Lifehacker

A quirk of Mozilla’s Firefox browser is that it lets you join a Zoom call via the web, no separate app downloaded needed, but you can’t say anything on the call. Or at least, you couldn’t before the latest update.Read more...

Forget trying to find the perfect desktop wallpaper. Now that everyone’s using Zoom—or one of the many Zoom alternatives—it’s all about picking the right virtual background. Swapping in one of Zoom’s built-in backgrounds might’ve elicited a chuckle back when teleconferencing was a new thing, but now that we’re all…Read more...

50% off X-Sense Smoke Alarms | $9-$34 | X-Sense | Use promo code XSSD2L0AXRead more...

To help slow the seemingly endless spread of COVID-19-related misinformation on social media, the Poynter International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) launched a chatbot on WhatsApp to help you sniff out coronavirus-related hoaxes. The bot cross-references questions sent by users with a database of information collected…Read more...

Allow me, if you will, a moment of culinary pettiness. Though I am almost always a champion of cooking what you like, what you have, and whatever’s easiest, I am extremely tired of seeing cacio e pepe pushed on people over and over again by food media. (If you are in the habit of reading tons of food sites, you may…Read more...

Some things are just unknown. And these days, that’s a lot of things. From the moment the coronavirus emerged as a threat, there have been far more unanswered questions than answered ones. When a virus is only five months old, how much can you possibly know?Read more...

We’re going to start traveling again one of these days, and as exciting as that is, it also carries with it plenty of risk. Take the risk of losing your wallet, for instance. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been in a Hudson News or Starbucks, put my wallet down and walked away—until one fateful trip where I…Read more...

Life during a pandemic doesn’t give us much to look forward to—especially since we don’t really have any idea when it’s ever going to end. But one of the rare positive side effects of our new quarantine lifestyle is our newfound virtual access to various national parks, museums and historical destinations. We’re…Read more...

I don’t know about you, but social distancing guidelines have changed how I play games. I’m lucky—or unlucky, depending on the day—to live with three other people. On one hand, I’ve been able to play a lot more couch co-op (like, a lot more). On the other, well, I’ve been able to play a lot more couch co-op. Over…Read more...

A preliminary scientific paper on covid-19—detailed by the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday—is sure to unnerve people. It argues that the world is now dealing with a mutated, more contagious form of the coronavirus that causes covid-19 than the version that originated in China. But scientists we spoke with are skeptical…Read more...

Happy Tuesday! If you’re on the hunt for something to watch tonight, per the usual, we’ve got you covered with a ton of different options.

Regardless of whether you live in a major city, a spacious suburb or a rural area, your day-to-day world has likely shrunk significantly thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most people are no longer commuting to jobs, doing school drop-offs or meeting friends at their favorite bar or restaurant. Our lives now center on…Read more...

In a time when our fitness options are limited, don’t discount the benefits of walking. Walking is free. Walking doesn’t require any fancy equipment or specialized knowledge. Walking is the most basic of motions, one of the first things we learn to do when we are young.Read more...

In addition to the loss of a normal social life, the disruption of academic routines and the cancellation of end-of-school-year celebrations, many high school juniors and seniors (and even some sophomores) are now grappling with preparing at home to take challenging Advanced Placement tests. While taking AP classes is…Read more...

Giving Tuesday, a day on which people are invited to make charitable contributions to organizations they support and value, usually takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday).Read more...

Asian giant hornets have probably been living in the Pacific Northwest for at least eight months now, but not until the New York Times called them “murder hornets” did we think to panic. It’s true that they’re dangerous to people and to beehives, but there’s still time to stop them from becoming established in North…Read more...

’Tis the season for refunds. If you bought tickets for travel or events taking place this year, there’s a good chance you’re getting back at least some of the money you spent.

I am not above eating a frozen anything, much less a frozen pizza, but I cannot help but make modifications. Even the best frozen pizza can benefit from a few tweaks or finishing touches. (This does not apply to Totino’s Party Pizza, which is its own unique, some would say “perfect,” product.)Read more...

If you’re fortunate enough to have an older person in your life—whether it’s a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or even a family friend—know that you basically have access to a living part of history. As a child, you may not have been interested in hearing their stories from the past, but as an adult, it’s much easier…Read more...

I don’t think it’s possible to cheat in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Or, rather, I don’t feel any guilt whatsoever about taking advantage of the game’s quirks to outfit your single-player island however you want. From time-traveling to Turnip Exchanges, there are plenty of methods you can use to circumvent the…Read more...

Remember when this all started and you were going to write the next King Lear? Well, you haven’t. But it’s not too late to get started.Read more...

Kids on the screens a lot these days? Staying up later? Sleeping in more? Wearing pajamas all day and all night? Hello and welcome to Pandemic Parenting, the gameshow where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.Read more...

These days of all teleconferencing, all the time have prompted many a post filled with different techniques you can use to turn an old Android smartphone or iPhone into a webcam. Far be it from me to crap on a good hack, but, well, I don’t think most people need to fuss with a special app in order to webcam-ify a…Read more...

4-Pack: Dancing Flame Tiki Torches | $39 | MorningSaveRead more...

Mac users who like to multitask: there’s a keyboard shortcut to turn on text dictation so you can talk instead of type.Read more...

USB 4—or USB4, as it’s officially branded—is on the tech horizon, and like WiFi 6E or mobile 5G, you probably have plenty of questions about what the new USB standard means for your many devices. So, let’s take a quick look at everything we know about the upcoming USB4.Read more...

Frequent flyer programs offer a multitude of perks including priority boarding, upgrades, lounge access, and more. But even the most well-traveled sometimes don’t realize that the perks of these programs aren’t just for adults—children are also eligible to accrue frequent flyer points.Read more...

Among the perks of travel rewards credit cards are policies offering credits that can wipe out eligible charges from your statement. It’s like getting stuff for free! But right now, some credit cardholders are finding that their American Express credits are being taken back.

Burner emails are the best invention since Hotmail. And permanent burner emails—fake addresses you give out when signing up for services that forward to your actual email address—are even better, because they give you a little spigot for turning off a large chunk of spam and other marketing bullshit in your inbox.Read more...

Having “no plans” used to feel luxurious—hedonistic, even—but “things” have shifted, and the lack of structure in our days is starting (or continuing) to feel a little bit oppressive, or at least extremely dull. In short, it sort of feels like there is nothing to look forward to, and this can bleed into our…Read more...

As we reach the seventh or eighth or ninth week of whatever the hell this is we’re going through, we are all in much different places than where we started (even as we all stay forever in the same place). On the one hand, physical distancing has gotten a bit easier to practice with familiarity: Most of us are taking…Read more...

The “classic” COVID-19 symptoms—those first reported months ago, back when the average American was familiar with the disease only via a few scattered news reports—are fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. Since then, we’ve learned more about COVID-19, and the CDC has expanded the list of official symptoms…Read more...

Congratulations, you’ve officially made it to another week!

Like everything else right now, Mother’s Day might not look quite the same way it usually does this year. There will be no get-togethers with extended family, no brunch at your favorite local restaurant, no relaxing massages or pedicures. There is likely more stress than usual, either from financial or work strain or,…Read more...

If you’ve gotten to the stage of quarantine where you’ve watched every episode and season of “Law and Order,” “CSI” and “NCIS,” you may be looking for your next courtroom drama fix. Well, look no further than the highest court in the land: Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time in history, U.S. Supreme…Read more...

The world now runs on video chat and telecommuting apps, but as we’ve come to discover over the last few weeks, they can be a security risk. Recent reports of “Zoombombing” and account stuffing have raised concerns over several difference video chat apps, but it’s not just hackers and trolls you have to worry about: Y…Read more...

Soon you’ll need to wear a face covering if you want to ride in an Uber.

In the event that your pet needs medical care, what do you do? As with so many other aspects of life during a pandemic, getting veterinary care for your pet is a rapidly changing situation, one for which vets across the country have adapted.Read more...

If you’ve been working from home during the shutdown, the past eight weeks have probably felt twice as busy and stressful as usual. After all, you’ve had the difficult task of staying productive while learning new tools, figuring out how to communicate with remote coworkers, trying to balance productivity and…Read more...

This week’s Eta Aquarid meteor shower is the last good one before July, according to the American Meteor Society, so try to catch it if you can.Read more...

If you have a frothing wand or—even better—an elaborate espresso machine that comes with a steam wand, you are probably already enjoying hot beverages topped with luxurious milky foam every morning. But if you are like me, and are used to getting fancy coffee beverages from your local coffee shops, you probably don’t…Read more...

When the coronavirus pandemic headed for the U.S., credit card issuers responded by promoting their customer assistance programs that can delay your payments or offer other adjustments during this confusing time.

Comedian and author Samantha Irby joins us this week on The Upgrade to talk about how to make yourself comfortable with self-quarantine. This includes finding the right TV shows to binge-watch (she has a recommendation or two), the right books to escape with, and the right foods to cook while you huddle up at home. Sam…Read more...

Google’s photo platform is superior to Facebook’s. Even though it’s just as free to use—with a few limitations—it’s infinitely better for organizing your photos and finding specific shots by name, time, date, or the people within them. Besides, decoupling your photos from your social media account allows you to take a…Read more...

NutriBullet 1200W Blender | $80 | AmazonRead more...

After last week’s influx of new content, this week is a light one when it comes to new Netflix content. That said, you will have a few new options this week.

If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, one perk you might not realize is that you can score free games each month from Twitch Prime.

Chances are good you don’t have any immediate plans right now to go on an international trip. However, if you were trying to enroll in Global Entry earlier this year, you’re going to have to wait until at least June to finish the process.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 was supposed to be in the middle of a live tour right now. Since the pandemic has postponed that, along with pretty much everything else, for the time being, the creators have decided to take things online.

While NASCAR, like all other sports, is on hold right now, Sunday you have the opportunity to watch a virtual race, where professional stock car racers hop into simulators rather than actual cars to compete.