A "life hack" is a clever shortcut or a lesser-known, faster way to complete a task; they are redefining personal productivity by tweaking, modding, mashing up, and repurposing Web apps, desktop software, and common everyday objects

This book presents the best hacks from the complete archive, with each section beginning by describing an overarching principle of the lifehacker, and then seguing into concrete applications of that guideline

Each of the 73 useful hacks features a step-by-step how-to for setting up and using the solution, detailed screen shots, and sidebars with additional tips

Wherever possible, free Web applications and platform-agnostic software are used

Whether youre a Mac or Windows user, there are tricks here for you in this helpful resource. Youll 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. Youll learn valuable ways to upgrade your life so that you can workand livemore 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.

The second edition of Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Dayfollows the best-selling format of the first. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific problem in the digital age and offers step-by-step solutions for various operating systems and reader skill levels. Packed with over 50 new and revised hacks, you'll find out how to deal with the daily onslaught of incoming email, manage multiple computers, get your data on the go, tackle your to-do list faster, and more in this book. The additional and revised hacks involve new product recommendations and better strategies that have come out since the first edition. The second edition also prunes tips from the first edition, based on reader feedback.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

Chapter 1 Free Up Mental RAM.

Hack 1: Email Your Future Self.

Hack 2: Manage a todo.txt File at the Command Line.

Hack 3: Develop Your (Digital) Photographic Memory.

Hack 4: Install Your Personal Wikipedia.

Hack 5: Keep an Instiki Wiki Hyperlinked Notebook.

Hack 6: Take Great Notes.

Chapter 2 Firewall Your Attention.

Hack 7: Limit Access to Time-Wasting Web Sites.

Hack 8: Permanently Block Time-Wasting Web Sites.

Hack 9: Reduce Email Interruptions.

Hack 10: Split Your Work Among Multiple Desktops.

Hack 11: Build a No-fly Zone.

Hack 12: Filter Low-Priority Email Messages.

Hack 13: Clear Your Desktop.

Hack 14: Make Your House a Usable Home.

Hack 15: Sentence Stuff to Death Row.

Hack 16: Drown out Sound with Pink Noise.

Hack 17: Keep Software from Stealing Focus.

Chapter 3 Automate Repetitive Tasks.

Hack 18: Automatically Back up Your Files.

Hack 19: Automatically Defragment Your Hard Drive.

Hack 20: Automatically Empty Your Digital Junk Drawer.

Hack 21: Automatically Download Music, Movies, and More.

Hack 22: Automatically Email Yourself File Backups.

Hack 23: Automatically Reboot and Launch Applications.

Hack 24: Automatically Log Your Progress in a Spreadsheet.

Chapter 4 Streamline Common Tasks.

Hack 25: Search the Web in Three Keystrokes.

Hack 26: Quick-Launch Software Applications.

Hack 27: Save Time with Text Substitution.

Hack 28: Text Message Efficiently.

Hack 29: Batch Resize Photos.

Hack 30: Send and Receive Money on Your Cell Phone.

Hack 31: Bypass Free Site Registration with BugMeNot.

Hack 32: Speed up Web Pages on a Slow Internet Connection.

Hack 33: Securely Save Web Site Passwords.

Chapter 5 Get Your Data to Go.

Hack 34: Carry Your Life on a Flash Drive.

Hack 35: Run a Home Web Server.

Hack 36: Remote Control Your Home Computer.

Hack 37: Give Your Home Computer a Web Address.

Hack 38: Search the Web from Your Phone.

Hack 39: Optimize Your Laptop.

Hack 40: Back up Data to Your iPod.

Hack 41: Turn Your Cell Phone into a Modem.

Hack 42: Use Gmail as an Internet Hard Drive.

Chapter 6 Control Your Email.

Hack 43: Craft Effective Messages.

Hack 44: Highlight Messages Sent Directly to You.

Hack 45: Use Disposable Email Addresses.

Hack 46: Decrease Your Email Response Time.

Hack 47: Empty Your Inbox (and Keep It Empty).

Hack 48: Master Message Search.

Hack 49: Future-Proof Your Email Address.

Hack 50: Script Repetitive Responses.

Hack 51: Encrypt Private Email.

Chapter 7 Organize Your Stuff.

Hack 52: Organize My Documents.

Hack 53: Instantly Retrieve Files from Your Hard Drive .

Hack 54: Overhaul Your Filing Cabinet.

Hack 55: Choose Secure, Memorable Passwords.

Hack 56: Securely Track Your Passwords.

Hack 57: Tag Your Bookmarks.

Hack 58: Encrypt Your Data.

Hack 59: Design Your Own Planner.

Chapter 8 Kickstart Your Productivity.

Hack 60: Make Your To-Do’s Doable.

Hack 61: Set up a Morning Dash.

Hack 62: Map Your Time.

Hack 63: Quick-Log Your Work Day.

Hack 64: Dash Through Tasks with a Timer.

Hack 65: Control Your Workday.

Hack 66: Turn Tasks into Gameplay7.

Hack 67: Schedule Think Time.

Chapter 9 Master the Web.

Hack 68: Google Like a Pro.

Hack 69: Subscribe to Web Sites with RSS.

Hack 70: Quick Search Dependable Engines.

Hack 71: Extend Your Web Browser.

Hack 72: Get 10 Must-Have Bookmarklets.

Hack 73: Get Your Data on a Map.

Hack 74: Set Multiple Sites as Your Homepage.

Hack 75: Access Unavailable Web Sites via Google.

Hack 76: Take Your Browser Configuration with You.

Hack 77: Find out About a Web Site.

Hack 78: Have a Say in What Google Says About You.

Hack 79: Capture Web Clippings with Google Notebook.

Hack 80: Clear Your Web Browsing Tracks.

Chapter 10 Tune Your Computer.

Hack 81: Save Your PC from Malware.

Hack 82: Clean up Your Startup.

Hack 83: Undo System Configuration Changes.

Hack 84: Truly Delete Data from Your Hard Drive.

Hack 85: Firewall Your Computer.

Hack 86: Free up Hard Drive Space.

Hack 87: Resurrect Deleted Files.

Hack 88: Recover Files from an Unbootable PC.

Index.