GeekSugar

A Few Geeky Tips For Black Friday Survival and Success

GeekSugar — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:00:33 -0800

If you're getting your shop-on for Black Friday, be sure to check out some of my favorite deals and tips before you head out. Once you're out braving the crowds, here are a few geeky shopping tips I've pulled together to help you out during the thrill of the hunt for the perfect bargains.

Unsure you've found the best deal? Text Google to find the best prices while you're at the store.
Do you use a Twitter app on your phone? Create a unique hash tag for friends and family who are also shopping in the area, and post awesome deals and finds while you're shopping. You can easily divide and conquer the sales without sending a flurry of text messages to everyone individually.
Trying to avoid the lines? Many stores, like the Apple store are offering special online-only deals, so your crowd-braving friends won't be the only ones scoring great deals.
Roads near malls and other shopping outlets can get pretty congested, so try one of these apps for tracking traffic on the go with your cell phone.

I'm planning on hitting a sale or two myself, so if you have any tips to share, please post them in the comments below!

Geek Tip: Avoid Extra Holiday Pounds With Lose It

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:50:45 -0800

For me, part of gearing up for the holiday season is the realization that I'm going to overindulge in holiday goodies from time to time. While this time of year isn't the best for trying to shed extra pounds, there's still benefit in watching what I'm eating - even if I allow myself a few "cheat" days here and there. Lose It! is an iPhone app that tracks caloric and nutritional intake as well as calories burned by exercise, giving you a calorie budget for the day.

First, enter your starting weight, your goal weight (if you want to lose, that is), height, and birth date, and the app figures how many calories you need to lose a few pounds or maintain your current weight. Then, enter exactly what you've eaten that day (you can search by meal, favorite foods, previous meals, even brand name foods from supermarkets and restaurants) and any exercise you've done. The app tracks your daily, weekly, and monthly caloric intake, factoring any exercise into the equation.

I'm certainly not shooting for any serious weight loss before January (hello pumpkin pie!), but it will be nice to know how many calories I'm consuming during non"cheat" days.

Geek Tip: Control Your Computer From Anywhere With an App

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:45:11 -0800

There have been those times where I really needed some info off of my home computer but am nowhere near it to access it. Now with my iPhone and a spare $25 for an app, I can! The app is called Jaadu and like a magic wand, it allows you to access your home computer from anywhere in the world. An easy setup lets you control your mouse on your Mac, Windows, or Linux home system, and modifier menus let you control up/down/left/right arrows for easy navigation. Plus, there's a cheaper version that comes with less features, so if you just need to peep a few files, $1 should get you there.

Geek Tip: Make and Share Lists Online

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:56 -0800

Now is the perfect time for me to introduce you to Listography - it's going to become so helpful when you're shopping for holiday gifts. The question "What do you want for Christmas?" is so five years ago when you have a network of family on Listography, since it lets you create your own wish lists and share with your friends online. No more tracking down that toy robot for your cousin Nate; since he's got an online list, he can share what he wants, and where to buy it.

But even after the holidays, Listography can be helpful when planning vacations, moves, or tackling that bucket list, which you can access from anywhere online.

Find the Distance Between Two Points With a Google Mashup

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:05:26 -0800

When you use Google Maps, the distance you're getting from point A to B is in driving, walking, or public transportation terms. But, if you just need to find the distance between two points on a map, then check out this cool Google Map mashup: Distance From To. It works just like Google Maps where you put in your starting and ending point, and gives you exact distance in kilometers and miles, but leaves out all that messy info like turn-by-turn directions and traffic. Besides, who needs traffic anyway?

Geek Tip: Take a Self Portrait With Your iPhone

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:50:24 -0800

One of my favorite iPhone features is its camera. It's of impressive quality for a cell phone camera, and has gotten successively better with each generation of iPhone released. Add the plethora of accessories meant to enhance the iPhone's camera and applications to enhance your photos, and my iPhone can produce better photos than my camera. But even with all of the additional bells and whistles, there was one thing I thought my iPhone camera couldn't do: take self-portraits. In fact, I thought the only real way to take a self-portrait was with a mirror, with the back of the iPhone in full view.

Sure, we joke about the famous self-portrait photos that show up all too often as Facebook profile pictures, the telltale extended arm in the photo holding the camera above eye level. But taking a self-portrait with an iPhone seemed nearly impossible; holding the phone in one hand, trying to tap the right place on the screen where the camera button is located, nearly dropping the phone on the ground. (Not that I've, um, tried this or anything).

But the iPhone self-portrait is possible! To find out how, read more.

The iPhone camera doesn't take the photo when you press the camera button, it snaps the image when you release it. So, in order to take a self portrait, open the camera function and place your finger on the camera button, but don't release. Then, you can turn the phone around, extend your arm, and take the shot. No more blurry photos or iPhone-in-the-mirror shots. Even more helpful? Make sure your phone is out of silent mode, so you'll hear the "click" of the shutter's release. Smile!

Do you have a helpful iPhone tip you'd love to share? Join our iPhone Tips group where you can share your tip and tell us why you love it so much. And your handy tip or trick could be featured on GeekSugar! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

DirecTV Customers: Set Your DVR With Your iPhone

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:30:29 -0800

I'm not sure how I lived without a DVR - though I've only had it for a few years, it's a convenience that I don't think I can live without! I've already told you how to program your TiVo online, and now DirecTV subscribers can set their DVRs on the go. The DirecTV iPhone App for iPhone allows you to access and edit your account and recording schedule.

Sign into the free application using your DirecTV account to access and change your preset recordings and schedule new recordings from your phone. You can also customize the application to include only channels you receive within its listed shows. Even if you're not a DirecTV customer, you can use the app to search current shows by channel, title, or date and time, plus read episode information and summaries.

Similar to TiVo's disclaimer that the service isn't guaranteed to be error-free, the app does include a warning that "in rare instances, scheduled recordings may not be recognized," so if you're recording something super important, it's best to program that from home.

Geek Tip: Make Your TiVo's Progress Disappear Faster

GeekSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:40:59 -0800

Although I think you should get a TiVo for more than just to watch the tube, there are some minor things I wish I could change about the player. For example, the status bar on the bottom of the screen - it takes forever to disappear! Now some of you may think I'm being overly dramatic, but really, it takes a while, no?

So when you can't take it anymore, just enter this sequence on your remote: Select, Play, Select, Pause, Select, which should take care of your lagging status bar for good.

10 More Blackberry Tips and Tricks!

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:50:21 -0800

I had you at Blackberry, didn't I? Although I'm addicted to my iPhone, there's a special place in my heart for my Crackberry. We've had a lot of fun times together, so I must pay homage to the newer phones that have hit the market and show you even more cool tips and tricks you may not know about. New to the BlackBerry game? Check out my first tip installment from last year, and then click on, my Blackberry comrades.

View Slideshow ›

Geek Tip: Control Your iPod While Your iPhone Is Locked

GeekSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:05:20 -0800

It's time for another iPhone tip I wish I'd known about much sooner. Today's revelation: you are able to control the iPod on your iPhone even while the phone is locked.

If your phone is locked but you'd like to listen to music, double click the home button. It pulls up simple iPod controls: play, skip forward, and skip backwards. (The double click also works to bring up these same simple controls if your phone isn't locked.)

You can also use the headphones to control your iPod. Honestly, I didn't realize the small microphone included on the headphones is also a button, but it's extremely convenient to use if your phone is in your bag or pocket. When listening to your iPod, clicking the button on the headphones once plays or pauses the current song. Pressing twice skips to the next track. The headphones included with the new 3GS phones also have volume controls, but these headphone shortcuts work with both 3G and 3GS headphones.