Whether it’s inconsiderate neighbors or roommates or just bedroom windows facing a busy street, all it takes is a few sleepless nights to have you Googling the word soundproofing. It’s notoriously difficult (and expensive) to truly soundproof a room that wasn’t designed and constructed with that goal in mind, though. If you’re in a rental and can’t actually renovate (or you just don’t want to spend the money and time to tear out walls), the situation might seem hopeless—but there are actually a lot of products you can buy that can greatly reduce the amount of noise pollution in your bedroom or ..read more

I’m one of those people who can’t get comfortable at night until I’ve rotated through every possible sleeping position, ideally twice. But when I was pregnant, I kept hearing the message that we’re all supposed to sleep on our left side, specifically. On the other hand, there’s research suggesting the right side may be better for people with certain health conditions. Let’s consider all the factors and see whether there’s an optimal side for you.  Is it good or bad to sleep on your side?  If you have a sleeping position that is comfortable, and you don’t have any medical issues sugge ..read more

AI is everywhere right now. If you're a technology company, and you aren't embracing artificial intelligence (ahem, Apple), you look like you're behind the times. But just because generative AI is the trend right now, that doesn't mean companies need to shoehorn it into absolutely everything they do. Maybe more companies need to follow Apple's lead here. Look, AI certainly has the potential to change the way we interact with technology, for better or for worse: Sometimes, a new application for it rolls around—like OpenAI's shockingly realistic video generator—that demonstrates how much power A ..read more

It's a great time to buy a Steam Deck. Valve's refurbished LCD Steam Decks are back in stock, and for a lower price than ever before. The used devices are available for cheaper than they are new, making them a solid option for folks who want a Steam Deck but don't want to pay full price. This isn't the first time Valve has offered its handheld gaming PC in refurbished condition, but it is the first time that we've seen the price drop so low. With its stock now refreshed (although it is going fast), Valve is offering the refurbished Steam Decks starting at $279 for the base 64GB eMMC model. Tha ..read more

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/delhi-india-july-5-2023-threads-2328446749 If you've successfully moved away from X, you might have found a new home with Threads. But as the Threads network grows, you'll also find you won't want to see everything on your feed. Perhaps you're trying to avoid spoilers for your new favorite TV show, or you're trying to get away from the new meme that just won't die. Either way, you can now use Thread's Hidden Words feature to mute any keyword or emoji to banish them from your feed, once and for all—at least, from your feed. (They'll still show up in the ..read more

Standing fans tend to annoy me. I find I’m constantly getting up to adjust them; they’re loud; and they become absolutely filthy with no clear way to clean them. None of these issues seem like they’d be hard to solve—and yet standing fans have been around for a long time without much innovation on how to fix these pain points. Somehow, the DREO PolyFan 704s ($134.99)  figured it out, and for that reason, I absolutely recommend it as the perfect standing fan for small to medium rooms.  Dreo PolyFan 704s with Smart Control $134.99 at Amazon $149.99 Save $15.00 Get Deal Get ..read more

Keyboard shortcuts are a boon for productivity on Windows. Many things that take multiple mouse clicks, like taking screenshots, can easily be done with a couple of keystrokes. Windows 11 has several new keyboard shortcuts, but there's merit in learning about all of the best keyboard shortcuts on the platform. Some of these have been around for years, but aren't used often enough. I bet there's at least one shortcut you didn't know about but wish you had. Keyboard shortcuts for Windows settings If you're a Windows 11 user, you're no stranger to adjusting settings, since the OS ships with some ..read more

If you’re a visual sort of person, clutter probably bothers you—but being appalled by it may not necessarily make it any easier to clean up. If you are having a hard time getting motivated, try this little trick that taps into the universal obsession with a good before-and-after pic.  Take before and after photos as you clean This tip comes from Becoming Minimalist and is really simple on the surface: Pick a small section of your home, like a countertop or junk drawer, and snap a picture of it. Then, clean it up. Just focus on the small area you photographed. Once you’re done, take a new ..read more

HBO was, for at least a couple of generations, the home of movies on cable. No one else could quite compete. So the rise of HBO Max seemed like it could well have been the ultimate streaming destination for movie lovers—a designation that the jury's still out on, especially given the decision to drop the "Home Box Office" portion of the name in favor of the simpler, but more generic, Max. Still, Max maintains a collaboration with TCM, giving it a broad range of classic American and foreign films, as well as much of its catalog from HBO itself. It's the primary streaming home for Studio Ghibli ..read more

Perhaps one of the most cited ways to improve performance in PC gaming, at least that I've seen in recent years, is to overclock your GPU. While that can definitely give you some additional frames (as in frames per second), it's also exceptionally damaging to your card if you don't know what you're doing—and even sometimes when you do know what you're doing. Instead, I recommend changing a few key settings in your game to help improve performance. Sure, it might not always lead to the best graphical fidelity, but sometimes you may need to sacrifice the pretty visuals for better performance. Ch ..read more