Setting Up Your Home Office

Impersonation scams are everywhere: bad actors are constantly trying to convince you that they represent organizations like LinkedIn, PayPal, your bank, the FBI, the FTC, and the IRS as they look to steal your money and information. When it comes to phishing schemes, which typically try to trick you into handing over sensitive data or account credentials via malicious links, tech brands are (perhaps not surprisingly) among the most commonly spoofed. A recent report from Check Point Research found that Microsoft was imitated in nearly a quarter of all branded phishing attempts in Q4 of last year—nearly double the next most-impersonated company. The most popular brands f…

Your eyes are fragile, complex, and important to your well-being, but taking care of them can be expensive. First of all, it’s not easy to get glasses without a recent prescription, and the average cost of an eye exam without insurance coverage is close to $200. The average cost of the glasses themselves is about $230—and that’s before you add on the coatings you need. This can be a real challenge for the estimated 63% of Americans who don’t have vision insurance, meaning they’re paying out of pocket. There are resources that can offer low-cost or even free eye exams and glasses, however, if you meet certain requirements (like income level and lack of insurance). If you o…

If you're in the market for a new Tesla, your fancy new electric car is going to be a little less smart—unless you pony up for a subscription. According to reporting from Elektrek and buying experiences from drivers, the company is ditching the basic Autopilot mode that used to come standard in new vehicles, and is now pushing buyers to subscribe to Full Self-Driving instead. Before, Autopilot consisted of two minor but helpful driving assist features. The first was Traffic Aware Cruise Control, which automatically adjusts speed based on the speed limit and surrounding cars, and the second was Autosteer, which helps keep you in the center of your lane. The idea was that, …

A new phishing campaign identified by Malwarebytes Labs targets AT&T customers with text messages about expiring rewards points. Users are urged to claim their rewards ASAP by clicking the included link, which is actually designed to harvest sensitive personal information. AT&T rewards scam phishes personal informationTargets for this scam have received texts containing a "Rewards Expiration Notice" urging them to redeem points in their AT&T account before they are scheduled to expire. The message includes a specific points balance and expiration date along with two "recommended redemption methods": AT&T Rewards Center: [shorturl link] AT&T Mobile Ap…

As a rule of thumb, if you receive an unsolicited text, especially one claiming to include a security code, it's likely part of a phishing scheme. Such is the case with a recent spate of unprompted texts purporting to be from the crypto wallet service Coinbase. If you receive such a message, even if you have a Coinbase account, delete it. Someone is likely trying to scam you. Coinbase isn't texting you Here's how the scam works: You receive an unsolicited text message that reads "Your Coinbase withdrawal code is..." followed by a six-digit number. The message continues: "Please do not share this code with anyone. If you have no requested this, please call:" followed by a…

Some Grubhub users have received a tempting email offer from the food delivery service: Send $1,000 in bitcoin to a specified wallet, and get 10 times that amount back. Unfortunately, this is very much a scam. As BleepingComputer reports, these promo emails were sent from addresses on b.grubhub.com, a legitimate Grubhub subdomain, so they appear verified in recipients' inboxes. Two examples of senders include merry-christmast@b.grubhub.com and crypto-promotion@b.grubhub.com. Beyond that, there are some pretty clear red flags. The subject line reads "30 minutes left - We'll 10x your Bitcoin!" to promote a sense of urgency and an offer too good to be true (but also too g…

If your iPhone has been lost or stolen, you'd probably be relieved to get it back, even if it is has been weeks or months since you've replaced your device. Having your old phone in hand may provide some peace of mind that your data is secure, and if nothing else, you can sell or trade it in or repurpose it for another use. Unfortunately, you're pretty unlikely to see your missing iPhone again, but bad actors are hoping you hold out enough hope to fall for a phishing scam promising that your device has been found. How the lost iPhone scam worksAccording to a warning from the Swiss National Cyber Security Center, some iPhone owners whose devices were lost or stolen are r…

When a big-box store files for bankruptcy and goes out of business, there's often an opportunity to buy its products at rock-bottom prices. But scammers are taking advantage of our love of a good deal: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning consumers about online clearance sales being advertised by fraudsters impersonating Joann Fabric and Crafts. Joann Fabric and Crafts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (twice) and in February 2025 announced plans to shutter its stores with going-out-of-business sales. On March 5, the business disabled purchases on its website, but scammers have been promoting online clearance sales using ads on social media sites and running away …

Another PayPal phishing scam is circulating, this time with email notifications about recurring or automatic payments. The messages originate from a legitimate PayPal address, allowing them to evade some security filters and leave recipients worried that their accounts have been compromised—perhaps just enough to ignore the obvious red flags and call or email scammers back. I personally have been targeted by this scam with at least five separate emails, though all have gone straight to my spam folder. Here's how scammers are exploiting PayPal settings to land in your inbox. How the PayPal scam worksIf you're targeted by this campaign, you may receive an email with the s…

I'm just a humble immigrant, but as a mere (legal!) guest in the U.S., I can't help but notice that the country is rather, shall we say, politically divided these days (sorry if pointing that out seems rude). It seems international scammers have also noticed—and are taking advantage in subtle ways. Recently, investor Fred Benenson blogged about a sophisticated phishing campaign targeting SendGrid users. Phishers sent emails claiming the company was going to add a large "Support ICE" button at the bottom of every outgoing email unless users opted out. The emails also featured a large blue button promising to help you disable the message, which, when clicked, naturally led …

A new phishing scam is targeting Apple Pay users, attempting to lock them into phony support calls or emails that could see them handing over their passwords and credit card numbers. The news was first highlighted by AppleInsider and involves warnings that look suspiciously like official Apple messaging. While AppleInsider's report doesn't link to any specific user complaints of this happening, it does include example screenshots, and reports matching AppleInsider's description have popped up on both Reddit and Apple's official support forums over the last 30 days. The scam might come over either email or text, and usually warns the recipient about a potentially fraudulen…

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. Studying is about so much more than just rereading some chapters and notes. That said, while it's a good idea to have a strategy for actually retaining what you’re going over, if your method is too convoluted, you’ll never stick to it—and then it's just as useless as mindlessly rereading the same section five times. The best study methods not only rely on research and established understandings of how memory works, but are easy to incorporate in a practical way. The "123" method meets all the criteria of…

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. 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. Diversifying your studying techniques is a great way to stay more engaged as you learn new information, but know this: The classic methods are classic for a reason. Take flashcards, for instance. You've certainly used them in the past, but you may not have been using them in a way that maximized their benefits. Behold the Leitner system, which provides more structure to the tried-and-true practice of studying with flashcards and might be the jumpstart you…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Tracking symptoms of your menstrual cycle can be surprisingly effective at identifying when you’re likely to get pregnant. One of the best metrics to track is body temperature, which wearables can pick up on. The Natural Cycles app already works with your Apple Watch or Oura Ring, but now the company is launching its own smart band. As I noted in my CES fitness trends roundup, smart bands are having a moment. Whoop used to be the only major screenless tracking band out there, but we now have Amazfit, Polar, and may soon see Luna and Speediance fitness bands. Garmin has a sleep tracking band. And now, this band from Natura…

The grand Samsung Galaxy S25 unveiling was also the first time anyone got a good look at One UI 7, Samsung's take on Android 15—it's now available on the Galaxy S25 handsets, and will be making its way to older models as well in the coming months. Among the many new features the software update ushers in, one of the most useful is the Now Bar. The Now Bar works a bit like the Live Activities shown on the iPhone's Dynamic Island, which was introduced with iOS 16. It builds on the existing persistent notifications feature that Android already has—those notifications that stick on screen if you've got music playing, for example, or if you're running a timer. …

Today is April 1, April Fools’ Day, the annual holiday that celebrates pranking, hoaxes, and all manner of horseplay and tomfoolery. But why? Where did this faux holiday come from? Why do we do this to each other, and when will we finally just stop? These are surprisingly tricky questions, and April Fools' Day has been around for a surprisingly long time. As far back as 1708, the British newspaper Apollo asked, “Whence proceeds the custom of making April Fools?” and provided unconvincing answers. So we know the April Fools' tradition goes back centuries, but the exact origins of the holiday are still a mystery. There are theories, but they all reek faintly of bullshit. A…

I just learned that one of my favorite ways to pass the time in a hotel gym has been given a catchy name and a celebrity endorsement. It’s the 15-15-15 workout, and it will give you a good 45-minute cardio session even if you cannot stand doing anything for 45 minutes straight. What is the 15-15-15 workout? The 15-15-15 is a simple idea: You just do 15 minutes each on three different cardio machines. Like so: 15 minutes on a spin bike 15 minutes on the elliptical 15 minutes on a treadmill I’ve often done a version of this when I’m at one of those sad hotel gyms with few or no weights, just cardio machines. There’s usually a treadmill, an elliptical, and/or a bike, so I’…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Pomodoro technique is one of the most established and oft-recommended productivity methods, praised for its effectiveness and simplicity: It combines time for deep work with periods of reward, and the mix proves effective for many because deep work and breaks are both crucial elements to getting things done. The popularity of Pomodoro has also inspired offshoots that iterate on its philosophies, and one of them might hold particular appeal if you like to relax after completing a task by watching TV. It's called "animedoro," and if the name reminds you of Japanese cartoons, there's a reason for that. What is the animed…

What if a team of super magicians used their talent and training to stage elaborate heists? That’s the high concept that drives the Now You See Me franchise. Critics were lukewarm when Now You See Me was released in 2013, categorizing the film as a heist flick with thin characters and a plot that fell apart as often as it twisted, but Now You See Me pulled off its own escape act—audiences loved the movie's flashy style, whipsaw pace, and all-star cast featuring names like Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, and Morgan Freeman. The result was box office magic: a movie with a $75M budget that returned over $300M worldwide. Now You See Me has since grown into an …

What are you doing this weekend? Don't know? Now you do: You're going to organize and declutter your home with the "out in the open" method. This technique is helpful whether you have a cluttered space, live in a relatively tidy home, or even are hyper-organized. Here's what you need to do. What is the "out in the open" method?This decluttering and organizing technique, like a lot of others, comes from tidy-home gurus The Minimalists. Essentially, you pull everything out of the space you're trying to organize, whether it's your closet, a cupboard, or a junk drawer. Truly, pull it all out and pile it up. The Minimalists say this approach is the opposite of one of their ot…

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. Researchers have demonstrated a new type of malware attack that can steal sensitive information from Android devices—including Google and Samsung phones—without the knowledge or action of the target user. The attack is called "Pixnapping," an apparent portmanteau of "pixel" and "snapping." When you download and open a piece of software containing the malware, the app scans your phone for specific apps it might want to spy on. It then accesses another app on your phone—say, Google Authenticator—but rather th…

I hit 250 days on my Duolingo streak this week. That's more than eight months of consecutive daily Spanish lessons. My virtual owl loves me! There's just one problem: I'm not actually any better at speaking Spanish than I was in March. I'm just better at playing Duolingo. Somewhere along the way, keeping the streak alive became more important than learning the language. That same rewiring happens with all my health-related apps. It doesn't take long before I'm more focused on getting a hit of dopamine from building my streak than I am with the hard work of hitting my fitness goals. I've written before about how chasing the concept of "wellness" stopped serving my well-be…

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. Australian indie game studio Team Cherry released Hollow Knight: Silksong on Sept. 4, and within three weeks, the combat/platformer climbed up Steam's most played chart, made Xbox's most played list, and gained legions of fans on Switch and PlayStation consoles. So a lot of people are playing it. If you're one of them, and you've uncovered every secret in Pharloom (or you just need a break), here are 10 more games you might like. They're (roughly) all in the metroidvania family of games, so they feature 2D …

When Apple's AirTags first launched, I thought that the devices would prove to be useless once the novelty wore off, but after using them for about a year, my assumption has proved to be wrong. AirTags have quite a few useful hidden features that make the product worth checking out even if you're someone who doesn't lose things often. Here are the best hidden features of your Apple AirTags. Rename your AirTagsIt sounds obvious, but you really should rename your AirTags to make it easy to identify each item they're attached to. Instead of having them named "Pranay's AirTags #1," you can change it to something like "Pranay's Blue Backpack." To do this, go to the Find My app…