GeekSugar

Should Posting an Inappropriate Comment Get You Fired?

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:45:00 -0800

Remember the state representative from Kentucky who wanted to ban anonymous Internet commenters? I wonder what he'd think about this story: A teacher in St. Louis was fired for a comment he left on a news story that ran on a newspaper website. The author of the article, titled "What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever eaten? And did you like it?" was not amused by the comment (which, to be fair, was pretty vulgar) and tracked down the commenter's IP address.

After realizing the comment came from a local school, he contacted them immediately, thinking it must have come from a student. Turns out it was posted by a teacher, and when confronted about it, he resigned. The reporter is pretty unapologetic, and judging by the 16 pages of comments on the follow-up article, people have strong opinions on the subject.

When I asked, most of you thought banning anonymous comments was a bad idea. What do you think about this case?

Tech Dating 101: He CC'd Me on an Email to His Mom

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:33:45 -0800

A friend of mine needs some advice: last week, her brand-new boyfriend (we're taking days here, not even weeks) wrote an email list of gifts he wanted for Christmas, sent it to his mom, and CC'd my friend. To be fair, my friend did ask him to send her his Christmas wish list, but she never expected him to send the same list to his mother at the same time.

She's a little freaked out because she thinks this is a sign of him moving too quickly. On the flip side, he is very close to his mother, and maybe he just thought he'd kill two birds with one stone by sending one email instead of two. Then again, now his mom has my friend's email address. . .even though the two are weeks away from actually meeting face-to-face. So of course my friend asks me, "What do I do? Do I reply to both of them? Do I write him back at all?"

I must admit, giving her advice on this problem kind of stumped me. I'm torn between a couple of responses; to see what they are (and help me out!), read more

Potential advice A: Reply all with a short and sweet "Thanks for the heads up!" and let it go. This requires giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, which I'm not quite sure is the right move here, but I think it could be the way to go. See if his mom responds. Chances are, she knows her son well enough to know his intentions. Maybe he's even done it before. The only caveat: if she responds to you, you're stuck. You can't ignore an email from mom, which means being prepared for any kind of wacky proposal, from her asking what gift you're planning on buying him to suggesting going halfsies on something together.

Potential advice B: Don't respond to the email. Address it with him in person as soon as possible. Tell him it made you uncomfortable, and tell him why it made you uncomfortable. You'll have to tread delicately since I'm guessing he doesn't realize what a big deal this is to you. Explain that even though it might have been a to-the-point email, it makes you uncomfortable to be included on the same thread as his mother.

Potential advice C: Run. Fast. In the other direction.

Just kidding on the last one - but help a girl out! What's the best solution to the problem?

Do you have a Love 2.0 question you want answered? Join the Tech Dating 101 because we understand that love and dating are stressful and the Internet and social networking sites can just make things worse. You never know, your question 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.

Do You Snap Pics at Concerts Despite No Camera Rules?

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:44:30 -0800

It's safe to say that if you have a cell phone, you've probably snapped a few photos at a concert to post on Facebook or to send as an accompaniment to a tweet. And although the typical "no photos/camera" rule seems pretty archaic in these days of super-powerful and slim digital point-and-shoot cameras, some bands and venues don't allow cameras of any kind during their shows, while others only allow small, digital versions.

For me, if I'm taking pictures or video of an artist at a concert, it's for my own memory and nostalgia. But the fear for bands and venues is that if you have a camera, you might sell your photos for a profit. I know how small cameras can be now, so for a venue to intensively check each person for a camera (not to mention a camera phone) seems pretty impossible, especially when the sleek Sony Powershot is smaller than my BlackBerry. This got me wondering - do you snap pics during concerts, or do you follow the "no camera" rules?

A WHO Report Says Cell Phone Use Leads to Brain Tumors

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:05:10 -0800

Cell phone use causing cancer - certainly not something we haven't heard before and not something that is going away anytime soon. First we learn that the electromagnetic radiation from cell phones doesn't cause cancer and when I asked you if you were worried about your cell phone increasing your risk of getting cancer, most of you said no.

The latest news? Well it doesn't get more legit than the World Health Organization, who have been working on a ten-year investigation called Interphone to see if there were any correlations between prolonged cell phone use and brain tumors. According to CNN the study will be published by the end of the year, and did reveal that those who had cell phones for 10 years or longer had the strongest risk of tumors.

And another recent study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology supports the link between cell phone use and tumors as well. The CNN article states:

Studies that looked at people who had used cell phones 10 years or longer tended to find the strongest risk of tumors. Researchers found that cell phone users had a 10 percent to 30 percent higher risk than people who barely, if ever, used this technology.

They also touch on Bluetooth devices, which aren't as harmful, but could cause tumors if worn on your ear all day. I don't know about you, but whenever I know I'm going to have a long cell phone conversation, I make sure to pop in my ear piece (not a Bluetooth) so that my phone isn't glued to my head for a couple of hours.

What do you think? Would you consider changing your cell phone habits after learning about these findings?

Google Makes Holiday Travel More Tolerable With Free WiFi

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:43:08 -0800

Here's one holiday stress relieved: Google recently announced they'd be sponsoring free WiFi in airports across the country this holiday season, from now through January 15. Google VP, search and user experience, Marissa Mayer says, "We're very happy to extend our Holiday WiFi gift to the millions of people who will spend time in airports over the next few months."

Which I translate to, "Happy Holidays, here is something to keep you sane when your flight is delayed for the third time. Love, Google."

Plus, they're spreading the cheer. Once you log in using the free wireless, you're given the option to donate to one of three non-profit organizations. At the end of the promotion, Google will match all donations up to $250,000. A full list of airports with free WiFi is available at freeholidaywifi.com.

What will you do with free airport WiFi?

Have You Taken Any Courses From iTunes U Yet?

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:44:56 -0800

iTunes U has been around for some time now offering up cool courses from schools around the country that you can download straight to your iPod Touch or iPhone. I don't know what took me so long, but I just took a few free courses on video editing over the past week and I gotta tell ya: it's pretty awesome.

I take public transportation every day to work, so being able to brush up on math, grammar, and even astronomy during my commute seems like time well spent. And you don't have to spend a dime, since all the courses are free. There's been quite a bit of content added since it launched last year, so tell me - have you taken any iTunes U courses yet?

Tech Dating 101: Do You Save Messages From Your Date?

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:02:00 -0800

One of the benefits of of digital technology is that every email, text, and voicemail is easily saved, stored, and relived. It's helpful when you're dating someone - I think it's both fun and cute to reread old messages. (Though I suppose this can get dicey when trying to cut your ex out of your digital life, but that's a topic for another day). When it's good - it's great!

I hadn't thought too much about it until a recently engaged friend unearthed a years-long log of emails and text messages, starting with the first email her now-fiance sent the morning after they met. My other friends and I teased her at first, but then realized that reading through her saved emails was almost like reading a book of the history of their relationship. Plus, it's fun to look back one month, six months, or even a year into the past to see what was going on, even if they're mundane messages about what movie to catch or what to make for dinner that night.

To find out why I think it's helpful to save old messages, just read more.

Besides its historical significance, saving messages from someone you're dating is also helpful when you're starting a new relationship. Who hasn't sat with their girlfriends and gadgets and analyzed a string of text messages from a new guy or potential date? (See also my advice on decoding postdate texts and instant messages).

Do you save these bits of communication when you're starting a new relationship? What about when you're in an established one? And do you ever go back to reread them? I've started doing it, and I must admit, looking back on emails or text messages from a few months before is both nostalgic and sweet.

Do you have a Love 2.0 questioned you want answered? Join the Tech Dating 101 because we understand that love and dating are stressful and the Internet and social networking sites can just make things worse. You never know, your question 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.

More Seniors Are Taking the Plunge Into Tech

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:17:24 -0800

I may have a game-loving gramps, but he doesn't really venture into the Internet without a little assistance. I'll cut him a break since he's in his eighties, but a recent study shows that more and more seniors are taking the plunge into Facebook, blogs, and tech in general than ever before. Stats show that the senior population (age 65 and over) that uses the Internet has tripled since 2005.

Back in the day, it used to be nearly impossible for the older set to get a handle on tech, but it seems that as times progress and technology is a little easier to grasp, senior citizens aren't afraid to jump in and get their feet wet online. Even if your dad still needs help with his WiFi, you can give him props for at least having an email address. Do the seniors in your life use technology? Share your hilarious family stories with us in our Funny Tech Stories group, or brag about how quickly they got the hang of Twitter below!

Meet the Qooq, a Computer For the Kitchen

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:47:16 -0800

I would love to have a dedicated computer to use in the kitchen. Usually if I'm testing a new recipe from one of my favorite food blogs or websites I sit my laptop on the counter and toss a towel over the keyboard to keep it safe from spills or other kitchen mishaps. A French company decided to capitalize on the kitchen computer idea and just introduced the Qooq (warning: the site is in French), a new type of computer specifically designed to use in the kitchen.

The Qooq (pronounced "cook") features an easily-cleaned glass touch screen and comes preloaded with 500 recipes and 10 chef-provided recipe videos. It costs $515 for the device and initial recipes, monthly updates are available for $20. One downside: there isn't a web browser, so recipes are limited to those loaded onto the device - therefore, sadly no Internet browsing for recipes. I love this idea, but right now it's only available in French - time to dust off my class notes from college!

Would you buy a dedicated kitchen cooking device, or do you prefer to use your home computer?

What Do You Do With Your Phone During Appointments?

GeekSugar — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:05:30 -0800

On a recent episode of How I Met Your Mother, Marshall and Ted decided to take a road trip to Chicago, while leaving Lily back at Crumpet Manor. While the guys were gone, Marshall called Lily several times to apologize for taking off without letting her know. Luckily for her (and him!), she was so caught up in her relaxing treatments that she didn't even know he was calling (even though her phone was on vibrate). After watching this, I couldn't help but wonder what everyone else does with their phone while at a spa appointment or doctor's appointment? I always put my phone on silent during these kinds of appointments because my vibrate setting is still pretty loud. What about you? Do you ever leave your ringer on?