GeekSugar

Geek Out: Would You Deny Your Mom a Friend Request?

GeekSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:00:07 -0700

It seems like every day, my mom is getting more and more tech savvy. She has her own blog, a TiVo, an iPod, and a Bluetooth earpiece, and I'm pretty sure she actually drooled when she first saw my iPhone 3G. That's why it wasn't exactly surprising when she sent me a Facebook friend request. I chuckled a little at the thought of my mom happily writing on my wall and tagging photos, but I accepted her.

Turns out I may be an anomaly because I just heard about the Facebook group “Moms of Kids Who Are Embarrassed They Have a Facebook Profile," founded by a mother who was unceremoniously rejected by her 12-year-old daughter.

I totally understand why you wouldn't want your mom to see everything you have on your Facebook profile, and then again, I kinda think it's harmless to add your mom - but maybe that's because I'm old and boring that I feel like there's nothing to hide. So tell me, what's your parental social networking policy?

Source

How Tech Savvy Is Your Mom?

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:00:26 -0700

lilsugar posted the Today Show interview yesterday in which Heather "Dooce" Armstrong, of the award-winning blog Dooce, explained to Kathie Lee Gifford about the trials of blogging about her young daughter. Kathie Lee questioned Dooce for posting pictures of her daughter on the Internet, Lil questioned the hypocrisy, and me? I questioned the hilariously out-of-touch soundbytes about tech that Kathie Lee and her co-host Hoda Kotb provided.
When Hoda asked Heather, "Is it all moms who are on your blogosphere?" I giggled, but when Kathie Lee said, "I don't know enough about computers, obviously," that obviously bothered me. Why, because she's older? Because my mom is an eBay shopper, a TeamSugar user, an iPod rocker-outer, and she's an older mom like Kathie Lee! Not to mention my grandma and her sisters who email me regularly.

I think Kathie Lee needs to bone up on the ways of the world and stop fearing computers, as she says, because I know the tech mommies can represent! And the ones who aren't quite on Heather Armstrong's level can at least provide us with awesome stories. So tell me, on a scale of 1-5, how tech savvy is your mom?

GeekSugar's Gift Guide For Moms-to-Be

GeekSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:33:29 -0800

Normally, I'd be clueless on what to spoil an expectant mother with this holiday season, but now that I'm a proud auntie, I've been spending way more time on LilSugar and have learned a thing or two about mommy-life from my older sis!

I've already covered dads and moms in my gift guide series, and now it's time for my list of gift suggestions for those who are buying for a mom-to-be! From the basics like a diaper warmer, to some fun tech and handy tech toys like the Flip HD camera, these tried, tested and true items are all here!

Tech Dating 101: He CC'd Me on an Email to His Mom

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:33:45 -0800

A friend of mine needs some advice: last week, her brand-new boyfriend (we're taking days here, not even weeks) wrote an email list of gifts he wanted for Christmas, sent it to his mom, and CC'd my friend. To be fair, my friend did ask him to send her his Christmas wish list, but she never expected him to send the same list to his mother at the same time.

She's a little freaked out because she thinks this is a sign of him moving too quickly. On the flip side, he is very close to his mother, and maybe he just thought he'd kill two birds with one stone by sending one email instead of two. Then again, now his mom has my friend's email address. . .even though the two are weeks away from actually meeting face-to-face. So of course my friend asks me, "What do I do? Do I reply to both of them? Do I write him back at all?"

I must admit, giving her advice on this problem kind of stumped me. I'm torn between a couple of responses; to see what they are (and help me out!), read more

Potential advice A: Reply all with a short and sweet "Thanks for the heads up!" and let it go. This requires giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, which I'm not quite sure is the right move here, but I think it could be the way to go. See if his mom responds. Chances are, she knows her son well enough to know his intentions. Maybe he's even done it before. The only caveat: if she responds to you, you're stuck. You can't ignore an email from mom, which means being prepared for any kind of wacky proposal, from her asking what gift you're planning on buying him to suggesting going halfsies on something together.

Potential advice B: Don't respond to the email. Address it with him in person as soon as possible. Tell him it made you uncomfortable, and tell him why it made you uncomfortable. You'll have to tread delicately since I'm guessing he doesn't realize what a big deal this is to you. Explain that even though it might have been a to-the-point email, it makes you uncomfortable to be included on the same thread as his mother.

Potential advice C: Run. Fast. In the other direction.

Just kidding on the last one - but help a girl out! What's the best solution to the problem?

Do you have a Love 2.0 question you want answered? Join the Tech Dating 101 because we understand that love and dating are stressful and the Internet and social networking sites can just make things worse. You never know, your question could be featured on GeekSugar! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Hot New Harajuku Laptop Sleeves by Gwen Stefani

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:14:36 -0800

Rocker mom Gwen Stefani is all about the tech accessories! Just a couple of months ago she
showed off her fashionable L.A.M.B laptop sleeves in N.Y.C. And now she's introduced a Japanese-inspired Harajuku Lovers collection which includes laptop sleeves and bags for your beloved gadgets.

This 13-inch Kanji Girls print Harajuku Lovers sleeve ($35) is made from poly twill fabric and includes an enamel heart logo zipper pull in black and white. And don't worry, with its water resistant fabric, and quarter-inch protective foam filler, your laptop will always stay protected from the elements.

GeekSugar's Gift Guide For Gamer Guys

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:33:16 -0800

Now that I've got younger brothers, sisters, moms and dads taken care of in the gift guide department, what about those hard to buy for guys that are addicted to their gaming goods?

No need to fret, because I've got a wide range of options that fit a variety of budgets and are guaranteed to make even the biggest gamers happy during the holidays.

Do You Delete Old Email Addresses?

GeekSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:14:21 -0800

I have finally gotten used to the weekly, "Did you get my email?" phone calls from my mother. Predictably, every Sunday around late afternoon, she calls to tell me about something cute my nieces have done, or fill me in on the latest gossip about someone I went to high school with. "I wrote this in an email, didn't you read it?" she'd say. Of course, I had never received the email, and just assumed my less-than-tech-savvy mother was doing something wrong. This time though, I asked a question that I don't normally ask: "What email address are you sending it to?" She rattled off an address I hadn't even thought about for at least a year. Oops.

I logged into the old account and, lo and behold, amid a ton of spam in my inbox were a bunch of emails from Mom.

Most of you leave old social networking profiles online even if you don't use them, but what about old email addresses? Do you close old accounts when you open a new one?

GeekSugar's Gift Guide For Kid Sisters

GeekSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:33:50 -0800

Nothing puts me in the holiday spirit quite like shopping for presents for my family! I have mom and dad covered (whew!), but still have to shop for plenty of family and friends. Next up in this year's Holiday Gift Guide: my best suggestions for little sisters. In my experience, she's generally impressed and excited by anything I get her, but some thoughtful shopping certainly can't hurt. Here are a few picks for some of the coolest goodies for my favorite geekette-in-training.

Another Cute Stocking-Worthy iPod Dock

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:45:21 -0800

I know, I know, it still might seem a bit early to be thinking about Christmas gifts, but after posting one cute iPod dock that would make a good stocking stuffer, I had to add this funky option to the list.

The Boombox Dock Speaker ($18) is compatible with most iPods and the iPhone, and is less than three inches long. It's totally retro and inexpensive - I love it!

Got gift-giving on the brain, too? Check out some geeky gift suggestions I've already posted for moms, dads, and moms-to-be.

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GeekSugar's Gift Guide For Moms

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:50:16 -0800

Whether we like it or not, the holidays are quickly approaching - which means it's time to get our gadget gift guides in gear! My Must Haves list for November certainly got the ball rolling, but you're probably wondering where to start when it comes to shopping for those "hard to buy for" people on your list? Well look no further, because starting today until Christmas, you'll find helpful gift guides on GeekSugar for everyone on your list. And who better to kick things off then the most important woman in our lives - our mothers!