Lifehacker

Google Maps Improves Real Estate Search [Real Estate]

Adam Pash — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Google Maps first added real estate results to their maps about a year ago, and today they've announced several enhancements to the already impressive location-based real estate search tool.

We've added lots of markers that will show not only the ten most relevant listings with pins on the map, but also show a small circle on every other listing in that area using the search results layer, so you can get a really good idea of the distribution of properties for sale. You can click on each marker and each small circle to get more detailed information about the property.

This feature means you can now conduct a real estate search around a specific neighborhood, or see at a glance all the properties close to a BART stop. You can also pan the map to another area entirely to see listings there if you decide that another part of town is more your speed.

We've featured our 10 favorite real estate search tools in the past, and Google Maps was already on that list, but it's great to see Maps' real estate search getting even better.

Remains of the Day: Three Cheers for Open Source Edition [For What It's Worth]

Adam Pash — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:00:00 PDT

Set up push Gmail for a price, keep your foot out of your mouth, and enjoy an impressive iPhone 3GS time lapse video.

iPhone 3GS Unlocked with Purplera1n + UltraSn0w
If you've got a snazzy, speedy new iPhone 3GS, jailbreaks and unlocks are yours for the taking—though users are reporting mixed results. [Gizmodo]
Apparently iPhone 3GS Time Lapse Footage Can Be Pretty Phenomenal
The new and improved iPhone 3GS camera makes for impressive time lapse videos. [Gizmodo]
Push E-Mail is Here!
Previously mentioned Google Sync can sync your Google Contacts and Calendars over-the-air, but if you're desperate for push Gmail for your mobile phone, Nuevasync can help... for $25/year. [Nuevasync Blog]
The Effects of "Share Alike"
The GPL software license is one we love here at Lifehacker—all of our software is licensed with it—and Gina expounds on its glory at her home-away-from-hacker. [Smarterware]
Why You Can't Keep Your Foot Out of Your Mouth
Wired examines why the harder you try not to say something, the more likely you are to say it. [Wired]
New threat targets DirectShow component via Internet Explorer
An Internet Explorer vulnerability in the wild. [Download Squad]
Since March, Internet Explorer Lost 11.4 Percent Share To Firefox, Safari, And Chrome
IE's market share keeps on dropping. Web developers must be very happy. [TechCrunch]
Sprint Offers a Netbook for Under a Buck. Will AT&T & Verizon follow?
Of course, you have to pay the monthly charge for the built-in EVDO, but that's still pretty saucy. [jkOnTheRun]

Hulu Begins Roll Out of ABC Programming [Television]

Adam Pash — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:30:00 PDT

Today popular video-streaming web site Hulu officially begins streaming content from ABC, starting off the new partnership with episodes of Grey's Anatomy. For now that's all that's available from the partnership, but the site is promising to add other popular ABC shows, like Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, and Lost, over the next few weeks. As more and more TV goes online, dropping your cable bill but still enjoying your favorite shows seems like a very realistic option. [Hulu Blog]

How to Send Back Restaurant Food [Dining]

Azadeh Ensha — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:00:00 PDT

It's never fun to be a squeaky wheel, but whether you've been served an overcooked, undercooked, or just plain wrong dish, there's a proper and improper way to let your waiter know that you're less than satisfied with what's on your plate.

Foodie web site Slashfood lists various scenarios where the problem lies with the restaurant, including times when your meal is the wrong temperature, stale, has a foreign object (think hair) in it, or is not what you ordered. In all these cases, the fault lies squarely with the restaurant, which means that you are entirely within your rights to send the order back (that is to say, you shouldn't receive any complaints or trouble from your waiter).

If you decide to request a replacement, make sure to be specific about what you want changed. This means that before you ask for the waiter or manager, you should already know whether you want the meal to be fixed or cooked entirely from scratch. Or perhaps you want to swap for a new dish? Whatever your desire, first know, then relay it explicitly.

Check out the above video for more specifics on sending back food, then chime in with your own restaurant food-gone-wrong experiences and tips in the comments.

Ask MetaFilter Roundup [Hive Mind]

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:30:00 PDT

Skip Body Mass Index for Health Measurements? [Ask The Readers]

Azadeh Ensha — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:00:00 PDT

Last week we suggested using an acronym (PERF) to monitor your health, and the post inspired a tangential debate on the usefulness of the Body Mass Index as a measure of health. Now NPR discusses why they claim that B.M.I. is bogus.

Photo by Yukari*.

NPR argues that B.M.I., defined by the formula weight in pounds/(height in inches x height in inches) x 703, is "scientifically nonsensical" and "physiologically wrong." They also claim that it "embarrasses the U.S."

NPR isn't the only one to hold an anti-B.M.I. view. In a separate Lifehacker post, reader outerfringe commented that "It all goes back to the debate over the propriety of [B.M.I.] in measuring physical health and fitness. All it is a quotient of weight per height squared—not a -measurement- of pounds or fat," while UnderLok responded with a more blunt "[B.M.I.] is straight up garbage." Other LH readers take a more nuanced view on B.M.I. Reader lordargent, for one, says that "[B.M.I.] is fine, if used for what it was originally intended to be used for. The problem is, people misuse it."

All of this begs the question, where do you stand with respect to B.M.I.? Is it a bogus measure of health or has it gotten a bad rap? Check the NPR post and listen to the segment, then chew the fat below.

Windows 7 ISO Verifier Ensures Your Downloads Are Legit [Downloads]

The How-To Geek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:00:00 PDT

Windows only: The final RTM release of Windows 7 should be released later this month, and blogger and developer Long Zheng has created a small application designed to verify that your download is the real thing.

The idea behind this simple app: Sometimes folks download their Windows images from unofficial sources, and sometimes that means users end up downloading files with nefarious intent instead of the actual disk image they were looking for. This application determines whether or not your download is legit before you try to run it.

To verify your own Windows ISO image files, just drag the disc image over to the Windows 7 ISO Verifier executable, or launch the application and choose the image from the browse dialog. You'll have to wait while the verifier does its thing, and when it's complete you'll either be told that the ISO is valid, and exactly which version it is, or you'll find out that you just wasted many hours downloading something that isn't legit—but at least you can avoid infecting your system with whatever virus some joker attached to the bad image file.

Windows 7 ISO Verifier is a free download for Windows only, and since the verification hashes are requested over the internet you won't have to download it again when the final version comes out. Still haven't upgraded yet? Check out our guide to upgrading to the Windows 7 RC.

Get Google Gears Up and Running in Firefox 3.5 [Downloads]

Adam Pash — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:30:00 PDT

Windows/Mac/Linux: Most developers did a bang-up job preparing their extensions for the Firefox 3.5 update, but on the Firefox 3.5 release day, one very popular extension didn't make the cut: Google's browser plug-in, Gears.

It's a week later, and still no update from the folks at Google, but a few adventurous users have hacked together their own Firefox 3.5 compatible builds of Gears. We wouldn't recommend that just anyone go download and install these Gears builds willy-nilly, but if you're desperate to get Gears back up and running and you don't mind a little risk (namely of your browser's stability), it's worth a go.

For Windows and Linux versions, check out these custom extension builds from this thread on the Gears Users Google Group. Mac users can try gearsff35osx on Google Code.

I've only tested the Windows version and so far everything's working as expected. You're mileage may vary, and as we said, if you're not willing to take on a little beta-style risk (these aren't official builds), you're best off waiting for the official release from Google (which one would assume should be coming very soon). If you give it a try, let's hear how the unofficial builds work for you in the comments. Thanks Matt and Eric!

DropRecord Uploads Your Files to Multiple Hosts [File Sharing]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PDT

Bulk uploading a file you want to share to multiple file hosting services is quite a time saver. DropRecord is a simple way to upload your files to over a dozen hosts.

DropRecord will accept files up to 500MB in size and will upload to over a dozen file hosts including the big players like RapidShare, MegaUpload, and EasyShare. Once you upload your file you're given a unique URL for the file which shows the hosts it was successfully uploaded to and provides quick links to download it from them.

DropRecord sports more hosts than previously reviewed Gazup but you lose the ability to upload selectively to only the hosts you want. Both services offer the ability to transfer files from web sites and FTP sites. If you have a favorite bulk uploading service, share it in the comments below.

Wikipedia Mobile Leaves Beta, Automatically Redirects Your Mobile Browser [Wikipedia]

Azadeh Ensha — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:30:00 PDT

After being in what the company calls "alpha-beta-development-maybe-kind-live mode," user-edited online encyclopedia Wikipedia's mobile site has officially launched, complete with support for iPhone, Kindle, Android, and Palm Pre devices, redirecting these devices to the new mobile page by default.

The mobile site at mobile.wikipedia.org was recently moved to a new server and, so far, around 18,000,000 pages have been served.

From now on, whenever you open a Wikipedia link on any of the above devices, you'll automatically be redirected to the mobile version. To disable default redirects, click the "view this page on main Wikipedia" link. For the moment, the mobile site only fully supports English and German, but other translations are in the works.

Hit up the full post from Wikimedia (the company responsible for the software that runs Wikipedia) for the complete launch details, then let us know what you think about the improvements and how they stack up against other Wikipedia mobile tools like previously mentioned Wikipanion.

Add Open File Location to the XP Context Menu [Windows Tip]

The How-To Geek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PDT

The Tweaking with Vishal web site writes up a quick, but useful, registry hack that adds an "Open File Location" item to the context menu, just like Windows 7 or Vista has already.

Applying the tweak is simple enough—just download, extract, and double-click on the registry hack file to apply the changes to the registry. Once you are done, you'll have a new item on the context menu that you can use to open up the folder that houses the file the shortcut is pointing to. It's a quick and useful trick for quickly accessing files buried deep in some installation directory.

Hit the link for the downloads for Windows XP only, or check out how to add Recycle Bin, Network Connections, or more to your My Computer window, add an option to open Excel documents in a new window, or take a look through our top 10 right-click tools.

Milo Checks Local Stores for Product Availability [Shopping]

Adam Pash — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:30:00 PDT

Ever head to you local chain expecting to buy something very specific, then get to the store only to find the product's not in stock? Web site Milo provides real-time, local product availability searches to help you avoid this problem.

The real-time product availability results pull from stores ranging from Barnes and Nobles and Best Buy to Ikea, Target, and Walmart. The site can filter results based on store, brand, and price, links directly to the product on the store's site, and—in theory, at least—could save you some time next time you're on the hunt for a new purchase. The site's probably most useful for city dwellers who, for example, may have several Best Buys nearby, but it's still a handy tool.

Free OCR Converts Your Scanned Documents to Text [Documents]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:00:00 PDT

Converting a scanned document to editable text is a handy trick that can save you hours of retyping documents. Free OCR converts your documents for free.

To use Free OCR you need to have your document in a PDF, JPG, GIF, TIFF or BMP format. You can upload documents up to 2MB in size which for most small document conversions will be sufficient. We tested the site with the same passage from the introduction of In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Submissions were made in both PDF format and a JPG screenshot of the PDF page we used. Free OCR seems to like PDF files better, the PDF file rendered with fewer errors.

The rate of errors and quirks in the conversion wasn't much higher than commercial OCR software and just like using a commercial solution you'll need to go through and double check to make sure what you see and what the machine sees are the same thing. If you know of other free OCR services, share the wealth in the comments below.

Repel Flies with a Bag of Water [Summer]

Rosa Golijan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:30:00 PDT

We've featured many, many, many different ways to deal with mosquitoes using DIY solutions. But what about the even more common household fly? Turns out all you need to deal with that is a plastic bag or two.

Photo by brookage.

RickyC wrote in to tell us that he recently visited a lakeside restaurant and noticed some clear plastic bags filled with water hanging from the railings. When he inquired about the bags, a waiter explained that they were used to repel flies.

Question-and-answer web site The Straight Dope gives more detail on why this trick works:

Evidently, houseflies, being highly edible and defenseless, are nervous types, and don't like to sit still when they see something moving nearby, because it could be a predator. The water bag acts a bit like a lens—try it some time—in which the movements of people in the area are reflected. Even if the fly is too far from the action to see it directly, it can see a shifting of light and dark in the water bag, which it interprets as nearby movement, and it will fly away from the bag.

So, next time you have a fly problem, grab a few plastic bags, fill 'em up, and let us know how this trick works for you. Likewise, share how you keep unwanted insects out of your backyard—including whether or not you've tried this method before—in the comments.

HideTab is a Boss Key for Your Browser [Downloads]

The How-To Geek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 PDT

Firefox only (Win/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension HideTab minimizes open tabs into an icon on the status bar—and even adds a shortcut key to instantly hide everything.

Installing the extension works a little different than normal—you'll need to download the extension and drag the file into the Add-ons window manually. Once you've restarted your browser, head into the options panel and change the default "Panic page" to use something other than the default, and then you can start hiding tabs through the context menu or using the handy Ctrl+Q shortcut key. To hide all tabs instead of just the current one, use the Alt+Q shortcut key instead, and Ctrl+Alt+Q will restore all hidden tabs, though you can pick and choose from the icon in the status bar.

HideTab is a free download, works wherever Firefox does. For a similar extension that closes all your open tabs instead of just hiding them, check out previously mentioned Panic, or learn how to hide your inappropriate computing with Magic Boss Key.

From the Tips Box: Note-Taking, Foamy Soap, and Your Email Sig [From The Tips Box]

Rosa Golijan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:45:00 PDT

A reader shows off his productivity in an e-mail signature, Evernote and OneNote fans share some great tips, and things get foamy.

Sometimes it's not the e-mail itself that gets our attention, it's the signature. Benjamin wrote in and his e-mail ended with this:

Your email sent to me may not be responded to immediately. During the work week, I will try my best to respond within 24 hours, but will only be checking my inbox a few hours of the day. Thank you for your patience.

Sounds like he's got great control of his workday! Do you have a similar routine or signature?

Another Benjamin wrote in to tell us that Google Voice has a bit of attitude problem when it comes to sending long SMS messages:

If you try to send an SMS message that's more than two 160-character messages, instead of the character count, it says "Really?"

Is this another feature or a warning that Google Voice will go Hal on us?

We suspect that Zedek was on the OneNote side of the battle as he wrote in about his GTD/OneNote trick:

By opening OneNote and right clicking on any Section Tab, Page Tab, or Paragraph you see the option "Copy Hyperlink to this…"

Select this option. Then make a new desktop shortcut with this hyperlink as the path. You now have instant access to the most important information in your One Note Files/GTD system.

I have my GTD project list, "Someday maybe", and my section I use to catch all of random my notes.

If I am working on one specific project frequently, I may have a temporary shortcut to that project's page. If a project has a lot of "next actions" to log, I might have a temporary shortcut to that specific paragraph.

Before you Evernote lovers send me hatemail, here's a neat trick by Kanton:

I came up with a great combo of getting a readable version of a webpage into Evernote with the press of one button (in Windows).

What you'll need:

Evernote
AutoHotKey
A bookmarklet from Readability or Readable App

First thing first is to set up your bookmarklet the way you want it to be dropped into Evernote. Then in Evernote make sure the option for Ctrl + Alt + V paste is enabled. Next is to set up a AutoHotKey script that will map a keyboard key to
render the page in Readability, copy the page, and paste it as a new note into Evernote.

Zach thought up a clever way to save a few bucks, but still get that foaming soap he loves by refilling his dispenser with a mix of regular liquid soap and water:

I experimented by mixing [normal-type liquid hand soap] with water to get right consistency. It seems to be soapy enough, but dispense smoothly at a mixture of around 2 parts soap to 3 parts water. To leave room to swirl the dispenser for mixing it's good to only fill it two thirds of the way to the top. I didn't try vigorous shaking to mix, which I imagined might create a foamy mess. Gentle swirling for a while seemed to be sufficient.

So the process, for ease of refilling:

I'd take a marker and put a line at about 40% of the way from the bottom of the dispenser, then another at about 66.6%. So the water would fill to the lower line, then adding soap would reach the second, leaving enough room to gently swirl the mixture before putting the top back on.

About the Tips Box: Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox (tips at lifehacker.com), but for various reasons—maybe they're a bit too niche, maybe we couldn't find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn't fit it in—the tip didn't make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favorites for your buffet-style consumption.

reQall iPhone App Gets Push Notifications [Updates]

Kevin Purdy — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PDT

iPhone/iPod touch: reQall, the speech-to-text-powered task manager, has updated its free iPhone app to push reminders and tasks to your phone at any time, along with a few welcome features for fans of the memory-jogging service.

Along with the push notification, something we expect to see many other task management apps pick up on, reQall for iPhone 3.0 can show your to-dos on a map and add a location to a task with a tap on the map, instead of demanding a keyboard address entry. Recording a new task with your voice is now as simple as launching the app and raising your device to your ear, when it launches into automatic recording mode. And tasks or reminders with phone numbers, email addresses, or web sites contained in them can be acted on with linked app launchers.

reQall's mobile app is free for iPhone and iPod touch models running the iPhone 3.0 firmware; the service itself offers free and paid plans.

Make an Outlet-Mounted Charge Station from a Shampoo Bottle [DIY]

Kevin Purdy — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:10:00 PDT

Giving your cell phone or iPod a semi-permanent, clever-looking home on your wall doesn't have to cost more than $2. A used shampoo bottle and some basic tools are all that's needed for MAKE's outlet-mounted "charging pocket."

If this specimen looks familiar, that's because it is—we previously pointed to a similar charge station for single gadgets, but that tutorial's been taken down by the author "due to safety issues." That might raise a few eyebrows, but DIY haven MAKE tends to see this project as fairly safe, at least for cell phone chargers with built-in transformers. Your mileage will vary, though, with how firm your sockets hold a plug, and you shouldn't hang anything too heavy in the charger that might pull a plug loose. That said, commenters have suggested using a faceplate screw to better secure the pocket holder and reduce the tension on the plug, and pulling out the plug if you're going for long periods between charges, as most any power "brick" draws phantom power, even when not in direct use.

The design is a bit different than our previous example (and its commercially purchased cousin), as the case hangs from holes drilled for the charger's prongs instead of loosely hanging on top of them. As for cost and convenience, you can pick out any cheap shampoo with a nice look to its plastic bottle, or, if you're already set up with one, pull out the razor and drill and get to work. The tutorial includes a handy printable drill guide for making neat prong holes.

New Folder Wizard Makes Bulk Folder Creation Effortless [Downloads]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:30:00 PDT

Windows only: Creating a folder here and there is all you usually need to do. What if you need to create dozens or even hundreds of folders? New Folder Wizard makes it a snap.

New Folder Wizard is a tiny—158k!—and portable application. You tell New Folder Wizard what you want for a prefix and suffix of your folder naming system, the range of folders you want it to create, and details like whether the naming scheme should include zeros. After that, a simple click of the "Create!" button gets you on your way.

New Folder Wizard can also pull folder names from a text file you point it to, using one name per line and creating a folder accordingly.

If you have a favorite tool for automating a tedious task, we'd love to hear about it in the comments below. New Folder Wizard is freeware, Windows only and requires Microsoft.NET 2.0+.

Your Deleted Social Network Pics Are Probably Still There [Privacy]

Kevin Purdy — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:00:00 PDT

Tech site Ars Technica saw a university study reporting that photos and other images posted by Facebook, MySpace, and other social network users are often left on those services' servers long after the posters hit "delete." They put that finding to the test. Images posted to Flickr and Twitter were immediately gone upon refreshing, but images could still be found on Facebook and MySpace's servers two months later, with both companies saying the issue was one of third-party server response. Anyone who can grab a direct link, in other words, can get at your stuff long after you want it gone. Need some web reputation triage? Break out the web Band-Aids and get to managing your online reputation.

Clean Your Keyboard with a Hair Dryer [Keyboards]

Kevin Purdy — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:30:00 PDT

When you don't have compressed air, clear tape, Post-It notes, or even white paper handy, Inc magazine suggests that a standard hair dryer can remove built-up dirt on and under your keys.

The hair dryer is just one of 10 methods Inc.com suggests, with varying degrees of effectiveness and cost. We're a little wary of the CyberClean and USB vacuum suggestions, being both relatively expensive for what they are and a bit single-purpose. Luckily, the hair dryer, heat on or off, fills in for that little USB gadget, if at a much higher, temporary power cost. Other suggestions, like busting out the isopropyl alcohol or entirely removing your keys for a thorough cleaning, are pretty much spot on.

What's the cleverest way you get at the grime under your keys? Tell us in the comments.

Install Chrome and Chromium for Easy Extension Testing [Tricks]

Kevin Purdy — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:30:00 PDT

Google Chrome is the officially sanctioned browser from Google, but the open-source, alpha-level Chromium project has the cool stuff, like basic Greasemonkey support and extension support. Luckily, it's not hard to install and use both browsers on one system.

As the ReadWriteWeb blog explains, the hard part isn't the actual installation, at least on a Windows system. What might be confusing for a newcomer is actually finding pre-built Chromium installers for your system. They're found at build.chromium.org/buildbot/snapshots, along with the "official" Mac and Linux Chrome alpha tests. Grab a copy of the chromium-rel-xp release for Windows, install it, and then enable extensions in Chromium, explained both at the link below and in our look at early extensions.

Chromium's list of usable extensions is growing at an impressive rate, with social, bookmarking, and even IE8-style accelerators showing up in the latest test builds. If you're all about Chrome and want to get ready for the next big developments in that browser, keeping a self-updating copy of Chromium handy is a good way to go about it.

This Week's Top Downloads [Download Roundup]

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Firefox 3.5 Officially Available for Download (Windows/Mac/Linux)
The final version of the Firefox is starting to show up on Mozilla's web site, and some readers are reporting update notices. Here are a few links and how-tos you should check out before downloading that browser.
Weave Now Syncs Firefox Preferences, Auto-Logins (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Weave, Mozilla's add-on to synchronize bookmarks, passwords, and now preferences and automatic logins across Firefox browsers, updated to a 0.4 beta, just in time for the release of 3.5.
7stacks Does OS X Stacks in Windows 7 Style (Windows)
Application launcher 7stacks adds the Stacks functionality of Mac's OS X to Windows 7, including Aero transparency effects that blend into your taskbar perfectly.
TubeMaster++ Update Makes Grabbing Videos and Music Easier (Windows)
Last year we shared TubeMaster Plus with you, an extremely handy program for downloading videos and music from streaming sites. TubeMaster++ has been released and comes with a slew of new features.
Firefox 3.5 Portable Available for Download (Windows)
Firefox lovers have no doubt already updated to the recently released Firefox 3.5 for its amazing new features, but if you're more the portable type, Firefox 3.5 Portable Edition is officially available for download.
Wireshark 1.2 Includes 64-Bit Support, Mapping Integration (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Popular network analyzer Wireshark threw a lot of useful features into its 1.2 update, giving net traffic watchers OpenStreetMap+GeoIP integration, new capture file support, and other updates.
GFI Backup is an Easy to Use, Free Backup Solution (Windows)
Backup and Synchronization utility GFI Backup is an easy to use, full-featured package for keeping your collections of files safe and secure.
RunPee Bathroom Break Tool Releases iPhone App - iPhone (iPhone/iPod Touch)
Remember previously mentioned RunPee.com, the ingenious website that tells you when to head for a bathroom break during a movie so you don't miss any good parts? The site has released its first mobile version for iPhone users.
CSMenu Brings the Classic Start Menu Back to Windows 7 (Windows)
Application launcher CSMenu makes up for the lack of a classic start menu option in Windows 7 by creating a menu that looks and works just like the ancient Windows 2000 menu did.
Postbox Email Client Gets Add-On Capabilities (Windows/Mac)
Email client and attachment aggregator Postbox shows off its Mozilla roots by adding support for add-ons—many of them out of the Thunderbird community—in its latest beta release.

Turn a Bookshelf into a Secret Passage [Weekend Project]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:00:00 PDT

Who hasn't dreamed of having a mystery-story-style secret passageway? While a trick bookshelf is pretty awesome in itself, this secret passage hides a home office with clever style.

Lifehacker reader agmk and his girlfriend hated the look of their cluttered home office and computer den. It seemed like even when the rest of their place was clean, their home office was always a little bit too messy. In an effort to make it easier to hide the nook that served as their home office they turned some Ikea bookshelves they scored off Craigslist into a pretty awesome office-concealing secret doorway.

Here's some photos of a bookcase-door I built with my girlfriend. It hides the computer area from the rest of the living area, and makes our place feel much classier (when closed). Its built with Ikea bookshelves and common hardware-store components.

We used two Ikea Billy Bookshelves, and built a 'skateboard' out of casters and some pressed board for the moving shelf to sit on. Then hinged them together, laid out some hardwood for it to roll on, and there you have it. The bar we also built, and it's angled so as to make the door flush when closed without any collisions while opening

On top of solving their problem creatively, they did it cheaply and without having to make any lease-violating modifications to their apartment. If you want to see an animation of the door in action click here. For more pictures of the bookshelves and the "skateboard" they built to help the door glide, check out the link below. If the combination of bookcases and secret passages has caught your eye, make sure to check out the other crafty hidden door we've shared with you. Great work agmk!

Learn to Fold a Dress Shirt Effectively [Clothing]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:00:00 PDT

We don't know about you, but we've never successfully returned a dress shirt to the pristine state it arrived from the store in. Then we saw this simple technique for tucking away dress shirts for minimum wrinkling.

Whether hanging space is at a premium or you need to stash your dress shirts in a suitcase, properly folding them cuts down on the space they take up and keeps wrinkles at bay.

We've shown you how fold a t-shirt in two seconds and even how to fold a handkerchief, and thanks to the handy video guide below, you'll be able to fold a dress shirt just as effectively:

Apparently the magic lies in making sure those back folds are just so. If you have your own folding tricks, dress shirt or otherwise, sound off in the comments below.

Ask The Commenters Roundup [Hive Mind]

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:30:00 PDT

Make an All Natural Dryer Ball from Yarn [DIY]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:00:00 PDT

Dryer balls are a popular laundry device designed to fluff clothing and speed drying time. This simple guide will help you make a set of all-natural dryer balls for less cash than the store brands.

Why bother with all natural? Some people don't like the smell left behind by store-bought plastic balls, and others don't like the idea of heating up a ball of plastic around their clothes, no matter how safe the manufacturer says it is.

Household-centric blog CasaSugar explains the making of a completely natural fiber dryer ball out of wool yarn. If you happen to have some wool yarn on hand your dryer balls will cost you nothing at all; if not, you'll need to buy just a few dollars of the stuff. Once sent through the wash and dried to felt its surface, you'll have a dryer ball that will last for thousands of dryer cycles.

We've previously featured another kind of ball that helps dryers, but we're wondering if you have your own hacks for faster, better laundry. If so, sound off in the comments below.

Get Better Customer Service by Being a Better Customer [Customer Service]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:00:00 PDT

One of the easiest ways to get better customer service when dealing with companies is to becomes a better customer, at least in the other side's eyes. It's easy, too, once you've got the basics down.

Photo by striatic.

Being a better customer radically increases the chance that you'll get good customer service, have your problems resolved promptly, and can lead to all sorts of perks, like finding out about discounts, future sales, and other money savers. What's one of the big things you can do to be a better customer, aside from not ranting like a jerk when things don't go your way? Simple documentation, according to the Wise Bread blog:

If a frontline agent isn't doing a service to their company by being rude to you, get their name. Consider recording your calls (be aware of obtaining consent; companies will often say on the line they're recording you for training purposes!). Tagging the emails they send you. And so on. Create a history if you're routinely being wronged.

While the example they give relates to a negative experience, documenting all your interactions is important across the board. I picked a habit of making notes on every customer service call from my mother, one that's simple to follow and pays off time and again.

Every phone call to a company gets at least an index card with the date, time, name of the person I'm talking to, what we talked about, and any additional relevant information. This way, should I need to explain some past event I can say "I spoke with Nick on August 27th, at 2:30, and he applied promotion code 0808PHONE to my account." You're more likely to get help and a resolution to your problem if the customer service rep knows that you know what is going on, and that you've been taking careful notes all along. After all, who doesn't like helping someone who has already demonstrated a willingness to help themselves and listen?

For more ways you can be a better customer and score yourself better customer service, check out the full article at WiseBread. If you have your own tips for being a better customer, getting better customer service, or both, we definitely want to hear about it.

Turn Mini Blinds into Roman Shades [DIY]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PDT

Coveting the look of swanky Roman-style shades but stuck with a mini blind budget? Turn some inexpensive mini blinds into stylish Roman shades with this simple tutorial.

The classic styling of a Roman shade doesn't come cheaply, even when buying low-end shades. Over at the design blog Little Green Notebook, they've put together an excellent tutorial on turning cheap mini blinds into custom shades. With a little ingenuity you can turn a set of $3 plastic mini blinds into a nice window treatment.

Shades can often cost you an arm and a leg (especially custom fabric shades). When my cheap white IKEA shades were safety-recalled, I decided to figure out a way to repurpose the old {ugly} mini blinds that had previously hung in our bedroom windows. The result was better and easier than expected, not to mention even cheaper than the cost of new IKEA shades.

For the project you'll need some mini blinds, fabric to match your room, Fabritac or other fabric glue, tape measure, scissors, and if you want to really jazz it up some trim to finish the bottom edge of your shade. All that stands between you and some new décor-matched shades at a fraction of the retail price is a trip to the store and a little labor. Looking for an even cheaper way to get some privacy? Check out our tutorial on how to increase your privacy with $16 DIY window frosting. If you have your own thrifty window-related hacks, let's hear about them in the comments.

Five Best Online Image Editors [Hive Five]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:00:00 PDT

Editing your images on a desktop image editor might be ideal, but sometimes you're away from your home workstation and need to do some impromptu editing. Check out these five options favored by Lifehacker readers.

Photo by karlfrankowski.

Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite tools for editing images online, independent of any downloaded or portable software.

You responded and we rounded up the top five nominees for best online image editor. All of the editors are free so don't hesitate to jump into any editor that catches your eye and give it a test drive.

Sumo Paint

If you're expecting online image editors to be anemic, you'll be surprised by the extensive features of many of the nominees like Sumo Paint. Sporting a toolbar, image navigator, swatches, and layers, Sumo Paint does more than just crop and rotate images. In addition to having layers, as some other editors do, Sumo Paint has support for blending modes and other advanced layering magic like drop shadow and outer glow. The brushes and ink tools offer a wide variety of shapes and textures. If you like some of the paint-centric features of Sumo Paint, you'll definitely want to check out the Gravity tool, which creates some pretty interesting abstract paint effects. Sumo Paint also supports drag and drop image opening for pictures you have stored in your Sumo Paint account. Sumo Paint doesn't require a login for use, but if you sign up for a free account you can store images online and participate in the Sumo Paint community by submitting your work and ranking the work of others. Photo by Randy Son of Robert.

Adobe Photoshop Express

Photoshop Express is Adobe's offering in the online editing arena. One of the first things you'll notice, and if you're an avid Photoshop user it's sure to elicit at least a chuckle, is that out of all the online image editors in the world, the one that looks the least like Photoshop is the actual legitimate Photoshop offering from Adobe. Nonetheless, the interface is easy to use and covers the basics nicely. One of the best features of Photoshop Express is the film strip view provided along the bottom of the editor when using a variety of the adjustment tools. Instead of just giving you a slider to adjust the saturation, white balance, and other subjective photo tweaks, Photoshop Express displays the changes incrementally, letting you pick your favorite from the gradient of choices. It's much faster for quick tweaks than fiddling with sliders. If you want to use a slider, however they haven't removed the feature; the more granular slider is underneath the pictures, allowing you to fine tune to your heart's content. Under the advanced feature set, you'll find tools like tinting, sketching, and distortion. Adobe Photoshop Express is free but, unlike all the other nominees in the Hive Five, it requires an account for you to use your own photos. If you just want to play around with it, the demo account contains sets of pictures for you to play with. Photo by pasotraspaso.

Pixlr

Pixlr takes a two-prong approach to image editing. When you visit Pixlr, you can opt to use Pixlr Express or Pixlr Editor—seen here—depending on your needs. Pixlr Express is a simple image editor with a right hand toolbar which covers basic tasks like cropping, rotating, applying basic correction filters, and so on. Pixlr Editor looks like a more traditional photo-editing application, complete with a toolbar, menu bar, and even navigator, layers, and history panels. If you're familiar with desktop applications like Photoshop and GIMP, it won't take you very long to find the location of tools like the clone stamp, selection wand, and gradient map. The Pixlr Firefox extension allows you to grab images and screenshots from your browser and send them to Pixlr.

Picnik

Picnik doesn't seek to emulate desktop editors with its simple toolbar design, instead opting to make the most popular tools as high profile and easily accessible as possible. Picnik has no Photoshop-esque sidebars, palettes, or other advanced features in the main editing window. The features it provides, however, are extremely intuitive and easy to use with tool tips that pop up to help you use the various tools. If you want to tweak your photo beyond basic cropping and color correction, you can find over 30 image filters and a variety of tools (like a blemish touch-up wand) under the Create tab. A premium version of Picnik is available for $25 a year and gives you access to more advanced tools, special effects, and other perks like bulk uploading. Photo by jurvetson.

Aviary Phoenix

Aviary Phoenix is an image editor that is part of the Aviary Suite of online editing tools, which—on top of image editing—boasts a vector and filter editor, among other tools. Aviary Phoenix has an advanced interface and plenty of options to help you edit your images, like layers, blending, and magic wand selection. You can use Aviary without signing up for an account, but with an account you can save your creations, collaborate with other users, and otherwise participate in the Aviary community. The Aviary Phoenix Firefox extension, called Talon, adds in an assortment of functionality like screen capture, quick editing of images you find online, and—unique among the Hive Five candidates this week—it adds support for pressure sensitive input devices. The premium version of Aviary Phoenix is available for $25 a year and unlocks advanced features and the ability to save your work to your Aviary account without adding it to the public area of the Aviary community. Photo by tinyfroglet.

Now that you've had a chance to check out—and hopefully play with!—the nominees for best online image editor, it's time to cast your vote in the poll below:

See your favorite in the Hive? Can't believe your favorite didn't make it? Still chuckling that one of the least Photoshop-like offering is from Adobe? Let's hear about it in the comments below.

MP3 Quality Modifier Packs More Music on MP3 Players [Mp3]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:30:00 PDT

Windows only: MP3 Quality Modifier makes it easy to lower the bit rate of your audio files, allowing non-audiophiles to fit more of them onto an MP3 player.

Lossless formats and high bit rate MP3 encoding is great when you have tons of space to spare, but if you have a lower-capacity MP3 player, you might want to trade true fidelity for a wider variety. MP3 Quality Encoder facilitates that trade-off by adjusting the bit rate of MP3 files in bulk, reducing their sizes. While dropping an album from 320Kb/s to 160Kb/s might be an extremely noticeable shift when the song is being cranked out of your high-end home stereo, it's likely the difference will be fairly negligible when you're rumbling along on your subway commute.

MP3 Quality Encoder starts out by asking for a target bit rate mode and rate, along with stereo settings and sample frequency. There are a handful of presets like "high quality" and "portable" for fast, uncomplicated operations.

The application is under 400k and portable, which makes it easy enough to load onto an MP3 player itself and take it with you. MP3 Quality Modifier is freeware, Windows only.

Tips, Projects, and Great Eats for Your Fourth of July Weekend [Summer]

Kevin Purdy — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:00:00 PDT

Whether you're just grilling, picnic lunching or heading out on a wilderness excursion for the holiday weekend, we've got a few recipes, projects, and ideas to run by you, cultivated from years of gathering clever outdoor hacks.

Photo by Nicholas_T.

It's by no means exhaustive or conclusive, but we wanted to provide an overview of some of the most clever or handy stuff we've seen involving nature's wonder and the great outdoors, along with its sometimes unpleasant side effects. Check out what interests you, get inspired for the weekend or a better-planned one, and, please, tell us what you're going to be doing outdoors this weekend, and how you're doing it, in the comments below. In the meantime, click through to the galleries to enjoy some of our favorite tips, projects, and food fun for your time outside this Fourth of July Weekend.

Click through on any of the images below for the full goods.

Lotions, Repellents, and Antidotes

We're talking homemade insect repellent, bug bite relief, and choosing the right sunblock.

Camping and Surviving

Start a fire with your cellphone, build a great campfire, tie killer knots, and more.

Outdoor Projects

Build an outdoor movie theater, a handy beverage barge for poolside fun, and then some with a few fun outdoor DIYs.

Summer Drinks

From better lemonade to beer cocktails to cold soda fast, we can quench that thirst.

Summer Eats

Avoid picnic disasters, grill the perfect burger, get to know your edible outdoor greens, and oh-so-much more.

This Week's Most Popular Posts [Highlights]

Adam Pash — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:00:00 PDT

Fancy tie-tying, Wi-Fi password cracking, Google Voice, and Firefox 3.5 round out this week's most popular posts.

Dress Up Your Ties with the "Merovingian Knot"
The realm of dress tie knots is dominated by a handful of traditional tie knots. Check out this rather unique tie knot and be the first on your block to sport it.
How to Crack a Wi-Fi Network's WEP Password with BackTrack
You already know that if you want to lock down your Wi-Fi network, you should opt for WPA encryption because WEP is easy to crack. But did you know how easy?
Google Voice Is Cool, But Do You Need It?
You've read about the features, you saw the invites going out, but you might be wondering what, exactly, Google Voice could do for you. Here's our guide for the curious and uninvited on whether your phones need some Google juice.
Firefox 3.5 Officially Available for Download
Windows/Mac/Linux: The final version of the Firefox is starting to show up on Mozilla's web site, and some readers are reporting update notices. Here are a few links and how-tos you should check out before downloading that browser.
Top 10 Firefox 3.5 Features
Firefox 3.5 is a pretty substantial update to the popular open-source browser, and it's just around the corner. See what features, fixes, and clever new tools are worth getting excited about in the next big release.
Top 10 Productivity Basics Explained
There's a core set of habits and techniques that filter and color a lot of what we write about at Lifehacker, but we rarely step back to explain them for newcomers.
Five Best Free System Restore Tools
Backing up data is a great way to minimize losses after a computing catastrophe. But what about restoring your actual system right away? Here are the five most popular options for our readers.
Soaking is Key for Perfect Homemade French Fries
You don't need to install a deep fat fryer in your kitchen or apprentice at a burger stand to get homemade French fries worthy of great praise. The key is soaking your sliced potatoes and using the right oil.
Best of the Best: Hive Five Winners, March through June 2009
The year is flying by, and so are our readers' picks for software, hardware, and other tools. Come on in to see the winners of our Hive Five polls for the second quarter of 2009.
3G Speeds Tested & Compared, City by City
As wireless users know all too well, not all 3G networks are created equal. PC World recently put Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T to a multi-city test to determine which best delivers speed and reliability.
Is The Desktop PC Dead?
Desktop sales fell by 23 percent last year across the computer industry. In the U.S., 80 percent of sales went to notebooks. Gizmodo declares the desktop dead, but we're wondering if you see a future for non-mobile systems.

Celebrate the Fourth of July with a New Desktop Wallpaper [Friday Fun]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PDT

If ever there were a holiday that yields colorful and flashy desktop wallpaper, it's definitely the Fourth of July. Celebrate the Fourth on your desktop with these swanky fireworks wallpapers.

If you're not going to be shooting your own stunning Fourth of July pictures this weekend, you might as well take advantage of the great photos other people have taken to properly decorate your computer screen for the holiday.

The following gallery is a collection of Fourth of July-themed wallpaper we plucked from collections across the web. Each photo has an attribution link that'll take you back to the source of the image for your full-size desktop needs. If you know of a stash of Fourth-themed wallpapers online, share the wealth in the comments below!

Photo by esens.

Photo by Joe Penniston.

Photo by twentyeight.

Photo by Tony M..

Photo by Stuck in Customs.

Photo by charness.

Photo by wmliu.

Photo by Jaako.

Photo by Barry Yanowitz.

Photo by brewskizzlr.

Get Ready For Summer With Homemade Sunblock [Summer]

Rosa Golijan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PDT

Choosing the right sunblock is important, but let's say you're more of a DIY type, or maybe your skin is sensitive to many of the common ingredients. The solution is simple: make your own sunblock.

Instructables user scoochmaroo's detailed guide to making your own sunscreen demonstrates the process either completely from scratch or using a store-bought lotion as a base. She goes as far as to include a chart that gives you measurements for the ingredients based on the SPF you're aiming for.

Follow the link for the "recipe," and make your high school science teacher proud by heeding the warnings about wearing gloves and a mask while blending the ingredients (zinc oxide should be on your nose, not in it).

Have you ever tried a homemade sunblock? What do you use to protect yourself from the sun? Let's hear it in the comments.

State of the Airline Industry Chart Compares Airline Service Fees [Saving Money]

Azadeh Ensha — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:30:00 PDT

If you've ever had to change your flight, check additional luggage, or use in-flight Wi-Fi, you know that these services often come with a price. Consumer site BillShrink has created a handy fee comparison chart for eleven carriers.

Though you should always confirm directly with the airline since prices can and do change, the pictured chart is useful if you want to know how much more you'll have to spend on your next trip, and whether—depending on the fee involved—it might be better to book with another carrier.

Check out the full link below for all the details. If you'd prefer to avoid paying fees entirely, browse our previous post on how to master one-bag traveling, then take a look at some other avoidable fees you may still be paying for.

June 2009's Most Popular Posts [[this Is Good]]

Adam Pash — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:15:00 PDT

You may already be celebrating the Fourth, but before you leave June behind for good, here's a quick look back at last month's posts you liked best, including essential Windows and Mac downloads, our Windows vs. Leopard showdown, and more.

Lifehacker Pack 2009: Our List of Essential Free Windows Downloads
We feature downloads of all kinds every day at Lifehacker. Today, however, we're bundling all the best free downloads for new computer owners, re-installers, would-be geeks, or anyone who wants to save time installing the best stuff out there.
Dress Up Your Ties with the "Merovingian Knot"
The realm of dress tie knots is dominated by a handful of traditional tie knots. Check out this rather unique tie knot and be the first on your block to sport it.
Top 10 Firefox 3.5 Features
Firefox 3.5 is a pretty substantial update to the popular open-source browser, and it's just around the corner. See what features, fixes, and clever new tools are worth getting excited about in the next big release.
Windows 7 Versus Mac OS X Leopard: The Feature-by-Feature Showdown
Now that we know Windows 7 will go on sale October 22nd and the feature-complete release candidate is available as a free download, it's time to put it through its paces.
Lifehacker Pack 2009: Our List of Essential Free Mac Downloads
We've featured countless apps of all sorts over the years, but if you just want a quick look at the best free downloads for your Mac, this post's for you.
Upcoming Tech That Will Rock Your World
Major announcements from Google, Microsoft, and Apple in the last few weeks have techies flipping out about the awesomeness coming to our browsers, pockets, and desktops in the very near future.
Five Best Netbooks
If you're thinking about picking up an ultra-portable laptop, this week's Hive Five is a great spot to start your comparison shopping. These are the netbooks most loved by Lifehacker readers.
Top 10 Wallpaper Tools & Tweaks
A good wallpaper provides a pleasant backdrop to productivity. A great wallpaper changes your whole computer experience. See some of the best image sources, software, and usability tweaks we've come across and rolled up for your downloading pleasure.
Best and Worst Fast Food: McDonald's Edition
No matter how well you plan, every day can't be an ultra-healthy, bring-your-own-lunch-to-work day. But just because you're eating at a fast food place doesn't mean all bets are off.
The Starlight Desktop
Reader rykennedyan's desktop combines a beautiful wallpaper with a full set of launchers and tools integrated into a taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
Debunking Traffic Ticket Myths
Virginia traffic attorney Andrew Flusche can't explain everything you need to do to get out of any traffic ticket, but he does want to shoot down some myths your lead-footed friends might try and convince you of.

Take Better Photos: Fourth of July Edition [Photography Tip]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:00:00 PDT

Fireworks displays across the U.S. are set to go off all weekend in celebration of the Fourth of July. Take better photos of both the fireworks and the friends and family you've gathered with.

Photo by mandj98.

We've covered quite a variety of photography tips, tricks, and tools here at Lifehacker. We've even written our own tutorials to help you turn your snapshots into conversation starting photographs. In preparation for the Fourth of July celebrations taking place across the nation, we've rounded up some gems to help you take great pictures this holiday weekend.

First, we can't neglect the fireworks. You might get together with Uncle Benny a couple times a year, but the fireworks displays are a once-a-year, seat-shaking, experience. Check out the guides below to make this Fourth of July the one where you snag the fireworks photos people want to frame. If you only have time to read one, definitely start at the top of the list with our guide to taking awesome fireworks photos. Photo by Julie Berlin.

Get Better Fireworks Photos This Fourth of July [Lifehacker]
Shooting Fireworks with a Digital Camera [New York Institute of Photography]
How to Photograph Fireworks [New York Institute of Photography]
Photographing Fireworks in Your Backyard [New York Institute of Photography]
How-To Photograph Fireworks [Wired]
Photographing fireworks can be tricky business, and though the tutorials and tips above will have you well prepared for the event, you may want to focus instead on pictures of the family and friends you're celebrating with. Read over the following guides to improving your photographs and you'll have more than a few tricks up your sleeve, whether you're a shutterbug or a reluctant subject. Photo by spatulated.
- Family Pictures that Don't Suck [Exposure]
- 10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits [Digital Photography School]
- 10 Top Photography Composition Rules [Amateur Snapper]
- 13 Tips for Improving Outdoor Portraits [Digital Photography School]
- How to Be a Better Photographer When on Vacation [New York Times]
- Take Better Pictures by Treating Your Still Camera Like It's Video [Lifehacker]
- Ten Ways To Look Fabulous in Pictures [Photojojo]
Giving even a handful of the above links a quick read will hopefully provide you all sorts of new tricks to try out this holiday weekend, whether you're shooting fireworks, your energetic nieces and nephews, or taking some artful family portraits while everyone is gathered together. If you have your own resources to share, throw a link into the comments below and share the wealth.

From the Tips Box: Vanity Phone Numbers, iGoogle, and Tortilla Chips [From The Tips Box]

Rosa Golijan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:30:00 PDT

Google Voice caters to your vanity, t-shirts are spared, birthdays remembered, and we keep those restaurant tortilla chips nice and crispy.

Oren, Mark, Jan-David, and Ben wrote in to tell us that the very cool Google Voice now allows you to change your phone number for a one-time fee of $10. Google provides a simple search for those of us who want our own name as part of the number, and they'll keep your old number active for three months so that you can announce the change properly.
Mick wrote a handy tutorial on how to add that missing fourth column in iGoogle.
Bart made a simple yet useful site that helps you remember birthdays by sending you RSS notifications. (Mine's on the 27th of June, mark it down for next year.)
Colin's fiancee told him that his old shirts had to go! But acknowledging how much they mean to him, she wound up framing them and turning them into some neat wall decor. Remember this trick the next time your significant other tries to toss out your old concert t-shirts.
Matt saves web developers headaches by pointing us towards Support Details, a site that makes life simpler "when you ask the client what browser they're using and they say 'Vista.'"
Commenter neely615 says:

Maybe everyone knows this trick, but I inadvertently learned it while staying in a hotel room that had a refrigerator that froze everything I put into it. Turns out if you put that bag of chips you got for take-out from the Mexican restaurant in the freezer, they will still be crispy when you take them out the next day.