Lifehacker

Many parents don’t like guns—real ones or toys. So even though we may know that playing with pretend guns is developmentally normal, our instinct whenever our kids start building guns out of LEGO bricks or pretend-shooting at each other with sticks, is to shut it down. But guns are part of our reality and a normal…Read more...

I was skeptical of Nordic Walking when I first heard of it. It seemed like a try at commodifying taking a stroll, like, “You’re not really walking until you’re doing it with these expensive walking poles,” but after looking into the research behind it, my mind was changed completely.

Yesterday, I read an article that claimed brie was the “best” cheese to put on your burger. I was, frankly, a little stunned. I’m a big fan of brie, and a big fan of a big pan of brie, but the “best” burger cheese it is not.Read more...

Breaking up, as they say, is hard to do. Everyone needs guidance when it comes to ending things, but usually, advice focuses on how to know you want to break up or how to cope with all the emotions afterward. One of the worst parts, though, is actually doing the damn thing. According to stats culled by Preply, a…Read more...

So far there are at least 351 confirmed cases of monkeypox in humans in the United States, with more than half of states reporting at least one case. Given existing barriers to diagnosis and testing, it’s likely that there are a lot more cases out there than have been documented. So how do you protect yourself?

Not to be too alarmist, but the economy isn’t looking super great at the moment. For starters, don’t look at your 401(k) right now. From crashing stock markets to spiking consumer prices, a recession seems to be looming. Although the news is troubling, there are steps you can take to stave off panic and protect…Read more...

The U.S. National Park Service is anticipating so many visitors this summer that you actually need a reservation just to enter some of them. And with a record number of people becoming one with nature, you’re going to have some unintended, but not completely unexpected, consequences. I am, of course, referring to the…Read more...

If you’ve been planning to buy a house, you may have noticed that it recently got a little more challenging. With inflation spooking politicians and economists alike, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates 0.75% this month, and while that might not seem like much, it’s had a huge impact on the mortgage market.…Read more...

Americans, on average, juggle about 12 prescription medicines. While this number is certainly skewed by older folks who have racked up a lot of pills, many of us have been prescribed a prescription medicine we need to take every single day. But on the whole, we’re not very good at doing that—one study showed an…Read more...

The year was 2019. It was a simpler time, a time when, instead of monitoring the latest pandemic headlines, worrying about how to afford an entire tank of gas, and mourning the end of bodily autonomy, people were standing in long lines and arguing with strangers about Popeyes chicken sandwiches.Read more...

Chrome on Android is a very capable browser. It’s the default browser for most Android smartphones out there. And because it’s so popular, it hasn’t really changed over the last couple of years.

While we might try our hardest to always keep our tools clean and dry, they may still battle rust. When your prevention methods fail, common wisdom might be to toss out the damaged tools—and sometimes that’s inevitable. But before you junk your metal implements, there are a few things you can try to salvage them and…Read more...

Everyone knows how to add app shortcuts to your smartphone’s home screen, but did you know you can also save web pages as shortcuts, too? This simple method makes it easy to open your most-visited pages without fiddling with your web browser app’s bookmarks or searching for the website through the Google app, saving…Read more...

You may have noticed that a serpentine-shaped green vegetable has made its way to your local farmer’s market by the bushel. This time of year, when spring alliums—like green garlic and spring onions—begin to grow into their fully matured selves, garlic scapes make their fleeting appearance at the table. They may look…Read more...

Are we in for a sleepy summer, or a summer of sleeper hits? If you’re a loyal fan of silly favorites like Bob’s Burgers (July 12) and What We Do in the Shadows (July 13) , then you can get your fill on Hulu. If you’re looking for modern, wholesome movies, then you should turn to Amazon Prime Video for Don’t Make Me Go …Read more...

As a beginner to strength training, I’m sure you’ve heard the advice (from me, even!) to start with light weights or even no-weight exercises, and work up from there. While this is good advice in general, sometimes we get stuck on the easy version of an exercise, not realizing that adding weight can actually make it …Read more...

Music streaming apps are a convenient way to listen to your favorite songs and discover new bands, but none of them let you easily bring your created playlists, liked songs, or listening history with you if you decide to move to a different service.

As a rule of thumb, I try to never check luggage when I fly, but there are times when it is simply unavoidable. Also unavoidable is the subsequent required trip to the luggage carousel. You know the scene: The area is littered with your fellow exhausted travelers who are eager to get their bags so they move along to…Read more...

An increasing number of Americans are asking whether living in the United States is still a good idea—and I don’t blame them; there’s a lot going on right now. I’m still a fan, but that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping my options open, downloading Duolingo, and learning as much as I can about how to move to somewhere else…Read more...

I learned a lot about myself this morning thanks to Dimensional, a social media app that serves up a bunch of personality tests and encourages you to compare results with your friends. Not that I learned much from the tests themselves—personality tests are silly—but I did discover I am someone who can be made aware…Read more...

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, people have been talking about what abortion was like in the days before modern medical procedures. Even in ancient history, abortions were performed with both surgical and medicinal techniques; Ben Franklin famously included a protocol for herbal abortions in one of his books. And…Read more...

Insightful documentary explorations into the most pressing issues of our day are all well and good, but given that I usually watch TV when I want to completely wall off my brain from the horrors of reality, I’ll take a YouTube-style deep dive into a piece of pop culture ephemera (almost) every time. The Day the Music…Read more...

Water can help your garden feel more tranquil—and it can encourage birds and other wildlife to spend more time in your yard. Adding a water feature can sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. You can get all the benefits of having a backyard oasis without a lot of hassle. Here are some simple tools and tips you…Read more...

Every year around mid-June my inbox is flooded with press releases for flag cake recipes, all of which boast new and exciting takes on the patriotic dessert. Usually I ignore them, because flag cakes have been done to death, but America has really outdone herself this year, and she deserves a cake—an unprecedented…Read more...

Plenty of things can cause fights in a relationship, from infidelity to a misalignment of values, but many issues boil down to a lack of trust, a lack of communication, or a blending of the two. And then, you have your finances. Money causes major stress to many of us all individually, so it makes sense that it would…Read more...

Anyone who has ever moved as an adult knows how expensive it can be. Between hiring movers, renting transportation, replacing lost or broken items, the bill that comes along with settling into a new home can be pretty steep. If you’re looking to save money on your next move, know that the little things add up. To…Read more...

When you’re traveling or out and about, a single USB-C adapter is never enough. You probably need at least two USB-C ports—one for your iPhone and the other to charge your MacBook, iPad, or other peripherals. While you can get a plethora of third-party multi-port chargers, Apple has never made one—until now.

Viewed through modern eyes, long-discredited parenting techniques seem laughable—what kind of idiot would feed a six month old child eggs, bacon, and coffee? But remember, raising your kid in weird ways wasn’t that weird when tons of people were doing it.Read more...

From Netflix, to iCloud or Google Cloud, to Amazon Prime, to Blue Apron, you probably subscribe to more subscription-based services than you can easily remember— which can be a problem when it comes to canceling services that you aren’t actually using anymore.Read more...

Although fireworks make appearances at New Year’s Eve celebrations, sporting events, and even weddings, their big day is unquestionably the Fourth of July. But how did the explosive displays come to be associated with Independence Day in America? And when did that start? Here’s what to know about the country’s loudest…Read more...

It’s estimated that 25 million Americans have a fear of flying. And although the fear is a perfectly natural one—how does it stay up there, especially when turbulence hits?—it can have a significantly negative impact on a person’s life. But there’s a simple mental imagery trick, invented by an airline pilot and making…Read more...

According to the National Resources Defense Council, up to 40% of the food in the United States is never eaten. A lot of factors contribute to that reality: restaurants cook more food than they’re able to sell in a day; grocery stores overstock their shelves to create the appearance of abundance; farmers can’t always…Read more...

Last week I asked you for your unwritten rules of parking lot etiquette. As I wrote then, this request sprung from when I previously asked Lifehacker readers for their unbreakable rules of driving etiquette. From there, a sub-category of passionate pleas for common sense and human decency emerged. In addition to the…Read more...

The age of the noctilucent cloud is upon us. Night-shining clouds are historically rare, beautiful formations of shimmering ice crystals hanging in the upper atmosphere that were only visible in the northern parts of the world in years past. They’ve been steadily creeping south for four decades though, so this could…Read more...

Let’s be honest: One reason we love sharing our Spotify listening data is for the competition. There are apps that help flaunt off your eclectic library or prove you’re among a band’s highest listener percentage, but now you can display the depths of your obscure music tastes by creating a Spotify Iceberg thanks to…Read more...

You don’t need to intervene if you find a baby bird. Truly, fledglings don’t need your help. But an injured bird is another matter. If one flies into your streak-free window, for instance, and is now lying on your deck, it only makes sense that you’d want to help out your tiny, feathered friend. You can do that, but…Read more...

Hanging out at the airport is no one’s idea of a good time, but as the Transportation Security Administration warns of longer-than-usual wait times during this busy summer travel season, it (unfortunately) seems the prudent choice is to get to the airport early.

My refrigerator is broken. Not broken in a way that cannot be fixed, but broken in a way that requires a specialist of some kind. It has taken over a week to schedule that specialist, so I’ve been working with a mini fridge for eight (8) days. This has obviously limited the amount of perishables I can keep around, so…Read more...

I used to be someone who started every morning with Wordle and all its spin-offs. I mastered how to play four, even eight Wordles, but a few weeks ago I went about my morning routine—a run, coffee, and work—and simply didn’t feel the need. Not even the Gay Wordle. (Happy Pride.)Read more...

You’ve likely seen videos of fish pedicures or seen signs advertising them the last time you were abroad. Kim Kardashian famously got one in Greece, screeching on camera while tiny fish nibbled the dead skin off her feet. The idea is familiar to American audiences, but not as commonplace in our daily lives—fish…Read more...

When I was very (very) young, I ate an entire box of crayons in the hope of having multi-colored poop. It did not work, but it did cause my mother a few hours of mild distress as she worried what might happen to me. The answer (disappointingly) was nothing. I didn’t extrude a rainbow, nor did I die horribly from…Read more...

Love them or hate them, fireworks have been an American fourth of July staple since 1777. And while the displays have become more elaborate since then, the basic composition of fireworks—gunpowder and chemicals put into a casing with a fuse attached—hasn’t changed all that much in the last 245 years. Unfortunately,…Read more...

Love is exciting and fulfilling—at least, until the dishes and laundry start piling up. Before you know it, the honeymoon is over on your new relationship and you’re arguing with your partner over chores, finances, and general responsibilities like everyone else. Enter, the relationship contract. It might sound a…Read more...

After more than two years of pandemic disruptions, many of us are being hit especially hard by the travel bug this summer. Whether you have a huge list of dream destinations or you’re stuck at home dream-Googling flight info, there is a whole world of podcasts out there that can inspire your next trip, make you a…Read more...

It’s grilling season, and I—along with my fellow BBQ Dads (a genderless title)—are ready to grill for you. Gathering people to the yard so they may gaze upon expertly smoked meats is our favorite past time and, though we aren’t in it for the host gifts (we’re in it for the glory), it’s still a nice move to show up to…Read more...

For some reason, the frequency of google searches for “How to move to Canada” spiked by 550% last week. Maybe Justin Trudeau must have announced a new tourist-attracting marketing campaign or something?

The sun can wreak havoc on a lot of things, from your car to your skin. Did you know that even your eyes are susceptible to damage from UV rays? They are. We don’t usually call that “an eye sunburn,” though; we call it photokeratitis. But it’s effectively the same thing, and it’s bad news. Here’s what it is and how to…Read more...

If you’ve checked the news even once over the past few months (or tried to buy basically anything), you know the United States is currently dealing with a bit of an inflation problem. Compared to this time last year, the price of food has gone up 10.1%. The price of new cars has gone up 13.7%. The price of hotels has…Read more...

Last week, Green Day frontman Billie Joel Armstrong told a London crowd he was planning to renounce his United States citizenship because the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal right to an abortion in the country. It’s not exactly shocking that the man whose band is responsible for the 2004…Read more...

One of the many decisions to make when traveling is: Airbnb or hotel? While you’re probably going to consider the obvious, like location, availability, and cost, there are many other factors that could influence your experience.