Setting Up Your Home Office

A few weeks ago, I posted a story about the proliferation of AI-created fake news videos about Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Because I am fair (and balanced!), this week I'm looking at the AI distortion of a hero from the left: Dallas-based congressperson Jasmine Crockett. The real Crockett is sharp, confrontational, and isn't afraid to curse people out. AI-Jasmine Crockett is a folk hero who spends her life STUNNING, DESTROYING, and OBLITERATING various talk show hosts, actors, and political opponents. She took on Bill Maher, humiliated Seth Meyers, made Ellen DeGeneres regret insulting her, and still had time to have a judge arrested. On YouTube. The real Jasmine …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are now going for $199.99 (down from $249.99), which is helpful, because they’re not exactly a budget pick. SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 3 Pro $189.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $269.99 Save $80.00 …

Peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo offer an easy way to send money to friends and family as well as businesses selling goods and services—but that ease makes them a target for scams involving theft and fraud. Here are the most common Venmo scams to watch for. The mistaken payment scamIf you receive money you weren't expecting from someone you don't know by "accident," it's not actually an accident. Scammers will Venmo you, claim it was a mistake, and ask for the money back as a new payment. This may seem harmless, but it typically involves scammers charging so-called mistaken payments to stolen credit cards then connecting their personal cards to receive payments in r…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Let's cut to the chase: I dread running in the heat. You could say I'm a big baby about it, in fact. But as long as all my favorite marathons are in the fall (Philly, NYC, Chicago), I'll be sticking to a summer training schedule. As the temperature rises and summer approaches, runners everywhere are shedding layers and adapting their gear for the heat. After six marathons, I know what it looks like to invest in proper running gear. Here's a rundown of my favorite gear that keeps me comfortable when the sun is killing all my strength and motivation to lace up and go. Lightweight, technical running shirtsWhen it comes to wa…

Everything is more expensive this year, and that likely includes utilities like your water bill. While growing vegetables in your yard can be enchanting and empowering, it isn’t very efficient (compared to farms) in terms of water usage. There are a number of ways to become more efficient and sustainable, including using drip irrigation, but another way is to only plant vegetables that don't need too much water to begin with. Watering at the root is keyBefore I get to the specific vegetables, it's important to go over a few general watering tips. Remember that vegetables get hydration through their roots, which live underground. Watering from above, like a hose or sprink…

After teasing the device in January at Unpacked 2025, Samsung is ready to make the Galaxy S25 Edge official. The company revealed latest device in the S25 series during a special Monday night event. While there are many similarities between the Edge and the other S25 devices, what makes this particular model stand out from the rest is how slim it is: The S25 Edge is just 5.8mm thick, 1.4mm thinner than the standard S25, and Samsung's thinnest phone yet. Everything Samsung revealed about the S25 EdgeJust like the rest of the S25 phones, the new Galaxy S25 Edge is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip. That SoC (system on a chip) brings a number of imp…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. “Skinny” is such an outdated concept; too diet culture for 2025. “Flat belly” sounds better, but we’re tired of that, too. What is the trend-dependent online influencer culture to do? Enter “gut health,” the current euphemism for having a thin waist—this time with extra wellness baggage. It sounds like it’s all about a science-based journey toward better nutrition, but really it’s more bullshit. So let’s explore the most questionable gut health hacks out there. Grab a towel, because it’s time for your internal shower! Taking an 'internal shower'The "internal shower" is meant to clean you from the inside. The metaphor evoke…

AI isn't coming for your job. Probably? Look, it's complicated. And anyone who has ever played around with a chatbot has likely asked themselves, "This is what they want to replace a human with?" It's a valid concern, because generative AI chatbots like Google's Gemini aren't super useful. To my surprise, though, Gemini's Canvas feature can be. I will say up front, I'm coming at this as a generative AI skeptic, but I'm also not an AI doomer. There are some situations—like creating alt text for images to boost accessibility—where AI-based tools can come in handy. I prefer to find where tools can be genuinely useful, and ignore the noise. To that end, Gemini's Canvas is the…

Nintendo didn't make preordering the Switch 2 particularly easy—especially with its back and forth decisions in the face of tariffs. But even if you manage to get your hands on a Switch 2 for launch day, be careful, because Nintendo is ready to brick any Switch device you own should you break its rules—and I'm not talking about cheating at Mario Party. Rather, Nintendo is particularly concerned about Switch users who hack their systems, use emulators, or engage in piracy using Nintendo hardware. These players are the targets of the company's newfound bloodlust, and they're not messing around: steal our games, and lose the right to use your console. Stephen Totilo of Game…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. With dietary differences and grocery budgeting, eggless dessert recipes are more sought after than they used to be. Of course, eggs play an important role in the structure of your batter, so you can’t just leave it out. (Well, sometimes you can.) You’re better off knowing what sorts of egg replacements you can use for different types of baking. Here’s a list of the best egg replacement you can lean on during lean times. By the way, if you find yourself modifying recipes a lot, I highly suggest you buy The Elements of Baking. It can give you the tools (and ratios) you need to modify almost any recipe for different diets; y…

Coming across a light website in dark mode feel like shining a light bulb directly into your eyes. Noir is an extension for Safari that automatically adds a dark mode to websites that are otherwise bright. Modern operating systems, including Apple devices, offer some kind of system wide dark mode that puts light text on dark backgrounds instead of the more-traditional black-on-white. Basically all applications respect the system wide setting at this point, but many websites do not. Noir helps by modifying websites you browse so that they offer light text on a dark background, effectively forcing them to support dark mode. I've been testing it for a few days and it works r…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Most of Beats by Dr. Dre's lineup of headphones and earbuds are on sale right now. The brand has been slow to release new products since the acquisition by Apple back in 2014, but the good news is that even its newest product (the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2) are included in the sale. At the moment, you can get the Beats Studio Pro, Beats Solo 4, Beats Studio Buds, Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, and the Beats Studio Buds+ for up to 51% off. Most of these options are at or matching their lowest prices ever, according to price-tracking tools. Beats Studio Pros a…

You know that putting money aside is a good idea, but putting it all in the same place can make your budgeting more complicated than it needs to be. It sounds counterintuitive, but when all your savings sit in one account, it's difficult to track progress toward different goals. You might see a healthy balance, but you can't easily see how much is truly available for discretionary spending versus what's socked away for long-term goals. Rather than keeping all your money in one place, here's how you can make the most of your money by separating your savings into goals-based accounts. Think of multiple savings accounts as foldersLike the old-school cash-stuffing where you…

Last month, Google announced Veo 2, the company's latest AI video generation model. This model is currently capable of generating eight-second videos, as long as you pay for Gemini. If you pay for Google One AI Premium, you also have access to Whisk, an image generator that, via Veo 2, now lets you animate those images, too. (Free users are left out for now.) I wouldn't blame you if you assumed that whenever Google inevitably made Veo 2 free, Pixel users would get it first. After all, that's sort of Google's M.O.: Release new features first for the company's own smartphone line, before rolling them out to other devices and platforms. But with Veo 2, the company isn't doi…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Pelotons are the most popular indoor exercise bike, but they're notoriously expensive and don't go on sale often. Luckily, they're on sale right now, and while they're still expensive, the discounts are historically good, according to price tracking tools. To sweeten the deal, Amazon is also offering free professional assembly in any room of your house (click the option under "Purchase options and add-ons"). The original Peloton Bike is currently at $1,145 (originally $1,445), matching the lowest price of 2025. The Peloton Bike+, Peloton's best exe…

The deadline for obtaining a REAL ID has come and gone. If you're planning on flying or entering a federal building, you'll need a driver's license or state identification card that complies with the Department of Homeland Security's new requirements (or an alternative like a passport or Trusted Traveler card). There are plenty of people who still need to upgrade to a REAL ID for upcoming travel—in some states, fewer than half of residents have a compliant license and may encounter long lines to obtain one. And where there's urgency, there's opportunity for scammers to strike. Here's what to know about REAL ID scams and how to avoid them. How REAL ID scams workScammers …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Before I moved to Portland, I didn’t understand how passionate people can be about strawberries. But once I started growing strawberries, I came to understand that a disproportionate percentage of berries I grew would be lost to bugs, wildlife, and disease. Since summer is short, I’ve worked hard to minimize my losses, and I have suggestions for protecting these precious garden jewels. Keep strawberries off the ground This is how most people grow strawberries—on the ground. Credit: Amanda Blum …

If you're wondering what your computer's BIOS or UEFI is, and whether or not you need to update it, you've come to the right place. I'll explain what these terms mean, what these pieces of software do, and why it might (or might not) be a good idea to install updates for them. What does BIOS and UEFI mean?The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is something every computer has, though unless you're running an ancient computer, you'll have a UEFI installed rather than a BIOS. And we're dealing specifically with Windows computers here: Macs take their own custom approach to this, as Apple is in control of the operating system and …

It doesn't mean much to anyone with a job, but summer's coming in quick, and only grade-grubbers are still paying attention in school. The other kids are wasting their time exactly how you'd expect: watching kitten body horror videos, discovering 20-year-old RPGs, and throwing bowling balls into helicopter blades. Here's what's shaping (and warping) young minds this week. The rise of terrifying AI kittens on YouTubeIf you have younger kids, summer can mean more screen time, and I wanted to check out what kids are watching when their guardian hands them that tablet, so I spent some time on YouTube looking at animated videos that seem geared to children. The place is lousy …

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 waiting for the right time to upgrade your Apple Watch, the Series 10 has quietly become one of the best-value picks around. It launched in September and has already dropped to $299 on Amazon—that’s $100 off the $399 sticker price. Apple Watch Series 10 GPS 42mm Smartwatch (Rose Gold, Plum Sports Loop) $299.00 at Amazon…

While apples and broccoli have become basic—constantly on the grocery store shelves year-round—rhubarb is a vegetable unicorn. It only appears for a very short and magical window. I'll spot it in the market for maybe a month and before I know it, I’ve missed it. That’s why I buy bundles of it when I do happen to catch it, and I get right to work. Not cooking it down in a pot with a cup of sugar, no: My favorite way to prepare rhubarb for pies and cakes is roasting. Roasting keeps things from getting soggyMy first time working with rhubarb was right out of culinary school, making dozens of miniature strawberry and rhubarb tarts. It was actually my first time eating it to…

Jonathan Goldstein’s Heavyweight, where he helps people confront things from their past, is one of the most beloved podcasts of all time. In 2023 when Spotify was making huge cuts, it was one of them. But earlier this year, Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries picked it back up, and episodes will be returning soon. If you want more Heavyweight-ish stuff now, this list of podcasts will keep you satisfied. They share Heavyweight’s ethos—curiosity, empathy, a sense of humor, and beautiful audio. Wiretap Credit: Wiretap Wiretap i…

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a great way to boost the security of your accounts. But even with that added layer of security, malicious actors are finding ways to break in. So-called adversary-in-the-middle attacks take advantage of weaker authentication methods to access accounts. Your two-factor and multi-factor authentication (MFA) may be weak, but, luckily, there's something you can do about it. How multi-factor authentication worksMFA uses two or more checkpoints to confirm a user's identity for accessing an account or system. This is more secure than relying on just a username and password combination, especially given how easy many passwords are to crack, and…

I'm a big fan of the USPS' "Informed Delivery" option. When you enroll, the USPS will send you daily emails that show all mail and packages you're set to receive that day. (The mail scans arrive in grayscale, address-side only.) If you like to be surprised every time you open your mailbox, it's not the service for you. But for the rest of us, it's a helpful way to keep an eye on the day's incoming mail. Now, the USPS is expanding the feature, working on a dedicated Informed Delivery app. The app will send you push notifications whenever you have new mail and packages on the way, and will let you share the status of packages with other people. If you sent a friend a packa…