These Are the Best Price-Tracking Tools
Sep. 18th, 2025 07:30 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
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If you’ve ever felt like you were duped by overpaying for something that was advertised as a “great deal,” you’re in the right place. It’s easy to get caught up in frenzied online shopping holidays like the upcoming October Prime Day sale— especially when retailers sometimes sneak price hikes before major sales or deceive shoppers with tricks to get you to spend more than you intended to.
Figuring out the best time to buy something requires constantly watching ever-fluctuating online prices and some knowledge of how prices have changed in the past. As a shopping and deals writer, that is what I do for a living, and I know how time-consuming it can be. Luckily, you don’t have to figure it all out yourself: Here are the best websites and extensions I've been using for years to check price history and track prices so that you can be sure you’re getting the best deal possible.
The best Amazon price tracker: Camelcamelcamel
Credit: Camelcamelcamel.com
CamelCamelCamel is among the best ways to track prices on Amazon products. You can install the browser extension (on Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Safari) to get access to the site’s features without leaving Amazon, or you can just copy and paste an Amazon link or product name to the website’s search bar. CamelCamelCamel shows you how the price of the item has gone up or down over time, how prices have changed through Amazon directly, and the fluctuations from third-party Amazon sellers who list new and used items.
If you sign up for a free account, you can set up alerts so the site can notify you by email when the price of an item drops below a certain amount, if you can get it used for a given price, or if it’s at an all-time low and now is a good time to buy. You can even see previous historic highs and lows and try to map out the best time to strike.
The best price tracker for most online retailers and to compare prices: Honey
Credit: Honey.com
You've probably already heard of the "Honey influencer scam" that blew up in December of 2024. Essentially, Honey hijacked affiliate links from influencers who were sponsoring them. Also, in many instances, it deliberately chose not to give the best coupons to users who used the extension (going completely against its business model). Honey is not alone in this behavior. Many coupon aggregator companies hijack affiliate links; Honey just happens to be in the spotlight because it's the biggest one. Use your own judgment if you choose to use any of its services.
The bad news for those looking for a price-tracking tool that can be used for most online retailers is that Honey is the only option. The good news is that Honey's price-tracking tool can't scam you or give you subpar coupons. The Honey browser extension compares prices from a whole bunch of retailers, not just Amazon. You can create a Droplist, which notifies you if the prices drop for an item on your list if you’re willing to wait for a deal. Here is what creating a Droplist can do for you:
First, it’ll keep the items you want to keep tabs on organized and easily accessible. Second, it’ll track the prices of those products and alert you when they go on sale at any major retailer. You can see how much those prices cost leading up to the sale to see if they are, in fact, good deals or a trick from retailers to take advantage of you, and even compare them with other major retailers to see who has the best deal. You can see how to set up your droplist here.
As long as you don't buy the products using a Honey link, you won't be giving money to the service. Until there's a better alternative, Honey is the only option that can instantly pull up price histories and track prices for multiple retailers with a browser extension (for now).
The best tool to compare prices: Capital One Shopping
Credit: Amazon.com
Capital One Shopping, previously known as Wikibuy, compares prices from other sellers when you shop on Amazon. You can simply type any product into the search bar on top and start analyzing it. If you choose to use the browser extension, it will notify you if a product you are looking at is cheaper somewhere else, and offer a summary of pricing history, estimated delivery time, and total price, including tax and shipping. If you can apply a coupon, it’ll add that as well. When the price drops for a product you’ve viewed, Capital One Shopping will notify you. When you shop, you can earn credits for your purchases at some websites, like Walmart and eBay, that Capital One Shopping has partnered with. You can trade that credit for gift cards or put it toward purchases through Capital One Shopping’s site.
The extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, and an iOS app allows you to scan barcodes and search products to do price comparisons from your phone.
The best price tracker tool for gamers: CheapShark
Credit: CheapShark.com
While most of the others in the roundup focus on products like electronics, apparel, household goods, and appliances, CheapShark is a great option for those looking to save money on video games. CheapShark combines all of the great places to get discounts on games in one place, one easily searchable directory and database of current prices from sites including Steam, GoG, Green Man Gaming, GameStop, Amazon, and more. Of course, it’s limited to video games, but you can search a game name not just to see how much it’ll cost you to buy, but even if you can buy it at all—and which retailer has it available. If you want, you can even filter by games currently on sale at their selected stores.
When you search for a specific game, CheapShark tells you what the cheapest-ever price was, when it hit that price, and gives you the choice to either go ahead and buy it from your choice of retailer or to sign up for a price notification if it drops again.
Honorable mentions
Keepa: Practical price-tracking tool for Amazon and eBay
Credit: Amazon.com using the Keepa browser extension
Keepa works very similarly to Camelcamelcamel, but instead of clicking on the extension to see the price history, it'll be automatically displayed below the image of the product. This helps if clicking on the extension or installing is one click too much for you. Keepa also lets you track specific products and sends you notifications when they go below a specific price that you set. It also works on eBay. You can download the extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge, and Safari.
SlickDeals: Great for finding deals and checking prices
SlickDeals is known for bringing you up-to-the-minute discounts, coupons, and other deals from around the web, but its web-based price tracker is also great for watching prices on just about any item on Amazon and on a ton of other popular shopping sites, like Newegg, Gamestop, Chewy, Home Depot, and others.
Credit: SlickDeals
The service doesn’t give you a detailed price history like some of the others in the roundup—it only shows a “deal history” under the “price intelligence” section for a few popular products. However, it will track the price of your item from when you create an alert and send you an email if the price drops below a threshold that you set. You can also return to the price tracker at any time, log in to your account, and see all of your tracked items on the same screen.
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The Friday Five for 19 September 2025: Soulmates
Sep. 18th, 2025 03:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anais_pf posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
thefridayfiveThese questions were originally suggested by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
polypolyglot.
1. Do you believe you can have more than one soulmate in life?
2. Are you with that soulmate now?
3. If not, how long did your relationship with your soulmate last?
4. Do you still think about your soulmate, if you are not together?
5. If you're not together, do you think your soulmate still thinks about you?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
polypolyglot.1. Do you believe you can have more than one soulmate in life?
2. Are you with that soulmate now?
3. If not, how long did your relationship with your soulmate last?
4. Do you still think about your soulmate, if you are not together?
5. If you're not together, do you think your soulmate still thinks about you?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
The Best Meal-Planning Apps (for When You’re Sick of Doing It Yourself)
Sep. 18th, 2025 07:00 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
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For as basic a necessity as it is, feeding yourself is a lot of work. What's more, feeding a household is even worse. There's the planning, then the shopping, the unpacking, the cooking, the storing, and finally, the cleaning, all of which has to be done over and over again forever. We all know what it's like to be faced with this task and just decide to open up Uber Eats and pay a bunch of fees to have someone do (most of) it for us. Apps are the saving grace when meal planning gets too daunting—but you're using the wrong apps. Forget Door Dash and Grub Hub: These apps can help you plan, shop for, and prepare meals on your own while still offloading some of the hard work on tech.
Here are some meal-planning apps that can suggest recipes based on your dietary preferences, put together shopping lists, and even walk you through the cooking. They can't box up leftovers or wash the dishes, but maybe one day in the future, we'll get there, too.
Best app for recipes: BigOven
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/BigOven
BigOven is a meal-planning app that grants you access over one million recipes—and new recipes are constantly being added. I like a few different things about it: First, you can input some of the ingredients you already have and get recipes based on those, reducing your grocery shopping and limiting how many of those million-plus recipes you need to scroll through. You can scan handwritten recipes in, too, and let the app turn them into recipes you can store there, preserving family traditions. Finally, I appreciate that it has a browser version, since that makes it easier to type, browse, and scroll. A few of the apps on this list also work on the browser. In general, I like to do a lot of my planning and work on the computer, then call in my phone at crunch time, just when I need to refer to a recipe.
The free version is nice, but limited. You get the ability to put together a grocery list and one free recipe scan. For more detailed meal planning, you’ll need to upgrade to its paid version for $2.99 per month or $24.99 for the year. Think of it like this: You'll save that much by skipping a delivery order or two.
Best app for family meal planning: Cozi
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/Cozi
Cozi is a family organizer, so you might not think of food and recipes when you first hear about it—but don't be fooled. In addition to its daily calendar and to-do lists, Cozi provides space for you to keep a grocery list (which any family member can add to in real time) and even offers up recipes. Not only can you plan your meals' content, but you can schedule them for when everyone is available.
The basic version is free, but the premium version, which is $39.99 per year, offers more features, most of which have to do with the family management aspect (like birthday tracking and calendar searching). If you're using it for meal planning, you may not need to upgrade; I was able to build out an entire schedule of recipes without paying.
Best app for fitness and nutrition goals: Eat This Much
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/Eat This Much
Eat This Much is really ideal for anyone with specific nutrition and fitness goals. It puts together plans based not only on your budget and personal preferences, but your nutritional plans, as well. You're prompted to enter in how many calories you'd like to eat in a day, as well as how many grams of protein and other nutrients you want to hit. It even doubles as a calorie tracker and comes with a database of nutritional information about restaurant and packaged food. If you're meal planning and prepping for fitness or health goals, this could be the one for you to really focus in on. (Relatedly, if you're in the market for a comprehensive calorie and nutrient tracker, I am a huge fan of Lifesum.)
Money comes into play if you want more features. For $8.99 per month, you can create meal plans for a week, used advanced search features, view your past meals, and generate reports on your eating habits, to name a few. A bump up to $59 per month unlocks bulk meal plans for over a week in advance, macro tracking, and a recipe database, among other things. That's not exactly a small cost, but if you're serious about meal prepping, give it a look.
Best app for when you're busy: Mealime
Credit: Mealime/Lindsey Ellefson
Mealime is widely recommended in forums for meal planners and caters to busier people because it's full of recipes that can be made in under half an hour. You can filter recipes by dietary restrictions or preferences, generate a grocery list, and get on with your day. It's a little bare-bones beyond that, but as a picky eater, I appreciate the ability to eliminate recipes that include the things I don't care for. If you ever catch me eating a single mushroom, call the authorities because I'm sending a distress signal.
You'll get plenty of recipes in the free version, but you'll notice some are labeled "Pro." To get those, as well as other features like the ability to add notes, you'll have to upgrade to the paid version for $2.99 per month. For its simplicity of use and fairly low cost, this is a favorite of mine.
Best app to relieve decision fatigue: eMeals
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/eMeals
eMeals emphasizes that it's meal planning "made simple," and they mean that. You get pre-loaded, dietitian-curated menus that come in "themes." Themes can be kid-friendly, keto, quick, etc. The apps on this list with thousands of recipes to scroll through are great, but if you just want someone or something else to pick for you, start here.
eMeals also has partnerships with major grocery retailers, which makes creating your grocery list a little easier and more specific. Another on the list that has a robust browser component, this makes things almost too easy.
Best app for more recipe control: Plan to Eat
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/Plan to Eat
Plan to Eat is for people who have a general sense of what they like or want to eat, but just need a little push on the organization. You can clip recipes from the internet or browse recipes in the app, add them to the built-in calendar, and create grocery lists that are specified by category, making shopping easier. The app's cooking view even comes with step-by-step instructions that include timers, walking you right through everything you need to do down to the minute.
You get a free two-week trial, then you'll pay $5 a month or $55 a year to access all the features.
(no subject)
Sep. 18th, 2025 07:47 pmshadowhiveMy fear was right about student finance, it hadn’t gone through when I did my application like I expected. I did a text chat with someone Tuesday to make sure and then filled in the online form. Hopefully it’s right and should be sorted but… Ugh. I’m not gonna dwell on it. And at least I know now as opposed to what happened a few years back (where, just after Christmas break, I got hit that it hadn’t been processed asnd so was screwed)
Yesterday was the funeral of mum’s friend’s great aunt. I’d only met her a few times but she seemed nice and she was 101 years old which is insane. The service was nice enough but of course these things are always gonna be sad. And, for me it bought things back cause it was the same place my grandparents had their funerals. I dunno if it bought the same things up for mum cause we haven’t talked about it but…
Anyway into better things than those two issues.
Two shows came back to Disney+ this week, High Potential and Futurama. High Potential is being released weekly though damn I wish the opener wasn’t cause it ended on a cliffhanger. I wonder if the game maker plot line will be resolved next week or if he’ll come back later on. Either way it’s good to have Morgan back cause she’s amazing (and I love that tv guides have it listed as a highlight).
Futurama is instantly funny, but unlikely High Potential an entire season got put up. So far I’ve seen the first three and I did enjoy them, though the third did feel like the weakest. The relationship conflict between Fry and Leela just felt so forced, especially when Fry had gone to all that thought for the anniversary thing.
I still need to watch last weeks Alien Earth ep (and this weeks) and the new Lego Star Wars thing is tomorrow which looks fun.
Gaming wise I’ve not started Borderlands 4 cause I’ve not felt up to doing much at night again (ugh) but I did manage to find Pokémon Violet to get the mystery gift Pokémon. I also did all the post game gym rewatches which were fun, especially with the grass gym leader having a grass Tera type sudowoodo. Though ughhh I hate that my trainer name on there is Wilbur so much for obvious reasons.
I did start Silksong tonight too and I beat the first boss without dying (yipee!) and met Shermawho is so cute with his lil song. It looks and sounds so pretty, though I fully expect to lose my mind. I just got to the flea caravan and that’ll be where I’ll end it today
Focus has been off still writing wise. There’s a want to write but I dunno the words just don’t wanna come for some reason. It’s so irritating.
I do sometimes do a fic wants post but I might just edit the last one instead of making a new one.most likely it’ll just be adding 5 Seconds Of Summer and Anthony from Dark Divine.
Saturday is gonna be the first of many cinema trips. If I wasn’t gonna do that I might have done something tomorrow (the cinema has Galaxy Quest but only for one day, and I found out Armor For Sleep is in Birmingham but I’ve not listened to them for ages).
The rough cinema trips are:
20th: Thunderbirds (+ something else, most likely bad Guys 2)
29th: Mystery film (+ something else but ??)
2nd: Curse Of Frankenstein (+ something else)
6th: Mystery film (+ something else)
I suspect the mystery films are Him and The Black Phone 2 respectively, though the second might be something else. The other things I’ll see will depend on what’s on those days. (And if I’m wrong about the mystery films I do still wanna see them.) I might see something on the 17th or 18th but we’ll see.
I found out that the Doctor Who boxset is coming out on my birthday, so the daytime will be Pokémon and the night will be that. Which is great cause the first ep is Terror Of The Zygons which feels fitting.
I’ve seen this reading meme so I end the post in this.
What have you recently finished?
Clown In A Cornfield which I did think was really great! It has made me wanna get the second book though I’ve not had luck finding it yet. I’m gonna be on the lookout for the blu ray too, though that’s out of stock in some places too and we don’t have the cool steelbook.
What are you currently reading?
Currently nothing, it’s been dark due to storms and my heads not been the best. Technically I’m still reading Flight Of Icarus. I read the first chapters then got sidetracked and haven’t been back yet.
What are you reading next?
I should read my next read Christie book, but it’ll probably be I Want that Twink Obliterated or Shredded (another book of short stories) for spooky season. Or Halloween Party which isn’t one of the read Christie books but I have had the pretty one siting around for Halloween.
Yesterday was the funeral of mum’s friend’s great aunt. I’d only met her a few times but she seemed nice and she was 101 years old which is insane. The service was nice enough but of course these things are always gonna be sad. And, for me it bought things back cause it was the same place my grandparents had their funerals. I dunno if it bought the same things up for mum cause we haven’t talked about it but…
Anyway into better things than those two issues.
Two shows came back to Disney+ this week, High Potential and Futurama. High Potential is being released weekly though damn I wish the opener wasn’t cause it ended on a cliffhanger. I wonder if the game maker plot line will be resolved next week or if he’ll come back later on. Either way it’s good to have Morgan back cause she’s amazing (and I love that tv guides have it listed as a highlight).
Futurama is instantly funny, but unlikely High Potential an entire season got put up. So far I’ve seen the first three and I did enjoy them, though the third did feel like the weakest. The relationship conflict between Fry and Leela just felt so forced, especially when Fry had gone to all that thought for the anniversary thing.
I still need to watch last weeks Alien Earth ep (and this weeks) and the new Lego Star Wars thing is tomorrow which looks fun.
Gaming wise I’ve not started Borderlands 4 cause I’ve not felt up to doing much at night again (ugh) but I did manage to find Pokémon Violet to get the mystery gift Pokémon. I also did all the post game gym rewatches which were fun, especially with the grass gym leader having a grass Tera type sudowoodo. Though ughhh I hate that my trainer name on there is Wilbur so much for obvious reasons.
I did start Silksong tonight too and I beat the first boss without dying (yipee!) and met Shermawho is so cute with his lil song. It looks and sounds so pretty, though I fully expect to lose my mind. I just got to the flea caravan and that’ll be where I’ll end it today
Focus has been off still writing wise. There’s a want to write but I dunno the words just don’t wanna come for some reason. It’s so irritating.
I do sometimes do a fic wants post but I might just edit the last one instead of making a new one.most likely it’ll just be adding 5 Seconds Of Summer and Anthony from Dark Divine.
Saturday is gonna be the first of many cinema trips. If I wasn’t gonna do that I might have done something tomorrow (the cinema has Galaxy Quest but only for one day, and I found out Armor For Sleep is in Birmingham but I’ve not listened to them for ages).
The rough cinema trips are:
20th: Thunderbirds (+ something else, most likely bad Guys 2)
29th: Mystery film (+ something else but ??)
2nd: Curse Of Frankenstein (+ something else)
6th: Mystery film (+ something else)
I suspect the mystery films are Him and The Black Phone 2 respectively, though the second might be something else. The other things I’ll see will depend on what’s on those days. (And if I’m wrong about the mystery films I do still wanna see them.) I might see something on the 17th or 18th but we’ll see.
I found out that the Doctor Who boxset is coming out on my birthday, so the daytime will be Pokémon and the night will be that. Which is great cause the first ep is Terror Of The Zygons which feels fitting.
I’ve seen this reading meme so I end the post in this.
What have you recently finished?
Clown In A Cornfield which I did think was really great! It has made me wanna get the second book though I’ve not had luck finding it yet. I’m gonna be on the lookout for the blu ray too, though that’s out of stock in some places too and we don’t have the cool steelbook.
What are you currently reading?
Currently nothing, it’s been dark due to storms and my heads not been the best. Technically I’m still reading Flight Of Icarus. I read the first chapters then got sidetracked and haven’t been back yet.
What are you reading next?
I should read my next read Christie book, but it’ll probably be I Want that Twink Obliterated or Shredded (another book of short stories) for spooky season. Or Halloween Party which isn’t one of the read Christie books but I have had the pretty one siting around for Halloween.
Link Salad, End of Summer
Sep. 18th, 2025 12:21 pmlovelyangelTime to clear some browser tabs...
And, admittedly, I’ve been scanning/avoiding lots of news – keeping some distance from depressing writeups. But I couldn’t resist two somewhat political links I got via kottke.org:
How to Tell the Difference Between a Lone Wolf and a Coordinated Effort by the Radical Left (McSweeney’s)
Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning (Elizabeth Spiers)
And then, the rest:
Beautiful Journals by José Naranja (via MetaFilter)
The Day Return Became Enter (aresluna.org)
Things You’re Doing But You Don’t Want to be Doing. Also: Advice on (Internet) Writing, For What it’s Worth (dynomight.net)
Moss & Fog
And, admittedly, I’ve been scanning/avoiding lots of news – keeping some distance from depressing writeups. But I couldn’t resist two somewhat political links I got via kottke.org:
How to Tell the Difference Between a Lone Wolf and a Coordinated Effort by the Radical Left (McSweeney’s)
Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning (Elizabeth Spiers)
And then, the rest:
Beautiful Journals by José Naranja (via MetaFilter)
The Day Return Became Enter (aresluna.org)
Things You’re Doing But You Don’t Want to be Doing. Also: Advice on (Internet) Writing, For What it’s Worth (dynomight.net)
Moss & Fog
Designers Say These Craft-Store Staples Will Replace Dried Flowers
Sep. 18th, 2025 02:30 pm
soaring
Sep. 18th, 2025 03:10 pmfadedwingsThere were two large birds soaring while I was out on the porch so I grabbed the camera in hopes of getting a good enough photo to make an ID
Here one of the birds flies over a three story multi-family home.
More photos under the cut ( Read more... )
Here one of the birds flies over a three story multi-family home.
More photos under the cut ( Read more... )
Why the FDA Is Warning Against Some Wearable Baby Monitors
Sep. 18th, 2025 06:30 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
As a new parent, it’s unfortunately pretty normal to be paranoid about whether your baby is breathing when you put them down for a nap. Gadgets promise peace of mind—like heart rate or movement sensors that attach to your baby or their crib. But the FDA is warning against most of them.
As the FDA writes in a safety communication to parents and pediatricians, no devices are approved to prevent or reduce the chances of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUID). If a device says it will do this, the FDA advises avoiding that product entirely.
When it comes to devices that just claim to give you metrics like heart rate or blood oxygen, there are a few approved products on the market, including the Dream Sock by Owlet, but many of the devices in this category aren’t FDA-cleared at all. The FDA doesn’t name names, but when I searched for “wearable baby monitor” on Amazon and on Google Shopping, most of the brands that popped up are ones that aren’t in the FDA’s database. The unapproved ones I saw were often in the $100-150 price range, while the most popular FDA-cleared device, the Owlet Dream Sock, was significantly more, at $239.99.
What these monitors are, and why they can be risky
Baby monitors that promise to track your baby’s vital signs include sock-style wearables, sensors that clip to the baby’s diaper or clothes, sensors that go under a mattress, and ones that are built into camera systems.
These monitors may say they can track heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and respiratory rate, among other metrics, and notify caregivers if something is wrong. However, the FDA says that they can cause harm in these ways:
If they fail to measure the vital signs accurately
If they miss serious problems, making caregivers think everything is fine when it’s not
If they indicate a problem when there is none, leading to unnecessary medical care
Burns or rashes from the device itself
How to find approved devices
If your baby needs an accurate medical device, the best place to start is asking their pediatrician to point you to something appropriate. But if you want to use an over-the-counter device for peace of mind, there are two databases you can check to see if the device is FDA-cleared.
The first is the de novo device lookup. This is for devices where the manufacturer has applied for recognition as a new type of medical device. These are known as 513(f)(2) devices. Go to this link and type the company’s name in the blank marked Requester name. If the product is in the database and the classification product code is QYU, it’s been evaluated and authorized by the FDA. For example, here is the entry for the Owlet Dream Sock, with a QYU code.
The other is the 510(k) premarket notification lookup, which you can find here. This is for devices that are “substantially equivalent” to an already-approved device. Put in the company’s name under Applicant name.
The FDA adds that if you have a problem with a device, including inaccurate measurements or anything that resulted in an injury, to report it to MedWatch here.
The Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota
Sep. 18th, 2025 02:00 pmatlasobscura_feed
The Palmer House Hotel could best be described as a haunted time machine. Built in 1901 by Ralph and Christena Palmer, this establishment and its restaurant/pub have been welcoming guests for well over a century.
The hotel is a three-story brick building, standing on the corner of Sinclair Lewis Avenue and Main Street. Nobel prize winner Sinclair Lewis, who grew up in Sauk Centre and once worked here, later immortalized it in his novel Main Street.
It was built on the grounds of the town's first hotel, the Sauk Centre House, after it burned down in 1900. From the very start, it's been the talk of the town, with locals embracing it as a first-class hotel. It was the first building in Sauk Centre with electricity.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was renovated in 1993 to include modern amenities while preserving the vision of its creators. There are now 19 rooms, each with its own bathroom, so guests no longer have to share a common "necessary room" down the hall.
The hotel lobby includes big arched windows and stained glass windows that were imported all the way from Vienna.
The Palmer House is surrounded by spooky lore, with tales of ghosts and spirit children said to lurk on the stairs, play in the hallways, and inhabit certain rooms. It's a magnet for paranormal investigators and curious thrill-seekers alike. Sure, when you first step inside, it feels more like a cozy retreat than a haunted mansion, but don't let that fool you. Owner Kelley Freese, who's been at the helm for over 20 years, has plenty of spine-tingling stories to share about the hotel's spectral inhabitants. Legend says Sinclair Lewis himself haunts its halls.
Check-In Post - Sept 18th 2025
Sep. 18th, 2025 07:29 pmbadly_knitted posting in get_knittedHello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question: Share your favourite crafting tip, if you have one.
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
I now declare this Check-In OPEN!
You Can Turn Off Those Full-Screen Screenshots in iOS 26
Sep. 18th, 2025 06:00 pmlifehacker_feedDid you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news.
In iOS 26, Apple has expanded its Visual Intelligence feature from the camera lens to what's on your screen. Now, you can use Visual Intelligence to ask about what you're seeing on your iPhone's display, to add events to your Calendar, or to look up images using Google (similar to Google’s Circle to Search). All of this is quite cool, but it also comes with a redesigned, full-screen preview that pops up whenever you take a screenshot.
When all you want to do is take a quick screenshot, maybe while you're playing a game, seeing this big splash screen and all its new buttons can get annoying fast. Plus, you might not want Apple Intelligence to see what’s on your screen (which it will now automatically do), no matter how useful these updates might turn out to be.
Thankfully, you can disable the new splash screen and go back to the old thumbnail style screenshot previews instead. Plus, when needed, you'll still be able to trigger Visual Intelligence, even when using thumbnails.
What you can do with Visual Intelligence in iOS 26
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Since the iOS 18.2 update, you’ve been able to use ChatGPT to ask questions about what’s on your screen. But with iOS 26, Apple introduced Automatic Visual Look Up to the mix. This new feature automatically analyzes your screenshots the second they're captured. Then, it pulls in relevant actionable information and adds it below the screenshot.
For example, if you screenshot is of an invitation to a party, it will show you a one-tap button to add it to your calendar. If your screenshot is of a website, you’ll see a link to go there directly. Plus, there’s a feature that lets you highlight any image to find similar images on Google, as if you were using Circle to Search or Google Lens. This is Apple's justification for expanding screenshot previews to take up your whole screen, but it adds an extra step to actually saving your screenshots.
How to disable the full-screen screenshots
If you stick with full-screen previews for taking screenshots, which are now the default, you’ll have to tap twice to actually save a screenshot every single time you take one. First, you'll have to tap the checkmark button at the top of the screen, and then choose Save to Photos.
Thankfully, Apple has an option to disable the new screenshot splash screen. To go back to the old method for taking screenshots, go to Settings > General > Screen Capture and disable the Full-Screen Previews option.
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Now, when you take a screenshot, you’ll see the familiar thumbnail preview in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Even better, you'll still be free to tap the preview to open the full-screen view, which will then show all your Visual Intelligence suggestions.
How to disable automatic Visual Intelligence in screenshots (or altogether)
If you’re privacy conscious, there are two ways you can go about disabling Visual Intelligence. The first is to disable Automatic Lookup, which scans your screenshot as soon as you take it.
To disable this feature, go to Settings > General > Screen Capture and disable the Automatic Visual Look Up option.
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
After you do this, those automatic Visual Intelligence suggestions will disappear. But the options to chat with ChatGPT, and to highlight to search for images, will still be there. At least these aren't automatic, and without your consent or express action, no data will go to Apple’s servers.
But you can disable these options as well by disabling Apple Intelligence completely. To do that, go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri and disable the Apple Intelligence feature.
Fanvid beta?
Sep. 18th, 2025 02:02 pmaurumcalendula posting in spacefunguspartyWould anyone be interested in looking at a mirror!Philippa Georgiou fanvid draft?
It contains footage from both Discovery and the Section 31 movie, but I think it should work even if someone hasn't seen the latter.
It contains footage from both Discovery and the Section 31 movie, but I think it should work even if someone hasn't seen the latter.
After the Bar Brawl (Stargate Atlantis; John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagen)
Sep. 18th, 2025 01:55 pmgoddess47 posting in no_true_pairTitle: After the Bar Brawl
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing/Characters: John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagen
Word Count: 263
Content Notes: none
Prompt:no_true_pair September 18 - John Sheppard & Teyla Emmagen - best day ever
Link to fic: After the Bar Brawl (on AO3)
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing/Characters: John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagen
Word Count: 263
Content Notes: none
Prompt:
no_true_pair September 18 - John Sheppard & Teyla Emmagen - best day everLink to fic: After the Bar Brawl (on AO3)
lifehacker_feedI've worked out of my basement apartment as a content creator and videographer for several years now. As a result, I’ve had to find creative and unique ways to maximize space and find effective (yet inexpensive) gear to create my videos at the highest level possible.
Sometimes, that can seem pretty overwhelming, especially if you’re just getting started. But you really only need to focus on three things: audio, video, and lighting. Here's some of how I built my home studio, what I use to make videos like the one you can watch right now in this story, and how you can do the same, even in a small living space.
Start with great audio
When I first started making videos, I really underestimated the value of quality sound. I thought I'd need some crazy-expensive microphone to get professional-sounding audio.
Fortunately, smartphone mics have improved drastically over the years. In a quiet room with limited background noise, your phone is more than capable of giving you decent audio. If you want to make your videos sound more professional, or you plan to record outside often, consider getting an external microphone.
For on-the-go recording, I use the Hollyland Lark M2. Lavalier and lapel mics are an absolute must-have for any content creator, especially if you hope to go out into the world to record. There are tons of versions to choose from, but my go-to has always been the Hollyland line of products. What makes these particularly special is how easily they integrate with both cameras and phones, and their noise-cancelling feature comes in clutch in areas with a lot of background noise.
I’ve used these on racetracks, here at home, and at several car conferences over the years, and have never had a problem with overpowering background noise. They also come in an AirPods-style charging case, which not only fits in your back pocket, but also ensures you never have to deal with a dead mic while you’re out filming.
If you’re looking to set up a more permanent place to record, I’ve always defaulted to the Audio-Technica AT2020. To use a condenser microphone like this, you’ll also need an audio interface with phantom power to connect it to your computer. I use the M-Audio M-Track to accomplish both of these requirements and have had mine for over four years now. While it doesn’t have as many features as some higher-priced options, the M-Audio M-Track is more than enough for what I need, and it’s usually less than $50.
Layer in quality video
Good audio is awesome, but it really doesn’t mean much if you don’t have some solid video to go along with it. Just like with audio tech, it’s easy to overcomplicate your setup and add extra work that you really don’t need as a solo creator.
Under most circumstances, the best tool to have on hand is your phone camera. If you have an iPhone or Android from the past 5-7 years, it'll have an HD camera you can use to film high-quality video without breaking the bank.
Let’s use my iPhone 15 as an example. If you go up to the top-right corner of your camera app settings, you’ll usually see this little “HD” and “30”, which determines your resolution and frame rate for the video you’re recording. I film in either 4K 30fps or 4K 60fps so I can maximize every bit of my phone’s capabilities.
Normally, you won’t need more than HD (1080p) and 30fps to film good video. For more stunning visuals, you can go all the way up to 4K and 60fps, which is comparable to what you’d get from a DSLR or stationary camera. The downside is that the video files will be much larger and will take up more of your phone’s internal storage.
Needing adequate storage space is why one of your best friends in your content creation journey is a reliable external hard drive for your videos and audio. I highly recommend something like the Samsung T7 or the SanDisk Extreme Pro, both of which give you ample storage to create folders and organize any creative concepts you’re working on.
If you’re doing any streaming or stationary recording, I recommend the Logitech C920x HD. I’ve used this camera for everything from Instagram reels to Zoom calls, and with its included LogiTune software, you can dial in your color and framing settings before you shoot. As an all-around quality camera, it really doesn’t get much better than this, especially for less than $70.
If you want to level up even more and have a bit more budget to work with, take a look at the Osbot Tiny 2 Lite 4K Webcam. This one gives you more functionality, including 4K/60fps capability and gesture control, while also supporting horizontal, portrait, and even mirrored aspect ratios.
Add lighting for balance and style
One of the most under-appreciated elements of content creation is good lighting. A good lighting setup can pay massive dividends on your visual quality and adds a whole lot to your video setup.
I’m personally a massive fan of the Govee line of products because of their many options and adjustment settings. I run all my lights off of Govee’s app from my iPad or phone, which allows me to change my lighting setup on the fly, even in the middle of a recording session.
The Govee Floor Lamp is one of the most flexible and dynamic options that you can add to your studio space. With more than 80 customizable presets and adjustable brightness from 2200K to 6500K, this light gives you more than enough options to change the entire vibe of your videos and living space. It also doubles as an effective key light for your main source of on-camera illumination.
This also pairs beautifully with one of my favorite lighting devices of all time, the Govee Glide Wall Lights. These are everywhere in my studio, and for good reason: Not only do they integrate perfectly with other Govee products, but they also make for amazing backlights in a video setup. You can dial them in as much or as little as you want, and Govee’s app gives you more than 64 presets to find your perfect balance.
Another great addition that I highly recommend is a cheap sun lamp to balance out your ambient lighting in low-light areas. Since I’m in a basement, there’s not much natural light to work with. So to combat that downside, a lamp helps replicate the natural ambience of a sunlit room and looks much better on camera. My personal favorite is the LASTAR Sun Lamp, as it gives you dynamic brightness and various color temperature options.
Get the gear, then start getting creative
No matter what you decide to use when creating your own home studio, always remember that your studio should be a reflection of the content you want to create. Look at content creators you like and see what they’re using to improve the quality of their videos.
As a motorsport and car nerd, all of my recording zones have elements of racing and car culture to emphasize the specialty that I bring to the table. Whether it’s LEGO, car models, or vintage signs, my goal was to create a space that would reinforce the topics I care about in a subtle yet effective manner. So have fun with it, and use these basics to transform your living, recording, or creating space into something you’re truly proud of.
This Apartment in an 18th-Century Swiss Farmhouse Is Aspiringly Cozy
Sep. 18th, 2025 12:00 pmapartmenttherapyla_feed
Despite being built in the 18th century, this rental apartment feels fresh thanks to clean lines, art, light, plants, and vibrant statement pieces.
READ MORE...
10 Craftsman Design Elements That Make This Vintage Style Work
Sep. 18th, 2025 11:30 am
HomeGoods Is Selling These $90 Designer Candles for Just $10
Sep. 18th, 2025 11:15 am
This Smart Bathroom Organizer Is a Towel Storage Gem, and It’s Only $27
Sep. 18th, 2025 11:00 am
IKEA Is Selling This Jewelry Storage Gem for Just $20
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Assorted things and stuff
Sep. 18th, 2025 06:00 pmoursinDept of, inventing the city: Fake History: Some notes on London's bogus past. (NB - isn't Nancy murdered on the steps of a bridge in the 1948 movie of Oliver Twist? or do I misremember.) (And as for the Charing Cross thing, that is the ongoing 'London remaking itself and having layers', surely?)
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Dept of, smutty puns, classical division: Yet More on Ancient Greek Dildos:
Nelson, in my opinion, has made a solid argument for his conclusions that, while “olisbos” was one of many ancient Greek euphemisms for a dildo, this was not its primary meaning, nor was it the primary term for the sex toy. Rather, this impression has been given by an accident of historiography.
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Dept of, not silently suffering for centuries: The 17th-century woman who wrote about surviving domestic abuse.
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Dept of, another story involving literacy (and ill-health): Child hospital care dates from 18th Century - study:
"Almost certainly she was taught to read and write while she was an inpatient."
He suspects just as part of the infirmary's remit was to get its adult patients back to work, by teaching children to read and write it would increase their employment opportunities.
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Dept of, I approve the intention but cringe at certain of the suggestions: How To Raise a Reader in an Age of Digital Distraction:
Active engagement is crucial. This doesn’t mean turning every book into an interactive multimedia experience. Rather, it means ensuring that children are mentally participating in the reading process rather than passively consuming. With toddlers, this might mean encouraging them to point to pictures, make sound effects, or predict what comes next. With older children, it involves asking questions that go beyond basic comprehension: “What do you think motivates this character?” “How would the story change if it were set in our neighborhood?”
Let's not? There's a point where that become intrusive.
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Dept of, not enough ugh: Sephora workers on the rise of chaotic child shoppers: ‘She looked 10 years old and her skin was burning’
The phenomenon of “Sephora kids” – a catch-all phrase for the intense attachment between preteen children, high-end beauty stores and the expensive, sometimes harsh, products that are sold within them – is now well established.... The trend is driven by skincare content produced by beauty influencers – many of whom are tweens and teens themselves.... skincare routines posted by teens and tweens on TikTok contained an average of 11 potentially irritating active ingredients per routine, which risked causing acute reactions and triggering lifelong allergies.