Setting Up Your Home Office

The Reminders app on the iPhone is perhaps one of the most underrated apps that Apple makes. On the surface, it's a simple to-do list app: You can use Siri to add reminders, get notifications, and check them off. But hiding under the surface is a complex program, with features that help you get things done with the right context and at the right time. You can organize your list as a Kanban board, set blaring alarms for important reminders, manage tasks from the Calendar app, and generate your own smart lists. Here are 10 ways to make the most of your Reminders app: Use "When Messaging" to get a reminder when texting a specific contact …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $109.99, the Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) are selling at a clear discount from their usual $159.97 price at retailers like Best Buy. Shipping is free with Prime, while non-members pay an extra $6, and the deal is set to end in three days or when stock runs out. These are not Apple’s top-tier earbuds, but they cover the basics most people expect, especially if you already use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Google Pixel Watch 4 has only been out a short time, and it’s already seeing a notable price drop—the 45mm LTE version in matte black is currently down to $389.99 (originally $499.99), the lowest the watch has dropped so far, while the smaller 41mm LTE model is also $389.99, down from its usual $449.99. In other words, you’re getting the larger 45mm version for the price of the 41mm. Google Pixel Watch 4 45mm, LTE, matte black …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. “Zone 2” is the term the fitness world has (mostly) agreed upon to describe the low-intensity cardio most of us should be doing regularly. When you’re in zone 2, you’re working hard enough that you start breathing more heavily, but easy enough that you could hold a conversation while doing it. You stop a zone 2 session because your workout time is up, not because you’re too exhausted to continue. Zone 2 is defined in terms of heart rate, so what heart rate should you expect to see on your watch when you’re in zone 2? That’s where people disagree. What is zone 2 training?As I’ve explained before, the name “zone 2” comes fro…

For the past several years, multiview has been one of YouTube TV's best features, especially for sports fans like myself. Multiview allows you to watch up to four livestreams at once and toggle between them (and their audio) when something exciting happens. At its initial launch for March Madness in 2023, multiview was restricted to certain preselected channel combinations, but YouTube confirmed in January of this year that a fully customizable multiview was on the way. It's now available to some subscribers—myself included. Trying out YouTube TV's multiview With customizable multiview, you can select up to four channels across content categories, so you're not limited t…

iPhones and Macs work together seamlessly in all kinds of ways, whether you want to control your Apple phone from your Mac or use it as a webcam. Apple calls this suite of features Continuity, and it extends to iPads and Apple Watches too—so if you stay inside the Apple ecosystem you're guaranteed to get devices that play nicely together. Features like those offered by Apple Continuity aren't quite as easy for Google, Samsung, and Microsoft to implement, but everyone who isn't Apple is busy trying to improve the cross-device experience. Pixels and Chromebooks now offer several useful integrations, as do Samsung Galaxy phones and Galaxy Book laptops. Those Samsung features…

When you post something on the internet, you cede a measure of control to anyone who might happen upon it. Photos, videos, text, audio recordings: all of this content can be downloaded or screenshot, and repurposed in whatever way another user wishes. That's the risk of posting online. The thing is, you might not assume the platform you're posting to would go out of its way to help other users repurpose your content—but that's exactly what TikTok is currently doing with its new AI "remixes" feature. What are TikTok's AI "remixes?"AI remixes are meant to be a kind of meme-creation tool. According to CNET, remixes allow TikTok users to create a custom image generated from…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. My question about virtual reality has always been, "But what is it for?" I finally have an answer: Guassian Splatting. We've always tried to capture our past, whether it's through physical photographs, VHS tapes, or every picture you have stored in the cloud, but we've been limited to viewing our personal histories in flat media, usually from a behind a screen, and always from a single angle. But Gaussian Splatting changes that. This technology allows you to create volumetric 3D models of objects, people, or spaces, so instead of a picture of your child's favorite toy, you can have a realistic scan of it that you can exami…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. There’s nothing quite like a reliable pair of over-ear noise-canceling headphones to block out distractions, but with options ranging from budget buys to $500+ premium models, finding the right pair can feel like a challenge. The Sony WH-CH720N, an entry-level over-ear option, hit the sweet spot, offering comfort, long-lasting battery life, and good automatic noise canceling (ANC)—and right now, they’re nearly half off. You can pick them up for $92.95 (down from $179.99) from Amazon. Sony WH-CH…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. This past Christmas, I came up with the perfect idea for my 15-year-old son's "big gift"—a set of adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable weight-lifting bench. It was perfect for two reasons. First, because my son and his friends had gotten into lifting several months earlier, and he loved it, but the weather (or life in general) couldn't always cooperate in order for him to get to the gym when he wanted. And second, because we live in a 100-year-old home that is generally lacking in space—or even a garage—we're limited on how much of a "home gym" we can really accommodate. Having essentially a full set of weights, plus a b…

On Friday afternoon, X officially launched XChat, the company's proprietary chat app. Unlike other chat app options, like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal, you need an X account to use XChat, which limits the user base to one specific social media platform. X users with a large enough social circle on the platform may find this new app to be useful, but XChat does come with some security contradictions that all new users should be aware of. XChat is a standard chat app for X usersXChat's biggest sell, apart from being a place for X users to communicate, is that it is end-to-end encrypted. As the app reminds you upon setup, this encryption means there is no way for anyone—i…

AI-generated images are getting harder and harder to spot. There are the usual tells, of course, but those tells are minimizing with each new AI image model. You could count on AI-generated hands including too many or too few fingers on people, for example; nowadays, that's not necessarily the case. One particular area of weakness for AI image models has been text generation. The image itself might look convincing, but take a close look at the words, and you'll often notice they're not really right. Maybe some are accurate, while others are pretty close, but, in many cases, you'll notice a lot of inconsistencies: Too many repeating letters, letters that aren't really let…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Though I've spent years evangelizing for the Boox Palma 2, a phone-sized Chinese e-reader with an open Android operating system, my allegiances have shifted in recent months. I'm now obsessed with the tiny, slightly janky, minimalist devices put out by Xteink, another Chinese tech company. And I'm far from the only one—the Xteink subreddit is a busy place. The $69 Xteink X4 has a 4.3-inch screen and native software that's so bad, it wasn't really worth recommending until fans of the device cobbled together their own crowdsourced alternative. The $79 X3 (which is currently only available in the U.S. direct from Xteink) is l…

YouTube Music isn't the most feature-rich of all the music streaming services, but it is a great option for those who love music videos, user-generated content, and the YouTube ecosystem overall. If you have YouTube Music, or are considering switching from another platform, these are the best tips and tricks to get the most out of your listening experience. Use these tools to transfer your playlists from another streaming serviceIf you're moving to YouTube Music from another app, you don't have to start from scratch. YouTube has a direct integration with Apple Music for playlist transfers. For other streaming services like Spotify, you can import using third-party apps l…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. I've been covering e-readers and e-ink tablets for Lifehacker for a few years now, and I haven't ever encountered a product with as many enthusiastic fans as the Xteink X4, a teeny tiny, bare bones e-reader from China that has replaced my beloved phone-shaped Boox Palma 2 as my distraction-free reading device of choice—not the least because it's a heck of a lot cheaper, around $70 to the Palma 2's $250. And if you act fast, right now you can score an X4 for less than $60 during an Amazon flash sale. …

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 tools, you might have noticed that they can be expensive, especially if you don’t have batteries. Here are some deals from Home Depot on Ryobi cordless tools that can help you save some of your DIY budget and get your projects done quickly. These Ryobi cutting tools are up to 53% off Ryobi 18-volt oscillating multitool …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Samsung Galaxy S26+ sits in the middle of Samsung’s latest lineup, and this current drop to $924.99 (originally $1,099.99) for the unlocked, 256GB model is the lowest price it has reached so far, according to online price tracking tools. That discount makes the phone easier to consider, especially if you want a big screen and top-tier performance but don't care about every extra feature Samsung packs into its most expensive model, like the Ultra’s Privacy Display. The design feels familiar, too, with an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Armor on the…

Google's Gemini AI has recently become more agentic and capable inside Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides—and now Microsoft is pushing out a similar upgrade for Copilot. These features have been in testing for a while, but they're now more widely available to individuals and companies who pay for any of the Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Essentially, Copilot in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can now do more on its own—not just offering advice and help, but actually taking over the business of creating and editing itself. There are a host of ways to use this, but here are just a few examples I tested to give you an idea of what's possible. If this kind of AI interference isn't for…

There are many generative AI apps and services out there, but ask most people what "AI" means to them, and they'll likely say "ChatGPT." As of this article, the chatbot remains the most-downloaded free app on both the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store, beating out competitors like Claude, Gemini, and Meta AI. But it's one thing to download a free AI program; it's another entirely to buy a phone built around that AI. What would a ChatGPT phone look like?On Monday, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made headlines by reporting that OpenAI might be working on its own smartphone. As part of this process, Kuo says OpenAI may be collaborating with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare—majo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A novel solution for connecting to the internet on the go, the TP-Link Roam 7 travel router is down to $98.99 (originally $139.99), which is its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. This is not a full-size home router but, as the name suggests, a compact travel companion that measures roughly the size of a paperback book, with foldable antennas so it slips easily into a bag. TP-Link Roam 7 BE3600 Wi-Fi 7 Portable Travel Router …

Still have a bottle of sunscreen in your bathroom closet from last year? While you might assume you need toss is out and buy a new one, sunscreen actually lasts longer than you think. Check the expiration date (if there is one)—but you’ve got three years from the date of purchase to use it up. How to know if your sunscreen has expiredThis advice comes straight from the FDA, which asks sunscreen makers to put an expiration date on their product showing when it will stop providing the level of protection shown on the label. If there’s no date, that means testing showed it should be good for a full three years after purchase. (This is a longstanding rule that is not related …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I strongly suspect the most desired smartphone attribute is longer battery life. After all, these are mobile devices, which means they're meant to be used on the go. The longer you can wait between charges, the more mobile your phone can be. But no matter how large your battery is, at some point, it's going to run out. The issue is, what happens if it doesn't turn back on, even after you've left it on the charger? Some iPhone 17s aren't powering back on I didn't know about these claims until coming across Benjamin Mayo's post on 9to5Mac. In a report on Monday, Mayo explained his iPhone Air's battery died, so he plugged th…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Robot mowers have improved dramatically over the years and are becoming a staple for the tech-obsessed with sizable yards. Instead of having to drop boundary wires around your property to prevent your robot from cutting a neighbor's yard, newer machines have advancements that allow for boundary setting with cameras and sensors. One of these newer mowers is the Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15, and right now it's $949.99 (originally $2,299.99) after a 59% discount. This is the lowest price it has ever been, according to price-tracking tools. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Spotify noticed how many of us use its popular music app for fitness—workout mixes are one of the top uses of its playlist creation tools—and now it’s adding fitness content directly. Some workout videos are available to everyone, and premium users can take Peloton classes as well. Peloton App $12.99 Per Month at Peloton …

For members of the always-online generations, reality is hanging by a very thin thread. Core youth values like authenticity and "keeping it real" are confusing concepts to people raised in an environment where almost nothing can be counted on and anything can be faked. Every viral video could be a stealth advertising campaign. Every breakout band, an industry plant. Whether it's meat mountains at Arby's, or vérité video of cheater's antics, this week we're looking into all-encompassing scams. But at least you can bank on Scientology speed-runs as legit, and take comfort in the realness of a ball of red hot metal. What is Rod Wave's Arby's Takeover?Arby's is a fast food ch…