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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. The Eufy Video Smart Lock E330 is a multitasking three-in-one smart home device that combines a fingerprint-scanning smart lock, a 2K HD camera, and a video doorbell. Right now, it’s 37% off at Amazon, marking its lowest price in the past few months. If you want a multipurpose smart lock with a clean, minimalist aesthetic, this gadget has been vetted by PCMag, which dubbed the best smart lock of 2023. Eufy Video Smart Lock E330 $189.97 at Amazon $299.99 Save $110.02 Get Deal Get Deal $189.97 at Amazon $299.99 Save $110.02 You can unlock this thing in multiple ways: via fingerprint, by inserting a pin into the keypad, or by using an app or even voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant. (Of course, you can also stick a manual key into the keyhole, which is hidden behind the doorbell button.) The E330 has built-in WiFi and 8GB of local storage (no ongoing fees or subscription required). When paired with the Eufy HomeBase 3, you can expand storage up to 17TB. The 2K HD camera offers sharper image quality than 1080p video doorbells, and four infrared LEDs enable night vision. Intelligent motion detection and dual motion sensors help the device distinguish humans from vehicles, according to PCMag's review. It also has an IP65 weather resistance. Because the camera is housed in a lock located in the center of the door, the field of view may be more limited than a doorbell camera mounted above or to the side, and door jambs may also restrict the view. While the Eufy Video Smart Lock E330 is normally on the pricey side at $300, its current discount takes it down to $220. It even comes with all the tools you need to replace your old lock. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium JetBlack) — $699.99 (List Price $1,099.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Roku Streaming Stick Plus — $29.00 (List Price $39.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

There’s nothing like Sweden in the summer. Light hangs in the air for hours, boats nose through island-studded bays, and cafés spill onto sidewalks as Swedes take advantage of the fleeting warm weather. With so much of the year spent in the cold and dark, the never-ending light that summer brings does not go to waste. Whether it’s on the many islands that dot the country’s coast, at their rustic cabins in the woods, or lounging in the city parks, Swedes flock outdoors. I’ve been to Sweden many times (including spending an entire summer in Stockholm) but have always focused on the southern part of the country. However, with a desire to see something different this visit, I decided to explore the north, starting at the top in Luleå and working my day down. If you want to get off the beaten path in Sweden, this itinerary gets you out of the main tourist hubs and highlights the less-touristy side of the country. Here’s my suggested 10-day itinerary: Day 1 & 2: Luleå Luleå is home to just 50,000 people and is the last “big” city in the north before you get into Lapland (the northernmost region of the country and home to the indigenous Sami). The city doesn’t take long to see but the surrounding area is what most visitors come for. It’s known for the Gammelstad Church Town as well as its diverse and expansive landscape, ranging from dense forests and tranquil lakes to an archipelago that has over 1,300 islands! Here are my suggested things to see and do in Luleå: The Archipelago – Luleå’s archipelago is a hotspot during the summer. Lots of people come from the south to stay here and you can lounge on beaches, go sea kayaking, boating, and hiking and area locals spend many weekends here to take advantage of the nice weather. The most popular islands are Kluntarna, Brändöskär, Junkön, and Småskär. Gammelstad Church Town – Gammelstad Church Town has over 400 red wooden cottages surrounding 15th-century church. It was originally built as overnight lodging for parishioners who traveled long distances and offers a glimpse into Sweden’s rural past. You can wander through narrow lanes with well-preserved cottages, see the medieval stone church, and learn about the traditions of church towns. Gammelstadsviken – Gammelstadsviken is a nature reserve with a large freshwater lake and vast marshlands and one of the best birdwatching spots in Sweden as over 80 different species live here. There’s lots of trails to choose from and it’s not too far from Lulea. Norrbotten Museum – This museum showcases the region’s culture and history. It’s a small, free museum with displays from Sami culture to industrial heritage that gives you a well-rounded picture of northern Sweden. Hike – Summer is the perfect season for hiking in and around Luleå. The area has numerous trails that are ideal for easy-going day hikes, and Visit Luleå provides an excellent hiking guide to help you choose a route. A few suggested hikes are Hertsöleden (easy, 8km), Fäbodaleden (intermediate, 10km), and Vitån (challenging, 12km). The Ice Track – In winter, a six-kilometer ice track is made around the city center. You can skate or kicksled around it. The track is free to use and is carefully maintained throughout the winter. Kicksleds are free to borrow as well. Where to Stay in Luleå – Clarion Hotel Sense is an affordable hotel right in the center of town. The rooms are comfy, there’s lots of space, and the breakfast buffet has everything you could ever want. There’s even a gym too. If you’re looking for a good place to eat, the harbor has a number of nice restaurants. I particularly enjoyed Bistron. Day 3 & 4: Umeå Head south four hours to Umeå. Founded in 1622 by Swedish King Gustav II Adolf, Umeå is the cultural capital of northern Sweden. It is now a city of 100,000 people known for its huge university (almost a third of the city’s population are students). With so many students here, the city has a young, vibrant feel and there’s lots of affordable restaurants and bars. (And, like everywhere on the coast, there’s easy access to nature.) Here are my suggested things to see and do in Umeå: Västerbottens Museum – Here you can explore the cultural and natural history of the Västerbotten region, from local traditions to its maritime heritage. There are documents, textiles, and over 8 million photographs here. The museum also features an open-air section with historic buildings from across the country. Guitars the Museum – Guitars houses one of the world’s largest private collections of guitars and rock memorabilia, with an emphasis on the 1950s and 60s. Even if you don’t know a lot about guitars (I certainly don’t), it’s still a cool place to visit as you’ll learn a ton about the rock and roll scene. Guided tours are available, which I highly recommend as you’ll get much more out of the experience. Kulturväven – Kulturväven is Umeå’s cultural hub, hosting everything from concerts and performances to art exhibitions and community events. Inside, you’ll find a library, cinema, and event spaces. Check the website to see what’s on during your visit as there is always tons happening. Umedalens Skulpturpark – This is a vast outdoor art park featuring sculptures by renowned Swedish and international artists. The works are set against a serene backdrop of meadows, forests, and open landscapes. It’s free to visit. Hike – From short woodland walks to longer routes along rivers and hills, there’s lots of hikes around the area. Popular hikes include sections of Isälvsleden, a 60-kilometer trail that follows an old glacier path (you can do it in sections); Tavelsjöleden, which boasts lots of caves and mountaintops; and Holmörundan, a 13-kilometer hike on the near island Holmön. To get these trails though, you’ll need to rent a car. Strömbäck Kont – This nature reserve just south of Umeå is easily accessible by (infrequent) buses if you don’t have a car. The reserve blends smooth rock outcrops, sandy coves, and quiet pine forests, offering a mix of trails that range from rugged to stroller-friendly. There’s lots of bays around, you can go swimming, and, depending on the time of year, gorge on wild blueberries. Strandpromenaden – Strandpromenaden is a relaxing riverside walkway perfect for a stroll, complete with benches and cafés along the way. The path connects several parts of Umeå, making it a pleasant way to get around the city on foot. I came here at sunset and it was especially pretty, with golden light reflecting off the river. Where to Stay – Hotell Björken is right next to the university and is just a five-minute drive to the central station. The rooms are stylish, modern, and well-lit and the hotel won’t break the bank either. For places to eat, check out Bodegan and Eljest. Facit Bar is a great spot for inventive drinks. Day 5: Örnsköldsvik Head south to Örnsköldsvik, the gateway to the High Coast. Called “Ö-vik” by locals, Örnsköldsvik is a coastal town known for its mix of outdoor adventure and modern industry, with hiking, kayaking, and skiing all within easy reach. There’s not a lot to do here so I recommend just spending one night in the town. Here are some suggested things to see and do during your visit: High Coast Trail – This 130-kilometer trail takes 5–7 days to complete but covers the entire High Coast, making it an epic and incredibly scenic adventure over mountains, rugged coastlines, and forests. If you want a shorter hike, it’s possible to just hike sections of it. There’s lots of options. Kayaking & Swimming – The waters here are calm and there’s lots to see around the archipelago. A two-hour rental is 300 SEK, while tandem kayaks cost 400 SEK. If you prefer to swim, Gullviks havsbad is the best beach in the area. It’s a sandy beach with volleyball nets, food nearby, and a BBQ area. Where to Stay – If you’re staying in town, you can stay at Elite Hotel, which is a beautiful hotel on the harbor with a huge and delicious breakfast. If you want to stay out of town, FriluftsByn is an expansive campsite with a great restaurant and bar and a hot spot for campers and roadtrippers. Day 6: Skuleskogen National Park Skuleskogen National Park, set along Sweden’s High Coast, is a sprawling wilderness where ancient forests meet the rugged Baltic shoreline. Visiting here was easily the highlight of my recent trip. Located just thirty minutes south of Örnsköldsvik, this park spans over 7,400 acres and has birch and pine forests, marshes, coastal beaches, granite mountains, and awesome views of the Baltic. The highlight of the park is Slåttdalsskrevan, a massive rock crevice that cuts through the bedrock. It’s around 200 meters long and 30 meters deep. For safety reasons, you can’t walk through it anymore but, if you come via the north side, you get a better view and can walk in a little bit. (The south entrance is completely closed off.) You could easily spend a few days here if you like to hike and camp, but at a minimum you’ll want one full day. To help you make the most of your visit, here are a few tips and considerations: 1. There are three entrances: South, North, and West, with the South gate being the busiest. Get there early if you’re driving as the parking lot is very small. To get to the park, you will definitely need a car. There are no other options. 2. The South gate trail to Slåttdalsskrevan is the shortest, however, the West gate trail provides the best diversity of landscapes (and fewest crowds). 3. If you want a relaxing hike, the coastal trail is not strenuous and has serene pebble beaches, rocky headlands, and quiet pine forests. It sees the fewest hikers too. 4. Hiking north to south (or vice versa) takes about five hours. Doing the South Gate to the crevice and back takes around three hours. There and back on the West trail is about four hours. I’m pretty fit and hike a bit fast so take that into consideration but I found the trails a lot easier than the suggested times (I stopped a lot for photos and video content). 5. Bring your own food and water as there are no facilities once you’re inside. Double check the weather too so you can dress appropriately. 6. If you’re visiting in summer, bring bug spray as I found there to be loads of mosquitoes. Day 7 & 8: Sundsvall Home to just under 60,000 people, Sundsvall is just a 90-minute drive south of Skuleskogen National Park. After being devastated by fire in 1888, the city was rebuilt almost entirely in stone, earning its elegant nickname Stenstaden (“the Stone City”). Perched between forested hills and the Gulf of Bothnia (the northern part of the Baltic Sea), the city was historically a hub of the timber and paper industries. Today, it’s best known for its easy access to outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and exploring the nearby High Coast. Some things to see and do during your visit include: Kulturmagasinet (The Culture Warehouse) – This cultural center is housed in old harbor warehouses that have been converted into a museum, library, and art space. Inside, visitors can explore exhibitions on Sundsvall’s history and local art, as well as take in temporary exhibitions and events. Be sure to check the website for the latest events. Norra Berget (The Northern Mountain) – This is an open-air museum and park located on a hill overlooking the city. It features 40 historic buildings from around the region, including wooden houses and farmsteads. There are lots of exhibits that showcase historic life and culture in northern Sweden. It’s a really good spot to bring kids. Himlabadet Water Park – This family-friendly water park has indoor pools, saunas, and multiple water slides. There’s a small toddler area, a climbing wall that curves out over the pool, and even a surfing simulator that lets you try your hand at surfing real waves. Sidsjön Lake – Just a 10-minute drive from the city center, Sidsjön is a peaceful lake surrounded by walking and cycling trails. In summer, you can swim, fish, and paddle here, making it the perfect place to lounge away an afternoon (if you’re visiting in winter, you can skate or cross-country ski here). Alnön Island – Connected to Sundsvall by a bridge, Alnön is known for its sandy beaches and volcanic geology. The island is perfect for a day trip, offering swimming, small villages to explore, and scenic drives. Where to Stay – Lilla Hotellet is an affordable locally-owned three-star hotel. It’s quiet, small, and has a cozy breakfast nook where you can fill up before you head out to explore. Day 9 & 10: Uppsala Uppsala, Sweden’s fourth-largest city, is just under four hours south of Sundsvall by car. It’s a lively, energetic city home to almost 250,000 people and is known for its big student population (Uppsala University is here, a prestigious university founded in the 15th century). Owing to its big student population (and larger population in general), there’s much more to see and do here beyond just enjoying nature and there’s a lot of affordable restaurants and bars. Here are some of my favorite things to do: Uppsala Cathedral (Domkyrkan) – Scandinavia’s largest church, this impressive Gothic structure dates back to the 13th century. It’s the final resting place of Swedish kings, scientists, and archbishops, with soaring spires that dominate the city’s skyline. Inside, visitors can explore ornate chapels, admire medieval frescoes, and see the tombs of King Gustav Vasa and Carl Linnaeus (a famous scientist known as “the father of modern taxonomy”). Uppsala University & Gustavianum – Founded in 1477, this is Sweden’s oldest university. With over 50,000 students, it’s a massive institution with lots to see and do in its own right. The Gustavianum Museum, for example, showcases artifacts and Viking treasures. If you’re on a budget, this area of town is where you’re going to want to eat as all the cheapest bars and restaurants are here. Uppsala Castle (Uppsala Slott) – A Renaissance-era castle overlooking the city, Uppsala Castle was once the site of royal coronations and political intrigue. The castle was actually built after a peasant uprising, as King Vasa I decided more fortifications were needed to prevent future uprisings. Today, it’s home to museums and exhibitions where you can explore the original remains of the first castle built here, learn about the castle’s history, and even admire historic art. Botanical Garden & Linnaeus Garden – Dating back to the 18th century, this is the largest botanical garden of its kind in Sweden. The Linnaeus Garden, a reconstruction of famed botanist Carl Linnaeus’s own 18th-century teaching garden, offers insight into how he classified species during his time as a botanist. In spring and summer, these gardens are particularly lively and colorful, making for a calming place to relax with a book or take a stroll when the sun is shining. Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala) – Just north of the city, this ancient site features massive Viking burial mounds, a museum, and a church that was once a pagan religious center. This was a key political and spiritual site during the Viking Age, with ties to Norse mythology and early Swedish kings. Visitors can climb the burial mounds for sweeping views of the landscape. If you want to dive deeper into Viking-era history, the small Gamla Uppsala Museum is a short but worthwhile stop. Carolina Rediviva Library – The university’s main library, housing treasures like the Codex Argenteus (“Silver Bible”). Built in the 19th century, it is one of the largest research libraries in Scandinavia, with over five million volumes. Its exhibitions display rare manuscripts, maps, and early printed books. For anyone interested in history, literature, or rare artifacts, this library is a must-see (if you’re not a history buff, though, you can probably skip it). Where to Stay – If you’re backpacking, Uppsala City Hostel is the best hostel in the city. While the bunks are basic, it’s in a great location so you can easily get around. If you prefer a hotel, Botanika Uppsala is located right next to the botanical garden, which is the oldest in the country. *** This trip is best done by car, but it could also be done by train and bus if you don’t want to rent a car. And, depending how much you want to hike, you can easily add in more days (there are a ton of multi-day hikes here, after all). Plus, there’s plenty of islands in the archipelago to stop at, so you could really turn this itinerary into a multi-week trip if you wanted. It’s really up to you! Get Your In-Depth Budget Guide to Europe!My detailed 200+ page guidebook is made for budget travelers like you! It cuts out the fluff found in other guides and gets straight to the practical information you need to travel while in Europe. It has suggested itineraries, budgets, ways to save money, on and off the beaten path things to see and do, non-touristy restaurants, markets, bars, safety tips, and much more! Click here to learn more and get your copy today. Plan your trip to Europe like a pro Get all my best Europe travel tips as well as free planning guides sent straight to you and see more of the country for less! Get your guides here! Book Your Trip to Sweden: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. It is my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned! Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as it has the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: Safety Wing (best for budget travelers) World Nomads (best for mid-range travelers) InsureMyTrip (for those 70 and over) Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage) Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money too. Want More Information on Sweden? Be sure to visit my robust destination guide on Sweden for even more planning tips! The post A 10 Day Itinerary Down Sweden’s Coast appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. View the full article

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. Among competitors like Twitch and even Instagram, YouTube might not be the go-to name in livestreaming, but its latest features are doing their best to change that. Announced at Google’s Made on YouTube event today, the site will soon let streamers go live with simultaneous horizontal and vertical streams, plus use AI to automatically “clip that.” Oh, and there’s some new corporate cross-promotion, too. Stream horizontally and vertically at the same timeCurrently in testing and set to get a wider release “in the coming months,” YouTube’s combined support for horizontal and vertical streaming is probably the most exciting news to me here. I tend to put streams on in the background, and I much prefer doing that on a second monitor rather than on my phone. But with sites like TikTok getting more popular these days, plenty of streamers are eschewing more traditional platforms for them, meaning I’m likely to miss out on content unless I go looking for vertically oriented streams on my mobile device. Now, though, YouTube will let creators put out both horizontal versions of their streams, meant for larger screens, and vertical ones meant for smaller screens, at the same time. That means there’ll be less incentive to stick with a mobile-only platform to try to hop on the new trend, and users across all devices will be able to watch streams however they wish. Whether you’re watching the horizontal stream or the vertical one, you’ll be thrown into a chat room with everyone, and the streamer won’t have split view counts across different uploads. The vertical stream will just have a cropped or letterboxed view, as usual, depending on the content. It seems like a perfect solution, and I’m excited to see more creators trying it out once it’s available to them—finally, at least on YouTube, I won’t have to worry that I’m missing a stream from a favorite creator by not watching on my phone. AI-generated livestream highlightsMeanwhile, as for actually watching streams themselves, YouTube’s making it a bit easier for creators to create highlights from their streams. Personally, while I do have favorite creators, I’ll admit I don’t have the time to watch all of their content, and will often just sort through clips in my free time instead. Unfortunately, not everything gets clipped, because it takes manual effort to do that—that’s why you’ll sometimes see creators tell their fans to “clip that” after a memorable moment. Now, though, YouTube’s throwing some automation into the mix. Starting “in the next few weeks,” you’ll be able to task AI with sorting through your livestreams to automatically find highlights and turn them into YouTube shorts, which you’ll be able to check before uploading. It’s kind of become expected in some corners of the internet for stream clips to be uploaded via unofficial channels, since they currently need a bit of manual work. While I’ve seen streamers express appreciation to their fans for doing this, I also do worry that I’m not supporting the actual content creators enough by watching through these sources. Hopefully, the new tool will make it easier to see clips straight from creators themselves. Live reaction and streaming 'Playables' Credit: Google Finally, there are two additional features that are set to make it a lot easier to promote content via YouTube. The first is “React Live,” which will allow you to start a vertical livestream with content you’re watching in the upper half and your own feed in the bottom half. This will make it easier for creators to create reaction streams, without forcing them to capture video on their own, but it’ll only work with events and creators that allows their content to be reacted to. Still, if you like to watch tech keynotes alongside your favorite commentators, this should allow creators to start them up without bothering to independently license a stream first, assuming the company behind the keynote allows reaction streams. YouTube expects this to enter testing “early next year.” The second is the ability to stream YouTube’s “Playables” browser games with the touch of a button, again without needing to capture the gameplay yourself. Having played a bunch of these, I personally think the quality is all over the place, but it should be a good way to get started with streaming without worrying about tech or capture software. And there are a few noteworthy games in there, including Angry Birds Showdown and Cut the Rope. YouTube says this should come to some creators next month, ahead of a larger rollout later this year. Why does this matter?I’m personally thrilled to see YouTube drop a few barriers to streaming, both by making it easier to find content to react to, as well as to reach multiple types of viewers at once. In particular, the new updates seem designed to help the site cross the threshold between desktop and mobile without losing its existing audience, which is funny, given that one of YouTube’s top competitors just made it harder to stream on mobile. In order to go live on Instagram, as of one month ago, you now need to have a public account and at least 1,000 followers. That probably saves Instagram some server load, but also kills new talent right out of the door. With YouTube quickly catching up, it’s possible it could soon be eating Meta’s lunch. Will other streaming sites be next? View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. As someone who spends most of my training time pounding pavement in preparation for marathons, I'll admit that rowing has always felt like foreign territory. Sure, I'd hop on the occasional rowing machine at the gym for cross-training, but I never really got it. That all changed when I had the opportunity to test Hydrow's newest release—the Hydrow Arc Rower—which launched today with some seriously impressive AI-powered features. I’ve just begun testing it out, so stay tuned for my in-depth review of the Arc later this month. For now, here are my first impressions of Hydrow's latest high-tech rowing machine. Hydrow Arc Rower $2,295.00 at Hydrow Shop Now Shop Now $2,295.00 at Hydrow First impressionsRight out of the gate, the Arc feels like what I imagine would happen if Peloton decided to make a rowing machine. The build quality is immediately apparent. In other words, it feels high-end compared to the typical rower at your local gym. The touchscreen is large and crystal clear, and the overall aesthetic screams premium home fitness equipment. It's hard to do justice with my phone's camera, but the Arc's screen is big and beautiful. Credit: Meredith Dietz Because here's what struck me most as a runner: The motion is incredibly smooth and intuitive. I've used plenty of rowing machines at various gyms over the years, and there's usually this clunky, disconnected feeling. The Arc eliminates that entirely. The difference is like comparing a cheap stationary bike at your local gym to a high-end indoor cycling setup. The standout feature that sets the Arc apart is undoubtedly HydroMetrics, Hydrow's "proprietary strength measurement system." As someone obsessed with running metrics (pace, heart rate zones, cadence, you name it), I was immediately intrigued by the promise of intelligent scoring for rowing. Here's how it works: Complete at least two rowing workouts (longer than 5 minutes, excluding warm-ups and cool-downs). HydroMetrics analyzes your performance and provides scoring. Click "Tap for HydroMetrics" on your workout stats screen to dive deeper into your data. The AI-powered system helps you understand your performance and motivates continued progress toward strength goals. Here's where you can choose to see your AI-powered insights. Credit: Meredith Dietz Here's what HydroMetrics look like after a beginner workout. Credit: Meredith Dietz What impressed me most is how the system doesn't just throw numbers at you. As someone unfamiliar with rowing, I found it actually provides context and actionable insights. As a data-driven athlete, this resonated with me immediately. Learning proper form (finally)Another strong first impression: Hydrow's how-to videos are exceptional. As someone who has probably been embarrassing myself on rowing machines for years, these quick tutorials were eye-opening. They address questions I didn't even know I should be asking: Should my heels should lift during the motion? Am I properly driving power from my legs, or just yanking with my arms? The instruction quality makes me think about all those times I mindlessly hopped on a rower for a "quick cardio session" without any real technique. Now I understand why rowing never felt particularly effective for me before. Improving my form next to all my snacks. Credit: Meredith Dietz Personally, what excites me most about the Arc is its running-specific programming available in its catalogue. As marathon runners, we're always looking for effective cross-training that complements our running without adding unnecessary impact stress. Rowing checks all those boxes: It's low-impact, works different muscle groups, and provides excellent cardiovascular benefits. The Arc takes this a step further with dedicated running programs that seem designed specifically for people like me. After completing my first session, I immediately followed up with a five-minute yoga cool-down, and the seamless transition between activities felt natural within the ecosystem (another moment that makes me think of Peloton's ecosystem). Technical specs that matterIf you're already a fan of Hydrow or at-home rowing machines, here's what you need to know. The Arc shares the same footprint as Hydrow's flagship Origin Rower (formerly the Pro), but packs significantly more processing power under the hood. Allegedly the improved hardware supports the constant AI advances that power features like HydroMetrics, provides more memory for smoother operation, and delivers better audio through upgraded speakers. The 24" touchscreen display is also an upgrade worth writing home about. It's way easier to work out with so many video options delivered in such a quality viewing experience. But let's be honest about the drawbacks. This machine is substantial. It's a whopping 147 pounds, measuring 86"L x 25"W x 48"H. We're talking serious equipment here, not something you casually tuck in a corner. While there is a vertical storage option, the Arc is definitely best suited for people with dedicated home gym space. Living in a tiny Brooklyn apartment, I found myself wishing I had more room to make this a permanent fixture. The other consideration is price and commitment. This is premium equipment with a premium price tag, and you'll want to make sure you're actually going to use it consistently to justify the $2,295 investment. More on that in my official review, coming soon. Bottom line: This could be my cross-training obsessionAfter several sessions on the Arc, I'm genuinely excited about incorporating rowing into my training routine in a more meaningful way. The combination of proper instruction, intelligent metrics, and running-specific programming addresses every complaint I've had about traditional rowing machines. Like with Peloton for cycling, it's not just about having a machine at home; it's about having access to a comprehensive training ecosystem that understands and supports your goals. The AI-powered features like HydroMetrics provide the kind of data-driven feedback that serious runners appreciate, while the instructional content ensures you're actually getting the most out of each session. If you have the space and budget for premium home fitness equipment, the Arc deserves serious consideration as your next training investment. I'm still in the early stages of testing the Arc, and I'll be providing more detailed insights as I continue to explore its features and programs over the coming weeks. View the full article

Earlier this month, we talked about corporate gifts that went terribly wrong. Here are 15 of my favorite stories you shared (and 15 more about coming next week — apparently there are a lot of bad company gifts out there). 1. The playing cards One Christmas, we were all handed packs of playing cards with the company logo … not great but not terrible. Everyone can use a deck of cards right? The we opened them. Instead of the normal hearts/spades/numbers etc., the cards had our “company values” printed on them. They were custom made for a special game, like Go Fish. You were supposed to build “sets” of matching values. Like “Go Fish,” you were supposed to ask, for example, “Do you have any ‘Innovation?’” Of course everyone was pretty annoyed … the company could have spent the money on giving us actual playing cards. So we all used the cards to make long holiday garlands which we hung up around the office. They remained up through most of January, when we were asked if we could take them down, due to leadership being in town. Because god forbid leadership see our company values decorations! 2. The mobiles My CEO had Christmas cards made up for the employees in 2008, when the Great Recession was kicking off. The card was a hanging mobile we were supposed to cut out, showing all the places he and his family had traveled around the world that year, with illustrations of his family getting out of the plane or sightseeing in Venice. A lot of effort went into this — all of the illustrations were hand-drawn — but the company was notorious for paying below-market wages, and it didn’t go over well. I remember a manager in the department ripping his to shreds and dramatically hurling it into the trashcan. I think I quietly recycled mine. 3. The Christmas hamper One of our biggest vendors is in Italy and few years back someone in management decided to send them a Christmas hamper. So far, so unspectacular. Unfortunately, they decided to send an Italian style hamper with food sourced in sunny old Dublin. From a local supermarket. They sent it to Rome. The vendor was probably baffled, and the following year management received a wooden crate filled with expensive wine, olives, pasta, pancetta, and and a cheeky little note from the vendor saying, “Vino & cibo vero!” (Wine and real food!) 4. The hospital socks My husband is a physician at one of the state’s largest hospital networks, which is currently in the midst of a physician unionization effort due in large part to ever-increasing demands, while the CEO got an absolutely staggering salary and bonus. Last year, the physicians got socks for their holiday gift. And not just any socks: HOSPITAL socks. 5. The personalized coloring books A relative of mine was working at a large corporate law firm. They decided to send out an appreciation gift to the support staff. Everyone got an adult coloring book with a small box of pencil crayons. At the time, those coloring books were very popular for stress relief. However, the pictures to color were not just flowers or landscapes – they were portraits of the senior partners at the firm. Truly odd and, well, off-color. 6. The wireless chargers My old company had the bright idea to spin our in-house technology/software team into a standalone company. I guess they were worried about the change spooking us or our clients, so there were a lot of little bribes to get us on board. Some of these were great ($200 bonus for everyone!) but one was a free wireless charger with the new company’s logo on it. We got an email a few months later saying we should hand them in for disposal because a lot of them had started overheating and posed a fire hazard. 7. The pickle jars My husband was working at an ed tech startup during the pandemic that generally had good branding – they’d sent him a nice fleece when he got hired, and some other swag we still have (it was 2021 so branded cloth mask, some makeup/ pencil bags). They had a founding anniversary date they wanted to make a big deal out of, and excitedly told everyone to be home to expect a gift. We were more or less excited – it was still kind of depressing Covid times, and they really hyped this gift up and wanted everyone to open it together on an all-hands call. When it arrived, we noticed it was kind of small, but no big deal – on the Zoom all hands they announced, “Okay, everyone, open your gifts!!” Only to be met with stunned silence. The “amazing gift” we’d been told to expect was a Make Your Own Pickle kit – a single mason jar, with a packet of pickle spices inside, and a sheet of instructions. Also, you had to buy all of the other ingredients which included a large amount of vinegar and cucumbers, which no one had warned anyone about. I seem to remember the person running the call thought everyone could make the picked them and there, but then realized literally no one had the required ingredients, just this empty jar with a spice packet so they had to abandon the plan. Apparently there was some inside joke among the founding members of the startup about … pickles? But none of the other 100+ employees had any idea what it was, and were just kind of quietly baffled at what they were supposed to do with this jar. 8. The tweezers One year for Christmas, we got $25 gift cards to a nearby bougie nail salon. I’m not sure $25 would get you in their door, let alone pay for any of their services. We are also in the medical field and cannot have large gaudy false nails. The next year, everyone got a single piece of a beauty care kit. I was the lucky recipient of a pair of tweezers. 9. The survival kits When I started residency, the resident association gave out a little “on-call survival kit.” It was actually really cute: a little branded zip pouch with a branded sleep mask (which in retrospect was optimistic lol,) a toothbrush, a mini toothpaste, a toothbrush cover, and some candy. Except… the toothbrush cover was kind of strange. It was a silicone sleeve about seven inches long with a flared head for the bristle-end of the toothbrush … and, for some reason, it was a pale flesh color. It looked a bit … well, frankly, it looked like a dildo. I was briefly horrified (WHAT do they think residents get up to on-call?!), then realized what it was, decided that I could never EVER be seen with it, and threw it away. Used a hard plastic toothbrush case instead. 10. The “payday” I was new to this organization, but apparently, the company HR person about four years prior to me starting hyped up a year-end bonus for all employees, implying an extra payday. That extra “payday” came in the form of an actual Payday candy bar. One per employee. Now Paydays are delicious, unless of course you have a peanut allergy and/ or you’ve been essentially told that you were getting an extra paycheck. That HR person left shortly after. 11. The gendered gifts A former employer loved to do Christmas gifts, but it was gendered unnecessarily and made me mad every year. In the years I was there, men received awesome gifts like a fire pit, a nice Yeti backpack cooler, and a pizza oven. Women, in their first year of employment, got a Tiffany charm bracelet and every year thereafter a charm for it, picked out by the owner’s wife. Why they couldn’t just offer everyone the option to choose between the jewelry or the other item, I don’t know. I hate bracelets and especially hate gaudy Tiffany charm bracelets, and I will forever be bitter about not getting a free fire pit or pizza oven. 12. The shared silly putty For staff appreciation week, after a series of violent incidents and several team members quitting, our team of 56 was gifted a single egg (for all 56 of us) of silly putty to “destress.” 13. The air fresheners We’re a retail chain. Among the many products we sell are a line of air fresheners that well pretty well. One year, the vendor sent us a Christmas gift of a branch of a pine tree in a pot, like a mini-Christmas tree, that had been sprayed with a new scent they’d developed called “wintergreen.” Which would have been great, except a) they sprayed way, way, way too much on it, and b) it smelled like armpit. Within minutes, the entire office acquired a stench that lasted for a couple of hours after it was (immediately) removed. They did not send us any holiday gifts after that. 14. The candy Public school teacher… A note that said, “You are a LIFESAVER” with one individually wrapped lifesaver taped to the card. A note that said, “Thank you for rolling through the changes” with a single tootsie roll taped to the note. A note that said, “Thanks for going the EXTRA mile” with a single piece of Extra brand gum taped to the note. I could go on but these were a few of the memorable notes. 15. The t-shirt For his annual appreciation gift, my spouse received a t-shirt with only the name of his very niche department and the wrong year. Imagine if you will, it’s Christmas morning 2022 and you open a gift of a cornflower blue t-shirt with no logo or company branding that says “External Teacup Negotiation 2013” in white Times New Roman font. We laughed until we cried and it has become a legendary shirt in our family. The post the personalized coloring books, the shared Silly Putty, and other corporate gifts gone wrong appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon's Prime Day 2025 sale was its biggest ever, stretching for four days this past July—but the company is not done with your wallet yet. The fall version of the mega-sale, known as Prime Big Deal Days, is just around the corner. Here is everything you need to know to prepare for the fall's biggest sale (at least until Black Friday rolls around. What is Prime Big Deal Days?You can think of Prime Big Deal Days as fall's answer to Prime Day. It's a two-day sale with deals in virtually every category you can think of. While Prime Day is the bigger sale of the two, Prime Big Deal Days has grown substantially since its first iteration back in 2022. When is Prime Big Deal Days this year?Amazon announced Prime Big Deals Days 2025 will take place from Oct. 7–Oct. 8. This is the fourth year for Amazon's fall Prime Day sale. Do you need to be a Prime Member to shop during Prime Big Deal Days?Yes, you will need to be a Prime Member to shop the exclusive sales during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days. Prime membership starts at $14.99 per month. While only you can decide if buying a yearly Prime membership is worth it for you, remember you can always sign up and then cancel your Prime membership once the sale is over: Amazon offers a free 30-day trial, so you can shop both days of the event (and even get some early Black Friday deals) before canceling without being charged. Here's how to sign up for a Prime account. What sales you can expect during Prime Big Deal DaysPrime Day happens in the summer, when you're more likely to see deals on outdoorsy stuff, like gardening equipment, grills, and hot tubs, in addition to the usual tech and Amazon device deals. Since Prime Big Deal Days happens in the fall, you're likely to see more deals on gaming and indoor gym equipment. Amazon has already announced some categories that will be on sale, including: Home, apparel, toys, beauty, electronics, groceries, and household essentials. Some brands you can expect are: LEGO, Fisher-Price, MAGNA-TILES, Tonies, Samsung, LG, Sonos, Lancôme, National Tree Company, KitchenAid, and Beats devices. Early Prime Big Deal Days deals will be live earlierAs is usually the case, Amazon will kick off their sales with some early deals in the leadup up to the main event. While they haven't kicked off yet, we will be covering as soon as they do. Make sure to follow our coverage to stay on top of the best deals. The competition also offer salesYou can expect major retailers to have their own competitive sales like they've done in the past years, the big ones being Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. I'll be updating this post as those sales are officially announced. Some tips for a successful Prime Big Deal DaysIf this will be your first October Prime Day, there are some basic things you need to know about Amazon sales: You can share your Prime membership with family members even if they don't live with you You can set price alerts for products you want and your Alexa devices can notify you when they go on sale There are usually some "Invite-Only" deals that you can sign up for There are tools you can use to see if the deal you're looking at is good or not. But if you only take one bit of advice for shopping on Prime Big Deal Days, let it be this one: Don't buy anything you weren't going to buy anyway. A good way to make sure you do this is by making a list of the products you do want, and only having eyes for those. View the full article

Since Apple first introduced iOS 26 during its WWDC keynote address this past June, most of the attention has been on the divisive "Liquid Glass" design overhaul—but there's a lot more to the latest version of the iPhone software. While the big iOS 26 features, including ones that Apple borrowed from others, got everyone talking, some of the most exciting updates have gotten a lot less attention. Here are three dozen of my favorites. 36 of the best under-the-radar features in iOS 26 Credit: Apple The above slide is all we have to go on for these features. Some of them are obvious from the title alone, but others aren't so clear. I've tried to add context wherever I can, but there is some speculation necessary here until we know more about iOS 26: Custom snooze length for alarms: If you want to snooze for more or less than the standard nine minutes, this feature could be really useful. AirPods Automatic Switching with CarPlay: Automatic switching lets you quickly connect your AirPods to the Apple device you're actively using. It looks like Apple is extending it to CarPlay, too. Enhance Dialogue: This feature should mean Apple Podcasts can boost vocals in podcasts and suppress background noises. All of the best podcast apps must have this feature. Use Focus to silence SIM: It looks like iOS 26 will let you use Focuses to silence one SIM, which is great for those who use two numbers on their iPhone. Communication requests: Screen Time could be getting support for requests to use messaging apps. This may allow parents to better regulate who their children are talking to. 'Add Contact' button in groups: This could make it easy to add people to your contacts from a group in the Messages app. Rich entry layout: The Journal app is getting a better layout for starting a new entry, but we don't quite know what that is yet. Events in Photos: It looks like iOS 26 will add support for events in the Photos app. Lens cleaning hint: If your iPhone or iPad's camera lens is dirty, iOS 26's Camera app will ask you to clean it. Specify spelling with Dictation: A neat way to reduce typos when you're using Dictation to type. Auto-Categorize: Reminders will be able to automatically sort your to-dos. Manage AutoFill credit cards in Wallet: It appears that Apple is moving stored credit card data to the Wallet app. Safety Check while blocking a contact: Safety Check removes other people's access to shared iPhone data, such as your location. Apple seems to be adding Safety Check prompts when you block a contact as another way to ensure your safety. Photo previews: Messages is gaining the ability to show image previews on your iPhone, though it's not clear exactly how that compares to the current system. Relevant video thumbnails in search results: Based on this description, it looks like search results in Photos may now include specific parts of a video that are relevant to the search term. Arabic Calculator: The calculator app is getting a new mode. Braille Access: A braille note taker is coming to your iPhone. AirPods pause media when asleep: Your AirPods can detect when you've dozed off and pause media accordingly. This detection likely ties to Apple Watch. Easier controller pairing: Apple's making it easy to pair gaming controllers with your iPhone and iPad. Suggested reminders: iOS 26 might suggest reminders based on your iPhone activity. Select partial text in a bubble: In iOS 18, the Messages app lets you copy an entire text you've sent or received, but it doesn't allow you to select a part of the message. That's about to change with iOS 26. More playback speeds: Apple Podcasts in iOS 18 supports playback speeds from 0.75x to 2x. It's going to get more speed options in iOS 26, though we don't know which or how many yet. Multiscript keyboard for Arabic/English: For easier switching between the two languages. New Monogram styles: The Phone app now supports more Monogram options. Natural language search: It might be easier to search in Messages. Natural language could let you narrow down searches even if you don't remember the correct search operators. Adaptive power: Your iPhone will make small changes, such as lowering brightness, to improve battery life. Password history: Apple Passwords will remember older passwords used with any login item. Accessibility Reader: This makes it easy to read small text in any app. Estimated time to charge: This tells you how long you need to wait until your iPhone's battery is fully charged. See your entries on a map: The Journal app will save location metadata to help you find entries by location. Export Notes to Markdown: Apple Notes is gaining support for Markdown exports. Create multiple journals: The Journal app will now let you create more than one journal. Screen sharing and SharePlay on a phone call: It looks like these features are no longer exclusive to FaceTime calls. Create reminders from Action button: The Action button gets yet another useful action. Block list in Settings: This appears to be an improvement to the way blocked contacts are handled. New incident report types in Maps: When you want to report an incident in Apple Maps, you'll find more report types in the app in iOS 26. View the full article

A reader writes: I recently relocated to another state and began looking for a job. Throughout the course of my search, I have come across an interesting and unusual (to me) phenomenon: ghosting. I have been ghosted by pre-screeners, HR directors, hiring managers, and a VP. In each case I have sent follow-up emails to express my continued interest in the position and … crickets. In one interview, the HR director literally said, “I will call you next week,” “I won’t ghost you,” and, “I don’t intend to ghost you, I promise.” I had not mentioned anything to her during our interview. And yes, she ghosted me. I sent a follow-up email and, no, I did not hear anything back from her. In my chosen field, I am looking for a mid- to upper-management position. The size and structure of the company doesn’t seem to matter either. I have had this happen with small, medium, and large companies. The ghosting has happened in cases where I have specifically been told in an interview that I am a viable candidate and they intend to schedule a second or third interview. And then, nothing. Having been a hiring manager and been in positions where I supervised HR departments I understand the internal process can get very busy and things can and do fall through the cracks. However, it is happening on such a regular basis I have actually come to expect it. And really, how much time does it take to send off a rejection email? I guess I have two questions: Has this become a common practice? And is there anything else I can do besides sending a follow-up email? You can read my answer to this letter at New York Magazine today. Head over there to read it. The post what’s up with employers not getting back to me after I interview? appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

How long a transition time? What happens to WIP and A/R? By Marc Rosenberg CPA Firm Mergers: Your Complete Guide Go PRO for members-only access to more Marc Rosenberg. View the full article

How long a transition time? What happens to WIP and A/R? By Marc Rosenberg CPA Firm Mergers: Your Complete Guide Go PRO for members-only access to more Marc Rosenberg. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. Meta seems to have inadvertently revealed its full line-up of Meta and EssilorLuxottica's smart glasses ahead of tomorrow's Meta Connect 2025 event, including the long-rumored display-style smart glasses. Yesterday, UpLoadVR posted a (since removed) video they said they'd grabbed from Meta's own YouTube channel. Check it out: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. If the video is legit (and it sure looks legit) it confirms the following: Ray-Ban Meta glasses with a monocular display, controlled by dedicated wristband Navigation and AI apps for the display glasses, as well as the ability to "type" provided by the wristband. "Shield" style sports glasses from Oakley with a center camera The leak confirms the biggest rumors that have been swirling around for months about Meta's fall line-up, and may have debunked a few as well. The video does not feature a wrist controller that doubles as smart watch, nor were the rumored Prada Meta glasses shown (although those could still be shown during a different part of the presentation). Beyond their existence and some basic features, there's still a lot to learn about Meta's fall lineup of smart glasses. How much will they cost? What will they actually do? Those details and more will likely be revealed tomorrow at Meta Connect 2025. Where you can watch Meta Connect 2025Meta Connect 2025, Meta's annual big two-day event to reveal new technology, will begin with a keynote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET and continue through the 18th. You can stream the keynote and developers conferences on Facebook or the official Meta Connect site. Predicting event announcements is naturally full of speculation, but it's informed speculation based on online rumors and sources that have been accurate with past leaks and rumors. If you plan to watch the event—or just want an idea of what might be coming—here's what I expect to see at Meta Connect 2025. Hypernova smart glassesThe biggest hype at Meta Connect 2025 is likely to be about Meta's next generation of smart glasses, code-named "Hypernova," or maybe "Meta Celeste." According to online rumors, the next Meta glasses will feature a dedicated display on one lens for alerts and mini-apps, as well as all the AI, audio, and camera/video features of the current generation of Meta Ray-Bans and Meta Oakley smart glasses. All of this will be facilitated via a wireless wristband that will let you control various aspects of the glasses with small wrist movements. The display glasses will supposedly retail for $799, but when they'll hit the market remains to be seen. Sources report they'll be on sale this month (Zuckerberg adding, "...and they'll be available tonight" at the end of his keynote would be cool), but it could be anytime later this fall. These glasses would mark a definite step forward in smart glasses, but they won't be the full augmented reality that Meta has shown off in its "Orion" smart glasses. New details on the third-generation Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glassesIf you're more interested in a better version of the Meta Ray-Bans and Meta Oakleys, Meta Connect could feature details on third-gen Meta smart glasses. Along with expected improvements like longer battery life and maybe a better camera, the biggest innovation to Meta glasses may be improvements to the glasses' AI. Internally called "super sensing," Meta's improved AI will stay on for longer periods, seeing what you see and interpreting it. Your glasses might tell you left the oven on, or tell you where you left your car keys (the single feature I most want from smart glasses). Another rumored addition to Meta's AI could be facial recognition (another thing I'd use all the time). The technology already exists for smart glasses to tell you who you're looking at, but Meta has supposedly been leery of pulling the trigger due to privacy concerns. Generation 3 Meta smart glasses are expected to hit stores this fall. Ray-Ban Meta - Wayfarer Large glasses with Meta AI, Audio, Photo, Video Compatibility - Polarized Gradient Graphite Lens (Refurbished) - Matte Black $263.00 at Best Buy Get Deal Get Deal $263.00 at Best Buy Third-party apps for Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glassesIf third-party app support for Meta smart glasses is revealed at Connect 2025, it might be through "the future of computing" developer keynote to be held on Sept. 18 at 1 p.m. ET. Meta opening its smart glasses to other developers' apps could low-key be the biggest announcement at the show, as it would expand what you could do with your glasses in ways that can be hard to even imagine. New improvements to Meta Horizon OSThere doesn't seem to be much evidence that Meta will announce a Quest 4 VR headset at Connect 2025, but that doesn't mean Virtual Reality Gang will be totally ignored. Tech site VRUpload recently did some data mining and dug up evidence that Meta is planning to revamp both the Home and Worlds components of the Meta Horizon. Meta is supposedly re-vamping the "starting space" for Quest users, taking it from its current static state to something that makes it "easier to connect with others and transition smoothly into Horizon Worlds and immersive apps." Other potential Horizon announcements may include a more responsive and better-looking Horizon Worlds social hub, and a new theater space within Horizon Worlds called Events Arena. If you want to tune in live, you can stream Connect 2025 on Facebook or the official Meta Connect site. View the full article

Reconsider your prices. Here are 10 questions to help. By Martin Bissett Business Development On a Budget Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

Reconsider your prices. Here are 10 questions to help. By Martin Bissett Business Development On a Budget Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

The Ivy Lee Method helps PMs ditch decision fatigue by prioritizing six critical tasks a day. This 100-year-old strategy still works wonders for staying focused, reducing stress, and getting stuff done. The post The Ivy Lee Method Explained: A Practical Productivity Guide appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

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. The 10th-generation iPad is considered Apple’s entry-level budget tablet and was one of the best tablets on the market until the 11th-generation iPad was released. Right now, you can pick up the 256GB wifi version for the lowest price it has been since its release: $349.99, down from its listed $499 price. After looking at price-tracking tools, I can say this is the cheapest price the iPad has reached since its 2022 release. 10th Generation iPad $299.00 at Amazon $349.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $299.00 at Amazon $349.00 Save $50.00 The 10th-generation iPad came out in 2022 and it’s $50 cheaper than the newest iteration, making it a good budget option for those who don't need the latest specs. Since it's not on the list of Apple products no longer receiving software updates, you'll likely still get a few more years of updates. This iPad is still considered the best tablet for most people, as PCMag dubbed it in their "excellent" review, where it received their Editors' Choice award for affordable tablets. But if you can afford the extra $50 for the 11th generation, it is a better investment since it'll have a better chip, battery life, and features. This tablet's processor is an Apple A14 Bionic. It's not as fast as the newer iPad's A16 Bionic chip, but it is still powerful enough to do all the basic tasks you're likely to use the tablet for. The screen resolution is a sharp 2,360 by 1,640 pixels with a 10.9-inch screen. You can expect about six hours of juice with a full charge, which is between the iPad Mini and the 9th-generation iPad. The camera is a 12MP for the front and back. Recommended iPad accessories:Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad 10th Gen, $199 (originally $249) Apple Pencil (USB-C), $69 (originally $79) MoKo Case for iPad 10th Generation, $9 (originally $9.99) Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation), $199 (originally $249) Apple AirPods (4th Generation), $99.99 (originally $129) If you are planning on getting the tablet, some useful (but not absolutely necessary) accessories include the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio, which will make your iPad work like a laptop, and the Apple Pencil USB-C, a stylus that will allow you to make the most of your iPad's touchscreen abilities. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium JetBlack) — $699.99 (List Price $1,099.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Roku Streaming Stick Plus — $29.00 (List Price $39.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

A reader writes: I am a supervisor for a small-ish organization with very few male employees. “Amy” started working here in January, but does not report to me. Earlier this week she asked if she could talk to me, and told me that one of the men in her department was making her very uncomfortable. Since she started working here, “Ben” makes comments to her about how beautiful she is, saying things like, “I’m sorry for staring at you. You’re just so beautiful.” She said she’s attempted to make small talk with him in the hopes that as he got to know her, he would talk to her about other things. Apparently things escalated two nights ago as everyone was leaving work. Ben told Amy she looked like one of his friends from college, and could he take Amy’s picture to show his friend? Amy felt uncomfortable but let him take the picture. However, the other women she walked out with said that was really weird behavior and over the next couple of days encouraged her to talk to me. After Amy told me about her experience with Ben, another employee (who does report to me, and who was one of the women who told Amy to talk to me) told me he also made an inappropriate comment to her about how “hot” her body looked in a dress she was wearing. Amy’s supervisor and the director were both out that day, but the next morning I told them about both women’s interactions with Ben. To my surprise, the director, “Clara,” pretty much blew it off. She said that Ben has ADHD, which makes his social interactions awkward, and she was sure he didn’t mean anything. I said regardless, he couldn’t make those comments to his coworkers and either the director or his supervisor needed to tell him so. Clara said she would talk to him. (I want to point out that Clara is younger than I am, so this isn’t a case of an older woman not taking harassment seriously. Furthermore, she has been very good about addressing harassment from the public towards any of our employees. Also, this is not a case of Ben awkwardly flirting. He’s married and tells people “happily” so, and both women who reported this behavior are also married.) So what is my role now? Do I follow up with Clara to make sure she talked to Ben? Should I follow up with Amy, or ask Clara to follow up with her? I feel like I was entrusted with making this a safe work environment for Amy, and potentially other young women, and I don’t know where to go from here. I want to reassure her that reporting Ben’s behavior was the right thing to do and make sure Ben doesn’t continue to say things like this to his coworkers. ADHD doesn’t cause people to sexually harass their coworkers. Clara’s assertion is ridiculous — and pretty insulting to people with ADHD. What’s more, even if Ben did have some explanation for why he struggled with social norms, it wouldn’t mean that he should be allowed to make inappropriate comments to colleagues and everyone would just have to be understanding. In fact, it wouldn’t change anything about the way the organization needed to proceed; both legally and ethically, they’d still need to tell him to cut it out. Employers have a legal obligation to intervene when employees are being sexually harassed. Now that Ben’s behavior has been reported, your organization is opening itself to legal liability if it doesn’t act. Do you have an HR department? If so, skip over Clara and go to them. Relay what was reported to you, and share your concern that it’s not being addressed sufficiently. If you don’t have HR, go to the head of the organization since it’s small. If that’s Clara … well, that’s not good, but then you’d need to go back to her and say, “I thought more about our conversation, and I want to be sure we’re making it clear to Ben that he cannot make any more of these comments to employees, period. What Amy and Jane relayed qualifies under the law as a report of sexual harassment, which makes us legally obligated to investigate and ensure it stops.” And yes, someone should follow up with Amy and the other woman who complained, to let them know it’s been addressed and to tell them exactly how to report it if the behavior doesn’t stop. But of course, that needs to be true — so Clara or someone needs to actually handle this first. The post a colleague is harassing female coworkers, and the person I reported it to didn’t seem too concerned appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Next week, the Freelancers Union will mark a major milestone: We’re turning the big 3-0. Obviously, the world is much different than it was 30 years ago, and by extension, so is the business of freelancing. Freelancers are nimble by nature, and just as the last three decades have forced freelancers to navigate a constantly shifting media, tech, and economic landscape, the Freelancers Union, too, has grown and changed. In the spirit of navigating change and getting back up again, even after you’ve been knocked down, we asked freelancers to share some of the “mistakes” they’ve made over the course of their freelance careers. Our members kindly shared their stories, as seen below, that will both give you some pointers of things to consider in your own freelance career, as well as a reminder that lessons learned don’t break a career, but help build one. “I’ve made the mistake multiple times of working before a contract or deal memo was issued. Each time, surprise, the company wanted to pay much less than what I quoted.” - Khalil "I continued to take on work from a client for a few months or so after invoices were not being paid, all the while with the client thanking me and heaping praise, telling me such things as "You are G-O-O-D!" and joking about going to Vegas with my paycheck (not kidding). Because of the nature of my work transcribing medicological reports, I felt that I couldn't possibly not take work and thereby jeopardize patient care and safety. My husband at the time finally insisted that I stop taking work. Once I did that and didn't hear back from the client after repeated attempts at contacting her, I took her to small claims court but had to travel to the state in which the client lived in order to do so. I was lucky enough at the time that my husband had the ability to pay for our travel expenses and accompany me to court, and I won, but had I been doing that completely on my own, I would have had to mostly eat those travel expenses (other than itemize them as business expenses), as well as losing money with time lost from work, as well as tackling the whole ordeal by myself without any moral support. And there was a second mistake along with this one: I accidentally transposed some of the numbers in the amount that I was requesting be compensated, so that I received $2,580 vs. $2,850 - a big brain cramp there for sure! I realized my error after the adjudication but before leaving the courtroom, so I asked the judge if I could change that number to the correct amount, but he deemed that, unfortunately, a no-go. A bit embarrassing being in a profession in which accuracy is of utmost importance. So, lesson learned there, too!" - T. “A mistake I made more than once was doing a big job with payment only at the end. I learned to state in advance, in writing, that I would need one-third or one-half of the payment after finishing that portion of the job. I always got paid, even when I made that mistake, but I had to do a lot more nagging to get the money if I waited till the end. I also learned to be very specific about what my work would entail — one read or two reads, for instance, no re-reading if the author or business decided to revise something after my work was done unless I was paid extra for that, and so on.” - Peggy “The one mistake I continue to make is to set a fee that's too low. I've made progress over the years, and lately I've been charging more and feeling good about that. One mistake from years ago that sticks with me is that I let myself be pushed around by a couple of art directors at a financial magazine. They asked for a chart that looked shiny and gold, with drop shadows and reflections, against a green background. It looked terrible in the end, and I told myself I'd never create work I don't like at least a little bit. I'm happy to collaborate, but this wasn't a healthy collaboration.” - Haisam “Where do I start? I just retired from about 35 years of freelancing, writing and consulting in persuasive communications, mostly for architects. That gave me a great deal of time and many opportunities for mistakes. But let me offer one that may be helpful to other freelancers, whatever their specialty may be. A number of times, I made the mistake of hiring the wrong client, the result of not asking the right questions. This has been a particular issue when I was enlisted to help an architect with a submission for Fellowship in the AIA College of Fellows. It's an extraordinarily complicated and lengthy process, and I've worked on more than 40 of them. Mistake #1: Every once in a while, I've been approached by an architect who simply is not a good candidate. I should decline to take them on, but it's hard to tell someone ‘You don't got the goods.’ Working with someone who isn't a good candidate is a miserable chore. When they also refuse to understand what the AIA is looking for, it's a head-banging time. Mistake #2: Early on, I wasn't clear enough about the tasks I don’t take on. Mistake #2a: I sometimes failed to ask detailed questions about who the client is using for graphic design. I should never have taken on an assignment with the wrong designer — but on occasion I did. Mistake #2b: There's a great deal of nit-picking, irritating, often nonsensical rules in a Fellowship submission. I should always have been clear not only that I don't do these, but also that the candidate needs to appoint someone in-house who understands all of this, especially all the electronic stuff. Mistake 3: I should have been emphatic about the need for a team and the absolute requirement that the candidate be directly involved. Some candidates seem to think that, having retained me, they can go off and sketch a super-tall building. It's important to make any client understand that they're not buying a piece of furniture to be delivered. And, finally, a suggestion: Although the kind of work I've mostly done has an obvious objective, for other kinds of projects it can be really helpful to ask, before taking on an assignment, ‘How will I know when you think I've succeeded?’ If you're in public relations, and the client's response is ‘When I'm on the cover of [choose the publication],’ run away.” - Erika “I dealt with a woman who delayed and delayed turning in my (and a colleague's) invoices to the point where I had trouble paying my bills on time. It caused me no end of grief. I should have gone over her head to whomever was her supervisor after it happened twice. Prior to her coming aboard, I worked for someone else at the same company who always put them in promptly. I would never let someone get away with that again.” - Anonymous “Here is a list of the mistakes which are at top of mind: Did not save $ for quarterly taxes.Did not have a friend sign a contract for a job. I have worked for and with people I distrust. Never again.” - Anonymous“I am relatively new to freelancing but I have found that at the onset, I have given away too much information — so much so, that they did not need to hire me. I should have charged for the initial consultation but instead told them if I was aware of the project, I would add that time in.” - Anonymous “I discovered that I wasn’t charging my clients enough for my work. I started making incremental additions to my fees, and my clients didn’t complain.” - Anonymous “Hands down, the worst mistake I made was leaving freelance/fractional work and rejoining a corporation. I made more as a freelancer, but I needed healthcare, and the idea of benefits was attractive. I also tended to compare my trajectory with my friends ' titles, salaries, vs. control over my life. Huge mistake. My second mistake that I'm working on developing into a strength was trying to follow the market.When tech became all the rage, I migrated to UX research. While the pivots were valuable, the market is flooded with researchers with limited bootcamp training who believe they know more than they do. My third mistake was questioning myself. As a freelancer, you often lack access to information that can be crucial for your recommendations. Being sensitive to this, I indulged in self-protection. I felt that flying below the radar was safer than going head-to-head when that was necessary.” - Anonymous “I did a lot of work for people who never paid me what was agreed upon as a final payment. I just expected my client to be honest and responsible enough to eventually pay me my just deserves. I needed to learn about keeping better records of sales and completed work and transactional payment history. Researching how to run a more organized business is next on my to do list.” - Siregar “Earlier in my career, I was not diligent about following up with clients on past-due invoices. Many editorial clients had a net 60-day term, but everyone was still always late. To compound this, I didn’t want to appear desperate or difficult, so I would foolishly grant a grace period. Sometimes invoices were ‘never received’ by the correct department and were relegated to the back of the line for a new 60-day term. After a high-profile music mag (now defunct) gave me the runaround for 6 months, I received a bankruptcy notice and never got paid a dime. I took the next late client to a collections agency when 90 days turned into 4 months. Eventually, I received payment, but it was only for a partial amount. The lesson learned was that it’s more than okay to be diligent. It’s professional and it’s necessary. Now, my invoices have a net 30-day term, and I often receive payments within 20 days. I ask clients to ‘Confirm the invoice has been received and is in line for processing.’ I follow up if I don’t hear back, and I mark the due date on a calendar. I don’t just assume my contact will send the invoice to the correct department. I kindly ask them to confirm it at the time the invoice is sent.” - Jay “As soon as you start spending or making money in your business, have a good accountant lined up and also a good bookkeeper. At least note the basic rules and you could find all that now easily with AI – but you still need a professional. Get written agreements for anything you’re hired for. A contract is best but even an email specifying overtime for instance has saved my butt with clients who wanted to change the terms after the work was done. Don’t fall into the trap of obsessing about gear because what’s important is what you do with it, not having the latest tools. I tell myself all the time that ‘Nothing good ever happened to me when I was sitting alone on the sofa,’ so it’s good to be out there meeting people. A corollary to that first statement is ‘Any good thing that ever happened to me in my career came through with another person.’ Related to that last statement is something I’ve told many sound guys I’ve trained earlier in their careers: Be at least competent in your trade, show up on time, and don’t be an asshole and you’re 80% of the way towards success.” - Ed “I haven't been paying my quarterly taxes and it has been the worst snowball effect.” - Anonymous “My mistake was in not staying in my lane. Coming from a corporate background, I started out focused on LinkedIn connections and marketing. I also sought out local companies in the industries I was most familiar with. But when I started working with (very) small business owner friends whose clients were local businesses, my ADHD brain shifted away from where I needed to be as I tried to help them. It didn't occur to me until years later that I could've had a tier of pricing based on the type and size of business (or individual) I was targeting. Doing so would've allowed me to market to both B2B and B2C.” - Roxanne View the full article

Next week, the Freelancers Union will mark a major milestone: We’re turning the big 3-0. Obviously, the world is much different than it was 30 years ago, and by extension, so is the business of freelancing. Freelancers are nimble by nature, and just as the last three decades have forced freelancers to navigate a constantly shifting media, tech, and economic landscape, the Freelancers Union, too, has grown and changed. In the spirit of navigating change and getting back up again, even after you’ve been knocked down, we asked freelancers to share some of the “mistakes” they’ve made over the course of their freelance careers. Our members kindly shared their stories, as seen below, that will both give you some pointers of things to consider in your own freelance career, as well as a reminder that lessons learned don’t break a career, but help build one. “I’ve made the mistake multiple times of working before a contract or deal memo was issued. Each time, surprise, the company wanted to pay much less than what I quoted.” - Khalil "I continued to take on work from a client for a few months or so after invoices were not being paid, all the while with the client thanking me and heaping praise, telling me such things as "You are G-O-O-D!" and joking about going to Vegas with my paycheck (not kidding). Because of the nature of my work transcribing medicological reports, I felt that I couldn't possibly not take work and thereby jeopardize patient care and safety. My husband at the time finally insisted that I stop taking work. Once I did that and didn't hear back from the client after repeated attempts at contacting her, I took her to small claims court but had to travel to the state in which the client lived in order to do so. I was lucky enough at the time that my husband had the ability to pay for our travel expenses and accompany me to court, and I won, but had I been doing that completely on my own, I would have had to mostly eat those travel expenses (other than itemize them as business expenses), as well as losing money with time lost from work, as well as tackling the whole ordeal by myself without any moral support. And there was a second mistake along with this one: I accidentally transposed some of the numbers in the amount that I was requesting be compensated, so that I received $2,580 vs. $2,850 - a big brain cramp there for sure! I realized my error after the adjudication but before leaving the courtroom, so I asked the judge if I could change that number to the correct amount, but he deemed that, unfortunately, a no-go. A bit embarrassing being in a profession in which accuracy is of utmost importance. So, lesson learned there, too!" - T. “A mistake I made more than once was doing a big job with payment only at the end. I learned to state in advance, in writing, that I would need one-third or one-half of the payment after finishing that portion of the job. I always got paid, even when I made that mistake, but I had to do a lot more nagging to get the money if I waited till the end. I also learned to be very specific about what my work would entail — one read or two reads, for instance, no re-reading if the author or business decided to revise something after my work was done unless I was paid extra for that, and so on.” - Peggy “The one mistake I continue to make is to set a fee that's too low. I've made progress over the years, and lately I've been charging more and feeling good about that. One mistake from years ago that sticks with me is that I let myself be pushed around by a couple of art directors at a financial magazine. They asked for a chart that looked shiny and gold, with drop shadows and reflections, against a green background. It looked terrible in the end, and I told myself I'd never create work I don't like at least a little bit. I'm happy to collaborate, but this wasn't a healthy collaboration.” - Haisam “Where do I start? I just retired from about 35 years of freelancing, writing and consulting in persuasive communications, mostly for architects. That gave me a great deal of time and many opportunities for mistakes. But let me offer one that may be helpful to other freelancers, whatever their specialty may be. A number of times, I made the mistake of hiring the wrong client, the result of not asking the right questions. This has been a particular issue when I was enlisted to help an architect with a submission for Fellowship in the AIA College of Fellows. It's an extraordinarily complicated and lengthy process, and I've worked on more than 40 of them. Mistake #1: Every once in a while, I've been approached by an architect who simply is not a good candidate. I should decline to take them on, but it's hard to tell someone ‘You don't got the goods.’ Working with someone who isn't a good candidate is a miserable chore. When they also refuse to understand what the AIA is looking for, it's a head-banging time. Mistake #2: Early on, I wasn't clear enough about the tasks I don’t take on. Mistake #2a: I sometimes failed to ask detailed questions about who the client is using for graphic design. I should never have taken on an assignment with the wrong designer — but on occasion I did. Mistake #2b: There's a great deal of nit-picking, irritating, often nonsensical rules in a Fellowship submission. I should always have been clear not only that I don't do these, but also that the candidate needs to appoint someone in-house who understands all of this, especially all the electronic stuff. Mistake 3: I should have been emphatic about the need for a team and the absolute requirement that the candidate be directly involved. Some candidates seem to think that, having retained me, they can go off and sketch a super-tall building. It's important to make any client understand that they're not buying a piece of furniture to be delivered. And, finally, a suggestion: Although the kind of work I've mostly done has an obvious objective, for other kinds of projects it can be really helpful to ask, before taking on an assignment, ‘How will I know when you think I've succeeded?’ If you're in public relations, and the client's response is ‘When I'm on the cover of [choose the publication],’ run away.” - Erika “I dealt with a woman who delayed and delayed turning in my (and a colleague's) invoices to the point where I had trouble paying my bills on time. It caused me no end of grief. I should have gone over her head to whomever was her supervisor after it happened twice. Prior to her coming aboard, I worked for someone else at the same company who always put them in promptly. I would never let someone get away with that again.” - Anonymous “Here is a list of the mistakes which are at top of mind: Did not save $ for quarterly taxes.Did not have a friend sign a contract for a job. I have worked for and with people I distrust. Never again.” - Anonymous“I am relatively new to freelancing but I have found that at the onset, I have given away too much information — so much so, that they did not need to hire me. I should have charged for the initial consultation but instead told them if I was aware of the project, I would add that time in.” - Anonymous “I discovered that I wasn’t charging my clients enough for my work. I started making incremental additions to my fees, and my clients didn’t complain.” - Anonymous “Hands down, the worst mistake I made was leaving freelance/fractional work and rejoining a corporation. I made more as a freelancer, but I needed healthcare, and the idea of benefits was attractive. I also tended to compare my trajectory with my friends ' titles, salaries, vs. control over my life. Huge mistake. My second mistake that I'm working on developing into a strength was trying to follow the market.When tech became all the rage, I migrated to UX research. While the pivots were valuable, the market is flooded with researchers with limited bootcamp training who believe they know more than they do. My third mistake was questioning myself. As a freelancer, you often lack access to information that can be crucial for your recommendations. Being sensitive to this, I indulged in self-protection. I felt that flying below the radar was safer than going head-to-head when that was necessary.” - Anonymous “I did a lot of work for people who never paid me what was agreed upon as a final payment. I just expected my client to be honest and responsible enough to eventually pay me my just deserves. I needed to learn about keeping better records of sales and completed work and transactional payment history. Researching how to run a more organized business is next on my to do list.” - Siregar “Earlier in my career, I was not diligent about following up with clients on past-due invoices. Many editorial clients had a net 60-day term, but everyone was still always late. To compound this, I didn’t want to appear desperate or difficult, so I would foolishly grant a grace period. Sometimes invoices were ‘never received’ by the correct department and were relegated to the back of the line for a new 60-day term. After a high-profile music mag (now defunct) gave me the runaround for 6 months, I received a bankruptcy notice and never got paid a dime. I took the next late client to a collections agency when 90 days turned into 4 months. Eventually, I received payment, but it was only for a partial amount. The lesson learned was that it’s more than okay to be diligent. It’s professional and it’s necessary. Now, my invoices have a net 30-day term, and I often receive payments within 20 days. I ask clients to ‘Confirm the invoice has been received and is in line for processing.’ I follow up if I don’t hear back, and I mark the due date on a calendar. I don’t just assume my contact will send the invoice to the correct department. I kindly ask them to confirm it at the time the invoice is sent.” - Jay “As soon as you start spending or making money in your business, have a good accountant lined up and also a good bookkeeper. At least note the basic rules and you could find all that now easily with AI – but you still need a professional. Get written agreements for anything you’re hired for. A contract is best but even an email specifying overtime for instance has saved my butt with clients who wanted to change the terms after the work was done. Don’t fall into the trap of obsessing about gear because what’s important is what you do with it, not having the latest tools. I tell myself all the time that ‘Nothing good ever happened to me when I was sitting alone on the sofa,’ so it’s good to be out there meeting people. A corollary to that first statement is ‘Any good thing that ever happened to me in my career came through with another person.’ Related to that last statement is something I’ve told many sound guys I’ve trained earlier in their careers: Be at least competent in your trade, show up on time, and don’t be an asshole and you’re 80% of the way towards success.” - Ed “I haven't been paying my quarterly taxes and it has been the worst snowball effect.” - Anonymous “My mistake was in not staying in my lane. Coming from a corporate background, I started out focused on LinkedIn connections and marketing. I also sought out local companies in the industries I was most familiar with. But when I started working with (very) small business owner friends whose clients were local businesses, my ADHD brain shifted away from where I needed to be as I tried to help them. It didn't occur to me until years later that I could've had a tier of pricing based on the type and size of business (or individual) I was targeting. Doing so would've allowed me to market to both B2B and B2C.” - Roxanne View the full article

Celerity's founder turned a side-hustle into a fast-growing success. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

Celerity's founder turned a side-hustle into a fast-growing success. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

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. Right now, the Arlo 2K Essential Indoor/Outdoor Camera (2nd Generation) is available in a three-pack at 59% off, bringing it down to $109.99 and marking its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. If you’re looking to boost your home security system and cover multiple vantage points, this is a strong option. Arlo 2K Essential Indoor/Outdoor Camera (2nd Gen) $109.99 at Amazon $269.99 Save $160.00 Get Deal Get Deal $109.99 at Amazon $269.99 Save $160.00 This security camera bundle features 2K video resolution, which is a step up from many cameras that only have 1080p resolution—like this indoor Arlo camera, which received an “Excellent” rating from PCMag. And unlike that model, this one can be used both indoors and outdoors. It’s weather-resistant and features a wireless design. Plus, it has a rechargeable battery. For low-light conditions, the camera has a built-in spotlight and color night vision. Its field of view is around 130°, and it can zoom in up to 12x, letting you identify minute details. (This zoom is likely digital rather than true optical zoom, so quality may degrade if you’re zooming in too closely.) The spotlight doesn’t just illuminate the coverage area—it acts as a built-in deterrent (as does the integrated siren), upgrading this system from passive recording to actively dissuading intruders. Like most cameras, it features two-way audio that lets you listen and speak, but smart features like person and vehicle detection, which can cut down on false alarms, require a paid subscription, as does cloud storage. If you have a smart home ecosystem like Google Home or Alexa, this camera bundle can integrate seamlessly, allowing for features like automation and voice control. That said, there are some limitations. This camera only works on 2.4 GHz wifi and may require frequent recharging if there’s excessive motion or the postlight is being activated often. Additionally, a subscription is required for many features, like smart detection, that come for free from brands like Blink or Wyze. Still, if you want a versatile, easy-to-install setup that can monitor your home’s exterior or interior and cover more than one area, the Arlo 2K Essential Indoor/Outdoor Camera Bundle (2nd Gen) offers solid bang for your buck. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium JetBlack) — $699.99 (List Price $1,099.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Roku Streaming Stick Plus — $29.00 (List Price $39.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

One of the first hires we made at Buffer was for our customer support team, and that was intentional. We've always wanted every person who reaches out to feel genuinely valued and heard, striving to set the bar for exceptional customer support. That commitment to excellence in customer support hasn't changed in the nearly 15 years we've been in business. Over the years, we've built a team where everyone takes ownership of the customer experience and actively seeks new ways to deliver stand-out experiences. Buffer’s customer support team includes 18 talented teammates from seven countries, and the average tenure for our team is nine years. Through thoughtful planning with our four-day work week, we maintain 24/7 coverage for our customers, and this balance reflects our commitment to both our team and our customers. ➡️We’re currently hiring for a new Customer Advocate to join our team. Learn more and apply here Read on to learn more about how we approach customer support and how we work together. Customer advocacy metrics on buffer.com/metricsOur approach to customer support: The Hospitality Mindset“We believe in the remarkable power of giving people more than they expect.” -Will Guidara A key piece of Buffer’s Customer Advocacy team is our hospitality mindset. We adopted this mindset to level up the support experience and to provide clarity to our why, how, and what. A hospitality approach in customer support means that we strive to create standout, above-and-beyond, and personal experiences in every customer conversation. While many of our support conversations stem from customer friction or frustration, we believe we can still deliver an encounter that leaves a lasting impression. Our goal is to be the company that we would want to go to for customer support if we needed something. To keep this approach top of mind, we start by being curious and intentional in every customer conversation. This mindset also means that we look for ways to personalise and connect during each interaction. We’re working toward having fewer conversations about user friction and bugs by prioritizing product quality even more than usual right now. Our goal is to one day have more conversations with customers who reach out because they want to connect with us, whether to learn how to get the most out of Buffer, explore social media strategies, or share their successes and challenges. We always love solving problems for our customers, but the connections are what make our work meaningful. We draw a lot of inspiration from The Frictionless Organization, a book written by Bill Price and David Jaffe. 💙Read more about our hospitality mindsetOur guiding principles For each customer interaction we have with customers, we also have three guiding principles: Awareness (I understand and see you): Taking the time to really see the customer enables us to look between the lines for areas of frustration, opportunities to empower customers further, or doorways to build a deeper relationship.Clarity (I want to make sure you understand me): Our communication is our only medium to show our personality and ensure our customer is looked after. We provide the clearest path toward a resolution possible, focusing on how we can make it simple for customers to get to an answer.Empowerment (I can help you): We aim to be experts, not only as customer service professionals but also as experts at our product and how customers can successfully use it. We go above and beyond to find information for customers, and we're neither afraid to ask for help nor lean on each other to provide an above-and-beyond experience.Buffer's Customer Advocacy team on our 2025 team retreatWhat it’s like to work on Buffer’s Customer Advocacy team Each company approaches customer support differently; here’s what we do at Buffer. A team built on trust, ownership, and flexibilityWhat makes our culture truly special is the foundation of high trust, high ownership, and flexibility. Our team feels a high level of ownership of the customer experience at Buffer and have a deep understanding of their own impact as a support team member. We trust our teammates to create meaningful connections with every person they interact with. Most importantly, we trust each other to follow our instincts and make decisions that put our customers first. While we have a comprehensive internal FAQ and Wiki, we encourage our team to do what’s right for the customer. This model means everyone has significant autonomy in how they manage their work and relationships with customers. This level of ownership over the customer experience is rare and transformative. We recognize that ownership and decision-making skills come easier with experience, and that's not something we take for granted. We work closely as a team to support each other with questions, gut checks, and "second pair of eyes." This happens across Slack, Zoom calls, and even in notes in HelpScout. As team members build up a deeper understanding of our product, our customers, and our culture, their confidence and independence naturally grow. When someone is newer on the team, they tend to ask for more advice, which we welcome and encourage. Rather than having rigid processes in place, we lean heavily into trusting our team and the collaborative support approach we have in place. This foundation of trust we place in each other comes through in the service that we provide. It’s a joy to do the right thing by customers and that is something that I genuinely believe folks notice. How we operate without complex hierarchies Our team operates without escalation processes or complex hierarchies. We work alongside each other in the Advocacy team and with other teams to deliver the best possible experience. By increasing communication and collaboration, we believe we can improve both the support and product experience. We aim to be exceptional We have three pillars that are the foundation of how we work and the experience we want to deliver: Exceptionally FastExceptionally PersonalExceptionally InformedThese pillars guide our work as a team and help us with goal setting, both as a team and as individuals. Working remotely and creating a collaborative cultureOur team spans multiple time zones, and this has created something quite special: we've learned that distance doesn't have to mean disconnection. We've built systems for seamless collaboration that feel more like having teammates right next to you than working across continents. An ‘open office’ approach Slack serves as our virtual office, but it's far more than just a messaging platform. It's where team members pop in to say, "Has anyone else seen this come up?" or "I'm working on this tricky conversation — any thoughts?" Think of it as that open office environment where you can tap someone on the shoulder or call out a question to the room, knowing someone will be there to help. We're intentional about chatting transparently and openly about any conversations or support issues we're struggling to solve. There's something powerful about this vulnerability — when someone admits they're stuck or unsure, it creates space for the entire team to learn together. We've found that the conversations we struggle with individually often become the ones that teach us the most collectively. Open communication isn't just how we solve problems; it's how we all get better at what we do. Team members know they can reach out for help the moment they hit a roadblock, and there's never any judgment — just genuine eagerness to figure it out together. Whether someone needs help understanding a technical issue or wants to brainstorm the best way to respond to a frustrated customer, team support is always there. Collaborating closely across Buffer Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. Rather than working in silos, we partner closely with teams across Buffer to identify friction points, enhance the customer experience, and deliver exceptional support. This cross-functional approach fuels continuous growth, both individually and collectively, which directly translates into better experiences for the people we serve. Our team regularly collaborates with Product, Engineering, Design, and other departments, ensuring customer insights flow naturally through every decision we make. This connection helps the entire company stay grounded in real customer needs. 📆Read about how we serve our customers while working four days a weekA few members of our Customer Advocacy team at our 2025 team retreatHow our Customer Advocates grow at Buffer We believe that customer support is both vital to our business and a fulfilling career choice for team members who genuinely care about helping folks and love solving problems. In our Customer Advocacy team, everyone interacts with customers regardless of their level or role. We focus on creating delightful customer experiences, both by supporting the successful adoption of our product and by digging into bugs and UX issues that need attention. As the team that connects most with our customers, we have an immense impact on our business. We've built our team around the idea that customer support professionals can both grow and specialize within this area. All team members need a broad foundation in our customer support fundamentals, but from there, they can choose their own growth path. Some remain generalists who excel across many areas, while others develop deep expertise in specialisations like AI, our Help Center, customer education, billing, technical troubleshooting, product development, and internal documentation. Within our team, individual contributors (meaning teammates who aren’t managers) have a career framework to provide clarity of what growth looks like to support furthering their careers and developing their skills. It is important for us that there are growth opportunities beyond the traditional management track. The framework shouldn't limit anyone to one path—we lean into self-led growth where each team member works with their manager to outline what personal growth looks like for them. The goal is to have clarity about where you may belong while encouraging everyone to find their own role and growth trajectory. 🌱For more on growth at Buffer, read How Individuals Advance at Buffer, Without Becoming ManagersThere's a genuine pride that comes with being part of Buffer's support team. Customer experience isn't just a department; it's a company-wide priority that everyone values. When you know your work directly impacts people's success and that your company truly invests in support excellence, it creates a sense of purpose that's hard to find elsewhere. View the full article

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 usually focus on something a subset of the population gets wrong, so the rest of us can feel smart, but this week, I’m going bigger and broader, and describing something that you, me, and everyone we have ever met has been wrong about in the past, is currently wrong about, and will be wrong about in the future: mistaking correlation for causation. People have been repeating some variation of "correlation is not causation" since at least 1739, when David Hume articulated the concept in A Treatise on Human Nature. To paraphrase Hume: Just because two things happen at the same time doesn’t mean one is causing the other. Every smart person already already knows this, and it's repeated constantly, but we all still get it wrong. Here are some examples: The last 20 years of research on "gut biomes" could be wrong, partly as a result of both scientists and the media mistaking correlation and causation. (I've always had a gut feeling—get it?—this research was suspect.) For years people believed that drinking alcohol in moderation is good for your health. But it isn't. It's correlated with better health in some populations, but it doesn't cause better health. Defenders of mistaken beliefs derived from the correlation/causation fallacy will often compile volumes of data that shows a nearly exact correlations between, say, higher rates of autism and higher rates of vaccination, which makes it totally understandable to believe one causes the other. But there's no evidence that vaccines cause autism, and the correlation is probably because children received vaccines around the age autism is generally diagnosed, and we've gotten better at both vaccinating children and diagnosing autism. But "probably" is doing some lifting in that sentence. While no causal link between vaccines and autism has ever been demonstrated, there could be any number of reasons the rates line up. Classic debunking examples of correlation and causation, like the link between ice cream sales and shark attacks, tend to offer a pat explanation for the causal link—it only seems like ice cream causes shark attacks because both ice cream sales and swimming in the ocean rise when the weather is warmer—but even that is potentially mistaking correlation for causation. It makes sense, but we don’t actually know why those two numbers line up. And sometimes there just isn't any reason for connection between two pieces of disparate information. Check out the chart below. It's proof that the ratings of Two and Half Men directly correlates with the amount of jet fuel used in Serbia. Credit: www.tylervigen.com Or check out the exact connection between people googling "my cat just scratched me" and U.S. fruit consumption. Credit: https://www.tylervigen.com I made the second example on Tyler Vigen's Spurious Correlations, with a tool that will lets you make random connections all day. Not only that, the site uses AI to generate bogus "research papers" to explain the connection. In the case of the cats, ChatGPT offers this as a possible explanation: "Health-conscious households (those that track diet, buy fruit, etc.) are more likely to treat even minor injuries cautiously. A person who eats more fruit is not more likely to be scratched, but they are more likely to Google 'my cat scratched me' to check for infection risks or treatment steps." Even though I know it's bullshit, it still tracks. That's why we can never really stop being wrong in this specific way. Our brains want to believe. A neatly phrased explanation, a tidy chart, a plausible-sounding theory—it's so satisfying. A simple "we don't know" can't hold a candle to that certainty. Mistaking correlation for causation makes us go on fad diets and believe we're being healthy by drinking wine at dinner. It shapes health advice, public policy, and personal decisions in ways that can actually hurt people. The best we can do is try to be aware of it—when we read a headline that says "X causes Y," to assume this is a "cat scratches cause fruit consumption" situation until there's evidence that it isn't. View the full article

At Think Productive, we believe productivity isn’t about squeezing more into the day. It’s about working with clarity, focus, and intention. One of the most practical tools we use in our productivity workshops is the 4 Modes of Work model, a framework that helps individuals and teams match the right type of work to the right environment. Why Teams Need the 4 Modes of Work Modern organisations often default to one mode: meetings. Whether virtual or in-person, too much of our collective energy is consumed by unnecessary group discussions. The result? Burnout, meeting fatigue, and reduced productivity. The 4 Modes of Work framework gives hybrid teams and managers a practical way to design smarter collaboration. By naming and planning for each mode, organisations can reclaim focus, reduce distractions, and boost employee engagement. The 4 Modes of Work Explained 1. Solo Work Deep, focused work done alone. Examples: strategy writing, creative thinking, or preparing a presentation. Solo mode requires uninterrupted time and space, essential for knowledge workers who need to think clearly. 2. Tandem Work Two people working together in real time on the same task. Common in coaching, co-drafting, or pair problem-solving. For hybrid teams, Tandem mode reduces email chains and accelerates decision-making. 3. Tag Team Work Asynchronous handovers between people. You finish your part, then pass it to someone else. Ideal for distributed teams working across time zones or when deep reflection is needed before progressing. 4. Collaborative Work Multiple people together in real time, sharing ideas, making decisions, or aligning on actions. Collaborative mode should be used with intention, not as the default. Shorter, focused meetings deliver the best results. The Cost of Ignoring Work Modes When organisations don’t distinguish between these modes, inefficiency rises: Solo time disappears into a blur of notifications. Tag Team opportunities get replaced by unnecessary meetings. Tandem sessions are avoided in favour of endless email threads. The outcome? Slower projects, increased stress, and disengaged teams. How to Apply the 4 Modes of Work Look at your calendar for the week ahead and ask: Do I have enough Solo time protected for deep work? Could this long meeting be replaced with a Tag Team handover? Would 30 minutes of Tandem collaboration speed things up more than days of back-and-forth? By shifting just a few activities into their correct mode, teams immediately see improvements in productivity, engagement, and wellbeing. Why HR Leaders and Managers Should Care For HR professionals, people managers, and hybrid team leaders, the 4 Modes of Work model offers: A shared language for managing workload and expectations. A tool to prevent burnout and boost retention. A framework to design hybrid work cultures that balance focus and collaboration. Bringing the 4 Modes to Life At Think Productive, we integrate the 4 Modes of Work into our Leading Hybrid Teams workshop. Again and again, managers tell us it’s the missing piece: a simple, evidence-based model that makes hybrid working more effective. Want to help your team thrive in hybrid work? Explore our Leading Hybrid Teams workshop. The post The 4 Modes of Work: A Smarter Way to Design Your Day appeared first on Think Productive UK. View the full article

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. The second-generation Arlo Video Doorbell is currently down to $59.99 on Amazon, a big drop from its usual $129.99 price and the lowest it’s ever been, according to price trackers. Arlo Video Doorbell 2nd Generation $59.99 at Amazon $129.99 Save $70.00 Get Deal Get Deal $59.99 at Amazon $129.99 Save $70.00 PCMag named it the best video doorbell of 2024, which says a lot considering how crowded the smart doorbell space has become. This is a wireless doorbell with a built-in camera that gives you a sharp 2K head-to-toe view of your doorstep. You can either hardwire it into your existing doorbell wiring for trickle charging or just stick with the built-in battery, which lasts up to four months before you need to recharge with the included USB-C cable. The housing is weather-resistant, so it’s fine outdoors, and the design is simple: white casing, glossy black face, backlit button, and a speaker tucked underneath. Day to day, it works a little differently than most. When someone presses the button, your phone actually rings like a call. Pick it up, and you’re instantly looking at whomever’s outside with options to talk back or play a quick pre-recorded message. The 180-degree lens is wide enough that you don’t just see floating heads but the full head-to-toe view, and motion detection makes sure it’s recording when someone shows up, even if they don’t press the button. Video looks sharp in the daytime, and while there’s no color night vision, the black-and-white feed still holds detail out to a decent distance, notes this PCMag review. Audio is clear enough for quick back-and-forth conversations, and there’s a built-in siren you can trigger from the app if you want to deter unwanted visitors. While live video is free, you’ll need an Arlo Secure subscription to unlock recorded event storage and smart alerts. At $7.99 a month for one camera, you get 60 days of video history, object detection for people, packages, and vehicles, plus animated alerts that help you see what triggered the notification without opening the app. Compatibility is solid with Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, and IFTTT, though Apple HomeKit is missing. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium JetBlack) — $699.99 (List Price $1,099.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Roku Streaming Stick Plus — $29.00 (List Price $39.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article