Lifehacker

Got any fun plans this summer? Or is your summer going to look much like the end of winter and all of spring this year—except more outdoors than indoors? Most of us will not be going out in public all that much, let alone somewhere fancy. So really, the only shoes your kids needs this summer are water shoes.Read more...

J.Crew, Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, Pier 1 Imports: These are just a few of the retailers that have filed for bankruptcy during the coronavirus pandemic.Read more...

Nobody likes looking like Homer Simpson. At least, that’s how I feel whenever I fire off an emoji to a friend on my smartphone and forget to change the skin tone. If yellow’s your thing, that’s great; I think it looks a bit weird in a text message.Read more...

Looking for something to watch tonight? Every afternoon we’re hunting down and highlighting the best viewing options around.

Even after a weekend of minimal cooking, my partner and I still managed to generate (and wash) four entire sinks’ worth of dishes on Friday and Saturday. After the last “load” was completed yesterday morning, I decided to reward myself with a celebratory brunch hash made with the remnants of a baked potato and a new…Read more...

Surely, by now, we all see the pressing need to talk about race—with our kids, with our parents, with our friends, even with ourselves. If the only thing holding you back is that you simply don’t know where to begin, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture has launched a new online…Read more...

If you use WhatsApp’s Click to Chat feature, your phone number may be showing up in Google search results.Read more...

Adding her voice to the others discussing racial injustice right now, Oprah Winfrey is going to host a two-night town hall meeting called “Where Do We go From Here?” airing on June 9 and 10. The program will run on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as across all of Discovery’s 18 other U.S. networks, including…Read more...

While protesting is essential in a democracy—a hack, you might say, for making your voice heard between elections—any large gathering carries a risk of COVID-19 transmission. But there are ways to reduce that risk, and many protesters have been organizing with those measures in mind.Read more...

If you don’t have a lot of cash to spare—or if you’ve already donated to organizations fighting racial injustice—you can still financially support Black Lives Matter by watching YouTube videos.Read more...

After nearly two weeks of demonstrations, people are still turning out in huge crowds to protest the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and to support black lives. The weather has been nice for most of these gatherings, but some cites (like Portland, where I live) have seen a fair amount of rain. Even if…Read more...

To respect and acknowledge the protests that are taking place across the country, and to show support for the Movement for Black Lives, we’re taking a break this week from The Upgrade. Instead, we’d like to recommend some podcasts from the voices we should actually be listening to. This is by no means an exhaustive…Read more...

Since the U.S. government started distributing coronavirus economic impact payments in April, millions of people have been anxiously checking the status of their own payment. But for those who are still waiting, you may need to take action in order to get your payment. And there’s a deadline for doing that.

You might be considering taking advantage of the volatile market by investing your savings or stimulus check.Read more...

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is in trouble. Now that companies—and everyone else, really—is relying on email instead of paper mail, their mail volume has dropped by about one-third. On top of that, the president has threatened to veto any stimulus package that includes bailout money for the USPS.

If you’re on the hunt for something new to add to your Netflix queue, the streaming service is adding a handful of new movies and television shows this week including season 6 of “How to Get Away With Murder” and season 5 of “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.”

After several months of social distancing and staying home, a lot of people are experiencing major wanderlust. And given that we’re still involved in a global pandemic, taking a break from Earth may seem especially tempting. Though we’re not quite there when it comes to space tourism, we can at least get a glimpse of…Read more...

In addition to the physical violence associated with systemic racism, it also has major implications on mental health. Generations of collective trauma is now combined with the anxiety of not only the threat of police violence, but also being in the middle of a global pandemic where people of color are…Read more...

Being cooped up at home for the past few months has made a lot of people discover—or rediscover—home cooking. From sourdough to banana bread, we’ve been spending more time in the kitchen than usual. But as it turns out, we need cooking tips, and unsurprisingly, are turning to Google for help. Here’s what each state…Read more...

As we head into summer, it’s hard not to think about traveling. Not only it is the traditional season for vacations, but we’ve also been cooped up inside for months and most of us are probably itching to explore something new. Of course, given that we’re in the middle of a global pandemic where travel—especially by…Read more...

The indie game store Itch.io has put together a massive bundle containing 742 indie games worth over $3,400 and is selling the whole thing for $5 to help raise money to support the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Community Bail Fund.

Like many live events this year, the DC Jazz Festival has been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic—but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the smooth sounds of some of the world’s best jazz musicians. Despite the official live event being on hold for now, each Saturday, the DCJazzFest from Home Series is…Read more...

Since Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd on May 25, ongoing demonstrations have taken place in all 50 states. And while thousands of people have participated, many others—who would have otherwise joined the protests—have stayed at home because we’re also in the midst of a global pandemic. But that doesn’t…Read more...

A big sale on Star Wars comics, Sonic the Hedgehog in 4k, a solid mechanical keyboard for $40, one super bright garage light, and more take the lead on Saturday’s best deals.

I imagine I am a street sweeper.Read more...

Earlier this week, I created a post I thought would create a space and a moment for black people to state exactly what they need right now from their white allies. We are grieving. Our mental health is being continuously shaken in the midst of trauma brought on by police misconduct, the violence of white vigilantes…Read more...

When you experience a problem with an Amazon order and need to make a return or request a refund, you probably turn to the site’s live customer support representatives for help. Don’t. Instead, hit up Amazon’s automated chatbot, which can get you near-instant refunds or schedule returns without wasting any of your…Read more...

On Wednesday, for the first time since March 12, NYC reported no new deaths from COVID-19. To put that number into perspective, during the peak in mid-April, NYC reported an average of 500 deaths a day. This is encouraging news, and worth celebrating. Preventative measures—closing businesses, the public adopting…Read more...

Protests get shit done. If you celebrate Independence Day, Pride or Martin Luther King Day, you know that public demonstrations, even riots, have forced change where other means could not. Earlier this week we shared with you five demonstrations that changed history; today let’s talk about what’s happening now.Read more...

Abolishing the police—or at the very least, significantly defunding them, to the point they are only a minimal presence in our communities—might sound like a radical and far-fetched solution to systemic police violence. Who would you call if someone stole your car or broke into your house? What if you were a victim of…Read more...

Earlier this week, I made a jar of pickled cherries, and I found them to be pleasing. They are good on cheese plates and they are good in salads, but they absolutely excel in a coupe full of alcohol. The easy move is to plop one in a Manhattan. The expert move is to smash them into some gin.Read more...

Android: If you’re in a situation where you need to fire off a quick message to a friend or loved one because shit is about to hit the proverbial fan, don’t waste time. By the time it takes you to get out your phone, authenticate in with a PIN or passcode, pull up your messaging app, and start typing out a message,…Read more...

iOS: It’s easy to find guides on blurring or removing photo backgrounds online, but almost all of them require a desktop and image editing software. iOS users, however, can do it right on their phones using the PhotoRoom app.

It’s important to know your rights when attending a protest. In the video above, we speak with lawyer Maryanne Kaishian, a senior staff attorney at Brooklyn Defender Services, about the correct steps to take if you find yourself being arrested at a protest.Read more...

Even if your gym is reopening, it’s still safest to stay home when you can, so we’re going to dedicate this month to DIY workout equipment. Today: the humble paper plate.Read more...

If your boredom-fighting activities during the first few weeks of sheltering in place included major decluttering efforts, you know what the later weeks have meant: Having to look at piles of all your ready-to-purge donations sitting around your house, waiting for thrift stores and donation centers to reopen.Read more...

If you took required minimum distributions from your traditional IRA or 401(k) in 2020, you might be able to put them back in. The CARES Act allows retirees to waive both 2020 required minimum distributions (RMDs) and any 2019 RMDs due by April 1, 2020 for individuals who turned 70.5 in 2019. That means that if you…Read more...

I make a cocktail every Friday morning, not because I need one, but because my job demands it. (I live on the west coast you see; getting a cocktail column up by 3 p.m. in New York means the photo shoot has to happen before noon Pacific time.) I always take a sip (or three) to verify I like the drink, then stick the…Read more...

In contrast to the gloom that has hovered over the economy since the coronavirus pandemic began, the nation’s employment status actually improved in May, according to the jobs report released today. The unemployment rate dropped to 13.3%, and 2.5 million jobs were added to payrolls. That means April’s unemployment…Read more...

As the continued protests over police brutality against black Americans place a renewed focus on the importance of elevating the voices of black writers, artists, thinkers and creators, the Criterion Channel is making it free to view a raft of films from black creators and centering black lives.

As a lifelong New Yorker, I know what the perfect bagel is. (It’s an everything bagel.) I know how it should be prepared. (Lightly toasted, but not hot; you don’t want the cream cheese to melt, that’s disgusting.) And I know what should go on it: (plain) cream cheese, thinly sliced lox, a slice of tomato if it’s in…Read more...

I love a good scavenger hunt—just not when the object of the search is “photos I wanted to keep on my device forever, but that I now can’t find.” While your phone should be pretty smart about what happens when you remove photos from folders or delete folders or batches of photos, sometimes the entire process can be a…Read more...

This week, the New York Times chose to publish a deeply problematic and dangerous op-ed by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton in which he advocated for the use of military force against protesters. As so many journalists have noted, the decision to run this piece, without context, without fact-checking Cotton’s many…Read more...

Portable cell phone battery chargers have saved my bacon more than once while traveling. From overtaxing my iPhone taking vacation pictures to relying on Google Maps to get me where I’m going in a car without an aux port, there are times that low battery warning would trigger a major anxiety attack were I out and…Read more...

As protests against racial injustice and police brutality continue around the country, you may have heard calls to support black-owned businesses. The pandemic and related economic shutdowns have led to a difficult few months for businesses nationwide. And your spending, as you venture back out into your community,…Read more...

Just like turning off your phone’s GPS or limiting what data you share with Google, people have a right to digital privacy, but the built-in facial recognition algorithms on sites like Facebook or apps like Google Photos actively work against our digital autonomy.Read more...

Looking for something to watch tonight? Every afternoon we’re hunting down and highlighting the best viewing options around.

A layer of fat on and around your food is key if you wish to keep it from getting stuck on grill grates, particularly if that food is something lean and delicate like fish or shrimp. Oil is a fine solution to this problem, I guess. But I think mayo reigns supreme.Read more...

Right now is an incredibly difficult and emotional time in our nation and around the world. The countless deaths of black people at the hands of the police and others is a constant reminder of just how far we have to go as a society, in seeing everyone as equal and worthy of the same things in life—including the right…Read more...

If you tend to have cash lingering in your medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) at the end of the year, you don’t have to wait until December to start spending it. You can use it to buy first aid supplies now, and consider donating them to groups that organize medical support for protesters.Read more...