Lifehacker

You’ve watched the parade and the dog show. You’ve cooked, cleaned and had dinner. You’ve managed to avoid (or at least tune out) football. Now what? Why not head outside and take a look at the Earth’s shadow? It will be easier to spot than usual both today and tomorrow. Here’s how to find it in the evening sky.Read more...

Whether you’re spending the holidays on your own, or (still) cooped up with the same people you’ve been quarantining with for months, you could probably use a break from your usual routine. Even if you’re not celebrating, you may still have a day (or at least part of a day) off to regroup. One way to do that is by…Read more...

Every few years, a new study or news segment comes out demonstrating how kids today are so disconnected from their food, they aren’t able to recognize even the most basic fruits and vegetables. As adults, we (hopefully) are much better at identifying various types of produce, but what about what it looks like before…Read more...

Segway Ninebot ES4 Electric Scooter | $500 | AmazonRead more...

PlayStation 5 | $499 | Walmart

Last night, Twitter lit up with claims that Parler, a social media platform surging in popularity among Trump supporters—especially since the election—was hacked. Parler’s CEO John Matze did damage control today, strongly denying the claim, but the rumors continue circulating online. Some say the leak has been…Read more...

Wednesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

As COVID-19 vaccines transition from the hypothetical to the actual, with Pfizer seeking an emergency use authorization from the Food & Drug Administration that could see the first Americans being inoculated against the disease as early as December, the discussion around actually taking a vaccine grows more personal.

Dogs are omnivores like us, so nearly everything on a Thanksgiving table may be appetizing to your pup. But a traditional turkey dinner includes things that can be harmful to dogs in large amounts. So if you plan to treat your pet to some leftovers, here’s what to be aware of.

Thanksgiving is America’s most tortured holiday. A celebration originally recognizing the survival of hardships (and, later, as a nod to religious ideals and then to help unite the country in times of conflict), it has metastasized into an annual celebration of overeating, football, and family arguments. But all of…Read more...

You might have heard about the eight-year old boy that makes $26 million annually from what started off as a toy unboxing channel on YouTube, and thought, “I can do that.” And sure, there’s sky-high potential to make money on the world’s second most-visited site, although most creators make more meager, earthbound…Read more...

There are a number of things privileged Americans take for granted on Thanksgiving—and it’s important to remember that eating a delicious meal in the company of friends and family is a luxury many cannot afford (and one that you definitely should not engage in this year in any case); and that the country you live in …Read more...

In the summer of 2019, months before the word “coronavirus” meant anything to most people, a mysterious respiratory illness began popping up around the U.S., ultimately sending over 2,800 primarily young and healthy people to the hospital and dozens to an early grave. The culprit wasn’t an infectious disease, but a…Read more...

Sinks—and running water in general—are wonderful things. Hot or cold water, whenever we want it, straight out of a tap conveniently located in our own homes? It’s pretty great. But sometimes, sinks get stinky.

Getting married is already one of the most stressful things you can spend thousands of dollars subjecting yourself to—right up there with having a child. The pre-wedding bridal shower is supposed to give you a brief respite, a calm before the storm that helps you remember you’re doing it all for love, and that a…Read more...

Apple’s pivot away from Intel processors to using its own M1 chip in its Mac PCs and MacBooks means iOS apps can now run directly in macOS. Unfortunately, it also means some desktop apps developed for Intel hardware are now incompatible on the new M1 Macs.

Your kids might be concerned about Santa’s annual trip around the world this year—and rightfully so. We’ve just spent months explaining why they can’t go to school, gymnastics class, summer camp, their friend’s house, grandma’s house, or anywhere else, really. You’ve told them why you won’t be traveling to visit…Read more...

Each year towards the end of November, the nation gathers together to give thanks for one of life’s greatest gifts: dogs. And despite the pandemic, tomorrow will be no exception. Immediately following a made-for-TV Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, coverage of a spectator-free National Dog Show will air on Thursday…Read more...

Renting out your home can bring in some extra cash, but doing so places you into the role of landlord. Aside from legal obligations to consider beforehand, having a proper vetting process will help save you from the hassle of bad tenants or even potential lawsuits. Here are some tips that can help.Read more...

One COVID-19 vaccine is already under review for possible emergency authorization in December; its competitors are close behind. Once we have a vaccine—or maybe several—it will be a while until there are enough doses for everybody. The CDC is working on a plan to prioritize certain groups of people to get it first.

Despite the accelerating pace of the COVID-19 pandemic across the United States, millions of people are traveling this week to see their families for Thanksgiving. Gatherings will continue as planned, as if the Centers for Disease Control hadn’t issued a warning against traveling for the holiday. With the masses…Read more...

Tuesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

Thousands of Spotify users just learned the hard way why you shouldn’t reuse passwords.Read more...

Weed edibles are a tricky business. If you’ve never eaten your way to a high before, you may be a little wary, even if you’ve smoked many a joint. Edibles, as the kids say, hit differently.

Sometimes I wish I had been around for the early days of jogging, when you could put on an earth-toned sweatsuit and simply put one foot in front of the other until you felt like you were done. Running in 2020 involves a world of Strava and Garmin and apps and stats. Even the gentlest, most beginner-friendly way to…Read more...

Top Pick: Animal Crossing: New Horizons | $50 | AmazonRead more...

There is (obviously, clearly) nothing wrong with “plain,” butter-and-cream-flavored mashed potatoes. They are without flaw. But sometimes, it’s fun to gild the lily, as perfection is not necessarily decadence—to be decadent, one has to lean into excess. That’s what bagna cauda mashed potatoes are—excessive.Read more...

If past financial trouble has prevented you from opening up a checking account, you have another option: a second-chance bank account. These usually have some restrictions, including a monthly fee, but you can save money long-term, especially if you’re using check-cashing businesses with high service fees.Read more...

Thanksgiving is a bit of a weird holiday for me. When I was growing up, and all through college, it involved having the same meal every year at my grandparents’ house. But after college, when I moved across the country for a job at a newspaper, things got wonky. That first year, I worked on Thanksgiving—covering local…Read more...

Eight months into the global pandemic, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging at unprecedented levels. Healthcare workers have shouldered so much of the psychological and emotional burden wrought by this marathon plague, and you may be wondering how you can show a healthcare worker that you appreciate their…Read more...

We use audio apps for concentration and music for easy listening—it’s time to add TV and movies for ambient viewing. There are a number of television shows that you can play in the background that follow a genre pattern, require minimal attention, and almost always have a voiceover to tell you everything you need to…Read more...

Potatoes grow under the ground, in dirt, which makes them dirty. (This is science.) If you are going to eat the whole potato—skin and all—you should wash it beforehand. Baked potatoes, roasted potatoes, skin-on fries—all of these spuds need a good scrubbing as a first step, before any further prep work or cooking is…Read more...

We’ve been warned about visiting family and friends, and asked to stay at home on Thanksgiving, but it appears that another threat to our health may already be lurking inside our homes: Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. has voluntarily recalled some of their romaine lettuce because of concern over possible E.coli…Read more...

Because I am a Serious Cineast (I even subscribe to The Criterion Channel!), it is my job to be incredibly excited about the Dec. 4 premiere of David Fincher’s MANK, which marks the extension of Netflix’s relationship with the renowned auteur into feature films after two lauded seasons of the serial killer drama …Read more...

Let me tell you a little story about two infants, a brand new rug, and some vomit. (If it seems like I’ve written too much about puke this month, that’s a fair critique, but it changes nothing.) When my son was about eight months old, we went to visit a friend who’d just had her first baby. I did all the things you’re…Read more...

Google’s first smart speaker, the Google Home, debuted in 2016, and it’s taken four years for Google to add a single feature in its digital assistant that I would consider essential for anyone looking to control their smart home—specifically, their lights.Read more...

The staggering beauty of mashed potatoes is fleeting: You have to eat as much as you can while they’re hot, knowing that any leftovers simply will not hit as hard. This is why the best uses for leftover taters turn them into something else entirely, like waffles, dips, and dumplings.Read more...

I thought I had lost it, because something felt off about the URLs I was pasting in to Lifehacker’s Slack the other day. Rather than appearing as regular URLs—something like https://skillet.lifehacker.com/6-tips-for-making-gravy-without-panicking-1845739196—they showed up like this, with just the title and a link to…Read more...

Windows: PlayStation 5 owners can now use their PS5’s DualSense controllers to play PC games on Steam. Valve’s most recent Steam beta adds full compatibility for the DualSense in all controller-enabled games by default—no extra software to necessary, and no settings to configure.

In many ways, the digital age has made gift giving easier. You can fill up a single online shopping cart and send gifts anywhere in the world. At the same time, some things are not as easy as they used to be. Remember when you could just walk into a store and buy someone a DVD? Now there’s a good chance your intended…Read more...

This week we’re learning about disability rights and how to be a better ally with help from disability activist Alice Wong. Listen to hear Alice talk about the unique perspectives that disabled people bring to the conversation, what non-disabled people can do to promote and protect equality, and why Crip Camp is…Read more...

If you were thinking of binging on holiday movies this December, why not get paid for it? As part of a marketing gimmick, the website Reviews.org is looking to fill the role for “Chief Holiday Cheermeister,” which pays $2,500 and a year’s worth of streaming services in exchange for watching and reviewing 25 movies in…Read more...

Monday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

Apple’s first generation of M1 Macs is slick, but some early adopters are running into a strange error that can render a new computer unusable. Those attempting to perform a full restore of macOS on an M1-equipped Mac or MacBook before upgrading to macOS Big Sur might experience a system-stopping warning over and…Read more...

Across the country, people will gather (or, ideally, not) for a dinner of lean meat, plentiful vegetables, and moderate amounts of sweets. In a testament to our ability to manufacture guilt out of nothing, we then wonder if this dinner—this whole holiday—is “healthy.”Read more...

It’s finally here: World of Warcraft’s eighth expansion, Shadowlands, goes live today. If you’ve never played, or you’re cautious about re-entering the sprawling world, you still have the good ol’ free-until-level-20 experience to see if WoW is your thing—which is one-third of the maximum level you’ll be able to hit…Read more...

A race on Thanksgiving morning or the weekend that follows—often called a “turkey trot”—is a fun way to celebrate the holiday and see your fall running training pay off. But in pandemic times, a virtual race is a safer option than running in person, and fortunately there are a bunch of good ones available.Read more...

Traditionally speaking, the team that publishes the Oxford English Dictionary picks a “word of the year”—a word or expression that has attracted significant interest over the course of the past 12 months. It’s a way to capture the mood or lasting impact that a particular year has had on us all; for example, 2019's…Read more...

Unless you live in a pretty remote location, chances are you’ve heard at least some sort of noise courtesy of your neighbors, whether it’s loud music, someone working on a car, barking dogs, or screaming children. For those of us living in apartments, condos, row houses, or other housing where everyone is in close…Read more...

As the global pandemic batters economies and consigns billions of people around the world to isolation in their homes, our collective mental health is understandably taking a nosedive. With many people lacking their usual outlets for initiating contact with family, friends, and co-workers, depression has soared…Read more...