Readers offer their best tips for using iTunes hotkeys when the window is in the background, getting notifications of Twitter mentions without a separate app, and cleaning out messy drawers.
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About the Tips Box: Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox, but for various reasons—maybe they're a bit too niche, maybe we couldn't find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn't fit it in—the tip didn't make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favorites for your buffet-style consumption. Got a tip of your own to share? Add it in the comments, share it here, or email it to tips at lifehacker.com.
Use AutoHotkey to Control Out-of-Focus iTunes with Hotkeys
grewal12 gives an AHK alternative to our featured download today about iTunes hotkeys:
If you use AutoHotkey, this might come in handy when using iTunes when it's hidden behind other windows. Lets you control playback:
^Space::
DetectHiddenWindows, On
ControlSend, ahk_parent, {Space}, iTunes ahk_class iTunes
DetectHiddenWindows, Off
return
^Right::
DetectHiddenWindows, On
ControlSend, ahk_parent, ^{Right}, iTunes ahk_class iTunes
DetectHiddenWindows, Off
return
^Left::
DetectHiddenWindows, On
ControlSend, ahk_parent, ^{Left}, iTunes ahk_class iTunes
DetectHiddenWindows, Off
return
^Up::
DetectHiddenWindows, On
ControlSend, ahk_parent, ^{Up}, iTunes ahk_class iTunes
DetectHiddenWindows, Off
return
^Down::
DetectHiddenWindows, On
ControlSend, ahk_parent, ^{Down}, iTunes ahk_class iTunes
DetectHiddenWindows, Off
return
exit
Use Twitter Search to Get an RSS Feed of Mentions
mattdawg8 shows webapp fans a way to get notifications of Twitter mentions:
You can get any mentions of you on Twitter in your favorite RSS reader. You just have to search twitter (search.twitter.com) for your username with the @ symbol in front (e.g., search for @Lifehacker), and it gives you the option. Then, if anyone mentions you in a tweet, you get it via RSS. It even includes posts they delete, which is handy for detecting snarky people.
Clean Overflowing Drawers by Returning Items When They're Used
Matthew explains how he keeps his drawers clean:
The last time I had difficulty with finding something in the kitchen gadget "junk" drawer, I decided to try a new method of cleaning it out. I grabbed a cardboard box and poured the contents of the drawer into it. As I needed to use things, I would take them from the box and then return them to the drawer (after washing them, of course). This helps sort of what is and isn't used. I figure after about a month of doing this, what's left in the box can either get stored elsewhere or donated.
Check Hotel Garbage Cans for Plastic Bags
Photo by MoToMo.
W24x192 helps us find useful household items while on vacation:
Sometimes I need a plastic bag when I'm at a hotel or in a public restroom (for dirty clothes, wet jacket, whatever) but I don't have one handy. Most of the time, I've been able to find a clean bag by looking under the in-use bag in a trash can. Lots of janitors will leave some extra bags at the bottom of the can to speed up the change-out. Use your own judgment when deciding if it is worth it to manipulate a garbage bag in a public place.
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A virtually unknown company called RTC23 claims that—with Marvel Entertainment's blessings—they've created "the ultimate comic fan's TV," complete with character-themed splash screens and clever little cosmetic touches. We could barely believe it, but Marvel confirmed that they approved.
The 
