If you're looking for ambient lighting so unique you'll likely be the only person in your part of the country to have it, this amazing DIY fiber optic star map is tough-to-beat choice.
More »
Windows: If you find yourself needing to create multiple duplicate flash drives, ImageUSB makes the process painless with concurrent drive imaging. Batch the process and image as many drives as you have USB ports available.
More »
The sentiment of "they just don't make them like they used to" might be wistful nostalgia on most counts but has merit when talking about tool boxes. Restore a vintage toolbox to a showroom shine with this tutorial.
More »
If you're looking for a simple way to share your virtual life in a compact package, JumpScan packs a miniature profile into a QR code; easily share contact information and links to social networks with a simple smartphone scan.
More »
While it's not quite the same as hiring your own cartoonist, Cartoonize does a pretty decent job converting pictures into cartoon versions for those times you want to customize an avatar image or otherwise "cartoonize" a picture.
More »
As if Gmail wasn't powerful enough, you can find all sorts of goodies and extra features in Gmail Labs. The list is pretty massive, so we've narrowed down our 10 favorite labs to help increase your email productivity.
More »
Rare is the person who finishes a project with a perfectly empty paint can. Rather than resign the paint to life on a basement shelf, use the leftovers to provide interesting color accents in unexpected places.
More »
2010 was a huge year at Lifehacker, and we spent the month looking back at the biggest and best posts of the year. Here's one last look back at the best of 2010 in case you missed anything along the way.
More »
New Year's resolutions are made to be broken: why even bother making resolutions when you know you're not going to keep them? Although maybe we shouldn't give up on resolutions just yet, as one study suggests they really can work.
[io9]
Fresh-smoked New Year's Ham! Yum! I smoke a lot, have about every thermometer available, but for tonight's dinner, I'm trying something different: iGrill, the iOS-enabled meat thermometer. So far it's tons better than sitting in my yard staring at the smoker.
[Gizmodo]
Whether you're counting down to 2011, mixing cocktails, or finding a ride home, these four apps will help make you (and your iOS or Android phone) the star of your New Year's party.
More »
Traditionally we think of the hierarchy in the workplace as top down, but if top down is making you tear your hair out, you may benefit from managing from the bottom up—guiding your boss from the trenches.
More »
Google's browser is a little over two years old, but it's making major waves on the web. This year, Chrome added extensions, a webapp "Store," stable Mac and Linux releases, and more. Here's what intrigued us all most about Chrome in 2010.
More »
By this time next week, it'll be next year—and too late to turn a great investment in your work life into a lower tax burden in April. Splurge wisely on yourself with these write-off-friendly wishlist items.
More »
Tomorrow, we say goodbye to 2010—often with the help of excessive food and drink. On the first, we use the momentum created by our over-indulgence to motivate change, and we call these New Year's Resolutions. What're you planning this year?
More »
There's a lot to be said for working in an environment that stimulates your senses and gives you something to look at while contemplating the problems of your day—like soothing grey walls and a sweeping bay view.
More »
There are approximately 4 bazillion point-and-shoot camera models on the market. Mostly, borderline disposable—yet the $400 S95 was Amazon's best-selling camera 'til they ran out. Clearly, people want a better camera. These three are the best.
[Gizmodo]
If you teach or have to make a lot of presentations, you can make your life a lot easier with an interactive whiteboard like a Smartboard. Instead of an expensive piece of technology, though, you can DIY it with a Wiimote.
More »
It's not even January, and already millions of Americans have had weeks of snow driving. Every winter, astute owners raise the question of whether it's time to buy snow tires. BMWBlog's Shawn Molnar offers his take. — Ed.[Jalopnik]
iOS/Android: Our favorite run-tracking app (and yours) RunKeeper, available for both iOS and Android, is offering a free download of their pro version through January (normally $10).
More »
If snow hits your streets and you're not used to it, your first slide can be terrifying. Here's what to do if you find yourself thrown off your course by the slick white stuff: steer where you're going, and don't brake hard.
More »
Some people have sworn by the power of Bounce dryer sheets—and specifically Bounce, too—to keep mosquitoes away from them, and gnats out of their garden. Now scientists have proven the power of fluffy white sheets as an insect repellent.
More »
If you have limited space in your apartment, you can save some space by making a coffee table that converts to a high dining table when you actually need it.
More »
Windows/Mac: Chrome syncs nearly everything about your browser choices. Everything, that is, except the "search engines"/keyword bookmarks you've painstakingly set up. One clever Lifehacker reader has fixed that, albeit in a round-about, script-fired, Dropbox-synced kind of way.
More »
iOS: Skype (and Apple/AT&T;) has made the leap and opened up video calling over cellular and Wi-Fi connections. Now anyone with an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, iPad, or newer iPod touch can get face time with any other Skype user. More »
Firefox isn't the only browser for power users anymore, but that didn't stop it from having a great year of updates, extensions, and tweaks in 2010. Here's a look back at the most popular Firefox extensions and posts.
More »
Readers offer their best tips for getting rid of annoying recurring phone calls in Android, storing things in their original boxes, and keeping a bit of floss on hand at all times. More »
It's a somewhat gross but sad fact of life—people shed, we get dirty, and we clog drains. Instead of buying a drain-declogging tool like the $5 Zip-It, you can quickly make your own with a plastic soda bottle.
More »
Every January 1, everyone wakes up with the best intentions of improving themselves and living a better life. By March 12, all those ideals are out the window. Not this year! Here's how to make your resolution last all year.
[Gawker]
Dear Lifehacker, Lately I've been worried about being conned while buying or selling on Craigslist—and online in general. Do you have any thoughts on how I can avoid getting screwed?
More »
Got a bunch of old, ugly Christmas sweaters lying around? Or old sweaters in general? Here's how to turn them into warm Winter mittens in about 30 minutes. More »
You password contains non US-ASCII characters. We recommend you reset your password due to a flaw in handling non US-ASCII characters.
Please enter the email address associated with your account to have it reset.
A temporary password has been emailed to you. If you do not receive the password reset email, please be sure to check your spam folder. In some cases, it can take up to 10 minutes for your email service to receive the email.
If you still haven't received the email, please contact help@gawker.com for further assistance.
Register
Registering will give you a user profile and the ability to add other users as friends. To become a commenter, however, you need to audition.
While we don't require an email address to sign up, consider adding one to your account. This will give you the ability to reset a lost or stolen password.
Change password
You password contains non US-ASCII characters. We recommend you change your password due to a flaw in handling non US-ASCII characters.
Account Deletion
Submit Your Comment
You don't need a login to comment. Just enter your email address below.
Your username will be the part of your email address before the @ sign. If you wish to remain anonymous, create your own username by signing up for a Gawker account here.
Already Have an Account?
Login with your Facebook or existing Lifehacker account.
These are our sites, and we reserve the right to moderate the discussion. The basic rules are standard: An attack on authors or other commenters is unlikely to make you popular. Think before you disparage social or ethnic groups. Don't spam. Don't post pornography or copyrighted imagery. Stay on topic.
That said, the community policy of Gawker Media is forgiving. If your criticism is articulate, it will likely get through. We dole it out; we can take it. What do we mean by articulate? Support your point with argument, facts and citations. Good grammar and spelling also help.
Congratulations, %youAre% a star! %userName% starred %you% on %sitename% %time%%youHave% lost your star. %userName% took away %your% star %time%%userName% promoted %your% comment in %postName%%time%%userName% demoted %your% comment in %postName%%time%%userName% replied to %your% comment in %postName%%time%Congratulations, %youAre% a commenter! %userName% approved %you% %time%%youHave% lost your commenter status. %userName% took away %your% approval %time%%youAre% banned. %userName% has banned %you% %time%%youHave% been banned by %userName% for your comment on %movedfromtitle%. %movetomessage% %time%%youHave% been suspended for one week by %userName% for your comment on %movedfromtitle%. %movetomessage% %time%%youHave% been warned by %userName% for your comment on %movedfromtitle%. %movetomessage% %time%