The first public beta for watchOS 8 is now available, giving users a chance to try out all the new features coming to Apple Watch Series 3, 4, 5, 6, and SE devices later this year. This early version of watchOS 8 includes the respiratory sleep tracking, new workout modes and multi-timer support, and tons of new…
Becoming financially literate takes some work, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. And in 2021, one of the easiest ways to source practical advice on budgeting, managing debt and investing is listening to personal finance podcasts while you’re making dinner, out walking the dog, or commuting to work. To help you choose…
Until very recently, I avoided the world of barbecue. Getting up early? Being outside? Asking men for advice? None of this sounded all that appealing, but here I am, showing you pictures of some pulled pork I smoked for my family, and I fully “get it.” Getting up early mean you get a little bit of peace and quiet, and…
Adobe recently announced Photoshop Sketch and Illustrator Draw, two great free drawing apps available on iPad, will be removed from the Apple App Store (and Google Play) on July 19. Luckily, the apps are getting a free replacement in Adobe Fresco, which combines the features of Photoshop Sketch and Illustrator Draw…
Socrates didn’t fear death. Even though he met a gruesome demise (he was executed by the state for the alleged crime of corrupting Athenian youth), Socrates didn’t flee or plead before his executioner. If we are to take his beliefs and teachings—that death is an inevitability that might be good, actually—to heart, we…
Vacuum cleaners can clog by things getting stuck in the hose or from an over-full canister, but most clogs are easily solved by just regularly emptying your vacuum. Hair and string, though, tend to wrap around the vacuum brush and can restrict its movement, causing a slow death until it stops spinning altogether,…
Putting a cat on a diet is hard. The pitiful eyes, the constant yowling, the nonstop paw taps asking for food, not to mention all the times they wake you up at 2 a.m., in the hopes your guard will be down just enough that you’ll feed them. Add in a second cat with different dietary needs and it can seem impossible to…
There is much to ponder in the infinite mysteries of outer space, but...what’s it smell like? It turns out that much, if not all, of the seeing the wonders of space would be accompanied by a distinct aroma—or stench. Space has a smell, but it’s only astronauts (and perhaps your odd corporate CEO with a thirst for…
My sustainable homestead is evolving—and the new addition to the ever-growing project involves using rain barrels to provide my chickens with drinking water, irrigate my garden, and keep my compost pile moist.
The Pop It toy craze has finally given us an answer to the question, “What if bubble wrap could, like, re-generate or something?” Predictably, it is super satisfying for kids and adults alike.
If every surface in your home is perpetually covered in books, knick-knacks, and other junk, you probably need more shelves. Filling your home with practical shelving can offer the perfect solution to your clutter problems and give you a creative way to display your books, plants, photos, and everything else.
But…
We recently talked about a credit card that helps you pay your rent, but what about a card that helps you pay your student loan? There’s a new card that will do just that—offering 2% cash back on purchases which can be applied to an array of student loan servicers. Here’s a look at whether it’s a good card for you.
For most dogs, human food is the ultimate forbidden fruit, which makes backyard barbecue season tricky for their owners. If you’re heading to a Fourth of July party with your pup in tow, you probably already know to keep them away from the fruit salad (grapes) and the burger toppings (raw onions). But there are other…
After months in limited, invite-only closed beta, Xbox Cloud Gaming is now publicly available. The service is still technically in beta, but is now included for all Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, adding even more value to what is arguably the best service in gaming.
Aristotle was pretty perceptive about issues that still carry an urgency in modern times: Friends of utility, pleasure, and mutual admiration still exist, as are the respective styles of friendship that you might encounter over the course of a relationship. You can filter Aristotle’s concept through the lens of modern…
Food insecurity has long been a concern for many Americans—a problem exacerbated by the pandemic, which left nearly 1 in 4 households struggling to meet this basic need. There are resources out there for those who need additional support, and now, there’s a Google Map to help people find them.
If you or someone you…
When a food you or your pets enjoy (or recently consumed) gets recalled, it can be a bit unsettling. Sure, not every recall has the potential to send you running for the commode—the severity of any recall varies depending on the product and reason for concern. Sometimes it’ll simply be a dietary supplement that didn’t…
Now that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for ages 12-17, all teens are eligible to be vaccinated—but some teenagers who would like to get vaccinated can’t, because they lack parental consent. In a recent poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 3 out of 10 parents surveyed said they would…
While it’s true airfares have jumped due to post-pandemic demand (not to mention a pilot shortage), the premium seats usually filled with business travelers are an exception to the rule, mostly due to reduced corporate travel. That means you can more easily find deep discounts on first and business class fares for…
Since 2001, the Fast & Furious films have been the go-to for racing action spectaculars. They’re wildly popular, and justifiably so, though not to everyone’s taste. Maybe you’re riding the high of the latest, F9, or maybe you’re looking for a racing movie with something different to offer.
I’m not above an impulsive social media-fueled purchase. I bought the “TikTok” booty leggings (and a young man shouted at me from his automobile while I was wearing them), and I purchased an exfoliating scrub (also for my butt), but I’ve never acquired a piece of cookware because I saw it on Instagram. I do, however,…
It’s not easy to strength train without weights. Once you’re able to do full pushups by the dozens, for example, they’re training your endurance more than building your strength. And while moves like pull-ups provide more of a challenge, they’re often impossible for beginners. But there’s a workout that covers the…
When I’m out enjoying nature, it seems a little weird to spray synthetic chemicals all over my body. So I always take a look at the “natural” insect repellents when I’m buying bug spray. Some are legit, with EPA-registered ingredients that effectively repel bugs while being safe for skin. Others are made of…
Perhaps our phones are trying to do us a favor by erring on the side of politeness, but boy, they sure do love to try to keep us from swearing, don’t they? Unless you actually do regularly mean to playfully tell your friends to “duck off,” there are a few ways you can fix iOS Messages’ sometimes helpful, often…
Grocery stores seem pretty unassuming, but the aisles of your local grocer are the product of a very strategic design. If you’re a keen observer (or if you shop regularly at a variety of stores) you’ve probably realized the produce is basically always in the same place, as are the baked goods, meat aisles, grab-and-go…
While rent is easily the biggest monthly expense for millions of Americans, rent payments rarely earn rewards or improve credit scores, as most people are forced to pay by check. That’s where the new Bilt Rewards program steps in, offering the first credit card that can pay your rent without the usual third-party…
As the world continues to reopen, parents’ phones everywhere are lighting up with invitations from their kid’s friends to have some good, old-fashioned summer fun, which is a relief for many who’ve been cooped up with their kids all day for the past year. However, despite the increase in social activity among adults, …
Tin foil is one of the most versatile items you have in your kitchen—probably more versatile than you realize. You likely use it for grilling veggies and baking salmon in the oven, but it’s useful for much more than just cooking. Tin foil can also clean cast iron skillets without jeopardizing the pan seasoning,…
Temperature control is one of the hardest things to wrap your head around as a baby charcoal griller. There are no dials to twist, no knobs to adjust, and the only numbers you’ll find are on probably extremely inaccurate thermometer. (Depending on where you place your thermometer in relationship to the coils, it can…
Getting your hands on a good book to read is as easy as clicking “borrow” on your tablet. If you’re a slow adopter to the world of e-books, you should know that you can download thousands of e-books and their audio counterparts from your phone, computer, or tablet—for free. Here’s how to quickly and easily borrow an e-…
The hummingbird feeder I’ve hung on the porch is one of my unexpected joys in life. I originally hung it because hummingbirds kept checking out a certain spot—I’m convinced my house’s previous owners hung a feeder there—and every summer they show up again and demand I feed them. So I do.
While I appreciate everything a smart speaker assistant can help me with, I don’t want to get caught in long conversations with Alexa. I certainly don’t need her to respond out loud to every request or make suggestions on totally separate topics when all I asked her to do was turn off the lights.
If you send “congratulations” or “happy birthday” to someone using Messages on an iPhone, they’ll get a little surprise along with it: a shower of confetti or some celebratory balloons will rain down or float around on their screen along with your words. It’s a neat little trick embedded in the messaging platform—but…
Network-attached storage (NAS) devices are external hard drives with network connectivity. They’re essentially private cloud drives you can set up in your home to access your files remotely. They’re convenient, but if you use a My Book Live and My Book Live DUO NAS drive from Western Digital, you should disconnect it…
Healthy food has a reputation for being expensive, but there are lots of ways to eat well on a budget. That’s where the subreddit r/EatCheapandHealthy comes in. Its archives are full of recipes that don’t break the bank while being high in protein, full of veggies, or low in salt and sugar. And they have tons of ideas…
I signed up for Paramount Plus before the launch, back when they were offering a 50% discount if you were willing to pay for a year in advance. This seemed like a good decision back when I was binging the first season of The Real World in preparation for the debut of the 30-years-later reunion special. Since then, I…
We’re living in a sort of golden age of fake meat products. Meat-free foods that are shaped like meat have flooded the market, making it easier than ever to find soyrizo at the grocery store, or an Impossible Burger at Burger King. These products give vegetarians and vegans something that’s easy to grill at a BBQ, but…
Maybe you lived through the 1990s. In which case: Congratulations on surviving an era in which flannel shirts could be paired with day-glo jams and no one would bat an eye. You’re here now, and that’s what’s important. Others can only sit at their grandparents knees’ and reminisce about a time when computers needed a…
After more than a year of feeling endlessly cooped up, we’re emerging from our pandemic isolation to do all the things we once took for granted—go for a mask-free run, hit up a local festival, take the kids to the beach, get on an airplane. All of that means being out in the sunshine, which feels glorious after a…
A 2021 survey by Mattress Advisor found that 50% of the participants enjoyed sleeping in the nude, with more than half of the nude sleepers saying it was more comfortable, along with others who said it helps them sleep better. Aside from temperature control and general comfort, there are other reasons that sleeping…
Google is the closest thing society has to a sage, but not everyone is good at combing through the mountains of information that the world’s imminent search engine might dredge up. And not everyone wants to research something either, scouring to find a source that suits your needs and that gives you answers you can…
You might be receiving more money in the mail from the IRS, but it’s not a fourth stimulus check—it’s a “plus-up payment.” You’ll only receive this check if your third stimulus payment was calculated using income stated in your 2019 tax return, and if your income was less in 2020 than it was in 2019. Here’s how the…
For as long as I can remember, even when I was very small, I have always loved pickles. Quick pickles, lacto pickles, sour pickles, sweet pickles, fried pickles—all are good in my eyes (and mouth). I like the big pickles you can grab out of the bin at theme parks, and the half sours they place on your table at…
Are you the person your friends and family turn to when they need a pizza recommendation? If not, do you want to be? If so, you may be interested in learning more about applying to become your state’s Head of Pizza—a position made up by Slice, a pizza ordering platform designed for independent pizzerias. Here’s what…
Masks may be coming off, and shots may be getting in arms, but we’re still feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on manufacturing and shipping. Along with things like appliances and lumber, there’s also a shortage of chlorine tablets for swimming pools. Here’s why that happened, and what you can use instead of…
