GeekSugar

Elegant Solar Powered Totes From Noon Solar

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:00:06 -0800

Back in June I introduced you to the Solar Powered Beach Bag, which happened to be one of the few solar bags on the market at that time. Five months later I bring to you the fashionable Noon Solar totes, which teamsugar's boyfriend couldn't help but share with me. The black leather Cortland Tote shown here features a solar panel on one side so you can face it inwards or outwards, two interior zipper pockets, and one exterior zipper pocket. In order for it to work its charging magic, the included battery box needs to be connected to the solar panel cable located inside the bag. The bag will take about six to eight hours of strong sun to completely charge and if full, the battery box will keep its charge for a few days if not used. Noon Solar bags are completely water and weather proof, so you won't get zapped if the panel gets rained on. The Cortland comes in black or chocolate (shown above) and costs $383. If you scroll down you can also see the Willow which is similar to the Cortland except it has a suede exterior, comes in chocolate and steel, and costs $274. Considering the solar beach bag costs $250, I suggest spending the extra money to have one you can actually use away from the beach. And not only are they pretty to look at, but Noon Solar creates bags that are made with materials that can either biodegradable naturally or be reclaimed and re-used for generations to come.

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Come Chat With Me At 9 AM/PST (Noon/EST)

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:45:16 -0800

So the Oscars are over, the iPhone still isn't out and we're already Myspace friends, so what more do we have to talk about? Plenty! Come join me today for our weekly live chat starting at 9am Pacific (or 12pm Eastern Standard Time). I want to hear all about your tech problems, who you thought was the geekiest celebrity at the Oscars - I know, I'm not over it yet! - and what games you like to play online.

To join me just click on the link here starting at 9 am PST. We usually end up chatting for about an hour so don't be shy about stopping by whenever you get a chance. Everyone is welcome - be you a geek, chic or a really chic geek!

The White House Site Gets a Facelift, Adds a Blog

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:00:34 -0800

Change has certainly come to America. Bush is out, Barack Obama is in, and the White House website, WhiteHouse.gov, has a brand new look. At noon (GMT), the website of former president George W. Bush, was replaced by an updated, sleeker website that states:

WhiteHouse.gov will be a central part of President Obama's pledge to make his the most transparent and accountable administration in American history.

And what else was added to the site? An actual blog section that already has some entries - guess I'll have to add that one to my reader! Considering Obama
loves technology, it'll be interesting see how well the site is maintained and if his weekly YouTube addresses will be available on the site as well. What do you think of the makeover?

The Quest Continues: The Logan Solar Bag

GeekSugar — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:00:39 -0700

The hunt for an affordable bag rages on; fortunately I've found one slightly more attractive and definitely more affordable than last week's Costume National Solar Bag: The Noon Solar Logan Bag.

Unfortunately, "more" affordable than a $1200 bag still isn't that affordable; the leather, hemp, and cotton bag with the gadget-juicing panels is still $452 (and $20 more for the glam all black version).

Still, it's a lot prettier and cheaper than what I'm used to seeing in this genre. How much do solar bags need to drop for you, to make them worth their weight in gizmo-charging?

Solar Bags: Still Expensive But Now in Pretty Colors

GeekSugar — Sun, 11 May 2008 07:11:08 -0700

Aside from the Noon Solar laptop totes, there really aren't that many stylin' solar-powered bags available for geek chic gals like myself. Thankfully TeamSugar user peelapom geek geared this solar powered juice bag, which just so happens to come in purple! Still pretty pricey at $250, but this bag features removable waterproof solar panels, which charge up your gadgets on the go and a nice padded area for your laptop!

Geeks We Love: Cat Schwartz of eBay and HiTechMommy

GeekSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:40:40 -0800

As much as I love the fellas that have been featured in our Geeks We Love V-Day showdown, I can't help but give some love to one of the coolest "Cats" in the industry. This versatile gadget guru gal is not only eBay's Gadget and Toy Director, but she is also the founder of HiTechMommy, a site which caters to all things tech for gadget-loving parents. The woman I am referring to is the fabulous Cat Schwartz! Cat is most commonly known for her appearances on shows like Live With Regis and Kelly, MSNBC's Hot List and The Today Show, and can be found making fun videos like eBay's Granny gadget makeover holiday video. With a resume that's so long and diverse, you can't help but admire how she's paving the way for the rest of us in this otherwise male-dominated field. To learn more about Cat, check out our interview below!

GS: If someone were to describe a typical day in the life of Cat Schwartz, what would they say?
CS: First off they would say, baby Jack needs to sleep in his own bed and not in mamma's because to start off the day with footprints all over your back is no way to live. Also, not eating until noon is bad for your health, and working from your couch with the TV and radio on can't be very productive.

GS: Who is someone in the tech industry you admire, and why?
CS: I'd say my fellow chick tech reporters like yourself, Veronica Belmont from Engadget and Mahalo, Kara Rowland from The Washington Times and Natali Del Conte of CNET. I'm really happy to see all of us busting out great content and being kind to each other along the way. Rock on, ladies.

To continue reading Cat's fun-filled interview, read more

GS: What are some gadgets you are addicted to right now and can't seem to live without?
CS: For sure the SideKick LX. Love it. Love looking at it even when I'm not using it. Is that normal? Next is my Zeppelin speaker system. . . Another gadget that I can't help but drool over, even when it's off. The design on this speaker system is to die for and once it starts kickin' out The Beastie Boys, for me, I'm in lust all over again.
Last, lately I've been really using my Magellan Maestro Elite 5340 GPS way too much. I mean, I've been programming in the route to my house just to watch how I digitally move around the world!

GS: I noticed a special section on your site featuring camera phone images. The quality of the pictures are exceptional (Jack is sooo adorable)! Do tell - what kind of phone do you use and do you still use a regular camera?
CS: Yeah, baby! That's all my Sidekick LX. It's all about the lighting, you know?

GS: I loved your appearance on The Tyra Banks Show when you talked about gadgets to catch a cheating mate. What are some other tech topics you enjoy chatting about on television?
CS: Yeah, that was really a fun segment for me because I had JUST caught my ex cheating on me and he kind of didn't tell anyone why I dumped him so abruptly. . . Ha! EVERYONE knew after that! I love talking about any tech that will help others realize that their own world can be a little easier if they just embrace gadgets, instead of run from them. A few upcoming Today Show segments I have coming up are, "Bluetooth Explained," "Baby Gadgets" (LOVE this topic!), and "Snowboarding Gadgets." I feel really lucky that I get to talk about this stuff all day long and actually get paid to look at cool trends on eBay!

Must Haves for December!

GeekSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:00:02 -0800

December is such a festive time of the year, with chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nibbling at your toes and with kids everywhere ripping open Wii boxes on Christmas morning. If you've been checking out my holiday gift guides, you've probably spotted a few of these items which are sure to be at the top of many Christmas lists. Here are my top five must have picks for the month of December. Enjoy! To learn more about these fabulous must-haves, just read more

Nintendo has just released two special edition Nintendo DS bundles which come in metallic rose and gold. Each bundle not only comes with a DS Lite that is two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS but it is also paired with a game! The rose model includes the "Best Friends" version of Nintendogs and the DS Lite Gold comes with Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Both bundles are priced around $160.
The solar powered tote by Noon Solar is the ultimate geek chic laptop bag. The built-in solar power panel on the outside of the bag attaches to a battery box in an interior pocket that will charge-up in six to eight hours of strong sunlight. A portable and stylish gadget charger on the go! This Courtland bag costs $383. Other styles available as well.
Super Mario Galaxy is worth all the hype and then some. The hottest game for the Wii this holiday season, Super Mario Galaxy combines the best features from Super Mario Brothers, Super Mario Brothers 3, and Super Mario 64 into this super galactic 3D adventure. Priced at $50.
The future of reading has arrived with Amazon's latest creation, The Kindle. Weighing that of a traditional paperback book, the Kindle features a revolutionary electronic-paper display that looks and reads like real paper. With no computer, no cables, and no syncing required and access to more than 90,000 books, you can't help but want to get your hands on one. The Kindle costs $400 each.
Fire engine red iPhone cases are definitely a growing trend in Hollywood. These silicone cases are a cheap, chic way to protect your precious iPhone. You just can't beat their $6 price tag!

Have More Than 700,000 iPhones Sold Already?

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 06:00:40 -0700

The iPhone has only been on the market since last Friday, and many are still struggling to get their hands on one. (The downtown SF Apple store continues to put out new shipments every morning at 9 am and sells out before noon. The local AT&T stores are selling them online or promising to ship them priority mail.) So how many have been sold? It's hard to say - and the number continues to insight debate. While neither Apple or AT&T have disclosed their sales figures, USA Today reports that Tech and telecom analysts estimated sales of 500,000 to 700,000 units of the combination phone, iPod and pocket Internet device by Sunday.

Gene Munster of equity firm Piper Jaffray told USA Today he estimates that 95 percent of iPhone buyers bought the more-expensive $599 iPhone with 8 gigabytes of storage (it's also available for $499 with 4 GB of storage) and that Apple kept most of the phone inventory for its own retail stores.

Why Does the Camera Add 10 Pounds?

GeekSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:00:10 -0800

If you've ever seen my lookbook, you know I don't have my America's Next Top Model poses down. I don't know what it is, but I'm just not one of those women that can jump right into a camera-ready angle in two seconds and it's not like I'm the hunchback of Notre Dame or anything. When considering this I got to thinking, what are the best camera angles and why is it that the camera adds 10 pounds?

According to Slate Magazine's Michelle Tsai the answer is mostly bad lighting. She says:

The flat, even illumination on the red carpet makes it hard for the camera to capture dimension, unlike in a photo shoot with flattering soft lights. Cast from an angle, light creates shadows that sculpt the face and body by hiding unwanted flesh. Softer lights can hide wrinkles and smooth out the skin for women, while harsher lights on male faces exaggerate lines for a chiseled look. Without the aid of shadows, however, light exposes the imperfections of the face and body and makes the resulting image bigger and flatter. That's why everyone avoids white dresses-which cast fewer shadows under even lighting-except the thinnest actresses, like Nicole Kidman.

For tips on flattering camera lighting, just read more

High front light (sunlight)
We are trained early on that high front light is the best type of light, and often it is. The pro of high front light is the fact that the scene will be well lit and that the colors of the scene will be extra bright. The negative aspect of lots of sunlight in a picture is that your subject may squint and very high sunlight (seen at noon) will create deep shadows under eyes and chins, unless you use fill flash.

Front light
Front lighting illuminates the portion of the subject facing the photographer. Your camera's flash is the most common type of front lighting. It's great because it provides the most information to the camera by lighting the entire scene. It's also the easiest type of light to deal with photographically because there are fewer shadows to confuse the camera's light meter. The trouble is textures and details are minimized and scenes appear flat with few shadows.

Check out my guide to lighting: Photo Tips: Check Light Source, Strike Pose

Source

Photo Tips: Check Light Source, Strike Pose

GeekSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:12:52 -0800

Ever whip out your camera, line up your friends for a photo and suddenly realize you don't know where to stand with the camera? I have. When it comes to the direction of light, there are 360 degrees of possibilities, so when the natural or artificial light source isn't working for you, it's best to change it by moving your position, your subject's position, or the light itself. Knowing how each angle will affect the final photo is the first step to becoming the next Annie Leibovitz.

High front light (sunlight)
We are trained early on that high front light is the best type of light, and often it is. The pro of high front light is the fact that the scene will be well lit and that the colors of the scene will be extra bright. The negative aspect of lots of sunlight in a picture is that your subject may squint and very high sunlight (seen at noon) will create deep shadows under eyes and chins, unless you use fill flash.

For more about lighting angles, just read more

Side light
Side lighting is great when you want to emphasize texture, dimension, shapes, or patterns. Side lighting sculpts a subject, revealing contours and textures. Use side lighting to exaggerate dimension and depth. At a 45-degree angle to the side, it's one of the most flattering types of portrait lighting. It can separate the subject from the background. Problem is, it may be too severe for some subjects, creating some areas that are too bright, and some that are too dark.

Back light
Light that comes from behind your subject is by far the trickiest to use, but the dramatic results may be worth the effort. Back light is great because it simplifies a complicated scene by emphasizing the subject, as in a silhouette, it also provides a flattering halo of light in portraits. You do have to be careful as it can cause lens flare resulting in low contrast and strange light spots across the picture.