GeekSugar

Google Will Sell Its Own Phone

GeekSugar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:43:06 PST

Google has announced its plans to sell its own phone. . . independent of wireless carriers. The device will be manufactured by HTC and is called the Nexus One. It will run Google's Android operating system and be available for sale online. No technical specs have been released, though the photo at left, reportedly leaked by a Google employee, may be an image of what to expect.

Unlike Apple, Google isn't working with one wireless carrier to support the phone. Instead, customers will be able to choose between AT&T and T-Mobile for service.

It's an interesting model, and one that may challenge Apple's AT&T exclusivity and also other carriers' plans. Because the phones will be bought directly from Google, though, they may not be able to offer the introductory pricing rates offered by wireless companies upon signing a new two-year contract.

Google Announces Cell Platform, Not Gphone

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:04:42 PST

We've done our part to revel in the Google phone rumors over the past year. Every once in a while we hear speculation that it will be released next year, next week or next month, but have never gotten any official confirmation from the company.

Finally, Google has spoken. They aren't making a Gphone, but they have announced an Open Handset Alliance and Android, an open platform for cell phones that includes an operating system, user-interface and applications. They are calling it "more significant and ambitious than a single phone." In a press release on the Google blog the company said it hopes "Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today." Here's more:

"Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications - all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation...We recognize that many among the multitude of mobile users around the world do not and may never have an Android-based phone. Our goals must be independent of device or even platform."

Google developed Android with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile. They hope to capacitate an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. The companies are targeting the second half of 2008 to ship phones based on the Android platform, so those of us who are already champing at the bit to test it out won't have to wait for too long. What are you looking for in a phone? Google made the video below to promote the Open Handset Alliance's "plans to build a better phone." We gush at the ad's cuteness and our next geeky obsession.

To check out what the creators have to say about the device,

The Google Phone To Debut Early Next Year

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:00:25 PDT

For those of you who practiced some serious restraint and decided to save your pennies for the second gen iPhone, behold the next superstar device which might make you change your mind: The Google phone. No word on specs yet, but I'm going to take a wild guess and assume it will be jammed packed with lots of Google apps goodies that will rock anyone's online world. Supposedly Google has been working with Taiwan’s High Tech Computer (HTC) Corp to make this Linux-based phone far superior to the iPhone. And yes, it will be here in less than a year. via techfresh

Handy Everyday Gmail Tips and Tricks

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:01:03 PST

If you've moved to Gmail recently (congratulations!), it's possible that you could get overwhelmed with all of the options, settings, and possibilities at your fingertips. We've got a ton of tips to share, but let's start with a few basic and handy tips that you could use every day. Check them out below!

Make voice calls - You can easily make voice calls in Gmail on the cheap. In the "Chat" section, just click the "Call Phone" button and enter the digits. You'll then be able to make free calls to landlines the US and Canada, and for super cheap you can call cell phones and landlines worldwide.
Search with options - If you haven't discovered the "Show Search Options" link to the right of the Gmail search bar, you're in for a treat. Clicking it reveals a host of helpful options, including the ability to search by sender, date, attachment, subject, and more. It's extremely helpful if you are less than diligent about labeling and filing emails in your inbox.
Use rich text signatures - Tired of those boring text-only signatures or canned responses coming from your Gmail account? Take note: Gmail supports rich text signatures! Add links, colors, images, or formatting to your Gmail account signature, or any other account you've set up to send from Gmail. It's super easy to set up - just head to your settings page, scroll down to the Signature section, and design away!
Use keyboard shortcuts - First, enable keyboard shortcuts in your Settings menu. Then, use these fast and easy keyboard shortcuts to navigate!

See the rest of the list after the break.

Lighten Your Cellphone Bill by Texting For Free

Anna Monette Roberts — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:11:25 PST

People love the word "free," and cell phone addicts especially love the word "text." However, mobile phone services love to raise data service prices, and if you aren't careful about sticking to your service plan, you can find yourself outraged by the additional charges. Luckily, several companies have created ways to bypass the whole pay-for-texting situation. Here are six messaging services you must try.

iMessage – All iOS 5 users can send unlimited text messages with Wi-Fi or 3G from the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch to anyone else that also uses those devices. The service is already built into the messages app, and like iChat, you can even see when someone else is typing you back (if you are urgently awaiting their reply).
BlackBerry Messenger – Send and receive messages using your BlackBerry; see when your messages are read; and know when your contacts are typing. Intended for BlackBerry-to-BlackBerry communication, you can still text your non-BB friends by adding the contacts to your BBM friends list.
Viber – Text or call (also works internationally) to other Viber users over 3G or WiFi. Viber automatically shows which of your friends has the service; otherwise, simply notify your friends to download it, so you can communicate via Viber.
Text Free – Download this app on the Android Market for free text and picture messaging as well as Facebook chat capability.
Google Voice – Send and receive free text messages using the app, which is available for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Nokia S60.
ChatOn - This new Samsung-powered service allows you to send free messages, group messages, photos, videos, and audio messages to other ChatOn users. Currently, ChatOn is available on Android devices (2.2 and above), but will be rolling out to iOS and BlackBerry soon.

Security Tips For Data Privacy Day!

Anna Monette Roberts — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:30:34 PST

It's Data Privacy Day, so we're here to give you 10 tips to keeping your computer safe, secure, and totally private. Nothing is worse than having your computer hacked into, your personal information stolen, or becoming a victim of fraud. We've rounded up all of our best tech advice to help keep your computer protected and free from hacker malice. If you haven't implemented these 10 tidbits yet, today is the perfect day to begin to take charge of your computer's safety.

Avoid fraud: Be wary of emails, calls, and log-in screens that ask you to verify all of your information. Always air on the side of precaution when sharing more sensitive information like banking passwords. If a company reaches out to you (rather than you personally reaching out to them), don't give your personal information out. Redial the number or email the company using the information posted on their website.
Set up a hack-proof password: When logging in to websites, come up with difficult and different passwords for each site, using a variety of letters, numbers, and symbols. Change it every couple of months for additional safety.
Double-check your firewall: Most computers have a built-in firewall that protects your computer by stopping hackers and malicious software from accessing your computer via the Internet. Make sure to keep your firewall setting on, and you could even customize what websites, domains, and IP addresses you want to access from your computer.
Forget about free public WiFi: Hackers often create fake networks, titling them "Free Public WiFi" in hopes of stealing your personal data. Even if the WiFi is legit, it's still dangerous to access private information in an unsecured network. Always opt to pay the small fee for a service that requires you to log-in to an official network.
Safely search for celebrities: Googling your favorite celebrities can be a dangerous business if you don't recognize the sites you are clicking on. Many Google results of famous celebrity names lead to infecting your PC with malware and viruses.

See more tips to better privacy.

Geeks We Love: Susan Orlean Shares Her Tech Secrets

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:34:14 PST

As a New Yorker staff writer, author of nonfiction books on subjects ranging from Rin Tin Tin to orchids, and woman with an all-around awesome job, Susan Orlean spends a lot of time alone writing from home on her latest reporting venture. So when she wanted to find all the camaraderie of an office no matter where her travels took her, guess where she turned for comfort . . . Twitter.

In an event at this year's Macworld in San Francisco, Susan explained that Twitter changed the way she worked, thanks to conversations with strangers, and helped to solidify her place with the geeks. Here's more of what we learned from our favorite tech-obsessed writer, including how to work efficiently with technology and deal when a loved one won't convert to your favorite gadget brand.

Keep the analog - Though Susan was speaking from her perspective as a writer, her tip to always keep a little part of your work in the offline, analog world can apply to so many other fields. It's a reminder to rely on our wits in the face of fast information. Don't Google every question that pops up, go out into the real world and discover the answer for yourself.
Don't skip the human part - Twitter serves as a natural extension of friendships, but it certainly doesn't replace the subtle nuances that occur in face-to-face interaction. Keep your curiosity (and relationships!) intact by picking up the phone or meeting for a coffee chat.
Download Evernote! - When asked about her favorite app, Susan emphatically responded, "Evernote." Its functionality across desktop, browser, phone, and tablet platforms lets you stay productive from anywhere and never forget the digital content that matters.
A united tech household is key - As someone that's "hopelessly obsessed with new gadgets," Susan understandably is an Apple evangelist, a brand known for its enthusiastic early adopters. The new products and industrial design beauty only goes so far, though, when half of the house is living in a different world - a PC world. After coping with a home office filled with piles of cords and multiple printers for the different operating systems, Susan half-jokingly finally convinced her husband to switch to Apple products when she simply stopped packing the bulky cords for his PC. Now they live in OS harmony.

Are you someone like Susan who has found a way to make social networks help you develop relationships and achieve work goals, rather than let them distract?

18 Ways to Save (at Least) $1 a Day

SavvySugar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:28 PST

It's true: the little things add up. As anyone who ever had a piggy bank knows, small everyday actions can help you save big. Hoping to create a financial cushion for yourself this season? Follow these 15 easy tricks to help you save at least a dollar a day:

Hold the milk. In your coffee, that is. If you regularly stop at the coffee shop on your way to work, order it black to avoid any extra costs.
Go generic. At the grocery store, pick the generic variety of different foods to save big on pantry staples.
Keep the change. Sure, sometimes it's annoying to have change littering your purse or jangling in your pocket, but you'd be surprised by how quickly those nickels add up.
Swap soda for water. If you can't give it up altogether, vow to sip water instead of soda during at least one meal each day.
Trade CDs with a friend. Hoping to add the latest Rihanna song to your workout playlist? Reach out to a friend and burn CDs for each other to gather new music for free.
Fuel up for less. Unless it's required for your specific car model, nix the premium gas habit and use gasbuddy.com to find the cheapest gas in the area.
Find free WiFi. Work in cafés or libraries with free WiFi. Not sure which spots offer Internet? Use the Free Wi-Fi app to scope out local places with wireless access.
Practice your sewing skills. Skip a trip to the tailor and learn to do the simple adjustments yourself, like shortening a hem or taking in a blouse.

Keep reading for more tips to save $1 a day.

One Sexy, One Green: Sprint Pushes Out Two New 4G LTE Phones at CES

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:30:04 PST

Sprint customers will soon have a wider range of choices when it comes to phone selection. The company announced two new phones at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, one with an advanced OS, the other with a green thumb. Check out the details on each of them below, and stay tuned for pricing and release date information.

Galaxy Nexus
You've heard its name before. Samsung's Galaxy Nexus is one blazing-hot phone that you should definitely keep an eye on. Coming with 4G LTE speeds and Google's Ice Cream Sandwich operating system - which boasts an all new interface, facial recognition, NFC technology, native support for Google Wallet, and lots more - the Galaxy Nexus is a tough act to follow. Not to mention its 4.65-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, and teardrop-shaped bod. Sexy.

LG Viper
The LG Viper may be eco-friendly - its casing is made of 35 percent recycled plastics and comes with an energy-efficient charger - but that doesn't mean it's boring as dirt. The Viper is a 4G LTE phone, and comes with a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, two cameras (one 5MP rear-facing and one VGA front-facing), and a nice 4-inch WVGA NOVA display. Plus, you can expand your on-board memory up to 32GB with your own microSD card.

4 Free Alternatives to Siri

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:13:34 PST

Didn't get an iPhone 4S this holiday? Don't worry - there are other voice-recognition apps on the market that can stand up to Siri's voice-controlled awesomeness on your devices. In fact, a few of these apps are available for Android and BlackBerry users as well. Check out some download-worthy and free Siri alternatives below.

Vlingo - Vlingo doesn't just take voice commands to make calls, SMS, emails, search the web, or get directions, it does something Siri can't - interfaces with your Twitter and Facebook accounts to let you update with your voice . . . and it really works, even without workarounds.
Dragon Go - Available for iPhone and iPod Touch owners running iOS 4.0 or later, this app works similarly to Siri in that it will interpret and take commands from your voice. You can ask for directions, to draft an email or SMS, and get show times to upcoming movies in your area by directing you to external websites.
Google - Google Mobile's voice abilities let you find information available on Search. For example, you can search with your voice for movie times, photos, websites, nearby restaurants, and more.
Voice Control - Your iPhone's included voice search isn't as powerful as Siri (or any of these other apps), but it does the trick when making calls, searching music on your phone, and getting the time. It's a good start, anyway.