As all iPod owners might know, it isn’t possible to sync your iPod with more than one computer. But what if this computer (with which you sync the iPod) dies? All the content on your iPod is at stake, because syncing it with another computer will erase everything. Ah, poor lonely iPod. Fortunately, there’s a way out. So keep reading to see how you can sync your iPod with a new computer without the risk of losing data.

This is the first part of the guide, more focused on iPods (Shuffle, Nano, Classic). A guide on ‘syncing your iOS device with a new computer’ will be available soon, do check back!

Your scenario can be either:

The computer with which you used to sync your iPod has died, and you can no longer sync it because a new computer won’t accept it.

Or, you simply want to move your entire iTunes library to a new computer and eliminate the risk of losing everything when you sync with it.

In short, you don’t want to lose data, but syncing the iPod with a new computer means all the content on your iPod will be overwritten with the content in that computer’s iTunes library.

However, moving the iTunes library to another computer is not as difficult as it seems, since you have the original (host) computer up and running, so you can get stuff out of it. Apple has detailed instructions for that, so have a look at them. Just a matter of copying and pasting, it’s that simple. But syncing a lonely iPod with a new computer (without losing content already existing on the iPod) is not easy, and there’s no guideline provided by Apple whatsoever. That’s why it is recommended to have a backup of your computer, and doing so might save you a lot of hassle, kinda like what you’re probably going through right now!

                    You may have heard of Windows 7's Homegroup feature before, but never really understood what it did. It's actually the simplest way to share files between two Windows machines, and it takes seconds to set up. If you have more than one computer in your home (or a friend who comes over and likes to borrow your music), here's how to set it up.

Sharing files in Windows used to be a painful process, and while that system still exists, homegroup is dead simple to use. All you need is a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium or above (which most people should have) to start the homegroup. Any computer running Windows 7 can join the homegroup. To set it up:

1. Open up the Control Panel, go to Network and Internet, and click on HomeGroup. You can also type "homegroup" in the Start menu's search box.
2. Click Create a Homegroup if one isn't already set up. When you first join your home network, it may have already created one for you, in which case you should already see most of the following options on the main Control Panel page—no need to go through the wizard.

Should I Prepare My Own Taxes?

Dear Lifehacker,
Now that tax forms are starting to flood my mailbox, I'm trying to figure out if I should do my own taxes again this year. I'm comfortable using tax prep software online, but it's kind of tedious and time consuming. I've come to a point where I'm not sure if I would benefit more by going to a professional. Please help me decide!
Thanks,
Taxed About Taxes

Dear Taxed,
Ah, tax season. Between now and April 17th (the extended filing deadline for 2012), we can all look forward to the flurry of tax documents and ads for tax software and services promising fast and easy filing for everyone. Tax software does make do-it-yourself filing easier, but as you mentioned, it's not entirely a breeze and there are definitely reasons why you might want to hire a professional to do your taxes for you. It's good that you're thinking about this now, so you'll have time to look for an accountant, CPA, or other registered tax preparer before the really busy parts of tax season, if you should decide to go that route. Let's take a look at if it makes sense for you to keep doing your own taxes or if it's time to hand over the reins.

                   No matter how clean a house you keep, your computers and gadgets are bound to get a little dirty here and there. Here's what you need to clean them, and how to do it without hurting them.

Your gadgets aren't as resilient as they might seem, and just spraying Windex on everything and rubbing it down with a paper towel can cause all sorts of damage to a device. However, they are remarkably easy to clean as long as you do it right—and you can do most of it with just a few simple household items (or at the very least, a trip to CVS). Here's how to do it.

Clean Your Monitor With White Vinegar

Full size

LCD screens are pretty delicate, and you don't want to press hard on them, because that can burn out the pixels. Instead, turn your monitor off (so you can better see the dirty spots), and grab a dry microfiber cloth. Many monitors and other gadgets come with one. From there, just gently wipe the screen. If you have a more hearty build-up of spots or gunk, resist the urge to press hard and wet the cloth with a 50-50 mix of water and white vinegar. You can use a special monitor cleaner if you desire, but the vinegar/water mix should work just fine. If you can, though, use distilled water instead of tap water, as tap water is likely to leave white spots on your screen from salt or other deposits.

Remember, as you're doing this, that you want to use a soft cloth, preferably microfiber. Do not use anything paper-based, like paper towel, Kleenex, or toilet paper, since it can scratch up your monitor. Also remember never to spray any liquid on the monitor itself—always spray it on your cloth first.

Photo by Jay Reed.

                       Sweet robotic joy—you just unwrapped an Android phone and, man, is it shiny. Here are our suggestions for apps to grab, settings to tweak, and really nifty things you can do with your Google-powered mini-computer.

Title image remixed from an original by Air0ne (Shutterstock).

We'll run through some of the most helpful Android coverage on Lifehacker that still applies to modern Android phones (pre-Ice Cream Sandwich, since the Galaxy Nexus is the only device that has it at this point) in this article. If you wanted a deeper read on everything to discover in your Android, check out Lifehacker alum Kevin Purdy's book, The Complete Android Guide, a paperback and ebook that explores Android in-depth. The Guide is also available as a free wiki at this site (click "Browse the book"), where you can also grab a free print-and-fold PDF template with a list of 10 things to do right away on your Android phone.

That said, on to the stuff you want to know about what your rather awesome new phone can do: