GeekSugar

Confusing Technology Doesn't Pass in Post Grad

GeekSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:50:37 -0700

I just saw the college graduation comedy Post Grad starring Alexis Bledel and like Buzz, I thought the movie was also quirky and cute, but I had a few quibbles with the technology.

First, there must have been some sort of MySpace deal for placement, because it opens with Bledel's character Ryden posting a video blog getting live video comments on a very fancy-looking MySpace UI. I haven't been on the 'Space for a while now, but I'm pretty sure this is not the latest redesign. Speaking of UIs, though Ryden uses an Apple laptop in the movie, it's not the OS X interface either, but another fake Hollywood OS. What's wrong with existing UIs?

That's not even my biggest tech problem with this movie - to see what it is, just read more.

My greatest objection by far was Ryden's job hunt - she searches out leads in the newspaper! Not Craigslist? Not monster.com or the other millions of job-hunting websites that a bright college grad would certainly know about? The movie's website itself even opens up with a face Craigslist page. Definitely a huge "what were they thinking" moment, but it's an otherwise fun movie.

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Are You Over MySpace?

GeekSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:06:12 -0700

Apparently, no one is immune from today's crappy economy. Not even an online social networking giant like MySpace, who just announced that it would be cutting 30 percent of its US workforce this month in an attempt to get back to their start-up roots. But I can't say that I'm totally surprised that they're downsizing (whether it be for economic reasons or not), since I've been slowly weaning myself off of the site for a while now, and am almost completely Facebook exclusive (although they are looking a little too much like MySpace for my taste these days).

So it got me wondering how the rest of you are feeling about MySpace. Are you totally over it yet, or are you still a MySpace loyalist?

Daily Tech: Tech That Will Change Your Online Life

GeekSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:35:47 -0700

These recent tech announcements are worth getting excited about. - Lifehacker
Apple's new MacBook Pros get unboxed. - Engadget
Ten percent of Twitter users generate 90 percent of the content. - BBC News
Ways to save money on video games and consoles. - CNET
Google Maps is adding hiking and biking trails to street view. - USA Today
Xbox Live will be down for up to 24 Hours next Tuesday. - Kotaku
Is there still hope for MySpace?. - CNN Technology

The White House Has a Geek-Filled Week

GeekSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 06:05:09 -0700

I guess I spoke too soon when I said that President Barack Obama has been keeping a low tech profile, because last week I was surprised when the White House added exclusive up close and personal photos of the president's first 100 days in office to its Flickr photo stream.

And I was already thoroughly impressed with the new administration adding a blog to the White House website, but they've outdone themselves yet again with an official Twitter account and now a stellar-looking MySpace page - both launching within the last few days.

What's next? A fancy iPhone app?

Daily Tech: CEO of MySpace Announces His Departure

GeekSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:10:26 -0700

Chris DeWolfe, MySpace cofounder and CEO, will not be renewing his contract and will be stepping down from his position in the very near future. - TechCrunch
Check out the full review of Peek's latest Pronto device, which can check up to five email accounts and is compatible with Microsoft Exchange. - Boing Boing Gadgets
Lifehacker scored an interview with one of our favorite geeks - Steve Wozniak - and even got him to admit that he has a hacking fetish. - Lifehacker
The free mobile browser Skyfire could be coming to the BlackBerry very soon. Here are some initial impressions. - CrackBerry
I can hardly believe this, and honestly, I don't really believe it, but Angelina Jolie is rumored to prefer the Palm Pre over the iPhone. - Switched

Source

Zac Efron Is Just Not That Into Social Networking Sites

GeekSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:45:26 -0700

At the ripe young age of 21, one would think that Hollywood hottie Zac Efron would be tweeting, posting status updates on Facebook and blogging on MySpace. . . just like a lot of other people his age. Not so much. Zac recently told People that he stays away from social networking sites because of privacy reasons. He said:

I don't have a Twitter, a MySpace, or a Facebook or anything like that. I kind of value in people not knowing where I am or what I'm doing.

He then goes on to poke fun at minute by minute status updates . . . which we all know can take on a life of their own.

I find it funny that he'll easily say TMI but won't Twitter TMI.

Source

Would You Get Married on MySpace - For Free?

GeekSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:31:04 -0700

Maybe you've thought about how great it would be to have the world at your nuptials, a la Trista and Ryan, or maybe you've seen how outrageously expensive it is to plan a big wedding these days. Well, what if someone paid for your whole wedding? Of course there's a catch. It would be broadcast on MySpace.

Yep, MySpace has teamed up with The Knot to bring you "Married on MySpace" - an online reality show slash contest that first pits eager, engaged couples against each other, and once chosen, the fun really begins - the MySpace audience picks every single detail, from the gown to the registry (the other catch).

Is this just the beginning of your social network planning your life events (what's next, Facebook plans a funeral?)? All kidding aside, I know a great many people who would gladly trade privacy and choice for the chance to have a blowout wedding - but I don't think I'm one of them. Are you?

Tech Dating 101: Changing Your Relationship Status

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:00:13 -0700

Spring has sprung, and it's not only the time for budding flowers and April showers, it's the time of budding romances too! But with so much new technology out there, the art of dating has become more complicated than ever - we can totally feel Drew Barrymore's pain in He's Just Not That Into You when she laments about having to keep up with several different technologies just to get rejected.

So in the face of this uncharted territory, geeksugar and DearSugar are teaming up to bring you a series about love and the technologies that connect us called Tech Dating 101. We'll answer some of the burning questions you might have about both subjects, like our first question this week:

How long should I wait to change my status from "Single" to "In a Relationship" after I begin dating someone?

To see my take on this important online predicament, just read more.

It's kinda hard to know when to take the plunge from "single" to "in a relationship" unless you've had the whole relationship talk. But if you aren't the talking type, then taking a peek at his Facebook or MySpace status can answer a whole lot of questions. Of course, guys are pretty notorious for not paying attention to the little details, so I'd just try and gauge your relationship itself - if you both aren't dating anyone else and you're regularly going over your monthly texting limit to send him notes, connecting via email every day, and can still have a great face-to-face convo over dinner, I'd say you're pretty much taken. Or you could always go the easy route, and not list your relationship status at all until you've got a ring on your finger. That takes the guesswork out of everything!

To find out why Dear says communication is not only important to your relationship, but also to your online status, head on over to DearSugar.

Source

Would You Get a MySpace Credit Card?

GeekSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:01:06 -0800

What's in your wallet? Could be a credit card with your social network on it, if you so please.

CitiBank has collaborated with MySpace to offer a credit card that will have a rewards program with things like access to MySpace events and free music downloads.

My days of decisions to apply for a fun rewards credit card are pretty much over; on that note, the age range that this is probably meant for is that of kids who still primarily use MySpace.

I have fun on my social networks and all, but I don't think I'll be combining that with my financial life anytime soon. What about you?

Would you open a MySpace credit card?

Website of the Day: Eco-Layouts

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:32 -0800

I love finding a website that not only fulfills a need, but also educates me on important issues. Take Eco-Layouts, for example; it's a site that lets you pimp out your MySpace profile, but also teaches you about the importance of going green. And what's cooler, it's run by a 15-year-old geek in training!

Brought to my attention by TeamSugar member TeamGeek, she tells us how she stumbled upon this great site:

Recently, I was surfing the web looking for more ways to go green, when I stumbled across this cute little site called Eco-Layouts.com. It's run by a 15-year-old, who seems to be incredibly passionate about improving the world that we live in. As if that wasn't amazing enough, she also offers MySpace stuff in order to bring people to her site and keep them coming!

Thanks TeamGeek! You should check out the site for yourself - if not to spruce up your Myspace page then to learn a few things about conservation.

To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!