GeekSugar

Did You File Online?

GeekSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:30:14 -0700

With the dreaded tax day over and done with, you can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that your return is signed, sealed, and waiting to be delivered. Now all you have to do is kick back and wait for that sweet return to arrive so you can take that trip, buy that gadget, or invest (which is a very savvy thing to do, indeed!).

Since it's so simple these days, I filed my taxes online instead of dragging my butt down to a tax professional and letting them figure it out for me. And just to prove that more Americans are doing the same, this year, 38 million people filed their taxes online in the first few months of the year, up five percent from 2007! So if you've already spent your return, or if you just barely got your taxes in by midnight last night, were you one of the millions that filed online?

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Get Your Own Weight Loss Coach for Your DS

GeekSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:00:26 -0700

Although Wii Fit has been the big hitter for exergaming this year, it may have a new companion to help you tackle those unwanted pounds. My Weight Loss Coach for your DS, is like a personal trainer and nutritionist, all packed into your tiny mobile gamer. With personal profiles that allow you to track your fitness goals, record your daily food intake and exercise, it's a sure fire way that you will stay involved in your fitness, since it's way more fun on the DS. Even Tony Key from Ubisoft thinks so:

“The game creates customized coaching sessions based on skill level, and, for the first time on DS, includes a pedometer. My Weight Loss Coach not only allows users to take control of their physical well-being, but it does so in a fun and engaging manner.”

I mean, how many times have you signed up for an online fitness tracker, only to give it up a few weeks in? At least on your DS, you can be anywhere, and at anytime record your data to keep yourself on track. Find out what else comes with My Weight Loss Coach when you read more

My Weight Loss Coach even comes with a pedometer for you to wear and track your daily steps (Fit says we're aiming for 12,000 here). Then at the end of the day or week, connect to your DS to record your stats. Plus with an included food journal, you can achieve the whole burn-more-cals-than-we-take-in thing. What's more, with the childhood obesity rate climbing, My Weight Loss Coach seems friendly enough for kids to use. Personally, I don't have any issue with games helping me stay fit, cause the day is long and hard enough as it is and every little bit helps! Wouldn't you agree?

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Tesla Roadster: So Hot It's Electric

GeekSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:02:22 -0800

Does this look like an electric car to you? Believe it or not, the Tesla Roadster is 100 percent electric and sure to be the dream car of every eco lover very soon. Having been given the go-ahead by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation to begin production, the first wave of Teslas will roll off the line later this year.

Unlike other hybrid/electric cars, the Tesla is fully charged by electricity, but still performs like a sports car. Going from 0-60 in under four seconds and getting 220 miles per charge, that's the equivalent to getting 135mpg in your current gas guzzling ride, but you'll spend a whole lot less - about two cents per mile!
Not only is the Tesla totally forward thinking and energy efficient, but it's bluetooth and iPod compatible as well. Tesla obviously knows that no one should have to sacrifice style to save the planet, right? Although you may have to have some pretty deep pockets to get the coveted electro-car now (the price is hovering around six figures), it's still a good sign for things to come in the future. Anyone remember the EV1? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Kensington Launches Ci Lifestyle Mice

GeekSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:03:07 -0700

Kensington has just rolled out its latest creation - the Ci Lifestyle Wireless Mice. Not only are these new designs stylish, but they're thirty percent thinner than a standard notebook - making them perfect for travel. They also have automatic snooze, back-up power for wireless or USB use and a low battery indicator on the scroll wheel that will notify you to power-up. Although this mouse is a bit smaller, it still fits comfortably in your hand with its ergonomic design. Use on your Mac or PC with your desktop or laptop. Prices start at $35 and the release date is said to be the end of June.

To check out more images of the Ci Lifestyle mouse, read more

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GeekSugar's Gift Guide For Your BFF

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:15:20 -0800

Your BFF is not only by your side when you adopt a new tech treasure, but she's also there to send a supportive text when you just can't get your home network to function properly. Give your best girlfriend a gift that not only shows off her impeccable taste, but one that fits her geeky lifestyle as well. Check out my picks for your BFF right here!

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Say Hello to the New Sony® VAIO® Lifestyle PC

Sponsor — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:04:07 -0800

The Sony® VAIO® P Series Lifestyle PC is the world's lightest 8-inch notebook (measured diagonally) and does more than you could imagine - with impeccable style.

With the built-in wireless and connection whenever you need it, you can connect with your friends, get the news, or check out geeksugar whenever you want! Looking for a place to eat? The Sony® VAIO® P Series Lifestyle PC also has built-in GPS technology: your current location is found, and real-time, onscreen directions lead the way.

The Sony® VAIO® P Series Lifestyle PC comes in four different colors, each inspired by the crystalline shimmer of natural gemstones - find one to fit your personality. And it all fits in your jacket pocket!

If you are in New York City, don't miss the live mannequin installations outside of Grand Central Station on Jan. 30 and in the city's hottest neighborhoods through Feb. 14. Picture 10 mannequins sitting at a café IMing, blogging, updating their Facebook pages, and tempting onlookers to check out this beautiful new device.

Ask a Geek Girl: What's With Carbonite and Should I Sign Up?

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:05:32 -0700

Dear GeekSugar,
My mom called me the other day freaking out about a Carbonite commercial, saying I should back up my photos before disaster strikes. I've actually seen the commercials late at night (I have to admit, I find them pretty funny), but can't really wrap my mind around why the service is. I have thousands of photos stored on my laptop and do worry it will quit on me one day and I will be left without copies. Should I use this service? Thanks for your help.
- A Fellow Geeky Gal

Dear Fellow Geeky Gal,
I pleased to hear I'm not the only person who is endlessly entertained by late-night cable commercials! You ask a great question because I've been seeing the company name everywhere. Carbonite is a web service that claims to "automatically and securely back up the irreplaceable contents of your computer" for the yearly cost of about $55. It works for PC and Mac users, but has slightly different set up depending on your system. To find out if I think you - and other readers like you - need it, read more.

Before you sign up, I'd suggest perusing the Carbonite website and looking at the demos to see if it fits your lifestyle. Everyone's backup needs are unique. I like to be selective about which files I backup (I only save the most important stuff like pictures, a small number of documents, and music I can't live without), so I don't need the "automatic" program to do it for me. Given you seem most concerned with backing up your photos, I think you should investigate a photo-hosting service before you back up your entire computer and then come up with a plan for backing up your important files. I adore Flickr ($25 a year) for its networking, geotagging, and general photo fun, but also use Picasa for its free simplicity. If you want to back up more documents, check out my guide to backing up data for a peek at a few devices that may be more cost effective for you. You might also check out MobileMe, a service that allows you to sync all your photos, email, calendar, contacts from your Mac (iCal, iDisk, Address Book, and Mail) or PC (Microsoft Outlook) to your iPhone over the air (it costs about $100 a year).

Cheers to planning to back up your data, not matter which route you pick! Anyone who has ever lost their hard drive or even a few files can tell you it's a devastating experience.

Even the geekiest of us have technical breakdowns. There's no question too easy or too techie, so join our Ask a Geek Girl Group and share your concerns and quandaries. Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Testing Out the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach

GeekSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:50:45 -0700

In my opinion, achieving a sense of general well-being includes three vital components: incorporating a balanced and nutritious diet into your lifestyle, getting regular exercise, and getting enough sleep. Not surprisingly, most people are lacking in one or all of these areas, which is why I am thrilled to tell you about this new device that acts as your personal sleep coach - because we all know if we don't get enough sleep, diet and exercise tend to be the last things on our minds.

Based on academic articles within sleep science and designed in conjunction with sleep scientists, the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach is a four-part system which includes a headband, a bedside display, an interactive website, and a seven-step sleep fitness program. Its purpose is to measure your sleep patterns and give you tools to help improve your sleep by educating you on how you're actually sleeping. It's not some magical sleep doctor in a box, but it is pretty cool.

To keep reading about my first few experiences with Zeo and to see some more photos of the device, just read more.

If you're already thinking, "Huh?" let me explain. The way it works is you wear the wireless headband to bed, and with its sensor technology, your sleep patterns will be tracked and transmitted to your bedside Zeo clock. You can see me wearing the headband below - it's really not that bad once you get used to it, just make sure on your first night you're really tired and it's the weekend so you can slowly adjust!

After a night of wearing the headband (it fell off my first night, although I learned I could pull my ponytail right through the back strap), you can read the bedside display to see a sleep graph which summarizes your pattern of sleep phases each night (like total amount of REM, and light, and deep sleep, which is broken down into hours, minutes, and percentages), and your ZQ score. I think the best part of this entire trial run was the excitement of waking up to read the graph - and check out my ZQ score, naturally! It's funny because my highest score (usually around 110) would be on the weekends (they say your ZQ can range from 0-120). The fact that I was completely tuckered out from the week before, and relaxed because it was the weekend, made for some ideal sleeping conditions.

Zeo also comes with a SD memory card that will load all of the info from your headband onto it (when you dock your headband), which you can then upload onto your computer to your web-based personal sleep account. The Zeo's seven-step fitness program will then analyze your sleep patterns and lifestyle (like exercise, diet, stress, and environment), and recommend techniques, tools, and tips to address the issues that may be affecting your sleep. The program is intended to be completed within eight to 12 weeks.

The Zeo also includes a neat feature called the SmartWake Alarm which will look for a moment when you transition into and out of REM sleep when the brain is highly active. Therefore Zeo may wake you as early as half an hour before your set wake-up time, but it will never wake you up later than your actual alarm time. Because the Zeo costs $399, you'll be happy to know that this is one fancy schmancy alarm clock. Even if you're not using the headband, the alarm clock itself includes settings to adjust its brightness, and it offers relaxing alarm sounds to make the wake-up process a little less startling.

Overall, I give the Zeo a nice four out of five stars. As I said, it's not some magical sleep doctor that's going to cure insomniacs or people with major snoring issues, but it is going to educate you on your sleep style and give you some helpful suggestions for improving your sleep. Note to self: no more gadgets in the bedroom!

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Square Enix Creates Lifestyle Programs for the DS

GeekSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 08:01:12 -0700

Japanese video game company Square Enix - the creators of Final Fantasy and the Dragon Quest series, is stepping into new territory by offering new non-games for the Nintendo DS. According to Joystiq, Square Enix now offers DS "Yoga Lessons You Can Start Today," "Flower-Blooming DS Gardening Lite," and "Why Not Listen to Classical Music On DS"? They are also planning to launch a line of travel guides for Italy, Hawaii and New York. As much as I love a good game, these new programs are going to be great!Source

Show Your True Colors With Products That Put Down Windows

GeekSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:35:04 -0700

Are you ashamed to hide behind a Windows screen? Stuck in a messy PC vs. Mac battle? Or do you despise Windows with a passion and want to broadcast your hatred to the world?

The great social divide of who's a Mac and who's a PC is a complicated one (just ask the characters on Gossip Girl), but at the end of the day, you have to pick the machinery and operating system that best fits your lifestyle. If you don't have any love for Windows, there are plenty of silly ways to express your frustration. They won't alleviate the post Blue Screen pain, but they will make you giggle.

Windows Toilet Paper ($4) offers a straightforward stance you can flush away and is sure to be a conversation starter at geeky house parties. Or, if you're seeking a more subtle route, hide your Dell logo with an Apple sticker. No one will be the wiser.

Check out some other ways to wash away Windows below.

Blue Screen of Death Tee ($19)	White Apple Logo Sticker ($6)
Windows Blue Screen of Death on Chrome Buckle ($15)	I Don't Do Windows Button ($4)	Mightysoft Windoos Toilet Paper ($4)