GeekSugar

Geek Out Roundup: Your First Cell Phone!

GeekSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:00:04 -0700

Last week I asked all of you to geek out and share your very first cell phone as a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the mobile phone. It was actually glam sugar's idea, so I have to give her a little shout out for initiating the idea, which ended up being a real exercise in jumbo gadgetry.

I have to make a special note of verily's Motorola MicroTAC, which has all the best "first cell phone qualities." Yes, it was a flip phone, but it was also large and in charge.

"My first phone was a hand-me-down from my dad, who needed a cell phone for his job," says verily. "This was considered a revolutionary phone because it was a "small" flip phone instead of the giant bricks that preceded it. I have an iPhone now, so I've definitely come a long way!" Oh yes my fellow iPhoner, you sure have!

To check out other people's first cell phones, scroll through the widget below.

Geek Out: Find Your First Cell Phone!

GeekSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:00:49 -0700

This week marked the 20th anniversary of the mobile phone and glam sugar had the fantastic idea that we should all share our first cell phone.

While I sadly can't recall or find a photo of my first cell phone, it was a chunky Nokia that looked a bit like the one at right. It was at least twice the thickness of the iPhone and housed a humongous battery. Chic or not, I loved it. It was an extreme upgrade from my pager (yes, I had a pager!) and meant I had a new kind of freedom and accessibility.

Do you remember the make and model of your first cell phone? Share it with us by finding a picture of it on the web and bookmarking it on TeamSugar. Make sure to tag your finds with "my first cell phone" and tell me why you bought it and what you liked about it. Then check back to geeksugar next week to see if I featured your picks.

To learn what Geek Gear is and how to bookmark your finds on our site, click here. To see some of my favorite online stores, read more

Amazon
Apple Store
Best Buy
eLuxury
Etsy
Firebox
Sony Style
Target
Think Geek

A WHO Report Says Cell Phone Use Leads to Brain Tumors

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:05:10 -0800

Cell phone use causing cancer - certainly not something we haven't heard before and not something that is going away anytime soon. First we learn that the electromagnetic radiation from cell phones doesn't cause cancer and when I asked you if you were worried about your cell phone increasing your risk of getting cancer, most of you said no.

The latest news? Well it doesn't get more legit than the World Health Organization, who have been working on a ten-year investigation called Interphone to see if there were any correlations between prolonged cell phone use and brain tumors. According to CNN the study will be published by the end of the year, and did reveal that those who had cell phones for 10 years or longer had the strongest risk of tumors.

And another recent study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology supports the link between cell phone use and tumors as well. The CNN article states:

Studies that looked at people who had used cell phones 10 years or longer tended to find the strongest risk of tumors. Researchers found that cell phone users had a 10 percent to 30 percent higher risk than people who barely, if ever, used this technology.

They also touch on Bluetooth devices, which aren't as harmful, but could cause tumors if worn on your ear all day. I don't know about you, but whenever I know I'm going to have a long cell phone conversation, I make sure to pop in my ear piece (not a Bluetooth) so that my phone isn't glued to my head for a couple of hours.

What do you think? Would you consider changing your cell phone habits after learning about these findings?

Do You Text During Concerts or Other Shows?

GeekSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:29:00 -0700

The other night, I went to a concert with a few of my friends. After the initial bag check and ticket scan from security, we saw large signs at the entrance to the venue reading, "The artists ask that you set your phones to vibrate and refrain from texting and other cell phone use during the performance." While I'm used to signs asking concert-goers not to take photos or videos during the show, this was the first ban on texts or cell phone use I'd seen during a concert. The reasoning behind the ban makes sense, but I wondered how strictly it could be enforced in a crowded venue.

Surprisingly, it was enforced by the venue's staff - I was totally busted when I absent-mindedly pulled my phone out of my pocket! Also surprisingly, concert-goers respected the texting rules. I'll have to admit, though I'm guilty of during-show texting, it was nice to enjoy a concert without the constant glow of cell phone screens from around the room. I'm used to seeing the polite no-texting signs displayed in movie theaters (and soon anti-WiFi paint could make texting impossible), but I'm on the fence about a similar ban during live shows. What do you think?

Source: Flickr User akeg

How to Shop For a New Cell Phone

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:13:00 -0700

I was pretty set on buying a new iPhone 3GS as soon as I could, but that doesn't mean I'm unfamiliar with the anxieties of choosing a phone. Remember when you had maybe three phone options to choose from? My first phone was a clunky Nokia with a changeable faceplate - my toughest decision was figuring out which color to choose! Obviously, your phone choices could be limited by your wireless carrier and contract obligations.

An article in the New York Times this week gives great cell phone purchasing advice. (Hint: their advice is to do the exact opposite of what my less-than-tech-savvy mom did last week: purchase a phone online sight-unseen because it was pink.)

To read a quick summary of their recommendations, read more.

Compare phones, plans, and companies online. Go beyond provider websites - try a site like GotReception to check coverage in your area and LetsTalk to enter your phone preferences and narrow your selection. The article also recommends visiting a review site like Cnet to check out reviews of any phone you choose.
Come up with a list of two or three models you're interested in and go check them out in person. The article suggests checking both big-box stores like Best Buy and individual carrier stores for best results. Take each phone for a trial run in the store. Do you like the keyboard? Is photo quality important?
After deciding which phone is for you, purchase it online. That way, you'll be able to compare a few different sites' prices and rebates.

Tech Dating 101: He's Got a Ton of Female Contacts

GeekSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:48:17 -0700

So we'll say that your date left his phone on the dinner table as he ran to the bathroom before the check came, and the snooper that you are couldn't keep from getting your eyeballs on his contact list. And guess what? He's got a large number of female numbers stashed in his cell. Should you be worried? That's what we'll figure out on this edition of Tech Dating 101.

First of all, what are you doing pilfering through your date's cell phone? Snoopers never win my friends. But if you are legitimately worried about whether or not he's a player, I've got a few options on how to figure the situation out without looking like the jealous type. Find out more when you read more.

Ask yourself: What does he do for a living? If your date is in PR, marketing, or any type or advertising, he's going to have a lot of entries, female and male. Don't judge the contact list by its cover.
Watch a wandering eye: If your guy is on a date with you and is constantly checking out other scenery, he's probably just not that into you.
Go with your gut: If you have a gut reaction after seeing the male-to-female ratio that says this dude is a player, then go with it. Sometimes, listening to the little voice inside that's telling you to run away is the one you should obey. Never mind the fact that he's drop-dead gorgeous, just run.
Wait it out: If you're having a good time and aren't looking to marry the guy (well, not yet anyway), then maybe you should go on a couple more dates before you start worrying about how many contacts he has on his email list. Just sayin.

What Do You Think of the Tamara Hope Palm Pre Ads?

GeekSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:33:25 -0700

The Pre, Palm's latest smartphone, is a pretty cool phone, with its attractive exterior and sleek OS, but its ads are another story. Where the first commercial featuring actress Tamara Hope was pretty epic, with a serene Buddhist scene, the most recent ads are a bit mind-boggling. In one, Hope talks of going with the flow, and more bizarrely, she admits that the Pre can do something cooler than let her read her email: it reads her mind.

I'm a little weirded out. But maybe I'm just used to my cell phone ads incorporating some catchy pop song and knee-jerk editing and I need to slow down and appreciate Hope's Zen-like attitude about her phone. What do you think of the ads?

T-Mobile's Second Android Phone Announced: The myTouch

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:20:36 -0700

Are you one of the ones dying for the next Android-powered cell phone? Well, the wait is over: T-Mobile and Google have has just announced their next Android handset, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G (myTouch), the highly anticipated followup to the T-Mobile G1, the first Android phone.

In addition to Google services and Android software, myTouch lets you customize your menus, wallpapers, and icons, plus there are plenty of cool themes and skins. And, of course, like the G1, you have access to the Android Market applications to choose from.

The myTouch will be available nationally in early August, and will open up for preorder for current T-Mobile customers starting July 8 for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

One down, 17 more to go.

Website of the Day: My Boneyard

GeekSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:15:25 -0700

I think everyone wants to recycle their gadgets, sometimes they just can't figure out the hows. That's why the website My Boneyard makes it painfully easy to do it online. Not only do they provide you with a prepaid envelope you print yourself to send in with your old or dead gadget, but in many cases, they send you a cash reward in exchange for it. You can even assign your reward to go to the charity of your choice!

Just register the gadget you want to send in with its specs and condition, and you'll get an estimated reward, which will be assessed when My Boneyard receives your old goods. And they attest that your old info will be erased, so security isn't an issue.

At this time, My Boneyard only accepts MP3 players, cell phones, computer monitors, and CPUs, but they plan on accepting cameras, GPS units, and more soon (if your gadget isn't accepted at My Boneyard, check my guide for where to recycle other gadgets).

Got a useful website you want people to know about? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Bluetooth Headsets: Tacky vs. Trendy

GeekSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:07:42 -0700

After chatting with a friend on the weekend, who got nailed with a $130 after getting caught chatting on her cell phone (California law requires you to use a hands-free device while driving), I've decided to show some love to the Bluetooth devices. Just like Nadya Suleman, my friend is going to have to invest in a hands-free device. Since she's a bit of a fashionista and doesn't want to use the standard earpiece included with her BlackBerry, I feel like it's my duty to offer up some decent suggestions.

Although the first headset pictured here is a Dolce & Gabbana H700 Bluetooth Headset by Motorola ($73), I had to force my friend to ignore the D&G label. The headset is too big and the shiny gold is a little over the top - definitely not geek chic in my book. Instead, I recommended this sleek Jawbone Bluetooth Headset with Noise Assassin ($74) to her, which is still stylish, and offers amazing sound technology.