Danie's blog: Most Popular Top 10s of 2009 [Best Of 2009]

1. Top 10 Tiny & Awesome Windows Utilities

The best boxing doesn't always happen at the heavyweight level. Likewise, some of the best things you can load onto your Windows system are tiny little guys that just make day-to-day writing, working, and surfing better.

2. Top 10 Must-Have Firefox Extensions, 2009 Edition

We didn't change everything from our original 2006 list, but we did mix up our favorite add-ons for our favorite browser with a few essentials that Lifehacker editors, and readers, have found indispensable.

3. Top 10 Windows 7 Boosters

Just before Windows 7 dropped, we put together the apps that developers had updated or released new to integrate with Windows 7. Some add in things missing from Microsoft's latest OS, while others improve on what's already there.

4. Top 10 Firefox 3.5 Features

To think that Firefox 3.5 was almost labeled 3.1, a small iteration. The latest release included a lot to crow about, including much-needed performance improvements, but also many subtle refinements.

5. Top 10 Underhyped Webapps, 2009 Edition

Gina had only compiled her list less than two years ago, but the web's become an even bigger playground for developers since then. The truly helpful and useful ones, without gigantic advertising budgets, were worth highlighting. Photo by thievingjoker.

6. Top 10 Tricks MacGyver Would Be Proud Of

This was Adam's favorite Top 10 of at least the year, if not possibly all time. Either he's really into short, goofy fan fiction, or just appreciates a number of 1980s pop-culture references sprinkled into his listicles. Either way, it's fun to make like everyone's favorite duct tape enthusiast with these clever hacks. Image by PoweredByLarios™.

7. Top 10 Ubuntu Downloads

Free software rocks, and free software running on a free platform is heavenly stuff. Check out the apps that make Ubuntu a better place to work, play, and explore. Image by Andrew Mason.

8. Top 10 Battery Hacks, Tips, And Tricks

Modern batteries help us feel like we're living in the future, with cellphones that can do anything and laptops that can work anywhere—when they're fully charged. Otherwise, getting the most out of them requires some old-fashioned cleverness and energy frugality, detailed in these tips. Photo by conskeptical.

9. Top 10 Cheap or Free Home Theater Upgrades

Once everything's hooked up, it's easy to just point your HD TV in the right direction and call it a day on your home theater setup. Take on a few of these projects and pointers, though, and you'll get a nicer-looking, better-performing system. Photo by chunkysalsa.

10. Top 10 Skills to Master Your Grill

Why was this so popular? Because almost everybody loves an excuse to be outside, and nearly everyone loves an excuse to obsess over tasty food. That's just our guess, anyways, and these 10 skills testify to how geeky this excuse can really get. Photo by adactio.

Those 10 may have been the most popular, but if you're still eager for some more listicle goodies, here's a quick overview of the next ten most popular.

11. Top 10 Tools for a Free Online Education
'It's easy to forget these days that the internet started out as a place for academics and researchers to trade data and knowledge. Recapture the web's brain-expanding potential with these free resources for educating yourself online.'
12. Top 10 Apps that Boost Your Media Center
'Streaming video, digital DVD backups, DVR recording-it's all possible from your TV-connected media center, and you don't need a system administrator to pull it off. These 10 apps make filling and controlling your media center PC even easier.'
13. Top 10 Home Office Hacks
'Whatever kind of work you do at home, your office is one place you want to spend the time to make comfortable and convenient. Take 10 of our tips on organizing, fixing, and streamlining that space.'
14. Top 10 Tricks for Creatively Hiding Your Stuff - Security - Lifehacker
'Every kid has a creative stash for secret stuff, but that useful enthusiasm doesn't have to die off just because we've traded treehouses for desks. See how you can hide money, files, workspaces, and more in today's Top 10.'
15. Top 10 Computer Hardware Fixes and Upgrades - Hardware - Lifehacker
'If your desktop or laptop parts have died or seen better days, you've got a friend. All of your Lifehacker editors-and many helpful net denizens-have upgraded or repaired faulty systems, and we've rounded up some of their most helpful tutorials.'
16. Top 10 Productivity Basics Explained
'There's a core set of habits and techniques that filter and color a lot of what we write about at Lifehacker, but we rarely step back to explain them for newcomers. Let's get back to basics with 10 productivity tactics.'
17. Top 10 Tools for Your Blog or Web Site
'Having your own hosted web domain has never been cheaper, or easier, with the vast array of free resources out there. Here are our ten favorite tools to help anyone launch and maintain their internet presence.'
18. Top 10 Tips and Tricks for Better Coffee
Coffee doesn't always make work better, but you can definitely work to get better coffee. From four-cup hotel machines to French presses, from home-roasted beans to decorative foam-we've got a wealth of tips for enjoying a better cup.
19. Top 10 Tricks for Making Your Playlists Rock
'If music is part of your everyday work routine, workout, or commute, stuffing your player full of tunes and hitting shuffle just won't cut it. Scan these 10 tips for improving and expanding your music playlists.'
20. Top 10 Outlook Boosters
'Outlook is such a fixture of office and computer life, its potential as a central life-organizing inbox is easily taken for granted. Empower your Outlook with these add-ons, link-ups, and data management techniques.'