The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro Is Like a GoPro for Power Users

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GoPro has such a hold over the action camera world, casual users might assume its brand name is synonymous with action cameras as a whole. But simply assuming GoPro is the be-all and end-all of small, dedicated cameras would do a disservice to popular competitors like DJI. It won’t take long when watching any tech YouTuber’s behind the scenes videos to start seeing DJI’s products pop up—one creator has even famously gotten in trouble for stress testing a DJI camera by speeding—and that’s for good reason. DJI’s gear tends to punch in the same weight class as GoPro’s while costing a little less, and arguably having slightly better specs. The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is no different.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

What is the DJI Osmo Action Series?

If your parents saw you with a DJI Osmo Action camera, they might ask “is that a GoPro?” But if your nerdy tech friend saw the same thing, they’d probably say “nice.” Since 2019, Chinese company DJI has been trying its best to make a foothold in the United States action camera scene, using what it’s learned from making drones and professional level gear (DJI equipment has been used in shows including Better Call Saul and Game of Thrones) to appeal to a more casual market while still maintaining an edge among power users. That’s resulted in a moderately affordable camera line that can really sing if you know what you’re doing, but can take a little time for everyone else to get accustomed with.

What’s new with the Osmo Action 5 Pro?

To that end, the improvements to the Osmo Action 5 Pro (which is a sequel to the Osmo Action 4, with “Pro” tacked onto the end as a new marketing term) tend to be a bit nerdier than the flashy modular lenses GoPro announced alongside its new Hero 13 Black, but they’re no less meaningful, especially if raw numbers are what you care about most.

In other words, open the box and you’ll get the same small rectangular form factor that you’re probably used to by now (the camera measures in at a rough 1.7 x 2.8 x 1.3 inches), plus a larger rear screen, but you won’t see any major surprises. Take one look at the spec sheet, though, and you might start to understand the appeal.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Yes, the raw resolution and frame rate limits are the same as on the Osmo Action 4, ranging from 1080p at 240 fps to 4K at 120 fps, and the field of view still tops out at a respectable 155 degrees. But inside the camera, you have a new image sensor with a larger pixel size (meaning better lighting and motion clarity), a more efficient processor for larger battery life, a bigger battery at 1,950 mAh, 48GB of internal storage, and touch-sensitive OLED panels for both displays.

Some of those specs immediately put the DJI ahead of the competition, since GoPro cameras have a slightly smaller pixel size, do not have internal storage, have no OLED, and only come with one touch-sensitive screen. GoPro cameras also have a smaller aperture, which could make shooting in low-light conditions more difficult than with a DJI camera, although the aperture in the Osmo Action 5 Pro remains unchanged from the past few models.

Do the Osmo Action 5 Pro’s improvements make a difference?

The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is my first time actually going hands-on with a DJI camera, so for my own testing, I’ll be placing it up against the competition more than prior models. My biggest takeaway? Wow, this thing is long-lasting.

Usually, when I take an action camera out for testing, I expect to lose about 30 or even 40% of my battery life in one to two hours of on-and-off recording—these devices aren’t really intended to run continuously for long periods of time. With the Osmo Action 5 Pro, I only lost about 20% after going on a 90-minute excursion.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

That’s a little better than I got on the Hero 13 Black, which was down to 20% after only an hour, and matches the testing done by Lifehacker sister site PCMag. While both numbers are admirable, the Osmo Action 5 Pro is class-leading.

PCMag also mentioned that its review unit of the GoPro Hero 13 Black suffered from overheating, and while I only experience mild heat spikes, I had similar issues with the Hero 12 Black. Meanwhile, the DJI camera was always cool to the touch.

As for the footage itself, I’m sated. Nothing is exceptionally good or bad, and all results are about as expected, although maybe a little brighter than what I was used to with my GoPro. Image stabilization is smooth and moving objects have little blur to them, at least during the daytime, but I don’t want to oversell it. With the exception of slightly brighter footage, most of the video improvements here are a bit too slight for my casual eyes.

I’ve been sitting on this footage for a little bit now, so you’ll see some Halloween decorations in my example shots, and the camera performed well in capturing all the details of artificial spider webs and skeletons. It also did well in capturing more natural environments, like the fall leaves in the trees overhead. But while this does the job of producing footage worthy for use in professional projects, it doesn’t necessarily stand out.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Where the Osmo Action 5 Pro does make a bit more of a name for itself, though, is with photos. I was impressed with the out-of-the-box detail here, especially in low light, while I pretty much refuse to take photos on the Hero 13 Black without the $129 Macro Lens Mod attached. With that add-on, it’s a bit more of an even experience, but it’s clear that the DJI camera offers more bang for your buck.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

A split accessory ecosystem

It might sound odd to say, but the quality of your footage might not be the deciding factor in which action camera you get. There are only so many ways to make 4K at high frame rates look better, so it’s supplemental features that can be the kingmaker here.

Aside from improving battery life or built-in screen quality, the big way to make a name for yourself in this space is with accessories. Here, GoPro and DJI take two separate approaches, with neither being objectively better.

Both companies offer the basics, including mounts (which are generous enough to work with either brand), cases, extra batteries, and as of the GoPro Hero 13 Black, magnetic adapters, but their approaches differ a little bit when it comes to video and audio.

Credit: Michelle Ehrardt

Essentially, if you want more lens options, GoPro is your go-to. If you want more microphone options, then you’ll want to opt for DJI. There are third-party options for both, but there are perks to buying straight from the manufacturer.

For instance, the GoPro Hero 13 Black introduced a series of modular lenses that I was pretty impressed by, since they open up new aspect ratios, better close-up detail, various ND filters for different lighting conditions, and a wider field-of-view. DJI, meanwhile, only makes ND filters and one lens for upping the field of view, although that lens does give you 182 degrees vs. the GoPro Ultra Wide Lens’ 177 degrees.

By contrast, GoPro doesn’t make any microphones, whereas DJI is arguably known just as much for its microphones as for its drones and cameras. And while you can use DJI microphones with GoPro devices, the benefit of using them with the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is that certain newer mics will support a direct connection with the camera, resulting in higher quality audio than you’d get over Bluetooth without the need for an adapter.

Ultimately, I’d say that the accessory field for either brand is strong, and ultimately depends on what you need. However, given that every video needs audio, but not all of them need, say, an anamorphic lens, DJI might have a slight advantage for most people.

The confusing app ecosystem

One place where DJI does not have an advantage is the app experience. On the surface, both DJI and GoPro offer similar features, including a player for your camera’s video clips and a basic editor, but with an optional subscription, GoPro’s app also offers unlimited automatic cloud backups, cross-device sync, an expanded editor, and automatic highlight generation.

None of these features are strictly necessary, although it’s nice that they’re an option. But what really makes the GoPro app stand out over DJI’s, even on the free tier, is that it’s optional and easier to navigate.

Credit: DJI

Frustratingly, setting up the Osmo Action 5 Pro requires activating it via the app, or else you’re not going to get its needed firmware. That means sitting through an entire front page of ads, and if you’re like me, plenty of pairing issues. I actually had to settle for installing the needed firmware through an SD card, but even then, I still needed to use the app to initialize the install.

Meanwhile, the GoPro app is much more what-you-see-is-what-you-get, with easy to understand menus and no ads for other GoPro products cluttering up the interface. And if you’d rather ignore it, you can.

Should you buy the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro?

With a lower price point and specs matching or sometimes exceeding GoPro’s recent flagship, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro seems like the best action camera for most people on paper, but it’s not quite that simple. It’s still an excellent camera, but I’m hesitant to say it’s the best one for everybody.

If all you need is a simple, point-and-shoot device and you don’t rely on a lot of different lenses or mobile editing too much, then yes, the DJI is probably for you. If you need professional-level audio, it’s also a good choice. But there’s no denying that GoPro offers an easier-to-understand user experience, and its modular lenses are still a cool add-on option.

With that said, I’d say the Osmo Action 5 Pro is probably better for power users, who likely have other gear to help supplement it, while the GoPro Hero 13 Black might be better for beginners who want one device that can do it all, supported by an intuitive mobile experience.

But with the Osmo Action 5 Pro starting at $350 (you can pay extra to get bundles with various mounts or backup batteries) and the GoPro Hero 13 Black costing $400 without any of its extra lenses or its mobile app subscription, that’s a fine line to walk. You’d certainly be happy with either, assuming you’re willing to sit through DJI’s subpar mobile app long enough to set up the Osmo Action 5 Pro.

It’s also worth pointing out that these are both flagships. If you need a rugged dedicated camera, but don’t need modularity or extra high frame rates, cheaper options like the $180 GoPro Hero should do the job just as well.

OpenAI’s ‘Deep Research’ Can Actually Make Professional Reports With Citations

Not to be out-done by Deepseek, OpenAI is launching a new Deep Research feature in ChatGPT. This is OpenAI’s newest Agentic AI feature (after Operator), which builds on the recent trend of making AI more autonomous. According to OpenAI, Deep Research is capable of producing detailed reports matching the level of a research analyst. In a layperson’s terms, it browses and interprets the internet for you.

Deep Research uses OpenAI’s upcoming o3 reasoning model to perform complex tasks, taking its own sweet time to do so. The feature is available now for ChatGPT Pro customers (the pricey sub that costs $200/month), but will soon be available for ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users as well.

How OpenAI’s Deep Research AI Agent works

OpenAI’s Deep Research tool is designed to work independently from you. You give it a detailed prompt, after which it’ll ask some clarifying questions. Then, it will go and do its own thing in the background. According to OpenAI, a Deep Research stint can last anywhere between 5 minutes and 30 minutes, but the company claims it’s able to do multiple hours worth of human-level work in the span within just a dozen or so minutes.

While it’s working, there’s a panel on the right side of the page that shows everything it’s doing, live. Think of this as the bot’s citations, but it also explains its “thought process.” It can connect to the internet, search online, read web pages, and analyze or synthesize massive amounts of information in the form of text, images, and PDFs. All of this is a bit compute-intensive, so OpenAI is limiting Pro users to just 100 queries a month. A smaller, more efficient model will be rolled out in the coming months, as well.

The Deep Research feature is purpose-built for knowledge workers in the field of science, finance, engineering, and policy. But OpenAI says that it can be equally useful for consumers too. OpenAI gave an example of how Deep Research can help perform hyper-personalized research for big shopping decisions. Things like helping you decide between cars, furniture, appliances, or electronics. Since the tool can synthesize information from thousands of articles and reviews, it can supposedly build a report customized to your needs.

Credit: OpenAI

According to OpenAI, “deep research was rated by domain experts to have automated multiple hours of difficult, manual investigation”

OpenAI offers multiple examples where Deep Research’s insights can be valuable to users, saving hours of research time. The company says it can be used to understand extremely niche and specific problems via scientific studies and journals.

Expert level Chemistry Research in OpenAI Deep Research.

Credit: OpenAI

For example, a Chemistry prompt asks ChatGPT to “discuss the differences between pure- and mixed-gas sorption for glassy polymers, how the dual-mode sorption model can be used to predict mixed-gas sorption behavior in glassy polymers,” the model then goes on to understand sorption models, accesses open-source information, clarifies key problems, pulls up PDFs, and even refines the model before piecing together all the content. According to OpenAI, this task helped save 4 hours of time.

OpenAI’s post also highlights similar use cases for Deep Research in the healthcare industry and linguistics, saving five hours and two hours, respectively.

Deep Research also supposedly performed well on Humanity’s Last Exam, an AI benchmark, testing expert-level knowledge across more than 100 fields. Deep Research scored 26.6% accuracy, the highest score yet on the text. By comparison, DeepSeek-R-1 scored 9.4%, and GPT-4o managed just 3.3%.

While Deep Research is based on a reasoning model, and not an LLM, it still uses a language model to work with the input, and generate the output text. OpenAI warns that the Deep Research model can still hallucinate and make up facts, so it’s still better to keep an eye on the research output, and not to trust it blindly.

These Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Are Under $80 Right Now

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Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 are down to $79.99 (from $119.99) on Woot for the next five days or until they sell out. If you’re a Prime member, you also get free shipping; otherwise, it’ll cost you an extra $6 (just a heads-up, though: These won’t ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or any P.O. Bboxes).

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3

at Woot

These AirPod-like earbuds have triangular stems, which reportedly help with fit and touch controls. You can pinch the front of the stem to control playback and ANC, and swiping on the back changes the volume. The controls are mirrored on both sides, though customization is limited—you can set the pinch-and-hold gesture to either toggle ANC, activate Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, or enable the AI-based Interpreter feature through the Samsung Wear app, but that’s about it.

Each earbud has a single 11mm dynamic driver, so sound quality should be fine for casual listening, but if you’re after audiophile-level quality, you might find the Galaxy Buds 3 lacking, notes this PCMag review. They support Bluetooth 5.3 and the AAC, SBC, and Samsung Scalable (SSC) codecs, but that last one only works on Samsung phones. If you have an iPhone or another (non-Samsung) Android device, you’re stuck with only AAC or SBC codecs and you’ll miss out on some AI features like live translation in Conversation Mode. You can still connect them via Bluetooth, but the Samsung Wear app won’t give you full functionality (like tweaking EQ settings, toggling ANC, and more). If LDAC support for higher-quality streaming is a must-have for you, you might want to check out the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99.99) instead.

The Buds 3 come with a 90-day Woot limited warranty and have an IP57 rating, meaning they can handle sweat and rain, making them a decent option for workouts. They also support Google Fast Pair and automatic switching between Samsung devices (though multipoint connectivity isn’t included). That said, their battery life isn’t great—five hours per charge with ANC on (or six without), plus 19 extra hours from the case. You can charge them via USB-C or wirelessly.

Cattle and Bison Imports from Mexico Resume Under New Protocol

How to Change the Top Speed of and Aventon Pace 500.3

I absolutely love the Aventon Pace 500.3 e-bike. As I noted in my review, it’s a solid all-around bike, powerful enough for experienced riders, but friendly enough for beginners. If this is your first e-bike, there are a few things you should do before you hop onto it and start riding.

While the Aventon Pace 500.3 is ready to hit the road as soon as it is assembled and charged, if you want to get the most out of your new ride, you should take a few minutes to pair your bike with the Aventon app and customize the settings. Changing things like the screen brightness and the measurement units is helpful, but you’ll probably be most interested in setting your ride’s top speed.

Understanding the Aventon Pace 500.3 dashboard

Before I get into the bike and the app’s menus and settings, let’s take a moment to understand the Pace’s dashboard controls. They’re easy to grasp at a glance and comparable to those you’ll see on most e-bikes, but if this is a your first time, there are a couple things worth noting.

Credit: Stephen Johnson

Here’s a breakdown of what each button on the panel on the left handlebar does:

The + and – keys control the level of pedal assist, from one to five. (A higher number equals more assistance.)
The left and right arrows control the turn signals.
The center button is power.
The switch is the throttle: push it downward to go.

That’s all pretty basic, but there are a couple of less obvious things you can do here too:

Long press the up arrow to turn on the headlight on and off.
Hold down the + and – keys at the same time to bring up the settings menu.

How to change settings from the Pace 500.3 dashboard

Credit: Stephen Johnson

There’s not a ton of customization available to you from the handlebars, but if you want your display to read “kilometers” instead of “miles” this is the spot to change it.

For most other changes, you’ll have to pair your bike with Aventon’s app first. Here’s how to do it:

Choose “connect to app” from the on-bike menu screen
You should see a QR code. Scan the code, download the app, and make your account.

Once you’ve paired your bike with your app once, they should connect automatically every time. The app is not necessary for riding the bike, and if you don’t use it for a while, the bike should “fill in” the miles and other information from your rides since the last time you synced the two.

How to change the top speed of an Aventon Pace 500.3

To change the top speed of an Aventon 500.3, you need to use the menus in the app. You can set your top speed anywhere between 12 and 28 miles per hour., but before you make a choice, look into e-bike laws in your locality.

There are three basic classifications of e-bikes, and how they work is a little convoluted:

Class 1 e-bike are pedal assist only and top out at 20 mph.
Class 2 e-bikes have a throttle and pedal assist and a speed limit of 20 mph.
Class 3 e-bikes have a top speed of 28 mph, and are technically pedal-assist only, though in practice, many or even most class 3 e-bikes let you use either a throttle or pedal assist up 20 mph, then limit you to pedal assist for the last 8mph.

Most places in the U.S. (but not everywhere) allow class 3 e-bikes to ride wherever analog bikes can legally go..

The Aventon Pace 500.3 is a class 3 e-bike, but it doesn’t come configured that way. Out of the box, the top speed is set at 20 mph, and you need to use the app if you want to raise it to 28—or lower it for that matter.

Once you know what’s legal, here’s how to change the top speed on your Aventon Pace.

Sign onto the app.

Credit: Stephen Johnson

Click “settings” underneath the front wheel to bring up this menu:

Credit: Stephen Johnson

Click “Speed Limit and Metric” and you can set your bike’s speed from anywhere between 12 mph and 28 mph.

That’s about it when it comes to changing settings on the Aventon Pace 500.3

If you’re into tinkering around with your e-bike, the Pace 500.3 might disappoint you. While some other brands allow users to get more granular and change things like the size of the wheel or the torque level of the throttle, altering those settings isn’t possible for users of the Pace 500.3.

Watch Out for This ‘Chrome Update’ Scam

Software updates are important and inevitable. To expand features and patch existing security issues, you need to update your apps and machines. If you avoid updating, you might find certain programs, functions, or even websites stop working as they should.

However, if you visit a website, and you see a prompt to update Chrome in order to proceed, run away. In all likelihood, you just encountered a scam. Don’t fall for it.

WordPress sites are getting hacked

The scam in question is targeting WordPress websites—10,000 of them, in fact. That’s according to c/side, a web security company, whose research uncovered the current attacks.

Here’s what’s going on: Hackers are hijacking sites that are running outdated versions of WordPress and plugins. (c/side hypothesizes attackers are exploiting a vulnerability in a particular WordPress plugin to execute their schemes.) Attackers are using two types of “popular” malware variants: AMOS (Atomic macOS Stealer), which goes after Apple devices, and SocGholish, which is designed for Windows devices.

When you visit one of these affected websites, hackers override the actual content of the site with a new, fake page. This manipulated content purports to be an alert that you need to update your browser in order to visit this site, as the page uses “the new chromium engine.” The hackers sprinkle in a few different elements on this page to sell the scam, including two different update options, a check box to sign up or automatic usage stats and crash reports, and links to Google’s, Chrome’s, and ChromeOS’ Terms of Service. You’ll also see a Chrome logo, different menu options, and a rendering of a Chrome window.

Credit: c/side

These hackers are more clever than most. To an untrained eye, this alert page might look quite real. There are some red flags, of course: The hackers don’t have the best grip on grammar, and haven’t capitalized “Chromium,” or the first word in “by downloading Chrome.” You also wouldn’t expect to see Google use a comma between “The site uses the new chromium engine, to continue it needs to be updated.”

But if you’re trying to access a site and you see this message pop up, a quick glance might not be enough to distinguish this from a typical Google Chrome update alert. However, if you click one of the update options, that’s where the trouble starts. The hackers’ goal is to get you to download a malicious file onto your machine. Whether you have a Mac or a PC, this malware is designed to steal your password and other important information. AMOS malware, for example, steals data from Macs like usernames, passwords, cookies, and crypto wallets.

Obviously, this type of hacking is dangerous. Imagine you inadvertently download this “update” onto your computer, and the malware gets to work scraping your usernames and passwords. It can then report back to the hackers, who take that information and break into your accounts—particularly your financial accounts.

c/side hasn’t disclosed a full list of the affected websites, but says that some of the internet’s most popular websites are affected.

Where to go from here

If you run a WordPress site, c/side recommends updating your WordPress installation and plugins and remove any you no longer use. You should also look for any of the scripts the researchers identified and look for any signs of malicious activity.

For the rest of us, if you believe you downloaded any malicious files from these websites, you should clear out your machine as soon as possible. You could try to identify the compromised files and remove them, but you may want to try a program that can scan your machine for you, such as Malwarebytes or Bitdefender. (c/side offers a similar service as well, which it promotes in its findings.)

Common Bathroom Repairs That Seem Difficult but Are Actually Really Easy

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Home improvement projects large and small can make us happier, our homes more comfortable and livable, and our property more valuable. But there’s a reason many people hesitate to take on some of these projects: They seem really complicated, difficult, and even dangerous. If you’ve never done any DIY home improvement projects, it’s easy to imagine that you’ll quickly get in over your head and make matters worse.

All of this is exacerbated in the bathroom, which is vital to our everyday health and hygiene. There are plenty of bathroom repairs best left to the professionals—but even if you’re totally inexperienced and wouldn’t know a Phillips-head screwdriver from a flathead, there are some basic bathroom repairs that seem a lot more difficult than they actually are. With a minimum number of basic tools and some YouTube videos, you can tackle all the things on this list.

Change a faucet

If you’re just looking to replace a faucet and there’s no leak or other problem to repair, you can most likely accomplish the task with just a single adjustable wrench. (A basin wrench, designed specifically for these tight spaces, makes the job even easier but isn’t absolutely necessary.) You can see what’s involved in this video—just follow the instructions that come with the new faucet and you should be golden. Not every faucet will be this easy, but the vast majority of simple kitchen and bath faucets will be. The hardest part is squeezing yourself into the tight space under the sink to do the work.

Number of tools needed: 1 (adjustable wrench)

Regrout

If your shower grout is beyond a simple cleaning—caked in mold and other stains that won’t come out, cracking, or falling out—you might assume replacing it is going to require finding an expert. But this is an easy—if labor-intensive—job that anyone can do. All you need is a grout saw (you can also buy a grout saw blade for multi-tools, if you have one—just make sure you buy the right size), a grout float, a sponge, and a bucket (and, of course, grout). The process, as shown here, is pretty straightforward, especially if you use a pre-mixed grout. Just be sure to follow directions in terms of wiping off the excess grout before it sets into a glaze that will make your tiles look dull.

Number of tools needed: 2 (grout saw, float)

Recaulk

Just like grout, changing out the caulk in your bathroom or kitchen might seem like a challenge, but it’s actually really easy. There are basically two steps, which you can see in this video:

Remove the existing nasty, gross caulk that needs to go. Use a utility knife to scrape it out of the corners. You can use a caulk removing product to soften it up, which might make removal cleaner and easier, but it’s not a requirement.
Caulk. Clean up and load your caulk gun with an appropriate bathroom caulk and apply a line of caulk to the gaps. Smooth with your finger and let it cure—done! For a better job, taping the joints with painter’s tape will give you nice, sharp lines.

Number of tools needed: 2 (utility knife, caulking gun)

Swap out the shower head

If your shower head is leaking or corroded, you don’t need a plumber. Replacing it will require two tools and about five minutes. Just disconnect the existing shower head using an adjustable wrench (this might take some elbow grease, and a lubricant like WD-40 can help loosen a corroded nut), clean the threads at the end of the pipe to get rid of any old Teflon tape, apply new Teflon tape to the threads, and attach the new shower head. That’s it! Tighten it up, test the water to make sure it doesn’t leak, and enjoy your shiny new shower head (but keep it clean going forward).

Number of tools needed: 2 (adjustable wrench, Teflon tape)

Replace laminate flooring

If you have laminate flooring in the bathroom and one of the planks has suffered water damage or some other problem, replacing it isn’t difficult as long as you have a spare piece of that flooring left over. If you don’t, you can try to match it, but be warned that different batches of flooring can sometimes have subtle differences in color and finish that aren’t unnoticeable in the store but show up pretty clearly when the planks are side-by-side under the same lighting.

If you have a spare plank or two, you can pretty easily pry up the damaged plank (you can make this easier by cutting down the middle of the plank with a circular saw—just be sure to set the blade depth properly so you don’t cut into the underlayment or the subfloor). Cut your new plank to size, then use a utility knife to slice off the “tongue” part of the plank (see it done here). This will allow you to just drop the replacement plank into place, but since you removed the tongue, you’ll need to use some glue to adhere the plank once it’s in. Weigh it down for a day, and you should be good to go.

Number of tools needed: 5 (utility knife, rubber mallet, prybar, circular or table saw, laminate floor glue)

Fix the toilet

Finally, there’s the toilet. People’s apprehension about working with a toilet is understandable, but it’s actually a really simple thing. If your toilet is leaking from the bottom, running constantly, or has a loose handle, these are all things you can handle with minimal tools or experience:

Leaking: If your toilet is leaking at the bottom, you need to fix it right away or you risk water damage and mold. The culprit is probably an old wax ring—but removing a toilet and replacing the wax ring is easy:

Turn off the water supply and flush the toilet. Drain any remaining water (a siphon or pump can be helpful, but an old-fashioned cup and some towels will get the job done—still, expect to get a little damp).
Pop off the plastic bolt protectors, and remove the bolts using an adjustable wrench.
Lift the toilet off the floor and set it on its side.
Remove the old wax ring residue from the bottom of the toilet and the flange in the floor using a putty knife. Place your new wax ring on the bottom of the toilet, reset it on the floor, and sit on it to mush the wax ring down into place. Then bolt it down, pop the bolt protectors back on, and turn the water on.
Number of tools needed: 3 (adjustable wrench, putty knife, wax ring)

Running: If your toilet constantly runs, it’s probably the flapper in the tank. This is so easy you don’t even need tools:

Turn off the water and flush the toilet.
Remove the tank lid.
Disconnect chain from flapper, and remove flapper.
Insert new flapper (you can buy universal ones if you’re not sure what kind your toilet needs), reconnect the chain, replace the tank lid, and turn on the water.
Number of tools needed: 0

Loose handle: If the flush handle on your toilet has become so loose it’s challenging to flush the toilet, you probably don’t need a new one. Just lift off the tank lid and check to see if the plastic nut that connects it to the flapper is loose. You can usually hand-tighten this in about ten seconds. If you think it needs a bit more oomph, you can use an adjustable wrench, but that’s probably overkill.

Number of tools needed: 0-1 (an adjustable wrench might be needed)

How to Cast Your Phone to a Hotel TV

It’s hard to imagine a time when hotels TVs didn’t feel vestigial. Not all that long ago, some made their TVs a selling point, plastering “free HBO” all over their roadside signs. These days, guests are more likely to stick to their phones, sacrificing their room’s beautiful 48-inch flatscreen on the altar of TikTok and YouTube. But with just a little extra work, you can get the best of both worlds and cast whatever is on your phone to your hotel room’s smart TV.

How to cast your iPhone to a hotel TV

There are official and unofficial options to send what’s on your iPhone to a TV. Let’s start with the most legit.

Use AirPlay (provided your hotel supports it)

iPhones can now use AirPlay to stream content from their phone directly to a TV at select hotels. The feature is available at “more than 60” IHG Hotels & Resorts locations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, so give it a try the next time you’re staying at a Holiday Inn or Candlewood Suites.

The process is pretty painless: Upon turning your TV on, you should notice a QR code on the welcome screen. Simply scan it with a compatible Apple device to both connect to your room’s wifi and authorize AirPlay to that screen.

And that’s it—because the QR code is unique to your hotel room, you shouldn’t find yourself accidentally streaming to other guests’ sets, or vice versa. Apple says more locations will be added “in the coming months,” which makes sense—the limited rollout probably has something to do with the special LG TVs required for the setup, meaning it’ll take time for other locations to stock the new displays.

But what if you’re not staying at an IHG property? This is where the hacks come in.

Other ways to cast an iPhone to a hotel TV

There are plenty of dongles, like Roku and Fire TV sticks, that work with AirPlay right out of the box. The problem is getting a hotel TV to accept them.

Hotel TVs tend to be a bit strict about which devices they’ll let you plug in. That’s thanks to special control boxes that lock them down. Luckily, if you can physically get to your TV’s hookups, you can (carefully) remove these boxes. Lifehacker has covered it before, but the gist is to look for an ethernet cable (or possibly an HDMI cable), gently remove it, and restart the TV before hooking up your accessories. Depending on your hotel, you might also want to disconnect the control box from power if you’re able. Note that you do this at your own risk—it’s possible your hotel won’t be happy with you unplugging its hardware.

Once your device is plugged in, try swapping the TV input to your dongle and seeing if it works. If it does, simply connect it to wifi (you might need to open a browser page to do it, depending on your hotel) and you’re good to go. If using the hotel’s wifi isn’t an option, don’t worry—AirPlay can work without it, and you can always fall back on a mobile hotspot.

(Just be sure to hook your TV’s control box up again before checking out!)

Chromecast HD With Google TV

$53.27
at Amazon

How to cast an Android Phone to a hotel TV

Streaming an Android phone, like a Pixel 8 Pro or Galaxy S24 Ultra, to a hotel TV is much like streaming an iPhone, but with a few extra quirks, some of which can work in your favor. For instance, hotel chains like Wyndham and Hyatt already have Chromecasts connected to their TVs, letting you cast from your phone, or at least log into your streaming services, depending on how locked down they are. If you’re lucky enough to have a Chromecast officially set up from the start, just follow your hotel’s instructions and you should be good to go. As time goes on, you might also see hotels with Google TV Streamers instead, as the Chromecast brand has technically been discontinued.

Alternatively, your TV could have Google Cast built-in. Much like with Airplay, LG is now adding built-in Cast support to its hotel TVs, letting you sign-in via a QR code and requiring no extra hardware. LG says this will work on any hotel TV running webOS23 or later, which comes pre-installed on models released from 2023 on, and can also be applied to certain models from 2022. Theoretically, this should allow for wider availability than even LG’s Airplay support, although it might take a while for the hotel industry’s TV hardware to catch up.

That’s why you might also want to bring your own dongle, like a Fire TV Stick or Chromecast, with you. While it’s possible to stream content from an Android phone to a TV without a dongle, it’s probably not going to be easy in a hotel environment, since these workarounds usually require accessing specific smart TV apps or functions that you can’t depend on your hotel to have or allow you to access.

For the most seamless experience, I recommend a Chromecast (it’ll be cheaper and smaller than a Google TV streamer, and will still work despite being discontinued), as certain other dongles can only mirror your screen, rather than cast content across devices. With casting, you’ll ensure you get the best resolution, and generally have a more intuitive experience. (Note, though, that Chromecasts do require wifi when they boot.)

Once you’re in your hotel room with your dongle, you’ll want to connect it to your TV following the same steps outlined in the iPhone section above: gently remove the hotel control box’s connection to the TV, restart the TV, plug your Chromecast in, and swap to the proper input to test that everything worked.

If it did, try to connect your dongle to wifi (again, you may need to open a browser page). If the hotel’s wifi isn’t working, you can either use a mobile hotspot to try casting, or you can screen mirror without using wifi at all, depending on your dongle (the Fire TV Stick is a good choice if this is a concern).

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

The Five Best Tax Filing Services for 2025

It’s officially tax season. While you’re probably eligible to file your taxes for free, with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right service. Here are some of the most popular tax filing services, their pros and cons, and who they might be best suited for.

Intuit TurboTax

TurboTax is one of the most well-known and widely used tax filing services. It offers a range of options, from free filing for simple returns to more comprehensive packages for those with more complex tax situations.

Pros:

User-friendly interface and step-by-step guidance
Extensive help resources, including live support
Ability to import data from previous years or employers
Guaranteed maximum refund or reimbursement of fees

Cons:

Can be expensive for more complex returns
Upselling of additional services or products

Best for: Those with relatively straightforward tax situations who value convenience and a user-friendly experience.

H&R Block

H&R Block is another major player in the tax filing game, offering both online and in-person services.

Pros:

Robust online platform with solid support resources
Option for in-person assistance at local offices
Free filing for simple returns

Cons:

Online product can be more expensive than competitors
In-person service fees can add up quickly

Best for: Those who prefer the option of in-person assistance or have more complex tax situations that may require professional guidance.

TaxAct

TaxAct is a more affordable online option that still offers a range of features and support.

Pros:

Lower prices compared to some competitors
Good support resources, including live chat and video tutorials
Free filing for simple returns

Cons:

Interface may not be as user-friendly as some others
Fewer hand-holding features for complex situations

Best for: Budget-conscious filers with relatively straightforward tax situations who are comfortable with a more DIY approach.

FreeTaxUSA

As the name implies, FreeTaxUSA offers free federal tax filing for all filers, with paid state filing options.

Pros:

Truly free federal filing with no income limits
Clean, straightforward interface
Good support resources

Cons:

Limited hand-holding for complex situations
State filing fees, though relatively low

Best for: Those looking for a solid, no-frills free option for federal filing, especially those with simple tax situations.

Cash App Taxes

Cash App Taxes (formerly known as Credit Karma Tax) is the go-to example of truly free tax filing. If you’re determined to file your taxes for free, Cash App Taxes is the way to go.

Pros:

Really, truly free
Supports major IRS forms and schedules
Simple, understandable website and mobile app

Cons:

Missing some forms and situations
No expert tax help
Requires a Cash App account to use

Best for: People who have only W-2 income and a few deductions and credits.

Tips for getting the most from your tax software

The best thing you can do is get started on your taxes as soon as possible. Gather all necessary documents before beginning, and even take advantage of early-bird pricing when available.

The more time you give yourself, the more likely you’ll be to really maximize deductions. Use the service’s deduction-finding tools, and consider upgrading to premium versions if they offer additional deduction-finding features.

Finally, keep records of everything. Here’s my guide to creating the ultimate spreadsheet for your taxes now, so that next year will be a breeze.

The closer it gets to the deadline, the harder it will be to get support from tax filing services if you run into issues or have questions. Their customer service lines and live chat queues will be overloaded. Start now and beat the last-minute rush. And if you run into trouble, here’s how to finally reach a real human on the phone at the IRS.

OpenAI’s Reasoning Model Is Now Free on Copilot

Following a surge in popularity for Chinese AI app Deepseek and its free reasoning model this week, frequent OpenAI collaborator Microsoft is helping America’s AI leader drop the paywall on its own reasoning model, giving all Copilot users free access to OpenAI o1.

Notice the distinct lack of a “Plus” or “Pro” after “Copilot.” You won’t need specialized hardware for this, nor will you need a ChatGPT or Copilot subscription. The news came via a LinkedIn post from Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, wherein the executive said Copilot’s “Think Deeper” feature is now “free and available for all users of Copilot.”

Think Deeper began testing in October and essentially gives the chatbot more time (about 30 seconds) to consider your request before providing an answer. It doesn’t have access to the internet, so it can’t search for real-time information, but in turn, it can walk you through the steps it took to arrive at an answer, and will supposedly self-correct.

The goal here is to make the AI better at handling complex topics and STEM-related prompts—for example, OpenAI says that o1 can solve 83% of problems on the International Mathematics Olympiad, while non-reasoning model GPT-4o can only solve 13%.

To use Think Deeper in Copilot, simply click or tap the “Think Deeper” button while entering your prompt. If you don’t see it, it might take a little bit to roll out to you—I’m also in the same boat.

Suleyman didn’t specify any limits to the new o1 model access, although I’d assume they’re the same as the free version of Copilot’s other limits, which means you might not have access during peak times. But it’s still a better deal than on ChatGPT’s own site, where limited o1 access costs $20 a month and unlimited access costs $200 a month.

The sudden shift towards a free option for o1 can’t help but feel like a response to Deepseek’s R1, which that company claimed matched o1 on several metrics. But whatever decisions are being made behind the scenes at OpenAI and Microsoft, the timing couldn’t be better for users—Deepseek is already facing severe privacy issues, including chat logs that were left exposed for anyone to see.

That said, Microsoft is still playing as many angles as it can here. While Microsoft services have yet to make Deepseek R1 immediately available to consumers, it’s already been integrated into Microsoft’s AI developer tools.