GeekSugar

Geek Tip: Get A Harry Potter Preserver!

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 16:14:10 -0700

It hasn't been easy averting our eyes and ears from the Harry Potter spoilers on the web. If you have stayed true you only have a few hours left until you can legally get yourself a copy of the book, which you will undoubtedly stay up all night reading while munching on some Harry Potter inspired treats. If your friends are like mine and think it's funny to keep taunting you with spoilers, I suggest you protect yourself by getting my original Potter Preserver-WX1 set. It's a fool proof, hear-no-evil-see-no-evil device that no true Potter fan should be without.

The Potter eye glasses protect you from any website that's leaked photos or plot points while the Potter Noise Canceling Headset blocks out all those people who keep walking by you whispering "I know who dies...." If you don't have time to make it to Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes this afternoon to make a purchase, you can even make your own by whipping out your favorite headphones and a blindfold.

Was The 'Harry Potter Leak' Digital Shoplifting?

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 06:00:52 -0700

The premature online release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which will be in stores this Friday at midnight, has caused quite the ruckus.

Most fans are conflicted: Do I sneak a peek, strain my eyes and ruin the surprise, or do I patiently wait it out all the while knowing it's out there? One thing's for certain - the widespread use and availability of digital cameras and web access makes it pretty easy for someone to snag a copy of an unreleased book, magazine cover or valuable piece of information and pop it up on the web. Even if that means taking pictures of 784 pages and uploading them.

While I'm most interested in learning the identity of the geeky James Bond-wannabe that committed what I've dubbed the "Deathly Hallows Offensive," digital shoplifting isn't a new phenomenon. In fact in 2003, Japanese bookstores launched a national campaign against the trend after it was noted in the magazine world. (Publishers reported young women were snapping pictures of styles and trends in magazines and sending them to their friends instead of purchasing the publications.) Is the core of digital shoplifting one of those unavoidable repercussions of digital life, or do you think it should be punishable by law? Most importantly, what do you think should happen to the person who leaked the latest Harry Potter onto the net?
Source: Boing Boing

How To Celebrate 'Embrace Your Geekiness Day'

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 07:00:58 -0700

Little known fact, today is national Embrace Your Geekiness Day. That's right people, it's one day of the year we geeks are told to embrace all the character traits that make us so special. I'm talking about those gadget-loving, internet-sleuthing, all knowing qualities. Here is my list of things you must do today in honor of the holiday.

Egosurf: In case you don't know, egosurfing is the act of searching for one's own name, or online nickname, using any search engine. This helps you keep track of your online identity and will undoubtedly produce a couple of laughs. Look for images, news articles and whatever web junk you can find.
Clean Your Inbox: It's not fun, but cleansing improves everyone's mood. Archive all the good stuff and dump the junk.
Harry Potter: If you haven't seen Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix you better direct your Nimbus 2000 to the theater. Don't forget to take some Butterbeer with you. (If you're over 21 try the cold recipe!)

For the rest of the list, read more

IM: Instant messenger has been keeping computer-minded types in contact for a good decade. If you've outgrown your instant messenger log on just for today and say hello to your real and virtual friends.
Use Office Slang: If you haven't already it's time to introduce a little Office Slang into your vocabulary. You have to make the Cubicle Farm entertaining some how.

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Be A Harry Potter Wizard With the Wii-Mic

GeekSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:09:19 -0700

According to Joystiq, there just might be a new and improved Wii remote hitting store shelves by mid-summer. This updated Wii remote would have a Mic built into the top to expand the Wii's game playing capabilities.

Rumor has it that the American game developer and distributor Electronic Arts is attempting to create a Harry Potter game which will utilize the new Wii-Mic. Basically the Wii remote will double as a magic wand so users can use the mic in conjunction with gestures to cast spells.

This Wii-mic will also be be great for those who are Karaoke lovers. I'm eagerly awaiting Nintendo's official announcement about the updated Wiimote - Be sure to stay tuned!

Download of the Day: Harry Potter Countdown

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:32:06 -0800

Like any good geek, I'm a Harry Potter nut. And if you too are a Harry Potter nut, you're probably suffering the same withdrawals and anticipation for the next book, which is rumored to be the last in the series. If you have a mac, you can download the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Countdown and News widget, which will serve as a daily reminder of the Potter delight that lies ahead.

Counts down the remaining days, hours, minutes and seconds to the film version of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” to be released on July 13, 2007. It also provides news headlines for all Harry Potter films. Conceived by John Noe and created by Chris Chang for LeakyNews.com. I love it.

Daily Tech: Picture Peek at Windows 7

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:15:18 -0700

Picture peek at Windows 7 - Crave
Will Google blend search and music with One Box? - CNET
Windows 7 is more popular than Harry Potter - PC World
GE shows off pocket-size ultrasound scanner - Crave
Twitter's chief talks about lists, traffic, and money - NYTimes
Plane torn apart over lost cell phone - Switched
MahTweets is an impressive customizable Facebook and Twitter client - Lifehacker
BlackBerry Storm 2 dummy arrive at Best Buy and Verizon stores - Gizmodo
5 things you might not know about Rock Band’s Abbey Road extras - Wired
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar

What Movie Do You Want to See as a Video Game?

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:46:46 -0700

It's usually easy to predict which movies will become movies, like the Harry Potter series. Other times, it's a little confounding (Juno?!), and I'm surprised but pleased to learn of the new Wizard of Oz game for the Nintendo DS.

The 3D role-playing game is based on the book and the subsequent movie, and though it seems like a bit precious, it actually looks pretty cool.

So since you guys were so good at identifying which video games became movies, I want to bend your brains some more by getting your input.

If you could see any movie turned into a video game (that hasn't yet, natch), what would it be? Twilight? Bruno? The Hangover?

Did the 1984 Kindle Debacle Make You Reconsider eBooks?

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:41:42 -0700

The Kindle suffered its biggest debacle yet at the end of last week when it was discovered that the publisher of George Owell's Animal Farm and 1984 did not own the rights to the books - and Amazon complied by not only removing the books from the Kindle store, but by also remotely deleting the already-downloaded eBooks from Kindles. Woopsies!

The gaffe provoked a lot of outrage and questions - and it ascertained that electronic media is never actually yours. All this time I've been championing the Kindle (remember to enter our Kindle giveaway!), but I can't help but wonder if this will happen again.

Sure, we've known all along that the digital file version of music or a book is not the same as owning a CD or a hardbound book, but until last week, those notions could largely be dismissed as overly sentimental. Now? I'm hanging onto my copies of Harry Potter with both hands.

Naturally, Amazon has acknowledged their mistake and has pledged to change its systems in the future to ensure that already downloaded material won't be removed from Kindles.

What do you think?

Daily Tech: Leaked iPhone Pics Show Off Hardware

GeekSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:00:25 -0700

Leaked photos show new iPhone hardware, autofocus, and compass. - Wired
Microsoft rolls out Bing early. - PC Mag
Lego Harry Potter: 1-4 takes flight in 2010. - Gamespot
Seven IMAX wonders of the world. - Gizmodo
Kindle DX shipping June 10. - Crave
An easy solution to storing your wires and extra geekery. - Unplggd
Eight rather weird GPS devices. - Switched
Guide to using Bing. - Lifehacker

Nathan Fillion: Actor, Gamer, Geek

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:00:47 -0700

Maybe it's just my uber crush on Captain Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly, or the fact that he starred in the biggest online sensation of last year, but I just can't get over Nathan Fillion. And while he graces the cover in this month's Geek Monthly, he explains why he's been the most requested cover boy in the magazine's history: "I'm big with women, and I'm big with geeks." Duh.

If you follow Nathan on MySpace, then you'd know that he's got a thing for gadgets, but did you also know that he has read the whole Harry Potter series, is a gamer, and has an affinity for Apple products? He says:

"If it has batteries or a button it's probably in my house. Right now, I've got an Apple TV, I play with that a little bit; I'm all over the Xbox 360. I love the iPhone, it's a few updates away from being perfect. We need the horizontal keyboard for text messaging and we need templates - be there at five, can't talk right now - we need templates for that stuff."

Well, at least one of his iPhone wishes is coming true! A geek after my own heart - swoon.

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