Lifehacker

A Samsung Galaxy S20+ Ultra Gold Box, a Best Buy summer gaming sale, a Snuggle Me weighted blanket, a Star Wars Nerds Rope discount, an Amazon B2G1 Blu-ray deal, and Nordstrom Rack clearance sale lead Friday’s best deals.

This story was written well before the pandemic—but now here we are, hoarding toilet paper and fearing the next shortage, and Nick Douglas’ message feels even more timely, even urgent. So we present this to you as a reminder that cloth toilet paper should never be something to consider. Everything’s bad, but it’s not …Read more...

Popcorn is more than a snack; for me, it’s a way of life. My dedication to the lifestyle means that I’m always interested in learning new ways to speed up or otherwise improve my technique—and I recently found what I believe to be the final piece of my perfect popcorn routine.Read more...

Boosting your credit score often feels like a game—and you may not learn the rules until after you have broken one of them. One big rule—a rule that impacts 30% of your credit score—is the percentage of credit you are using, or your credit utilization. While experts say to keep your credit utilization below 10%, a new …Read more...

I can’t recall the last time I switched between Android and iOS for my daily driver—the phone I use for all my personal stuff, not just the phone(s) I use for various Lifehacker-related things. And while technology has come a long way, my assumption is that it’s still a nightmare to transfer the full contents of one’s…Read more...

Weighted Blanket with Sleeves | $25 | MorningSave

Wall-mounted TVs are great for watching movies, but they just take up a lot of space when you’re not using them. Instead of letting that big, blank screen just hang there, consider turning it into a digital art gallery with the free Enplug app.

I told you all in January: if you’re worried about the coronavirus—at that point it wasn’t in the US yet, but people were already freaking out—use that nervous energy to get off your butt and get your damn flu shot. Now that COVID-19 is here to stay, I repeat: get your damn flu shot. It’s even more important now.Read more...

Excerpt from my pandemic diary, day 132: “The kids asked Alexa to play ‘Roar’ 53 times today. I can feel my sanity slipping. I fear what I may do if I cannot make the Katy Perry stop.”

If you never knew what Google Meet was before, you sure do now; at least, I’m certainly being constantly reminded of the existence of this free video chat app whenever I load up my Gmail. A section wholly dedicated to it just hangs out in my inbox, either in the corner of my desktop interface or at the bottom of my…Read more...

If you’re an Instacart shopper, hackers may be selling your data online. According to a recent Buzzfeed report, 278,531 Instacart accounts are on sale on at least two hacker communities for just $2 a pop. Each account includes full names, the last four digits of credit card numbers and order histories. The listings…Read more...

Many parents have gotten lax with screen time during the pandemic, and understandably so. Most experts agree that some extra screen time right now isn’t going to do permanent damage to our kids—as long as we dial it back again when normal life resumes. But one thing that could damage them long-term is the overuse of…Read more...

As the coronavirus rages on, it’s easy to lose track of time. If you’re someone with a pile of flexible spending account (FSA) money, you may know the deadline to spend it is approaching, and with fewer ways to spend money on medical expenses or childcare, many folks may be scrambling by year-end. Luckily, there is…Read more...

In-person conferences and conventions obviously aren’t happening this year, but San Diego Comic-Con International, which generally takes place in mid-July in San Diego, has taken its whole slate of events virtual—and you can attend from the comfort of your own home, for free.Read more...

You’re supposed to replace running shoes every 300 to 500 miles, the running shoe companies tell us. If you follow their recommendations, you’ll be throwing out shoes that may still look brand-new. How do you know if you really need a new pair? Turns out there’s a quick hack that will answer your question.Read more...

When you think of “dipping” foods you probably imagine dunking them into a bowl of creamy, often umami-forward dip. This is usually done to make chips even more indulgent and vegetables more exciting, but you don’t necessarily need a sour cream base to accomplish the latter. All you need is a fine, super-flavorful…Read more...

Remember the beginning of quarantine when we were all baking bread and doing big cooking projects for dinner every night? Well, now it’s summer and it is far too hot to keep your oven on for extended periods of time.Read more...

As nationwide shutdowns began in March, the IRS closed many of their offices. Although employees went back before the July 15 tax deadline, there have been processing delays, especially for paper returns, due to limited staffing.Read more...

The internet is full of irksome words—“heckin,” “awesomesauce,” “updoot”—but the worst one by far is “hubby.” Hubby, if you’re not familiar, is short for “husband” and is primarily used in spaces where certain types of married women hang out online. On mommy forums, it pops up like measles on the skin of an…Read more...

It’s a universal problem—you want to teach your kids about online safety, but they just want to build LEGO all day. Well finally, you can do both at the same time with LEGO’s newly launched “Build and Talk” activities.Read more...

Ever since gyms closed in March, I’ve been working out at home. And since my house doesn’t have a suitable place for many of the exercises I like to do, I’ve mainly been lifting outside. Here’s what I’ve learned.

As much as I love a less-than-mainstream cut of meat, I cannot deny myself the simple pleasure of grilled chicken thighs, particularly if those thighs have been marinated in yogurt and garlic salt—a most perfect poultry marinade.Read more...

Though telemedicine has been around for years, it has gone from being a lesser-known healthcare option to a lifeline for many people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you wanted to do a virtual check-in with your doctor to ask about potential COVID symptoms, or your kid somehow acquired pink eye during lockdown…Read more...

Multi-Surface Steam Mop | $29 | Meh

The popular voice-altering PC software Voicemod is now available as a free app on iOS/iPadOS and Android, making it that much easier to change up your sound to create silly messages, quickly add voice effects to videos and maybe pull lighthearted pranks on your friends—just don’t, y’know, be creepy about it.

If you’ve noticed that your backyard doesn’t seem to glow with the twinkle of fireflies as much as it used to, you’re right: It likely doesn’t. Fireflies are disappearing from fields, marshes and forests all over the world.Read more...

As that anti-masker having a tantrum in a Panera pointed out, you can smell a fart even though it passes through the fabric of your pants. Her point seems to be that fabric cannot block air, and thus masks cannot block things that are carried in air. She’s wrong, but let’s examine why.

While downturns in the stock market often get the most attention from those worried about their retirement funds, something else may also be doing damage to your savings: 401(k) fees. Although retirement plans must be transparent about the fees they charge by law, most who contribute to them through their employers…Read more...

If you’re working from home with kids during These Times, you’ve probably already read 379 articles with tips for how to continue doing so while also staying sane. They tell us to lower our expectations. To take advantage of early mornings or late nights. To ask for help, to practice self care. To exercise and…Read more...

Social media is a great tool for raising money for charitable causes—or even just to get you through an unforeseen emergency. In a very on-brand move for 2020, Instagram now lets users set up personal fundraisers for smaller causes like helping sick family members or aiding local business in keeping their doors open…Read more...

If you’ve ever been hesitant to hand your phone to a friend for fear they’ll read your DMs, you can now at least lock your Facebook Messenger chats behind a separate Face (or Touch) ID on your iPhone or iPad.Read more...

Have you ever thought you would be the ideal subject for a documentary? Would the rest of the world benefit from getting a glimpse into your everyday life? Probably not (unless you’re a narcissist... are you a narcissist?), but if being involved in a Ridley Scott-produced documentary appeals to you, now’s your chance.…Read more...

One of my hobbies is buying too many herbs and then watching watching them wilt, dehydrate or mush out in the fridge, depending on how I’ve (incorrectly) stored them. Would placing my cilantro in a jar of water extend its life? Yes. Am I going to do that? You know I am not. (There simply isn’t a ton of room for tall…Read more...

If you’re one of the many people considering taking a road trip this summer or fall, you may have looked into renting an RV. The problem is, so has everyone else. In mid-July, RVshare (a peer-to-peer RV rental company), reported that their RV bookings increased by 1600% since early April, compared to the same period…Read more...

After a blockbuster July, August looks to be a little quieter on Netflix—unless you’re an Avatar: The Last Airbender fan, in which case you are no doubt incredibly excited that all four seasons Books of The Legend of Korra, the sequel series to that anime-influenced Nickelodeon hit, is coming to the streamer on August…Read more...

When you signed up for your employee benefits, you may have glossed over the section on disability insurance. If you’re healthy, it’s tough to imagine ever being unable to work—even for a short amount of time. But disabilities can happen, and your workplace coverage may not be enough.Read more...

A couple of months into the pandemic, my 9-year-old son looked at me and said, “Maybe I’ll get into cooking.” He’s helped me bake since he was a preschooler but we’d never really cooked together because weeknights were always so rushed with school and work and activities. Not so much at the moment.Read more...

Windows 10, bless it, arrives packing lots of annoying bloatware. Some of it you can uninstall; some you cannot (cough Your Phone cough). And while the operating system feels like it’s gotten a bit better about this over the years, you’re still going to need to use a third-party app if you want a cleaner Windows 10…Read more...

My immersion circulator gets far more use in the summer than it does in the winter. Sous-vide-ing meat means I don’t have to turn on the oven, and combining a long spell in a constant-temperature water bath with a few minutes on the grill is my favorite hot-weather cooking method (especially if I’m making ribs).Read more...

Windows 10 updates tend to break things, and the most recent Window 10 version 2004 update is no exception. According to numerous forum posts, the latest irksome bug prevents Windows 10 apps from accessing the internet even when the PC is successfully connected and your web browser is working just fine.

Thanks in no small part to COVID-19, we have found ourselves in a golden age of conspiracy theories. With so much still unknown about the novel coronavirus, whenever we add a piece to the pandemic puzzle through evidence-based medicine and research—especially if the new information contradicts our earlier thinking—…Read more...

As the pandemic lingers on, Americans continue to be impacted by the country’s economic crisis. Since March, there have been record-high unemployment numbers, as many companies adjust to the “new normal.”Read more...

I will never understand people who don’t like eating grits, but I do understand people who don’t like making grits. Like preparing risotto and polenta, the process usually involves a good bit of stirring, and I simply hate standing still in front of a stove. The good news is you can cook grits in your Instant Pot. You’…Read more...

If you recently purchased a TiVO Stream 4K, you’ve probably been a little put off by a security notification you received that implied something you’ve done has given a third party “extensive access to your personal information.” Oh, and “You should remove its access unless you’re sure you can trust it.”Read more...

We are all trying to be more eco-conscious and sustainable in our purchases and lifestyles. An easy way to do this without even leaving your home is through composting. Why compost, you ask? It helps reduce landfill waste and brings back rich nutrients to your yard. When you recycle kitchen scraps it introduces…Read more...

Up until a few years ago, Abigail Reed’s politics were in line with those of her parents. She understood their point of view, and she followed it. Then Reed, a recent high school graduate from Indianapolis who is headed to college in a few weeks, started thinking for herself. She started having conversations with…Read more...

Screen recording features are great for guiding tech-challenged family members through using their new smartphone, capturing in-game footage, collecting evidence when reporting bugs and more. However, not all devices let you record your screen equally or easily.

Spending lots of hours scrolling on social media and clicking through photos, videos and stories is arguably the opposite of mindfulness, but now you can multitask, at least on Snapchat. The new Headspace Mini comes with six short meditations you can do alone or with friends without ever leaving the app.Read more...

I do not think of syrupy, herbal liqueurs as “summery,” but that doesn’t stop me from drinking them during the summer, or looking from for new and interesting ways to drink them. If you’ve had a Garibaldi, you know that these bitter, dense elixirs can be refreshing—you just have to get some fluffy juice involved.

The ongoing pandemic has changed so many aspects of our lives that it’s hard to feel in control over much. Everyday there’s a seemingly never-ending list of tasks that have to be done, so when you finally finish and have the chance to go to bed, that may be the first moment you’ve had to yourself all day. And while it…Read more...