GeekSugar

6 Geeky Books to Load on Your Kindle

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:50:17 -0700

The price of the Kindle has been taking a nosedive recently, but some of you still aren't buying. For those of you who are taking advantage of the new sticker price, you're going to need to decide on which books to load onto your new tech toy before you take off on your next reading trip. Want some help? I have six books ripe for the picking that satisfy your need for all things geek, entertainment, knowledge, social network, and business domination. Check 'em out right here.

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Website of the Day: Chegg

GeekSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:05:48 -0700

I may talk a lot of game about refreshing your gadgets and accessories before you head back to school, but let's face it - things can get pretty expensive. Between a new Fall wardrobe, books, and tech, you may blow your budget before the school year even starts.

But good news! I found one way to save you some serious cash during your school year - rent your textbooks from Chegg instead of buying. Chegg is an online textbook rental service that lets you use your book, as you need it - with super fast shipping and returns - instead of dropping a load of dough on a book you'll only need for a semester. The process of book renting and reusing is eco-friendly in its own right, but Chegg will also plant a tree for every book you rent. So now, good for the environment also means more green in your wallet.

Have an interesting website you want to share? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click "New Post" under the website of the day tab at the top of the page.
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Type "Technology and Gadgets" in the Categories box
Add keyword(s) in the tag field with relevant tags (for example mine for this story was "Website of the Day").
Choose whether you want the post to be private or public.
Click "Create Post" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the GeekSugar homepage!

Snaptell App Lets You Comparison Shop, Read Reviews

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:05:42 -0700

It comes as no surprise that I like books. There's just something about having a shelf full of good reads to comb through when I need it. And although I like having the option of reading a book on my iPhone, I prefer the real deal. So when I'm perusing the bookstore and see an interesting cover I like, but know nothing about the content, I can check out reviews and details about the book with just a click of my camera phone.

Called Snaptell, this little (free!) app comes in handy in these situations. To find out how it works, just read more.

Just take a quick photo of the book cover using your camera phone, and send it through the Snaptell app. In seconds you'll get prices and reviews from various sites (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Google, etc.) so you can make an informed purchase. But not only does Snaptell give you the lowdown on books, but it works for DVDs, CDs, and video games as well. Snaptell is available for free on the iPhone and Android G1, and will be coming soon to Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones.

Safari Launches a Mobile Version of Books Online

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:03:54 -0800

I still haven't gotten into the habit of reading eBooks on my cell phone. Call me crazy - because I seem to manage reading pages and pages of emails just fine - I just can't seem to wrap my mind around the idea of reading an entire book on my phone. But for those of you who have already jumped on the phone-reading bandwagon, Safari has just launched a mobile version of its online bookstore.

Accessed by visiting m.safaribooksonline.com on web-enabled cell phones, users can now search the Safari Books Online site to find books. And just a heads up to Safari books newbies, its library selection is basically filled with reference books related to technology, creative, and business and management categories.

Website of the Day: What Should I Read Next?

GeekSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:03:44 -0800

I belong to a few online book communities (GoodReads is my fave), and after spending some quality time adding members as friends and circulating around the site to see what other people like, I can end up with some recommendations about books to read.

But sometimes I don't have the time to spend searching and I need instant suggestions on what I would like.

On What Should I Read Next?, all you have to do is enter in a book's title and author, and you'll get several suggestions about what you should curl up with next (along with links to comments and where to buy that book).

To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website 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 Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

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

"Flying" LED-Lit Books Light Up San Francisco's North Beach

GeekSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:30:22 -0800

On Sunday night, I witnessed the unveiling of a new art piece consisting of LED-lit books, hung high above a square in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Called "Language of the Birds," artists Dorka Keehn and Brian Goggin participated in the literal unveiling - at first, each book was shrouded and unlit, and one by one, a string was pulled to reveal each book, which were then lit up as the night darkened.

If you find yourself in the city, go by Columbus and Broadway at night, for it's not everyday you can see a flock of illuminated books in flight.

To see more beautiful photos, read more.

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Download of the Day: Books

GeekSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:30:44 -0700

I know my geeks are a literate lot, so I've dug up a new, free application for Macs to keep your analog books organized electronically. Where GoodReads is a great way to keep track of all books you've read, the download Books is your electronic library for all the books you own.

All you have to do is enter titles of the books you own, and Books will quickfill all the details of that book, including the cover art (once you've selected a quickfill metric in preferences). Once your book is entered, you can keep track of the most important thing about book ownership: the lending history! I'm always loaning my books out all over the place, so being able to keep track of them is going to be ultra useful. I've got to keep my shelves full, you know.

To learn how to post your favorite downloads 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!

Would You Buy a Cheaper, Thinner, More Stylish Kindle?

GeekSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:00:43 -0700

Word on the street is that the current generation of the Kindle is going to be replaced by a newer, younger, and prettier model.

It sounds like it's going to take a crack at improving upon the things that many (and I personally) dislike about the Kindle: the price, which will go down from $359 to a rumored $249, and the design, which is angular and slightly awkward (but surprisingly lovely in person), is to be refined. It's also rumored to be much thinner, and have a better screen.

These things make it easier to justify having a Kindle - in addition to my many books, which I'll never give up. See, I think the Kindle is a wonderful addition to a bookworm's accessories, and its mere presence doesn't eliminate the need or desire for real books, but I know some people will never be convinced.

What about you - if the rumors are true, would you buy a thinner, cheaper, better-designed Kindle, or are you forever a paper-and-cardboard book person only, backbreaking Harry Potter books and all?

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Website of the Day: DailyLit

GeekSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:00:46 -0700

The creators of DailyLit sound frighteningly familiar - they say that they saw the need for their website, which delivers "installments" of books to your RSS Reader or email so you can take in equal parts Anna Karenina and Engadget. Why? Because they said they were spending all their time catching up on their Reader and emails, but had no time for books. Um, were you guys reading my diary?!

Some books are free, and some books cost around $4, $7, $10, which is fine with me because the free books will keep me busy long enough! Getting my daily dose of gadget, fashion, and news blogs and a couple chapters of Notes From the Underground? I feel like a Renaissance geek already.

To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website 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 Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and “Regular Post.”
Give your story a “Title.”
Fill in the “Body” with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click “Next."
Choose the audience for your story to “Website of the Day” in the drop-down menu
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to “Technology and Gadgets.”
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click “I’m done” to submit content.

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

Website of the Day: BookMooch

GeekSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:00:09 -0700

Recycle, reuse, reread! BookMooch is totally a website of my dreams. While I've been marveling about finding the perfect Netflix-for-books service, I never even thought about the green option! BookMooch is light years ahead of me - they provide the means for you to to trade and receive used books - the only cost you incur is the price to get your pages in the mail.

When you type in the books you're done with and want to give away, you get a tenth of a point and you get one point when you give a book away on BookMooch. Each point is redeemable for one book that's been offered on the site by another user. For every three books you receive, you have to give one away, just to keep the system going. If a book you want isn't in the database yet, put it on your wishlist and you'll be notified by email when it comes in! This gives mooching a really, really good name.

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