Lifehacker

Now that summer’s almost here, it’s time to enjoy the great outdoors. Instead of relaxing inside on the couch, you can relax outside, slowly rocking in a hammock. But if you’ve never put up a hammock before, you may find the process a bit intimidating—which is totally understandable, given that it’s basically a net or…Read more...

As the long Memorial Day weekend begins, you may find yourself checking the weather forecast for the next few days—especially if your plans involve doing anything outdoors.Read more...

Wherever you’re planning to go this summer, whether it’s one of the most overrated tourist destinations or one of the music festivals actually worth traveling to, you’d be lying to yourself if you said your plans were truly set in stone. That’s because things come up, schedules change, and life delays us. This…Read more...

There are plenty of ways our culture tells us we are “too old” for certain jobs, activities, or pursuits. Game shows ask participants at what age women should stop wearing revealing clothing. Rising industry stars are praised on lists of successful people “under 30” or “under 40.” Magazine covers sport young models—or…Read more...

Smartphones and cases go hand-in-hand. After all, these pocket computers we carry with us everywhere are expensive and fragile; it only makes sense to protect them. Smartphone manufacturers like Google know this, and make their own cases to sell to you alongside one of their devices. However, when Google asks if you…Read more...

I don’t know about you, but I’ve barely recovered from May’s spectacular lunar eclipse, only to learn that June’s sky will feature a full supermoon. We are not worthy of your largesse, Luna, Goddess of the Full Moon.

If you’ve been thinking about getting your car off of your hands, now might be the best time to do so. According to the Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of used cars and trucks has gone up 22.7% compared to this time last year. While this trend affects the entire country, it’s been…Read more...

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The Pixel 6 Pro has many selling points, but, like the Pixel phones before it, the big draws are the cameras. The device’s three cameras take great photos and videos out of the box, with one major caveat: You can’t seem to use the impressive 4x telephoto zoom camera when recording videos. Luckily, this camera isn’t…Read more...

Having aged approximately 20 years in the three-and-a-half decades since the original’s release, Tom Cruise is back in one of the roles that cemented his place as an icon of 1980s pop cinema, with an ability to pack theaters that’s only rarely waned since.Read more...

Friends, I just finished a 140 hour platinum trophy playthrough of Elden Ring—the latest masterpiece from creator Hidetaka Miyazaki, of Dark Souls and Bloodborne fame—and I am tired. Wrung out. Depleted.Read more...

You probably take your iPhone’s calculator app for granted. Sure, you might use it multiple times a week, but you don’t really give it much thought beyond that, do you? Well, that little workhorse can do a whole lot more than you realize, from scientific calculations to more hidden features.

I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to think that every human on earth being constantly connected to a source of infinite, unverified information might actually not be the best avenue to a healthy, productive society. My evidence this week: Music industry plants, stupid new slang, a ruined Disney life hack, and a…Read more...

Tech “emergencies” are often much simpler than they look. And sometimes, the simplest solution of them all (or the one that feels most instinctual) is to go “dad mode” on it, by which I mean you simply and elegantly smack the shit out your remote until it works again.

“Fresh” has such a nice ring to it, right? Fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh baked goods. And if you want to have some delights from the sea: fresh fish. But a lot of the fish at a counter is likely to have been frozen before it got to the store. And even if it wasn’t, it’s not automatically better than the stuff you…Read more...

When someone starts a rumor about you at school or work, it can be a harrowing experience. The false allegations might make their way around the institution, or even travel to other schools or companies, embarrassing you at every step of the way. But when someone starts a rumor about you online, it can balloon into…Read more...

The bright colors, stuffed animals, fried Oreos, and roaring rides of a carnival or amusement park midway call out to the dreamer in us all. But before you heed the barker’s timeless invitation to “step right up and win a stuffed bear for your lady/gentleman,” you should know what you’re getting into.

If you’re one of the 39 million or so Americans who plan to drive somewhere for Memorial Day weekend, I’m sure you already know that it will cost ya. The nationwide average price for a gallon of gas is $4.60 a gallon, and it’s about $6 a gallon in some states.

If you rely on your iPhone’s “Automatic Updates” feature to download and install new versions of iOS for you, you’re going to be waiting a while for the next update. You might not notice until someone sends you an emoji you can’t see, or you’re taunted by that red pop-up in Settings, letting you know a new version is…Read more...

First, there was reality TV show Hoarders about so-called “hoarders” whose homes were so cluttered they required professional intervention. Then, years after that program introduced hoarding to the popular consciousness, there came the TikToks from cleaners who specialized in cleaning those kinds of messes. Both of…Read more...

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As long as there have been cables, there has been tangling. There’s nothing worse than reaching into your pocket or bag to grab your charging cable for your soon-t0-be-dead smartphone, only to waste time, energy, and sanity untangling the many knots like a chump. Well, chump no more: Cable-makers are starting to wisen…Read more...

Executive function can be thought of as the brain’s manager: It is how we identify priorities, make plans for how to get things done, and adjust for unexpected complications. Doing this requires working memory, emotional self-regulation, and the ability to control our focus. Some kids—especially those with disorders…Read more...

Strava’s community makes it the de facto fitness app for many athletes. Sadly, its social features are often at odds with your privacy. If you tend to start and end your workouts near your home, you could accidentally be revealing your home address to strangers.Read more...

The unofficial start to summer is here. And you know what that means. Barbecues! Hot dogs! Pools! (And rage-inducing traffic, oh boy!) While long, carefree holiday weekends are indeed fun, getting to where you want to be usually is not. And unfortunately, we can’t even rely on the ludicrous price of gas to deter…Read more...

It’s an unmistakable, comforting scent with familiar notes that harken back to your earliest memories. Baby powder (also called talcum powder) is a parenting medicine cabinet staple. But did you know its usefulness goes far beyond a baby’s bottom?

Our homes are the center of our lives. They’re meant to be places of calm, places of safety—and the one place in our lives where our privacy reigns supreme. We rest there, we play there, and increasingly we work there. It’s essential that our homes feel safe.

In a perfect world, fitness should come down to nothing more than building a habit and challenging your body. Unfortunately, a group fitness class is rarely a perfect world. Whether you signed up for pilates, Crossfit, or any other group workout experience, it’s easy to let your ego get in the way.

Ah, vacation. A time for adventure, relaxation, poolside cocktails, and...constipation? For a lot of people, yes. Due to changes in diet, routine, sleep, and dehydration from air travel and all that celebratory booze, many people get backed up, rendering their tummy bloated, their bowels immobile and their mood not so…Read more...

Wildflowers bring a beautiful array of color to your garden, and they come in more varieties than you might realize. And in addition to being beautiful, wildflowers attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, so they’re great for the rest of your garden as well as the local wildlife.

Marriage counseling can be difficult, but it is often wise to invest time in your relationship to see if it can be improved. About 44% of couples go to marriage counseling prior to tying the knot. Research also suggests that couples therapy positively impacts 70% of couples receiving treatment. A couples counselor is…Read more...

Your home wifi is your lifeline to the internet, which, by extension, is your connection to the world. With internet companies charging what they do these days, you expect your speeds to be fast and constant, in order to watch 4K streaming or play games online with friends. However, there are plenty of obstructions…Read more...

In the wake of a mass shooting, a few things are inevitable. The national conversation about potential gun control measures will heat up and gun and ammo stocks will rise as, investors say, people seek to either protect themselves or get their hands on weapons before a possible ban. The bans seem unlikely at best, of…Read more...

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With temperatures rising in many places, lawn care season has officially begun and the struggle to keep the grass from turning brown through the heat of summer looms ahead. With many areas in some form of drought restriction for water use, our yards usually suffer, saving water for more important things. But there’s a…Read more...

For years you’ve lived on a college budget, scrounging meals where you can, buying gas on a trip-by-trip basis, and never once pondering the term “401(k).” Getting that first paycheck from your employer is going to feel like more money than you know what to do with. But before you start daydreaming about fancy cars…Read more...

The risk of blackouts is growing—our national power grid is aging, our demand for electricity is increasing, and the climate is becoming more volatile. The most common solution people think of is a gas or propane generator. These big, heavy machines provide a ton of power, but they come with some drawbacks. They…Read more...

You want to eat healthier, but can’t stop reaching for junk food every time you’re hungry. You want your kids to fold and put away their clothes, but you’re sick of asking—and reminding—them 27 times a day. (And you also don’t feel like creating a color-coded “rewards chart” where they get prizes for doing the bare…Read more...

If you feel like you’re always being asked to update Chrome, you’re not wrong. Google issues new updates for its web browser all the time, usually to patch new security vulnerabilities as they’re discovered. With this latest update, you’re indeed getting patches for 32 such flaws, but also a handful of interesting and…Read more...

Making a video game by yourself is tough, but publishing and distributing it can be an even bigger obstacle, especially if this is your first time selling a game. Luckily, I have some experience here, and can offer my insights and advice.

If you’ve been using your iPhone for years, you’ve probably experienced the struggle of finding an old photo. Thankfully, the Photos app has a pretty powerful search feature that, if used right, can help you find the pictures you’re looking for. To start, of course, open the Photos app, tap the Search tab in the…Read more...

Cultural critics have spent a lot of time waxing poetical about how the streaming era—and Netflix in particular—devalues creative works by turning them into mere “content” plopped thoughtlessly into a big bag of streaming detritus and expecting viewers (and a shifty algorithm) to do the rest. And while I certainly…Read more...

We’ve all stubbed a toe, spilled a cup of coffee, rolled an ankle, and dropped a pen in the middle of a big meeting. If you consider yourself clumsy, however, these aren’t just occasional annoyances but a regular part of your life. Being clumsy might seem like one of those unchangeable personality traits—but it isn’t.…Read more...

Have you ever opened your washing machine only to be met with a foul, funky stench? Did you shrug and ignore it? Me too. But it got worse, didn’t it? Until eventually, your newly washed clothes smelled like mildew. We both had mold and bacteria growing in our washers and befouling our laundry. Luckily, it’s fairly…Read more...

It’s hard to beat a grilled vegetable, but vegans and vegetarians deserve something more substantial than portobello mushrooms from time to time. If you’re looking for an easy, vegan-friendly dish for barbecue season, look no further than cevapi made with your alt meat of choice.Read more...

It’s almost summer, and for parents, that means one thing: Yachting! Wait no, I mean finding something to keep your offspring occupied until that blessed day when school is back in session. And there’s nothing better for killing time—wait, I mean providing an enriching educational entertainment experience—than a…Read more...

You have to go pretty far back into movie history to reach a time before we were making movies about airplanes. The very earliest films saw us flying in a fantastical context (think of Georges Méliès and his Trip to the Moon), but it wasn’t long after the advent of the fixed-wing aircraft that movies began to imagine…Read more...

You don’t know you sound bad on a FaceTime or Zoom call until someone points it out. If you’re chatting with a particularly polite bunch, you might never know, and your hilarious stories or inspiring speeches will fall on deaf and strained ears. If you’re an Apple user, and you want to make sure your voice sounds as…Read more...

There are lots of ways to begin an exercise routine, and as we pointed out here, it’s not always worth sweating the details. But does it matter what type of gym you join? Gyms with squat racks and barbells give you a lot of options for getting strong, but it’s rare to find one with dirt-cheap pricing. Meanwhile,…Read more...

Break out your favorite pair of white slacks: Memorial Day weekend is almost here. And whether you’re kicking off your summer with a road trip, a night out with friends, or a quiet evening in, at some point, you’re going to have to eat. Plus, with inflation driving up the cost of basically everything, you should…Read more...