Granted, it’s probably not something you were planning on doing anyway, but we’re pleased to report that licking the mute button on an iPhone does not, in fact, give you an electric shock. More »
Telstra put out a gushy press release today about how it will be supplying the communications gear for Oprah Winfrey’s much-hyped visit to Australia with 300 guests next month. Based on Lifehacker’s own considerable experience with Telstra’s Next G services, here’s some stuff team Oprah should keep an eye on. More »
Normally when we talk about piracy at Lifehacker it’s in the context of copyright, but we must point out that Saturday is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Google’s Australian blog has some handy tips for bucaneer-hacking your life.
US-centric: Now you can truly see why our commenters dubbed Python the programming language that “can do anything.” One intrepid (and hungry) hacker, possibly named Nick Jensen, put together a small script that tracks Domino’s Pizza orders from phone call to doorbell ring. Download and launch the script (with instructions at the link), plug in your phone number, and you don’t have to get up until that cheese-covered saucer is at the door. It’s just another true sign of how life-changing the command line can really be. Thanks, HowToGeek! dominos.py
DIY web site Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories steps through putting together your very own obscured USB thumb drive, with the end result looking like a sawed-off standard USB cable.The guide is thorough, and the steps are surprisingly simple. For the cost of one slim USB drive and a cable you’re willing to destroy, you’ll be the envy of all your friends and coworkers. No, this one’s not likely to significantly boost your productivity, but sometimes you need a little Friday fun in preparation for the weekend. How to make a Sawed-off USB Key [Evil Mad Scientest Laboratories]
Impress your family, friends, and houseguests with a towel-folding technique you’re likely to see on a cruise or in a hotel. Howto web site wikiHow runs down step-by-step instructions for folding a “towel monkey.” You’ll need matching hand and bath towels, along with a clothes hanger with clips (like a pants or skirt hanger). For more towel animals, see also how to fold a towel cat, fold a towel lobster, fold a towel elephant, and fold a towel dog. How to Fold a Towel Monkey [wikiHow]
Windows/Linux only: The MusicTracker plug-in for Pidgin displays music you’re currently listening to on your computer as your status message with the free, open source chat application, Pidgin. MusicTracker supports any of your Pidgin accounts (e.g., AIM, Gtalk, Yahoo, etc.) and a wide range of music players, from Amarok or XMMS on Linux to iTunes and foobar2000 on Windows. If you’re not the best at setting status messages, a simple plug-in like MusicTracker is a fun and simple way to keep that status set and changing so you’re not “out to lunch” for weeks on end. MusicTracker [Google Code]
