Readers offer their best tips for keeping your backpack from messing up your floor, making decisions when you don't have a coin, and speeding up YouTube on the iPhone. More »

Chrome: Google's chat feature is useful for sending quick IMs and starting video chat sessions, but you can only view it when you're on a Google page like Gmail. Google has released an official Chrome extension that detaches it from your browser, allowing you to view it no matter what web page you're viewing. More »

The app markets move for clearer app privacy policies, the EU is getting cold feet on ACTA, and state attorneys general have issues with Google's all-in-one privacy changes. More »

Ubuntu's new Unity interface has some cool features, but if it's global menu bar just gets on your nerves, here's how to turn it off. More »

Windows/Mac/Linux: Tomahawk is a free desktop music player that combines your local library with the libraries of our favorite streaming music services, like Spotify, Grooveshark, and more, so you don't need to open a multitude of separate players to listen to your music. More »

The Daily App Deals post is a round-up of the best app discounts of the day, as well as some notable mentions for ones that are on sale. More »

Got crap? Want money instead? Amazon has a neat program that essentially lets you dump old books, movies, gadgets, and more in a box, send it to them, and then wait for the money to roll in. Here's how you can start using it and sell your stuff in no time. More »

Googler Daniel Russell knows how to find the answers to questions you can't get to with a simple Google query. In his weekly Search Research column, Russell issues a search challenge, then follows up later in the week with his solution—using whatever search technology and methodology fits the bill. This week's challenge: Did Jefferson think she was, or wasn't, a pirate ship? More »

Your cell phone camera is a great timesaver when you're traveling. Instead of having to write down anything you might need for future reference, just snap a photo. For example: take pics to remember your parking spot, rental car, and hotel room number. More »

It's unlikely that most of us will be followed by a car, but chances are you've had a sneaking suspicion before that you'd like to put to rest. To regain your peace of mind, security and investigations expert Brandon Gregg offers up a few tricks to both detect if you're being followed and what you can do about it. More »

The latest update to the Android version of Google Docs adds what might be the best feature of all: collaborative editing. While you've always been able to edit a document along with many other people in the web app, now Android users can join in via the native app on their phones or tablets. Additionally, this update brings rich text formatting so you can add things like ordered and bulleted lists, color variations, and standard text styles like bold and italic. Check out the video above for a quick look at these new features, or just download the app to try them out for yourself. More »

Earlier this week we asked you how you make your personal landing page stand out when there are so out there that mostly look alike and you wrote in with great ideas and examples. Here are some of the best and the processes behind them. More »

You don't have to dig a moat around your home and install missiles on your rooftop to keep the bad guys away. In fact, the missiles might suggest you've got something very, very valuable inside. The DIY experts at Q&A site Stack Exchange chime in on a few ways to keep burglars from invading your personal space. More »

Every day we're on the lookout for ways to make your work easier and your life better, but Lifehacker readers are smart, insightful folks with all kinds of expertise to share, and we want to give everyone regular access to that exceptional hive mind. Help Yourself is a daily thread where readers can ask and answer questions about tech, productivity, life hacks, and whatever else you need help with. More »

Wallpaper Wednesday is generally a showcase of traditional desktop wallpapers, but today we're giving the spotlight to both our mobile devices and a talented photographer named Cole Rise. Come take a look at his work, which sits in a place between reality and imagination, and makes for a wonderful view on your mobile device. More »

There are a handful of speed dialers for iPhone that have very little to differentiate them, but Tacts rises up amongst the bunch thanks to its superior interface and numerous contact management features. More »

Dear Lifehacker, More »

Bokeh refers to blurry effects in photographs—purposely out of focus shapes that are creamy and wonderfully fuzzy. You can make your own bokeh with just some inexpensive black cardstock. More »

Google recently announced it was unifying its privacy policies and would be sharing the data it collects about users between all of its products, starting March 1st. That means your web searches and sites you visit will be combined with other Google products like Google Plus and YouTube. If you'd rather avoid that, the Electronic Frontier Foundation reminds us you can remove your Google search history and stop it from being recorded. More »

Today's featured workspace belongs to a designer in Paris. Although he has a lot of drool-worthy hardware on his large, beautiful desk, there's still room for art toys to add some personalization and style without cluttering up his workspace. More »