Lifehacker

A couple weeks ago, I was craving chocolate cake. The problem? I had no eggs, butter or milk in the house. I hadn’t been shopping in a while—blame the grocery-delaying habits I developed during the pandemic—which meant I was low on just about everything you need to bake. Luckily, baking isn’t a zero-sum game; there…Read more...

Summer is just around the corner, which means playgrounds, bike rides, pool time, trips to the beach, and a whole lot of related whining about sunscreen application. It’s unlikely that your kids are ever going to love getting slathered with the stuff—after all, it delays their fun. But if you go in with a plan, you…Read more...

It’s impossible to be too prepared when buying a home. It’s probably the biggest purchase you’ll ever make, but it’s also one of the most complicated as well. If you’re thinking of becoming a new homebuyer, make sure you’ve got the following ten tips in the bag.

Peloton has suffered a data breach. The good news? The information about your exercise habits that subsequently became freely accessible by outsiders isn’t all that damning. Peloton’s delayed response, however, is far more concerning.Read more...

You can now use Google Assistant’s Family Broadcast feature to send messages to Android devices and iPhones using the Google Assistant app. Your family can then reply from their devices, creating a fun little back-and-forth that’s a lot more convenient than calling someone (for small requests, at least).

It can be disappointing for any of us when a friend cancels plans at the last minute, but for a child who is looking forward to a play date or a fun activity with a favorite friend, the pain of canceled plans cuts deep. Especially after so many months of isolation, any plan that involves other people outside of their…Read more...

Some mornings I wake up ready to hate, and I was in such a mood the morning I saw Molly Yeh’s popcorn salad video—a video which ignited a firestorm of angry and disgusted tweets.Read more...

It’s easy to exercise the muscles you can see—your biceps, your quads—but there are more muscles in your body than just the big ones. We’ve talked before about the muscles in your hands and forearms, which help to give you a strong grip, and today I’d like to bring your attention to your feet.Read more...

“Haphazard urinal usage can have devastating consequences,” says a team of physicists at Brigham Young University, who discovered the best way to pee into a urinal without getting the dreaded splash-back onto the floor or, worse, your clothes or yourself.

You’d think the human race would have sleep down to a science by now, but many of us are still sleeping poorly, and at least part of the problem is that we have outdated information and beliefs about this all-important health need. So let’s set the facts straight. Here are 10 things you might have been told about…Read more...

The other day we talked about how a lot of the houseplants we buy in stores, and greenhouses and online aren’t quite as environmentally friendly as we might have thought. This is because most of these plants are grown in peat, which, it turns out, is a finite resource. (It does grow back, but at a rate of 1 mm…Read more...

If there’s one thing that has become crystal clear over the past few months, it’s that we are a nation divided. It has gotten to the point where everyone thinks they’re right about everything, and is unwilling to listen to what the other side has to say. Things can get heated. Angry tweets are sent.Read more...

Having any sort of interaction with a negative or downright mean person is unpleasant on so many levels. Unfortunately, they are everywhere and basically unavoidable. You know the type: Rude and inconsiderate right off the bat, as if they think that it’s perfectly acceptable to treat other people like crap, but also …Read more...

Like some humans, certain plants are more comfortable in pairs. Sure, they could survive on their own, but to really thrive, they need a special (plant) someone by their side.

Despite our best efforts, most of us end up in situations from time-to-time (some people more than others) that require us to make tough, unpleasant decisions. Maybe there’s no clear “right” answer, or it’s a lose-lose situation. Perhaps it involves a person or scenario that not only makes you anxious, but that you…Read more...

Like fashion, interior design styles are both cyclical and constantly evolving. (Except it’s much less depressing seeing the model of your family’s old sofa in a vintage furniture shop than it is seeing a young person wearing a (19)90s “costume” for “retro” day at school.)Read more...

“Gas station sushi” has become something of a punchline, a thing that one obviously should not eat, a thing that should not exist. But is sushi really any more likely to give you food poisoning than the ham sandwich sitting right next to it in the gas station cooler? And is it really that different from sushi prepared…Read more...

Facebook recently announced a bunch of new features for Messenger and Instagram DMs on its apps. Media messaging is now streamlined, chats are easier to archive (and unarchive), and Instagram DMs now include read receipts. Let’s investigate at all the new features and how to use them.

With vaccinations ramping up, it’s not totally outrageous to start thinking about escaping on a tropical getaway or even booking a future trip. But while we twiddle our thumbs waiting for the ideal moment to jet off (any time, COVID), movies can remind us of how wonderful it will be to finally dip our toes in the…Read more...

What a mess. No sooner had Twitter unveiled its new Tip Jar feature—which allows anyone using the app in English (at least, during the rollout) to send cash to a small handful of Twitter users whose work they’d like to support—than major privacy flaws were found in what should otherwise be a innocent way to toss…Read more...

Last Monday evening, I made a fully realized, intentional cocktail for someone else. Seeing as my boyfriend is sober and no one else in my COVID pod drinks liquor, this has not happened in quite some time.

While negative items on your credit report might feel like a millstone around your neck, the penalty to your score does fade, and the blemishes will disappear from your credit history… eventually. And the good news is that good credit also stays on your report—for up to ten years. Here’s a look at how long both good…Read more...

Everyone needs to own a certain quantity of tools to assist them in performing various household tasks, but not everyone has the space to accommodate a full-blown toolkit. So only pick up the essentials. But what are they? Here are the tools you need to own to cover most everyday fix-it projects without taking up…Read more...

The pacifier can be a wonderful thing: It can soothe a fussy baby, help them fall asleep, or offer a temporary distraction. Plus, once breastfeeding is established, the American Academy of Pediatrics says offering one at nap times and bedtime can help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). But at some…Read more...

While rubber gloves are durable, they don’t last forever, and if you find that your favorite pair suddenly has a hole big enough to be a nuisance but not necessarily throw out, you might want to consider fixing them. Here’s an easy way how.

Well, bud, you really did it this time. You cheated on someone you care about and don’t want to lose. Now you have to decide whether to tell them and how, exactly, you can even start that conversation. This won’t be easy, but at least we can make it a little easier.Read more...

This week, I’m breaking down some of the biggest youth internet trends in a way even graybeards can grasp, from esoteric financial instruments, to a vast fast-food conspiracy, to a look at some of TikTok’s most notable time travelers.

Dogs! We love them and they love us. But one thing dogs do not love is getting their claws trimmed, so we asked veterinarian Dr. Valerie Patton to give some of her best tips for easily, painlessly cutting your dog’s nails.Read more...

I have some personal news: I went vegan about three or four months ago. Considering that I’ve written thousands of words about how much I love tofu and black bean burgers, this “news” is hardly shocking, but with meat discourse reaching furious new heights (or depths?) every day, it seemed too relevant not to share.Read more...

This year, Lifehacker’s senior health editor, Beth Skwarecki, opened up her regular “Lifehacker Fitness Challenge” to the entire staff. We could each pick a month, she said, and tackle a personal fitness goal, bringing our readers along on our journey to physical and mental improvement. In the brainstorming meeting we…Read more...

Instead of the usual filing deadline of April 15, we have an additional month to procrastinate this year, until May 17. Your post-Tax-Day plans might involve drinking some alcohol, so you might be interested in an offer from Coors that’s giving away free 12-packs of their hard seltzer. Here’s what you need to know.Read more...

While most people associate credit cards with temptation and overspending, a new study offers evidence that your brain provides a reward sensation that’s much more active when purchasing with plastic compared to cash. In fact, the study findings reveal that regular purchases with credit cards actually encourage …Read more...

I can’t resist a good wireless mystery, and this week’s question-writer for Lifehacker’s Tech 911 has a good one—an issue that you don’t even think about until it happens, and then it consumes your mind as you try every trick in the book to get your wifi back.Read more...

Now that we are deep into the month of May and Easter is firmly behind us, you might think that the time of cream eggs is over. This is only partially true. The time of creme eggs has (sadly) past us by, but the time for cream-fried eggs is just beginning. At least for me.Read more...

Summer is just around the corner and outdoor hangouts are still the perfect way to enjoy a(nother) pandemic summer. With the CDC lifting restrictions on mask-wearing for vaccinated individuals outdoors, hosting a backyard soiree is going to be lit (see what I did there?). If you are lucky enough to have a backyard or…Read more...

COVID-19 vaccines are getting easier to find. As of a few weeks ago, all adults in the U.S. are eligible to make vaccine appointments, no matter what state you live in. And now, several pharmacy chains are offering walk-ins and same-day appointments at most of their locations.Read more...

Swimply, the “Airbnb of swimming pools,” seems to be having its moment in the sun. The pools-by-the-hour app has grown in popularity during the pandemic and is now expanding into new markets. Here’s what you need to know about renting a private pool, or renting out your own, if you have one.Read more...

Cats love to knock stuff over and push things off tables, which can lead to a lot of broken items. Are they mean-spirited goblins that hate your stuff? Sort of—but not exactly. Here’s the truth about this annoying behavior and how you can prevent it.Read more...

Apple’s AirTags have a hidden debug mode that you can access pretty easily on your connected device (ideally, an iPhone). And while the features found within aren’t going to give you magical tracking powers, you can at least enjoy some of the data related to AirTag tracking. That, and you can change some colors, too.Read more...

If you’ve grilled, you’ve probably burnt food on the grill. Do kebabs with leathery steak and perfectly done veggies sound familiar? Or perhaps a charred-yet-questionably done chicken breast? No more. Today marks the first step on your journey of understanding your gas grill—and as a special bonus, I’ll throw in a…Read more...

As tradition dictates, mothers are meant to be served on Mother’s Day. If you do nothing else to celebrate, it is practically a requirement that someone—someone who is not mom—prepare a nice meal. For some families, that has typically meant scoring a brunch reservation at her favorite restaurant. But, COVID, so those…Read more...

PlayStation 5 owners can remotely download games to their consoles using the PlayStation app—an incredibly convenient feature. Start a download while you’re out of the house and the game will be ready by the time you’re home, provided there’s enough free storage space on your system. But now there’s a way to deal with…Read more...

Home improvement TV shows are nothing new. In fact, one of the classics—This Old House—has been on since 1979 and still going strong (Bob Vila’s gone, but Norm Abram still makes cameos). The difference now (other than many experienced builders, carpenters, and tradespeople were replaced by influencers) is that you no…Read more...

Plenty of little kids start off loving school in the early elementary years but eventually morph into grumbling older kids who’d rather be anywhere else, doing anything else than sitting at their desk all day. It’s understandable—the older our kids get, the more pressure they may feel academically. The work gets…Read more...

Whether or not we realize it, we’re constantly making an effort to influence our future memories. It could be something as simple as leaving ourselves a note or to-do list for tomorrow, or taking the time to pull out our phones to capture a particularly vivid sunset.Read more...

This is part four of our four-part series giving tips and advice to first-time homebuyers, in collaboration with American Family Insurance. Check out part one, part two, and part three to learn more.Read more...

There’s a chorus of voices that say Apple should do more to guard everyone—Android and iOS users alike—against unwanted tracking and stalking. I agree with them, and the entire concept of the AirTag made me curious. Can you track the trackers?Read more...

Most people are familiar with the concept of predatory loans—a lending practice that imposes unfair or deceptive terms on borrowers, often taking the form of payday loans or title loans with egregious interest rates. But what’s the distinction between a predatory loan and a legitimate loan with a high interest rate?…Read more...

I don’t know how to build anything with them, but I do keep a few bricks around for cooking reasons. Foil-wrapped bricks are super useful in the kitchen, especially when you need things to be flat and keep still. Bricks are also very useful in my new outdoor kitchen (which is comprised of a single Weber Kettle), only…Read more...

It’s easy to create a petition to complain about an injustice, and it may feel cathartic to sign one, but not all petitions have an opportunity to create change. Here are the factors that experts say makes the difference between petitions that make a difference and those that don’t.Read more...