GeekSugar

To Honor Internet Explorer: The Internet Remembered

GeekSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:35:43 -0700

To celebrate the advent of Internet Explorer 8, Microsoft made this semi-tongue-in-cheek video about the Internet's beginnings and evolution. It's kind of a dry, documentary-style spot starring comedians like Janeane Garofalo and Ask a Ninja, but it still managed to make me chuckle.

Daily Tech: Is Netflix Streaming Coming to the Wii and PS3 ?

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:00:29 -0700

What consoles may be next to jump on board with the Netflix streaming functionality? Rumors are swirling that the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 are next in line. - Gizmodo
Now that Internet Explorer 8 is officially here, see some of the key new features it boasts and why they are useful. - Switched
Here's some hot Monday news - Apple is said to be announcing a new iPhone this June that will be faster and provide a seamless experience. - The Boy Genius Report
Samsung's flashy new NC310 netbook comes with a 10-inch screen, and is said to have a battery life of 11 hours. - Boing Boing Gadgets
President Barack Obama will be proposing a budget today that will invest billions in research designed to reduce climate change. - Forecast Earth

Google's New Virtual Reality Site Launches . . . In Real Life

GeekSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:30:04 -0700

Since Second Life is so five years ago, you can either stay with the same 'ole, same 'ole, or jump ship and live out your virtual reality dreams in some new digs brought to you by Google. Lively, the new VR world lets you create avatars, design and customize your "chat" rooms, and invite other users to visit, helping you make new friends to hang out with. . . virtually.

But what's different about Lively than other virtual reality sites like Second Life, is you aren't stuck on one website to roam around in. You can enter Lively from sites like Facebook (which is already up and running), other social networking sites, and blogs. Still in beta, Lively is free, but only available to Windows users running IE and Firefox. Hopefully, the Mac fans will be able to invade your virtual world soon!

Which Web Browser Do You Use?

GeekSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:00:13 -0700

I can honestly say I've been around the web browser block a few too many times. I've used just about everything, including Safari, Internet Explorer, Netscape and now predominately Firefox, which I absolutely love...most of the time. Back in the day early web browsers only supported simple versions of HTML (Netscape for example), whereas now they have become very sophisticated and user-friendly. Since I post a lot of downloads and applications for various browsers, it would be great to know what browser you use to surf the net. Leave your comments below and tell us why you love your browser.

Do You Know Microsoft History?

GeekSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:47:37 -0700

Whether you rock a Mac or a PC, you gotta admit Microsoft's history is beyond legendary in the geek world. Test your trivia knowledge of the tech and computing giant responsible for Windows, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Office.

Take the quiz

Tech Dating 101: He Quotes My Tweets, What Does That Mean?

GeekSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:06:56 -0700

A gal pal recently divulged that she had a dinner date with a single male friend and when conversation turned to Twitter and the Internet, he proved to be a studied student in her tweets. In fact, he quoted a few of them verbatim. He presented the homage to her updates in a humorous way, ("so why didn't you tweet that?" "I think your exact Tweet was. . .") so she wasn't overwhelmed, but wondered what that could mean and what she should do. It wasn't an explicitly romantic date, but there were flirtatious undertones and his extensive knowledge of her updates make her wonder.

I've tackled a similar conundrum in my Tech Dating 101 series when we discussed people using Facebook to get to know one another. To see what my advice for this similar Twitter situation, just read more.

He's probably into you: He may not want to have babies and run off into the sunset, but Twitter is updated every millisecond and it is hard to keep up even when using a Twitter management system. It sounds like he is paying close attention to your activity because he wants to get to know you better, cares what you think, and likes you whether as a friend or girlfriend.
Are you into him? If so, Tweet back: If he is reading your updates close enough to quote them he is asking to be interacted with and trying to show you he's interested. If you want to explore where this real/tweetlationship might head, retweet his witty updates or reply back to him. Both will flatter him. If things get really flirty, take it to your direct message inbox. You don't want anyone else to be able to quote your interactions.
Just not that into him? Take heed!: If you decide you don't want to get too friendly with him, pay attention to your interactions and updates. Don't engage with him daily - that could be perceived as misleading. If he gets annoying and continues to parrot your tweets when you see him in person, block him or send him off-guard with tweets about your dates or crush.

It's a cruel Internet world out there, and it can be hard to decode people's intentions. Check out my Tech Dating 101 series, where I help disperse a double whammy of tech and relationship advice, for a little support.

Microsoft Announces the Zune HD: Coming This Fall

GeekSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:46:43 -0700

Zune fans rejoice! The multitouch Zune HD has just been announced by Microsoft and is said to be coming to store shelves this Fall. This new portable media device will sport a 3.3-inch, OLED touchscreen display, be able to play high-def videos, and will feature a built-in HD receiver so you can listen to HD radio. It will also come with WiFi, Xbox integration, and include a customizable Internet Explorer web browser. Microsoft has also revealed that they will showcase how the Zune works with Xbox LIVE at E3 next week, which should be interesting. Unfortunately details like price, colors, etc., weren't announced.

How to Google Efficiently

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:02:16 -0700

The May issue of Esquire offers up a snarky boys club guide on how to "google efficiently." Sure, it made me giggle and was intended to entertain, but I can't say I found any of it particularly helpful or informative. Esquire says:

Save time by typing in "gogle.com," instead of "google.com." Google automatically directs you to its site. Those milliseconds add up, people. In the time it takes you to type that extra o, you could already be enjoying a reggae version of Christian Bale's rant.

Go to "Preferences" and change the default display to one hundred results instead of the usual ten. This is a huge time-saver. You don't need to click "Next" - you just scroll down.

Finally, the book search, which I believe is the most underutilized Google feature. Whatever the topic, search the books and you'll find dozens of relevant passages (highlighted in yellow!). If you're writing an email or making a presentation, it makes you seem educated. And as professor Tara Brabazon says in her book The University of Google, education is...well, why don't you just Google it?

To see what I think of this guide, and check out my tips for saving time, read more.

Point one: Most browsers and websites have built in search bars, so you can type your search in directly and don't need to go to Google homepage first. You may save a mili-second not typing in that "o" but it will take Google that long to load the page.
Point two: Do you really need one hundred results for each search? Changing preferences will make your page load time slower. And it's just one click to go on to the next page. It will take two seconds tops.
Point three: Okay, book search is underutilized. I'll agree with that. But using book passages in emails or presentations? That's so Mr. Big in the first Sex and the City movie. And that's so 2008.

If you're looking to save time and google more efficiently, just follow these steps:

Download Google's Tools: Use Google's Quick Search Box for Internet Explorer or Google's toolbar add on for Firefox. Both will minimize search time and allow you easy access to all your Google features.
Search Within a Site from Google: You can Google a site's name and a keyword, and you'll get results from different websites as well. If you Google "geeksugar" plus "clocky" you'll find what geek has said about Clocky. It's not that efficient, because other sites may have mentioned both of those words, and your results can be all over the place. It's also useful if you remember a certain article or story, but don't remember when you read it and can't find it from the site.
Save Typing Time By Keeping Search Simple: Google advises to keep searches simple. Keywords and names will likely get you to your destination. You don't have to get fancy with adjectives.

Daily Tech: Google's Quick Search Box Comes to IE

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:32:50 -0800

Windows users can now access Google's Quick Search Box by installing the Google Toolbar in Internet Explorer. - Lifehacker
Here's a helpful list of 10 reasons to buy a Kindle 2 and 10 reasons not to. - CrunchGear
With the current economic situation and global environmental issues, primary focus is now on renewable energy, especially geothermal energy. - Forecast Earth
Here's a new one. Some people who have been playing PlayStation for three or more hours a day are getting a skin disorder which consists of blisters on their hands and feet. - Switched
Designer Harold Terosier has created this Product Red MP3 Player concept device, which features recycled plastic, Bluetooth, a dock station, and a USB port. - Yanko Design

Daily Tech: DTV Transition Starts Today, Despite Delay

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:00:31 -0800

Despite the DTV Delay Act Obama signed last week about one-third of the nation's TV stations will pull plug on their analog towers by the end of today. - Crave
Get high-quality free downloads of your favorite NBC shows on NBC Direct. You'll have to download a little applet, which puts an add-on into your Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox browser. - Lifehacker
Time magazine has unveiled its list of 25 Best Blogs of 2009 as well as the 5 most overrated. - Time
Forget 3-D! Portuguese designer Nuno Teixeira hopes release Smellit, a smell-o-vision that pipes in scents. I don't want to know what CSI would smell like, but I'll bet Don Draper smells dapper. - Unplggd
Word on the street is HTC and Google's new Android G2, the HTC Magic, is pretty flipping awesome. - Gizmodo