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      Belzebubs is in need of new members, so come and jam with Pyjama Films and yours truly! We’re…

      comics.movim.eu / Belzebubs · Wednesday, 31 January - 08:01

    a4e55f56d6e08f406ba3f4ef298cc56842e998ca.jpg

    Belzebubs is in need of new members, so come and jam with Pyjama Films and yours truly! We’re currently looking for the following talent to work on the Belzebubs animated series:


    • LEAD LOCATION DESIGNER

    • LEAD CHARACTER DESIGNER

    • EXPERIENCED PRODUCTION COORDINATOR


    For more information & applications: jobs.pyjama.fi

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      How to Take Time Off Without Screwing Over Your Coworkers

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Thursday, 18 February, 2021 - 19:00 · 3 minutes

    On Wednesday night, with a winter storm of historic magnitude battering Texas and leaving millions of residents without electricity or potable water, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz decamped for the sunny climes of Cancun, Mexico with his family.

    What could have been merely an insidious Twitter rumour was soon confirmed — via photos of the senator holding a boarding pass and wearing familiar sneakers and his signature mask, emblazoned with his favourite second amendment rallying cry, “Come and take it,” and by major news outlets, including Fox News . Twitter was soon riddled with contempt for Cruz (even more than usual, anyway) for appearing to abandon his constituents and colleagues in an hour of crisis.

    The outpouring seems to have been enough to wrest Cruz from the warm embrace of an oceanfront vacation, as reports indicate he was Texas-bound by Thursday morning. But it’s anyone’s guess whether Cruz — who’s as fond of tweeting as he apparently is a sun-dappled sojourn during a Congressional recess — learned any lessons from the episode, even as he left other Texans to do his job for him .

    Though a high-profile example, Cruz’s missteps can prove instructional for the general, working populace in how to use your vacation time without leaving your colleagues in the lurch.

    Don’t take leisure time off during a busy season

    Chances are you aren’t a public official beholden to the needs of a broad base of constituents, but as a general rule, it’s best not to schedule your time off during a period when your colleagues will be under a more intense workload than usual.

    Most industries have times of year that are busier than others, and you’ll do your reputation a service by resisting the urge to abscond when your abilities are needed most. In the case of Cruz, it’s likely that his family vacation wasn’t planned on a whim. But with millions of the state’s residents deprived of the electricity necessary to weather unusually frigid temperatures, he might have realised his efforts were needed closer to home.

    Understand what times of year require an all-hands-on-deck approach, and plan your getaways accordingly. If a personal or family crisis arises even during a hectic schedule, then all of this goes out the window, obviously — your personal and family needs will always prevail over those of your employer.

    Tell your colleagues when you’re leaving

    If you’re afraid that your well-earned vacation will leave your co-workers buried under a deluge of your responsibilities, leave them a detailed note outlining what exactly it is you do that shouldn’t be ignored in your absence. If your duties have to be picked up by someone else, delineate those tasks in a memo to your colleagues.

    They’ll appreciate your candor and that you’ve left them a clear outline demonstrating how you do your job, so they don’t have to scramble to figure it out themselves. If you fail to provide this, don’t be surprised if your colleagues take to lambasting you in private.

    To Find Out if Your Potential Boss Will Be Any Good, Ask This Question

    Job interviews are a delicate balance between selling yourself and your skills, while also evaluating the company and your potential new boss. As many people have found out, even if you land what you thought was your “dream job,” if you work for someone who turns out to be a...

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    Thank your coworkers for picking up the slack

    You don’t need to grovel — everyone deserves a holiday, and to use their time off how they want to. But show your colleagues that you appreciate the courtesy if they had to add to their plates in your absence. You can do this with another written note, or by offering a different token of appreciation, such as a small gift or tasty snack (when your office is safely open again). Obviously you shouldn’t feel the need to lavish them with praise, but letting them know you appreciate how they’ve stepped up while you dipped your toes in a white sandy beach will surely be endearing.

    The post How to Take Time Off Without Screwing Over Your Coworkers appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      Stop Turning Your Cables Into a Rat’s Nest and Get a Wireless Charger

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Thursday, 18 February, 2021 - 06:00 · 5 minutes

    A wireless charger is a simple gadget that once you own, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Sure, they aren’t some groundbreaking piece of technology, but the amount of convience that can bring to your life can’t be understated.

    If you’re working from home, a wireless charger is a helpful way to streamline the amount of cables on your desk with the added ease of being able to pick up your phone straight away, without having to unplug it from anything.

    We’ve put together a list of wireless chargers that are worth considering if you want to stop your cables from looking like a ratking.

    Wireless charging speeds

    Just note that the speed at which you’ll be able to recharge your phone will be determined by what type you own. Most compatible Android phones get around 1oW when charging, while iPhones are capped at 7.5W. Other Qi-compatible phones will only achieve a 5W charge.

    Also, as a general rule of thumb, make sure you’ve taken off your phone case before charging. While most of these charging stations will work with cases up to 3mm thick, anything in-between your phone and your pad raises the chance of a slower recharge. You also won’t get any charge from metal cases, credit card holders and pop-sockets/grips.


    Anker PowerWave Pad ($29.99)

    anker-pad-wcharger.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=65&w=1280

    Anker have pretty much staked their claim as the go to brand when it comes to wireless charging, and with good reason. Their wireless pads are consistently good, and come at an affordable price.

    The PowerWave pad is a solid wireless phone charger that will get you a 10W charge for a Samsung Galaxy (S10, S9+, S9, S8, S8+, S7 edge, S7, S6 edge+), and a 7.5W charge for an iPhone (XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8, 8+).

    The PowerWave is slimline and understated, so it won’t add to your desk or countertop clutter. The top surface also has a TPU coating, which will stop your phone from sliding off.

    Anker PowerWave Stand ($33.99)

    anker-stand-charger.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=80&w=1280&nrs=30

    This charger isn’t too different from the Anker pad, bar the obvious difference of how your phone is displayed. The PowerWave Stand will let you sit your phone in either portrait or landscape mode, so you can continue to browse the internet or watch videos.

    Compared to the PowerWave pad, however, the PowerWave stand doesn’t perform as well with iPhones or other Qi-enabled devices. It only achieves a 5W charge, so prepare for a slow recharge time. That’s something to be mindful of if you aren’t a Samsung user — which will charge at 10W.

    Belkin Boost Up Charging Pad 10W ($49)

    belkin-boost-charger-e1596524307697.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=80&w=1280&nr=20 Image: Belkin

    Belkin’s Boost Up charging pad sits on the more expensive end of the wireless phone charger spectrum, but the price is worth it. This is one of the sturdiest charging pads on the market and is built to give you the fastest recharge speeds possible.

    This Belkin wireless charging pad will give you a 9W recharge for a Samsung Galaxy (S10, S10+, S9+, S9) and a 7.5W recharge for an iPhone (XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8, 8+). It also comes with a Quick Charge 3.0-compatible wall charger, so you can get the best recharge possible right out of the box.

    Nanami Charging Stand ($26.99)

    nanami-charger.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=65&w=1280 Image: Nanami

    If you want a wireless charger that stands out, Nanami’s charging stand has a sleek, futuristic-looking design. You also have choice when it comes to colour, either black or silver. The stand will let your phone sit at an angle that will allow you to comfortably browse, and, if you’re using an iPhone, will still let you use face ID.

    If you’re after a fast charge, you’ll get a 10W recharge on Samsung Galaxy (S20, S20+, S10, S10+, S9, S9+, S8, S8+) and Galaxy Note (10+, 10, 9, 8). You’ll get a 7.5W charge for iPhones (11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8+, 8). However, if you want to achieve a fast charge, you’ll need to pick up a QC 2.0.3.0 adapter separately.

    CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Pad ($22.99)

    choetech-charger-red.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=80&w=1280&nr=20 Image: CHOETECH

    If, for whatever reason, you just hate the idea of owning a circular charging pad, this CHOETECH charger will give you the squareness you desire. It’s also very affordable, especially when you consider its range of features.

    This biggest appeal of this pad is the range of products its fast charging mode is compatible with. With this wireless phone charger, you’ll hit a 10W recharge for Samsung Galaxy (S10, S10e, S10+, S9, S9+, S8, S8+, S7, S7 Edge, S6 Edge+) and Galaxy Note (9, 8). For iPhones (11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8+, 8), and even AirPods 2, you’ll get a 7.5W charge.

    This charger also has a slight leg up on the others listed here, as it will let you charge through cases that are up to 5mm thick. And if you really want a wireless phone charger that really stands out, this CHOETECH pad comes in multiple colours: white, black and red.

    DOSHIN 3-in-1 Wireless Charger ($47.98)

    doshine-wireless-charger.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=80&w=1280&nrs=40 Image: Amazon

    Maybe you own more than one smart device and want to eliminate the annoying procedure of having to swap out one device to charge another. DOSHIN’s 3-in-1 charger is a good option if you want to get some simultaneous charging going. It also looks simple and sleek, with plenty of space to charge a smartphone, smart watch and wireless earbuds at the same time. This pad comes with an adjustable stand for your phone, so you can still have a good view of the screen.

    This wireless charger is compatible with Apple products, like the iPhone (11, 11 Pro Max, XS Max, X, XR, 8, 8+), Airpods Pro, Apple Watch (SE, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2). If you’re a Samsung person, it is compatible with the Galaxy (S20, S20+, S10, S10+, S10E, S9, S9+, S8, S8+), the Galaxy Note (10, 10+, 9, 8) and the Galaxy buds. To achieve fast charging, you will need a QC 2.0 or 3.0 adapter.

    mophie Charge Stream Desk Stand ($65.98)

    mophie-charger.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=65&w=1280 Image: mophie

    A more unique design, compared to the other chargers listed here, mophie’s Charge Stream desk stand has been optimised for a fast charge. You’ll get 10W for compatible Samsung device, 7.5W for iPhones and 5W for any other Qi-compatible smartphones when using this wireless charger.

    This charging pad is modular, so you can either use it as a stand or you can remove the pad to let it sit flat on your desk. The stand itself is adjustable, so you can change its height to suit whatever phone you’re placing onto it. That’s pretty handy if you live in a household where everyone uses a different type of phone.

    The post Stop Turning Your Cables Into a Rat’s Nest and Get a Wireless Charger appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      The Best RSS Readers and News Aggregation Apps

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Thursday, 18 February, 2021 - 02:10 · 4 minutes

    With Aussies waking up this morning to the news that Facebook would no longer be allowing media outlets to share content to the social media platform. It’s major news that has turned the way Aussies consume media on its head.

    If you’ve been wondering how to best get your news going forward, don’t panic. We pulled together a useful guide for you here . And in addition to that, we thought we’d share a few of our favourite RSS readers should you decide you’d like to start using that option.

    Check out the list below.

    The Best: Feedly

    Feedly got the most comments and upvotes from readers, which isn’t surprising — it’s one of the few RSS readers with a modern design and active support behind it. It’s also packed full of features. As I said in a previous post:

    Its chronological feed, flexible search and organisation tools, and cross-platform syncing are all excellent, and it helped me wean off Twitter for news — and just about everything else. Since it’s an RSS reader, Feedly can even be used to track YouTube and podcast subscriptions, blogs, and even newsletters in some cases. Oh, and both the web and mobile versions have built-in dark themes.

    Those of you who voted for Feedly cited its ease of use, customisable interface, and helpful collection tools as noteworthy, and that’s just for Feedly’s free version. A Pro version is also available for about $9/month that adds even more customisation options, lets you follow an unlimited number of sources, and gives users more granular search and tracking options like alerts for specific keywords.

    There’s also a “Team” version that gives users the ability to create “boards” the can be accessed and edited by multiple users, plus integration with apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and more. It’s worth mentioning that the free version is ad-supported, but these are mostly unobtrusive and kept to a minimum. (Feedly Pro and Team are entirely ad-free.)

    Even with the ads, Feedly’s free version is difficult to top. However, some readers commented that they found it to be cumbersome to use and others said they disliked the layout options. I’ll admit I needed to change some of the feed display options before I was fully on-board, but once I had my preferences locked in I haven’t looked back.

    If you’re struggling to click with Feedly, our runner-up pick is just as worthy of your consideration.

    Runner-up: Inoreader

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    Inoreader came in a close second, and if you do a cursory internet search you’ll find plenty of debates over whether Inoreader or Feedly is the superior product. In my opinion, both are excellent choices and you’ll get a great RSS reader and news aggregation solution whichever service you pick.

    The free, ad-supported versions of both services are largely identical, though Inoreader allows up to 150 sources compared to Feedly’s 100. Inoreader has a fairly similar user interface to Feedly — their dark themes are practically identical — though Inoreader’s layout is more compact and faster to navigate. Inoreader also has a built-in podcast player that will play audio in the background while you read through your feed.

    While the basic service is entirely free, Inoreader also has paid options . Users can nix ads and follow up to 500 sources for $30 a year (about $2 a month), but in order to get the best features — like an offline mode, unlimited news sources, feed automation, and robust search/tracking features — you’ll need to pony up $75 a year. Interestingly, Inoreader also lets users pick advanced features a la carte.

    The rest

    The vast majority of Lifehacker commenters were either Feedly or Inoreader users, and they are hands-down the best choices for most people. That said, a few other RSS readers are worth highlighting:

    Feedbro FeedBro is an RSS reader extension available for Firefox , Chrome , and other Chromium-based browsers like Edge and Vivaldi. It has a clean (but basic) interface you can customise, and it comes with tons of social media integration. It’s entirely free and, unlike some other RSS add-ons, is fully standalone — meaning you don’t need to sync it with another RSS service for it to work.

    Open-source options: Vienna RSS and Tiny Tiny RSS – A couple of open-source choices — Vienna RSS and Tiny Tiny RSS (or TTRSS) — were also mentioned by readers. I’m a sucker for open-source applications, and both Vienna and TTRSS lets users create self-hosted RSS readers. These will require a bit more technical skill than simply signing up for one of the other apps or add-ons above, but they’re great options for protecting your data and having full control over your news feed.

    There are also news aggregator options like Apple News and Google News which can be easily be amended to suit your daily news preferences.

    This article has been updated since its original publish date.

    The post The Best RSS Readers and News Aggregation Apps appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      This is What The Orange Dot on Your iPhone Means

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Sunday, 14 February, 2021 - 23:25 · 2 minutes

    iOS 14 may have brought a whole new suite of design changes, but to this day we’re still learning things about our iPhones. A question that many have oft wondered is “what does that orange dot mean on my screen?”

    Well, reader, that dot is there for a very important reason.

    The orange dot

    At the top of your iPhone screen, you’ll see a number of symbols. Depending on how your phone is set up you’ll have the time, your WiFi and reception signal strength and your battery level. Occasionally, however, you might notice an orange dot up there too.

    The orange dot, in the simplest of terms, is an indication of whether your phone’s microphone is being used by an app. According to Apple Support , this may also appear as an orange square if the ‘Differentiate without Color’ setting is active.

    You’ll probably see this dot when you’re making a call or on a video conference such as FaceTime or Zoom. Some other apps that may use your iPhone’s mic include Shazam, Snapchat and Uber.

    The green dot

    While we’re here, I may as well explain what the green dot means.

    The green indicator means that your iPhone’s camera, or camera and microphone, are being used by an app. This could simply be the in-built camera app or it might appear if you’re on a video call.

    These indicators serve as a privacy feature from Apple to help users be more aware of an app that is actively using recording features on their phone. The same goes for the iPad.

    How to figure out which apps are using your camera and microphone

    If you notice the orange or green indicators and have no idea why they’re operating a quick way to shut this down should be to force close all the apps on your iPhone.

    You can also check which apps have access to your phone’s camera and audio settings and manually switch off their access.

    To do this go to Settings > Privacy then select either Camera or Microphone and you can review and toggle each app.

    The post This is What The Orange Dot on Your iPhone Means appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      Your Career Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Sunday, 14 February, 2021 - 21:25 · 3 minutes

    In the hyper-competitive ‘jobs’ culture, young workers often expect their careers to reach meteoric heights on a quick timeline. Younger generations don’t stay at their jobs for quite as long as their parents did, whether it’s due to economic factors or the view that most jobs are mere stepping stones toward more lucrative salaries and better job titles.

    Feeding into the perpetual rat race can lead to burnout, or worse — total disillusionment. While it might be easy to fall victim to this mindset, it’s better to view careers as the decades-long endeavour that it is, rather than a moonshot bid for rapid success.

    If you like your job enough, stay for a while

    If you’re in a constant rush to scale the ranks, you could risk losing out on opportunities already at your fingertips. Knuckling down and focusing on your current job will allow your skills to blossom, while constantly chasing new pastures in search of professional clout can put you on a merry-go-round where your skills may languish more than they grow.

    Most people stay at their jobs for an average of four years, according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labour and Statistics . That’s a pretty long time for most Millennials — and more than enough time to really master a trade before you feel the need to move on. If you feel you’re being nurtured and treated fairly by your employer, don’t rush for the door — it’s better to wait until the right opportunity, rather than will any quick opportunity into existence.

    Don’t Quit Your Job Without a Plan

    You might hate your job so much that you nurse fantasies about how you’ll quit — perhaps spontaneously, standing on your desk, with a righteous speech to your manager followed by a 1980s-movie slow clap from your colleagues. As cathartic as that may seem, you shouldn’t quit without a plan,...

    Read more

    Tune out the hype

    Not everyone suffers from this, but there’s a noticeable current of careerism in today’s corporate world. LinkedIn is full of would-be influencers and aspiring business magnates who trumpet their accolades and pontificate about the culture of work. This is toxic, but especially so for anyone yearning for professional advancement. Subscribing to this sentiment can make you a status-chaser, and someone who isn’t so much into the work itself as much as potential titles, salary, and acclaim.

    Do your best to hit the unsubscribe button. Perusing your peers’ latest career updates and musings on LinkedIn can do a lot to make your career feel woefully inadequate. Focus more on yourself and developing your own skills. That’ll help make work — in addition to life — way more enjoyable.

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    Visualise your career path over the long haul

    At the expense of sounding like a corporate consultant or corny stock broker, you should try imagining your career track like a graph that shows short-term versus long-term investment gains — it looks volatile in the short-term, but when you zoom out you can see the upward trend. When it comes to taking big risks versus staying the course, your career will likely wind up in the same place, or better, if you play it long.

    It can often seem like critical time is passing by, especially as your peers make headway and progress in their careers while you seemingly aren’t, but understanding that no success story happens overnight can help keep you grounded. To put it in perspective again: You won’t be eligible to collect retirement benefits until you’re 65. One’s career spans decades from start to finish, so it’s best to take a deep breath and understand that you can and will get what you want, just maybe not immediately.

    The post Your Career Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      Is It Worth Switching From a Mouse to a Pen?

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Sunday, 14 February, 2021 - 21:22 · 4 minutes

    I’ve been a mouse guy for as long as I can remember — never wavering. However, what if you want to ditch your mouse entirely? That’s the question put forth by Lifehacker reader James . He writes:

    I sign my name as best I can using my Logitech mouse. I am in my late 80s and find shaping letters very difficult. I am anxious to try a Pentype Mouse to provide me with better control when signing or making sketches.

    My system is Windows 10, 64 bit. Can you recommend any mouse or give me a reference to any reviews of such mice?

    Pen mouse or drawing pad?

    I confess, I haven’t seen a review of a bonafide pen mouse in years. They always struck me as one of those cheap, $30 gadgets you’d probably find on some deep shelf at Target, perhaps with an “as seen on TV” sticker on it. They’re not a very conventional way to use one’s system, look bulky as can be, and you have to deal with wireless charging all the time. Ee ech .

    I’m talking about a very specific type of product, though, like this one:

    gh7pvs2ous6wrgvp3bmn.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=80&w=1280&nrs=30

    Plenty of people use a pen to interact with their computers, but in a slightly different way. I’d recommend you try out a full-on drawing tablet, one that you use a stylus to interact with, even though a pen mouse would likely be a cheaper investment at first.

    The pros? The stylus never runs out of battery. It’s merely an extension of your hand that interacts with the tablet, which is the real meat of the operation. Drawing tablets like the Wacom CTL4100 — its entry-level product — come with a sea of favourable reviews, and Wacom is a trusted brand, so you know that any quirks with the relationship between pen and PC will likely get sorted out, which is more than I can say for some random manufacturer of a $30 “pen mouse.”

    l1ndhk9jwqgqztlrqlbr.jpg?auto=format&fit=fill&q=80&w=1280&nrs=30

    The downsides? Well, you’ll be tapping, not clicking, so that might take a little getting used to. That said, I’ve even heard of some people going for a hybrid approach — resting their non-primary hand on a mouse and using that to click, while using a pen+drawing tablet combo to navigate around Windows, move apps, and so on.

    There’s also the price. The aforementioned CTL4100 costs a cool $109. That’s just around four times the price of various pen mice I saw; however, I would consider this purchase like buying a quality kitchen knife. Sure, you can get $30 knives from Amazon that get the job done — as I have in the past — but the quality generally sucks and their long-term prognosis isn’t great. (Of course, though, when you lose, break, or rust them, it’s not that big of a deal.)

    How Do I View Messages on a Broken Phone?

    Nobody likes a broken phone screen — especially when you need to access something on your device, but can’t see your display at all. It’s a frustrating predicament, as Lifehacker reader Ayana explains in this week’s tech question:

    Read more

    I’m assuming that you interact with your computer a fairly regular amount, and given that you specifically referenced signing your name and sketching, I think the CTL4100 is the perfect fit. I also didn’t mention earlier that it has a lot of built-in pressure sensitivity for the latter, in case you want to explore that as part of your doodling. A pen mouse? Unsure if it’ll have that kind of a feature built-in, as it’s more an input device than an ideal drawing tool.

    So that’s my advice: Go with a drawing tablet. I (and many others) like Wacom, but I’m sure there are decent alternatives out there, too. Given your needs, though, I wouldn’t buy something that costs hundreds of dollars — not unless digital art is a key part of your daily life.

    If, or when, you purchase a drawing tablet, make sure you pull up Windows 10’s Pen & Windows Ink settings, where you should also see a key option you’ll want to enable: “ Allow my pen to act as mouse in legacy applications.” I don’t have a pen/drawing tablet myself, so I can’t confirm this is what it’s called (or whether it still exists), but I know this was previously a way to ensure that you could use your stylus to interact with apps system-wide. It’s also plausible that you’ll have similar settings in whatever app comes with your drawing tablet (make sure you’ve installed that, as well as the tablet manufacturer’s drivers, to ensure the best experience).

    Do you have a tech question keeping you up at night? Tired of troubleshooting your Windows or Mac? Looking for advice on apps, browser extensions, or utilities to accomplish a particular task? Let us know! Tell us in the comments below or email david.murphy@lifehacker.com .

    The post Is It Worth Switching From a Mouse to a Pen? appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      5 Laptop Stands for Every WFH Setup

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Wednesday, 10 February, 2021 - 06:30 · 3 minutes

    Working from home has forced us to get pretty inventive when it comes to desk space. If you keep finding yourself putting your laptop precariously on a pile of books, you can do much better with a top-quality laptop stand. Here’s what to look for when choosing the best one for your WFH space.

    Sure, it’s inherent in the name “laptop” that you can place your personal computer on your lap when working from home. Let’s be honest, chances are you’ve done it more than once. But it’s a quick recipe to a sore neck from craning downwards for hours, or uncomfortably hot or pressured legs depending on the make and model of your computer.

    It’s far more efficient for both your health and your laptop to sit on a stand, because you can then adjust it to work to your proper eye level, give it sufficient ventilation and make it easier to use external peripherals like a really nice ergonomic keyboard or mouse.

    Now, if you’re particularly keen you can always opt for a DIY stand, but you are limited by your skills and your available materials there. If you’d rather select a stand that’s professionally built, here’s a range of options to consider:

    Nexstand Travel Laptop Stand $20.38
    A laptop stand can help you work from home but it doesn’t have to be limited to just your own domicile. Nexstand’s laptop stand is designed to fold down for easy travel storage, so you can use it when you’re working on the go as long as you’ve got a flat surface. Its 226g carrying weight won’t unduly add to your luggage capacity either.

    ViPowermate Aluminum Adjustable Stand $21.99
    ViPowermate’s Aluminium stand, like many others, pitches itself at the MacBook crowd, but with so many other silver ultrabooks it’s not as though you can’t use it universally. It states it’s good for up to 20kg, which is one seriously heavy laptop – and more relevantly, an indication that it should be a nicely durable bit of kit.

    Soundance LS1 Silver Aluminum Laptop Stand $47.01
    Soundance’s LS1 isn’t a complex laptop stand, but it could be a good option if you want a stand that doesn’t – pun not intended – stand out, because it’s a simple aluminium ledge with a loop for the stand part that raises any laptop sitting on it by six inches at default. Yes, you don’t get adjustable angles – but that also means you’ll never have to deal with the adjustable part breaking and watching your laptop sink down either.

    AstiVita 100% Bamboo Laptop/Computer Foldable Desk and Stand $56.99
    Most laptop stands are solid metal – typically aluminium frames – but if that doesn’t suit your style or environmental outlook, consider AstiVita’s Bamboo stand. It’s designed to work at regular or standing desks, and intelligently incorporates a hidden drawer underneath the stand that you could use for storing connection cables or other small items.

    Razer Laptop Stand Chroma $141.50
    If you want a laptop stand that’s not only built for elevation but also intimidation factor, consider Razer’s Laptop Stand Chroma. If you’re at all familiar with Razer’s gaming gear, you’ll be able to predict that it’s got Razer’s RGB Chroma lighting built in, but also three extra USB ports, making it a good fit for any additional peripherals – not just gaming gear – you might need to work from home.

    Editor’s note: Descriptions and features are as taken from manufacturer/seller claims on Amazon.

    The post 5 Laptop Stands for Every WFH Setup appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      How to Ward Off Spoilers on Twitter

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Tuesday, 9 February, 2021 - 20:44 · 1 minute

    Hearing that there’s been some kind of eye-opening twist on WandaVision might make you anxious about logging into any kind of social media. We’ve already talked about a number of techniques you can use to avoid spoilers on social media , but here’s a new one to add to the mix: Hide Twitter Trends .

    This aptly named Chrome extension does exactly what it suggests. Install it, and your Twitter home page will go from this:

    yuwdtnovxfsqg8srzqye.png?auto=format&fit=fill&q=65&w=1280

    To this:

    ebtxaswzngz3vjegsuju.png?auto=format&fit=fill&q=65&w=1280

    That’s quite a purge of information — basically everything on the right-hand side of Twitter’s UI. However, it’ll help ensure that your Twitter UI stays as spoiler-free as possible, though it won’t do anything about your actual feed. For that, make sure you continue using our advice of muting keywords related to content that you don’t want to see. You can set these blocks permanently or for, say, 30 days from the current date, with the hopes that internet chatter about whatever spoiler-filled topic you’re concerned about dies down by then.

    While Twitter Trends are generally pretty dull, I wouldn’t assume that you’ll be safe from spoilers by simply not looking at them. There have been instances where key moments in media are ruined by Twitter’s “helpful” feature though:

    So, unfortunately, you’re going to want to mute keywords and have a browser extension installed — and, even then, hope that someone doesn’t fumble-fingers that “Dorth” Vader is Luke’s father. And, of course, if your media matters that much to you, perhaps staying off Twitter around key moments is for the best.

    The post How to Ward Off Spoilers on Twitter appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .