Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hacks

How can I deny an android app permissions it claims to require?

jsturgill — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 08:20:58 -0800

Android apps seem to grab permissions that I have no desire to give them. My understanding is that the permissions per app are all bundled together: it's all or nothing. At least officially. Is there another way? Also, is there a privacy watchdog site that will help me find apps that actually respect my privacy and support/purchase them over those that do not? For example, I need to install Skype. Like, for work need to. To pay the bills and eat need to. The only problem is that it asks for everything under the sun. I don't want it to have access to most of the things it wants to access.

At least in 2011, Skype gave all its information to any other app that wanted it on the phone. I'm sure it's not the only one.

Almost every app on my phone grabs permissions like they're going out of style, and it drives me crazy. I would love to find even an unoficial, poorly supported, sporadically developed, unstable method of blocking specific kinds of access to installed apps or spoofing the information given to apps. Is there such a thing?

Need iOS help. Hope me!

Admiral Haddock — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 09:10:15 -0800

I've used iPhones for five years or so now, but there are a few things that bug me, and I wonder if there is a trick or preference I'm missing or a third-party app I can use or what. No interest in jailbreaking or switching phones. Specific questions inside. I've loved my iPhones, but there are a few things I'd like to be able to do. Again, no interest in jailbreaking or switching to Android, etc.

1. Autocomplete suggestions / different suffixes. If I'm tapping out a word, is there a way to nudge the autocomplete suggestion to use a different suffix? For example, say I want to type "antagonized," and when I type "antag" iOS suggests "antagonizing." Right now, I might just accept the autocomplete and then delete the "ing" and type "ed"--in this case, it's the same number of taps to accept the word and delete and retype as it is to type "onized"--but I'd rather just given the choice of word in the first place. Autocomplete will learn to suggest a word, but my complaint is not limited to my commonly used words. I get different suggestions if I misspell a word, but not for different suffixes of a partial word.

2. More than just song name on lock screen. I have a lot of music, and I don't always recognize the name of a song--I need the artist and album. Even with tracks that have album art displayed, there are times when the art doesn't help. Is there really no way to add the artist and album to the lock screen?

3. Stopping websites from asking me to download their apps. If I go to IMDB, I have to click through a splash screen that asks me to download the IMDB app. On other sites, I get a little floater at the bottom of the screen that asks me to either download their app or save them to my homescreen. Please make it stop.

4. One touch settings switches. Is there any way to put a button on my home screen to toggle attributes selected in the settings app? For instance, if I want to turn off wi-fi (which I do often due to bad wi-fi in my apartment), I have to tap settings, tap wi-fi, then tap the on/off toggle. I would love a button on my home screen that just toggles wi-fi on and off. But not just wi-fi--I'd love to be able to do this for airplane mode, different levels of brightness, etc.--I'd like this to be customizable. Any ideas?

All this is on an ATT iPhone 5 running iOS 6.01 (10A525).

Russian travel prep

greta simone — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:44:28 -0800

I'm traveling to Moscow (and likely St. Petersburg as well)! Tell me all your best resources, materials, and hacks! I'll be visiting Moscow (and possibly St. Petersburg) from March 14-24. Yes I know it's a shitty time of year weather-wise, but it was the best option for all parties involved given schedules and budget. I and my travel partner are visiting friends who live there who are planning on showing us a good time, but we'll be on our own during the days while they are at work. I picked up a Moscow Lonely Planet already and am getting the visa process started this week.

What I seek here are the hive's best resources that I can check out now to be best prepared for my trip. Things like:

iPhone apps:

-For studying the basics of the alphabet and language and basic phrases and vocab over the next few months (no Rosetta Stone please as I find it to me more than I need for this trip and also rather cost prohibitive at this time)
-For help while I'm there (translation/pronunciation kinds of things).
-Transit apps (maps, schedules?)
-other fun apps recommending places to go in the surrounding area (similar to Yelp or Not For Tourists) if such a thing exists.

Literature:

-best brief histories of Russia.
-I'm already reading Anna Karenina, but contemporary travel writing or the like would be appreciated. For example, I loved reading The City of Falling Angels by Berendt in preparation for my trip to Venice.

Other:

-Any local or expat websites to peruse beforehand
-Also, even though it's a crappy time of year to be there, if you know of anything happening during those dates that is not to be missed, please do tell!

I don't really need food or hotel recommendations as most meals will be shared with our hosts and we will be staying with them as well.

Personal details that may or may not be relevant: Two people (m and f, not a couple), early 30s, NYers with the usual cosmopolitan interests, pretty tight budget.

Any other materials or hacks that made your trip easier or enriched are much appreciated!

Thanks!

Computer Writing, 1979 Style

Doleful Creature — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:04:47 -0800

DIY Computering: I want to build a dedicated, Raspberry Pi "writing station". I've been slowly reading up on/getting inspired by Rasbperry Pi (heretofore RPi) projects on various blogs and youtube videos and I've realized that one thing I would absolutely love to build is a dedicated writing computer.

Basically something comprised of the following:

1. RPi
2. Old-Skool like 13" CRT monitor (RPi has composite-out)
3. Clicky-Clunky Keyboard (preferably to match the monitor)
4. Forced-boot into pyRoom or emacs or something
4a. Maybe with wi-fi/dropbox sync for the text files.

I've been searching on this topic for hours but it seems no-one has done anything quite like it. Which surprised me. Or maybe my searchpowers are whack?

Additional thoughts/questions:

Yes, I know. The entire point is to create an arbitrarily limiting workspace. Kind of like how Stephen King still keeps his writing desk facing the wall. It's a mind hack as much as anything else.

Any vintage monitor recommends? Personally I think something like a Commodore PET would be wicked cool but I don't even know if such a thing would work with the RPi's composite out.

Never been at sea...help.

teg4rvn — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:43:13 -0800

I've never been on a cruise, but will be going on one next year...would appreciate any cruise "hacks" I should take into account as a first timer. The cruise is on the Mediterranean and will be 9 days.

OSX hacks, tweaks and cleaners.

griphus — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:14:51 -0800

Lay on me your OS X hacks, tweaks and cleaners. I am the guy who has been editing config.sys and autoexec.bat since he was 12. In Windows, I'm used to msconfig, Process Monitor, and a number of tweaking utilities that made sure everything looked the way I wanted and acted the way I wanted. Nothing loads on boot without my explicit permission, I can see everything that's running and just in general I have a really good hang on what's going on with the computer. I also run CCleaner, et. al., regularly to maintain good hygiene.

Now I want to do the same with my MacBook. Except with this OS, I no longer have an inherent feel for what is a useful trick and what is system-breaking crapware. Help me out here. I'm using Lion right now because they seem to think I'm ineligible for the Mountain Lion update, but I figure I will eventually break through that nonsense and update.

Now I know that OS X is Unix-based, but I'd like more GUI-based programs (am I supposed to call them "apps" now?) and less command line wizardry. Although I am completely capable of using the command line, so if there's anything particularly cool, let me know.

If it matters, I'm using an SSD, so a) stuff specifically for SSDs would be useful and b) stuff that does a lot of reading/writing to disk would not.

Oh and something to let me snap windows to half-screen like Window Key+Left or +Right in Windows 7 would be awesome. I miss that feature.

But what do you mean, "it's just a plate of beans"??

fix — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:01:48 -0800

When overthinking is overrated: please show me your anti-beanplating hacks! Beanplating can be tremendously good fun...until you get stuck in a nasty infinite loop that is. This has been happening to me quite a lot lately, and I need coping strategies besides the old standby of hissing "STOP" whenever appropriate. What are some simple mental (or otherwise) exercises I can do to help snap out of these episodes?

Fitbit hacks?

exceptinsects — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:36:23 -0800

I got a Fitbit for Christmas! Do you have one? What should I know about it? Any tips/tricks/hacks for getting the most out of it?

The art/porn divide is very relevant at work

sugarbomb — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:31:43 -0800

Is there a hack to create two Tumblr dashboards from one login? So, I want to have two Tumblr dashboards--one for safe-for-work content (art, kitten photos) and one for NSFW content (naked ladies). But I'm also lazy--I don't want to have two different logins if I can help it. Are there any hacks to make this possible? So far, when I've tried favoriting or following smutty content, it shows up in my dashboard for both blogs.

Thanks!

How do I trick myself into thinking I have less cash on hand?

newrambler — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:36:53 -0800

Budget Hacks Filter: I need to pretend I have less money than I do. I recently realized it was foolish of me not to have the majority of my money in my checking account, because my awesome credit union pays me 3.25% interest on that account. So yay, extra money every month!

Unfortunately, it also means that the money I used to have shoved aside in savings (out of sight, out of mind) just sits there as part of the total in my checking account taunting me. So every time I log in, I have to think, "Okay, actually, I don't have $X--part of that is regular savings, part of that is for repairs on the house, part of that is childcare money, so really I only have $X-Y-Z."

Have you figured out a clever solution to a similar problem?

Possibly relevant:
* I am a fairly conscientious budgeter and receipt tracker (I use PearBudget)
* I have thought about setting up some sort of extra spreadsheet for divvying up my checking account, but I'd kind of not to have to go around entering data into two separate budgets
* That said, I'm open to switching systems, especially if there's some existing spreadsheet/system/whatchamadilly out there that will do this

Help me hack fear of failure

carolinaherrera — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:22:38 -0800

What are your personal hacks for getting over fear of failure? While generally outgoing and bold in many ways, I have a few mental blocks with regard to taking personal and professional risks.

For example, I have several entrepreneurial opportunities I'm considering. I'm afraid of making a mistake and choosing the wrong one and of putting myself out there and then failing. I'm afraid of blogging about subjects on which I have some expertise because I might say something stupid. I'm afraid of being branded as an expert in x and then wanting to transition into y.

I'm extroverted in social settings and comfortable talking to the opposite sex, going to parties where I don't know anyone, etc. I have some social anxiety, but come across as sociable and friendly.

When I analyze my fears, I realize that my concerns are:
- I'll attach my name to a project and have it fail utterly, for reasons I should have anticipated
- The idea will have been stupid from the start and I should have known better
- My actions will keep me from good opportunities in the future
- It will be hard to "re-brand" myself -- "Wait, weren't you all excited about an education startup last week? Why are so into mobile applications this week?"
- People I respect will roll their eyes when I say, "Well, I'm changing direction and now I'm doing y."
- I'll promote some big initiative and won't get any interest and make a fool of myself for even trying.

Can the hivemind give me some helpful scripts to explain myself to others (or myself?) when I'm not yet sure what I'm doing, so I can sound confident but still give me room to transition?

Have you had these fears? How do you get over them? What are your personal hacks for becoming less afraid of putting yourself out there?

Thank you!

Hackey Sackey

to sir with millipedes — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:41:55 -0800

When did hacking acquire the patina of illegality? I am reading Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, and I am curious about something -- the people in the book seem like curious tinkerers and explorers. Occasionally they do things that are illegal it's much more about exploration than anything else, and most of the time they were doing said exploration to pinpoint and plug security issues. When did the popular cultural notion of hackers being these borderline unethical information thieves come about?

Researchers: Share your workflow!

miriam — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 07:44:07 -0800

I'm planning a grad-student workshop on ways to manage research assets (particularly primary sources) more efficiently using digital tools. Please share your own workflow! Here's the situation I'm trying to address: A grad student in the dissertation-writing stage has gathered folders and folders of digital photos, PDF newspaper articles, research notes, maybe video clips and sound files. How does she organize this mess and make it easily retrievable when she actually needs to write about it?

What are your secrets?

• Do you use Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, DevonThink, or other software? How?
• Do you use your iPad in a clever way to manage your sources?
• Do you have a neat trick for managing the documentary photos that emerge from a research trip to the archives?
• Do you OCR primary sources? How?
• Do you work with sound or video? What software do you use to manage, organize, and harvest data from these assets, and how do you use it?
• Do you use Automator, AppleScript, Hazel, or macros? How?

For now, I'm particularly interested in humanities research (sorry, scientists). The more specific you can be, the better, as I'm hoping to be able to demonstrate the coolest of these techniques.

River tubing hacks, please!

halseyaa — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:05:44 -0800

Please share your river tubing hacks. I'm going tubing this Saturday with some friends and am hoping to make it as fun as possible. I am looking for suggestions for making a cheap floating cooler (or buy one if super cheap). I could order online (saw some for like $25) but I've been dragging my feet until now would probably have to pay for rushed shipping. Plus this is kind of a one-time thing so I wont probably be needing one again in the foreseeable future. Is there a certain store that sells this type of thing?

Also it would be cool if we could have some music. We have an ipod home but I could probably get my hands on a boom box for full effect. Need to keep it dry though, obviously. This river is very shallow and slow so I'm not really worried about flipping over the raft/floating cooler thing with the stuff.

We are renting the tubes so I don't think I can rent one and modify it for the purposes of carrying stuff, like put something over the hole to set a cooler on. I'm debating tying a trash bag to my tube, letting the water keep the drinks cool and being a little more discreet. I have no shame, so embarrassment is not a factor, but I don't want to draw the attention of any park rangers. Is this a bad idea? I think it will probably slow me down compared to everyone else...

Also any other fun ideas appreciated. Right now I'm thinking freezer pops and maybe water guns. The more I think about this the more I love summer...

Can a 4G iPod work with a CF card instead of an HDD?

running order squabble fest — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:46:36 -0800

Things to do with a lobotomized iPod 4G? I pulled out the hard drive, put an a CF card, and now, no matter how often I restore it, can't get it to work as an iPod, even though my PC can read and write to the drive. Can it work with this setup? I have an old 4G iPod - the model just before it went color, so 40GB, clikc wheel, greyscale screen. Recently (by which I mean over the last couple of years - it's an old device), the 1.8" mechanical hard drive started skipping, locking up and becoming increasingly useless. So, having a bit of spare time last week, I cracked it open, pulled the drive out and replaced it with an 8GB CompactFlash card I had lying about using a generic adaptor.

I sealed it back up and turned it on, expecting to have to restore it (at the very least). It booted, showed the Apple logo, and then went to the sad folder icon. So, I plugged it in to my Macbook Pro (iTunes 10.3, OS 10.6.8) and restored it. iTunes can see it, restore it and sync to it, and when I activate disk mode I can see it in the drive structure as an iPod, but whenever I unplug it after restoring and syncing I get the sad folder icon again.

I've tried restoring it with Windows, putting Rockbox on it (install seems to work, but the sad folder again), YamiPod (doesn't recognize it) and iPodLinux (doesn't install due to an error reading firmware) - no luck so far. It connects, it goes "OK to disconnect", but then, when it restarts, sad folder icon again.

I don't need this device, but I am curious about what can be done with it. I don't seem to have killed anything with the dismantling and reassembly. Is it just that it can't cope with CompactFlash memory? I've seen this done with video iPods, but never with a 4G. Everything else seems to work on the hardware side, still - the screen, the click wheel and so on.

Am I missing something obvious, or should I just stop messing with obsolete technology and get rid of it. If so, is there anything else fun to do with an 8GB CompactFlash card? Or a memoryless iPod?

In PHP, can you sort by a word which is not the first?

johnofjack — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:52:49 -0800

PHPfilter: in a bit over my head: is there a native function to sort an array by a word which isn't always in a fixed position, or do I need to create one? (And if I need to create one, is this the best way to do it?) I have a form set up to receive reports and process them, breaking each report into an array populated with individual records, and then splitting the records off into other arrays based on different criteria.

I need to be able to sort the final arrays based on words which are not necessarily in a fixed position in each element.

A simplified example: Here's an array in its original form (assume each element is on its own line):
JAdventure Stilton
JFantasy Abbott
JFantasy Osborne
JFantasy Toriyama
JFiction Blume
JFiction Walt
JHist Gonzalez
JHist Osborne
JMystery Erickson
JMystery Sobol
JScifi Dezago
JScifi Star
L.P. JFiction Park
L.P. JHist Tripp

Here's the form I need it to be in:
JFantasy Abbott
JFiction Blume
JScifi Dezago
JMystery Erickson
JHist Gonzalez
JFantasy Osborne
JHist Osborne
L.P. JFiction Park
JMystery Sobol
JScifi Star
JAdventure Stilton
JFantasy Toriyama
L.P. JHist Tripp
JFiction Walt

Is there a native function to do this kind of sorting?

Assuming the answer is no, would the following be the most efficient way to manage what I need done? (Forgive my pseudocode; I'm still just trying to wrap my head around the problem.)



1: RM "^JAdventure " if present:

	a. foreach($jmedia as $key => $value)

	b. if preg_match "^JAdventure " (

		i. preg_replace "^JAdventure " with nothing

		ii. $jmedia[$key][1] = "JAdventure "

		)

2. sort

3. foreach($jmedia as $key =>$value)

	a. if $jmedia[$key][1] then (

		i. add $jmedia[$key][1] as a string to the start of $jmedia[$key]

		ii. remove $jmedia[$key][1]

		)

Slippers hack

fire&wings — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:35:34 -0800

Sometimes when I get out of bed I forget to put my slippers on.. Then I end up walking through to the kitchen where I inevitably get crumbs on my feet. Even if I have recently swept there is still the cold floor and I HATE the feeling of a cold floor on my feet. How can I prevent this from occuring, is there a hack?

Making love at midnight

lover — Sat, 07 May 2011 22:01:01 -0800

Please tell me your sex hacks? So here's the thing. I have a lover. I'm fond of this one, who I've been with for nearly a year. I've only been with people in the short term for the most part, where hormones and excitement do all the work.

I don't feel like we're having enough sex - just once in the past few months ai yai, but plenty of affection and kissing, and our relationship outside of sex is doing well right now.

I haven't felt like sex. I'd like to feel like it. Please help!

Anecdotes, practical advice, and concepts are preferred to books.

Show stoppers around the the campfire

Archibald Edmund Binns — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:30:21 -0800

Give me your Audience Hacks! I'm spending this summer in New Mexico at Philmont Scout Ranch. Part of my job is putting on a nightly campfire show, telling stories and singing songs to Boy Scouts. I'm looking for ways to make the evening make an impression outside of the normal string of corny jokes and loud singing.
What can I do to blow the mind of impressionable 14-19 year old boy scouts?
The best example of what I'm looking for is Bobby McFerrin's unbelievable Pentatonic scale demonstration, which I'm borrowing shamelessly
I think what I'm looking for is for the specific bits of magic that an act can use to make themselves great - like the Decemberists playing the mariner's revenge with a paper mache whale eating them or these guys doing the fork in the garbage disposal
I guess some call and response songs do this (500 miles comes to mind, or the Kinks' Lola [which is even more awesome because subversion at boy scout camp is the best thing ever, and as great as the boy scouts are they certainly can use more exposure to gender issues and the like]) but I'm not looking for songs so much as gimmicks that are so awesome they can be forgiven for being gimmicks. Have you ever seen anything like this? Have you ever tried anything like this?

Any Android phone root mods or hacks?

antgly — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:30:57 -0800

LG Optimus V user here... My phone runs Android and I've rooted it and have gotten rid of some of the bloatware that was on it. Do any of you know any really good root hacks, mods, or other cool things you can do with a rooted Android phone?

Tiny luxuries

theodolite — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:48:19 -0800

What are some cheap (less than $10) but satisfying luxuries? I like nice stuff as much as the next guy, but I am not a wealthy man, so I rarely get the opportunity to buy a steak dinner or nice shoes or a fancy car or Mediterranean cruise tickets. I do, however, like the experience of luxurious things, especially when they're so far within my budget that they don't even make a blip. I've been making a mental list of things that are less than $10 but make me feel like royalty, and I'd like to add to it.

Some examples:

- There's a coffeeshop in Chicago called Julius Meinl where for less than three dollars you get a cup of delicious coffee, cream and sugar, a little glass of water, and a ginger flavored biscuit, all on a snazzy silver tray brought to you by a remarkably attractive man or woman. This may not be much of a revelation to some of you, but I had spent my entire life thinking coffee was something that came in paper cups, or at best, in speckled concave diner mugs, before I found out how classy it could be.

- Nat Sherman cigarettes.* I'm not much of a smoker, so it takes me a few months to get through a pack of these, but these are delicious and come in a little hinged box that feels more like a cigarette case than a regular pack. I don't even really like regular cigarettes. They're a little over the $10 limit, but only in Cook County.

- The lobbies of luxury hotels are generally open to the public, and nobody will hassle you if you look like you know where you're going. Many of the older ones are absolutely incredible. This one is free!

- I got a pencil sharpener from an art supply store for around $3-4 (that is, preposterously expensive for a pencil sharpener, but not a big deal in the scheme of things). It's just a little brass cylinder, but it glides around the pencil like butter and the shavings drop away with nary a shake or flick. It's got a nice heft and coolness and overall just looks and acts like a piece of quality equipment. Using it is a simple joy.

What are some other things like this? Bonus points for non-consumables like the pencil sharpener.

* Note: if you don't smoke, please don't start just because you read this.

Communication Hacks: I know I need to communicate more. It's the remembering to do so that I have a problem with.

Tall Telephone Pea — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:01:14 -0800

I persistently forget to keep my colleagues informed on my work progress. Please help me with your actionable, communication hacks! I would like to improve my communication skills at work. I think I can adequately express my ideas, dialogue with my colleagues and boss, etc. I am well-liked and respected, so how I communicate is not the issue. It's when.

I simply forget to keep people informed, particularly if it's an FYI situation. For example, I recently met with the IT guy about a project. My boss is not directly involved in the execution of this project, but she is responsible for its outcome. Naturally, she wants to keep updated on it, but I forgot to tell her that I even had the meeting, let alone the outcome. I have this issue at all levels—with bosses, colleagues, etc.

My problem is two-fold: 1, I have a hard time judging when to keep someone informed. My boss and colleagues are too busy to be CC:ed on every email I send. 2, I have a hard time remembering to inform people about projects they're indirectly connected to. It just doesn't cross my mind to do so.

So, I really would like communication hacks. I know I need to do it, and advice like "slow down" or "put yourself in your boss's shoes" does not help. What specific things help you communicate at work? For example, pop-up app that, with every email, asks, "Would Mary like to know about this?" Things like that.

I should also note that I have ADHD and am on medication for it.

Childproofing hacks for traveling?

Yoshimi Battles — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:28:21 -0800

Childproofing hacks for traveling? I'll be traveling in Mexico with my 2yo and 5.5yo, staying in a variety of places (rental houses, condos, B&Bs, and hotels). Given my experience with hotels in general, I think I'll need to childproof on the spot without knowing in advance what the trouble spots are and without having access to lots of supplies. Will the traveling parents of MeFi lend me their hacks? Some of my specific concerns based on photos of typical accommodations are:
- First floor rooms with direct egress to a nearby unfenced pool
- Upper story balconies with low/no/wide railings, usually accessed via a sliding door (can I jam a stick in the track of the door?)
- Glass table tops on pedestal bases (kitchen/dining tables, not just occasional tables)
- Adult-height beds on hard tile floors

Here are some things I generally do/bring:
- Roll of wide masking tape to cover outlets and tape off doors overnight
- Rubber bands, twist ties or zip ties to keep cabinets off limits
- Put decorative breakables up high or out of sight
- Pad the floor with pillows, if available, on the 2yo's side of the bed or sleep with him between us.

My boys are normally rambunctious kids and we roll well with the typical bumps and bruises of life, but the 2yo is at the age where he's adept enough to get into trouble quickly, and the 5yo--though generally very responsible--is at the age where he is happy to facilitate his younger brother's adventures. I'd rather minimize the need for a trip to the ER trip in unfamiliar and remote places. Or worse (the pools especially concern me).

I don't want to rack up another cars worth of debt for grad school!

handbanana — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:44:26 -0800

[Grad-school filter] - I am starting a Masters of Public Administration this Summer, special questions inside. First of all, I am excited to be going back to school. I was wondering a couple of things, but let me give a bit of a background. I worked nearly full time in my undergrad and did extremely well after messing up in my early undergrad years. I intend to do this program full time, and am currently employed at a job not related to my field, with hopes of leaving soon.
So now the questions:
1.) Is it possible to work a normal job during grad school? All my courses will be night/weekend.
2.) Did anyone do a graduate assistance program at their university? How was it, was the stipend enough?
3.) I racked up some college debt in undergrad and would like to make this degree as cheap as possible. The idea of not working and living off loans is really unappealing. If you didn't work, how did you do it? Are you employed now where not working was certainly beneficial, and paying back the loans now isn't too trouble some?
4.) Any other advice in comparing the undergrad/grad school feeling would be greatly appreciated. My Undergrad experience was commuting, never lived on campus (thank god, I can't stand the idea of living with a bunch of students), and was employed throughout my undergrad degree.
5.) Any advice at all that isn't covered in this question.

Thank you very much!

Can you recommend home design repurposing/hack resources?

mintchip — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:53:47 -0800

Can you recommend home design repurposing/hack resources or ideas? I'd like to learn more about how to repurpose things in creative ways. For example, sometimes I see something really amazing at a garage sale but I don't buy it because I just can't imagine a good use for it and I don’t want it to end up as clutter.

Are there any books or websites that you are aware of that focus on this topic? I'm seeking ideas similar to ikeahacker.blogspot.com but with less of a focus on making/buidling and more on using things in creative ways. If not online resources, are there any general principles for items that are always going to be useful/reusable for other than their original purpose?