Lifehacker

This Week's Top Downloads [Download Roundup]

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:00:00 PST

PaperKarma Stops Junk Mail with a Snap of a Photo (iOS/Android/WP7) iOS/Android/WP7: Nobody likes junk mail, but if you're too lazy to go through and unsubscribe to everything individually, PaperKarma is a new app that only requires you to take a picture of the offending mail to remove yourself from the junk mail database.
Software Data Cable Connects and Transfers Data to Your Android Phone, No Cables Required (Android) If you've ever forgotten a USB cable and need a way to transfer data to your Android phone from your PC (or vice versa), Software Data Cable is a free app for Android that turns your phone into a networked storage device you can browse from your computer, no cables attached.
Elpis is a Lightweight Desktop Client for Pandora (Windows) Sure the default web client for Pandora is nice, but some of us want to have a desktop version to not take up a tab and memory in our browser of choice. The open source desktop client Elpis does a good job of keeping the essential functions of Pandora active while not using as many resources.
Black SMS Encrypts and Decrypts Your Text Messages (iOS) Anyone can pick up your phone and read your text messages. It's also not that difficult for someone to install spy software or for the U.S. government to acquire your messages from your carrier. If you want to keep your text messages private, Black SMS is an app that provides a very simple method for doing so. You simply type in the message, set a password, and send it over to iMessage. The recipient can then use their copy of Black SMS to decrypt the message using the password you set by simply pasting the message into the app and entering the password.
Market Unlocker Makes Location Restricted Market and Amazon Apps Available to Users in Any Country (Android) If you live outside of the United States, you know how difficult it can be to get some of the hottest new apps that are inexplicably US-only, and you know the pain of not being able to use the Amazon App Store at all. Market Unlocker is an Android app for rooted devices that makes your phone look to the Android Market and to the Amazon App Store like a US-based Verizon Wireless phone, so you can browse, buy, and download apps to your heart's content.
Chrome for Android Brings Bookmark Sync and Incognito Browsing to Android (Android) If you've got an Android device running Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), you can now download the beta version of Google's Chrome browser from the Android Market, complete with many of the things we love about Chrome-like bookmark syncing and Incognito mode-but on your mobile device.
Todo.txt Touch for Android Adds Home Screen Widget, Tap to Call Support (Android) Todo.txt, our favorite plain text to-do list manager, has updated its touch-centric Android app to include a home screen widget, recognition for phone numbers and email addresses, and a few other fixes that make it easier to use.
PomodoroPro for iPhone Keeps You On-Task and Productive (iOS) One of the first things you'll need if you want to try the Pomodoro productivity technique is a timer that will count down during the periods you're supposed to be working and alert you when it's time to take a break. PomodoroPro for iOS is a good-looking and elegant Pomodoro timer for the iPhone that will keep you on track and keep you motivated to continue.
Dashlane Securely Manages Passwords, Form info, and Even Purchases For You (and We've Got Invites) (Windows/Mac) There are plenty of services that promise to keep your passwords safe, secure, and synchronized across devices behind a single master password that you can remember, but Dashlane is a new service that does that, audits those passwords for strength, saves your form information for quick entry on new web sites, and even keeps track of the purchases you make with that information so you can see it all in one view-one that's only available to you, not even DashLane employees.
MeetingCalc for iPhone Shows You How Expensive Those Boring Meetings Really Are (iOS) If your office is plagued by lengthy meetings that drag on while everyone has to have their say, MeetingCalc is the mobile app for you. Start the timer, set the hourly rate of everyone in the room combined, and the app will keep a running log of how much the meeting is costing the company in terms of everyone's salary as the minutes tick past.

Use a Pillowcase to Dry Lettuce Without a Salad Spinner [Video]

David Galloway — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:00:00 PST

We want our salad greens to be freshly washed, but we also don't want them to be wet. Most people use a salad spinner to dry their greens after washing, but if you don't have one you can get the same effect by putting your wet lettuce into a clean pillowcase and spinning it around like a centrifuge. More »

Make a Cup of Ginger Tea to Help with Nausea, Sore Throat, and Motion Sickness [Team]

David Galloway — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:00:00 PST

Ginger rhizome is well known to help with upset stomachs—even today many people go for commercial ginger ale when nauseous. To make a more concentrated brew, cut up the ginger rhizome and boil with water to make a spicy tea that can offers even more benefits. More »

Freeze Raw Bacon to Avoid Spoilage [Food Hacks]

David Galloway — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:00:00 PST

Sure, most of us can plow through a pack of bacon in just a few breakfasts, but there are always times when you go out of town for the weekend or just get busy and you've had to throw out spoiled bacon. What a waste! If you know this could happen to you or if you just stock up on six months worth of bacon at a sale consider flash freezing the raw bacon so you only use what you need. More »

Flapcast Organizes and Streams Podcasts in Your Browser [Webapps]

David Galloway — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:00:00 PST

I listen to a lot of podcasts—they're a convenient way to absorb information while driving, working out, or doing tasks that don't require your complete concentration. Flapcast is a webapp that keeps your preferred podcasts in the cloud you can listen to from any computer. More »

DIY Scratch-Off Valentines [Video]

David Galloway — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:00:00 PST

Scratching off lottery tickets can be fun every once in a while, and Instructables user hellobrit shows in the video above that it's simple to bring a scratch off message to your valentine this year. More »

Save Money and Get a Better Drink with the Secret Short Cappuccino at Starbucks [Coffee]

David Galloway — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:00:00 PST

According to news weblog Slate, Starbucks can serve you a better, stronger cappuccino that costs less money; the baristas all know about it, but it's not on any menu. We're talking about the Starbucks short cappuccino, and if you're going to visit the Seattle-based coffee megacorporation you may want to give it a try. More »

Top 10 Downloads That Enhance Windows' Built-In Tools [Video]

Whitson Gordon — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PST

Windows has a ton of great utilities, and while we can't live without some of them, there's a special place in our heart for programs that merely improve Windows, rather than adding new software. Here are our top 10 apps that take Windows' built-in tools and make them better. More »

Store Spaghetti in Pringles Cans [Clever Uses]

David Galloway — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:00:00 PST

If you buy spaghetti, linguine, or other long pastas in bulk it can be difficult to find a good way to store the excess once you open the large package. Tall thin Pringles brand potato chip cans excel at this use. More »

Hack Your Gadgets and Void Your Warranties This Weekend [Weekendhacker]

Adam Dachis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:00:00 PST

There's nothing inherently wrong with a product you buy off the shelf, but there's definitely something awesome about hacking it to make it better. This weekend, throw your warranties aside and bring something new to the things you already own. More »

Remains of the Day: FCC Trying to Fill in Mobile Data Gaps [For What It's Worth]

Jeremy Hoag — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 PST

The FCC releases a map of mobile data dead zones, Anonymous isn't sure if it brought down CIA.gov, and Google hands back the MPAA's Hotfile subpoena. Photo remixed from Pavel Ignatov (Shutterstock) More »

KUM Pencut Is a Travel Pair of Scissors (That Won't Destroy Your Bag) [Stuff We Like]

Whitson Gordon — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:30:00 PST

Scissors are one of those things that you only seem to need when you don't have any around—like when you're travelling, or in your car. The KUM Pencut is a pair of scissors in a pen-sized sheath, so you can have them on hand without risking a hole in your backpack (or worse). More »

Zamzar Converts Images, Documents, and Other Files Directly Over Email [File Conversion]

Whitson Gordon — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 PST

We've long been fans of online file conversion service Zamzar, but today they released a new feature that lets you convert files over email, so you can convert files no matter where you are. More »

Daily App Deals: Get Easy Calendar for iOS for Only 99¢ in Today's App Deals [Deals]

Doug Shipley — Fri, 10 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 »

Pimp Your Facebook: How to Create a Badass Timeline Banner [Video]

Whitson Gordon — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:00:00 PST

Facebook's new, awesome Timeline feature is rolling out to everyone, and a few early adopters have discovered a neat trick where you cut your profile picture out from your cover photo, for a very cool picture-in-picture effect. Here's how to do it. More »

This Week’s Most Popular Posts: February 4-10 [Highlights]

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:30:00 PST

This week we calibrated our computer monitors for a better picture, sped up our computers, made the most of our trips to Costco, and more. Here's a look back.

Turns Out Being Drunk and Sleepy Can Do Wonders for Your Creativity [Creativity]

Adam Pash — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:00:00 PST

Common sense (and your irrational compulsion to, you know, keep your job) says drinking at work—or working when you're groggy—are bad news. But as Wired's Jonah Lehrer points out, recent studies reveal that being sleeping and/or drunk is great for creativity. Here's why: More »

Make a Mirrored Popup Flash Bouncer for Your Camera Out of a Snack Box [DIY]

Adam Dachis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:30:00 PST

We've offered up a number of DIY products to make your flash photography look a bit better, but Flickr user synthetic_meat managed to find another one in a box of candy. He refolded that box, which had a silver lining, to create a mirrored popup flash bouncer for his camera: More »

How the TSA's Newly-Expanded Expedited Travel Program Works (and If You Should Sign Up) [Air Travel]

Adam Dachis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:00 PST

The U.S. Transport Safety Administration (TSA) has been testing a program called TSA Pre✓™ that allows you to supply the TSA with a handful of personal details in exchange for skipping the long lines at security checkpoints. Depending on how you feel about the TSA, this may sound really great or really terrible. Now that the program is expanding the many more airports, we're taking a look at how the program works and whether or not it's worth your time. More »

Ask and Answer Questions About Exercising [Help Yourself]

Fri, 10 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 »

Build a Beautiful Shelving Unit and Desk Out of Pipes [Weekend Project]

Melanie Pinola — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:00:00 PST

This impressive, large shelving unit with built-in desk is something you can make yourself out of plumbing pipes and pine planks for about $200. Morgan Satterfield of The Brick House offers step-by-step directions for creating this massive storage unit. More »

The Best Web Browser for Linux [Linux App Directory]

Whitson Gordon — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:30:00 PST

Linux users have a lot of choice when it comes to web browsers, but Google Chrome still wins out over all the others, for its extensibility, great syncing features, and usability. More »

Is it Okay to Use an HDTV as a Computer Monitor? [Ask Lifehacker]

Thorin Klosowski — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

Dear Lifehacker, More »

Improve Your Writing by Avoiding These Twenty Common Grammar Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes [Writing]

Melanie Pinola — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:30:00 PST

When should you use "who" or "whom"? "Which" or "that"? You don't need to be a grammar geek or a professional writer to want to know. This list of common grammar mistakes can help you strengthen your writing for work and in your personal correspondence. More »

Plan Your Next Road Trip with The Ingenious US Interstates Subway Map [Travel]

Melanie Pinola — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 PST

The U.S. Interstates as a Subway Map infographic is a subway-style map of America's interstate highways, and it's pretty handy for quickly planning a cross-country trip. You can see at a glance how the highways connect and the major cities along the way. More »

Take a Spa Day in This Week's Open Thread [Open Thread]

Adam Pash — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:30:00 PST

Take a deep breath, and relax. Friday's here, and so is this week's open thread. Namaste. More »

Get Cool Camera Effects from Your Phone and Point-and-Shoot Camera Without Apps or Manual Controls [Phtotography]

Le Troll — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PST

Most cameraphones or point-and-shoots don't offer manual control, so you have to rely on the camera's sensors to determine the best combination of aperture, shutter speed, and focus. These sensors aren't the smartest things in the world, though, and if your picture doesn't turn out how you'd like—or if you're just going for something a little more artistic—it's possible to get the photo to turn out exactly as you want by "fooling" the camera. Here's how. More »

Google Wallet Security Vulnerability Requires Little Effort to Access Your Wallet [Video]

Thorin Klosowski — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:55:33 PST

If you use Google Wallet, it turns out a security flaw exists in the settings menu that allows anyone who has your phone to access your funds. The flaw was originally found by a forum member in the XDA Developers forum last December and only requires someone to clear data in the wallet, re-open it, and set it back up to access the funds. No better security options exist to directly secure Google Wallet, but our guide to securing your smartphone will help add an extra layer to your phone's security to at least put a block between a thief and the data in your wallet. [The Smart Phone Champ] More »

Build Up Your Spice Tolerance with These Strategies [Food]

Melanie Pinola — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:30:00 PST

If your mouth feels like it catches fire when you taste even mildly hot foods, don't worry. These tolerance-building tips from Serious Eats may open up a world of new and vibrant flavors for even the biggest spice wimps (like myself). More »

PaperKarma Stops Junk Mail with a Snap of a Photo [Downloads]

Thorin Klosowski — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:00:00 PST

iOS/Android/WP7: Nobody likes junk mail, but if you're too lazy to go through and unsubscribe to everything individually, PaperKarma is a new app that only requires you to take a picture of the offending mail to remove yourself from the junk mail database. More »

Keep Practicing After Perfecting a Task to Boost Efficiency [Body Hacks]

Thorin Klosowski — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:30:00 PST

It's common that once we perfect a task with practice, we tend to stop trying at it. However, a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests that even after learning a task, whether it's tennis or playing music, continued practice leads to more efficient behavior. More »

Stick Tape on Cards in Your Wallet to Make Them Easier to Remove [Clever Uses]

Thorin Klosowski — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:00 PST

Have trouble getting your ID out of your wallet? Or do you have so many discount cards for retailers that you can never find the right one? Reddit user patori suggests making a tab out of a strip of tape to grab cards easily. More »

This Is My Jam Encourages You to Share and Discover Music, One Song at a Time [Music Discovery]

Alan Henry — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

Music sharing service This Is My Jam has been in private beta for a while, but today the service opened its doors to all users. The idea is simple—when you sign up, you pick a song that you're in love with or that's just been in your head, and set it as your jam. Share it with friends, meet other people based on their jams, play them, leave a comment, follow them, and discover new tunes in a simple, fun to use webapp. More »

What Your Doctor Needs to Hear So You Get the Best Possible Care [Health]

Alan Henry — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 PST

Going to the doctor can be a difficult, frightening experience, and too often we avoid telling our doctors the things they need to know for a proper diagnosis or care. Maybe we're too afraid, or we've rationalized away our symptoms as unimportant. Regardless, being an active participant in your health care has never been more important, and I asked a doctor what he wished more of his patients were up-front about when they came to see him. Here's what he said. More »

Software Data Cable Connects and Transfers Data to Your Android Phone, No Cables Required [Android Downloads]

Alan Henry — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:30:00 PST

Android: If you've ever forgotten a USB cable and need a way to transfer data to your Android phone from your PC (or vice versa), Software Data Cable is a free app for Android that turns your phone into a networked storage device you can browse from your computer, no cables attached. More »

Mod Your Coffee Machine to Operate by Remote Control and Start Your Brew Before Getting Out of Bed [Video]

Alan Henry — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:00:00 PST

We talk about coffee a lot at Lifehacker, and most of us are pretty serious about making sure we get at least one cup in the morning. If you're serious about your morning brew—enough that you want to make sure it's on the way as soon as you wake in the morning (and you're a little on the lazy side), this DIY remote-operated coffee machine is the perfect hack for you. More »

Dustpan-as-Funnel Is How MacGyver Would Fill a Bucket [Video]

Whitson Gordon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:00 PST

Filling up a bucket of water is awkward and frustrating when it doesn't fit in your sink. Redditor mrfitzy shows us a genius way to fill it up hassle-free. All you need is a dustpan. More »

Best Movie Recommendation Service? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]

Alan Henry — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:30:00 PST

Valentine's Day is next week, and whether you're forever alone or you're looking for the perfect film to take someone special to see, this week we want to know where you turn for movie suggestions and reviews to help you decide what's worth seeing on the big screen, where you can find indie theaters playing documentaries and special releases, and what you may as well wait for to appear on Netflix and save your money. More »

Remains of the Day: Download a Copy of The Pirate Bay [For What It's Worth]

Jeremy Hoag — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:00:00 PST

The Pirate Bay has lost some weight, the Kinect may be more than a toy, and Evernote Hello gets its first update. More »

Google Is Making a Home Entertainment System, Complete with Streaming Music and Smartphone Remote Control [Google]

Whitson Gordon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:55:00 PST

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google—usually a software creator—is putting together an entertainment system, for which they've designed both the hardware and the software. It would stream music from Google's online store and send it either to wireless speakers or other networked computer, using smartphones or tablets as a remote control. We don't know much else yet, besides the fact that they're aiming for a release later this year. It's a pretty big step for Google, though, who usually only makes the software for such devices—see Android and Google TV, both of which exist on devices manufactured by other companies. This approach is much more Apple-like than we've seen from Google, so it will be interesting to see how this works for them going forward—with any luck, it'll get rid of that horrible fragmentation problem. More »