Setting Up Your Home Office

A new cyberattack is targeting Microsoft 365 users through Signal and WhatsApp messages, with hackers impersonating government officials in order to gain access to accounts. According to reporting from Bleeping Computer, bad actors—who are believed to be Russians pretending to be European political officials or diplomats—are contacting employees of organizations working on issues related to Ukraine and human rights. The end goal is to trick targets into clicking an OAuth phishing link leading them to authenticate their Microsoft 365 credentials. This scam, first discovered by cybersecurity firm Volexity, has focused specifically on organizations related to Ukraine, but …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Lots of apps are getting built-in AI features these days, and they’re often disappointing. They’ll summarize (sometimes incorrectly) the same data that’s already available in charts or graphs elsewhere in the app. But the AI advisor that was recently added to the Oura ring's app takes a different strategy, one that I’ve come to appreciate over the past few weeks since its launch. Instead of just reporting data, it asks questions. It asks you to do a little analysis, a little introspection. And I think Oura is really onto something here. Some of the questions the Oura Advisor has asked meI’ll admit that, at first, I was in…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. There hasn't been a better opportunity for Android users to get a Google Pixel Watch, provided they don't mind being a bit behind the times: Woot is currently selling the first generation GPS + Cellular Google Pixel Watch for $79.99, 76% off the original $329.99selling price. This is the cheapest the wearable has ever been, according to price tracking tools. (Note that Woot only ships to the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. If you have Amazon Prime, you get free shipping; otherwise, it’ll be $6 to ship.) Goog…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Following a tariff-induced delay, retailers officially kicked off Nintendo Switch 2 preorders on Thursday. I could tell you that preorders went smoothly across all stores, and that there was plenty of stock for everyone who wanted one of Nintendo's new consoles. I could tell you that, but I'd be lying. The Switch 2's preorder launch was never going to be seamless: The console has eight years of hype built up around it, and fans want their chance to secure the first Nintendo console to play games in 4K. Even still, the preorder situation was rough: There were endless digital queues, error screens, and, in Best Buy's case, …

I thought it was just me, a non-native English speaker, who loved watching everything with subtitles on. But clearly, it's not. Based on a recent survey, more than 50% of US viewers watch content with the subtitles on. And there are many reasons why. Sometimes you want to watch something on a low volume in bed, and sometimes it's just too hard to understand what a character is saying. Or, you could be watching with cheap TV speakers that make your audio hard to hear. Netflix is starting to understand this, and so for people who don't necessarily need to see sound effects in their subtitles, is adding a new dialogue-only subtitles mode. This mode removes text-descriptions …

In a move that should surprise no one, Meta—the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—wants to monetize its websites. Threads, which launched two years ago, had somehow mostly avoided showing ads until now, only allowing a limited number to certain users in the US and Japan. But the site has become quite popular since then, so now, it's time for it to start contributing to the family business. Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced this update in a Threads post this week, which reads, "Ads are rolling out more broadly on Threads today, and our goal is still for them to enhance your overall experience. We’re closely monitoring and will continue listening to you…

A good main-course meat can be made great with a complementary finishing sauce. This might look like a drizzle of an espagnole sauce, a buttery pan sauce, an easy board sauce, or maybe a bright vinaigrette, but lately I’ve been branching out. My latest meat sauce obsession is sizzling oil sauces. They’re delicious, fragrant, and—best of all—nearly impossible to screw up. I first started using this Chinese technique after making recipes from The Woks of Life, a delightful and approachable cookbook that you should check out (read my review here). This flash-fried sauce pops up regularly in the book as a dressing or a dipping sauce for meats and vegetables, and it’s a suref…

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 had to sit through a meeting with a whiteboard full of scribbles and arrows, you probably understand the need for a good diagramming tool. Right now, Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional is on sale for $19.97 for a lifetime license on StackSocial for new users only. It’s priced low enough to justify adding to your digital toolbox, whether you use it often or just occasionally. It’s the same full version of Visio Pro, licensed for one Windows PC, no subscription required. Visio turns overwhelming data into clean visuals. Visio keeps thing…

Siri is struggling. It's struggling to respond to simple questions or create simple calendar events. And the end still isn't in sight, now that Apple has mostly delayed Apple Intelligence's "smarter Siri" until the end of the year. Meanwhile, Perplexity AI's new Voice Assistant is here now, trying to capitalize on Apple's mess. In addition to answering questions, the AI's new Voice Mode is able to create calendar events and reminders, play music, and more. It can hold conversations, and even perform some web-based tasks. These are things that Siri just can't do, at least not yet. How to use Perplexity Voice Assistant on iOSDownload and open the latest version of the Perpl…

You might not be familiar with the phrase "peanut butter platform heels" but it apparently originates from a scientific experiment, where peanut butter was transformed into a diamond-like structure, under very high pressure—hence the "heels" reference. Except this never happened. The phrase is complete nonsense, but was given a definition and backstory by Google AI Overviews when asked by writer Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios, as per this Threads post (which contains some other amusing examples). The internet picked this up and ran with it. Apparently, "you can't lick a badger twice" means you can't trick someone twice (Bluesky), "a loose dog won't surf" means somethi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. There’s a little game I like to play sometimes, and it seems to be popular with other folks who tend to work out at home: What equipment would I buy if I were starting a new home gym from scratch? You can also play the advanced version: If you already have (insert common items here), what would you buy next? What follow are my picks for anybody starting a new home gym or looking to expand the one they have—whether that means a corner of your bedroom or a full-on garage-based weightlifting paradise. I'll start with space- and budget-friendly items, then move on to some bigger-ticket buys. Kettlebells If I had to put togeth…

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 eyeing a headset that toes the line between immersive tech and affordability, the Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation is currently down to $89.99 on Woot (for six days or until it's sold out). That’s about $30 cheaper than Amazon’s current price and the lowest it’s ever been, according to price trackers. It ships with a 90-day Woot warranty, but do note: shipping isn’t available to Alaska, Hawaii, or P.O. boxes. Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation …

Data breaches targeting healthcare and compromising patient information seem to be coming fast and furious, the latest of which occurred at Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), a massive nonprofit healthcare network in Connecticut. Hackers stole the data of more than 5.5 million individuals during an attack in March 2025. Other major cyber incidents revealed by healthcare organizations in recent weeks include Blue Shield of California's exposure of 4.7 million members' data to Google along with a breach at Maryland's Frederick Health Medical Group, which affected nearly a million patients. What happened at Yale New Haven Health? According to a public notice on the YNHHS websi…

If you're a gamer born in the '80s or '90s, you might have some strong nostalgia for the Nintendo GameCube. It's not just your childhood memories fueling those opinions: It's a great console, with classic library to boot: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; Mario Kart: Double Dash; and Super Smash Bros. Melee, just to name a few. It might be tempting, then, to pick up a new GameCube controller, specifically designed for Nintendo Switch 2, and all the GameCube games Nintendo plans to make available through a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. If you're lucky enough to snag the new console at launch, you'll be able to play Wind Waker, Soulcalibur II, and F-Zero GX, with …

The Department of Education announced Monday that the Federal Student Aid (FSA) will restart collections on defaulted student loans beginning May 5. Even before this news, millions of borrowers were already seeing their credit scores plunge in recent months, and loan servicers are warning that a record number of borrowers are at risk of defaulting by the end of the year. I recently covered the basics of what you need to know about the upcoming changes, as well as how to prepare for them. Now, let's dive a little deeper into how borrowers suffering through collections can navigate their financial future. What the end of the pause means for your finances"Many people have be…

Back in December, Sony rolled out themes for the first time on PS5. While the selection was nowhere near the variety offered by other consoles, they were enticing all the same: These themes were modeled after the UI designs of all previous PlayStation consoles, including the PSOne, PS2, PS3, and PS4. These themes are, frankly, really cool. They adopt each console's unique sound design, like the clicks you hear when switching between menu items. If you had a PS3 back in the day, you'd probably like the wave background this PS5 theme adds here. Similarly, PS2 fans would appreciate the second generation's menu shapes. If you had a particular favorite, you could inject a lit…

I was recently having lunch with a couple friends and their 7-year-old and we ordered a giant soft pretzel with beer cheese. As we mindlessly broke off pieces of the pretzel during our chatter, I noticed how the small human was silently eating her pretzel piece—salt first—and I saw a bit of myself in her. I have a vivid memory of being in middle school at a friend’s house and eating seasoned salt straight off of a plate. Eating salt so voraciously isn't wrong, per se, but sadly, the love affair can’t last forever. While my love for sodium chloride crystals has hardly faded, I am of an age where I need to chill on my salt intake as I am interested in longevity. Am I per…

When you're selling your home, many factors can influence whether it sits on the market for weeks or gets multiple offers right away. Everything from its location to its condition can affect the speed of the sale and the final price, and you don’t always have control over all of them. One thing you can control—at least to a degree—is the your home's lighting. “In my experience, buyers aren't just buying square footage; they're buying a feeling,” says Jonathan Ayala, a real estate agent at Hudson Condos in New Jersey. “And lighting is a subtle but powerful way to exert that influence. It's the difference between a buyer perceiving ‘this space needs work’ and ‘I can see mys…

Many, but far from all, otherwise mobile-only applications are available on the Mac App Store for Macs with an Apple silicon processor. Such Macs can hypothetically run any iPhone or iPad application, though individual developers can choose whether or not to offer that functionality. There are multiple reasons why a company might not offer their iPhone app on Mac—maybe they don't want to optimize it for a bigger display, maybe it's broken in some way, or maybe they just aren't interested in supporting another platform. You might disagree with that decision, though, and wondering whether it's possible to use those apps on your Mac anyway. And it is, sort of: PlayCover is a…

Several hit Paramount+ shows are returning with new seasons in May. The seventh installment of The Chi, Lena Waithe's drama about life on the South Side of Chicago, will premiere on May 16. Original crime series Criminal Minds: Evolution (May 8) is returning for its 18th season, along with season three of medical drama SkyMed (May 15), which follows medics and pilots flying air ambulances in Northern Canada, and season 10 of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (May 9). Paramount+ will also broadcast the American Music Awards (AMAs)—hosted by Jennifer Lopez—on May 26, along with a live studio show hosted by football star David Beckham. Beckham & Friends Live is an …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Pixel 9 is the latest series of the Google Pixel phone lineup. They were released late last summer along with the 9 Pro and Pro XL, while the budget Pixel 9a came out earlier this year. If you're looking for the latest middle-of-the-pack Pixel, the 128 GB unlocked Pixel 9 is just $639.99 (originally $799) after a $160 discount, the second-lowest price it has been since its release, according to price-tracking tools. Google Pixel 9 (128 GB) Storage: 128 …

After the battery woes surrounding the Pixel 4a and the promise of an eventual reduction in battery capacity for the Pixel 9a, Google is now proactively tackling any future battery issues that Pixel 7a owners may face. In a support document, the company said it has now determined that some Pixel 7a devices may experience battery swelling, and is offering a free battery replacement to everyone impacted by this issue. Here's everything you need to know about the problem and how to get a free battery replacement for your Pixel 7a. Identifying the signs of a failing batteryOne major limitation of lithium-ion batteries is degradation. Over time, these batteries experience redu…

The Shortcuts app comes preloaded on the iPhone and can be used to set up quick automations; you can set up shortcuts that can execute multiple options at the same time. For example, you can connect to your HomePod and play instrumental music while dimming your smart lights, all at once, with a tap. If you're new to the Shortcuts app, start here with seven recommended automations. Strangely, Apple never offered a shortcut action for simply opening an iMessage thread. In iOS 18.4, though, Apple is fixing that mistake. And because Shortcuts is so well integrated across the entire iOS software, you can then add this shortcut to the Lock Screen, the Control Center, and even t…

Dark or light mode: Some people prefer one over the other all day, every day, and they're wrong. The enlightened among us know the truth: It's best to use light mode when it's light and dark mode when it's dark. That's why macOS, in the Appearance section of System Settings, offers an Auto option, which switches to dark mode at sundown. This works well enough if you're working in a room with windows, I suppose, but that's not everyone's workspace. There are all kinds of reasons you might be in a dark room during the day and a light room during the night. These are the exact situations DarkModeBuddy solves. This tiny open-source application uses the light sensors built in…