Lifehacker

There are few things more personally gratifying than winning. This is true for pickup basketball games and presidential elections alike.Read more...

Depending where you live, you may have seen the skies light up with fireworks over the weekend. But this week we’ll be treated to a different type of (non-political) light show: the Northern Taurid meteor shower. While it technically started in October, the shower will peak this week—specifically tomorrow and Thursday…Read more...

We’ve all been there at some point: anxiously trying to find a wall stud while you’re in the process of hanging a picture, shelf, or TV mount. Most stud finders are inconsistent at best, and I’ve found the more I learn about how houses are built, the easier it is to find a stud through logic instead of equipment. In…Read more...

One of the great things about eating birds is getting to consume their (hopefully) crispy, (ideally) well-seasoned skin. But some people, like my mother, don’t appreciate this gift. (This ended up working out well for me as a youth, as I could steal all the skin from the Costco rotisserie chicken with impunity.) But…Read more...

And just like that, the next generation is here. The Xbox Series X and its smaller, more affordable sibling, the Xbox Series S, are available (well, to those who were quick enough on the draw to nab preorders). If you’re coming over from the Xbox One, you probably know your way around already. The interface and…Read more...

If you happen to have some romaine lettuce in your fridge right now, you’re going to want to check the label. That’s because total of 3,396 cartons of the greens have been voluntarily recalled by Tanimura & Antle, a produce company based in Salinas, California, over potential E. coli contamination. The questionable…Read more...

Most people don’t begin a long-distance relationship thinking it’ll be effortless, but even if you enter into one with your eyes open, you might find it a lot harder than you anticipated. As much as you try to prepare mentally and logistically for being in a romantic relationship in which you are separated from your…Read more...

This pandemic has gifted each of us our own cornucopia of physical and mental garbage: anxiety, isolation, depression, inertia, and insomnia, to name a few. For some, it also led to the more frequent consumption of less healthy (read: comfort) foods. And that indulgence (which, frankly, we deserve) has led to the…Read more...

Buying a new phone is usually a hands-on task, but you probably won’t be hitting up the nearest Apple store to see the new iPhone 12 lineup in person any time soon (for obvious reasons). To solve that, Apple recently launched its iPhone 12 Studio, a web-based mobile “experience” that lets you virtually examine all…Read more...

This Thanksgiving is going to be different than any we have ever experienced. There’s no “hacking” our way around it: We are going to have to make real, substantial changes to the way we celebrate the day, and that means celebrating with far fewer friends and family members. Unless you belong to a certain family of…Read more...

How long has it been since Apple has used that magical, Jobsian-era phrase in one of its press events? Not since 2017, with the not-so-surprise announcement of the iPhone X. The Apple presser today is no different: It’s a “secret” announcement for new laptops that’s been anticipated ever since Apple announced in June…Read more...

With the CARES stimulus and subsequent Lost Wage Assistance in the rearview mirror, it’s become even harder to make ends meet. If you’re receiving unemployment benefits, you might be considering a side gig. But will a job disqualify you from your benefits?Read more...

Driving a car is one of those things that works best when you don’t have to worry about how everything works. You have enough to pay attention to on the road without having to worry about what’s going on under the hood. But then one day you’re driving home, minding your own business, and your check engine light …Read more...

Thanksgiving dinner is not the easiest, so I’m always looking for ways to decrease both the stress felt and the effort exerted in its preparation. One of the easiest ways to do this is to cook your sweet potatoes (or yams) in the dang microwave. Unless you are making sweet potatoes fries or some other dish of diced,…Read more...

An improperly-secured Amazon Web Services (AWS) server left over 10 million hotel reservations logs from numerous Cloud Hospitality websites openly exposed, potentially putting millions of guests at risk. The server is now secured and there’s no evidence the data is being misused (yet), but the information is…Read more...

The pandemic has made us question everything, laundry included. No longer are dirty clothes limited to coming off in the bedroom or bathroom; now we have to deal with masks that are removed on our way home from outings as well.

It’s weird to contemplate, I know, but it’s true: Starting in September of next year, those on Android versions 7.1 or earlier—that’s roughly one-third of everyone using Android right now—might be unable to connect to any website that uses an SSL certificate by Let’s Encrypt. Just to keep things consistent, that’s…Read more...

The election is (mostly) over, and it’s time to take down those campaign yard signs. While you definitely shouldn’t toss a stack of signs straight in the trash, you also can’t simply dump them in your recycling bin and consider it done. Here’s how to minimize the likelihood that your lawn signs end up in a landfill.Read more...

These days, there is much more to social gaming than inviting your buddies over to play Mario Kart. It’s easier than ever to share every game you play online with hundreds of people, building one gigantic community around your exploits in your favorite titles—whether you’re any good or not.

We have gotten accustomed in recent years to living with both inaccurate and all-out fake information on social media and in the news. And as our current president refuses to concede the election—citing baseless claims of electoral fraud—and as the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine (hopefully) approaches, it is again time…Read more...

Though all signs seem to indicate we now have a president- and vice-president elect, that doesn’t mean the 2020 election is over. Two of the most important races—which will together determine which party has control over the Senate and the ability (or not) to pass transformative legislation—are still ongoing, and both…Read more...

Pfizer and BioNTech announced today that their vaccine candidate appears to be 90 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 in the volunteers in their study. It’s encouraging news, but there’s still a long way to go between this announcement and an actually effective, available vaccine.Read more...

The adjustment to working remotely goes beyond eliminating your commute, practicing proper Zoom etiquette, and dealing with having no clear start or end to your workday. Working remotely—especially if you’ve never done it before—can also impact your sense of purpose, according to Dr. Amy Wrzesniewski, an…Read more...

Samsung 1TB 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD | $150 | AdoramaRead more...

I have always felt that cranberry sauce is bigger than Thanksgiving. Though it plays an important role on turkey day—ensuring our palates don’t get oversaturated with salt, fat, and sage—the sweet, tangy condiment can be used to balance rich, savory foods all year long. It’s especially palate-cleansing when paired…Read more...

Former Lifehacker writer Patrick Allan once explained how to avoid being a sore loser at competitive games. It’s useful advice for anyone older than a toddler, but it might also be worth revisiting in order to apply his lessons to a higher-stakes context. Say, an election.

Car rental companies tend to be cautious about lending out assets worth tens of thousands of dollars each, so they traditionally require a credit card to rent a car. But it’s now easier to rent a car using a debit card, too—albeit with more restrictions. Here’s a look at your options.

Apple’s AirPods Pro and Watch Dogs: Legion on Xbox One & Series X/S lead Monday’s best deals.

In the time it takes you to watch the video above, you will probably receive 3-5 spam calls. Or at least it feels like that.Read more...

Black Friday seems to be creeping up earlier this year, and as always, a brand-new 4K television is probably going to sit at the top of many a shopping list—especially since a nice TV can be a major source of joy during the never-ending quarantine. However, there’s a hitch: Depending on your living room layout, you…Read more...

There has been a lot written recently about the deep isolation that so many parents feel, especially those who are working full-time from home with children who are also learning from home. I’ve avoided clicking on most of these pieces because it seemed futile to dwell on it. Of course we’re isolated, and it felt like…Read more...

While it’s definitely possible to make friends in adulthood, most of us still have a handful of friends we met either as children, in high school or college, or as young adults just starting out. Inevitably, life happens and someone you used to have so much in common with may now be in a completely different stage in…Read more...

With the COVID-19 pandemic ushering in the return of the road trip, places like parks and other natural wonders have seen a lot of traffic. That includes many popular spots in Indigenous nations within the United States, like Antelope Canyon, Havasu Falls and Glacier National Park.Read more...

Gone are the days of going to a traditional furniture store, seeing a floor model room setup you liked, then buying it and recreating the look lamp-for-lamp in your own home. Now, our homes are carefully “curated” in a way that’s supposed to reflect our personal style and philosophy—or at least look good on Instagram.

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Your phone buzzes, letting you know about a new message, and you glance down to see a notification from a friend from high school. It’s been ages since you’ve heard from them, and immediately open their message out of sheer curiosity.Read more...

A TCL 43" 1080p LED Roku smart tv and an Amazon sale on Disney Funko Pops, toys, and other items lead Saturday’s best deals.

Air travel during the holiday season can be stressful, so if you have the option of flying out of or through a few different airports, you may want to consider their amenities before booking your flight. In any other year, this might involve looking into the availability of lounges, or checking out the restaurants in…Read more...

It’s far too easy to pick up your phone or open your laptop just to look something up quickly, and somehow spend hours on end scrolling through real estate listings of properties you’ll never buy or flights to places you won’t be visiting anytime soon, or deep in some obscure history rabbit hole. Then, once you…Read more...

Living with mental illness looks different for everyone, but for many people, there are periods of time when your anxiety and/or depression symptoms are worse than others. One minute I’ll be typing away feeling neutral, and then the feelings start trickling in. (I picture it being like that older couple in bed…Read more...

If you’re hiding out from creditors, you’re probably used to ignoring calls from unknown numbers. But the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently finalized a rule that makes it easier for debt collectors to contact people using social media, text, or by email. Here’s what you need to know.Read more...

It’s been a while since we did a fitness challenge focused on a specific lift, but now it is time. This November we’re going to get really familiar with the overhead press, the lift where you press a barbell to arms’ length above you while standing. It’s satisfying when you do it right but tricky in a few ways, so…Read more...

Valve is changing how beta access works for Steam games for the better. Instead of forcing you to input a special key from a game’s developer to join a beta, the new Steam Playtest feature makes it a lot easier to find and sign up to test games on your own.Read more...

Friday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

For the past few years, the Instant Pot has been the sweetheart of the one-pot cooking world. But before it was the hot item on everyone’s registries, there was the humble rice cooker. But don’t let the name fool you: rice cookers cook more than just rice.

However this week’s election turns out, the United States is a chaotic place to live and may well stay that way for a while. The Helsinki Business Hub has another idea: what if you just pack up and move to Finland for 90 days? They’ll arrange housing and childcare for you for free.Read more...

How is everyone doing? I, myself? I’m very tired. I’ve also had a mild headache this entire week, because I keep drinking, but also because this week has been deeply, deeply obnoxious.Read more...

Even though none of us should be traveling right now, there are still plenty of people who want (or need) to get away from their home base. I start there because it feels a little weird answering a hotel-related tech question in this week’s Tech 911 while we’re in the middle of yet another COVID spike.Read more...

Many employers offer legal insurance, which covers your legal costs when the need arises, for a low monthly fee. Since lawyers can be expensive, legal insurance seems reasonable—but is it worth the expense?Read more...

It’s a common scene in youth sports—a couple of kids are late to practice, or goofing around and distracting their teammates. Their coach, in response, sends them on a few laps around the field or tells them to “drop and give him 20.” It might feel like a natural consequence given the already physical nature of…Read more...