GeekSugar

Geek Goes Chic: Etchstar Carves Place in My Cell and Heart

GeekSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:00:29 -0700

In case you haven't heard, our recent party in LA was decidedly geek chic. PopSugar put on the event with our friends at TechCrunch, but it included an array of other sponsors who set up fun stations around the venue.

One of the stations was Etchstar, who I have written about in the past. The company sells custom laser etched and engraved preloaded iPods, cell phones, laptops, Moleskine journals and even metal dog tags and I have to say, they are adorable. During the party, most of the Sugar crew made their way over to the Etchstar booth to have their beloved BlackBerry's and iPhone's personalized with some one-of-a-kind etching creations. Thanks to the Etchstar team, we instantaneously had all our gadgetry customized with everything and anything from Sugar logos to stars and even skulls - so hot! Check out all the fun designs below.

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You can see all their photos from the event for a better look at some of their other designs.

Make a One-of-a-Kind Gadget with Etchstar

GeekSugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:00:19 -0800

I was never really keen on the idea of engraving my gadgets, but after checking out all the neat samples by Etchstar, I'm starting to reconsider. What's great about Etchstar is the fact that you can buy products directly from them or send your own to be customized (coming soon). Select a design from the gallery or upload your own - the options are endless. Prices vary from product to product and are fairly reasonable. Definitely a much cheaper option than personalizing your gadgets with Colorware!

Laser Engraved iPod Shuffle Adds Creative Touch

GeekSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:00:25 -0700

I honestly thought that the days of lasering your gadgets were over - primarily because I haven't seen many tattoo lasered laptops recently and because there are so many unique cases. Plus, I find it hard to justify permanently scratching-up your beloved gadgets.

But when I saw this shuffle on Chip Chick, I actually thought it was kinda cute! Epilog laser machines can engrave custom artwork like this on 2G shuffles and on iPhones. Want to engrave your shuffle for free? The online Apple Store offers free personalized laser-engraved text on new iPods.

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Apple Offers Free iPod Engraving For Mother's Day

GeekSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 06:09:04 -0700

Shopping for Mother's Day just got a whole lot easier thanks to Apple! This year Apple will be offering free laser iPod engraving, free signature gift wrapping and free shipping on all gift guide items until May 13th.

You can write a personalized message 23 characters in length on 2 lines to be engraved on the back of an iPod. Apple suggest to 'Make it personal. Make it unforgettable.' Or do what I did to this one and make it fun and cheeky!

For more info and to get started, click here.

Macworld 2008: Would You Tattoo Your Tech?

GeekSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:00:48 -0800

We've all seen engravings on iPods and laptops, but I don't think I've seen them look quite so tattoo-like as I did at ETCHamac's booth at Macworld. ETCHamac does custom engraving exclusively for Apple products (which you can now purchase new from their website and choose a design), and is newly engraving iPhones as well. I would definitely have a hard time choosing a design to tattoo on my body, but maybe it could be a low-commitment substitute to put it on my laptop instead?! Then again, Apple's products are so well-designed that I would have a hard time messing up their pristine surfaces. Have any of you engraved your gadgets, or would you?

Love It or Leave It? RazorLab Engraved Gadgets

GeekSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 07:00:11 -0700

Last week we checked out the tattooed lasered laptop by Saved Tattoo which 76 percent of you said you loved. This week we are showcasing RazorLab's custom laser cut engravings for all gadgets including digital cameras, cell phones, laptops, iPods, nanos, and small game consoles. If you live in North America and you don't feel like shipping your favorite gadget half way across the Atlantic to get it engraved, check out Etchamac- a cheap, American company that can etch your MacBook exactly the way you want it. Thanks for the suggestion TeamSugar user macgirl! What do you think about engraving your cell/iPod/shuffle? You love it or leave it?

Bling-a-Ding-Ding: High Class Metallic HTC Touch HD Cases

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:04:18 -0700

I know I talk a ton of game about the iPhone around here, but don't think for a second that I don't have my eye out for knockout accessories for other types of cell phones. Take these high fallutin' HTC Touch HD Metallic Cases ($35) that look pretty expensive but are totally pocketbook friendly.

Engraved and available in two styles and colors (silver and titanium, naturally), these cases protect your hard-working HTC from scratches and bruises. Plus, the included mirrored screen protector turns your cell into a nice little compact for you to use on-the-go. Functional and fabulous - that's my kind of gadget.

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geeksugar Goes Inside SF's Resident Evil 5 Launch Party

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:16:31 -0700

How appropriate that Resident Evil 5 would launch today, Friday the 13th, since it's one of the creepiest games ever. And if you needed proof that the series is a true crowd-pleaser, try this fact on for size: Resident Evil 4 sold 5.2 million copies since its 2005 release, and the entire series has sold more than 36 million copies since it first appeared on the scene in 1996. And speaking of crowds, the one that gathered outside the launch tent in San Francisco's Union Square last night was packed with gamers who were not only waiting to get an early peek at the game, but also anxiously watching the clock until midnight arrived so they could head home with a copy of their own.

The thumping music coming from inside the tent was just the beginning - there were games, giveaways, cell phone engravings, and energy drinks (a geeks' drink of choice) being passed around to keep the party going until the clock struck 12.

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To hear more about the event, and to find out what my favorite part of the night was, just read more.

Not only were there free "health" vials filled with M&M's (I'm always down for free candy), but the creators and developers of the RE series, as well as the actors that lended their voices to the game were on hand to mingle with the crowd. And although it was exciting to meet the voice of Chris Redfield live and in person, my favorite part of the evening was the screaming contest that had you letting loose in a sound booth to see who could scream the loudest. I almost won . . . so close.

You can get your hands on a copy of Resident Evil 5 today for your Xbox and PS3 systems ($60), but be sure to check back on Monday for my full review of the game!

Gadget Accessories Based on TV Shows: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:45:42 -0700

Color me happy! Not only have I spied a Beverly Hills, 90210-engraved iPod, I also found this Sex and the City iPod speaker lurking about.

I saw the Sex and the City movie twice and own the first couple seasons of 90210, but I don't know if I have the die-hard commitment to go this far. On the other hand, I don't really shy away from more accessories, so maybe I would etch Brandon Walsh's mug on my iPod. Would you?

Source

iPod Classic Verses Zune: Which Would You Choose?

GeekSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:02:54 -0700

I've always been an iPod sort of girl, but when a friend of mine whipped out his Zune at a recent barbecue, I felt a twinge of jealousy. A 3.2-inch screen? Wireless syncing? Awesome wallpapers? I was a little speechless. This realization made me wonder if there was a superior device of the two. Could a Zune really KO my iPod ?

I thought I should compare both the 80GB iPod classic and the 80GB Zune for this post, trying to level the playing field as much as I could. To see the pros and cons of each device, just read more.

80GB iPod Classic

Pros:

Holds up to 20,000 songs or up to 100 hours of video
30-hour battery life for song playback, five hours for video playback
Compact and thin at .41 inches thick
2.5-inch color LCD screen
Works with iTunes on either your Mac or PC

Cons:

Comes in silver and black only
No options for custom or specialty wallpapers

80GB Zune
Pros:

Holds up to 20,000 songs, or 250 hours of video
3.2-inch color screen
Touch pad makes scrolling through your media a breeze
Wireless syncing and sharing to other Zune users
FM transmitter allows you to tune in to local stations (or those radio programmed TVs at the gym)
Customize your Zune with engravings and wallpapers

Cons:

Comes in red and black
Glass screen
For PC only

Results:
Since the Zune and the iPod classic both come with a $250 price tag, and have similar capacity, it comes down to customization and compatibility. Although the Zune wins points for being so customizable – with downloadable wallpapers to trick out your device, the iPod has to take the title for being compatible with both Mac and PC users, since the Zune only functions in a Windows environment.

Which one do you sport – iPod or Zune?