We've all been there. Your car starts making a funny sound so you take it into the repair shop where they charge you $1000 to fix a part that you've never even heard of. Thanks to a great new site called RepairPal, women (and men) can arm themselves with all the tools they need for getting their car fixed — like knowing what's wrong with it and how much parts should cost.
With RepairPal you just enter the make, model and year of your car, your zip code and the type of service your car requires and it will whip up repair estimates, plus provide descriptions about the service and list shops in your area where you can get your car fixed. Users can also leave their feedback about various mechanic shops so you know just what you're getting yourself into before you go — no more getting the wool pulled over your eyes! There's also a neat area on the site where you can keep all your repair records in one place, and it'll also send you service reminders for things like oil changes, and provide safety alerts, recall info and special discount offers.
And did I tell you? It's free, free, freeee! Oh, and don't worry, it isn't run by a slimy mechanic trying to push certain products or service shops on you. It's totally unbiased and just trying to help all of us novice car repair peeps out!
Lately, I've been toying around with the idea of getting a skin for my laptop. Since I lug it around everywhere with me, I run the risk of damage from taking it in and out of my bag, in my luggage, or even just when it's sitting on my kitchen table. Plus, I have to admit I get pretty OCD about smudges and scratches on my precious gadgets... I'm sure you know what I mean.
But I don't want just any skin, I'd of course have to get something exciting, but not too flashy. I've shopped around, and found skins ranging from uber geeky to techie cool, and I think I've finally narrowed down my choices. But I need some help deciding! Check out some of my fave laptop skins from around the web and let me know which of these you think I should slap on my lappy!
When it comes to tech, so many people misuse the word "obsolete." Just because a newer version of something comes out (ahem iPhone 3G), does not always make the previous version obsolete. It's still functional technology. It just makes you envious of others with the newer one.
That being said, I will totally concede that floppy discs are obsolete. A technology whose time in the sun is as behind as dinosaurs, what are you supposed to do with those useless pieces of black plastic? In this age of green, you don't just throw them away — nope, you reuse. Etsy seller tgarcia has refashioned floppy discs into one-of-a-kind, hand-painted necklaces. However you feel about the chic factor, check out the painting: "Here's to you." An excellent farewell to the disc that was floppy.
Geeksugar reader Kimberley emailed me yesterday with a pressing question for any geek: What iPhone case should I get? Only Kimberley's problem is a little different — she doesn't want a sleeve or gel style because her phone won't be going in a purse, instead, she wants something that can hold the phone independently, and to her body.
"A wrist-strap style case doesn't work because I do a lot of things with my hands (carrying books, making copies, organizing documents, etc). I don't wear clothes with pockets or belts every day, either, so a belt-clip style would not suffice. I need to look professional, so a sports-style armband would not do either."
I think I found a good solution, which is actually pretty fashion conscious: Incipio's Bond Street iPhone Holster, which can be worn around the shoulder, or carried by its straps. It's also at a great price point: $25.
To see my other suggestions for Kimberley, just read more
Everyone gets burning questions every once in a while, and it's usually when you're out among your friends and you have a bet to settle. If you don't have a smartphone to whip out and jump onto Wikipedia then Cha Cha is your new, I-told-you-so best friend.
Just text your question to 242-242 (yup, that's "Cha Cha") wait a couple minutes, and then you should receive a text back with the answer. I asked when Apple was founded (for some strange reason, I seem to be reading a lot about this little tech company lately), and I got a text within a few minutes that told me Steve, Steve, and Ron founded their fruit start-up on April 1, 1976.
Technology: Helping you be the know-it-all your mother intended.
I've seen more of these little guys puttering around the city lately — especially since BellaSugar and George Clooney took one for a test drive — and in case you've never spotted one yourself, let me introduce you to the Smart Car! This pint-sized eco car is said to get up to 45 miles per gallon on the highway, and for all you commuters, that means less pain at the pump!
With Nissan announcing Monday that it will follow suit of GM, Ford, and Toyota and scale back on the production of SUVs and turn their focus to more fuel-efficient rides, I think you might be seeing more Smarts and Hybrids on the roads soon. This is certainly good news for not only Mother Earth, but for drivers as well, since hybrids are bound to become more affordable with more of them hitting the roads.
Now full episodes of both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are being streamed online for free via Hulu. — Switched
Vaja (the creators behind the hot iPhone cases) has just released the leather ivolution for the Macbook Air that provides both protection and sleekness. — Unplggd
Wondering what goodies you get with the new iPhone 3G? Not a ton of stuff, just the basics. — Gizmodo
With RepairPal you just enter the make, model and year of your car, your zip code and the type of service your car requires and it will whip up repair estimates, plus provide descriptions about the service and list shops in your area where you can get your car fixed. Users can also leave their feedback about various mechanic shops so you know just what you're getting yourself into before you go — no more getting the wool pulled over your eyes! There's also a neat area on the site where you can keep all your repair records in one place, and it'll also send you service reminders for things like oil changes, and provide safety alerts, recall info and special discount offers. 
Karen Millen
Temperley London
Net-a-Porter