Setting Up Your Home Office

There are numerous ways that your internet activity is tracked as you navigate from website to website, many of which you can mitigate with your choice of browser (and browser settings), as well as the use of tools like VPNs. Google Chrome remains the absolute worst browser for privacy for many reasons, but that doesn't mean the browser is free of privacy progress. In fact, the upcoming version of Chrome will finally patch a 20-year-old bug that allowed users to be tracked and profiled through their previously visited links. A privacy fix is coming to Chrome 136The issue, which Google is addressing with Chrome 136, has to do with how a user's previously clicked links ar…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I have a problem: My garden is a finite size. It will hold only so many trees, though I’ve been trying for years to squeeze in more. The solution might be a micro orchard, which provides distinct benefits. First, all the fruit on your trees is reachable (because nothing is as frustrating as a peach just out of your reach) because the trees are kept small and fruit is encouraged to grow close to the ground. That small stature of tree means you can pack more into a smaller space. Being able to have many trees instead of one allows you to diversify your harvest, or improve the pollination of one kind of fruit tree by having a…

When preparing for homemade pizza, it’s easy to hit the grocery store with mozzarella on your list. But what kind of mozzarella is best? Fresh, shredded, string? And is that really the best cheese for the pizza you’re craving? I sit here typing away when I should be nursing the burnt roof of my mouth because great pizza discoveries have been made in my kitchen today—my cheese-scorched mouth can wait. Similar to why there are good and bad cheese options for the best grilled cheese sandwich, pizza requires one with good melting properties (a fatty cheese), with a good balance of water, and not an overload of protein (which can resist melting). There are some surprises here…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Act fast if you want to pick up an Oura ring on a steep discount—some of them are available today for just $199 in Amazon's spring sale. I’m seeing this deal on gen 3 rings in the Heritage shape, and silver or black colors. Oura Ring Gen 3 $199.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg …

After the battery woes surrounding the Pixel 4a and the promise of an eventual reduction in battery capacity for the Pixel 9a, Google is now proactively tackling any future battery issues that Pixel 7a owners may face. In a support document, the company said it has now determined that some Pixel 7a devices may experience battery swelling, and is offering a free battery replacement to everyone impacted by this issue. Here's everything you need to know about the problem and how to get a free battery replacement for your Pixel 7a. Identifying the signs of a failing batteryOne major limitation of lithium-ion batteries is degradation. Over time, these batteries experience redu…

If you use the internet, you've probably had at least some personal information go missing. It's just the nature of the web. But this latest discovery, as reported by Wired, is something different. Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler found a public online database housing over 180 million records (184,162,718 to be exact) which amounted to more than 47GB of data. There were no indications about who owned the data or who placed it there, which Fowler says is atypical for these types of online databases. Fowler saw emails, usernames, passwords, and URLs linking to the sites where those credentials belonged. These accounts included major platforms like Microsoft, Facebook, …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A good kitchen appliance should last you years. And like any long-term relationship, you want to make sure it’s the right fit before you invest your time or money into it. Right now, with Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, you have an opportunity to start a relationship with a kitchen appliance you’ve been flirting with, and at prices that feel less risky. Here are some of my favorite discounts popping up this week. Vitamix Ascent X3 Blender, Professional-Grade, 3 Preset Blending Pr…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is on now, a mini version of Prime Day that has inspired competing sales at Target and Walmart. Plenty of fitness trackers and smartwatches are among the discounted items. Here are my picks for the best deals, including watches from Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, and Samsung. Apple WatchesThe Apple Watch SE, the most budget version of this smartwatch, is available starting at $169 today. (As with all Apple Watches, the price goes up if you want a larger size or if you buy the version with cellular connectivity.) That’s 32% off the o…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Whether you’re after long-term support, phenomenal cameras, or just an all-around great phone, the Google Pixel 9 lineup has a lot to offer. And with the Amazon Spring Sale on, you can snag any of the three phones in that lineup at a considerable discount. Whether it’s the top-of-the-line Pixel 9 Pro XL or the more modest Pixel 9, you’ll get well over $100 off. Here are the three devices you can choose from: Google Pixel 9: $640 (was $799) at Amazon Google Pixel 9 Pro: $799 (was $999) at Amazon Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: $899 (was $1099) at Amazon The …

Nintendo just wrapped up its long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, and the experience was almost surreal. The company has avoided talking about the console for so many years, and even after it shared an early preview a few months ago, it's still odd to see Nintendo walk us through the console in such depth. Mind games aside, it's finally official-official, and we now know a lot about Nintendo's upcoming console. The Direct didn't answer every question about its capabilities, but if you're interested in the hardware specs, here's everything there is to know right now. How powerful is the Switch 2?From games to accessories, there's a lot to get excited about with any new …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Peppers are one of the best vegetables to grow. They are expensive to buy, even when in season; they don’t take up a lot of garden space; and although there are a limited number of peppers available in stores, there are thousands of varieties are out there that you can grow. Plus, you can choose precisely when to harvest them. The pepper most people choose to grow in their garden—full size bell peppers—are a waste, though, in my opinion. Each plant only yields a few peppers, and because of their size, bell peppers take a while to grow and then to ripen. In that time, the pepper is susceptible to pests and disease. Even in…

When venturing out into the wilds of the modern web, many people now make use of a VPN, or a Virtual Private Network. These software packages have been around for decades as ways of securely connecting to private networks remotely, but the term is now more commonly used to refer to third-party VPN services that act as intermediaries between your devices and the internet at large. The idea behind VPNs is they keep you and your data safer while you're browsing, with a trade-off in terms of speed (though the best VPNs will aim to minimize the hit on download and upload transfer rates). If you're wondering what exactly a VPN is, how these services work, and whether or not you…

After the Nintendo Switch, the Steam Deck might be the most impressive gaming handheld of the last decade. It brings Steam games—most of which were initially designed to run on Windows PCs—to a remarkably designed portable device. The only problem? Battery life can be rough on some games. If you're struggling to stay charged, here are some tips to help you out. When it comes to your Steam Deck's battery life, you're going to notice a lot of variability, even from one game to another. AAA games that rely on high-end GPUs will typically guzzle power. On laptops or desktops, that's usually not as much of a concern, but on the Steam Deck—when those games run at all—they can b…

April is when gardeners need to start being mathematicians and professional organizers, trying to find space for all the seedlings that need to get into trays on time. It’s also the first time this year you’ll start succession seeding, both indoors and out. Succession seeding is one of the real benefits of growing your own seeds: It means you can grow one or two of a variety instead of needing the space for a whole six pack you’d pick up at the nursery. Grow a mixed tray of vegetables or herbs now, and start another one in a few weeks. This will also help alleviate some strain on square footage in your growing space. Even if you haven’t started your seed growing yet, the…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Hulu doesn't always get the recognition of competitors like Netflix and Max, but the streamer has an unfailingly reliable and rotating selection of theatrical films, as well as some impressive original releases. These are some of the best, buzziest, and/or most fun movies currently streaming on the service, across a variety of genres. Anora (2024) Writer/director Sean Baker (Tangerine, Red Rocket) has a long run of impressive film credits to his name, but comedy-drama Anora was the film that put his name firmly on the map, winning him a Best Director Oscar and the film a Best Picture prize. Mikey Madison (who also …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. What exactly makes a movie a “classic” varies wildly and with the viewer, as does the appropriate timescale. For some, a movie from a decade ago might be eligible (I call these movie fans “children”). For others, you have to go back much further. Today, I’m going to do the latter, taking a look at some of the great (or, at least, greatly entertaining) movies that were released no later than the tail end of the 1970s. (Even if I find it personally distressing to label movies younger than I am “classics.”) Quibbling over semantics aside, these offerings prove how deeply rewarding it is to dig through the back catalog of mo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve been meaning to try a VPN but keep putting it off because of price tags and commitment anxiety, this Surfshark deal might break your cycle. StackSocial is offering a three-year subscription to the Surfshark VPN Starter Plan for $83.99, but with code SURF20, it drops to $67.20 through today, March 27. That’s about $1.86 per month, which is a serious markdown compared to Surfshark’s heavily discounted $59.13 per year. The catch is that it’s for new users only, but if you qualify, it’s one of the cheapest ways to get solid privacy tools witho…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Are you reading this article on a computer monitor? Typing away in the comments on a keyboard? Then why would you buy yet another MacBook when you could get the same power and convenience for much less by opting for a Mac Mini? Right now you can pick one up at Amazon for under $500, or $100 off the usual price. Apple Mac mini (2024, M4) $499.00 …

Instagram has a new feature that curates custom Reels feeds for you and your friends. Blend, an invite-only option within individual or group chats, refreshes daily and suggests content based on participants' tastes. Spotify has a similar Blend feature that creates shared playlists—also updated daily—based on both listeners' tastes. Note that Instagram Blend, which is a mobile-only feature, is not yet available to all users, even if the icon appears in your chats. How to use Instagram BlendTo start a blend, you'll need to invite users via your individual or group chats. From Messages on the mobile app, open the one-on-one or group chat you want to create a blend with …

Browser extensions can potentially see a lot of what you're up to on your computer—so you need to be careful when it comes to choosing which of these add-ons you install and allow to access your browser. While plenty of browser extensions out there are legit and genuinely useful, some of them aren't. Browser security analyst John Tuckner (via Ars Technica) recently posted about discovering dozens of suspect extensions that have overly broad permissions and seem to be mining browser data. These extensions are apparently being used by around six million users. Most of these extensions are unlisted in the Chrome Web Store, so users need to be directed to the exact URL to fin…

Last year, I advised readers that the "second-generation" AirPods Max were actually a worse deal than the original pair. Apple was charging $549 for headphones that were virtually identical to the pair that launched in 2020, only with USB-C instead of Lightning. What's more, Apple actually took away a feature with the USB-C pair: Unlike the Lightning AirPods Max, the USB-C model was not compatible with 3.5mm adapter, meaning you couldn't use them for wired playback. Seeing as the Lightning AirPods Max are frequently on sale by around $150, it seemed silly to recommend the newer, more expensive AirPods Max—unless you really couldn't live without USB-C. That is, until toda…

You likely update devices like your smartphone or laptop fairly frequently. (Perhaps you've put the latest one off a little longer than you should.) But how often are you updating other types of devices, like your TV? Despite how routine and simple your TV use may be, it can be important to keep the tube, like other devices, updated to the latest software and firmware version. And while many smart TVs routinely check for the latest updates, it's possible yours doesn't. I don't keep my TV connected to the internet, for example, so there's no way for me to check for updates via wifi. You don't need to hook your TV up to your network to update it, however, nor do you need a…

It's been clear for some time that the Gemini AI app would be replacing Google Assistant, once it had learned all the necessary tricks and been granted all the required hooks into other apps. Now, Google is in the process of actively dismantling the features available in Google Assistant ahead of its retirement. As per Google's official support document (as spotted by 9to5Google), seven more Google Assistant features have recently been pulled across Android devices and Nest smart speakers and displays. These deactivated features add to a bunch of other capabilities that were taken away last year. On smart displays, you can no longer use your voice and Google Assistant to …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The 2000s, in some ways, culturally feel neither here nor there: They don’t have the neon vibe we associate with the 1980s, and lack the grunge appeal of the ‘90s. There’s plenty to appreciate, however, in movies over the decade that was bookended by blockbusters: Lord of the Rings in the early years, and Iron Man, Dark Knight, and Avatar at the end. None of those feel particularly cookie-cutter in the way that their successors would often be, and, in the middle years, there were many successful movies of the kind they don’t really make anymore: mid-budget movies with personal, rather than galactic, stakes, that still mana…

Microsoft is adding new AI features to Notepad and Snipping Tool in Windows 11, but there's a catch: Some of these are locked behind a paywall. The company is rolling out an AI feature for Notepad that can summarize articles for you, while the Snipping Tool will let you draw shapes with ease. All of these updates are available via the Windows Insider program for those who want to try beta software to test new features before they're released to the general public. Notepad's new AI featureFollowing other upgrades in Windows 11, Notepad now lets testers quickly summarize text in the app. You can paste text in Notepad and use the Copilot menu to try the Summarize feature, or…