GeekSugar

Website of the Day: Gmap Catcher

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 May 2010 09:00:57 PDT

I don't have to tell you how helpful Google Maps is, but using Google Maps on your iPhone can be tricky if you're in a WiFi or 3G deadzone. So what to do if you've veered off course and can't get a signal? Plan ahead and use GmapCatcher before you leave. This tool allows you to save and download maps from Google (and a few others like Yahoo Maps), and pull them up offline, so you're never without directions. Just download the plug-in, and it will work just fine on your Windows, Linux, and Mac devices. Of course, you could always pull over and ask how to get to your final destination, but hey, who wants to do that!?

Do you have an interesting website you want to share? Create a PopSugar Account or log in to your account. Then join the Website of the Day group, where you can post your favorite website! And you never know, it 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.

Access Your Gmail Wherever, Whenever with Toolbar Plugin

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:00:52 PST

Shakira's mantra doesn't always hold true with technology (who hasn't battled WiFi, a cell signal or less than logical download?), but most toolbar plugins offer sweet simplicity and easy access to the tools you need no matter where your surfing habits lead you.

The Google Toolbar 5 for Internet Explorer or Firefox puts a custom button to Gmail at your fingertips. You won't have to keep a window open and refresh it obsessively because you can get new message alerts, see previews of your mail and use Toolbar's search box to find any message no matter what page you're on.

7 Smart Tax Moves to Make Before the Year's End

Emily Co — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:30:46 PST

Now that the year is quickly winding down, you might find yourself with countless to-dos to tackle. Make sure you remember to put some of these tax chores on your list. Kathy Pickering, the executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block, shared a couple of smart moves every savvy taxpayer should make before the end of 2011.

Offset capital gains with capital losses: "It has been a roller coaster ride with market fluctuations over the past year, but there is some good news. Taxpayers with a large net capital gain in 2011 could reduce their tax liability by selling stock before Dec. 31 if it would generate a loss. Capital losses don’t just offset capital gains - if capital losses exceed capital gains, up to $3,000 of capital losses can be used to offset ordinary income such as wages."
Claim casualty losses from natural disaster: "The president declared a record-breaking number of federal disasters in 2011 including Hurricane Irene, tornadoes in the Midwest and Texas wildfires. Taxpayers in a federal disaster area who sustained casualty losses (e.g. damaged or loss property) can claim their losses on a tax return for the year the disaster occurred or on the prior year’s return."
Pay it forward: "Those who have not taken full advantage of the American Opportunity Credit should considering paying spring college tuition before Dec. 31 to take advantage of this tax break on their 2011 return. Also, taxpayers can pre-pay their December mortgage payment due in early January or make an additional student loan payment to claim the highest possible interest deduction on a 2011 tax return."

Read on for more smart tax moves.

Savvy Tech Tool: Schedule Emails to Be Sent Later With Boomerang

Emily Co — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:36:12 PDT

Reader magickalrealism has a pretty genius solution for sending late-night emails to colleagues and bosses - a tech tool called Boomerang. I recently talked about how sending emails in the wee hours can seem a bit unprofessional so it's best to hold off till the morning if you can if it's not an urgent email and if your fellow office workers live in the same time zone.

Boomerang is a Firefox and Chrome plug-in that will let you schedule your emails to be sent at a later time and date, anywhere from a minute later to years later. You can install one for Gmail or for Outlook. The tool even lets you take out emails from your inbox and resend them back to you at a later time when you actually need them. For example, if your friend sent you an email today, but you're not going to have any time to respond until the weekend, you can use Boomerang to remove the email from your inbox and resend it to you on Saturday.

I just downloaded the plug-in for my Gmail account and I love it! I wrote an email late last night that I scheduled to be sent at 9 a.m. today, which went off without a hitch. I even had time to look over it before it was sent.

I can imagine this feature coming in really handy on Friday when I'm writing work emails, because people are more likely to forget to reply as they usually put off replying to Friday emails until after the weekend. Using Boomerang to schedule those emails for Monday mornings may cut down on the hassle of sending follow-up emails.

7 Ways to Stream Video on the Xbox 360

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:01:14 PDT

Microsoft announced some major additions to the streaming media options available on Xbox Live, which may see the Xbox 360 platform become your main gateway to at-home entertainment. Beginning this holiday season, Microsoft is teaming up with nearly 40 media companies, networks, and web destinations to get global entertainment in one spot. As they say, "Gone are the days of managing a handful of remote controls." Details on exact subscription costs for each service within Xbox haven't been released.

While services and entertainment options vary by region, these six streaming options are bound to make you Xbox's biggest fan.

HBO GO - If you're already an HBO cable subscriber, this will stream your favorite HBO programming directly into the Xbox dashboard.
Hulu Plus - Catch up on a broad selection of network television programming and movies at $7.99 per month.
Comcast Xfinity - Available to Xfinity TV subscribers, Xfinity On Demand brings the most current episode of shows, along with season archives, and movies to the Xbox Live dashboard.
Vevo - Check out the latest music videos without cramming around a computer screen or worrying about software plug-ins.
Verizon FiOS TV - Available in time for the holiday season, Verizon is slated to bring a selection of live TV channels to Xbox 360 that will also be integrated with Kinect.
Netflix - Netflix has long been available on Xbox Live, but it's a classic complement to the slew of new programming on the platform. This may be the call to drop the DVD subscription as well.
Youtube - Don't forget the viral videos. You can still view the buzz-worthy videos of the Internet with YouTube on Xbox.

5 Helpful Google Chrome Tips and Tricks

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 11:41:55 PDT

The newly redesigned Google Chrome browser recently celebrated its second birthday, and is already making moves by taking a big chunk of the browser market share. Are you using Chrome these days? If so, check out these five handy plug-ins, tips, and extensions that will make browsing easier.

Website of the Day: NASA Eyes on the Solar System

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:21:22 PDT

Commercial space flight may actually happen in our lifetime, but why wait for a tour of the solar system when you can get a better look now with NASA's new Eyes on the Solar System app for your Mac or PC. All that's required to see the Milky Way up close and personal (and I do mean up close - you can hop on an asteroid, see NASA's Juno spacecraft in real time, and check out other planets, thanks to loads of NASA data) is download the Unity 3D plug-in and you're ready to rock and roll, space style.

If you want to get a precursor to what to expect from Eyes on the Solar System, check out this walk through of the Juno mission to Jupiter. It's pretty cool to see things happening in real time, but you can control space in this app - speed things up to see what's expected in 2015 or take a flyby of Mars to see the landscapes. If you can't find me, I'll be swimming through Saturn's rings!

Do you have an interesting website you want to share? Join the Website of the Day group and blog it for a chance to be featured on GeekSugar.

How Deep Does Your Geek Go?

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:15:48 PDT

Do your friends and family have you on speed dial as their personal IT department? Do you rush to the Apple store after a press conference to sneak a peek at the new goods? Do you pride yourself on your knowledge of shortcuts, killer apps, plug-ins, and superheros? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you're probably a geek. Own it. I certainly do.

We all have our geeky quirks born from years of reading comics, using technology, and mining the Internet. For the sake of solidarity, share the depths of your geekdom in the comments. Yes, we want to know about your wedding cake topped with iPhones. And your closet full of Comic-Con costumes. Better yet, we want to see photos.

Source: Flickr User stewtopia

1 More Reason to Beef Up Online Profiles: LinkedIn's New Way to Apply For Jobs

Emily Co — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:25:25 PDT

LinkedIn just rolled out a new feature that will let users apply for jobs using their profiles as résumés. The tool is called Apply with LinkedIn, and you'll start seeing the button on company websites and job boards. It seems to have an edge over the traditional method of applying for jobs. For starters, it shortens the time of crafting a new résumé, and you can easily reach out to recommendors through your LinkedIn network. Here's how to use it:

Look for the button: If you're looking around on job boards at a certain company and you spot the "Apply With LinkedIn" button, you need to click on it.
Edit your profile: After you click on the button, a new screen will pop up and you'll get the chance to make edits to your profile before submitting it.
Tap into your network: When you're done submitting your profile, you'll get a confirmation screen that will show people in your network who are affiliated with the company you just applied for. If you're not directly connected to an employee, LinkedIn will suggest people in your network who can make an introduction. Then, you can choose to send the contact a message to connect with him or her or request a referral, which will help improve your chances of scoring an interview.

LinkedIn says thousands of companies are already using the Apply with LinkedIn plugin, which includes hot firms like Netflix, TripIt, and Photobucket. I think the best part of this new development is it will make applying for jobs less tedious and time-consuming. Before you try out this new service, be sure to educate yourself on the best ways to network online and learn what major LinkedIn don'ts you should avoid.

Fight the Online Shopping Urge With These Smart Tools

LearnVest — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:15:20 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

The internet. It’s our best friend and worst enemy, depending on the hour of the day and our frame of mind.

It’s our ally when it comes to finding important info or Googling someone’s photo. But when it comes to procrastinating, getting sucked down a social media rabbit hole, or online shopping (and forget about reading all those reviews) . . . well, sometimes we could just use an “off” button.

Online addiction–it’s not only a formidable money-suck, it can be a time-suck as well (which is just as concerning, given how much your hour is worth).

So, after spending one too many precious hours online, we’ve decided to fight fire with fire. We’ve found software, plug-ins, and websites that will help you focus on the task at hand (like, you know, your job - or your life) instead of getting sucked into yet another flash sale or Youtube marathon.

Read on for our online addiction fixes.