Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. Whether you’re a fan of listening to music while you read or you simply live in a household of noisy people, silence may not be something you’re used to finding before hitting the books—but it should be and it can be. Despite the boom in popularity of study-based playlists on YouTube and Spotify, quiet is the way to go when you’re trying to retain information you’re taking in. Don’t take my word for; take science’s. What the research says First, research p…

In an ideal world, you'd lead a long and happy life only ever shutting down and restarting your PC via the Start menu. Click the power icon, choose your option, and you're done. However, life doesn't always work out like we plan it, and sometimes you may need to trigger a restart or shutdown from the command prompt instead. Maybe something is stopping the Start menu from working, or perhaps you find yourself on a screen where the Start menu isn't available. One of the scenarios where I use the command prompt to shut down Windows is when I'm in the initial setup phase for the operating system and don't want to complete it right away. …

Your company’s human resources (HR) department is often pitched as an employee advocate—the place where you take problems or concerns. But most employees know by now that HR—or, in some start-up environments, "the people team"—isn’t really intended to protect you, the human resource in question. Instead, HR works to protect the company’s interests more than anything. And the way job hunting has become a grueling gauntlet of ghost jobs, endless interviews, and zero responses from HR representatives hasn’t exactly endeared HR to workers. In fact, research shows that more than 70% of employees don’t trust their HR department. While it’s true that HR departments work for and …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Resistance bands and dumbbells are both great for strength training at home, since they don’t require much storage space and tend to be a lot cheaper than a full setup with a barbell and plates. But they each have pros and cons, so let’s talk about how to choose. Resistance bands can offer more total weightIf you buy beefy enough resistance bands, they offer a lot of resistance. A pair of “strong” bands from EliteFTS will pull on a barbell with the same force as 122 to 275 pounds of weights, depending on how far you stretch them. During the time gyms were closed because of COVID, coach Greg Nuckols told us that a set of b…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. In the world of exercise, variety abounds. You can lift light weights, or heavy weights, or no weights at all. If you don’t lift at all right now, it doesn’t matter much where you start. But that doesn’t mean that all of these options are equivalent. Light weights can build muscle, but they do not have the same benefit as heavier weights. It takes different workouts to get the most benefit out of light weights versus heavy weights. And heavy weights can do some things that light weights can't. I'm going to unpack all of that below, but right now the most important thing I want you to understand is that it's not correct wh…

March isn't the most exciting time of the year for casual skywatching, though there are two notable events: a total lunar eclipse in the middle of the month and the partial solar eclipse at the end. There are other reasons to head outside and look up too. Here's what you're looking for. March 13–14: Total lunar eclipse (Blood Moon)Late on the night of March 13, the entire moon will fall into the darkest part of Earth's shadow, creating a total lunar eclipse throughout the Western Hemisphere. Because of the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and moon—and the filtering of the Sun's light through Earth's atmosphere in between—the moon will appear red or orange, which is why it is…

ChatGPT isn't based on just one AI model. On the contrary, there are a number of different models you can choose to power the chatbot with—even more if you pay for it. While you can experiment with each on your own, OpenAI has its take on when you should be using each—the advice is just a bit hidden. As spotted by Bleeping Computer, OpenAI now has official advice on the best times to use each of its AI models. It would have been easy to miss, as the advice in question is attached to a support document for ChatGPT Enterprise, the company's business-tier subscription service. And while there is some guidance that only applies to business users, much of the advice here ap…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The only thing better than one pair of Bose earbuds is getting two for the same price. Right now, the company is running a BOGO sale of sorts: When you buy a pair of either the latest Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds ($299) you'll get a free pair of refurbished Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (a $249 value). Or, you can get the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for $299 and get a free refurbished pair of first-gen QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (a $249 value). …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As a marathon runner, I've always taken a minimalist (read: cheap) approach to my gear. But when it comes to properly investing in—and maybe even splurging on—running gear, nothing is more important than your shoes. According to Jessica Lyons-Quirk, director of footwear merchandising at Road Runner Sports, wearing proper footwear is crucial for staying injury-free: "The biggest thing about injuries and foot health is that you need to be in the right shoe for your foot—every foot is different." So as you're racking up miles and incorporating different types of runs into your training, is one pair of sneakers really getting…

“Activation” exercises are often recommended at the beginnings of workouts. You might get the idea—whether from random TikToks or from a trainer you pay for their expertise—that activations are necessary to get your muscles firing correctly and able to take advantage of the workout to come. That’s not exactly true, though, so let’s dive in to what activations really do. What does it mean to “activate” your muscles?The explanation you’ll hear most often is that our muscles—often specifically our glutes, or butt muscles—“forget” how to fire correctly. But that isn’t really a thing that happens, as physical therapist Tyler Detmer told Lifehacker when discussing so-called glu…

You can’t go long these days without hearing the word “tariff,” and for most of us, just hearing it induces anxiety. Family budgets, already a challenge, are going to get a lot more difficult once the predicted price increases and shortages kick in—one study predicts that these new tariffs will cost American households an average of $3,800 this year alone. If you’re determined to avoid tariff surcharges, you’ve got your work cut out for you—especially when it comes to groceries. About 15% of our food supply is imported, but that number doesn’t necessarily account for food that is sourced domestically but uses imported ingredients. And some staples, like coffee or bananas,…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It's Oscar season! By which I mean, it's that time of year when movie dorks are in a rush to catch up on as many Oscar-nominated films as is feasible before the awards ceremony kicks off—which, this year, will be on March 15 on ABC. If box office and streaming numbers are any indication, there's a good chance you've seen this year's nominations front-runner, Sinners, which didn't just receive the most nominations in 2026, but received the most nominations ever (can't say I'm mad about it), but the second-most nominated movie of the year, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, is also readily available. Unfortuna…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you’re deep into comparison shopping for fitness watches, you’ve probably come across some debate on the different display technologies. Manufacturers are moving toward AMOLED style screens (bright! Colorful! Sharp! Modern!) while some longtime users are diehards for the older MIP or LCD style screens (the general vibe is: pry them out of my cold dead hands). So where does that leave you, the shopper, wondering what to get for your first or next watch? I’m going to break down all the pros and cons. What’s the difference between MIP and AMOLED displays? I’m going to gloss over a lot of the detail you’d need to be an eng…

To avoid a court proceeding, Google has agreed to a $135 million class-action settlement over its data collection practices with Android. News of the settlement was first reported by Reuters. Upon approval by a judge, the settlement could see Android users in the U.S. getting up to $100 each, provided they qualify. The settlement was filed in San Jose, California on Tuesday evening, and focused on claims that Google collected unnecessary cellular data from customers even when Google apps were closed, location-sharing was disabled, and screens were locked. The lawsuit alleges that Google collected the data with the intent of "conversion," a legal term that in this case wou…

Sleep patterns. Heart rates. Menstrual cycles. Weight fluctuations. Medication schedules. The location of major world leaders. Every morning, millions of people strap on smartwatches, open period-tracking apps, and upload their most intimate details to the cloud. We're told this data will optimize our health, help us live better lives. But there's a darker question lurking beneath the surface: Who actually owns all this information, and where exactly is the line between optimization and surveillance? First things first: What HIPAA actually protectsIn discussing this topic with friends and family, most everyone I know assumed their health data enjoys robust federal protect…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Whoop, the screenless watchband-like wearable that beat out Oura in my non-watch fitness tracker showdown, has just added a VO2 max feature to its app. Now, just like Garmin, Apple Watch, and others, it can put a number on your cardio fitness and tell you how it changes over time. WHOOP 4.0 with 12 Month Subscription – Wearable Health, Fitness & Activity Tracker $239.00 at Amazon …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Whoop’s new 5.0 hardware launched this week, along with a premium version of the device that they’re calling the MG. Along with the launch came a new upgrade policy, requiring users to pay for what many thought would be a free upgrade. The company has walked back some of the new policy, but most users will still need to pay to get the new device. Here’s what you should know. WHOOP Peak – 12-Month Membership – 5.0 Health and Fitness Wearable – 24/7 Activity and Sleep Tracker with Heart Rate, HRV, Stress Monitor, Personalized Coaching, Healthspan – 14+ Days Battery Life …

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. If you think fitness trackers are just about step counting and heart rate, get with the times. This week, performance wearable Whoop announced it will integrate clinical laboratory testing directly into its ecosystem, partnering with Quest Diagnostics to launch Whoop Advanced Labs this fall. This adds to a growing trend of more and more wearables aiming to be comprehensive, one-stop health platforms. How Whoop will track bloodworkWhoop members will be able to purchase Quest's clinical laboratory testing, sc…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. After more than a week of teasing it on social media, Whoop has finally announced the release of its 5.0 device, along with a version called the “MG” (medical grade) that can do ECG readings and estimate blood pressure. Members can upgrade for a $49 fee or by extending their membership in one of the three new membership tiers: One ($199/year), Peak ($239/year, similar to current offerings) or Life ($359/year). Whoop is the screenless fitness tracker that earned four stars in my review of the 4.0 model for its integrated fitness and recovery tracking and its handling of strength training. It’s only available by subscriptio…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Today, Whoop furthered its quest to become a comprehensive, one-stop health platform. Since last fall, Whoop members have had access to the Advanced Labs blood testing service—now, the performance wearable company is rolling out "Specialized Panels," a new line of targeted blood tests that let users drill down into even more insights about their body. Whoop Peak 12-Month Membership, 5.0 Fitness Wearable $239.00 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Two years ago, screenless fitness tracker Whoop took on a problem that none of its competitors have managed to solve: answering the question “how hard was your weightlifting workout?” Its initial implementation was clunky and finicky. I don’t think I managed to log a single workout correctly. But now, with improvements over the years, it’s become a much more useful feature. The game changer for me? Being able to connect exercises to a workout after you do the workout. This way you can’t mess up the tracking during the workout, but you still get the thing you actually care about—a Strain score accurate enough to power the …