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. If you don’t need luxury earbuds and are simply looking for wireless sound with solid performance, the JLab Go Air Pop Bluetooth Earbuds are a great option. Right now, they are on sale for $17.49 (originally $29.38), making them a great option for everyday buds that you can toss in a bag with your other daily essentials. At this price point, you might even want to grab a backup pair in case you misplace them. JLab Go Air Pop Bluetooth Earbuds …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you're looking for your next pair of running shoes, why not look for guidance from the runners logging more miles than the rest of us? After all, finding the perfect running shoes is about much more than style or brand preference—the right shoes are essential for performance, comfort, and injury prevention. But with countless options available for both men and women, choosing the perfect pair can feel overwhelming. That's where data from Strava comes in: Thanks to thousands of runners logging their gear into the app, we know what some of the most popular shoes that real runners trust to carry them all 26.2 miles. …

I run marathons. I post about running marathons. But you won't see my sweaty face mid-stride, my pace per mile, or the unglamorous truth of what 26.2 miles does to a body. No shots of my form breaking down at mile 20, no documentation of the new insecurities that crop up when you realize your running gait is asymmetrical or your breathing sounds like a dying dog. I share the accomplishment—the medal, the bib number, maybe a scenic shot from the course—but I carefully curate out the messy reality. Is this humility? Self-protection? Or am I just bragging with plausible deniability, performing health while refusing to actually perform it? After all, isn't social media fundam…

Adobe just wrapped up its Max keynote, which means its time for its biggest free competitor to announce its own set of new features. While Adobe's done its best to keep up with Canva by adding its own free, web-based tools to its lineup, the simple browser-based editor has become a key part of my creative routine. Now, it's coming for more of Adobe's lunch by launching a "creative operating system," which while largely a rebrand of existing (but expanding) tools, smacks of the Photoshop makers' "creative cloud" branding. As part of the update, Canva's introducing a bunch of—say it with me—AI to its products, but is also taking a big swing by making popular Photoshop alter…

In the beginning, WhatsApp users could not protect their chat backups with encryption—while all communications were encrypted end-to-end, backups weren't afforded the same protection. Since 2021, however, WhatsApp has offered two ways for users to encrypt these backups: a standard password, or a 64-digit encryption key. There are security issues with both of these methods. Passwords can be secure, but let's be real, many of us use very simple passwords that are easy to remember, and, in some cases, we even repeat passwords from account to account to make things easier on our brains. If your password for WhatsApp backups is the same password you use for your email, and th…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. It's impressive when new flagship TVs that came out this year drop in price months after their release, but when they also happen to be the best OLED TV your money can buy, it becomes a bargain (well, if you can afford it). The 65-inch LG G5 OLED TV is $1,996.99 (originally $2,496.99), the lowest price it has been since its recent release, according to price-tracking tools. The bigger 77-inch and 83-inch series are also at their lowest prices right now. …

It will soon be time, once again, for our clocks to “fall back.” Nov. 2 is the date most places in the U.S. quit daylight saving time for 2025 and go back to standard time. We're still on this clock-changing treadmill, despite legislation that was supposed to eliminate it a few years ago, and despite medical professionals warning that these clock changes are bad for our health. For example, a recent study out of the Stanford School of Medicine found that switching the time back and forth every year probably contributes to increased rates of stroke and obesity. Permanent daylight saving time would be an improvement on that, and permanent standard time would be even better…

Even in 2025, Google.com still knows how to have fun. If you tend to rely on your browser's address bar for Google Search, you might miss the company's latest "Doodle." But today, Oct. 30, if you head to the Google homepage, you'll find a Halloween-themed surprise: a fully playable PAC-MAN game, outfitted with spooky mazes and characters. The Halloween part makes sense, seeing as the holiday is tomorrow. But why PAC-MAN? As it happens, this year marks the game's 45th anniversary. For this Doodle, Google says it partnered with PAC-MAN's parent company, Bandi Namco Entertainment, to feature a celebratory PAC-MAN game on the homepage. If you're familiar with PAC-MAN, you…

Sticking to a workout schedule is tough even when everything is going normally and you have a pretty standard daily routine. Once you add travel into the mix, it can feel impossible. Sure, hotels have fitness centers, but if you've ever gone to one only to learn it's nothing more than a few dumbbells and an ancient treadmill, you know how aggravating those can be. There are two apps I use to stick to my routine and prioritize my health while I'm on the road, but I use them quite differently. ClassPassAfter discovering last month that ClassPass houses a little-known, but varied, selection of at-home workout classes to stream, I happily re-downloaded the app for the first …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Tinymoose Pencil Pro 2 is aimed squarely at iPad users who want the feel of Apple’s own stylus without paying Apple’s price, and it's on sale for just $29.99 on StackSocial right now. It costs a fraction of the official Pencil but still packs features that cover most daily needs. This second-generation version is made for iPads from 2018 onward and brings a few upgrades over the original, including Bluetooth support and shortcut gestures. A smart button on the side is mapped for simple actions: one press for multitasking, two presses to exit app…

Wikipedia is a treasured online resource that, despite massive changes across the web, has managed to remained truly great to this day. I, alongside millions of other users, visit the site daily to learn something new or double-check existing knowledge. In an age of non-stop AI slop, Wikipedia is something of an antidote. If you look at Wikipedia and think "this is alright, but an AI version would be a lot better," you might just be Elon Musk. Musk's AI company, xAI, just launched Grokipedia—yes, that really is its name—an online encyclopedia that closely resembles Wikipedia in name and surface-level appearance. But under the hood, the two could hardly be any more differe…

Different productivity hacks work for different people, which is why there are so many of them. But if you happen to be a visual learner, there’s one in particular that might be suited for you: mind mapping. Mind maps are diagrams designed to organize information and data points that relate to each other, making everything you need to do easier to follow. They're particularly popular for students who need to visualize how the concepts they're studying link together, but they have wide applications outside the classroom. What is a mind map?A mind map isn’t just a diagram that lays out tasks. Rather, it does so in a hierarchical way, connecting things that are related and …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deep work is a concept most popularly defined by Cal Newport, who wrote the aptly titled Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. As he tells it, deep work is a state where you find the ability to focus completely on a demanding task without letting distraction get in your way. If you can get the hang of it, you’ll get more done in less time and ultimately end up feeling more fulfilled. On his website, Newport observes that it’s rare to see someone feel energized and happy after sending emails, but there’s a sense of fulfillment that comes from sustained focus on more meaningful tasks. How do you achiev…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. There are plenty of reasons to buy shoes at your local running store instead of online or at a big box store, including a more knowledgeable staff and the fact that you’re supporting your local running community. But another biggie is the fact that many will take returns even after you’ve gone for a few runs in your shoes. In case you don’t have a local store with this policy, it’s good to know that some larger brands and online stores will also take returns of lightly worn shoes. Fleet Feet and Running Warehouse are among the bigger stores that offer this perk; some online running shoe stores (like Roadrunner) will includ…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Beats Studio Buds are currently $79.95 at Walmart, down from $149.95, making them one of the more affordable pairs of noise-canceling earbuds backed by Apple’s ecosystem. They’re designed to work just as well with Android as they do with iOS, which isn’t always the case for Apple-owned products. The sound profile leans more toward bass (classic Beats tuning), but you still get decent clarity in the mids and highs. They’re not balanced or studio-accurate, but if you listen to pop, hip-hop, or electronic music, that low-end punch can be fun. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A depressing byproduct of global climate change is more powerful hurricanes—four of the six strongest hurricanes on record have occurred since 2005, and Hurricane Melissa, which tore through Jamaica yesterday as category 5 storm, may become number five. Everyone living near either U.S. coast is potentially in danger from these types of vicious storms, whether from debris made deadly from high winds, accidental electrocutions from downed power lines, and especially from storm surge and fresh-water flooding, the main cause of hurricane-related deaths. But you can keep yourself safer if you follow a few simple steps. Where a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re in the market for a new Windows 11 laptop for everyday use that’s under $150, the bestselling Lenovo IdeaPad 1i 14" Laptop is a smart choice – and right now, it’s $129 (originally $249.99) at Walmart. Lenovo IdeaPad 1i 14" Laptop $129.00 at Walmart $2…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. With Black Friday looming on the horizon and Walmart and Best Buy jumping on the early holiday sale bandwagon, it can be a little overwhelming to commit to where to spend your money. However, something that has stayed consistent over the many sales has been Amazon device prices during the early sales. One of those Amazon devices with a record-low price is the 43-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, currently $339.99 (originally $439.99), the lowest price it has been according to price-checking tools. …

The following content is brought to you by Lifehacker partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation. You spent hours carving a perfectly frightful jack-o'-lantern for Halloween. Now you just need to light it up somehow for maximum scare factor. Maybe you plan on using electric candles or tea lights to glow up your scary gourd. If you choose the more traditional route of lighting your pumpkin with a real candle, however, you definitely want to follow some fire-safety protocols. BIC EZ LOAD Lighter …

While I updated my iPhone to iOS 26 as soon as I could, I haven't yet pulled the trigger with macOS Tahoe. I love my M1 iMac, but I worry that Apple's first version of this new update isn't quite optimized for the five-year-old chip, and have been waiting to see if a future version of Tahoe performs a bit better. As it happens, that next version is well on its way—and does seem improved, at that. Apple has been beta testing macOS Tahoe 26.1 alongside iOS 26.1 since September, and it dropped the release candidates for both of the updates on Tuesday. The "RC," as the name implies, is what Apple thinks is the finished version of any given software release. Barring any major…

Magic Leap is back. The tech company, now owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, today revealed a prototype for a pair of Android XR smart glasses made as a "reference design for the Android XR ecosystem," and announced it had extended its partnership with Google. The AR glasses have thicker-than-normal frames, but not ridiculously so, and seem to have a camera. But that’s about all we know: there's no word on availability or what the glasses actually do. While Magic Leap didn't reveal a ton of concrete details about its new shades, it did say they combine "Magic Leap’s waveguides and optics with Google’s Raxium microLED light engine" with the goal being an all-…

Cardio load gets a major fix in the new Fitbit app, which Android users can test out starting this week in a “public preview.” (This is the same preview that gives you access to the AI fitness coach, which I tested yesterday, with baffling results.) Cardio load will now be tracked weekly, making it much easier for the app to make sensible recommendations. What is (and was) cardio load? The cardio load feature is Fitbit’s attempt to guide you in how much to exercise. Obviously a beginner shouldn’t jump into hour-long hard workouts right out of the gate, nor should a person training for a marathon slack off for no reason. Cardio load is an attempt to put a number on the amo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Cardio Load calculation is a metric the Fitbit app uses to suggest how much Pixel Watch and Fitbit users should exercise, but it can be hard to understand. It's also recently been updated for the new version of the app, and it works a bit differently there. Here's how you should use this number, and what it means to hit your target. What is cardio load?Cardio load is a way of understanding how much exercise you’ve been doing, whether the app logged it as a workout or not. Exercising for a longer time, and exercising at a higher intensity, both increase your cardio load. For example, on a day that you go for a five-mil…

YouTube's going through a lot of changes right now, and according to the company, that's to help it better stand out on TVs. Today, YouTube announced that it's going to allow creators to upload bigger thumbnails, plus make browsing and shopping while watching on a TV a bit more convenient. But there's also a big change coming to content itself, and it's not just limited to TVs. Soon, YouTube is going to start using AI to automatically upscale any videos with resolutions lower than 1080p. While you can technically still upload videos that are 720p nowadays, with smartphone cameras getting better and better, that essentially reads to me as "old videos." It's a bit concerni…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Why is it so easy to form bad habits and so frustrating to try to form good ones? We crave routine, at least to some degree, so it's frustrating when you can't make productive or helpful habits stick. But consider that you already have a bunch of good, small habits, like putting the coffee on in the morning or washing your face before bed. As hard as you might be struggling with the bigger ones, you know you can do it because you've done it countless times before in smaller ways. In fact, those smaller routines can do more than prove your capability when it comes to building them; they can help you entrench larger habits a…