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Wildfire Sweeps Through Southern France
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The Aude fire rapidly burned around 16,000 hectares in August 2025, becoming the country’s largest fire since 1949.
HBO Max Will Soon Get ‘Aggressive’ About Password Sharing
Aug. 7th, 2025 09:30 pmlifehacker_feedIn November, Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels confirmed that HBO Max (which was known as "Max" for a few years but is now HBO Max again) would soon start cracking down on password sharing. The news, while disappointing, was far from shocking, seeing as rival platforms like Netflix and Disney+ had already rolled out similar policies.
Wiedenfels said HBO Max would begin shutting down password sharing over time, starting with "very soft messaging" over "the next few months," then clamping down harder moving into 2025 and through 2026. You might have noticed this, if yours is among the accounts HBO Max has targeted with a warning.
But if you're used to being able to easily dismiss messages about not sharing passwords, things are about to change.
HBO Max's anti-password sharing policy
HBO Max's "gentle, early messaging" on password sharing has been in effect since December, with the company targeting password-sharing users it believes are "in the higher tier of usage." HBO Max hasn't been guessing who that is, either; rather, the company has been collecting data on its users to figure out which ones are actually sharing their passwords, versus the ones using their accounts while traveling. (Personally, nothing makes me feel more valued as a customer more than being spied on, especially when the end result is potentially charging me more money.)
In practice, that means if HBO Max detected your account was being used frequently, especially across multiple devices outside your "household," you were more likely to experience this "gentle messaging," as opposed to someone who watched their HBO Max account sparingly at home.
We now appear to be nearing the end of the "gentle messaging phase." On the company's earnings call this week, JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games for Warner Bros. Discovery, announced that this messaging is about to get "aggressive." Perette says the company now has a good idea which users are legitimate account holders, and which are not, and that's giving the company the confidence to push its plans further. Perette didn't go into specifics about the messaging itself, but reading between the lines, it's likely some users can soon expect to be blocked from accessing HBO Max accounts that they aren't directly paying for.
Perette is sticking to that original timeline, too: He expects by Q4, the crackdown on password sharing will be continuing “in a much more aggressive fashion," and will likely extend into 2026. So if you're still sharing a password with someone outside your household, savor it while you can.
How you might be able to get around HBO Max's password sharing crackdown
Based on the info we have now, HBO Max isn't yet planning to start locking users out of an account if they try logging from outside the household. However, it's good to be prepared.
While HBO Max has yet to detail how exactly it plans to enforce its rules, we can expect the strategy to mirror the one Netflix employs. Netflix considers the TV or streaming device you use to log into your account as your "household." Any device connecting to your account within the household (i.e. via your home wifi) will work fine. It's when you try to access the account on a device outside of your household where things get tricky.
While Netflix is a stickler for logging in on smart TVs, it's more lenient for mobile devices like phones, tablets, and computers: As long as you use your mobile device to access Netflix while its connected to the account holder's household wifi, it should work when you're outside the household for at least the next 30 days.
Though there are no guarantees, I imagine HBO Max will employ a similar process, so if you're sharing passwords with friends or family across town who you visit often, you might not have much to worry about. If you're using the password of someone who lives a few states away, however, it might be time to get your own account.
When to Turn Up the Incline on Your Treadmill (and When Not To)
Aug. 7th, 2025 09:00 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
I've recently had a shocking change of heart as a runner: I no longer dread the treadmill. What changed? For one, poor air quality has left me no other choice. And secondly, I stopped using the treadmill solely for speed workouts, and started using it for hills.
I have to admit, this change of heart comes from the trendy 12-3-30 "hot girl walk" workout. In fact, now some of my favorite training sessions happen at a walking pace on my Merach 450 walking pad right at home. The key is incline.
Whether you choose greater incline or speed drills really depends on your goals. I'm coming at this decision from the perspective of marathon training, but I know the motivator for so many gym-goers: Which one will help me lose weight?
The truth is that no individual workout is going to be responsible for weight loss. As my colleague Beth Skwarecki put it, "You lose weight by eating slightly less than you burn, measured as an average over time. Exercise can help you burn more calories, but your body often compensates by burning fewer calories when you’re at rest, so you can’t just trust a treadmill walk to burn a certain number of calories each time."
Still, if you're staring at your treadmill display, wondering whether you want to focus on speed or incline for a more effective workout, here's what you need to understand to make that decision.
When to embrace the incline
When you increase treadmill incline, you're essentially simulating uphill running or walking. (And no, you do not need to set the incline to 1% to mimic outdoor air resistance every time). Your instinct may be to hit "quick start" on the treadmill and run as fast as you can for 30 minutes, but here are reasons you might want to consider a focus on incline instead.
Building your aerobic base
For marathon training, incline walking or easy running at 3-6% grade is invaluable for base building phases. The increased workload strengthens your cardiovascular system while keeping impact relatively low. I'd recommend 30-ish minute sessions at conversational pace on 4-5% incline for runners building their aerobic foundation.
Strength training without weights
Incline training is essentially resistance training for your legs. The steep grades target your glutes, hamstrings, and calves more intensely than flat running. For marathon runners who struggle to fit gym sessions into their training schedule, 15-20 minutes of steep incline walking (8-15%) can serve as supplementary strength work.
Active recovery sessions
On easy days between hard workouts, gentle incline walking allows you to maintain training stimulus while promoting blood flow and recovery. Variations of the 12-3-30 method work well here—something challenging enough to feel productive, but gentle enough not to interfere with your next quality session.
Injury prevention
When dealing with minor injuries or returning from time off, incline walking provides cardio benefits with reduced impact stress. The controlled environment of a treadmill also allows you to gradually increase intensity as you heal.
When to keep to keep it flat
It can't all be walking up hills. I am a runner, after all. As someone who's logged thousands of miles preparing for 26.2-mile races, I've learned that knowing when to keep it flat is just as important as knowing when to crank up that incline.
Speed work and intervals
Sometimes, adding incline to speed work can compromise running form and make it difficult to hit target paces. Runners doing true track-style speed workouts should generally stick to 0-1% incline. Unless you're training for a notoriously hilly marathon (like Boston), practicing your goal race pace should happen on minimal incline.
Form focus sessions
When working on running mechanics, cadence, or efficiency, flat treadmill running provides the most stable platform. Inclines can mask form issues or even create compensatory movement patterns that don't translate well to outdoor running.
High-volume days
Incline may be trendy, but there's still a time and place for focusing on your VO2 max. Long runs and high-mileage weeks should prioritize time on feet over intensity. Excessive incline can turn what should be aerobic base-building sessions into more strength-focused workouts, potentially leading to overtraining and poor recovery.
My personal incline strategy
As a recent treadmill convert, my relationship with incline is finally looking strategic rather than arbitrary. Here's how I plan to integrate incline work into training cycles:
Base phase: 2-3 weekly sessions of moderate incline (4-6%) at conversational effort, focusing on aerobic development and strength building.
Build phase: One weekly hill-specific session using steeper grades (6-12%) for shorter intervals, preparing legs for race-day climbs.
Peak phase: Minimal incline work except for race-specific preparation. If your goal marathon has significant hills, practice those specific grades and gradients.
Recovery phase: Gentle incline walking for active recovery, using methods like 12-3-30 to maintain fitness.
The bottom line
Luckily, incline and speed don't need to be mutually exclusive. You can do hills one day, and speed work another. The key insight for runners—that going slower but steeper can be more beneficial than going faster—applies broadly to whatever training you're doing.
Remember: the best workout isn't necessarily the "hardest" one. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is slow down, turn up the incline, and let time and consistency work their magic. Other times, you'll want to leave the incline button alone and focus on true heart-pumping cardio.
Four Ways to Spot a Bad (or Unsafe) At-Home Workout Video
Aug. 7th, 2025 07:30 pmlifehacker_feedA few months ago, I made a dedicated Instagram account just to curate an algorithm around fitness and nutrition. I was annoyed that the algorithm on my personal account—full of baseball, hairstyle tutorials, fashion, bunny rabbits, and other forms of levity I desperately need during these trying times—was being overrun with high-protein recipes and exercise hacks. But the more I looked at the workout content my second account was suggesting, the more something stuck out to me: A lot of those videos really weren't good.
Some were simply engagement-farming nonsense suggesting I do foolish, useless things in the gym. Others, though, seemed legitimately dangerous. I started looking at the content creators' profiles and noticed a great deal of them weren't even personal trainers or otherwise certified or educated in anything related to fitness. I consider myself someone who knows what to do in the gym for the most part, but some of these people were pretty convincing when claiming to know what they were talking about. Here's what to look out for and avoid when you're choosing at-home, guided workouts to follow.
Avoid anyone who isn't clear about certification
I have absolutely no doubt there are plenty of people out there who have done their own research, toiled in the gym, and emerged from their personal wellness journeys super well-versed in all things health and fitness, all without ever taking a certification or education course in anything relevant. That does not mean you should listen to them. Even if 99 out of 100 are brilliant, right on the money with their advice, and knowledgeable about sports science, you always run the risk of inadvertently following the guidance of the one out of 100 who is not.
Certified personal trainers (CPTs), performance enhancement specialists (PESs), group fitness instructors (GFIs)—you'll be looking for a lot of acronyms, basically, and they should be right there in the trainer's bio on whatever platform you're using. If someone is certified in something like yoga, pilates, or cycling, their profile should also say that outright. If you don't see anything like that, keep it moving. Certifications are expensive and time-consuming; certified trainers advertise what they've earned upfront.
I've recommended a lot of my own favorite yoga, cycling, and pilates instructors whose classes are available on YouTube. The ones I selected all come from certified pros. As someone with a certification in teaching indoor cycling, I can't tell you how different my classes are from what I imagined they'd be like before I took my training courses. Learning about the science behind different exercises and having to prove you retained it all with a certification test is crucial to providing safe, effective instruction.
One thing I do when I see a tip on Instagram but I'm not so sure about it is I just ask a trainer at the gym. If you have a gym membership, there are probably trainers available and most of them are happy to answer a quick question—especially if it can prevent someone from getting hurt. Bring them a coffee or something the next time you go in, as a thank-you (sugar and milk on the side, of course, so as not to offend their nutritional sensibilities).
Avoid poor production quality
I have so much respect for gritty content creators who want to share their expertise and, in most cases, I don't care if a makeup tutorial or day-in-the-life vlog is shot on a noticeably bad camera or the audio is a little shaky. I commend them for having the wherewithal and the vision to try at all. That's not the case with workout instruction, though, because poor quality can lead to unsafe practices.
One of the reasons I love the Peloton app so much is that the production quality is really high—which it should be, since I and millions of others are paying $44 a month for the service. It's worth it, though, to be able to see and hear the instructors clearly so I never miss a form or safety cue.
That said, some of my favorite YouTube instructors have some shaky production and I won't lie. I love Kristina Girod as a cycling coach, for instance, but I'll admit her audio can be a little garbled from time to time. Avoiding poor production or unclear audio and video is important, but especially so when you're a beginner and you need all the help you can get. As you progress, you might be able to get by without knowing precisely what resistance a cycling instructor is calling for or whatever, but you don't want to make a habit of going rogue.
Avoid anything without variety or modifications
A one-size-fits-all approach isn't very applicable when you're setting out to work out on your own. A yoga class that's easy for you might be hard for me and while it's good that either of us is even trying it, it's not that beneficial for you to be doing something that doesn't challenge you at all, nor for me to be doing something I can't do correctly. For something to be engaging enough for you to stick with it and also still be safe enough, it needs to be a little more tailored to your skill level.
In my pilates roundup, for instance, I only included instructors who either break down their videos by skill level or provide modifications throughout the workout by verbally explaining options people at different levels can try out. If you see content labeled "all levels" but the teacher offers no modifications, you're better off spending more time looking for something that aligns with what you're able to do, specifically.
The worst offenders for this one are found on short-form video apps like Instagram and TikTok. You see a lot of people demonstrate an exercise with no clear instruction, no modifications, and no context like how long they've been training that way or what weight they're using. Replicate their vague advice (which is tailored just to their body and skills) at your own peril.
Avoid using only free instruction
I won't insult your intelligence by advising you to avoid anything that advertises you can drop a certain amount of weight or gain a specific skill in a certain amount of time; you know that's almost always nonsense. How, I ask you, can a three-week YouTube course help you lose precisely 21 pounds when it doesn't know your starting weight or anything else about you? Be serious.
But that's the problem with free content. Creators are incentivized to post sensational videos so they can monetize a higher amount of clicks. You might not want to hear this, but sometimes, you should avoid the free option. I do my best to find the top-quality free instruction that's out there, but frankly, I love my Peloton and Les Mills+ subscriptions more than I love free YouTube videos. With those, I know I'm getting guidance from educated and credentialed trainers, the production quality is going to be high, and I'm not going to be served up any clicky gimmicks. This doesn't have to break the bank. Peloton offers a version of its app to people who don't have the company's proprietary equipment for just $24 a month instead of the $44 it costs if you do have a Bike, Tread, or Row. A basic Les Mills+ membership is $15 per month.
A lot of the fitness instructors on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms do offer paid-only content, as well. I recommend consuming their free content to feel out if they're a fit for you, then considering subscribing.
Five of the Best Free Pilates Channels I've Found on YouTube
Aug. 7th, 2025 06:30 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
Even though it costs me a borderline comedic amount of money to take Pilates classes at a reformer studio here in Manhattan, I'm quite willing to pay—I love Pilates that much. And even though I'm also fortunate enough to work at a gym where we have free mat Pilates classes, I still want more, which is how I find myself perusing YouTube and my beloved Peloton app for guided classes I can follow along with at home. I'm a sicko, but it's fine.
Luckily, for my fellow sickos (and the more well-adjusted Pilates fans out there), there are plenty of great, free Pilates instructors available on YouTube. You can use these classes to familiarize yourself with Pilates if you're new, save some money if studios around you are getting too expensive, or stick to your routine when you're away from traditional classes.
Move With Nicole
This channel has 5 million subscribers, which is a pretty solid endorsement on its own. I like Move With Nicole because the instructor produces such a solid variety of content. From the title of each video, you'll immediately know if it's easy or more advanced, how long the routine will take, and whether you'll need equipment. (Personally, I don't have a lot of dedicated Pilates equipment in my home, since I can't justify investing in it when I have access to so many in-person classes that provide it, so I'm always on the lookout for YouTube workouts that don't require anything too fancy.)
Nicole McPherson is certified to teach Pilates and yoga, both of which are available on the channel, which rounds out the offerings nicely. On days you might be more interested in a calmer stretch, she gives you that option through her yoga, all without you having to go hunt elsewhere. She speaks in soothing, calm tones while she gives clear instruction about what to do (which is really valuable, especially for beginners) and as a bonus, you get to see some gorgeous shots of her environment in Thailand.
Flow With Mira
On Flow With Mira, you can find videos broken down by skill level, but also ones dedicated to routines with specific equipment, so if you do happen to have a magic circle or Pilates ball, you can really put it into action here. Videos are also broken down by muscle group, which makes it simple to build a weekly program around the channel.
Mira Bassan leads the classes for her 244,000 subscribers with clear, direct instructions and little fanfare. She tends to jump right into routines after explaining which muscle groups will be targeted and her production is solid enough that you can see clearly exactly what she's doing as she describes it.
Trifecta Pilates
Trifecta Pilates, which has 209,000 subscribers, is a good place to turn when you don't want to get decision paralysis about which sort of class to follow. Beth Sandlin offers up all-level routines, meaning just about anyone can tune into one of her videos and get something out of it. Rather than creating workouts for various skill levels, she provides modification options throughout her routines so everyone can follow the same clip.
In addition to classes of various lengths and using different types of equipment, she also provides educational content for other instructors or just people curious about Pilates, hosting discussions with other experts or giving overviews of Pilates' history.
Blogilates
No list of at-home Pilates channels is complete without a nod to Blogilates, maybe the most recognized name in the game, thanks to the instructor's lines of activewear and equipment through Target and her brand Popflex. Cassey Ho has nearly 11 million subscribers and has been in the game a long time. (I was watching her videos 14 years ago.) While she's moved on to vlogging about her experiences as an entrepreneur, plus nutritional content and other standard YouTuber fare, even the old Pilates videos are great. (You can track how much production improved over the years, too, but they've always been good workout videos, even when the quality wasn't that high.)
Ho has structured the channel meticulously. There is a new workout playlist curated every day, so you can just tap on the one designed for whatever day it is and jump right into her program. Her instructions are clear and she's super upbeat, creating some contrast with the other, more zen instructors on the platform.
Jessica Valant
With over 1 million subscribers of her own, Jessica Valant is a high-quality instructor who really knows her stuff. Not only is she certified to teach Pilates, but she's a physical therapist. She is especially knowledgeable about women's bodies and structures her workouts around her expertise.
Her channel is easy to navigate and videos are divided into categories based on their length, type, muscle focus, and more. Valant is dedicated to making her routines accessible, so her approach is educational and encouraging all at once. She's clear when she gives instructions, safety cues, and modifications, so you can follow along easily.
These JBL SoundGear Earbuds Are on Sale for Just $75 Right Now
Aug. 7th, 2025 06:15 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
If you’ve been looking for open-ear headphones that let you hear the outside world without totally sacrificing sound quality, these JBL SoundGear Sense are worth checking out. They’re currently on sale for just $74.99 on StackSocial, refurbished and listed in “Grade A” condition, so you’re getting near-mint hardware for a pretty steep discount. These aren’t your typical noise-isolating buds: They sit outside your ears, held in place with adjustable hooks, and come with an optional neckband for more stability when moving around.
The open design means your surroundings stay audible, which makes them ideal for running, biking, or any situation where awareness matters. That also means you're not getting chest-thumping bass—lows are present, but not deep, and they tend to drop off when you crank up the volume, according to this PCMag review. Still, the sound is clean and punchy thanks to 16.2mm drivers, and the four built-in mics deliver surprisingly clear calls, even in windier conditions. Touch controls work fine for the most part, though they’re reportedly a little too easy to trigger by accident. You can tweak their sensitivity and EQ using the My JBL Headphones app, which adds some welcome customization.
Battery life is solid: You’ll get around six hours per charge, with another 18 from the case. A 15-minute quick charge adds four more hours, which is great if you’re heading out the door in a rush. They're also IP54 rated, meaning they’ll survive sweat and the occasional splash. Just note: there's no active noise cancellation, but that’s by design. These are meant for transparent listening. If you’re okay trading isolation for awareness, and you like the idea of earbuds that don’t block your ears, the SoundGear Sense makes a solid, affordable pick, especially at this price.
Are ‘Ultra-Processed’ Foods Really That Bad for You?
Aug. 7th, 2025 06:00 pmlifehacker_feedThe average American gets more than half of their calories from ultra-processed foods, according to a new federal report. That's not surprising—ultra-processed foods are everywhere, and includes many of our cheapest grocery options. That's why it's concerning that ultra-processed foods have been linked to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, mental health disorders, and everyone's favorite, all-cause mortality.
But what counts as ultra-processed food? Let's dig in, and maybe question a few assumptions along the way.
The new study, from the Centers for Disease Control, found that the most common source of ultra-processed food for adults was "sandwiches," followed by sweet bakery products, sweetened beverages, savory snacks, and "bread, rolls, and tortillas." For kids, the findings were similar, with pizza and savory snacks outranking sweetened beverages. For kids, bread didn't make the top five. The study also found that consumption of ultra-processed food had actually dropped a bit from 2017 to 2023, the last year for which data was available. You can see the summary of results here.
Before we get too into the weeds here, there's a big caveat worth remembering: When studies look at the health of people who do and don't eat ultra-processed foods, they're not necessarily studying the fact that the food is ultra-processed. We can say pretty definitively that a diet high in candy bars is bad for you, but is that because the candy bars are ultra-processed, or because they're full of sugar? That's not a question that the current research can really untangle, but it's important one to consider. Are ultra-processed foods always bad, or are they just a category that includes a lot of foods we should eat less of?
How are ultra-processed foods defined?
This terminology comes from a classification scheme called NOVA that splits foods into four groups:
Unprocessed or “minimally processed” foods (group 1) include fruits, vegetables, and meats. Perhaps you’ve pulled a carrot out of the ground and washed it, or killed a cow and sliced off a steak. Foods in this category can be processed in ways that don’t add extra ingredients. They can be cooked, ground, dried, or frozen.
Processed culinary ingredients (group 2) include sugar, salt, and oils. If you combine ingredients in this group, for example to make salted butter, they stay in this group.
Processed foods (group 3) are what you get when you combine groups 1 and 2. Bread, wine, and canned veggies are included. Additives are allowed if they “preserve [a food’s] original properties” like ascorbic acid added to canned fruit to keep it from browning.
Ultra-processed foods (group 4) don’t have a strict definition, but NOVA hints at some properties. They “typically” have five or more ingredients. They may be aggressively marketed and highly profitable. A food is automatically in group 4 if it includes “substances not commonly used in culinary preparations, and additives whose purpose is to imitate sensory qualities of group 1 foods or of culinary preparations of these foods, or to disguise undesirable sensory qualities of the final product.”
That last group feels a little disingenuous. I’ve definitely seen things in my kitchen that are supposedly only used to make “ultra-processed” foods: food coloring, flavor extracts, artificial sweeteners, anti-caking agents (cornstarch, anyone?) and tools for extrusion and molding, to name a few.
Are ultra-processed foods always bad?
So we've learned that packaged snack cakes are ultra-processed, and so is a factory-baked loaf of bread that has 20 ingredients. Orange juice whose flavor has been manipulated would count, too. Coke and Diet Coke are both solidly in this category. It seems logical that we should eat less of these things.
But you could argue that the real problem with these foods is that they’re often sugary and high calorie, and many of the less-healthy members of the category are what stock the vending machines and convenience stores that beckon to us when we’re hungry and haven’t packed a lunch. The problem with these foods is that a diet full of them is unbalanced, due to the nutrition they do or don’t contain. The processing itself isn’t the problem.
So when we talk about ultra-processed foods, we have to remember that it’s a vague category that only loosely communicates the nutrition of its foods. Just like BMI combines muscley athletes with obese people because it makes for convenient math, NOVA categories combine things of drastically different nutritional quality.
Why the level of processing isn't always the most important thing
Illustrating the point above, the USDA published their own study showing how you can create a healthy diet out of ultra-processed foods. A homemade breakfast burrito, for example, might contain canned beans, liquid egg whites, shredded cheese, and a store-bought tortilla. Those ingredients might be ultra-processed, but they're nutritionally nothing like grabbing a Cinnabon on your way to work.
A pet peeve of mine is that the NOVA classification sometimes draws distinctions between things that aren’t really nutritionally different. Wine is in group 3 next to cheese and fresh bread, but cocktails are in group 4 with the Twinkies. Hard liquor has been distilled, you see, so it’s ultra-processed.
Canned vegetables are in group 3 (processed) while their fresh counterparts are in group 1. But canned veggies aren’t any less nutritious. Meanwhile, dried fruit is in group 1 (so wholesome!) even though it can be more sugary than cakes or cookies.
There's a lot of overlap between unhealthy(?) foods and ultra-processed foods, so I understand why scientists are studying ultra-processed foods as a group. But demonizing UPF, as they're sometimes called, often ends up putting the cheapest, most widely available food in the most shameful category. Is that fair, or does it just make you feel better when you’re eating fresh green beans and scoffing at people who buy canned?
The NOVA scale isn’t totally useless: It helps researchers keep an eye on how much of our food is coming from large-scale manufacturers. But it’s not a great way to evaluate what’s in our grocery bags, or on our plates.
The Best Way to Label Your Circuit Breaker and Electrical Outlets
Aug. 7th, 2025 05:00 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
Moving into a new house is equal parts thrilling adventure and unsettling mystery. You’re taking on a space crammed with unknowns, some of which won’t manifest until you’re comfortably settled. We try to mitigate those unknowns in various ways—home inspections and maintenance checklists, for example—but there’s one mystery too many homeowners leave unsolved until it’s too late: labeling your circuit breakers.
The worst time to figure out which breaker controls what is when there’s an emergency. And clearly labeled breakers save time and effort when you or an electrician is performing maintenance or repairs. Plus, it might actually be required by your local building codes. So if you’ve been living with a mysterious breaker panel since you moved in, today is the day you take it on and label everything.
Start with a floor plan
Your first step is to create a floor plan of your home with outlets and light fixtures marked. This doesn’t have to be fancy—a rough sketch done by hand will work as well as a computer-generated file. Make sure each room is represented, and give the rooms descriptive but generic names—instead of “Billy’s room,” call it “Southwest bedroom.” That way contractors and future owners will know what you’re referring to. Then mark every outlet, switch, and fixture in each room, giving each a unique number or other label. Paste it onto the inside of the panel door. This way anyone can quickly cross-reference the breaker labels with the layout of the house.
Drill down to the outlets
Next, go to each room of the house and start mapping specific outlets and switches to the breakers. There are a few ways to approach this step:
With a partner. The old-fashioned way still works great: Have someone stand by the breaker panel and turn off each breaker one at a time. Each time they switch one off, check outlets until you find the “cold” ones. Double-check by turning the breakers back on to make sure those outlets get “hot.” You can use an outlet tester to make this safe and easy to do, but you can also just use a nightlight.
By yourself. If you don’t have anyone to help you, you can check the outlets either by plugging something in that you’ll be able to hear from a distance (like a radio), methodically turning the breakers off, and noting when the sound stops. Alternatively, you can buy a circuit breaker finder. These work by plugging a transmitter into an outlet, then running the wand over the breakers until you identify which outlet is being used.
When you link an outlet to a breaker, mark it on both the label that you’ll paste next to the breaker and on your floor plan. This will make it easy to reset or turn off breakers when you need to.
If you identify any breakers that don’t seem connected to anything, leave them off. Check to see if they’re connected to the infrastructure of the house—the furnace, water heater, HVAC system (which usually require larger, “double” breakers), or outdoor lighting. If you can’t figure out what the breaker is connected to, leave it off and consider bringing in an electrician to figure it out.
Label wall plates
While you’re checking outlets and switches in each room, remove the wall plates and write the label on the other side before replacing them. This is an extra layer of information you can use—if you’re replacing an outlet, you can see at a glance which breaker needs to be turned off before proceeding—plus it’s an extra layer of safety. If the labels don’t match, then something’s gone wrong with your mapping, and you need to repeat the process to ensure you’ve got everything labeled correctly.
Keep a separate record
Finally, consider setting up a separate written record. A photo of your labeled panel and the floor plan will do, but consider a handwritten chart kept in your home maintenance binder (which you have, right?) or a spreadsheet in the cloud with each breaker clearly labeled. Spreadsheets are great because they’re easily updated whenever you have new circuits installed, and can be shared with contractors before they even arrive at your house so they have all the information they need.
There are also apps that can make mapping your breaker panel a little easier. Breaker Box is available for both Android and Apple phones, for example. It makes it simple to create a custom breaker panel legend, which you can then size to fit your panel and print out.
JWST Spots Possible Alien Planet at Alpha Centauri
Aug. 7th, 2025 03:00 pmsciam_feedIn some of its most ambitious work yet, the James Webb Space Telescope looked to spot a planet in a potentially habitable orbit around Alpha Centauri A, the nearest sunlike star to our solar system
Students Find Hidden Fibonacci Sequence in Classic Probability Puzzle
Aug. 7th, 2025 02:00 pmsciam_feedThough the Fibonacci sequence shows up everywhere in nature, these young mathematicians were surprised to find it in the answer to a variation of the pick-up sticks problem—a nearly two-century-old form of puzzle
Starlink and Astronomers Are in a Light Pollution Standoff
Aug. 7th, 2025 12:00 pmsciam_feedSatellite streaks are ruining astronomical images. Can scientists and space companies find solutions before it’s too late?
I Review Massage Guns, and This Is the Fitness Recovery Gear Worth Buying
Aug. 7th, 2025 04:30 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
I think my greatest skill as a marathon runner is my focus on proper recovery. I care less about setting a new record this year, and more about staying healthy and strong enough to run another marathon the next year. For me, that massage gun session is just as important as getting in a long run.
The recovery tool market is flooded with overpriced gadgets that promise miraculous results, but the truth is simpler: The best tools are often the most basic ones that do their job consistently without breaking the bank.
After trying out dozens of different products over the years, here's what I've found actually matters when shopping for massage guns and recovery tools, plus the red flags that signal you should keep scrolling.
How to find the perfect massage gun
I don't know where I'd be without my arsenal of massage guns. Here are the key features to look out for when you're shopping around:
Battery life that actually lasts
Ignore the "six-hour runtime" claims—those are measured at the lowest setting with no load. A quality massage gun should give you at least 90 minutes of real-world use (meaning medium pressure, medium speed) before dying. Anything less, and you'll find yourself constantly hunting for the charger. When in doubt, stick to the trusted name brands, like Therabody, Ekrin, and Hyperice.
Strong numbers behind pressure and speed
I've found the best massage guns have at least five to six speed levels, with the lowest setting being genuinely gentle. But how do you evaluate those speed levels? Two numbers you'll see are amplitude and percussions per minute (ppm). Amplitude measures how deeply the device penetrates your muscle tissue, while ppm determines the speed of impact.
Most competitive massage guns boast over 3,000 ppm, but amplitude can easily make up for lower ppm. The (rightfully) popular Theragun Prime, while limited to 2,400 ppm, compensates with an impressive 16mm amplitude that creates significantly deeper muscle penetration.
Reasonable noise levels
If your massage gun sounds like a leaf blower, it's poorly designed. Quality models should be quiet enough to use while watching TV without needing subtitles. My Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 always impressed me on this front. The quietest models hover around 35-45 decibels.
Attachments that serve different purposes
Use your attachments properly, and it's like having four massage guns in one. You need a round ball (general use), a flat head (large muscle groups), and a bullet/cone tip (trigger points). While versatility is nice, you probably don't need massage guns that come with 15 different attachments—it could be a sign they're compensating for poor basic performance.
When I have the option for the heat therapy head, like with the Bob and Brad Q2 mini (which I reviewed), I'm hard-pressed to swap it out for one of the ball, bullet, or fork heads instead.
What to avoid in massage guns
When you're shopping for budget options, make sure to look out for these red flags:
Anything claiming to "break up scar tissue" or provide "deep tissue massage like a professional." These are medical claims that no consumer device should make. Massage guns provide percussion therapy that can help with muscle tension and blood flow, but they're not medical devices.
Ultra-cheap options under $50. Learn from my mistakes, please. The motors in these budget models typically fail within months, and they often lack the power to provide effective treatment. Save your money for something that will last.
Guns with amplitude (how far the head moves) under 10mm. This spec is often buried in the fine print, but it's crucial. Lower amplitude means less effective muscle penetration.
Simple tools for proper recovery
While it's tempting to use the massage gun daily, giving muscles time to recover between sessions is important. Use it as part of your warm-up routine before exercise or for recovery afterward, but avoid daily intensive treatment of the same areas. On days where I skip my massage gun, I opt for simpler tools: foam rollers and massage balls.
What to look for in a foam roller
Follow a few basic guidelines to make sure you don't waste your money:
Medium-firm density. Extra-firm rollers sound hardcore, but they're often too intense for regular use and can cause bruising. Soft rollers don't provide enough pressure to be effective. Look for descriptions like "medium-firm" or "moderate density."
13-inch length minimum. Shorter rollers limit your exercise options and make it harder to maintain proper form. The extra length is worth the storage space.
Hollow-core construction. Solid foam rollers are heavier, more expensive, and don't perform better than hollow versions. A hollow core also means you can travel with other items stored inside.
What to avoid in a foam roller
Here are some trendy features you can skip:
Vibrating foam rollers. The vibration feature adds cost and complexity without proven benefits over standard rolling. The motors also tend to fail, leaving you with an expensive regular roller. Trust me, they're not worth the buzz.
Overly aggressive textured or "trigger point" surfaces. Those spiky designs might look therapeutic, but they're often too intense for daily use. A smooth or lightly textured surface works better for most people.
Rollers under $15. As with massage guns, ultra-cheap foam rollers are a waste of money. They compress and lose shape quickly, becoming ineffective and potentially uncomfortable.
What to look for in a massage ball
You can pretty much always use a lacrosse ball over a speciality massage ball. Still, if you're gonna spend $15, here's what to look for:
Lacrosse ball density. Whether you buy an actual lacrosse ball or a purpose-made massage ball, it should have similar firmness. This is the sweet spot for trigger point release without being destructively hard.
Two-ball options for spine work. Peanut-shaped double balls (or two balls in a sock) are excellent for working along the spine and in areas where a single ball creates too much pressure.
Multiple sizes. Having both tennis ball and lacrosse ball sizes gives you options for different body parts and pressure preferences.
What to avoid in a massage ball
Again, don't waste your money here:
Super-hard balls marketed as "professional grade." Harder isn't always better, and extremely firm balls can cause bruising or nerve irritation.
Expensive branded balls. A $5 lacrosse ball from a sporting goods store performs identically to a $25 "recovery ball" with fancy packaging.
The bottom line
After trying out everything from $30 knockoffs to $600 "professional" models, I've learned that the most effective recovery routine uses simple, well-made tools consistently rather than the latest gadgets sporadically. As much as I enjoy the Bob and Brad brand for their massage guns, I find gadgets like this eye massager too silly to warrant a full-length review.
My current daily setup? A $139 mid-range massage gun, a basic 13-inch foam roller, and a couple of lacrosse balls. Total investment: under $200. This combination handles my recovery needs and has lasted over a year of regular use without issues.
The recovery tool market wants you to believe that more expensive means more effective, but that's rarely true. Focus on build quality, practical features, and tools you'll actually use regularly. Your muscles will thank you, and so will your wallet.
My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The 10th Generation iPad
Aug. 7th, 2025 04:00 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The 10th-generation iPad is considered Apple’s entry-level budget tablet and was one of the best tablets on the market until the 11th-generation iPad was released. Right now, you can pick up the 256GB wifi version for the lowest price it has been since its release: $349.99, down from its listed $499 price. After looking at price-tracking tools, I can say this is the cheapest price the iPad has reached since its 2022 release.
The 10th-generation iPad came out in 2022 and it’s $50 cheaper than the newest iteration, making it a good budget option for those who don't need the latest specs. Since it's not on the list of Apple products no longer receiving software updates, you'll likely still get a few more years of updates. This iPad is still considered the best tablet for most people, as PCMag dubbed it in their "excellent" review, where it received their Editors' Choice award for affordable tablets. But if you can afford the extra $50 for the 11th generation, it is a better investment since it'll have a better chip, battery life, and features.
This tablet's processor is an Apple A14 Bionic. It's not as fast as the newer iPad's A16 Bionic chip, but it is still powerful enough to do all the basic tasks you're likely to use the tablet for. The screen resolution is a sharp 2,360 by 1,640 pixels with a 10.9-inch screen. You can expect about six hours of juice with a full charge, which is in between the iPad Mini and the 9th-generation iPad. The camera is a 12MP for the front and back.
Recommended iPad accessories:
Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad 10th Gen, $199 (originally $249)
Apple Pencil (USB-C), $69 (originally $79)
MoKo Case for iPad 10th Generation, $9 (originally $9.99)
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation), $169 (originally $249)
Apple AirPods (4th Generation), $99.99 (originally $129)
If you are planning on getting the tablet, some useful (but not absolutely necessary) accessories include the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio, which will make your iPad work like a laptop, and the Apple Pencil USB-C, a stylus that will allow you to make the most of your iPad's touchscreen abilities.
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BBC Inside Science
Aug. 7th, 2025 04:00 pmbbc_sci_nature_feedCuts of $500 million to vaccines research have been announced by the US government.
This Awesome, Triangular Switch 2 Charging Dock Is on Sale for Just $21 Right Now
Aug. 7th, 2025 03:15 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
If your Nintendo Switch 2 setup has a tangle of Joy-Cons and charging cables, this charging dock might be the fix you need. It’s built for the Switch 2 and powers up to four Joy-Cons at once, so you can keep all your controllers charged without the usual mess, and it's on sale for just $20.99 on StackSocial right now. It's great for households with multiple controllers or for solo players who rotate between sets. The triangular base is weighted and uses magnetic alignment to keep everything in place. No fumbling around to get the angle right—just dock and go.
It also adds some style to your gaming station. The dock comes with seven RGB lighting modes, including four solid colors and three dynamic effects. It’s not just for looks either—each slot has a status light that lets you know when the controllers are done charging, and a built-in smart chip shuts off power automatically when charging is complete to avoid overcharging. Charging takes about two hours, which is pretty standard for Joy-Cons, and it runs off a simple USB-C to USB-A cable setup.
Keep in mind, this dock is made only for the Switch 2 Joy-Cons and won’t work with previous models. But if you’re on the latest version of the console and want something that saves space, cleans up your desk, and adds some flair, this triangular charging deck for $21 feels like a solid value. There's also this vertical Switch 2 charging dock on sale for $19.
Everything We Know About GPT-5, OpenAI's Latest Model
Aug. 7th, 2025 07:00 pmlifehacker_feedOpenAI's latest model, GPT-5, is officially here. The company announced the model in a "longer than usual" presentation today. The event, which spanned nearly an hour and a half, ran through some of the specific changes that come with GPT-5, as well as some practical use cases, though some of this information was spoiled in a Thursday morning leak.
Introducing GPT-5
First things first: OpenAI is clearly hyped about GPT-5, as any company with a new product would be. But some of the language here is interesting. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman likened the different AI models, or GPTs, to people of different ages and skill sets: Altman said GPT-3 is like talking to a high school student; GPT-4 is like talking to a college student; and GPT-5 is like talking to an "expert," a keyword thrown around quite a bit during this presentation.
As with any new model, OpenAI says GPT-5 out performs previous GPTs and models on the market across a number of benchmarks, including SWE-bench, Aider Polyglot, MMMU, and AIME 2025. What piqued my interest in particular are OpenAI's claims that GPT-5 has a far lower hallucination rate than previous models. AI models have a bad habit of hallucinating, or, in plain terms, making things up. OpenAI says GPT-5 makes up information less than other models, which will be interesting to put to the test.
Speaking of which, the model will be available to test starting today, Aug. 7. What's more, OpenAI is making the full GPT-5 model available to all users—including those who use ChatGPT for free. Free users do have the lowest use limit when it comes to GPT-5, and when they hit it, they'll be bumped to GPT-5-mini, a lightweight version of the model. Plus users, those who pay $20 per month for ChatGPT, have higher limits than free users, but will still be kicked to the mini model when they hit their limits, while Pro users ($200 per month) have no limits, as well as access to GPT-5 Pro. OpenAI didn't share what those limits are in the presentation, though they may reveal that on their website in a separate post.
One key feature of GPT-5 is its ability to switch between a thinking and non-thinking model depending on the prompt. If you ask ChatGPT something simple, GPT-5 will respond with a quick, but detailed, answer. Ask it something more complex—say, a request to create something—and the thinking model kicks in. You'll then be able to see the model break down the request step by step, and watch as it reasons through its response. If you pay for ChatGPT, you can access the thinking model from the model picker, but all users can request that GPT-5 think during the prompt.
OpenAI demonstrators casually announced that GPT-5 deprecates older GPT models, which means you likely won't be able to use older models like GPT-4o or GPT-4.1 going forward. As such, demonstrators asked both GPT-4o and GPT-5 to write a eulogy for older models, showing how GPT-5's writing is less cookie cutter than 4o and earlier. I disagree, though. While GPT-5 might have a bit more personality and flourish than GPT-4o, its writing had plenty of the telltale signs of AI-generated text, including flowery language and awkward similes.
Models
As with previous GPTs, GPT-5 comes in three different models. These include:
GPT-5: This model is for logic and multi-step tasks.
GPT-5-mini: This model is not as powerful as GPT-5, and, as such, is designed for "cost-sensitive" applications.
GPT-5-nano: This model is designed to be fast for "low latency" applications.
This isn't a huge surprise, since the news was leaked in an accidental GitHub post early Thursday morning.
Coding
My take is that OpenAI is particularly happy with GPT-5's coding abilities. Much of the presentation was spent on demoing how the model can help write code, craft programs from scratch, and hunt for bugs. In the first example, a demonstrator asked the bot to create a website to help their partner learn French. They wanted GPT-5 to create three elements: a flashcard section; a quiz; and a game; specifically a recreation of Snake, but with a mouse hunting cheese, and anytime the mouse reached the cheese, the game would speak a word in French out loud.
Sure enough, GPT-5 generated the site. In fact, the demonstrator had it generate three different versions of the site, as a way of showing the variety of GPT-5 outputs. The sites were fine, if not a big plain—though don't get me wrong, it's incredible an LLM can do this at all, in just minutes. I'm not sure we're anywhere close to being able to describe a high-quality website and expect a chatbot to spit it out in a minute, but this doesn't make me want to invest much time in learning how to code.
In another example, the demonstrator asked ChatGPT to build a balloon popping game set around a castle on a mountain. Instead of waiting for the bot to generate the game, they pulled up a previously generated game, which means you should take this with a grain of salt. But sure enough, OpenAI demoed a crude 3D game which let you shoot balloons around a castle on a hill. You could even "chat" with the soldiers and characters around the castle, though in practice it was more of a simple chatbot function with different personalities.
Deception and safety
OpenAI touched on GPT-5's deceptions, or, in other words, its ability to lie. This is different from hallucinations, as deceptions seem more deliberate—rather than simply making up information, the bot actively attempts to deceive you, perhaps in response to news that you're shutting it down. Scary stuff.
OpenAI claims that GPT-5 is less deceptive than both o3 and o4-mini. Plus, if you ask it a question that would normally be refused by a previous model due to safety concerns, it'll try to answer the question in a impartial or objective way—in an attempt to service those who are asking legitimate questions. If it must refuse, it'll give you a detailed answer as to why.
Health
Sam Altman was particularly keen on hyping up GPT-5's health capabilities. Altman called GPT-5 the "best model ever for health," and that it scores higher than any previous model on OpenAI's HealthBench benchmark.
Altman then brought out a couple to discuss their use of ChatGPT in navigating a difficult and complex cancer diagnosis. While most of their experience was using previous ChatGPT models, the couple did note that GPT-5 was particularly helpful in going deeper on their questions—giving them additional information, including questions they should ask the doctor or what to expect next.
Other new features
Demonstrators also touched on Voice Mode, but not for long. The major demo was of Study and Learn Mode, which supposedly helps you learn subjects using Voice Mode. They demoed this by asking the bot to help them learn Korean, specifically to slow down its speech so they could hear each individual word clearly. The bot did, though it didn't slow down quite enough for me, someone who does not speak Korean, to understand. Once GPT-5 hits my ChatGPT account, I'll be curious to see if you can ask the bot to speak even slower.
Additional, smaller features announced include the ability to customize the color of your ChatGPT conversations, as well as Gmail and Google Calendar integration. The latter gives me privacy concerns, but I imagine any Google Workspace users who also rely on ChatGPT will enjoy this collaboration.
Disclosure: Lifehacker’s parent company, Ziff Davis, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.