Lifehacker

Your friend sends you long paragraphs about their breakup or their boss or their grief. How can you show them that you’re engaged and listening? Even before the pandemic, we’ve known there are certain aspects of face-to-face communication that are impossible to replicate over text or call. When you want to comfort a…Read more...

Ageism is the “last acceptable bias,” at least according to the AARP. While age-based prejudice is more often directed at older workers, it does go both ways: “Both older and younger adults are often disadvantaged in the workplace and access to specialized training and education decline significantly with age,” says…Read more...

If you pronounced the words above as duh-trai-tus, ti-nuh-tuhs, and chaach-kee, well done. You nailed it. If not, you’re not alone. A recent study conducted by Preply found that 44% of people have mispronounced or misused a phrase for more than a year before finding out. The same study found that eight in 10 “get…Read more...

Is your closet brimming with stuff you don’t wear anymore? Maybe your shelves are overflowing with knick-knacks that seemed a good idea at the time, but now only trigger an existential crisis? Maybe you just need money, fast (you know why)? Whatever your reason, it’s probably time to simplify your life and sell some…Read more...

A new survey offers some insights into the habits of “super savers,” who are defined by their ability to sock away 90% of the contribution maximum for their 401(k)s (or alternatively, at least 15% of their pay). Of course, making a lot of money helps, too (duh), but half of the respondents included made less than…Read more...

When consumed in casseroles and sandwiches, “breaded and fried” seems to be the default preparation method for eggplant. As a person of Southern origin, I am not opposed to a breaded and/or fried thing, but eggplant doesn’t need it. There are two other efficient ways to prepare eggplant for layering into casseroles…Read more...

The spread of modern technology has changed nearly everything in our lives—including what even the most common of words mean. Rather than invent a word for each novel thing or concept, our language is flexible enough that we can just borrow old words and tweak their meanings. We don’t even need to think about it much!…Read more...

The HomePod (and its little sibling the HomePod mini) aren’t nearly as ubiquitous or out-of-the-box useful as Amazon’s Echos, but they are perfectly good smart speakers for those who are married to the Apple ecosystem. However, you don’t have to submit yourself to perpetual Alexa FOMO—with a few tweaks to your HomePod…Read more...

Nearly one in three U.S. adults live with an “extra adult” in the same shared household, according to Pew Research. Whether it’s with a spouse, sibling, best friend, elderly parent, or a roommate you found on Craigslist, many of us are cohabitating. Which often means sharing a bathroom, the very space in which we…Read more...

When we focus on improving our health, we often end up with a mental list of things we aren’t doing: I should exercise, I should drink more water, I should eat a vegetable sometime. But what about the healthy habits you’re already doing? There are probably more than zero.

Unless you’re incredibly fortunate, your time as a renter has probably included a bad landlord or two. Whether they want to keep your deposit for questionable reasons or refuse to answer requests for repairs, there are a few helpful apps and websites that can get you out of a sticky situation—or help you avoid one…Read more...

When we cook with onions, we go in knowing that there’s a decent chance that chopping them raw may cause us to shed some tears. But we generally don’t expect unending diarrhea, a fever, and stomach cramps. Unfortunately, hundreds of people across the country have been experiencing digestive distress thanks to…Read more...

Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good Halloween special. While mostly not “specials” in the traditional sense, these 12 new horror-themed series and movies are streaming now and perfect to mix-and-match to create an evening of chilling entertainment.

Smart app banners started out as a way for developers say, “You there! This mobile website sucks, why don’t you check out our app instead?” That was a relief when mobile browsers were awful and websites were almost unusable. Since then though, mobile websites have gotten a lot better, while those “helpful” smart app…Read more...

I love hidden features on my devices. It’s fun to learn something new about the tech you use every day, to discover the little features that aren’t advertised. And unless you spend a lot of time messing around in the Phone app, dialer codes are likely among those hidden features for you as well.

As someone who often cooks far more food than she is capable of eating in any given week, my freezer is an incredibly important part of my kitchen. (I just acquired a chest freezer, and wow—what a world.) My freezers let me enjoy the spoils of my labor at a pace that is reasonable. Though I am capable of eating two…Read more...

Turns out there’s a sweet spot for booking hotels cheaply. Contrary to what you might expect, a recent Nerdwallet study concludes that it’s cheaper to book a hotel 15 days before your stay—not months before, as is the conventional wisdom. However, there are trade-offs to consider, not least of which is ensuring that…Read more...

This week, along with announcing the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google also introduced Pixel Pass—a program that combines a subscription service bundle and the aforementioned Pixel 6 (or Pixel 6 Pro) under one roof. If you’re trying to decide whether the bundle is right for you, here are some things to consider.Read more...

As a Gen Z-er (sort of) who is online (extremely), it’s common in my circles—both online and off—to hear casual “eat the rich’’ comments used as a go-to punchline. It’s a shorthand that captures what feels like an entire generation’s disillusionment or rage towards the system. If you’re younger, progressive, and live…Read more...

It’s (almost) that time of year again. When kids run giddily through the neighborhood (hopefully not freezing under those Star Wars costumes made of impossibly thin fabric) and return home with a metric ton of insulin-spiking, mood-altering candy that you—despite your best covert laundry-room nibbling efforts—can’t…Read more...

Many years ago, I saw—or at least I think I saw—an article that claimed stirring a pot of food using straight, back-and-forth motions was more effective than stirring in circles. I cannot find the original article I either saw or imagined, but at least one other person also saw or imagined this particular piece of…Read more...

Even years later, as a world-weary adult, I can clearly remember the excitement of getting a full-sized candy bar while trick-or-treating on Halloween. Households that handed them out were rare enough that you often heard about them from other kids first; word would quickly spread about what was instantly the coolest,…Read more...

“How good does something have to be?” is a question my boyfriend often asks, usually after I have tweaked, elevated, or otherwise fucked with a classic recipe that did not “need” such modification. (It’s like he doesn’t understand what I do for a living!) I suspect these potato chipped chocolate chip cookies will…Read more...

Along with millions of other TikTok users, I am currently letting a 13-year-old pug named Noodle dictate my mental health. Hey, at least it makes more sense than blaming my mood on a planet 28.595 million miles away being in “retrograde,” whatever that means.

After nearly a year of waiting and wondering, we finally have a tentative timeline for when COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 might be authorized. The White House announced a plan today that hinges on FDA and CDC decisions, which should be finalized by Nov. 3 if all goes well. There is as yet no timeline for…Read more...

Who among us has not been confidently click-clacking away on their keyboard, stopped mid-sentence, looked around and asked the air, “Wait, is it who or whom?” Correct English grammar can be tricky even for native speakers who were once (involuntarily) hooked on phonics. You may have fewer/less down pat while the…Read more...

Conversation Boost is a new AirPods Pro feature specifically for those who face hearing challenges. It’s a nice addition to AirPods Pro’s accessibility features, which also includes the ability to enable noise cancellation in a single AirPod. We’re going to tell you what Conversation Boost is and how to enable it on…Read more...

Google’s latest phones, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, are finally here. You can even head to their online store right now to preorder your model! But do you really know what phone you want? Have you made a decision between the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro—and, if so, are you sure you wouldn’t be better served by picking up the…Read more...

Say what you will about Netflix (and there’s a lot to say, especially this week), you have to give the streamer credit: They may be $18.5 billion in debt, but they’ve spent a lot of that money on the kind of niche content that would never have a corgi’s chance in the vacuum of space being produced anywhere else.Read more...

After months of beta testing, Android 12 is finally here. The update brings improvements and changes to Android OS, such as the new Material You UI design, scrolling screenshots, and quick wifi switching. If you’re itching to see what’s new on your own Android device, here’s how to get started.

Our bodies are wonderful and weird, with its reaction to exercise being a mixture of both.Read more...

AirPods Pro are way too easy to leave behind. Yes, you can track your lost AirPods Pro from the Find My app, but now you can help stop the problem before it happens: Your iPhone can notify you when you leave your AirPods Pro behind.

This week, Hooters, one of America’s top owl-themed casual dining chains, revealed a new uniform policy for its food servers. Surprisingly, the new uniforms feature even skimpier shorts.

Throughout the course of your career, there are going to be times when you disagree with your boss. Some of these disagreements may be minor, like disliking a strategy, while others might be more serious, like knowing that a large project is destined for failure. If you find yourself disagreeing with your boss, what…Read more...

Unfortunately, the difference between an exceptional and poor credit score could cost you nearly $400,000 in your lifetime, according to a recent study. This effect is much less exaggerated between exceptional and fair credit scores, but even then, the interest payments could cost you tens of thousands of dollars.…Read more...

Every dog owner knows full well that chocolate is poison, and dogs will eat it anyway, which makes Halloween an extra-challenging time of year. But chocolate is just one of many potentially hazardous candy ingredients. To keep everyone safe, you should know what else to avoid.

Have you ever leaned back in your chair after finishing your lunch with a friend, only to realize their lunch has just begun? Now what you are you supposed to do while they eat at a so-called “normal” pace–twiddle your thumbs?Read more...

Some exercises, like squats, I’ve been doing basically forever. Even if I’m not using a program that tells me exactly what to lift, I can walk into a gym and have a pretty good sense of how much weight I should put on the bar. But what if it’s your first time doing a particular lift?Read more...

I am not very good about cleaning my air fryer. I’ll clean the basket if it gets truly gunky, but I usually wipe it out with a paper towel, or simply cook today’s food in last night’s grease. It’s gross, but this particular type of slovenliness often leads to innovation.Read more...

I guess Disney is putting most of its effort into its other streaming service this November; over on the other side of the subscription bundle, the pickings are a bit slim.Read more...

Much has been written about the distinction between they’re, their, and there, when to use who vs. whom, and the difference between affect and effect. But tautologies? You’d be forgiven for hearing that word and thinking, Well, what the hell are those?

Every fast-food employee’s dream: Customers coming in and asking for elaborate items that can’t be found on the established, plebeian menu.

Further proof that nature is healing: Taco Bell’s breakfast menu is back at most restaurants, after being discontinued for most of the pandemic. Now you can get a hashbrown-embedded Toasted Burrito, some Cinnabon Delights, and wash it all down with a Mountain Dew Kickstart—all before 8 a.m. To celebrate this return to…Read more...

Through no fault of its own, the humble cauliflower looks a lot like a brain (or at least the most brain-like out of all the vegetables). Its bumpy, lobed appearance and round shape all scream “I came from a skull,” but its pale, beige hue usually keeps things from feeling too visceral.Read more...

Apple’s new MacBook Pros are as intriguing as they are expensive; the 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro will set you back $2,499. If sticker shock turned you away from picking up one of these new Apple laptops, you should know they’re already discounted—you need only shop from the…Read more...

There’s plenty to disagree about when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe—I’m a Thor and Doctor Strange apologist myself—but until recently, it seemed like all of fandom could heartily agree on one thing: Hawkeye sucks, and is definitely the worst Avenger. But then Disney had to go and ruin it with the trailer…Read more...

Remember holiday season 2020? We argued that the safest move was to have Thanksgiving at home and postpone big Christmas gatherings to next year, when we would hopefully all have vaccines. (The first COVID vaccines were authorized in December, if you’ll recall.) This year, things are different, but we’re not out of…Read more...

I’m surprised the concept of “appointment television” even exists in the era of perpetual streaming, but every once in a while, a show enters the zeitgeist and doesn’t leave until all the episodes have aired. I guess we just like to be part of the conversation. And if there’s a candidate for the label right now, it’s…Read more...

Apple’s AirPods lineup has gotten confusing. The distinction was simpler before, when you could pick the AirPods Pro if you wanted an in-ear fit with active noise cancellation, or the regular AirPods if you could live without that. The third-generation AirPods has been launched though, making it a little harder to…Read more...

Porches, patios, and decks have become major go-to spaces for entertaining, particularly since the start of the pandemic. While the changing weather might present you with a few challenges, there are some things you can do to get the most out of you outdoor space even in the colder months. From outdoor heaters to rain…Read more...