Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Netflix has built a subscriber base more than 270 million strong on the backs of some great original TV series, and there’s a fair chance you’re watching (or have already binged) the biggies, from Stranger Things, to Bridgerton, to The Witcher, Ripley, and more. Even if you haven’t seen them, these shows are buzzy enough that you know their names—but there's more where they came from, including shows that are as good as (or better than) those flagship series. Here, in no particular order, are 40 of Netflix’s most entertaining, underrated originals—shows you maybe aren’t watching, but definitely should be. The Residence (20…

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Safari is better than Chrome. Apple's default browser runs faster, is less cluttered, offers privacy features Google would never contemplate, and doesn't try to cram AI down your throat. But that doesn't mean Safari is perfect. Like all browsers, it works better if you install the right extensions. Here are a few I've found in the past year or so that make the best browser even better. Block ads and other clutter Credit: Justin Pot The internet is increasingly useless without a good ad…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. In this age of digital distraction, streaming services have given us easy access to thousands of films from across the last century. I never need to rewatch a movie again! And yet here I am, queuing up Back to the Future for the nth time. Because sometimes, you just want a known quantity, and some movies seem designed to be watched again and again. Others simply go down so agreeably that you can't help but find them comforting. The pop culture critic Sarah D. Bunting has a name for these endlessly rewatchable flicks: "poppy-fields movies." Like the enchanted flowers outside the palace in The Wizard of Oz (see below), you c…

Neighbor relations can be fraught—a whopping three-fourths of Americans dislike at least one neighbor, although just about the same number of people report being friends with a neighbor as well. It's safe to say that most people want to be good neighbors, and are generally willing to observe little courtesies like keeping the noise down or accommodating the occasional contractor truck parked on the street. Sometimes you want to go a little above and beyond for a neighbor and do a surprise good deed. The idea of helping someone out with no expectation of reward can make you feel great, and seems like a surefire way to build a solid neighbor relationship and bank some good …

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. On Friday, Oct. 3, Discord announced that a third-party service provider it uses for customer service efforts suffered a breach. It warned a "limited number of users" who had communications with certain Discord teams were affected, though the "unauthorized party" did not gain access to any Discord networks directly. In that initial announcement, Discord said a number of user data types might have been stolen. That included their names, usernames, email addresses, billing information, last four digits of cre…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Ever wish you were a runner? Whether you want to follow in our own Meredith Dietz's footsteps and run a marathon, or just want to get a little VO2max boost with something like a Norwegian 4x4 workout, you have to get comfortable with running. You probably have some questions about how, exactly, you “become” a runner, beyond putting on shoes and going outside. Fortunately, we have answers. Here are the most important things to master in your first few weeks. Set some beginner-level goals"Be a runner" is a really vague goal, so think about what that means to you. Do you envision yourself as somebody who goes for a jog every …

Every part of life has its lingo, and the gym is no exception. We’ve collected a list of the lifting-related words that most often confuse beginners, so read on to learn what you might be missing. EquipmentBarbellsA barbell is the bar that you load the plates on, either empty (the “empty bar”) or loaded (for example, “a 225 pound barbell”). A standard Olympic-sized barbell is 20 kilograms, or in many American gyms, 45 pounds. (20 kilos is 44 pounds, so it doesn’t really matter which is which.) There are a variety of other barbells that exist, including Olympic women’s bars that weigh 15 kilos, EZ-curl bars with an ergonomic curve to them, and more. We have a guide to al…

While no one is entirely immune to the threat of malware, you can certainly minimize your risk by following good digital hygiene practices when browsing the internet, downloading apps, and engaging with emails or messages with links or attachments. That said, if you notice your PC is running slowly, programs or apps are crashing repeatedly or unexpectedly, or you see software or processes you don't recognize, you may have a malware infection. To identify malware and remove it from your PC, follow these steps. Disconnect your device from the internetFirst things first: cut off any internet connection to your computer. This prevents malware from spreading through your net…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Once you start down the path of DIY, you'll soon realize that any time you find yourself wishing someone had created a tool to serve a specific purpose, someone probably has—no matter how narrow the use case. Case in point: The cordless blower/inflator. This tool is exactly what it sounds like. Shaped like a power drill, it simply...blows air (though sort of like a handheld leaf blower, these tools typically come with an array of nozzles to give you a bit of precision with the flow of your forced air). You might think this sounds like a tool you’ll never actually need, because you have lungs. But I'm here to convince you t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A four-pack of these TSA-approved travel locks is currently on sale for $79.99 on StackSocial, the same price as a three-pack on Amazon. It’s designed for Apple users, integrating directly with the Find My app, so you can track your bags on a map, ping them with sound if they’re nearby, or get alerts if you’ve walked off and left them behind. Each lock uses a simple three-digit combination and is TSA-approved, meaning airport security can access it without cutting it open. The build is solid, featuring a durable alloy shell and a thick cable loop th…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A new update to Garmin watches brings a rucking activity, with a pack weight setting, to the Instinct 3 (both regular and Tactical), the Fenix 8 series, and the Enduro 3. Rucking is also available at launch for the new Forerunners, the 570 and the 970. The same software update also brings breathing variation detection to a wide variety of watches, including Vivoactive, Venu, Lily, and Forerunner models. Rucking—walking with a weighted pack—is both a fitness activity for people looking for a little exercise, and a necessity for many hikers and backpackers. But without a specific activity or pack weight setting, the only ob…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Sure, the refrigerator can keep food fresher longer, but for serious life extension, the freezer is where you should focus your attention. Preserving food isn’t just better for reducing food waste, it’s crucial for staying on budget, especially as grocery prices hit new highs. Stop the pattern of bulk buying and bulk tossing spoiled food, and get comfortable with freezing more of your grocery haul. Here are the best ways to pack your freezer, the best things to freeze, and how to do it. Organized freezers fit more and stay coldBefore we dive into specific foods, it’s important to set a standard for freezer organization. Ke…

For the last 10 years, all of my moves have happened within about a 15-block radius. For personal reasons (a dislike of annoyance and paperwork), I may never leave this neighborhood in Manhattan. Then again, I may not have a choice. You never know when something—a great job opportunity or the sudden desire to experience something new—may come up. If and when you find yourself moving not just locally, but quite a distance, there are some unexpected hurdles you'll need to keep in mind that differentiate this from your standard move. Your budget has to be on pointBudgeting for any kind of move is a key to not going broke during the process, but your expenses for a longer mo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Practicing a new language can be fun, but premium language apps can be expensive. Babbel makes it easier with practical, bite-sized lessons designed for real-life use, focusing on conversations you’d actually have—ordering food, chatting with the locals, asking for directions (read PCMag's in-depth review of Babbel to learn more)—and right now, its lifetime subscription is on sale for a huge discount: A lifetime subscription to Babbel is on sale for $159 with promo code LEARN. The sale ends October 2. It's a one-time payment—no recurring fees, no mo…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve ever thought about practicing a new language, then put it off because an owl got too passive-aggressive, this Rosetta Stone deal might be more your speed. StackSocial is offering a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone for $179.99 right now, down from its usual $399. That’s a pretty deep cut for anyone curious about dipping into Spanish, French, Korean, or even something less commonly studied, like Irish or Farsi. You can access 25 languages in total, though you can only use one at a time. You can switch between them anytime, making it gr…

Earlier this year, OpenAI announced ChatGPT apps. Not the ChatGPT app, mind you: That's been out for more than a couple years now. ChatGPT apps, on the other hand, are programs that work within ChatGPT. You can access them in any given conversation with ChatGPT—in fact, they may appear based on the context of the conversation. These aren't necessarily apps that OpenAI builds itself, either; rather, you'll find options here based on apps you may use yourself. The initial batch of apps included with the feature's rollout included Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify, and Zillow—big apps you've likely used before. While in a conversation with ChatGPT, you …

Google is trying to add Gemini AI to all its products. We've even seen the Gemini button in Gmail (which you can disable if you wish). Now, the company is starting to get more specific with that email integration, using AI to automatically add events to your Google calendar if an email provides enough details for it. The feature is already rolling out, so Gemini Advanced subscribers and Google Workspace for Business users can expect to start seeing the new Add to Calendar button, powered by Gemini, when relevant. It'll be right next to the "Summarize this email" button, above the email's body. As an example, let's say you have an email discussing an upcoming meeting with …

Alongside a couple of new Surface devices, Microsoft has also announced a number of notable upgrades on the way for Windows 11, covering the Start menu, Copilot AI, and core Windows utilities such as Paint and the Snipping Tool. The Start menu changes are significant, and I wrote about them last month when they were first spotted in hidden code. The menu is becoming bigger, more customizable, and more usable, with the option to see all apps immediately—and several options for how those apps are arranged on screen. If you don't want to see recommended shortcuts (to recent files, for example), these can be hidden. You can also increase the size of the pinned apps p…

Spring cleaning time is around the corner and while you’re prepping your regular to-do list, there are a few things you might be overlooking—we all have blind spots, after all. Let’s go over a few of the places you are likely to forget about so you can add them into your routine. Once you familiarize yourself with these suggestions and tips, you can use this checklist I created in Google Sheets to help remind you about what you might have missed. You can make your own copy out of this doc and open it up every couple of months to check off each of the tasks as you work through them. Most overlooked spots in your bathroomYou already know to clean your toilet (and how not t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Vegetable plants are expensive. To get the best yield out of them, you need to pay attention to more than just the soil, sun, and watering. You need to get your plants off on the right foot by planting them the right way. Here's what I mean. Choose the right plant at the nursery Credit: Amanda Blum When I first started gardening, I thought the best vegetable starts to buy were the ones that were the biggest, with flowers and fruit already on them. This would give the plant a he…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you’ve ever painted a room in your house or apartment, you know the pain of storing leftover paint. You pour the excess from the rolling pan into the paint can, you tap the lid back into place with a hammer, and you stick the old can somewhere out of the way, where you promptly forget about it. Then the day comes when you need to touch up the room or repaint it entirely, and you haul that old can out from its hiding place, only to discover that time has not been kind to your paint. If your old paint hasn’t aged well—it’s skinned over, chunky, or otherwise dubious—but you really don’t want to spend money on a fresh can j…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve been meaning to try a VPN but keep putting it off because of price tags and commitment anxiety, this Surfshark deal might break your cycle. StackSocial is offering a three-year subscription to the Surfshark VPN Starter Plan for $83.99, but with code SURF20, it drops to $67.20 through today, March 27. That’s about $1.86 per month, which is a serious markdown compared to Surfshark’s heavily discounted $59.13 per year. The catch is that it’s for new users only, but if you qualify, it’s one of the cheapest ways to get solid privacy tools witho…

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. If there’s one area where MacBooks lag behind Windows laptops, it’s gaming. But if there’s another area, it’s display technology. Yep, while Apple still stands behind its trademark LCD “retina” displays, Windows machines have been adopting OLED and touchscreens for years now. Luckily, according to industry experts, MacBook owners will soon be able to plan on having better screens, too. The latest rumors come courtesy of TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as well as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, …

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…

So many great productivity hacks come from the Japanese manufacturing industry. The 5S technique helps you keep your workspace clean so you can get more done, kaizen helps you improve the processes and workflow of your job, and kanban helps you schedule your tasks in the most efficient way. These are helpful even if you’re not working within the famed Toyota Production System; they’re adaptable to fit all kinds of work scenarios, which is similarly true for the 3 Ms that originated there, too. The 3 Ms are kinds of waste you should identify and eliminate to keep your work running smoothly. Once you learn how to identify and get rid of them, you can be even more productive…