Setting Up Your Home Office

You know the feeling. You sit down to work on something important, and within minutes, your hand is reaching for your phone. Maybe it buzzed. Maybe it didn't. Either way, you're suddenly 20 minutes deep into Instagram Reels or doomscrolling through news you'd rather not read. When you finally look up, your focus is shattered, and you can't quite remember what you were doing in the first place. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. The average American now spends over six hours a day staring at screens, with much of that time devoted to mindless scrolling on smartphones. I don't go a day without lamenting my "phone addiction" and vanishing attention span. If smartphon…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re shopping for a new desktop monitor (or a small standalone TV), the Samsung 32" Smart Monitor M5 (M50D) FHD with Streaming TV and Speakers is currently $179 (originally $299). It can be used for working, console-free gaming, and media consumption, making it a versatile two-in-one TV and desktop option that’s ideal for multitasking. Samsung 32" Smart Monitor M5 (M50D) FHD with Streaming TV and Speakers …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Right now, if you live in the U.S. and you're familiar with lock screen ads, it's probably from your e-reader, your PC, or maybe even your refrigerator. Plenty of devices with screens in them like to subsidize costs by running ads, but American smart phones have been surprisingly good at keeping your lock screen clear. Until now. "Nothing" experiments with lock screen adsIf you haven't heard of Nothing, I don't blame you. The Android phone company made waves back in 2022, largely on the back of its founder, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, but it only recently started making phones on par with flagship devices like the Google …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Sony’s WH-1000XM series has long been the gold standard for noise-canceling headphones, and while the new WH-1000XM6 has taken the spotlight, the WH-1000XM5 remains a standout, especially at a lower price. Right now, they’re down to $284.99 at Walmart, a notable drop from their usual $399.99 list price and lower than Amazon’s current $328 listing. Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones …

You know a theory is janky when even its Wikipedia page has “(pseudoscience)” in its title. That’s the case with so-called “biorhythms,” or periods of 23, 28, and 33 days that supposedly predict how mentally, physically, and actively on-point you’ll be on any given day. The concept of biorhythms is all over social media and has been for years, so you might think there's some legitimacy to it, but it's essentially hogwash. There are, however, other ways to track your “peaks” in productivity that are more scientifically sound. The difference between a biorhythm and circadian rhythmThe idea behind biorhythms is that over the course of month-long periods, your physical, emoti…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. This brand-new Microsoft Surface Pro 7 offers portability, flexibility, and power that still holds up for most people who want a dependable Windows machine without overpaying, and it's on sale for $659.99 at StackSocial right now. The 12.3-inch PixelSense touchscreen remains sharp and responsive, with a 2736x1824 resolution that makes documents, spreadsheets, and streaming look crisp. It’s lightweight at 1.7 pounds, and the built-in kickstand turns it from tablet to laptop on demand—something the Surface line has always nailed. The Surface Pro 7 is …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Just in time for winter, a bundle including the fourth-generation Google Nest Learning Thermostat and a second-generation Nest temperature sensor is $70 off at Walmart. That brings the price down to $209.55 (originally $279.99). The smart thermostat \ allows you to customize your home’s heating and cooling schedule with AI, conserving energy and ensuring consistent temperatures throughout your entire home. Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) with Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd Gen) …

If you've watched enough Mission Impossible (or Inspector Gadget, if your parents wouldn't let you watch Mission Impossible), you're familiar with the self-destructing message. Now, Meta's X competitor, Threads, is making them a core feature. Called "Ghost posts," the new type of message launches today, and it lets you post to your timeline without the pressure of leaving a permanent trace. Ghost posts will appear on your timeline while active, but after 24 hours, they'll automatically be archived. "Here today and gone tomorrow," as Threads puts it, the idea is to encourage posters to share "spontaneous thoughts" and "fresh takes." It's not the first time a social media …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The LG Gram line has built a reputation for being thin, light, and travel-friendly, and this 2022 14-inch model is currently on sale for just $389.99 on StackSocial. It's an 11th Gen Intel Core i3 laptop with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe SSD. On paper, that’s a respectable setup for browsing, multitasking, or office apps, and the 14-inch WUXGA display adds extra vertical space compared to standard 1080p panels. What makes this version different is that it ships without a traditional operating system. It’s designed as a “thin client,” ready to run Clo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It's so-called spooky season, and there's nothing more frightening than realizing how out of touch you've become, so allow me to throw you a lifeline with an explainer on the week's trending topics with the youths. This week, everyone is talking about their membership in a completely arbitrary online group, planning Halloween costumes that few people over 30 will understand, and trying on "historically accurate" clothing from 2005. What is "Group 7" on TikTok? Everyone on TikTok this week is posting about "Group 7." Here's what's up: On October 17, 26-year-old singer Sophia James did a little social experiment to promot…

There was once a time where first-party apps and experiences on Apple devices were exempt from advertisements. Other app marketplaces might happily show you ads, but not the App Store. Most news sites place ads in between every other paragraph, but Apple News was an ad-free experience. Say what you wanted about Apple and its products, but you certainly dealt with far fewer ads than on other platforms. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case. Apple has slowly made ads a part of its business model in order to boost revenue. You might have noticed them already while scrolling through stories in News, or when looking for a new game on the App Store. Even the Wallet app has …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Walmart joins Best Buy in announcing its Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale early. This year, Walmart seems to take a page out of Best Buy's strategy and split the sale into smaller ones. Here's everything we know so far about Walmart's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale for 2025. What is Walmart doing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?Walmart will hold three sales, all called "Walmart Deals Events," from November to December, according to their press release. The sales will be a combination of online and in-store for members and non-members. When …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Five years after its debut, Apple’s first M1 MacBook Air still holds up as one of the most important laptops the company ever made. Back in 2020, this was the machine that introduced Apple Silicon to the world, replacing Intel chips with a homegrown design that ran cooler, faster, and quieter. Currently, a refurbished 13.3-inch model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage is available for sale on StackSocial for $384.99. It carries a Grade-A rating, which means the condition should be close to mint, although there may be minor signs of handling, s…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Nothing says Halloween quite like an ominous countdown. Right now, subscribers to YouTube TV, the company's live TV service, are waiting to learn if they'll still have access to Disney-operated channels, including ABC and ESPN, come Oct.31. It's the latest conflict in ongoing fee disputes between Google and its various content providers, but even if Disney takes its ball and goes home, you won't be left entirely without options. When could Disney channels go dark on YouTube TV?According to Variety, if Disney and Google are unable to reach a deal by the end of Thursday, all Disney networks will vanish from YouTube TV on Oct…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Contacts with cat pupils or neon colors can be fun, but are you sure you want to put a piece of plastic from a costume store into your eye? Experts, like those at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, warn against it. These non-prescription contacts are technically illegal in the U.S. (even though plenty of companies sell them anyway). The CDC warns that the risks include "eye sores and vision loss." Why costume contacts often aren't safeCheap Halloween contacts tend to be one-size-fits-all, but the AAO points out that contacts should never be one-size-fits-all. A contact that is too large or too small for your eye can c…

Why do I still carry a wallet? My iPhone can handle just about anything you used to need a traditional wallet for. Most (if not all) of my purchases are made via Apple Pay or QR code, my phone holds all of my pictures, and most of my receipts go straight to my email. Basically the only I keep my wallet around is to carry my ID. Once my state starts supporting Apple’s digital ID feature, however, things will change between me and my wallet—provided that support ever comes. Since iOS 15.4, Apple has allowed you to add a driver’s license or other state ID to your iPhone’s digital wallet. That doesn’t mean you’ve been needlessly carrying your ID around since then—states have …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. I've been seeing a lot more interior design content on my feed lately, likely because I moved to a new home this year. Most of the content advising on living rooms talks about the furniture revolving around the TV. If you're looking to wow your next guests, a TV that doubles are art will look much better than a big black rectangle. The 75-inch Samsung The Frame is the original canvas TV, and it's $1,100 off right now, currently $1,797.99 (originally $2,997.99). This is matching the lowest price it has been, according to price-tracking tools …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Pretty much every fitness tracker and smartwatch has an optical heart rate sensor, but they're not always perfectly accurate. Not only can you get better accuracy by wearing a chest strap heart rate monitor, you can even use a chest strap without a fitness watch—just connect it to your phone. Chest straps don't break the bank, either; my favorite is around 30 bucks. CooSpo H808S Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor $29.87 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I broke one of the biggest rules in the running book and lived to tell about it. Everybody knows you need to replace your running shoes after 300 to 500 miles to avoid injury (or 200 to 400, or whatever running companies are saying these days). Well, I put over 1,000 miles on mine, and I’m not sorry. I know it’s been over 1,000 miles because I’ve been tracking my shoes’ mileage in the Garmin Connect app. My watch logs the mileage, and I make sure the credit goes to the appropriate shoe in the app. I carefully ported my shoe miles to and from the Coros app when I switched ecosystems for a bit this past summer. Some of my r…

The pandemic proved that a lot of us can do our jobs just fine out of the office. Nevertheless, companies continue to push for workers to return to their cubicles—whether in a hybrid arrangement, or five-days-a-week mandatory attendance. In both cases, many companies are looking for ways to hold employees accountable: Since many of our jobs can be done anywhere with an internet connection, if your boss doesn't have eyes on you, it's not always easy to tell where you're working from. Perhaps your company has rolled out initiatives meant to encourage office attendance. Maybe your boss counts your badge swipes, to ensure that you're meeting your weekly in-office quota, or y…

Though it brings me no pleasure, it's once again time to discuss the viral apps Tea and TeaOnHer. You may remember them from the summer, when Tea—where women could anonymously rate and discuss men under the pretense of helping each other safely navigate dating—was the target of data breaches that exposed users' personal information. From there, an app called TeaOnHer was launched for men and Tea faced a class action from users who were upset about their private data being easily accessible to hackers. Whether you remember them or not, they're gone now—sort of. Apple has yanked them from the App Store. The App Store removal of Tea and TeaOnHerTea was around for about two …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE has dropped to $331.50 at Walmart, which is a pretty sharp price considering the same model is listed at $429.99 on Amazon. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE, 128GB $331.50 at Walmart $499.99 Save $168.49 …

While logic might suggest that getting more done means operating in a constant state of productivity, the opposite can actually be true: When you hit that afternoon slump and can’t seem to push through the simplest of tasks, it's probably because you needed a break earlier in the day—certainly science backs up that idea. Put simply, your brain needs regular periods of downtime to maintain peak operation. After periods of intense work, taking a brief break doesn’t just improve your mood—it can actually boost your concentration and performance. So if you want to be truly productive, you should schedule those rest periods into your busy day. The case for scheduling your "b…

You may or may not have heard of "eating the frog." It's one of those things that triggers the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon once you learn about it: Suddenly, everyone seems to be saying it, which is jarring, since it's a little graphic and evocative. Luckily, it doesn't mean you have to eat any frogs for real; it's just a way to refer to the productivity philosophy that says you should tackle your biggest, toughest task first thing in the morning. What it means to "eat the frog"“Eat the frog” means “do the day’s worst task as soon as you wake up.” It comes from a quote attributed to Mark Twain, though there are a few different versions floating around. (Lifehacker Editor-i…

Last week, YouTube started rolling out a new look across both the web and its various apps, promising a "more expressive and intuitive interface." In reality, the reaction has been mixed. The TV app, for instance, no longer automatically rewinds or fast forwards when you press back or forward, instead navigating between buttons including "like" or "subscribe." More than once while on TV, I've accidentally subscribed to a channel without meaning to, before realizing that I now need to press up first to get to the progress bar. Now, the changes have reached the YouTube mobile app, as first spotted by 9to5Google. While they're a bit more mild than you'll see on TV, there's s…