GeekSugar

Love It or Leave It? Ballpoint Pen With USB Drive

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:00:11 -0700

Pens are prime targets when it comes to built-in devices like spycams or flashlights. Now Digix from Korea is incorporating USB functionality into the standard ballpoint pen. Showcased on Geek Alerts, these pens come with a 1GB USB memory drive for all your on-the-go storage needs. Use as an actual pen or pop off the top cap to use the USB plug. Available in black, blue, red, and silver. Prices not released yet. I like the concept but the pens aren't exactly what I'd classify as glamorous. If they had a sleeker body I'd be all for them. What are your thoughts?

Fly Fusion Pentop Transfers Notes To Computer

GeekSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 08:00:17 -0700

Last week I got to try out the new Fly Fusion Pentop, which allows you to transfer your notes and doodles to your PC and acts as a homework helper and MP3 player.

The device, which consists of a pen and special Fly Paper notebook costs $79.99, automatically scans and digitizes everything you write or draw in the notebook so when you hook it to your computer you can easily transfer your notes to an e-mail, word document or turn them into a jpg. The notebook and pen combo also allows you to interact with your notes and get feedback and step-by-step help, as well as play MP3s and games. The Fly Fusion was made by Leapfrog and intended for kids ages 10 and up, but I found myself wishing I would have had one in college, where I took hundreds of pages of notes a month.

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For more of my review and to watch a video of how it works, read more

Overall, I thought the pen was really exciting and could be a real time saver for anyone who takes copious notes. The homework help features are great (you can get help solving equations and can help you with language homework by translating words), but I worry they could become a cheating device in the classroom. As a mac girl I was a little bummed the company hasn't come up with a mac compatible pen yet - they claim one is in the works - however, I am sure plenty of PC kids, college students and even professionals that have to take a lot of notes will find it useful. Check out the video below to see how it works.

Portable Scanner DocuPen Brings Out Inner Bond

GeekSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 07:00:59 -0700

One of my favorite parts of spy movies, aside from hotties like Daniel Craig, are the fabulous gadgets that aid the spy in hunting down the bad guys and uncovering deep dark secrets. When they're not saved in encrypted files, those secrets are often hidden on manuscripts and if the spy is lucky, he'll have a nifty scanner ring, camera or locket to record his findings.

I'm no 007, but the prospect of using a Docupen portable scanner was pretty alluring. The actual pen is much smaller than I expected: It's obviously as wide as a piece of paper and as thick as about three Bic pens. After loading the software onto my computer, I whipped out my copy of this month's Technology Review, selected a color page (it's actually a color scanner!) and whipped out the pen.

To read my review and check out the scan,read more

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It took me a few tries to actually scan a document - mostly because I am impatient and was sliding the pen down the page much too fast - but the final result was a clear, colorful scan . There was some text that looks slightly italic in the scan but I assume that's due to my shaky hands because the main image looks as clear as a scan from the stationery office scanner.

From what I've read, the scanner can store up to 200 scanned documents, which makes it ideal for a paralegal, lawyer, writer, teacher or anyone who has to deal with a mess of documents everyday. It has controls for black and white, 24 bit color, 12 bit color, high resolution, standard resolution (I used standard resolution) and of course battery level and power. It costs $299.99, which is to par to a regular scanner, but clearly, a regular scanner cannot fit in your purse or hidden jacket pocket.

Long And Lean Haier P7 Pen Phone

GeekSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:00:53 -0700

This phone reminds me of one of those cell phones that are so hot we can't get one or how about the ever-so-teeny Nokia Icon Wrist Band Phone.

The Haier P7 Pen Phone may look like a concept phone, but in actual fact it's a fully-functioning cell jam packed with tons of great features. Shaped like a pen, the Haier P7 includes a digital camera, a 90-minute voice recorder and a LCD display that supports Multimedia Messaging Service (which basically means you can share pics quickly and easily). Standby time is about 150 hours and talk time is up to 4 hours. Unless I can justify the fact that having a $250 Zoolander phone is practical, you won't see me using one of these anytime soon.

Heart-Shaped USB Pen Cup: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:44:41 -0700

Hey, look guys. . . it's pink. . . it has hearts. . . OK, I can't take it. This heart-shaped USB monstrosity boasts a purpose - a pen holder, a lamp, and a speaker, but I think even Hello Kitty would insist it's a bit too saccharine.

There's no suggested age range (i.e., elementary) for this gadget, so I have a problem imagining the meeting where someone pitched this desk accessory for living, breathing females over the age of 5.

Do you have a pink headache looking at this too, or is it just me?

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.

15 Low Tech but Lovely Geek Cards

GeekSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:50:27 -0700

When was the last time you received a piece of snail mail that wasn't a bill, invite or subscription? As we've become more and more dependent on our portables and inboxes, our mailboxes have become less and less personal. While there are some pretty sweet online postcard services, print cards can be treasured forever - or at least they can't be deleted. Next time you plan to send correspondence to a nerdy friend consider a more personalized pen pal message on one of these design-friendly and decidedly geeky cards.

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Take Note on an iPhone-Inspired Notepad

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:31:14 -0700

While I love my gadgets, sometimes typing thoughts onto the "notes" application on my iPhone won't work. But now I can go old-school pen and paper without abandoning my techy tendencies. Check out these great notebooks, inspired by the iPhone.

The Notepod ($18 for a set of three) comes from Australia and contains 100 sheets printed to look like a blank iPhone on one side and grid lines on the other - "perfect for notes or jotting down the phone number of a hot geek," according to the Notepods website. I agree!

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Send Snail Mail Effortlessly With SnailMailr

GeekSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:33:29 -0700

I love the idea of sitting down and writing a long letter with a fancy ballpoint pen, putting it in an envelope, and sending it off to its recipient. But the reality is, I type a heck of a lot faster than I can write (and by write, I mean making it lovely and legible), so I prefer to email because it's faster, easier, and I don't have to deal with white-out when I make mistakes.

If you want to write and mail off a note to someone, but you enjoy the simplicity of typing on a computer and clicking send without having to get out the stamps and envelopes, a website called SnailMailr makes it easy to send snail mail online.

This neat site, which I came across on makeuseof, provides all of the fields for you to fill in (like address, letter section, etc.) and it will print and send your letter to any US address for $1. More than four pages? You'll only need to pay an additional $0.10 per page.

Have an interesting website you want to share? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click "New Post" under the website of the day tab at the top of the page.
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Type "Technology and Gadgets" in the Categories box
Add keyword(s) in the tag field with relevant tags (for example mine for this story was "Website of the Day").
Choose whether you want the post to be private or public.
Click "Create Post" 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!

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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