Last Week’s 10 Biggest Posts

You wanted better kitchen skills, ALDI phone calls and the lowdown on parking tickets and Chromebooks. Kick off your Monday by checking out the ten most popular posts from Lifehacker Australia last week:

1. Learn The Five Kitchen Skills That Will Make Your Life Easier
   We know: You’re busy. You’ve got a full-time job. You’re trying to have a life. Maybe you’ve even got a spouse and some kids who keep your schedule jam-packed every evening. So, we’re not suggesting that you need to be a top chef, whipping up gourmet dinners every night. Nonetheless, there are a few simple kitchen basics you should know — because they can make your life easier, they’ll make cooking much more fun, and they might even help land that promotion when you invite your boss to dinner (hey, it could happen!).
2. Aldi Mobile Confirms Pricing And Plans
   ALDI Mobile has just sent out a release confirming its pricing schedule for the ALDI Mobile phone service we wrote about yesterday morning.
3. Ask LH: Should I Pay This Private Parking Ticket?
   Dear Lifehacker, A couple of weeks ago I received a settlement letter from a private parking company offering a deal where I only would have to pay half a fine I apparently owe. The bill is for $44 for a supposed infringement in a private parking at a local McDonald’s four years ago. Though the parking was free the letter claims that I didn’t display the free ticket on my dash. Should I pay the fine? It was four years ago and I don’t recall having parked at that McDonald’s then, and it doesn’t have visible signage even today. Any advice? Thanks, McTicket
4. Five Best A/V Receivers
   The humble receiver is a crucial and often overlooked part of your home entertainment setup. It’s responsible for organising and funnelling all of the audio and video from your Blu-ray player, game consoles, HTPC, and other devices to your TV and your speakers. The best receivers offer streaming audio and video and multiple ports, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. Here’s a look at the top five, based on your nominations.
5. Does TV Piracy Harm Or Help?
   In some ways, this is the argument that never ends. Over the weekend, American director David Petrarca stated that he wasn’t fussed about people pirating Games Of Thrones, because it creates a “cultural buzz” around the product. I’m not entirely convinced.
6. JB Hi-Fi’s Selling Nexus 7 Cheap
   Google/Asus’ Nexus 7 is still the benchmark for a tablet that’s both good and cheap. JB Hi-Fi is selling off the Nexus 7 even cheaper than Google.
7. Ask LH: How Much Water Do I Actually Need To Drink Every Day?
   Dear Lifehacker, I’ve heard you need eight glasses of water every day, but I’ve also heard that it might be more or less. Some say too much water is bad, and many more say too little is bad. How can I know if I’m getting the right amount if nobody really knows what that amount is? Please help! Sincerely, Dumbfounded Drinker
8. How To Know When It’s Time To Quit Your Job
   We all feel disheartened about our jobs from time to time. But how do you know the difference between ordinary, occasional dissatisfaction and a genuine mismatch? How do you know when you’re truly ready to move on? And how do you then get out gracefully?
9. The Science Behind Coffee And Why It’s Actually Good For Your Health
   Coffee isn’t just warm and energising, it may also be extremely good for you. In recent years, scientists have studied the effects of coffee on various aspects of health and their results have been nothing short of amazing.
10. Chromebook Pixel Hands-On: Pretty, Pretty Pricey, Pretty Pointless
    Google’s announcement last week of the Chromebook Pixel — a Chromebook device with a high-end computer pricetag and design ethos — caught the industry by surprise. After a brief play with one of the devices, I’ve reached the same conclusion as many other testers: it’s gorgeous, but it’s an utterly pointless waste of money for an IT professional who actually wants to get stuff done.