Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It's the end of an era: On Monday, Tim Cook announced his plans to step down as Apple CEO. By September, the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus will succeed Cook in the role, and Apple will have its second CEO since Steve Jobs' departure in 2011. A lot has happened over at Apple Inc. since Tim Cook took over nearly 15 years ago, but there are some moments that stand out more than others. I've highlighted 11 products and decisions the company has announced or made during Cook's tenure that I think defined this chapter. Apple introduced Siri in 2011Tim Cook's first major product announcement …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As the world outside of our streaming boxes has gotten nastier, we've seen an uptick in the population of amiable goofballs within them, with comfort shows like Ted Lasso and Schitt's Creek having set the template. Rooster's Greg Russo (Steve Carell) isn't exactly one of this crowd; his world is falling apart around him rather precipitously in the opening episodes of the HBO series, but the vibe is far less dour. It's a show about a likable, well-meaning character who struggles to maintain his principles and outlook when faced with a world that's more than happy to throw mud in his face. If that's something you need more …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Fans of George R.R. Martin’s books (and their television adaptations) were enchanted by the first season of HBO's new spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms because it offered a fresh perspective on the fictional universe of Westeros. Set roughly between the events depicted in House of the Dragon and A Game of Thrones, the show follows the misadventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and the future King Aegon V (Egg) as the former attempts to establish himself as a hedge knight in the violent, dragon-less, but relatively stable world of the Seven Kingdoms. It's a show about refreshingly earnest and noble main character who …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Apple's CarPlay brings much of the power of your iPhone to your vehicle's dashboard so you can (safely) navigate, play music, and send and receive messages while driving. As with your iPhone, there are plenty of ways to maximize your CarPlay experience to make it work better for you. Use these 10 tricks and hacks to get the most out of it. Use this setting to customize your CarPlay home screen If there are icons on your CarPlay home screen for apps you don't use, you can move the most important ones to the first page and delete those you no longer need. That way, you don't have to scroll through multiple pages while you'r…

Despite what the headline of this article might lead you to believe, I don't think AI voice generation is inherently bad. Certainly there are cases where it makes sense, like preserving people's voices when they lose the ability to speak themselves, or turning your notes into an AI "podcast" to keep studying on-the-go, or to make written content more accessible to people with low vision. And in contrast to clunkier older tools, modern AI makes it easy to generate a realistic voice you can use in a number of scenarios. But in my humble opinion, art isn't usually a proper use case for AI voices. If I choose to listen to an audiobook, I am almost assuredly looking for an ex…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. One million years ago (sometime before 2020), Peloton had a series of Bike classes designed around heart rate zone training. Christine D’Ercole would tell you what zone your heart rate should've been in for each part of the workout, and you’d adjust your effort accordingly. Those classes are long gone, but Peloton is dipping a toe back into the world of heart rate training with its new “Zone 2” collection. Peloton Exercise Cross Training Bike, Indoor Stationary Spin Bike for Home Workouts, Space-Friendly Exercise Equipment for Cardio and strength Workout & Indoor…

Samsung's One UI software for its Galaxy phones comes packed with features and functionality, but there are also several official extra apps made by Samsung that don't come preinstalled on its phones—and they're well worth checking out. I've already written about the various Good Lock plug-ins—which let you build your own keyboards and set separate volume levels for individual apps—but that's not all there is to explore when it comes to additional apps. There's also Galaxy Enhance-X, a tool for polishing and improving your photos and videos, as well as manipulating digital documents. Enhance-X can do everything from applying cinematic filters to pictures, to scanning in d…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Samsung Galaxy S26 is down to $799.99 for the 256GB unlocked version, a drop from $899.99 and its lowest price so far, according to price trackers. This is Samsung’s smallest flagship for 2026, and it leans into that idea of giving you most of the high-end experience without the size or cost of the Ultra model. The design feels familiar if you have used a Galaxy before, and is relatively compact at 6.3 inches, so it sits comfortably in one hand without feeling cramped. It also comes with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Sony’s WF-C710N earbuds are on sale for just $64.99 on StackSocial right now. They're open-box models—they may arrive in repackaged materials with minor handling marks, but they’re verified to be in new condition and include a one-year third-party warranty—marked down at 50% off their full price. These are part of Sony’s newer lineup, and they focus on everyday usability rather than competing with flagship earbuds. The Sony WF-C710N earbuds have active noise canceling with dual noise sensors, Bluetooth 5.3, and support for AAC and SBC codecs. Pairin…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Pocket wifi is nothing new, and I considered it a luxury more than a necessity—a way to guarantee wifi in a time when wifi access is already practically guaranteed. Not only was I wrong, but I overlooked it for far too long. And if you don't own a portable wifi device other than your phone, you're probably making the same mistake I was. When I bought my first home, I gave my cell reception only a passing thought. Spectrum wireless was available in our area and was confirmed to work well by the previous homeowner, so home connectivity wouldn't be a problem. My phone carrier, T-Mobile, also covers 99% of the country. I imag…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Building a home security setup in stages can turn into a patchwork of devices and apps that don’t always work together smoothly. The Eufy ExpertSecure System E10 takes a more complete approach from the start. At $599.99, down from $999.99, it’s at its lowest recorded price (according to price-trackers) and includes most of what you’d need in one box. You get a video doorbell, a 360-degree outdoor camera, an indoor camera, motion and entry sensors, along with a keypad and key fob. Together, that setup can cover your front door, a driveway or yard, an…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Smartphone cameras have come a long way, but the moment you start walking or moving around, even small shakes can show up in your footage. That’s where a phone gimbal like the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro comes in—it steadies your shots without turning filming into a whole production. And right now, its Ultimate Creator Bundle is down to $169.99 (from $199.99), which, according to price trackers, is the lowest it’s been so far. Insta360 Flow 2 Pro Ultimate Creator Bundle (Grey) …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Running is more popular than ever, and with an influx of new runners comes an influx of influencers offering up their advice—some of it helpful, some of it distinctly not. If you've spent any time scrolling through running-related videos, you've probably stumbled across a coach, athlete, or "runfluencer" insisting that you shut your mouth when you run. The advice to breathe through your nose while running is nothing new, but is it actually backed by science? The answer, as with most things in running, is nuanced. Here's what the different schools of thought say, and how to actually put better breathing into practice on you…

Meta is officially rolling out new parental controls that make it easier to keep tabs on the conversations teens are having with the company's AI. Meta revealed the news in a blog post on Thursday, which comes six months after the company's original announcement. But while additional parental controls are promising, will this be enough to address the greater issues at play with young users and AI? How Meta's new AI parental controls workAccording to Meta, parents using the "supervision" feature on Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram now have an "Insights" tab as part of supervision. If you select this tab, you'll see all the topics your teen or teens have been chatting with…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Bear is a phenomenon not only because exploring what goes on in the kitchen is fascinating, but because it's also one of the best shows on TV when it comes to portraying family drama, generational trauma, and the intense pressure of being the best at something. Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) is a tortured artist who might be one of the top chefs in the world, but his self-doubt is the engine that keeps the show racing along into uncertainty. Add in the precision and pressure of a high-end restaurant and brigade-style kitchen, and you have the perfect recipe for drama and humor. Plus, the opportunity to watch mouth…

Google Meet's "Take Notes for me" feature is one particularly useful implementation of AI. When you're on a video call, Gemini can dictate what's being said, offering summaries and highlights of the conversation. That way, your attention doesn't need to be split between the conversation at hand and writing down notes to remember key points later: You can just check the notes that are automatically generated as a Google Doc once the meeting is over. It's the kind of feature that sells me more on the whole "AI assistant" thing, rather than something trying to order me a coffee. Of course, video conferencing isn't the only time dictation can be useful. An in-person meet…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Every wearable these days will tell you how you slept and how well recovered you seem to be for the day’s activities. But it’s rare to get clear guidance or ideas on what you should do based on those scores. Ultrahuman, which makes smart rings, is trying a new approach: serving you different workout videos based on what it thinks you’re up for. Ring Charger: Power up Your Ultrahuman Ring | Convenient and Easy Charging Solution …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Sometimes we love to hate serial killers, and sometimes we just kinda love 'em—a charming, sexy killer seems to be a contrast that's too juicy and entertaining for us to pass up. Late-stage capitalism, the climate crisis, and the insurance industry are far more likely to kill us, which is probably why we'd rather face the statistically less-likely threat of a cute and cunning murderer like Penn Badgley's Joe Goldberg in You, which came to a planned conclusion after five seasons in 2025. But he's not the only one! Here, we're on the hunt for series leads who are at least morally ambiguous, if not downright evil. The Fall (2…

Claude has always been focused on text and code, but a few days ago, it rolled out image-generation capabilities—ways to get graphics, mock-ups, slideshows and other similar materials created by AI. The suite of tools is called Claude Design. Then ChatGPT, already much more invested in AI image generation, rolled out a substantial update called Images 2.0. Promises were made of a "step change" in accuracy, consistency, and instruction following. So what can you now do with these AI tools that you couldn't before? And how do the capabilities compare? Claude Design is focused on business and enterpriseClaude Design is available for Claude subscribers, and is intended, in t…

If you like the idea of using Chrome extensions with a browser that's not made by Google, Brave Browser is a great choice. This Chromium-based browser is designed with user privacy in mind, and comes with a number of quality-of-life perks as well. The thing is, not all of these features and options are enabled out of the box, or are even all that obvious. If you use Brave, you'll want to know about these 10 hacks: Use these options to get rid of Brave’s own adsBrave Browser's business model includes pushing its own services, including a VPN service and a search engine. The browser's default settings push ads for these services on the home page, and you can easily get rid…

Netflix's May slate is heavy on sports and comedy, including live events and documentaries in both categories. The streaming service will carry the full lineup of F1 Canadian GP weekend events, starting with spring qualifying on May 22 and ending with the race on May 24. Netflix will also host its first live MMA broadcast—Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano—on May 16. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup this summer, there are also a handful of soccer documentaries: USA 94: Brazil's Return to Glory (May 7) covers Brazil's World Cup run, while The Bus: A French Football Mutiny (May 13) looks at controversy surrounding France's 2010 bid. Several football-focused Untold UK episodes are dro…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As tick populations grow (thanks, climate change) and tickborne diseases like Lyme become more widespread, tick checks have become routine for a lot of us. But do you really know what it means to “check yourself for ticks”? Chances are, you’re missing some important parts of the process. You only need a tick check when you've been in the woodsAre you conscientious about tick checks when you're camping, but only when you're camping? Ticks live in more places than just the woods, and most parts of the US have at least one species of tick around. Check these tick maps from the CDC to get a sense of whether they’re in your are…

Earlier this month, 404 Media broke a fascinating, complex, and concerning story: The FBI had successfully retrieved incoming Signal messages from a defendant's iPhone, despite the fact that those messages were set to self-destruct within the famously secure chat app. Though it's easy to assume Signal would be to blame, it turns out the fault was with iOS—and Apple may have just fixed the problem. To recap: 404 Media spoke to someone who attended the trial in question, where the court learned that all iPhone notifications are stored in a database on the device. So even though the Signal messages were deleted, their notification data remained in this database, from where t…

Claude's plug-ins for third-party services, known as connectors, have previously covered work-focused apps such as Gmail and Slack. Now, it's adding a whole host of lifestyle apps to its Connectors catalog, including Spotify, Uber, Tripadvisor, Audible, Instacart, Intuit TurboTax, and AllTrails. There are more connectors on the way as well, Anthropic says, with the aim that you can do more inside the Claude chatbot interface. It's not dissimilar to the ChatGPT app store, which lets you add apps such as Photoshop and Apple Music. But do these plug-ins really offer the convenience that Claude claims? And is the experience any better than just using the apps themselves? Find…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Android Auto isn't perfect, but it is a powerful and highly customizable vehicle infotainment system with quite a few hidden features and settings. If you're using Android Auto in your car, these are the top tips and tricks to maximize its navigation, entertainment, and communication capabilities. Customize the notifications you receive while drivingGetting too many notifications on your Android Auto screen while you're driving can be distracting (and potentially dangerous), but you also don't want to miss important and time-sensitive calls and texts. You can customize what alerts pop up—and how—when you're on the road a…