Lifehacker

Google’s latest wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds A-Series, are a great choice for both Pixel users and Android owners who don’t want to break the bank. These Pixel Buds come with automatic updates, so, in theory, you never need to worry about missing important fixes. If you want to check for updates yourself to make…Read more...

Apple introduced Touch ID on the MacBook Pro in 2016, alongside the controversial (but surprisingly versatile) Touch Bar. Since then, the sensor has made its way to the MacBook Air and even the iMac, thanks to the magic of the Magic Keyboard. If you bought a Mac recently, chances are you have this button, and you…Read more...

Setting up autopay for your credit card payments is a great way to avoid accidental late fees and penalties, but there’s an additional trick that can help with your credit score. By paying off your balance in full before the closing date—the day your debt balance is reported to the credit bureaus—you can ensure that…Read more...

We’re rapidly entering the era of 4K as the standard resolution, and new 4K content is available on YouTube every day. Unfortunately, you can’t watch these videos offline in full resolution using YouTube’s standard options.

When Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was approved in August, it was only approved for ages 16 and up as a two-dose series. But since fully-approved vaccines and medications can be used “off label,” many of us started wondering if providers could administer the vaccine to children or give boosters to people who wouldn’t…Read more...

Long-time Mac users are likely familiar with the secrets of the Option key. It can reveal hidden menus and other handy features in one click, like the ability to expand nested folders. If you’re someone who’s relatively new to Macs, or if you’ve never bothered to explore your keyboard much, today’s a good day to…Read more...

Renters frustrated by headlines about the hot housing market that make it seem like this is their last chance to buy property won’t exactly be comforted by reports that rent payments are currently exceeding average monthly mortgage payments. But comparing the costs of owning versus renting on a monthly basis isn’t…Read more...

“Picky” eating isn’t just for kids. There are plenty of adults who steer clear of certain ingredients or dishes for a variety of reasons. Whether you grew up somewhere without many diverse cuisine options, were raised in a culture or religion that kept you away from particular foods, or just straight-up hate olives,…Read more...

If you’ve ever felt a rush of intense emotion—whether a positive one, such as a surge of happiness, or a negative one, like a rush of anger—then you’ve probably also experienced the crash that comes when those emotions abate. Although we usually think of exhaustion in physical terms, it can also be mental. If you’ve…Read more...

If you’re running or hiking alone, it’s always smart to let somebody know your plans and when you expect to be back. Better yet, apps with location sharing can allow your partner or friend to know exactly where you are at any moment. But there’s a way to go even beyond that: Use Strava’s Beacon feature, now available…Read more...

Hurricane Ida has devastated Louisiana and is threatening a “once in a lifetime flooding event” in the Northeast in the next few days—a grim reminder of the importance of getting a flood insurance policy if you don’t have one already. There’s a waiting period for new policies, which means that if you get coverage…Read more...

In this digital age, why do we still have physical IDs? I don’t need my credit card when I can use Apple Pay; I don’t need my MetroCard anymore with Express Transit; but still, I need to bring the whole wallet with me anywhere that requires a driver’s license. Luckily, it looks like that’s changing with iOS 15, as…Read more...

We often use the words “loneliness” and “isolation” interchangeably, and in the past year or so, many of us have become all too acquainted with both of them. However, it’s possible to be isolated but not lonely, or lonely but not isolated. And both have a significant impact on our physical and mental well-being.

Some plants just aren’t cut out for cold weather, but a surprising number of perennials are perfectly capable of surviving a frigid winter—at least with the right protection. As the temperatures start to cool down, it’s important to take a few simple steps to insulate your plants and soil from the cold season ahead.…Read more...

The ride home from school can feel like a battle of wills with my oldest son. When I start the car, he’s a bundle of ecstatic energy. But when I begin asking him about his day, his smile vanishes, and he locks his mouth up like a safe. The remainder of the trip is more nerve-wracking than an episode of Law and Order …Read more...

One of the most exciting features that Apple announced at WWDC 2021 was Universal Control. This feature lets you seamlessly switch the cursor and keyboard between multiple Macs and iPads. In fact, it’s so seamless, there’s no setup necessary. You can glide your cursor from one device to another, simply by pushing it…Read more...

An inconvenient side effect of a power outage, especially one that extends for days at a time, is the inability to charge your devices—especially those that can operate without wifi and connect you to the rest of the world. If your smartphone battery is dying and you find yourself without power, you’ll want to do…Read more...

Aside from your checking account, is there a good place to put your emergency cash so that it won’t be eaten up by rising inflation? Unfortunately, with interest rates being so low, the pickings are slim, but you do have a few options: money market accounts, high-yield savings accounts, and CDs. Here’s a look at how…Read more...

The COVID-19 vaccines have become somewhat notorious for their side effects: fatigue, sore arm, maybe a fever. In a few rare cases, there are more serious complications, like inflammation of the heart. So is it riskier to get a vaccine or to take your chances with COVID itself?Read more...

Google Chrome version 93 has just launched for both desktop and Android. These monthly updates can bring a mixed bag of new features, tweaks, and changes for developers, but version 93 has several enhancements worth knowing about for users too, including enhancements to Chrome Web Apps on desktop, changes to the…Read more...

Ever wondered why your AirPods Pro’s battery level almost always hovers around 80 percent? This is because Apple automatically enables a feature that reduces battery aging—and as a consequence, slows down the charging speed significantly once your AirPods Pro’s battery is 80 percent charged. If you’re in a hurry to…Read more...

The FDA cracked down on disposable, flavorful vapes last year, and although you can still find Puff Bars and their counterparts all over, the likelihood that you’re getting a sketchy counterfeit is increasing. The mystery of what’s in the phonies makes them even more dangerous than the original nicotine delivery…Read more...

Last week, the Supreme Court struck down the CDC’s latest extension of the eviction moratorium, which was supposed to last through Oct. 3. That means millions of renters now face eviction, although some states have their own eviction bans still in place, and rental assistance is available—despite a delayed rollout in…Read more...

September is when we start winding down our garden for the year, but there is still time to plant vegetables now to enjoy later in the fall. Based on where you live, the vegetables you can plant now will vary—but even in the colder zones, there are more options than you may realize. Some are fast-growing vegetables,…Read more...

There isn’t always a handy pullup bar around, especially if you have a home gym without a good place to put one. I happened upon a solution in my own garage, and it’s one that can also help in some commercial gym situations: Use a barbell.

Wrestling isn’t just for grandmas anymore. (My grandma was really, really into pro-wrestling when I was a kid. I assume that is the norm.)

If fear and anxiety have gained a hold on your life, you know they can feel like they’re consuming everything. You can medicate or meditate, read self-help books, or try to push through on your own—but it’s always best to admit when you need help, then seek it out.

Changing jobs comes with a lot of hope, but also a lot of risk. No matter how many questions you asked before accepting your job offer, there are always unexpected aspects, not to mention an uncomfortable learning curve. Although many of these may be relatively benign, some of them may be far more frustrating than you…Read more...

Labor day is rapidly approaching, and while I am always down to eat 30-50 feral hot dogs, the late summer drag has invaded my kitchen. I am weary of summer vegetables and run of the mill barbecue and cookouts. I can’t be bothered to make pasta salad. I want comfort food, but not the same old.

Summer is rough on grass. After a few straight months of heat, sun, foot traffic, and often not enough rain, it’s totally normal to see some dead spots. Dead grass is uglier than it is dangerous, but if you’re sick of looking at it, here’s a quick and dirty guide to replanting grass where it’s needed.Read more...

We love to joke that no one uses their smartphone to actually make calls in 2021. And even if that’s kind of true, we obviously need these devices to be able make and take calls. When that functionality is thrown into jeopardy, our phones start to be a lot less reliable and a lot more frustrating. That’s why it’s so…Read more...

The Messages app on the iPhone has never really played all that nice with the Photos app—if someone messaged you a picture and you wanted to find it again later, good luck. That’s all changing in iOS 15 with the new Shared with You integration in the Photos app, plus the addition of a real save button for photos…Read more...

Live Photos are the little moving pictures you never knew you needed. Just like in Harry Potter, these little videos capture the essence of the moment, something that just can’t be captured in a still photo sometimes. Unlike GIFs though, they also record a snippet of sound, making them like micro-short videos of a…Read more...

When we get into arguments with people, such as your on-the-other-side-of-the-political-spectrum uncle, the disrespectful neighbor, or even your messy roommate, it can be all too easy to devolve into a shouting match. However, according to Vanessa Bohns, a professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University,…Read more...

Is it a good idea to pay off high-interest credit card debt with money from your 401(k)? Financial experts will almost always say no, but they’ll also concede that there are desperate scenarios in which your retirement fund can alleviate the burden of debt, especially if you can’t pay it off otherwise. Here’s a look…Read more...

While privacy as we used to know it might be dead and gone, there are still plenty of ways to protect yourself against the default tech standards on your iPhone. Apple might be a privacy champion, but there are plenty of settings you can tinker with and change to hide your location from Apple and your many apps.

Like eyebrows, the trend in lips right now is big. Everywhere you turn—but mostly on Instagram—big lips are dominating. There has been much debate about why this is happening and whether it’s all Kylie Jenner’s fault, but the facts are the facts: The trendy look is bigger lips.Read more...

It’s notoriously difficult to find out how much you’ll pay for a surgery or procedure before it happens. For one thing, hospitals don’t charge everybody the same rates; they negotiate prices with insurers and often try to keep the exact numbers secret. There’s good news, though: A federal law now requires hospitals to…Read more...

Last week, the New York Times published an article by Grace Cook that got half of Twitter talking about “the cotton tote crisis.” At the center of this article—and the multiple tweets promoting it—is an alarming statistic: “An organic cotton tote needs to be used 20,000 times to offset its overall impact of…Read more...

When everyone seems to be making more money than you, the inevitable question is “okay, what exactly do all these people do?” Fortunately, Reddit has the answer. A recent thread discussed what people do to earn six figures, and while some occupations are obvious—doctor, lawyer—there are niche occupations that pay…Read more...

A global pandemic might have delayed the onslaught of comic book films, but that’s a tide that could only be held back for so long. Between now and the end of next year, there are 15 major comic book-related releases coming to theaters. Due to the aforementioned global pandemic, the release dates are still a little…Read more...

If you’re looking to supercharge your WhatsApp experience with some unofficial features, you might be tempted to try a mod. These versions of the app can offer chat options and customizable UIs that WhatsApp proper can’t provide. No matter how good the deal seems, however, we strongly recommend you don’t use them.

Just like people, our pets can develop arthritis, which can have a significant impact on their quality of life if it’s not managed properly. Although some slowing down is inevitable as your pet ages, some of the signs that we normally associated with getting older are, in fact, due to arthritis. Also known as…Read more...

Love it or hate it, the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar is a unique piece of tech. While Apple is rumored to be phasing out the Touch Bar later this year, there are tons of MacBook Pros in the wild that still have this weird feature, and they will still be in service for years to come. So instead of just letting the thing…Read more...

I’ve never been able to find anything easily in macOS’ System Preferences. Even the most basic things, such as changing wallpaper-related settings, I find myself using the search bar inside the System Preferences window. Needless to say, I feel like I’m ever at the mercy of Apple’s search code to be able to find what…Read more...

Even as glossy mags and wellness influencers have adopted weed (primarily CBD) as their new superfood snake oil, the taboo that still surrounds people who partake is as potent as an artisan blunt.Read more...

You don’t always want to take a snap of your Mac’s screen immediately after you hit the screenshot shortcut key—sometimes you might want to give yourself a few seconds to set things up just right before capturing your screenshot. Fortunately, your Mac allows you to do that, and we’ll show you how.

Admittedly, we’ve gotten a little jaded. Digital effects are so omnipresent in our blockbusters that we’ve come to expect the impossible from movies. Our sense of awe has been, perhaps, a bit dulled, even as we’re very easily disappointed (although I don’t see the human-feline CGI monstrosities from Cats pleasing…Read more...

Most people buy and hold cryptocurrency in the hopes that it will one day replace fiat currencies and therefore become more valuable. However, increasingly, some are looking to spend it, too, with 40% of crypto holders planning to make a purchase in the next year, according to a recent survey.Read more...

With the notable exception of my fish spatula, nearly all of my favorite spoons and turners are made of wood. Wooden cooking implements are my favorite souvenir, and I collect one from every country I travel.