Lifehacker

We’re all in a battle against robocalls. Chances are you’ve tried out various apps, settings, and carrier services to stop—or at least mitigate—the endless train of scams and spam, and some of them even work pretty well, at least for a while. Unfortunately, new spam techniques crop up all the time, and it’s likely a…Read more...

The first time a parent catches their child in a lie, it’s enough to make their heart sink. It doesn’t matter if it’s about a broken plate on the floor or the candy they’ve so clearly just snuck and ate; most mothers and fathers want to raise children with integrity. And when kids are dishonest, it’s easy to feel like…Read more...

I am usually a whipped cream purist. Heavy cream doesn’t need to be flavored, as it already has a flavor—the flavor of cream. I rarely sweeten heavy cream before whipping, especially if it’s destined for something that is sweet. (Just let the cream be rich and fatty and creamy!) But a friend recently mentioned that…Read more...

Having your own lemon tree at home is often a luxury we assume is reserved for people who live in citrus-friendly locales, like sunny California or humid Florida. However, that doesn’t mean those in the northeast, midwest, or other regions of the country can’t enjoy the simple pleasure of their own fresh-squeezed…Read more...

Work your hands or feet enough and getting calluses is inevitable. Now that I’m a weightlifter, I have calluses all over my palms and fingers; when I played roller derby, I used to have them on specific parts of my feet. The standard advice—to gently abrade your calluses with a pumice stone or a scrubby cloth—is…Read more...

Last summer, Taco Bell suddenly discontinued longtime standbys like the quesarito, Fiesta potatoes, and the 7-layer burrito. Two of these weren’t banished forever—the quesarito lives on as an in-app exclusive and potatoes seem to be back for good—but the classic 7-layer burrito has simply disappeared into the ether.Read more...

A grilled cheese sandwich is a good quick lunch, but a little tomato soup on the side (for dipping and sipping) makes it feel like a proper meal. There is nothing wrong with heating up a can of Amy’s, but I am far more likely to have a few cans of tomato paste—rather than full-fledged soup—stocked in my pantry at any…Read more...

Sony recently disclosed the requirements for upgrading the PlayStation 5’s internal storage with an M.2 Solid State Drive (SSD), and it’s woefully confusing. While there are several SSDs that meet Sony’s requirements on paper, only a few drives currently work on PS5—and those that do are quite expensive. In some…Read more...

Sticky spills are, as far as I can tell, never welcome, and they are particularly unwelcome in my pantry, which is known for being spick-and-span (this is not true). But certain bottles of thick, viscous substances and condiments are best stored upside down, which increases the likelihood of spillage, so it’s best to…Read more...

Giant asteroids don’t collide with our planet very often, but they do hurtle by within a relatively close distance at times, only to disappear into the cosmic void. Case in point: Another asteroid is primed to careen within what scientists call a “potentially hazardous” distance of the planet later this month, and the…Read more...

If you get a letter from the audience ratings company Nielsen, don’t throw it away—there’s money inside. While it might look like junk mail (addressed to “Area Household”), the envelope likely contains two crisp dollar bills, with the promise of $5 more if you fill out a survey about your TV and radio viewing habits.

The first day (week, month) of school can be hard on some kids, particularly those entering preschool or kindergarten for the first time. They want to stay with you; they’re scared you won’t come back; they don’t know this grown-up or these other kids—the whole thing can be scary. But this year—this year—many kids are…Read more...

Did you know your PS5 controller has a microphone that’s enabled by default every time you turn on your console? The mic is very useful if you play online multiplayer games, allowing you to talk to your friends even if you don’t have a headset with a microphone. However, if you’re conscious about your privacy and wary…Read more...

For some people, it’s easy to over-apologize—or borderline grovel—over any perceived inconvenience. If you’re late to meet a friend at a movie, you might offer a breathless, “I’m so sorry,” as if saving you the perfect seat was desperately important to begin with.

All bath towels are not created equal. In fact, some are so large and offer so much coverage that they’re actually called bath sheets. If you’ve never owned a bath sheet but know yourself to be the type who enjoys being wrapped up in a cocoon of large, comfy covers, it might be time to give a bath sheet a try. On the…Read more...

The Delta Variant is spreading, Congress is investigating a coup attempt, and the west coast is on fire. But screw it, it’s summer! So let’s talk about gymnasts’ mental health, baby ducks, and what happens if you eat ten pounds of bananas.

Shower curtain liners are one of those things that may appear to be pointless, but actually serve an important function: In this case, it’s the interior piece of material that stays in the tub while you shower and helps prevent water from escaping and turning your bathroom into a soggy mess. If your bathroom is not…Read more...

If you’re getting ready to start a painting project, there’s probably a trip to the hardware store in your future. In addition to the brushes, rollers, and paint itself, you’ll likely need some tape to help keep the paint from getting on any molding, door frames, or other woodwork in the room. But what kind of tape?

It’s easy to start your own podcast. They’re as ubiquitous now as personal blogs were in the early 2000s. But they present their hosts with the same issue bloggers had back then: You can overshare or create (what you think is) brilliant content—but is anybody listening?Read more...

Terra cotta pots are a popular choice for both indoor and outdoor plants, thanks to their classic, natural look and durability. If you have some of your own, you may have seen advice floating around about the need to pre-soak the pots before planting anything in them.Read more...

Whether you live in an older home, or just appreciate them (and can lose hours scrolling through the Cheap Old Houses Instagram account), you may have looked at a house and wondered about its history: How old it is, who lived and died there, and what other events took place there over the years.Read more...

Whether you’re content with keeping your side hustle on the side or want to turn it into your full-time job, you need customers and a strategy. And you know where the customers are: Scrolling Instagram and sending TikToks to their friends TikToks. But how do you get their attention on social media?Read more...

Everyone has their reasons for wearing (or not wearing) deodorant or antiperspirant—whether it’s to avoid sweating, smelling, or giving in to societal norms. But if you’re someone who opts to glide or spray on one of those products, do you know the difference between them?

If you’re looking for a new job, there’s a chance you’re feeling unfulfilled in your current position and you’re so over your boss that instead of bringing this up to them and hoping for a change, you’re ready to jump ship entirely.Read more...

As proponents of composting (or at least using kitchen scraps as plant food) we’re always on the lookout for tips and tricks that could improve the process, or (better yet) make it easier. This includes knowing what should—and, just as importantly, what shouldn’t—end up in the compost pile or bin.

When we last left the Lifehacker Fitness Challenge, I was donning a VR headset and clearing out a space to play. I’ve now tried a bunch of different fitness apps and I have opinions. Here are my picks for some of the best ways to get your sweat on in virtual reality.Read more...

Depending on where you live—and your mentality about yard appearance—lawns can be hard work. If you don’t want to go the artificial route (which has its own environmental and physical challenges), there are other ways to make lighter work of lawn care. There are lots of little steps you can take to keep your lawn lush…Read more...

Google Drive is finally rolling out its long-awaited “block user” option. While it was previously possible to remove users from a shared document or prevent them from downloading and sharing files they collaborate on, you can now block all interactions directly in Drive.

Did you know the summer Olympics include competitions in canoeing, BMX racing, handball, trampoline, and judo? Maybe you didn’t, but fans of those sports definitely do, and you might encounter those big brains and need to play along.

Peaches are a great source of consternation for me. I am convinced that the last good peach I ate was consumed during my childhood, in 2001 or 2002, somewhere in the neighborhood of Kisela Voda in Skopje, Macedonia. Most likely, it was one I had picked from a neighbor’s tree on my way from one grandmother’s house to…Read more...

Welp, parents, it looks like you’ll need to leave even more room in your budget for school supplies this year: According to the National Retail Federation, families will spend an average of $849 on supplies in 2021, $59 more than last year, due to pandemic-related supply chain issues. Here’s a look at what you can…Read more...

To observe a dog is to bear witness to a great many animal mysteries, such as why do dogs sniff other dogs’ butts, and why does my dog pee multiple times during the same walk?

Earlier this summer, we wrote about the 15 U.S. islands you should visit. Now, we’re turning our attention to the magnificent waterfalls our country has to offer—and that you should experience at least once in your life. There are actually tens of thousands of waterfalls across the United States—some are large wonders…Read more...

Delta is more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus, and it’s even more contagious than the other variants of concern. That’s why the CDC has recently recommended masking up in some situations even if you’re vaccinated—as many public health experts have been urging ever since Delta started spreading.Read more...

To say I enjoy eating corn would be to grossly downplay the truth. I love corn, and I eat a lot of it during the summer. I will eat it raw. I will eat it pickled. I will eat it steamed, and grilled, and sautéed.Read more...

It’s easy to get lost in a sea of open tabs between multiple browser windows—sometimes even with the same website in multiple tabs. Instead, use the built-in search tabs feature in your browser to keep things organized. You’ll find this feature in all major browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. And while the new…Read more...

Most MacBooks have a backlit keyboard—that white light underneath that lets you see the keys when it’s dark. By default, the keyboard backlight is set to turn on automatically when your MacBook detects low-light conditions, and the brightness level is adjusted automatically.

Hey, did your phone just ding? It sounded like a match. Congrats! But oh, what’s this? The match is someone super hot you swiped right on with the assumption they’d never actually swipe right back?Read more...

Adam Driver’s next role is a far cry from Kylo Ren. In Annette, the new artsy film from French director Leos Carax (the revelatory Holy Motors, which you should watch right now; it’s streaming for free), he plays a toxic, controlling husband to a woman played by Marion Cotillard; their bond grows yet more tenuous…Read more...

Sequels are rarely necessary, but that doesn’t mean we won’t watch them, hoping that a follow-up will refine and expand a story in a way that fulfills the promise of the original, rather than letting it down. Any movie fan can list the great and successful sequels, but this is something a bit different.

Simple syrup is nice to have on hand for the times when you feel like making a cocktail at home—but buying it from the store seems kind of wasteful when it’s nothing more than sugar and water. Making your own syrup on the stovetop has its own drawbacks, though (namely that you have to wait for it to heat up and cool…Read more...

Setting up your bank account to automatically pay your bills is easy, convenient, and it seems like the right thing to do. After all, you don’t want to accidentally forget payments and face late penalties or have your service cut off, right?

Despite the enduring pandemic, companies are luring workers back to the office, even as COVID-19 cases surge in parts of the country and vaccination efforts have largely stalled. Still, the whole transition back to the office after more than a year of working remotely is a big issue for anyone in the corporate world,…Read more...

School is about to start up again, which means that, once again, working families have to scramble to find childcare to fill the gap between school hours and work hours. But this year is looking to be even harder than usual—not that usual was ever easy to begin with—as a lot of daycare and after-school programs are …Read more...

A deadlift, in which you grab a barbell from the ground and stand up with it, is both one of the simplest barbell lifts and one of the heaviest. But what happens if you do the lift with your feet stretched out to the sides? Does that make it any less of an accomplishment?Read more...

American Express recently raised the annual fee for its Platinum travel rewards card from $550 to a whopping $695. It’s an eye-opening number for sure, but it might actually be worth it—provided you take advantage of the generous statement credits that can easily negate the fee. Here’s a look at the credits and…Read more...

If you like the look of open kitchen shelving, but don’t like the idea of (or cost of) tearing down your existing cabinets, you can actually convert them into shelving on your own. However, it is a little more involved than simply removing the cupboard doors—we’ll walk you through how to transform those outdated…Read more...

Not all advice need be professional. Sometimes your problems merit a bit of unvarnished honesty from a dude equipped with nothing more than a computer and a conscience. Luckily for you, I’m that guy. Welcome back to Tough Love. (If you’d like to seek my advice, email me at sblum@lifehacker.com)

Why does it seem like everyone you follow on Instagram knows exactly how to pose and find their light to get the best selfie or photo? Realistically, you know they probably took dozens—or hundreds—of snaps to get the one they posted, but it feels like they all know some cheat codes you don’t.Read more...

If you know me, you know I love corn a whole lot. This year, for the first time, I grew my own corn and, though it is a little smaller than the ears you see at the grocery store, it is still sweet and juicy, and I wanted to extract as much flavor as possible from these sweet cobs of mine. So I made some corn milk.Read more...