Lifehacker

We’re already halfway through 2021, and this year, we’ve really leaned in on how to better operate our households. We’re learning to be better gardeners, better cleaners of all the things, and better users of foil, paper towels, and dryer sheets. As we enter the back half of the year, let’s revisit the best household…Read more...

Depending on your job, chances are you’re spending hours on Slack. It’s become “where work happens,” like their tagline says. But you might not feel at home with the stock Slack configuration, and there are plenty of ways to make it your own? Here’s how to personalize your Slack account, from adding custom emojis, to…Read more...

Of all the peer-to-peer rental platforms out there, Airbnb and Vrbo are two of the biggest names, and they share a lot of similarities. But while they both have deals cheaper than most hotel room rates, there are differences between the two worth knowing about, too. Here’s a look at how they compare.Read more...

Tomato paste is a kitchen staple that adds incidentally vegan umami and depth to sauces, rice dishes, braises, and any condiment or dressing you happen to stir it into. And, whether you buy your paste in a can or a tube, there is always that little last annoying bit of paste that isn’t quite enough for use in a full…Read more...

Counting is hard. Yeah, it was easy enough when we were in kindergarten, but fast forward a little and suddenly you’re an adult who can’t manage to count past 10 when there’s a weight in your hand. You’re not alone! Especially if you’re doing anything for higher reps or for more than a few sets, it’s normal to lose…Read more...

When you’re planning a family trip to the beach, you probably pack with kids in mind. But an adult beach day requires a different set of items. It’s time to trade in your kids’ toys for card games, beach sports, music, liquor, and more. Here’s how to pack for a grown-up day by the water.Read more...

Safari is a perfectly good browser in its own right, but its default settings can understandably frustrate those switching over from Chrome and Firefox. Basic features—such as the showing expanded URLs in the status bar, for example—are disabled, which is less than ideal. Here’s how to fix some of those annoyances,…Read more...

To forge a career is to accept a life of constant learning, which means always being open to soaking up the wisdom of those with greater insight. Though we’re only halfway through 2021, we’ve encountered and shared so much potentially life-changing career advice this year—a year during which the continuing pandemic…Read more...

When I was about six years old, my mother, sisters, and I moved from Aberdeen, Mississippi to Los Angeles, California. My dad stayed in the South, and the twins and I would visit him during the summer. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to northern Mississippi in July, but it is very hot, humid, and full of bugs.Read more...

The past year has been rough on all of us, including our kids. Many of our kids are still too young to be vaccinated and yet they will be expected to return to in-person school in the fall, where in addition to the normal stressors of school, there will be the added stress of processing the events of the last year.…Read more...

Spotify has finally delivered what we once called the “Holy Grail of smartphone streaming”—the ability to download songs to your watch, so you can listen to them even when your phone is at home and you’re jogging through the woods without a data connection. The feature is rolling out now, although you’ll need a…Read more...

Orchids are known for being tricky: They’re delicate, require watering and misting, and they need proper drainage and just the right amount of light. That level of plant care can be overwhelming, but once you’ve got a routine, you’ll knock it out of the park. Here’s how to care for an orchid in your home.Read more...

How do you know when you’re officially an adult? When is it okay to quit a job, and when should you stick it out? How the heck do you figure out what you want to do with your life?Read more...

Most potatoes need a little knife work before you cook and eat them; unless you are baking whole spuds to consume alongside a juicy steak, slicing and dicing is just part of the process. The premise behind chopping a potato is simple: Steady the potato on a cutting board and push or drag your knife through it. Repeat…Read more...

If you didn’t know it already, today is National Fried Chicken Day, and a bunch of restaurant chains are offering discounts and freebies on their fried chicken menu items. Considering that there’s chicken shortages amidst a raging “chicken sandwich war,” it’s not clear that Americans need more incentives to eat…Read more...

Audacity has been the go-to free audio editing app for years, but its recent privacy policy changes mention invasive data collection practices that are (rightfully) making a lot of people very uncomfortable.

Spotlight Search is Mac’s built-in search feature. It shows up when you use the Command + Space keyboard shortcut, or when you click the Search icon in the menu bar to hunt for a file somewhere on your machine.

Imagine this: You’re out with your friends at a park or a beer garden when one of them suggests going into a bar. Two summers ago, that’d be no big deal, but after such a long time away from crowds during the pandemic, you might be a little nervous.

Audacity is an open-source audio editor popular among podcasters and musicians. In May 2021, Audacity was acquired by Muse group, and this is where the story begins.

Whenever you buy a game through the Nintendo Switch eShop, Nintendo collects and shares your shopping data with Google analytics. Nintendo has done this for a long time, but some users may not be aware of—or comfortable with—the practice.

Many people can’t stomach the confrontation of a break up, so they might offer the vague promise of continuing the relationship with a series of noncommittal overtures. Basically, they might kind of, sort of, maybe have time for you eventually, but in reality they’re hoping the relationship will slowly whither without…Read more...

If, for some reason, you have taken photos on your phone that you don’t want just anyone to see, you may want to use some sort of privacy feature. While there are third party apps that can hide your intimate photos, Google recently announced a new feature to lock your private images directly in Google Photos.Read more...

As of July 1, unemployed Americans qualify for hefty Obamacare subsidies that, for 60% of them, reduces their premiums to $0 per month. If you were unemployed at any time in 2021, you might qualify for a new plan by visiting the Health Insurance Marketplace between now and August 15, when an ongoing special enrollment…Read more...

The weed legalization train is on the move around America, and whether it’s already been through your state or is headed your way, you might be interested in getting into the industry. There’s always been money in marijuana, but now there’s money in marijuana that you can actually talk about with the stranger across…Read more...

For a long time, our default answer to the question “How are you?” has been “fine,” or some variation of it. But over the past few years—and especially during the pandemic—another response is becoming increasingly common: Telling the person who asked that you’re “tired,” or even “exhausted.”

We should start by saying that we are not anti-compost. In fact, we have several articles walking you through the ins and outs of the composting process. In a perfect world, everyone would have the time, energy, and space to have their own compost pile or container, and then use the finished product to help their…Read more...

There’s something very calming about visiting a botanical garden. Perhaps it’s being surrounded by foliage, or taking in the array of colors. Or maybe it’s just nice to be able to enjoy well-manicured and maintained nature where someone else did all the gardening and landscaping work. Whatever the reason, if you’re…Read more...

Researchers from Dr. Web have found nine apps with more than 5.8 million combined downloads that were sneakily stealing user’s Facebook passwords using a genuine Facebook login page. As of writing, Google has banned the developer and removed these nine apps from the Play Store, but if you’ve downloaded any of them,…Read more...

When you think of the classic summer jobs for young adults, things like lifeguarding, scooping ice cream, or mowing lawns might come to mind. (And honestly don’t sound half bad.) But then you grow up, and there’s no such thing as summer vacation, and your summer job is also your fall job, winter job, and spring job.

‘Twas later that evening on the 4th of July, and sparkly fireworks no longer lit up the sky. Whatever leftovers you thought you might have for next year ended up in the Grand Finale. Now, an assortment of larger fireworks, and smaller firecrackers and sparklers litter the yard, street, or wherever your DIY display…Read more...

Pools are pretty gross when you think about it. And as much as we may not love the idea of swimming in a bunch of chemicals—in this case, chlorine—that’s probably preferable to whatever else would be stewing in there without them. So, yes, chlorine is necessary and important, but that doesn’t mean we have to enjoy its…Read more...

While you might not think of the software that runs on your Apple TV too often, Apple does release a major update every year. In the fall of 2021, Apple will release tvOS 15, which brings some quality-of-life improvements to the Apple TV: You’ll finally be able to log in to apps using Face ID on your iPhone, for…Read more...

It is not exactly a secret that I am not particularly proud to be an American, but I am a food writer living in the United States, which means certain editorial decisions are influenced by certain American holidays. (That’s capitalism, baby.) This Sunday is Independence Day, a day often celebrated with the…Read more...

The morning after a severe weather event—whether a localized thunderstorm or major hurricane—people cautiously walk out of their homes to survey the damage. If you live somewhere with trees, chances are you’ll find at least a few that are no longer standing, either on your property or near it.Read more...

Sibling relationships can look a lot of different ways. We all know someone who considers their brothers and sisters their best friends, and are in touch with them every day. But we also all probably know at least one person who has an adversarial relationship with a sibling, or may have cut them out of their life…Read more...

Rent a vacation home on or near basically any coastline in the country (including those surrounding lakes), and there is a good chance that the decor will be nautical in nature. But it doesn’t end there. It’s not uncommon to see coastal themed interior design in completely landlocked areas too—just because there isn’t…Read more...

Every July 4, as fireworks explode throughout the nighttime sky, millions of dog runs for cover, or bark and howl in confusion at the noises assaulting their sensitive canine ears. Fireworks are scary and disorienting for dogs, who don’t know that the cacophony outside is celebrating “freedom” and not threatening…Read more...

Why can you do 250 pounds on the leg press at your usual gym, but only 200 if you go to a different location across town? You didn’t suddenly get weaker, and contrary to a popular myth, it’s not because one gym is lying to flatter you. Machines are just different.Read more...

It’s hot outside...or at least it was. I can’t keep track. I’m going to level with you: This week did bad things to my brain. Kicking off the week at a scorching 115℉ and ending it at 75℉ has broken me in a unique way. I’ve never liked being hot, but now I fear the heat—but at least my garden made it through.Read more...

Outdated tile is a glaring eyesore that nobody wants. Maybe the tile hasn’t been changed since the ‘70s, or maybe it’s just not your style. Sure, it’s possible to retile your home yourself, but not without extensive research and a lot of supplies and equipment—including a wet saw for cutting tile. That whole process…Read more...

When I think of grilled pizzas, I think of the HBO show “Girls.” I truly hate this for me, but anytime I serve, eat, or ponder a pizza that has been cooked on the grill, I hear Allison Williams say, “We bought the ingredients to make grilled pizzas, and we were going to make grilled pizzas, and on the day we were…Read more...

Congrats on the new baby! Forget whether or not you’re prepared to raise a whole human being from infancy into adulthood. The real question is, Are you ready to get laid again?Read more...

The ideal morning routine helps you start your day feeling accomplished, capable, and ready to tackle everything ahead of you. That’s a wonderful feeling, but you may not have the energy to do a complex routine every single day. A chill, minimalist morning routine has its benefits, too. Rather than trying to come up…Read more...

Anyone who has ever tried to teach a child to tie their shoes knows how long it can take for them to get it right—and how frustrated they may feel in the meantime. But eventually, there comes that moment when it clicks. And it’s in that moment, when their failures turn to successes and their perseverance pays off,…Read more...

A fence is a classic way to mark the property line of your home, provide a level of privacy, and keep dogs and small humans from running into the street. But if the standard “white picket fence” look isn’t for you, trees and shrubbery can offer a more natural option. If you already have an existing fence, you can add…Read more...

One of the most striking things about aging is how one’s perception of time changes over the years. When you’re a kid, time seems like it stretches on forever: A week can feel like a year, and a year can feel like a lifetime. But as you age, time seems to speed up. Sure, a particularly draining workday might drag on,…Read more...

Ice cream is, bar none, the best dessert out there. It’s rich, creamy, cold, and comes in as many flavors as you can imagine, from your standard chocolate and vanilla to experimental offerings such as ghost pepper or corn on the cob. Some days, it’s enough to open a pint from the nearest grocery store, but making your…Read more...

LEGOs are all about the possible: When handed a full box, what can you build? I spent a good chunk of my childhood rummaging through our LEGO collection at home, building all sorts of gadgets and contraptions. My older brother, when he wasn’t beating me up, would sometimes join in, and we’d spend hours building…Read more...

As the world enjoys our newfound freedom to leave our houses and the drama of the presidential election fades into memory, we’re all freed up to make up conspiracy theories about video games, pretend to drive invisible cars, and shove garlic up our noses.

Sometimes you want to dive deeper than the traditional mystery, romance, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy books. If you like any of these five major literary genres but have nonetheless grown tired of them—or you just don’t know the difference between all these literary labels—it’s time to branch out with some niche sub…Read more...