GeekSugar

Geek of the Week: Tyson Mao

GeekSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 10:00:22 -0700

Wonder where Will Smith picked up his impressive Rubik's Cube skills in The Pursuit of Happyness? Thanks to one of the world's top competitive Rubik's Cube champions Tyson Mao, Smith was able to learn how to master the mind-boggling cube for his leading role.
When Mao's younger brother Toby taught him how to solve the cube in July 2003, it was only a matter of time before Mao could solve the puzzle faster then his brother...that is in less than two minutes- blindfolded of course. When not covering their eyes, Tyson and Toby are 'speedcubing' wizards, solving the cube in less than 20 seconds and taking part in competitions all over the country. Twenty-two year old San Franciscian native Mao has only been beat by two of the world's top 3x3x3 blindfolded Rubik's Cube competitors. This and the fact that he was one of the 'geeks' in the hit reality show Beauty and the Geek last year, makes him a perfect geeksugar geek of the week.

image source

Love 2.0: Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom

GeekSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 12:00:51 -0800

As part of our Geeks We Love series, I caught up with a few couples that, through the beauty of the internet and technology have influenced both our lives and each other.

It seems a bit of geekiness comes with the territory of owning your own online business, no matter what your background. If this is true, Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom, who happen to be the owners of hip online store Curiosity Shoppe, wear it well. The couple abandoned their “kinda crazy lives in New York City” and came home to the San Francisco Bay Area to start up the Shoppe for the simple reason that they are obsessed with beautiful things. What makes them so geek chic? read more

Geeksugar: So tell us how you got into the business…
Derek: We launched the Shoppe in October of last year. I’ve been a magazine editor for nearly 10 years, first in New York at magazines like Esquire and Interview, and now here in the lovely Bay Area.
Lauren: Our site just launched in October, so we're fairly new to this. We also have a blog called Smarts & Crafts. Before moving to San Francisco, I worked at a design studio in New York City for 7 years.

Geeksugar: So what’s the geekiest thing about yourself?
Derek: I own, and have actually played Settlers of Catan.
Lauren: I am obsessed with time management! I read all the self-help books and blogs, and am constantly making lists.

Geeksugar: Now what’s the geekiest thing about your significant other?
Derek: She often beats me at Settlers of Catan.
Lauren: He can recite all the dialogue from the movie Weird Science.

Geeksugar: How and when did you meet your significant other?
Derek: We actually met in the computer lab during our freshman year of college.
Lauren: We met freshman year of college, in the computer lab of all places.

Geeksugar: What Are Your Top 5 favorite gadgets?
Derek: Our iMac, iPod (when it’s actually working), our digital camera, PSP and TiVo.
Lauren: Digital Camera, iPod, TiVo, FireLite external hard drive, where we store all our music and my Wacom tablet.

Geeksugar: What about the top 5 luxury gadgets you really want?
Derek: Digital projector, TO:CA 'wood' LED clock designed by Kouji Iwasak, HDtv, PlayStation 3 (just so I can play Guitar Hero) and an iPhone.
Lauren: Flat screen TV, Tivoli Audio M1CLA Henry Kloss Model One Radio, Leica D-LUX 3 10MP Digital Camera, Wireless Headphones and a Swiss Army Knife with built in USB Flash Drive.

Geeksugar: Your first computer was a…
Derek: Apple IIe
Lauren: I always used Derek's computer until we finally bought a first generation iMac together a few years back.

Geeksugar: What are your favorite websites?
Derek: Cute Overload, NY Times, Design Sponge, Library of Congress
Lauren: Technorati & Google Analytics, to see who is talking about us and visiting our sites. Designsponge, for the latest and greatest in modern product design and other must-haves for the home. 43 Folders, for all things productivity related. Make It for great resource for people with craft-related small businesses. The Purl Bee from my favorite yarn and quilt supply store in NY - it's a great source of crafty inspiration.

Geeksugar: What is your Valentine’s Day plan?
Derek: Why do you ask? Is that coming up?!
Lauren: We'll probably rent a bunch of movies and make a nice dinner at home.

Geeksugar: Who makes the final decision when it comes to gadgets for the home?
Derek: She does.
Lauren: I always think I can live without them, but Derek manages to convince me otherwise.

Geeksugar: Who solves tech problems at home?
Derek: She does.
Lauren: It's usually me!

Geeksugar: Are you going to buy an iPhone?
Derek: Ugh. Probably, though I may try to hold out until they work out the bugs. And if it performs as shoddily as my iPod, well, let’s just say I hope it comes with Applecare.
Lauren: Probably not, although I am seriously coveting one.

Geeksugar: How do you feel about people calling you a “geek”:
Derek: It’s a term of endearment, no?
Lauren: Geeks rule! I've been discovering that all my friends are closet geeks - we can talk about Photoshop tricks for hours.

Geeksugar: What has been your greatest contribution to the online community?
Derek: Well, I think our shoppe is lovely. And Smarts & Crafts (our web journal) inspires a couple of readers now and again.
Lauren: I think our online shoppe is pretty cool! People seem to be liking it so far, and it's been a lot of fun putting the site together with Derek.

Geeksugar: How many hours do you spend online a day?
Derek: Lord. 8? 9? Is that a lot?
Lauren: 8 or more hours- all our business is conducted online so I'm constantly checking on the site all day.

Geeksugar: How many hours does your partner spend online a day?
Derek: According to iChat it’s a lot of hours.
Lauren: Probably the same.

Geeksugar: What is one geeky habit you’re trying to quit?
Derek: Checking my work email the second I get home from work.
Lauren: Checking my email as soon as I get home, especially if I've been on the computer all day at work.

Geeksugar: Are you the “Beauty” or the “Geek” in the relationship?
Derek: I’m the Beek.
Lauren: I hope I'm a little of both! Although some days I definitely feel more geeky than beautiful.

Mix Tape Pouch: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:00:37 -0700

Mix tape nostalgia is hotter than ever right now; if it's not a new product in the shape of a mix tape, like this USB stick, then there's a website popping up for waxing sentimental over the things and their song selections.

Joining the party right on time is this felt mix tape pouch from Etsy. It's soft and cute, and may remind you of a someone compiling one too many Elliott Smith songs for you. What say you?

Would You Attend a Virtual School or Work Fair?

GeekSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:00:02 -0800

These days virtual meetings, shows, and communities are getting more and more elaborate. Whether it's hanging out in Gossip Girl's Second Life neighborhood, holding a wedding ceremony online, or simply using iChat for business or pleasure, there seems to be no end to virtual events and meet-up spots.

Today is the second day of College Week Live's two-day virtual college fair. It was created to help prospective students in their college planning by connecting them with colleges in a live, interactive environment.

According to the website, the event will draw thousands of students from the US and abroad and more than 50 major US colleges – including such schools as Northeastern, Smith College, UCONN, University of Buffalo, Ole Miss, and Tufts. I think it's a great idea, but whenever I check out virtual events, I never leave the site with the same understanding or experience I would have if I had gone in person.

Geeky Girl We Love: Kate of Apartment Therapy

GeekSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:00:04 -0700

CasaSugar and I share an appreciation for Apartment Therapy, a network of sites that's all about making small spaces more livable, hip and beautiful. In the past few months, I’ve fallen in love with the network’s Home Tech section, which features great tips, tricks and gizmos that will enhance your tech life without costing you a bundle or taking up too much space (we don’t all live in homes that can fit giant home theaters, right!).

Home Tech’s editor, Kate Mulinix, is just as lovable as the site. She claims she has appreciated good design in small spaces ever since the Barbie bus of her childhood. From her appreciation and understanding of good design, as well as the ability to articulate why it was so, came work in the advertising business when she was six-years-old, writing copy and designing the ads. Technology and the newest tools to increase productivity must run in her blood, as her father had one of the first portable computers that eventually became her first computer, one of the first cell phones (heavy enough to be a boat anchor), and GPS long before it became mainstream.

Kate has been the editor on Apartment Therapy's Home Tech site since it launched in March. I recently tracked her down to interview her about all things geeky. To check out the full interview, read more

Geeksugar: What element of Home Tech or technology in general interests you the most?
Kate: The best part about my AT:HT gig is being able to connect people with meaningful things that are well-designed and improve the quality of their lives. That's the entire premise of what we do, and though we occasionally divert from that premise to bring news like the Mobile Phone Throwing Competition to our readers, or the coolest, oddest, or most expensive prototype out there, our sweet spot is where technology, design, usefulness and home intersect.

Geeksugar: Do you use a PC or Mac?
Kate: PC, but my next one will likely be a Mac

Geeksugar: How many hours are you online everyday?
Kate: About six, spread out over the course of the day; one-half to two-thirds is for researching and writing for AT:HT. I have a full-time, non-internet-based job besides AT:HT, so I can't be as involved as I would like in all things Apartment Therapy.

Geeksugar: Your first computer was a ...
Kate: Corona PPC-440, billed as a "portable" computer…weighing in at 40 pounds!

Geeksugar: How many gadgets do you carry in your purse? What are they?
Kate: Cell, Compaq iPaq (old PDA, until I upgrade), red iPod Nano, Olympus FE-190 digital camera

Geeksugar: What's a practical home tech or computer tip you use all the time?
Kate: If you have a laptop, stash multiple wireless, laser mice in multiple locations so you don't have to worry about carting around one more thing.

Geeksugar: What are some of your favorite websites/websites that inspire you?
Kate: All of the Apartment Therapy sites, but especially NY and Green. Plus, MoCo Loco, Danny Seo's blog and Dooce.

Geeksugar: How many blog feeds are in your RSS reader?
Kate: I'm old-fashioned when it comes to my RSS reader and don't use it because I like the visual piece of the blogs I read that doesn't come through on the RSS reader. Instead, I use the links on AT:HT's homepage, and my other favorites are planted under the address bar and above the tabs within Firefox. I read about 10 with regularity (usually daily or every-other-day), and another 10-15 semi-regularly (once a week), though I'm also not afraid to go from site to site to site as I'm linked through.

Geeksugar: Who do you think are the top 3 sexiest male geeks in the world?
Kate: My husband, Jonathan; Jon Armstrong, husband of Dooce; and Ryan Opina, a fellow AT:HT editor.

Geeksugar: And sexiest female geeks?
Kate: Heather Armstrong, aka Dooce (her humor kills me every time), Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Kelly Goodman, a fellow AT:HT editor.

Geeksugar: How do you feel about being called a "geek" or "techie"?
Kate: Geek=cool, in the tech blog world, so I'm all over that one! However, in the rest of the world, they still haven't picked up that geek=cool, so they don't yet know how cool I am. I'm just waiting for the inevitable throngs of fans to pick up on this.

Geeksugar: What is your main goal for Home Tech? What do you want your readers to get when they visit?
Kate: I want readers to be able to integrate technology in a way that will improve the quality of their lives, not just have a gadget for the sake of having it. Technology for the home has too much potential, especially when combined with great design, to miss out on the opportunities arriving all the time.

Geeksugar: What is one item you've featured that you had to purchase?
Kate: Haven't purchased it yet, but will when it becomes available I want the Solarjo "Power Purse". It's a handbag with the ability to recharge your gadgets via solar power (the panels are the pattern on the outside of the handbag) feeding the USB port inside. Next phone and camera will definitely have to be USB-rechargeable.

Geeksugar: What's the most useless thing you've featured?
Kate: It's probably useful to someone (see the comment on the post), but I don't want to be talking to someone through my pillow as I'm drifting off to sleep except if I were in a long-distance relationship while in college: perCushion Cell Phone Cushion.

Geeksugar: Did you buy an iPhone?
Kate: Nope. 97 percent of my calls are on the Verizon network, so I'm sticking with that, for now, because then they're "free." If someone hacks it for the Verizon network, then I'd seriously consider.

Toddler Solves Rubik's Cube In 114 Seconds

GeekSugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 10:00:46 -0700

Thought you had real Rubik's Cube talent? Check out the video below of a three-year-old solving the cube in less than two minutes! The video, which was featured on Spluch, is absolutely remarkable.. and I can't help but wonder if a Rubik's Cube was her first toy or if she has some sort of inherited Rubik's Cube gene. Maybe she should go head to head with speedcuber Tyson Mao, who taught Will Smith how to cube for the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness."

Whatever her secret is, be it hard work, Rubik's Cube genetics or talent, I think her parents should make her a giant Rubik's Cube cake for her next birthday!

Geeky Girl We Love: Jean Aw of Notcot

GeekSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:01:13 -0700

Last month we featured some of the cutest geeky couples and bachelors in the blogoshere, which left many of you wondering - what about the women? Fear not my fine friends, we were just saving the best for last. March is Women's History Month so I figured there was no better way to celebrate than to highlight some of the smartest, most creative and successful women on the internet.

Jean Aw is the co-founder of Notcot and Notcot.org, a network of informative and collaborative websites that doubles as a design consultancy. It's tagged as a "visual filtration of ideas+aesthetics+amusement," which translates to a beautiful mix of all the things Jean and the community love. At 24, the designer, trendspotter and entrepreneur has already made a mark in the blog world and seems to be leading the pack with an innovative, creative site that celebrates design, imagery and curation. I dare you not to fall in love with it - or her for that matter. For the full interview read more

Geeksugar: Tell us a bit about yourself.
Jean: I'm a 24-year-old design addict + UX Designer + shopaholic + tech connoisseur + design writer + world traveler + internet junkie. Born and raised in Los Angeles, it remains my homebase... even when I wander off to Milan for over a year, I always touch down here between moves. NOTCOT.com launched in 2005, when I returned from my adventures in Italy (working on my Masters degree), landed in San Diego jet lagged, and driving my friend crazy... his solution? Make me learn CSS - through playing with movable type - and when I had no content, I simply posted things I found myself IM-ing to friends anyhow. It became great as my own design resource, but then others started reading it, and it's taken on a life of its own and is still growing and evolving.

Geeksugar: It seems like everyone is talking about your site these days - can you tell us a little back story about how you got it started?
Jean: The first major evolution in 2006 was the launch of NOTCOT.org, a community-based bulletin board of sorts for the visually oriented (but aren't we all really?). It reads like the picturebook to others blog rolls, delicious, digg, etc. Second priority to making imagery the main focus, was to make it ridiculously intuitive and easy to post, such that the non-bloggers among us finding great content wouldn't have an excuse not to. All you need is a great image, a link, and a quick caption. Built from scratch, we are constantly adding new features, trying new things, and its been a thrill to see the design inspiration people are finding... Our latest endeavor has been Tastespotting.com which is NOTCOT.org - for food, because designers need to eat too! (But prepare to drool, those food bloggers are serious - and have you seen how amazing some kitchen gadgets are?)

Geeksugar: Notcot is unique because you are able to showcase other sites, but maintain a clean style. How do you describe your style and goals for the site in terms of design?
Jean: Clean and Simple. I like to let the images speak for themselves. We've taken this approach on every aspect of the sites, from visual design to the user experience in submitting new pictures on NOTCOT.org and Tastespotting. On NOTCOT.com the design approach is more like a roman scroll with one main section, which we've complemented with hand-drawn doodle-styled tags hanging from strings (as various birds fly by or land on them) to help break the 90 degree angles so common on the web. These tags have served as a unique way to showcase art and ads in a more unique fashion.

Geeksugar: How many hours are you online everyday?
Jean: I can't even imagine... if we count by the amount I sleep, and go out each day... wait does accessing the internet on my Blackberry Pearl count? If so, I'd have to guess I'm up there with those men... I don't consider myself a full time blogger, but the time not spent on the sites probably goes to real world researching for the sites and managing the business sides of things (with quite a bit of UX consulting work mixed in).

Geeksugar: Your first computer was a ...
Jean: Apple IIgs - my little sister and I used to play Carmen San Diego and mini golf on it and also used to print many a "masterpiece" from Paintshop on the painfully loud and slow dot matrix printer.

Geeksugar: What are you most proud of ?
Jean: The international community of aesthetically driven creative that has formed around the sites... I used to HATE creative blocks, and I haven't really had one since I launched NOTCOT.org. At any given moment someone finds something new and inspiring, or even just clicking to a random page, there is always SOMETHING to catch your eye, distract you, send you back to wanting to make something. I've come to see NOTCOT.org as our collective space to fight creative blocks everywhere!

Geeksugar: What is your favorite thing about your job? What is your favorite post from the site?
Jean: My favorite thing about NOTCOT is that everything I love doing I can now call work. Travelling, shopping, finding great designers and artists to obsess over... As for favorite posts, my current favorite post is the Miss Van opening I just went to last night, she's been a long time favorite of mine since her street art days, so it was absolutely incredible to see them in person and selling out lightning fast. To be fair, all the posts are my favorites, since I take an inspiration based angle, unless I LOVE it, it doesn't end up on NOTCOT.com... and as for community based NOTCOT.org and Tastespotting.com there is something incredible about watching all of the incredible finds people come up with, makes it hard not to love all the posts.

Geeksugar: How many blogs are in your RSS reader?
Jean: I'm a Firefox tabs kinda girl - "open all in tabs" is my best friend. The designer in me loves context, so I often feel the need to read posts in their natural form on their sites! So, 0!

Geeksugar: Who do you think are the top 5 sexiest male geeks in the world?
Jean:These are such hard questions! So after some brain racking here are some random guys i came up with...

James Bond (fictional is ok right?) ~ no one has ever had hotter cars or gadgets
Tyler Brule - as founder of Wallpaper and now Monocle, I can't imagine he doesn't have quite the geek stash of designer gadgets
Ze Frank - anyone who vlogs that frequently MUST have quite the slew of gadgetry
Jeph Jacques - the brilliant man behind Questionable Content. from the comic, I assume has at least has a roomba and ipod... if not some crazy anthroPC's bent on world domination
Jonathan Harris - genius behind We Feel Fine, Yahoo Time Capsule and justcurio.us. He has a brilliant ability to blend art and the dynamic nature of the web beautifully

Geeksugar: Who do you think are the top 5 sexiest female geeks in the world?
Jean: That's oddly difficult - tapped some geek boys minds to help me out on this one, and we ended up having more fun with the sexy movie girlie geeks...

Angelina Jolie in Hackers, Mr and Mrs. Smith, Tomb Raider, and Gone in 60 Seconds
Nikita from La Femme Nikita
Charlize Theron in the Italian Job - That digi safe cracking is pretty hardcore.

Geeksugar: Is there one particular blogger you really look up to?
Jean: Regina from We Make Money Not Art. Her blog back in 2004 got me through my i-Design grad program in Milan. Her daily doses of tech meets art inspiration were that extra boost I needed to keep on top on the most innovative and playful projects internationally, and perhaps she's even part of how I ended up starting NOTCOT as a source of design inspiration...

Back To The Future CD-ROM Sneakers

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:30:22 -0800

White high tops with built in speakers and a CD-ROM, could it be true? These old school sexy sporty sneakers featured on Ubergizmo are concept shoes which feature an integrated CD-ROM, speakers, volume control knob and yes, velcro tops! They remind me of something Will Smith would wear on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Can you imagine how excited he would have been to have a portable boombox right at his toes? Quite the creative idea but totally not geek chic in the year 2007. What do you think? Leave your comments below!