Setting Up Your Home Office

It's officially Tax Day. If you already filed months ago, first off: Good for you. And secondly, you may have already received a pleasant surprise in the form of a slightly larger tax refund compared to last year. According to the most recent IRS report, over $211 billion has been refunded this cycle so far—a 5% increase over last year. On an individual basis, the average direct deposit refund amount is $3,186, up 3.2% from last year's $3,088. But what's driving these larger refunds? Inflation adjustments boost refundsThe primary reason for the increase in tax refunds stems from the IRS's annual inflation adjustments. For the 2024 tax year (filed in 2025), the IRS implem…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Garmin is now offering a $6.99/month subscription called Connect+ that provides “premium features,” including AI, on top of what you already get for free with the Garmin Connect app. So far, nothing is being paywalled, but it feels like the end of an era. Garmin watches were some of the last few wearables where you pay for a device and then all of its features are free to use forever. (The hardware has impressively long lifespans, too.) I signed up for Connect+ to see what’s inside, so let’s take a look. Subscription detailsThe new Connect+ subscription costs $6.99/month or $69.99/year. It only adds features on top of wha…

Less than a month after Apple released its own "budget" iPhone, the iPhone 16e, Samsung is out with a new midrange Galaxy A series update for 2025. And unlike Apple's $599 phone, the Galaxy A26, an admittedly more budget-friendly device, starts at just $300. The Galaxy A56 on the other hand, a more direct iPhone 16e competitor, will be $500 when it launches later this year, yet nets you double the storage as the 16e. If you're thinking about picking up any of these phones, you might be curious about how they all compare on paper. While we'll need to wait for reviewers to get their hands on these devices before we truly know how they stack up, it's helpful to see the specs…

As with other AI bots like ChatGPT and Copilot, there are free and paid options for Google Gemini: For $20 a month, you can upgrade to a Google One AI Premium plan, which includes Gemini Advanced. Chances are you're already signed up to a host of digital subscriptions, so is Gemini Advanced shelling out even more cash? Here's how the features on the free plan and the Google One AI Premium plan stack up against each other right now—bear in mind the paid plan includes some extras beyond the Gemini Advanced AI, which I've listed at the end. As a Google One AI Premium subscriber, I've talked a little bit about my experience of these features, too. Comparable features …

When it comes to digital assistants, especially on mobile, there are really two most people think of: Siri and Google Assistant. (Sorry, Bixby.) Just as Siri is Apple through and through, Google Assistant is synonymous with Android for me (even if you can download Google Assistant on iPhone). But it appears Google Assistant's time is coming to an end, and faster than you might think. Google announced in a blog post on Friday that the company is switching more users from Google Assistant to Gemini "over the coming months," before retiring its iconic assistant later this year on most devices. That includes not just the built-in assistant on most Android devices, but also do…

Heads up: If you've rented a car from Hertz, your data may have been exposed in a data breach. While Hertz itself was not attacked, affected customers had sensitive data leaked—including, in some cases, Social Security numbers. What happened with Hertz?This week, Hertz posted a "Notice of Data Incident" on its website, informing customers about a 2024 episode involving Cleo Communications. Cleo operates a file transfer platform that Hertz uses for "limited purposes." Despite those limited purposes, Hertz confirmed that actors exploited zero-day security flaws in Cleo's network and accessed Hertz customer data. It appears actors accessed this data in both October and Decem…

This post is part of our Home Remedy Handbook, a tour of the landscape of home remedies from the iffy to the doctor-approved. Read more here. Children under 4 years old shouldn’t use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, the FDA has warned. So what do you do instead? Try home remedies, which “may work better than medicines” for young children, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. The AAP also notes that you don’t have to treat a child’s symptoms just because they have a cold. If your kid is acting normally and the cough or runny nose don’t seem to bother them, no action is needed. This includes fevers: While you should call the doctor for a fever over 102 (or, f…

Sprint interval training, or SIT, is super trendy right now. It’s a great way to improve your running speed and to get in a hard interval workout, and I’ll explain exactly how. But I also need to clear up this silly question about whether it’s “better than” HIIT (or high-intensity interval training). SIT is, in fact, a type of HIIT. What is SIT? Sprint interval training refers to exercise routines where you run as hard as you possibly can (or nearly as hard) for a short time, typically 30 seconds. A SIT workout usually looks something like this: Warm up with walking and/or easy jogging for 10 to 15 minutes. Run 30 seconds as hard as you can. Recover (walk or rest) for t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A crevice garden is an exceptional way to deal with one of the hardest terrains to grow a garden. But more than that, crevice gardens can create architectural interest and structure, while growing a drought-tolerant garden that can be full of native plants. You can even create a crevice garden in a place that didn’t previously have rocky terrain, if you like the look of them. With climate change bringing hotter summers, a garden that is drought tolerant while also improving the soil and providing food for pollinators is a win all around. Since these gardens are so low maintenance, they’re perfect for people who want a dra…

Even the most loyal Apple users will admit that the company is lagging behind when it comes to AI, with Siri's big Apple Intelligence upgrade now officially delayed (having been heavily promoted throughout last year). In a new blog post, Apple outlines some of the ways it's hoping to get back on track. One of the potential reasons for Apple's generative AI struggles may be that it prioritizes user privacy a lot more than the likes of OpenAI and Google. Apple doesn't gather any user data to train its large language models or LLMs (though it has trained its models on free text on the web), and relies heavily on synthetic data to produce AI text from prompts and from existin…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Heart rate variability (HRV) and resting heart rate (RHR) are the metrics that most wearables' "recovery" numbers are based on. I wore five devices to bed for two weeks to see how their readings compared. Those devices were an Apple Watch Series 10, a Fitbit Charge 6, a Garmin Forerunner 265S, an Oura Ring 4, and a Whoop 4.0. Why these five? Well, they're the major brands that people tend to gravitate toward when they want to track sleep, and for each I chose the best (in my opinion) of each company's current offerings. I had most of them on hand due to testing them for recent or upcoming reviews. The Apple Watch Series 1…

If there words or phrases you want to remove from you vocabulary, but can't seem to shake, there's a helpful trick I have learned over the years: Set up your computer and phone to automatically replace the word when you type it. I've written about Mac computers for a long time, which among other things means I mention the menu bar—that strip at the top of the screen with text menus and icons—multiple times a week while writing. For a long time, I combined those two words, writing "menubar," even though that is technically incorrect. A former editor of mine hated that I did this. Like, really hated it. He got so sick of it that he told me to go into my Mac's settings and s…

I gave up wearing an Apple Watch about three marathons ago. Fitness watches are fantastic tools for most runners, but they're not for me—especially when I'm not training for a specific race. It turns out that, for me, there's a distinct freedom in running without a training plan. After years of following structured programs with specific paces, distances, and workout types, I've learned to appreciate the art of intuitive running—letting my body guide the way rather than my watch. The joy of watchless runningThe decision to ditch my running watch was a conscious one. No more obsessing over pace, distance, or heart rate. Instead, I've developed a deeper connection with my …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you’ve been shopping around for knives, you’ve probably noticed that there are tons of options available to you. Between boning knives, filet knives, bread knives and the like, it can start to feel like each ingredient needs its own special blade. Recently, I was wondering if a carving knife would be worth adding to my toolkit, so I got one to test out. It was sharp, light, and pretty to look at, but it turns out I didn’t need a carving knife at all. I have been working with a lot of chicken lately—spatchcocked birds, butterflied chicken breasts, and deboned chicken thighs—and when you’re slicing a lot of meat you begi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. While I was a total pizza hater as a child, I've come around as an adult—maybe a little too far around. It's one of my favorite things to make at home. I use pizza as a vehicle for using up leftovers, and as a way to save money on lunch. Through years of pizza trials, I've collected some sure-fire tricks that ensure the best homemade pizza possible. Flavorful crusts, balanced toppings, and even browning—you don’t need to have a home kitchen outfitted with a giant stone kiln to reach pizza perfection. But you do need to know a few things. Ferment the dough …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Unsightly water stains will kill the vibes in even the most beautiful bathroom, to say nothing of what they do to the look of other parts of your home. From shower humidity to internal leaks and ventilation problems, these stains have all kinds of causes. But after you’ve identified what made the mark on your wall in the first place, you still need to remove it without making the problem worse. Water stains typically won't appear on tile; they need a more absorbent surface, which is why they show up on bare walls. Since your walls are probably painted, this presents a problem: How can you wash a wall without damaging it a…

While a "no-buy month" isn't anywhere in my future, I do stick to certain minimalist rules to keep my finances on track—specifically, the "one in, one out" method. Lifehacker's household expert Lindsey Ellefson recently covered this method for decluttering your homes. When you bring in a new shirt, an old one leaves your closet. I've found this principle works just as well when applied to personal finances. The concept is beautifully simple: Whenever I plan to purchase something new, I commit to selling something of equivalent value that I already own. Unlike traditional budgeting methods that focus solely on limiting purchases, this approach acknowledges our natural des…

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…

You probably know zero exercise is not enough and that going for a walk every day is generally a good thing. And if you’re training for a marathon, you’ll be on your feet for a couple hours of hard workouts every week. But what is the benchmark for a human being just trying to squeeze enough healthy exercise into their life? Any amount of exercise is better than none, but 30 minutes of exercise (like brisk walking) five days a week will meet the guidelines. The official guidelines, though, are given in weekly minutes, and you get extra credit for vigorous exercise like running. Some watches and apps will track this for you, as in Fitbit's "active zone minutes" or Garmin'…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I'm Lifehacker's resident marathon runner and senior finance writer. And now, I'm merging my two worlds. Running is often touted as one of the most accessible sports—just lace up and go, right? But as many runners discover, what starts as a "free" activity can quickly transform into a significant investment. After a decade of "casually" running, I looked around at my room one day and saw dollar signs: sneakers, my second pair that year, at least $100. Medals from races, some costing $250 to register. A box of energy gels for long runs, around $30. A fancy hand-held water bottle, anti-chafing sticks, high-tech cold-weather …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I'm Lifehacker's resident marathon runner and senior finance writer. And now, I'm merging my two worlds. Running is often touted as one of the most accessible sports—just lace up and go, right? But as many runners discover, what starts as a "free" activity can quickly transform into a significant investment. Last week I broke down what it looks like to invest in proper running gear. And now, I'm turning my eye to the world of races. You might think you'll never get into races. I was like you, once: a casual runner who scoffed at the idea of paying money to run. Then you get coerced into running a 5k for charity or somethi…

Take a moment to list all the digital accounts you've signed up for, and it's probably more than you realized: email, social media, banking, streaming services, cloud storage, music, gaming, and fitness...it adds up. But using the same login credentials for every service is a bad idea, and if you reuse passwords across accounts, let me summarize the simplest advice you should take away from this article: You shouldn't. But, of course, it's nearly impossible to remember as many unique usernames and secure passwords as you need for your various accounts. That's where password managers come in. Password managers hide your various login credentials behind one main username an…

In the wake of the controversy surrounding PayPal's Honey browser extension, Google Chrome has updated its policies to ban the practices that the extension was observed to be engaging in. Chrome's updated extension policies for affiliate ads includes wording that seems to be a direct response to many of the tactics Honey was accused of participating in, such as injecting affiliate codes without providing discounts. Given that Chrome powers most browsers available now, expect this to have major ramifications on shopping extensions going forward. If you're out of the loop about the Honey controversy, a multi-year investigation by YouTuber MegaLag recently uncovered evidence…

Eating healthy is good for you, no matter who you are or what your goals. You don't have to be trying to lose weight to eat healthier, for one thing. But it can be tricky to know where to start, so here are your basic guidelines for healthy eating. Fruits, veggies, and protein are some of the easiest places to start, and they'll have the biggest impacts. There’s no perfect dietBefore we start, an important ground rule: There isn’t one true perfect way to eat. No matter what your keto friend says, or your mom who has this diet plan you just have to try, or even those ranked lists of the "best" diets. When weight-loss diets have been tested against each other, they all work…

Airport security will probably always be somewhat of a hassle, but one friction point you can potentially minimize is utilizing a digital ID in place of a physical one—and if you're an Android user, your passport added to Google Wallet's ID pass is officially accepted by TSA. It's certainly convenient to not have to carry or keep track of your physical passport when you travel, and a digital passport in ID pass can get you through security screening if you don't have a REAL ID after the requirements take effect on May 7. That said, your digital passport doesn't completely replace your physical document, which you'll still need when traveling internationally and in situat…