Lifehacker

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...

Thanksgiving simply isn’t Thanksgiving without pie. It follows, then, that every Thanksgiving needs a Pie Captain—and with COVID-19 nixing travel and in-person gatherings this year, those duties may fall to you for the first time ever. If you’re used to handmade crust but scared to make your own, use your stand mixer…Read more...

2020 has been the year of DIY: We’re all cooped up in our homes, looking around and thinking, “Hell with it, I’ll just do that myself.” One of the hardest (and most expensive) home projects can be renovating a kitchen. Trying to make a kitchen useful and beautiful on a budget is a battle, especially if you’re not…Read more...

Save on Video Cameras and Accessories | Best Buy | Sponsored

The IRS is warning consumers about an uptick in gift card scams, in which scammers pose as a government agent or a bill collector and ask you to pay for a made-up charge with a gift card. Just remember—anyone who insists that you pay by gift card is a scammer.

Slingboxes are simple set-top boxes that let you consolidate your TV channels, streaming apps, and other streaming devices and make them accessible via any device you own—even remotely. However, Sling Media is now pulling the plug on the Slingbox: all devices are discontinued and will permanently shut down on November…Read more...

The pandemic has sent many of us home to work amongst the noise of our neighborhoods, pets, and loved ones. Whether your building is under construction, the dog barks incessantly, or kids are taking online classes nearby, a solid pair of headphones are a great way to keep outside noise out and your music in. And…Read more...

In a year where it seems everything is both literally and figuratively on fire, it’s not surprising that we can now add Amazon’s Ring Video Doorbell to the list. Yes, it turns out that the device you purchased and installed for the purpose of making your home safer is itself a safety hazard. As a result, Amazon has…Read more...

Wednesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

Meal planning is a lot easier when you’re okay with eating the exact same meals every day. On the other hand, variety is one of the keystones of a healthy diet. So how bad is it, really, if you eat the same thing all the time?Read more...

Preorders for Apple’s brand-new HomePod Mini kicked off last week. If you were one of the many who secured one—shipping estimates are now bumping back to December—you might have been tempted to slap AppleCare into your shopping cart, too.Read more...

I wrote a post yesterday about the “COVID slide”—the concern among many parents that our kids will fall behind (or more behind) academically during all these months of virtual learning. The truth is that this year has been hell for parents and their children who have been isolated from their friends and trying to…Read more...

With many companies extending work-from-home policies through to next summer, you might no longer need your car for the commute. As the average household has nearly two cars, could you keep one in storage, and save money by cancelling the car insurance until you need it again?Read more...

Cranberry sauce is supposed to be a balance of sweet and tart. The sauce acts as a cleansing port in a tumultuous storm of fat and salt, but the effect is lost if the sauce is too sweet. Luckily, there is a very easy way to fix an over-sugared homemade sauce: You just need a little citric acid.

Steelcase Gesture Chair | $825 | Amazon

“FroYo brand honors veterans with discount,” read an actual email we once got from a TCBY rep, because we live in an Infinite Jest-ass Futurama world, where the reward for risking your life on behalf of America’s imperialist oligarchs is a free six-ounce cone of frozen yogurt. Here are some of the best deals and…Read more...

The PlayStation 5's launch lineup includes several “cross-gen” games that are also available on the PlayStation 4. The PS5 ports will look and play much better than the PS4 versions, and some developers let users upgrade to the enhanced PS5 versions for free. However, this brings up two important questions: Will your…Read more...

Adult acne sucks. And covering it with a mask is like installing a tent over a volcano.Read more...

Ryan Messer is the sort of successful, interesting, down-to-Earth human I could talk to for endless hours if I didn’t know I was cutting into the 9 million other things he has to do in a given day. He’s a director at Johnson & Johnson, where he helped reform the company’s paternity leave and fertility coverage…Read more...

As much as I’d love everyone in my life to only tell the truth, it’s a given that, at least on occasion, someone I know will lie to me. People lie all the time. Public figures do it in public; sometimes with impunity, other times with career-shattering repercussions.

If you ever find yourself tired of staring at your Mac’s Touch Bar, there’s hope. We’ve previously talked about different techniques you can use to disable it or blank it out entirely, but the best solution still costs around $8 to implement. Now, there’s a new app that promises to take the exact same approach for…Read more...

One of my favorite fall traditions involves arguing about caramel apples with my New Englander of a boyfriend. He—a man who is wrong—thinks being from Connecticut gives him special insight into what fall “is.” He insists that candy apples—which are hard to eat and stupid—are superior.Read more...

As the pandemic drags on, its economics effects are putting an increasing number of Americans in a tough spot financially. Nearly one in four Americans have faced food insecurity this year, according to a study from Northwestern University—a 100 percent increase over 2019. Among families with children, the need for…Read more...