Setting Up Your Home Office

AI always reminds me of Clippy, the infamous talking paperclip added to Microsoft Office in the '90s. This little guy frustrated users, was based on a faulty understanding of how people want to use technology, and had a way of showing up even after you specifically turned it off. It was probably inevitable, then, for someone to make a tool that combines large language models and the 30-year-old animated paperclip. That someone is developer Felix Rieseberg, who built a Windows 95-themed Clippy app that can run real large language models on your computer. The application is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux devices, and works offline. Clippy looks just the way you rememb…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Two months ago, I downloaded and started using the Steppin app, which locks up your most distracting apps and forces you to trade your real-world steps for them. After just three days, I was finding it enjoyable enough to review it, but now that I've spent 68 days with the app, I'm even more impressed. While it's still only available on iOS, an Android version is available on a waitlist and not much has changed in terms of interface or use since I first reviewed it, but I've found it much easier to navigate and incorporate into my life. My social media use is definitely downThe app works by syncing with your Apple Health …

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 workout-friendly earbuds that don’t flinch at sweat or bounce, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are a great way to go. Originally released in February as a long-awaited follow-up to the first-gen Powerbeats Pro, these earbuds normally cost $249.99, but right now you can get a near-mint, refurbished pair on sale for $174.99 through StackSocial. They ship in “Grade A” condition, which means they may have barely-there scuffs and should look and work pretty much like new. These are workout-first earbuds. The new nickel-titanium alloy hoo…

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. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. There are certain limitations that I tolerate with apartment living. One of these that I begrudgingly accept is the lack of an outdoor grill set up. Apparently building owners don’t want flames spitting and embers glowing within 10 feet of their precious buildings—fine. But what if I could smoke meat with real wood pellets and also not set my apartment on fire? Well the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill and Smoker is offering this opportunity. I’ve had my eye on it for a while now, and it’s finally on sale for Memorial Day. …

The beloved read-it-later app Pocket is shutting down, and Mozilla is giving current users until Oct. 8 to download saved items from their lists, archives, favorites, notes, and highlights. As of today, Pocket is no longer available in app stores or as a browser add-on, and all sign-ups and renewals have been disabled. The app will shut down for good on July 8, and transition to export-only mode. Users will have until Oct. 8 to export their saves, after which all accounts and data will be deleted. How to export your saved items from PocketTo initiate an export from Pocket, go to https://getpocket.com/export. You'll first want to ensure your account is connected to a va…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you have a workshop in your house or enjoy doing DIY projects, you probably know that tools were already expensive way before tariffs entered the picture. Anyone who works with tools on a regular basis is generally happy to pay a bit more for something that doesn’t fall apart after a few uses, so defaulting to a major brand that’s still in the low- to mid-budget range like Black and Decker (Stanley Black and Decker also owns the Craftsman and DeWalt brands) always made sense. As predicted, the company just announced higher prices in response to the tariff situation, which means buying tools from Stanley Black and Decker…

All throughout 2025, I've been bursting with podcast recommendations (which might not be surprising, given writing a podcast recommendation newsletter is part of my job). I've shared my lists of the best podcasts about liars and scammers, podcasts that expose the nonsense in politics and pop culture, and podcasts you'll like if you miss Heavyweight. But then I awoke and realized that we are almost halfway through the year, and I haven't spent nearly enough time talking about my favorite new shows that debuted this year. June is a great time to take stock of all the new podcasts from the first half of the year. These are the shows that made my jaw drop, made me laugh, and…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A new update to Garmin watches brings a rucking activity, with a pack weight setting, to the Instinct 3 (both regular and Tactical), the Fenix 8 series, and the Enduro 3. Rucking is also available at launch for the new Forerunners, the 570 and the 970. The same software update also brings breathing variation detection to a wide variety of watches, including Vivoactive, Venu, Lily, and Forerunner models. Rucking—walking with a weighted pack—is both a fitness activity for people looking for a little exercise, and a necessity for many hikers and backpackers. But without a specific activity or pack weight setting, the only ob…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Sony might be better known for its headphones, but it also makes decent speakers. Its latest portable speaker is the ULT Field 3, which launched along with the ULT Field t and ULT Tower 9 this spring, all made to be portable and rugged. Right now, you can get the smallest one of the lineup for $148 (originally $199.99), the lowest price it has been, according to price tracking tools. Sony ULT Field 3…

On Wednesday, Signal announced a new feature for the Windows version of its app. Why not include the new feature in the Mac version of the app? Because this update exclusively targets a Windows 11 feature that Signal doesn't believe is secure: Recall. Why isn't Windows Recall secure?In case you're unfamiliar, Windows Recall is an AI-powered feature Microsoft rolled out for Copilot+ PCs. Recall essentially takes screenshots of your display throughout the day, building a compendium of your PC activity. As such, you can access your Recall screenshots to search for specific actions, messages, apps, and more from your personal Windows history. It's neat in theory—instead of …

Until now, the Quick Settings panel on Pixel phones was lackluster at best. You could only add up to eight toggles, there was no option to make them smaller, and it was really difficult to tell when a setting was enabled or disabled. Google has finally decided to fix that issue in its latest Android beta, finally bringing phones running stock Android up to speed with those from manufacturers like Samsung. How to try the new Quick Settings panelAndroid 16 is all about redesign, introducing the new Material 3 Expressive update, as Google is calling it. While this update won't be finalized until September, with a Pixel Drop, it's already live in Android 16 QPR Beta 1. If you…

Until now, Xbox Game Pass has been sorely lacking in retro games. There are no titles for the original Xbox on the service, and only a scant few Xbox 360 games. There are a few games from earlier eras, like Goldeneye 007, but even those are rereleases. Since most older games don’t get that kind of treatment, they’re ultimately still few and far between on Xbox Game Pass. But now, finally, Microsoft is doing something to address this gap, bringing a new “Retro Classics” collection to its subscribers. While Activision might be better known these days for Call of Duty, back in the ‘80s, it got its start developing games for Atari consoles. When Microsoft’s merger with Activi…

Paramount+ has a lighter lineup of original content in June, though the platform will stream the live broadcast of the 78th annual Tony Awards from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The show, hosted by Wicked's Cynthia Erivo, will air live on June 8 for Paramount+ With Showtime subscribers—other viewers can watch on-demand the next day. Other content available for Paramount+ With Showtime users is Love Me (June 16), a post-apocalyptic romance starring Kristen Steward and Steven Yeun, and Noah's Arc: The Movie (June 20), 20 years after the titular show first debuted. Darryl Stephens, Rodney Chester, Doug Spearman, Christian Vincent, Jensen Atwood, and Wilson Cruz ar…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you don't have a streaming stick, the Aurzen BOOM Mini 4-in-1 Smart Projector stands out for its integrated streaming capabilities with built-in Google TV that lets you choose from over 10,000+ apps, including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Hulu. It also offers full access to the Google ecosystem with a hands-free Google Assistant and multi-device casting. Households with children can utilize Kids Mode, which manages screen time and filters content, and HDMI inputs let you connect to other devices like gaming consoles—and it's 20% off right now. …

Every tech product you own has a “lifespan,” and I'm not referring to how long you use it before it stops working, you break it, or decide to buy a new one. Instead, this is how long the device will be officially supported by its maker—a timeframe that could be shorter or longer than how long it will actually last. Apple guarantees it will continue supporting products at least five years after it stops selling them. Once those five years are up, Apple can deem that device “vintage." Apple recently classified two more of its products as vintage: the iPhone 7 Plus (2016) and some iPhone 8 models (2017)—while the 64GB and 256GB iPhone 8 models are now vintage, the 128GB is …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve bounced between gaming on a Switch, a PC, and maybe even your phone, the 8Bitdo Pro 2 makes a pretty solid case for itself, especially now that it’s going for $36.36 on Amazon (down from $49.99). This is the lowest it’s ever been, according to price tracking tools like Keepa. 8Bitdo Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller $36.36 at Amazo…

Max still goes by Max for now, but the return to the original HBO Max branding is expected sometime this summer. In the meantime, the third season of HBO Original series The Gilded Age is set to drop in weekly installments starting June 22. The period drama, set in 1880s New York, stars Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, and Cynthia Nixon, among others. On the movie slate, there's A24's Parthenope (June 6), a Paolo Sorrentino coming-of-age film set in Naples and starring Celeste Dalla Porta and Gary Oldman, and Cleaner (June 13), about radical activists in present-day London who take hostages at an energy company's annual gala in an attempt to expose corruption. …

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. I’m nearly positive the first biscuit iteration I ever ate was a Bisquick drop biscuit. While my mom was a well-practiced savory cook, she usually baked from boxes. That was just fine by me and my brothers. But as I grew fond of baking myself, I was pretty surprised when I learned that baking biscuits from scratch was not quite like Bisquick. Simple? Sure. But…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. For a property owner, paint is an incredibly powerful tool. It’s a cheap and effective renovation in a can, a fun way to add some personality to your home, and a project that can be wrapped up in a weekend. Best of all, if you mess up your paint job, you can just paint over your mistakes. But the power of paint goes way beyond aesthetics. Paint can be formulated in different ways, with different effects, making it an easy, low-cost solution to a host of problems you might experience in your home—and I'm not talking about covering them up to pretend they aren't there. Choosing the right kind of paint can often be the most a…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When you're packing to move, you have a lot to keep in mind. You may want to think of how to minimize costs and how to get rid of all your extra junk, but what about packing in a way that makes unpacking easier? Few things are more annoying than getting to your new home and needing a specific object—where the heck is that screwdriver?—only to find that your past self's haphazard packing job made things difficult on your current self. You want your transition into your new space to be smooth and even enjoyable, to the extent it can be. Here are some tips to make sure not just that the packing process is easy—but the unpack…

Moving is something that drains you of time, energy, and money, and you probably don't want to do any extra work if you don't have to. But hear me out: You should still use a big move as an opportunity to declutter. Here is your chance to assess every item you own and make decisions about what you really need. Who knows the next time you'll be able to handle every single possession, categorize everything, and make a truly meaningful dent in your clutter? Why you should declutter right before you move First of all, decluttering before a move can actually save you money. "The biggest mistake we see people make time and time again is underestimating how much stuff they hav…

For the last 10 years, all of my moves have happened within about a 15-block radius. For personal reasons (a dislike of annoyance and paperwork), I may never leave this neighborhood in Manhattan. Then again, I may not have a choice. You never know when something—a great job opportunity or the sudden desire to experience something new—may come up. If and when you find yourself moving not just locally, but quite a distance, there are some unexpected hurdles you'll need to keep in mind that differentiate this from your standard move. Your budget has to be on pointBudgeting for any kind of move is a key to not going broke during the process, but your expenses for a longer mo…

Moving is famously one of the most stressful things you can do. Not only is it a ton of work and a major financial expense, but you're dealing with the weight of leaving behind one home and starting fresh in another. It's a burden on your calendar, your wallet, and your emotions. Whether you are relocating for a new job, moving in with a partner (or moving away from one after a breakup), or just need a change of scenery, you should take the opportunity to appreciate (if not relish) the momentous event—and not be filled with dread, stress, and regret throughout the process. If you're looking to pull off the smoothest, least painful move ever, follow these five essential s…