Lifehacker

When Lisa* met Adam* in graduate school, she thought she’d hit the dating jackpot. “He was very wealthy, very charismatic, and at first he was very charming,” she says. “He was constantly showering me with gifts, fancy dinners, and romanic nights out. He was playing by this 1950s courtship rulebook.” But over time,…Read more...

This week, Senate Republicans introduced the HEALS Act, the party’s next stimulus relief bill. While the $1 trillion plan calls for unemployment insurance, direct payments, forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and more—there’s not much in it for student loan borrowers. As CNBC reports, the HEALS Act…Read more...

Between the decimation of normal life in the spring and this long, boring-ass summer we’re all wading through, one thing parents may have become extra lax on is a consistent bedtime. Some days I decide enough is enough (for now) and my son needs to go to bed at a decent hour but mostly I’m just like, “What does…Read more...

A pair of Sony WH-XB900N noise-canceling headphones, a discount on 2 years of VyprVPN, a $100 Xbox gift card for $90, a Tom Nook case for Nintendo Switch, a cheap set of antimicrobial keychain tools, free shipping at the Disney Store, an Under Armour Gold Box and a BOGO sale at Fenty Beauty lead Wednesday’s best…Read more...

I stumbled across a service called Vicariously today, which allows you to create new Twitter lists based on who other Twitter users are following. It’s a simple and automatic way to build lists of interesting accounts that saves you a ton of time over the manual method—and lists greatly improve your experience over…Read more...

I honestly have a hard time trusting people who claim to not like breakfast cereal. It’s one of those foods that has been engineered to get people to eat it—it’s basically kibble for people!—and those who insist they are unaffected by flavor science are very suspicious to me indeed.Read more...

It’s National Chicken Wing Day—time to celebrate the American tradition of taking previously discarded parts of a chicken, deep frying them, covering them in butter and hot sauce and then selling them at a high markup. Well, technically, those are buffalo wings (which originated at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York…Read more...

Four of the most powerful tech industry CEOs will testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, July 29 to determine whether their companies engaged in anti-competitive business strategies against smaller, rival companies. The hearing will be streamed live via YouTube for anyone to watch.Read more...

Election Day is November 3 this year, and it’s less than 100 days away. From the ongoing pandemic to the political firestorm over vote-by-mail, there are plenty of reasons to be apprehensive about what’s to come, but there are a few things you can do to help put your mind at ease. In addition to checking that you’re…Read more...

One of the best parts of buying a Chromebook is perusing all the deals Google dumps on top of your purchase. (You do know about the deals, right?) Admittedly, a number of these “perks” are actually extended or souped-up trial offers aiming to get you hooked into a subscription you might not otherwise have purchased,…Read more...

As I read the many pages of our district’s return-to-school plans, I only had two questions in mind: How will you know if somebody has the coronavirus? and Assuming that the virus makes it into the school, because it will, how will you make sure that it doesn’t get transmitted to anybody else? The plan did not answer…Read more...

Despite being told for months that the novel coronavirus is unlike anything we’ve dealt with in modern times, it’s still tempting for us to think of it in terms of influenza. (Even though they’re definitely not the same thing.) This makes sense because we’re familiar with the flu, and with flu season, and they seem to…Read more...

Heating the inside of my home while it is very hot outside of it is not something I enjoy. During a heat wave, even the act of eating hot food can feel like a punishment. That is why it’s helpful to have an arsenal of no-cook meals at the ready.Read more...

Spotify is available on almost every popular device we can think of. Each app does virtually the same thing whether you’re listening on a smartphone, computer, or through a smart tv app, but there was an odd limitation for desktop users: You couldn’t cast Spotify to a “Google Cast” device like a Chomecast or a Google…Read more...

Yesterday afternoon, Senate Republicans unveiled the HEALS Act, their latest response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As expected, the HEALS Act includes a provision for another round of $1,200 direct payments—similar to what the CARES Act offered. While the second stimulus check is a welcome relief, millions of…Read more...

The coronavirus has gifted us many tragedies and inconveniences both large and small this year, and among the latest is one that most of us probably wouldn’t have predicted a few months ago—a nationwide coin shortage.Read more...

There’s a viral video out there—removed from many platforms, but there’s a good chance you’ll see it soon if you haven’t already—in which a doctor standing in front of the Supreme Court steps claims that “you don’t need masks” because “there is a cure” for the coronavirus. It’s wrong and dangerous.Read more...

Monarch butterflies are in danger—so much so that they may soon be officially endangered. Due to deforestation, climate change and associated habitat loss, monarch populations are in sharp decline, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide whether to add the monarch to the endangered species list…Read more...

You probably already know that wrapping beautiful little wedges of cheese in clingy plastic wrap is a bad thing to do. Cheese is a treat that demands—and deserves—a little respect, a little care, a little (moist, but not damp) room of its own. Cheese needs space, damn it. And a children’s segmented lunch container…Read more...

When you think of what it costs to get fast delivery through Amazon Prime, you probably think of the annual membership fee of $119—and that might be just too high for you, especially if your renewal is coming up but you’ve recently experienced a pandemic-related layoff. On the other hand, with coronavirus cases surgingRead more...

Don’t overthink it. In the age of modern smartphones, there are not many reasons to completely turn your phone off. In the video above, I explain the few instances where restarting your phone can be helpful and why you shouldn’t worry about doing it regularly.Read more...

With the unemployment rate lingering in the double digits, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates 26.8 million people could soon become uninsured if they don’t sign up for other health coverage. If you are one of the millions of Americans who have experienced job loss during the pandemic, you may be facing a tough …Read more...

As much as one might like to, one cannot keep track of every stat of the nearly 900 Pokémon currently in existence. Sometimes you need to look up a quick stat, and sometimes you want to immerse yourself in a pile of abilities and weaknesses. Either way, every Pokémon fan must have quick and easy access to a Pokédex.Read more...

Yes, Telegram. You probably know it as a chat app some use in place of—or to supplement—standard iOS or Android messaging apps. I’m a geek, and I don’t really use anything but the typical ones, but there’s at least one other great reason to try Telegram out: It provides you with free, unlimited storage for all of…Read more...

As temperatures continue to rise, our need for cold and refreshing consumables intensifies. Though you may be accustomed to consuming molasses in baked goods like gingerbread, the dark, flavorful sweetener can be used to make delicious summer treats.

Barbecue Essentials Bundle | $70 | The Spice HouseRead more...

Many of us—maybe especially lately—have experienced a heart-racing feeling of anxiety that causes us to sweat, tremble and perhaps even breathe harder. But it turns out our instinct to pant when we’re stressed has an adverse effect.Read more...

If your Nest Thermostat is (or has been) unable to connect to wifi, Google will send you a replacement for free.

There is a very good chance our kids will spend at least part (or most, or all) of their week learning virtually from home after the school year starts back up this fall. And although we managed to make it through the spring with makeshift learning spaces where they completed their sporadic assignments and took part…Read more...

If you live your life across multiple services and computers—for example, using Google’s suite of digital tools alongside Apple’s various iCloud-based offerings—the best thing you can do for yourself is to mash all your worlds together. To carry this example forward, you’ll then be able to see your iCloud calendar(s)…Read more...

As more folks stay home, streaming services like Netflix have become more popular than ever. While Netflix offers plenty of binge-worthy television shows and movies, it may also provide another new benefit: The ability to increase your credit score. Starting today, you can add your Netflix payment history to your …Read more...

This week we’re learning how to breathe better—and about how doing so can vastly improve our overall health—with help from journalist James Nestor. James is the author of the new book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, which covers the extensive research on the many ways in which we sometimes struggle to…Read more...

This weekend, my boyfriend and I made crab sauce—a red sauce full of delicious crab. There were huge pieces of Dungeness meat, yes, but the true hero of the sauce were the crab shells, which we mashed and simmered with onion and fennel to make an intensely crabby base.Read more...

Like it or not, Amazon Prime has become a major lifeline for many during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing them to get food and supplies delivered quickly to their home. And while free two-day delivery is probably the most popular feature of the service, if you’re only using your account for ordering stuff, you’re…Read more...

When my city first started to close up back in March, I went to the restaurant supply store and loaded up on pasta, canned tomatoes, eggs, onions, several non-perishable staples and lots of hot sauce. I thought we were looking at a month or so of staying inside and I fully planned to avoid the grocery store the entire…Read more...

We’ve been on quite the home improvement kick, as tends to happen when you’ve been stuck inside for months. Last week we explored whether you can clean an oven with a lemon (spoiler: you cannot), but today we’re cleaning the science oven, aka the microwave! Will a lemon do the trick this time?Read more...

Every parent of a child with a dearly beloved “lovey” lives in fear. Lovies—a favorite blanket, stuffed animal or other soft toy—tend to go everywhere their toddling owner goes. Which means they have a way of getting lost in the most inconvenient of places, such as the gas station you stopped at during your road trip,…Read more...

One of my favorite tiny features from Apple’s upcoming iOS 14 operating system is a big one for privacy and security—a rare two-fer. Whenever an app accesses your camera or microphone, you’ll see a tiny colored dot in the upper-right corner of your display, right above your bars indicating the signal strength for your…Read more...

An Amazon Echo Dot bundle, a discount on Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo 5: Guardians, a markdown on Star Wars- and Marvel-themed Funko Pop subscription boxes, and a sitewide sale at bareMinerals lead Monday’s best deals.Read more...

There’s no doubt about it—the lengthy pandemic has put a strain on marriages. While some folks are grappling with job loss and making ends meet, others are trying to juggle the demands of working from home, childcare, and homeschooling—often in tight quarters. For unsteady couples, the shutdowns may be making tensions…Read more...

We could all use a little more mindfulness right now, but learning how to start meditating regularly can be intimidating, especially for kids. But adding mindfulness to their daily routine doesn’t have to be about sitting down for 10 or 15 minutes at a time and trying to empty their mind of all thoughts; it can be…Read more...

This week’s most significant new additions to Netflix give you a choice between diving into the tumultuous past and staring headlong into the present. It’s hard to say which offers the more upsetting vision of the world. Just kidding, it’s the latter option.

A great deal on a year of PlayStation Plus, a low-price Insignia Fire TV, 3 for $100 chinos, monster energy drinks, and more are some of Sunday’s best deals.

Between the recent rare comet and 4th of July penumbral eclipse, it’s been a great few weeks for astronomy. But there’s even more to see in the night sky, coming in the form of a 42-day meteor shower. While it started on July 12, the meteor shower will be most visible this week on July 28 and 29, and will last until…Read more...

One of the strangest parts about lockdown has been the lack of interaction with your town or neighborhood. Regardless of whether you live in Manhattan or rural Ohio, when you’re really only staying in, our homes turn into our entire world. Maybe you’ve even started to daydream about creating your ideal town, with…Read more...

Back in March, when so many people were confident the world would be back up and running by Memorial Day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made the decision to postpone the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. While this was probably devastating to the thousands of athletes around the world who were training for…Read more...

A refurbished Ninja Blender for $50, a discount on The Witcher 3: Complete Edition, RWBY manga, The Hateful Eight on Blu-Ray and digital, and more are only some of Saturday’s best deals.

In the midst of “cancel culture” and living in an extremely politically polarized society, it’s not uncommon to receive feedback from other people. In fact, even the term “feedback” feels euphemistic, given that so many exchanges now—whether on social media or in person—can be heated (to put it mildly). And though it…Read more...

It’s apparently the “summer of the road trip,” because that’s our only travel option. And for a lot of people, this means driving somewhere (likely remote) and renting a house or apartment from Airbnb, VRBO or another home-share app. Ideally, you’d be traveling with the people in your “quarantine bubble,” but given…Read more...

Aside from being incredibly frustrated that our modern society has essentially been brought down by a virus, people have plenty of other reasons to be angry right now. Whether it’s because they feel as though their personal liberty is under threat thanks to face mask requirements, or they can’t wrap their head around…Read more...