exact) which amounted to more than 47GB of data. There were no indications about who owned the data or who placed it there, which Fowler says is atypical for these types of online databases. Fowler saw emails, usernames, passwords, and URLs linking to the sites where those credentials belonged. These accounts included major platforms like Microsoft, Facebook, …