Setting Up Your Home Office

If you've signed up for an Amazon Prime subscription in the last few years, you may have some cash coming your way. Amazon recently settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over deceptive enrollment and cancellation practices, including enrolling customers in Prime without their consent and making it difficult to cancel. The company is now set to pay out $1.5 billion in refunds to affected consumers. Here's who qualifies, and how to make sure you get your money. Am I eligible for an Amazon Prime refund? Refunds will be paid out to select Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. In order to qualify, you must also meet the following criteria: You signed up f…

OLED is a fantastic display technology. Unlike an LCD, which uses a single backlight for all the pixels of the display, all of the pixels on an OLED display can be individually lit up or turned off entirely. That means dark areas of the screen are inky black, while brighter areas can be selectively illuminated. It just looks fantastic, and if I have the option, I always try to choose it. OLED isn't new tech at this point, and yet, Apple has been slow to adopt it into its products, especially when compared to some of its competitors. The company's first device to feature OLED was the Apple Watch in 2015, then the iPhone X in 2017, whereas every Samsung Galaxy has featured …

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…

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. Best Buy has joined the battle against Amazon's Prime Big Deals Day, the fall version of Prime Day. There will actually be two sales leading up to Best Buy's main Techtober sale, so I've rounded up all the info below to help you keep things straight. All of Best Buy's October salesBest Buy's fall sale is actually three separate sales from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12. Here are the dates of…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re a developer, hobbyist, or just someone trying to keep up with modern programming tools without emptying your wallet, this deal might catch your eye: Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 is currently on sale for just $9.97 on StackSocial—down from its usual $499. The sale ends October 12, and it's a one-time payment for lifetime access. Once you buy, the redemption code gets emailed to you instantly, and you have 30 days to activate it. There are no recurring fees, just a fully loaded development environment with features that make cod…

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. In an early Prime Day deal, the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni robot vacuum and mop has dropped to $800 (originally $1,100) for Prime members—that marks its lowest price ever, according to price-tracking tools. With highly rated reviews from both consumers and professional testers, this is one of the most powerful and popular robot vacuum/mop hybrids on the market. …

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. Last year, I wrote that we should all be scared of Sora, OpenAI's AI video generator. Sora's initial rollout promised hyper-realistic videos that, while exciting to some, terrified me. While AI fans see a future of AI-generated movies and shows, I see a future where no one can tell what's real or fake. To me, the only destination for this technology is mass disinformation. In the year and a half since, these AI-generated videos haven't only become more realistic; they've also become more accessible, as compa…

The ongoing feud between Disney and Google is heating up. It all started last week, when Disney pulled its channels from YouTube TV, Google's Live TV service, over fee disputes. Now, Disney seems to be pulling content from other Google services as well. As first noted by 9to5Google, Disney movies are starting to disappear from YouTube's pay-per-view offerings too, and even other platforms like Google TV. For instance, try typing "Avengers" into your YouTube search bar right now. Aside from trailers and videos uploaded from individual users, you're more likely to see a rental option pop up for that 1998 Sean Connery and Uma Thurman spy movie than Marvel's superheroes. Mean…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Tools can be a serious investment—so if you're looking to up your DIY game in 2026, a tool bundle is often a good solution. Because they come with batteries and chargers, they’re a great way to get everything you need to use a new tool set right away, and they can be more economical than buying each tool individually. Milwaukee tool sets are often more than $1,000, but you can get a few of these bundles for under $700 right now at Home Depot. Why I recommend Milwaukee toolsI’ve been using Milwaukee cordless tools for over a decade on a variety of pr…

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. One of the best ways to retain knowledge when studying for a test is to maintain a particularly strict study schedule. The technique is called “distributed practice,” and I won't pretend it is easy to set up, but it's much more efficient than trying to cram. Here's what to do so you actually remember what you're supposed to be learning. What is distributed practice?Distributed practice, like a number of the most common study techniques you can try, has its roots in the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus, a Germa…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. BJ’s Wholesale Club isn’t just about oversized ketchup bottles and 40-roll toilet paper packs—though you’ll definitely find those too. If you’ve been considering joining a wholesale club, a one-year Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal is on sale for just $15 at StackSocial instead of the usual $60. It’s only available to new members, and you’ll receive a redemption code to activate the membership directly through BJ's official website. It's great if you have a big family, dream of a well-stocked pantry, or simply love saving on groceries, ga…

The kind of productivity method you need depends largely on the kind of person you are. Some methods are adaptable, open to interpretation, and fluid, which is nice if you just need a little guidance. Others, though, are detailed and rule-driven, which is great if you need to be told exactly what to do and when to do it. Agile Results, a system devised by J. D. Meier, is in the second category; it's stricter than others, but for some of us, that's what's needed to get things done. With Agile Results, you schedule and plan around all your goals, from the short- to long-term, so everything gets taken care of—even the biggest big-picture tasks. Here’s how it works. What is …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The JBL Flip 7 (2025) portable speaker is currently on sale for $89.99 as an open-box deal on StackSocial, shipping to the contiguous US with a one-year warranty included. Open-box here doesn’t mean used—it typically refers to excess retail stock that’s been handled, sometimes with stickers or scuffed packaging, but the speaker itself is verified to be in new condition before shipping. On the outside, the Flip 7 looks almost identical to the Flip 6, with the same cylindrical body and fabric covering. The differences show up in durability and usabili…

Remember when hands-free shopping was going to be the next big thing? In 2017, the Echo Dot was the single best-selling item on Amazon during its Prime Day sale, outselling both the Nintendo Switch and Instant Pot. Amazon's goal was partly to heavily discount the device in order to install its voice assistant, Alexa, in as many homes as possible—likely in hopes to capitalize on the voice commerce revolution that industry analysts predicted would be worth over $40 billion by 2022. But something went awry. Despite Amazon's complete domination of the home-voice-thing market, by 2022, Alexa was being called a "colossal failure," 10,000 people were laid off from Amazon, and t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Amazon Echo Spot is one of four Alexa smart speakers you can get right now. It's between the older 5th-generation Echo Dot and the new Echo Dot Max. It's currently $44.99 (originally $79.99) after a 44% discount, the lowest price it has reached according to price tracking tools. Amazon Echo Spot (2024) $44.99 at Ama…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. It's a good day for Apple shoppers looking for the latest Apple Watches. The Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple's latest and most premium smartwatch, dropped to its lowest price, and now, the Apple Watch SE 3, their most affordable smartwatch (and truly, the best one for most people), also dropped to its lowest price yet, according to price-tracking tools. Despite being released just this past September, you can get the GPS 40mm Apple Watch SE 3 for $199.99 (originally $249). The bigger 44mm case is $229.99 (originally $279), also with a $50 discount. …

Generative AI has advanced to the stage where you can ask bots such as ChatGPT or Gemini questions about almost anything, and get reasonable-sounding responses—and now renowned gadget repair site iFixit has joined the party with an AI assistant of its own, ready and willing to solve any of your hardware problems. While you can already ask general-purpose chatbots for advice on how to repair a phone screen or diagnose a problem with a car engine, there's always the question of how accurate the AI replies will be. With FixBot, iFixit is trying to minimize mistakes by drawing on its vast library of verified repair guides, written by experts and users. That's certainly reassu…

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. How do you do, fellow adult? This week's edition of the Out of Touch Adult’s Guide to Kid Culture features a new body slang term, a TikTok prank where AI puts a hobo into your living room, the possible beginning of the AI wars, and a viral video featuring students running a Nazi out of class. There's a lot to eat, so tuck your napkin in your shirt and chow down. What is a Venus tummy?A "Venus tummy" is a slang term for a woman's belly that is a little fat, but not too fat—a little pouch that can be shown off…

Finally—two years after its release, and one year-long beta later—the PlayStation Plus handheld can finally officially play games without needing to connect to a PS5 console first. The portable machine is not strictly playing them all by itself, and you do need a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to do it, but the latest system update brings the PlayStation Portal a lot closer to being a true PSP successor. The news came earlier today via the official PlayStation blog, where Sony announced that cloud streaming for the PS Portal will soon officially go live for everyone with a compatible subscription, a little less than a year after the company started testing it with …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, 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. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. If you’re like me, when you moved into your home, the kitchen …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Boox Palma e-reader is unquestionably my favorite gadget from the last few years, but I also get why so many people find it to be a bit confounding: It's a phone-shaped e-ink device that has all the capabilities of a modern Android smartphone, but it doesn't have cellular functionality, which means it can't take calls. A recent rumor suggested that might be changing soon, but it turned out to be an overstatement: According to a statement I received from a spokesperson for Boox maker Onyx International, the forthcoming "Palma 3" (which might be called something else) still won't work as a phone, though it will have mo…

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. For a while there, the “blurting” method of note revision was all over TikTok, making it somewhat of a studying trend. Whether or not it's still popular on social media is irrelevant; it's still a solid retention technique that can help you entrench information in your long-term memory. There are actually two ways to blurt when you’re studying, and both are helpful for retrieval practice and overall retention—but only if you’re doing them instead of scrolling, so read this, put your phone down, and get …

Many Americans are in the middle of making hard decisions about their health insurance, in part because open enrollment, the period in which consumers can change their plan, is happening now. That means scammers are also busy contacting people, impersonating insurance providers in an effort to collect personal, financial, and medical information. Common health insurance scamsFraudsters especially love to impersonate representatives from Medicare, targeting older adults and others who qualify for the federal program with unexpected calls. As the Federal Trade Commission warns, scammers may have some of your personal information already and will ask you to confirm your Medi…

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. I recently took a trip to Europe, hopping across a few countries that all spoke languages I didn't understand. As such, in order to interpret menus, signs, and packaging, I needed to translate the text back into English. While you might assume you need to use a specific translator app of choice to get this done, you really only need one thing: your iPhone's camera. I, along with all of the people I traveled with, have an iPhone, so I assumed all of us knew about this trick. To my surprise, however, nobody in…