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Edible Geek: Massive Chocolate PlayStation 3

GeekSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:00:35 -0700

Kids in Perugia, Italy got quite the surprise when Sony unveiled a stack of 150
chocolate PlayStation 3 consoles during the Eurochocolate festival. Discussed on Kotaku, a matching chocolate SIXAXIS controller also made an appearance at the event-supersized, naturally. Two hundred smaller chocolate PlayStation 3 controllers were broken up and handed out for the crowd to enjoy. The chocolate and confetti PlayStation 3 fun was a way for Sony to display their newest SKU PlayStation which boasts a 40GB hard disk drive. Maybe it's just me but when I see a gadget in chocolate, I can't help but get excited! Source

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Edible Geek: Chocolate Gadgets

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:08:06 -0700

What's better than shiny real gadgets?

Chocolate Gadgets of course.

The company that makes them is hoping consumers will want to "celebrate changing technology with chocolate cell phones, chocolate computers, chocolate microphones and chocolate computer accessories."

You can get a cell phone, iPod, remote, Blackberry, computer or mouse for about $3 each, but you have to buy in bulk. That's a lot of geeky chocolate.

Chocolate Gadgets: There's No Such Thing as Too Sweet

GeekSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:30:40 -0800

When it comes to love, two things are certain: I love gadgets and chocolate. They each provide a sweet, satisfying escape and make my day that much better. Sure, one ends up burning energy while the other is high in calories and fat, but I still love them equally. Am I expecting some chocolately gadget goodness tonight? You bet. I've put together a collection of my all time favorite sugar-coated gadgets. Feel free to indulge yourself.

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Ring Ring, Said the Cow

GeekSugar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 10:05:21 -0700

Apologies to my veg friends, but I eat meat and wear leather . . . I know, I know, I'm working on it.

That said, even I am pretty weirded out by this Longhorn iPhone Sleeve ($35).

The description reads "Made from beautiful and diverse Longhorn hide, each slip cover is handmade and one of a kind. The inside is soft suede and they're backed with a smooth chocolate tanned leather." It's like cow, cow, cow! Every part of this is cow, FYI.

Maybe if I wasn't so bashed over the head with the cow euphemisms, I wouldn't be so freaked out. But I don't know. I'm just not into Western-gadget-chic, I guess.

What do you think of it? Is it in as poor taste as the Mink Cell Phone Case, or is it just an ugly pattern?

Geeks We Love: Doug Aamoth of CrunchGear

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:06:23 -0800

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we're kicking off our third annual Geeks We Love interview series to showcase some of the most talented and loved tech writers in the industry. And who better to get things under way, than the charming Doug Aamoth, who spends most of his days reviewing high-tech gadget goods for CrunchGear? I had the pleasure of meeting Doug at the HTC Touch Diamond Event in London last year, and found him to be very much the way he comes across in his work - passionate and knowledgeable about technology, and a really great guy with an addictive sense of humor. By the end of this interview, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about - enjoy!

GS: Considering you're the king of product reviews, what types of gadgets are you most excited to take for a test drive?

DA: I'll review just about anything, but I really like to take a look at stuff that has some sort of technological slant to it instead of being a full-fledged technology product. Basically, if I think it's something that would be interesting to other geeks, I'll review it. We get some pretty good response from stuff like the Penguin Home Soda Machine and a little four dollar keychain breathalyzer that also has a built-in stopwatch and flashlight. Of course, right? Every breathalyzer should have a stopwatch just in case you want to have an emergency footrace outside the bar before you figure out if you're okay to drive home.

As far as "real" technology products go, I'm really enjoying this netbook craze right now. I think it'll get much better, too, once Intel sees some more competition from AMD, NVIDIA, and VIA. Other than that, I also really like reviewing things that make people's lives easier. The simpler the better. Oh, and energy drinks. I love taste-testing energy drinks.

To learn more about Doug, including his "ah-ha" moment and his thoughts on technology and dating, read more

GS: What's the most outrageous and hilarious gadget that's arrived on your doorstep?

DA: I think that one of the best reviews I've done was for a product that never showed up. I spent a few days waiting for the new Flip Mino to arrive, at first thinking it would be here on a Tuesday morning, then being told Wednesday instead, then getting a press release envelope but no camera on Thursday, and finally having it show up Friday morning after all our competitors had gotten theirs on Wednesday. It wasn't really that big of a deal but I thought it'd be funny to chronicle the event as though it were an episode of The Office.

Aside from that, the most outrageous review would definitely be for a product called FyreTV, which is a set-top box that streams, um, "non-traditional" video. It's weird because it's basically a review just like any other. We rarely look at the media content for set-top boxes, but more at the actual hardware and how well it handles streaming. So for the FyreTV review it was like, "Here's the box, here are the connections, here's the remote, it streams stuff really quickly, and the video quality is pretty good. Oh, whoops, sorry I had to blur everything out and block the camera with my hand at certain points but you get the idea."

GS: Describe one of the most memorable moments of your career thus far. . .

DA: I had an "a-ha" moment about six months into my career when I was at this Acer conference in Spain. It was my first real work trip and I postponed my own bachelor party to go to it. I remember getting into this big conference hall with a bunch of other reporters, and sitting down at this long table with my laptop and my voice recorder waiting for the presentation to begin. I looked around and thought to myself, "This is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I love this stuff." I've had over 30 jobs in my lifetime (I get kind of restless) but I finally felt pretty calm for the first time.

In retrospect, I wouldn't have moved my bachelor party for a work trip but at the time I didn't know how often an opportunity like that Acer conference would come around. Turns out, it was a lot. It was still a great experience, though. Singing White Wedding at CES this year was pretty cool, too.

Also, any time I meet someone that I used to read before I started blogging is always really cool. Every person I meet always looks at me weird when I tell them I'm a big fan of theirs or that they're like a hero to me. I used to read tech blogs and magazines and think "Man, that would be the best job." Now that I'm actually doing it, I still haven't forgotten that feeling. I consider myself to be really fortunate.

GS: How geeky is your significant other? Who makes the final decision when it comes to gadgets for the home?

DA: My wife is probably about a three out of ten on the geekiness scale. She's not into tech stuff whatsoever, but she'll think some of the things I tell her about and some of the products I show her are cool. So she's definitely not against technology and she's pretty savvy with the stuff she uses on a daily basis. She does NOT like all the boxes we have around the house, but I can't blame her for that. It gets pretty out of hand sometimes.

I handle all the IT administration and technical support in the Aamoth household. Interestingly enough, I've been terrible about picking a good cell phone for my wife. I got her the LG Chocolate a few years ago and she didn't like it. Then I recommended the Samsung Glyde and between the non-responsive touchscreen and the poor reception, it's really been a terrible device as far as our relationship goes. One of these days, though, I'm going to pick out a good phone for her. It's just tough being in the doghouse for two whole years while we wait for her contract to come up for renewal!

GS: In the new movie He's Just Not That Into You, Drew Barrymore's character has the following to say about technology and dating:

"I had this guy leave me a voice mail at work, and so I called him at home, and he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting."

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think technology makes dating more complicated?

DA: Sure, I can see technology complicating things for people who don't embrace it. As someone who's into all this stuff, though, the thought of having seven different technologies that don't synchronize with one another is mortifying to me. I have a single Grand Central phone number that forwards to any other phones I might currently be using and my various e-mail addresses all funnel into a single Gmail account.

It's funny, though, because people will be like, "Give me your cell phone number, I can never get a hold of you at your work number," and I'll try to explain that my work, home, and cell phone numbers all forward to the same place. So they'll leave a voicemail on what they think is my home number saying that they'll try me on my cell, which leads to them leaving the same message in the same voicemail system two minutes later. Same thing with email: the same message three times to three different email accounts.

I think just starting to date someone would be really weird nowadays with Facebook and Twitter and everything. Do you friend this person right away or what? Is there a rule as to how many dates you go on before you can friend someone? And it'd be super weird if you were dating someone for a little bit and then they told you they were getting too busy with work or whatever, and then all of a sudden you see their status change on their profile and you see photos of them with someone else and all that. My buddy told me he watched his little brother's relationship with his girlfriend fall apart over Facebook, which seems totally surreal to me. That's what happens now, though, I guess. Everyone has access to everyone else's private lives with all the social networking stuff.

I'm really apprehensive to admit this but a former girlfriend and I actually broke up over AIM once. And we'd been seeing each other for a long time - like a couple years. We'd been living together in Seattle and I'd moved home to Minneapolis and I think we were both kind of ready to move on, so the mutuality of it made everything easier. I don't think most breakups would work that well over AIM but if you're both pretty much on the same page and it's going to be a relatively clean breakup because you both want the same thing, then it actually kinda works. Weird, huh?

GS: Now for the lightning round!
Mac or PC? DA: PC
iPhone or BlackBerry? DA: I love my T-Mobile G1 but I'd take a BlackBerry. I need a real, physical keyboard.
MySpace or Facebook? DA: Facebook (as the lesser of two evils).
iPod or Zune? DA: I really like my iPod Touch.
The Hills or Gossip Girl? DA: I've never seen Gossip Girl, but The Hills is absolutely, positively, 100 percent the bane of my existence. My wife has to watch it in our bedroom with the door closed or when I'm not around because the way the brats on that show talk is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. So Gossip Girl.
Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? DA: Bill Gates. His acting in the Seinfeld Microsoft commercials was mesmerizing.
Picasa or Flickr? DA: Picasa. Great example of a desktop app working harmoniously "in the cloud."
Texting or Emailing? DA: Email. I like the cost better.
WiFi or Wired? DA: I'll borrow from a golf saying here and say WiFi for show, Wired for dough.
Pac Man or Space Invaders? DA: Pac Man, preferably Ms. Pac Man.
Star Wars or Star Trek? DA: Star Wars
Laptop or Desktop? DA: Ouch. That's like Sophie's Choice. I have both and could never part with either of them.
The Bachelor or the Bachelorette? DA: ABC should cut out the fluff and have them marry each other. I mean, they're both looking for the same thing, right? Set them up together and spare us all from having to sit through it.
Coffee or Tea? DA: Monster Low Carb energy drink. Coffee will do in a pinch, though.

Must Haves For February

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:01:05 -0800

A month filled with love and chocolates deserves some sweet tech treats as well. I've rounded up some of my favorite new gadget goodies, which are guaranteed to make great Valentine's Day gifts. And if you want to spoil yourself, they work perfectly for that too! Check out my slideshow to see what's hot this month!

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Easter Gifts: A Geek's Guide

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:04:18 -0700

I was in the seasonal aisle of Walgreens this weekend grumbling about the fact that I've just finished my Valentine's Day candies and the rest of the world has already settled in to Cadbury eggs, when I realized that there is a whole basket full (I couldn't help myself!) of geeky spring gadgets that are way cuter and less fattening than any Easter candy. If you are in the market for bunnies, chicks, eggs and chocolates consider asking the Easter bunny for one of these treats instead of something sugary-sweet.

Nabaztag Tag
The Nabaztag is one of my all time favorite geeky items and if you are going to buy one, spring is certainly the season. It looks like a rabbit, but it’s so much more. Nabaztag is a WiFi device that communicates with your computer to tell you the time, wakes you up, reads you the news, gives you stock information and even tells you the weather. With its built in microphone, you simply tell Nabaztag what you want to hear and it relays the info you seek in the cutest way imaginable. $179.95

There are even cuter gadgets, read more

I Rub My Duckie
Like the OhMiBod, the I Rub My Duckie is more naughty than geeky, but it fits right in with the Easter season. It looks like the standard, yellow bathtub fowl of old, but underneath its rubbery shell is a powerful motor that allows this quacker to double as a personal massager. Operated by 2 AA batteries, the quiet motor is waterproof. You can deduce the rest. $14.95

USB Duck Dock
Japan's Solid Alliance has released a new i-Duck USB Memory Storage device that is the most festive, spring-inspired gadget you can find. The i-Duck uses a USB 1.1 interface and has a storage capacity of 256MB. When you plug it in your USB port, the i-Duck lights up. For me, this one falls in the "but why?" category, but it does get a little "awww" for being small, bright and friendly looking. $99

Uber Chic Bose Stereo: Please Let It Be Real!

GeekSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:23:03 -0700

Sometimes I get a slightly panicked and rushed "oh-my-gosh" feeling in my stomach when I find something I really love, and aren't sure where (or how) to get my gadget loving paws on it. You know the feeling, right? I got that exact feeling when I came across this Bose Stereo on Leah Fabish's Coroflot Portfolio, and I'm hoping against all hope that this sweet specimen is real, and someone out there will send it to me asap!

I looove the color, the speaker design, and the fact that I can hook up my USB drive to it when I am out of range of my iPod. When that would be I'm not sure, but hey, at least it's an option! Sadly, there isn't much detail that I can give you about this hot chocolate yummy yum sound system, but let's just say I'm praying that Santa will come early this year. I should be on the good side of his list anyhow. Are you as in love with this as I am? Check out another view when you read more.

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Source

Edible Geek: Pixel Block Chocolates

GeekSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:00:32 -0700

Sure, at first glance this picture just looks like pretty chocolate broken into smaller-than-usual segments and fashioned into pretty shapes. Look closer and you'll see a puzzle of what looks like hundreds of pixels.

Apparently, designer Tithi Kutchamuch intentionally left holes in the design because he wanted to make a point about how bargain food - particularly sweets - continues to be a crutch for the masses. His idea is that these chocolates would cost as much or more than standard chocolates, but you would be sold less. It's a "less is more" concept we don't see often in the fast-food/snack or gadget world, but is interesting nonetheless. For an additional image, read more

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Source

Daily Tech - Get a Refurbished Zune for only $100

GeekSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:00:36 -0700

Woot.com selling refurbished 30GB Zune Classics for $100 - Engadget
Top 10 chocolate gadgets for National Chocolate Week - Shiny Shiny
Target gets sued over its websites visually-impaired accessibility - Switched
Sony's latest Bravia ad gets colorful with thousands of spools of thread - Crave
Last day-Log in to win a RAZR2!! - Geeksugar Giveaway