Mint, the web-based financial management application that took us by storm a few months back, is adding investment tracking to their already impressive feature set. Mint's investments, currently in beta, tracks everything from the performance of your Roth IRA to the value of your 401k, all from its attractive, easy-to-understand interface. As with Mint in general, you'll need to be comfortable trusting your data in their hands (if you're curious, you can read more about their security measures here). Mint investments is currently in private beta, but if you follow the link, they've set up a page for Lifehacker readers to sign up. You should get access to Mint's investments sometime next week, and we've been assured that there's no limits on signups. In the meantime, hit the jump for a closer look at Mint's investments interface.

Read More »

The latest version of the free, open-source email manager, Thunderbird, is in the wild—in an alpha release rough enough around the edges to earn the code-name "Shredder." It doesn't have all the features promised for Thunderbird 3 yet, but you can see where it's headed. I installed "Shredder" in Windows XP, and I'll show you what's there, and explain what's coming soon, after the jump.

Read More »

You don't have to mod your classic Xbox to run the best free media centre application around anymore: Dedicated developers have ported the Xbox Media Centre (XBMC) software to the Mac, and its killer features will convince you to abandon Front Row forever. The latest XBMC on OS X beta dropped last week, and it's as stable and useful as ever. Dubbed the "throw out your Xbox" release, XBMC for Mac 0.5 beta 1 adds the key feature that finally puts your media centre Mac under the TV where it belongs: remote control support. Let's take a look at how you can (and why you want to) replace Front Row with XBMC on your Mac.

Read More »

Mac OS X only: VMware's brand new beta 1 of Fusion 2.0, virtualisation software for Mac OS X, promises to make you feel like you're running Windows or Linux natively from your Mac desktop. From multiple monitor support, 3-D graphics support for games, smoother USB device detection, folder sharing, and printing, Fusion 2.0 is a tempting piece of software already, even in only as a first beta. Problem is, if you already use Fusion, the beta will replace your existing installation. To spare you possible bugginess on your desktop, have a look at some screenshots of Fusion 2.0 in action on my Mac.

Read More »

We were impressed with part one, part two blew us away, and today we're back for an incredible third and final installment of the 2008 Coolest Cubicle Contest, with $500 at Amazon up for grabs. Today's submissions feature some over-the-top cubicles—like race tracks and bunkers—and some incredibly clever and subtle cubicle decor that anyone could pull off with a minimum of effort. Hit the jump to take a look at the last group of cubicles.

Read More »

Last week we kicked off our Coolest Cubicle Contest with a bang, but we had no idea what kind of cubicles would come pouring in after you saw the first batch. This week, we're looking at everything from wood-paneled cabins to dungeons and castles and beyond. So hit the jump to see how your fellow Lifehackers are making the most of their company-issued cube-shaped corner of the world.

Read More »

We've seen what you can do with limitless workspace possibilities in our Coolest Workspace Contest, but fact is, most of us don't have the limitless freedom to tweak our workspaces that many of the Coolest Workspace entries did. With that in mind, and with the idea that necessity is the mother of invention and all that, today we're kicking off our first Coolest Cubicle Contest, with $500 to Amazon at stake. So without further ado, hit the jump to take a look at this week's coolest cubicle submissions.

Read More »

Google already released a fast and friendly optimised mobile page for iPhone and iPod touch users, but now they're at it again. The mobile page is sporting an updated look, faster navigating, and improved auto-complete suggestions for everything from search to Gmail contacts. You can also customise tabs and use your iGoogle homepage from the mobile interface. You may be wondering why Google is so gaga for iPhone interfaces, but the fact is, when Google's Andriod phones hit the streets, they'll be running a similar WebKit-based browser, so even if you're not looking to buy an Apple product anytime soon, this interface may be in your future.

Lifehacker photo galleries require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

While it's still no where near the powerful file explorer that the shareware alternative PathFinder is, the new and improved Finder does include several feature enhancements that—though they might seem superfluous and superficial at first glance—are actually pretty fantastic. Not only do new features like Cover Flow and Quick Look rank high on the snazzy scale, but they—along with a few other feature enhancements—make it that much easier to find the file you're looking for as quickly as you can.

Read More »

Last week we put out a call for the best do-it-yourself Halloween costumes lifehackers could come up with, complete with instructions and images. As usual, you did not disappoint. Submissions ranged from the ironically funny Blue Screen of Death to whippin' it good with Devo; all creative, all completely homemade. After the jump, a ghoulish gallery of horrifyingly hip creations.

Read More »