GeekSugar

How to Organize Your Networking Accounts

GeekSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:01:15 -0700

Cataloging your trillions of social networking accounts makes cleaning out your packed closet feel like a walk in the park with an ice cream. There's TeamSugar, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Flickr, Picasa, Twitter and every other revolutionary community you signed up for to spy on friends and explore the digital landscape. I don't have enough mental bandwidth or time to keep up with every community, but I have come up with a few tricks for keeping up with all my friends across the world wide web.

Photo courtesy of The CW

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Polaris Personal Assistant: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:44:10 -0700

If I could afford one, I'd probably jump at the chance to have a personal assistant to keep me on track. As much as I love organization, I sometimes don't have time to follow my own advice. Go figure. So when I saw this totally futuristic robot personal assistant on Tokyo Mango, I couldn't help but share with all the other unorganized geeks out there.

Called Polaris, this robot monitors your behavior, calendar, and contacts by syncing up with your cell phone, then gives you reminders and recommendations based on your call list and appointments. Hot. Plus, this thing can navigate flat surfaces. Does that mean it will follow me around and take my coffee order too? If so, I'm all in.

Chic Charging Stations For Under $100

GeekSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:43:08 -0700

Yep. Charging stations are still everywhere. Made popular with the advent of the iPod and iPhone, these electrical gadget organizers allow you to gas up all your handhold gadgets in a pretty box, carrier or covert device. There are questionable setups (you know the kind that inspire more laughs than juice), easily replicated stations (you know the ones you shouldn't buy 'cause you can DIY) and then there are a handful that are worth your change.

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5 Ways To Get Organized This Fall

GeekSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:43:22 -0700

I'm all about getting organized to be more productive all year, but right now is the perfect time to clean out the old, and freshen up your workspace to prep for those upcoming midterms. Back to school isn't just for students though, you can get fresh for Fall at any age. I have five fine ways for you to get started here.

Store the Chargers: Tidy up your unused cords and chargers in a pretty box so they are ready to go when you are. Use a special box for the cords you use most often, and store it by the door so you have easy access whenever you need it.

To see my remaining four tips, just read more.

Clean Up the Game Cabinet: Straighten up your gaming cabinet now, so you don't feel the need to when you have a term paper due in three months. Cozy up your controllers with a storage system, so they're ready to go when you need to blow off some steam.
Control Your Cables: When you have a lot of messy cables lying around, you can get a bit distracted with where they are supposed to go. Control the cable clutter with a simple organizational system, or a cool cable clutter organizer.
Let Your Apps Lead The Way: Keeping your life organized can get overwhelming, so why not let a few apps on your phone help you out along the way?
Scroll, Don't Surf: Use an RSS reader already! Don't waste precious time jumping from site to site to see what's new, just scroll through your Google Reader or Bloglines.

How are you getting fresh and organized for Fall?

10 Travel Apps You Need Right Now

GeekSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:25:51 -0700

I've given you some good suggestions on which apps you should load up on your iPhone when you're traveling with kids, but these 10 apps are great for trips of any kind. Traveling abroad, or just a few hours away to a new city you've never been to, add these apps to your arsenal.

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Website of the Day: Get Rid of Things

GeekSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:24:39 -0700

I was sitting on my couch the other day and found myself staring at my bookshelf. Although some of you may think you can never have enough books, the truth is, I have more than enough books. In fact, I started cleaning out said bookshelf and have now narrowed down my library to just about half the amount of novels, instruction manuals, and reference titles than when I started. But the only problem? What the heck do I do with all these books that are now living in a box in the middle of my apartment?

According to Get Rid of Things I could use the paper for scrapbooking, paper maché, or I could even dye my own paper for crafts if I wanted to. Sure, I could sell the books online (if I had the time), but this sounds way more fun. And that's the cool thing about Get Rid of Things - it doesn't just state the obvious ways you can get rid of unwanted books, but you'll find useful tidbits on how to get rid of cellulite, weird smells, and your husband. Just please read that last one with caution.

Functional and Free iPhone Productivity Apps

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:46:54 -0700

Calling all Monica Geller type personalities! Post-It notes, scribbled lists and writing on your hand are so '90s. Drop the Sharpie and boot up the computer, iPod Touch or iPhone to check out some of my favorite free apps from the productivity section of the iTunes Store. They are guaranteed to keep you organized, productive and on task at work, the supermarket and when you're just sitting on the couch vegging out.

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If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em: CableDrop Cable Organizers

GeekSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:08:47 -0700

If all of your desktop cords refuse to magically become invisible as you secretly wish they would, then you can at least put them in their place with these cable holders from Bluelounge. The adhesive Cabledrop organizers ($10) are just the thing to keep your power, Ethernet, firewire, and usb cords all in one place - and not fall behind your desk - while you stay mobile on your laptop, or keep your desk neat while you work on your trusty desktop.

Coming in a pack of six, the CableDrops aren't just limited to your peripherals - you can use them to wrangle your electric cords, pens, and even secure your headphones to your monitor so you don't lose them to the depths of your desk drawer.

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iPhoto Face Recognition FAIL: Grandpa Is Not Mr. Potatohead

GeekSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:07:38 -0700

I love the newer versions of iPhoto for many reasons, one of them being the face recognition feature. Just tag a photo with a person's name and highlight their face, and iPhoto neatly organizes all the photos with them in it. Perfect for when you need to find a specific shot or you want to rag on a certain someone for all those late-night debauchery pics you've collected over the years.

But when I was organizing photos of my family over the weekend, I ran into a little problem when iPhoto tried to recognize my game-loving grandpa as you can see in this screenshot. How can a sweet-faced senior be mistaken for a Mr. Potatohead tattoo? Mistake one senior for another, sure, but not for a sharpie-drawn pic on my forearm. I thought it was pretty hilarious, and if you're wondering about the tat, don't. It was Halloween 2006. 'Nuff said.

Buuut, I can't hate on iPhoto for too long, since it comes packed with some other amazing features as well. To find out what they are, just read more.

Besides iPhoto's (sometimes wonky) facial-recognition ability, with the help of a GPS enabled camera (or your iPhone's camera), your pics can be organized by location, and you can check them out on a map. Kinda like Flickrvision, but without having to tag all the photos yourself. Plus, if you're into sharing, you can upload your snapshots right to Facebook and Flickr without having to leave iPhoto. I think it's pretty sweet, even after the Mr. Potatohead incident.

Make Your Laptop a Distinctive Multitasker

GeekSugar — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 10:25:19 -0700

Whether you have a habit of leaving your laptop in a computer-filled Starbucks or your household has more than one of the same laptop (my boyfriend and I frequently pick up and start using the other's Mac), there's a lot of usefulness in the That Laptop is Mine accessory.

Just six bucks on sale, the brightly colored square (available in lime green, pink, or brown) sticks on your laptop and has a pocket, a pen pouch, and a business card pouch. It's also great for quickly identifying your computer post-security line at the airport, as the Container Store suggests.