Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Since its release 2023, the Boox Palma e-reader—and its successor, the Palma 2—has sown confusion. It's the same size and shape as a cell phone and it has an e-ink screen, but it isn't an e-ink phone, because it doesn't have a SIM card slot or eSIM. Well, today Boox's parent company, the Chinese device-maker Onyx International, announced the new Palma 2 Pro, and things aren't getting any less opaque. As I wrote about last month when the new device was first rumored, the Palma 2 Pro does have a SIM card slot, but it still isn't really a phone—while it can handle mobile data (meaning browsing the internet, streaming video, r…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Do you love the idea of running—getting outdoors, burning calories, building cardio fitness—but you wish you could do it without, you know, running? Try walking with a weighted pack instead, an activity that’s become known as "rucking." Some fitness watches even support tracking your pack weight alongside your mileage. What is rucking?Rucking means walking or hiking with a weighted pack. It’s the fitness version of what they do in the military: marching long distances while carrying supplies in a rucksack. (Rucksack, rucking, get it?) When you ruck as part of a fitness routine, you probably won’t carry hiking or military …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. When Mark Zuckerberg described Meta's Horizon Worlds back in 2019, he seemed to think the virtual community hub would be a place for cool, tech-forward young adults to socialize and network. Six years later, it’s essentially a virtual daycare center; everywhere in virtual space is filled with kids. I don’t mean 16-year-olds or tweens, either—I’m talking young kids, so prevalent they’ve earned the nickname “squeakers” for their high-pitched voices and twitchy energy. So what’s a grown-ass adult who likes virtual reality but wants to avoid children to do? Here are some tips and strategies for finding VR places to game and/o…

Last week, YouTube started rolling out a new look across both the web and its various apps, promising a "more expressive and intuitive interface." In reality, the reaction has been mixed. The TV app, for instance, no longer automatically rewinds or fast forwards when you press back or forward, instead navigating between buttons including "like" or "subscribe." More than once while on TV, I've accidentally subscribed to a channel without meaning to, before realizing that I now need to press up first to get to the progress bar. Now, the changes have reached the YouTube mobile app, as first spotted by 9to5Google. While they're a bit more mild than you'll see on TV, there's s…

For the past few years, Google's Pixel phones have had recurring problems with calling 911, and the issue has once again reared its ugly head. Over the past 24 hours, multiple users on Reddit have complained about being unable to call 911, while the Bell carrier in Canada issued a warning that the Pixel 6 and up was also having problems contacting emergency services on its network. According to user Fabulous_Disaster730, who posted yesterday about difficulties contacting emergency services during a gas leak, her Pixel 9 Pro repeatedly prompted her to turn on wifi calling or turn off airplane mode before she could call 911, despite her having full signal on both 5G and wif…

The security of a popular wifi router brand is under scrutiny from multiple federal agencies, and devices could be pulled from shelves in the United States in the future. According to reporting from the Washington Post, the US Department of Commerce has proposed a ban on routers from TP-Link Systems, a move that has now received support from Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Defense. What is the issue with TP-Link?The proposal reportedly stems from security concerns with routers sold by TP-Link Systems, which is in California but was spun off from the Chinese-based TP-Link Technologies. Commerce officials have warned that the devices handle sensitive data an…

Apple dropped iOS 26.1 on Monday, introducing some small but meaningful changes to iPhones. But just one day after changing how alarms work, and adding options to adjust the look of Liquid Glass, the company is back at it with another update: iOS 26.2. To be clear, iOS 26.2 is not currently available to the public. Instead, Apple is now beta testing this version of iOS, allowing developers to trial the software against their apps, and report any and all issues back to Apple. While anyone can technically download this new software, I wouldn't recommend it. iOS 26.2 is not intended for public use, and, as such, it might introduce problems on your device. If you'd like to be…

Scammers never miss an opportunity to prey on people's fear and confusion—and now they're capitalizing on the ongoing federal government shutdown to steal money and information from vulnerable targets. As Axios notes, reports of imposter scams—in which fraudsters impersonate government officials or agency representatives—rose in October as Americans experienced the loss of federal services and benefits. The Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Scam Tracker received 211 such complaints last month. Scammers are also taking advantage of shutdown stress to pull people into investment schemes and other malicious (and AI-driven) activity. Common government shutdown scams One common…

The new version of Fitbit’s app (currently in “public preview” mode) has some improvements and some shortcomings. On the first day it was available, the built-in AI confused and frustrated me, but I figured I needed to give it a little time. Maybe it would learn more about me and give better responses. Maybe I would learn my way around its features. Maybe the team at Google would correct the worst of the problems. That last prediction came partly true. When I woke up the next morning, the AI finally admitted that the watch I was wearing, Google’s Pixel Watch 4, does actually exist. (The initial version of the app had claimed that the Pixel Watch 2, released in 2023, was …

One of the main reasons I've always insisted on having a keyboard with a full number pad—apart from being able to bash out numbers quickly—is that it lets me type out the Windows shortcut codes for an em dash (ALT+0151) and en dash (ALT+0150). They're punctuation marks I use a lot, and apparently AI bots do too. What you'll notice about those shortcut codes, if you've spent time with both Microsoft and Apple operating systems, is that they're longer and more awkward to type than the equivalents on macOS. On a Mac, you can type an em dash by holding down Shift+Option and pressing the hyphen ("-") button. For en dashes, it's even easier: Hold down Option, then press hyphen.…

Sleep patterns. Heart rates. Menstrual cycles. Weight fluctuations. Medication schedules. The location of major world leaders. Every morning, millions of people strap on smartwatches, open period-tracking apps, and upload their most intimate details to the cloud. We're told this data will optimize our health, help us live better lives. But there's a darker question lurking beneath the surface: Who actually owns all this information, and where exactly is the line between optimization and surveillance? First things first: What HIPAA actually protectsIn discussing this topic with friends and family, most everyone I know assumed their health data enjoys robust federal protect…

Smart fitness technology is becoming the norm. Just this morning, my smart rowing machine corrected my form (seems I need to drive more power from my legs, not my arms), while my Garmin watch told me to quit rushing my recovery between runs. Even as an AI-skeptic, I find myself listening to the robots on this front. The risk of improper technique is too great—so what's the harm in taking all the feedback I can get? The answer, like with so many things AI, is the gap between data and wisdom. So much wisdom gets lost—forfeited, even—when I blindly trust an AI coach to correct my form, and too great a reliance on this breed of fitness tech could quickly lead to more harm tha…

Whether you actually go back and look at photos, watch videos, or review files from years past, you may someday be disappointed if those memories disappear forever, either because you didn't back them up or your one backup was destroyed along the way. I know I have done a poor job of keeping track of media as I have upgraded computers and phones over the years, and I've lost my fair share of photos, videos, and documents along the way, whether on misplaced or damaged external drives or from simply forgetting to back up at all. Here's how to ensure your data is available for years to come. You need multiple backups of your dataOne approach to backing up your data is the…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find. Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices an…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon's Prime Day 2025 sale was its biggest ever, stretching for four days this past July—but the company is not done with your wallet yet. The fall version of the mega-sale, known as Prime Big Deal Days, is just around the corner. Here is everything you need to know to prepare for the fall's biggest sale (at least until Black Friday rolls around. What is Prime Big Deal Days?You can think of Prime Big Deal Days as fall's answer to Prime Day. It's a two-day sale with deals in virtually every category you can think of. While Prime Day is the bigger …

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. The Eufy X10 Pro Omni is currently selling for $549.99 on Amazon, a steep drop from its $899.99 list price and the lowest it has gone for, according to price trackers.] Eufy X10 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo …

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. iOS 26 has been out for a few days now, and with it, a bunch of convenient little tweaks to how you use your phone. Not everything’s a keeper, and I’ve already written about how to disable the new Liquid Glass transparency effects or fix Dark Mode icons that appear tilted. Still, there are things to like about this update, even if you have to go out of your way to turn some of them on. After spending a couple nights tweaking iOS 26 to my preferences, here are my favorite new features in Apple’s latest ope…

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 my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Every model in the 2025 lineup of M4 MacBook Air laptops is currently marked down by $200 on Amazon, taking them to record-low prices. Of these, the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air with 16GB unified memory and 256GB SSD storage is arguably the best MacBook Air for most people, and a great buy at $799 (originally $999). 13-inch M4 MacBook Air …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Last week I ran the D.C. half-marathon alongside nearly 8,000 other runners. While I generally love running with my Garmin Forerunner 165 (which I've previously reviewed), when I strapped the watch on the morning of the race, I had some reservations. This watch has earned a reputation as a barebones beginner device—and I was worried if it would hold up when it really mattered. Would the GPS remain accurate throughout the 13.1 mile run? Would the pacing features actually help me hit my goal time? After crossing the finish line, I'm happy to report that this entry-level watch met my expectations in almost every way. …

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. The latest Apple Watches now boast a sleep score, which gives you a number on a scale of 1 to 100 for how well you slept. But that’s not all—you can even get this number without the Series 11 watch, as I discovered this morning while waiting for my new watch to be delivered. To get the new sleep score, just make sure you have iOS 26 and watch OS 26 installed. Where to find the sleep scoreYou can view the sleep score on your iPhone or on your Apple Watch. On the watch (Series 6 or later), go to the Sleep app…

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. Right now, a new JBL Flip 7 portable speaker is available on Woot for $99.95—that's 33% off. According to price-trackers, the lowest price a brand-new version has been on Amazon is $139.99, making this a smart option for anyone looking for a compact, waterproof, drop-resistant speaker from a reliable household name. The speaker comes with Woot’s 90-day warranty program and ships to …

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 my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Apple makes good devices and accessories, but they do tend to be more expensive than the competition, even for something as basic as a charging cable. It's certainly true of Apple Watch bands—I'm not sure why a braided strip of polyester and silicone costs $99, but that's what the company charges. But right now, Woot is selling a whole rainbow of Apple Watch bands for up to 70% off. It…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Garmin’s newest watch is an update to its Venu line. The Venu 3 was one of the brand’s best lifestyle watches, and the Venu X1, launched earlier this year, was a premium version. Now, there is a Venu 4, available on September 22—and it has a flashlight. Pricing and essential featuresThe Venu 4 comes in two sizes (41 and 45 millimeters), the same as the sizes of the Venu 3 and 3S respectively. It costs $100 more than the older version, with the Venu 4 coming i…

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. "Never pay full price for a MacBook Air" seems to be the takeaway from the latest Apple launches. Apple unveiled its updated lineup of M4-powered MacBook Air laptops in early March, and all the M4s saw their first discounts a few weeks later. The M4, M3, M2, and M1 MacBook Airs are all discounted right now, with some at their lowest prices ever, according to price-tracking tools. If…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. At the company's Meta Connect 2025 event yesterday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg officially unveiled its long-rumored and recently leaked display-focused smart glasses. Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses will cost $799 and go on sale on Sept. 30. The next generation of Meta smart glasses will feature a full-color, monocular, 600 × 600 pixel HUD in one of the lenses that will only be visible to the user. Display smart glasses will also include improved versions of the audio, video, and AI capabilities of non-display Meta glasses. …