GeekSugar

British Mac Adds Called "Too Smug"

GeekSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:00:04 -0700

Unless you're a real Mac fanatic, or have taken a trip to the UK lately, you probably haven't seen the new UK "Get A Mac" ads, which seem to be stirring up some controversy for how they portray PC users. Says Macworld UK: "These include ‘Naughty Step’ where PC suggests that doing fun stuff should be punishable; ‘Magic’ where PC exchanges a file with Mac to much funfair; and ‘Court’ which examines how easy it is to make a photo book." Seen here, a US Mac ad and a UK Mac ad, side-by-side.

According to the Macworld article, YouGov's BrandIndex indicated that the public’s opinion of Apple has been less favorable since the ads began to air in the UK. Apparently, people think the British Mac character has given the impression that Mac users are "too smug." Check out more "smug" images below, read more

I think part of the charm of the Mac ads is the fact that the Mac is a bit smug and snarky, but maybe that's just me. Anyone think they are offensive enough to "change your favor?"

View 5 Photos ›

For an even more "smug" look at the ads, check out this funny mash up of the British and US ads.

Natasha Bedingfield Loves Tech Toys

GeekSugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:45:57 -0700

Last night I had the pleasure of checking out the second concert in the Grammy Celebration Concert Tour presented by T-Mobile Sidekick here in San Francisco, where N.E.R.D and Natasha Bedingfield hit the stage. I caught up with Natasha backstage before the show to talk about tech, her love for gadgets, and find out if her new hubby is into tech as much as she is. Here's what the British beauty had to say:

GS: Being the official spokesperson for Boogie Superstar for the Wii, does this mean you're an avid gamer?

NB: Well I particularly like the Wii; I like the fact that it gets people moving. My main gripe with video games is where people stay on their butts all day long. If you do it all day, then you're gonna look like you do it all day, and that's the thing I like about the Wii, it gets people moving.

GS: Would you say you are much of a gadget girl?

NB: I am a gadget girl. I've got my essentials that I take everywhere with me. I have a Mac and so many other gadgets. Normally my husband who knows every name of every product of the latest models, and maybe that's a guy thing, but I know what they do and I value them. I have a Canon camera that I love taking pictures with wherever I go.

To find out what kind of cell phone Natasha uses, and to see how she feels about celebrities Twittering and using Facebook, just read more.

GS: Apple or PC?

NB: I have had a PC, but I do like Apple. Once you get use to it, you can't really go back. But I do like both.

GS: What cell phone are you using right now?

NB: I use a BlackBerry. I don't like the iPhone that much, but I'm waiting for the next one to come out. There are certain things that you can't do with an iPhone that you can do with a BlackBerry. I type really fast on the BlackBerry, and have difficulty with the iPhone because of my fingernails. I love how you can zoom in and zoom out; it's really good technology, but they are going to have to tweak it.

GS: So by the sounds of it, your husband is really into tech as well?

NB: He's really into tech. If I have a new gadget, he's the first one to take it out of the box and try it out. I was given the Kindle for Christmas and I haven't even tried it yet, and he was the first one to use it. He spends hours doing research on new gadgets.

GS: How do you feel about so many celebrities jumping on board with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter?

NB: Well I like it because I was never really good at fan mail. I love the fact that now you can just have instant contact with your fans you can tell them when a gig is, I just think it makes it really interactive and it feels more personal. I like MySpace and Facebook because I think it's more healthy for people to be on their own sites - you can just send a bulletin or note to them rather than just post it on your own website. It's like they have their own little network.

Reader Profile: Global Geek tdamji Talks Tech

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:00:52 -0700

What makes geeksugar readers so great? The fact that they span the globe. This week's reader profile allows you some insight into the world of tdamji, a certified Interior Decorator and Lighting Expert and visual artist currently getting a degree in Indigenous Art History and Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

When she's not commenting on geeksugar she can be found gaming on the wii (Zelda is her favorite game so far) and Nintendo DS (she's all about Pokemon Pearl), reading, writing letters to penpals, surfing the net, going for walks, and watching tons of movies. She's lived in four countries - the USA, Canada, India and her most recent home New Zealand. She racked up some serious geek cred with us by admitting the Lord of the Rings trilogy was "a big reason why I came to New Zealand on exchange this year."

To read the complete interview, read more

Geeksugar: How did you learn about the site and when did you start reading?
tdamji: I came across geeksugar quite a few times on other gadgety sites. I started reading regularly about 8 weeks ago and signed up at that point. At first I mainly looked at geeksugar and buzzsugar, but now I pretty much look at everything.

Geeksugar: Do you consider yourself to be a geek? If so, why?
tdamji: Absolutely! My brother has been calling me a geek every since I can remember - so there's no other way for me to be, really.

Geeksugar: How many hours are you online everyday?
tdamji:I am a multi-tasker, so I am not exclusively online for 8 or more hours a day, because I tend to do homework, read, write letters and sometimes eat in front of my computer.

Geeksugar: Name your top 5 favorite websites.
tdamji: Apart from the Sugar Network (I won't play favorites - although its easy to figure out which of the particular sections I most actively visit!), I most enjoy visiting CBC for great news coverage and an interesting arts/ entertainment section with well-written articles, Grist, and fborfw because I can't get enough of Lynn Johnston's comic characters. I've been reading For Better or For Worse for years now and I love seeing everyone grow up! Livejournal, which I use to keep my penpals updated on the goings on in my life (I also like to see what people on the UBC and Vancouver blogs have to say/complain about.

Geeksugar: Your first computer was a ...
tdamji: An Apple IIe, but I can't remember the date. It was maybe 20 years ago. I believe we had another computer at the same time at our house. The Apple was in the office of my mom's montessori. Luckily, I spent a lot of time there - playing California Games among other things.

Geeksugar: Top 3 gadgets you couldn't live without.
tdamji: MacBook, Nintendo ds, ipod (good for drowning out the noise on the walk or bus ride to school!)...unless my Nintendo wii counts as a gadget, and then it would be a hard choice!

Geeksugar: You knew you were a geek when...
tdamji: When I was in elementary school I often gave my homeroom teacher notes saying that I was interested in this or that and got permission to go to the library during homeroom for personal research... also, later on in Junior High I got caught skipping class to hit the stacks!

Geeksugar: How many blogs are in your RSS reader?
tdamji: I do it old-school and just go to the websites everyday - there are about 40 websites in my "dailies" folder. I love opening up at least 10 windows at once with lots of pictures on them and pushing the limits, seeing if Safari will quit on me.

Geeksugar: What are some non-geeky things you do in your spare time?
tdamji:I love to hike and travel, although being a geek helps with both - I am always well-prepared with all the information and gadgets I need! I also love checking out the vegan/vegetarian restaurants wherever I travel.

Geeksugar: Who do you think are the top 5 sexiest male geeks in the world?
tdamji: Greg my bestfriend of 10 years/roommate of 7 years, David Suzuki (Canadian environmentalist), Masi Oka (He not only plays a geek on Heroes, but is one in real life!), Jean-Luc Picard and John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness).

Geeksugar: Who do you think are the top 5 sexiest female geeks in the world?
tdamji: Anne Shirley(for being book-geeky as well as a feminist), Hermione Granger (for being very book-geeky), Frida Kahlo (for being politically active, and being an outsider in the art world among other things), Boomer/Athena/Lt. Valerii from BSG (how can you get geekier than being a toaster?) and Marie Curie.

Geeksugar: PC or Mac?
tdamji:Once you go Mac, you never go back. My best friend turned me on to the whole Mac as a personal computer concept almost 7 years ago. I had had one when I was young but it quickly became outdated and we always had a PC at home. I moved out and got my first very own Mac - a powerbook g4 in 2001.

Geeksugar: Did you already get or are you going to get an iPhone?
tdamji: Despite the fact that I have no use for a cell phone and I already have a music/video playing device in my ipod, I must admit that I really want one!

Geeksugar: Anything else you want to share?
tdamji: I recently started a group on Teamsugar: Minimal Harm - For the Love of the Planet, which I'm pretty excited about! Going along with my vegan lifestyle, I am passionate about environmental and social issues.

Tech News Roundup - $6,299 Hello Kitty Robot

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:00:03 -0700

My Hello Kitty love is reserved to pencils, stationery and cell phone charms, so the idea of purchasing a Hello Kitty robot that's meant to keep a child company kind of freaks me out. 6,299 Hello Kitty Robot Replaces Good Parenting - Gizmodo
Pimping out your YouTube page is almost as fun as pimping out your TeamSugar page. Almost. Youtube: Customize your player - Lifehacker
Christmas comes but once a year, but that doesn't mean the merry making machinery slows down when the sun is out. We wish you a merry Mopod - Shiny Shiny
Sometimes I think we gadget lovers have taken things a bit too far. The folks over at Crave agree. Back in my day, karaoke-equipped duffel bags were not cool. At all. - Crave
It's high time we all clean up our gadget messes. Box for your computer doodads - Popgadget
A 19-year-old British girl will serve four years in jail for crashing into and killing a 64-year-old grandmother, while texting. Teen Imprisoned for TXTing While Driving - Switched
Oh those mac geeks. They'll think of anything. Psycho Hack: Mac Mini Becomes Custom Newspaper Vending Machine - Cult of Mac

LG Around The World: Same Devices, Different Look

GeekSugar — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:00:39 -0700

When it comes to advertising and marketing there's no one recipe that satiates and titillates all cultures and what works in one country can come off as crude, confusing or darn right silly in another. The British "Mac or PC" ads, which are similar to those aired in the US but laced with British humor, were called "too smug" and reportedly made Apple a "less favorable" company with the UK public. So what does that difference in cultural subtitles look like in other countries? Our resident geek spy chuger snapped this photo of an LG ad, which features retro doll-like characters chatting on their phones, in a shopping mall in Korea. The campaign is a world away from this recent American LG ad, which features simple phones and very little "story." Which do you prefer?

To check out close ups of the ad or to share your funny ads from around the world, read more

View 5 Photos ›

Have you been to a geeky museum exhibit recently or run across funny gadgets or ads while traveling? Share your photos, news, reviews and tips with geeksugar in the Geeky Things I Love group and I'll feature my favorites on the homepage. I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Geeky Things I Love
Click "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
Choose "Blog"
Give your photo a Title
Leave the category as "general"
Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this post was "museum, Lego")
Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture telling me why you love the download, do it before the code that has appeared.
Click Submit

So join the Geeky Things I Love and start sharing your finds. They might end up on the geeksugar homepage!