Last Week’s 10 Biggest Posts

Lifehacker’s Consumer Power Week got us talking about travel rorts, retailer lies, replacing out-of-warranty iPhones and bringing our own food into cinemas. Kick off your Monday by checking out the 10 most popular posts from Lifehacker Australia last week.

1. Google Silently Kills Popular API, Breaks Weather Apps Everywhere
   If your favourite weather app suddenly stopped working in the last week or so, there’s no point trying to refresh or reinstall it. Google has shut down its weather API without a word and stranded developers who relied on it to power their weather-related applications. What we’re left with is a pile of broken apps that may or may not get fixed.
2. Ask LH: Can Cinemas Stop Me Bringing My Own Food To The Movies?
   Dear Lifehacker, A thought occurs to me during your Consumer Power Week. A significant cinema chain in Perth still tries to stop you bringing in outside food/drinks and checks your bag for smuggled soft drinks. I’ve tried to find any information I could about the legality of this and all I could find is anecdotes and whinging. Can they do this?
3. How To Run Mac OS X On Any Windows PC Using VirtualBox
   Even if you’re a happy Windows user, you may have thought about trying Mac OS X. Maybe you’d like to test drive OS X before switching to a Mac or building a Hackintosh, or maybe you just want to run that one killer Mac app on your Windows machine. Whatever your reason, you can actually install and run OS X inside your existing Windows setup with a program called VirtualBox. Here’s how.
4. How To Get Apple To Replace A Defective Out-Of-Warranty iPhone In Australia
   Lifehacker’s Consumer Power Week continues with a handy guide to exercising your consumer rights if you have an out-of-warranty iPhone that’s developed a fault. Despite Apple’s frequent posturing, there’s plenty you can do, as Jason Discount explains.
5. Top 10 Travel Rorts To Avoid
   This week is Consumer Power Weekon Lifehacker. Every day we’ll be highlighting tips and strategies to save you money and avoid rip-offs. We’re kicking off with a top 10 list of travel expenses that are easy to avoid.
6. Build Your Dream Media Centre For Under $700
   Between the Blu-Ray player, laptop, digital tuner and everything else hooked up to your TV, your home theatre situation can easily become a mess. Here’s how I rolled all those devices into one awesome media centre — the media centre of my dreams — for under $700.
7. How Expensive Is Australian Petrol?
   Complaining about petrol prices is a national sport, but it’s an international problem. This infographic, compiled by car tech blog Between The Axles, reminds us that no matter how badly off we think we are, it could be worse. We’re not paying $2.14 a litre like the Norwegians.
8. ‘No Warranty’ And Other Lies Retailers Tell
   Tiny stores and global corporations alike delight in making claims such as “There’s no warranty on that product”, but in Australia those statements are flat-out wrong. Our Consumer Power Week series continues with a look at your actual rights when it comes to warranties and refunds.
9. Five Best Desktop Music Players
   The best desktop audio players organise your playlists, ensure your massive music collection is easily searchable, and sync with mobile players. But which ones excel in all of these areas? This week we’re going to take a look at five of the best desktop audio players.
10. Why Your Office Air Conditioning Is All Wrong
    If you work in a large office block, chances are the air conditioning is set to run at 21.5 degrees Celsisus. That temperature is so widely accepted as being “optimal” that it’s often written into lease conditions — but it’s actually not a good idea.

Picture by Andrew Stawarz