GeekSugar

I'm Gearing Up For Hot Black Friday Deals From Target

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:33:08 -0800

If you're headed out to get your Black Friday shop on this week and are in need of some game action, you better check out Target first!

I love my Xbox 360, and my favorite big-box store is offering up their stock of Elite Black Xbox 360s in a few choice bundles. You can pick up the 120GB version with a controller and two games (Pure and Lego Batman) for $300. If you need a bit more for your buck, pick up the Call of Duty bundle which includes the 250GB black Xbox 360, two controllers and your own copy of Call of Duty for $400. Bonus - each bundle comes with a $50 Target gift card!

To see what other Target deals I have my eye on, just read more.

Oh, Good. Another In-Flight Fire Hazard to Worry About

GeekSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:45:02 -0700

In-flight fires caused by gadgets are back in the news after a recent piece in the New York Times warned of yet another risk: fires caused by the rechargable lithium batteries in handheld credit-card machines used by flight attendants to ring up purchases. The Federal Aviation Administration considers the batteries hazardous, and requires special training for flight attendants on airlines who carry spare batteries (some airlines, like Delta and JetBlue, don't carry spare batteries at all).

No fires from the readers have been reported, but according to the same article, in the last two years, a portable DVD has caught fire on a plane, a flashlight placed in a storage compartment exploded, turning into a projectile, and eight people were injured when a battery fell against a metal seat frame and exploded.

The best way to keep devices from overheating, or worse, catching fire? Keep them out of overhead compartments, and turn them off completely before storing them for flight. Do you take special precautions when flying with gadgets?

Blinded by the Light: Have You Been Fooled by a Commercial?

GeekSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:05:28 -0700

I was stoked after seeing a commercial for the Powermat, a wireless gadget charger that claims to charge any of your electronic toys without wires, cords, or trouble just by placing your device on the Powermat - finally a solution to my cord-management problems! A few days later I saw the Powermat at my local Best Buy and considered forking over the $100 listed on the price tag for convenience alone. But then reality (and an explanation from the sales rep) set in: $100 is not the bottom line on this super charger.

The Powermat does exactly what it says it does: charges your cell phones, PSP's, smart phones and other gadgets, but it does so with the help of dedicated cases that have a receiver attached to the back. Bye-bye custom iPhone and Blackberry cases - you'll be rocking the Powermat case and battery pack (which sticks out on the back) from now on. What's more, each gadget case starts at $30, and you'll need one for each device you want to charge! For me, this meant spending over $200 just to have all of my daily accessories covered. I walked away a little disappointed, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been fooled by a gadget commercial before. Share your gadget commercial rants, or about the time you bought a gadget and it wasn't what you expected below!

Some Shine Charger Juices Up Gadgets, Decorates Your Home

GeekSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:45:30 -0700

Unlike some other solar chargers that require special adapters to charge your gadgets, and, you know, the availability of the sun, the Some Shine Solar Charger allows you to juice up your gadgets at any time via a USB connector. How can you solar charge your phone without the sun you ask? Well, I'll tell ya.

The Some Shine collects the solar energy from the daylight hours through a special (and stylish) solar curtain, then stores it in a charging base for later use. You can then charge your phone, your iPod, your laptop at night, or whenever you want since you basically have your own solar energy plant at your fingertips. I'm a little bummed cause this product is still a concept, but I'd be first in line to get my hands on one!

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Geeking Out in Japan: A Retrospective

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:50:43 -0700

My two weeks in Japan went by in a flash, but I have the memories to last a lifetime - and now I'm sharing them with you! My trip through the "Electric City" taught me a lot about gadgets in the land of the rising sun, and attending the Tokyo Game Show was one of the highlights of my trip. And even though I didn't get to see the massive Gundam statue in all its glory, I did get to check out the head at TGS. Trust me, this thing is huge! Check out all the geeky sights from one side of the city to the other in this slideshow.

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How Much Are You Willing to Spend on a Gadget?

GeekSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:43:42 -0700

I gotta give it to Leica, they sure know how to make drool-worthy cameras! The Leica M9 was revealed this week, and not only does this bad boy shoot full 35MM quality in high-resolution digital format, but it's got intuitive controls, and comes with a license for Adobe Lightroom so you can snap and edit right out of the box. Plus, it's small and compact so you can take it anywhere, and don't even get me started on the picture quality. The catch? This camera will set you back over $8,000. Yes, that's an eight with three zeros.

I've been known to splurge on a gadget that I really want a time or two (or three or four), but spending nearly 10 grand on a digital camera (that's marketed as a "prosumer" by the way) seems a little much for my novice pocket. How much are you willing to throw down for the gadget of your dreams?

GeekSugar's Labor Day Survival Guide

GeekSugar — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:10:00 -0700

Today is all about getting outside and soaking in the last ounce of Summer before we head back to school this Fall. Since you can usually find a geek locked away inside her office, tapping away on a computer, I thought I'd give you all with social phobias a little hand. You don't have to completely give up your gadgets for poolside relaxation and outdoor barbecues (although it does sound pretty good to me) - you can take your tech with you. Check out my tips for surviving the outdoors this holiday when you just can't let go of your gadgets.

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How Much Do These Luxury Gadgets Cost?

GeekSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:50:00 -0700

We all know that gadgets can cost a lot of money, but some fall into my "look but don't touch" category. I'm willing to shell out a pretty penny if the gadget's cost per use is way low (like splurging on an iPhone - I use it everyday!), but I'll steer my pocketbook clear of these items! Find out if you're a good judge of cost character with this fun quiz.

Question 1 of 10

How much does this laptop cost?

Concept iPod Slide Is Tiny, Kind of Awesome

GeekSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:44:33 -0700

Although the iPod Slide is just a concept item that I found while cruising Tuvie, I would love to see this sleek MP3 player in production.

I like the tiny size of the iPod shuffle, but the thing I dislike is the lack of control. Sure, you can stuff all your favorite tunes into it, but you can't get to a song you may really want to hear when you want to hear it. So the iPod slide is the perfect mix of control in a similar ultra compact body. Sadly, I know Apple well enough to know that this will never become a reality - they just don't "do" sliders.

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She's Done It Again: Violet May's Limited Edition Gadget Purse

GeekSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:50:06 -0700

You're killin' me Violet May! Not only was I obsessed with your hot silver snakeskin computer clutch, and your gold python BlackBerry purse, but you have to go and chum the accessory waters again with these new and limited edition BlackBerry and iPhone purses.

Just when I thought I could safely browse the Internet without pitting all other gadget purses against yours, you work your way back into my battered heart with your chic bags. The Violet May Limited Edition purse for BlackBerry breaks out of the previous mold by wrapping my BB in a silver stingray patterned body, with the signature python print trim. Although the limited edition is helping to ease my obsession with the shiny silver snakeskin, the prices are still way over my gadget accessory budget at $330 dollars. Why, oh why, can't I quit you, Violet May?

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