Geek Tip

As your gadgets accumulate, so do the number of cords, chargers, and adapters that you need to pack each and every time you travel. Avoid the midtrip panic that occurs when you realize an essential plug was left behind, and get travel-tech-savvy. Beyond your phone and all the standard chargers, here's a quick list of must-pack items to ensure all your technology needs are met when you're on the go.

• Airline adapter — Anyone who's ever suffered from a power outage midflight will be thrilled to have the Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter ($49). Although it doesn't actually charge your device, the adapter plugs into the seat power port to keep devices up and running.
• iPad — Let's be honest: sometimes, you just need to read email or watch shows on a screen that's larger than your iPhone.
• Portable speakers — From spontaneous dance parties to hilarious YouTube videos, you just never know when portable speakers may be needed to amp up the sound during your travels.
• Car mount — If you like to use your phone as a GPS system, then be safe while you drive by installing it with a car mount for hands-free navigation help.
• Noise-canceling headphones — Whether you're trying to zone out fellow passengers on the plane or stay focused in your own hotel room, headphones are a must.
• Laptop lock — Plan to leave your computer in the room while you're out? Prevent theft by using a laptop lock, like the Kensington Combination Ultra Laptop Lock ($40).
• Ereader — Rather than haul a load of books and magazines in your tote, opt for an electronic version.
• Audio input cord — On the off chance that your hotel room has a plug-in for your mp3 player, it's worth bringing a minijack cord.
• DVDs — Skip the sky-high prices of in-room rentals and bring your own favorite films instead.
• Plug adapters — Some hotels may provide international plug adapters, but just in case, it's smart to have your own set so that you don't damage any of your tools.

Also, don't forget to download before you go! From last-minute hotel reservations to cheaper gas prices, general travel apps can save the day when you're in a new environment. Relevant local apps will help you navigate the destination city and have you feeling like a real local.

Source: Flickr user Freakland - フリークランド

Back in the day before Facebook, there was a time when one of the only ways to share digital photos was through email. That adds up to years of photos lost in various email accounts, hidden between hundreds of pieces of spam and daily deal messages. Now, with the Lost Photos app, there's a way to uncover these pics and transfer them to your current social networks.

Available in the Mac App Store for $2.99, Lost Photos searches through your Gmail/Google Apps, Yahoo, and MobileMe/.Mac accounts for photos. Once they're found, you can quickly share the photos across social networks and import them into your iPhoto library. With one simple app, access old memories for a flashback to your pre-Facebook 2004 shenanigans.

Now that you've polished up your photography skills, it's time to take your photos to the next level by having some fun with Photoshop. Editing and tweaking your pics isn't considered cheating — it helps bring out the beauty in your images, and keeps things interesting. Here, I'll cover ten fun and useful Photoshop tips and effects that you can use every day, or when you want to add some pizzaz to your pics.

• Get Photoshop for free — Don't have Photoshop? No prob! Get Photoshop Express for free!
• Take in some free tutorials — Get the low down on Photoshop basics free of charge.
• Get rid of blemishes — Who doesn't want clear skin? Make it a reality with this tip that ditches the zits.

See the rest of the tips, and learn about some sweet and simple effects you can add to your images after the break.

Now that we're more than halfway through with 2012 (how is that possible?), we're looking back at our progress on the resolutions we started in January. You know, those New Year's promises to ourselves to take on clutter and become a better person. Naturally, since we spend most of our days in front of a computer and attached to our gadgets, our take on these yearly vows have a technology bent. Need a refresher on how to be kinder to your gear this year? Here, 10 midyear pick-me-ups to keep you and your tech happy and healthy for the rest of 2012.

1. Backing up your data — It's 2012 now, folks, so it's high time you start routinely backing up your data to save your important documents, files, photos, videos, music, and whatever else you keep stored on your computer.
2. Securing your home WiFi network — After you set up your home WiFi network, did you set a secure password to protect it from squatters? If not, now's the time to do that. Not only can strangers steal your signal for unlawful activities, but they can creep in and gain access to your personal documents and information, which can lead to identity theft.
3. Routinely cleaning your tech — You shouldn't just clean your tech on the outside, but should take precautions to clean that machine on the inside as well. Perform these care tips often and save yourself from germs. You'll even save cash since your computer will last longer.
4. Changing your passwords on the regular — You should be updating your password every few months, but it won't do a bit of good if it's a lame one that anyone can guess. Follow these tips for hacker-proof passwords to keep your info safe.
5. Recycling old gadgets — Upgrading to new tech is a given in a new year, but instead of tossing your used gear aside or in your closet, give it a new life by recycling or donating it to charity.

See the rest of the list after the jump!

While it seems we can't live without our iPhones, they certainly have a habit of speeding through their batteries at inopportune moments. Though some Apple customers have vocalized feeling constantly at odds with the battery life of the iPhone 4S, there are a few things you can do to lengthen the life of any cell phone battery life. See our tips for prolonging your iPhone 4S battery life below.

• Lower your screen brightness — Just like on your laptop, you can lower the screen brightness on your iPhone to increase battery life. Just head to Settings > Brightness to adjust.
• Use WiFi where you can — Instead of downloading apps, making Google Voice calls, or browsing the web over your cellular or 3G connection, find a WiFi hotspot or use your home's WiFi network instead. This will keep your data charges down and will improve battery life since your phone won't be searching for a data signal.
• Block GPS tracking in apps — If you're using lots of apps that include automatic GPS location and tagging (a la Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), your phone is working overtime to locate you. If you don't need to geotag your posts and updates, keep the GPS off.
• Turn your iPhone's "Fetch" and "Push" off — I have my iPhone set to "fetch" my data every 30 minutes and a ton of apps set to push new messages and alerts as they happen. This is great for keeping up with news and messages when I'm at home, but bad for your data and battery. To turn your "fetch" functions off on your iPhone, just go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, and Calendars > Fetch New Data > Manually. You can also turn off your email and calendar "push" from this screen. To turn off app "push" notifications, head to Settings > Notifications, then switch to off.
• Shut down apps often — Do you shut down your apps after you're done using them? If not, you're using up lots of battery by allowing those apps to run. To shut down apps after use, double tap on the home button to get to your app drawer. To close open apps, just hold down on one until you see the wiggle, then click on the "X" to shut down.

Have any tips of your own to keep your iPhone battery juiced up?

As we get overwhelmed with work, kids, school, extracurricular activities, and social events, it's easy to forget about the maintenance and health of our tech . . . and ourselves. Since Spring is the time to refresh your home, it's also the perfect time to refresh your habits where your tech is concerned. Are you guilty of these 10 bad habits? Find out what they are, and how to turn things around below!

1. Working in poor ergonomic conditions — Sitting for hours in front of your computer — whether you're at an office or working from home — is bad enough, but throw in the poorly positioned monitor, a chair that's not supporting your back, and a desk that's too small for your stature, and you have a cocktail for body aches and pains. Check with your HR department to see what kinds of ergonomic assessment services are available to you so you can get your desk in tip-top shape. Working from home? No sweat — let this Osha ergonomic evaluation checklist help you set up a healthy home office.
2. Letting your tech get dirty and grimy — Your tech is pretty disgusting. Sixteen percent of phones have feces on them, while home keyboards hold 60 times more germs than a public toilet seat. Make a habit of cleaning your tech once a day, or even once a week with proper cleaning agents to cut down on viruses and bacteria that could make you sick.
3. Obsessing over your phone at improper times — We've grown quite accustomed to our smartphones helping us in our everyday lives, but they can easily drive a rift between you and your friends, family members, and fellow earth-dwellers at large. Keep your phone off the dinner table, don't chat in the bathroom stall or the gym, and keep your voice down when having a conversation on the bus. You know, just use common sense.

See the rest of the list after the jump.

Today marks the opening day of the annual Google I/O Developers Conference (watch Google's keynote here), and in between all the techie excitement, the crowded conference space can try even the most patient person.

Don't let the packed surroundings deter you from attending I/O or any other future tech event as we've come up with a few ideas on how geeks (and nongeeks alike) can better hone their social skills in a crowded conference environment. Though from experience, the I/O conference is one of the more chill and relaxed conferences out there (unlike the madhouse that is CES), most of these points should serve as a reminder for decent common courtesy. Feel free to leave your tips in the comments!

• Don't be a jerk — stand in line like the rest of us. While I was standing in line to catch the social skills tech talk at the conference, a few others were letting out around us. Instead of standing in the very obvious line that formed in front of the conference room door, some of these people decided to crowd around the entrance to wait to get in instead of heading back to stand in line. Just because you don't want to stand in line doesn't mean you shouldn't. Show some respect to those who have been waiting a lot longer than you.
• Don't text and walk. I know I'm guilty of texting and walking sometimes too, but when you're in a super crowded expo hall, you should really put the phone down and pay attention to where you're going.

See the rest of the list after the break.

Summer may seem like the biggest travel season of the year, if you're headed abroad, cross country, or to far-off locales, travel time is ripe 365 days a year. Unfortunately, traveling can also have you racking up the charges on your credit card, but with these handy tech tips, you can save money while on the road now, or any time!

• Track down free WiFi — There's a number of US airports that offer free WiFi in the terminals (and more being added all the time), which can save you big money if you need to stay connected. Also, there's plenty of WiFi options getting to and from the terminal. Just don't use that mysterious "Free Public WiFi" signal — it could spell trouble.
• Get a Google Voice number — Getting a Google Voice number can help you save big bucks on international and domestic calls wherever you are — rates start at just two cents a minute, and calls to US and Canadian landlines are free! Plus, you can use your laptop to make calls, no cell phone required.

Check out the rest of the tips when you read more.

This week, Sony announced the launch of its new Google TV set-top box, the NSZ-GS7 Internet player, giving us one more option for watching TV and movies minus the cable box. If you'd like to shift content from your small-screen laptop to the giant flat-screen in your living room, then there are now plenty of options available. Check out these five popular picks to see which player suits your viewing habits best:

1. Sony NSZ-GS7 — Powered by Google TV, the Android-based device will hit retailers nationwide on July 22 for $199. The Internet player includes a two-sided remote — one side includes a touch pad and the other features a keyboard — and users can use their own voices to search for content.
2. Apple TV — Thanks to iCloud, Apple TV allows all your purchases (music, movies, TV shows, photos) to instantly stream on your big screen. The AirPlay feature also lets you stream movies and TV from your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
3. Xbox Live — Take your Xbox 360 online via Xbox Live. The free membership allows you to rent or buy HD movies, while the paid Xbox Live Gold subscription offers access to Netflix, HBO Go, and Hulu Plus, plus special video chat options.
4. Roku — As the original streaming player, Roku is a basic, user-friendly way to access your existing media subscriptions. Even better? Starting at $49, it's a smart, affordable option.
5. PlayStation Network — The free PlayStation Network subscription serves as an all-access pass to several gaming and entertainment services, from Netflix to Hulu Plus to Amazon Instant Video. Bonus: the console doubles as a Blu-ray player.

Do you have a favorite way to watch TV? Share in the comments below!

Facebook really wants its messaging system to be your primary mode of online communication — so much so that the social networking company changed the default email address that appears in your About section to a facebook.com emailing address. Didn't even know you had one, huh? Despair not! You can still have your email address of choice appear on your profile page with a few quick changes.

Head to your Facebook profile page and select the About section, then click Edit in the Contact Info box. Choose which email address will appear on your Timeline by selecting the circle icon to the far right of the email address. An open circle means that email address appears on your page, while a crossed-out circle indicates an email address that will not appear on your Timeline. You still can adjust privacy settings for each email address, allowing for friends, public, or customized viewing, or even removing the contact information from your page entirely.