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Daily Tech: New EcoATM Will Pay You For Your Old Gadgets

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:15:42 -0700

New EcoATM kiosks will take your old electronics to be recycled and then provide you with an in-store payment - CNET
Samsung's new Behold II with Android has just been announced on the T-Mobile network - MobileCrunch
Twitter's cofounder Biz Stone talked to Martha Stewart about how Twitter got its start - Mashable
Thousands of Hotmail accounts have been hacked and are being posted online - BBC News
Check out five of the most energy efficient LED desk lamps - Unplggd
President Obama has banned all federal employees from texting while driving - Ars Technica
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar

"Flying" LED-Lit Books Light Up San Francisco's North Beach

GeekSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:30:22 -0800

On Sunday night, I witnessed the unveiling of a new art piece consisting of LED-lit books, hung high above a square in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Called "Language of the Birds," artists Dorka Keehn and Brian Goggin participated in the literal unveiling - at first, each book was shrouded and unlit, and one by one, a string was pulled to reveal each book, which were then lit up as the night darkened.

If you find yourself in the city, go by Columbus and Broadway at night, for it's not everyday you can see a flock of illuminated books in flight.

To see more beautiful photos, read more.

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Daily Tech: BB Addicts Line Up For the Storm

GeekSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:30 -0800

Although the lines are long at Verizon Wireless stores, as people wait to get their hands on the BlackBerry Storm, supply is said to be limited. - RIMarkable
The iPhone 2.2 software update is now available for download and includes Google Street View and Podcast downloads from iTunes. - Switched
With a new site called TweetStalk, you can now follow Twitter users without them knowing. Love this! - TechCrunch
Verizon employees got a peek at President-elect Barack Obama's cell phone records, although no emails or voicemails were accessed. - USA Today
Times Square is now showing off a 17,000 Square Foot LED Billboard that features 12 million individual LED lights. - Gizmodo

Daily Tech: Now You Can Order Dominos Pizza With Your TiVo

GeekSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:19 -0800

Ever get the munchies when you're watching a good show and couldn't be bothered to make a trip to the kitchen? With a few clicks of the TV remote, you can now order Dominos Pizza via your TiVo. - CrunchGear
Over 4.2 million LEDs are on display at the Nabana no Sato theme park in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, to kickoff the annual Winter light show which runs until March 8. - Fareastgizmos
Lifehacker puts together a list of five of the best video-chat applications, so you can get the most out of your calls. - Lifehacker
How do you feel when your reliable laptop starts freezing and giving you a hard time? A new study shows that more young adults - especially men - are more optimistic when it comes to their gadgets failing. - Cnet
It's giveaway time! Be sure to log in for your chances to win a Nintendo DS Lite and fitness games! - geeksugar

iPot: Not Made by Apple, But Still Rad. . . You Like?

GeekSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:45:36 -0700

I wonder if Steve Jobs loves that people keep appending an "i" to their products in an Apple-like fashion, or if he thinks they're stealing his thunder. Either way, you put an i in front of a simple word, and you suddenly have an attention-grabbing product name.

At least the latest perpetrator of this iCrime, the iPot, is actually pretty useful and attractive, not unlike Apple products in general, so it's not an offhand association. As a little desk lamp, the iPot provides an LED light in a glowing white pod, charges on a USB cord, and is affordable: just $19. Light it up! Do you like it?

LED Lights in the Bottom of a Purse? Brilliant!

GeekSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:01:58 -0700

Rummaging around in the bottom of my laptop bag or purse is something I've just gotten use to. I've considered using one of those organizers that you move from bag to bag but the thought of lugging around something else in my purse stresses me out. Incoming, the Glowing Purse by architecture research lab Kawamura and Ganjavian, which offers a purse with battery-operated micro-LEDS that are attached to the bottom of the purse. You can even turn the lights on and off for those "not so dark" moments. My advice is to pair this purse with some Hot Pants lip gloss and you'll be a glowing sensation!

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2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony: A High Tech Masterpiece

GeekSugar — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 06:00:27 -0700

Did you happen to catch NBC's broadcast of the opening ceremonies from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on Friday eve? What a sight it was! Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were installed across the entire stadium (even the roof!) and a LED screen, measuring 147 meters long and 22 meters wide was placed in the center of the stadium. And for the full futuristic effect, around 44,000 tiny LED beads, all different colors, were embedded within the LED screen as well as in the costumes of the performers. "We have combined creativity with the most complicated technologies in Olympic history to maximize the visual and sensory impact on the audience," said Yu Jianping, technical team leader for the opening. To see just how magnificent the show was, check out my slideshow. And be sure to catch all the highlights and video footage from the games online! Source

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Electric Fashion Has Me Charged Up

GeekSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:45:16 -0700

Who knew LEDs could be so romantic? I mentioned designer Mary Huang the other day, but her gorgeous designs deserve more of a spotlight. She has titled her project "rhyme & reason," exploring what happens when you illuminate otherwise understated white cotton garments.

This dress and scarf are not to be left in the back of your closet, either; Huang encourages them to be used as a light when not being worn. The pieces can be battery or wall charged, and despite their similarity to a lamp, they're still light years classier than the Glowfur LED bikini top.

My further technical advice is that you wear these on the dance floor of a very dark bar.

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Craft Geek: LED Embroidery

GeekSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:30:57 -0700

With Project Runway back in action, and Spoonflower finally available to fulfill my textile design fantasies, it's high time I pulled out my sewing machine. Geeky sewing crafts perk me up, and when you can fuse tech and textile, I'm fascinated. Check out this video from Hack a Day, which demonstrates a machine-embroidered LED matrix.

Sewing with conductive thread! What will they think of next?

Rainbow Projector: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:45:50 -0700

Why wait for the perfect storm (literally) of rain and sun, when you can have your own rainbow, whenever and wherever you want it?

With just a wave of your hand over it, the Rainbow Projector produces an LED rainbow light for when you need a pick-me-up (or if you are so totally sick of looking for your pot of gold).

Do you love this little instant-gratification nature gadget, or do you prefer the real thing?