Lifehacker

TrueCar Reveals The Best Price for a New Car, Saves You from Haggling with a Dealer [Car Shopping]

Melanie Pinola — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:30:00 PST

TrueCar is a free service that gathers price estimates for cars and tells you what fair prices are for them. Not only that, it helps you get guaranteed price quotes from local dealers, which makes for an easier car-buying experience.

We mentioned TrueCar's helpful car pricing information previously, but the dealer locating and price quotes service is new.

According to Time, the average TrueCar customer reports paying 9.7% less than sticker price—a pretty good deal on a car, and that car dealerships feel threatened by TrueCar.

Keep in mind, you'll still need to watch out for potential dealer tricks once you get in the door with your guaranteed price quote. But at least you can arm yourself with TrueCar pricing when you go in.

TrueCar

Tea and Toys: The Whimsical Workspace [Featured Workspace]

Melanie Pinola — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:00:00 PST

Some workspaces, if you're lucky, give you a glimpse of the owner's personality. With today's featured workspace, you may feel like you've known Flickr user nevermindtheend for years. This minimalist white and pale blue setup is all about comfort and joy.

For example, there's the rack of tea tins and the electric kettle at the ready and playful decorations like Olivia (the pig), a hedgehog letter holder, a Doctor Who Tardis figurine, and assorted Stormtroopers. She uses an exercise ball as a chair, which has some nice benefits. The setup is quirky and infused with personality, yet still clean and neat.

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.

slightly more minimal desk setup | Flickr

Clear Is a Colorful, Clutter-Free Way to Manage Your To-Dos on the iPhone [Video]

Melanie Pinola — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:30:00 PST

iOS: Clear is a minimalist to-do list app with an engaging touch interface: Swipe, pull, and pinch to work with your tasks. Tasks are color-coded in a heat map so you know which are the most pressing.

There are no buttons here. Clear is designed for simplicity, and even the to-do items are limited to just 30 characters, forcing you to make your lists more focused.

Pull down to create a task, swipe to complete it, and pinch to change to a different list. That's it.

If you've been looking for a simpler to-do list app, you can pick up Clear for an introductory price of $0.99.

Clear | iTunes Store

Not Being a Troll Isn't Enough: A Handbook to Being a Model Internet Citizen [Etiquette]

Alan Henry — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PST

The internet gives us all a platform to make our voices heard. That's incredibly powerful, but with that power comes responsibility. That's right, like any citizenship, your internet privileges carry with them responsibilities. "But I'm no troll," you say. That's not enough; there's more to being an upstanding citizen of the internet than just not trolling. Here's how you to embrace the responsibilities of your citizenship and become a model internet citizen.

What Is an Internet Citizen?

Being a citizen of the internet, like being a citizen of any state, nation, or even member of a small group, carries with it rights, privileges, and responsibilities. As a user on the internet, most of us enjoy and cherish our rights of self-expression and the free flow of information provided to us. Still, being a citizen of the internet is just as much responsibility as it is a right. We're not entitled to our daily dose of LOLCats or time-wasting YouTube videos, and just because you have better things to do than troll people on Facebook or post flamebait in the comments of the blogs you read doesn't mean you shouldn't give something back to the very thing you take for granted. Here's how you can help make the internet a better place.

Photo via opensourceway.

Know Your Responsibilities: It's Your Job to Make the Internet a Better Place

The internet gives all of us the power to speak openly, and often under cover of anonymity, but with that power and freedom comes the responsibility to maintain it and make sure that the places we spend time in are the best they can possibly be. Think of it like your civic responsibility: people often say that you have no right to complain about a government unless you exercise your right to vote and change it when you have the opportunity. Real-world political issues aside, the same is true on the internet. There's a lot you can do to make sure the internet stays great:

Contribute to Your Communities. Just like in the physical world, giving back to your community is a surefire way to make sure that the places you spend time are great places—and that they remain that way. Comment on the articles on your favorite blogs, forums, or communities. Engage them. Agreement is always nice and certainly welcome, but constructive and respectful feedback when you disagree is even better. After all, no one gets better when everyone agrees with them, and no one wants to get better when they're surrounded by trolls. Better still is when you bring you own ideas to the table as part of a bigger, broader discussion. We'll get into this a bit more later, but actually participating with your own opinions, alternatives, and perspectives—even when you agree—is the hallmark of a good internet citizen. When you dislike something on the internet, don't force others to separate your hate from your message—be positive and respectful, even when you disagree. When you disagree, make your points known, share your experiences that lead you to your perspective, and offer alternatives. When you agree or appreciate a piece, share your perspective and why you thought the piece was interesting, and even offer up a few ideas for further exploration or study based on your thoughts.
Don't Fall for Negativity. The debate over whether the tone of the web is too negative has been going on since the web was born. Don't get sucked into it, and lead by example. If you're feeling jaded and unhappy with the way the comments on your favorite blog go, or the tone of political discussion on your favorite news sites, the best thing you can do is to adjust your own tone and be the change you want to see. (It may be a self-help cliché, but it's also good advice.) When you're confronted with that negativity directed towards you, well, you know what to do.
Image via XKCD.
Remember: Behind Every Keyboard Is a Person, a Lot Like You. It goes without saying, but the easiest way for the internet to stay a great place—or even become a better place—is for us to remember that before we succumb to keyboard bravery we're dealing with real people, not just letters on a screen. To that end, conduct yourself like you would in real life. It's difficult, and even more difficult when we choose—as is our right in many places—to operate anonymously and privately, but when we do, it's even more important, lest that privacy be taken from us. To that point, try to respect the privacy of others and be forgiving of their mistakes. Not everyone has your experience, your qualifications, or your perspective. Don't be afraid to have your say, forcefully if necessary, but be mindful as well. Corollary: Remember The Golden Rule.
Familiarize Yourself with Communities Before Engaging. We've mentioned how important it is to get involved and contribute, but your contributions will go farther if you're familiar with the community you want to join first. Get to know their rules; in some cases, it can help to lurk long enough to learn the in-group language and informal dos and don'ts. Remember, you're likely contributing in a private place, so before you complain that you're being "censored" or your "freedom of speech" has been violated, remember which of your rights apply where (namely, that the First Amendment only protects public speech, and comments on a blog or Facebook posts are anything but, even if most sites try to offer their users that same freedom. The more you learn, the more likely it'll be that you'll be able to contribute positively when you do start talking.
Give Back the Easy Way. Some of the best ways to contribute and give back to the internet community as a whole are the easiest. Consider licensing your content via Creative Commons, embracing an open linking or citation policy, or making your next development project open source. You may already be working on a project that's easily open sourced, even if it's an endeavor you want to make money from at some point. You encourage people to use, credit, remix, and get involved with your work and your projects, and by doing so you give the community a gift that keeps on giving.
Synthesize and Share Your Own Ideas. We mentioned this when we discussed how to read more conscientiously, but part of reading and absorbing information is using that information to build new ideas. When you're ready to really give back, set up shop and share your own ideas. Get on the other side of the table, and be a content creator instead of a consumer. By doing so, you encourage other creators to keep offering great videos, articles, and other media, and you also have the opportunity to add your own voice and your own ideas to the mix by sharing them with others. You don't have to start a blog to do this, although that's one way. Join a social network, start a Facebook Page, make your Pinterest account public. How you do it is up to you.
Be Aware of and Active On Issues that Pertain to the Internet

FInally, there's one more responsibility that you shouldn't take lightly: make sure you're aware of and active on issues that pertain to the internet. Whether you're campaigning against legislation like SOPA and PIPA, which threaten the internet as we know it, researching ACTA, which many believe is a greater global threat to freedom on the internet than SOPA and PIPA, or you're speaking out in support of privacy advocates and legislation to protect privacy like California's Reader Privacy Act of 2011, it's important to keep your eyes open and stay engaged.

There are plenty of organizations that work to preserve freedom of speech and expression on the internet and advocate for the privacy of its users, and they're eager to add your voice to their chorus. The internet is an always-changing, always-evolving entity. The real question is whether or not those changes are positive or negative from your perspective, and those changes are due to the will of its users, or the influence of organizations that represent specific interests. There are forces at work that spend their days lobbying governments around the world to mold the internet into a platform that suits their interests. Whether or not those interests align with yours is for you to research and decide.

Image via Creative Commons.

This list of rules and guidelines to be a model citizen of the internet is by no means exhaustive, and isn't meant to be. Every community has different rules, every platform has different terms of service, and every citizen has their own rights—both real and perceived. The best thing for you to do if you want to be an upstanding citizen is to educate yourself on what rights you have with the services you use, give back as good as you get, be positive and upbeat, remember that the internet is a series of interconnected computer systems—largely manned by human beings, and get involved to protect the internet that you love and rely on every day.

We've said a lot about how important it is to give back to the communities you love, so what are some of your rules for being a good citizen of the internet? What personal guidelines do you live by when you interact with people on the web, share your opinions, or discuss new ideas? Let's hear them in the comments below.

Sift Out the Crumbs in a Cereal Bag with a Kitchen Strainer for a Better Last Bowl [Clever Uses]

Thorin Klosowski — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:30:00 PST

One of the grossest parts of a bowl of cereal is when you reach the bottom of the bag and your bowl gets filled with sugar and crumbs. Sure, sometimes it's tasty, but more often it makes for a mushy bowl of cereal. Reddit user Airiq suggests filtering those final crumbs with a strainer to keep the last bowl tasting as good as the first.

Some cereal might taste better when coated with crumbs from the bottom of the bag, but others end up tasting gross with all that added sugar and mushy flake dust. The simple act of filtering out those crumbs with a strainer before you pour it in the bowl can save that last bowl from being a waste.

Use a kitchen strainer to sift out dust/crumbs created at the bottom of the cereal bag | reddit

Caffeine Zone 2 Tracks Your Caffeine Usage and Tells You if Another Cup Will Do Any Good [IPhone Downloads]

Thorin Klosowski — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:00:00 PST

iOS: If you spend the bulk of your day downing cup after cup of coffee, you likely know the feeling of taking it one cup too far. You might be nervous or have trouble sleeping later on. Caffeine Zone 2 is an app that allows you to track your caffeine usage so you'll know if that late afternoon cup is doing you more harm than good.

Caffeine Zone 2 was developed by the ACS Lab at Penn State University and uses data collected from a number of studies to help track how long caffeine stays in your bloodstream. All you have to do is let the app know when and how much caffeine you drink each time you grab a new cup and Caffeine Zone maps out the data for you. It then shows a graph of how caffeine affects your alertness level, sleep, and cognitive active zone.

If you try and drink another cup while you're still at your optimal level of awareness, Caffeine Zone 2 gives you a warning that the drink won't do you any good. The data it collects ends up looking like a fitness tracking app, but it's handy to see if that extra cup in the afternoon is having an effect on your sleep habit. It's a free download in the iTunes App Store.

Caffeine Zone 2 | iTunes App Store via ExtremeTech

Improve Your Memory by Using Memory Foraging Strategies [Mind Hacks]

Thorin Klosowski — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:30:00 PST

A new study in Psychological Review suggests that we store our memories in patches and move between them in the same way that bees move between flowers. To improve your memory recall, you need to know when it's best to move from one patch to another.

We've talked about building a memory palace to improve your memory and this strategy takes a similar approach without all the work. Researcher Thomas Hills describes the process:

When faced with a memory task, we focus on specific clusters of information and jump between them like a bird between bushes. For example, when hunting for animals in memory, most people start with a patch of household pets-like dog, cat and hamster. But then as this patch becomes depleted, they look elsewhere.

The study found that the key to improving recall was knowing when to jump from one patch of information to another. If you stay too long or not long enough, you won't be able to recall the information. Basically, if you're trying to remember something and you take your mind to one patch of memories and don't find it, move on to another when you've finished foraging.

People Forage for Memories in the Same Way Birds Forage for Berries | ScienceDaily

xType Is a Simple, Free Text Expansion Tool for the Mac [Mac Downloads]

Adam Dachis — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:00:00 PST

Mac OS X: Although we have a favorite text expansion utility already, xType has the advantage of being free while still maintaining a comparable feature set to the paid competition. It's not yet ready to claim the top spot in the text expansion category, but is a seriously good alternative if you're looking to save some money.

xType works like pretty much any text expansion app. You enter in the shortcut you want to use, the text you want it to expand to, and then type that shortcut to test it out. On top of the basic functionality, xType can also save formatting information, add images, and handle simple variables like the date and time. When it supports clipboard functionality and, perhaps, input dialogues, it'll be serious competition to the big guys. For now, it's a really great free alternative.

xType (Free) | Mac App Store via One Thing Well

Files 2 Folder Creates New Folders, Pre-Populated with Your Selected Files [Windows Downloads]

Alan Henry — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

Windows: One feature I miss from my Mac when I move to my Windows PC is the ability to highlight a group of files, right-click them, and select "New Folder with Selection" to create a folder and automatically fill it with the items I've selected. Files 2 Folder is a free Windows shell extension that does just that—and it even asks you what you'd like to name the folder when it's completed.

Files 2 Folder is similar to previously mentioned Smart Folders, but works a bit better. First of all, it doesn't require you do anything different than you're used to—you can still right-click to create a new folder, the way you probably do already.

All you have to do is select the files you want in that folder, and the app handles the rest. Plus, unlike Smart Folders, it doesn't keep you from opening a file with an application by dragging and dropping the file onto the app. It fits into your workflow a bit easier and doesn't stop you from creating folders your usual way. FIles 2 Folder is free, and works wherever Windows does (It claims 64-bit Windows isn't supported, but I tested it on Windows 7 x64, and it worked just fine.)

Files 2 Folder | Skwire Empire via Into Windows

Make your Own Taco Bowls by Flipping Over a Muffin Tin [Food Hacks]

Alan Henry — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:00:00 PST

The next time taco night rolls around, instead of serving the same old pre-made hard shelled tacos, pull out your muffin pan, preheat your oven, and reach for that bag of tortillas in the fridge. You're going to make taco bowls.

The blog Emily Bites explains that making taco bowls is actually really easy—all you need to do is nestle in a few small—around 6-inch—tortillas in the spaces between the cups of your upside-down muffin tin. Preheat the oven to about 375-degrees, sprinkle the tortillas with some salt and a little water, and form them into the bowl-like shape you're familiar with. Toss them in the oven for about 10 minutes, and you'll have taco bowls.

She goes on to share her full taco recipe, and notes that the bowls will definitely be smaller than the kind you might get at a restaurant, so she usually serves two to each person. Still, it's a super-easy way to make taco bowls at home without buying them pre-made, using equipment you likely already have. Planning to give this a shot the next time you want tacos, or do you have a better way? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Mini Taco Bowls | Emily Bites

Subscribe to the Lifehacker Daily Newsletter and Let Our Top Stories Come to You [Announcements]

Alan Henry — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:30:00 PST

We're all busy people, and while it would be nice if we could all spend our day refreshing our favorite blogs and reading the articles they post, many of us don't have the luxury of jumping on a great story as soon as its published. If you're busy but don't want to miss out on the top stories of the day at Lifehacker, consider signing up for our daily newsletter for a roundup of our top stories delivered right to you, every evening, so you can read them when it's convenient for you.

Then, once you've read our top stories, drop by the site and leave us a comment and let us know what you thought. Plus, each newsletter has links to additional stories so you can look around and see what everyone's been talking about and sharing all day while you were actually being productive.

If you do have time to keep up with us during the day, we'd love to have you. Drop by anytime, or if you use social media to get your news, follow @Lifehacker on Twitter (or follow our individual writers), or hop over to Facebook to like the official Lifehacker page and chat with us there (or subscribe to the writers you'd like to communicate with.) If Google+ is your thing, add the Lifehacker page to your circles (or circle us individually) for some great conversation.

Then again, if social networks aren't your preferred news source, the Lifehacker Notifier for Chrome will let you know when a new post goes up so you can get into the discussion early. Or, you can add our RSS feed to your preferred newsreader to check in when you like. However you choose to keep up with us, we're glad you choose to stay with us, so thank you!

Why Your Method of Brainstorming Isn't Getting Results [Ideas]

Alan Henry — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:00:00 PST

Couched in the headline "Brainstorming doesn't work," The New Yorker explains that brainstorming where you just throw out ideas and see what sticks has no better track record than sitting down and trying to consciously come up with good solutions. Even in groups, brainstorming won't work on its own—at least not until you take the next step and critically examine each idea, regardless of who submitted it or how.

We've discussed how important brainstorming even bad ideas is to beating creativity blocks, but brainstorming ideas alone isn't enough. You have to take the next step and critically evaluate each idea for quality and applicability—something many people don't do. They blame, at least partially, the notion of "no criticism," where employees are encouraged to share ideas first without evaluating them for quality, and there's no process subsequent to the brainstorming session where each idea is critically and objectively examined to see if it has legs, or it best solves the problem at hand.

The moral of the story is that brainstorming does work, and that you need bad ideas to bring out the good ones, but idea generation is just one part of the brainstorming process—one that too many people stop after. The next step is to separate yourself from those ideas and review them later with a critical eye to determine which ones can take flight.

Is this how you normally brainstorm, or have you been part of groups that toss every idea against the wall and then wind up choosing the worst ones because no one's allowed to critique someone else's idea? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Photo by Ivelin Radkov/Shutterstock.

Brainstorming Doesn't Really Work | The New Yorker via Hacker News

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.

Take it away, Jeremy:

This is a Nine Inch Nails themed setup on my HTC Evo running Cyanogenmod with the default ADW Launcher.

On the home screen, we have:

The clock, weather, and battery widgets are all Minimalistic Text

Icons are Android IconPack by ~gmadzl

The music widget is the 4x4 widget that comes with the PlayerPro Music Player

The lock screen contains:

Again, a clock made with Minimalistic Text

I couldn't find the WidgetLocker slider I used. I tried looking all over and came up with nothing. In the theme preview it's called "Light". Sorry. Ed. Note: If you know where to find this, let us know in the comments!

The wallpapers are the Nine Inch Nails Lights in the Sky 2008 tour poster and the artwork from their album Ghosts I-IV.

The font is the Resea font, which you can grab here.

Do you have an awesome, tweaked-into-oblivion home or lock screen of your own that you'd like to share? Go ahead and post it on the #homescreenshowcase forum with a description of how you made it and it may be the next featured home screen.

| DeviantArt via #homescreenshowcase

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)

There Will be More Smartphones Than Humans on the Planet by Year's End: Cisco predicts that smartphones will outnumber the number of humans on planet Earth by the end of the year, and can be viewed as a reminder that we are potentially overpopulating the world with material items. [Mashable]
MITx Prototype Course Opens for Enrollment: If you are interested in learning about circuits and electronics for free, you may want to think about enrolling in MITx's first prototype course, '6.002x: Circuits and Electronics.' [MIT]
Time Warner Cable Releases Desktop Live Streaming App, Requires You to be at Home to Watch: There is good news if you are constantly on your home computer, as you can now watch Time Warner Cable on your computer via a desktop live streaming app. [The Verge]
Google+ for iOS Catches up to Android With Instant Upload: Google+ for iOS is a little bit more like it's Android counterpart thanks to the addition of the 'Instant Upload' feature. [CNET]
Tim Cook: The Tablet Market Will Be Bigger Than the PC Market, it's Just a Matter of Time: Speaking at a Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference, Tim Cook addressed the working conditions of Chinese factories and also stated that the tablet market would eventually grow bigger than the PC market. [The Next Web]
UK Seize Popular Music Blog, Arrest Operators and Threaten Readers: The R&B/hip-hop blog RnBXclusive has been shut down thanks to SOCA. Those behind the blog have been arrested on charges of fraud due to the blog posting links to copyrighted music. SOCA has also threatened readers that downloaded copyrighted material on the blog, by stating that, "If you have downloaded music using this website you may have committed a criminal offence which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine under UK law." [Torrent Freak]

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.

Some of these plugins come baked in with Pidgin, and you don't need to download or install anything extra—you just need to turn them on under Tools > Plugins in Pidgin.. Others will require installation, which can vary from plugin to plugin. Sometimes they come with a Windows installer, but other times they'll just come as a set of folders or DLL files inside a ZIP file. In this case, copy them to your Pidgin folder so that the DLL files end up in C:\Program Files\Pidgin\plugins (or C:\Program Files (x86)\Pidgin\plugins for 64-bit machines), and that any other files get dropped into their associated folders inside Program Files\Pidgin. Check each plugin's documentation for exact instructions on how to install it. Once it's installed, you'll be able to find it in Tools > Plugins—no need to restart Pidgin or anything.

Note: This guide is mainly geared toward Windows users, but Pidgin is our favorite Linux IM client too, so a few of these will work great on Linux as well. Linux also has some other great plugins that we didn't mention here, though, and installing plugins on Linux could be a little different, so be sure to check each plugin's documentation for more info.

GTK Theme Control

Pidgin's default colors are a little bright for my tastes, and the fonts are a little big. So, I like to use the Pidgin GTK Theme Control plugin to tweak the interface more to my liking. It comes with Pidgin, and lets you change the colors you see in conversations, the fonts and font sizes, and even the horizontal separation of the tree view in your buddy list. You can also disable the typing notification text, if that bugs you.

Note that this doesn't theme Pidgin, per se, it just lets you tweak a few things here and there. To give it a different theme completely, you'll want to check out the GTK Theme Switcher program, which you can read more about on this page of Pidgin's documentation.

I'dle Mak'er

No one seems to follow IM etiquette anymore. It's like we're a bunch of cavemen. If you find that your friends keep messaging you even when you're away, you can set your idle time manually with the the pre-bundled I'dle Mak'er plugin. That way, you can appear idle when you're really not, and people will hopefully leave you alone. After enabling in the Plugins section, just head to Tools > I'dle Mak'er to set your idle time for a specific account, or for all your accounts at once. And give your friends a subtle hint by sending them our primer on instant messaging status etiquette, while you're at it.

History and SessionSave

If you need to remember your last conversation with someone, the built-in History plugin will show it every time you open a new IM window—so you'll never just have a blank box with no text. Coupled with the non-standard SessionSave plugin, which reopens all your old conversations and tabs on each launch, you can pick up right where you left off every time you restart Pidgin.

Windows 7 Taskbar

The Windows 7 Taskbar plugin adds a number of Windows-specific features to Pidgin, including jumplist support, a status icon on the taskbar, support for showing file transfer progress, and tab thumbnail previews on Aero Peek. I'm a little shocked none of this is baked into Pidgin, as for other Windows programs, this is basic functionality. If you use Pidgin on Windows 7, you should absolutely have this extension.

Extended Buddy List Sort

If Pidgin's default buddy sorting options aren't enough for you, the Extended Buddy List Sort plugin gives you a bit more control. You can give your buddy list three different rules for sorting, in order of importance. You can sort them by status then by name, by online time then by protocol, and more. It's pretty useful.

Message Notification, Pidgin GNTP, and Audible Alerts

Pidgin isn't great at notifying you when new IMs come in or buddy statuses change, but a number of plugins can help with that. Message Notification, built into Pidgin, gives you a few more options like flashing the window and showing the number of unread messages in the titlebar. If you use Growl for Windows, you can also download the Pidgin GNTP plugin to get Growl notifications for all sorts of events. And, lastly, the Audible Alerts plugin replaces the beeps and dings with a text-to-speech reading of who's IMing you, so if you're away from your keyboard you can tell whether it's important or not.

Off the Record and Windows Credentials

If you need to add a layer of security to your IMs, Off the Record is the plugin to do it for you. Not only can you disable logging and send encrypted messages, you can even make sure your buddy is who you think they are through a question-and-answer system, a shared secret, or digital fingerprint verification. There's a lot to this plugin, so you can read more about it at its homepage and in its readme. Note that this extension is not the same as Gtalk's built-in "off the record" feature that just disables logging; you can't get that in Pidgin.

While you're tweaking security settings, though, you might want to deal with one of Pidgin's biggest sources of complaints and install the Windows Credentials plugin. By default, Pidgin stores its passwords in plain text, which many see as insecure—though the Pidgin team has an explanation for why they do it. If it still makes you uncomfortable, though, the Windows Credentials extension saves your passwords using the Windows Credentials API instead.

Lock 'n' Roll

Ever leave your computer, but forget to change your status to Away? Lock 'n' Roll fixes that, automatically setting you as Away when you lock your computer, with whatever status you want. We wish it could set you to Offline or Invisible, too, but for right now it can only change your status to away.

Advanced Shorturl and Expand

If you frequently share long URLs that clutter up your IM window, the Advanced Shorturl plugin will automatically shorten URLs after a specific length with is.gd. You can choose the maximum length for a URL before it becomes shortened, which is nice, though this plugin takes a bit more work to install (you'll need ActivePerl 5.10 installed, which you can grab along with the plugin on its download page).

Alternatively, if you don't like short URLs because of the security issues surrounding them, you can instead install the Expand plugin, which automatically expands URLs from a ton of different shorteners, so you always know where you're headed—which is great, since IM and Facebook Chat is so often used to spread spam and viruses.

There are a ton of great Pidgin plugins out there, but these are definitely our favorites for customizing the look and usability of our favorite IM client. Do you have one that you love, but we forgot to mention? Share it with us in the comments below.

Title image remixed from originals by ~daj and *Qsec.

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.

SendTab is one of my favorite browser extensions, and I'm happy to see there's now some support for Android as well. Now I've got all of my devices covered! The Android app is a third-party release but works very similarly to SendTab for iOS. You can either send a URL to any registered device, whether it's a browser on your desktop or another mobile device, or check the SendTab service for a tab that's waiting to be received by your Android phone or tablet. While it would be nice to see tighter integration with Android, since the mobile operating system doesn't have the same drawbacks as iOS, it's great to see support rounded out for a great URL transportation service.

2SendTab Free | Android Marketplace

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.

The Best

Air Media Center (iTunes) Previously 99¢, now Free. Air Media Center for iOS streams video, photos and music from your Mac or Windows PC to your iOS devices. Get it for free. (via Apps-aholic)

Free

iOS

ACDSee Camera Flash | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously 99¢
Learn Pilates | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $1.99
Speaktoit Assistant | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $4.99
now free to the first 100,000
DMD Panorama | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $1.99
Translator Pro - Speech Translator | iTunes via LogicBuy | Previously 99¢
Learn GarageBand in 30 Days | iTunes via LogicBuy | Previously $4.99
Learn Guitar | iTunes via LogicBuy | Previously $1.99
Snapseed | iTunes via LogicBuy | Previously $4.99
Net Master HD(iPad) | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $9.99
Bon Appetit: Pasta Perfect (iPad) | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $3.99
ZenClock HD (iPad) | iTunes via LogicBuy | Previously 99¢

Windows

Norton Internet Security 2012 | Newegg via LogicBuy | Previously $69.99, now free with mail-in rebate + free shipping

The Rest

iOS

Cor.kz Wine Info | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $2.99, now 99¢
Runmeter GPS - Running Fitness, Jogging Workouts, 5K, 10K, Marathon Run Training | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $4.99, now $2.99
Cyclemeter GPS Bike Computer for Road Cycling & Mountain Biking | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $4.99, now $2.99
IM+ Pro | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $9.99, now $4.99
Where To? - Discover your next destination | iTunes via Apps-aholic | Previously $2.99, now 99¢

Android

Say I Love You Pro | Amazon Appstore via LogicBuy | Previously $1.51, now 99¢
HDR Camera+ | Android Market via AppBrain | Previously $3.99, now 99¢

Windows

Acronis True Image Home 2012 | Newegg via LogicBuy | Previously $49.99, now $4.99 with mail-in rebate + free shipping
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 | Adorama via LogicBuy | Previously $299.99, now $79.95 + free shipping

Mac

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 | Adorama via LogicBuy | Previously $299.99, now $79.95 + free shipping

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.

There are three ways to send in your question:

Record a video, upload it somewhere, and send a link to tips+asklhshow@lifehacker.com
Call (347) 687-8109 and record a question. Calls are awesome! We like them!
Email your question to tips+asklhshow@lifehacker.com.

Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!

Note: If you sent in a question last time we put out a call, don't worry, we got it! We're just getting ahead of the game. We'll have a new episode out soon, so stay tuned!

Photo by Jeff Daniels (Shutterstock).

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.

Predictably, Rotten Tomatoes took the top spot by far, with close to 60% of the overall votes cast. In second place was Metacritic, with close to 18% of the overall vote. Hot on its heels in third was Jinni with just over 11%, and right behind it was Criticker with just under 11%. Bringing up the rear was movie review blog ChickFlix, which was popular in the nominations but came away with less than 1% of the final tally.

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.

The video above discusses how you can discover the cause of kernel panic (and other system issues), but check out the full post over at tonymacx86's blog for additional troubleshooting help. And, of course, read our hackintosh troubleshooting guide for help as well.

Hackintosh Basics: Kernel Panics & Boot Flags | tonymacx86 blog

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.

Pouring a room temperature, or even a cold, soda over ice takes a bit of time or you end up with too much fizz and not enough glass. Here's how to prevent it and pour sodas at record breaking speeds.

Rinse your ice. Yep, that's it. Put the ice in the glass, cover with water, swish and strain. You can then pour your soda as fast as you like and it will not over-fizz. Why? I have no idea! But it works like a charm.

CamJN notes that it's because dry ice has more nucleation points, which allow for the creation of more fizzy bubbles. This trick is especially easy to pull off if you use ice cube trays—just loosen up the cubes, run them under water for a second, then put them in your glass.

From the Tips Box is where we round up our favorite reader submitted tips. Got a tip of your own to share? Email it to tips at lifehacker.com, or share it on our tips page.

Photo by Vincent.

Use Wet Ice Cubes to Prevent Soda from Fizzing Over | #tips

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.

You'll probably want a decent-sized comb like the one in the picture and not one of those piddly pocket combs.

Comb as Nail Holder | Real Simple

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.

Fitness Buddy offers preset workouts for you, but you can define your own. In fact, you can add your own specific exercises, too, if Fitness Buddy doesn't already have them included. If you want to explore new exercises, you can browse by muscle group or target a specific muscle by tapping it on a diagram of the human body. Each exercise is explained with text and a picture in a series of cards so you get a quick understanding of what it entails. Once you've got everything defined and your workout planned, Fitness Buddy will keep track of it all on a calendar view so you can see what you've done and have coming up. When you're actually exercising, you can use the app's built-in music player to create a quick playlist. Finally, you can view and export your history at any time.

While Fitness Buddy is definitely not the first app to put together a compilation of exercises and help you plan your workouts—Nike Training Club is a good one if you want video—it's the most comprehensive I've seen. If you want access to a ton of different exercise instructions and plenty of ways to comprehensively track your progress, Fitness Buddy is an app worth checking out.

Fitness Buddy for iPhone ($1) and Android ($1) | iTunes App Store / Android Marketplace

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.

The last time we did this series, I was on the other side of the table, reading and commenting on what the Lifehacker crew used on a day-to-day basis and applying their tips to my workflow. Now that I'm on the team, you'll see some similarities, mostly because I was inspired by everyone else so much.

Hardware

Desktops & Laptops

I've always been a cross-platform kind of guy. I don't think that if you're really passionate about technology you can simply ignore or write off any product or company as useless simply because you dislike it or the culture around it—at least not without using it first. To that end, my setup consists of Macs, Windows PCs, and even a part-time Windows/part-time Linux home server and media center.

Laptop: Ganymede, my 15" MacBook Pro: My trusty working system is a 15" MacBook Pro that I bought back in 2010. It's loaded down with a 250GB SSD and a ridiculous 8GB of RAM, along with a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 under the hood. It's more than enough power for my work, and it's the perfect portable machine to take with me when I travel. I toyed with the idea of picking up a MacBook Air instead, but I've traveled on planes, trains, and automobiles with 15" MacBook Pros in my bag (more on that later) for years, and the weight's never bothered me. I have, however, always appreciated having the power and ports on-hand at all times. My laptop is ideal for work—I can pack it up and take my work with me wherever I go. Speaking of those old laptops, I do have a backup mid-2008 MacBook Pro (named Europa) that I use for work if my primary machine is out of commission, but it's underpowered by comparison. When I'm at home though, I pair my laptop with a Logitech Performance Mouse MX, a standard Apple Wired Keyboard, and a Griffin Elevator Stand.
Desktop: Deneb, my custom Windows 7 gaming PC: While it serves primary duty as a gaming system and my off-duty PC, Deneb pulls double-duty when I need to test Windows applications, hacks, and tweaks before writing them up for Lifehacker. I've always built my own PCs, and I built Deneb at the end of 2008. When I first built it, it was a Windows Vista x64 machine (since upgraded to Windows 7) and it still packs a 3.2GHz Core i7 processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 640GB 7200RPM standard hard drive. I'm still debating whether now is a good time to buy an SSD, and even whether migrating to it will be a pain when I get one, but that's my next logical upgrade. After all, just before the holidays, I swapped out my old ATI Radeon HD 4870 x2 for a newer Radeon HD 6970 I got a good price on. It is a gaming system, after all. I combine the system with some great Creative speakers, a pair of Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP 24" displays (the Macbook Pro uses one of them during the day, but the PC gets them both when I'm off duty), a Logitech G9x mouse (although you see me here testing out a NZXT Avatar S I got for testing,) and a Logitech G19 gaming keyboard I scored a while back (and would never tell anyone to actually buy—it's cool, but too expensive.)
Server and Media Center: Orion, an upgraded Dell Optiplex 740: I picked up this old desktop for a song from an old coworker who was looking to offload it. It already had 4GB of RAM and a 2.4GHZ AMD Athlon 3800+ under the hood—not too powerful, but enough for a home server. It had (and still has) Windows on it, but I installed Ubuntu on another partition just for kicks. I slapped in a pair or 1TB SATA drives to accompany the 250GB boot drive, and attached a pair of 1TB USB drives. That's right—this system is packing well over 4TB of space, most of which is used for music, movies, downloads, and perhaps most importantly, CrashPlan backups from all of the other computers in the house (where they're also staged for offsite backup.) Because I wanted Orion to also be a media center PC, I also added an ATI Radeon HD 5570 based on the advice of the folks at AVS Forum, and have it connected to my 50" Panasonic Plasma via HDMI, and I fire up XBMC whenever I want to do some TV or podcast watching that I can't do with the XBox 360.

Phones, Tablets, and Other Mobile Devices

You might think that because I use a Mac for my day to day work I might be an iOS person. Not quite—I've been a Verizon Wireless customer for the longest time, mostly because they've always been the carrier of choice in my area, both for signal and reliability, and because all of my friends use them too. So, when my friends on AT&T were getting iPhones, I suffered with office-issued BlackBerry phones and a really old Motorola Q that I'd rather forget. When the original Motorola Droid appeared on Verizon Wireless, I jumped on it, and my love affair with Android began. Here's what I'm carrying around now.

Motorola Droid Bionic: Affectionately named Sonico, my Droid Bionic is rooted, but I don't have a custom ROM or kernel installed. It's my lifeline—the first thing I look at when I wake up and probably the last screen I turn off before I shut my eyes. Sure, I could have waited for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to arrive, but my OG Droid was getting on in age, and I had waited for the Bionic since it was shown at CES in early 2011. Plus, for reasons entirely too lengthy to get into, the Galaxy Nexus—while an impressive device—didn't appeal to me at all.
Droid by Motorola: The first Android phone I ever owned. I used it stock for entirely too long, and was entirely too reluctant to root it and install a new ROM (mostly because my cell phone is my only phone,) but once I did, I went on a campaign to let other people know how easy it was. Cyanogen 7 turned my aging Droid into a serviceable device again, much more richly featured than it had ever been in the past. When I picked up my Bionic, I wiped it, installed MIUI, and now I use it as a testbed for betas, side-loaded APKs, new ROMs, and anything else I consider too high-risk for my primary phone.
32GB 1st Gen iPod Touch: There is one iOS device in my life, and it's all but permenently stationed in my bedside dock/radio. I travel with it because it gets incredible battery life, carries tons of music, slips in my pocket, and I can watch video podcasts and listen to music on it to my heart's content without worrying I'm draining my cell phone's battery—which I'll need when I land in a new city and need to fire up GPS. When I'm not traveling, it wakes me with music.

You might notice I don't have a tablet of any kind. Mostly that's because I haven't found an Android tablet that I actually wanted, and while I completely plan to get an iPad, I've been holding out for the iPad 3 since the original came out. I was tempted to buy an iPad 2, but all the short-stock issues Apple had when it launched put me off the device until I knew it was just better to wait for the next generation. We'll see if the iPad 3 is enough to get me to open my wallet.

Accessories

My go-bag has always been a Timbuk2 Commute messenger bag, although I have the previous version (the one that's not TSA compliant, and has a padded back.) The laptop sleeve is large enough for my 15" MacBook Pro, the charger goes in the back, and it's all but cavernous when it comes to pockets and hiding places for tools, essentials, power cables, chargers, and more. Here are the highlights:

A soon-to-be hacked Nook Simple Touch, still stock but with plenty of good books on it.
A Belkin Mini Surge Protector and USB Charger, based on an old suggestion by our own Adam Pash.
An Airport Express so I can create my own wireless network, wherever I go.
An Energizer XP1000K Power Pack that stays charged and in my bag at all times. An unfortunate landing in San Francisco once with dead batteries in all of my gadgets after a long and delayed flight reminded me of the merits of keeping backup power available at all times.
A LaCie iAmAKey 8GB Flash Drive.
A Leatherman Wave and a Victorinox Cybertool, both gifts, just in case. You never know when you'll need a knife—or a good screwdriver.
A microfiber cloth, my trusty Moleskine, and a couple of fancy Japanese pens, courtesy of the fine folks at JetPens.
My trusty Sony Alpha NEX-5N, which I just purchased thanks to the advice of our own Adam Dachis. I even picked up a couple of lenses for it. It's my first high-end camera, and like many of you, I've relied on our Basics of Photography Night School to help me make the most of my new camera.

This is actually the tip of the iceberg. When I travel, I'll toss in my old Nintendo DS Lite and a couple of games to pass the time. I usually pack painkillers, hand sanitizer, stain removal pen, spare notebooks, stuff like that, not to mention spare USB cables, stereo cables, things like that.

Software

Most of my work is done in webapps these days, but there are still some essentials that I open and keep open on a regular basis. I tend to keep a pretty clean desktop, especially on the Mac OS side, but here are some of my favorite browsers and tools that I use to stay organized and productive.

Web Browser, Extensions, and Web Apps

I'm still primarily a Firefox holdout. When I worked in an office on a woefully underpowered laptop, Chrome was my browser of choice because it handled memory much better back then. Firefox has been making strides recently, and I've been known to have Firefox and Chrome open at the same time for different things. I keep them both installed on all of my systems. Still, if you forced me to choose, I'd pick Firefox. Old habits. Still, whichever browser I'm using, here are the extensions I have installed.

Extensions

XMarks, because I use multiple browsers on multiple systems, and I want to make sure my bookmarks are always in sync, no matter what changes I make, no matter what browser I'm using.
Lastpass, with Sesame on a USB key for a almost hack-proof password system.
The YouTube Comment Snob for Firefox and No YouTube Comments for Chrome. So I can watch videos in peace.
Previously mentioned Priv3 for Firefox.
Adam Pash's Google Music Plus for Chrome
Naturally, the Lifehacker add-on for Chrome.
And just for you Chrome users, the Look of Disapproval extension for Chrome. It's been invaluable.

Webapps

Google Docs has replaced Microsoft Office for me, mostly because I can write faster in Google Docs, collaborate easier with the Lifehacker team, and organize my documents easier. Still, I keep Office around for other things.
I've really been getting into Wunderkit as a way to organize my ideas and personal projects, now that the beta is open to anyone, but it's more of a compliment to ReQall, which I've discussed before for recurring and location-specific tasks.
Mint is still the one-stop shop I use to manage all of my finances, from my budget to my investments to my credit cards—all in one glorious view...that just takes a few days to update unless I do it manually.
Google Music was my savior when it was released. I have a ridiculously large music collection, and Google Music was the first service that let me put it all in the cloud without having to stream it from my home computer to where I was sitting.
When I'm not using Google Music, I rock Pandora (and pay for Pandora One) so I can listen to music without interacting with it, and even stream Pandora in my car almost exclusively via the Android App. I'm also a GrooveShark fan, and use it to hang on to songs that I discover and want to listen to now and again, or preview albums of new artists before I buy them. (I still use iTunes on the Mac for podcast management though.)

Desktop Apps

Even though a lot of applications are moving to the web, I tend to prefer desktop apps—even desktop versions of webapps—because I just want to get as many webapps out of my browser as possible. Keep in mind my Windows machine is really a gaming system, so the majority of installed software there consists of Steam and dozens of games-not mentioned here, for obvious reasons. Now then, here are the apps I use every day on my Mac and Windows machines.

Mac:

Dropbox, of course.
Adium for AOL IM and Google Chat
Mozilla Thunderbird for email. I seriously have a half-dozen email addresses, and Thunderbird makes it easy to manage them all at once.
Reeder as my primary newsreader (and hook to Google Reader.)
TextWrangler is my text editor of choice, perfect for hand-writing HTML.
Apple iWork, mostly Pages and Keynote, because I haven't found a better presentation creation tool than Keynote, and Pages is a superb desktop publishing tool for stylized documents like invoices.
Transmit by Panic as my primary FTP client.
iTerm2 when I need to get my hands dirty.
Alfred as my application launcher—I used to be a Quicksilver faithful, but Alfred may have won me over.
The old, Adobe AIR version of TweetDeck, because the new one, while pretty, sacrificed a ton of features.
Adobe Creative Suite for image editing, although Apple's Preview handles all of my resizing needs easily.
VLC, my favorite media player.
Previously mentioned FormatMatch, since I copy and paste, a lot.
Caffeine for Mac to keep the screen awake.
Previously mentioned CapSee for Mac, so I never leave the Caps Lock key on.
Previously mentioned Cobook, which does a great job of organizing all of my contacts.
ScreenFlow for screencasting and editing.
Stattoo, as a combination HUD and status display on my desktop.

Windows:

TightVNC to communicate with my home server.
Previously mentioned CaptureIt Plus for screen captures.
Adobe Creative Suite for Windows-side image editing.
FeedDemon as my primary Windows newsreader.
A combination of VLC and Media Player Classic, which can play virtually any media file I throw at it.
Editpad Lite as my preferred text editor. I know there are other, more popular choices, but Editpad's simplicity and feature set keep me coming back.

Mobile Apps

Games and time-passing social networks (Twitter—I prefer Twicca for Android, Facebook, Foodspotting, Foursquare, and Google+) aside, these are some of the most useful and interesting apps I keep on my Android phone.

Alarm Clock Plus as a timer and alarm clock.
Amazon Mobile and Amazon MP3 for Android, both seductively powerful apps, considering how much I've purchased on my phone.
Camera Zoom FX as a default camera app replacement.
Previously mentioned Google Currents to keep me aware of the news of the day.
Dolphin Browser HD, the best Android browser in my opinion.
Dropbox, of course.
Google Music for Android, because it's the window to my entire music library now that it's uploaded.
PicPlz for photo sharing.
MoboPlayer, one of the best media players available for Android.
Prey, an anti-theft solution for Mac, Windows, and Android.
ReQall for Android to alert me to upcoming and nearby tasks.
Shazam for Android, for those times when I hear a jam in a supermarket and need to know what it is.
Titanium Backup, to keep my data backed up and safe.
Waze for social navigation.
White Noise Lite, for those times when I need a little help falling asleep.
Wi-Fi Tether for Root Users when I have no other internet connection.

Tips and Tricks Closest To My Heart

Consider it a curse, but I certainly know how difficult it can be to write about tips and tricks, and not have the time or the opportunity to fully utilize them all. I've been a Lifehacker reader since the site launched, and only a writer for the past year. There have been dozens of articles that have had a serious impact on me, but here are a few.

Brew the Best Possible Coffee Without Breaking the Bank
This piece transformed how I thought about coffee. In combination with this piece on dropping the drip and getting started brewing better coffee, I gave up the drop coffeemaker I was using at the time and started using a French Press full-time. I even picked up an Aeropress shortly after, which I still use for single or double-servings.
Set Up a Geeky Media Center that Non-Geeks Can Actually Use
This was the piece that demystified HTPCs and media center systems for me. I had thought prior to this that they were essentially just computers you plugged into your TV, and had sentenced myself to build a MythBox back then to accomplish the same goal. I figured I would have to maintain a Fedora Core install on a secondary PC, figure out the ins and outs of MythTV, and do it all on my own, only to wind up with a media center that would be a hassle to use. Kevin's post reminded me I had many more options.
Automate Your Finances to Spend Less Time Managing Your Accounts
This was perhaps the one tip that inspired me to write this story about taking a day off and putting yourself through financial boot camp. I still don't have this down to a perfect science, but I really think that the process of automating your finances so you're both aware of where every penny goes and you don't have to interfere with it to make sure your expenses are paid is the way to go to make sure your budget is nice and tight.
How to Control Your Home Computer from Anywhere
This was the first time I was properly exposed to VNC, and I rushed to set it up on my own. Even though there were software packages that made the process easier over the years, I always preferred VNC. I can't say the same now, and if I want to remotely control my computer, there are more elegant options, but I still use VNC to control computers on my home network with disparate operating systems.
How to Deal with Internet Meanies
This is a pretty old article, but the advice still holds solid. While I wish I could say that I had a super-thick skin, it helped me a lot to read Gina's combination of advice and personal account when embarking on my own writing career. To that point, Whitson's more updated version, a more recent post on dealing with trolls, is a great update, with even more suggestions. The only thing I could possibly add is this video somewhere in either post, which reminds viewers that on the other end of your screen, there's a real person, a lot like you.

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.

Home automation can really give you that living-in-the-future tingle when it's done right, but off the shelf solutions leave a lot to be desired. As consumer tech, it's in that awkward phase that tablets and ereaders are just outgrowing. The iPad/Kindle of home automation may be coming, but in the meantime these projects take some tech savvy and DIY initiative.

We've shown you how to connect your air conditioner to your PC, install motion-triggered LEDs in tight spaces, and smarten up your sprinklers to save water. What parts of your home have you put on autopilot? Can you turn on the exhaust fan in the upstairs bathroom with your iPhone? Ask and answer questions about home automation in the comments.

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.

One of the spouses gets to choose which task to take:

When you find yourself about to begin a new item from the to-do list, ask your spouse which of the two tasks he/she would prefer to do. "You want to stay down here and clean up the dishes, or get the kids started on their baths?"

This in itself is a gesture of generosity and love. The shared tasks list means you're both working on your shared family life and things are getting done twice as fast.

An alternative method is to divvy up chores using a checklist like the one in the image above (from thenest.com), use a group or family to-do manager, make a Google calendar or other schedule, etc. The key, of course, is to just communicate and not let resentment about chores silently creep into your lives.

Relationship hack: Work off the same to-do list | Parent hacks

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.

John's Background Switcher

Platform: Windows
Price: Free
Download Page

Periodically changes the background image on your computer over a specified interval
Can choose from a folder on your computer, Flickr users or tags, Facebook, Vladstudio wallpapers, any RSS feeds (including sites like DeviantArt, Photobucket, LOLCats, and more), Smugmug, Picasa, Google Image Search, and tons more places
View wallpapers individually or as a set of "snapshot scrapbooks"
Draw a calendar on the desktop
Change the Windows Logon Screen Background
Tweak tons of settings that determine how your backgrounds rotate, including stopping the rotator when you're on battery power, only switching when idle, and more
Turn off wallpaper drawing for certain zones on the screen
Customizable keyboard shortcuts
Import and export settings for easy backup

See the above feature list...its length tells you all you need to know. John's background switcher has more features than you ever thought you'd want from a wallpaper manager, including a ton you probably won't even use. Still, once you set it up, it stays out of your way, and it allows you to adjust settings to keep it from slowing down old or low power computers. Plus you can grab images from any combination of a ton of web sources. If you're at all unsatisfied with Windows' handling of wallpapers, this is the app you'll want to use.

You might notice some stuttering as your wallpaper changes, though you can turn off certain settings that should mitigate this (at the cost of some nice fading transitions). My only real gripe, though, is its multiple monitor support. You can use John's Background Switcher with multiple monitors, but you can't give it different picture sources for each monitor, which is kind of a bummer. It also doesn't let you choose an image for your Windows logon screen; it just uses whatever image is up next in the rotation. Obviously these are pretty nitpicky, but they're things I noticed right off the bat, and with a few tiny fixes, the program would probably be perfect.

Most other programs, in my opinion, aren't really worth looking at. If you use multiple monitors, DisplayFusion will give you a bit more control over each monitor, though it doesn't give you nearly as many online sources or super-advanced wallpaper options (plus it costs $25). That said, if you use multiple monitors, it brings a ton of other non-wallpaper features to your setup, including dual taskbars, tons of keyboard shortcuts, window snapping, and more. But for just switching the wallpapers, it's a bit overkill (not to mention overpriced).

Also among the pay apps is Wallpaper Cycler, which for $20 adds a few more things you can tack onto your desktop. You can create layouts with calendars, quotes, notes, webcams, other wallpapers, RSS headlines, and more to your desktop—though why you'd use this instead of the stunningly beautiful Rainmeter is beyond me. Still, it's there if you want something different.

Lastly, there are a few other managers worth mentioning just because of the wallpaper sources they support. If you're a huge InterfaceLIFT or WallpaperStock fan, you'll want to check out Wallpaper Juggler, which is simpler than the others but can download wallpapers from our favorite wallpaper site (though John's Background Switcher can do it by way of RSS, too). Color Desker uses its own cache of pretty wallpapers, too, if you aren't very picky.

There may be other wallpaper managers out there, but these are our favorites. Got one you're particularly in love with that we didn't mention? Share it with us in the comments.

Lifehacker's App Directory is a new and growing directory of recommendations for the best applications and tools in a number of given categories.

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.

Inspired by Gina's Android-app-as-V-day-card last year, I decided to try something similar this year for my special person. The results, which you can see a modified version of in the video above, are pretty solid, fun, and can run on your loved one's iPhone, Android, and probably more. (The video actually shows it running on my desktop; if anything, it works/looks better on my iPhone. I haven't tried it on Android, but in theory it should work exactly the same.)

What You'll Need

We'll be using a JavaScript library called jQTouch to make our card. jQTouch is a "plugin for mobile web development on the iPhone, Android, iPod Touch, and other forward-thinking devices." Don't know what that means? No biggie. I'm laying down this how-to so literally anyone can pull it off. So forget about jQTouch unless you want to dig into it more at a later date (if you enjoy this, you should!). For this guide, here's what you'll need:

A Dropbox account: We'll be using Dropbox to host our files. We're actually making a webapp, but on the iPhone, you can add it to your home screen and launch it just like you would a native app. It looks and feels (relatively) native.
This zip folder: This folder, named love.zip, contains all the files you'll need.

Step One: Download and Unzip love.zip to Your Dropbox Public Directory

If you haven't already, download love.zip, unzip it, and copy the love folder into Dropbox > Public. This is the folder Dropbox makes available to the internet at large, which will be important because we'll later use this accessibility to install the app on your loved one's phone.

Step Two: Customize the App for Your Special Someone

Now it's time to make it your own. Before we do, though, some notes:

Essentially, this little app is made up of one web page (index.html in the love folder), some JavaScript (none of which you need to know how to write), and a few images. jQTouch looks at the HTML in your index.html file, examines classes and whatnot on your various page elements, and renders it all into your fancy, interactive V-Day app.

I've given you the skeleton of my V-Day app, so let's test it out. Navigate to your Dropbox Public folder on your computer, right-click the index.html file, and select Dropbox > Copy Public Link. Now paste that URL into your browser and see how it looks. Note: It'll be better on your phone, but if you resize your browser window to phone-sized proportions, you'll get the idea.

So, now that you've seen it in action, let's tweak it to fit your needs. Open index.html in your text editor of choice (Notepad++ is a great option for Windows; Kod is my favorite free option for Mac).

At line 47, you'll see <div id="jqt">. This jQTouch div contains all the main stuff you'll want to edit. The other divs with IDs contained directly below this div are the different pages of your app. So, if you're looking at the source, those divs have IDs like "love", "bud", "mac", "coffee", etc. Divs with the class "toolbar" create the toolbar at the top of the app. When you first load the app in your browser, you see the div with the ID of "home" and the toolbar says "Happy V-Day!" That all comes from this section of text:

<div id="home" class="current" style="top: 0px; ">
        <div class="toolbar">
                <h1>Happy V-Day!</h1>
        </div>
        <img src="favorites.png" style="max-width:100%; margin-left:25%; margin-bottom:20px; margin-top:50px;" />
        <h2 style="text-align:center;">Happy Valentine's Day!</h2>
        <a href="#love" class="redButton slide" style="">Tap me</a>
</div>

Note: A div is simply a container—like a bucket—in HTML. For more details, see our beginner's guide to making a web site.)

You can edit any of the text or HTML to fit your needs. Want to change the text that displays on the toolbar? Edit the text inside the h1 tags. Want to swap out the cheesy heart illustration with something a little more classy? Swap your image with favorites.png.

I've added comments to index.html to help you parse which sections of the HTML are part of which view in your app. You can edit bits and pieces of any of them as much as you like. Swap or add images at your leisure, add text, change messages, and so on.

Using my cheesy template, you should be able to crank out something fun in no time, especially if you have a little experience with HTML.

Step Three: Install It, App-Style

I've only done this on an iPhone, so I'm not sure if a similar approach will work on Android, but here goes either way:

Steal your significant other's phone.
Open your the public Dropbox link on their phone.
Tap the Share link (the middle button at the bottom of your browser), then Add to Home Screen.

Your app is now installed on your loved one's phone. When launched from your home screen, the app will launch fullscreen, free of unnecessary browser toolbars. FANCY. Now give him/her your nerdy DIY gift!

That's all there is to it. Granted, we're not making the most robust app on the market, but what's nice about this is that 1) you can customize it to your heart's content and 2) you may have learned something in the process. Plus, a little roughness around the edges gives it that loving, homemade feel that Valentines just love.

My apologies to the jQTouch crew for making something that barely takes advantage of their great tool, and my thanks for their great tool.

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.

Please help!
Puzzled by Panels

Dear PBP,

The different kinds of flatscreen panels used in televisions are a detail that most people don't think too much about because, when shopping in an electronics store, it's pretty hard to notice any real difference. Nonetheless, there are a few things worth considering with each type of panel. Let's go over the most popular and the pros and cons of each.

Plasma Panels

Plasma panels are on their way out because they have a couple of serious downsides. Primarily, they generate a lot of heat because they burn phosphors to display images. More heat generation means more power consumption, so they're not as eco-friendly as other panel types. Also, static images on plasma panels can cause a screen-burn effect if left for too long. Earlier plasma TVs used to have shorter lifespans than LCDs, but this has since changed and only something you need to worry about when buying used. Either way, you can expect a minimum of 30,000 hours of use.

On the plus side, because plasma panels are used less and less their prices are down. If you buy plasma, you'll generally be able to get a larger television for less money—you just might make up that cost with your electric bill. Plasma panels are also known for their better contrast ratios, rendering of rich colors and deeper blacks, and little to no ghosting effects when displaying fast-moving images.

LCD Panels

LCD panels are the most commonly-used type of panel in flatscreen televisions today. They offer a lot of benefits, such as low heat generation, no static image burn (like you might encounter with a plasma-based display), and a greater brightness over plasma. LCD panels tend to be lighter in weight (than plasma), and you have a choice between active shutter and passive glasses when purchasing a 3D-capable model.

On the other hand, LCDs have never been great at rendering blacks or avoiding the ghosting problem with fast-moving images. Although the 120Hz and 240Hz refresh rate modes can help with this problem, this can make the motion in films look kind of like they were shot with a consumer video camera. If you're okay with switching between these modes when you're switching between sports and film, this isn't much of a disadvantage. LCDs are also prone to dead pixels, and it's fairly common to purchase a TV with at least one dead pixel. Generally many pixels have to die before a warranty claim can be filed, so if you have one or two dead pixels and it bothers you a lot you should exchange the TV before your exchange period runs out.

In-Plane Switching

LCD panels with In-Plane Switching (IPS) offer an advantage over standard LCDs and plasma panels. You may have noticed that when you walk to the sides of a flatscreen television the picture becomes lighter and, in some cases, begins to invert. This is because of the viewing angle is rather narrow on most TVs. LCD panels that offer IPS, however, generally have a viewing angle of 170 degrees. As a result, you can watch your TV from a greater angle and the picture will look about the same. If you've ever seen a recent Apple monitor, iMac, or iPad, you've seen a LCD panel with IPS.

LED Backlighting

A standard LCD display is backlit by CCFLs, which aren't as efficient or effective as LEDs. Not all LED backlit displays are created equal, meaning the evenness of the backlighting can vary, but that's easy to see by displaying a pure black image on the television. This will allow you to see the evenness of the backlighting. That aside, LED-backlit displays offer quite a few advantages. They make thinner displays possible, consume less power, provide added brightness, and—what's probably most important to LCD buyers—offer better contrast levels. They're better at dissipating heat, too. You will, of course, pay more for LED backlighting, but it's generally worth it.

OLED Displays

OLEDs are organic LEDs are pretty great. They're thin, light, and don't require backlighting. As a result they're capable of very deep blacks and can offer a superior contrast ratio. OLED displays tend to offer images that look closer to reality because of their contrast capabilities. Where an LCD panel may look a little washed out with white when displaying dark images, you won't see that problem with an OLED panel. Overall, the only real disadvantage of OLED is its higher cost and scarcer availability.

But How Do I Choose?

When choosing a type of panel, you really have to choose which kind offers the biggest advantages. If many people are going to be watching in a wide room from various angles, you'll probably want to pick up an LCD with IPS. If you're primarily watching sports, a plasma display or LCD with a faster refresh rate (of 120Hz or 240Hz) will serve you well, but a plain old LCD might not be the best option. Of course, if you can afford an OLED panel and can find a suitable television with one, that's probably your best bet. But in the end, you're going to need to figure out which features matter most for you and choose based on that. Happy viewing!

Love,
Lifehacker

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.

As Brett Kelly notes on Bridging the Nerd Gap, now any time you click that bookmark, 1Password will automatically fire up and fill in the login for you (if you have the software configured to automatically submit login forms) and log you right in. This really is a beautiful timesaver.

The Super Sweet 1Password Trick You're Almost Certainly Not Using | Bridging the Nerd Gap

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.

Developed by nutritionist Andy Bellatti and food writer Andrew Wilder, the Cooking Oil Comparison Chart focuses on two main properties of oils: temperature sensitivity (for whether an oil is best for high heat purposes like stir-fry or for salads) and healthfulness (prioritize oils considered heart-healthy, avoid "bad" saturated fats). You can read about the science behind the chart on Bellatti's blog.

There are some interesting notes and tips about some of the oils in the chart too, such as buying olive oil in tin cans (or dark glass bottles, I'll add) or buying flax and hemp oil refrigerated.

The Cooking Oil Comparison Chart (PDF) | Eating Rules

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.

Here are some of the most notable deals:

Free movie rental from Redbox: Send all of your friends a promo code for a free one-day rental on February 14 via Facebook
Free Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream ice cream from Ben & Jerry's: Good between 5 and 8 pm at Ben & Jerry's stores
Free Quiznos cookie with coupon: No purchase necessary
12 free valentine cards from Krispy Kreme with purchase of a dozen donuts: Each of the valentine cards contains a free donut coupon also. (The promo is on the Krispy Kreme homepage, but you have to wait for it to show the dozen valentines.)

See the full thread for a few additional deals.

Also, Dealnews reports that if you send a free conversation heart valentine today from Macy's Facebook page, Macy's will donate $2, up to $250,000, to the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement.

Know of any other good deals to score today? Share them with us in the comments.

Valentines Day 2012 Freebies Compiled | SlickDeals

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.

We've been testing browsers for awhile, and we've refined our method pretty well. It's a good mix of both manually timed user experience measures and hardcore JavaScript and CSS benchmarks, plus a new test aimed at seeing what Chrome's prerendering can really do. All tests take place on Windows.

As always, remember that speed is not the only thing each browser has to offer. Each browser has a number of unique features and characteristics, all of which you should factor into making your choice of which to use. However, while most features can be listed on their home pages, you can't easily compare their speed just from each browser's changelog, and that's why we've put this together. It's just one more way to compare the browsers as you make your decision. Also keep in mind that everyone's computer is different, and it's not really the numbers that matter here. Your own tests on your machine could produce very different numbers, but it's the comparison between each browser that matters—on a level playing field, they should rank similar on any computer you test them.

Cold Boot-Up Winner: Chrome!

We've slightly tweaked how we test cold boot-ups since last time. Instead of waiting for the same home page to load, we've decided to time cold boot-ups only until the browser window appears, since that's what really matters to most people: when you can actually start using the browser (clicking bookmarks, typing URLs, and so on). In this test, Chrome came out the pretty clear winner, showing itself before any of the other browsers. It was a close match though, with Firefox taking only about a second more in last place.

Tab-Loading Winner: Opera!

Given nine tabs to load, ranging from Lifehacker to Facebook to Hulu, Opera once again blew everyone else out of the water with an insanely quick time of 6 seconds. Other browsers took nearly 3 times as long, with Firefox and IE hitting 17 seconds and Chrome moving like molasses with 22 seconds.

URL-Loading Winner: Chrome!

We wanted to test Chrome's new prerendering feature to see what kind of difference it made in loading a page after typing it in in the address bar. So, we ran an AutoHotkey script that typed in Lifehacker.com, ran it a few times in each browser, and subtracted the time it took to type the address. While the results were fairly close—within a second from one another—Chrome was noticeably faster, loading pages instantly after hitting the Enter key (as long as you had visited that page once during that session). IE was surprisingly quick, taking a bit less than a half second more, while Opera and Firefox took their own sweet time at 1.35 seconds each to load a new page. It was one of the smallest scales on which the browsers did battle today, but it was still different enough that we though it worth including—and it's actually quite noticeable when you're browsing.

JavaScript Winner: Chrome!

As usual, Chrome kicks butt when it comes to JavaScript performance. Firefox takes a distant second, with IE and Opera trailing behind. Nothing new here.

DOM/CSS-Performance Winner: Opera!

Once again, these results should be pretty familiar. Opera smoked the competition during the CSS tests, more than usual, while Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer all ate its dust in 2nd, 3rd, and last place respectively.

Memory Usage (with Nine Tabs Open) Winner: Firefox!

This time around, we've left our no-tabs-memory-usage scores out of the final tally, since we didn't find that they really mattered in real world usage. When it comes to memory usage with nine tabs open, however, Firefox reigns supreme—which, even though isn't a new result, is still shocking given the fact that Firefox used to eat memory like it was Pac Man and memory was little white dots. Unlike last time, this time Firefox edged out Opera, showing its truly committed to this lower-memory browsing, while Chrome and IE took up a fair amount more memory on their own.

If you're curious about each browser's memory usage without nine tabs open, we still measured it; we just didn't put it in the graphs. Chrome actually wins the battle of base memory usage at only 42 MB, with Opera close behind at 48 MB. Firefox and IE use up closer to 63 MB of RAM without any tabs open—negligible in the grand scheme of things, but interesting to know, considering how bad Chrome is at managing memory once you open up a few tabs (and how Firefox squeezes into first place).

Memory Usage (with Nine Tabs and Five Extensions) Winner: Firefox!

It looks like using extensions may raise each browser's memory usage, but not in a way that differentiates them in these tests. Firefox still comes out ahead when you install five extensions, with Opera behind it and Chrome in last place.

Overall Scores

We tallied the place rankings for each browser and assigned them point values, then divided them by the total number of points each could have gotten for an easily readable scale. This time around, we started counting the memory use scores for half, since with and without extensions they're two sides of the same coin (and we didn't want memory over-represented in the battle). The scoring system isn't perfect, since it also doesn't take into account by how MUCH each browser might win a specific battle—but everyone wants to see a winner, and it at least gives us that. We urge you to look closely at the above results and determine which browser fits your needs best rather than just looking at the final scores. If tab loading times are what really irk you, factor in tab loading times moreso than memory usage or cold boot time when picking which browser fits your speed needs. And, as we already said, remember that there's a lot more to browser choice than just speed—this is just supposed to rank them in ways one can't see from each browser's "feature" page. The scores are:

Chrome: 69%
Firefox and Opera: 63.2%
Internet Explorer: 48%

Chrome, for the first time in a long time, leaped into first place, no doubt due to its new prerendering feature and always-awesome JavaScript tests (not to mention a slight win in cold boot times). Firefox and Opera actually tied for second place, with Firefox winning in memory usage and Opera taking home blue ribbons in tab loading and CSS performance, though looking at the scores, it's easy to see that Opera's wins were more drastic than Firefox's—meaning that we'd probably give the edge to Opera, if asked. Internet Explorer came in last, placing well enough in every competition but excelling in none.

It's clear that each browser is improving quite a bit with each new version, and each has pretty clear strengths in the realm of speed. While loading a group of bookmarks (or restoring an old session) in Chrome is remarkably slow, loading a page from the URL bar feels instantaneous, while Firefox has learned its lesson with memory usage. Opera loads a group of tabs with shocking speed, as usual. Hopefully, this trend continues into the future and we see more competition between each browser for title of the fastest.

Our tests aren't the most scientific on the planet, but they do reflect a relatively accurate view of the kind of experience you'd get from each browser, speed-wise. Let us know if your experience differs—or if the speed losses are worth the browser's other features—in the comments.

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.

The benefit isn't just in the fact you can save some money on meals and attractions. It's also a great means to find places to visit and eat when you're exploring the city. Signing up at the same time you book your tickets means you'll have time to pick through some deals and plan your budget accordingly. It's probably not going to drastically reduce your vacation bill, but it will provide a better idea of what you'll be spending when you're there. Just make sure to read the fine print on the deals you purchase to make sure they apply on the dates you're on vacation.

Going on vacation? Join a site like Groupon for that city a few months in advance to save loads on attractions/outings | reddit

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.

Along with a few handy tips for getting rid of the obnoxious toolbars, ribbons, and status bar, TUAW highlights a simple trick to speeding up the launch by ditching the Document Gallery. When you start up Word and get the Document Gallery window, click the "Don't show this when opening word" checkbox and you'll increase your startup time significantly. The directions might seem a little Apple-centric, but can be applied for Windows users as well. Hit up the full post on TUAW for the full collection of tips.

Redice visual clutter in Microsoft Word | TUAW

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.

Music Smasher doesn't handle every music streaming service out there, but it does a great job of filtering through the ones it can. When you fire up the search you're linked directly to streaming tracks and the corresponding app will open them. The database is directly from the streaming services and it's quick to search and launch tracks. For anyone who is swapping back and forth between a few different services it's a handy tool to have.

Music Smasher | via Evolver.fm

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.

Photo remixed with photos by Tom Marsh and mie.university.

A lot of our recurring purchases are low-priority from both a budget and time angle. You might wear socks a little past their prime or put off replacing a water filter until it's way past the recommended date because you don't feel like running to the store. While a number of your errands will always require your physical presence, you can eliminate a few by paying up front for subscription style services. Let's start with those expensive and annoying household maintenance trips.

Remember Your Household Maintenance by Having Replacement Parts Shipped Automatically

One of the most annoying errands to run is the single item trip for household maintenance supplies. We've talked about the five recurring home maintenance tasks that are difficult to remember, but if you want an easy way to remember to do these tasks, have the replacements sent to your house automatically. Consider items like:

Furnace/Conditioner Filters
Water Filters
Smoke alarm batteries

Use a service like Amazon Subscribe and Save to create a plan to mail you the replacements on schedule. The timing is going to vary by your appliances or products, but consult the manual or website of the manufacturer to give yourself a good estimation on how often they need replacement. With your schedule set and replacements automated, you won't have to worry about that dust filled furnace filter catching fire or question why your water has bits of charcoal in it ever again.

Put the Grocery Store on Auto-Pilot and Set Up Recurring Shipments of Common Items

Ever had to stop by the grocery store just to pick up toilet paper because you forgot it on your weekly trip? It stinks and combined with the parking, shopping, and checkout time, wastes a lot of time. Automating those recurring purchases you always needs saves you from having to hit up the grocery on a random visit and helps ensure you'll never be without the essentials.

Both Alice and the above-mentioned Amazon Subscribe and Save offer simple ways to do this. Consider setting up automatic delivery for some of the common recurring items on your grocery list like:

Laundry Detergent
Shampoo and Conditioner
Shaving Razors
Toilet Paper
Hand Soap
Common Spices
Makeup

The trick is to use it for items you'll always need and schedule it so you never completely run out. Toilet paper, for instance, is a bit risky if you don't plan on the delivery ahead of your usual schedule.

If you want to take it to the next level, you can follow guide to setting up delivery for all your groceries. You can fully automate the process by creating weekly or bi-weekly deliveries of the non-perishable products you always get at the store. This ends up saving you a couple hours every week since you only need to pop into the store for perishables like meat or vegetables.

Get Your Clothes Shipped Automatically to Keep Your Wardrobe Fresh and Clean

It may seem a little absurd and excessive, but if you hate shopping for random, boring clothes like socks and underwear, automating those purchases not only saves you the time of making trips to the store, it also helps you avoid wearing pairs of socks that are way past their prime.

If you can't seem to ever remember to buy yourself underwear until after they have holes in them, Meundies will get them to you on a regular basis so you can forget about it and still feel clean. For men who need a little help with socks, underwear, and shirts, ManPacks automates it all through a variety of monthly or bi-monthly options.

If you're more of a designer t-shirt type of person, two services to consider are the t-shirt of the month clubs offered by Busted Tees or Threadless. Once-a-month you receive a new t-shirt with no selection or mental effort on your part. You won't always get your favorite thing, but at least you won't wander out in public with that ancient shirt for the band you don't like anymore.

Ditch the Long Line at the Pharmacy and Automate Your Prescription Refills

Prescriptions require a lot of time and effort on your part because after the trip to the doctor you also have to go and waste time at a pharmacy. You can automate a number of prescription refills to save yourself the time of waiting in line.

If you're getting your prescriptions directly through your health care provider, a number of them offer automatic refills and shipments. If you don't, you can still utilize the idea with services from Walgreens, Walmart, Kmart, and most big pharmacies. This won't include every prescription known to man, but it will automate the refills for a number of medications you may have to take on a regular basis.

You can do the same with contact lens prescriptions. If you have trouble remembering to order new packs of contacts before they run out, VisionDirect allows you to set up an automatic delivery schedule. If you prefer 1-800-Contacts, you can set up an automated reminder where they will bill you out and you can approve the purchase before it goes through.

Automate Your Dry Cleaning Pick Up and Delivery

This one varies a bit based on your location, but a number of dry cleaning services allow you to set up automated pick up and delivery. If you need shirts or suits pressed on a set schedule, you can set up a milk-box like drop-off and pick up at your own house for a small fee.

If suits and slacks aren't your thing, I talked with a few dry cleaners in my area that can handle more sporadic appointments. For instance, I can set up a delivery and pick up for a down comforter once a year and they'll send out an email or text message reminder for a pick up. Not all dry cleaners are able (or willing) to do this, but it's worth calling your local shop to see if they can.

Photo by Eric.

Stop Rushing to the Store the Night Before a Paper is Due and Automate Toner and Paper Delivery

Most people don't need to have office supplies delivered on a set schedule, but students and home office workers are likely very familiar with the horrible feeling of realizing your out of toner or paper the night before a big project is due.

For a dedicated office supply delivery, ReStockIt is a handy solution that also offers a deep discount on your deliveries when you sign up for the auto delivery. Set up deliveries for your toner, ink cartridges, or paper so you never have to worry about running out or reordering at the last minute again. You can also use ReStockIt it for any other office supplies you crank though including pens, pencils, or anything else.

Stop Dealing with Late Fees By Borrowing Books on Your Ereader

Returning books is always a boring errand, but if you have an ereader or tablet, it's dead-simple to check out books and have them returned automatically with no late fees to speak of. You can do this by using a service called Overdrive, which we've shown you how to use before. Unlike checking out a physical book, the ebooks you check out are automatically returned after a set period of time so you don't have to worry about the late fees.

For Everything Else: The Personal Assistant

Plenty of errands aren't covered by the above services and tools, but that doesn't mean you can't have them automated. Taskrabbit allows you to find and schedule people to complete tasks in the real world. Better still, you can set a recurring appointment to fully automate the process. The errands you use this for are mostly up to your imagination. For instance, you can arrange for someone to take your dog for a walk every Monday or have flowers delivered every six weeks to someone to remind them you care. The service area is small (currently only Boston, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, Portland, Seattle, and San Antonio), but it's a handy way to get things done if you live in the right area.

The only drawback of many of these services is that you'll sometimes pay more to automate the errands. The cost to usefulness ratio is up to you, but regaining your free time might be worth the extra expense. You'll always still have errands to run that you can't automate or outsource, but if you can cut down on the repeating issues like the ones listed above the rest of your errands might not seem like such a pain.

Do you have any favorite tools or services that automate your most annoying errands? Share them in the comments.

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.

The LA Times Daily Dish clued us in to this tip, complete with a video that shows us the tip in action. Just run the sugar chunk across your box grater like you would a vegetable or piece of cheese, and it'll dice up the sugar nicely in a pile that you can measure for your recipes and handle easily, without having to bring out a hammer or huge knife. Simple, easy, and safe.

Check out the full video at the link below. Have you ever cooked with solid sugar, or were you just too confused about how to handle it? Share your sugary tips in the comments below.

Test Kitchen Video Tip: Grating Solid Sugar | Los Angeles Times