Most Viewed Posts This Week: February 3-10
This week, we learned how to stay active in the political process and connect with members of Congress even when their phones clap, shared some of our failed life hacking attempts, talked about how to spend Valentine’s Day in new relationships, and more. Here’s a look back.
How to get the benefits of a subscription for free or cheap
Some of the subscription services are worth it (you can snatch Netflix out of my cold, dead hands), but this month we’ve challenged you to save money by canceling subscriptions you don’t use or need. To help you, here are some ways to get free perks of some popular subscription services like gym membership and cable TV.
How to Call a Member of Congress with Broken Phones
Now it is difficult to get through to your representatives. Their offices are slammed shut, their telephones are broken. As a concerned citizen, how can you get your message across? We spoke to some of the staff to find out.
10 best ways to stay safe on public Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is a surprise, especially if you work in a library or airport, or if you just want to save data to your phone or laptop. However, you must take care of your safety when you are away from home. Here’s how to surf safely on any device.
Your Worst Hacking Failure Stories
Last week, readers told us about their biggest life hacking failures , and some of them were truly impressive. So good that we just had to share them with you. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but most of the time, you’ll be glad that you didn’t try any of these tricks yourself.
Four simple and romantic dishes that will impress your Valentine
The ideal romantic meal should be easy to prepare, easy to clean, and not so filling that you are too overwhelmed to enjoy other, mmm, activities. A steak dinner is never unwelcome, but it’s a little heavy and you don’t want to smoke in the house or worry about overcooking the ribs. Luckily, there are tons of dishes you can cook to impress your candy, even if you’re not exactly the best chef stuff.
Why you need less noise for work and your health
Shhh. Heard what? Not? It’s amazing. Most likely, right now you are hearing something: a siren, a hum of a fan, blurry background conversations, a ticking clock. Our worlds are rarely completely silent – so rarely does this complete silence cause shock.
Put a bell on your bike
Few things are more expensive than putting a bell on a bicycle. Once you do, it only takes you into the world of helmet mirrors , handlebar tassels and highly visible ankle straps . But you have to put a bell on your bike. It makes life easier for you and everyone around you.
Five foods that stay good almost indefinitely
They say everything has an expiration date, but it turns out that some foods have an infinite shelf life.
Best Google Assistant Skills to Use with Your Google Home
Google may be catching up with Amazon Echo, but Google Home already has a number of third-party services that can add features to your smart home speaker. Some of them are junk, but we’ve found the best ones for you to try.
How to spend Valentine’s Day when you’re in a new relationship
When you’re just starting out with someone , Valentine’s Day is more awkward than romantic. You don’t know if you should be planning a luxurious evening in the city, buying them a gift, or just ignoring the day altogether. Here’s what two dating and relationship experts recommend.
I’m Luis von Ahn, CEO of Duolingo, and this is how I work
Duolingo is a popular language learning platform that has helped thousands of people develop multilingual skills for free. Its playful lessons emphasize fast learning, so you can memorize a few new words effortlessly while you wait for the bus.
Use a five-folder system to finally organize your mailbox
We’ve come a long way from the simple ” trio of trustees ” method of organizing our inbox, and for many of us, our email is as disorganized as ever. To fend off the tide, this five-folder system gives you a little more flexibility to clean up, while still keeping everything you need in just one click.
Three Myths About SNAP and Food Stamps Debunked
If you believe certain memes and rumors, it might sound like the people at the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), better known by its previous name , the Food Stamp Program, are using taxpayer dollars to buy tons of junk food and get extra money. the rest of us have to work for our money. But this is not true.
Simple enjoyment of wireless headphones
I’m not an audiophile, but I love convenience. And comfort. And this is quite inconvenient when you just want to use headphones to drown out the subway and find yourself entangled in a cord like invasive weed, or when the sound is dominated by the rustling stethoscopic vibrations of the said cord. It is more convenient without wires at all. If you are also a fan of convenience, you might want to try the wireless Bluetooth headphones.
How the new FCC plans to end the consumer protection system
With the new president comes the new FCC. The agency has a new chairman who has already started making big changes over the past few days. Here’s what happens and how it affects net neutrality in the future.