Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Apple Maps may not be everyone's top choice for navigation—even those committed to the Apple ecosystem—but the app has come a long way since it's initial rocky rollout, and has plenty of features that make it worth using. Beyond the basics, you'll also want to consider some of its lesser-known settings to get the most out of Apple Maps on both mobile and desktop. Enable "Visited Places" to save locations (even if you didn't use Maps to get there) "Visited Places" is a new feature with iOS 26 that passively tracks your location and stores places you go—even if you don't use Maps to get there. If you want to keep tabs on yo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you’re grossed out by the idea that you might be bitten by a tick this year (chances are good, to be honest), now is the time to get yourself a bottle of permethrin spray. Permethrin-treating your shoes and pants is one of the simplest ways to set up a barrier between hungry ticks and your delicious, blood-filled flesh. Repel Permethrin Clothing & Gear Insect Repellent, 6.5 fl oz $4.97 …

Like many parents, I know well the pain of my Roblox-addicted child asking me to trade my real money for fake money he can use to buy pretend items in a digital video game. So when Roblox announced the April 30 launch of Roblox Plus, a monthly subscription service with perks that could net us a 20% discount on all the digital items, my interest was piqued. But is Roblox Plus actually worth it? Let's do some math. What do you get with Roblox Plus?As noted in today's announcement on the Roblox website, once it launches at the end of this month, the primary benefit of Roblox Plus will be a discount on items purchased with Robux, the platform's in-game currency. Your monthly…

While ChatGPT may have kicked off the generative AI era we now live in, it is far from alone these days. There is steep competition from multiple companies in this space, including Google, Anthropic, and even Microsoft—which has a huge financial stake in OpenAI. To compete, it seems OpenAI is trying to make its paid subscription plans more attractive to users, as the company just cut the price of ChatGPT Pro in half. ChatGPT Pro now starts at $100As reported by TechCrunch, OpenAI's new pricing model now offers a Pro plan at $100 per month, down from $200 per month. That now gives users a choice between the following: a free plan, which comes with ads; a Go plan offering …

When it first launched back in 2007, it would have seemed laughable to suggest paying a monthly subscription for YouTube. But fast forward nearly two decades, and YouTube Premium is actually a solid deal. With it, you get a mostly ad-free experience, with exclusive features and perks like YouTube Music. Of course, those benefits may only be worth it for the right price. On Friday, YouTube started informing subscribers that it will be raising Premium prices for all account types. Going forward, individual YouTube Premium plans will go from $13.99 to $15.99 per month; annual plans will rise from $139.99 to $159.99 per year; family plans will go from $22.99 to $26.99 per mo…

It probably goes without saying at this point, but your conversations with AI chatbots aren't private—everything you type or upload to Gemini, ChatGPT, and other models might be read and used in a variety of ways. If you wouldn't send a document or repeat information to someone you don't know, you shouldn't include it in a chatbot prompt either. Researchers at Stanford reviewed the privacy policies of the six U.S. companies that developed the most popular AI chatbots, including Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT, and found that all of them use chat data by default for training purposes. Some retain said data indefinitely, and most merge it with other information collected fro…

Gmail is one of—if not the—most popular email platform in the world. But it's not the favorite for users who care about their privacy. Google doesn't offer end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for basic Gmail users, instead opting for "Transport Layer Security" (TLS). This provides security in transit, but doesn't help once the message reaches its destination. While TLS is better than nothing, it doesn't offer the same level of security as E2EE, which scrambles messages for everyone other than the sender, recipients, and whoever else has the decryption key. As such, privacy-minded users often look elsewhere for their email needs, like Proton Mail. But Google does offer more adva…

Last month, Microsoft announced that it planned to remove "unnecessary" Copilot features in Windows 11. The news was a bit shocking to say the least: Microsoft has been one of the biggest proponents of generative AI, pushing the technology into as many corners of its apps and OS as possible—despite negative feedback from users. Now, it seems the company is paying attention, and is actually sticking to its word. As spotted by The Verge's Tom Warren, Microsoft has already started removing some "unnecessary" Copilot buttons from certain Windows apps. Warren notes that the latest Windows Insider version of the Notepad app is missing the Copilot button. In its place, Microsof…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. I traditionally have avoided tying my phone to a specific carrier, but I threw all my principles out the window when my local AT&T offered me a free iPhone 17 Pro if I switched, and traded in my beloved unlocked Pixel 9. It was an offer too good to refuse. Now, T-Mobile is offering a similar deal nationwide. Switch allegiances to them and get a free iPhone 17e, no trade-in necessary. Or, you can choose an iPhone 17 if you trade in an eligible device and choose a premium T-Mobile plan. Here are the details. …

Running influencers are nothing new, but some of us plugged into the online running scene have noticed a shift lately. When I am drawn in by a caption that reads "my 5K race-day routine 🏃‍♀️ (full breakdown below)" only to discover that breakdown is sponsored by a major running app, I have to roll my eyes. Even if they aren't going as far as lying about their times, these "runfluencers" add a lot of noise and distraction to the community. Not that there's anything wrong with running influencers in theory. I love seeing someone share their journey from couch to 10K—community is everything in this sport! The issue comes when, in their attempts to profit off the content cre…

It happens to the best of us: You write up a comment on an Instagram post, hit send, and, whoops, realize you made a glaring typo. What do you do? Do you delete the comment, retype it, and submit again, doubling the notifications the poster will receive? Leave it, and hope others will overlook your foolish use of "it's" instead of "its"? Neither option is great, but they're the only two choices you have on Instagram, right? No longer: On Thursday, Instagram announced some exciting news for frequent commenters: Going forward, you'll be able to edit your Instagram comments. Whether you regret one part of your comment, or you only need to fix a mistake, this new feature let…

Every major browser puts a thin strip of tabs at the top of the window. It's great, until you open dozens of tabs, and all you can really see are little website favicons. A better way exists—placing tabs vertically in a sidebar—but browsers have been resisting it for years. Arc was the first mainstream browser that pioneered a sidebar-based navigation system, and since then it has propagated to Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Arc's spiritual successor, Zen browser. If you're using one of these browsers, I highly recommend making the switch. Why vertical tabs make more sense So much wasted space on…

I've been on Threads since it first launched in 2023, and throughout my experience, I've learned a few hacks to save time (and sanity) on the platform. If you're a regular Threads user, you should try these methods to reduce unwanted content from your feed, speed up searches, and customize the app to your liking. Use these tools to download videos from ThreadsLike most of my social media feeds, my Threads feed is also full of cat videos. When I see one I like, I sometimes download the video to watch later. As you may know, Threads doesn't support media downloads, which means that you'll need to rely on third-party tools to download videos from the app. You can try Threads…

You may know that Reddit can be a treasure trove of useful information and opinion, and that RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a clean and straightforward way to keep up with what's happening on the web—but you might not be aware that you can combine both Reddit and RSS in numerous ways. Reddit actually has a variety of RSS integrations built in, so you can point your RSS reader straight to your subreddits of choice and keep up with the latest posts. The usual benefits of RSS apply: You get an uncluttered, customizable interface, free from ads and other extras, and which you can work through at your own pace. If you're new to RSS, we've previously picked out a selection …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Calling it a step towards "super intelligence," Meta announced it is releasing Muse Spark, an overhauled and improved AI. This "natively multimodal reasoning model" goes way beyond a chatbot, and it will soon live in your glasses and your social feeds. It's available now in the Meta AI app, with plans to roll out with a smart glasses update in the next few weeks. Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2), Headliner, Matte Black | Smart AI Glasses for Men, Women — 2x Battery Life — 3K Ultra HD Resolution — 12 MP Ultra-Wide Camera, Audio, Video — Clear Lenses — Wearable Technology …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Hisense 85QD7QF Smart TV has dropped to $797.96 (originally $1,299.99) on Amazon—its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. That kind of discount makes an 85-inch screen feel a lot more attainable than it usually is. The 85QD7QF is large enough to anchor a living room, and while it comes with free delivery to your room, you will need to handle setup yourself. CNET also named it one of the best 85-inch TVs to buy in 2026, which gives you an idea of how it stacks up. 85" Hisense QD7 S…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Soundcore P31i earbuds are down to $36.98 (originally $59.99), which is about as low as they’ve been, according to price trackers. At this price, most earbuds stick to the basics, so it’s unusual to see features like active noise cancellation and LDAC included here. That doesn’t mean they compete with premium pairs, but they do give you more to work with than you’d expect for under $40. Soundcore P31i Earbuds ANC wireless Bluetooth earbud…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When you lift a weight, how many times should you lift it? Supposedly, there’s a correct “rep range” to use to build strength, and a different rep range to build muscle size, or endurance, or to “tone.” But how much of the oft-repeated wisdom is true? Not as much as you’d think. What are reps and sets? Just so we’re on the same page here: if you pick up a dumbbell and do eight curls before putting the weight down, you have just done one set of eight reps. (Rep is short for repetition.) Typically a workout will call for several sets of each exercise, separated by a rest period of a minute or two, or by another exercise. Ty…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I’ve previously shared the Good News about mosquito dunks, which stop mosquitoes from being able to breed in standing water. For the fourth year running, I am using dunks to create what’s sometimes called a “mosquito bucket of doom” or a "mosquito death bucket"—a trap that entices mosquitoes to breed in standing water that you have (muahahaha) poisoned against them. Summit Mosquito Dunk Tablet, 20 Count (Pack of 1) $21.…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Home Depot's Spring Black Friday sale is underway, featuring deals on grills, outdoor power tools, patio furniture, and more spring essentials for the next two weeks. Below are the best deals I've found so far, but I'll continue to keep an eye out as the sale rolls on. Stainless Steel Main Lid NexGrill 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill …

You might have heard about Signal, the encrypted chat app the U.S. government infamously used to discuss war plans last year. (Yikes.) But while the app is no alternative to a dedicated SCIF, it is a good option for the rest of us to communicate more securely. Signal uses end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which, very simply, means that messages are "scrambled" in transit, and can only be "unscrambled" by the sender and the recipient or recipients. If you're in a Signal chat, you'll be able to read incoming messages just like you would any other chat app—if you're an attacker, and intercept that message, all you'll find is a jumble of code. E2EE makes it difficult for anyone …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. My wife and I live in an urban area where outdoor space is at a premium, so I consider our home's second floor roof deck one of its standout features. It’s sunny and relatively private—and, crucially, it’s outdoor space in a city where a Juliet balcony is often the best you can do. There are two downsides to the space, however. One is that it is plagued by bugs, especially since one of our neighbors began hosting the dreaded spotted lanternfly like they were protecting an endangered species. The other is that our cats love being on the deck, but also love launching themselves over the fence to explore the neighborhood. (Di…

I've written before about various software tricks to nudge a smartphone toward dumb-phone territory: stripping the home screen down to essentials, enabling greyscale mode, scheduling downtime windows. I tried all of it, and for a time it worked for me, but only in the way that hiding a bag of chips in a high cabinet works—technically an obstacle, but not really a barrier. One tap to "Ignore Limit," and I'm back to scrolling. The problem is that the key to unlock everything is right there in your pocket. Turns out I needed a small device called Brick to physically restrain me create a physical barrier, and I can feel my screen time habits finally change for the better. …

On Wednesday, Google announced "notebooks," a new feature for Gemini designed to help organize your research materials while using the company's flagship chatbot. Google says you should think of notebooks as "personal knowledge bases shared across Google products, starting in Gemini." If that's a bit too vague for you, here's a simpler explanation: Notebooks are like Gemini chats, but designed to focus on a single topic, complete with bespoke resources Gemini can reference as you discuss that topic. How Gemini's "notebooks" workIf you're a frequent Gemini user, you probably have a number of chats spanning any number of topics. The goal of notebooks is similar, but more …

The StairMaster may be having a moment, but straight-up stair running has been around forever. As a runner myself, I know real-world stair workouts are one of the most effective and accessible training tools out there, no gym membership required. Especially for my fellow city runners without mountains or hills nearby—or really anyone looking to add some variety into their workouts—stair workouts are a great option to try. What is vertical training?Vertical training is exactly what it sounds like: deliberately incorporating upward movement into your workout. Unlike "flat" running, every step up forces your body to fight gravity, which changes the muscular demand, the card…