GeekSugar

How to Zombify Your Pictures!

GeekSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:00:12 PDT

Halloween is nearly upon us, my friends, and if that doesn't give you an excuse to make yourself look like a zombie then I don't know what will!

It's super easy: Using the web-editing site I told you about before, Picnik, just upload a photo with a human face in it, then in the create tab, and scroll down to the Halloween options.

Use the zombie brush to coat your subject's face, body, and clothes, and watch as the life is drained from the face. Finish it up with some blood stains around their mouth (because that's what zombies do), and voila! Zombie youth!

Do You Still Keep Photo Albums?

GeekSugar — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:14:09 PDT

It used to be, you got your film rolls developed (and what came out was what you shot, no choosing what to print beforehand), and put your faves into your photo albums or frames. Then you kept them around, pulling them out when you wanted to reminisce over the plastic and paper pages filled with photographs.

Now, our photo-lives are completely different; we pick and choose which digital shots to keep and print, and are often more selective about printing because we know we can always access the photos electronically. Things do still get framed - but we have to decide, regular or digital frames.

And it seems to me that one old staple - the physical photo albums - have fallen by the wayside. Sure, you've got your Picasa and flickr "albums" online, but do you still pull out that old binder, and stick your photos inside? I sure don't, sadly, though I do still keep my childhood and school albums around.

What about you? Do you still keep physical albums, and if so, are you still making new ones?

Source

A Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Idea!

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:35:34 PDT

Looking for a last-minute gadget to get your mom for Mother's Day?

This digital picture converter by Hammacher Schlemmer is a great way to bring your mom into the 21st century! Easier then a conventional scanner, this nifty device will back up all your mom's photos into digital format, so she'll never have to worry about losing negatives or prints again!

By placing photos in a tray that slides into a converter, the pictures will be recorded with the touch of a button. The converter is connected to your computer via a USB cable and unfortunately is for PCs only. It's priced at $150, which isn't totally outrageous considering you can scan all your albums in a short amount of time!

Blow Up Your Digital Pictures with Pottery Barn Kids' Picture Canvas

GeekSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:10:17 PST

After months of hunting down the perfect piece of art for my bedroom wall, I think I've finally decided to let my geekery be the artiste! Pottery Barn Kids offers the coolest service: You upload a digital picture, and they will print it onto a canvas and stretch it over a wooden frame, so all you have to do is hang it after you get it in the mail.

To learn more about this great service,

I have read a couple DIY articles and heard of a few services that do this, too, but this one seems to be the easiest and most convenient, since all you do is upload the photo and pay for it (I may be geeky, but I can also be very lazy). Pictures must be a minimum of 2200 pixels high and at least 1700 pixels wide, and the cost is $120 for a 24" x 30" canvas, and $200 for a 30" x 40" one. Of course, now I just have to decide what picture to immortalize, and the cycle begins again. . .

Give The Gift Of Captured Memories This Mother's Day

GeekSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:30:32 PDT

Still wondering what to get your mom this Mother's Day? Send her the gift of memories and special moments with a digital photo frame or photo book. I've compiled three of my favorites below which are all timeless gifts that your mom will cherish for years to come. Just a small token of your love and appreciation (and your geeky touch)!

Digital Photo Frame With Sound

Surprise your mom this Mother's Day with a digital photo frame with sound from Brookstone! You can jam pack this frame with pictures, digital home movies and even songs in Mp3 format. No PC required...as you can directly download from your PC or camera via a USB. Great features include sideshow capability, LCD screen and an included remote control...all for a grand total of $300.

Momento Wireless Digital Picture Frame

Share your moments instantly with Momento Live. Now you can send and receive pics directly to any Momento picture frame in the world. Just upload and send images from your computer or a camera phone to one or many Momento picture frames at once. Even if you're miles away from your mom this Mother's Day, you can send her images on her new Momento picture frame instantly. Gotta love technology! A free trial subscription of Momento Live is included with the purchase of the wireless frame. Click here to purchase for $200.

Kodak Photo Books

Take your digital images and transfer them to a lovely album for your mom this Mother's Day. Kodak's Photo Books come in a variety of styles and colors to suit your mom's taste. Each one includes a front window, is extra heavy and uses archival-quality, acid-free photo paper and professional binding. Choose layouts, write captions and let Kodak do the rest! Prices range from $7 to $70.

How To Edit Digital Pictures On The Go

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:03:45 PDT

So you're on vacay, taking lots of stellar shots with your new digital cam. The only problem is you decided to go gadget less on this trip - no BlackBerry and definitely no laptop. If your only access to technology is a computer in the internet cafe beside your hotel, you just might be in luck. Now there are a slew of free web-based photo editing programs that will let you crop, cut, resize, rotate, change contrast, adjust color, sharpen, brighten and add borders to pics - from anywhere! Get your images picture perfect instantly without needing special software or gadgets. Here are some of my fave free online pic editing programs: Picnik Snipshot Pixenate Fauxto Picture2Life

Geek We Love: The MPMan With a Plan

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:11:03 PDT

The MPMan was short-lived, but the first MP3 player mass-marketed in the US paved the way for the portable media player revolution. Now that we've gotten to know Kane Kramer, who developed the first MP3 player, and Nathan Schulhof, who created a precursor to iPod and iTunes, it's time to take a look at the history surrounding the MPMan.

Korean electronics company Saehan created and distributed the player in 1998. Michael Robertson, CEO of MP3.com, imported the MPMan into the US and sold it on the MP3.com website. Around the same time, Eiger Labs also imported the player and rebranded it (pictured).

The MPMan came in two versions: the MPMan F10 ($299), which held 32 megabytes, or 35 minutes of music; and the MPMan F20 ($459), which held 64 megabytes, or 90 minutes of music. The player was palm-sized and featured a small LED screen on the front, with the headphone jack and control buttons on top of the device.

Read more about the MPMan after the break.

Online Dating: 5 Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd

YourTango — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:50:50 PDT

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, YourTango. Today, David Osterczy gives us an excerpt from his new book 101 Online Dating Tips.

Here is a smattering of tips from my latest book, Dating DeMistyfied, 101 Online Dating Tips.

I've left out much of "the meat and potatoes," but left in enough content for you to get an indication of what you will learn from this book. This book was written from 10 years of Internet dating experience, thousands of interviews with both men and women and research garnered from our last five to six Dating DeMistyfied Workshops.

Put great effort into writing your profile. Show passion and humor.

I mean really, if you can't have fun writing a simple online profile, then what sort of person do you suppose that you'll attract? Way back in 2001, I submitted my first profile to Match.com. I had no experience writing profiles but just figured what the hell . . . let's have fun!

I wrote the text on a Sunday night and didn't check my email until Friday night. During the five days I was "away," I received nearly 150 emails from about 120 women. Yes, some wrote me up to three times during that week! I was shocked, but realized that I was on to something!

The point that I'm attempting to make is to be sure that your personality comes through in the profile. If you're silly or funny, then by all means, portray that! If you're really smart and have a lot to say, then say it! If you're sarcastic - in a good way - then allow that to come through. If you're not into writing, like many are not, then just do the best that you can but make sure to come across as you. After all, you are the only one that you really know how to be!

Just have fun folks! Be honest and definitely ask for what you want when describing what you seek in a mate. Write in the same manner as you speak so that each person reading your profile feels that you're talking directly to him or her. After all, that is what we're all here for!

Make sure to upload only the clearest, best and most recent photos.

You'd think that this would be a no brainer, but the more you surf the personals online, the more you'll be shocked at the sheer idiocy of some people and the pictures they submit to dating sites. Photos are your first line of attack, and if they suck, no-one will even read your wonderful, well thought out profile! I'm not telling you that you need to go out and get professional shots taken, but I have friends who have done very well going exactly that route.

Simply put, if you don't have any decent, clear photos of yourself, then grab your digital (you know that you have one!) and grab some friends and spend the day taking lots of photos alone and in groups. It is critically important that you have a variety of pictures. Have some close-ups (head-shots) so that people can see how beautiful your eyes are, some full length shots so they can get an idea of your body type and some group photos so they know that you actually leave the house and can be social.

For the rest of the article, head to YourTango: Online Dating: 5 Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd

Written by David Osterczy for YourTango.

Sharing (Your Pictures) Is Caring

Sponsor — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:00:00 PDT

We are living in a digital world and we of course are digital girls. No one understands that better than Best Buy. Their vast array of cameras is perfect for capturing whatever memory you're making, from that epic climb up Half Dome to a quiet candle-lit night in. Best Buy gives you the tools to share your best moments with friends and family, in real time.

So whether you're Instagraming your picture with a Nashville filter or pinning your latest adventure on Pinterest, share it with the world! Check out this slideshow to brush up on your social-media savvy and start sharing today.

Find your perfect camera at Best Buy here.

When Status Updates Cause Couplehood Chaos

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:32:02 PDT

As a social media-obsessed public, we love sharing the quirks of life that make every day fun; but when it comes to relationships, when does posting a harmless picture cause waves with a significant other?

A recent New York Times article documents the problems that arise when one partner shares a personal picture or random status that leaves the other reeling in embarrassment. As the author notes, "what is fair game for sharing with the world?" Let's face it, social network updates with outrageous, funny, and sarcastic takes on life, and the people included in that life, make for better online fodder.

Think that picture secretly snapped of your sweetie in a face mask during an at-home spa session is adorable enough to share and tag with a couple hundred of your mutual friends? Sweetie might not appreciate the ensuing digital LOLs. Likewise, sharing details on the expensive new car you and your significant other just bought or your personal views on the other's habits and family may steer a happy relationship in a tense direction.

As a result of hurt feelings and embarrassment, some couples have set agreed-upon limits on what can and can not be shared with the world online. What's your take?