Dear Lifehacker, I get bad customer service from companies time and again over the phone, and I'd like to record these calls so I have proof. I've also heard this might be illegal—are there any legal problems associated with this?Signed, Worried Wiretapper Photo by Esparta Palma. Dear Worried, That's actually a great question, and one we've heard several times. In fact, Lifehacker reader luckycharms just shared a tip that pretty... [weiterlesen]

At last year's South by Southwest Interactive festival, I experienced shoulder burns, a perpetually dead laptop, frantic text messages, and very little sleep. This year, I'm planning on taking Lifehacker's own advice on travel tools and actually enjoying myself. Here's how.Photo by ericskiff. Last year was my first time at SXSWi, the five-day conference that is, depending on who you ask, either a... [weiterlesen]

Firefox/Chrome: Small netbook screens make you really appreciate every last pixel on your device. The Mini Wide userscript for Gmail adds a "netbook mode" shortcut to Gmail that removes navigation and ads for a streamlined, netbook-friendly, message-focused view of your inbox.(Click the image above for a closer look.) Once installed, just tap 'w' to toggle between the default Gmail view and netbook mode. That's all there... [weiterlesen]

Windows/Mac/Linux: If you would like to easily access, edit, and save files across multiple computers, free application FeelHome allows you to share files across operating systems and over the web.Once you install FeelHome on your computer and specify which folders you want to share, you can access those files from the web or from another computer in your virtual FeelHome network. Files aren't stored on the... [weiterlesen]

After extended use your earbuds get pretty dirty—both on the microscopic and the visible "that came out of my ear?" level. This simple guide will help you defunk your earbuds to keep your eyes happy and the tunes clear.Photo by dusk-photography. Earbuds can get dirty surprisingly fast, especially if you use in-ear earbuds—the sealed design increases the heat in the ear canal and leads to more ear... [weiterlesen]

Just because you've got a relatively inexpensive point-and-shoot camera and not a $1500+ DSLR rig doesn't mean you can't take awesome photos. Here's a look at how you can elevate your regular old point-and-shoot shots to greatness.As popular as they've become in some circles, most people don't own a DSLR camera. They're expensive, they're bulky, and they're entirely inconvenient for toting around in many situations. I'm... [weiterlesen]

Dear Lifehacker, I've read about how HTML5 will change the way I use the web, but it seems like the biggest example of HTML5 in action is on sites like YouTube—which don't support my favorite browser, Firefox. What's the deal?I find myself, and I'm sure tons of others, caught in the Adobe Flash Player vs. HTML5 battle. Flash Player runs terribly on my... [weiterlesen]

Windows 7: Hailing from the camp of "software that does exactly what its name implies", Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Customizer fine-tunes the size, spacing, and margins of your Windows 7 Superbar previews.If you're unhappy with the size and spacing of application and folder thumbnails on your Superbar (less enthusiastically dubbed the taskbar in some circles), Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Customizer adjusts them. Vertical size, spacing... [weiterlesen]

Everywhere you look, food is trying to impress you with how natural it is, but the message is vague and often misleading. What does "organic" actually mean? What separates "grass-fed" from "free range"? We're separating real, meaningful labels from eco-hype.Photo by greenblog. Even if you couldn't care less about the growing media presence and consumer curiosity around food sourcing and handling, it helps to know... [weiterlesen]

Ever since I installed a barcode-scanning app on my phone, I see QR codes everywhere—so naturally I wanted one of my own. If you're a barcode-scanning fool, the QR code to the left links to my personal web site. Fun! A QR ("quick response") code is a square barcode that makes getting URLs, location coordinates, any text or contact information onto a phone fast.... [weiterlesen]