Life Hacks – Spoken Edition

Are squirrels hogging all of that seed you so considerately put out for the neighborhood birds? Are you tired of watching them steal—so brazenly!—what is not rightfully theirs while the local blue jays and red-winged blackbirds watch from a safe distance? Rude. To alleviate this problem, all you have to do is spice that bird food up a bit. Reddit user u/kaganey explains: Anyone who has a bird feeder has had to deal with the squirrels stealing the seeds.

Apple has accepted MacBook trade-ins for years, but only by mail. The company has finally lifted this restriction, and customers in the U.S. and Canada can hand over their old MacBooks at their local Apple Stores in exchange for credit that can be used immediately towards a new purchase (or applied to an Apple Store gift card). And if your MacBook is too old to be worth anything, Apple will safely and responsibly recycle it for you.

If your Samsung Blu-ray player isn’t booting up properly, you’re not alone. According to numerous bug reports from users around the world, Samsung Blu-ray players are stuck in a boot loop and cannot be used.

We know that you should be wearing some form of face covering to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. You just should. Don’t argue with me on this. Even if you are wearing a face mask, however, you could be making a mistake that will compromise the effectiveness of containing your germs and droplets. The most obvious error (which I can’t even believe we need to call out) is leaving your nose exposed. The mask should cover your nose, mouth, and chin. If your nose is sticking out, you’re exhaling droplets all around you. If you happen to forget, use this very informative educational illustration as a reminder. You also may be tempted to use a mask with a fancy-looking valve. The problem with these valves is they filter the air you breathe in but not out. Since the main point of the mask is to contain your own droplets when you breathe out, the valve actually defeats the purpose. Some valve masks have a switch to open or close the valve. If you have one, keep it set on closed so your exhales stay closer to you

If you don’t want to try out iOS 14 or macOS Big Sur just yet, that’s fine. Developer betas aren’t for everyone. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy at least one update both operating systems are bringing to the table: shiny new wallpapers. Yes, your device’s looks are just as important as its features.

If you’re a fan of free food and other deals, Burger King has set a trap for you and is leaving it up for the entire month of June. A quick look at the “offers” section of their website yields specials galore—including a few giving away free burgers. Intrigued? Here’s what you need to know if you want to feed your feelings with free fast food all month long. Free Whoppers and cheeseburgers Let’s start with Burger King’s signature burger, the Whopper.

One of the more frustrating things to deal with on the web are the small (to not-so-small) video ads that pop up before YouTube videos you’re trying to binge. Even though most of them let you skip to your video after a few seconds, this advertising-filled interlude can feel like an eternity. We have a hack to fix that, and it’s ingenious.

Still riding the wave of their unbelievably popular chicken sandwich released last year, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has managed to hold onto our attention.

Wearing a protective face mask is a crappy but necessary part of life right now—and that annoyance is perhaps strongest for wearers of glasses. We recently tried out a few methods for preventing mask-induced lens fog, but found most of the common methods to be, well, not so good.

I’ve tried to learn programming languages on my own using a bunch of different apps and online classes, but TwilioQuest might be the most fun I’ve had while trying to learn code.

The new Windows 10 Version 2004 update is slowly rolling out to compatabile devices, though some users will be waiting for it a little longer. The update brings several new features to the OS, including an all-new version of Microsoft’s digital assistant, Cortana, whether you like it or not. Cortana now comes as a separate app, and it’s no longer voice-controlled.

Protests get shit done. If you celebrate Independence Day, Pride or Martin Luther King Day, you know that public demonstrations, even riots, have forced change where other means could not. Earlier this week we shared with you five demonstrations that changed history; today let’s talk about what’s happening now. Protests urging justice have occurred nationwide, and especially in the week and a half since George Floyd was killed in police custody on May 25.

If you use WhatsApp’s Click to Chat feature, your phone number may be showing up in Google search results.

Removing books you’ve finished from your Kindle has always been possible, but with one catch. Whatever you remove from your device persists in your account. It’s not gone forever, it’s simply gone from the specific Kindle device you’re using. You likely caught on to that caveat the first time you pressed-and-held your finger on a book on your Kindle and tapped the “Remove From Device” option.

Protests against racism and police violence are occurring in pretty much every city across America, but you don’t have to be in a big city for the issue to affect you. Wherever you are, you have a local police department, and as a resident you can start pushing for the change you want to see.

When you need something delivered or need to call for help you probably give the person on the other end of the line your street address. What do you do if you’re somewhere you don’t know the address, or a place that doesn’t have one? Google is currently rolling out a new Google Maps feature called “Plus Codes” that makes it easier to share your location data with anyone on the planet—even if you location happens to be a cabin in the woods. The tool essentially creates an “address” for you based on the latitude and longitude coordinates of where you are. You can use these coordinates to mark the location of a house, but also something like a tent or a boat. To create one, you’ll tap the blue dot on Google Maps that represents where you are right now. When you do, a new page will launch with your Plus Code at the top. For instance, you might see “FWM8+V9, Ibadan, Nigeria.” It’s a lot like an address except instead of a street name and number you have “FWM8+V9.” Plus Codes can be acquired through the blue loc

As travel begins to slowly reopen, many of us are wondering what changes will be made to the check-in and boarding experience going forward. Last week, the Transportation Security Administration announced that there would be new rules and guidelines for all passengers traveling through airports in order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In the event that you may need to travel in the coming weeks, here’s what you need to know.

If you’ve got something that’s zip-tied together that shouldn’t be zip-tied together—whatever it is, for whatever reason—a broken bobby pin can be an excellent release tool. Yes, I know that in most cases (if you’re opening a package, for example) you’re going to want to use a pair of scissors to cut the zip tie off.

Being trapped with your significant other 24/7 is not a recipe for relationship success. That’s why this week we’re talking with divorce attorney James J. Sexton about how to save our marriage and avoid becoming a statistic in the post-pandemic “divorce boom.” Hear James talk about the ways couples can remind themselves of when they were first falling in love and the best strategies for finding distance without losing connection.

If, more than two months into the coronavirus pandemic, you’ve thought to yourself, “hmmm, living in isolation kinda works for me,” NASA may have just the job for you. The space agency is seeking applicants for a social isolation study to develop methods and technologies for future spaceflight missions to Mars and the moon. Here’s what you need to know about the job we’re now all suddenly much more qualified for than we were a few months ago.