Lifehacker

Statista reports there were 521,705 missing persons cases files in 2021, the lowest number in the United States since 1990. It’s certainly uncommon for someone to go missing, but when it happens, it’s just as certain to be traumatic for their friends and family.

No matter how many productivity hacks you’ve tried, the one thing that is hard to shake is the overwhelming to-do list. When faced with a daunting task (or many daunting tasks), the first steps are always the most challenging. If this is the case for you, one approach is to make sure those first steps are as small as…Read more...

You were going for parent of the decade and saved enough in a 529 plan to fund your child’s private college education. Imagine your surprise when the little bugger decides not to go to college at all (or enrolls in a much less expensive school). Now there’s a bunch of money tied up in an investment vehicle with…Read more...

Eloping might seem like a great idea, especially if wedding planning is stressing you out or the whole thing is costing too damn much. Whether it’s due to family pressure, financial issues, or a desire to marry the love of your life as soon as possible, you might make a snap decision before stopping to think about…Read more...

As far as software support goes, it’s tough to beat Apple. The company continues to update older devices years after their initial release, to the point where it stings when your six-year-old iPhone 7 isn’t eligible for iOS 16. The company might be generous with its software updates, but that doesn’t mean it gives all…Read more...

If you have kids, you likely have way too many toys. Even if you don’t buy many, there’s a seemingly constant influx of grandparent gifts, birthday and Christmas presents, goody-bag swag, and hand-me-down toys from neighbors and friends. It can make for a very crowded, cluttered playroom. (And kitchen, and family…Read more...

There’s a video going viral on TikTok this week in which user MandyVJones explains how you can make a drink that tastes just like Coke, but is good for you. All you need to do is mix a splash of balsamic vinegar with sparkling water, add some ice, and enjoy.

There are two distinct types of Claire Lower blogs: Those that contain normal, helpful, explainers and fun little tips (blogs you can send to your mom without explanation); and those that are a little bit fucked up. The latter is easy to spot. Such a blog will have a headline that makes you go, “I bet Claire wrote…Read more...

All day, every day: It’s stress o’clock. While all you might want to do is push away your worries, if you really want to get a sense of control, you need to tackle them with intention. To accomplish this, set aside a designated time to do nothing but stress. Here’s what to know about taking an effective “worry break,”…Read more...

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I will never turn my nose up at a mayo-dressed picnic salad—be it chicken, egg, tomato, or broccoli—but I get downright excited if I see a good brocc salad at a potluck. My favorite broccoli salad is slightly kitschy: It’s got mayo (of course), but also bacon, red onion, cheddar cheese, a splash of red wine vinegar,…Read more...

There are plenty of things we use or engage in as children that have entirely practical applications once you’ve ‘grown up.” Exhibit A: Night lights, those little lights you plug into the wall, soaking a room or hallway with dim, soothing light. Night lights are usually associated with little kids who are scared of…Read more...

If you have a Mac, iPhone, or iPad and you’re looking for something new from your web browser, you should check out Orion. The new browser lets you run both Google Chrome extensions and Firefox add-ons, while claiming not to sacrifice your privacy. Orion is based on WebKit, the browser engine used by Safari on Mac and…Read more...

If you’re leaving the country this summer, there are two things you should do ahead of time. First, make sure the tourist destination you’re visiting isn’t overrated. Second, make sure you exchange currency before you leave the country. I understand that when traveling abroad, the checklist of things to do can be both…Read more...

There’s nothing new about sex parties. Bonobos have been holding orgies since before people even existed, and the earliest evidence of human group sex dates back to cave people attending Neolithic fertility festivals. Sex parties were an annual springtime tradition in ancient Egypt, and don’t get me started about how…Read more...

If you’re anything like me, you keep most of your kids’ copious artwork in one of three places: In an oversized plastic bin to be organized “one day” in the future, temporarily displayed so your child feels proud and validated, or the trash. Though you’re riddled with guilt every time you toss that “thunderstorm”…Read more...

The iPhone is great for capturing videos, but you might run into some issues when it comes to compatibility. If you recorded a video and want to send the raw files to a friend who uses Android or Windows, it might not play on their device if it’s encoded in Apple’s new HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) format, or…Read more...

Our entire economy would collapse if everything retained its value after we bought it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to look at the nearly worthless computer I paid top dollar for a decade ago. Used things losing their value may be necessary for capitalism to function, but it can still be stunning how quickly…Read more...

You really can’t go anywhere on the internet without running into lists of the 17 or 25 best mosquito repelling plants, or mosquito repelling plants that are good in the shade, or that are nontoxic to dogs, or whatever. It seems like people only want to talk about mosquito repelling plants, and never stop to think:…Read more...

From Spotify’s year-end Wrapped to the numerous apps that categorize your music library, showing off your favorite musical artists and genres is half the fun of using the streaming music platform.

Earlier this week I asked you for your unwritten rules of driving etiquette. After all, we could all be a little bit better drivers. Out of the nearly 200 comments, three major topics sprung up again and again:

Monkeypox is here, and it’s spreading. The couple of dozen cases in a few countries that we told you about last month are now up to over a thousand cases worldwide, with 35 reported in the United States. But the U.S. almost certainly has more cases than the statistics suggest, and there is reason to suspect that we’re…Read more...

Grilling can be intimidating. It tends to be fairly male-dominated, though I will say that BBQ dudes are much more chill, welcoming, and helpful than sous-vide dudes, who tend to be pedantic and slightly unhinged. But community aside, it can be hard to know where to get started. The first question you need to ask…Read more...

If you have a canceled or delayed flight, you might get the urge to whip out your phone and tweet furiously at the big, verified account associated with your airline. Besides the fact that this will not magically get your flight back on track, there are good reasons you really shouldn’t rage-tweet at airlines (or any…Read more...

If you’re considering buying a home with a partner, or if either your property ownership or marital status could change in the future, it’s important to understand who legally owns what.

These days, the only pre-installed game you’ll find on Mac is an exciting, strategy-based war simulator pitting royal factions against one another. And by that, I mean Chess. But now you can get unique, fun, classic games like Bugdom, Nanosaur, and Cro-Mag Rally. I thought these titles were lost for good, but as it…Read more...

What color should you paint your garage door? The short answer is: Whatever color you want. But whether you’re looking to freshen up your garage doors for your own visual enjoyment, or you’re about to put your house on the market, there are a few rules of thumb to help you maximize the appeal of this often overlooked…Read more...

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The past few years have been huge for gray hair. We’ve seen silvery hues go from a stigmatized sign of aging to a trendy color choice for all ages. But for anyone embracing their naturally graying hair, you know the transition doesn’t happen overnight. Going gray takes more maintenance and dedication than simply…Read more...

Did you think Venus and Jupiter appearing to line up in the sky earlier this year was cool? Sure, that conjunction was fine, but this month, five planets are aligning. Objectively, that is much cooler, and you should make an effort to check it out. Here’s what you need to know to do so.

If you’re the owner of a standard goldfish and wake up one morning and decide that pet ownership isn’t for you, you might be compelled to set your aquatic friend free in a local pond so it can live out its golden years in its natural habitat. I’m here to let you know that you absolutely should not do that.

Every year at WWDC, Apple announces new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. But this is just a taste: The software doesn’t actually ship until fall, three months after the event.

Although Apple is known for supporting its products with software updates, a few devices are cut out of the update cycle each year. At WWDC 2022, the company announced a bunch of exciting software updates, but an unusually high number of devices won’t be coming aboard. If you’re looking forward to iOS 16 and macOS…Read more...

Obviously, when you like big butts, you cannot lie, but how dishonest can you be in other situations? Pretty dishonest, it turns out. In most day-to-day circumstances, you can be as duplicitous as you like and no one can throw you in jail for it—you can tell people your uncle works at Nintendo, or your arm is made of…Read more...

While 2022 travel looked promising, with borders reopening and more options to travel internationally, you may want to make this another summer of staycations. A whole bunch of factors (ahem, supply and demand) are causing chaos at airports and rental counters across the country, costing travelers a lot of time and…Read more...

Throughout the course of a day, you probably find yourself seeking feedback about your appearance more than once, whether that’s checking your weight, looking in the mirror, trying on different clothes, or snapping a selfie.

I think I could subsist on a diet made entirely of dips. Yogurt dip for breakfast, beet dip for lunch, pimento cheese or hummus for supper. I could spend my days dipping vegetables, pieces of bread, and chips into various bowls of creamy dips, and I would be happy.Read more...

Sexting, in its strictest sense, is a recent development; a saucy accessory to the advent of instant messaging. But sending naughty messages to your boo is not as new as you might think. According to historians, couples were sending racy messages to each other as far back as World War II.

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Cookout season is finally upon us—but with all the fun of cooking and eating outdoors comes additional food safety concerns. You’ve probably eyed a creamy potato salad and intuitively known it’s probably not ideal for it to be sitting out in the sun all day—even though the truth about mayo may not be as scary as you…Read more...

Spam was made to be air fried. Thanks to its large amount of inherent grease, it’s one of the few foods that you can actually “fry” with nothing more than the hot, whipping winds of the air fryer. The fat renders out of the (very) processed and (very) delicious meat as it sits on the surface, sizzling away and crisping…Read more...

Apple announced a lot of new iOS 16 features for the iPhone during WWDC. If you were following along, you likely know all about the Lock Screen customization, revamped notification system, and the ability to edit and unsend messages, among other notable new options. However, there are plenty of hidden features Apple …Read more...

A few years ago, some friends appeared on a house-hunting reality TV show. They had a blast, but afterward, they revealed something that surprised me: It was all staged. They’d already purchased a house when they filmed the episode, and that house wasn’t featured on the show at all. The houses they did look at…Read more...

We usually associate kids with joyful play, romps in the yard during the dog days of summer, and intense recess games. Not all kids are the same, though, and some of them just do not love sports or what we traditionally think of as exercise. Whether it’s an overall aversion to exertion or a dislike for team sports,…Read more...

Your eyes are not deceiving you; your energy bill has gone up. According to the Consumer Index Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of energy services (including electric and other utilities) has gone up by 13.7% compared to this time last year. Luckily, there are a few ways to lower your utility bills…Read more...

Every year around this time, as I kiss my children good night in the calm, dark quiet of their rooms, I smell something that fills me with dread: Sunscreen. In the chaos of evening activities—making dinner, little league practice, homework enforcement, and kitchen cleanup—baths and showers sometimes get skipped, and…Read more...

WatchOS 9, scheduled to release this fall, has a bunch of new features you’ll want to check out. A majority of these features are fitness-related, such as a new multisport mode for triathletes, the ability to track heart rate zones, and enhanced swim tracking. It also has new accessibility features and improved sleep…Read more...

It’s easy to underestimate the amount of heat generated by sunlight streaming into your windows. Even if your home is well-insulated, intruding sunlight can cause the indoor temperature to skyrocket—and your energy bills too, if you’re using air conditioning to stay cool. Fortunately, the right choice of window…Read more...

It might be easy to forget about your air conditioning unit when it’s not in use, but as the weather warms up, you’ll want it to be in working order—and stay in working order. There are some things you can do yourself to make sure your AC unit can run as efficiently and effectively as possible all summer long.Read more...

I highly encourage stealing from your workplace within reason. Nabbing pens, taking leftover sodas from the office party—it’s nothing new. But it’s obviously important to keep your petty theft within reason, and to never get caught red-handed by your manager.