GeekSugar

French Fry Phone: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:40:20 -0700

Finally, the Juno hamburger phone has the perfect companion. The French Fry Phone ($20) is unapologetically wacky, not to mention retro (look at it in its corded glory!).

The ideal recipient loves vintage technology, primary colors, and is not afraid of carbs. One question: where's the soda phone?

Would you give this as a gag gift, or plug it into your kitchen outlet?

5 Home Phones Worth Keeping a Landline For

GeekSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:05:14 -0800

In last year's geeksugar poll, almost 40 percent of you said you'd given up your landline for your cell phone, but the rest of us holdouts see the silver lining: beautiful telephones, with or without cords that make you feel like a glam gal from a bygone era (or at least someone not using up their cell phone minutes). Pretend with me with these retro-glam phones.

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High-Heel Phone: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:45:26 -0700

Despite the fact that most of us have ditched our landlines, I can't help but be amused by this High-Heel Phone ($22).

I could make an excuse, like I love it in an ultra-ironic, so bad it's good kind of way, but really it's just that it's totally the kind of "big-girl" thing I would have loved as a kid and I've never really gotten over any of that stuff.

What do you think - retro-cute or '80s in the worst way?

Plus Minus Zero Cordless Phone: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:45:14 -0700

Oh man, I may have to rethink my previous thoughts about doing without a landline. This gorgeous and modern-despite-its-technology Cordless Phone from Japanese company Plus Minus Zero is making me drool in that gorgeous blue.

The phone, coming in at about $298, is too rich for my blood, but man. If I still had that landline hooked up, I know I would if I could. Would you?

Do You Still Have a Landline?

GeekSugar — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:08:45 -0700

We all know escaping your cell phone contact can be brutal, but cell phones provide some serious (and obvious) benefits. They are portable, relatively inexpensive and most of them offer handy features that make your portable home phone look like a brick. I ditched my landline a long time ago because no one called me on it anymore and I always have my cell with me. Have you pulled the cord yet?
Photos courtesy of ABC

"No Signal" Cell Phone Reception Clips From Horror Flicks

GeekSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:50:05 -0700

Whenever I think of scary movies and phones, Scream instantly comes to mind - especially the gory Drew Barrymore kitchen scene - yikes! Back in the eighties and nineties, most horror movies had serial killers cutting phone lines so when the victim (usually helpless young women) went to call the police, the phone would be dead. Nowadays, screenwriters can't write this classic scenario into scripts because a majority of people have swapped their landlines for a cell phone. So what's a screenwriter to do? They are to play up the lack of cell phone service conundrum. Rich Four Four has put together this amazing compilation of 66 movies from 2000 that have done just that.

Telephone Pillow: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:45:46 -0700

Big ups to the vintage telephone revival! Typewriters and Polaroids are hot, and now so are corded telephones, too. Case in point: the Telephone Pillow ($34) from Urban Outfitters.

West Elm had a similarly geek-inspired telephone pillow last year - it's like as everyone ditches their landlines left and square, the old-school rotary gains in popularity. But are we far enough away from the home phone to be nostalgic about it? Would you toss this on your chair?

How Does Modern Technology Impact Teens?

GeekSugar — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 14:03:48 -0800

Teens all over the world are growing up in a world in which the Internet, cell phones, text messaging and other technology dominates their communication and are an integral part of everyday life. I was a teenager when AIM got big and remember how quickly everyone in my age group got addicted to chatting online. Today there is all this hype about very public breakups using modern technology, but apparently, not every teen is lost in a cyber world.

According to a researcher at Harris Interactive, teens utilize different modes of communication in different social contexts. When the tone of a communication is serious, such as arguing and breaking up with someone, teens realize that communication tools may not be the best avenue of discussion.

Two in three teens (67%) would not break up with someone and two in five (42%) would not argue with a friend over phones, email, instant messaging, text messaging, or social networking sites.
When choosing a communication tool, teens will most likely choose to use cell phones and landline phones to talk to a friend about something serious or important (cell phone 34%, landline phone 23%); apologize to a friend (cell phone 22%, landline phone 20%); or break up with someone (cell phone 14%, landline phone 9%).

For more survey results, just read more

About one in three teens say they are not comfortable gossiping, sharing secrets or having private conversations using phones, email, instant or text messaging.
Teens feel more comfortable discussing touchy subjects when using instant messaging (29%), than cell phones (14%), text messaging (11%) and social networking websites (10%).
Overall, teens are most comfortable using cell phones, instant messaging and landline phones to have a private conversation (cell phone 29%, instant messaging 16%, landline phone 15%), sharing a secret (cell phone 25%, instant messaging 11%, landline phone, 14%) and gossiping (cell phone 17%, instant messaging 17%, landline phone 14%). Teens are also more likely to hear rumors about people through instant messaging (31%) and social networking website (27%).

Geek Out: What Type of Tech Do You Use at Work?

GeekSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:33:43 -0700

Tip type. Tip type. Tip type. Those of us who work in offices sit at our computers for most of the day, but what we actually do on and with our machines varies more than most people (especially Luddites!) realize. Some jobs rely on fancy databases or equipment, some on single programs like InDesign and Photoshop, and some simply on good old fashioned email.

Whenever I watch The Office I am blown away at the notion of relying on a landline, Excel and email all workday because I hop through applications and gadgets like the Energizer Bunny. What machinery and programs do you use daily to perform your work duties?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Vintage Geek Staple Scandiphone Now Readily Available

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:05:28 -0800

If you're a Vintage Geek fan chances are you're also a fan of or have seen the Scandiphone quite a bit (it was added to the New York Museum of Modern Art's Collection in 1973).

Whereas the upright (just set it down to hang up the call!) "space-age" phone was not readily available - you had to either go vintage and risk the components not working or order internationally, happily, it's just been added to Urban Outfitters' website.

The Scandiphone comes in red, black, or white for $60. Even as the world moves away from landlines, I've totally fallen for this phone and its mid-century styling. Plus, you'd own a legitimate modern work of art. Fancy.