Geek is chic.
Emoticarolers is the kind of thing that should be too silly for me to be into, and yet, here I am, powerless to their cute yellow faces and midi voices (or maybe I was just swayed by the fact that the parody lyrics the site offered me for "Deck the Halls" were "Deck the Halls With Flat Screen TVs"). You pick four carolers and then a classic holiday song (original or parody lyrics), and then you Read more
Can you believe that the cute little smiley emoticon which we've all grown to love turns 25 today? According to The New York Times, on Sept. 19, 1982, professor Scott E. Fahlman was the first to use the three infamous keystrokes—a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis, to create a horizontal smiley face in a computer. He used it during a discussion about the limitations of online humor. Read more
While recently searching for an "evil" emoticon (don't ask), I stumbled on an unlikely resource. Or, rather, the resource is pretty popular, but I hadn't thought about it until now. Worth checking out: the emoticon Wikipedia page. With a full list of emoticons ranging from basic smiles to more complex faces like a backwards baseball cap — d:-) — the page is a great resource for creative Read more
If you've ever had trouble making your feelings known to others, 21-year-old Shanghai designer Yunfan Tan has an eyewear idea just for you. His design, Magic Emotion Concept Eyewear, is a transparent band of LED-impregnated material called lightform that would make your face resemble an emoticon by displaying changing eyebrow shapes and expressions to actualize your inner thoughts. The lightform Read more
Steve Ward is a handsome, strong-willed dude from Philly, who is definitely not your average matchmaker. On his VH1 show Tough Love Miami, Steve takes a no-nonsense approach when it comes to helping women find true love. He sets up a "dating boot camp," designed to break down the women's barriers about love. Steve sets the girls up on dates to see where they need real help and find them the man Read more
You know the moment, a scene in a film is moving along swimmingly until the character decides to log in to a chat service with outlandish graphics and finishes every sentence with an inexplicable emoticon. The crime? Awkward and unnecessary use of technology and social media in entertainment. If the audience knows what they're watching is set for the current year, giving such explicit visual cues Read more
People generally think emoticons are a professional no-no, but I think it depends on your industry and relationship with the contact. The occasional smiley face could work sometimes when you're trying to soften a sentence or expressing gratitude and enthusiasm. However, it's a good idea to use the happy emoticon sparingly and not plaster it all over your emails. It might just be me, but I think Read more
In the wild world of dating, the huge role texting has taken on in our lives is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that it's a quick and easy form of communication. You're going to be 10 minutes late? Send a text. You had a really great connection after a date, but you don't want to call immediately? Send a text. But the curse part comes in the form of the anxiety we get from what he Read more
Dating rituals from days of yore — The Frisky Hermione Granger: the heroine women have been waiting for — Huffington Post What should dudes wear for Summer dates? — Glamour Weird writing habits of famous authors — Flavorwire Four tips for dating as a single mom — Betty Confidential In defense of sex on the first date — College Candy Taking care of yourself can lead to a happier love Read more
Technology and dating have been helping and hurting each other for years, but perhaps no technology is more sweetly accessible than the text message. Think about it: everyone does it, it's fast, simple, and to the point. They're even a good replacement for those annoying phone calls. Thing is, when dating and feelings and etiquette are involved, texting can get a little dicey. One dating and Read more
