Top 10 Ways to Unlock the Unlockable [Lifehacker Top 10]:
Getting locked out of your home, your computer, or anywhere else you want to be can suck. The same goes for those times when your gadgets prevent you from doing what you want to do with them, but it doesn't have to be that way. Here are the top 10 ways you can break into virtually anything with a literal or figurative lock.
More » Getting locked out of your home, your computer, or anywhere else you want to be can suck. The same goes for those times when your gadgets prevent you from doing what you want to do with them, but it doesn't have to be that way. Here are the top 10 ways you can break into virtually anything with a literal or figurative lock.
10. Open a Garage from the Outside
This is pretty easy to do, sadly, but fortunately easy to prevent as well. To unlock a garage from the outside, all you need to do is
thread a piece of wire or a coat hanger through the top of the door to open the emergency latch. To prevent it, all you really need is a plastic zip tie (pictured to the left, hopefully).
9. Unlock Your Computer Wirelessly
Whether you're
using your Android to unlock with Wi-Fi or
practically any Bluetooth device to unlock your Mac (or
Ubuntu), you can avoid unnecessary typing by just being in the vicinity. So long as you don't put your phone or other gadget in the wrong hands you'll have both safety and convenience.
8. Break Into an Airplane Lavatory
You know, for emergency purposes. All you need to do is
flip up the sign push the lever into the unlocked position. We verified this on a recent flight and the tip comes from our trustworthy friends over at
Hipmunk, so watch your back next time you're peeing on a plane. Or, of course, get that door open if someone is having an emergency and stuck inside the bathroom.
7. Unlock Region-Free Encoding on Your DVD or Blu-ray Player
One of the more annoying aspects of DVD and Blu-ray players is the region encoding, forcing you to only play discs made for you part of the world. Want to import a movie from another country? You're probably out of luck. Fortunately VideoHelp.com has
DVD/Blu-ray player unlocking database so you can perform the necessary operation and watch whatever you want from wherever it came from.
6. Eliminate PDF Passwords
It's pretty annoying when you find a PDF or get one in your mailbox and it's locked down by a password. If you want to get rid of that password, Amit Agarwal has a Pdfs Pdfss
guide to opening PDFs regardless of their protection. You can also check out
Free PDF Unlocker (Windows-only) if you only need to enable copy and paste functionality. Just be sure to only use these options if you lose a password or you have a good reason to break in.
5. Unlock Your Camera's True Capabilities
If you've got a Canon point-and-shoot, you can
install custom firmware CHDK to unlock a ton of features Canon didn't offer with your model. If you've got a Canon or Panasonic DSLR or micro-4/3rds camera,
Magic Lantern can do the same (although it's video-oriented). If you wish your camera was a little bit better or you can't afford an upgrade right now, these hacks are great and providing you with features you probably should've had in the first place.
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