If you spend a lot of time at a computer, you already know your hands can hurt and ache after long hours of work. Here are some easy stretches you can do at your desk to alleviate wrist and hand pain.
This routine focuses on opening up the wrists and stretching your muscles in a different way than when you type or use your mouse. You can see the whole ten-minute routine in the video above, but if you can’t watch it, here are a few key exercises to get you started.
Put your hands in front of you with fingers spread wide. Close them into gentle fists (don’t clench) and open them up again. Repeat five times.
Start with your hands open, then rotate your thumbs in small circles. Do five circles and then switch directions.
Bring your hands together in front of your heart (prayer position) with palms and fingers flat against each other. Press your hands together to stretch your wrists. Hold for five to ten seconds.
Lace your fingers together, extend your arms out in front of you and then bring them up and over your head. Your palms should be facing away from you. Hold for ten seconds.
If you don’t have time for the whole routine, do one or two exercises that feel best to you. Repeat the exercises as many times as feels comfortable.
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After 20 hours of research and testing, including interviews with one sleep researcher, two audiologists, and a sound engineer, we’re confident the LectroFan by ASTI is the white noise machine you’ll want to fall asleep with. Thanks to its electronically generated, nonrepeating white noise options—which sound a bit like soft static—it worked as well as or better than the five other tested machines at masking squalling cats, barking dogs, and snoring roommates. Its simple controls are easy to use (even in the dark), its range of volume is wider than that of other devices we tested, and its small size is convenient for travel and won’t dominate your nightstand.
Who is this for
If your bedroom isn’t as quiet as it could be, and you think the noise is affecting your sleep, you may want to try a white noise machine. Medical studies have shown that white noise machines can help people stay asleep in noisy environments. If you already use a sleep machine with prerecorded sounds such as waves or rain, consider one of our picks, which produce random, constant white noise. Such invariant white noise is better at blocking sounds and is less likely to itself disturb your sleep.
How we picked and tested
We tested six white noise machines (from left to right): the Marpac Dohm DS, Homedics Deep Sleep II, ASTI LectroFan, Sleep Easy Sound Conditioner, Marpac Hushh, and Marpac Rohm. Photo: Michael Hession
The best type of white noise machines for sleep create noise that is random and meaningless and will block disturbing noises without itself creating noticeable sounds that could wake you. For that reason, we stuck to machines whose primary sound offering was random white noise, dismissing machines that offer recordings of birdsong, rainfall, crashing waves, or other natural sounds.
We eliminated machines that were too large to fit on a bedside table, or had bright displays that could compromise the darkness of the bedroom. After comparing reviews of white noise machines, we narrowed our list down to six machines to test. Using a sound-level meter, we measured the decibel range of each machine, from quietest to loudest. Next we set up recordings of common nighttime nuisances: barking dogs, fighting cats, and snoring. With the recordings playing in an adjacent room behind a closed door, we sat 18 inches behind the sound machine. Starting at the lowest volume setting, we slowly increased the loudness for the machine until we could no longer perceive the intruding noise, noting the decibel level required to block the sound.
Our pick
The LectroFan’s noise-masking abilities, simple interface, and small size make it the best machine we tested. Photo: Michael Hession
We think the LectroFan by ASTI is the white noise machine you’ll want on your nightstand. Our testing showed that the LectroFan’s random, nonrepeating white noise settings allowed it to mask intruding noises as well as or better than the other machines in the group. It’s the second-smallest machine we tested, too, so you can pack it for travel in addition to using it at home. The LectroFan is also one of the easiest models to use, with a simple three-button interface to toggle among 10 random, nonrepeating white noise offerings and 30 volume settings in one of the widest volume ranges we found.
The LectroFan’s 10 white noise settings, ranging from "dark noise" (low frequency) to "white noise" (high frequency), sounded like variations of low rumbles, rushing wind, or static—neither pleasant nor unpleasant, and definitely random and meaningless.
A machine that allows for fine volume control, like the LectroFan, can be at its lowest possible setting yet still block noise. By comparison, some of the other machines we tried had a narrower volume range that we found more difficult to adjust. To be clear, we didn’t notice a huge variation in the sound-blocking performance among the machines, and they were typically within a few decibels of one another for the minimum volume required to mask the offending noise.
With its minimalist, three-button interface, we found changing noise settings and volume on the LectroFan easier than on the other white noise machines. The LectroFan takes up little room on a nightstand, and can fit into your luggage for travel. It conveniently uses a USB cord and wall-power adapter, which you could swap for your USB wall charger to save more space when you’re packing. We do wish it had a built-in battery, which would be helpful for travel or if you don’t have an outlet nearby.
Runner-up
The Marpac Dohm DS features a fan encased in a smooth, domelike plastic housing with cutouts that you open and close to adjust the noise level. Photo: Michael Hession
The Marpac Dohm, which the company touts as the original white noise machine, has had a devoted following for more than 50 years. Relying on a fan to make noise, the Dohm DS (the two-speed version) produces a slightly more pleasant sound than the LectroFan, something akin to what you hear when you hold a shell over your ear, or to the sound of wind rushing through a field. In contrast, the LectroFan and other electronic white noise machines produce sound that is more like a soft static or "shhh."
We found that the Dohm DS performed slightly poorer in our sound-masking tests than the white noise machines that generated noise electronically. We also noticed a slight whining undertone when running the Dohm DS on its high setting. Still, the Dohm has had many thousands of satisfied owners over the years, and it boasts an overall 4.5-star (out of five) rating across more than 9,000 reviews on Amazon.
Apps for occasional use
Although white noise apps aren’t a great choice for nightly use, because the sound quality isn’t as good, they can come in handy for travel or if you need to mask sounds only occasionally.
After testing four iPhone apps, we like myNoise (created by the sound engineer we spoke with for this guide, Stéphane Pigeon). In the "White Noise & Co" setting, you can use a color-coded slider to adjust white noise frequencies to create a customized white noise mix.
For Android, we’d go with Noisli. You can layer multiple white noise sounds and adjust their volumes to create a custom blend. Of the eight Android apps we tried, Noisli has the least-distracting and easiest-to-use interface.
The volume and clarity of the apps will depend on the quality of your smartphone’s speakers, and pairing your phone with a Bluetooth speaker will produce better results.
This guide may have been updated by The Sweethome. To see the current recommendation, please go here.
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The New York Times ran a strong opinion piece that talks about one critical reason why everyone should quit social media: your career is dependent on it. The other argues that by spending time on social media and sharing our thoughts, we are demeaning the value of our work, our ideas. (Editor’s note: the link could be paywalled; alternate source.) Select excerpts from the story follows:In a capitalist economy, the market rewards things that are rare and valuable. Social media use is decidedly not rare or valuable. Any 16-year-old with a smartphone can invent a hashtag or repost a viral article. The idea that if you engage in enough of this low-value activity, it will somehow add up to something of high value in your career is the same dubious alchemy that forms the core of most snake oil and flimflam in business. Professional success is hard, but it’s not complicated. The foundation to achievement and fulfillment, almost without exception, requires that you hone a useful craft and then apply it to things that people care about. […] Interesting opportunities and useful connections are not as scarce as social media proponents claim. In my own professional life, for example, as I improved my standing as an academic and a writer, I began receiving more interesting opportunities than I could handle. As you become more valuable to the marketplace, good things will find you. To be clear, I’m not arguing that new opportunities and connections are unimportant. I’m instead arguing that you don’t need social media’s help to attract them. My second objection concerns the idea that social media is harmless. Consider that the ability to concentrate without distraction on hard tasks is becoming increasingly valuable in an increasingly complicated economy. Social media weakens this skill because it’s engineered to be addictive. The more you use social media in the way it’s designed to be used — persistently throughout your waking hours — the more your brain learns to crave a quick hit of stimulus at the slightest hint of boredom. Once this Pavlovian connection is solidified, it becomes hard to give difficult tasks the unbroken concentration they require, and your brain simply won’t tolerate such a long period without a fix. Indeed, part of my own rejection of social media comes from this fear that these services will diminish my ability to concentrate — the skill on which I make my living. A dedication to cultivating your social media brand is a fundamentally passive approach to professional advancement. It diverts your time and attention away from producing work that matters and toward convincing the world that you matter. The latter activity is seductive, especially for many members of my generation who were raised on this message, but it can be disastrously counterproductive.
Apple has let a cat out of its bag, the cat in this case being that there’s a problem with some iPhone 6s models. According to the company, a fault with the battery is causing a "very small number" of handsets to randomly shut down. If you’re rocking a device that was manufactured between September and October 2015, then you’re eligible for a replacement. Simply head down to your local Apple Store or authorized service provider to have your serial number checked and, if you qualify, you’ll get a replacement device.
Also, if you have already found this problem and paid for a battery replacement out of your own pocket, Apple will refund you. It’s not the first issue the firm has had to address in recent weeks, which was the iPhone 6 Plus’ "Touch Disease." That’s where a flickering gray bar appears across the top of the screen and multitouch issues render the device unusable until fully repaired. Although, in that case, the company still wants $149 for its trouble — you don’t manage to get $231.5 billion in your back pocket being generous.
Apple said the problem impacts “a very small number” of iPhone 6s devices that were made between September and October last year. In those cases, the phone may unexpectedly shut down due to issues with the battery.
Owners of affected devices can go to their nearest Apple Store to check the serial number of their device — which should identify whether it is part of the malfunctioning batch — and then get a free battery replacement, if needed.
Apple said the battery problem doesn’t affect the safety of the devices like, say, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. In case you’ve been living under a stone over the past few months, Samsung was forced to recall the device and permanently cease sales due safety fears over defective batteries.
One of my favorite debate techniques involves the use of questions instead of statements. I’ve never seen this method change anyone’s mind, but it can generate an unusually clear form of cognitive dissonance. And that’s good entertainment for you.
Let me give you an example with this true story. This one is designed to induce cognitive dissonance in someone who believes President Elect Trump is a dangerous racist.
— Start —
Today I heard a woman refer to her own grandmother as “Italian.” I was offended just listening to her spew this hate. I happen to know that her grandmother was born in this country. It was her grandmother’s parents that immigrated here from Italy. It would be proper to say her grandmother is an American citizen with Italian cultural heritage. But why even bring up her ethnicity at all? Calling her grandmother “Italian” for no good reason is a racist dog whistle to my ears.
Wouldn’t you agree?
— End —
That’s the question that will trigger cognitive dissonance. But not right away. There are three more steps.
1. Your subject will disagree, explaining that people often say “Italian” as a shorthand to mean someone has family roots in Italy. It isn’t the least-bit racist.
2. Point out that this is just like the time President Elect Trump referred to Judge Curiel as “Mexican.” That was racist, so this must be too.
Now sit back and watch the fun.
Your subject will quickly jump from the idea that the mere use of the word “Mexican” is racist to the related argument that Trump used it in the context of saying the judge wasn’t qualified.
Respond with this high-ground argument: In a legal context, everyone understands that judges and jurors can be biased by their major associations and life experiences. That’s why judges routinely recuse themselves from specific cases, and why lawyers reject certain jurors. All people are biased. The best you can do is find people who are not biased on a specific topic.
In the case of Judge Curiel, we can reasonably assume he associated with family members and friends who shared his Mexican cultural heritage. We also know that specific demographic group is overwhelmingly anti-Trump because of immigration issues. How do you think judge Curiel would feel at his next family gathering if he were to acquit Trump on all charges?
The credibility of the legal system requires that we avoid the appearance of bias and the potential for bias when we can. Any defendant in a court case should have the right to question bias. That’s what Trump did. In a legal context it is appropriate and routine to question bias by association. It only looked shocking because he used the word “Mexican” as a shorthand, the way normal people speak, and he was in a political context at the same time as a legal context.
Aaaand you’re done.
Now watch your subject squirm and change the subject to some other thing Trump did. This method is guaranteed to NOT change anyone’s mind. This is only for entertainment and so you see cognitive dissonance as it forms. It’s freaky.
Here’s another one that is shorter. Ask an anti-Trumper this question:
“I wonder why Jared Kushner doesn’t realize Trump and his key advisors are huge anti-semites. Why do you think he hasn’t noticed?”
When Apple announced the new MacBook Pro, I was eagerly waiting to see what the replacement for my MacBook Pro that I bought in 2011 would be. Then, Apple did what Apple does and showed off a computer that is competely foreign to the workflow that I’ve built largely around Thunderbolt over the past five years or so.
The lack of a built-in SD card reader is unfortunate. The lack of traditional USB and Thunderbolt ports is tragic. Make no mistake, USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 looks awesome but it’s not quite ubiquitous and I’ll have to buy dongles for every device I attach to my MacBook Pro and carry those with me, as well as a SD card reader.
The New MBPro Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C Ports
The Touch Bar looks cool and seems like it has potential but I’ll take a Thunderbolt port or two along with a card reader over a Touch Bar. The most useful feature I’ve seen so far is the Touch ID sensor on the bar. I could see myself enjoying this because I have multiple accounts on my MBPro that I use depending on where and what I’m working on. It would certainly save some keystrokes throughout each day.
I get quite a bit of life out of my Macs. I’m pushing six years on my current MBPro and would like to see my next MBPro last five or more years again. Unfortunately, I don’t think the new MacBook Pro is the replacement I am looking for.
In two or three years, the USB-C port format may be ubiquitous across Mac and PC; however, it may end up more like FireWire and never fully gain the traction that the standard USB port has. I think it is more likely to exceed the adoption of FireWire but I’m not ready to bet $2400 on that guess.
I am still a bit torn; however, I think my next MacBook will be a 2015 model that have some pretty significant discounts right now. Under the hood, there isn’t a substantial step back and the port options offer everything that I think I will “need” for the next five years.
Casey Neistat offered a pretty accurate summary of my feelings on the new MacBook Pro in a recent vlog. And he actually bought into the new MacBook Pro, all the while acknowledging its shortcomings. Check it out below.
Are you a Mac user and buying a new MacBook Pro? What are your thoughts on the new model?
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DIY isn’t always the easiest way to do something, but it’s usually the most informative and educational one. This week, let’s check out some great DIY tech projects that’ll teach you a ton about the tools you probably use every day—and protect your privacy and give you control over your own data in the process.
10. Build Your Own DIY Amazon Echo
It may not be the most cost-effective option, but building your own Amazon Echo using a Raspberry Pi will not only teach you a lot about how the Echo works, but also how the Raspberry Pi works, and how you can unlock even a part of its overall potential.
We’ve shown you how to do it before, and even shared Amazon’s official guide for doing so, and how to set a wake word for it. The beauty of this project though is that unlike an Echo, which you can buy and just let it work, you make use of a Pi, which can then be repurposed and reused for whatever you want in addition to being an Echo. The whole project is something you can do in an afternoon, and you’ll learn a lot in the process.
9. Add Wi-Fi to Your DSLR Camera
If you have a DSLR, or even a mirrorless camera, you probably love using it but have to remember to transfer the photos or video from your SD card to your computer manually for processing or sharing. You can cut out the middleman by giving your DSLR a Wi-Fi upgrade. All you need is the right SD card and a little setup time.
Even if that model isn’t right for you, there are plenty of others in the guide that work just as well, and in the process will teach you a good bit about backing up your photos and streamlining the editing process while you make sure you never miss a shot. Alternatively, you can always pair your camera with your smartphone instead, both on iOS and over on Android.
8. Build Your Own Private, Syncing Cloud Storage Service
Dropbox is simple and easy, and everyone has an account, but whether you prefer to have complete control over your own data at all times, or you just want to understand how cloud services like Dropbox work, it’s not hard to roll your own Dropbox clone. If you have a web host, you could do it there, or you could roll your own with a Raspberry Pi and learn about the apps that make file sharing possible and about the Pi in one fell swoop.
You’ll just need to expand your knowledge of networking and file sharing a bit, and try out a couple of apps to help get the job done. You could also use Resilio (formerly BitTorrent Sync) to do the job too, and there are tons of other options. The important thing is that you’ll learn a lot in the process, do your own thing, and protect your own data.
7. Roll Your Own Image Hosting Service
Services like Google Photos and even Facebook are certainly the most popular places to host your images, but like everything else, they put your precious memories beyond your true control, and put you at the mercy of someone else’s terms of service, privacy policy, and so on. So consider rolling your own! We have a bunch of great tools to help you do it, including the Gallery Project, JAlbum, and more—assuming you want to still be able to share those photos on the web when you want.
If you’d rather control your own galleries and keep them organized on your own, you could always auto-sync with the app or tool of your choice and then manage locally only, but keeping a solid backup offside is a good idea just in case you lose your own data. Even if that backup is something you also own, set up yourself, and own personally.
6. Build Your Own Streaming Dash Cam
Dash cameras aren’t the near-necessities here in North America as they may be in other countries, but they’re fun to watch and can capture some amazing moments. Best of all, they’re not difficult to make on your own, and you can learn a ton about electronics, mobile recording, and more in the process. You could just grab an old smartphone you’ve upgraded from to do the job.
Building your own home theater PC is one of the ultimate tech projects you can tackle. You combine an understanding of software, storage, online and streaming media, downloadable music and movies, and the sources for all of that stuff right along with the nuts and bolts of building a system that’ll fit in your living room or connect to your TV and serve it all up when you want to sit down and watch TV.
Sure, HTPCs have fallen by the wayside now that tiny, cheap set-top boxes are available, but for the ultimate in control—and learning everything you could possibly want to know about your media collection, home network, and PC gear, there’s nothing like doing it yourself. We have a ton of guides on how to do it, including our recommended (if not dated) setup, and some tips to help you even after you’re all set up. This just all reminds me we should update our own HTPC recommendations, and do it ourselves, too.
Of course, we showed you how to roll your own using Tiny Tiny RSS, and it even has a mobile app so you can read on the go. It’s not alone though, and you’ll learn a lot about how the web works and keep up with your favorite blogs (like this one!) if you try it out.
1. Build Your Own Computer
There’s nothing like building your own PC to teach you not just about how computers work, but also how to troubleshoot your own computer problems and be self-sufficient if you have issues.
You’ll learn all about the internals of your PC by building your own rig, and if you’re a gamer or video producer or YouTuber, or audio enthusiast, you can customize your computer to suit your needs specifically. It’s way better than buying off the shelf—and depending on your needs, may even be more cost-effective too. Stick close to our PC build guides (we’re updating them right now), and keep these first-timer tips in mind to make the most of the experience.
Lifehacker’s Weekend Roundup gathers our best guides, explainers, and other posts on a certain subject so you can tackle big projects with ease. For more, check out our Weekend Roundup and Top 10 tags.