Lifehacker

Sometimes, through no fault of your own, you find yourself with some hours to kill in an airport. You really only have three options: read, spend money on things you don’t need (or even want), or drink. I usually partake in at least two, if not all three, but the drinking can be hard to derive joy from if the only…Read more...

We’ve previously covered how you can use melamine foam sponges (or, as they are commonly known, “Magic Erasers”) all over the house.

VARIDESK Standing Desk Anti-Fatigue Comfort Floor Mat | $56 | AmazonRead more...

Bose just released an important update to its popular line of wireless noise-canceling headphones. They are different. They’re weirdly stylish. Most importantly, they’re good. Also expensive.Read more...

With plenty of travel reward credit card options out there, you might be wondering if an airline-specific credit card is worth even considering. If you already have one, maybe the novelty wore off and it has taken a backseat to a new card that demands less brand-specific loyalty. But if travel credit cards are new to…Read more...

You sit down at the airport, ready for (or relaxing during) a big day of travel. You have the perfect spot, closer to a power outlet than to annoying people. And right when you open your laptop, you realize... you have no idea how to get on the nearest wifi, or even what its password is.Read more...

If you haven’t booked a getaway this fall just yet, here’s your opportunity—Southwest is having another sale on select flights that ends tomorrow at 11:59pm PT.

Grammarly, the Chrome extension that helps people write right, bases its spelling, grammar, and word use suggestions on intense analysis of vast databases of the written word. One of the people analyzing that data is Dr. Courtney Napoles, a computer scientist with a background in book editing. We talked to her about…Read more...

Stasher Sandwich Bag | $10 | AmazonRead more...

OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker | $40 | AmazonRead more...

Gone are the days when parents could swing by the drugstore for a new Trapper Keeper and declare back-to-school shopping done. The lists of required school supplies are intense. It’s not surprising that moms and dads will drop an estimated $519 per household on school items this year, according to Deloitte’s annual…Read more...

Several types of over-the-counter eye drops, including those packaged specifically under the Walmart, Walgreens and CVS brands have been recalled due to concerns that they may not be sterile.Read more...

Major Windows 10 updates aren’t always smooth sailing. And if you own Microsoft’s Surface Book 2, you’ll probably be a bit annoyed to know that you can’t update to Windows 10 version 1903, the latest iteration of Microsoft’s operating system, thanks to a bug with Nvidia GPUs.

Sewing may seem like one of those quaint, old-fashioned household chores that most people outsource today. Yes, having a good tailor is a wonderful thing, but there are certain clothing repairs and adjustments that are probably easier to do than you think. If you’ve popped a button on your shirt, worn down a hem on…Read more...

Any egg, be it hard-boiled, soft-boiled, seasoned, or poached, is welcome in a bowl of ramen, but the king of the genre is ajitsuke tamago, soft-boiled eggs that have been marinated in soy sauce and other flavorful friends. They’re often referred to as “ramen eggs,” but you don’t need a bowl of noodles to enjoy…Read more...

Whether you’re airsick or ate something you shouldn’t have, being sick on a plane is the worst. Here’s how to get through the ordeal.Read more...

You might be paying your ISP for a certain service tier, but that doesn’t mean that you’re getting those speeds both ways—the fine print will likely indicate that your upload speeds are much, much slower than your download speeds.Read more...

The expiration dates for airline points and miles vary as much as the rules for earning them in the first place. Many last just 18 months from the time you earned those miles, some last as long as 10 years, and some don’t expire ever.Read more...

Most of us know the basics about how to make our homes unattractive to burglars—get a security system installed (or at least put one of those stickers in your window), keep a light on with a timer when you’re traveling, get a yappy dog, etc. But what do you do if you think someone might have ignored all your…Read more...

The process of changing your flight is easy; it’s the fees that become a nuisance. Airlines like United, Delta, and America airlines charge anywhere from $200 to $750 for a change, maybe even more than the cost of your original ticket. Luckily, you aren’t always accountable for major fees if you act quickly (and we…Read more...

Despite the fact that I have dutifully studied all of the reasons why planes are the safest form of travel, I am still an anxious flyer.Read more...

Traveling with animals can be tricky and stressful, especially if they are like every pet I have ever owned and have a naturally skittish temperament. But there are some steps you can take to make air travel less stressful for them—and you.

Windows: If you want to have an even more exciting Apollo 11 week, it’s easy to try out beautiful simulations of different Apollo missions on your PC—for free. All you need is the open-source application Orbiter and the Project Apollo add-on, which is a heck of a lot easier to manage than going to Space Camp.Read more...

Wednesday, July 17 is National Hot Dog Day, and you can get cheap or free hot dogs at several chains. Celebrate Hot Grill Summer with the best hot dog deals we found.

Morning is a good time for getting things out of our systems—so why not clear out your brain as well?Read more...

Mentally, flying is not an issue for me. It’s the physical aspects of being hurled through the air at many miles per hour that I find upsetting. Even if you don’t experience sinus pressure or motion sickness, sitting in a loud plane can alter the way you perceive the world around you. In fact, it can change the way…Read more...

I have one of those bougie credit cards that comes with airport lounge access—via Priority Pass—and I always wondered what the point was. Sure, you can get a few free snacks and a decent place to sit, but it’s not like the lounge is passing out free Cinnabons and rum-and-cokes to all attendees.Read more...

Back in my earlier days, all I had to do was make one decision—window or aisle?—and then I’d be given a seat number and and then I would get on an airplane and sit in that seat and thus would conclude my mental exertion on this issue. Alas, that was then. Now that I have a partner and two young children, selecting the…Read more...

Dash Deluxe Egg Cooker | $18 | AmazonRead more...

For some people, boarding an airplane and flying somewhere is no big deal. Maybe it’s vacation, maybe it’s for work, but whatever the reason for your trip, you’re pretty much OK with it. For others, though, it’s not so simple. In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 6.5 percent of the U.S.…Read more...

You’ve seen the special lines at the airport: People just breezing on through routine security measures while you’re waiting behind a family of seven, an eighth-grade class trip, and at least a dozen otherwise fine people who seem to have never flown before. You are miserable. You consider throwing money at this…Read more...

Wet Brush Mini Travel Detangler, Pack of 3 | $13 | AmazonRead more...

When you’re late for a flight⁠—or trying to make a tight connection⁠—getting through airport security as quickly as possible is key. Beyond enrolling in TSA Pre-Check, Global Entry or Clear, you can get through an airport security line faster by booking your flight at the right time and organizing your carry-on.

There’s a reason your gut expands while you’re in the air—and no, it’s not because of the sodium in the airplane food.Read more...

If you turn your hobby into your job, you might end up with a fulfilling and lucrative career—or you might go broke and ruin your hobby forever. Turning a hobby into a job doesn’t mean flipping a switch labeled “make money.” It takes years to ramp up, and you need to make and promote your work strategically. We talked…Read more...

We were beginning to think that we wouldn’t see a Prime Day deal on PlayStation Plus subscriptions, but turns out that Amazon was just saving it for Day 2. Prime members can add a year to their subscription for just $40, which is about as cheap as you can ever expect to find. Stock up!

Recently, you may have received an urgent-sounding voicemail from “Apple,” claiming your “financial activity” on your devices was at stake.

Whether you’re flying for business, pleasure or obligation, chances are you wouldn’t mind a little extra sleep. Traveling takes you out of your usual environment and schedule, and often means extra-early mornings or late nights. If you’re taking a red eye, it’s going to run havoc with your sleep schedule. Given that …Read more...

Doing your business 35,000 feet up in the air is not just a cramped, uncomfortable experience. The whole process—when can I go and how do I physically reach my destination—is fraught with rules, regulations and etiquette principles to consider.Read more...

You’ve probably seen trigger warnings on posts online, or recall the announcement before some TV shows that “viewer discretion is advised.” Trigger warnings are also sometimes used in classrooms, and a recent study has re-ignited a debate about whether they are useful or counterproductive. Here’s what we know about…Read more...

My single-parent mom couldn’t afford to hire a handyman to fix the house, so we did it all ourselves. Together we fixed windows, installed faucets, and rewired appliances. Even though we did it all out of necessity, I enjoyed doing projects with my mom. A child psychologist might say that learning to fix stuff at a…Read more...

Irish coffee is a delicacy enjoyed by cappuccino connoisseurs and bourbon-guzzling bon vivants all over the world. Unfortunately, most of us have become apathetic as to what constitutes a real Irish coffee. And it’s no wonder: The quality of Irish coffee in restaurants and bars has been deteriorating for some time…Read more...

A few years ago, hackers discovered that they could remotely take control of a PC by exploiting a vulnerability in Logitech wireless dongles. According to The Verge, dongles that Logitech is shipping today are still vulnerable to the same remote access hack—dubbed “MouseJack.”—a list that includes the manufacturer’s…Read more...

It used to be a pretty safe assumption that the more you flew, the more perks you got. If you spent enough time in an airplane, you could trade that time for a better experience on future flights: roomier seats, early check-in, free bags or whatever else “elite” status could get you.Read more...

As soon as kids begin to talk—or even non-verbally indicate a preference—we start to give them choices. Do you want to wear the red shirt or the yellow shirt?Would you like a peanut butter or grilled cheese sandwich for lunch? Should we read Goodnight Moon or The Very Hungry Caterpillar? We’re trying to give them a…Read more...

If you work for a small business or startup and receive shares of stock as part of your employee compensation, ask your accountant about the qualified small business stock tax exclusion.Read more...

Over the weekend, I learned a hard travel lesson: Don’t forget to grab your bag during a domestic layover while traveling back from overseas. I realized this after leaving security at Boston’s airport and frantically called upon the help of a Delta airline attendant. Despite my best efforts and the promise that it…Read more...

Phones break or get lost all the time, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose your personal data when and if that happens. In the video above, I go over the basics of backing up your Apple and Android devices.Read more...

Prime Day 2019 is upon us, and Amazon will be offering steep discounts through July 16. Instead of sitting on the Amazon website waiting for the next Lightning Deal, you can enable mobile and desktop notifications for whatever deals you’re interested in. And in some cases, enabling these notifications may even net you…Read more...

Part of the premise of Good Will Hunting is that if you’re smart enough, you should skip formal education and teach yourself with books. And that was before prestigious universities started uploading all their courses for free online. Now you can choose between all kinds of courses for any subject—including a guide to…Read more...