Lifehacker

As cool and convenient as wireless charging can be, boy is it slow. We’ve talked about how inefficient wireless charging is, especially compared to traditional wired charging. However, the technology has made huge leaps in recent years; some smartphones can wirelessly charge up to 100% in under an hour. You can only…Read more...

This week, all the Zoomers are talking about the mysterious Immortal Snail and/or sitting at the feet of The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle to soak up the wisdom of Generation X’s lo-fi poet laureate. They’re an eclectic bunch.Read more...

When you’re looking for a new job, every little advantage over other candidates helps. But is your vaccination status now an advantage you should disclose during the screening or interview process? On one hand, being vaccinated isn’t a job skill; but on the other hand, being unvaccinated is a public health liability…Read more...

Tomatoes are picky bitches. Too much sun, not enough sun, too much rain, not enough water, the unending number of diseases a tomato plant can succumb to, and just when you’ve figured everything else out: blossom end rot.

These past few weeks, after many years, I started counting calories again, with the goal of making weight for an upcoming master’s boxing match. I don’t need to lose much, and I’m not in a hurry, so I started with what seemed like a conservative goal of about 2,000 calories a day, hoping for a gradual weight loss.Read more...

On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department announced it had issued the first passport with an X gender marker for “non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons,” a milestone for the rights of people who don’t identify as either male or female.

It’s that time of year again. To help your kids brainstorm, choose, and procure their costumes, alter the sleeves, finagle the belt, get the sword, take approximately one bazillion pictures and then...let them go trick-or-treating without you!?

Most people are familiar with portfolio diversification, which is a fancy way of saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” but fewer people think about tax diversification. It’s the same idea, except instead of investments, it’s about strategically spreading out your tax risk—because tax rates can change…Read more...

Chocolate cake is never just delicious; it’s decadent. Popcorn can’t be merely tasty; it’s guilt-free. Your friend didn’t just help themselves to seconds; they feel the need to talk about working it off in the gym tomorrow.

The first freezing night of autumn can be disastrous for your garden. Although some plants thrive in low temperatures, many others die at the merest kiss of frost. Don’t get caught out in the cold—here’s how to get ready for the first frost of the season.Read more...

The MacBook Pros are finally pro machines again. Now that the ports are back, and Apple has upgraded the power and the design, it’s your turn to upgrade the software experience. After unboxing your MacBook Pro, take some time to make some essential productivity tweaks. These little changes will go a long way to making…Read more...

It all started when I couldn’t remember if an apéritif was a before-dinner or after-dinner drink. (Correction: I said it was a before-dinner drink—the “per” in apéritif being reminiscent of the prefix “pre”—then my husband said he thought it was after-dinner, then I doubted myself.) Which, as someone who studied and…Read more...

You might not think about what you plug your phone, tablet, or laptop into as much as you do finding something to give it power. After all, once your device is on the charger, it’s not going to die, and that’s really the main thing. But not all chargers are created equal; if you’re in the habit of plugging your…Read more...

This one goes out to all the jocks with a giant jug of protein powder in their shopping cart. Supplements that come in jugs tend to be measured by the scoop, and they conveniently include a scoop in each package. But where? At the bottom, usually.

One of the best new features in macOS 12 Monterey allows you to translate any selectable text on your Mac—no need ask Google to do it for you. While translation was previously accessible via Safari, it was of limited use because it translated entire web pages only; text inside other apps couldn’t be translated nearly…Read more...

As my family’s in-house tech support center, I know that it’s easy for certain family members to get overwhelmed when their electronics aren’t doing what they want them to do. Now sometimes, their iCloud is a total mess and won’t sync and no one can figure out why, or the computer is serving up weird errors with no…Read more...

Anyone who has tried to book a flight in recent months has probably noticed that the choices still aren’t great. Prices are high, flight time options are limited, and layovers are long. But what if you could use that long layover to your advantage—by briefly exploring a city you might otherwise never visit. If you’ve…Read more...

If you’re spending this Halloween at home, the following 13 relatively new video games will creep you out after the last trick-or-treaters have rung your bell. There’s something for everyone, whether you like jump scares, eerie atmosphere, or multiplayer murder.Read more...

When you have a credit card with an annual fee, you have a couple options to consider if you barely use it: cancel the card outright, or downgrade to a lower-tiered card. Since credit cards can be debt traps, you might think that canceling the card is the best option, and that’s certainly a good reason to do it...but…Read more...

Mayonnaise is made of eggs, and is often used in dishes that features them, especially hard-boiled eggs. From the Mayonegg to deviled eggs, the combination is loved (and hated) by many.Read more...

If you walk the aisles of your local drugstore, you’ll see bottle after bottle of multivitamins marketed specifically for kids. That has a tendency to give the impression they are commonly needed, but the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation is that a healthy child who is eating a well-balanced diet does not…Read more...

In case you’ve been living under a boulder, there’s a “new” social media giant on the scene called TikTok. Whether you use it a lot, a little, or not at all (but maybe you kind of want to), there are plenty of anecdotal myths surrounding the functioning and audience of TikTok—and we’re here to debunk them.

While cash isn’t as commonly used as it used to be, counterfeit bills are still a problem. According to the Treasury Department, an estimated $70 million in counterfeit bills are in circulation, or approximately one counterfeit note for every 10,000 in genuine currency—although it could be much more than that. That’s…Read more...

The CDC has cleared up one of the ambiguities in its recent COVID-19 booster shot recommendations: If you got a third shot of one of the mRNA vaccines because you have a weakened immune system, that third shot is not considered your booster. You can still get a booster, if you fall into one of the categories for whom…Read more...

I don’t know if it’s the rain, the wind, or the fact that Bake-Off is back, but I’ve recently been struggling with the urge to bake. This has led to me actually making exactly one batch of potato chip cookies, yes, but it’s mostly translated into me reading about baking. Most of that writing has been by Stella “The…Read more...

The only cannabis news that seems to make it into the mainstream tends to border on the sensational—Maureen Dowd “overdosing” on edibles; police departments issuing warnings about the “threat” of cannabis-infused Halloween treats. Enthusiasts are quick to dismiss this news as mere sensationalism; remnants, perhaps, of…Read more...

“What is God? What happens when we die? Why don’t we go to church like grandma and grandpa?” Whether you’re religious or not, tackling the surprise questions about faith from your kids can catch you off guard. Fortunately, author and parenting expert Wendy Thomas Russell has already been through the experience herself…Read more...

Apple’s SharePlay was one of the features that didn’t make it to the final iOS 15 release. But now, with iOS 15.1, it’s out for all iPhone and iPad users (macOS Monterey will receive the update later in the Fall).

This year, Apple finally listened to its user base, adding “pro” features to the MacBook Pro line like an SD card reader, HDMI port, and MagSafe charging. One feature nobody asked for, however, was the notch—the obvious camera cutout that juts into your display. If that unusual laptop design bugs you, you’ll be happy…Read more...

If you frequent movie theaters (or used to, sigh), you’ve no doubt encountered them: The irresponsible parents who decided to take their far-too-young kids to a decidedly grownup movie instead of paying for a babysitter.

Relationships are tricky things. Sometimes, you can find yourself in a romantic entanglement that isn’t totally on and isn’t totally off; you and your sometimes-partner are just in a state of flux, breaking up, getting back together, sleeping together, but not ever really making it work.Read more...

I’m addicted to documentaries about cults. I’m generally fascinated by extreme beliefs, and the fact that the genre provides us with filmed evidence of the way even the most obscure swami’s followers feel driven to immortalize their Chosen One’s enlightened teaching provides rich insight into our inherent desire to…Read more...

If you struggle to maintain a consistent household budget, consider a simple formula—the 50/20/30 rule for tracking your expenses. Really more of a guideline than anything, the 50/20/30 rule divides up your spending into three categories to keep you on budget: needs, wants, and savings. To give you an idea of how it…Read more...

An ideal fried egg is crispy on the edges and bottom, with a barely set or runny yolk, depending on your personal preference. I like frying mine in what some would consider to be “too much butter.” Often, I will let the butter brown first, then add the egg. Once the edges are crispy and the white is set, I will slide…Read more...

From horrible bosses to nightmare roommates, we’ve all encountered our fair share of jerks in life. I’m not talking about you, of course. I’m sure you are a fantastic person. You always tip at least 20%, and you’ve never yelled at anyone in traffic. Still, aren’t you slightly curious whether some of the things you say…Read more...

A good computer is understandably expensive, but it sometimes feels like it isn’t worth the sticker price. After a few years of use, many laptops and PCs start to run slow; typical tasks are no longer as easy as they once were, and you find yourself eyeing the new computers on the market. But before you drop $2,000 on …Read more...

Today marks a milestone in the path toward availability of kids’ COVID vaccines. The FDA’s advisory panel on vaccines, VRBPAC, voted that the benefits outweighed the risks for Pfizer’s new kids-only vaccine for ages 5 to 11.Read more...

Windows 11 can run Android apps as if they’re native PC software, but only a handful are officially supported at the time of this writing. However, there’s a way to sideload unsupported apps to Windows 11, similar to how you can install third-party apps on your Android phone.Read more...

With the dog days of summer behind us, so are well-manicured feet. While we (hopefully) take better care of our peds when they’re on display in the flip flops, strappy wedges, and mandals of July, when we enter into the sneakers, slippers, and Uggs phase of the year, things decline. As fall descends, it’s easy to…Read more...

All potential homeowners face the same conundrum when it comes to the down payment for their potential new home: The money needs to be quickly accessible during the home buying process, but by keeping that money in cash, you lose out on the potential returns from less liquid investments like stocks or property. So…Read more...

Apple tends to update their devices at the same time, so in addition to its massive macOS Monterey update, the company also released iOS 15.1. The iPhone already had its macOS Monterey moment with iOS 15, but that doesn’t mean iOS 15.1 is an update to sneeze at. In fact, there are some awesome new features packed in…Read more...

The most successful bakers are the most methodical and least impulsive, or they have at least learned to channel their impulsiveness into other pursuits. Baking requires a small amount of forethought, a tiny bit of planning, and a crumb of patience. Baking requires certain ingredients to be at certain temperatures…Read more...

Unless you have one of those preternaturally tidy young children we have occasionally heard about but still are not convinced exist, you could probably use some help limiting the mess in their room. And while we can’t make your child clean up after themselves, we do have a few organizational tips that can help make…Read more...

Did you know that many useful Apple Watch health alerts are disabled by default? There are several useful features like fall detection, walking steadiness alerts, and noise alerts that you’d probably want to enable immediately after setting up your Apple Watch, if only you knew about them. We’ll run through 10 of our…Read more...

Fall brings with it one of life’s simplest pleasures: long evenings spent curled up in front of the fireplace. But once the final embers have burned out for the night, what’s left behind is a pile of ashes you might be tempted to simply scoop up and throw out. Wait! Those ashes can be used in more ways than you may …Read more...

When I’m marathon training (brag), I wake up far earlier than I do for my usual weekend runs. My post-run ritual on those days is to conk out for a mid-morning nap soon after, or else doom myself to low energy levels for the rest of the day. I know I’m not alone in feeling post-workout fatigue; as this runner on RedditRead more...

If you’re short on cabinet space or are looking for a new way to organize your pots and pans, a pot rack is often a great solution for big and small kitchens alike. And you can hang one yourself using just a few tools and an hour or two of your time.Read more...

It’s long past time to face that dreaded seasonal question: What am I going to be for Halloween? The guide below is designed to help you avoid some of the most common Halloween costume pitfalls and provide tips for truly impressing the guests at your upcoming Halloween Social/Apple Bob-a-Thon.

As every parent knows, children are master negotiators who are good at identifying (and capitalizing) upon your weaknesses. “Kids are amazing at picking up signals,” said Gaëtan Pellerin, a negotiation expert and author of the book “Mindful NEGOtiation: Becoming More Aware in the Moment, Conquering Your Ego and…Read more...

People love to denigrate the sexy costume. “Why does a lobster need to be sexy?” they will ask, clutching their pearls and shouting to God in heaven. “Why would someone want to dress up as a horny Bob Ross?”