Lifehacker

Friday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

I expected the pandemic to have many surprising ramifications, but one thing I could not have predicted was for my booze tolerance to plummet. It turns out I really am a social drinker and, without a bar to hang out in, a previously standard three-cocktail evening absolutely wrecks me in a way I haven’t experienced…Read more...

As 2020 draws to a close, I’d like to encourage us all to look back at whatever fitness successes we’ve had. If you kept up with any training at all, that’s a victory. If you took time off because that’s what best supported your mental health, that’s a victory too.Read more...

As we approach the biggest gift-giving time of year, kids are bound to experience the anticipatory excitement this month brings, the thrill of tearing into all that paper and, yes, even a bit of disappointment. (“Socks?? I don’t want socks!”)Read more...

A longstanding rumor among those who suffer from fungus-ridden feet contends that over-the-counter Vicks VapoRub has a hidden podiatric power: it allegedly cures toenail fungus.

A mysterious bug built into an updated version of Android’s Carrier Services app has messed with Android users’ ability to send and receive text messages. If you feel like you’ve been struggling with your texting for around a week and a half or so, you’re in luck: Google has identified the issue and is rolling out a…Read more...

Top Product: Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard | $67 | AmazonRead more...

As I sat down to write out this year’s holiday cards, I was immediately faced with a roadblock: I was writing them in 2020. After the year we’ve had, how are you supposed to pen a cheery holiday missive, drop it in a red envelope, affix a seasonally appropriate stamp, and stick it in the mail?Read more...

Starting Monday, McDonald’s is offering free food each day until Christmas—menu items like Big Macs, six-piece McNuggets, Egg McMuffins and medium fries will be free as long as you spend at least $1 and make the order through their app. This isn’t a free lunch, but it’s pretty close.Read more...

As COVID-19 cases spike across the country, inundating hospital systems and prompting new restrictions on economic activity in some states, it’s important to keep a key distinction in mind, at least when it comes to your own place in the tangled pandemic mess: the difference between infection and exposure.

The FDA’s vaccine advisory panel spent all of yesterday discussing the results of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID vaccine studies. At the end of the day, they voted “yes” to the question of whether the available science suggests the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks. The FDA is expected to move quickly to grant…Read more...

As some of you may recall, I started this chili journey to find a chili recipe—or at least a style—that spoke to me. I didn’t grow up with a strong chili identity, so sampling the recipes of those who did seemed like the best way to form opinions about the highly regional dish. I’ve eaten a Texan style all-meat chili,…Read more...

Do you remember when a snow day would feel like such an inconvenience? HowEVER will I work with these children underfoot all DAY, you moaned to yourself. Imagine if someone had told us way back in 2019 that it could be worse—you could have what amounted to a year’s worth of snow days, made all the worse by a little…Read more...

Arlo Pro 2 Security System (Four Pack) | $250 | NeweggRead more...

It might use the same technological architecture, but the internet of kids is a totally different place than the adult internet. Instead of infuriating political news, weight-loss apps, and Zoom meetings you have to go to even though the whole thing could have been taken care of with an email, the kidernet has weird…Read more...

After months in beta, Minecraft with ray tracing is now available for Windows 10 players. It’s the biggest visual upgrade Minecraft has received in its nine-year lifespan, adding realistic lighting behavior to the game’s blocky, malleable worlds. You’ll need to meet high hardware requirements to experience the effect…Read more...

Hospitals have faced growing numbers of inpatient care since the start of the pandemic, and as spikes continue across the country, available beds are again becoming scarce. But as the pandemic is spreading at different rates across the country, how can you know if your local hospital in particular is overwhelmed? An…Read more...

I love isometric RPGs. I grew up on Baldur’s Gate, I believe Planescape: Torment is the second-best video game ever made, and I’ve sunk more than 35 hours into beating everything I possibly could in Obsidian Entertainment’s Tyranny, whose evil-centric story I absolutely devoured.

The dreaded cover letter might seem like an antiquated formality, but 87% percent of hiring professionals say they do read cover letters, according to a survey by ResumeGo. To increase your chances of getting hired, your cover letter should include the following items.Read more...

In almost every sci-fi movie about a pandemic, there’s some trinket to differentiate the immune from the potentially infected. In 2011’s Contagion, the vaccinated received bar-coded wristbands; in the extremely triggering trailer for the forthcoming Michael Bay produced movie Songbird (a movie that asks “what if COVID…Read more...

If you have recently purchased an immersion circulator—or are looking to—deciding what to cook first with your new toy can be a little overwhelming. Luckily, we do a fair amount of sous vide-ing around these parts and have a pretty good handle on what will sous vide and what won’t.

Thursday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

This morning I received a message from my friend Amanda. Amanda is very good at food. I don’t just say this because she has written for Skillet—I have eaten multiple meals at her home, ranging from intimate fondue-fueled dinner parties to full-blown Passover Seders with over 30 people in attendance.

One of the things I have enjoyed as the parent of an elementary student is watching how my son’s spelling has evolved over the years. When he’d bring classwork home as a kindergartener and first grader, it could be a bit of a puzzle to decipher his writing. The letters themselves were clear (he’s always been blessed…Read more...

After eight years, multiple delays, and 800,000 cumulative lifetimes’ worth of reported crunch, Cyberpunk 2077 is out in the wild. It’s a whole lot of game, brimming with gear, side-quests, and map icons that make you compulsively go, “Ooh, what’s that?” As with any massive game, there’s also an overwhelming amount of…Read more...

I barely made it past Cyberpunk 2077's character-creation prompts last night—the joys of having a busy evening on the release date of a major open-world title. The game looks pretty AF so far, and I’m pleased I haven’t encountered any glitches in my few minutes within Night City thus far. However, I’m most excited to…Read more...

The lifespan of the television show is dwindling. The rise of original programming from streaming services has shifted the TV landscape, making room for more shows with fewer episodes per season, and larger content-driven platforms like Netflix can quickly move on to the next thing before we, the TV-loving public, are…Read more...

People love to bury vegetables in cheese. And why wouldn’t they? It makes them taste better, and is the only thing that can turn previously frozen, wet spinach and bland, canned artichokes into a dip that gets veritably inhaled at holiday gatherings. People don’t shove it into their mouths because they love previously-…Read more...

Many businesses that provide eye exams are hoping to sell you eyeglasses, but you have the right to shop around. The Federal Trade Commission has a rule that states you are entitled to a copy of your glasses prescription, and they’re cracking down on prescribers that refuse.Read more...

Despite the early sunsets and the blistering winter cold, our friend the sun is still hard at work and brimming with activity that can brighten up your dreary nights. The heavenly body, sensing we are feeling low down here on Earth, even released a very large geomagnetic storm that has added to the jam-packed schedule…Read more...

Tonight is this year’s Game Awards, the video game industry’s annual year-end ceremony highlighting the best games and esports titles of the past 12 months. As always, the event is hosted by Geoff Keighley, but this year’s event is foregoing the usual live theater venue and opting for a smaller, virtual setting due…Read more...

It seems like you just installed the latest OS version, and then they release a new one. With the update comes new designs, tools, and a nature-related background photo. There are also, of course, cool new features. If you just updated to macOS Big Sur, here are the best new features to play with.Read more...

The Apple passion is strong. There was once a time when I, too, would clamor for many of the items the company makes—even going so far as to camp out for hours in line for a brand-new iPhone. Say what you will about Apple’s just-announced luxury AirPods Max, but there’s one indisputable fact about the new $550 (!)…Read more...

An Asus ROG gaming laptop and pre-lit Christmas tree lead Thursday’s best deals.

Disney has struggled during quarantine, forced to forgo substantial theatrical returns for probable hits like Mulan and Soul in favor of streaming, delay the next phase of the Marvel moneymaking machine until 2021 at the earliest, and shutter or severely curtail business at its parks (laying off tens of thousands of…Read more...

Ideally, you’ll ever be in a situation where you’re forced to physically defend yourself, but if that day ever comes you’re better off being prepared—especially when it comes to how to throw a punch. Sure, you’ve seen punches thrown on TV plenty of times, but do you actually know how to throw one correctly?

President-elect Joe Biden is walking into the White House with the task of steering the United States away from a pandemic that’s killed nearly 290,000 Americans in nine months. As he awaits inauguration, COVID-19 is surging nationally; hospitalizations are inching past their previous highs; unemployment is also at a…Read more...

Nike LeBron 18 | $200 | NikeRead more...

The growing popularity of Fetch Rewards—often listed on newer best grocery rewards apps lists next to other long-standing, popular apps like Ibotta—might make you wonder if it’s worth downloading. Here’s a look at what it offers.

Music and Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) recordings can calm your nerves and promote productivity, which is as good a reason as any to listen to a bunch of them while you’re working. And some studies have suggested that videos with soft sound and slow movements are “widely reported to be accompanied by…Read more...

Last month, Google announced End-to-End encryption (E2EE) would soon be available for RCS messages in its Google Messages app on Android. According to numerous reports, the feature is already rolling out to Google Messages beta testers, which means it’ll probably show up in the regular version of the app soon.

One of the best things you can do for your brand-new gaming console—assuming you were lucky enough to get your hands on one of these hard-to-get devices—is keep it up-to-date as much as possible. This process isn’t hard to accomplish at all on your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S/X, but it’s something you’ll want to…Read more...

Although the pandemic has sought to affect as many aspects of our lives as possible, we’ve also gotten pretty good at finding virtual workarounds for all the things we are missing out on—including, now, visits with Santa.Read more...

Until yesterday, I had cooked exactly one (1) gigantic brisket in my life. It was for a Hanukkah dinner party my then-husband and I threw, and it was, if I remember correctly, pretty excellent. Unfortunately, aside from a very big cut of cow, I don’t remember any of the ingredients I used (and the blog I wrote about…Read more...

With direct payments back on the table in the latest relief bill negotiations, it’s possible that Americans will see cash payments early in 2021. However, millions of these payments would be sent in the form of an EIP debit card, which, as we saw in June, confused many people, some of whom threw the cards away. Here’s…Read more...

The 2020/2021 NBA season is slated to begin later this month, just 71 days after the last season ended. That’s not only the shortest offseason in NBA history, it is also the shortest offseason ever across much of pro sports, including the NFL, NHL and MLB, as ESPN reported in November. The 2019/2020 NBA season was an…Read more...

Cast iron radiators have been around since the 1860s, using steam to heat the accordion-shaped coils and keep rooms warm during the winter. A central boiler heats water, creating steam that rises through the pipes and into the radiators, and the tightly folded coils retain heat for longer, staying hot even once the…Read more...

When I left Houston and moved to Los Angeles, the newness was awesome. There was the dry, cool breeze, fun comedy shows, and the food was stellar. After a while though, the novelty wore off. I started to feel resentful, cynical, and mostly, homesick.

Some of us keep absolutely nothing in our cars’ trunks, while others have enough packed in there that they could live in their car for weeks. Somewhere in between is this list of 30 things we think every car owner should always have on hand.

Holiday Survival Kit | $53 | Cornbread Hemp | Promo code KINJA50