Strange Sleep Problems, Efficient Packing, Janky Yet Awesome Life Hacks, and Google Keep

This week on the podcast we're talking about the crazy things you do in your sleep, how to pack an insanely efficient travel bag, and the jankiest lifehacks that actually work. We're also answering your questions about old Android batteries, OS X's built-in handwriting recognition, and Google's new note taking and universal capture service.

How to Listen to This Week's Episode

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News and Top Stories

• Mac Trojan Injects Ads Into Chrome, Firefox, and Safari: A new trojan called Trojan.Yontoo.1 is going after Macs. If you run into it, Yontoo.1 prompts you to install a browser plugin called "Free Twit Tube" or something similar. When it's installed, it injects ads into your browser. It requires an install, so if you haven't installed anything weird lately you should be okay, but be careful if you come across a strange download.
• iOS 6.1.3 Fixes Lock Screen Passcode Vulnerability, Available Now: Apple-released a long-expected (but not necessarily desired) update to iOS to fix a lock screen passcode vulnerability that provided anyone capable of completing a complicated process to access your device. Of course, there's a new lock screen vulnerability in iOS 6.1.3 now and if you update to 6.1.3 you (currently) lose the ability to jailbreak so you may want to hold off for now.
• Keep Is Google's New Syncing Notes Service that Quickly Captures Your Thoughts: Google Keep is a new app that seeks to save whatever you're currently thinking about so you don't have to remember. Although not the first app to try and solve this problem, Google's integrated Keep directly into Drive to make it easier to use.
• Gmail Adds Notification Drawer Shortcuts, Faster Search to Android: Google just updated the official Gmail app for Android, adding quick shortcuts to the notification drawer and improved inbox search.
• The Always Up-to-Date Guide to Building a Hackintosh Updated for OS X 10.8.3: OS X 10.8.3 came out last week and we updated our hackintosh guide to support it. Not much has changed since 10.8.2, but we revamped the guide a bit so it's easier to navigate and provided quick access to sample builds you can use when building a new hackintosh from scratch.
• The Crazy Things We Do In Our Sleep (and How to Treat Them): Do you know what you're doing while you're asleep? If you're like millions of other people, you could be talking, walking, or even having sex in your sleep. Here are some of the crazy things we do when we're asleep, and how-if you're someone who suffers from them-you can find some relief.
• How to Fit Two Weeks Worth of Luggage Under the Airplane Seat in Front of You: Back in the day, checking your bag on a trip only cost you 20 minutes of your time after a flight. Now you're lucky if it only costs you $20. With rampant theft, high bag check costs, and overhead bins filled to the brim, learning how to pack efficiently matters more than ever. With the right strategy, you can fit everything you actually need into the seat in front of you.
• Why do Android Apps Need So Many Permissions? It seems like every app developer wants access to so much on my phone! Do they really need all those permissions, or are they just harvesting my data?
• Top 10 Jankiest Life Hacks That Actually Work Wonders: Sometimes, DIY isn't pretty. In fact, sometimes it's downright ugly and rickety, but it's cheap and it works. Let's give some homage to our favorite janky, amazing hacks from over the years.

Questions and Answers

Each week we answer five questions from readers and listeners. Here's what we tackled this week.

• Should I bother using Google Keep? Will it last? Will Google cancel it entirely some day like they did with Reader? What should I do? If you want to use Google Keep, you should. It'll likely be around for several years like most Google services. If Google decides to shut it down at some point, they'll provide time and a means for you to get your data exported and into something else. Products go out of production all the time. Companies close. People die. Loss comes in all kinds of forms and even when it's as bad as losing someone we love, we get past it and manage to love again. So if we, as humans, can lose each other and move on you shouldn't worry about taking a risk with a Google service. As we've seen in the past and will see again with Google Reader, something really great will come from this loss. It just takes a little time. So use Keep if you want to, and don't worry so much. ;)
• I opened up my system preferences today, and there seems to be a new feature since I updated to 10.8.3 called Ink. Seems to deal with handwriting, but I haven't had time to look into it. Ink(well) has been a part of OS X since version 10.2 and recognizes handwriting. It's actually pretty cool and, as Tim demonstrates, isn't something most people know about. It's kind of weird that Apple hides it, but definitely a neat feature to look at if you have any use for it.
• How do I get replacement batteries for old Android phones? I've tried the normal places with no luck. Call the manufacturer and see if they still manufacture the battery, or talk to your carrier and see if you can try a battery for a similar device. Sometimes
• I have a MacBook Pro and a home theater PC (HTPC) running Windows 7. I was wondering if it's possible to view folders located on my HTPC from my Mac laptop and save downloaded or ripped files there? I have found many cross platform synchronization options, but they both sync files both ways. My macbook has a low capacity solid state drive, and would quickly fill if too much media was loaded on it. Any help would be great! Yeah, you just need to set up file sharing. It's very easy and very helpful.
• Should I get a credit card during college to help build up my credit score? Yes, absolutely.
• Should I buy a USB DAC first, or a better set of headphones? Headphones first. They'll make more of a difference than a DAC.

Tips of the Week

Downloads of the Week

How Do I Submit a Question?

There are two ways to send in your question:

Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!

Sleep (by DonBLC 123), Newspaper, Computer, Clock (by Brandon Hopkins), and Alert (by Dima Yagnyuk) provided by the Noun Project.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/-pvdimK70Co/strange-sleep-problems-efficient-packing-janky-yet-awesome-life-hacks-and-google-keep

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