Lifehacker

Although fresh basil is now available in supermarkets year-round, it’s not the same as being able to go into your own backyard (or turn to the planter on your windowsill) and picking a few leaves when you need them. But it’s one thing to clear a stem or two for some cocktails: What about picking a majority of the…Read more...

When the bill comes at the end of dinner a dinner out with friends or family, things can get awkward, fast. Maybe you’re an adult who isn’t sure if it’s appropriate to keep letting your parents will pick up the tab. Maybe you’re on a first date and don’t want to give the impression you’re a mooch—or deal with the…Read more...

Seltzer, or sparkling water if you’re fancy (“spicy water” if you’re my kid), has been having a moment since at least 2016. At my Target, there is an entire wall dedicated to the many-faceted flavor combinations of LaCroix, Spindrift, Bubly, Waterloo, Aha, Polar, and Sparkling Ice, not to mention Target’s knock-off…Read more...

A long time ago, smartphones were small. Like, really small. It used to be a given that such a device should fit snugly in the hand, so you could do everything you need to with it using only your thumb. They certainly don’t make ‘em like they used to.

I recently had the chance to sample Bushmill’s second Rare Casks expression, a 29-year-old single malt Irish Whiskey finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. This stuff retails for a whopping $750, and it’s worth it. It was initially (triple) distilled in 1992 and aged in bourbon barrels until 2004, then transferred to…Read more...

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For Mac enthusiasts and power users, 1Password has been the password manager of choice for more than a decade. But with a redesign and a new killer feature, we think 1Password 8 is now the best password manager for everyone using a Mac, period.

Convenience foods have a bad reputation, only sometimes deserved. They make our lives easier, so there must be something wrong with them. And it’s true, they tend to cost more than buying the ingredients yourself, and sometimes they’re higher in sugar or otherwise hard to fit into a healthy diet.

Following the horrifying news of the war in Ukraine from afar can make you feel powerless to help. And while there are some concrete things you can do to help Ukrainian citizens under siege, once you’ve done so, there’s nothing wrong with engaging in a little trolling: The hacktivist site WasteRussianTime.today lets…Read more...

You know how to properly clean and how to properly load your dishwasher—so why are some of your dishes coming out dirtier than others? If the last thing you want is to pay for a repair person—or worse, have to buy a whole new machine—you might be in luck. The reason your dishwasher may not be cleaning your dirty…Read more...

Scams are in the zeitgeist right now, which means they’re popping up in podcasts all over the place, in shows from the biggest media companies to the tiniest of indies. From mysterious boys emerging from the wild to con a whole town in Chameleon: Wild Boys to an entrepreneur bilking investors out of millions of…Read more...

Have you ever gotten a bad meal at a restaurant, then proceeded to eat it anyway? Have you ever told a stylist you love your new highlights, even while you’re mentally figuring out whether you can afford an immediate color correction at another salon? You may think you’re just being polite in these situations, but…Read more...

Potty training a toddler is no joke. Between the accidents and the stubborn refusals to “try,” getting a toddler to do their business in an actual toilet tends to be a long, drawn-out process, no matter what the experts promise. One issue, in particular, that often crops up while potty training is the flat-out refusal…Read more...

This week, take advice from America’s greatest living artist and national treasure, Dr. Taylor Swift. We also consider cringe, investigate Poppy Playtime, and analyze Master Chief’s power armor.Read more...

I recently asked Lifehacker readers to share the worst advice you’ve ever received. Anti-lifehacks, if you will. From career tips, to personal finance, to all areas of your love life: There’s a lot of bad advice out there.Read more...

We know exactly what we’re in for when the plot of a high school movie reaches prom season. The dramatic crowning of prom royalty. Spontaneous speeches that somehow sound scripted. Synchronized dance numbers. A stirring ‘80s power ballad, even if the movie is set in 2008.

If you’re the competitive type and simply texting your dad and friend group your Wordle score first thing in the morning isn’t doing it for you, you can try the newest iteration in the Wordle copycat universe: WeWordle. WeWordle lets you compete with others online—reminiscent of the olden days of Words with Friends,…Read more...

We all know bleach is great for stain-lifting and disinfecting. Its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, quickly attacks and denatures the proteins in micro-organisms, killing bacteria, fungus and viruses. And according to the American Cleaning Institute, it’s the oxidizing properties of bleach that convert…Read more...

Bear encounters are no longer just a rural happenstance. This week, a bear was tranquilized and removed from the backyard in the suburban town of Haledon, New Jersey. In April, police in Asheville, N. C. received three reports of bear sightings in the city’s downtown area. These two communities join a growing list of…Read more...

Windows 11’s next major overhaul is nearly ready to launch, and it appears poised to bring big changes to the look and usability of Microsoft’s operating system.

Every year since about 2006, it seems like we get a new statistic about how many people are wearing the wrong bra size, which always inspires a slew of news stories about how Jennifer from Long Island thought she was a 36D but is actually a 30F. With all due respect to the Jennifers of the world, stories like these…Read more...

For most of my life, I thought I didn’t like grapefruit. I loved the flavor—grapefruit seltzer is the tops—and the scent, but the actual fruit? Too bitter, even with sugar dumped on top (how my dad always used to eat it) and too messy (the number of times I squirted myself in the eye with citrus juice while attempting…Read more...

Not long ago, my wife and I hosted a small party. It was lovely. Everyone had a nice time. The food was delicious. Nothing was broken.

In the wide world of Wordle alternatives, competitive versions are especially tricky to design. What does it mean to play against somebody? How do you interact? How thrilling is the victory, how agonizing the defeat? Squabble is chaotic and nerve-wracking, and P3nto is nearly inscrutable. But a newcomer, Mordle, has…Read more...

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for April 2022 shows an increase of .3% for the price of goods compared to the prior month, bringing the 12 month increase on all items to a staggering 8.3%. While products and services hit hardest by rising costs include airline fare, used cars and trucks, and…Read more...

If you’re thinking about your next vacation splash out, you might be considering booking a cruise. Cruise ship-related horrors of the early pandemic aside, cruises remain popular for a lot of reasons—they offer an all-inclusive vacation that moves to a range of exotic locales, can avoid bad weather simply by changing…Read more...

Love it or hate it, everyone who’s encountered fish sauce can agree it’s anything but bland—yet that’s exactly what vegan fish sauce often is. Taking a whiff or little taste of anything with the words “fish sauce” on the label should be a borderline unpleasant experience. Why do so many vegan alternatives refuse to go…Read more...

Everyone gets a little nervous when it comes to dating. Experiencing butterflies in your stomach as you anticipate your date’s text message or wondering if they feel the same way about you is pretty normal. But for someone who has anxiety, those feelings are much more intense and occur more frequently.Read more...

2022 has been a rough year for the average consumer’s wallet. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the United States is facing an 8.3% increase in inflation in the last twelve months, affecting nearly every industry. Since wages have not risen at a commensurate rate to inflation, millions of Americans have no…Read more...

If you’re planning a vacation, and considering taking a cruise, I urge you to do literally anything else with your time off. Cruises are the worst. You might have visions of enjoying tropical breezes while the sun sets into the ocean, but in reality, you’re going to be packed into a floating nightmare with thousands…Read more...

Perhaps you have untrustworthy roommates and want proof that they’re sneaking into your room when you’re not home. Or you’re staying in a sketchy motel and you don’t trust the locks. Or maybe your kid wants to have fun sibling-proofing their room. Whatever your reasons, you’re in the market for an extra layer of DIY…Read more...

If you’ve ever wondered what type of plant you have on your desk, or what breed of dog is currently jumping on you at the park, you don’t need to guess. This isn’t the ‘90s. In 2022, we have the technology to point our iPhones at mysterious things and figure out what they are in seconds—you just need to know how to…Read more...

“Pesto” is so often the answer to “What do I do with these wilted herbs/carrot tops/abundance of basil?” It’s a good answer. Combining plant parts with cheese, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil always makes for a tasty time, but pine nuts and parm are expensive, and making read-deal pesto often requires some amount of…Read more...

If you live with other people, you’re bound to deal with an unwelcome iPhone alarm. Maybe they’re sleeping soundly through the screeches or left their device behind and forgot to turn off the alarm. Either way, the alarm’s going off in another room, and it’s up to you to get up and turn it off. Or, is it?

Smallpox is the only disease we’ve ever managed to fully eradicate in humans; it hasn’t existed anywhere in the world since 1980. But its close relative, monkeypox, is still around. Monkeypox isn’t anywhere near as dangerous as smallpox, but a few recent outbreaks have public health officials worried.Read more...

Not everyone loves the sun. Not everyone loves the sand. Not everyone loves to swim. There are no shortage of ways for a person to fashion themselves as “not a beach person.” But maybe they’re just not doing it right. When properly prepared, the beach is a wonderful way to relax on a summer day and spend some time in…Read more...

We’ve all been there. It’s the big moment. The one we’ve been preparing for, visualizing, obsessing about for days, weeks, or longer. It’s that big interview, presentation, first date, or (in our younger days) state championship game where we needed to muster all of our skills, practice, knowledge, or charm to perform…Read more...

With COVID cases on the upswing again (we’re on, what, the fifth wave? The seventh?) it’s important to know that there’s a medication that can prevent severe disease in people who are at high risk of complications. It’s called Paxlovid. But not everyone is eligible to receive it. Here’s how to find out if you qualify.Read more...

You’ve probably experienced monthly or yearly fluctuations in your budgeting and spending (or a weekly one; hey, inflation). At times it may seem like you’re just hanging on for dear life. But if you think long term and big picture about your financial well-being, there exists a general structure to help you earn,…Read more...

I recently realized that I had been interpreting Elsa’s big “Let It Go” number from Frozen incorrectly these last several years when it comes to my kids and helping them manage (or not) their big emotions. It finally struck me that the song is not about how great it is to express your emotions—but that I could still…Read more...

Your app subscriptions on iPhone can now get more expensive without requiring you to opt in to the new pricing. Apple recently implemented a new rule that allows developers to quietly raise subscription prices, so long as they don’t exceed a certain amount. Since many app subscriptions aren’t that expensive, you might…Read more...

Raw garlic is a powerful, potent force that can be harnessed to create surprisingly subtle effects. One of the easiest ways to do this is to halve a raw, peeled clove, then rub that clove on a serving bowl, plate, or platter. Doing so imparts a hint of garlic flavor and aroma to the dish without overpowering other,…Read more...

If you’ve been looking forward to long-awaited summer travel, one aspect you might be dreading is getting hit with a last-minute baggage fee at the airport. You’re already made to pay extra for WiFi, seat selection, and sometimes even headphones—and when it comes to your baggage, it’s safe to assume that all airlines…Read more...

Even as headlines shout about the booming job market and the millions of open positions across the country, finding a job and advancing in your career in a competitive, capitalistic society remains a cutthroat game. You may spend years of your life—and a bunch of money—on an education that can give you an edge, but…Read more...

When a celebrity dies, it’s normal to grieve. Sure, it probably indicates you had something of a parasocial relationship with that person (as they likely did not know who you are), but they may have meant something to you—even if those around you don’t seem to get it. Generally, people want to be helpful and kind when…Read more...

There are times when you’ll need to type a character that isn’t displayed on your keyboard, be it a letter with an accent, the degree symbol, or a currency symbol. Special characters are common in many languages, but they are more rare in English. So much so that by default, there’s no obvious way of entering them on…Read more...

Android users take heed: there’s a new piece of malware cropping up on the Google Play Store, and it’s coming for your data.

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Many people shy away from having all-white walls in their home for fear the rooms will look too sterile and bleak. While a white room can look stark if not decorated, there are several design elements one can bring in to warm up the space—especially if you don’t want to bother painting or you’re renting a place where…Read more...