Lifehacker

Some movies are liars. They’re trolls, with secrets that are only revealed after you’ve bought your ticket or hit the “play” button. Whether for marketing reasons, artistic reasons, or by accident, each of these 10 films is not what it appears to be.

This year, the baguette—yes, the long, thin loaf of French bread—gained recognition from UNESCO as an artifact of “intangible cultural heritage.” The news item briefly went viral on social media, likely alerting many people to the first time that UNESCO keeps a list of such things (if not of the awesomeness of the…Read more...

Before we list all the great holiday gift ideas for someone stuck in a hospital bed, let’s acknowledge that we should always spare our attention and gifts to loved ones in the hospital, no matter the time of year. But, of course, the holidays can be an especially lonely, so consider these gifts—suggested to Lifehacker…Read more...

As much as I love tofu, I have to admit that tempeh might be the true champion of soy-based meat substitutes. It’s higher in protein than tofu, and while it’s a little less versatile, its rubbly texture and funky, nutty flavor are both delicious and unique. There’s simply no substitute.

Between spatchcocking birds and air frying cheesecakes this holiday season, I haven’t had much time to think about anything other than putting food inside a hot-maker, and taking it out again. It was only during a recent air frying session that I became very aware of my inability to face a kitchen disaster should one…Read more...

It’s not too late to get a deal on an Xbox for the holidays: Best Buy is offering the Xbox Series S right now for $250 and throwing a free wireless Xbox controller in the cart for you just in time for Christmas. The console already comes with one wireless controller, but having a second one (usually retailing for $40…Read more...

When it comes to holiday gift giving, it truly is the thought that counts, but some thoughts are better than others. If you don’t know someone all that well, or tend to panic shop this time of year, you may be tempted to buy them a gift that’s rooted in their most prominent interest. It’s a good idea in theory, but it…Read more...

Modern MacBooks generally don’t suffer from battery life woes, but when you do face unexpectedly high drain, it can be hard to diagnose the issue. Sleep Aid is a Mac app that helps you figure out exactly why your Mac’s battery is draining, and it’s geared toward idle battery drain. That is, when you put your MacBook…Read more...

Spotify Wrapped is such a simple idea: It does nothing but show people a summary of what they listened to in the last year, but in a way that is loaded with fun bespoke data, and oh-so-shareable. It’s a fun way to reflect on the past 365 days, which is why more and more companies are capitalizing on the trend. The…Read more...

Thoughtful gifting starts with consideration of the giftee: their preferences, hobbies, and interests. And when people in your life are fans of the herb, it opens up a completely new dimension of possibility.Read more...

You may have seen some of the online chatter about the “salad dressing” cleaning method lately as a trick for removing built-up grease and gunk from kitchen surfaces. Some cleaning hacks are solid and others are less useful; this one falls into that second category. Still, you might see it around and be struck by the…Read more...

Recently, McDonald’s offered a free Crispy Chicken Sandwich, as well as a McGold card that offers free food “for life.” Their so-called “SZN of Sharing”—that is, holiday deals that are exclusively on the McDonald’s app from Dec. 5 through Christmas—continues with a free six-piece order of Chicken McNuggets with any $1…Read more...

When people talk Mario Kart in 2022, most people mean Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch. That’s where Nintendo puts its focus, adding new courses and game elements like customizable items, so it’s odd to see a new update to a Mario Kart game that isn’t Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Weirder still, Nintendo’s latest news…Read more...

Making festive cookies for the holidays doesn’t have to mean owning six types of sprinkles or having three different sugars on hand. In fact, I find some of my holiday favorites have shockingly few ingredients with no decorations necessary, barring the occasional shake of powdered sugar.

We all know how this goes: The Golden Globe nominations just dropped, Oscar nominations come out in January, and in both cases, most of the discourse surrounding both is/will be about what didn’t get nominated.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t the only time to buy discounted televisions—some stores still have good deals if you’re still looking to buy a new TV as a Christmas gift or to have it set up before hosting. Of course, you should always compare shops if you have the time—sometimes prices are artificially inflated…Read more...

Some of macOS’s features are so good, they’re now legendary. The Mac pioneered fast, local search using Spotlight. You can press the spacebar on any file to instantly preview it with Quick Look. The same goes for the Dock, and the ability to easily AirDrop anything between Macs or other Apple devices.

While dryer sheets are often touted as being versatile odor absorbers, they really only belong in the dryer. It might seem like a simple and cost-effective way to cut down on smells coming from vents in your HVAC, but that’s a bad idea. Some claims have even been made that dryer sheets will extend the life of your air…Read more...

Video games are bigger than ever. This year alone saw games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Elden Ring, and Pokemon Scarlet/Violet sell over 10 million copies within a few days of launch. Chances are good even your elderly relatives know what Minecraft, Super Mario, and World of Warcraft are. (Maybe they even…Read more...

Due to a single misstep that resulted in shattering my left ankle, I have been staying with my parents during the week, because I am still—three weeks after the incident—not quite capable of performing simple chores or cooking for myself in any meaningful way. Luckily, my stepmother, Annette, is a very good cook, so I…Read more...

Have you ever been baffled by how someone can believe a conspiracy theory that obviously doesn’t hold together? Well, flip that around for a second and think about yourself: Do you really understand all the things that you have strong opinions or beliefs about? Chances are, you don’t. This is the “illusion of…Read more...

Marinated tofu is great, but getting tofu to actually absorb marinades is trickier than it seems. If you want the flavor to get all the way inside, you have to get heat involved somehow, whether that’s in the form of a dip in boiling salty water, or by pan-frying, baking, or my new favorite pre-marinade technique:…Read more...

I love ham and roasts and all of the potatoes and pies, but December is, to me, Snack Season. It’s the time for texturally pleasing, salty bites, and the more you have, the merrier you’ll be. In addition to salt, there are two flavors that turn a good snack into a great one: Umami and tang. Worcestershire sauce has…Read more...

There were a number of TikTok cleaning trends that popped up this year. Some of them were really useful and cool. Others were simply not. Separating the two is pretty important before you start cleaning for the new year, so let’s look at a few viral hacks you should jump on—and a few you should leave behind in 2022.

After seven weeks of beta testing, Apple released the latest build of the iPhone operating system, iOS 16.2, earlier today. The free update comes with some fun new features and changes, including the brand new Apple Music karaoke feature, end-to-end encrypted iCloud backups, and a new collaborative digital whiteboard…Read more...

The diagnostic testing company Detect has voluntarily recalled more than 11,000 of their Detect COVID-19 test kits, due to an increased chance that the tests may give false negative results. As many of these things go, the recall comes “out of an abundance of caution.”Read more...

LASIK eye surgery is known for being a quick, convenient medical procedure—and sometimes it is. The surgery only takes a few minutes, and can correct your vision immediately so that you no longer need glasses or contacts. But not everybody gets that best-case outcome, and the FDA wants potential patients to know about…Read more...

You know those yule log videos that are popular around the holidays? There’s a new one available for streaming on HBO Max, but rather than a static shot of some logs burning against an aural backdrop of cheesy Christmas music, this yule log holds a deliciously evil secret: a feature length horror/comedy flick that…Read more...

Smartphones these days have great cameras, to the point where it’s tough to make the wrong decision when picking one. If you’re like most people, though, you’re a bit loyal to one brand, especially if that brand happens to be iPhone, and never have a chance to really see what else is out there. It’s possible your…Read more...

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You know all about how to customize your MacBook’s Dock, but don’t sleep on its Menu Bar, either. Some of your Mac’s best apps sit unassumingly in the Menu Bar and allow you to use all of their best features via a tiny drop-down menu. Not every feature can be used from this spot, but these apps allow you to save time…Read more...

If you live in an apartment or a condo with shared walls with other residents, or if you just really like quiet sleep, a noisy neighbor or loud traffic noise can be irritating. In the modern work world of hybrid and work-from-home situations, having a quiet workspace can also be challenging, especially with kids and…Read more...

Some recipes are easy to cut in half or in thirds; one cup of sugar becomes a half, or a half a teaspoon of baking powder becomes 1/4 teaspoon. And then, there’s the egg—the one thing that math can’t really split. If you have a cookie or cake recipe that you’re trying to small batch in half, or by thirds, and there’s…Read more...

Keeping track of interior and exterior home maintenance schedules, landscaping, and emergency contacts for repairs can be overwhelming, especially for new homeowners. Even for experienced owners, help with organization and a centralized place to keep information can be a struggle—and no one wants to be digging in a…Read more...

I love extraneous video game peripherals. If I didn’t have a family, I would just surround myself with plastic guitar controllers, useless motion-control extensions, and every weird joystick ever invented. Just fill my home with ‘em—the more ridiculous they are, the better.

Earth has been invaded by aliens, and you, as the president of the United States, are on a quest to avenge the violent invasion with Superman-like powers and defeat the aliens. Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is free to download on the Epic Games store for PC players, along with some great surprises for fans.

Vehicles catching on fire seems to be trending this year, with Ford and Ram Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) being recalled in November, and Kia SUVs in October. Now, Subaru is joining the group with their most recent SUV recall. Subaru of America, Inc. has announced a safety recall for certain Subaru Ascent SUVs for…Read more...

The deadlift is one of the simplest things you can do in the gym: You just grab a barbell, and stand up. But it’s also one of the most intimidating. If you’ve been told all your life to “lift with your legs, not your back,” you may worry that you’ll accidentally lift with your back and something terrible will happen.…Read more...

This Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 14 and 15, marks the peak of the annual Geminid meteor shower, a highlight of the year for meteor fans. You should be able to spot many shooting stars for the low, low price of looking into the nighttime sky.

It’s so uniquely aggravating to scroll through old photos and see one where you look great or are having a wonderful time, but your ex is right there next to you. You can’t repost that picture as a throwback. Depending on how toxic the breakup was, you might even feel compelled to archive it so it’s no longer visible…Read more...

You know when you are checking out at a department or drug store during the holiday season and you see those big, pre-made gift baskets filled with lotion and fuzzy socks? Those are fine. I usually get, like, two or three of those as gifts every year, and I have no real issue with fuzzy socks.

Travel—whether it’s for the holidays, vacation, or for business—is a double-edged experience. It can be exciting to see new places, comforting to be with family, or thrilling to pursue professional goals, but travel can also be stressful, and doubly so during the holidays. Aside from the frantic nature of actually…Read more...

These days, I get so many spam calls I hardly pick up the phone anymore. However, if I see a call from someone I know, whether they’re a friend or family member, I, of course, answer them (usually). Unlike a random number, I know the person on the other end of the line, because I have their contact in my phone, right?…Read more...

There are a lot of ways to prepare mashed potatoes, and almost all of them are valid (even, or especially, the microwave method). Most mashed potato recipes start the same way: Cube the spuds into roughly 1 1/2-inch chunks, then cook them in simmering water until they can be easily mashed with a fork. This usually…Read more...

McDonald’s “SZN 0f Sharing” is in full force, and this week’s deal features the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, a classic item made of just four ingredients: a potato roll bun, pickles, crispy fried chicken, and salted butter. The featured sandwich is currently offered as a buy one, get one free (BOGO) deal until Dec. 14.…Read more...

While wrapped presents are a big part of the joy of holiday gifting, all that disposable wrapping paper can seem pretty wasteful, not to mention expensive. Bringing in some reusable alternatives that actually look nice can add some sustainable and cost-effective beauty to your holiday gift-giving routine. The best…Read more...

Whether you have a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, your charger likely has one fatal flaw: the plug. The power adapter needs to connect directly to an outlet, a design that works fine for smaller charging bricks. However, the bigger your MacBook, the bigger the brick, all without changing the design. As such,…Read more...

As movie theaters become ever more focused on four-quadrant blockbusters designed to offend as few people as possible, TV has become a playground for experimentation. At least for now—if the streaming service buuble didn’t pop in 2022, it’s definitely leaking. As Netflix stock cratered and HBO Max tried to figure out…Read more...

If you’re buying Apple devices as last-minute gifts this holiday season, there’s an easy way to figure out if you still time to get them delivered before the big day. When ordering directly from Apple’s online store, you can quickly check if the iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and Apple Watches you’re looking for are indeed…Read more...

Sliders, cupcakes, petite quiche, and pigs ‘n blankets have something in common: They were all mad ideas, miniaturized food favorites that quickly became the greatest party food of our time. Now the baked potato wants in on the appetizer action. Make it mini, pop it on a skewer, and you’ve got a new classic party…Read more...