Setting Up Your Home Office

When everything bagel seasoning dropped as a supermarket seasoning blend, I admit, I bought a giant container of the stuff. The powerful concoction that transforms consolation prize, plain bagels into the most coveted bagel could now be mine? And I could use it on everything? And by golly, I did. I put it on everything—that is, until everything tasted the same. I lost myself for a while in that hoi polloi of seeds and dry onion, and I had to reset. Now when I crave a savory, oniony flavor, nigella seeds are my secret ingredient for better breads, salads, and spreads. What are Nigella seeds?Nigella seeds are from the nigella sativa plant. They’re small, black seeds that lo…

Amazon hasn't yet released a full list of what's coming to Prime Video in June, but we do know what original titles are slated to premiere throughout the month. Prime original action comedy Deep Cover (June 12) has a stacked cast that includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, and Sean Bean. In the film, Howard plays an improv comedy teacher who recruits two of her students (played by Bloom and Mohammed) to infiltrate London's gangs by pretending to be criminals. Countdown (June 25) is a new crime thriller series from Chicago Fire showrunner Derek Haas. An LAPD detective is recruited to a secret task force to investigate the murder of a Departm…

You might be having a bad week, but AI is having a worse one. First there was the "racism glitch" that beset Grok, and now music platform SoundCloud is facing some serious criticism for a clause buried in its terms of service. The imbroglio began in February 2024, when SoundCloud quietly changed its TOS to include: In the absence of a separate agreement that states otherwise, You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services. That quietly sat there in the TOS for more than a year, but this week, Ed Newton notice…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Google started rolling out Android 15 back in October, adding a number of interesting and useful new features to compatible devices. Six months later, the company has decided to increase the minimum spec requirements manufacturers must meet in order for their devices to be eligible for the latest Google software. The good news? It's not that strict. This week, Android Authority reported that to update to Android 15, Google is now requiring devices to have at least 32GB of storage. That isn't 32GB of free space; rather, the storage unit itself needs to be 32GB or larger. With Android 14 (and Android 13 before it) that req…

If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, you'll soon be able to send money to friends and family instantly simply by tapping your devices together. A new peer-to-peer payment feature transfers funds from debit cards in your Samsung Wallet to those stored in a recipient's digital wallet or their physical tap-to-pay card. The feature will be available to Samsung Wallet users in the U.S. later this month. How Samsung Wallet 'Tap to Transfer' worksSamsung's new "Tap to Transfer" feature utilizes NFC technology to connect to debit cards in any digital wallet, meaning you can send cash even if the recipient uses a different third-party app (like Apple Wallet or Google Wallet) or o…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Health Connect app is expanding its "sharing data" function, allowing Android users to sync up their health information across multiple apps. The announcement came during Google's developer livestream at I/O 2025. Starting in June, Google says Health Connect will pick up Runna, Mi Fitness, and Garmin. Here's what you need to know. Wait, you couldn't sync your health data to Garmin before?Apparently not! My colleague Beth Skwarecki shared with me this screenshot of her Connected Apps screen in her Garmin settings on her iPhone, versus her husband's Android. As you can see, Apple Health is connected to Garmin on the iPho…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Garmin watches like my beloved Forerunner 265S have so many features buried in their menus that you may not have discovered some of the best ones. Here are some of the best underrated features of Garmin watches (available on Forerunners and other models), as well as convenient shortcuts you’ll find yourself using all the time. Shortcuts for getting around your Garmin watch Left is the flashlight (it's brighter in the dark, I promise). Right is what you get when you long press on the sunset time complication. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Knife blocks seem like a great idea at first. You assume there are a variety of useful knives in there, and you get a whole row of steak knives for one low price. You may not eat steak that often, and never with seven other people, but who can say “no” to so many matching knives? You, that’s who. That mass-produced knife set is unlikely to work with your unique food personality. Skip the block of cheap knives (many of which you won’t touch anyway). Instead, focus on fewer, better, personalized knives. A high-quality knife (or three) can be versatile enough to meet all of your needs without blowing your budget. Use this gui…

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 eyeing premium wireless earbuds but don’t want to shell out big bucks, this deal on the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds might catch your attention. Originally priced at $279.95, they’re now going for $89.99 on Woot—but only for two weeks or until they're sold out. Plus, Prime members get free standard shipping, while others will have to pay $6 (just a heads up—this sale is only available in the contiguous U.S., and free shipping isn’t available for Alaska, Hawaii, or PO boxes). You also get a two-year Sennheiser manufactur…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. You may have considered making your own videos until you actually tried to edit one and ended up staring at timelines and layers, wondering where to even start. Adobe Premiere Elements 2025 is built to simplify that chaos, and right now StackSocial is offering a 3-year license on sale for $99.99. That’s a one-time payment, not a subscription, which already feels like a win. You get AI-powered editing, mobile and web companion apps (still in beta), and access to Adobe Stock templates for titles. It’s aimed at hobbyists, content creators, and anyone w…

The internet is not a private place. Every time you connect to a website, ads and beacons—both visible and invisible—attempt to follow your every move. They'll even take the anonymized information they collect and build a profile that other trackers can use to identify you as you surf the web. It's pretty bleak. Luckily, modern browsers are fighting back. While there are certainly better options than others, most browsers have privacy protections built in. If you know what you're doing, you can max out these protections and install some third-party boosters to retain some (if not most) of your privacy across the internet. If you're curious how your browser stacks up to t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you want to level up your home security, the Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Camera is now 50% off. For $49.99, this indoor and outdoor camera features high-definition footage, thanks to its 2K video resolution, allowing you to get a clear view of license plates, faces, and more. It also provides peace of mind with nighttime surveillance, featuring an integrated spotlight for color night vision that operates in low-light conditions. Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Camera …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. When Samsung dropped the Galaxy Watch Ultra last summer, it was clearly swinging at the Apple Watch Ultra crowd—people who run marathons for fun, hike trails that end in the clouds, or just want a tank of a smartwatch on their wrist. Now that the hype’s settled and the price has dropped to $378 (down from $649.99), its lowest yet according to price trackers, it’s a more interesting pick, especially if you’re big on the outdoors. SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Ultra 47mm LTE AI Smartwatch …

If you receive nude photos via Google Messages, your Android device will soon detect and blur them with a sensitive content warning before you can view them. The feature, which is being rolled out to all users, also allows you to block numbers that send NSFW images and alerts you before you can send or forward them. When sensitive content warnings are turned on, users will be directed to a resource page (tap Learn why nude images can be harmful) and see an option to block the sender's number. You can choose to open the image you receive (tap Next > Yes, view or No, don't view) and unblur and re-blur by tapping the Preview icon. How to enable Google's sensitive conten…

Obsidian is my favorite productivity tool. I use it for all of my writing, as a journaling app, and to replace multiple productivity tools. There's a big downside, though: no grammar checking tool. Grammarly is the best known grammar checking tool, but there's no way to add it to Obsidian. I also wouldn't enable it even if I could. Grammarly processes text on their own servers, which is a potential privacy issue and also generally inefficient. This is why I've come to love Harper, a free and open-source alternative that runs entirely on your device and can be added to Obsidian in a couple of clicks. Harper isn't just an Obsidian tool—there are also plugins for WordPress, …

I don't mean to be alarmist, but I do think it's time to start assuming everything you see online is fake. The internet is full of content produced by real people, of course (this article included). But AI-generated media is getting so realistic, that it almost puts you at a disadvantage to presume the content you're scrolling past on your feeds is legitimate. Don't skip this article because you know what AI content looks like—the current stuff your algorithm delivers to your social media feeds is easy to spot if you know what you're looking for. But even if you can identify AI slop the second it hits your eyeballs, you need to know you're not ready for the next wave of…

Last month, Google announced Veo 2, the company's latest AI video generation model. This model is currently capable of generating eight-second videos, as long as you pay for Gemini. If you pay for Google One AI Premium, you also have access to Whisk, an image generator that, via Veo 2, now lets you animate those images, too. (Free users are left out for now.) I wouldn't blame you if you assumed that whenever Google inevitably made Veo 2 free, Pixel users would get it first. After all, that's sort of Google's M.O.: Release new features first for the company's own smartphone line, before rolling them out to other devices and platforms. But with Veo 2, the company isn't doi…

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 tools to up your DIY game, you've probably noticed that they can be expensive. Buying new tools to expand a set or replace worn-out ones adds up quickly, but having the right tool for the project you’re working on can cut your work time in half and get you better results. DeWalt tools are on sale right now on Amazon for up to 57% off, so you can build out your toolkit without spending your whole DIY budget. Cordless tools setsIf you’re building out a new set of cordless tools, a combo set is a good way to get started. Sets will…

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 to breathe new life into an older HD television—or even just want an affordable way to stream your favorite shows—the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD makes a strong case for itself. It's going for $19.99 on Amazon right now. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD $19.99 at Amazon $…

The third and final season of dystopian survival series Squid Game—one of Netflix's most-watched shows—is coming in June. The South Korean thriller picks up after last season's cliffhanger, with Gi-hun (Player 456) at the center of the new game. The new season will be available on June 27. Also on June's lineup is the return of FUBAR (June 12), the action series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro as a father and daughter who both work for the CIA. Carrie-Anne Moss joins the cast this season as a former East German spy. On the documentary side, Netflix will stream Titan: The OceanGate Disaster (June 11) following its premiere at the Tribeca Festiv…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. For anyone looking for a straightforward, budget laptop for school, writing, or browsing, this open-box Microsoft Surface Laptop SE sale is worth a look. It’s priced at $189.99 right now on StackSocial, down from its original $378.99 listing. Even Amazon has it for about $20 more at the moment. Being an open-box item means you're not getting the out-of-the-plastic wrap experience—these units were likely returned, displayed, or pulled from shelves—so the box might be bruised or have a sticker or two, but the product itself is tested, verified, repack…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Before I moved to Portland, I didn’t understand how passionate people can be about strawberries. But once I started growing strawberries, I came to understand that a disproportionate percentage of berries I grew would be lost to bugs, wildlife, and disease. Since summer is short, I’ve worked hard to minimize my losses, and I have suggestions for protecting these precious garden jewels. Keep strawberries off the ground This is how most people grow strawberries—on the ground. Credit: Amanda Blum …

If you use Spotify to listen to audiobooks on your iPhone, you now have fewer hurdles to clear to purchase and download titles to your device. Apple has approved an update that allows Spotify users to view pricing and buy individual audiobooks as well as add "top-up" listening hours right from the iOS app. How in-app purchases are changing on iOSThis change is the outcome of a recent court ruling that requires Apple to allow app developers to provide links to external sites outside of the App Store to make purchases. Previously, users had to seek out where to sign up for subscriptions—in an external browser, for example—or potentially pay a premium price to cover the Ap…

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 to build out your home security system without spending a ton at once, right now you can pick up a 2K Arlo indoor camera for less than $30—63% off the original $79.99 price. This camera is ideal if you’re looking for easy installation, smart home-enabled commands, and basic indoor surveillance. It features 2K video quality with sharp 1080p resolution and exceptional color quality, according to this PCMag review. It’s also Arlo’s only wired model, providing a continuous power supply that eliminates the need to worry about battery l…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. My sweet tooth has been nagging me lately. I expect this is because I’ve been trying to eat more vegetables and my dopamine hormones find this to be disrespectful. I like veggies, but I'm only so powerful to resist the call of sweets. In one of my bookstore browsings, I came upon a cookbook with hefty slices of lemony-looking pie with a chocolate crust scatter…