Although most of the options nominated weren’t dipping sauces at all (turns out, even true democracy is flawed), Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce has been elected the best dipping sauce by our readers after two rounds of voting. Sweet Baby Ray’s took home 1,039 votes, almost half the total at 43%.
As many commenters pointed out in my second post, much of its success can be chalked up to the fact that its closest rivals aren’t considered dipping sauces by most human standards.
Email is something that consistently absorbs a lot of my day. I start everyday checking and responding to email, but as the day progresses, find myself checking my inbox pretty much constantly from my phone and computer.
This week Fast Company made an interesting suggestion on how to combat that problem: Using an out of office message.
One of the best pieces of advice in terms of not getting distracted by email is to only check your email at certain times. When you do that; however, the people sending you the email don’t know that they’ve missed your 1pm email check and that you won’t likely respond until you do that final inbox run-through of the day at 4:30.
Fast Company suggests using an out of office message to let them know.
The idea here is that you set up a message that says something like this:
Thanks for your email. I’m currently heads-down on a major project and will only be reading and responding to emails first thing in the morning and at the end of the workday. Should your email need immediate attention, please contact me via telephone. Otherwise, expect an email response from me at the end of the day or first thing in the morning.
Ideally, you’re only putting up that message for that week you’re working on something big and need to cut down on distractions.
Alternatively, Fast Company suggests putting a note in your email signature that lets people know your typical response time for email, and when you traditionally are in the office.
The idea here with both choices is to set expectations with people who send you email, so you, in turn, don’t feel the need to check it constantly.
Presumably, knowing you don’t check email until the end of the day will prevent someone from following up multiple times in a single day (something that happens often to me) and can potentially make the whole email experience just a little more pleasant for everyone involved.
For the rest of the deals, including be sure to head over to the deal page. And remember that these prices are only available today, or until sold out.
RAVPower Filehub | $36 | Amazon | Clip the $5 coupon and use promo code WD009221Graphic: Tercius Bufete
This RAVPower Filehub is a battery pack, an external storage device, and a portable WiFi router all rolled into one. You could say that it’s the perfect travel companion. Here’s what Whitson Gordon had to say about it on The Inventory:
You can see how things get a little complex here. The FileHub’s best use cases, in my opinion, require a little technical know-how on things like DLNA and SMB, so while it isn’t for everyone, it is useful, and has a pretty dedicated fanbase. I do wish the FileHub were a bit simpler to use, though—there’s no option to just connect to the computer over USB, for example, which seems like a big oversight. And seeing as this is not RAV’s first crack at the product line, you’d think they’d have a better handle on it by now.
But for all its little flaws and quirks, it’s still a unique product that could fit well into a lot of different workflows, for a pretty affordable price.
It’s normally priced at $56, but if you clip the coupon on the page and use WD009221 at checkout,you can pick up this super versatile hub for just $35. That’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen. There’s no telling how long the coupon on the page lasts, so get yours before it disappears.
With 19 local dimming zones, Dolby Vision HDR support (that’s the good one), Apple AirPlay 2 support and built-in Chromecast, Vizio’s $500 65“ Class M-Series 4K Smart TV is a bargain. We see this full array backlit TV go for $200 more elsewhere. Admittedly, this was $20 cheaper a little while ago but that price did not last long. This is still a solid option for those who want a big TV for not too much money.
Let’s get this out of the way: the sound quality and noise-canceling on these Mpow over-ear Bluetooth headphones won’t match those of Sony and Bose. But if you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars for a pair, check these out.
Whether you want to drown out the ambient noise in an airplane, or ignore your co-workers, these active noise cancelling over-ears are about 1/10th of what you’d pay for the bigger brands. Just make sure to use the promo code MPOW143AH at checkout.
If you take your home Wi-Fi coverage seriously, Netgear’s Orbi mesh routers are some of the best you can buy, and Amazon’s running a great deal on a brand new system. This Reader Favorite is now selling for just $200.
Here’s how they work: multiple nodes, or access points, work together to blanket your home in signal. Better still, their glossy design encourages people to keep them outside of closets and drawers and in plain view to ensure unencumbered signal. (Walls hamper signal, bro.)
If you’re a homeowner, Amazon’s marked down a ton of Greenworks lawn care tools for one-day only. Inside, you’ll find discounts on an electric corded lawn mower, a chainsaw, pole saw, pressure washer and edger. Just note that like all Gold Box deals, these prices are only available today, or until sold out.
Don’t know where to start? Cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens are pretty much mandatory for any kitchen.
These prices are only available today though, so act fast.
Showers are so damn relaxing. Quite honestly they should be since we tend to take them everyday (you SHOULD be bathing everyday, I’m not arguing with you over this). For a low $16, you can get a hold of a five-mode shower head with different pulsations of water you can adjust to your liking. It’s also ridiculously easy to install, so even the most unhandy person can take advantage of this deal. Why not buy one for hygiene-sake?
It’s always nice to save on something that you needed anyway. Example: Right now, you can pick up 40 Glad Drawstring OdorShield 13-Gallon Trash Bags. To be fair, this is neither fun or exciting. But if you like saving money on stuff you were going to buy anyway, ordering this is a good idea.
For what it’s worth, this is the lowest price we’ve ever seen on this particular bag, and it usually sells around $9. Just clip the coupon on the page.
You might not have heard of Kyoku, but we’ve been big fans of their Daimyo damascus steel chef’s knife and steak knives. So if you’ve been looking to add a paring knife to your collection, or want a budget (and surprisingly good) one for your kitchen, now’s a great time to buy. Use the promo code KYOKU6NH to drop the price to just $33, the lowest price we’ve ever seen.
Ah, ribbed crewneck sweaters they may not make you look exactly like Chris Evans, but they can make you feel like Chris Evans (without the millions of dollars, fan, etc.) Use the promo code RBSW to drop the price on these comfy, classy ribbed crewnecks to a low $36.
There are twelve available styles available as part of this sale, that means twelve styles that’ll definitely keep you stylish through the end of winter and during spring. Make sure to pick up a couple before the disappears like the chances of snow in NYC in March.
Just in time for spring, The G.O.O.D. Shirt by Proof is marked down to $64 at Huckberry. This super soft long-sleeve offers a ton of smart details that you’ll appreciate including: airflow eyelets for breathability under the armpits, hidden pockets behindthe main pockets, and adjustable snap-button cuffs. Better still these shirts are available in two colors: desert and slate.
Razer makes some of the best gaming peripherals out there, and right now the Razer Viper ultralight gaming mouse is marked down to its lowest price on Amazon. There’s a lot to like about this sleek, comfortable mouse including gaming-level optical sensor and enough RGB lighting to make even the most hard-core gamers blush.
This ambidextrous mouse is also absurdly light. My brother owned this 69 gram mouse for a spell and it felt like I wasn’t using one at all.
Razer’s latest, and greatest gaming keyboard, as well as its cheaper cousin are both down to their lowest prices ever. The Huntsman Elite is down to a low $160, and the regular Huntsman is down to just $80.
Gizmodo says:
If you’re a gamer though this is a no brainer... This keyboard is really damn nice to type and game on and it will pair well with all the high-end hardware out there intended for gamers.
So what do you get for the extra $70? Primarily, dedicated media keys and a wrist rest. Otherwise, everything seems pretty similar with these two Opto-Mechanical keyboards.
For me, I’d go with the standard Huntsman for $80. It’s great enough for most gamers.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, magnets are stupid fun.Speks 2.5mm Magnetic Balls make a terrific desk toy and right now, you can get 1000 Gold Speks for 40% off. Each package comes with a thousand little balls that you can smush and form them into whatever geometric or asymmetrical thing you want. Use promo code GOLDDIGGER to attract this discount to your shopping cart.
Note: It’s probably a good idea to skip these if you have kids... especially if they’re still prone to putting everything in their mouths.
Ok y’all, let me introduce you to this cool deal. For a short time you can grab a dope Nintendo Switch Bundle that includes the ever-playable Mario Party as well as a deluxe travel case for $380. But the best part about this deal is you can rack up to $105 in Kohl’s cash, which means FREE MONEY (technically). So why not purchase the bundle, host a bunch of friends at your apartment, and enjoy the company? Snatch it up before it’s gone!
This nifty $15 tool gives you a tactile understanding of what it feels like to press on each Cherry MX switch. This purchase would ultimately remove the guess work from shopping for a keyboard, but when some mechanical models cost upwards of $150 it’s a worthy investment. (Hell, it might even help you decide which of our reader’s picks you should buy.)
It doubles as a weird fidget toy, too, if that’s your thing. But you’ll find plenty of use for this, if you’re the type to evangelize mechanical keyboards—I know I am.
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DEALS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
I don’t know about you guys, but I often forget to plug in my (somewhat ancient) iPhone 8 Plus almost every other night, despite the cord being right on my nightstand. I’m sure there are a couple of folks who do the same thing, and I’m here to tell you we don’t have to suffer anymore.
Anker Powerwave Charging Pads have come through at a low price of $17 with a promo code, so you can charge both iPhones and Androids at at pretty good speed. The best part, besides coming in a pack of two is that you don’t have to take off your phone case to get a good charge! It can deliver power with cases up to 5mm thick, so don’t worry about your phone mysteriously falling and breaking its back on the cold, hard floor. I’d grab this duo before it is gone!
Take your binge-watching on-the-go with this discounted Anker Nebula Capsule mini projector. In his review, Shep said the product is “very well-made” and he appreciated the screen-mirroring feature.
At $349, this is one of the most expensive products Anker sells, but you’re rewarded with some really quality touches, like a soft carrying case, a standard tripod mount, and even automatic keystone correction when you have to tilt the Capsule forward or backward to line up with your screen. And though the projector will charge with basically any USB charger (including portable battery packs, for those extended movie nights), Anker splurged and included a Quick Charge 3.0 wall adapter in the box, so you can top off the battery at maximum speed.
Use the promo code KINJAD4111 to drop the price of this projector down to just $250. For what it’s worth, I think Anker projectors are the perfect compliment to a Nintendo Switch, and makes couch gaming a possibility wherever you go.
During Cyber Week, I picked up both the Pro and the regular 2018 iPad, and there was no question which had more power and a better screen.
While most people would be happy with the standard iPad, I couldn’t suffer through a non-laminated display. I’m also really excited to use it in tandem with the latest Apple Pencil, which is more convenient, and easier to hold.
If tasked to design the perfect power strip, I’d want to include: a flat plug, surge protection, a nice clean design (nice enough to keep on a desk,) and, of course, a USB-C port. Luckily for me, Anker already made that power strip. The Anker PowerPort Strip PD 3 features nearly everything you’d ever want for a power strip and, right now, it’s down to just $26. No coupon necessary.
If you’re in the market for a new, dependable gaming mouse, look no further than the Logitech G604 Wireless Gaming Mouse. At $80 and with 15 programmable controls and six separate thumb buttons, you can have your characters (literally) in the palm of your hand. You can also toggle between Bluetooth and lightspeed wireless connectivity — the choice is quite honestly yours. Plus, with one AA battery, you can go up to 240 hours of gaming. Imagine what your Sims characters could get up to in that time? A lot. Grab it before it’s gone!
If you’re looking for a terrific pair of budget ANC Bluetooth headphones but don’t want to pay $300+, checkout these TaoTronics Hybrid Active Noise Canceling Headphones. Usually selling for about $110, if you clip the $10 on-page coupon and use KINJA649 at checkout the price drops to $80. That’s incredible.
I’ve been using these headphones for the past couple of weeks and I’d highly recommend them. Of course, the sound quality and ANC can’t match those of Bose or Sony, these can dampen enough noise to make your music really sing.
Oh, yeah they sound pretty good, too.
They offer a stable Bluetooth 5.0 and charge via USB-C which is nice. In fact, if you plug ‘em in for 5 minutes, you can get 2 hours playback. They’ll typically last you for 30 hours before they need to be recharged completely.
Give ‘em a shot, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
If your router doesn’t include enough Ethernet ports for your liking, this 8-port gigabit switch from Netgear is a cheap and easy way to solve that. This current $15 price is the best we’ve ever seen. Want lower latency for Overwatch? More reliable Netflix streaming? A better-performing Plex server? Ethernet is the only way to go.
Unlike a lot of the switch deals we’ve posted here, this particular unit offers management software to give you some controls to “configure, secure, and monitor your network.”
Looking to reinvigorate your wardrobe in time for spring? Look no further. Nasty Gal, one of the hottest women’s clothing stores to come out of LA, is enjoying a massive 50% off storewide sale as we speak. (And yes, that includes sale items.)
Everything is 50% off for a limited time, or 40% off if you opt for free shipping, so act fast before the deals pass you by.
Are you ready to start streaming your insane gameplay? You’ll need to pick up this discounted Plugable Performance NIX Video Game Capture Card. This capture card is a must-have to start recording and streaming your frags and inane gameplay banter.
Of course, it’ll work with all of the streaming platforms and services out there, like OBS, plus it’s basically plug-and-play which is fantastic for beginners.
While you could just go the processor route for lower-tier, retro games, you’ll need a dedicated capture card like this one to stream demanding gameplay. Better still, it’ll work with consoles, too. This unit is $15 less than its usual selling price and a lot less than something from Elgato.
Today, the physical copy of Civilization VIis down to $15 for the Nintendo Switch. The game has changed quite a bit since its original release, and this is the best price we’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, you’ll still need to pony up for the expansion packs. But that’s totally optional.
Just be sure to place your order before Gandhi nukes the deal.
Skincare is so important. If not for your actual skin, but for the all around relaxation that comes from it. Infused with aloe and lactic acid, Anjou’s Dead Sea Mud Mask will relax your skin and help with inflammation. Plus, it’s only $10, so it’s cheap enough to give it a try. So why not grab a bottle, slap some on your face and close your eyes for about 15-20 minutes to let the mask do it’s magic. If you have sensitive skin, I would recommend placing a small amount on the back of your wrist just to be safe! Snatch one up before it is gone!
Enter The Gungeon is one of those games I’m admittedly terrible at, but I still play just because it’s so much fun. With so many ridiculous guns to try out and the ability to play with a friend, it’s one that deserves to be on your Switch.
Better still, this is $10 off what’s currently on Amazon.
While spring is out here teasing us with bright sunlit skies and mid-50 degree weekends (hey, that’s t-shirt weather here in New York), it’s time to start thinking about your next vacation. And so long as you book by March 15 and travel by May 24, Hotels.com is sweetening its (up to) 40% discount with an extra 15% using the promo code TRIP15.
So that international trip you’ve been putting off because the lodging is too expensive? Yeah, it’s time to book it. Get out of town and escape to somewhere free of haunting thoughts about tomorrow’s board meeting or your college exams, or whatever is eating at your brain right now. Everyone deserves a break now and then, so why not you?
Hoodies are timeless. They are appropriate for any point in your life and if anyone says otherwise, they are a narc. With spring right around the corner, it’s time to reintroduce ‘em to your rotation.
Of course, you can’t keep wearing the same Billabong hoodie you’ve owned since high school.
Luckily for you, Jachs is blowing out a ton of zip-up hoodies this week. Some are even lined with sherpa for a super luxurious (and warm) feel. Just use the promo code HD20 at checkout to see the discount.
They never said cooking is an exact science, but it is always a good thing that you know how much of one thing that’s going in a recipe, especially if you’re really about portion control. Well, the Nicewell Food Scale can definitely come in handy. It’s only $20, has four high-precision load sensors and can even subtract the weight of a plate or container for an accurate measurement. Not only that, but it has a waterproof surface, which is ESSENTIAL for any cooking gadget. I’d get one before they disappear.
There’s nothing like some savory, somewhat crunchy bacon, and a dedicated bacon press makes that process so freaking easy. It’s only $15, and it can transform your bacon-eating life. If you’re like me and can’t stand a fatty curl that comes with your bacon strips, you should definitely take advantage of this deal. Or, if you’re not a bacon aficionado, you can use it for hamburgers and handmade grilled cheese — the possibilities are endless. Make sure to grab one of these before they’re gone!
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White is selling for a low $30 right now. I, in fact, have been waiting for a good sale on this particular game. With Studio Ghibli art style, this JRPG truly is special.
For what it’s worth, Kotaku’s Jason Schreier called the game “whimsical, charming, beautiful, fascinating, smart, pleasant, challenging, slow-paced, grand, surreal, and aggressively colorful.” (Read the rest of the review here.)
Despite being $5 more expensive than Black Friday, this is still a solid bargain on a terrific game.
If you’re anything like me, you’d prefer to strut into work donning a fresh pair of Yeezys and a beat up Champion sweatshirt. But sometimes employee comfort doesn’t totally align with workplace dress code enforcements. That’s why J. Crew is trimming 50% off its office-ready styles this weekend including blazers, suit pants, khakis, ties, belts, and more.
What’s more, the factory is chopping up to 50% off everything else. So even if you’re comfy with your current professional wardrobe, you can keep it casual with a new pair of yoga pants or a fun pair of polka dot high-rise chinos. For an extra dose of savings, you can snag an additional 40% off clearance items. That cute floral top you’ve been eyeing? It’s $21 with the promo code LEVELUP.
Monday is “National Egg McMuffin Day” a most definitely made up holiday by McDonald’s that comes with the opportunity to score a free Egg McMuffin.
To take advantage of the deal you’ll need to have the McDonald’s app installed on your phone and have a registered account. On Monday you’ll need to go to a participating McDonald’s (the app will let you know which locations are participating — it’s most of them) between 6am and 10:30am and then follow the “National Egg McMuffin Day” instructions within the app.
The deal is only available on Monday, and only between 6am and 10:30am, so you’ll need to plan ahead for this one. The deal is also only available once per registered McDonald’s app, so if you’re traveling with friends or coworkers you’ll want to make sure they have the app downloaded as well.
With these deals it’s always worth mentioning that they’re likely to be exceptionally popular. If you do decide to take advantage of it, go in expecting your local Mc Donald’s to be busier than normal.
If you’ve been considering traveling by train this spring, Amtrak is offering a deal on tickets today that’s worth a look. In honor of Leap Year, Amtrak is offering tickets on a number of different routes at half off.
To take advantage of the deal you’ll need to book your seat by the end of the day today for travel between March 7th and April 8th, 2020.
The deals are all one-way and on the long-distance trains: Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight, San Joaquins, California Zephyr, Saluki, Illini, City of New Orleans, Missouri River Runner, Lincoln Service, Heartland Flyer, Texas Eagle, Hiawatha, Carl Sandberg, Illinois Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Wolverine, Blue Water, and Pere Marquette.
Discounts are also only on coach seats and are non-refundable, although you can make exchanges prior to departure for a 25% cancellation fee.
All that said, there are some pretty good deals to be had. Tickets from Chicago to Syracuse are just $42 under the deal, and you can get from Portland to Seattle for $18. Here’s a rundown of some of the deals available:
SECURITI.ai was selected winner of the fifteenth-annual RSA Conference Innovation Sandbox Contest and named “Most Innovative Startup” by a panel of leading venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and industry veterans.
SECURITI.ai is a leader in AI-powered PrivacyOps. Its PRIVACI.ai solution automates privacy compliance with patent-pending People Data Graphs and robotic automation. It enables enterprises to give rights to people on their data, comply with global privacy regulations and build trust with customers.
“We are honored to join such an impressive roster of past recipients,” said Rehan Jalil, CEO of SECURITI.ai. “Privacy is a basic human right and companies want to honor individual rights of privacy and data protection. Privacy compliance and operations are only getting more complex for businesses around the world, and we’re humbled that the judges recognized our vision for AI-powered PrivacyOps and data protection.”
In its fifteenth year, the RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest is a leading platform for startups to showcase their groundbreaking technologies that have the potential to transform the cybersecurity industry. Since its inception, the RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest’s top 10 finalists have collectively seen 56 acquisitions and received over $6.2 billion in investments.
This year’s finalists were: AppOmni, Blu Bracket, Elevate Security, ForAllSecure, INKY Technology, Obsidian Security, SECURITI.ai, Sqreen, Tala Security, and Vulcan Cyber.
Past winners include companies such as Imperva, BigID, Phantom, and most recently, Axonius.
“The cybersecurity industry faces new threats, changes and challenges every day, which is why we’ve committed more than a decade to encouraging and rewarding innovation in the space through the RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest,” said Linda Gray Martin, Senior Director and General Manager, RSA Conference.
“The finalists on stage, regardless of the competition’s outcome, will undoubtedly make a lasting impact on the industry. SECURITI.ai, in particular, demonstrated a unique vision that addresses one of the biggest challenges that businesses face today, and we look forward to witnessing the company achieve great things for years to come.”
I was walking home from an appointment when the sign in the window grabbed me: 40% off all wine. The gourmet grocery store was having a going-out-of-business sale, which meant all the items I usually deemed were too expensive for my everyday existence suddenly seemed within reach. Including the wine.
I lingered outside that window for a few minutes, debating whether to pick out a few bottles. The discounts didn’t stop there, either. I could get all sorts of ingredients I wouldn’t normally buy, also for 40% off.
Eventually, I talked myself down from the perfect charcuterie night with one simple question: Would I rather save 40% on wine and cheese, or would I rather save 100% by buying nothing at all?
The imaginary math was easy: I wanted the money in my wallet more than I wanted the discount groceries.
Sure, you don’t get the thing you’re eyeing when you employ this money saving trick. But that’s actually another benefit of the strategy—it stops you from buying something for the sake of buying and the thrill of getting a discount.
Thinking about 100% rather than whatever the sale tag says has saved my budget several times since that first day in front of the grocery store. When I contemplated buying a trendy top on sale at a boutique, for instance, I asked myself if I’d rather have the discount or have all my money. I wanted the money.
Ever clicked through a website’s sale section just to see if there’s anything good? If you feel compelled to get something because it’s 60% off, thinking about 100% can give you a moment to reset before hitting that “place order” button. “Would I rather save 60% on this item, or save 100% by not buying anything?” can remind you that maybe the reason that item is on sale is because it’s poorly made, or in an ugly color, or has bad reviews. Or, it may be similar to something you already have. Or, it may, even after the discount, be more expensive than you were planning to spend on an item of its type.
Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean you need to be a moth getting sucked toward the discount lightbulb. Because at the end of the day, you control 100% of your wallet.
Picking a birth control can seem scary, especially if you’re worried about the more extreme side effects. You may have heard the horror stories about the risks of organ perforation using intrauterine devices, or claims that birth control is linked to migraines. However, extreme side effects are rare, and usually only occur if you have a pre-existing condition that might trigger them.
As for the common side effects, the good news is that because there are so many options on the market, there’s likely a form of birth control out there that minimizes the effects you’re most concerned about. The bad news is that there is no exact science for predicting how a certain birth control will affect any one person.
The likelihood of experiencing side effects
Lists of side effects on packages can look long and scary, like the 21 possible side effects listed on the label for Yaz, a popular birth control pill: irregular periods, headaches, changes in your menstrual period, fatigue, nausea, bloating, mood swings, breast tenderness, cramps, changes in weight, and a disclaimer of severe side effects like depression, blood clots, strokes and heart attack. Other common side effects for most forms of hormonal birth control include a chance of changes to your physical appearance such as worsened (or improved) acne, changes in hair growth patterns or swelling in your hands and feet.
The more severe side effects, like blood clots and increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or stoke, are generally linked to previous risk factors like smoking, obesity or family medical history, says Brett Worly, MD, an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University.
Luckily, physicians agree that current research disproves two commonly listed associations of birth control: that it causes depression in people who weren’t previously depressed, and weight gain.
“I looked as hard as I possibly could to try and figure out if hormonal contraception causes depression,” says Worly, who authored a 2018 meta-analysis on the topic. “I couldn’t find anything that was a convincing suggestion that one thing directly causes the other.”
Current studies similarly disprove the association between hormonal birth control and weight gain, with the exception of the Depo-Provera shot.
“Most studies that have been done show there’s no difference in weight in women using hormonal methods of contraception,” says Amy Bryant, MD, and assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “People gain weight over time, in this country.”
However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore other side effects of your birth control. If you’re unhappy with how you’re feeling after 3-4 months, Bryant recommends revisiting your physician to search for a better solution.
“Unfortunately, despite years and years of research and lots of progress, we don’t have the perfect method of birth control that works for everyone or that works equally well for everyone,” she says. “I try to emphasize that none of these choices are permanent, so if it doesn’t work out for you we’ll try something else.”
The key to picking the best birth control for you, Bryant adds, is knowing what you want out of the product—whether that’s a more regular period, better skin, or a method of preventing pregnancy that you never have to think about.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know about the side effects of popular hormonal birth control options on the market, to make that choice a little easier.
The pill
There are several brands of oral contraceptive available, but all work similarly. Combination pills contain both an estrogen and a progestin—the synthetic version of the hormone progesterone—but you can also choose the “mini pill” which is progestin-only. When taken correctly, the pill is 99 percent effective, but that goes down to 91 percent if taken inconsistently.
Why you might choose it: Many women choose the pill because of its ease, reliability and because it regulates their periods, Bryant says. Combination birth control pills are also the only FDA-approved hormonal treatment for acne. You can get pregnant right away after you stop taking the pill.
Why not to choose it: The pill is user-dependent, meaning you have to remember to take it every 24 hours in order for it to be fully effective. People whose lifestyles don’t fit this model might want to explore other birth control options, Bryant says. Patients who smoke or are at risk of heart attack, liver disease or breast cancer should also consult their doctor before taking pills containing estrogen.
Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCS)
The intrauterine device (IUD) and the Nexplanon arm implant have both increased in popularity over the last decade, as technology for the devices has improved—from 3.7 percent of birth control users in 2007 to 10.6 percent in 2017. Both are progestin-only birth control options, but the amount varies depending on the device.
Nexplanon is the only arm implant currently on the market, and releases 35-45 micrograms (mcg) of progestin a day the first year, but IUDs come in different sizes and release varying levels of progestin. The most common are:
ParaGard – the copper IUD, and the only non-hormonal IUD option on the market
Why you might choose it: IUDs and the Nexplanon are 99 percent effective during their first few years of use (LARCS last from three to twelve years, depending on the brand). People who choose a LARC often want to “set it and forget it,” said Worly. Once removed, you can get pregnant right away.
Why not to choose it: To insert the IUD, a doctor or nurse must pass an applicator tube through your cervix and into your uterus. This can cause mild to severe cramping. One in 20 IUD users also experience expulsion, when the IUD exits the uterus on its own. ParaGard users also often experience heavier periods and cramps, and hormonal IUD users will generally find that their bleeding patterns change—whether to a lighter period, more frequent spotting, or to getting no period at all.
The Depo-Provera shot
The Depo-Provera shot is a progestin injection given every 12-14 weeks by a nurse or physician that prevents pregnancy. As long as doses are administered routinely, the shot is 99 percent effective. But because some people miss appointments, the overall efficacy is 94 percent.
Why you might choose it: The shot appeals to people who want the effectiveness of long-acting birth control, but aren’t comfortable with having a device inserted, Bryant says.
Why not to choose it: If you’re needle-averse or don’t think you can consistently make your appointments for reinjection you may want to look at other options, Bryant said. Additionally, she added, due to its high influx of hormones the shot is the one hormonal birth control option correlated with some weight gain.
The patch and the ring
While not as popular as other hormonal birth control options, the patch and NuvaRing are available as hormonal contraceptive alternatives. Both deliver a combination of estrogen and progestin. The patch is changed out once a week, the NuvaRing every three weeks. Efficacy is 99 percent for both patch and ring when used correctly, but user error drops that overall rate down to 91 percent for each.
Why you might choose it: Both are effective alternatives to the pill that are still short-acting, but require less active participation than oral contraceptives, Bryant says.
Why not to choose it: Because both are not permanent fixtures, you must remember to change both out on time and double check that neither has fallen off or moved before they have intercourse.
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Great broadband internet costs a small fortune unless you’re blessed to live in a location that has a decent Fiber service for sub-$100 prices. (If so, do you need a roommate?)
I live in Silicon Valley, which means I’m stuck with Comcast and have to fork over $100/mo to enjoy super-fast service that’s limited to 1TB of total downloads—$150/mo, if I want to pay Comcast for the extra privilege of using as much of its data as I want. These kinds of fees are enough to make anyone want to find a creative way to share the cost, and Lifehacker reader Fitz proposed one fun idea in a recent email:
Is there a way my neighbor and I can share a common broadband. Will it work if I take the ethernet cable from his router and connect it in my router’s WAN port? Also, will I need a router with a modem if my neighbor’s router already has it?
Technically, that plan could work. Make sure you’ve taken the time to enable your router’s access point mode (or otherwise disabled DHCP and its firewall), and your devices will receive their IP addresses from your neighbor’s router—much as they otherwise would if you were connecting your cable modem to your router directly, when it’s set up as a regular router. And, no, you don’t need a cable modem with a built-in router.
However, this larger plan to share your neighbor’s internet service has a few hitches. First off, you’ll want to make sure you get a high-quality Ethernet cable that’s rated to give you top speeds for whatever distance you have to cover between your neighbor’s house and yours. (I’m assuming this is a house-to-house plan, not an apartment-to-apartment deal.) That’ll probably be a weatherproof Cat 6 cable, at least, which will set you back around $50 for 100 feet of cable.
The Cat 6 spec maxes out at 328 feet for gigabit speeds; any longer and you’re risking performance issues—or the connection not working at all. So if you and your neighbor have a lot of ground to cover, you might want to invest in a high-powered wireless bridge setup instead (which will undoubtedly cost more).
Even if you go the Ethernet route, which I’d recommend, I hope you’ve found a novel way to string the cable between your two houses so it won’t accidentally get cut, snipped, or otherwise messed with. And, of course, should that cable ever fail, you’re going to have to restring it between your houses—which might be a pain in the ass. I like using cables more than a wireless connection whenever possible, but this might be one instance where the latter, if powerful enough, is worth the convenience.
Now, assuming you’ve set up the physical connections, there are two more issues you might want to think about. The first is security. Do you trust your neighbor? Do you trust your neighbor to not insert some sort of man-in-the-middle setup or a packet sniffer on the network they control and use that to dig up your passwords, log what you’re doing, and otherwise cause chaos in your digital life? I suspect this won’t be an issue in most circumstances, but the general rule you should keep in mind is that using your neighbor’s connection basically makes you a user on their network, and there is plenty that they can do to ruin your day—even something as simple as slapping bandwidth controls or deprioritizing any connected devices that aren’t theirs. I’d run all my traffic through a VPN in this scenario, but that might affect your speeds and be annoying to deal with.
Second, there’s that bandwidth cap issue I teased earlier. If you’re on Comcast, or using any other provider that gives you a monthly service cap, you’re going to need to investigate if you can remove that (by upping your service tier or possibly paying an extra monthly fee). If not, you and your neighbor are going to have to watch your web traffic like hawks, since now two households will be sharing the data limit that’s normally designed for one. And neither of you probably wants to be surprised with a huge bill because the other one downloaded way too much in a month.
Speaking of, what happens when your neighbor’s kid decides to go wild and BitTorrent everything they can find without using a VPN to hide their activity? Are you and your neighbor both willing to risk (and accept) that whatever each of you does on your shared connection might impact, or ruin, both houses’ experience? Is your neighbor willing to accept the ramifications of anything you do on the internet that is now associated with their account?
Beyond that, what if there’s an issue with the internet while your neighbor is away for the day—or the weekend, or a month-long vacation? Will they give you permission to enter your house and reset the router or cable modem? Is it even possible to add you to the account as an “authorized” user, in case you need to contact the ISP directly for service?
And what happens if your neighbor doesn’t stay on top of device or firmware updates? What if some kind of malware on their end of things uses your shared network to hijack your information or otherwise cause chaos on your systems?
This whole idea—while great for saving money—also likely violates your ISP’s terms of service. You might get away with it, but I also don’t want to think about what happens if, or when, they get pissed for theft of service (or however they’d describe it).
I’m not saying don’t do this, because I’m all for sticking it to the man, especially when most internet providers nowadays are looking to nickel-and-dime you as much as they can. However, there are serious concerns that come with sharing internet service with your neighbor. Think about them before you go forward with this plan. (Let me know how things work out if you give it a try!)
Do you have a tech question keeping you up at night? Tired of troubleshooting your Windows or Mac? Looking for advice on apps, browser extensions, or utilities to accomplish a particular task? Let us know! Tell us in the comments below or emaildavid.murphy@lifehacker.com.
Clearview AI, the controversial facial recognition startup that’s gobbled up more than three billion of our photos by scraping social media sites and any other publicly accessible nook and cranny it can find, has lost its entire list of clients to hackers – including details about its many law enforcement clients.
In a notification that The Daily Beast reviewed, the company told its customers that an intruder “gained unauthorized access” to its list of customers, to the number of user accounts they’ve set up, and to the number of searches they’ve run.
The disclosure also claimed that Clearview’s servers hadn’t been breached and that there was “no compromise of Clearview’s systems or network.” The company said that it’s patched the unspecified hole that let the intruder in, and that whoever it was didn’t manage to get their hands on customers’ search histories.
Tor Ekeland, an attorney for Clearview, sent a statement to news outlets saying that breaches are just a fact of life nowadays:
Security is Clearview’s top priority. Unfortunately, data breaches are part of life in the 21st century. Our servers were never accessed. We patched the flaw, and continue to work to strengthen our security.
Clearview, which has sold access to its gargantuan faceprint database to hundreds of law enforcement agencies, first came to the public’s attention in January when the New York Times ran a front-page article suggesting that the “secretive company […] might end privacy as we know it.”
Within a few weeks of the Times article, Clearview found itself being sued in a potential class action lawsuit that claims the company amassed the photos out of “pure greed” to sell to law enforcement, thereby violating the nation’s strictest biometrics privacy law – the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
Among the many online sources that Clearview has scraped to get all the biometric data it’s selling (or giving away), Twitter, Facebook, Google and YouTube have ordered the company to stop its scraping – a practice that violates the social media giants’ policies.
In a followup report, the Times noted that there’s a strong use case for Clearview’s technology: finding victims of child abuse. Investigators told the newspaper that Clearview’s tools have enabled them to identify the victims featured in child abuse videos and photos, leading them to names or locations of victims whom they may never have been able to identify otherwise. One retired chief of police said that running images of 21 victims of the same offender returned 14 minors’ IDs, the youngest of whom was 13.
David Forscey, the managing director of the non-profit Aspen Cybersecurity Group, told the Daily Beast that Clearview’s breach should be worrying for its customers:
If you’re a law-enforcement agency, it’s a big deal, because you depend on Clearview as a service provider to have good security, and it seems like they don’t.
Six alleged drug criminals will go free thanks to a ransomware attack on a small Florida city, it was revealed this month.
Stuart is a city in Florida with a population of around 16,500. It suffered an attack involving the Ryuk ransomware in April 2019 that took city servers offline. While reports said that city emergency services, including 911 calls, were unaffected, things were a little different behind the scenes. Detective Sergeant Mike Gerwan explained:
Because we didn’t have access to the internet we were sending police officers to calls blind.
The City refused to pay the $300,000 bitcoin ransom, and instead kept servers disconnected while it rebuilt its servers. At the time, city manager David Dyess said that the city’s data backups saved it from having to negotiate.
While Stuart might have saved some of its data, there were some casualties. Among them were case records that the Stuart police department was relying on for several prosecutions. It was unable to recover crucial evidence for narcotics cases involving 6 defendants facing a total of 28 charges.
The crimes included methamphetamine and cocaine possession, along with selling, manufacturing, and delivering narcotics. Another charge involved illegally using a two-way communication device, according to local station WPTV. Gerwan told reporters:
We lost approximately a year and a half of digital evidence. Photos, videos. Some of the cases have been dropped.
The attackers got into city systems via a spearphishing email, and lurked undetected in the network for two months before launching the Ryuk attack, Gerwan said:
We were totally crippled for the first month and a half. We all went home one day and the next day we came back to work and we were back in the year 1984. Back in 1984 if you wanted to look somebody up you had to find them in the phone book.
Electronic evidence destruction like this seems like a storyline straight out of a Breaking Bad script, but in this case, the ransomware criminals inadvertently did the defendants a favour. It’s a surprisingly common problem, according to Gerwan. He said:
I can’t recall when speaking to my federal partners, that there has been a case where data had not been lost.
Mozilla has said it plans to make a privacy technology called DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) the default setting for US users of Firefox within weeks.
As our previous coverage explains, DoH encrypts Domain Name System (DNS) queries, which browsers use to resolve website addresses to their underlying numeric IP addresses.
Normally, these requests are sent in the clear, which means that ISPs and governments can see which web domains someone is visiting, which is where the privacy concerns begin.
In the US, ISPs have been accused of selling this data to advertisers. Although not a perfect shield against DNS snooping, DoH makes that a lot harder.
The technology’s been inside Firefox since mid-2018 although until now users had to enable it manually. In September 2019, Mozilla started testing DoH-by-default in the US – with that completed, from next month DoH will become a setting that users have to consciously opt to turn off.
Users can do this via Options > General > scroll down to Network Settings at the bottom of the page and then click Settings. The ‘Enable DNS over HTTPS’ tick box is the last one on the page.
Notice how buried this setting is? Having backed DoH development since its earliest days in 2017, Mozilla doesn’t want to make it easy to turn off something it thinks is against the user’s interests.
Just below the tick box, there’s a second setting that allows users to choose which trusted DNS resolver to use. Cloudflare, Mozilla’s long-time DoH collaborator, is the default but recently users gained the ability to choose a second, NextDNS.
Trusting DoH providers
This aspect has bothered some critics – using companies such as Cloudflare effectively centralises DNS resolution for the tens of millions of people who use Firefox.
It’s a weak argument. People already set alternative DNS resolvers for performance reasons (Google’s 8.8.8.8, for instance) so the idea of using one service provider is hardly new. And is the alternative of routing DNS queries through an ISP’s servers any less centralised?
From an internet topology perspective, perhaps. But browser users don’t care about that. What bothers them more is: Who is recording the websites they go to?
As Mozilla reminds us, currently in the US, 80% of traffic travels through the DNS servers of only five broadband providers. All that using Cloudflare or NextDNS requires is that users trust these companies’ promises to protect privacy in the same way they do for any service provider. It’s a personal choice.
What to do
There are currently no plans to turn on DoH by default outside the US, most likely to defuse criticism by government agencies that it will, in the short term, make it harder to keep tabs on illegal activity by citizens. Google, which also backs DoH, is experimenting more cautiously than Mozilla.
Similar arguments were once made about the risk posed by HTTPS security and, in the 1990s, the spread of encryption more generally. But anyone who is serious about evading web surveillance can already do that in several ways that are more effective than using DoH, for example using Tor or firing up a VPN.
For non-US users, DoH can be turned on using the same settings mentioned above.
The technology can also be configured with slightly more difficulty in rival browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Brave and Opera although not, so far, in Apple’s Safari. The technology is coming to Windows 10 at some point.
HackerOne announced findings from the 2020 Hacker Report, which reveals that the concept of hacking as a viable career has become a reality, with 18% describing themselves as full-time hackers, searching for vulnerabilities and making the internet safer for everyone. Not only are more hackers spending a higher percentage of their time hacking, they’re also earning a living doing it.
The annual report is a study of the bug bounty and vulnerability disclosure ecosystem, detailing the efforts and motivations of 3,150 hackers from over 120 countries who successfully reported one or more valid security vulnerabilities on HackerOne.
“Hackers are a global force for good, working together to secure our interconnected society,” said Luke Tucker, Senior Director of the Global Hacker Community. “The community welcomes all who enjoy the intellectual challenge to creatively overcome limitations. Their reasons for hacking may vary, but the results are consistently impressing the growing ranks of organizations embracing hackers through crowdsourced security — leaving us all a lot safer than before.”
Key findings include:
Global growth of bug bounty programs is being followed by the globalization of the hacker community. Hackers from Switzerland and Austria earned over 950% more than in the previous year, and hackers from Singapore, China, and other countries in APAC earned over 250% more than in 2018.
The hacker community continues to grow at a robust pace, nearly doubling in the past year to more than 600,000 registered.
Hundreds of hackers are registering to join the ranks every day — nearly 850 on average — working to secure the technologies of more than 1,700 global customer programs.
Hacking also provides valuable professional experience, with 78% of hackers using their hacking experience to help them find or better compete for a career opportunity.
Hacking is becoming a popular income supplement or career choice. Nearly 40% of hackers devote 20 hours or more per week to their search for vulnerabilities. And 18% of our survey respondents describe themselves as full-time hackers.
Most of the polled hackers are are self-taught, underscoring the importance of community and online resources.
Hackers earned approximately $40 million in bounties in 2019 alone, which is nearly equal to the bounty totals for all preceding years combined. At the end of this past year, hackers had cumulatively earned more than $82 million for valid vulnerability reports.
In addition to the seven hackers who have passed the $1 million earnings milestone, thirteen more hit $500,000 in lifetime earnings.
Hackers in the U.S. earned 19% of all bounties last year, with India (10%), Russia (8%), China (7%), Germany (5%), and Canada (4%) rounding out the top 6 highest-earning countries.
Most of the polled hackers prefer to hack websites (71%), the rest go for APIs, iOS and Android mobile apps, and other software.
The polled hackers found the Burp Suite to be the most useful tool when hacking (89%), followed by tools they built (39%), fuzzers (32%), and web proxies/scanners (25%).
“No industry or profession has experienced an evolution quite like hacking,” explained Tucker. “It started in the darkest underbelly of the internet, where hackers roamed the online world in search of vulnerabilities. It later grew into a respectable hobby, something that talented people could do on the side. Now it’s a professional calling: hackers, pentesters, and security researchers are trusted and respected, and they provide a valuable service for us all.”
This tectonic shift is happening at every corner of the globe. Hackers today are living in countries like Panama, New Zealand, Hungary, Senegal, Cuba, Vietnam, and Venezuela, working to make the internet safer for everyone. As hacker-powered security programs become ubiquitous, it’s easy for hackers to find new and potentially lucrative opportunities from anywhere — all they need is an internet connection. This is, in part, due to the global growth of hacker-powered security programs.
Federal Governments led the pack across the globe in 2019 with the strongest year-over-year industry growth at 214%, and last year saw the first launch of programs at the municipal level, according to the 2019 Hacker-Powered Security Report. In 2019 alone, HackerOne launched 22 programs and 36 altogether since 2016 with governments in North America, Asia and Europe. Every minute of every day, hackers and companies across the globe come together to make the internet safer for everyone.
