KuKu Klok is a pretty straightforward webapp—you set a time for an alarm to go off, you choose a sound to wake up to, and you hit "Set Alarm." Kind of like the Online Alarm Clock, but the neat part is that the Flash-based app goes off even if your internet connection drops altogether. Add in the selection of sounds to rise and shine to—including the "Slayer Guitar"—and it's a pretty nifty tool for when the cell phone's out of reach, or you're napping near your laptop.

If you're a fan of the foldable, all-in-one PocketMod organiser, or if you're travelling and don't want to swing for those pocket-sized walking maps, customised mapping site Mapufacture has a handy PocketMod export function that could come in really handy. After signing in, you choose the area you want to cover, add any data layers you want marked (landmarks, food, etc.), and then click "Create a PocketMap" on the lower-right side. There's also GPS export, web embedding, and standard printing, but the PocketMod function is truly unique. If a custom-printed, foldable map intrigues you, check out how to use a PocketMod as a travel and workout tracker or a back-seat kid entertainer.

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Every time a new research study around personal productivity and office culture appears, we dutifully post the "proof" that information overload, email distractions, and multitasking are keeping you from getting work done—but are they? Sure, many of these findings seem very feasible, but it's hard not to think they're published only as a crutch for a larger commercial or media message—either "the internet is destroying your life!" or "you need to buy this product."

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It's been years since we looked at a print edition of the Yellow Pages, but even the online version of the venerable business directory doesn't often attract our attention. Now the whole project has become more useful for a very simple reason: Sensis (the Telstra division that produces the Yellow Pages) has finally allowed Google's robots to index Yellow Pages content, meaning that everyone's favourite search engine now has access to Australian businesses which might otherwise never appear in online results. (The fact that it was ever blocked is frankly one of the weirdest Internet strategies imaginable, but that's another story.)
We're a tad sceptical that being in a Yellow Pages listing will result in businesses getting more visibility in Google search results, as Sensis claims (based on its existing high traffic). Nonetheless, knowing that non-tech-savvy businesses will now appear in search results is very useful. (Note: Existing Telstra mobile customers might want to stick with the Yellow site when on the road, if only because it's free to access on many Next G plans.)

Australian data rates for iPhone users have been an ongoing source of controversy, but they look like positive bargains compared to the roaming charges you'll face if you take your beloved new 3G model overseas. David Flynn at APC has analysed the deals being offered by the three local carriers, and concludes that for overseas travellers, Vodafone is the best value for money -- though still far from cheap. Of course, Vodafone's own inability to work out what its plans cost locally might give you pause for thought. If nothing else, the prices serve as a reminder that using your iPhone as a modem, while possible, is unlikely to be cheaper overseas than hooking into the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot, even if it charges for the privilege.
The best global roaming deals for your iPhone [APC]

Wired's How-To Wiki details how to flex your Google-fu to get Craigslist results from every Craigslist domain. In essence, the author does a Google site search of Craigslist.org and excludes pages with the word 'directory' to eliminate directory listings of names and phone numbers. The resulting query looks like:

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The p2p-next project, which is trying to develop a system for broadcasting video user peer-to-peer file sharing, has released the first version of its SwarmPlayer and is seeking testers to assess how the software performs as the user base grows. There's currently only a small amount of content to watch (including a BBC weather report live webcam from Amsterdam), since the purpose is testing rather than creating a broadcast network. SwarmPlayer is currently Windows and Linux, but a Mac version is said to be due shortly. [SwarmPlayer via BBC]

It's long been accepted wisdom that entry-level broadband plans are rarely worth the money: $30 a month sounds cheap, but if you only have 200MB of downloads to play with you'll be lucky to keep your systems patched, let alone get anything done. But the situation does appear to be improving. Internode has launched a $34.95 a month plan which includes 5GB of downloads. It's unlikely to appeal to a serious hard-core geek (especially as it's a slow 256Kbps service), but it could make it feasible to switch your dial-up-diehard relatives into a speedier always-on world. Any other good discount broadband plans you've encountered? Share them in the comments.

Windows only: Free, open source application HFSExplorer reads and extracts files from drives formatted with the HFS+ file system native to Macs. Common uses for HFSExplorer include reading files from your Mac file system from Windows running in Boot Camp or—something I've used it for—grabbing music in Windows from a Mac-formatted iPod. HFSExplorer is free, Windows only, requires Java. For help setting it up, check out Simple Help's guide.

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Windows only: Free Windows utility PlacesBar Tweaker puts your frequently-accessed folders in Windows' Open and Save dialog box's sidebar. If the Desktop, My Documents, and My Computer (the default folder locations in the Places Bar) aren't the folders you most want to fetch and put files, the PlacesBar Tweaker is for you. This small utility lets you add custom folders to the Places bar and reorder them for quick and easy access. Windows XP's TweakUI utility can achieve the same end (among several other adjustments), but if you don't need everything TweakUI offers, the PlacesBar Tweaker is a slimmer option. (Don't forget previously mentioned OpenWide can also save the file listing view type in open dialog boxes as well.) The PlacesBar Tweaker is a free download for Windows only.

Take a peek behind the curtain here at Lifehacker US's virtual headquarters in my recent article for Macworld magazine, The Portable Office: Work Anywhere. Longtime readers won't be surprised to find out that the Lifehacker staff are heavy Gmail, MediaWiki, Google Calendar, Campfire, and del.icio.us users.

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Google Maps wants to help you get where you're going on foot with a new option to switch your step-by-step driving directions to walking directions. The main difference between walking and driving directions appears to be time estimates, with Google estimating your walking pace at about 19 minutes per mile. The walking directions appear to deviate from driving directions at times, though from trying it in my neighbourhood I can't pinpoint why it's changing for the walking route. The other main difference is the ominous warning that I should "use caution when walking in unfamiliar areas." Thanks for the dose of fear, Google. (I guess the same doesn't apply to driving?) We'd heard some users were seeing walking directions rolled out a few weeks ago, but it looks like Google has recently unveiled the feature to all users (and yep, it works for Australia too).

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If there's one thing geeks and non-geeks alike all share, it's an aversion to exercise. No matter how much you'd like to slim your waistline and lose the belly, it's difficult to find a workout routine that not only works, but one that fits your needs and is easy to stick to. Over the years we've covered several fitness plans along with free and cheap technology to help you get in shape and stick to a training plan, and I've used many of these tools to help run two marathons. Read on for a look at the most simple yet effective plans we've covered—along with the best tech tools to help you get and stay in shape. Photo by luiginter.

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Windows only: Tiny utility ToDo pins the contents of your todo.txt file onto your PC's desktop. We already showed you how to incorporate text files onto your desktop using the multi-featured and complicated Samurize; ToDo is the other end of the feature spectrum in that it only does this one thing. Your todo.txt file must live on your desktop to use ToDo, and you can't (yet?) change the text colour or position of the output, so you've got to be using a light-coloured wallpaper for the text to be legible. Hopefully ToDo will get a few more configuration options to make it extra useful soon. ToDo is a free download for Windows only, and requires .NET 3.5 to run. Thanks, Dan!

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Flickr user Gabriel Radic has an elegantly simple solution for organising icon clutter. His "Layered Desktop" background, free to download in high resolutions, divides your computer space into four areas—an aluminium board, a ruled sheet of paper, a sticky note, and wooden background. The idea is to treat the elements like you would a real desktop, putting temporary or urgent matters on the note, things you haven't yet organized into the outer parts of the desk, and personal or work projects divided between the board and sheet, for example. The background works best on screens up to 1440 pixels wide. Looking for other subtle organisers? Hit the via link below for four more ideas.