GeekSugar

Daily Tech: The Giorgio Armani Phone Is Back. . . and Better Than Ever

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:10:22 -0700

The new Armani smartphone, which was built by Samsung, comes with Windows 6.5 OS and includes a touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard - Engadget
MapQuest has just announced its new iPhone navigation application for the iPhone - AppleInsider
A new survey reveals that 4.1 billion SMS messages are sent each day, with 740 billion being sent in the US during the first half of 2009 - Mashable
A Barnes & Noble rep confirms that its new color-screened ebook reading device will be available next Spring - Gizmodo
Check out 17 hilarious niche dating sites for people who are looking for love online - Switched
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar

6 Geeky Books to Load on Your Kindle

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:50:17 -0700

The price of the Kindle has been taking a nosedive recently, but some of you still aren't buying. For those of you who are taking advantage of the new sticker price, you're going to need to decide on which books to load onto your new tech toy before you take off on your next reading trip. Want some help? I have six books ripe for the picking that satisfy your need for all things geek, entertainment, knowledge, social network, and business domination. Check 'em out right here.

View Slideshow ›

Samsung's New eBook Reader Comes on the Scene

GeekSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:10:24 -0700

Samsung joins Sony and Amazon (and, most recently, Barnes and Noble) with its foray into the eBook reader market with the new SNE-50K, released in South Korea first and hopefully internationally sometime next year.

Previously known as "Papyrus," the SNE-50K is pretty petite: it's got a 5-inch screen and weighs 6.5 ounces (perfect for slipping into a small bag). Pricing (converted) is about $270, and hopefully it'll stay in that lower range when it comes to the US.

Image Courtesy of Samsung

Summer eReading: Hotels Add Kindles, Sony Readers to Perks

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Who's not a fan of the geeked-out hotel?

Of course, there are still a handful of tech-unfriendly hotels, but these hotels are not anywhere near that list: the Epic Hotel in Miami and the Gansevoort Hotels in New York City, Miami, and Turks & Caicos are offering their guests free use of Sony Readers and eBooks.

NYC's Algonquin Hotel has already been giving its hotel guests access to Kindles - and did I mention that at the Epic Hotel, you get poolside Sony Reader access? Yowza.

This would be great if you forgot your travel reading, or even if you just wanted to give an eBook reader a shot while you're on vacay. Do you think this is something you would end up taking advantage of during your hotel stay?

Image Courtesy of Epic Hotel

eBooks as Textbooks: What's Your Take?

GeekSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:33:20 -0700

If you haven't heard, California's economy is pretty much in the crapper. Billions of dollars in the red, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking to technology and digital solutions to save money. One way he thinks the state can cut costs is using digital forms of textbooks rather than investing in and assigning the standard paper bound book that we're all used to.

Although I like the idea for more than one reason (it's more eco-friendly than printing up millions of pages worth of text, and you wouldn't have to lug around your school books everywhere), it isn't quite coming together for me. Sure, digital text books would be amazing, but who's going to provide the eReaders? Will the State of California buddy up with Amazon to furnish a Kindle to every student, or will they just reside online? Additionally, what about those families that don't have computers? There's a lot of questions to be answered, but while the state is ironing out the details, what's your take on textbooks going digital?

Check Out Sony's 60th Anniversary Harlequin eBook Reader

GeekSugar — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 07:00:58 -0800

Last year for Valentine's Day, Sony showed off a limited-edition pink eReader that came loaded with 14 Harlequin novels.

Well this year, they are offering the Digital Book (PRS-505) in not just red, but Sangria Red. This Limited Edition 60th Anniversary Harlequin reader is coming stocked with 16 Anniversary Harlequin eBook titles and a free copy of Secret Fantasy by Carly Phillips. It'll also feature an embossed cover.

Expect to see this reader on the Sony Style website later this month for around $300.

Have You Ever Bought an eBook?

GeekSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:45:51 -0700

Author Neil Gaiman and his publisher have reported that giving away eBooks of his novel American Gods earlier this year ended up selling more books for him in the long run. Ask Radiohead - it turns out that giving people free things actually ends up being amazing promotion!

I've been tempted to buy the Kindle plenty of times, and now that I have the eReader app on my iPhone, I'm looking forward to purchasing and reading eBooks, something I don't do very often. I won't turn my back on "real" books, I just like the option of having another vehicle to get my reading in on. What about you? Like digital music, have you started buying digital books?

Barnes and Noble Announces New eReader and eBooks Store

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:23:16 -0700

Big news from Barnes and Noble - the retail bookstore chain has just announced two new tech additions: an eBooks Store with more than 700,000 book titles and a free eReader download that works with iPhones, BlackBerrys, Macs, and PCs.

Now I can't say I'm going to be reading a novel on my BlackBerry Curve anytime soon, but I'm thrilled they are opening it up to as many platforms as possible.

The best part is that Barnes and Noble has teamed up with Google to offer about half a million books as free downloads from the public domain. And about that rumored new Plastic Logic eReader device, which would compete with Amazon's Kindle? They are still planning on launching it sometime in 2010.

Daily Tech: The iPhone OS 3.0's New Features

GeekSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:01:40 -0700

Here's a closer look at the iPhone OS 3.0. - Engadget
The lowdown on MMS and tethering with AT&T on the iPhone. - The Boy Genius Report
HP launches the Pavilion dv6z Artist Edition 2 notebook. - Gizmodiva
The iPhone 3G S is available for preorder. - CNET
Nintendo's new Wii Vitality Sensor will measure stress levels. - Switched
Looks like Color e-books won't be here anytime soon. - Wired
Some great geek gear deals. - Lifehacker

Daily Tech: Stanza Is a Comprehensive E-Book iPhone App

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:01:22 -0700

Want a good e-book reader iPhone app? The new version of Stanza offers many useful features including a book wide search. - Wired
Here are nine different ways to watch TV and movies that don't break the bank. - Unplggd
NASA astronaut Mike Massimino is using Twitter to let his fans, friends and family about his training and everyday activities. - Switched
Head on over to Amazon to find a 50 percent off sale on popular Blu-Ray titles. - Gizmodo
How do Hybrid cars compare to regular cars in terms of gas mileage and quality? Cab drivers in San Francisco weigh in on the topic from their personal experience. - Forecast Earth