Wooden Laser Cut IPad 2 Stand

Created using a C02 lasering machine.-laser machine + required software
-1 12x24 1/8 thick piece of wood
-CAD software (ex. Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD)
-sand paper
-wood glue
-clamps
-finish

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Better Rename Quickly Organizes Your File Names, Costs a Bit Too Much

OS X: We love a great productivity app that saves you time, but some software contends with our frugality. We like Better Rename because it makes quick work of renaming files with tons of powerful customization options. That said, it costs a little too much.

When I needed to rename files, I threw them in Automator and set up an action that took care of business. Sometimes I had to run it a few times to get everything right and generally something caused a little aggravation. After putting up with a more DIY method I didn't like, I decided to suck it up and pay $20 for Better Rename in hopes of making my batch file renaming a bit easier. Obviously this is an app you use for a pretty specific purpose, which makes the higher price tag a bit tougher to swallow and completely ridiculous to those who don't actually have a reason to use it. But if you have to batch rename photos, a series of text files, MP3s, or whatever, it becomes incredibly useful.

Better Rename uses a drag and drop interface. You throw a few files into a window and then get started with a ton of renaming options. Aside from just manipulating existing text, you can also replace or append text to file names based on data inside the file itself. For example, if you have a photo with EXIF data that included a location, you could append the location to the filename automatically. If you had a bunch of generically named MP3 with ID3 tags you could use those ID3 tags to provide proper names to the files themselves. If you worry about making any changes and screwing up your file names, Better Rename provides a preview of what you're about to do—and warns you before you do it—so you don't cause yourself any grief.

Regardless of how useful you may find Better Rename, you may not want to cough up $20. If that's the case, keep an eye out for bundles. Better Rename ends up in quite a few of them, including the Productive Macs Bundle happening right now. For $30, you get Better Rename plus eight other apps. Also, keep an eye out for price drops on sites like App Shopper so you can just grab Better Rename for a more attractive price.

Better Rename 9

Money Bags is our semi-regular roundup of really great applications that cost a little more than we'd prefer.

Related Even if you're not a programmer, you can easily create tiny, time-saving applications that breeze through repetitive tasks—renaming large groups … Read…

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How To Pack For A Summer Vacation With Just One Carry-On Bag

I'll soon be driving cross-country in an Audi R8 convertible which, while glamorous, has a tiny trunk up front (a frunk). This presents a challenge a lot of people have: How to fit a vacation's worth of necessities in one bag? Here's how I do it.

Everyone's definition of "necessities" is somewhat different. If you're Bear Grylls you just need a knife, some water, and a jar to collect your own urine. I am not Bear Grylls, but I've managed to refine down what I need for more than a week to just one soft carry-on bag.

I've annotated on this image all the stuff I need and have explained why. I can't even fit a backpack, so this isn't "one carry-on item plus a personal item" as most airlines will let you bring. This is just one bag for everything.

As you can see below, it all fits (and I forgot to take a pic of my extra pair of shoes, which are in the bag). A lot of the stuff I buy is Eagle Creek because it tends to hold up extremely well, but there are plenty of other companies that make soft cubes.

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Soft containers are great because you can squeeze them into almost any overhead compartment, even on small planes.

Any questions? How do you pack?

Related As I mentioned yesterday, I've been Editor-in-Chief for a year. In light of that, I'm taking a week off to drive an Audi R8 Spyder from Los … Read…

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How to Convert a Kid's T-Shirt into a Backpack

I made this cute little backpack out of a boys long-sleeved shirt that was being thrown out by another mother nearby.  I was offered a lot of her clothes when her son had grown out of them.  Somehow, I didn't imagine my son wearing this as a shirt, but I envisioned it being a much cuter little backpack.
I should have taken a before picture, but didn't think about taking pictures of the process until I had already started cutting.  In any case, it should be relatively clear.

What you will need:
-Long-sleeved t-shirt
-Thread 
-Scissors
-Sewing Machine.  (Although, I guess you could hand sew it, but it would be a bit tedious.)
-Safety pin or paper clip
-pencil or bamboo skewer

Like I said, I didn't think to get a picture until I had already made these cuts, but I made a drawing to show exactly where I cut.  
The red lines on the drawing are my cut lines, and the yellow pieces are the ones that I saved for making the backpack.  
You can see that I cut the sleeves into strips.  They will be used for making the straps.  

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This Week's Most Popular Posts: May 31st to June 7th

This week we made more time for the important stuff, taught ourselves to code in eight weeks, reviewed the biggest job interview mistakes, and picked out the best mechanical keyboard. Here's a look back.

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We've all had days where we feel a little rushed and can't be bothered with things like breakfast, a workout, or that grocery shopping you've been putting off. Make all those chores easier with these time-saving tips.

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To a lot of non-developers, learning to code seems like an impossibly daunting task. However, thanks to a number of great resources that have recently been put online for free— teaching yourself to code has never been easier. I started learning to code earlier this year and can say from experience that learning enough to build your own prototype is not as hard as it seems. In fact, if you want to have a functioning prototype within two months without taking a day off work, it’s completely doable.

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They meet more people in an afternoon than most of us do in a year. But what faux pas do human resources pros see again and again during the interview process? We picked the brains of two high-profile executives to find out what you definitely should and shouldn't say, as well as what they secretly think of your résumé.

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Mechanical keyboards, or keyboards with full, individual switches under every key, have exploded in popularity recently, although the technology inside is as old as the keyboard itself. There's really no substitute for that solid, clicking sensation under your fingers as you type, and the satisfying sound each key makes when you press it. However, choosing the best mechanical keyboard can be tricky, since there are dozens of models, different switch types, and more popping up every day. Here's how to tell them all apart and pick the right one for you.

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The best headphones for sitting at your computer or in your home listening to music may not be the best headphones to put in your ears while you're jogging around town. Activity will make them fall out and noise isolation or closed ear models will make it hard to hear your surroundings, but you still want good audio quality for your money. We asked you for the best headphones for those workout sessions at the gym, and here are the five best, based on your nominations.

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Whether or not your child grows up to be the next Zuckerberg, programming is a highly useful skill for him or her to learn. It teaches vital problem-solving, creativity, and communication skills. Plus, it can be downright fun for you both. Here are some of the best tried-and-true apps for teaching kids of all ages how to code.

Summer's around the corner, and the bugs are out in force. If you have an ant problem on your hands, cornmeal is a safe, surprisingly-effective way to get rid of them.

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Inventor Nikola Tesla has certainly become one of the internet's darlings over the years. Part of the reason for that is because he managed to do a lot with his life. With that in mind, let's take a look at what was behind the brain that helped make Tesla so productive.

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Feeling the summer heat yet? With wedding season and Father's Day coming up, June is a great month for deals. Here are the best things to buy this month.

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As the parent of a preschooler, I often notice myself feeling frustrated and asking myself, “Why won’t she cooperate?!” If you have a young child at home, I know you understand. There are times when I’m tired or hungry or in a rush and I just want my daughter to do exactly as I say instantly without questioning, avoiding, or delaying.

Should you ever come across someone's lost driver's license, how would you go about getting it back to them? The answer is simpler than you might think.

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Perhaps you hate typing passwords but want to keep your phone and computer secure. Thanks to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, you can adapt your mobile devices to automatically unlock your computer, themselves, and even your front door by using a couple of apps and defining a few rules.

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Dear Lifehacker,
My boyfriend is going to be moving in to my apartment soon. I've been living the single life for many years and I don't have much experience sharing bank accounts, living space, or things like that. What should we do to make living together easier?

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Eater Guides You to the Best Places in Your Town to Eat or Drink

Android (4.0+)/iOS (5.0+): Food and restaurant review blog Eater just unveiled a mobile app that helps you find the hottest spots in your town for dinner or drinks. The app features a top-down map view of your location, and pinpoints for Eater-suggested and reviewed restaurants and bars near you.

The app uses your phone's GPS to figure out where you are, and then shows you all of the restaurants and nightspots that Eater has reviewed nearby. Tap any one of them to see photos, read a snippet of the review (along with a link to read more), and quick buttons to call the restaurant or get turn-by-turn directions there. The app is fast, and while it's ad-supported, it's totally free.

Our friends at Eater sent the app over to us, and it's a great tool to find an excellent place to eat, without the clutter and overwhelming options you'll naturally get with an app like Yelp or FourSquare, which aims to give you all of the nearby options. The downside of course is that you'll only find results in the two-dozen cities where Eater has on-the-street reviewers and reporters. If you live in or near one however, the app is worth a look. Grab it at the links below.

Eater (Free) | Google Play

Eater (Free) | iTunes App Store via Eater

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