To celebrate this year’s Melbourne Cup, TCL is offering one of our readers the chance to win a brand new 50-inch 4K UHD TV valued at $1000. To be in the running, all you need to do is ask Lifehacker a question that you desperately want answered — too easy!
As the proud TV partner of the Melbourne Cup for the eleventh year running, TCL is offering one Lifehacker reader the chance to win a TCL U50E5800FS 4K UHD Smart TV valued at $1000. From the horse’s mouth:
What better way to watch “The Race That Stops A Nation” than on one of TCL’s newest 4K UHD TVs, which boasts a 3840×2160 ultra high definition resolution, as well as brand new high-speed core and graphic processing chips for an unrivalled viewing experience.
The Prize
The TCL U50E5800FS 4K UHD Smart TV is a 50-inch Ultra high-definition TV that boasts a native resolution of 3840×2160 pixels. [RRP: $1000.]
Other product highlights include new high-speed quad core and graphic processing chips, inbuilt WiFi and PVR functionality, four HDMI ports, a new Android operating platform, an updated App store and Go Live 2.0, which provides access to hundreds of popular global TV channels.
How To Enter
To enter, simply ask us a question that you desperately want answered in the comments section below. It could be a health issue, a technology woe, a relationship dilemma or anything in-between. The question that we deem the most interesting will win the prize and will be answered in a future Ask Lifehacker post. (We will also be answering many of the questions that didn’t win the prize.)
The competition is open to registered Lifehacker members and guest readers alike — just make sure you include your email in the relevant field so we can reach you in the event that you win.
Competition Details
• Competition closes 12pm AEST on 30 October 2015. Winners will be announced on site / contacted via email within 24 hours.
• Entry open to all residents of Australia. Full terms and conditions.
Comments
247 responses to “[Closed] Competition: Ask Lifehacker A Question And Win A 50-Inch TCL 4K UHD Smart TV!”
Which five food items would you recommend if someone could only live off these, plus water, while remaining as healthy as possible?
Dear LH,
I have just tried to unsubscribe from a marketing email from a business who I have previously bought some items from in-store. However, when I clicked the unsubscribe link it took me to a page informing me that I have been subscribed to another email marketing service and since then I have been receiving at least one spam email every 20 minutes from this new list. Is there any recourse against this business for providing a dodgy unsubscribe link? I have tried speaking to them, but their response was essentially: “Serves you right for trying to unsubscribe, sucker”.
Thanks,
Badgered Bajar
Find a way to automatically redirect all emails from @paininthearsestore.com.au back to [email protected]
let the fun begin…in an infinite loop.
I used to do this with chained Yahoo+Bigfoot redirections.
Power of infinite multiplication > infinite loops.
Update: if you’re on Gmail – https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10957?hl=en
What main things could new immigrants do to ensure a smooth transition into living in Australia?
Perhaps you should reframe the question:
What are the main things I could do to ensure new immigrants have a smooth transition to living in Australia?
Is there a difference in efficiency at burning calories when exercising on an empty stomach as opposed to a full stomach?
No
These days we back up our data from all of our devices (laptops, phones, desktops, tablets and everything else) onto network attached storage drives. What is a good strategy for keeping this data safe when network attached hard drives are just as susceptible to failure as our other devices? How do we back up our backups?
Detox diets – good for you or just another pseudo-science? Does your body really build up toxins that affect you health and does a detox get rid of them?
My Daughter ( In grade 4, age 9 ) is quite shy and reserved but is able to socialise and make friends just the same. Recently all the girls in her year 4 class were invited to a birthday party for one of the girls in her class and she was made the exception. I can understand there are limits to attendees for a party but to invite all but one girl in a class, in my opinion is tantamount to bullying. The birthday girl apparently made a big deal of this as well and my daughter, whilst I’m certainly a biased party is a lovely, loving and caring little girl whom often goes out of her way to help others and is always considerate of other peoples feelings. How do I approach this with my daughter and what, if anything, should I say to the parents of the birthday girl ? Am I perhaps over-reacting in considering this a form of bullying ?
i have 2 year old daughter and my heart broke a little when i read this post…
Give the TV to bdh…an amazing question
That is so mean. It’s the parents fault. The parents are the ones who made this possible. You can’t get her an invite as the girl has already made this a public issue.
You can only take your daughter out for the best weekend ever at the same time – inviting one of her non-school friends.
Yes you are VERY much over-reacting… wtf kind of entitled BS is that.
Here’s some advise, sit your Daughter down and explain that this is how life is, you wont be included in everything, don’t expect to be and don’t complain when your not… seriously… how is this even a question you consider asking??
Dont get me wrong your daughter is probably a lovely girl, but don’t expect everyone to like her because you do.
Your probably just trolling, but… I’ll take the bait. I think your completely missing the point here, whilst I agree that the daughter should not feel she has a right to be there, any child faced with a similar situation, would probably ask the question: “Why haven’t I been invited, and everyone else has?” Sitting the daughter down and just saying: “this is how life is” doesn’t cut it in my book, relational aggression is a form of bullying, and I would suggest this situation be looked at by the parent in a more general manner ignoring the ‘event’ and talking to the child about her social environment in general, you’ll probably find this is not an isolated event, and she may need help or guidance (from a parent) navigating through the feelings she no doubt will have (this does not mean trying to minimize the pain) Oh, and from experience, children often wield their birthday party invite lists as weapons….
I’m a Mum to three daughters and a Teacher, so I see all the time the big deal children put on their parties, it starts as a form of getting what they want even at Preschool – “If you don’t let me play with your toy you’re not coming to my party”, even when the party has already occurred. I think not inviting one child from the class is pretty obvious, and as a parent I think you could speak to the birthday girls parents – would be interesting to see their reason for supporting this, but ultimately be there for your daughter. Never let her loose sight of things that matter in life.
Why do some games only exclusive to certain gaming console like Halo to Xbox?
Easy, they pay for it or they own the company that makes the game. 343 is owned by Microsoft 🙂
Some of my friends have decided not to upgrade to Windows 10 due to security concerns, and the fact that Microsoft can change their terms and conditions at any stage and start charging you by the month to keep using Windows 10. What is your recommendation for selecting an operation system that wont charge by the month, and wont force you to login using biometrics?
What is the best progression path to teach a child how to ride a bicycle, starting at 18 months?
Balance bike.
The T&Cs says that it starts on 3:15pm AEST – and it’s only 3:03pm AEST. So it hasn’t started yet – those people who have already posted a question aren’t eligible according to the rules.
Lifehacker, are you getting AEST mixed up with AEDT? AEST is Brisbane time. AEDT is Sydney time.
So that’s midday Brisbane time on Friday the 30th? Midnight is 12am, right?
Dear Lifehacker,
We are moving into our house soon and have come up against a wall when trying to establish our rights to build a deck, namely that it seems to run across several government organisations and also in our area we need to consider BAL levels for fire retardent materials. How large a deck can I build without needing approval and what materials can I use to meet various BAL levels?
Cheers,
juststu82 (confused but finally a home-owner)
I think it’s not classified as a deck if it has a concrete underlay. But it may vary depending on council.
As a rough rule of thumb – never engage council in anything you don’t need to when there is a significantly low chance of being called on it.
Hi,
I recently received an email from the managing director of my work, praising me for a job well done at a client meeting.
Usually most people would be quite happy with this, however I am unsure how to reply outside of a simple thank you email. My direct manager (also a director of the company) was included in the email, and I feel that a response with a return compliment would be too much ‘patting ourselves on the back’.
I am relatively new to the position, so still a bit green and definitely was not expecting this.
What is the best way to respond, and also conduct myself around the directors and other employees?
Thanks!
Do flat feet really cause issues in children?
With increasing coverage of data collection not only from private companies but now also our own government, what can a person do to try to manage or even attempt to understand the scope of data collected from them? Can you ever truly opt out or remove your name from company databases?
That’s probably the main question, because even as an IT professional I really probably have no idea just exactly how much information about me is out there in big data land. Companies like Facebook and Google give you an idea that they collect data, but I think deep down we all know it’s probably more than we realise and we don’t fully trust these companies, especially with the Snowden leaks putting people on alert about this issue. I also know as a system administrator that even within my own company once users leave, a footprint of them is left behind and backed up forever. How could the average person be expected to know what they’re getting into, with how prevalent big data and data collection is becoming? What does the future look like in this area, and is there anything that can be done about it to make it more transparent? Is it even a problem?
I find this deeply interesting and actually kind of scary so I hope you guys do too, cause I don’t own a TV and I really would love one now I’m moving house and getting a lounge room haha!
Dear Lifehacker,
I’ve been reading your stuff for a while and was wondering what lies in the future for yourselves are you comfortable where you are now, or do you have a business plan to evolve and expand into television ? youtube? etc…
Thanks
bobsmob
Dear Lifehacker,
Assuming that someone has thanked you for providing a life changing answer to their question about a topic, what would this most memorable article of yours be? 🙂
Cheers,
K
Dear Lifehacker,
If I have to trick you, I would like to ask you another question
What question would you like me to ask you that will win this TV for me? 😛
Cheers,
K
Dear LH,
I’m looking at studying via distance next year – I haven’t studied since high school so keen to do a lower certification and see if I’m cut out for higher education. I’m looking at a business course, probably a Diploma of Business.
Can you tell me what sort of tools I’ll need to start adapting to full time work and part-time distance study? Any tips for parents of kids returning to study? I’d like to set myself up for success.
Cheers,
Gwen
What are some of the hidden costs of buying and moving into a new house?
Dear LH,
I have a personal website and want to make it HTTPS, but I have no idea where to start! I have some shared hosting and a domain, with content already in place on http. Please help!
You need to buy an SSL certificate and a dedicated IP. Your host can do this for you.
What are some good kits / projects to start with experimenting in the “Internet of Things”?
Hey LH,
I have been trying to device between a UHD TV or a HD Projector when I finally bite the bullet and do a proper media center upgrade.
At the moment the TV is only really used for plex, netflix and some light gaming.
What are the pros and cons of the two options? What would you recommend?
What things should i consider while choosing an engagement ring?
This is a pretty good article on the topic….
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/07/01/the-ultimate-guide-to-buying-the-perfect-engagement-ring/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5kWu1ifBGU this should accurately explain which to get
How do we battle the gaming addiction? 10 ways/steps to overcome this problem.
What is the best phone game that doesn’t require an internet connection?
Dear LH,
I have a couple of old PlayStation2’s laying around. Nowadays, with everyone having a home network, flat screen tv’s, etc (these were a non-event when the PS2 first dropped), are there any other cool uses for these reliable boxes of fun? I remember there was a way you could run Linux on them? Perhaps a torrent server? An NTP server? A weather display unit? A firewall or proxy server? I don’t know! It has a CPU, and network interface, anything could be possible. Give me some ideas! Cheers! Big ears!
Ocean.
The company I work for was very recently sent an Email explaining that there will be no pay increases, staff cuts will happen, savings must happen etc.
My question is why aren’t CEO’s or Board of Directors or whoever the first to ever put their hands up to say “I’ll be the first to take a pay cut for the company”?????
After all the buck stops with them and it’s because of their decisions that they have to cut staff etc. It’s an overseas company and I know the CEO is earning over 3 millions dollars a year plus shares but he isn’t taking a pay cut. If he took a cut of 50% he could afford to hire more employees, give pay rises etc. The employees are the true assets and they are the ones that bring the money in. Sorry, feeling annoying (politely putting it) about this and how they never are the first to take a cut
Because my friend, unfortunately that is capitalism.. while we do not agree with it there is nothing you or I can do… 🙁
There are different types of CEOs. The fly by night CEOs are the ones you need to watch. They typically stay less than 5 years. They are focused on their own pay packet and a notch for their resume. Longer term CEOs generally look after the best interests of shareholders, but may be holding on for retirement – so not really interested in rocking the boat.
Dear lifehacker.
Recently i was made aware that a certain fast food chain was serving a drink which was grapefruit flavoured however they re-branded it as something different and ignored the fact that it was grapefruit at all, now i know this drink will more or less contain 0.00000001% of anything grapefruit however my issue with this is many people are on medication where grapefruit actually causes problems when mixed with it. immunosuppressants for instance can have quite bad reactions with grapefruit so pretty much anyone who has had an organ transplant is unable to drink it.
Should people be made aware of this sorts of things before hand similar to a nut warning? sure there are probably more people allergic to nuts than people who have had transplants but it could be of a bad consequence if someone was to drink/eat something that does not have a warning for something like this. Yes i am aware that if we do it for this then we have to do it for countless other things and it just gets messy but surely they should have to let you know what some of the ingredients are.
Regards
My partner and I are looking to move interstate early in the new year. I have a small scholarship and my partner has started looking for work in the new city. We have a mortgage but a reasonable amount of equity in our house. However, the house doesn’t suit our stage of life at the moment. My question is: should we sell the house now, bank the money and buy something once I start work again or should we rent the house out (we expect we could charge rent that would cover the repayments) and wait until we are both working and settled in our new city? What about moving to an interest-only loan? I should add that while we have equity, we don’t have a lot of other financial resources due to limited income over the last few years.
Why is it so hard to choose the right choices in life (to exercise/eating habits/relationship decisions etc) even though the benefits are so evident?
Dear LH,
So with dieticians, nutritionists etc saying we need x servings of fruit and veg and x amount of vitamins, minerals etc. What is an achievable completely balanced, healthy daily diet that really makes sure you get enough of everything you need in a day with a meat based diet, and a vegetarian diet in comparison?
Regards,
BB
I’m a student about to enter uni, and the question I have is, how can we expect anyone picking a university degree to think about their career (something we’re constantly asked to do) given that we’re also repeatedly told that many jobs we will work “do not exist yet”.
Considering those two things, how can career-minded young people make informed choices about their education, given that uncertainty about any sort of jobs in the future?
Dear LH,
I’ve been attending a lot of live music for the last 10 or so years, and it’s starting to take a toll on my ears. I understand that ears never recover once damaged (Why?), but I can’t hear half the band if I wear ear plugs. Can you recommend the best set of ‘musician’ ear plugs, so I can continue to enjoy myself, but not damage my hearing?
Thanks
I’m an atheist (or ‘practising’ nontheist, as I never call myself). Some of my closest friends and colleagues are devoutly religious, and oftentimes (particularly after a few drinks) the topic of religion rears its head.
My question is: how do I contribute to this conversation in a respectful way, without being dismissive or belittling?
I concede there’s an awful lot I don’t know, and likely never will know about the nature of the universe; but Noah’s ark? Water to wine?! Adam and Eve?!?
See?…I’m doing it again.
Beliefs only get in the way when imposed on others. You have opposing views. The more you debate your views, the more entrenched the positions will become. You just have to bite your tongue and take the opportunity to learn the beliefs by osmosis. Generally the beliefs are there to roll up to a common goal of being ‘a good person’. Recognising this will make it more palatable.
Never be a smug atheist. It harms religious evolution.
I appreciate your response, zenu.
You’re completely right…there’s nothing worse than a smug atheist. Being staunchly, devoutly anything (including an atheist) is, to my mind, a recipe for disastrous conversation. It’s the human condition to seek answers to what might forever be unanswerable questions. My frustration comes when people cease their journey of discovery, replacing this instead with faith; be that religious or secular.
I consider myself quite well read in regards to the major religions; and I’m always very keen to learn more. I find the Bible as a document fascinating; and the history of the Bible perhaps even more-so. However, I firmly believe given how little we know (and I use that word purposely) there’s no other place to sit but on the fence.
Again, you’re right in asserting that stripped of their differences, most modern religions boil down to a general sense of goodness. However, it’s also important to recognise that religion doesn’t have a monopoly over morality. All religions were created by man, and any inherint goodness in it was born from man. Now, I am obviously not a religious person; but I strive to be a good person – not because I believe I will be rewarded in the next life; but because I want to contribute to and benefit from a world in which ‘good’ is our neutral state of being.
Hey, I agree. We are all born with no sense of religion. Religion is learned.
Religion is not a rational decision. It’s an emotional decision. Formed based on family ties/traditions, hope and past sunk cost/effort. It would be almost unbearable for someone to admit something (their religion) was fantasy when it’s such a big part of their lives. Kind of like – “Your mother isn’t really your mother – she’s just someone we hired because your mum didn’t like you when you were born.” OUCH!
I’ve got to admit…I’ve never thought about it that way. I like the cut of your jib, zenu.
Remind them that to them you might seem to be just an atheist but to God you are the “Loyal Opposition”. And if that fails remind them that heaven is hotter than hell.
What’s the healthiest breakfast i can take with me on the train?
Hi Lifehacker, what are some of the best tips for moving interstate in Australia? What sort of pitfalls should I be looking out for?
I run a blog with a few ads on it. The income is minimal and it generally all goes back into the operation of the site (hosting costs, products for giveaways etc). I guess I’ve got a few questions but they all come under the subject of “What should I do if my blog makes money?”
Should I get an ABN, register a business name?
Do I need to declare any income on my tax?
If I have to declare the income then what about the expenses?
At what point does the answer to any of those questions change?
Dear Lifehacker,
What would be the easiest way to move out of home? What options are there out there to help young people get a start, and is any support available for the transition?
Thanks!
HI Lifehacker
I have never picked the winner of the Melbourne Cup, the odd second or third, but never the winner. So I would really like to know the winner of this years race. Preferably before it is run!
Any good ways to keep a level head or resolve problems when bureaucracy takes over a project you’re passionate about?
Dear Lifehacker,
Recently it was announced in Parliament that they would be reviewing credit card fees and superannuation. Regarding the super changes I currently work for a QLD Council (Local Government) and unlike most of the working public, i’m forced to use their super provider LG Super (Local Government super).
My Question is will I finally be able to choose my super fund? Because as it stands I have 2 super funds, The one I want to be in with 50k and the one i’m forced to use and roll over every 12 months.
Thanks!
That answer is contained in your (1) employment contract and (2) fund trust deed. You have complete portability / choose-your-own under Australian law, with the exception of defined benefit arrangements that are linked to your employment and generally defined by years of service and salary. These are usually beneficial in terms of the payout, with the downside being lack of flexibility which comes from the unfunded nature of the scheme.
The annual rollover is obviously inconvenient but you would be giving up an entitlement right?
“You have complete portability / choose-your-own under Australian law”
Thanks for you answer, in most cases you are correct; Unfortunately there are several industries where that does not apply, at least in QLD Local govt is one of them, and I believe the govt is introducing changes to fix this.
Edit: And to extend on that I have been told it is a State govt law, But i’m no lawyer so I do not know how correct that last statement is..
Yeah, you’re in the tied-to-employment basket. I’m not a lawyer, but can tell you the operative part of the legislation is here, as a requirement on where your contributions are directed….
http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_act/lga2009182/s220.html
So unfortunately you work for an organisation that has both a desire for cash flows and assets and the ability to legislate things such as where compulsory cash flows should end up.
I doubt there is anything you can do since it’s legislated on the payer side, however your best bet – as dumb as it sounds – is to google maps the closest independant financial planner office nearest to your council offices and ask them.
No better expert in tax claims for Army personnel better than the tax agent closest to base.
Is there a web publishing solution that detects if you are attempting to publish US currency or measurements under an Australian domain and automatically converts these for you?
Dear LH,
I have a $1000 budget and I like gaming, but i have no idea if ! should buy a laptop or a PC! I don’t know what spec do I need to be able to play this year’s games on normal quality. Please help!!!
Go PC unless you like slow games. For that amount you won’t be able to get a decent gaming laptop unless you buy second hand and what you’re paying for is portability, a waste if it’s just going to sit on your desk. You are also limited to the kinds of upgrades you can do, for example you can’t easily change out a graphics card, all you can do is add more ram usually. There’s websites out there to help you build a PC, the most important things are your graphics card, your power source, mother board, RAM, hard drives, and the actual processor.
Go to reddit.com/r/buildapc and state exactly what you want, the experts will quote you the piece by piece components you need to buy.
Every so often I come up with ideas for products/services that I think are needed and unique to what we have today. I can’t say I have ever had any experience developing a product or service aside from being a small cog in someone else’s bigger project so my question is this. How can I go about getting a product/service started as my own innervation? I used to use the Quirky platform to express and build my ideas however this is no longer possible.
Dear Lifehacker (and everyone else).
My brother is a junkie, and not a very nice one. For the last thirty odd years of my life he’s done nothing but bully me; whenever my mother is out of the room he tells me how fat and ugly and pathetic I am, how I should just kill myself. He’s worse with me than anyone else, but he’s still awful to other people, including my mother. He still lives with my mother and recently I decided that he’s too dangerous to take my daughter there because he’s become violent.
My mother is delusional when it comes to him. I told her what he had done last time and her response was to get mad at me, tell me that I’m to blame for some of it (because I am the only person that doesn’t pretend that everything is okay when he is behaving like a rational person). She talks about how he’s getting out of control, then talks about how deep down he’s a really good person. Talks about the good things that she thinks that he is going to do, she imagines a future for him that he’s never going to have because he doesn’t want it.
The question then is this – how do you get someone to realise that they’re in an abusive relationship when they flat out refuses to see what is really going on?
What is the best solution to keep all my photos and documents safe in case of hardware faults/theft/fire etc. Especially with a focus on the various cloud storage solutions.
Dear Lifehacker,
I think we may have a lot in common, so my question is: What would YOU do with a sweet, sweet TCL U50E5800FS 4K UHD Smart TV ?? 🙂
Dear LifeHacker,
I’m currently a student studying Film & TV Production. Do you think I should focus my sights on moving to the USA for film work in the future, or stay grounded in Australia’s film industry?
Cheers,
Connor
Hi Connor,
London has a very large TV/Film industry with lots of opportunities for someone who works hard to make their way in, plus you can get a working holiday visa without much stress. Bear in mind that when you eventually get back to Australia you won’t have many local contacts.
Phone insurance, is it worth it? and who is best to go with?
With so many different worthwhile causes (reducing poverty, research into brain cancer, education, health, and so on), how do I decide where to donate to?
Is it worth building your own gym vs commercial gyms?
How can you prove you exist?
What’s the best way to have a common contact list shared across all of my family members?
It seems silly that we all have to maintain many of the same contacts, addresses, phone numbers, birthdays etc. A way of filtering/grouping/excluding contacts that only apply to one person would be a bonus.
We are all gmail users, and would prefer to stay that way.
Dear Lifehacker,
I want to buy a TV for gaming to use with my [current gen console] but am confused. What are the important numbers? What do they mean? How do I buy a TV that gets the best out of my console?
Dear Lifehacker,
As an 18 year old currently in my first year of university, the most common thing i’m told by elders is phrases such as “p’s get degrees” and such. What i’d like to know is seriously how much of a difference your marks in university can affect future career prospects and outcomes.
Cheers,
Dion
Are we alone…are we alone in this universe? Are there extra terrestrial life, far and beyond what we know of, of what we can see. Some trillion light years away, could there be a civilisation of living organisms, maybe smaller than us, maybe larger, maybe with more limbs, maybe with more eyes. They might also have technology: TVs, mobile phones, computers, the Internet, satellites flying above their heads. They might have figured that triangles are the best geometric shapes for bridges, the might have realised that gold is a great conductor of electricity to be used in microchips. Maybe they realised that by burning some black substance we call coal, they can produce heat, and electricity. Maybe they’re still primitive, starting out with sticks and stones. The universe is unimaginably large: the aforementioned one trillion light years cannot even compare to the read ever-expanding size of the universe. We sometimes focus on the little things, yes, even an issue that pervades through the entirety of Earth may be little. We sometimes focus so much on the entertainment aspect of life we sometimes forget that one day, out sun will die too. It will expand and swallow Earth in its might heat waves. What then. We might just be another planet in the entirety of the universe.
In the end, we need to realise that all we know, the entirety of human knowledge, is based upon what we have discovered in our local neighbourhood in the universe. And what know so far is a tiny, minuscule, extraordinarily small part of the universe. We know nothing.
So that brings about the question, if we know nothing, do we know that we are alone?
What’s the best way to keep pictures synchronised over multiple PC’s and IOS devices. I can repurpose and old PC into a NAS like machine but I don’t have any budget for a dedicated NAS box. And then I need to get all the pictures from all the phones and iPads (and pc’s) in one area without iTunes if I can. Any idea’s?
Dear LH,
After building IMO a fantastic, eye catching resume, I feel the content of my cover letters let me down. I tend to end up with a cover letter that is far far too long ( and an extension to whats already in my resume) trying to capture relevant skills for the job and/or I can’t get the paragraphs to “gel” together. Is there any techniques that you can offer that would assist in structuring a solid cover letter to go with a great resume?
What is that ugly white slab in my can of beans?
How does shows like a current affair get away with showing shameless advertorials without disclosing that it is a paid advertisement.
For example the weekly aldi advertorial which they try and hide with a couple of useless facts about how expensive the other big two are than put on the lady from bargain hunters and then switch to an aldi story.
If this was in a news paper there would be an advertorial banner above it.
Recently, I had my gallbladder removed as we found out that it wanted to kill me! Whilst I was sick before we worked out the issue , I started to get chronic belching. We had hoped it had gone away by itself after the surgery but it still hasn’t helped. I’ve started working with my doctor to find a solution but it has been so long since I last felt 100% that I am afraid of never feeling that way again… How do I deal with this fear? People say that these things take time but it’s hard to deal with it in the meantime. I’m feeling much better in general, but even the little things can sometimes feel giant.
With regard to 4k UHD tv in general, apart from the lack of original content for such devices, is it worth holding back for additional tech’ such as 10-12bit colour? I think this will be the thing that makes 4k really stand out from the crowd.
My question is one that actually bothers me; does the human race really have a future? Forget nuclear, biological wars and all the other nasties we associate with the end of time, my concern lies in technology and the general apathy of our youth.
I grew up with a firework in one hand and a gun in the other. We’d drive (in big thumping V8s, unlike the fart boxes of today’s kids) to a carpark at night and practice doughnuts and figure 8s , occasionally surfing on a car bonnet for fun. If I got home before midnight most nights it would usually only to grab more cash and head out again. And that was an average week night.
Now, all that’s gone.
Last night I went to a friend’s house (about 10.30pm) and his kid was having a 19th Birthday party out the backyard – 12 boys and 9 girls, roughly. Every last one of them was glued to a mobile phone and apparently they’d been like that all night.
My friend told me when his kids come home they grab and ipad, or their phones and turn into zombies.
I can’t wait to be in a nursing home being cared for by these children, or (probably worse still) their children.
With the dumbing down of the schoold system, the government removing the flavor from life every chance they get (not to mention intruding on our privacy) and children losing the ability to make their own fun, I get the feeling we’ll be welcoming the robotic overlords who will undoubtedly enslave us all. That’s if these kids actuually get off their butts and invent them.
Let’s hope out metal masters are the forgiving kind because once sex bots become a thing I for one will covering new ground – just like I did in the old days. 🙂
What is the difference between all the confusing and similar Dyson models?
Dear life hacker, I recently joined up at the gym (again) and had a few regular weeks of working out, until other things seemed to get in the way of going consistently, and now I haven’t gone in three weeks! How can I stay motivated to keep going after the initial thrill is gone?
I have a cat and a dog and I would love to redo my flooring, but I can’t decide what to go with, based on the following:
* Cat and (little) dog
* Dog has a temperamental back leg that we would like to avoid having to have an operation on…so far, so good…but future floor surface needs to be considered (ie, being slippery or hard on feet/joints…which probably goes for me, too! ;-))
* Not carpet! (see first point! ;-))
* Fits into a budget of $5K or so, ideally!
I think that’s all. I am absolute terrible at making decisions and I’ve not really been able to find much information that takes all of the above into account. If anyone has experiences in this area, I’d love to hear your thoughts. (That’s a win in itself, but since my current TV is turning on with only sound and no picture on occasion lately…the TV prize wouldn’t go astray, either! ;-)) Thanks in advance to anyone who might be able to help me decide! 😀
The competition theme got me thinking about the sort of competitions that ask for a ’25 word or less’ response to a question. Very rarely do you hear what the winning responses are in these situations. Are they generally insightful, humorous, something else? Do they usually use simple sentences or flowery language? Are there any threads that tie the winning contestants together, or are the responses generally picked at random? Do the answers submitted ever actually get used for anything beyond the competition and what makes competition organisers choose this form of entry?
After entering many of these types of competitions and winding up with as many prizes as I started with, I’d love to know the ins-and-outs of these things.
I am out of Ink. Am I better off buying a new printer? Are new printers more efficient?
Love to see a story on this as I would not be the only person in the same boat.
I am a stay at home mother looking to return to the work force next year. My resume is an out of date mess. My past references seem almost obsolete. Where do I start in terms of building up my C V? Help!
I am in the process of looking at purchasing a vag-com usb cable that will support the vcds program for my 132 TSI VW Tiguan (petrol version luckily) to clear and reset trouble codes as well as log engine data. As such, I am looking for alternatives to the genuine Ross-Tech vag-com cables as the price is quite steep and have stumbled across vag-com usb cables from as little as $25 on Aliexpress that states it will support my car.
Was just wondering whether you can tell me if the cheap cables would perform its functions as stated and whether you would recommend one of these cheap vag-com cables over a genuine Ross-Tech cable which retails for over $500?
Dear Lifehacker, when I was a baby doctors had to operate on me to remove a potentially life-threatening tumour. I’m fine now, but I’m left without an uhh…let’s say an important part of my physiology. It doesn’t affect me at all and I can still do everything expected in an adult relationship, but things look a little different. How do I tell my romantic partners that I have a weird body deformity?
SURELY this is the most interesting question. I want that tv.
Dear Lifehacker,
I’ve often wondered the limitations and legality of driving in a bus lane on Australian roads; often it can be convenient in built up traffic as an easy way into the side street I need to go down! Is this legal? How far can I go before breaking at law? And as a side note, what warrants being considered a bus? (my mate is convinced his large bus-looking van passes) Thanks LH!
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Kidding. With our Australian currency so low, what things you would recommend for an average Australian to take advantage of, such as shopping, domestic/international holidays, Australian/International investment and properties?
Thanks, Rox
Dear LH,
I was diagnosed later in life with Aspergers (an Autism Spectrum Disorder) and at the age of 38, besides my immediate family, I have told very few people.
While my condition is mild in many symptomns (mostly due to a develop life skills and behaviour awareness). I still suffer with anxiety, below average social skills, sleep problems, and a high sensitivity to sight/sounds/smells.
I find it extremely difficult to explain or teach others of my condition without losing myself to my own anxiety before hand or just as I start to talk, or awkwardly avoiding any conversation even when people notice a trait or behavior that I call an “Aspie moment”. I also fear that mentioning Aspergers in such conversations people will lead to them jumping on “Dr Google” will read about stuff that isnt characteristic of my own experiences with the condition, or reading something completely wrong.
Any advice on explaining mental health conditions to others (friends, coworkers, employers etc), good sources for advice etc ? and / or how best to approach an employer about this condition and what to avoid if necessary to avoid undue/unsubstantiated bias from other sources/ignorance?
What are some cheap investment options to get started with investing?
What are some good options to start working from home?
Dear LH,
Due to technological advancements and societal trends, which types of careers are at most risk of becoming obsolete in the near future? Equally, what are the growth industries that students should be considering to ensure they will be in high demand after graduation and throughout their career?
I suffer from “Hyperhidrosis” where my body tends to sweat more than usual (esp. my palms and feet) which makes me look nervous at times in social situations (while shaking hands, during an interview etc) when I’m actually fine. On the other hand the feeling that my palms my start sweating at any time make me anxious in such situations as well at times. It is what some people would call a cosmetic disorder. I have tried a few treatments including using anti-perspirants lotions and sprays and Iontophoresis but this problem has stayed with me and is making life in general just plain difficult. Can you help find a solution to my problem ?
What do you do when you get ass splashed when taking a dump in a public toilet?
I recently had a grievance with an airline and was seeking compensation for a cancelled flight. The Airline Customer Advocate, Fair Trading, ACCC and NCAT all said they have no power over international airlines to make them give compensation, even for a flight booked within Australia, leaving from Australia. At tribunal, the presiding Tribunal Member even told me i was right but he had no power to act because the airline operates internationally. Does the Australian consumer have any course of action in cases involving international airlines?
I have tooled up with all the productivity hacks and apps that work for me in my non-day job work. How do I overcome my frustration/modify common hacks/try to change the tools in a workplace that doesn’t allow the software and innovative working methods of productivity hacking?
For example, no text expansion, only MS Office, fixed working hours, etc
Which sets of vitamins could make you age slower?
I have 6 desktops and 5 laptops at home. What is the best and most robust way to keep these computers backed up? I have looked at plugging external drives for each computer and NASes, but I am not sure what is the best solution and if there are other methods out there.
In terms of your digestive system and with no dietary concerns – what is the best time to eat a pizza; Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, mid evening after a few beers, early morning (2-3AM) after a lot of beers?
Dear Lifehacker,
What is the remedy for hay fever? My hay fever has been really bad every spring.
Thank you.
Is there any difference between NBN speeds and Cable?
Hi Lifehacker,
Do you think if we made food and water free and readily available for every single human on this planet, that people would be less selfish, or more?
I think we’d be less selfish because we won’t have the pressure to provide the basics which may lead us to do selfish and/or violent things out of fear of surviving (consider those less fortunate than us across the globe). I think it would allow humanity to move up a gear and focus on greater things at hand (which is an incredibly exciting thought). Maybe it’s just my rose-coloured glasses though, so over to you!
So, tell me, after being married for 18 years, if I buy (or win) a TCL 50″ 4K TV, is there any way to retain control of the remote when my wife is home?
Are Tcl any good? What is the brands best selling points over higher end brands?
Hi lifehacker,
What’s the deal with these i3, i5 and i7 cores? Where are there so many different types of each and what difference do they make? We always see them around and we usually assume a higher number is good, but what does it really mean?
Why do mobile phone/tablet/laptop makers keep treating ‘their’ customers as fools by putting in underperfoming batteries, ‘non-removable’ ones at that most times, and ‘still’ charge premium prices?
Hi lifehacker, I have been looking to upgrade from my ATV3, I use this to watch movies via plex on my NAS (I have rerouted the trailers app to look at the plex via plex connect), my NAS processor power is not good enough to transcode MKVs, which means I have to convert to mp4 before loading it on my NAS. So I am looking for a streambox (nexus, atv, roku etc) that can direct play mkv files by Plex?
Thanks 🙂
How can we as a whole become less polluting with the means that we get our energy resources and with the way restaurants/supermarkets throw away perfectly edible food?
Is it more difficult to live an ‘off the grid’ lifestyle in Australia?
Hi LH,
I am curious to know the tips of tipping on horse races. Some say it is basic home work on the progress of the horses but I think there is another aspect to it. Can you please share your thoughts on it?
Thanking you.
Are budget 4K televisions really worth the money? Am I better waiting until the price of things comes down, or is a $1000 4K TV a worthwhile purchase? Given a great picture comes down to more than just the display resolution, are these cheaper ones sacrificing all the other great-picture elements for something that looks worse than my current Full HD plasma, just with more pixels – just like an overly compressed JPEG?
I started a new job 18 months ago at a small business, about 12 months in I realised I was not being paid my superannuation. I emailed the boss and he was outraged and accused payroll of having down this before etc… A few weeks passed when i checked again to realise only a small portion had been deposited, I was then told that this was to make sure that the account details were correct, the rest would be cleared. I had 1 more payment for about 6 months worth and thats been it. I am currently 11 months behind (paid up until 31 Dec 14), which I understand is illegal? I read that it was supposed to be paid minimum every 3 months and no later than 30 days after the 3 month period. Also i never get pay slips and have no idea about my leave entitlements. I was told about 2 months ago that a tax return was due and everything would be fixed up. Whilst I’ve probably come out ahead due to the recent share market pull back, i’m a bit worried that this has gone on too long. Can you help with advice on how to best handle this? I don’t want to leave as I like the job and it pays well (except for the super!).
Thanks
Dear Lifehacker,
I have long been interested and curious to investments and clever purchasing of stocks. I have little knowledge on how to go about good investment however. I have read various blogs, and articles (including an old post by yourselves about getting started), but what I would really like to know is in regard to trustworthy methods of building my stocks. Are there any techniques, websites, agents, stockbrokers etc that you would consider trustworthy of my hard earned dollars?
Cheers,
LFS
Hi,
What can I do if I’ve been scammed on Gumtree? Is it possible to take legal action?
Thank you.
How do I tell my boss that he needs to “lift his game”?
what sort of diet is recommended for severe eczematic skin?
How is science able to determine if all humans sense the visual world in the same way. Maybe my brain’s interpretation of orange is different than your brain’s interpretation. I have always assumed that they must be able to, considering they can detect colour blindness and that synaesthesia is a thing.
When I’ve got an esky full of ice and beer and the ice is slowly melting, what is optimum for keeping the beer cold; pour out the melted water or leave it in?
Leave it in. Its the cold water that’s doing the real cooling. You could add some salt to super chill the water if you want but that’s extra work.
I’m travelling to a country that is known for having a high level of street crime, what can I do to keep myself and my things safe? (preferably while still enjoying the benefits of technology like taking awesome photos and having access to Google)
How should I ask my girlfriend’s father for permission to marry his daughter? How should I pop the question?
Dear Lifehacker.
In a town with very little advertised work i need to walk around to hand out resumes or call businesses to see if they have any work going.
could you possibly give me any advice on how to find a part time or full time job. because casual work at supermarkets wont really pay the bills when you only get 1 or 2 shifts a week.
Solar or Wind Power. Which is more efficient for the home user? Is the Tesla PowerWall any good?
What is the most entertaining comments thread that you can recall on this site?
Would you like to swing on a star or carry moonbeams home in a jar?
(or would you be better off as you are?)
Would you rather be a fish?
Am I posting too many questions?
(ok I’ll stop now)
I recently took my family to see one of those travelling circuses that seem to pass through (Perth) at least once a year. Most of the acts were acrobatic and while not at the standard of Cirque de Soleil, were still pretty impressive.
One the surprising things about the circus was that in this day and age they still had quite a few animal acts. They were almost unanimously poor and stood out from the rest of the show in terms of professionalism….most involved a certain animal being lead onto a platform and through a hoop and around again. There was one act which was a cow simply being lead around in a circle – that’s it. Whilst it’s hard to tell how happy the animals were, there was a definite sense of them being dragged around.
Halfway through the show, the circus family patriarch, who was also the ringmaster, launched into a diatribe against certain local councils in Perth which refuse to host the circus on the grounds of animal cruelty. I expected his monologue to end with something along the lines of “…but we have the highest standards of animal care…” etc, but it didn’t. It all made me wonder:
– how is it that circuses with animals can still exist in 2015? and
– why would the policing of such an issue be a local council affair? Shouldn’t that be a national or state issue?
Cheers
Ian
Hi LH, with daylight savings kicking in this month how do critical systems handle the time shift.. Like airports / banks.
You know what, that’s actually an interesting question. The only one so far that I’ve wanted the answer to.
Yeah… like if you have a international flight landing at 3.30am does this mean 3.30 before or after the change? this is when we go from 4am to 3am again
It lands at the time noted on the adjusted clock. Your more interesting question is the banking auditing and reconciling when there are 2 x 2ams for one day. How is this time stamped for auditing?
Hi LH, We now have 4k and even 5k Tv’s pm sales but why is all Free to air tv not shown on FULL HD at least? is it more costly? When will we see Full HD on all the time in our airwaves
Who would I contact in Western Australia to find out about buying a share in a race horse??? Being the Spring Carnival racing season, I’d love to start somewhere.
Am I wasting my time by taking daily vitamin and health type supplements? I take a one a day multi, B12 and high strength fish oil. And i feel like it has zero impact on my day. Should I replace it with something or just stop taking them?
With the recent report from the WHO should I give up eating bacon? Sausages? Red meat?
Dear LH,
Many online services and software are now paid for using the subscription model – often monthly with discounts for taking up annual or “lifetime” subs. The recent IceTV mess saw the majority of customers who had prepaid subscriptions expiring several years from now lose their product…
I notice that many people (https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2457702) have successfully claimed refunds from their credit card provider / paypal. I find this a little strange as the original IceTV company is in administration, so I have no clue how the credit card providers / paypal will get their money back!
What are customers’ “rights” when paying for subscription services in advance?
What are the supplier’s “responsibilities” when taking payment in advance? Are their customers actually creditors until the entire subscription is fulfilled?
What role does the payment provider play in this?
Always been curious about this, especially since I put a cheap dashcam in my car. If I happen to run into the back of someone and they do not have functioning brake or tail-lights and I have that on camera, will they be held accountable, given that generally rear-enders are the fault of the car behind.
Hasn’t happened yet, thank goodness, but the number of cars I see without working brakelights is scary…
Dear LH,
As 4K begins to take center stage in a world still dominated by content released at 1080p, what options do I as an average consumer have to ensure all of my TV related experiences are utilizing all those extra pixels?
Without spending a ton of money on a fancy upscaling device, Is there a streamlined and hassle free way to get things such as my PS4, Chromecast, Netflix, PC, Free-to-air TV, and my DVD Back Catologue (among other things) to all play nicely in glorious 4K? What issues am I likely to run into?
Cheers,
Newto4K
hi LH,
should I stop eating bacon now?
What are some of the more obvious benefits and implications to the average LifeHacker when space travel and settlement becomes the norm?
Every one asks simple question here’s a hard one movies, God, nature, have come up with ultimate world snuff ideas what is the ultimate snuff world event that god, people, movies have missed and can happen in a blink of a eye and existence and we would not now it happened?
Dear Lifehacker,
Many of my friends are constantly susceptible to pseudo-science. Whether it be audio/video cables, ‘health’ magnet bands, alkaline water, thermomixes, you name it ! 😉
I believe somewhat in the placebo effect, in that if they believe it is having a positive result and their mind/body in turn creates some form of positive impact, then very well. But for the money they are forking out, and the constant bombardment of these schemes, where are some good, reliable forums or information sources that one can use to get to the truth behind it all without wasting time trolling through a plethora of sources only to find out that the ‘scientifically’ backed research is skewed to suit their purpose, or in order to further sell a book or system.
I am still amazed that people don’t see the world and science for how amazing it is already, but need to seek out some sort of ‘magic’ to cure their ills.
Thanks for getting me quickly to the source of it all.
Jimmy
How can I stop my dog from running face first to investigate visiting echidnas in the garden? Apparently a face full of spines isn’t a big enough indicator for him that it might not be the best idea…
what popular sports are best for my general health? As someone who sits in fornt of a computer for 50+ hours a week what is best for my general health? Soccer, footy, tennis, etc….
I’d love a clear explanation of caffeine and how much is good/healthy/safe for a typical adult. I love coffee and tea but have moderated my intake for concern of its affect on my health.
What is one brand you would trust entirely with?
My employer has offerred me some flexibility in working hours, so I was wondering, if I’m trying to avoid the heavy Sydney traffic for the commute, am I better off starting early & leaving early (say a 7am to 3pm or 8am to 4pm day ), or starting late and travelling home after the peak (10am to 6pm or 11am to 7pm)?
There’s lots of performance enhancing drugs for sports and physical activities… what can I do to boost my mental activities to give me an edge at work (and elsewhere)??
Sysadmin – Windows 10 takes up to 2 minutes to log a new unique user in for the first time (vanilla install). In a school computer lab where a student would generally use a different machine each time – how can the login time be reduced to an acceptable level?
Dear LH:
I have recently started a new job and I am desperately unhappy. At first the company seemed great, always going out for team lunches. Fun in the office etc, but since starting out Managing Director has been fired and the owner has taken over himself.
Our monthly targets keep getting pushed higher when we hit them and everything is incredibally micro managed.
I have been in sales for 5 years but i am desperate to leave the industry and try something new. Everywhere i look everything needs 3-4+ years experience in the role (even entry level positions are requiring experience!) and even retail wont employ me at 25 years old because they can pay a 15-16 year old a lot less money.
What i want to know is what is the next best step for someone in my position? How do i move to a new industry with little to no experience outside of sales?
Reth
Dear Lifehacker,
What is the best way to combat the anti-Islam morons that are starting to affect the fabric of our multicultural society? People like the Great Aussie ‘Patriot’, and groups like the Reclaim Australia and the UPF, are brain washing the lower echelons of society into believing the biggest issue facing our country is Islamification. Having grown up with a reasonable education and plenty of exposure to real life has gifted me with the knowledge that Mulsims aren’t terrorists, terrorists are terrorists, and they come in all shapes, sizes and creeds. There’s no way we can turn the clock back on educating these excitable folk, and they refuse to listen to facts and reason. How do we deal with these stupid/misguided people?
What age should I start teaching my daughter how to use technology, and are there any good guides on how to approach ?
How can I convince the Australian Government to produce a ‘Leaflet’ outlining all of the Benefits and rebates available to senior citizens? I have absolutely nothing against refugees, in fact I volunteer in teaching English to them, however, the Government is an open book to them on what is available for them to claim,!
All I want is the same consideration be shown to our elderly.
thank you for reading my question.
Comments online (specifically: the ones that appear below news/info articles):
How many should I read? How much value do they really add? Can all comments be grouped into defined categories? If so, what are the categories? How do they differ from face to face discussion? How many actual facts do they contain? (avg?) Can the type of people who comment be grouped? What are the major groups? all very interesting… to me anyway.
Dear Lifehacker,
How can we as Australians, effect real change in our government structure through non violent methods?
i.e. How can we get rid of the system of preferences, and the other systems that grossly benefit those in power. Such that we can have a more democratic government and less corrupt politicians?
My question – when is Melbourne public transport info coming to Google maps?
If our bodies are a constant 98.4 degrees F, why do people complain that their bones ache during cold weather.
What gift I could give to my wife on our first year wedding anniversary?
Its almost 2016! Why aren’t there any comprehensive and accessible smart home systems? Something that can handle access, security, surveillance, and automation all in a single package. The closest off the shelf product I’ve seen is the SwannOne system, but even this has its limitations.
Dear LH,
Religious orientation aside, and taking into account global overpopulation, do you think suicide is morally incorrect?
Why do so many humans require glasses? do other animals suffer from the same poor vision as humans? have the invention of glasses enabled humans to continue having vision problems? (evolutionary speaking)? could wild animals survive with the same vision issues as humans? what would the human race be like had we never invented glasses?
LH,
I am in the process of looking for a new television for both HD movie watching and for playing video games. I am wondering what sort of TV (LED, LCD, Plasma, OLED) and what sort of features (Smart TV, refresh rate, contrast ratio, resolution ect) i should focus on and what the drawbacks would be for these specific functions?
Thanks
BH
Is there any easy way to link all of your email accounts and calendars?
“Dad, how many colours are there?” That was the question asked to me this morning by my 4yr old daughter. How many colours are there, and how many can the human eye actually see? Does colour blindness affect this number?
What is the meaning of life or lifehacker?
Dear Lifehacker,
I’m renovating my house and have heard many horror stories about tradespeople being late, unreliable or doing a poor job.
How do I interact and do business with a tradesperson in the best way possible? What could I do if something goes wrong?
Sony’s phone division is struggling globally. Why is it then that Sony takes so long to get their products to market in Australia? I want to buy one of their handsets that looks great, has near stock Android and good features – but I can only find this handset through grey import! Motorola seems to suffer the same problem with its launch here of the 3rd Gen Moto G. The “shut up and take my money” meme springs to mind. Compare this with companies like Apple, who can get their phones to market here quickly. Is it a reluctance of wholesalers or retailers to hold stock, or is Sony Australia just really bad at what it does?
Why are ADSL upload speeds so much lower than download speeds? And with NBN and FTTN around the corner for most of Australia, will copper still restrict our upload capability at the same type of rates?
Hey LH,
With the birth of my son I’m churning up the iPhone videos of precious moments! However I can appreciate not everyone would want to view hours of baby footage. Therefore what software package would you recommend to edit my videos on my home PC?
do you have a mac? iMovie should be built in.
No just a PC that’s a few year old
What current piece of technology do you think will last the longest into the future before it is redundant?
What are the best hacks when it comes to buying air fares? And which sites have best reputation? Should we be clearing caches in our pcs etc? How can I get the best deal?
Dear LH,
I recently decided to try jogging as a way to loose a few wobbly bits. I started by interspersing my walk with short sections of jogging, but after two weeks my knees are killing me. I have new, fitted shoes but I do run on hard services. Some googling has led me to believe that I have a form of runners knee caused by the muscles around my knee cap not being strong enough. What exercises are good for strengthening those muscles? I am particularly looking for exercises that do not require extra equipment.
Cheers,
Shrynx
How do you keep a relationship from going stale and if it is going stale how can I make it fresh again?
How can achieve my advertised internet speed (or get as close as possible)?
In the book “The Diamond Age Or, “A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer” All young children are educated via a tablet that contained all they needed for a full education. Is this type of educational product in development? Do you think this combination of education and technology will occur in the future?
I would like to know when food is pickled in brine and or in vinegar solution what it does to the nutritional profile of the food. Eg does vitamin C levels drop?
Is there a way of burning calories / fat by not doing exercise? I want to lose weight and want to be able to eat ribs and burgers as well without thinking about calories count, cholesterol etc etc.. Even if you don’t give me a TV, help me find a way to reduce weight the easier way 🙂
If LH can answer this question I will give them 10 TVs.
Is it possible/practical to live in a major Australian city using solely a motorcycle as your primary transport?
I’ve just bought my first house, what should I do now? (suggested first DIY projects for new homeowners!)
Dear LH,
are there any really good free (or very reasonable cost) online learning packages that :
– are well structured
– provide you feedback or some level of your progress…..
– cover a big range of topics. Technology is fine but is there anything else free, like accounting or
mechanical (car) for instance.
I’m sure there are resources available. I am very guilty of not looking too hard 🙂 I love learning when it’s fun and the material isn’t too crap.
Thanks, Dunce in the Corner…………
Start with open2study, its easy, free, has regular quizzes and is Australian content. There are some good courses on there, Negotiation is one of my favourites.
If you want personalised feedback you’ll have to pay.
Thanks – very kind of you to reply. I’ll check it out. Cheers…
I have a six year old 46″ Panasonic plasma TV. It’s still a great TV – top blacks, wonderful colours, great sound. It has three HDMI ports and a single USB port which seems set up to only allow access to pictures from a thumbdrive. At present I run a DVR and DVD player through the TV, and have a PS4 plugged into the front, all of which allow me access to things like Netflix and YouTube, but little more – no real internet access, and therefore no catch-up TV, or any of the Freeplay goodies. If I don’t win the Sony, I ‘m not ready to trade up until 4k gets standard – so what can I do to bring it screaming and kicking into this decade?
What don’t books have a classification system the same as video games and movies?
Dear Lifehacker
I was diagnoised with Rheumatoid Arthritis last year, given prescription drugs, which can have some shocking side effects. I am so over the meds, within a week of starting, I was suffering horrible reflux/acid burn and the Dr’s just give you more pills to manage that. After a few months the meds had slowed my immune system down so much I was weak and getting sick heaps. I used to be so healthy and active, lost that now 🙁 But I know that I need to stay active and fit.
Is there any way, naturally, that I can try and manage the Rheumatoid Arthritis? Hopefully get my life back.
I live in Australia and I love Japan and Japanese Culture. I want to know the best places to get Japanese themed things online or here in Australia to make my house like a Japanese themed house.
Dear Lifehacker – What will the internet look like in five years time?
I want to build a cooler for beers and bbq for the summer in Melbourne. What would be the best materials to use and how would it all come together??
Dear Lifejacket,
When the Zombie apocalypse arrives in Australia, where should I (average Joe) head for optimal chance of survival?
The reason I ask is I would head for Tassie but the ports will be chaotic, and the desert will be too extreme. This is where I need your expert advice.
Thanks,
Al
What are the best naked and bundled NBN plans ?
Including the cons and pros of some of the main players.
Given recent changes (New Roku / Telstra TV, New Apple TV) what is the best simple setup for cordcutters in Australia – what device, services etc.
Which dating app should I use? 31, single with married friends. Dating is hard these days!
Dear LH,
I’m a university student who is struggling with staying focused. When I was young I had ADD and now is my 20’s I’m still struggling to stay focused in class and while studying at home. Honestly I can’t stay focused doing anything (including in the bedroom where sometimes my mind drifts mid, you know). Are there any methods that are usefully to help keep my mind focused?
What are some clever ways you can use the power of other people to save time and money?
e.g. when you are lining up for admission tickets, a double or family pass might be better and you could ask people at the gates if they want to buy tickets together with you.
or yelling out to share a cab with anyone else going to the same destination whilst you offer to pay half or even more – which also allows you to get ahead of the line.
or offering another passenger on your flight (e.g. $100) whom will happily take the money and swap you to a better seat if you are next to someone you don’t want to be with or you are in a bad space to work, ultimately allowing you to work better and saving stress and time.
outsourcing certain tasks through paying people where your own skillset would be extremely inefficient – if it can be done yourself, but you are not saving a significant amount given the effort/skills learnt/time taken, you should outsource certain tasks. likewise, you should not pay someone to do easy tasks (e.g. easy car servicing tasks that can be learnt which set you back $200+) and consider the time value of money as well as your own energy.
even someone building a computer for $50 after you have chosen the parts might be a good idea, even if you are decent at it, because of their cable management expertise and the amount of stress saved (unless you enjoy doing it). or you might believe you will save alot of money renovating and repairing a home or investment property yourself, when you can outsource the job to experts whom likely will have the tools and do a faster and better job and save money and time in the long run allowing you to rent out faster and reducing problems in the future (but of course, we have to take in the detriment of you not gaining skills in the area due to not performing the task yourself).
I would love an article about tips like that, which the everyday person could instantly implement to improve their life, or at least get people to see past the face value of money and weigh up their options regarding outsourcing or collaborating with others.
Thanks, Lifehacker
– Ming
Dear LH,
My office has just moved and we’ve gone open plan for the first time. Noise seems to be an issue for many of us in the office, but I combat it by listening to music as I work.
Is listening to music helping or hindering my productivity in the loud environment and do you have any other tips for managing noise at work?
-JB
Is there a reason why the number of mental health sufferers seems to be on the rise.Is it possibly environmenmtal or perhaps just that as a society we are more open and honest about discussing these issues.
Dear LH,
I have a boss at work that is pretty incompetent. What can I do? I love the job and the workplace is great, but I’m worried working under their supervision will hurt my career. I’m too low in the food chain to try and mentor him, and I don’t want to get him fired, but I feel going above his head could affect both our careers and get me labelled a “whinger”. Help! Where do I go from here?
Thanks,
Worker bee 693
Dear LH,
It’s pretty easy to be blissfully ignorant and convince myself that delicious food is also healthy without checking the facts.
I love the Maccas CYT range and am wondering how they stack up against the rest of Maccas’ offering in terms of nutrition?
Dear LH,
I want to develop a morning routine so that I can get exercise and a healthy breakfast before work, but I’m finding it impossible to motivate myself out of bed any earlier than I absolutely have to in order to get to work on time – typically meaning I only have time to get dressed and grab my keys. This happens regardless of how much sleep I get, or even how awake I feel.
How can I consistently force myself out of bed earlier and develop a good habit?
On a related note, if I am off work, I cannot maintain a regular sleep cycle – I sleep in, stay awake longer, then sleep in even more the next day, eventually being virtually nocturnal.
Dear Lifehacker,
I’ve never liked the idea of investing in real estate – for a number of reasons. What’s the best alternative for investing my money?
Cheers,
Wander
Dear Lifehacker,
How can we use technology to have happier lives?
WS
How to care for a pet dog in a small apartment.
Dear LH,
What are some recommendations when it comes to eating healthy on not just a money budget but also a time budget?
I don’t have the time to prepare elaborate meals, and don’t have the money for something like a prepared meals diet service.
It’s hard to have good healthy variety at a low cost but I want to give it a good shot so I don’t revert to spending money I don’t have on food that’s not very good for me anyway. Thanks!
Would you still donate one of your kidneys to your mate who has CKD but wouldn’t take it and rather be on the waiting list?
Why do a lot of offices insist on not allowing people to work from home? In this day and age with all of our technological advances, I can attend meetings, get my job done to 100% efficiency, lower the overheads for the company (I don’t need a carspace on our job site, or be compensated for off site parking). I just don’t get it.
Currently about to buy into a Horse, should everyone just agree to call it Hoof Hearted like I want?
Dear Ask LH,
I currently have a reasonably compensating, enjoyable and relatively rewarding full time job. However, as a sole trader I also run 2 businesses from home after hours (and maybe some sneaky “on company time” digressions) to both (a) generate some additional income, and (b) further develop my skills that can be leveraged at my full time position (and experience for the resume, etc). These businesses are moderately successful for what they are and are certainly self sufficient and enjoyable, but I often feel they could be so much more with extra time and resources sunk into them, and I might be selling myself short.
My question is this: how does one identify WHEN the right time to take a leap of faith is when encumbered with a mortgage and family, and how does one know WHAT kind of side business is most likely to be a breadwinner? Are these endeavours destined to be part time extras (which is fine) or should I begin looking at them as more critical to my future?
Before we were married, my wife and I went to a couple of premarital seminars (mandatory for those trying to have a ceremony in a Catholic Church). One of the most interesting things I learned were the “love languages”: gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service (devotion), and physical touch (intimacy).
Given that my wife’s core love language is “acts of service”, can you help me out with some fresh/ non-traditional examples of what I could do to help me express myself to her?
Why is it difficult to sleep the first night in a hotel & How do I get a good nights sleep the first night in a hotel, so I can enjoy my holiday/shortbreak right from the get go?
My girlfriend and now fiance of 7 years and my male cousin who is the same age as me and has been my best friend since i was born, do not get along. Lifehacker how do i make my life work?
Cheers
“Stuck between an expensive rock and a hard place”
Is there any way, ANY way, to permanently stop those door-to-door salespeople (Telstra, energy companies, gas companies)? Something similar to the Do Not Call register?
Dear Lifehacker,
Life’s full of uncertainties. Even being an IT professional, I cannot see myself working as an IT professional after I reach age 50 or so. Could you please give me suggestions as to what are the best stable kinds of work in the market where aged 40s people like me can shift to or gradually shift to?
Thanks,
nicekewlguy
Hey LH,
I have an issue that I need help with. Namely, that sweet temptress, sugar. We’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship for a long time, and its a relationship that is beginning to take its toll. I know I need to end this once and for all, but I’m finding it difficult. She’s always following me, and is seemingly everywhere.
Our relationship started at university, when I began seeing my sweet temptress in a dark and curvey number (namely Coca Cola) nearly every day. At the time I was young, naïve, but active and her sweet caress often graced my day without effect and we were both happy. Fast forward several years, and both she (1.25-2L) and I got bigger, and we realised this had to end. We still see other occasionally, but we are both full of regret and shame afterwards.
I’ve come to find a new love, Miss Stevia. I see her in my morning routine these days, (28Black Sugar free) and we are both quite happy. I get my caffeine in the form of a sweet tasting (near) 0 calorie beverage. I’d like this relationship to blossom.. I still have the cravings my former love instilled in me, however its near impossible to find any softdrinks like ‘28Black’ with stevia / erythritol sweeteners. (Most are a blend of sugar / stevia or even worse an artificial sweetener / stevia. Erythritol is a natural sugar alcohol).
Generally, I’m able to avoid my former temptress when I eat, and often just drink water, however when I have a craving, in liquid form she is difficult to resist.
My questions are these;
Are you aware of any beverages (or cordials, powders etc ) that use 100% stevia / erythritol?
What are the best sugar free beverage substitutes?
What are the best methods for eliminating sugar & sugar cravings from your diet?
Thanks LH,
Chunky Love
Where should I start investing? I’ve just graduated university and have finally started working, and am now beginning to think about saving some of my earnings for the future. However, with the variety of places to invest such as real estate, shares, bonds and superannuation, and confusing terminology regarding returns and yields, what is going to be the best strategy for me now to save money for the future?
Thanks,
Daniel
In an alternate universe, where lifehacker’s goal was to offer impractical advice about work, life, I.T. etc. What would be the “best” gadgets you would recommend for “optimising”/”organising” your time at work and at home?
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to win a competition?
How can I pioneer a new business with zero cash?
Why use a UHD TV if we only have HD in Australia?
Why does stress make you age quicker?
I recently bought a cheap charging case for my IPhone 6 from Ebay for 15$ which as expected from what is most likely a cheap Chinese knockoff, has stopped working after 2 weeks and no longer charges. For the time the cheap knockoff actually functioned properly I enjoyed carrying around the extra charge and it has convinced me to invest more into a proper good quality charging case. So my question is, what would you recommend to be the best charging cases for the IPhone 6 and 6S?
Can you successfully play MMO games using a IMac desktop?
What is the best antispam service that is offered these days? There has been so much spam and it is so hard to stay on top of. How to combat spam? What needs to be put in place to fight it and how do you go about doing it?
Why do people feel superior when I say one of my hobbies is gaming – surely they don’t understand the skill or just think I have no life
Dear LH,
How do you read/decipher/interpret a racing form guide from a newspaper?
What is the most efficient way to travel Europe, for a range of budgets?
What do you think is the next successful emerging technology, for instance VR systems, do you think virtual reality by Samsung and the likes will take off?
Dear LH,
Is there an easy and safe way to crack one’s neck? It seems like sometimes i’ll twist my neck and i’ll release the underlying tension – however it’s usually a fluke! Most of the time, it requires a visit to the Chiro or a massage
How do you handle a situation where people you see on a regular basis cook food you do not enjoy eating or do not cook it properly without offending them?
I visit my elderly parents regularly for dinners and my mother is not a good cook. Sometimes I even worry about food poisoning. They have out of date ingredients in the pantry and seem to have no sense of taste at all. They are easily offended so most times I just grimace and finish what is in front of me even if it is making me feel ill. They enjoy having me over for dinner but the thought of what they might serve me fills me with dread.
Hey Lifehacker,
I’m always scuffing my shoes, tripping over my feet and generally walking awkwardly – which wastes a lot of energy. How can I improve my walking gait?
Thanks!
Dear LH,
Is a safe deposit box with a bank best way to keep Jewellery/watches/high value items safe? How about private storage vaults and other storage services offered by private vendors? I have some jewellery and other items that I would like to safe keep and be not worried about keeping them at home.
Thanks
What can I or each individual do to help the Australian economy grow and strengthen the Australian dollar?
What is the best way to setup an office sweep for the melbourne cup? Are there any legal issues with doing this or anything I should be wary of?
Dear LH,
I have recently bought a 3D Printer and was wondering what the best ways of monetizing my device are? I have considered printing on demand with sites like 3dhubs or making something I could sell on etsy, are there other options and are there any issues or risks I should be wary of?
Hi Lifehacker,
I participated in many online forums in the past, and in recent years, instagramming, twittering, facebooking, google plus’ing, youtubing, pinning, yadda yadda yadda. You get the picture, right?
Having recently become a respectable teacher, I’m becoming more aware of my digital footprints, and how anyone in the world can search for it and track my online activities.
I feel really vulnerable right now.
I’d love to know how, if possible, I can control and remove traces of my digital footprints from the Internet, such as Google search primarily. I’ve decided to go cold turkey on social media at least, but I’d really love to remove my digital past from the web.
Is my wish even remotely possible?
Lifehacker, please help!
Thank you.
Will VR define or destroy humanity as we know it?
Sure, I want to be able to order (taste?) a pizza whist viewing a Pizza Hut ad. Even ride along with Dougie the delivery dude and get a DUI (natch!) – all part of the rich tapestry of the PH-VR Experience!
Go to Hoyts with my mates from the comfort of my couch? Cheaper popcorn! Why not?
Even ride an extreme roller coaster in Rio from the warm embrace of my Snuggie? Toasty times!
Test drive a Toyota from my toilet? Oh What A Feeling!
Screen addiction is real. Will VR make it worse? Can we only be truly free from the simulacrum when the shackles of interface evaporate?
Hey LH, what type of question would best situate myself to win the50-Inch TCL 4K UHD Smart TV?
Q – Is infinity non existent?
Q – What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
“What is Lifehacker going to do, in order to expand with the current world issues?”
Dear Lifehacker,
I have a lot of ambitions e.g(Drawing, writing short stories, acting, personal fitness, making a small game, singing, playing guitar, running a small holiday business, learning to program, woodwork, creating videos and special effects) but I’m struggling to prioritise and manage everything and I tend to work very sporadically on them.
I’ll begin to make some progress then have to shift my focus to something in my day job or personal life and once that has settled down I’ll have lost my direction and will get distracted and shift my focus to a game.
I work five days a week and have a relationship but I’m usually afforded 3 to 4 hours an evening of free time. I also live in a reasonably small space that is mixed bedroom/hobby purposes.
What methods can I use to stay focused?
Are there any tips for optimising the small space I have into an environment conductive to work so that I can begin to achieve more towards my goals?
How can I keep my gaming habit regulated so that it isn’t as much of a time sink?
Has the prize been awarded ? I haven’t seen any announcements :/