Since we’re all stuck—or will soon be stuck—in our homes and apartments for the foreseeable future, I’m going to expand Lifehacker’s tech-advice column, Tech 911, to a full week next week. From March 23 to March 27, I’m going to answer one question each day that’s related to some issue…
It has been a week. Schools across the world have shut down—some for the rest of the school year—to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Parents have been scrambling all week to work from home or find child care or set up schedules that kind of, sort of resemble…
What kind of coffee maker do you prefer? Chemex? Drip maker? Aeropress? Nespresso? French press? Perhaps you prefer a cold brewer? As many types of coffee makers as there are, there are also ways to clean them. To get the most flavour (and least amount of old coffee residue) in…
March 19’s cut in the Reserve Bank’s cash rate to 0.25% brings it a new all-time low and the floor below which it plans to cut no more.
The Australian government is recommending we stay 1.5 metres away from each other, one of several social distancing moves designed to limit spread of the coronavirus. Why 1.5 metres? Is this our best, practical estimate? Or is there any solid scientific evidence to back it?
With Australia now facing a severe economic (and health) crisis, there are calls to allow people to access their superannuation to obtain cash. That makes a lot of sense. Why have assets tied up to get a slightly better retirement outcome if the misery of current life can be softened…
It’s a great time to expand your horizons and play more video games. GOG—the platform formerly known as Good Ol’ Games—and indie game store Itch.io are both running “stay at home” promotions, giving away dozens of games for free as part of larger sales on their platforms. GOG’s free games…
The odds are good that you’re spending more time at home right now than ever before. Maybe you’re working from home. Your partner is working from home. Your kids aren’t in school. Your pets are on top of you. And that’s a lot to handle on its own.
Amid the uncertainty of COVID-19’s spread, numerous companies have taken measures to help their customers make ends meet. For example, the four major U.S. cell carriers—AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon—announced they will stop charging late fees and early cancellation fees, and in some cases, won’t shut off service for accounts…
The Google Play Store unwittingly hosts malicious apps, and it seems like a new batch is discovered every other week. You should be OK as long as you follow basic data security protocols, use a reliable anti-malware service, and are vigilant about removing dangerous apps whenever they’re spotted. But here’s…
Wouldn’t it be great if Olaf could read to your kids every night? Well, that’s probably not going to happen, but the next best thing already is happening—the actor who voiced Olaf is reading to your kids.
If you’re new to the whole work-from-home thing, you might default to what many of us do the first time we find ourselves no longer having to commute to an office: staying in bed until the last possible moment, then spending the rest of the day doing remote work in…
Whether you’ve always wanted to try some dice-rolling adventuring, or you’re bummed because your regular Dungeons & Dragons group might have to virtual for a few weeks (or months), now’s as good a time as any to fight coronavirus-induced boredom with tabletop gaming.
For those who are healthy-yet-stuck-inside due to the coronavirus restrictions, it’s sort of like the universe gave us an excuse to binge-watch our favourite movies and TV shows (or catch up on our gaming backlogs). Most of us will probably fire up one of the many paid streaming services to…
Working out from home is the new normal, so plenty of us who normally lift weights or do strength classes are having to figure things out on our own this week. The good news is that many online trainers and fitness personalities have been putting out great home workouts this…
Ask almost any healthcare professional what the best thing you can do to protect yourself from disease and the first answer they will give is to wash your hands. Those biological marvels, wth dextrous fingers and opposable thumbs might be a massive evolutionary advantage for Homo Sapiens but they’re also…
In an effort to socially distance yourself from others during the coronavirus shutdown, few would blame you if your typical workout routine fell by the wayside. After all, touching a bunch of shared equipment in a sweaty gym sure sounds like a great way to get sick. But hey, you’ve…
By now, your pantry is most likely stocked with beans and dried pasta, and your freezer is full of—I don’t know—ground beef and butter? But amidst all this stocking up on essentials, it’s important to get a few treats, a few things to amuse your bouche.
As I write this, I am personally on Day Two of our Temporary-But-We-Don’t-Know How Temporary school closure. Those of you in the same boat know that the phrase “the days are long” has taken on a whole new meaning. These days have to be filled with something, and ideally, at…
Understanding your exposure risk to coronavirus, of COVID-19, is not easy. A week or so ago, it was all about whether you’d visited China or visited a country where infection levels presented a risk. But with the virus spreading, chances are almost anyone has some level or exposure risk. That’s…
In order to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, Apple announced last week that it will be closing all of its stores outside of China until March 27th. With no Apple Store to go to, that might pose a problem should your iPhone break or if your phone (or…
Stay home. That’s the first rule of self-quarantine, and of social distancing. But after a while you may be itching to get outside and move, and I have good news for you: if you’re able to do it all on your lonesome, it’s fine to go out for a run.
An enjoyable bout of foodie one-upmanship has yielded not only one “reverse-engineered” home recipe of KFC’s 11 herbs and spices, but an improved version of fried chicken that strips out the MSG. Get the napkins ready and see for yourself.
As the world’s coronavirus tally continues to increase, more and more of us are being told to stay home or self-isolate as a preventative measure. Self-isolation can be tough for many of us accustomed to taking walks or heading to the local cafe but as Australians have taken a lax…
Although it seems like the world’s on pause, all the colds and flus and other respiratory illnesses out there haven’t read the memo. If you find yourself getting sick and are trying to determine whether you’ve got the coronavirus or some other respiratory illness, there are some ways to try…
In the interest of public health, and for those of you who are visual learners, we present this video guide to properly washing your hands.
The consumer tech industry thrives on big conventions and live events, but many of these have been delayed or cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. Apple’s WWDC event is one of the affected events, but instead of being scrapped, the June conference is being reworked into a fully digital event…
Each weekday for the next few weeks, author and illustrator Mo Willems will invite kids into his studio at lunchtime to create some of his beloved characters. Starting this week, new episodes of Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems will be posted at 4am AEDT and will remain online to be…
There is no “ch” or “sh” sound in bruschetta. Hummus rhymes with “doofus”. And croissant definitely doesn’t have an audible “t”. These are just some of the famous-food pronunciations that people regularly screw up. (Don’t get us started on “gyro”.) Fortunately, it’s not too late to education your tongue while…
While it doesn’t seem like pets play a role in transmitting COVID-19 between people, a dog in Hong Kong was reported to test positive for it earlier this month. Experts are still puzzling over exactly what this means.
It is a great time to be a bean, or, more accurately, a purveyor of beans. In addition to the popularity of a certain exclusive bean club, current conditions have made beans—both dried and canned—a sought-after item.
Aldi has announced it’s joining Coles and Woolworths to curb panic buyers hoarding essential supplies during the coronavirus outbreak.
Forget paleo, keto, and intermittent fasting—we’re getting to the truth of how you really should be eating this week with Mark Bittman and Dr. David L. Katz. Their latest book is called How to Eat: All Your Food and Diet Questions Answered, and in this episode, they discuss the importance…
