Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Once you’ve lived in a place for a while, one fact becomes clear: Your home isn’t getting any bigger, at least not without time and effort (and a truckload of cash). We all tend to grow into our homes, filling it with stuff over time, and that can lead to a storage crisis. But your house can probably offer you extra storage with the right purchases and approach. There are all kinds of clever ways to increase the storage around your house. If you’re ready to get all that stuff off the floors and furniture and nearly tucked away, here are some ideas to explore. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I’m not a real cyclist, I say to myself as I buy a cheap, basic exercise bike. I’m not that into spinning, I say to myself as I replace that bike a year later (it wore out from constant use). I’m not dressed like a silly cyclist, I say as I strap into my cycling shoes. And I climb on the bike and proceed to ride for an hour in normal, unpadded shorts. Because I’m a dumbass. Look, sometimes I am at the forefront of smart and important hacks, like rinsing out my exercise gear in the shower or bringing back sweatbands. And sometimes it takes me forever to start following the advice that every single cyclist impresses onto beg…

When Apple takes the virtual stage in June for WWDC 2026, avid fans might expect the company to announce a number of new features for updates like iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. And while these updates will almost assuredly sport some key features and changes from the "OS 26" era, the best new feature might not be a feature at all. In fact, it might be the exact opposite. In his Power On newsletter on Sunday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman ran through some of Apple's thought processes with its upcoming updates, per Gurman's sources. It seems that following the company's big delays and stumbles in rolling out big AI features, and its Liquid Glass design overhaul, the company i…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. On Monday, Apple officially announced the AirPods Max 2. As the name implies, this is the first major update to the AirPods Max since Apple introduced the over-the-ear headphones in 2020. The company previously rolled out a minor refresh for the AirPods Max, but this only replaced the original pair's Lightning port with USB-C, and enabled Apple to add a couple neat perks via software update. AirPods Max 2, however, come with new features out of the gate—features that Apple's earbuds have actually had for years. First, an answer to the question most likely on your mind: No, Apple did not change the price. These headphones …

Galaxy phone owners have been able to use Samsung DeX to access a desktop mode for years at this point, and now Google Pixel users have a similar feature to call their own. The latest Android 16 QPR3 release, pushed out at the start of March 2026, lets you plug a Pixel phone into a monitor and access a desktop-like interface. If you're completely new to these desktop modes, they let you operate your phone as if it's a Windows or macOS computer (sort of). The Android software and the apps don't change, but you get a taskbar at the bottom of the display, the ability to run apps in windows alongside each other, and a few other helpful tweaks. In theory, this can be a real bo…

As a tech journalist who uses Google Docs a lot, I'm used to clicking past various AI prompts and offers of assistance whenever I want to write something with my own human brain. Now, I'm going to have to use up even more clicks to hide the AI integrations on a blank page—though, this time, some of them actually seem genuinely useful. Google is further upgrading Gemini's capabilities in Google Drive and its online office apps: Docs, Slides, and Sheets. You can now produce entire documents and spreadsheets with a prompt, create text that matches a particular style, and pull in relevant information from your Google Drive files, Gmail, Google Chat, and the web. These chan…

This week, the young people on TikTok have uncovered a new way to prepare breakfast and an evocative way to describe the feeling that something bad is coming. That's a pretty good week, but they've also taken to LARPing as artificial intelligence, and finding something interesting about Staples stores. Here's what all of that means. What are "frambled eggs"?I can't believe I never thought of this. "Frambled" is a portmanteau of "fried" and "scrambled." It's eggs prepared partly scrambled, but with the yolk intact. The culinary breakthrough seems to have been invented by TikToker @bussyrelate in this video: Although their commenters are calling it a "sunny scramble," as…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 Ultra launches with the usual Ultra series promise: the biggest screen, the most capable cameras, and the most features in the company’s lineup. It also launches with prices that reflects that ambition ($1,299.99 to $1,799.99). That said, Samsung is running an early promotion from March 16 through April 20 that can soften the blow. Buyers can save up to $720 with an eligible instant trade-in credit, or get $150 in credit without a trade-in to use toward other eligible Samsung devices. The deal applies directly through Samsun…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are no longer the newest model in the company’s lineup, but they remain one of the easiest recommendations if you want strong noise canceling without paying flagship prices. Right now, a refurbished pair is $209.99 on Amazon, compared with $278 for a new set (and the $399.99 launch price in 2022). These are sold as Amazon Certified Refurbished units, meaning they’ve been tested and certified by the manufacturer to work like new. They also come with the original accessories and a 90-day limited hardware warranty. …

I write frequently about the threat of malware and how threat actors are using it to do everything from steal personal information to fully take over users' devices or add them to botnets. These malicious programs spread through various forms of phishing, ClickFix attacks, malvertising, and even apps that have been vetted and approved by Apple and Google. However, as users (and security tools) have gotten better at identifying the signs of a malware infection and savvy enough to avoid them in the first place, some cybercriminals have changed tactics: Living Off the Land (LOTL) attacks exploit built-in system utilities and tools that may be less likely to raise red flags.…

While RSS readers are still worth using to this day, they're far from perfect. Most have a sidebar showing you your article sources and how many unread articles you have in them, leaving you feeling like you have to read everything in your list. If you're like me, you may have hundreds of unread articles at a time. Maybe you power through a bunch of news articles, hoping to make that number go down, or you send long-form essays to Instapaper so that you can (forget to) read them later. I'm exaggerating how big a deal this is, but I think anyone who uses RSS regularly has come up against something like this. That's what intrigues me about Current, a new RSS reader for iPho…

Signal is one of my favorite messaging apps because of its focus on privacy and security. I use it to message my closest friends regularly, and in the process, I've discovered a fair few hidden features that I now use every day. From shielding your phone number from other users, to preventing hackers from breaking into your account, these hacks will help you make the most of Signal. Hide your phone number from everyone Credit: Pranay Parab You can use Signal without revealing your phone number to anyone. You'll still need to si…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. MacBook used to be largely repairable, upgradable things. If too many tabs slowed down macOS, you could add more RAM; if you ran out of storage, you could install a larger hard drive; if the battery was old, you could easily replace it. But as Apple—and the industry at large—chased thinner and sleeker designs, laptops in general became harder to work on. Companies started soldering all components together onto the board, which made it possible to produce thin and light machines, but made it impossible to upgrade them, and wildly impractical to repair. This hasn't changed all that much in the Apple silicon era. While Apple'…

The only thing Pixel users love more than the lock screen's Now Playing widget is talking about the Now Playing widget. Whenever I'm out and about with my Pixel and there's music playing, I'll always take a sneaky look at the lock screen, and yes, it'll have identified the song. It's magical. But until now, that's where the magic stopped. What if you want a list of all the songs the widget recognized while you were at your local cafe? What if you want to save a song or play it in YouTube Music? Or even trigger the music search manually? Until now, that wasn't really possible. Now, Google has chosen to bring this functionality to a dedicated app, as part of its March Pixel…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It's a busy month for Google. The company released its latest phone, the Pixel 10a; rolled out live location sharing in Google Messages, launched Nano Banana 2, and issued a security update that patches 129 Android vulnerabilities. Now, the company is launching its latest Pixel Drop, this time for the month of March, sporting a number of features and changes for Pixel phones and watches. Here's what's new. Google Pixel 10a - Berry - 128 GB with $100 Amazon Gift Card …

One of the nicest things about Apple software, at least in theory, is its uncluttered design. That's why many users (myself included) were annoyed when Safari's Compact Tabs feature was dropped in macOS 26 or iPadOS 26. It was a great way to neaten up your browser bar, and people have been complaining about the missing feature ever since. Happily, the complainers now have something to look forward to, as the upcoming ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 releases will bring back the Compact Tab option, according to MacRumors. Their reporting shows a screenshot of the Safari settings on macOS, with "Separate" and "Compact" tab style both on offer. Why I love Compact TabsHere'…

Android users will soon be able to use tracking devices to coordinate lost luggage recovery directly with airlines. The feature, one of many announced as part of Google's March Pixel Drop, generates a Find Hub link for compatible trackers that can be shared with airlines to help locate bags that have gone missing transit. Apple rolled out a similar feature for AirTags in late 2024, called Share Item Location. iOS users can temporarily share the location of a Find My accessory with their airline to help find lost luggage. It's important to note that AirTags (and other tracking tags, including those compatible with Android's Find Hub) aren't real-time trackers, as they gen…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Apple just announced new Mac products, and among them is a new M5 MacBook Air. As is often the case after such announcements, the previous model is starting to get some discounts: The 15-inch M4 MacBook Air with 16GB Unified Memory and 256GB SSD Storage is currently $999, a $200 discount we haven't seen since January, according to price-tracking tools. Even at full price, this M4 offers remarkable value for your money, even compared to earlier models. 15-inch M4 MacBook Air …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The greatest regret of my life is choosing to take French in high school. Don't get me wrong, I find French beautiful, and I was a dedicated A+ student. But as an adult, I’m constantly embarrassed by how little Spanish I know. But even in adulthood, I knew it wasn't too late for me to learn Spanish, so I did what literally everyone does: I downloaded Duolingo. It's free, popular, and has a mascot with deeply threatening energy. What's not to love? Eventually, I reached a 300-day streak—nearly a full year of daily practice!—but when I tried to have an actual conversation in Spanish, I could not hold my own, to put it gentl…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Apple's "affordable" MacBook is official. The company revealed the "MacBook Neo" in a non-livestreamed event on Wednesday, following a series of product announcements throughout the week. Despite the hoopla, there aren't a ton of surprises here: The rumors pointed to a low-cost MacBook running an iPhone chip that came in a variety of fun colors to choose from. That's basically exactly what we got: The Neo runs the A18 Pro—the same chip as the iPhone 16 Pro—and comes in Blush (pink), Indigo, Citrus (yellow/green), and Silver. Really, the biggest surprise of the day is the price: $599, or $499 if you buy through the educatio…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The first thing you need to understand about Amazon Fire anything is that a Fire TV and a Fire TV Stick are not the same thing. Some hacks only work on Fire TVs, others only with Fire TV Sticks, and others with both. You can have a Google TV (or any kind of TV) and hook up a Fire TV Stick to it: So if you don't have a Fire TV, know that there is a simple $30 solution that can fix that. I've been using the Fire OS for many years, and although it's not my favorite, it has some pretty cool hacks that no other OS has. …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Smart rings are already having a strange year. In January, I saw smart rings taking on all kinds of tasks at CES, looking like some kind of wave of the future. Then I came home and discovered that the brand-new Luna smart ring I was reviewing had already been pulled off the U.S. market. I think it’s time to take a look at why the smart ring market is so weird, where I see its potential, and what I miss about the earlier days of this technology. The lawsuit that’s keeping some smart rings off the U.S. marketTo understand why some rings have disappeared (or aren’t launching here), you need to know about a U.S. International…

It's time for another Apple event! On Wednesday, March 4, Apple will announce new products, and despite the company's commitment to secrecy, we know what most of the revelations are already. In fact, Apple has already announced a number of new products this week in lead up to the event, including the iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, and new Macs—including M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max variants. But even though the company has already shared a bunch of news across Monday and Tuesday, that doesn't mean Wednesday's event is going to be a bore. In fact, Apple may announce one of its most interesting products in years during its March 4 keynote: the MacBook "Neo." This is a "budget" MacBook…

If you're an Android user, you can now design what shows up on your contacts' caller ID when you make calls in the Google Phone app. The Calling Cards feature is getting an upgrade that brings it more in line with Apple's customizable Contact Poster on iOS. Google's Calling Cards updateGoogle first introduced Calling Cards for the Google Phone app last year, which allowed users to manually create full-screen calling cards for individual contacts with photos and customizable text. The feature was originally designed to have these cards show up on your device when contacts call you, but it didn't allow you to create your own card to broadcast when you call other users. No…

If you're tired of X and Threads, it might be time to move to greener, or perhaps bluer, pastures. Lifehacker's own Joel Cunningham moved to Bluesky way back in 2024, and since then, a lot of our writers and editors have followed suit and are living it up over on the butterfly site. It turns out that, with the right platform, it's possible to like social media again. Bluesky is quite unlike most other social media networks. You have a lot of control over who sees your posts and how they reply to them, plus you can block and mute users en masse and tweak moderation settings just so. If you're new to Bluesky, or if you've just been using the default settings, it's time to …