GeekSugar

Oscar Worthy Gadgets: Cameras in Blood Diamond

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:16:09 -0800

In Blood Diamond Academy Award-winner Jennifer Connelly plays Maddy Bowen, an American journalist who gets caught up in the story of two men, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou, in search of a rare pink diamond. The film is set in 1990's Sierra Leone and filled with civil war and conflict, which Connelly's character captures on a fancy Leica camera.

According to camera fans, Connelly's character uses an M6 Classic and a 35mm Summicron. However, the sound director dubbed an SLR sound whenever Connelly took a photo. For more Blood Diamond photos - Leo has an awesome watch!- and another filming goof, read more

View 3 Photos ›

Filming goof: An arrival scene at Cape Town International Airport shows yellow posters in the background advertising 3G video cellphones. 3G technology was not available when the story was set.

Have you filled out your Oscar ballot? The winner will score a fabulous Prada bag, runners-up will get $50 to $500 gift cards Neiman Marcus, Sephora and The Apple Store. Get your votes in! Good luck! For official rules click here.

Source

How to Buy an Engagement Ring Online

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:02:31 -0700

Online shopping can be daunting, especially if the item in question is something you want to ensure the authenticity of, like a Wii, a designer handbag, and yes. . . an engagement ring.

I know some of you are groaning about who or why someone would shop online for something so important, but the practice is rising in popularity as shops are becoming more trustworthy and offering better deals, not to mention the fact that the Internet promises something more rare than the cheesy jewelry store at your local mall.

Buying and browsing online for rings is great whether you're the proposer or the proposee - say you're waiting for a proposal but don't want to march in to your local jewelry stores - it's totally ok (and incognito) to check out rings and styles to find what you like. For the tips, read more

My personal favorite kinds of engagement rings are antiques, which can be hard to come by at brick-and-mortar stores, depending on where you live. A good friend of mine proposed last year with a gorgeous and one of a kind antique ring he'd found online, and then had it resized for his fiancee.

Or maybe there's a large, specific retailer (Tiffany's comes to mind, and goosebumps come to arms) that you want a ring from but can't make it to a location.

Here are some important things to keep in mind:

Like any ring shopping, do your research first on the four C's: Cut, clarity, carats, and color. Blue Nile has a great, comprehensive guide for you to bone up on your ring knowledge.
The website Pricescope reviews and compares diamond prices of Internet stores and physical stores - a great second stop after you've gotten your four C's class.
Look for GIA certification for any diamond - it's a gemologist's grade of the quality of the diamond.

Tiffany & Co.: It's Tiffany, so prices and standards are going to be higher, but like I said, if you can't get to an actual store, online is a great source, especially because you don't have to worry about the quality.
Antique Rings: Swoon! I love the idea of an engagement ring with history, and it's also a socially conscious choice. Some sites are: the Antique Jewelry Mall, Art Deco Diamonds (my fave for the photography), and don't count out eBay - just be smart about the seller.
Brilliant Earth: This awesome site specializes in conflict-free diamonds and if you don't necessarily want one of their rings, you can buy the loose conflict-free diamond and shop for a setting elsewhere. If you don't use Brilliant Earth, at least read the buying guide so you can learn to avoid "blood diamonds." Green Karat is another conscious online retailer - they use recycled gold.
Blue Nile: A reputable seller that boasts personal proposal stories from buyers (awww) and uses PayPal!
James Allen: Here, you can design your own ring (including a 3-D video of what you design) and use a virtual loupe (the thingie you use to inspect diamonds closely). Bonus: download diamond screen savers (for Windows only)!
Diamond Ideals: features a no-questions-asked return policy and a lifetime upgrade policy.
White Flash: offers free verification and free shipping.

And of course, do a lot of research on the piece and any retailer you might use prior to clicking "add to cart"! Oh, and, congratulations!

Source

Eco-fy Your Wedding!

GeekSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:30:12 -0700

In honor of Earth Day (and wedding planning week here on the Sugar Network) I thought it would be a grand idea to serve you up some easy and simple ways to make your wedding just a bit more earth friendly from a geek's perspective. These days, getting down with protecting Mother Earth can be simple.

From your wedding shower, to the big event and to all the details in between - from flower and utensil selection to reducing your meal's carbon footprint by choosing local food and beverages - little changes like this can certainly help our planet and our pocketbooks! Making your wedding eco friendly has never been more simple (and surprisingly) cost effective. Besides, wouldn't you rather spend all that extra cash on the honeymoon, or better yet? That flat screen HDTV you've been eyeing? Go, Earth!

Invites - We've already talked about some great wedding websites like ewedding that you can set up at little or no cost. The best part, since all of your ceremony and reception information is in one place, no one will be losing the details on your big day. And since your guests can RSVP directly on the site at any time, there really isn't any need for paper invites anymore. Another option is to create a DVD wedding invite - high tech, yet super simple to make! However, if you are a traditionalist and want to send out your dream monogrammed paper invitations, make sure your paper is 100 percent recycled or even paper free like what's offered at Atlanta based Earthly Affair, who offer recycled invites as well as eco friendly printing and shipping.

For a few more tips, read more

Favors - No more mint candies in little bags from the earth friendly couple! There are lots of online options for some pretty unique and planet saving wedding favors. For example, The Arbor Day Foundation offers gift trees for your guests to plant, and nurture, just like your marriage! Or, you can send your guests away knowing that you have donated funds in their name to a charity of your choice, with the help of great charities like I Do Foundation.
Go Green With Transportation - Why take separate vehicles and burn all those fossil fuels when you can double, even or triple-up in something like a stretch limo? Or better yet, rent lots of hybrid cars instead of getting that earth un-friendly hummer your hubby has been longing for.
Rings - Sorry to be a "Debbie Downer," but If you haven't seen the film Blood Diamond, I suggest you take a gander before purchasing that rock you've dreamed of since you were a little girl. Times have changed and it's imperative that you make sure you aren't getting a diamond at the cost of someone's life! Research where your diamonds come from before you buy, whether it's online or from a store, or even consider going for a man made gem. Also, since mining for gold does a number on the earth's ecosystems, consider recycling your old rings that you aren't wearing, and turning them into a new piece that you can enjoy forever through a company called GreenKarat that does just that. By reusing gold or silver you already have, you can make your new rings as geeky, or as traditional as you'd like, and help reduce mining damage!
Go Digital! - Why do it the old school way and waste tons of rolls of (toxic) film when you can go digital?! With digital cameras, you can easily email your captured memories to friends and family, or upload them to lovely digital photo frames! Simple, easy on the environment and super cheap!

For more wedding coverage, check out I Do Sugar.

Source

Tiffany & Co.'s Gold and Diamond Camera Charm Bracelet

GeekSugar — Sat, 31 May 2008 09:00:20 -0700

I'm not typically the kind of girl who is drawn to Tiffany & Co., but when they make such a geeky item, it's an obvious play for my affections!

This Camera Charm Bracelet is 18-carat gold with a little diamond for the lens - that actually rotates. Way too rich for my blood though - $1,500 for the charm alone, and another $1,500 for the chain. Yikes! I guess if you're the kind of girl who drops two grand on an YSL laptop bag, then you're the audience for this.

Still, it's worth a great big sigh, isn't it?

Leica Mini Digital Camera

GeekSugar — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 07:00:50 -0800

The Leica Mini Digital Camera is perfect for all of us who drooled over Jennifer Connelly's fancy Leica camera in last year's Blood Diamond or the uber chic Leica M8 Scarlett Johansson used on the set of a Woody Allen project.

As you can see from the picture, the mini camera looks just like the real thing, but instead of costing at least $4,795 on Amazon, this one costs a mere $225. And yes, it works. The device is part of Minox's Classic Camera series and is a miniaturized Leica M3, a 5.0 Megapixel digital camera.

View 4 Photos ›

Lindsay Lohan Plays With A Pink Leica Digicam

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:00:29 -0700

Lindsay Lohan couldn't resist having some one-on-one time with a pink Leica digital camera at the flagship Charlotte Ronson store in Tokyo on Friday. She must have borrowed it from a friend, as this trendy pink cam isn't available in the US just yet. Want something similar? Check out the new Leica C-Lux 2, an ultra compact camera which is super tiny and chic (but unfortunately not pink). To see more pics of Lindsay experimenting with flash photography, read more

View 3 Photos ›

A brand loved by photographers, movie stars and Hollywood movie-makers, Jennifer Connelly sported a fancy Leica camera in last year's Blood Diamond movie, where she played an American journalist on assignment in war torn Sierra Leon.

Source