Lifehacker

Navigating co-parenting relationships is not easy, whether co-parenting with a particularly difficult ex or with a former partner you generally have a positive relationship with. Most people are not irredeemable jerks, though, and when the focus of a co-parenting relationship can continuously be centered around the…Read more...

When not one, but two safe and highly efficacious vaccines received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in December 2020—less than a year after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States— it almost seemed too good to be true. (Which is not to imply that corners were cut in…Read more...

There are three types of food content on TikTok: Stuff that is genuinely useful, pure shitposts, and honest content that just isn’t good. If you watch this mashed potato hack video from elis_kitchen, it may not be immediately clear which type you are looking at. However, if you view it within the context of their…Read more...

Backward compatibility is one of the best Xbox Series X|S features. Not only can you play almost every game from each previous Xbox console on the new system, but many also receive visual enhancements that make them look and run better than ever.

You do everything right, yet disaster still strikes. Such is the world of troubleshooting a fussy PC, like when a prompt suggests that it’s fixing your computer but somehow makes a situation worse.Read more...

Sony a7 III Mirrorless Camera (Body Only) | $1,698 | AmazonRead more...

For the next few weeks, I’ll be taking over the Lifehacker Fitness Challenge by developing a healthy meditation routine for mental and physical wellness. The idea of meditation is actually quite stressful for me, so attempting to clear my mind (which is continually racing) has always been anxiety-inducing. I’ve…Read more...

Top Product: Sony A7-III | $1,698 | AmazonRead more...

If you’re one of the 20% of Americans expecting to owe the IRS money after you file taxes this year, you might be wondering about the best way to pay them. Turns out there are a few different ways to settle your balance with the IRS, and some options are better—and cheaper—than othersRead more...

Thursday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

Frostbite occurs when the skin, sometimes along with other soft tissues, freezes due to prolonged exposure to the cold. Knowing first aid to treat frostbite until you can get medical aid can help prevent permanent damage, so here’s what you need to know if you’re spending time in extreme cold.Read more...

You can now pay for parking and bus fare in Google Maps. In some regions, the new tools can even replace the digital transit fare and parking apps your city already uses, meaning you can now plan, travel, and pay all within Google Maps.

As an Android user, how do you share apps with other people? You probably tell them, “Hey, I awesome downloaded [cool app name]. You should play/use it too.” But Google has introduced a new way to share apps from Google Play, and it’ll be pretty useful when (if?) we’re ever able to hang out in person again.Read more...

I never realized how many of my friends and acquaintances are healthcare workers until my social media feeds started lighting up with vaccine selfies. People flash their reminder cards or brandish their bandages, and that’s a good thing: Each vaccine selfie is a little public health message, and you’re doing your part…Read more...

On Wednesday night, with a winter storm of historic magnitude battering Texas and leaving millions of residents without electricity or potable water, Senator Ted Cruz decamped for the sunny climes of Cancun, Mexico with his family.

Despite the pandemic turning our home and work lives upside-down for the past year, it has also provided us with a perspective that would have been hard to imagine in a pre-COVID-19 world. On my best, most optimistic days, I can see how the pandemic forced my family to slow down its increasingly frenetic schedule. It…Read more...

My favorite sweet & sour sauce is the McDonald’s variety. It comes in a little plastic tub with a bright green label, and it is a perfect match for McNuggets and McFries. (If you have not tried it with the fries, I recommend that you remedy this as soon as you can.)Read more...

Grant writing is a distinct form of the craft—much different from crafting a persuasive essay or an informational blog post. The content in a grant proposal must be catered to the funder it targets, describe in concise detail the work the money will fund, and stand out among hundreds, if not thousands, of other…Read more...

Apple’s M1 Mac Mini and a Tacklife fire pit table lead Thursday’s best deals.

Historic snowfall and frigid temperatures have left millions of Texans without power, and when you’re forced to your own devices to heat your home, using a generator is a common alternative in lieu of your local electrical grid. But while gas-powered portable generators are a viable alternative source of energy when…Read more...

Whether you’re looking to make a change in your password management just because, or you’re a LastPass user annoyed with the service’s recent changes to its free tier, switching to the much-loved (and free) Bitwarden service is a good choice. Bitwarden is now the best free password manager for most people—since it…Read more...

With many kids in virtual school and isolated from friends and loved ones during the pandemic, having access to smartphones or other devices to maintain relationships has become more important to them than ever. But even before the pandemic, cell phone use among kids was on the rise: A 2019 survey by Common Sense MediaRead more...

Vanilla is an important ingredient, a complex ingredient, an expensive ingredient. Even if you’re not a big baker, the vanilla bean and its extract can be used to bring nuance, depth, and the implication of—but not the taste of—sweetness to any food or beverage. In addition to sweets, baked and otherwise, I like to…Read more...

Xbox Live Gold - 12 Months | $50 | Newegg | Use Code EMCESHA33Read more...

Gels, bars, sports drinks, and shakes are all wonderful inventions, letting us get the right nutrients in our bodies at the right times while we’re working out. But regular plain old food works just as well, in many cases—and it’s often cheaper.Read more...

This year’s film slate includes the usual glut of remakes, prequels, and sequels—some of them continuations of decades-old franchises. Films like Coming to America 2 and Top Gun: Maverick began their stories in the ‘80s and are only now receiving their long-awaited followups, while the next James Bond film, No Time to…Read more...

There’s a relatively unknown feature on Xbox Series X|S controllers that makes using it with multiple devices much easier: The controller’s “Sync” button has built-in shortcuts that let you swap between your most-recently-used Xbox console and your PC or mobile device automatically.

When you’re filing your taxes, don’t overlook a new charitable contributions tax break that allows you to discount $300 from your taxable income even if you already take the standard deduction. Because it’s new and an above-the-line deduction, it’s easy to overlook—especially if you’re a typical W-2 employee who tends…Read more...

Many professional skills have the tendency to get pigeonholed. If you’re good at math, for example, the expectation might be to become an accountant. But being good at math doesn’t mean being limited to a CPA, and studying liberal arts field or becoming a writer doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a novelist.

The 40 days leading up to Easter, known as Lent, are a time of restriction for many. If you’re thinking of giving up chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, or meat—some of the most popular sacrifices—here’s what you should know about how doing so will affect your brain and body.Read more...

While it’s generally good advice for most people to avoid installing a developer beta of iOS on their primary carry devices, that counsel goes out the window if your iPhone 12 has lately been suffering from a strange green tint issue.Read more...

Learning how to properly hold a pencil is an important life skill, but it’s also not particularly intuitive, especially as the size of a young child’s hand seems so disproportionate when compared to the length of a fresh pencil. It’s tempting for them to wrap their whole fist around the thing or attempt to wield it by…Read more...

If you have seen this video, you already know that I am one of those perverts who—much like a child—drinks whole milk just for the taste of it. I love it, and years of doing my body good has helped me develop a refined “dairy palate.” If my milk is even the slightest bit sour, I can taste it.

NASA’s latest Mars rover launched into space last summer, and after nearly seven months of space travel it’s now on its final descent to the Red Planet. The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will land on Mars on Thursday, Feb. 18, and you can watch the whole thing live. Here’s how.

A small number of Apple Watch Series 5 and SE owners are finding their devices are permanently stuck in Power Reserve mode. Affected devices appear to be powered on, but have unresponsive screens and can’t be restarted. In other words, they’re bricked.Read more...

A single morning commute is enough time to gather a thousand seething resentments. People shove, litter, smoke while blocking the sidewalk, speak to you without wearing a mask. By the time you make it safely back home, you might be in full Rorschach-from-Watchmen mode. Instead, fill yourself with the cleansing fire of…Read more...

Social media is rife with disingenuous, bad faith bluster masquerading as legitimate discourse. Some honest attempts to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on Twitter or Instagram are cringe-worthy even when they aren’t intentionally crafted to spark outrage; other times, people are out there just to stir the pot, …Read more...

Slowly, but surely, every service we use is adding dark mode. This piecemeal rollout is frustrating for those of us who just want a darker version of everything we do without having to wait, but that’s how it’s going to be. The latest Android service that’s getting its goth on is the two-factor authentication prompt…Read more...

SanDisk Ultra 400GB microSDXC Card | $45 | Amazon

For the past year, we’ve had to scrutinize every appointment we’ve made, every errand we’ve run, and every invitation we’ve accepted or declined. It’s been a constant exercise in risk management. Is possible exposure to COVID-19 worth holding onto a steady paycheck, keeping my child in school, picking up some…Read more...

I don’t present as someone overly concerned with plating or presentation, but I absolutely despise splatters on the side of my soup bowl, at least until I start eating my soup. Sure, one could “wipe them away,” but that can leave a trailing smear of soup, stew, or chili, which is almost worse.Read more...

The Nintendo Switch is on track to be Nintendo’s best-selling platform. Not since the Wii have so many people flocked to a Nintendo console—but that broad appeal means that those picking one up for the first time might not have much familiarity with gaming. But Nintendo has a new program that can help out.Read more...

Home workouts are convenient, but they sure can be loud. You can jump and stomp as much as you want in a fitness dance class, or even drop barbells if you’re in the right kind of gym. But at home, your downstairs neighbors or sleeping toddler might not approve. Instead, tailor your workout to your environment.Read more...

Tuesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

Chili is a perfect cold-weather food, yet it has been two entire months since the last installment of the Skillet Chili Cook-Off, which featured the chaotic-yet-surprisingly-delicious Pizza Chili. I have excuses, of course—I was moving, and Christmas happened—but the important thing to focus on is that we’re back with…Read more...

Tax filing season kicked off last Friday, and it comes with an odd wrinkle: when you choose to file could be the difference in whether you receive a full third stimulus check or not. Due to a quirk in timing, the checks will be based on either your 2019 or 2020 income—so you’ll want to be strategic about which year…Read more...

Vice President Kamala Harris’ marriage to Doug Emhoff carries a historic magnitude: Emhoff’s status as the first Second Gentleman in the nation’s history is alone a milestone for the U.S. politics, but his proximity to the White House means an interracial couple has been catapulted to a position of national prominence…Read more...

Apple has patched a peculiar issue with macOS Big Sur that previously allowed people to install the OS update even if they didn’t have enough space for it on their Macs. As you might expect, installing an update when you don’t have the room causes all kinds of system issues.Read more...

This week we’re fine-tuning our instruments with help from Hollywood vocal coach, Denise Woods. Denise has been a professional vocal and dialect coach for over 20 years and has worked with stars like Will Smith, Halle Berry, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Chastain, and Mahershala Ali, to name just a few. Listen to hear Denise…Read more...

If you lose heat when you lose power, as much of Texas did recently, a winter power outage can be especially dangerous. Here are some tips for you on staying warm in a house with no heat.Read more...