Posted by Florence Ion

https://lifehacker.com/tech/hacks-every-android-user-should-know?utm_medium=RSS

Android remains one of the most customizable mobile operating systems out there, despite Google's recent efforts to rein it in. You don't necessarily have to root your Android device to get it to do something off script, either. The fix you need might be hidden behind a system menu or Developer Options. You can personalize Android to address common frustrations with speed, battery life, privacy, and the interface as a whole. I've compiled ten helpful Android hacks that require no third-party apps, no ADB commands, and no rooting. All you need is the patience to dig through the operating system and tap as required.

Please note that many of these hacks require you to enable Developer Options, Android's hidden menu of settings. To do so, head to the Settings menu, scroll to About phone, then tap Build number. Tap it seven times to unlock developer mode. (You'll see a countdown pop-up if you did it correctly.)

Eliminate battery hogging apps

Have you ever looked at your battery usage stats and wondered what to do about a specific app that's draining your battery? Android needs apps to run in the background, sync with the cloud, and check for updates by default. As it does this, it wakes the device and consumes battery in the background.

Android introduced a battery optimization feature in version 6.0 that's supposed to help with apps that drain too much battery. While it's helped shut down unused apps, it can be either too aggressive or not aggressive enough at identifying bad apps. And while you can force-close an app to kill it when you notice it's causing issues, it will likely start up again the next time you reboot your device.

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

You can manually set an app's background privileges to the most restrictive setting without deleting or disabling it. In Settings, under Apps, scroll down and tap to view all your apps in a list. Then, tap App battery usage. Here, you will find details about the last time the app was accessed. Tap on the app to adjust its background usage. You can choose to have it optimized by the Android system or unrestricted—something you might use on a wearable to ensure it works properly, for instance. If you want it restricted completely, use the master switch to toggle off background usage. On Samsung devices, this same option is called "sleeping apps" or "deep sleeping apps."

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

Optionally, you can turn to Developer Options to get more robust control over background processes. Head back to Developer Options, then scroll or search for Background process limit, and from here, you can decide how many background apps fire off at a time.

Block ads and trackers without VPN

Even with an ad blocker, background apps can still track your phone use, where you shop, and which ads to show you. You could easily circumvent this by installing a VPN app to route traffic, but that relies on a third party app, and slows down performance. You are better off configuring your phone's Private DNS settings to filter web traffic through a service of your choosing.

Private DNS seals the request your device makes to look up a website's IP address, so your carrier can't see the website you're visiting. Since that browser data stays hidden, third parties don't have the data they need to track your habits and, subsequently, target you with ads.

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

Navigate back to the Settings panel and select Network & Internet > Private DNS. Change the setting to Private DNS provider hostname. You will need to find the URL of a filtering service to link here. Options include Ad Guard, Control D, and Mullvad, which is what I use to block ads in Chrome.

Once you save, this will redirect all DNS requests from every app and browser on your Android device through this specific block list. It should help cut down on ads and tracking servers watching you without cutting down on performance or battery life. This is also a great hack if you're a parent and your kid has access to an Android device. Use Private DNS to route them away from unsafe sites and adult content.

Unearth long-lost notifications

Sometimes, we accidentally dismiss a notification on Android. If you're always snoozing and missing out on important pings, you can turn on notification history.

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

In Settings, under Notifications, tap to turn on Notification history. Now, when you swipe to dismiss your alerts, you can peek in here to see what you forgot or accidentally swiped away. This feature is also helpful for tracking any apps that might be quietly running in the background.

Maximize (or minimize) screen real estate

I don't know what it is about these latest versions of Android, but the text feels either too small or too big when adjusted with the built-in display size settings. You could go into the Accessibility settings to make the text smaller or larger, though it doesn't affect the rest of the interface much. Or you could deploy Android's display density (DPI) scaling hack.

Credit: Florence Ion / Lifehacker

This is where the developer options come in handy again. You can use the Smallest Width setting to control the DPI precisely, which scales every interface element up and down. Change the value to a higher number if you want fonts and images to shrink down within the resolution—if it starts in the 400s, for instance, try 500 and work backwards until you like what you see. To make fonts and graphics even larger, start around 300.

Adjust what happens when you plug your device in

When you plug an Android phone into a PC, it defaults to charging the device rather than turning on file transfer. You can change the option from the notification shade, though it adds a few extra steps to something that should be straightforward. Fortunately, you can tweak the USB default behavior to prioritize file transfers when the device is plugged in via USB-C.

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

In the Developer Options, look for Default USB configuration. Change the setting to File Transfer/Android Auto. Test it by plugging a USB-C cable into a PC to ensure it defaults to file transfer mode.

Get the best audio quality

When you stream music or podcasts through headphones or another external source, the audio isn't at its best. And while you could adjust the equalizer settings in the app that's streaming media, it won't fix much. Your phone and the audio device default to standard codecs rather than high-fidelity ones, which is why it doesn't sound as crisp and loud as it could.

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

You can force Android to use the highest-quality codecs whenever the audio device connects in Developer Options. Search for a Bluetooth audio codec and select the highest-quality option supported by your wireless device. Note that you must be connected to the device when you look for this option, or it will appear grayed out. While you're in the Developer Options, look for Bluetooth Audio Sample Rate and Bits Per Sample. You can adjust these to higher sampling rates if your hardware supports it.

Make Android look smooth

Even on the latest Android flagships, the interface can feel sluggish as you're moving between screens. That's because Android deliberately animates between every swipe and flick. But you can eliminate or shorten these animations to make the interface feel more fluid.

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

In Developer Options, look for Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale. You can adjust their defaults; the lower the number, the faster the animation. You can also choose to turn the animation off completely if it's just too much.  

Force dark mode

I suffer from migraines, and the brightest background can trigger the pain. I figured out how to force every Android app into dark mode, regardless of whether the developer coded it in.

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

First, ensure "Dark Theme" is on in your main display settings. Then, navigate to Developer Options and search for Override force-dark. Toggle it on to save your eyes. This feature is also super helpful if you prefer to stare at the screen at night to read. Note that it may cause some apps not to display text properly, in which case, you might want to reserve this ability for when it's most necessary.

Keep the screen on forever

Sometimes you need the display to stay on without timing out. Most Android devices tap out at 30 minutes. But in the developer settings, there is an option to keep the screen "awake" as long as the device is plugged into a power source. I've had this feature enabled since I started covering Android phones. It's the best way to run benchmarks without being affected by random variables.  

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

In Developer Options, search for Stay awake, then switch it on. Note that you will need to turn off the screen when charging the device overnight. Your phone could get hot from being connected and having the screen on for too long.

Get the right device to answer the phone

This has happened to me so many times: my phone rings, I answer it, but the call is routed to my smartwatch instead of my buds. While you could manually go into the phone and select the appropriate Bluetooth device, make it easier on yourself by eliminating the devices that you never want to answer the phone.  

Credit: Florence Ion/Lifehacker

In the Settings panel, under Bluetooth, select the offending device. The easiest way to keep it from rearing its ugly head is to find the switch that completely disables phone calls. You should see an option for it at the bottom of the device's Bluetooth settings. I've disabled the Pixel Watch 4 from answering any calls because there's no instance I'd ever want to take a call from my watch. It's too public!

https://lifehacker.com/tech/hacks-every-android-user-should-know?utm_medium=RSS

Posted by David Nield

https://lifehacker.com/tech/best-hacks-for-chromebook-power-users?utm_medium=RSS

If you've chosen a Chromebook as a laptop, then you know the main benefits that it brings: namely, speed, ease of use, and affordability. Despite the simplicity of ChromeOS, however, there's more that you can do with it than you might realize. You can use it offline, and you can sync files to and from local storage, for example. The operating system is a lot more powerful and versatile than it often gets credit for.

These hacks are for power users who want to level up their Chromebook capabilities, and get extra value out of their laptop, beyond the standard use cases that everyone knows about. No matter how you use ChromeOS, there should be something here to help.

Use your Chromebook offline

Google Drive can work offline. Credit: Lifehacker

Chromebooks are often criticized for being useless without wifi, but that's not actually the case: All of the Docs, Sheets, and Slides tools can be used offline, with changes syncing back when your internet connection is restored: From Google Drive, click the gear icon (top right), then choose Settings > General and check the option under the Offline heading.

You can use Gmail offline, too. You can't send or receive emails, obviously, but you can read through and organize your inbox, and draft emails ready to go once you get your internet back. From Gmail, click on the gear icon (top right), then pick See all settings > Offline. Check the Enable offline mail box and choose how much of your email you want to sync.

Sync media offline

This offline functionality extends to third-party streaming apps too, as ChromeOS supports Android apps. With apps such as Netflix and Spotify, you can sync content to your Chromebook to watch when you don't have a reliable internet connection—when you're on a long flight, for example, or traveling between countries.

Talk to your Chromebook

Enable dictation through the Accessibility settings. Credit: Lifehacker

Typing is all well and good, but sometimes talking is faster. Launch Settings, then choose Accessibility > Keyboard and text input > Dictation to enable the feature. You can then press the Launcher (G) button and D to start dictating in any app—whether you're composing emails or writing essays.

Move local files to Google Drive

One of the pros of using a Chromebook is that everything is synced online pretty much instantly, if you're using one of Google's own online apps or something similar. However, there may be local files that accumulate on the laptop, including screenshots and downloads, and sometimes you'll want to get those synced to the cloud as well.

You can see these files via the Files app that comes built into ChromeOS, and upload them manually via the Google Drive web interface. There's an easier way to get them into Google Drive, though: From the Files app, select all the local files you want to upload in the pane on the right, then drag them into My Drive under Google Drive in the left-hand menu bar.

Set up virtual desktops

Chromebooks don't always have the biggest or highest-resolution screens, but you can give yourself more room by managing multiple virtual desktops (which ChromeOS calls "desks"). Press the "show windows" key (it's the one with little rectangles on it, usually also labeled F3) to view open desks, switch between them, and create new ones.

Enable guest access

As ChromeOS is so tightly tied to your Google account, you don't necessarily want other people borrowing your laptop and being able to get into your Google apps. The solution is guest mode: Restart your Chromebook or sign out of your current user account, then click Browse as Guest to launch a Chrome window without any Google account attached.

Make full use of the clipboard

ChromeOS can sometimes feel limiting in that you can't quickly drag files to the desktop or to a temporary folder in the same way that you can on Windows or macOS. You might also see that as a benefit—it means less junk will be cluttering your system—but there could well be times that you just need to store something temporarily for transfer.

That's where the ChromeOS clipboard comes in: It actually stores five items rather than one, so it's a useful (if rather hidden) way of moving images, text, and links between websites and apps. Use the usual Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, and Ctrl+V shortcuts to copy, cut, and paste, then hold down the Launcher (G) button and V to see all the clipboard items.

Open the ChromeOS Task Manager

ChromeOS comes with its own Task Manager. Credit: Lifehacker

The ChromeOS Task Manager is useful for everything from shutting down crashed apps to seeing exactly where all your RAM is going, and it can be a key tool in the power user's belt. Open it by pressing the Launcher (G) key and Esc: You'll see you can browse between individual tabs and system processes, or search for something specific on ChromeOS.

Save an older laptop

ChromeOS isn't just for Chromebooks: You can give an older, struggling laptop a new lease of life by installing ChromeOS Flex on it (even old laptops can usually handle Chrome). Google has full instructions for what you need to do to get this working, and will guide you through the process of creating a bootable USB drive with the ChromeOS software on.

Explore beta and dev channels

Switching up the channel on ChromeOS. Credit: Lifehacker

As with a lot of software, there are beta and dev channels of ChromeOS available as well as the stable one. If you want to get the newest Chromebook features before everyone else, and don't mind a few bugs along the way, then you can make the switch. It doesn't take long, and you can always switch back again, though a system reset is sometimes required.

To change between ChromeOS channels, click on the time panel (bottom right), then click the gear icon to get to the main Settings page. Choose About ChromeOS > Additional details > Change channel, then choose whichever one you want to use. You'll keep getting over-the-air updates for your selected channel until you switch to a different one.

https://lifehacker.com/tech/best-hacks-for-chromebook-power-users?utm_medium=RSS

Posted by Pradershika Sharma

https://lifehacker.com/tech/soundcore-boom-2-bluetooth-speaker-sale-december-2025?utm_medium=RSS

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

The Soundcore Boom 2 is built for people who don’t want to baby their speakers. With an IPX7 rating and a floatable design, it’s something you can toss in the pool, hose off after a beach trip, or take out on a boat without much worry. And right now, the black model is $89.99, down from $139.99, its lowest price ever according to price trackers.

Soundcore Boom 2 by Anker

$89.99 at Amazon

$139.99 Save $50.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$89.99 at Amazon

$139.99 Save $50.00

Note: While the Boom 2 floats, Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater. So your playlist cuts off as soon as it dips below the surface. Still, for outdoor parties where someone will eventually knock the speaker over, that floatability is peace of mind.

The Boom 2 pumps out 80 watts of sound thanks to two 15W tweeters and a 50W woofer. Turn off BassUp mode, though, and output drops to 60W, so if you’re into room-shaking bass, you’ll want to leave it on. And while you can link a second Boom 2 for stereo sound, you’ll be working with Bluetooth only, since there’s no wifi support. The speaker’s LED lights sync to your music, which is fun at night but does drain the battery faster. On that note: Expect around 24 hours of playback with lights and bass boost off, but less if you’re maxing out the volume. It takes about 5.5 hours to charge fully via USB-C. That might be a long wait if you're in a rush, but decent for overnight charging.

There’s a companion app where you can tweak the sound profile and control the light settings. That adds a level of customization some speakers skip. But this isn’t a speaker for someone who wants elegant design or deep audio fidelity, notes this PCMag review. The JBL Flip 6 might feel nicer in the hand, and the Sony SRS-XB23 offers slightly better balance across mids and highs. What the Boom 2 does well is give you bold sound, big volume, and enough durability to handle messy environments.

https://lifehacker.com/tech/soundcore-boom-2-bluetooth-speaker-sale-december-2025?utm_medium=RSS

Posted by Pranay Parab

https://lifehacker.com/tech/this-volume-app-for-mac-lets-you-do-more-with-your-earbuds-and-speakers?utm_medium=RSS

SoundSource, my preferred volume control app on the Mac, just got a major upgrade. The developer, Rogue Amoeba, recently released SoundSource 6 for Mac, which adds support for AirPlay devices, per-app equalizers, output device groups, and much more. It's an incredibly polished app packed with features, but my favorite feature is its ability to turn any random group of earbuds and speakers into a multi-room audio setup.

Multi-room audio with SoundSource 6

Credit: Pranay Parab

You can use SoundSource 6 to create a group of audio output devices, including Bluetooth speakers, wired headphones, AirPods, AirPlay speakers, and literally any other audio device your Mac can connect to. Then, you can send audio from any app to all of these devices at the same time, making for the ideal multi-room audio setup. I've used this to play Apple Music songs simultaneously on my AirPods, Bluetooth speakers, my Mac's speaker, and my HomePod. It's a great way to get music playing throughout your whole house.

To get started, click SoundSource's menu bar icon to open the app, and click the drop-down menu next to any app's volume slider. You'll see a button called Create Output Group or Edit Output Groups. Click this button and select New Group. You can now add as many audio devices as you want to the group.

In theory, you could also use this to chain a bunch of Bluetooth speakers from different brands to enjoy a more immersive audio experience while watching a movie, but in practice, latency makes the experience less than ideal. Even a slight lag in one of the speakers can ruin an immersive audio experience, but that's not SoundSource's fault. It's a difficult job to get multiple speakers from different brands, which use different audio output standards, to work as a perfect surround sound setup. Given the barriers in place, SoundSource does an admirable job with its task.

I found that the multi-room audio feature works best when you're listening to music with one speaker in each room. That way, the slight latency won't bother you at all, and you can have music to keep you company as you run through household chores.

AirPlay support is great to have

Credit: Pranay Parab

As someone who's used SoundSource since 2017, I've always missed the ability to send audio to AirPlay devices. Until recently, Rogue Amoeba had left that feature to another of its apps—Airfoil. However, SoundSource's latest release adds support for AirPlay devices, which means that you can finally use it to send audio from any app on your Mac to a HomePod, Apple TV, or other AirPlay-enabled device.

I use SoundSource to redirect audio from certain apps to specific speakers, and with AirPlay support, I can send music straight to my HomePod, while restricting notification sounds from messaging apps to the Mac's built-in speakers.

Per-app EQ is a big deal

Credit: Pranay Parab

I first started using SoundSource for its ability to let you set a custom volume level for each app on your Mac. I used this to reduce the volume of notifications from Messages and Slack, while keeping sounds from other apps at a higher level. SoundSource 6 has added another layer to this feature by shipping a per-app equalizer, which lets you set a different sound profile for every single app you use. It ships with nearly two dozen EQ presets for you to choose from. You can choose one EQ preset for music streaming apps and a different one for the apps you use to watch movies. You can locate this feature by clicking the right-arrow button under the FX section in SoundSource.

Set a custom audio level for each device

Credit: Pranay Parab

SoundSource also lets you set a custom volume level for each audio device your Mac is connected to. This lets me reduce the volume on a particularly loud Bluetooth speaker I own, while keeping my Mac's speaker volume a little higher. The app also allows you to set a maximum volume limit for each audio device, which you should use for two reasons: To prevent hearing loss if you're using headphones, and to avoid damaging your speakers. I've accidentally damaged a speaker by keeping it at 100% volume for a few hours in an outdoor venue, which isn't what the speaker was designed for. Since then, I've shied away from running speakers at full volume, and you can use the maximum volume limit feature here to help with that.

To use this feature, open SoundSource and click the speaker icon in the top-right corner. This will show you all your input and output devices. Select any device and locate the Output tab in the right pane. Here, move the Max Volume slider to an acceptable limit.

More features

Credit: Pranay Parab

SoundSource 6 has many other new features that make it worth the upgrade. You can set a preferred device order to ensure that your Mac doesn't accidentally connect to the wrong audio devices. I use this to set my AirPods as my preferred speaker, followed by my HomePod, my Mac's own speakers, and my Bluetooth speaker comes in last. The app also allows you to add volume controls for individual apps to the menu bar, which means that you can control the audio level of Chrome, Music, Spotify, or any other app without opening the main SoundSource window. This is great for the times when you only want to adjust a single app's volume.

There's also a neat feature where SoundSource can set your AirPods to 'output-only' mode, which means that every app will use the Mac's built-in mic for input and send the audio to the AirPods. Rogue Amoeba says this improves audio quality on the AirPods significantly.

There are many such quality-of-life improvements in this app, which made it an easy decision for me to buy its sixth version. If you've never used SoundSource before, you'll have to pay $49 to use the app. There is a trial mode that lets you try the app for up to 20 minutes for free, after which it degrades the audio. Those upgrading from previous versions of SoundSource can get the updated app for $25.

https://lifehacker.com/tech/this-volume-app-for-mac-lets-you-do-more-with-your-earbuds-and-speakers?utm_medium=RSS

Posted by Pranay Parab

https://lifehacker.com/tech/hacks-for-online-privacy-everyone-should-know?utm_medium=RSS

The internet has become a vital tool for human connection, but it comes with its fair share of risks, with the biggest being your privacy and security. With the big tech giants hungry for every ounce of your data they can get and scammers looking to target you every day, you do need to take a few precautions to protect your online privacy and security. There's no foolproof approach to these two things, and unfortunately, the onus is on you to take care of your data.

Before you start looking for a VPN or ways to delete your online accounts, you should take a moment to understand your privacy and security needs. Once you do, it'll be a lot easier to take a few proactive steps to safeguard your privacy and security on the internet. Sadly, there's no "set it and forget it" solution for this, but I'm here to walk you through some useful hacks that can apply to whatever risks you might be facing.

Don't use real information, unless you have to

When you install an app on your phone, you'll often be bombarded with pop-ups asking for permission to access your contacts, location, notifications, microphone, camera, and many other things. Some are necessary, while most are not. The formula I use is to deny every permission unless it's absolutely necessary to the app's core function. Similarly, when you're creating a profile anywhere online, you should avoid giving out any personal information unless it's absolutely necessary.

You don't have to use your legal name, real date of birth, or an email address with your real name on most apps you sign up for. Some sites also still use antiquated password recovery methods such as security questions that ask for your mother's maiden name. Even in these fields, you don't have to reveal the truth. Every bit of information that you put on the internet can potentially be exposed in a breach. It's best to use information that's either totally or partially fake to safeguard your privacy.

You can remove yourself from Google search results

Credit: Pranay Parab

If your personal information is easily available on Google, and you want to get it removed, you can send Google a request to remove it. Check Google's support page for how to remove results to see specific instructions for your case. For most people, the simplest way to remove results about yourself is to go to Google's Results About You page, sign in, and follow the instructions on screen.

Use email aliases to identify where your data was leaked from

Most modern email services let you create unlimited aliases, which means that you don't need to reveal your primary email address each time you sign up for a new service. Instead of signing up with realemail@gmail.com, you can use something like realemail+sitename@gmail.com. Gmail lets you create unlimited aliases using this method, and you can use that to identify who leaked your data. If you suddenly start getting a barrage of spam to a particular alias, you'll know which site sold your data.

Your photos reveal a lot about you

When you take a photo, the file for it contains a lot of information about you. By default, all cameras will store EXIF (exchangeable image format) data, which logs when the photo was taken, which camera was used, and photo settings. You should remove exif data from photos before posting them on the internet. If you're using a smartphone to take photos, it'll also log the location of each image, which can be used to track you. While social media sites may sometimes remove location and exif data from your pictures, you cannot always rely on these platforms to protect your privacy for you.

You should take a few steps to strip exif data before uploading images. The easiest way to get started is to disable location access for your phone's camera app. On both iPhone and Android, you can open the Settings app, navigate to privacy settings or permissions, and deny location access to Camera. This will mean that you won't be able to search for a location in your photos app and identify all photos taken there, and you'll also lose out on some fun automated slideshows that Apple and Google create. However, it also means that your privacy is protected. You can also use apps to quickly hide faces and anonymize metadata from photos.

While you're at it, don't forget that screenshots can also leak sensitive information about you. Some types of malware steal sensitive information from screenshots, so be sure to periodically delete those, too.

Think about what you use AI for

Credit: Pranay Parab

Nearly every single AI tool is mining your data to improve its services. Sometimes, this means it's using everything you type or upload. At other times, it could be using things you've written, photos or videos you've posted, or any other media you've ever uploaded to the internet, to train its AI models. There's not much you can do about mass data scraping off the internet, but you can and should be careful with your usage of AI tools. You can sometimes stop AI tools from perpetually using your data, but relying on these companies to honor those settings toggles is like relying on Meta to keep your data private. It's best to avoid revealing any personal information to any AI service, regardless of how strong a connection you feel with it. Just assume that anything you send to an AI service can, and probably will, be used to train AI models or even be sold to advertising companies.

You can delete information stored with data brokers

Yes, big companies like Facebook or TikTok can track you even if you don't have an account with them. Data brokers collect vast troves of information about your internet visits, and sell it to advertisers or literally anyone who's willing to pay. To limit the damage, you can start by following Lifehacker's guide to blocking companies from tracking you online. Next, you can go ahead and opt out of data collection by data brokers. If that's not enough, you can also use services that remove your personal information from data broker sites.

A VPN isn't always the right answer

Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking that using a VPN will protect you from most of the tracking on the internet. That may be true in some cases, but using a VPN 24/7 is not the right approach for most people. For starters, it just routes all your traffic via the VPN company's servers, which means that you need to place your trust in the company's promises not to log your information, and its ability to keep your data safe and private. It also won't protect you from the types of data leaks that might happen from, say, publicly posting photos tagged with location data.

Many VPN providers claim to be able to protect you, but there are downsides to consider. Some companies such as Mullvad and Proton VPN have earned a solid reputation for privacy, but using a VPN all the time can create more problems than it solves. Your internet speed slows down a lot, streaming services may not work properly, and lots of sites may not load at all because they block VPN IP addresses. In most cases, you'll probably be better off if you use adblockers and an encrypted DNS instead.

Try a different combination of privacy tools

For most people, ad blockers are a good privacy tool. Even though Google is cracking down on ad blockers, there are ways to get around those restrictions. I highly recommend using uBlock Origin, which also has a mobile version now. Once you've settled on a good ad blocker, you should consider also using a good DNS service to filter out trackers, malware, and phishing sites on a network level.

Having a DNS service is like having a privacy filter for all your internet traffic, whether it's on your phone, laptop, or even your router. I've been using NextDNS for a few years, but you can also try AdGuard DNS or ControlD. All of these services have a generous free tier, but you can optionally pay a small annual fee for more features.

Use a good firewall for your computer

Credit: Little Snitch

Almost all apps these days send telemetry data to remote servers. This isn't too much of a problem if you only use apps from trusted sources, and can help with things like automatic software updates. But malicious apps or even poorly managed ones may be more open with your data than you would like.

You can restrict some of that by using a good firewall app. This lets you monitor incoming and outgoing internet traffic from your device, and restrict devices from sending unwanted data to the internet. Blocking these requests can hamper some useful features, like those automatic app updates, but they can also stop apps from unnecessarily sending data to online servers. There are some great firewall apps for Mac and for Windows, and you should definitely consider using these for better online privacy.

Switch to a good password manager

I've probably said this a million times, but I will repeat my advice: use a good password manager. You may think it's a bit annoying, but this single step is the easiest way to greatly improve your security on the internet. Password managers can take the hassle of remembering passwords away from you, and they'll also generate unique passwords that are hard to crack. Both Bitwarden and Apple Passwords (which ships with your Mac, iPhone, and iPad) are free to use, and excellent at their job. Go right ahead and start using them today. I guarantee that you won't regret it.

https://lifehacker.com/tech/hacks-for-online-privacy-everyone-should-know?utm_medium=RSS

Posted by Stephen Johnson

https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/what-people-are-getting-wrong-this-week-santa-claus-history?utm_medium=RSS

It’s Christmas time, so I’m taking a look at myths related to the holiday. Last week, I focused on myths about Jesus. This week I’m taking a look at that other beloved Christmas icon: Santa Claus, the central figure in the secular holiday mascot pantheon, who is so mysterious, we can’t even agree on his real name. 

I’m sure he’s innocent of any crimes, but Santa has many aliases. Among many other sobriquets and honorifics, the guy who brings presents in December goes by Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, and Father Christmas. That’s a lot of fake identities, but what is his real name? And who invented him? 

Did Coca-Cola invent Santa Claus?

There is an often repeated myths that the modern image of Santa Claus—red clothes, white beard, fat—was created by the Coca Cola company in the 1930s to sell soda. But nah. While it’s true that Coke blanketed popular publications with ads featuring Haddon Sundblom’s illustrations of a red-clad hefty boy drinking Coke, Sundblom’s was drawing on existing depictions of Santa, particularly the 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas," commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Did Clement Clark Moore invent Santa Claus? 

"A Visit from St. Nicholas" was written by Clement Clark Moore's and the poem did create some Santa details that have been nearly universally adopted. The chubbiness, the twinkly eyes, the jollyness, and the rosy cheeks are pure Moore. Also the sleigh and reindeer, the reindeer’s names, and Santa coming down the chimney were invented by Moore. But Moore didn’t invent Santa, because Moore thought St. Nick was a wee baby man. 

Santa Claus is not a wee baby man

While Twas the Night Before Christmas offers no specific height for St. Nicholas, Moore describes St. Nick as “an elf,” and “a little old driver,” who pilots a “miniature sleigh” towed by “eight tiny reindeer.” He is said to fit up the chimney with ease, even though he has a belly like a bowlful of jelly. The preponderance of clues from Moore’s poem suggest St. Nick is around two feet tall.

Moore’s poem isn’t even about Santa Claus. It’s about St. Nick, and much of Moore’s inspiration was based on centuries-old traditions, and those were based on folk myths drawn from Catholic hagiographies. But if you trace Santa Claus mythologies all the way back to the year 300, during the Roman Empire, you will actually land on a historically verified person who lived on earth. So Santa Claus is real—kind of.

Jolly Old St. Nicholas: original Christmas badass

Credit: Public Domain

Above is a depiction of St. Nicholas painted between 1503 and 1508. You may be wondering why St. Nick is pictured gesturing to three miniature, naked men standing in a wooden barrel—like what kind of Christmas parties did they have back then?? I’m going to get to it, believe me, but first—the facts.

Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker, was a Catholic bishop who lived in Turkey during the Roman Empire and (probably) attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325. He died on Dec. 6 sometime around 343. That’s all we know for sure about St. Nick—the earliest accounts of his life and deeds were hagiographies written centuries after his death, so, according to leading St. Nick historian Jona Lendering and common sense, can't be relied upon. But still, a cult formed around St. Nick, people built churches to him, and we still talk about him today as a good guy who brings kids presents, so he must have done something right. Here are only some of the good deeds and miracles attributed to St. Nicholas:

• As an infant, refused to suckle his mother’s breast on Fridays

• Rescued three girls from prostitution by giving their father gold to pay their dowries

• Calmed a storm at sea

• Saved three soldiers from wrongful execution

• Remained chaste

• Chopped down a tree possessed by a demon

• Slapped the heretic Arius at the Council of Nicaea for suggesting God created Jesus

All those are good deeds, but one tale of St. Nick is a great deed that stands head and shoulders above the others; St. Nicholas, it is said, resurrected three children who had been murdered, chopped up, and and pickled in brine by an evil butcher planning to sell them as pork during a famine. 

As you’d probably expect, the story of St. Nicholas confronting an evil butcher and bringing pickled children back from the grave caught on with people in a bigger way than the one about him slapping a heretic. Some variations had him enslaving the evil butcher and bringing him around on his yearly rounds to beat naughty children with a stick.

All of which brings us back to the homunculi:

They're wearing goose suits. Credit: Public Domain

The story of the resurrected children so enthralled people that artists started depicting St. Nick with three little buff boys in a vat (they only look like old men because painters in the early medieval period sucked at drawing children). “St. Nick with naked children” was seen so much that even people who hadn’t heard the story of the butcher associated the saint with children and he became known as the Saint who liked children (but not in a gross way). The legend and cult of St. Nicholas spread far and wide, and when it made it to the Netherlands, they called him “Sinterklaas" which eventually became Santa Claus.

The religious rivalry of Kris Kringle and St. Nicholas

Kris Kringle and St. Nick were once bitter enemies, products of warring religious dogmas, but Christmas magic and American religious tolerance melded them into a single holiday entity.

By the 17th century, a jolly old saint named Nicholas bringing children presents on Dec. 6 was the tradition all over Europe. But Protestant reformer Martin Luther did not want no Catholic saint giving presents to no Protestant kids. So Luther replaced St. Nick with Jesus himself, creating and popularizing a tradition where Baby J gives children presents on Dec. 25, the anniversary of the day He was born, rather than St. Nick giving them presents on Dec. 6, the anniversary of his own death.

The gift giver was called Christkindl, the Christ Child and was often depicted with wings. Said to hide mischievously when delivering gifts, Christkindl was to grown-up Jesus as The Muppet Babies are to The Muppets—not quite canonical, but fun for kids. He was also St. Nick's enemy, sent to erase the jolly old saint from the Protestant imagination, and the operation was partially successful. Christkindl is still the default seasonal gift bringer in some parts of the world. But the joke was ultimately on Martin Luther.

Christkindl came to the U.S. with German immigrants in the 1800s. Germans met the Dutch settlers who were already here and devoted to St. Nicholas. Presumably because both St. Nicholas and Christkindle are myths told to children, there was no bitter, bloody religious war. Not a single heretic was slapped. Instead, they compromised: America gradually settled on presents being delivered on Dec. 25 instead of Dec. 6, but Santa Claus brought the gifts instead of Christkindl, whose name eventually morphed into “Kris Kringle,” another name for Santa/St. Nick.

https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/what-people-are-getting-wrong-this-week-santa-claus-history?utm_medium=RSS

Posted by Emily Long

https://lifehacker.com/travel/flying-without-a-real-id-payment-required?utm_medium=RSS

If you don't yet have a REAL ID, you can continue to fly, but it's going to cost you. Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will start collecting a $45 fee from travelers using non-compliant forms of identification at airport security checkpoints.

The agency previously proposed a fee of $18 to cover the administrative and IT costs of ID verification for those traveling without a REAL ID or passport but increased the total to $45 in an announcement released earlier this month.

REAL ID requirements

The 2005 REAL ID Act mandated the standardization of state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards. After multiple delays since 2008, the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year finally began requiring anyone age 18 and over to have a REAL ID-compliant license to clear airport security or enter certain federal buildings.

Travelers can also comply with the regulations using a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, DHS Trusted Traveler card, or state-issued Enhanced Driver's License (from Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, of Washington). Enhanced Tribal Cards, permanent resident and border crossing cards, Department of Defense IDs, and foreign passports are also accepted.

You can still travel without a REAL ID

The vast majority of Americans—94 percent—already have a REAL ID or another accepted form of identification. Those who don't will have to complete an online verification process and pay the $45 fee before they are able to clear airport security. Travelers are being encouraged to do this in advance: If you arrive without approval, you'll be sent out of line to complete the process (which can take up to 30 minutes) before being allowed through.

The $45 fee covers security checkpoint access for up to 10 days, after which you'll have to repeat the process and payment. Travelers whose REAL ID or passport has been lost or stolen also have to pay.

https://lifehacker.com/travel/flying-without-a-real-id-payment-required?utm_medium=RSS

Posted by Lindsey Ellefson

https://lifehacker.com/work/newtons-first-law-for-productivity?utm_medium=RSS

There’s plenty of chatter and research surrounding the so-called “laws” of productivity, but even the laws we use to govern other areas of our lives can be applicable when there are things that need to get done. Newton’s Laws of Motion can be adapted to productivity, especially the first one.

What’s Newton’s first law all about?

Newton’s first law of motion is this: “An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force.”

Obviously, he was talking about physics here, but in productivity spaces around the web, people who spend their time thinking about more efficient ways to get things done have started applying his wisdom to people. It makes sense: When you’re on a roll, say, cleaning your house, you kind of get into the zone and keep going. When you’re sitting on the couch dreading and putting off starting to work, it’s really easy to stay there and do nothing. 

The thinking reminds me of the productivity approach I fall back on most often, which I call the "one more" trick. Using it, you don't schedule out how long you'll work on a given task so much as you commit to getting started, then continually ask yourself, "Could I do one more?" with the "one" being any individual part of the overall task. The more you get done, the more motivated you are, and the more likely the answer to that question will be "yes." After years of failed attempts to follow other approaches, this is what I use when I'm cleaning, but it works for a variety of things, from doing reps at the gym to responding to emails.

How can Newton’s law be applied to productivity? 

Research has looked into how adapting a mindset of getting into and staying in motion can help you be more productive. One review of its use by healthcare workers in a nuclear medicine department found it “novel,” but also able to “have a positive impact on productivity,” for instance. 

The trick isn’t staying in motion, but getting into it, so here’s where you should start. Try adhering to the two-minute rule, or the practice of immediately doing something if it will take two minutes or less. I use this in conjunction with the "one more" trick constantly, trying to do something the moment I think of it, or as soon as motivation or inspiration strikes. If an email comes in, respond to it right away. If you need to take the trash out, do it the minute you notice. If you have to cancel an appointment, call that second. Getting in the habit of doing smaller tasks immediately can help you build momentum. When I do pre-plan what I have to work on, I capitalize on the two-minute rule by frontloading my to-do list with simple tasks instead of opting for the “eat the frog” approach, which calls on you to do your biggest, most demanding duties first.

One day when I was first starting to use this trick, for instance, I had to confirm a ticket order, fill out a W9, order my graduation attire, clean out my entire clothing rack, and do a 12-page paper. By doing the three smaller things first, I built up some positivity and momentum, which helped push me to do the more daunting stuff later in the day. It’s rewarding to see checkmarks fill up your to-do list, so knock out whatever you can in the moment to get that rush and make you want to secure the checkmarks on the bigger items. (I quite literally jot my to-dos down in my notes app and check them off as I get them done, just for the boost.) If you’re using a 1-3-5 to-do list (and you should be!) try flipping your day so you tackle the five small tasks before the three medium-sized ones and large one so you can harness the power of Newton’s law yourself. 

https://lifehacker.com/work/newtons-first-law-for-productivity?utm_medium=RSS