Setting Up Your Home Office

If you're getting bored with your Galaxy phone, there are changes on the horizon. Samsung announced One UI 8.5 on Monday, Dec. 8, the latest update for Galaxy devices. At present, this new update is only out in beta, but select Galaxy users can try it out right now. Here's what's new, according to Samsung. Proactive Quick ShareWith One UI 8.5, Quick Share can automatically identify people in photos. While that sounds a bit creepy, the idea is to proactively offer sharing recommendations to the people who are featured in any given photo. Say you hit Quick Share on a family photo you took over the weekend. Rather than manually enter all of the contacts you'd like to share …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. When shopping for OLED TVs, brightness is a crucial factor, because it helps overcome ambient lighting and delivers better-looking HDR content. Samsung’s brightest OLED TV thus far, released in 2025, is the S95F, praised for its picture quality and surprisingly impressive sound. Right now, a 65-inch refurbished Samsung 65-Inch S95F OLED TV is just $1,899, which is over $1,000 off its list price. Refurbished Samsung 65-Inch S95F OLED TV …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Samsung HW-QS700F dropped to $355.49 in open-box condition at Woot, which is a steep cut from its $799.99 list price. Amazon currently has it for $597.99, and the lowest it has dipped there was $397.99. So this is comfortably below its previous low, according to price trackers. “Open-box” here means it may have been repackaged due to damaged packaging but you still get the full setup: soundbar, wireless subwoofer, HDMI cable, wall mount kit, rubber feet, and a remote with batteries. Samsung HW-…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. Samsung has made a habit of releasing a handful of phones in its Galaxy S line each year, but the Galaxy S25 Edge is something different. Announced alongside the S25, S25+, and Ultra in January, the Edge is thinnest Galaxy S phone yet. Right now, the 256GB model is marked down to $699.99 on Amazon (its lowest price ever, according to price trackers), which makes it the most affordab…

If you’re like most people, you probably didn’t think a whole lot about tariffs before this year. And if you’re like most people, you’ve probably spent this year thinking a lot about tariffs—specifically, how they’re going to impact your life. Whether it’s worry over higher prices and empty store shelves or more generalized economic anxiety, these certainly are exciting times. And, like clockwork, we can add one more thing to worry about in relation to tariffs: Scams. Pivoting off the chaos and uncertainty everyone is experiencing around the on-again, off-again tariffs and their constantly shifting parameters, scammers have quickly assembled a few new attacks on your bank…

If you receive a warning on a LinkedIn post that your account has been restricted, don't engage with it. Scammers are using LinkedIn branding in official-looking "reply" comments to spread phishing links intended to harvest users' login credentials. As reported by BleepingComputer, this impersonation campaign relies on fake company pages and LinkedIn's official link shortener to trick users into "verifying" their identities on a domain run by threat actors. Here's what to look for. How LinkedIn reply comment phishing worksScammers are replying to posts on LinkedIn with messages claiming that users have in some way violated the platform's policies. The comments include a…

If you receive an event invitation via email, verify it's legit before you RSVP, as you may not actually be invited to anything. Malwarebytes Labs has identified a new scam in which threat actors are using party invites to trick users into installing a remote access tool (RAT) that gives them full control over infected devices. (This specific campaign seems to be limited to the UK, but similar tactics could easily spread.) These malicious invites contain a ScreenConnect installerThe scam starts with an innocuous-looking email invitation with an informal "Save the Date" vibe that may appear to come from a friend or acquaintance. The message contains a link to "View Invita…

Verizon had a massive outage last week, leaving roughly two million customers unable to use their phones off of wifi or SOS mode for nearly a day. As an apology for the inconvenience, the company promised to refund those affected a meager $20 to their accounts—so naturally, scammers quickly got a phishing scheme up and running targeting people eligible for the credit. As reported by Android Authority, the Jones County Sheriff's Office in Georgia has issued an alert about fake Verizon "credit" messages floating around. Verizon credit phishing scamAccording to the sheriff's office, scammers may contact you via text or email—claiming to be from Verizon—with information about…

If you get a text or voice message from someone claiming to be a U.S. government official, they probably aren't who they say they are. The FBI is warning the public about an ongoing campaign in which scammers are using AI-generated voice messages to impersonate senior government staff in an attempt to gain access to personal accounts and, by extension, sensitive information or money. Many of those targeted have been other current and former government officials—both federal and state—and their contacts, but that doesn't mean this scam or something like it won't land in your inbox or on your phone sooner or later. Here's how these AI-powered attacks work, and how to avoid…

Mac users are spoiled when it comes to searching their computers. Macs have Spotlight search built-in, which they can use to open apps, search for files, perform calculations, and search the web. Windows has the Search Bar, but when you compare what they can do, it's not exactly the same. Now, though, there's a new tool called Command Palette, and it's a keyboard launcher designed specifically for developers and power users alike. It replaces a similar feature called PowerToys Run, and offers way more features, including the ability to run commands, search the web, search for files, and add custom bookmarks and global keyboard shortcuts. How to install and enable Command…

Full-screen message effects are among the most fun-to-use features in iMessage, and now they're becoming a lot easier to use in Google Messages for Android, too. In the latest Google Messages beta, these full-screen effects will now automatically play for you (and your texting partner, if they're also on the beta) when you send them certain emoji in Google Messages for Android. That makes them a bit easier to use than Apple's version of this feature, which can only be triggered by certain phrases (eg: "Happy New Year"), or by long-pressing the send button and selecting the effect manually. Google had previously rolled out full-screen effects for certain phrases, but this …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When it comes to the common, everyday tools we use to do quick maintenance and repair work around the house, there’s a tendency to just stick with what you have. If you have a measuring tape or clamp in your tool chest, you’re probably not going to think about getting a new one until the old one breaks. Usually, that’s a good practice—if a tool is doing its job, why waste money on a new one? One reason is to upgrade that tool. Just because the standard spirit level you’ve been using for the last decade still does the job doesn’t mean an upgraded version won’t do the job better. These upgraded versions of common, everyday t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you’ve been doing any kind of work around any kind of house for a while, you probably have a few trusty old-school C-Clamps on hand. The C-Clamp has been in use for thousands of years. It’s one of those dead-simple tools that just works. It’s also one of those tools you tend to collect multiple examples of, in different sizes. Typically, you use a C-Clamp to, uh, clamp stuff together, like two pieces of wood, or to clamp something into place while you work on it (I use them a lot to cut lumber so I can have both hands on the saw, as I am allergic to emergency rooms.) But the C-Clamp is actually a very versatile tool tha…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Smart lights were there at the beginning of the smart home tech revolution, and over the years, these clever bulbs and LED strips have gradually evolved to offer more by way of both features and form factors—so much so that you might not be aware of everything you can do with smart lights, even if you've been using them for years. If your own smart light setup is mostly limited to switching your bedside lamp off with a voice command, controlling them remotely from your phone, or perhaps changing up the colors or adding an automation or two, then you're not taking advantage of everything these lights can do for you. These a…

The best PDF editor on your Mac is the app your Mac ships with. I'm talking about Preview, an app whose name hides its versatility. It can do a lot more than just opening different types of files. For PDFs, it's as good as most free PDF editors. Enable dark mode for easier reading Credit: Pranay Parab I suffer from migraines and to keep the headaches at bay, I use dark mode wherever I can. In macOS 26 Tahoe, Preview now allows you to enable dark mode for any PDF file, which means that I no longer need to deal with bright white…

When you buy a new home, it’s natural to get excited about wanting to move in and settle in as quickly as possible, putting off potential renovations—even the ones that will make you happier in the space—and other home projects until later. And sure, some renovations, like kitchen remodels or additions, require a lot of planning and are best scheduled when your bank account and stress levels have recovered from the home-buying process. That said, there are some home projects that are best tackled right away—because they come with a lot of disruption, take a long time to pay off on the investment, or both. Planting treesIf your property has outdoor space but no trees, th…

Renovating your house has serious upsides in terms of your enjoyment of the property and the return on your investment—but there’s a price to be paid in time and discomfort. Renovation projects can take weeks or months to complete, and during that time your home will mostly likely be filled with dust, debris, and workers. It’s little wonder people choose to move out of their homes and live in a rental while the work is being done. Not everyone can do that, of course—and not everyone can spend the next few months living in a construction zone. If you’ve got limited time (and limited tolerance for the mess and disruption), you might choose to put off home improvement projec…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A lot of folks want to upgrade their homes with a remodel, renovation, or smaller project. But cost is always a factor (and a barrier)—the average renovation cost for a house is over $50,000. Those costs drive a lot of folks to watch way too many home improvement shows and attempt do-it-yourself transformations, but those kinds of DIY projects require money, too—not to mention some basic skills and at least a few tools. If you’re not someone who’s comfortable swinging a hammer or plugging in a power drill—or someone who doesn’t even own a hammer or a power drill—the idea of upgrading your house might seem impossible unless…

Google I/O's 2025 keynote could have more reasonably been called The Google AI Show. Almost everything the company talked about was AI-powered, some of which is promised to arrive in the future, and some of which is available today. Features were spread across Google's whole range of products, but here are some of the ones you're actually likely to see. It's tough to talk about Gemini because it simultaneously refers to a set of models (like Gemini Flash, Gemini Pro, and Gemini Pro Deep Research), different versions of those models (the latest seems to be 2.5 for most of these), and different apps that these models are available through. There's the dedicated Gemini app, …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Groceries are damn expensive now, even the basics. Honk if you walked out of the supermarket with one measly bag of food that cost $50. Food shopping is one of those instances where I get mad about it (nothing will stop me from complaining into the void), but in the end, I have to find a way to cook smarter. Here are some of the strategies I use to maximize the money I spend at the grocery store, along with a few of my favorite budget-friendly recipes that are anything but boring. Make proteins work for your budgetThough eating meat will make your grocery bill climb quickly, you don’t need to go without. I eat a variety of…

If there's something you want to keep track of regularly, it belongs on your Mac's menu bar. The left side of the menu bar, of course, shows the menu for the current application. The right side, though, is a series of icons—and with the right application, you can put just about anything there. This is a list of the applications I find most useful in the menu bar but it's far from exhaustive—developers have gotten quite creative over the years. Check out the website MacMenuBar.com if you want to see even more menu bar tools. Check your calendar Credit: …

While property taxes vary widely across the United States (Essex County, New Jersey has some of the highest on average, at $13,145; while West Virginia has some of the lowest—just $989), if you own a house, you’re paying some kind of property taxes—and if you renovate that house, your property taxes will probably go up. That happens because significant improvements to your home will increase its value, and your property's value is what your property taxes are based on. It can take some time for your local tax assessor to catch up with your renovations, but at some point your property will be reassessed and your taxes increased accordingly, so it's best to be prepared to …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When the cold weather arrives, there’s a tendency among homeowners to focus on the interior—namely, our personal comfort and the utility bills. That’s perfectly sensible—no one wants to shiver in their own house, and no one wants to be slammed with an enormous utility bill, either. But the exterior of your house is just as important. Heavy snow and icy buildup during extended periods of severe cold can really take a toll on your house. Snow and ice combined with melt/freeze cycles during sunny periods can do some serious (and often completely silent) damage to your home in a variety of ways, from water intrusion through y…

Whether you want them to or not, appliances are getting smarter. It’s increasingly challenging to find even basic models without some kind of “smart” feature or embedded artificial intelligence. If you don't believe me, just try to find a “dumb” television at your local Best Buy. You will be disappointed. While it's true that many of the “smart” features offered by these nifty new appliances are quite useful. The ability to pre-heat your oven or adjust your thermostat by pressing a button on your phone is great, and getting alerts when the fridge door is left open or when you forget to move your laundry from the washer to the dryer is undeniably a boon. But sometimes, th…

As the prices on groceries continue to rise, many people might be thinking of growing a vegetable garden for the first time. It can be a great idea, not just because groceries are expensive, but because getting to the store includes soft costs like gas, grocery bags, and time—to say nothing of how wildly empowering it can be to simply walk into your backyard and collect the food you grew yourself. The key to your success here is maximizing the space you have, because gardening has soft costs, too. The fertilizer, water, and of course, your time. You’ve got a limited amount of space to work with, as well, so choosing the right crops to get the maximum amount of food is ess…