Lifehacker

Many of us have spent a lot of time during the pandemic in isolation, so this week we’re re-learning the art of deep conversation with help from user researcher and writer Ximena Vengoechea.Read more...

If you planted zucchini in your garden this year, you have no doubt noticed the beautiful orange and yellow blossoms that grow alongside (and on) the fruit. The flowers are edible and beautiful, with a pleasant, fresh flavor that’s reminiscent of zucchini, only a little bit more herbal and (obviously) floral. You can…Read more...

Locks fall into the category of things you don’t notice until one isn’t there. Take public bathroom stalls, for instance: Typically, you walk in, close the door behind you, and lock it without a thought. But if you enter the stall and realize the lock is broken, it could turn into a stressful situation, as you…Read more...

If you’ve ever considered using lucid dreaming as a way of harnessing the power of your sleeping brain, you’re not alone. The first step for aspiring oneironauts is to let your mind know that your dreams do matter. As part of Lifehacker’s Lucid Dream Workshop, here’s some background about the risks and benefits of…Read more...

When we’re younger, maybe our relationships are more grounded in the physical than the spiritual and emotional. But underlying the foundation of any enduring relationship is a certain kind of love, and at the crux of this spiritual connection are the teachings of the philosopher Plato.

Keep your keycard with you, don’t leave valuables in your room unattended, and keep the door locked. Most of us follow basic security precautions at hotels, but I’m begging you to add one more to the list: Don’t use hotel wifi without protection from a VPN.

Considering that food prices continue to rise—up 2.4% in the last year—you might be feeling the pinch with your food budget. One way to tackle those costs is by making the most out of a standalone freezer. Food staples like meat or bread are cheaper when bought in bulk and can last for months in a freezer, and could…Read more...

I am continuously fighting my hoarding tendencies, which is why I usually shy away from the “10 great uses for old twist-ties” genre of hacks—and yet here I am, telling you to keep an empty sugar bag on hand, particularly if you are a little bit clumsy (or have clumsy children, clumsy pets, or a clumsy significant…Read more...

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but kids have a lot of energy. If they’re not running off or climbing something, they’re asking questions or wanting to be entertained, all of which can be hard to keep up with if you ever want to also do other things. But then there are the hyperactive kids, who bring with them a whole…Read more...

Coleslaw can be a tricky thing. Bad slaws are watery and bland, but a good one provides a perfect sweet-and-tangy, crunchy counterpoint to a wide variety of rich and salty BBQ foods, my favorite being pulled pork. Good slaw hinges on good technique—which you can read all about here—and the best slaws are the usually…Read more...

TikTok wants to offer you more than simple mindless entertainment—now it also wants to help you find a job—by inviting users to submit video resumes for jobs from participating companies like Chipotle or Target. The pilot program, called “TikTok Resumes,” skews towards Gen Z job-seekers looking for entry level…Read more...

Making video games is deceptively difficult, and there are numerous game creation apps out there that can, with a little effort, help you design and build the game of your dreams.Read more...

If you’re 21 years old and newly unleashed upon the world with a college degree and an ambition to jumpstart your life, maybe you should turn to strangers on the internet for advice. We kid, kind of—but you can consult Reddit for all the pointers you desire, as one eager college graduate recently did in a thread that…Read more...

It is unacceptable to dump any kind of cooking fat—whether liquid or solid—down the drain. Doing so can not only lead to personal plumbing issues, but neighborhood-wide blockages and—in extreme cases—basements full of sewage.Read more...

Before he was one of the masterminds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, New Zealand director Taika Waititi made a cottage industry out of films exploring the lives of small communities of people, from the fantastical vampires of What We Do in the Shadows to a Māori kid struggling to find his place in 2010's Boy. His…Read more...

Children who experience “parentification” are kids who have to grow up too fast because they are expected to assume the role of a parent to their siblings or their own parents. There are a number of reasons why a child can be become parentified—some of which are avoidable, and some of which are not; but either way,…Read more...

It’s no surprise given the season of Loki that just wrapped up, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe is really doubling down on the “multiverse” concept in advance of next year’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. For evidence, look no further than the premiere of the next MCU series on Disney Plus, an…Read more...

Want to watch YouTube videos offline on your smartphone? There are plenty of ways to do so, but it can get a bit confusing to find the right one. Even YouTube’s official download methods vary from region to region, and third-party video download methods keep changing. Here’s how to download YouTube videos on your…Read more...

Many of us have had something confiscated by the TSA at one time or another. Obviously, anything seen as a weapon is likely to be pocketed by an agent (they even took my nail clippers once), and the allowable sizes of liquids can feel pretty limiting, particularly if you’re not checking a bag. If it’s been a while…Read more...

Let’s say you just signed up for a credit card, and days later the same lender promotes a new sign-up bonus that’s better than the one you got: Can you call them up and ask if you can qualify for the new bonus instead? For the most part, the answer is no, but there are exceptions, too—so it can’t hurt to ask.Read more...

Along with all the fun in the sun and taking advantage of the extended evening daylight, summer also means sweat. Sure, sweating isn’t limited to June, July, and August, but when the temperatures climb, so too does the tendency to turn into a sweaty mess.

Instagram influencers get a lot of flak, but they also get a lot of money and opportunities in the real world—when they’re good at the job. To reach a level of goodness, you need lots of followers, but there’s more to it than that. You want brand deals? You want a nice blue checkmark? You need to keep your followers…Read more...

It’s really easy to judge other people’s relationships. In fact, we may not even realize when we’re doing it. But when you spend time with a couple, their dynamic usually becomes apparent relatively quickly, to the point where you may think you can identify their specific problems.Read more...

So, it’s time to make your first real estate investment. Whether you’re buying yourself a condo or house, or looking to flip one for profit, you’re taking a big step. We asked experts for some advice.Read more...

Even if you spend a decent amount of time, money, and effort keeping your garden, lawn, and/or other parts of your landscape looking good, you may be leaving out some of your yard’s largest residents: Trees. It can be easy to forget about trees, especially when they were already on your property when you moved in.Read more...

One day, you’re sitting in your living room watching TV or reading a book, and suddenly see something out of the corner of your eye. It was tiny, dark-colored, and fast, but you didn’t get a good look at it. You spot another one and track it across the room until you discover a whole colony of these insects living…Read more...

Regular readers of Lifehacker’s food and drink vertical, Skillet, are probably quite familiar with air fryers, and may own one themselves. As one of the must-have cooking appliances of the past few years, air fryers have been earning their places on kitchen counters thanks to their ease of use, and ability to make…Read more...

You probably remember the tastiest snack you’ve ever had, whether you grabbed it at a standard American gas station or a friend’s mom served it up when you were a teen. Most of the time, you can just go out and buy your favorite treat whenever you want. But what about when you can’t because it isn’t widely available…Read more...

Everyone has their own preferred methods for learning—whether it’s reading in silence, taking notes while listening to fast-paced classical music, or doing some serious Googling with a TV show they’ve seen a million times playing in the background.Read more...

Saying yes to forever with the love of your life is the easy part (we hope). Saying yes to the dress, however, is not as simple as television would like to make it seem. There are expectations to manage (both yours and others’), there are way more options than you ever thought possible, and there are probably some…Read more...

I am, to quote my favorite show, the tiredest I have ever been in my life. There is no real reason for it, except for the fact that I’ve been having incredibly active, involved dreams every night, which is not entirely restful. I feel dull and draggy, and not inclined to shake or stir a single drink.Read more...

The first of monthly child tax credit payments worth up to $300 per child were sent out yesterday, but what should you do if it hasn’t arrived yet? Well, delays are expected—even for direct deposits set up with the IRS—so don’t panic just yet. Here’s a look at what to expect for delays, and the steps you can take if…Read more...

Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables around. You can boil ‘em, mash ‘em, and stick ‘em in a stew, but you can also shove them into sandwiches and waffle them into new and interesting conformations. We’ve already covered mashers pretty extensively, but there’s still so much more to say. Here are 10 tasty…Read more...

Every month has a full moon, but only July can lay claim to the moon named after an animal with majestic antlers: the Buck Moon. This particular month is already a blockbuster for celestial events, with the Perseid meteor shower at its crux. But this month’s full moon provides yet another reason to keep your head…Read more...

Pendant lighting is an easy way to update your home without the hassle of an intense rewiring project. (It’s also a semi-permanent change you can make to your apartment that adds character without pissing off your landlord.) Pendant lights come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, from sconces and hanging…Read more...

As Derek Zoolander wisely put it, wetness is the essence of life. Whether you like drinking water or not, it accounts for about 60% of your body weight, and plays a pretty important role in making sure your body functions normally. But statistics aside, there are some myths about hydration that refuse to die. Some are…Read more...

If you’ve enabled automatic updates on Windows 10, you’ve probably noticed the addition of a new—and rather annoying—weather and news widget in the taskbar. It’s called “News and Interests,” which Microsoft added to Windows 10 with the version 1909 update, and it highlights everything that’s wrong with Windows 10: …Read more...

It’s full-on summertime, and the living is… kind of weird. People continue to get hurt imitating TikTok, a pop star visited the White House to get kids to take the damn vaccine already, and everyone on the internet is learning a lot about wild pigs. This is not the future I was promised by the science fiction movies…Read more...

Moving in together can be an exciting time for any couple, but it can also turn into a disaster. If you’re still in the honeymoon stage or just in a major hurry to split rent and save money, you might be willing to skip through the checklist of ways to know you’re ready for this big step. But we’re still going to list…Read more...

Most of us have worked in a company that is, to put it bluntly, full of shit. For those who have endured a number of these environments over the years, the ability to detect it is almost a sixth sense. But now there’s a useful framework for quantifying office bullshit—one to help you evaluate the types you’re dealing…Read more...

You may want to rethink your dog’s raw food diet: According to a recent study published online in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, raw dog food commercially available in Europe contains drug-resistant Enterococcus bacteria. Scientists from the University of Porto and Instituto Universitário de Ciências…Read more...

Drought season is, once again, upon us. If you’re in an effected area, you’ll need follow your state’s water restrictions—but we can (and should) all find ways to conserve water year-round. You’re probably aware of a few small measures you can take toward sustainability in your home, such as turning off the water…Read more...

All-cash offers on homes are all the rage lately, but is it as good an idea as most of us think? While they make for an attractive offer to the seller, you’ll want to consider the consequences of tying up your money into a fixed asset like a home, as you could make more money long-term by taking on a mortgage and…Read more...

If your iPhone or iPad has been running slower than normal, all it might need is a clearing the device’s browser cache for a quick performance boost. Every browser app stores a cache of website data like cookies, saved login info, images, and more. This helps pages load faster the next time you visit, and it lets you…Read more...

After we shared how to unshrink your clothes, we were asked if it was possible with pants—so, naturally, we went to find out. Adjusting your pants’ waistline is especially helpful if you’re someone like me, whose waist tends to sit right in between most factory-grade sizes. Of course, you can work with a tailor to get…Read more...

Running can be as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, but if you do a lot of running you’ll discover things about yourself and your sport that you wouldn’t have guessed at the beginning. Recently a redditor asked for a shortcut to some of that secret knowledge: “Experienced runners: what’s something you…Read more...

You can make easy money taking online surveys, but they typically don’t pay more than a few bucks an hour, way less than you’d get with a part-time job paying minimum wage. Still, as a diversion, it pays better than scrolling through Twitter, especially if you’re stuck waiting somewhere like the airport or DMV.Read more...

To our 2021 eyes, the original Space Jam was pretty modest in its ambitions: Reinvent the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters by teaming them up with fictionalized versions of real NBA stars like Michael Jordan. That, of course, was before Warner Brothers owned about 33% of everything ever conceived of by…Read more...

Vacuums suck! Or rather, problems arise when they stop sucking.Read more...

Coming from a catfish-eating family, I never had much use for salmon until I moved to the Pacific Northwest. The two fishes couldn’t be more different in texture, flavor, or styles of preparation, but finally, at nearly 35 years of age, I figured out my favorite way to make salmon, and it involves the air fryer.Read more...