All-things-IKEA weblog IKEA Hacker details how to make an attractive headphone stand for your desk—complete with cable-wrapping posts for cord management—using roughly $15 worth of returned parts from IKEA. The outcome, which you can check out at IKEA Hacker or in the many larger pics at the original forum post, is really impressive. The headphone stand seems like a perfect addition to any desk, particularly if you do any sort of editing or you just like zoning out with headphones when you're working.

iPhone only: Inventive iPhone app Direct Line navigates automated phone systems to get you directly to an operator without having to sift through menu options yourself. To use it, just launch the app, tell it who you want to call (it supports hundreds of searchable companies), and let it take care of the rest. You can simply turn on your speakerphone and let Direct Line do its work. When the operator answers, you're ready to go. A lot of the time it appears to just stick with the old hit-zero-until-it-goes-to-a-human trick, but in most of my tests it worked really well. Aside from the convenience of going straight to the operator, it's also just a nice repository of phone numbers for your utilities. The biggest downside: Direct Line will set you back $.99 from the App Store—so it's not free, but it is definitely cool. Don't have an iPhone but still want to get to an operator with minimal effort? Try previously mentioned Dial a Human.

Filed under: Gaming

You know how it goes with Sony and PS3-related peripherals. A big introduction, followed by a slight delay, followed by a longer delay, followed by a little something to take the sting off. Here we have word from Noam Rimon, senior development manager at SCEA R&D, that the news-blasting (and uncomfortably named) Life with PlayStation will once again be delayed. According to Noam, Sony is "still pushing some paperwork" on the service, though he gave no expected time frame for the actual launch. Nevertheless, he softened the blow by announcing once and for all that it will indeed be free (and accessible directly from the XMB) whenever it finally goes live. Gotta take the good with the bad, we guess.

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Editor's Note: Welcome my San Diego-based pal Kelly Abbott, founder of Dandelife and all-around good guy. His new weekend post series, Ungeek to Live, will highlight the ways you can get things done without always involving a computer or gadget.
Not all things analog can go digital, and let's face it, most things worth a hill of beans in this world are analog through and through. Life is all about people, places and things. The best life hacks should be as much about getting the most from what we can smell, touch, and taste as the things we see and hear. Today, I kick off a guest-column "Ungeek to Live" as the new kid on the block here at Lifehacker. In that vein I've got a few pointers on making the most out of one's new surroundings. Whether it's a move to a new city for a new job, a sacrifice for an old squeeze, or retirement for better surf, what we need are strategies for getting snug and staying long in our new digs. Photo by Old Yankee.

Buy Local

When you move to a new place, you need to tend to the usual matters. Move in. Check. Get a driver's license. Check. Register to vote. Check. Now what? There are a couple of things you want to do that make all the difference when establishing yourself in a new city.

First, get a local phone number. There's a tendency to ignore the importance of appearing to be from the city you're now living in. That's a bad move. I can understand the reluctance to spend money on a home land line just for the sake of appearances. Also who wants to change numbers? It's a hassle. But you don't need to do that anymore. Get a Grandcentral number. Point it to your mobile. Now everyone you meet doesn't think you're here today and gone back home tomorrow.

Photo by doviende
Second: subscribe to your local newspaper. I'm not kidding. Forget the web. Get the print edition. Fine, Sunday's only. If you have any intention of being a part of the fabric of your new locale, this is indispensable. It's amazing how in-tune your the daily rag really is. Bonus: for house guests it's a quaint sign that you're up early with coffee on the weekends and thus beyond suspicion.

Get a Map

You know, the kind that folds. Tape it to the wall next to your door. Every time you leave for the day, you'll have a look at it. Over time places will be remembered. And in idle moments serves as a reminder that there's a whole city waiting for you.

Buy Lunch

Photo by moriza
Everyone needs to eat. Please, please, please don't eat at your desk. One of the most difficult things to do when you get to town is not just meet people but meet the right people. For example, you've done your research on LinkedIn and you know who you need to add to your professional network. Great. You've contacted them directly, but you have nothing to offer because you're the new kid in town. What do you do? Buy lunch. Do this once a week and soon people will be taking you to lunch.

Play Hard

Photo by marvinkuo
Because you'll be gaining weight from all those lunches, you'll need to have good places to be social AND work out at the same time. The gym is not such a place. First of all, it stinks. Second, working out is not usually a team effort. In the gym, your iPod is your best friend and force field against unsolicited come-ons. If your aim is to be social, join a softball league. Play soccer. Kickball, dodgeball, frisbee golf. Join a team. Form a team and get new people to join. The point being, the people you see week after week will soon become your crew for BBQ's and beer. Here are two resources.

Sportsvite - Covers the major markets but as yet not as comprehensive as it could be.

FanFinder - Find fellow sports fans who live where you do and come from where you do. Go to a local sports bar and catch the game together.

Jesus and Wine

I love Meetup.com's tagline: "Use the Internet to get off the Internet!"

Meetup has all kinds of wonderful categories for finding meaningful connections with others. Be it beer or wine; darts, dirt or dreams; Mormons, Wiccans or atheists; or whether you're a Republican, Democrat, independent or Libertarian, there's little more than booze, religion and politics that can help you feel right at home again.

If you're looking for more traditional fare, try these directories for churches, temples and mosques.

Mosques

• Mosque Directory (iPhone-ready Mosque search
• iPhone-ready Halal food search

Churches

• Church-Finder at Beliefnet
• MyChurch.org

Temples, Synagogues and Chabad Centers

• Synagogues
• Chabad Centers

Coffee, Tea, Me

I love working out of the house. It's good on many levels. It gets your creative juices flowing. It also satisfies the desire we have to just be around people. If you work in public enough you will inevitably catch someone's eye. Vice versa. Coffee shops are great for lingering. If you want a tighter group, find a co-working space locally and get a desk.

Get Involved

Nothing will get you deeper in a community than volunteering. My best business contacts and most loyal friends are those whom I've met on the soccer field but who've thought enough of me to respond to my calls asking for donations. By being a dedicated volunteer in a local non-profit, you're doing the right thing all around. In addition to helping your new community directly, you're also giving yourself a shot in the arm with good cheer. Being the new kid in town can be tough and you'll need all the karma you can corral.

Try these sites for finding the right charity to dedicate yourself to:

• Charity Navigator - Animals, Arts, Culture, Humanities, Education, Environment, Human Services, Public Benefit
• Network For Good if you want to donate OR volunteer - Volunteer Match - (a service of Network for Good)

Tip: don't just volunteer. Ask to join the board or be the head of a committee. Ask to help with IT or their web site. Charities have regular everyday needs, but they have other needs that you might be a better fit for if you dig deeper.

Alternatively: How to Disappear Completely

How did you make the most of your new surroundings last time you moved? Tell us in the comments.

Believe it or not, this beautiful Gorenje fridge is an official Apple-licensed Made for iPod refrigerator. And believe it or not, it's not just a speaker and a dock glued to a glossy black fridge: You can actually control the fridge itself using your iPod touch or iPhone using an application called iGorenje. The coolness doesn't stop there, because iGorenje can control all kinds of Gorenje appliances—from the washing machine to the oven—as you can see in the user interface gallery.

galleryPost('igorenje', 12, '');

The application is not built for iPhone/iPod touch, however, but it is served from a home server that controls the appliances directly. This allows not only to use the iPod touch, but also any other web device in your home Wi-Fi network. The program allows you to program the devices using a very easy to use graphical user interface.

For example, you can set your oven to cook a type of cake by just visually selecting a recipe and clicking start. In fact, you can even get recipes straight from the server itself. The only bad thing: the iPod dock thingie is taking the place of the built-in draught beer system, which in my book is quite -20 points. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]

The whole reason why you spend time streamlining, automating, and speeding up your workflow isn't to work more—it's to make time for important things computers can't do, like thinking. Professor David Levy argues, however, that our fast-paced world doesn't allow for time to think deeply, the time when we come up with our best ideas and most important insights. Levy's talk at Google last year is a cannot-miss for any lifehacker; at almost an hour in length, load it up on your media center in the living room or on your iPod for the gym.

A fluid leak forced Deepak's Southwest flight from Oakland to Seattle back to the airport. Southwest shifted passengers to a waiting plane, and everyone made it to Seattle about two hours late. Within a week, Southwest sent passengers an extraordinarily honest and informative letter detailing exactly what went wrong, and by way of apology, tossed in a $175 voucher.

Deepak writes:

With all the bad press airlines have been receiving of late, here's a positive story for you. My wife & I were on a flight back to Seattle from Oakland a few weeks ago (Aug 10th). Almost immediately after take off, the pilot came on the intercom and said that a pressure sensor had gone off, and we had to go back to Oakland. After a collective groan from everybody on board, we turned back around and landed. They kept us on the plane for a short amount of time while the mechanic examined the issue. He apparently determined it wasn't fixable in short order, so they deplaned us, and put us on another plane. All in all, the delay was maybe 2 hours tops, and everybody at Southwest was very nice, as were all of the passengers.

So we arrive in Seattle a couple of hours later than expected, no big deal for us at all, given it was a Sunday afternoon, and we weren't in a rush to get anyplace but home. A week or so later, we each received the following letter from Melissa Chalupa, Assistant Manager, Proactive Customer Service Communications. Sorry I don't have a scanner, so I'm transcribing it instead. Included with this letter was a $175 voucher for Southwest!

I'm already a pretty loyal Southwest customer, but this was an unexpected (to me at least) gesture!

Southwest's letter:

I'm sorry for the unexpected circumstances surrounding the disruption of your Aug 10 flight from Oakland. In addition to my apologies, I'd like to provide you with some information about what happened that afternoon.

Shortly after takeoff, the Pilots received a low pressure indication for one of the two independent hydraulic systems (A&B) on the aircraft. In response to this situation the Captain returned to have the aircraft inspected. In this case, the problem was with the A hydraulic System - there was a fluid leak. After speaking with our Maintenance Department, I learned that the supply line which helps operate one of the movable panels on the aircraft's wing surface was leaking hydraulic fluid, and as such, the corresponding line was then replaced to fix the problem.

Thank you for your patience while alternate flight arrangements were made to continue your trip. With the hope that you will grant us the opportunity to prove there are better experiences to have with us, I'm sending a LUV Voucher to each person who was onboard your flight that we invite you to apply toward future Southwest reservations. We truly appreciate your valued patronage, and we look forward to welcoming you back again real soon.

Kind Regards
Melissa Chalupa

Enclose : One Southwest LUV Voucher.

Compare Southwest's response to U.S. Airways'. The situations are obviously different, but Southwest is practically eager to throw around vouchers to keep customers happy. As we've seen, happy customers mean profitable companies. The difference is just one of the reasons U.S. Airways' profit plummeted by almost 20% last quarter, while Southwest's soared 11%.

PREVIOUSLY: Above And Beyond: Southwest Melts Customer's Heart After Deicing Snafu
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(Photo: dooleymtv)

Weblog mental_floss rounds up 10 short and sweet words for getting rid of your tough-to-unload but point-heavy letters at your rousing weekend game of Scrabble. We're talking words like Aa, Qat, Zax, Cwm, Xu, and five others that are short enough to fit anywhere and will hold up to a dictionary inquest. Got your own favorites? Expand our vocabulary in the comments. Photo by allyrose18.

The Farhat family cut up all their credit cards except for one (which they put on ice), and found that living plastic-free saved them 24%—because they just didn't buy the things they didn't have money to afford at the moment. They cut down on time spent shopping, too. Marissa Farhat said, "I don't have enough money in my purse to go buy this new dress or this new shirt that I want, so you don't even step foot in the store." Thanks, eeefresh!

Once upon a time I wanted to be a fighter pilot, which is probably why I write so much about the biggest and baddest machines ever. My feeling then and now is that there's nothing that can match the thrill of flying one of the fastest, most expensive gadgets in the world almost at ground level through a desert canyon. Exactly like this french Mirage pilot does in this awesome video, which has Johnny Cash singing I've Been Everywhere as a extra.