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Many Kindle reviews noted the sluggish performance of the Silk browser, but you can quickly increase the speed by changing a few settings. In addition to turning off Flash and changing the browser from desktop to mobile view, turning of Silk's touted acceleration feature will all make Silk faster. More »

Many popular new year resolutions such as "lose 25 lbs" or "run a marathon" are actually goals, not resolutions. If there is a specific achievement it's a goal, but permanent changes to your life are resolutions since you keep doing them every day and not just until a specific achievement is reached. More »

iOS: If you're a Twitter fan looking for a way to keep up with your tweets while driving or exercising, Tweet Speaker will read your tweets out loud. You can hear your regular timeline, mentions, or any of your lists; hit play and you'll hear your tweets. More »

Lots of people are looking for "beater" cars these days. These cars may not have a smooth ride or many features, but they do have the lowest per-mile cost of ownership and they're great for students, debt assassins, and those who need a car but don't want to pay for a newer one. BeaterReview gives the lowdown on 40+ of these cars, from the 3-valve 93-2000 Geo Metro to the 76-86 Mercedes W123 series. More »

Several years ago we covered the minimum number of coins you'd need to produce exact change for any occasion (10 coins), but we didn't have any great suggestions of how to carry them, but thanks to Instructables, you can cut a credit-card sized piece of cardboard to hold all ten coins in just a few minutes. More »

We've shared a number of tips on how to make lasting resolutions during the new year, but if you're at a loss for good resolutions this year, here are some good ones that are surprisingly easy to keep. More »

When your clothes for the day are wrinkled you must normally take out an ironing board, plug in your iron, and spend a few minutes pressing out the wrinkles. Household weblog Re-Nest suggests instead that you lightly mist the clothing with water from a spray bottle. A few minutes later the wrinkles will disappear as the garment dries. More »

As we all prepare for a big year ahead, we spent the month looking back at the best of the best from Lifehacker from 2011. Here's a last look back at the best of 2011 in case you missed anything along the way. More »

2011 saw Firefox race ahead with a new version with lots of improvements—speed being chief among them—and lots more features and add-ons to fully customize your web browsing. here are our most popular Firefox extensions and posts from the past year. More »

It's the end of the year, and many of you will head off to or host your own New Year's parties and get-togethers in just a few short hours. Many of you will find yourself standing in front of a fully-stocked bar and no clue what to make with what you have. Thankfully, your smartphone can help. This week we want to know which apps you fire up on your smartphone to help you mix a tasty drink to celebrate. More »

iOS still doesn't have quick access to apps like certain Android launchers, but GigaOm notes that you can use the Notification center to quickly access certain apps. Here's how. More »

See the realities of comercial air travel baggage handleing first hand, download a leaked version of Facebook Messanger for Windows, and listen to the most streamed songs of 2011 on Spotify. More »

We've talked about a lot of cordless workspace solutions here at Lifehacker, but if all you need is a bit of organization around your surge protector, the Plug Hub lets you shorten and organize your cables for clean, easy access. More »

New Year's Eve might be the best party night of the year, but it can also be the most stressful, from losing your phone to the far more perilous drive home. Here are a few things you can do now to stay safe and sane this New Year's. 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 »

Typical planners and diaries force you into a confined grid when planning your day and taking notes. Scription Chronodex breaks that confinement by providing a freeform area to use text, drawings, or whatever to keep track of your days and get things done. 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: Who Is That Woman? More »

Do you always end up with crumbs or meat juices all over your counter when you use your cutting board? If so, try this clever hack: Make channels in the wood using a router table or other woodworking tools. More »

iOS 5 can be jailbroken untethered on all non-A5-based devices. iOS 4.3.3 can be jailbroken easily via a web site but iOS 4.3.4 can't. Confused yet? The state of jailbreaking is a little messy at the moment and it's hard to understand which devices and versions of iOS are eligible. This helpful chart can clear up the confusion. 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 »