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. Handing your taxes off to an accountant isn’t always necessary, but doing everything blind isn’t ideal either. H&R Block Deluxe + State 2025 fills the space in between: It’s built for people whose returns go beyond a single W-2, without turning the process into a spreadsheet nightmare. Right now, it’s on sale for 50% off at $29.97 on StackSocial, down from $59.99, which puts it firmly in “worth considering” territory if you want structure for filing your taxes without outsourcing the whole job. This version is limited to U.S. filers and a single…

After last month's massive security update, Microsoft's Patch Tuesday push for March seems relatively light, withtwo publicly disclosed zero-day flaws among the 83 vulnerabilities fixed in total. The breakdown of security flaws is as follows, according to BleepingComputer: 46 elevation-of-privilege vulnerabilities, two security feature bypass vulnerabilities, 18 remote-code-execution vulnerabilities, 10 information disclosure vulnerabilities, four denial of service vulnerabilities, and four spoofing vulnerabilities. Two of the remote code execution vulnerabilities and one of the information disclosure vulnerabilities are labeled "critical." Patch Tuesday is typically pu…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The LG S95TR 9.1.5-channel home theater soundbar system includes a soundbar, a wireless subwoofer, and rear speakers, creating a surround sound setup that far surpasses what a simple soundbar can offer. If you’re looking for a more cinematic experience that’ll bring you completely immersive audio, this wireless surround system is one of the best options on the market (especially for LG TV owners)—and right now, it’s 50% off on Amazon, bringing its price down to $799.99 (originally $1,599.99). L…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Despite the rising popularity of OLED TVs, LED TVs are still a great value option, and even offer a few advantages, like higher peak brightness and no burn-in risk. They can also be a much more affordable option. Case in point: The 2025 Hisense 75U8QG mini-LED TV is a superior large-screen LED in its class, earning an Editor’s Choice Award from PCMag, which called it “the best LED TV for the price.” Right now, it’s $1,299.99, nearly $400 off the usual $1,698 list price. Hisense 75-Inch 75U8QG …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The feature I love most on the Coros Pace 4 right now is one that I didn’t even notice at first. I knew that it had an extra button compared to the Pace 3, and I knew that I could use it to drop “voice pins” when I was out on my trail runs. I’m always fumbling with buttons to mark water taps or interesting things I find in the woods, so this seemed useful—but once I realized I could also use the feature to record end-of-workout notes, I suddenly became the kind of person who keeps end-of-workout notes. Coros Pace 4 …

I write frequently about the threat of malware and how threat actors are using it to do everything from steal personal information to fully take over users' devices or add them to botnets. These malicious programs spread through various forms of phishing, ClickFix attacks, malvertising, and even apps that have been vetted and approved by Apple and Google. However, as users (and security tools) have gotten better at identifying the signs of a malware infection and savvy enough to avoid them in the first place, some cybercriminals have changed tactics: Living Off the Land (LOTL) attacks exploit built-in system utilities and tools that may be less likely to raise red flags.…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I’m not a real cyclist, I say to myself as I buy a cheap, basic exercise bike. I’m not that into spinning, I say to myself as I replace that bike a year later (it wore out from constant use). I’m not dressed like a silly cyclist, I say as I strap into my cycling shoes. And I climb on the bike and proceed to ride for an hour in normal, unpadded shorts. Because I’m a dumbass. Look, sometimes I am at the forefront of smart and important hacks, like rinsing out my exercise gear in the shower or bringing back sweatbands. And sometimes it takes me forever to start following the advice that every single cyclist impresses onto beg…

Bad news, Prime subscribers: Starting April 10, Amazon will lock Prime Video streaming quality to 1080p for "basic" users. If you want to continue watching Prime Video content in 4K as you have been, you'll need to pay an extra $4.99 per month. Otherwise, your Prime Video shows and movies will look just a bit fuzzier than you may be used to. It's part of a number of changes Amazon is making to its streaming services next month. On April 10, Amazon will start offering customers a new "Prime Video Ultra" plan. This option will be ad-free and will come with streaming up to 4K in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. You'll also be able to stream up to five devices at once (as …

Flexibility is an underrated aspect of fitness, especially since we tend to lose some of our mobility as we get older—how many of the older folks in your life can comfortably reach overhead? But whether you’re doing it for lifestyle improvements or athletics, stretching can be boring, and progress can be slow. How do you know if you’re stretching enough? Fortunately, a study has given us some guidelines. These guidelines are for static stretching, which is the traditional kind where you hold a position. (Other mobility work, including dynamic stretching, is still good for you, but it wasn’t included in this study.) For immediate improvement, stretch for 4 full minutesStr…

I'm posting this on March 17,St. Patrick's Day, the day we celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, and Irishness in general, by dancing to accordion-and-fiddle-based music, dyeing a river green, and enjoying a wee drink or three. But there's a lot people get wrong about the holiday, so allow me to clear up some myths. St. Patrick's Day wasn't always a day for partyingThe association between boozing it up and March 17 is relatively recent. St. Patrick's Day was observed in Ireland as early as the ninth century but it was largely a somber remembrance, not a celebration—it marks the anniversary of St. Patrick's death, after all. It was a day when the dietary restrictions of L…

If you have an old Android device lying around your house gathering dust, there are multiple ways to repurpose it—including turning it into a webcam or a dedicated smart home controller. One option that's perhaps less obvious, however, is saving your house from wifi dead zones. Those of you who have spots in your home where wifi struggles to reach will know the frustration here: Once you leave the wifi's range, you're suddenly cut off from messages, media, and the news, but an old Android phone can help. Android phones can access wifi networks of course, but they can also act as hotspots for these same networks. With some careful positioning, it's possible to turn an old …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Beats Fit Pro (1st Gen) earbuds aren’t the newest exercise earbuds on the market, and they’re not reinventing the wheel; however, they’re a tried-and-true favorite with ANC and a comfortable fit, making them a sportier version of AirPods Pro for gym-goers and runners, with a slight added edge when it comes to battery life. Right now, a pair in white is 35% off and currently at its lowest price ever at $129.99 (originally $199.95). Beats Fit Pro (1st Gen) Earbuds …

When it comes to digital note taking, you usually have two choices: Do you want E Ink, or do you want speed? Devices like the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and the Remarkable Paper Pro have shown there's definitely an appetite for E Ink note taking, even if it can be a bit laggy. But for the most responsive digital notebook possible, you usually have to settle for something like an iPad with a stylus. Now, TCL wants to change that. The budget-friendly tablet and TV company has finally announced its first full-fledged digital notebook: the TCL Note A1 NXTPAPER. Launching on Kickstarter soon and releasing sometime in February, the trick here is a clever one: Notes taken on this d…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The USB-C charging port is likely to remain ubiquitous on phones for the foreseeable future—at least until the engineers at Apple figure out how to make the long-rumored portless iPhone—but this little socket is more versatile than you may have realized. Here are four other ways to put your USB-C port to use, no matter what your make and model of phone—from freeing up space on your handset to boosting your on-the-go productivity. It's almost like adding extra superpowers to your handset. Attach external storage Both iOS and Android have integr…

Anker launched a pair of "2-in-1" earbuds under its Soundcore brand at CES 2026, and it has a unique feature: They can be worn in two ways by adjusting the ear hooks. When you want active noise cancellation, you can wear it in-ear, and when you don't, you can adjust the hooks for an open-ear design. This quirky product is called the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro—and you can already buy it for $150, which includes a launch discount of $30. When it comes to CES announcements, I'm always wary of vaporware, aka products that are announced but never shipped. That's why I keep an eye out for products with a shorter launch window so you can actually get your hands on the things you're…

In the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center, amidst the world's largest tech trade show, an awards show was taking place. The audience included nominees ranging from large companies like Nvidia to scrappy startups introducing themselves to the world, alongside journalists, tech insiders, and enthusiasts gathering to watch the Best of CES 2026 awards. After days of scouring showroom floors, speaking with innovators about their new technologies, and deliberating for six hours, finalists and winners were chosen by experts from CNET, PCMag, Mashable, ZDNET, and Lifehacker. I had the privilege of helping to judge and present several awards, and aside from my gratitude for…

We all know how annoying unwanted notifications are, especially when you're trying to focus. But turning notifications off entirely for a given app potentially means missing important messages. That's where the free Android app DoNotNotify comes in—with it you can set up custom filters for notifications. Maybe you're in a group chat that is, for the most part, useful, but includes one person who talks too much. With this application, you could filter that person out, meaning you'd only get notifications when anyone else sends a message. You could also use this to filter news notifications about particular subjects or public figures you'd rather not see pop-ups about. You…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. 2026 kicked off with great deals on gaming monitors from Samsung, like the Odyssey OLED G8 and the more budget-friendly Odyssey G50D. But if you were looking for a bigger, curved monitor, Samsung just added the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC to the mix, which is currently $899.99 (originally $1,599.99 at its release). Samsung 49" Odyssey OLED (G93SC) QD-OLED, 240Hz, 0.03ms, DQHD, G-Sync Compatible, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro,Height Adjustab…

Duolingo, no matter how you feel about it, accomplishes one thing: It makes practicing a skill every day easy. The application focuses on language, but it also offers math, music, and even chess lessons if you dig around a bit. There are many other subjects worth learning, though, and many ways you can use gamification to learn new skills and generally improve your life. Here are five I found: Learn geography with Globo Credit: Justin Pot I love traveling and learning about the world, but I'll admit there are some regions I don…

When Google acquired Fitbit in 2021, it announced that all users would eventually need to link their devices to a Google account to continue using Fitbit's features and services. Google initially set a deadline sometime in 2025 for the mandatory migration, then pushed it to February 2, 2026—a date that seemed final at the time. Now, Google has granted yet another extension. Now, if you're still using a legacy Fitbit account (an account from before 2021), Google has extended the deadline for migrating Fitbit accounts to Google accounts for the second time, giving users until May 19, 2026, to make the switch. How to switch over to a Google accountFor those who've been proc…

Since ChatGPT kicked off the generative AI revolution in 2022, it seems like every company under the sun has tried to stuff AI features into their products in one way or another. Sometimes, these features can be useful; often, they're not, only serving as proof these companies are "keeping up with the times." Can you even say you're a tech company if you aren't all-in on AI in 2026? There's nothing wrong with companies offering AI features to users, so long as they also offer easy ways to disable them. Some customers don't want AI in their day-to-day products, but, anecdotally, I know many do not. Give us an off switch though, and it's all good. The issue is when these fe…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $699.99, down from $999.99, the Roborock Qrevo Curv is at its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. That puts a top-tier robot vacuum and mop within a price range that is still expensive but no longer out of reach for people who were already considering a premium hybrid. This is the model our reviewer, Amanda Blum, called the most adaptable robot vacuum she’s tested, and PCMag backed that up with an “excellent” rating. Roborock Qrevo Curv Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop …

If you've ever joined me in the misfortune of downloading TikTok, you've probably spent at least one evening mindlessly scrolling until two or three in the morning, not even looking for anything in particular to watch. According to the EU, that needs to change, as the region has preliminarily determined that the "addictive" app is in violation of its Digital Services Act. The decision came on Feb. 5 and followed an investigation from the European Commission into the effects that features including infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and the fabled TikTok algorithm have on the minds of users. According to the commission's findings, "TikTok did not adequately…

While there are a lot of chat apps out there, WhatsApp is the undeniable leader of the pack. The app has over three billion monthly active users, constantly messaging and calling one another across the globe. However, currently those calls are all happening over the mobile app, or maybe the desktop app. Though WhatsApp does have a web app, the service has never supported audio or video calls outside of its downloadable apps—until now. You can now make calls from the WhatsApp web appAccording to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is slowly rolling out audio and video calls to its web app. At launch, the functionality is coming to individual chats with users who elect to enroll in the W…