Lifehacker

The Ghosts in the Sky Home Screen [Featured Home Screen]

Whitson Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:00:00 PST

Reader Jeremy Smith shares his simple, straightforward, but very good-looking Nine Inch Nails themed Android setup, with just a few transparent widgets and a slim lock screen. More »

Remains of the Day: Smartphones to Outnumber Humans? [For What It's Worth]

Dusty Wright — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:00 PST

Smartphones may outnumber humans by the end of 2012, MITx opens its maiden prototype course for enrollment, and Time Warner Cable is now viewable on your desktop. Photo remixed from hfng (Shutterstock) More »

Power Up Your Buddy List with These Awesome Pidgin Plugins [Pidgin]

Whitson Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:30:00 PST

Pidgin is our favorite instant messaging application for Windows, not only for all its great built-in feature, but for all the features you can add to it via plugins. It comes with a few built-in, but there are a ton of others out there if you know where to find them. Here are our favorites. More »

2SendTab Easily Moves Your Browser Tabs To and From Your Android Device [Android Downloads]

Adam Dachis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:00:00 PST

Android: Previously mentioned browser tab-migrating SendTab now has an unofficial Android app, allowing you to easily send tabs from Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to your Android device and back again. While Android and Chrome users have Chrome to Phone, SendTab's service doesn't lock you into one browser or device and makes it easy to go between all your devices with just a few clicks or taps. More »

Daily App Deals: Get Air Media Center for iOS for Free in Today’s App Deals [Deals]

Jeremy Hoag — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:30:00 PST

The Daily App Deals post is a round-up of the best app discounts of the day, as well as some notable mentions for ones that are on sale. More »

Got a Question? Send It In to Get An Answer on the Lifehacker Show [The Show]

Adam Dachis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:15:00 PST

We're hard at work with new episodes of the Lifehacker show, but we need your help! If you've got questions, send them our way and we might just answer them on the show. More »

Most Popular Movie Recommendation Service: Rotten Tomatoes [Hive Five Followup]

Alan Henry — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:15:00 PST

Before you head out this evening for a night on the town with a special someone, or sink into your couch alone to watch a movie, you probably want to make sure what you plan to see will actually be entertaining and enjoyable. Thankfully, there are plenty of movie recommendation and review sites designed to help you make sure you love the movies you watch. Earlier in the week, we asked you which sites you used when you wanted to find and read up on new movies that you'd like to see, and then we took at look at the top five move recommendation services based on your nominations. Now it's time to highlight the winner. More »

What to Do When Your Hackintosh Won't Boot [Video]

Adam Dachis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:00:00 PST

While building a hackintosh is run of the best ways to get an inexpensive, super fast Mac, it comes with its own set of challenges. Sometimes your machine simply won't boot and it get be particularly frustrating. Seasoned hackintosher StingRay demonstrates what to do when you're flooded with kernel panics. More »

Use Wet Ice Cubes to Prevent Soda from Fizzing Over [Drinks]

Whitson Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:30:00 PST

If you're prone to spilling your soda because it fizzes over, reader rks1157 has a simple tip: make sure your ice is wet first. More »

Use a Comb to Keep a Nail Steady for Hammering [Clever Uses]

Melanie Pinola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:00:00 PST

The next time you need to hammer a nail, protect your fingers with a cheap plastic comb. The tines of the comb should keep the nail tight and steady enough for you, according to Real Simple. More »

Fitness Buddy Is a Comprehensive Exercise Planner, Tracker, and Instructor for Your Smartphone [Downloads]

Adam Dachis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:30:00 PST

Android and iPhone: We've looked at how to turn your Android or iPhone into a personal trainer, but Fitness Buddy is an app that covers most of your basis in one sweep. It not only provides instructions for over 1700 exercises, but also plans and tracks your workouts, weight and body metrics, and blood pressure. More »

What We Use: Alan Henry’s Favorite Gear and Productivity Tips [What We Use]

Alan Henry — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:00:00 PST

This week we're sharing the hardware, software, tips, and tricks, that keep our blogging wheels spinning. Today, I'm running through my favorite gear, gadgets, apps, devices, and tricks to stay productive when I'm on, and to have fun when I'm off. More »

Ask and Answer Questions About Home Automation [Help Yourself]

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:30:00 PST

Every day we're on the lookout for ways to make your work easier and your life better, but Lifehacker readers are smart, insightful folks with all kinds of expertise to share, and we want to give everyone regular access to that exceptional hive mind. Help Yourself is a daily thread where readers can ask and answer questions about tech, productivity, life hacks, and whatever else you need help with. More »

Keep Your Relationship Strong with a Shared To-Do List [Relationships]

Melanie Pinola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:00:00 PST

Here's a great relationship hack that emphasizes partnership and thoughtfulness (cornerstones of a lasting relationship)—and also helps get those pesky chores done. The Parent Hacks blog suggests busy couples work off the same to-do list. More »

The Best Wallpaper Manager for Windows [Windows App Directory]

Whitson Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:30:00 PST

Windows' built-in wallpaper switcher is okay, but not spectacular. If you'd like to beef up your rotating wallpaper, John's Background Switcher gives you tons of options for doing so, and at no cost. More »

How to Make Your Special Someone a Last-Minute App-as-Valentine's-Day-Card [Video]

Adam Pash — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:15:00 PST

All the foremost St. Valentine experts say buying greeting cards is so 2011, so this year, how about making your special someone an app-as-V-day card. It's quick and dirty, but has all the earmarks of "I made this especially for you!" Let's do this thing. More »

What's the Difference Between Different Television Screen Types (and Why Should I Care)? [Ask Lifehacker]

Adam Dachis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

Dear Lifehacker,
I'm planning on buying a new television but I'm not sure what kind to get. I understand the difference in features, but I don't know the benefits and downsides of different screen types. When should I buy Plasma instead of LCD? And what's the advantage of OLED? I'm just not sure of the right type of panel for me, or if I should even care. More »

Drag 1Password Logins to The Bookmarks Bar for Instant One-Click Logins [1password]

Melanie Pinola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:30:00 PST

If you use desktop password manager app 1Password, this hidden shortcut may make you feel incredibly warm and happy inside: Drag a login from 1Password to your browser's bookmark bar and you've now got a single-click bookmark login. More »

Figure Out Which Oils to Use for Your Cooking Needs with The Cooking Oil Comparison Chart [Cooking]

Melanie Pinola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:00:00 PST

There are so many cooking oils to choose from—some supposedly healthier than others, some better for cooking at high heat and others better used as dressings—that knowing which oils to use and when can be confusing. This chart tells you at a glance what you need to know about cooking oils. More »

Grab a Free DVD Rental, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, and More Valentine's Day Freebies Here [Free]

Melanie Pinola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:30:00 PST

Valentine's Day may be a largely commercial holiday but that doesn't mean you can't snag some free stuff or deals too today. Savvy deal hunters on the Slick Deals site have compiled a number of Valentines Day 2012 freebies. More »

Browser Speed Tests: Chrome 17, Firefox 10, Internet Explorer 9, and Opera 11.61 [Browser Speed Tests]

Whitson Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PST

Chrome 17 is out with a new prerendering feature designed to make your pages load faster, and both Firefox and Opera have also released speedy new versions since our last round of speed tests. So, we've once again pitted the four most popular web browsers against each other in a battle of startup times, tab loading times, and more, with more surprising results. More »

Sign Up for Daily Deals in Your Vacation Destination to Save Money and Find Places to Visit [Travel]

Thorin Klosowski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:30:00 PST

If you're using a daily deals website like Groupon or Living Social, reddit user heycheero has a clever suggestion to make use of those deals when you're on vacation: change your city or start a new account in the city where you'll be vacationing. More »

Cut the Visual Clutter from Word and Make It Easier and Faster to Use [Microsoft Word]

Thorin Klosowski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:00:00 PST

One of the biggest problems with Microsoft Word is the ridiculous amount of toolbars, ribbons, and options that take up screen real estate when you're trying to work. It's enough to drive most people away from Word, but if you're stuck with it and want a simplified experience, Apple blog TUAW has a guide to creating a minimal workspace in Word. More »

Music Smasher Searches for Tracks on Rdio, Spotify, Grooveshark, and More [Music Discovery]

Thorin Klosowski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:30:00 PST

With all of the different music streaming services it's often difficult to find what you're looking for quickly. Music Smash partially solves this problem by giving you a simple way to search Rdio, Spotify, Grooveshark, Soundcloud, Mog, and Bandcamp. More »

Automate Your Most Annoying Errands with These Tools [Chores]

Thorin Klosowski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:00:00 PST

Errands are never an enjoyable task and they almost always seem to take longer than they should. If you'd rather spend your time being productive or just goofing off, here's how you can reclaim your free time by offloading your most annoying errands to specialized services. More »

Use a Cheese Grater to Handle Solid Sugar Easily and Safely [Cooking]

Alan Henry — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

Solid sugar blocks and chunks can be delicious, and often can be used anywhere you need regular sugar in a recipe. Handling them, however, can be difficult. Depending on the size of the sugar chunk, some recipes call for a hammer, other people try to hack away a piece with a knife. Turns out all you really need is a simple box grater to get the perfect amount of sugar for your dish. More »

Skip the Optional Extras at the Mechanic to Save Money on Regular Car Maintenance [Saving Money]

Alan Henry — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 PST

It's one thing if your mechanic tells you that there's a problem that needs to be fixed on your vehicle when you take it in for an oil change, it's another thing when they give you a high-pressure sales pitch to get a pricey transmission flush or want to charge you $30 to get your air filter changed. You can save a lot of money by skipping the pricey, optional extras when you go in for regular maintenance, and pay attention to your vehicle's maintenance schedule and history instead. More »

Multiple Windows Media Player Gives You As Many Player Windows As You Want [Windows Downloads]

Alan Henry — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:30:00 PST

Windows: There are plenty of great media players out there for Windows, but if Windows Media Player is your favorite, you already know that by default you can only have one player window open at a time. Multiple Windows Media Player is a freeware utility that tweaks the Windows Media Player executable so you can have as many player windows open playing video, music, photos, or slideshows as you choose. More »

A Few Creative Solutions for Your Takeout Chopstick Surplus Problem [Clever Uses]

Adam Dachis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:00:00 PST

I like chopsticks when I'm eating out with friends and want to look like a superstar, but when it comes to takeout in my own home I just get the food into my mouth as quickly and efficiently as possible. This has led to a surplus of takeout chopsticks that, after nearly four years, have become unruly in my utensil drawer. I asked the internet what to do about it, and found that there were actually some pretty clever uses. Here are the best. More »

From the Tips Box: Amazon Discounts, Word Pronunciation, and Facebook Photos [From The Tips Box]

Whitson Gordon — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:00:00 PST

Readers offer their best tips for getting better prices on Amazon, learning how to pronounce difficult words, and viewing Facebook photos in the old photo viewer. More »

Remains of the Day: Microsoft Store India is Hacked [For What It's Worth]

Dusty Wright — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:00:00 PST

Evil Shadow Team hacks Microsoft Store India over the weekend, Mozilla confirms that a Windows 8 Metro Firefox release will see the light of day in 2012, and Google (temporarily) stops providing prepaid Google Wallet cards for use on smartphones. Photo remixed from Kheng Guan Toh (Shutterstock) More »

VLC 2.0 Release Candidate Brings a New Mac Interface, iOS and Android Versions On the Way [Video]

Whitson Gordon — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:30:00 PST

VLC, our favorite video player for the Mac (and a great player for both Windows and Linux), is releasing a big new version soon, for which you can grab the release candidate right now. It comes with a completely overhauled interface on OS X, with a more iTunes-like library view, not to mention support for Blu-Ray rips and native full screen in Lion. The Windows version won't see as many obvious changes, though it will have a 64-bit version once version 2.0 reaches stable status. Both iOS and Android should see official VLC releases as well, once 2.0 comes around. If you're a Mac user and want to try out the shiny new version (or if you're using another OS and just want to see what's changed under the hood), click here to download the release candidate for your platform and check out the full changelog here. Note that you can't update to the new version with the RC; you'll have to install it separately. [via 9to5Mac] More »

Remove Ugly Scratches from Dinnerware with Bar Keeper's Friend [Kitchen Hacks]

Adam Dachis — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:00:00 PST

After many uses you'll find marks in your dinnerware, making it look old and worn down (you know, because it is). Rejuvenating an old plate, bowl, or whatever else turns out to be pretty simple. Apartment Therapy's discovered that you can easily get the scratches out with Bar Keeper's Friend. More »

Daily App Deals: Get Tapatalk Forum App for Android for Only 99¢ in Today's App Deals [Deals]

Jeremy Hoag — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:30:00 PST

The Daily App Deals post is a round-up of the best app discounts of the day, as well as some notable mentions for ones that are on sale. More »

The Space Station Workspace [Featured Workspace]

Adam Dachis — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:00 PST

Although it's obviously not actually in outer space, this gently lit workspace by Flickr user skorpion24 utilizes imagery to set the theme. But what makes this setup particularly nice is the arrangement of self-made shelves with plants, books, and gadgets in organized coexistence. In addition to the shelves, skorpion24 also made the desk. According to the original post, he's happy to offer up details if you contact him on Flickr if you'd like to make something similar. This is just another example of the additional control you get over the look of your workspace when you take the time to do things yourself. More »

Salary Negotiations: Don't be Tough, be Honest [Salary Negotiations]

Jeff Northrop — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:30:00 PST

Unless you were born with a peculiar penchant for arguing over your livelihood, salary negotiations are stressful and difficult. We're often told that these negotiations require an iron constitution and a willingness to play the "game", but if that approach has never worked for you, guest writer Jeff Northrop offers an alternative that works for him: Be honest. More »

"Job quitters are the happiest people around", and How to Deal with Soulless Careerists [Quotables]

Adam Pash — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:00:00 PST

Last Friday The Awl's Choire Sicha keyed a post of career advice for young people, but whether you're young or not, the post's full of relatable, head-nod moments. More »

Get to Know Multibeast, Your Hackintosh's Best Friend [Video]

Adam Dachis — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:30:00 PST

We give you a basic overview of Multibeast—the handy hackintosh post-installation tool by tonymacx86 and MacMan—in our always up-to-date guide to building a hackintosh, but just enough to give you the basics. In the video above, hackintosher StingRay walks you through every little detail of MultiBeast so you can get to know one of the most vital tools for the process. More »