Lifehacker

Ever sign up for a free trial of an app because you’re curious about what it’s like, but you really don’t want to be locked in to paying for it? If you’re smart, you’ll take our advice and set a calendar reminder to cancel just before the trial period is up. But there’s an even smarter hack: cancel it immediately.Read more...

Now that we might actually be able to do a few things this summer outside of our own homes, we can go back to worrying about normal, non-pandemic parenting concerns, such as: How can we find our little kids if we lose them in a crowd? One parent on TikTok has devised a solid solution in the form of a wristband.Read more...

If you have a home full of plants, it can be hard to have friends reliably take care of them while you’re gone. Plus, what if no one is available to come by every day to give your plants the specific care they need? Here are a few hacks that will keep your plants happy and healthy while you take time away.Read more...

On June 8, Amazon will launch a new feature called Sidewalk that creates small, public internet networks powered by Echo smart speakers and Ring home security products in your neighborhood. Yes, including yours—unless you disable the setting, which is turned on by default. That means if you don’t want your devices…Read more...

You might be familiar with the idea of a singular credit score, but there’s actually two major credit score providers that rate your creditworthiness: FICO and VantageScore. While FICO is used for 90% of all lending decisions, VantageScore can still play a role in whether you get approved for a loan. Here’s what you…Read more...

As helpful as (we’d like to think) reading articles about plants and gardening can be, it’s also nice to have an online community that can answer questions, give advice, and provide some horticultural inspiration. Fortunately, there are plenty of subreddits—some with hundreds of thousands of members from all over the…Read more...

With plenty of American flags proudly displayed today for Memorial Day, it’s a good time to take a look at how to properly display, store, and dispose of Old Glory. For all the rules and regulations, we’ll turn to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for guidance. Here’s what to know.Read more...

When starting a garden, you have two choices: planting seeds or seedlings (and other transplants). Those looking to have a close-to-instant garden will likely want to begin with already-sprouted plants. But if you decide to go the seed route, you may want to pick seeds that will produce at least something green as…Read more...

The events of the past year or so has made a lot of people rethink how they want to spend the rest of their lives. For a variety of reasons, not everyone has the option of starting over or training for a new career, but one vineyard in California is offering one person the chance to do just that. Here’s what to know…Read more...

When you think of gardening tools, items like gloves, spades, and pruning sheers probably come to mind. But it turns out, there’s something else that can be extremely valuable for your garden: a journal. In an article for Food52, Master Gardener Nadia Hassani explains why. Here’s what to know.Read more...

Attention race fans (and those who live with them): As you likely already know, today the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pre-race coverage begins on NBC at 11 a.m. EST, and the race itself starts at 12:45 p.m. EST. Here’s how to watch.Read more...

Fans of the Golden Girls should be familiar with the type of natural, woven style of furniture in the photo above. But what’s it called? The Girls refer to it as “wicker,” but it also looks a lot like the trendy rattan furniture we’ve been seeing so much of lately. Is “rattan” just a fancier way of saying “wicker,” or…Read more...

When we think about the night sky, most people likely picture constellations, planets, the moon, or even meteors, on occasion. But the third-brightest object in the sky doesn’t fall into any of those categories. Plus, it’s constantly moving. If you guessed that it’s the International Space Station (ISS), you’d be…Read more...

If your idea of a relaxing weekend includes playing countless hours of video games with a friend while eating delicious snacks, then have we got a job for you. FrontierBundles is looking to pay a pair of friends $1,000 each to play 21 hours of video games per person, and report back on their experience. Here’s what…Read more...

Lost of us have spent the past 15 months fantasizing about all the amazing things we’ll be able to do once the pandemic’s marathon slog has reached its end. Perhaps we’ve even made tentative plans to finally get together with too many people to count. But truthfully, it’s possible that you’ve heaped your plate with…Read more...

There’s been a pretty broad consensus among scientists who study viruses that the one that causes COVID-19 arose naturally and passed from animals to humans sometime in late 2019, in or near Wuhan, China. But an alternate hypothesis—that it escaped from a lab in that city—has been tossed around like a political…Read more...

It’s been a few years since Beyond Meat introduced their line of plant-based meat substitutes, but if you have yet to sample their wares, a chance to do so for free is nigh: the company has launched a month-long giveaway, pledging to hand out 100,000 free Beyond Burgers. Here’s what you need to know.Read more...

Some 53% of Americans are planning at least one trip this summer, and scammers will be following them every step of the way. Whether you’re booking flights or rental cars online; at the airport; or even in your hotel room, scams are everywhere. And we’re not just talking about garden-variety phishing texts, either—as…Read more...

Long-weekend drinking is a little different from regular-weekend drinking. Whether you’re smoking those meats or lounging at the beach, you want your adult beverages to feel fun, damnit. I am, by nature, a very fun person, and (luckily) nice enough to share six of my favorite whimsical libations.Read more...

British impresario Malcolm McLaren’s headstone reads, “Better a spectacular failure, than a benign success.” So it goes in life and, sometimes, at the movies.

With corporate lingo so widespread and major companies normalizing the use of “yogababble,” it’s easy to fall into the traps set by LinkedIn influencers and the like—especially when you’re writing a resume or cover letter.

Whether you favor a tangy, vinegar-based Carolina sauce or a thicker, sweeter, redder offering, BBQ sauce (or “barbecue sauce” if you are a person of letters) tastes like summer. Nearly every iteration of the condiment is complex and balanced—perfect for marinading, basting, and finishing.Read more...

It’s pretty much a universal law that after you ghost someone, they’ll start looking hotter in their Instagram pics. They might not even be doing it to show you what you’re missing, but it always feels like they are, and you, like many before you, might find yourself compelled to slide back into the DMs of someone you…Read more...

If you haven’t been going to the gym much during the pandemic, being vaccinated (or seeing the vaccination rates in your area climb) may be enough to bring you back. But how safe is your gym, really? Here are some signs to look for to be sure that your risk of being exposed to COVID-19 is minimal.Read more...

We’ve covered why you may want to get a third-party password managing app to handle all your passwords; however, if you don’t want to deal with an outside app, there are built-in features in the most popular web browser that can help you.Read more...

There’s a culture war raging across the TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, and I’m not talking about the urban vs. rural political quagmire that’s destroying our nation. I’m talking about something important: Generation Z and millennials squaring off over skinny jeans.

Of course, using any type of heat-based tool comes with the potential for user error and getting hurt. But for the people who own the 5.4 million handheld clothing steamers that were recently recalled, their chances of getting burned were even higher. Here’s what to know about the recall, including how to get a refund.

It’s easy to assume that your collectibles are covered by homeowners or renters insurance, but that’s not always the case. Often you’ll only get the partial value of your collection if it’s lost or stolen, and sometimes you won’t qualify for coverage at all. Here’s a look at what collectible insurance offers, how much…Read more...

When I decided to spend a month trying to get myself to actually like running for the Lifehacker Fitness Challenge, I’ll admit that my expectations were low. And after my first run, they dropped even more than I thought possible. What followed over the next few weeks were a series of highs and lows, culminating in…Read more...

Any savvy online shopper will tell you: The best way to hype up a product is with a limited-run drop. Whether a company is selling sneakers, one-of-a-kind art prints, or small-batch runs of vinyl records, building anticipation for a timed release of a limited supply of something cool is a great way to drum up sales…Read more...

If you work in media, you know The Information to be something of a scoop-factory, capable of producing the kind of scrupulous investigations that move markets, and vying for clout with the likes of the New York Times. If you merely consume journalism to be better informed, you’ve probably been privy to some of the…Read more...

Cardio and strength training are both important to your fitness, a fact that I have always known but currently am unable to shut up about. I am mainly a strength training person (a weightlifter, to be specific), and for a long time I thought that lifting a lot was enough. But when I added more cardio to my routine, I…Read more...

With new and used car prices soaring due to shortages, you might want to reconsider your plans to buy a car and try again later—at least until the end of summer, or whenever supply picks up again. Otherwise, you’ll really have to do your research to get a good deal, as you’ll be facing higher prices and fewer choices.Read more...

Garlic is a ubiquitous, ever-present ingredient in most kitchens, and for many good reasons. Depending on how you treat it, it can bring heat, pungency, sweetness, and/or umami to your delicious dishes.

The first Android 12 beta is out now for a range of Android devices, and early impressions are positive. Testers praise the overhauled interface and plethora of helpful tweaks and new features already available in the beta version. The enthusiastic response might have you excited for Android 12, but it’s a good idea…Read more...

Working from home since the start of the pandemic, I’ve been forced to grapple continuously with the fact that the other members of my household are total slobs. (Not me; I’m a consummate housekeeper.) And as our crowded apartment has increasingly come to match our disordered lives, I’ve clung to one small bit of…Read more...

As we approach the end of a school year that may be among the most stressful in history for students, teachers, school employees, and parents, many of us are grappling with the severe impacts on the emotional health of our kids and, in some cases, our fears that virtual learning will cause more summer learning loss…Read more...

It’s never easy to move to a new city. Though there are lots of great reasons to relocate—a new job, a relationship, graduate school, cheaper rent, a thirst for adventure—relocating to an unfamiliar place can be disorienting and isolating. You’ll have to navigate a new grocery store, learn a new street map, and scope…Read more...

The pandemic-propelled gardening boom has been great for people with a yard, a community garden plot, or even a balcony. But for those of us who have none of the above, outdoor gardening options have been as limited as ever. But there is one avenue for growing things—even in an apartment—that you shouldn’t sleep on:…Read more...

It has been a rough week for poultry. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had to remind us not to kiss or cuddle live chickens, ducks, and other fowl, as people doing so has been linked to Salmonella outbreaks reported in 43 states.

Making the decision to call Child Protective Services (CPS) on another parent is not a decision most of us would ever arrive at lightly. We may be afraid of retaliation—or we may be fearful that we’re wrong and about to make someone’s life unnecessarily scary or stressful. But there are times when it is our obligation…Read more...

I love the drama of serving a whole head of roasted garlic. It’s a little parcel of flavor that never fails to impress, but extracting the cloves can be a little messy (even with a pickle fork), and (unless you use an air fryer) roasting it to that soft and spreadable stage takes at least 50 minutes.Read more...

Much like Millennials who graduated college in the Great Recession, the class of 2021 faces grim prospects in the job market (it’s still improved remarkably from last year’s COVID-stricken market, however). Or at least that’s how they feel, according to a new survey from the education technology and publishing company…Read more...

Starting today, all Instagram users can omit likes and views from displaying on their own image and video posts. And if you really want a fully “likes-free” experience, the app now lets you hide the likes and view counters on all posts in your timeline.

In 2002, Oscar-winning Italian actor Roberto Benigni, who’d earlier found worldwide acclaim with, of all things, a sugar-coated chronicle of the horrors of the Holocaust, produced his most harrowing film yet: A live-action version of his home country’s most beloved children’s novel The Adventures of Pinocchio in which…Read more...

Student loan forgiveness will not be included in President Biden’s annual White House budget, further diminishing hopes that there will be a blanket cancellation of $10,000 in loans, let alone $50,000. While options remain—Congress, executive action—it seems more likely that loan forgiveness will only be expanded…Read more...

Some companies attempt to set themselves apart by branding themselves as more than just a business. Instead, companies like these purportedly hold higher purpose. The only thing is, these identities are usually propped up by loads of rhetorical bullshit.Read more...

If you’re reading this, you probably already know what kombucha is, but you might not know what kombucha is, if you know what I mean. Maybe you were feeling experimental when you first grabbed a bottle of GT’s Trilogy, and perhaps you were intrigued by the curiously tart and fizzy experience it afforded you, but you…Read more...

If you’ve been storing gasoline (hopefully not in plastic bags or other random containers), it’s important to know that it can go bad, and after a while you won’t want to put it in your car or lawnmower. But you shouldn’t dump it in the street, either. Here’s what you need to know about safe disposal of old or expired…Read more...

We talked earlier this week about how to be a more gentle parent, which sounds sweet and lovely but can be hard to pull off when you’re feeling frazzled after a long day with whiny children. As with any attempt to shift our behavior, if we can create new routines or habits, it can help us go on autopilot in those…Read more...