GeekSugar

How To: Change Your Desktop Icons

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:00:04 PDT

I love to customize! From getting my BlackBerry engraved at the TechCrunch/Popsugar shindig in LA, to downloading some pretty wild wallpaper to bring out my inner animal and make me feel at home while I'm at the office. I do all I can to show my personality and prevent desktop boredom, even when it comes to my gadgets, which is why I switch it up and get down with cool (and free!) desktop icons through Iconfactory. The good news is that they're both Mac and PC friendly, and if you haven't checked them out, head on over - they have tons of cool icons to download and use to customize your virtual space on your computer. Not everyone loves the standard Safari or iPhoto icons, am I right? Once you find the icons you love, come back here and learn how to quickly and easily change your old icons into something a little more you.

The Spotify iPad App: Is It Worth Downloading?

Anna Monette Roberts — Sun, 06 May 2012 09:30:44 PDT

The Spotify streaming service has taken over the music world om the past year. But while the company offers both an iPhone app and an incredible desktop application, it has neglected to create an iPad app - until this week.

The recently released iPad app is only available to premium members ($10/month); however, you can sign up for a 48-hour trial run, no credit card required. Spotify's premium membership truly is as good as it sounds: the vast music library is ad-free, offers high sound quality, and gives you offline access to your playlists. However, is the Spotify iPad app as good as the desktop app? Here are some of the pros and cons of the new Spotify iPad app (Free):

Pros:

Beautiful graphics and cover art: Spotify's iPad graphics are crisp and gorgeous. Unlike the somewhat flat desktop version, the iPad graphics practically pop out of the page. The iPad app also provides large cover art images, and as with iTunes, you can flip through the album art by swiping your finger.
Simplified design:The iPad app contains a simplified side navigation bar with only five tabs (as opposed to the 12 on the desktop), making the interface more intuitive and easier to use.
Facebook connect: While some people grumble about this, others love the ability to find new artists via their friend's profiles. The design makes it easy to see your friends' top tracks, artists, and playlists.
Text message-like inbox: In a major change in the design, track suggestions and messages sent to your inbox are organized like iPhone bubble text messages.

Keep reading to take a look at the cons.

Love Your Laptop: 8 Tips For Keeping it Healthy and Happy

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:23:02 PST

Valentine's Day doesn't just have to be about giving affection to your significant other. It can be about showing your appreciation for the people and things that make your life awesome. Take your laptop, for example. Your window to the vast Internet, your laptop works really hard for you without asking much in return. Give your laptop a little TLC this Valentine's Day with these tips that will keep it happy and healthy all year long.

Clean it up - Giving your laptop (or desktop) a thorough cleaning is essential to extending its life. Back up any data you may already have stored (on an external hard drive or a portable flash drive), organize your desktop icons, empty your computer's trash on a regular basis, and clear out any programs you don't use. This will help free up space and keep you on the fast track to productivity.
Practice proper shutdown habits - Shutting down all open programs and putting your laptop to sleep instead of just closing the lid will help your computer stay cool and safe while in transport. But if you've had your laptop in a cold environment, let it warm up to room temps slowly before turning it on. This will keep condensation and dew at bay, which can ruin your computer's sensitive guts.
Protect your investment - If you're going to be lugging a laptop around, make sure it's protected in a padded case!

See the rest of my tips after the jump.

Apple to Announce iCloud, iOS 5, and OSX Lion Details at 2011 WWDC

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 31 May 2011 09:57:55 PDT

Historically, WWDC has meant iPhone mania for geeks around the world, but since this year's model is said to be delayed for another few months, Apple has to fill the gaps with something juicy. Enter Apple's rumored cloud storage service, dubbed iCloud. In a press release earlier this morning, Apple confirmed these announcements, which are to be delivered by Steve Jobs himself (along with his team of executives) on Monday, June 6. We'll be following the events live, but you can get an idea of what to expect from each service below!

iCloud
iCloud should allow you to sync your music, folders, emails, contacts, and documents across multiple machines, making it easier to go from your desktop to laptop to iPad when you're on the go. Additionally, iCloud may have an integrated media stream, which would allow you to view and edit your images and videos from all of your machines. Of course, iCloud wouldn't be complete without some sort of music storage feature, so expect Apple to show up prepared to battle against Google's Music Beta. In a perfect world, this iCloud service would be free for all Mac users, but I'm guessing it will come with a price, just like MobileMe did at its launch.

iOS 5
Little is known about the next iOS update, but we may be able to expect better notifications, improved voice recognition software, and possibly widgets.

Get the details on OSX Lion after the jump.

Extend the Life of Your Computer With These Care Tips

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:31:26 PDT

If your laptop is still in working order, you probably don't need to spring for that brand-new MacBook Air this season before you head back to class. Nonetheless, the start of a new school year (or just Fall in general) is a good time to spruce up your trusty laptop and get it ready for the long nights of studying ahead. Here, a few tips on how to get your machine in tip-top shape before the first bell rings, and how to care for a brand new investment so it serves you well for the next four years.

Clean it Up

Giving your laptop (or desktop) a thorough cleaning is essential to extending its life. Back up any data you may already have stored (on an external hard drive or portable flash drive), organize your desktop icons, empty your computer's trash on a regular basis, and clear out any programs you don't use. This will help free up space and keep you on the fast track to productivity.

Practice proper shut-down habits

Shutting down all open programs, and putting your laptop to sleep instead of just closing the lid will help your computer stay cool and safe while in transport.

Protect your investment

If you're going to be lugging a laptop around campus, make sure it's protected in a padded case!

See the rest of my tips after the jump.