Benton Pena @ technology + culture + life and everything in between

Gmail added a useful little feature to its search feature today, adding details for all your contacts to your search results for quick access.

Now, when you search someone’s email address, the results will not only show messages from them but some extra info about that contact. You’ll see their contact photo, as well as links to email them, IM them, call them using Gmail calling, and video chat with them. If they’re on Google+, you’ll also see what circle they’re in, and this information will stay up to date as they change it on their profile. It’s a small change, but a bit quicker than opening up the contacts page and searching for them there.

The new update adds better circles integration into Gmail as well. Not everyone is seeing it yet, but it should roll out to all Gmail users by the end of the day. If it’s popped up for you, let us know what you think in the comments.

Continuing to Bring People Front and Center in Gmail | Official Gmail Blog

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/kwRN6w-wZ9s/gmail-adds-contacts-to-its-search-bar-makes-emailing-calling-and-iming-a-snap

Someone is mad at The Pirate Bay, Soluto lets you set up Dropbox for grandma without driving to her house, and Quicksilver for Mac announces an omnibus of updates.

• Pirate Bay Under DDoS Attack from Unknown Enemy: The Pirate Bay remains inaccessible worldwide for a second day, reportedly as a result of Distributed Denial of Service attacks. Some speculate it’s backlash for TPB’s condemnation of such attacks as a form of censorship. [TorrentFreak]
• Making Life a Little Simpler with Dropbox and Soluto: One of our favorite long-distance troubleshooting tools, Soluto, now lets you set up a Dropbox account for friends and relatives from afar with one click. You’ll also get your 500MB Dropbox referral bonus for doing it. [Soluto Blog]
• Quicksilver Gets Things Done: Our favorite app launcher for Mac updates with new keyboard shortcuts, better plugin management, and a slew of other fixes and small features. [Quicksilver Blog]
• HTC One X And EVO 4G LTE Held Up In U.S. Customs, Sprint Pushes Back EVO Release Date: HTC’s latest Android phones are under arrest due to UI elements that conflict with Apple patents, according to an International Trade Commission finding last year. The ruling banned import of devices with the offending features, and Sprint has removed all mention of the new phones’ launch dates from their websites. [TechCrunch]
• Microsoft Gives Windows a Clean Sweep: Along with their Signature line of bloatware free, direct sale PCs, Microsoft now offers to install the Signature edition of Windows 7 over any existing copy of the operating system for $99. The service is only available in the growing chain of Microsoft retail stores. [All Things D]
• Apple Fires Back in Lawsuit over Siri’s Performance: Filing a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit based on Siri’s failure to live up to advertising claims, Apple called the complaints “vague” and “highly individualized,” suggesting the plaintiffs should have returned their iPhones if unsatisfied. [Wall Street Journal]
• Apple Moves Toward Larger iPhone Screens: Several media outlets are citing anonymous sources in Apple’s supply chain as indicating at least a four inch screen on the next iPhone. [Wall Street Journal]

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Qhl80am8TL0/remains-of-the-day-gmail-search-adds-contact-details-more-integration-with-circles

Reader rustyhalos takes the text-based home screen to new heights with his “Love Letter to Los Angeles” home screen.

Click on the image above to get a closer look.

This is the set-up I’m currently using, entitled “Love Letter to Los Angeles.” Why something so sappy, you ask? Well, I’m leaving my hometown of (you guessed it) Los Angeles, very soon, maybe for good, so I’m feeling a little sentimental. I found a small graphic of the Los Angeles skyline floating around online, and thought I would edit it in Photoshop and turn it into a wallpaper for my phone. Approximately eight hours and endless bouts with Minimalistic Text later, this was the result.

The set-up is based around one of my favorite quotes about Los Angeles: “Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles”, from Frank Lloyd Wright. I used that quote on the lockscreen, courtesy of WidgetLocker, along with a simple slider I found on XDA. The rest of the lockscreen is simple Minimalistic Text and Missed It, with little custom tweaks here and there.

The main screens were created using Minimalistic Text, Metrostation Icons, Apex Launcher (7 rows, 6 columns), a news widget, and the Simple Calendar widget.

I’m running an unofficial version of Cyangenmod 9 on my HTC Sensation. You can find more details on my MyColorscreen page.

Do you have an awesome, tweaked-into-oblivion home or lock screen of your own that you’d like to share? Go ahead and post it on the #homescreenshowcase forum with a description of how you made it and it may be the next featured home screen.

Love Letter to Los Angeles | #homescreenshowcase

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/bprQ1rqT1P4/the-los-angeles-home-screen

If the life of a power user teaches you anything, it’s that some of the best apps and tools don’t always stand the test of time. Let’s pour one out for some of those dearly departed.

In honor of QuickTime plugin Perian’s announcement that it’s halting development (Perian let you play unsupported file types in QuickTime), we’re taking a look back at our favorite apps and services that have been abandoned over the years—as well as the apps you can use to replace them.

To the Best and Brightest: You Died Too Young

Perian (Mac): 2006-2012

The history: It’s only fitting that Perian be the first one on the list, as it’s the app that inspired our nostalgia today. Perian was a preference pane that added tons of codecs and file type support to QuickTime, making you able to watch nearly any video without having to resort to something like VLC. Since it used QuickTime, it also allowed you to import all those videos into iTunes for better organization.

What’s taken its place: Perian wasn’t without its problems, but we will be sad to see it go. It should still work for awhile, but if you’re ready to pack up and move on, we still recommend downloading a separate video player like VLC for your video playing needs. You can also check out MPlayerX and Movist, if VLC isn’t your thing. And, if you want those videos in iTunes, you can always just use Handbrake to convert them to an iTunes or iOS-friendly format.

Boxee (Cross-Platform): 2008-2011

The history: Boxee was a fantastic piece of media center software that focused on streaming web content. Now that the Boxee Box is available, though, the standalone Boxee software has been abandoned.

What’s taken its place: Luckily, XBMC—the software that inspired Boxee in the first place, and our favorite media center software—had just gotten better and better recently, including tons of plugins and support for streaming web video. If you’re a Boxee user looking to put the past behind you, we can’t recommend XBMC enough. Check out our complete guide to XBMC to see everything it can do. If you don’t love XBMC, or you just want something that’s a bit simpler to set up, we’re huge fans of Plex, too. It’s not only easy, but it can stream your media just about anywhere, too.

Drop.io (Web): 2007-2010

The history: Drop.io was a very cool file sharing service that was quick, simple, and had some cool collaboration features behind it. Facebook bought it out and it was never seen or heard from again.

What’s taken its place: There isn’t anything quite like Drop.io, but services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft Skydrive have most of the features we liked about Drop.io. The only difference is that they require an account and always-on app to really reach their full potential. If you’re looking for something web-based that’ll get your file uploaded right away, we’re big fans of Ge.tt. Be sure to also check out these five great alternatives to the now-defunct Megaupload, too, while you’re at it.

Mozilla Prism (Windows): 2007-2010

The history: Mozilla’s Prism was a program that let you create site-specific browsers, perfect for running your favorite webapps as if they were desktop apps. They’ve since junked the project and folded it into a developer tool called Chromeless that really doesn’t do anything that Prism did. I’m still depressed about it.

What’s taken its place: There’s nothing that can truly replace Prism, but both Chrome and Internet Explorer have some site-specific browser features built-in that will suffice for most users. In Chrome, just head to your site and to to the Wrench Tools Create Application Shortcut. In IE, just drag the URL from the navigation bar down to the taskbar. Certain sites, like Slacker Radio or Facebook, will even have some cool integration features when you do this with IE.

DVD Shrink (Windows): 2003-2004

The history: Remember the days when you used to rip DVDs yourself? DVD Shrink was the go-to app of its day, being completely free and open source, and life was good. Sadly, it stopped development after a DCMA takedown notice, and while you can still grab it around the net, it won’t work on most newer DVDs.

What’s taken its place: DVDFab and AnyDVD are the best DVD rippers on the market right now, but they both cost money. MakeMKV is a good free choice if you just want to rip a movie to a video file, and it can also rip Blu-Ray discs as well. You can also use Handbrake with a bit of extra setup, too, and customize the final video’s quality and size yourself.

Delicious (Web): 2003-2011

The history: Delicious is a web-based social bookmarking app that is technically still around, but it isn’t really the same site it used to be. Many users have jumped ship entirely to other similar services instead.

What’s taken its place: We rounded up our favorite Delicious alternatives back when it was headed for death, and Pinboard is still our top choice. It’s also worth mentioning, though, that new social network Pinterest is kind of a modern evolution on Delicious’ original site, so check that out for something new and cool.

VisualHub (Mac): 2006-2011

The history: VisualHub was a fantastic, super easy-to-use video converter for OS X, but it closed its doors to new features long ago. It’s been updated to work with Lion, but a lot of features are still broken, and will stay that way forever.

What’s taken its place: It doesn’t replace 100% of what made VisualHub great, but Adapter is our new favorite video converter for the Mac (and it can do audio and images, too!). It’s completely free and super easy to use, without skimping on advanced features. Of course, you can also use the ever-popular Handbrake, too.

Seashore (Mac): 2003-2010

The history: Seashore is a free, open-source image editor for OS X perfect for those that didn’t want to pay for Photoshop. It was based off the GIMP, but native to OS X. Sadly, it hasn’t seen an update in a while, despite quite a few bugs still permeating the app, so most of us have headed for sunnier shores.

What’s taken its place: You can still use the GIMP on OS X, and while it isn’t native, it’ll get the job done nicely. However, our favorite Photoshop alternative is definitely Pixelmator. It’ll run you about $30, but it’s got tons of great features and feels much better on OS X than the GIMP. If you’ve got the cash, we highly recommend it.

VLC (iOS): 2010-2011

The history: You all know about VLC on the desktop, but it even brought its amazing video-playing powers to iOS for a hot second before being pulled from the App Store for violating the GPL—something we still think is pretty stupid.

What’s taken its place: Thankfully, there are a few other great video players for iOS. GoodPlayer is our favorite and the built-in player isn’t all that bad either. CineXPlayer can play 3D movies, while Air Video and StreamToMe can stream videos from your home machine. They’re all worthy alternatives.

Google Notebook (Web): 2006-2008

The history: Google Notebook was yet another web-clipping, note-taking tool that wasn’t too bad for getting things done, but was discontinued with many of Google’s other services in 2011.

What’s taken its place: The “web notebook” thing really caught on, and there are lots of other Google Notebook-like services out there today. Evernote is probably the closest, but tools like Springpad and even Simplenote can fill that void depending on your particular workflow. Google also recently added a new Research tool to Docs, which brings some of Notebook’s cool features back to Google Docs.

Gizmo5 (Cross-Platform): 2009-2011

The history: Gizmo5 was never the best VOIP service around, but its integration with Google Voice made it awesome. Essentially, with a Google Voice account and a bit of Gizmo5 magic, you could make free phone calls right from your computer using your existing Google Voice number. Google bought Gizmo5, shut it down, and turned it into Gmail Calling.

What’s taken its place: Gmail Calling is okay, but it requires you to be signed into Chat for it to work, and it only works in your web browser. If you prefer something desktop-based, you can make free Google Voice calls using Sipgate or integrate Google Voice with Skype pretty cheaply.

TweetDeck (Cross-Platform): 2008-2011

The history: Despite being an AIR app, TweetDeck was our favorite Twitter client for a long time. It had tons of features, was available on nearly every platform, and even had a few customizable tweaks that made it perfect for nearly everyone. It was bought by Twitter and replaced with a new TweetDeck client that has yet to match the old AIR app in features.

What’s taken its place: You can still grab the old AIR app from sites like Oldapps.com, and it still works great. The new client isn’t bad, but until it has all the advanced features of the AIR client, the old version will stay our unofficial favorite until it breaks. You can also check out our new official favorite client for Windows, MetroTwit, or our favorite for Mac, Twitter.

Lala (and Others, Web): 2007-2009

The history: Back when Pandora was still the king of streaming music, there were a number of services that came out with new, innovative ways of streaming. Lala scanned your iTunes library and let you listen to those tracks online, Muxtape allowed you to share streaming playlists with your friends, and Simplify Media streamed your library to your phone. All of these services either got bought out or shut down (Lala itself turned into the God-awful iTunes Match service), but luckily a few other services came to take their place.

What’s taken its place: These days, you already know the best music streaming services out there. Services like Spotify and Rdio let you scan your library and listen to those tracks (as well as others) from anywhere, share playlists with your friends, and more. Services like Google Play let you upload your library to the web and get it anywhere for free, including your iOS or Android phone. Any of these should be enough to make you feel better about the demise of Lala, Muxtape, and others.

Google Desktop (Windows): 2008-2011

The history: Google Desktop was a welcome addition to Windows that let you launch apps quickly, search your files and the contents within, and more. Those of us that updated to Windows Vista and 7 saw lots of this functionality in the new Start menu, as well as apps like Launchy (which, coincidentally, also seems to be abandoned-but-still-works).

What’s taken its place: If you’ve updated to Windows 7, the Start menu search bar is a pretty awesome replacement for Google Desktop, especially after a few tweaks. Launchy is still our favorite app launcher for Windows despite its abandonment, but there are a ton of other great ones out there, like Executor, Keybreeze, and SlickRun that we recommend checking out.

Google Wave (Web): 2009-2012

The history: Google Wave was one of the most talked-about services when it came out, providing a way to converse and collaborate in real-time using a powerful set of tools. Despite the hype, it never really caught on, and Google ditched the project—but not without moving some of its features to other services.

What’s taken its place: Google Docs updated its collaboration features with a more real-time, wave-like set of features, making it a lot like Wave but a bit more focused and useful—and it continues to improve on them. Google+ Hangouts also has a few cool collaboration tools that are wired into video chat, which is pretty cool. Be sure to check out our top 10 web collaboration tools for even more group services, too.

Honorable Mention: Apps That Almost Went Belly Up, But Didn’t

Quicksilver (Mac)

Quicksilver is pretty easily the best app launcher for OS X, but there was a point where the original developer gave up work on it and moved onto greater things. However, it was picked up by another developer and continues to update today, even more often than it used to. Needless to say we would have been pretty sad if Quicksilver disappeared—it’s not only our favorite app launcher, but the best way to remap hotkeys on OS X.

Xmarks (Cross-Platform)

This one scared me to my very core: Xmarks, the fantastic cross-platform, cross-browser bookmark/open tab syncing tool, almost had to stop development when they couldn’t keep the tool financially viable. By some miracle of the heavens, they were bought by another one of our favoriite tools, LastPass, and are still chugging away today syncing our bookmarks across devices.

Google Voice (iOS)

We were very excited about the prospect of Google Voice coming to the iPhone, but when Apple rejected the app, we were both sad and furious—in fact, it became one of our main arguments against buying the iPhone. A year later, Apple changed their mind and approved a new Google Voice app for iOS, making the iPhone a great choice for us Googlephiles once again.

Camera+ (iOS)

Camera+ is, by a good margin, the best camera app on the iPhone. It has a ton of features, it’s fast, and it’s pretty darn easy to use, too. Thanks to an innovative feature that let you use the volume button as a shutter, though, Camera+ was pulled from the App Store, saddening iPhone photographers everywhere. After copying the very feature they pulled it for, though, Apple let Camera+ back into the App Store a few months later, where it happily resides today.

These are definitely not the only cool services that have disappeared over the years, but they’re definitely the ones we miss the most. Got any others we didn’t mention? Feel free to continue the trip down memory lane in the comments.

Title image remixed from Igor Kovalchuk .

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/BBN293h8ruM/in-memoriam-our-favorite-apps-and-services-that-have-gone-belly-up-and-their-replacements

Syrup for pancakes and waffles at the grocery store can get pretty expensive by the bottle for something that’s caramel color, corn syrup, and a few stabilizers and additives. There’s no reason to buy it, even if you like the flavor—making your own at home is easy, gets you more syrup for the cost of your ingredients, and with this recipe, you can even doctor it up a bit to make a delicious breakfast treat.

If you like the sweeter, smoother taste of sugar syrup, you can make your own at home that tastes just like the stuff you’ll at the grocery store with some sugar, molasses, water, vanilla extract, and a dash of maple syrup. The full recipe from the folks at Savvy Housekeeping is at the link below, but even though it looks like a lot of ingredients to buy just to make pancake syrup, they’re all good items to keep in a well-stocked pantry anyway. You could even swap out the vanilla for almond or hazelnut extract to change up the flavor. The real kicker though is the dash of vodka that they suggest for the recipe. It’s supposed to extend the shelf-life of the syrup, but if you prefer your syrup completely booze-free, you can omit it.

Granted, part of me wants to suggest you give up syrup entirely and go all maple syrup or go home, but there’s always room for options. Plus, Savvy Housekeeping points out that we may be Make Your Own Pancake Syrup | Savvy Housekeeping

Photo by aaron vazquez.

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/7uKgt0V72wc/make-your-own-pancake-syrup-and-skip-the-overpriced-stuff-at-the-grocery-store

Twitter moves fast, but it’s a great way to stay on top of the news of the day, not to mention what everyone’s watching on TV. If you hang out on Twitter during the day, why not follow the official @Lifehacker account to bring some tips, tricks, and downloads to your stream, all posted right after our articles go up. If you want a more personal touch, follow your favorite Lifehacker writer (or writers), we all use our accounts differently—whether it’s tips we wouldn’t dare publish, our favorite webcomics, or calls for your help with upcoming features.

Whether you have a favorite Lifehacker writer or you just want to see what makes the rest of us tick when we’re not working on the site, here’s where you can find each of us:

• Adam Pash: @adampash Follow @adampash
• Whitson Gordon: @whitsongordon Follow @whitsongordron
• Adam Dachis: @adachis Follow @adachis
• Melanie Pinola: @melaniepinola Follow @melaniepinola
• Alan Henry: @halophoenix Follow @halophoenix
• Thorin Klosowski: @kingthor Follow @kingthor

Sure, we post our own articles from time to time, but that’s not all we do. Adam Pash is slacking off, Whitson wants some tea, Adam Dachis has a tip for anyone shopping for a mattress, Thorin learns the true horror of video editing, and I point out that Nikola Tesla is one of my heroes.

If you prefer Facebook to Twitter, you can find us there too! Just Like the Lifehacker Facebook page (or subscribing to us individiually) for polls and conversation on our top stories. If you’re have a bone to pick with the folks who say Google+ is deserted, circle the Lifehacker page (or add us to your circles individually) to grab our stories as they’re posted over there.

If all this social media business is too much for you but you still want your Lifehacker fix, we’ve got you covered! Subscribe to our newsletter for a daily digest of our top stores delivered to your inbox every evening, install the Lifehacker Notifier for Chrome to be notified when we post a new article, or just add our RSS feed to your favorite newsreader and check in whenever you like. However you choose to keep up with us, we’re glad you choose to stay with us, so thank you!

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/pjSF2PAlSxc/follow-lifehacker-and-our-writers-on-twitter-for-all-the-best-tips-our-writers-for-added-conversation

We’ve shown you four different ways to tie a tie, but if you’re really in a jam, this method will give you some serious speed without sacrificing sharp looks.

Just like folding shirts and tying shoes, this will take a bit of practice, but once you get it down, you’ll be able to tie a tie as fast as the guy in the video above. If you’re having trouble seeing what he’s doing, check out this video for a slower, easier-to-follow explanation. We’ve also featured a text-and-pictures version of this method once before, so you can check out that tutorial as well.

Tying a Tie in 5 Seconds | YouTube via Reddit

Photo by Vectomart (Shutterstock) and Mostafa Fawzy (Shutterstock).

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/eDZbNrbQ6Fo/tie-a-tie-in-5-seconds-flat

If you’re suffering from a moment or a long period of low self-esteem, chances are the problem isn’t internal. As Psychology Today points out, the problem is more likely caused by issues you have with people other than yourself:

Think of self-esteem as the fuel gauge on a car. Most of us are busy driving around trying to keep the indicator from registering “empty.” The whole time, we’re focused on the alerting system-instead of on its true function: keeping fuel in the tank. “In the same way, in focusing on the psychological gauge, many psychologists have erred by concluding that people are motivated to maintain self-esteem for its own sake,” Leary[, a professor at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina] says. Instead, we should be using self-esteem as a gauge “to keep our ‘interpersonal gas tanks’ from running low.”

Call it a “sociometer.” When self-esteem sinks to the danger zone, the appropriate response is not to fix some inner sense of self, but to repair your standing in the eyes of others, to behave in ways that maintain connections with other people.

In the end, self-esteem might just have very little to do with the self. If we’re not feeling good about our relationships with other people, we’re just not feeling good at all.

At Last-a Rejection Detector! | Psychology Today

Photo by Mikael Altemark.

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/DzNUrfI2Cts/when-youve-got-low-self+esteem-fix-your-problems-with-others-rather-than-with-yourself

Ads on Wikipedia may be a sign of a hijacked browser, Google adds embedded search tools to Docs, and Flickr gets a redesign.

• If You’re Seeing Ads on Wikipedia, Your Computer Is Probably Infected with Malware: The Wikimedia Foundation reminds us that Wikipedia is donor supported and runs no ads. If you see ads on their pages, you either have malware or the ads are being pushed by your service provider (for instance a net cafe or other free wireless). [Wikimedia Blog]
• Research Tool: Google Docs users are seeing a new tool that opens an embedded search sidebar on the right when you right-click a word from your text and choose “Research.” Also accessible via the Tools menu or a keyboard shortcut, the new feature lets you quickly grab quotes, images or other content to include in your document. [Google Docs Help Pages]
• Flickr Goes Big With Larger Images, Responsive Redesign: Flickr is rolling out a tweaked site design to bring the focus to larger photos while making other elements like comments and descriptions less prominent. [Webmonkey]
• Popular Surveillance Cameras Open to Hackers, Researcher Says: Security company Gotham Digital Science found that most cameras on the market ship with remote access enabled and few users change the default passwords. Anyone who can find the cameras on your network can not only access live audio and video, but often change the camera’s position and access archived footage. [Wired]
• Apple Releases Flashback Fix for OS X Leopard: Apple’s response to the Flashback Trojan trickled down today to 2007′s OS X Leopard. The security update scans for Flashback and removes it if found, and another update disables out-of-date versions of Adobe Flash Player. [Mashable]
• Google Patents Design for Project Glass(es): Google has patent approval on a design that only roughly resembles the prototypes and concept designs we’ve seen so far for their Heads Up Display glasses. [9to5 Google]

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/56j1zbirv_4/remains-of-the-day-wikipedia-alerts-users-if-you-see-ads-its-malware

Readers offer their best tips for speeding up Google Chrome, mounting your router on the wall, and saving articles from Facebook for later reading.

Don’t like the gallery layout? Click here to view everything on one page.

Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox, but for various reasons—maybe they’re a bit too niche, maybe we couldn’t find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn’t fit it in—the tip didn’t make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favorites for your buffet-style consumption. Got a tip of your own to share? Add it in the comments, email it to tips at lifehacker.com, or share it on our tips and expert pages.

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/lt3G8m7B7DQ/

Ever been overwhelmed by the temptation to buy the latest shiny thing because it’s got another checkbox in the features column? We call this “checkbox syndrome,” or jumping at a new gadget or product just because it’s an upgrade from the last one, not because it’s better. Before you fall for a list of tech specs designed to impress an audience at a big flashy announcement, stop and think about whether it’s really an upgrade for you.

What Is “Checkbox Syndrome?”

When I worked with the folks at PC Mag, we saw hundreds of gadgets, all of which sold themselves based on some specific way it would transform your life. PC Mag’s Lead Analyst for Mobile, Sascha Segan, took specific issue with some of this—especially when it came to phones. He explained that smartphone makers had succumbed to “checkbox syndrome,” or the habit of putting a feature in a product because everyone else had it and it was easy to market, not because it was actually useful to anyone. Photo by Christian Van Der Henst S..

The worst part of checkbox syndrome is that it extends to us, the buyers. We make buying decisions based on these fantasy uses. We buy Android phones with powerful front-side cameras even though we never use them for video chat, or we buy a new Macbook Pro with Thunderbolt even though we don’t have—and have no plans to buy—Thunderbolt peripherals. We buy new cameras because they’re marginal upgrades over the previous model, but hey—it’s new, so it must be better, right? Here’s how to think twice about that marketing hype, push through the fog of checkbox syndrome, and save some money when you consider your next upgrade.

Ask Yourself: Is My Current Gear Good Enough?

Apple’s latest iPad is a significant upgrade over the previous two models—the new Retina display is beautiful, and the updated graphics processor really does make 3D gaming on it a joy. Most gadget blogs wholeheartedly suggest you upgrade, especially if you have an original iPad, or no iPad at all. Many of us at Lifehacker HQ pre-ordered the new iPad, and editor-in-chief Adam Pash planned to, but he waited a day or two. He explained to me that at the end of the day, he realized he had an original iPad that he rarely used, and while the graphics boost and gorgeous display were huge upgrades, the only thing he did use his iPad for was light Instapaper and Kindle reading. Was the new iPad a huge upgrade? Definitely. Were those feature worth the money to Adam—or even useful for him? Not at all.

Asking yourself whether your current gear serves your purpose, and whether an upgrade will actually improve the way you currently use your gear, is the first step towards seeing through the marketing fog. It may do awesome new things, but if those features don’t apply to you now, they probably won’t apply to you when you’ve parted with your money.

Make Your Own Checklist of Essential Features

Hands-on reviews and lists of specs are definitely useful, but they shouldn’t influence your buying decisions at all. We’re not saying gadget reviews aren’t helpful, but when you’re given a massive list of impressive new components and features, put them all down on a checklist of your own. Then note or circle those features that actually apply to you and the way you would use the item. Photo by Like_the_Grand_Canyon.

For example, if you’re shopping for a smartphone, every review you read will make note of essential features like the processor, screen size, on-board memory and storage, camera quality, size, weight, and so on. Take those features and highlight the ones that matter to you. If you’re looking for a phone to make and take calls, grab your email, and maybe do a little social networking, the processor probably isn’t important to you. If you’re a shutterbug, the camera probably is important, and you should highlight it. Take some time to distill those massive feature lists into the ones that matter to you—you may catch yourself about to spend a premium on a device that’s heavily promoted, but just as good as a cheaper model where it matters to you.

Think About How You’ll Use The Upgrade

One way we often rationalize upgrading or buying new when we could get away with buying a refurb or a previous model is by looking at the marketing for the new version and convincing ourselves we’ll need that new feature someday. We already mentioned you should look at your current gear and determine whether you already own something that can pull double-duty, but Over at The Simple Dollar, Trent puts it this way:

When a new product appears, we’re often shown an ideal case of how someone might use the product. It seems pretty impressive, but when you start digging into the details of it, things start to break down. Is it really doing anything you’d need to do? Is it really doing anything new?

…Once you start evaluating products like this, a lot of things start falling apart. Their new features really aren’t all that amazing or useful to you. Sure, you might be able to invent a rare situation where you would use it, but is it worth paying a lot more just for that special case?

In his example, he describes an iPod Touch he received as a gift. He was all set to start buying and downloading apps to use with his phone, but he came to the realization that all he ever really did with the iPod Touch—even if the commercials showed happy people shooting video and playing games on theirs—was listen to music. He already had a smartphone for that, and he had enough space on his phone for music, so he put down his iPod Touch and reacquainted himself with his phone. In short, an upgrade isn’t an upgrade if you don’t need the feature in the first place, and it’s not worth your money, especially when there’s a cheaper—or free—alternative available.

Stop Obsessing Over Stats, Specs, and Upgrades

Hopefully these tips will help you break free of checkbox syndrome, and stop obsessing over spec lists that are irrelevant to the way you use your tech. Don’t get us wrong, it’s fun to watch technology evolve—new gadgets hitting the market every month that are more powerful than the last—but when it comes to your hard earned money, you owe it to yourself and your wallet to take a more skeptical eye to those reviews and so-called upgrades and determine if they’re worth it for you before you reach for the plastic. Photo by Alan_D.

How do you resist the siren song of a new gadget, whether it’s a new iDevice, Android phone, or powerful new DSLR? Do you buy refurbs to save money, or hone in on the specs that matter to you before you buy? Share your money-saving techniques in the comments below.

Title image remixed from PSDGraphics and Gwoeii (Shutterstock).

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/aAANaDnjvvk/checkbox-syndrome-why-we-spend-money-on-things-we-dont-need-and-how-to-avoid-it

Whether you just really like easy access to your data on the go, or you like the idea of an flash drive loaded with emergency information somewhere on your person when you go out, this DIY project is up your alley. You’ll need a few things to get started, but it’s easy enough to do in a weekend. Grab your duct tape, let’s get started.

Instructables user BrittLiv used some duct tape for the strong, sturdy base of this bracelet, and a tiny Verbatim USB drive super-glued to one side (and its cap on the other) of the bracelet to form the clasp. She used blue and white thread to form the pattern on the outside, but you can do the same with your favorite colors. The rest is a matter of patience and careful arrangement of thread, tape, and super glue. When you’re finished, you’ll have a bracelet that both stores data and clasps around your wrist via USB—perfect for a flash drive you’d rather keep inconspicuous or only available for emergencies.

Alternatively, you can pick up the previously mentioned LaCie IamaKey and toss it on your keychain if bracelets aren’t your style. Still, this is a pretty easy, useful project. What do you think? Would you make one? How would you improve the design? Let us know in the comments.

USB Flash Drive Bracelet | Instructables

Article source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/39KafoxNqi4/build-your-own-stylish-super+portable-usb-flash-drive-bracelet