Lifehacker

When we refer to someone who is “extremely online,” it’s pretty literal. This is someone who knows—and references—all the latest memes and never the outdated ones that peaked three weeks ago. They are always on Twitter and, if not participating in the daily discourse, at least observing it. They know all the news of…Read more...

When Rome fell to the barbarians, it didn’t happen overnight. The same thing can be said for neighborhoods that get ruined by short-term rentals like Airbnbs. When you bought your home or signed the lease on your apartment you probably thought you were buying a refuge, a place where you could relax, recharge, and live…Read more...

Subscription services can be a win-win for businesses and consumers alike. Sometimes, these models are even better for the consumers than the business (RIP MoviePass). Now, Alaska Airlines is getting in on the subscription economy with Flight Pass, an annual plan that allows subscribers to book participating flights…Read more...

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Every home-buying decision is full of non-negotiables and nice-to-haves; beyond location, price, and size, we all have a list of our most-desired features. And what a house needs to be an optimally functioning home for your family is vastly different than what you need on your own. If you have a young child, or are…Read more...

Meat isn’t your only option if you want a burger, a barbecue sandwich, or a savory centerpiece of a traditionally meat-containing dish. But not all of the plant-based meat alternatives are equal nutritionally. Here’s how some of the top options stack up:

Breakups are tough. You were planning a life with someone, but something went wrong, and now it might feel like you’ll never be happy again. But your life isn’t over. The world isn’t ending. Of course, you might not feel any optimism or realism for a while—and it’s fine to really feel these lows. Here’s some expert…Read more...

When it comes to pancakes, I am a bit of an obnoxious purist. Though I appreciate the occasional chocolate and cheese flapjack (a Weencake, if you will), my favorite flavor of pancake is buttermilk, and my favorite toppers are butter and maple syrup.

Re-entering the work force after taking time off to take care of young children is no easy feat. Logistically speaking, there’s a resume gap, a potential lapse in relevant industry connections, and childcare to set up. Behind the scenes, there’s often confidence to rebuild, guilt to tackle, and the mental load of…Read more...

The sitcom is among TV’s oldest and most venerable forms—and the ways in which they have attempted to reflect our “working class” economic realities are as interesting as the ways they’ve tried to obscure them.Read more...

If you’re still hanging on to a years-old iPhone and resisting the pressure to buy the latest, shiniest version, props to you. You’re probably experiencing slower performance and outdated features, among other things, but Apple is said to support iPhones with iOS upgrades for around seven years—long beyond a 1–2 year…Read more...

You’ve probably heard this before: When you’re anxious or stressed, there are breathing exercises that can help. And even though you’ve heard it before, you probably ignored the idea, because something as natural as breathing doesn’t seem like it needs much practice. But there are exercises that you definitely should…Read more...

After a breakup, there are a few things you can do to get through the emotional upheaval, sometimes in conjunction with each other. You can mope and spend a few days in bed. You can undertake a forced glow-up and hit the gym. You can surround yourself with friends and have a distracting blast. Or, you can throw…Read more...

Last week, I wrote about a friend of mine who admitted they had so much trouble getting their family out the door on time that they made their kids sleep in their school clothes for the next day. It occurred to me that this sort of slightly-sketchy-but-totally-effective parenting maneuver was probably more the rule…Read more...

Potatoes are easily manipulated. Slice, dice, mash, fry, boil, bake—they will all create a completely different dish, and you can achieve a wide variety of flavors and textures without too much work on your part. Take the tater tot and french fry, for example: Both are fried, but it’s the stuff that happens before the…Read more...

VPNs are an important digital security tool for political activists, journalists, and security researchers, but they’re now popular among general internet users thanks to the increased privacy they offer—and because they let you access region-locked content.

Anyone who has ever had to face the sticker-shock associated with replacing a vehicle’s tire (or, worse, all of them) has probably wondered whether they could just opt for a used tired instead. Well, you can—but you probably shouldn’t. As Consumer Reports put it: “We say, ‘Nay, nay.’ Don’t buy used tires: You don’t…Read more...

Most of us, myself included, spend a significant portion of our day sitting—usually on chairs or couches. Sitting all day long isn’t great for our health, but if possible, switching to sitting on the floor (even just for short periods of time) actually can help improve our overall health. That’s because the movements…Read more...

Between labor shortages, ongoing supply chain issues, disruptive winter weather, and various recalls, you may have found that some of your go-to products are noticeably absent from the shelves of retailers in your area. And perhaps you’ve already tried all the usual ways of dealing with shortages like these, including…Read more...

Even the healthiest, fittest, happiest, and most optimistic people feel physically and/or mentally rundown from time to time. For the rest of us, it’s more of a daily occurrence. Either way, when you’re feeling a bit off, the sooner you can pinpoint the root cause(s), the sooner you can attempt to address them.Read more...

As spring approaches and you begin to think about what you’re going to plant in your garden and/or yard for the upcoming growing season, there’s a lot to consider: From what kinds of foods you want to grow, to your favorite types of flowers and shrubs, to which plants are the easiest to grow.Read more...

In addition to the usual pet videos and pop culture memes, cleaning tips and demonstrations have become a constant presence in our social media feeds. Dramatic before-and-after photos of objects, once tarnished beyond recognition, now shiny and new, thanks to a specific technique or product the poster swears by.Read more...

Most people who have to regularly drive in the snow have some kind of tip or trick for making the trip safer or easier—things like checking your windshield wiper fluid more often, and keeping blankets and emergency supplies in your car. You also may have heard a piece of advice about tires: Specifically, that you’ll…Read more...

For those who drink enough seltzer to justify the cost (and counter space), soda makers (like SodaStream, and those that followed) are a convenient way of getting your fix of fizzy water without having to schlep cases of it from the store. And while it’s definitely a low-maintenance appliance, you do have to clean…Read more...

In case you blinked and missed the TikTok #barkatyourdogchallenge, it’s exactly what it sounds like: A person barking at their dog. More specifically, the goal of the challenge is to take a video of your dog reacting to you barking at them, in their face.Read more...

At least four infants have been hospitalized with bacterial infections linked to Similac, Alimentum and EleCare powdered baby formulas, prompting a voluntary recall, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports. One death has also been reported, but has not been confirmed to be solely attributable to bacterial…Read more...

People who live in areas that experience all four seasons tend to have certain expectations for each one—usually corresponding with a weather worksheet they completed in elementary school. (Summer = sun, fall = changing leaf, winter = snowflake, and spring = either an umbrella or raincloud.)Read more...

Podcast-derived true-life crime dramas? Hulu’s got ‘em in March, as the streaming service launches a pair of star-backed miniseries exploring the sordid deeds of two women, one of them a convicted fraud and the other a convicted killer, and both of the shows based on popular podcasts.Read more...

Everyone wants to eat healthy, but “healthy” doesn’t have a specific meaning. Neither do lots of other food-related buzzwords that are used on packaging or by influencers. These words and phrases are meant to make you feel good (or bad) about your choices, while giving you little to no useful information.

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The image of flying first class is one of comfort, privacy, and luxurious leg room. Unfortunately, the average passenger’s price range more often involves the sound of crying babies than the soft clink of champagne glasses.

The core pillars of dental hygiene are widespread and well-known. Brush twice a day, floss daily, avoid sugary foods and drinks and—don’t rinse your mouth out after brushing?

One thing I noticed during my cocktail training is that a lot of bartenders are super horned up over the Dark ‘n Stormy. Pre-shift, mid-shift, after-shift, a Dark ‘n Stormy—or Frothy Boi as I have heard them called—seems to be the go-to for many of my favorite cocktail professionals. This has always been curious to…Read more...

In the spirit of the latest Halloween reboot, there’s a new straight-to-Netflix Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie out this week that, like the 2018 Michael Myers movie, ignores all of the intervening films and re-introduces the original’s lead (in Massacre’s case, that involves recasting Sally Hardesty—as Marilyn Burns…Read more...

The life of a “morning person” sounds so peaceful and organized. Imagine waking up on time—even early—to make breakfast, do yoga, plan an outfit, or otherwise calmly get ready for the day. Must be nice. The reality is that plenty of us wake up in a panic after oversleeping, completely tuning out our alarms until the…Read more...

It’s been a rough few months for some of the biggest manufacturers of health and beauty products—specifically, those in the form of aerosol sprays. First, Procter & Gamble (P&G) issued a voluntary recall of a number of their aerosol spray antiperspirants in November, then followed it up with a similar recall of…Read more...

We all know video game piracy is illegal, but what about jailbreaking a video game console you personally own?

The history of video games is built on pixel art classics like Super Mario Bros., Super Metroid, and Final Fantasy VI, but the graphical medium has made its way back to the forefront of gaming thanks to a booming interest from indie game creators.

When the first iPhone hit the market, I was deeply suspicious and mocked the very idea of a smartphone. When my friend showed off their shiny new phone, I wondered out loud why, exactly, I needed to be able to simulate drinking a beer on a (remarkably tiny) iPhone screen. Like everyone else, I long ago admitted how…Read more...

This week, the kids are testing each other’s loyalty through TikTok, clowning on a gamer for his ignorance about women’s anatomy, and making their dads famous by digging up an old disco song.

This week we mourn the passing of Pot Roast, a beloved cat who millions of TikTok users were lucky enough to have grace their algorithms in recent years. While we collectively grieve the loss of this furry icon across social media, we can cheer ourselves up by turning to the many other online animals making our lives…Read more...

A few years ago, a possum got stuck in my bathroom wall. At the time, I was living in downtown Houston, in an old bungalow that sat on a pier-and-beam foundation. Somehow, the possum managed to get under the house, then crawl up in the space between the walls, where he got stuck and subsequently spent an entire day…Read more...

The first time Disney+ premiered a new Pixar movie that had never played in theaters, it felt like a sorely needed pandemic holiday gift, and the streaming-only release of Soul certainly didn’t prevent it from winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. But when Luca went straight to streaming the next summer, it felt…Read more...

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It’s hard to improve on caramelized onions. When you need so little to make something so delicious, why even try? Fair enough—but you can make them even better with a quick marinade.Read more...

I’m not very good at taking vacations. Often it’s a failure of planning—a trip will go much smoother if everything’s figured out beforehand, especially when I’m on a budget, but I tend to do stuff like getting on an airplane without knowing where I’m going to sleep that evening. But then there are those trips that are…Read more...

Gas prices are going up, and it sucks. But you don’t always need to live with the price you see—there might be another station on the other side of town that offers cheaper gas than you’ve been paying, or rewards deal you aren’t aware of. You don’t need to do all the research yourself, either.

Occasional warm days in February are a teaser for spring, so we understand if you’re starting to daydream about the garden you’ll plant when it’s closer to summer. But there’s no need to wait—you can get started on some of your spring gardening tasks right now.

Do you feel that? Winds in the east, mist coming in—like something is brewing? Has something shifted seismically, as was predicted by this now iconic pre-pandemic tweet? Is a storm coming? Well, sort of, yes. According to Allison P. Davis, writing for The Cut, “A Vibe Shift is Coming.”

When you decide to start doing a grown-up skincare routine, what seems like a pleasant bit of self-care can quickly turn into an overwhelming mess. In what order do you apply all this junk? Which steps can you skip and which are essential? Why is everyone on the forums recommending retinol? Why are there so many…Read more...