Lifehacker

It pains me to write a back-to-school article—didn’t summer just start?—but here we are at that time of year again. The annual ritual of putting our most precious little people into the hands of strangers trying to teach them things can be jarring and difficult, but if you avoid these common mistakes, it might be a…Read more...

You’re probably familiar with balsamic vinegar—that sophisticated, inky bottle coyly sitting in the corner of your kitchen under a light coat of dust. We know it for its dramatic, deeply caramelized flavor, but balsamic vinegar has a lesser-known, easy-going sister: Not talked about nearly enough and confined to a…Read more...

Both Apple and Google are doing great work to prevent multi-site tracking. Google Chrome is slowly phasing out cookies, and Apple goes the furthest by asking users to block multi-app/multi-site tracking using their app transparency popups.

Upgrading machines often means better performance, more storage space, and a sleek new design. But even in 2022, setting up a new PC still has its share of headaches. Before you set up your new PC, follow these six steps to make sure your new computer just the way you like it.

If you’ve watched shows like HGTV’s Bargain Block, or follow Cheap Old Houses or similar accounts on Instagram, you’ve likely noticed that some older homes—especially ones that tend to need a lot of work—are listed for almost unbelievably low prices. These often (but not always) are being sold by a local land bank.Read more...

Since NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency launched the James Webb Space Telescope in December 2021, we’ve been treated to some of the most extraordinary images of space (or anywhere, really) ever captured.Read more...

The beauty of brick being a building material with a rich color is that if you like that color, there’s no need to deal with paint, wallpaper, or other wall coverings. But if the color of the brick on the inside or outside of your home isn’t exactly what you would have picked out yourself, there’s a relatively…Read more...

Whether you’ve turned your yard over to native grasses and other groundcover plants completely, or are maintaining a traditional turf lawn, there are certain types of vegetation that you don’t want around—which, by definition, makes them weeds. But some weeds are worse than others.Read more...

This summer travel season hasn’t exactly been the relaxing one people hoped it would be. Up until (very) recently, gas prices were exceptionally high, and flying has been a nightmare—especially when it comes to crowds, delays, and canceled flights.Read more...

Whether you’ve completed a major renovation of your home, or a smaller weekend project, chances are you have some leftover building materials. You may also have perfectly good tools or equipment that have served their purpose, and you know you won’t need (or use) again.Read more...

You can’t take anything with you when you die, including your body. In the absence of serving you, your organs would simply rot away, which would be a real shame since some of them could help other people. If you’re considering a way to make your final act one of good will, here’s how to make sure your organs—or even…Read more...

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There’s a lot of talk in the consumer cannabis industry about the effects of different strains—indica versus sativa, calming versus energizing, this strain increases focus, that strain promotes creativity, and on and on. But here’s the secret: Some of it is meaningless, and the rest, less than iron-clad, because the…Read more...

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If you have an iPhone and listen to music with your headphones, you’re probably familiar with the popup notification, “Volume Should Be Turned Down. Based on your headphone usage over the last seven days, you’ve exceeded the recommended limit for audio exposure.” But what is the recommended limit—and how are you…Read more...

Bruising your forearm or wrist is a common problem when you start working with kettlebells, but it doesn’t have to be that way. People who are able to do snatch after snatch without pausing are not simply used to the pain; they have simply learned how to do the move without whacking themselves in the wrist.

If you have money, property, or other assets to pass down when you die—or if you’re a beneficiary expecting an inheritance from a relative—you want to make sure all gets distributed according to plan.Read more...

Young people catch a lot of flack for believing in weird stuff like mystical folk-magic practices and zombie invasions, but then, some very powerful adults also believed putting $200 million into a movie starring Ezra Miller was a good idea, so no one is without sin.

When it’s a bajillion degrees with high humidity, the heat can feel like a heavy blanket smothering you. As it turns out, the combination of heat and humidity can also increase your risk for heat stroke.

I had a friend who once lived in a small, run-down apartment in Manhattan that was infested with roaches. When she moved out, she told me she had to inspect just about everything she owned because the nightmarish bugs were literally everywhere. (That was, understandably, the main reason she was moving in the first…Read more...

A little over a year ago, when I made the decision to go on antidepressants, the social media landscape seemed quite different—largely empathetic to mental health struggles exacerbated by the pandemic. It seems incredible to write that, considering the amount of false information and vitriol spreading about…Read more...

One common travel concern is whether to use cash or miles to buy your flight. Both options have their pros and cons, so it’s important to weigh them carefully if you’re debating between the two. Here’s what you should consider.Read more...

If you’re not watching HBO Max’s new series The Rehearsal, you’re missing out. This new “reality” show from Nathan Fielder (Nathan For You) punches holes in the veil between the actual and the fictional by creating extremely realistic simulations of people’s lives so they can rehearse real upcoming events before they…Read more...

Surviving the heat means staying on top of your hydration, especially if you’re trying to stick to your exercise plan during this brutally hot summer. We’ve told you before that your freezer needs water bottles. What if I told you that those water bottles need to be frozen on their sides—and at a specific angle? It’s…Read more...

Getting fired is devastating. Hell, even getting called into a meeting unexpectedly can be scary for an employee if their mind wanders to the possibility they could be fired. While this experience is rough on the person being fired, it can also be tough on the person doing the firing, especially if the decision is out…Read more...

A term gaining traction in the neurodivergent community is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), which means someone feels pain when they’re criticized or feel like they’re being put down or rejected in any way. Kids with ADHD often have RSD, which is often mislabeled as being a “bad sport,” “too sensitive,” or a…Read more...

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Modern city life is kind of amazing—we can have burritos biked to our door and (usually) have reliable internet. But cities are built on a delicate web of interconnected services and infrastructure, and maybe you don’t want to be dependent on its whims. If you’re the kind of person who is interested in living off the…Read more...

I love hosting dinner parties, but I hate host anxiety. To combat this, I’m always looking out for beautiful, impressive recipes that are secretly simple. Ina Garten and Martha Stewart are two chefs, and undeniably fabulous dinner party hosts, who have mastered these types of recipes (I haven’t technically been to one…Read more...

Computers make doing everything faster (that’s kind of the point). But even though your Mac already speeds through whatever you throw at it, there are ways to compute even faster. Whether it’s for work, play, or something in between, these tips can make it quicker to accomplish just about any task on your Mac.

When using power tools, we go in with the understanding that we’ll be working with a potentially dangerous piece of equipment, and (ideally) will take the proper safety precautions. We also know that even if someone has decades of experience using them, user error—and accidents—can happen. But you don’t expect the…Read more...

Now that you know how to scope out a hotel gym, the next step is knowing what to do when you get there. Hotel gyms tend to be pretty bare bones, so you’ll have to make the most of limited equipment and, often, lighter weights than you may like. But that doesn’t mean you have to do a half-assed workout.Read more...

Times are tough. If you’re in a financial jam, you might be thinking of approaching a trusted family member or friend to ask to borrow some money to help you get back on your feet. Or maybe your younger sibling is asking you for a loan to get them to their next payday. Proceed with caution: You may remember …Read more...

Picking a credit card can be a tricky decision to make, especially since fees and benefits can vary significantly from card to card. Annual fees typically range from around $100 all the way up to around $500 for fancier cards with a lot o benefits, like higher rewards points, airport lounge access, and reimbursements. …Read more...

WebP is Google’s version of a modern, versatile image format, meant to replace the likes of PNG and JPEG. However, all it’s managed to do in the last several years is be a mild annoyance. It’s great when websites use it to display images—the format handles compression well—but it’s a hassle for people who want to…Read more...

With iOS 16, Apple is bringing even more privacy-focused features to your iPhone. We’ve already discussed Lockdown Mode, which protects your data when you suspect you may be targeted by a sophisticated cyber attack. Not exactly a universal use case—but another new feature, Safety Check, can benefit anyone with an…Read more...

Conventional internet wisdom is clear on when you should talk to police: never. While there’s a lot to be said for this philosophy, the internet is also often wildly wrong, and “don’t ever talk to a cop” has always struck me as overly simplistic. Sure, the fifth amendment says you can’t be compelled to incriminate…Read more...

When should you stretch? As with many aspects of fitness, there are different schools of opinion, and I’ve studied, as it were, with each of them. I’ve stretched before workouts because that’s what everybody else does; I’ve given up pre-workout stretching because I felt the cons outweighed the pros; and more recently …Read more...

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Despite having worked in one of them as a cake decorator for years, the bakery is still one of my favorite parts of the grocery store. It’s full of toasty smells, it’s the place you go when you have something to celebrate, and it can provide you with delicious treats, from pies to knock-off cronuts.

Macs have default security features that stop you from installing apps with viruses or malware. It’s generally a great system, but can sometimes have a downside: When you try to install an app that hasn’t been verified by Apple, it will give you the “cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified” error,…Read more...

Perhaps even more so than romantic relationships, friendships are vitally important to our health and happiness. Research tells us strong friendship bonds can help us live longer, healthier, and more interesting lives. But a friendship can have all the ups and downs of a marriage: We laugh, we cry, and we break up…Read more...

This week, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that at least 35 people in northeastern China have been infected with newly-named virus, Langya henipavirus (LayV). Given the last few years, we can all be forgiven for freaking out at the news of a viral outbreak, but thankfully, there isn’t much to worry…Read more...

Some food podcasts give you tips about brining or offer great sourdough recipes, but others focus on food in ways more about story and emotion—our memories of food, and nostalgia for it, the culture and history associated with it, the impact what we eat has on the world, and a reminder what a joy a good meal is.

Is there anything more stomach-churning than your boss letting you know they’d like to have a short-notice meeting with you? Even if you’ve been absolutely crushing it at your job, you might suddenly find yourself nervous. Is it a reprimand? A layoff? For all you know, it could be for praise or a higher salary, but…Read more...

If you’re in the habit of making saucy recipes, you’ve probably encountered instructions that tell you to “reduce liquid by half” or “simmer until the sauce has reduced by one third.” But unless you’re pouring your sauce into a measuring cup at regular intervals, the rate at which your sauce is reducing and the amount…Read more...

Texture is make-or-break with protein shakes, and it varies so drastically from brand to brand that trying something new can be disastrous. But if you eat dairy, try keeping some half and half in the fridge—a little bit can make any beverage a little creamier and more delicious, and it’s affordable to boot.

Splatoon 3 is nearly upon us. The third entry in the most recent Nintendo IP is set to release Sept. 9, just shy of a month from now. In it, you’ll fight alongside friends and against enemies as you paint new maps with your upgraded weapons. But there’s no need to wait until next month to try out Splatoon 3—Nintendo…Read more...

As a woman who exercises, I find it strange to constantly come across recommendations about the best exercises “for women.” The lists are always full of unweighted exercises like bird dogs, and lightly-weighted ones like overhead presses with cute, tiny dumbbells. Meanwhile, when I work out I just...lift a thing?…Read more...

It’s natural to want to lump all our different personality traits—good or bad— into neat buckets, or “personality types.” I’m guilty of it. As someone who is always binging, whether that means eating, drinking, or watching, I’ve often described myself as having a so-called “addictive personality.” (If only that meant…Read more...