Developer David Heinemeier Hansson says he loves working with family people, because when there's a daily deadline—like his co-workers having to get home to their kids—people's jobs get done during the workday, period. [via]

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Windows Vista only: By default, Windows Vista doesn't allow you to install custom colour and window decoration themes, unless they've been specifically reviewed by Microsoft. With a set of Uxtheme Patches, and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and patch your system, you can enable custom themes and tweak your colours, windows, and other desktop parts to your heart's content. The How-To Geek has a step-by-step guide to installing, patching, and enabling custom themes, and it's highly recommend that anyone trying it out back up their files and create a restore point before pressing on. Having said that, there are some pretty slick themes out there, at deviantART and elsewhere. Uxtheme Patches are free downloads for Windows Vista (standard and SP1) only. Image from NEXTLevel theme by patrickgs.

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The CyberNet tech blog digs into Smart Bookmarks, one of the neatest new features in the upcoming Firefox 3, and pulls out a how-to guide to compiling your own iTunes-like collections. Using a wide set of parameters, you can add bookmarks that monitor sites, your own browsing habits, and more. A few examples of what you can bookmark after the jump.

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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.

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I'm happy to announce that  thanks to the generosity of uber-Lifehacker Gina Trapani, we have a pile of autographed copies of her new book to give away to Lifehacker AU readers! Gina's latest Lifehacker book, Upgrade Your Life, is full of lifehacking tips, tricks and tools, and we really want to give you a copy!  Send us your best life hack, organisational strategy, computer tip, or DIY project and earn a chance to have one of these books signed and shipped to your door.

We're especially keen to see entries which are supported by screenshots or video illustrating your hack - so feel free to get creative! Email us your submission to tips@lifehacker.com.au with the subject heading  "Upgrade Your Life Competition" and over the next couple of weeks, we'll feature the top three hacks here on the site, and give the winners an autographed copy of the book.  Get more details after the jump.

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A Nielsen Online study has found that Australians now spend more time online than watching TV. We spend an average of 13.7 hours per week web surfing, and 13.3 hours per week in front of the TV. Does that fit with your net and TV habits? The silly thing is I bet it doesn't take into account people watching downloaded shows on their computers or streamed to their TV.
My question is - how do people find 13.3 hours of TV worth watching each week? :)
[via Laurel Papworth]

Once upon a time, if you wanted to access or share a file over the internet, you either had to have your own web server to upload it to or hope the file was small enough to sneak in under your email account's upload limits. Nowadays, you can upload and share gigabytes worth of data for free using a handful of web applications designed to make sharing and storing files online a breeze. We've covered gobs of them, but among all the choices, it's difficult to narrow down the competition to find the best. That's why you're here. For this week's Hive Five, we want to hear about your favourite. Hit the jump for details and to nominate your favourite online file storage and sharing application.

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Windows only: We know it's kind of pathetic to get all excited about something as mundane as a service pack—yet here we are, hearts all a-patter because XP SP3 and Vista SP1 have been unleashed on Windows Update and at the Microsoft Download Center. Get thee to patching your PC! Why should you? Our complete field guide to XP Service Pack 3 holds all the answers.

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Windows only: Freeware application USB AutoRunner automatically launches documents or applications when you plug in your USB thumb drive. We've explained in the past how to auto-run apps or documents when you insert your thumb drive by making your own autorun.inf file—a Windows default convention for automatically launching files. USB AutoRunner creates this file for you, so setting up a working autorun.inf file is as simple as telling USB AutoRunner what you want to launch when you plug in. USB AutoRunner is freeware, Windows only. While you're at it, find out how to quick-launch your USB workspace.

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Anyone who's dealt with significant debt knows how difficult it is to write out a large cheque every month to pay it off. Instead, financial weblog FiveCentNickel suggests paying off debt in micropayments:

In short, pay what you can afford, and then scrape together whatever else you can during the month and send in multiple, smaller payments... Believe it or not, [a friend] got to the point where he was sending Citibank an extra $5 each and every day via online billpay. By making a game out of finding an extra $5/day, he managed to stay motivated and slay the debt beast well ahead of schedule.

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Web site Last.fm + YouTube is a mashup that pulls music videos from YouTube based on artists and music in your Last.fm profile. To use it, just hand over your Last.fm username or the name of an artist you like and it starts streaming YouTube music videos. I've been tuned into my Last.fm + YouTube channel most of the morning, and so far it's been good listening and watching. If you give it a try, let's hear how you like your personal MTV in the comments.

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When you send out that email request you're waiting to hear back about, you can automatically shuttle it into a "Waiting For" folder with the right outgoing rule. Microsoft Outlook expert Taco Oosterkamp recommends adding a unique and unnoticeable notation at the end of any email you're waiting on (he uses [w]), and then use an Outlook rule to filter messages with [w] in the body to your Waiting For folder. Hit the link for a step by step tutorial on setting it up in Outlook; seems like an easy thing to replicate in other clients that support saved searches (like Thunderbird or even Gmail).

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Newsreaders are a blessing for anyone who wants to stay on top of the constant flow of information available on the web, but if you're not careful your feedreader can get so clogged and disorganised that you lose many of the benefits of RSS. Blogger GenuineChris details how he combatted this situation using fewer folders organised by quality—like A-List, B-List, etc. At the end of the day this strategy isn't groundbreaking, but it got us wondering: How do you organise your newsreader? Let's hear what helps you stay king of your RSS mountain in the comments.

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If you're using a consumer grade point-and-shoot Canon digital camera, you've got hardware in hand that can support advanced features way beyond what shipped in the box. With the help of a free, open source project called CHDK, you can get features like RAW shooting mode, live RGB histograms, motion-detection, time-lapse, and even games on your existing camera. Let's transform your point-and-shoot into a super camera just by adding a little special sauce to its firmware.

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A new UK study shows that keyboards swabbed from an ordinary London office had more harmful bacteria than—you know what's coming—a toilet seat. Yeeks! The accompanying survey showed that most users clean their keyboard infrequently (if at all), and clean their mouse even less often. Here's what you do: shut down your PC, unplug your keyboard and mouse, shake out any dust, lint and other crap, and wipe 'em down with disinfectant alcohol wipes. Right this very minute. For a more thorough cleaning which involves disassembly and compressed air, see this step by step guide. Or if there's just one or two rogue crumbs you'd like to fish out from between the G and H keys, use a piece of sticky tape. Photo by basibanget.

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Marketing VP Steve Rubel says that daily practice and research in any field over the span of several years can turn anyone into an expert, as long as you put in the effort.

Anyone with just even a little bit of natural talent in a given domain can master it in about 10 years by methodically practicing the essence of their craft two hours daily (including weekends) and measuring their progress from one day to the next.

This seems like an obvious piece of advice, but it's not what anyone wants to hear when they ask "how can I get where you are?" There's no magic potion—it's just learning over time, consistently.

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US-centric: Got a product you want to find for a steal, but not enough time to run through Fatwallet, Slickdeals, BensBargains, or any other of the deep-discount sites? Deal aggregator Combyo gives you results on any product, filtered by... Read More »

Having a washer and dryer in your home doesn't always translate to having an organised system for cleaning and storing clothes. When the piles start climbing out of their baskets, the Unclutterer blog recommends making a visit to your local laundromat—the one you probably wrote off as an artifact of the past. By doing all your laundry in one shot, and saving some serious time while you're at it:

Go once to the laundromat, get all of your clothes washed, and then get started on your new laundry routine at home with a clean slate. To complete the laundry bankruptcy plan you can do your laundry yourself, or you can use the Fluff-N-Fold service that most laundromats offer.

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