I love that Gen Z always finds a way to make things fun.
🥫 This one’s for the (meal) preppers
- Store prepped portions in these microwave-safe glass containers. No microplastics and they work in the freezer (25% off for 10).
- This one’s soup-er — silicone freezer trays with lids to store individual soup or stock. Two trays are on sale for $17.99.
- Make mornings easier with grab-and-go breakfasts. This four-pack of leakproof jars is $15.99. They even have a spoon holder!
- Freezer fans know you need to label your food. Grab a set of 500 removable labels so there’s no guesswork. They’re only $6.98 on sale.
- When you’re headed to the office, pack up this chic, insulated lunchbox. The gray one is 62% off!
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So smart: Instead of just one smart plug, upgrade to a smart power strip. This one is 40% off and has six outlets you can control individually. Looks like a home office home run to me.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Global tech outage wreaks havoc
A software update by CrowdStrike took down tons of computer systems around the world. Banks, businesses, hospitals, and more were all impacted. Plus, Amazon Prime Day updates and Zoom’s demand for a return to the office.
Pass to the future: You might not need to schlep to the post office to renew your passport. The U.S. Department of State is beta-testing an online renewal system. For now, the beta is only open during unspecified “midday hours” (Eastern time) and closes when it reaches capacity each day. You can try your luck here on their site.
60% decrease
In high-paying remote jobs in the past year. Wanna make the big bucks? You’ll probably have to do it in person; only 4% of jobs paying over $250,000 annually are fully remote. And in a survey of 1,000 companies, 90% said they expect a full five-day week back in office by the end of 2024.
Scammers pretending to be the Social Security office
Be careful what information you give over the phone, especially if you aren’t expecting a call.
Ways to stay cool
Oh, joy, there’s an excessive heat warning in Phoenix this week. If it’s hot where you are, too, I’ve got your back.
- I’m a fan: Tower fans keep the air circulating. Pop one next to your bed, in your office, in the living room — wherever. This powerful model is only $38.
- Bring out the big guns: I can’t sleep without AC. This BLACK+DECKER rolling portable unit cools up to 700 square feet — or gets your bedroom chilly.
- Hot and bothered: Upgrade your pillows to these fluffy ones that always have that other-side-of-the-pillow coolness. They’re only $26, a whopping 78% off.
- Don’t forget a summer blanket: This pretty waffle blanket comes in lots of colors and is 28% off right now.
- For your desk: The strong, little USB-powered fan is only $6. Heck yeah.
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💺 Pick the right office chair: Choose one with adjustable seat height and tilt functions for good posture, aka a happy back. Lumbar support is nice for maintaining the natural curve of your spine. FYI: Pricey “gaming” chairs are often overrated. Get an ergonomic office chair instead; they’re built for long-term comfort.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
The post office delivery scam
Did you get a text about a package from the post office or FedEx? Stop and think. This message could be a dangerous scam.
Bryan Johnson says he's aging in reverse
Remember Bryan Johnson, the tech millionaire trying not to die? He says his body now ages only 7.6 months for every 12. We’ll also cover how employers are luring people back to the office and why Apple is changing plans for the Vision Pro headset.
🤖 AI in office: A ChatGPT-powered bot named “VIC” is running for mayor in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Legally speaking, an AI can’t run for office, but its human creator, Victor Miller, can. If elected, VIC will make the decisions, and Miller will just be the meatpuppet executing its orders. I wish I was joking.
Gen Z is taking parents to job interviews
I can promise any Gen Z that if they walk in my office looking for a job and their MOM is sitting in the lobby…it’s going to be a no. Mommy can’t hold your hand through life kiddo!
Your eyes only: Make sure someone can’t open a doc on your PC. In MS Office and Google Docs, click the Help button in the menu bar. Click Help again, then type in Encrypt with Password. Your program of choice will walk you through the steps.
Employees are suing over going back to work
With the COVID emergency long gone, can employers fire workers who refuse to come back into the office? Plus, Apple Watch gets the FDA green light, why you should power down, and watch for this TSA scam.
Office freebie: Unless you absolutely need Microsoft 365, don’t waste your money. I’ve recommended LibreOffice, the free, open-source office software suite, for years, and it just got a major update. Plus, it works on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Clippy’s back …: … Kind of. Winpilot, a third-party tool that helps optimize your Windows OS, now includes a built-in assistant called — you guessed it — Clippy. Much like the original Office 97 assistant, it mostly assists with stuff you can do already in your Settings menu. But it can help you remove Windows 11’s built-in AI assistant, Copilot. Assistant-on-assistant crime: You hate to see it.
Phone(y) bills: If you use Verizon, watch out for phony invoice emails from “33mail.com.” They link you to a fake Office 365 sign-in page that could allow them to hack your account. Don’t click that link. If you get an email that looks “phishy” or has mismatched sender names and addresses, mark it as spam ASAP.
Bad day at the office: Rivian, once the darling of the EV world, cut 10% of its staff and dialed back on production. Its stock took a 25% nosedive. Will the R2 model save the day? With production not starting until 2026 and battery fears looming, sounds like a bumpy road. I wouldn’t buy one.