GeekSugar

Internet Famous Class: A Real Class, Not Just the Name of a New Viral Video

GeekSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:10:25 PST

You don't have to cut off a body part to become "Internet Famous," but if you're desperately training your camera on your kid, pet, or friends in hope that they'll do something so compelling as to end up in the category that is viral, well, you can go to school for that. Internet Famous at Parsons New School for Design is a graduate-level class for students and declares itself the first class ever "where software will award each student a grade based on a quantitative measurement of their web fame."

To learn more about this cool class and site,

Sites like Digg, Del.icio.us, Flickr, YouTube, and Google will help measure each student's popularity, and grades are algorithmically determined - and they get an A through F grade, depending on their Internet popularity. People watching, commenting, and making reaction videos/responses to the class's projects add to the grade, as do people befriending them on MySpace and linking to them.

How postmodern. Although I'm guilty of enjoying and forwarding new and hilarious viral videos and posts to my friends, I can't help but think that for every Dramatic Chipmunk, there are 8,000 epic fails. And even though I still ask my boyfriend to not tase me, bro, the fame the Internet brings is more ephemeral and fleeting than the 15-minutes of fame cliche that used to exist in traditional media. Remember Tay Zonday? Me neither.

10 Places to Meet Your Future Geeky Boyfriend

GeekSugar — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:02:36 PDT

Here's a question every geeky gal wants answered: "Where can I meet a single geek?" For all the single ladies out there, here are 10 possible places to uncover scores of single geeks.

By the way, leave your other tech-related questions on our Facebook page, in the comments, or in our Ask a Geek Girl group.

Neighborhood coffee shops - Bring a book or your laptop and hang out at an independent coffee shop several times a week. You're more likely to see regulars (aka good-looking geeks) at local joints than you would at a chain. For an easy opener, ask if you can share the table, then spark up a conversation.
Night classes - Whether it's a dance lesson, coding class, or novel-writing seminar, classes are a great place to meet a future brainy mate. Pounce on the opportunity to partner up with the cute geek in the room, whether it's to complete a project, study, or edit each other's work.

See the rest of the list when you read more.

Tom Brady Is All Smiles For His Funny or Die Shoot

Katie Henry — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:16:00 PDT

Tom Brady arrived on the LA set of an upcoming Funny or Die video on Friday dressed in head-to-toe Under Armour. The quarterback is the latest athlete to lend his famous face to a FOD project, and this isn't his first time working with the site. Tom famously made fun of his Justin Bieber-like hairstyle last year, though this time around, it appears he's testing out a David Beckham-esque look. Tom's not the only member of his family who's an Internet sensation. His wife Gisele Bundchen wore lingerie for pictures released online to celebrate the launch of her new intimates collection.

Gisele and Tom were recently seen making out at Fenway Park's 100th anniversary celebration. The loved-up couple has a few more months to fit in plenty of PDA and laughs together before he reports to duty this Summer for Patriots pre-season training.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis Have a Romantic Weekend

Allie Merriam — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:38:57 PDT

Ashton and Mila spent last weekend together - People
Amanda Seyfried and Josh Hartnett are actually going really strong - Lainey Gossip
Justin Bieber pens a song about his baby mama drama - HuffPost Ent
Happy 30th to Kelly Clarkson! - TooFab
Kim Kardashian admits she wouldn't be famous without the Internet - Us Weekly
Cher isn't the first celebrity to rock a major afro - The Daily Beast
Ryan Seacrest inks new two-year $30 million deal with American Idol - Hollywood Reporter
Michelle Williams is down for a Dawson's Creek reunion - Jezebel
Angelina or Jen: who will marry first? - ET
Bring Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale home - Rotten Tomatoes
Jennifer Hudson's fiancé supports her during difficult time - Wonderwall
The Voice contestant belts out Britney's "Hit Me Baby One More Time" - The Frisky
Noah Wylie under arrest! - Lifeline Live
BAFTA TV nominations earn nods for Downton Abbey and more - Zap2It
Michael Fassbender in Vogue - perfection! - Celebitchy

Secrets to Saving on Your 7 Favorite Indulgences

Emily Co — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:25:48 PDT

We all have our weaknesses, and yours may be a Starbucks addiction or even an avid book reading habit. Although we advocate saving, we're also a big fan of being able to indulge on occasion. After all, if you keep denying yourself, it might be counterintuitive because you may end up buying on impulse. Here are some ways you can still enjoy your favorite purchases, yet save at the same time:

Starbucks: Sign up for a Starbucks card and you can accumulate rewards such as free drinks. Once you buy five drinks, you get free syrup or soy milk and free refills on brewed coffee, iced coffee, or iced tea. You'll also get a free tall drink if you buy a bag of coffee beans. Once you buy over 30 drinks, you get a free drink for every 15 drinks you buy. As a card holder, you'll also get a free drink of your choice on your birthday.

Frugal secret: You can make your own Starbucks drinks in your own home. Check out Squawkfox's recipe for a homemade Starbucks Frappuccino that costs only 32 cents to make. Don't forget to also check out YumSugar's Starbucks-inspired pumpkin spice latte recipe.
Books: If you got a thing for books, there's always the library of course. But for those who just love permanent additions to their budding book collection, you can consider joining book clubs like Barnes & Nobles, which sends regular discounts and coupons to your inbox. You can also get really cheap indie ebooks for free or for 99 cents on Amazon. Some of the books are actually really good, but check out the reviews before buying if you don't want to waste your time on a dud.
Frugal secret: Shhh, don't let anyone know, but you can get free books from authors, even the acclaimed and famous ones, if you try this trick. A lot of times, you can even get the book ahead of its release. All you have to do is start building up a nice repertoire of really solid and detailed book reviews on Amazon or Good Reads, the social network for book recommendations. If your Amazon reviews are good, people will start voting on them, which may qualify you for Amazon's Vine program, an exclusive club that "invites the most trusted reviewers on Amazon to post opinions about new and prerelease items." And if you're a popular Good Reads reviewer, authors will start reaching out to you to review their books.
Yoga: You can save on yoga classes by subscribing to daily deal sites and keeping an eye out for discounts at your local yoga studio. Lululemon also offers free yoga classes, so you might want to check out your local shop. A lot of studios have free or donation-based classes on occasion, so you might want to check with them, too.
Frugal secret: Become a yoga teacher to get access to free classes. You don't have to worry about teaching taking up too much of your time because I have friends who teach only once or twice a week and still get the perks of a full-time teacher, such as being able to attend classes for free. You can also offer to trade services (writing, graphic design, admin, or whatever skill you can provide) with the studio in exchange for free classes.

Read on for more.

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.

6 Questions to Find the Best City For Generation Y

Kiplinger — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:05:51 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

As young adults, many of us enjoy a unique time in our lives when we can relocate wherever we like. We’re often free from any significant ties, such as kids or a mortgage, that can tether us to a certain location. Plus, with the technological advances of the past decade, we need not fear losing touch with family and friends; we can stay connected with the touch of a button - regardless of distance.

So when the world is your oyster, how do you decide in which part to settle? Here are six questions to ask when figuring out which city is best for you:

Will I find good work there?

In today's tough market, Generation Y has had a particularly difficult time finding and keeping a job: While the job market struggles to regain its footing, with the national unemployment rate at 9.5% as of June, 25- to 34-year-olds suffer joblessness at a 10.3% rate, and 20- to 24-year-olds are unemployed at a staggering 15.3% rate. But some areas have held up better against the recession. Austin, Tex., Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., for example, have experienced lower unemployment than the rest of the country.

Jobs in certain industries are more prevalent in some areas. For example, if you’re interested in politics, the nation’s capital is the obvious choice. Or if you aspire to “make it work” as fashion’s next hot designer, the Big Apple might suit you best. If you have no particular trade in mind yet, look to big cities with opportunities in a wide range of fields. (For career ideas that promise a bright future, see 13 Careers for the Next Decade.)

Read on for more.

Justin Timberlake Defends Britney and Says He's Not the Friends-With-Benefits Type in Playboy

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:27:00 PDT

Justin Timberlake opened up in the latest issue of Playboy about his Summer movies, Bad Teacher and Friends With Benefits, and his past and present loves. JT has been linked to sexy starlets from Olivia Wilde to Mila Kunis since his split from Jessica Biel a few months ago. He seems to be staying single for now, but Justin explained to the magazine that it's almost easier for him to date fellow famous people despite the attention and press that goes along with it. The former boy-band leader seemed at ease talking about his early life and career, including his days as a teen heartthrob and ex Britney Spears. JT even admitted to smoking pot and also shared sweet sentiments that revealed why he's really a romantic at heart. Justin Timberlake told Playboy:

On the viral video comparing Britney's old performances to her new ones: "The Internet is a cruel place. What a f*cked-up thing to do. I don’t have too much to say about her situation. I can’t remember the last conversation I had with her. But this thing that happens online bothers me - these anonymous commenters. People think they can say anything, and it doesn’t matter to people. I’d love to see the people who comment about Britney online say those things to her face, because they couldn’t. Also, in Britney’s defense, if you pulled up a video I did from 2003, I couldn’t do the sh*t I did then either."
On whether it would just be easier to date a nonceleb: "Technically, I guess. But you can’t help who you have feelings for. If you turn it off because someone is famous, then you’re being unfair to yourself. You could walk down each of those roads and find pros and cons. The girl from the dry cleaners is not going to understand how I feel about the work schedule and pressures I have. You probably gravitate toward people who understand your scenario. At the end of the day, you just want someone who gets you, who can be a friend. That’s kind of the point of Friends With Benefits. As corny as it sounds, the 'friends' part counts just as much as the 'benefits' part, if not more."
On if he thinks casual hookups between friends can work: "God, I’m the worst person to ask about that. I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever had that type of relationship. I get hooked on every level when I get close to someone. If you build enough chemistry to want to be intimate like that, someone’s going to catch feelings, and usually it happens quickly."

Link Time - What Makes a Feminist Boyfriend?

TresSugar — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:00:13 PDT

Pass this on to the men in your life: how to be a feminist boyfriend - Huffington Post
13 famous bald ladies - The Frisky
5 reasons men don't call back - YourTango
Count down to hump day: 10 reasons Wednesday is the best day to get laid - Em & Lo
Simple tips to boost your creativity this week! - SavvySugar
Would you rather give up sex or the Internet for a month? - Glamour
The most eligible movie men - College Candy
50 Cent is writing a YA book about bullying - Flavorwire
Sex advice from gay dads - Nerve
Becoming a Playboy bunny in 1978 - The Hairpin

Chevron Prints For Your Gadgets

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:21:03 PDT

Didn't get a chance to swoop up some of the Missoni for Target gadget collection that you so desperately wanted? Don't stress - the chevron style Missoni is famous for is so hot right now, and the Internet is just teaming with stylish alternatives for your gadgets. Click through the gallery for proof.