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Daily Tech: Microsoft Opens a Lounge in Saks Fifth Avenue NY

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:06:39 -0800

Microsoft opens a PC Lounge in NYC's Saks Fifth Avenue for the holidays - Engadget
Share the Thanksgiving love on TurkeyTwitter - TechCrunch
The new Green Robot in Google Labs tells you who is using GChat from an Android phone - Download Squad
The bigger Nintendo DSi LL gets unboxed - Kotaku
You can now download the eBay app from the BlackBerry App World - IntoMobile
Submit your Cool Captures for your chance to win a CanvasPop print - GeekSugar

How Do You Prefer to Holiday Shop?

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:15:25 -0800

While perusing the news, I noticed two seemingly conflicting stories right beside each other on the same site. The headlines: "Online Retail Thriving This Holiday Season" and "A Site to Help People Shop Online Attracts Investors."

The two articles aren't actually contradictory, the first is a welcome optimistic look at the future of e-commerce with Forrester Research reporting that most online retailers turned a profit in 2008 as business continues to grow. The second article profiles a new site called Milo, which allows you to enter your location and the name of a product you're looking for, and it delivers a list of nearby retail stores where you can find the item. Milo's business model operates on the "instant gratification" theory - you don't want to wait for an item you order, you want to find it right away.

I tend to prefer a mix of online and retail store shopping, depending on the item and what's convenient. What about you?

Are Facebook Photos Fair Game For Insurance Companies?

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:44:58 -0800

I just came across a story about a woman in Canada who lost insurance benefits because of a photo posted on Facebook. The woman was on medical leave from her job due to severe depression, and was receiving monthly disability payments from an insurance company. After she stopped receiving payments, she called her insurance company, who told her that she should be available to work because of photos she posted on Facebook that showed her looking happy and having a good time - hardly experiencing the crippling depression that kept her from going to work.

After the case started making headlines, the woman's insurance company issued a statement saying they would not terminate a policy based solely on something posted on Facebook; it remains to be seen whether or not the woman in question will be allowed to once again receive benefits.

I've heard countless stories of people being fired or getting into serious trouble for things they posted on Facebook, and even came up with a list of suggestions for how not to get in trouble on the site, but this case seems a bit extreme. What do you think?

Daily Tech: The Best Smartphone on Your Network

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:11:10 -0800

Here are the best smartphones on the most popular carriers - Gizmodo
Great gifts for those who aren't tech savvy - CrunchGear
Find out what the cold weather can do to your phone - Popular Mechanics
The ultimate DS and DSi gift guide - Kotaku
T-Mobile offers $50 off handsets for Black Friday - The Boy Genius Report
Submit your Cool Captures for your chance to win a CanvasPop print - GeekSugar

Is a Camera Finally Coming to the iPod Touch?

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:33:59 -0800

I know, I know, you've heard this one before, but now The Examiner is quoting an inside source at Apple who says a camera will be coming to the iPod touch this Spring. Rumors and theories have been circulating ever since the Nano was released with a video camera, and the iPod Touch was not. In September, Steve Jobs explained the reasoning behind the missing camera, that the iPod Touch is meant to be primarily a gaming device, and Apple's goal was to keep the price down as much as they could.

The article, later quoted in the New York Times says:

"We have heard from an inside source who claims the camera version of the iPod Touch 3G will be released this Spring. The source confirms to us that the iPod Touch 3G with camera had actually been planned for release this past September, but had problems passing quality control."

According to the source, the iPod Touch camera will be the same as the current Nano camera, which takes video but not still photos. There's no word on a possible release date, though I'm curious if Apple would release another iPod Touch upgrade so soon after the latest version's September debut.

Are You Facebook Friends With Your Exes?

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:44:00 -0800

An essay in this week's New York Times hit close to home. The author, mourning the breakup of a long-term relationship, used Facebook to keep up with what his ex was doing. I've covered this topic before in Tech Dating 101 posts; from using Facebook to get to know a potential date to how and when to change your relationship status. I've even offered my advice for how to cut an ex out of your digital life. He was pretty distraught over the breakup, but still couldn't resist the occasional peek at her page:

"Every once in a while, when I was feeling particularly pathetic, I would log on to her Facebook page and listlessly click through the photos of a life that was, somewhat disappointingly, continuing without me."

While I still feel it's best to avoid an ex on Facebook, especially after a tough breakup, actually pulling the trigger to delete an ex from your list of friends is tough.

Daily Tech: Nintendo Announces DSi Bundles For Black Friday

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:20:53 -0800

Nintendo will sell two limited-edition DSi bundles for Black Friday - Kotaku
Google will soon be getting a search sidebar to streamline its experience - Mashable
Target has leaked some of its Black Friday deals - CrunchGear
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 has landed in AT&T stores for $200 - Engadget
The FunMail app transforms text into fun images related to the message - Chip Chick
Log in and submit your Cool Captures for your chance to win a CanvasPop print - GeekSugar

A High-Tech Way to Prevent Cell Phone Driving Distraction

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:05:12 -0800

A few months ago, I told you about a new program available for pre-order that turns off your cell phones once the key is in your car's ignition.

Now, there's another similar service to keep you safe and free from distraction while driving. ZoomSafer is a free service that uses your phone's GPS system to monitor your driving speed and prevent you from placing or receiving calls or texts when traveling over 10 miles per hour. The application is programmable to allow exceptions, like calls from certain important numbers. And an added bonus for parents or employers who want to monitor the driving habits of kids or employees on the job: if the system is overridden and a call is placed or text message sent, the account administrator receives an automatically-generated email alerting them to the phone's usage.

Right now, the service is only available for BlackBerrys, but will work with select Windows and Android phones early next year. I think this kind of service is a good idea to prevent distractions, especially for people without the willpower to simply ignore the phone while behind the wheel.

Did You Place an Order For the Nook?

GeekSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:10:27 -0800

Well that was fast! According to the Barnes and Noble website, the Nook has sold out for 2009.

The message on the site reads, "The hottest holiday gift is out of stock. Order nook today to be first in line for the new year." None of the new devices have shipped yet, and there's still no word of when buyers can expect the Nook to arrive. I can't wait to get my hands on the new eReader, but I missed out in this round of orders. Did you manage to snag one?

Geotagging For Twitter Is Here

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:26:36 -0800

People have been buzzing about Twitter's upcoming geotagging feature for a while, and now the feature is finally here. The function is available through the API only, which means geotagging will not be available through Twitter.com. Although it will be available through Twitter clients like Birdfeed for the iPhone, Seesmic Web for your desktop, and Twidroid for Android phones, which are already supporting the new feature.

If you use one of the clients that supports geotagging, your location will be revealed with your tweets - exciting functionality for reporting breaking news, finding out what's going on near you, or just adding context to tweets from friends. Because it's an API, the functionality is only limited to developers' imaginations, so it'll be exciting to see what they come up with!

One final note (since I'm generally wary of programs that disclose my location), you have to turn on geotagging functionality when using any of these programs, so there's no chance of accidentally disclosing information you don't want anyone to see.