Life Hacks – Spoken Edition

Latest Episodes:

Uninstall These VPN and Ad-Blocking Apps That Spied on Your iPhone or Android Mar 20, 2020

Show notes

A recent Buzzfeed investigation discovered that several popular VPN and adblocking apps for Android and iOS secretly collected user data and sent it to Sensor Tower, a cross-platform data analytics service for app developers.

Check to See If Your Upcoming Flight is Cheaper Now Due to Coronavirus Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

If you have a flight coming up soon, then you might be considering rebooking it. An airplane obviously isn’t the most ideal place to be right now given coronavirus concerns. While rebooking your flight might give you some peace of mind, it can also help you save some cash. Airlines, in general, are dealing with a pretty significant number of canceled flights right now. With the demand lower than usual, airfare for flights is also going down.

Never Store Things in The Seat-Back Pocket on Airplanes Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

Coronavirus had made air travel something that a lot of people are reconsidering right now. When getting on an airplane more and more people are also considering giving their personal space a little wipe down to try and catch any germs that might have been left behind by the last passenger to sit there. One place you might not consider: the seat-back pocket.

How to Deal With Coronavirus Anxiety Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

If the COVID-19 outbreak has got you checking the news a little more often—or asking yourself whether it’s time to stock up on food or medications, cancel travel, or prepare to work from home—you’re not alone. But there’s a difference between preparing for the coronavirus and letting thoughts about the coronavirus take over your brain. The former can be productive; the latter rarely is. I reached out to Dr.

How to Properly Care for Cast Iron Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

Cast iron is a favorite tool for serious home cooks. But what most people find really serious is the proper way to maintain their heavy metal cookware. Some people swear that soap is the enemy of a properly seasoned pan. Others hold firm that the correct method for seasoning a pan takes five hours. Well, the good news is that cast iron is easier to maintain than you may have previously thought. It does, however, require a more intensive care process than most other dishes and cookware.

Use Out of Office Messages Even When You're Not on Vacation Mar 13, 2020

Show notes

Email is something that consistently absorbs a lot of my day. I start everyday checking and responding to email, but as the day progresses, find myself checking my inbox pretty much constantly from my phone and computer. This week Fast Company made an interesting suggestion on how to combat that problem: Using an out of office message. One of the best pieces of advice in terms of not getting distracted by email is to only check your email at certain times.

What's the Fastest Way to Get Through a Traffic Jam? Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

Ah, there’s nothing like zooming down the highway on a bright, sunny day—wind in your hair, sunglasses on, and... all of a sudden you come to a screeching halt in a traffic jam. As you sit in traffic, it’s pretty easy to succumb to the urge of switching to a lane that appears to be moving faster.

Know When to Stop Overdelivering at Work Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

When I was in the early stages of my various careers—both as an executive assistant and later, when I retooled as a freelance writer—I was all about the overdelivery. I had read in some business book that the secret to becoming a valued employee was to always turn things around a little bit faster and a little bit better than expected. To go the extra mile, if you don’t mind the cliché. And I did become a valued employee—and, later, a valued freelancer.

The Internet Archive's VHS Vault Is a 1990s Pop Culture Goldmine Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

If you’re someone who has lost hours, if not days, watching old TV clips from your childhood on YouTube, block off some time in your calendar, because you’re about to lose another chunk of your adult life. The Internet Archive—aka the Wayback Machine—now has more than 20,000 VHS recordings available to view for free on its website.

You Can Get a Free Donut Every Friday in March at Dunkin' Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

Dunkin’ is offering customers a little bit of an incentive to grab a cup of coffee on Friday mornings: free donuts. The donut chain is launching “Free Donut Fridays” for the month of March. Customers can score a free donut of their choice, including the ‘Lucky Shamrock Donut,’ every Friday when they purchase any beverage.