Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When it comes to upgrading your home's aesthetic, you don't need to spend a lot of time or money to have an impact. In addition to inexpensive improvements that increase your home's comfort and efficiency, there are a number of small swaps that can have a big impact without busting your budget. All of these swaps are renter-friendly—they are unlikely to cause damage in the installation process and are easy to return to their original state. Simply save what you remove and replace when you leave. Get new switch plate and outlet coversRemove the cheap plastic light switch and outlet covers around your home and replace them…

Bluesky has steadily been replacing X (formerly Twitter) for me, but I've really missed the ability to bookmark posts for future reference. While X still has Twitter's old bookmarks feature, the only way to save a Bluesky post is to like it, since you can access a list of your liked posts on your profile page. That's not always convenient—what if you dislike something, but want to be able to find it again later, say if it's an article about bad but important news? That's where Kyst comes in. It's a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that lets you save Bluesky posts in one click. Installing Kyst and signing in …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Apple released the latest iMac in late 2024, using their all-powerful M4 chip with their all-in-one desktop. If you've been keeping tabs on the iMac, this is a good opportunity to pull the trigger. You can get the M4 iMac for $1,149 (originally $1,299) after a $150 discount, the lowest price since its recent release according to price tracking tools. Apple iMac (2024, M4) …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Like most tech products, the Apple Watch has a basic model (the SE), a mid-tier model (the Series 10), and a high-end version (the Ultra 2). But the older Series 9 offers a sweet spot for those looking for a budget mid-tier option. The Series 9 offers many high-end features at a price that's closer to the price of the SE than the Ultra 2, and cheaper than the newer Series 10. Right now, the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9 is $370.99 for the GPS and Wifi version (originally $529), currently matching its lowest price since its release, according to price-ch…

Setting up a new computer is annoying, especially if that computer is running Windows. There are all kinds of frustrating things Microsoft adds to the operating system that you want to remove, and all kinds of apps that you actually want but need to install yourself. WinUtil is a free and well regarded tool maintained by Chris Titus that does all of this at once. With it, you can install dozens of apps by checking a few boxes and run common tweaks, from uninstalling OneDrive to disabling privacy-invasive telemetry. There are two ways to get started. The free way is to run Windows PowerShell as an administrator. To do this, right-click the PowerShell in the Start menu and …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Sony's PlayStation VR 2 headset is getting a permanent price price drop this March, down to $400 from $550. That'll include the headset, the controllers, and a pair of wired earbuds—but is that a deal worth getting excited over? Well, for Sony, maybe. The price cut comes a year after Bloomberg reported that Sony had stopped making new PSVR 2 units and shifted efforts towards getting rid of excess stock. That points to lower-than-expected sales for the peripheral, and it's easy to see why. Sony's VR loyalists were surprised to hear when the headset came out, for instance, that it would not work with the existing library of…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Google Pixel 7 (5G, Unlocked) is down to $279.99 on Woot for the next three days, or until it sells out. That’s more than 50% off its original $599 price, making this a steal for anyone in need of a flagship phone at a mid-range cost. Google Pixel 7 (5G, Unlocked) $279.99 at Woot …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular, 45mm) is now $329.99 on Woot, down from its original price of $749—a $419 discount available for four days or until it sells out. This model comes in a silver stainless steel case with a white band that gives it a premium look and includes a one-year Apple limited warranty. Plus, Prime members get free standard shipping (while non-Prime users pay $6); note that shipping is not available to Alaska, Hawaii, PO boxes, or APO addresses. Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular…

Well, here we go again. With TikTok’s future in the United States still uncertain, parts of Congress are already moving toward banning DeepSeek, a Chinese ChatGPT competitor that quickly usurped ChatGPT on the App Store last week. A new bill introduced by Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri would “prohibit United States persons from advancing artificial intelligence capabilities within the People’s Republic of China.” In other words, it would effectively ban DeepSeek, despite not mentioning the AI chatbot by name. Under the bill, anyone convicted of “the import from or export to China of artificial intelligence technology” could be sentenced with up to 20 years in …

The Academy Awards ain't everything. Sometimes the movies that win truly represent the best films of their years; sometimes they reflect a trend or a zeitgeist that winds up looking a little backward after some time has passed; sometimes they're just completely inexplicable. But let's focus on the times the Academy has awarded movies that are actually pretty good, or that at least reflect their eras enough to be interesting. Here are 25 of the best award winners currently streaming on Netflix (keeping in mind that some of the streamer's buzziest awards contenders—think The Irishman and Maestro—got lots of nominations but no wins). Barbie (2023) The pink-drunk opt…

Clicks, the iPhone keyboard accessory that went viral during CES 2024, is now coming to multiple Android phones—Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25, and the Moto Razr+ (2024). Clicks adds a physical QWERTY keyboard to your smartphone, and also functions as a case for your device. Up until now, Clicks was available exclusively for all iPhone 15 and 16 devices, as well as the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. When the first iPhone launched, it sounded a death knell for smartphones with physical keyboards, as the world moved to bar-shaped phones with big screens. Touchscreen typing is good enough for most people, but Clicks is betting on the fact that content creator…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. After a long winter of planning, strategizing, and buying seeds, you can finally start to plant this month. Most of that planting will happen inside, beginning the seedlings that will eventually move into your spring and summer garden. All the seeding tools like trays and heat mats come out of storage for a cleaning. As excited as you may be, it's important to exercise some restraint: You don't want to start all your seedlings at once. This is a game of timing. March only sees us starting a few spring seedings, as well as some seeds that take a long time. Everything else will get started next month. Once you start seeding…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Presidents Day is not until Feb. 17, 2025, but as is often the case, retailers have started their sales well in advance. Best Buy has the best sale I've seen so far, with great deals on major appliances and tech products, including headphones, TVs, soundbars, washers, and more. Here are my favorite deals from the sale worth considering. Resolution: 4K, Size: 55 inches, Display: LED, Backlight: Edge Lit, Voice Assistant: Alex…

If you're preparing for a move, you have a lot to think about and most of it revolves, in some way, around your new place: Finding it, buying or leasing it, and moving all your stuff to it in a way that is fast, efficient, and as inexpensive as possible. There's a lot on your plate and I get that, but you also need to spare a thought or two for the spot you're vacating, especially if you rent. Remember that security deposit you put down when you moved in? You want that back—and your landlord doesn't want to give it to you. Here's how to get it back, or at least try. What is the landlord looking for?First, think like a landlord or building manager. After all your stuff is…

It happens every year: The weather warms up, the plants start sprouting, and suddenly it’s spring—and time to clean up after a few months of hibernation. The concept of spring cleaning is pretty popular, and for good reason: Scrubbing and decluttering offer a range of benefits, from lowering stress and boosting your mood to simple physical exercise. Plus, the chances are good that your home needs it. For most people, the phrase “spring cleaning” brings to mind dusting and vacuuming the interior of the house. That’s a big part of it, of course, but you shouldn’t neglect the exterior of your house (or your car!), which has taken a beating during these cold, snowy months. N…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As we’ve discussed before, there are three ways to hold onto a barbell if you’re worried your grip is going to slip. You can use straps; you can face your palms in different directions (mixed grip); or you can hook your thumb underneath your fingers, a technique known as hook grip. A hook grip is more secure than mixed, and it's essential for lifts like snatches and cleans where mixed grip isn't an option. Yes, it hurts. Yes, you'll get used to it. I am happy to report that, after six years of training and competing in olympic weightlifting (where hook grip is neither feared nor debated, but simply a part of life), I now …

The Department of Labor (DOL) is a critical federal agency that protects workers' rights, ensures workplace safety, and promotes employment opportunities across the United States. Around since 1913, the DOL is the latest government entity currently facing scrutiny from the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). On Friday, a federal judge declined to limit DOGE—which is not an official government department, but a task force led by Elon Musk—from accessing the DOL's systems and sensitive information. Not everyone is happy about that, because they are worried Musk might gut the agency in similar fashion to what is being done with USAID. But what does the…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Love is hard, but movies? Movies are easy (well, watching them, at least). The trials and tribulations of modern dating and romance are inevitably going to feel, at one point or another, like they're way too much work—so, by all means, let your favorite (or soon-to-be favorite) movie couples do the work for you. Some of these movies are funny, some spicy, and some are tear-jerkingly tragic, but they all have one thing in common: They're not you, so feel free to take a couple hours out of your real life and let some other people do the work for once. When Harry Met Sally (1989) An impressively realistic depiction of…

With tax season officially underway, you'll need to know the standard deduction amount you can claim for 2024. After all, most taxpayers opt to take the standard deduction rather than itemizing deductions on their federal income tax return. The standard deduction amounts tend to increase slightly each year to adjust for inflation. So let's take a look at how much you can claim in 2025 for the 2024 tax year. What's this year's standard deduction? For tax returns filed in 2025 for the 2024 tax year, here are the standard deduction amounts: Single filers: $14,600 (up from $13,850 in tax year 2023) Married couples filing jointly: $29,200 (up from $27,700 in tax year 2023) Hea…

While many of us only have one Apple Account to manage, many others have two, and are using both with their Apple devices. I know someone who once created an Apple Account using an employer-linked email address, and at some point, created a second account with their personal ID. Now, they're using two accounts on their devices, with one linked to iCloud and Apple Music, and the other one for all other apps. If you've had Apple devices for a long time, you might have two Apple Accounts of your own. Despite this, Apple didn't allow users to merge purchases onto one account. So, if you wanted to access purchases on an old Apple Account, you needed to sign into it, even thoug…

There are a few tricks with home bread baking that make the difference between a lackluster loaf and a spectacular one. One of them is having a heavy duty baking surface to get a nice bottom crust, and another is creating a steamy environment for a lofty loaf. Managing these requirements might sound like a challenge, or like expensive equipment might be involved, but you can actually solve both needs with a common piece of cookware: the Dutch oven. Why you should bake bread in a Dutch ovenA heavy duty baking surface, like a baking stone, is easy enough to come by, but a steam injected oven like the bakeries have is not as common at home. Steam is essential for a fully ri…

This post is part of our Home Remedy Handbook, a tour of the landscape of home remedies from the iffy to the doctor-approved. Read more here. Thanks to a loophole in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, some of the “drugs” you can buy at pharmacies are actually nothing but magic water. I am, I promise, not exaggerating. I don’t mean supplements, which are legal because they are considered to be not drugs. And I don’t mean foods that make iffy or overblown health claims (nothing as boring as that). I mean that you can walk into a pharmacy and pay seven dollars of legal tender for a “natural” kids cold & cough remedy and walk away with a bottle of mostly wa…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you're looking for a flexible option for streaming your favorite content, you'll want to consider a portable streaming device, like a streaming stick or a streaming box, over a smart TV. Narrowing it down from there depends on a few different factors, so I've broken it down into six different categories to help you choose what makes the most sense. Device typeMost streaming devices fall into one of two categories: streaming sticks (like the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Roku Express 4K+) and set-top boxes, such as the Apple TV 4K and the Fire TV Cube. Streaming sticks are a little larger than a USB drive and plug directly i…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera is currently $129.99, down from $249.99, its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Security Camera $129.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $249.99 Save $120.00 …

Studies have shown that napping improves both cognitive performance and physical brain health, so it’s no surprise that it also means a brief nap translates to a boost in productivity on the job. That explains why nearly half of workers in the U.S. sleep during work hours—and a third admit to literally sleeping on the job. Our employers, however, haven’t gotten the memo, and being caught sleeping on the job can put you in a tricky situation. If you’re stuck between nodding off in meetings or being fired when you’re discovered sprawled under your desk, you need a napping strategy at work. Here’s your guide to sawing some logs on the clock (without getting caught). Before w…