Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, 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. 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. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices an…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The refurbished version of JBL Charge 5 is down to $89.99 on StackSocial (from its original $179.95), and it’s cheaper than the refurbished model on Amazon, which is currently listed at $102.99. This model carries a Grade “A” refurbished rating, meaning you’re getting something that might have light scuff here or there at most, but guaranteed to work like new. It's available in blue, gray, red, and black, giving you a few classic color options. This speaker was also PCMag’s Best Speaker of the Year 2021, and it still holds up remarkably well. The Ch…

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 tried dragging a too-large speaker—or worse, relied on your phone’s tiny audio for sound projection—you should appreciate this sale on the Skullcandy Terrain Mini: It's palm-sized, no-frills, and currently on sale for $32.99 on StackSocial, with free shipping in the U.S. That price drop isn’t jaw-dropping, but for under $35, you’re looking at an IPX7-rated waterproof speaker that won’t be damaged if it's dropped or gets wet. The Skullcandy Terrain Mini features Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring a stable connection within a 33-foot range. The ba…

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 tried dragging a too-large speaker—or worse, relied on your phone’s tiny audio for sound projection—you should appreciate this sale on the Skullcandy Terrain Mini: It's palm-sized, no-frills, and currently on sale for $34.99 down from $39.99 on StackSocial, with free shipping in the U.S. That price drop isn’t jaw-dropping, but for under $35, you’re looking at a IPX7-rated waterproof speaker that won’t be damaged if it's dropped in the pool this summer. The Skullcandy Terrain Mini has Bluetooth 5.3, so the connection holds steady withi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. You may have considered making your own videos until you actually tried to edit one and ended up staring at timelines and layers, wondering where to even start. Adobe Premiere Elements 2025 is built to simplify that chaos, and right now StackSocial is offering a 3-year license on sale for $99.99. That’s a one-time payment, not a subscription, which already feels like a win. You get AI-powered editing, mobile and web companion apps (still in beta), and access to Adobe Stock templates for titles. It’s aimed at hobbyists, content creators, and anyone w…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. There’s something to be said for a one-time payment that actually sticks. This bundle on StackSocial pairs Microsoft Office Professional 2021 with Windows 11 Pro for just $54.97 (down from nearly $419), and it’s the kind of deal that makes sense if you’re setting up a new PC or finally updating an old one. The Office license is for life—no subscription, no annual fees, and it covers all the essentials, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access, and the free version of Teams. Everything installs locally on one Windows PC,…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. You can get Microsoft Windows 11 Pro on sale for just $10 right now on StackSocial, which would typically cost $200 at the Microsoft Store. The sale ends October 12. Once you've purchased, the redemption code and setup instructions will be sent to your inbox. Just make sure your system meets the minimum requirements (like a 1GHz processor, 4GB RAM, TPM 2.0, and UEFI firmware, among others). This isn’t an upgrade path for unsupported PCs—it’s a fresh install for machines that meet the full list of Windows 11 Pro requirements. The Windows 11 Pro layou…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I have a problem: My garden is a finite size. It will hold only so many trees, though I’ve been trying for years to squeeze in more. The solution might be a micro orchard, which provides distinct benefits. First, all the fruit on your trees is reachable (because nothing is as frustrating as a peach just out of your reach) because the trees are kept small and fruit is encouraged to grow close to the ground. That small stature of tree means you can pack more into a smaller space. Being able to have many trees instead of one allows you to diversify your harvest, or improve the pollination of one kind of fruit tree by having a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Every year around this time, I prepare to move my living room lemon tree outside for the season. In the fall, when temperatures drop below 40 degrees overnight, Daisy (yes, she has a name) gets rolled into my living room, where she winters under a grow light, and then as soon as the overnight temperatures stabilize in spring, back out she goes to live on the patio. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest, this is the only way to keep a lemon tree; they simply aren’t built to withstand a real winter outside. But, even if you are unwilling or unable to host your trees inside your home or greenhouse over the winter, you may st…

Your Mac collects a lot of usage data to improve macOS and Apple's own apps. Quite a bit of that data is collected by default, and it's good to be aware of it. Apple is quite good at declaring how and why it collects data, and almost always, this information is easy to find and understand. The company also encrypts a lot of the data that it collects, which means that Apple cannot read it. Having said that, I think all kinds of data collection should be opt-in, and not enabled by default. Here's how to review data collection settings on your Mac and use third-party tools to ensure that your computer isn't phoning home any more than is necessary. And since we're on the subj…

Ever since Apple made it easy to change certain default apps on your iPhone, it's become quite convenient to switch away from the company's apps whenever there's a third-party option you prefer. With iOS 18.4, Apple made it possible to change your default translation app as well. First spotted by MacRumors, you can officially set Google Translate as the default app for translation, in case you prefer it over Apple Translate. Make Google Translate the default translation app on your iPhoneThere are a couple of ways to go about this, but I recommend the easiest method. If you never use it, just delete Apple's Translate app from your iPhone, and the device will automatically…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. In Lifehacker’s series, “A Guide to Automating Your Entire Home,” we’re highlighting all the ways you can power your home with autonomous technology, room by room. Whether you want to build a smart security system, turn a “dumb” device smart, or simply control your lights from your phone, this guide will help walk you through it. If you're starting out with smart home tech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the devices and protocols available to automate every part of your routine. But you don't need to invest a lot of time and money up front to replace all of your electronics. Instead, consider adding wifi-enabled smart plu…

Back in 2021, Apple announced a new feature for the Wallet app, that allowed users to add their driver's licenses or state IDs to their iPhones. To me, it sounded like the beginning of the end for physical wallets. In reality, it was anything but: Not only are the applications limited, but even after all this time, only 12 states and Puerto Rico actually support the feature. While the rest of us wait for our respective states to get on board, many might have another option for these virtual documents. On Wednesday, Apple announced "Digital ID," a new initiative that lets you create an ID in the Wallet app using your passport. This bypasses the waiting period for the 38 s…

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…

If you were affected by 23andMe's data breach that compromised 14,000 user accounts—plus 6.9 million DNA Relatives and Family Tree profiles—you can now claim your compensation. Following the 2023 credential-stuffing attack, 23AndMe in 2024 agreed to a $30 million payout for impacted consumers. The genetic testing company then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year (introducing new privacy concerns around the potential sale of customer data), and the settlement money will soon be distributed amid the proceedings. How much you'll receive from 23andMeIf everyone whose account was involved received an equal payout, that would come to about $4.35 per person. Howev…

The Shortcuts app comes preloaded on the iPhone and can be used to set up quick automations; you can set up shortcuts that can execute multiple options at the same time. For example, you can connect to your HomePod and play instrumental music while dimming your smart lights, all at once, with a tap. If you're new to the Shortcuts app, start here with seven recommended automations. Strangely, Apple never offered a shortcut action for simply opening an iMessage thread. In iOS 18.4, though, Apple is fixing that mistake. And because Shortcuts is so well integrated across the entire iOS software, you can then add this shortcut to the Lock Screen, the Control Center, and even t…

Reddit is giving users more control to choose which activity other users can see on their public profiles. A new "curate my profile" feature allows users to selectively show or hide posting and commenting activity, as well as follower counts and NSFW content and communities. What's changed with Reddit profile settingsWith new "Content and activity" settings, Reddit users can choose to hide all public posts and comments or selectively display activity from some subreddits on their profiles while keeping others hidden. Users can also hide follower counts as well as NSFW content and communities from their profiles. Previously, all posts and comments were visible on a user's…

WhatsApp is adding new choices for customizing your chats, with both preset themes and mix-and-match colors for backgrounds and chat bubbles, as well as a selection of 30 new wallpapers. Users on WhatsApp have been able to change chat backgrounds for a while, with options ranging from solid colors to patterned wallpapers to images uploaded from your camera roll. Now, customizations have expanded to include chat bubbles, with default themes that coordinate background and chat colors and options to customize one or both for individual chats or all of your WhatsApp threads. According to a blog post from WhatsApp announcing the update, chat themes are currently being rolled…

When Spike Jonze's movie Her dropped back in 2013, I thought it was a great work of total fiction. Who would actually befriend an AI bot, let alone fall in love with them? Fast forward 12 years, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only do people love chatting with AI bots, they are actually developing deep connections with them. I still don't get it, but I can't deny it: People like these chatbots a lot. Part of what people like about conversations with generative AI is the "personality" of each bot—or, at least, its perceived personality. After all, ChatGPT isn't a monolith: You can adjust the bot to sound wildly different than it does on someone else's app, which r…

If you've spent years curating playlists in Apple Music or another streaming service, you can now easily transfer your playlist to your Spotify library without needing to start from scratch or pay for a third-party service. Playlist transfers are now built into Spotify thanks to a new integration with TuneMyMusic, which facilitates music syncing, sharing, transfers, and backups across platforms. To initiate a playlist transfer from Apple Music or another streaming service (YouTube Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, etc.), open the Spotify mobile app and tap Your Library. Scroll to the bottom of the page, tap Import your music > Get Started, and follow the on-screen prom…

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. Ever get a suspicious text from someone claiming to be your friend, but they appear to be texting from the right number? Well, in an era of number spoofing, which involves manipulating Caller ID to make yourself look like someone you're not, one can never be too careful. That's why Google is finally taking out of beta a Messages feature that helps you fight back. Called "Android System Key Verifier," the idea is simple, and has actually been available as a separate app before. Now, right from the Messages…

Last year, Google released a niche feature in its experimental NotebookLM product that turned out to be a sleeper hit. You could upload any document to NotebookLM, and it would use AI to generate a two-person conversational podcast out of it. These aren't meant to be uploaded online for viewership, but for you to listen to as a learning ad. The idea is that there are times when it's easier to understand a concept when two people are just casually conversing about it. If that sounds appealing to you, good news: you no longer need to dive into the unfamiliar NotebookLM interface to try it out. Google's AI-generated podcasts, called Audio Overviews, are now available for fre…

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. Google's sponsored ads are generally a pain. Not only are they often not relevant to what you're searching for, they can occasionally be malicious: You might think you're clicking on a legitimate link for something you've searched for, but you're actually heading somewhere else entirely. Together with all the new AI components Google has introduced in recent years, it's increasingly tough to get the search results you're actually looking for. But there's some small good news on this front: As initially repo…

On Tuesday, Apple dropped the first developer betas for iOS 26.2 and macOS 26.2. While these updates aren't as massive as iOS 26 or macOS 26 were, 26.2 includes a number of new features and changes, including the ability to add alarms to reminders, and changes to how Apple calculates the Apple Watch's new Sleep Score. Despite these fun adjustments, I couldn't recommend that users install the new updates on their personal devices. Three days later, I still don't recommend it, but I won't necessarily dissuade you from it either, as the public betas for both updates are now available. Developer vs. public betasBefore Apple releases any major software update to the general p…

If you've ever had to drink an extra cup of coffee the next day to make up for a scrolling spiral watching TikTok videos or YouTube Shorts, we have something in common. As a safeguard to keep us from scrolling on and on (and on) into the wee hours of the morning, YouTube's adding a system to limit the amount of Shorts a user watches in a day—but it's a little less strict than what exists on other apps. Still, it's better than nothing. Once you have the update, you'll be able to set your limit under Settings, although YouTube hasn't specified the specific steps yet. I assume it'll be under the General tab (I don't have the feature yet), but I've reached out to YouTube for …