Many laptops have a "hidden" keypad that is enabled when you turn on the Num ⇩ key. Find this option to the left or right of your keyboard. If your keyboard has these features, then you'll see little numbers or words written in small font on the bottom of the keys, sometimes in a different color. You can find it on either side of your Spacebar. This is the Alt Code for π. Remember to use the Alt Codes, which are nine numbers that are written on the side of your 7, 8, 9, U, I, O, J, K, L, and M keys in a different color, such as light blue or yellow. Do not use the normal number system to type in this code. On most keyboards, this code will come from typing KK7 or 9OM, but you should look at the actual Alt codes to be sure. The pi symbol should appear. Press the key again to turn it off. This will return your keyboard to its normal settings.

Summary: Press the Num ⇩ key. Hold down the Alt key. Type in 227 using the Alt Codes. Release the Alt key. Turn off Num ⇩.


Many places will run second-chance lottos, in which you can send in the old tickets from particular games for a drawing. Keep old tickets organized by game in an envelope, and go through it for second-chance opportunities when they're announced. Send them in and hope for the best. That losing ticket might still win you money. Sometimes, the lottery commission will advertise these second-chance drawings when the top prizes have already been paid out, to try to drive the sales of essentially useless tickets. Buying tickets that will surely be losers just to have the second-chance opportunity isn't a great idea. Only use it for tickets you've already bought. Don't play a game just because it will be collected as a second-chance lotto ticket later. After you collect a few winners and want to turn them back in to collect your winnings, bring back your losing tickets too. Always have the computer at the retailer check the winnings to make sure you haven't missed anything. In games where there are several different ways to win prizes, it can be easy to overlook winnings. Having the computer check will ensure you don't accidentally throw away any winnings. If you want to save tickets for second-chance opportunities, ask for them back and save them somewhere safe until the second-chance lotto is announced. Another technique some retailers use to repackage and clear out old stock is discounting ticket packages, made up of games in which the top winners have already been paid out. While it may seem like you're getting a deal, understand that the probabilities of a given ticket being a winner are completely skewed when the top prizes have already been claimed. It's better to focus on active games in which the numbers are more friendly and you actually stand the chance to win some real money. One Canadian professor was able to "plunder" tic-tac-toe scratch-offs by noticing a recurring pattern printed on winning tickets . If the printing on the outside of a scratch-off varies from card to card, pay attention to it.  The "singleton method" involves looking at the grid of printed numbers immediately to the left of a tic-tac-toe style scratch-off game, and analyzing the each matrix for patterns. If a single number appeared once on this game, it indicated a winner around 60% of the time. Most states in which this manufacturing abnormality occurred have corrected the issue. Since most retailers and machines don't let you examine the tickets before you've purchased them, it's difficult to say there's much practical application of this skill, though it's still worth examining the ticket for any signs of tampering, or any patterns you might pick up on later and find your own manufacturing error.

Summary: Save your losing tickets. Turn in all losing tickets. Avoid "Mystery Packs" or any other package promotions. Examine the tickets before you play them.


The Mac firewall is not enabled by default. It's the house icon on the top row. It's near the top-center part of the window.  If you see the message "Firewall:On" near the top of the tab, this means your firewall is active. If the firewall is not active but you want it to be, click the padlock icon at the bottom-left part of the window, enter your administrator password, and then click Turn On Firewall. This opens your settings, including a list of apps and services set to either allow or disallow incoming connections.  If an app or service has a green dot and the text "Allow incoming connections," that means its port is open. If you see a red dot that says "Block incoming connections," the port is closed. You can toggle whether a port is allowed or not allowed by clicking the double-arrow icon next to the app's current status, and choosing an option.

Summary: Click the  menu and select System Preferences. Click Security & Privacy. Click the Firewall tab. Click Firewall Options.


Use the “Manage my Contacts” feature on your NOOK device or account to enter friends you are interested in sharing books with. Follow the prompts to add  new contacts by entering in their names, email addresses, and any other requested information. Once you have entered in a friend’s contact information, tap the “Invite as NOOK friend” option. This will send a message to the friend to accept the friend request. The message will also share information about setting up a Barnes and Noble account, if your friend does not already have one. You can advertise your lendable books by going to the Social settings on your NOOK and selecting the option to do so. Check the option to “Show all my lendable books to my NOOK friends.” That way, your friends can browse the books you have that are eligible for the LendMe program, and request them if desired.
Summary: Enter contacts to share NOOK books. Request an invitation. Use the Social settings feature to share books.