Lifehacker

When I think of foods that benefit from a big ol’ knob of butter, a ribeye is not very high on that list—at least not typically. But do you know why restaurant food often tastes so much better than the food you cook at home? It has more salt and more fat—two things “steakhouse butter” is chock-full of.Read more...

Here’s a topic that generated some spirited discussion in our call for gym etiquette questions: When is it okay to tell someone they’re exercising wrong?

Roth IRAs and 529 savings plans are great for saving for college—both are taxed upfront, allowing you to withdraw the investment after it’s grown much larger due to compound interest, without getting hit with a huge IRS bill. But which one is better? Like most choices involving your portfolio, their are trade-offs to…Read more...

As parents, we have a tendency to view our child’s moods and behavior as a reflection of our parenting. When you see someone’s easy, outgoing child who is able to adapt to a sudden change in plans and you think, “Man, those parents are doing a great job.” Meanwhile, your child is quick to anger or frustration and…Read more...

Many of America’s most venerable traditions commemorate our country’s slow march away from its past. It’s a national history heavily defined by slavery, the stains of which still resonate today.

Some plants love being outdoors in the summer; others can’t handle direct sunlight. Some need watering every day, while others rarely need it. To keep up, using a tracker can help you log some basic care information so your plants can survive your busy schedule and their complicated care. Here are a few ways to do it.Read more...

Nobody likes emptying the compost bin. If you’re unlucky, something sticks to the bottom, forcing you to hover over a heap of stinky, rotting organic matter while you try to coax the contents out. But you don’t need pricey compost bags to solve this problem—regular old paper towels work just as well.

A fried pickle is a greasy, saltier, hot pickle. It’s a concept that shouldn’t work, and yet it does. Many people agree: Fried pickles taste good.Read more...

Have you ever noticed how strict websites are about PDF sizes? Whether it’s uploading a resume, submitting a school project, or sending an important file to a colleague, most of us have probably found ourselves needing to compress a PDF to meet a website’s clandestine PDF size restrictions.Read more...

I’m not much of a baker, so my favorite ways to “use up” a flat or two of berries usually involve eating them with un-whipped heavy cream or drawing out their juices with a whole bunch of sugar, then making a shrub (also known as “drinking vinegar”) from that vividly-covered syrup.Read more...

Blocked sinuses are no fun—especially during a pandemic, when every single seasonal sniffle or sinus headache results in a new round of “is it allergies, or COVID?” Methods of dealing with sinus congestion will frequently require you to take a pill (or several), some of them with side effects that can act as a pretty…Read more...

When is the last time you cleaned your lampshades? When is the last time it occurred to you that lampshades even need to be cleaned? But they do.

Some kitchen tools are indispensable, but others just float around your kitchen, never to be used again. All it takes to declutter your kitchen storage, though, is one simple process.Read more...

Camping is supposed to be about “unplugging” and “appreciating the simple things,” but it has always seemed quite complicated to me. Sleeping and eating outside are actually much more challenging than sleeping and eating inside, and that first night out in the wilderness can feel a little overwhelming, especially if…Read more...

Remember movie theaters? Remember movie theaters in summer?

Are you a little nervous about getting back out there? Do you have some lingering pandemic-induced anxiety keeping you from socializing again? Fear not, because this week we’re learning how we can start to gradually reintegrate into society with help from therapist Chamin Ajjan, Founder and Clinical Director of Chamin…Read more...

With so many celestial events lately, it might seem strange that the next space phenomenon to witness won’t be a natural occurrence, but launched into the cosmos by people. Just a few days after the alignment of the moon and mars, NASA is launching Northrop Grumman’s Minotaur 1 rocket from the space agency’s Wallops…Read more...

Little kids love to pour liquids from one container into another—but they’re not great at it. That’s because precise pouring is not a skill one can learn by watching another person do it; they have to practice it themselves to learn how to control the flow.Read more...

Everything on the internet was wild last week. There were wild pants, wild boxing matches, and criminals who act wild on YouTube, so let’s dive in. Oh, and Loki is alive again.

Summer is the time for cocktails and dinner parties, and now that we can host more gatherings again, putting your home bar in order is essential. If you’re like me, your home bar has been a vital resource during the pandemic, and the odds are good it has gotten a bit unwieldy during your 15-month social hiatus. Now…Read more...

It’d be pretty convenient if any portable air conditioning unit could slot right into your window and immediately cool down your home, but the size of the room in question is the most important aspect of your search for satisfying air conditioning. You don’t want to situate a smaller unit in front of a large,…Read more...

Most people aren’t intentionally toxic. Rather, the way we were raised, the relationships we have, or our own temperament can allow bad habits to slip into the way we parent in a way that can negatively impact our longterm relationships with our kids. That’s one of the (many) struggles that comes with this role—we…Read more...

Considering that nearly a third of borrowers cancel their credit cards because of annual fees, it makes sense to consider whether you’re getting enough value for the cost of owning a premium card. One overlooked way of maximizing that value is to understand any statement credits offered before you sign up for a new…Read more...

As more people are getting vaccinated and COVID-19 rates are declining, those who have been avoiding social situations for either pandemic or personal reasons (or both) may find themselves in situation where they’re supposed to socialize. This includes both starting and having a conversation.Read more...

As temperatures across the country continue to rise—along with the humidity and our electricity bills—our air conditioners are getting a workout. But if your home has central air, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of your unit, according to Dave Radziej from the Plumbing, Heating and Cooling…Read more...

At first glance, grilling might seem simple: Cooking food over fire? Humans have been doing that for ages. But as anyone who has ever eaten extremely dry grilled chicken or an overcooked steak knows, it also takes some skill. If that’s not a skill you currently have, you may be interested in a summer job that’ll pay…Read more...

When shopping for electronics, outerwear, watches, or building materials, you’ve probably noticed that some products are labeled “waterproof” while others are “water resistant.” While both offer better protection from water than other items, the two terms don’t mean the same thing.Read more...

People who live somewhere with ample outdoor space may have the room to spread out and make an in-ground garden—instead of being limited to planters like city-dwellers—but gardening in containers comes with some benefits of its own. In fact, if you pick the right ones (and the right plants) it can make your garden and…Read more...

Today is National Get Outdoors Day, and while we typically don’t need to be reminded to go outside, after more than a year stuck inside during a global pandemic, it’s easy to forget that’s an option. If you’re looking for a fun (and relaxing) way to spend time outdoors and have some unused vacation days, you may be…Read more...

Android 12 Beta 2 rolled out this week for all beta participants, adding a batch of new features and settings for testers to play around with. While the Android 12 beta is still only available for Pixel devices, don’t let the FOMO get to you; Android 12 is still several months away from a stable release, and this most…Read more...

Squats are one of the very best exercises for your legs, and nearly everybody who lifts heavy weights regularly does some form of squat. But perhaps you’ve heard that squats are bad for your knees, or that you need to do squats in a certain specific way to avoid injury. Let’s break down the specifics so you’ll know…Read more...

Since so much of our modern work communication relies on our inboxes, it’s incumbent upon everyone to learn how to communicate effectively through email. This is true even if you’re a chemical engineer who doesn’t know a preposition from a door handle.

If you find an unexpected letter in your mailbox this week, purportedly from the IRS and offering you thousands of dollars in cash for a child tax credit, don’t panic—it’s not a scam. In fact, you’ll want to hold onto these letters as receipts for the very-real refundable tax credit that passed as part of President…Read more...

Animals and insects are drawn to places that are warm and will keep them hidden. Unfortunately, your car ticks both of those boxes, which means at some point you may face the unwelcome discovery that some critters have taken up residence in your ride.

Stability issues are uncommon on the Nintendo Switch, but the recent 12.0.3 firmware is one of the rare instances where an update is causing a widespread bug on the console. Many users report getting error code 2123-1502 when they attempt to download or update games from the eShop, preventing them from downloading any…Read more...

The first time I stood on a skateboard, I was in high school. I was transferred from an all-Black school in Detroit to a predominately White one, and learning to navigate a new cultural landscape—hacky sack, field hockey, acoustic guitars—led me to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 and, later, a group of kids playing…Read more...

You may already have started celebrating Pride month as a family, whether by talking to your kids about what it means to identify as LGBTQ, seeking out local events, or leaning in on the rainbow crafts and baked goods. But if your child identifies as LGBTQ, you may be wondering what else you can or should be doing to…Read more...

If you’re like me, you relentlessly charge your devices even if doing so might be hurting the battery over the long-term. “This is the way,” I think to myself as I look over at the AirPods Pro charging case that I’ve left plugged in for the last three weeks.

Concerns about germs have shaped the last year and a half of our lives thanks to one germ in particular: the virus that causes COVID-19. But the billions of other bacteria, viruses, and microbes that surround us haven’t exactly ceased to exist. What do we really need to be afraid of? And how can we protect ourselves…Read more...

The 2016 episode of Adam Ruins Everything, “Adam Ruins Hollywood,” makes a bold but accurate claim: “Movie ratings are totally pointless.”

Sometimes, when an emotionally manipulative person seeks to cause drama, you might want to offer a response commensurate with their behavior. Except, you should really consider doing the opposite: Namely, acting like there’s nothing you can offer in terms of engagement, and remain as placid as a lake on a wind-free…Read more...

For some, the lawn is like a living welcome mat, inviting people into their home. They may be ill-suited to the climate in many areas (and an ecological disaster), but there’s no denying lawns have a certain visual appeal—and grass is pretty fun to roll around in.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Prix Fixed, Lifehacker’s menu-planning advice column.Read more...