GeekSugar

Daily Tech: The $150 Samsung Highlight Is Here

GeekSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:20:03 PDT

Coming to T-Mobile, the Samsung Highlight is a full touchscreen smartphone - Tech Ticker
Check out 64 modern gadgets redesigned for 1979 - Gizmodo
Honestly, how did Animal Crossing make the cut for one of the most boring video games? - Switched
The Woz appears in old Geeks on Board footage - Boing Boing Gadgets
Steve Jobs gets the go-ahead to dismantle his Spanish colonial mansion - CNN Money

Animal Crossing City Folk For the Wii: New Features, Still Cute

GeekSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:30:12 PST

I'm obviously a big fan of Animal Crossing - having spent hours on end playing Wild World on my DS - I'm happy to say I've already put in some good time with Animal Crossing: City Folk, since its release on Sunday. It's the same game you know and love from before (which could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it), but thankfully there are a few awesome new features on the Wii version that you won't find on any of the other consoles.

One of which is the Wii Speak adapter ($30) that lets you chat with others from around the world via your WiFi connection. Just attach the USB speaker into the Wii and you're off. But the coolest thing about this version has to be the DS import feature. Instead of making a brand new character in City Folk, you can transfer your town from your DS and start where you last left off. I'm totally stoked about that since I've upgraded my house quite a bit. Plus, working for Tom Nook to pay off my mortgage wasn't easy - who wants to start that all over again from scratch?

Animal Crossing City Folk is now available online ($50) or in stores. But here's a tip: pick the game and microphone bundle from Amazon for $70 - you'll save ten bucks!

Nighttime Fasting: A New Way to Lose Weight?

Shape — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:09:52 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health.

If you couldn’t let anything cross your lips from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., but you were allowed to eat anything you wanted for eight hours a day and still lose weight, would you try it? That’s the apparent bottom line of a rat study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, which recently stirred up the weight loss pot.

Top 50 Summer Diet Foods for Weight Loss

Scientists put groups of mice on different diet regimens for 100 days. One group of rodents ate healthy food while animals in two of the groups chowed down on high-fat, high-calorie feed. Half of the junk food eaters were allowed to munch whenever they wanted to while the others only had access to feed for the eight hours they were most active. The conclusion: even though they ate a fatty diet, the mice who were forced to fast for 16 hours were almost as lean as those who ate the healthy fare. Interestingly, the round the clock junk food eaters became obese and developed health problems, even though they consumed about the same amount of fat and calories as the time-restricted junk food fed mice.

See if a nutritionist thinks nighttime fasting works after the break!

Turtles Are Tortoise-ly Awesome!

Sara Yoo — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:00:00 PDT

The sight of a sea turtle gracefully gliding through the ocean or a tortoise contentedly munching on greens warms an animal lover's heart. But these visions may soon be distant memories. Today's World Turtle Day seeks to create awareness of the animal's vanishing habitats around the world and to draw attention to the inhumane treatment of turtles as pets and food sources.

Whether you're considering a turtle as a pet or simply encountering these shelled critters in day-to-day life, American Tortoise Rescue, the sponsor of World Turtle Day, hopes that we can all help in preserving and promoting our reptilian friends by observing a few easy guidelines.

Don't buy a turtle or tortoise from a pet store, as it increases demand for wild animals. Instead, contact a local animal shelter or turtle rescue to adopt a turtle in need.
Don't remove a turtle or tortoise from the wild unless it's sick or injured.
If you see a turtle or tortoise crossing a busy street, then pick it up to help it across, but point it in the same direction it was originally heading. Turtles are headstrong creatures: even if you point it in the opposite direction, it will eventually return to its previous course - and straight back into danger!

For a few more tips to celebrate World Turtle Day, just keep reading.

First Look! Over 80 Photos of Ann Taylor's Cool French-Girl-Inspired Fall 2012 Preview

Marisa Tom — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:29:34 PDT

For Fall 2012, Ann Taylor's head designer Lisa Axelson crossed the pond and took to the banks of the Seine, to the cozy-chic cafés of Montmartre, and to the gardens of the Tuileries. The result? An autumnal collection not only reminiscent of her travels, but also totally inspired by la femme jolie. Apart from the brand's signature animal-print wares (this time, in a digital dalmatian iteration), we spotted pretty peplum tops paired with colorful pencil skirts and patterned trousers with striped blouses for the Parisian girl on the go; '60s boxy gamine peacoats and styled and cropped fur capes with retro tweed separates fit for the refined fashionista; and an ethereal capsule of black-and-white wedding pieces for the bride-to-be. On the accessories front, Ann Taylor proved its cool-girl status with a plethora of covetable cold-weather must haves, showing off leather two-toned crossbody bags, printed calf-hair ankle boots, pointy T-strap heels, slick bow-tie belts, and bold-hued felt fedoras. Want to see what else Ann Taylor has in store for Fall? Just click the slideshow to see over 80 photos of the new collection.

The Siku Cam: A Live Show So Cute We Can't Bear It

Sara Yoo — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:00:00 PST

Siku fever has hit, and we'll admit it: we're afflicted! The lovable baby polar bear is just 3 months old, but he's already claimed the hearts of animal lovers, environmentalists, and fans of cute. We've seen plenty of adorable photos, but if like us, you just can't get enough, now through a joint effort between Explore.org and Polar Bears International, you can watch Siku live!

Every day from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. EST, the un-bear-ably cute baby polar will appear live via high-definition video from his home at Denmark's Scandinavian Wildlife Park. The live cam's backers hope that he will become an ambassador for his roughly 25,000 relatives remaining in the wild whose survival is threatened by the melting of polar ice. Siku, whose name means "sea ice," would like us all to remember to shrink our carbon footprint in the hopes of saving the polar bears' Arctic home!

For five easy ways you and your pet can help reduce carbon emissions, just keep reading.

10 Most Beautiful Travel Adventures to Take Around the World

Emily Co — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:26 PST

I don't know about you, but I'm always dreaming about my next trip and I'm often scouring the web for exciting new vacation destinations. Although travel can get expensive, it definitely has its benefits. It's a great educational and cultural experience for people and it helps people learn more about the world and think outside of the box.

When you're planning your next trip, consider one of these 10 most beautiful travel spots. You might want to add them to your bucket list!

Source: Flickr User muha...

Maldives

Famous for being the ultimate luxury-honeymoon getaway, the Maldives is made up of 1,192 islands (200 of which are inhabited) located in the Indian Ocean. It is the smallest Asian country and also the flattest country in the world. Known for its crystal-clear water and colorful and varied marine life, the Maldives is definitely a beautiful escape.

Source: Flickr User daretothink

African Safari

If you had to pick just one travel adventure, you'll be hard-pressed to find a something more exciting than the wildebeest migration. Stay in a tent, lodge, or hotel in Kenya or another African country along the migration route and watch the large herd cross the plain or battle hungry crocodiles during a river crossing.

Read on for more beautiful travel spots.

Geeks We Love: Maia Kayser, Lead Animator at ILM

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:02:44 PST

ILM lead animator, Maia Kayserr, sat down with me last week to give us an inside look at the making of Rango, and while it seems that this particular project was unique in the way it was made, the life of a feature film animator is one that requires a lot of skill, patience, and a good sense of humor.

Maia was first interested in studying medicine, but after seeing Jurassic Park, she was turned on to a career in animation: "I was really fascinated with the idea of making something look so real, basically giving it life on the screen." So she headed to school in Germany to study computer arts; 10 years and 14 films later, Maia got the chance to head up the animation team for the character Beans, and says that Rango has been the most fulfilling experience of her career thanks to the solid relationships that have developed between team members. Find out what she has to say about becoming an animator, "cartoons" for adults, and whether or not ILM will be working on more animated films in the future after the break.

Walk, Don't Talk: Follow My Lead to Keep Other Dogs at Bay

PetSugar — Tue, 31 May 2011 05:40:42 PDT

If you've ever dealt with a pup with leash aggression, I know this issue tugs at you. Even the most wiggly, happily wagging tail dog can turn into a whole different animal when approached by another pet on leash. While it's easy to say - directed at the dog, but loud enough for the other person to hear - "No, we can't say 'hi' right now" - there are a few nonverbal signals you can give, or read, when it comes to an on the street meet 'n greet:

Shorten a leash. The quickest way to let a stranger know to keep her dog away is if you quickly shorten the leash, either a retractable, or grabbing the standard lead in a spot closer to the dog's collar with the opposite hand (as seen here). Likewise, you can simply scoop up a small pooch. Both signals let others know that you would prefer to keep your pet closer to you.

Change hands. If you're walking with a dog closest to other pedestrians, simply position the dog on the opposite side of the approaching dog so it's harder for the pup to see and attempt to tug towards the other dog, putting more distance between them.
Cross the street. Another option is to cross the street entirely, or walk and stop in between parked cars until the person passes by, eliminating any contact whatsoever.

Gnomeo & Juliet: Family Film Tops the Clever Chart

Heather Maddan — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:29:05 PST

Go gnome this weekend! I'm not a fan of watching movies more than once, but I've already seen Gnomeo & Juliet twice (Disney flew me down for the premiere). And I can't wait to take my kids and see the animated musical again from their perspective. As a mom, I take a chance every time I head to the theater with my three children - ages 6, 4, and 1 - and cross my fingers that my littlest guy sits still. If any film can create the glue to keep him in his seat, it's this movie. Based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this quirky 3D version involves British garden gnomes, Elton John cameos, and an upbeat soundtrack, but it also artfully delivers the message that love conquers all in a more positive and age-appropriate fashion than the penned original. Gnomeo & Juliet does so by being clever.

The highlights of this movie are all in the details - from the clinking sound that occurs when the adorable gnomes touch to a well-choreographed, romantic ninja scene. The film fully embraces the entire family because as much as it caters to children with its animated eye candy, there's also plenty of over-their-heads innuendo to keep adults laughing heartily. I don't want to give anything else away, but if you're looking for a feel-good and engaging family flick, buy tickets.