GeekSugar

Download of the Day: Ninon Flowers Screensaver

GeekSugar — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:15:37 -0700

I'm always in need of a new screensaver to add some fresh life to my desktop, so when I came across this Ninon Flowers screensaver, I knew it'd be perfect for brightening up my workspace.

Each image on the screensaver is taken from various locations around the US and includes flowers like the onion flower, cactus flower, rose, bell fruit flower, dragon fruit flower and many more. This screensaver download is for Macs only (sorry my PC pals) and is, what else. . . free.

Do you have a cool download like this one to share with geeksugar readers? To learn how to post your favorite sites to the Download 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 Download of the Day group
Click "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
Choose "Blog"
Give your photo a Title
Leave the category as "general"
Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Download of the Day")
Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture telling me why you love the download, do it before the code that has appeared.
Click Submit

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

How to Get Your Own Paul Rudd: Download Him!

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700

I lost my taste for downloading screensavers a while back, and now I get more pumped up about a great new Firefox extension (am I mature, or just boring now?). That all changed when I saw that I could download Paul Rudd, my gorgeous, brainy, vintage-Nintendo-shilling crush - I couldn't click my Mighty Mouse fast enough.

Paul Rudd is one of Funny or Die's Celebrity Screensavers series, and I couldn't commend them more for their excellent taste. Although it's not great for my productivity because I keep finding excuses to walk away from my computer so the screensaver comes on. Oh, hello, Paul!

DropClock: The Most Aesthetically Pleasing Screen Saver I've Laid Eyes On

GeekSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:00:00 -0700

It's been awhile since I've updated my screen saver. I guess I kinda got sick of the default ones which usually show random shapes flying all over your screen - headache much? Needless to say, I need a new one, so when I came across Dropclock, an ingenious and minimalistic screen saver, I knew I had to take it for a test drive. What's neat about DropClock is that it features a motion clock where every minute of real time is numerically expressed with a number dropping into water in slow-motion. Check out the video below to see what I mean. DropClock is available for download for both Mac and Windows operating systems.

Do Screen Savers Really Save Your Screen?

GeekSugar — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 16:09:50 -0800

The Truth About Screen Savers
I remember when I started in school and how I felt it was essential to have a 'pimped' out laptop. I would spend waay too many hours downloading screensavers and random wallpapers. Remember when the aquarium screensaver came out? Every office in North America was sporting the fish screensaver look for awhile. Screen savers are definitely aesthetically appealing creations in the computer world, but do they actually aid in saving our screens?

To find out the truth about Screen Savers and to learn how to protect your screen, read more

Years ago, monochrome monitors (on old school computers) were quite susceptible to a phenomenon known as burn-in or phosphor burn. When an image was shown on the monitor for a long time, like your main windows page, it would burn into the screen as a transparent image. Some color monitors still have this problem but only if the image has been on the screen for a super long time, which is something that just doesn't happen in most applications.

How To Protect Your Screen
In order to protect your screen, you should try to use it blank. The standby feature of PCs makes it easy to save your screen and keep your hydro bill down!
Some screen savers won't even help with burn-in because they have graphic elements that never move. If the screen saver doesn't have constantly moving images or graphics, it is just as bad as having a stagnant default screen.

Source

The Screen Stache Saver Is Cracking Me Up

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:15:51 -0800

Just in time for Movember, a friend just sent me the link to one of the funniest screen savers I've seen, the Screen Stache Saver.

Created by branding firm 160over90, the concept is simple: affix a fake mustache of your choice to the bottom of your computer monitor, download a folder of the eight screen saver images, and set the preferences on your computer to run a screen saver using the folder of images.

The result is a hilarious screen saver that features changing old-school-style photographs of men perfectly positioned to rock your monitor's mustache. Check out more hilarious images when you read more.

View 4 Photos ›

How Do You Save Energy In Your Office?

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:00:45 -0700

The all knowing folks at Lifehacker published a great 10 Computing Energy Savers list last week, which got me thinking about the bazillions of ways I must be wasting energy.

Their list is as follows: 10. Upgrade your gear 9. Dim your screen 8. Consolidate and virtualize computers 7. Turn off peripherals 6. Kill unnecessary processes 5. Get a smart power switch 4. Enable energy saver settings 3. Unplug energy vampires 2. Spin down your hard drive and 1. Shut down.

I highly suggest checking out their list for ideas on ways to cut back, but I assume most of you have already considered your energy usage and have worked out your own system.

How to Buy an Engagement Ring Online

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:02:31 -0700

Online shopping can be daunting, especially if the item in question is something you want to ensure the authenticity of, like a Wii, a designer handbag, and yes. . . an engagement ring.

I know some of you are groaning about who or why someone would shop online for something so important, but the practice is rising in popularity as shops are becoming more trustworthy and offering better deals, not to mention the fact that the Internet promises something more rare than the cheesy jewelry store at your local mall.

Buying and browsing online for rings is great whether you're the proposer or the proposee - say you're waiting for a proposal but don't want to march in to your local jewelry stores - it's totally ok (and incognito) to check out rings and styles to find what you like. For the tips, read more

My personal favorite kinds of engagement rings are antiques, which can be hard to come by at brick-and-mortar stores, depending on where you live. A good friend of mine proposed last year with a gorgeous and one of a kind antique ring he'd found online, and then had it resized for his fiancee.

Or maybe there's a large, specific retailer (Tiffany's comes to mind, and goosebumps come to arms) that you want a ring from but can't make it to a location.

Here are some important things to keep in mind:

Like any ring shopping, do your research first on the four C's: Cut, clarity, carats, and color. Blue Nile has a great, comprehensive guide for you to bone up on your ring knowledge.
The website Pricescope reviews and compares diamond prices of Internet stores and physical stores - a great second stop after you've gotten your four C's class.
Look for GIA certification for any diamond - it's a gemologist's grade of the quality of the diamond.

Tiffany & Co.: It's Tiffany, so prices and standards are going to be higher, but like I said, if you can't get to an actual store, online is a great source, especially because you don't have to worry about the quality.
Antique Rings: Swoon! I love the idea of an engagement ring with history, and it's also a socially conscious choice. Some sites are: the Antique Jewelry Mall, Art Deco Diamonds (my fave for the photography), and don't count out eBay - just be smart about the seller.
Brilliant Earth: This awesome site specializes in conflict-free diamonds and if you don't necessarily want one of their rings, you can buy the loose conflict-free diamond and shop for a setting elsewhere. If you don't use Brilliant Earth, at least read the buying guide so you can learn to avoid "blood diamonds." Green Karat is another conscious online retailer - they use recycled gold.
Blue Nile: A reputable seller that boasts personal proposal stories from buyers (awww) and uses PayPal!
James Allen: Here, you can design your own ring (including a 3-D video of what you design) and use a virtual loupe (the thingie you use to inspect diamonds closely). Bonus: download diamond screen savers (for Windows only)!
Diamond Ideals: features a no-questions-asked return policy and a lifetime upgrade policy.
White Flash: offers free verification and free shipping.

And of course, do a lot of research on the piece and any retailer you might use prior to clicking "add to cart"! Oh, and, congratulations!

Source

Maximize Your Laptop Battery

GeekSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:04:40 -0800

I can't tell you how many times I've settled into a coffee shop with the intention of having an internet sleuthing session, only to realize my notebook battery is near its end. With a little bit of care, you can maximize the battery life (i.e. the time your battery will run before it must be recharged) and lifespan of your notebook's battery.

For additional battery optimizing tips, read more

Energy: The Energy Saver control panel offers several settings that determine power levels for your Mac. If you change this setting to maximize performance, your battery will drain more quickly.

Brightness: Dim the screen to the lowest comfortable level to achieve maximum battery life.

AirPort Wireless: AirPort consumes power, even if you are not using its features to connect to a network. You can turn it off in its control panel to save power.

Bluetooth Wireless: Turn off Bluetooth to maximize your battery life, as it also consumes power when not in use.

The display and hard disk on your PC are the two biggest consumers of battery power. By customizing the existing power schemes in Windows XP you can extend your battery life. Windows XP provides a number of power schemes, which are predefined collections of settings designed for different environments and circumstances.

Portable/Laptop Power Scheme: This minimizes the use of power to conserve your battery, but adjusts to your processing needs so that the system speed is not sacrificed. Adjust accordingly.

Max Battery Power Scheme: This minimizes power use but does not adjust as your processing demands change. Use Max Battery only in situations that require minimal processing, such as reading documents and taking notes in a meeting.

Adjust Screen Brightness: You can conserve battery by reducing the screen brightness. Every computer is slightly different, but you can usually use a combination of keys, a function key, or a software tool to dim the screen.

Turn Off Wireless: This sucks power even when you're not using it.

Bill Gates Talks About Vista on John Stewart

GeekSugar — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:09:03 -0800

I have to say, I've seen Bill Gates speak a couple times regarding the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and he has always been passionate, charming and awesomely geeky. Last night, Gates went on John Stewart's Daly Show to talk about today's release of Microsoft Vista and honestly, he just wasn't as funny as I wanted him to be. Perhaps my standards are too high.

What I learned: Gates has couple computers, one of which is the Tablet. Bill Gates' screen saver: family photos. Want to know more? Watch Gates describing his favorite Vista features.

Add Some Flair To Your Desktop

GeekSugar — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 17:27:43 -0800

Time to get in the holiday spirit and decorate your desktop wallpaper!

For simple steps on how to change your desktop, just read more

Open Display in Control Panel.
On the Desktop tab, do one or more of the following: Click a picture in the Background list. In Position, click Center, Tile, or Stretch.
Click Browse to search for a background picture in other folders or on other drives. You can use files with the following extensions: .bmp, .gif, .jpg,.dib, .png, .htm.
In Position, click Center, Tile, or Stretch.
Select a color from Desktop color. The color fills the space not used by a picture.

Note: To open Display, click Start, click Control Panel, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display.You can use a personal picture as a background. All of your personal pictures located in My Pictures are listed by name in the Background list. You can save a picture from a Web site as a background. Right-click the picture and then click Set as Background. The picture is listed in the Background box as Internet Explorer Background.

Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Desktop & Screen Saver
Click Desktop, and then do one of the following:
To use one of the images provided with Mac OS X as your background, select a collection of images from the list on the left, then click the picture you want to use on the right.
To choose a picture in your home Pictures folder as your background, select Pictures Folder in the list. To choose a picture in another location, select Choose Folder. If you can't see your pictures you may need to save them in
another format (for example, JPEG, TIFF, or PICT) using Preview (in your Applications folder) or QuickTime Pro. For more information, click "Tell me more."
To have the desktop picture change on a regular basis or at certain times,select the "Change picture" checkbox and choose when you want the picture to change from the pop-up menu. (This may affect the performance of some
applications, such as games, that use a lot of graphics.)
You can also change the background by pressing the Control key and clicking the desktop, then choosing Change Desktop Background from the shortcut menu.