Setting Up Your Home Office

If you have a Family Account through Google, you might assume you can control what your child can see or do on their device. You can, but, as it happens, only up to a certain point. When your kid turns 13, Google will send them an email, letting them know they can choose to disable your supervision over their account. You get an email too, but they don't need your permission to lock you out of their device. Once they decide they're ready for a relatively complete Google Account experience, it's their choice to make. Despite being Google's official policy, this situation was not common knowledge. Following a relatively viral LinkedIn post about the subject, parents were p…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A rugged mini speaker is an essential you’ll get use out of all year, from house parties to camping trips. In the warmer months, you can take it to the beach or BBQs, and in the winter, it’s durable enough to handle snowy adventures and warm up with your favorite playlist during a hot shower. The Bose SoundLink Micro 2nd Gen Bluetooth Speaker is a tiny yet powerful option that fits the bill for all of the above, and right now it’s 23% off at its lowest price ever: $99 (originally $129). Bose So…

Hey, would you mind doing me a favor real quick? If you're on an iPhone, can you double check that you've got RCS chat enabled for me? Thanks, I appreciate it. See, as an Android user, I don't get to use all the fun iMessage features, but RCS lets us share some of them. The only problem is, iPhones seem to sometimes disable RCS for some chats after an update. Or for no reason at all. RCS has been around for a while, but since it needs to be supported on both the carrier and device level, it's taken some time to reach ubiquity. Understandably, you might have seen some chat conversations between iOS and Android users that still default to the older SMS-style texting, and ju…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Budget TVs have improved dramatically over the years, and the Hisense U6 Series is a great example of what you can get today for a "budget" price. This is a QLED Mini LED TV, so while it's not at the quality that OLED TVs can offer, it makes up for it with a much lower price. Right now, the 65-inch Hisense Class U6 Series TV is $529.96 (originally $847.99), the lowest price it has been, according to price-checking tools. 65" Hisense U6 Series 4K Mini-LED QLED Smart TV (2025 Model) …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. While the market today is flooded with smart-health-tracking rings, few monitor detailed sleep stats like sleep apnea risks, which is where one truly stands out—especially if your priority is quality zzz’s. Right now, the RingConn Gen 2 smart ring is 20% off in gold, future silver, and rose gold at $239.20 (originally $299), making this wearable the perfect tech-meets-jewelry gift for yourself or a partner with Valentine’s Day on the horizon. RingConn Gen 2 …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Among OLED gaming monitors, the Odyssey G8 is in the top tier, offering a 32-inch 4K QD-OLED panel with 3840 x 2160 resolution, a blistering 240Hz refresh rate, and near-instant 0.03 ms (GtG) response time. But previous models were held back because of its Tizen OS—while marketed as a monitor, Odyssey was really a TV in disguise. With the new G81SF model, Samsung has finally fixed it, returning the G8 to a proper monitor setup. And Woot is currently offering the 32-inch model at a deep discount: $769.99, $540 off the $1299.99 retail price. The remov…

Like many Apple devices, your Apple TV works pretty well right out of the box. You plug it in, download your favorite streaming services, and you're off—while much of your data stays put. But while this is a perfectly fine way to watch shows and movies, there are things you can (and should) change to make your Apple TV work even better. Here are 10 such hacks every Apple TV owner should consider using: Disable the fullscreen profile selector Credit: Apple The first time I booted up my Apple TV after updating to tvOS 26, I was g…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Winter makes the comfort gaps in your home impossible to ignore. Cold corners, stale air, rooms that never feel evenly warm, no matter how long the heater runs. You can try smaller fixes first—blocking drafts, layering rugs, or improving airflow, which actually helps rooms feel warmer without cranking the thermostat. But if you’re still juggling space heaters, fans, and an air purifier, this deal on the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 is worth a closer look. It’s currently $499.95, down from $659.99, and price trackers show this is the lowest it’s ever …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. As is usually the case during CES, older models get big discounts, making it one of the best times to shop for premium tech. If you've been looking for a massive OLED TV with a massive discount, it doesn't get much better than the 77-inch Sony Bravia A95L OLED TV, currently going for $3,498 (originally $4,999.99). This is the lowest price this premium TV has ever reached, according to price-tracking tools. 77-inch Sony Bravia A95L OLED TV …

If you received an unsolicited password reset email from Instagram in recent days, you don't need to panic. These messages don't appear to be the result of a new data breach or account compromise, but rather a bug that Meta claims it has now fixed. Following a wave of suspicious account recovery requests, antivirus software provider Malwarebytes posted a warning on Jan. 9 that threat actors had stolen personal information from 17.5 million Instagram accounts. As BleepingComputer reports, there have been various claims that hackers have obtained Instagram account data from multiple API scraping incidents in the last several years but notes that there haven't been any conf…

Apple's latest crop of updates was met with a bit of a mixed reaction. While some users love the new Liquid Glass design across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, others decidedly do not—which is likely what led Apple to introduce a dedicated setting to control the intensity of the effect. I'm partial to it, but I understand for some users, it's a tad too much, especially if it makes certain UI elements more difficult to see. But Liquid Glass isn't the only thing Apple users have complained about, especially with regards to macOS Tahoe. Mac users reported various problems with performance and stability across macOS 26.0 and macOS 26.1, and have criticized design choices like overly …

Despite all of the technological advances that have made our lives so comfortable and convenient, from on-demand movies to smart devices that can be controlled from a handheld computer in our pockets, there are still some primitive situations we have to endure. For example, that seemingly endless time spent shivering in the shower while you wait for the water to heat up. Or that painful moment when you go to wash your hands and water that feels like it’s being pumped directly from the Arctic splashes you. Waiting for the water to heat up is an age-old problem caused by simple laws of physics: Your water heater is far away from the tap or shower head, and it takes time to …

It's been nearly two years since Apple announced a more intelligent Siri, and yet, we're still waiting to get our hands on it. Aside from being able to answer a few questions about Apple products or shunt your questions off to ChatGPT for you, the voice assistant is essentially still the same it was before Apple Intelligence launched for other Apple features in iOS 18.1. Now, the iPhone maker seems to be throwing in the towel on developing an AI-enabled Siri entirely on its own, and is asking Google for help. I can't imagine Tim Cook is too happy about that, but on the flip side, that does mean an AI Siri might finally come out, and soon. In a statement to CNBC's Jim Cram…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Gaming monitors with 4K ultra HD and high refresh rates have historically been quite expensive, but the Asus ROG Strix XG27UCS challenged that notion, bringing competitive specs at a more budget-friendly price. Right now, the Asus ROG Strix XG27UCS is $339 (originally launched at $499) after a 23% discount. Asus ROG Strix XG27UCS Gaming Monitor UHD (3840 x 2160), 160Hz, 1ms, Fast IPS,130% sRGB,Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync, G-Sync Compatible..…

Cardio is good for us. We need both cardio and strength training for basic health, as well as our athletic goals. But what actually counts as cardio? Can you count walking? Lifting weights? Anything so long as you’re in the right zone? Let me break it down. What is the definition of cardio? Trick question! “Cardio” is a nickname for a certain rough category of exercise, and it doesn't have a precise definition. You’ll find different definitions of it depending on who you ask, and a lot of the research on the benefits of cardio just calls it “exercise." The closest technical term is "aerobic activity." The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans describes aerobic acti…

Love it or hate it, the Apple ecosystem really does have its perks. Take "Handoff," for example. With this feature, you can be working in one app on one of your devices, then continue on in the same app on one of your other devices. You can start an article in Safari on your iPhone, then finish it on your Mac, without needing to google the piece and scroll to find your spot. It isn't 100%, but when it works, it's pretty great. Microsoft actually offers a similar feature over on Windows, though it's so limited, you might not even know it exists. The feature is called Resume, and the idea is to allow you to pick up your place in an app from another device on your PC. For t…

This weekly trip through the youth pop culture landscape takes us from turmoil in Stranger Things fandom, where many fans refuse to let the show end, to the kids' Wild West of Roblox, where age-verification is changing the landscape in a massive way, and all the way to Africa, where online mega-celebrity IShowSpeed is livestreaming a fascinating travelogue that people are watching all over the world. What is "Conformity Gate?"The final episode of Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things aired on Dec. 31 and it seems that many fans are not happy (shocking, right?). Some feel that the finale left too many loose ends, some that it all happened too easily, or that it was rushed…

It's not just you: X is down, and will not load. I discovered the issue myself just after 9:30 a.m. ET. I was scrolling on my feed, when all of a sudden, new posts wouldn't load, and I was greeted by an option to refresh. When I did, the site reloaded, but now without any posts—only the futile option to try reloading again. You can see a steep spike in user reports on Downdetector (which, for full disclosure, is owned by Lifehacker parent company Ziff Davis). At the time of writing, roughly 25,000 users had reported issues with X, I among them. There are a number of potential reasons why X won't load this morning, but it doesn't appear to be a larger issue with a cloud h…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Oura announced last week that its long-awaited charging case is finally shipping. I got one to try out, and can confirm that it works well and is arguably better designed than those of its competitors. That said, is it really worth $99? The charging case works with the Oura Ring 4, not the older models like the gen 3. I’ve previously reviewed the Oura Ring 4, and it’s probably the best smart ring out there right now. You pay a premium for it, though—not only are Oura’s prices higher than many of its competitors ($349 to $499), Oura also requires a $5.99/month subscription to access nearly all of its features. The standar…

I have taught spin classes for four years, but the majority of my friends have never taken one—they're just not "class" people. Everyone works out differently and classes are a very specific kind of experience. I take a class nearly every day, whether in-person or using my Peloton, so obviously I am firmly in the pro-class category, but I can understand why being blabbed at by an instructor wouldn't motivate some people. I learned recently, though, that Peloton offers a solution to those who don't enjoy all the yap: You can actually customize how much of their in-app instructors you hear, so whether you want to pay close attention to cues or hear practically nada from the…

The internet is a wild place, and not particularly kid-friendly. Unfortunately, it's highly impractical to keep your kids entirely off the web. That's where family accounts come in handy: Parents can set their kids up with supervised accounts, giving them access to essential apps and services, without allowing unfettered access to the entire net. It's often imperfect, and kids find workarounds for the guardrails, but still; it's better than nothing. Every company that offers a family account handles things differently. Meta, for example, continues to update their policies in the wake of criticism surrounding how addictive and harmful their apps can be for children. These…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Every self-respecting DIYer eventually buys a tool box—a sturdy place to store, organize, and protect your valuable tools. A quality metal tool box instantly ups your home maintenance and repair game—suddenly, you no longer have to spend twenty minutes rooting around for that pair of pliers or that box of random screws, because everything is in its place. And that place can often roll around and follow you to wherever you need to work. Tool boxes are terrific, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be improved and augmented. Whether your tool box is a small, efficient unit or a behemoth with deep drawers and pull-out trays, you …

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 gaming monitors, having an ultra-wide curved screen takes the experience to the next level, with a more immersive experience than a regular monitor. Unfortunately, that improved experience tends to come at a much higher price. But there are budget monitors that go on sale, making it much more affordable to upgrade your gaming without hurting your wallet too much. Samsung is currently selling its 34-inch Samsung Odyssey G5 for $279.99 (originally $399.99). Samsung 34-Inch Odysse…

I've used my main Gmail account for about 20 years now, and I'm quite proud of how I've maintained it. My inbox isn't overflowing with unread emails, my storage has never been full, and I've set up hundreds of filters to directly send useless emails right to the trash. I don't use any third-party tools to tame that chaos, and I'm here to share all the hacks I've set up to keep my Gmail inbox under control. Manage email subscriptions to tame your inbox chaosYou should start clearing out your inbox by looking at all of your email newsletter subscriptions. In the past, I've been guilty of subscribing to way too many newsletters and cluttering my inbox. What started out as a …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A comfortable, good-looking pair of headphones with bass-forward sound and deep Apple integration doesn’t usually dip below the $100 mark, but this one just did. The Beats Studio Pro headphones in factory-reconditioned condition are down to $94.99 on Woot. Beats Studio Pro headphones $94.99 at Woot …