Lifehacker

There are many times during the course of parenting that you find yourself somewhere with a kid, waiting for something to happen. You might be waiting for the doctor to call you back for an appointment, waiting for your food to arrive in the restaurant or waiting for the plane to land. You need something to do, so you…Read more...

I always love the idea of pears more than the actual fruit, primarily because—like avocados—their “aw, hell yeah” window is very short. But pear brandy never fails me; the flavor is consistently good, the mouthfeel is never gritty, and the ABV hovers around 40%.Read more...

The CDC announced today that they are finally on board with the leading theory about what’s causing the vaping illness they are calling EVALI: vitamin E acetate, found mainly in THC vapes. A new technique for sampling lung fluid revealed that all of the patients tested—a convenience sample of 29 people from 10…Read more...

If you’re using one of Amazon’s Ring doorbell devices, you should change your home wifi network password immediately. According to Techcrunch, Ring doorbell devices were sharing wifi passwords as cleartext—unencrypted text data, essentially—with users’ smartphones during setup. This leaves home networks and any…Read more...

It certainly feels like everything is on sale all the time these days. But not all sales are created equal. It’s especially important to recognize this during the holidays, when shopping holidays feature complex discount schemes that sometimes carry equally complex limitations.

This coming Monday, November 11, more than 400 National Park Service sites will offer free admission in recognition of Veterans’ Day and as one of five Free Entrance days each year; this includes free access to parks like Yosemite, Zion, and the Grand Canyon National Parks.Read more...

If you follow productivity guru Tim Ferriss, you might be familiar with his mindset-changing question “What would this look like if it were easy?”

Sometimes I wonder why everyone isn’t getting hacked all the time. We’re all so bad at security, and there are so many people who know how to abuse it! And then I remember that we are getting hacked all the time.

In a perfect world, I’d leave my phone on vibrate all the time. Nothing against my fun ringtone; I just find it more pleasant to feel a buzz when someone is calling than get blasted with some song. Thanks to a new update from Google, however, I can have both—on my Pixel, at least.Read more...

Most people get quite agitated when you mess with the format of Thanksgiving dinner, but I try not to let this society we live in influence my creative process. For a truly innovative—some might say “disruptive”—turkey meal, I urge you to consider a fast food-style presentation featuring stuffing-breaded turkey…Read more...

In more ‘Third Party Sellers Are Ruining Online Shopping and Putting Our Safety at Risk’ news, your kid’s car seat could be a fake.Read more...

The Google Pixel 4 is out. and reviews have been both exalting and somewhat tepid. In terms of flagship phone launches, the Pixel 4 isn’t revolutionary, though it improves upon its predecessors. If you upgraded already, don’t fret. The Pixel 4 has plenty of specs and features to brag about.Read more...

By the time I knew I was sick, it was already too late. I had already binged on Diagnosis and burned through The Medical Detectives. It was only after I turned to the truly hardcore shit, a show about parasites called Monsters Inside Me, that I realized I had a problem.

We’ve done a lot of different exercises in the Lifehacker Fitness Challenge, from barbell lifts to endurance sports to yoga and more. This month will be special, though: we’re going to take on some lifts that you’ve probably never tried.Read more...

When you swipe a credit or debit card at the store, you’re done with the transaction instantly. So why can’t your account statement keep up? If you’ve wondered why it takes so long for purchases to show up on your credit card statement or withdraw from a bank, it’s because of a long, complicated process behind the…Read more...

In a recent story for the Atlantic, staff writer Amanda Mull described two kinds of travelers: those who arrive for a flight at least a few hours in advance—and those who actively enjoy the adrenaline-fueled thrill of arriving late.

I’m always thrilled to get “help me out with a tech problem” letters in my inbox, and I’ve had quite a few lately related to PC upkeep—likely prompted by this Tech 911 question I answered last month. I’m back with another one today, and it’s a twist on the ol’ “How do I make something old feel fresh” dilemma any…Read more...

The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, the holidays are drawing ever nearer, and you know what that means: It’s pie season. But pie can definitely be fickle, and tricky, and infuriating to make. You deserve an expert on pie—someone whose pies have been recommended by everyone from the Village Voice to…Read more...

If you’ve been having trouble with apps on your iOS device closing in the background a little faster than you expect while you’re multitasking on your device, we have good news: Apple released a fix for it.

I’m a stickler for good data security, so it warms my heart when a massive tech company like Apple takes steps to be even more transparent about how it treats our data. Specifically, I’m referring to Apple’s new landing page that makes reviewing the company’s privacy policies and changing security settings even easier.

Prior to the Thanksgiving rush, November is generally one of the quieter months for travel. But if you’re looking for a last-minute, pre-holiday getaway for a reasonable price, you may want to take a look at the offerings for Barter Week, which allows travelers to stay in a variety of accommodation options for free in…Read more...

Sensory activities are a great way for young kids to explore and learn, and I’m a big fan of looking for ways to create these activities with items you already have around the home. But sometimes, you need to switch things up or stock up on a few new items to stash away for a boring day. And that’s when your local…Read more...

Some financial terms are so similar that they end up being used interchangeably. But that doesn’t mean they’re the exact same thing. One especially common mix-up: the difference between cosigners and guarantors, who are both people who can help you get a loan if your individual financial history isn’t strong enough.

Stuffing has two primary forms: bread casserole and damp bread. This is why the add-ins—herbs, alliums, etc.—are so important. And while I love herby, oniony stuffing, I’m going to suggest you add another ingredient that is neither vegetable nor herb. I’m going to suggest you add smoked turkey.Read more...

I’m not that big into game streaming services, because I’m cheap, but I’ve noticed a number of deals for Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription floating around the web (and real world) lately. And after doing a little sleuthing, I discovered this fact: People have all sorts of crazy ways to get many months of an Xbox…Read more...

As smartphone cameras get more sophisticated, they make it easier for the average user to create effects that would normally require high-end equipment and technical skill to achieve. The Pixel 4's astrophotography mode, for instance, is capable of taking photos of the night sky with minimal effort, but it has also…Read more...

Overbooked flights are back, baby! In spring 2017, after a man was physically dragged off an overbooked United flight and the United CEO blamed the man, airlines dramatically improved at only selling the number of seats they actually have on the plane. By mid-2018, there were only a sixth as many “bumped” passengers…Read more...

When presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris introduced a bill yesterday that would lengthen the school day by three hours—to better align with the traditional work day—it raised a bigger question: Does the school day need to be longer or should the work day be shorter?Read more...

If you’re unsure whether you’re finding the absolute best deal for a flight—and want to better understand all of your options—Google Flights just rolled out a new update that’ll make finding cheap airfare a little easier.

Custom search engines are one of the coolest features of any modern browser. With just a few keystrokes, you can search Wikipedia right from your address bar, do a custom Google search for Lifehacker articles, or even get driving directions to a specific location.Read more...

I used to make the three-hour drive home from college on the weekends in an impractical uniform: Jeans, a hoodie, and maybe a winter hat if there was snow on the ground already. When I arrived, my father always scolded me for not being prepared. “Where’s your coat?” he would demand. “You need a coat. What if you break…Read more...

Nobody wants to think about their wallet being stolen—but if it is, you’ll want to give the potential thief as little as possible to steal.Read more...

The flavor profile of the Thanksgiving meal hasn’t changed much over the years, but that doesn’t stop the endless parade of wine pairing guides that appear each November. I don’t know why we’re still talking about this, as I solved this riddle last year—the only wine you need for Thanksgiving is Champagne (and maybe a…Read more...

“Wow, you’re so hairy,” the boy standing to my daughter’s left said. He gazed in awe at her rounded seven-year-old arm, brown from the summer sun, and the silky, dark hair encircling it. It was the first day of second grade and the first time someone remarked about my daughter’s body hair. But I had been waiting for…Read more...

I like to think I’m pretty decent with Excel. I know my way around a pivot table, I love automating anything and everything with formulas and conditional formatting, and I am as skilled with a vlookup as the awesome new xlookup. Excel macros, however, are an entirely new ball game, and I only wish I could do what…Read more...

My second-worst experience thinking about insects in my eyes was a real-life encounter, when I jogged face-first into a cloud of gnats while running on a trail. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something still in my eye, and hours later I finally extracted a dead(?) gnat from the inner reaches of my eyelid…Read more...

They say it’s all about who you know, but how do you get to know the right people?Read more...

During a typical job interview, you can usually expect to answer familiar questions like “What are your strengths?” or “Why exactly do you want to work here?” Occasionally, you might also field not-so-legal questions from a hiring manager, the kind that involves your personal business or family plans, for instance.…Read more...

If you’re ever stuck for ideas or advice, and you feel like you can’t find a mentor, here’s how to become your own mentor: Look at everyone else who’s doing a similar thing. Some successful ones, and some failing ones. Find everything they could be doing better. And then don’t tell them. Tell yourself.

When it’s time to install a new version of macOS or download a new update, nearly everyone turns to the Mac App Store to start the process. While the App Store makes OS installations easy and relatively painless, it doesn’t always work—and it might be time to turn to Terminal (and a little creativity) instead.

When I was trying to learn Spanish, everybody told me to listen to Radio Ambulante. It’s a Spanish-language NPR show that aims to bring the depth of longform journalism to the world of podcasts. And it’s great—but I could never quite catch what everyone was saying.Read more...

If you’re flying on Alaska Airlines this week you may want to swing by a Starbucks on your way to the airport. Starbucks Red Cups launch tomorrow, November 7th, and to celebrate the coffee chain is partnering with another Seattle-based company, Alaska Airlines, to offer customers free priority boarding.

Fire is fun. Pie is fun. Setting your pumpkin pie (lightly) on fire is just a great time all around. Actually, I think all custard pies beg to be brûléed, but pumpkin is the seasonal darling, so we’ll focus on that.Read more...

With sound quality that can stand up to high-end offerings from Bose and Sony, excellent noise cancelation, and Apple’s customary ease of use, the brand new AirPods Pro are one of the best new tech products of the year.

Microsoft’s new Office app for iOS and Android, currently in beta, is supposed to be a “one-stop shop” alternative the mobile Word suite. It combines Office’s three most popular programs—Word, Excel, and Powerpoint—and throws in a bevy of mobile-minded features, like the ability to scan text and tables off paper…Read more...

There’s this incredibly stupid phenomenon in Hollywood studios. When a new studio exec replaces an old one, they throw out all the old film projects in development, and they start new ones. You’ve seen this happen in your own industry (and so have I), because this is what new bosses do. They change things. That’s…Read more...

The IRS released the federal tax rates and income brackets for 2020 today. The seven tax rates themselves remain the same as they were in 2019; however, the income limits for each have been adjusted to account for inflation over the course of the year.

Starting on December 1, 2019, a bunch of older Samsung and Roku devices will no longer be able to access Netflix. Netflix is citing “technical limitations” as the reason for this sudden loss of support but it’s unclear what those technical limitations are in the first place—though the ability to auto-play episodes (or…Read more...

In case you need a break from your Twitter timeline or Facebook news feed—or constant updates on the state of our country’s changing political landscape—here’s something that might make you and your problems feel instantly insignificant: The Size of Space. Designed by Neal Agarwal, it’s a website that compares your…Read more...

Ever since police tracked down the alleged Golden State Killer with a public DNA database, those sites have been privacy minefields for people who just want to learn more about their genetics. Now, a Florida judge has signed a warrant that allows authorities to search even the DNA of people who opted out of being part…Read more...