Setting Up Your Home Office

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re in the market for tools, you might have noticed that they can be expensive, especially if you don’t have batteries. Here are some deals from Home Depot on Ryobi cordless tools that can help you save some of your DIY budget and get your projects done quickly. These Ryobi cutting tools are up to 53% off Ryobi 18-volt oscillating multitool …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. I've been covering e-readers and e-ink tablets for Lifehacker for a few years now, and I haven't ever encountered a product with as many enthusiastic fans as the Xteink X4, a teeny tiny, bare bones e-reader from China that has replaced my beloved phone-shaped Boox Palma 2 as my distraction-free reading device of choice—not the least because it's a heck of a lot cheaper, around $70 to the Palma 2's $250. And if you act fast, right now you can score an X4 for less than $60 during an Amazon flash sale. …

YouTube Music isn't the most feature-rich of all the music streaming services, but it is a great option for those who love music videos, user-generated content, and the YouTube ecosystem overall. If you have YouTube Music, or are considering switching from another platform, these are the best tips and tricks to get the most out of your listening experience. Use these tools to transfer your playlists from another streaming serviceIf you're moving to YouTube Music from another app, you don't have to start from scratch. YouTube has a direct integration with Apple Music for playlist transfers. For other streaming services like Spotify, you can import using third-party apps l…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Though I've spent years evangelizing for the Boox Palma 2, a phone-sized Chinese e-reader with an open Android operating system, my allegiances have shifted in recent months. I'm now obsessed with the tiny, slightly janky, minimalist devices put out by Xteink, another Chinese tech company. And I'm far from the only one—the Xteink subreddit is a busy place. The $69 Xteink X4 has a 4.3-inch screen and native software that's so bad, it wasn't really worth recommending until fans of the device cobbled together their own crowdsourced alternative. The $79 X3 (which is currently only available in the U.S. direct from Xteink) is l…

AI-generated images are getting harder and harder to spot. There are the usual tells, of course, but those tells are minimizing with each new AI image model. You could count on AI-generated hands including too many or too few fingers on people, for example; nowadays, that's not necessarily the case. One particular area of weakness for AI image models has been text generation. The image itself might look convincing, but take a close look at the words, and you'll often notice they're not really right. Maybe some are accurate, while others are pretty close, but, in many cases, you'll notice a lot of inconsistencies: Too many repeating letters, letters that aren't really let…

On Friday afternoon, X officially launched XChat, the company's proprietary chat app. Unlike other chat app options, like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal, you need an X account to use XChat, which limits the user base to one specific social media platform. X users with a large enough social circle on the platform may find this new app to be useful, but XChat does come with some security contradictions that all new users should be aware of. XChat is a standard chat app for X usersXChat's biggest sell, apart from being a place for X users to communicate, is that it is end-to-end encrypted. As the app reminds you upon setup, this encryption means there is no way for anyone—i…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. This past Christmas, I came up with the perfect idea for my 15-year-old son's "big gift"—a set of adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable weight-lifting bench. It was perfect for two reasons. First, because my son and his friends had gotten into lifting several months earlier, and he loved it, but the weather (or life in general) couldn't always cooperate in order for him to get to the gym when he wanted. And second, because we live in a 100-year-old home that is generally lacking in space—or even a garage—we're limited on how much of a "home gym" we can really accommodate. Having essentially a full set of weights, plus a b…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. There’s nothing quite like a reliable pair of over-ear noise-canceling headphones to block out distractions, but with options ranging from budget buys to $500+ premium models, finding the right pair can feel like a challenge. The Sony WH-CH720N, an entry-level over-ear option, hit the sweet spot, offering comfort, long-lasting battery life, and good automatic noise canceling (ANC)—and right now, they’re nearly half off. You can pick them up for $92.95 (down from $179.99) from Amazon. Sony WH-CH…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. My question about virtual reality has always been, "But what is it for?" I finally have an answer: Guassian Splatting. We've always tried to capture our past, whether it's through physical photographs, VHS tapes, or every picture you have stored in the cloud, but we've been limited to viewing our personal histories in flat media, usually from a behind a screen, and always from a single angle. But Gaussian Splatting changes that. This technology allows you to create volumetric 3D models of objects, people, or spaces, so instead of a picture of your child's favorite toy, you can have a realistic scan of it that you can exami…

When you post something on the internet, you cede a measure of control to anyone who might happen upon it. Photos, videos, text, audio recordings: all of this content can be downloaded or screenshot, and repurposed in whatever way another user wishes. That's the risk of posting online. The thing is, you might not assume the platform you're posting to would go out of its way to help other users repurpose your content—but that's exactly what TikTok is currently doing with its new AI "remixes" feature. What are TikTok's AI "remixes?"AI remixes are meant to be a kind of meme-creation tool. According to CNET, remixes allow TikTok users to create a custom image generated from…

iPhones and Macs work together seamlessly in all kinds of ways, whether you want to control your Apple phone from your Mac or use it as a webcam. Apple calls this suite of features Continuity, and it extends to iPads and Apple Watches too—so if you stay inside the Apple ecosystem you're guaranteed to get devices that play nicely together. Features like those offered by Apple Continuity aren't quite as easy for Google, Samsung, and Microsoft to implement, but everyone who isn't Apple is busy trying to improve the cross-device experience. Pixels and Chromebooks now offer several useful integrations, as do Samsung Galaxy phones and Galaxy Book laptops. Those Samsung features…

For the past several years, multiview has been one of YouTube TV's best features, especially for sports fans like myself. Multiview allows you to watch up to four livestreams at once and toggle between them (and their audio) when something exciting happens. At its initial launch for March Madness in 2023, multiview was restricted to certain preselected channel combinations, but YouTube confirmed in January of this year that a fully customizable multiview was on the way. It's now available to some subscribers—myself included. Trying out YouTube TV's multiview With customizable multiview, you can select up to four channels across content categories, so you're not limited t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. “Zone 2” is the term the fitness world has (mostly) agreed upon to describe the low-intensity cardio most of us should be doing regularly. When you’re in zone 2, you’re working hard enough that you start breathing more heavily, but easy enough that you could hold a conversation while doing it. You stop a zone 2 session because your workout time is up, not because you’re too exhausted to continue. Zone 2 is defined in terms of heart rate, so what heart rate should you expect to see on your watch when you’re in zone 2? That’s where people disagree. What is zone 2 training?As I’ve explained before, the name “zone 2” comes fro…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Google Pixel Watch 4 has only been out a short time, and it’s already seeing a notable price drop—the 45mm LTE version in matte black is currently down to $389.99 (originally $499.99), the lowest the watch has dropped so far, while the smaller 41mm LTE model is also $389.99, down from its usual $449.99. In other words, you’re getting the larger 45mm version for the price of the 41mm. Google Pixel Watch 4 45mm, LTE, matte black …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $109.99, the Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) are selling at a clear discount from their usual $159.97 price at retailers like Best Buy. Shipping is free with Prime, while non-members pay an extra $6, and the deal is set to end in three days or when stock runs out. These are not Apple’s top-tier earbuds, but they cover the basics most people expect, especially if you already use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) …

The Reminders app on the iPhone is perhaps one of the most underrated apps that Apple makes. On the surface, it's a simple to-do list app: You can use Siri to add reminders, get notifications, and check them off. But hiding under the surface is a complex program, with features that help you get things done with the right context and at the right time. You can organize your list as a Kanban board, set blaring alarms for important reminders, manage tasks from the Calendar app, and generate your own smart lists. Here are 10 ways to make the most of your Reminders app: Use "When Messaging" to get a reminder when texting a specific contact …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Running is more popular than ever, and with an influx of new runners comes an influx of influencers offering up their advice—some of it helpful, some of it distinctly not. If you've spent any time scrolling through running-related videos, you've probably stumbled across a coach, athlete, or "runfluencer" insisting that you shut your mouth when you run. The advice to breathe through your nose while running is nothing new, but is it actually backed by science? The answer, as with most things in running, is nuanced. Here's what the different schools of thought say, and how to actually put better breathing into practice on you…

Meta is officially rolling out new parental controls that make it easier to keep tabs on the conversations teens are having with the company's AI. Meta revealed the news in a blog post on Thursday, which comes six months after the company's original announcement. But while additional parental controls are promising, will this be enough to address the greater issues at play with young users and AI? How Meta's new AI parental controls workAccording to Meta, parents using the "supervision" feature on Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram now have an "Insights" tab as part of supervision. If you select this tab, you'll see all the topics your teen or teens have been chatting with…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Bear is a phenomenon not only because exploring what goes on in the kitchen is fascinating, but because it's also one of the best shows on TV when it comes to portraying family drama, generational trauma, and the intense pressure of being the best at something. Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) is a tortured artist who might be one of the top chefs in the world, but his self-doubt is the engine that keeps the show racing along into uncertainty. Add in the precision and pressure of a high-end restaurant and brigade-style kitchen, and you have the perfect recipe for drama and humor. Plus, the opportunity to watch mouth…

Google Meet's "Take Notes for me" feature is one particularly useful implementation of AI. When you're on a video call, Gemini can dictate what's being said, offering summaries and highlights of the conversation. That way, your attention doesn't need to be split between the conversation at hand and writing down notes to remember key points later: You can just check the notes that are automatically generated as a Google Doc once the meeting is over. It's the kind of feature that sells me more on the whole "AI assistant" thing, rather than something trying to order me a coffee. Of course, video conferencing isn't the only time dictation can be useful. An in-person meet…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Every wearable these days will tell you how you slept and how well recovered you seem to be for the day’s activities. But it’s rare to get clear guidance or ideas on what you should do based on those scores. Ultrahuman, which makes smart rings, is trying a new approach: serving you different workout videos based on what it thinks you’re up for. Ring Charger: Power up Your Ultrahuman Ring | Convenient and Easy Charging Solution …

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Sometimes we love to hate serial killers, and sometimes we just kinda love 'em—a charming, sexy killer seems to be a contrast that's too juicy and entertaining for us to pass up. Late-stage capitalism, the climate crisis, and the insurance industry are far more likely to kill us, which is probably why we'd rather face the statistically less-likely threat of a cute and cunning murderer like Penn Badgley's Joe Goldberg in You, which came to a planned conclusion after five seasons in 2025. But he's not the only one! Here, we're on the hunt for series leads who are at least morally ambiguous, if not downright evil. The Fall (2…

Claude has always been focused on text and code, but a few days ago, it rolled out image-generation capabilities—ways to get graphics, mock-ups, slideshows and other similar materials created by AI. The suite of tools is called Claude Design. Then ChatGPT, already much more invested in AI image generation, rolled out a substantial update called Images 2.0. Promises were made of a "step change" in accuracy, consistency, and instruction following. So what can you now do with these AI tools that you couldn't before? And how do the capabilities compare? Claude Design is focused on business and enterpriseClaude Design is available for Claude subscribers, and is intended, in t…

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Smartphone cameras have come a long way, but the moment you start walking or moving around, even small shakes can show up in your footage. That’s where a phone gimbal like the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro comes in—it steadies your shots without turning filming into a whole production. And right now, its Ultimate Creator Bundle is down to $169.99 (from $199.99), which, according to price trackers, is the lowest it’s been so far. Insta360 Flow 2 Pro Ultimate Creator Bundle (Grey) …

It’s frustrating to follow fitness content online as a woman when so much of it feels like it is written for men. Likewise, it’s frustrating to work hard at a seemingly simple exercise like pushups and feel like you’re not getting anywhere. Some influencers have proposed a solution to both problems: a change in hand placement for pushups that is supposed to better complement women’s anatomy. I’m not buying it. See, I’ve been around fitness spaces (male-dominated and otherwise) long enough to have built a healthy skepticism around advice and products aimed solely at women. There’s a huge variation in strengths, weaknesses, and body proportions from one person to another, …