@SuchiLucius: I have US Cellular and don't pay for any incoming texts or calls with my nationwide plan, but they don't have stores all over the U.S.

@Bill Clark: Thanks, it worked! I also had to download the source software so that I had somewhere to direct the jailbreak software.

A friend gave my mother an old iPhone to use as an iTouch and she seems to think that I can set it up. It does not respond unless I put in an old AT&T SIM card and then all it says is to connect it to iTunes so that it can be activated. She does not want it to be a phone, just to function as an iTouch. Can someone…

@bdgbill: Ah, you are very wise; we cooks like our tools to be sharp and in good condition. When someone-who-will-remain-nameless uses our knives or microplanes on something other than food, it dulls and chips the blades.

I was going 72 in a 65 mph zone one night on my way back to college when a highway patrolman stopped me, so I rolled my window down 2-3 inches from the top as he came up.

Take a planner (electronic or old school, it doesn't matter) and write down your assignments as the teacher gives them! It seems simple, but so many people don't do it.

It depends where I'm going. When I make the annual trek to visit my grandparents, I take my laptop because we like to watch movies on the road. I also take it when I visit my parents because they have wifi and are on their laptops most of the time. I try to leave it at home any other time.

There was a popular outdoor restaurant in my town a that used this trick a couple years ago. I always saw flies landing on the bags of water. I'm not sure how effective this really is.

@Akevitt: Those are legitimate, relatively common words in most of the U.S. where, to my knowledge, Lifehacker is based. Although I did not understand the reference to the Table Manners' column (a link would have been helpful), the words and phrases make sense. You do highlight an interesting dilemma for bloggers,…

I have tried a french press, but not an Aeropress, and I still use my drip coffeemaker. I like being able to set it the night before and then my apartment smells like coffee when I come downstairs in the morning. I just love the indulgence of having the coffee waiting for me in the morning, but I might try a press…

Vote: Pen and spiral-bound sketch pad (I'm not a between-the-lines kind of girl).

Wow, I had no idea how many fellow English majors are lifehackers, too! My life-changing books in no particular order are:

Consider cross-training, too. I have always learned more or improved in efficiency by approaching a task or subject from several different angles. Example 1: In school, I learned far more about English grammar in my Spanish and sign language classes than I did in most English classes (and I was an English major!).…

By noon, I usually need a break from staring at my monitor and monotonous reports, so I pack my lunch and eat in the break room with several of the other employees from around the company. I get a breather and catch up on the local news and gossip while I eat.