Google/Gmail: Google's two-factor authentication sends you a 6-digit code via text message when you attempt to log in from a new machine, though it also works with the Google Authenticator app for Android, iOS, and BlackBerry. You can save each machine for 30 days. You can enable it here, or check out Google's…

Alt-Esc = "push window to bottom of z-order stack". Great when you have a lot of floating, partially-overlapping windows and don't want to totally minimize one.

What does this represent?

The Quick Access toolbar (along the top of Windows 8's Explorer, Office, and other apps are more than your favorite toolbar icons. Alt+number keys are shortcuts to them (first icon is Alt+1,...)

I love this one because Windows+Breaks=System Properties. I smile every time I use it.

I'm confused... how do you connect the phone to the controller? Wirelessly? USB?

That's amazing, thanks. I don't know how I missed that, I always scour my Reader for Lifehacker posts.

It looks like you opened the Control Panel inside Chrome...?

For sticky notes, you can paste in from another program and the font will carry over with it.

... just make sure the glass is empty first!

I don't use them, so I can't speak about unneeded apps running, but why don't Mac and Linux users get any benefit from removing unneeded browser plugins and using faster DNS servers? Those two items seem like they would be good regardless of your OS.

myprozacdream is spot on 100%.

Hell I live in Oklahoma, my salary is nearly 9k less than that and yet I have basically the same setup (nice car & motorcycle, both 4 years old), several smart phones on my bill (to be fair some of that is paid back by the users of two of them), broadband etc. Nice apartments on a golf course. I get by. 75k would be…

VOTE: GOOGLE READER and GOOGLE READER MOBILE

Disclaimer, I'm a MS MVP and probably a bit bias :)

isn't the point of the lock screen to prevent you from touching those by mistake?

Thank you for this well reasoned article. I might also note that this product is over a year from shipping, and hasn't even hit beta yet: I would expect much to change in the coming months. This release was a developer reason to get folks to build touch apps, so I think they've over-emphasized the touch UI on…

That takes longer than just unlocking it...

Nice tip, but it's not new or limited to Chrome. Internet Explorer (and Netscape Navigator before it) have done this for decades.

If you have Windows 7 (or Vista), try Windows Reliability History. Just type 'reliability' into your Start menu to find it. It records any problems your computer has had (in a more friendly view than digging through Event Records) and even checks the Windows Crash Report Server for solutions to problems.