Monday, February 4, 2008
Rep
11:30PM Tamar Weinberg | Two years ago on Lifehacker, you learned some basic reputation management techniques and can now control the message that Google says about you. More »
Download the best hands-on demos and talks from Linux.conf.au
1:53PM Sarah Stokely | Linux.conf.au is done and dusted for another year, and being the caring and sharing open source types that they are, they’ve kindly recorded all the talks and tutorials which were given to share with the world wide web. You can browse the topics and download them here – OGG is the video, SPX is the audio. If you’re in a Windows environment, you can use the open source app VLC to view the OGG files.
Of particular interest to the Lifehacker crowd would be:
An Introduction to Open Source Animation by Elizabeth Garbee (video file, audio file)
Create your own open source dance mat by Tamara Olliver(video file, audio file)
Joining Second Life to the Real World by Jonathan Oxer (video file part 1, video file part 2)
I was really bummed to have missed Jonathan Oxer’s Second Life tutorial because of a scheduling clash. I’m so glad it’s online! Basically he shows you how to spend around $55 on some hardware which will let you use control objects in Second Life and use Second Life to make changes in the real world! Here’s the synposis to tell you more about how it works:
“This tutorial will show specific techniques and examples for linking
real-world objects into the Second Life environment so that changes in
the real world can be reflected in SL and vice versa. Examples will
include a virtual letterbox in SL that shows whether your physical
letterbox contains mail and a virtual thermostat in SL that controls a
real air conditioner. Participants will have the option of either
providing their own parts or purchasing a bundled kit for about $55
which will include an Arduino microcontroller that will be used during
the tutorial to create a custom hardware interface to control objects
in SL, and allow SL objects to control devices and appliances in the
real world.”
More » Treat yourself without breaking your budget
1:29PM Sarah Stokely | If you’re trying to live within a budget – especially if you’re trying to pay off debt or save up for a big purchase, it can feel like you’re scrimping all the time.
If you’ve ever fallen off the diet wagon you know that depriving yourself of something for long enough can cause you to splurge. Like dieting, when you budget you need to find ways to treat yourself while still sticking to the rules – otherwise you’ll splurge and ruin all your hard work.The Get Rich Slowly blog has some good suggestions for how to avoid frugality burnout:
Cut yourself some slack. “If your budget is so tight that you
feel deprived, you run the risk of giving up altogether. As long
as your remain focused on you goal, it’s okay to take a break from
time-to-time. Just don’t overdo it. (Buying a DVD is a good way to blow
off steam; buying a new HDTV is not.)”
Treat it like a game. “This is one of my favorites. I find
that it’s so much easier to practice frugality when I make a game of
it.” This was an awesome suggestion – here’s a couple of tricks I use: How much fruit and veg can I buy at the local farmer’s market for $20? How many unnecessary purchases can I weed out of my shopping basket?
Another one that works for me is finding ways to replace buying with borrowing. The obvious example is borrowing books from the library rather than buying them. I used to love requesting new releases from the library – sometimes there would be a queue of people waiting for the book, but getting a card from the library telling me my loan had arrived really was just as exciting as getting a note from Amazon saying my book had arrived.
Got any tips for enjoying life on a budget? Please share in comments.
More » Portable
12:45PM Sarah Stokely | Lifehacker alumnist Rick Broida has blogged about how to use a cheapy HDD enclose to turn your old laptop hard drive into a portable USB drive: “For 11 bucks you can get yourself a terrific little portable hard drive for transferring files, on-the-fly backups, and so on. Sweet.” More »Google Docs
12:21PM Sarah Stokely | Looks like offline access to Google Docs might be on the way according to screenshots posted by Blogoscoped. Google has already started building offline access into apps using Google Gears – but so far the big G has only built offline access into Google Reader. More »
How to be a social success at parties
11:17AM Sarah Stokely | Whether you’re mingling with people at a birthday party, or attending a professional networking event, you rely on similar social networking skills. It’s definitely a learned skill, and you’ll get better with practise.
The Global Nerdy blog had some nice pointers – the main one being “Be
more of a host and less of a guest” – you’ll find it’s much easier to
get along at social events if you make the social effort rather than
waiting for someone to come up and talk to you. Here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way: More » Save money by buying last season’s football boots now
10:53AM Sarah Stokely | If your kid is playing football this winter, go buy them
some boots NOW!
The new 2008 edition boots haven’t made it onto sports store shelves yet, which means they still have 2007 boots in stock and they’re selling them cheap to make space for this year’s footy
fashions, according to our favourite geek dad and sometime Lifehacker reader, Simon:
“You’ll save a lot. I bought a pair for $21 last
weekend!
And I get the satisfaction of knowing my kid will start
training in boots that fit and do not deform his feet, which, let’s face
it, old boots would do if he started under 7’s in his under 6 boots!”
Thanks for the tip, Simon! More » 
Get eBay and Craigslist Spelling Ideas with TypoBuddy
10:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Craft your eBay or Craigslist advertisements for people who are likely to misspell words or find great deals on expensive items by capitalising on sellers’ misspellings. TypoBuddy is a website that performs a variety of searches on both eBay and Craigslist based on all possible spelling combinations and makes it easy for you to dig for great discounts. The simple search will show nearly every misspelling in the alphabet, but if you drill down to the Advanced search, you’ll be able to fine-tune your searches to include typos with numbers and/or to exclude search terms of your choosing. You can also narrow down your search to specific price ranges or view listings on Craigslist that have pictures only (or Buy it Now! items on eBay). If you’re in desperate need for a product and are looking to save big, TypoBuddy should be your first stop. TypoBuddy More »
Hack Your Way to Better Sleep
9:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Blogger Tim Ferriss has spent over a decade studying sleep optimisation and has discovered five effective means of getting the sleep you need when you need it. Right before you go to sleep, you should consume 150-250 calories of low-glycemic index foods (e.g. lowfat yogurt or an orange). Treat your meal schedule just as you’d treat your sleep schedule: keep it regular. Ferriss also suggests that ice baths can bring upon sleep, but beware of the consequences. The result: it’s like getting hit with an elephant tranquilizer. Don’t expect it to be pleasant at first. If you have difficulty falling asleep at night, avoid reading non-fiction right before bed. Also, plan your to-do list early in the afternoon so that you’re not preparing late at night and adding to stress right before sleep. How do you prepare for that much-needed rest? Thanks, James! Relax Like a Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep [The Four Hour Workweek] More »
