Lifehacker

If you’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you’ve probably breathed a sigh of relief. But how long can you expect that feeling to last? The CDC has yet to hazard a guess as to the durability of post-vaccine immunity on their website, but a few studies have given us some clues.Read more...

Much like chemistry, getting “good” at cooking is really about consistent, reproducible results, which usually requires a fair amount of measuring (at least at first). The more you cook, the less you’ll have to measure—but it is always best to arm yourself with more knowledge rather than less.Read more...

Microsoft’s Edge browser has become a major rival to Google Chrome, providing users a similar browsing experience that exists (mostly) outside of Google’s tracking and advertising infrastructure and which carries lower resource requirements. One of Chrome’s lingering benefits, though, is its built-in Google Shopping…Read more...

We organize storage areas like our closets, drawers, and garages, but the refrigerator tends to be neglected. Of all the spaces to keep organized, though, the refrigerator is the only one that’s time sensitive.Read more...

I love plants and I love pets, but unfortunately for me, the two don’t mix. For starters, I’m terrible at keeping plants alive—and a lot of plants are toxic to my cats. Recently, though, I vowed to finally bring some greenery into my space without poisoning my pets. To my surprise, there are several solid,…Read more...

This week we’re taking baby steps toward living a greener lifestyle with help from activists and filmmakers Laurie David and Heather Reisman. Laurie is an environmental activist and an award-winning documentary film producer, having produced the Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth, and Heather is the CEO of Canada’s…Read more...

I have never bought—never imagined I would buy—a seasoning blend that bragged about being “salt-free.” (“Couldn’t be me,” as the kids say.) I love salt—and have an ever-growing collection of sodium chloride to prove it. So I was slightly shocked and mildly scandalized when not one, but two BBQ guys suggested I use a…Read more...

We know it’s important to have not just one talk about sex with our kids, but lots of micro-talks: talks about their bodies, puberty, sex, and consent, starting when they’re young and expanding upon these topics as they get older. However, even if we’re open with our kids from the very beginning, and even if they know…Read more...

By law, companies are supposed to give you an opt-out option for unsolicited emails using an “unsubscribe” button or link. The only problem? Scammers do the exact same thing—except the button or link contains malware that will steal your personal information. Here’s a look at how to spot the difference, and whether…Read more...

If you’re something of a stargazer, you’ve had little respite from the jam-packed celestial calendar lately: Between last month’s Super Flower Blood Moon, and both of April’s meteor showers, the stargazing industrial complex has been operating at full tilt, giving people plenty of reason to stay up into the small…Read more...

Ever sign up for a free trial of an app because you’re curious about what it’s like, but you really don’t want to be locked in to paying for it? If you’re smart, you’ll take our advice and set a calendar reminder to cancel just before the trial period is up. But there’s an even smarter hack: cancel it immediately.Read more...

Now that we might actually be able to do a few things this summer outside of our own homes, we can go back to worrying about normal, non-pandemic parenting concerns, such as: How can we find our little kids if we lose them in a crowd? One parent on TikTok has devised a solid solution in the form of a wristband.Read more...

If you have a home full of plants, it can be hard to have friends reliably take care of them while you’re gone. Plus, what if no one is available to come by every day to give your plants the specific care they need? Here are a few hacks that will keep your plants happy and healthy while you take time away.Read more...

On June 8, Amazon will launch a new feature called Sidewalk that creates small, public internet networks powered by Echo smart speakers and Ring home security products in your neighborhood. Yes, including yours—unless you disable the setting, which is turned on by default. That means if you don’t want your devices…Read more...

You might be familiar with the idea of a singular credit score, but there’s actually two major credit score providers that rate your creditworthiness: FICO and VantageScore. While FICO is used for 90% of all lending decisions, VantageScore can still play a role in whether you get approved for a loan. Here’s what you…Read more...

As helpful as (we’d like to think) reading articles about plants and gardening can be, it’s also nice to have an online community that can answer questions, give advice, and provide some horticultural inspiration. Fortunately, there are plenty of subreddits—some with hundreds of thousands of members from all over the…Read more...

With plenty of American flags proudly displayed today for Memorial Day, it’s a good time to take a look at how to properly display, store, and dispose of Old Glory. For all the rules and regulations, we’ll turn to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for guidance. Here’s what to know.Read more...

When starting a garden, you have two choices: planting seeds or seedlings (and other transplants). Those looking to have a close-to-instant garden will likely want to begin with already-sprouted plants. But if you decide to go the seed route, you may want to pick seeds that will produce at least something green as…Read more...

The events of the past year or so has made a lot of people rethink how they want to spend the rest of their lives. For a variety of reasons, not everyone has the option of starting over or training for a new career, but one vineyard in California is offering one person the chance to do just that. Here’s what to know…Read more...

When you think of gardening tools, items like gloves, spades, and pruning sheers probably come to mind. But it turns out, there’s something else that can be extremely valuable for your garden: a journal. In an article for Food52, Master Gardener Nadia Hassani explains why. Here’s what to know.Read more...

Attention race fans (and those who live with them): As you likely already know, today the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pre-race coverage begins on NBC at 11 a.m. EST, and the race itself starts at 12:45 p.m. EST. Here’s how to watch.Read more...

Fans of the Golden Girls should be familiar with the type of natural, woven style of furniture in the photo above. But what’s it called? The Girls refer to it as “wicker,” but it also looks a lot like the trendy rattan furniture we’ve been seeing so much of lately. Is “rattan” just a fancier way of saying “wicker,” or…Read more...

When we think about the night sky, most people likely picture constellations, planets, the moon, or even meteors, on occasion. But the third-brightest object in the sky doesn’t fall into any of those categories. Plus, it’s constantly moving. If you guessed that it’s the International Space Station (ISS), you’d be…Read more...

If your idea of a relaxing weekend includes playing countless hours of video games with a friend while eating delicious snacks, then have we got a job for you. FrontierBundles is looking to pay a pair of friends $1,000 each to play 21 hours of video games per person, and report back on their experience. Here’s what…Read more...

Lost of us have spent the past 15 months fantasizing about all the amazing things we’ll be able to do once the pandemic’s marathon slog has reached its end. Perhaps we’ve even made tentative plans to finally get together with too many people to count. But truthfully, it’s possible that you’ve heaped your plate with…Read more...

There’s been a pretty broad consensus among scientists who study viruses that the one that causes COVID-19 arose naturally and passed from animals to humans sometime in late 2019, in or near Wuhan, China. But an alternate hypothesis—that it escaped from a lab in that city—has been tossed around like a political…Read more...

It’s been a few years since Beyond Meat introduced their line of plant-based meat substitutes, but if you have yet to sample their wares, a chance to do so for free is nigh: the company has launched a month-long giveaway, pledging to hand out 100,000 free Beyond Burgers. Here’s what you need to know.Read more...

Some 53% of Americans are planning at least one trip this summer, and scammers will be following them every step of the way. Whether you’re booking flights or rental cars online; at the airport; or even in your hotel room, scams are everywhere. And we’re not just talking about garden-variety phishing texts, either—as…Read more...

Long-weekend drinking is a little different from regular-weekend drinking. Whether you’re smoking those meats or lounging at the beach, you want your adult beverages to feel fun, damnit. I am, by nature, a very fun person, and (luckily) nice enough to share six of my favorite whimsical libations.Read more...

British impresario Malcolm McLaren’s headstone reads, “Better a spectacular failure, than a benign success.” So it goes in life and, sometimes, at the movies.

With corporate lingo so widespread and major companies normalizing the use of “yogababble,” it’s easy to fall into the traps set by LinkedIn influencers and the like—especially when you’re writing a resume or cover letter.

Whether you favor a tangy, vinegar-based Carolina sauce or a thicker, sweeter, redder offering, BBQ sauce (or “barbecue sauce” if you are a person of letters) tastes like summer. Nearly every iteration of the condiment is complex and balanced—perfect for marinading, basting, and finishing.Read more...

It’s pretty much a universal law that after you ghost someone, they’ll start looking hotter in their Instagram pics. They might not even be doing it to show you what you’re missing, but it always feels like they are, and you, like many before you, might find yourself compelled to slide back into the DMs of someone you…Read more...

If you haven’t been going to the gym much during the pandemic, being vaccinated (or seeing the vaccination rates in your area climb) may be enough to bring you back. But how safe is your gym, really? Here are some signs to look for to be sure that your risk of being exposed to COVID-19 is minimal.Read more...

We’ve covered why you may want to get a third-party password managing app to handle all your passwords; however, if you don’t want to deal with an outside app, there are built-in features in the most popular web browser that can help you.Read more...

There’s a culture war raging across the TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, and I’m not talking about the urban vs. rural political quagmire that’s destroying our nation. I’m talking about something important: Generation Z and millennials squaring off over skinny jeans.

Of course, using any type of heat-based tool comes with the potential for user error and getting hurt. But for the people who own the 5.4 million handheld clothing steamers that were recently recalled, their chances of getting burned were even higher. Here’s what to know about the recall, including how to get a refund.

It’s easy to assume that your collectibles are covered by homeowners or renters insurance, but that’s not always the case. Often you’ll only get the partial value of your collection if it’s lost or stolen, and sometimes you won’t qualify for coverage at all. Here’s a look at what collectible insurance offers, how much…Read more...

When I decided to spend a month trying to get myself to actually like running for the Lifehacker Fitness Challenge, I’ll admit that my expectations were low. And after my first run, they dropped even more than I thought possible. What followed over the next few weeks were a series of highs and lows, culminating in…Read more...

Any savvy online shopper will tell you: The best way to hype up a product is with a limited-run drop. Whether a company is selling sneakers, one-of-a-kind art prints, or small-batch runs of vinyl records, building anticipation for a timed release of a limited supply of something cool is a great way to drum up sales…Read more...

If you work in media, you know The Information to be something of a scoop-factory, capable of producing the kind of scrupulous investigations that move markets, and vying for clout with the likes of the New York Times. If you merely consume journalism to be better informed, you’ve probably been privy to some of the…Read more...

Cardio and strength training are both important to your fitness, a fact that I have always known but currently am unable to shut up about. I am mainly a strength training person (a weightlifter, to be specific), and for a long time I thought that lifting a lot was enough. But when I added more cardio to my routine, I…Read more...

With new and used car prices soaring due to shortages, you might want to reconsider your plans to buy a car and try again later—at least until the end of summer, or whenever supply picks up again. Otherwise, you’ll really have to do your research to get a good deal, as you’ll be facing higher prices and fewer choices.Read more...

Garlic is a ubiquitous, ever-present ingredient in most kitchens, and for many good reasons. Depending on how you treat it, it can bring heat, pungency, sweetness, and/or umami to your delicious dishes.

The first Android 12 beta is out now for a range of Android devices, and early impressions are positive. Testers praise the overhauled interface and plethora of helpful tweaks and new features already available in the beta version. The enthusiastic response might have you excited for Android 12, but it’s a good idea…Read more...

Working from home since the start of the pandemic, I’ve been forced to grapple continuously with the fact that the other members of my household are total slobs. (Not me; I’m a consummate housekeeper.) And as our crowded apartment has increasingly come to match our disordered lives, I’ve clung to one small bit of…Read more...

As we approach the end of a school year that may be among the most stressful in history for students, teachers, school employees, and parents, many of us are grappling with the severe impacts on the emotional health of our kids and, in some cases, our fears that virtual learning will cause more summer learning loss…Read more...

It’s never easy to move to a new city. Though there are lots of great reasons to relocate—a new job, a relationship, graduate school, cheaper rent, a thirst for adventure—relocating to an unfamiliar place can be disorienting and isolating. You’ll have to navigate a new grocery store, learn a new street map, and scope…Read more...

The pandemic-propelled gardening boom has been great for people with a yard, a community garden plot, or even a balcony. But for those of us who have none of the above, outdoor gardening options have been as limited as ever. But there is one avenue for growing things—even in an apartment—that you shouldn’t sleep on:…Read more...

It has been a rough week for poultry. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had to remind us not to kiss or cuddle live chickens, ducks, and other fowl, as people doing so has been linked to Salmonella outbreaks reported in 43 states.