Lifehacker

I replaced my kitchen scale recently. The new one has every feature I was looking for—negative tare being the big upgrade. But it also has two features that I never asked for and do not want. Nobody wants them. I’m talking about the “milliliters” and “fluid ounces” settings, which are both complete bullshit.Read more...

Fishing out the last stem from a jar of Amarena cherries is extremely disappointing—even more upsetting if there’s no cherry attached. These bitter cherries are saturated with flavor and boast such a romantic, dark red, you’ll be instantly smitten the moment you pop the lid. They’re the elevated version of a…Read more...

If you use Google Chrome on Windows or Android, you need to update ASAP. There’s a new browser update for each platform that includes patches for newly discovered security vulnerabilities. The bad news: One of these security flaws has a known exploit, meaning your browser and its data are at risk unless you update now.

Travel is a mess right now, and with so many things going wrong, it’s entirely possible that you’ll be stuck overnight somewhere or have your luggage delayed on an upcoming trip. Of course, you can always purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy to cover any additional expenses you might incur, but many credit…Read more...

Most of the apps in Apple’s App Store are slowly moving away from asking you to pay upfront, opting to make their money either through ads or in-app purchases. But if you’re someone who prefers to buy an app rather than deal with micro-transactions, keeping track of prices can be a pain—especially since Apple ditched…Read more...

No matter what browser you use on your Android, it accumulates junk files over time. Left unchecked, those files can take up anywhere between 100s of megabytes to multiple gigabytes of storage space. It not only slows down your browser, but can also affect the speed of your phone, and the solution is easy:…Read more...

Given the ubiquity of shows like Vikings, movies like The Northman, and the forthcoming Thor: Lover and Thunder (this installment differentiated by the presence of a bonus Thor), Norse mythology is very much in the zeitgeist lately.Read more...

In order to get along in the world, we generally operate under the assumption that we’re experiencing the same reality as others. But this may be an illusion— ask a random person who won the last presidential election to get a picture of how little we share in a political and cultural sense—and if you want to take it…Read more...

Some of my favorite foods are utilitarian sources of protein. Cottage cheese, jerky, hard boiled eggs—things I can grab and shove in my face the moment I realize I’m way past hungry. (Being a food writer does not automatically make one good at recognizing hunger cues, as it turns out.) Hard boiled eggs are one of my…Read more...

You’ve been dating a pretty great person for a few months, but there’s just one problem—when you aren’t snuggling and getting along, you’re pushing each other’s buttons, resulting in some big flare-ups. This person has many wonderful qualities and you can see a future with them, so you don’t want to break up—but the…Read more...

One of the simplest joys in life is going out to dinner with friends. That is, of course, until the bill comes. All conversation now must turn to how much money each person owes for the loaded potato wedges and fried pickles the table shared. You’re in the mood for merriment, not complicated math. Of the many great…Read more...

Chances are, if you’ve gone through middle school, you know what it’s like to be insulted right to your face. But insults aren’t solely the work of a schoolyard bully—adults dole them out, too. You might deserve the next insult you get, or you might not. Either way, you have a few options on how to respond. You could …Read more...

Butter is an ideal dipping sauce for these sweltering summer months, when the artichokes are ready to be steamed and the crab is ready to be boiled. If you’ve eaten much of either of those, you’ve probably noticed they come with a little tub of drawn butter for dipping. But how does one go about drawing butter,…Read more...

Last year, hospitals had to start posting lists of the prices they charge for each procedure. The data wasn’t easy to access, and a serious flaw is that these were just the sticker prices—not the prices that insurers, or anybody else, actually end up paying. Now, as of July 1, the insurers have to post lists of…Read more...

When you need a ride, are you sure you know what is the best, cheapest option? Should you open up one of your rideshare apps, or are you better off going old school and hopping in a cab? It’s hard to know off of the top of your head which one is going to be cheaper. After all, the rideshare apps’ pricing formulas are…Read more...

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Word-based Wordle variants are incredibly fun. Each tweak of the format brings a new nuance to the game. But sometimes it’s worth expanding your horizons to guess things that aren’t the specific placement of letters on a grid. I did that today, and I fell in love with Artle.Read more...

Owning your home is about more than just having shelter—it’s about managing an investments. A house or condo is often your largest asset, so instead of simply enjoying it, you have to worry about improving it all the time in the hopes you’ll be able to sell it for a lot more than you paid someday.

As of July 1, the TweetDeck for Mac app has been discontinued. First released in 2008 by independent developer Iain Dodsworth (and acquired by Twitter in 2011), the app has a loyal following of users on Mac. For them, this stings.

With fare prices skyrocketing and a chaotic summer travel season underway, buying plane tickets becomes a tricky balance between finding flights that will work for you without overpaying and seeing prices drop later. Many airlines have made fares more flexible over the past several years, allowing you to make changes…Read more...

You might find idea of hitting a nude beach exciting, intimidating, or both, but if you find it enticing at all, it’s worth trying at least once in your life. It’s relaxing and empowering to commune with nature in your own natural state, and there’s no shame in having a body or showing it to other people. (National…Read more...

House fires are terrifying—they can go from spark to inferno in as little as thirty seconds. And yet, most of us don’t think all that often about the smoke detectors in our homes. Whether they’re super modern “smart” detectors or old-school models, we tend to neglect their maintenance. Maybe we don’t change the…Read more...

If you think you waited way too long to get your garden going this year or if, like me, you live in a place where it rained nearly every day through spring and until the end of June, there is still hope for you yet. There are things you can plant now, and ways to get industrious with your garden, even if you have …Read more...

Since introducing trendy new apps like BeReal and Dimensional is my schtick now, it’s important I bring you news of NGL, an app that pairs with your Instagram account and gives people the ability to send you completely anonymous messages.

Google Docs’ formatting features have rarely evolved over the past decade. Typically, you can use keyboard shortcuts or the formatting bar, and that’s it. But Google Docs has recently introduced Markdown as a syntax-only formatting language, and it’s popular among developers and writers.Read more...

You can’t really call yourself an adult unless you have some familiarity with the kitchen, so the worst cooking sin of all is not knowing how to cook. But I get that learning to turn cold foods into hot foods can be intimidating, so I’ve put together this list of seven huge cooking “don’ts.”

I have zero Latinx blood in me. I come from Russian stock that glow in the dark, but I am a serious Mexican food snob. I spent thirty years in Arizona, where we understood Mexican food as a whole culinary ecosystem beyond tacos. Appreciating Silvana Salcido Esparza’s gourmet Gran Reserva can be balanced with 2 a.m.…Read more...

For more than two years, there has been no shortage of well, shortages. From toilet paper and hand sanitizer in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to baby formula and tampons now, supply chain issues and labor shortages have made some essential products difficult to find.

Not only are window air conditioning units crucial for keeping cool during the hot summer months (at least for those who don’t have central AC), but they can also provide the soothing white noise some people like to have in the background while working or sleeping.Read more...

When we decorate our homes, we tend to focus on areas we can reach. That’s at least in part because unless you have one of those fancy library ladders that glide around a room, you probably try to minimize the amount of time you spend having to use one to reach the higher parts of a room.Read more...

When it comes to powering a car, gas gets all the attention (which is understandable given the prices over the past few months). But in addition to your fuel gauge, you should also keep an eye on your battery level. Batteries perform multiple functions in vehicles—including providing the power you need to start your…Read more...

Fans of vintage or antique wood furniture know that these older pieces come with some trade-offs. For example, older, solid wood furniture was built to last—unlike modern particle board counterparts. But because of this, it can be extremely heavy (i.e. difficult to move), and be pretty pricey if it’s in pristine…Read more...

There’s nothing like the feeling of climbing into bed after putting on a set of new, clean sheets. But if you’re used to well-worn cotton sheets—or ones made of jersey, bamboo, or microfiber—a new set of sheets (especially if they’re percale, linen, or other higher-end types of cotton) may not be as soft as you’d like…Read more...

Love your hydrangeas, but want to see how they would look in a different color? Depending on the variety, you may be able to change their color yourself. Here’s what to know.Read more...

Now that summer is in full swing, people lucky enough to have their own pool (or at least live near someone who does) are probably spending a lot of time in the water. And while that’s a great way to cool down on a hot day, you could end up with some less-than-pleasant aftereffects, like a sunburn or swimmer’s ear.Read more...

Grilled meats like hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken tend to take centerstage at cookouts—like the many happening over this holiday weekend—but the sides are what make the meal. And because most cookouts take place in warmer summer weather, it can be tricky to keep sides like potato salad and coleslaw cool.Read more...

My relationship with martinis can be traced back to the bar at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, an iconic establishment that’s decorated like a French bordello. Desperate to be perceived as refined, I ordered a dirty martini with my shrimp cocktail and ribeye. Marco—the platonic ideal of an old-school bartender—asked if I…Read more...

Childhood emotional neglect (CEN) occurs when caregivers fail to fulfill a child’s emotional needs. This can include overt, verbal abuse, as well as passive acts of ignoring or neglecting the child’s needs. Both emotional neglect and emotional invalidation fall under the larger category of CEN and have different…Read more...

So you’ve set out to do a load of laundry only to realize you already used the last of the detergent. Bummer—but there is hope for your socks and underwear yet. In a pinch, you can sub in some common household items for your Tide or All; they may not have the same stain-busting power but they will get rid of odors and…Read more...

For all the good things it does for us, the sun can also be a menace: It can burn your skin, mess with your eyes, and even damage your vehicle. It might also be responsible for that rash you’ve been Googling since you discovered it across your shoulders. You could have a “sun rash” or “sun allergy” and never have even…Read more...

If you want to reduce your chances of an early death from a heart attack or stroke, you’ve probably heard of a few ways to do that: get more exercise, eat “good fats,” maybe pay attention to the heart health metrics on your smartwatch. But there are a lot of things that are supposed to be good for our hearts, and…Read more...

The idea of hopping in an RV with some friends or family and exploring off the beaten path completely on your own schedule might be pretty compelling—at least until you look up the price of the rental. If this sounds like something you want to do, though, don’t be scared away by the high rental prices you may come…Read more...

Governments lie. They cheat. They steal. Sometimes the blame comes from within: corrupt individuals who’d conned their ways into the halls of power with no moral compass beyond their own self-aggrandizement. Sometimes, the fault lies within ourselves: We’re drawn to populist politicians who tell us what we want to…Read more...

Sometimes you want to melt away the hours managing an island of misfits and paying back a predatory raccoon. And sometimes you wanna be put through the wringer—to test every fibre of your patience, skill, and smarts on your path to victory.

When it comes to running in the heat, I’m a wimp. (When it comes to a lot of things, I am a wimp.) After running a spring marathon, I’ve struggled to resume training and get myself out the door and into the summer weather. Then I remembered one of my hacks that I usually reserve for pre-race nerves: A quick shower.

In 2020, no household product loomed as large in the public consciousness as hand sanitizer. Back in March of that year—before we knew COVID-19 is mostly spread through the air rather than by you touching your face—the stuff was practically liquid gold. Shelves were emptied. Prices skyrocketed. Some people tried to…Read more...

Buying a new car has always been a major investment, and at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch of inflation, it’s especially important to factor in the costs now, and the expenses associated with using and maintaining it over time. And with gas hovering around $5/gallon, a car’s fuel efficiency could end up…Read more...

On one hand, things are seriously fucked up basically all over the world. Everyone feels like they’re going crazy and nothing makes any sense anymore. But on the other hand, young people have collectively decided to dress in their nicest clothes to see Minions: The Rise of Gru this weekend. That has to even the scales…Read more...

When you’re single, it’s easy to lose control of your budget, or even feel like you don’t need one in the first place. Date nights, takeout for one, no one to split streaming subscriptions with...the costs of being single add up quick. Without a second income, you have to get a little creative with how you save. At…Read more...

Google Hangouts will be replaced by Google Chats later this year, adding another entry to the ever-growing list of dead Google services. The shutdown is planned to occur some time in October, but Google is already starting the transition. While the process will mostly take place on Google’s side, the company is…Read more...