The pet adoption process for my family was ... unexpected. One Saturday, when my six-year-old son was having a play date in our backyard with his cousin and his best preschool friend, a black cat came to visit. To them, the cat visit was more exciting than the waterslide and the popsicles I had brought out. They squealed, pet him, and followed him around.

He started coming by more often, walking with my son and his grandmother to school and hanging around near our patio door. My husband started putting out food and water. My son named him Sammy. Everyone started calling Sammy our cat. I, on the other hand, was extremely hesitant to keep him -- we had never had a pet, and I just knew all the dirty work would be left with me.

Quick straw poll - how many of us actually read the license agreement when we sign on to an online service or install a new app? I'll be honest, I almost never do. And the only times I have is in corporate environments where the lawyers have done it for me.

But this week, it has been revealed that genealogy company Ancestry has been offering DNA testing where they claim perpetual ownership of your DNA.

Dear Lifehacker, I have a Samsung Galaxy 6 edge on a mobile contract that ends in December. I want to exchange my phone for an iPhone 7 now before my contract ends - how much would that cost? Also, can I upgrade to a new plan without having to pay off the remainder of my existing plan?

Samsung's shiny new Galaxy smartphone is officially available in Australia today with all major telcos offering a range of plans for the device. If you’re contemplating a new phone contract and have your heart set on the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, this comprehensive plan breakdown will help you make the right decision.

For years, the only decent way to buy a phone was from your carrier. Those days are behind us. Now, in many circumstances, it's just as easy and usually better to buy your phone outright and ditch the contracts forever.

If you sell your time and need to give quotes to customers, you'll often round to the nearest zero. Potential might be more likely to accept your bid if you use an exact price.

Dear Lifehacker, I had to buy an iPhone 6 for work the other day, but I kept running into brick and mortar stores that refused to sell me an iPhone 6 unless I bought one on a plan. Are they allowed to restrict the sales of a hardware device unless they strong-arm me into a contract?

We hear endlessly about how consumerisation is impacting the way enterprise IT works. But there's one area where that change hasn't really taken effect: the length and necessity of contracts.

When you're a freelancer, it's easy to just take a job and start working without thinking much about it. However, if you don't want to accidentally get caught up in work you don't want, 99U suggests including a set of provisions in your contract.

Governments have never been more keen to leverage information technology for public projects, but their track record isn't particularly good. In Victoria, myki has been branded a "disaster from touch on to touch off", and HealthSMART has been ditched. In NSW, the first transport card scheme, T-Card, became a legal saga before being canned.

Telstra is taking NBN Co to court in a dispute over how payments for the use of Telstra's copper network are calculated. Whatever the outcome of the specific case, the issue provides a reminder of why contracts are really only the starting point for the relationship -- and also why the government's plans to speed up the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) might hit a wall.

Dear Lifehacker, What are my rights if I move house and my mobile broadband speed is severely impacted due to the new location? Am I left paying the contract for a device that is still useable, but getting virtually dial-up speeds? Thanks, Mr 56k

In a post yesterday, I discussed the process of setting an appropriate rate when quoting for a contract job. A few comments noted that setting up payment terms, as well as an agreed rate, is also important.

Dear Lifehacker, I am a frequent renter, currently searching for a new place. I recently viewed a property that was advertised as 'Fully Furnished'. After seeing the property, I immediately said yes. It was furnished well and the decor was excellent.

Dear Lifehacker, Two years ago I signed up for Virgin Mobile Australia's $29 plan. It came with a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10i. I signed up for the plan, because it had a reasonable credit allowance of $450 per month, and 200Mb of data per month. Not much, but enough to use maps and social networks a little.

Hi Lifehacker, I am currently a Crazy John's customer for mobile phone and mobile internet (with 18 months to run on a 24 month contract), and with the news that the brand will be absorbed by Vodafone in the coming weeks, I am wondering what my contractual rights may be should I wish to terminate my service given my past experiences with Vodafone have been less than satisfactory! I didn't sign up to deal with Vodafone -- are there any outs here? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks, Not So Crazy

Lifehacker's Planhacker tables can help you pick out the best contract plans for all sorts of circumstances. Everyone's needs differ, but some plans represent bad value no matter where you're coming from. Here are some of the worst-value options from every major carrier, plus the choices that make more sense.

A recent survey suggests that 60 per cent of Australians hope to keep using their phone even when their 24-month contract is up. Where do you stand on the issue?

The way mobile phone charges are calculated is anything but transparent, and we frequently find them very confusing. Fortunately for consumers, next week will finally see the start of a process that will ultimately make bills easier to follow and reduce the risk of people on contracts getting unexpectedly large bills.