Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Before this review, I had never heard of Brane, but now, it's all I want to hear when I play my music. The Brane X is many things, but cheap isn't one of them. But for $499, you get a multi-use premium speaker that can handle itself underwater, has Alexa voice assistant, connects through wifi for better audio, has the best bass of any wifi speaker, and can be used as a soundbar and subwoofer combo. The Brane X is a great wifi speaker for someone who values bass, would like to take their speaker outdoors, and needs a soundbar and subwoofer combo for their home theater. However, it isn't perfect and at its price, it competes…

"Photoshop" is synonymous with image editing, and for good reason. The app is an industry standard, and has been for over 30 years. But while Photoshop has been available on computers and tablets for some time now, those looking to edit images on their smartphones have had to make due with alternative programs—or simply stick to their other devices instead. That changes today. As of Tuesday, Feb. 25, Photoshop is officially on iPhone. You can go to the App Store, search "Photoshop," and see not just the usual alternatives—like Lightroom, Canva, and Facetune—but the real deal, too. Plus, the app itself is free, in addition to a number of "core imaging and design tools." A…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The JBL Flip 6 is currently $89.95 on Woot (and will remain so for the next four days or until stocks last)—$40 off its usual $129.95 price tag, and if you're a Prime member, you also get free standard shipping (otherwise, it's $6). It’s available in black, white, teal, gray, and green, giving you a decent range of options to match your vibe. The design is classic JBL—cylindrical, durable, and built to be tossed into a bag without worry. Its passive radiators on both ends let you feel the bass in your hands (earning itself a place in PCMag's "Best O…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I am always down to try a new social app (a face I have made so, so clear), especially when it involves sharing photos. And the trendy photo-sharing app of the the moment is Yope (available on iOS and Android). Launched in September 2024, it currently has 2.2 million monthly active users and 800,000 daily active users, many of whom are in the investor-coveted Gen Z demographic. I am not a part of Gen Z, but as of today, I am one of the millions of people who used the app this month. It's fun and all, but I'm not sure I'll make it into that 800,000+ cohort of daily users. Here's why, and what you need to know about Yope. S…

Last week, Apple launched their developer beta for iOS 18.4. The update brings fresh changes to iOS, including Priority Notifications, a new Genmoji button, and additional supported languages. While it may be some time before iOS 18.4 is launched to all iPhone users, those curious to try out the new features can do so by installing the beta. However, doing so may cause some issues, so proceed with caution. How to install the iOS 18.4 developer betaIt's worth mentioning that there is some risk involved in installing a developer beta. The software can be unstable, as it is currently in testing and designed mainly for developers to make sure their apps are compatible with …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I wear my Apple Watch continuously, only removing to to charge it or when I'm showering. I wear it to sleep and to work out, under heavy sweatshirts, on the beach—basically anywhere and everywhere. As you can imagine, the device gets dirty. But as you might also imagine, I have no interest in cleaning my expensive smartwatch in a way that might damage it. Here are the two methods I use to clean my fitness tracker without harming it—plus some other things to keep in mind when cleaning yours. Before doing any kind of cleaning, remove your watch band to make it easier to access all of its crevices. It's also a good idea to …

Most of my adolescent free time was spent in the kitchen making Thai food with my mom. She was firm in the practice of using up every last bit of an ingredient. If there was any leftover coconut milk, it went in the fridge and we used it for random stuff (coffee, cereal, rice) until it was done within a day or two. It never went in the freezer because it would become a disgusting, curdled mess upon defrosting. I’ve previously addressed what a person should do with a leftover half-can of coconut milk before it spoils, but it turns out I’ve been thinking about the conundrum all wrong. My entire life, I believed freezing it was not an option. But it is. Yes, you can (and yo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When you’re feeling awful because of a cold, you just want something to fix you—if not to cure you, at least to help you temporarily feel better. Unfortunately a lot of remedies are placebos, but some things in the drugstore work better than others. Before we talk about which medicines are best, here's an important note to consider: Cold medicines do not cure your cold, nor do they shorten its duration. If you're reading this because you want to know how to get rid of a cold fast, or what a doctor would prescribe you to get rid of a cold—sorry. Colds are caused by viruses, and there's no medication that will kill them off …

Maintaining a home is expensive, with many financial advisors recommending you set aside around 2% of its purchase price for upkeep each year. That cost is well worth it, as it prevents small problems from becoming bigger ones, and keeps your home in good shape so you can actually enjoy living there. It’s reasonable to assume that if you’re doing at least the bare minimum home maintenance tasks, you can rest easier. But even if you repair stuff as needed and do all the recommended annual checks and upkeep, you might still be damaging your house in a myriad of ways. That’s because many things homeowners without thinking about it can actually damage a house over the long te…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Party speakers hold a special place in my heart. I love hosting people and music, so I'm always on the lookout for the next best thing, which at the moment, it's the JBL PartyBox Stage 320. But not everyone has over $500 to spend on a party speaker. If you're looking for a budget option that still has great features and packs a punch, consider Hisense's HP100 Party Rocker Speaker, currently $149.99 (originally $299.95) on Woot, the lowest price it has been according to price-tracking tools. Remember Woot only ships to the 48 contiguous states in th…

The new iOS 18.4 beta is still missing an AI-overhauled Siri, on-screen awareness, and the app integrations feature we were promised all the way back in June at WWDC. If you're waiting for those features, try your luck with iOS 18.5. However, 18.4 isn't an empty update. The first beta introduces Priority Notifications, and Apple Intelligence now supports more languages—which is great news for Apple users across the globe. In addition, Apple Intelligence is now accessible in the European Union for the first time. Here's everything that's new with iOS 18.4. Priority NotificationsOne of the new highlight features in iOS 18.4 is Priority Notifications. When enabled, your iPho…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you're looking for a budget-friendly phone that gets the job done, the Motorola Moto G Power 5G (2024, Unlocked) is currently $179.99 (down from $299.99)—its lowest price ever, according to price-trackers. Available in midnight blue and pale lilac, this PCMag Editor’s Choice winner features a vegan leather finish, which while giving it a premium feel tends to attract dust and pet hair (so a case might be a smart investment). On the upside, the textured surface provides a secure grip, making accidental drops less likely. It also packs a side-mount…

To create automations using Apple's Shortcuts app on your Mac, you're dependent on Apple's support for various actions. While Shortcuts supports an array of useful actions, some aren't in the app yet, such as clearing all notifications or quitting all apps. If you want to add a few more helpful actions to your Mac automations, consider Shortcutie ($6), a powerful extension for Shortcuts that lets you execute actions Apple doesn't yet support. Shortcutie itself has no interface. Once installed, all of its actions will appear in Apple's Shortcuts app on your Mac. To access them, install the app, open Shortcuts, and select Shortcutie from the Apps tab in the right pane. The …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Whether you're shopping for your very first security camera or already have a system at home you're looking to grow, you might find something worthwhile in Amazon's sale section on Ring and Blink cameras. As Amanda Blum, our smart-home tech reviewer at Lifehacker, mentioned in her review, the Blink Outdoor 4 is a worthwhile entry-level wireless security camera—and right now, you can get bundles for up to 50% off, with the five-camera bundle for $199.99 (originally $399.99). This is the lowest price I have seen for this particular bundle, after check…

As egg prices skyrocket, you too may be considering if it would be cheaper going straight to the source and raising your own flock. As the steward of four sweet but dimwitted backyard chickens, I'll caution that it's more expensive than you think—but with prices spiking as high as $1 per egg in some areas, it may be worth considering. Each day, I reliably pull three or four gorgeously colored eggs out of my backyard chicken coop. “They're free!” I think to myself. But these eggs are only “free” if one ignores the costs of feeding, sheltering, protecting, and entertaining a flock of tiny, feathered dinosaurs. Now, most people with backyard birds aren’t going the cheap rou…

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 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Gardening season is approaching faster than it might seem, and like a lot of modern gardeners, I get an assist from technology every year. I use tech to help raise seeds into seedlings, plant them outside, produce a harvest, and still have a whole life outside of the garden. From weather stations and soil monitors to apps and calendars, here's all the tech I'm dusting off right now to start getting ready. A weather stationIt begins with the basics. I have a Tempest weather station in my front yard, and a few smart temperature gauges in the backyard. Although you can easily pull weather information from a local weather stat…

If you want your iCloud data to be as well-protected as possible, you need to turn on Advanced Data Protection (ADP)— but that's no longer going to be an option in the UK. Apple is pulling ADP from the country, reportedly following a request from the UK government for a backdoor into encrypted iCloud files, and the fallout is likely to have global consequences. What is ADP? ADP applies end-to-end encryption (the gold standard for data security) to just about everything you've got backed up in iCloud, making it virtually impossible for anyone else to access it. If ADP isn't enabled, only certain types of data get this protection, such as passwords and payment info, Message…

Dropping things on your foot and rating how much it hurts is a growing trend on TikTok. The meme's popularity may be indicative of something deep and troubling in youth culture. So, maybe, is injecting butterflies and turning goth. You be the judge. What is "Amialivecore?" On his substack "The Trend Report," Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick pulled together a ton of disparate cultural expressions among online youth to identify a style he calls "Amialivecore." Fitzpatrick posits that young people are subconsciously unsure if they are actually living human beings. I think he's onto something. My interpretation of the meaning of amialivecore: Since they were babies, young people's …

If you want to become a faster runner, you’ll probably end up doing a lot of speedwork on a track. Or if you live in a hilly place, you might wish you had a nice flat track to run on. But how do you find one that’s open to the public? Turns out it’s easier than you might think. Many public high school tracks are available for the community to use. Call local schoolsWord of mouth is your best option for finding the best local tracks; guaranteed there are tons of people in your community who know which schools have an open track. You can ask runners, ask parents (they'll know the schools pretty well), or cut out the middleman and call the school. I run on a local school tr…

Starting with the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung has started a big push for Galaxy AI on its devices, adding features like Live Translate and Note Assist to all of its most recent mobile releases. A majority of the time, these AI-powered features are processed in the cloud in order to work more efficiently. However, there is a way for privacy-conscious users that want to try out Galaxy AI's features but don't want their data sent to Samsung's cloud servers to do just that. Here's how to enable on-device processing for Samsung's Galaxy AI features. Why enable on-device processing for Galaxy AI?The biggest reason to enable on-device processing for Galaxy AI is privacy. By hav…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Whatever happened to the erotic thriller? There’s something of a bell curve to the distribution of the subgenre, rising with the relaxing of the production code in the late 1960s, topping out in the ‘80s with prestige fare like Fatal Attraction, and tailing off by the mid-2000s to the dominance of franchise culture. Today’s box office values big-budget, four-quadrant blockbusters, making marketing of films about adult sexuality nearly impossible. Streaming has opened a window for movies that resemble the erotic thrillers of yore, but the kind they used to make—feature lurid hooks and big stars—remain decidedly absent from…

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…