GeekSugar

Biggest News Story: Tech Takes Over the Election

GeekSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:07:13 -0800

Technology and the Internet played an unprecedented role in the 2008 presidential campaign. Blogs and media followed every move, speech, rally and poll while the candidates integrated streaming video and text messages into their campaign strategies. Here's a look back at some of the revolutionary ways technology took over the election.

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Daily Tech: iPhone 2.2 Screenshots Leaked and Lookin' Good

GeekSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:03:29 -0800

Screenshots of the new iPhone 2.2 operating system upgrade have come all the way from European territory and shown off the ability to download 10MB of podcasts over the 3G network. - CrunchGear
Some scientists are starting to say that the Nintendo Wii could help children lose weight. - Telegraph UK
Talk about a stellar Halloween costume! Check out a father and son dressed up as Eve and Wall-E. . . Amazing! - Boing Boing
On a less-than-enjoyable date and wish you can have someone call your phone and rescue you? With the iPhone application Magic Tap, you can pretend to get calls from your mother, Steve Jobs, whoever, all for 99 cents. - PC World
From Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr, the entire world celebrated Barack Obama's win in different ways online. - USA Today

Technology Ushers In a New Era of Campaigning

GeekSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:30:42 -0800

Early on in the election season, I had a feeling I knew which of the two candidates was more tech savvy - Obama sent me a text message to tell me who his running mate would be! Little did I know that both candidates would rely on the vast reaches of the Internet (not to mention video games, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, and Eventful) to connect with people from across America and get them into the voting booths.

I came across a story recently on MSNBC that told me exactly how supporters from both parties got organized on the campaign trail - they totally geeked-out! And for one nominee, it paid off in a big way. Check out this video describing the new way political campaigns can benefit from technology.

Oprah's First-Ever Cell Phone Makes an Appearance

GeekSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:00:44 -0800

One celebrity I never get to use in my regular Match the Celeb With the Cell Phone feature is Oprah Winfrey. Why? Because girlfriend "didn't" have a cell phone - until now! On a recent episode of her show, Oprah revealed to financial guru Suze Orman that she finally got a CELL PHONE! As reluctant as she was to come over to the cell phone dark side, Oprah decided it was time and showed off her latest tech toy at Tuesday's election night victory rally in Chicago.

From what my geeky eyes can see, Oprah either has a shiny and new BlackBerry Bold or a BlackBerry 8830 World Edition model. How cute is the matching case/outfit combo? She's already working the trendy tech accessories! I wonder what made her realize it was time to get techie? Maybe her new found love for the Kindle?

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Last Night's CNN Hologram Technology: Freaky and Amazing

GeekSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:35:09 -0800

During last night's election coverage, I found myself bouncing around from high-def channel to high-def channel, seeing what ABC, CNN, Fox, and MSNBC had to offer. I already knew that CNN correspondent John King would be showcasing election news from the high-tech Multi-Touch Collaboration Wall, but I had no idea CNN would take their techiness to the next level.

Were you as shocked as I was when they showed correspondent Jessica Yellin in "hollographic 3D form?" Turns out this impressive technology was made possible by Vizrt and SportVu with the help of 44 HD cameras and 20 computers. The A+ geekiness award definitely went to CNN last night!

Did you happen to see it in action? What would you think if they used "virtual" correspondents regularly?

Were You Contacted by Pollsters on Your Cellphone?

GeekSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:00:40 -0800

After an epic election season (I'm sure Citizen and Liberty are wanting a vacay right about now), we can look forward to a respite from "blocked" and "unknown" numbers coming in to our landlines and cell phones. Some of those calls may have been from campaign volunteers wanting you to get out the vote, a robo-caller listing off negative points about a certain candidate, or it could have been a pollster asking you who you were likely to vote for.

Previously, likely voter polls were taken mostly from land lines, but in this election, the accuracy of these polls has been argued since a vast number of Americans (myself included) use a cellular as their primary phone. This year, I was not contacted for these likely voter polls on my cell. Were you?

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Will You Follow Tonight's Election Results Online?

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:00:32 -0800

I have an election night ritual: I settle in from work into some cozy pants and slippers, get on the couch, and eat an easy dinner in front of the TV. This year, I will be in front of the TV, but I'll be dividing my time between it and my laptop to watch the election results come in.

Prior to this, I always waited patiently for my newscasters to update me with the latest info, but now with the Internet's reach, I can know the latest as soon as the talking heads do. Like I said, I plan on getting my election coverage from the tube as well as my computer, but are you planning on watching primarily from your TV or the Internet?

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How a US President Is Elected in Plain English

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:15:46 -0800

I know, election, election, election. . . but I can't help it, it's kind of a big deal! Ever wonder how a president is actually elected? From individual voting, state influence, districts, and population, the following geeky video breaks it all down in layman's terms. The video comes to you from the same people who did the awesome Twitter explanation vid!

Prop 8 Opposition Uses Apple's Get a Mac Ad Parody

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:30:16 -0800

Happy Election Day, everybody! If you're a Californian, you're also deciding the fate of gay marriage in this state. There have been a lot of controversial ads, but this is the first geeky one I've seen. This ad's creators, ostensibly opposers of Prop 8, use a parody of Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, casting the Mac character as the open-minded one who's against banning gay marriage.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Do you think the creators were adding additional commentary by making the be-suited PC into the Prop 8 supporter, or was it just the luck of the draw in the satire? Are any PC-loving, Prop 8 opposers offended?

Gap Debuts "Vote For" Buttons For Facebook Profiles

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:00:28 -0800

Well Election Day is finally here, and to commemorate this special occasion, you can pick up some yummy voting treats and pimp your Facebook profile page with Gap's influential and colorful "Vote For" buttons.

To add some to your page, just visit The Gap's Vote For Website, click on the buttons page, then see which ones stand out to you the most. Once you find one that you like, just move your cursor over the button and you should see an option to "Add to Facebook." Once you click on this option, it will navigate you to your Facebook's app page.

What I love about these buttons is the fact that they aren't only great for the election, but they can be used year-round, like one of my faves "Vote For Rollerblading!"