« NinDS, WWW PSP, BBQ, Pink Godzilla, Gen Nex and JPN | Main | How to Read Game FAQs on a PlayStation Portable »
8bit Joystick.com Lifehacks for 2005
I noticed that there is a new guest editor over at Lifehacker.com and that she was looking for submissions so I put pen to paper and came up with the following life hacks.
Late Rented DVD Hack
When you rent a DVD and run out of time to watch it you can use your DVD+RW drive with programs like Mac The Ripper and Roxio Popcorn on Mac OSX and DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink on Windows and copy the rented DVDs so you can it when you have time. Use DVD-RWs or DVD+RWs if you have a problem with a permanent copy of a rented movie. That way you can wipe the DVD+RW clean when you are done with it. Remember that DVD piracy is sort of bad but timeshifting is cool Mmmkay.
Shopping With Digital Camera Hack
When shopping for your significant other and you are not sure if they would like something you can use a small digital camera to take a picture to show them before you lay down your money. Don't use a flash and don't make it a big deal. This works out if your significant other does not know what they want but they know what they do not want when they see it.
PSP charging via PS2 Hack
There are now these cool PSP USB cables that have power cords so you charge the PSP over a powered USB hub. The Playstation2 works great as a powered USB hub to charge your PSP. It does not charge when the PS2 is asleep or powered off but if you can charge your PSP battery after a few rounds of Katamari Damacy. Most hard core gamers will not have a problem having their PS2 powered up long enough to charge their PSP.
Personal Intranet/Wiki on iPod/PDA/PSP
You can use a good visual HTML editor like NVU the cross platform and open source web editor to make your own personal intranet/wiki. You can put contact info, ferry schedules, links, itinerary, passwords and other good to keep handy digital info nuggets then transfer it to a PSP memory stick for use with the PSP web browser, and iPod in the notes directory or a Palm OS or Pocket PC PDA. The Mac OSX program VoodooPad works great to make your own personal wiki/intranet using the HTML export function.
Cat Hacks
You can use a lamp by a windows sill with no blinds at night to attract moths for the cats to "hunt" from the other side of the glass from the inside of the house. They can't ever get the moths but they can be entertained for hours trying to get them through the glass window.
Small bird feeders outside a window are also great entertainment for indoor cats.
Cats love chasing after laser pointers and little dangling whips on the end of a stick. If you stick their favorite dangling whip toys in dresser drawer or a bookshelf they can swat at it when you are not there.
You can get a simple light timer at most household ware stores in the lighting isle. Then set this up on a lamp with a good energy miser light bulb to come on at 6:00 PM and off 10:00 PM that way if you don't get home before it gets dark outside your kitties will not have to wait for you in the dark. Cats have excellent night vision but no one like hanging out in pure darkness.
Cats have noses that are about a hundred times more sensitive so if the litter box smells bad to you just imagine what it smells like to them. When it is time to empty the litter boxes some thick rubber gloves that go up to your elbows and a painters breathable mask makes the task much easier on your nose and personal cleanliness level.
Dish Rack Laptop Hack
Instead of setting a laptop flat on a desk you can use a sturdy flat metal dish rack to set it at eye level. This helps with cooling and is more ergonomic when you use it with a USB keyboard and mouse.
Thursday Evening Video Rental Hack
At the five day rental video stores rent your weekend movies on Tuesday or Thursday. They are much more likely to have the good stuff in stock than on Friday night.
Mozilla Sunbird iPod Hack
Windows and Linux users can use Mozilla Sunbird to make an iCal compatible .ics calender file that you can use in an iPod. This works out well since there is no official way to sync calenders between an iPod and a Windows PC. Set your goals for the week in your iCal or Sunbird and plan a minor reward on weekend if you pull them off. Also use Sunbird to remind you to call your parents and grandparents on a regular basis.
Coffee Maker Alarm Clock Hack
You can use a coffee maker with a timer along side an alarm clock in your bedroom on a side table to help you get out of bed in the morning. Also the sound of dripping coffee the first thing in the morning will really make your want to take a leak ASAP.
Automotive Dashboard Mirror DVD Organizer Hack
If you keep an automotive dashboard mirror CD organizer by your DVD player it can help you keep your DVDs from getting scratched when you want to put them in a safe place but don't want to put them back in their cases right then.
Democracy Participation Hack
Register to vote by mail so you never miss a minor election like school bonds and state issues. You can download forms to change your vote by mail status at your state Secretary of State office's website. Instead of getting mad at the daily news write your congressperson once a month. Be polite and brief but let them know what you think of the job they are doing. After all they do work for you. Both email and snail mail work fine. Don't send form letters but be honest.
Public Library Donation Hack
Donate old books, CDs and DVDs to your local public library. If you want to re-read them you can check them out.
Small Leftover Hack
Use washable small plastic snap containers instead of plastic bags and foil for small leftovers in your fridge. You can wash them in the dishwasher, they don't leak and are air tight. Also it cuts down on trash.
Jake at August 29, 2005 
Raves
Comments
Excellent! I'm think the S.O. might kill me, but I'm going to try the coffee maker hack.
And I'd say don't skimp on the "Small Leftover Hack", spend the extra $2 to get some decent containers (like from Snapware) that will hold up over time. Keeps them out the landfill, and they work better.
Posted by: kellan at August 30, 2005 2:43 PM
One should also note that owners of notebook computers are not owners of laptop computers. They are termed such for a reason: Excess heat generated by a notebook tends to build up. Should it build up around the scrotum (eg. whilst you use your notebook directly on your lap), there are weird side effects.
Posted by: Robert at August 30, 2005 6:58 PM
Luckily I can safely say that my iBook has never been in danger of burning my balls.
Posted by: 8Bit Jake ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.8bitjoystick.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 30, 2005 9:33 PM
That's pretty well true. One of the nice things about the iBooks (at least mine) is that they're notebooks designed to be notebooks, not crappy desktop replacements. It always seems to confuse people when I can type in my notes all day long without having to reach for a plug-in, while their 'notebooks' die within an hour, heat up within a minute, and sound like effing jet engines. All I get from the iBook is a littttttttle, tiny hard drive whine. Of course, their CD/DVD drives are still loud.
Posted by: Robert at August 31, 2005 5:17 AM
The PowerBook G4/1.5 throws out some major heat, and the aluminum case is an excellent notebook-to-jeans conductor. Even wearing jeans, I won't work with it on my lap as I watch TV.
Another cat hack is a couple feathers and bell on a string tied 1/8" wooden dowel, fasten dowel above an open window. When there's any air movement, the hanging feathers flutter and the bell rings, getting the immediate attention of the cat. I use to leave my cat in our old apartment batting the feathers, return home from work, and still find the cat playing with the same toy.
(note to self: take full name off TypeKey settings :P )
Posted by: Ken Foreman at August 31, 2005 8:17 AM
I like the Thursday rental hack, but I must say the library borrowing hack ( http://journal.nearbennett.com/?p=14 ) is a bit cheaper. I use my library's web site to reserve movies I am interested in seeing. The DVD shows up at the branch of my choosing. Fortunately for me, I work within 1 mile of one branch, and live within 0.5 mile of another. I don't care when they come in because I get a 5 day borrow. And if I have to keep it for an extra day or two, the $2 I spend on late fees is still way cheaper than a rental.
Posted by: Rick at September 1, 2005 8:19 PM
Regarding the movie hack, I've been doing that for years. Yes, it works well, especially if I visit the rental store on the day the movies are coming out: Tuesday. I never miss a new release when I want to see it. Note: Netflix hack. If you subscribe to Netflix, you can tell them you already sent a movie back. They'll send you the next movie in your qeueu by the following morning. Do this on Monday night, and you can get that new release that comes out on Tuesday, provided it's at the top of your list.
Posted by: mochaboy at September 7, 2005 3:36 PM
