Lifehacker

We use the phrase “you’re more likely to be struck by lightning” to describe unlikely events all the time, but according to the National Weather Service, around 20 people are killed by lightning each year and hundreds more are injured. No, it’s not worth panicking about, but you still don’t want to be one of those…Read more...

House arrest might seem like one of those special deals that celebrities get, and the infamous ankle bracelets are punchlines, but the reality is that house arrest is a relatively standard sentence for celebs and non-celebs alike. What’s more, you can actually request it as a sentence if you meet certain criteria.

Let’s set the scene: You’re out in the world, doing what you do, when you stumble upon an abandoned USB flash drive. What could be inside? Perhaps it’s simply someone’s spreadsheets from work—maybe alongside some information identifying the owner, allowing you to return it. But also, maybe government secrets? The only…Read more...

Have you ever stuck your restaurant leftovers in a hotel mini fridge only to wonder the next morning why they’re so...warm? You’re not imagining it. Hotel refrigerators are often set to a temperature that keeps drinks cool, but is’t cold enough to keep food or medications out of the “danger zone.”Read more...

The jury’s still out on the “right” way to eat a banana, but there’s no denying that you’re wasting a banana peel if you just throw it in the trash. Banana peels have anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants, but they can also be used around the house in some weird, creative ways. Just don’t bother putting banana…Read more...

Android’s reputation as a platform that doesn’t care about user privacy is outdated: If you’re using a modern Android smartphone, you have a lot of control over which app can access your data, and in what contexts. Thanks to new privacy features, you can give an app access to your location for a limited time, for…Read more...

There’s more to sex and foreplay than the obvious. Knowing and understanding your partner’s erogenous zones—and your own—is key to increasing your sexual satisfaction. The big ones are obvious—the clitoris, the head of the penis—but there’s a lot more area to cover if you really want to heat things up.Read more...

I talked to a corporate-lifer friend last night about the layoffs coming to the tech company she works for. She’s been through the wringer before, so it’s no biggie to her, but her co-workers are a different story. They’re mostly younger—some are at their first real job—and seem oblivious to the warning signs of…Read more...

It took me a few extra laps around the track of adulthood to find my cooking gene. My life had previously been spent trying to convince those closest to me that the bowl of cereal I poured or the eggs I scrambled was enough cooking. For everything else, there was take out—or my wife.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are powerful machines—that much isn’t news. One such example of that power is The Matrix Awakens, currently available on both systems, which provides a free-of-charge look at Unreal Engine’s future in gaming. That unique experience, however, is going away for good, unless you download it…Read more...

Almost everyone agrees that large swaths of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit are terrible, each in their own way. But these monolithic social media platforms are so ubiquitous, it’s easy to forget that you don’t have to use them. Which isn’t to say that you have to swear off of social media forever:…Read more...

Older Android phones are a known security risk, but recent research from Microsoft’s 365 Defender Research Team shows just how vulnerable the outdated devices are vulnerable to a serious form of malware known as “toll fraud.”

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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...