GeekSugar

Tech @ Home: Mounting a Flat Panel TV Above Your Fireplace

GeekSugar — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:30:19 PST

Although it looks nice, mounting a flat panel TV above your fireplace can take years off of its life if you aren't careful. Aside from possible smoke damage, your new LCD or plasma screen was built to run at a specific temperature (check your owners manuals for exact specs, but usually between 32-100°F), so watching a movie and building a roaring fire can actually damage the components inside your TV if it gets too hot.

Thankfully, all is not lost. Find out how you can ensure your new TV doesn't get fried from the inside out after the break.

How-To: Properly Place Your TV For Optimal Viewing

GeekSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:05:40 PDT

Before you drop all that money on a 46-inch flat panel HDTV you found on sale, maybe you should make sure there's enough room in your studio apartment for that bad boy. What, you think that just because it's flat you can fit it anywhere? As fun as it may seem to turn your apartment into a full-fledged movie theater, you should know that there are optimal viewing distances that you should adhere to. The general rule of thumb is to place your TV at a distance of three times the height of your screen (3 x H) away from your sofa.

For example, if you're buying a TV that has a screen height of 30 inches, you should sit approximately 90 inches or 7 feet away to view your picture in all its splendor. Just a little something to keep in mind before you buy that new LCD!

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5 Gadgets You Didn't Get For Xmas, But Should Buy Anyway

GeekSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:00:25 PST

I've been there before: I wanted a certain gadget for Christmas, but due to financial constraints, availability, or just plain oversight, I did not find them in my stocking or under the tree come Christmas morning. It's gonna be OK. Take all that cash you've accumulated from your relatives, or just go ahead and splurge (you never know when prices will dip this low again) and get what you really wanted for Christmas. Check out my picks on gadgets you didn't get for Christmas, but should buy for yourself anyway in this slideshow.

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Panasonic Creates a Wiimote-Proof Plasma TV

GeekSugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:11:59 PST

I love how Panasonic unveils a new line of beautiful plasma TVs at the HD Networking Conference in Valencia, Spain and their biggest selling feature is the fact that they can withstand Wiimotes! According to Gamertell, these televisions can resist up to four joules of energy - preventing your wiimote from shattering your TV screen in a game of Wii Tennis, Bowling, Boxing, and the list goes on and on. I guess if you're a Wii fanatic, this television plus an upgraded Wii strap will do the trick - better to be safe than sorry!

Would You Give Up Sex for Six Months for a Plasma TV?

GeekSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 03:45:49 PST

Six months?! Really?! That's how long HALF of a group of British men surveyed claimed they would give up sex for - for a 50-inch Plasma TV. I balked at the length of six months (both for the sake of believing men would really give it up that long, and also because, well. . .six months?!) Then again, that's 50 inches (insert terrible "size matters" joke here) of beautiful, flat, plasma display. That's 50 inches of Project Runway, Lost, and Gossip Girl.

Maybe I could do it. Maybe. I seem to remember very few of you saying you'd give up sex to keep your cell phone, so I'm doubly curious. Spill it!

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My Favorite Gadgets Round Up: 50 " Plasma TV

GeekSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 11:01:42 PST

Thanks to teamsugar user Gibby who sent us this fantastic shot of her new 50 inch Philips Plasma television. Gibby was telling us that all those DVDs are her younger sister's - it looks like quite the extensive collection! We also commented on this gadget diva's iPod below the TV, which just happens to be a 60GB video iPod. Great gadgets Gibby!

I want to know what's in your purse, on your desktop and in your pockets. To learn how to post photos of your favorite gadgets in the 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 My Favorite Gadgets group
Click "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
Choose "Blog"
Give your photo a Title
Leave the category as "general"
Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "My Favorite Gadgets")
Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture, do it before the code that has appeared.
Click Submit

So join the My Favorite Gadgets group and start posting your great photos! Yours just might end up on the Geeksugar homepage!

Gold-Plated TV's Pricetag: $132,000

GeekSugar — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:01:56 PST

When it comes to luxury gadgets, there are some splurges I wholeheartedly understand, and others I will never, ever get. Samsung and LG have long been in a battle over who will make the largest TV, with Samsung currently winning out with a 102-inch model. LG on the other hand, is holding its ground with a 71-incher that comes plated with genuine gold. It is simply beyond me why even the most wealthy geek in the world would find this necessary, but I'll indulge your curiosity anyway.

In fact, there are more than 4 pounds of 24-Karat gold on the model, which also features full HD (1920 x 1080), and an impressive 600W home cinema system for surround sound and integrated display facilities for viewing digital photos and MP3 track playback.

The gold version costs a whopping $132,000, which in some parts of the county, is the median home price. I suppose the makers aren't completely insane, as they only made 1,000 units. For another picture, just

Best Black Friday Deals Roundup

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:08:53 PST

It's hard to believe that we're halfway through November already, but it's true. Not only is it time to start thinking about your guest list for Thanksgiving dinner, but also your Black Friday shopping list. Get a head start on your planning by checking out these Black Friday ads that are already posted online for your browsing pleasure.

Amazon

Motorola phones will be on sale for just a penny. Some of the available models include Droid Razr 4G, BlackBerry Torch 4G, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Rhyme, Samsung Focus Flash 4G, and more. This sale is available now through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28.
Verizon and Sprint customers are eligible for some extras. If they activate a mobile hotspot data plan on their hotspot-capable smartphone, they will also receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

Apple

Apple's sales will take effect on Friday, Nov. 25 at physical locations and online.

Get $101 off MacBook Airs, Pros, and iMacs. The 11-inch MacBook Air will be on sale for just $898!
Save up to $41 on iPods, including iPod Touch and Nano
iPads (first and second generation models) will be discounted up to $61.
Accessories for Macs, iPods, and iPads will be discounted as well.

Best Buy

Stores will be opening at 12 a.m. on Black Friday. Get a closer look at the Best Buy Black Friday ad here.

An insane deal, the Sharp 42-Inch LCD 1080p TV is only $200. Better get in line early for that one.
Capture precious moments with the Canon Power Shot ELPH 300HS Digital Camera for $150.
Alternatively, you can grab the Kodak PlayFull 1080p HD Camcorder for just $70.
Insane prices on DVDs - just $1 and up.
Or, grab Blu-rays starting at $5 and up.

GameStop

Stores will be opening at 12 a.m. on Black Friday.

Trade in your old DSi XL and get a 3DS bundle (that includes the system and a game) for $100.
The black Wii bundle, which includes Super Mario Bros. Wii and the official Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack, will be selling out at $150.
There's also a Xbox Kinect Bundle, which includes 250GB Xbox 360, Kinect, wireless controller, three-month Xbox Live membership, and two games for $300.

Kmart

If you're looking for a camcorder to capture family moments, snatch up the Sony Compact Camcorder with 60x Optical Zoom, which is on sale for $170.
Listen to your tunes on the cheap with Maxell Color Earbuds that are going for $2.50 a pair.
I love the Samsung PL120 DualView digital camera for self-portraits and videos, and on Black Friday, you can get one for yourself for just $99.
Looking for an affordable tablet that will let you surf the Internet on the fly? The Archos 8GB 101 Internet Tablet will be priced at just $219 on Black Friday.

Office Depot

The 17-inch HP g7 laptop is going for $350, but if you buy any HP laptop you can also get the HP Touchpad for $149.
The "tech bundle" from Office Depot offers a laptop sleeve, wireless mouse, and 500GB hard drive for $80.
8GB SanDisk SD cards are only $9 each.
All M-Edge Kindle accessories and cases are buy one get one free.
All tablets are on sale during the Black Friday sale. The BlackBerry Playbook is only $200, while the Lenovo IdeaPad is $300.
The Canon Power Shot A22 14.1MP digital camera is $90 and comes with a free 4GB SD card.

Sam's Club

Stores will be open starting at 5 a.m. on Black Friday and will include a complimentary egg sandwich breakfast for members!

It could be better, but for the price of this Samsung 51-Inch Class 720p 600Hz Plasma HDTV ($498), it's a nice upgrade for someone with a smaller screen.
If you don't already have one, the Sony PS3 160GB Bundle is going for $239.
Or, get a Nintendo Wii Limited Edition Blue Console for only $99.
Need a laptop? The HP Pavilion 17.3-Inch Notebook is $499.
And though model numbers haven't been released, select 4G Android Smartphones are going for just $1.

Target

Stores open at midnight on Black Friday.

Get your game on with the PS3 gaming bundle, that comes with a 160GB PS3 Slim, two games (including Little Big Planet 2 and a 30 day PlayStation Plus membership for $199.
The Acer 10.1-inch netbook is $72 off and priced at $157 on Black Friday.
Get a Westinghouse 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $298. That's $250 off the regular price of $550!
Select video games start at $5 a piece and DVDs starting at just $2.
Other gaming bundles include the Kinect sensor bundle (Kinect, two games and two game downloads) for $99, and a 3DS bundle (red 3DS and a copy of Super Mario 3D Land) for $180.

Walmart

Walmart's Black Friday ad is available to view online. Electronics will be going on sale starting at 12 a.m. on Black Friday, while toys and other departments will be open for shopping at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Get your hands on an LG Blu-ray Player for movie-watching fun for just $49.
Or, if you're in need of some sweet sounds to go along with your flicks, the Philips WiFi Blu-ray Home Theatre is going for $178.
Upgrade your movie-watching experience with the Samsung 51-Inch Plasma TV, priced at $498.
Keep the fun coming with DVDs starting at just $2 and up.

Thanks, but No Thanks: How to Turn Down Used Items From Friends

Guest Writer — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:15:55 PDT

The following is a guest post by Kimberly Palmer, the author of Generation Earn and creator of The Baby Planner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Ready For Baby, Without Going Broke!, available on Etsy. She is also the personal finance columnist at US News & World Report. Take it away, Kimberly!

As a relatively frugal person, I’m usually happy to accept hand-me-downs from friends. Got a bread-maker you no longer use or shirt that doesn’t fit? I will take it off your hands! But some items just shouldn’t be shared - and that’s where things can get awkward.

Recently, a friend offered me her used Diaper Genie. For anyone who is unaware, this is a receptacle used for dirty diapers. You can imagine how disgusting it can get. But instead of politely declining her offer, I thanked her for it and brought it home. I didn’t want to be rude. The next day, I put her Diaper Genie outside in the trash, where it belonged.

I’ve also been offered five bags of old clothes at once, car seats that no longer meet safety requirements, and a crib that had been recalled after being deemed dangerous. (It was a beautiful, $600 crib, but still, I’m not putting my baby in anything that the federal government has declared unfit for use.)

The problem is that it can be uncomfortable to turn down a friend who has made a kind and generous offer. Just how do you tell someone that you would prefer not to wear her party dress from 2008, even if it carries a designer label? And especially if it has a stain on it?

Read on to find out more about this awkward etiquette situation.