Setting Up Your Home Office

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. 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. Garmin has launched a new feature in its Connect app (the companion app you use when you sync your watch to your phone). It’s called Garmin Trails, and it purports to help you find hiking trails near you. With a Connect+ subscription, you can even sync courses for those trails to your map-enabled watch. It sounds pretty great. Unfortunately, its selection of trails is pretty disappointing at launch—it doesn't even suggest I try out my own favorite trails. How to access Garmin TrailsYou don’t need a Connect+ subscription to search for trails, filter for features, and look at the routes and reviews of trail—all of that come…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. When it comes to speakers, Sonos has the best reputation and the best companion app on the market. If you're interested in seeing what the hype is all about, it's a great time to test the waters, as Sono's entry-level speaker, the Sonos Roam 2, has reached a record low price, according to price tracking tools. The portable, waterproof device is on sale for $134 (originally $179) at Amazon, part of a small Sonos sale that also includes the a discount on the larger Sonos Move 2 (also currently at its lowest price ever). …

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. 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…

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 a lightweight, all-purpose Chromebook for casual work, school, or everyday browsing, this open-box ASUS Chromebook CM30 might be worth a closer look. Currently priced at $179.99 (down from $329.99), it’s one of those mid-range 2-in-1s that doesn’t try to be everything, but nails the basics with enough flair to feel premium. The 10.5-inch WUXGA touchscreen is responsive and sharp, and thanks to the Kompanio 520 processor and 8GB of RAM, general multitasking is smooth, whether you’re juggling docs, Google Meet, or your Spotify ta…

Letterboxd is the best thing to happen to film nerds since IMDb, which is almost surprising given how straightforward it is. Like the Film Twitter answer to Goodreads, it is a social network/online catalogue where you can rate or review movies, pick a few of your favorites to highlight on your profile, and follow your friends and favorite critics. Yet, Letterboxd is more than just "what if social media, but for movies?" Dig a little deeper and you'll find some useful tools for managing your cinema obsession. If you haven't used Letterboxd before, it's available for Android, iOS, or on the web. Anyone can access it to browse movies, read reviews, and see user ratings, but …

While it may not have the high profile of Spotify or Apple Music, YouTube Music has its own band of loyal users—not least because of the wealth of audio material you can find across YouTube as well as the designated YouTube Music library. The service integrates neatly with other Google services of course, and is available across a multitude of devices. Despite the rather functional and basic appearance of the YouTube Music apps, there's plenty going on behind the scenes, from the option to upload your own MP3s to your library, to the opportunity to collaborate on playlists with other people. Add videos to playlistsYouTube Music gives you something you don't get with any o…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If your kitchen counter is currently housing a Vitamix blender, you know that you can whip up some serious soups, sauces, and nut butters in that thing. In fact, my Vitamix's hot soup function is one of my favorite ways to use it. But it is almost summer, and I am no longer in the mood for soup. Now I crave chilled treats. Can my favorite blender, the Vitamix Ascent X5 go from hot soup to sorbet? Yes, and surprisingly well. Here’s how to make yourself a frozen dessert in this amazing blender. The Vitamix is not an ice cream machineIt’s important to note that the Vitamix is a blender, and not an ice cream machine. Most ice…

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a great way to boost the security of your accounts. But even with that added layer of security, malicious actors are finding ways to break in. So-called adversary-in-the-middle attacks take advantage of weaker authentication methods to access accounts. Your two-factor and multi-factor authentication (MFA) may be weak, but, luckily, there's something you can do about it. How multi-factor authentication worksMFA uses two or more checkpoints to confirm a user's identity for accessing an account or system. This is more secure than relying on just a username and password combination, especially given how easy many passwords are to crack, and…

Jonathan Goldstein’s Heavyweight, where he helps people confront things from their past, is one of the most beloved podcasts of all time. In 2023 when Spotify was making huge cuts, it was one of them. But earlier this year, Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries picked it back up, and episodes will be returning soon. If you want more Heavyweight-ish stuff now, this list of podcasts will keep you satisfied. They share Heavyweight’s ethos—curiosity, empathy, a sense of humor, and beautiful audio. Wiretap Credit: Wiretap Wiretap i…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you want to get started on doing your own home improvements, repairs, and maintenance, but you’re not sure where to begin, there are a few projects that can help you sharpen your DIY skills. Learning how to use your tools and getting the hang of techniques that you can apply when tackling larger jobs is a good way to cut your teeth on DIY home improvement. Hang some shelvesIf you haven’t ever tried it before, hanging shelves is a good way to get used to using a tape measure, a level, a stud finder, and a drill. DEWALT 20V Max Cordless Drill/Driver Kit …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Most seeds are grown in seed trays or blocks, but at some point, these seedlings will outgrow their cell or block and require more soil for their roots to grow. In some cases, the weather aligns and you can transplant your seedlings from the tray directly to the garden. But in most cases, your seedlings will need more time inside, protected, before the weather is warm enough, and that means you’ll need to take your seedlings out of the tray and give them a larger container where they can chill out and grow some more before going into the ground. This process is called "up-potting," and while the process itself is simple, t…

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 …

Summer brings sunshine, vacations, outdoor concerts—and the inability to leave your house without accidentally spending 20 bucks. Your budget is never a truly fixed thing. It changes with the state of the economy (hello, tariffs), your paycheck, and even the changing of the seasons. With a bit of planning, you can enjoy all the summer season has to offer without the financial stress. Here are my hacks to create a practical summer budget that lets you make the most of these warmer months without breaking the bank. Plan around events, not calendar datesOne of the biggest summer budgeting mistakes is thinking in terms of months rather than specific activities. Instead of cre…

Hallucinations have always been an issue for generative AI models: The same structure that enables them to be creative and produce text and images also makes them prone to making stuff up. And the hallucination problem isn't getting better as AI models progress—in fact, it's getting worse. In a new technical report from OpenAI (via The New York Times), the company details how its latest o3 and o4-mini models hallucinate 51 percent and 79 percent, respectively, on an AI benchmark known as SimpleQA. For the earlier o1 model, the SimpleQA hallucination rate stands at 44 percent. Those are surprisingly high figures, and heading in the wrong direction. These models are known a…

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. At $336 (down from its usual $449), the Sonos Move 2 is seeing its lowest price ever right now, according to price trackers. That makes it a bit easier to justify if you've been eyeing a portable Bluetooth speaker that doesn’t compromise on sound. Sonos Move 2 $336.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-p…

If you’re like most folks, you use your home's entryway to hang a few coats, store an unruly pile of shoes, and give you a place to drop your keys and the mail when you walk in. If you have the space, you might use it as a full-fledged mud room—a space to shed your wet coats, boots, and umbrellas before stepping into the house proper. But your entryway could be a lot more than that—especially if you live in a small space and need to make use of every inch of square footage. Just because it’s a space you and your guests pass through on the way to somewhere else doesn’t mean you can’t use it for other purposes. And you can enhance the space for the guest experience as well,…

Filling out CAPTCHAs to prove you're a human is one of the regular annoyances of the internet—but maybe it doesn't need to be. A new feature in the latest version of One UI 7 for Samsung devices promises to solve CAPTCHAs (or Completely Automated Public Turing tests, to name them in full), but it's not yet clear how effective it will be. Why sites use CAPTCHAsCAPTCHAs pop up on numerous websites, often when you're trying to log in, and their purpose is to prove you're not a bot. The idea is that websites don't want to be overwhelmed with bot spam or come under attack from a swarm of bots, and CAPTCHAs are one way to prevent those problems. The challenge that you're met wi…

It's that time again, for Google to announce that real-time translation has come to one of its communication apps. This time, it's Google Meet, which can translate between English and Spanish as you speak in a video call. If that sounds familiar, it's because it's not the first time Google has announced something like this. Google Translate has had features that let you speak to someone in another language in real time for a while. For example, back in 2019, there was a real-time translation feature called Interpreter Mode built into Google Assistant. It's also been possible on Pixel phones for a while (and even Samsung phones). Most of these, however, have been either te…

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. Audio enthusiasts need no introduction to Sony's 1000X series. They've been around since 2016, improving on the previous iteration to eventually land on the latest Sony WH-1000XM6, the best over-ear headphones for ANC your money can buy in 2025. As you can imagine, that means the still excellent 1000XM5 is dropping in price. If you're willing to splurge, it's a good time to do so during Amazon's Memorial Day Sale. The WH-1000XM5 are currently $298 (originally $399.99), matching Black Friday and Christmas prices, according to price-tracking tools. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The gold standard for a bang-for-your-buck portable speaker is the Beats Pill, which you can easily find for $100. But if you're looking for an even more affordable equivalent, it is the Tribit StormBox Flow, which you can currently find for $55.99 (originally $79.99) after using the 30% on-page coupon. Tribit StormBox Flow 30H Playtime, IP67 Waterproof, Bluetooth 5.3, TWS, Custom EQ, Type-C. …