DIY Compression Bookcases Provide Airy and Wall-Friendly Shelving

"If you'd like a lot of shelf space for less money than you'd spend on traditional bookcases and without all the damage to the wall that comes with wall-mounted shelving, these DIY compression shelves are a great alternative."

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MakeMKV Rips DVDs and Blu-Rays with Just Two Clicks

"Windows/Mac/Linux: It's still slim pickings when it comes to finding a good freeware application for ripping Blu-Ray discs, but ripping and converting tool MakeMKV is free for as long as it's in beta—and it's undoubtedly the simplest ripper around.

Those of you with large Blu-Ray collections have probably already invested in a good ripping tool, but those running a bit behind on the format changes (or that don't have the space on your HTPC to hold all those 50 GB files) should take advantage of this limited time opportunity. MakeMKV is a two-click decrypting, ripping and converting tool for DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. Literally all you do is pop in the disc, click the DVD or Blu-Ray icon, and then hit Make MKV—30 minutes later, you've got yourself a high-definition MKV file that can be played in most media players (like Lifehacker favorites VLC or XBMC). You can opt to rip only certain chapters, as well as edit a few advanced preferences, but the default settings work just fine for those not well versed in DVD ripping lingo.

MakeMKV is a free download for all operating systems. DVD ripping will always be free, but Blu-Ray ripping is only free as long as it's in beta, after which it will go to a to-be-determined price, so get ripping now!"

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DIY Magnetic Spice Rack Doubles Your Shelf Space

"Those that live in smaller apartments (or have small kitchens) could always use more shelf space. Thankfully, DIY web site Instructables has a guide to using magnets to make your own under-the-shelf spice rack—essentially giving one shelf the space of two."

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Grow Bags Create a Low-Maintenance Garden Anywhere

"Maybe you want to get started gardening with just a few herbs, but, like us, feel like a natural born plant killer. Grow Bags provide breathe-able, portable containers you can plunk down just about anywhere to grow herbs and small vegetables."

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Back Up Your SMS Messages to a Gmail Label on Android [Downloads]

"f you're rocking an Android phone without the Google Voice experience, you can still back up and read your SMS messages online. The free SMS Backup app automatically transfers your SMS messages to a Gmail label as they come in."

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