Setting Up Your Home Office

ChatGPT introduced its Memory feature more than a year ago now. This feature lets users save particular details about their life or work in the ChatGPT memory bank, so they don’t need to repeat them with each new prompt. But using the Memory feature as it launched frequently required manually checking which information was saved and managing it yourself, which meant it was pretty easy to let it fall behind. OpenAI’s solution was to let ChatGPT remember way more about you. The Memory feature now builds a long-term memory bank based on all your saved ChatGPT conversations, rather than just key details. You can still save those key details, but you don't have to rely only on…

GIMP, the free and open source image editing application long seen as the best free Photoshop alternative, just released a major update: Version 3. The update brings long-awaited improvements to working with filters, layers, and text. There's also a sleeker user interface with improved UI scaling. Among the biggest changes is nondestructive filters. Previously applying filters, such as blurs, was final—you could use the undo function to get back to a pre-filtered state but you couldn't simply edit or remove the filter. You can now tweak the settings of filters, or even remove filters entirely from the layer panel. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Travel deals can be hit or miss as prices jump around and deals disappear before you can check your schedule. The OneAir Elite Lifetime Subscription is designed to do the heavy lifting for you. A members-only deal-alert service, it tracks flight prices using AI, scans for mistake fares, and alerts you when there’s a significant drop—and currently, it's on StackSocial for $99.99 (originally $790), but apply the promo code FLY30 and you can get it for just $70. The sale runs until March 30. OneAir’s coverage is broad, spanning 60+ countries and multip…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Google released the Pixel 9 smartphones along with the Pixel Watch 3, and the Pixel Buds Pro 2 late last summer. Their second generation earbuds brought some great upgrades, and make them a great value for any Pixel user (although they're compatible with any Android and have limited iOS support). Right now, you can get the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $179 (originally $229), matching the lowest price they've ever been according to price-tracking tools. Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 …

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…

If your Windows computer is crashing unexpectedly and showing you a blue screen error, there's now a fix for that. As BleepingComputer reports, Windows updates pushed in March and April are triggering a secure kernel fatal error, causing devices running Windows 11 version 24H2 to crash and display a blue screen exception with error code 0x18B, indicating a SECURE_KERNEL_ERROR. To address this issue, Microsoft has released a Known Issue Rollback (KIR), which is a quick, targeted fix for non-security bugs. It's a temporary solution since it rolls back earlier updates, while the company works on a new update to patch the problem. Here's how to apply it to your device. Wha…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Lifehacker's Ultimate Spring Cleaning Guide aims to bring you all the best spring cleaning ideas, but I won't lie: Some of them are pretty labor intensive. But whether you don't have the time for a major undertaking or you're just feeling a little lazy this year, there are still ways you can spring clean your home to get it in shape for the months ahead. Clean your microwave the easy wayA microwave is supposed to be cleaned every two weeks, but if that's too often for you (it's OK to be honest), you're probably looking at some serious grime in there. Cleaning it is actually remarkably easy, though, and you can make a big …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A factory-reconditioned Garmin Venu 2 Plus is on sale for $259.99 on Woot for the next five days or until it sells out—whichever comes first. Garmin Venu 2 Plus $259.99 at Woot $449.00 Save $189.01 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Garmin unveiled a subscription tier for its app last week featuring an AI that promises to provide insights on your training. I liked the company’s policies around training and privacy, but hadn’t seen much of the actual AI output when I wrote about it. Now, I’ve spent a week with the feature, which Garmin says is still in beta. Here are my impressions. The AI insights are just one of the features that rolled out with the new $6.99/month Garmin Connect+ subscription. Some of the other add-ons look a lot more useful, like the Live Activities feature. I have a full rundown here on what you get if you pay for the upgrade. The…

Originally launched by Microsoft last July, Windows Recall was swiftly pulled in response to a barrage of security and privacy complaints. Now it's back, with some tweaks to make it more palatable for users—but there remain plenty of concerns about what happens when it's enabled. If you're new to the story, Recall is an AI-powered feature that acts like a memory for your computer. It regularly snaps and analyzes screenshots of whatever you're doing. It's handy if you want to get back to a document or message you vaguely remember from three weeks ago, while at the same time sounding several alarm bells in terms of having all your past Windows activity stored on your system…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you're looking for a MacBook without dropping over a grand, this refurbished 13" 2020 Apple MacBook Air is going for $439.99 on StackSocial right now. That’s a fraction of the original price, and it comes with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3 processor. It’s not the latest and greatest, but it holds up surprisingly well for students, freelancers, or anyone who needs a decent everyday laptop for web browsing, emails, documents, and streaming. You’re also getting that bright 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone, whic…

AI video generators are rapidly improving and becoming more widely available, with Google's Veo 2 now built into the Gemini app for anyone paying for a Google One AI Premium plan. Like OpenAI's Sora, Runway, Adobe's Firefly, and others, Veo 2 enables you to create a professional-looking video from nothing more than a text prompt. With Veo 2 now available to paying users, it seems like a good opportunity to test these different AI video generators against each other, and compare their strengths and weaknesses—and to assess where we're at with AI video in general. We keep being told that these tools will transform movie-making, or at least fill the internet with AI slop, bu…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Steam Deck makes your PC games feel like they were built for handheld gaming, but it's kind of like a fancy illusion. Under the hood, the Steam Deck is essentially a Linux PC that employs a user interface made for a controller. What that means is that you, the user, can easily dive under that hood with Steam's Desktop interface and start modding and tweaking your games, just like you would on a regular gaming PC. When you're in Desktop mode, you'll find a full Linux desktop environment (specifically, KDE Plasma) complete with Firefox for browsing the web, a file manager, and the full desktop Steam interface. While it w…

The average total consumer household debt last year was $105,056—a 13% increase over the past five years, according to the most recent data. When it comes to researching strategies and tips for paying off your balances, it’s easy to get lost down a rabbit hole. And that rabbit hole can distract you from the real work of getting organized and tackling your debt. Taking the first steps toward a clear plan and system in place—even just reading this article—can help you feel more in control and start to make some progress toward being debt-free. If you're worried and feeling overwhelmed by debt, here are initial steps to take so you can get organized and make some real progr…

On a good first date, you want chat about hobbies, and siblings, and dream jobs. Nobody wants to kill the vibe by inquiring how much student debt the other person has. But as a relationship progresses, you'll find yourself assessing a lot about your partner: Their values, emotional management, political leanings, and so much more. The subject of money, however, often gets pushed to the side—sometimes, until it's too late. We all have different relationships with money. Some of us are cautious-minded savers, others are profligate spenders. Some are always padding their rainy day fund; others can’t resist purchasing new stuff every paycheck. When you’re in a relationship, …

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 almost over, but there are still deals you can take advantage of, including this comprehensive list of tech deals from Lifehacker's associate tech editor Michelle Ehrhardt. If you're looking for a portable speaker, consider this one from Ultimate Ears, the Megaboom 4, currently $129.99 (originally $199.99)—that's the lowest price it has reached, according to price-tracking tools. Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 360-degree sound, is wate…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Ever since I retired my G-Shock in 2015, I’ve been using fitness smartwatches, and some way or another, they’ve all been Garmins—some were passed down from family members and others were gifts. If you’ve never owned a Garmin watch and want to try one out, the best budget Garmin for runners is down to its lowest price ever, according to price tracking tools. You can get the Garmin Forerunner 55 for $149.99 (originally $199.99). Garmin Forerunner 55 Memory Sto…

On Thursday, Google rolled out a number of previously-paywalled Gemini features to free users. You can now use Gemini custom chatbots, which the company calls "Gems"; Deep Research, which runs AI models that "think" through each step of a problem; and upload files to Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, whether you pay for Google's AI services or not. But that's not all: The company also introduced new experimental feature for Gemini—Gemini with personalization. This feature, which runs on Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking model, connects Gemini to your Google apps and services, with the goal of offering you a more personal AI assistant. The idea is, by connecting your Google Acc…

The deadline for obtaining a REAL ID has come and gone. If you're planning on flying or entering a federal building, you'll need a driver's license or state identification card that complies with the Department of Homeland Security's new requirements (or an alternative like a passport or Trusted Traveler card). There are plenty of people who still need to upgrade to a REAL ID for upcoming travel—in some states, fewer than half of residents have a compliant license and may encounter long lines to obtain one. And where there's urgency, there's opportunity for scammers to strike. Here's what to know about REAL ID scams and how to avoid them. How REAL ID scams workScammers …

Wordle became an instant classic almost as soon as it launched, but its simplicity is also the source of a new problem: what to play when you've already guessed the day's word? Fortunately, the years since Wordle's appearance have blessed us with dozens of other guessing games that borrowed one or more of Wordle’s features—five-letter solutions, or yellow and green squares, or sometimes just the concept of guessing and getting hints to narrow down the possibilities. Here are 14 of the best. Waffle Credit: Waffle Let’s start out…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Roborock is the maker of many fine robot vacuums (and vacuum/mop combos). They are so fine, in fact, that even when they're on sale, as many of them have been for the past few days during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, they can cost you several hundred dollars. One Roborock vacuum-and-mop combo, however, is really discounted right now: The Q7 Max is $189.99 (Amazon lists its regular price as $299.99 and the Roborock website shows the original price as a whopping $599.99). The Roborock Q7 Max specs Roborock Q7 Max Ro…

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 a new Apple Watch, the Series 10 is currently $100 off during Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Normally priced at $399, the current discount brings the smartwatch down to just $299. This is as low a price as this watch ever gets, according to price-tracking tools. The Series 10 is a solid staple of the Apple smartwatch ecosystem. There are plenty of reasons that make this watch the best option for most people. It's smaller and lighter than previous models, and the screen is bigger, brighter, and faster than earlier series. Lifeh…

Google I/O 2025 was chock full of announcements. The problem is, Google isn't always clear about which features are new, which have already been released, and which are coming out in the future. While there are plenty of features to look out for on the horizon, and a number still that you've been able to use for some time, there are brand new features Google rolled out immediately after announcing them. Here are all the Google I/O features you can check out right now—though some do require you to pay. Imagen 4 Credit: Google G…

I didn't know it until recently, but apparently boxed cake mixes are a popular store-bought ingredient to experiment with. Thanks to you, the good people reading my food hacks, I’ve been made aware of yet another ingredient that can masquerade as an egg in cake mix. Honestly, who needs eggs when you have soda? Replacing eggs in baking can be trickyEggs continue to be unreasonably expensive, which is especially frustrating for a person like me who used to rely on them for most of my protein. I’ve made some adjustments, though, and now I try to use them only for the recipes that really require them. It might take a few failed attempts, but it's becoming easier and easier to…