Streamers are celebrities nowadays, and Elgato is one brand that's forging ahead with streamer culture. Its products are seen in all sorts of setups, but the real trick is finding uses for them elsewhere.

That's because whether you fancy yourself as the new Ninja or Dr. Disrespect or not, Elgato's tech is powerful and useful in a wide array of situations. Take the Stream Deck, for example, which works with your PC or Mac to provide context-specific buttons that can open apps, folders, files, or even run Shortcuts.

Amazon has dropped the prices of Elgato’s most popular products as part of its Cyber Monday deals over Black Friday weekend, with $60 off of the Elgato HD60 X capture device, $40 off of the Wave 3 microphone, and $30 off of the Stream Deck.

These Elgato Cyber Monday deals aren’t just for streamers

Starting with the biggest discount, the Elgato HD60 X is an external capture card, ideal for capturing whatever is on your screen. It’s now down to just $149.99, making it more affordable than ever to capture content across PC and Mac.

While it’s certainly great for YouTubers or budding Twitch streamers, it’s also ideal for anyone recording lengthy screencasts or video tutorials to share with colleagues.

The Wave 3 mic is ideal for anyone that spends a lot of time on video calls or in meetings, offering a USB mic that’s small enough to sit on your desk but is capable enough to make your voice sound much clearer.

The Stream Deck is essentially a set of customizable buttons with endless possibilities. While streamers use them to switch between “scenes”, the Stream Deck is just as useful for controlling your smart home, opening your favorite apps, or showing the battery level of your peripherals at a glance.

Looking for even more Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday deals? iMore’s live blog is full of the best tech deals around.

Just because you can't afford the latest and greatest from Herman Miller or Humanscale doesn't mean you don't deserve a comfortable desk chair — and that's where the best budget desk chairs come into play. You still want something that's good for your posture, supportive, and in some cases even attractive, but you don't want to break the bank to get it.

So we've found all the best desk chairs below $150, and put them all below so that you can find the best for you. We know as well as you how important a good desk chair is, so we keep an eye out to find the best possible. Are you a student looking for a decent low-cost desk too? Check out the best student dorm desks so that you can really deck out your dorm. 

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If you're looking for more of a gaming chair, then the High Back Gaming chair with lumbar cushion from BestOffice is a good option. It's got a lumbar cushion in the box to make sure that the curvature of your back is kept up, and it'll keep you comfortable for those long gaming sessions. There are several color options as well.

If you want something that looks great, then the Ovios Ergonomic office chair is going to be the one to choose. It's got a stunning leather-like surface, and looks akin to something from The Godfather, or the chair that Ernst Blomfeldt spins around in with his white cat. If you're an aspiring villain then there's everything you need here for a nicely intimidating lair.

• Back support - your back is important. Make sure that any desk chair you're choosing has some amount of support for your posture and back - that means keeping you upright throught the day, so that you don't end up slumping in front of your computer.
• Lumbar support - we'll say it again - your back is important. It's also not a straigt line from head to leg, it's a kind of subtle S shape. Lumbar support keeps your back in shape, making sure that your lower back is catered for. Ideally, a chair should have adjustable lumbar support to make sure the back rest is the perfect shape for your back.
• Height adjustment - you don't want to be sat on your chair on tip toes, and neither do you want to be sat at your desk, barely able to see over. It might sound obvious, but height adjustable desk chairs make working for long hours not only more comfortable, but also better for your legs and back health.

• Amazon - Good old faithful Amazon - they've got thousands of options.
• Home Depot - It's very easy to sort the options on their site, so you can really narrow down your search.
• Walmart - We've already put an Ascending price filter on here, so you'll see the cheapest options first.
• BestBuy - They've mixed in some accessories with the chairs here, so you'll have to scroll a bit to get to the chairs. They are there though, we promise!
• Wayfair - Wayfair may not be the cheapest, but they have some very stylish options for good prices.

We have a few more buying guides you might be interested in too. If you can stretch that budget further, then the best ergonomic office chairs are well worth a look. Our roundup of the best desk chair for kids is great for the little workers at home.

Or maybe you quite like the chair you already have and just wish it was a bit more padded? If that's the case, then you might be able to skip buying a chair if one of these best seat cushions suits you.

If you're working from home you need great home audio. There's nothing worse than joining a Microsoft Teams or Zoom call to hear patchy, tinny, crackly audio, or worse no audio at all. There's also nothing more painful than wires. If you're prepared to spend on a premium headset to make your work life more palatable, then you can't go wrong with these Jabra headsets, both of which are on sale in the Amazon Prime Early Access event which ends today. There's a dual and single-ear model, both offering wireless connectivity, great audio, and fantastic battery life. Check them out below! 

So there you have it, two fantastic options for home and office audio with major savings to be had on both. You can follow along with all the best Prime Early Access sales over on our live blog.

I spend dozens of hours each week at my desk whether I'm working on my Macbook or playing video games. If there's one thing I've learned it's that having good lumbar support and a comfortable chair can make a huge difference in my day.

We've scoured the internet and found these to be the best Office Chair Prime Day deals going on right now. The clock's ticking as we near the end of this year's sales, so if you're interested you'll want to jump on something fast.

Comfortable office seating at discounts only Prime Day can offer

These are the best office chair Prime Day deals going on right now. There's no telling how much longer stock will be available so jump on a deal fast if you're interested.

This year's summer Prime Day event is almost over, meaning the clock is ticking down on these deep discounts. If you're like me and spend a good portion of your week at your desk then you owe it to yourself to get a comfortable office chair. Your back will thank you.

Before I go into my experience with the rockspace Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 system, let me give you a little background. I live in Colombia, South America, where let's just say the internet technology is not exactly state-of-the-art. It works perfectly well most of the time, but it's not fiber optic. One of the biggest problems I have with my home internet is the terrible range of the Wi-Fi.

In Colombia, many families live in small apartments or homes that are interconnected and built very close together. The result is that many large extended families will share their WiFi with family, friends, and neighbors that live close-by in order to share and reduce the monthly cost of internet. So internet companies, in turn, greatly reduced the range of standard Wi-Fi routers (on purpose) so that it becomes much more difficult to share Wi-Fi from one home to the next. Long story short, my own standard Wi-Fi signal won't stretch from the bedroom/office to the kitchen, and my apartment is not large.

Enter the rockspace Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 Router and Extender, the WiFi system that has made it possible for me to use my Wi-Fi network on all my Apple devices at once, from anywhere in the house. The system is made up of a Wi-Fi router that connects directly to the existing modem and a Wi-Fi extender that amplifies the signal into dead zones (such as my kitchen). Together, the rockspace router and extender have improved W-iFi speeds all over my home and eliminated dead zones.

rockspace AX1800 Router and Extender: Price and availability

The best place to buy the rockspace AX1800 Router and Extender right now is Amazon. At this moment, Amazon is offering the best deals on these products, with both being $80. You can also get them on the rockspace website, but at a slightly higher price. Right now the pair is not available as a package deal, but since the two devices work so well together, I think it should be.

rockspace AX1800 Router and Extender: Wi-Fi in the kitchen and beyond

The rockspace AX1800 Router and Extender have greatly improved the internet experience in our home. Because of the nature of the standard modem that comes with our internet package, the internet signal begins to degrade significantly over any amount of distance. The AX1800 Router amplifies the Wi-Fi signal from the modem so that it's more powerful throughout the house, providing faster speeds even when I'm in the same room as the modem itself. This signal is more powerful throughout the house, but the range still won't extend all the way to the kitchen.

For that, I have the AX1800 Extender. This WiFi extender can work with any router, but it's especially easy to set up and use with its rockspace router counterpart. By using the RS Home companion app on my best iPhone, I was able to set up and connect both the router and the extender within seconds. This iOS app can also be used to make changes to the network or to troubleshoot, which I find convenient and helpful.

One snafu I had while setting up the extender was that it does not adapt to horizontal wall sockets, but I'll go into that in the next section. For now, I have the extender plugged in sideways, but this does not appear to affect its functionality. From the moment I plugged in the AX1800 Extender, my kitchen dead zone was gone. In fact, the signal is now quite powerful through every inch of my house. In the screenshot above, you can see the original internet strength in my kitchen on the left — barely usable at 3.2 megabytes. After I set up and plugged in the extender, the signal jumped up to a respectable 67.8 megabytes. This makes a major difference when I need to scour the internet for baking videos on my iPad!

This system supports up to 35 simultaneous device connections, so everyone in my home can enjoy fast Wi-Fi speeds even if we use all of our Apple devices at once, including the best Macs and favorite iPads. Heck, if we wanted to, I bet we could even share it with the neighboring apartment. Just don't tell our internet provider.

rockspace AX1800 Router and Extender: Wait, I gotta switch networks

Although the AX1800 Extender does extend the Wi-Fi to cover up to 1,500 square feet, it does so by creating its own extended network. This means that once you wander outside the coverage of the original router, you have to manually switch to the extended network. Since it's not a mesh system, I have to remember to connect my iPhone 12 Pro Max to the main router in my bedroom and then manually switch to the extended network in the kitchen. This only takes a few seconds to do, but I can see the value of a mesh network that does this automatically.

I was also confused by the detached socket plug that came with the extender. Because of how it's made, I thought it would work with my horizontal wall socket. Unfortunately, although it looks like it should work in both orientations, it does not. The extender only works with standard vertical wall sockets, so I had to plug it in sideways. It still works fine like this, but I'll have to buy an adapter to switch it right-side-up.

rockspace AX1800 Router and Extender: Competition

The only other Wi-Fi extension system I personally have experience with is the Meshforce Mesh WiFi System that I used and reviewed in my parents' giant farmhouse. Although it's intended for much bigger spaces than what I live in now, this also worked to eliminate WiFi dead zones over a much larger area. I like that the mesh system is supposed to automatically reconnect your devices as you move from one zone to another, although it's not perfect. Sometimes it takes awhile to reconnect. While mesh Wi-Fi networks can be more convenient than an extender, they are also more expensive. The Meshforce system costs about $180, more than double the price of the AX1800 Router and Extender.

rockspace AX1800 Router and Extender: Should you buy it?

• You have Wi-Fi dead zones in your home.
• You need a more reliable internet connection over a larger space.
• You plan to connect a lot of devices to the extender at once.

• You're looking for a mesh WiFi network.
• You have horizontal wall sockets.

While my situation dealing with stingy Colombian internet providers is unique, the rockspace system can serve any home that has Wi-Fi dead zones. Just place the AX1800 extender halfway in-between the modem and the dead zone, then voilà! Dead zone gone. Although this isn't a mesh network, reconnecting to the extended network hasn't been overly annoying for me. It just takes a few seconds on my iPhone or iPad when I move into the dead zone. In our house, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

For a combination of power, speed, and ease-of-use, I suggest using the AX1800 Router and Extender together. The extender can be used on any network, but they work quite seamlessly as a pair. The AX1800 Router even makes the Wi-Fi connection slightly stronger in our home office where the original modem is. The result of installing both units is a stronger, more reliable signal throughout the house without any dead zones for spaces up to 1,500 square feet. In our apartment, this has greatly improved our online experience on all of our Apple devices, especially when trying to connect from the kitchen!

Monitors come in a lot of different shapes, sizes, and feature configurations and only you know what you need, but there are a few things you should always think about when looking for the best monitor for you.

You're going to need to think about what you want out of your monitor. Whether you require certain connections, are looking for a 4K display, need a low response time, or want something portable, knowing what you want from a monitor is going to help you narrow down your options.

Plus, don't forget to consider which device you plan on using your monitor with, as some monitors may work better for certain computers.

A big reason I suggest the LG 27UN850-W Ultrafine UHD is because it's good at everything — especially for Mac users — and it's at a good price point for the number of features it packs. I've had hands-on experience with the previous version of this monitor — check out my review of the LG 27UK850 — and it's basically. the exact same.

With two USB-A (3.0) ports, two HDMI ports, a display port, a headphone jack, and a USB-C port, the LG 27UN850-W isn't just a great USB-C monitor, it also acts as a mini-connectivity hub, giving you the ability to use all sorts of different accessories. Plus, It's a 4K display meaning you can game, watch movies, or edit 4K videos with all the detail you expect from a high-resolution display.

The 5ms response time with a 60Hz refresh rate, all but the most extreme gamers are going to be satisfied playing their favorite games on the LG 27UN850-W Ultrafine UHD . The monitor is also equipped with FreeSync, which is AMD's adaptive sync technology that supports dynamic refresh rates, so if your graphics card can't quite handle 60Hz at 4K, it'll dip down below that and, thanks to FreeSync, you shouldn't see any tearing.

Lastly, the LG 27UN850-W Ultrafine UHD is my favorite display to use with MacBooks because the USB-C port also supports power delivery up to 60W, meaning your MacBook, MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro will charge while you're using the monitor.

Monitors can be expensive, especially when you're looking for one that has a ton of features; however, there are some great monitors that can cost much less.

The ZenScreen is ASUS's very portable monitor, which has its own USB-C port and offers a great-looking IPS panel. This 15.6-inch screen features ASUS's Eye Care technology to prevent eye fatigue and has flicker-free backlighting and a blue light filter to help keep you productive for longer.

While it doesn't have a lot of ports or fancy features, it's portable and $240 price tag makes it a great buy for anyone looking for a decent screen at a decent price.

What you need to know

• Netgear has announced the new Nighthawk RAXE300 WiFi 6E router.
• Transfer speeds of up to 7.8Gbps are supported.
• The router will cost $399.99 and will be available this quarter.

Netgear, the maker of all things networky, has announced the new Nighthawk RAXE300 WiFi 6E router — and it's quite the looker. The Nighthawk range has never been shy about standing out from a crowd, but the RAXE300 does so without the usual array of antennas sticking out everywhere and this thing could definitely take pride of place in a living room. If it does, its proud owner can expect some speedy bits and bytes, too.

Announced via press release, the new router has support for tri-band WiFi 6E which should enable transfer speeds of up to 7.8Gbps. Unfortunately, no Apple hardware supports that just yet although things are likely to change eventually. Not even that hot new iPhone 13 or fancy notch-laden MacBook Pro will max this thing out, unfortunately.

There's more beyond that super-fast WiFi, too:

Netgear lists the router's key features thus:

• WiFi 6E from the WiFi Leader—Future-proof, cutting-edge WiFi 6E expands WiFi speed, capacity, and bandwidth by up to 200% over WiFi 5.
• Exclusive NETGEAR Engineering & 6 Pre-optimized Antennas—Get unmatched signal strength, coverage, and performance from NETGEAR's proprietary WiFi optimization and six antennas hidden within the RAXE300's wings.
• Built for Multi-Gig Speeds—Use the 2.5G Ethernet port or 2Gbps link aggregation for Internet connectivity to your modem or connect your high-bandwidth devices on LAN side.
• 8-Stream Tri-Band Speed & Coverage—8 WiFi streams (two streams of 6GHz, four streams of 5GHz, and two streams of 2.4GHz).
• Award-Winning NETGEAR Services—Get robust, best-in-class protection from hackers and viruses for all the devices in your home network with NETGEAR Armor and easily manage content across your kids' devices with NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls, right in the Nighthawk® App.

If this all sounds like something you want to add to your network, you'll need to wait. Netgear says it isn't ready to go yet but will ship in the first quarter of the year. It'll set you back $399.99 once it's ready to go.

If you spend hours at a time sitting in an office chair, you sure as sugar want to make it as comfortable an experience as possible. By investing in a decent seat cushion, you can avoid back pain, posture issues and even cut out circulation problems. Take a look through our orthopedically awesome selection of seat cushions — we're sure you'll find one deserving of your derriere...

Sitting pretty

If you have a severe back or hip condition, it's advisable to speak to a medical professional about what kind of cushion would best suit your needs. If you want a more comfortable office seating with orthopaedic solution, then consider the Feagar option. Anyone looking to improve their posture when sat at their desk generally, the Medipaq wedge-shaped cushion or the Cushina option should more than suffice.

Our overall pick, the Everlasting Comfort Memory Foam Orthopedic Cushion, gets our thumbs up. It offers decent orthopaedic abilities along with heat-responsive technology.

A lot of us are working from home these days. Regardless of whether you're in an office or a home office, it's important to set yourself up with an ergonomic workspace to avoid getting aches and pains in your neck, back, wrists, and fingers as you work. Consider a standing desk, such as the FlexiSpot Electric Height Adjustable Desk. If you do prefer to sit, or you need to sit, do try to set up an ergonomic workstation. The items on this list can help set you up for success.

Best Overall: Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk

The first thing I'd look for in a standing desk is the ability to adjust easily from sitting height to standing height. While working from a standing position is great for your health, there are times you'll want to sit as well. The Flexispot adjustable desk has everything you'd expect from a standing desk: a large and sturdy work area, easily adjustable height, and several color and size options to suit any decor. The electric motor that raises and lowers the desk is whisper-quiet and works with the touch of a button. You can even pre-set three different heights to suit your preferences. I actually have one preset for sitting, one for standing, and one a bit higher so I can use it with my UREVO desk treadmill. If standing is better than sitting, walking is even better than standing. I can't walk as I work all day, but some days I will walk (slowly, so I can still type) for an hour or so of my day. You can also set the desk to alert you when you've been sitting too long.

You can choose a desktop ranging from 48-by-24-inches to 48-by-30-inches. Choose a base color and a desktop color to match your decor. The lowest sitting height is 28 inches, while the highest standing height is 47.6 inches, plus the desktop itself, which adds about an inch. If desired, you can purchase additional accessories such as an under-desk bike so you can exercise while you work or under-desk drawers for extra storage.

A good standing desk that lets you sit, stand, or move easily.

Best Laptop Stand: Nulaxy Adjustable Laptop Stand

I've worked from a laptop as far back as I can remember. The simplicity and portability just work for me. However, it's not the best from an ergonomic standpoint to have the monitor so close to the keyboard and mouse or trackpad. One solution is the place the laptop on a stand when you're in your (home) office and use a separate keyboard and mouse. This raises the screen to eye level, so you don't have to hunch down to see your screen. The whole idea of using a mouse and keyboard with a laptop takes some getting used to, but you'll feel the results immediately.

I find that when I use a laptop stand, my back naturally straightens up. This one is fully adjustable, both in height and angle, so you can create the perfect setup for you. Rubber feet raise your laptop slightly for air circulation, plus there is a large cutout to prevent your laptop from overheating. It's compatible with any laptop from 10 to 17 inches.

Put your laptop at the ideal ergonomic height and angle with this stand.

Best Ergonomic Keyboard: Logitech Ergo K860 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard

This keyboard is both sloped and split for a more natural typing position. It comes with a pillowed wrist rest to give more support and reduce wrist bending. The keys are scooped to match the shape of your fingertips. An adjustable palm lift raises the entire keyboard to your optimal angle. The Logitech Ergo K860 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard is fully compatible with both macOS and Windows. Plus, it has a number pad for quick numerical entry.

Logitech's offering is both split and sloped for perfect positioning, plus it has a pillowed wrist rest.

Best Ergonomic Mouse: Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball Mouse

Rather than chasing your pointer around with your mouse, keep control under your thumb with the cleverly designed Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball Mouse. Since the trackball is on rather than under this mouse, you can use it on any surface. Its sculpted shape feels comfortable in hand all day. Use it with your Mac or PC; it's compatible with both. An integrated scroll wheel and backward/forward buttons give you easy control. You can go up to 18 months before you'll need to replace the battery. Sadly, this mouse is just for right-handed people.

This funky-looking mouse is designed for comfort with its thumb-controlled trackball and integrated scroll wheel.

Best Foot Rest: Mount-It! Ergonomic Under Desk Footrest

If you can't plant your feet squarely on the floor while seated and your thighs aren't parallel to the floor, then you'll want a footrest to align your body properly. This one will not only elevate your feet and legs, but adjusts to different angles for your ideal positioning. Plus, the adjustable-height platform and nubbly tread pattern let you stretch and massage your feet while you work. Reduce fatigue and increase circulation in your legs when you're sitting for long periods.

This footrest can help you get your feet and legs in better alignment with your body. It also lets you stretch and massage them.

Best Office Chair: Oak Hollow Furniture Aloria Series Office Chair

I alternate between sitting, standing, and walking my treadmill while I work. When I'm sitting, I sit in my Oak Hollow Furniture Aloria Series Office Chair, and it's so comfortable. The seat is high-density molded foam and upholstered with high-performance fabric. The mesh back is breathable, so you don't get hot. You can purchase the adjustable headrest or not; it pivots to your perfect spot. A lumbar support mechanism in the back adjusts to your comfortable spot. You can also adjust the depth of the seat.

The adjustable armrests move up and down, forward and backward, and you can pivot them inward and outward. You can lean back in your chair and even lock it in a leaning-back position. Two pneumatic cylinders are included, so a wide range of sizes can be accommodated, up to 6'9" and 300 pounds.

This comfortable, breathable, adjustable chair will work for just about anyone.

Bottom line

The Mayo Clinic suggests setting up correct chair height, equipment placement, and desk posture to prevent pain. Your chair should support your spinal curves and allow your feet to rest on the floor with your thighs parallel to the floor. If your chair is too high, use a footrest to achieve this alignment. Make sure there's plenty of clearance beneath your desk for your legs. Keep important objects within easy reach and stand up to reach items that are farther away. Keep your mouse near your keyboard and on the same level.

While typing, keep your wrists straight, your upper arms close to your body, and your hands at or slightly below elbow height. Never cradle a phone between your ear and shoulder; use a headset or speakerphone instead. Your computer's monitor should be directly in front of you, roughly arm's length away, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level (or one or two inches lower if you wear bifocals.) Your brightest light source should be to the side of your monitor.

Standing is even better than sitting, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you're looking into a standing desk, you'll still want to set it up in an ergonomically correct manner as outlined above. Make every effort to keep your head, neck, torso, and legs in line and vertical while at your standing workstation.

Wi-Fi can sometimes seem a bit like magic with the way it flawlessly delivers data at high speeds all around your house. Or at least it should. If you've got parts of your home that don't get a strong Wi-Fi signal or turn your videos into a blocky mess, upgrading to a mesh system might be the perfect fix. TP-Link's Deco X60 is a great start to a mesh at just $180 for 5,000 square feet of coverage and fast AX3000 speeds.

The Deco X60 is a high-performance Wi-Fi 6 mesh system with AX3000 speeds. With this much speed, the X60 can deliver plenty of speed all around your home for 4K streaming, big downloads, and no more buffering. With great support for Wi-Fi 6 on the newest Apple devices, if you've upgraded with one of the best Black Friday iPad deals, you can make the most of your new tablet anywhere in your house.

Get strong Wi-Fi in every corner of your home with a fast Deco starting at $180

TP-Link's Decos are some of the best values in Wi-Fi mesh, especially when it comes to Wi-Fi 6. With all M1 Macs and any iPhone after the X supporting Wi-Fi 6, Apple users can get a lot of benefits with the newer tech. TP-Link's Deco X68 is a great middle ground for someone looking for enough speed for a gigabit connection but only a couple people in the house. The tri-band connection will help dodge interference a bit more than the X60 can as well. If you're looking for more of everything, the Deco X90 is one of the fastest Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems on sale with a tri-band AX6600 connection.

Nexvoo's Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair is more than a comfortable place to sit. It has a button in the armrest that can measure your blood oxygen level and heart rate variability. You can view your results in an app, which also offers you health advice based on the findings.

The chair itself is one of the best ergonomic office chairs I've tried, with a firm and supportive foam seat and breathable mesh back. There is a headrest and adjustable lumbar support. The seat portion is adjustable forward and back, as well as up and down. You can lean back in the chair and even lock it in a reclined position if you wish. The five wheels on the bottom let you move around with ease.

Nexvoo Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair: Price and availability

You can purchase the Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair on Nexvoo's website. There are plans to sell it on Amazon at some point, but it's not sold anywhere else as of this writing. The chair is available in Black, as seen in my photos, and Blue. Both colors sell for $499.

Nexvoo Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair: What's good

I find this chair extremely comfortable. The other day, I decided (unwisely) to do some work on my laptop while sitting on the couch. After a while, my back started protesting, letting me know that it would go "out" on me if I continued working that way. I immediately switched back to my Nexvoo chair, and my back felt better immediately. Disaster narrowly averted.

I like that there are so many ways you can adjust this chair, which can move in any direction. Raise the whole chair up and down with the back lever on the right. The front lever on the right lets you move the seat forward and back. A lumbar support bar on the back of the chair can be raised and lowered so you can place it in the perfect spot for your comfort. The armrests can be raised and lowered, as well as angled in and out.

On the left, you'll find a lever that lets you lean pretty far back and even lock it into a reclined position. Unfortunately, I initially got it stuck in the reclined position, so here's a tip: to get it back up, you have to lean back even more while pressing down on the lever. That unlocks it so you can bring it back up.

I think it's a cool concept that the Nexvoo Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair can help monitor your health. But, of course, it is not a substitute for your medical professional! Since my Apple Watch Series 6 records both blood oxygen and heart rate, I tested both against the chair's measurement. I found the results to be about the same for both devices, so I think it's probably fair to say that the chair's results are fairly accurate.

Nexvoo Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair: What's not good

The price will probably put many people off. It's a lot to spend on a chair, especially when it's an unfamiliar brand.

I believe the blood oxygen and heart rate measurements are fairly accurate since they match my Apple Watch's measurements. However, I'm not too certain about the advice given in the app. For example, when I measured my heart rate this morning, the app told me I might have symptoms of mild fatigue (yawning, sleepy, and unable to concentrate) and recommended I take a break. But I didn't feel fatigued, I wasn't yawning or having trouble concentrating, and I was actually starting my workday. It hardly felt like the time for me to take a break! So I would take that advice with a grain of salt. But, again, discuss any health concerns with a medical professional.

Nexvoo Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair: Competition

I actually own and use three different office chairs. I love the Oak Hollow Furniture Aloria Series Office Chair and find it comfortable and ergonomic, similar to the Nexvoo Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair. Of course, the Aloria doesn't have the health monitoring feature. I find the Aloria seat to be softer, while the Nexvoo is more firm. It's a matter of preference which you'd like better. Both are supportive and made well. The Aloria's headrest is removable (and optional), while the Nexvoo's is not.

A less-expensive option is the Oak Hollow Valera Series Office Chair. It lacks some of the bells and whistles of the other two, such as a headrest or lumbar support. Still, it's a nice comfortable and ergonomic office chair I really like.

Nexvoo Health Ergonomic Adjustable Desk Chair: Should you buy it?

• You want a firm, supportive, comfortable, and ergonomic office chair
• You want flexibility and adjustment options
• You want health monitoring

• It's out of your budget
• You don't need the bells and whistles
• You don't want medical advice from your chair

If you're looking for an office chair with a whole host of features, both expected (firm supportive seat, lumbar support, headrest, adjustability) and unexpected (blood oxygen and heart rate monitoring), this is the chair for you. However, if you really don't need or want all those bells and whistles, this chair probably isn't going to be worth the money for you.

I find this chair quite comfortable, and I don't get a sore back or backside while I work in it. The seat cushion is firm and supportive. The adjustable lumbar support feels amazing on my back. The headrest and adjustable armrests are great for those moments when I'm not typing. The reclining (and locking) back is perfect for relaxing, disengaging, or thinking. Being able to adjust the seat up and down as well as forward and back is nice too. The health monitor button, which measures my blood oxygen and heart rate variability, is a nice feature. Since the results match my Apple Watch, I feel the measurements are probably pretty accurate. However, I'm not too sure about the app's advice since it told me to take a break when starting my workday! So I wouldn't necessarily call this chair a good value, and I wouldn't buy it for the health monitoring, but it does feel like a premium office chair.

Over the past year or so, quite a few of us have been learning to adjust to working from home, and by most indications, that will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. Most companies that I have been hearing about will either continue to allow employees to work from home indefinitely, or will allow for some hybrid version of it.

If you are one of the folks that will be doing most of their job from home for a while, having a good desk can be vital to building a productive workspace in your home. Standing desks have long been recommended as a great option to get work done while keeping your mind active and focused while you're working.

The SmartDesk from Autonomous is a great addition to your home office without having to stretch your budget too far. It offers all the necessary features of a standing desk in a well designed, sleek looking package that can seamlessly fit into your home office.

The high-quality design means it's solidly built with little to no wobble in the desk while you're working. It supports up to 300 pounds so it should have no trouble handling all the stuff you need. The top is very smooth with contoured edges that makes it comfortable to use for long periods of time.

One member from our community had this to say about the design:

"The design of the SmartDesk was one of the first things that stood out to me. You can immediately tell it's solidly built from the weight and sturdiness of the top and it's very smooth which is great for working for long periods. I never realized how much I appreciated contoured edges on a desk until I had them. My previous desk had sharp corners and I didn't realize how unpleasant it was to work on until I had this desk. I had no problem resting my arms on it comfortably for long periods of work."

It comes in two sizes to fit whatever space you have. The "Core" is 53" x 29" and the "Pro" is 70.5" x 30". I got the smaller size and it fits my keyboard, mouse, 2 monitors, a docking station, 2 phone stands, and a few other desk-type items comfortably. I never feel cramped or wishing for more space to put things.

As for color options, you've got matte white, glossy white, white oak, glossy black, matte black, matte green, walnut, dark walnut and even bamboo and dark bamboo so there's plenty of top choices to pick from to match your aesthetic. The frame is also incredibly solidly built. It's made from stainless steel and comes in white, grey or black.

It functions how you would expect such a desk to work in this day and age. There are two buttons for adjusting the deck up or down and four buttons you can set as presets for whichever height is most comfortable to you. If you have a partner or room mate, you could each set your sitting and standing heights, or you could keep all four for yourself.

The motors for raising and lowering the desk are also extremely smooth and very quiet. Another one of our community members said this about the frame:

"I was curious how loud the desk would be when it was in motion and was pleasantly surprised to find that it's actually VERY quiet. It does make a low whirring type sound as you'd expect, but it's very quiet and not annoying to me. I was also very impressed with the smoothness of the motion when raising and lowering the desk. There is no jerk when it starts or stops moving, which I was worried would be the case. This is fantastic because I always have 'stuff' on my desk and I don't need it sliding around every time I raise or lower the desk."

If you've been considering a standing desk for your home office, the SmartDesk is a great choice. It's well-built with an aesthetically pleasing design that's comfortable to use and won't break the bank. The Core size starts at $379 and the Pro size rises to $539.

The best MacBook, like all laptops, gets dirty through regular use and the environment. Cleaning your computer on a daily or weekly basis isn't just crucial for the device. By removing dangerous germs from your MacBook Air (M1, 2020) or another device, you're also protecting yourself. Here are essential ways to clean and disinfect your laptop.

• Two-in-one: Flawless Screen Cleaner Spray with Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
• For a deeper clean: Scrub Daddy
• Use just a little: Deer Park Brand Distilled Water
• Quick solution: Disinfecting Wipes Value Pack

How to clean and disinfect your laptop

Cleaning and disinfecting your laptop aren't the same thing, at least in the context of germs. Regular cleaning involves removing smudges and stubborn spots, and stains. Disinfecting, by contrast, removes unseen bacteria that could make you sick. For the latter, you need to use items that won't harm your laptop.

For everyday cleaning:

1. Gently rub the cloth across the full width of the screen of your laptop, back and forth. When doing so, keep your computer steady, so it doesn't move while being cleaned.
2. Use the cloth to clean other flat surfaces on the computer, including the device's top and bottom.

Note: Don't use items like paper towels or non-microfiber cleaning cloths. These can damage your laptop or leave lint behind.

For weekly cleaning, use a screen cleaner to both clean and disinfect:

1. Spray your laptop screen and flat surfaces with a suitable cleaning spray.
2. Use your microfiber cleaning cloth to remove the spray residue.

Note: The spray you use on your display needs to come from risk-free materials that won't hurt the computer. Gentle cleaners are best, typically ones that use isopropyl alcohol. The best rule of thumb: buy a spray designed to clean and disinfect electronics.

When your keyboard is dirty:

1. Wet a clean sponge using purified or distilled water.
2. Squeeze the clean sponge so that it's almost dry.
3. Gently wipe the keyboard with the sponge, removing the grime.

Note: To remove stubborn stains, you can add a tiny drop of gentle dish soap to the water before cleaning.

On at least a weekly basis, disinfect your laptop:

1. Use a one-use wipe across your entire notebook to remove germs.

Note: When selecting wipes, buy those aimed at killing bacteria that are also safe to use on electronics. These come from many companies and are available at various retailers.

Take just a few seconds out of your week to clean and disinfect your laptop. The most crucial part of any solution is making sure to have the correct items at home. Using things that aren't safe for an electronic device, you risk causing damage to your computer.

Our top equipment picks

Keeping a clean laptop is essential for the long-term health of your investment. These tools will get the job done.

Use the pack to clean screens and smooth surfaces. It's effective against fingerprints, smudges, body oil, grime, bacteria, and much more. Use it on your mobile devices too!

We also suggest having a sponge to remove grime and spots on your keyboard, although with distilled water. Don't use the same sponge you use in the kitchen, however. Clean and disinfect your laptop with a separate one.

clean and disinfect your laptop

Scrub Daddy (3-count) ($12 at Amazon)

Scrub Daddy's FlexTexture foam is firm in cold water for tough scrubbing and soft in warm water for light cleaning. The easy and affordable go-to for your cleaning needs.

Deer Park Brand Distilled Water 1 Case (6 Bottles) ($25 at Amazon)

Any distilled water will do. This one gives you plenty for a reasonable price. Find the one that fits your budget.

Disinfecting Wipes Value Pack (Pack of 3) ($19 at Amazon)

Use the wipes to disinfect surfaces efficiently and effectively. Versatile and multifunctional for all household needs..

I consider working in an ergonomic, aesthetically pleasing office space ideal for creativity and productivity. I have been primarily working from home for the past four years and am no stranger to home office necessities and ergonomic furniture. When the pandemic infiltrated life as we know it, I think it's a fair assumption to say that most of us have been working from home for the better part of a year.

I tried the FlexiSpot Electric Height Adjustable Desk last year and it was a total game changer for my home office. My first impression of FlexiSpot standing desks was extremely positive, and because of it, I will always have an electric, height adjustable desk in my workspace. Naturally, I was thrilled when I got the chance to review the new FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk. This desk is also an electric height adjustable desk equipped with dual cable management holes. It is perfect for any and every type of workspace.

FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk review: What I like

The FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk was very easy to assemble. It took me about 30 minutes from start to finish. One large box comes with all of the necessary pieces, screws, and tools you need to set it up, minus one, but we'll get more into that later. The Installation Guide is straightforward and all instructions are accompanied by visual diagrams making it simple to follow. I was able to set the whole thing up by myself, except for one small step at the very end.

I love height adjustable desks like the FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk, because they're versatile and can accommodate people of different heights. In my opinion, work desks should never be a generic one size fits all kind of deal. This desk can be adjusted from 29-inches off of the ground to 48-inches — that's four feet! It's such a luxury to be able to adjust this desk to my preferred seated and standing heights, and it's great that anyone using it can do the same. Height adjustable desks truly accommodate everyone.

The FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk has a wide range of motion and a nice roomy desktop. The work surface measures 48-by-24-inches and is environmentally sourced (bonus). It provides ample space for a variety of monitor or laptop setups, plus room for ongoing projects, desk lamps, and office supplies. I'm a professional DJ as well, so it's wonderful to have a height adjustable surface to set my equipment on. There is enough space for my full DJ setup with room to spare.

If you're someone that's interested in a walking desk setup, the FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk was designed for exactly that. Simply slide a folding treadmill beneath the desk, raise it to your desired height and off you go — walking and working made easy. I use my SuperFit GoPlus Treadmill whenever I want to burn some calories while I work. FlexiSpot also sells a great under desk bike if pedaling is more your speed. Either way, the FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk makes it effortless to get some active minutes in while remaining productive.

The FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk is incredibly durable and extremely easy to operate. It features an industrial-grade steel frame and a very solid desktop that can support up to 132 pounds. You can go from sitting to standing with the touch of a button. The small control panel is on the far-right underside of the desk. There are two small arrows pictured on the control panel. The arrow pointing up raises the desktop and the arrow pointing down lowers it.

One of my favorite features on the FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk that my other height adjustable desk does not have, are cord cutouts in the far corners. This desk is equipped with dual cable management holes that really help keep my workspace neat and tidy. This is also super helpful with my DJ setup. I have a lot of cords that need to run from my DDJ on the desktop to a power strip on the floor, and these cord cutouts make it simple and orderly, which greatly appeals to the neat freak in me.

FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk review: What I don't like

I ran into this issue while I was constructing my first FlexiSpot height adjustable desk and was disappointed to run into the same issue when setting up the FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk. A power tool is required for setup. What's frustrating is that they make no mention of this on the website or in the Installation Guide, until you get to page six where you'll see a small photo in the bottom right corner of a power Phillips head screwdriver. That's the only heads up you get.

In the first paragraph of this review, I mentioned that this package comes with all of the necessary parts and tools you'll need to set it up minus one, and that I was able to set the entire desk up by myself except for one small step at the end, and this is what I was referring to. The underside of this desk has pre-drilled holes for every screw needed to attach the legs to the desktop except for four. Why they wouldn't pre-drill these holes as well is beyond me, but they don't.

My husband was able to strong-arm these screws directly into the desktop with a non-powered Phillips head screwdriver, but if I were going to do it myself, I would have needed a power screwdriver. Had they pre-drilled these holes, there would be no need for a power tool at all. This seems like a no brainer to me, but just beware that either a power screwdriver or very strong hands, plus a Phillips head screwdriver, are needed when you get to page six of the Installation Guide.

One thing I really wish this desk had was a storage drawer. That's the only feature that I truly miss and would really like. Additionally, and keep in mind that this is a nitpicky observation, the FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk is louder than my other electric height adjustable desk. The sound it produces when it's lifting and lowering sounds slightly grittier and not as smooth, but it's nothing atrocious; definitely not a deal breaker by any means.

The competition

FlexiSpot Electric Height Adjustable Desk

This is another great electric desk by FlexiSpot. It features a larger desktop that measures 48 by 30-inches. I find the motor to be a little quieter when you lift and lower it. However, it's much heavier than the FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk, and does not have dual cord management holes which is a winning feature. It's also more expensive.

SHW Electric Memory Preset Height Adjustable Desk

This electric memory desk is exactly the same size and features roughly the same design as the FlexiSpot EG1. It does not rise quite as high as the FlexiSpot, with a maximum height of 46-inches versus the FlexiSpot's 48-inches. It features a digital display handset with four memory preset options for easy adjustment. The FlexiSpot does not feature any memory presets. However, the FlexiSpot is less expensive and features dual cord management holes versus the SHW one.

FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk: Should you buy

You have a home office

An electric height adjustable desk is a must have for every workspace.

You're looking for an active desk

You can easily place a foldable treadmill or a stationary bike beneath this desk to burn some calories while you work.

You have lots of cords to organize

The FlexiSpot EG1 has convenient dual cord management holes to keep your workspace neat and tidy.

You don't have a power screwdriver

The FlexiSpot EG1 Standing Desk requires a power screwdriver for setup.

You want a storage drawer

There is no storage drawer on this desk.

You want the motor to be inaudible

This desk does create noise when you operate the motor.

A great office setup is essential to productivity and workflow. Check out our other recommendations for must-have accessories when working from home if you need more inspiration for your home office. The FlexiSpot EG1 Height Adjustable Desk is the ideal desk for any workspace. It can be adjusted from 29 to 48-inches off the ground and features dual cord management holes. It's easy to assemble, simple to use, and can accommodate people of all heights. It can be adjusted for any kind of work setup. You can make it an active desk by pairing it with a folding treadmill or stationary bike to burn calories while you work. I highly recommend this desk to anyone setting up an office or workspace.

When you're ready to move up to a "real" ergonomic office chair but you don't want to spend a small fortune, the Oak Hollow Furniture Valera Series Office Chair might be just the right chair for you. While it doesn't have the bells and whistles of some of the more expensive office chairs like its big "sibling," the Aloria Series Office Chair, it's exceedingly comfortable and suitable for working in all day. It makes a great addition to your ergonomic office setup.

Good enough for most

Oak Hollow Furniture Valera Series Office Chair: What I like

Though I strongly suggest a convertible/standing desk for anyone working at a desk all day, when you're sitting, you don't want any discomfort wrecking your concentration. But ergonomic office chairs can be quite pricey. While the Oak Hollow Furniture Valera Series Office Chair isn't cheap, it's a lot cheaper than many other ergonomic office chairs on the market that offer more bells and whistles. I have been using the Valera for a couple of weeks now, and I find it extremely comfortable. I really don't have any complaints about the comfort at all, and I'm pretty darn picky, with a tricky back.

The wide, upholstered mesh fabric seat has a thick cushion. The seat is 21-inches wide and 20-inches deep. You can adjust its height from the floor, between 19-24 inches. The breathable mesh back of the seat seems to fit my back perfectly. It's 19.5-inches wide and 20-inches high. You can adjust the armrests up and down. Lock the back of the chair in place, or tilt it as you work.

When you order the chair, choose between hard floor casters (wheels) or carpet casters. The difference is the hard-floor casters have a soft outer layer to protect your floors.

Not so many bells and whistles

Oak Hollow Furniture Valera Series Office Chair: What I don't like

If you're looking for lots of features and adjustability, this isn't your chair. There's no headrest option. You can't adjust the arms in and out (only up and down). You cannot lock the chair in a tilted back position, and there is zero lumbar support. The seat depth is also not adjustable.

The competition

The office chair I'd been using for months before I got the Valera (and will go back to using as my primary chair) is the Oak Hollow Aloria Series Office Chair. It is substantially more expensive than the Oak Hollow Furniture Valera Series Office Chair but it has all of the bells and whistles that the Valera lacks.

Of course, my colleague Bryan swears by his La-Z-Boy chair and works in it all day with his laptop on his lap. I've seen him in it many times in our iMore Zoom meetings and I know how much he loves it. Who wouldn't?

You also might consider a gaming chair like the Anda Seat Marvel Series Gaming Chair that my colleague Christine loves. Actually, quite a lot of iMore writers use gaming chairs as their primary office chairs.

Oak Hollow Furniture Valera Series Office Chair: Should you buy

You need all-day comfort

Even without the lumbar support and other extra features, this chair is darn comfy. The seat cushion is wide, thick, and supportive.

You want a "real" office chair

This chair looks and feels like the classy and sophisticated office chair it is.

You don't want to spend a lot

While this isn't the cheapest office chair you can buy, it's reasonably priced for the quality you're getting.

You need more bells and whistles

If you want a headrest, lumbar support, tilt-back lock, and armrests that can be adjusted in and out, this isn't your chair.

You're on an ultra-tight budget

This is more of a medium-priced chair, there are certainly cheaper office chairs out there.

You don't necessarily want an "office" chair

If you want more of a multi-purpose chair, one that looks right in your living room or in front of your gaming console, this might not be your best option.

If you're looking for a good, reasonably-priced, ergonomic office chair that you can sit in all day, you'll want to consider the Oak Hollow Furniture Valera Series Office Chair. It doesn't have the bells and whistles or flexibility of some other options, but it's a solid pick.

The Oak Hollow Furniture Valera Series Office Chair is the perfect chair for you if you're looking for an ergonomic office chair, but you don't need a lot of fancy features. While it isn't as flexible and feature-rich as its "big sibling," the Aloria Series Office Chair, it's more than comfortable enough to sit in all day for work. The upholstered seat is thick and wide, and you stay cool all day with the breathable mesh fabric back. The chair height, armrest height, and tilt are all adjustable. You can choose hard floor or carpet casters, depending on where you'll be using the chair.

Many of us are working from home more these days, and while it's easy for some, others may have a little trouble with focusing and blocking out the noise of everything else in our house (especially if there are kids). Thankfully, some headphones and earbuds help you tune out everything else with noise cancellation, so you can work or study in peace. We think the best headphones for working from home are Apple's AirPods Pro because they're small, sound great, and have amazing active noise cancellation for the size.

Best Overall: AirPods Pro

You've probably seen us praise the AirPods Pro quite a few times since the product launched back in October 2019. That's because it's one of our favorite audio products from Apple in recent memory and for good reason, making it the best headphones for working from home.

AirPods Pro have a new design from the previous generations, and it also has silicone ear tips, providing a better fit for most people. It's more comfortable in the ears, more secure, and the tips seal out external noise, so they definitely help tune it all out. The AirPods Pro stem has a Force Sensor that lets you toggle Noise Control or Siri (customize this in Settings) on the fly.

The AirPods Pro also have significantly better sound quality than its predecessors, probably due to the silicone tips. Once you turn the ANC on, then you are fully immersed in your music, podcast, audiobook, movie, or whatever you're listening to. The ANC, combined with the sound quality, makes it hard to hear any external noise, so it's great for just drowning out that distracting family noise while working from home.

However, if you need to hear the outside world while working, Transparency is a lifesaver. Turning this on lets some outside noise filter in, so you can hear if someone calls your name, for example. If you're out for a bike ride or walking, then Transparency lets you hear if there are cars around you, which is incredibly important to be aware of.

While you're just going to be at home, the AirPods Pro case is super convenient. It's not much bigger than the regular AirPods case, and it can hold about 24 hours worth of charge, so just pop your AirPods Pro back in when the battery is running low. If you need to charge up the case, it can be plugged in via Lightning, or you can throw it on top of any Qi-certified wireless charger.

AirPods Pro provides fit securely and have great sound quality. ANC and Transparency are superb, and they can charge wirelessly.

Best for Gaming: HyperX Cloud Mix Wired Gaming Headset

Despite being marketed as a gaming headset, the HyperX Cloud Mix can be used for anything, and it's fantastic. I've been using this headset daily for over a year at my desk for music listening, work meetings, and more. I have the Rose Gold color, but that has since been discontinued. However, you can still get it in black, which is more of a neutral color for everyone.

First off, the Cloud Mix is very lightweight and comfortable to wear. I have it on my head for my entire workday and experience zero discomfort on my head by the time I'm done for the day. The headset is adjustable to your liking, and the leather earcups are soft and plush. The sound quality is great too, and while it doesn't have noise cancellation, it still does a great job of muffling outside noise once you put them on.

While the Cloud Mix is labeled as a wired headset, it actually still has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair it with your iPhone or iPad (or other smartphone or tablet) if you want. The detachable boom mic means great audio quality on calls (video or not) too, but there is also a built-in mic that kicks in for Bluetooth.

The Cloud Mix is lightweight and super comfortable with good sound quality. It has a detachable mic and Bluetooth compatibility.

Best Value: Tribit XFree Tune Wireless Headphones

If you are looking for a good pair of more budget-friendly headphones, look no further than the Tribit XFree Tune Wireless Headphones.

The XFree Tune headphones have dual 40mm sound-stage drivers that deliver true-to-life audio with rich bass, so your audio is fully immersive. While they don't have ANC, they do feature advanced passive noise reduction, which still helps tune out the external noise around you.

XFree Tune headphones also have a comfortable design with an adjustable headband, metallic slider, and leather earmuffs. They fold down so you can store them safely in the provided carrying case and have about 40 hours of playtime. You could also just plug them in with the audio cable if you prefer, saving battery life.

According to our friends at Android Central, the XFree Tune headphones sound almost as good as Bose, but for a fraction of the price.

The XFree Tune headphones are comfortable and have great sound quality for the price, even without ANC.

Best Noise Cancelation: Sony WH1000XM4

If you have a bit of money to spare and need excellent noise-canceling headphones to drown out all sounds in the house, then go for the Sony WH1000XM4 Wireless Headphones.

These headphones are well-known for incredible sound quality with industry-leading ANC. The ANC is digital, so you get a virtually soundproof experience, and zero outside noise will get through. The digital ANC also has Smart Listening to adjust ambient sound to give you the best noise cancelation possible. You can also cover the right ear cup to turn down the music automatically if you have to engage in conversation, rather than taking them off completely. And with Wearing Detection, it can automatically pause your audio when one earcup is lifted from your ear.

The WH1000XM4 also has built-in Amazon Alexa, so you can control the music and other information with just your voice. You also get around 30 hours of playtime, and they're comfortable to wear all day. When you're not using them, just fold them down and store them in the included carrying case.

The WH1000XM4 provide the best ANC available on the market. They're comfortable to wear and have Alexa built-in.

Best Bose: Bose QuietComfort 35 II

Another one of my personal favorites that work very well are the Bose QuietComfort 35 IIs. These, as the name implies, are comfortable to wear, and they come in several different color variations.

With the QuietComfort 35 IIs, you get that high quality that Bose is known for. The sound quality is superb, and the ANC is noticeable when you put them over your head. The QC35 IIs have three ANC levels, so you can pick the one that works best for your WFH situation. They also have a noise-rejecting dual microphone that ensures clear sound and voice pick up for calls. Unfortunately, they don't have a Transparency mode of any kind.

Extra features include built-in Alexa and Bose AR support. The AR element is innovative, audio-only versions of augmented reality that show off Bose products' capabilities. However, you do need to use the compatible companion apps to test these out.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II is comfortable to wear and have great sound quality with three levels of ANC.

Best AirPods Pro Alternative: Jabra Elite 65t

Those who want wireless earbuds but don't want AirPods Pro, or think the price for AirPods Pro is a little much, then the Jabra Elite 65t earbuds are a great alternative option.

The Jabra Elite 65t are similar to the AirPods Pro in that they are truly wireless earbuds, so no annoying wire attached. They use Jabra's "EarGels" tips, and there are multiple sizes that come with the earbuds, so you can find the size that works best for your ears. They'll fit snugly in your ears and block out a lot of external noise, helping you focus.

While the earbuds themselves have about 5-hours of battery life on a single charge, the charging case can store another 15-hours or so, giving you plenty of listening time. Jabra Elite 65t are also IP55 resistant, so you don't need to worry about sweat or dust. They also have Alexa built-in and come in at a more affordable price than the Bose QC35 II or Sony WH1000XM4 headphones.

It is worth noting that while we do like the Jabra Elite 65t earbuds, they are a previous generation product. They still work great, and because they're older, they come in at a reasonable price tag. However, if you want the new-and-improved version, give the Jabra Elite 75t earbuds a look — just understand that they have a higher price tag.

Jabra Elite 65t has IP55 water and dust resistance, a secure fit with EarGels, and an all-day battery. It's also super affordable.

Best Luxury Headphone: AirPods Max

One of the best options, though very pricey, are the AirPods Max. This is the premium over-ear headphone from Apple, and it packs quite a punch in all the right places. Plus, if you need the best headphones for working from home that plays nicely with the best iPhone, iPad, and Mac, then the AirPods Max are your best bet.

With AirPods Max, you're getting a rigid and firm stainless steel frame, but the mesh canopy at the top feels comfortable to wear. I have been wearing mine for at least eight hours on my working days, and I don't have any discomfort by the time I'm done, despite it being the heaviest headphones I have. The ear cushions are also super lightweight and breathable, making them more comfortable than most leather ear cushions on other headphones. You can even easily remove them to clean since they're magnetic.

The AirPods Max feature an elegant, retro aesthetic, and you have a button for toggling Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode on the right ear cup. There is also a Digital Crown (like on the Apple Watch) to press to control audio playback and turn to adjust the volume. The sound quality is also superb, with an amazing sound stage and very balanced tones.

The Active Noise Cancellation on the AirPods Max is absolutely stellar. It will completely tune everything out, even a lawnmower and wind. But Transparency Mode is just a press of a button away. There are also a total of nine microphones, with eight of them used for ANC and three for voice pickup. As far as mic quality, the AirPods Max are good, and you could hold a clear conversation while you're outside, even in windy conditions since it filters out noise.

I've been using my AirPods Max every day since getting them on launch, and they're my favorite pair of headphones now. However, they are the most expensive on this list, but well worth the money. Just be aware that they are a little shorter on battery life than others (around 20 hours), and they don't have a power button. It also has a rather...dumb case, but you can replace it with third-party alternatives, like Waterfield Designs AirPods Max Shield Case.

AirPods Max are expensive, but they give you amazing sound quality and ANC. They're also super comfy.

Tune it out and focus with the best headphones for working from home

We still love the AirPods Pro the most out of these options. That's because the AirPods Pro are small and super compact in the wireless charging case. This means that they're incredibly easy to carry around with you everywhere, and it's easy to take them out and pop them into your ear on the fly. Plus, there are a ton of the best AirPods Pro cases to choose from, giving you plenty of choices when it comes to accessorizing and protecting your AirPods Pro.

As a user of the first-gen AirPods, the AirPods Pro fit is so much better. The silicone ear tips are comfortable and come in multiple sizes, and they seal the sound in your ear, resulting in better sound quality. Apple's ANC is like what you'd expect from Sony or Bose but packed into such small and impressive earbuds. Unlike some other headphones, the Transparency mode is nice to have, especially when you still want to be able to hear for important sounds around you.

We know that times like this can be tough, so getting a hold of the best headphones for working from home, the AirPods Pro, may not always be feasible. If that's the case, then the Jabra Elite 65t is still a good wireless earbud to consider. It's also an older product, so you can get them at a very affordable price. If you prefer the over-ear headphone style, then the Tribit XFree Tune is another well-reviewed option that is easy on the wallet.

The COVID-19 vaccine is just around the corner, but we'll be stuck at home a bit longer due to yet another wave of cases. Until then, there are plenty of ways to remain focused and active while at home. But one thing we often take for granted is our lunch break. Lunch has long been a mini escape from the hustle and bustle of work, and giving yourself physical and mental nourishment is especially important these days.

Working from an office had its perks, such as catered meals, cafeterias, or local eateries that were just a quick walk away. Nowadays, we have to drive for takeout, wait an hour for delivery, or the absolute worse: prepare lunch ourselves. In any case, your workflow is completely disrupted, and the alternative is skipping lunch, which isn't an option if you want to maintain your sanity. Luckily, Freshly is here to help, and you can get $60 off your first four orders ($15 per order) when you use coupon code LAUNCH15.

Freshly is a weekly subscription service that delivers fresh (not frozen), chef-cooked meals straight to your door. Freshly currently boasts a menu of over 40 healthy meals across a variety of cuisines. Subscribers also get to mix and match their meals. For example, you can have chicken tikka masala on Monday, baked turkey meatballs on Friday, and something entirely different for each meal in between. Each meal is entirely gluten and peanut-free, and you can even customize your plan to accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions.

Best of all, Freshly meals require no prep work. Simply pop a meal into your microwave for 3 minutes and enjoy. This is perfect if you're simply too busy to cook or order takeout, and it's easy to bring to work once we finally get back to the office.

Whether you're working remotely or on-site, you shouldn't let your lunch plans cut into your productivity. Subscribe to Freshly today and use LAUNCH15 to get $15 off your first four orders.

Along with any computer, a mouse and keyboard get dirty and pick up lots of germs with each keystroke throughout the day. Cleaning your monitor and computer accessories regularly, will not only protect your devices but will also keep you and others in your household healthy. Here are a few quick tips on how to clean your keyboard and mouse, leaving it spic and span for everyday use.

• Must-have Accessories for New Mac Owners

• Apple recommended: Clorox Company Disinfectant Wipes ($5 at Amazon)
• Canned air: Falcon Dust-Off Electronics Compressed Gas Duster 10 Oz (4 Pack) ($19 at Amazon)
• For a deeper clean: Scrub Daddy (3-count) ($13 at Amazon)
• Use just a little: Deer Park Brand Distilled Water (1 Case (6 Bottles)) ($26 at Amazon)

How to clean your keyboard and mouse

Cleaning and disinfecting your electronic devices aren't the same thing, at least in the context of germs. Regular cleaning involves removing smudges, along with stubborn spots and stains. Disinfecting, by contrast, removes unseen bacteria that could make you sick. For the latter, you need to use items that won't harm your accessories.

• How to clean up your Mac's desktop

For everyday cleaning, you need to gently blow off the dust and possible grime using canned air across your devices.

For weekly cleaning, use disinfectant wipes:

1. Carefully apply wipes to the entire surface of both devices.
2. Rub the wipes across the top and sides of the keyboard keys.

When your keyboard is dirty:

1. Wet a clean sponge using purified or distilled water.
2. Squeeze the clean sponge so that it's almost dry.
3. Gently wipe the keyboard with the sponge, removing the grime.

Note: To remove stubborn stains, you can add a tiny drop of gentle dish soap to the water before cleaning.

By taking just a few seconds out of your week, you can keep your electronics clean and disinfected. The most crucial part of any solution is making sure to have the correct items at home. Using products that aren't safe for electronic devices, can risk causing damage to your computer and its accessories.

To clean its products, Apple recommends both isopropyl alcohol and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes (or something similar), noting:

Our top equipment picks

Keeping a clean laptop is essential for the long-term health of your investment. These tools will get the job done.

Clorox wipes aren't just useful to clean your electronics. You can use them all over the house, including in the restroom and kitchen.

We also suggest having a sponge to remove grime and spots on your keyboard, although with distilled water. Don't use the same sponge you use in the kitchen, however. Keep this one separate. Canned air is also useful.

Scrub Daddy (3-count) ($13 at Amazon)

Scrub Daddy's FlexTexture foam is firm in cold water for tough scrubbing and soft in warm water for light cleaning. This is an easy-to-use and affordable go-to for your cleaning needs.

Deer Park Brand Distilled Water (1 Case (6 Bottles)) ($26 at Amazon)

Any distilled water will do when you need to deep clean. This option gives you a gallon at a reasonable price.

Falcon Dust-Off Electronics Compressed Gas Duster 10 Oz (4 Pack) ($19 at Amazon)

Use this compressed gas to remove dust, lint, and other contaminants from hard-to-reach areas. This is ideal for cleaning CPUs, keyboards, computer mice, and workstations

If your home is your office, you'll be looking for the best accessories for working from home. A big part of making your home office desk ergonomic is having a good, comfortable, and supportive chair. The best office chairs help you work with better posture. I absolutely love my office chair from Oak Hollow Furniture, the Aloria. Oak Hollow now sells a lower-priced office chair, the Valera. Normally starting at $259, Oak Hollow is offering a $160 coupon on Amazon, bringing the price down to just $99. That's more than 60% off! To get the discount, be sure to checkmark the coupon box in the Amazon listing. There are only 10 chairs being sold at this price, so don't wait.

Oak Hollow Furniture makes excellent office furniture. I've been using my Oak Hollow Aloria chair for months now, and it's easily the most comfortable work chair I've ever used. The Valera chair looks quite similar, though it doesn't have a headrest option. I rarely rest my head back while working, anyway.

The Valera Series Office Chair has an upholstered fabric seat, and a durable, breathable poly mesh back. It offers simple synchro-tilt, height-adjustable arms, and tilt tension adjustment. The seat is 21 inches wide and 20 inches deep. The width of the back is 19.5 inches, and it's 20 inches high. You can adjust the seat's height anywhere from 19 to 24 inches from the floor. Choose regular carpet casters or hard floor casters, depending on where you'll be using the chair. The hard floor casters do cost a bit more. You can also pay extra to have your chair assembled, though I was able to assemble my own Oak Hollow Chair and I'm no assembly expert.

You deserve a comfortable, supportive, high-quality office chair. I tend to alternate between sitting and standing and moving around throughout the day, but I want to be sure I'm in an ergonomic position when I'm sitting. If you must spend the majority of your day sitting, do it in the healthiest way possible. Looking for more deals? We track all the latest Apple and tech deals for you.

What you need to know

• Meshforce has released a new mesh Wi-Fi system.
• Tri-band Wi-Fi carries more devices and maintains high performance on high-traffic networks.
• The three-pack covers up to 6000 square feet.

We reviewed the earlier model of the Meshforce Mesh WiFi System and gave it four out of five stars. Writer Jaclyn Kilani's bottom line:

The new, upgraded model blankets your home in Wi-Fi even better. From Meshforce's description:

• Tri-Band Powerful WiFi: Carry more devices, automatically connects to the fastest and least-crowded network, keep high performance even in high Internet traffic use case.
• Expandable WiFi, No Dead Spots: 1 Pack covers up to 2000 square feet and 3 Pack covers up to 6000 square feet; Support up to 6 mesh points to fit any homes.
• Set up in Minutes: The 'My Mesh ' App guides you through setup, simply name your network and set a password. Complete setup with a few taps in minutes.
• Manage WiFi from Anywhere: Control your home WiFi from the palm of your hand with the app, easily check WiFi status while working and traveling.
• Escort Your Smart Home: Advanced security protocol and built-in firewall, efficiently keep your personal information in private.

Additional features include:

• Parental controls
• Built-in firewall
• Guest network
• Covers at least seven rooms
• Covers at least 75 devices
• Gigabit Ethernet ports and tri-band (2.4ghz, 5ghz, and 5ghz)

If you're looking for a new router, be sure to check out our list of the best Wi-Fi routers.

More of us are working from home than ever these days, and a comfortable, ergonomic workspace is undoubtedly better for productivity. A high-quality, comfortable office chair that promotes good posture is essential. I absolutely love my office chair from Oak Hollow Furniture, the Aloria. Oak Hollow has since released a more economical office chair, the Valera, and right now, it's a steal at $100 (nearly 40%) off. To get the discount, be sure to checkmark the coupon box in the Amazon listing. Quantities are limited, so don't wait!

Oak Hollow Furniture makes excellent office furniture. I've been using my Oak Hollow Aloria chair for months now, and it's easily the most comfortable work chair I've ever used. The Valera chair looks very similar, though it doesn't have a headrest option (which I rarely use anyway).

The Valera Series Office Chair has an upholstered fabric seat, and a durable, breathable poly mesh back. It offers simple synchro-tilt, height-adjustable arms, and tilt tension adjustment. The seat is 21 inches wide and 20 inches deep. The width of the back is 19.5 inches, and it's 20 inches high. You can adjust the seat's height anywhere from 19 to 24 inches from the floor. Choose regular carpet casters or hard floor casters, depending on where you'll be using the chair.

Whether you're working from home or in an office environment, make this the year you treat yourself to a comfortable, supportive, high-quality office chair. I tend to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day, but I want to be sure I'm in the healthiest position when I'm sitting. No one wants physical discomfort to distract them from their work.

When was the last time you cleaned the surface of your iPhone? How about the rest of its body? If you're like most users, you probably don't remember. Without regular cleanings, there's something disgusting happening on your handset that's naked to the human eye. Germs, many of them dangerous, are growing on your iPhone 24/7.

With the new PhoneSoap Pro, you can remove those germs in just five minutes using UV-C light. Featuring a larger bay and quicker cleaning time than previous PhoneSoap models, including the PhoneSoap HomeSoap, the PhoneSoap Pro is perhaps the company's best product to date. It's also colorful, as you'll see below.

For Amazon Prime Day 2020, there's a chance you'll find huge discounts on PhoneSoap products. Whether this includes the impressive PhoneSoap Pro remains to be seen.

A real need

What is the PhoneSoap Pro?

We use our iPhones everywhere we go. As they get carried around each day, the devices come into contact with various surfaces, such as desks, tables at Starbucks, and (yuck) public bathroom sinks. Along the way, they pick up germs and become a cesspool for bacteria. (Sorry about that lunch.)

According to a University of Arizona study, an office desk, where many iPhones reside over 40 hours per week, has hundreds of times more bacteria per square inch than an office toilet seat. At the same time, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found fecal matter present on one out of every six smartphones.

In its research, PhoneSoap found that a smartphone has 18x more bacteria than a public restroom.

It notes, "Your phone breeds more bacteria, too. Your phone's battery keeps it warm, and when it's stored in warm, dark places like your pocket or purse, the bacteria multiply."

To kill these germs, PhoneSoap uses UV-C light in all of its products, a type of light that uses a short-wave, ultraviolet light that can break apart virus DNA. UV-C can also neutralize those ever-pesky superbugs that have developed a resistance to antibiotics.

The PhoneSoap Pro uses twice the bulbs as the less expensive PhoneSoap 3. More bulbs mean 99.99 percent of bacteria are killed in around five minutes. The Pro model also has a larger sanitizing bay than previous models, which makes it ideal for larger smartphones or those with hefty cases. The cleaner is also ideally suited to disinfect other accessories such as AirPods and Apple Watch.

The newer model also turns on automatically whenever you open, then close the case. Alternatively, you can start the sanitization process manually by touching a button at the top.

Like other PhoneSoap units, the Pro has a so-called "acoustic outlet" that lets you hear notifications and alarms while your phone is being sanitized. Built-in USB-C and USB-A plug are available to charge your devices also.

According to PhoneSoap:

Easy setup

PhoneSoap Pro review: What I like

There's a lot to love about the PhoneSoap Pro and honestly, little not to like. As an original PhoneSoap owner, I'm most impressed with the quicker sanitization time of the newer model. Five minutes versus 10 doesn't sound like a big deal, but the time savings adds up, especially in a home where there are multiple devices.

Then there's the size, of course. The interior dimensions of 7.13-by-4.38-by-0.72 inches make it suitable for most smartphones and other devices.

When preparing this PhoneSoap Pro review, I was also impressed with the device's nano suction feet that allow it to attach to any surface firmly. With more stability, it's easier to open and close the tool. And then there's the color choices. The PhoneSoap Pro is available in six colors, including black, white, red, blue, purple, and green, allowing you to match your style.

Costly

PhoneSoap Pro review: What I don't like

The PhoneSoap Pro's quicker cleaning time and larger bay come at a cost, which some users might rather not spend. The Pro unit is $40 more than PhoneSoap 3, and $20 more than both the PhoneSoap Go and PhoneSoap Wireless.

But PhoneSoap produces some of the best UV phone sanitizers on the market, so I found the premium price worth it since I no longer have to remove the case on my iPhone 11 Pro Max prior to cleaning. Additionally, I appreciate being able to clean other devices, such as my AirPods Pro, keys, and other small objects with ease. You'll have to decide whether the extra cost is worth it for your home.

Is the PhoneSoap Pro big enough?

If you're also looking for a solution that also cleans iPads and other devices, you should consider the $200 PhoneSoap HomeSoap. Offering the same disinfecting power as the original PhoneSoap, the HomeSoap is big enough for the iPad Pro and Nintendo Switch.

Consider it, but ...

PhoneSoap Pro review: The Bottom Line

PhoneSoap offers a growing lineup of germ-killing devices for owners of smart devices. The PhoneSoap Pro is the company's quickest cleaner to date and holds larger phones than similar products. Buy this product when you have more than one smartphone to clean and also want to disinfect smaller items like AirPods.

Have any questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about the PhoneSoap Pro or similar products, let us know below.

They say that comfort and efficiency are imperative to productivity, and therefore, are essential things to consider when setting up your workplace. Ergonomics, ambiance, and aesthetics are all high on my list when it comes to creating my workspace, which is why I started looking for ergonomic furniture. I discovered the Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Desk and have found it to be the perfect addition to my home office.

It's affordable, quiet, ergonomically designed, and possesses a huge range of motion as far as sitting, standing, and moving go. I believe it has boosted my productivity overall, and it has definitely reduced the neck and back pain I often experience after sitting for long periods of time. I would recommend this product to anyone seeking ergonomic, height-adjustable furniture looking to sit, stand, and move as they conduct their work at home.

Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Desk Features

The Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Desk features a large work surface that is environmentally sourced and provides ample space for various monitor or laptop setups, in addition to room for ongoing projects and office supplies. It uses an electric motor so that you can easily adjust the height according to your needs. The motor lift mechanism offers smooth height adjustments from 28-inches to 48-inches at the speed of one inch per second. It moves quietly and efficiently.

It features an industrial-grade steel frame and an extremely solid desktop that can hold up to 154-pounds of weight. It's designed for working from home and allowing independent and remote workers to stay active, healthy, and productive while they work remotely.

Easy to assemble and use What I loved

Let's start this proclamation of love with assembly. Before we get really into it, let me just say that assembling furniture is not my forte, so if I can do it, so can you. This standing desk was relatively easy for me to assemble, and I did it all on my own. The most challenging aspect was the weight of this product. Note that it weighs 103 pounds, and assembly is much better suited as a two-person job. However, I did manage to do it myself.

This desk comes in two shipments, which I'll delve deeper into later. Once your two shipments have arrived, it's time for setup. It's packaged with an easy to follow installation guide that walks you through the process step by step. One important thing to note is that it does not tell you how far to stretch the crossbeam in step two. This doesn't seem like a big deal until you get to step five, where the crossbeam needs to stretch a certain distance for the feet to align with the desktop accurately.

Save yourself some time and take my advice. Measure the distance you need to have between the feet of the desk to get them to line up with the holes drilled on the underside of the desktop properly. This is very important because that's the exact distance you need to stretch the crossbeam when attaching it to the feet. Why this isn't articulated is a mystery. It was really frustrating to get to step five and then have to go back and redo step two. Hopefully, I'll spare you some angst here.

One other important note on assembly is that in step five, it says you need a drill to attach the desk feet to the desktop, and this simply isn't so. I did it with a Philips head screwdriver and managed just fine. It is firmly attached. From start to finish, assembling this desk took me just over an hour by myself. With two people working on it, you could probably cut that time in half.

You plug it into the wall to turn on the electric motor. It's outfitted with a tiny little remote box that has up and down arrows on it. Obviously, pressing the upward arrow makes it rise, and the downward arrow lowers the desktop. I was really impressed with the range of motion this standing desk has. It can lift and lower from 28-inches off of the ground to 48-inches off of the ground. The tallest setting is really tall and could comfortably accommodate people that are six feet and over.

Electric, height adjustments

For example, if I want to get moving, but still want to get some work done, I can create a walking desk setup. I have a 2-in-1 foldable treadmill that I like to lay flat beneath the desk. I'll then raise the desk to a comfortable standing height with the treadmill beneath my feet, and voila, walking desk. I can burn some calories and get some writing done at the same time. I find that moving often gets my creative juices flowing faster than sitting.

As a writer that works 100% remotely, having the ability to sit, stand, and move while working at home has been life-changing. My back and neck (especially) really start to hurt if I sit at my desk and stare at the computer for too long. Having the option of getting up and simply standing or even moving has really helped alleviate a lot of my physical pain.

My preferred desk height while sitting is not necessarily your preferred desk height while sitting, which is the beauty of having an electric, height-adjustable desk. You can adjust it wherever you want, whenever you want. Whether you're sitting, standing, or moving, this desk really can accommodate any and every situation.

Large desktop

Another great thing about the Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Desk is that it features a nice, large desktop to work on. I do a lot of writing on my laptop on mine, but I'm also a performer and sew and rhinestone my own costumes from time to time. This desk gives me the convenient versatility to do either with room to spare. It can accommodate my sewing machine, my costume project, my laptop, my printer, my office supplies, etc. It really is incredibly versatile and spacious.

Shipping

The most frustrating thing about receiving this product was that it came in two shipments and that I received these shipments three weeks apart. I spoke to a customer service representative who apologized profusely and told me this was due to a recent spike in product demand. Nevertheless, the packages are large, heavy, and take up quite a bit of space, so it was annoying to have a boxed desktop taking up room, that I could do absolutely nothing with, for almost a month.

I did some sleuthing in the Amazon reviews of this product and found that these two shipments oftentimes do not arrive on the same day, but typically arrive only a few days apart. It seems that my situation was rare and unique.

Confusing instructions, very heavy

As I mentioned above, there are some confusing instructions in the installation manual, but overall, it's pretty straightforward. Please take note that this desk is extremely heavy. It weighs over 100 pounds and is very difficult to move on your own. I'd definitely recommend setting this up with a partner. It took a lot of strength to carry and move by myself.

Bottom line

The Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Desk is an excellent ergonomic office addition. It has a huge range of motion, and the height is fully adjustable to suit your needs. It enables you to sit, stand, or move while you work, increasing productivity overall and reducing back and neck inflammation. It's sleek and versatile; I highly recommend this product to anyone setting up any kind of workspace.

Wi-Fi dead zones inside your own home can be infuriating when you pay good money every month for high-speed internet. In my house, we have the office on one end and the game room on the other, so no matter where you put the modem, somebody loses. A standard modem simply cannot provide reliable coverage in most two-story homes or even a one-story house with a long layout. The latest and most convenient solution to this problem is a mesh network.

The MeshForce Wi-Fi system connects to your current modem and uses multiple M3 mesh points to broadcast a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout a much larger area. The mesh network overlaps from one mesh point to the next, so your devices will connect to whichever M3 is closer. This ensures a strong connection as you move from one part of the house to another, even into the furthermost corners of your home. No more dead zones!

Big speed + big area

MeshForce WiFi System: Features

The most important features to note about the MeshForce system are the multiple mesh points and huge range. This is a dual-band Wi-Fi system that uses multiple mesh points to amplify the signal coming from a traditional router and create a sort of Wi-Fi blanket that covers an entire home with a strong signal. That means no dead zones.

Each of the MeshForce M3 mesh points can cover an area of 1,000 sq. ft., so with six mesh points, you can cover up to 6,000 sq. ft. of space with a strong, reliable Wi-Fi signal. As an internet user moves from one part of the home to another, their device will automatically pick up signal from the closest M3 point; therefore, they never lose full signal strength, even on the far side of the house.

When it comes to speed, MeshForce can support gigabit ethernet and 1200Mbps of dual-band Wi-Fi, which is pretty impressive for a large-scale mesh system. Some users say that the system does not actually live up to this claim, but for my situation, the speed is just fine. They also offer some nifty parental control and guest login options, which I'll go into in the next section.

Bye bye dead zones

MeshForce Wi-Fi System: What I like

The major benefit I've enjoyed with MeshForce is the eradication of dead zones (finally!). I'm living in a big 4,000 sq.ft. farmhouse and the internet here has been a nightmare from day one. Not only am I obligated to use satellite internet (yuck!) due to living in a rural area, I'm also limited to the range of one single internet router for the entire house. I've tried satellite hot spots and extenders, but it always ends up being a headache when people try to connect simultaneously from different areas of the house.

Now, after using MeshForce for a few weeks, the days of infuriating dead zones and stagnant speeds are finally behind me. In the screenshots above, you can see how the internet speed went from two bars at 17Mbps before MeshForce to three bars and 31Mbps after connecting to the mesh network. With satellite internet, I am limited to a mere 30Mbps download speed (yikes, I know), but at least with MeshForce, I can enjoy the full strength of those 30Mbps in my corner bedroom, where it stayed around 10 or 15Mbps before. Even in the far game room, previously a total dead zone, we are now receiving full signal from the farthest M3 mesh point.

Another cool aspect of this system is the MyMesh app that I use to manage network settings. It's super simple to set up and use, and it gives me remote access to manage the MeshForce network from anywhere. I use the MyMesh app to control my kids' internet usage too; their devices can be totally blocked from accessing the internet at my choosing, such as after bedtime or on those fun "I hate homework" days. When the kids need a break from the internet, I just shut it off for the kids while I still enjoy full usage.

The same goes for the guest network options. In a matter of seconds, I can set up a dedicated internet network for guests to use, so they can log in and use the internet without access to my own private network password. This has been surprisingly useful when distant relatives come to stay.

Press restart

MeshForce Wi-Fi System: What I don't like

Honestly, I don't see many drawbacks with the MeshForce system. It's worked really well for me, with only the occasional signal drop. This has happened twice; the signal dropped completely, and I had to restart the main M3 mesh point to get it working again. I will note that both times the signal dropped, it happened after a momentary power outage due to bad weather. While the original modem will reconnect on its own after an outage, the MeshForce router will require a manual restart. So, all in all, a quick system restart after a power outage is not a big deal for me.

One other thing that I found strange was that the internet speed display within the My Mesh app only shows the download and upload bandwidth that you are currently using. If you're streaming videos and using a full 30Mbps, it will show the download speed as 30Mbps. However, if you're not using the internet, the app will show the download and upload speeds as 0Mbps, which isn't helpful. I want to see the current internet speed reflected, as they are when running a basic speed test.

Bottom Line

For anyone whose original internet modem is not providing coverage across the entire home, the MeshForce Wi-Fi System creates a reliable mesh network to amplify signal into every corner of the house. If you have an M3 mesh point for every 1,000 sq. ft. of space, there will be no more dead zones, even in those rooms that are furthest from the modem.

Although I came across the occasional signal loss after a power outage, it turned out to be an easy fix that didn't cause any great complications. Overall there were very few cons to using the MeshForce app, only a stronger internet connection in my bedroom and game room, which is exactly the solution I needed.

Many homes are equipped with a home office or workspace of some kind, especially now that so many of us work remotely. There are many components and things to consider when setting up your home office, but I think an integral necessity across the board is good lighting.

I have the TaoTronics LED Forward Beam Desk Lamp and I love it. This LED desk lamp is extremely adjustable to suit your work needs and personal preferences. It features multiple brightness adjustments, a night light, a timer, and a color temperature adjustment. It can be configured into many different positions making this an extremely versatile LED desktop companion.

TaoTronics LED Forward Beam Desk Lamp Features

The TaoTronics LED Forward Beam Desk Lamp uses forward beam technology to switch the light source from front to back without moving the lamp head, reducing shadows, and protecting your eyes from direct light to minimize glare and eyestrain.

It's designed to mimic daylight so you can see objects in their true color and exquisite detail. It features an auto-brightness adjustment that uses a built-in ambient light sensor to dim and brighten the light according to your surroundings for proper illumination, reducing eye fatigue.

It features a one-hour timer that you can set to save power in case you fall asleep under the lamp. It also has a nifty night light setting designed to light the way to the bathroom at night without being obtrusive. If you disapprove of the auto-brightness adjustment, you can alter the brightness and color temperature settings individually to suit your needs.

Versatility + Adjustments What I loved

You can configure and angle this light in so many different ways. It can shift 45-degrees from left to right at the base; the elbow can be adjusted 180-degrees; the LED lamp head can rotate 220-degrees from front to back and 90-degrees from side to side; so you can accommodate pretty much any type of workspace.

I love all the ways you can adjust the settings on this light. The lamp itself comes with an easy to read instruction card that's placed over the base of the lamp explaining what each of the corresponding buttons does. You have your auto brightness adjustment, one-hour timer, night light, brightness adjustment, color temperature adjustment, power, and a multifunction rotary knob.

The auto-brightness adjustment is really cool because it's designed to mimic daylight. I don't know about you, but I feel that the light that emanates from most desk lamps is way too harsh and really hurts my eyes after extended periods. This lamp does a great job of emitting natural-looking light, and if you don't like the auto-brightness setting it chooses, you can always adjust the color and temperature to your preferences.

The night light setting is also really nice. It's soft and soothing and emits just enough light to get you out of bed and safely to the bathroom or the kitchen (if you like to enjoy the occasional midnight snack). The one-hour timer is designed for you readers that always fall asleep with the light on.

Additionally, it has a convenient USB port, so you can charge your phone or earpods whether the light is on or off. As long as the lamp is plugged into a power source, you're good to go, and ready to charge. I really love this feature because often, USB charging cables are really short, and they don't quite make it to the top of my desk or bedside table when plugged into the wall. The TaoTronics LED Forward Beam Desk Lamp USB enables you to plug straight into the lamp instead of the wall outlet.

Heavy and pricey What Could Be Better

Let me tell you that the TaoTronics LED Forward Beam Desk Lamp is a lot heavier than it looks. It weighs in at just under eight pounds, which was surprising to me at first, but really contributes to it being sturdier than your average desk lamp. It's much less likely to fall off or get knocked over.

It comes with a pretty hefty price tag for a desk lamp, but I feel it's worth it. It's honestly, the best lamp I've ever owned because the light it emits does not strain my eyes. It's specifically designed to eliminate eye fatigue while illuminating your office. It's also incredibly adjustable according to your personal preferences and can be configured in so many ways. I use it when I'm doing anything from sewing, to reading, to working on my computer.

Bottom line

The TaoTronics LED Forward Beam Desk Lamp is an excellent multi-faceted desk lamp that can be configured and personalized to your preference. It has wonderful features that allow you to adjust your color and temperature settings, or you can set it to auto-adjust, which mimics daylight, alleviating eye strain, and fatigue. It also comes with a one-hour timer and a night light making it all the more versatile. It may be pricey, but I think it's well worth the investment if you're looking for a quality piece of equipment that's exceptionally adjustable and durable.

It's never been more important to learn how to work from home, but there's a big difference between simply setting up your laptop at the kitchen counter and really doing it right.

With seven guided courses on time management, remote work, writing and more, the 2020 Work From Anywhere Hacker Bundle will teach you how to manage and maximize your productivity away from the office.

You'll learn how to quickly and smoothly transition into working from home through courses that will teach you how to streamline your communication with teams, engage in critical thinking, manage time and resources more efficiently, and much more.

You'll even learn how to start your own online business from scratch.

Get the skills you need to work from home like a true pro with the 2020 Work From Anywhere Hacker Bundle for just $29.99—over 80% off its usual price today.

Prices are subject to change.

Working from home has a lot of perks. You don't have to worry about a daily commute in traffic, you can always make lunch, making it easier to cut down on food expenses, and you don't have to share a bathroom with coworkers. While working from home can be great for a plethora of reasons, it can be a little expensive when you are first setting up. You'll need a desk, a chair, a few great accessories, and suddenly it sounds like you're going to be spending a fortune. Relax, it's not all doom and gloom.

If you're looking to set up a small home office for yourself, but you don't want to spend a fortune, you've come to the right place. While I will already assume you have a computer, I'll give you a list of some exceptional items you need to complete your workspace that will be practical.

Desk

Your desk needs may vary depending on the type of work you're doing, but it's proven that if you keep your desk clean and free of clutter, you'll likely going to be more productive when you sit down to work. It's easier to keep a small space clean, and if you live in especially cramped space (like I do), a small minimalist desk is perfect for making the most out of the space you do have.

I use the BRUSALI from IKEA as my primary work desk. It's not huge, being just shy of 3-feet long, but it's surprisingly roomy. I fit my MacBook Air alongside a 27-inch monitor perfectly well, and it's like the perfect size if you're working form an iMac. If the BRUSALI isn't your fancy, check out these other small desks.

Best Best Small Desks for Small Homes

Chair

When you're sitting all day at the office, you want to make sure your chair has good support and doesn't leave you sore at the end of the day from being uncomfortable. Chairs can get expensive, but AmazonBasics Mid-Back Mesh Chair is perfect for a small home office. It blends comfort and affordability well, while still being adjustable enough to find the sitting position that will be comfortable for you.

If the AmazonBasics Mid-Back Mesh Chair seems a little inadequate for you, and you don't mind spending a bit more money, there are plenty of other great options.

Best Office Chairs

Microphone

Working from home typically means a lot of remote meetings. Whether you use Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or any other type of video conferencing service, you're going to want an external microphone to make sure you come across crisp and clear.

Blue Snowball iCE is a perfect microphone for the office because not only is it nice and small, it delivers outstanding clean recordings of your voice that will make video calls a breeze. Plus, it's even good enough to record a podcast making it not just for work but also for pleasure.

The Snowball iCE is primarily used for recording a single voice if you want to explore other options, there's plenty of different kinds of USB microphones out there.

Best USB Microphone for Mac

Headphones

I can't stress enough how essential headphones can be for a home office, especially if you share your space with family or roommates. A set of headphones that can let you tune out the world and get work done when you need to focus, and it can make sure you can hear your coworkers or clients over video conferencing calls.

It's no secret that a perfect pair of headphones is going to cost some dough; however, if you mostly need a pair of headphones to get through the workday, I would suggest the TaoTronics SoundSurge 85. The cans are comfortable to wear all day long, the active noise canceling works great and tuning out distractions, and the 40-hour battery life is perfect for getting through the workweek.

Keyboard

Being a writer, a keyboard is the most essential accessory for me; however, every home office should have a keyboard that makes working all day easy and comfortable. If you have a MacBook or a Mac, you'll likely want something different than the built-in keyboard or the Magic Keyboard.

I have used both the butterfly-switch keyboard on my MacBook Air and the Magic Keyboard with my iMac extensively, and while I never had a massive problem with either typing on the Satechi Bluetooth keyboard for Mac feels better than both. While it's not a mechanical keyboard by any means, the keys do travel and give satisfying tactile feedback with each press of the keys. It's this response that is missing from the MacBook keyboard and the Magic Keyboard, and it has made me more confident in typing— especially when I'm feverishly writing as fast as I can.

While I love the Satechi keyboard, I realize its a little on the expensive side for a basic keyboard, if you want some other great suggestions, check out the link below for more options.

Best Alternatives to Apple's Magic Keyboard

Mouse

This is an optional purchase; if you have a MacBook, you can always just use the trackpad, and if you have a Mac, the Magic Mouse is more capable of getting the job done. However, using the Magic Mouse or a trackpad all day every day can lead to hand cramps or soreness. If you want something a little more ergonomic, but still highly functional, the Logitech M720 is a perfect fit.

You can have three different devices connected to the M720, meaning you can easily take this mouse with you to use when you're on-the-go, or use it on your main computer when you're at your home office.

Best Wireless Mouse for Mac

USB-C Hub for MacBooks

This isn't necessary for everybody, but if you're using a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, you'll know that they only have USB-C ports and no other ports. While USB-C is a fantastic technology, this could leave you wishing for some of those missing port options (especially USB-A). If you want to connect your accessories, you'll need a USB-C hub, and the Anker PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB-C Hub is perfect for anyone.

It has all the ports you could want to connect everything, and its compact design makes it easy to fit into a small space or on a small desk.

What's your home office look like?

What your home office look like? Let us know in the comments down below.

For many of us, now more than ever, our home office IS our office. While it's tempting to bring the laptop into bed or onto the couch to work in our pajamas like on TV, it's not always the healthiest or more productive long-term work situation. A good-quality office chair is an important part of maximizing productivity at home.

Very customizable

Oak Hollow Furniture Aloria Series Office Chair: Features

The Aloria Series Office chair is comfortable to sit in for hours and can be adjusted in a number of ways to fit most people. The seat itself is padded with high-density molded foam and upholstered with high-performance fabric meant for long-term use. The fabric is more functional than attractive, but it's quite comfortable against the skin when I'm wearing shorts. The back is mesh, stretched tightly on the frame, so it's breathable and comfortable.

When ordering, you can purchase the chair with or without the headrest seen in my photos. The headrest pivots to your most comfortable spot. On the back of the chair is a lumbar support mechanism; slide it up or down until it locks into place in your perfect spot. You can also adjust the depth of the seat to accommodate different leg lengths via a lever on the side.

While the Aloria Series chair has adjustable armrests, I actually wish they adjusted more. You can adjust the armrests up and down, forward and backward, and you can pivot them inward and outward. What you can't do is bring them in closer to your body. Ideally, when typing, you want your arms close to your body. A wider person in this chair can certainly do that, but I find myself with my arms a little farther from my body than ideal no matter how I adjust the armrests.

Are you one of those people that likes to lean back in their office chair? You're in luck with the Aloria Series Office Chair, because there are a number of tilt options. There is a lever so you can lock the chair into a slightly reclined position if you wish, or leave it unlocked so you can rock. You can also adjust the tilt tension via a knob.

The chair does require assembly, but it's pretty basic and the Allen wrench you need is included. It took me about 40 minutes to assemble, but someone more skilled in that area could certainly assemble it much faster. It's basically just a matter of attaching the major components with large screws — the fiddly complicated stuff comes already assembled. Two pneumatic cylinders are included: a standard-sized one and a smaller one for people 5'2" and under.

Ergonomic

Oak Hollow Furniture Aloria Series Office Chair: What I like

I like that I can actually sit in this executive chair and work for hours at a time. The well-padded seat and lumbar support are keys to aligning my spine correctly so I don't get achy. I still get up and walk around and stretch hourly (as commanded by my Apple Watch) but I'm much more comfortable working in this chair than on a couch or in my old office chair. I'm much more productive when I can work comfortably and ergonomically.

One size can't fit all

Oak Hollow Furniture Aloria Series Office Chair: What I don't like

While I'd imagine that a wide range of sizes will be well-accommodated, this chair won't be a perfect fit for everyone. On one end, the maximum capacity is 6'9" and 300 pounds. On the other end, the second pneumatic cylinder shortens the chair as needed for a smaller person but it doesn't get narrower. I'm not a particularly small person, just a very average-sized woman in both height and weight, but I found the armrests to be a little bit wide for me. While I can pivot the fronts of the armrests closer to my body, I can't pivot the whole armrest in. I'd imagine that someone much smaller than me might have a hard time resting their arms.

Worthwhile investment

Oak Hollow Furniture Aloria Series Office Chair: Bottom line

If you're sitting at a desk most of the day, it's important that you create an ergonomic office space for your health and productivity. A high-quality office chair is an important part of setting that up. Oak Hollow Furniture's Aloria Series Office Chair has a solid metal frame, high-density foam seat, and high-performance fabric that's built to last. The chair's lumbar support, tilt, height, arms, and seat depth are all adjustable in multiple ways to customize the chair the way you like it, although the armrests can't be pulled close to the body for a smaller person. It comes with two pneumatic cylinders to further adjust the height if needed. You can order the chair with or without a headrest, depending on your needs.

At first glance, the FlexiSpot MonitorStand Workstation appears to be a simple riser to place your monitor or laptop at a more comfortable viewing angle while you work. But as you look more closely, you'll notice a USB charging port, accessory drawer, and a UV light on the underside to kill germs on your iPhone, iPad, and other items.

Germ killer

FlexiSpot MonitorStand Workstation: Features

FlexiSpot's MonitorStand Workstation is an excellent addition to your home office (or office) for several reasons. Its main purpose, of course, is to raise that excellent computer monitor to a comfortable viewing angle. Or, if you prefer, use a laptop with a separate keyboard and mouse. Place the computer on top of the workstation with your keyboard and mouse on the desk below for a better and more ergonomic working angle.

The standout feature here is, of course, the sanitizing UV light. I did not perform lab tests, so I can't speak to its efficacy, but FlexiSpot claims that it kills 99% of bacteria on keyboards in just ten minutes. The UV light is easy to use; press a button on the workstation's side to turn it on. The UV light turns off automatically after ten minutes.

Assembly was easy; all you need to do is attach the legs, which are about an inch-and-a-half long. Since the UV bulbs are on the underside of the workstation, anything that fits underneath can be placed there for disinfection. I have my iPhone, iPad, keyboard, and mouse "cooking" under there right now. The light doesn't get hot or anything, but for your safety, you should stay a couple of feet away while the light is on. Also, you should not use the light on a glass or reflective desk.

Other features include an accessory drawer, as seen in my photo gallery below. The front of the desk can serve as a phone shelf. The front panel is magnetic so that you can place notes or photos there with the included magnets. There is a USB port, so you can charge up your iPhone or another device while you work.

The FlexiSpot MonitorStand Workstation is constructed of plastic, with fabric around the back and sides in your choice of gray or tan. The workstation surface is just over five inches high. You'll need to be set up near an outlet since it needs to be plugged in. It accommodates any monitor up to 30 inches and 22 pounds.

My only issue with FlexiSpot's MonitorStand Workstation is that it's not adjustable for height. I do think the height is acceptable and comfortable for me, but adjustable is always better. I suppose you could remove the legs if you wanted less height, but then you couldn't use the disinfecting UV light. For more height, you could place something underneath, but that somewhat defeats the purpose of buying a raised workstation.

Germophobe's delight

FlexiSpot MonitorStand Workstation: What I like

I'm feeling more germophobic than ever these days, and so anything I can use to kill germs, I like. Unlike many UV light devices designed to kill germs on your iPhone, the FlexiSpot MonitorStand Workstation has a generously-sized "kill area" that can accommodate much more than just an iPhone. As I said, I don't have the means to test the effectiveness of this UV light, but I feel like it can't hurt to give my stuff an extra zap here and there.

Set height

FlexiSpot MonitorStand Workstation: What I don't like

While the height of the workstation (just over five inches) is sufficient, it's not adjustable. I'm about 5'4", but if you're much taller or shorter than I am, you might not feel like it's the right height for you.

Multi-purpose

FlexiSpot MonitorStand Workstation: Bottom line

FlexiSpot's MonitorStand Workstation is a raised platform that accommodates that great USB-C monitor you just picked up (as long as its not bigger than 30"), or your laptop if you like to work with a separate keyboard and mouse. The height, just over five inches, is not adjustable. The workstation has several other features, most notably a sanitizing UV light. FlexiSpot claims that the light kills 99% of the bacteria on your keyboard. The front panel is magnetic so that you can affix notes and other items with the included magnets. There's a drawer that pulls out from the front with divided compartments so you can organize your desk accessories. You'll also find a USB port, so you can charge up your iPhone and other items while you work.

There's simply never been a better time to work from home. Thanks to the unexpected outbreak of the coronavirus and subsequent quarantine, millions of Americans have been forced to forgo their usual office routines and adapt to an entirely new approach to life—making this the ideal time to turn that business idea into a full-fledged reality.

Regardless of whether you're just interested in making a little money on the side as part of a passive income or you're looking to start the next Google or Facebook, the 2020 Ultimate Work From Home Starter Kit Bundle will give you the skills and tools you need in order to get started, and it's available for over 95% off at just $39.99.

This 16-course bundle is packed with over 400 lessons that will introduce you to the essentials of everything from freelancing and copywriting to management and team building.

You'll learn how to earn both passive and active incomes as a writer in a variety of mediums and genres, how to create captivating copy that can increase conversion rates for products and services, how to hire and manage virtual teams in order to expand your business when it starts to turn a profit, and more.

There's also extensive instruction that walks you through everything you need to know in order to market and sell your products and services through a variety of affiliate networks and social media platforms—through training that focuses on go-to platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Google, and more.

Get your business idea off the ground during these abnormal times with help from the 2020 Ultimate Work From Home Starter Kit Bundle for just $39.99—over 95% off its usual price right now.

Prices are subject to change.

If you've been working from home and looking for ways to improve your workspace, you don't want to miss this one-day sale at Woot. A selection of monitor stands, standing desk risers, and other office essentials are on sale today only with prices up to 50% off while supplies last. Shipping is free with Amazon Prime, or $6 per order.

It's important to keep your home office comfortable, and if you're busy sitting down for hours every day, a desk riser could be the perfect pickup to make sure you get your body moving throughout the day. Today's sale has a bunch to choose from with prices starting as low as $79.99. These risers are designed to sit on your existing desk so you don't need to do a lot of re-arranging or buy an entirely new desk. With this Sit to Stand Desktop Riser on sale for $79.99, you save $35 off its usual cost.

A few of the desk risers in the sale are electric too, such as this Black 32-inch Electric Desk Riser that's now down to $119.99 from a regular price of $230. These risers even have multiple levels of adjustment so you can find just the right height for your setup, and you'll receive a one-year warranty with the purchase as well.

While the sale is focused on desk risers, you can save on monitor stands and seat cushions right now as well. Be sure to visit Woot to view the full sale before these deals end later tonight.

Woot usually charges $6 per order for shipping, though you can score free shipping there by logging in with an Amazon Prime account before checking out. If you've never been an Amazon Prime member before, you can start a free 30-day trial right now to snag free shipping at Woot and Amazon. In the process, you'll also gain access to all of Prime's perks like the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

All this talk about working from home sometimes sounds like a dream setup. You get to work in your pajamas, do away with your agonizing commute, and take naps during the day. But what they don't tell you is that working from home also makes you susceptible to body aches and muscle pains as you make do with a makeshift office space. Many of us are stuck using our dining tables or even working from couches for most of the day.

When you find that the pain is becoming unbearable to the point that it's difficult for you to be productive, you can use the Backmate Power Massager to zap all the aches away. Featured on Outside, Men's Journal, and Human Kinetics, this massager utilizes percussive vibration to deliver intense, long strokes that result in effective muscle therapy.

Check it out:

In case you didn't know, percussive vibration is a natural pain reliever that helps eliminate muscle soreness and stiffness, as well as increase circulation and range of motion. In addition to using it to get relief from chronic aches and pains, the massager is also useful for training, helping you warm up and recover for injury prevention, performance, and longevity. It corrects imbalances that can lead to pain and skeletal alignment problems, too. And since it's lightweight and portable, it makes it easy to get fast relief.

Usually retailing for $149 you can grab the Backmate Power Massager on sale for only $119.99—a savings of 19 percent.

With many of us staying at home or working from home more these days, that means less trips to Starbucks or your local indie coffee or tea shop. I know I've been foregoing Starbucks altogether lately, and I can't work from my little coffee shop with great bagels anymore, so I've been saving some money and making my morning coffee at home everyday. But one thing I noticed when I make coffee at home is that I would often get so distracted with work sometimes that by the time I remember I have coffee, it's no longer hot, and instead, it's lukewarm or even cold.

That's why I picked up an Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2 a few months ago, and I'm never going back.

The perfect cup of joe every morning

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2: Features

The Ember Smart Mug consists of high quality stainless steel with a scratch-resistant ceramic coating. Depending on what you drink with your Ember Smart Mug, like other ceramic mugs, there may be staining on the interior. This may be more visible on the white version, but I have the black one so it doesn't show any stains (at least from what I can tell).

The mug itself has a nice heft to it due to the materials that it's made from. The 14 oz. size seems to be the best size for most people, as it leaves plenty of room for your beverage and any cream or sugar if needed. The 10 oz. version is a little bit too small, but could work for someone who doesn't need a big cup of coffee or tea. It's recommended to go with the larger version if you are using something like a single serving size Keurig, as I am.

In order to charge the Ember Mug, you'll need the charging coaster, which is included with every mug and it's redesigned from the original version. It takes approximately two hours for mine to fully charge up the mug, which lasts for a little over an hour (they advertise 80 minutes) on a single charge. However, you can optionally just place your mug in the charging coaster to keep the drink at optimal temperature for as long as you want. As a safety measure, the mug will go to sleep after two hours of inactivity, but restarts that timer once you pick it up off the charging coaster.

There is a smart LED on the front of the mug that informs you of when your optimal temperature is reached (solid white), when the battery is low and needs recharging (red), and when the battery is fully charged again (green). You can also personalize the Ember Mug by setting the smart LED to your favorite color, which displays in-between various status. While it's charging, it breathes a dimming red light, and it'll pulsate with the white color while getting to your preferred temperature.

In order for all of this to work, though, you will need to pair the Ember Smart Mug with your smartphone through the Ember app. The process is pretty easy, as you just need to follow the instructions in the app and just hold down the power button on the bottom of the mug for a few seconds. Once your phone and Ember mug are paired, it should stay connected without issue. You can also reset your Ember mug if needed.

It's important to note that the Ember Smart Mug is hand wash only (with warm, soapy water and a soft sponge), so you can't just stick this in your dishwasher cycle. After washing, you must dry it completely before placing it back on the charger. Otherwise, you may have some issues since the charging contacts on the bottom of the mug and the coaster are delicate.

I'll never drink my coffee with a regular mug again

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2: What I Like

I've been using my Ember for the past few months, and I cannot drink hot coffee and tea at home any other way. For me, I drink with my mug off the charging coaster at my desk or in the living room table because I don't have the space for more dangling cables. The battery lasts over an hour for me this way, and it's usually enough for one cup of coffee with cream or tea.

Honestly, it's a bit life changing that my last drop of coffee is still hot (or warm if I forget that the battery is low) by the time I get to it. No more cold coffee for me! That is, unless I specifically want some iced coffee, of course.

YMMV with the battery life

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2: What I Don't Like

While Ember advertises 80 minutes on the Smart Mug 2, that doesn't feel accurate every day. I feel that it is usually about an hour, but the last 20 minutes is a hit or miss. I often get a warning notification on my phone that my battery is low about an hour in, and I'm not even halfway through my drink yet.

The mug's battery also discharges the moment you take it off the charger, so I am guessing that the missing battery time is going to the time my cup spends sitting there as my Keurig brews. It's a little annoying, but I wish the battery lasted a tad longer for situations like that. I think it would feel like it lasts longer if you brew a pot of coffee and then just pour it in to your Ember Mug, so it may be due to the fact that I'm using a Keurig machine.

I also think the 10 oz. size is a joke — it's just way too small! My single serve Keurig can load up to 12 oz. of water, and that's leaving just barely enough space for the amount of creamer I want in my 14 oz. Ember Mug. I really think that the 14 oz. should be the starting size, with a larger 16 or 20 oz. size available, and just get rid of the 10 oz. entirely. It's just way too small for most people.

You'll also have to exercise extreme caution with the bottom of the mug after washing it — if it's wet at all, it won't properly charge on the coaster. So just be careful after hand washing!

The biggest pain point of the Ember Smart Mug is the price — it's not cheap. But it's definitely one of those things that you didn't know you needed until you actually use it. Still, it has a hefty price of admission.

This mug is life changing, seriously

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2: The Bottom Line

While this fancy mug costs a pretty penny, I think that it's worth it if you drink coffee or tea at home, and often get tired that it's cold by the time you finish it. Yes, one could argue that the person should just drink the beverage faster, but some of us like to sip and savor our morning coffee or tea. I also just like to have a mug of coffee while I work to help me feel energized and focused. And if you're burying yourself in work (as I often do), you may forget about your drink until it's too late.

The Ember Smart Mug is made from premium materials, the charging coaster can keep your drink at optimal temperature all day, and the battery life is pretty good if you don't use the coaster while drinking. The app itself is easy to use, and being able to customize your own LED color and temperature presets is a breeze. Seriously, once you use an Ember Mug, there's no going back.

Telecommuting is officially the new normal. People are now working from home with greater frequency than ever, dialing-in to the office from their living rooms, dining rooms, and computer rooms. For some, this shift to remote work comes as naturally as breathing, and they wonder how they ever lived without it.

For others, calling it a challenge would be putting it lightly.

They struggle to complete even simple tasks, wrestling with the constant urge to distract themselves online. They procrastinate endlessly, creating for themselves an unsustainable level of stress. They struggle with hardware and equipment that was never made for getting work done.

The truth is that if you're working from home, it's usually not as easy as booting up a laptop and diving in. You need an office space, and one with a good layout and setup. Here's where HP comes in.

From now until May 3, they're offering an extra 10% off select monitors and 20% off select accessories with the purchase of consumer PCs. You can also buy any monitor or accessory, and you'll get 20% off an additional monitor or accessory. Equip your home office for success, and enjoy worry-free, focused working from home.

Create a separate, distraction-free office space

One of the most common mistakes we see people making with their home office is that they have no clear separation between work and play. They slave away at their dining room table, or try to type up a report on the same couch where they were just binging a show. And that, in turn, makes it incredibly easy to procrastinate.

Designate a space in which you will exclusively work. Your home office should not be the same room in which you play video games or watch Netflix. If that's infeasible, you might also consider establishing a few rituals to train yourself into a working mindset, such as a particular layout of furniture.

The biggest challenge of working from home is that there's no shortage of distractions. Just as you need a separate office space if you're going to work effectively, you also need to keep that space clear of the things that might ordinarily distract you. Establish with your family and/or roommates ahead of time that you can't give them your full attention while you're working.

You might also consider investing in a decent-quality headset, like the Jabra Engage 65.

Invest in a second monitor

Multitasking might be impossible, but that doesn't make extra monitors a bad investment. Whether shifting seamlessly between working on projects and communicating with your team members or simply allowing you to do more effective research, an extra monitor is an awesome addition to your workspace. As it so happens, there are a few great ones currently available via HP.

Decorate and organize

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of an office? It's probably pretty boring, right? Your home office doesn't have to be, though.

While you do need to keep it organized and clear of unnecessary clutter, you should also decorate it however you see fit. That may involve houseplants, wall art, or even a conversation piece like a sculpture. Go nuts, and make it uniquely yours.

Just because you're working, doesn't mean you shouldn't be comfortable and relaxed.

Invest in a good PC

Last but certainly not least, your workstation is the center of your home office. Without the right equipment, doing your job will end up being an exercise in frustration and futility. Again, HP offers a few excellent choices here, shown below.

Don't forget to take care of yourself

Working from home can have a significant and negative impact on your work-life balance. With that in mind, you need to be willing to step away from your home office every now and then. Get proper exercise, drink plenty of water, and eat a balanced diet.

After all, it doesn't matter how well-put-together your workstation and office are if your body and mind are falling apart.

There is no shortage of great entertainment out there to watch and pass the time with, especially now. You may be staying at home much more these days, so you need something to see or do while you're stuck at home. There are several streaming services out there, but if you haven't checked out Disney Plus yet, then you definitely need to consider it, especially for the low price. Here are some of the best shows that you can only find exclusively on the Disney+ streaming service.

The Mandalorian

One of the most talked-about shows last fall, when Disney+ launched, was The Mandalorian, and for good reason. Plus, it features The Child (or as everyone calls it, Baby Yoda, though this is technically not Yoda in baby form, it's just another member of Yoda's species), that adorable Star Wars creature that everyone can't get enough of.

In The Mandalorian, we follow the adventures of a Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin in the New Republic. For Din, it was all business as usual with various bounties, until one job involving The Child. After turning in The Child to the client, Din worries about what they'll be doing with The Child, who also has Force abilities, so he ends up rescuing The Child himself. But now he's the target of everyone who wants to get The Child for themselves.

The themes of the show strongly revolve around parenting and fatherhood, as well as good versus evil and nature versus nurture. It's a must for any Star Wars fan, and even if you're not, this is actually a good way to get introduced to the Star Wars universe.

The Imagineering Story

Have you ever wondered about the history of Walt Disney and creating the original Disneyland theme park? How about Walt Disney World, and all of the overseas parks? That's just what you get with The Imagineering Story, a documentary mini-series.

In The Imagineering Story, you get a behind-the-scenes look at Walt Disney Imagineering, including the history and creation of all Disney theme parks and their individual attractions. Even if you don't frequently go to Disney theme parks, it's actually quite amazing seeing how all of the famous classic attractions, such as The Haunted Mansion and The Pirates of the Caribbean, became what they are now. And as you continue to watch, you'll learn about the history of the other parks, and you can see more recent projects like Pandora - The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge come together.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

This is the trailer for the seventh and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. If you are not completely caught up yet and don't want spoilers, don't click play on this trailer.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is one of the most popular Star Wars animated series, and for good reason. The Clone Wars takes place during the three years between Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

In The Clone Wars, you'll follow along on the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Skywalker's padawan, Ahsoka Tano as they defend the Republic from the Separatist Order led by Count Dooku and General Grievous. You'll also find many familiar faces throughout the series — but we're not giving out any spoilers! Ahsoka Tano is a fan favorite among many Star Wars fans because she's a strong female lead with a more realistic sense of justice than other Jedi.

Originally, The Clone Wars only had six seasons, but there were still some questions that remained by the end of the series, and even after The Revenge of the Sith. But Disney now has the seventh and final season of The Clone Wars available on Disney+, which should tie up any loose ends.

Star Wars: Rebels

Once you finish The Clone Wars, then you should move on to Star Wars Rebels. The timeline for Star Wars Rebels is that it takes place five years before Episode IV: A New Hope. During this era, the Galactic Empire is hunting down the last of the Jedi, all while the rebellion against the Empire is forming. The series contains mostly new faces, though Ahsoka Tano does make a return.

The World According to Jeff Goldblum

Everyone loves Jeff Goldblum, right? There's just something about hearing him talk that can be rather calming, soothing even. Anyways, Goldblum has his very own documentary on Disney+ called The World According to Jeff Goldblum.

The premise of the show is pretty simple. It's Jeff Goldblum and the world, according to him. He explores various topics of everyday items that we don't think about, like sneakers and ice cream, and goes into more detail on the world surrounding the topic. Goldblum talks with influencers and experts in the subject matter to gain knowledge on it and share it with viewers.

Be Our Chef

Who doesn't love a good cooking show? Be Our Chef is one of the new additions to the Disney+ catalog, and it's quite tasty. In each episode, five families are brought together for a family cook-off based on dishes that are a part of popular Disney characters. The episodes start off pretty tame, but when each family is trying to win at the end, things get a little more heated.

While it's no surprise that Apple TV+ has a limited content selection — it was a brand new service with no back catalog when it launched — that doesn't mean that it doesn't have good content. Whether you like Dramas, comedies, or have kids, here are some shows I think everyone should check out on Apple TV+.

The Morning Show

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carrell, and Billy Crudup, The Morning Show follows all the people involved in a morning news show as they deal with the fallout from their star anchor being accused of sexual misconduct in the workplace.

I recognize that early reviews for the show weren't good, even the one I wrote was pretty middling, but this show really get a lot better and the Season One finale was breathtaking.

It's a show that isn't afraid of getting uncomfortable and exploring its difficult subject matter and the characters feel very real and grounded, which really amps up the drama.

Servant

With M. Night Shyamalan on board, you know this series is going to have some twists and turns, but what you may not expect is a compelling story with some great acting.

The story follows a family who hires a nanny to look after their infant son; however, the son is just a doll used as part of a fake fantasy to help Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) cope with the death of her child. Things get really weird when the new nanny seems to believe the baby is real as well.

I loved the atmosphere that the show creates, it keeps the tension really well throughout all the episodes — highly recommend.

See

The basic premise is quickly summed up with some text at the beginning of the first episode, which states that sometime in the 21st century, there was a deadly virus that wiped out most people on earth, leaving only a mere two million people left. Unfortunately, those who survived were blinded, and now centuries later, the sense of sight is considered a myth. It's heresy to even speak about sight, and if you are even suspected to have the gift of sight, you are supposed to burn.

It's a super cool high-fantasy drama series that has a Game of Thrones-ish vibe to it. Jason Momoa's performance is very strong, and the narrative takes some wild turns that make every episode a treat.

For All Mankind

In the world of For All Mankind, cosmonauts of the Soviet Union beat the Americans to the moon by about a month. This causes turmoil within NASA and a darkening of the national mood. Hearings are called, angry calls from President Nixon fielded, and the entire lunar program is put in jeopardy.

When the U.S. makes its scheduled landing on the moon, the program and space in general truly open up as fronts in the ongoing Cold War. The series focuses on a number of characters as they deal with the new pressures brought on by a constant game of oneupmanship with the Russians.

For All Mankind continues to explore an altered history, that's compelling and really explores the time period in a new and exciting way. I can't' wait for the second season to come out. I look forward to seeing how this alternative version of our history plays out in unexpected ways. The team behind the show has created a new world that feels at the same time both familiar and fascinatingly new, and I can't wait to see how the rest of this ride unfolds.

Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet

Mythic Quest is the biggest MMORPG in the world that is currently in the process of having its first major expansion, Raven's Banquet. The show focuses on the dev team behind the game and the funny and quirky problems they get into in their personal and professional lives.

The humor is funny and relatable to anyone, but anyone that loves video games will likely have a few special moments of laughs, as the show does a great job of making jokes about its subject matter.

There's no lack of TV shows out there in the world, but if you've been spending more time at home lately, you may find yourself running out of your favorites and need something new to watch ASAP. If you haven't checked out HBO NOW, you're missing out on some great TV shows— here are the TV shows you need to check out on HBO NOW.

Westworld

Praised for its extraordinary acting and complex storyline, this sci-fi-western mash-up starring Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Luke Hemsworth, and Jeffery Wright, is currently in the middle of its third season.

Westworld is set around 2058, where a company known as Delos Inc. operates themed parks filled with human-like androids that exist to fulfill the guests' every desire. Violence, sex, drugs, anything you want Westworld (the Old West themed park) can provide. The company reset the human-like android every day and wipe their memory every day so the company can continue to rent out its park to high-paying guests. The series has enough intrigue and plot twists to keep any drama fan hooked!

The New Pope

The New Pope is the continuation of HBO's 2016 series The Young Pope and stars Jude Law and John Malkovich and focuses on a political intrigue in the papal conclave.

Jude Law's character, Pope Pius XIII, is comatose and now the church needs to elect a new Pope to retain order in the church. Of course, The New Pope they do elect seems hellbent on rushing through radical changes to the church, causing unrest.

Backstabbing, deception, and murder are all on the table as the church struggles to find it's new leader that appeases everyone's desire for power.

Barry

Barry is a hilarious, weird dark comedy that is lead by comedian and actor Bill Hader.

Hader stars as Barry Berkman, a hitman for hire who travels to Los Angeles to kill someone, but once he gets there, he enrolls in an acting class led by Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). There he meets the hopeful actress, Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg), and starts to believe there may be more to life than killing people for money.

The show is surprisingly funny and dark as Barry tries to balance his criminal life with his new acting "career." Bill Hader is amazing in this show and really carry both the comedy and drama very well.

Run

Run is the newest HBO show on the list — in fact, there's only one episode available as I write this. It's a black comedy thriller starring Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson, and because it's so new, not much is known about it.

HBO's description of the show is as follows:

If the trailer is any indication, the show is going to be full of twists and turns, and just maybe, we will find out exactly what both characters are running from.

The Outsider

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, this mini-series consists of 10 episodes and tells a riveting tale.

When the mutilated body of a young boy turns up in a town in Georgia, Detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn), identifies Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) as the killer. With multiple witnesses and security camera footage, Terry is arrested, and the case is seeming like an open and shut case. Terry insists on his innocence and later proves he was speaking at an out-of-town conference the time of the murder. The search for the murderer becomes tense, and you never really know who to believe.

The Outsider is a fantastic novel by Stephen King, and whether you've read the book or not, the series is a great adaptation.

Game of Thrones

Did you miss the Game of Thrones train? If you did, there's never been a better time to start watching than right now. You can view all eight seasons of the award-winning fantasy series on HBO NOW.

Game of Thrones is an epic tale about the fictional lands of Westeros and Essos and the royal families that inhabit them. The show has every bit of intrigue you could want, from kingdoms at war to long-lost children claiming heir to the throne to scary and mythical creatures coming to ravage the lands — this series goes everywhere.

Here's the situation: you're stuck at home, and it's been weeks since your last haircut. You're starting to look a little raggedy, so you decide its time to take the drastic step of cutting your own hair.

But just how do you do it? How do you cut your own hair so it doesn't look like you got into a fight with a pair of hedge clippers?

Truth be told, I don't know. But there are plenty of tutorials online willing to help you master the home haircut if that's something you need to do.

Alex Kouras

This tutorial from Alex Kouras teaches you the essentials of keeping your hair trimmed in a medium-close style.

Tips for Clips

Tips for Clips has this quick tutorial, and I really appreciate that the video just jumps right into the steps, not really spending any time on an introduction.

Fashionistas

Fashionistas is filled with nothing but expert-level haircuts and styles, many of which you can give yourself at home. If you just need a bang trim, you have to check out their fringe bang DIY.

Brad Mondo

For people with longer hair, Brad Mondo's tutorial showcases how you can maintain its look at home, though he does recommend going to see a stylist once you're able to do so.

Sharee Anonuevo

This video from Sharee Anonuevo is less about styling, and more about maintenance for people with longer hair, and is a fairly quick walkthrough.

Shop Style Conquer

Tara of Shop Style Conquer takes you through how she cuts her own hair. Great if you're looking for a style somewhere around chin-length.

The Ultimate Hair Course

Udemy is home to thousands of excellent online courses covering a broad selection of topics, including how to cut and care for your own hair at home. While primarily aimed at those with longer hair, the techniques in the course can be applied by anyone looking to cut and style their own hair.

Currently available on Udemy at 46% off.

• See at Udemy

Your tips

Do you have any tips and tricks for cutting your hair at home? Do you have a favorite tutorial that's really helped you? Let us know in the comments.

Skype is a popular telecommunications app from MIcrosoft that offers video chat and voice calls across multiple devices, including Mac, iOS, and iPadOS, among many others. Skype for Business is a similar product, but one for the enterprise, and you may be using it more because you're working from home these days. But no matter the reason, the time may come when you need to delete the Skype for Business app from your devices.

Here's how to do a regular and clean Skype for Business uninstall on macOS.

Uninstalling Skype for Business on Mac

To remove Skype for Business on Mac:

1. Click Skype for Business from the Skype for Business toolbar.
2. Choose Sign Out.

3. Close the Skype for Business on Mac sign in page.
4. Right-click on the Skype for Business icon on the Mac dock.
5. Choose Quit to quit the app.

6. Open Finder on your Mac.
7. Click Go from the toolbar.
8. Choose Applications.
9. Drag the Skype for Business app into the Trash.

Your IT manager might recommend extra steps for removing Skype for Business. These steps should only be followed if you're well versed in Terminal, or a member of your support team has given you the go-ahead. If you're home-based and are using a personal Mac, I suggest not following these additional steps.

To do a clean uninstall of Skype for Business on your Mac:

1. Open Finder on your Mac.
2. Click Go from the toolbar.
3. Choose Utilities.
4. Select Terminal.

5. Run the following commands in a Terminal:

Note: Use the most current commands as listed on the Microsoft support website.

Next:

1. Open Finder on your Mac.
2. Click Go from the toolbar.
3. Choose Utilities.
4. Select Keychain Access.
5. In your logon keychains, delete Skype for Business.

You've deleted the Skype for Business app on your Mac.

Questions?

Do you have any questions or concerns about deleting or using Skype on your Mac or other devices? Let us know below.

With nearly 90% of the Americans publicly forced to stay at home, it shouldn't come as a surprise that video-conferencing app Zoom has seen a surge in popularity. However, the company has been rightly criticized over privacy and security concerns. Despite this, there are vital benefits to using the software, especially during the pandemic. Better still, the company has recognized its growing popularity and has been quickly addressing many of the concerns.

What is Zoom?

Founded by a former Cisco Systems engineer, Eric Yuan, Zoom Video Communications provides remote conferencing services to both companies and individuals alike. Since launching in 2011, Zoom has steadily seen its footprint grow. So much so that it went public in 2019.

Zoom has long been noted for its ease of use and reliability versus competitor services like GoToWebinar, Cisco Webex, Adobe Connect, and others. That, along with its zero cost for video chats of up to 100 participants, has almost certainly led to its popularity. In mid-March, even before the pandemic spread nearly everywhere, Zoom use had grown over 67 percent since the beginning of the year, according to Apptopia, a mobile intelligence company.

Who's Using Zoom

Besides companies, which have been forced to go online due to the pandemic, Zoom has also seen rapid use rise in education. This comes as Zoom has temporarily removed the 40-minute time limit on free Basic accounts for primary and secondary school. Coast to coast, schools, including universities, have been forced to cancel classes or move them online.

Individuals, including Gen Z and Millennials, have also turned to the service, as have retirees who have become sidelined because of the worldwide stay at home push. Events like Zoom Blind Dates, Zoom Recess, and Zoom Parties have seen a spike in popularity.

About those privacy and security issues

Zoom has become a digital piñata in recent weeks as a string of privacy, and third-parties have discovered security holes. Among the iMore headlines you might have seen in recent weeks:

• Zoom for iOS sends your data to Facebook even if you don't have Facebook...
• Hacker finds another Zoom bug that can be used to take over your Mac
• Despite claims, Zoom calls are not end-to-end encrypted

Many of these issues have quickly been rectified as Zoom temporarily pivots away from product growth and concentrates on releasing bug fixes and other essential software updates. On April 1, Yuan said the company would enact a "feature freeze" for 90 days to focus on "trust, safety, and privacy issues."

Among the positive changes being made is the permanent removal of an attendee attention tracker feature that could alert company hosts whenever a participant was nodding off or not paying attention to what was going on in a video chat. The company has also taken steps to eliminate "Zoombombing," which has occurred for some users. During these moments, uninvited trollers have visited Zoom chats and performed vile acts.

Was the criticism overblown?

iMore and the rest of the Future team (and others) have been critical about Zoom during the past few weeks as new privacy and security concerns have been discovered and rightfully so. Despite that, some of this might have been largely overblown. For one, understand there's no foolproof video chatting solution. And just because Zoom's failures have been the ones in the news lately doesn't mean security problems don't exist elsewhere. It's also entirely possible, though not yet proven, that Zoom's issues have been unfairly inflated because of its newfound popularity.

Additionally, Zoom deserves praise for jumping on and addressing these issues so quickly. Besides the quick work mentioned above, the company has also introduced a weekly "Ask Eric Anything" webinar, which allows users of any size to interact with the Zoom founder and CEO about security concerns.

Finally, it appears Zoom is just getting started with achieving its recently discovered commitment to creating the best and safest Zoom meeting experiences for its users. One future update, for example, will shift the location of a video chat encryption key from the company to the end-user. Apple and other tech companies are successfully using the same type of system.

What you can do

Software is never 100 percent secure. However, there are things you can do proactively to guarantee a more secure Zoom experience better. The most obvious solution is to install software updates when they become available. In the past four weeks alone, for example, Zoom has released five iOS app updates. The company has also recently added security to its macOS install.

Beyond this, users should be careful with how they are sharing meeting passwords and IDs. This sharing should be performed securely, for example through something like Apple Messages. Taking advantage of new security options, such as the recently introduced Waiting Room feature is also helpful. The feature allows the host to screen everyone before allowing them to enter a meeting.

For business and education users, there's also another tool you should use. Ask your organization's IT department whenever you have a concern and let them handle it.

Try an alternative but stick with Zoom if you want

We're living through a challenging time that no one anticipated. Social distancing is one of the most important ways we're being asked to assist in the effort to beat the coronavirus. Despite this, humans require interaction, especially in times like these. If you've been using Zoom to communicate with others, follow the suggestions we mentioned, and continue using the tool. It's simple to use, free for most people, and available across multiple platforms.

If you're still concerned, consider an alternative to Zoom. But, and I'll repeat it, no software is 100 percent secure.

Questions or concerns?

Let us know below any questions or concerns you may have about Zoom. We'll try to get back to you soon.

Any social media app worth its salt will let you create a profile and customize it how you want. However, they are lots of social media apps that won't let you change your username or other information once you've created an account. When you create a Houseparty account, the app will prompt you to put in an email, your real name, and username, but unlike other apps, you aren't stuck with these forever.

Whether you get a new email, want to change your username to harrypotterfan57, or just feel like changing anything else in your profile on Houseparty, you can do it all pretty quickly through the settings.

• How to change your profile picture on Houseparty on iPhone and iPad
• How to change your email on Houseparty on iPhone and iPad
• How to change your name on Houseparty on iPhone and iPad
• How to change your username on Houseparty on iPhone and iPad

How to change your profile picture on Houseparty on iPhone and iPad

1. Launch Houseparty from your Home screen.
2. Tap Account. It's the smiley face in the top left corner.
3. Tap Settings.

4. Tap Edit Profile.
5. Tap your profile picture.
6. Tap Choose from Library.

7. Tap the photo you want.
8. Adjust the photo how you want.
9. Tap Choose.

How to change your email on Houseparty on iPhone and iPad

1. Launch Houseparty from your Home screen.
2. Tap Account. It's the smiley face in the top left corner.
3. Tap Settings.

4. Tap Edit Profile.
5. Tap your email.
6. Enter your new email.

How to change your name on Houseparty on iPhone and iPad

1. Launch Houseparty from your Home screen.
2. Tap Account. It's the smiley face in the top left corner.
3. Tap Settings.

4. Tap Edit Profile.
5. Tap your name.
6. Enter your new name.

How to change your username on Houseparty on iPhone and iPad

1. Launch Houseparty from your Home screen.
2. Tap Account. It's the smiley face in the top left corner.
3. Tap Settings.

4. Tap Edit Profile.
5. Tap your username.
6. Enter your new username.

Any Questions?

Let us know in the comments down below.

It's no secret that many of us are working from home right now. Whether you've worked from home your entire career, the last few years, or just a few days, we can all share in some of the unique joys, quirks and struggles that come from living in your office and working in your home. Here's our round-up of 25 of the best working from home memes.

1. Mum is in a meeting

"The answer to your question might be here." A unique solution to caring for children whilst working.

2. This is a classic.

Do you guys remember Dr. Robert Kelly? He's the godfather of Zoom bombing...

3. What about flight attendants?

This hilarious sketch reveals what it would be like if Flight Attendants worked from home...

4. Not interrupting your other half

Last week, I yelled "Hello" at my wife, unaware she was on a very important call with a partner at a global accounting firm. Happens to the best of us.

https://twitter.com/wordamentalist/status/1246352206783229952

5. "Hi, sorry, there's a dog in the shot..."

6. Zoomception?

This guy made a Zoom background of himself accidentally walking in on himself...

7. Don't forget about school...

That excuse won't fly anymore.

8. Zoom should probably get its own article...

9. Spare a thought

https://twitter.com/AmyiCzyk/status/1245121002285268994

10. More interruptions

https://twitter.com/DanRafferty/status/1246133308683149314

11. When you miss the daily commute...

12. And talking to your cowokers...

13. Maybe Myles needs a Tetanus shot?

14.Every. Single. Time.

15. Cats

16. Buy a stand you animal

17. Weird flex but okay

18. Desperate times

19. More Zoom...

20. Struggling for motivation?

21. That counts as ironing, right?

22. There's a lot going on in this photo...

23. Plan your journey!

24. Old habits die hard...

25. Office romance

Share your best memes and working from home stories down in the comments or over on Twitter!

Zoom has become one of the most popular ways to connect remotely with family, friends, and business associates. There are some surprises baked into the Zoom app that will make your experience more fun and unique. These include changing the background appearance, reactive skin tone, and more. Check out the features below.

First introduced in 2011, Zoom offers a unified communications platform that provides video meetings, voice, webinars, and chat across multiple platforms, including desktops, phones, mobile devices, and conference room systems. While it's primarily for enterprise use, Zoom offers traditional PBX features that enable employees to talk and interact remotely. In other words, work from home!

• How to use Zoom

Shh. Secret settings in Zoom

There are a lot of customization tools available in the Zoom Cloud Meetings app for iPhone and iPad. Some of these are much less secret than others, including the first one on our list!

Whether you're a professional chatting with your boss or a grandmother checking in with her grandchildren, it's sometimes essential during a call to mute the sound or video.

To mute the sound:

1. During an active session in Zoom, tap on the Mute icon at the bottom left of the screen to mute.
2. Tap Unmute to unmute the sound.

To turn off the video:

1. During an active session in Zoom, tap on the Stop Video icon at the bottom left of the screen to mute.
2. Tap Start Video to continue showing yourself to the others in the Zoom session.

To change the default sound and video settings:

You can adjust your settings to Always Mute My Microphone and Always Turn Off My Video. When activated, you'll always begin a session with these options turned off.

1. Tap the Settings icon at the Zoom app's bottom right.
2. Choose Meetings.

3. Toggle ON Always Mute My Microphone, if applicable.
4. Toogle ON Always Turn Off My Video, if applicable.

Would you rather be chatting using Zoom from a beach? How about sitting in front of the Golden Gate Bridge on a beautiful night? You can, at least virtually, by changing the Zoom background during your chat.

To change the background:

1. During an active session in Zoom, tap on the More icon at the bottom left of the screen.
2. Tap Virtual Background.
3. Choose the + box to select an image to use as your background.
4. Select the image from your Photos app.
5. Tap Done.
6. Select Close.

Zoom also includes a setting called Touch Up My Appearance that ever-so-slightly retouches your video display with a soft focus. In doing so, the skin tone on your face becomes smoother for a more polished looking appearance.

To adjust your appearance:

1. Tap the Settings icon at the Zoom app's bottom right.
2. Choose Meetings.
3. Scroll down, tap Touch Up My Appearance.
4. Toggle ON the setting. As you can see, Zoom shows you how your image changes in real-time.

Keep in mind the Touch Up My Appearance feature isn't Facetune or anything close to it. However, it's a helpful tool, nonetheless.

Zoom offers two reaction icons that you can use during a call: a hands clap and finger up. You can adjust the skin color on these reactions to better match your own.

To use a reaction:

1. During an active session in Zoom, tap on the More icon at the bottom left of the screen.
2. Select a reaction.

To change the reaction skin tone:

1. Tap the Settings icon at the Zoom app's bottom right.
2. Choose Meetings.

3. Scroll down, tap Reactive Skin Tone.
4. Change the reactive skin tone.

Questions?

Do you have any questions about using Zoom? Let us know in the comments below.

Given the circumstances, there's a good chance you're working from home right now. If you are, then it may take some adjusting to get used to this new life. And you're going to want to look into the right tools to use, like video conferencing software, whether it's for meetings with coworkers or just chatting with your friends and family.

Two of the most popular choices out there right now are Google Hangouts Meet and Zoom. But which one is better? Let's take a look.

Let's get the basics out of the way

Both Google Hangouts Meet and Zoom provide users with the ability to interact with others through video conference calls. This means that your work is still able to conduct meetings and presentations, or you and your friends and family can see each other while catching up on what you've been doing in quarantine. But there are some differences between the two in terms of pricing, features, and more.

Disclaimer: Right now, for a limited time, both Google Meet and Zoom are removing restrictions on certain tiers, such as the 40-minute limitation on Zoom's free level and Google's 100-participant limit. Google Meet also works with any regular, non-G Suite account, but that account can only join existing Meets, not create new ones. However, the free Google Hangouts is an alternative to Google Meet and supports video chats with up to 25 people.

These are just basic specs of each service at a glance. Both Google Hangouts Meet and Zoom have their own strengths and weaknesses, depending on what you want to use video conferencing for.

Google Hangouts Meet

• Part of Google G Suite
• Tight integration with other Google services
• Basic video conferencing features
• Secure encryption
• Doesn't require a software download

• G Suite has no free tier
• Enterprise tier maxes out at 250 participants
• Features are limited

Personally, I have been using Google Hangouts Meet every week for the past two years since that is what we use here at iMore. Since we use G Suite for all of our work accounts, it's just better integrated for our needs, and it doesn't require additional software besides a web browser if you're on desktop.

If you or your team is already invested in G Suite, then Meet is probably the better choice to go with since you already have access to it. With Meet, you're getting more integration with other Google services, like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Hangouts Chat, and more. For example, meetings can be booked in advance through Google Calendar, and invites go out via Gmail.

While G Suite normally doesn't have a free option and usually starts at $6 per user per month for the Basic plan for up to 100 participants per Meet call, there is a special promotion happening right now. This promo is giving free access to advanced Hangouts Meet capabilities (up to 250 participants per call, live streaming for up to 100,000 viewers, and meeting recording saved to Google Drive) to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers. This special deal will last until July 1, 2020.

Google Hangouts Meet is best suited for teams that are already using G Suite, since the Basic plan starts at $6 per user, and it goes up from there. However, participants do not necessarily need a G Suite email address to participate in a Google Meet — all they need is a Gmail address. As long as you have a Gmail address, then you can join a Google Meet, you just can't host one. If you want a free alternative to Google Meet, there is Google Hangouts, which supports video calls up to 25 people.

Google Meet isn't necessarily something that you should be using for just chatting with friends, since the host needs to be on G Suite, and well, that costs money. All Meet calls can be done 1-on-1 or as a group, as long as others have the link or information to join a call via phone.

The features of Meet calls are pretty basic, as you can interact with everyone through video and audio, but there is screen sharing if someone needs to present something to everyone in the chat. Meet does allow you to record a meeting if needed, and you can chat with Hangouts Chat if need be. Other integrations for Meet include Skype and Pexip Infinity.

• How to use Google Hangouts Meet for group calls

Zoom

• Has a free level with a lot of features
• Paid plans for business are affordable
• More comprehensive video conferencing features
• Secure encryption
• Integrates with other services
• Supports up to 1000 participants

• Requires software download on desktop
• Free tier limits calls to 40 minutes
• Not as tightly integrated with Google services

Zoom is a bit more flexible when it comes to pricing and features. Unlike Google Meet, there is a free tier, so you can sign up for Zoom and use it without ever having to pay a dime. The free tier allows the host to have up to 100 participants with unlimited 1-to-1 meetings. However, while you can have unlimited meetings, each session can only be 40 minutes, as there is a time limit imposed on the free tier. Still, it's not bad, considering that you can use it for free.

Disclaimer: Zoom is temporarily lifting the 40-minute restriction on free accounts because of recent events. This is only temporary due to the surge in use from consumers.

The free tier for Zoom also includes access to the service's feature-rich video conferencing tools, including screen sharing, polls, whiteboard and collaboration, recording of the meeting, encryption, and much more. It's a much more comprehensive video conferencing experience, and you can access them completely for free, which is nice.

If you need Zoom for work or more people, then the Pro starts at $14.99 a month just for the host. The Pro plan still has the 100 participant limit, but meeting duration limits are 24 hours, instead of 40 minutes. Business is $19.99 a month for the host, and you can go up to 300 participants, and Enterprise is $19.99 a month per host with a minimum of 50 hosts, and you can have up 500 participants (or 1,000 with Enterprise Plus) with unlimited cloud storage.

Again, Zoom is an all-around solid option for both those who just want to do some personal video calls with friends and family, as well as businesses with teams of various sizes. It also has a more robust feature set compared to Google Meet, so if you need more bells-and-whistles for your video conferencing, then Zoom is the better option.

• How to use Zoom Cloud Meetings

Either way, you'll need the right gear for video conferencing

So there you have it. Google Meet is great for those who are already using G Suite with their businesses and teams, and it's definitely more geared for work. But Zoom offers more versatility with its service, even allowing a free tier for those who just want a video conferencing solution to catch up with friends and family. And if you require more from Zoom for your business, there are several tiers available, and all of them are pretty affordable for teams.

But don't forget that you need some proper gear for great video conference calls. Here are a few of our favorites:

Working from home has become the norm for millions of hard-working employees around the world. For those new to the work from home concept, you might be wondering which is the best mobile solution, iOS, or Android. Over at our sister site Android Central, Joe Maring has come to a conclusion long embraced by Apple users. It's iOS and iPadOS over Android, of course.

There are lots of reasons Apple's mobile devices best their Android counterparts in this regard. Though often criticized by non-Apple users, it's the company's "walled-garden of an ecosystem" approach that positively differentiates the two, according to Maring.

His favorite Apple tools are the Universal Clipboard and Handoff. The former makes it possible to copy something on your mobile device and paste it on your Mac, and vice versa, while the latter lets you start a task on one machine and finish it on another.

Maring also focuses on select third-party apps that are available on both iOS and Android. The apps mentioned, Airtable and Concur, "are more nicely laid out on my iPhone than they are on the Pixel 4."

He continues, "You'll find this to be the case for a good handful of applications, and as someone that uses their phone as a tool for getting stuff done, having access to the best and most polished apps possible is a big deal."

Looking forward, Maring believes Google's decision to more closely align Android and Chrome will make a positive difference and improve integration between the two operating systems, at least in the long-term. Until then, he's sticking with his iPhone (over his Pixel 4 XL) for work use.

Lots to see

As someone who has owned nearly every iPhone ever released and is also a long-time Mac user, I naturally have a built-in bias for all things Apple. However, I can appreciate Maring's comments also as someone who also owns a Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, and have had other Android-based devices in the past.

Since the beginning, Apple has always produced hardware and software. Only recently has Google slowly done the same. However, its hardware footprint is limited to a few Android-based Pixel handsets and its successful Chromebook lineup. At the same time, the top-selling Android device manufacturer remains Samsung, not Google.

For anyone working from home who needs more integration than an Android-based mobile device can provide, the water at Apple is nice and warm. Don't just take my word for it, one of my favorite Android experts says so too!

With so many people starting to work from home, many are facing major changes to their usual routines. Others are taking the time to explore other ways to complete their weekly tasks that don't involve leaving the house, including shopping for groceries.

Target, for instance, allows shoppers to order their groceries online. You can choose to pick them up, either in-store or curbside, or to have them delivered directly to your home. You can place your orders directly into Target's mobile app, which is probably the best way for most people to go about the processes.

How to add a delivery address to your Target account

If you want to receive your groceries from Target via same-day delivery, you're going to need to associate your address with your Target account.

1. Open Target on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap your name to open the account tab.
3. Tap Addresses.

4. Tap Add shipping address.
5. Enter your address in the fields.
6. Tap Save.

How to order groceries from Target for pickup

1. Open Target on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap Discover if the app doesn't open there already.
3. Search for any items that you want to order for delivery or pickup.

4. Tap an item that you want to add to your cart.
5. Tap Pick it up.
6. Tap either Order Pickup if you want to pick up your item inside the store or Drive Up if you want your items brought out to you.

7. Tap Add to cart. Continue the same process for all of the items you want to pick up.
8. Tap the Cart tab.
9. Tap Check out or Apple Pay.

10. Choose your payment method if you're checking out without Apple Pay.
11. Tap Place my order.

Your order should be ready for pickup within a few hours. Target will notify you when your order is ready to be picked up.

How to order groceries from Target for delivery

1. Open Target on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap Discover if the app doesn't open there already.
3. Search for any items that you want to order for delivery or pickup.

4. Tap an item that you want to add to your cart.
5. Tap Deliver it under the Same Day Delivery section.
6. Tap Add to Cart when it pops up. You only need to do this step with the first item to go in your cart.

7. Tap Check out when you've added all of your chosen items to your cart.
8. Tap on a delivery window.
9. Tap Continue.

10. Tap Add on the line for choosing a substitution preference
11. Tap Text me, Get similar item, or Don't substitute to choose how Target should handle it if an item you ordered isn't available at your store.

12. Tap Save.
13. Tap Place my order to finish the checkout process.

Ordering your groceries

Are you ordering your groceries online? Let us know what you think of the process in the comments.

Many are turning to home delivery for their grocery needs. One of the most prominent options is to shop through the Walmart Grocery app or online. Both solutions offer pickup and home delivery, depending on your location. Here's how to order your favorites from your home.

With Walmart's offering, you can place an order online and reserve a no-contact pickup or delivery time. The service is available through the Walmart Grocery app and the web. The company doesn't charge mark-ups or hidden fees, with the prices the same as they are in-store.

Using the app

To shop using the Walmart Grocery app, follow these instructions:

1. Sign in to the Walmart Grocery app or Get started to create an account.
2. Add your email and password.
3. Tap Sign In.
   1. At the top of the app, select Pickup from from and choose a local store for pickup.
   2. Tap Select Times to reserve a date and time for pickup.
   3. If available, you can also select a delivery date and time.
   4. Use Search to find items to pickup or have delivered.
   1. On each item, tap Add+ to add to your list.
   2. Use the - and + to change the quantity.
   3. Tap the total at the top right to go to check out.

4. Select Check Out.
5. Choose or add payment method.
6. Add card security code, if necessary, tap OK.
7. Follow additional requirements, if necessary.

Using the website

You can also place an order from the Walmart Grocery website following similar directions.

That's it! Your Walmart order will be delivered or ready for pickup. Happy shopping.

When you're working from home and the kids are home from school; you may find yourself with a lot less time to get shopping done — especially when you're not leaving the house as often. Luckily for us, we live in a world where getting your groceries delivered or ready for pickup is possible. Whether you want to pick up your groceries or get them delivered, here are some stores that should be able to help you out.

Not every store listed works in all regions. Be sure to use your Zip Code to check if a store will deliver to your area.

Walmart Grocery

Walmart's delivery and pickup services are a little newer than other stores, but due to Walmart's large selection of items and vast presence across the country, it makes it a good option for lots of people.

They do have a $30 minimum — for both delivery and pickup options — but you can get everything from fresh produce to items from the pharmacy.

Try Walmart Grocery

Amazon/Whole Foods

If you love shopping at Whole Foods, you can order delivery from the store through its parent company, Amazon.

Due to increased traffic lately, Amazon is warning that certain areas may not have delivery right now, or that stock might be low on certain items. The good news is there everything you expect from Whole Foods on there, from organic fruits and vegetables to your prepared food favorites.

Try Amazon/Whole Foods

Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's doesn't have its own delivery service, but in some areas, they are available on Postmates and DoorDash. If you're craving some of those gourmet eats that Trader Joe's is famous for, its the only way you'll be able to stay at home and get them.

• Download Postmates
• Download DoorDash

Costco

The giant wholesale store Costco has delivery and pick up options set up through Instacart — which is a 3rd party service that does grocery deliveries. Normally to shop at Costco, you need a membership, but this service circumvents that obstacle, so you can get all the bulk food you want from the comfort of your home.

Try Costco on Instacart

Target

Also delivering through Instacart, Target has a wide range of products and produce to choose from. Depending on availability, demand, and location, you can even get your groceries within an hour.

Try Target on Instacart

Kroger

Shopping at Kroger online is done through Instacart. With fresh produce, bakery items, deli options, and your pre-packaged favorites avaiable to select, you should be able to find everything you want at Target.

Try Kroger on Instacart

Publix

Although Publix only has stroes in a few states, they do have an excellent selection of groceries to choose from. Plus, since the use Instacart to manage their pickup and delivery services, it's fast and reliable.

Try Publix on Instacart

What stores around you offer delivery?

Let us know in the comments down below!

Many of us are staying home a lot more these days, with little desire to leave to go get essential items, such as groceries. Fortunately, there are still some grocery delivery services available that you can choose from, including Amazon's own Prime Pantry.

If you're having some trouble finding the basics at your local grocery stores these days, make sure to check out Amazon Prime Pantry, which is available to all Amazon Prime members. You also get free shipping on orders over $35 (otherwise it's a $5.99 shipping fee, and this also applies for all Non-Prime shoppers).

How to get groceries delivered with Amazon Prime Pantry

1. Go to the Amazon Prime Pantry page at https://www.amazon.com/gp/pantry/info/, or search for Prime Pantry in your Amazon app.
2. Make sure you are logged in to your Amazon account with Prime membership.
3. Choose the Category of groceries that you want to view. Pantry has Deals, Grocery, Snacks, Beverages, Breakfast, and Cleaning & Household.
   • Some categories will have sub-categories to help you navigate a larger range of items, like Grocery.

4. Find the items that you want to purchase.

5. Click the drop down menu underneath an item to change quantity.

6. Click Add to Cart.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 until you have everything that you need.
8. Click Proceed to checkout.
   • Remember, if you are a Prime member, you can get free shipping on Pantry orders of $35 or more. Otherwise, you need to pay $5.99 shipping.
   • Any non-Prime member can also shop Prime Pantry, but must pay $5.99 shipping fee regardless.

9. Review your shipping and payment information.
10. Click Place your order.

Please note that due to Amazon changes, deliveries for certain items, including those in Prime Pantry, may be experiencing delays.

Stay home, stay safe

Many of us are dreading going to the store right now because of the stress of finding what we need since many store shelves are completely empty. Thankfully, there are alternatives, like Amazon Prime Pantry. It may not have a everything that you need, but there is still a decent selection of items to choose from.

Remember folks, stay home as much as possible, and stay safe and healthy.

When the time comes when you no longer need the Zoom video conference service because you're not working from home anymore, it's easy to delete the app on Mac and iOS. The service, which lets you connect to other users remotely, has become a popular tool during this moment of crisis.

Because it's available across multiple platforms and free for small groups, Zoom has become a popular choice during the pandemic. It allows you to remotely connect with family, friends, and business associates from anywhere. When the crisis ends (which is hopefully soon), the time might come to delete Zoom.

Delete Zoom on iOS and iPadOS

You can delete Zoom on your iPhone or iPad just as you would any other third-party app.

1. Find the Zoom app on your Home screen.
2. Press and hold on the Zoom app icon for one second.
3. Tap Delete App when the menu options appear.
4. Confirm deletion.

Delete Zoom on Mac

To delete the Zoom app on your macOS device:

How to delete non-App Store apps in the Finder

For those apps that you've downloaded from the web, here's how you get rid of them using Finder.

1. Click on the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window.
2. Click Applications in the sidebar.

3. Scroll through the list until you find the Zoom app you want to remove. You can also search for it.
4. Right click on the Zoom app.
5. Click Move to Trash.

6. Click on the Trash icon in your Dock.
7. Click Empty.

That's it! You've deleted the Zoom app.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about Zoom or other remote connection apps, let us know in the comments below. In the meantime, stay safe.