Setting Up Your Home Office

It’s well-established that physical clutter impairs your productivity and focus, going as far as to make you exhausted, stressed, and burnt out, which is why decluttering your workspace is key component in a lot of productivity techniques. In this day and age, though, your "workspace" isn't always (or, in some cases, even) an office or desk. Your phone and computer are your workspace. That's where you spend most of your work day looking and interacting—and when it's cluttered, you can feel discombobulated, the same as you might with a messy cubicle. It's time to stop thinking only about decluttering the physical world and make a better plan to keep the digital one in good…

CES is the time of year for weird computers, and Asus is bringing back an old fan favorite to help fill its unusual form factor quota. Gamers who miss the days of dual screens, get excited: the ROG Zephyrus Duo is returning for 2026, and it's bigger than ever. Looking a bit like a gigantic Nintendo DS, the new ROG Zephyrus Duo stacks two full-sized 3K OLED screens on top of each other, with a standard laptop hinge in between. It's a lot like the company's existing Zenbook Duo, but that one's geared more for productivity users—the Zephyrus Duo is fully specced out for gamers, with a 120Hz refresh rate on both screens, the latest Intel Core Ultra chips, up to an RTX 5090 la…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Mini PCs are great for people who want minimal desk setups, but aside from the Mac Mini, they're not really something that appeals to the average user. Most are boring and still-slightly-chunky boxes, come from lesser-known companies like Geekom, and are built either for enterprise or thrifty gamers. What's a Windows user who doesn't want to swap to Apple to do? This year, Lenovo's launching a new Mini PC with some of that Apple sleekness, to try to fill that niche. Unveiled at CES, the Lenovo Yoga Mini i is a cute little circle that fits in the palm of your hand and weighs just about 1.3 pounds (with small variations depe…

It's CES week, when the tech world gathers in Las Vegas to check out the latest gadgets, prototypes, and innovations that will shape the future. Lifehacker's tech team is on the ground at the convention, tracking down big stories and cool gear. What is CES?Billing itself as "The Most Powerful Tech Event in the World," CES (short for "Consumer Electronics Show") is the Consumer Technology Association's trade convention. It began in 1967 as a small showcase for televisions and radios, but over the decades CES has become a gathering of the tribes for tech culture. Everyone is there, from huge companies like Samsung and Sony, to scores of journalists, to scrappy startups wit…

As someone who regularly switches between the Mac and PC, I really can't live without the PowerToys app on Windows. It adds little missing features that I really like on the Mac, like a Spotlight Search alternative, auto dark mode, screen awake, on-screen OCR (which lets you pull text from images), and more. But the reverse is also true. When I'm on MacOS, I start to miss the little features and commands that I've been used to Windows having for decades now (I started using Windows in school, but was only exposed to macOS when I was in college). It's the little things, like not being able to cut and paste files in Finder. And why must I accidentally open the Music app eve…

Short form videos are addicting. They're also often low quality, AI-generated, misinformation, or some combination of the bunch, and may have a negative impact on our attention spans and mental health. In short, they're just not that good for us. It's bad enough for grown adults to control their scrolling habits, but it's another thing entirely for children, which poses quite the a challenge. It's easy enough to ban short-form video apps entirely, like TikTok. But what about apps that have short-form content as just one pillar of the overall package? Take YouTube: You might not mind your child having limited access to the app or site to watch long-form content you approve…

Age-verification is all the rage these days. Governments around the world are putting the pressure on tech companies to make sure users are actually the age they should be in order to access their services. Sometimes, that means uploading an ID to prove your age; other times, it involves an AI system guessing how old you are based on your appearance, activity, and behavior. Roblox is the latest platform to roll out new age-verification rules, following intense criticism from parents, researchers, and even attorneys general, who, among other claims, assert that Roblox enables predators to connect with children via the platform. In response, the company announced new age-ve…

After weeks of pressure from both advocacy groups and governments, Elon Musk's X says it's finally going to do something about its deepfake porn problem. Unfortunately, after testing following the announcement, some are still holding their breath. When did the X deepfake porn controversy begin?The controversy started earlier this January, after the social media site added a feature allowing X users to tag Grok in their posts and prompt the AI to instantly edit any image or video posted to the site, all without the original poster's permission. The feature seemingly came with few guardrails, and according to reporting done by AI authentication company Copyleaks, as well as…

Remember when hands-free shopping was going to be the next big thing? In 2017, the Echo Dot was the single best-selling item on Amazon during its Prime Day sale, outselling both the Nintendo Switch and Instant Pot. Amazon's goal was partly to heavily discount the device in order to install its voice assistant, Alexa, in as many homes as possible—likely in hopes to capitalize on the voice commerce revolution that industry analysts predicted would be worth over $40 billion by 2022. But something went awry. Despite Amazon's complete domination of the home-voice-thing market, by 2022, Alexa was being called a "colossal failure," 10,000 people were laid off from Amazon, and t…

The totals are in for 2025, and it's been a great year for measles. According to the CDC, the number of cases of the disease identified in the US has risen from 285 in 2024 to 2,144 in 2025, the highest number of measles cases since 1990. We've already seen at least 171 measles cases in the first two weeks of 2026. As you'd probably guess, experts pin the rise in measles to lower vaccination rates. I covered a number of vaccination and measles myths in this column months ago, but there is a new spin on measles that seems to be gaining some traction: A lot of people think contracting measles is good for your heath. “There’s a lot of studies out there that show that if yo…

If you filed a claim last year as part of the Siri class action suit against Apple, your payment is on the way. According to the settlement website, class payment distribution began on Jan. 23, and many users on Reddit report that funds have landed in their bank and payment apps over the last several days. If you see a deposit from "Lopez Voice Assistant" or some variation, it's not a scam. The settlement allowed class members to opt for payment via direct deposit (ACH) as well as electronic or paper check, which will be delivered through email or regular mail, respectively. Some class members are reporting that they received their funds via a different method than they…

Whether you're a smart TV veteran or are somehow just now setting your first TV with an internet connection, there's a lot to learn. Modern TVs are basically computers, complete with their own operating systems and application ecosystems. That means you can tweak them to run better.—or just the way you want them to. Here are a few tips, tricks, and hacks that every smart TV owner should be aware of. Turn off motion smoothing on your smart TVWondering why every single TV show and movie you watch on your brand new TV looks like a soap opera or a cheap community theater production? It's probably because of motion smoothing. This "feature", which is the default on far too man…

January isn't over yet, and Amazon's already set to pay more than $3 billion to U.S. customers across various settlements. If you've bought anything from Amazon recently, keep an eye out: Bezos' baby could owe you some money. How to get Amazon's returns settlementIf you've had difficulty returning an Amazon package recently, you could have a paycheck coming your way soon. As reported by Reuters, the company has agreed to a $309 million cash settlement (in addition to "other benefits") with affected customers, alongside more than $600 million in individual refunds. According to lawyers for the plaintiffs, the settlement as a whole provides more than $1 billion in relief. T…

It feels as though Google Chrome has been around forever, but it's actually still just a teenager: The browser launched back in 2008, originally just for Windows—though it's now made its way to macOS, Linux, and mobile devices too of course. It's a powerhouse of a browser that is more widely used than any other. In the 18 years since its release, Chrome has changed a lot: A host of features have been added and taken away down the years, and it's very possible that you don't know everything that Chrome can do, even if you use it every day. Here are my favorite hacks for Chrome, covering everything from casting tabs to playing audio and video. Change the look and feel of Go…

Moltbot (formerly known as Clawdbot) is the most viral AI product I've seen in a while. The personal AI assistant runs locally and connects via a chat app, like WhatsApp or iMessage. Once you give Moltbot access to your entire device, it can do things on that device for you. This the sort of thing that excites agentic AI pioneers, but worries privacy and security enthusiasts like myself. And indeed, I have significant concerns about the risks installing Moltbot on your personal machine. Since agentic AI will autonomously perform tasks based on prompts, bad actors can take advantage of the situation by surreptitiously feeding those bots malicious prompts of their own. Thi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The U.S. power grid is suffering more outages than ever—about 45% of utility customers experienced one in the first half of 2025—and the resultant blackouts are lasting longer. As our aging electrical grid struggles to keep up with increasing air conditioner use due to a hotter planet, not to mention artificial intelligence’s insatiable thirst for power, the problem will likely get worse: The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the risk of power outages will increase a mere 100 times over the next few years. If you're looking to stave off the worst of the fallout from our shaky power grid, you might be looking to purchase …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Robot vacuums can get expensive quickly, especially as you move into models with features such as self-emptying bins and hot-water mopping. But if you’re looking to dip your toe into this world without dropping major cash, the Roborock Q7 L5 robot vacuum and mop is a low-stakes entry-level option that checks many boxes, and right now it’s at a record-low 44% off at $139.99 (originally 249.99) on Amazon, according to price-trackers. Roborock Q7 L5 Robot Vacuum and Mop …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. If you’re like I used to be and your house is stocked with old, dull, and possibly mysteriously sticky pairs of scissors, I’m abo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. I enjoy tackling new DIY projects around my house, but there’s…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. It's October, which means it's time for another Prime Day sale…

Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days end tonight, Oct. 8, and until then, Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subjec…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is over, but some deals are still active. Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. If you’re a content creator or enjoy capturing your…

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. Last week, Peloton unveiled a fleet of new equipment and major software updates to go along with it. The updates immediately reflected on the Peloton app and the interfaces of the company's existing at-home workout equipment, so even if you don't upgrade to a new Bike or Tread, you'll still benefit. One of the biggest updates is the new "personalized plan," which uses information based on your preferred workout types, goals, and available times to create a weekly workout schedule for you. I tested it for …

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. If you’ve been eyeing a big-screen upgrade but waiting for the prices to make sense, this might be the moment. The 77-inch LG C5 OLED Evo TV has dropped to $2,150, down from nearly $3,700, which is wild considering it’s only a few months into its release. Sitting just below LG’s flagship G5, the C5 borrows much of the same tech without the gallery-design markup. Reviewers, including…

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. While sometimes there's a big piece of misinformation that a lot of people latch onto—like The Rapture or the existence of "MedBeds"—the fractured nature of the information sphere has all but killed the overarching conspiracy theory. No longer do big ideas like "we never went to the moon" unite the dumbest minds; instead, the algorithm creates bespoke conspiracy theories. So instead of joining the Flat Earth Society, you might think the actual year is 1728, or that AI secretly imagined a British comedian fro…