Last Week’s Top Ten Posts

Google HQ! Functioning pens! iOS jailbreaks! Get your week started by checking out the ten most popular posts from Lifehacker Australia over the last seven days:

1. Make Pens Work Using The Sole Of Your Shoe
   We’ve all tried to get a recalcitrant pen working by scribbling furiously on a piece of paper. For a quicker and less messy solution, try using the sole of your shoe instead.
2. Inside Google’s Playful Sydney Offices
   Google’s Australian HQ in Sydney might not boast an indoor bike lane (which its Netherlands office features), a slide (Zurich) or a rock-climbing wall (Boston). However, it does have the search giant’s customary visual flair and attention to playing hard after working hard.
3. How To Jailbreak Your iOS 4.2.1 Device
   Greenpois0n was released last week, finally bringing untethered jailbreaking to iOS 4.2.1 devices. The process is fairly easy, but there have been a few problems reported since the release so we’re going to walk you through a successful jailbreak step-by-step.
4. Transparent Monitors: A Space-Enhancing Solution
   Minimise the visual weight of your computer monitors by setting up a background that gives the monitor the illusion of transparency.
5. Phone Buying Sites Don’t Value The iPhone 4 Highly Enough
   Demand for the iPhone 4 has remained strong since its launch in Australia last July, which means there’s a fairly vibrant market for second-hand models. However, that isn’t reflected in the prices offered by many of the online “buy your old phone” outfits.
6. Internode Ditches 60 Broadband Plans In Major Simplification
   It was only back in November that Internode revamped its existing Easy plans. Now the popular ISP has dumped virtually every other option, stripping its existing set of 78 plans down to just four main services, with extra option packs available. Here’s what’s on offer.
7. Planhacker: Naked DSL Plans 2011
   “Going naked” sadly isn’t as raunchy as it sounds: it means getting an Internet broadband connection without an associated phone line, saving you the cost of line rental. But which providers offer naked plans, and what issues do you need to consider? Find the right deal for you with our up-to-date roundup of available naked DSL options in Australia.
8. TorrentButler Is A Visual, Movie-Based Torrent Discovery Engine
   The internet is full of BitTorrent search engines, but what if you’re just trying to decide what your weekend movie should be? TorrentButler presents new releases in a visually attractive fasion, linking to standard and high definition torrents for each.
9. Sparrow Is The Desktop Gmail Client You’ve Always Wished For
   Mac OS X: Gmail has a lot of great productivity features, but sadly, most desktop clients don’t play nicely with it. Minimalist email client Sparrow changes all that, including some of Gmail’s best features for a native, desktop Gmail experience.
10. We Want To Know What Lifehacker Readers Use
    Last week, we looked at the technology that Lifehacker’s editors and writers use to make the site happen, and that proved to be pretty popular (especially in terms of the Australian staff). One commenter suggested we should run a similar series of posts based on what readers use, which sounded like a fine idea. So we’re now looking for contributions for the new What Readers Use section.