Lifehacker

Around the time the pandemic hit, my husband and I were beginning to think about upgrading to a bigger home. We wanted a larger backyard with a deck to entertain, and a finished basement we could outfit with comfy couches, a TV, and maybe a Ping-Pong table. My vision was to have a home where we could gather our…Read more...

Ants in your home is always a cause for concern. Aside from the appearance of a long wriggling trail of ant soldiers just looking gross, ants can carry bacteria and mold spores into your food supplies (including pet food), so anything that ants come into contact with in your pantry needs to be thrown away. For…Read more...

I’m not usually the nostalgic type, but I miss landline phones. Cell phones may do eight billion things, but they are tiny and inconsequential—artificial, semi-disposable black rectangles—whereas old telephones have weight, substance, and style. They come in lots of colors. The receiver feels good in your hand. It…Read more...

Online food delivery service DoorDash just made it more difficult for underaged people to have alcohol delivered. The company announced a new two-step ID verification process for alcohol delivery they claim sets a “new industry standard for responsible alcohol delivery.” How does the rest of the food/drink delivery…Read more...

Change is scary, and we don’t like it. Everything should stay the way it is right now, so we know how it works and how to use it. When a company like Twitter goes so far as to change the sound that plays when you refresh your feed, all hell breaks loose. I’m not overreacting here. I know you feel the same. If you want…Read more...

Hollandaise sauce can be intimidating, especially if you’re new to making emulsions. Though we have several excellent methods for making a true hollandaise sauce (whether you want to do so on the stove, with an immersion circulator, or using an immersion blender), it’s nice to have a simple cheater option, especially…Read more...

According to a recent report from Northwestern Mutual, 53% of Gen Zers and 52% of Millennials surveyed felt that making small daily purchases like a daily cup of coffee will impact their long-term financial security. The idea that avocado toast is to blame for an entire generation’s financial woes has been laughable…Read more...

To the best of my recollection, the first R-rated film I saw in a theater was RoboCop 2, a movie in which a prepubescent crime lord is mercilessly gunned down by a drug-addicted killer whose brain has been removed and inserted into a robotic body with a terrifying human face animated via rudimentary computer graphics.…Read more...

From something as simple to adding a dollop to your tea, to glazing over potatoes to make honey tots in your air fryer, there is no shortage of dishes that can be spruced up with a dash of this natural nectar. But honey’s usefulness expands beyond the kitchen: A handful of studies have found honey as a useful tool in …Read more...

Have you ever been about to smash that “tweet” button, but the fear of being called to HR stayed your hand? It’s a reasonable fear: It may seem unfair that your bosses should be able to control how you present yourself and what you do when you’re engaging in non-work activities, but to a degree, they can. In fact, the…Read more...

We tend to think of hotels as fancy places to hang out in while on vacation, but historically, they haven’t always been only for short-term stays. As far back as the 1870s, residential hotels in New York City served as permanent addresses for families and single men who unable to afford their own servants; according…Read more...

In spite of what the word may suggest, cream is not the key to creating “creamy” pasta dishes. That distinction belongs to pasta water, the starchy elixir with the power to thicken sauces and help them cling to and coat noodles with tenacity. Reserving a cup before draining the pasta an important step, but accidents…Read more...

When we have been wronged by someone, common advice usually includes us forgiving the wrongdoer. As we know, that means we must seek to “cease feeling resentment against (an offender)” or “to give up resentment of or claim to requital.” Many times, our collective imagination about what forgiveness looks like includes…Read more...

Last week I shared my own experience learning how to benefit from meditation, even though I feel like I’m pretty bad at it. But what makes someone “bad” at meditation? Many people who try to meditate feel as if they failed. A lot of “failures” in meditation are in fact completely normal and a part of the process.…Read more...

The word “phobia” is often used frequently to describe a general fear, in the same way “bipolar” gets thrown around to describe someone’s mood swing or “OCD” is used to reference someone’s dedication to cleaning. Like bipolar or obsessive-compulsive disorders, however, phobias are actually serious, diagnosable, and…Read more...

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The great “iPhone vs. Android” debate could very well rage on forever, with neither side claiming total victory. There are pros and cons to both platforms, as well as the companies that make the hardware and software. However, there is one feature Apple can claim exclusivity over, now that its only competitor has…Read more...

If you have a backyard and a desire to make passive income, there is an app for you: Sniffspot connects dog owners with people with fully-fenced yards who are willing to rent their land on an hourly basis. Described as “Airbnb for dog off-leash areas,” Sniffspot has about 7,000 hosts in more than 1,500 cities in the United States, and offers their services in Canada,…Read more...

Friendship is important, no matter what stage of life you are in. A good friendship can enrich your life in countless ways, creating a support system of people who will be there for you during good and bad times. And as important as friendship is, the relationships formed during the teenage years are especially…Read more...

Airline travel has been notoriously challenging this summer. If you find yourself among the many travelers who are dealing with delayed or canceled flights, the airline may offer you compensation in the form of either miles or cash back. But which one is the better option for you?Read more...

If you haven’t noticed, Instagram is pushing Reels—its in-app TikTok clone—very hard. Since Reels rolled out in 2020, the Meta-owned picture-sharing app has been all but begging people to use the feature (and not just repost their own TikToks there). Whether or not you’ve actually created any Reels, you soon won’t…Read more...

I recently wrote about the summer’s best Pop-Tart prep technique–freezing them–and it seems like that just wasn’t cold enough for Lifehacker readers. Frozen Pop-Tarts are deliciously cool, but never freeze to an icy state. This makes it tough to challenge ice cream for the top spot in the imaginary rankings of cold…Read more...

Popcorn is a lot like pasta: It’s a fairly neutral tasting carb that takes well to seasoning and salting, and most people have pretty strong opinions on the “right” way to make it. But cooking popcorn is a little more forgiving than pasta—which lets you focus in on toppings with gusto—and I have some tips and tricks…Read more...

The worst heat wave in human history is still frying the United Kingdom, and in all likelihood, it’s not an anomaly. Climate changes means this is almost definitely the new normal (until it gets worse), so let’s review how to keep cool—or at least not die—during a heat wave. There were over 1,500 heat-related deaths…Read more...

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I like my digital devices neat and organized. I keep a clean Mac desktop, and my iPad Home screen is immaculate. But iPhones are a bit different: We usually want your most-used apps to be front and center, but over time, the apps inevitably start to pile up, leaving our phones a cluttered mess. If you feel like you…Read more...

People buy land for a variety of reasons, including as an investment, or to (eventually) build a home. And like everything else right now, cost is a major factor for those determining where to purchase land, or whether they can afford to do so in the first place.Read more...

Thanks to regularly scheduled garbage pickup, we’ve gotten used to the idea that if we want to throw something out, we can just pop it in trash bag or can, put it out on the curb, and on a designated day of the week, sanitation workers or waste disposal companies whisk it away.Read more...

When you put a load of especially dirty, sweaty, or smelly laundry in your washing machine, you may be tempted to add a little (or a lot) more than the recommended amount of detergent. In theory, this makes sense: Filthier-than-usual laundry could probably use a boost with extra detergent, right?Read more...

Those who live in places with cold winters know that the weather can take a toll on your car. In fact, the temperature alone can impact everything from the tire pressure to how long the battery lasts—and yes, that includes hot weather. Here are a few ways to keep your car running in extreme heat from the experts at…Read more...

With multiple parts of the country (and the world) experiencing record-breaking heat, people are getting creative when it comes to getting and staying cool. And with scorching temperatures putting air conditioning units to the test, those who rely on them to keep their homes feeling bearable are finding ways to keep…Read more...

Hard water stains are a reality for people living in 85% of the United States, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, so chances are you’ve dealt with them yourself.Read more...

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot out there. It almost doesn’t matter where you live—even the goddamn arctic circle experienced temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit a couple of years ago, and heat waves have made life unbearable in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia this summer. And we know there are…Read more...

You move to a new city, in a new country. You’ve found an apartment that is just the right price, in just the right neighborhood, and after pulling out your bestest, most adultest, and politest set of manners, you endear yourself adequately to the building manager. The place is yours. Your first year there, you…Read more...

Polio has been nearly wiped out worldwide, but now there is a known case in the U.S. for the first time in nine years. The person is unvaccinated, but the strain they were infected with is a type of what’s called “vaccine-derived” polio. Let’s talk about what that means—because it does not mean you should avoid the…Read more...

When you “turn 0ff” wifi, Bluetooth, or cellular data on your iPhone via the Control Center, they’re not actually disabled—your iPhone simply disconnects itself from current networks until until you turn those options back on. This is a conscious design choice by Apple, as it wants to ensure you can still easily…Read more...

Social burnout is the term we use for when you have over-exerted yourself in social settings to the point that you feel like you just can’t do it anymore. It causes stress, exhaustion, and irritability. The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to “social distancing” and “quarantining” becoming common terms in our everyday…Read more...

Flexible spending accounts are the shit. It’s pre-tax dollars you set aside through your employee benefits to cover medical expenses, primarily. You can polish off co-pays and meet your deductibles with it, and you can pay for medications and other health-related essentials—all without denting your checking account. …Read more...

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Whatever you think of the so-called “Great Resignation”—a trend some believe actually started well before the pandemic, and others think doesn’t actually exist—many working people are currently planning to make a career change. What’s more, according to a recent Bloomberg article, this is a smart move, as some experts…Read more...

Even if you’ve never heard the term “executive function,” you may be painfully aware of how important it is for everyday life. Executive functioning is often described as the management system of the brain: This is the portion responsible for planning, prioritizing and executing tasks.Read more...

When the last episode of Game of Thrones aired, the audience response was as brutal and exacting as trial by combat with the Mountain—the hot takes not only killed the show’s online reputation, they crushed its head and gouged out its eyes. Ever since, the internet at large has held a grudge like Cirsei, the general…Read more...

Miniature meatballs are undeniably charming. Whether they’re beef, turkey, Impossible meat, or covered in grape jelly—I love them all. They come in big, glorious batches, and eating several at a time is highly encouraged. In fact, the servings are pleasantly deceptive. Eating eight ounces of Swedish meatballs is much…Read more...

The last few years have been one wild ride for most everyone, with just about every aspect of our lives transformed in ways great and small. This kind of chaos is hard enough when you’re flush with cash, but when money gets tight, inflation soars, and an emergency suddenly presents an enormous bill for you to pay,…Read more...

It’s a classic tale that plays out in rom-coms and, often enough, in real life: Two people are friends, their feelings deepen, there’s some will-they-or-won’t-they tension, and they end up together. If you’ve ever crushed on a friend, here’s some guidance on turning things romantic—but understand that every…Read more...

As we all await the horrible heat wave that will burn our flesh and destroy our crops, young people are trying to appease the Sun God by putting Pink Sauce all over their food, playing a game where you’re a cat, and intentionally inflicting period cramps on themselves.

Animals can teach us many things—how to chill out and not worry about anything, how to taste delicious when grilled correctly—but maybe the most important lessons we can learn from our fellow creatures are about parenting.

Apple’s headlining iOS 16 feature stares you in the face every time you pick up your iPhone: For the first time ever, you can customize your iPhone’s Lock Screen, and boy, is it a welcome change. You can even set multiple Lock Screens for different purposes or times of day, each with different wallpapers and widgets…Read more...

People still like to filter their searches through Reddit because it’s an old-school holdover from the hairier days of the Internet in the sense that it’s still driven almost exclusively by real people—people who are genuinely interested in a subject and want to discuss it. With a refreshing lack of influencers, paid…Read more...

When I visited a friend in India a few summers back, I wanted to cram as much tourist-y stuff into each day as possible. My friend, however, had a key piece of insight. They pointed out to me how, for most of the afternoon each day, the only people you’d see out and about were foreigners.