GeekSugar

TouchSight: The Camera For the Blind

GeekSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:00:34 -0700

It's wonderful that electronics designers are starting to take disabilities into consideration - even if they first start with a hack, like that Rock Band mod for wheelchairs.

This concept design is a camera - for the blind. Called the TouchSight, it would utilize Braille and the other senses to both take photos and then download them later.

While the TouchSight is only a concept now, it was designed by someone from Samsung China - a company that knows a few things about cameras, so there's actual hope for this idea to come to fruition.

How-to: Find Someone Online

GeekSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:47:58 -0700

The debate whether or not to Google potential lovers is a tricky one, but the truth is, there's no harm in it. Finding friends, acquaintances, or even strangers online is a simple and discreet way to learn a little bit - or a whole lot! - about them. You can brush up on their online reputation and verify their stories (hey, hiring managers do it, why can't you?) or simply see what they are into. There are plenty of people who keep their social network accounts private, but you can always find something. Looking for more information on your sister's new boyfriend, a blind date or co-worker? Here are some surefire tips to strike Google gold.

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Daily Tech: Motorola's Aura Is Truly a Beautiful Device

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:10:16 -0800

Motorola's Aura may not have been a new phone at CES this year, and it is somewhat expensive, but after a second glance, you really can't deny its stunning exterior. - Engadget
For people who want to check their email on the go, but don't have a smartphone, Amika Mobile provides push email to any device that's able to receive standard text messages. - Unplggd
Stevie Wonder loves his iPod and BlackBerry, but admits that devices with touchscreens exclude the blind. - Switched
Things may not be so hot with the economy right now, but Sony still managed to announce 70 new products at CES this year. - CrunchGear
Former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove is now Twittering his life away! - Valleywag

Star Wars Stack 'Ems: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:45:17 -0800

What do I need these for? I have no idea. But the Star Wars Stack 'Ems have an irresistible pull on me either way. They're $10 each and blind-boxed, so you don't know which character you'll get, and they're not totally useless - you can use them as key chains or just get really bored and stack them up as intended.

What do you think? Pointless or pretty awesome?

Daily Tech: T-Mobile Sells Out of the G1

GeekSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:40:52 -0700

Just like that. In less than one week, T-Mobile's G1 android handset sold like hot cakes and are now out of stock. Although T-Mobile is reassuring its customers that there are "some available" for T-Mobile subscribers. - Gizmodo
Apple is working towards making iTunes 8 and the new iPod Nano fully user friendly for blind individuals. - Apple Insider
Check out five of the best websites for streaming television online. - Lifehacker
Thinking about purchasing the Sonos wireless music system? Unpluggd just picked up the Sonos Bundle 150 with loudspeakers and here's a full rundown of all its gadgets and gizmos. - Unplggd
On Dec. 9, Warner will be releasing the DVD version of The Dark Knight in Blu-ray and it will cost $36. - CrunchGear

Miss Manners Says It's Cool to Ignore Friend Requests

GeekSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:00:45 -0700

Take it from Judith Martin, Miss Manners herself, that when it comes to friend requests on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, you don't have to feel obligated to accept these invitations - especially when it involves mixing business with pleasure. The columnist in the Chicago Tribune recently said this about turning a blind eye to certain invitations:

Miss Manners is not one to suggest ignoring invitations, but this is more of a commercial solicitation. Even messages such as these from people you know socially are so widely distributed as to resemble the sort of open invitations that teenagers post on trees when their parents are out of town.

So there you have it. You can ignore those little invites and not feel guilty about it. Why? 'Cause Miss Manners said so.

Internet Reviews: When Does It Stop Being Unhelpful?

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:05:49 -0700

This era of web 2.0 is awesome for the consumer aspect of our lives; no longer do we have to guess if a restaurant is going to be good (or has violated health codes, yeeesh!), or if the down comforter you want to order online will be fluffy enough. No, we can rely on each other, uh-huh (yes that is an "Islands in the Stream" reference)!

Whether it's a helpful reviewer on Yelp that tips you off to the sushi place in your neighborhood you didn't know existed, or the lady in Philadelphia who can report that the vacuum you're eyeing on Overstock is a waste of money, it's awesome that we can trust each other's reviews. I mean, what did we do before? I know, it was kind of fun flying blind, and you can still do that, but it's nice to know that you have "friends" online that are looking out for you.

But there is one big problem with online reviews. To see what it is just read more.

The only problem is that on Yelp or retail sites that provide reviews, there are so many opinions that it can start to get confusing, the NYTimes notes. Both Yelp and Amazon have experienced scandals over whether people really were impartial parties (gotta love the story of the Amazon book reviewer who anonymously gave his own book a rave review - until the website accidentally revealed his name).

Tell me - what has been your own experience with reviews online? Do people usually steer you in the right direction, or have you had any bad experiences?

Wii Decals: Love or Leave?

GeekSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:45:52 -0700

It's one thing to bling out a small device like a Nintendo DS, but an entire console? Not for the faint of heart. If that Wii sitting on your TV stand is just "too white" then these Floral Wii Decals ($19) may be what you need to get rid of the blinding white exterior.

Of course, should you tire of flowers, you can always take the decal off. Which, if you live with your boyfriend, may be required.

What do you think?

John Mayer Bats For Both Teams: Apple and Sony

GeekSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:34:06 -0700

MacBook Air? What MacBook Air? John Mayer must have cured his Apple addiction because he's now the poster-boy for Sony - appearing in a Sony Vaio ad in the latest issue of Wired. Maybe I'm just blind to the fact that he's got a ton of tech-company connections, including RIM with all of his BlackBerry hook-ups. But all in all, I guess everyone wins in this situation - Apple gets free publicity for their hot new gadgets, Sony pays Mayer oodles of cash to splash his face all over their ads, and Mayer gets all the latest tech toys he can handle.

Source

Iron Man Review: It's All About the Flying

GeekSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:00:01 -0700

I'll admit it, I have a geek crush on Iron Man. And, I adore his geeky-but-hot alter ego Tony Stark, who has a lab straight out of every geeks' daydreams with computers, gadgets, and hot cars (most likely equipped with some high-tech GPS) galore. Even the phone he carries is totally geek chic!

So after loving the movie enough to make plans to see it a second time with some pals – and shell out another $25 bucks including popcorn – I was pretty excited to see what they had done with the game. Although it's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of movie tie-ins since video games based on movies are usually complete crap, there are some silver linings to this title, but not many. The movie absolutely crushed the competition and pulled in another $50 million at the box office this past weekend, but unfortunately I doubt the game will be received as well as the film. To see what I mean, read more.

As you may be able to tell from the title of this post, it really is all about the flying. When Tony takes to the skies, it's one of the most exciting parts of the film, and is probably the best feature about this game. I could fly all day! But you gotta come down to earth eventually, and when you do, it gets a bit disappointing. The graphics are cool, but movements are clunky, and the foes are kinda useless.

These days, games are intelligent and the enemy has some sort of evasion tactics where it becomes challenging and hard to shoot at them. Take Uncharted: Drakes Fortune for example. Those bad guys are a tough bunch, making it hard to beat, yet, it's totally satisfying. Iron Man's enemies however, must be blinded by the shiny suit, cause they don't put up much of a fight. . . Which is a good thing if you want to blast through the game (but you may get bored).

And although the likeness of Tony and Yen-Sin are pretty spot on even when up close (and RDJ's voice acting really does lend a great touch), the rest of the outside world seems to be missing something. Unlike Mass Effect, where you thought the landscapes could stretch on forever, the distant views in Iron Man are not as impressive. Plus, when you go from superintuitive controls while flying and attacking enemies in the air, to awkward and clunky controls on the ground, it gets a little frustrating.

All in all, Iron Man is good for a rental experience, but I doubt that you will keep it for long. Unless you just can't get enough of the flying that is, which is totally understandable! Iron Man is out now - pick it up online.