Lifehacker

The world of young people can be a confusing and annoying place, so let me help you translate their lives with a weekly guide to what’s happening with these damn kids. (Stay off my lawn.)

I know, I know. Facebook trying to do the right thing and limit spam on its network is kind of like saying I’m going to use this masking tape to seal the hole in this nearby dam, but every little bit helps, right?Read more...

I consider myself a clean person, but I had a real “damn bitch, you live like this?” moment when I was forced to inspect the state of my can opener. I had been browsing the web, looking for inspiration, when I came upon an article from The Kitchn that boasted a “1-minute trick” for cleaning your gross, shameful can…Read more...

4-Pack Germ-x | $18 | AmazonRead more...

If you and your partner come from different language backgrounds, you may find yourself struggling to land on a baby name compatible with both languages. That’s the position Bemmu Sepponen and his partner found themselves in as they were expecting their Japanese-Finnish son and wanted a name that would work in both…Read more...

It wasn’t long ago when purchasing a new mattress involved going to your local department store or furniture emporium, and testing out every mattress in your price range until you’ve either found The One, or have tested so many they all feel the same, and then you just guess. After you picked one, the store would…Read more...

Nesco Digital Pro Food Dehydrator and Jerky Maker | $113 | Best Buy

Maybe you’re one of those people who thrives on confrontation and enjoys a good argument. Or perhaps you’re someone who tries to avoid people and situations like those at all costs, and then gets mad at yourself for not speaking up when you disagreed with someone. Either way, when you’re collaborating with others at…Read more...

Airbnb is cracking down on parties. They are now basically the equivalent of your parents when you were in high school. Even if you refer to it as a “small gathering,” there is still the possibility of making a mess or other types of property damage. So to avoid these situations, they’re instituting a new policy for…Read more...

Even though you know they’re probably coming from a place, scrolling through your social media feed only to find an onslaught of memes and quote cards instructing us to “Choose Happiness,” or emit “Good Vibes Only” can be maddening. (Or maybe that’s just me and everyone else loves them?) And again, I understand that…Read more...

There’s something we truly cannot resist about sunrises and sunsets. (And yes, the song is stuck in my head, and now yours too.) Even though they’re something that technically happens every day, it’s still hard not to be impressed with the first glow of a sunrise or the vivid colors of a sunset. Of course, this means…Read more...

A, a Keurig K-Cup coffee maker, discounted Mario games, a Dyson V7 Origin cordless vacuum, Urban Decay All Nighter long-lasting makeup setting spray, and JACHS NY men’s short sleeve shirts lead Saturday’s best deals.Read more...

Like many children, I went through a dinosaur phase. The idea that instead of people, these giant lizard monsters roamed the earth both terrified and intrigued me. So when my teacher told us that dinosaurs lived in our area too, I needed to find out more. This primarily involved digging holes in the woods looking for…Read more...

Each year, tens of thousands of people descend upon Nevada’s Black Rock Desert the week leading up to Labor Day to take part in Burning Man. Since 1986, like-minded Burners have gathered together in the name of decommodification, radical inclusion, radical self-expression, and the rest of their 10 Principles (though…Read more...

After everything we’ve been through this year, we deserve to have something to look forward to. Unfortunately, many of the usual fall activities—like children in disguise visiting every house in your neighborhood—may not be possible, thanks to COVID. But one thing we can still count on (though at this point, who knows…Read more...

One of the biggest downsides of private student loans is there are fewer borrower protections. Federal student loans, for example, offer more repayment plans, deferment or forbearance, subsidized interest, and loan forgiveness.Read more...

Friday’s Best Deals | Kinja DealsRead more...

I am not a person who wakes up easily, but I’ve discovered over the years that waking up is, unfortunately, necessary to start one’s day. I’ve toyed with evil alarm clock apps and with garden variety snooze-button-hitting, but just recently I found a game changer: you can get the Siri voice to tell you to wake the…Read more...

Well well well, if it isn’t another “holiday weekend” doesn’t actually feel like a holiday because we’re in the middle of multiple crises, and BBQs and parties seem like a trite, retro custom we may never partake in ever again.Read more...

It’s that time again: a bunch of crappy apps have made their way to the Google Play Store, and it’s on you to make sure you don’t have them on your Android phone. If you do, you’ve just been suckered by “fleeceware.”Read more...

Longtime readers will know that, for me, September is running time. It’s no longer blazing hot, so the whole day is open for runs and walks and not just the hours around dusk and dawn. (Sorry, I’m a wuss in the heat). So this month we’re doing another running and walking challenge, but with a twist.

A 4K UHD laser projector, an Anker USB-C power strip, a discount on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a Geralt bath statuettte, a Cuisinart stainless steel cookware set, a Diamond Bomb mini set, and a Pony Effect K-beauty matte lipstick lead Friday’s best deals.

Kids have a tendency to think that “fair” means “equal.” An older sibling having a later bedtime isn’t fair; one child having a rough day and receiving special one-on-one time with a parent isn’t fair. But there’s a trick elementary teachers use to teach kids the difference between fairness and equity, and it’s one…Read more...

Earlier this week, residents of Louisiana and Texas who were just pounded by Hurricane Laura endured a heat index of 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8 degrees Celsius). This weekend, California is expected to see its second record-breaking heat wave in three weeks. That’s just the U.S. this week; nearly every corner of the…Read more...

As the pandemic ramped up, millions of employees shifted to remote work. According to a Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas report, 35.2% of employees worked from home in May, compared to only 8.2% in February. If you’re now fully remote, you may be eager to see if you’re eligible for a home office tax break—but the…Read more...

Adults aren’t the only ones slumped in front of a computer screen for hours at a time anymore; with the increase in time kids are spending learning from home this school year, often with Chromebooks or other laptops, it’s important to make sure they are set up in the best ergonomic position possible. Starting good…Read more...

I eat a lot of popcorn. Sometimes I eat popcorn that I pop on the stove, sometimes I eat microwave popcorn. Sometimes I eat popcorn that comes already popped in a bag. If I go the bagged route, it is usually Smartfood, because of their really excellent cheese powder.Read more...

It’s an annoying cliché, yes, but I can’t deny the fact that I am basically the living embodiment of one of those “hilarious” Don’t Talk to Me Until I’ve Had My Coffee! mugs. Especially since the pandemic began, my body seems to have determined the most convenient time to decide I don’t need to sleep is the same time…Read more...

Living through the past several months of the pandemic has changed so much about how and where we work—including whether we still have a job at all. If you’re fortunate enough to still be employed, this period may have caused you to reflect on your current position or entire career, and whether it really is the best…Read more...

Yes, we’re wading into these waters this week: The classic PC or Mac debate that spawned countless, hilarious ads from Apple and John Hodgman a decade-plus ago. (I’m sure Microsoft would beg to disagree with Apple’s interpretation, but I think the entire would would agree the Zune should have never been a thing.)Read more...

Aukey 10,000mAh Portable Wireless Charger | $24 | Amazon | Use code UKPTPVBARead more...

After a four-month postponement because of COVID-19, the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place this weekend, on Saturday, September 5. Unlike other sporting events that last for hours, the actual derby itself—known as the “greatest two-minutes in sports”—is quite short. And while sure, watching…Read more...

The concept of Buy Now, Pay Later has been around since the Great Depression. Layaway shopping, which mostly disappeared during the 1980s, involved making a small deposit and installment payments before taking your purchase home. Although layaway made a brief comeback during the Great Recession, it has since been…Read more...

Back in July, our own Abu Zafar showed you how to build a DIY Peloton from a $100-ish bike trainer and an app on your phone. I’ve been using the same setup, off and on, for a month now, and I’m here to report: it holds up. While it’s not as versatile as a Peloton, it fulfills a need that I would normally fill with my…Read more...

Though you probably won’t have a lot of fun playing the game’s multiplayer aspects, since everyone has probably moved on to The Division 2 by now, the solo campaign of Ubisoft’s 2016 first-person shooter The Division is still worth slogging through—especially for the low price of free.Read more...

The first time I lifted at a gym where the weights are in kilos, my well-honed plate math skills became suddenly useless. The numbers were all different, the plates were funny colors, and yet, before long, I discovered I kinda liked it that way.Read more...

Lanyards are often used to keep our most precious objects—keys, for example, or a whistle if you’re a coach or referee—safe and easily accessible. And there is nothing our kids need more now to keep safe and easily accessible than their masks. That’s why, especially if they are young or prone to losing things, a mask…Read more...

At over 30 years old, GIFs are the digital equivalent of a middle-aged millennial: Late bloomers who are now overworked and misunderstood. Today, they’re standard internet currency in text messages and social media threads, and as they’re no longer the fancy new thing, we have gotten a bit lazy with them. I’m talking…Read more...

If you’ve got old or expired car seats collecting dust in the basement, save the date: Target’s popular car seat trade-in program is coming back later this month for two weeks. Target will recycle the old seats for you and give you a 20 percent off coupon for an upgrade in return.

It’s a novice carpenter’s worst nightmare: you’re trying to tighten or remove a screw and you find the head is stripped. You press the screwdriver or drill bit into the head and try to turn, but there’s no friction. First, try throwing a little back into your screw twists. If that fails, try one (or more) of these…Read more...

It is too bad I already did a roundup of the seasonings I keep by my stove at all times, because Knorr’s Caldo de Tomate (tomato bouillon with chicken flavor) deserves to be on that list (with a bullet).Read more...

As the fall approaches, it’s time to start thinking about Medicare open enrollment, which is officially six weeks away. Seniors have the opportunity to pick a new Medicare and Part D prescription plan from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. You may also switch from a Medicare plan (Part A and Part B) to a private plan with Medicare…Read more...

As if 2020 couldn’t get any worse, we may be seeing more powerful hurricanes making landfall this year. Since these storms could be hitting some otherwise storm-free areas, here is some advice from our staff storm experts: Floridians.Read more...

If you find yourself in a lunchtime rut with your kids (my formula for way too long has been sandwich + fruit/yogurt + something crunchy), it may be time to switch things up—with a charcuterie board full of variety.Read more...

As long as macOS lets you install an app, it should be safe, right? That’s the point of Apple’s Gatekeeper and notary service, which it began to enforce in macOS Catalina back in February. In theory, it means that any app you install on your Mac should have “been checked by Apple for malicious components.” But you…Read more...

I have not hosted, entertained, or partied for about six months, and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t wearing on my little extroverted heart. But the lack of other people doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy party foods—after all, I deserve to be entertained, even if I’m not doing any entertaining.Read more...

When I first came across this post from the Cleveland Clinic about mask anxiety, I thought it had something to do with anxiety caused by other people refusing to wear masks. And while that is certainly something many of us have been struggling with over the past several months, the article is referring to another type…Read more...

Yesterday, the Trump administration ordered a temporary eviction ban in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The order—which came through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—aims to stop the spread of the virus by keeping renters away from shelters or other crowded living arrangements. The order…Read more...

Now that we’re one day removed from Nvidia’s huge announcement for desktop gamers, I trust many of you are feeling tempted to make a September splurge and upgrade your graphics card. Whether you’re going for a reasonable upgrade (the $499 RTX 3070) or the 8K, 60-frames-per-second beast (the $1,499 RTX 3090), there’s…Read more...

It’s pretty great talking to a kid midway through their dinosaur phase. They almost definitely know more dino facts and stats than you do, but they also have a lot of unanswerable questions about what happened to the creatures before they went extinct. It makes sense: it’s kind of hard to imagine something of that…Read more...