Lifehacker Australia

The Best Sounds For Getting Work Done

I’m most productive when there’s absolute silence. TV, radio, music, people talking, whatever – so distracting!

ABC iView Gets Design Update, Genre Search

I love iView. I can’t see how it can get much better than this.

I only wish that the commercial networks would follow suit with something that’s as comprehensive and user-friendly as iView.

How Bicarbonate Of Soda Can Save Your Bathroom

I burnt a saucepan once (or thrice) and bicarb brought it back to as-new condition. I boiled some water in it with a few tablespoons of bicarb and the burn marks just floated off. For the really stubborn marks, I sprinkled some bicarb over it, left it overnight and the next morning it was as good as new.

The fact that it’s in a powder form is a bit of a turn-off when it comes to using it around the house. But I’ll keep it in mind if I decide to get up and properly clean something one day.

eBay Pulls Car Sales Protection Program

I sold my motorbike on eBay a few years ago without any hassles. I personally would never buy a vehicle off eBay. It’s too much of a gamble. I’m willing to pay more elsewhere for peace of mind.

ACCC Crackdown On Dodgy Online Warranties

Wow. That’s amazingly stupid of them.

White Wine Affects Teeth As Badly As Red

Apparently, white wine can also hinder your chances at pregnancy: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26244330-36398,00.html

Bluff Your Way Through Classic Movies

This is also really handy for people who like to find out the synopsis of a story before reading the book or watching the movie.

And let’s be honest: Some classical movies are really boring. I’m currently working on a 2500-word essay on technical codes in Citizen Kane and it’s boring me to tears. I’d pick a stupid film over Orson Welles’ groundbreaking movies any day.

Help Your Kids Learn To Speak

The first-born kid is usually slower to pick up language skills than their younger siblings.

That might seem like an obvious statement, but there’s a point to it: Any kids born thereafter have the advantage of picking up communication skills from their older brother/sister (as well as the parents) as they’ll more than likely be spending a lot of time with each other. The eldest, however, will only have the parents to learn from.

I grew up in a home where English was not the first language, so my first year of school was also the first year I learnt English properly. You can imagine the ramifications for any kid in this situation — it’s like starting from the very bottom when teachers expect you to be on a level comparable with your fellow students. Being the eldest of three, my siblings fared much better. My parents got the hint when my brother was born and kept on saying, “Speak English to each other!” (they didn’t say THAT in English, ironically enough). By the time my sister (the youngest) was born, my brother and I were predominantly speaking in English, so she was exposed to that from Day 1. When she started school, she was on on a level playing field with her classmates, and light years ahead of where I was at her age. She could even hold her own with sophisticated swearing jokes.

Moral of the story: Every kid that you have after the first will have an easier time learning language skills than the kid born before it.

Does Buying A House Make Sense?

“I prefer the freedom that renting offers me.”

I’d be interested to see the demographics for those who agree with this statement, and those who disagree.

I suspect that more Gen-Ys (including myself) would lean towards this position than, say, boomers or Xers who aspire to the quintessential Aussie dream of owning their own home in the middle of whoop-whoop, knowing that it’ll pay off in the end.

I have no desire to invest in property. I invest in a lifestyle. Catching a train and bus into the city every day is NOT an option for me. I’d prefer to fork out more to rent a place that’s within walking distance of the city. What’s the point of owning your own home only to be unhappy inside it because you’re so far away from everything?

Next G Expands To Some Seriously Obscure Places

Seriously obscure indeed. I’ve never heard of any of those places. Except maybe Jenolan Caves. Maybe.

From The Tips Box: Pot Cleaning And Evernote Tricks

I tried this and it worked great! I poured bicarb on the stubborn burns and left it overnight – my pot was almost as good as new.

Now I need to learn to cook in a way that doesn’t kill all my pots and pans.

Remember To Fix Your Tech For Daylight Saving

Bah. Like I need to get up any earlier!

Days Of The Week Tags Organise Outfits For A Week

Same colour undies, socks, shirts and shorts?? What colour would that be?