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Figuring out the best time to buy something requires constant watch over ever-fluctuating online prices, and some knowledge of how prices have changed in the past. Luckily, you don’t have to figure it all out yourself—there are great tools to help you do it. This week we’re looking at five of the best that will let you know when it’s time to strike.

Earlier in the week we asked you which price tracking tools you turned to when you wanted to be sure you bought at the right time. We only have room for the top five, and here they are, in no particular order:

CamelCamelCamel

CamelCamelCamel is one of our favorite ways to get discounts and track prices on Amazon products. We’ve mentioned it in our guide to getting the best price when shopping online and how to automate your discounts for the best price. You can install the browser extension (Firefox, Safari, Chrome has been removed from the store although you may still be able to find it) to get access to the site’s features without leaving Amazon, or you can just copy and paste an Amazon link or product name at the web site. In every case, CamelCamelCamel shows you how the price of the item has gone up or down over time, how prices have changed through Amazon directly and through third-party sellers who list new and used items on Amazon. If you sign up for a free account, you can set up alerts so the site can notify you by email when the price of an item drops below a certain amount, whether you can get it used for a given price, or whether it’s at an all-time low and now is a good time to buy. You can even see previous historic highs and lows, and try to map out when the best time to strike really is.

Those of you who nominated CamelCamelCamel highlighted how useful it is for not just finding discounts and looking to see how price cycles fluctuate for specific types of items (like electronics, appliances, and more), but also bemoaned the fact that NewEgg banned them from tracking items listed in their store. You also mentioned the fact that their Chrome extension has gone missing from the Chrome Web Store, which is never a good sign. Even so, many of you pointed to how helpful the service and the site is, and supported it in the nomination round. You can read more in its nomination thread here.

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SlickDeals Price Tracker

SlickDeals is well known for bringing you great, up-to-the-minute discounts, coupons, and other deals from around the web, but their web-based price tracker is also great for watching prices on just about any item on Amazon, and on several other popular shopping sites, like Newegg, Gamestop, IKEA, Buy.com, and others. This opens the door to tracking not just what you can get in one place, but making sure you’re getting the best deal even if you don’t buy your item at Amazon, or if you just want to track an item at Amazon, but also at other online stores that sell the same product. The service doesn’t give you detailed price history like some of the others in the roundup, but it will track the price of your item from when you create the alert going forward, and send you an email if the price drops below a threshold that you set. You can also return to the price tracker at any time, log in to your account, and see all of your tracked items on the same screen.

Those of you who nominated SlickDeals’ price tracker praised it for supporting so many stores, and for giving you a no-nonsense way to track prices. One of you mentioned that the email alerts, combined with a special label in Gmail, made it easy to collect your own price history, and make sure you’re notified if anything drops so low that you know you want to spring on it right away. However, others of you pointed out that the price tracker is in beta, and it’s not terribly good just yet—although it’s constantly evolving with the help of SlickDeals’ massive community. You can read more in its nomination thread here.

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PriceZombie

PriceZombie prides itself on being a price tracker that also helps you do comparison shopping, so you can track prices and price histories while also making sure that the item you want to buy is actually the best option for you and your budget. PriceZombie, beyond being a webapp, has add-ons for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, and supports items from multiple retailers, including Amazon, Newegg, Target, TigerDirect, Fry’s, IKEA, HomeDepot, and more. Like any good price tracker, if you type in a product name or a product URL at a supported store, you’ll see a complete price history (if the item is being actively tracked, and if not, it’ll start tracking it) so you can see if now is a good time to buy, or if the price was lower in the past. You’ll be able to tell at a glance if there’s a pattern, or the price is just trending downward—and you’ll be able to set up price alerts so you’re notified to new lows. The beauty of PriceZombie though is that while others stop with tracking, they go further: They’ll also show you live price drops, so you can see if an item drops in real time (especially useful for Gold Box or super-hot new items), and they’ll help you track price protection—meaning if you strike at a low price, you can get notified that the price has dropped again, with enough time to request a refund for the difference from the store you bought it from. The service will even sync your Amazon Wish List for you, and notify you if something on your wish list suddenly gets cheaper.

PriceZombie’s nomination thread was fun to watch, since the service earned more than a few first-time fans through it. Several of you noted that you hadn’t heard of it before, but looking at its features and how well the site works, you were tempted to try it out—and you were surprised at how useful it is. Others of you pointed out that you get to interact more with the historic price data (unlike some of the others in our roundup) so you can actually see where the prices peaked over different periods of time, and that it supports so many stores that using a tool that locks you into one doesn’t make sense. You can read more in its nomination thread here.

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Invisible Hand

InvisibleHand isn’t quite the same as some of the other tools here—it doesn’t track prices for you, or show you a price history so you know when the best time to buy an item is—but it does tell you if an item you’re shopping for is cheaper elsewhere on the web, how much cheaper it is, and helps you find discounts on things you want to buy right now. The add-on is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, and it refreshes its product prices in real-time, instead of relying on a database of price listings that may be out of date. Best of all, it works with tons of online retailers, including Amazon, NewEgg, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and airlines like Southwest, JetBlue, and Virgin Atlantic (among others.) Invisible Hand also works with Google searches, so if you just search for a product name, it’ll show you where you can find the best deals for that item—including retailers you won’t find listed in Google’s own shopping results.

Invisible Hand has been around for a long time, and it added airfare a few years ago—it may not be one of those tools that helps you play the long game, but it’s definitely one of those apps to consult before you buy anyway. For best results, you can even use it in conjunction with some of the other apps listed here to create a combo team of "lowest price today versus lowest price ever," which can really save you some money.

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CheapShark

While most of the others in the roundup focus on products like electronics, apparel, household goods, appliances, and products of that nature, CheapShark snuck into the nominations as a great option for gamers looking to save money on video games. We’ve highlighted CheapShark in the past, especially for its unofficial Chrome extension that integrates so well with Steam’s website to make sure you don’t overpay for games. CheapShark combines all of the great places to get discounts on games (that aren’t necessarily Steam, because we all know about Steam Sales) in one place, one easily searchable directory and database of current prices, from sites including Steam, GoG, Green Man Gaming, the Humble Bundle, GameStop, Amazon, Origin, and more. Of course, it’s limited to video games, but you can search a game name not just to see how much it’ll cost you to buy, but even if you can buy it at all—and which retailer has it available. If you want, you can even filter by games currently on sale at their selected stores. When you search for a specific game, CheapShark does tell you what the cheapest-ever price was, when it hit that price, and gives you the choice to either go ahead and buy it from your choice of retailer, or to sign up for a price notification if it drops again.

Those of you who nominated it praised CheapShark for saving you tons of money on video games, even during those all-too-popular store sales that make look like they have the best prices, but in reality someone else may have a better deal just waiting for you to pick up. It doesn’t track history beyond that one all-time-low that you see when you search for a game, though. One of you even mentioned combining CheapShark’s low-price notifications with Pushover and IFTTT to make sure you get up-to-the-minute notifications when a game is discounted, meaning you never miss an all-time low or a freak flash sale or short-time discount. Now that’s dedication. Read more in its nomination thread here.

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Now that you’ve seen the top five, it’s time to put them to a vote to determine the community favorite:

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Honorable Mentions

This week’s honorable mention goes out to PriceJump, an Amazon comparison site that lets you search for the best price not just at Amazon, but at a ton of sites at once—somewhat similar to Invisible Hand. The site gives you simple visual cues to know whether Amazon has the best price, whether other stores are close, or whether you absolutely shouldn’t buy from Amazon, because there are more than a few competitive retailers with better price options. In addition to Amazon, the site supports hundreds of other online retailers. There’s even a Chrome extension to help you check before you buy. Read more in its nomination thread here.

Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn’t included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don’t just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it didn’t get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it’s a bit of a popularity contest. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Title image by Gordon Joly.

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Five Best Price Tracking Tools

New submitter wrp103 writes Australian researchers have come up with a non-invasive ultrasound technology [abstract] that clears the brain of neurotoxic amyloid plaques — structures that are responsible for memory loss and a decline in cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients. A slice: Publishing in Science Translational Medicine, the team describes the technique as using a particular type of ultrasound called a focused therapeutic ultrasound, which non-invasively beams sound waves into the brain tissue. By oscillating super-fast, these sound waves are able to gently open up the blood-brain barrier, which is a layer that protects the brain against bacteria, and stimulate the brain’s microglial cells to move in. Microglila cells are basically waste-removal cells, so once they get past the blood-brain barrier, they’re able to clear out the toxic beta-amyloid clumps before the blood-brain barrier is restored within a few hours. The team reports fully restoring the memories of 75 percent of the mice they tested it on, with zero damage to the surrounding brain tissue. They found that the treated mice displayed improved performance in three memory tasks – a maze, a test to get them to recognise new objects, and one to get them to remember the places they should avoid.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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New Alzheimer’s Treatment Fully Restores Memory Function For Mice

via AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com
18 Children Who Didn’t Do It

This dead simple drum machine that runs in your browser is so much fun.

The HTML5 Drum Machine borrows its aesthetics from classic beat boxes like the TR-808 Rhythm Composer. It’s got five different sound banks: Hip hop, electro, house, techno, and acoustic. Each bank has 13 different sounds for which you can tweak the individual volume and tone. Pick your bank, hit play, and lay down your instruments on the 16-step sequencer interface that runs across the bottom. After you’ve laid down your beat, you can export it as a Wav.

Even if you don’t have any experience with drum machines, this simplified beat maker is intuitive enough that you’ll impress yourself within just a few minutes. You can probably figure it out on your own, but if you’re a total noob here’s a tip: The important thing to remember is that for each of the 16 "steps" in the sequence you can play each of the 13 sounds in a bank. So when you click on one sound—say the Kick— you can place that sound in any or all of the 16 slots. When you click on the next instrument, you again have the option of sticking it in all of the 16 slots.

Drum machines and software instruments can both be really intimidating to the uninitiated. The HTML 5 Drum Machine is simplified that basically anybody can get going. [HTML 5 Drum Machine via Synthtopia]

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If You Try the HTML5 Drum Machine, It’s All You’ll Do for the Next Hour

So, there you are: It’s that awkward moment when you’re told that a fellow colleague is now your new boss. Your mind races as the news sinks in. As you hide your initial shock and force a smile you can’t help but wonder—my lunch buddy is becoming my manager. Now what?

This post originally appeared on The Muse.

Or, you’re on the other side of the equation: You’ve just been promoted, and you know your role in the team dynamic will shift. Now, you are now the one calling the shots.

If you’ve ever experienced either position, you’re not alone. Navigating change at work can be tough, especially when it comes to restructuring. So how do you handle the transition? Here are a few steps to do it gracefully.

If You’re the New Manager

Let’s start with newly appointed managers. As a leader among your former peers, your actions will speak louder than words. Begin your tenure by taking four actions to send all the right messages.

1. Tell Your Team

View telling your team about your step up not as a dreaded moment, but as an opportunity. Communicate with honesty about your new role, and share news ofyour promotion formally and in a way that will reach the entire team at once (i.e., no more going to your office BFF first, which could now be read as playing favorites).

Telling everyone together demonstrates that you will work to ensure equity for your team—and avoids any skepticism stemming from former colleagues hearing the information from someone other than you. Avoid this risk and establish what kind of leader you’ll be by being upfront with your entire team.

2. Get Their Endorsement

Is your team willing to trust you as their leader? To gauge this upfront, set up one-on-one meetings, and use them as an opportunity to ask direct reports if they are prepared to support you—or if they have any questions or concerns they’d like to discuss.

Asking for their endorsement may seem redundant or unnecessary (you were promoted, after all). But as every major airline knows, unless you directly ask someone if she is willing and able to open the emergency door, there is a chance that she won’t.

If someone isn’t supportive, ask him for a plan for how he might get on board. This is for his benefit—not yours. Helping him establish a plan to cope with the transition will benefit his career and is exactly what a strong manager would do.

3. Don’t Soften the Message, Up the Support

New leaders—particularly when they’re leading their former peers—often try to buy people’s love by softening their message. They may be less ambitious in the goals and expectations they set to ease transition. Avoid this temptation, and “up” the support instead! Rather than dismissing your team’s concerns, be honest. Let them know that change can be challenging at times, but that the success of the transition is largely dependent on each individual.

Use group time to ask for input on these three questions:

1. What do you want in your workplace?
2. What are you willing to do to get it?
3. How can I support it?

While you can’t necessarily make the transition easier on your team, you can help them find ways to succeed in their new reality.

4. Encourage Your Employees

Even if you used to gossip by the water cooler with your work buddies, don’t let your new office be a portal for drama. If there is a line of people waiting with lists of issues for you to fix, resist the urge to react immediately. Listen, but don’t commit to fixing all of their problems.

Maintain a positive response of “duly noted” or “good to know,” and set up processing sessions. Avoid pushing your own solutions (a common new manager mistake), and instead, be a sounding board and guide your team in determining how they will reach their goals given their circumstances. This will empower your employees to generate results.

If You’re the Employee Whose Colleague is Now the Boss

Are you at the other end of the spectrum? As an employee, remember that you alone have the power to make this transition a career-limiting or career-enhancing experience through your actions. Here are four ways to make the most of the situation.

1. Step Up

No matter how you feel about your colleague becoming your new boss, it’s important to buy in early and show that you’re a willing partner. Embrace the situation and get on his calendar. Tell your boss that you are on board with the new team structure, and ask how you can support him during the transition. Your actions and outlook are huge indicators of whether you’ll succeed moving forward.

2. Follow Your Boss’ Example

One thing’s for sure, your co-worker did something right, or else she wouldn’t have been promoted! So stop questioning why it was her (instead of you) and follow her example.

Use this as an opportunity to clean up your behavior. Ditch the jealousy, and look to your new manager as a role model. How is she delivering on what the company values? Do what your new manager did, and you might see the same rewards.

3. Accept Reality

You could see your colleague beating you out for a promotion as a setback—or as a decision that’s already been made. So avoid negative self-talk and use your energy to answer the question, “How can I improve?”

An “I’m not good enough” mindset—not your circumstances—is what’s holding you back. Adopting a fresh outlook and redirecting your energy will make all the difference. You may even find you prefer your co-worker to your old boss!

4. Change the Conversation

If you hear fellow colleagues complaining, change the energy of the conversation. Say something sincere and positive about your new leader. Then, ask everyone involved about how they can help to mitigate their own fears or complaints. After all, you never know when you could be next in line for that big promotion.

What to Do When Your Co-Worker Becomes the Boss (or You Do) | The Muse

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Cy Wakeman is a national keynote speaker, business consultant, New York Times bestselling author, blogger and trainer who has spent over 20 years cultivating a revolutionary, reality-based approach to leadership. For more on Cy, check out RealityBasedLeadership.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Image by ratch (Shutterstock). Additional photos by Kumar Appaiah and Alper Çuğun (Flickr). Want to see your work on Lifehacker? Email Andy.

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What to Do When a Co-Worker Becomes Your New Boss

YouTube has quietly been rolling out a new feature that will automatically play the next suggested video when the current one you’re watching is done. Here’s how to disable it.

At the very top of the suggested videos (which may be next to your video or just below it, depending on the size of your player), there’s a blue button that says Autoplay. This button is in the same space that YouTube’s ads usually go, so you might already be trained to ignore it. Simply click this button and videos should stop autoplaying.

How To Disable The New Autoplay Feature On YouTube | Addictive Tips

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Disable YouTube’s New AutoPlay Feature with This Button

Kenneth Roberts, “a 92-year-old World War II US Navy veteran” recently had a letter to the editor published in the Las Vegas Informer. Appropriately titled Questioning the Second Amendment, he poses seven questions designed to demonstrate, despite all evidence … Read More

The post Seven Questions About the Second Amendment Answered appeared first on The Truth About Guns.

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Seven Questions About the Second Amendment Answered

To be fair, this is actually a new TV spot, not a full trailer. But something tels me that really won’t bother you much when this unbelievably amazing new batch of footage kicks your ass. You don’t believe me? Go ahead and watch.

See?! We‘re a little worried that Avengers: Age of Ultron is revealing too much footage, but it’s really hard not to stay excited when Thor hits Cap’s shield with his hammer and knocks it through Ultron minions like they were butter. May 1st, guys. A month and a half to go.

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Somehow, Avengers: Age Of Ultron Saved The Awesomest Trailer For Last

When you’re bustling in the kitchen prepping a meal, quickly grabbing a knife out of a storage block is easier than digging through a drawer to find one. Storing them in a block is also just a better way to keep your knives sharp and in good shape, but it unfortunately means they’re easily accessible to children. So Joseph Joseph has incorporated a locking mechanism into its new LockBlock that makes knives harder for kids to remove.

You’ll actually need a pair of adult-sized hands to operate the block’s stiff blade release which helps to make it kid-proof. And each knife is locked in place with a clever "Cam-lock mechanism" that increases the grip the harder a knife is pulled, making them all but impossible to remove using just brute force.

The LockBlock itself, with universal slots that will accommodate your existing knives, is available now for $60. But there’s also a $150 version that comes with six knives of its own and slots custom-sized to fit each one if you’re just starting to outfit your kitchen.

[Joseph Joseph via Fancy]

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A Locking Knife Block Keeps Your Blades Inaccessible to Kids

Excel formulas can do a lot of really great things, from helping you get your finances together to helping manage your entire life. You might think of counting and adding formulas as relatively mundane compared to more advanced formulas that are out there, but having a good handle on these functions can help you save a lot of time when you need to collect information about the data in your spreadsheet. COUNT The COUNT function counts the number of cells in a range that have numbers in them. If you use a formula to run a lot of calculations, you may find yourself…

Read the full article: Mini Excel Tutorial: Using Advanced Counting and Adding Functions in Excel

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Mini Excel Tutorial: Using Advanced Counting and Adding Functions in Excel