Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Lifehacker's Ultimate Spring Cleaning Guide aims to bring you all the best spring cleaning ideas, but I won't lie: Some of them are pretty labor intensive. But whether you don't have the time for a major undertaking or you're just feeling a little lazy this year, there are still ways you can spring clean your home to get it in shape for the months ahead. Clean your microwave the easy wayA microwave is supposed to be cleaned every two weeks, but if that's too often for you (it's OK to be honest), you're probably looking at some serious grime in there. Cleaning it is actually remarkably easy, though, and you can make a big …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re thinking about upgrading your home security without dealing with tangled wires or tricky installations, this refurbished Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera—currently priced at $114.95 on Amazon with free shipping—might be worth a look. It’s a wire-free setup that mounts easily with just a few screws and connects over 2.4GHz wifi. No electrical know-how required. PCMag gave it an Editor’s Choice award, mostly thanks to its 2K HDR video, wide 160-degree field of view, and a super bright (up to) 3,000-lumen floodlight. You can dim the light if need…

Good news, Android users: You no longer need to pay in order to use Gemini Live's camera and screen share features. Google announced the update in a post on X on Wednesday. The company cited the "great feedback" they received from users' experiences with Gemini Live camera and screen share, and revealed plans to roll out the features to all Android users over the coming weeks. You might even see the options right now. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Gemini Live has come a long way Gemini Live is the conversation mode for Google's AI assistant. Originally, it supported audio-only experiences: You could ha…

Strava drama has become the name of the game in the fitness tracking world. I suppose when your favorite fitness app also includes a social media element, a little tension is inevitable. Add competitive leaderboards into the mix, and you've got a recipe for intrigue that would make reality TV producers salivate. If you're tuned into leaderboard controversies, you'll know that runners and cyclists are deeply divided on whether the platform is doing too much—or not nearly enough—to combat fake entries. If you ask me, when some users are deploying electric unicycles to dominate local climbing segments, that's evidence enough something needs to be done. And now Strava is doi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Strava, the superstar running/cycling app, now has a subscriber-only AI feature that will predict how fast it thinks you could run a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon. The predictions use a different method from those you might see from other sources, though. For me, Strava's predictions look less accurate than the ones I get from Garmin and Runna, but the feature is too new to say for sure how accurate they will be for everybody else. How to view your race predictions in StravaRace predictions are only available to Strava premium members. That membership runs $11.99/month or $79.99/year and also gets you mapping tool…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. While there was no question we'd be getting another Prime Day in 2025, now it's official: In a press release, Amazon has confirmed the return of what is sure to be biggest online sales event of the year. Here is everything we know so far about this year's sale. What is Prime Day?While Amazon holds several sales throughout the year (including its recent Big Spring Sale and last year's October Prime Big Deal Days),the summer sale is typically Amazon's biggest, most-hyped annual event. It's typically a two-day affair, with deals in virtually every category you can think of. Prime Day is usually when you can expect to see some…

2024 was the hottest summer ever recorded, and there’s a good chance that future summers will be even warmer. For most people, planning for those future summers involves upgrading their air-conditioning systems and taking other steps to turn the interior of their homes into cool, dark caves. But what happens if you want to get outside for some fresh air? If your yard is too hot to enjoy during the summer, you might as well not have a yard at all. You can’t air condition the outdoors—but you can lower the temperature with some thoughtful landscaping decisions. If you hesitate to throw a cookout in your outdoor space because you feel like you’re on a grill when you’re out t…

The average total consumer household debt last year was $105,056—a 13% increase over the past five years, according to the most recent data. When it comes to researching strategies and tips for paying off your balances, it’s easy to get lost down a rabbit hole. And that rabbit hole can distract you from the real work of getting organized and tackling your debt. Taking the first steps toward a clear plan and system in place—even just reading this article—can help you feel more in control and start to make some progress toward being debt-free. If you're worried and feeling overwhelmed by debt, here are initial steps to take so you can get organized and make some real progr…

Amazon is in the process of overhauling Alexa, introducing a new Alexa+ AI service that will be available free of charge for Prime users (or $20 per month on its own). But as the company plans to roll out this new service, user privacy across Echo devices is taking a hit. In a March 15 email, Amazon announced its Echo devices will no longer support local processing for Alexa requests, and will stop offering “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” as an option. This means that every request—and its subsequent voice recording—will end up going to Amazon's cloud. Even a request as simple as "turn off the lights" will be sent to Amazon. This change starts on March 28th, and it includ…

The Switch 2 is nearly here. On June 5, those of us who were lucky enough to snag preorders will start receiving their consoles, and will be able to play new games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. Of course, Nintendo's new console isn't only compatible with Switch 2 games. It will play your original Switch games too. The thing is, it isn't as simple as with other backwards compatible consoles: The Switch 2 uses emulation to run original Switch titles, so it isn't playing those games natively. That works for the most part—Nintendo says virtually all first-party Switch games can run on Switch 2 without issue, and the same is true for most "partner" games. How…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $1,399 (down from $1,899), this deal on the 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro (2023, M3 Pro chip) brings some high-end specs into a more accessible price range, especially considering it’s still $1,699 on Amazon. Apple MacBook Pro (2023, M3 Pro chip) $1,399.00 at Best Buy $1,899.00…

I've tried all kinds of time-tracking apps over the years and they can be helpful, but it's easy to get bogged down in the numbers. Sometimes all you need is a little self-awareness about how long you've been on the computer, either all day or during the current session, without the burden of long-term metrics. Pandan is a totally free Mac app from indie app developer Sindre Sorhus that that does exactly that. The application mostly lives in the menu bar, telling you how long your current computing session has been. You can click the menu bar icon to see how long the previous session was and how long you've been on your computer today. …

The Hearth Helper offered a way for Hearth Display users to text or email customer service to upload a list of events on their behalf, like bulk uploading a school calendar worth of events. But as of March 19, the feature has also been integrated into the Hearth mobile app. Hearth Display, the modern family management tool that functions as a shared digital calendar and to-do list tracker, used to include a feature called "Hearth Helper" directly in the 27-inch tablet. When I reviewed the Hearth Display to see if the device was worth the hype (and the $699 price tag, often on sale for $599), I found the feature odd. You might assume that the "Helper" would be a direct lin…

Yesterday, Nintendo finally announced its successor to the Nintendo Switch, fittingly named the Switch 2. I already wrote about my general experiences with the console, where I talked about how it’s mostly boring, but probably the right move on Nintendo’s part. Still, I wanted to take a moment to call out one part of the console that definitely isn’t boring: the mouse controls. When you take one of the Switch 2’s controllers, the Joy-Con 2, off the console and put it on its side, it becomes a mouse—simple as that. If you’re playing a compatible game, you’ll instantly see a cursor pop up on screen, and right away, you’ll be playing as if you were on PC. Rotate the controll…

OpenAI has significantly leveled up the image generating capabilities of ChatGPT, adding the update as part of the GPT-4o model introduced last May. The new and improved AI generator is rolling out now for all ChatGPT users, across paid plans and the free tier (though free users are more restricted in how much they can use it). It's been possible to generate images through the ChatGPT interface for a while now, though behind the scenes the work was farmed out to the DALL-E 3 image model. Now, everything will be handled by GPT-4o, for a more consistent and native experience. There are lots of improvements here, which cover some of the areas that AI image creator tools have…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Running seems like a cheap sport—you just need shoes!—until you actually go shoe shopping. The right footwear can make or break your experience. They can also break your budget; even the most basic models are well over $100 new. (That being said, keep in mind that the most expensive shoe isn't necessarily the best for you.) Of course, you can search for deals at any time—there's usually something being discounted no matter when you look. But if you want a specific shoe on sale, it's worth watching the schedule of new releases. And the ultimate hack: New shoe models tend to be introduced in the spring, making right now an e…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A lot of the productivity techniques and organizational hacks out there claim to make work easier and more efficient, and they really can—though you have to find just the right one for you. A few methods that originated in Japan have proven especially popular—consider the Toyota-approved Kanban scheduling method—including one of my favorites: kaizen. The man who took the philosophy mainstream, Masaaki Imai, died two years ago, but left behind a legacy of productivity and efficiency we can all learn from, because this technique not only helps you get more done, but helps you do everything better. What is kaizen?In Japanes…

On Monday, Apple released iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 for compatible devices. But Apple Watch owners might have noticed watchOS 11.4 curiously missing from the list. Apple pulled the update at the last minute, something of a rarity from the company that likes to release all software updates together. But now, the new watchOS update is finally available to everyone, and the slight delay was worth it. This update enables a feature that many Apple Watch users have wanted for a long time: the ability to break through Silent mode when an alarm goes off. The iPhone already does this really well. You're in Silent mode, or you have Do Not Disturb enabled, but y…

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 wanted to wear earbuds that don’t actually go in your ears, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds might be the oddball pick you’ve been looking for. These open-style earbuds clip on and hook around your ear instead of sitting inside it, letting ambient noise in by design. That makes them great for runs, walks, or commuting—basically, situations where you want to hear your music but also that car barreling around the corner. And for the next six days or until it sells out, Woot’s offering refurbished models of these earbuds, in black, moonstone …

While a lot of May gardening is dedicated to moving plants into the ground, there is still plenty of seeding to be done. Inside, I'm starting late-planted vegetables like cucumbers, and a second round of annual flowers, like stock and celosia. Outside, I'm beginning to direct seed vegetables like corn and beans, and annuals like sunflowers. It's important to remember to stay on top of your succession planting during this busy time. And finally, there's no better time to start, reseed, or overseed your eco lawn. Lawns A clover lawn before being cut Credi…

It's not difficult to delete an app off your iPhone. In fact, it only takes a few taps at most. If you're so inclined, you can even remove purchases from your Apple Account entirely. So it might come as a bit of a surprise if you see that app randomly reappear. As it happens, some users are seeing just that. MacRumors spotted multiple threads across both Reddit and Apple's Community Support site, all featuring the same complaint: users noticing apps they did not choose to download appearing on their iPhones. Some of these affected users had previously deleted these apps months or years ago, and didn't understand why they were back. Others, however, had no memory of ever d…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. There is a moment during every big move where it hits you: Moving is really freaking expensive. The expenses—from packing supplies and the truck itself to the costs related to cleaning, painting, and utility deposits—will pile up. And I'm not even including the costs of furniture that better fits your new space. Budget—and cushion your budgetI spoke to a number of moving experts—especially people who work at moving companies and have been in the business for years—and most of them emphasized budget before your move—and overestimating what you think you'll spend. Both Shannon Beller, CEO and co-founder of Wall-Russ, and Ro…

The beloved read-it-later app Pocket is shutting down, and Mozilla is giving current users until Oct. 8 to download saved items from their lists, archives, favorites, notes, and highlights. As of today, Pocket is no longer available in app stores or as a browser add-on, and all sign-ups and renewals have been disabled. The app will shut down for good on July 8, and transition to export-only mode. Users will have until Oct. 8 to export their saves, after which all accounts and data will be deleted. How to export your saved items from PocketTo initiate an export from Pocket, go to https://getpocket.com/export. You'll first want to ensure your account is connected to a va…

Google's latest Android Security Bulletin patches 46 security vulnerabilities impacting Android devices, one of which is a zero-day flaw in FreeType that may be under "limited, targeted exploitation." The security update for May includes fixes for a range of issues: most are an elevation of privilege flaws, though there are a few information disclosure and denial of service vulnerabilities and one remote code execution bug. All are considered high severity. May's patch also addresses vulnerabilities with Qualcomm, MediaTek, Arm, and Imagination Technologies components. One active exploitThe zero-day addressed with the latest update is a remote code execution flaw labeled…

For decades, the only way to buy a car was to physically go to a dealership. If that idea gives you an anxiety attack, you’re not alone, so it’s a relief to know that the industry is finally embracing online shopping—even Amazon has gotten in on the act, and about half the buyers in one survey shopped for their car online. But just like anything else on the internet, buying a car online comes with the risk of fraud. Scammers are setting up entire fake online dealerships and ripping people off to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. You might think you’re too savvy to get fleeces like that (who buys a $50,000 car sight unseen anyway?), but the risk is real. These fake…