These Are the Best Holiday Gifts for Creative Kids

If your kids are anything like mine, they love exploring their creative, artistic sides—that is, until a screen comes on. But it doesn't have to be this way: There are all kind of toys and games available that will effectively lure them from the siren song of their iPads.

If you're looking for a gift that will stimulate your child's brain instead of straining their eyes, we've compiled a list of presents that will get your kid using their imaginations and having fun, to boot.

Learn to Mix & Spin DJ Pad

Check out the beats while your toddler revolves it on this portable turntable with an 18-key synth, sound effects, and the ability to create hip-hop fills like the DJ at your favorite club (or the one you went to in college).

Resources Building Blocks

If your LEGO budget is running low, the 72 wooden pieces in this set, inspired by nature, offer a natural alternative to the expensive plastic bricks your creative kid uses. But don't worry—they'll probably still find a way to create a robot bent on destroying the world. 

Art-chitect Home Model Building Kit

Ever since I took my oldest son to a Frank Lloyd Wright house, he's been obsessed with design and architecture. This set has everything he needs to bring his ideas to life, from the walls required to model his 3-D home to floor plan tracing sheets. 

Robot Building Toy

When your kid puts together a LEGO set, there isn't much they can do with it after building is complete. With this 635-piece toy, you have a remote-controlled device that (hopefully) won't get smashed to bits once it is in motion. 

The Woobles Easy Peasy Beginner Bundle Crochet Kit 

Chances are your child wants a Squishmallow this year for the holidays. Now they can crochet their own cute, fluffy friend. One Lifehacker editor can't recommend these enough for DIY-obsessed older kids—they include everything needed to stitch these animals together, including a crochet hook.

Illustory Book Making Kit

The one thing I love about Dav Pilkey's collection of books (Captain Underpants and DogMan series) is that they encourage readers to write their own stories. With this gift, once your kid is done putting pen to paper, they can send in their masterpiece and will have a professionally printed hardcover book in a few weeks. 

Create Your Own Video Game Set

Kids can create and play their own 8-bit games on this Game Boy-like device. It works with the help of a web-based visual editor that will familiarize them with programming languages like JavaScript and Python. It also functions as a smartwatch and pedometer. 

Arts and Crafts Vault

If making friendship bracelets for the Taylor Swift tour whetted your child's appetite for making their own jewelry, this kit has over 1000 pieces to get their next project off the ground. It includes everything from pipe cleaners to googly eyes!

Diary of an Awesome Kid

Even the great authors kept a journal. Give your kid a head start with this one, which has the best title and can be used as a diary, planner, or even a canvas for their illustrations. It comes in a variety of colors.

KidiZoom Creator Cam

Is your kid a movie fiend? Help them evolve from consumer to creator with this HD video camera designed specifically for the younger set. Kids can run away from dinosaurs, visit space, or put on their own newscasts with the included green screen. A selfie stick and tripod are included. 

Buddha Board

This painting board is usually marketed toward adults, but it's also the perfect gift for your creative kid. You paint with water using a bamboo brush, but the masterpiece fades as it dries, returning to a blank slate. Adults see Zen; parents see a mess-free way for kids to express themselves. 

Kids Create Absurdity Card Game

This stocking stuffer has been described as Cards Against Humanity for the grade school set, and your entire family can have some fun together during winter break. 

Help your kid explore their creativity with one of these gifts:

• Learn to Mix & Spin DJ Pad ($47.95)

• Resources Building Blocks ($39.99)

• Art-chitect Home Building Kit ($67.92)

• Robot Building Toy ($63.19)

• The Woobles Easy Peasy Beginner Bundle Crochet Kit ($119.99)

• Illustory Book Making Kit ($29.95)

• Create Your Own Video Game Set ($85)

• Arts and Crafts Vault ($29.99) 

• Diary of an Awesome Kid ($6.87)

• KidiZoom Creator Cam ($38.99)

• Buddha Board ($37.95)

• Kids Create Absurdity Card Game ($13.99)

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Everything You Need to Know About Grok, Elon Musk's Answer to ChatGPT

AI chatbots are suddenly a dime a dozen. Beyond the massively successful and overhyped options (like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard), now Elon Musk's xAI is getting on on the action. Musk's AI company has released the first version of Grok, an AI chatbot that the SpaceX leader heralds as a more humorous and free-thought version of ChatGPT. But what exactly is Grok, is it worth paying to use it?

What is Grok?

According to xAI's website, Grok is an "AI modeled after the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy." The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is, of course, an old sci-fi novel (slash radio drama slash TV show slash movie), but the name "Grok" appears to be drawn from a different old sci-fi novel, Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. In that book, "grok" is a Martian word with a definition roughly along the lines of "to know something (or someone) on a truly intimate level."

The company says Grok is intended to be used answer almost anything, while also being able to suggest some questions users can ask it. Additionally, the company says that Grok is designed to answer with "a bit of wit" and that the AI has a "rebellious streak," and warns not to use it if you "hate humor." Sure. Elon Musk is, after all, famously hilarious.

The product is still in very early beta, and currently it only has around four to five months of training. As such, xAI says that Grok should improve exponentially over the coming months. But how is it right now?

Is Grok good?

Grok is...not the worst AI chatbot that has been released in recent months, and based on how hard Elon Musk likes to push his companies to iterate, it is likely we'll see some degree of "improvement" in the service in the months going forward. Whether or not that improvement means making the bot more like its premium competitors—ChatGPT and Claude—remains to be seen.

As it stands, Grok is probably on par with what we saw with ChatGPT's earliest iterations, though xAI continues to claim the service will improve rapidly as it is trained on the content and information freely available on X, formerly known as Twitter, which Elon Musk also owns. (X/Twitter is also, after all, famously filled with accurate information). So far, the company says the chatbot it has shown substantial improvements since Grok-0, the very first iteration of the large language model.

How accurate is Grok?

Because Grok is designed to respond with "wit" and to be "a bit rebellious," the chatbot is a good deal different than OpenAI's ChatGPT, or the even more ethically restricted Claude, from Anthropic. According to xAI, Grok was more than 60% accurate across three of the four tests that the company ran it through. However, it's unclear if that information has been tested and verified by independent parties.

Hallucinations—that is, instances of an AI making up facts or answers—are common with chatbots like Grok. And while Grok is still being trained, as noted, the model learns based on of all the information posted on X, which means it has license to leaf every dumb post sent out by millions of users, including all the ones full of misinformation and bad data. As such, I'd recommend double checking everything Grok tells you, because you never know what kind of "fact" it's going to pull from a random user of that service.

How much does Grok cost to use?

The Grok waitlist is currently only open to Premium+ subscribers on X. That means you will need to become a verified user on the service, which costs roughly $16 a month. Sure, it's cheaper than a subscription to ChatGPT or Claude—but consider that both those options have had more training, and also offer higher ethical restrictions. Any intensive use of AI chatbots is probably best saved for those two platforms, or others like them. And as I said, you can't even try it yet—you're only able to apply for the waitlist right now—so that monthly payment doesn't exactly guarantee you access.

Doubts aside, Grok isn't necessarily a bad thing, and more than any AI chatbot is. The more competition in the AI space, the more every company will have to strive to make their products better, which will hopefully be a win for consumers like you and me. If you're debating trying out an AI chatbot, though, I'd recommend giving Grok some more time to build up its features.

The fact that Grok can pull data from X is intriguing in theory, but there's so much dumb data, hateful content, and straight-up misinformation on there, the answers you get from the chatbot might not be be worth taking seriously.

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Google Fixes a Seventh Zero-Day Flaw in Chrome—Update Now

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A Cutting-Edge Cancer Treatment Is Under FDA Investigation—for Cancer Risk

CAR-T cell therapy harnesses the immune system to attack blood cancers. Six years after approving the first treatment, the FDA is investigating whether it can give rise to secondary cancers.

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The 26 Best Movies on Max (aka HBO Max) Right Now

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Okta Breach Impacted All Customer Support Users—Not 1 Percent

Okta upped its original estimate of customer support users affected by a recent breach from 1 percent to 100 percent, citing a “discrepancy.”

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Prominent Women in Tech Say They Don't Want to Join OpenAI's All-Male Board

After internal chaos earlier this month, OpenAI replaced the women on its board with men. As it plans to add more seats, Timnit Gebru, Sasha Luccioni, and other AI luminaries tell WIRED why they wouldn't join.

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No, NameDrop on iPhone Won’t Automatically Share Your Contact Information

According to a report by The Washington Post, police departments and news sites are spreading misinformation about "NameDrop," a new feature in iOS 17. These outlets claim that simply bringing your iPhone close to another iPhone allows the other user to steal your contact information, without your consent or any action on your part. If that sounds scary, don't worry: It’s pure hogwash.

Yes, NameDrop is enabled by default on all iPhones running iOS 17.1 or higher, and Apple Watches running watchOS 10.1 and higher. But it can be only used intentionally, and only with your consent. That's what a lot of news outlets and law enforcement agencies are getting wrong. The City of Chester Police Department in Ohio says, “This feature allows the sharing of your contact info just by bringing your phones close together.” Of course it's going to seem dangerous.

How NameDrop actually works

First of all, both iPhones or Apple Watches have to be unlocked. Then, the two devices have to be very close to each other, almost touching. When they come in close contact, your iPhone will prompt you, asking if you want to share your contact information and your Contact Poster, with the other iPhone. From here, you get two options: Receive Only and Share. It's only when you tap Share that the two iPhones will do the dance of swapping contact details. If you choose Receive Only, the other person’s contact details will show up for you if they choose to share, but your contact details will remain private.

If your iPhone is locked, and there’s an unknown iPhone on top of it, this won’t work. Even if it’s unlocked, without your action, there's no risk of losing your personal information. Rest assured, your contact details are safe. Hypothetically, this could be a problem if your iPhone is both unlocked and in someone else's hands. But if that’s the case, you have a much bigger problem than losing your email address and phone number.

How to disable NameDrop on your iPhone

Still, if you want to disable the feature, it can be done from Settings > General > AirDrop > Bringing Devices Together > Off. But again, we wouldn’t recommend this, as it’s not worth losing the excellent AirDrop bump gesture.

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These 123 Last-Chance Cyber Monday Deals Are Still Going Strong Right Now

The sale extravaganza may be over, but many of the same discounts are alive, including deals on office chairs and TCL TVs.

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Elon Musk Is Giving QAnon Believers Hope Just in Time for the 2024 Elections

Musk’s recent use of the term “Q*Anon” is his most explicit endorsement of the movement to date. Conspiracists have since spent days dissecting its meaning and cheering on his apparent support.

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The Best Continuous Glucose Monitors

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The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map Just Changed

Heat domes, atmospheric rivers, bomb cyclones, and polar vortex—you’re not crazy, the weather is. And last week, the USDA confirmed it by releasing an updated climate zone map for 2023. And for many gardeners, that means a change in growing zones.

What are hardiness zones?

The map of the US is divided into zones, separated by ten degrees. It starts with 1a (Alaska) and goes all the way up to 13b (Puerto Rico), and the mainland U.S. tends to live between zones 5 and 10.  In between, every single part of the U.S. uses this zone classification system, which tells you roughly how long your growing season is: when it’s likely to start and finish, what kinds of conditions to expect, what your last frost date is, and more. When you shop for plants, you’ll see zones labeled on the plant tag. Knowing your zone helps you shop for seeds. To change your zone means everything you know has shifted a little bit (by ten degrees). 

Zones don’t change often—the map was last updated in 201—but when it does change, as it just did, it can upend what you know about your garden. 

How do I find my new hardiness zone?

It used to be easier to find your hardiness zone: You’d just drop your zip code into Google, and it would spit out the information. But Google hasn’t caught up with the new data yet, so for now, you'll need to visit the USDA map and input your zip code there. 

Of course, if you’ve been paying attention, you already knew the weather was changing, and your plants have been responding the way plants do: They become more resilient, or they die. So you move in new plants that are better acclimated to the current climate. 

But knowing the new hardiness zone will help you when shopping for new plants by telling you if a labeled plant will thrive in your area. It should also remind you that artificial measures to keep plants alive and thriving when they’re really not meant for one particular zone aren’t sustainable. The citrus you were trying to baby through the winters in 8b are even less likely to survive in 9a. As you shop for seeds this winter and begin growing your starts, consider seeds cultivated for your new zone. 

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Why You Should Consider Installing Recessed Outlets in Your House

Living in a compact studio apartment, I consider even the smallest gains in my living space big wins. A single inch could determine whether or not a piece of furniture fits, or give me the clearance I need to be able to open my closet door. And as appreciative as I am of every single wall outlet in an apartment constructed in the 1920s, I’ve also experienced the frustration of losing a few precious inches of my living area because I’m unable to push furniture up against the wall of an outlet that’s in use.

Meanwhile, in another tax bracket, there’s someone trying to mount their flat-screen TV to a wall in an attempt to disguise it as a piece of framed art. Obviously, visible cords aren’t an option, but even if there’s a perfectly placed wall outlet, there’ll still be a small gap between the TV and the wall to accommodate the plug. In this case—as well as in mine, if my lease permitted it—recessed outlets may be the solution. Here’s what to know. 

What is a recessed outlet?

Unlike traditional outlets, recessed outlets have a plate that is set deeper into the wall (or floor), so that when it’s in use, the plugs aren’t protruding and wasting space. As I alluded to earlier, recessed outlets make it possible to place furniture, appliances, and wall-mounted flat-screen TVs flush against a wall with an electrical socket, even when items are plugged in. Not only does this save some space, but it will eliminate the awkward gap between a piece of furniture and the wall, where household items like keys, remotes, and all the pens disappear. 

Examples of recessed outlets

If you haven’t encountered recessed outlets before, here are a few examples of some of the different options available:

• Leviton Recessed Duplex Receptacle ($9.99): A solid basic option, this model is available in white, ivory, light almond, and black.

• Top Greener Recessed Single Receptacle Outlet With Clock Hanger Hook ($9.99): Comes with a built-in hook that makes it easy to plug in a wall clock and hang it up.

• DataComm Electronics Recessed Low Voltage Mid-Size Plate with Duplex Receptacle ($23.90): Can be used to install power and low voltage cables behind wall-mounted flat-screen TVs and other electronics.

• Sleek Socket Ultra-Thin Outlet Concealer ($21.55): This isn't a recessed outlet, but it provides a similar solution with no installation, and leaves you with three outlets instead of two.

The process of installing a recessed outlet is essentially the same as installing a regular outlet. It involves stripping, cutting, and connecting wires, as opposed to simply screwing in a wall plate covering an outlet. If you're comfortable putting in a regular outlet, you should have no problem with a recessed one. Otherwise, an outlet concealer or flat plug extension cord may be your best bet.

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20 Best Cyber Monday Deals on the Apple Watch and Fitness Trackers

Strap these wearables on your wrist to start tracking your steps, checking your notifications, and more.

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Get Smart With These Nest and Google Pixel Cyber Monday Deals

The new Pixel 8 is $150 off already, and the recently launched Fitbit Charge 6 is down to $100.

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Today's NYT Connections Hints (and Answer) for Monday, November 27, 2023

Today’s puzzle contains a pun—one of the worst, most groanworthy puns there is. If you haven’t found it yet, well, I’m here to help. (You’re welcome./Sorry.) If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Monday, November 27, 2023, read on—I’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solutions to all four categories. Along the way, I’ll explain the meanings of the trickier words and we’ll learn how everything fits together. Beware, there are spoilers below for November 27, NYT Connections #169! Read on if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Connections game. 

If you want an easy way to come back to our Connections hints every day, bookmark this page. You can also find our past hints there as well, in case you want to know what you missed in a previous puzzle.

Below, I’ll give you some oblique hints at today’s Connections answers. And farther down the page, I’ll reveal the themes and the answers. Scroll slowly and take just the hints you need!

Credit: Connections/NYT

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Does today’s Connections game require any special knowledge?

There’s a cocktail recipe hiding in here somewhere, but you don’t need to know the specific drink to pick it out. 

Hints for the themes in today’s Connections puzzle

Here are some spoiler-free hints for the groupings in today’s Connections:

• Yellow category - Make music.

• Green category - Tally everything up.

• Blue category - Make a drink.

• Purple category - Don’t get stuck!

Does today’s Connections game involve any wordplay?

Just one terrible, awful pun that applies to one word in the purple category.

Ready to hear the answers? Keep scrolling if you want a little more help.

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BEWARE: Spoilers follow for today’s Connections puzzle!

We’re about to give away some of the answers. Scroll slowly if you don’t want the whole thing spoiled. (The full solution is a bit further down.)

What are the ambiguous words in today’s Connections?

• SCAT can mean animal droppings, or be a command to skedaddle. But the word is perhaps best known as a form of improvised jazz singing. 

• SUM, RUM, HUM, and GUM are in four different categories today, so don’t let the rhyme distract you.

• GROSS isn’t an adjective here; it’s in the sense of a TOTAL amount. 

What are the categories in today’s Connections?

• Yellow: CARRY A TUNE

• Green: WHOLE AMOUNT

• Blue: MOJITO INGREDIENTS

• Purple: THINGS THAT ARE “STICKY”

DOUBLE BEWARE: THE SOLUTION IS BELOW

Ready to learn the answers to today’s Connections puzzle? I give them all away below.

What are the yellow words in today’s Connections?

The yellow grouping is considered to be the most straightforward. The theme for today’s yellow group is CARRY A TUNE and the words are: HUM, SING, SCAT, WHISTLE.

What are the green words in today’s Connections?

The green grouping is supposed to be the second-easiest. The theme for today’s green category is WHOLE AMOUNT and the words are: COUNT, GROSS, SUM, TOTAL.

What are the blue words in today’s Connections?

The blue grouping is the second-hardest. The theme for today’s blue category is MOJITO INGREDIENTS and the words are: LIME, MINT, RUM, SODA.

What are the purple words in today’s Connections?

The purple grouping is considered to be the hardest. The theme for today’s purple category is THINGS THAT ARE “STICKY” and the words are: GLUE, GUM, TAPE, STICK. (As in the old joke: “What’s brown and sticky? A stick.”) 

How I solved today’s Connections

I notice SCAT first; it clearly goes with SING, HUM, and WHISTLE. (Lucky guess, maybe.) 🟨

Next I consider TOTAL. It can be a COUNT, a SUM, a GROSS (in the business sense). 🟩

What about GUM, GLUE, and TAPE? They’re all sticky, but I don’t have a fourth for them to go with. Unless….? No. It can’t be. No way. I refuse to believe it. 

What else do we have? RUM, LIME, MINT, and SODA. That’s a drink recipe. 🟦 And then, finally, GUM, GLUE, TAPE, and a STICK. Things that are sticky. Groan. 🟪

Connections 
Puzzle #169
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪

How to play Connections

I have a full guide to playing Connections, but here’s a refresher on the rules:

First, find the Connections game either on the New York Times website or in their Crossword app. You’ll see a game board with 16 tiles, each with one word or phrase. Your job is to select a group of four tiles that have something in common. Often they are all the same type of thing (for example: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all types of wet weather) but sometimes there is wordplay involved (for example, BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH are all types of lists: bucket list, guest list, and so on).

Select four items and hit the Submit button. If you guessed correctly, the category and color will be revealed. (Yellow is easiest, followed by green, then blue, then purple.) If your guess was incorrect, you’ll get a chance to try again.

You win when you’ve correctly identified all four groups. But if you make four mistakes before you finish, the game ends and the answers are revealed.

How to win Connections

The most important thing to know to win Connections is that the groupings are designed to be tricky. Expect to see overlapping groups. For example, one puzzle seemed to include six breakfast foods: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. But BACON turned out to be part of a group of painters along with CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, and EGG was in a group of things that come by the dozen (along with JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). So don’t hit “submit” until you’ve confirmed that your group of four contains only those four things.

If you’re stuck, another strategy is to look at the words that seem to have no connection to the others. If all that comes to mind when you see WHISTLER is the painting nicknamed “Whistler’s Mother,” you might be on to something. When I solved that one, I ended up googling whether there was a painter named Close, because Close didn’t fit any of the obvious themes, either.

Another way to win when you’re stuck is, obviously, to read a few helpful hints–which is why we share these pointers every day. Check back tomorrow for the next puzzle!

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How to Fix a Leaking Dryer Vent (and Why You Absolutely Should)

Having laundry in your house is one of the great small luxuries of the modern age. Being able to just toss soiled clothing and linens into two magic cubes and get clean, dry stuff back a short time later is amazing and easy to take for granted. It’s so magical that most of us take our hard-working laundry machines for granted—as long as they’re doing the job, we don’t think about them too much.

But your washer and dryer require maintenance, especially if you notice anything odd. Dryers might seem pretty innocuous—all they do is dry your clothes using heat and air circulation. You might think that as long as you clean your dryer vent now and then to stay on top of the lint buildup, you’re good. But dryers are supposed to be self-contained systems that extract moisture from your clothes and vent it outside the house. If you notice that your house fills with the smell of dryer sheets every time you dry a load of wash, you should immediately inspect your vent hose or duct—because a dryer with an air leak can cause you a lot of problems.

Signs of an air leak

The signs of an air leak are simultaneously subtle and very obvious once you notice them:

• Smell. As mentioned, if you can tell someone is drying their clothes by the smell in the air, you’ve likely got an air leak.

• Lint and dust. If the area around your dryer is coated in a thick pelt of lint, it’s probably leaking out with the air from your vent duct or hose.

• Air movement. If the air leak is particularly bad, you might even feel a warm breeze when you get near the dryer.

If you detect an air leak, you might be tempted to assume it’s no big deal. The dryer is still working, your clothes are still drying, so what’s the problem?

Potential problems

Your dryer might seem like a perfectly safe device, but an air leak can cause you and your home some serious trouble:

• Water damage. The air vented out of your dryer is very humid because it’s extracting moisture from your wet laundry. If it’s not venting outside, then all that moisture is venting inside your house—either directly into the laundry room or area, or even into your walls or attic space if that’s where the air leak is located. Over time, constant exposure to high humidity can lead to mold and moisture damage.

• Fire hazard. If you’ve got a layer of dust and lint all over your laundry area thanks to an air leak from your dryer, congratulations, the chances that your house burns down just went up. Dryer lint is a terrific fuel source for a fire, and dryer fires can be devastating.

• Health. Aside from the potential health issues created by mold growing due to the increased humidity, the air that’s leaking from your dryer isn’t exactly healthy to breathe. In fact, it’s absolutely packed with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could lead to respiratory problems ranging from chronic cough to much, much worse.

Easy fix

Luckily, if you detect an air leak from your dryer vent ducts or hose, the fix is very simple:

• Locate the leak. Run the dryer. You can use some of the same techniques used to find any air leak in the house, including lighting an incense stick and holding it near the dry vent hose or duct to see how the smoke blows, shining a light inside a duct or hose with the lights off to observe small gaps, and visually inspect the venting to see if there are obvious gaps or portions being moved by escaping airflow.

• Repair or replace. If the leak is relatively small and your ductwork or plastic hose is otherwise in good condition, pick up some foil duct tape at your local hardware store and tape (or re-tape) the connections and any holes or gaps you’ve discovered. If the duct has deteriorated too much, replace it with a similar duct. If you hire a professional to do this, it’ll run you a few hundred bucks.

Once you’ve repaired your air leak, conduct your tests again to ensure you’ve sealed up all the leaks. Then clean up any lint and dust that have accumulated as a result, and breathe easy.

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Why You Shouldn't Fertilize Your Houseplants During the Winter

After spending the spring, summer, and part of the fall tending to your garden and yard, you may be tempted to turn your attention towards the houseplants lining your windowsill. The colder winter months may seem like the ideal time to focus on your ferns, and fertilize your fiddle-leaf fig, but doing so may end up hurting your houseplants—not helping them. Here’s why you should hold off on fertilizing your indoor plants during the winter, and allow them to hibernate instead.

Why you shouldn’t fertilize your houseplants during the winter

Most of the species we keep as houseplants are tropical natives, which is why they wouldn’t survive if you left them outside in a cold climate. But the change of seasons also affects their life indoors, according to Amy Simone, a master gardener at the University of Vermont Extension.

In climates with traditionally hot summers and cold, snowy winters, tropical houseplants feel more or less at home during the spring and summer months. But that changes once the colder weather of fall and winter hits, and the plants enter “a period of rest,” Simone explains. 

The drop in temperature, coupled with decreased daylight hours this time of year result in reduced plant growth, according to a resource from the University of Maryland Extension. Because they’re neither expanding their roots nor sprouting new shoots, houseplants don’t need fertilizer during the winter.

But surely a little fertilizer can’t hurt, right? Actually, it can, says Simone. Unnecessary or excessive fertilizer can lead to a buildup of salts in the soil, which can end up harming the plant. 

If you’ve already fertilized your houseplant during the winter and now notice white, chalky salt deposits on the surface of the soil or the outside of the pot—or that your plant is yellowing, wilting, or browning at the tips—that’s probably a sign of high soluble salt levels, according to another resource from the University of Maryland Extension. 

The good news is that you can fix this pretty easily by flushing the soil with clean water, allowing it to run out the bottom of the pot, and repeating the process until you’ve flushed it with at least as much water as the pot holds (e.g. two gallons of water for a two-gallon pot).

When to start fertilizing houseplants again

It may seem like a long time, but Simone recommends going the entire winter without your fertilizing tropical houseplants. You’ll know it’s time to start fertilizing again when you spot signs of new growth, which, she says, typically happens around March.

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You Can Stop Drafts From Coming Through Your Electrical Sockets

After installing weatherstripping around your windows and doors and sealing any gaps in your walls that you could find, you probably thought that your home was ready for the drop in temperatures. But then one night you’re sitting in your living room and feel a stream of cold air hit your neck at the same time that you heard a gust of wind outside. You come to the chilling conclusion that you missed a spot and determine that the draft is coming from your electrical outlet. This is actually a fairly common problem—especially in older homes—and one that has a simple and inexpensive fix: Insulating your electrical outlets. Here’s how to do it.

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If you're shopping for gaskets to seal your power outlets, here are some recommendations from this article:

• White Wall Plate Gaskets

• Frost King OS6H Foam Outlet Sealers

• Duck Brand Socket Sealers

• Stick 'N' Seal Adhesive Outlet Sealers

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Why is cold air coming through my outlet?

Unless properly insulated, electrical outlets and light switches located indoors on exterior walls may have gaps that allow outside air to enter your home. This may not seem like a big deal, but given that these air leaks may cause you to turn up the heat in the winter (or the AC in the summer) they could end up increasing your energy bills. 

Plus, as a resource from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory points out, if outside air is able to get inside your home, moisture can, too. For example, if moist air condenses inside your walls, you may not be able to see the water as it accumulates, which could potentially lead to mold growth, wet insulation, or eventually, structural damage.

But that’s not all: The same gaps that allow cold air inside provide similar access to insects, dirt, dust, and pollen.

How do I stop cold air from coming through my outlet?

The easiest way to insulate an electrical outlet or light switch is to install a gasket. Also known as outlet sealers and outlet insulators, gaskets are precut pieces of fire-retardant foam that fit over outlets and under wall plates.

Credit: City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program/Screenshot

Follow the installation instructions on the packaging, which will likely be something along the lines of:

• Start by visiting your circuit breaker box and turning off the breaker that supplies power to the outlet. 

• Use a screwdriver to remove the wall plate covering the outlet. (Put the screws in safe spot.)

• Place the gasket around the outlets and press in the foam.

• Reattach the wall plate.

• Turn the breaker back on.

As long as you're insulating one of your outlets, you might as well insulate the rest—or at least those on exterior walls. This makes even more sense because gaskets typically come in multipacks, including those from three of the most recognizable brand names in the gasket game: Frost King ($6.10 for a six-pack), Duck Brand ($8.49 for a 24-piece variety pack), and Stick 'N' Seal ($9.99 for 18 outlet gaskets and 6 switch gaskets).

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71 Best Target Black Friday Deals (2023): Smart Home and Toys

Need some smart home gadgets or toiletries? Target started its holiday sale early, with a price-match guarantee.

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How to Contact Amazon Customer Service on Black Friday

Black Friday has always been chaotic and its migration from an in-store stampede to online event hasn’t done much to change that. You’re in a rush to snap up good deals and can easily make mistakes along the way, especially when Amazon makes it so easy to buy items with a single click of a button. If you need to contact Amazon customer service or a seller on Black Friday, here’s what you do. 

Contacting Amazon customer service chat on Black Friday

The first thing you should do when trying to get Amazon assistance on Black Friday is check the Customer Service Help Page, which can be found in the menu on the top right of your computer screen or by clicking the link here. There, you’ll find answers to common questions about how to fix or do a number of things, from altering details on an order to reporting something suspicious. 

The fastest way to get real-time help is through Amazon’s live customer service chat. From that Customer Service Help Page, select the option for “Something else,” which will open a page showing even more options. Click the last one, “I need more help.” When the chat box opens, type “Talk to associate” into the text entry box and it will prompt you to choose help by chat or by call. 

Contacting Amazon customer service by email or phone

You can also try sending an email to the customer service center at cs-reply@amazon.com, though this may not be your best bet if you’re in a rush, as it can take a while to get a response. For the best service, make sure to include every relevant detail you can think of, like your order number and delivery address. 

For faster service, call 1-888-280-43331. You’ll first deal with a bot, but eventually get transferred to a real person. Try to use the phone number linked to your Amazon account, as verification codes related to the call will be sent to that device. 

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These Are the Best Black Friday Chromebook Sales

Black Friday makes buying a Chromebook—an already low-cost laptop—a pretty unmissable bargain for anyone in the market for a budget computer. It's a great laptop for browsing, giving to your kids without worrying, or as a gift to your parents or grandparents, all for around $200. 

The cheapest Black Friday sales on Chromebooks

You can get several Chromebooks for under $200. Here are the best of them.

• Asus Chromebook CX1 (15.6" Full HD NanoEdge Display, Intel Celeron N3350 Processor, 64GB eMMC Storage, 4GB RAM): $149.99 at Amazon (from $179)

• ASUS Chromebook CM14 (14" HD Anti-Glare Display (1366x768), MediaTek Kompanio 520, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC): $169.99 on Amazon (from $279.99)

• Lenovo Slim 3 (MediaTek Kompanio 520 - 4GB Memory - 64GB eMMC) $149.99 from Best Buy (from $319)

• Acer Chromebook 315 (2023) (15.6" FHD, Intel Celeron N4500, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC): $179 at Walmart

• Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c | 13.3" FHD IPS Touch Corning Gorilla Glass Display | 4GB LPDDR4X | 64GB eMMC): $206 at Amazon (from $279)

• Samsung Chromebook 4 (11.6" HD, Intel Celeron N4020, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC): $129.00 at Walmart (from $159).

The Black Friday sales on budget Chromebooks

If you ask me, a mid-range Chromebook is the best option. They’ll cost around $250 to $400, but you’ll get niceties like a full-HD screen, larger, faster storage, and an overall better experience. 

• ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 (14" Display (1920x1080), Intel® Core™ i3-1215U Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB UFS Storage): $399.99 on Amazon (from $439.99)

• Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (Intel Pentium Silver N6000 | 14" HD Corning Gorilla Glass Touch Display | 8GB LPDDR4X | 128GB eMMC): $299.99 on Amazon (from $399.99). 

• Lenovo Flex 3 (15.6" FHD Touch-Screen Chromebook Laptop - Pentium Silver N6000 with 8GB Memory - 64GB eMMC): $249 on Best Buy (from $479)

• HP - 15.6" Full HD Chromebook ( Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB UFS): $349.99 on Best Buy (from $499)

• ASUS Chromebook Flip C433 (2 in 1 Laptop, 14" Touchscreen FHD NanoEdge Display, Intel Core m3-8100Y Processor, 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC): $319 on Amazon (from $399.99). 

• Lenovo 3i Chromebook 2023 (15.6" Full HD - 8GB Memory - 64GB Storage - Intel Celeron N4500): $229 on Amazon (from $299.99)

The best Black Friday sales on premium Chromebooks

A premium Chromebook isn’t for everyone. But if you want to buy yourself, or your kids a nice and light laptop that will last for years to come, these are your best choices. 

• ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip (15.6" Full HD 144 Hz Touch Display, Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM): $589.99 on Amazon (from $699.99). 

• HP - 14" 2-in-1 XGA (Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD): $379 on Best Buy (from $699).

• HP - 15.6" Full HD Chromebook Plus ( Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB UFS): $349.00 on Best Buy (from $499). 

• Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 (13.3" Touchscreen 2 in 1 Chromebook - Full HD - 1920 x 1080 - Intel Core i3 (10th Gen) i3-10110U 2.10 GHz - 8 GB RAM): $554.99 on Amazon (from $699)

• Lenovo - IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (2K Touch - Intel i3-1315U with 8GB Memory - Intel UHD Graphics - 128GB SSD): $379 on Best Buy (from $499)

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These Are the Best Black Friday Sales on MacBooks

Apple makes some of the best laptops around. The MacBook Air is ideal for everyday computing, and MacBook Pros are great for creators and professionals. And Apple’s range of M series chips is so good, you can get away with buying an older model for cheap without feeling bad about your decision. Even better, Black Friday is the best time of the year to pick up an expensive Apple laptop without paying as much as usual.

The best Black Friday sales on MacBook Airs

The M1 MacBook Air is an amazing machine for almost everyone. I’ve used it since the day it came out, in fact—I’m typing on it right now, and I can easily see myself using it for years to come. The M1 model is down to its lowest price yet, matching discounts from Prime Day.

If you want something newer and snazzier, the M2 MacBook Air with the new design and notch is also a great buy. Best Buy members can save an additional $50 on the M2 MacBook Air models.

• M1 MacBook Air: $750 at Amazon and $750 at Best Buy (from $999).

• M2 MacBook Air 13.6-inch: $949 at Best Buy, $929 at B&H Photo (from $1099).

• M2 MacBook Air 15-inch: $1049 at Amazon and $1049 at Best Buy (from $1299)

The best 14-inch MacBook Pro sales

You can’t go wrong buying an older M1 Pro or M2 Pro MacBook Pro: They're powerful, and while they're on sale they'll cost closer MacBook Air’s regular pricing.

• M2 Pro MacBook Pro 14-inch: $1599 at Best Buy (from $1999)

• M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14-inch: $1799 at Amazon, $1849 at Best Buy (from $1999)

• M3 MacBook Pro 14-inch: $1449 at Amazon, $1449 at Best Buy (from $1599)

The best 16-inch MacBook Pro sales

The 16-inch MacBook Pro is a beast, and the original M1 Pro model is still an amazing buy and currently deeply discounted on Amazon. You can find newer models on sale, too.

• M1 Pro MacBook Pro 16-inch: $1749 at Amazon (from $2699)

• M3 Pro MacBook Pro 16-inch: $2659 at Amazon (from $2899)

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10 Best Black Friday Monitor Deals (2023): Portable, Vertical, Desktop

You don't need a whole new computer—just a better monitor. Some of our favorites are on sale for Black Friday.

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Walmart’s Black Friday Deals on Fitness Equipment Are Really Strong

If you’re looking for deeply discounted weights, machines, benches, and more, these 2023 Black Friday deals from Walmart are worth checking out. 

Quick-select adjustable dumbbells for $150 each

The ultimate home gym buy is a set of quick-adjustable dumbbells, but they’re pricey. Even on sale for Black Friday, a pair of Bowflex SelectTech 1090s will run you $299 each. (That’s 25% off the regular price, though, so definitely snap those up if you want the name brand.) This FitRX Smartbell is a similar design, adjusting from 10 to 90 pounds with the turn of a dial. 

GET THE DEAL:

• FitRX Smartbell XL, 10-90 pounds $149.99 (was $249.98) each–so they’re now $299.98 for a pair, down from nearly $500. 

This XTERRA rower is 80% off

Is this a Concept2? No. But can you get a new Concept2 for 300 smackers? You cannot. This XTERRA rower looks like a pretty solid alternative, and it’s a whopping 80% off. 

GET THE DEAL:

• XTERRA ERG700 rower $299 (was $1,499.99) 

Get a barbell set with bumpers for just $250

A barbell is a fundamental component of a “real” home gym in my opinion, but it can be hard to find a good set on the cheap. Bumper plates, especially, are great for home gyms (less noise and floor damage) but they tend to be expensive. 

Good thing, then, that this weight set is affordable to start and dirt cheap now that it’s on sale. For the price, you get a full-size barbell with one pair each of 45-pound, 25-pound, and 10-pound bumper plates. That will let you build a barbell that weighs up to 205 pounds–yes, you count the weight of the bar. To round out the set, I’d recommend getting one pair each of 2.5-pound and 5-pound plates, and another pair of 10-pounders, and this way you’ll be able to make every 5-pound increment from 45 up to 205. 

205 pounds is plenty for most beginner lifters to get started (especially kids and lightweight women), but eventually you’ll outgrow the set. If you’d rather buy a bigger set to start with, there’s also a 370-pound set that works out to 415 pounds including the barbell. 

GET THE DEALS:

• BalanceFrom 160-pound Olympic bumper plate set plus barbell $249.99 (was $449.99)

• BalanceFrom 370-pound bumper plate set plus barbell $399.99 (was $749.99)

• CAP Barbell Olympic grip plate pairs $10.98 for a pair of 5-pounders or $19.98 for a pair of 10’s. (The 2.5-pound plates come in a set of 4, for $10.98.)

A squat rack for just $170

Now that you have your barbell, how are you going to squat it? Consider this budget power cage your entry-level option. (Don’t forget the spotter arms, which have a 400-pound capacity and are sold separately for $34.99)

GET THE DEALS:

• BalanceFrom 1000-Pound Capacity Power Cage $169.99 (was $299.99)

$300 off a two-cable functional trainer

If you’re interested in a cable machine, the style sometimes known as a “functional trainer” makes a ton of sense for a small space. These have two vertical cable stacks, which you can use together or separately, and they’ll come with a variety of attachments that you can use for tons of different exercises. These types of machines are a staple of hotel gyms because they really do let you do a lot of different exercises, especially for the upper body, in a small footprint. 

This machine from Centr (Centr by Chris Hemsworth, I’m told) comes with a 165-pound weight stack on each cable, and includes a tablet holder if you’d like to follow along with Centr’s digital workouts. (The machine comes with a 3-month free trial.) That said, we have plenty of ideas for how to use a cable machine to build your own workouts. 

GET THE DEAL:

• Centr 2 Functional Trainer $1,699 (was $1,999)

A trap bar for under $100

The trap bar, or hex bar, is an excellent tool for deadlifting. If you need to compete in a sport that requires straight-bar deadlifts, fine; but if you just want to pick something up off the ground without thinking about it too much, a trap bar is the perfect piece of equipment to do that with. This trap bar is only $75 for the traditional kind, and $70 for the “open” type that not only allows you to carry it while you walk, but also lets you prop it up to change the plates. This would be a great addition to the bumper plate set above.

GET THE DEAL:

• BalanceFrom 1000-Pound Capacity Open Trap Bar $69.99 (was $169.99)

A folding bench for just $100

Whether your home gym uses dumbbells, barbells, or both, you’ll want a bench to sit on for bench presses and seated exercises. This bench has six incline settings and can even be folded for storage. It’s got a padded top and a 600-pound capacity, counting both you and the weight you’re lifting. 

GET THE DEAL:

• Pooboo Adjustable Folding Bench, 600-Pound Capacity $99.99 (was $299.99)

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The 37 Best Shows on Hulu Right Now

Just scored Hulu's Black Friday deal? These are the shows you need to watch on the service—from A Murder at the End of the World to Fargo.

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Walmart’s Black Friday Deals on Fitness Equipment Are Really Strong

If you’re looking for deeply discounted weights, machines, benches, and more, these 2023 Black Friday deals from Walmart are worth checking out. 

Quick-select adjustable dumbbells for $150 each

The ultimate home gym buy is a set of quick-adjustable dumbbells, but they’re pricey. Even on sale for Black Friday, a pair of Bowflex SelectTech 1090s will run you $299 each. (That’s 25% off the regular price, though, so definitely snap those up if you want the name brand.) This FitRX Smartbell is a similar design, adjusting from 10 to 90 pounds with the turn of a dial. 

🔥 FitRX Smartbell XL, 10-90 pounds $149.99 (was $249.98) each–so they’re now $299.98 for a pair, down from nearly $500. 

This XTERRA rower is 80% off

Is this a Concept2? No. But can you get a new Concept2 for 300 smackers? You cannot. This XTERRA rower looks like a pretty solid alternative, and it’s a whopping 80% off. 

🔥 XTERRA ERG700 rower $299 (was $1,499.99) 

Get a barbell set with bumpers for just $250

A barbell is a fundamental component of a “real” home gym in my opinion, but it can be hard to find a good set on the cheap. Bumper plates, especially, are great for home gyms (less noise and floor damage) but they tend to be expensive. 

Good thing, then, that this weight set is affordable to start and dirt cheap now that it’s on sale. For the price, you get a full-size barbell with one pair each of 45-pound, 25-pound, and 10-pound bumper plates. That will let you build a barbell that weighs up to 205 pounds–yes, you count the weight of the bar. To round out the set, I’d recommend getting one pair each of 2.5-pound and 5-pound plates, and another pair of 10-pounders, and this way you’ll be able to make every 5-pound increment from 45 up to 205. 

205 pounds is plenty for most beginner lifters to get started (especially kids and lightweight women), but eventually you’ll outgrow the set. If you’d rather buy a bigger set to start with, there’s also a 370-pound set that works out to 415 pounds including the barbell. 

🔥 BalanceFrom 160-pound Olympic bumper plate set plus barbell $249.99 (was $449.99)

🔥 BalanceFrom 370-pound bumper plate set plus barbell $399.99 (was $749.99)

🔥 CAP Barbell Olympic grip plate pairs $10.98 for a pair of 5-pounders or $19.98 for a pair of 10’s. (The 2.5-pound plates come in a set of 4, for $10.98.)

A squat rack for just $170

Now that you have your barbell, how are you going to squat it? Consider this budget power cage your entry-level option. (Don’t forget the spotter arms, which have a 400-pound capacity and are sold separately for $34.99)

🔥 BalanceFrom 1000-Pound Capacity Power Cage $169.99 (was $299.99)

$300 off a two-cable functional trainer

If you’re interested in a cable machine, the style sometimes known as a “functional trainer” makes a ton of sense for a small space. These have two vertical cable stacks, which you can use together or separately, and they’ll come with a variety of attachments that you can use for tons of different exercises. These types of machines are a staple of hotel gyms because they really do let you do a lot of different exercises, especially for the upper body, in a small footprint. 

This machine from Centr (Centr by Chris Hemsworth, I’m told) comes with a 165-pound weight stack on each cable, and includes a tablet holder if you’d like to follow along with Centr’s digital workouts. (The machine comes with a 3-month free trial.) That said, we have plenty of ideas for how to use a cable machine to build your own workouts. 

🔥 Centr 2 Functional Trainer $1,699 (was $1,999)

A trap bar for under $100

The trap bar, or hex bar, is an excellent tool for deadlifting. If you need to compete in a sport that requires straight-bar deadlifts, fine; but if you just want to pick something up off the ground without thinking about it too much, a trap bar is the perfect piece of equipment to do that with. This trap bar is only $75 for the traditional kind, and $70 for the “open” type that not only allows you to carry it while you walk, but also lets you prop it up to change the plates. This would be a great addition to the bumper plate set above.

🔥 BalanceFrom 1000-Pound Capacity Open Trap Bar $69.99 (was $169.99)

A folding bench for just $100

Whether your home gym uses dumbbells, barbells, or both, you’ll want a bench to sit on for bench presses and seated exercises. This bench has six incline settings and can even be folded for storage. It’s got a padded top and a 600-pound capacity, counting both you and the weight you’re lifting. 

🔥 Pooboo Adjustable Folding Bench, 600-Pound Capacity $99.99 (was $299.99)

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54 Best Buy Black Friday Deals to Shop Right Now (2023)

Best Buy Black Friday deals started early and will still be running late. Here are the best deals our team of gear reviewers has found.

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How to Protect Your Finances From Identity Theft

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday right around the corner, you're sure to be entering your credit card info online a heck of a lot more than usual. As you do so, how can you be sure you're not opening yourself up to credit card fraud and other kinds of identity theft? Having your identity stolen can be a nightmare that damages your finances and credit score. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help protect yourself.

How to protect your finances from identity theft

Monitor your accounts

Carefully monitor all of your financial accounts on a regular basis. This is good advice all year, but especially during the holidays. Watch for any suspicious activity, such as purchases you don't recognize.

If you see something suspicious, contact your payment method's fraud department immediately. Here's our guide to when you might need to dispute a credit card charge versus file a fraud complaint.

It's a good idea to review your credit card and bank statements thoroughly each month, and to check your credit report at least once a year for accounts you don't recognize. On that note...

Check your credit report

Get a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year. You can do this at any time at no cost through Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Scan the reports for any accounts you don't recognize as your own. This helps you catch fraudulent activity in your name faster.

Set up alerts

Many banks and credit card companies allow you to set up alerts to notify you of certain account activity. For example, you can be alerted for any charges over a certain amount or when a withdrawal is made. These alerts allow you to take quick action if fraudulent activity occurs.

Use strong passwords

Create unique, strong passwords for all your financial accounts. Avoid common or easily guessed passwords that identity thieves could crack. Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. And if you upgrade your passwords to be as random (aka strong) as possible, you don't have to worry about constantly changing them.

Still, changing your passwords is especially important if you receive word your information has been compromised in a data breach, Make sure change your password at any sites where you use the same login information—and stop reusing passwords already!

Freeze your credit

If you suspect fraud, placing a freeze on your credit prevents new accounts from being opened in your name without the freeze being lifted. This makes it harder for thieves to open fraudulent accounts. Just remember to lift the freeze when applying for legitimate new credit.

Be wary of scams

Don't fall for phone calls, emails or texts asking for your personal information. Banks and financial institutions will not contact you asking for sensitive data like passwords or social security numbers. Avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from sources you don't know. And yes, even in the digital age, ATM card skimming still happens. For more, read up on all the ways your credit card information can be stolen.

Being proactive is the best way to thwart scammers and other bad actors. Monitoring your accounts, using strong passwords, and checking your credit are essential steps. With proper precautions, you can help secure your finances. For more, stay up-to-date with Lifehacker’s scam coverage here.

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