Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Apple TV's sci-fi series For All Mankind starts with a tantalizing alt-history premise: What if Soviet space pioneer Sergei Korolev hadn’t died prematurely in 1966, but instead helped bring his country’s space program into full bloom, extending the space race indefinitely? If America and the world had been forced to continue the space program, our past (and present) would look quite different—at least according to this show, which jumps across decades to imagine how that might have unfolded in an alternate past. (By the current fifth season, set in alt-2012, some humans are living off-planet in a Martian habitat.) For All…

I can't stand when a subscription tells me its "monthly" price, when, in actuality, the plan charges me annually. Sure, when you divide the yearly cost by 12, the price looks better, but if I'm paying all at once for the year, then it's really not that amount per month. It's all a way to get more customers in the digital door, and I'm sure it works—even if I'm not happy about it. Apple's new plan improves annual subscriptions While this pricing isn't going anywhere anytime soon, there is a positive change on the way—for most of the world, anyway. As highlighted by MacRumors, Apple is giving developers a new type of subscription plan to market to their users. In addition …

If you have your YouTube watch history disabled and you are now being prompted to turn it on if you want to receive recommendations, you're not alone. Watch history on YouTube is used to generate personalized recommendations on the platform—when it's disabled, suggested videos and channels are instead pulled from your likes, saves, and subscriptions rather than from videos you've watched. While some YouTube users want to be able to see a list of what they've viewed, many have watch history turned off for privacy reasons or to keep junk out of their algorithm in favor of a more curated experience. Some Reddit users have recently reported that their recommendations have di…

Claude's plug-ins for third-party services, known as connectors, have previously covered work-focused apps such as Gmail and Slack. Now, it's adding a whole host of lifestyle apps to its Connectors catalog, including Spotify, Uber, Tripadvisor, Audible, Instacart, Intuit TurboTax, and AllTrails. There are more connectors on the way as well, Anthropic says, with the aim that you can do more inside the Claude chatbot interface. It's not dissimilar to the ChatGPT app store, which lets you add apps such as Photoshop and Apple Music. But do these plug-ins really offer the convenience that Claude claims? And is the experience any better than just using the apps themselves? Find…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Anker Soundcore Nebula P1 portable projector has dropped to $639 from its usual $799, and price-trackers show this is the lowest it has reached so far. Here, the hinge-based body does most of the heavy lifting—instead of stacking books or adjusting furniture to get the angle right, you tilt the projector head itself until the image lines up with your wall or screen. It sounds simple, but in practice, it makes setup faster and less frustrating, especially in smaller rooms. Anker Soundcore Ne…

Windows users contend with a lot of updates. There's a new update every month on the stable channel, and every week on the Windows Insider channel. But not all updates are created equal. Some are mission-critical, with important security patches you won't want to miss. On the other hand, some can create issues themselves, introducing bugs or new features you don't want. Until now, there wasn't much you could do when an update showed up. You could try to delay, but you'd be forced to install it a week later, sometimes in the middle of important work. With the latest Insider update, however, Microsoft is trying to fix that. Now, the company is testing a roundabout way to de…

Microsoft Edge is one of the most popular browsers on the planet. The spiritual successor to Internet Explorer, Edge is a modern browser based on Google's Chromium platform. That means you can use it with all modern Chrome extensions, along with a bunch of exclusive features that other browsers may not have. I've used Edge on Windows for quite a while, and these are my favorite hacks that I've found so far: Use Drop to send links, files, and notes to other devicesEdge's "Drop" feature is an easy way to send stuff from your desktop to mobile devices, and vice versa. Drop works by storing files on OneDrive, so you'll need to sign in to the same Microsoft account on all devi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are down to $399 (originally $449), which is the lowest price they’ve hit so far, according to price trackers. That drop makes them easier to consider, even with stronger competition this year from models like Sony’s WH-1000XM6. Bose has not changed the formula much in this second generation—you still get an over-ear design with plush padding and a firm but comfortable clamp for a secure fit. The only noticeable tweak is that the frame now uses a glossy metal finish instead of a matte one, which gives…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. DirecTV has launched for Meta Quest headsets. While there are already single-channel streaming apps like Peacock available on the headset, this is the first full TV distributor to be available for Quest users. It gives DirecTV subscribers access to over 150 live channels—CNN, HGTV, and NFL Network, etc.— and a huge library of on-demand movies and shows. Meta Quest 3 512GB Mixed Reality VR Headset with Controllers $599.0…

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced a number of changes coming to its Windows Insider program—in fact, one could call it an overhaul. Despite being a beta program for Windows users interested in testing cutting-edge features, Microsoft is actually simplifying and streamlining the experience. Now, as highlighted by Bleeping Computer, the company is rolling out that updated experience—whether you're new to the Insider program, or you've been test-driving Windows this way for years. Microsoft is making Insider channels easier to understandThe Windows Insider program is changing in three key ways. First, Microsoft is making the "channels" easier to understand. For the uni…

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…

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 …

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. 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…

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. 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 …

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…

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…

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…

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. 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. …

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. 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…

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…

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…