GeekSugar

Do You Use Gadgets to Pass Time During Your Commute?

GeekSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:33 -0700

The other day I was headed home on the bus and I noticed a man passing the time with a DS lite. I was shocked at first, mostly because I am so used to seeing everyone zone out with their iPod or iPhone or sending emails on their smartphones.

I know only 31 percent of you have eBooks, which I presume is the most logical (or educational) commute gadget, but I want to know how you waste your to-and-fro time.

Source

Have You Taken Any Courses From iTunes U Yet?

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:44:56 -0800

iTunes U has been around for some time now offering up cool courses from schools around the country that you can download straight to your iPod Touch or iPhone. I don't know what took me so long, but I just took a few free courses on video editing over the past week and I gotta tell ya: it's pretty awesome.

I take public transportation every day to work, so being able to brush up on math, grammar, and even astronomy during my commute seems like time well spent. And you don't have to spend a dime, since all the courses are free. There's been quite a bit of content added since it launched last year, so tell me - have you taken any iTunes U courses yet?

T-Mobile's Dance Commercial Is For Sharing

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:00:07 -0800

It's rare when commercials make you feel good, and even rarer when they can make technology seem like a community enhancer rather than a discourager (much like that inspirational Nokia commercial). This T-Mobile commercial also manages to uplift with this ad with what seems like an entire train station of London commuters spontaneously dancing together (400 people were in on the commercial gig). They really drive it home with the tagline "Life's for sharing".

And dancin', I might add.

Do You Use Your Cell During Your Commute?

GeekSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:00:07 -0800

If you're like me and use your commute time to keep in touch with friends and family members you may want to rethink your habit.

According to a recent article in The Los Angeles Times researchers from the University of Utah have determined that drivers that talk while on the road drive "more hesitantly than undistracted drivers and, as a result, are increasing everyone's average drive time by five to 10 percent."

Source

What's Worse: Poor Cell Service or a Bad Internet Connection?

GeekSugar — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:16:57 -0700

There are two unavoidable spots in my commute where I lose cell phone service. . .everyday. Yes, at this point I know to expect my call will be dropped when I hit those streets, but I have to get from point A to point B and I like talking to my sister on my way. I've explained the phenomenon to experts and they say it's a problem with the cell tower not being able to send a signal to those spots and I just have to learn to live with it until it is someday fixed.

Similarly, there are a few spots at work and home where I can't seem to get a solid Internet connection no matter what trickery I try. I recognize these are universal ordeals associated with living in a connected world and I should be patient, but it doesn't stop me from complaining. Which connection failure do you think is worse?

How-to Track Traffic on the Go With Your Cell

GeekSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:50:08 -0700

It isn't a pretty picture: you're stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic cursing out the cars in front of you for clogging up the road. Instead of yelling at your fellow commuters, whip out your fancy phone for easy access to mobile maps that will offer alternate routes, drive time projections and apps that will tell you how long it's really gonna be.

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The Most Charming Earbud Caps You Shall Ever See

GeekSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:20:18 -0700

Each time I put my earbuds in (or headphones on), I resent the few seconds it takes to look at which one is left and which is right. Call me lazy - I call me efficient.

For a brief, crazy minute (or minutes), I may have even thought about using a Sharpie to make the "L" and "R" much bigger, but then my craziness would be on display to everyone I walk by on my morning commute. That just won't do.

What will do, however, are these sweet Earbud Caps ($10) from Etsy, with the "L" and "R" elegantly printed on each cap. When cute and useful combine like this, I can hardly stand it. Etsy seller nothingelegant, you are a genius.

Geek Tip: Save Money by Contributing to Google's Tip Jar

GeekSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:04:37 -0700

I've professed my love for Google time and time again, and now with their new venture Tip Jar, they're helping me save some money.

Tip Jar allows you to post your most tried and true tips about saving money while traveling, babysitting, or commuting, and share them with the world. Have a tip about how to get the best rates when traveling abroad? Or perhaps how to entertain your kids on a dime? Leave it in the Tip Jar, and get plenty of free tips in return. Personally, the one about never grocery shopping on an empty stomach really hits home with me. I always put junk in my cart I don't need just because I'm feeling ravenous, and end up spending more than I should. See? Already helpful.

Daily Tech: The Helio 2 Is New and Improved

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:55:11 -0800

After a thorough review, the Helio Ocean 2 gets two big thumbs up. You can now pick one up from Virgin Mobile for $149. - Crave
TechCrunch's Michael Arrington chatted with 28-year-old Etsy founder Rober Kalin at the World Economic Forum at Davos. - TechCrunch
What is with exploding cell phones? Another incident has been reported in China where a man was killed when his phone exploded in his chest pocket. - Switched
WiFi Rail has finally reached a deal to provide high-speed WiFi to Bay Area BART transit system and on all BART commuter trains by the end of 2010. - Engadget
Talk about putting the "on" in Monday! MC Hammer has just released a free iPhone App called the HammerTime app. - Gizmodo
Find out what the best sites are for uploading HD footage. - Unplggd

Use JobCompass Mobile to Find a Job On the Go

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:02:09 -0800

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but the unemployment rate in the US is still rising. So if you are among those unfortunate masses that will have to take to the classifieds, start multitasking - there's a new way to search jobs and pound the pavement at the same time.

JobCompass is a mobile web service that lets you search for jobs in your area, so you can look for that perfect job even while on the go.

You can specify your job description and search area (so you can stay close to home and not spend a lot of dough on commuting costs), and the best part is, JobCompass is available for your smartphones as well as your iPhone, for free. Which is great, cause if you are jobless, you don't want to spend any more cash looking for work than you already have to.