Lookback Options: Our Nine Favourite Posts From Last Week

We post a lot of articles here at Lifehacker. Even if you visit the site on a daily basis, there are bound to be a few stories that slip by your radar. Lookback Options collects nine highlights from the week that was. Click on the headlines to see the stories you missed out on!

Each week, we bring together nine of our favourite posts from the Life, Work and IT Pro categories. Some of these stories proved exceedingly popular with readers while others simply contain good, useful content. If you missed them first time around, we guarantee they are worth reading.

Life

An Australian Guide To International Wines


Australia’s wine glut is legendary — we are the home of the cleanskin and the four litre goon bag for a reason. With so much local wine flooding the shelves of our local bottle stores and restaurant wine lists, it’s no wonder we don’t see more French, Italian and South American wine on our shelves. When we do, it can be hard to make sense of what the labels mean — and that’s if they’re even in English at all.

Eight Delicious Takeaway Dishes That Aren’t As Unhealthy As You Think


Choosing which takeaway to eat for lunch each day is a decision that plagues many Australian workers. Should you go for a meal that’s filling and delicious or something slimming and healthy? According to celebrity nutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan, it’s possible to tick both boxes in a single dish — you just have to be clever about what you order. Here are eight takeaway choices that are decadent and healthy.

It’s A National Tragedy: Toobs Have Been Discontinued


We regret to inform you that the Smith’s Snackfood Company has stopped making Toobs. The tangy tomato crisp — a favourite of Lifehacker — will no longer be sold due to a slump in sales. Worst Friday ever.

Work

Choice Shonky Awards: The Worst Australian Products Of 2015


Today, consumer watchdog Choice named and shamed the worst products and companies of the year at the 10th annual Shonky Awards. From “flushable” wet wipes that caused sewerage blockages to spontaneously combusting washing machines, these are the dodgiest Australian products of 2015.

Study Stressing You Out? Try Cuddling A Furry Friend


It’s currently “crunch time” at schools and universities around Australia, which means plenty of students are starting to have exam-induced freak outs. If you or your son/daughter are in the midst of a study cram, there is a simple, science-proven remedy that will help to bring stress levels down. It involves whiskers. And fur.

How Twitter’s 140-Character Limit Made Me A Better Writer


Twitter is planning to extend its typical 140-character limit, and a lot of people are welcoming the change. But as annoying as the 140-character limit can be, I’ve found that it actually helped me practise a few principles for better writing.

IT Pro

The Pros And Cons Of Automating Network Security

The automation of IT is on the rise, as noted by Gartner earlier this week as organisations increasingly opt to use intelligent systems that obviate the need for human intervention. But security is a touchy area when it comes to automation. Sure, there are probably a lot of repetitive tasks that security professionals would love to hand over to machines but they are reluctant to relinquish control. We take a look at the pros and cons of automation in network security.

How Excel Was Used To Make A 2.7m Tall LEGO Masterpiece


Last weekend, something magical was coming together at the Glebe Island Exhibition Centre, thanks to LEGO artist Bricktascale. It didn’t really look like much at first — a big, grey LEGO backboard with a smattering of red squares across it — but over the course of the weekend it started blossoming into something beautiful: and the world has Excel spreadsheets to thank.

All The Useful Products Google Has Killed Off Since 2006 [Infographic]


When Google Reader was discontinued, it broke the hearts of journalists, bloggers and news hounds everywhere. Before that it was Google Talk. Before that; Google Labs. In fact, the search juggernaut has killed off a significant number of useful products in the name of profitability and progress. This infographic marks the passing of every significant product and service: from 2006 to present.


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.

At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

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