Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better

Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better

by Gina Trapani
Released March 2008
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9780470238363

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Book description

Whether you're a Mac or Windows user, there are tricks here for you in this helpful resource. You'll feast on this buffet of new shortcuts to make technology your ally instead of your adversary, so you can spend more time getting things done and less time fiddling with your computer. You'll learn valuable ways to upgrade your life so that you can work-and live-more efficiently, such as: empty your e-mail inbox, search the Web in three keystrokes, securely save Web site passwords, automatically back up your files, and many more.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Author
  3. Credits
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Introduction
    1. Computer Manual Meets Productivity Book
      1. Pick Your Tricks
      2. Your Operating System (Matters Less, But Still Matters)
      3. Your Skill Level
    2. What the Heck Is a "Lifehacker"?
      1. A Brief History of Life Hacks
      2. Bonus Material at Lifehackerbook.com
    3. References
  6. 1. Control Your Email
    1. 1.1. Hack 1: Empty Your Inbox (and Keep It Empty)
      1. 1.1.1. Why an Empty Inbox?
      2. 1.1.2. Set Up the Trusted Trio of Folders
        1. 1.1.2.1. The Archive Folder
        2. 1.1.2.2. The Follow Up Folder
        3. 1.1.2.3. The Hold Folder
      3. 1.1.3. Process Your Messages
      4. 1.1.4. Keep It Empty
      5. 1.1.5. Your First Time
      6. 1.1.6. The Catch
    2. 1.2. Hack 2: Decrease Your Response Time
      1. 1.2.1. Process Messages in Batches
      2. 1.2.2. The One-Minute Rule
      3. 1.2.3. Respond to Task Requests — Before the Task Is Done
      4. 1.2.4. Don't Leave It in Your Inbox
    3. 1.3. Hack 3: Craft Effective Messages
      1. 1.3.1. Composing a New Message
        1. 1.3.1.1. Determine Your Purpose
        2. 1.3.1.2. Use an Informative Subject Line
        3. 1.3.1.3. Be Succinct
        4. 1.3.1.4. Put Your Messages on a Diet
        5. 1.3.1.5. Facilitate a Complete Response
        6. 1.3.1.6. Make It Clear Why Everyone Got the Message
        7. 1.3.1.7. Don't Forget the Attachment
      2. 1.3.2. Replying to a Message
        1. 1.3.2.1. Respond to Individual Points Inline
        2. 1.3.2.2. Task Requests
        3. 1.3.2.3. Lead by Example
        4. 1.3.2.4. Don't Respond in Real Time
        5. 1.3.2.5. Get Outside the Inbox
        6. 1.3.2.6. Know When Not to Say a Thing
    4. 1.4. Hack 4: Highlight Messages Sent Directly to You
      1. 1.4.1. Microsoft Outlook: Color Me Blue
      2. 1.4.2. All Other Email Programs: Create a Not-to-Me Filter
    5. 1.5. Hack 5: Use Disposable Email Addresses
      1. 1.5.1. Web-Based Public Email Addresses
      2. 1.5.2. Multi-Domain Email Addresses
    6. 1.6. Hack 6: Master Message Search
    7. 1.7. Search Criteria
      1. 1.7.1. Saved Search Folders
    8. 1.8. Hack 7: Future-Proof Your Email Address
      1. 1.8.1. Don'ts
      2. 1.8.2. Do's
      3. 1.8.3. Bottom Line
    9. 1.9. Hack 8: Consolidate Multiple Email Addresses with Gmail
      1. 1.9.1. Receive Messages for Other Addresses in Your Gmail Inbox
        1. 1.9.1.1. Option 1: Set Up Gmail's POP Mail Fetcher
        2. 1.9.1.2. Option 2: Forward Messages to Gmail Automatically
      2. 1.9.2. Write Messages from Non-Gmail Addresses
    10. 1.10. Hack 9: Script Repetitive Responses
    11. 1.11. Hack 10: Filter Low-Priority Messages ("Bacn")
      1. 1.11.1. Filter Bacn
      2. 1.11.2. Filter CCed Messages
    12. 1.12. References
  7. 2. Organize Your Data
    1. 2.1. Hack 11: Organize Your Documents Folder
      1. 2.1.1. How to Change the Windows XP Default Home Directory
      2. 2.1.2. Beyond the Big Six
    2. 2.2. Hack 12: Instantly Retrieve Files Stored on Your Computer
      1. 2.2.1. Built-in Desktop File Search Features
      2. 2.2.2. Google Desktop Installation
      3. 2.2.3. Google Desktop Configuration
      4. 2.2.4. Files that Google Desktop Indexes
      5. 2.2.5. Refining Your Search
    3. 2.3. Hack 13: Overhaul Your Filing Cabinet
      1. 2.3.1. Give Your Paperwork a Spacious Place to Live
      2. 2.3.2. Limit One File Folder per Hanging Folder
      3. 2.3.3. Choose a Simple, Logical Naming Scheme
      4. 2.3.4. Use a Label Maker
      5. 2.3.5. Purge and Archive
    4. 2.4. Hack 14: Instantly Recall Any Number of Different Passwords
      1. 2.4.1. Don't Use the Same Password for Everything
      2. 2.4.2. Remember 100 Different Passwords with One Rule Set
    5. 2.5. Hack 15: Securely Track Your Passwords
      1. 2.5.1. One Master Password to Rule All
      2. 2.5.2. Find and Use Your Passwords with KeePass
    6. 2.6. Hack 16: Tag Your Bookmarks
      1. 2.6.1. Getting Started with del.icio.us
      2. 2.6.2. Add a Bookmark
      3. 2.6.3. Tags, Not Folders
      4. 2.6.4. Navigating del.icio.us by URL
      5. 2.6.5. Other del.icio.us Features
    7. 2.7. Hack 17: Organize Your Digital Photos
      1. 2.7.1. Import Your Photos into Picasa
      2. 2.7.2. Organize and Label Your Collection
        1. 2.7.2.1. Captions
        2. 2.7.2.2. Albums
        3. 2.7.2.3. Stars
      3. 2.7.3. Search Your Photos
      4. 2.7.4. Other Picasa Features
    8. 2.8. Hack 18: Create Saved Search Folders
      1. 2.8.1. Search Folders in Windows Vista
      2. 2.8.2. Saved Search Folders in Mac OS
    9. 2.9. Hack 19: Create a Password-Protected Disk on Your PC
      1. 2.9.1. Set up the Encrypted Volume Location
      2. 2.9.2. Store and Retrieve Files from the Encrypted Volume
    10. 2.10. Hack 20: Create a Password-Protected Disk on Your Mac
      1. 2.10.1. Create a New Encrypted Disk Image
      2. 2.10.2. Access Your Password-Protected Disk
    11. 2.11. Hack 21: Design Your Own Planner
      1. 2.11.1. Why Build Your Own Planner?
      2. 2.11.2. How to Assemble Your D*I*Y Planner
      3. 2.11.3. D*I*Y Planner Templates and Sizes
    12. 2.12. References
  8. 3. Trick Yourself into Getting Done
    1. 3.1. Hack 22: Make Your To-Do List Doable
      1. 3.1.1. You Are the Boss of You
      2. 3.1.2. How to Order Yourself Around
        1. 3.1.2.1. Only Put Items on the List that You're Definitely Doing
        2. 3.1.2.2. Break It Down
        3. 3.1.2.3. Focus Only on the Next Action
        4. 3.1.2.4. Use Specific, Active Verbs
        5. 3.1.2.5. Include as Much Information as Possible
        6. 3.1.2.6. Keep Your List Short
        7. 3.1.2.7. Prioritize Your Tasks
        8. 3.1.2.8. Keep Your List Moving
        9. 3.1.2.9. Purge and Update Your List Weekly
        10. 3.1.2.10. Log Your Completed Tasks
      3. 3.1.3. Practice Makes Perfect
    2. 3.2. Hack 23: Set up a Morning Dash
      1. 3.2.1. Get One Thing Done First
      2. 3.2.2. Park on a Downward Slope
    3. 3.3. Hack 24: Map Your Time
      1. 3.3.1. Your Ideal Time Map
      2. 3.3.2. Submaps
      3. 3.3.3. Your Actual Time Map
    4. 3.4. Hack 25: Quick-Log Your Workday
      1. 3.4.1. Paper
      2. 3.4.2. Notepad .LOG File (Windows Only)
      3. 3.4.3. Quick-Log in a Plain-Text File (Windows Only)
      4. 3.4.4. QuickLogger 2 Logs Your Time in a Spreadsheet or Text File (Windows)
    5. 3.5. Hack 26: Dash through Tasks with a Timer
      1. 3.5.1. Do Your First Dash
      2. 3.5.2. Adjust Your Dash
      3. 3.5.3. Why Time Constraints Work
      4. 3.5.4. Timer Software Applications
    6. 3.6. Hack 27: Form New Habits with Jerry Seinfeld's Chain
    7. 3.7. Hack 28: Control Your Workday
      1. 3.7.1. Identify and Cut Back on Extra Work
      2. 3.7.2. Stop Your Time Sinks
      3. 3.7.3. Make Post-Work Appointments
      4. 3.7.4. Set Wrap-Up Alerts
    8. 3.8. Hack 29: Turn Tasks into Game Play
      1. 3.8.1. Make It to the Next Level
      2. 3.8.2. Collaborate, Compete, and Reward
      3. 3.8.3. Bribe Yourself
      4. 3.8.4. Time Yourself
    9. 3.9. References
  9. 4. Clear Your Mind
    1. 4.1. Hack 30: Send Reminders to Your Future Self
    2. 4.2. Hack 31: Build Your Personal Wikipedia
      1. 4.2.1. What You Need
      2. 4.2.2. Set Up MediaWiki
      3. 4.2.3. Test-Drive Your Wiki
      4. 4.2.4. Brief Wikitext Primer
    3. 4.3. Hack 32: Develop Your (Digital) Photographic Memory
      1. 4.3.1. Tag Your Photos on Flickr
      2. 4.3.2. Upload Photos to Flickr from Your Camera Phone
    4. 4.4. Your Photo Reference
    5. 4.5. Hack 33: Take Great Notes
      1. 4.5.1. Method 1: Symbolize Next Actions
      2. 4.5.2. Method 2: Split Your Page into Quadrants
      3. 4.5.3. Method 3: Record and Summarize
      4. 4.5.4. Print Custom Note Paper
    6. 4.6. Hack 34: Organize Your Life with Remember the Milk
      1. 4.6.1. Managing Tasks
        1. 4.6.1.1. Prioritizing Tasks
        2. 4.6.1.2. Completing Tasks
      2. 4.6.2. Managing Lists and Tags
      3. 4.6.3. Setting Task Reminders
      4. 4.6.4. Searching Tasks
        1. 4.6.4.1. Advanced Search Operators
        2. 4.6.4.2. Save Searches in Smart Lists
      5. 4.6.5. Get Your RTM Tasks Offline
      6. 4.6.6. More RTM Techniques
        1. 4.6.6.1. The Weekly Planner
        2. 4.6.6.2. Add Tasks via Email
        3. 4.6.6.3. Keyboard Shortcuts
        4. 4.6.6.4. View Your RTM Tasks on Your Calendar or Homepage
    7. 4.7. Hack 35: Organize Your Life in Text Files
      1. 4.7.1. Why Plain Text?
      2. 4.7.2. Using an Editor to Manage Your Text Files
        1. 4.7.2.1. Allocate One Task Per Line
        2. 4.7.2.2. Sorting Items
        3. 4.7.2.3. Transfer Tasks from One File to Another
      3. 4.7.3. Using the Command Line to Manage Text Files
      4. 4.7.4. Introducing todo.sh
    8. 4.8. References
  10. 5. Firewall Your Attention
    1. 5.1. Hack 36: Limit Visits to Time-Wasting Web Sites
      1. 5.1.1. Install and Configure LeechBlock
      2. 5.1.2. Visiting a Blocked Site
      3. 5.1.3. Adding Sites to the Block List
      4. 5.1.4. Make It Difficult to Disable LeechBlock
    2. 5.2. Hack 37: Permanently Block Time-Wasting Web Sites
      1. 5.2.1. Windows
      2. 5.2.2. Mac OS X
      3. 5.2.3. The Result
    3. 5.3. Hack 38: Reduce Email Interruptions
      1. 5.3.1. Shut Down Your Email Program
      2. 5.3.2. Set Your Email Program to Check for Messages Once an Hour
    4. 5.4. Hack 39: Split Your Work Among Multiple Desktops
      1. 5.4.1. Windows Vista and XP
      2. 5.4.2. Windows XP
      3. 5.4.3. Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
      4. 5.4.4. Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
    5. 5.5. Hack 40: Build a No-Fly Zone
      1. 5.5.1. Set Yourself Up to Get into the Zone
      2. 5.5.2. Make Yourself Inaccessible
      3. 5.5.3. Work at Quieter Times and in Zoned-Off Spaces
    6. 5.6. Hack 41: Clear Your Desktop
      1. 5.6.1. Windows
      2. 5.6.2. Mac OS X
    7. 5.7. Hack 42: Make Your House a Usable Home
      1. 5.7.1. Create a Place for Incoming Stuff
      2. 5.7.2. Put Items You Need to Remember in Your Path
      3. 5.7.3. Stow Away Stuff You Don't Use; Put Stuff You Do Within Easy Reach
      4. 5.7.4. Strategically Place Items to Make Tasks Easy
      5. 5.7.5. Make Task-Based Centers
      6. 5.7.6. Leave Writing Material Everywhere
      7. 5.7.7. Set Up an Inbox
      8. 5.7.8. Collaborate with Housemates
    8. 5.8. Hack 43: Sentence Stuff to Death Row
    9. 5.9. Hack 44: Drown out Distracting Sounds with Pink Noise
      1. 5.9.1. ChatterBlocker (Windows and Mac)
      2. 5.9.2. Noise (Mac OS X Only)
    10. 5.10. References
  11. 6. Streamline Common Tasks
    1. 6.1. Hack 45: Search the Web in Three Keystrokes
      1. 6.1.1. Run a Search with Keyboard Shortcuts
    2. 6.2. Hack 46: Command Your Windows PC from the Keyboard
      1. 6.2.1. Built-in Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
      2. 6.2.2. Launch Documents and Applications from Vista's Search Box
      3. 6.2.3. Quickly Run Programs and Open Files with Launchy
    3. 6.3. Hack 47: Command Your Mac from the Keyboard
      1. 6.3.1. Basic File and Application Launching with Quicksilver
      2. 6.3.2. Advanced Quicksilver Actions
    4. 6.4. Hack 48: Reduce Repetitive Typing with Texter for Windows
      1. 6.4.1. Set Up Texter Hotstrings
        1. 6.4.1.1. Adding Hotstrings
        2. 6.4.1.2. Choosing the Right Hotstring Trigger
        3. 6.4.1.3. Configuring Bundles
      2. 6.4.2. More Texter Features
    5. 6.5. Hack 49: Reduce Repetitive Typing with TextExpander for Mac
      1. 6.5.1. Configure TextExpander Snippets
        1. 6.5.1.1. Adding New Snippets
        2. 6.5.1.2. Set the Text Expansion Delimiter
        3. 6.5.1.3. Managing Snippet Groups
      2. 6.5.2. Advanced TextExpander Usage
    6. 6.6. Hack 50: Text-Message Efficiently
      1. 6.6.1. What You Can Do with SMS
      2. 6.6.2. Quick-Start Guide for SMS Beginners
      3. 6.6.3. Save Your Thumbs
      4. 6.6.4. SMS from Your Computer
    7. 6.7. Hack 51: Batch-Resize Photos
    8. 6.8. Hack 52: Send and Receive Money on Your Cell Phone
      1. 6.8.1. PayPal Mobile
      2. 6.8.2. Send Money to an Email Address
      3. 6.8.3. PayPal Alternative
    9. 6.9. Hack 53: Bypass Free Site Registration with BugMeNot
    10. 6.10. Hack 54: Speed Up Web Pages on a Slow Internet Connection
      1. 6.10.1. Configure Your Web Browser for a Slow Connection
      2. 6.10.2. Block and Disable Bandwidth Hogs
      3. 6.10.3. Use Tabs to Load Pages While You Work
      4. 6.10.4. Work Offline Whenever Possible
    11. 6.11. Hack 55: Securely Save Web Site Passwords
    12. 6.12. Hack 56: Become a Scheduling Black Belt with Google Calendar
      1. 6.12.1. Quickly Capture Events
      2. 6.12.2. Subscribe to Shared Calendars
      3. 6.12.3. Share a Custom Calendar
      4. 6.12.4. Book Conference Room B
      5. 6.12.5. Receive Your Daily Agenda via Email Automatically
      6. 6.12.6. See This Week's Weather Forecast on Your Calendar
      7. 6.12.7. Invite Your Friends to Events via GCal
      8. 6.12.8. Get Your Schedule Details via Text Message
      9. 6.12.9. Master GCal's Keyboard Shortcuts
    13. 6.13. Hack 57: Scan Text to PDF with Your Camera Phone
      1. 6.13.1. Take Photos that Produce the Best Scan Results
      2. 6.13.2. Sending Images to Qipit
      3. 6.13.3. Working with Qipit Scans
    14. 6.14. Hack 58: Poll Groups of People with Doodle
    15. 6.15. References
  12. 7. Automate Repetitive Tasks
    1. 7.1. Hack 59: Automatically Back Up Your Files to an External Hard Drive (PC)
      1. 7.1.1. What You'll Need
      2. 7.1.2. Configure the Backup System
    2. 7.2. Hack 60: Automatically Back Up Your Files to an External Hard Drive (Mac)
      1. 7.2.1. Enable Time Machine Backups
        1. 7.2.1.1. What Time Machine Does
        2. 7.2.1.2. Switch Disks or Exclude Folders from Time Machine's Backup
      2. 7.2.2. Restore Deleted or Overwritten Files
    3. 7.3. Hack 61: Automatically Back Up Your Files Online
    4. 7.4. Set Up Mozy Online Backups
    5. 7.5. What Mozy Does
      1. 7.5.1. Restore Files Backed Up with Mozy
    6. 7.6. Hack 62: Automatically Empty Your Digital Junk Drawer (PC)
    7. 7.7. Hack 63: Automatically Clean Up Your Mac
      1. 7.7.1. Empty Your Downloads Folder with Hazel
      2. 7.7.2. Take Out the Trash with Hazel
      3. 7.7.3. More Automatic File Processing
    8. 7.8. Hack 64: Automatically Reboot and Launch Applications
      1. 7.8.1. Automatically Reboot Your Computer
      2. 7.8.2. Automatically Launch Software or Documents
      3. 7.8.3. Automatically Start a Web-Browsing Session
    9. 7.9. Hack 65: Make Google Search Results Automatically Come to You
    10. 7.10. Hack 66: Automatically Download Music, Movies, and More
      1. 7.10.1. Install and Run wget
      2. 7.10.2. Mirror an Entire Web Site
      3. 7.10.3. Resume Partial Downloads on an Intermittent Connection
      4. 7.10.4. Automatically Download New Music from the Web
      5. 7.10.5. Automate wget Downloads on Windows
    11. 7.11. Hack 67: Automatically Email Yourself File Backups
      1. 7.11.1. Set Up the Email Script
      2. 7.11.2. Why Not Just Save Files to Flash Drives or a CD?
      3. 7.11.3. More on Emailing Yourself Backups
        1. 7.11.3.1. Email Backup Filtering
        2. 7.11.3.2. Scheduling
        3. 7.11.3.3. File Size and Type Limitations
        4. 7.11.3.4. Troubleshooting
    12. 7.12. Hack 68: Automatically Update a Spreadsheet
    13. 7.13. References
  13. 8. Get Your Data to Go
    1. 8.1. Hack 69: Manage Your Documents in a Web-Based Office Suite
      1. 8.1.1. Why Move from Desktop Software to Web Applications
      2. 8.1.2. Web Application Alternatives to Desktop Office Software
      3. 8.1.3. What You Can Do in an Online Office Suite
    2. 8.2. Hack 70: Replace Your Laptop with a Portable Drive
      1. 8.2.1. Uses for MojoPac
      2. 8.2.2. Install MojoPac
      3. 8.2.3. MojoPac's Pros, Cons, and Notes
    3. 8.3. Hack 71: Carry Your Life on a Flash Drive
      1. 8.3.1. Portable Applications
      2. 8.3.2. Carry a System-Recovery Toolkit on Your Flash Drive
      3. 8.3.3. Useful Data to Store on Your Thumb Drive
      4. 8.3.4. Secure Your Drive
        1. 8.3.4.1. Lock Sensitive Text Files
        2. 8.3.4.2. Encrypt Your Data
        3. 8.3.4.3. Make Your Drive Returnable
      5. 8.3.5. Using Your Thumb Drive
    4. 8.4. Hack 72: Access Web Apps and Search via Text Message
      1. 8.4.1. Web Search via Text Message
        1. 8.4.1.1. Get Help
        2. 8.4.1.2. Test-Drive SMS Search on the Web
        3. 8.4.1.3. Preschedule Search-Result SMS Alerts
      2. 8.4.2. Web Applications via Text Message
        1. 8.4.2.1. Calendar
        2. 8.4.2.2. Twitter Universal SMS Interface
        3. 8.4.2.3. Instant Reminders
        4. 8.4.2.4. To-Do List
        5. 8.4.2.5. Money
        6. 8.4.2.6. Gas Mileage
    5. 8.5. Hack 73: Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with Hamachi
      1. 8.5.1. What's Hamachi VPN?
      2. 8.5.2. Set Up Hamachi
        1. 8.5.2.1. Download and Install Hamachi
        2. 8.5.2.2. Create Your Hamachi Network
        3. 8.5.2.3. Invite Others to Join Your Hamachi Network
      3. 8.5.3. What You Can Do Over Hamachi VPN
    6. 8.6. Hack 74: Run a Home Web Server
      1. 8.6.1. Step 1: Disable Other Servers or Firewall Software
      2. 8.6.2. Step 2: Install Apache HTTP Server
        1. 8.6.2.1. Complete the Installation
        2. 8.6.2.2. Common Problem
      3. 8.6.3. Step 3: Configure Apache to Share Documents
      4. 8.6.4. Step 4: Password-Protect Your Web Site Documents
    7. 8.7. Hack 75: Remotely Control Your Home Computer
      1. 8.7.1. Step 1: Install the VNC Server
        1. 8.7.1.1. Windows
        2. 8.7.1.2. Mac
        3. 8.7.1.3. About the Server
      2. 8.7.2. Step 2: Install the VNC Client
      3. 8.7.3. More VNC Considerations
    8. 8.8. Hack 76: Give Your Home Computer a Web Address
      1. 8.8.1. Step 1: Set Up Your DynDNS Account
      2. 8.8.2. Step 2: Set up Your Computer to Update DynDNS
      3. 8.8.3. Step 3: Give Your New Domain a Spin
      4. 8.8.4. DynDNS Options
    9. 8.9. Hack 77: Optimize Your Laptop
      1. 8.9.1. Extend Your Battery Life
      2. 8.9.2. Save Your Keyboard and Screen
      3. 8.9.3. Keep It Cool
      4. 8.9.4. Set Yourself Up to Work Offline
      5. 8.9.5. Secure Your Data
      6. 8.9.6. Carry with Care
      7. 8.9.7. Back Up
      8. 8.9.8. Pack Helpful Extras
      9. 8.9.9. Find a Hotspot
    10. 8.10. Hack 78: Back Up Data to Your iPod
      1. 8.10.1. Turn Your iPod into a Hard Drive
      2. 8.10.2. Encrypt Your Data
        1. 8.10.2.1. Mac OS X
        2. 8.10.2.2. Windows
      3. 8.10.3. Take Your Software with You on the iPod
    11. 8.11. Hack 79: Turn Your Cell Phone into a Modem
      1. 8.11.1. What You Need
      2. 8.11.2. Configure Your Cell Phone as a Modem
      3. 8.11.3. Keep an Eye on the Meter
    12. 8.12. Hack 80: Use Gmail as an Internet Hard Drive
      1. 8.12.1. Windows: GMail Drive Extension
      2. 8.12.2. Mac OS X: gDisk
    13. 8.13. References
  14. 9. Master the Web
    1. 9.1. Hack 81: Google Like a Pro
      1. 9.1.1. Exact Phrase with Quotations
      2. 9.1.2. Include and Exclude Words Using + and −
      3. 9.1.3. Search Within a Site
      4. 9.1.4. Search Certain Types of Files
      5. 9.1.5. Calculations
      6. 9.1.6. Synonyms
      7. 9.1.7. Combine Criteria and Operators
    2. 9.2. Hack 82: Subscribe to Web Sites with RSS
      1. 9.2.1. How to Subscribe to Web Site Feeds
      2. 9.2.2. Other Popular Feedreaders
      3. 9.2.3. Search and Track Dynamic Information with Feeds
    3. 9.3. Hack 83: Add Engines to Your Browser's Search Box
      1. 9.3.1. Adding Search Plugins
      2. 9.3.2. Search-Box Basics
      3. 9.3.3. Get to the Search Box by Keyboard
    4. 9.4. Hack 84: Quick Search from the URL Bar
      1. 9.4.1. Download the Bookmark Set
      2. 9.4.2. Lifehacker Quick Searches
    5. 9.5. Hack 85: Extend Your Web Browser
      1. 9.5.1. How to Install a Firefox Extension
      2. 9.5.2. Recommended Firefox Extensions
    6. 9.6. Hack 86: Supercharge Your Firefox Downloads with DownThemAll!
      1. 9.6.1. Download Individual Files with DownThemAll!
      2. 9.6.2. Batch-Download Files with Filters
      3. 9.6.3. Customize a Filter to Download All the MP3s on a Web Page
      4. 9.6.4. One-Click Access to dTa Settings
    7. 9.7. Hack 87: Get 10 Useful Bookmarklets
    8. 9.8. Hack 88: Find Reusable Media Online
      1. 9.8.1. What's Reusable Media?
      2. 9.8.2. Six Reusable-Media Search Engines and Sources
    9. 9.9. Hack 89: Get Your Data on a Map
    10. 9.10. Hack 90: Set Multiple Sites as Your Home Page
      1. 9.10.1. Multitab Homepage
        1. 9.10.1.1. Firefox
        2. 9.10.1.2. Internet Explorer 7
      2. 9.10.2. Bookmark Sets of Tabs
      3. 9.10.3. Open a Set of Tabs
    11. 9.11. Hack 91: Access Unavailable Web Sites via Google
    12. 9.12. Hack 92: Take Your Browser Configuration with You
    13. 9.13. Hack 93: Find Out About a Web Site
      1. 9.13.1. View Site Traffic and Related Information with Alexa
      2. 9.13.2. See What Others Are Saying about a Site on Technorati
      3. 9.13.3. View Past Versions of a Site in the Internet Archive
      4. 9.13.4. See What Sites Link to a Site with Google and Yahoo!
      5. 9.13.5. Get 25 Meta Lookups for a Web Page with the About This Site Firefox Extension
    14. 9.14. Hack 94: Have a Say in What Google Says About You
      1. 9.14.1. But I Already Have a Web Site
      2. 9.14.2. Get Your Domain
      3. 9.14.3. Author Your Nameplate
      4. 9.14.4. Find a Web Host
      5. 9.14.5. Link Up Your Name Site
    15. 9.15. Hack 95: Capture Web Clippings with Google Notebook
    16. 9.16. Hack 96: Clear Your Web Browsing Tracks
      1. 9.16.1. Internet Explorer 6 (Windows XP)
      2. 9.16.2. Internet Explorer 7 (Windows Vista)
      3. 9.16.3. Mozilla Firefox
    17. 9.17. References
  15. 10. Hone Your Computer Survival Skills
    1. 10.1. Hack 97: Rescue Your PC from Malware
      1. 10.1.1. Symptoms
      2. 10.1.2. Malware-Removal and -Prevention Tools
      3. 10.1.3. How to Clean an Infected System
      4. 10.1.4. Virus Protection
      5. 10.1.5. Web-Browser Hijacking
    2. 10.2. Hack 98: Clean Up Your Startup
      1. 10.2.1. Start Menu (Easy)
      2. 10.2.2. System Configuration Utility (Medium)
      3. 10.2.3. Autoruns (Advanced)
    3. 10.3. Hack 99: Undo System Configuration Changes
      1. 10.3.1. Create or Restore a Saved Point with System Restore
      2. 10.3.2. When System Restore Takes Snapshots
      3. 10.3.3. Limit System Restore's Disk Usage
    4. 10.4. Hack 100: Truly Delete Data from Your Hard Drive
      1. 10.4.1. Windows
      2. 10.4.2. Mac OS X
    5. 10.5. Hack 101: Compare and Merge Files and Folders with WinMerge
      1. 10.5.1. Compare and Merge Folders
      2. 10.5.2. Diff and Merge Text Files
      3. 10.5.3. Compare and Merge Office Documents
    6. 10.6. Hack 102: Firewall Your PC
      1. 10.6.1. Does Your Computer Need a Firewall?
      2. 10.6.2. ZoneAlarm Software Firewall
      3. 10.6.3. Control What Programs Can Connect to the Internet
    7. 10.7. Hack 103: Firewall Your Mac
      1. 10.7.1. Choose Your Firewall Setting
        1. 10.7.1.1. Allow All Incoming Connections
        2. 10.7.1.2. Allow Only Essential Services
        3. 10.7.1.3. Set Access For Specific Services And Applications
      2. 10.7.2. Get Stealthy
    8. 10.8. Hack 104: Speed Up Windows Vista with a Thumb Drive
      1. 10.8.1. Enable ReadyBoost for a Flash Drive
      2. 10.8.2. Allocate How Much Space ReadyBoost Uses
    9. 10.9. Hack 105: Free Up Hard-Drive Space
      1. 10.9.1. Visualize Disk Hogs
        1. 10.9.1.1. WinDirStat (Windows)
        2. 10.9.1.2. JDiskReport (Windows or Mac)
      2. 10.9.2. Clean Your Entire System with CCleaner
    10. 10.10. Hack 106: Resurrect Deleted Files
    11. 10.11. Hack 107: Hot Image Your PC for Instant Restoration
      1. 10.11.1. Create a New System Image
        1. 10.11.1.1. Raw Mode
        2. 10.11.1.2. Split Large Files
        3. 10.11.1.3. Compressed
        4. 10.11.1.4. Hot Imaging Strategy
      2. 10.11.2. Restore Your System Image
        1. 10.11.2.1. Browse and Restore Individual Files
        2. 10.11.2.2. Perform a Complete System Restore (Advanced)
    12. 10.12. Hack 108: Recover Files from an Unbootable PC
      1. 10.12.1. What You Need
      2. 10.12.2. Prepare Your KNOPPIX Disk
      3. 10.12.3. Set Your Computer to Boot from the CD or DVD Drive
      4. 10.12.4. Start KNOPPIX
      5. 10.12.5. Rescue Your Data
    13. 10.13. References
  16. 11. Manage Multiple Computers
    1. 11.1. Hack 109: Share Windows Files
      1. 11.1.1. Share a Folder
      2. 11.1.2. Determine Your Computer Name
      3. 11.1.3. Access the Shared Folder from Another PC
      4. 11.1.4. Access the Shared Folder from a Mac
      5. 11.1.5. Troubleshooting Tips
    2. 11.2. Hack 110: Share Mac Files
      1. 11.2.1. Share a Folder
      2. 11.2.2. Access the Shared Folder from Another Mac
      3. 11.2.3. Access the Shared Folder from a PC
    3. 11.3. Hack 111: Synchronize Folders Between Computers
      1. 11.3.1. Sync Files Between PCs on a Local Network with SyncToy
        1. 11.3.1.1. Set SyncToy Action Options
      2. 11.3.2. Dry-Run Your SyncToy Action
      3. 11.3.3. Sync Files Between Macs and PCs over the Internet with FolderShare
    4. 11.4. Hack 112: Synchronize Your Browser Bookmarks Between Computers
      1. 11.4.1. Set Up Foxmarks
      2. 11.4.2. Access Your Foxmarks Bookmarks on the Web
    5. 11.5. Hack 113: Share a Single Printer Between Computers
      1. 11.5.1. Share the Printer
      2. 11.5.2. Connect to the Shared Printer from Windows
      3. 11.5.3. Connect to the Shared Printer from a Mac
    6. 11.6. Hack 114: Have Your Mac and Windows, Too, with Boot Camp
      1. 11.6.1. What You Need
      2. 11.6.2. Set Up Boot Camp
        1. 11.6.2.1. Step 1: Launch the Boot Camp Assistant
        2. 11.6.2.2. Step 2: Partition Your Mac's Hard Drive
        3. 11.6.2.3. Step 3: Start the Windows Installation
        4. 11.6.2.4. Step 4. Install the Windows Drivers for Your Mac's Hardware
      3. 11.6.3. You Choose
      4. 11.6.4. Using a Mac Keyboard in Windows
    7. 11.7. Hack 115: Optimize Your Dual Monitors
      1. 11.7.1. The Basics
      2. 11.7.2. Get Your Dual-Monitor Wallpaper On
      3. 11.7.3. Extend Your Taskbar Across Monitors
      4. 11.7.4. Managing Windows
      5. 11.7.5. Desktop Pinups and Overlays
    8. 11.8. Hack 116: Control Multiple Computers with a Single Keyboard and Mouse
      1. 11.8.1. Set Up the Synergy Server
        1. 11.8.1.1. Configure Multiple Synergy Screens
        2. 11.8.1.2. Link the Screens
      2. 11.8.2. Set Up the Synergy Client
    9. 11.9. References

Product information

  • Title: Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better
  • Author(s): Gina Trapani
  • Release date: March 2008
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9780470238363