Lifehacker

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.

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.

The WoodTones Desktop [Featured Desktop]

The How-To Geek — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:00 PDT

Reader karmat's desktop adds wood paneling to almost everything on the desktop, including a very nice Firefox configuration that combines a slick, dark skin with a wood panel persona.

The desktop is a combination of:

Wallpaper - Abandon Otis by OtisBee

WindowBlind - GarageBanded by ^mrrste

ObjectDock Icons - Parquet Iconset by speg84

Cursor - Stargate SG1 by Aroche

Yahoo Widget - widescapeWeather by Robert Wunsch

Firefox 3.5 Skin - Ruler Dark

Firefox Persona - MWoods by roloz78

Personas Extension for Firefox

SJOGRO Rocks Rainmeter skin by sjogro

NoxxNotes Rainmeter skin by ~albinozz

Great job, karmat!

This desktop not your style? Why waste time complaining? Instead, get started creating your own killer desktop with the easy-install Enigma 2.0 package and show the world what you can do. If you get stuck and need some help, join up with the Lifehacker Desktop Customization Google Group to collaborate on new ideas for desktop configurations.

Once you've created your own beautifully tweaked (and hopefully productive) desktop, post it over in the Lifehacker Desktop Show and Tell Flickr Group complete with a description of the programs and tweaks you used (and preferably links as well!), and we just might feature it here.

Get Patriotic in This Week's Open Thread [Open Thread]

Adam Pash — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:15:00 PDT

Grab your favorite red-, white-, or blue-colored beverage and step inside for a little gabbing in this week's open thread.

Photo by thirtyninepercent.

That's right, it's your weekly opportunity to do some serious conversing with your fellow Lifehacker readers, and any topic under the sun is fair game. All you need is a comment account to join in the fun, and if you don't already have one, getting one is easy. Happy Fourth, and happy Friday!

Watch Fewer Food Ads for Less Couch Snacking [Diet Hacks]

Kevin Purdy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:30:00 PDT

You're smart enough to know that take-out pizza doesn't look as good as on TV. Same with the chips, the candy bars, and ice cream. But your stomach might disagree, and lead you to eat more when you're channel surfing.

As anyone who's watched television for 10 minutes knows, junk food is everywhere. Children and adults alike, according to a recent Yale University study, eat when they're not hungry when gloriously bad-for-you foods are displayed:

One test found that children aged 7 to 11 who watched a half-hour cartoon that included food commercials ate 45 percent more snack food while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon with non-food commercials.

... In another experiment, adults who saw TV ads for unhealthy foods ate much more than those who saw ads that featured messages about good nutrition or healthy food.

How does one fight "automatic eating?" Being sure to skip the commercials—TiVo forwarding or walking away for a minute should do the trick. If snacking is something you're doing because you actually get hungry at TV time, try eating one substantial snack instead of lots of little bits, or switching to nuts, yogurt, or other high protein/low calorie snacks.

Not convinced skipping the commercials can fight the snacking urge? Got a better way to keep away from cravings? Tell us your trick in the comments.

Best Online Image Editor? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:30:00 PDT

Desktop image editors are great, but we're not always at our home workstations. Thankfully there are quite a few capable and feature-rich image editors to be found online. Let's hear it for web-based editing!

Photo by dogbomb.

Earlier this year we asked you to share your favorite desktop image editors. This week we want to hear about your favorite online editing tools. Where do you go when you're away from your home terminal and looking to edit some pictures? To qualify for this Hive Five the tool you suggest has to be entirely web based. If it requires any sort of local installation or administrative privileges, this isn't the time to nominate it.

Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Online Image Editing Tool. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.

About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Hive Five Best Free System Restore Tools.

Maximize Your Coach Seat Without Upgrading [Holidays]

Azadeh Ensha — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Most air travelers can't afford the comforts that come with a first class or business ticket, but just because you fly coach doesn't mean you can't maximize your flying enjoyment. Travel site Condé Nast Traveler shows us how.

Photo by Robert Scoble.

Apart from taking advantage of your seat's personal TV and AC power ports (where available), the article also details how best to snag an extra seat by focusing your search on middle seats. (As we've previously mentioned, you can also score some extra leg-room by booking with low-fare carriers.)

Middle seats tend to be filled starting from the front of the aircraft and moving toward the rear—which means that if your flight isn't full, you're likely to get an empty seat next to you if you request an aisle seat in the center section in the back.

If you happen to be flying solo this holiday weekend or in the future, you can also up your comfort level by selecting carriers with the fewest number of middle seats. 767s, for example, only have one middle seat per row, which lessens the odds that you'll get stuck between two people.

If you want to get really specific, we'd suggest trying something like previously mentioned SeatGuru to help you find the best available seat in coach. Whatever you decide, the article advises to always book a ticket with a seat assignment. If you do your bidding online and seat options aren't available at the time of purchase, pick up a phone and reserve one through the airline. You can always try to change it at a later date, but it's important to go in with something.

Check out the full post for more ways to make coach comfortable, and feel free to chime in with your own non-alcohol-related tips to get through a flight. Or, if you prefer to upgrade, hit up our previous post on how to get to first-class.

Remains of the Day: How Private Is Your Browser History Edition [For What It's Worth]

Adam Pash — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:00:00 PDT

Firefox 3.5 downloads skyrocket, Bing captures an impressive share of search in its first month, and your browser history may be less private than you thought.

Web2.0collage
You may be surprised to find out just how much a web site can find out about your browsing habits. [via Download Squad]
Firefox 3.5 gets 5 million downloads, 2.4% market share in day 1
After just a day, Firefox 3.5's real-time download stats showed 5 million downloads. As of right now, it's already at 8.8 million and counting. [Mozilla Links]
Microsoft's Bing search wins share from Google
It's still no competition for Google (for now, at least), but Bing's debut month was impressive. [Reuters]
Microsoft to offer Family Pack for Windows 7 Home Premium
Microsoft plans to offer a family pack for Windows 7 Home Premium users with up the three computers. No details on pricing. [ZDNet]
Facebook Simplifies Privacy Settings, Calls Them Too Complex
The popular social networking site is testing different privacy settings in an attempt to improve users' ability to tweak their privacy settings. [PC World]
New Blog Search tools: Feeds, Hot Queries and Latest Posts
Google improves their blog search engine. This editor uses it occasionally for work-related research, but I can't help but wonder if anyone else does. [Official Google Blog]

Fold a Map Like a Pro for Easy Access [Travel Tip]

Adam Pash — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:00 PDT

Sure you could hide your maps on the edge of your notebooks, but if you want access to full maps but don't want to look like the tourist wrestling with an unwieldy map, then you need to learn some advanced map-folding techniques.

Web site Map Reading highlights two different map-folding methods that should improve your map cred; we like the protection method best. Not only does it provide you with a very small, easy to peruse map, but, as Merlin Mann points out at 43 Folders, it's also a smart way to make a 16-page mini-notebook from a sheet of printer paper.

Are you a master of the map? Let's hear your best methods in the comments.

Make a DIY Document Holder With A Single Binder Clip [DIY]

Rosa Golijan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:30:00 PDT

When we highlighted our favorite alternate uses for binder clips, it not only brought out the office supply lovers in the crowd, but neat new ideas as well.

Reader lina_zav wrote in to tell us how she keeps her to-do lists in easy view with a quick binder clip hack. A single binder clip and some silly putty is all you need to make this simple document holder. The gadget will stick to any upright surface and easily holds your to-do lists, recipes, or notes. Just stick the silly putty (or maybe some homemade playdough) on the flat end of a binder clip and you're done. This holder could be perfect for holding notes that you're copying on top of your monitor or on the side of your desk.

How do you keep notes, to-do lists, and other documents in easy view? Have your own document holder hacks? Tell us in the comments.

RunPee Bathroom Break Tool Releases iPhone App [Downloads]

Azadeh Ensha — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:00:00 PDT

iPhone/iPod Touch only: 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.

Built on the same premise as the website, RunPee's iPhone app tells you the most opportune times to head out for a bathroom break (e.g., @ 35 mins.). Like the site, RunPee Mobile also lets you know how long each "PeeTime" lasts, and what happened while you were away.

The application also has a built-in timer (which you can start at the beginning of the movie) that will keep track of all RunPee times so you can decide whether to go then or, well, hold it until the next designated break time. It will also tell you which movies have extra scenes after the credits.

The creators are also working on more features that will be rolling out "every few weeks," including a friendly vibrate reminder to alert you a few minutes before a RunPee time.

RunPee Mobile's iPhone application is compatible with the iPhone (O.S. 2.2.1 or later) and iPod Touch, and costs 99 cents.

Keep Firefox Open When Closing the Last Tab [Firefox Tip]

The How-To Geek — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 PDT

The new Firefox 3.5 release brought a lot of great features, but one annoyance sent reader Mark looking for a solution: When you close the last tab, the browser closes instead of opening a blank tab.

Changing the behavior back to the way it used to work is very simple: just type about:config into the address bar and find the browser.tabs.closeWindowWithLastTab entry in the list—using the filter makes it easy. Once you've found that key, double-click on it to change the value from true to false, and Firefox should no longer close when you close the last tab.

For more, check out the top 10 Firefox 3.5 features, learn how to install it on Ubuntu with a single command, or get your extensions working even if they haven't been upgraded yet. Thanks, Mark!

We've already talked about all the great new features, but does anything in the latest release annoy you? Tell us in the comments, and maybe one of your fellow readers will have a solution.

Tidy Office in a Tiny Closet [Featured Workspace]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PDT

Most closets are just the right size to stash a workstation away in and offer one very enticing feature: the ability to shutter your desk away at a moments notice.

Lifehacker reader splitlog wanted to increase the available floorspace in his room. Where best to stash a big desk? In the closet of course. He still has room above the desk on the shelves to stash some clothing but the rest of the closet is a dedicated workspace.

The whole project cost next to nothing, besides a small basic/tray from Home Depot that was turned upside down and mounted behind the crosspiece running underneath the desk. It was a bit tricky assembling the desk inside of the closet, but the result is very effective. I keep a small chair in the bedroom that hides away neatly in the corner. The only downside is the loss of a closet, but there are shelves mounted above the pictures that I keep baskets with pants/clothes in.

For a completely stealth workspace, you could substitute the regular office chair with a kneeling chair that could be slid under the desk when not in use. Check out the additional pictures below for a closer look at his workspace:

This isn't the first workspace we've featured that resides in a closet. If you're entertaining the idea of turning a closet into a workspace you'll definitely want to check out Mac in a Box and Behind the Khaki Curtain.

If you have a workspace of your own to show off throw the pictures on your Flickr account and add it to the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool. Include some details about your setup and why it works for you, and you just might see it featured on the front page of Lifehacker.

Evernote Comes Out on Top [Faceoff Followup]

Adam Pash — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:30:00 PDT

We recently asked you to choose between popular note-taking applications Evernote and OneNote, and when the dust settled and smoke cleared, the free, cross-platform Evernote emerged victorious. Its margin of victory was slim-ish, though, ousting Microsoft's OneNote by around 10 percent. Check out the full showdown and reasons for reader choices here.

Open a New Command Prompt from Explorer with a Hotkey [Autohotkey]

The How-To Geek — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PDT

Reader Kevin used his ubergeeky AutoHotkey scripting skills to create a hotkey that opens a command prompt window at the same location as the folder you are browsing in Windows Explorer.

To use the script, you simply hit the Ctrl+Alt+H shortcut key sequence while looking at a folder in Windows Explorer and a new command prompt window will open, already set to the same working directory. We've already covered how to open a command prompt window from the context menu, but this method is even simpler.

To create this hotkey for yourself, create a new AutoHotkey script or add the following to your existing script:

#IfWinActive ahk_class CabinetWClass ; for use in explorer. ^!h:: ClipSaved := ClipboardAll Send !d Sleep 10 Send ^c Run, cmd /K "cd `"%clipboard%`"" Clipboard := ClipSaved ClipSaved = return #IfWinActive

Once you've added, saved, and launched the script, you should be able to start using the hotkey immediately. Thanks, Kevin!

For more Windows shortcut goodness, check out how to make Win+E open the folder of your choice, learn how to use Caps Lock for hand-friendly navigation, and see how Taskbar Overlord tweaks the Windows 7 taskbar. Brand new to AutoHotKey and its time-saving ways? Peek at our beginner's guide to learn how to add this script, or write your own.

G2Peer Shares Your Files Through Gmail [Downloads]

Adam Pash — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:30:00 PDT

Windows only: Free application g2Peer shares files with friends by using your Gmail account as a virtual "IP address."

Once installed, you need to log into g2Peer with your Gmail account information. Then it's as easy as adding Gmail addresses of people you wish to share with and the folders and files you want them to see. Likewise, other users can install g2Peer if they wish to allow you access to their files as well.

If you can't install g2Peer on a computer but you still want access to your shared files, the application also features command line-esque tools that allow you to access files directly from your Gmail account—using email subject lines for the commands. For example, sending an email to your specified Gmail account with either ?_list or ?_download in the subject line have special meaning to g2Peer. Using ?_list will send you back an email listing all the files that are being shared with you. Using ?_download and adding the names of the files you wish to download to the body of the message will send you the files you wish to download via email, along with instructions on how to download/open them. It's a little geeky, but also fairly cool.

g2Peer is freeware for Windows only.

Gadget and Gear Deals of the Day [Dealhacker]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:00:00 PDT

Laptops, wide screen monitors, cheap web cams, and camcorders are just some of the deals you'll find in today's deal roundup. No need for techie gear? Fine. You can have the free coffee and music.

YouTube Uploads Doubled to 2GB, HD Embeds and Linking Added [YouTube]

Azadeh Ensha — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:35:00 PDT

If you upload videos to YouTube and feel restricted by the 1GB limit, YouTube now offers 2GB of wiggle room as well as the ability to directly link to and embed high definition video.

To share a link that points directly to the HD version of a video, tack on "&hd=1" to the end of the URL. To embed a high-def video on a website or blog, click the 'customize' button (located to the right of the embed box), then check 'play in HD'. YouTube recommends embedding HD videos at 853x505 for "maximum enjoyment". My customize field had yet to show the "play in HD" option, but the feature should roll out to all users soon.

And while you're YouTubing, be sure to browse our top 10 YouTube hacks for other ways to enhance your streaming experience.

Add Recycle Bin and More to My Computer [Windows Tip]

The How-To Geek — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 PDT

The Tweaking with Vishal web site writes up a quick registry hack that adds Recycle Bin, Network Connections, Admin Tools, or even Search to your My Computer window.

The process works by adding a single key to the registry for each icon you want to add to the My Computer window. To add the Recycle Bin, open up the Registry Editor and browse down to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace

Once you are there, create a new key named {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} underneath, and the Recycle Bin will instantly show up in your My Computer window—or you can hit the F5 key to refresh if necessary.

Hit the link for the full walk-through, including how to add Network Connections, Administrative Tools, Search, Printers, and more. For another quick way to access commonly used Windows functions, check out how to create your own custom Control Panel, and then change the Win+E shortcut key to open that instead of My Computer.

Firefox 3.5 Portable Available for Download [Downloads]

Adam Pash — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:35:00 PDT

Windows only: 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.

This portable version comes to us from the reliable folks at PortableApps.com, makers of the popular, previously mentioned Portable Apps Suite, and brings all the goodies of Firefox 3.5 to your thumb drive. You may still need to perform a little about:config tweaking to get your extensions working with Firefox 3.5, but apart from that the portable version looks like it's ready to go.

Google Update No Longer Runs in Background [Updates]

Kevin Purdy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Good news for users of Google Chrome, Picasa, and other Google desktop apps on Windows systems: Google Update, previously a background new version checker that was mighty hard to kill off, runs as a scheduled task, either when your system is idle or every so many hours. Better still, if you no longer use Google apps at all, it uninstalls itself. [via Google Operating System]

Zoho Projects Keeps Teams Focused and In Touch [Project Management]

Kevin Purdy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:00 PDT

Online office suite Zoho enters the project management realm with a few attention-getting features. One is import support for Microsoft Project files, and another is a consolidate, real-time view of what's going on with, and between, project members.

Tasks, milestones, documents, meeting coordinators, and report generation are all there, as one would hope for in any project management package. But being an online suite, Zoho's Projects 2.0 provides a "Project Stream" that shows a condensed view of all the latest project activity, group chat rooms and forums for back-and-forth discussions, wikis and live document collaboration, and a tabbed interface that seems pretty navigable for anyone.

All in all, it expands on Zoho's strengths and further separates the suite from its Google Docs competition. Here's Zoho Projects 2.0 in video action:

Zoho Projects requires a sign-up to use, and states that it's free for unlimited numbers of users.

Illustrated Chart Makes Coffee Drinks Easy [Coffee]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:45:00 PDT

Whether you've got a fancy new espresso machine at home or you just want to get a better idea of how drinks are prepared at your local coffee shop, this handy chart can help.

Designer Lokesh Dhakar wanted a visual way to represent the composition of different styles of espresso preparations:

I‘m new to the world of fancy coffee drinks. With the vast number of ordering options and new words with accented characters to pronounce the coffee shop ordering experience can be intimidating. I've created a few small illustrations to help myself and others wrap their head around some of the small differences.

Scouring various sources to get the low down on espresso drinks he put together a handy visual chart showing everything from straight espresso through the multi-ingredient caffé mocha, seen in the picture here. The entire chart is available at the link below and features nine espresso-based drinks. If you have your own nifty coffee-centric resources to share, sound off in the comments below.

Bookmaplet Maps Addresses Without Leaving Page [Bookmarklets]

Kevin Purdy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:10:00 PDT

Bookmaplet does a really simple thing well. Power browser users (Ubiquity fans, for example) can quickly copy, paste, and map an address, but a simple bookmarklet allows you to highlight an address on a web page, hit the bookmark, and see the location in a Google Maps window that pops in without leaving the page you're on. Know a similar on-page mapper that works as well? Tell us in the comments. [via ResourceShelf]

Install Firefox 3.5 on Ubuntu with One Command [Linux]

Kevin Purdy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:30:00 PDT

Because it needs to be approved, customized, and otherwise vetted by the maintainers of Ubuntu Linux's repositories, the just-released Firefox 3.5 isn't officially available on that system. With one terminal command, though, open-sourcers can grab and install a working copy.

If you're hungry to give the latest Mozilla browser a go, here's the command you can paste into your standard terminal (with Ctrl+Shift+V, remember):

wget -O - http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/3.5/linux-i686/en-US/firefox-3.5.tar.bz2 | tar xj -C ~

As the Kabatology blog points out, however, you'll want to back up your existing Firefox profile, disable compatibility checks for rare extensions you don't want to lose access to, and create a new launching point for Firefox 3.5, as Firefox 3.0.11 will remain on your system until Ubuntu's official repositories update. All that is explained at the link below.

If you are trying out 3.5 on your Ubuntu system, tell us how it runs or what bugs you've come across in the comments.

gdgt Tracks Discussions Around Your Gadgets [Webapps]

Kevin Purdy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:30:00 PDT

New data-geeky gadget site gdgt (pronounced either G-D-G-T or just "gadget") doesn't deliver giant pictures with the latest news on brand-new devices. It tracks what gadgets you had, have, and want, and filters tips, gripes, and discussions around them.

After signing up, you'll want to dig around the gadget finder or text search for the computers, digital cameras, gaming systems, cellphones, and other devices that you own. Hit "Add to list" below the main gadget pic, say whether you had, have, or want it, then read on to find general discussions, tips and hacks for using it, and see price comparisons if you're looking to buy or sell.

You might end up with a profile stuffed with gadgets, depending on how far you go in registering your gear. Don't see your gadget listed? Add it yourself and submit for review. There are, of course, plenty of social opportunities for sharing, embedding, discussing, and otherwise geeking out about the stuff you love (or secretly hate). Veronica Belmont details signing up and using the site in the video below:

The site was founded by Ryan Block and Peter Rojas, alumni of gadget sites Gizmodo and Engadget, and they claim that many more features are on their way. Though it launched yesterday, gdgt spent most of the daylight hours struggling under a traffic crunch, but looks to be moving smoothly this morning. Tracking gadgets and contributing requires a free account sign-up.

Google Voice Is Cool, But Do You Need It? [Phones]

Kevin Purdy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:00:00 PDT

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.

We're not going to explain every feature, quirk, and option in the Google Voice service, which is slowly giving out invites to those who request them. We've already taken a first look at Google Voice, and Google Voice's own Getting Started guide does a nice job explaining the service's ins and outs. We're looking to answer the question we seem to hear most often from commenters, friends, tech pundits, and just about everyone: What would I get out of it?

The wild card: number portability

If the rumors prove true, Google will, at some point this year, allow you to "port," or at least integrate, your existing cell phone number with its service, requiring none of the millions of phone numbers the search giant is supposedly securing. That would eliminate three of the service's biggest barriers to entry:

Having to call Google Voice, and then dial a number, to place a call "with" your Google number, so it shows up on caller ID as such
Having to store and reply to a separate SMS number for each of your contacts so that, again, your Google number shows up
The time and hassle of getting your contacts to call you at your new Google Voice number, despite the fact that your old numbers still "work"

If number portability/integration became a fact, we'd likely have to adjust this list of might likes/might nots, but for the time being, we're hoping to answer a few questions based on tests of the service in its invite-only phase.

You might like Google Voice if you:

Regularly use two or more phones: If you've heard about one feature of Google Voice, or its GrandCentral predecessor, this is it—and for good reason. Google excels at giving you one phone number for others to have, then letting you fine-tune which phones that number rings to an OCD level. If you want your wife to ring through to your work line between 9am and 5pm, but not your chatty, unemployed friend, you can do that. If you want your home landline to ring along with your cell during the hours your carrier charges for minutes, you can do that, too.
Loathe standard voicemail: "Please enter your passcode, followed by the pound sign!" "You have ... two ... new messages. To hear your"—You know what we're talking about. Using cell minutes and precious time just to hear your friend say "Try you again later" is almost as annoying as trying to wipe the voicemail icon off your phone screen. Google Voice makes it easy to play voicemail audio and read semi-correct transcriptions from a single web page, and it's a good bet it'll be integrated into Gmail for even easier access. When you're away from your browser, Google Voice sends voicemail notifications through email or text message, making it easy to know that you really don't need to step outside and call your sister back just to confirm you prefer Diet Dr. Pepper to Diet Coke.
Enjoy text messaging, but not phone keyboards (and fees): For anyone whose friends chide them about short or nonexistent text message replies, this is a game-changing feature. When sent to your Google Voice number, text messages are organized on the Google Voice site like chat conversations, with back-and-forth dialogue and options to reply or mark as read and archive. Writing a new message is also easy—hit "M" or click the SMS button, start typing a name or phone number, then choose the contact and type away. You'll still be charged for texts you receive on your phone, but it can be a real money saver when you're near your plan's limit for the month. Those with iPhones, Android handsets, or other smartphones can also make use of Google Voice messaging on the go with apps like the previously mentioned GV (Android) and GV Mobile (iPhone).
Want better filters on who reaches you, and when: Google Voice has four levels of annoyance resistance available to weary phone hostages. You can activate "Call Presentation" to have every unknown caller say their name to Google's servers, which then call you and ask if you want to take the call. If the annoyance is someone you know, you move them into a particular group (like "Annoyances") and make that group always go to voicemail. If they sometimes call about something important, Google Voice's ListenIn features lets you send them to voicemail, but hear what they're saying and pick up, if necessary. If you absolutely can't get a telemarketer or semi-stalker to take the hint, the video at left explains how you can simply have them hear something that sounds like an old-school disconnect notice.
Are down with Skype-like VOIP calling: Want to make calls over a computer-connected headset and not pay a dime for them? Google Voice allows you to add a phone number from the Gizmo Project and control when it rings through. Make a call through Google Voice's web interface, set it to ring your Gizmo number when it's connected, and the other party just sees your standard Google Voice number—you're effectively making an outbound call for free that Skype and the like would charge you for.
Make a lot of international calls: We haven't done a price comparison, but Google Voice's rates to international landlines and mobile numbers are said to be competitive, and you can call from your own phones without having to hunt down the right calling card.
Record calls regularly (and legally): Just hit the number 4 during a call and Google's robotic queen announces "Call recording on." Right now, it only works with incoming calls, but the finished recording is ready for playing, downloading, or embedding in your Google Voice inbox in a matter of minutes. It's how I recorded my Jonathan Coulton phone interview for later transcribing and audio clip pulling.
Have or want an Android phone: iPhones, BlackBerries, Symbian-based models, and Windows Mobile devices will likely get Google-built apps for integrating Google Voice into their dialing, voicemail, and SMS interfaces. But Android phones already have an impressive third-party app for doing so, Evan Charlton's GV, and would be a pretty good bet on being the first, or at least among the first, platforms to get the Google Voice team's attention. Fully integrated Google Voice means free, conversation-threaded SMS, fewer hassles with your one-and-a-half phone numbers, voicemails that don't require talk time, and much more.

You won't like Google Voice if you:

Rarely use your cellphone and/or text messages: Unless you're that rare breed of VOIP headset lover who doesn't ever talk on a cellphone, there's not a lot to recommend Google Voice to landline-focused folks. Your office's phone system offers (hopefully) most of Voice's features, and residential internet phone providers can fill in the other gaps. It could be a help to those who absolutely won't type out a text on a phone—but, then again, so can email.
Think Google knows too much about you: There's something to be said for breaking Google's personal data monopoly, and the tinfoil hat crowd have a whole new set of worries with Google Voice—your voicemails, calling history, and text messages are, after all, right on Google's servers, for who knows how long. It's not all that different from Gmail—Google breaking one user's trust could collapse the whole system—but it is something to think about.
Dislike Google's Contacts handling: Google Voice uses the same contacts database, so if its auto-inclusion of names you've emailed a few times drives you batty, well, you'll get the same results from Voice's Click2Call auto-completion. Only the names you've stored phone numbers for show up on Voice's dial feature, but we'd like to see a way to set a "primary" number that's the default when you're typing out a name.
Get annoyed at voice delays: Early Google Voice users (myself included) are noticing an audio delay on certain calls. Sometimes it's ever so slight, like a wonky cell phone connection. Sometimes you and the other party are toppling over the ends of each other's sentences. Google is certainly aware of it, but since it's a service that inserts a server as the middleman between parties, there might be an inevitable bit of latency on Google Voice calls, as there is with most international calls. If you've ever switched carriers because of voice quality or connection problems, you might find a new antagonist in Google Voice.
Really don't want to write another "New number" email: As noted above, Google's rumored to be working on offering number portability/integration for Voice. In the meantime, Voice users have to ask their friends, acquaintances, and business contacts to save a new number, figure out how to deal with the stragglers, and, in all honesty, hope the service isn't abandoned by Google anytime soon. If you live and die by your availability and can't stand the idea of being late to return even one call, switching numbers just won't fly. Everyone else has to make the call.

What's the reason you've really dug Google Voice so far, or really want to get in? What features does it still lack, and where does it fall down on convenience? We want to hear your take on this still young service in the comments.

Remains of the Day: Experimental Morning Routines Edition [For What It's Worth]

Kevin Purdy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:00:00 PDT

Google's Toolbar gets on-the-fly translation powers, Usenet file traders get a bit of warning, and a whole morning gets compressed into five crazy minutes.

How to get up, eat breakfast and get ready for work in 5 mins!
You could, theoretically, pick up a few tips, like the collar button safety pin pull, from this clip of a crazy Japanese variety show (are there any other kinds?). Really, though, we just enjoy items that help us define the outer limits of efficiency. (Thanks for the tip, Jackson!) [YouTube via Doobybrain.com]
RIAA triumphs in Usenet copyright case | Digital Media
Judge finds that Usenet.com, which provides access to the greater Usenet network, definitely isn't a Betamax-type copyright exception, and that the site destroyed evidence and interfered with the case. That's not exactly great news for other Usenet/newsgroup providers. [CNET]
VirtualBox 3.0
The final version of the beta we checked out solidifies the support for Direct3D and OpenGL in virtual systems (that means games and graphics-heavy apps), along with a whole host of bug fixes and code tweaks. [VirtualBox]
Do 0.8.2 Released
The best is yet to come for this smart little Linux app launcher/dock, as support for "docklets" indicates future Gmail checkers, weather indicators, and other tiny apps for GNOME-Do's "Docky" mode. [Peng.u.i.n]
Google Toolbar's Improved Web Page Translation
The newest Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer detects non-native languages on whatever page you're looking at and offers to translate it, on the fly. That's really useful for webapps, search results, or other pages you couldn't paste into a web translation tool. [Google Operating System]

How to Buy Your Own Health Insurance [Health]

Azadeh Ensha — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:00:00 PDT

If you're freelancing, between jobs, or otherwise without long-term health insurance, The Wall Street Journal offers some tips on how to buy health insurance on your own without getting ripped off.

Photo by cutglassdecanter.

The first step is getting to know all your options, the Journal writes, and one way to do so is by logging on to web-based brokerages that sell health insurance to secure tentative quotes. You often don't have to do more than provide limited, anonymous information about yourself to get a ballpark sense for how much a certain plan will cost. The Journal also advises factoring in other costs beyond premiums, such as related doctor visit charges as well as any annual out-of-pocket maximum fees and benefit limits.

If you're considering working with an agent (which they strongly recommended for first-time purchasers), make sure you know how they'll be compensated.

Agents get commissions from insurers for each policy they sell, often calculated as a percentage of a customer's premiums. These can range from around 3% to as high as 20%, agents and insurance officials say. You want to know if your agent will make more money from selling you a certain plan. Also, commissions can be higher in the first year of a policy, an incentive for unscrupulous agents to "churn" clients, or try to get them to switch policies.

Hit up the full post for other health insurance buying tips. If you've purchased health insurance on your own, let us know about your experience in the comments below. For those who can't afford insurance, browse our related post on staying healthy without it.

The Essentials of Email Etiquette [Netiquette]

Azadeh Ensha — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:00 PDT

Those accidental reply-alls and empty subject fields in your inbox tell the truth—too many people still don't know the basics of proper email etiquette. Here are eleven rules to forward on or follow.

Photo by half empty.

Career writer Marci Alboher touches on a few areas where your email manners might need tweaking. Our own email training impulses align with the importance of descriptive subject lines, and more people should avoid the impulse to have the last word. According to Marci, "there is usually no reason to cap off a long exchange with 'thank you' (and certainly, 'you're welcome')." There tends to exist a natural end point in conversations, so let it end there.

The article also suggests senders should ask whether someone prefers documents to be sent as attachments or pasted in the body of the message before sending. If back-and-forth editing of text is required, try using shared collaboration tools, something like previously mentioned webapp Show Document, in lieu of updating and sending attachments between or among parties.

Take a look at the full post for the entire rundown of email tips, then come back and tell us about your email dos and don'ts. What simple steps could your friends and co-workers take to improve their emailing? Do you have any absolute email don'ts? Share your thoughts below.

GFI Backup is an Easy to Use, Free Backup Solution [Downloads]

The How-To Geek — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:00:00 PDT

Windows only: Backup and Synchronization utility GFI Backup is an easy to use, full-featured package for keeping your collections of files safe and secure.

Using the software is easy, with a wizard-based setup for new backup tasks and lots of options to choose from. GFI Backup can do AES encryption, incremental or differential backups, notifications, or file synchronization—and it can backup your data to local folders, FTP, network, or even removable flash drives, making it worth a look for anybody seeking a free but powerful backup solution.

GFI Backup is a free download for Windows, email registration required to download. For more, check out our five best Windows backup tools, our five best file syncing tools, or just check out previously mentioned DropBox for instant file-syncing anywhere.

Amplify Your Speakerphone with a Cereal Bowl [Cellphones]

Rosa Golijan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:30:00 PDT

Sometimes the volume on your cellphone's speaker just isn't loud or clear enough. What can you do without a soldering iron or third-party add-on? Turn a breakfast utensil into a makeshift amplifier.

Photo by tracyshaun

Frank writes about a trick he and his wife use to help on weekend family calls:

[We] place our cell phone in a cereal bowl for greater speakerphone amplification. Aiming the speaker at the bottom of the bowl reflects the sounds up the sides and out with a significantly greater "punch" than without. Likewise, the microphone seems to pick up our voices much more effectively, as well.

Just be sure the bowl's devoid of moisture; otherwise, you may need to raid the litterbox supplies to save your phone.

Do you have a favorite speakerphone hack? Another way of making a call audible to everyone? Tell us about it in the comments. Thanks, Frank!

Use the Scroll Wheel to Zip Through Your Browser History [Firefox Tip]

Jason Fitzpatrick — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PDT

Firefox: Keyboard shortcuts are handy time savers, and when it comes to web browsers, a keyboard/mouse shortcut is even handier. Zip through your history on a web page with this simple shortcut.

Lifehacker reader Raghav, a Firefox completist who previously brought us a middle-click reminder, writes in with a great trick for zooming through your browser history:

It's common knowledge that control-scrolling increases/decreases font size and that alt-scrolling slows down scrolling in firefox, but did you know that shift-scrolling shuffles through your history for that page? Shift + Scroll Up shuffles forward, and Shift + Scroll Down shuffles backwards.

Since you likely already have your hand on the mouse, this shortcut is quite the speedy one. If you have a favorite Firefox shortcut, obvious or otherwise, let's hear about it in the comments below. Thanks Raghav!

InstaClick Opens New Tabs with Right Clicks on Laptops [Downloads]

The How-To Geek — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:00:00 PDT

Firefox only (Win/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension InstaClick makes up for your laptop's lack of a middle mouse button by re-mapping the right-click function to open links in a new tab.

Once the extension is installed, using right-click on any link will open it in a new tab. If you want to see the normal context menu for a link, simply hold down the Shift, Ctrl, or Alt keys while right-clicking on the link. There's no UI, preferences, or anything else—it just works exactly as advertised, and since it only applies when clicking a link, it's not very intrusive. Knowing how nice it can be to open links in a new tab with focus, having a proxy middle-click can be quite a handy tool when you're away from the mouse.

InstaClick is a free download, works wherever Firefox does. It's one of those add-ons that isn't right for everybody, but if you are stuck with a laptop that doesn't have a middle-click button, it's well worth a look. Thanks, emellaich!