Lifehacker

Most people know that you can refinance a loan, which involves getting a new loan at better terms and paying off the old loan. Refinancing is most commonly associated with home mortgages, but you can refinance any loan as long as the terms allow for it and you can find a better deal. Refinancing a mortgage is so…Read more...

It’s way too easy to rack up a series of open tabs. You’re supposed to be researching flights for your trip this summer, but, wait, when does summer officially start again? Ah, the summer solstice, but, what exactly is a solstice, anyway? Next thing you know, you’re 100 tabs deep, and you don’t know why or how you’re …Read more...

Making your house “smarter”—with automated controls and voice commands—can streamline chores and save you money on energy costs. If you’ve ever dreamed of living like a Jetson, but thought that smart technology would be too complicated or expensive for your budget, here are some upgrades you can do yourself.Read more...

Kitchen equipment is by far the most important factor in how your recipes turn out, and stoves are the most important piece of all. Knowing your particular stove’s quirks can be the difference between a perfectly cooked meal and a total disaster—so if you’re used to gas and suddenly need to cook on an electric stove,…Read more...

Oh sodium chloride, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depths of my crock pot, breadth of my amateur dinner repertoire, and height of my Costco-sized Himalayan salt shaker. Without you, my hastily-put-together nightly family nourishment would be all but unpalatable. (My kids would argue it…Read more...

Thanks to the latest Windows 11 update, all users can now run Android apps natively on their PCs. Prior to this update, Android app support was a beta feature exclusive to Windows 11 Insiders, but now, anyone can download and install apps—at least, apps from the new Amazon Appstore Preview for Windows.

What makes the perfect gaming setup? Traditionally, the biggest, best TV for consoles, paired with an ultra-sharp, high-refresh-rate monitor for your PC. For retro gamers, the CRT is the holy grail, perfect for playing classics from the SNES and Genesis. But what about the games in the middle—the not-quite retro but…Read more...

For many people, their oven’s broiler is just kind of there. It’s handy for browning the top of casseroles or getting a roast chicken extra crispy, but beyond that, it doesn’t see much regular use. This is a huge missed opportunity. Broilers are so much more versatile than they get credit for—especially if you don’t…Read more...

Before you take your sluggish old computer down to the e-waste disposal site, try bringing it back to usefulness by installing a Chrome operating system. Google has opened the downloading gates to Chrome OS Flex, a new iteration of its versatile OS, and it might be the perfect solution if your older Mac or PC is…Read more...

Read more...

I’ll never forget one of the first tables I served as an antsy new waitress, when a woman asked her husband, “What does ‘IPA’ even stand for?” The man replied, “It means it was made in America.” While his response was certainly patriotic, it was also objectively false.

When you take an Uber, ratings are a two-way street. Sure, you get to rate your driver on their skills behind the wheel, but your driver also gets report on how well behaved you were throughout your trip. If you’ve ever wondered why your score is the way it is, whether because it’s surprisingly low or uniquely high,…Read more...

Security updates are important, and you shouldn’t ignore them. However, while apps and browsers like Chrome will remind you when it’s time to update, you might also be blissfully unaware there’s even one available, leaving you open to security risks. This happens to be one of those times.

The Tom Holland/Mark Wahlberg adaptation of the Uncharted video game series is out this week, riffing on Indiana Jones with a modern young protagonist. It’s one of my favorite game franchises, which by no means guarantees I’ll enjoy the movie. Movies and shows based on video games have a deservedly spotty reputation;…Read more...

I don’t have a problem with rich people, per se. Some of my favorite people are wealthy! They only get annoying when they walk around believing their wealth is a product of virtue instead of dumb luck. But I don’t even blame rich people for that too much—thinking, “I have this yacht because I am essentially better…Read more...

While lead in paint was banned in 1978 and in plumbing in 1986, it can persist in older buildings. If you’re not sure whether your home contains this hazard, testing is simpler than you might think. Here are some ways you can test your paint and water for lead—and what to do if you think you have a problem.Read more...

Potato milk is the newest addition to the pantheon of plant-based milk-like liquids. It’s being called the “new oat milk,” and the comparison seems apt—both products became popular by being marketed to coffee shops and coffee drinkers. The texture reportedly foams well in lattes. But how does it stack up nutritionally?

Read more...

In theory, sheet pan meals are a flawless solution to the eternal question of what to make for dinner. They’re just as hands-off and convenient as slow cooker or Instant Pot recipes, but with less waiting around (and even fewer dishes to wash). But often, a recipe that looked gorgeous and appetizing in photos can…Read more...

Private property is a fascinating concept. On the one hand, ownership is really just a collective agreement. On the other, protecting private property rights is key to a stable society. Still, there are actually a lot of limitations on what you can do with your property, though most of the time, you can do just about…Read more...

Scroll through Reddit’s r/AmItheAsshole for approximately two seconds, and you’ll discover the power of weddings to tear relationships apart. Wedding planning was fraught territory before the pandemic, and the added layer of safety protocols have only made things more tense for many betrothed. While researching this…Read more...

The mythical “women’s bar”: It is a real type of barbell, but unless you compete in one specific strength sport, you probably have some misconceptions about exactly what it is and why it exists. Is it a shrinked-and-pinked bullshit bar? Or is it a necessary piece of equipment for all women? Nope, it’s neither of those…Read more...

When I got my dental night guard, the woman who made the molds was adamant that I only, only, rinse it with warm water every day and occasionally, let the soft bristles of my toothbrush scrape any excess mouth detritus from its delicate features. This would be enough, she assured me. (I was skeptical.) She was also…Read more...

Within seconds of finishing his first Wordle game, my 12-year-old son opened a new tab and googled “infinite Wordle.” There are, of course, many ways to play Wordle over and over again. (Here’s one; here’s another.) What’s better, though, is playing multiple Wordle-style puzzles at the same time.Read more...

Water flossers like the Waterpik have flooded the shelves of dentist offices and retailers. While their popularity is unquestionable, does Waterpik remove plaque or clean your teeth better than regular old floss?Read more...

You’re a busy person. You have a job, maybe more than one. You have a family, friends, hobbies, worries, and all kinds of unique responsibilities. It can be hard to find the time to fit it all in, but you still need to find time to get it in, if you catch the drift here.

There are things about our existence in the modern world we tend to think about constantly, like lunch or whether we can get away with wearing our favorite sweats for a fourth day straight. Other aspects of modern life are almost invisible to us, like the energy that is magically delivered to our homes on a daily…Read more...

If you were always more into the geography bowl over the spelling bee, you’re in luck. The latest addition to the Wordle-esque turf war is a global challenger called “Worldle.” And chances are excellent this geography-based guessing game will destroy the ego your 25-day Wordle streak has built up.Read more...

If you use the Microsoft Office suite of applications, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you’ll have noticed these apps try to save all your files on OneDrive. For some people, that’s a great system because it keeps an online copy of their file in the cloud. But if you prefer to keep local copies of your Office…Read more...

A spin bike is one of the best home-gym investments you can make, since it lets you work on your cardio fitness even when the weather is too hot or cold to go for a ride or a jog outside. And unlike a rower or a set of kettlebells, you don’t need much in the way of technique: just hop on and start pedaling.

The Nintendo Switch offers several play styles, an advantage of its hybrid console/handheld nature. You can play docked and connected to your TV, or portably in handheld or tabletop modes. The Switch also supports a number of first and third-party controller options out of the box. These options make finding a…Read more...

With inflation topping 7% and consumer confidence at a 10-year low, it’s a foregone conclusion that the Federal Reserve will raise the federal funds rate in the near future. It could be at their meeting in March, or it could come even sooner at an emergency meeting, but it’s coming. The first hike is likely to be…Read more...

We’re halfway through February, a month in which resolve is weakened and resolutions are abandoned. Even if you started the year with the best eating habits in place, bad weather, a chocolate-focused holiday, and life have a way of derailing these best laid meal plans.

As the good book says, to every thing there is a season—a that’s especially true in relationships, which have distinct phases couples navigate, usually without even realizing that they’re leaving one and entering another.Read more...

Volcanic eruptions are more than juicy fodder for middle-school science fair projects. When hot gasses and molten rock spew from openings in the earth, it can quickly alter landscapes, level buildings, and kill a lot of people. Just ask the citizens of ancient Pompeii (if you can find anyone.)

No matter your opinion on Dr. Gary Chapman and his “5 Love Languages,” (some say it revolutionized their marriage; some say Chapman, a Baptist pastor with a Ph.D. in adult education, is a “therapeutic fraud”), you can’t deny that the idea he made mainstream—focusing on showing love and affection to our romantic …Read more...

There’s nothing quite like a proper shower after a long day. But if weak water pressure and irregular spray patterns are preventing you from washing away your troubles, then it might be time to give your shower head a deep clean.

Mono is a disease best known to afflict teenagers and young adults, with the main symptoms being excessive fatigue and getting teased about who you have been kissing. But anyone can get it, and it’s worth knowing the rest of the symptoms.

The world doesn’t need to know when you’re taking a shit. Sure, it’s a normal bodily function that nobody need be ashamed of—but sometimes you just want to poop without announcing it to everyone via sounds and smells. Here’s how to do that.

Read more...

Valentine’s Day is, among other things, a great excuse to eat obscene amounts of chocolate (as is any day before or after Valentine’s Day). Relationships are cool and everything, but whether you’re in one or not, you deserve to celebrate love with delicious treats. You can easily find recipes that serve two or more,…Read more...

It’s not your imagination—everything is more expensive than it used to be, but especially used cars. Once the safe harbor for folks without the savings and/or credit for a new vehicle, used cars are suddenly worth their weight in gold, and the internet is filled with horror stories of 2003 Camrys with 150,000 miles…Read more...

When a video call ends, there’s always that initial worry: “Did I really leave the meeting...can they all still hear me?” If you successfully ended the call, you’re usually in the clear, and can continue with whatever noisy activity you want without fear. However, Zoom has a bug that can give you a jolt, seemingly…Read more...

Hopefully, you’re getting some love from your Valentine(s) today. If not, how about a gift from the country’s largest passenger railroad service? Now through Feb. 16, Amtrak is offering a buy-one-get-one free (BOGO) ticket as part of their Amtrak Loves You Sale.

Ideally, you wouldn’t store any sensitive personal information in the cloud. There’s always a risk your online accounts will get hacked, so in theory you’re better off storing all your documents and data offline. But that’s not really how the world works anymore, and the convenience (or necessity) of maintaining easy…Read more...

Wining and dining is a Valentine’s Day tradition, but I tend to prefer snacking and cocktailing. If you would like to make a similar pivot, you’re going to need some cocktail recipes. Lucky for you and your beloved, we have plenty.Read more...

It’s a fundamental fact of human life that we lose about 100% of the umbrellas we buy. Just about everyone has experienced that moment when you’re six blocks away from the restaurant and the rain starts to fall, bringing to mind a crystal clear image of your umbrella on the floor under your table. This is why every…Read more...

If you’re a people-pleaser, you’re probably empathetic and giving. Don’t get me wrong—these are admirable qualities to have. At the same time, if you’re always accommodating other people’s wants and needs, it shouldn’t be at the expense of your own.

YouTube’s algorithm is designed to keep your eyeballs glued to video after video (after video, after video...). The dangers of this rabbit hole are well-documented. However, for every ideological radicalization enabled by YouTube, I like to think there’s at least one innocent, newfound pop culture obsession discovered…Read more...

In addition to our skin and our hair, winter also can take a toll on our eyes—and for many of the same reasons. When it’s cold outside, we want to spend more time inside, where it’s warm and dry. Unfortunately, these warm and dry conditions have a tendency to make our eyes feel dry and irritated.Read more...