This week on the Ask Lifehacker podcast, we're learning how music affects your ability to work, getting great deals on mobile apps, and protecting your passwords on public Wi-Fi networks. Also, Facebook blows a billion dollars on Instagram, terms of service contracts are no longer the ironclad documents companies wanted them to be, and a whole lot more.

Sorry the episode is late this week. We had some issues getting it live yesterday, but here it is! We should be back on track for Mondays next week.

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News and Discussion

This week we're talking about Facebook's acquisition of Instagram, Google+'s new layout, a few legal issues, and the return of Ze Frank.

01:01 Facebook Buys Instagram
Last week, Facebook acquired Instagram for $8 billion. If you're not familiar with Instagram, it's a social photography app that lets you take pictures with your iOS or Android device, apply vintage filters and frames, and share them online with just a few taps. It's the most popular app of its kind, but many people are upset about this acquisition because they're concerned that Facebook will ruin Instagram. While none of us are really worried, if you want to make the switch we've compiled some alternatives for iOS and Android.

05:37 Google+ New Look
Google+ updated with a new look, making it appear much like Facebook's timeline but with a lot more whitespace. Don't like the whitespace? Use the Whitespace Remover extension for both Chrome and Firefox.

08:21 Breaking Terms of Service
You know how you always read every terms of service contract in its entirety? Even the updates? Well, you're the only one. Everyone else pretty much skims them or ignores them entirely. For those of us who don't take the time to page through the enormous documents, there's good news! Breaking a terms of service contract is no longer a crime.

11:15 WTF Is CISPA?
Remember SOPA, the bill that wanted to censor the internet? Nobody liked it, but now we have CISPA and it's being backed by big companies like Microsoft and Facebook. It's not nearly as bad as SOPA, but it's still something to keep an eye on. Thorin runs down why companies are supporting it, if you'd like to learn more.

14:23 Ze Frank Is Back
Poignant and funny internet superstar Ze Frank is back with a new show. He was best known for his daily show called The Show with Ze Frank that frequently featured tips and thoughts with a Lifehacker-y angle. As a result we're happy he's back with A Show with Ze Frank. The first few episodes are up if you want to check them out.

Questions and Answers

Each week we answer five questions from readers and listeners. Here's what we tackled this week.

15:52 Should I get the latest and greatest computer or buy something cheaper?
Although Pash, Whitson, and I all have powerful self-built desktop computers, we also chose the MacBook Air as our laptop because it is fast enough. Whitson has his desktop for gaming purposes, I have mine for video editing/encoding, and Pash doesn't really use his anymore. For writing and browsing, the MacBook Air is more than sufficient. This is all to say that if you don't have a reason to get a powerful computer, you're better off saving money or going for something more compact. All computers are fast nowadays. Most people can do what they want to do on an iPad. Unless you know why you need a faster machine, don't spend extra money for speed. Either put that money towards things that'll matter more—like an SSD or more RAM—or keep that money in your pocket.

19:49 Is it safe to connect to unsecured public Wi-Fi?
No. There's a greater chance that you won't run into trouble, but that doesn't mean it won't suck if you do. Protecting yourself on public Wi-Fi is actually pretty simple. For the most part, you just have to use HTTPS when transferring sensitive information through the web browser (HTTPS Everywhere is a browser extension for Firefox and Chrome that makes this much easier) and make sure you're not providing unsecured network access to your computer. For added safety, set up Hamachi for secure browsing when you're on public networks.

23:49 What can I do about the tiny amount of internal storage (150MB) on my Android device?
Some Android phones just don't have a lot of internal storage and rely on the microSD card to do all the work. BUT, if you want to find out what's taking up space on your device you can just jump into your settings and go to the storage section. (The exact location of your storage info will depend on the version of Android you're using and, potentially, how your device's manufacturer has altered it.) If you find that your internal storage is filled with stuff you don't want or could put on your microSD card instead, you can always move it with pretty much any Android file browser app—including the one that likely came with your device.

26:31 How can I automatically convert videos I download with BitTorrent using Dropfolders and Handbrake?
If you're not familiar, Handbrake is a video conversion tool that takes virtually any input video and spits out an H.264 MP4 file. Dropfolders is a Windows application that watches for video files and automatically adds them to Handbrake to be converted. The person asking this question wants to automatically move videos downloaded by BitTorrent into a drop folder as soon as they complete so they'll be automatically converted to MP4 format by Handbrake. This can be done easily with an application called Belvedere. Mac users can do the same thing with Hazel.

29:06 Should I listen to music when studying/working and, if so, what music?
This often comes down to opinion and what works best for you. Most of us listen to music when working, and the type of music differs. Pash has a variety of tunes, Whitson listens to heavy metal and dubstep (which seems entirely counterintuitive but it works for him), and Thorin and I usually go for instrumental music/soundtracks during work because there are no lyrics, although that's only if I do listen to music in the first place. I tend to start dissecting the arrangements so I prefer silence. Basically, none of us are there same so you have to choose what works best for you.

But as for the science behind work/studying and music, it doesn't really help. There isn't any particular music that's going to actually help you concentrate or think better, but if certain songs get you excited and motivated you should definitely use those to get you started. That said, music can help you concentrate if you're in a noisy environment because it's blocking out the more distracting noise. So if you're working or studying in a coffee shop, for example, you'll want to bring a pair of headphones along. Overall, the best option is to use a white/brown/pink/etc. noise generator like the free one at SimplyNoise. That'll block out distractions best of all.

Downloads of the Week

Each week we talk about our favorite downloads. Here are our picks for this week.

WinPlusX (Windows)
If you're a Windows tweak addict, you probably use tools like the Registry, Computer Management, Disk Management, and Power Options often-apps that are extremely useful, but don't always have obvious or quick shortcuts in the Start Menu. WinPlusX puts them one keyboard shortcut away.

More info on WinPlusX

Flashback Tool
The Flashback Trojan infected a whole bunch of Mac users over the past few weeks. If you want to detect if you have it and remove it without much trouble, Flashback Tool will do the trick. Once you're free of Flashback (if you aren't already), be sure to install Apple's official Java update to patch the vulnerability.

More info on Flashback Tool

Morning Routine (Android)
People clearly have trouble getting up in the morning despite their alarm clock, which is why Morning Routine and other apps exist to make it difficult to actually turn off the alarm. Some require you to shake your device and others will shred money, but Morning Routine forces you to scan a barcode or two (on items in your pantry or refrigerator, for example). This requires you to concentrate enough to keep the camera steady and forces you to get out of bed—unless, of course, you start keeping cereal boxes on your nightstand.

More info on Morning Routine

Getting Great Deals on Apps
Apps are great, but they can get expensive if you keep buying every one that interests you. Last week Thorin looked at how you can watch for great deals so you're never paying full price for your apps. It probably won't save you a ton of money if you're looking to get a discount on cheap apps, but you can save a lot on pricey apps by knowing when to look for sales.

Using Your iPad as a Creative Tool
Last week, Thorin wrote a post on how the iPad can be used as a creative tool. He spoke with creative professionals, such as Jim Guthrie (who composed the music for the great game Sword and Sworcery EP) who've added it to their workflow. If you've wanted to make your iPad more of a content creation tool and less of a consumption device, definitely check out this post.

How Do I Submit a Question?

There are three ways to send in your question:

• Record a video, upload it somewhere, and send a link to tips+asklhshow@lifehacker.com
• Call (347) 687-8109 and record a question. Calls are awesome! We like them!
• Email your question to tips+asklhshow@lifehacker.com.

Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!

This podcast was edited by Mike Vannelli.

Newspaper, Computer, and Clock (by Brandon Hopkins) provided by the Noun Project.

We've all signed countless Terms of Service agreements without reading them closely and most people don't bother to make a note of what they're agreeing to. A decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals suggests breaking those terms isn't a crime you can be prosecuted for.

In the case of US v Nosal, the court ruled that breaking a user agreement doesn't automatically mean you're committing a hacking crime. The case was based on a simple question:

Many employers have adopted policies prohibiting the use of work computers for nonbusiness purposes. Does an employee who violates such a policy commit a federal crime? How about someone who violates the terms of service of a social networking website?

We all know that Terms of Service are often difficult to really interpret, but the 9th Circuit points out another major problem, they change constantly:

Not only are the terms of service vague and generally unknown-unless you look real hard at the small print at the bottom of a webpage-but website owners retain the right to change the terms at any time and without notice. See, e.g., YouTube Terms of Service § 1.B, http://www.youtube.com/t/terms ("YouTube may, in its sole discretion, modify or revise these Terms of Service and policies at any time, and you agree to be bound by such modifications or revisions.") (last UNITED STATES v. NOSAL 3869isited Mar. 4, 2012). Accordingly, behavior that wasn't criminal yesterday can become criminal today without an act of Congress, and without any notice whatsoever.

With all that in mind, the 9th Circuit answered the question of whether breaking a Terms of Service can really be considered a crime:

Basing criminal liability on violations of private computer use polices can transform whole categories of otherwise innocuous behavior into federal crimes simply because a computer is involved. Employees who call family members from their work phones will become criminals if they send an email instead. Employees can sneak in the sports section of the New York Times to read at work, but they'd better not visit ESPN.com. And sudoku enthusiasts should stick to the printed puzzles, because visiting www.dailysudoku.com from their work computers might give them more than enough time to hone their sudoku skills behind bars.

It's good to know that your exploits on social networks won't land in jail, but that doesn't mean it's okay to skip over a Terms of Service completely. The 9th Circuit ruling is only binding in areas the 9th Circuit covers and you may still be liable in other courts. We've shown you what to look for before, and in a lot of cases it's primarily about how a service can use your private information, not what you do with the service. A violation of a Terms of Service can still land you in a civil suit because you're breaking an agreement between yourself and a company, so reading the agreement is still a good idea.

20 Kitchen Secrets For Those That Love 'Em | US Courts via Gizmodo and The Next Web

Photo by Sam Howzit.

Lawyers often get a bad rap, but if you're ever in a legal jam, there's no question a good lawyer is the most useful person to have around. LegalAdvice.com provides free answers to your vexing legal questions.

Post a question to one of LegalAdvice's registered lawyers using the online form, such as this one:

I have a copyright for my website and have found that an LLC used my information directly from my website and posted it as their own. They even copied my name in one place where it should have been edited as their own name. Can I sue them for infringement?

And you'll get replies posted such as this:

Yes. Good evidence of infringement.

and:

Certain materials are copyrightable while other materials are not. An idea is not copyrightable but the expression of an idea is. In order to answer your question one would need more specifics as to the nature of the infringement. The fact that they apparently have incorporated your name into the work product is definitely good evidence that you have a claim. I would advise either more facts here or that you obtain an attorney.

Hey, it's free legal advice. Other kinds of questions and answers deal with DWIs, shoplifting, child support, and so on.

You can search past questions and answers and locate a lawyer near you if you need more assistance.

LegalAdvice differs from other free legal Q&A forums because the profiles of the lawyers answering are much more upfront (with email addresses, pictures, and phone numbers), so there's more incentive for the lawyers to give more thorough answers.

LegalAdvice.com | via Red Ferret

You probably have a slew of gift cards from the holidays, but chances are many will go unredeemed, lost, or somehow unused. To make sure you know your rights in the event of a problem, just print out this foldable card and keep it in your wallet, too.

You can download a printable PDF card here and cut out the card for your wallet, but read on for the tips you'll find on the cards. We were able to create this card thanks to the help of Joshua H. Camson, Esq., who graciously provided the information.

Before we get started, know that these rules only apply to retail and merchant cards. Retail gift cards are the ones you buy at a specific store or restaurant and can only be used at that one location (or locations, in the event of a chain store/restaurant or mall gift card). Merchant cards are branded, prepaid debit cards that can be used anywhere that type of card (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, American Express) is accepted. Now that you know, here are your rights:

• Cards cannot have expiration dates of less than five years from The date the card was initially issued or the date on which funds were last loaded on a reloadable card (whichever date is later). If a card does expire in less than five years, the remaining value can be transferred to a new card at no cost or fee.
• No dormancy, inactivity, or service fees can be charged unless there has been one year of inactivity on the gift card; and the consumer is given clear and conspicuous disclosure about the fees. No more than one fee is charged per month
• The card must have a clear and conspicuous notice of either a website or telephone number to obtain a replacement for an expired, lost, or stolen card.
• A fee cannot be charged to replace an expired gift card, but a merchant can charge a fee to replace a lost or stolen card

These rules do not apply to:

• Reloadable prepaid cards that are not marketed or labeled as a gift card or gift certificate.
• Prepaid cards received through a loyalty, award, or promotional program.
• Any gift certificate or card issued in paper form only.
• Cards or certificates useable solely for telephone services.
• Any card redeemable solely for admission to events or venues or for goods/services in conjunction with admission to an event or venue (e.g., present this certificate for a free hot dog at the next Steelers game at Heinz Field).

Those are your rights. Just download and print the card to have them in your pocket whenever you need them!

Know Your Rights Printable Card: Gift Cards (PDF)