Lifehacker

Apologies to the crew up in Redmond, but I usually associate “disasters after upgrading to a new version of an operating system” with Microsoft’s giant feature releases for Windows 10. However, it’s Apple’s turn to enjoy some embarrassment this week: According to numerous reports, upgrading to macOS Big Sur allegedly …Read more...

When it comes to humans, Dolly Parton is in a category of her own. Throughout her career spanning more than five decades, she has managed to amass an unusually diverse and devoted fan base. (This is the subject of the excellent podcast Dolly Parton’s America, in case you’re looking for a deep dive into her life and…Read more...

When the pandemic first began, we canceled our spring travel plans and looked forward to summer. Travel restrictions didn’t ease up that much over the summer, and now holiday travel is (or at least should be) off the table.

Motorola Razr 5G (Unlocked) | $1000 | AmazonRead more...

After decades of space travel—and a 24-hour delay—NASA is flying commercial. Later today, NASA is set to launch its first operational commercial crew mission with SpaceX, known as “Crew-1,” from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, traveling to the International Space Station. Here’s how to watch.Read more...

If you’re someone who, like myself, enjoys the light, reassuring pressure of a weighted blanket, you may notice that yours is looking a little dingy right now. That’s completely understandable. This year—especially the past few months—has been unbelievably stressful.Read more...

Do you currently live in an expensive city and have been working entirely remotely for months? Have you cringed as you paid your rent, knowing that there’s technically no work-related reason to be in that location? If you’ve experienced these thoughts lately (or even before the pandemic), there’s an offer you may want…Read more...

There comes a time in many elementary school students’ academic careers when they ask their parents to drive them to the local craft store and purchase several styrofoam spheres of varying sizes. The real magic begins back at home, where, thanks to some paint and other materials, the styrofoam balls are transformed…Read more...

The holidays are usually a time to gather family, revisit hometown pleasures, and celebrate friendsgiving. But this year, coronavirus is the guest we didn’t plan for and definitely don’t want to invite into our homes. There are a myriad of reasons why large family gatherings shouldn’t happen this year and why …Read more...

Alexa’s Care Hub is now live, giving elderly and special-needs users better access to their family members and caregivers via Echo devices. With Care Hub, these users can ask Alexa for help directly—which will trigger the device to notify connected family members—or their family members can use it to virtually check…Read more...

For those of us who are conflict-averse, situations involving harassment or discrimination may feel easier to avoid or ignore in hopes that the threat will go away or someone else will intervene. But whether it’s casual racism or micro-aggressions within your friend group, street harassment toward a stranger, or…Read more...

I remember the first time I saw kettlebells in a commercial gym. I’ve heard of these, I thought, and decided to try some swings. I picked up one of the bells and faced the mirror—wait, no, I didn’t want to drop it and shatter the mirror. So I turned to my left, and realized if I lost my grip it would fly toward the…Read more...

If you’re not a prolific weed-smoker who consistently burns through mountains of pot to satiate your craving, there’s a good chance you’d like to save your stash for later.

Friday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

I did not plan to make this drink today. I planned to make a drink that featured a lot of Campari, because I love Campari. But sadly, I am out of Campari. The liquor store is not far, but it is very cold out, and the ever-rising number of COVID cases in my city does not make the idea of venturing out any more enticing.Read more...

A friend of mine recently asked if their plan to move from AT&T DSL to a cable internet provider was a good one. As one who made that same leap many years ago, I felt like shipping them a celebration beer. For me, the transition was a joy akin to what I’d imagine the Mandalorian feels after getting the hyperdrive to…Read more...

My husband is on a roll this week. First, he dominated the lingering smell of our dog’s vomit escapades with this coffee grounds hack. Then, after eight fall seasons of living in this house, he finally figured out how to transport the leaves that cover the entire surface of our backyard to the street—by using a giant…Read more...

Background tunes make Twitch streams more immersive and fun, but the platform has seen an increase in Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) infringement notifications targeting streamers playing recorded music during their streams. This uptick led to weeks of confusion, with streamers unsure of Twitch’s music…Read more...

Pre-cooked spiral cut hams—also known as “city hams”—have always been a favorite of mine since there is no danger of undercooking and we’re free to focus flavor. Heating and serving may seem simple enough, but you can overdo it in the oven, leading to a dry, chewy pork product, and nobody wants that. Luckily, there…Read more...

When a floating dust particle or wayward grain of pollen waft their way into my sinuses, a predictable physiological response occurs: I scream bloody murder through my nose in the form of a massive, cacophonous sneeze.

Hello cats and kittens, and welcome to another delicious installment of the Skillet Chili Cook-Off, the seasonal culinary competition that’s keeping me (and my freezer) full of spicy stew.Read more...

As we continue our month of training the overhead press, it’s time to address the way you might be cheating—or not, depending on how you look at it. The press is really two different lifts, depending on whether you bend your knees to do it.Read more...

Bella Stainless Steel Waffle Maker | $8 After Rebate | Macy’s

At this point, you’ve probably read of the detrimental impact doomscrolling habits can have on your mental health (if you couldn’t already tell by the fact that doing it makes you feel terrible). Maybe you’ve even cut back a little. But then last week happened. And even if you’re now more in the territory of “…Read more...

Now that the presidential election is over, we can all stop pretending we have something in common with half the people in the country and retreat to our own tiny, personal subcultures. With this in mind, check out some interesting narrowcast kid niches from the internet and beyond.

I recently went furniture shopping, and found that when you go to real, fancy furniture stores (not the Swedish assemble-it-yourself kind), the sales representatives really try to push fabric swatches on you.Read more...

It’s interesting how much we used to talk about the need for work-life balance, back when things were actually kind of balanced. Sure, many of us were stressed and spread thin in pre-pandemic times, but there was a set time for work and a time for family and a time for self-care, even if it felt like one of those…Read more...

Now that Google will soon start counting anything you’ve uploaded to Google Photos toward your storage limit—which tops out at 15GB for a free plan—it’s worth performing a personal audit. How much space am I using? How can I stretch my free plan as far as possible? And how can I move my photos to a different service…Read more...

This Thanksgiving is different. Yes, it’s been a rough year. Yes, we all miss one another. But if you love your family, it’s worth skipping this holiday season to make sure they’ll be alive and healthy for the next one.Read more...

Gardening has always had its fair share of fans, but it’s another example of an activity—like baking, knitting, and doing puzzles—that has taken off even more since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Not only do some people find it relaxin; gardening also has mood-boosting and mental health benefits. Plus, at a time when…Read more...

Christmas is going to be a little weird this year; let’s not make it worse by waiting until the last minute to buy gifts, especially if you have to buy them online. Shipping speeds normally get a little worse than usual during this time, and with coronavirus restrictions still squeezing everyone thin, it may be even…Read more...

The sunsets are earlier, the nights are cold, and it’s time to hibernate with all of your favorite things. For me, that’s reality television, which has been my comfort blanket since March lasted seven months long. There’s so much to be learned from reality TV, like a ridiculous documentary focused on weird games,…Read more...

Even as many Americans cut back on discretionary spending, credit cards companies have been tripping over themselves to offer rewards recently, with welcome bonuses at all-time highs. If you’re in the market for a new card, now is a good time to get one.Read more...

Don’t skip the latest Roku OS update, especially if you’re mixing and matching Roku streamers and Apple devices in the same house. Roku OS 9.4 adds HomeKit and Airplay 2 to several of the company’s most powerful streaming devices, including:Read more...

Congratulations, you’re about to smoke a cigar. Maybe you have cause to celebrate, or perhaps you want to make like Scrooge McDuck showcase your big boss energy by burning a $100 bill with the crackling cherry of a stogie.

Thursday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

Vaccine development is proceeding at record speed, with one candidate announcing early results from a U.S. phase 3 trial this week and likely more to come. If all goes well, the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine might become available in early 2021. But with this rushed timeline, how do we know it’s safe?

When it comes to your 401k, it’s never too late to start saving—but how much should you save? As total savings skews higher as you get older, a look at average savings levels by age can give you a benchmark for your progress and help you adjust your contributions to stay on track.Read more...

The day has finally arrived. Google has flipped the switch on Google Photos from “free” to “paid.” Soon, you’re going to have to subscribe to a Google storage plan to use the service if, or when, you fill it up your free storage space with too many photos and videos.Read more...

Like the discovery of all good hacks, this story begins with my dog puking all over the place. In fact, he’d already puked once, so I cleaned it up and went back upstairs to my office to work. I sat down in my chair and my son yelled, “He’s doing it again!” And boy was he.Read more...

Try as I might, I cannot get into Food TikTok. It is a lawless place where flukes are presented as the norm and camera tricks run rampant, plus there are so many children, and I don’t enjoy watching children be performative unless they are related to me. (The only TikTok-er I check in on with any regularity is this…Read more...

The Xbox Series X may not have many playable console exclusives at launch, but it can play all games from every previous Xbox generation—including the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One—and with improved loading times and visual performance to boot. You can even transfer over your old save data to the new console, …Read more...

Merino Wool Sweater | $39 | JACHS NY

As we approach the holiday season, the rapidly worsening pandemic may have you feeling a bit less than optimistic about the possibility of restorative holiday cheer and fun. And while it is important we all continue to avoid risky behaviors, there are a good number of outdoor activities that will help you usher in the…Read more...

Top Product: Anker PowerExpand Direct | $51 | Amazon | Clip Coupon

Apple’s last-gen MacBook Air and the Instant Pot Ultra lead Thursday’s best deals.

For many people, social unrest and uncertainty breeds panic and a need to feel protected. Given that this year has seen a deadly pandemic collide with a sustained, international protest movement, it’s no surprise that 2020 has been a record-setting year for gun sales in the United States.Read more...

Releasing my son slowly but surely onto the internet is not something I have enjoyed as a parent. But the kid is in fourth grade, and not only does he have to research topics for school projects once in a while, he also needs to learn how to search for information online—a thing he will do probably daily for the…Read more...

Whether you’re asked to brief your boss on important issues or data, or if you simply need to communicate a complex idea to them in a way that’s respectful of their (and your) time, it can feel as though you’re put on the spot. The concise bullet points you organized in your head are nowhere in sight, but time is…Read more...

Happy macOS Big Sur release day! While you wait for Apple to release the latest version of macOS, which typically drops between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. PT, there are a few things you can do to get your Mac ready and ensure your upgrade process is smooth and disaster-free—or, should you encounter any issues, you’ll be ready…Read more...