Lifehacker

By now we all know that new year “detoxes” and “resets” don’t detox or reset anything. Depending on which you choose, they are either unsustainable diets or pure pseudoscience—often a mix of both. And yet, they still appeal.Read more...

The past year has encompassed a series of eradicative historical events. A worldwide pandemic forced the world into isolation, police brutality became more visible than ever, and polarizing political leaders fomented conspiracy theories and invited chaos in the streets. Tumult and unpredictability have rapidly become…Read more...

A Best Buy games sale and TP-Link mesh routers lead Friday’s best deals.

Telegram’s new “People Nearby” feature shows a list of other nearby users and their approximate proximity to you, letting you create group chats based on geographic location. The feature is turned off by default and must be manually enabled by the user, but it’s an idiosyncratic addition for an app that markets itself…Read more...

Recipes are so easy to find online, even people with extensive cookbook collections tend to go to Google first. But when I’m so burnt out that the very concept of cooking dinner is offensive, the only cure is logging off and opening a cookbook.Read more...

It’s probably the first thing you try when your computer is acting up: turn it off and back on again. But should you restart or shut down? Well that actually depends on what kind of computer you are using. Shutting down your computer will close out of all the programs you’ve been running and clear the cache, so that…Read more...

In many ways, the pandemic has forced families to slow down to a pace that felt impossible a year ago. I can remember, last March, staring at the large wall calendar that hangs in my kitchen. One by one, we’d crossed out basketball practices, soccer games, playdates, and family get-togethers until all that was left…Read more...

The pandemic has been rough on everyone, especially when it comes to maintaining connection with the people we love. Luckily, technology allows us to maintain these connections in all sorts of useful ways. Chats. Game nights. Video calls. You can even watch movies together—even if you aren’t in the same room.Read more...

Xbox Wireless Controller (White) | $50 | Best Buy

I’ve never had trouble waking up in the morning. When the alarm goes off, I’m up and ready to work—but falling asleep was always another matter. If it feels like it takes you hours of tossing and turning before you actually fall asleep, there are a few things you can do to help.Read more...

With a new year comes new tax changes—some of which were buried in the 5,593-pages of year-end legislation and might have slipped under your radar. Aside from COVID relief checks and enhanced unemployment benefits, these are some key tax changes you should know about.Read more...

Many messaging apps let you send disappearing messages, but Signal’s approach to the process is one of the best. It’s another great reason to start using the encrypted chat app if you’re looking for privacy-focused messaging—or if you’re an Elon Musk fan.Read more...

Thursday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

It’s a new year, and a perfect time for fresh entertainment—or fresh to you, anyway. What I’m saying is, it’s time to start that show your friends have been raving about for years. I recommend picking one that is headed toward a definitive ending this year—the earlier seasons will be ripe for bingeing, and if you…Read more...

When bad things happen to people we care about, it can be hard to feel anything but helpless. But as humans who naturally want to feel like we’re in control of our circumstances, we have a very low tolerance for feeling helpless. So in response, we become aggressively helpful. We of course want to assist our loved…Read more...

Like many of you, I sat glued to all forms of media yesterday. I found that I couldn’t get away—even when I’d try to wander off and do something else online, the underlying anxiety created by the once-in-a-lifetime storming of the U.S. Capitol kept bringing me back to the news. I spent more time on Twitter in one…Read more...

We really didn’t need the reminder, but yesterday provided it for us all the same: Bad news can erupt swiftly and—thanks to the notifications on our many electronic devices—we will learn about it almost instantaneously. That’s fine for us grown-ups who want to stay informed about the latest political or…Read more...

In a time marked by a 10-month pandemic, a flailing economy, and a coup attempt, it makes sense that we’re a little anxious. We’ve been stuck inside for nearly a year, with offices closed and businesses shuttering. Given the circumstances—which are impossible for individuals and even big, powerful institutions to…Read more...

Yesterday, the world watched as a group of domestic terrorists overtook the U.S. Capitol Building as Congress met to certify the votes cast by the Electoral College. Typically, certification is a mundane election formality. But nothing about the Trump administration—nor, especially, this transition of power—has been…Read more...

Last year, Facebook merged WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram’s private messages into a single messaging platform. While each app remains a separate icon in your phone’s app library, users can now chat with each other cross-platform and enjoy new features and end-to-end encryption options. However, due to an …Read more...

The U.S. Constitution provides instructions for how to remove a President from office if they are “unable to discharge the powers and duties” of the office. This could be due to mental illness or serious health problems, but it’s also being discussed now as a possible way to remove power from President Trump as his…Read more...

I’m not sure what it is: something in the air, the never-ending malaise of quarantine life, or the gentle passing of time, but I’ve been in a defriending mood lately. I’m not bitter, I just wonder why I’m so digitally connected to people who I haven’t spoken with since that fragile relationship was formed—frequently…Read more...

In a reversal, Intuit’s TurboTax now says customers who haven’t received a relief payment due to a filing error will get them through direct deposit after all—rather than having to claim it as part of a tax return.

The MacBook Pro (M1) and meat-like pajamas lead Thursday’s best deals.

Most of the time, we can prepare for the “big talks” with our kids. We can research and plan how to talk to them about everything from sex to porn, from LGBTQ issues to racism. But then, out of nowhere, something unexpected—and deeply upsetting—happens in the news. A devastating hurricane. A mass shooting. A mob…Read more...

The moon landing was faked, #PizzaGate, September 11th was an inside job, Vince Foster was murdered by the Clintons to cover up Whitewater, the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax—the list of American conspiracy theories is long and bizarre, and it is only going to get longer after the upheaval in the Capitol Building…Read more...

Not all governments or state institutions are immune to an overthrow of power. Yesterday, at the United States Capitol, we bore witness to the unthinkable, as a mob of pro-Trump extremists stormed the chambers of Congress in an attempt to subvert democracy.Read more...

Most, if not all, of us have been dealing with dizzying levels of anxiety for months now. A devastating pandemic, unemployment, an ugly and contentious election—and then, of course, yesterday’s siege of the Capitol by Trump-stoked extremists. There is so much to be furious and devastated about; there is so much work…Read more...

If your new year’s resolution includes a savings goal, consider the 52-week money challenge. The increments you save are meant to be so small that you barely notice you’ve been saving money. Is it a gimmick? Absolutely—but it works.Read more...

Top Product: Utopia Bedding Comforter Duvet Insert | $28 | AmazonRead more...

Wednesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

Edge Chromium is finally letting you sync your open tabs and browsing history between all of your devices. The long-promised features were expected to launch back in summer 2020, but they’re finally rolling out now after a few months in beta. Browsing history and open tab syncing works on Windows 10, macOS, Android,…Read more...

For those who haven’t yet splurged on a fancier setup for recording videos at home, know that your smartphone’s camera (ideally coupled with a better microphone that you clip to your body) is good enough in most cases—the rear-facing camera(s), that is. The front-facing camera is typically less powerful.Read more...

Less than a month after the first vaccine against COVID-19 was authorized for use in the US, the CDC reports that we have distributed 17 million doses and vaccinated 4.8 million people. (Full protection requires two doses, so most people have only gotten their first.) If you’d like to track the rollout of the vaccine,…Read more...

You love your pet, and you want to keep it safe from the threats lurking in your local park, or in the wild, or posed by creatures that might be burrowing into the dumpster in an alleyway near you. To own a cat or a dog is to be leery of all the things that can potentially harm them, many of which you’ve probably…Read more...

Coloring books are a classic gift for little kids. And sure, the young child in your life might love a book full of Daniel Tiger characters or action-packed PJ Masks scenes. But often, a child’s taste is more eclectic than that—they have love for a wide range of characters, shows, movies, activities, and interests.…Read more...

32“ LG 4K LED Monitor | $400 | BuyDig | Use Code KHY27Read more...

The Always Pan and a PlayStation Plus subscription lead Wednesday’s best deals.

Winter, the most wonderful time of the year! Full of festive cheer, family gatherings, ice on the road and frantic holiday shopping. Well, not this winter. This has been a different kind of winter, one in which you probably have some free time on your hands to prep your vehicle for inclement conditions. Stay home,…Read more...

Anxiety is a perfectly normal and natural part of being a human. There are always going to be times when we’re more nervous or worried than others, but for some, anxiety is a much stronger, more fearsome force—one that never goes away. But what is anxiety exactly, and what’s going on in your mind (and your body) when…Read more...

One of the digital tasks I love doing on a regular basis—yes, regular—is to wipe my PC and reinstall Windows 10 from scratch. It’s worth spending an hour or two restoring my system to its maximum potential performance, and it couldn’t be any easier to do. Yes, that means you’ll have to spend a little time reinstalling…Read more...

Some rules you set for your kids will be long-standing expectations. You’re probably never going to be okay with the kids hitting you—or each other—for instance. As long as they live with you, it’s never gonna be cool for them to throw a party while you’re out of town, or lie about where they’ve been. But some rules…Read more...

The fortunate among us don’t use Twitter at all, which undoubtedly bodes well for their peace of mind. But it also means they’re missing out on a major front in the modern culture war. And if you aren’t one of those compelled to dive repeatedly into the service’s vortex of misinformation and perpetual outrage, you…Read more...

Frequent flyer miles are awesome. Use them correctly and you’ll save a ton of money on traveling. But they’re not always easy to use, and getting started may seem more confusing than its worth. While there’s plenty of hacking to be done to get optimal points, most of us can happily accumulate and spend miles without…Read more...

With the news that Chipotle will now offer cauliflower rice on the menu alongside its traditional brown and white options, you may be wondering how the veggie-based dish stacks up nutritionally. It’s lower in calories and carbs, for starters.Read more...

Tuesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

Venmo will soon roll out a new “Cash a Check” deposit feature for all iOS and Android devices. It will allow all Venmo users cash a check using their mobile phone—no trips to an ATM or waiting in line at the bank necessary. The feature even works for users who don’t have a bank account connected to their Venmo account.

Back in the 1950s, nearly a third of the American workforce belonged to a union. That number has cratered in recent decades due to a multitude of factors, but a shift in law and policy that places an increased focus on unfettered markets, as well as a raft of anti-labor laws, have been primary motivators of a gradual…Read more...

When I think about “rebooting” my digital life, the first thing that comes to mind are the many, many browser tabs that I keep telling myself I’ll organize someday. Then I think about my cluttered phone, too—so many apps, so little time. Then my thoughts go back to my browser. Do I really need quite so many extensions?Read more...

I am merely one episode into The Queen’s Gambit, which means I’m six episodes behind the rest of the world, but even one episode was enough to make a solid case that chess is cool, actually. It is a game of skill and strategy and perseverance. And we should teach it to our kids.Read more...