GeekSugar

Did Your TV's Digital Conversion Go Smoothly?

GeekSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:43:02 PDT

It's been over a week since analog signals for cable television went dark and the country was forced to go digital.

Converting a nation to digital TV was anything but easy - after one delay mandated by the government, loads of free converter boxes given away, and cautionary PSAs, we're finally there.

When I asked you guys in January if you were ready for the changeover, more than 80 percent of you said you were (and if you weren't, hopefully my guide helped).

But I know the transition wasn't easy on everyone - did your change go OK, or did you have to assist someone who wasn't sure what to do?

Daily Tech: The Kindle DX's Pros and Cons

GeekSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:40:24 PDT

The Kindle DX gets a hands on review. - Boing Boing Gadgets
Apple cuts prices on 13-inch Macbooks to clear out stock. - The Apple Insider
Your last minute guide to the digital TV transition. - Lifehacker
Apple is considering Verizon as a new service provider for the iPhone. - USA Today
The Kindle DX is officially sold out. - Engadget
Switched asks professional gamers what their biggest wins were. - Switched

Target Hands Out Digital Conversion Boxes For Free

GeekSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:35:36 PDT

With the digital television transition deadline fast approaching (you've got until next Friday, June the 12), there are probably some last minute TV buffs who are still in need of converter boxes. For those who participated in the government's converter-box subsidy program, you can take your coupon into Target this week and pick up a box for free - even if the price tag is over $40. So if your grandma wants to be ready for next week's analog TV shutdown, make sure you take a trip to Target so that she'll be all set up and ready to go when the changes take effect.

Daily Tech: The BB Curve Surpasses the iPhone in US Sales

GeekSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:06:28 PDT

RIM's BlackBerry Curve 83XX series smartphone overtook Apple's iPhone 3G in sales in the first quarter of 2009. Third and fourth place go to the BlackBerry Storm and the BlackBerry Pearl. - Engadget
Amazon is gearing up to announce a larger-screened Kindle this Wednesday, which will be perfect for reading newspapers and magazines. - The New York Times
Rumor has it that Apple may be coming out with more affordable MacBooks and iMacs. - The Apple Insider
Did you know that al Qaeda members used Hotmail to communicate and plan their attacks on the US? - Switched
There's still more than 3 million households in the US that are not ready for the digital TV transition on June 12. - The Silicon Alley Insider

Daily Tech: Toy Fair Offers Grim Outlook

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:00:05 PST

The Toy Fair in NYC offers a peek at 10 reasons we're doomed.- Gizmodo
So we know it's happening, but which TV stations will be making the transition to digital this week? - Switched
Stop taking calls from your angry ex with Trapcall, which reveals who's behind blocked calls. - Lifehacker
It's old-computer project time! Here are some options for giving vintage machines a makeover.- Unplggd
Feeling dirty like under the bed? Maybe you need a little NES soap to make you fresh and clean. - Engadget

Daily Tech: DTV Transition Starts Today, Despite Delay

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:00:31 PST

Despite the DTV Delay Act Obama signed last week about one-third of the nation's TV stations will pull plug on their analog towers by the end of today. - Crave
Get high-quality free downloads of your favorite NBC shows on NBC Direct. You'll have to download a little applet, which puts an add-on into your Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox browser. - Lifehacker
Time magazine has unveiled its list of 25 Best Blogs of 2009 as well as the 5 most overrated. - Time
Forget 3-D! Portuguese designer Nuno Teixeira hopes release Smellit, a smell-o-vision that pipes in scents. I don't want to know what CSI would smell like, but I'll bet Don Draper smells dapper. - Unplggd
Word on the street is HTC and Google's new Android G2, the HTC Magic, is pretty flipping awesome. - Gizmodo

No Way! Congress Delays the Digital Conversion Deadline

GeekSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:03:21 PST

I swear I wasn't lying when I told you last week that the bill for the delay of the digital television transition didn't pass in the House of Representatives. But yesterday, in a re-vote (264-158), the House of Representatives approved the bill to push the transition from the original Feb. 17 date until Jun. 12.

What happens now? The bill will get sent on to President Obama for his final approval. And television owners, who aren't ready for the analog TV shutdown, now have four additional months to get a converter box.

Let's hope this is the last we hear about this topic for a while!

Source

The Digital TV Transition Is a Go For February 17

GeekSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:00:54 PST

For the eighty-four percent of you who said that you are ready for the Digital TV Transition, please disregard this message. For those of you that aren't ready, here are two tidbits of useful info.

The first is that the bill that the Senate was pushing to make the digital television transition easier for Americans - by changing the original February 17 date until June 12 - did not pass yesterday in the US House of Representatives.

And the second? Here's everything you need to know to be fully prepped for the digital switch on Feb. 17!

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 1/28

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:30:52 PST

Prize-winning author John Updike died at the age of 76 on Tuesday. - AP
Grey's Anatomy's Shonda Rhimes is executive-producing an ABC pilot about a TV news bureau called Inside the Box. - The Hollywood Reporter
Netflix's profits have actually spiked recently, attesting to the appeal of its mail-delivered DVD service during the onset of the recession. - Variety
Despite efforts to postpone it, the digital TV switch is still set for Feb. 17. - AP
The Steven Spielberg-directed Tintin movie has found its star: Billy Elliot's Jamie Bell will take the title role. Daniel Craig has also joined the project. - ComingSoon
Bonnie Somerville has been cast in NBC's pilot Off Duty, opposite Bradley Whitford and Romany Malco. - Zap2it
Taylor Swift starts an eighth week with her album Fearless at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. - Billboard
The Love Guru director Marco Schnabel will direct the comedy Girlfriend in a Coma, based on Douglas Coupland's novel. - The Hollywood Reporter
Brendan Fraser will star in yet another family film, this one a live-action comedy titled Furry Vengeance. - ComingSoon

Source

Daily Tech: Is the Kindle 2 Coming Feb. 9?

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:00:14 PST

It's rumored that Amazon's new and improved Kindle will be officially announced on Feb. 9 in NYC. - Gizmodo
The US Patent Office has granted Apple the multitouch patent and because the new Palm Pre features multitouch support, this might not go over well with Palm. - The Boy Genius Report
Senate has pushed back the date for the digital TV transition until June 12. - Switched
Now with a handy app and hardware device, you can turn your BlackBerry into a remote. - Unplggd
Nigerian scammers are making their way from Craigslist to social networking sites like Facebook. Here's the latest example. - Silicon Alley Insider
Nintendo Japan has just announced a new Wii Check-Up channel that will act as a liaison between Wii users and health professionals. - Engadget