Lifehacker

Most people can’t really innovate, says Hartmut Esslinger, founder of frog design. He and his company (now celebrating fifty years in business) helped design Apple’s portable computers, Sony’s Walkman, and many websites, apps, gadgets, and high-end medical and dental equipment. These are his principles of innovation.

Like any good Corn Belt Catholic, my earliest experience with fish was being forced to eat it on Fridays instead of the meaty stuff I’d much rather have had. Variations on the theme included freezer-burned fish sticks, badly cooked catfish, and canned tuna. I’ve been off the stuff to this very day. Even as an adult, I…Read more...

I know things have been grim, entertainment-wise. Succession is done for the season. Joker is allegedly terrible. We’ve had weeks on end of kind of crummy Netflix offerings. But take heart, indoor children! We’ve got a bunch of promising viewables this week and I’m willing to bet at least one of these N.O.’s is right…Read more...

Instant Pot Smart Wi-Fi | $100 | AmazonRead more...

No matter how old or healthy you are, having a death plan, even a rough one, is a pretty solid idea. The people you leave behind are going to have to figure out what to do with your pets, your stuff, and even your Gmail account.Read more...

The year I was born was the year that “fist bump” was first used in print.

If you subscribe to Alaska Airlines email newsletter, you might want to go read a few of the last ones.

If you travel for work, then there’s a good chance you’re going to treat at least a few hotel rooms like “home.”

If you’re a Facebook user, then you’re likely pretty familiar with Facebook’s Timeline, where you can see status updates from all your friends.

One of my favorite grocery stores in San Francisco is the one that sells food that’s getting close to its expiration date. It’s a warehouse-type grocery situation, and everything in the store is significantly cheaper than it is at the regular grocery. You just need to be prepared to eat or freeze whatever it is you’re…Read more...

Zero Grid Neck Wallet | $12 | Amazon | Use promo code PXEBVG72 and clip the $1 off couponRead more...

On Thursday, amid reports of his involvement in Trump’s conversation with Ukraine’s president, Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced he would step down by the end of this year; this news comes just one week after acting Homeland Security Secretary, Kevin McAleenan, also resigned—which got us thinking: Just how many…Read more...

While those of us who play Fortnite were riveted to last weekend’s black hole, the rest of the world watched us watching it in confusion and, in some cases, curiosity. Almost two days later, when the game finally came back online, many of my friends—and many of you, in the comments—asked if you should get into it. You…Read more...

It’s finally happening: Yahoo Groups is shutting down. Well, mostly—it’ll still exist, but only as a shell of its former self, as Yahoo is turning the various groups that were once active on the platform into glorified email lists. So, what do you do now?Read more...

When my son was a toddler, we went through a very big “sensory activities” phase. Any new texture that he could squish or mold (and incorporate into his dinosaur battles) would keep him occupied for dozens of precious minutes. He loved regular Play-Doh, so I went in search of a homemade version that would be a little…Read more...

One of the boons of upgrading to the new iPhone every year is that the new one always feels so much faster. For most of us, it’s a nice feeling, and we leave it at that. The phone feels fast, then we get used to that speed, then the next one comes along and ... ooooh, that’s fast!

OPI 5-Pack Nail Polish | $17 | Daily Steals | Promo code KJOPIRead more...

A lot of people like to drink hot alcohol in cold weather, but I am not one of those people. Warming myself internally while wearing a thick, fuzzy sweater makes me sweaty—and panicky—which is why I keep my cocktails cold and guzzle-able, no matter the weather.Read more...

The like button ruined the internet. Social media and comment sections have trained us to channel our negative feelings into words, and our positive feelings into likes. So negativity is laid out in detail in the comments and replies, while positivity is compressed into a number. Scrolling through it all, or having it…Read more...

Two-factor authentication is an essential security measure that uses your phone to help prevent unauthorized access to your account. It makes it harder to access your account if you lose your phone, but that’s also sort of the point. Thankfully, you aren’t without options if you can’t find the one device you use to…Read more...

I love solving a good maze on paper, but it turns out real-life mazes can be trickier to solve. The biggest change is that you are down inside the maze and lose that coveted bird’s eye view. Outside of carrying a bag of breadcrumbs to mark your path, how do you escape?

Toddlers: they’re just like us. They like to snack on cookies and cheese puffs and suck down sugary smoothies—hey, who doesn’t? But toddler snacks are marketed in a way that makes parents think they’re buying something extra wholesome and healthy.Read more...

iOS users who prefer Google Maps over Apple’s Maps app or even Waze will finally have access to one of the best features from the Android version: the ability to submit live traffic reports.

Do you remember when Zappos, the online shoe store owned by Amazon, had that data breach in 2012 that exposed the usernames and passwords of 24 million customers? No, you’ve forgotten about it amidst all the other data breaches since then: Equifax, Yahoo, Marriott, et cetera. Until today, when the class action…Read more...

Up to 50% Off Water Filtration and Air Quality Essentials | Home DepotRead more...

Trader Joe’s is is one of those retailers that tries to be less of a store and more of an experience—which means it’s difficult to get through a TJ’s trip without the experience of spending more than you planned.Read more...

Cakes made from boxed mixes can be a little lackluster, one-note, and cloying, but one ingredient—whipped cream—can change all that. The fluffy dairy smooths over any telltale chemical leavening flavors, and adds height and body.Read more...

In the olden days, Black Friday was the big day for holiday shopping. You got up early, drove to the mall, and got in line just like everyone else who wanted to get a good price on a new TV, frying pan, or popular kids’ toy of that moment.

As Jalopnik’s resident car buying expert and professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve decided to pick a few questions and try to help out. This week we are discussing off-lease luxury SUVs, the market for used Lexus sport sedans and at what mileage do cars become problematic?Read more...

Amazon Prime Video is kicking off November with the addition of a ton of classic movies, including Big Top Pee-Wee, Bad Santa, and Goldeneye.Read more...

Earlier this week, I asked single parents for their best parenting hacks—because if anyone is crushing parenthood, it’s those who are doing it predominantly on their own. There was a ton of great advice offered up: Schedule all your dental cleanings in tandem, go to bed when the kids go to bed, get yourself ready for…Read more...

If you’ve been collecting airline miles for a while, then you’ve also probably started to look at what you can potentially do with them. The value of those miles can vary pretty dramatically depending on where you want to go and when. If those miles are on Delta, the airline has a page dedicated to showing you where…Read more...

We’re exploring different types of interval workouts this month, but running and rowing aren’t the only ways to do your cardio. Short intervals lend themselves well to home workouts.

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Receiving a gift is always an awkward exchange, particularly when the gift-giver, be it your mom or a colleague from the office, makes it clear they’ve spent time finding you the present. Given this information, there are obvious expectations—once you open that neatly gift-wrapped box, anything short of “I will live…Read more...

When your desktop PC is aging, but you don’t have the heart (or the budget) to replace it, there’s still plenty you can do to give it a long, fulfilling life. In this week’s tech-support column at Lifehacker, we’re taking a question from a reader who wants to know what they should put on their maintenance checklist…Read more...

When you plug stuff into the back of your monitor, computer, or TV, you have a few options, all annoying. You can go fumble blindly with your hand. You can bend under the monitor and bump your head. Or you can pull the whole thing away from the wall. But tech reporter Marques Brownlee has a trick: Use your phone’s…Read more...

If you’ve ever scrambled to save your airline miles before they expire, you know the heartache of seeing those hard-earned rewards drift away. In the interest of standing out among competitors, Southwest Airlines announced today that effective immediately, Rapid Rewards points never expire.

There are a lot of weird things at the gym. If you’re new, everything is mysterious: Is this a 45-pound bar? Why is there a little wheel in the corner with handles on it? As you get more advanced, or move to more interesting gyms, you’ll start to see more things. Chalk. Bars with oddly shaped handles. Straps, wraps,…Read more...

There are a lot of different forms of drinking water out there: tap, bottled, filtered, the kind with added electrolytes—the list goes on. But do we really need to spend the money on fancy water, or is it OK straight from the tap? Here’s what you need to know.Read more...

Are you tired of being called every name under the sun whenever you’re trying to play games on Xbox Live? I know the feeling; my meager Gears of War skills tend to make me the subject of ridicule by 14-year-olds across the service. And while I can’t stop anyone from telling you off over their headsets when you muck up…Read more...

Aukey 2.5" USB Hard Drive/SSD Enclosure | $8 | Amazon | Promo code LUWHFLCQRead more...

If you have your eyes on Xbox’s new Elite 2 controller, you might want to think about having Taco Bell for lunch.

Half the fun of stew season is choosing which carb to serve on the side. As much as I love a crusty loaf of bread and potatoes in all their forms, my favorite partner for rich, meaty braises will always be the humble buttered noodle—specifically, cheap lasagna noodles that have been smashed to bits.Read more...

Microsoft is readying the public release of its next major Windows 10 update, version 1909. These major releases show up twice a year, first in spring then again in the fall, and tend to include a number of new features, updates, and patches. However, they can also come with some major bugs and annoyances, so it’s…Read more...

Accurate and thorough butt-wiping is a skill every kid—who is able to—needs to master before they enter adulthood (before entering kindergarten would be even better, as I assume teachers would tell you). But showing them how it’s done is also kind of personal, and further than many are willing to go to be considered a…Read more...

The pauses were excruciating. My parents and I stared across the room at my chemistry teacher and his wife. We smiled northern white Protestant smiles. We had nothing to say. I vowed that when I grew up, I would never settle for an awkward conversation.

This week, Google announced that Stadia, its game-streaming platform, is coming out November 19. Consequently, it’s time to sit down and think about whether or not you really want to buy in for Stadia’s launch day.Read more...

If you haven’t yet booked your flight for the holidays, keep waiting—you might actually benefit by waiting a little longer before pulling the trigger. If, on the other hand, the idea of booking a trip last-minute gives you heart palpitations, Southwest is having a sale right now on flights this fall and winter—and…Read more...

The Tip of My Tongue subreddit has been helping people remember things for ten years. Next time you can’t remember the name of a movie, a song, a GIF, a book, a stop-motion video turning 20th-century warfare into a food fight...whatever it is, come here and ask.