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  6.    <description>Do everything better.</description>
  7.    <pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 06:14:16 +0000</pubDate>
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  16.      <title>Eight Advanced Google Docs Features You Should Be Using</title>
  17.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V</guid>
  18.      <pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 02:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  19.      <description>Up your productivity with a few more features for navigation, accessibility, collaboration, and more.</description>
  20.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/hero-image.png"/>
  21.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Beneath their surfaces, word processors like Google Docs have a treasure trove of hidden features that make it easier to draft large documents and collaborate on them with coworkers. I have covered <a href="https://lifehacker.com/8-of-the-best-hidden-features-in-google-docs-1848756006" target="_blank">a few Google Docs tips</a> before, but now I have a few more to share.</p><h2>1. Write in Markdown in Google Docs</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  22.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  23.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-1.fill.size_2000x1128.v1714065604.jpg" alt="Markdown setting in Google Docs" width="2000" height="1128" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-1.fill.size_800x451.v1714065604.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-1.fill.size_1400x789.v1714065604.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-1.fill.size_2000x1128.v1714065604.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  24.            </div>
  25.            <div class="mt-2">
  26.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  27.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  28.                    </div>
  29.    </div>
  30. <p>Google Docs supports some of the Markdown syntax. This offers a simple way to format documents using plain text symbols, making them easy to read and write while allowing for conversion into richer formats. If you are proficient with Markdown, it can help you draft documents faster, quickly formatting your text with italics, bold, strikethrough, and links. To enable it, go to <strong>Tools &gt; Preferences &gt;</strong> <strong>Automatically detect Markdown</strong>.</p><p>But do remember: Google Docs supports a limited subset of Markdown syntax, not all of it.</p><h2>2. Improve navigation with line numbers</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  31.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  32.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-2.fill.size_2000x986.v1714065604.jpg" alt="Line numbers in a Google Docs document" width="2000" height="986" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-2.fill.size_800x395.v1714065604.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-2.fill.size_1400x691.v1714065604.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-2.fill.size_2000x986.v1714065604.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  33.            </div>
  34.            <div class="mt-2">
  35.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  36.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  37.                    </div>
  38.    </div>
  39. <p>With the help of the humble line number, you and your collaborators can easily reference and pinpoint exact locations in complex and long documents. They can also help you take precise notes as you can connect them to the line numbers. But note that line numbers work only in the Pages format and not in the Pageless view.</p><p>Enable them by going to <strong>Tools &gt; Line numbers</strong>. In the line numbers sidebar, select <strong>Show line numbers</strong>.</p><h2>3. Use alt text to make docs more accessible</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  40.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  41.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-3.fill.size_2000x986.v1714065604.jpg" alt="Alternative text for images in Google Docs" width="2000" height="986" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-3.fill.size_800x395.v1714065604.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-3.fill.size_1400x691.v1714065604.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-3.fill.size_2000x986.v1714065604.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  42.            </div>
  43.            <div class="mt-2">
  44.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  45.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  46.                    </div>
  47.    </div>
  48. <p>Images help your doc, but they can't be "seen" by screen readers. Adding alt text to your images helps people using screen readers understand what the image depicts.</p><p>To add alt text, right-click on an image and select <strong>Alt Text</strong>. In the <strong>Image options</strong> sidebar, describe the image in short. Don't include "image of" or "picture of," just focus on the information the image shows.</p><h2>4. Use the Translate Document feature to practice reading and writing in another language</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  49.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  50.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-4.fill.size_2000x1012.v1714065605.jpg" alt="Translating a document in Google Docs" width="2000" height="1012" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-4.fill.size_800x405.v1714065605.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-4.fill.size_1400x709.v1714065605.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-4.fill.size_2000x1012.v1714065605.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
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  52.            <div class="mt-2">
  53.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  54.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  55.                    </div>
  56.    </div>
  57. <p>Google Docs won't replace a language learning course anytime soon, but it uses the same <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-best-ways-to-use-google-translate-in-a-foreign-coun-1833411661" target="_blank">Google Translate</a> wizardry to translate a document into any language. You can share translated documents with collaborators and use them to practice writing in a foreign language.</p><p>Open your document. Go to <strong>Tools &gt; Translate document</strong>. In the overlay window, choose your language, and Google Docs will create a copy in the foreign language.</p><p>Remember, you can also <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-use-google-sheets-to-translate-languages-for-you-1833717291" target="_blank">use Google Sheets to translate languages</a>.</p><h2>5. Force the receiver to make a copy of the Google Doc</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  58.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  59.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-5.fill.size_2000x1021.v1714065605.jpg" alt="Sharing settings in Google Docs" width="2000" height="1021" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-5.fill.size_800x408.v1714065605.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-5.fill.size_1400x715.v1714065605.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-5.fill.size_2000x1021.v1714065605.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  60.            </div>
  61.            <div class="mt-2">
  62.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  63.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  64.                    </div>
  65.    </div>
  66. <p>You may come across instances when you want to share a document but want the collaborator to make edits in their own copy of the original. Docs doesn't have an official method to force a copy, but there's a neat little unofficial hack that works.</p><p>Click on <strong>Share</strong> on the top right of the document. Change the link settings to <strong>Anyone with the link</strong> and choose <strong>Editor</strong> from the dropdown next to it. Now, copy the link and paste it into the email or messenger you are using to share the document. Before hitting send, edit the end of the link by replacing the word "edit" and everything after it with <strong>template/preview</strong>.</p><p>When the receiver opens the document to edit it, it will be their own copy. The "template/preview" URL suffix allows them to view the document contents before they start editing them (select the <strong>Use Template</strong> button in the preview).</p><h2>6. Embed a doc in an email</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  67.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  68.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-6.fill.size_2000x1059.v1714065605.jpg" alt="Embed a doc in an email" width="2000" height="1059" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-6.fill.size_800x424.v1714065605.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-6.fill.size_1400x742.v1714065605.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-6.fill.size_2000x1059.v1714065605.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  69.            </div>
  70.            <div class="mt-2">
  71.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  72.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  73.                    </div>
  74.    </div>
  75. <p>You don't need to send a long document to a collaborator as an attachment. Email it directly from Google Docs to the receiver's inbox as an embedded document. This makes sharing documents easier and cuts down the number of attachments everyone has to trawl through.</p><p>Go to <strong>File &gt; Email &gt; Email this file</strong>. Write a message in the field provided. Then, select the checkbox for <strong>Don't attach. Include content in the email</strong>.</p><h2>7. Brainstorm with Google Keep</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  76.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  77.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-7.fill.size_2000x977.v1714065605.jpg" alt="Google Keep in Google Docs sidebar" width="2000" height="977" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-7.fill.size_800x391.v1714065605.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-7.fill.size_1400x684.v1714065605.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-7.fill.size_2000x977.v1714065605.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  78.            </div>
  79.            <div class="mt-2">
  80.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  81.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  82.                    </div>
  83.    </div>
  84. <p>When combined with the long-form writing in Google Docs, the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-format-text-in-google-keep-1850949818" target="_blank">minimal Google Keep</a> (Google's free, digital notepad app for capturing thoughts, lists, and reminders) can be a handy brainstorming aid. </p><p>Capture fleeting ideas as notes or lists. When you need those ideas in your Doc, open the Keep side panel (the yellow light bulb icon on the right) and drag and drop your notes directly into your document. You can also copy text from your Doc and save it as a Keep note for easy access later.</p><h2>8. Collaborate on an email</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  85.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  86.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-8.fill.size_2000x986.v1714065605.jpg" alt="An email building block in Google Docs" width="2000" height="986" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-8.fill.size_800x395.v1714065605.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-8.fill.size_1400x691.v1714065605.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB4B0GK2RXG2XRE4P894M3V/images-8.fill.size_2000x986.v1714065605.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  87.            </div>
  88.            <div class="mt-2">
  89.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  90.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  91.                    </div>
  92.    </div>
  93. <p>Gmail offers collaborative inboxes to Google Workspace accounts, but there's another way to collaborate on an email for free that uses Google Docs. In a Google Doc, insert an email building block from <strong>Insert &gt; Building blocks &gt; Email draft</strong>. Alternatively, type "@email" in the doc and press Enter. You can also go to <strong>File &gt; Email draft</strong>.</p><p>Write the email and fill out the fields. Then, click Preview in Gmail at the top left of the draft. When you're done, hit <strong>Send</strong>.</p><p>The trove of features and tips doesn't end here. The Google Drive suite is more versatile than ever before, and you can always find <a href="https://lifehacker.com/10-new-google-docs-features-worth-trying-out-1849708472" target="_blank">different ways of working with Google Docs</a> that fit your specific needs.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  94.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/advanced-google-docs-features-you-should-be-using</link>
  95.      <dc:creator>Saikat Basu</dc:creator>
  96.      <category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>
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  98.    <item>
  99.      <title>The Samsung Galaxy S24 Lineup Is up to $200 Off</title>
  100.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWB66Q9HBTJ20YQKCMY55T1G</guid>
  101.      <pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 01:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  102.      <description>The Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra are all at their lowest prices since release.</description>
  103.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB66Q9HBTJ20YQKCMY55T1G/hero-image.png"/>
  104.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/samsung-galaxy-s24-amazon-gift-card-deal" target="_blank">Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup</a> was released earlier this year, they came with Amazon gift cards of up to $200 if you preordered from Amazon. Now, you can get those same gift card amounts directly discounted from the list prices. The <a href="https://zdcs.link/R2YwV?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S24&amp;short_url=R2YwV&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S24</a>, <a href="https://zdcs.link/5qxKL?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S24%2B&amp;short_url=5qxKL&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S24+</a>, and <a href="https://zdcs.link/4Ejpy?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S24%20Ultra&amp;short_url=4Ejpy&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S24 Ultra</a> are all at their lowest price since their January release, according to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/best-price-tracking-tools-1692745053" target="_blank">price checking tools</a>. </p><p>The Galaxy S24 lineup has a <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/new-samsung-galaxy-s24-smartphones" target="_blank">big emphasis on AI</a>. Some features include "Live Translate," which translates both text <em>and</em> voice during phone calls, and "Interpreter," which splits your Galaxy's screen in half and translates a two-way conversation in real-time through text. If you're not sure which one is the best phone in the lineup for you, you can <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s24-vs-s24-plus-vs-s24-ultra-what-is-difference" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">see PCMag's breakdown</a> to help you make up your mind.</p><h2>The S24 is $75 off</h2><p>The <a href="https://zdcs.link/vpgZq?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S24&amp;short_url=vpgZq&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S24</a> is the most basic phone in the lineup, but it still has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Galaxy chip. It's also the smallest and lightest phone of the three, with a 6.2-inch screen and 2,340 by 1,080 pixels of resolution. If you don't need the fast charging speeds, better resolution, and higher RAM of the higher-end models, the S24 is still a great phone for <strong>$724.99</strong> (originally $799.99).</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  105.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FyjVy6&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Samsung+Galaxy+S24+&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FyjVy6" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Samsung Galaxy S24">
  106.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  107.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  108.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Samsung Galaxy S24
  109.                </div>
  110.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">128GB AI Smartphone, Unlocked Android, 50MP Camera, Fastest Processor, Long Battery Life, US Version
  111.                    </div>
  112.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  113.                                            <div class="self-end">
  114.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  115.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  116.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$724.99</span>
  117.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  118.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  119.            </div>
  120.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  121.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$799.99</span>
  122.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $75.00</span>
  123.        </div>
  124.    </div>
  125.                            </div>
  126.                        </div>
  127.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  128.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  129.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  130.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  131.    </div>
  132. </div>
  133.                        </div>
  134.                                    </div>
  135.            </div>
  136.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  137.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB66Q9HBTJ20YQKCMY55T1G/images-1.fill.size_245x296.v1714067943.jpg" alt="SAMSUNG Galaxy S24 " width="245" height="296" loading="lazy">
  138.                            </div>
  139.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  140.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB66Q9HBTJ20YQKCMY55T1G/images-1.fill.size_245x296.v1714067943.jpg" alt="SAMSUNG Galaxy S24 " width="245" height="296" loading="lazy">
  141.                            </div>
  142.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  143.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  144.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  145.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  146.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  147.    </div>
  148. </div>
  149.                    </div>
  150.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  151.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  152.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  153.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$724.99</span>
  154.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  155.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  156.            </div>
  157.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  158.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$799.99</span>
  159.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $75.00</span>
  160.        </div>
  161.    </div>
  162.                    </div>
  163.                            </div>
  164.        </div>
  165. </a></div>
  166. <h2>The S24+ is $150 off</h2><p>The middle of the pack <a href="https://zdcs.link/gP4GG?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S24%2B&amp;short_url=gP4GG&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S24+</a>, which received an <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s24-plus" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">"excellent" review from PCMag</a>, is a good in-between choice with notable upgrades from the basic model. You'll get 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB, a bigger 6.7-inch screen with 3,120 by 1,440 pixels of resolution, and a bigger 4,900mAh battery over the S24's 4,000mAh. It's on sale for <strong>$849.99</strong> (originally $999.99).</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  167.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F3v3l3&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Samsung+Galaxy+S24%2B+&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F3v3l3" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Samsung Galaxy S24+">
  168.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  169.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  170.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Samsung Galaxy S24+
  171.                </div>
  172.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">256GB AI Smartphone, Unlocked Android, 50MP Camera, Fastest Processor, Long Battery Life, US Version
  173.                    </div>
  174.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  175.                                            <div class="self-end">
  176.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  177.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  178.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$849.99</span>
  179.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  180.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  181.            </div>
  182.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  183.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$999.99</span>
  184.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $150.00</span>
  185.        </div>
  186.    </div>
  187.                            </div>
  188.                        </div>
  189.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  190.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  191.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  192.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  193.    </div>
  194. </div>
  195.                        </div>
  196.                                    </div>
  197.            </div>
  198.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  199.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB66Q9HBTJ20YQKCMY55T1G/images-2.fill.size_245x300.v1714067943.jpg" alt="SAMSUNG Galaxy S24+ Plus" width="245" height="300" loading="lazy">
  200.                            </div>
  201.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  202.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB66Q9HBTJ20YQKCMY55T1G/images-2.fill.size_245x300.v1714067943.jpg" alt="SAMSUNG Galaxy S24+ Plus" width="245" height="300" loading="lazy">
  203.                            </div>
  204.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  205.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  206.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  207.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  208.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  209.    </div>
  210. </div>
  211.                    </div>
  212.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  213.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  214.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  215.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$849.99</span>
  216.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  217.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  218.            </div>
  219.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  220.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$999.99</span>
  221.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $150.00</span>
  222.        </div>
  223.    </div>
  224.                    </div>
  225.                            </div>
  226.        </div>
  227. </a></div>
  228. <h2>The S24 Ultra is $200 off</h2><p>The most premium phone in the lineup, the <a href="https://zdcs.link/4Ejpy?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Samsung%20Galaxy%20S24%20Ultra&amp;short_url=4Ejpy&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra</a>, is one of Samsung's best ever, even surprising Lifehacker tech writer Joshua Hawkins <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-review-an-android-heavy-hitter" target="_blank">during his <u>review</u></a>. He called it "a strong enough contender that I'd be willing to ditch my iPhone and make the jump to Android." Its screen is 0.1 inches bigger, and the battery is 100mAh larger, than the S24+, but you'll see the biggest difference in the camera. Both the S24+ and Ultra have a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP shooter, and a 10MP telephoto rear camera with a 12MP front camera, but the S24 Ultra has a 200MP main camera and a second 50MP telephoto lens camera. You can get the S24 Ultra for <strong>$1,099.99</strong> (originally $1,299.99).</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  229.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0CMDM65JH&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Samsung+Galaxy+S24+Ultra+256GB+Unlocked+Phone+%28Titanium+Black%29&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=01r9NmgBK21Rx0W2LaAnIwu&amp;offer_uuid=01kN32S9jP7qYcMaWa1G6y4&amp;object_type=01kN32S9jP7qYcMaWa1G6y4&amp;object_uuid=01r9NmgBK21Rx0W2LaAnIwu" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Unlocked Phone (Titanium Black)">
  230.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  231.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  232.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Unlocked Phone (Titanium Black)
  233.                </div>
  234.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  235.                                            <div class="self-end">
  236.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  237.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  238.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$1,099.99</span>
  239.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  240.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  241.            </div>
  242.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  243.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$1,299.99</span>
  244.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $200.00</span>
  245.        </div>
  246.    </div>
  247.                            </div>
  248.                        </div>
  249.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  250.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  251.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  252.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  253.    </div>
  254. </div>
  255.                        </div>
  256.                                    </div>
  257.            </div>
  258.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  259.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/01r9NmgBK21Rx0W2LaAnIwu/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1710855114.jpg" alt="Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Unlocked Phone (Titanium Black)" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  260.                            </div>
  261.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  262.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/01r9NmgBK21Rx0W2LaAnIwu/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1710855114.jpg" alt="Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Unlocked Phone (Titanium Black)" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  263.                            </div>
  264.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  265.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  266.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  267.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  268.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  269.    </div>
  270. </div>
  271.                    </div>
  272.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  273.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  274.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  275.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$1,099.99</span>
  276.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  277.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  278.            </div>
  279.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  280.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$1,299.99</span>
  281.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $200.00</span>
  282.        </div>
  283.    </div>
  284.                    </div>
  285.                            </div>
  286.        </div>
  287. </a></div>
  288. <p>Keep in mind that S24 users have pointed out some <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/galaxy-s24-launch-problems" target="_blank">issues with their phone's display and cameras</a> shortly after their release, but the experiences don't seem to be consistent for everyone. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  289.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/samsung-galaxy-s24-lineup-is-up-to-200-off</link>
  290.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  291.      <category><![CDATA[Android]]></category>
  292.    </item>
  293.    <item>
  294.      <title>Here's How Long You Should Rest Between Workout Sets</title>
  295.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1850810654</guid>
  296.      <pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  297.      <description>There are a few things to consider, but don't overthink it.</description>
  298.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2H4AAE7GVKX6TSCHME1D2Y/hero-image.png"/>
  299.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A typical strength- or muscle-building workout happens in sets. You lift the weight a certain number of times (&ldquo;reps&rdquo;), then you put it down for a quick rest before going again. But how long should that rest be? The answer will depend on a few factors, including the purpose of the workout. </p><p>There are legitimate reasons for powerlifters to wait five minutes between sets of squats, or for calisthenics devotees to set a 30-second timer before jumping back up for another set of pullups. There&rsquo;s also a good argument that, for many of us, rest times don&rsquo;t matter <em>that</em> much. </p><h2>Why rest times matter</h2><p>The longer you rest between sets, the more recovered you'll feel. But the shorter your rests, the more work you'll be able to do in a given gym session.</p><p>Choosing the most appropriate rest time for each exercise will get you the best gains in the gym. But the optimal rest time will depend on what kind of exercise you're doing and what your goals are. So let's go over some pros and cons of long and short rest times.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  300.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPOWERBLOCK-Sport-55-Dumbbell-Set%2Fdp%2FB00A21NRNO&amp;template=Hacks&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=POWERBLOCK+Elite+EXP+Adjustable+Dumbbell+%282020+Model%29&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=06Ufoe6Zk20HsGRACKKzMpG&amp;offer_uuid=00YR4aCFHFYMGwWdKvBgi1Z&amp;object_type=00YR4aCFHFYMGwWdKvBgi1Z&amp;object_uuid=06Ufoe6Zk20HsGRACKKzMpG" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="POWERBLOCK Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbell (2020 Model)">
  301.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  302.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  303.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">POWERBLOCK Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbell (2020 Model)
  304.                </div>
  305.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
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  358. </a></div>
  359. <h2>When to use long rest times</h2><p>Longer rests (say, three minutes or more) are best for strength workouts where the goal is to improve both your strength and your skill at lifting heavy weights. After all, you need practice at lifting heavy if you want to be able to lift heavy. After you put a heavy barbell down, you'll need several minutes for your body to be ready to do another big lift. </p><p>In the three to five minutes you might rest between sets of (say) barbell squats, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">ATP</a> in your muscles regenerates. You get some blood flow to bring oxygen and nutrients into your muscle cells, and flush away metabolic byproducts. Resting for several minutes gives you the best chance of coming back to the next set at full strength.</p><p>The longer you rest&mdash;within reason&mdash;the more fully recovered you&rsquo;ll be for the next set. If you only allow yourself one minute, you&rsquo;ll still be fatigued when you pick up the weight again. But if you wait longer, you&rsquo;ll be able to handle more weight. </p><h3>The downsides of long rest times</h3><p>The main disadvantage of long rest times is time management. Your workouts will be longer if you rest five minutes between exercises instead of one or two. You may also find yourself getting distracted between sets. You scroll social media for a bit, and somehow it's been eight minutes since you last touched a weight. Setting a rest timer can help with this. </p><p>Some people get antsy during long rests, and will pass the time by doing pushups or jumping jacks. That kind of defeats the purpose of long rests. Save the supersets for your accessory work afterwards, not the main lift where you're trying to go heavy.</p><h3>How long is a "long" rest time? </h3><p>For an exercise where you're using large muscle groups (like a squat or deadlift), five minutes is typical once you're up to your working weights for the day. Warmup sets don't need as much time. </p><p>For exercises where you're working on strength but it's a lighter lift or uses smaller muscles (like overhead press), three minutes is usually plenty. </p><h2>When to use short rest times</h2><p>When it comes to muscle growth, also called hypertrophy, shorter rests can make more sense. To be clear, strength and muscle growth are related, but not the same thing. If you aren't interested in lifting the heaviest weight possible, just in making your muscles bigger or your body more "toned," you would want to pay attention to the best rest times for hypertrophy. These will be shorter than for pure strength.</p><p>Traditionally, trainers say that 90 seconds or less is a good rule of thumb. (The National Academy of Sports Medicine <a href="https://blog.nasm.org/uncategorized/determining-best-rest-periods-resistance-exercise-training-goals" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">recommends</a> 0 to 60 seconds; the personal training textbooks from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Council on Exercise both recommend 30 to 90 seconds.) </p><p>But research has shown that short rest periods may not actually be better for muscle growth than longer ones. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26605807/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">2016 study</a> found that three-minute rest periods actually yielded <em>more</em> muscle growth than one-minute rests. The authors think this is because the men in their three-minute group (yep, the study was only done on men) were able to use heavier weights than the men in the one-minute group. Since the number of sets was the same in both groups, this means the three-minute group lifted more weight. </p><p>A <a href="https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/395/819?ck_subscriber_id=1348719321" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">more recent meta-analysis</a> (not yet fully peer reviewed and published) also comes down on the side of longer rests. According to the studies they included in the analysis, the authors found that 30 to 60 seconds is likely too short. Resting one to two minutes between sets is best for muscle growth, they say. More than two minutes doesn't really help. </p><h3>The downsides of short rest times</h3><p>The shorter your rests, the lighter weights you'll work with. This is fine if you're trying to make do with light dumbbells, but it means you're not getting practice with heavier weights. Most of us want to be jacked <em>and</em> strong, so short rest times mean you're biasing yourself to the muscle size side of the equation.</p><p>Very short rest times (less than a minute) may also interfere with your ability to make the biggest gains, as the studies above noted. You may be able to make up for this by doing more sets of the exercise. If you enjoy the go-go-go feeling of short rests, that may be totally fine with you. Add an extra set or two and you know you're using your time well. For the rest of us, though, slowing down and taking a full minute between sets will be better than rushing it.</p><h3>How long is a "short" rest time? </h3><p>One to two minutes is likely the sweet spot, according to recent studies. That's on the higher end of the recommended 30 to 90 seconds. It's fine to do some of your rests shorter and some longer, but if you'd like me to tell you what to punch in on your timer, go with 90 seconds.</p><h2>How to get the benefits of both long and short rest times</h2><p>Ultimately, you may be best off using a mix of long and short rest times, which is how a lot of programs are designed. Use longer rest times for a few big compound lifts at the beginning of the workout (like squats or bench press) and shorter rest times for circuits, accessories, or isolation exercises afterward (like curls or glute bridges). </p><p>Supersets are a great way to split the difference. If you work different muscle groups in two different exercises, you can do one exercise while the other muscles rest. This isn't your best option if you truly want all your energy and focus to go toward one lift (like if you're working up to a PR on your bench press) but it's a great way to do hypertrophy work. For example, try this: </p><ul><li><p>Do a set of pullups</p></li><li><p>Rest 30 seconds</p></li><li><p>Do a set of pushups</p></li><li><p>Rest 30 seconds</p><p>In this example, if it takes you 30 seconds to do the set of pushups, you've rested 90 total seconds in between your first set of pullups and your second set of pullups. </p></li></ul><h2>How long to rest between sets of specific exercises</h2><p>Okay, but what if you want to get stronger <em>and</em> grow muscle? What if you want to stop overthinking the specifics and do whatever rest period makes you look like a normal person at the gym who knows what they&rsquo;re doing? Here&rsquo;s a cheat sheet: </p><ul><li><p><strong>For pushups and pullups</strong>: If you do a small to medium number of reps (less than 12), treat them as a strength exercise and wait three to five minutes between sets. If you&rsquo;re one of those people banging out 20 or 50 at a time, you probably want to take rests of about a minute so that fatigue can make your next set a bit shorter and you can finish your workout in this lifetime.</p></li><li><p><strong>For barbell squats and deadlifts</strong>: These are compound lifts that use many muscles in your body. They&rsquo;re pretty much always done (relatively) heavy, and it&rsquo;s useful to build strength in these moves. Treat them as a strength exercise and wait three to five minutes.</p></li><li><p><strong>For bench press, overhead press, chest press, and shoulder press</strong>: These involve smaller muscles and less weight than squats and deadlifts, but they still qualify as compound, strength-focused exercises. Two to three minutes will be enough, most of the time, but take up to five on heavy sets if you need to. </p></li><li><p><strong>For rows and lat pulldowns</strong>: Same as the presses, for the same reasons. Two to three minutes may be enough, but up to five would still be reasonable.</p></li><li><p><strong>For isolation exercises</strong>: if you&rsquo;re trying to feel the burn or the pump, short rests will really help you here. Take 30 seconds between sets. </p></li></ul><p>These are just guidelines, so feel free to experiment. If you want to work on your cardiovascular conditioning, take a little less rest between sets. If you&rsquo;ve already done a big set of bench presses today, do the rest of your arm and chest accessories with shorter rest periods. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
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  418. </a></div>
  419. <h2>All your questions about rest times, answered</h2><p>Let's do a lightning round, since I know rest times are a <em>huge</em> subject of discussion among people who are getting the hang of the gym routine. But first, a plea for you to not overthink this: if you simply rest <em>until you feel ready to go again</em>, you'll probably do ok. </p><h3>Is three minutes rest between sets too much?</h3><p>No. If you're trying to move a heavy weight, you probably want to rest a <em>minimum</em> of three minutes. If you're training for muscle size (and don't care as much about strength), you could shorten your rests a bit. Still, it's not bad to rest too long, just slightly inefficient.</p><h3>Can you rest an hour between sets? </h3><p>At that point I wouldn't call it a rest time, just a different workout. When you come back to the gym after that hour, you'll need to warm up all over again. I would say if it's been more than 10 or 15 minutes between sets, or if you feel like you're physically cooling down, it's worth doing some kind of exercise just to keep your body ready. This could be pushups while you're waiting for a bench to free up, for example.</p><h3>How long should I rest if I'm new to the gym? </h3><p>As a noob, you're probably not lifting very heavy (yet). That means you don't have a lot to rest <em>from</em>. Say you're doing squats: your body is still learning how to squat <em>at all</em>. You aren't taking 300 pounds for a ride and needing to rest several minutes to recover. </p><p>For that reason, newer people may not need to rest as much. Two minutes between squat sets? Sure, that's fine if you feel ready. The pitfall here is that if you get used to taking short rests, you could end up working with weights that are too light for you. After your first few weeks at the gym, make sure to do some of your heavier lifts with longer rest times (at least three minutes) and see if you feel fresher.</p><h3>What happens if I don't rest between sets?</h3><p>If you can do multiple sets of an exercise without resting in between, you're not using an appropriate weight. There's supposed to be a difference between three sets of 10, and one set of 30. If your workout says to do 3x10, you're <em>supposed</em> to feel tired enough after that 10th rep that you need to rest at least a minute or two before going again.</p><p>And yes, it can be awkward to be standing around in the squat rack, doing nothing or even <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-do-you-pass-time-between-sets-1838488836" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">scrolling on your phone</a> while others are waiting. But remember: Everybody rests between sets! Or at least, they should. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  420.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/how-long-you-should-rest-between-sets-1850810654</link>
  421.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  422.      <category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
  423.    </item>
  424.    <item>
  425.      <title>Ask Yourself These Two Questions Before You Keep Something ‘Just in Case’</title>
  426.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWBF4G5X8N91T75FN27J2MW5</guid>
  427.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  428.      <description>Use the 20/20 rule to figure out what you really need to keep.</description>
  429.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWBF4G5X8N91T75FN27J2MW5/hero-image.png"/>
  430.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Like so much else, decluttering requires you to consider both the theoretical and the practical. Yes, you have to get in there at some point and physically start throwing things away and organizing what you keep, but you also have to do a little work on and with yourself. </p><p>Not to sound all woo-woo, but there is an element of visualization and self-knowledge that comes into play. For instance, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/the-difference-between-peter-walsh-and-marie-kondos-decluttering-methods" target="_blank"><u>some of the most popular decluttering methods</u></a> call on you to visualize your ideal space so when you start actually decluttering, you&rsquo;re always building toward the creation of that vision. The deep thinking doesn&rsquo;t end when you get to work, either: You should be intellectualizing your choice of whether to keep or get rid of every single item, too. Try asking yourself just two simple questions about each thing.&nbsp;</p><h2>The 20/20 rule</h2><p>This approach, like the &ldquo;<a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/throw-a-packing-party-to-declutter-your-home" target="_blank"><u>packing party</u></a>&rdquo; decluttering method, <a href="https://www.theminimalists.com/jic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>comes from organizational gurus The Minimalists</u></a>. It&rsquo;s called the 20/20 Rule and to use it, you need to ask yourself two easy questions when you&rsquo;re deciding between keeping or getting rid of an item. It&rsquo;s especially important when you think you&rsquo;ve found something you ought to keep around &ldquo;just in case&rdquo; you need it some time in the future.&nbsp;</p><p>First, ask yourself, &ldquo;Could I replace this item for less than $20?&rdquo; Then, ask yourself, &ldquo;Could I replace it in less than 20 minutes?&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><p>If the answer to those questions is &ldquo;yes,&rdquo; you can afford to get rid of the thing. A good example is, say, a lighter. If you&rsquo;re not someone who regularly lights candles or smokes, you may never use a lighter, but it&rsquo;s something that could easily strike you as a &ldquo;just in case&rdquo; item. You might rationalize you need it just in case someone comes over with a cigar or just in case you host a birthday party. But realistically, that&rsquo;s not going to happen. And if it does, the few bucks you spend on another one at the corner store down the street are worth the space you save by getting rid of the original one.&nbsp;</p><h2>Why this works</h2><p>If this sounds familiar, it&rsquo;s because the 20/20 rule isn&rsquo;t the only example of an easy, two-question quiz you can give yourself when decluttering. When following the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/decluttering-at-the-speed-of-life-when-cleaning-is-overwhelming" target="_blank"><u>&ldquo;Decluttering at the Speed of Life&rdquo; method</u></a>, you are supposed to ask yourself, &ldquo;If I needed this item, where would I look for it?&rdquo; If you can&rsquo;t answer that, you ask yourself, &ldquo;If I needed this item, would it occur to me that I already own one?&rdquo; Those &ldquo;just in case&rdquo; items you hold onto are usually so infrequently used that you don&rsquo;t even remember you have them at all, let alone have a specific spot to store them.&nbsp;</p><p>For some people (myself included, for transparency) decluttering is hard because of a hangup on these &ldquo;just in case&rdquo; items. I can rationalize keeping <em>anything</em> on the basis that I might need it one day, but the truth is I just never do. That&rsquo;s where the two questions come in: They&rsquo;re objective, yes-or-no questions that remove the sentimentality and guesswork from deciding whether to keep something. They remove the emotions and provide you with a backup plan (spending less than $20 without inconveniencing yourself) in the event you ever actually <em>do </em>need something, so you don&rsquo;t have to get hung up on worries about the future and can just trash the item and move on.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  431.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/ask-yourself-two-questions-before-throwing-something-out</link>
  432.      <dc:creator>Lindsey Ellefson</dc:creator>
  433.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  434.    </item>
  435.    <item>
  436.      <title>Three Reasons You Should Turn Down Unsolicited Real Estate Offers</title>
  437.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWB1PPM0BQ492AY9EJFQKQ9N</guid>
  438.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  439.      <description>If you own a home, you’ve probably gotten cold calls from folks who want to buy your house even though it’s not for sale. It’s probably not in your best interest.</description>
  440.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB1PPM0BQ492AY9EJFQKQ9N/hero-image.png"/>
  441.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you own a home these days you&rsquo;re increasingly lucky in a lot of ways. If you bought before the recent interest rate hikes, you&rsquo;re probably sitting on a nice, low rate that makes current buyers seethe with jealousy. And considering that there&rsquo;s a lack of <a href="https://lifehacker.com/three-clues-that-a-house-will-be-for-sale-soon-1850619169" target="_blank">available homes to buy</a> (the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-market-outlook-shortage-home-prices-mortgage-rates-real-estate-2024-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">housing deficit</a> in the U.S. is estimated to remain between 1-2 million for the foreseeable future), your property is worth more and more every day.</p><p>This explains a common experience among homeowners: The unsolicited call, text, or piece of mail <a href="https://lifehacker.com/selling-your-home-to-an-ibuyer-is-almost-always-a-bad-idea" target="_blank">offering to buy your house</a> even though it isn&rsquo;t listed for sale. A lot of homeowners are surprised when these start rolling in, because they assume you have to officially list your house to sell it&mdash;but of course you can sell your home at any time, to anyone, for any price (well, your lender might have something to say about the price, but as long as you can pay off your mortgage you can do what you want).</p><p>If you have no plans to sell your home but the convenience of a buyer just showing up and handing you a bag of cash for the place is appealing, however, you should think twice: There are three big reasons you should <em>never</em> respond to an unsolicited offer on your house.</p><h2>Scams</h2><p>Reason number one to ignore unsolicited real estate offers: They might be scams. Pretty much any time someone contacts you with an offer that seems too easy or too profitable to be true, it is. A few ways scammers utilize cold calling like this include:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Up-front fees.</strong> They&rsquo;ll tell you that they have a nice cash offer on your house, but you have to pay some <a href="https://www.homego.com/blog/unsolicited-calls-to-buy-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">administrative fees</a> to get the ball rolling. No legitimate real estate professional will ask you for an up-front fee.</p></li><li><p><strong>Bank details.</strong> Some scammers are in it for <a href="https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/home-buying/unsolicited-text-to-buy-my-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">your bank details</a>, which they tell you they need in order to do a wire transfer. Instead, of course, they use the information to drain your accounts.</p></li><li><p><strong>Title.</strong> Sometimes the scammers lure you in with a &ldquo;cash offer&rdquo; that turns out to be an offer to sell your house on your behalf&mdash;and then they ask you to <a href="https://ncdoj.gov/protecting-consumers/mortgages-home-loans/we-buy-homes-scams/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">sign over the title</a> to them to facilitate the process. They then legally own your home, and can do whatever they want with it.</p></li></ul><p>It&rsquo;s always hard to tell if an unsolicited call is a scam&mdash;so your best bet is to just ignore them.</p><h2>Lowball offers</h2><p>Most unsolicited real estate offers aren&rsquo;t outright scams&mdash;but that doesn&rsquo;t mean they&rsquo;re a good idea. One big reason is simple: An unsolicited offer is usually going to be a lowball offer that won&rsquo;t get you the most money for your property. That&rsquo;s because these offers come from three main groups of people:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Wholesalers.</strong> <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/100214/what-goal-real-estate-wholesaling.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Wholesalers</a> enter into purchase contracts on properties, then turn around and sell the house to a third party. Sometimes they already have a buyer for your home, sometimes they just think finding one will be easy. In either case, they&rsquo;re going to <a href="https://www.homelight.com/blog/why-do-i-keep-getting-offers-on-my-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">lowball you on the sale price</a> because they need to make a profit. If your home can get $250,000 on the market, they will offer you $200,000 and hope to make $50k in profit. They hope that the convenience of getting an unsolicited offer will tempt you into making an &ldquo;easy&rdquo; sale.</p></li><li><p><strong>Flippers.</strong> You&rsquo;re probably familiar with the concept of house-flipping, where investors buy run-down properties for cheap, renovate them quickly, and sell them before they get too deep into mortgage payments. You might assume flippers always target foreclosures, but they also do cold-call outreach if your neighborhood is desirable&mdash;and it&rsquo;s the nature of their business to lowball you on the price in order to maximize their profits.</p></li><li><p><strong>Individual buyers.</strong> Sometimes that unsolicited offer comes from someone who <a href="https://orchard.com/blog/posts/getting-unsolicited-offers-to-buy-my-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">legitimately wants to buy your house</a> for themselves. Homes are expensive these days&mdash;the median home price is <a href="https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-tracker-february-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">about $413,000</a>&mdash;so some folks try to beat the market by making unsolicited lowball offers in the hope that the current owner just jumps at it instead of doing their due diligence.</p><p>Even if the buyer isn&rsquo;t trying to scam you&mdash;and even if they make a fair offer on the property&mdash;you still might lose out because the unsolicited offer prevents any bidding wars that might drive up the price of your home and increase your profit on the sale. If an unsolicited offer makes you decide to sell your home, you&rsquo;ll probably make more money if you list it.</p></li></ul><h2>Sketchy agents</h2><p>A third reason to ignore all unsolicited real estate calls is because responding to one forces you to work with someone you know nothing about. They may not be licensed real estate professionals at all, and might encourage you not to involve a real estate pro in order to avoid their fees, or pressure you to work with their team to close the sale. In other words, they&rsquo;ll appeal to your greed.</p><p>Bypassing a real estate agent can save you some money, but it also leaves you without their expert guidance and knowledge of both the market and the law&mdash;and leaves you reliant on some rando who called you out of the blue for your information. If the unexpected offer is appealing, you should seek the advice of a professional and research the entity making the offer to understand if they&rsquo;re on the up-and-up or sketchy AF.</p><p>If an unsolicited call about selling your house makes you think it might be the right move, you&rsquo;ll almost always do better by going through the usual process of selling your home. An unsolicited offer indicates your home is valuable, so you&rsquo;ll probably get a better offer from the open market, and working with a legit real estate agent who understands your market will also probably maximize your profit even when fees are taken into consideration. Just like everything in life, the easy route is rarely the best one.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  442.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/money/never-accept-unsolicited-offers-to-buy-your-house</link>
  443.      <dc:creator>Jeff Somers</dc:creator>
  444.      <category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
  445.    </item>
  446.    <item>
  447.      <title>Why You Should Use Virtual Cards to Pay for Subscriptions</title>
  448.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWBENA0WDP2NF47C2W4CGW5A</guid>
  449.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 22:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  450.      <description>Use a virtual card to make signing up (and cancelling) easier and more secure.</description>
  451.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWBENA0WDP2NF47C2W4CGW5A/hero-image.png"/>
  452.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you have subscriptions to services like Netflix and Uber Eats&mdash;or you simply love to sign up for free trials that require you to enter a credit card&mdash;you should consider using virtual cards as your go-to payment method. </p><p>Unlike your physical credit cards, virtual cards generate unique account numbers that can be used for transactions, meaning that your actual card number is protected. You can have different card numbers for each online store or subscription service, and you can set spending limits and expiration dates as well as lock or delete virtual cards without impacting your actual payment account. </p><p>(Note that this is different from paying with a digital wallet&mdash;Apple Pay or Google Pay&mdash;which uses your real card number for transactions.)</p><h2>The biggest perks of using a virtual card</h2><p>Using a virtual card for your subscriptions makes it easier to cancel subscriptions or let your account lapse, which could save you money. For example, if you sign up for a free trial with a one-time virtual card or a card you can deactivate, it doesn't matter if you forget to cancel before the trial period ends&mdash;the transaction won't go through. </p><p>Similarly, deactivating your virtual card is a simple way to cancel ongoing subscriptions, as the service won't be able to charge you going forward (though it's also best to complete the official cancellation process directly with the subscription service). </p><p>Of course, if you want to keep a subscription, a virtual card also has merit. A multi-use virtual card number will still be valid even if the physical card associated with the account has to be replaced due to theft, loss, or expiration, so you won't miss a minute of your shows or a single food delivery. </p><p>Another obvious benefit of a virtual card: security. If your information is part of a hack or leak, your real card number is protected. Plus, if your virtual card is one-time use only, no one will be able to make purchases to your account. </p><h2>How to get a virtual credit card</h2><p>Many credit card issuers allow you to enroll for a virtual card using your physical card. You might need to add the card to a digital wallet and check out using a browser extension or app, through which you'll be able to generate a one-time card number or receive a unique code to enter at checkout. American Express, Capital One, Citi, Mastercard, and Visa all support virtual cards. </p><p>Alternatively, services like <a href="http://Privacy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Privacy.com</a> and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-pay-using-virtual-credit-cards-in-1password-1845160035" target="_blank">password managers like 1Password</a> (via a <a href="http://Privacy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Privacy.com</a> partnership) offer the option to create and pay with virtual cards. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  453.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/money/why-you-should-use-virtual-cards-to-pay-for-subscriptions</link>
  454.      <dc:creator>Emily Long</dc:creator>
  455.      <category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category>
  456.    </item>
  457.    <item>
  458.      <title>A Complete Timeline of the TikTok Ban in the US</title>
  459.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWB8AB8SAFTW2950961SPDRE</guid>
  460.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  461.      <description>The "TikTok ban" has been signed into law, but that doesn't mean TikTok is going away for sure.</description>
  462.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB8AB8SAFTW2950961SPDRE/hero-image.png"/>
  463.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Whether or not you use the app, you've probably heard a thing or two about the "TikTok ban." It's true: President Biden <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/tiktok-isnt-banned-yet" target="_blank">signed the legislation into law on Wednesday</a>, following an unusual bipartisan effort in both chambers of Congress. How did we get here, and is TikTok really going away for good?</p><h2>A very brief history of TikTok</h2><p>TikTok hasn't always been TikTok. The app so many Americans know and love started out life as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-musically-2016-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Musical.ly</a>, an app designed for sharing 15-second lip-syncing videos. Musical.ly survived in this form from 2014 until 2018, when its new owner, ByteDance, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/2/17644260/musically-rebrand-tiktok-bytedance-douyin" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">rebranded the app to TikTok</a>. </p><p>Since the rebrand, the app has absolutely exploded in popularity around the world, especially in the U.S. <a href="https://backlinko.com/tiktok-users" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">According to ByteDance</a>, the app has had a 1,239.29 percent user base increase between 2018 and 2023. That's 11.2 million to over 150 million. What started as an app for young adults to send lip sync videos to their friends transformed seemingly overnight into an entertainment revolution. </p><p>TikTok was ByteDance's second video app venture: Its first, Douyin, is, to this day, a Chinese-exclusive app. In many ways, Douyin is a close cousin to TikTok: Users scroll through vertical videos delivered to them via an addictive algorithm. Like TikTok, Douyin relies on advertising and shopping to drive profits. However, contrary to what you might think, Douyin is really ByteDance's main source of revenue, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/25/business/china-tiktok-douyin.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">accounting for about 80 percent of the company's $54 billion takings</a> in the first half of last year. TikTok, which is massively popular all over the world, accounted for the other 20 percent.</p><h2>Why is TikTok a security threat?</h2><p>Sure, TikTok is popular, but plenty of other apps are popular as well. Why would the U.S. government single out TikTok, rather than, say, any of Meta's products (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) or something like Snapchat, plenty of which have Americans addicted? In short, the Chinese government. </p><p>ByteDance is a Chinese-based company, and, as such, must comply with China's corporate laws. These regulations are quite heavy-handed: For example, not only does <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/what-do-we-know-about-tiktoks-chinese-owner-bytedance-2024-03-15/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">the Chinese government have a party branch inside ByteDance</a>, which is standard protocol for the country, but it also has a seat on the company's board. On top of that, certain laws, especially the 2017 National Intelligence Law, <a href="https://www.chinalawtranslate.com/en/what-the-national-intelligence-law-says-and-why-it-doesnt-matter/#:~:text=Article%20seven%20says%20in%20part,General%20Provisions%E2%80%9D%20chapter%2C%20where%20a" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">compels companies to share data with the Chinese government</a>, and to hide the fact they're doing so.</p><p>So, lawmakers and intelligence agencies are concerned American user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. TikTok, like most social media apps, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">collects a <em>lot</em> of data</a>, including names, addresses, email addresses, IP addresses, contacts, messages, location data, platform usage, etc. While everyone from Meta to Snapchat collects similar information, they aren't based in another country with complicated, at-times adversarial geopolitical differences. </p><p>From here, there are also fears TikTok is manipulating the content American viewers see. Yes, some lawmakers are very much concerned about how TikTok has delivered videos on the war between Israel and Hamas, which has led some users to believe the government dislikes the lack of control of the narrative in this case. But the TikTok problem goes beyond that: Remember Douyin? The Chinese government <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/tiktok-china/story?id=108111708#:~:text=In%20the%20U.S.%2C%20children%20experience,on%20internet%20use%20among%20children." target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">is very strict about the content</a> it allows to be shown to children and teenagers, with a focus on more educational content. While few are calling for TikTok to censor all non-educational content for users under 18, the existing model of manipulation poses a concern for how TikTok could, theoretically, shape what American users see for the advantage of the Chinese government. </p><h2>A timeline of the TikTok ban</h2><p>U.S. government officials have had <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/16/how-tiktok-went-from-a-fun-viral-app-to-a-us-national-security-concern.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">public concerns about TikTok as a national security threat since at least 2019</a>. At that time, TikTok had banned an account from a user in New Jersey: The user claimed they were banned after posting about the Chinese government's persecution of the Uyghurs, while TikTok claimed the ban was for unrelated reasons, and the video in question was taken down because of a "human moderation error." Lawmakers also had concerns about how TikTok could potentially share American users' data with the Chinese government, though there was no known breach of data at that time. </p><p>In 2020, the app landed in the crosshairs of the Trump administration: <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-posed-tiktok/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">In an executive order</a>, Trump gave ByteDance two choices: Sell TikTok to an American company, or see the app banned in the U.S. (Sound familiar?) At that time, Microsoft was in talks to buy the app, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/technology/tiktok-microsoft-oracle-bytedance.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Oracle came out as the chosen partner to take the lead</a>. No sale happened in the end, however: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/12/07/944039053/u-s-judge-halts-trumps-tiktok-ban-the-2nd-court-to-fully-block-the-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">The courts blocked the executive order</a> in December of 2020, so ByteDance was off the hook. </p><p>But Oracle still had a role to play: In 2022, <a href="https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/project-texas-tiktok-plan-stay-america-oracle-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">through Project Texas</a>, TikTok started passing all U.S. user data through Oracle servers, as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/16/oracle-auditing-tiktok-algorithms" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Oracle reviewed TikTok algorithms and moderation policies</a> looking for any evidence of tampering or interference from the Chinese government. But 2022 wasn't the year TikTok earned favor with the U.S. government: In the same year Project Texas rolled out, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/us/politics/tik-tok-spying-justice-dept.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">ByteDance employees scraped the TikTok accounts of American journalists</a> to obtain their IP addresses. The company was looking for sources of ByteDance leaks reported on by these targeted journalists.</p><p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/tiktok-ban-biden-government-college-state-federal-security-privacy-rcna63724" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">In December of 2022</a>, the Biden administration banned TikTok from federal devices, months before <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/the-tiktok-situation-is-a-mess" target="_blank">TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress</a>, a chaotic scene that made lawmakers look wildly out of touch and aloof, undermining certain legitimate concerns:</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  464.    <div id="video-container-RgLQCfypDLk"></div>
  465. </div>
  466.  
  467.  
  468. <p>Despite Shou Zi Chew's best efforts to depict TikTok as disconnected from the Chinese government, we learned in July of 2023 that, indeed, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandralevine/2023/06/21/tiktok-confirms-data-china-bytedance-security-cfius/?sh=52988d4c3270" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">some U.S. user data is stored in China</a>. This data pertained to creators that get paid for the content they post, rather than average TikTok users, but still, TikTok stored information from those creators, like social security numbers and tax forms, in China. That year, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/caileygleeson/2024/03/12/these-39-states-already-ban-tiktok-from-government-devices/?sh=2a15fe7b6705" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">39 states followed the Biden administration's lead</a> in banning TikTok from government devices. Montana even tried to ban the app from the state entirely, but <a href="https://mashable.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-blocked" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">a judge blocked that ban in December of last year</a>.</p><p>When the House of Representatives started getting serious about possibly cracking down on TikTok, the company panicked. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktok/video/7345981888646941994" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Chew posted a plea on the platform</a>, asking users to reach out to their congresspeople in support of saving the app. TikTok fans, predictably, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/07/business/tiktok-phone-calls-congress.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">flooded Congress with phone calls</a>. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/technology/tiktok-ban-congress.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">According to The New York Times</a>, this scared the <em>shit</em> out of lawmakers&mdash;not because they thought they were doing the wrong thing, but because it showed how much influence TikTok had over its users. The campaigned backfired, and actually sped up legislation. </p><p>Following years of debate and discussion, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-likely-pass-bill-ban-tiktok-sending-senate-rcna142797" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill</a> that would force ByteDance to divest its stake in the app to an American-based company, tying the legislation to a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza. The House passed the bill by a vote of 352-65, in a rare bipartisan agreement. And while the bill's fate in the Senate was far from certain, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-1c48466df82f3684bd6eb21e61ebcb8d" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">that chamber also passed the bill in a bipartisan effort in April</a>. The President <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/04/24/1246663779/biden-ban-tiktok-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">quickly signed it into law</a>, focused mostly on the international aid.</p><h2>So, is TikTok dead in the U.S.?</h2><p>No. In fact, its fate is far from certain. What we know is that you can continue to binge TikTok to your heart's content until at least January of 2025: While the House's original bill forced ByteDance to sell or be banned within six months, the Senate extended that timeline to nine months. President Biden also has the option to extend things by 90 days if it seems ByteDance is meaningfully working on selling. So, no matter what, this won't be a problem until next year. </p><p>That means the app will be very much in play for the 2024 elections. We will have to see how that plays out, and how TikTok influences (or doesn't influence) voters' opinions as we hurl towards November. If TikTok is the national security threat the government thinks it is, it'll be one hell of an election season. The videos will no doubt be spicy leading up to a potential January exit. </p><p>But TikTok won't <strong>have</strong> to leave the U.S. if ByteDance sells to an American company. So far, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/4/25/bytedance-prefers-tiktok-shutdown-in-us-over-sale-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">ByteDance has signaled it won't sell</a>, but if it wanted to, it has it choices. Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/14/former-treasury-secretary-mnuchin-is-putting-together-an-investor-group-to-buy-tiktok.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">is interested in buying TikTok</a>, as are <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/former-activision-ceo-bobby-kotick-considering-buying-tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick</a> and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6348523512112" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">investor Kevin O'Leary</a>. Perhaps Oracle will make a bid, or Microsoft, but nothing is certain.</p><p>Don't be so quick to write up TikTok's obituary quite yet. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  469.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/a-complete-timeline-of-the-tiktok-ban-in-the-us</link>
  470.      <dc:creator>Jake Peterson</dc:creator>
  471.      <category><![CDATA[Mobile Apps]]></category>
  472.    </item>
  473.    <item>
  474.      <title>How to Disconnect Your Windows Account From the Cloud</title>
  475.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWBC5C0DYK7RF1ATAM8CWH4Z</guid>
  476.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  477.      <description>Changing your PC to use a local Windows account is a great way to protect your privacy.</description>
  478.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWBC5C0DYK7RF1ATAM8CWH4Z/hero-image.png"/>
  479.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you're already using <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-install-windows-11-without-extra-junk" target="_blank">Windows 11</a>, that means you likely set it up using a Microsoft account, unless you already checked out our guide on <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/set-up-windows-11-without-microsoft-account" target="_blank">how to use a local account when setting up Windows 11</a>. If you've already set up a Microsoft account, don't despair: You still aren't locked into using a cloud-based account on your PC. Instead, you can actually disconnect your Microsoft account from the cloud and turn it into a local account instead.</p><p>You won't lose any of your information or data if you follow this method, allowing you to cut the ties with Microsoft's various cloud services and still make the most of your Windows 11 PC.</p><h2>How to remove your Microsoft account from Windows</h2><p>To get started, open the Windows 11 settings menu. This can be found by pressing <strong>Windows</strong> <strong>Key</strong> <strong>+</strong> <strong>I</strong> or by opening the Start Menu and selecting the Settings cog.</p><p>Click <strong>Account</strong> &gt; <strong>Your</strong> <strong>Info</strong> &gt; <strong>Sign</strong> <strong>in with</strong> <strong>a</strong> <strong>local</strong> <strong>account</strong> <strong>instead</strong>. Then, enter a new password for your local account and confirm the change. Windows will save your changes and switch your Microsoft account to a local account that's stored directly on the PC. You can still access your Microsoft account online with the information that you used before, but your Windows 11 PC will no longer be tied directly to that account.</p><h2>How to remove a work or school account from Windows 11</h2><p>If you're using a school or work account, then removing them is somewhat similar.</p><p>Open the Windows settings by pressing <strong>Windows</strong> <strong>Key</strong> <strong>+ I</strong>. Navigate to <strong>Accounts</strong> &gt; <strong>Access</strong> <strong>work</strong> <strong>or</strong> <strong>school</strong> and then click <strong>Disconnect</strong>. This will remove your work or school account from Windows 11. Keep in mind it will also lock out any features that you had access to through those accounts, like Microsoft Teams.</p><h2>Why you may want to remove your Microsoft account from Windows</h2><p>Having a Microsoft account tied to your Windows 11 account gives you access to a ton of additional features, like <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/copilot-now-lets-you-use-gpt-4-turbo-for-free" target="_blank">Copilot</a> and OneDrive. But if you want to take a more private approach to how you use your PC, then disconnecting your account cuts off Microsoft's access to your data. It does mean you'll lose out on features like cloud storage, but on the other hand, you'll have more control over what data Microsoft is able to capture and share with advertisers.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  480.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-remove-microsoft-account-from-windows-11-local-vs-cloud</link>
  481.      <dc:creator>Joshua Hawkins</dc:creator>
  482.      <category><![CDATA[Computing]]></category>
  483.    </item>
  484.    <item>
  485.      <title>It's Time to Start Taking Your Spring Allergies Seriously</title>
  486.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1850313310</guid>
  487.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  488.      <description>If you've been sniffling your way through springtime, make 2024 the year you finally make some changes.</description>
  489.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GNP658ZR34V96QVV3511A/hero-image.jpg"/>
  490.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&rsquo;s not your imagination&mdash;spring allergy season really is getting worse every year. (Thanks, climate change.) Pollen seasons now start 20 days earlier and last 10 days longer than they did in 1990, <a href="https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/impacts/yes-allergy-seasons-are-getting-worse-blame-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">according to research</a>, and pollen counts are up as well. If you&rsquo;ve been thinking of each spring&rsquo;s season as something to just whiteknuckle your way through, it may be time to take a different approach.</p><h2>Do the easy things first</h2><p>If you&rsquo;ve been mostly ignoring your allergies and hoping they pass quickly, let&rsquo;s go over a few small changes that can help. (Veteran allergy sufferers are probably doing these things already.) </p><p>First of all, pollen comes from the outdoors. So do your best to keep it there. Instead of opening the windows on a nice spring day, keep them closed and rely on your house&rsquo;s ventilation system to adjust the temperature as needed. Replace your system&rsquo;s air filter with a fresh one that has a high MERV rating; we have <a href="https://lifehacker.com/when-to-change-your-air-filter-and-how-to-choose-the-r-1848648590" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">more on choosing and changing air filters here</a>. In the car, the recirculate button will keep outdoor air outside.</p><p>Besides blowing in on the air, pollen can also enter your house on clothes, shoes, hair, and pet fur. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America <a href="https://community.aafa.org/blog/tips-for-coping-with-spring-allergies" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">recommends</a> the following:</p><ul><li><p>Take off your shoes when you come inside.</p></li><li><p>Change and wash your clothes after you&rsquo;ve been outside for a while.</p></li><li><p>Shower and shampoo your hair before bed.</p></li><li><p>Towel pets off when they come indoors.</p></li><li><p>Wash your bedding once a week.</p></li></ul><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  491.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB07YYJT11S&amp;template=News&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Aerostar+16x25x1+MERV+13+Pleated+AC+Furnace+Air+Filter+-+4+Pack&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=037zrSmfsw7VFUXXLOg8X2k&amp;offer_uuid=007DtstbzNKRzYIiZrkFmZB&amp;object_type=007DtstbzNKRzYIiZrkFmZB&amp;object_uuid=037zrSmfsw7VFUXXLOg8X2k" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Aerostar 16x25x1 MERV 13 Pleated AC Furnace Air Filter - 4 Pack">
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  493.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  494.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Aerostar 16x25x1 MERV 13 Pleated AC Furnace Air Filter - 4 Pack
  495.                </div>
  496.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  497.                                            <div class="self-end">
  498.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  499.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  500.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$39.47</span>
  501.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  502.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  503.            </div>
  504.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  505.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$49.21</span>
  506.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $9.74</span>
  507.        </div>
  508.    </div>
  509.                            </div>
  510.                        </div>
  511.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  512.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  513.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  514.        <span>Get deal</span>
  515.    </div>
  516. </div>
  517.                        </div>
  518.                                    </div>
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  520.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  521.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/037zrSmfsw7VFUXXLOg8X2k/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707289658.jpg" alt="Aerostar 16x25x1 MERV 13 Pleated AC Furnace Air Filter - 4 Pack" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
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  524.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/037zrSmfsw7VFUXXLOg8X2k/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707289658.jpg" alt="Aerostar 16x25x1 MERV 13 Pleated AC Furnace Air Filter - 4 Pack" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  525.                            </div>
  526.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  527.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  528.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  529.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  530.        <span>Get deal</span>
  531.    </div>
  532. </div>
  533.                    </div>
  534.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  535.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  536.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  537.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$39.47</span>
  538.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  539.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  540.            </div>
  541.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  542.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$49.21</span>
  543.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $9.74</span>
  544.        </div>
  545.    </div>
  546.                    </div>
  547.                            </div>
  548.        </div>
  549. </a></div>
  550. <h2>Pay attention to pollen counts</h2><p>To find out when pollen will be at its worst, check a site like <a href="https://www.pollen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">pollen.com</a> or your local weather forecast. </p><p>The most pollen is in the air in the early morning and around dusk. If you&rsquo;re going outside during high pollen times, consider wearing sunglasses or even a mask (N95's are great at blocking pollen). </p><p>If you&rsquo;re considering moving (or traveling during pollen season) you may want to take a look at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation&rsquo;s <a href="https://aafa.org/asthma-allergy-research/allergy-capitals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">list of &ldquo;allergy capitals&rdquo;</a> where pollen is worst and allergy specialists are harder to find. Wichita, KS; Virginia Beach, VA; Greenville, SC; and Dallas, TX top the list. A few years ago, the rankings <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-worst-u-s-cities-to-live-in-for-people-with-season-1848737949" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">also included</a> the <em>best</em> cities for seasonal allergy sufferers, with Fresno, CA; Phoenix, AZ; and Provo, UT emerging as winners.</p><h2>In your home</h2><p>With the easy things out of the way, it may be time to start looking at tougher decisions. Carpets, for example, can trap pollen. They can also harbor other allergens, like dust and dust mites. If you&rsquo;re struggling with your allergies, it might be time to pull them up and switch to hardwood or other smooth flooring. </p><p>Regular cleaning also helps. Get into the habit of vacuuming frequently, ideally with a vacuum that has a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-hepa-filter" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">HEPA</a> filter to trap small particles. Remove things you can&rsquo;t easily clean, and set up a cleaning schedule to make sure you aren&rsquo;t neglecting the task. </p><p>Allergy covers on pillows and mattresses are meant to prevent dust mite allergens from working their way in where they can&rsquo;t be cleaned. If you have a dust allergy, get a set of these protectors, and make sure you&rsquo;re washing bedding, curtains, pillows, and other textiles frequently. (Dust mites aren&rsquo;t seasonal like pollen, but if you&rsquo;re allergic to both, you don&rsquo;t need that double-whammy.) </p><p>Consider an air purifier as well. These devices <a href="https://lifehacker.com/maybe-its-time-to-get-an-air-purifier-1849574152" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">filter allergens out of the air</a> and some people find they help reduce symptoms.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  551.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB00BTKAPUU&amp;template=News&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Coway+Airmega+AP-1512HH+True+HEPA+Air+Purifier+with+Air+Quality+Monitoring%2C+Auto+Mode%2C+Timer%2C+Filter+Indicator%2C+Eco+Mode&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=026oBAdCCGp03D0fsaP2xKk&amp;offer_uuid=05OS1a26cp3jP1ay1ya1634&amp;object_type=05OS1a26cp3jP1ay1ya1634&amp;object_uuid=026oBAdCCGp03D0fsaP2xKk" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Coway Airmega AP-1512HH True HEPA Air Purifier with Air Quality Monitoring, Auto Mode, Timer, Filter Indicator, Eco Mode">
  552.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  553.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  554.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Coway Airmega AP-1512HH True HEPA Air Purifier with Air Quality Monitoring, Auto Mode, Timer, Filter Indicator, Eco Mode
  555.                </div>
  556.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  557.                                            <div class="self-end">
  558.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  559.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  560.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$159.50</span>
  561.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  562.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  563.            </div>
  564.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  565.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$229.99</span>
  566.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $70.49</span>
  567.        </div>
  568.    </div>
  569.                            </div>
  570.                        </div>
  571.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  572.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  573.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  574.        <span>Get deal</span>
  575.    </div>
  576. </div>
  577.                        </div>
  578.                                    </div>
  579.            </div>
  580.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  581.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/026oBAdCCGp03D0fsaP2xKk/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1710452648.jpg" alt="Coway Airmega AP-1512HH True HEPA Air Purifier with Air Quality Monitoring, Auto Mode, Timer, Filter Indicator, Eco Mode" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  582.                            </div>
  583.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  584.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/026oBAdCCGp03D0fsaP2xKk/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1710452648.jpg" alt="Coway Airmega AP-1512HH True HEPA Air Purifier with Air Quality Monitoring, Auto Mode, Timer, Filter Indicator, Eco Mode" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  585.                            </div>
  586.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  587.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  588.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  589.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  590.        <span>Get deal</span>
  591.    </div>
  592. </div>
  593.                    </div>
  594.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  595.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  596.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  597.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$159.50</span>
  598.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  599.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  600.            </div>
  601.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  602.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$229.99</span>
  603.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $70.49</span>
  604.        </div>
  605.    </div>
  606.                    </div>
  607.                            </div>
  608.        </div>
  609. </a></div>
  610. <h2>With your doctor</h2><p>Over-the-counter medications like Claritin can help to take the edge off allergy symptoms, but if you&rsquo;re still miserable even while you&rsquo;re taking them, it may be time for professional help. See an allergist to find out whether other medications or approaches might be appropriate for you (and to control your asthma, if you have that in addition to allergies). </p><p>If you&rsquo;ve just been living with an assumption that you&rsquo;re allergic to &ldquo;something,&rdquo; an allergy test can help narrow down exactly what your triggers are. Maybe you need to pay more attention to mold than to plant pollens, for example. The more you know, the more targeted an approach you can take.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  611.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/its-time-to-start-taking-your-spring-allergies-seriousl-1850313310</link>
  612.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  613.      <category><![CDATA[Body]]></category>
  614.    </item>
  615.    <item>
  616.      <title>How to Install Windows 11 Without All the Extra Junk</title>
  617.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW</guid>
  618.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  619.      <description>Finally, a way to install Windows without installing Edge, OneDrive, Copilot, or any Microsoft tie-ins.</description>
  620.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/hero-image.png"/>
  621.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Microsoft keeps adding more and more stuff to Windows and it often seems to get in the way more than it helps. A "clean" installation of Windows, at this point, forces you to sign up for a Microsoft account, tries to sell you cloud storage space, and is very pushy about getting you to use Microsoft Edge and Copilot. I could go on.</p><p><a href="https://github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Tiny11Builder</a> is a third-party script that can take a Windows installation ISO, which you can get from Microsoft, and strip it of all of these features. Install Windows using this tool and you'll have a truly clean installation: no News, no OfficeHub, no annoying GetStarted prompts, and no junk entires in the start menu. You can always install these things later, if you want, but you'll be starting with a clean state.</p><h2>First download an official Windows 11 ISO</h2><p>Head to the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">official Microsoft page for downloading Windows</a>. Scroll down until you see <strong>Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices</strong>. Select the version of Windows you have a product key for.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  622.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  623.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-1.fill.size_2000x971.v1714070582.png" alt='Screenshot of the Microsoft website for downloading Windows, specifically the "Download Windows 11 Disk Image" section.' width="2000" height="971" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-1.fill.size_800x388.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-1.fill.size_1400x680.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-1.fill.size_2000x971.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  624.            </div>
  625.            <div class="mt-2">
  626.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  627.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  628.                    </div>
  629.    </div>
  630. <p>Click the <strong>Download Now</strong> button. This will likely take 15 minutes or so, depending on your internet speed.</p><h2>Download the script and prep your device </h2><p>Now it's time to download our scripts. Head to <a href="https://github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">the tiny11builder Github page</a> and click the <strong>Code</strong> button in the top-right corner. Next click <strong>Download ZIP</strong>.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  631.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  632.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-2.fill.size_2000x1049.v1714070582.png" alt='A Github screenshot. The user has clicked on "Code" and is ready to click "Download ZIP". ' width="2000" height="1049" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-2.fill.size_800x419.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-2.fill.size_1400x734.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-2.fill.size_2000x1049.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  633.            </div>
  634.            <div class="mt-2">
  635.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  636.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  637.                    </div>
  638.    </div>
  639. <p>Unzip that download. Now we need to configure your system to allow PowerScript to make administration changes. Open PowerShell as an administrator, which you can do by searching for "PowerShell" in the start menu and then clicking the <strong>Run as Administrator</strong> in the right side-bar.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  640.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  641.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-3.fill.size_2000x1187.v1714070582.png" alt='A screenshot of the start menu. The user has searched for "PowerShell" and is going to click "Run as Administrator" ' width="2000" height="1187" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-3.fill.size_800x475.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-3.fill.size_1400x831.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-3.fill.size_2000x1187.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  642.            </div>
  643.            <div class="mt-2">
  644.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  645.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  646.                    </div>
  647.    </div>
  648. <p>Type or copy the exact command <code>Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted</code> and hit Enter.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  649.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  650.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-4.fill.size_2000x606.v1714070582.png" alt='A warning in a PowerScript prompt. The text reads: "Run only scripts that you trust. While scripts from the internet can be useful, this script can potentially harm your computer." ' width="2000" height="606" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-4.fill.size_800x243.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-4.fill.size_1400x424.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-4.fill.size_2000x606.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  651.            </div>
  652.            <div class="mt-2">
  653.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  654.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  655.                    </div>
  656.    </div>
  657. <p>You will be warned about the security implications of this&mdash;confirm that you know what you're doing and are allowing the change. You can always undo the change later by running <code>Set-ExecutionPolicy restricted</code>.</p><h2>Make your tiny11 disk</h2><p>By now your Windows 11 ISO should be finished downloading. Right-click the file and click <strong>Mount</strong>. This will open the ISO file as a virtual CD, which you can confirm by looking for it in Windows Explorer.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  658.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  659.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-5.fill.size_2000x1060.v1714070582.png" alt='The Windows 11 ISO is shown. The user has right-clicked it and is about to click "Mount." ' width="2000" height="1060" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-5.fill.size_800x424.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-5.fill.size_1400x742.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-5.fill.size_2000x1060.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  660.            </div>
  661.            <div class="mt-2">
  662.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  663.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  664.                    </div>
  665.    </div>
  666. <p>Once you've confirmed that the disk is mounted, you can run the tiny11script, which was in the ZIP file you unzipped earlier. The simplest way to get started is to right-click the file "tiny11maker.ps1" and click <strong>Run with PowerShell</strong>.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  667.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  668.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-6.fill.size_2000x862.v1714070582.png" alt='The script "tiny11maker.ps1" is right-clicked. The user is about to click "Run with PowerShell"' width="2000" height="862" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-6.fill.size_800x345.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-6.fill.size_1400x603.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-6.fill.size_2000x862.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  669.            </div>
  670.            <div class="mt-2">
  671.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  672.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  673.                    </div>
  674.    </div>
  675. <p>This will start the script. You will be asked for the drive letter of your virtual drive, which you can find in Windows Explorer under My Computer&mdash;look for a DVD drive that wasn't there before. You only need to type the letter and hit enter.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  676.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  677.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-7.fill.size_2000x898.v1714070582.png" alt='A mostly empty PowerShell window, asking the user as follows: "Please enter the drive letter for the Windows 11 image"' width="2000" height="898" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-7.fill.size_800x359.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-7.fill.size_1400x628.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-7.fill.size_2000x898.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  678.            </div>
  679.            <div class="mt-2">
  680.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  681.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  682.                    </div>
  683.    </div>
  684. <p>After that, the script will ask you which version of Windows you want to make a disc for. Answer with the version you have a product key for. </p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  685.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  686.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-8.fill.size_2000x1396.v1714070582.png" alt="The same PowerScript window. There's a variety of versions of Windows listed&mdash;the user needs to type a number for the appropriate one. " width="2000" height="1396" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-8.fill.size_800x558.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-8.fill.size_1400x977.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-8.fill.size_2000x1396.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  687.            </div>
  688.            <div class="mt-2">
  689.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  690.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  691.                    </div>
  692.    </div>
  693. <p>After that, the script will do its thing, which might take a while. When the process is done, you will see a message letting you know.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  694.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  695.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-9.fill.size_2000x867.v1714070582.png" alt='The script is now done! The last line reads "Donet on completed! Press any key to exit the script..."' width="2000" height="867" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-9.fill.size_800x347.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-9.fill.size_1400x607.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-9.fill.size_2000x867.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  696.            </div>
  697.            <div class="mt-2">
  698.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  699.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  700.                    </div>
  701.    </div>
  702. <p>There will be a brand-new ISO file in the script's directory. This ISO is perfect for setting up Windows in a virtual machine, which is how I'm hosting it, but it also works for installing to a device. You can burn this ISO file to a DVD, if you have an optical drive, or you can use a USB disk. <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/install-windows-from-a-usb-flash-drive?view=windows-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Microsoft offers official instructions for this</a>, which are pretty easy to follow.</p><p>However you install Windows from this ISO, know that it will be completely clean. You will not be prompted to create a Microsoft account, or even to sign in using one, and there will be no Microsoft services other than what you need in order to use the operating system. Seriously, look at this start menu:</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  703.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  704.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-10.fill.size_2000x1066.v1714070582.png" alt="A beautifully clean installation of Windows" width="2000" height="1066" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-10.fill.size_800x426.v1714070582.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-10.fill.size_1400x746.v1714070582.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB92XGA5XVXHYQJERYVFSFW/images-10.fill.size_2000x1066.v1714070582.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  705.            </div>
  706.            <div class="mt-2">
  707.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  708.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  709.                    </div>
  710.    </div>
  711. <p>There's no clutter whatsoever, meaning you can add the applications you actually want to use. It would be nice if Microsoft offered this officially, but it's nice that there's a way for power users to get it.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  712.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-install-windows-11-without-extra-junk</link>
  713.      <dc:creator>Justin Pot</dc:creator>
  714.      <category><![CDATA[Computing]]></category>
  715.    </item>
  716.    <item>
  717.      <title>You Can Get This Solar-Powered Flashlight and Power Bank on Sale for $40 Right Now</title>
  718.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVVKYRKS8SAG2YEWRFYX301G</guid>
  719.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  720.      <description/>
  721.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVKYRKS8SAG2YEWRFYX301G/hero-image.png"/>
  722.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get this outdoor flashlight and power bank <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/outdoor-flashlight-with-flame-simulator-2400-mah-powerbank?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=outdoor-flashlight-with-flame-simulator-2400-mah-powerbank&amp;utm_term=scsf-595269&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQKIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $39.99 right now</a> (reg. $62.99). It has 1,000 lumens of brightness, a 24-hour battery life, and four speed lighting modes. It's also rechargeable by sunlight with the built-in solar panel or with a USB-C cable, and has a fireplace simulator with adjustable flame settings. You can also use it as a 2,400mAh power bank for your devices with up to 15W of power. It's a great 3-in-1 gadget, and it only measures nine inches long and weighs just over a pound.</p><p>You can get this outdoor flashlight and power bank <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/outdoor-flashlight-with-flame-simulator-2400-mah-powerbank?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=outdoor-flashlight-with-flame-simulator-2400-mah-powerbank&amp;utm_term=scsf-595269&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQKIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $39.99 right now</a> (reg. $62.99), though prices can change at any time.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  723.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/solar-powered-flashlight-power-bank-sale</link>
  724.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  725.      <category><![CDATA[Home & Garden]]></category>
  726.    </item>
  727.    <item>
  728.      <title>30 Movies That Have Definitely Not Aged Well</title>
  729.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1850320034</guid>
  730.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  731.      <description>A journey through movies that we're a little embarrassed about.</description>
  732.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GF4TK8CBDEMNSYVX9HKWE/hero-image.jpg"/>
  733.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Movies date themselves for all kinds of reasons. </p><p>Sometimes <a href="https://lifehacker.com/30-beloved-movie-classics-that-dont-hold-up-according-1848049440" target="_blank">what seemed great when we were kids looks silly to adult eyes</a>. Other times the whys are more complicated&mdash;think <em>Rambo III</em> and <em>The Living Daylights</em> making heroes of mujahideen jihadists because, at the time, they were fighting the Soviets. Standards change, too, often for the better&mdash;we don&rsquo;t look on the obvious racism of <em>Gone with the Wind</em> with the tolerance we once did, and we don&rsquo;t celebrate the rape culture that snuck its way into 1980s comedies in the same way (at least, we say we don&rsquo;t). Or maybe it&rsquo;s that the language of moviemaking has changed, or that special effects that were OK back in the day are distracting to our more evolved modern eyes. <br><br>Looking back with a more critical eye is usually, in my experience, a positive thing. The cost of  growth, as individuals and a culture, requires us to look back with a little embarrassment, and strive to do better. It&rsquo;s not necessarily that the movies are bad (although some of these are, in all honesty, absolute shit); time complicates the legacy of most every films, but these more than most.</p><hr><h2><em>Seven Brides for Seven Brothers</em> (1953)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  734.    <div id="video-container-846by3LOKlA"></div>
  735. </div>
  736.  
  737.  
  738. <p>Even making allowances for changing attitudes, it's hard to look past the core conceit of this ostensibly charming classic musical: it's about kidnapping women en masse, taking them back to your deep backwoods hovel and holding them hostage until they fall in love with you. The kidnappees already had boyfriends and partners, which is a big part of the reason why they'd refused any such arrangement in the first place. Lest we mistake the intent of the creatives behind the show and film, a central production number called "Sobbin' Women" is all about the mythological and possibly historical <em>rape</em> of the Sabine women&mdash;when the men of early Rome decided to build their civilization by capturing and forcibly impregnating the women of a nearby region. The song has a goofy old time with the idea that their "loot" (as the women are referred to) might spend a lot of time sobbin'&mdash;but don't worry: "We're gonna make them sobbin' women smile!"</p><p>Or else, presumably.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/5qxl8?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=5qxl8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Breakfast at Tiffany&rsquo;s</em> (1963)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  739.    <div id="video-container-Hb3gdUrIC4Q"></div>
  740. </div>
  741.  
  742.  
  743. <p>There was really no need for Blake Edwards&rsquo; adaptation of Truman Capote&rsquo;s novella to indulge in notably caucasian actor Mickey Rooney&rsquo;s over-the-top, unquestionably racist characterization of I. Y. Yunioshi, Holly Golightly&rsquo;s Asian landlord. Harkening back to the most horrific stereotypes of the World War II propaganda era, Yunioshi is presented as a squinting, bumbling, buck-toothed Orientalist stereotype whose only purpose is comic relief&mdash;the &ldquo;comedy&rdquo; having to do entirely with the apparently intrinsic silliness of Japanese people, in general, and funny fake teeth in particular. The character in the novella wasn&rsquo;t nearly such a caricature, and Rooney&rsquo;s slapstick-y turn feels out of place against the rest of the film&rsquo;s subdued tone. Even <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/breakfast-at-tiffanys-1961-movie-737095/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">contemporary reviews</a> noted the character&rsquo;s dissonance and offensiveness, and I&rsquo;ve never been able to watch it without his every scene derailing an otherwise pleasurable experience. (If you struggle similarly, good news: Mickey Rooney <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081205110909/http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/35779" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">forgives you</a>.)</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/WqeZ6?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Paramount%2B&amp;short_url=WqeZ6&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Paramount+</a></p><hr><h2><em>Romeo and Juliet </em>(1968)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
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  745. </div>
  746.  
  747.  
  748. <p>Franco Zeffirelli&rsquo;s take on the Shakespeare play is both daring and problematic in ways that have been debated for decades. The sumptuous production dared to cast actual teenagers in the lead roles, an innovation that shouldn&rsquo;t be surprising...except that it had been done so very rarely before (the previous 1936 screen version cast actors in their 30s). By heightening the emphasis on burgeoning sexuality, Zeffirelli trod a dangerous road; there&rsquo;s something to be said for a clear-eyed treatment of the subject, but the film&rsquo;s nudity has been controversial for decades. Just recently, stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/romeo-and-juliet-child-abuse-nude-scene-lawsuit-1235477837/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">filed a lawsuit</a> claiming that they were coerced and tricked into appearing naked in the film, allegations that place a darker cloud over the once-lionized production.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/84wb8?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Paramount%2B&amp;short_url=84wb8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Paramount+</a></p><hr><h2><em>Last Tango in Paris</em> (1972)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  749.    <div id="video-container-lLNbRXG_v1E"></div>
  750. </div>
  751.  
  752.  
  753. <p>Bernardo Bertolucci&rsquo;s erotic drama finds middle-aged widower Marlon Brando involved in a highly sus relationship with a young Parisian woman played by Maria Schneider. The movie&rsquo;s most memorable scene, involving forced sex and a stick of butter, was once seen as a bit of oh-so-1970s sexual libertinism, but has since come to stain its reputation. Schneider has spoken out about the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/11/26/18112531/bernardo-bertolucci-maria-schneider-last-tango-in-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">abusive treatment</a> she experienced from Bertolucci and Brando, particularly during the filming of that scene. </p><p>Where to stream (if you care to): <a href="https://zdcs.link/2mK4L?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=2mK4L&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Animal House</em> (1978)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  754.    <div id="video-container-KWjtI6n5xWM"></div>
  755. </div>
  756.  
  757.  
  758. <p>The font from which an entire era of raunchy slobs versus snobs teen comedies would spring (think <em>Revenge of the Nerds</em>, <em>Police Academy</em>, <em>Porky&rsquo;s</em>), <em>Animal House</em> is tough to revisit. There are hilarious moments, but also plenty of scenes that put a spotlight to the culture of sexual aggression we&rsquo;re still living in. The movie&rsquo;s gooiest good guy, Pinto (Tom Hulce), has a serious debate about whether or not to rape an unconscious girl, who we later learn is 13 (he doesn&rsquo;t do it, but still). John Belushi&rsquo;s Bluto spies on unsuspecting sorority girls in the nude, while a trip to a roadhouse sees the movie&rsquo;s only Black characters menacing our leads because they want to steal their white dates. Enlightened stuff.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/P7nbm?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Netflix&amp;short_url=P7nbm&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Netflix</a></p><hr><h2><em>Blue Lagoon </em>(1980)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  759.    <div id="video-container-_i1C0rX_SCw"></div>
  760. </div>
  761.  
  762.  
  763. <p>The late 1970s, a great time for American cinema as a whole, also generated a sub-genre of movies that have become increasingly uncomfortable to modern eyes. This was Woody Allen&rsquo;s world, in which a movie like <em>Manhattan</em>, about a man in his 40s dating a 17-year-old, felt entirely reasonable, at least to all of the other men having mid-life crises and fantasizing about their own continued sexual relevance. <em>Blue Lagoon</em> is a bit different, in that the two primary actors (Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins) are at least age-appropriate to each other, but its story of sexual awakening on an island feels excessively prurient&mdash;as though we&rsquo;re meant to appreciate their youthful innocence while gawking at their supple, mostly naked bodies. Shields herself has <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/brooke-shields-ignored-blue-lagoon-director-call-film-exploited-sexuality-1235579627/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">recently spoken</a> about her discomfort with the film&rsquo;s marketing and approach, which placed an undue emphasis on her youth (she was 14 at the time).</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/eP5pX?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=eP5pX&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Arthur </em>(1981)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
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  765. </div>
  766.  
  767.  
  768. <p>I adore <em>Arthur</em> (and its all-time great theme song), but it&rsquo;s hard not to find the movie&rsquo;s flippant attitude toward alcoholism distasteful circa 2023. Dudley Moore plays the title character as the venerable lovable drunk, a character type that goes back to Shakespeare&rsquo;s Falstaff, so it&rsquo;s not like the mores of the &lsquo;80s are particularly to blame. Still, Arthur drives drunk and has a grand old time whenever he&rsquo;s not being a bit of a sad-sack, and the plot&rsquo;s prescription for him is the love of a good woman (a phenomenal Liza Minelli) rather than a trip down the road to recovery.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/XBXdp?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=XBXdp&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Sixteen Candles</em> (1984)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  769.    <div id="video-container-a1XZ-pZUKJ0"></div>
  770. </div>
  771.  
  772.  
  773. <p>Like much of John Hughes &lsquo;80s output, <em>Sixteen Candles</em> blends elements that are thoroughly charming and funny with plot points that dated almost immediately. Most obviously, Gedde Watanabe&rsquo;s Chinese exchange student Long Duk Dong is a rare instance of a person of color wandering into any of the writer/director&rsquo;s films, and he is a head-to-toe Asian stereotype, his every entrance accompanied by the sound of a goddam <em>gong</em>. At least Hughes hired an Asian-American actor to play the character, though not distinguishing between the Chinese Dong and Japanese-American Watanabe. Less overt, but just as troubling, is the film&rsquo;s relationship with consent: Ted (Anthony Michael Hall) pursues vocally uninterested Sam (Molly Ringwald) to the point that she gives him a pair of her underwear in exchange for being left alone. He later exchanges said drawers to another guy to earn some time alone with his unconscious Caroline (Haviland Morris). It&rsquo;s not entirely clear what happens afterward, but it&rsquo;s disturbing in any event.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/xRKeO?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Netflix&amp;short_url=xRKeO&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Netflix</a></p><hr><h2><em>Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</em> (1984)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  774.    <div id="video-container-WBdyLyijZhU"></div>
  775. </div>
  776.  
  777.  
  778. <p>Always the least of the original <em>Indiana Jones</em> trilogy, <em>Temple of Doom</em> still has enough of a spirit of rollicking adventure (and that memorable performance from Ke Huy Quan) to recommend it, generally. The problem comes in its depiction of Hindus, and Indian culture more broadly. In attempting to recreate the spirit of adventure serials of the 1930s, the film unfortunately carries along much of the related racist baggage. The Indian characters are all either victims to be saved by Indy, or insidious cultists/organ-extracting wizards. It all leans too far into stereotypes; what was controversial <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1452613/indiana-jones-and-the-temple-of-doom-banned-india-harrison-ford-steven-spielberg" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">at the time</a> of its release looks worse 40 years later. </p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/Gve8q?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Paramount%2B&amp;short_url=Gve8q&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Paramount+</a> or <a href="https://zdcs.link/R2Ym1?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Disney%2B&amp;short_url=R2Ym1&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Disney+</a></p><hr><h2><em>Short Circuit</em> (1986)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  779.    <div id="video-container-mJFvqNOorTs"></div>
  780. </div>
  781.  
  782.  
  783. <p>A generally delightful kid-friendly sci-fi comedy about a robot made for war who decides that he&rsquo;d much rather hang out with Ally Sheedy and Steve Gutenberg (there&rsquo;s a nice message about personal identity and autonomy) is muddied by goofy comic-relief sidekick character Ben Jabituya, played by white actor Fisher Stevens in brownface makeup, and sporting an exaggerated Apu-from-<em>The Simpsons</em> accent alongside various tiresome malapropisms. Even worse? The character takes over the lead in the sequel.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/7LvRy?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=7LvRy&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Rambo III </em>(1988)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  784.    <div id="video-container-Ve7SZGU8By4"></div>
  785. </div>
  786.  
  787.  
  788. <p>The entry point in what became the <em>Rambo</em> series, <em>First Blood</em>, nodded toward dealing Vietnam-era post-traumatic stress, while the second sent Rambo after forgotten POWs. Number three sends him off to Afghanistan to rescue an old friend, and in doing so takes a <em>definite</em> side in the long-running conflict between the Soviet Union and Afghan Mujahideen rebels, cutting a swath through Soviet forces with a machine gun and a rocket launcher and generating a record-breaking body count (literally! Guinness named it the most violent film ever made in 1990). This wasn&rsquo;t just a fantasy&mdash;supporting Afghan militant groups was a centerpiece of U.S. anti-Soviet planning for over a decade; in a sense, this is Stallone bringing dry government policy to life for children who act out American imperialism via toys, comic books, and video games based on the movie. </p><p>In the 1980s, there was no bigger threat than the Soviet Union, so anyone opposed to the USSR was automatically one of the goodies. It's complicated, of course, but many of those Afghan militants went on to form the core of what became the Taliban&mdash;so that element hasn&rsquo;t aged very well. In the movie's favor, it dodges some of American cinema's Islamophobic tropes, but speaks more to America's habit of offering unwavering support for a particular faction in a region without considering the long-term consequences there or here.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/YBLeR?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Paramount%2B&amp;short_url=YBLeR&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Paramount+</a></p><hr><h2><em>Driving Miss Daisy</em> (1989)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  789.    <div id="video-container-zp-g3uxoQeE"></div>
  790. </div>
  791.  
  792.  
  793. <p><em>Driving Miss Daisy </em>will forever stand among the ranks of highly praised, well-intentioned Oscar-winners that wowed Academy members by dealing with issues of race by forefronting the experiences and perspective of white Americans. Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman give great performances, and the whole thing has an undeniable charm&mdash;but that&rsquo;s rather the point. It&rsquo;s cute, with a pat &ldquo;can&rsquo;t we all just get along?&rdquo; take on racial harmony. <em>Do the Right Thing</em>, an undeniable classic with a far more complex and nuanced story to tell, came out the same year and wasn&rsquo;t even nominated.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/wrpBq?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=wrpBq&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Dances with Wolves</em> (1990)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  794.    <div id="video-container-uc8NMbrW7mI"></div>
  795. </div>
  796.  
  797.  
  798. <p>From <em>Driving Miss Daisy</em> we jump one year later to 1990's <em>Dances With Wolves</em>, another well-intentioned but awkward attempt by a white filmmaker to tackle race relations. This one mangles history while also including problematic portrayals of indigenous Americans: the Sioux characters are largely in the &ldquo;noble savage&rdquo; mode, while the Pawnee characters are exclusively villainous. The biggest problem is the tired white savior narrative, in which a Caucasian character is not only our guide to the world of indigenous Americans, but the hero of the story. Because, as we know from history, white people were <em>definitely</em> on the side of indigenous North Americans.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/27d2D?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon%20Prime&amp;short_url=27d2D&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon Prime</a></p><hr><h2><em>Chasing Amy </em>(1997)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  799.    <div id="video-container-EiATQ04pH14"></div>
  800. </div>
  801.  
  802.  
  803. <p><em>Chasing Amy</em> feels like a movie that could have worked, if there were any queer voices behind the scenes. The story of Holden (Ben Affleck&rsquo;s) pursuit of lesbian-identified Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) could have been an exploration of sexual fluidity, or of bisexuality, but instead it plays as a straight guy&rsquo;s fantasy&mdash;spend enough time with the hot lesbian, and you&rsquo;ll land her eventually. It&rsquo;s well-intentioned, mostly, and <em>so</em> close to working, but the emphasis on a hetero dude&rsquo;s desire for an unattainable woman means that it winds up feeling a lot less groundbreaking than it thinks it is. </p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/Oyej2?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon%20Prime&amp;short_url=Oyej2&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon Prime </a>or <a href="https://zdcs.link/L3gnP?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Paramount%2B&amp;short_url=L3gnP&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Paramount+</a></p><hr><h2><em>Conspiracy Theory </em>(1997)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  804.    <div id="video-container-adYGUai7PNc"></div>
  805. </div>
  806.  
  807.  
  808. <p>For some reason, this splashy Mel Gibson/Julia Roberts-starring, Richard Donner-directed thriller, in which it turns out the paranoid loner&rsquo;s ramblings about a vast, global network of deception turn out to be exactly spot on, hits different in the post-Jan. 6, mid-pandemic, anti-vax era. Weird. (Also, Mel Gibson, oof.)</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/rnMJX?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=rnMJX&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Spawn</em> (1997)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  809.    <div id="video-container-dx5pk08J4"></div>
  810. </div>
  811.  
  812.  
  813. <p>Not spending a lot of time on janky effects here...times change, standards change, and things that look funky to us now might have been cool as sh*t back in the day. Not so much with <em>Spawn</em>, a movie that blends some impressively dark superhero action with some very dumb nonsense...and ties it all together with some CGI that looked silly even at the time. <em>Spawn</em>'s visit to hell, in particular, involves shots that look hardly better than video games of the era. the cartoon adaptation does a much better job with the source material.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/yjVYe?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=yjVYe&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Never Been Kissed </em>(1999)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  814.    <div id="video-container-Y4g859J_920"></div>
  815. </div>
  816.  
  817.  
  818. <p>On the surface, a cute movie starring the consistently delightful Drew Barrymore as a 25-year-old copy editor who takes an assignment to go undercover as a high school student and finds herself getting hot for teacher Michael Vartan. The two begin a flirtatious relationship which (fortunately) doesn&rsquo;t go anywhere before Barrymore&rsquo;s character outs herself...at which point the teacher becomes deeply upset about her lies. And possibly about her not being an actual teenager? Without ever <em>quite</em> crossing the line, the movie is rife with creepy subtext. Odds are that the high school student you think is hot is not going to turn out to be secretly older, so probably don&rsquo;t flirt with them.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/N6e33?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=N6e33&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>American Beauty</em> (1999)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  819.    <div id="video-container-Ly7rq5EsTC8"></div>
  820. </div>
  821.  
  822.  
  823. <p>We could spend all day talking about <em>American Beauty</em>'s fall from beloved Best Picture winner to a movie that's largely been forgotten, if not openly mocked. Some of that's a little unfair: Suburban ennui in the 1990s was more in the zeitgeist than it is now, and there were people (white people, mostly) who had genuinely come to feel that life had gotten too stable, and boring, and that the draw of conformity was the biggest threat. Following 9/11, the Iraq War, and Donald Trump, those fears have come to look a bit, well, overstated. </p><p>But there are more specific reasons why <em>American Beauty</em> plays less well: the first involves Frank Fitts (Chris Cooper) a violent conservative who turns out to be a closeted gay man, and who is driven so insane by the contradiction that he turns to murder. Even the film's gay writer and gay director can't quite make that old trope fly. More than that, though, is in Kevin Spacey's lead character. He's obsessed with Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari), a 16-year-old neighbor, and we're meant to see his leering lust for her as a metaphor of some kind, and also his decision to finally accept her as a human child and not an acceptable object of lust as somehow redemptive. If it was once hard to do that, it's nearly impossible given the actor's fall from grace. </p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/6YGKY?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=6YGKY&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Shallow Hal</em> (2001)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  824.    <div id="video-container-2R1lEWNNsV0"></div>
  825. </div>
  826.  
  827.  
  828. <p><em>Shallow Hal</em> stars Jack Black as a man who&rsquo;s hypnotized into seeing only the inner beauty in people, leading the appropriately shallow character to overlook the weight of new love interest Rosie, played by then-recent Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow in a fat suit. He only sees a skinny Rosie, and it all winds up having something to do with the idea that we shouldn&rsquo;t be so concerned with what&rsquo;s on the outside. The problem (and this isn&rsquo;t uncommon in this kind of movie), is that the feel-good message is completely belied by a near-constant barrage of fat jokes (never mind that fact that representing &ldquo;inner beauty&rdquo; by conforming to conventional beauty standards is shallow in a different way). Even the otherwise sweet finale, in which Hal sees and accepts Rosie as she truly is, includes a last jab as Hal tries to pick her up only to find that, of course, he can&rsquo;t. </p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/lrZ8x?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=lrZ8x&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>The Mummy Returns </em>(2001)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  829.    <div id="video-container-RYHaarxQTFk"></div>
  830. </div>
  831.  
  832.  
  833. <p>The second <em>Mummy</em> movie is a smudged copy of the throwback adventure of the 1999 original, if enjoyable on its own terms. But oh boy have the VFX dated poorly. To say that the title&rsquo;s Scorpion King (motion-captured by Dwayne Johnson, in his feature debut) look like something from a video game does a disservice to video games, even 22-year-old ones. Brendan Fraser has defended the effects as <a href="https://movieweb.com/brendan-fraser-defends-the-mummy-returns-bad-cgi-scorpion-king-in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">janky fun</a>. I&rsquo;m more or less willing to go down that road with him, but the fact remains what looked subpar in 2001 is positively jarring in 2023.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/dr48v?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=dr48v&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>The Notebook</em> (2004)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  834.    <div id="video-container-u8ldUWIruvs"></div>
  835. </div>
  836.  
  837.  
  838. <p>Standing tall as one of the many love stories that look less romantic than creepy to modern eyes, <em>The Notebook</em> includes a scene in which the male lead (Ryan Gosling) dangles from the top of a ferris wheel and threatens to fall to his mangled death if Rachel McAdams&rsquo; Allie continues to clearly and loudly refuse to date him. Cute!</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/BYe8B?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon%20Prime&amp;short_url=BYe8B&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon Prime</a></p><hr><h2><em>Crash</em> (2005)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  839.    <div id="video-container-DEJH0hEoHc4"></div>
  840. </div>
  841.  
  842.  
  843. <p>&ldquo;Maybe we&rsquo;re all a little racist?&rdquo; is, I guess, the point inexplicable Best Picture winner <em>Crash</em> is trying to make, while pretending that&rsquo;s some kind of revelation. Excessively ironic, and chockful of redemption arcs for its white characters, it presents a mawkish idea of racial harmony that&rsquo;s too pat and simplistic, by far, but especially in 2023. It won awards because some Academy members weren&rsquo;t going to vote for the homo cowboy movie, and  I can&rsquo;t imagine many have bothered watching it since. (Don Cheadle&rsquo;s great, at least.)</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/gk0XG?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon%20Prime&amp;short_url=gk0XG&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon Prime</a></p><hr><h2><em>Memoirs of a Geisha</em> (2005)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  844.    <div id="video-container-4L-xlmakQvc"></div>
  845. </div>
  846.  
  847.  
  848. <p>We talk about Hollywood's history of whitewashing in casting, but casting white people in non-white roles isn't the only potential problem: Here, director Rob Marshall and company assembled a talented Asian cast, but didn't bother distinguishing beyond that. Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh, Chinese and Malaysian actresses respectively, were cast to play the Japanese leads in this very distinctly Japan-set story. Japanese audiences (or, really, anyone who could be bothered to tell the difference) were disappointed that non-Japanese performers were playing geishas, and Chinese audiences were upset because of the uncomfortable historical connections between geisha culture and sex slavery. </p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/AyoOw?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon%20Prime&amp;short_url=AyoOw&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon Prime</a></p><hr><h2><em>World Trade Center</em> (2006)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  849.    <div id="video-container-ZgY_n8QYeOo"></div>
  850. </div>
  851.  
  852.  
  853. <p>Oliver Stone's take on the events of September 11 received middling reviews, which would be fine, but its reputation is marred by a couple of things: First, Oliver Stone's increasingly loony conspiracy theories, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=101830&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">some of which involve</a> September 11, have made it increasingly difficult to approach his movies objectively. The movie doesn't get into any of that, but it does make a smaller, but altogether uglier casting choice: 9/11 rescuer Jason Thomas is a U.S. Marine who also happens to be a black American. Oliver Stone and company cast white actor William Mapother in the role, which they claimed was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2006/08/22/5689104/oliver-stones-trade-center-casting-recall" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">just a mistake</a> when pressed. Not buying it.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/m3rlN?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=m3rlN&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>2012</em> (2009)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  854.    <div id="video-container-ce0N3TEcFw0"></div>
  855. </div>
  856.  
  857.  
  858. <p>This Roland Emmerich&rsquo;s disaster flick has a pretty fabulous cast: Thandiwe Newton, John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, etc. But otherwise, it&rsquo;s about as generic as these things get. Add to that the fact that it was created to capitalize on the weird idea that  the world would to an end in 2012 (thanks to a deliberate misreading of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican calendars), and there&rsquo;s really no reason to revisit the film. Now if the world had actually ended...</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong><a href="https://zdcs.link/kkm1g?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Netflix&amp;short_url=kkm1g&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Netflix</a></p><hr><h2><em>The Blind Side</em> (2009)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  859.    <div id="video-container-gvqj_Tk_kuM"></div>
  860. </div>
  861.  
  862.  
  863. <p>Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her performance in <em>The Blind Side</em>; it&rsquo;s hard to deny her charm, and she gives an excellent performance, but her star power only exacerbates the fundamental problem with this story. While very much based on facts, the emphasis is placed not on star-in-the-making Mike Oher, who spent years shuttling between foster care and his substance-dependent birth mother, but instead on the wealthy white family who "adopted" him. It&rsquo;s all fairly watchable, but the movie can&rsquo;t overcome the problems of its white savior narrative. More recently, Michael Oher has alleged that it's all pretty much bullshit&mdash;that he was never formally adopted by the family, who instead convinced him to make them his business conservators. The Tuohys and their two birth children all received huge royalties from this film, while Oher himself received nothing. If that's all the case, it rather dramatically drives home the problem with white savior narratives that center the wrong people.</p><p>Where to stream (if you care to): <a href="https://zdcs.link/x3v7D?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=x3v7D&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>The Help</em> (2011)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  864.    <div id="video-container-aT9eWGjLv6s"></div>
  865. </div>
  866.  
  867.  
  868. <p>Though relatively recent, and full of sterling performances that earned Oscar nominations, <em>The Help</em> feels like a throwback in its framing of the Civil Rights movement. On the surface, it feels like a charming, feel-good movie about people coming together, but the experience of Black domestic workers in the 1960s is told from an almost entirely white perspective (perhaps not surprising given that there were very few non-white filmmakers with significant roles behind the camera; also true of the source novel). Despite her Oscar nomination, Viola Davis has expressed her <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/cover-story-viola-davis" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">disappointment in very strong terms</a>, saying that by appearing here she "betrayed myself, and my people." More than a decade on, we might (maybe) be more sensitive to the fact that the era was about the challenges faced by, and victories earned by, black Americans&mdash;not the learning curve of a white suburban lady named "Skeeter."</p><p>Where to stream: <a href="https://zdcs.link/eP5n7?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Hulu&amp;short_url=eP5n7&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Hulu</a></p><hr><h2><em>Passengers</em> (2016)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  869.    <div id="video-container-7BWWWQzTpNU"></div>
  870. </div>
  871.  
  872.  
  873. <p>In <em>Passengers</em>, interspace traveler Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) wakes up in his hibernation pod 90 years too early; the ship is on its way to a new Earth, and he&rsquo;s now facing the rest of his life awake and alone, with no way to return to sleep. A sad situation, sure, until he notices a pretty face among the other sleepers (Jennifer Lawrence) and decides to cyber-stalk the details of her life (she&rsquo;s a journalist) before waking her up and pretending it was a malfunction. She eventually discovers his deception&mdash;which has destroyed her dreams and plans and condemned her to live out the rest of her life with no one for company but <em>Chris Pratt</em>&mdash;and, sure, she&rsquo;s mad&mdash;at first. But she gets over it and they live happily ever after. It&rsquo;s as good a metaphor for destructive and toxic masculinity as you&rsquo;re likely to find, except that the self-justifying creep here isn&rsquo;t just our point-of-view character, he&rsquo;s presented as the empathetic hero. </p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/Eqe82?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=Eqe82&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p><hr><h2><em>Justice League</em> (2017)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  874.    <div id="video-container-f2FzrfnfQPY"></div>
  875. </div>
  876.  
  877.  
  878. <p>There&rsquo;s a part of me that appreciates the chaos era of DC superhero films&mdash;a time when a movie&rsquo;s plot could turn on the presence of a jar of piss (thanks, <em>Batman v Superman</em>), but the first wave of Warner Bros&rsquo; attempts at a cinematic universe fell apart about midway through its first team-up movie. Contrasted with the airless, meticulous self-management of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the all-over-the-board DC style has been interesting to follow, anyway. <em>Justice League</em>, originally intended to be a huge, two-movie tentpole, was ultimately whittled down and cobbled together by two drastically different directors (Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon), and it never feels like anything other than the Frankenstein&rsquo;s monster it is. Snyder&rsquo;s later, much longer cut still isn&rsquo;t particularly great, but at least it feels like the product of a singular (misguided) vision. Also the special effects look like they cost more than $15.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to): </strong>Hulu, <a href="https://zdcs.link/8vVAd?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=8vVAd&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a> or <a href="https://zdcs.link/Y1KRn?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Max&amp;short_url=Y1KRn&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Max</a></p><hr><h2><em>The Flash</em> (2023)</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  879.    <div id="video-container-hebWYacbdvc"></div>
  880. </div>
  881.  
  882.  
  883. <p>In a similar vein, though this one feels like an even lower blow: <em>The Flash</em> had aged out of relevance well before it was even released. Delayed, in part, because of Covid, the movie became another victim of the increasingly problematic behavior and legal troubles of its star, Ezra Miller. It's tough to market a superhero tentpole movie when you&rsquo;re mostly hoping that people will forget who's playing the lead. At the same time, decreasing returns on DC movies in general meant that this attempt at a soft reboot was already pretty well doomed without any of that: By the time it came out, Warner Bros. and company had already made clear that they had no interest in continuing the adventures of the Zack Snyder -era characters. Attempts to create a DC multiverse here felt more ghoulish than anything else, the CGI recreations of beloved actors like Christopher Reeve feeling tacky rather than moving&mdash;I suppose that, given recent discussions over actors AI likenesses, that bit might come to feel like a sign of things to come&mdash;but, at the moment, just feels like all the more reason to let the dead rest.</p><p><strong>Where to stream (if you care to):</strong> <a href="https://zdcs.link/AyoXb?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Max&amp;short_url=AyoXb&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Max</a> or <a href="https://zdcs.link/0eyp3?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon&amp;short_url=0eyp3&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
  884.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/movies-that-have-definitely-not-aged-well</link>
  885.      <dc:creator>Ross Johnson</dc:creator>
  886.      <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category>
  887.    </item>
  888.    <item>
  889.      <title>Steam Just Fixed a Big Refund Loophole</title>
  890.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWATS9DC4AR0JXH61YWGFT9S</guid>
  891.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  892.      <description>All pre-release games are now covered under the two-hour refund window.</description>
  893.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWATS9DC4AR0JXH61YWGFT9S/hero-image.jpg"/>
  894.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/how-to-refund-games-on-steam#:~:text=Select%20the%20game%20you%20want,refund%20to%20your%20PayPal%20account." target="_blank">Steam's refund policy</a> has been a big hit with players since it was introduced in 2015. You can ask for a refund on any game within two weeks of purchase as long as you haven't played it for more than two hours. This policy is so famous, there are many <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=steam+refund+speedrun" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">speedrunners who try to finish games within this two-hour window</a> and get a refund. Until now, this policy had a loophole: Play time didn't count for some pre-release games. This meant you could play any game in Advanced Access for as long as you liked and then refund it, so long as you didn't accrue more than two hours of additional game time after launch.</p><h2>What is Advanced Access on Steam?</h2><p>Steam <a href="https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/453F-5C96-EAC2-9145#:~:text=Unlike%20Early%20Access%2C%20Advanced%20Access,it%20fully%20releases%20on%20Steam" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">defines Advanced Access</a> as the ability to play the final version of a game before release. Think of it as being able to pay extra to get into Disney World an hour before everyone else. Plenty of games include a few days or even a week of Advanced Access in their deluxe purchase bundles, and to help make this clearer, Steam has added a new label on the store page for games in Advanced Access.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  895.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  896.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWATS9DC4AR0JXH61YWGFT9S/images-1.fill.size_2000x1235.v1714062964.png" alt="Steam Store page for TopSpin 2K25" width="2000" height="1235" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWATS9DC4AR0JXH61YWGFT9S/images-1.fill.size_800x494.v1714062964.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWATS9DC4AR0JXH61YWGFT9S/images-1.fill.size_1400x864.v1714062964.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWATS9DC4AR0JXH61YWGFT9S/images-1.fill.size_2000x1235.v1714062964.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  897.            </div>
  898.            <div class="mt-2">
  899.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  900.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Valve Corporation</span>
  901.                    </div>
  902.    </div>
  903. <p>Advanced Access is different from Early Access, where developers release games that are still in development and use Steam sales as a means of funding. While Early Access games were not vulnerable to this loophole, some players abused the refund policy on Advanced Access games to get dozens of hours of play in before a game's official release, only to refund it and snag all that play time for free.</p><h2>Steam has fixed the Advanced Access refund loophole</h2><p>On <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Steam's refunds page</a>, the company has changed its policy to stop players from exploiting this loophole. The updated wording is as follows:</p><blockquote><p>REFUNDS ON TITLES PURCHASED PRIOR TO RELEASE DATE</p><p>When you purchase a title on Steam prior to the release date, the two-hour playtime limit for refunds will apply (except for beta testing), but the 14-day period for refunds will not start until the release date. For example, if you purchase a game that is in Early Access or Advanced Access, any playtime will count against the two-hour refund limit. If you pre-purchase a title which is not playable prior to the release date, you can request a refund at any time prior to release of that title, and the standard 14-day/two-hour refund period will apply starting on the game&rsquo;s release date.</p></blockquote><p>Previously, the 14-day/two-hour clock started only after the game's official release date. Now, you'll have to be careful if you're impulse buying games that look promising. At the time of writing, <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1785650/TopSpin_2K25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">TopSpin 2K25</a> is in Advanced Access, so if you start playing it now, know that your refund clock will be ticking. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  904.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/steam-fixes-big-refund-loophole-advanced-early-access</link>
  905.      <dc:creator>Pranay Parab</dc:creator>
  906.      <category><![CDATA[Gaming]]></category>
  907.    </item>
  908.    <item>
  909.      <title>What's New on Paramount+ With Showtime in May 2024</title>
  910.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWB31RERA5NAEX8APT9YM8SG</guid>
  911.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  912.      <description>New episodes of 'The Chi' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars' along with several music documentaries.</description>
  913.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWB31RERA5NAEX8APT9YM8SG/hero-image.png"/>
  914.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A variety of music-focused content is streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime in May. First up is the second season of <em>Behind the Music</em> (May 1) with episodes featuring Bell Biv DeVoe, Trace Adkins, and Wolfgang Van Halen, followed by <em>Kiss The Future</em> (May 7), a documentary film about U2's awareness-raising campaign for the crisis in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during their 1993 tour. Later in the month, catch <em>LOLLA: The Story of Lollapalooza</em> (May 21) about the birth and impact of the music festival. </p><p>On the drama side, there are new episodes of <em>The Chi</em> (May 10) following the characters' lives on the South Side of Chicago, and the final season of the supernatural series <em>Evil</em> (May 23). And on May 17, catch the premieres of both <em>RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars</em> (season 9) and <em>RuPaul&rsquo;s Drag Race All Stars: Untucked</em> (season 6). </p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  915.    <div id="video-container-6kzJIubITSs"></div>
  916. </div>
  917.  
  918.  
  919. <p>Here&rsquo;s everything else coming to the service in May. Note that titles with an asterisk are exclusive to Paramount+ With Showtime; everything else is also available to subscribers on the ad-supported plan. Those with two asterisks are available to Paramount+ With Showtime users streaming live on CBS and to all subscribers the following day.</p><h2>Paramount+ Originals and premieres coming in May 2024</h2><h3>Arriving May 1</h3><ul><li><p><em>Behind the Music</em>, Season 2 premiere</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 7</h3><ul><li><p><em>Kiss The Future</em>, premiere</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 10</h3><ul><li><p><em>The Chi </em>Season 6, new episodes</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 14</h3><ul><li><p><em>Pillowcase Murders</em>, premiere</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 17</h3><ul><li><p><em>Mourning in Lod</em>, premiere</p></li><li><p><em>RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars,</em> Season 9 premiere</p></li><li><p><em>RuPaul&rsquo;s Drag Race All Stars: Untucked, </em>Season 6 premiere</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 21</h3><ul><li><p><em>LOLLA: The Story of Lollapalooza</em>, premiere</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 23</h3><ul><li><p><em>Evil</em>, final season premiere</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 30</h3><ul><li><p><em>Pyramid Game</em>, premiere</p></li></ul><h2>TV shows coming to Paramount+ in May 2024</h2><h3>Arriving May 1</h3><ul><li><p><em>Charles: The New King</em></p></li><li><p><em>PAW Patrol</em> (Season 9)</p></li><li><p><em>PAW Patrol: Dino Rescue</em></p></li><li><p><em>PAW Patrol: Rescue Knights</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Mightiest</em> (Season 1)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 8</h3><ul><li><p><em>Teen Mom: The Next Chapter</em> (Season 1)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 15</h3><ul><li><p><em>Love &amp; Hip Hop: Miami</em> (Season 5)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 22</h3><ul><li><p><em>Aerial Adventures</em> (Season 1)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 29</h3><ul><li><p><em>CMT Giants </em>(2022)</p></li><li><p><em>CMT Storytellers</em> (Seasons 1-2)</p></li><li><p><em>CMT Summer Camp Seasons </em>(2022-2023)</p></li><li><p><em>CMT Summer Sessions</em> (Season 2)</p></li></ul><h2>Movies coming to Paramount+ in May 2024</h2><h3>Arriving May 1</h3><ul><li><p><em>All About the Benjamins</em></p></li><li><p><em>Annihilation</em></p></li><li><p><em>Anything for Fame*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Baywatch</em></p></li><li><p><em>Before the Devil Knows You're Dead</em></p></li><li><p><em>Belly*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Big Jake</em></p></li><li><p><em>Big Night</em></p></li><li><p><em>Black Lotus*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Boogie Nights</em></p></li><li><p><em>Clockstoppers</em></p></li><li><p><em>Crawl</em></p></li><li><p><em>Days of Heaven</em></p></li><li><p><em>Double Jeopardy</em></p></li><li><p><em>Ella Enchanted</em></p></li><li><p><em>Everybody Wants Some!!</em></p></li><li><p><em>Faster</em></p></li><li><p><em>Fences</em></p></li><li><p><em>Fire In The Sky</em></p></li><li><p><em>Flight Of The Intruder</em></p></li><li><p><em>Four Brothers</em></p></li><li><p><em>Frida*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Ghost</em></p></li><li><p><em>Harriet The Spy</em></p></li><li><p><em>Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth</em></p></li><li><p><em>Hellraiser IV: Bloodline</em></p></li><li><p><em>Hellraiser V: Inferno</em></p></li><li><p><em>Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker</em></p></li><li><p><em>Hellraiser VII: Deader</em></p></li><li><p><em>Hellraiser VIII: Hellworld</em></p></li><li><p><em>How She Move*</em></p></li><li><p><em>I Know What You Did Last Summer*</em></p></li><li><p><em>I Still Know What You Did Last Summer*</em></p></li><li><p><em>I'll See You in My Dreams*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Imagine That</em></p></li><li><p><em>In the Cut</em></p></li><li><p><em>Indecent Proposal</em></p></li><li><p><em>Jack Reacher: Never Go Back</em></p></li><li><p><em>Joy Ride</em></p></li><li><p><em>Kelly &amp; Cal*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Kinky Boots*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Maid in Manhattan*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Margot At The Wedding*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Marvin's Room*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Mommie Dearest*</em></p></li><li><p><em>No Country for Old Men</em></p></li><li><p><em>Once Upon A Time In The West</em></p></li><li><p><em>Point Break</em></p></li><li><p><em>Revolutionary Road*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Rocketman</em></p></li><li><p><em>Romy and Michele's High School Reunion</em></p></li><li><p><em>Serpico</em></p></li><li><p><em>Shall We Dance?*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Shane</em></p></li><li><p><em>Sliver</em></p></li><li><p><em>Stand By Me*</em></p></li><li><p><em>Terms of Endearment</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Accused</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Back-up Plan</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Gift*</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Golden Child</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Guilt Trip</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Hateful Eight*</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Haunting</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Joy Luck Club</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Longest Yard</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Mechanic</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Original Kings of Comedy*</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Prince Of Tides</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Terminal</em></p></li><li><p><em>True Grit</em></p></li><li><p><em>True Grit</em></p></li><li><p><em>Vantage Point</em></p></li><li><p><em>Virtuosity</em></p></li><li><p><em>What's Eating Gilbert Grape*</em></p></li><li><p><em>What's Your Number?</em></p></li><li><p><em>Zoolander 2</em></p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 15</h3><ul><li><p><em>The Boss Baby 2: Family Business</em></p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 18</h3><ul><li><p><em>Supernova</em>*</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 25</h3><ul><li><p><em>National Lampoon's Van Wilder - The Rise of Taj</em>*</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 28</h3><ul><li><p><em>3 Generations</em>*</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 31</h3><ul><li><p><em>Black Christmas</em>*</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  920.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/new-on-paramount-with-showtime-may-2024</link>
  921.      <dc:creator>Emily Long</dc:creator>
  922.      <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category>
  923.    </item>
  924.    <item>
  925.      <title>How to Accurately Count Calories (and Why You Might Want To)</title>
  926.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWAVQCEB2MQX917W71HTVTWB</guid>
  927.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  928.      <description>What app should you use? How do you track homemade food? We have all the answers here.</description>
  929.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAVQCEB2MQX917W71HTVTWB/hero-image.jpg"/>
  930.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you want to start tracking how many calories you eat&mdash;whether for weight loss, weight gain, or just out of curiosity&mdash;here&rsquo;s a primer. Calorie tracking is pretty easy once you&rsquo;ve gotten the hang of it, but getting started can be confusing. With the right tools and the right habits, however, you&rsquo;ll be on top of your own personal calorie numbers in no time.</p><h2>What are calories and why do people count them?&nbsp;</h2><p>Calories are a measure of energy. The more exercise you do, for example, the more calories you need to fuel that activity. Everything you eat has a calorie number attached to it (whether it&rsquo;s on a label or not). In general, we eat about the same number of calories we burn.&nbsp;</p><p>Amazingly, our bodies can keep us at a roughly steady weight by making us hungrier if we haven&rsquo;t eaten enough calories today, or making us feel full if we&rsquo;ve had a lot. That said, consistently eating less than you burn results in weight loss; eating more than you burn results in weight gain.&nbsp;</p><h2>How do I know how many calories I should eat?&nbsp;</h2><p>Most of the time, you should eat roughly the same number of calories each day that your body burns. That number varies from person to person. A 4&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 100-pound woman who only does light exercise might burn 1,440 calories per day. A six-foot, 280-pound man who does heavy workouts twice a day might burn 4,309. Most of us are somewhere in between, in the 2,000 to 3,000 calorie range.</p><p>I <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/how-many-calories-should-you-burn-each-day" target="_blank"><u>discuss calorie burn a little more here</u></a>. Even though food labels use a 2,000-calorie diet to calibrate their &ldquo;daily values&rdquo; of various nutrients, the truth is that we each burn a different number of calories, and most of us burn more than 2,000. (The average for adults was, years ago, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/most-people-burn-more-than-2-000-calories-1792935688" target="_blank"><u>calculated to be 2,350</u></a>. The FDA ended up going with 2,000 in part because they thought a round number was easier to understand.)&nbsp;</p><p>So if you would like to lose weight, you&rsquo;ll want to eat slightly less than you burn. If you want to gain weight&mdash;as many people do when they&rsquo;re trying to gain muscle&mdash;you&rsquo;ll want to eat more calories than you burn. A good rule of thumb is to subtract 200-500 calories from what you burn, and that will be a good number for weight loss. Do the opposite if you&rsquo;re trying to gain.</p><p>Now that you understand the logic, you just need a starting estimate of how many calories you burn. If you already track calories, you can probably figure this out by what you usually eat when your weight is stable. Otherwise, plug your information into a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calulator like the one at <a href="http://tdeecalculator.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>tdeecalculator.net</u></a>. Remember that any calculated number is only an <em>estimate</em>, and ultimately you&rsquo;ll find out whether it&rsquo;s correct by noticing what happens to your weight when you eat that number.&nbsp;</p><p>If you use a Fitbit or other gadget that estimates your calorie burn each day, that's also a good place to get a starting number. Just remember that this is <em>also</em> an estimate, and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/you-cant-trust-your-fitness-tracker-on-calorie-burn" target="_blank">could still be off by a few hundred calories in either direction</a>.</p><h2>How do I find out how many calories are in a food?&nbsp;</h2><p>The easiest way to get a calorie number for a food is to look at its label. Or if your food doesn&rsquo;t have a label, search for the name of the food plus &ldquo;calories&rdquo; and pay attention to the serving size and the source of the information. For example, when I google &ldquo;apple calories,&rdquo; I get a result telling me that a medium apple, about 3 inches in diameter, is 95 calories. The source is given as the USDA, which maintains a database of common food items. <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171688/nutrients" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Here&rsquo;s the entry for apples</u></a>. It defaults to a 100-gram serving, but you can change the &ldquo;portion&rdquo; dropdown to show you the medium apple.</p><p>When you&rsquo;re eating at a restaurant, calorie counts are sometimes shown next to each food item. If they aren&rsquo;t, check the restaurant&rsquo;s website, or search the restaurant&rsquo;s name plus &ldquo;nutrition information.&rdquo; Often there&rsquo;s a PDF hidden somewhere on their website with a bunch of calorie counts&mdash;and, often, other information like protein and carbohydrate content.</p><p>That said, there&rsquo;s a simpler way that people usually use when tracking calories: You use a calorie tracking app.</p><h2>What is the best calorie tracking app?&nbsp;</h2><p>There are tons of good (or at least not horrible) calorie tracking apps out there. <a href="https://zdcs.link/V81DN?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Cronometer&amp;short_url=V81DN&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Cronometer</u></a> is my pick: It&rsquo;s got all the features you need even in the free version, and it&rsquo;s goal-neutral, so you can use it whether you&rsquo;re trying to gain weight, lose weight, or neither.&nbsp;</p><p>The most <em>popular</em> calorie tracking app is probably MyFitnessPal, which is baffling because it&rsquo;s easily the worst one out there. The calorie information is often inaccurate, the interface is pretty in-your-face about weight loss whether you&rsquo;re interested in that or not, and basic features like the barcode scanner are only available in the paid version. We have <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-best-alternatives-to-myfitnesspal-1849456879" target="_blank"><u>a roundup of alternatives to MyFitnessPal here</u></a>.&nbsp;</p><p>When you use a calorie tracking app, you&rsquo;ll search within the app for the food that you just ate (or that you&rsquo;re about to eat). At first you&rsquo;ll find this practice clunky: You&rsquo;ll have to choose the right item from the database, and then try to figure out how large a serving you just ate. Packaged foods are easiest to track, which adds an extra wrinkle if you&rsquo;re also trying to eat more whole or homemade foods. Bear with this, though: <a href="https://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-think-of-new-habits-as-skills-1850651690" target="_blank"><u>Habits are skills</u></a>, and as you develop all the mini-skills that make up calorie tracking, the habit becomes second nature.</p><h2>How do I select an accurate serving size for the food I&rsquo;m tracking?&nbsp;</h2><p>As you gain more practice, you&rsquo;ll get pretty good at eyeballing serving sizes. But as you&rsquo;re getting used to it, make a habit of measuring or weighing food when you can. At this point I can pretty accurately eyeball the difference between a cup of rice and a half-cup of rice, for example. I know that a three-ounce serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, or a little smaller than the palm of your hand (depending, I suppose, on how big your hand is). A &ldquo;serving&rdquo; of peanut butter is two tablespoons; measure this out at least once so you can get a sense of whether your usual serving is more or less than that.&nbsp;</p><p>To be more precise, you can <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-right-way-to-use-a-scale-to-track-what-you-eat-1848314496" target="_blank"><u>start using a food scale</u></a>. This makes your life easier in so many ways. For example, you can:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p>Place your toast on the scale, zero it, and then spread on the peanut butter. Weigh the peanut-buttered toast, and you&rsquo;ll know exactly how many grams of peanut butter you used.</p></li><li><p>Weigh out your desired portion of chicken, vegetables, or anything else you&rsquo;re eating.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p>Portion a meal equally by weighing the whole thing, and then weighing each portion so that it contains &frac14; of the total (if you&rsquo;re making a four-serving meal).</p></li><li><p>Place a container of, say, yogurt on the scale, and zero it. Then you can scoop yogurt from that container into the blender as you&rsquo;re making a smoothie. This requires a &ldquo;negative tare&rdquo; feature, but it&rsquo;s great for when you&rsquo;re adding ingredients to containers you can&rsquo;t weigh directly, like a blender or a pot on the stovetop. You just weigh the container the food is coming <em>from</em>.&nbsp;</p></li></ul><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  931.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB01JTDG084&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Greater+Goods+Digital+Food+Scale&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=07fkVCBUiizTbdnQNveAc85&amp;offer_uuid=01S0O9WCPRqKg90sTmpFyou&amp;object_type=01S0O9WCPRqKg90sTmpFyou&amp;object_uuid=07fkVCBUiizTbdnQNveAc85" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Greater Goods Digital Food Scale">
  932.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  933.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  934.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Greater Goods Digital Food Scale
  935.                </div>
  936.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  937.                                            <div class="self-end">
  938.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  939.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  940.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$9.99</span>
  941.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  942.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  943.            </div>
  944.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  945.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$19.99</span>
  946.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $10.00</span>
  947.        </div>
  948.    </div>
  949.                            </div>
  950.                        </div>
  951.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  952.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  953.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  954.        <span>Get deal</span>
  955.    </div>
  956. </div>
  957.                        </div>
  958.                                    </div>
  959.            </div>
  960.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  961.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/07fkVCBUiizTbdnQNveAc85/hero-image.fill.size_245x317.v1707249868.jpg" alt="Greater Goods Digital Food Scale" width="245" height="317" loading="lazy">
  962.                            </div>
  963.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  964.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/07fkVCBUiizTbdnQNveAc85/hero-image.fill.size_245x317.v1707249868.jpg" alt="Greater Goods Digital Food Scale" width="245" height="317" loading="lazy">
  965.                            </div>
  966.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  967.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  968.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  969.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  970.        <span>Get deal</span>
  971.    </div>
  972. </div>
  973.                    </div>
  974.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  975.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  976.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  977.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$9.99</span>
  978.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  979.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  980.            </div>
  981.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  982.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$19.99</span>
  983.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $10.00</span>
  984.        </div>
  985.    </div>
  986.                    </div>
  987.                            </div>
  988.        </div>
  989. </a></div>
  990. <h2>How do I count the calories in homemade food?&nbsp;</h2><p>Your calorie tracking app should have a way of&nbsp; creating a recipe. Add in the ingredients, and make sure to say how many servings the recipe makes if you&rsquo;re cooking for a group or making multiple servings <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-start-meal-prepping-without-it-taking-over-your-1849555451" target="_blank"><u>for meal prep</u></a>. Make sure to include all the ingredients, including cooking oil and condiments.</p><h2>How do I count calories in a meal somebody else made?&nbsp;</h2><p>If you don&rsquo;t know exactly what&rsquo;s in something, you can guess. The easiest way is to look up a restaurant food that is similar and eyeball the portion.&nbsp;</p><h2>What do I do if there&rsquo;s an oil or sauce with my food and I don&rsquo;t eat all of it?&nbsp;</h2><p>Unfortunately there&rsquo;s no easy adjustment to make here. Maybe you&rsquo;re leaving a ton of calories behind, but it will be hard to separate that out mathematically from the other components that you did eat. In this case I just pretend I ate the whole thing, sauce and all. If there&rsquo;s a <em>ton</em> of sauce and I&rsquo;m sure I&rsquo;m leaving lots of calories behind, I&rsquo;ll log it as 0.9 instead of one serving.</p><h2>Do I need to track everything, every day?&nbsp;</h2><p>There are no food-tracking police (thank god), so no, you don&rsquo;t <em>have</em> to do anything. But if you&rsquo;re trying to get a roughly accurate estimate of how many calories you eat each day, you really should log everything, as much as you can. If you snack on a cookie, put a cookie into your app.&nbsp;</p><p>I&rsquo;ll sometimes skip an entire day of tracking, but I won&rsquo;t log a partial day. If I eat 1,200 calories before dinner, and then go to a party and eat 15 different little things that are impossible to accurately track, I might say &ldquo;fuck it&rdquo; and delete the whole day.&nbsp; But I wouldn&rsquo;t leave it at 1,200, because looking back, it will seem like that entire day was only 1,200 calories.&nbsp;If I know I ate more than usual and I want to make sure my tracking shows it, I'll pick a placeholder like a restaurant meal (my app actually has an entry for "Thanksgiving") and log whatever gets me, say, 3,000 calories of that.</p><p>Along the same lines, it&rsquo;s tempting to not log things you think you &ldquo;shouldn&rsquo;t&rdquo; be eating, but this backfires. In reality, if I&rsquo;m eating 2,500 calories and only logging 2,000, I would look at my app and think, wow, I&rsquo;m eating 2,000 calories and not losing weight. I would start to feel like I needed to eat even less than 2,000, and I might fall into one of those vicious cycles of restricting myself to smaller meals and then finding myself eating more untracked &ldquo;cheat&rdquo; meals. <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/red-flags-that-your-weight-loss-attempts-are-triggering-an-eating-disorder" target="_blank"><u>This is not a healthy way of eating</u></a>, and tends to get worse over time. Instead, I log it all. If I know I&rsquo;m eating 2,500 calories and not losing weight, I would be able to appreciate the fact that my body can put 2,500 calories to good use every day. I would then eat slightly less&mdash;maybe 2,200&mdash;and see if that might be a more effective and sustainable approach.&nbsp;</p><p>Or to put it another way: if you log everything, you can be honest with yourself and kinder to yourself. You just have to look at the numbers as neutral data, not as a judgement on whether you&rsquo;re being &ldquo;good.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  991.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/health/how-to-count-calories</link>
  992.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  993.      <category><![CDATA[Nutrition]]></category>
  994.    </item>
  995.    <item>
  996.      <title>The First Three Things You Should Do When Your Roof Starts Leaking</title>
  997.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWAWH0Q9KBDR5VP61QSX0C6Z</guid>
  998.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  999.      <description>You’re relaxing at home when suddenly water starts pouring from the ceiling. Don't panic—but don't just wait for your roofer, either.</description>
  1000.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAWH0Q9KBDR5VP61QSX0C6Z/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1001.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>No one ever brags about <a href="https://lifehacker.com/you-can-replace-your-roof-yourself-but-you-shouldn-t-1850739430" target="_blank">their roof</a>. We all have know people who actually send you photos of their perfectly manicured garden, or someone who speakings lovingly of their new kitchen backsplash. But the roof? No one thinks about their roof&mdash;until it <a href="https://lifehacker.com/what-is-roof-ponding-and-what-can-you-do-about-it-1850581538" target="_blank">starts leaking</a>.</p><p>Roof leaks always happen at the least opportune moment&mdash;like, when it&rsquo;s actively pouring out. If you experience the horror of water dripping from places water&rsquo;s not supposed to drip from, hopefully you have a roofer in your contacts and can get them over for an inspection pronto. But before you make that call, don&rsquo;t waste any time&mdash;you&rsquo;ve got some roof triage to do if you want to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-repair-water-damage-in-your-home-and-when-to-pa-1849359633" target="_blank">limit the damage</a> from a roof leak.</p><h2>Clear and contain</h2><p>Your first priority is preventing damage. This is the moment to spring into action:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Move</strong> stuff out of the way. Any furniture, electronics, or rugs should be immediately removed from the area where the water is dripping.</p></li><li><p><strong>Cover</strong> the stuff you can&rsquo;t move, like a big, heavy couch or any built-in furniture. Any kind of plastic sheeting will do in a pinch. If the water leak is significant, you might also place the furniture legs in plastic containers or <a href="https://todayshomeowner.com/weather/video/how-to-protect-valuable-possessions-from-water-damage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">raise it up</a> on risers if you&rsquo;re unable to move it.</p></li><li><p><strong>Contain</strong> the water&mdash;place a bucket underneath the stream and mop up the floor to prevent the water from soaking into the flooring. If the water leak is causing your ceiling or wall to bulge like a balloon, pop the bulge to let the water drain; otherwise, the water will just slowly soak into areas far away from the leak.</p></li></ul><p>Consider keeping a <a href="https://zdcs.link/NxY2D?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=roof%20leak%20diverter&amp;short_url=NxY2D&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">roof leak diverter</a> (or two) in storage. These tarp-like contraptions attach to the ceiling and divert the water into a hose that can be run to a drain. This way you don&rsquo;t have to worry about emptying a bucket while keeping your floors dry.</p><p></p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1002.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FNxY2D&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Pig+Rectangular+Roof+Leak+Diverter&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FNxY2D" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Pig Rectangular Roof Leak Diverter">
  1003.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1004.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1005.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Pig Rectangular Roof Leak Diverter
  1006.                </div>
  1007.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1008.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1009.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1010.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1011.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$155.51</span>
  1012.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Walmart</span>
  1013.                    </div>
  1014.    </div>
  1015.                            </div>
  1016.                        </div>
  1017.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1018.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1019.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1020.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  1021.    </div>
  1022. </div>
  1023.                        </div>
  1024.                                    </div>
  1025.            </div>
  1026.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1027.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAWH0Q9KBDR5VP61QSX0C6Z/images-1.fill.size_245x245.v1714058863.jpg" alt="Pig Rectangular Roof Leak Diverter" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  1028.                            </div>
  1029.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1030.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAWH0Q9KBDR5VP61QSX0C6Z/images-1.fill.size_245x245.v1714058863.jpg" alt="Pig Rectangular Roof Leak Diverter" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  1031.                            </div>
  1032.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1033.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1034.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1035.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1036.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  1037.    </div>
  1038. </div>
  1039.                    </div>
  1040.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1041.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1042.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1043.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$155.51</span>
  1044.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Walmart</span>
  1045.                    </div>
  1046.    </div>
  1047.                    </div>
  1048.                            </div>
  1049.        </div>
  1050. </a></div>
  1051. <h2>Roof triage</h2><p>Once you&rsquo;ve restored order to the interior of your house, it&rsquo;s time to see if you can put a temporary fix into place.</p><p>Start in the attic, if you have one. You might see the source of your leak immediately, or you might have to go hunting for it. Bring a flashlight and look for damp spots, slow seeping water, or literal holes in your roof. If you see obvious damage, you can try <a href="https://www.ibexroof.com/how-to-fix-a-leaking-roof-from-the-inside/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">patching it from the inside</a> with some <a href="https://zdcs.link/L3qBZ?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=roof%20cement&amp;short_url=L3qBZ&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">roof cement</a> or <a href="https://zdcs.link/njdy8?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=roofing%20tape&amp;short_url=njdy8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">roofing tape</a>, but keep in mind that while a successful interior patch might spare the inside of your house from further damage, the leak in your roof will still be there and will require repair.</p><p>If you don&rsquo;t have an attic or you can&rsquo;t see any obvious leaks from inside, your next step might be to get up on your roof. This is where you should be <em>very</em> careful&mdash;it&rsquo;s a bad idea to head up onto your roof during a rainstorm. Wait for the storm to pass, and follow best <a href="https://wernerroofing.com/blog/how-to-get-on-your-roof-safely/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">safety practices</a> at all times when you do go up there. When you do get up on your roof, it&rsquo;s time for some detective work:</p><ul><li><p>Remember that water flows, so the source of your leak might not be directly above or even near the spot where the water came out inside your house.</p></li><li><p>First, look for obvious damage: Missing or visually damaged shingles, flashing that has pulled away, stains or sunken areas, tears or cracks in the roof membrane.</p></li><li><p>If you don&rsquo;t see anything immediately obvious, look at the most <a href="https://eriehome.com/blog/the-10-most-common-causes-of-roof-leaks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">common problem areas</a>: places where vent pipes emerge from the roof, where two planes meet, flashing around chimneys or skylights, and roof valleys.</p></li></ul><p>Once you&rsquo;ve identified one or more potential sources of the leak, you can apply some roof cement (make sure it&rsquo;s explicitly for use in wet conditions if the roof is still damp or if it&rsquo;s lightly raining) or even some <a href="https://zdcs.link/2mG8e?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Flex%20Paste&amp;short_url=2mG8e&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Flex Paste</a>. If you&rsquo;re dealing with discrete damage to your roof, this might stop the leak until you can have a proper repair done.</p><p>If you can&rsquo;t identify a specific area to patch (or as an added layer of protection if you do patch), you can throw a <a href="https://aboveroofing.com/7-key-things-to-do-if-your-roof-is-leaking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">tarp</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/Ox6B5QLpUpc?si=sWe--kVZzIr5oUJc" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">over the area</a> where you suspect the leak is. <a href="https://youtu.be/vXWMj_TbDp4?si=ZidTuFBd0_6sApH3" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">The tarp</a> should be at least six millimeters thick, and you&rsquo;ll need enough of it to extend several feet around the leaking area. In a pinch, you can just weigh the tarp down with some lumber, but ideally you would secure the tarp to your roof using roofing nails.</p><h2>Document</h2><p>Finally, document the damage, especially if you have an insurance policy that includes roof coverage. If you wait until after the repairs are done, you might find your insurer reluctant to pay out on the claim. A few quick photos of the inside and outside as well as any damaged furniture or electronics will go a long way toward making that claim go smoothly. Plus, when you contact a licensed roofer about getting your roof repaired or replaced, you can send them the photos so they can determine the scale of the problem.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1052.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/the-first-three-things-you-should-do-when-roof-starts-leaking</link>
  1053.      <dc:creator>Jeff Somers</dc:creator>
  1054.      <category><![CDATA[Home & Garden]]></category>
  1055.    </item>
  1056.    <item>
  1057.      <title>This App Stops Windows 11 From Opening Search Results in Edge</title>
  1058.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HWAN3WV6TA7ZXRE45E9QA8VT</guid>
  1059.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1060.      <description>Just when you think you've replaced Windows 11's default browser, it pops back up.</description>
  1061.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAN3WV6TA7ZXRE45E9QA8VT/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1062.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-block-ads-in-windows-11" target="_blank">Windows 11</a> has a search bar in the taskbar and the Start menu, which lets you look for things both on your computer and on the internet. But if you click any results from the internet, Windows will open them in <a href="https://lifehacker.com/change-these-microsoft-edge-settings-to-make-it-an-even-1849705168" target="_blank">Microsoft Edge</a>, even if that's not your default browser. Luckily, there's a way to override this and force Windows to open links in your preferred browser.</p><h2>Install MSEdgeRedirect to force Windows 11 to use your favorite browser</h2><p><a href="https://github.com/rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">MSEdgeRedirect</a> is the best way to stop Microsoft Edge from firing up every time you use Windows search. The app will also stop Edge from launching randomly, plus it'll let you use third-party services instead of Microsoft's own options for news, weather, and other live updates. Installing it is as simple as going through a couple of setup screens.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1063.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1064.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAN3WV6TA7ZXRE45E9QA8VT/images-1.fill.size_2000x1250.v1714049643.jpg" alt="A screenshot of MSEdgeRedirect's settings." width="2000" height="1250" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAN3WV6TA7ZXRE45E9QA8VT/images-1.fill.size_800x500.v1714049643.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAN3WV6TA7ZXRE45E9QA8VT/images-1.fill.size_1400x875.v1714049643.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HWAN3WV6TA7ZXRE45E9QA8VT/images-1.fill.size_2000x1250.v1714049643.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1065.            </div>
  1066.            <div class="mt-2">
  1067.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1068.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Pranay Parab/MSEdgeRedirect</span>
  1069.                    </div>
  1070.    </div>
  1071. <p>One of these setup screens asks you to choose an installation mode. For most people, Active Mode is recommended. On the next page, you'll see a number of Active Mode preferences. First, select <strong>Edge Stable</strong> unless you're running a beta build of the browser. After that, go through the preferences to stop other Microsoft redirects such as Bing Discover, Bing Images, Bing Search, MSN News, MSN Weather, etc. For each of these, MSEdgeRedirect offers a few alternatives, so take your pick.</p><h2>Take control of your browser and search engine</h2><p>Once the app is installed, Windows 11's search bar will be a lot more useful. Now, internet links will open in your default browser and use your preferred search engine.</p><p>MSEdgeRedirect is a great way to fix Windows 11's default settings. But you can take it a step further. Some people really dislike how Microsoft has slowed down the search function by trying to show results from the internet. Luckily, you can <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/fix-search-results-in-windows-11" target="_blank">remove internet results from Windows search</a>, and focus on the apps and files that live on your PC.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1072.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/stops-windows-11-from-opening-search-results-in-edge</link>
  1073.      <dc:creator>Pranay Parab</dc:creator>
  1074.      <category><![CDATA[Computing]]></category>
  1075.    </item>
  1076.    <item>
  1077.      <title>How to Use Your iPad as a Second Mac Display</title>
  1078.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1836053578</guid>
  1079.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1080.      <description>A free Mac monitor might be sitting in your drawer somewhere.</description>
  1081.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/hero-image.png"/>
  1082.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It's no secret that Apple products work well with one another. But you might not know you can actually turn your <a href="https://zdcs.link/njm2q?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=iPad&amp;short_url=njm2q&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">iPad</a> into a high-quality secondary display for your Mac. Whether you have a desktop setup, or you&rsquo;re traveling, you can use your iPad as a wireless display to showcase any app from your computer. It&rsquo;s as easy as screen mirroring your Mac to your TV, thanks to a relatively hidden macOS feature called Sidecar.</p><h2>What you need to use your iPad as a display</h2><p>First, the requirements. You&rsquo;ll need a Mac running macOS Catalina or higher, and an iPad running iPadOS 13 or higher. There are some hardware restrictions as well, though every <a href="https://zdcs.link/q7lnw?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=MacBook%20Pro&amp;short_url=q7lnw&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">MacBook Pro</a> released after 2016, and <a href="https://zdcs.link/EbZBJ?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=MacBook%20Air&amp;short_url=EbZBJ&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">MacBook Air</a> released after 2018 will work. In general, the latest Macs from the last 5 years are supported. The same goes for the iPads as well. All models of <a href="https://zdcs.link/YBL2R?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=iPad%20Pros&amp;short_url=YBL2R&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">iPad Pros</a> work, and every iPad 6th generation and newer, as well as iPad Air 3rd generation and newer will work here.</p><p>Still, you might need to do some work on the software side. First, both devices have to be signed in from the same Apple ID, and you have to use two-factor authentication. To use this feature wirelessly, you have to enable Bluetooth, wifi, and Handoff on your iPad. To enable Handoff, go to <strong>Settings</strong> &gt; <strong>General</strong> &gt; <strong>Airplay &amp; Handoff</strong> &gt; <strong>Handoff</strong>. If you&rsquo;re using tethering on your iPad or your Mac, this feature won&rsquo;t work.&nbsp;</p><h2>How to connect your iPad as a second display to your Mac&nbsp;</h2><p>Now that the housekeeping is done, you can set up your iPad as a secondary display. First, place the iPad next to the Mac, turn on the display, and unlock it.&nbsp;</p><p>Next, go to <strong>Control Center</strong> on your Mac, click <strong>Screen Mirroring</strong>, and choose your iPad from the list.&nbsp;</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1083.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1084.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-5.fill.size_2000x1227.v1714038062.jpg" alt="Choosing iPad from the Control Center." width="2000" height="1227" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-5.fill.size_800x491.v1714038062.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-5.fill.size_1400x859.v1714038062.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-5.fill.size_2000x1227.v1714038062.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1085.            </div>
  1086.            <div class="mt-2">
  1087.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1088.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  1089.                    </div>
  1090.    </div>
  1091. <p>To use it as a secondary monitor, make sure you choose the <strong>Use As Separate Display</strong> option. You&rsquo;ll notice your iPad will instantly show your Mac&rsquo;s screen, including the menu bar, and some apps might even move to the iPad screen. To help you out, the iPad can show a sidebar, plus touch bar controls that are useful if you&rsquo;re using the iPad away from your Mac. If you want more screen space for your Mac apps, we suggest disabling both the sidebar and the touch bar.&nbsp;You can do this on your Mac under <strong>System Settings &gt; Displays</strong>.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1092.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1093.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-6.fill.size_2000x1411.v1714038062.jpg" alt="Using iPad as second display for Mac. " width="2000" height="1411" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-6.fill.size_800x565.v1714038062.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-6.fill.size_1400x988.v1714038062.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-6.fill.size_2000x1411.v1714038062.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1094.            </div>
  1095.            <div class="mt-2">
  1096.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1097.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  1098.                    </div>
  1099.    </div>
  1100. <p>The above instructions will work if you&rsquo;re using macOS Monterey and higher. If you&rsquo;re using macOS Big Sur, you&rsquo;ll find the mirroring menu in Control Center's <strong>Display</strong> section.&nbsp;</p><p>Lastly, make sure how you&rsquo;ve placed your iPad in physical space aligns with how your macOS software is set up. If you&rsquo;ve ever attached an external monitor to your Mac, and tried to use it next to your MacBook, you&rsquo;ll be familiar with this.&nbsp;</p><p>Essentially, you can tell macOS that your iPad sits on the left or right of the Mac so that your cursor can seamlessly move from one screen to another. To do this, go to <strong>System Settings</strong> &gt; <strong>Displays</strong>. Here, you&rsquo;ll see the current arrangement of your displays. If the default option works for you, then you don't need to do anything.&nbsp;</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1101.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1102.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-7.fill.size_2000x1494.v1714038062.png" alt="Display options in Mac System Settings." width="2000" height="1494" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-7.fill.size_800x597.v1714038062.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-7.fill.size_1400x1046.v1714038062.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-7.fill.size_2000x1494.v1714038062.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1103.            </div>
  1104.            <div class="mt-2">
  1105.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1106.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  1107.                    </div>
  1108.    </div>
  1109. <p>If you want to move your iPad screen position, click the <strong>Arrange</strong> button, freely drag the iPad screen to where it is in your physical space, and click the <strong>Done</strong> button.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1110.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1111.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-8.fill.size_2000x1494.v1714038062.png" alt="Arranging iPad screen in System Settings." width="2000" height="1494" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-8.fill.size_800x597.v1714038062.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-8.fill.size_1400x1046.v1714038062.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-8.fill.size_2000x1494.v1714038062.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
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  1113.            <div class="mt-2">
  1114.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1115.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  1116.                    </div>
  1117.    </div>
  1118. <h2>Everything you can do with your iPad as a second display&nbsp;</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1119.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1120.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-9.fill.size_2000x1333.v1714038062.png" alt="Using macOS full screen on the iPad with Sidecar." width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-9.fill.size_800x533.v1714038062.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-9.fill.size_1400x933.v1714038062.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-9.fill.size_2000x1333.v1714038062.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1121.            </div>
  1122.            <div class="mt-2">
  1123.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1124.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  1125.                    </div>
  1126.    </div>
  1127. <p>Now that you're all set up, you can freely move your cursor between your Mac display and your iPad, and you can use the iPad like it's any other external display. This is similar to Apple&rsquo;s other feature, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-enable-universal-control-between-your-mac-and-1848665891" target="_blank">Universal Control</a>, where you can use the keyboard and mouse on your Mac with a connected iPad. The crucial difference with Sidecar, however, is that your Mac screen is also extended to the iPad. With Universal Control, your iPad still displays iPadOS.&nbsp;</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1128.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1129.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-4.fill.size_2000x1279.v1714038061.png" alt="Moving a window to the iPad." width="2000" height="1279" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-4.fill.size_800x512.v1714038061.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-4.fill.size_1400x896.v1714038061.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GT1CDSZ0RQHAMF58QVK02/images-4.fill.size_2000x1279.v1714038061.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1130.            </div>
  1131.            <div class="mt-2">
  1132.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1133.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  1134.                    </div>
  1135.    </div>
  1136. <p>If you don&rsquo;t like dragging and dropping windows between the Mac and the iPad, there&rsquo;s a shortcut for you. Hover over the <strong>Maximize</strong> button on any macOS window, and you&rsquo;ll see an option to move the window to the iPad. I like using this option because it automatically resizes the window to take up the full iPad display.&nbsp;</p><p>This feature does disables the touch screen on your iPad, so it's not the touch screen Mac of your dreams. That said, Sidecar does support Apple Pencil. You can use your Pencil to draw on the screen, and you can even go to <strong>System Settings</strong> &gt; <strong>Displays</strong> to enable the double-tap feature on the Apple Pencil, which lets you make selections on your iPad.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1137.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/use-your-ipad-as-a-secondary-display-in-macos-catalina-1836053578</link>
  1138.      <dc:creator>Khamosh Pathak</dc:creator>
  1139.      <category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
  1140.    </item>
  1141.    <item>
  1142.      <title>Why You Shouldn’t Bother Adding Tea Leaves to Your Garden</title>
  1143.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8S7X5Z0W010V9PP3M46M7Z</guid>
  1144.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1145.      <description>Tea is just plant matter, which will compost and provide nitrogen back to the soil. But it won't do anything special for your garden.</description>
  1146.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8S7X5Z0W010V9PP3M46M7Z/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1147.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The gardening world is full of old wives' tales full of purported methods to grow the biggest tomatoes or tallest sunflowers. One of those stories is that tea is beneficial for your garden because it creates nitrogen, and the tannic acid benefits the pH of the soil. In truth, while tea will compost in your garden just like any other organic matter and likely isn&rsquo;t doing any harm, there&rsquo;s no science to suggest that tea, itself, has any specific benefit to your yard, either. Absolutely everything you compost will produce nitrogen, and any acid will affect the pH of your soil (which isn&rsquo;t always desirable). I consulted with many garden centers as well as <a href="https://www.concentratesnw.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Concentrates</a>, a well-regarded farm supply known for their mineral and fertilizer supplement stock, as well as their considerable knowledge of organic farming. No one working there had ever practiced this or could figure out any particular way tea would benefit your yard. </p><h2>Tea is just dried and processed plant matter</h2><p>Growing herbs in your garden is probably one of the most <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-best-way-to-care-for-your-herb-garden-is-to-actuall-1850502356" target="_blank">rewarding crops</a>, particularly perennial herbs. While many herbs, like chamomile and mint, can be used to make herbal tea on their own, real tea leaves come from a tea plant, camellia sinensis. While it&rsquo;s unlikely your local nursery will sell it, you can order this flower online as a start and plant it in your garden. Once the plant flowers, you can harvest and dry the buds and make your own tea. No matter what you make your tea with, whether it be herbal or camellia, when you&rsquo;re done drinking, what&rsquo;s left is bound for the trash unless you compost it. If you&rsquo;re making tea with what you grew yourself, you likely aren&rsquo;t using tea bags, so you can just place the spent tea in your compost and go back to your life. It should compost just fine, and would count as a green part of your compost (which is made up of wet, nitrogen-rich matter balanced with dry, carbon-based matter).&nbsp;</p><p>If you buy tea, then you need to consider what the teabag is made of. While most teabags are compostable, some have polypropylene in them and those should not be composted. Remove any staples or string, unless you are sure it is 100% cotton string, and remove the paper tag in case it has any coating on it. If you&rsquo;re concerned about the teabag, you can just empty it into your compost and toss the bag.&nbsp;</p><h2>Consider where you put compost with tea in it</h2><p>Your soil has a delicate pH. Most plants enjoy a neutral pH, and gardeners go to the trouble of measuring the soil&rsquo;s pH to determine that its in the right range. Some plants benefit from slightly more acidic pH, but slightly is the key word there. Blueberries, azaleas and strawberries are examples of plants that benefit from that higher acidity. Any acid is going to make your soil more acidic, and real tea (not herbal) contains tannins, which produce tannic acid. Just like tea is a plant, tannic acid is produced by trees and other plants as they decay, too. It&rsquo;s not that tannic acid is specifically bad, it&rsquo;s that it&rsquo;s not particularly beneficial, either. If you are adding it into the environment on purpose, you&rsquo;ll want to ensure the soil pH isn&rsquo;t becoming too acidic for what you&rsquo;re trying to grow.</p><h2>Compost made with tea should not be confused with &ldquo;compost tea&rdquo;</h2><p>If you garden enough, you&rsquo;ll hear the phrase &ldquo;compost tea&rdquo; and how good it is for your garden, but that phrase does not refer to actual tea. Rather, this is the drippings of your worms or compost, which can produce a highly nutritious water fertilizer for your garden. Many worm towers actually come with spigots to collect this brew for use, but you would <em>never </em>drink this.<br></p>]]></content:encoded>
  1148.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/why-you-shouldnt-bother-adding-tea-leaves-garden</link>
  1149.      <dc:creator>Amanda Blum</dc:creator>
  1150.      <category><![CDATA[Plants]]></category>
  1151.    </item>
  1152.    <item>
  1153.      <title>How to Grow Vines on Your Pergola or Trellis (and What to Grow)</title>
  1154.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8HAFK2WE0TJTEYPD5TTPB9</guid>
  1155.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1156.      <description>Create a shaded sanctuary in your garden.</description>
  1157.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8HAFK2WE0TJTEYPD5TTPB9/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1158.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&rsquo;m a big believer in growing your garden up using <a href="https://lifehacker.com/trellises-will-completely-transform-your-garden-1850422342" target="_blank"><u>trellises</u></a>, arbors and other supports. Growing up provides three exceptional benefits in a garden. First, it provides more room to grow. While some items naturally grow up, like bean vines, others, like pumpkins don&rsquo;t traditionally grow up, but rather sprawl out across the ground, taking up a lot of space. Second, creating vertical points of interest in your yard makes the space so much more interesting. Lastly, it creates shade and sun. For the items growing on the support, they&rsquo;re going to get more sun than they would on the ground, and on the other side of that trellis, shade is created. The shade is good for people and animals, who need respite in the summer, but also for your plants. It creates a microclimate. There&rsquo;s a screen for wind, and the temperature on the other side is going to dip down a few degrees through the lack of sun.&nbsp;</p><p>The key to all of this is to choose the right support and the right plant. A trellis is simply a vertical structure that may be flat or accordion-style. An obelisk-type trellis has a smaller footprint, but more support, as they tend to be round or square, coming to a point at the top. Arches can be skinny or wide, but cross a space that people can walk under. An arbor has vertical and horizontal supports for plants such as berries, grapes or figs. Finally, a pergola or cabana is more specifically for creating a space under for tables, chairs, or whatever you&rsquo;d want to do with the space.&nbsp; While all of these structures look nice on their own, they have open designs specifically so you can grow plants on them. Now you just have to decide what to grow.&nbsp;</p><h2>Edible fruit like figs and grapes will provide fruit and huge, leafy shade</h2><p>I always like to consider ways to grow food&mdash;if not for me, then birds and other local wildlife. Figs and grapes are two plants that love support and can be molded around a structure, but are going to require a lot of hand-holding (this is true generally of both, not just on a pergola). Figs and grapes both grow vigorously and need to be pruned yearly, and should be treated to prevent fungal infections like rust. These both produce fruit, which sounds delightful, but if you do not harvest it, that fruit will drop and make a mess and bring pests. You can work to reduce this problem by thinning the fruit, which means reducing the amount of fruit as a trade-off for bigger, better fruit. Both figs and grapes offer huge leaves that can also be used on their own for eating but will work to provide shade as well. While these plants are perennial, they are not evergreen, so during the winter, you&rsquo;ll see the vines but not the leaves.&nbsp;</p><h2>Passionfruit and hops are prolific vines that will cover your entire structure easily</h2><p>Hops and passionfruit are edge-case edibles. Hops are essential to brewing beer, but even if you don&rsquo;t, they are magnificently scented flowers on a very prolific vine that will climb on its own. The same is true for passionfruit, which doubles in size year to year and features gorgeous passionflowers. If you let it grow, you will eventually develop passionfruit, too. Because of how prolific these plants are, you really want to consider how you&rsquo;ll handle them in fall. Passionflower really shouldn&rsquo;t be pruned much, but hops can be cut almost to the ground year to year and will just come back stronger. Even in the short summer season, they can cover your entire pergola.</p><h2>Consider the birds</h2><p>If you&rsquo;d like to fill your space with hummingbirds, bees and other beneficial pollinators, you need to give them something to eat. Floral vines like jasmine, trumpet vines, honeysuckle, clematis and cup-and-saucer vine all provide scented flowers that attract these pollinators while providing shade on the structure. In fact, there are enough varieties of these vines that you can choose multiple honeysuckle vines, each with a different bloom time, and have an entire season of flowers, with different-colored flowers. Vines all have different rules about when and how much you prune them. Clematis has three different pruning groups alone, so you&rsquo;ll want to make sure you look up how to prune your specific vines.&nbsp;</p><h2>Seasonal edibles provide short-term growth but high interest</h2><p>A great idea for a pergola or trellis is regular vining beans. Beans like scarlet runner or hyacinth beans are edible (but really meant to be grown for their looks) but there&rsquo;s a whole world of shelling beans that grow prolifically for a season; then, after you harvest the beans, you cut the vines down. These are all annuals, meaning they only live for the season. If you allow the beans to just drop, they will reseed on their own and might eventually perennialize.&nbsp;You&rsquo;ll want to ensure that you&rsquo;re choosing pole beans, not bush beans&mdash;that information will always be on the seed packet. Most green beans are pole beans, and also grow prolifically in one season. We&rsquo;ve previously covered how pumpkins and squash <a href="https://lifehacker.com/trellises-will-completely-transform-your-garden-1850422342" target="_blank"><u>can be trellised</u></a>; if you just grew them alone, they&rsquo;d provide a lot of shade. You don&rsquo;t have to choose just one option: You can grow multiple things together, like beans and pumpkins.&nbsp;</p><h2>Don&rsquo;t grow invasive vines</h2><p>Although some people love them, vines like ivy or wisteria can do real damage to a structure and take over a space. Akebia is not technically invasive, but can grow out of hand too easily.&nbsp; Obviously, don&rsquo;t plant kudzu. Other problematic invasive vines include wintercreeper, porcelain berry, and oriental bittersweet.&nbsp;</p><h2>Plants need good soil, water, food, sunlight and pruning</h2><p>Depending on the structure of your trellis or pergola, your plants might be fine on their own finding the support, but if not, consider loose garden ties to train the plants onto the structure. You want to ensure these are never tight, or they won&rsquo;t allow growth. You need to plant the vines into good soil that is loose and loamy, and has some nutrition in it. If the pergola is planted on the ground rather than a cement or rock base, you can work the soil around the pergola to aerate it and add fertilizer with a broadfork or shovel. If your structure is on cement, you&rsquo;ll need planters, and they need to be appropriately sized for the plant&mdash;so larger than you imagine. You&rsquo;ll fill them with potting soil, and since potted plants dry out more easily, you&rsquo;ll need to ensure they get watered routinely and fed yearly with fertilizer. The nice thing about planters is that you can move them around, so if a plant isn&rsquo;t getting sunlight, you can move it where it will.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1159.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/how-to-grow-vines-on-a-pergola-or-trellis-and-what-to-grow</link>
  1160.      <dc:creator>Amanda Blum</dc:creator>
  1161.      <category><![CDATA[Plants]]></category>
  1162.    </item>
  1163.    <item>
  1164.      <title>Doomer, Rizz, and Other Gen Z and Gen Alpha Slang You Might Need Help Decoding</title>
  1165.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW96DTWTS3NVFYV43RH258NM</guid>
  1166.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1167.      <description>Find out if you're a sigma who has aura or a delulu soyjack in danger of being mogged.</description>
  1168.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW96DTWTS3NVFYV43RH258NM/hero-image.png"/>
  1169.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&rsquo;s been a few years since <a href="https://lifehacker.com/skrt-cheugy-and-all-the-other-gen-z-slang-you-might-n-1847742654" target="_blank">Lifehacker looked at the slang of Generation Z</a>&mdash;long enough that Generation Alpha has had time to develop and spread some of its own special buzzwords and jargon. Below is an alphabetized collection of slang taken from both Gen Z and Gen A, in case someone younger than you says something you don't understand. As with all slang, if you need an online list to know what a word means, you are too old to say it aloud. </p><p><strong>Ate/eat</strong>: Done particularly well, particularly regarding clothing. ie: "You ate that outfit." See also: "serving" </p><p><strong>Aura</strong>: Someone who is mysterious and cool is said to "have aura."</p><p><strong>Bed-rotting</strong>: Staying in bed all day. You may know it as &ldquo;lazing around.&rdquo; See also: "Hurkle-durkle."</p><p><strong>Bop</strong>: A girl who sleeps around. Also: a great song. </p><p><strong>Brain-rot</strong>: A description of the overuse of stupid slang. See also: &ldquo;Skibidi&rdquo;</p><p><strong>Bubba truck</strong>: A lifted or otherwise modified pick-up truck</p><p><strong>Chad</strong>: An attractive man; i.e. an &ldquo;alpha male&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Chat</strong>: A reference to streamers addressing their chat windows aloud. Saying &ldquo;chat&rdquo; in real life is an ironic joke.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Coomer</strong>: A man who masturbates too often</p><p><strong>Corn</strong>: &ldquo;Corn&rdquo; is algo-speak that means &ldquo;porn.&rdquo; Used in online spaces where the word might cause your account to be flagged or banned.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Coworker-core</strong>: A catch-all description for things that are unfunny or uninteresting in a way that appeals to older people</p><p><strong>Delulu</strong>: Delusional</p><p><strong>Doomer</strong>: A person who is overly negative and/or cynical</p><p><strong>Drip</strong>: A fashionable or stylish look</p><p><strong>Edgar</strong>: A variation of the Caesar haircut worn especially among hispanic males. Also refers to the kind of person who wears the haircut.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Fanum tax</strong>: The theft of food between friends. Named for streamer Fanum, known for &ldquo;taxing&rdquo; his friends by taking bites of their meals or stealing fries.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Fent-fold</strong>: A description of the bent-over posture of people nodding on heavy drugs</p><p><strong>Gamer dent:</strong> The temporary indentation left on someone&rsquo;s hair or skin after wearing headphones for too long</p><p><strong>Geeker</strong>: Someone who uses a lot of drugs</p><p><strong>Glaze</strong>: To overly praise someone, often insincerely, or with the hope of getting something in return</p><p><strong>Green fn</strong>: An interjection one might used when someone does something cool or impressive. Often used ironically.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Gooning</strong>: Extended masturbation without orgasm done for the purpose of entering an altered state of consciousness</p><p><strong>Gyatt or Gyat</strong>: Once an interjection used when seeing someone sexy, like &ldquo;god-DAMN,&rdquo; &ldquo;gyatt&rdquo; has come to mean &ldquo;attractive booty.&rdquo;</p><p><strong>Hurkle-durkle: </strong>Based on an archaic Scottish word, &ldquo;hurkle-durkle&rdquo; means to lounge in bed after it is time to get up. See also: &ldquo;bed-rotting."</p><p><strong>"It's so over": </strong>The situation is hopeless. The opposite of "we're so back." See also: "Doomer."</p><p><strong>Jelqing</strong>: The use of stretching or weights in an attempt to increase penis size</p><p><strong>Jit</strong>: A kid. Used ironically online</p><p><strong>JOMO</strong>: A play on FOMO (fear of missing out) JOMO is an acronym that stands for &ldquo;joy of missing out.&rdquo;</p><p><strong>"Learn Chinese":</strong> Sports slang directed at failing players. They are in danger of being sent to play in China, so they should "learn Chinese."</p><p><strong>Looksmaxxing</strong>: Maximizing one&rsquo;s physical attractiveness through personal grooming, working out, and dressing stylishly. See also: &ldquo;-maxxing.&rdquo;</p><p><strong>-maxxing</strong>: A suffix used with any word to indicate trying to improve. Seeing your friends could be called "friendmaxxing," working out could be called "gymmaxxing," making jokes could be called "jestermaxxing" etc. </p><p><strong>Mewing</strong>: A facial exercise meant to strengthen the jawline</p><p><strong>Mirror sex</strong>: Using a mirror to watch yourself have sex</p><p><strong>Mog: </strong>To be more attractive than someone, usually in an intentional or aggressive way. Example: "I was rizzing up this girl, but he walked in and totally mogged me."</p><p><strong>Neurospicy</strong>: A different way of saying &ldquo;neuro-divergent&rdquo;</p><p><strong>Opp</strong>: Short for "opposition." Someone who is out to get you. An enemy. </p><p><strong>Regarded</strong>: &ldquo;Regarded&rdquo; is algo-speak for &ldquo;retarded"</p><p><strong>Rizz</strong>: As a noun, "rizz" means charisma. As a verb, rizz or rizz up means attracting someone with your charisma.</p><p><strong>Serve</strong>: Wearing a particularly stylish outfit. See also: "ate."</p><p><strong>Serve cunt</strong>: To act in a powerfully and unapologetically&nbsp;feminine&nbsp;way; to&nbsp;slay</p><p><strong>Skibidi Toilet</strong>: Named after &ldquo;Skibidi Toilet,&rdquo; a popular series of YouTube videos, &ldquo;skibidi&rdquo; itself has no specific meaning, beyond ridiculing the overuse of slang itself. See &ldquo;brain-rot.&rdquo;</p><p><strong>Sigma</strong>: A &ldquo;sigma male&rdquo; is a lone wolf who is powerful and competent, as opposed to a traditional alpha male stereotypes.</p><p><strong>Sweat</strong>: A person who tries too hard, usually used in reference to video games.&nbsp;The adjective form is "sweaty."</p><p><strong>Soyjack</strong>: a cartoon image of an emasculated man with an open-mouthed smile and an excited expression. Based on &ldquo;soy-boy,&rdquo; or weak man.</p><p><strong>Spoopy</strong>: Spooky</p><p><strong>Striker</strong>: Stolen/no-title car</p><p><strong>Tradwife: </strong>Believer in traditional married gender roles</p><p><strong>Unc</strong>: Short for "uncle," used to describe slightly older people. Example: "The class of 2024 are unc-status to the class of 2028."</p><p><strong>Twelve</strong>: Police</p><p><strong>Twin</strong>: Best friend. </p><p><strong>"We're so back"</strong>: Opposite of "it's so over"</p><p><strong>Yapping</strong>: Describes a presentational style often seen on online streams of talking a lot and/or quickly while not saying anything worthwhile</p><p><strong>Zoomer Perm:</strong> A curly on top, short on the sides haircut popular among young people.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1170.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/guide-to-gen-z-and-gen-alpha-slang</link>
  1171.      <dc:creator>Stephen Johnson</dc:creator>
  1172.      <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  1173.    </item>
  1174.    <item>
  1175.      <title>What's New on Max in May 2024</title>
  1176.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW91DDCCC94497VY6D7V2R0C</guid>
  1177.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1178.      <description>A new season of "Hacks," A24 film "The Iron Claw," and a MoviePass documentary.</description>
  1179.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW91DDCCC94497VY6D7V2R0C/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1180.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are new seasons of two Max Originals headlining May's lineup. First up is the third installment of comedy series <em>Hacks</em> (May 2), starring Emmy Award winner Jean Smart and nominee Hannah Einbinder. The season debuts with two episodes, with two additional episodes premiering each week until the finale on May 30. Drama series <em>Pretty Little Liars: Summer School</em> (May 9) will follow a similar format, with episodes dropping weekly through June 20. </p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  1181.    <div id="video-container-wB6H9OiXyOI"></div>
  1182. </div>
  1183.  
  1184.  
  1185. <p>There's also a new standup special from Nikki Glaser&mdash;<em>Someday You'll Die</em> (May 11) covers topics like aging and sexual fantasies&mdash;and two film projects from production house A24. The first, <em>Stop Making Sense</em> (May 3), is a restored 4K version of the 1984 Talking Heads concert film shot at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, followed by <em>The Iron Claw</em> (May 10), a biographical sports drama starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson as the Von Erich brothers, who were professional wrestlers in the 1980s. </p><p>Finally, catch HBO Original documentary <em>MoviePass, MovieCrash</em> (May 29), which chronicles the rise and fall of movie subscription service MoviePass. </p><p>Here&rsquo;s everything else coming to Max in May.</p><h2>What&rsquo;s coming to Max in May 2024</h2><h3>Arriving May 1</h3><ul><li><p><em>All About My Mother</em> (1999)</p></li><li><p><em>Black Christmas </em>(2019)</p></li><li><p><em>Crank</em> (2006)</p></li><li><p><em>Crank: High Voltage</em> (2009)</p></li><li><p><em>The Dead Don't Die</em> (2019)</p></li><li><p><em>Don Jon</em> (2013)</p></li><li><p><em>Eddie the Eagle</em> (2016)</p></li><li><p><em>The Edge </em>(1997)</p></li><li><p><em>The Florida Project</em> (2017)</p></li><li><p><em>Genius</em> (2016)</p></li><li><p><em>Guy's Grocery Games</em>, Season 35 (Food Network)</p></li><li><p><em>Hellboy II: The Golden Army</em> (2008)</p></li><li><p><em>Jack and the Beanstalk </em>(1952)</p></li><li><p><em>Jersey Boys</em> (2014)</p></li><li><p><em>The Killing of a Sacred Deer</em> (2017)</p></li><li><p><em>The Lighthouse</em> (2019)</p></li><li><p><em>Mad Max</em> (1979)</p></li><li><p><em>Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior</em> (1981)</p></li><li><p><em>Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome</em> (1985)</p></li><li><p><em>My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?</em> (TLC)</p></li><li><p><em>Poltergeist</em> (2015)</p></li><li><p><em>Poltergeist II: The Other Side</em> (1986)</p></li><li><p><em>Poltergeist III</em> (1988)</p></li><li><p><em>Silver Linings Playbook </em>(2012)</p></li><li><p><em>Sisters</em> (2015)</p></li><li><p><em>The Upside of Anger</em> (2005)</p></li><li><p><em>Wild Mountain Thyme</em> (2020)</p></li><li><p><em>Wonderland</em> (2003)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 2</h3><ul><li><p><em>Hacks</em>, Season 3 (Max Original)</p></li><li><p><em>Selena + Restaurant</em>, Season 1 (Food Network)</p></li><li><p><em>Six Is Not A Crowd (Felices Los 6)</em>, Season 1 (Max Original)</p></li><li><p><em>Turtles All the Way Down</em> (Max Original)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 3</h3><ul><li><p><em>Batwheels</em>, Season 2B (Cartoon Network)</p></li><li><p><em>Stop Making Sense</em> (A24 2023 Re-Release)</p></li><li><p><em>Teen Titans Go!</em>, Season 8 (Cartoon Network)</p></li><li><p><em>Zillow Gone Wild</em>, Season 1 (HGTV)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 4</h3><ul><li><p><em>America's Backyard Gold</em>, Season 1 (Discovery Channel)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 5</h3><ul><li><p><em>People Magazine Killer Investigates</em>, Season 1 (ID)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 6</h3><ul><li><p><em>Mini Beat Power Rockers</em>, S4B</p></li><li><p><em>Next Baking Master: Paris</em>, Season 1 (Food Network)</p></li><li><p><em>Yellowstone Wardens</em>, Season 4 (Animal Planet)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 7</h3><ul><li><p><em>Mecum Full Throttle: Houston TX 2024</em> (Motor Trend) </p></li><li><p><em>Outdaughtered</em>, Season 10 (TLC)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 8</h3><ul><li><p><em>In Pursuit with John Walsh</em>, Season 5 (ID)</p></li><li><p><em>Stupid Pet Tricks</em>, Season 1 (TBS)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 9</h3><ul><li><p><em>Pretty Little Liars: Summer School</em> (Max Original)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 10</h3><ul><li><p><em>The Iron Claw</em> (2023) (A24)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 11</h3><ul><li><p><em>Nikki Glaser: Someday You&rsquo;ll Die</em> (HBO Original)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 12</h3><ul><li><p><em>Expedition From Hell: The Lost Tapes </em>(Discovery Channel) </p></li><li><p><em>Naked and Afraid XL</em>, Season 10 (Discovery Channel)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 13</h3><ul><li><p><em>SMILING FRIENDS</em>, Season 2 (Adult Swim)</p></li><li><p><em>Summer Baking Championship</em>, Season 2 (Food Network)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 14</h3><ul><li><p><em>Doubling Down with the Derricos</em>, Season 5 (TLC)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 15</h3><ul><li><p><em>Botched Bariatrics</em>, Season 1 (TLC)</p></li><li><p><em>Ghost Adventures</em>, Season 28 (Discovery Channel) </p></li><li><p><em>Home Sweet Rome</em> (2023) (Max Original)</p></li><li><p><em>Sleepless </em>(2017)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 16</h3><ul><li><p><em>Murder in the Heartland </em>(ID)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 17</h3><ul><li><p><em>My Lottery Dream Home</em>, Season 15 (Discovery Channel)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 18</h3><ul><li><p><em>Design Down Under</em>, Season 2 (Magnolia Network)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 19</h3><ul><li><p><em>Ciao House</em>, Season 2 (Food Network)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 20</h3><ul><li><p><em>Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight, Limited Series </em>(CNN Original Series)</p></li><li><p><em>STAX: Soulsville U.S.A</em> (HBO Original)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 21</h3><ul><li><p><em>Elephants vs. Man with Nick Paton Walsh</em> (CNN Original)</p></li><li><p><em>Hell on Earth: The Ver&oacute;nica Case (La Mano En El Fuego) </em>(Max Original)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 22</h3><ul><li><p><em>Moonshiners: Master Distiller </em>(Discovery Channel)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 23</h3><ul><li><p><em>Last Chance Garage</em>, Season 1 (Motor Trend) </p></li><li><p><em>Rom&aacute;rio: The Guy</em> (Rom&aacute;rio: O Cara), Season 1 (Max Original)</p></li><li><p><em>Texas Metal's Loud and Lifted</em>, Season 2 (Motor Trend)</p></li><li><p><em>Thirst with Shay Mitchell</em> (Max Original)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 24</h3><ul><li><p><em>Caught: Wild and Weird America </em>(Discovery Channel) </p></li><li><p><em>Diary of an Old Home</em>, Season 4 (Magnolia Network)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 25</h3><ul><li><p><em>Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America</em> (Discovery Channel)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 26</h3><ul><li><p><em>Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice</em></p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 27</h3><ul><li><p><em>90 Day Fianc&eacute;: UK</em>, Season 3</p></li><li><p><em>Two Guys Garage</em>, Season 23 (Motor Trend)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 29</h3><ul><li><p><em>Homicide Hunter: American Detective</em>, Season 4 (ID)</p></li><li><p><em>MoviePass, MovieCrash </em>(HBO Original)</p></li><li><p><em>Traces of Love (Evid&ecirc;ncias Do Amor)</em> (Max Original)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 30</h3><ul><li><p><em>Outchef'd</em>, Season 3 (Food Network)</p></li></ul><h3>Arriving May 31</h3><ul><li><p><em>Gold Rush: Parker's Trail</em>, Season 3 (Discovery Channel)</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  1186.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/whats-new-on-max-in-may-2024</link>
  1187.      <dc:creator>Emily Long</dc:creator>
  1188.      <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category>
  1189.    </item>
  1190.    <item>
  1191.      <title>Here’s When It’s Better to Work Out in the Morning (or the Evening)</title>
  1192.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8PBWJ9RMNWZZZMSYHFQ28Q</guid>
  1193.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:30:02 +0000</pubDate>
  1194.      <description>Morning and evening workouts both have their advantages, science-based and otherwise.</description>
  1195.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8PBWJ9RMNWZZZMSYHFQ28Q/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1196.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Science says working out in the morning is best&mdash;no, wait, in the evening! If you&rsquo;re looking for the best time to work out, you&rsquo;ll find studies to support each of your options. Let&rsquo;s look at the pros and cons of each choice, so you can decide what is best for <em>your</em> schedule.</p><h2>Why there isn&rsquo;t a scientifically &ldquo;best&rdquo; time to work out</h2><p>As with any scientific question, there are <a href="https://lifehacker.com/why-scientists-seem-like-they-re-always-changing-their-1818542967" target="_blank"><u>many scientific answers</u></a>. One <a href="https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/47/5/890/154403/Timing-of-Moderate-to-Vigorous-Physical-Activity" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>recent study</u></a> found that, in a group of Australians with BMIs over 30 (average age 62.2), those who got most of their aerobic exercise in the evening had lower rates of death, cardiovascular disease, and microvascular disease than people who got most of their exercise in the morning or midday.&nbsp;</p><p>That&rsquo;s not the only study that has ever been done on the subject, of course. Just a few months earlier, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.23851" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>another study</u></a> found that people who exercise in the morning tend to have slightly lower BMIs (25.9 versus 27.2) compared to those who exercise in the evening.&nbsp;</p><p>If you start reading all the studies on exercise timing, you&rsquo;ll find plenty more seemingly conflicting evidence. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.893783/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>One study</u></a> even broke out its results into groups to say that women got certain benefits from morning exercise, other benefits from evening exercise, and then men got (still different) benefits from evening exercise. Since the study population was just 36 people, I&rsquo;m going to take those very specific-sounding results with a grain of salt.</p><p>Ultimately, the most important thing to know about exercise timing is what the authors of <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.987208/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this review on exercise timing</u></a> wrote in their conclusion: &ldquo;It is essential to note that exercise at any time of day is of greater benefit than no exercise.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><h2>The benefits of morning workouts</h2><p>Morning workouts are the classic sign of a motivated go-getter. The arguments in favor of a morning workout are all about productivity and time management, which are often more important than any biological benefits.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><strong>You know you&rsquo;ll have time to fit it in</strong>. If work gets busy, or if you find yourself tired at the end of the day, those issues won&rsquo;t prevent you from doing your workout&mdash;you already got it in.</p></li><li><p><strong>You may get a mood and energy boost for the rest of the day.</strong> Experiences vary, but many people find that exercising in the morning helps their mental health throughout the morning or even the whole day.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p><strong>Outdoor morning exercise can train your circadian clock.</strong> If your exercise is outdoors&mdash;like going for a jog&mdash;that helps you to get sunlight as well. Morning light can help your body&rsquo;s clock to stay on track, which in turn can help you to feel sleepy at nighttime.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p><strong>You can have caffeine before your workout. </strong>Caffeine-containing preworkout powders (or energy drinks, or coffee) can help you focus better and work harder in the gym. But taking caffeine late in the day can mess with your sleep. So if you&rsquo;d like to use a strong preworkout, consider doing your workout in the morning.</p></li></ul><p>So if you want to improve your sleep, have more energy in the morning and throughout the day, and use caffeine during your workout, morning exercise might be the best option for you. Mornings are also great for people whose schedules can be unpredictable during the day. But don&rsquo;t set your alarm early just yet&mdash;there are also benefits to evening workouts.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1197.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPhilips-Wake-up-Therapy-HF3650-60%2Fdp%2FB075S53HD9%2F&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Philips+SmartSleep+Sleep+and+Wake-Up+Light&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=02cHuyGhjoW2DISlke3Dzbj&amp;offer_uuid=07Fn0Q8s9bzD0GfrdU7GcDV&amp;object_type=07Fn0Q8s9bzD0GfrdU7GcDV&amp;object_uuid=02cHuyGhjoW2DISlke3Dzbj" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light">
  1198.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1199.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1200.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light
  1201.                </div>
  1202.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1203.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1204.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1205.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1206.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$179.95</span>
  1207.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1208.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1209.            </div>
  1210.    </div>
  1211.                            </div>
  1212.                        </div>
  1213.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1214.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1215.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1216.        <span>Get deal</span>
  1217.    </div>
  1218. </div>
  1219.                        </div>
  1220.                                    </div>
  1221.            </div>
  1222.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1223.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/02cHuyGhjoW2DISlke3Dzbj/hero-image.fill.size_245x201.v1707291559.jpg" alt="Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light" width="245" height="201" loading="lazy">
  1224.                            </div>
  1225.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1226.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/02cHuyGhjoW2DISlke3Dzbj/hero-image.fill.size_245x201.v1707291559.jpg" alt="Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light" width="245" height="201" loading="lazy">
  1227.                            </div>
  1228.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1229.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1230.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1231.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1232.        <span>Get deal</span>
  1233.    </div>
  1234. </div>
  1235.                    </div>
  1236.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1237.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1238.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1239.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$179.95</span>
  1240.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1241.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1242.            </div>
  1243.    </div>
  1244.                    </div>
  1245.                            </div>
  1246.        </div>
  1247. </a></div>
  1248. <h2>The benefits of evening workouts</h2><p>Evening workouts make a lot of sense for many of us&mdash;including those who (like myself) have a hard time getting moving in the morning. Consider these advantages of evening workouts:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><strong>You can&rsquo;t oversleep and miss your workout. </strong>If you&rsquo;re naturally more of a night owl, this might be a real issue.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p><strong>You may be able to focus better with your work day behind you. </strong>Taking the time for a long workout, or mustering the focus for an intense one, can sometimes be easier when most of the day&rsquo;s obligations have already been taken care of.</p></li><li><p><strong>You&rsquo;ll be better fed. It can be a struggle to fuel well before a morning workout. </strong>If you work out in the evening, you may need to adjust the exact timing&mdash;snack before workout and dinner after, for example&mdash;but at least you&rsquo;ll have something in your belly.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p><strong>Your performance may be better. </strong>Your core temperature tends to be higher in the evening, and some studies show a small performance boost in both strength and oxidative capacity (which relates to your ability to burn fuel for energy). This can mean you&rsquo;ll more easily see your fitness reflected in how heavy you can lift or how fast you can run.&nbsp;</p></li></ul><p>So if you have a hard time waking up early, eating for a morning workout, or finding the time and focus to exercise before you start your day, evening workouts may be best for you.&nbsp;</p><h2>How to decide</h2><p>Probably one of these options speaks to you more than the other. It may be as simple as knowing whether you&rsquo;re more of a morning person or a night owl. Your decision may also be an easy one if your daily schedule only has one good time to work out. Whenever that may be&mdash;even if it&rsquo;s noon or 2 a.m.&mdash;the smart schedule is whatever you&rsquo;ll be able to stick to. After all, if a morning workout is ideal but you never manage to make it happen, there&rsquo;s no need to feel attached to morning workouts.&nbsp;</p><p>You also don&rsquo;t have to consider yourself a devotee of either camp. It&rsquo;s OK to work out Monday and Thursday mornings, and sleep in Tuesdays and Fridays so you can train in the evenings on those days. Or perhaps you change up your schedule with the seasons: sunrise jogs in the summer are great, but a 6 a.m. winter run is no fun with the dark and snow. Choose what makes sense for you.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1249.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/health/best-time-of-day-to-work-out</link>
  1250.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  1251.      <category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
  1252.    </item>
  1253.    <item>
  1254.      <title>You Should Share a Robot Lawn Mower With Your Neighbors</title>
  1255.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW89VV3E6P38VZE38A4PS548</guid>
  1256.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
  1257.      <description>When you share it, a robot lawn mower goes from a good value to a great one.</description>
  1258.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW89VV3E6P38VZE38A4PS548/hero-image.png"/>
  1259.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&rsquo;re looking to meet people in your neighborhood, buy a robot lawn mower. Over the last few weeks, I&rsquo;ve been amazed at the traffic generated by using my <a href="https://zdcs.link/njm6l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Opinions&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Mammotion%20Luba%202&amp;short_url=njm6l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Mammotion Luba 2</a>. People stop to watch it work, they bring their kids by, and cars have slowed down, backed up, and then pulled over to observe. But the best outcome I discovered by using a robot lawn mower is this: If you can share your robot lawn mower with your closest neighbors, what was a good value becomes a great one. </p><h2>Robots don&rsquo;t care about property lines</h2><p>I live in the city on a street with reasonably sized residential lots of 3,000ish square feet, and almost every house on the block has a lawn. The lawns vary in size, but all are large enough to need a lawnmower, and many people on the block use a lawn service. Since our lots are small enough and the <a href="https://zdcs.link/njm6l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Opinions&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Mammotion%20Luba%202&amp;short_url=njm6l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Mammotion Luba 2</a> is built to handle a lot more space, I found myself wondering if I could make the Luba think additional houses on the block were all part of the same map, and mow them, too. Spoiler: It works. The more houses a single robot can mow, the more value you&rsquo;re getting from a robot lawnmower (and I generally feel they are a <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/mammotion-luba-2-robot-lawn-mower-review" target="_blank">valuable buy</a>, anyway).&nbsp;</p><p>An interesting aspect of robot lawnmowers came from a conversation with the team at <a href="https://www.husqvarna.com/us/robotic-lawn-mowers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Husqvarna</u></a>, who pointed out that robots aren&rsquo;t great at perceived boundaries like property lines, which is why lots of lawnbots have needed buried wire to mark perimeters with precision. Now that most bots are wireless, we teach the bot where the boundary is by walking them around the perimeter the first time and mapping paths between the different areas. A single property can have multiple mapped areas, just like your home has many rooms for a robot vacuum to consider. Your next door neighbor&rsquo;s lawn can be just another area, and you can map a pathway to it. Even the street itself is just another area for the robot to cross to get to another mapped area, just like a sidewalk or driveway. At a minimum, robot vacuums are a great way to keep a hellstrip (the narrow space between your sidewalk and street curb) mowed and looking uniform across many properties.&nbsp;</p><h2>Get permission and line of sight</h2><p>Once I got permission from my neighbors to test this out, I parked the GPS tower for the Luba in a spot that gave line of sight for the two houses across the street and the house next door. Remember, you place that GPS tower with the mapped areas in mind, but if you plan to use it on multiple houses, that mapped area just expands, and you may need to consider a new location for the tower.&nbsp;</p><p>Using the remote control, I walked the robot over to the new areas to map and continued adding mapped areas in each of the yards, naming them and making connection pathways between the mapped areas. So, my neighbor across the street had her yard mapped with pathways between the areas on her property, and then my next door neighbor had the same. I did not make a pathway between the homes, which I&rsquo;ll explain in a moment. At some point, all four homes, two on each side of the street, were mapped, and once the robot was in those spaces, it mowed the areas as well as it would the main home it was mapped to.&nbsp;</p><h2>Safety concerns</h2><p>While on a lawn, the safety of the robot isn&rsquo;t really in question (the biggest threat is someone walking up and nabbing it). It also isn't a major safety concern for people or pets while cutting the grass&mdash;it just moves too slow. But unattended in the street, it <em>can</em> get run over, and it's more likely to encounter people and dogs on sidewalks. The bottom line is: The robot is safe on your lawn, but when you map a walkway and ask it to leave your lawn, it can engage with the rest of the world, which could be a liability, a risk to your investment, or just a hassle. A better way to handle it is to manually walk the robot over, using the remote, especially across a street.</p><h2>Scheduling is key to success</h2><p>Now that it&rsquo;s all mapped, remember that multiple people probably won&rsquo;t have access to the controls for the robot, because the association lives on one phone. With some robots, you can add additional users, and for others, I&rsquo;m sure that&rsquo;s coming. Until then, one solution is scheduling, which would mean that as long as the robot is in mapped area or there&rsquo;s a walkway mapped to it, it will run a set scheduled mow. If there&rsquo;s no walkway, you&rsquo;d need to be responsible for walking the robot over, but it&rsquo;s not more labor than taking the trash to the curb. A second solution is keeping a cheap tablet with the robot, with the app loaded, so that anyone who wants to use the robot can walk over, grab the tablet and use it to walk the robot to their property and mow and then return it.&nbsp;</p><p>Robot lawn mowers range in price from about $1,500 to $5,000. The Mammotion Luba 2 we used for this experiment is $2,899 and while I think that&rsquo;s a reasonable price to pay for a robot lawnmower, it would be a lot less when shared with a few neighbors. You all agree to maintain the robot collectively and share in the expenses, such as new blades, as needed.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1260.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/you-should-share-robot-lawn-mower-with-neighbors</link>
  1261.      <dc:creator>Amanda Blum</dc:creator>
  1262.      <category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
  1263.    </item>
  1264.    <item>
  1265.      <title>The Difference Between Peter Walsh and Marie Kondo's Decluttering Methods</title>
  1266.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8AS25SX9PX2K9TJM00T5HX</guid>
  1267.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1268.      <description>These two organizational gurus have similar (but different!) approaches, so choose wisely.</description>
  1269.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8AS25SX9PX2K9TJM00T5HX/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1270.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://lifehacker.com/work/konmari-your-to-do-lists" target="_blank"><u>Marie Kondo</u></a> and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/try-the-peter-walsh-method-for-serious-decluttering" target="_blank"><u>Peter Walsh</u></a> are great organizational masterminds in their own right whose tips on decluttering people's homes and lives have helped tons of people. While their techniques have some similarities, they also have a few differences that make them better suited to different styles and situations, so before you choose one to follow, here&rsquo;s what you need to know.&nbsp;</p><h2>What is the KonMari method?<strong>&nbsp;</strong></h2><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1271.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FXBX7e&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=The+Life-Changing+Magic+of+Tidying+Up%3A+The+Japanese+Art+of+Decluttering+and+Organizing&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FXBX7e" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing">
  1272.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1273.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1274.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
  1275.                </div>
  1276.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1277.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1278.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1279.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1280.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$10.94</span>
  1281.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1282.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1283.            </div>
  1284.    </div>
  1285.                            </div>
  1286.                        </div>
  1287.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1288.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1289.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1290.        <span>Learn More</span>
  1291.    </div>
  1292. </div>
  1293.                        </div>
  1294.                                    </div>
  1295.            </div>
  1296.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1297.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8AS25SX9PX2K9TJM00T5HX/images-1.fill.size_245x346.v1713971693.jpg" alt="Marie Kondo's &quot;The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing&quot;" width="245" height="346" loading="lazy">
  1298.                            </div>
  1299.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1300.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8AS25SX9PX2K9TJM00T5HX/images-1.fill.size_245x346.v1713971693.jpg" alt="Marie Kondo's &quot;The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing&quot;" width="245" height="346" loading="lazy">
  1301.                            </div>
  1302.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1303.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1304.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1305.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1306.        <span>Learn More</span>
  1307.    </div>
  1308. </div>
  1309.                    </div>
  1310.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1311.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1312.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1313.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$10.94</span>
  1314.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1315.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1316.            </div>
  1317.    </div>
  1318.                    </div>
  1319.                            </div>
  1320.        </div>
  1321. </a></div>
  1322. <p>Marie Kondo&rsquo;s infamous KonMari method of organizing follows a few simple steps designed to ensure &ldquo;you will never again relapse to clutter.&rdquo; <a href="https://konmari.com/about-the-konmari-method/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Here&rsquo;s what she calls for</u></a>:&nbsp;</p><ol><li><p>Commit yourself to tidying up.</p></li><li><p>Imagine your ideal lifestyle.</p></li><li><p>Finish discarding first.</p></li><li><p>Tidy by category and not by location.</p></li><li><p>Follow the right order.</p></li><li><p>Ask yourself if it sparks joy and get rid of it if it doesn't.</p></li></ol><p>In this method, you&rsquo;re first committing to tidying up and imagining what your life would look like if you were organized and decluttered all the time, then throwing away trash, sticking to a routine, and assessing your clutter so you only keep the things you truly value.&nbsp;</p><h2>What is the Peter Walsh method?&nbsp;</h2><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1323.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FL3gO0&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Let+It+Go%3A+Downsizing+Your+Way+to+a+Richer%2C+Happier+Life&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FL3gO0" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Let It Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life">
  1324.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1325.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1326.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Let It Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life
  1327.                </div>
  1328.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1329.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1330.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1331.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1332.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$14.32</span>
  1333.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon </span>
  1334.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1335.            </div>
  1336.    </div>
  1337.                            </div>
  1338.                        </div>
  1339.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1340.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1341.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1342.        <span>Learn More</span>
  1343.    </div>
  1344. </div>
  1345.                        </div>
  1346.                                    </div>
  1347.            </div>
  1348.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1349.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8AS25SX9PX2K9TJM00T5HX/images-2.fill.size_245x326.v1713971693.jpg" alt="Peter Walsh's &quot;Let It Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life&quot;" width="245" height="326" loading="lazy">
  1350.                            </div>
  1351.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1352.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8AS25SX9PX2K9TJM00T5HX/images-2.fill.size_245x326.v1713971693.jpg" alt="Peter Walsh's &quot;Let It Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life&quot;" width="245" height="326" loading="lazy">
  1353.                            </div>
  1354.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1355.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1356.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1357.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1358.        <span>Learn More</span>
  1359.    </div>
  1360. </div>
  1361.                    </div>
  1362.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1363.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1364.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1365.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$14.32</span>
  1366.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon </span>
  1367.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1368.            </div>
  1369.    </div>
  1370.                    </div>
  1371.                            </div>
  1372.        </div>
  1373. </a></div>
  1374. <p>Walsh&rsquo;s method is a little more intense. The five steps are sort of like Kondo&rsquo;s, but you&rsquo;ll notice some differences:</p><ol><li><p>Empty your space.</p></li><li><p>Create a vision for the space and set an intention for it.</p></li><li><p>Sort everything you removed into a &ldquo;vision&rdquo; pile and an &ldquo;out-the-door&rdquo; pile.</p></li><li><p>Get rid of the &ldquo;out-the-door pile&rdquo; by donating or throwing everything away.</p></li><li><p>Move everything from the &ldquo;vision&rdquo; pile back into the space.</p></li></ol><p>Walsh calls on you to remove everything from a space or room, set a specific goal for that room, and be a little brutal by discarding anything that doesn&rsquo;t align with the vision.&nbsp;</p><h3>How Kondo and Walsh&rsquo;s methods differ</h3><p>While both Kondo and Walsh advocate for taking some time to visualize how a decluttered space could and would look in your life, their approaches to meeting the goal you set are different.&nbsp;</p><p>First, KonMari involves cleaning up by category, not location. Walsh&rsquo;s technique, on the other hand, is very space-oriented; he suggests doing it room by room. Kondo asks you to start with your clothes, then your books, papers, and miscellaneous items before finishing up with anything that may have some sentimental value. Walsh is much less interested in sentimentality and advises you to chuck out anything that doesn&rsquo;t align with your &ldquo;vision&rdquo; for your future space.&nbsp;</p><p>To really perform Walsh's method as he prescribes, you have to totally empty a space or room, then slowly refill it. That can be a little overwhelming, especially when the parameters around what you can keep are so tight. Kondo&rsquo;s steps are slightly more relaxed and welcoming; they leave some space for you to hold onto things that have meaning to you and work at your own pace.&nbsp;</p><p>Both techniques are valuable in their own way; Kondo and Walsh have both sold books and starred in shows because they both have an audience of people who find real benefit in their ideas. Which method you choose depends on a few factors, like how attached you are to your possessions, how much space you have to declutter, and whether you find the task overwhelming.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1375.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/the-difference-between-peter-walsh-and-marie-kondos-decluttering-methods</link>
  1376.      <dc:creator>Lindsey Ellefson</dc:creator>
  1377.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  1378.    </item>
  1379.    <item>
  1380.      <title>My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Blink Outdoor 4</title>
  1381.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8S0ZGDANSQZNSQA61KS5P4</guid>
  1382.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1383.      <description>One of the best budget entry-level outdoor security cameras is 40% off, its lowest price yet.</description>
  1384.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8S0ZGDANSQZNSQA61KS5P4/hero-image.png"/>
  1385.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Whether you're shopping for your very first security camera or already have a system at home you're looking to grow, you'll likely find something worthwhile in Amazon's <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/blink-security-camera-bundle-sale" target="_blank">current sale on Blink cameras</a>. As Amanda Blum, our smart home expert at Lifehacker, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/blink-outdoor-4-security-camera-review-1850855801" target="_blank">mentioned in her review</a>, the <a href="https://zdcs.link/YBL4r?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Blink%20Outdoor%204&amp;short_url=YBL4r&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Blink Outdoor 4</a> is a worthwhile entry-level wireless security camera&mdash;and right now, it's is <strong>$59.99</strong> (originally $99.99) after a 40% discount. This is the lowest price I have seen for this particular camera, after checking <a href="https://lifehacker.com/best-price-tracking-tools-1692745053" target="_blank">price tracking tools</a>, and that is why it's my favorite Amazon deal of the day.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1386.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0B1N5HW22&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Blink+Outdoor+4&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=05jYJg21L8WnaEkFgi04LAr&amp;offer_uuid=03s1QFU1FXisjveYsC55JFB&amp;object_type=03s1QFU1FXisjveYsC55JFB&amp;object_uuid=05jYJg21L8WnaEkFgi04LAr" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Blink Outdoor 4">
  1387.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1388.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1389.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Blink Outdoor 4
  1390.                </div>
  1391.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">Wire-free smart security camera, 2 year battery life, two-way audio, HD live view, motion detection.
  1392.                    </div>
  1393.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1394.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1395.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1396.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1397.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$59.99</span>
  1398.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1399.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1400.            </div>
  1401.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  1402.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$99.99</span>
  1403.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $40.00</span>
  1404.        </div>
  1405.    </div>
  1406.                            </div>
  1407.                        </div>
  1408.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1409.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1410.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1411.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  1412.    </div>
  1413. </div>
  1414.                        </div>
  1415.                                    </div>
  1416.            </div>
  1417.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1418.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/05jYJg21L8WnaEkFgi04LAr/hero-image.fill.size_245x138.v1712847682.jpg" alt="Blink Outdoor 4" width="245" height="138" loading="lazy">
  1419.                            </div>
  1420.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1421.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/05jYJg21L8WnaEkFgi04LAr/hero-image.fill.size_245x138.v1712847682.jpg" alt="Blink Outdoor 4" width="245" height="138" loading="lazy">
  1422.                            </div>
  1423.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1424.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1425.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1426.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1427.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  1428.    </div>
  1429. </div>
  1430.                    </div>
  1431.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1432.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1433.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1434.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$59.99</span>
  1435.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1436.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1437.            </div>
  1438.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  1439.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$99.99</span>
  1440.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $40.00</span>
  1441.        </div>
  1442.    </div>
  1443.                    </div>
  1444.                            </div>
  1445.        </div>
  1446. </a></div>
  1447. <p>The Blink Outdoor 4 is a wireless camera, meaning you'll be using 2 AA lithium batteries, which last for up to two years. The camera is also weather resistant, has motion-activation alerts, a live-view mode (up to five minutes without a Blink subscription plan), shoots in 1080p, has two-way audio, and works great with the Alexa ecosystem. (Unfortunately, it is not compatible with Google or Apple Home Kit.) You'll get a Sync Module 2 with your order, which gives you local storage for your videos with a USB stick, meaning you don't need to get the Blink subscription if you don't want to. The camera offers a 143-degree diagonal view wherever you set it up, and an optional person-detection feature if you get the Blink subscription plan.</p><p>Keep in mind you will need a Blink subscription to use all of its features. The <a href="https://zdcs.link/Y4yvm?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Blink%20subscription&amp;short_url=Y4yvm&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Blink subscription</u></a> starts at $30 a year for the Blink Basic Plan. You can also get the Blink Plus Plan, which costs $100 a year with more features, the most important of which is having an unlimited number of devices hooked up to your account.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1448.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/amazon-deal-of-the-day-blink-outdoor-4</link>
  1449.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  1450.      <category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
  1451.    </item>
  1452.    <item>
  1453.      <title>Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Thursday, April 25, 2024</title>
  1454.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HPSRBPR2YKM9J2478XJF3K9H</guid>
  1455.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1456.      <description>Here are some hints to help you win Wordle #1,041.</description>
  1457.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HPSRBPR2YKM9J2478XJF3K9H/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1458.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&rsquo;re looking for the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Wordle</u></a> answer for April 25, 2024 read on. We&rsquo;ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today&rsquo;s puzzle is medium difficult; I got it in four. <strong>Beware, there are spoilers below for April 25, Wordle #1,041!</strong> Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today&rsquo;s Wordle game.</p><h2>How to play Wordle</h2><p>Wordle lives <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>here on the New York Times website</u></a>. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.</p><p>Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they&rsquo;re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn&rsquo;t in the day&rsquo;s secret word at all. For more, check out <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-master-or-cheat-at-wordle-the-internets-favor-1848312354" target="_blank"><u>our guide to playing Wordle here</u></a>, and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/why-you-lost-wordle-today-1850348061" target="_blank"><u>my strategy guide here for more advanced tips</u></a>. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)</p><p>Ready for the hints? Let&rsquo;s go!</p><hr><h2>Does today&rsquo;s Wordle have any unusual letters?</h2><p>We&rsquo;ll define common letters as those that appear in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etaoin_shrdlu" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>old typesetters&rsquo; phrase</u></a> ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it &ldquo;Edwin Shirdloo,&rdquo; like a name, and pretend he&rsquo;s a friend of yours.)</p><p>They're all common letters today! </p><h2>Can you give me a hint for today&rsquo;s Wordle?</h2><p>A beginning, for short.  </p><h2>Does today&rsquo;s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?</h2><p>No repeated letters today.&nbsp;</p><h2>How many vowels are in today&rsquo;s Wordle?</h2><p>There are two vowels.&nbsp;</p><h2>What letter does today&rsquo;s Wordle start with?</h2><p>Today&rsquo;s word starts with I.&nbsp;</p><h2>What letter does today&rsquo;s Wordle end with?</h2><p>Today&rsquo;s word ends with O.&nbsp;</p><h2>What is the solution to today&rsquo;s Wordle?</h2><p>Ready? Today&rsquo;s word is INTRO.</p><h2>How I solved today&rsquo;s Wordle</h2><p>After RAISE and CLOMP, I guessed ORBIT, which narrowed down possible solutions significantly. I tried INTRO because it contained all common letters (though NITRO also would have been a good guess).   </p><pre class="back border-2 border-gray-400 bg-gray-100 p-4 text-black shadow-md">Wordle 1,041 4/6
  1459.  
  1460. &#129000;&#11035;&#129000;&#11035;&#11035;
  1461. &#11035;&#11035;&#129000;&#11035;&#11035;
  1462. &#129000;&#129000;&#11035;&#129000;&#129000;
  1463. &#129001;&#129001;&#129001;&#129001;&#129001;</pre>
  1464. <hr><h2>Yesterday&rsquo;s Wordle answer</h2><p>Yesterday&rsquo;s Wordle was harder. The hint was &ldquo;not secret,&rdquo; and the answer contained almost all common letters (only one letter was uncommon). </p><p>The answer to yesterday&rsquo;s Wordle was OVERT. </p><h2>A primer on Wordle basics</h2><p>The idea of Wordle is to guess the day&rsquo;s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you&rsquo;ll see an empty grid of letters. It&rsquo;s up to <em>you</em> to make the first move: type in any five-letter word.&nbsp;</p><p>Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word:&nbsp;<strong>Green</strong> means you correctly guessed a letter, and it&rsquo;s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)</p><ul><li><p><strong>Yellow</strong> means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)</p></li><li><p><strong>Gray</strong> means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution <em>cannot</em> be PURSE or ROAST.)</p></li></ul><p>With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it&rsquo;s game over.</p><h2>The best starter words for Wordle</h2><p>What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that&rsquo;s <em>still</em> excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn&rsquo;t a single &ldquo;best&rdquo; starting word, but the New York Times&rsquo;s <a href="https://lifehacker.com/this-bot-can-tell-you-how-good-you-really-are-at-wordle-1848769075" target="_blank"><u>Wordle analysis bot</u></a> has suggested starting with one of these:</p><ul><li><p>CRANE</p></li><li><p>TRACE</p></li><li><p>SLANT</p></li><li><p>CRATE</p></li><li><p>CARTE</p></li></ul><p>Meanwhile, an MIT analysis <a href="https://lifehacker.com/science-thinks-it-has-found-the-best-wordle-starter-1849541276" target="_blank"><u>found</u></a> that you&rsquo;ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:</p><ul><li><p>SALET</p></li><li><p>REAST</p></li><li><p>TRACE</p></li><li><p>CRATE</p></li><li><p>SLATE</p></li></ul><p>Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it&rsquo;s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.</p><h2>How to win at Wordle</h2><p>We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you&rsquo;re a serious student of the game. <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-win-at-wordle-according-to-my-wife-1848480285" target="_blank"><u>This one</u></a> covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-master-or-cheat-at-wordle-the-internets-favor-1848312354" target="_blank"><u>this one</u></a> focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In <a href="https://lifehacker.com/you-should-try-quordle-if-youre-too-good-at-wordle-1848540319" target="_blank"><u>this advanced guide</u></a>, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.</p><p>The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners <a href="https://lifehacker.com/why-you-lost-wordle-today-1850348061" target="_blank"><u>use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word</u></a>. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don&rsquo;t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.</p><p>One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/wordle-has-themes-now-so-you-should-change-your-strate-1849840529" target="_blank"><u>the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions</u></a>. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn&rsquo;t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.</p><h2>Wordle alternatives</h2><p>If you can&rsquo;t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-10-best-wordle-alternatives-ranked-by-difficulty-1848859009" target="_blank"><u>best Wordle alternatives</u></a>, ranked by difficulty, include:</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://wheelsrpgs.itch.io/wheeldle" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another</u></a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zaratustra.itch.io/dordle" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Dordle</u></a> and <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/games/quordle/#/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Quordle</u></a>, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also <a href="https://octordle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Octordle</u></a>, with eight puzzles, and <a href="https://www.sedecordle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Sedecordle</u></a>, with 16.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://wafflegame.net/daily" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Waffle</u></a>, which <a href="https://lifehacker.com/waffle-is-the-new-wordle-1848793653" target="_blank"><u>shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid</u></a>; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://qntm.org/files/absurdle/absurdle.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Absurdle</u></a>, which <a href="https://lifehacker.com/try-this-game-if-youre-already-too-good-at-wordle-1848356298" target="_blank"><u>changes the solution after each guess</u></a>, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://lifehacker.com/squabble-lets-you-beat-other-people-at-wordle-in-real-t-1848849342" target="_blank"><u>Squabble</u></a>, in which you <a href="https://lifehacker.com/squabble-lets-you-beat-other-people-at-wordle-in-real-t-1848849342" target="_blank"><u>play Wordle against other people with a timer running</u></a>. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.antiwordle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Antiwordle</u></a>, in which you <a href="https://lifehacker.com/i-hate-antiwordle-and-thats-why-i-play-it-every-mornin-1848756496" target="_blank"><em><u>are trying not to guess the day&rsquo;s solution</u></em></a>. You&rsquo;re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  1465.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/wordle-hint-answer-today</link>
  1466.      <dc:creator>Emily Long</dc:creator>
  1467.      <category><![CDATA[Wordle]]></category>
  1468.    </item>
  1469.    <item>
  1470.      <title>The Eufy Omni S1 Pro Robot Vacuum Doesn't Live Up to the Hype</title>
  1471.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW83VJ4P44BPM6X06RE38P86</guid>
  1472.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 01:30:10 +0000</pubDate>
  1473.      <description>Although the Eufy offers exceptional mapping, an interesting design and a good app experience, there are better bots for the same price.</description>
  1474.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW83VJ4P44BPM6X06RE38P86/hero-image.png"/>
  1475.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://us.eufy.com/products/t72031a1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Eufy</a> is a company that, in general, makes products I really like. They make some of the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/eufy-dual-cam-review" target="_blank">best security cameras</a> in the industry, enough that after testing lots of brands, Eufy&rsquo;s Solocams are what I keep installed at my house. Anker, their parent company, makes some of my favorite <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/anker-solix-c800-review" target="_blank">power banks</a>, and I really like my Eufy doorbell. Like a lot of companies making smart tech, they also make vacuums. </p><p>The Eufy Robot Vacuum Omni S1 Pro<a href="https://zdcs.link/x3vOP?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;short_url=x3vOP&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"> </a>is interesting in a number of ways. Even though Eufy is a well-established brand that has produced and launched many products including other <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/eufy-x10-pro-omni-review" target="_blank">robot vacuums</a>, for this model, they went back to Kickstarter, where their goal was blown out of the water in hours. Second, instead of going for the compact tower design almost all companies have chosen for robot vacuums lately, the S1 has a giant retro tower look to it. Despite my brand loyalty, the interesting design and the vacuum's decent performance, however, I think the <a href="https://zdcs.link/5q2ZL?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Omni%20S1%20Pro&amp;short_url=5q2ZL&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Omni S1 Pro</u></a> isn&rsquo;t a good buy&mdash;there&rsquo;s a disconnect between the robot Eufy thinks they built and the one I tested. Currently priced at $999 on Kickstarter, the S1 will become available for retail purchase later this spring or early summer at a much higher price.</p><h2>Unique design, but no unique features</h2><p>Generally, robot vacuums and mops now come with a dock and tower that will refill the clean water, empty the dirty water and vacuum, and clean the mop. These <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/four-features-to-look-for-in-a-robot-vacuum-and-one-that-doesnt-matter" target="_blank">towers</a> are impossible to ignore due to size, but brands generally try to make them generic-looking enough so they&rsquo;ll blend into the landscape of the room around them.  Eufy went a different way with the S1. The tower is tall enough you might mistake it for a stick vacuum, and bears the word &ldquo;MACH&rdquo; right on the front, which is also the name of the app. Made of molded transparent black plastic, the contents of the tower are veiled, but only barely. While it&rsquo;s likely made of the same materials as other brands, which are also molded plastic, the see-through plastic occasionally looks cheap. Despite the vertical size, the tower also doesn&rsquo;t take up much less horizontal space than other robots have. The footprint is about the same, but you can&rsquo;t tuck this under tables and counters as easily.&nbsp;</p><p>The robot itself is like a lot of other modern robot vacuums, with a roller, rotating sweeping brushes and mop brushes&mdash;and to its credit, Eufy ships the S1 Pro with plenty of replacement parts, including extra rollers, brushes and filters. But Eufy has promoted this robot as a premium floorbot, with a premium price. In the marketing for the robot, you routinely see words like &ldquo;groundbreaking&rdquo; used. In fact, the marketing materials used to say&nbsp; &ldquo;The World&rsquo;s First Floor-Washing Robot Vacuum with All-in-One Station&rdquo; until I asked what was different from other floor-washing robots, since they&rsquo;re pretty common now. The language disappeared from Kickstarter but remains on the <a href="https://www.eufy.com/robot-vacuum-s1-pro?ref=navimenu_1_1_1_img" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Eufy website</a>. The problem is, it&rsquo;s <em>not</em> groundbreaking: While this robot was being developed, floor washing robots became routine, and the technology surpassed what this robot offers, with other brands offering extending brushes and mops, on board video, voice assistants and direct connection to water lines. While the S1 includes a lot of features I like on other robots&mdash;like a place for cleaning solution built into the tower, and an easy way to divide and merge rooms in the app&mdash;most of the other premium robots have that, too.&nbsp;</p><h2>Easy installation, and a well-designed app</h2><p>Most robots come ready to roll out of the box, and the S1 isn&rsquo;t any different. After unboxing, it just needed to be filled with water and have a few brushes popped into places. In the case of many robot mop combos, you can add cleaning solution to the clean water, but recently, models like Roborock have added a bay for cleaning solution to the dock, so you always have the right amount. As I mentioned, Eufy included this feature, but it relies on Eufy branded cleaning solution in a sealed bottle that you install&mdash;to replace it, you&rsquo;d need to purchase more from Eufy, while other models allow you to choose any solution you want to use. The MACH app is separate from the Eufy Clean app, and I&rsquo;ve previously talked about how every one of Eufy&rsquo;s products uses a different app (Clean, Security, Pet, etc), so this was just one more to add to the bunch. Still, it&rsquo;s a good app, and has the same user interface as most brands. A map is made using LiDAR the first time the robot goes out, and then you can break it into rooms, dividing and merging spaces as you like and naming them. Of all the robots I&rsquo;ve tested, the S1 mapped the space better than any other (and I&rsquo;ve had six or seven robots map the same space).</p><p>One aspect I did really like was that you can set cleaning preferences per room, instead of doing so per run, and you can also set a priority of rooms rather than let the robot decide. If you want to wash the kitchen floor multiple times but the hallway only once, you can, and you can ask the bot to always clean the bathroom last. The app has schedules, and the same general settings you expect, including the remote control. The app lacks two features I&rsquo;m seeing in many robots these days: pin and go, or &ldquo;spot cleaning,&rdquo; and onboard video. While I don&rsquo;t think video is all that useful, it&rsquo;s still a feature you&rsquo;d get in other models. Pin and go is actually very useful&mdash;you can just drop a pin on your map and the robot cleans that spot specifically.&nbsp;</p><h2>The S1 is just okay</h2><p>As a floor cleaner, the S1 does an okay job. This is how I felt about the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/eufy-x10-pro-omni-review" target="_blank"><u>Eufy X10</u></a> Pro Omni I reviewed a few months ago. It vacuumed up a lot of debris on the floor, but after three passes on my kitchen had missed a deliberately left onion peel in the dead center of the floor. The S1 does not hug the wall; it lacks those extending arms other models now offer. As a mop, it certainly cleaned up surface level spills, but the rotating brushes did not dig into grime at all, leaving the white tile looking dirty. On 11 ventures out, I&rsquo;d let the Eufy run at max settings, the highest level of suction and mopping, going over each space two times. In each instance, I would then ask my Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra to make a single run afterwards, and I could watch it grab everything the S1 missed. It happened over and over.&nbsp;</p><h2>Bottom line: there are better robots for the price</h2><p>Earlier this week, I spoke with Eric Villines, Head of Global Communications at Anker about the S1 launch and why they chose Kickstarter. I appreciated how proud the team at Anker seemed to be about the way the Eufy encourages innovation, working like an incubator with at least half the staff devoted to research and development. When teams produce great concepts, crowdfunding allows Eufy to find innovative ways to move those products forward. One of the reasons they like crowdfunding for products like the S1 is that it creates a long runway of feedback from enthusiasts and funders, which Villines said usually impacts the products a lot before launch.&nbsp; </p><p>To be clear, Eufy doesn&rsquo;t make bad robot vacuums; they work just fine. But they seem to <em>only</em> work fine&mdash;not great. The S1 is positioned as a premium robot vacuum, but for the current $999 price, i think you can do better with the <a href="https://zdcs.link/q7g6G?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Roborock%20S8%20Pro&amp;short_url=q7g6G&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Roborock S8 Pro</u></a>, at the same price. When the S1 moves to its full retail price in the mid-$1000 range, I think you&rsquo;d do better with the <a href="https://zdcs.link/846Mw?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Roborock%20S8%C2%A0%20Maxv%20Ultra&amp;short_url=846Mw&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Roborock S8&nbsp; Maxv Ultra</u></a> at $1799.  I am also eagerly awaiting the new <a href="https://zdcs.link/Nxvld?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=S10&amp;short_url=Nxvld&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">S10</a> from Switchbot; if I were shopping for a robot vacuum right now, I'd wait for that to launch, since Switchbot has already made a really great vacuum <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/switchbot-k10-plus-robot-vacuum-review" target="_blank">before</a>. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  1476.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/eufy-omni-s1-pro-robot-vacuum-review</link>
  1477.      <dc:creator>Amanda Blum</dc:creator>
  1478.      <category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
  1479.    </item>
  1480.    <item>
  1481.      <title>You Can Get Babbel on Sale for $150 Right Now</title>
  1482.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1850974860</guid>
  1483.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1484.      <description>The subscription comes with access to a catalog of lessons for 14 languages.</description>
  1485.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2HCATZC80M5G5GYZQATSWA/hero-image.png"/>
  1486.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/babbel-language-learning-lifetime-subscription-all-languages?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=babbel-language-learning-lifetime-subscription-all-languages&amp;utm_term=scsf-595270&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQLIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $149.97 right now</a> (reg. $599) through April 30. The subscription comes with access to a catalog of lessons for 14 languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, Dutch, Polish, Indonesian, Norwegian, Danish, and Russian), and the curriculums are geared toward promoting conversation and familiarity with real-life topics. Beyond what you can typically expect from a language-learning app, Babbel has grammar-specific lessons that teach you the &lsquo;why&rsquo; behind new vocabulary; lesson reviews that let you select the format between flashcards, writing, speaking, listening, or mini-games; podcasts in the language you&rsquo;re learning to build your comprehension; and the option to take live classes at an additional cost (but you can take two for free as part of your subscription). Babbel is good for learners of all levels, and it uses speech-recognition technology to listen to how you speak and help you adjust your pronunciation accordingly. </p><p>You can get a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/babbel-language-learning-lifetime-subscription-all-languages?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=babbel-language-learning-lifetime-subscription-all-languages&amp;utm_term=scsf-595270&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQLIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $149.97 right now</a> (reg. $599) through April 30, though prices can change at any time.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1487.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/babbel-sale</link>
  1488.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  1489.      <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  1490.    </item>
  1491.    <item>
  1492.      <title>Try 'Decluttering at the Speed of Life' When Cleaning Is Overwhelming</title>
  1493.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8V3WKSFH9K0BZCM1SXQCTC</guid>
  1494.      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1495.      <description>Cleaning in shorter spans with a simple set of steps can make this whole thing easier.</description>
  1496.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8V3WKSFH9K0BZCM1SXQCTC/hero-image.png"/>
  1497.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some decluttering techniques are really intense and time consuming, requiring you to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/declutter-your-home-with-tiktoks-viral-core-4-method" target="_blank"><u>use a bunch of storage bins</u></a> or even <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/try-the-peter-walsh-method-for-serious-decluttering" target="_blank"><u>clear out entire rooms</u></a> and rebuild them bit by bit. All of that can be pretty overwhelming and, if you&rsquo;re overwhelmed enough, you may not want to do it at all. If that feels familiar, a simpler, more laid-back technique might be a better fit.</p><h2>What is "Decluttering at the Speed of Life?"</h2><p>This decluttering method comes from Dana K. White, who has <a href="https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/my-methods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>chronicled her &ldquo;deslobification&rdquo; journey on a blog</u></a> since she began in 2009. She took notes of all her wins and failures, keeping track of what worked and what didn&rsquo;t&mdash;and ultimately published a book, <a href="https://zdcs.link/DZm0W?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Decluttering%20at%20the%20Speed%20of%20Life%3A%20Winning%20Your%20Never-Ending%20Battle%20with%20Stuff&amp;short_url=DZm0W&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff</u></em></a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Though she&rsquo;s got lots of great content after 15 years of working on different ways to spruce up a home, her tips can be broken down into five easy steps that don&rsquo;t require extra purchases, any kind of deep visualization, or fancy tricks. Her technique is simple, straightforward, and built around small bursts of cleaning that anyone can manage, even when the overall task is overwhelming.&nbsp;</p><h2>The five steps to "Decluttering at the Speed of Life"</h2><p>To follow White&rsquo;s method, first identify one small area you want to take care of. Don&rsquo;t try to do a whole room or the entire house. Keep it manageable and opt for a shelf, a cabinet, a tabletop, the floor, or another very specific area. Then, do these five things:</p><ol><li><p>Start with trash, like receipts, wrappers, bags, anything that is broken, expired food or products, or anything you simply don&rsquo;t need or use at all. Throw all that away.</p></li><li><p>Do the easy stuff. This means that anything you see that has a place somewhere else should be removed and put back where it belongs. Don&rsquo;t put everything in a pile and return it all at once; that will just keep your workspace cluttered. Instead, if you find one thing that goes somewhere else, like a hair tie that could be returned to the bathroom, do a quick scan for anything else that belongs there, too, and bring it all.</p></li><li><p>Categorize &ldquo;duh clutter,&rdquo; or anything that could be donated. Keep a box on hand and toss anything worthy of donation into it.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p>Ask yourself one or two decluttering questions. First, &ldquo;If I needed this item, where would I look for it?&rdquo; If you can instantly think of an answer, take the item where it belongs. If you can&rsquo;t think of an answer, ask a follow-up: &ldquo;If I needed this item, would it occur to me that I already had one?&rdquo; A good example of this one is if you aren&rsquo;t much of a wino, but find a corkscrew in your drawer. If friends were coming for dinner and you picked up some pinot for them, would you even realize you already had an opener at home or would you buy a cheap one at the liquor store checkout counter? If it&rsquo;s not something you use or seek out often, donate it. Spending a few dollars to repurchase one on the off chance you ever actually need it in the future will be worth the space you save by not keeping that thing around.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p>Finally, make it fit. This means you can only keep things that you have space for in the area you&rsquo;re cleaning. Don&rsquo;t buy new storage containers or force anything to fit. Only the most necessary items get to stay, or else they have to be stored somewhere more appropriate or gotten rid of.&nbsp;</p></li></ol><p>By working through these steps in small spaces, you make incremental progress without getting overwhelmed. All of the steps are designed to keep this easy, in fact, even the little details about removing trash right away to create a more visually decluttered (and motivated) space to work and returning things to their proper place one at a time instead of all at once to avoid creating a secondary box of clutter while you clean.&nbsp;</p><p>This method is also great for people who struggle with decision-making. When you start, you know you can&rsquo;t keep it all. You&rsquo;re aiming to reduce the amount of items so everything can fit in the space. Asking the two decluttering questions is a helpful way to discern whether something really is necessary to hold onto and removes the sentimentality or excuse-making from tossing something out. If you struggle with motivation and the ability to make quick decisions when you&rsquo;re decluttering, this could be the method for you.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1498.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/decluttering-at-the-speed-of-life-when-cleaning-is-overwhelming</link>
  1499.      <dc:creator>Lindsey Ellefson</dc:creator>
  1500.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  1501.    </item>
  1502.    <item>
  1503.      <title>Why Gamers Shouldn't Bother Disabling VBS in Windows</title>
  1504.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8W9PPBQVVXJKAX7FRA9GYV</guid>
  1505.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 23:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1506.      <description>You're taking out one of your PC's best security functions.</description>
  1507.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8W9PPBQVVXJKAX7FRA9GYV/hero-image.png"/>
  1508.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Gamers have been trying to get the best performance out of their PC games since the dawn of the hobby. Many now turning to the internet to try to find ways to improve their FPS (frames per second) and get a smoother gaming experience. Since <a href="https://zdcs.link/MjkVg?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Opinions&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Windows%2011&amp;short_url=MjkVg&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Windows 11</a>, we've seen a new "fix" popping up for gaming performance: a recommendation to disable VBS.</p><p>While the prospect of disabling performance-hungry settings in Windows isn't exactly a new one, not every setting someone on the internet tells you to disable is actually something you should cut. In fact, <strong>you</strong> <strong>shouldn't disable VBS</strong>, as this feature helps protect your computer's core functionality, and disabling it doesn't actually offer that much of a bump in performance.</p><h2>What is VBS?</h2><p>VBS stands for virtualization-based security. It essentially uses hardware virtualization to create an isolated environment for the root of your operating system. This is designed to help keep the kernel&mdash;one of the most important parts of your PC&mdash;from being compromised should you accidentally download a virus or malware.</p><p>One of the main ways VBS helps protect your computer is by using a solution called memory integrity. This feature essentially causes Windows to run and kernel code with the isolated environment to ensure that it is secure and legitimate. This keeps unsigned and untrusted drivers from being able to change the very core of your PC, thus protecting you from bad actors.</p><p>Because it plays such an important part in protecting the core of your PC, you shouldn't mess with VBS, as turning it off could open your computer up to attacks from malware and viruses.</p><h2>How to check if VBS is enabled</h2><p>Unfortunately, not all Windows 11 PCs will have VBS enabled by default. Users who <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-upgrade-your-unsupported-pc-to-windows-11" target="_blank">upgraded unsupported PCs to Windows 11</a> are the most likely to see VBS disabled by default, as VBS has certain requirements that need to be met before it can be enabled. Most newer PCs should meet all of these requirements, which is why some older PCs might not have VBS even though VBS actually predates Windows 11. (That's also why VBS is so associated with Windows 11). You can learn a bit more about the requirements for VBS by checking out <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/device-experiences/oem-vbs" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Microsoft's in-depth writeup.</a> Note that the requirements are very heavy in technical jargon, so it might be a bit difficult to understand them if you don't have a working knowledge of the foundational systems that computers require to run and remain secure.</p><p>To check if VBS is enabled on your PC, pull up the Start Menu and search for <strong>System Information</strong>. This will open a new window with a long list of different functionality and features that your system is currently running. Look for the line that reads <strong>Virtualization-based security</strong>.</p><p>Another way to easily check if VBS is enabled is to search <strong>Core Isolation</strong> from your Start Menu. From here, check if the <strong>Memory integrity</strong> function is toggled on or off. If it is on, then memory integrity and VBS are enabled, giving your PC a bit more protection. If you really do want to disable it, you can toggle this off to turn off VBS and remove that extra layer of security.</p><h2>Is it worth disabling VBS to improve performance?</h2><p>Not really. VBS offers a good deal of extra protection, and in most cases, you're not going to see more than a five percent increase in performance across Windows and apps. Some users have reported up to 15 percent increases in performance when disabling the feature, although your mileage may vary.</p><p>However, as I noted above, VBS is a really important security feature. Unless you're very smart about how you browse the internet, I recommend leaving it on for extra protection. If you are struggling with performance, then you can try these tips to help improve gaming performance before disabling VBS:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Free up storage space</strong>: If you're using a solid state drive, then keeping the drive with your operating system on it as empty as possible is always a good idea. That's because SSDs can actually slow down the more full they are. Because of this, I recommend keeping your OS and any important apps separated from other things, like games and apps you don't need directly on your primary drive. If you do have too many apps or games installed on your primary drive, try deleting some of them to see if that makes your performance any better.</p></li><li><p><strong>Disable</strong> <strong>startup</strong> <strong>apps</strong>: If your main performance issues are happening at startup, then you can try disabling apps that automatically start when you turn on your PC. A lot of apps have a "launch at login" option, and while you can disable them individually in the apps, the easiest way to do this is to open the Task Manager with <strong>Control + Alt + Delete</strong>, find the Startup Apps page, and set as many as you can to disabled.</p></li><li><p><strong>Disable</strong> <strong>Xbox</strong> <strong>Game</strong> <strong>Bar</strong>: Ever since Microsoft started blending Xbox and Windows together for its gaming ecosystem, the Xbox Game Bar has caused issues. Sometimes referred to as Game DVR, this service allows you to record game clips and capture screenshots. That all sounds handy, but it can also cause some performance issues. To disable it, navigate to <strong>Gaming &gt; Game Bar</strong> and toggle the feature off. If you aren't able to disable it this way, you can also disable it in the Registry by <a href="https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-disable-xbox-game-bar/b99a8cb2-4669-4238-983d-cd0264471589" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">following this forum post</a>, though that requires a bit more knowledge of your PC's inner workings. Do not make registry edits if you are not confident that you know what you are doing, as these kinds of edits can break your PC's operating system.</p></li><li><p><strong>Lower game</strong> <strong>settings</strong>: Of course, the least enjoyable answer to improving PC performance in games is to lower some of the more intensive settings. While they might make your games look pretty, a lot of games just aren't as well optimized as you might hope they would be, especially with all the cool tech advancements we have these days. Try lowering heavy settings like shadows and post-processing, as they can often bog your system down depending on how the developer optimized for them. In many cases, you might not even notice a visual downgrade, but the performance of your game will increase drastically.</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  1509.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/why-you-shouldnt-disable-vbs-to-fix-poor-game-performance-windows-11-10</link>
  1510.      <dc:creator>Joshua Hawkins</dc:creator>
  1511.      <category><![CDATA[Computing]]></category>
  1512.    </item>
  1513.    <item>
  1514.      <title>This 3-Person Pop-Up Tent Is on Sale for $28 Right Now</title>
  1515.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVVJTH9M9SZ086HH2X04WHSR</guid>
  1516.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 23:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1517.      <description>It comes in blue, green, or orange and expands from its carrying bag in seconds.</description>
  1518.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVJTH9M9SZ086HH2X04WHSR/hero-image.png"/>
  1519.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get this Pop-A-Shade 3-person tent <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/pop-a-shade-3-person-tent-light-blue?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=pop-a-shade-3-person-tent-light-blue&amp;utm_term=scsf-595267&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQIIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $27.99 right now</a> (reg. $79.99). It comes in blue, green, or orange and expands from its carrying bag in seconds and folds back up almost as quickly. You can use it for music festivals, tailgating, hiking, or right in your backyard for protection against rain, wind, sun, and bugs with silver-bonded nylon sides, Oxford fabric flooring, and built-in insect netting. It also has a skylight at the top for extra ventilation when the elements allow, or added light when it's closed, as well as an internal hook for hanging a lamp or mini fan.</p><p>You can get this Pop-A-Shade 3-person tent <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/pop-a-shade-3-person-tent-light-blue?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=pop-a-shade-3-person-tent-light-blue&amp;utm_term=scsf-595267&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQIIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $27.99 right now</a> (reg. $79.99), though prices can change at any time.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1520.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/pop-up-tent-sale</link>
  1521.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  1522.      <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  1523.    </item>
  1524.    <item>
  1525.      <title>Why Proton Unlimited Is Actually Worth Your Money</title>
  1526.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8PA04CDPNZM56HGEGYP5P9</guid>
  1527.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1528.      <description>A great way to take your accounts to a new level of privacy.</description>
  1529.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8PA04CDPNZM56HGEGYP5P9/hero-image.png"/>
  1530.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you've been looking for a better alternative to traditional free email services like Gmail, I highly recommend checking out <a href="https://lifehacker.com/protonmail-is-the-easiest-way-to-send-and-receive-encry-1765491376" target="_blank">Proton Mail</a>. The service is completely free, and offers some of the best privacy you can find in an email platform. On top of that, it ties into the other services Proton offers, like its VPN, password manager, and even a privacy-centric calendar service.</p><p>But where I believe Proton really shines is <a href="https://proton.me/pricing" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">with its monthly subscription</a>. With so many features already available with the free version of its services, dropping $13 a month ($10 a month when purchased annually) on Proton Unlimited might not seem necessary. But if protecting your privacy online is a priority of yours, Proton Unlimited's extra features are absolutely worth the cost. If you don't feel the entire package is useful to you, Proton breaks some of its services into individual subscriptions as well. </p><h2>What does Proton give you for free?</h2><p>By default, signing up for Proton's services gets you the most important features, like end-to-end encryption, encrypted contact details, and multiple calendars. You'll also get 5GB of Proton Drive storage for free, with end-to-end encryption, making it more private than Google Drive. <a href="https://protonvpn.com/free-vpn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">VPN features</a> are also thrown in (but for just one device), giving you access to medium-speed VPN servers in five countries. Additionally, Proton has its own free password manager in the form of <a href="https://proton.me/pass" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Proton Pass</a>. There's so much to love about Proton before even laying down a dollar that you might not consider subscribing at all. But you should.</p><h2>So many privacy features for email</h2><p>Perhaps my favorite thing about Proton Unlimited is the support for three custom email domains in Proton Mail: This lets you change your email address to whatever you want, whether you want a custom domain for your business, or choosing an address that sounds better that @protonmail.com. You also get support for 15 different email addresses in your Proton account, so you can have separate accounts for shopping, social media, etc. It's a convenient way to break up your email notifications without having to sign up for and juggle multiple Proton accounts. You can also send unlimited messages, and set up unlimited folders, labels, and custom filters, an area that's somewhat limited on the free version of Proton Mail.</p><p>Proton Unlimited also gives you unlimited "hide-my-email aliases," a feature that lets you give out decoy email addresses which all forward back to your real address. That way, no one needs to know your personal address. <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-get-a-burner-email-address-with-icloud-s-hide-my-1847553382#:~:text=On%20your%20iPhone%20or%20iPad,the%20%E2%80%9CForward%20to%E2%80%9D%20section." target="_blank">Apple offers something similar</a>, but that only works if you sign up on your Apple device. Proton's offering is a lot more accessible, since it can work on Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones, and Android phones.</p><p>On the Calendar side of things, your access to separate calendars will jump from three to 25 with Proton Unlimited, and you'll be able to share your calendar with others. Proton Drive gets 500GB of storage with the basic Unlimited plan, though the biggest upgrades definitely come from the expanded Proton VPN (more on that later).</p><p>While it's also available on the free version, the fact that your emails are end-to-end encrypted (so not even Proton can't access them) is another huge win for Proton Mail in general, especially if you send and receive private information.</p><p>If you don't feel like you need all the features that Proton Unlimited offers, you can also just subscribe to Proton Mail Plus. This service costs $4.99 a month and comes with 15GB of storage, 10 custom email addresses, and support for a single custom email domain. You'll also get unlimited folders, labels, and filters, but you'll miss out on the additional features added with Proton VPN, which might be okay for some.</p><h2>Proton's VPN is better under Unlimited</h2><p>While Proton VPN is one of the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/review-of-proton-vpn-free-tier" target="_blank">best free VPNs you'll find</a>, Proton Unlimited gives complete access to all of Proton's fastest VPN servers in over 90 countries. You also get P2P/BitTorrent access, NetShield protection, Tor over VPN, a VPN accelerator for faster speeds, a custom DNS if you want to use it, and LAN connections. </p><p>P2P and BitTorrent protection help keep your IP hidden when sharing files or downloads, and the built-in NetShield functionality blocks out ads and annoying trackers that keep tabs on your browsing history. Access to Tor over VPN provides even more secure web browsing, too, thanks to the combined power of the Tor browser's functionality and Proton VPN's network routing. If you really want to take things up a notch, the custom DNS functionality lets you further protect yourself from bad actors by providing your own protocol for connecting to the internet.</p><p>Every website you visit is always trying to track you in some way, which is why using a VPN has become so important. Proton's free VPN is already great, but Proton Unlimited's VPN is even better at blocking ads and trackers without sacrificing too much of your home internet's speed. I've used <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/nordvpn-vs-expressvpn" target="_blank">ExpressVPN and Nord VPN</a> in the past, and Proton's speeds (even on the free version) beat them out every time.</p><h2>More vaults and built-in 2FA with Proton Pass</h2><p>Without Proton Unlimited, Proton Pass gives you two vaults for storing passwords, 10 email aliases, and the option to share your Proton Pass with up to two others. But if you subscribe to Proton Unlimited, you get up to 50 different vaults, unlimited hide-my-email aliases, built-in two-factor authentication (2FA), and the ability to share with up to ten others. If you're only interested in using Proton Pass, you can also subscribe to Pass Plus, <a href="https://account.proton.me/pass/signup?ref=passmenu&amp;currency=USD" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">which is $4.99 a month</a> (or $1.99 a month when subscribing annually).</p><h2>New updates, including Dark-Web monitoring</h2><p>Proton Unlimited's most recent update brings real-time Dark-Web monitoring to the service, which updates you if any of your personal information pops up on the sketchier corners of the internet. These kinds of services are offered by plenty of financial institutes, but having it in a place that you check every day&mdash;like your email&mdash;is a great way to make sure you're always on top of your personal security.</p><p>Again, you don't need to pay for Proton to benefit here: The free version of Proton Mail is feature-rich, and doesn't lock any important privacy settings behind a paywall, so the service is going to protect your privacy without spending a dime. But, if you want even <em>more</em> features to protect your privacy, and additional tools to organize your digital life, Proton Unlimited is the way to go.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1531.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/proton-unlimited-review-worth-it-vpn-password-manager-secure-email</link>
  1532.      <dc:creator>Joshua Hawkins</dc:creator>
  1533.      <category><![CDATA[Privacy]]></category>
  1534.    </item>
  1535.    <item>
  1536.      <title>How to Fix Search Results in the Windows 11 Start Menu</title>
  1537.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9</guid>
  1538.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
  1539.      <description>You can remove all those internet search results and just see the files and apps on your own computer.</description>
  1540.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/hero-image.png"/>
  1541.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The fastest way to open something on Windows is to open the start menu and start typing the name of the app or file. The exact thing you're looking for will show up, at which point you can hit "enter." Or, at least, that's how it used to work.</p><p>For years now, Microsoft has insisted on slowing down the start menu search by offering "helpful" information from the internet. Now, some people might like this, but I personally would prefer my internet searches to happen in the browser and to use the start menu to quickly find applications and files. There's no easy way to turn the internet content in the start menu off, sadly, but it is possible with a registry tweak. <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-disable-bing-search-in-windows-10s-start-menu-1720761074" target="_blank">We wrote about turning off this "feature" in Windows 10</a> back in 2020. The process hasn't changed for Windows 11, but let's do a quick refresher.</p><p>Just to explain, here's what typing "why" in the start menu looks before this change:</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1542.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1543.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-1.fill.size_2000x1792.v1713981880.png" alt="The start menu is, inexplicably, showing me information about a boy band called &quot;Why Don't We&quot;. " width="2000" height="1792" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-1.fill.size_800x717.v1713981880.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-1.fill.size_1400x1255.v1713981880.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-1.fill.size_2000x1792.v1713981880.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1544.            </div>
  1545.            <div class="mt-2">
  1546.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1547.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  1548.                    </div>
  1549.    </div>
  1550. <p>And here's how it looks after:</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1551.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1552.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-2.fill.size_2000x1889.v1713981880.png" alt='The start menu is now showing a system setting along with multiple files on my computer that include the word "why" ' width="2000" height="1889" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-2.fill.size_800x755.v1713981880.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-2.fill.size_1400x1322.v1713981880.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-2.fill.size_2000x1889.v1713981880.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1553.            </div>
  1554.            <div class="mt-2">
  1555.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1556.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  1557.                    </div>
  1558.    </div>
  1559. <p>All of the results are things that are actually on my computer. These results loaded instantly, which is something that can't be said about search-with-the-internet features turned off.</p><h2>How to disable internet search suggestions in Windows 11</h2><p>To get started, open the Registry Editor, which you can find in the start menu by searching (the irony is noted). The Registry Editor can be a bit confusing, and you can really mess things up by poking around, but don't worry&mdash;this won't be hard. The left panel has a series of folders, which are confusingly called "Keys." You need to browse to: <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows</code>.</p><p>There may be a folder inside called <code>Explorer</code>. Don't worry if there isn't: Make one by right-clicking the "Windows" key in the left panel and clicking <strong>New</strong> &gt; <strong>Key</strong>; name it "Explorer." Open that folder and right-click in the right-panel, then click <strong>New</strong> &gt; <strong>DWORD (32-bit) Value</strong>.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1560.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1561.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-3.fill.size_2000x1081.v1713981880.png" alt="The Registry Editor open to the correct key. The right-click menu shows &quot;New&quot; its sub-options; &quot;New DWORD (32-bit) Value&quot; is the on you're looking for." width="2000" height="1081" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-3.fill.size_800x432.v1713981880.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-3.fill.size_1400x757.v1713981880.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-3.fill.size_2000x1081.v1713981880.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1562.            </div>
  1563.            <div class="mt-2">
  1564.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1565.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  1566.                    </div>
  1567.    </div>
  1568. <p>Name the new value <code>DisableSearchBoxSuggestions</code>, leave the Base as Hexadecimal, and change the Value data to 1. Like this:</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  1569.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  1570.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-4.fill.size_2000x1130.v1713981880.png" alt='The edit window for the value is open. The Value name is set to "`DisableSearchBoxSuggestions", the Value data is set to "1", and the Base is set to "Hexadecimal." ' width="2000" height="1130" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-4.fill.size_800x452.v1713981880.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-4.fill.size_1400x791.v1713981880.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MFYFD574SJAATWQX3KBY9/images-4.fill.size_2000x1130.v1713981880.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  1571.            </div>
  1572.            <div class="mt-2">
  1573.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  1574.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  1575.                    </div>
  1576.    </div>
  1577. <p>Click <strong>OK</strong> and close the registry editor. Restart your computer and try to search something in the start menu. The internet search results should be completely gone. If not, head back into the Registry Editor and make sure you've configured everything correctly. I tested turning this on and off again multiple times and can confirm that it works with the most recent version of Windows 11.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1578.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/fix-search-results-in-windows-11</link>
  1579.      <dc:creator>Justin Pot</dc:creator>
  1580.      <category><![CDATA[Computing]]></category>
  1581.    </item>
  1582.    <item>
  1583.      <title>Google Quietly Made Gemini Available on Older Android Phones</title>
  1584.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8GMA12C0VNCSEPP4BNC1MC</guid>
  1585.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 21:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1586.      <description>Holding onto your old Android? You can still try out Gemini.</description>
  1587.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8GMA12C0VNCSEPP4BNC1MC/hero-image.png"/>
  1588.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/google-bard-is-now-gemini" target="_blank">Google launched the Gemini app on Android</a> back in February, alongside the AI's general rebrand. (Gemini used to be called Bard, if you recall.) With it, you can access Google's AI to do the general chatbot things you expect from a generative AI model, in addition to the option of <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-make-gemini-your-default-assistant-on-android" target="_blank">setting Gemini as your phone's default assistant</a>.</p><p>Until now, however, many Android phones have been locked out of the <a href="https://zdcs.link/rwD85?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Gemini%20app&amp;short_url=rwD85&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Gemini app</a>, as Google rolled out the experience with a strict OS minimum: Unless your smartphone was running <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-biggest-and-best-new-features-in-android-12-and-ho-1847920494" target="_blank">Android 12</a> or newer, you couldn't use the Gemini app. You could still access Gemini's website, <a href="https://gemini.google.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">gemini.google.com</a>, but to use any phone-level features (including, of course, replacing Google Assistant with Gemini), you'd need to upgrade your phone. Probably not worth the cost of admission if your current device is working fine.</p><p>Good news, though: This is all changing. <a href="https://www.androidauthority.com/gemini-app-support-older-android-devices-3435980/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">As reported by Android Authority</a>, Google quietly reduced the Android OS minimum requirements for the Gemini app from Android 12 and higher to Android 10 and higher. AssembleDebug first discovered this change in the latest version of the app uploaded to APKMirror, and highlighted it to Android Authority. But now, the officially Play Store listing for the Gemini app also says it "requires Android 10 and up." To be clear, Google's <a href="https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/14579026?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">official support page for the Gemini app</a> still says it requires Android 12 and newer (in addition to 4GB of RAM, no less) but this will likely change as well.</p><p>This problem doesn't affect most Pixel devices, since Google supports Android 12 starting with Pixel 3 and newer. However, if you have a Pixel 2, or an older Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, Nokia, or any other smartphone stuck on Android 10 or Android 11, you can at least give Gemini a shot on your device without feeling left behind.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1589.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/gemini-now-available-on-older-android-phones</link>
  1590.      <dc:creator>Jake Peterson</dc:creator>
  1591.      <category><![CDATA[Android]]></category>
  1592.    </item>
  1593.    <item>
  1594.      <title>Three Ways to Double Your Bookshelf Capacity</title>
  1595.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8DVCPKR19KHE3WHGPKS43Y</guid>
  1596.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1597.      <description>You’ve got more books than bookshelf space—and more coming all the time.</description>
  1598.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8DVCPKR19KHE3WHGPKS43Y/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1599.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&rsquo;re a book fiend and love reading, you probably accumulate books at an alarming rate. They <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-display-your-books-like-a-more-sophisticated-adu-1846792375" target="_blank">overflow your bookshelves</a> and start stacking up on the floor, on tables, in just about every nook and cranny of your home no matter how weird or inappropriate. Books stacked on the toilet tank? Sure, why not.</p><p>You might be able to handle this by <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-make-cheap-bookshelves-look-like-expensive-built-1848679756" target="_blank">buying more bookcases</a>&mdash;until you have literally crammed as many bookcases into your space as the laws of physics will allow. And yet I can guarantee that even when you have filled every possible space in your house with books you will <em>continue</em> to buy more books. Such is the nature of this disease. If that describes you, don&rsquo;t start purging your books just yet. There are ways to double the book capacity of the bookshelves you already have.</p><h2>Risers</h2><p>One of the easiest and most impactful ways of increasing your bookshelf capacity is to add some risers at the back of every shelf. This instantly and literally doubles the amount of books you can cram onto each shelf, as seen below. Essentially you&rsquo;re creating a slightly raised second shelf, sort of like a display in a store. Then you can line up a whole second row of books in the back&mdash;they won&rsquo;t be quite so accessible, so it&rsquo;s best to put the books you don&rsquo;t grab every day back there, but the extra space is magical.</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  1600.    <div id="video-container-q7LtVjaDQxo"></div>
  1601. </div>
  1602.  
  1603.  
  1604. <p>You can do this the DIY route easily by using unneeded shoeboxes or <a href="https://dengarden.com/news/egg-carton-book-shelf-hack" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">egg cartons</a>&mdash;just line them up in the back and cut them to fit. Or you can make your own&mdash;if you&rsquo;re moderately handy with woodworking, a <a href="https://www.tidbits-cami.com/easy-diy-cabinet-shelf-risers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">few pieces of wood</a> will make a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCVDeejFtvY" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">sturdy riser</a> with very little effort. Or you can buy risers made of acrylic, like <a href="https://zdcs.link/eP0W7?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=these&amp;short_url=eP0W7&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">these</a>&mdash;they come in a variety of lengths, so you can mix and match to accommodate the width of your shelves.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1605.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FeP0W7&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=2+Pack+Clear+Acrylic+Riser&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FeP0W7" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="2 Pack Clear Acrylic Riser">
  1606.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1607.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1608.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">2 Pack Clear Acrylic Riser
  1609.                </div>
  1610.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1611.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1612.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1613.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1614.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$19.99</span>
  1615.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon </span>
  1616.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1617.            </div>
  1618.    </div>
  1619.                            </div>
  1620.                        </div>
  1621.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1622.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1623.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1624.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  1625.    </div>
  1626. </div>
  1627.                        </div>
  1628.                                    </div>
  1629.            </div>
  1630.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1631.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8DVCPKR19KHE3WHGPKS43Y/images-2.fill.size_245x113.v1713977637.jpg" alt="2 Pack Clear Acrylic Riser" width="245" height="113" loading="lazy">
  1632.                            </div>
  1633.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1634.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8DVCPKR19KHE3WHGPKS43Y/images-2.fill.size_245x113.v1713977637.jpg" alt="2 Pack Clear Acrylic Riser" width="245" height="113" loading="lazy">
  1635.                            </div>
  1636.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1637.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1638.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1639.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1640.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  1641.    </div>
  1642. </div>
  1643.                    </div>
  1644.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1645.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1646.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1647.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$19.99</span>
  1648.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon </span>
  1649.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1650.            </div>
  1651.    </div>
  1652.                    </div>
  1653.                            </div>
  1654.        </div>
  1655. </a></div>
  1656. <p>The riser solution works best with paperback books; hardcovers are larger and probably can&rsquo;t be doubled up like this on standard shelves. If you have adjustable shelves, you might be able to raise the height of your shelves to make this work with hardcovers and larger books, but that will reduce the space for the other shelves so it might be a wash&mdash;you&rsquo;ll have to do some measuring to see if it&rsquo;s going to work.</p><h2>Palette holders</h2><p>One TikTok user shared a brilliant solution for increasing your bookshelf capacity: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@zaiahtalkst00much/video/7210727441478733064" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Makeup palette organizers</a>, like <a href="https://zdcs.link/3v7WP?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20one&amp;short_url=3v7WP&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">this one</a>, or <a href="https://zdcs.link/wKYxA?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20one&amp;short_url=wKYxA&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">this one</a>. By filling these with books, you can horizontally stack your books and easily pull them out when you want to browse your collection&mdash;six or seven books deep, typically. The holders are easy to pull out, and you can mix them in with some traditionally vertically-stacked books for a more attractive look&mdash;or use as many as you can to get as many books as possible in there.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1657.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FwKYxA&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=YESBAY+Eyeshadow+Palette+Makeup+Organizer&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FwKYxA" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="YESBAY Eyeshadow Palette Makeup Organizer">
  1658.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1659.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1660.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">YESBAY Eyeshadow Palette Makeup Organizer
  1661.                </div>
  1662.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1663.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1664.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1665.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1666.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$3.99</span>
  1667.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1668.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1669.            </div>
  1670.    </div>
  1671.                            </div>
  1672.                        </div>
  1673.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1674.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1675.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1676.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  1677.    </div>
  1678. </div>
  1679.                        </div>
  1680.                                    </div>
  1681.            </div>
  1682.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1683.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8DVCPKR19KHE3WHGPKS43Y/images-1.fill.size_245x107.v1713977637.jpg" alt="YESBAY Eyeshadow Palette Makeup Organizer" width="245" height="107" loading="lazy">
  1684.                            </div>
  1685.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1686.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8DVCPKR19KHE3WHGPKS43Y/images-1.fill.size_245x107.v1713977637.jpg" alt="YESBAY Eyeshadow Palette Makeup Organizer" width="245" height="107" loading="lazy">
  1687.                            </div>
  1688.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1689.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1690.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1691.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1692.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  1693.    </div>
  1694. </div>
  1695.                    </div>
  1696.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1697.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1698.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1699.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$3.99</span>
  1700.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1701.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1702.            </div>
  1703.    </div>
  1704.                    </div>
  1705.                            </div>
  1706.        </div>
  1707. </a></div>
  1708. <h2>Additional shelves</h2><p>A basic but effective way to increase your bookshelf capacity is to add one or more shelves to the unit. You probably won&rsquo;t <em>double</em> your capacity this way, but it&rsquo;s an easy, cheap way to get more books in there. If your bookcase has pre-drilled holes for shelves, this is pretty easy:</p><ol><li><p><strong>Sort your books.</strong> First, organize your books by height.</p></li><li><p><strong>Organize the shelves.</strong> Place your shelves so that each one has <em>exactly</em> enough height to fit a specific grouping of books.</p></li></ol><p>Your goal is to be as efficient as possible, opening up enough space in the case for at least one more shelf. You can get standard-width (30-inch) <a href="https://zdcs.link/G1Mk8?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=shelves%20from%20Ikea&amp;short_url=G1Mk8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">shelves from Ikea</a> individually that will match up well with most finishes (don&rsquo;t forget to get some extra <a href="https://zdcs.link/wKYxb?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=support%20pegs&amp;short_url=wKYxb&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">support pegs</a> if you need them).</p><p>If your bookcase doesn&rsquo;t have pre-drilled holes you&rsquo;ll have to drill your own, of course. You can buy a <a href="https://zdcs.link/bP40o?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=shelf-pin%20jig&amp;short_url=bP40o&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">shelf-pin jig</a> that can make this a lot easier (and neater). And you can save a small amount of money by buying wood and cutting and finishing it yourself, of course, though you&rsquo;ll pay in time and sweat equity.</p><h2>Stacking horizontally</h2><p>Finally, if you don&rsquo;t want to physically transform your shelves, you can just stack your books horizontally. If you organize your books carefully, horizontal stacking will generally squeeze a few more books onto your shelves because you can use all the vertical space. You can probably put two layers of books on each shelf&mdash;although the back layer will be hidden and difficult to access. This won&rsquo;t yield a ton of extra space, but it might be worthwhile if you just need to cram a few more tomes on those shelves.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1709.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/three-ways-to-double-your-bookshelf-capacity</link>
  1710.      <dc:creator>Jeff Somers</dc:creator>
  1711.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  1712.    </item>
  1713.    <item>
  1714.      <title>How to Join the Android Beta Program</title>
  1715.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8RPHKMJF4FDZ9N7D7KBX34</guid>
  1716.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1717.      <description>Test the latest versions of Android before they go mainstream</description>
  1718.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8RPHKMJF4FDZ9N7D7KBX34/hero-image.png"/>
  1719.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Joining the Android Beta program gives you firsthand look at the latest Android updates, as well as a way to provide feedback about those changes before they reach full release. If you're curious about trying the latest Android betas, then signing up is easy. Here's what you need to know.</p><h2>How to join the Android Beta program</h2><p>The Android Beta program is ongoing, with the latest versions of Android always available to test. To sign up, all you need to do is sign into the primary Google Account associated with your Android device, then navigate to the <a href="https://www.google.com/android/beta" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Android Beta page</a>. Here, you'll be able to see which beta Google is currently working on and learn which of your devices are eligible.</p><p>If you have an eligible device, then you'll be able to enroll in the program. From there, beta updates will continue to arrive on your phone through the OTA update service found in your device's settings. You can, of course, opt out of the program at any point if you grow tired of testing out the latest beta updates.</p><p>The latest beta, as of this article, is the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/android-15-beta-now-available" target="_blank">Android 15 Beta</a>, which offers a first-hand look at upcoming features, including notification cooldown, high-quality webcam mode, partial screen sharing, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/new-features-in-android-15" target="_blank">among many others</a>. There are still a few months of updates before the new operating system drops, but it's a good time to jump in and see what Google has cooking.</p><h2>How to opt out of the Android Beta program</h2><p>If you're tired of beta updates, you can opt out by navigating back to the Android Beta page. From here, ensure you're signed into the primary Google Account tied to your device, and hit <strong>Opt Out</strong> under "Eligible Devices." This will opt the device out of future beta updates, and you'll be able to move back to the latest release version through the OTA update system.</p><p>You used to have to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/try-android-11-today-using-googles-android-flash-tool-1843953684" target="_blank">flash the latest Android betas to your devices</a> to check them out, but luckily, Google has made the process a lot easier. Of course, all of this relies heavily on having one of the latest eligible devices, which you can see an <a href="https://www.google.com/android/beta#faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">updated list</a> of on the Android Beta website. At a glance, here are the phones eligible for the Android 15 beta:</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/njmVj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%206&amp;short_url=njmVj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 6</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/pGNrg?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%206%20Pro&amp;short_url=pGNrg&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 6 Pro</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/KKMZD?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%206a&amp;short_url=KKMZD&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 6a</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/jP0dp?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%207&amp;short_url=jP0dp&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 7</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/G1lv8?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%207%20Pro&amp;short_url=G1lv8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 7 Pro</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/7X7LG?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%207a&amp;short_url=7X7LG&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 7a</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/wKkrb?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%20Tablet&amp;short_url=wKkrb&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel Tablet</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/OGVyn?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%20Fold&amp;short_url=OGVyn&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel Fold</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/5qxO5?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%208&amp;short_url=5qxO5&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 8</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/pGNrv?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%208%20Pro&amp;short_url=pGNrv&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 8 Pro</a></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  1720.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-join-android-beta-program-pixel-phone</link>
  1721.      <dc:creator>Joshua Hawkins</dc:creator>
  1722.      <category><![CDATA[Android]]></category>
  1723.    </item>
  1724.    <item>
  1725.      <title>My Favorite Storage Boxes for Decluttering and Organizing Your Home</title>
  1726.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC</guid>
  1727.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 20:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
  1728.      <description>Sometimes all you need is the right tool to get you started.</description>
  1729.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/hero-image.png"/>
  1730.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Decluttering is something we all need to do periodically and probably put off too long, which is why there is a whole industry built around decluttering tips and methodologies. While most of the techniques are unique, many of them have something in common: At some point in your decluttering process, you're going to need some storage boxes. </p><h2>The best storage boxes for sorting</h2><p>A number of decluttering approaches call for you to sort and categorize your items, usually into at least three categories: Keep, throw away, and donate (with a possible fourth category of items to sell, if you want). You can use boxes for categorizing and sorting when you're employing approaches like <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/use-the-12-12-12-decluttering-method" target="_blank">12-12-12 method</a>, the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/try-the-peter-walsh-method-for-serious-decluttering" target="_blank">Peter Walsh method</a>, or the "<a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/throw-a-packing-party-to-declutter-your-home" target="_blank">packing party</a>" trick, for instance. </p><p>The 12-12-12 method calls on you to throw away 12 items, donate 12, and keep 12&mdash;every day. Obviously, you won't bring 12 items to the donation center every day, but you can set them aside and take them all in one go later on. The Peter Walsh method, on the other hand, requires you to clear out an entire room, figure out what you really <em>want </em>from the room, and then only put back items that fit with that vision. The rest get&mdash;you guessed it&mdash;tossed or donated. While you could use cardboard boxes for these, it might be better to get something sturdier, especially if you plan on repeating your process room by room and reusing the boxes in the process. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1731.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fnjmej&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=HOMZ+Heavy+Duty+31+Quart+Modular+Plastic+Stackable+Toy+Organizer+Bins&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fnjmej" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="HOMZ Heavy Duty 31 Quart Modular Plastic Stackable Toy Organizer Bins">
  1732.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1733.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1734.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">HOMZ Heavy Duty 31 Quart Modular Plastic Stackable Toy Organizer Bins
  1735.                </div>
  1736.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1737.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1738.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1739.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1740.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$44.99</span>
  1741.                    </div>
  1742.    </div>
  1743.                            </div>
  1744.                        </div>
  1745.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1746.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1747.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1748.        <span>Learn More</span>
  1749.    </div>
  1750. </div>
  1751.                        </div>
  1752.                                    </div>
  1753.            </div>
  1754.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1755.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/images-1.fill.size_245x222.v1713987468.jpg" alt="HOMZ Heavy Duty 31 Quart Modular Plastic Stackable Toy Organizer Bins" width="245" height="222" loading="lazy">
  1756.                            </div>
  1757.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1758.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/images-1.fill.size_245x222.v1713987468.jpg" alt="HOMZ Heavy Duty 31 Quart Modular Plastic Stackable Toy Organizer Bins" width="245" height="222" loading="lazy">
  1759.                            </div>
  1760.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1761.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1762.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1763.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1764.        <span>Learn More</span>
  1765.    </div>
  1766. </div>
  1767.                    </div>
  1768.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1769.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1770.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1771.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$44.99</span>
  1772.                    </div>
  1773.    </div>
  1774.                    </div>
  1775.                            </div>
  1776.        </div>
  1777. </a></div>
  1778. <p>First, consider this four-pack of bins from HOMZ if you have larger items or a high volume of stuff to clear out. They have lids, so they're stackable and easy to move without spilling, plus heavy-duty handles that will help you cart them from room to room. They're big enough to hold a considerable amount, too, so your trips to the dump or the donation center won't be so frequent. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1779.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FKKMYD&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Skywin+Plastic+Stackable+Storage+Bins+for+Pantry&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FKKMYD" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Skywin Plastic Stackable Storage Bins for Pantry">
  1780.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1781.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1782.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Skywin Plastic Stackable Storage Bins for Pantry
  1783.                </div>
  1784.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1785.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1786.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1787.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1788.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$33.00</span>
  1789.                    </div>
  1790.    </div>
  1791.                            </div>
  1792.                        </div>
  1793.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1794.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1795.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1796.        <span>Get deal</span>
  1797.    </div>
  1798. </div>
  1799.                        </div>
  1800.                                    </div>
  1801.            </div>
  1802.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1803.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/images-2.fill.size_245x247.v1713987468.jpg" alt="Skywin Plastic Stackable Storage Bins for Pantry" width="245" height="247" loading="lazy">
  1804.                            </div>
  1805.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1806.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/images-2.fill.size_245x247.v1713987468.jpg" alt="Skywin Plastic Stackable Storage Bins for Pantry" width="245" height="247" loading="lazy">
  1807.                            </div>
  1808.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1809.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1810.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1811.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1812.        <span>Get deal</span>
  1813.    </div>
  1814. </div>
  1815.                    </div>
  1816.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1817.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1818.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1819.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$33.00</span>
  1820.                    </div>
  1821.    </div>
  1822.                    </div>
  1823.                            </div>
  1824.        </div>
  1825. </a></div>
  1826. <p>These smaller, stackable baskets are also a good option, especially if you're going through smaller areas or items. They have a smaller footprint, so you won't feel as stifled while you're in the thick of decluttering, and they allow you to sort through smaller things, like the stuff you'd find in your junk drawer, without compromising on movability as you go room to room. </p><h2>The best storage bins for organizing and decorating</h2><p>The second category of storage bins is the kind you use <em>after </em>you've categorized your possessions and made the tough decisions about what to keep and what to toss. Big, transparent, plastic behemoths like the bins above aren't exactly stylish, nor are they practical in small spaces, but some organizing methods, like <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/declutter-your-home-with-tiktoks-viral-core-4-method" target="_blank">Core 4</a>, are pretty explicit that you <em>need </em>bins in your home to keep your stuff in order and prevent everything from getting cluttered again. Simply put, you need function and style. Try these. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1827.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FG1lY8&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=StorageWorks+Closet+Storage+Bin+with+Lids&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FG1lY8" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="StorageWorks Closet Storage Bin with Lids">
  1828.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1829.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1830.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">StorageWorks Closet Storage Bin with Lids
  1831.                </div>
  1832.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1833.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1834.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1835.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1836.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$26.99</span>
  1837.                    </div>
  1838.    </div>
  1839.                            </div>
  1840.                        </div>
  1841.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1842.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1843.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1844.        <span>Get deal</span>
  1845.    </div>
  1846. </div>
  1847.                        </div>
  1848.                                    </div>
  1849.            </div>
  1850.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1851.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/images-3.fill.size_245x184.v1713987468.jpg" alt="StorageWorks Closet Storage Bin with Lids" width="245" height="184" loading="lazy">
  1852.                            </div>
  1853.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1854.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/images-3.fill.size_245x184.v1713987468.jpg" alt="StorageWorks Closet Storage Bin with Lids" width="245" height="184" loading="lazy">
  1855.                            </div>
  1856.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1857.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1858.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1859.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1860.        <span>Get deal</span>
  1861.    </div>
  1862. </div>
  1863.                    </div>
  1864.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1865.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1866.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1867.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$26.99</span>
  1868.                    </div>
  1869.    </div>
  1870.                    </div>
  1871.                            </div>
  1872.        </div>
  1873. </a></div>
  1874. <p>There are a few nice things about these StorageWorks boxes: First, they're white and unassuming, so they'll look nice in practically any home, but still have convenient handles and lids. Second, the brand offers a variety of sizes, so you can get the same patterns and boxes no matter what you're looking to store. Even if the contents of the boxes are a little messy, the outer appearance of cohesion will go a long way toward giving a decluttered impression over all. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1875.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FOGVMn&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Sorbus+11+Inch+Fabric+Storage+Cubes&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FOGVMn" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Sorbus 11 Inch Fabric Storage Cubes">
  1876.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1877.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1878.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Sorbus 11 Inch Fabric Storage Cubes
  1879.                </div>
  1880.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1881.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1882.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1883.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1884.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$22.49</span>
  1885.                    </div>
  1886.    </div>
  1887.                            </div>
  1888.                        </div>
  1889.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1890.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1891.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1892.        <span>Get deal</span>
  1893.    </div>
  1894. </div>
  1895.                        </div>
  1896.                                    </div>
  1897.            </div>
  1898.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1899.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/images-4.fill.size_245x169.v1713987468.jpg" alt="Sorbus 11 Inch Fabric Storage Cubes" width="245" height="169" loading="lazy">
  1900.                            </div>
  1901.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1902.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8STF8DCYDNFS2TAQWEWKEC/images-4.fill.size_245x169.v1713987468.jpg" alt="Sorbus 11 Inch Fabric Storage Cubes" width="245" height="169" loading="lazy">
  1903.                            </div>
  1904.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1905.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1906.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1907.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1908.        <span>Get deal</span>
  1909.    </div>
  1910. </div>
  1911.                    </div>
  1912.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1913.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1914.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1915.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$22.49</span>
  1916.                    </div>
  1917.    </div>
  1918.                    </div>
  1919.                            </div>
  1920.        </div>
  1921. </a></div>
  1922. <p>These are what I've used for <em>years</em>. Simple storage cubes fit nicely on shelves, preventing whatever you're storing on those shelves from looking messy or unappealing. They're great for small spaces where you might have no choice but to put your stuff on open shelving. Best of all, they're collapsible, so if you're not using them, you can just flatten them and stash them away. </p><p>Amazon is full of <a href="https://zdcs.link/6YGg3?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=decorative%20storage%20bin&amp;short_url=6YGg3&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">decorative storage bin</a> options, and while it might seem a little clinical or uncreative to have a home full of boxes, the organizational opportunities they provide are worth compromising a little on your self-expression, so take a look for some boxes that match your unique style. If that really is too much to bear, though, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/the-best-hidden-storage-furniture-and-decor" target="_blank">Amazon is <em>also </em>full of multi-function storage furniture</a> like ottomans, mirrors, and picture frames with hidden compartments inside. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  1923.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/best-storage-boxes-for-decluttering-organizing</link>
  1924.      <dc:creator>Lindsey Ellefson</dc:creator>
  1925.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  1926.    </item>
  1927.    <item>
  1928.      <title>What People Are Getting Wrong This Week: Donald Trump Trial Myths</title>
  1929.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8MRXGM2W3HK9PV34Y52TM4</guid>
  1930.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1931.      <description>Here are the answers to Trump related questions like: Does Donald Trump fall asleep in court? Is Joe Biden behind the prosecution? Does Donald Trump want to kill all sharks? And more!</description>
  1932.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8MRXGM2W3HK9PV34Y52TM4/hero-image.png"/>
  1933.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For the first time in American history, a former president is the defendant in a felony trial, and the misinformation, rumors, and fake news are coming in hot from the Trump trial. Below are some quick fact checks of some of the many dubious claims coming out of the trial.</p><h2>Donald Trump farts in court</h2><p>I&rsquo;m starting with the most important claim first: Donald Trump farts a lot in court and the stench is so horrendous he&rsquo;s stinking up half of Manhattan. Even though <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5-xpoL280E" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">many people are saying it</a>, the source of the fart rumor is shaky. It comes from <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1781373546297749865" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">this X post</a> from Ben Meiselas of anti-Trump organization <a href="https://www.meidastouch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Meidas Touch</a> who wrote, &ldquo;What I&rsquo;m hearing from credible sources is that Donald Trump is actually farting in the courtroom&hellip; I&rsquo;m hearing it from actual credible people that as he&rsquo;s kind of falling asleep, he&rsquo;s actually passing gas and that his lawyers are really struggling with the smell.&rdquo; While definitely hilarious, secondhand reports from political opponents credited to &ldquo;credible sources&rdquo; and &ldquo;actual credible people&rdquo; aren&rsquo;t enough. That said, he&rsquo;s an old guy, reportedly with a terrible diet, and everyone farts, so it&rsquo;s not impossible that Trump will fart in court in the future.</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: False</p><h2>Trump is on trial for making a hush money payment</h2><p>With farts out of the way, let's get down to legal business. Despite the widespread description of this as a &ldquo;hush money&rdquo; trial, Donald Trump is not being charged with 34 felonies for paying adult actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to not talk about an affair. There&rsquo;s nothing illegal about paying someone to be quiet about having sex with you. Instead, Trump is being charged with<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-hush-money-trial-kicks-off-with-opening-statements-new-york-2024-04-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"> falsifying business records</a> related to the hush money payment. But it gets even more granular, because falsifying business records might be charged as a misdemeanor in New York, but according to the prosecution, Trump&rsquo;s actions rises to the level of a multiple felonies because Trump falsified business records to conceal another, more serious crime.</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: False</p><h2>&ldquo;Every legal scholar said this case is nonsense&rdquo;</h2><p>On his social media account and during his daily apr&egrave;s-trial press harangues, Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-15-24/h_684285d90f7a420c46478ce707a519ef" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">repeatedly claimed</a> that &ldquo;every legal scholar said this this case is nonsense.&rdquo; Even if we substitute &ldquo;most&rdquo; for &ldquo;every,&rdquo; it&rsquo;s a dubious assertion. But some legal scholars do see problems with the case. In an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/23/opinion/bragg-trump-trial.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">op-ed published in The New York Times</a><em> </em>this week<em>,</em> Boston University law professor Jed Handelsman Shugerman expressed concern that the underlying crime that makes Trump&rsquo;s supposed record falsifications felonies, is a federal crime, so prosecutor Bragg is essentially using a state law to prosecute a federal crime. If what Shugerman is saying is correct, this isn&rsquo;t a dead-to-right, slam-dunk case like it would be if the issue was &ldquo;Did Donald Trump pay a porn star to not talk about having sex with him.&rdquo;</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: Mixed</p><h2>Joe Biden is behind the prosecution</h2><p>Another oft-repeated line from Trump is that this trial (and the rest of his trials) are happening <a href="https://www.wral.com/story/fact-check-trump-says-new-york-hush-money-case-is-biden-trial/21393462/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">under the direction of President Biden,</a> or, as Trump put it on Truth Social, &ldquo;BIDEN&rsquo;S DOJ IS RUNNING THE CASE.&rdquo; There is no evidence that BIDEN&rsquo;S DOJ is doing anything in connection with the case. In real life, prosector Alvin Bragg is running the case, and he is an elected state official who doesn&rsquo;t report to the federal government.</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: False</p><h2>Judge Mechan isn&rsquo;t allowing Trump to attend his child&rsquo;s graduation</h2><p>Trump&rsquo;s legal team requested court be adjourned on May 17 so that Trump could attend Barron Trump's graduation. Judge Juan M. Merchan hasn&rsquo;t ruled on the request, <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2024/04/judge-hasnt-ruled-on-trumps-graduation-request/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">saying</a> &ldquo;It really depends on how we&rsquo;re doing on time and where we are in the trial.&rdquo; But Trump still told reporters &ldquo;It looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son,&rdquo; and &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t go to my son&rsquo;s graduation.&rdquo; &nbsp;</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: False</p><h2>Donald Trump hasn&rsquo;t attended any of his children&rsquo;s graduations anyway</h2><p>After Trump&rsquo;s posts about not being able to attend his son&rsquo;s graduation, random people on X and elsewhere claimed he&rsquo;d never attended any of his other children&rsquo;s graduation ceremonies. This isn&rsquo;t true. <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-kids-graduations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Snopes looked into it,</a> and Trump was seen at both the high school and college graduation ceremonies of Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and Tiffany Trump.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: False</p><h2>Various other things Trump says about the case</h2><p>It would take forever to debunk the many false assertions that Trump has made about this criminal case (and his other criminal cases, and his civil cases, and really everything) but here are a few of the main themes: The judge is prejudiced against him. The judge&rsquo;s daughter hates him. The judge&rsquo;s gag order means that he is &ldquo;not allowed to talk.&rdquo; George Soros has something to do with the prosecution. The jury is rigged. You get the picture. All of these things are not true, and in a general sense: Donald Trump lies all the time.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: False</p><h2>Donald Trump falls asleep in court</h2><p>Donald Trump may not fart all the time during his trial, but he does fall asleep all the time. According to reputable sources within the courthouse, Trump fell asleep numerous times during the jury selection process. New York Times&rsquo;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/15/nyregion/trump-asleep-criminal-trial.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Maggie Haberman</a> initially reported: &ldquo;Trump appears to be sleeping,&rdquo; and the assertion was backed up by Erik Uebelacker,&nbsp;a reporter for Courthouse News, Law360&rsquo;s&nbsp;Stewart Bishop, and others who were in the room.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: True</p><h2>During his tryst with Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump demanded a &ldquo;pizza with littler pizzas on top.&rdquo;&nbsp;</h2><p>While it is possible to buy a <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2015/5/29/8687941/vinnies-pizzeria-pizza-on-pizza-slice" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">pizza with littler pizzas </a>on top, Donald Trump did not call room service after having sex with Stormy Daniels and say, &ldquo;I want a pizza and I want the toppings on the pizza to be littler pizzas, like the size of pepperonis, but they&rsquo;re actually fully pizzas, just little.&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/justin_halpern/status/954378511774449665" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">It was a joke</a>. Although Trump does eat pizza with <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2011/06/01/use-your-hands-new-yorkers-respond-to-sarah-palin-donald-trump-pizza-eating-faux-pas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">a knife and fork</a>, and he did tell Stormy Daniels that her nose looked like a beet and said, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/stormy-daniels-full-interview-151788/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">I hope all the sharks die</a>&rdquo; according to Daniels.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Verdict</strong>: False</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1934.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/donald-trump-trial-myths</link>
  1935.      <dc:creator>Stephen Johnson</dc:creator>
  1936.      <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  1937.    </item>
  1938.    <item>
  1939.      <title>Here's How Magnets Actually Affect Your Credit Cards</title>
  1940.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW63KN77QPKW711KNDNRSSAC</guid>
  1941.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1942.      <description>And while we're at it, why you shouldn't keep your hotel key card next to your phone.</description>
  1943.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW63KN77QPKW711KNDNRSSAC/hero-image.png"/>
  1944.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was recently gifted a charming, kitschy magnet, and as I tucked it into my wallet for safekeeping, I couldn't seem to remember: Do magnets spell doom for credit cards? Many of us have held onto vague rumors about the potential dangers of magnets interfering with the functionality of our credit cards. Let's take a look at the relationship between magnets and credit cards, and separate fact from fiction.</p><h2>Magnetic strips on traditional credit cards</h2><p>Traditional credit cards feature a magnetic strip on the back, which stores important information such as your card number, expiration date, and security code. This magnetic strip is susceptible to demagnetization, which can occur due to prolonged exposure to magnetic fields (or physical damage).</p><p>When a magnetic strip becomes demagnetized, the data stored on it can become corrupted or unreadable. This means that card readers at stores or ATMs may have difficulty recognizing your card, potentially leading to declined transactions or other issues.</p><p>(Sidebar: This is why you've been told <a href="https://plicards.com/card-talk/unlocking-the-mystery-to-hotel-keycards#:~:text=Key%20cards%20may%20become%20inoperable,potential%20sources%20of%20magnet%20exposure." target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">not to keep your hotel key card next to your phone</a>; your phone is a potential source of magnet exposure that renders key cards inoperable.)</p><p>While it's unlikely that everyday exposure to weak magnetic fields will cause significant damage to your credit card, it's still wise to exercise caution. Stronger magnets, such as those found in speakers, MRI machines, or certain industrial equipment, can pose a real threat to the integrity of your card's magnetic strip.</p><p>Additionally, mishandling or scratching the magnetic strip can also contribute to demagnetization, as the physical damage can disrupt the magnetic particles that store your card's data.</p><h2>Your card's chip solution</h2><p>To address the vulnerabilities of magnetic strips, <a href="https://www.econlowdown.org/v3/public/the-smart-chip-credit-card-a-current-solution" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">the credit card industry has been transitioning towards EMV chip technology</a>. EMV (which stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) cards feature a small, embedded microchip that generates a unique code for each transaction, providing enhanced security and eliminating the risk of demagnetization.</p><p>Unlike magnetic strips, these chips are not affected by magnetic fields or physical damage, ensuring that your card's data remains intact and secure.</p><p>While magnetic strips are still present on many credit cards for compatibility with older payment terminals, the EMV chip has become the primary method of transaction processing, significantly reducing the potential impact of magnets on your card's functionality.</p><h2>Protecting your credit cards</h2><p>To minimize the risk of demagnetization and ensure the longevity of your credit cards, you should keep them away from strong magnetic sources and handle them with care. Avoid storing them near speakers, magnets, or other devices that generate powerful magnetic fields, and be mindful of preventing physical damage to the magnetic strip.</p><p>As EMV chip technology continues to be the mainstream, the concern over magnets affecting credit cards will become increasingly obsolete. However, it's always wise to exercise caution and follow best practices to safeguard your financial information and ensure smooth transactions.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  1945.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/money/heres-how-magnets-affect-credit-cards</link>
  1946.      <dc:creator>Meredith Dietz</dc:creator>
  1947.      <category><![CDATA[Credit Cards]]></category>
  1948.    </item>
  1949.    <item>
  1950.      <title>13 of the Best Exercises You Can Do With a Cable Machine</title>
  1951.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8999VTMT2428T7V7KB3K2C</guid>
  1952.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1953.      <description>Cables are great for pulling exercises and can do a lot of things dumbbells can't.</description>
  1954.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8999VTMT2428T7V7KB3K2C/hero-image.jpg"/>
  1955.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Curious about those cable machines in your gym? Just as I've guided you through some of the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/11-beginner-friendly-exercises-to-do-with-kettlebells-1849114553" target="" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">best beginner-friendly exercises to do with kettlebells</a> and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/11-of-the-best-exercises-you-can-do-on-trx-straps-at-th-1848908010" target="" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">with TRX style suspension trainers</a>, today I'm taking a look at some of the best exercises you can do with a cable machine.</p><p>These are the machines with a handle of some sort that attaches to a pulley with a stack of weights at the other end. Many gym machines are set up this way, but today, we&rsquo;re looking at the ones that are multi-purpose. You can do <em>anything</em> with these cables, and aren&rsquo;t locked into one specific exercise. You may have a single cable, or more often, two cables, one for each hand. And you may have the choice of moving the pulley to the top, bottom, or anywhere in the middle of a vertical track. Ready to see what they can do? Let&rsquo;s dive in!</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  1956.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FwKkq6&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Yes4All+Tricep+Press+Down+Cable+Machine+Attachment+Set%2C+V-Shaped+Bar%2C+LAT+Pull+Down+Straight+Rotating+Bar+for+Home+Gym&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FwKkq6" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Yes4All Tricep Press Down Cable Machine Attachment Set, V-Shaped Bar, LAT Pull Down Straight Rotating Bar for Home Gym">
  1957.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  1958.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  1959.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Yes4All Tricep Press Down Cable Machine Attachment Set, V-Shaped Bar, LAT Pull Down Straight Rotating Bar for Home Gym
  1960.                </div>
  1961.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  1962.                                            <div class="self-end">
  1963.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1964.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1965.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$43.00</span>
  1966.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  1967.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  1968.            </div>
  1969.    </div>
  1970.                            </div>
  1971.                        </div>
  1972.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  1973.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  1974.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1975.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  1976.    </div>
  1977. </div>
  1978.                        </div>
  1979.                                    </div>
  1980.            </div>
  1981.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  1982.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8999VTMT2428T7V7KB3K2C/images-1.fill.size_245x253.v1713970128.jpg" alt="cable handles" width="245" height="253" loading="lazy">
  1983.                            </div>
  1984.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  1985.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8999VTMT2428T7V7KB3K2C/images-1.fill.size_245x253.v1713970128.jpg" alt="cable handles" width="245" height="253" loading="lazy">
  1986.                            </div>
  1987.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  1988.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  1989.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  1990.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  1991.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  1992.    </div>
  1993. </div>
  1994.                    </div>
  1995.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  1996.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  1997.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  1998.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$43.00</span>
  1999.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2000.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2001.            </div>
  2002.    </div>
  2003.                    </div>
  2004.                            </div>
  2005.        </div>
  2006. </a></div>
  2007. <h2>Single arm row</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2008.    <div id="video-container-DJtX3W3cc5I"></div>
  2009. </div>
  2010.  
  2011.  
  2012. <p>Cable machines are great for all sorts of rowing and pulling exercises, and one of the best is a single arm row to work your lats and biceps. You&rsquo;ll need to stabilize your body with your core and legs as you pull your arm back, so take a half-kneeling position. Set up the cable so that your hand comes to the side of your ribcage each time you pull the cable back. </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/R21Ok?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=handle&amp;short_url=R21Ok&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">handle</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: middle or bottom (roughly even with your hand)</p><h2>Overhead tricep extension</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2013.    <div id="video-container-ns-RGsbzqok"></div>
  2014. </div>
  2015.  
  2016.  
  2017. <p>This one works your triceps (the pushing muscles of your arms) and is a nice alternative to a skullcrusher or French press. </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/0ej4l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=rope&amp;short_url=0ej4l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">rope</a> or <a href="https://zdcs.link/WqKAW?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=straight%20bar&amp;short_url=WqKAW&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">straight bar</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: top</p><h2>Pallof press</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2018.    <div id="video-container-nFspBRHke4w"></div>
  2019. </div>
  2020.  
  2021.  
  2022. <p>In the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-establish-a-core-strength-routine-youll-actually-1848686501" target="" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">world of core exercises</a>, the pallof press is a perfect example of an anti-rotational movement. It&rsquo;s not really a press, because you&rsquo;re not pushing the cable away from you. Instead, you move your hands in front of you while the cable tries to pull you to the side. </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/R21Ok?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=handle&amp;short_url=R21Ok&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">handle</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: middle</p><h2>Cable pull-through</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2023.    <div id="video-container-4oZ_0_bQcOg"></div>
  2024. </div>
  2025.  
  2026.  
  2027. <p>This is a hinge motion, making it a great accessory (or alternative) to movements like deadlifts and hip thrusts. The movement is a lot like a Romanian deadlift; you use your glutes and hamstrings to stand up and pull the cable through your legs as you do so.</p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/0ej4l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=rope&amp;short_url=0ej4l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">rope</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: bottom</p><h2>Woodchoppers</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2028.    <div id="video-container-he4IhLc1d5k"></div>
  2029. </div>
  2030.  
  2031.  
  2032. <p>Another great core exercise, woodchoppers allow your obliques to pull down and sideways in a way that dumbbells or medicine balls can&rsquo;t quite replicate (it&rsquo;s supposed to be an exaggerated version of the motion of chopping wood with an axe). You can do these with the cable at the top, pulling down&mdash;or do a &ldquo;reverse woodchopper&rdquo; with the cable at the bottom, so you pull up. </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/R21Ok?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=handle&amp;short_url=R21Ok&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">handle</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: top (or bottom)</p><h2>Cable curl</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2033.    <div id="video-container-85kXYq7Ssh4"></div>
  2034. </div>
  2035.  
  2036.  
  2037. <p>What&rsquo;s a day in the gym without a bicep curl? For a great superset, get one of the machines that has two cable pulleys next to each other. Set one cable at the top with a rope for overhead tricep extensions, and the other with the EZ bar at the bottom (the wiggly one) for curls. Alternate between them.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/rwkxN?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=EZ-curl%20bar&amp;short_url=rwkxN&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">EZ-curl bar</a>, <a href="https://zdcs.link/WqKAW?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=straight%20bar&amp;short_url=WqKAW&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">straight bar</a>, or <a href="https://zdcs.link/0ej4l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=rope&amp;short_url=0ej4l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">rope</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: bottom</p><h2>Crossover or chest press</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2038.    <div id="video-container-fnHiWseOYhs"></div>
  2039. </div>
  2040.  
  2041.  
  2042. <p>If your gym has a setups with two cable machines facing each other, crossovers are a great way to take advantage of it. (You just have to wait for them both to be free at the same time. Good luck.) Pull both cable handles toward each other for an exercise that&rsquo;s a bit like a dumbbell fly. Usually the pulleys are at the top for these movements, but they also work with low or middle placement.</p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/R21Ok?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=handles&amp;short_url=R21Ok&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">handles</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: top</p><h2>Standing or squatting row</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2043.    <div id="video-container-q7Fn27BfIHU"></div>
  2044. </div>
  2045.  
  2046.  
  2047. <p>Seated cable rows are one of my personal favorite gym machines, but they work best when they&rsquo;ve got a dedicated bench and footrest attached. To do a two-handed row on a regular cable machine, you can either stand with your hips set slightly back, or go all the way into a squat. </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/lnlJR?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=v-handle&amp;short_url=lnlJR&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">v-handle</a>, <a href="https://zdcs.link/0ej4l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=rope&amp;short_url=0ej4l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">rope</a>, or <a href="https://zdcs.link/WqKAW?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=straight%20bar&amp;short_url=WqKAW&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">straight bar</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: middle</p><h2>Face pulls</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2048.    <div id="video-container-0Po47vvj9g4"></div>
  2049. </div>
  2050.  
  2051.  
  2052. <p>Many lifters swear by this pulling exercise for keeping their shoulders and elbows healthy, and it&rsquo;s also a good one if you want to work on your posture. They get their name because&mdash;get this&mdash;you&rsquo;re pulling the cable straight toward your face. </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/0ej4l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=rope&amp;short_url=0ej4l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">rope</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: top</p><h2>Tricep pushdown</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2053.    <div id="video-container-LXkCrxn3caQ"></div>
  2054. </div>
  2055.  
  2056.  
  2057. <p>We already saw a way of working the triceps with your arms overhead, but you can also do a similar exercise by pushing your arms down (hence the name). </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/0ej4l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=rope&amp;short_url=0ej4l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">rope</a> or <a href="https://zdcs.link/WqKAW?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=straight%20bar&amp;short_url=WqKAW&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">straight bar</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: top</p><h2>Zerchers</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2058.    <div id="video-container-_IMbjiplaX0"></div>
  2059. </div>
  2060.  
  2061.  
  2062. <p>Some cable machines come with a long, straight bar with holes at both ends. You can attach this to both cables in a paired cable machine. The first time I saw one I tried to do back squats with it, but the cables pulled on the bar in a way that&rsquo;s hard to stabilize, and I hated it. More recently I tried zerchers instead, and these I love. Get the bar in the crooks of your elbows, squat down, and stand up. </p><p>You can do these with a single cable as well, but unless you&rsquo;re very small, you may find the full stack isn&rsquo;t enough weight. </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/dPAgj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=double-ended%20straight%20bar&amp;short_url=dPAgj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">double-ended straight bar</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: both cables at the bottom</p><h2>Straight arm lat pulldown</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2063.    <div id="video-container-G9uNaXGTJ4w"></div>
  2064. </div>
  2065.  
  2066.  
  2067. <p>Most pulling exercises work the biceps in addition to the lats, but here&rsquo;s one that works the triceps instead. It&rsquo;s just like a regular lat pulldown (and you can use a lat pulldown machine if you like) but you keep your arms straight. </p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/WqKAW?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=straight%20bar&amp;short_url=WqKAW&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">straight bar</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: top</p><h2>Cable crunch</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2068.    <div id="video-container-vsAPBAg0fb0"></div>
  2069. </div>
  2070.  
  2071.  
  2072. <p>Sick of doing unweighted crunches by the dozens? Do them with a cable machine and you can add weight for low-rep sets. To set this up, kneel on the ground and hold the cable with your hands against the top of your head. Crunch down, and you&rsquo;ll find it activates the same muscles as those floor crunches.</p><p><strong>Attachment</strong>: <a href="https://zdcs.link/0ej4l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=rope&amp;short_url=0ej4l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">rope</a></p><p><strong>Cable position</strong>: top</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2073.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/health/best-exercises-you-can-do-with-a-cable-machine</link>
  2074.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  2075.      <category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
  2076.    </item>
  2077.    <item>
  2078.      <title>The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 Is Over $500 Off</title>
  2079.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8EYSZ5YJTHYMZVG6RJM18S</guid>
  2080.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2081.      <description>Get one of the best convertible laptops for creative pros at its lowest price ever.</description>
  2082.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8EYSZ5YJTHYMZVG6RJM18S/hero-image.png"/>
  2083.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="https://zdcs.link/KKMmy?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Surface%20Laptop%20Studio%202&amp;short_url=KKMmy&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Surface Laptop Studio 2</a> is a good option for creative professionals, with solid specs to run heavy applications, a premium touch screen, and the ability to swap between a laptop and tablet configuration as needed. Right now, you can get this premium 3-in-1 hybrid laptop for <strong>$2,241.33</strong> (originally $2,799.99), the lowest price it has ever been, according to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/best-price-tracking-tools-1692745053" target="_blank">price-checking tools.</a></p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2084.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0CDJZ2K37&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Microsoft+Surface+Laptop+Studio+2+With+Intel+i7%2C+1TB+SSD%2C+32GB+RAM%2C+14.4%22+Touch-Screen&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=036W8YaC5GiXudt6Dw3dDnH&amp;offer_uuid=00oES2s067qTyIzWqAsIStn&amp;object_type=00oES2s067qTyIzWqAsIStn&amp;object_uuid=036W8YaC5GiXudt6Dw3dDnH" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label='Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 With Intel i7, 1TB SSD, 32GB RAM, 14.4" Touch-Screen'>
  2085.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2086.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2087.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 With Intel i7, 1TB SSD, 32GB RAM, 14.4" Touch-Screen
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  2089.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  2090.                                            <div class="self-end">
  2091.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2092.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2093.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$2,299.00</span>
  2094.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2095.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2096.            </div>
  2097.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2098.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$2,799.99</span>
  2099.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $500.99</span>
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  2103.                        </div>
  2104.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  2105.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  2106.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2107.        <span>Get Deal</span>
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  2111.                                    </div>
  2112.            </div>
  2113.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2114.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/036W8YaC5GiXudt6Dw3dDnH/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707262232.jpg" alt='Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 With Intel i7, 1TB SSD, 32GB RAM, 14.4" Touch-Screen' width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2115.                            </div>
  2116.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  2117.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/036W8YaC5GiXudt6Dw3dDnH/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707262232.jpg" alt='Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 With Intel i7, 1TB SSD, 32GB RAM, 14.4" Touch-Screen' width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2118.                            </div>
  2119.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  2120.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  2121.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  2122.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2123.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2124.    </div>
  2125. </div>
  2126.                    </div>
  2127.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  2128.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2129.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2130.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$2,299.00</span>
  2131.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2132.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2133.            </div>
  2134.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2135.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$2,799.99</span>
  2136.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $500.99</span>
  2137.        </div>
  2138.    </div>
  2139.                    </div>
  2140.                            </div>
  2141.        </div>
  2142. </a></div>
  2143. <p>This Surface Laptop Studio 2 has an Intel Core i7-13700KF, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD storage, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card. (You can also get the model with the more powerful NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada graphic card <a href="https://zdcs.link/wKk4A?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=for%20%24700%20off.%29&amp;short_url=wKk4A&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">for $700 off.)</a> The 14.4-inch IPS touchscreen has a 2400 by 1600 native resolution with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. What makes this laptop special is the ability to move the screen forward past the keyboard, offering an alternative to the usual tablet design, which it can also do (hence the 3-in-1 name). This mode can be great for watching movies or playing video games, which this laptop can handle well.</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2144.    <div id="video-container-jGDgwY_gim8"></div>
  2145. </div>
  2146.  
  2147.  
  2148. <p>PCMag gave this laptop an <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-laptop-studio-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">"outstanding" review</a> for its capable performance, premium screen, and versatility, but it did have some issues: The color coverage in the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color spaces was "okay," which can be a problem for designers and artists looking for the best color-matching options. Another issue among reviewers was the short battery life. Although it is marketed for up to 18 hours of battery, PCMag got 15 hours, and other reviewers experienced much less juice over time. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  2149.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/microsoft-surface-laptop-studio-2-sale</link>
  2150.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  2151.      <category><![CDATA[Computing]]></category>
  2152.    </item>
  2153.    <item>
  2154.      <title>The Best Budget ANC Earbuds Just Got Much Cheaper</title>
  2155.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HQNXWA9FPSBDHYSYQZJQ47NZ</guid>
  2156.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 17:30:22 +0000</pubDate>
  2157.      <description>The noise-cancelling Anker Space A40 earbuds are 51% off right now.</description>
  2158.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HQNXWA9FPSBDHYSYQZJQ47NZ/hero-image.png"/>
  2159.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There's a certain level of performance you expect from <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/the-best-noise-canceling-earbuds" target="_blank">active noise-cancelling earbuds</a> (ANC) or <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/best-noise-canceling-headphones" target="_blank">headphones</a>&mdash;even if they are "budget" priced. If you're looking for a great pair of ANC earbuds for a price that won't make you cry if you lose them, consider the <a href="https://zdcs.link/5qx0x?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Anker%20Space%20A40&amp;short_url=5qx0x&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Anker Space A40</a>, currently <strong>$49</strong> (originally $99.99) after a 51% discount, which I've determined is the lowest price they've been after looking at <a href="https://lifehacker.com/best-price-tracking-tools-1692745053" target="_blank">price-checking tools</a>.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2160.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fsoundcore-Adaptive-Cancelling-Wireless-Comfortable%2Fdp%2FB0B1LVC5VZ&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Anker+Soundcore+Space+A40&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=07h422hPgeuoM7CRVD3ee8S&amp;offer_uuid=05kqEy5PyNqEfP9mnRsFCw1&amp;object_type=05kqEy5PyNqEfP9mnRsFCw1&amp;object_uuid=07h422hPgeuoM7CRVD3ee8S" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Anker Soundcore Space A40">
  2161.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2162.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2163.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Anker Soundcore Space A40
  2164.                </div>
  2165.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  2166.                                            <div class="self-end">
  2167.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2168.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2169.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$49.00</span>
  2170.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2171.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2172.            </div>
  2173.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2174.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$99.99</span>
  2175.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $50.99</span>
  2176.        </div>
  2177.    </div>
  2178.                            </div>
  2179.                        </div>
  2180.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  2181.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  2182.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2183.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2184.    </div>
  2185. </div>
  2186.                        </div>
  2187.                                    </div>
  2188.            </div>
  2189.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2190.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/07h422hPgeuoM7CRVD3ee8S/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1713711670.jpg" alt="Anker Soundcore Space A40" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2191.                            </div>
  2192.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  2193.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/07h422hPgeuoM7CRVD3ee8S/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1713711670.jpg" alt="Anker Soundcore Space A40" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2194.                            </div>
  2195.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  2196.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  2197.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  2198.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2199.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2200.    </div>
  2201. </div>
  2202.                    </div>
  2203.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  2204.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2205.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2206.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$49.00</span>
  2207.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2208.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2209.            </div>
  2210.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2211.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$99.99</span>
  2212.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $50.99</span>
  2213.        </div>
  2214.    </div>
  2215.                    </div>
  2216.                            </div>
  2217.        </div>
  2218. </a></div>
  2219. <p>The Soundcore by Anker Space A40 gives you as many features and even better ANC than some high-end pairs for a budget-friendly price tag. I've had my pair for some months now, and I can compare the ANC performance to some high-end earbuds I've sampled. For the price, the ANC is surprisingly good and also rivals earbuds that go over the $200 price mark. The earbuds have microphones that pick up the sound around you to adjust the ANC accordingly. You can read the full review from <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/anker-soundcore-space-a40" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">PCMag here</a> if you want to go more in-depth about its features.</p><p>Another impressive quality about these earbuds is their long battery life, with 10 hours of playtime with an additional 50 hours from the charging case. The <a href="https://zdcs.link/EbWE2?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Soundcore%20app&amp;short_url=EbWE2&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Soundcore app</a> lets you customize your EQ controls to your liking, but the default audio setting right from the box is already great, so there's no need to adjust it unless you want to. The earbuds fit well and don't come off easily, which is a must for any ANC. It is water-resistant with an <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/dust-resistant-waterproof-making-sense-of-gadget-ratings" target="_self" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">IPX4 rating.</a></p><p>The main place where these earbuds fall short is the audio if you're an Apple user because it relies on the <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-are-bluetooth-codecs-a-guide-to-everything-from-aac-to-sbc#:~:text=of%20bit%20rates.-,AAC,-Bit%20Depth%3A" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">AAC</a> <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-are-bluetooth-codecs-a-guide-to-everything-from-aac-to-sbc" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">codec</a>. But for the price, the Anker Space A40 does a great job at everything else and is my favorite ANC earbud under $100 dollars.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2220.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/anker-space-a40-earbuds-sale</link>
  2221.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  2222.      <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
  2223.    </item>
  2224.    <item>
  2225.      <title>X Is Getting a Video App for Smart TVs</title>
  2226.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW8CSTXXQFD73D63JHA4166J</guid>
  2227.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2228.      <description>Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) is joining YouTube in the living room.</description>
  2229.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW8CSTXXQFD73D63JHA4166J/hero-image.png"/>
  2230.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Everything old is new again. After <a href="https://lifehacker.com/todays-the-last-day-to-download-videos-from-vine-heres-1791297214" target="_blank"><u>killing the pre-TikTok short-form video platform Vine in 2017</u></a>, Twitter is using its new overhaul as X to relaunch its video initiative. That includes a smart TV app, according to X CEO Linda Yaccarino.&nbsp;</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
  2231.    <a class="text-gray-600" href="https://twitter.com/lindayaX/status/1782771479383622004" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">
  2232.        Tweet may have been deleted
  2233.    </a>
  2234. </blockquote>
  2235.  
  2236. <p>In a post on her personal X account yesterday, Yaccarino previewed the app&rsquo;s UI and laid out some of its earliest features. The result looks like something of a cross between TikTok and YouTube.</p><p>On the more YouTube side of things, the app looks like it&rsquo;ll be structured around various tabs that users scroll through horizontally, with their account info resting in a left hand sidebar. Also in line with YouTube is the length of videos. Despite X&rsquo;s current association with short videos, some of the examples in Yaccarino&rsquo;s post are multiple hours long.</p><p>But to compete with TikTok (<a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/tiktok-isnt-banned-yet" target="_blank">which is facing its own problems</a>), X is also placing a greater emphasis on algorithms and AI. The trending tab is right at the top of the app&rsquo;s UI, and while YouTube&rsquo;s TV app does something similar when users aren&rsquo;t logged in, X is also promising to supplement its algorithm with &ldquo;AI-Powered Topics&rdquo; and &ldquo;Enhanced Video Search.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s unclear how exactly these promises will play out in reality. The announcement follows Yaccarino&rsquo;s earlier promise that X will become &ldquo;<a href="https://twitter.com/lindayaX/status/1767675796334776506" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>a video first platform</u></a>,&rdquo; as platform owner Elon Musk continues to secure deals with content providers like <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1755748575760241138?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>WWE</u></a>.</p><p>Notable among Musk&rsquo;s deals is the platform&rsquo;s spotlight on controversial figures including Tulsi Gabbard and Tucker Carlson, the latter of whom appears in Yaccarino&rsquo;s preview of the app&rsquo;s UI.</p><p>X is fighting an uphill battle to establish itself as a video platform, especially as its more traditional text-based business is currently <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/its-not-safe-to-click-links-on-x" target="_blank"><u>being overrun with malware and spam</u></a>. To help with the transition, X won&rsquo;t have ads in its app at launch, according to a note to corporate partners seen by <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/elon-musk-x-launches-tv-video-app-1235879440/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>The Hollywood Reporter</u></a>. A release date has not been specified.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2237.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/x-new-video-app-smart-tvs</link>
  2238.      <dc:creator>Michelle Ehrhardt</dc:creator>
  2239.      <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category>
  2240.    </item>
  2241.    <item>
  2242.      <title>This Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Desktop Console Is on Sale for $180 Right Now</title>
  2243.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1850629673</guid>
  2244.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2245.      <description>It has a grade “A” refurbished rating and comes with a 1-year parts and labor warranty.</description>
  2246.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2HCJC2QSE70EG7FF90T0KY/hero-image.jpg"/>
  2247.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 desktop console is <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/lenovo-thinkcentre-m900-tiny-core-i5-6500t-16gb-256gb-ssd-wi-fi-windows-10-pro-refurbished?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=lenovo-thinkcentre-m900-tiny-core-i5-6500t-16gb-256gb-ssd-wi-fi-windows-10-pro-refurbished&amp;utm_term=scsf-595271&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQMIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $179.97 right now</a> (reg. $350) through April 30. It's a compact desktop computer that has a grade &ldquo;A&rdquo; refurbished rating, meaning the device is in near-mint condition with very minimal to zero amounts of cosmetic wear, and it's backed by a 1-year parts and labor warranty. It&rsquo;s shorter than a #2 pencil, with an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit OS, 256GB SSD storage, and VGA, LAN, DisplayPort, and six USB 3.0 connections. It comes with its own keyboard, mouse, and Wi-Fi dongle, so you only need to add your monitor of choice.</p><p>You can get this grade &ldquo;A&rdquo; refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 desktop console <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/lenovo-thinkcentre-m900-tiny-core-i5-6500t-16gb-256gb-ssd-wi-fi-windows-10-pro-refurbished?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=lenovo-thinkcentre-m900-tiny-core-i5-6500t-16gb-256gb-ssd-wi-fi-windows-10-pro-refurbished&amp;utm_term=scsf-595271&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQMIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $179.97 right now</a> (reg. $349.99) through April 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  2248.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/lenovo-thinkcentre-m900-desktop-sale</link>
  2249.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  2250.      <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
  2251.    </item>
  2252.    <item>
  2253.      <title>What's New on Netflix in May 2024</title>
  2254.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW870D2G54NX2MWXW4FAZ7XE</guid>
  2255.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 16:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
  2256.      <description>Catch live comedy from John Mulaney, the documentary "The Final: Attack on Wembley," and the next installment of "Bridgerton."</description>
  2257.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW870D2G54NX2MWXW4FAZ7XE/hero-image.png"/>
  2258.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Netflix's May lineup is heavy on comedy&mdash;headlined by a six-part live event from John Mulaney&mdash;coinciding with the 2024 Netflix Is A Joke Fest that runs from May 2&ndash;12 in Los Angeles. <em>John Mulaney Presents: Everybody&rsquo;s In L.A</em> will air in installments beginning on May 3 and wrapping up on May 10. Also streaming live are <em>Katt Williams: Woke Foke</em> (May 4) and <em>Roast of Tom Brady</em> (May 5) with an award show special featuring Kevin Hart (<em>Mark Twain Prize Award: Kevin Hart</em>, May 11). Other comedy specials dropping in May are from Udom Taephanich (<em>Deaw Special: Soft Super Power,</em> May 1) and Rachel Feinstein (<em>Big Guy</em>, May 21). </p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2259.    <div id="video-container-cGSe2T3wgj4"></div>
  2260. </div>
  2261.  
  2262.  
  2263. <p>The true crime documentary slate includes <em>The Final: Attack on Wembley</em> (May 8), chronicling the violence that took place at the Euro 2020 final held in July 2021 when ticketless fans stormed the stadium; <em>Cooking Up Murder: Uncovering the Story of C&eacute;sar Rom&aacute;n</em> (May 10), a docuseries about a murder case involving a Spanish chef; and <em>Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies &amp; Scandal</em> (May 15) about the data hack of the infamous dating site. Later in the month, three-part docuseries <em>Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult</em> (May 29) covers the TikTok dancers trapped in a cult fronted by management company 7M. </p><p>Other May highlights include part one of season 3 of <em>Bridgerton</em> (May 16) and <em>Unfrosted</em> (May 3), a comedy film directed by and starring Jerry Seinfeld (along with Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Hugh Grant, and Amy Schumer) that loosely tells the Pop-Tarts creation story. </p><p>Here&rsquo;s everything else coming to (and leaving) Netflix in May.</p><h2>What&rsquo;s coming to Netflix in May 2024</h2><h3>Available soon</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81577024" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Buying London</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><em>The Life You Wanted</em>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81678617" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Monster</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 1</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81712037" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Deaw Special: Super Soft Power</u></em></a><em>&mdash;</em>Netflix Comedy</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81640439" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Down The Rabbit Hole</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81738948" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Frankly Speaking</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81122198" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><em>Airport</em></p></li><li><p><em>Airport '77</em></p></li><li><p><em>Airport 1975</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Best Man Holiday</em></p></li><li><p><em>Blended</em></p></li><li><p><em>Blue Mountain State: </em>Season 1</p></li><li><p><em>Blue Mountain State: </em>Season 2</p></li><li><p><em>Blue Mountain State: </em>Season 3</p></li><li><p><em>Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland</em></p></li><li><p><em>Eat Pray Love</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Edge of Seventeen</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Equalizer</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Gentlemen</em></p></li><li><p><em>Hellboy</em> (2019)</p></li><li><p><em>Hulk</em></p></li><li><p><em>Jumanji </em>(1995)</p></li><li><p><em>Liar Liar</em></p></li><li><p><em>Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Matrix Resurrections</em></p></li><li><p><em>Mortal Kombat </em>(2021)</p></li><li><p><em>Mr. &amp; Mrs. Smith</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Nutty Professor</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps</em></p></li><li><p><em>Outlander: </em>Season 6</p></li><li><p><em>Patriots Day</em></p></li><li><p><em>Public Enemies</em></p></li><li><p><em>Ride Along</em></p></li><li><p><em>Shrek</em></p></li><li><p><em>Shrek Forever After</em></p></li><li><p><em>Starship Troopers</em></p></li><li><p><em>Traffic</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Wedding Planner</em></p></li><li><p><em>White House Down</em></p></li><li><p><em>Woody Woodpecker</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Young Victoria</em></p></li></ul><h3>Available May 2</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81506171" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>A Man in Full</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81705944" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Beautiful Rebel</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li><li><p><em>Lola</em></p></li><li><p><em>Secrets of the Neanderthals</em>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><em>T&#12539;P BON</em>&mdash;Netflix Anime</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 3</h3><ul><li><p><em>2 Hearts</em></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81742123" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>John Mulaney Presents: Everybody&rsquo;s In L.A</u></em></a><em>&mdash;</em>Netflix Comedy Special (Live Event)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81735125" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Postcards</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81447330" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Selling the OC: </u></em><u>Season 3</u></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81424958" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>The Unbroken Voice: </u></em><u>Season 2</u></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81481606" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Unfrosted</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 4</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81773839" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>The Atypical Family</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81683615" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Katt Williams: Woke Foke</u></em></a><em>&mdash;</em>Netflix Comedy Special (Live Event)</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 5</h3><ul><li><p><em>The Peanut Butter Falcon</em></p></li><li><p><em>Roast of Tom Brady&mdash;</em>Netflix Comedy Special (Live Event)</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 6</h3><ul><li><p><em>30 for 30: Broke</em></p></li><li><p><em>30 for 30: Deion's Double Play</em></p></li><li><p><em>30 for 30: The Two Escobars</em></p></li><li><p><em>Reba</em>: Seasons 1-6</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 7</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81720895" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Super Rich in Korea</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 8</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81665042" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>The Final: Attack on Wembley</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><em>War Dogs</em></p></li></ul><h3>Available May 9</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81423482" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Bodkin</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81637008" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>The Guardian of the Monarchs</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81742123" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>John Mulaney Presents: Everybody&rsquo;s In L.A</u></em></a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81459080" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Mother of The Bride</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li><li><p><em>Sing Street</em></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81637609" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Thank You, Next</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 10</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81001988" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Blood of Zeus:</u></em><u> Season 2</u></a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81711038" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Cooking Up Murder: Uncovering the Story of C&eacute;sar Rom&aacute;n</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81462291" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Living with Leopards</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81696980" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Pok&eacute;mon Horizons: The Series Part 2</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Family</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81617659" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>The Ultimatum: South Africa</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 11</h3><ul><li><p><em>Mark Twain Prize Award: Kevin Hart&mdash;</em>Netflix Comedy Special</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 13</h3><ul><li><p><em>Archer</em>: Seasons 1-13</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80222411" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Princess Power</u></em><u>: Season 3</u></a>&mdash;Netflix Family</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 14</h3><ul><li><p><em>Married at First Sight</em>: Season 15</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 15</h3><ul><li><p><em>Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies &amp; Scandal</em>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><em>The Clovehitch Killer</em></p></li></ul><h3>Available May 16</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80232398" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Bridgerton: </u></em><u>Season 3 Part 1</u></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><em>Dumb and Dumber To</em></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81644787" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Maestro in Blue: </u></em><u>Season 2</u></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><em>Upgrade</em></p></li></ul><h3>Available May 17</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81719583" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>The 8 Show</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81416254" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Power</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81110501" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Thelma the Unicorn</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Family</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 19</h3><ul><li><p><em>A Simple Favor</em></p></li><li><p><em>Golden Kamuy</em>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 20</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81417684" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties:</u></em><strong><u> </u></strong><u>Season 4</u></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 21</h3><ul><li><p><em>Rachel Feinstein: Big Guy&mdash;</em>Netflix Comedy</p></li><li><p><em>Wildfire: </em>Seasons 1-4</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 22</h3><ul><li><p><em>Act Your Age: </em>Season 1</p></li><li><p><em>Toughest Forces on Earth</em></p></li></ul><h3>Available May 23</h3><ul><li><p><em>El vendedor de ilusiones: El caso Generaci&oacute;n Zoe</em>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><em>Franco Escamilla: Ladies' Man&mdash;</em>Netflix Comedy</p></li><li><p><em>Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf</em>&mdash;Netflix Anime</p></li><li><p><em>In Good Hands 2</em>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81758875" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Tires</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 24</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81012048" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Atlas</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li><li><p><em>Butterfly in the Sky: The Story of Reading Rainbow</em></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81557031" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Jurassic World: Chaos Theory</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Family</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81214194" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Mulligan: Part 2</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81582442" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>My Oni Girl</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 28</h3><ul><li><p><em>Burnt</em></p></li></ul><h3>Available May 29</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81406459" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Bionic</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li><li><p><em>Colors of Evil: Red</em>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li><li><p><em>Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult</em>&mdash;Netflix Documentary</p></li><li><p><em>Patrick Melrose</em></p></li></ul><h3>Available May 30</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81284301" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Eric</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><em>Geek Girl</em>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li></ul><h3>Available May 31</h3><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81660270" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>A Part of You</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li><li><p><em>Chola Chabuca</em></p></li><li><p><em>How to Ruin Love: The Proposal</em>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81557682" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Raising Voices</u></em></a>&mdash;Netflix Series</p></li><li><p><em>T&ograve;kunb&#7885;&#768;</em>&mdash;Netflix Film</p></li></ul><h2>What&rsquo;s leaving Netflix in May 2024</h2><h3>Leaving May 1</h3><ul><li><p><em>Bennett's War</em></p></li><li><p><em>Magic Mike's Last Dance</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 2</h3><ul><li><p><em>Survive the Night</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 3</h3><ul><li><p><em>Arctic Dogs</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 8</h3><ul><li><p><em>Uncut Gems</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 9</h3><ul><li><p><em>Puss in Boots: The Last Wish</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 10</h3><ul><li><p><em>St. Vincent</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 11</h3><ul><li><p><em>Where the Crawdads Sing</em></p></li><li><p><em>Sam Smith: Love Goes - Live at Abbey Road Studios</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 14</h3><ul><li><p><em>Fifty Shades of Black</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 19</h3><ul><li><p><em>Rosario Tijeras (Mexico):</em> Seasons 1-3</p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 22</h3><ul><li><p><em>The Boxtrolls</em></p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 26</h3><ul><li><p><em>Mako Mermaids: An H2O Adventure:</em> Seasons 3-4</p></li></ul><h3>Leaving May 31</h3><ul><li><p><em>2012</em></p></li><li><p><em>Boyz n the Hood</em></p></li><li><p><em>Burlesque</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Choice</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Disaster Artist</em></p></li><li><p><em>Forever My Girl</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Great Gatsby</em></p></li><li><p><em>Happy Gilmore</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Hunger Games</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Impossible</em></p></li><li><p><em>Insidious</em></p></li><li><p><em>L.A. Confidential</em></p></li><li><p><em>Lakeview Terrace</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Mick: </em>Seasons 1-2</p></li><li><p><em>Noah</em></p></li><li><p><em>Oh, Ramona!</em></p></li><li><p><em>The Other Guys</em></p></li><li><p><em>Silent Hill</em></p></li><li><p><em>Skyscraper</em></p></li><li><p><em>Split</em></p></li><li><p><em>Think Like a Man</em></p></li><li><p><em>Think Like a Man Too</em></p></li><li><p><em>You've Got Mail</em></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  2264.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/whats-new-on-netflix-in-may-2024</link>
  2265.      <dc:creator>Emily Long</dc:creator>
  2266.      <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category>
  2267.    </item>
  2268.    <item>
  2269.      <title>The President Just Signed the TikTok Bill, But It Isn't Banned Yet</title>
  2270.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HRW7ZTB19G25EV24637BF94Y</guid>
  2271.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:31:31 +0000</pubDate>
  2272.      <description>Congress has passed a bill that could lead to banning TikTok in the United States. Still, it's not time to say goodbye to TikTok—at least not yet.</description>
  2273.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HRW7ZTB19G25EV24637BF94Y/hero-image.jpg"/>
  2274.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It's official: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/04/24/1246663779/biden-ban-tiktok-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">President Biden has signed a bill into law</a> that could lead to banning TikTok in the United States. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-likely-pass-bill-ban-tiktok-sending-senate-rcna142797" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">The House of Representatives passed their original bill back in March</a>, while <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-1c48466df82f3684bd6eb21e61ebcb8d" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">the Senate finally voted it in</a> as part of a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza on Tuesday. The legislation was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers, and the President quickly signed it shortly after. So, TikTok in the U.S. is dead, right? Not quite.</p><h2>What is the TikTok ban bill?</h2><p>First and foremost, this bill doesn't "ban" TikTok outright. Even though the bill is now law, the app won't disappear from your smartphone immediately. </p><p>Instead, the law demands that ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese-based parent company, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/technology/tiktok-ban-congress.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">divest its stake in the app to an American-owned company</a> within nine months of the bill becoming law. President Biden can add another 90 days to that timeline if ByteDance appears to be making progress selling TikTok. (The House's original bill had a shorter timeline of six months.) If ByteDance were to refuse, <em>then</em> the app would face a ban in the U.S. It's a <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-posed-tiktok/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">similar tactic the Trump administration took in 2020</a>: Trump signed an executive order forcing ByteDance to choose between a sale or being banned. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/12/07/944039053/u-s-judge-halts-trumps-tiktok-ban-the-2nd-court-to-fully-block-the-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">The courts blocked the order</a>, however, and the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/us/politics/biden-tiktok-ban-trump.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Biden administration later revoked it</a>, replacing it with an order to review more apps that could potentially compromise American security.</p><p>Lawmakers are increasingly concerned that TikTok's direct ties to China puts American users' data in jeopardy. These fears are not unfounded: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/us/politics/tik-tok-spying-justice-dept.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">In late 2022</a>, ByteDance employees obtained the IP addresses of American journalists from their TikTok accounts, in an effort to discover the source of company leaks. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandralevine/2023/06/21/tiktok-confirms-data-china-bytedance-security-cfius/?sh=6767eb633270" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Back in June</a>, we learned that TikTok stores some user data from U.S.-based creators in China, after insisting the company keeps all American data within the United States.  </p><p>TikTok likely doesn't scrape more data from your smartphone than any other app you use. Congress could care less about your privacy from an altruistic point of view. The government's concern, however, is that unlike Meta or Google apps, your data isn't being taken by an American company; rather, it's potentially leaking to a foreign nation, one with a complicated, if not adversarial, geopolitical relationship with the U.S. That, in addition to a <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emilybakerwhite/tiktok-project-texas-bytedance-user-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">potential for China to influence the content American users actually see on their feeds</a>, is fueling an urgency with many lawmakers to do something about the massively popular app.</p><h2>Where do we go from here?</h2><p>All that said, TikTok's banishment is not certain. Look, this is America: If there's one thing we love in this country, it's a good deal. As such, now that the bill is officially a law, you better believe the business interests in the U.S. will be trying their darnedest to be the American company ByteDance sells to. </p><p>We were seeing this play out before the Senate had even deliberated the bill: Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/former-activision-ceo-bobby-kotick-considering-buying-tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">reportedly pitched the idea of buying TikTok</a> at a dinner, which included OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman. Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/14/former-treasury-secretary-mnuchin-is-putting-together-an-investor-group-to-buy-tiktok.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">is building a group of investors with the goal of acquiring the app</a>. (Is it a prerequisite to be a "former" something in order to buy TikTok?) If not, even Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6348523512112" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">told Fox News in an interview he'd like to buy the app</a>. Perhaps Microsoft, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-trump-tiktok-acquisition-strangest-thing-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">which was in talks to buy TikTok under the Trump administration</a>, will try again. </p><p>That said, who knows if ByteDance will actually sell. But they'll certainly have their choice of buyer if they're interested. </p><p>No matter what, TikTok will not be banned before the 2024 election. Now that the timeline has been extended to nine months, with a potential 90-day extension on top of that, Americans will still be able to tune into news and opinions on the app all the way through Nov. 5, 2024. How that will impact the elections is all but certain: Will TikTok prove to be the election interference machine the U.S. government seems so concerned about? Will voters punish lawmakers and President Biden for putting the app in jeopardy, or will that not have much of an impact as the app will still be working when they go to the polls? So much about this story is up in the air: The one thing we know for sure is TikTok will still be with us until at least January 2025. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  2275.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/tiktok-isnt-banned-yet</link>
  2276.      <dc:creator>Jake Peterson</dc:creator>
  2277.      <category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
  2278.    </item>
  2279.    <item>
  2280.      <title>You Can Get a Refurbished Peloton+ for $900 Less Than a New One Right Now</title>
  2281.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HQ6GFAHCT6N9116F22JZ04GA</guid>
  2282.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:30:46 +0000</pubDate>
  2283.      <description>... or a regular refurbished bike for just $995.</description>
  2284.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HQ6GFAHCT6N9116F22JZ04GA/hero-image.png"/>
  2285.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you always felt like Pelotons were out of reach, perhaps a $900 discount would help. The Peloton+, Peloton's best exercise bike, is currently matching its lowest price, which we <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/best-new-years-deals-on-home-gym-equipment" target="_blank">last saw during a New Year sale</a>. You can get a <a href="https://zdcs.link/dPReZ?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=refurbished%20Peloton%2B%20for%20%241%2C595&amp;short_url=dPReZ&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">refurbished Peloton+ for <strong>$1,595</strong></a> (originally $1,995), which is $400 off the usual refurbished price and $900 less than the price of a new one. The <a href="https://zdcs.link/2mwgM?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=regular%20refurbished%20Peloton%20Bike&amp;short_url=2mwgM&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">regular refurbished Peloton Bike</a> is also seeing a discount, currently at <strong>$995</strong> (originally $1,145), which is $150 off its regular refurbished price and $450 less than the price of a new one. If you want them new, you'll have to pay full price, but you can usually find deals on Amazon, with the <a href="https://zdcs.link/6Y6Ld?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Bike%20hitting%20%241250&amp;short_url=6Y6Ld&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Bike hitting <strong>$1250</strong></a> (originally $1,445) and the <a href="https://zdcs.link/KK5yV?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Bike%2B%20going%20as%20low%20as%20%242%2C100&amp;short_url=KK5yV&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Bike+ going as low as <strong>$2,100</strong></a> (originally $2,495) on previous deals.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2286.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FjP0My&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Refurbished+Peloton+Bike%2B&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FjP0My" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Refurbished Peloton Bike+">
  2287.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2288.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2289.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Refurbished Peloton Bike+
  2290.                </div>
  2291.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">Includes delivery and setup. Thoroughly inspected, repaired, and tested. Comes with a warranty.
  2292.                    </div>
  2293.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  2294.                                            <div class="self-end">
  2295.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2296.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2297.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$1,595.00</span>
  2298.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at OnePeloton.com</span>
  2299.                    </div>
  2300.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2301.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$1,995.00</span>
  2302.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $400.00</span>
  2303.        </div>
  2304.    </div>
  2305.                            </div>
  2306.                        </div>
  2307.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  2308.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  2309.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2310.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2311.    </div>
  2312. </div>
  2313.                        </div>
  2314.                                    </div>
  2315.            </div>
  2316.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2317.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HQ6GFAHCT6N9116F22JZ04GA/images-1.fill.size_245x306.v1713969698.jpg" alt="Peloton Bike+" width="245" height="306" loading="lazy">
  2318.                            </div>
  2319.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  2320.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HQ6GFAHCT6N9116F22JZ04GA/images-1.fill.size_245x306.v1713969698.jpg" alt="Peloton Bike+" width="245" height="306" loading="lazy">
  2321.                            </div>
  2322.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  2323.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  2324.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  2325.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2326.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2327.    </div>
  2328. </div>
  2329.                    </div>
  2330.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  2331.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2332.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2333.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$1,595.00</span>
  2334.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at OnePeloton.com</span>
  2335.                    </div>
  2336.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2337.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$1,995.00</span>
  2338.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $400.00</span>
  2339.        </div>
  2340.    </div>
  2341.                    </div>
  2342.                            </div>
  2343.        </div>
  2344. </a></div>
  2345. <div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2346.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F2mKPW&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Refurbished+Peloton+Bike&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F2mKPW" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Refurbished Peloton Bike">
  2347.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2348.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2349.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Refurbished Peloton Bike
  2350.                </div>
  2351.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">Includes delivery and setup. Thoroughly inspected, repaired, and tested. Comes with a warranty.
  2352.                    </div>
  2353.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  2354.                                            <div class="self-end">
  2355.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2356.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2357.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$995.00</span>
  2358.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at OnePeloton.com</span>
  2359.                    </div>
  2360.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2361.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$1,145.00</span>
  2362.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $150.00</span>
  2363.        </div>
  2364.    </div>
  2365.                            </div>
  2366.                        </div>
  2367.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  2368.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  2369.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2370.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2371.    </div>
  2372. </div>
  2373.                        </div>
  2374.                                    </div>
  2375.            </div>
  2376.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2377.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HQ6GFAHCT6N9116F22JZ04GA/images-2.fill.size_245x306.v1713969698.jpg" alt="Peloton Bike" width="245" height="306" loading="lazy">
  2378.                            </div>
  2379.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  2380.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HQ6GFAHCT6N9116F22JZ04GA/images-2.fill.size_245x306.v1713969698.jpg" alt="Peloton Bike" width="245" height="306" loading="lazy">
  2381.                            </div>
  2382.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  2383.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  2384.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  2385.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2386.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2387.    </div>
  2388. </div>
  2389.                    </div>
  2390.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  2391.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2392.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2393.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$995.00</span>
  2394.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at OnePeloton.com</span>
  2395.                    </div>
  2396.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2397.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$1,145.00</span>
  2398.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $150.00</span>
  2399.        </div>
  2400.    </div>
  2401.                    </div>
  2402.                            </div>
  2403.        </div>
  2404. </a></div>
  2405. <p>Here is how Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki <a href="https://lifehacker.com/peloton-sale-prime-big-deal-days-1850914135#:~:text=The%20Bike%20is%20a,while%20you%20exercise." target="_blank"><u>described these Pelotons</u></a>:</p><blockquote><p>The Bike is a solidly built spin bike with a big touchscreen on which you can play classes led by the platform&rsquo;s instructors/motivational speakers or experience the &ldquo;other&rdquo; rides: scenic routes, a video game that you play by adjusting your resistance knob, and the still-in-beta Entertainment feature that may allow you to watch Netflix while you exercise.</p><p>The Bike+ has everything the Bike has, plus resistance that automatically adjusts when you&rsquo;re following along with a class. The touchscreen is also on a swivel, allowing you to do yoga and strength classes on the floor next to your Bike+.</p></blockquote><p>Beth gives a <a href="https://lifehacker.com/peloton-bike-review-1850804329" target="_blank">breakdown of what you can expect</a> as well as which of the two bikes would be a better fit for your needs. Keep in mind you&rsquo;ll need a $44 per month <a href="https://support.onepeloton.com/s/article/360040396351-Peloton-App-Memberships-vs-Peloton-All-Access-Membership?language=en_US#:~:text=With%20a%20Peloton%20All%2DAccess,and%20real%2Dtime%20performance%20tracking." target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>&ldquo;All Access&rdquo; membership</u></a> to use all of the Bike&rsquo;s features. Amazon offers free &ldquo;inside entryway&rdquo; delivery when you order a Peloton Bike or Bike+.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2406.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/health/refurbished-peloton-plus-deal</link>
  2407.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  2408.      <category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
  2409.    </item>
  2410.    <item>
  2411.      <title>Your Camping Gear Could Be Smarter</title>
  2412.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW7Z7FR66ZDV3ETJ730ZACEC</guid>
  2413.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:30:06 +0000</pubDate>
  2414.      <description>Camping smart tech can keep your food colder for longer and light up the great outdoors.</description>
  2415.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7Z7FR66ZDV3ETJ730ZACEC/hero-image.png"/>
  2416.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Not everyone was born to camp. I participate due to peer pressure from friends and a dog, who are all enthusiasts of the great outdoors. Whether you relish the great outdoors or just tolerate it, there&rsquo;s so much smart gear to improve the experience. While bringing smart tech on a camping trip might feel counter intuitive, the right tech can make nature more accessible, safer and even more comfortable.&nbsp;</p><h2>A smart tent </h2><p>Even those who brave the Pacific Coast Trail bring tech along with them (according to the hikers I follow on TikTok, which is as close as I&rsquo;m getting it). That tech needs power, and your tent is a passive way to collect it. While there have been a lot of <a href="https://www.inspiredcamping.com/solar-powered-tent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>concept</u></a> products, very few seem to have made it to market for consumers. A Green Origin has two for sale (below) that have a flexible solar panel that&rsquo;s made to attach to the tent itself. The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/summitridge/the-future-of-backcountry-camping-summit-ridge-co" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Dragon V1 Solar Tent</u></a> has been successfully funded on Kickstarter and should ship soon. It, too, has a solar panel, but it&rsquo;s integrated into the tent itself.&nbsp; In the future, even these flexible panels will likely be obsolete; <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7589816/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>fabric</u></a> with energy-harvesting technology woven into the fabric itself&nbsp;will be used for tents as well as <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/clothes-can-be-smart-now" target="_blank"><u>clothing</u></a>.</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/5q2xL?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=2-3%20People%20Rechargeable%20Solar%20Power%20Tent&amp;short_url=5q2xL&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>2-3 People Rechargeable Solar Power Tent</u></a> ($380.00)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/6YOG7?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=5~6%20people%20High%20Quality%20Solar%20Power%20Tent&amp;short_url=6YOG7&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>5~6 people High Quality Solar Power Tent</u></a> ($1,499.00)</p></li></ul><h2>Smart coolers</h2><p>Coolers used to be a race against time managing refrigerated and frozen food with ice cubes. Now, many coolers carry on-board power, meaning they can keep the cooler at a temp that ensures safe food handling, and no more ice management. In some cases, these coolers can also act as chargers or speakers, or allow you to manage the cooler via an app. Being able to designate each section as a fridge or freezer means you can use the power you need, and keep food at the right temperature.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/rwkDX?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Anker%20EverFrost%2050%20Powered%20Cooler&amp;short_url=rwkDX&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Anker EverFrost 50 Powered Cooler</u></a> ($949.00)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/ZBxyM?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Bodega%20cooler%2048quart%2845l%29%20Car%20Fridge%20App%20Control&amp;short_url=ZBxyM&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Bodega cooler 48quart(45l) Car Fridge App Control</u></a> ($299.99)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/NxYv3?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Iceco%20Jp30%20Portable%20Refrigerator%20Fridge%20Freezer%2C%2030%20Liters&amp;short_url=NxYv3&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Iceco Jp30 Portable Refrigerator Fridge Freezer, 30 Liters</u></a> ($399)</p></li></ul><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2417.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FICECO-JP30-Portable-Refrigerator-Compressor%2Fdp%2FB088M3NQYS%2F&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Iceco+JP30+Portable+Refrigerator&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=04FH9aK0Aq1A1ycfjlY8qHD&amp;offer_uuid=03UWTdJwzf6ybSdZgqaPIIw&amp;object_type=03UWTdJwzf6ybSdZgqaPIIw&amp;object_uuid=04FH9aK0Aq1A1ycfjlY8qHD" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Iceco JP30 Portable Refrigerator">
  2418.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2419.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2420.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Iceco JP30 Portable Refrigerator
  2421.                </div>
  2422.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  2423.                                            <div class="self-end">
  2424.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2425.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2426.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$499.00</span>
  2427.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2428.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2429.            </div>
  2430.    </div>
  2431.                            </div>
  2432.                        </div>
  2433.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  2434.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  2435.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2436.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  2437.    </div>
  2438. </div>
  2439.                        </div>
  2440.                                    </div>
  2441.            </div>
  2442.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2443.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/04FH9aK0Aq1A1ycfjlY8qHD/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1714051008.jpg" alt="Iceco JP30 Portable Refrigerator" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2444.                            </div>
  2445.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  2446.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/04FH9aK0Aq1A1ycfjlY8qHD/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1714051008.jpg" alt="Iceco JP30 Portable Refrigerator" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2447.                            </div>
  2448.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  2449.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  2450.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  2451.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2452.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  2453.    </div>
  2454. </div>
  2455.                    </div>
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  2457.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2458.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2459.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$499.00</span>
  2460.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2461.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2462.            </div>
  2463.    </div>
  2464.                    </div>
  2465.                            </div>
  2466.        </div>
  2467. </a></div>
  2468. <h2>Smarter lights</h2><p>When you gather with friends at night to cook, eat, or just relax, you'll probably want a little light&mdash;and you've got a couple of options. There are lots of solar lanterns on the market, which just need to sit out during the day to recharge. But for a little more ambiance, bring a power bank with you and string up some LED lights, as they require less energy to run than other lights. </p><ul><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/V8n13?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Solar%20Camping%20String%20Lights%2016.4Ft%20with%20Music%20Sync&amp;short_url=V8n13&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Solar Camping String Lights 16.4Ft with Music Sync</u></a> ($17.49)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/q7glq?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=22Ft%20Stowable%20String%20Light%20with%20APP%20Control&amp;short_url=q7glq&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>22Ft Stowable String Light with APP Control</u></a> ($15.99)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/YBjLn?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Lantern%20Solar%20String%20Lights%20with%20Smart%20App%20Control&amp;short_url=YBjLn&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Lantern Solar String Lights with Smart App Control</u></a> ($26.99)</p></li></ul><h2>Wifi for the road</h2><p>Generally, we think of having wifi anywhere we go now and when it&rsquo;s not available, we fall back to our cellular signal. When you don&rsquo;t want to blow through your wireless plan, you can rely on a backup device that provides a signal through the 4G network and you pay as you go.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/1Xxpn?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=GlocalMe%20Wireless%20Portable%20Wifi%20for%20Travel&amp;short_url=1Xxpn&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>GlocalMe Wireless Portable Wifi for Travel</u></a> ($89.99)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/eP052?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Journey1%20LTE%20Wifi%20Hotspot%20%28&amp;short_url=eP052&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Journey1 LTE Wifi Hotspot (</u></a>$159)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/XB3Xy?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=RoamWiFi%204G%20LTE%20Mobile%20Hotspot%20Router&amp;short_url=XB3Xy&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>RoamWiFi 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot Router</u></a> ($143.99)</p></li></ul><h2>Power for everything</h2><p>Going &ldquo;off grid&rdquo; has really changed now that there are so many portable power stations that give you a way to charge up while you&rsquo;re away through a solar panel. 1,000-watt units are enough to power most of the devices you&rsquo;ll use while away, while still being light enough to move around.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/yjJV6?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Jackery%20Solar%20Generator%201000%20with%202%20100W%20Solar%20Panels&amp;short_url=yjJV6&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Jackery Solar Generator 1000 with 2 100W Solar Panels</u></a> ($1,649.00)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/bP4wj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Anker%20SOLIX%20C1000%20Portable%20Power%20Station%20with%20400W%20Solar%20Panel&amp;short_url=bP4wj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station with 400W Solar Panel</u></a> ($1,498.00)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/pGMN0?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Goal%20Zero%20Yeti%201000X%20Portable%20Power%20Station%20with%20Nomad%20100%20Solar%20Panel&amp;short_url=pGMN0&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Goal Zero Yeti 1000X Portable Power Station with Nomad 100 Solar Panel</u></a> ($1,159.91)</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  2469.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/best-smart-gear-for-camping</link>
  2470.      <dc:creator>Amanda Blum</dc:creator>
  2471.      <category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
  2472.    </item>
  2473.    <item>
  2474.      <title>The Best Free Plans for Your DIY Backyard Projects</title>
  2475.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW78H4XZY92RA0SKHA8KSJBY</guid>
  2476.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2477.      <description>Tackle your next backyard build with these free plans.</description>
  2478.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW78H4XZY92RA0SKHA8KSJBY/hero-image.jpg"/>
  2479.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&rsquo;re trying to upgrade your porch or patio, or if you have some gardening updates planned, your DIY projects can go a lot easier with some simple build plans. Having measurements and scale can help you purchase the right amount of lumber, and most plans also have suggested hardware as well. I've collected some of my favorite build plans for you&mdash;and bonus, they're free. </p><h2>Chairs</h2><p>Your yard, deck, or patio can always be made more comfy with some good chairs. For a modern look, you can try <a href="https://learn.kregtool.com/plans/modern-outdoor-chair/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this set of plans</u></a> from The Creative Mom on the Kreg website. This project plan comes with detailed build drawings, a materials list, a cut list, and instructions. While it says this is an easy project, it does require use of <a href="https://zdcs.link/njd3q?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=a%20saw&amp;short_url=njd3q&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>a saw</u></a>, a <a href="https://zdcs.link/yjJRe?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=pocket%20hole%20jig&amp;short_url=yjJRe&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>pocket hole jig</u></a>, and some other measuring and marking tools. For a chair that doesn&rsquo;t need cushions, you can try your hand at <a href="https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/simple-modern-outdoor-chair" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this one</u></a> from Ana White. These plans also come with detailed build drawings, a materials list, cut list, and instructions; you can also choose to print out a PDF of the various steps involved so you don&rsquo;t need to have a phone or tablet out while you&rsquo;re working.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2480.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fnjd3q&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Ryobi+18V+ONE%2B+7-1%2F4%22+Miter+Saw&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fnjd3q" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label='Ryobi 18V ONE+ 7-1/4" Miter Saw'>
  2481.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2482.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2483.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Ryobi 18V ONE+ 7-1/4" Miter Saw
  2484.                </div>
  2485.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  2486.                                            <div class="self-end">
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  2488.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2489.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$118.99</span>
  2490.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon </span>
  2491.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2492.            </div>
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  2495.                        </div>
  2496.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
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  2499.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  2500.    </div>
  2501. </div>
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  2504.            </div>
  2505.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2506.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW78H4XZY92RA0SKHA8KSJBY/images-1.fill.size_245x293.v1713964656.jpg" alt="Ryobi Saw" width="245" height="293" loading="lazy">
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  2509.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW78H4XZY92RA0SKHA8KSJBY/images-1.fill.size_245x293.v1713964656.jpg" alt="Ryobi Saw" width="245" height="293" loading="lazy">
  2510.                            </div>
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  2515.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  2516.    </div>
  2517. </div>
  2518.                    </div>
  2519.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  2520.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2521.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2522.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$118.99</span>
  2523.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon </span>
  2524.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2525.            </div>
  2526.    </div>
  2527.                    </div>
  2528.                            </div>
  2529.        </div>
  2530. </a></div>
  2531. <h2>Benches and couches</h2><p>Building in some seating for gatherings or to stretch out for an afternoon nap can level up your outdoor space. <a href="https://www.construct101.com/diy-2x4-outdoor-bench-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>This simple 2x4 bench</u></a> from Construct 101 is a project you could probably complete in a day. It comes with build drawings, materials and cut lists, and step-by-step instructions with illustrations. The only drawback to the materials list is that it lists the number of boxes of screws you will need instead of the number of screws. Make sure to double check that your count is accurate before heading to the hardware store. There&rsquo;s also a <a href="https://rogueengineer.com/diy-2x6-outdoor-bench-with-back-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>reclined 2x6 bench plan</u></a> from Rogue Engineer that comes with drawings, a materials and tools list, and illustrated instructions. If you&rsquo;d rather have a couch than a bench, you can try your hand at building this <a href="https://angelamariemade.com/diy-outdoor-couch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>outdoor sofa</u></a> from Angela Marie Made. It has photos, a materials list, detailed instructions, and a link to a video tutorial. In addition, the author regularly posts updates about how to find the right cushions for your DIY couch project.</p><h2>Porch swings</h2><p>This <a href="https://plankandpillow.com/how-to-build-a-crib-mattress-porch-swing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>porch swing</u></a> from Plank and Pillow has a materials and tools list, drawings, and detailed instructions. It uses a crib mattress as its cushion, making it a big, comfy swing. You can also try a simpler <a href="https://yellowbrickhome.com/diy-porch-swing-100/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>bench swing</u></a> from Yellow Brick Home. These plans come with detailed photos, instructions, and a tools and materials list. It&rsquo;s important when you're planning your porch swing to take weight and proper hanging points into consideration so that you don&rsquo;t damage your porch (or injure your porch swinger).</p><h2>Decks</h2><p>To build a deck, you&rsquo;ll need to make sure to check zoning rules and you will likely also need to dig footings. These require a higher skill level than furniture projects, but if you have some experience, they can be a DIY project. <a href="https://www.decks.com/deck-plans/low-elevation/1la1010/1la1010" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">T<u>hese plans</u></a> from <a href="http://Decks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Decks.com</a> are a good resource for detailed instructions. The plans have materials lists, instructions, drawings, and specs that are all downloadable. You can customize your deck size and get plans that fit with your particular space.</p><h2>How to recognize good build plans</h2><p>A good set of plans will either have detailed schematics and illustrations or photos that include measurements. In addition, materials and tools lists are helpful, as well as instructions. Look for plans that contain not just finished measurements, but also measurements for each cut, a cut list, and an overview of how to make the cuts with the lumber included in the materials list. If there isn&rsquo;t a materials list, you should be able to easily calculate what you&rsquo;ll need from the included dimensions and drawings. If the plans don&rsquo;t have this info, chances are the instructions aren&rsquo;t very good.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2532.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/best-free-plans-for-diy-backyard-projects</link>
  2533.      <dc:creator>Becca Lewis</dc:creator>
  2534.      <category><![CDATA[Home & Garden]]></category>
  2535.    </item>
  2536.    <item>
  2537.      <title>This Battery Jumper and Power Bank Combo Is on Sale for $70 Right Now</title>
  2538.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVVK07EDXZ5SCDB1CRTE6WRH</guid>
  2539.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 13:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2540.      <description>The jumper cables connect to the battery of gasoline engines up to 6.0L or diesel engines up to 3.0L.</description>
  2541.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVK07EDXZ5SCDB1CRTE6WRH/hero-image.png"/>
  2542.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get this 12V battery jump starter and 8,000mAh power bank <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/type-s-12v-6-0l-battery-jump-starter-with-built-in-usb-c-cable-lcd-display-and-8-000mah-qi-power-bank?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=type-s-12v-6-0l-battery-jump-starter-with-built-in-usb-c-cable-lcd-display-and-8-000mah-qi-power-bank&amp;utm_term=scsf-595266&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQHIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $69.99 right now</a> (reg. $119.99). The jumper cables connect to the battery of gasoline engines up to 6.0L or diesel engines up to 3.0L, and the LCD screen gibes step-by-step instructions. The UL-certified jumper has safety features like polarity protection, reverse charging protection, and low-voltage protection, and the gadget also has an LED light that has a flashlight, red flashing light, strobe lights, and Morse code patterns. It also works as an 8,000mAh power bank with a built-in USB-C cable and Qi-wireless charging pad on the flat surface.</p><p>You can get this 12V battery jump starter and 8,000mAh power bank <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/type-s-12v-6-0l-battery-jump-starter-with-built-in-usb-c-cable-lcd-display-and-8-000mah-qi-power-bank?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=type-s-12v-6-0l-battery-jump-starter-with-built-in-usb-c-cable-lcd-display-and-8-000mah-qi-power-bank&amp;utm_term=scsf-595266&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQHIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $69.99 right now</a> (reg. $119.99), though prices can change at any time.</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2543.    <div id="video-container-9fj50GfHbb0"></div>
  2544. </div>
  2545.  
  2546. ]]></content:encoded>
  2547.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/travel/battery-jumper-power-bank-sale</link>
  2548.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  2549.      <category><![CDATA[Auto and EV]]></category>
  2550.    </item>
  2551.    <item>
  2552.      <title>How to Get Microsoft Office for Free</title>
  2553.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1850769369</guid>
  2554.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2555.      <description>You can get all your work done in Word or Excel without paying a penny.</description>
  2556.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/hero-image.jpg"/>
  2557.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Microsoft now bundles its Office products in the Microsoft 365 subscription. The Microsoft 365 Personal bundle comes with access to all Office programs, plus 1TB storage space in OneDrive. But it also costs $69.99 per year for <a href="https://zdcs.link/dLXrK?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=individuals&amp;short_url=dLXrK&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">individuals</a>, and $100 for the <a href="https://zdcs.link/BJkYM?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Family&amp;short_url=BJkYM&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Family</a> plan. And now, Microsoft has a new plan called <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/compare-onedrive-plans?rtc=1&amp;activetab=tab:primaryr1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Microsoft 365 Basic</a>, which provides access to all Office apps, plus 100GB OneDrive storage, for $1.99/month or $19.99/year, which is a step in the right direction.</p><p>But what if you don&rsquo;t want to pay for Office at all? What if you only use it sporadically, or can&rsquo;t afford a subscription? There are a couple of legit ways to access Microsoft Office apps like PowerPoint, Word, and Excel for free.</p><h2>Microsoft 365 Education is free for students and teachers</h2><p>If you&rsquo;re a student or teacher, Microsoft will provide the entire suite to you for free, including Teams and classroom tools, as long as you are a part of an eligible institution. All you need is to enter your school&rsquo;s official email address on the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Microsoft Office Education</a> page to get started. If your domain is verified, you&rsquo;ll be granted access to Office tools using an automated authentication process. But if your institution still needs to be verified, it might take up to a month to complete the account setup. </p><p>There are some caveats here, and Microsoft isn&rsquo;t overly clear how everything works. If your school is eligible, you should be good to go. However, it appears it&rsquo;s possible you&rsquo;ll only be eligible for the free Office web app, in addition to Microsoft Teams and OneDrive. In other cases, your school might not be eligible for any of it.</p><p>In those cases, Microsoft offers a discounted rate of $2.99 per month for all <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/college-student-pricing?" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">college students</a> with a valid college email address. That subscription includes all Office products, along with 1TB OneDrive storage space, something you&rsquo;d normally have to spend $6.99 per month for. </p><h2>How to use Office apps online for free</h2><p>If you&rsquo;re not a student, you can still access Microsoft Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Calendar, My Content, Skype, Designer and Clipchamp for free. </p><p>First, go to the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-faqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Microsoft 365 website</a>. Here, click the <strong>Sign up for the free version of Office </strong>button if this is the first time you're using a Microsoft product. If you already have a Microsoft account, click the<strong> Sign in</strong> button instead.  </p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2558.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2559.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-1.fill.size_2000x850.v1713532190.png" alt="Clicking the button to get the free version of Microsoft 365." width="2000" height="850" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-1.fill.size_800x340.v1713532190.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-1.fill.size_1400x595.v1713532190.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-1.fill.size_2000x850.v1713532190.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2560.            </div>
  2561.            <div class="mt-2">
  2562.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2563.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  2564.                    </div>
  2565.    </div>
  2566. <p>This will open up the Microsoft 365 online portal, with handy options for creating a new Word document, PowerPoint presentation, Excel workbook, and more. You can click any of the buttons to get started.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2567.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2568.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-2.fill.size_2000x990.v1713532190.png" alt="Creating a new blank Office document in Microsoft 365." width="2000" height="990" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-2.fill.size_800x396.v1713532190.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-2.fill.size_1400x693.v1713532190.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-2.fill.size_2000x990.v1713532190.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2569.            </div>
  2570.            <div class="mt-2">
  2571.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2572.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  2573.                    </div>
  2574.    </div>
  2575. <p>Then, choose the app you would like to work with, and it will open up instantly. All your work will be saved automatically in your OneDrive account.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2576.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2577.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-3.fill.size_2000x1363.v1713532190.png" alt="Editing a Word document in Microsoft Office 365 online." width="2000" height="1363" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-3.fill.size_800x545.v1713532190.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-3.fill.size_1400x954.v1713532190.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GP0KVA5SFSYB7GA560DJ3/images-3.fill.size_2000x1363.v1713532190.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2578.            </div>
  2579.            <div class="mt-2">
  2580.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2581.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Khamosh Pathak</span>
  2582.                    </div>
  2583.    </div>
  2584. <p>While these Office apps are truly free, there is one catch: They aren&rsquo;t the full-fledged desktop version that you&rsquo;re used to. You only have access to the web app version of each app, but that isn&rsquo;t necessarily bad. These web apps are solid, and sport the most important features for each app, so you&rsquo;ll be able to get all of your regular work done in these apps. In fact, collaboration features are still available here. The downside, of course, is that they only work in the browser, so you&rsquo;ll need an active internet connection.</p><p>If you need desktop Office apps, you can always get a one-month free trial of <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/try" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Microsoft 365</a> by entering your credit card details. Just make sure to cancel the subscription before you&rsquo;re charged. </p><h2>Alternatives to Microsoft Office</h2><p>If you find the online version of Microsoft Office to be limiting, or just finicky, there are other free options out there. </p><h3>Google Workspace</h3><p>While Google Workspace is completely online, it can serve as a full-fledged replacement for Microsoft Office, for free. All features for creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations are available online, with superior collaboration features. What Google Workspace lacks in features, it can make up with its add-ons and APIs, where third-party developers offer up additional functionality on top of the basic features. </p><h3>FreeOffice</h3><p>If you miss the old days of Microsoft Office, the one where you bought a software, and it stayed the same for years at an end, working consistently, you might like FreeOffice. FreeOffice can open all your Microsoft Office files, for free, and the interface is quite closely aligned with Microsoft Office apps. It's not going to be as feature-rich as Microsoft 365, but if you want a straightforward and compatible suite of apps for personal and work use, FreeOffice might be it.</p><h3>LibreOffice</h3><p>LibreOffice is open-source, developed by the community, and completely free to use. It supports a wide variety of Office formats. Because it's open-source, it has an active community that keeps updating the app, making sure it runs smoothly as new versions of Windows and macOS ship. </p><p>LibreOffice has a customizable interface. This is its biggest strength&mdash;and also a downside. If you love tweaking apps and UI, you'll enjoy setting up LibreOffice just the way you want. But if you're the kind of person that likes a plug-and-play kind of experience, the interface itself might be an annoyance. In that case, we would suggest you use FreeOffice, or the next option on the list. </p><h3>Apache OpenOffice</h3><p>Think of OpenOffice as a more mature cousin of LibreOffice. It too is open-source, and has a long-standing reputation in the industry. But it has a much slower development cycle, with fewer add-on features. OpenOffice gets the basics right, and sticks to it. If you want a more traditional office suite experience, with the knowledge that's supported by an open-source community, Apache OpenOffice is a good choice for you. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  2585.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/how-to-get-microsoft-office-for-free-1850769369</link>
  2586.      <dc:creator>Khamosh Pathak</dc:creator>
  2587.      <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
  2588.    </item>
  2589.    <item>
  2590.      <title>Take These Steps to Customize Your Android Notifications</title>
  2591.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J</guid>
  2592.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 12:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2593.      <description>You get to control what can distract you and when.</description>
  2594.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/hero-image.jpg"/>
  2595.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Left unchecked, our smartphones can become constant distractions, buzzing and bleeping all throughout the day&mdash;so much so that it can be difficult to do anything else in between reading and replying to messages, and scrolling through feeds. Are you in an unmanageable number <a href="https://lifehacker.com/parents-please-stop-doing-these-things-in-school-group-1847643116" target="_blank">of group chats</a>? Yeah, me too.</p><p>There is hope: Spending a few minutes going through the notification settings on your Android phone can make a significant difference in terms of which apps can ping you and on what terms. Over the years, notification management on Android has slowly improved, up to the point where you now get a very decent level of granular control.</p><p>Android being Android, there are variations between different phones, so you may have to adapt the instructions below slightly. They've been written to apply to Google Pixel phones running Android 14 or later, and Samsung Galaxy phones running Android 14 and OneUI 6.1 or later.</p><h2>App notifications</h2><p>From Settings, head to <strong>Notifications,</strong> then <strong>App notifications</strong>, then tap on an app: You'll see a toggle switch that lets you turn all notifications on or off for the app, so you can quickly silence apps you don't want to hear from&mdash;you'll need to actually open up the app to see what's new.</p><p>If you're on a Pixel phone, you'll see a list of notification channels (or types): For the Clock app, for example, they include alarms, timers, and stopwatch alerts. Tap on any channel to turn the particular notification on or off, or to switch it between the <strong>Default</strong> (using your phone's current alert setting) or <strong>Silent</strong> (the notification will show on screen, but won't trigger a noise or vibration, irrespective of your phone's setting).</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2596.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2597.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713952181.jpg" alt="Android notification settings" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-1.fill.size_800x450.v1713952181.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-1.fill.size_1400x788.v1713952181.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713952181.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2598.            </div>
  2599.            <div class="mt-2">
  2600.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">You can set which types of notifications each app can show.</span>
  2601.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Lifehacker</span>
  2602.                    </div>
  2603.    </div>
  2604. <p>On Galaxy phones, you need to do a bit of extra work to see these channels. From the main <strong>Notifications</strong> screen, pick <strong>Advanced settings</strong>, then enable <strong>Manage notification categories for each app</strong>. This then gives you access to the individual channels, under <strong>Notification categories</strong>, when you select a particular app.</p><p>Each individual app page lets you control whether its notifications trigger pop-ups on screen, and dots or badges on the app icon (in the app drawer and on the home screens).  Sounds and vibrations can be handled separately too, and you'll also see lock screen options: App notifications can appear in full on the lock screen, or appear without a preview (just in case someone else is looking at your phone), or not appear at all.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2605.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2606.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-2.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713952181.jpg" alt="Android notification settings" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-2.fill.size_800x450.v1713952181.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-2.fill.size_1400x788.v1713952181.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-2.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713952181.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2607.            </div>
  2608.            <div class="mt-2">
  2609.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">Notification sounds can be customized for each app.</span>
  2610.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Lifehacker</span>
  2611.                    </div>
  2612.    </div>
  2613. <p>Head back to the main <strong>Notifications</strong> screen to find more options, though they vary slightly between Pixel phones and Galaxy phones. You can set certain conversations in your messaging apps as higher priority, so they appear at the top of chat and notification lists, and control whether or not notifications can appear as floating bubbles on top of other apps. You're also able to enable or disable notification snoozing, and see your notification history (handy if you missed an alert).</p><p>To set the default sound and vibration setting for notifications, head to <strong>Sound and vibration</strong> (Pixel) or <strong>Sounds and vibration</strong> (Galaxy) from Settings. Note that apps can have their own individual notification sound if needed, which you can set by going back to the notification channels we looked at before, but vibration patterns can't be configured on an app-by-app basis.</p><h2>Set up Do Not Disturb</h2><p>You don't necessarily want the same notification settings to apply all day and all night, which is where Do Not Disturb comes in. You can get to it from <strong>Notifications</strong> in Settings, and you'll see you can either turn the mode on and off manually, or have it automatically enabled or disabled based on a schedule. Unless you make any changes, Do Not Disturb hides and mutes all incoming notifications.</p><p>Multiple schedules can be set up, so you might, for example, have one that applies overnight, and one that applies in the mornings on weekdays. Each schedule can either have its own individual settings in terms of the notifications you do and don't see, or it can follow the default Do Not Disturb configuration.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2614.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2615.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-3.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713952181.jpg" alt="Android notification settings" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-3.fill.size_800x450.v1713952181.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-3.fill.size_1400x788.v1713952181.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-3.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713952181.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2616.            </div>
  2617.            <div class="mt-2">
  2618.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">Use Do Not Disturb to change notification settings based on a time of day.</span>
  2619.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Lifehacker</span>
  2620.                    </div>
  2621.    </div>
  2622. <p>To set that configuration, you've got three main options. The first is <strong>People</strong> (Pixel) or <strong>Calls and messages</strong> (Galaxy): Here you can specify contacts whose calls and texts will override Do Not Disturb. Then there's <strong>Apps</strong> (Pixel) or <strong>App notifications</strong> (Galaxy), where you can choose specific apps that Do Not Disturb doesn't apply to.</p><p>The third option is <strong>Alarms and other interruptions</strong> (Pixel) or <strong>Alarms and sounds</strong> (Galaxy). Here you're able to control whether or not alarms, games, and media apps (such as your <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-best-podcast-apps-for-ios-android" target="_blank">favorite podcast player</a>) can interrupt you when Do Not Disturb is enabled. Once you've set up these three options for Do Not Disturb, and for each of your schedules, your notifications should be quite comprehensively tailored to your needs.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2623.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2624.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-4.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713952181.jpg" alt="Android notification settings" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-4.fill.size_800x450.v1713952181.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-4.fill.size_1400x788.v1713952181.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW7R5JXAG69YMN05JMXX4B6J/images-4.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713952181.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2625.            </div>
  2626.            <div class="mt-2">
  2627.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">You're able to set up multiple schedules, if required.</span>
  2628.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Lifehacker</span>
  2629.                    </div>
  2630.    </div>
  2631. <p>Tap <strong>Display options for hidden notifications</strong> (Pixel) or <strong>Hide notifications</strong> (Galaxy) and you can choose how alerts are hidden when Do Not Disturb is active&mdash;you can choose to hide them completely so you're none the wiser, for example, or have them show up on screen but not make a sound or trigger a vibration.</p><p>The final option to bear in mind here is your phone's silent mode options. On a Pixel, tap the volume up or down button, then the icon above the slider; on a Galaxy, swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap the top left icon in Quick Settings. There are three options&mdash;sounds and vibrations enabled, vibrations only, or sounds and vibrations both muted&mdash;and they'll apply across all of your apps and notifications.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2632.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/customize-notifications-on-android-phone</link>
  2633.      <dc:creator>David Nield</dc:creator>
  2634.      <category><![CDATA[Android]]></category>
  2635.    </item>
  2636.    <item>
  2637.      <title>My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra</title>
  2638.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW6EWM8P026WVYS540S469QV</guid>
  2639.      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2640.      <description>A premium robot vacuum that blows any Roomba away, and it's at its lowest price ever.</description>
  2641.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6EWM8P026WVYS540S469QV/hero-image.png"/>
  2642.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Most people assume that Roombas, which are nearly synonymous with robot vacuums, are still the best option on the market&mdash;but that could not be further from the truth. Roombas are fine, generally speaking, but it has been struggling to keep up with the competition for a while, long before its <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/29/amazon-terminates-irobot-deal-vacuum-maker-to-lay-off-31percent-of-staff.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon deal fell through</a> and the layoffs began, leaving many people <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/roomba/comments/14najhz/why_has_roomba_stopped_innovating/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">wondering</a> what the future of Roomba will look like. Meanwhile, the competition has been picking up where Roomba left off. </p><p>Roborock, one of the most promising robot vacuum brands, makes some of the best high-end robot vacuums that you can buy right now. The <a href="https://zdcs.link/eP07l?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Roborock%20S8%20Pro%20Ultra&amp;short_url=eP07l&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Roborock S8 Pro Ultra</a> is one such example, and according to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/best-price-tracking-tools-1692745053" target="_blank">price-checking tools</a>, it is currently at its lowest price ever via Amazon. It's on sale for <strong>$999.99</strong> (originally $1,599.99) after a $600 discount. Yes, it is still expensive, but this is truly a premium robot vacuum.  </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2643.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0BVB5PTDK&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Roborock+S8+Pro+Ultra+Robot+Vacuum+and+Mop&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=02BiVEJ8LGS2eUXJFfNrMAS&amp;offer_uuid=023twdpqKdDMXct0BfkwI5j&amp;object_type=023twdpqKdDMXct0BfkwI5j&amp;object_uuid=02BiVEJ8LGS2eUXJFfNrMAS" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop">
  2644.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2645.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2646.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop
  2647.                </div>
  2648.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">Robot Vacuum and Mop, Auto Drying, Auto Mop Washing, Self Emptying, Self Refilling
  2649.                    </div>
  2650.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  2651.                                            <div class="self-end">
  2652.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2653.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2654.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$999.99</span>
  2655.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2656.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2657.            </div>
  2658.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2659.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$1,599.99</span>
  2660.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $600.00</span>
  2661.        </div>
  2662.    </div>
  2663.                            </div>
  2664.                        </div>
  2665.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  2666.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  2667.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2668.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2669.    </div>
  2670. </div>
  2671.                        </div>
  2672.                                    </div>
  2673.            </div>
  2674.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2675.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/02BiVEJ8LGS2eUXJFfNrMAS/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707261024.jpg" alt="Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2676.                            </div>
  2677.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  2678.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/02BiVEJ8LGS2eUXJFfNrMAS/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707261024.jpg" alt="Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2679.                            </div>
  2680.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  2681.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  2682.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  2683.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2684.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2685.    </div>
  2686. </div>
  2687.                    </div>
  2688.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  2689.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2690.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2691.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$999.99</span>
  2692.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2693.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2694.            </div>
  2695.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2696.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$1,599.99</span>
  2697.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $600.00</span>
  2698.        </div>
  2699.    </div>
  2700.                    </div>
  2701.                            </div>
  2702.        </div>
  2703. </a></div>
  2704. <p>This vacuum's 6,000Pa suction power is powerful. For reference, the comparable vacuum from Roomba, the <a href="https://zdcs.link/njd0x?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Roomba%20Combo%20j9%2B%2C&amp;short_url=njd0x&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Roomba Combo j9+,</a> is estimated (because Roomba doesn't like publishing suction power figures) to be around 2,200Pa, according to <a href="https://www.t3.com/reviews/irobot-roomba-s9-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">T3's review</a>. Like most premium vacuums, the S8 Pro Ultra is self-washing, self-drying, self-emptying, self-refilling, and self-cleaning. It has a 200 ml water tank capacity for mopping and a runtime of&nbsp;180 minutes. </p><p>While this is a premium robot vacuum, it is not perfect. PCMag's reviewer said it lightly scratched their floor <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/roborock-s8-pro-ultra" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">during testing</a>. There is no camera for monitoring the vacuum while you're away from home, which other competitors at this price point do have. Also, the mop cloth is not detachable, so if you have a plush carpet, it might get stuck, and there's not much you can do about it. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  2705.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/amazon-deal-of-the-day-the-roborock-s8-pro-ultra</link>
  2706.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  2707.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  2708.    </item>
  2709.    <item>
  2710.      <title>You Can Get This Mini Poooli Pocket Printer on Sale for $70 Right Now</title>
  2711.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HV9JSFPS8GAJM3QFYJHAQKT1</guid>
  2712.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 22:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2713.      <description/>
  2714.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HV9JSFPS8GAJM3QFYJHAQKT1/hero-image.png"/>
  2715.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get this PoooliPrint pocket-sized thermal printer <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/poooliprinter-inkless-pocket-printer-yellow-l2-instant-hd-300-dpi?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=poooliprinter-inkless-pocket-printer-yellow-l2-instant-hd-300-dpi&amp;utm_term=scsf-594716&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgUIAQ&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $69.99 right now</a> (reg. $160). The PoooliPrint is great for printing pictures, notes, and to-do lists, and it's small enough to fit into pockets, backpacks, or suitcases. It works by connecting to the Poooli app (available on iPhone and Android) and uploading pictures, notes, or to-do lists, then just hitting print. It comes with enough thermal paper to print around 100 small pages, and the brand, rated at 4.2 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot, sells additional rolls of colored, transparent, sticker, and other papers. The printer offers 200 dpi quality, a printing width of 1.9 inches, and up to 24 hours of battery life from a full micro USB charge.</p><p>You can get the PoooliPrint pocket-sized thermal printer <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/poooliprinter-inkless-pocket-printer-yellow-l2-instant-hd-300-dpi?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=poooliprinter-inkless-pocket-printer-yellow-l2-instant-hd-300-dpi&amp;utm_term=scsf-594716&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgUIAQ&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $69.99 right now</a> (reg. $159.90), though prices can change at any time.</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2716.    <div id="video-container-9n3_yGgJAxg"></div>
  2717. </div>
  2718.  
  2719. ]]></content:encoded>
  2720.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/poooli-pocket-printer-sale</link>
  2721.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  2722.      <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
  2723.    </item>
  2724.    <item>
  2725.      <title>How to Use Photoshop’s New AI-powered Image Tools</title>
  2726.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA</guid>
  2727.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2728.      <description>Photoshop is finally ready to generate AI art.</description>
  2729.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/hero-image.png"/>
  2730.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://zdcs.link/3v7gK?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Photoshop&amp;short_url=3v7gK&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Photoshop</a> maker Adobe is no stranger to AI images, but today marks a new milestone in the company&rsquo;s efforts to make accessible, ethical generative AI. For the first time ever in the Photoshop app, users can now <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2024/New-Adobe-Photoshop-with-Advanced-Generative-Fill-and-Generate-Image-Brings-New-Superpowers-to-All/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>generate full images from scratch</u></a> without ever needing to leave the program. The innovation is powered by the company&rsquo;s new <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2024/Adobe-Introduces-Firefly-Image-3-Foundation-Model-to-Take-Creative-Exploration-and-Ideation-to-New-Heights/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Firefly Image 3 model</u></a>, and comes alongside the abilities to generate backgrounds, upload reference images, and iterate on existing AI art. </p><h2>What is Adobe Firefly?</h2><p>Firefly is Adobe's own take on an AI art generator, and while it&rsquo;s been slightly integrated into Photoshop since last year, enabling features like the aspect ratio stretching <a href="https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/generative-expand.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>generative expand</u></a>, the ability to generate imagery from scratch has, until now, been restricted to the <a href="https://firefly.adobe.com/?ff_channel=adobe_com&amp;ff_campaign=ffly_homepage&amp;ff_source=firefly_seo" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Firefly web app</u></a> (barring some cheats with <a href="https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/generative-fill.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>using generative fill on a blank canvas</u></a>).</p><p>Firefly differentiates itself from other AI art models by limiting its training data to stock photography and art that Adobe owns, with the goal being to <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly.html#:~:text=Trained%20on%20Adobe%20Stock%20images,dataset%20to%20retrain%20Firefly%20models." target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>make it safer for commercial use</u></a>. Firefly Image 3 is the latest update to the model, promising &ldquo;<a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2024/Adobe-Introduces-Firefly-Image-3-Foundation-Model-to-Take-Creative-Exploration-and-Ideation-to-New-Heights/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>higher-quality images</u></a>&rdquo; with a greater focus on composition and lighting as well as better understanding of prompts.</p><h2>How to start generating AI images in Photoshop</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2731.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2732.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-2.fill.size_2000x1292.v1713901688.jpg" alt="AI image generation tutorial for Photoshop" width="2000" height="1292" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-2.fill.size_800x517.v1713901688.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-2.fill.size_1400x904.v1713901688.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-2.fill.size_2000x1292.v1713901688.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2733.            </div>
  2734.            <div class="mt-2">
  2735.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2736.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Adobe</span>
  2737.                    </div>
  2738.    </div>
  2739. <p>First, download the <a href="https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/photoshop-beta-desktop-app.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Photoshop beta desktop app</u></a> because these features are technically still in testing. Next, open a new project, navigate to the <a href="https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-beta-discussions/contextual-task-bars-now-in-photoshop-beta/td-p/13658736" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><strong><u>Contextual Task Bar</u></strong></a>, and click &ldquo;<strong>Generate Image</strong>.&rdquo; If you can&rsquo;t find it, you can also navigate to <strong>Edit &gt; Generate Image</strong> or look in your Tools panel.</p><p>Then enter your prompt. You should also see buttons in the <strong>Contextual Task Bar</strong> for swapping the <strong>Content Type</strong> between <strong>Photo</strong> and <strong>Art</strong>, and for applying <strong>Style Effects</strong> to your result. These can be applied both before and after generation&mdash;you should also see them in the <strong>Properties Panel</strong>.</p><h2>How to use Photoshop to generate an AI image with a reference</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2740.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2741.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-3.fill.size_2000x1292.v1713901688.jpg" alt="Example Reference Image UI for Photoshop Generative AI" width="2000" height="1292" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-3.fill.size_800x517.v1713901688.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-3.fill.size_1400x904.v1713901688.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-3.fill.size_2000x1292.v1713901688.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2742.            </div>
  2743.            <div class="mt-2">
  2744.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2745.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Adobe</span>
  2746.                    </div>
  2747.    </div>
  2748. <p>Photoshop doesn&rsquo;t restrict you to generating images from scratch. You can also use an existing image to give the AI an idea of what to make.</p><p>To use a reference image when generating AI art in Photoshop, first generate a base image using the instructions above. Then, navigate to the <strong>Contextual Task Bar</strong> or <strong>Properties Panel</strong> and select <strong>Reference Image</strong>. Upload your image and run your prompt again to tweak it to better match your reference. Photoshop also comes with a number of its own reference images that you can use instead of an upload.</p><h2>How to tweak AI art generated in Photoshop</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2749.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2750.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-4.fill.size_2000x1292.v1713901688.jpg" alt="Example Generate Similar UI for Photoshop Generative AI" width="2000" height="1292" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-4.fill.size_800x517.v1713901688.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-4.fill.size_1400x904.v1713901688.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-4.fill.size_2000x1292.v1713901688.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2751.            </div>
  2752.            <div class="mt-2">
  2753.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2754.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Adobe</span>
  2755.                    </div>
  2756.    </div>
  2757. <p>Included in the most recent Photoshop beta is a &ldquo;<strong>Generate Similar</strong>&rdquo; feature, which allows for slight tweaking of already generated AI images. Essentially, this works like the &ldquo;Reference Image&rdquo; feature, but allows you to use freshly generated images rather than requiring you to download and re-upload them.</p><p>To <strong>Generate Similar</strong> AI art, first follow the steps in this article&rsquo;s second subheading to generate an AI image from scratch. Then, select your image and click on <strong>Generate Similar</strong> from either the <strong>Contextual Task Bar</strong> or under the three dots icon in the <strong>Variations Panel</strong>. You&rsquo;ll be able to view your generated variations from the <strong>Properties Panel.</strong></p><h2>How to generate an AI background in Photoshop</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2758.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2759.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-5.fill.size_2000x1292.v1713901688.jpg" alt="Generate AI background example for Adobe Photoshop" width="2000" height="1292" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-5.fill.size_800x517.v1713901688.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-5.fill.size_1400x904.v1713901688.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-5.fill.size_2000x1292.v1713901688.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2760.            </div>
  2761.            <div class="mt-2">
  2762.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2763.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Adobe</span>
  2764.                    </div>
  2765.    </div>
  2766. <p>You can also remove backgrounds from existing images and <a href="https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/generate-background.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">replace them with new ones</a> generated by AI. To do this, first select <strong>Import Image</strong> on a blank canvas, then <strong>Remove background </strong>in either the <strong>Contextual Task Bar</strong> or <strong>Discover Panel</strong>.</p><p>Then, navigate to either the <strong>Contextual Task Bar</strong> or <strong>Edit Menu</strong> and select <strong>Generate Background</strong>, where you&rsquo;ll be able to follow a similar workflow to generating an image from scratch.</p><h2>How to enhance detail in Photoshop</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2767.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2768.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713901688.jpg" alt="Enhance Detail example for Photoshop Generative AI" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-1.fill.size_800x450.v1713901688.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-1.fill.size_1400x788.v1713901688.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713901688.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2769.            </div>
  2770.            <div class="mt-2">
  2771.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2772.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Adobe</span>
  2773.                    </div>
  2774.    </div>
  2775. <p>The final AI feature in the new Photoshop beta is the ability to <a href="https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/generative-fill.html#enhance-detail" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><strong>Enhance Detail</strong></a>. This is an adjustment to <strong>Generative Fill</strong>, which you can select in either the <strong>Contextual Task Bar</strong> or <strong>Edit Menu</strong>. Unlike Generate Image, Generative Fill will generate objects only in specific parts of your canvas.</p><p>Once you&rsquo;ve generated an object with Generative Fill, navigate to the <strong>Properties Panel</strong> and then <strong>Variations</strong>, where you can pick a specific version of that object and click the <strong>Enhance Detail</strong> icon to increase its sharpness and general detail.</p><h2>New non-AI features in Photoshop</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2776.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2777.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-6.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713901688.jpg" alt="Adjustment Brush example Adobe" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-6.fill.size_800x450.v1713901688.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-6.fill.size_1400x788.v1713901688.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-6.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713901688.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2778.            </div>
  2779.            <div class="mt-2">
  2780.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2781.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Adobe</span>
  2782.                    </div>
  2783.    </div>
  2784. <p>Joining this new suite of AI features is the <a href="https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/adjustment-brush.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><strong>Adjustment Brush</strong></a>, which can apply non-destructive, non-AI-powered color and lighting edits to specific parts of an image. For instance, turning a section of blue hair into green hair.</p><p>To use the <strong>Adjustment Brush</strong>, select it within the <strong>Brush Tool</strong> in the <strong>Tools Panel</strong>. From there, choose your adjustments and paint where you&rsquo;d like them to be applied. They&rsquo;ll show up in a new layer that won&rsquo;t change the underlying image file.</p><p>Alongside the Adjustment Brush, the new Photoshop beta also includes an improved font browser that will allow direct access to fonts stored in the cloud without requiring the user to leave the program.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2785.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F3v7gK&amp;template=How-To&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Adobe+Photoshop+12+Month+Subscription&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F3v7gK" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Adobe Photoshop 12 Month Subscription">
  2786.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2787.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2788.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Adobe Photoshop 12 Month Subscription
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  2793.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2794.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$263.88</span>
  2795.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
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  2800.                        </div>
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  2810.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2811.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-7.fill.size_245x245.v1713901918.jpg" alt="Photoshop box art" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2812.                            </div>
  2813.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  2814.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW6768SDYVJJ07ZTY31RQWSA/images-7.fill.size_245x245.v1713901918.jpg" alt="Photoshop box art" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
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  2827.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$263.88</span>
  2828.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
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  2835. </a></div>]]></content:encoded>
  2836.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/photoshop-new-ai-image-tools</link>
  2837.      <dc:creator>Michelle Ehrhardt</dc:creator>
  2838.      <category><![CDATA[Software]]></category>
  2839.    </item>
  2840.    <item>
  2841.      <title>The Out-of-Touch Adults’ Guide to Kid Culture: 'The Tortured Poets Department'</title>
  2842.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW69WWSCB9KDTBFACKJS4C0J</guid>
  2843.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2844.      <description>What do Taylor Swift, Deadpool, and industrial grade glycine have in common? Young people are obsessed with all of them.</description>
  2845.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW69WWSCB9KDTBFACKJS4C0J/hero-image.png"/>
  2846.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Taylor Swift released a new album this week. While the singer is 34 years old&mdash;practically middle-aged&mdash;her music speaks to young people directly, and they are speaking back. Less mainstream young people are becoming huge fans of a Chinese industrial chemical company. Read on, and I'll explain why. </p><h2>The internet reacts to Taylor Swift&rsquo;s <em>The Tortured Poets Department</em></h2><p><em>The Tortured Poets Department</em> released this week, and people have <em>opinions</em>. Swift&rsquo;s 11th studio album offers 31 new songs to listen to, analyze, and love or hate. Critics are nearly unanimous in their praise, but are they being cowed into it? <a href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/taylor-swift-strikes-out-looking-on-the-tortured-poets-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Paste magazine</a> gave Tay-Tay&rsquo;s latest a bad review, but didn&rsquo;t include a byline on its post &ldquo;due to how, in 2019 when <em>Paste</em> reviewed <em>Lover</em>, the writer was sent threats of violence from readers who disagreed with the work.&rdquo; </p><p>Fans seem to like the new album too, but some of Swift's lyrics are churning up mild controversy. First there&rsquo;s this line from "I Hate It Here&rdquo;: "My friends used to play a game where/ We would pick a decade/ We wished we could live in instead of this/I&rsquo;d say the 1830s but without all the racists.&rdquo;&nbsp;This has led some to speculate that Swift is secretly racist, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-conspiracy-theories" target="_blank">a running theme </a>among dorks on the far right. Truth: taken in context, the line is not objectionable. </p><p>Then there&rsquo;s, &ldquo;You wouldn&rsquo;t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me&rdquo; from &ldquo;Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me.&rdquo; Some have pointed out that Swift&rsquo;s father was a bank president and she was raised in an upper middle class household, like that's a huge "gotcha." But it's art; come on. Some critics have an issue with this line from &ldquo;So High School&rdquo; too: &ldquo;You know how to ball, I know Aristotle/Brand new, full throttle/Touch me while your bros play&nbsp;<em>Grand Theft Auto</em>,&rdquo; pointing out that Swift is 34 years old and isn't that ridiculous. But it&rsquo;s a song <em>about</em> high school. (Now that I have defended Taylor Swift, I intend to use her fans as a personal army because they owe me.)</p><h2>Why is TikTok obsessed with &ldquo;food grade glycine?&rdquo;</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2847.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2848.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW69WWSCB9KDTBFACKJS4C0J/images-1.fill.size_2000x707.v1713903661.png" alt="Donghua Junlong TikTok screenshot" width="2000" height="707" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW69WWSCB9KDTBFACKJS4C0J/images-1.fill.size_800x283.v1713903661.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW69WWSCB9KDTBFACKJS4C0J/images-1.fill.size_1400x495.v1713903661.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW69WWSCB9KDTBFACKJS4C0J/images-1.fill.size_2000x707.v1713903661.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2849.            </div>
  2850.            <div class="mt-2">
  2851.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2852.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Donghua Junlong - TikTok</span>
  2853.                    </div>
  2854.    </div>
  2855. <p>This is one of those jokes that is dismantled by an explanation, so before I ruin it, I'll wait while you check out Chinese manufacturing company <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@donghuajinlong" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Donghua Junlong's TikTok</a>. The chemical company set up the account recently to post genial videos about the many uses of glycine, an amino acid. Something about them appealed to TikTok&rsquo;s ironic crowd, and videos like &ldquo;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@donghuajinlong/video/7359763366581144874" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Stronger piglets start with a high quality Iron Glycine supplement!</a>&rdquo; And &ldquo;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@donghuajinlong/video/7339747149925698859" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Food-Grade Glycine: Indispensable in Everyday Life</a>&rdquo; went mildly viral, with Donghua Junlong stans posting hundreds of hilarious comments about their admiration for the company and the food grade glycine it produces. (See how my explanation makes the joke less funny?) Fans started <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@realdanyang/video/7354043110575426858" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">posting fan videos</a>. This guy <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hasaniarnold/video/7359941834942041386" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">visited the factory</a>. Here&rsquo;s an <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@chinesetigress/video/7355503830114536747" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">interesting response from a Chinese woman</a> about the grassroots cultural exchange. </p><p>The company eventually noticed the attention and posted a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@donghuajinlong/video/7360847665262759210" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">video just for the fans</a> the other day. They seem happy but confused about all the attention, which probably means the trend is over, as future Donghua Junlong videos will be produced with this new audience in mind, and will likely lose their outsider appeal.</p><h2>Watcher Entertainment is the latest exodus of an old-guard YouTuber</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2856.    <div id="video-container-3iFYULNTznI"></div>
  2857. </div>
  2858.  
  2859.  
  2860. <p>This week popular YouTubers Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara, and Shane Madej, the founders of Watcher Entertainment, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ohi1iYP5k" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">announced the channel was leaving YouTube</a> for the greener pastures of a <a href="https://www.watcherentertainment.com/shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">subscription-based platform</a>. The news was met with a chorus of dismay from fans, prompting the company to announce that it <em>wasn&rsquo;t</em> leaving YouTube after all, but would instead post videos on YouTube a month after it posted on its subscription site.&nbsp;</p><p>Watcher helped develop and the popularize the professionally produced style that defines YouTube in 2024 through its popular series like &ldquo;Ghost Files&rdquo; and &ldquo;Puppet History." Its half departure is only the latest exodus of an &ldquo;old guard&rdquo; content creator. Once ubiquitous, multimillion subscriber stars like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/pewdiepie" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Pewdiepie</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TomScottGo" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Tom Scott</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC91V6D3nkhP89wUb9f_h17g" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">MeatCanyon</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo_IB5145EVNcf8hw1Kku7w" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">MatPat</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@SethEverman" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Seth Everman</a>  and others have recently left YouTube. The reasons vary, but the most common theme of the &ldquo;I&rsquo;m outie&rdquo; videos I&rsquo;ve watched is simple: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m tired.&rdquo; Creating, maintaining, and marketing a popular video channel has always been a 24-hours-a-day job, but the market is more competitive than it was a decade ago, and that means more work for less money. Pair that with the fact that with YouTube&rsquo;s ability to arbitrarily demonetize videos and/or change its recommendation algorithm whenever it wants, and &ldquo;YouTube influencer&rdquo; becomes an unstable, stressful job, the kind that makes you burn out if you're past your 20s. </p><h2>The rise of AI parody music</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2861.    <div id="video-container-PdsVRegEJTA"></div>
  2862. </div>
  2863.  
  2864.  
  2865. <p>I&rsquo;d like to say AI-produced art is terrible and irredeemable, but a couple of YouTube channels have me begrudgingly admitting that artificial intelligence can make funny parody music&mdash;maybe. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoyRZ4_hT_IROpTiOpTzOFA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Obscurest Vinyl</a> uses AI to create filthy songs in old-school musical genres.  &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuoFsi2iIi0" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">I Glued My Balls to my Butthole Again</a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGp0tePx-9A" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">This Baptism Fucking Blows</a>" are crude, but they're hilarious. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ThereIRuinedIt" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">There I Ruined It</a> takes a different tact and uses artificial intelligence to "ruin the music you love" by approximate what it would sound like if <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XT6I2XTC2s" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Elvis Presley covered &ldquo;I Like Big Butts</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5EGZ145K_w" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">The Beach Boys sang &ldquo;99 Problems,</a>&rdquo; or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLY4TsZBExY" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">NWA played Octoberfest</a>. I don't like that this music is funny, but I can't deny it made me laugh (or at least snort). On the other hand, attempts to dig deeper into the genre reveal that imitators' <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viMzQjdrTYI" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">AI covers are nearly universally bad</a>, so AI doesn't give us a "be funny" button; humor still depends on the person who creates the joke not the AI that helps tell it. But if I were Weird Al Yankovich, I&rsquo;d be worried.&nbsp;</p><h2>Viral Video of the Week: <em>Deadpool &amp; Wolverine </em>trailer</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  2866.    <div id="video-container-cen0rBKLuYE"></div>
  2867. </div>
  2868.  
  2869.  
  2870. <p>Things don&rsquo;t really &ldquo;break the internet&rdquo; like they used to, but if they did, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cen0rBKLuYE" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">trailer for <em>Deadpool &amp; Wolverine</em></a> would have this place in shambles. In only its first day online, this Marvel universe team-up racked up over 21 million views on YouTube. The movie seems like it will be a superhero <em>Odd Couple</em> story with grim Wolverine providing a straight man foil to Deadpool&rsquo;s wiseassery. The advanced interest in <em>Deadpool &amp; Wolverine</em>, and the similar response to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy8aJw1vYHo" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">teaser for DC&rsquo;s <em>Joker: Folie &agrave; Deux</em></a><em> </em>released a few weeks ago<em> </em>suggest that the superhero genre might not be as dead as <a href="https://themontclarion.org/opinion/hanging-up-the-cape-the-death-of-superhero-movies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">some have suggested</a>. Instead, audiences seem tired of the &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; superheroes stories like <em>Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom</em> and <em>The Marvels</em> but remain interested in popular characters presented in new ways. Whether either of these movies will live up to the pre-release hype can&rsquo;t be determined. Hitting the artistic/commercial bullseye when placing a comic book hero in an unfamiliar context seems way harder than cranking out another formulaic flick, but even if they don't work, at least the resulting movies will be interesting failures. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  2871.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/everyone-reacts-to-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department</link>
  2872.      <dc:creator>Stephen Johnson</dc:creator>
  2873.      <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  2874.    </item>
  2875.    <item>
  2876.      <title>Does Electrical Muscle Stimulation Really Supercharge Your Workouts?</title>
  2877.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ</guid>
  2878.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2879.      <description>I feel like I’m suiting up to operate a spaceship. Instead, I’m about to do lunges and pushups while being told that I’m getting a much better workout than those suckers who go to a regular gym.</description>
  2880.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/hero-image.jpg"/>
  2881.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&rsquo;ve tried a lot of strange workouts in the name of science, but there was no experience quite like seeing myself in an EMS suit for the first time. It&rsquo;s all black, with straps and buckles everywhere. A long wire is about to connect me to a computer. I feel like I&rsquo;m suiting up to operate a spaceship or a giant robot. Instead, I&rsquo;m about to do lunges and pushups while being told that I&rsquo;m getting a much better workout than those suckers who just go to a regular gym.&nbsp;</p><p>To try it out for myself, I accepted an offer of a free session at BODY20, a growing chain of EMS fitness studios. Its workouts are pricey, at $40 to $100 per session depending on where the studio is located and what kind of membership you sign up for. </p><p>So, is an EMS workout any better than the regular thing? Probably not. (We&rsquo;ll get into the details in a minute.) But after seeing myself in the mirror, I kind of get the appeal.</p><h2>What is EMS?&nbsp;</h2><p>Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) workouts are having a moment&mdash;not for the first time, and probably not for the last&mdash;based on their futuristic vibes and the fitness industry&rsquo;s constant quest to sell you newer, cooler workouts than what everyone else is doing.&nbsp;</p><p>Electrical muscle stimulation is a family of techniques and technologies that trigger your muscles to contract by passing a mild electric current through your body. You may be familiar with some of the other uses of passing electric current through your body for health and fitness purposes, so I'll describe them for comparison. </p><p>If you&rsquo;ve used a TENS machine for pain relief, you know one type. You'll put sticky electrodes on your skin, and turn on a handheld machine that's connected to them by wires. TENS uses a mild current that feels like tingling, but it doesn&rsquo;t make your muscles twitch or contract. The idea is that the tingling feeling interferes with pain signals. TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, meaning that the electrical current crosses the skin and the sensation is picked up by your nerves, but it&rsquo;s not designed to contract muscles.&nbsp;</p><p>On the other hand, if you&rsquo;ve used e-stim at a physical therapy appointment, that&rsquo;s more like what&rsquo;s happening in EMS workouts. When I was rehabbing after ACL surgery on my knee, rebuilding my <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/the-best-quad-exercises-for-leg-day" target="_blank"><u>quad muscle</u></a> was a high priority. So I&rsquo;d do leg presses and leg extensions, and at the end of the session, the PT would sit me down in a chair and apply sticky electrodes to my thigh. He&rsquo;d slowly turn a knob and my quad would start contracting. When we hit a level that was mildly painful but tolerable, he&rsquo;d leave the machine at that setting and we&rsquo;d let the machine work my quad muscle for, as I recall, 10 minutes or so.&nbsp;</p><p>EMS workouts are closer to the e-stim machine, but the experience is very different. When you do an EMS workout, you&rsquo;re strapped into a full-body suit that applies current to multiple muscle groups at once. The current isn&rsquo;t as strong as in my PT sessions, but you also won&rsquo;t just be sitting in a chair&mdash;you&rsquo;ll be doing workouts while the electrodes make your muscles contract harder than they would from the exercises alone.</p><h2>What happens in an EMS workout?&nbsp;</h2><p>For my EMS workout, I showed up at a boutique fitness studio in a suburban area, next door to a veterinary clinic and within sight of a yoga studio. I had to sign a waiver that included a disclaimer recommending I not participate if I had a pacemaker, metal implants like plates or rods, or if I had epilepsy or cancer, or was pregnant. There were also items on the list that referenced dehydration, history of <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-sore-is-too-sore-when-working-out-1846716527" target="_blank"><u>rhabdo</u></a>, &ldquo;strenuous physical exercise&rdquo; in the last 72 hours, or another EMS workout in the previous five days.&nbsp;</p><p>The studio manager ran me through this and explained that I&rsquo;d only be able to do a fairly short workout, without weights, my first day. Over the course of several sessions, people are introduced to longer and harder workouts, although you&rsquo;re never doing more than 20 minutes in a session.&nbsp;</p><p>The area behind the desk was separated into two main rooms. There was a small fitness studio with mirrors and black flooring, where the workouts happen. Behind that was a room with an InBody scanner and several locker-like cubbies, brightly lit, with an <a href="https://xbodyworld.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>XBody suit</u></a> hanging in each.&nbsp;</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2882.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2883.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/images-1.fill.size_2000x1500.v1713901649.jpg" alt='Body20 suits hanging up in cubbies under a neon sign that says "step into you"' width="2000" height="1500" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/images-1.fill.size_800x600.v1713901649.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/images-1.fill.size_1400x1050.v1713901649.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/images-1.fill.size_2000x1500.v1713901649.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  2884.            </div>
  2885.            <div class="mt-2">
  2886.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2887.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Beth Skwarecki</span>
  2888.                    </div>
  2889.    </div>
  2890. <p>(I played along and got the InBody scan, even though I know it&rsquo;s not very accurate at determining body composition. It gave me flattering numbers, so I can&rsquo;t be too mad.)&nbsp;</p><p>I was given a set of clothes to change into, a black form-fitting shirt with three-quarter length sleeves and a similarly cropped pair of pants.&nbsp;</p><p>I&rsquo;d read that some EMS studios recommend not wearing underwear; at this studio, it seems you&rsquo;re intended to keep yours on. Fine with me. I&rsquo;ll just note, for planning purposes, that the clothes you wear under the suit will get wet. You might want to bring a change of dry undies for after.</p><p>While I put on the provided workout clothes, a Body20 staffer sprayed down the inside of the EMS suit that I would wear with water. Instead of sticking electrodes onto your body, like you might with a TENS machine, these electrodes are built into the suit. They each have an absorbent pad, and this is what she was wetting down. The water provides a conductor between the electrode and your skin. This means you&rsquo;ll end up with wet patches on your biceps, your belly, your quads, your butt, and so on.&nbsp;</p><p>There are no electrodes on your calves or forearms, which didn&rsquo;t surprise me; they&rsquo;re not high priority muscles for most people to train. It <em>did</em> surprise me that the deltoids (your most obvious shoulder muscles) aren&rsquo;t covered by electrodes, either. This must be to allow for movement at the shoulder, but it seemed like a strange omission when <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/the-best-shoulder-strengthening-exercises" target="_blank"><u>these are an area that many people want to train</u></a>, either for looks or for functional reasons.</p><p>The workout itself was pretty basic, and short. The suit turns on, and you do a set of exercises, like lunges or squats. Then it turns off and you get a short break&mdash;just a few seconds&mdash;before you begin again.&nbsp;</p><p>Body20 offers strength and cardio classes. The strength classes are the main event, it seems, and the rules restrict you from doing them too often. Cardio workouts are done with less current going through the suit, and you&rsquo;re moving around from exercise to exercise, much like those bodyweight circuit training videos you may have done on YouTube. Those workouts you're allowed to do more often.&nbsp;</p><p>The staff at Body20 kept referring to rules about frequency and intensity as being set by &ldquo;the FDA,&rdquo; but when I asked about this in a follow-up email, I was told that the rules actually come from XBody, the suit manufacturer. <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/consumer-products/electronic-muscle-stimulators" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>The FDA does regulate EMS devices</u></a>, and requires them to be cleared before use. They say they have gotten reports of shocks, burns, and other issues from devices that are illegally sold without being cleared. Bottom line, these rules from the manufacturer sound reasonable to me; I would be wary of buying any EMS equipment if you can&rsquo;t verify that it&rsquo;s FDA-cleared.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><h2>What does an EMS workout feel like?</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  2891.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  2892.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/images-2.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713901649.jpg" alt="Two frames of Beth doing exercises at Body20" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/images-2.fill.size_800x450.v1713901649.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/images-2.fill.size_1400x788.v1713901649.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW67ZFEJG5GEC1Y1F8SNYNKQ/images-2.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713901649.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
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  2894.            <div class="mt-2">
  2895.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  2896.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Shendelle Gleim</span>
  2897.                    </div>
  2898.    </div>
  2899. <p>Much like my e-stim experience at physical therapy, the beginning of my Body20 session involved the trainer turning up the current and asking me to stop him when it felt strong but bearable. Too high, and it could feel painful or crampy; too low, and you might not feel anything at all. (The e-stim at PT ended up being a lot stronger than what we were going for in this session.)&nbsp;</p><p>During the exercises, I could definitely feel the current making my muscle contractions stronger. Once or twice, doing a tricep movement, I felt my tricep sort of lock up. It wasn&rsquo;t painful, but it felt like my arm wanted to stay straightened, almost like a mild cramp in my tricep.&nbsp;</p><p>There were dumbbells in the room, but we didn&rsquo;t use these for my introductory workout. Instead, the trainer had me hold balls in my hands (like stress balls) and move them as if I were curling a dumbbell or doing a tricep kickback. Because of the current, these did feel like I was doing <em>something</em>.&nbsp;</p><p>That said, it wasn&rsquo;t a hard workout. I kept hearing that I should expect to be sore afterward. Instead, I left the studio and headed straight to my weightlifting gym for my usual Monday workout (jerks, power snatches, power cleans, pendlay rows). I felt a little more fatigued than when I come to the workout fresh, but it was more like &ldquo;just did a thorough warmup&rdquo; than &ldquo;did a whole &rsquo;nother workout first.&rdquo; I was not sore the next day.&nbsp;</p><p>For somebody who <em>doesn&rsquo;t</em> fling barbells around on a daily basis, it sounds reasonable to expect some soreness. The lighter, shorter workout for the first session makes sense if you don&rsquo;t know how your body is going to react. But, based on my experience, it really doesn&rsquo;t feel that different from a normal strength workout. If anything, it feels like less of a muscular stimulus than a strength day at the gym. You&rsquo;re just not doing that much.</p><h2>Are EMS workouts effective?&nbsp;</h2><p>I&rsquo;m a big-tent person when it comes to exercise: if you enjoy it, or if something about your chosen form of exercise gets you excited to do it and to keep coming back, then I support you, whether that&rsquo;s Pilates or powerlifting or anything in between. I&rsquo;m sure there are people who find it fun to do lunges in an EMS suit, but who wouldn&rsquo;t bother doing lunges at home for free. If an EMS studio membership is what gets you into the habit (and you have the cash to burn), knock yourself out.</p><p>But we have to talk about something: the fact that every dang one of these studios makes a claim that EMS workouts are either better than regular workouts, or that they deliver the same results in a fraction of the time. For example, <a href="https://www.bodystreet.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Bodystreet</u></a> says you &ldquo;only need to train 20 minutes per week.&rdquo; <a href="https://tummostudios.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Tummo</u></a> says &ldquo;One 20 minute session is equal to 3-4 days in the gym.&rdquo; <a href="https://we202.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>We202</u></a> says that a 20-minute class &ldquo;equals 3 hours of traditional training.&rdquo; <a href="https://fitopiaems.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Fitopia</u></a> claims that its 20-minute workouts &ldquo;are equivalent to 90 minutes of conventional workouts.&rdquo; <a href="https://body20.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Body20</u></a>, the place I went, is no exception: it say its classes let you &ldquo;achieve results in just 20 minutes that would require hours in a traditional gym.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><p>So, of course, I asked about it. The PR person who had introduced me to Body20 sent a list of studies, and pointed specifically to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4789460/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this 2016 study that compared whole body EMS to high intensity resistance exercise</u></a>. It concluded that EMS workouts &ldquo;can be considered as a time-efficient but [pricey alternative] to [high intensity]-resistance exercise for people aiming at the improvement of general strength and body composition.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><p>I dug in, eager to crunch the numbers. As promised, the study included an EMS workout similar to the ones offered by Body20 and other studios. And it did find that both the EMS and non-EMS groups had similar increases in muscle mass and strength.&nbsp;</p><p>But the claim that you need hours in the gym to equal one EMS workout? That was not backed up at all by this study. <strong>The non-EMS workouts were 30 minutes long</strong>. (Or, to be more specific, 30.3 minutes plus or minus 2.3 minutes.) Even if the rest of the study&rsquo;s results are completely true and trustworthy and apply to you personally, you&rsquo;re only saving <em>ten minutes</em> per workout, not hours.&nbsp;</p><p>And I do have my doubts about the applicability of the study, even aside from the time issue. The study was done on 48 healthy men between the ages of 30 and 50, and all were &ldquo;untrained,&rdquo; so the results need to be taken with a grain of salt. <em>Almost anything</em> works on people with no exercise background. If you already go to some kind of gym or fitness studio, and are thinking of switching to EMS workouts, I wouldn&rsquo;t expect much from EMS, to be honest. It might be just as good. It might be worse. We don&rsquo;t have evidence that it would be better.</p><p>Taken together, I think the <em>only</em> reason to do EMS workouts would be if you think it&rsquo;s a fun way to spend your money. (We all have our indulgences and our silly hobbies; maybe this is yours.) It&rsquo;s <em>not</em> a smarter or better way to work out than going to a gym, or taking up some sporty hobby like running or rock climbing.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2900.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/health/what-is-electrical-muscle-stimulation-workout</link>
  2901.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  2902.      <category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
  2903.    </item>
  2904.    <item>
  2905.      <title>The New Samsung Galaxy A35 Comes With a $40 Amazon Gift Card</title>
  2906.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW638DD7ZYE8K8X22GHE3FJ1</guid>
  2907.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2908.      <description>The Galaxy A35 5G is a solid budget phone with a high-end display.</description>
  2909.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW638DD7ZYE8K8X22GHE3FJ1/hero-image.png"/>
  2910.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In Europe, Samsung released the <a href="https://zdcs.link/R21D7?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Samsung%20Galaxy%20A35%205G%20A%20Series&amp;short_url=R21D7&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Samsung Galaxy A35 5G A Series</a> in March, but it just launched in the U.S. on April 18. The phone continues Samsung's A-series lineup of budget phones, but this Samsung Galaxy A35 has a large, premium display and long battery life, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a new budget-friendly phone. And if you order it through Amazon, it costs <strong>$399.99</strong> and includes a $40 Amazon gift card. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  2911.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0D18XD5VY&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Samsung+Galaxy+A35+5G+128GB+Unlocked+Phone+With+%2440+Amazon+Gift+Card+%28Navy%29&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=00HXIRFvdXQmXfMYXoiAlJF&amp;offer_uuid=07tisOzwRs5Hyq880Bcd1WI&amp;object_type=07tisOzwRs5Hyq880Bcd1WI&amp;object_uuid=00HXIRFvdXQmXfMYXoiAlJF" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Samsung Galaxy A35 5G 128GB Unlocked Phone With $40 Amazon Gift Card (Navy)">
  2912.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  2913.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  2914.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Samsung Galaxy A35 5G 128GB Unlocked Phone With $40 Amazon Gift Card (Navy)
  2915.                </div>
  2916.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">128GB Unlocked Android Smartphone, AMOLED Display, Advanced Triple Camera System, Expandable Storage
  2917.                    </div>
  2918.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  2919.                                            <div class="self-end">
  2920.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2921.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2922.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$399.99</span>
  2923.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2924.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2925.            </div>
  2926.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2927.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$439.99</span>
  2928.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $40.00</span>
  2929.        </div>
  2930.    </div>
  2931.                            </div>
  2932.                        </div>
  2933.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  2934.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  2935.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2936.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2937.    </div>
  2938. </div>
  2939.                        </div>
  2940.                                    </div>
  2941.            </div>
  2942.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  2943.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/00HXIRFvdXQmXfMYXoiAlJF/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1713870346.jpg" alt="Samsung Galaxy A35 5G 128GB Unlocked Phone With $40 Amazon Gift Card (Navy)" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2944.                            </div>
  2945.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  2946.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/00HXIRFvdXQmXfMYXoiAlJF/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1713870346.jpg" alt="Samsung Galaxy A35 5G 128GB Unlocked Phone With $40 Amazon Gift Card (Navy)" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  2947.                            </div>
  2948.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  2949.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  2950.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  2951.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  2952.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  2953.    </div>
  2954. </div>
  2955.                    </div>
  2956.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  2957.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  2958.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  2959.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$399.99</span>
  2960.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  2961.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  2962.            </div>
  2963.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  2964.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$439.99</span>
  2965.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $40.00</span>
  2966.        </div>
  2967.    </div>
  2968.                    </div>
  2969.                            </div>
  2970.        </div>
  2971. </a></div>
  2972. <p>The Amazon gift card bundle runs until April 28 and may ship separately from the phone. (Why it's not just a digital gift card, we may never know.) The Galaxy A35 comes unlocked and has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but you can always expand it up to 1TB with Micro SD cards. </p><p>What sets the Galaxy A35 apart from other budget phones at its price point is its large 6.6-inch Full High Definition (FHD) AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. For reference, the comparable <a href="https://zdcs.link/MjEr0?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Google%20Pixel%207a&amp;short_url=MjEr0&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Google Pixel 7a</a> comes with a 6.1-inch FHD screen (Apple's budget <a href="https://zdcs.link/kpNA0?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=iPhone%20SE&amp;short_url=kpNA0&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">iPhone SE</a> is just 4.7 inches). The Exynos 1380 processor, however, is not as high-powered as what you'd get from a higher-end phone&mdash;but it should still be enough for most people's daily use.</p><p>With a 5,000mAh, the battery in the Galaxy A35 matches the Galaxy S24 Ultra's battery size. <a href="https://zdcs.link/1Xxdx?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=According%20to%20Samsung&amp;short_url=1Xxdx&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">According to Samsung</a>, that should give you two days worth of juice with a single charge. </p><p>Be mindful that because this is Samsung's A-series, it will lack some more premium features, like the high-end camera the S-series has, and the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-use-samsung-galaxy-ai-features" target="_blank">Galaxy AI</a> features that launched in January&mdash;but there is a possibility that Samsung could bring the AI stuff to the Galaxy A35 later.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2973.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/samsung-galaxy-a35-with-amazon-gift-card</link>
  2974.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  2975.      <category><![CDATA[Android]]></category>
  2976.    </item>
  2977.    <item>
  2978.      <title>Why You Should Read a Home's Permit History Before You Buy It</title>
  2979.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW5VZV69G9X1Z6SSZ8JR5CJX</guid>
  2980.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 19:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2981.      <description>That new house you’re about to buy could be a time bomb of shoddy, illegal work.</description>
  2982.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5VZV69G9X1Z6SSZ8JR5CJX/hero-image.jpg"/>
  2983.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Considering the expense and trouble involved in buying a home, it&rsquo;s kind of amazing that most people only perform cursory research into the property. They might stop by a few times to walk around; they will probably hire an inspector to take a <em>slightly</em> more in-depth look (though most home inspections <a href="https://lifehacker.com/12-things-a-home-inspector-is-most-likely-to-skip-1850040892" target="_blank">aren&rsquo;t exactly what you might call <em>exhaustive</em></a>), and rely on a <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/titlesearch.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">title search</a> as part of the lender&rsquo;s normal due diligence. Other than that, the place you&rsquo;re about to drop a small fortune on is probably a bit of a mystery box.</p><p>For example: That deck in the back, that new second bathroom the Realtor wouldn&rsquo;t stop mentioning, that new swimming pool&mdash;were <a href="https://lifehacker.com/when-you-need-a-permit-for-that-diy-project-and-when-y-1848541083" target="_blank">permits</a> pulled for those projects? Or was that work done by the owner themselves on the down-low? A home inspector, no matter how thorough, won&rsquo;t be able to tell if a permit was pulled just by looking at the work (though DIY-quality work might alert them to the possibility that the project didn't have a permit). And you need to know, because un-permitted work on that house will become your problem if something goes wonky with it, and can have an impact on the future value of the house.</p><h2>Necessary permits</h2><p>Most local authorities require permits for a range of major renovations to a home. The <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1012/home-improvements-that-require-permits.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">list of projects</a> that typically require permits includes major changes like additions, adding pools, changing the roofline, or major electrical and plumbing work. A permit can be expensive and time-consuming, but it ensures that the work will be done according to local building codes because it triggers an inspection process and updates the home&rsquo;s valuation for tax purposes. In other words, pulling a permit keeps the work on the up and up.</p><p>But some people avoid pulling permits for the same reasons: They don&rsquo;t want to spend the extra time and money, they don&rsquo;t want to be bothered with inspections (possibly because they&rsquo;re cutting corners and not doing the work properly), and they don&rsquo;t want their property taxes to go up because they remodeled their kitchen. It&rsquo;s not too difficult to get away without getting a permit, especially if the work isn&rsquo;t easily seen from the street.</p><p>If you buy a house with a lot of un-permitted improvements, all of those potential problems become <em>your</em> potential problems. And those problems can be major:</p><ul><li><p>Physical danger stemming from poor work &ndash; e.g., electrical fires from substandard wiring, gas leaks from DIY water heater installations, a collapsed deck due to improper construction</p></li><li><p>Fines and expense if the work is discovered. You may be required to tear out un-permitted wiring, for example, and have it redone at your expense&mdash;and it <a href="https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/buying-a-house-with-unpermitted-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><em>will</em> be your responsibility</a> as the current property owner, even if you had nothing to do with the original work.</p></li><li><p>Tax penalties if the home&rsquo;s assessment should have increased after a major improvement.</p></li><li><p>Insurance <a href="https://econosurance.com/property-insurance/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-unpermitted-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">may deny</a> any claims involving work done without proper permits and inspections, so if disaster strikes ,you might find yourself paying for repairs out of pocket.</p></li></ul><p>Even if the work was done to a very high standard and you have no problems or complaints, un-permitted work can come back to haunt you.</p><h2>Permit history</h2><p>Luckily, it&rsquo;s generally not hard to look up the permit history of a property. Here are the basic steps you should take:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Ask the current owner.</strong> If the current owner claims all the work on the house was permitted, they should be able to supply you with the permit paperwork and inspection information.</p></li><li><p><strong>Contact the local construction office.</strong> Most municipalities have public records available online. You may have to create an account to access them, but then you should be able to conduct a search on the address and see all the permits that were pulled. Check these against any work you see that should have required a permit, or anything that your home inspector flagged as suspicious. If there&rsquo;s no online portal, you might need to go to the office in person to request the records.</p></li><li><p><strong>Square footage. </strong>Compare the official square footage on file for the home with the square footage you actually see. Many municipal offices can give you this information; if not, sites like <a href="https://www.propertyshark.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Property Shark</a> may be able to supply it. If there&rsquo;s a drastic difference&mdash;say there&rsquo;s 500 more square feet in the house than listed in official records&mdash;it might mean an addition that wasn&rsquo;t permitted.</p></li></ul><h2>Next steps</h2><p>If you discover un-permitted work before buying the house, you have a few options:</p><ul><li><p>Have the current owner fix the problems: They may be able to retroactively pull permits if they pay a fine and arrange for an inspection. If the local authorities require removal or replacement of the work, they can pay to have it done.</p></li><li><p>Ask for a price reduction. You can estimate the costs of pulling retroactive permits yourself and the costs of re-doing the work or removing un-permitted work, and ask the seller to reduce the sale price to compensate you, or even pay you a cash amount to cover the costs.</p></li></ul><p>Finally, of course, you can just walk away: If a house has a lot of un-permitted work it might be more trouble than it&rsquo;s worth&mdash;and if the sellers are already covering up their actions, you might not be able to trust them anyway.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2984.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/money/read-home-permit-history-before-you-buy-it</link>
  2985.      <dc:creator>Jeff Somers</dc:creator>
  2986.      <category><![CDATA[Home-Buying]]></category>
  2987.    </item>
  2988.    <item>
  2989.      <title>You Can Check a Car's VIN History for Free</title>
  2990.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3QYPBBXDTSN4WCZGWQX6FR</guid>
  2991.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 19:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
  2992.      <description>A 10-minute VIN check can save you thousands down the road.</description>
  2993.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3QYPBBXDTSN4WCZGWQX6FR/hero-image.png"/>
  2994.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Buying a used car can be risky business if you don't do your due diligence. One of the most important steps is to get the vehicle's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) checked for any unsavory histories like past accidents, flood damage, or odometer rollback fraud. Fortunately, there are ways to get a free VIN check that can alert you to potential issues before you seal the deal.</p><h2>What is a VIN check? </h2><p>The VIN is a 17-character code that uniquely identifies a vehicle. By decoding the VIN and cross-checking it against databases like NMVIC and vehicle history report providers, you can uncover details about the car's background, such as:</p><ul><li><p>Previous ownership</p></li><li><p>Accident and damage records</p></li><li><p>Odometer readings</p></li><li><p>Lemon/manufacturer buyback status</p></li><li><p>Flood damage</p></li><li><p>Theft records</p></li><li><p>Recall notices</p></li></ul><p>This insider information can help you steer clear of clunkers, cut your losses on a bad deal, and negotiate a better price if issues are uncovered.</p><h2>How to get a free VIN check</h2><p>While some vehicle history report providers charge for VIN checks, there are a few legitimate free (or cheap) options:</p><ol><li><p>National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVIC). <a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/program/nmvtis/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">This federal database</a> allows you to check for brand history like "junk," "salvage," or "flood" titles that may have been issued in another state for just $3.</p></li><li><p>Vehicle History Report Samples. Sites like <a href="http://vehiclehistory.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">vehiclehistory.com</a> let you view a sample report for free by entering the VIN. This provides basic details on past owners, accidents, and service records and can flag any major issues.</p></li><li><p>NICB VIN Check. The National Insurance Crime Bureau <a href="https://www.nicb.org/vincheck" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">offers a free VIN check service</a> to detect if a vehicle has been reported as stolen&mdash;an important red flag.</p></li></ol><p>When buying from a private seller, always get the VIN beforehand and run it through the above free checking services. For added peace of mind, you can also purchase an affordable comprehensive report from providers like <a href="https://www.carfax.com/vehicle-history-reports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">CarFax</a> for around $40.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  2995.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/travel/how-to-get-free-vin-check</link>
  2996.      <dc:creator>Meredith Dietz</dc:creator>
  2997.      <category><![CDATA[Auto and EV]]></category>
  2998.    </item>
  2999.    <item>
  3000.      <title>If Your Galaxy Notifications Are Messed Up, Here's the Fix</title>
  3001.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW602EHEEV02VVSX4WKRV7B8</guid>
  3002.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3003.      <description>Samsung broke notification categories, but not completely.</description>
  3004.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW602EHEEV02VVSX4WKRV7B8/hero-image.png"/>
  3005.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If the notifications on your Galaxy smartphone are all messed up, you're not alone. <a href="https://www.androidpolice.com/samsung-disables-notification-channels-on-all-one-ui-61-devices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">As reported by Android Police</a>, Samsung's latest <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/older-samsung-devices-getting-ai-features-soon" target="_blank">One UI 6.1 update</a> has inadvertently affected notification categories on some users' Galaxy devices, throwing their carefully curated alert settings out the window. Luckily, there's a fix.</p><p>Notification categories, or notification channels as Google calls them, is a feature that allows you to enable or disable specific types of notifications on an app-by-app basis. For example, you may choose to enable DM notifications from an app, but disable all other types of alerts, including promotions, friend requests, breaking news, etc.</p><p>If you have a ton of apps on your smartphone that you've manually adjusted notification categories for, you don't want that work to go away overnight. Unfortunately, that's what happened for some users with the One UI 6.1 update: In addition to adding new AI features like <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/what-is-google-circle-to-search" target="_blank">Circle to Search</a> and Live Translate, this new version of One UI adds a new <strong>Manage notification categories for each app</strong> setting, which allows you to toggle the feature on and off on your Galaxy. That's fine in theory&mdash;more choice is usually a good thing&mdash;but Samsung apparently decided to turn this feature off by default in the latest update.</p><p>As such, users found their notification categories settings removed following the update, meaning all of those notification types they <em>didn't</em> want to see began delivering away. (Hello, friend requests. Goodbye, sanity.)</p><p>Luckily, there's an easy fix for the problem: toggle the feature on instead. One UI 6.1 reportedly remembers your notification categories settings even when you disable the feature, so you can always return to the way you had these option set if you turn the feature back on. So, even though the option is disabled by default, a simple flip of the switch is all it takes to bring it back online. </p><h2>How to bring back notification categories on One UI 6.1</h2><p>To find the option, head to <strong>Settings &gt; Notifications &gt; Advanced settings</strong>. Scroll down, and you'll find <strong>Manage notification categories for each app</strong>. Toggle it on, and your previous notification category settings should be restored.</p><hr><p>Looking for a Galaxy that can run One UI 6.1? Here's the full list of Galaxy smartphones compatible with the latest update:</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/3v7Mq?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S24&amp;short_url=3v7Mq&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S24</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/jPZRe?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S24%2B&amp;short_url=jPZRe&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S24+</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/x38gm?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S24%20Ultra&amp;short_url=x38gm&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S24 Ultra</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/6YOvq?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S23&amp;short_url=6YOvq&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S23</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/KKVoj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S23%2B&amp;short_url=KKVoj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S23+</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/pGMmR?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S23%20Ultra&amp;short_url=pGMmR&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S23 Ultra</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/G1M4Y?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20S23%20FE&amp;short_url=G1M4Y&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy S23 FE</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/wKYMK?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20Z%20Fold%205&amp;short_url=wKYMK&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy Z Fold 5</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/OG8ZD?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Galaxy%20Z%20Flip%205&amp;short_url=OG8ZD&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Galaxy Z Flip 5</a></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  3006.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/galaxy-notifications-are-messed-up-heres-the-fix</link>
  3007.      <dc:creator>Jake Peterson</dc:creator>
  3008.      <category><![CDATA[Android]]></category>
  3009.    </item>
  3010.    <item>
  3011.      <title>Use the 'FlyLady' Method to Make Routine Cleaning Less Overwhelming</title>
  3012.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1849861050</guid>
  3013.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3014.      <description>If cleaning your home feels like too much, this 15-minutes-at-a-time strategy can reduce your stress level.</description>
  3015.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2H4JP6NMGW5ZWSPBXZJF3Y/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3016.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A clean home is a peaceful home&mdash;but what if the act of cleaning it could be peaceful, too? That&rsquo;s the guiding principle behind the <a href="http://www.flylady.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">FlyLady cleaning method</a>, popularized by organizational guru Marla Cilley. Let&rsquo;s go over what the FlyLady method is&mdash;and why you should employ it now to start seeing some benefits in your space over time. You won&rsquo;t get instant results, but you&rsquo;ll get long-lasting ones that will contribute more to your sense of overall cleanliness and peace.<br></p><h2>What is the FlyLady method of cleaning?</h2><p>Cilley&rsquo;s method has been around for more than two decades, but it&rsquo;s found new life on TikTok, where <a href="https://lifehacker.com/15-of-the-best-cleantok-accounts-to-follow-on-tiktok-1849838334" target="" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">CleanTok influencers</a> have brought it to the digital masses.<br></p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7026501432312433926" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;">
  3017.    <section></section>
  3018. </blockquote>
  3019.  
  3020. <p>The goal of using this method is to be less overwhelmed by the prospect of cleaning&mdash;and maybe even start to enjoy it. You do this by changing how you approach cleaning altogether. <a href="http://www.flylady.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">On her website</a>, Cilley instructs would-be method adherents to break their home up into &ldquo;zones&rdquo; and set aside just 15 minutes per day to clean through them at a set time each month. She promises there will be a noticeable difference after a week: &ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t get dirty in a day, and it is not going to get clean overnight.&rdquo;</p><h2>Setting up your FlyLady zones</h2><p>There are only five zones to think about in this method, but they're pretty all-encompassing. Here&rsquo;s how the zones are broken up:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Zone 1</strong> is your entryway, front porch, and dining room. You complete this zone in the first week of the month.</p></li><li><p><strong>Zone 2</strong> is the kitchen, which is done during the first <em>full</em> week of the month, meaning the first week in which there are seven full days.</p></li><li><p><strong>Zone 3</strong> is the main bathroom plus another room in your house, like maybe an office or pantry. This happens during the second full week of the month. </p></li><li><p><strong>Zone 4</strong> is the master bedroom and its closets and bathroom during the third full week.</p></li><li><p><strong>Zone 5 </strong>is the living room, but because it is not a full week, it may overlap with Zone 1.</p></li></ul><p>Cilley&rsquo;s primary goal is for cleaners to not burn out, so spending 15 minutes a day in the designated zone for that week is sufficient. <a href="https://lifehacker.com/all-the-stuff-you-should-clean-on-the-first-of-the-mont-1849485773" target="" rel="noopener" title="open in a new window">Routines are key for maximum</a>, efficient cleaning, so make sure your 15-minute chunk is scheduled and you do it every day, ideally at the same time so it becomes more of a habit than an all-out chore.</p><h2>Maximizing the FlyLady benefits</h2><p>While this is great for giving you a schedule and guidelines for what you should be focusing on at a given time, it's pretty vague about <em>how </em>to clean those areas. Call in another method, like the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/declutter-your-home-with-tiktoks-viral-core-4-method" target="_blank">Core 4 technique</a>, to make sure your 15-minute bursts and weekly zones are reaching their maximum potential. Core 4 asks you to clear out, categorize, cut out, and contain your clutter in a systemized way. Once you have all the clutter and overall mess contained, you can more easily do the nitty gritty of cleaning and disinfecting of open spaces, vacuuming, and dusting. </p><p>Try using some decorative storage containers for this so you can keep everything organized without compromising on the overall appearance of your home. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3021.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FXB3pO&amp;template=News&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Bidtakay+Storage+Baskets+Collapsible+%5B3-Pack%5D&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FXB3pO" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Bidtakay Storage Baskets Collapsible [3-Pack]">
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  3024.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Bidtakay Storage Baskets Collapsible [3-Pack]
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  3029.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3030.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$23.79</span>
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  3038.        <span>Shop Now</span>
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  3045.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2H4JP6NMGW5ZWSPBXZJF3Y/images-1.fill.size_245x202.v1713888500.jpg" alt="Decorative storage bins" width="245" height="202" loading="lazy">
  3046.                            </div>
  3047.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
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  3060.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3061.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$23.79</span>
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  3067. </a></div>]]></content:encoded>
  3068.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/how-to-use-the-flylady-cleaning-method</link>
  3069.      <dc:creator>Lindsey Ellefson</dc:creator>
  3070.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  3071.    </item>
  3072.    <item>
  3073.      <title>Throw a 'Packing Party' to Declutter Your Home</title>
  3074.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW5SWMMWVTC7CR7T527TAPEH</guid>
  3075.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 17:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3076.      <description>Pack up like you're moving—with a little help from your friends.</description>
  3077.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5SWMMWVTC7CR7T527TAPEH/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3078.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Decluttering can be stressful and hard. How do you decide what stays and what goes? How do you part with the things that have taken up your space for so long? One way is by making it kind of fun. Try throwing a &ldquo;packing party&rdquo; with your friends to declutter over time.&nbsp;</p><h2>What is a packing party?</h2><p>This idea comes from Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, a duo known as the Minimalists to the fans of their <a href="https://zdcs.link/V8nB1?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=books&amp;short_url=V8nB1&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>books</u></a> and <a href="https://www.theminimalists.com/podcast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>podcasts</u></a> about decluttering and living a more meaningful, scaled-down life. You may even have <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81074662" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>seen their documentary</u></a> on Netflix.</p><p>On their blog, Nicodemus <a href="https://www.theminimalists.com/packing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>shared a story</u></a> about the origins of his minimalistic lifestyle and how a packing party with friends helped launch it. Before getting into what a packing party looks like, it&rsquo;s worth mentioning a few things: First, you don&rsquo;t have to do this with the goal of becoming a total minimalist and restructuring your entire life and philosophy; you can simply want to declutter your house a little bit. Second, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/how-to-find-the-motivation-to-clean" target="_blank"><u>having friends help you with cleaning and decluttering</u></a> can be a smart (and more fun) move, but they're not super necessary for this. You can undertake this on your own if you don&rsquo;t want to invite people to see your mess or you just want to get cracking on a personal project.&nbsp;</p><h2>How to have a packing party</h2><p>You&rsquo;re going to need boxes. <a href="https://zdcs.link/OG8Bn?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=You%E2%80%99re%20going%20to%20need%20a%20lot%20of%20boxes&amp;short_url=OG8Bn&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>You&rsquo;re going to need a lot of boxes</u></a>. That&rsquo;s because you&rsquo;re going to pretend, initially, that you&rsquo;re moving out of your home. Step one is to pack everything you own into cardboard boxes as if you were heading out to a new place. Make sure you label every box with clear descriptions of the contents, like &ldquo;kitchen utensils&rdquo; or &ldquo;athletic wear.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><p>While you&rsquo;re doing this, you can invite over some friends (to add the &ldquo;party&rdquo; element to &ldquo;packing party&rdquo;), order some pizza, and make a fun night of it. But don&rsquo;t declutter while you&rsquo;re packing. They&rsquo;re not there to make judgment calls on your junk; they&rsquo;re there to help you stick it in boxes. The actual decluttering will happen later.&nbsp;</p><p>Once everything is boxed up and labeled, do nothing. Live your life as normal for three weeks, only pulling out what you need from a box when you need it. At the end of the three weeks, you&rsquo;ll still have boxes full of stuff, plus the things you actually used in that time put back in their places within your home. For everything you haven't used, seriously consider if you need it in your life. Nicodemus says that after the three weeks, he sold or donated everything that was left in his boxes, which he estimates was a whopping 80% of his possessions.&nbsp;</p><p>Obviously, there are exceptions: In those three weeks, for instance, you might not use the suit or nice dress you keep on hand for weddings, or the slow cooker you whip out for holiday meals. The idea of getting rid of everything you don&rsquo;t use over a 21-day span is nice, but not entirely practical, so use your judgment. Consider sorting everything that remains in the boxes <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/use-the-12-12-12-decluttering-method" target="_blank"><u>using the 12-12-12 method</u></a>, setting limits for how many things you&rsquo;ll throw away, donate, and keep.&nbsp;</p><p>For three weeks, you&rsquo;ll be living like you just moved into a brand-new home, but by the end of the experiment, the home actually will feel a little brand new.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3079.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/throw-a-packing-party-to-declutter-your-home</link>
  3080.      <dc:creator>Lindsey Ellefson</dc:creator>
  3081.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  3082.    </item>
  3083.    <item>
  3084.      <title>Create the Ultimate Spreadsheet for Your Taxes Now so You’re Ready for Next Year</title>
  3085.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3QB0E0Z1JKY2TF9R8Y8TWY</guid>
  3086.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3087.      <description>Get organized now, so that next April is a breeze.</description>
  3088.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3QB0E0Z1JKY2TF9R8Y8TWY/hero-image.png"/>
  3089.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Congrats: Another tax season has come and gone. Time to kick back and await that refund, right? Not so fast. When tax season rolls around next year, you'll once again find yourself frantically searching for receipts, statements, and other documentation needed to file an accurate return. This year, get ahead of the game by using a spreadsheet to track tax-related information throughout the year. And there's no better time than right now, when your tax knowledge is fresh as can be, to make your spreadsheet for next April. </p><p>Use spreadsheet software like Excel or Google Sheets to create a master tax document. Using this single file to input and update information in will keep everything centralized. Give it a clear name like "2024 Tax Records" so you can easily reference it.</p><h2>Divide your spreadsheet into different categories</h2><p>Within your tax spreadsheet, create separate sections or tabs for different categories of tax information. At minimum, you'll want sections for:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Income</strong>. This will track income from jobs, self-employment, investments, retirement distributions, etc.</p></li><li><p><strong>Deductions</strong>. List out anything you plan to itemize or claim as a deduction, such as mortgage interest, charitable giving, medical expenses, etc.</p></li><li><p><strong>Tax credits</strong>. Track estimated expenses that may qualify for a tax credit, like education costs, childcare, etc.</p></li><li><p><strong>Prior year tax documents</strong>. Keep a record of last year's tax return details and any carryover items.</p></li></ul><h2>Input all the information you have</h2><p>Within each section, create rows and columns to track the details you need for tax time. For example, under Income you may want columns for:</p><ul><li><p>Date earned</p></li><li><p>Income source/employer</p></li><li><p>Amount earned</p></li><li><p>Tax withholdings</p></li></ul><p>For deductions, you may have columns like:</p><ul><li><p>Date paid</p></li><li><p>Expense category (medical, mortgage interest, charity, etc.)</p></li><li><p>Amount</p></li></ul><h2>Get in the habit of entering information</h2><p>As you earn income throughout the year, be diligent about entering the details into your income section right away while it's fresh. Do the same with potential deductions as you incur those expenses. You can update your spreadsheet weekly, monthly or whenever is convenient, as long as you stick to a routine.</p><h2>Keep digital copies of all your documents</h2><p>Any time you receive tax documentation&mdash;like W2s, 1099s, donation receipts or mortgage interest statements&mdash; save digital copies and attach or link them within your spreadsheet file. This creates a handy archive of all your tax records in one spot.</p><p>Using a spreadsheet to meticulously track your tax information throughout the year will save you the inevitable time and stress of having to reconstruct it all at the last minute. While staying organized requires diligence, that small effort goes a long way when tax season arrives. Your future self will appreciate having these detailed records ready to go. From the most thorough <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-create-the-ultimate-travel-spreadsheet-and-why-1848623260" target="_blank"><u>travel plans</u></a>, to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-replace-your-new-years-journal-with-a-sp-1848117995" target="_blank"><u>excruciatingly detailed journals</u></a>, to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-make-extremely-elaborate-to-do-lists-in-google-s-1848517398" target="_blank"><u>elaborate to-do lists</u></a>: If you have a goal, that goal needs a spreadsheet.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3090.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/money/ultimate-tax-spreadsheet-for-next-year-tax-season</link>
  3091.      <dc:creator>Meredith Dietz</dc:creator>
  3092.      <category><![CDATA[Taxes]]></category>
  3093.    </item>
  3094.    <item>
  3095.      <title>What to Expect at Apple's May Event</title>
  3096.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW5QAS9RN2MZVW317E60J3Z1</guid>
  3097.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3098.      <description>iPads, probably.</description>
  3099.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5QAS9RN2MZVW317E60J3Z1/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3100.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/apple-just-announced-wwdc-2024" target="_blank">WWDC 2024 might be Apple's big software event</a>, but it's not the only announcement the company is making this spring. It turns out <a href="https://x.com/MKBHD/status/1782773176621002852" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Apple also has an event planned for May</a>, and while there are no official details, it seems pretty obvious what this one's all about: iPads.</p><h2>When is Apple's iPad event?</h2><p>Apple's new event, dubbed "Let Loose," will kick off Tuesday May 7, at 7 a.m. PT (10 a.m. ET). That's an early start for the Cupertino-based company, which usually holds events at 10 a.m. PT, or 1 p.m. ET.</p><p>It isn't the first time in recent memory the company has deviated from this timing, however. For its "<a href="https://lifehacker.com/everything-apple-announced-during-its-scary-fast-mac-ev-1850976502" target="_blank">Scary Fast</a>" Mac event in October, which launched the M3 line, Apple begun its prerecorded event at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. PT). I suppose 10 a.m. PT is now reserved for major events, like WWDC and iPhone announcements.</p><p>Like "Scary Fast," the "Let Loose" event will be prerecorded, and will be hosted on <a href="https://www.apple.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">apple.com</a>.</p><h2>What will Apple reveal during its iPad event?</h2><p>Apple hasn't confirmed any of the events details, but it seems likely it'll be all about iPads. The logo for the event is someone holding an Apple Pencil, "painting" the iconic Apple logo. Not to mention, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/dont-buy-an-ipad-or-macbook-air-now" target="_blank">iPad rumors have been in circulation a <em>lot</em></a> over the past couple of months.  </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
  3101.    <a class="text-gray-600" href="https://twitter.com/MKBHD/status/1782773176621002852" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">
  3102.        Tweet may have been deleted
  3103.    </a>
  3104. </blockquote>
  3105.  
  3106. <p>As for specifics, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-28/when-is-the-new-ipad-pro-ipad-air-coming-out-apple-plans-early-may-launch" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims</a> Apple will refresh the iPad Pro line with the latest M3 chips, a larger iPad Pro display, as well as a new OLED display, a first for the iPad. Apple may also launch new Magic Keyboards, specifically with larger trackpads. </p><p>If you're more of an iPad Air fan, you're in luck: Gurman says Apple is also refreshing the Airs, this time with its M2 chip as well as two size options: a 10.9-inch (the standard option for the iPad Air), and a 12.9-inch, the current size of the larger iPad Pro. Apple isn't likely to bring OLED to the iPad Air (I guess they think OLED is a "Pro" feature), but some rumors say the company is <a href="https://mashable.com/article/apple-ipad-air-display-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">outfitting the Airs with mini-LED</a>, really the next best thing to OLED. </p><p>Mini-LED displays have thousands of local dimming zones to finely control the contrast of the display, so the darker areas of the image seem pitch black. It can't match OLED, which allows all pixels to turn off if they need to, and the tech does suffer from "blooming," where some light bleed will surround elements on screen, but it creates a much better contrast than the traditional LED displays found on the current iPad Airs.</p><p>In any case, right now is <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/dont-buy-an-ipad-or-macbook-air-now" target="_blank">probably a bad time to buy an iPad</a>. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  3107.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/what-to-expect-at-apples-may-event</link>
  3108.      <dc:creator>Jake Peterson</dc:creator>
  3109.      <category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
  3110.    </item>
  3111.    <item>
  3112.      <title>You Can Get This 15W Wireless Charger on Sale for $40 Right Now</title>
  3113.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVVJMCCW41C5A2B1PY62T0RE</guid>
  3114.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3115.      <description>It charges compatible smartphones and earbuds while also adding a night light with three touch-controlled brightness levels.</description>
  3116.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVJMCCW41C5A2B1PY62T0RE/hero-image.png"/>
  3117.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get this 15W wireless charging pad and night light <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/15w-night-light-wireless-charging-pad-black?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=15w-night-light-wireless-charging-pad-black&amp;utm_term=scsf-595268&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQJIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $39.99 right now</a> (reg. $99.95) with free shipping. It charges compatible smartphones and earbuds while also adding a night light with three touch-controlled brightness levels. The charging pad is small and only takes up 6.6 by 4.3 inches, comes in your choice of a black or white finish, and has protections against overcharging, overcurrent, overvoltage, and high temperatures. It also comes with a 30-day manufacturer&rsquo;s warranty.</p><p>You can get this 15W wireless charging pad and night light <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/15w-night-light-wireless-charging-pad-black?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=15w-night-light-wireless-charging-pad-black&amp;utm_term=scsf-595268&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000xtQJIAY&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $39.99 right now </a>(reg. $99.95) with free shipping, though prices can change at any time.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3118.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/15w-wireless-charging-pad-sale</link>
  3119.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  3120.      <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
  3121.    </item>
  3122.    <item>
  3123.      <title>Meta Just Became the Android of VR</title>
  3124.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW5JZZCFG2R46RG86GZ74T60</guid>
  3125.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3126.      <description>Meta is using a tried-and-true strategy to compete with the Apple Vision Pro.</description>
  3127.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5JZZCFG2R46RG86GZ74T60/hero-image.png"/>
  3128.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hot on the heels of its biggest competition in the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/what-the-vision-pro-could-mean-for-the-future-of-mixed-reality" target="_blank">Apple Vision Pro</a>, Meta has announced that it&rsquo;s going to be fighting Apple using a tried-and-true strategy: Meta wants to become the Android of VR.</p><p>In a press release, the company behind the Quest line of headsets revealed that it&rsquo;s <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2024/04/introducing-our-open-mixed-reality-ecosystem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>making the Meta Horizon operating system and Quest ecosystem open to third-party manufacturers</u></a>. That means you might soon be able to buy a headset made by Dell or Sony and log in to see the Meta UI you already know and Meta apps you already own.</p><p>It&rsquo;s a similar approach to Android or Windows, in that while Google and Microsoft make their own products, the software powering their phones and laptops isn&rsquo;t limited to Google and Microsoft hardware. This allows these companies to maintain parity with Apple devices without having to directly compete with them on every front, while also offering customers a greater degree of choice.</p><p>Is it open source? No. But it does mean that Meta could keep up with the Vision Pro simply by relying on a smaller company to hit that niche premium market for it, something the company behind Facebook has <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/meta-cancels-quest-pro-stops-development-of-quest-pro-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">had trouble doing itself in the past</a>.</p><p>Meta&rsquo;s more open VR strategy is starting with a three-pronged approach, with two new headsets on the way from laptop makers Lenovo and Asus, as well as an Xbox-branded <a href="https://zdcs.link/oxBql?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Quest%20headset&amp;short_url=oxBql&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Quest headset</a> coming straight from Meta itself.</p><p>Each headset should target a different audience, allowing Meta to immediately differentiate itself from Apple by appealing to a multitude of use cases. Asus&rsquo; headset is coming from that company&rsquo;s &ldquo;Republic of Gamers&rdquo; branch, meaning it will probably be decked out in RGB lighting and the latest and greatest VR gaming specs. Lenovo&rsquo;s seems to instead be leveraging that company&rsquo;s experience with ThinkPad, meaning it might target a more professional audience. The Xbox collaboration is focused entirely on design, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6EalqUrLa3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>looking unique but otherwise being a normal Quest 3</u></a>.</p><p>Alongside these lowered barriers to making Meta-branded hardware, Meta is also &ldquo;beginning the process of removing the barriers between the Meta Horizon Store and App Lab,&rdquo; which essentially means that smaller developers will now be able to push their content straight to consumers.</p><p>&ldquo;We believe a more open ecosystem is the best way to bring the power of mixed reality to as many people as possible,&rdquo; Meta wrote in its announcement. &ldquo;With more devices, this new ecosystem will offer more choice to consumers and businesses around the world.&rdquo;<br><br>In light of <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/why-people-return-apple-vision-pro" target="_blank"><u>mass returns on the impressive but niche Apple Vision Pro</u></a>, a greater selection of devices, all with different price points and audiences, and all running Meta&rsquo;s more mature ecosystem, could be exactly what VR needs to hit a mass market.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3129.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/meta-vr-available-to-third-parties</link>
  3130.      <dc:creator>Michelle Ehrhardt</dc:creator>
  3131.      <category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
  3132.    </item>
  3133.    <item>
  3134.      <title>The Mammotion Luba 2 Is a Fantastic (If Expensive) Robot Lawn Mower</title>
  3135.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW5FC62AYFJFXGE8D354XA52</guid>
  3136.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3137.      <description>Navigating any terrain I threw at it, and imprinting beautiful lines, the Luba 2 convinced me to leave the lawn to a bot.</description>
  3138.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5FC62AYFJFXGE8D354XA52/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3139.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>From the beginning, I&rsquo;ve been skeptical about robot lawn mowers. I imagined a robot mowing down my flower beds, and wondered why someone wouldn&rsquo;t just pluck the robot off the lawn and keep walking. Heck, I don&rsquo;t even think you should<a href="https://lifehacker.com/kill-your-lawn-for-free-and-replace-it-with-something-1850575657" target="_blank"><u> grow a lawn</u></a>, so it&rsquo;d be a leap for me to recommend a lawn mower. However, there is no denying that robot mowers are here to stay&mdash;and so I enlisted the lawns of every neighbor on my block and began testing a fleet of lawnbots. </p><p>The process has won me over for a few reasons, and I&rsquo;m now a person who would recommend a robot lawn mower to most people with a lawn, if you find the right one for your space. A robot lawn mower all but eliminates the noise of mowing, removes&nbsp;the chore of mowing altogether, and can give your lawn a year-round consistent look. For medium to large lawns, I'd recommend the <a href="https://zdcs.link/KKVYj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Mammotion%20Luba%202&amp;short_url=KKVYj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Mammotion Luba 2</u></a>. It mowed with accuracy and consistency, rarely deterred by irregularities like dips, hills, holes or obstacles. At $2,899, the price is out of reach for many people, but if you regularly pay for lawn service, and/or have neighbors who can share the bot, it might just be worth it.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3140.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FKKVYj&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Mammotion+LUBA+2+AWD+5000+Robot+Lawn+Mower&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FKKVYj" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD 5000 Robot Lawn Mower">
  3141.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3142.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3143.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD 5000 Robot Lawn Mower
  3144.                </div>
  3145.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3146.                                            <div class="self-end">
  3147.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3148.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3149.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$2,899.00</span>
  3150.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon </span>
  3151.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3152.            </div>
  3153.    </div>
  3154.                            </div>
  3155.                        </div>
  3156.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  3157.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  3158.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3159.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  3160.    </div>
  3161. </div>
  3162.                        </div>
  3163.                                    </div>
  3164.            </div>
  3165.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3166.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5FC62AYFJFXGE8D354XA52/images-2.fill.size_245x178.v1713881150.jpg" alt="Mammotion Lawn Mower" width="245" height="178" loading="lazy">
  3167.                            </div>
  3168.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3169.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5FC62AYFJFXGE8D354XA52/images-2.fill.size_245x178.v1713881150.jpg" alt="Mammotion Lawn Mower" width="245" height="178" loading="lazy">
  3170.                            </div>
  3171.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3172.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  3173.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  3174.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3175.        <span>Shop Now</span>
  3176.    </div>
  3177. </div>
  3178.                    </div>
  3179.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  3180.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3181.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3182.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$2,899.00</span>
  3183.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon </span>
  3184.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3185.            </div>
  3186.    </div>
  3187.                    </div>
  3188.                            </div>
  3189.        </div>
  3190. </a></div>
  3191. <h2>Robot lawnmowers aren't just outdoor robot vacuums</h2><p>It's tempting to compare robot lawn mowers to robot vacuums, but while robot mowers have definitely benefited from everything we&rsquo;ve learned from robot vacuums over the last 10 years, that may be an unfair correlation. I recently spoke with the engineering staff at Husqvarna, an originator in this space, and they helped me understand the additional challenges that robot lawn mowers face outside in the elements. Inside your home, LiDAR is likely all you need to navigate, but outside, robots need GPS. If you want your bot to mow up to the flower bed but not into the flower bed, you&rsquo;re talking about precision that comes down to inches. The same is true of boundaries, where your lawn might meet a neighbor&rsquo;s lawn. For this reason, most lawnbots once relied on buried wire to define the spaces they worked within. It&rsquo;s only in the last few years that these bots have gone wireless, trusting the GPS to keep them on the straight and (sometimes) narrow.&nbsp;</p><h2>Luba 2 assembly and installation</h2><p>The Luba 2 requires a fair amount of assembly: There&rsquo;s the robot itself, which needs a few parts like the bumper connected and screwed in, and then there is the GPS tower and the dock, both of which need some assembly, too. It took an hour to unbox all the components, assemble them, and then find an appropriate place for the base to live and get everything installed at the site. There are also additional components to consider, like a <a href="https://zdcs.link/2mG5Y?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=garage&amp;short_url=2mG5Y&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>garage</u></a> ($149 on pre-order), which is just a cover for the robot since it is otherwise exposed to the elements, and a<a href="https://zdcs.link/OG808?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=wall%20mount&amp;short_url=OG808&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u> wall mount</u></a> for the GPS unit ($79 on pre-order)&mdash;both of which take time to assemble, too.</p><p>The Luba 2 features four equally sized tough wheels across a long, low body. (More later on why this particular shape makes the bot more resilient and results in those highly treasured lines in the lawn.) While the robot is mostly okay in the elements, Mammotion is clear that the garage does help protect your investment. Among other things, it helped conceal the robot a bit when it was docked&mdash;and even the most weatherproof device could benefit from shelter. The GPS tower does not need to be installed at the same location as the dock, but if you position the dock right, it can be.&nbsp;The tower needs direct line of sight to the sky, and always needs to have direct line of sight to the robot. Sometimes, this is best served by the tower and dock being in two different locations, but in my case, I was able to locate them close to the house, together, without it being a problem. This has an additional benefit of allowing both the robot and tower to share one electrical plug. If you separate them, you&rsquo;ll have to snake the cord for the tower back to the outlet, and I struggled to understand how you&rsquo;d do this safely without burying it, or the robot would go right over it. Pro tip: once the robot is up and running, you&rsquo;ll never pick it up&mdash;there&rsquo;s a remote control function. Assemble it close to the location you&rsquo;ll place the dock, because it is a bear to carry around.&nbsp;</p><h2>Lots of settings allow you to fine tune the look of your lawn</h2><p>Most interactions you&rsquo;ll have with your new robot mower takes place in the app, and I was worried that my wifi wouldn&rsquo;t be sufficient through the yard, or it would be a bear to pair. That wasn&rsquo;t the case, and this is the only lawnmower I&rsquo;ve tested that paired on the first try. The mesh provided by some new Nest Pro wifi points covered my neighbors' whole yard well enough to work (remember, I was mowing their lawn), and I found that even at the farthest reaches of their yard where the signal was weak, the Luba 2 responded just fine. Each time you want to use the robot, you&rsquo;ll need to connect to it, which means you need to be in range. Mammotion, like a lot of these robots, relies on a mix of Bluetooth, wifi and 4G. You won&rsquo;t be controlling the robot from your vacation home (although you can set up schedules for that). Inside the app, you can control how short the grass should be cut and what pattern you want the robot to take across the lawn, from a few zigzag patterns to checkerboard. These settings don&rsquo;t just affect the lawn's appearance, but how effective the lawn is mowed. I tried all the settings over the course of a month and it turns out, a randomized zigzag produced the best mowing results. Each time you send the robot out on an unscheduled run, you can choose how many times it should circle the perimeter and how it should approach obstacles. The Luba offers options that favor bump and go, LiDAR or both, and generally, I found the best coverage with bump and go only, which surprised me. When I just let the robot experience obstacles by bumping into them, and having to navigate around them, rather than seeing them with LiDAR and trying to avoid them, I got smaller areas of avoidance.&nbsp;<br></p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3192.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3193.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5FC62AYFJFXGE8D354XA52/images-1.fill.size_2000x1127.v1713875851.jpg" alt="First pass of a Luba 2 on a lawn long" width="2000" height="1127" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5FC62AYFJFXGE8D354XA52/images-1.fill.size_800x451.v1713875851.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5FC62AYFJFXGE8D354XA52/images-1.fill.size_1400x789.v1713875851.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5FC62AYFJFXGE8D354XA52/images-1.fill.size_2000x1127.v1713875851.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3194.            </div>
  3195.            <div class="mt-2">
  3196.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">The Luba 2 makes a number of passes on the lawn, so even cutting this long lawn down, it's unbothered. By the time it makes a second pass, the clippings will be obliterated into the lawn. </span>
  3197.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Amanda Blum</span>
  3198.                    </div>
  3199.    </div>
  3200. <h2>Telling the mower where to cut is a lot of fun</h2><p>Unlike vacuums, which just venture out from the dock, visualize and map the space on their own and then go about cleaning, most robot lawn mowers including the Luba 2 require you to manually map the space. The robot goes into a remote control mode, and you walk behind it and navigate the perimeter of the space. This part was strangely fun. You can map additional &ldquo;no go&rdquo; zones within a space, but I generally allowed the robot to figure that out on its own, since it would bump into a raised bed and navigate around it. If you had a flower bed without a defined wall, you&rsquo;d map it as a no go zone. You can map as many spaces as you want, and then connect them by building walkway paths between them. When you want to mow, you just choose the areas you want, and the mower will navigate to them using the walkways. </p><h2>Concerns about security and safety are probably unwarranted</h2><p>One of my concerns was that someone would steal the mower, and to be honest, makers of these robots don&rsquo;t help in that area. The units light up at night like a beacon, with bright lights on the GPS unit and the robot itself. The garage helps hide it a little, and I turned the GPS unit so the light was aimed towards the house, but in the darkness, it&rsquo;s still quite easy to see. I live in an area where people do swipe things from entryways, and yet, in five weeks, the Luba 2 was more a curiosity of the neighborhood than a target. The first week, I watched it each time it ran, out of concern for the robot and flower beds&mdash;and more interesting than the robot was the neighbors reaction. Everyone would stop walking and stare. They&rsquo;d take pictures, and minutes later more people would arrive and they&rsquo;d all stare together. Cars stopped and reversed to double check that it was, in fact, a robot. They&rsquo;d talk to each other about the robot and ask questions.&nbsp;</p><p>This led to the second concern I had about the robot, which was liability and safety. While on a lawn, it&rsquo;s likely not to encounter other humans or animals, certainly not at the rate it moves (about half the speed of a human mowing). However, as it navigates sidewalks and driveways between mowing areas, it might encounter them. The Husqvarna team helped explain that this is the main distinguishing feature between vacuums and mowers&mdash;that for the latter, safety had to be the first priority. For that reason, all robots have a giant kill button on them. The Luba 2 has a big &ldquo;STOP&rdquo; button on it that&rsquo;s easy to hit. Also, the mower itself is actually much smaller and less threatening than it is on traditional mowers, it&rsquo;s just a few very small blades in the dead center on the bottom of the robot. The moment the robot is lifted or moves from a flat position, the mower stops. I tried a number of times to create scenarios where the blades could encounter a dog, cat or kid, and each time, the mower simply stopped.&nbsp;</p><h2>The Luba 2 is able to navigate terrain better than other lawnbots</h2><p>There are a few assessments you should make before you get a robot lawn mower&mdash;like how big your lawn is, and how level. Some mowers are better at inclines, and some are better for small lawns that require navigation around a lot of tight spaces. The Luba 2 comes in models that can accommodate from 1,000 square feet up to 10,000 square feet. It&rsquo;s not terrific for navigating around very tight spaces&mdash;it struggled around my path lights, for instance. Where the Luba 2 really shines is in navigating bumpy spaces. Some lawn bots struggled with even a small dip or hill, but the Luba navigated those easily, and even a big trench. This is because of the larger body with the wheels on all four corners. It was able to distribute weight in a way that the wheels were never bothered by terrain or inclines. According to the team at Husqvarna, the weight of the mower affects how well you&rsquo;ll see those lines in the grass after mowing. Of the mowers I&rsquo;ve tested so far, only the Mammotion has produced them. In fact, at some point in the future Mammotion plans to offer lawn printing, where you can customize what you see on the lawn.</p><h2>The best features (and the ones that didn&rsquo;t matter)</h2><p>The Mammotion has some features that felt extraneous, like offering live video of the mower in action. It&rsquo;s novel to watch the feed for a moment, but ultimately not very useful. One of the most useful features, the ability to manually control the mower via remote control, doesn&rsquo;t get talked about much. Although the bot only got stuck twice in sixteen runs, rather than picking it up and walking it out, I just used the remote. Remember, the mower is heavy. What no one mentions about robot lawn mowers and should is the blessed silence. I have lived between two mow happy men for years and during the summer mowers run constantly and the noise is insufferable. Robot lawn mowers are so quiet you have to strain to hear them cutting. The cuttings themselves are so chopped up by the blades that there&rsquo;s no cuttings to move off the lawn. Rather than long blades of grass, it&rsquo;s just diced up and left on the lawn, and you can&rsquo;t really tell, even after a big chop. Both neighbors have been really happy with the results of the robots. A little line trimming to clean up around obstacles is all that&rsquo;s needed.&nbsp;</p><h2>Bottom line: the Luba 2 will make you confident in robot lawn mowers</h2><p>Ultimately, the Mammotion won me over to robot lawn mowing. After the first week, you&rsquo;ll only watch it when it leaves the dock and check back to make sure it returned. Then, you&rsquo;ll grow to trust that it just does it on its own. The cost is stunning, at $2899, but when I started to think about what people pay now for lawn service, it started to make more sense. While landscapers do more than mow the lawn, taking the lawn off your plate might make the rest of the your landscape manageable for you to handle. Also, don&rsquo;t overlook how much labor mowing the lawn really is&mdash;if you live alone, removing the labor might be worth it, just like not having to clean your floors inside. With the range of the Mammotion, I was able to map it to the lawns of four adjoining neighbors, meaning you could easily split the cost of the bot with others.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3201.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/mammotion-luba-2-robot-lawn-mower-review</link>
  3202.      <dc:creator>Amanda Blum</dc:creator>
  3203.      <category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
  3204.    </item>
  3205.    <item>
  3206.      <title>It's Not Just You, Twitter Is Down</title>
  3207.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW5MA0E4SKVHG477WC41Q91T</guid>
  3208.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:14:19 +0000</pubDate>
  3209.      <description>Twitter is having trouble loading right now.</description>
  3210.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5MA0E4SKVHG477WC41Q91T/hero-image.png"/>
  3211.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Twitter&mdash;er, sorry, X (formerly Twitter), <a href="https://downdetector.com/status/twitter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">is down</a>. At least intermittently. I started writing this piece once I noticed the issue on my end: I tried loading the site in Chrome, and after a few moments, I got a blank screen. I tried refreshing again, and again, the site returned no results. I swapped to my phone, and lo and behold, the site was working. So, back to my browser, and yes, it works! Another refresh, however, and blank results again. Yikes. </p><p>Something is going on at Twitter HQ, and maybe it'll all be fixed by the time this goes up, but at the moment, you might not be able to load your tweets. It's a funny turn of events: The last time a major social media network went down, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/meta-is-down" target="_blank">it was on Meta's watch</a>, as Instagram, Facebook, and Threads all refused to load. At that time, every flocked to Twitter to check in and laugh about the situation. Now, will people flock to Instagram, Facebook, and Threads to repay the favor to Twitter?</p><p>As I move to publish this, the site appears to be loading for me again. Hopefully, it sticks. But considering X, formerly Twitter, is a skeleton crew these days, it isn't hard to imagine there being more problems like this going forward.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3212.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/twitter-is-down</link>
  3213.      <dc:creator>Jake Peterson</dc:creator>
  3214.      <category><![CDATA[Mobile Apps]]></category>
  3215.    </item>
  3216.    <item>
  3217.      <title>This Sonos Update Should Make Searching for Music Easier</title>
  3218.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW5GV36TPSKENBMEP9HQAB3E</guid>
  3219.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
  3220.      <description>The new home screen aims to make searching for music easier.</description>
  3221.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5GV36TPSKENBMEP9HQAB3E/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3222.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Searching for music on the Sonos interface has always been a little frustrating, involving a lot of subpanels and too much back and forth. Today, Sonos is promising to alleviate some of that pain with a new home screen interface across the Sonos app and desktop experience. News of the upcoming changes leaked earlier this month, but now we&rsquo;re able to see <a href="https://www.sonos.com/en-us/controller-app" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">actual screenshots and get details</a> of how this rollout will actually look.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423695150/en/Sonos-Unveils-Completely-Reimagined-Sonos-App-Bringing-Services-Content-and-System-Controls-to-One-Customizable-Home-Screen" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Rolling out globally on May 7</a>, the new interface will emphasize customizations and easy access. While Sonos has the ability to integrate with over 100 streaming services, you likely only interface with a few routinely. The new design will allow you to choose which services you see, and allow you to easily change those preferences.&nbsp;Here are some of the other big changes:</p><h3>No more tabs</h3><p>The most painful part of the Sonos navigation process is going to go away. The new home screen will bring all your content to one screen, and you&rsquo;ll be able to easily jump back into recently played content, your libraries, and recommendations.&nbsp;</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3223.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3224.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5GV36TPSKENBMEP9HQAB3E/images-1.fill.size_2000x1352.v1713877388.jpg" alt="screenshots from the new Sonos interface" width="2000" height="1352" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5GV36TPSKENBMEP9HQAB3E/images-1.fill.size_800x541.v1713877388.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5GV36TPSKENBMEP9HQAB3E/images-1.fill.size_1400x946.v1713877388.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5GV36TPSKENBMEP9HQAB3E/images-1.fill.size_2000x1352.v1713877388.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3225.            </div>
  3226.            <div class="mt-2">
  3227.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">a new search, home screen and system interface are coming</span>
  3228.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Sonos</span>
  3229.                    </div>
  3230.    </div>
  3231. <h3>Pin and group services to match how you listen to streaming</h3><p>You&rsquo;ll be able to group rows of content together, so you can have a section for podcasts versus music versus audiobooks. Sonos promises these will be easy to rearrange on the fly.&nbsp;</p><h3>Easier search across services</h3><p>A little cloudier is the promise that you&rsquo;ll be able to search for a piece of content or creator across all your platforms. Sonos already does this, but hopefully what they&rsquo;re promising is a better experience. I&rsquo;ve often been frustrated with the search results being inaccurate or not finding all the content I&rsquo;m looking for, even when I know a service carries it.&nbsp;</p><h3>A new location for system&nbsp;access</h3><p>Continuing the &ldquo;tabs be damned&rdquo; theme, you&rsquo;ll be swiping up from the home screen to access your system and a visual overview of what&rsquo;s playing, on which speakers, at what volume, so it sounds like this will replace the system tab.&nbsp;</p><p>Mostly, what the new app experience aims for is faster access, and eliminating the many levels of tabs. The new experience will support all <a href="https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/sonos-s2-compatibility" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>S2 products</u></a>, which includes newer Sonos products like the Arc, Beam, and Era speakers. Usually, the earlier Sonos products like Play 1, Play 3, and Soundbar are included in all apps, leaving out only legacy products like the Bridge.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3232.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/sonos-update-for-home-screen</link>
  3233.      <dc:creator>Amanda Blum</dc:creator>
  3234.      <category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
  3235.    </item>
  3236.    <item>
  3237.      <title>How to Share Your Wifi Password From Any Device</title>
  3238.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1847387089</guid>
  3239.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3240.      <description>A more elegant alternative to taping the password to your fridge.</description>
  3241.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3242.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sharing your wifi password is a process that's probably better off being automated&mdash;especially if you have people coming over frequently, it's pretty annoying to keep telling everyone what the wifi password is. You can either print your wifi password and tape it to your fridge or use <a href="https://lifehacker.com/do-this-to-seamlessly-connect-guests-to-your-wifi-1849808406" target="_blank">these clever ways to tell all your guests how to use your wifi</a>. If these aren't an option for you, then you can easily share your wifi password from pretty much any device.</p><h2>Share your wifi password from your iPhone or iPad</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3243.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3244.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-6.fill.size_2000x1667.v1713869704.jpg" alt="A screen of the wifi password share prompt on an iPhone" width="2000" height="1667" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-6.fill.size_800x667.v1713869704.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-6.fill.size_1400x1167.v1713869704.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-6.fill.size_2000x1667.v1713869704.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3245.            </div>
  3246.            <div class="mt-2">
  3247.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3248.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Pranay Parab</span>
  3249.                    </div>
  3250.    </div>
  3251. <p>Apple makes it pretty easy to share passwords with other Apple devices. You can use your iPhone to share wifi passwords with anyone else in the vicinity, who's using an iPhone, iPad, or a Mac. First, check the following things:</p><ul><li><p>All devices are updated to the latest available version of iOS, iPadOS, or macOS.</p></li><li><p>On your iPhone or iPad, you're signed in to iCloud with your Apple ID.</p></li><li><p>All devices have turned on Bluetooth and wifi.</p></li><li><p>Personal hotspot is turned off on all devices.</p></li><li><p>Your iPhone or iPad and your guest's Apple device are near each other.</p></li></ul><p>Once this is done, ask your guest to connect to your wifi network. When they see the prompt asking them for the password, you'll see a pop-up on your iPhone or iPad, asking if you want to share the wifi password with them. Tap <strong>Share Password</strong> to complete the process.</p><p>As smooth as this is, there are times when this pop-up doesn't show up. If you encounter such a situation, or if your guests are Windows or Android users, you'll have to manually share your wifi password with them. To do this, you can go to <strong>Settings &gt; Wi-Fi</strong> and tap the <strong>i</strong> button next to your wifi network's name. Tap <strong>Password</strong> and use Face ID or Touch ID to reveal your wifi password. You can now share it with your guests easily.</p><h2>Share wifi password on a Mac</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3252.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3253.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-5.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713869704.jpg" alt="A screen of the wifi password share prompt on a Mac" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-5.fill.size_800x450.v1713869704.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-5.fill.size_1400x788.v1713869704.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-5.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713869704.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3254.            </div>
  3255.            <div class="mt-2">
  3256.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3257.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Pranay Parab</span>
  3258.                    </div>
  3259.    </div>
  3260. <p>As long as you have macOS High Sierra or newer, and your guests have Apple devices running relatively recent versions of iOS, iPadOS, or macOS, you can easily share your wifi password from your Mac. This method works well between Apple devices. Just go through the small checklist I highlighted above and ask your guests to connect to your wifi. You'll see a pop-up on your Mac asking if you want to share your wifi password. Tap <strong>Share</strong> to send it to your guests.</p><p>If this doesn't work, or if your guests don't have Apple devices, you can easily find and share your wifi password on a Mac. To do this, click the <strong>Apple logo</strong> in the top-left corner of your Mac's screen and head over to <strong>System Settings &gt; Wi-Fi</strong>. Click the <strong>three-dots</strong> icon next to your wifi network and select <strong>Copy Password</strong>. You can paste this password in any app and send it to your guests.</p><h2>Share wifi passwords on Android</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3261.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3262.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-3.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713869704.jpg" alt="A screen of the wifi password share prompt on an Android phone" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-3.fill.size_800x450.v1713869704.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-3.fill.size_1400x788.v1713869704.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-3.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713869704.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3263.            </div>
  3264.            <div class="mt-2">
  3265.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3266.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Pranay Parab</span>
  3267.                    </div>
  3268.    </div>
  3269. <p>Go to <strong>Settings &gt; Network &amp; Internet &gt; Wi-Fi</strong> and tap the <strong>gear icon</strong> next to your wifi network. Hit the <strong>Share</strong> button to reveal a QR code and the wifi password. Some of your guests will be able to scan the QR code to connect to your wifi, and others can get the wifi password that's written in plain text below the QR code.</p><h2>Share wifi passwords on Windows</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3270.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3271.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-4.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713869704.jpg" alt="A screen of the wifi password reveal option in Windows 11" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-4.fill.size_800x450.v1713869704.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-4.fill.size_1400x788.v1713869704.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW57QDPH1NBF02V402G1JQTT/images-4.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713869704.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3272.            </div>
  3273.            <div class="mt-2">
  3274.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3275.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Pranay Parab</span>
  3276.                    </div>
  3277.    </div>
  3278. <p>Windows, unfortunately, doesn't allow you to easily share wifi passwords with others. You'll have to look up the password on your computer and send it to others manually. Fortunately, this process is pretty easy. On Windows 11, you can find saved wifi passwords by going to <strong>Settings &gt; Network &amp; internet &gt; Wifi &gt; [YOUR WIFI NETWORK]</strong>. Now scroll down to <strong>View Wi-Fi security key</strong> and click the <strong>View</strong> button next to it. You'll see the wifi password in a pop-up. With Windows 10, you can do the same thing by going to <strong>Settings &gt; Network &amp; Internet &gt; Network and Sharing Center</strong>. Click <strong>Connections: NETWORK NAME</strong> and select <strong>Wireless Properties</strong>. Go to the <strong>Security</strong> tab and check the <strong>Show characters</strong> box under <strong>Network security key</strong>. You&rsquo;ll be able to see your wifi password on your computer so you can manually share it with those who want to use your internet connection.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3279.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/how-to-share-your-wifi-password-from-any-device</link>
  3280.      <dc:creator>Pranay Parab</dc:creator>
  3281.      <category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>
  3282.    </item>
  3283.    <item>
  3284.      <title>Use Thunderbird to Get All of Your Emails in One Place</title>
  3285.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4</guid>
  3286.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3287.      <description>It's time to bring back the desktop email client.</description>
  3288.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3289.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We're now much more used to checking emails inside a browser tab, or loading up a mobile app, but for years everyone used desktop clients to get their email and try and get their inboxes into some kind of order&mdash;and since way back in 2003, Mozilla Thunderbird has been one of the best programs for the job.</p><p>A desktop application like Thunderbird offers several advantages over a web client, not least being able to collect together emails from multiple accounts&mdash;Apple, Google, Microsoft, and so on&mdash;and put them in one place. It also means you can manage your email even when you're offline (though you can't send and receive messages without an internet connection, of course).</p><h2>Thunderbird's key features</h2><p>To begin with, Thunderbird is free to download and run, and&mdash;unlike Apple Mail, for example&mdash;available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, so anyone can use it. There are no extra features you have to pay for, and there's no ongoing subscription you have to keep up with (you probably have <a href="https://lifehacker.com/save-money-on-streaming-services-by-subscription-hoppin-1838179743" target="_blank">enough of those already</a>). You can donate to support Thunderbird's development, if you find it useful and can afford it.</p><p>Once you get into the actual application itself, there are a host of features to make use of: support for <a href="https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/keyboard-shortcuts-thunderbird" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">keyboard shortcuts</a>, quick and simple searching, advanced filters for sorting your messages automatically as they come in, plenty of control over the appearance of the application, and a color-coded tagging feature that lets you organize messages across folders (you could have separate tags for work and personal emails, for example).</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3290.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3291.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713873756.jpg" alt="Mozilla Thunderbird" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-1.fill.size_800x450.v1713873756.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-1.fill.size_1400x788.v1713873756.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713873756.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3292.            </div>
  3293.            <div class="mt-2">
  3294.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">Thunderbird can manage contacts and calendars as well as emails.</span>
  3295.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Lifehacker</span>
  3296.                    </div>
  3297.    </div>
  3298. <p>You're able to manage calendars, contacts, and tasks inside Thunderbird too, so it's effectively a full suite of productivity tools for your desktop. You can choose the order you see your messages in, you can have the various panes laid out in several different ways, and you can choose to see conversations threaded (like the Gmail default) or unthreaded.</p><p>Thunderbird makes use of a tabbed interface by default (though you can change this if you need to), just like your web browser probably does. You can open up individual messages in individual tabs to make them easier to navigate around, and even settings and other pages get their own tabs. What's more, there are plenty of third-party add-ons to pick from, covering everything from language translation to attachment extracting.</p><h2>Adding email accounts</h2><p>Head to <a href="https://www.thunderbird.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">the official Thunderbird website</a> to get the software downloaded. During the setup process, you'll be asked to enter the details of one of your email accounts: With most common accounts, including iCloud and Gmail, Thunderbird already knows the necessary configuration options. A lot of the time, all that's required will be your email address and the password you need to access it.</p><p>With certain accounts, some preparation might be necessary so that Thunderbird can see your emails properly. If you're using Gmail with Thunderbird, for example, you need to make sure it's opened up to desktop clients: From <a href="https://mail.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Gmail on the web</a>, click the gear icon (top right), <strong>See all settings</strong>, and then <strong>Forwarding and POP/IMAP</strong>. Make sure IMAP access is enabled for Thunderbird to use.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3299.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3300.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-2.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713873756.jpg" alt="Mozilla Thunderbird" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-2.fill.size_800x450.v1713873756.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-2.fill.size_1400x788.v1713873756.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-2.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713873756.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3301.            </div>
  3302.            <div class="mt-2">
  3303.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">Most accounts can be added in just a few clicks.</span>
  3304.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Lifehacker</span>
  3305.                    </div>
  3306.    </div>
  3307. <p>If your email accounts are protected by two-factor authentication (<a href="https://lifehacker.com/you-should-use-your-iphones-new-built-in-two-factor-aut-1847721186" target="_blank">and they should be</a>), you might need to load up an authenticator app or follow a prompt on your phone to give Thunderbird access. In the case of Apple iCloud accounts protected for two-factor authentication, for instance, you need to head to <a href="https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">your Apple account page</a> online, and click <strong>App-Specific Passwords</strong> to create one for Thunderbird.</p><p>Should you run into any problems with any of your accounts, a quick visit to the help pages for that account or a browse of the <a href="https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/thunderbird" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Thunderbird support forums</a> should get you up and running. After you've got them connected, Thunderbird begins downloading recent messages from your various inboxes, with both folders and accounts given their own entries in the navigation pane on the left.</p><h2>Managing messages</h2><p>To get all of your messages from different accounts together, click the three dots at the top of the left-hand navigation pane, then choose <strong>Folder modes &gt; Unified Folders</strong>. You can get more control over which messages are shown (such as unread or starred) and the order they're displayed in by clicking the filtering buttons above the main message list.</p><p>There's a special app menu button next to the search bar that looks like three horizontal lines: Click on this to access a host of layout options and other settings. You can have your main email list to the side of your message threads for example, or on top of them&mdash;and there are three different density settings so you can choose how much blank space you're seeing inside the Thunderbird interface too.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3308.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3309.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-3.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713873756.jpg" alt="Mozilla Thunderbird" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-3.fill.size_800x450.v1713873756.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-3.fill.size_1400x788.v1713873756.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW5DC8CY1P3AJQ374NRWKAP4/images-3.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713873756.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3310.            </div>
  3311.            <div class="mt-2">
  3312.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">It's up to you how the Thunderbird layout is arranged.</span>
  3313.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Lifehacker</span>
  3314.                    </div>
  3315.    </div>
  3316. <p>To search through your messages, across all of your various accounts, use the search box up at the top of the Thunderbird window. Each new search query shows up in its own tab so keeping track of them isn't difficult, and you can look for emails from (or to) a particular contact, or mentioning particular words, or in a particular folder. There's even a timeline view that shows the frequency of matches over time.</p><p>Filters are always useful in email clients too, and can save you a substantial amount of time. Click the app menu button at the top (the three horizontal lines), then <strong>Tools &gt; Message Filters</strong>, and you can start creating a filter: You can set all kinds of criteria (like message contents or message sender) to lead to all kinds of actions (like archiving messages or adding a star to them).</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3317.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/use-thunderbird-to-get-all-of-your-emails-in-one-place</link>
  3318.      <dc:creator>David Nield</dc:creator>
  3319.      <category><![CDATA[Software]]></category>
  3320.    </item>
  3321.    <item>
  3322.      <title>16 Easy Ways to Create More Meaningful Memories With the People You Love</title>
  3323.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3W0CX2CJKDPMJRP63GTV15</guid>
  3324.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:30:46 +0000</pubDate>
  3325.      <description>A happiness researcher can help you make more meaningful memories.</description>
  3326.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3W0CX2CJKDPMJRP63GTV15/hero-image.png"/>
  3327.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In 2011, on a flight to Portland, Ore., I saw <a href="https://mkaku.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>physicist Michio Kaku</u></a> doing long hand calculations with a pencil and notepad. I was like, &ldquo;Damn, I just occupied the same space as Michio Kaku doing physics.&rdquo; Later that evening, our paths crossed again at the world-famous <a href="https://www.powells.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Powell&rsquo;s Books</u></a> where Kaku was signing his latest. Why was the day so memorable to me (but probably not to Michio Kaku)? It was my first time in Portland, my first time at Powell&rsquo;s, my first time seeing a famous physicist. Also, things become more memorable through repetition, and I&rsquo;ve probably told that story 100 times.&nbsp;</p><p>According to Meik Wiking, founder of The Happiness Institute and author of <a href="https://zdcs.link/1Xxlk?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=The%20Art%20of%20Making%20Memories%3A%20How%20to%20Create%20and%20Remember%20Happy%20Moments&amp;short_url=1Xxlk&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments</u></em></a>, there are <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meikwiking/p/B1dmlJZnsUZ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>eight factors</u></a> that can help help solidify memories: the power of firsts, using your senses, engaging your attention, creating meaning, adding emotions, experiencing highs and lows, sharing stories, and outsourcing your memories. Below you&rsquo;ll find ideas for how to apply each concept to building memories with your loved ones.</p><h2>Harness the power of firsts</h2><p><a href="https://ideas.ted.com/theres-an-art-to-happy-memories-you-can-make-more-by-experiencing-more-firsts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Novel experiences</u></a> are extra &ldquo;sticky&rdquo; in our memory filing cabinets. For example, which do you remember better, your first kiss or your tenth kiss? Try these tips for seeding your memories with more &ldquo;firsts.&rdquo;</p><ul><li><p>Wiking recommends visiting a new place every year. You could try to check off a different country every year, or stay close to home. Draw a radius of 100 miles around your home. There are bound to be parks, restaurants, small towns, local monuments, or secluded backroads you&rsquo;ve never seen before. Even if you have been there before, has your partner or your child been there? Take advantage of their first time to build a new memory together.</p></li><li><p>Take a class together. Choose something neither of you have tried before so you share the memory of learning together. Try a single kickboxing class or enroll in a whole semester of flower arranging; it's up to you. Virtual classes count too.</p></li></ul><h2>Make it multi-sensory</h2><p>If we learned one thing from Marcel Proust, it&rsquo;s that a cookie dipped in tea can be a powerful memory trigger. You may be most aware of what you <em>see</em> when taking in something memorable, but don&rsquo;t forget the tastes, smells, sensations, and sounds you pick up.</p><ul><li><p>Sometimes food is an afterthought, but for ideal memory formation, food is an excellent tool for a sensory-rich experience. Whether you are at the splash pad with kids on a summer morning or walking the narrow streets of Rome, look for opportunities to slow down and let food make the memories for you. Try a new agua fresca flavor or a bite of gelato. On any regular day, have your kids pick a range of new foods and head to the park for a tasting picnic.</p></li><li><p>Start a sensory round robin. Ask your family members to pause and chime in on what they are seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, and feeling. Getting everyone&rsquo;s senses engaged in the moment will help you cement memories together. Record these reflections in your notes app or a voice memo to refer to later.</p></li></ul><h2>Pay attention</h2><p>This is what the ubiquitous advice to &ldquo;practice mindfulness&rdquo; boils down to: You won&rsquo;t notice stuff if you aren&rsquo;t aware, and you can&rsquo;t remember stuff if you aren&rsquo;t paying attention. Try these tips to pay more attention and make stronger memories.</p><ul><li><p>Have a digital fast. Try this for an hour, an afternoon or a whole day: Put phones and devices away and engage with each other and what&rsquo;s around you fully. If not using your phone is not a big enough challenge for you, pretend the power is out and play games by candlelight.</p></li><li><p>Make note of your &ldquo;glimmers"&mdash;micro moments of joy, safety, peace, or contentment. Among your friends and family, normalize acknowledging when a song gives you shivers or spotting a hummingbird fills you with delight.</p></li></ul><h2>Make meaning</h2><p>Meaning makes moments more memorable, Wiking writes. To turn an ordinary day into a memory, connect it to something personal and significant in your life.</p><ul><li><p>Celebrate more. Birthdays and anniversaries are memorable because we make them meaningful. Why not stretch &ldquo;meaning&rdquo; to fill more days of your life? Celebrate half-birthdays, Fridays, and full moons with your own rituals, a toast, or cupcakes.</p></li><li><p>Take advantage of <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>obscure holidays</u></a> to start new traditions. Who cares if they are mostly made-up marketing tactics? May 4 is Herb Day, and coincidentally, a perfect time to refresh your witchy little window garden every year. With hundreds of options, you can find a few &ldquo;holidays&rdquo; to turn into an annual family tradition based on what&rsquo;s important to you.</p></li></ul><h2>Let your emotions be a highlighter</h2><p>Big feelings are associated with more vivid memories. What makes you feel excited, terrified, head-over-heels, or triumphant?</p><ul><li><p>Do something scary. You don&rsquo;t even have to be a thrill seeker who skydives or free climbs. Aim for roller coasters, ghost tours, or karaoke.</p></li><li><p>Want to get your heart rate up without the actual danger? Try virtual reality. If you can&rsquo;t be in the same place as your loved ones, or you can&rsquo;t get away for exotic adventures, replicate the thrills with <a href="https://lifehacker.com/take-a-virtual-trip-to-disney-world-1842589452" target="_blank"><u>VR travel</u></a> and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/7-of-the-best-vr-games-that-will-actually-give-you-a-gr-1847397399" target="_blank"><u>games</u></a>. Even a chill <a href="https://lifehacker.com/can-virtual-reality-bring-families-together-for-father-1850545079" target="_blank"><u>virtual hangout</u></a> can be a different way to bond with someone you care about.</p></li></ul><h2>Capture peaks and valleys</h2><p>Sure, it's cool when everything goes off seamlessly. But in reality, most of life's experiences include a little yuck along with the yum. Make better memories by appreciating both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.</p><ul><li><p>Take the longer, harder route. You may, like me, choose to road trip from Texas to Massachusetts instead of flying because you are trying to build childhood memories. We remember both the disappointment of a closed hotel pool and the thrill of an unexpected room upgrade. We struggled in the hot Arkansa sun mining for diamonds, and were delighted to settle for shiny stones purchased in the gift shop. The highs and the lows come together for great memories.</p></li><li><p>Go for a big goal, noting all the challenges and wins along the way. When you decide to train for a half marathon or remodel your home, there are going to be many challenging moments before the big win at the end. Make the whole experience memorable by paying attention to when things get hard and the relief of getting through each rough spot.</p></li></ul><h2>Share stories</h2><p>Just like my flying physicist story, your memories grow stronger when you and your loved ones trade stories. Stitch your retellings together into a new, better story with more details than you could have recalled on your own.</p><ul><li><p>Start a collection that turns your memories into tangible story-starters. I think stickers fit the bill perfectly. They don&rsquo;t take up much space and automatically take you back to the place and time where you bought them. Bonus points if you use your stickers to decorate a memory-keeping journal with details from each experience.</p></li><li><p>On the anniversary of an event or trip, print out pics and challenge your kids to turn them into a story book or poster with memories from that day. Wiking suggests the end of the year is a good time to pick your Happy 100 photos that tell the story of your whole year. Make it an annual tradition to have your Happy 100 printed in a memory book and to look back on memory books from prior years.</p></li></ul><h2>Outsource memories</h2><p>Finally, don't depend on your own neurons for all the memory storage. Think of all the ways you can capture memories <em>outside</em> of your own brain&mdash;the aforementioned memory book, a journal, or a collection of souvenirs all serve as memory repositories. Here are a couple more options:</p><ul><li><p>Set up a private social media account just for memory keeping. You get your life&rsquo;s story with memories and photos in one neat digital package without having to worry about anyone judging or stalking you.</p></li><li><p>Make a new family playlist for every season or trip. Listen to the same songs for a whole week at the beach, and years later those songs will still remind you of sea breezes and sandy feet.</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  3328.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/family/how-to-create-more-meaningful-memories</link>
  3329.      <dc:creator>Anna Lee Beyer</dc:creator>
  3330.      <category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
  3331.    </item>
  3332.    <item>
  3333.      <title>My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: iRobot Roomba Combo j5</title>
  3334.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3W7XQRWFRW8CDFYJ9RDGE4</guid>
  3335.      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3336.      <description>The vacuum and mop Roomba combo machine is 50% off right now.</description>
  3337.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3W7XQRWFRW8CDFYJ9RDGE4/hero-image.png"/>
  3338.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Roombas have become nearly synonymous with the concept of robot vacuums, and for good reason: They're perhaps not the absolute best robot vacuums on the market, but they do the simple things right, and the iRobot vacuums have some of the best user-friendly in-app experiences around. Roombas also tend to get discounted pretty frequently, like the <a href="https://zdcs.link/OG8oj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Roomba%20Combo%20j5&amp;short_url=OG8oj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Roomba Combo j5</a>, which is currently <strong>$299</strong>(originally $599.99) after a sizable 50% discount. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3339.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FOG8oj&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=iRobot+Roomba+Combo+j5&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FOG8oj" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="iRobot Roomba Combo j5">
  3340.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3341.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3342.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">iRobot Roomba Combo j5
  3343.                </div>
  3344.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">2-in-1 Vacuum with Optional Mopping, Identifies &amp; Avoids Obstacles Like Pet Waste &amp; Cords
  3345.                    </div>
  3346.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3347.                                            <div class="self-end">
  3348.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3349.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3350.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$299.99</span>
  3351.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3352.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3353.            </div>
  3354.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3355.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$599.99</span>
  3356.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $300.00</span>
  3357.        </div>
  3358.    </div>
  3359.                            </div>
  3360.                        </div>
  3361.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  3362.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  3363.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3364.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3365.    </div>
  3366. </div>
  3367.                        </div>
  3368.                                    </div>
  3369.            </div>
  3370.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3371.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3W7XQRWFRW8CDFYJ9RDGE4/images-1.fill.size_245x220.v1713822354.jpg" alt="iRobot Roomba Combo j5" width="245" height="220" loading="lazy">
  3372.                            </div>
  3373.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3374.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3W7XQRWFRW8CDFYJ9RDGE4/images-1.fill.size_245x220.v1713822354.jpg" alt="iRobot Roomba Combo j5" width="245" height="220" loading="lazy">
  3375.                            </div>
  3376.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3377.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  3378.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  3379.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3380.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3381.    </div>
  3382. </div>
  3383.                    </div>
  3384.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  3385.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3386.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3387.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$299.99</span>
  3388.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3389.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3390.            </div>
  3391.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3392.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$599.99</span>
  3393.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $300.00</span>
  3394.        </div>
  3395.    </div>
  3396.                    </div>
  3397.                            </div>
  3398.        </div>
  3399. </a></div>
  3400. <p>The Roomba Combo j5 can both vacuum and mop, although calling what it does "mopping" is a bit of a stretch for me. The mopping feature is available when you attach a separate "Roomba Combo bin," which you must fill up with water. The attachment drips water into a cloth on the bottom that is dragged on spaces right after they are vacuumed by the machine. It doesn&rsquo;t provide much pressure, so it won't get rid of any stains. It's more of a light swipe with a damp towel.</p><p>The Roomba Combo j5 is good at avoiding obstacles that are on the floor, like cords or dog poop. The only thing that I've seen my Roomba Combo j5 get stuck on are the strings dangling from my window blinds, which sometimes pool on the ground. The battery lasts three hours and charges itself if it needs to more juice to finish a task.</p><p>If you don't like the idea of emptying out the debris on the Roomba Combo j5, you can opt for the  <a href="https://zdcs.link/3v7e2?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Roomba%20Combo%20j5%2B&amp;short_url=3v7e2&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Roomba Combo j5+</a> for $150 more. The Combo j5+ is $449 (originally $799) after a 44% discount. The vacuum itself is the same, but it comes with a home base that auto-empties the debris, with the capacity to hold up to 60 days' worth of junk. If that seems worth it to you, consider getting the home base. If not, $299 for the basic Roomba Combo j5 is a great deal, matching its all-time lowest price.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3401.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/amazon-deal-irobot-roomba-combo-j5</link>
  3402.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  3403.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  3404.    </item>
  3405.    <item>
  3406.      <title>This Fitbit Smartwatch Is $50 Off Right Now</title>
  3407.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3N8D824GGDA0RHJAEC323K</guid>
  3408.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 23:00:59 +0000</pubDate>
  3409.      <description>A good deal from one of the most recognizable fitness brands on the market.</description>
  3410.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3N8D824GGDA0RHJAEC323K/hero-image.png"/>
  3411.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Fitbit is the most recognizable brand in fitness smartwatches, and the <a href="https://zdcs.link/3v7Kw?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Fitbit%20Versa%204&amp;short_url=3v7Kw&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Fitbit Versa 4</a> is the <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-smartwatches#:~:text=Fitbit%20Versa%204-,Best%20Fitbit%20Smartwatch,-4.0%20Excellent" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">best Fitbit smartwatch you can get right now</a>, according to PCMag. Right now, the best deal on the Versa 4 comes from Amazon, which currently selling it for <strong>$149.95 </strong>(originally $199.95). This matches its lowest-ever price, according to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/best-price-tracking-tools-1692745053" target="_blank">price-checking tools</a>. Only the pink sand/copper rose color is available, but it comes with small and large wrist bands.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3412.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fx38VP&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Fitbit+Versa+4&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fx38VP" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Fitbit Versa 4">
  3413.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3414.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3415.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Fitbit Versa 4
  3416.                </div>
  3417.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">Daily Readiness, GPS, 24/7 Heart Rate, 40+ Exercise Modes, Sleep Tracking and more
  3418.                    </div>
  3419.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3420.                                            <div class="self-end">
  3421.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3422.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3423.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$149.95</span>
  3424.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3425.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3426.            </div>
  3427.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3428.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$199.95</span>
  3429.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $50.00</span>
  3430.        </div>
  3431.    </div>
  3432.                            </div>
  3433.                        </div>
  3434.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  3435.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  3436.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3437.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3438.    </div>
  3439. </div>
  3440.                        </div>
  3441.                                    </div>
  3442.            </div>
  3443.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3444.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3N8D824GGDA0RHJAEC323K/images-1.fill.size_245x260.v1713815178.jpg" alt="Fitbit Versa 4" width="245" height="260" loading="lazy">
  3445.                            </div>
  3446.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3447.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3N8D824GGDA0RHJAEC323K/images-1.fill.size_245x260.v1713815178.jpg" alt="Fitbit Versa 4" width="245" height="260" loading="lazy">
  3448.                            </div>
  3449.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3450.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  3451.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  3452.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3453.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3454.    </div>
  3455. </div>
  3456.                    </div>
  3457.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  3458.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3459.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3460.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$149.95</span>
  3461.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3462.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3463.            </div>
  3464.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3465.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$199.95</span>
  3466.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $50.00</span>
  3467.        </div>
  3468.    </div>
  3469.                    </div>
  3470.                            </div>
  3471.        </div>
  3472. </a></div>
  3473. <p>The Fitbit Versa 4 came out in 2022 as the fourth generation of the Versa smartwatch, improving on aspects like design and responsiveness while keeping its six-day battery life, according to <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/fitbit-versa-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">PCMag's "excellent" review</a>. One of this model's new features is the ability to track skin temperature variation when its worn to bed, which <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17070562/#:~:text=Throughout%20the%2024%2Dhour%20day,to%20initiate%20and%20maintain%20sleep." target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">can affect our ability to fall asleep and stay asleep</a>. The watch also measures blood oxygen saturation, breathing rate, heart rate variability, and resting heart rate. If you are willing to spend $9.99 per month (or $79.99 per year) for a <a href="https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/services/premium" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Fitbit Premium subscription</a>, you'll get some extra features like the "Readiness Score," which advises whether it is more beneficial to do a workout or take a rest day with respect to your recovery.</p><p>The Versa 4 also took a hard turn on third-party apps when it was released compared to previous generations. It no longer supports apps outside of its own Fitbit gallery. In other words, if you want to use Adidas Running, Calm, Shazam, Spotify, or apps like Strava, you might want to look at the <a href="https://zdcs.link/KKVvY?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Versa%203&amp;short_url=KKVvY&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Versa 3</a> or other smartwatches. The good news is that the <a href="https://gallery.fitbit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Fitbit gallery still has many apps</a> like City Bikes, Starbucks, Strava, Surfline, and Uber by Fitbit. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  3474.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/health/the-fitbit-versa-4-sale</link>
  3475.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  3476.      <category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
  3477.    </item>
  3478.    <item>
  3479.      <title>This Google Update Fixes Missed-Call Bug on Pixels</title>
  3480.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3JBNPDGHY9JFHTWXNC7304</guid>
  3481.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 22:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3482.      <description>Pixel owners will finally stop getting calls that don't ring (hopefully).</description>
  3483.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3JBNPDGHY9JFHTWXNC7304/hero-image.png"/>
  3484.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of your smartphone's key features is the ability to make and receive calls and text messages. When this basic functionality stops working, it makes sense that people will complain. That&rsquo;s been the case with the Pixel 7, Pixel 8, and Pixel Fold: <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/pixel-phones-not-taking-calls" target="_blank">Customers report they are missing calls and texts</a>, as phone aren't ringing and texts aren't coming through.</p><p>These issues are exceptionally difficult to deal with (Your phone should be, first and foremost, a phone.) But luckily, a fix is now available. That&rsquo;s thanks to the <a href="https://www.verizon.com/support/google-pixel-8-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">second April Pixel OTA</a> update, which Google claims should resolve the pesky cellular bug. The OTA update is now available and is slowly rolling out to Pixel owners with a Pixel 7, <a href="https://zdcs.link/5q2jj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%208&amp;short_url=5q2jj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 8</a>, <a href="https://zdcs.link/2mGp1?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%208%20Pro&amp;short_url=2mGp1&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 8 Pro</a>, or <a href="https://zdcs.link/4Ew3X?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%20Fold&amp;short_url=4Ew3X&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel Fold</a>. </p><p>This issue hasn&rsquo;t plagued all users running a Pixel device, but there have definitely been enough complaints to get Google&rsquo;s attention. But even if your Pixel is working fine, there's reason to update as soon as it hits your device: The OTA update is part of the Pixel&rsquo;s Android 14 QPR2 release, which also comes with new security patches for all Pixel devices from the Pixel 7 onward. While you should make a habit of always downloading security updates as soon as their available, customers facing cellular issues have some extra incentives in this case.</p><p>Unfortunately, it doesn&rsquo;t seem like the update is yet available for manual install. When using the Check for Updates option in my Pixel 8&rsquo;s settings, I haven&rsquo;t been able to get to it. It won't hurt to check periodically, but this may be an update you have to wait for Google to roll out to you. That&rsquo;s unfortunate, as I&rsquo;m sure many would prefer to download the update sooner rather than later, but at least a fix is in sight.</p><p>Of course, whether this completely resolves the issues remains to be seen. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro both have a lot going for them: I praised Google&rsquo;s approach to its latest lineup in my <a href="https://lifehacker.com/google-pixel-8-pro-review-1850930355#:~:text=The%20Pixel%208%20Pro%20feels%20like%20a%20consistent%20evolution%20from,to%20the%20design%20are%20welcome." target="_blank">Pixel 8 Pro review</a>. Hopefully, this issue is just a small speed bump in a continued string of successes for the Pixel smartphone lineup.</p><hr><p>If you need a new Pixel phone, check out these great options:</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/4Ew3X?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%20Fold&amp;short_url=4Ew3X&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel Fold</a>: $1,274 (usually $1,799)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/2mGp1?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%208%20Pro&amp;short_url=2mGp1&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 8 Pro</a>: $799 (usually $999)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://zdcs.link/5q2jj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Pixel%208&amp;short_url=5q2jj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Pixel 8</a>: $549 (usually $699)</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  3485.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/second-april-pixel-ota-update-fixes-ongoing-cellular-issues</link>
  3486.      <dc:creator>Joshua Hawkins</dc:creator>
  3487.      <category><![CDATA[Android]]></category>
  3488.    </item>
  3489.    <item>
  3490.      <title>You Can Get These Beginner Guitar Lessons on Sale for $16 Right Now</title>
  3491.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVMP6WKFVF9SV5ZX74NBEHF7</guid>
  3492.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 22:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3493.      <description>The course bundle includes lessons like Beginner Guitar Lessons Crash Course, Guitar Lessons for the Curious Guitarist, and Guitar Technique.</description>
  3494.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVMP6WKFVF9SV5ZX74NBEHF7/hero-image.png"/>
  3495.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>These guitar lesson courses are <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/the-2024-guitar-lessons-training-bundle?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=the-2024-guitar-lessons-training-bundle&amp;utm_term=scsf-594718&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgWIAQ&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $15.97 right now</a> (reg. $480) through April 21. It comes with unlimited access to 12 e-courses and 78 hours of training, and includes beginner courses like Beginner Guitar Lessons Crash Course, Guitar Lessons for the Curious Guitarist, and Guitar Technique, as well as courses in songwriting, finger style, ear training, and playing music with others. There are even genre-specific lessons in blues, jazz, and children&rsquo;s and holiday songs. Performer and recording guitarist Dan Dresnok teaches all of the courses.</p><p>These guitar lesson courses are <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/the-2024-guitar-lessons-training-bundle?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=the-2024-guitar-lessons-training-bundle&amp;utm_term=scsf-594718&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgWIAQ&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $15.97 right now</a> (reg. $480) through April 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3496.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/guitar-lesson-bundle-sale</link>
  3497.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  3498.      <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  3499.    </item>
  3500.    <item>
  3501.      <title>The Best Obsidian Plugins to Organize Your Notes (and Your Life)</title>
  3502.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ</guid>
  3503.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 21:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
  3504.      <description>Diving into the note-taking app? Here are a few plugins to try first.</description>
  3505.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/hero-image.png"/>
  3506.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://obsidian.md/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Obsidian</a> is a note-taking app that stores everything in plain text documents on your computer&mdash;but that's just the beginning. There are extremely fast search and keyboard shortcuts, plus you can link to any of your notes from any other note. Not everyone gets into it, granted, but if you do, it changes the way you think about writing and note-taking.</p><p>But where things get really wild are the plugins. There are over 1,600 of them, all lovingly made by other users, which you can browse and install in the settings. I couldn't begin to tell you which are the best ones&mdash;that's going to heavily depend on what you're looking for from the application. But I can tell you that with these plugins, you can turn Obsidian into pretty much exactly the tool you're looking for. The following are the plugins I think new users should check out first, if only to get an idea of what plugins can do.</p><p>I'm including links to the Github page for all of these plugins, mostly for reference. It's a great deal easier to install plugins from inside Obsidian than it is to install them manually: Just go to <strong>Settings</strong> &gt; <strong>Community Plugins</strong> &gt; <strong>Browse</strong> and find the plugins there.</p><h2>Organize anything with Kanban</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3507.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3508.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-1.fill.size_2000x853.v1713811785.png" alt="It's a kanban board in an Obsidian window" width="2000" height="853" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-1.fill.size_800x341.v1713811785.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-1.fill.size_1400x597.v1713811785.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-1.fill.size_2000x853.v1713811785.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3509.            </div>
  3510.            <div class="mt-2">
  3511.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3512.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  3513.                    </div>
  3514.    </div>
  3515. <p>We've talked several times about <a href="https://lifehacker.com/track-your-work-with-the-kanban-method-1850721028" target="_blank">the Kanban method</a>, which involves a series of columns you can drag cards between. There are plenty of dedicated apps for this, most famously Trello, but there's a catch: You have to remember to open them. This is why I like the <a href="https://github.com/mgmeyers/obsidian-kanban" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Kanban</a> plugin for Obsidian. With this, I can create Kanban boards right in Obsidian. Every board is just a text document with multiple lists, meaning they don't take up a lot of space, and you can even edit them directly as text documents if you want.</p><p>This is just a great implementation of a useful tool&mdash;one that lives right alongside your other notes. I use this to organize my entire writing workflow, from brainstorming to writing to editing to invoicing. I can't recommend it enough.</p><h2>Ignore markdown with this toolbar</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3516.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3517.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-2.fill.size_2000x601.v1713811785.png" alt="There's a toolbar at the top of the window with standard formatting tools: undo, redo, headlines, bold, italic, strikethrough, underline, highlight, and more." width="2000" height="601" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-2.fill.size_800x240.v1713811785.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-2.fill.size_1400x421.v1713811785.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-2.fill.size_2000x601.v1713811785.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3518.            </div>
  3519.            <div class="mt-2">
  3520.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3521.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  3522.                    </div>
  3523.    </div>
  3524. <p>Obsidian is built around <a href="https://lifehacker.com/what-is-markdown-and-why-is-it-better-for-my-to-do-lis-5943320" target="_blank">Markdown, a simple way of formatting text files</a>. I, personally, love this: It's a faster way to add simple formatting to documents. It's not for everyone, however, which is where <a href="https://github.com/PKM-er/obsidian-editing-toolbar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Editing toolbar</a> comes in. This simple extension adds a formatting toolbar to the top of every text window with common formatting options. Everything is still formatted using Markdown, but you can apply that formatting with the click of a mouse button if that's your preference. For some, this is just a way to do formatting tasks until you learn to use Markdown; for others, it can be an alternative to learning Markdown entirely. There's no wrong answers here.</p><h2>Copy notes to other apps complete with formatting</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3525.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3526.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-3.fill.size_2000x460.v1713811785.png" alt='The Obsidian command palette here as "Copy as HTML" as an option. You can see that keyboard shortcut is also assigned. ' width="2000" height="460" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-3.fill.size_800x184.v1713811785.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-3.fill.size_1400x322.v1713811785.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-3.fill.size_2000x460.v1713811785.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3527.            </div>
  3528.            <div class="mt-2">
  3529.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3530.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  3531.                    </div>
  3532.    </div>
  3533. <p>Speaking of formatting: Sometimes you're going to want to copy text from Obsidian and paste it in another app. If the app in question doesn't support Markdown, that's going to be togch. This is why I use <a href="https://github.com/jenningsb2/copy-as-html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Copy as HTML</a>: With this plugin, you can copy and paste with all the formatting in tact. You can trigger this from the command palette, if you like, or you can add a custom keyboard shortcut. I use this to copy text and paste it into Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and even the Lifehacker CMS&mdash;it works perfectly every time.</p><h2>Quickly grab the contents of any website</h2><p>Grabbing articles from the web and marking them up is an essential part of many research workflows. I use the <a href="https://github.com/trashhalo/obsidian-extract-url" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Extract URL</a> extension for this. Similar to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-use-your-browsers-reader-mode-to-actually-read-w-1847480062" target="_blank">reader mode in browsers</a>, this tool can grab the article&mdash;and only the article&mdash;of any URL you provide to it. My favorite way to use it is with the "Import From Clipboard" command, which you can find in the command palette or by assigning a keyboard shortcut. Just copy a URL, run the command, and the entire article from the URL will be copied to the current note. You could use this to make your own read it later service, if you wanted to.</p><h2>Review your journal every day</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3534.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3535.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-4.fill.size_2000x1645.v1713811785.png" alt="It's a look into my journal! A year before I wrote this article I stayed in a cute BNB. " width="2000" height="1645" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-4.fill.size_800x658.v1713811785.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-4.fill.size_1400x1152.v1713811785.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3J92421HP7V92PEMTHP2EQ/images-4.fill.size_2000x1645.v1713811785.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3536.            </div>
  3537.            <div class="mt-2">
  3538.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3539.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Justin Pot</span>
  3540.                    </div>
  3541.    </div>
  3542. <p>We've talked about how great it is to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-use-obsidian-as-a-journaling-app-1850086690" target="_blank">use Obsidian as a journalling app</a>. The <a href="https://github.com/Kageetai/obsidian-plugin-journal-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Journal review</a> makes this process even better. With it, you can set up the sidebar to show you entries from whatever period of time you like. I, personally, like to see entries from one, two, three, four, and five years ago, though I'll inevitably adjust this as I have more and more years of journal entries. I'm really enjoying seeing what past versions of me were thinking about&mdash;it's teaching me a lot about the ways in which I am, and am not, growing. This plugin makes that possible.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3543.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/best-obsidian-plugins</link>
  3544.      <dc:creator>Justin Pot</dc:creator>
  3545.      <category><![CDATA[Computing]]></category>
  3546.    </item>
  3547.    <item>
  3548.      <title>How to Estimate Distance Using Just Your Thumb</title>
  3549.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1849365952</guid>
  3550.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3551.      <description>How far away is that building? That tree? There's an easy way to tell.</description>
  3552.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GVC5QGRT9024GTF0QFW2C/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3553.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of the most frustrating hobbies I ever took up was archery, but not because it&rsquo;s hard to hit a target on the wall (it is, but I got pretty good at that). My problem was that one of the popular ways to go out and have fun with archery was to do &ldquo;3D shoots,&rdquo; where you would have to shoot at a series of statues of animals, each positioned at an unknown distance.</p><p>Estimating distance turned out to be my downfall. If you don&rsquo;t have a good sense of how far away the fake deer is, you&rsquo;ll end up shooting way over its back or burying your arrow under the ground beneath its feet. At the time, I assumed that estimating distance was less a learnable skill and more a gut feeling. Hence my surprise when I recently came across <a href="https://www.mathsisfun.com/measure/estimate-distance.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">a quick eyeball-and-mental-math trick</a> that allows anyone to estimate distance pretty accurately. </p><h2>How the thumb trick turns a hard problem into an easy one</h2><p>The technique involves <em>some</em> gut-level estimation, but a much easier type. You just have to guess&mdash;or know&mdash;the size of an object in the distance. (If you find yourself estimating distances often, you may want to look up the typical sizes of objects like cars. We'll use a car in our example below.)</p><p>You just need that guess, your thumb, and the ability to multiply by 10. Here&rsquo;s how it works: </p><ol><li><p>Hold your thumb in front of you (with your arm fully outstretched), and close one eye. Line up your thumb with an object whose size you have some sense of (for example, a car).</p></li><li><p>Without moving your thumb, close your open eye, and open the other one. Your thumb will appear to be in a different place.</p></li><li><p>Estimate how far your thumb &ldquo;moved&rdquo; relative to the object you&rsquo;re looking at. For example, a car is about 15 feet long, so if your thumb moved half a car length, that&rsquo;s about 7.5 feet. </p></li><li><p>Multiply by 10. In this example, you&rsquo;d calculate that the car is about 75 feet away from you. </p></li></ol><h2>I tested this trick (it works)</h2><p>Too good to be true? I walked around and tried it out. I also carried a laser distance-finder and a tape measure with me to verify. One thing I noticed right away is that I was tempted to measure the space in between my two thumb images; instead, you need to measure from, say, the left side of the first thumb image to the left side of the second thumb image. </p><ul><li><p>Standing in the kitchen, eyeballing the TV in the other room, I figured the TV was somewhere between 3 and 4 feet wide, and that my thumb moved a little more than half its distance, so about 2 feet. Calculation: TV must be 20 feet away. Laser level says: 25 feet. OK, not bad. </p></li><li><p>From my desk to a nearby bookshelf, my thumb moved 6 inches, maybe a little more. Calculation: 60ish inches. Actual measurement: 59 inches. </p></li><li><p>From a spot in my driveway to a garden shed: I turned my head sideways to measure against the height of the door. Thumb distance should be about 6 feet (most of the height of the door), thus the shed must be 60 feet away. Actual measurement: around 70 feet. Not perfect, but once again, not too far off. </p></li></ul><p>The reason this trick is supposed to work is that the distance from your eye to your thumb is about 10 times the distance from one eye to the other. I measured this, too. Looking into the mirror with a measuring tape in front of my face, my pupils are 2 and 5/16" apart, or 2.3 inches. The distance from the spot between my eyebrows to my outstretched thumb is 23.5 inches. That&rsquo;s a factor of 10.2, impressively close to the 10 I was promised. </p><p>Bottom line: This trick isn&rsquo;t going to give you a precise distance, but as a tool for estimating, it actually kind of works! And by the way, if you ever need to estimate how far away a deer-shaped statue is: a deer&rsquo;s body length is roughly 5 feet. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  3554.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/how-to-estimate-distance-using-just-your-thumb-1849365952</link>
  3555.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  3556.      <category><![CDATA[Science]]></category>
  3557.    </item>
  3558.    <item>
  3559.      <title>Use the '365 Less Things' Method to Declutter Your Home</title>
  3560.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3JZWZJFHEB45J83Z5A0AQX</guid>
  3561.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3562.      <description>Your home could look totally different in a year, depending on what you do right now.</description>
  3563.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3JZWZJFHEB45J83Z5A0AQX/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3564.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You know that adage, &ldquo;The time will pass anyway?&rdquo; A little over two years ago, I was applying to grad school and telling my friends that I wasn&rsquo;t sure if I wanted to be 30 years old in a classroom. Someone told me, &ldquo;The time will pass anyway,&rdquo; meaning I could either be 32 with a Masters or 32 without one, but I&rsquo;d end up being 32 either way. I graduate in three weeks, but that lesson will stick with me forever. It applies to many things: Thinking about what you want in the future can be a little demoralizing because there's so much space and potential work between now and then&mdash;but <em>the time will pass anyway</em>. </p><p>Looking around your home, you might imagine how you want it to look in a year. And whether you start working toward that goal or not, the time will pass anyway, so you might as well spend the next 365 days contributing small efforts towards the decluttered home you want. Here&rsquo;s how you can work on decluttering your home every day for a year, building the space you want <em>and </em>habits that will last.&nbsp;</p><h2>Use the '365 Less Things' method to declutter your home</h2><p>The technique is called 365 Less Things. It <a href="https://www.365lessthings.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>comes from Colleen Madsen</u></a>, who decided in 2010 that she wanted to make an impactful New Year&rsquo;s resolution and set out to get rid of one item in her home every single day. She ended up turning her year-long experiment into a system of decluttering that has grown into something pretty major in the 14 years since it started.&nbsp;And, of course, you don&rsquo;t have to start on January 1. The real trick here is just committing to getting rid of <em>one </em>thing every single day. You can, of course, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/use-the-12-12-12-decluttering-method" target="_blank"><u>get rid of way more</u></a>, but the primary goal is to just make incremental progress each day.&nbsp;</p><h2>How the '365 Less Things' method works</h2><p>To start decluttering your home one day at a time, it might be helpful to set a recurring reminder in your phone as you start to develop the habit. The beauty of this method is that while it takes time, the time is actually beneficial: Eventually, it'll become second nature to find and get rid of one thing in your home every day. Plus, decluttering so incrementally is a lot less overwhelming than other methods of home cleaning and organization. Decluttering a whole room in a day, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/try-the-peter-walsh-method-for-serious-decluttering" target="_blank"><u>as some techniques call for</u></a>, can be so daunting that some people can never bring themselves to begin, but one item a day is an easy habit to build and maintain.&nbsp;</p><p>That said, you should focus, generally, on one area or room at a time. While you totally can use a more free-wheeling approach and just pick up one item every day when you see one that could get tossed, it's better to move through your home in waves. A few days can be dedicated to the hall closet, a few to the kitchen, and so on. In the course of a year, you&rsquo;ll certainly end up doubling back on some areas, and that&rsquo;s fine&mdash;something you might not have been able to part with early on in the process could be a little easier to let go of once you&rsquo;re in the habit. Going space by space will also help you see results a little quicker, which can help keep you motivated, too.&nbsp;</p><h2>Decide what to do with your unneeded belongings</h2><p>As with most decluttering methods, you'll need to make some decisions beyond &ldquo;keep&rdquo; or &ldquo;get rid of.&rdquo; For the things you&rsquo;re getting rid of, you&rsquo;ll need to decide if they get thrown away, donated, or sold. It might be more useful to adapt this method a little, vowing to <em>throw away</em> one thing a day and, ideally, find something to donate or sell a few times a week, too.&nbsp;</p><p>Because this method is almost entirely about getting rid of clutter, whereas other techniques also make space for reorganizing and putting away the things you&rsquo;re going to keep, you could even consider adding another adaptation that allows you to find one thing to toss, one to sell or donate, <em>and </em>one to put away every day. While you&rsquo;ll be down 365 items, at least, by the end of the year, the home won&rsquo;t truly be decluttered if a bunch of your stuff is still where it doesn&rsquo;t belong.</p><p>It&rsquo;s probably unreasonable to think you&rsquo;ll make a single trip to the donation center or post office every day, and you might want to save up a pile of things to put away until you have a sizable amount. Using three bins could help&mdash;one for what you&rsquo;re keeping, one for what you&rsquo;re donating, and one for what you&rsquo;re selling&mdash;so even when you&rsquo;re not throwing something away, it&rsquo;s still out of your space. Every week or so, empty them out in accordance with whatever they&rsquo;re holding.&nbsp;</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3565.    <div>
  3566.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3567.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3568.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">
  3569.                </div>
  3570.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3571.                                    </div>
  3572.            </div>
  3573.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3574.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/00JvexwdAc8MEJjZFRSe85m/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707306980.jpg" alt="CleverMade 3-Pack 62L Collapsible Storage Bins" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  3575.                            </div>
  3576.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3577.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/00JvexwdAc8MEJjZFRSe85m/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707306980.jpg" alt="CleverMade 3-Pack 62L Collapsible Storage Bins" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  3578.                            </div>
  3579.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3580.                            </div>
  3581.        </div>
  3582. </div></div>
  3583. <p>There may be some days you feel more inspired to do a mass decluttering than others, but to the best of your ability, try to toss one thing every day, even if you don&rsquo;t feel like it. It can be small, but just make sure you do it. After a year, your home will be transformed and you&rsquo;ll have built up a solid habit of getting rid of what no longer serves you.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3584.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/colleen-madsen-365-less-things-declutter-home</link>
  3585.      <dc:creator>Lindsey Ellefson</dc:creator>
  3586.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  3587.    </item>
  3588.    <item>
  3589.      <title>Samsung Is Now Selling the Galaxy S23 Lineup for up to $280 Off</title>
  3590.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3EQZ36X8RND179RND3ZDS9</guid>
  3591.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3592.      <description>Samsung has added one of its best phones to its Certified Re-Newed program, and you can save even more with a trade-in.</description>
  3593.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3EQZ36X8RND179RND3ZDS9/hero-image.png"/>
  3594.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When <a href="https://lifehacker.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-samsung-galaxy-s2-1850059842" target="_blank"><u>Samsung&rsquo;s Galaxy S23</u></a> came out in spring of 2023, it earned major praise from sites like <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s23" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>PCMag</u></a> for its pocketability, performance, and high-quality camera setup. Now, a little over a year out from release, you can add affordability to that list. Samsung has added <a href="https://news.samsung.com/us/celebrate-earth-day-samsung-certified-renewed-galaxy-s23-series/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">all models of the Galaxy S23</a>, including the base Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23 Plus, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra to its &ldquo;<a href="https://www.samsung.com/us/smartphones/certified-re-newed-phones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Certified Re-Newed</u></a>&rdquo; program, which means you can now buy refurbished versions of these phones straight from the manufacturer at a discount.</p><p>Samsung&rsquo;s Certified Re-Newed phones are backed by the same one-year warranty as brand-new models, and they go through a 147-point inspection process before making their way to consumers. Samsung also gives each of its refurbished phones a new battery and ships them in a new box with a new data cable and ejector pin. The certified Re-Newed Galaxy S23 starts at $619 for the basic version, $769 for the Plus version, and $919 for the Ultra version. That means saving anywhere from $180 to $280, depending on the model.</p><p>The Galaxy S23 isn&rsquo;t the newest or <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/the-best-samsung-smartphone-you-can-buy-right-now" target="_blank"><u>best Samsung smartphone</u></a>, but it&rsquo;s still recent and competitive, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip on all models and up to 200 megapixels of camera prowess on the Ultra model specifically. </p><p>Whether you&rsquo;ll want to take advantage of these deals depends on how much you value Samsung&rsquo;s certification process, and if you're willing to trade in a qualifying phone (you can check if your phone is supported during checkout), which will save you another $300. Used Galaxy S23 phones can go for as low as <a href="https://www.ebay.com/b/Samsung-Galaxy-S23/9355/bn_7121183549" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>$380 on eBay</u></a> or <a href="https://zdcs.link/njd53?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=News&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=%24414%20on%20Amazon&amp;short_url=njd53&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>$414 on Amazon</u></a>, but buying from third-party vendors always presents a risk. Some marketplaces, like Back Market, run their own verification programs, making them somewhat of a middle ground between buying straight from a seller and going right to Samsung. For more details, check out our guide on the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-dos-and-donts-of-buying-a-refurbished-smartphone-1847268445" target="_blank"><u>do&rsquo;s and don&rsquo;ts of buying a refurbished smartphone</u></a>.</p><p>Regardless of where you buy, rest assured that the Galaxy S23 will still see years of support, including the recent addition of new <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/older-samsung-devices-getting-ai-features-soon" target="_blank">Galaxy AI features</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3595.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/samsung-selling-galaxy-s23-refurbished</link>
  3596.      <dc:creator>Michelle Ehrhardt</dc:creator>
  3597.      <category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
  3598.    </item>
  3599.    <item>
  3600.      <title>How to Use Sleep Mode on Your iPhone</title>
  3601.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3FVDMJ6SE4SGJ65RY7VNXF</guid>
  3602.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:00:48 +0000</pubDate>
  3603.      <description>You can set a schedule to help you sleep, or turn the focus on and off manually.</description>
  3604.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3FVDMJ6SE4SGJ65RY7VNXF/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3605.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The iPhone&rsquo;s sleep mode has a ton of features that can help you get a better night&rsquo;s sleep, from silencing notifications to enabling sleep detection with your Apple Watch. Here&rsquo;s a primer showing how to turn it on and off, and how to get the most out of its features.</p><h2>Why the iPhone has a sleep mode</h2><p>The iPhone&rsquo;s sleep mode is really a sleep focus, so it has all the features of a focus mode, plus a few special things that relate to sleep habits.&nbsp;</p><p>You can use any focus mode to:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p>Silence notifications</p></li><li><p>Optionally send a message to people who try to text you (&ldquo;Beth has notifications silenced.&rdquo;)</p></li><li><p>Let specific notifications through</p></li><li><p>Allow calls to come through if the caller tries to ring you repeatedly</p></li><li><p>Change your home screen and lock screen&nbsp;</p></li></ul><p>There are tons of great uses for focus modes, and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/10-ways-you-re-not-using-focus-on-iphone-but-should-be-1848497964" target="_blank"><u>we have a guide here to their best features</u></a>. For example, by customizing your home screen, you can remove work-related apps from your home screen but allow your music and meditation apps to remain. When it&rsquo;s bedtime, your phone will switch over to showing your sleep-specific home screen. The regular home screen will turn back on in the morning.&nbsp;</p><p>In addition to those features, sleep focus also:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p>Enables sleep detection with your Apple Watch if you go to sleep during this time</p></li><li><p>Sets an alarm (optionally) to ring when sleep focus is over</p></li></ul><p>You can read more about sleep tracking in <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/how-to-track-sleep-on-apple-watch" target="_blank"><u>our guide to tracking your sleep with your Apple Watch</u></a>.&nbsp;</p><h2>How to customize sleep focus on your iPhone</h2><p>To set up the screens and notifications you&rsquo;ll be able to see while in sleep focus, go to Settings and then Focus. From here, tap Sleep (or tap the + to create a Sleep focus if you don&rsquo;t already have one). Choose your notification preferences, home screen, and anything else you&rsquo;d like to customize.</p><h2>How to set a schedule for sleep focus on your iPhone</h2><p>Sleep focus is intended to be used on a schedule. Based on the schedule, sleep focus will turn on and off automatically.&nbsp;</p><p>To set the schedule, go to the Health app, tap Sleep, and scroll to the bottom where it says &ldquo;Your Schedule.&rdquo; Under Full Schedule &amp; Options, you&rsquo;ll see a place to edit your schedule. You can set different bedtimes and wakeup times for each day of the week.&nbsp;</p><p>On this screen, you can also toggle &ldquo;use schedule for sleep focus&rdquo; which tells the phone to turn on sleep focus during the times that are scheduled as your sleep times. While you&rsquo;re on this screen, scroll to the bottom and set yourself a bedtime reminder, sleep results, and sleep goal (if you&rsquo;d like).</p><h2>How to turn on sleep focus on your iPhone</h2><p>Once you&rsquo;ve set up sleep mode, you can turn it on anytime&mdash;whether you&rsquo;ve set a sleep schedule or not. Just go to Control Center (swipe down from the top right corner of your phone) and tap <strong>Focus</strong>. If no focus is in effect, it will have a moon icon.&nbsp;</p><p>You can now choose a focus mode to turn on. Sleep should be in the list. Tap it and you&rsquo;ll be in sleep mode.</p><h2>How to turn off sleep focus</h2><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  3606.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  3607.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3FVDMJ6SE4SGJ65RY7VNXF/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713809241.jpg" alt="Screenshots of control center, focus screen, focus screen with link to edit settings" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3FVDMJ6SE4SGJ65RY7VNXF/images-1.fill.size_800x450.v1713809241.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3FVDMJ6SE4SGJ65RY7VNXF/images-1.fill.size_1400x788.v1713809241.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3FVDMJ6SE4SGJ65RY7VNXF/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1713809241.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  3608.            </div>
  3609.            <div class="mt-2">
  3610.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  3611.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Beth Skwarecki</span>
  3612.                    </div>
  3613.    </div>
  3614. <p>Wake up early? You can turn off sleep focus at any time. Go to Control Center (swipe down from the top right corner of your phone) and you&rsquo;ll see a button labeled &ldquo;Sleep: on.&rdquo; Here you can choose a new focus, like Do Not Disturb or any other focus you&rsquo;ve created. To turn off Sleep mode without entering any new focus, just tap the Sleep focus and it will turn off.</p><p>To turn off or modify the sleep schedule for the future, tap the three dots on the sleep mode button. Tap Settings, and your iPhone will take you right to the settings screen where you can edit or disable your sleep schedule.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3615.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/health/how-to-use-sleep-mode-on-iphone</link>
  3616.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  3617.      <category><![CDATA[Sleep]]></category>
  3618.    </item>
  3619.    <item>
  3620.      <title>You Can Get This Award-Winning Oclu Action Camera on Sale for $160 Right Now</title>
  3621.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVMN5SNM7R3BA6ZYCAJBC19C</guid>
  3622.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3623.      <description/>
  3624.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVMN5SNM7R3BA6ZYCAJBC19C/hero-image.png"/>
  3625.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get the Oclu action camera <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/oclu-award-winning-action-camera?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=oclu-award-winning-action-camera&amp;utm_term=scsf-594727&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgfIAA&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $159.97 right now</a> (reg. $299) through April 21. It was the winner of the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Award, and the European Product Design Award, with a 0.25-inch tripod mount, electronic image stabilization, two-microphone wind reduction, and IPX7 water-resistance. It has a one-touch record function and offers recordings at 4K at 30 FPS or 1080p at 120 FPS. It can even trim excess footage with the LiveCut feature, saving time and some of the 1,000mAh battery life.</p><p>You can get the Oclu action camera <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/oclu-award-winning-action-camera?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=oclu-award-winning-action-camera&amp;utm_term=scsf-594727&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgfIAA&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $159.97 right now</a> (reg. $299) through April 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  3626.    <div id="video-container-xnS16A6CFgI"></div>
  3627. </div>
  3628.  
  3629. ]]></content:encoded>
  3630.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/oclu-action-camera-sale</link>
  3631.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  3632.      <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
  3633.    </item>
  3634.    <item>
  3635.      <title>Understand Your 'Clutterbug' Style Before Organizing Your Home</title>
  3636.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW3BS9WW6B5GMWSJZ9T66YFK</guid>
  3637.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3638.      <description>Cleaning your home depends a lot on what your home is like—but also on what you're like.</description>
  3639.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW3BS9WW6B5GMWSJZ9T66YFK/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3640.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Before you clean your home, you should have to have some kind of plan. Before you have a <em>plan</em>, though, you should know what kind of organizer you are. <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/try-the-peter-walsh-method-for-serious-decluttering" target="_blank"><u>Some decluttering methodologies</u></a> help make plans that suits a particular space, but others, like Cassandra Aarssen&rsquo;s &ldquo;Clutterbug&rdquo; philosophy, help with a better sense of who you are as a cleaner and organizer.&nbsp;</p><h2>What is the 'Clutterbug' philosophy to cleaning and organizing?&nbsp;</h2><p>Aarssen is a professional organizer and has lots of experience helping the clutter prone to get their lives in order. She co-authored <a href="https://zdcs.link/KKVOn?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Real%20Life%20Organizing%3A%20Clean%20and%20Clutter-Free%20in%2015%20Minutes%20a%20Day&amp;short_url=KKVOn&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><em><u>Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day</u></em></a> with another big name in the space, Peter Walsh, and she&rsquo;s<a href="https://clutterbug.me/2020/07/the-four-organizing-styles-breakdown-and-faqs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u> broken down her personal system into four organizing styles</u></a> that are meant to help figure out how you organize, so you can work with your own style instead of against it.&nbsp;</p><p>Overall, Aarssen advocates for determining your organizing style by identifying whether you&rsquo;re a butterfly, cricket, ladybug, or bee. Once you&rsquo;ve done that, you're meant to set clear rules about what you want to keep or get rid of, declutter hidden areas first, use bins to sort anything that doesn&rsquo;t belong in your space and anything sentimental that you want to deal with later, and work in small areas to avoid feeling overwhelmed.</p><p>By first determining your organizing style, you can make the process of cleaning and organizing easier. What works for someone else might not work for you, so it&rsquo;s important to declutter in a personalized way. Aarssen's focus on small spaces is also helpful for stopping you from getting overwhelmed, as it allows you to go at a slower pace, and her acknowledgement that some items are sentimental and deserve a little extra time to go through is less harsh and stressful than other organizers&rsquo; more severe calls to throw things away.&nbsp;</p><h2>What are the four Clutterbug styles?</h2><p>The first step in Aarssen&rsquo;s decluttering method involves a little introspection: There are four organizing styles&mdash;butterfly, cricket, ladybug, and bee&mdash;and most people fall into one of them.</p><ul><li><p><strong>Ladybugs</strong> look nice on the outside but struggle with internal messiness, meaning they don&rsquo;t have surface clutter, but their mess is hidden away in places like junk drawers and closets. If you&rsquo;re a ladybug, a casual visitor to your home might think it was clean, but that&rsquo;s just because they haven&rsquo;t opened the door to the garage or gotten a good look in the cabinets.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p><strong>Bees</strong> are people who find it hard to put things away or get rid of anything. There have unfinished projects all over the place and useless items strewn around, as bees are the kind of people who cling to things in case they come in handy in the future. If you have a bunch of charging cables or different-sized screws in a drawer somewhere, you&rsquo;re probably a bee.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p><strong>Crickets</strong> don&rsquo;t want clutter around at all and are big on organizing everything down to the smallest level. They&rsquo;re meticulous, but since that can get tedious, they're also easily put off from actually organizing at all. If you dream of having every single item organized just right but get overwhelmed by trying to do it and end up with a big mess, you&rsquo;re a cricket.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p><strong>Butterflies</strong> are more free-spirited: They don&rsquo;t organize much at all because they prefer to have everything in their sight. They&rsquo;re not big on details and would rather know (and see) where everything is all the time. If you walk in the house after work and toss all your stuff on a table near the door, you&rsquo;re a butterfly.&nbsp;</p></li></ul><p>To really dig into which Clutterbug style you are, <a href="https://clutterbug.me/what-clutterbug-are-you-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>try Aarssen&rsquo;s quiz</u></a>.&nbsp;</p><p>The good thing about realizing which of these categories describes your personal habits is that they also describe how you should be organizing in general. Assessing your style doesn&rsquo;t mean you have to work hard to overcome it; it just means you have to work <em>with </em>it. For instance, a ladybug that likes a visually pleasing exterior but is hiding clutter should try keeping a <a href="https://zdcs.link/6YOod?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=bunch%20of%20small%2C%20decorative%20storage%20baskets&amp;short_url=6YOod&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>bunch of small, decorative storage baskets</u></a> around the house instead of relying on a stashed-away junk drawer. Better yet, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/the-best-hidden-storage-furniture-and-decor" target="_blank"><u>consider multifunction furniture with hidden storage inside</u></a>. On the other hand, bees and butterflies (or anyone who wants their stuff where they can see it for whatever reason) should opt for clear storage containers. Some, <a href="https://zdcs.link/R2131?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=like%20these&amp;short_url=R2131&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>like these</u></a>, have dividers inside that keep everything neat, but are still transparent, so you know exactly what&rsquo;s in there when you need it.</p><p>Crickets need better time management and to be a little more relaxed and less focused on perfection, so if you fall into that category, try a method like <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/declutter-your-home-with-tiktoks-viral-core-4-method" target="_blank"><u>the Core 4</u></a> technique to plan out a less overwhelming decluttering session when you have time.&nbsp;</p><p>Once you determine your category, you can get the storage solutions you need and start on a real decluttering journey, whether you follow Aarssen&rsquo;s next steps or a technique like Core 4 or <a href="https://lifehacker.com/home/use-the-12-12-12-decluttering-method" target="_blank"><u>12-12-12</u></a>. You may need to try a few different methods, but keeping your own personal habits and tendencies in mind will go a long way toward helping you develop a cleaning strategy you can stick with long term.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3641.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/home/clutterbug-styles-cleaning-organizing-home</link>
  3642.      <dc:creator>Lindsey Ellefson</dc:creator>
  3643.      <category><![CDATA[Cleaning & Organizing]]></category>
  3644.    </item>
  3645.    <item>
  3646.      <title>This Shortcut Restores All Your Tabs If You Accidentally Close Your Browser</title>
  3647.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW39G59EZRZ8MQ7YA1K3C71A</guid>
  3648.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3649.      <description>Accidentally closed your browser? Try this to get your tabs back.</description>
  3650.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW39G59EZRZ8MQ7YA1K3C71A/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3651.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My job frequently requires me to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/use-localsend-app-to-send-files-across-devices" target="_blank">switch from Windows to Mac</a> and vice versa, which means it's easy to mix up the differences between the two platforms. For example, I keep forgetting that the "close" button doesn't work the same way on these two platforms. On a Mac, it <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-easiest-way-to-actually-quit-a-mac-app-1849913743" target="_blank">usually hides the window</a>. But on PC, it gets rid of it entirely. So imagine my annoyance when I recently booted up <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-upgrade-your-unsupported-pc-to-windows-11" target="_blank">my Windows PC</a> and accidentally closed Firefox, which had 11 open tabs. Recovering these tabs was easy, if a bit tedious, and I discovered a few useful methods to speed up the process.</p><h2>One keyboard shortcut to restore them all</h2><p>The simplest and fastest way to restore your tabs is a single <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/the-best-web-browser-keyboard-shortcuts" target="_blank">keyboard shortcut</a>. On Windows, this is <strong>Ctrl-Shift-T</strong>. On a Mac, it's <strong>Command-Shift-T</strong>. If you've closed or quit the browser, you can open it again and use this shortcut to restore all the tabs you had open.&nbsp;</p><h2>Restore tabs with a few more clicks</h2><p>If the shortcut doesn't work, you can try an alternate method to restore your tabs. In Chrome (or any other Chromium browser), click the <strong>three-dots</strong> icon in the top-right corner and go to <strong>History &gt; X Tabs &gt; Restore Window</strong>. Under the History menu, you'll see a sub-menu with the number of tabs you had open from your previous session. Clicking into the menu reveals the option to restore them all.</p><p>In Firefox, you can click the <strong>three horizontal lines</strong> button in the top-right corner and go to <strong>History &gt; Restore Previous Session</strong> to restore all your tabs.</p><h2>Set up your browser to restore open tabs</h2><p>The simplest way to restore your tabs is to ask your browser to open previously closed tabs each time you fire it up. In Chrome (and other Chromium browsers), you can do this by pasting <strong>chrome://settings/onStartup</strong> into your address bar, pressing Enter, and selecting <strong>Continue where you left off</strong>.</p><p>Firefox uses a similar process. Open <strong>about:preferences#general</strong> in the address bar and tick on <strong>Open previous windows and tabs </strong>under the "Startup" subheading.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  3652.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-restore-browser-tabs-chrome-firefox-windows-mac</link>
  3653.      <dc:creator>Pranay Parab</dc:creator>
  3654.      <category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>
  3655.    </item>
  3656.    <item>
  3657.      <title>How to Make the Most of Your Tax Refund (Before You Blow It All)</title>
  3658.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW1G31W3QE0GGR660ZM5QW15</guid>
  3659.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:00:48 +0000</pubDate>
  3660.      <description>While you're waiting for that refund to appear in your bank account, make a plan to make the most it.</description>
  3661.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW1G31W3QE0GGR660ZM5QW15/hero-image.png"/>
  3662.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Getting a tax refund can feel like receiving a nice <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-handle-an-unexpected-financial-windfall-1846001701" target="_blank">windfall</a> of cash. But before you go on a spending spree, consider using your refund money wisely to give your finances a boost. According to a <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/taxes/tax-return-survey/#expecting-a-refund" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">recent study by Bankrate</a>, around 30% of taxpayers plan to deposit their refunds into savings, while another third intend to use it to pay off debts. Both of those are smart moves that can set you up for long-term financial success&mdash;but how should you prioritize your different short- and long-term financial goals? I spoke with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhershfield" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Michael Hershfield,</a> founder &amp; CEO of embedded wallet <a href="https://www.accruesavings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Accrue Savings,</a> to better understand how taxpayers can make the most of their refunds this year.</p><h2>Mistakes taxpayers make with their refunds</h2><p>"One common mistake taxpayers make with their refunds is impulsively splurging on unnecessary expenses as soon as the money arrives," Hershfield says. "It can be easy to view a tax refund as extra money, which leads many to forget the importance of strategic financial planning."</p><p>To ensure you make the most out of your tax refund, approach it with a clear purpose in mind. Evaluate your financial situation and goals, and make purchases that align with your long-term objectives. Whether it's saving, investing, or paying off debt, prioritize thoughtful decision-making by keeping your long-term financial goals in mind.&nbsp;</p><h2>Leverage tax refunds into long-term financial goals</h2><h3>Create a plan</h3><p>Start by creating a comprehensive financial plan for your refund, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/money/how-to-make-a-minimally-viable-budget" target="_blank">tailored to your individual goals</a> and values. A good way to do this is by creating a daily, weekly, and monthly budget. Hershfield recommends following the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-set-up-a-50-20-30-budget-1843889336" target="_blank">50/20/30</a> rule to help you manage your finances effectively.  Here&rsquo;s how it breaks down, in broad strokes:</p><ul><li><p>50% of your monthly spending goes toward essentials. Your home, your transportation, your food, etc.</p></li><li><p>20% of your monthly spending goes toward savings goals. You can also group debt payments into this category, since paying down debt helps you build savings later.</p></li><li><p>30% of your monthly spending goes toward everything else. That might include your gym membership, travel, gifts, and dining out.</p></li></ul><p>Unfortunately, there&rsquo;s no one magic spreadsheet out there. It may take some trial and error to find one that makes sense for your personal situation. Here&rsquo;s <a href="https://lifehacker.com/you-really-do-need-a-budget-1843440246" target=""><u>our guide</u></a> to getting your budget started, and be sure to check out <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-best-budgeting-apps-based-on-your-savings-goals-1850419365" target="_blank">some of the best budgeting apps based on your savings goals</a>.</p><h3>Pay down high-interest debt</h3><p>If one of your goals is <a href="https://lifehacker.com/money/debt-avalanche-or-debt-snowball-method-to-pay-off-debt" target="_blank">paying down high-interest debt</a>, prioritize directing your tax refund toward the debts with the highest interest rates and fees first. This approach will lead to significant long-term debt reduction and financial freedom.</p><h3>Prioritize savings </h3><p>After directing money to paying down debt, turn to your savings goals. Whether it's building an emergency fund, saving for a vacation, or planning for retirement, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/all-the-different-saving-accounts-you-need-1850122921" target="_blank">having specific goals</a> will give your savings a purpose.&nbsp;</p><h2>Smart saving and budgeting tips</h2><p>After making a plan for this tax refund specifically, remember to abide by certain saving and spending habits year-round.</p><h3>Avoid lifestyle creep</h3><p>Avoid <a href="https://lifehacker.com/beware-the-costs-of-lifestyle-creep-1849672721" target="_blank">the urge to increase your spending</a> when you receive your tax refund. Instead, focus on using the money wisely to improve your financial situation and achieve your long-term goals.</p><h3>Monitor your spending</h3><p>Apps like <a href="https://www.youneedabudget.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>YNAB</u></a> and <a href="https://goodbudget.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Goodbudget</u></a> (RIP Mint!) can help you create a budget, track your spending, and set money saving goals. The visualization and notifications they provide can keep you focused and motivated. Again, I recommend checking out the best budgeting apps based on <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-best-budgeting-apps-based-on-your-savings-goals-1850419365" target="_blank"><u>what kind of saver</u></a> or <a href="https://lifehacker.com/the-best-budgeting-apps-based-on-what-kind-of-spender-y-1849375309" target="_blank"><u>spender you are</u></a>. Choose the one that makes it easiest for you to see exactly where your money is going, so you can identify areas where you can cut back.</p><h3>Set a spending limit and stick to it</h3><p>There are plenty of budgeting spreadsheets and resources online, not to mention apps, that can help you organize where you allocate your tax refund.&nbsp;Here are some great accounting tools to try:</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://quicken.sjv.io/c/10098/860094/11856?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quicken.com%2Flp%2Faff%2Fsimplifi-vs-mint%2F&amp;subId1=TRACKING_CODE" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Quicken Simplifi</a> ($2 per month)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.rocketmoney.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">RocketMoney</a> ($3 per month)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-3211374-10545495?url=https%3A%2F%2Fquickbooks.intuit.com%2F&amp;sid=TRACKING_CODE" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Intuit QuickBooks Online</a> ($15 per month)</p></li></ul><p>Of course, you should allow yourself to spend some of the money enhancing your life and bringing joy. Just set a reasonable budget for non-essential, quality-of-life spending. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  3663.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/money/how-to-make-most-of-your-tax-refund</link>
  3664.      <dc:creator>Meredith Dietz</dc:creator>
  3665.      <category><![CDATA[Taxes]]></category>
  3666.    </item>
  3667.    <item>
  3668.      <title>My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Google Security Cameras</title>
  3669.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW39K70P6EETXK4R95XJR829</guid>
  3670.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3671.      <description>These Google security cameras and doorbells are up to $80 off.</description>
  3672.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW39K70P6EETXK4R95XJR829/hero-image.png"/>
  3673.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you already have a Google ecosystem at home and like the voice-activated Google Assistant or have a <a href="https://zdcs.link/ZBx1D?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Nest%20Hub&amp;short_url=ZBx1D&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Nest Hub</a> to control your smart devices, the Google cameras will sync in seamlessly into your home. Google cameras do require a subscription to unlock all of their features, but you still get their basic features subscription-free. Right now, <a href="https://zdcs.link/q7g4p?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Amazon%20has%20a%20sale%20on%20four%20Google%20security%20cameras&amp;short_url=q7g4p&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Amazon has a sale on four Google security cameras</a> for up to $80 off. This sale is my favorite Amazon deal of the day and is perfect for people who want to stay within the Google ecosystem. </p><h2>Google Nest Doorbell</h2><p>The wireless <a href="https://zdcs.link/x387Y?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Google%20Nest%20Doorbell&amp;short_url=x387Y&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Google Nest Doorbell</a> is the classic video doorbell. This one is battery powered, so the installation is as easy as setting up the bracket on your wall and clipping the camera to it. The trade-off is that you'll need to recharge the camera every two and a half months, approximately (depending on your use). The battery version doesn't connect to your chime since it is wireless, so you'll depend on phone notifications (or Google Home speakers if you have them). The Nest Doorbell got a <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/nest-doorbell-battery" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">"good" review from PCMag,</a> and you can read more about its specs there. You can get one for <strong>$129.99</strong> (originally $179.99), which is its second lowest price according to price-checking tools.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3674.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB09HXKRZSZ&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Google+Nest+Doorbell+%28Battery%29+-+Wireless+Doorbell+Camera+-720p+Video+Doorbell+-+Ivy%2C+1-Count+%28Pack+of+1%29&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;product_uuid=00X7tUmQjvs8Y0Wxmfae1XP&amp;offer_uuid=04ErYAeJ6p9SQn8hRSY6Mw7&amp;object_type=04ErYAeJ6p9SQn8hRSY6Mw7&amp;object_uuid=00X7tUmQjvs8Y0Wxmfae1XP" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) - Wireless Doorbell Camera -720p Video Doorbell - Ivy, 1-Count (Pack of 1)">
  3675.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3676.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3677.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) - Wireless Doorbell Camera -720p Video Doorbell - Ivy, 1-Count (Pack of 1)
  3678.                </div>
  3679.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">Wireless Doorbell Camera - 720p Video Doorbell - Linen, Wi-Fi, Portable
  3680.                    </div>
  3681.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3682.                                            <div class="self-end">
  3683.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3684.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3685.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$129.99</span>
  3686.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3687.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3688.            </div>
  3689.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3690.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$179.99</span>
  3691.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $50.00</span>
  3692.        </div>
  3693.    </div>
  3694.                            </div>
  3695.                        </div>
  3696.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  3697.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  3698.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3699.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3700.    </div>
  3701. </div>
  3702.                        </div>
  3703.                                    </div>
  3704.            </div>
  3705.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3706.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/00X7tUmQjvs8Y0Wxmfae1XP/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1710453127.jpg" alt="Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) - Wireless Doorbell Camera -720p Video Doorbell - Ivy, 1-Count (Pack of 1)" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  3707.                            </div>
  3708.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3709.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/00X7tUmQjvs8Y0Wxmfae1XP/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1710453127.jpg" alt="Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) - Wireless Doorbell Camera -720p Video Doorbell - Ivy, 1-Count (Pack of 1)" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  3710.                            </div>
  3711.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3712.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  3713.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  3714.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3715.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3716.    </div>
  3717. </div>
  3718.                    </div>
  3719.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  3720.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3721.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3722.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$129.99</span>
  3723.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3724.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3725.            </div>
  3726.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3727.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$179.99</span>
  3728.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $50.00</span>
  3729.        </div>
  3730.    </div>
  3731.                    </div>
  3732.                            </div>
  3733.        </div>
  3734. </a></div>
  3735. <h2>Google Nest Security Cam</h2><p>If you need an indoor camera, the wired <a href="https://zdcs.link/6YObZ?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Google%20Nest%20Security%20Cam&amp;short_url=6YObZ&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Google Nest Security Cam</a> is on sale for <strong>$69.99</strong> (originally $99.99), the lowest price this camera has been, according to price-checking tools. This camera gives you a three-hour video event history and one-hour local backup storage as long as one hour in case your wifi goes out. It shoots 1080p HDR video, has night vision, can recognize faces (if you pay for the subscription), and has dual-band wifi connectivity. This indoor-only camera got an <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/google-nest-cam-indoor-wired" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">"excellent" review from PCMag</a>.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3736.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F6YObZ&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Google+Nest+Security+Cam&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F6YObZ" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Google Nest Security Cam">
  3737.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3738.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3739.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Google Nest Security Cam
  3740.                </div>
  3741.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">Linen, 1080p, Motion Only
  3742.                    </div>
  3743.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3744.                                            <div class="self-end">
  3745.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3746.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3747.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$69.99</span>
  3748.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3749.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3750.            </div>
  3751.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3752.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$99.99</span>
  3753.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $30.00</span>
  3754.        </div>
  3755.    </div>
  3756.                            </div>
  3757.                        </div>
  3758.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  3759.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  3760.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3761.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3762.    </div>
  3763. </div>
  3764.                        </div>
  3765.                                    </div>
  3766.            </div>
  3767.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3768.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW39K70P6EETXK4R95XJR829/images-2.fill.size_245x213.v1713803083.jpg" alt="Google Nest Security Cam" width="245" height="213" loading="lazy">
  3769.                            </div>
  3770.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3771.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW39K70P6EETXK4R95XJR829/images-2.fill.size_245x213.v1713803083.jpg" alt="Google Nest Security Cam" width="245" height="213" loading="lazy">
  3772.                            </div>
  3773.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3774.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  3775.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  3776.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3777.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3778.    </div>
  3779. </div>
  3780.                    </div>
  3781.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  3782.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3783.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3784.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$69.99</span>
  3785.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3786.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3787.            </div>
  3788.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3789.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$99.99</span>
  3790.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $30.00</span>
  3791.        </div>
  3792.    </div>
  3793.                    </div>
  3794.                            </div>
  3795.        </div>
  3796. </a></div>
  3797. <h2>Google Nest Cam with Floodlight</h2><p>For those looking for a security camera with lights, the <a href="https://zdcs.link/WqKwN?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Google%20Nest%20Cam%20with%20Floodlight&amp;short_url=WqKwN&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Google Nest Cam with Floodlight</a> is available for <strong>$199.99</strong> (originally $279.99) after an $80 discount. The floodlight camera is bright, with two dimmable 2,400-lumen LED white lamps of 4,000K. It received a <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/google-nest-cam-with-floodlight-wired" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">"good" review from PCMag</a> because it records in 1080p video and responds to Google Assistant voice commands. The ability to have voice commands is what sets this floodlight camera apart from most of the competition, and if you like having the Google system in your home, it's your only option. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3798.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FWqKwN&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Google+Nest+Cam+with+Floodlight&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FWqKwN" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Google Nest Cam with Floodlight">
  3799.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3800.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3801.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Google Nest Cam with Floodlight
  3802.                </div>
  3803.                                    <div class="mt-2 block font-sans text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-gray-900 md:mx-0 md:mt-2">Outdoor Camera - Floodlight Security Camera
  3804.                    </div>
  3805.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3806.                                            <div class="self-end">
  3807.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3808.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3809.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$199.99</span>
  3810.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3811.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3812.            </div>
  3813.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3814.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$279.99</span>
  3815.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $80.00</span>
  3816.        </div>
  3817.    </div>
  3818.                            </div>
  3819.                        </div>
  3820.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  3821.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  3822.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3823.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3824.    </div>
  3825. </div>
  3826.                        </div>
  3827.                                    </div>
  3828.            </div>
  3829.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3830.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW39K70P6EETXK4R95XJR829/images-3.fill.size_245x166.v1713803083.jpg" alt="Google Nest Cam with Floodlight" width="245" height="166" loading="lazy">
  3831.                            </div>
  3832.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3833.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW39K70P6EETXK4R95XJR829/images-3.fill.size_245x166.v1713803083.jpg" alt="Google Nest Cam with Floodlight" width="245" height="166" loading="lazy">
  3834.                            </div>
  3835.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3836.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  3837.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  3838.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3839.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3840.    </div>
  3841. </div>
  3842.                    </div>
  3843.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  3844.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3845.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3846.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$199.99</span>
  3847.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3848.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3849.            </div>
  3850.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3851.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$279.99</span>
  3852.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $80.00</span>
  3853.        </div>
  3854.    </div>
  3855.                    </div>
  3856.                            </div>
  3857.        </div>
  3858. </a></div>
  3859. <h2>Google Nest Cam</h2><p>The indoor or outdoor <a href="https://zdcs.link/DZD3R?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Google%20Nest%20Cam&amp;short_url=DZD3R&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Google Nest Cam</a> is essentially the Google Nest Cam with Floodlight, only without the light&mdash;and it's battery-powered. You can get it for <strong>$129.99</strong> (originally $179.99). The camera features two-way audio, records in 1080p resolution, has night vision and a 130-degree field of view. You can read more about it from PCMag's <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/google-nest-cam-outdoor-or-indoor-battery" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">"excellent" review</a>.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3860.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FDZD3R&amp;template=Deals&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Google+Nest+Cam&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FDZD3R" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Google Nest Cam">
  3861.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3862.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3863.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Google Nest Cam
  3864.                </div>
  3865.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3866.                                            <div class="self-end">
  3867.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3868.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3869.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$129.99</span>
  3870.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3871.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3872.            </div>
  3873.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3874.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$179.99</span>
  3875.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $50.00</span>
  3876.        </div>
  3877.    </div>
  3878.                            </div>
  3879.                        </div>
  3880.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  3881.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  3882.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3883.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3884.    </div>
  3885. </div>
  3886.                        </div>
  3887.                                    </div>
  3888.            </div>
  3889.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3890.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW39K70P6EETXK4R95XJR829/images-4.fill.size_245x177.v1713803083.jpg" alt="Google Nest Cam" width="245" height="177" loading="lazy">
  3891.                            </div>
  3892.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3893.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW39K70P6EETXK4R95XJR829/images-4.fill.size_245x177.v1713803083.jpg" alt="Google Nest Cam" width="245" height="177" loading="lazy">
  3894.                            </div>
  3895.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3896.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  3897.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  3898.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3899.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3900.    </div>
  3901. </div>
  3902.                    </div>
  3903.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  3904.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3905.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3906.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$129.99</span>
  3907.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3908.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3909.            </div>
  3910.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3911.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$179.99</span>
  3912.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $50.00</span>
  3913.        </div>
  3914.    </div>
  3915.                    </div>
  3916.                            </div>
  3917.        </div>
  3918. </a></div>]]></content:encoded>
  3919.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/my-favorite-amazon-deal-of-the-day-google-security-cameras</link>
  3920.      <dc:creator>Daniel Oropeza</dc:creator>
  3921.      <category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
  3922.    </item>
  3923.    <item>
  3924.      <title>You Can Borrow Money From Yourself With a 'Passbook Loan'</title>
  3925.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW399ZNGC6X39FCD2ND82SYX</guid>
  3926.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3927.      <description>Yes, you can use your savings account money without losing it.</description>
  3928.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW399ZNGC6X39FCD2ND82SYX/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3929.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As most of us learn once we become adults, money has a weird habit of vanishing almost magically. We employ a wide range of psychological <a href="https://lifehacker.com/save-money-using-these-behavioral-finance-tricks-1823767864" target="_blank">tricks</a> to stop ourselves from just YOLOing that cash out into the universe, and sometimes those tricks actually work and we manage to put together a <a href="https://lifehacker.com/yes-you-can-have-too-much-money-in-a-savings-account-1850999287" target="_blank">tidy sum in a savings account</a>. The average American, in fact, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/money/average-american-savings" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">has more than $60,000</a> in savings (not counting retirement accounts)&mdash;although that number is a little deceptive, as the <em>median</em> average amount of savings is just $8,000, meaning half of Americans have less than $8,000 in savings. If you&rsquo;re like most Americans, though, eight grand (or even significantly less than eight grand) is still a lot of money&mdash;and it&rsquo;s <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-grow-an-emergency-fund-from-modest-savings-1638409351" target="_blank">not easy to save it</a>.</p><p>That&rsquo;s why sudden, large expenses are so tragic&mdash;you&rsquo;ve put so much effort into building up your savings, and now a roof repair, car repair, or medical bill is going to wipe all those savings away. It can be demoralizing to see your savings vanish into the void&mdash;plus, if you have to use everything you have to pay a big bill, you're left with no emergency fund. Luckily, if you have savings there&rsquo;s another option worth considering: a passbook loan.</p><h2>Borrowing from yourself</h2><p>A passbook loan (aka a savings pledged loan) is a loan secured by your own money. With a passbook loan, your bank freezes the portion of money you&rsquo;re borrowing, but leaves it in your savings account. Then you pay the loan back as with any other loan, and as you do so the bank releases your savings back to you. You&rsquo;re essentially paying to borrow money from yourself.</p><p>For example, let&rsquo;s say you have $5,000 in your savings account, and you need to repair your roof (<a href="https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/roofing/roof-repair-cost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">average cost: $1,150</a>). You can take the money from savings and pay the repair bill, but then you would simply lose that money. Or you could charge the repair to a credit card and keep your savings intact&mdash;but wind up paying high interest on the loan. Instead, you can take out a passbook loan. The bank freezes $1,150 of your savings, and as you pay the loan back that money becomes accessible again.</p><h2>Benefits</h2><p>Borrowing from yourself&mdash;and paying for the privilege&mdash;might not seem like such a hack at first blush. If you simply pay the bill from your savings, you avoid paying interest on top of it. But there are several reasons why a passbook loan can make a lot of sense:</p><ul><li><p><strong>You keep your savings.</strong> It&rsquo;s not easy building up savings. If you have a nice little nest egg, depleting it to pay a bill is depressing&mdash;and there&rsquo;s no guarantee you&rsquo;ll be able to save that amount ever again.</p></li><li><p><strong>The interest is low.</strong> Because a passbook loan is secured against the money you already have in your account, you typically get a really great interest rate&mdash;often <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/passbook-loans-paying-borrow-own-045546276.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">as low as 2%</a>. It will definitely be cheaper than a personal loan or a credit card (unless you can get a 0% deal, although those <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/pros-cons-of-zero-percent-apr-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">have their drawbacks</a> as well).</p></li><li><p><strong>The paperwork is minimal.</strong> Because you&rsquo;re a customer of the bank, passbook loans are usually easy to arrange, without all the fees and red tape that personal loans incur.</p></li><li><p><strong>You're still earning interest.</strong> The money you borrow is frozen in your account, meaning you can&rsquo;t access it until you pay back the loan. But it will still earn interest, which helps to both keep your savings plan on track and defray the overall cost of the loan&mdash;at least you&rsquo;ll be getting <em>some</em> money back.</p></li><li><p><strong>You build credit.</strong> If you have a poor credit score, a passbook loan is a good way to <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/passbook-savings-loans-are-secured-by-savings-cd-balances" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">build your credit</a> because it is similar to a secured credit card. Your credit score won&rsquo;t matter because you&rsquo;re securing the loan with money the bank already has, so there&rsquo;s zero risk to them, but paying it back on time will probably improve your credit score. Not all banks report passbook loans to credit bureaus, though, so this is something you should check on before assuming anything.</p></li></ul><p>If you can&rsquo;t get a loan from other sources because of your credit history, a passbook loan might be your best&mdash;and possibly only&mdash;option to avoid draining your savings to cover an unexpected expense.</p><p>Setting up a passbook loan is pretty simple. All you need is a savings account or certificate of deposit (CD) account with sufficient funds to cover the loan amount. Most banks will loan you <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-loans/passbook-loan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">up to 90%</a> (or even 100%) of your account balance as a passbook loan, and often they have flexible payback terms that allow for pre-payment, so you can get the loan taken care of as quickly as possible.</p><h2>Drawbacks</h2><p>A passbook loan might not be ideal for everyone. There are some downsides to consider:</p><ul><li><p>The amount of money you can borrow is limited by how much you have in a savings account or CD. If you don&rsquo;t have enough in your savings account to secure a loan of the required amount, you will need to look for other loan options.</p></li><li><p>If you borrow a big portion of your savings, you lose access to that money. If another emergency expense comes up you won&rsquo;t be able to use your savings to pay it, which might push you into an additional (and possibly more predatory) loan.</p></li><li><p>If you default on the loan, you don&rsquo;t just suffer a lower credit score and a growing debt&mdash;you will literally lose the savings you used to secure the loan.</p></li><li><p>Even though interest rates on passbook loans are low, it will still cost more than simply paying the bill with your savings.</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
  3930.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/money/borrow-money-from-yourself-passbook-loan</link>
  3931.      <dc:creator>Jeff Somers</dc:creator>
  3932.      <category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category>
  3933.    </item>
  3934.    <item>
  3935.      <title>The Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan Is Smart but Entirely Too Big</title>
  3936.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW2Y81YY739GEXCMH9B9KHZX</guid>
  3937.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 15:30:35 +0000</pubDate>
  3938.      <description>While an effective air purifier for smaller spaces (and a nice, breezy fan), the tower is simply too large for the space it's recommended for.</description>
  3939.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2Y81YY739GEXCMH9B9KHZX/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3940.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>An air purifier can dramatically improve the air quality in your home, reducing allergens and dust&mdash;assuming it is the right size for your space and you change the filters often enough. And smart air purifiers should have two big benefits over traditional dumb purifiers: They can tell you precisely when to change the filters, and they can tell you precisely what&rsquo;s being pulled out of the air. The <a href="https://zdcs.link/XB3Zp?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Dreo%20Air%20Purifier%20Tower%20Fan&amp;short_url=XB3Zp&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan</u></a> ($269.98), like the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/dyson-hot-cold-gen1-air-purifier-review-1850948670" target="_blank"><u>Dyson Hot+Cool</u></a> I reviewed last year, tries to do everything an air purifier should do while <em>also</em> being a fan<strong>. </strong>And while all the features on the Dreo work well enough, I&rsquo;m reluctant to recommend it based on two factors: size and value.</p><h2>The Dreo is large, but the app is easy to use</h2><p>The Dreo stands at nearly four feet tall, with a silver fin and a spinning tower. It&rsquo;s not unattractive, it&rsquo;s just imposing. Air purifiers work best, as fans do, in the middle of the room, but you won't want to plop this down in the middle of your living room&mdash;and it&rsquo;s not just large, it&rsquo;s also heavy, weighing in at nearly 18 pounds. (More on that later.) It required no assembly, though; it was ready to go once I pulled the plastic off. At that point, I simply plugged it in and paired it with the Dreo app&mdash;and the pairing process was flawless. Additionally, you can add Dreo devices to your Alexa or Google Home hub. While a lot of newer products use Matter to bridge products to HomeKit, Dreo is not HomeKit-compatible at this time. (I did find <a href="https://github.com/zyonse/homebridge-dreo" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">some suggestions online</a> for workarounds to get Dreo working with HomeKit, but I haven't tested them out.)</p><p>The interface of Dreo's app uses a lot of white space, and it doesn&rsquo;t attempt to do too much: It simply tells you the air quality, the temperature, and how much filter life you have left. You can view the data over the last twenty four hours or thirty days. The app lets you set up schedules and turn the tower on and off by activating the fan, the purifier, or both.</p><p>With products like this, it sometimes feels silly or unnecessary to have the additional smart functions, but the ability to turn a purifier on and off remotely from another room, or even away from the house does have some benefits. Yes, you could use them in an automation to respond when the air quality goes over a certain threshold, but being able to turn them on and off remotely means you don't have to go into the space where the purifier is working&mdash;and it means you don't have to keep track of all those tiny remote controls. This is a real advantage over the (non-smart) <a href="https://lifehacker.com/dyson-hot-cold-gen1-air-purifier-review-1850948670" target="_blank">Dyson Hot+Cool</a>, because there are a few features that can only be activated by the remote, rather than the buttons on the face.  </p><p>The second reason a smart app proves its worth is that it reports back on when to replace the filter. Generally, the rule on purifiers is to replace them every six months, but that is just an estimate. If it's been particularly smokey or dusty, the filters see more use; if it has been clear, you might be replacing them too early. I was a little horrified to see my filters at 75% after only a month of use, which means I'd be replacing them far too infrequently. (The <a href="https://zdcs.link/1Xxy8?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=filters&amp;short_url=1Xxy8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">filters</a> for the Dreo, by the way, run about $39.99.)</p><h2>Where the app falls short</h2><p>Here&rsquo;s where the app fails this purifier: Dreo only offers a very basic ug/m3 measurement, which is a common way to express how polluted the air is. As I write this, the Dreo is reporting 10 ug/m3, which it considers &ldquo;excellent.&rdquo; This means there is ten micrograms of pollutant per cubic meter of air in the room. What it <em>doesn&rsquo;t</em> do is tell you what makes up that pollutant. In comparison, the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/dyson-hot-cold-gen1-air-purifier-review-1850948670" target="_blank">Dyson Hot+Cool</a> isn&rsquo;t smart, by which I mean you can&rsquo;t do much with the app&mdash;you control it via the buttons on the face or a small remote you will probably lose (at least I did). But the Dyson reports on the face of the machine what actually makes up the pollutants it filters, such as gases, particulates, and VOCs. I didn&rsquo;t consider this an important feature on the Dyson until the Dreo was missing it. </p><p>One evening, for example, the Dreo app reported &ldquo;poor&rdquo; air quality in the room when the up/m3 spiked to 270. I&rsquo;d like to dig into why it did so, but without that additional information about what the Dreo was pulling out of the air, I can only speculate it was related to the dinner I was cooking in the room next door.&nbsp;However, you can glean some additional information from the PM rating it delivers, which refers to particulate size (particulate material, specifically). I placed the purifier in my office because I was doing drywall work in there, and I was able to watch the purifier bring the PM down significantly from the time I turned it on to a few hours later, and I could even observe how much cleaner the air was after. </p><h2>It has a quiet fan that feels like a real breeze</h2><p>I&rsquo;ve been playing with a few new Dreo products, and one of the aspects I really enjoy is the quality of the breeze the fan produces; it feels less like a fan and more like a genuine breeze. This is likely due to the dual motors powering the Dreo fan, which is also very quiet, even at max fan and purifier settings. Dreo reports that the tower maxes out at 38 Db, and I was never able to measure it going higher, but in sleep mode, it goes down to 25Db. </p><p>One thing in particular I liked about the Dreo fan interface is that you can adjust the strength from 1 to 10 with a slider, and it doesn&rsquo;t jump in power, but softly rolls to the next setting. There&rsquo;s a sleep feature in case you won&rsquo;t be intimidated by this behemoth in the bedroom, or you can set it to auto to cycle on and off on its own. The tower can oscillate up to 120 degrees.&nbsp;</p><h2>Is the size of Dreo justified? </h2><p>I found myself staring at the Dreo often over the last few weeks, trying to figure out where it would fit in. A dentist's office, maybe, or a classroom&mdash;large spaces where large appliances wouldn't be conspicuous and the design might feel industrial and cool. But this is where the main issue I have with Dreo became evident: When dealing with purifiers, you want one that is meant for the size of the room you're using it in. This is important because a purifier basically exchanges the air in the room, and you want that to happen often enough that it's meaningful for the people who move in the space. A small purifier would <em>eventually</em> clean the air in a whole house, but it would take a lot longer than it does to clear the air in a single room. If there's a wildfire nearby and smoke is a big problem, you want the right size purifier for the space you have to turn the air over every thirty minutes or less. </p><p>The Dreo didn't advertise a suggested room size for this purifier, so I asked them directly, and their response was "150-300 square feet."  I sought clarification because there's a big difference between 150 and 300 square feet, and in either case, that is an incredibly small amount of square footage for a purifier of this size. I have five purifiers in my home from companies like Medify, and they are effective for larger spaces in a vastly compacted size; but those are just purifiers (not fans), so perhaps it's an unfair comparison. The Dyson is made for a space at the top end of that equation (290 square feet), but it does so at a third the footprint, all while having a heater on board, too.  Both the Dreo and Dyson filter down to .03 microns, which is an average size for purifiers, although some like Medify filter down to .01 micron, which is important for virus control. </p><h2>The Dreo is fine, but you can do better</h2><p>The Dreo works just fine. The fan is breezy, the air purifier clearly pulls particulates out of the air, and <a href="https://zdcs.link/XB3Zp?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=the%20price%20isn%27t%20bad&amp;short_url=XB3Zp&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">the price isn't bad</a> at $269.98.  But you simply can't overlook the size of the unit; it is a major obstacle for being functional in a home. It feels like an appliance meant for a more industrial space, but it's not built to handle that type of square footage. While the Dyson Pure line is generally more expensive, for less than $100 more, you can grab a<a href="https://zdcs.link/NxYKD?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Dyson%20Pure%20Cool%20Gen%201&amp;short_url=NxYKD&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"> Dyson Pure Cool Gen 1 </a>($365), which is just the fan and purifier. If you've got the money to spare, though, for $749 you can get a <a href="https://zdcs.link/DZDJg?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Reviews&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Dyson%20Hot%2BCool&amp;short_url=DZDJg&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)">Dyson Hot+Cool</a>, which I get a lot of use of year-round, since it functions as a room heater, fan, and purifier all in one. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  3941.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/dreo-air-purifier-tower-fan-review</link>
  3942.      <dc:creator>Amanda Blum</dc:creator>
  3943.      <category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
  3944.    </item>
  3945.    <item>
  3946.      <title>The Five Types of Tools You'll Need for Your Off-grid Adventures</title>
  3947.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW296J05DJVNCBRFGEX4XGP0</guid>
  3948.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3949.      <description>Go camping and hiking safely with the right equipment.</description>
  3950.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW296J05DJVNCBRFGEX4XGP0/hero-image.jpg"/>
  3951.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&rsquo;re planning on embarking on some adventures this season, owning the right gear can make all the difference. In remote locations, having a good light source, ways to navigate, gadgets that can help make chores easier, and the necessary emergency equipment can be the difference between a great trip and a disaster. Plus, some of these just make your time away more fun&mdash;and you&rsquo;re allowed to have fun while you&rsquo;re exploring. </p><h2>Light sources</h2><p>Having a light source handy when you&rsquo;re off the beaten path is always wise, but without access to traditional chargers, this can be tricky. A hand crank lantern like <a href="https://zdcs.link/KKVbD?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20600%20lumen%20one&amp;short_url=KKVbD&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this 600 lumen one</u></a> from Goal Zero will allow you to have a light source even without access to sunlight for charging. You can charge the battery by plugging it in and by using a portable solar charger as well if you choose. For a less bright but slightly more versatile option, you can use a lantern that combines solar charging with hand crank charging and will double as a cell phone charger, like <a href="https://zdcs.link/pGMRg?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20200%20lumen%20lantern%20from&amp;short_url=pGMRg&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this 200 lumen lantern from</u></a> Mesqool. For a simpler option, you can opt for a compact flashlight with solar and hand crank charging options like <a href="https://zdcs.link/3v7XR?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20set%20of%20two%20flashlights&amp;short_url=3v7XR&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this set of two flashlights</u></a> from Simpeak. While flashlights have a more limited beam spread than lanterns, they can serve as a more portable option for hikes or emergency kits.</p><h2>Firewood tools</h2><p>If you&rsquo;re in a place where cutting your own firewood is an option, a battery-powered chainsaw can be a big help. Ryobi makes a <a href="https://zdcs.link/G1Mo8?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=cordless%2018-volt%20chainsaw&amp;short_url=G1Mo8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>cordless 18-volt chainsaw</u></a> that can help you quickly tackle branches for firewood. For splitting wood, you can put down your ax if you have a good log splitter, like <a href="https://zdcs.link/7X5YG?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20one&amp;short_url=7X5YG&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this one</u></a> from Speed Force. It&rsquo;s relatively small, but not portable enough for long hikes. If you plan to be at a remote location for an extended period, you can opt for a <a href="https://zdcs.link/jPZwp?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Ryobi%2040%20volt%20log%20splitter&amp;short_url=jPZwp&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Ryobi 40 volt log splitter</u></a> that will mechanically split your wood for you. This machine and the battery can cost around $1,000, so it&rsquo;s not a tool for weekenders, but if you have a longer off-grid adventure planned, it can save you some precious time and energy.</p><h2></h2><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  3952.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F7X5YG&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=SPEED+FORCE+Kindling+Splitter&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F7X5YG" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="SPEED FORCE Kindling Splitter">
  3953.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  3954.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  3955.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">SPEED FORCE Kindling Splitter
  3956.                </div>
  3957.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  3958.                                            <div class="self-end">
  3959.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3960.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3961.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$15.99</span>
  3962.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  3963.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  3964.            </div>
  3965.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  3966.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$19.99</span>
  3967.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $4.00</span>
  3968.        </div>
  3969.    </div>
  3970.                            </div>
  3971.                        </div>
  3972.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  3973.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
  3974.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3975.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3976.    </div>
  3977. </div>
  3978.                        </div>
  3979.                                    </div>
  3980.            </div>
  3981.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  3982.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW296J05DJVNCBRFGEX4XGP0/images-1.fill.size_245x218.v1713793834.jpg" alt="SPEED FORCE Kindling Splitter" width="245" height="218" loading="lazy">
  3983.                            </div>
  3984.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  3985.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW296J05DJVNCBRFGEX4XGP0/images-1.fill.size_245x218.v1713793834.jpg" alt="SPEED FORCE Kindling Splitter" width="245" height="218" loading="lazy">
  3986.                            </div>
  3987.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  3988.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  3989.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  3990.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  3991.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  3992.    </div>
  3993. </div>
  3994.                    </div>
  3995.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  3996.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  3997.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  3998.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$15.99</span>
  3999.                    <span class="text-sm font-medium md:text-xs"> at Amazon</span>
  4000.                            <img class="mx-auto mt-0 inline" src="/images/amazon-prime.svg" title="Amazon Prime" alt="Amazon Prime" width="42" height="15">
  4001.            </div>
  4002.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  4003.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$19.99</span>
  4004.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $4.00</span>
  4005.        </div>
  4006.    </div>
  4007.                    </div>
  4008.                            </div>
  4009.        </div>
  4010. </a></div>
  4011. <h2>Portable solar chargers</h2><p>For charging your cordless tools on the go, a six-pound, foldable <a href="https://zdcs.link/wKYZb?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Ryobi%20solar%20panel&amp;short_url=wKYZb&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Ryobi solar panel</u></a> is a good choice because it&rsquo;s compact, light, and versatile. You&rsquo;ll need a <a href="https://zdcs.link/2mGDE?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=power%20source&amp;short_url=2mGDE&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>power source</u></a> to charge tools with it, but you can charge cell phones and other devices straight from the panel. For charging devices, the <a href="https://zdcs.link/OG81n?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=FlexSolar%2010%20watt%20foldable%20panel&amp;short_url=OG81n&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>FlexSolar 10 watt foldable panel</u></a> can come in handy because of its compact size and resistance to dust and moisture. Your cell phone and other smaller devices can be plugged directly into this solar panel, or you can use a power bank to save up a charge for when it&rsquo;s dark outside.</p><h2>Hand tools</h2><p>For off-grid adventures, having a good knife is important for cutting food and all manner of other incidental items. For a lightweight option, <a href="https://zdcs.link/5q205?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20fold-out%20combination%20knife&amp;short_url=5q205&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this fold-out combination knife</u></a> and rope/seatbelt cutter knife from Good Worker is small and multi-functional. It has a smooth and serrated blade surface for different types of cuts. For campsite cooking, a <a href="https://zdcs.link/6YOB3?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Gerber%20Gear%20Quadrant%20plain%20blade%20knife&amp;short_url=6YOB3&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Gerber Gear Quadrant plain blade knife</u></a> is a good option; it collapses for safety and space conservation and comes with a lifetime warranty. If you&rsquo;re not bringing a vehicle on your adventure, a hatchet like this one from <a href="https://zdcs.link/pGMRv?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=7th%20Science%20Gear&amp;short_url=pGMRv&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>7th Science Gear</u></a> is a good alternative to battery-powered saws for collecting firewood. It&rsquo;s small enough to be portable, but big enough at 15 inches to allow you room for a healthy swing when you&rsquo;re chopping wood.</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  4012.    <div>
  4013.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  4014.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  4015.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">
  4016.                </div>
  4017.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  4018.                                    </div>
  4019.            </div>
  4020.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  4021.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/069DDkO7q5BSsvRcsAQclnq/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707285062.jpg" alt="7th Science Gear Camping Hatchet with Sheath" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  4022.                            </div>
  4023.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  4024.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/069DDkO7q5BSsvRcsAQclnq/hero-image.fill.size_245x245.v1707285062.jpg" alt="7th Science Gear Camping Hatchet with Sheath" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  4025.                            </div>
  4026.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  4027.                            </div>
  4028.        </div>
  4029. </div></div>
  4030. <h2>Emergency gear</h2><p>When you&rsquo;re out having your adventures, you should always be prepared for the worst. Having a well-stocked emergency kit will give you peace of mind and can save your life as well. Kits like <a href="https://zdcs.link/KKVbE?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20one&amp;short_url=KKVbE&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this one</u></a> from the American Red Cross are a good call for adventures with enough room for a backpack. Having hand warmers, emergency blankets, first aid supplies, and a noisemaker for if you&rsquo;re lost or stranded are all recommended for those traveling outside of cell phone reception or outside of normal first responders' boundaries. If you&rsquo;re not able to carry such a large pack, you can opt for a well-stocked first aid kit like <a href="https://zdcs.link/3v7XV?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=this%20one&amp;short_url=3v7XV&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>this one</u></a> from Protect Life, but you should supplement it with some other emergency supplies like a <a href="https://zdcs.link/jPZwq?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=whistle&amp;short_url=jPZwq&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>whistle</u></a> and an <a href="https://zdcs.link/G1MoW?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=Roundups&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=emergency%20blanket&amp;short_url=G1MoW&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>emergency blanket</u></a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  4031.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/five-tools-camping-hiking</link>
  4032.      <dc:creator>Becca Lewis</dc:creator>
  4033.      <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  4034.    </item>
  4035.    <item>
  4036.      <title>You Can Get Microsoft Project Pro 2021 on Sale for $20 Right Now</title>
  4037.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HMSQHRNS2G282BAH32EFWGX9</guid>
  4038.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  4039.      <description>Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for PC is on sale for almost 90% off.</description>
  4040.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HMSQHRNS2G282BAH32EFWGX9/hero-image.png"/>
  4041.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/microsoft-project-2021-professional-pc?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsoft-project-2021-professional-pc&amp;utm_term=scsf-594728&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzggIAA&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $19.97 right now</a> (reg. $249). It comes with built-in reports offering easy-to-read information that can help save project managers time and frustration--things like automatically populating begin/end dates, running what-if scenarios, and visually representing complex schedules. It can also sync up with Project Online and Project Server, and Microsoft Project also supports Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) and compatibility with Office LTSC and Office 2021. This offer is available to new users only, though. </p><p>You can get&nbsp;Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/microsoft-project-2021-professional-pc?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsoft-project-2021-professional-pc&amp;utm_term=scsf-594728&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzggIAA&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $19.97 right now</a> (reg. $249) through April 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  4042.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/microsoft-project-pro-sale</link>
  4043.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  4044.      <category><![CDATA[Software]]></category>
  4045.    </item>
  4046.    <item>
  4047.      <title>How Meta AI Compares to ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Google Gemini</title>
  4048.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42</guid>
  4049.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  4050.      <description>Meta AI got a big update last week, adding new capabilities like GIF generation.</description>
  4051.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/hero-image.png"/>
  4052.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last week, Meta released its latest update to <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2024/04/meta-ai-assistant-built-with-llama-3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Meta AI</u></a>, further integrating the chatbot into the company's apps and adding new capabilities like GIF generation. Debuting with Meta AI is <a href="https://ai.meta.com/blog/meta-llama-3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Llama 3</u></a>, the company&rsquo;s latest large language model, and a new <a href="http://Meta.ai" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Meta.ai</u></a><a href="http://meta.ai" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u> website</u></a> for accessing the chatbot outside of Meta&rsquo;s social media apps.</p><p>Llama 3 currently boasts up to 70 billion training parameters, with a version based on 400 billion parameters on the way, so it&rsquo;s certainly a powerful tool. But for the average person, what can it do that other tools like <a href="https://chat.openai.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>ChatGPT</u></a>, <a href="https://www.dall-efree.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>DALL-E</u></a>, and <a href="https://gemini.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Google Gemini</u></a> can&rsquo;t? Here&rsquo;s where you might want to use Meta AI over the competition.</p><h2>Meta AI can generate GIFs</h2><p>While the <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/best-ai-art-generators" target="_blank"><u>most popular image generation AIs</u></a> have up until now been limited to still frames, Meta AI can now automatically animate its images for you. Technically, this was already possible in services like DALL-E, but required the user to prompt a sequence of frames and then stitch them together manually. Meta will now do the in-between work for you, although relying on the AI isn&rsquo;t perfect, as I saw in my testing.</p><p>The process is pretty simple. First, ask the chatbot to generate your image.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4053.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4054.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-1.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713564930.jpg" alt="A Meta AI generated image of a cat chasing a ball of yarn" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-1.fill.size_800x800.v1713564930.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-1.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713564930.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-1.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713564930.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4055.            </div>
  4056.            <div class="mt-2">
  4057.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4058.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4059.                    </div>
  4060.    </div>
  4061. <p>Then, tell it to animate the image to turn it into a GIF. In my testing, telling it to make a GIF straight from the start hasn&rsquo;t worked.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4062.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4063.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-10.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793175.jpg" alt="AI generated image of cat chasing ball of yarn" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-10.fill.size_800x800.v1713793175.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-10.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713793175.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-10.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793175.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4064.            </div>
  4065.            <div class="mt-2">
  4066.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4067.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4068.                    </div>
  4069.    </div>
  4070. <div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4071.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4072.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-11.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793175.jpg" alt="AI generated image of cat chasing ball of yarn" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-11.fill.size_800x800.v1713793175.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-11.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713793175.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-11.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793175.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4073.            </div>
  4074.            <div class="mt-2">
  4075.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4076.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4077.                    </div>
  4078.    </div>
  4079. <div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4080.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4081.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-12.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793175.jpg" alt="AI generated image of cat chasing ball of yarn" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-12.fill.size_800x800.v1713793175.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-12.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713793175.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-12.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793175.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4082.            </div>
  4083.            <div class="mt-2">
  4084.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4085.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4086.                    </div>
  4087.    </div>
  4088. <p>And that&rsquo;s it. The results, though, haven&rsquo;t been foolproof for me. The above example of a cat chasing a ball of yarn worked well enough, but this hummingbird seems to just be hovering in space and stabbing its feeder with its beak.&nbsp;</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4089.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4090.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-13.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793175.jpg" alt="AI generated image of hummingbird" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-13.fill.size_800x800.v1713793175.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-13.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713793175.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-13.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793175.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4091.            </div>
  4092.            <div class="mt-2">
  4093.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4094.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4095.                    </div>
  4096.    </div>
  4097. <div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4098.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4099.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-14.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793176.jpg" alt="AI generated image of hummingbird" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-14.fill.size_800x800.v1713793176.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-14.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713793176.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-14.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793176.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4100.            </div>
  4101.            <div class="mt-2">
  4102.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4103.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4104.                    </div>
  4105.    </div>
  4106. <p>Meanwhile, here&rsquo;s the world&rsquo;s youngest 17-year-old (my prompt just said "child"), amazed by some magical confetti springing up from his birthday cake. (I asked the AI to make a GIF of him blowing the candles out.)</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4107.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4108.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-15.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793176.jpg" alt="AI generated image of a child at a birthday party" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-15.fill.size_800x800.v1713793176.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-15.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713793176.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-15.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793176.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4109.            </div>
  4110.            <div class="mt-2">
  4111.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4112.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4113.                    </div>
  4114.    </div>
  4115. <div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4116.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4117.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-16.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793176.jpg" alt="AI generated image of a child at a birthday party" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-16.fill.size_800x800.v1713793176.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-16.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713793176.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-16.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713793176.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4118.            </div>
  4119.            <div class="mt-2">
  4120.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4121.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4122.                    </div>
  4123.    </div>
  4124. <h2>Meta AI can generate images as you type</h2><p>Also unique to Meta AI is the ability to generate images as you type. Doing so is pretty simple, and while the images suffer from the same dream logic a lot of AI art does, the speed with which they pop up is impressive.</p><p>To generate images as you type, just go to <a href="http://Meta.ai" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Meta.ai</a> (the feature doesn&rsquo;t seem to work on the company&rsquo;s social media apps quite yet, at least in my own testing), start with the &ldquo;imagine&rdquo; command, and begin describing your image. The chatbot will preview a new result for almost every character you type, allowing you to change the prompt as you type to tune it to your liking.</p><p>For instance, when I asked the chatbot to &ldquo;imagine a dog chasing a ball,&rdquo; it showed me a different breed of dog with almost every new character. When I told it to specify &ldquo;imagine a dog chasing a ball down the,&rdquo; it intuited that I wanted the dog to chase the ball down a street. When I specified that the dog itself should be getting chased by clowns, simply adding the word &ldquo;and&rdquo; after &ldquo;chased by clowns&rdquo; added a third clown to the frame.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4125.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4126.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-5.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713564930.jpg" alt="Meta AI generated dog " width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-5.fill.size_800x800.v1713564930.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-5.fill.size_1400x1400.v1713564930.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-5.fill.size_2000x2000.v1713564930.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4127.            </div>
  4128.            <div class="mt-2">
  4129.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4130.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4131.                    </div>
  4132.    </div>
  4133. <p>On its own, it&rsquo;s a dazzling gimmick. I&rsquo;m used to AI art taking a few seconds to generate each individual frame, and this instead seems to push out the art in real time. But what takes it beyond gimmick territory is that pressing &ldquo;enter&rdquo; will give you four different results, and allow you to make a video of all the other options, so you can review your work and go back to the drawing board if needed.</p><h2>Meta AI can browse the internet</h2><p>Not every AI chatbot has live access to the internet, at least for free users. This is most noticeable on ChatGPT, where the free version&rsquo;s data is limited to information from before January 2022. Meta AI, on the other hand, has access to both Google and Bing.</p><p>This means you can use Meta AI to answer questions requiring it to access current information. You could ask it &ldquo;tell me the weather in NYC this weekend&rdquo; or &ldquo;did the White House announce anything important today?&rdquo; You could even ask it to compile information, giving commands like &ldquo;How is <em>Dragon&rsquo;s Dogma 2</em> reviewing?&rdquo; or &ldquo;What is the best movie to see this weekend?&rdquo;</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4134.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4135.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-7.fill.size_2000x699.v1713565537.png" alt="Conversation with Meta AI" width="2000" height="699" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-7.fill.size_800x279.v1713565537.png 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-7.fill.size_1400x489.v1713565537.png 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-7.fill.size_2000x699.v1713565537.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4136.            </div>
  4137.            <div class="mt-2">
  4138.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4139.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4140.                    </div>
  4141.    </div>
  4142. <p>For each of these responses, Meta AI will tell you which search engine it used and which sources it referenced.</p><p>Meta isn&rsquo;t alone in this ability, since Google Gemini also has live internet access. Where Meta&rsquo;s chatbot differs is that it isn&rsquo;t limited to Google Search, and that it handles sources differently. Sometimes, the sources that Google Gemini references are &ldquo;not necessarily what Gemini used to generate its response&rdquo;&mdash;they might just be sources Google thinks you would find useful. Meta AI, meanwhile, seems to always surface the sources it used with 100% certainty, but only those sources.</p><h2>Meta AI can integrate with Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp</h2><p>Whether this is a good or bad thing depends on who you ask, but <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-turn-off-meta-ai-on-facebook-instagram-messenger-whatsapp" target="_blank"><u>Meta AI is now included with the Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp</u></a> apps. Integration is different depending on each app&mdash;in Messenger and WhatsApp, Meta AI will show up as a contact. In Instagram, it&rsquo;ll show up in the search bar. And in Facebook, it will show up in the search bar and in your feed.</p><p>For the most part, this means integration is fairly negligible outside of the latter two apps. For search bar integration, Meta AI will now suggest searches and questions as you type them, although these can be ignored by simply not clicking on any suggestions with the Meta AI logo next to it (if you do click on them, you&rsquo;ll leave your search and enter a conversation with the chatbot). Regular searches will still populate, and they&rsquo;ll instead have a magnifying glass next to them.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4143.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4144.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-8.fill.size_481x750.v1713565537.jpg" alt="Meta AI in the Facebook feed" width="481" height="750" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-8.fill.size_800x1248.v1713565537.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-8.fill.size_1400x2184.v1713565537.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW5DFRJ27354J3PS64NYR42/images-8.fill.size_2000x3120.v1713565537.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4145.            </div>
  4146.            <div class="mt-2">
  4147.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4148.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Meta</span>
  4149.                    </div>
  4150.    </div>
  4151. <p>For feed integration in Facebook, it&rsquo;s a bit more robust. On certain posts, Meta AI will now show up below the post, offering to tell you more information about it or perhaps suggesting questions to ask about it. Your feed may occasionally also get interrupted with a generic card prompting you to use Meta AI, which functions something like an ad.</p><h2>So when should I use Meta AI?</h2><p>With its latest update, Meta AI takes a few steps ahead of its most mainstream competition, meaning it&rsquo;s now probably your best first port of call for AI-generated gifs. Image generation is also strong and now has that unique &ldquo;imagine&rdquo; feature, and Meta AI has access to one more search engine than Google Gemini does.</p><p>Still, you&rsquo;re likely going to want to continue using ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Google Gemini alongside it, just so you can browse different results, especially when it comes to the still often dreamlike nature of AI art.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  4152.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-meta-ai-compares-to-chatgpt-dall-e-and-google-gemini</link>
  4153.      <dc:creator>Michelle Ehrhardt</dc:creator>
  4154.      <category><![CDATA[AI]]></category>
  4155.    </item>
  4156.    <item>
  4157.      <title>Use These Google Tools to Tell If a Photo Is Fake</title>
  4158.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21</guid>
  4159.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  4160.      <description>Google's fact-checking tools can help you catch a fake before you share it.</description>
  4161.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/hero-image.jpg"/>
  4162.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last year, Princes <a href="https://medium.com/@JimTheAIWhisperer/prince-william-welcomes-prince-harry-home-at-king-charles-coronation-d84673a42432" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">William and Harry hugged </a>each other at the King's Coronation. Around the same time, an <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/22/1177590231/fake-viral-images-of-an-explosion-at-the-pentagon-were-probably-created-by-ai" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">explosion occurred</a> at the Pentagon. If you believe the photos, that is. </p><p>When you see (or receive) powerful and emotionally stirring photos, it's tempting to take them on face value and then forward them to your friends and family. But before you do, take a moment and ask yourself: Could the image be fake?</p><p>You don't <em>just</em> have to use your critical faculties: Google Search offers free and easy-to-use tools to help you check if an image is real. With them, you can be an amateur fact-checker and press pause on misleading information.</p><h2>Google Fact Check Explorer</h2><p>Google's <a href="https://toolbox.google.com/factcheck/explorer/search/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Fact Check Explorer</a> can be your go-to search engine for checking false claims made through photos and videos. While it's especially useful for journalists, anyone can use it to scan the latest suspicious image or video. The home page lists the latest photos and videos that have passed or failed a fact check. </p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4163.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4164.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-2.fill.size_2000x1005.v1713779781.jpg" alt="Google's Fact Check tool" width="2000" height="1005" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-2.fill.size_800x402.v1713779781.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-2.fill.size_1400x703.v1713779781.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-2.fill.size_2000x1005.v1713779781.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4165.            </div>
  4166.            <div class="mt-2">
  4167.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4168.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  4169.                    </div>
  4170.    </div>
  4171. <p>Enter a keyword (here I've used "John Lennon"). Fact Check Explorer will list all real and fake photos that went through existing fact checks from news outlets, research institutions, and sites like Snopes. Every fact-checked image or video will be displayed with a rating ("True," "False," "Misleading," "Misattributed," etc.). Click the cited link to read more about what fact checking was performed by the sources Google has linked to.</p><p>Alternatively, you can search by image. Select the image icon next to the search field and provide a URL or upload the image. Fact Check Explorer does a reverse image search and displays the results in the same format as the keyword search. </p><p>For instance, I tried it out with a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/355731256819830/permalink/411659804560308/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">sample image</a> (a mysterious object found on Mars). I downloaded the image first and then uploaded it to the Fact Check Explorer. It turned out that the photograph is genuine, but according to NASA, the secret behind the image is rather mundane&mdash;it's a wind-carved rock.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4172.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4173.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-1.fill.size_2000x923.v1713779781.jpg" alt="Fact-checking an image on Google's Fact Check Explorer" width="2000" height="923" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-1.fill.size_800x369.v1713779781.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-1.fill.size_1400x646.v1713779781.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-1.fill.size_2000x923.v1713779781.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4174.            </div>
  4175.            <div class="mt-2">
  4176.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4177.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  4178.                    </div>
  4179.    </div>
  4180. <p>Fact checks must meet <a href="https://toolbox.google.com/factcheck/about#fce-included" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">specific Google guidelines</a> to be included in the search results. </p><h2>"About this image"</h2><p><strong>About this image</strong> is a window into any image's history, and it's a fantastic tool we hardly use. Use it to get more context about any image&mdash;real or fake. </p><p>Perform a Google Image Search, or a <a href="https://lifehacker.com/ensure-a-photo-is-legit-with-google-reverse-image-searc-1837715954" target="_blank">reverse image search, </a>with your keywords. Then click on the three dots next to an image in Google Images results, or click &ldquo;more about this page&rdquo; in the <strong>About this result</strong> tool on search results.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4181.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4182.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-3.fill.size_2000x1286.v1713779781.jpg" alt="About this image" width="2000" height="1286" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-3.fill.size_800x514.v1713779781.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-3.fill.size_1400x900.v1713779781.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HW2KRBHGTWATBBVYDRVQAM21/images-3.fill.size_2000x1286.v1713779781.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4183.            </div>
  4184.            <div class="mt-2">
  4185.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4186.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Saikat Basu</span>
  4187.                    </div>
  4188.    </div>
  4189. <p>"About this image" will tell you when the image first appeared online. Look at a brand-new image more critically than one that reputable sites have used for a longer time. Also, read what published sources are saying about it. If the picture shows up on unknown blogs or social media posts with hyped claims, that's usually a red flag.</p><h2>Fact-checking fake images with other tools</h2><p>Classic fact-checking methods are still practical. An image search like the above with Google Images, Google Lens, or any alternative <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-perform-a-reverse-image-search-the-easy-way-1828385440" target="_blank">reverse image search engine</a> like TinEye will yield sufficient results. TinEye often unearths matches that Google misses, so you don't make an error when accurate reporting is necessary.</p><p>Finally, let's not forget the power of a good old-fashioned Google search or other search engines like Bing or DuckDuckGo. Try using keywords related to the image content, location, or the event depicted.</p><p>There are image analysis sites like <a href="https://fotoforensics.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Foto Forensics</a> and <a href="https://29a.ch/photo-forensics/#forensic-magnifier" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">Forensically</a>. Google's toolbox, however, is powerful enough for the casual fact checker.</p><p>Beyond the tools, critical thinking is your best friend, especially when trying to <a href="https://lifehacker.com/can-you-spot-a-deepfake-heres-what-to-look-for-1841385555" target="_blank">spot well-doctored deepfakes</a> and the fake news around them. Always remain skeptical of sensational claims. </p>]]></content:encoded>
  4190.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/use-these-google-tools-to-tell-if-image-is-faked</link>
  4191.      <dc:creator>Saikat Basu</dc:creator>
  4192.      <category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>
  4193.    </item>
  4194.    <item>
  4195.      <title>The Best Gooey Butter Cake Is Made With Boxed Yellow Cake Mix</title>
  4196.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY</guid>
  4197.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  4198.      <description>Getting the ultimate sugar fix couldn't be easier.</description>
  4199.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/hero-image.jpg"/>
  4200.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&rsquo;d like to bring up the topic of gooey butter cake. It's a sugary exploration of textures, a fascinating study of human ingenuity, and a dessert you can honestly describe as &ldquo;cloying&rdquo; without insulting anyone. This St. Louis classic even inspired my favorite ice cream flavor from Ample Hills, <a href="https://amplehills.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>Ooeyer and Gooeyer</u></a>. But you don&rsquo;t have to take a trip to St. Louis or even buy a pint of ice cream to get your gooey sugar fix (but also, you should buy the ice cream), you can easily make it at home with boxed yellow cake mix.&nbsp;</p><h2>What is Gooey Butter Cake?</h2><p>Though I&rsquo;m sure every St. Louisan has their favorite family recipe, there are two classic ways to make a quality GBC: from scratch and from boxed cake mix. Naturally, I reached out to my St. Louis resource to get the scoop on which one to make, and we both agreed: yeast = no fun. The scratch version has a yeast-raised crust, and while that is not inherently a problem, the other option is to use boxed cake mix. If that&rsquo;s the case, I&rsquo;m going to open Door Number 2.&nbsp;</p><p>Regardless of the recipe, the intended results of the dessert are the same. The cake should have a soft, dense, cake-ish crust with a filling layer that&rsquo;s tender, a bit fudgey, and (surprise!) gooey. The entire perimeter of the slab is chewy with caramelized edges, and the very top has a delicate, crackly shell. As promised, this dessert is wonderfully buttery. Though only included in the crust layer, butter manages to be a presence throughout and leads to excellent browning. As a bonus, your kitchen will have the distinct aroma of a doughnut shop, which is always a welcome thing. </p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4201.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4202.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/images-1.fill.size_2000x921.v1713562324.jpg" alt="Gooey butter cake in a round pan." width="2000" height="921" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/images-1.fill.size_800x369.v1713562324.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/images-1.fill.size_1400x645.v1713562324.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/images-1.fill.size_2000x921.v1713562324.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4203.            </div>
  4204.            <div class="mt-2">
  4205.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide">Fresh out of the oven.</span>
  4206.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann</span>
  4207.                    </div>
  4208.    </div>
  4209. <h2>How to make Gooey Butter Cake</h2><p>This recipe is simple and straightforward; even an imperfect version of this dessert will still come out sweet, caramelized, and delicious. Be sure to cool it completely before diving in, as the gooey layer is the same temperature as the surface of the sun.</p><h3>1. Make the crust layer</h3><p>In a mixing bowl, add the yellow cake mix, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. (If you want an even more authentic flavor, it may sound counterintuitive, but try imitation vanilla extract.) The mixture will be thick. Stir it well to take out any hidden powder pockets. Press the dough into a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish, or split the dough between two 8-inch round cake pans.</p><h3>2. Add the filling layer</h3><p>In the same bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar until smooth and no sugar lumps remain. Pour the filling mixture over the crust. Tap the pan against the counter to pop any big bubbles (which I forgot to do).</p><h3>3. Bake until set</h3><p>Bake in a preheated 350&deg;F oven for 20-25 minutes. It&rsquo;s done when the filling is set along the edges and jiggles when you shake it lightly, but it should not be liquid in the middle. Cool the cake to room temperature on a wire rack.&nbsp;</p><p>I was told explicitly not to overbake the cake. So I didn&rsquo;t. I imagine this makes it too chewy on the edges and you miss out on optimal goo. Once the cake is completely cool, dust it generously with powdered sugar and serve.</p><div class="eloquent-imagery-image">
  4210.    <div class="flex justify-center">
  4211.                    <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/images-2.fill.size_2000x1124.v1713562324.jpg" alt="A slice of gooey butter cake on a plate." width="2000" height="1124" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/images-2.fill.size_800x450.v1713562324.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/images-2.fill.size_1400x787.v1713562324.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVW4C3YRF7YEZEA939W7D8EY/images-2.fill.size_2000x1124.v1713562324.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px">
  4212.            </div>
  4213.            <div class="mt-2">
  4214.                            <span class="mt-2 font-akshar text-sm tracking-wide"></span>
  4215.                                        <span class="text-xs inline-block text-gray-600">Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann</span>
  4216.                    </div>
  4217.    </div>
  4218. <h2>Easy Gooey Butter Cake Recipe</h2><p>Ingredients:</p><p><em>For the crust</em></p><ul><li><p>1 box yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Butter Golden)</p></li><li><p>1 stick butter, melted</p></li><li><p>1 egg</p></li><li><p>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</p></li></ul><p><em>For the filling</em></p><ul><li><p>1 block softened cream cheese (8-ounce block)</p></li><li><p>2 eggs, room temperature</p></li><li><p>2 teaspoons vanilla extract</p></li><li><p>1 box powdered sugar (16-ounce box) plus more for finishing</p></li></ul><p>1. Preheat the oven to 350&deg;F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, or two 8-inch cake pans.&nbsp;</p><p>2. Mix the crust ingredients together in a bowl. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan(s).</p><p>3. Whisk the filling ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Pour it onto the crust. It&rsquo;s okay, (good, even) if the filling runs over the crust and sits against the walls of the pan. Tap the pan gently against the counter to encourage bubbles to pop.&nbsp;</p><p>4. Bake the cake for 25 to 35 minutes depending on the pans you used. To check for doneness, lightly shake the pan. The edges should be set and the center should jiggle. If the center is still moving like liquid then give it more time.&nbsp;</p><p>5. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  4219.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/food-drink/best-gooey-butter-cake-recipe</link>
  4220.      <dc:creator>Allie Chanthorn Reinmann</dc:creator>
  4221.      <category><![CDATA[Cooking]]></category>
  4222.    </item>
  4223.    <item>
  4224.      <title>These Are the Best Chest Exercises for Stronger Pecs</title>
  4225.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVVZ8SR5J0GJ0YM1N09XK6QR</guid>
  4226.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:30:13 +0000</pubDate>
  4227.      <description>Get a strong upper body with these chest exercises.</description>
  4228.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVZ8SR5J0GJ0YM1N09XK6QR/hero-image.jpg"/>
  4229.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&rsquo;ve worked our <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/best-upper-back-exercises" target="_blank"><u>upper backs</u></a> and our <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/best-bicep-exercises" target="_blank"><u>biceps</u></a> and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/best-tricep-exercises" target="_blank"><u>triceps</u></a>, so it&rsquo;s time to round out upper body day with my picks for the best chest exercises. And before you ask&mdash;these are the best chest exercises for men <em>and</em> women. You&rsquo;ll find gendered lists out there, but the same exercises work for all genders. I&rsquo;ll explain.&nbsp;</p><h2>What the chest muscles are and what they do</h2><p>The major muscle in your chest is the appropriately-named pectoralis major&mdash;which is, literally, Latin for &ldquo;the major muscle in your chest.&rdquo; We call these the <em>pecs</em> for short. (There is also a pectoralis minor; it&rsquo;s a tiny muscle that lies underneath the pec major.)&nbsp;</p><p>The pecs originate on your sternum (breastbone, in the middle of your chest) and connect to your upper arm. When they contract, they bring your arms closer to your chest. If you&rsquo;re giving somebody a big ol&rsquo; bear hug, your pecs are working. The pecs are also active if you&rsquo;re pushing that person away, since they keep your arms in front of your chest as you push.&nbsp;</p><p>With this in mind, exercises that work your chest are those that bring your arms together in front of your body, as well as exercises where you push something away from you at roughly chest level.&nbsp;</p><h2>Should women do chest work?&nbsp;</h2><p>Yes, of course&mdash;because your chest is part of your body. If you don&rsquo;t train your chest, you&rsquo;re neglecting a whole area of your body that could be contributing to your overall strength and health. As we&rsquo;ve seen, your chest muscles help with pushing actions, and anything you do with your arms in front of you. A strong chest is part of a well-rounded, strong body.</p><p>To answer the two most common questions about this:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><strong>Do chest exercises make your breasts smaller?</strong> No. <a href="https://lifehacker.com/everybody-is-lying-about-how-to-flatten-your-belly-1819778439" target="_blank"><u>You can&rsquo;t make a body part smaller by exercising it</u></a>.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p><strong>Do chest exercises make your breasts look bigger?</strong> Not really. You&rsquo;ll build muscle <em>under</em> your breasts, but most people find this doesn&rsquo;t do anything noticeable for their breast size or their body&rsquo;s overall shape.</p></li></ul><p>If your main concern is how you look, training your chest isn&rsquo;t going to make a big difference in your appearance. It <em>will</em> make a difference in your strength and muscle mass. I wouldn&rsquo;t skip these exercises. The more upper body strength we have, the better.</p><h2>The best chest exercise to fit in with the gym bros: bench press</h2><p>You probably saw this one coming: I&rsquo;m crowning bench press the overall winner, and it&rsquo;s already recognized as such by gym bros the world over. This is the exercise where you lie on your back on a bench, and lift a barbell by pushing it away from you, toward the ceiling.&nbsp;</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  4230.    <div id="video-container-JvOJdUtx6UQ"></div>
  4231. </div>
  4232.  
  4233.  
  4234. <p>There are tons of variations on this lift, but a regular barbell bench press is my pick. You can load it heavier than most other versions, and honestly it&rsquo;s just really fun. To do it properly, plant your feet on the floor and tuck your shoulders under your back. (A small arch in your back will likely result.) This puts your body in the strongest and most efficient position for moving heavy weight safely.&nbsp;</p><p>But don&rsquo;t be afraid to try other variations! Dumbbell bench press is a classic, and there are versions of bench press you can do with an inclined or declined bench to hit different parts of the muscle. Mix things up with feet-up bench, or reverse grip.&nbsp;</p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  4235.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FDZ62N&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Adjustable+Weight+Bench%2C+Bench+Press+Rack+with+Squat+Rack%2C+Leg+Exercises+Preacher+Curl+Rack+for+Home+Gym+Full+Body+Workout&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FDZ62N" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label="Adjustable Weight Bench, Bench Press Rack with Squat Rack, Leg Exercises Preacher Curl Rack for Home Gym Full Body Workout">
  4236.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  4237.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  4238.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Adjustable Weight Bench, Bench Press Rack with Squat Rack, Leg Exercises Preacher Curl Rack for Home Gym Full Body Workout
  4239.                </div>
  4240.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  4241.                                            <div class="self-end">
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  4243.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  4244.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$189.98</span>
  4245.                    </div>
  4246.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  4247.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$299.99</span>
  4248.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $110.01</span>
  4249.        </div>
  4250.    </div>
  4251.                            </div>
  4252.                        </div>
  4253.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
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  4256.        <span>Get Deal</span>
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  4258. </div>
  4259.                        </div>
  4260.                                    </div>
  4261.            </div>
  4262.            <div class="order-2 mt-5 w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden">
  4263.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVZ8SR5J0GJ0YM1N09XK6QR/images-1.fill.size_245x245.v1713556973.jpg" alt="bench press station" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  4264.                            </div>
  4265.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  4266.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVZ8SR5J0GJ0YM1N09XK6QR/images-1.fill.size_245x245.v1713556973.jpg" alt="bench press station" width="245" height="245" loading="lazy">
  4267.                            </div>
  4268.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  4269.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  4270.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  4271.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  4272.        <span>Get Deal</span>
  4273.    </div>
  4274. </div>
  4275.                    </div>
  4276.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  4277.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  4278.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  4279.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$189.98</span>
  4280.                    </div>
  4281.            <div class="my-0 text-center md:text-left">
  4282.            <span class="text-sm font-bold line-through md:text-xs">$299.99</span>
  4283.            <span class="text-base font-bold text-brand-green md:text-sm">Save $110.01</span>
  4284.        </div>
  4285.    </div>
  4286.                    </div>
  4287.                            </div>
  4288.        </div>
  4289. </a></div>
  4290. <h2>Best isolation: machine flyes</h2><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  4291.    <div id="video-container-eGjt4lk6g34"></div>
  4292. </div>
  4293.  
  4294.  
  4295. <p>I apologize sincerely to the English-speaking world, on behalf of all the gym bros, that there is not a good way to pluralize the exercise known as the chest fly or pec fly. Flies? No, that sounds like a bunch of insects. Flys? Doesn&rsquo;t make sense. Flyes? That makes even less sense, but it&rsquo;s what people call it. I&rsquo;m sorry.</p><p>In any case, you&rsquo;re flapping your wings like a butterfly. You can do flyes with dumbbells, lying on a bench; the trick is to do it with your arms relatively straight, rather than turning it into a bench press. You can do flyes with two far-apart cables and call it a &ldquo;cable crossover,&rdquo; but good luck grabbing two whole cable stacks on a busy day at the gym.&nbsp;</p><p>Instead, just use a machine. Pretty much every gym will have a machine known as the &ldquo;pec deck&rdquo; (sometimes it can do reverse flyes too) and you can just sit in there, adjust the starting position as needed, and get your flyes in.&nbsp;</p><h2>Best minimalist chest exercise: dips</h2><p>I featured dips in <a href="https://lifehacker.com/health/best-tricep-exercises" target="_blank"><u>our list of the best tricep exercises</u></a>, so I won&rsquo;t spend too much time on them here. Like bench press, dips work both the chest and the triceps. You can make dips easier by using an assisted dip machine, a bench to rest your feet on, or a band. You can make them harder by holding a weight plate between your knees, or by chaining weights to a dip belt. </p><div class="mb-4 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-4 shadow-lg">
  4296.    <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fln64x&amp;template=Explainers&amp;module=shop-card&amp;element=offer&amp;item=whole-shop-card&amp;position=&amp;element_label=Mir+Dip+belt+With+36%22+chain%2C+500lbs+-+650lbs+weight+capacity%2C+Weight+lifting+for+dips+and+pullups&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&amp;short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fln64x" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-item="whole-shop-card" data-ga-label='Mir Dip belt With 36" chain, 500lbs - 650lbs weight capacity, Weight lifting for dips and pullups'>
  4297.    <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-6 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-4">
  4298.            <div class="order-1 mx-auto md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:flex md:w-full md:grow md:flex-col">
  4299.                <div class="block text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green md:text-left">Mir Dip belt With 36" chain, 500lbs - 650lbs weight capacity, Weight lifting for dips and pullups
  4300.                </div>
  4301.                                <div class="mt-2 hidden md:flex md:grow md:justify-between">
  4302.                                            <div class="self-end">
  4303.                            <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  4304.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  4305.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$19.69</span>
  4306.                    </div>
  4307.    </div>
  4308.                            </div>
  4309.                        </div>
  4310.                        <div class="w-44 self-end">
  4311.                            <div class="h-11 hover:cursor-pointer">
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  4313.        <span>Get deal</span>
  4314.    </div>
  4315. </div>
  4316.                        </div>
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  4318.            </div>
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  4320.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVZ8SR5J0GJ0YM1N09XK6QR/images-2.fill.size_245x135.v1713556973.jpg" alt="dip belt" width="245" height="135" loading="lazy">
  4321.                            </div>
  4322.            <div class="order-2 mt-2 hidden w-64 md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:block">
  4323.                                    <img class="m-auto w-full rounded-md border border-2 border-brand-green-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVZ8SR5J0GJ0YM1N09XK6QR/images-2.fill.size_245x135.v1713556973.jpg" alt="dip belt" width="245" height="135" loading="lazy">
  4324.                            </div>
  4325.            <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0">
  4326.                                    <div class="mt-5 w-full">
  4327.                        <div class=" hover:cursor-pointer">
  4328.    <div class="w-full rounded-md bg-brand-green py-3 text-center font-sans text-sm text-white">
  4329.        <span>Get deal</span>
  4330.    </div>
  4331. </div>
  4332.                    </div>
  4333.                    <div class="mx-2 mt-2 w-full">
  4334.                        <div class=" font-sans leading-3 text-black">
  4335.    <div class="text-center md:text-left">
  4336.        <span class="text-base font-bold md:text-sm">$19.69</span>
  4337.                    </div>
  4338.    </div>
  4339.                    </div>
  4340.                            </div>
  4341.        </div>
  4342. </a></div>]]></content:encoded>
  4343.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/health/best-chest-exercises</link>
  4344.      <dc:creator>Beth Skwarecki</dc:creator>
  4345.      <category><![CDATA[Fitness]]></category>
  4346.    </item>
  4347.    <item>
  4348.      <title>How to Help Your Kid Cope With the Loss of a Pet</title>
  4349.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVVF3F549103EMRP0H848M20</guid>
  4350.      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  4351.      <description>They're going to need more than hugs.</description>
  4352.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVF3F549103EMRP0H848M20/hero-image.jpg"/>
  4353.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My oldest son was sobbing uncontrollably. His teacher told us this might happen&mdash;the health of Little Lou, the class' pet lizard, had quickly taken a turn for the worse; Little Lou would likely leave this mortal coil within a day or two. The entire class was obviously shocked and devastated.</p><p>This moment was my son's first real introduction to grief, and I wasn't sure what to say or do to help him navigate the flood of feelings and process the moment. According to Florence Soares-Dabalos, MS, LMFT, Client Support and Wellness Professional for Wm R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California - Davis, we can start by listening to our kids when they're ready to discuss what happened. "Kids just need to know that it's okay to feel whatever they're going to feel," Soares-Dabalos says.</p><p>There are other ways we can help children navigate through the grief of losing a pet, whether it be a class pet or your family's. </p><h2>Keep things simple</h2><p>The loss of a pet can be sad, shocking, and surprising, and many young children are at an age where the concept of death might still be abstract. Discussing such a complex topic can feel daunting to parents, but keeping things simple and recognizing the importance of the child's relationship with the pet is the best way to start.</p><p>"[Kids] are pretty good with just the basics and a validation of their feelings," says Soares-Dabalos.&nbsp;</p><h2>There are certain terms to use and some to avoid</h2><p>When discussing a pet's death, you should explain what happened using simple but direct terms. Soares-Dabalos recommends telling your child that you're "saying goodbye" to their friend, that "their bodies have stopped working," or that they are "not going to come back."&nbsp;</p><p>There are also some terms to avoid. If a pet had to be put down, Soares-Dabalos advises avoiding "euthanization" or "put to sleep."</p><p>"That can create some fear and anxiety for a child," she explains. "They don't have the abstract thought to understand that 'going to sleep' might be used differently."</p><h2>Follow your child's lead</h2><p>Soares-Dabalos recalls a story of a parent who was concerned about her daughter after the death of their rabbit. When she met with the daughter, she showed Soares-Dabalos pictures she drew of the bunny and held a memorial for the pet, showing Soares-Dabalos that she was working through her grief and taking care of herself.&nbsp;</p><p>"Some children don't want to talk. Some children need to play. Some children need to do artwork,"&nbsp;Soares-Dabalos explains. "Sometimes, it's really okay to follow the child's lead regarding their feelings and just keep that door open to have that conversation."</p><p>You should also follow your child's lead when possibly replacing the pet. They may show you they're ready by talking about having one.&nbsp;</p><p>"Each parent needs to gauge that in their own child but leave the door open and then let the child decide when they're ready," adds Soares-Dabalos.</p><h2>Discuss how you're feeling</h2><p>A child may be looking for some validation for their sadness. A pet is part of the family, and while you might not be showing your grief the same way as your kid, don't be afraid to share how you're feeling with them.&nbsp;</p><p>"It feels good to know that other people are feeling the loss and that we're not alone," says Soares-Dabalos.</p><h2>Talk with their teacher or a professional</h2><p>Soares-Dabalos mentions that there can be times when children regress and start throwing temper tantrums, wetting their beds, or becoming less engaged in the classroom, which can impact their grades. This behavior can stem from kids dealing with their grief over the loss of their pet. She recommends keeping the lines of communication open with their teacher and consulting with a therapist if things don't improve.</p><h2>Memorialize the pet</h2><p>A week after Little Lou died, my son's class held a memorial for him. They brought the lizard's favorite food (almonds), and each took turns sharing memories of their friend. A ceremony to honor a pet can help normalize death, give children a space to talk about their grief, and show them how to cope, but it can also provide them with a sense of closure.</p><p>"Ritual is important," says Soares-Dabalos. "It allows us to really see that death is a part of life and, while it doesn't feel good to feel sad and cry all the time, we can maneuver through it."</p>]]></content:encoded>
  4354.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/family/how-to-help-your-kid-cope-with-pet-loss</link>
  4355.      <dc:creator>Jason Keil</dc:creator>
  4356.      <category><![CDATA[Parenting]]></category>
  4357.    </item>
  4358.    <item>
  4359.      <title>How to See All the Devices Logged in to Your Microsoft Account</title>
  4360.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVVMNH62VF0KV7WEN2Z2VPGY</guid>
  4361.      <pubDate>Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  4362.      <description>It's a quick but vital way to protect your security.</description>
  4363.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVVMNH62VF0KV7WEN2Z2VPGY/hero-image.jpg"/>
  4364.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here's a straightforward security audit you can, and should, perform periodically: Check all of the devices currently logged into your Microsoft account. If you've jumped between a lot of computers since you first registered your account, it might be active in more places than you think.</p><p>Not only will this alert you to unwelcome visitors who might have gained access to your account through nefarious means, it'll also flag up older devices that you're no longer using but you're still logged in to&mdash;whether it's the Xbox you sold on eBay or the laptop you gave to your nephew.</p><p>Whatever the scenario, to keep your Microsoft account locked down and as well protected as possible, you should only connect it to devices you're using regularly. If there are devices in the list that you don't recognize or no longer use, you can remove them remotely with a couple of <a href="http://clicks.It" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)">clicks.</a></p><p>It's worth doing this for all of your other digital accounts to&mdash;see these Lifehacker posts with information on how to do this for your <a href="https://lifehacker.com/tech/check-all-the-devices-logged-in-to-your-apple-id" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-tell-if-someone-accessed-your-google-account-1849072623" target="_blank">Google,</a> and <a href="https://lifehacker.com/see-whos-mooching-off-your-netflix-account-by-checking-1758364096" target="_blank">Netflix</a> accounts too, for example.</p><h2>How to see all the devices using your Microsoft account</h2><p>To see all the devices using your Microsoft account, you'll need to do so on the web via<a href="https://account.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="(opens in a new window)"> <u>your Microsoft account page</u></a> (there's currently no way to do it from inside Windows). The landing page shows all the information associated with your Microsoft profile, including your name and the part of the world where you're in, as well as any subscriptions you're currently signed up to (such as Microsoft 365).</p><p>To see everywhere where your Microsoft account is active, click <strong>Devices</strong>. The main pieces of hardware you'll see on the list are Windows computers and tablets, plus any Xbox consoles you're logged into. Further down the page, you'll see a link for to check which Android and iOS devices your Microsoft account is connected to.</p><p>Select any device in the list to see more information about it. What's provided will vary, but might include the device specs, when you registered your Microsoft account with it, and any applicable warranty details. With some devices, you'll be able to locate where they are on a map by clicking <strong>Find my device</strong>.</p><h2>Remove unauthorized devices from your Microsoft account</h2><p>You can use the information provided to help spot suspicious activity&mdash;you should be able to see when the device was last accessed, for example. Click <strong>Remove this device</strong> to disconnect a device from your Microsoft account, and err on the side of caution too: You can always sign in again if you disconnect a piece of hardware you still need.</p><p>While you're here, it's worth opening up the <strong>Security</strong> tab and reviewing <em>how</em> you sign into your Microsoft account. Follow the <strong>Manage how I sign in</strong> link to set up extra precautions such as two-step verification or password-free account access, which make it more difficult for anyone other than you to sign into your Microsoft account.</p>]]></content:encoded>
  4365.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-see-all-the-devices-logged-in-to-your-microsoft-account</link>
  4366.      <dc:creator>David Nield</dc:creator>
  4367.      <category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
  4368.    </item>
  4369.    <item>
  4370.      <title>You Get This P80 Water-Resistant Flashlight on Sale for $40 Right Now</title>
  4371.      <guid isPermaLink="false">01HVMH982KYS43DJDK6R4FQ04P</guid>
  4372.      <pubDate>Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  4373.      <description/>
  4374.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HVMH982KYS43DJDK6R4FQ04P/hero-image.png"/>
  4375.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get the P80 Rechargeable 1,300-Lumen flashlight <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/p80-rechargeable-1300-lumen-pocket-torch?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=p80-rechargeable-1300-lumen-pocket-torch&amp;utm_term=scsf-594724&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgcIAA&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $39.97 right now</a> (reg. $59) until April 21. The P80 is durable, high-performance flashlight with an impact-resistant build, IPX7 water-resistance rating, and an OSRAM P9 LED capable of emitting a maximum output of up to 1,300 Lumens. Its battery life has a maximum of 60 hours depending on how you use its brightness settings (and a minimum of two hours), and its illumination distance varies with a max of up to 280 meters and a minimum of 35 meters.&nbsp;It has a dual side switch to toggle between modes or activate the strobe, and it also has a strike bezel embedded with nano-ceramic beads designed to break glass in an emergency.&nbsp;A rechargeable battery and cable is included along with a lanyard and spare O-Ring.</p><p>You can get the P80 Rechargeable 1,300-Lumen flashlight <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/p80-rechargeable-1300-lumen-pocket-torch?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=p80-rechargeable-1300-lumen-pocket-torch&amp;utm_term=scsf-594724&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgcIAA&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $39.97 right now</a> (reg. $59) until April 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.&nbsp;</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  4376.    <div id="video-container-93jZSHccA00"></div>
  4377. </div>
  4378.  
  4379. ]]></content:encoded>
  4380.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/tech/p80-flashlight-sale</link>
  4381.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  4382.      <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
  4383.    </item>
  4384.    <item>
  4385.      <title>This Eton Elite Executive Radio Is on Sale for $150 Right Now</title>
  4386.      <guid isPermaLink="false">1850754002</guid>
  4387.      <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 23:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  4388.      <description>If you're into old school, this luxury radio tunes into any wavelength.</description>
  4389.      <media:thumbnail url="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01HF2GJS5PHP3BNVNMCMN9P9KX/hero-image.png"/>
  4390.      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can get Amazon&rsquo;s Choice radio, the Eton Elite Executive, <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/elite-execute-radio?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=elite-execute-radio&amp;utm_term=scsf-594725&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgdIAA&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $149.99 right now</a> (reg. $250). Radio is a dying art form, but some people still love them&mdash;and they&rsquo;re great to have in an emergency, like a blackout or severe thunderstorm, so you can still hear weather and news updates even if your local network is down. It can receive any type of radio wavelengths like AM and FM with RDS, LW, and shortwave, even VHF aircraft band and Single Sideband (SSB). It has both automatic and manual digital tuning options, as well as options for AC adapter use or battery power. The Eton Elite also comes with a leather carry cover that doesn't block access to the Micro USB charging port or the 35mm audio jack. You can also use four AA batteries as an alternative power source. The Eton Elite Executive radio is a little pricey, but if you want to spend the extra change to get a high-quality radio that&rsquo;ll actually last more than a few years, this is a great option. </p><p>You can get the Eton Elite Executive radio <a href="https://shop.lifehacker.com/sales/elite-execute-radio?utm_source=lifehacker.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=elite-execute-radio&amp;utm_term=scsf-594725&amp;utm_content=a0xRn000000rzgdIAA&amp;scsonar=1" target="_blank">on sale for $149.99 right now</a> (reg. $250), though prices can change at any time.</p><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl">
  4391.    <div id="video-container-De2eSbgOvMU"></div>
  4392. </div>
  4393.  
  4394. ]]></content:encoded>
  4395.      <link>https://lifehacker.com/eton-elite-executive-radio-sale</link>
  4396.      <dc:creator>StackCommerce </dc:creator>
  4397.      <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
  4398.    </item>
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