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Philips Hue is one of the most well-respected and popular brands in smart lights—but what about its smart security cameras? Parent company Signify has been developing Hue cameras for a couple of years now, with a video doorbell and 2K camera upgrades recently added to the portfolio of devices. (Note: This 2K version hasn't yet landed in the U.S., but the existing 1080p versions are quite similar.)

I got a chance to test out the new 2K Hue Secure camera, and alongside all the basics of a camera like this, it came with an extra bonus that worked better than I expected: seamless integration with Philips Hue lights. These two product categories actually work better together than you might think.

While you can certainly connect cameras and lights across a variety of smart home platforms, Philips Hue is one of very few manufacturers making both types of device (TP-Link is another). That gives you a simplicity and interoperability you don't really get elsewhere.

Setting up a Hue camera

All the basic security camera features are covered. Credit: Lifehacker

Hue cameras are controlled inside the same Hue app for Android or iOS as the Hue lights. You don't necessarily need a Hue Bridge to connect the camera, too, as it can link to your wifi directly, but the Bridge is required if you want it to be able to sync with your lights—which is one of the key features here. (If you already have the lights, you'll already have the Bridge anyway.)

The 2K Hue Secure wired camera I've been testing comes with a 2K video resolution (as the name suggests). two-way audio, a built-in siren, infrared night vision, and weatherproofing (so you can use it indoors or out). As well as the wired version I've got here, there's also a battery-powered option, and a model that comes with a desktop stand.

Once configured, the camera lives in the same Home tab inside the mobile app as any Philips Hue lights you've got. The main panel doesn't show the camera feed—instead, it shows the armed status of the camera, which can be configured separately depending on whether you're at home or not. The idea is that you don't get disturbed with a flurry of unnecessary notifications when you're moving around.

The basic functionality is the same as every other security camera: Motion is detected and you get a ping to your phone with details, with a saved clip of the event that stays available for 24 hours. You can also tap into the live feed from the camera at any time, should you want to check in on the pets or the backyard.

As is often the case with security cameras, there is an optional subscription plan that gives you long-term video clip storage, activity zone settings, and AI-powered identification of people, animals, vehicles, and packages. That will set you back from $4 a month, with a discount if you pay for a year at a time.

Syncing a camera with smart lights

Your cameras can be used as customized triggers for your lights. Credit: Lifehacker

I started off a little unsure about just how useful it would be to connect up the Hue cameras and Hue lights—it's not a combination that gets talked about much—but it's surprisingly useful. If you delve into the camera settings inside the Hue app, there's a Trigger lights section especially for this.

You get to choose which of your lights are affected—they don't all have to go on and off together—and there are customizations for color and brightness across certain time schedules. You could have your bulbs glowing red during the night, for example, or turning bright blue during the daytime. The duration the lights stay on for can also be set.

It's not the most sophisticated system, but it works: If someone is loitering around your property, you can have a selected number of lights turn on to put them off, or to suggest that someone is in fact at home. This is in addition to everything else you can do, including sounding a siren through the camera, and because it works through the Hue Bridge it all happens pretty much instantaneously.

You can also set specific cameras as basic motion sensors for you and your family—lighting up the way to the bathroom late at night, for example. This can work even when the system is disarmed, so there's no wifi video streaming happening, but the cameras are still watching out for movement and responding accordingly.

There's one more option worth mentioning in the security settings in the Hue app: "mimic presence." This can randomly turn your lights on and off at certain points in the day, and the schedule you choose can be controlled by whether or not your Hue security is armed or disarmed (so nothing happens when everyone is at home).

Generative AI tools continue to improve in terms of their photo editing capabilities, and OpenAI's latest upgrade brings Adobe Photoshop right inside your ChatGPT app window (alongside Adobe Acrobat for handling PDFs, and Adobe Express for graphic design). It's available to everyone, for free—you just need a ChatGPT account and an Adobe account.

As per Adobe, the idea is to make "creativity accessible for everyone" by plugging Photoshop tools directly into ChatGPT. The desktop version of Photoshop already comes with plenty of generative AI features of its own, so this is AI layered on top of more AI—but is it actually useful?

How to get started with Photoshop inside ChatGPT

Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Express and Adobe Acrobat are available now inside ChatGPT on the desktop, on the web, and on iOS. At the time of writing, you can also get Adobe Express inside ChatGPT for Android, with Photoshop and Acrobat "coming soon." To weigh the capabilities of the new integration, I tested it in a desktop web browser.

To get started, all you need to do is type "Photoshop" at the start of your prompt: ChatGPT should recognize what you're trying to do, and select Adobe Photoshop as the tool to use for the next prompt. You'll also need to click through a couple of confirmation dialog boxes, and connect an Adobe account (if you don't have one, you can make one for free).

You'll need to connect ChatGPT to your Adobe account. Credit: Lifehacker

With all the connections and logins completed, Photoshop is then added to the overflow menu in the prompt box, so just click on the + (plus) to select it. You can start describing what you want to happen using the same natural, conversational language you'd use for any other ChatGPT prompt. You do need to also upload an image or provide a public link to one—if you don't do this before you submit your prompt, you'll be asked to do it after.

You don't need to know the names of all the Photoshop tools: Just describe what you want to happen and the relevant tools will be selected for you. One example Adobe gives is using the prompt "make my image pop," which brings up the Bloom, Grain, and Lens Distortion effects—and each one can be adjusted via sliders on screen. It's actually quite simple to use.

Simple adjustments can be made with on-screen sliders. Credit: Lifehacker

If you do know the name of the tools you want, you can call them up by name, and the classic brightness and contrast sliders are a good place to start. You can either say something like "make the picture brighter" or "adjust the image brightness"—both will bring up an overlay you can use to make brightness adjustments, but if you use the former prompt, the image will already have been made a little brighter.

ChatGPT and Photoshop let you add edit upon edit as needed, and you can save the image at any stage. There's also the option to open your processed file in the Photoshop web app whenever you like: This web app uses a freemium model, with advanced features requiring a subscription, and seems to be what the ChatGPT integration is largely based on.

What you can do with Adobe in ChatGPT

Adobe offers a handy ChatGPT prompts cheat sheet you can browse through, which gives you a good idea of what's possible, and what you're still going to need Photoshop proper for. Note that you can specify certain parts of the image to focus on (like "the face" or "the car") but this depends on Photoshop-in-ChatGPT being able to correctly figure out where you want your selection to be. It needs to be pretty obvious and well delineated.

When I tried cutting out objects and removing backgrounds, this worked well—but then I had to turn to Photoshop on the web to actually drop in a different background. There's no way to work with layers or masks here, and you can't remove people or objects from photos, either. Sometimes, however, you do get a spool of "thinking" from ChatGPT about how it can't do what the user is asking for.

Cut-outs are one of the tricks you can do. Credit: Lifehacker

I was able to apply some nice colorizations here, via prompts like "turn all the hues in this image to blue," and I like the way ChatGPT will give you further instructions on how to get the effect you want. You can even say "show some examples" and it gives you a few presets to choose from—all of which can be adjusted via the sliders again.

The ability to run prompts like "turn this into an oil painting" or "turn this into a cartoon" are useful too, though the plug-in is limited by the effects available in Photoshop for the web: You'll be directed to the closest effect and advised how to tweak it to get the look you want.

Actually, some of these effects work better in ChatGPT's native image editor, which maybe explains why Adobe wanted to get involved here.

ChatGPT removed someone from this picture, no Photoshop required. Credit: Lifehacker

If ChatGPT's image manipulation gets good enough, then Photoshop is no longer going to be needed by a substantial number of users: ChatGPT can already remove people and objects from photos, for example, quite effectively. What it's not quite as good at is some of the basic adjustments (like colors and contrast) that Adobe software has been managing for years.

For quick, basic edits you want to type out in natural language—especially where you want to adjust the edits manually and need advice on what to do next—Photoshop inside ChatGPT is a handy tool to be able to turn to, especially as it's free. For serious edits, though, you're still going to want to fire up the main Photoshop app, or maybe even shun Adobe altogether and make use of ChatGPT's steadily improving editing tools.

If you've chosen a Chromebook as a laptop, then you know the main benefits that it brings: namely, speed, ease of use, and affordability. Despite the simplicity of ChromeOS, however, there's more that you can do with it than you might realize. You can use it offline, and you can sync files to and from local storage, for example. The operating system is a lot more powerful and versatile than it often gets credit for.

These hacks are for power users who want to level up their Chromebook capabilities, and get extra value out of their laptop, beyond the standard use cases that everyone knows about. No matter how you use ChromeOS, there should be something here to help.

Use your Chromebook offline

Google Drive can work offline. Credit: Lifehacker

Chromebooks are often criticized for being useless without wifi, but that's not actually the case: All of the Docs, Sheets, and Slides tools can be used offline, with changes syncing back when your internet connection is restored: From Google Drive, click the gear icon (top right), then choose Settings > General and check the option under the Offline heading.

You can use Gmail offline, too. You can't send or receive emails, obviously, but you can read through and organize your inbox, and draft emails ready to go once you get your internet back. From Gmail, click on the gear icon (top right), then pick See all settings > Offline. Check the Enable offline mail box and choose how much of your email you want to sync.

Sync media offline

This offline functionality extends to third-party streaming apps too, as ChromeOS supports Android apps. With apps such as Netflix and Spotify, you can sync content to your Chromebook to watch when you don't have a reliable internet connection—when you're on a long flight, for example, or traveling between countries.

Talk to your Chromebook

Enable dictation through the Accessibility settings. Credit: Lifehacker

Typing is all well and good, but sometimes talking is faster. Launch Settings, then choose Accessibility > Keyboard and text input > Dictation to enable the feature. You can then press the Launcher (G) button and D to start dictating in any app—whether you're composing emails or writing essays.

Move local files to Google Drive

One of the pros of using a Chromebook is that everything is synced online pretty much instantly, if you're using one of Google's own online apps or something similar. However, there may be local files that accumulate on the laptop, including screenshots and downloads, and sometimes you'll want to get those synced to the cloud as well.

You can see these files via the Files app that comes built into ChromeOS, and upload them manually via the Google Drive web interface. There's an easier way to get them into Google Drive, though: From the Files app, select all the local files you want to upload in the pane on the right, then drag them into My Drive under Google Drive in the left-hand menu bar.

Set up virtual desktops

Chromebooks don't always have the biggest or highest-resolution screens, but you can give yourself more room by managing multiple virtual desktops (which ChromeOS calls "desks"). Press the "show windows" key (it's the one with little rectangles on it, usually also labeled F3) to view open desks, switch between them, and create new ones.

Enable guest access

As ChromeOS is so tightly tied to your Google account, you don't necessarily want other people borrowing your laptop and being able to get into your Google apps. The solution is guest mode: Restart your Chromebook or sign out of your current user account, then click Browse as Guest to launch a Chrome window without any Google account attached.

Make full use of the clipboard

ChromeOS can sometimes feel limiting in that you can't quickly drag files to the desktop or to a temporary folder in the same way that you can on Windows or macOS. You might also see that as a benefit—it means less junk will be cluttering your system—but there could well be times that you just need to store something temporarily for transfer.

That's where the ChromeOS clipboard comes in: It actually stores five items rather than one, so it's a useful (if rather hidden) way of moving images, text, and links between websites and apps. Use the usual Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, and Ctrl+V shortcuts to copy, cut, and paste, then hold down the Launcher (G) button and V to see all the clipboard items.

Open the ChromeOS Task Manager

ChromeOS comes with its own Task Manager. Credit: Lifehacker

The ChromeOS Task Manager is useful for everything from shutting down crashed apps to seeing exactly where all your RAM is going, and it can be a key tool in the power user's belt. Open it by pressing the Launcher (G) key and Esc: You'll see you can browse between individual tabs and system processes, or search for something specific on ChromeOS.

Save an older laptop

ChromeOS isn't just for Chromebooks: You can give an older, struggling laptop a new lease of life by installing ChromeOS Flex on it (even old laptops can usually handle Chrome). Google has full instructions for what you need to do to get this working, and will guide you through the process of creating a bootable USB drive with the ChromeOS software on.

Explore beta and dev channels

Switching up the channel on ChromeOS. Credit: Lifehacker

As with a lot of software, there are beta and dev channels of ChromeOS available as well as the stable one. If you want to get the newest Chromebook features before everyone else, and don't mind a few bugs along the way, then you can make the switch. It doesn't take long, and you can always switch back again, though a system reset is sometimes required.

To change between ChromeOS channels, click on the time panel (bottom right), then click the gear icon to get to the main Settings page. Choose About ChromeOS > Additional details > Change channel, then choose whichever one you want to use. You'll keep getting over-the-air updates for your selected channel until you switch to a different one.

Manually or automatically wiping your browsing history is a well-established way of protecting your privacy and making sure the digital trail you leave behind you is as short as possible—but it's important to be aware of the limitations of the process, and to understand why deleting your browsing history isn't always as comprehensive an act as you might think.

In short, the records of where you've been aren't only kept on your local computer or on your phone, they're found in various other places too. This is why fully wiping away your browsing history is more difficult than it initially appears.

Modern browsers typically sync your browsing history

Just about every modern browser can now sync your browsing history across devices, from laptop to mobile and back again. There are benefits to this—being able to continue your browsing on a different device, for example—but it means that deleting the list of websites you've visited on one device won't necessarily clear it everywhere.

Consider Apple's Safari, which by default will sync your online history, bookmarks, and open tabs between all of the iPhones, iPads, and Macs using the same Apple account. You can manage this by selecting your account name and then iCloud in Settings on iOS/iPadOS or in System Settings on macOS.

Deleting browsing history in Safari. Credit: Lifehacker

Whether or not Safari syncing is enabled through iCloud will affect how browsing history is deleted—when you try to delete this history on mobile or desktop, you'll see a message telling you what will happen on your other devices. In Safari on a Mac, choose History > Clear History; on an iPhone or iPad, choose Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data from Settings.

Most other browsers work in the same way, with options for both syncing history and deleting history. In Chrome on the desktop, for example, open Settings via the three-dot menu (top right): You can manage syncing via You and Google > Sync and Google Services > Manage what you sync, and clearing your history via Privacy and security > Delete browsing data.

The apps and sites you use are tracking you

Aside from all the history your actual web browser is collecting, you also need to think about the data being vacuumed up by the apps and websites you're using. If you log into Facebook, Meta will know about the comments you've left and the photos you've liked, no matter how much you scrub your history from Edge or Firefox.

How much you can do about this really depends on the app or site. Amazon lets you clear your search history, for example: On the desktop site, click Browsing History on the toolbar at the top, then click the gear icon (top right). The next screen lets you delete all or some of your browsing history, and block future tracking—though you won't be able to reorder items as easily, and your recommendations will be affected.

Clearing data from a Google account. Credit: Lifehacker

Meta lets you clear your Instagram and Facebook search history, at least: You can take care of both from the Meta Accounts Center page in a desktop browser. Click Your information and permissions then Search history to look back at what you've been searching for. The next screen gives you options for manually and automatically wiping your search history.

Google runs a whole host of online apps as well as a web browser. You can manage all your Google data from one central point from your desktop browser: Your Google Account page. Click Data and privacy to see everything Google has collected on you, and click through on any activity type to manually delete records or set them up to be automatically deleted after a certain period of time.

Your internet provider always knows where you've been

The final place there will be copies of your internet browsing history are on the servers of your internet service provider—that is, whichever company you're paying for access to the internet is keeping logs of the places you've been, for all kinds of purposes (from security to advertising). And yes, this includes sites that you open while in incognito mode.

How this is handled varies from provider to provider. For example, AT&T's privacy notice states that the company will "automatically collect a variety of information", including "website and IP addresses," "videos watched," and "search terms entered." The company says this data will be kept for, "as long as we need it for business, tax, or legal purposes."

A VPN can hide your browsing from your internet provider. Credit: Lifehacker

There's not a whole lot you can do about this either—it's a trade-off you have to make if you want access to the web. Some providers, including AT&T, will let you opt out of certain types of information sharing if you get in touch with them directly, but you can't prevent the tracking from happening in the first place.

What you can do is mask your browsing with a VPN (Lifehacker has previously picked the best paid VPNs and the best free VPNs for you to try out). As all your internet traffic will be routed through the VPN's servers, your internet provider will no longer be able to see what you're doing. Your VPN provider will, however—so find one that you can trust, and which has a no-logs policy that's been verified by a third-party security auditor.

In the long-running Android vs. iOS competition, iPhones have historically had the edge in terms of parental controls: They've been a bit more straightforward and intuitive, and easier for caregivers to understand and manage. Apple does many things well, and getting its apps and devices working seamlessly together is definitely one of them.

Google, however, is gradually improving the experience for parents, with a batch of updates earlier this year, and now some more changes as part of a significant Android 16 upgrade. The latest changes mean more controls can be accessed on your kids' devices.

What's new in Android 16

The usual Android caveat applies here: Each Android phone maker does things slightly differently, though there's not actually too much variation in this particular area. The latest Android 16 updates mentioned above are rolling out now to Pixel phones (and I've tested them on a Pixel), but will take a while to reach other handsets—Samsung phones will most likely get them early next year, for example, with One UI 8.5.

So what's new? Essentially, more of the existing parental controls are available on the Android devices of your youngsters, so you can get at them from their phones and tablets as well as accessing them remotely. It should make life easier if you're with your kids and they pass their devices over to you.

You can find the options that have been added to kids' devices by opening Settings on the phone or tablet of your young person and choosing Parental controls. Right away you'll see a toggle switch for enabling on-device controls, and when you do enable them you need to enter a PIN—to stop your kid from changing these settings themselves.

The new on-device controls in Android 16. Credit: Lifehacker

There are then four sections you can access: Daily limit, App limits, Downtime, and Website content filters. Tap on any of these to set restrictions for the current device, which can be adjusted depending on the day of the week in some cases. Pick Downtime, for example, and you can set times during which the device is locked. These match the tools you've previously been able to manage remotely.

Select Daily limit, then turn on the Use daily limit toggle switch, and you're able to control how many hours your kid can use their phone or tablet for each day. There's also a bar chart showing device usage over time, so you can see how much screen time your child has been taking advantage of.

These settings are simple, understandable, and a breeze to use—you don't have to mess around with Google accounts or family relationships if you don't want to. You can just enter a PIN and start making changes—you don't necessarily have to connect these settings to any other devices. If you want to manage them remotely, though, Google has a wider parental control system in place.

Google's Family Link controls

The new Android 16 controls that appear on devices can work independently of anything else, but Google already offers plenty of options if you need them. Everything is managed through the Google Family Link portal, which you can access on the web or through the apps on Android or iOS.

You can use Google Family Link to set up Google accounts for your kids, and then manage what they're able to do with them. The idea is that they sign into their Android devices using the account you've created for them, and because Google knows you have a verified connection to them, you can put restrictions on those devices remotely.

All the usual safeguards and protections are covered: You can set screen time limits, manage the apps your kids can use (and for how often), put blocks on certain websites and categories of website, and put parental approvals in place for making purchases through Google's various digital storefronts. These mostly match what's now available on-device.

Google Family Link on the web. Credit: Lifehacker

There's a location tracking element to Google Family Link as well, so you can see where your young people are at all times, and even get notifications based on their movements: You might want to get a ping when they turn up at school, for example, or when they leave home. All this can be managed through the apps.

More recent updates let you control the amount of screen time your children can have during school hours, and there are also now tools for managing the contacts that youngsters are able to interact with—as yet you can't get to these controls directly on your kids' devices. There's plenty in the way of reports on usage too, alongside these controls.

Add everything up, and Google now has a fairly comprehensive set of parental controls that you can manage from just about any device, or from the devices your kids are using—assuming you've given them Android phones or tablets.

AI is everywhere! Writing essays, editing photos, producing social-media slop, doing your browsing for you, making plenty of mistakes—and now, if you've installed the latest Android 16 update (currently rolling out to Pixel phones), summarizing your notifications so you have less text and fewer alerts to wade through.

The new summarization feature, as per Google, will "help you cut through the clutter and stay focused," and give you "quick understanding and context at a glance." I'm all for cutting through the clutter, so as soon as the update landed on my own Pixel device, I decided to enable the feature and see how useful it really is.

How AI summaries work, and how to turn them on

Enabling the feature on an Android phone. Credit: Lifehacker

AI notification summaries won't automatically take over your phone, after the update—you need to enable them manually. From Settings, head to Notifications, then tap Notification summaries to turn this on. The same screen lets you choose which apps you want notifications summarized for.

There are actually two parts to the new update: the actual notification summaries, and what Google is calling a "notification organizer." This organizer is designed to group and silence lower-priority notifications (including social alerts and promotional messages), though there doesn't appear to be a separate toggle switch for this.

Of course, other Android phone makers will be able to implement this in whatever way they choose. It looks as though Samsung is testing the feature with the One UI 8.5, which should be launching in beta any day now. A full release of the software is expected early next year, alongside the Galaxy S26 phones.

Using AI notification summaries for 24 hours

Ready to banish notification clutter from my life, I turned on AI summaries for all my apps to see exactly how this worked. For a start, it doesn't apply to all apps, at least not yet: My Snapchat and Instagram alerts remained the same as always, so further updates will be needed from Google and app developers before this is something you see everywhere.

The apps I saw summaries for most often were Google Chat, WhatsApp, and Slack—almost always in group conversations, and some of the time for single messages (the length of the message seems to affect this somehow). And the summaries were ... mostly okay. They tended to catch the gist of who had said what, and in that sense were an accurate recap of what I was missing by not actually opening these apps.

The summaries work, up to a point. Credit: Lifehacker

These summaries did update as more messages were added, but the summary preview window is only a couple of lines long—so once multiple people start piling into a group chat, the summary isn't going to be able to cover everything. From the lock screen and pull-down notification shade, it's possible to expand notifications to see full messages (as usual), and then minimize them back to the summary view again.

There was one occasion when the AI notification summaries got confused by the Lifehacker slack and by the various @mentions included—attributing a message to the person who had been tagged in a message, rather than the person who had sent it. On the whole, though, there were no obvious mistakes, just certain details left out from summaries of longer chats that I would've liked to have known about.

Now I've tested this out, I'm going to turn it off again, for a couple of reasons—and inaccuracy isn't really one of them (though that might certainly creep in). First, given the small size of the preview window, I'm not sure an AI summary is any more useful than the first couple of lines of text you get as standard anyway. That's usually enough for me to tell whether or not a message is important before opening it.

This Slack summary wasn't fully accurate—and Snapchat alerts weren't affected. Credit: Lifehacker

Second, I'm not sure I really want my messages and group chats summarized—at least not the important ones. If a friend, family member, or work colleague has something to tell me, I'd like to know exactly what it is, rather than reading a précis. It feels like AI is being used just for the sake of it—and not for the first time.

I didn't see any evidence of the notification organizer in action, by the way, perhaps because of the way I've got my Android notifications set up—there are now a host of granular options for alerts in Android, for silencing and dismissing notifications. This feature sounds vaguely useful, but again, I'm not sure I'm ready to hand over the job of judging how important notifications are over to AI just yet.

Android 16 officially started rolling out back in June, with most of the Material 3 Expressive visual overhaul added in a major update in September. Now, the second big Android 16 update is here, ushering in a host of new features across notifications, customization, accessibility, and device restrictions.

As is the norm, this update will arrive on Pixel devices first. For other Android devices, including those made by Samsung, it's up to each phone and tablet manufacturer to adjust the software update as needed and push it out to their users. Despite the limited rollout, Google says this marks a "new chapter" for Android releases, which, going forward, will be "more frequent" rather than once a year. In other words, we might be seeing Android 17 much sooner than expected.

But we won't see it today. We're still in the Android 16 era, which is about to get the following new features and changes:

More interface customization

You now have more control over home screen icons. Credit: Google

Customization has always been one of the strengths of Android, and this Android 16 update brings with it a bunch of features to help you change the interface in a more flexible and consistent way. Home screen icons can now have custom shapes, while themed icons are auto-applied across apps.

Both of those changes should mean that when you play around with the visual look of Android, there isn't a jarring icon or two that stands out from the rest—everything should look more uniform. "Your phone should reflect your own unique aesthetic," Google says, and these tweaks should help.

There's also an improvement to dark mode: Dark mode will now be applied across all apps, even those that haven't been coded to include a dark mode by their developer. Again, the end result should be a more consistent visual look, plus extra savings on battery life if more of the screen is dimmed more often.

Improved parental controls

More parental controls can now be managed on-device. Credit: Google

If you have kids who use an Android device, you'll know the current parental controls are a little bit clunky, and mostly managed remotely. Going forward, more of these controls will be available on the actual devices your youngsters are using, which should mean they're easier to access and manage.

The new on-board settings will be protected by a PIN, so your kids can't change them, and will cover screen time, downtime schedules, and app usage. You'll also be able to add more time for app and device usage from the phone or tablet that's being used, which is more convenient if you're actually with a child.

Additionally, Google is making it easier to set up a Google Family Link from Android 16 phones and tablets, which is where the family connections and device rules are set to begin with. Other key parental controls, including protections over purchases and location tracking, are still managed remotely.

AI in your notifications

AI will group and summarize your notifications. Credit: Google

Technically launched in last month's Pixel Drop, Android 16 now summarizes your notifications for you through the power of AI—something that tech companies are continuing to push, in an effort to save us all time and avoid notification fatigue, even if the results have been mixed so far. Why Google is announcing it alongside these other new features isn't clear, but it's a good reminder for any Pixel users who might be interested in trying it out.

AI summaries are something Apple introduced for the iPhone, then partially pulled for certain apps, then brought back. According to Google, these AI summaries will give you "quick understanding and context at a glance"—so let's hope they understand what's important in your group chats and what isn't.

On top of that, we're getting AI-powered notification organization too, with "lower-priority notifications" (which Google says include promotions and social alerts) silenced and grouped together so they're not so much of a distraction. As yet, it's not clear exactly how much control you'll get over how all this works.

And even more updates

You'll be able to mark your calls as urgent in the future. Credit: Google

There are plenty of other minor updates rolling out to a broader selection of Android devices too, not just those running Android 16. They include more expressive closed captions; ease-of-use improvements to accessibility features, such as TalkBack (voice dictation) and Auto Click (using a mouse with Android); and pinned tabs in Chrome for Android.

Emoji Kitchen is getting more features and more ways to combine emojis, Circle to Search is adding a scam detection feature (just point it towards a suspected scam message), and group chats in Google Messages will now come with options for reporting issues—chats can be easily left, blocked, and reported.

We'll also soon be getting a beta version of a feature Google has named Call Reason, in the Phone app. This lets you mark your outgoing calls to saved contacts as urgent, which they'll see when you ring them (and might encourage them to pick up. For more details on this and everything else rolling out to Android from today, see the official blog post.

It's Cyber Monday, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

The Google Pixel 10 only launched four months ago, but it's already discounted by a significant $250 for the holiday shopping season (almost a third off). You can now pick it up from Amazon for $549, its lowest price yet.

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Get Deal

$549.00 at Amazon

$799.00 Save $250.00

That "lowest price yet" label does depend on the color and storage option you choose, but whichever one you pick, there are big discounts being applied for Cyber Monday. For the biggest discount, pick the 128GB lemongrass model.

I've been reviewing phones for decades at this point, and I've always loved the Pixel series (and the Nexus phones before that). They put photography and AI front and center—both high priorities for me—and they're perfect if you spend a lot of time in Google's various apps (from Gmail to Google Maps), which I do.

These phones are also well-built, durable, and distinctive-looking. I find them easy on the eye, though you do need to get past that camera bar (it at least ensures your phone doesn't wobble when laid down on its back). Add in the on-board smarts of Gemini, and there's a lot to like here.

Does Amazon have Cyber Monday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Cyber Monday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

What stores have the best sales on Cyber Monday?

Nowadays, both large retailers and small businesses compete for Cyber Monday shoppers, so you can expect practically every store to run sales through Monday, December 1, 2025. The “best” sales depend on your needs, but in general, the biggest discounts tend to come from larger retailers that can afford lower prices: think places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot. You can find all the best sales from major retailers on our live blog.

Are Cyber Monday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Cyber Monday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

A video doorbell is one of the smart home basics that can make the biggest difference, and Amazon's Ring series offers some of the best options around—including the Ring Battery Doorbell, which is now down to $49.99 (originally $99.99) for Black Friday.

Ring Battery Doorbell 1440p Head-to-Toe Video (2024 Release, Satin Nickel)

$49.99 at Amazon

$99.99 Save $50.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$49.99 at Amazon

$99.99 Save $50.00

I've tested several Ring doorbells and cameras through the years, and have always found them to be simple to set up and reliable to use. (The accompanying app is straightforward and intuitive, too.)

Going for a battery-powered option means you won't have to mess around with wires or drilling, though you will have to recharge it every few months or so. You get head-to-toe coverage of people arriving at your door, and a high definition 1440 x 1440 pixel video feed you can tap into from your phone whenever you like.

With support for two-way audio you can even chat to people at the door (whether you're at home or not) and there's color night vision here as well, so you can still see what's happening outside during the hours of darkness. Certain extra features, including video archives and person and package detection, require a Ring subscription.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Smart lights are a great way to start off a smart home: they're affordable, they're easy to use, and they give you a lot of features and options to play around with. If you're looking for your first pack of smart lights, my Black Friday recommendation would be the three-pack Philips Hue A19 LED Smart Light Bulbs, yours for $69.99 for Black Friday – the lowest the pack has ever been on Amazon.

Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance A19 Bluetooth LED Smart Bulbs (3-Pack)

$79.99 at Amazon

$147.99 Save $68.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$79.99 at Amazon

$147.99 Save $68.00

I've been using Philips Hue lights in my home for years, and can thoroughly recommend them. They're versatile and reliable, they come in all shapes and sizes, they integrate with a whole host of third-party apps and services, and they offer a bunch of features for you to play around with.

The app is really well designed and makes it easy to do simple tasks (like just turn your lights on and off and adjust their color) and more complex ones (like setting up different lighting scenes for different times of the day) alike.

These Philips Hue A19 Smart Bulbs can work on their own, but to access the full set of features, it's worth investing in a Philips Hue Bridge as well, which will make adding more lights really easy too.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Discounts on brand new Apple devices don't come around all that often, but the M5-powered 13-inch iPad Pro is an exception: The 1TB version of this excellent tablet is now down to $1,769 on Amazon. That's still a significant investment, but it's a drop of $130 on a tablet that only launched last month.

Apple 13-Inch M5 iPad Pro

$1,824.00 at Amazon

Get Deal

Get Deal

$1,824.00 at Amazon

I haven't had the pleasure of getting my hands on the latest M5 model, but I have tested previous iPad Pros, and can vouch for their superior build quality, lighting-fast performance, and supreme versatility (there are so many great iPad apps out there, with more arriving every day).

Despite the best efforts of Android manufacturers, and the other slates in Apple's line-up, the iPad Pro remains the best tablet out there, period. Sure, it's also the most expensive, but sometimes paying more is worth it—and thanks to this Black Friday discount, you're not paying quite as much as before.

Add in a keyboard cover and perhaps an Apple Pencil too, and you're looking at a powerful portable workstation that may even be able to replace your laptop. This is the lowest price that the 13-inch iPad Pro (M5, 1TB) has even been on Amazon—in its short history—so it's a deal worth taking advantage of at your earliest opportunity.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Wifi is vital in a modern home, and you'll struggle to beat the Eero Max 7 mesh system for reaching all corners of your property with the fastest possible speeds. Even better, it's down by $510 right now.

Eero Max 7

$1,189.99 at Amazon

$1,699.99 Save $510.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$1,189.99 at Amazon

$1,699.99 Save $510.00

It's still a lot of money to be spending, but if you think about how long these units are going to last you and how often you'll be enjoying the benefits of a top-tier Wi-Fi 7 system, the investment does seem worth it—especially at 30% off.

I was able to test the Eero Max 7 mesh a few months ago and it's an impressive system: Everything from the simplicity of the setup to the speed of the tri-band connections is fantastic. This three-pack is able to support more than 750 devices across 7,500 square feet, so it's a substantial upgrade over most routers and mesh packs.

The Eero Max 7 won't improve the broadband speed actually coming into your home, but it will make sure that as much of that speed is carried over to your devices, no matter which room they're in. From 8K video to online gaming, this pack is transformative in terms of getting online.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

It's always good when you get to recommend a piece of tech you use every day, and that's the case with the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar: I've got one strapped to my wrist right now, as I do every day, and the 45 mm model is now on sale for $299.99 on Amazon.

Garmin Instinct 3 Solar

$299.99 at Amazon

$399.99 Save $100.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$299.99 at Amazon

$399.99 Save $100.00

That's a hefty $100 drop for Black Friday—a quarter off, if you're doing the math—and based on what we've seen on price trackers, this watch is now the cheapest it's ever been on Amazon.

I love the rugged look of this smartwatch, and the battery life that can easily go for a month—thanks in part to the solar charging capabilities (though you can use a regular charger, too). It'll track all the stats you need, and packs in a host of information on its monochrome screen (including sunrise and sunset times). Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki named the Garmin Instinct Solar 3 "best for hiking."

You don't get the colors and brightness of a color display, but I think the battery life trade-off is more than worth it: It's not as if you're watching videos on your smartwatch. You can also send your phone notifications through the watch, and it even comes with a handy flashlight built right in.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, the distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

There's an awful lot to like about the Google TV Streamer, especially when it's back down to its lowest price for Black Friday. You can now pick this versatile, reliable streaming box for $74.99 on Amazon, down from its original price of $99.99.

Google TV Streamer

$74.99 at Amazon

$99.99 Save $25.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$74.99 at Amazon

$99.99 Save $25.00

Lifehacker's review of the device highlights the smoothness of the user interface, the wealth of onboard storage, the bonus of having an Ethernet port (for steady internet access), and the benefits of the improved remote control—which you can actually make sound an alarm if you lose it. (Invaluable!)

I've been using and loving Google TV for years, and the Google Streamer is a great way to access it. I like its broad support for multiple streaming apps, and the way it combines all those apps together—making it easy to see what you're currently watching. You can add to your watchlist from all across Google apps and services too, including Google Search.

The streaming box and its associated remote are available in either Porcelain or Haze, so you can pick whichever matches your personal taste and internal decor. This 25% Black Friday discount may not last, so if you're interested, I'd recommend getting this bought as soon as possible.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

Generative AI is changing the way we live and work in a multitude of ways, and that includes coding. The best AI bots of today can debug, refine, and create code, from a simple text prompt. You can put together a small app or website in the same way you can generate an image or write an essay with these tools.

Many professional programmers are now leaning heavily on AI to help get their work done, but the door has also been opened for those without any coding experience to get involved. This is something that's been termed "vibe coding"—where you're coding on vibes, basically—and all you need to get started is an idea.

But is it really as simple as simply typing out what you want and letting an AI bot do the coding on your behalf? According to a lot of AI enthusiasts I see on X, vibe coding means "it's over" (whatever "it" is), and people are "one-shotting" all kinds of projects (as in, using a single prompt to create something).

To investigate further, I tried to create a little project of my own using ChatGPT and Gemini. Here's how it went.

What is vibe coding?

There's no official, fixed definition of vibe coding, but in general it refers to using natural language prompts to get an AI to code apps and websites. In the same way as you might ask ChatGPT for an image of a cabin in a wood, you can also ask it for a landing page for your company, or a tool to log and analyze income and expenditure.

Usually, despite all the talk of one-shotting, the idea is not to try and get everything included in your very first prompt, but to start small and then use follow-up prompts to refine. There are several variables involved when it comes to building websites and apps, and so you're going to have to specify layouts, images, interactions, colors, fonts, and plenty more.

You can always get the AI to make some of these decisions for you, but to really get something close to what you originally imagined you're going to want to be specific. AI bots are also able to debug code and fix problems for you—again, you just describe what's not working. It's a bit like having a conversation with an actual programmer.

ChatGPT can produce masses of code from a single prompt. Credit: Lifehacker

A common way that people get started with vibe coding is to build simple games, and you'll find plenty of examples of this on the web. You describe what you want to happen, and the AI writes something to match—then you chat through how you'd like the gameplay to flow, and how the visuals should appear on screen.

All of the major AI chatbot tools now have coding components included in them, and will present you with both the raw code (which you can edit manually, if you want), and a preview of how the executed code works—your app will run or your website will be displayed right inside the chatbot interface. The AI can even select a coding language for you, if needed.

Vibe coding has its limitations, not least because of the unpredictability of AI, and for larger, professional software programs and games these AI bots will just be one tool among many that coders use—there is the potential for disaster if AI is not used carefully. However, for fun, small projects, this is something now available to anyone with access to an AI with coding capabilities.

Trying out vibe coding

I decided to build a simple HTML-based elevator sim I could run in my browser—I've always been slightly confused about how elevators work, and it seemed like a suitable project for testing vibe coding.

ChatGPT was the first AI bot I tried to get to help me, and I quickly realized that quite a lot of prompting is needed—more than you might think at first. I couldn't just say "build me an elevator sim": I had to specify the screen layout, the number of floors, the speed of the elevator, how the passengers should be displayed, and how to determine the floors they're heading to, just for starters.

After a few minutes of the AI thinking, I had my sim. And it worked, up to a point. However, it didn't all work, all at the same time. Some of the issues the app had were freezing at certain floors, not picking people up in the right order, forgetting how many passengers were actually in the elevator, and generally not following elevator logic—each time I would point out the mistake, ChatGPT would apologize and try again.

ChatGPT's elevator sim—which never properly worked. Credit: Lifehacker

Most bugs could be fixed within a prompt or two, but then new issues would appear. One problem that was particularly difficult to solve was getting the elevator code to go back and pick people up when the cab was full the first time. Because I didn't understand the code, I couldn't really see where the problem was. With each revision the AI was apologetic, but didn't seem to grasp what was going on.

At one point the elevator would zoom around the floors picking everyone up who called for a ride, without dropping off the existing passengers first. Then a weird graphical glitch developed on the passenger sprites. By this stage, even vibe coding was starting to feel like hard work: After about 45 minutes, and still without a fully working elevator sim, I decided my time and effort would be better spent elsewhere.

I gave Gemini a go with this task too, and to Google's credit, it did do better. There were fewer issues, but there were still issues: Passengers still got picked up in the wrong order, and it didn't follow my instructions entirely. I spent less time on this with Gemini, but it got closer to what I wanted, even if it still had glitches I wasn't happy with.

Gemini was better at the task, but it still wasn't perfect. Credit: Lifehacker

Overall, vibe coding was a frustrating experience. Perhaps the issue is with AI understanding how an elevator works, rather than with its actual coding capabilities, but I was disappointed not to be able to get something that worked properly. Maybe when I'm over the annoyances that I had this time around I'll go back and try something different—without the logical complexities of an elevator system.

My experience did highlight some of the limitations of vibe coding: You're often going to need a lot of prompting to get the AI to understand what you want, and there will be bugs to fix along the way, even if the chatbots are very accommodating and polite when it comes to fixing those bugs.

There are also two recognizable hallmarks of generative AI here, too: An air of confidence and authority in responses, even when those responses are wrong, and unpredictability in the results. These AI models are designed to give varied answers to the same prompts, which is fine when you're churning out 10 AI pictures of a waterfall but not so helpful when you're trying to wrangle some code into shape.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Earlier this year I reviewed the Microsoft Surface Pro 12, and it was and remains absolutely the best Windows 2-in-1 I've had the pleasure to use. For Black Friday, it's also now cheaper than it's ever been over at Amazon. You can pick it up for $899.99, $500 off the original price of $1,399.99.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12

$899.99 at Amazon

$1,399.99 Save $500.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$899.99 at Amazon

$1,399.99 Save $500.00

That's a drop of around 36%, which should free up some cash for the keyboard attachment, which is sold separately and is fairly essential if you want to use this thing like a laptop. With both, you'll have a Windows 11 device that can go anywhere and do anything (and the keyboard doubles as a protective cover, too).

What makes the Microsoft Surface Pro 12 so good? It has a gorgeous screen, it's solidly constructed, and it switches effortlessly between tablet and laptop modes. You can be creating digital artwork one minute and editing spreadsheets the next. Few devices give you this much flexibility, Windows-based or otherwise.

The model I've highlighted here includes a Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB of storage, which is more than enough to tackle the majority of computing tasks. As long as you're not wanting to play the latest top-tier games or crunch through some serious video encoding, the Surface Pro 12 will serve you very well indeed.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

With Black Friday fast approaching, I'm here to tell you Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is cheaper than ever—now just $299.99 on Amazon (almost a third off the original price of $429.99). That's a lot of laptop in return for relatively little outlay, and there won't be many better value deals on offer this week.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515

$299.99

$429.99 Save $130.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$299.99

$429.99 Save $130.00

I've recently written about the reasons why I often prefer picking up my Chromebook rather than firing up my Windows 11 or macOS computers: These ChromeOS machines are lightweight, fast, bloat-free, and always online. Everything you do on them is instantly saved to the cloud, making it easy to sync your work across computers.

Sure, you can of course install Google Chrome on a Microsoft or Apple laptop and then get ChromeOS plus all the extras—but a lot of the time, I don't really need those extras. All I want is a fast window on the web, without background programs or software updates or any other distractions getting in the way.

This 15.6-inch Acer laptop meets the Chromebook Plus standard for a superior ChromeOS experience, and you even get a year of Google AI Pro (normally $20 a month) included for free. If you weren't aware, Chromebooks can also run Android apps, which means there's even more you can do with this portable computer.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors' picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

When I reviewed the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold last year, I called it "a big step forward for foldables"—but it was undeniably expensive. Thanks to a big Black Friday discount, it's now a lot cheaper: It's currently $540 off, which means you can now pick it up for $1,259.99 from Amazon.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

$1,259.99

$1,799.00 Save $539.01

Get Deal

Get Deal

$1,259.99

$1,799.00 Save $539.01

That's still a lot of money for a smartphone of course, but this is a smartphone than turns into a tablet when you open it up. The main 8-inch display is perfect for watching videos, browsing the web, and putting two apps side by side (so you can browse through social media and chat to your friends at the same time). Just as importantly, it feels like a standard phone when it's closed shut—when all you need is a normal form factor, you're not really making any compromises in terms of size or usability. (It comes with a Google Tensor G4 chipset and 16GB of RAM.)

I was seriously impressed with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold when I reviewed it, and while Google launched an updated version with the Pixel 10 series, there's not all that much difference between the 2024 and 2025 models. Given the significant reduction now offered by Amazon, I'd say it's a more appealing buy than ever.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

Since you're already carrying your phone with you everywhere like a digital appendage, you might as well use it for journaling. It's always at hand, can capture photos, videos, and voice notes as well as text, and is able to log locations, trips and more. Its new AI tools can even draft a few entries automatically for you.

What's more, your phone probably now comes with a journal app preinstalled: Apple's Journal app launched in 2023, and a brand new Journal app from Google, initially exclusive to the Pixel 10, is now available on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 too (apparently because these phones also have Gemini Nano on board). Plus, a wide selection of third-party options is available on the Android and iOS app stores.

In recent days, in an attempt to determine whether or not journaling on my phone might be for me, I've tested out both the Apple and Google offerings, as well as some of the best third-party alternatives. Here's what I found, and which apps I'd recommend if you want to log your thoughts and feelings on your phone.

The built-in options

Journal by Apple

Let's start with Journal by Apple, launched in December 2023. It's fair to say there haven't been a ton of updates released for the app since then, but all of the essentials are covered: Your journal entries can combine text, photos, videos, audio, locations, and sketches, and you can even set up multiple journals for different purposes.

I do like the way this app makes suggestions for journaling, particularly in terms of recent locations and photos—it means it's easier to get started or to jump back in after a while. There are also a good number of options for what you can attach to your journal entries, and I can see myself using the mood slider a lot.

Journaling with Apple. Credit: Lifehacker

Journal by Google

As for the Journal app that Google recently launched for Android, it is limited to those with a phone from the Pixel 8, Pixel 9, and Pixel 10 series. It's also pretty bare bones: I was able to log text, photos, videos, and places, as well as fitness data collected through Health Connect, but there's nothing here for audio or moods.

In addition, the interface is rather plain—much more spartan than the Apple equivalent. You do get a neat overview of all your posts, but it's not particularly inspiring, and you can't configure multiple journals. In addition, the AI-powered prompts for what to write about remain exclusive to Pixel 10 handsets, so you have to do without these on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9.

Google's Journal app sticks to the basics. Credit: Lifehacker

Neither of these are bad apps; each will do the job of getting down your thoughts in a digital format, with some useful extras attached. The biggest benefits are they're both well integrated into their respective operating systems, and you don't need new accounts to use them. Apple's journal app is certainly better than Google's at the moment, though it's had a two-year head start.

If you just want something quick and simple that's made by the company that made your phone (and that may well come preinstalled on your phone), then they're fine. However, these two journal apps remain rather bare bones compared to the other options, as well as keeping you locked in on either Android or iOS. That's why, if you're serious about your journaling, I think it's worth exploring a third-party app installed.

The best third-party journal apps

Day One

Day One was one of the first mobile journals to appear. Credit: Lifehacker

Outside of Google and Apple, Day One (Android and iOS) has long been one of the best journaling apps around—and you can take it with you if you ever jump between the Apple and Google platforms. It's been around since 2011 and is stacked with features, including multiple view types, prompts, tags, summaries, recaps, and a gorgeous design that looks great on every device.

Your entries can include all the usual features, plus weather details, playlists, health data, social media posts, and more. You get a lot for free, but there is also a premium plan available for $50 a year. It gives you support for unlimited images, videos, and audio, plus extras like the ability to create journal entries over email.

5 Minute Journal

5 Minute Journal focuses on positivity. Credit: Lifehacker

As someone just dipping a toe into the world of journaling, 5 Minute Journal (Android and iOS) appeals right from the name. The idea is you don't have to spend too long jotting down your thoughts and ideas each day, and the app is geared towards getting you to record the more positive aspects of your life, boosting mindfulness and well-being.

I like the writing prompts and journaling reminders this app provides to keep you motivated, as well as the really simple way you can log your mood as you go. It's also a beautifully designed and organized app—a completely different aesthetic experience than a more utilitarian option like Google Journal. However, some features (including unlimited photos and videos) requires a premium subscription, which starts at $5 a month.

Rosebud Journal

Rosebud comes with a few AI prompt extras. Credit: Lifehacker

One more recommendation from my own experience: Rosebud (Android and iOS). It's branded as "AI-powered" but thankfully you don't have to worry too much about that, and it does a really nice job of summarizing and tracking your thoughts over time, as well as encouraging you to jot stuff down in the here and now.

The app does quite a bit of hand-holding and prompting, but that's perfect if you're just getting started or struggling to journal each day, and you can always just jot down standard journal entries with text and images if you prefer. As you might have guessed given the other options on my list, there is a pro-level subscription for $13 a month that gives you a lot more insights in terms of past entries, trends, and emotional patterns and triggers, if an AI's summary of your life is interesting to you.

The best journal app is the one you use

One of the benefits of there being so many journal apps out there is that there really is something for everyone, so there's no harm in testing out Google and Apple's offerings first—they are, after all, completely free. But for journaling apps that really invest in user design and features, there are much better options out there. Now I just need to pick the one I'm going to stick with, because in the end, the best journal app is the one that you use consistently.

At this late stage in the streaming era, we're all overwhelmed by more digital subscriptions than we can keep track of, from fitness apps to cloud storage. Still, it certainly feels as though Netflix is one of the subscriptions that people are least likely to ditch—and that's backed up by the numbers.

Perhaps it's because Netflix was the first company to really make streaming work, or perhaps it's the vast catalog of content it's amassed, or perhaps it's just because of Stranger Things and Squid Game. Whatever the reason, Netflix's churn rate is impressively low. Subscribers stick with it.

Certainly it's always something I've long considered a mainstay on my streaming device. But recently, in the midst of reevaluating all of my monthly subs, I decided to save myself some money and actually cancel Netflix. It has gone so well, I'd suggest you do the same.

Here's what I've noticed since my life became Netflix-free—and I have a strong suspicion this might be your experience too. (Full disclosure: I will eventually subscribe again, if only to finish Stranger Things, but there are benefits to quitting, even if only temporarily.)

I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would

Netflix content: There's a lot of it. Credit: Lifehacker

I was quite a heavy Netflix user before I gave it up, and would often cycle through the recommended list of shows and movies in the evening and especially on weekends. I've recently binged my way through shows like The Diplomat, Dept Q., Departure, and The Glass Dome. I could always find something to watch on Netflix.

But when I stopped being able to access Netflix, I realized didn't really miss it all that much. My viewing switched to other streaming services, and free, ad-supported channels in particular. There's actually more free content out there than you might have realized. I even did some fun rewatches of movies and shows I'd previously purchased on various platforms (because I don't always want to rent something for the evening).

I've also been spending less time streaming video in general—more of my time has been put towards gaming and reading since I ditched my Netflix subscription. I've even been to an actual movie theater once or twice (not that you can see anything developed by Netflix on the big screen for the most part).

The prices keep going up

Need an extra member? That's an extra cost. Credit: Lifehacker

Before I quit Netflix, I was on the most expensive plan: It's £18.99 a month here in the U.K., and $24.99 a month in the U.S. This gets you the best audio and 4K HDR video quality, spatial audio, four simultaneous streams, and six devices for downloading content. It's actually one of the most expensive streaming packages there is, and prices keep going up.

After the great password crackdown of 2023, you can't even share the account with anyone who doesn't live with you either—at least not unless you pay an extra fee (£4.99 here in the UK, $8.99 in the US). By any measure, that's a significant chunk of money. If you're paying for the best plan plus an extra member and decide to take six months off Netflix, you'll saving yourself more than $200.

There are cheaper plans available of course, if you want to sit through ads and put up with lower-resolution video—but I thought the whole point of paying for streaming was to avoid ads? It's hard to imagine Netflix ever dropping its prices, so this is a problem that's likely to get worse over time.

Your account will be preserved for two years

Netflix will hang on to all your viewing history for a while. Credit: Lifehacker

One of the reasons you might be reluctant to cancel Netflix is because you think you'll lose years' worth of your viewing history and your personalized recommendations, and have to start again with a blank slate if you decide to sign back up. But in fact, Netflix stores your account information for 24 months—including ratings, game saves, and other account details.

As long as you resubscribe again within a couple of years, you'll find everything as you left it (though you may need to scan some plot recaps for shows you were halfway through binge watching). This suggests Netflix is keen to leave the option to resubscribe open as long as possible. In my experience, it'll definitely send you lots of emails about rejoining in the meantime.

I'm going to go back to Netflix someday—there's just too much stuff on there that I want to watch—but after years and years as a customer, it's been an interesting experiment to see what life is like without it. Certainly after this, I wouldn't be worried about taking another Netflix break in the future. When I decide I want to resubscribe, it'll only take a couple of clicks or taps.

As it does every year, Google has picked its favorite apps, games, and books of 2025 from the Play Store catalog—and the annual selection is always useful as a pointer towards some high-quality titles for your Android devices that you may have missed so far.

Topping the pile is Focus Friend from YouTuber Hank Green, which aims to keep you on task and undistracted via a series of cutesy animations and cartoon living spaces. The less you check your phone, the better the experience for your 'bean' inside the app.

It's an app we've written about before, and I've given it a go myself while trying to focus on writing this article with as few distractions as possible. I've also cast an eye over the other picks from Google, which you may want to add to your phone or tablet.

Focus Friend really does help you focus

I'd previously heard a bit of buzz around Focus Friend, but it being picked as Google's favorite Play Store app of the year gave me the nudge I needed to actually install it and give it a go. It's been earning some rave reviews, but it's not actually all that different to the many other focus apps available on mobile.

This one does ramp up the cartoon cuteness, giving you your own personal bean character who will get busy knitting as long as you're not checking other apps on your phone. You can trade the socks that get knitted for a variety of furnishings and decorations for the bean's living space, which starts off very bare indeed.

Focus Friend is built around a timer system. Credit: Lifehacker

It's a well-implemented app that's straightforward and fun to use, and I found it did encourage me to pick up my phone less. There's a pro version—yours for $2 a month—which unlocks access to more items for your bean to knit and more decorations for the surrounding room.

I like that you don't even have to sign up for an account to use the app (a constant bind if you write about tech and apps all day), and there's a decent amount of customization here—you've got sound effects and music you can turn on and off, the option to actually block other apps, and a lock screen mode to make use of.

The app offers a variety of customization options. Credit: Lifehacker

Your mileage may vary depending on how taken you are with the bean character and the various items you can get to kit out its room. This is essentially just a stopwatch with a lot of nice dressing around it, and you can get much the same effect by starting a timer on your phone—without worrying about hurting the feelings of an imaginary bean.

It's a good pick by Google, but it's also fair to say there are lots of similar apps out there. I actually prefer Forest (for Android or iOS), which grows a little forest for you rather than having a bean knit socks, but my favorite app of this type is Focus Traveller (only available on iOS, sadly for Android users) that turns your focus sessions into cross-country hikes.

More apps, games, and ebooks

There's plenty more in Google's list besides Focus Friend—and I'll confess I haven't used many of these apps or games. The best multi-device app award goes to Luminar, a comprehensive photo editing tool that's packed with tools (and AI, as you would expect). The interface adapts really well across devices, including foldables and Chromebooks.

The other apps that made the list are Instagram app Edits (best for fun), audiobook summarizer Wiser (best everyday essential), language tutor Pingo AI (best hidden gem), kids learning game ABCmouse 2 (best for families), sleep alarm SleepisolBio (best for watches), note taker Goodnotes (best for large screens), audio app SoundCloud (best for cars), and meditation app Calm (best for XR headsets).

Luminar is the best multi-device app of the year. Credit: Google

When it comes to games, the outright winner was Pokémon TCG Pocket, a digital take on the physical Pokémon card game that lets you collect cards on your Android device and battle with other players across the globe. It's going to have limited appeal outside Pokémon fans, but it's certainly well-designed.

Google's other game picks are combat racer Disney Speedstorm (best multi-device game), streetball game Dunk City Dynasty (best multi-player), card game Candy Crush Solitaire (best pick up and play), puzzle adventure Chants of Sennaar (best indie), interactive detective story Disco Elysium (best story), open-world RPG Wuthering Waves (best ongoing), dark fishing adventure Dredge (best on Play Pass), and Norse mythology MMORPG Odin: Valhalla Rising (best for Google Play Games on PC).

Disney Speedstorm is the best multi-device game. Credit: Google

There's a lot to choose from when it comes to ebooks and audiobooks, too, with 17 titles across fiction, non-fiction, and reads for younger people: from fantasy tale "The Raven Scholar" by Antonia Hodgson, to historical fiction title "Herod the Great" by Zora Neal Hurson. You can find the full list here.

As for iOS, at the time I'm writing this article Apple has announced a shortlist for the 2025 App Store Awards, but we don't have the final winners yet.

There are plenty of distractions to deal with in our modern digital age—see if you can manage to get all the way through this article without turning your attention elsewhere at least once, for example. All that surrounding noise can make it difficult to stick to the task at hand, and actually get some solid work done.

I enjoy browsing social media and exploring the web as much as the next person, but I've also got plenty of writing to get through every day, and distractions can seriously slow me down. Studies have shown that we do much better when we focus on one task at a time, which for me is writing guides and articles.

While distraction-free devices such as the Freewrite Smart Typewriter have always appealed, I wanted to be more focused while using my MacBook Air. To that end, I've come up with a strategy for minimizing distractions as much as possible, and it's something you might find helpful for your own work.

These steps apply specifically to macOS and Google Docs, which is what I use for most of my writing, but you can adapt them for Windows and other word processors too.

Turn off notifications

Focus modes are an easy way to manage notifications. Credit: Lifehacker

Notifications is a good place to start—if your laptop is continually pinging and alerting you to other things, it's hard to get anything done. On macOS, notification settings can be handled by clicking the Apple icon (top left), then System Settings > Notifications. Here you can set alerts on an app-by-app basis.

For me, the Focus entry in System Settings is even more useful. Here I've set up a dedicated Work focus mode that blocks all notifications from all apps, and leaves me in peace. To create your own mode, click Add Focus on the main list—you can either set them to run on a schedule, or enable them manually via Focus in the Control Center (click the toggle switches on the menu bar, top right, to access them).

For the best results, you need to silence your phone as well, which is likely to be interrupting you even more than your laptop. If you're using an iPhone, you can sync Focus modes across both macOS and iOS, by enabling the Share across devices toggle switch on the main Focus options screen.

Tweak your writing software

Google Docs has a few tricks for distraction-free writing. Credit: Lifehacker

Even without notifications enabled, it's easy to catch sight of something else you could be doing on your laptop, rather than concentrating on a single task. Explore the various options available within your word processor of choice to make the interface as minimal as possible—which in my case involves tweaking the look of Google Docs.

To get the same effect on your own Google Docs documents, first head to the View menu and make sure the ruler, equation toolbar, and spelling and grammar suggestions are all hidden (for me, they just add to the on-screen clutter). Then, open the Format menu and choose Switch to pageless format to get one long, flowing page.

Next, select View and pick Full screen, and then maximize the browser window in macOS using the green button up in the top left corner. Hey presto—all you've got on screen now are your words, with nothing else to distract you. To bring back the Google Docs menus and toolbars, press Esc to exit maximized mode, move the cursor to the top of the screen and click the green button again.

Turn off the internet

Turn off wifi to reduce distractions further. Credit: Lifehacker

For the most extreme version of a distraction-free writing device—heading back to the days of the typewriter—I block internet access on my laptop too (on macOS, you can just click the wifi symbol on the menu bar, top right, then toggle off Wi-Fi). Sure, it's not the most comprehensive way of blocking the internet, but it works for me, and makes me think twice about going online (yes, Google Docs can work offline).

I find it makes me less likely to check the news, social media, or email when I should be writing. The obvious problem is that I can't look up anything online either, so it's a bit of a soft rule I have—I try to at least write certain chunks of articles while offline, then do all my online research at once, and without opening dozens of browser tabs.

You can tailor this to suit yourself, but I've found switching off the internet makes me more likely to rely on my own thoughts and word choices—without recourse to a dictionary or thesaurus. Sometimes it's good to give your brain a bit of exercise, and get it to slow down and focus for a while.