GeekSugar

Oscar Nominees: The Animated Short Films

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:30:08 PST

One of my favorite things to do each Oscar season is to track down all of the nominated short films. The films are currently making the rounds of selected theaters, but many of them are also available right now online - and today, I have video from all five animated shorts!

This year's cast of animated characters includes a mischievous bunny, octopi in love, and a man taking a sentimental journey through his old house. Maybe watching these shorts will help you fill out your Oscar ballot! Check them out:

Oktapodi
How adorable are these octopi? In Oktapodi, these two cuties help each other escape the clutches of a tyrannical restaurant cook. But, even once they're out of the kitchen, their battle to stay together is not over. You hear that? It's animated sea creatures battling adversity. Watch the whole thing right now:

To check out the other four, just

read more. La Maison en Petits Cubes The main character of this Japanese film has been building an addition on top of his original house, which is almost completely under water. In the film, he dons scuba gear to float through his old home and relive memories with his family. Here's a clip:

Lavatory - Lovestory This Russian film is a story about love and the random nature of when it strikes. The main character is a lonely female restroom attendant who discovers she has a secret admirer and searches frantically for his identity. Watch the whole thing here:

Presto If you've seen Wall-E, then you've already seen Presto, the latest Pixar short. The star is a slightly evil rabbit who cooks up a way to get revenge on his neglectful magician master. You can buy this one on iTunes or watch it all right now:

This Way Up In this quirky short, disaster strikes a father-and-son team of undertakers when a boulder squashes their hearse. They must then make their way across the country in a crazy travel caper with nothing but a coffin and each other to keep them amused. Here's the trailer:

Photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures and Source

How To: Email People Who Don't Have A Computer

GeekSugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:30:45 PST

The fact that my aunt prints up my emails and takes them over to my grandparents house made me realize that the following product would work wonders in my family. Presto is a great new service that is designed for people who don't use a computer or go online.

How it works: Using any email account, family and friends can send email and photos to a HP Printing Mailbox user (with its own individual email address) and Presto will convert regular emails into Presto Mail - easy-to-read color printouts. All you have to do is plug the printing mailbox into a power outlet and an existing ordinary phone jack and insert paper and an ink cartridge. Within a few minutes your parents or grandparents will have beautifully printed emails to read.

If you're worried about set-up and all that jazz (which they claim is quite simple), you can either do it from your own PC through the Presto site or call one of their representatives to do it over the phone. The HP Printing Mailbox is $100 and the monthly service is $10. Definitely a great way to stay in touch!

Holiday Gifts For the Avid Canner

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:33:47 PST

Do you know somebody who buys case upon case of tomatoes and spends weekends canning them away in order to get a taste of Summer during the cold Winter months? Or perhaps you have a friend or family member that has a famous recipe for peach or raspberry preserves. Well, take a look at our gift guide for the avid canner, filled with lots of home pickling and preserving goodies.

Canning & Preserving with Ashley English: a book about all things canning by the popular Small Measure blogger.
Presto 16-quart pressure canner: this home-canning device also doubles as a pressure cooker!
Norpro stainless steel wide-mouth funnel: an essential canning tool.
Norpro jar lifter: here's a tool that makes lifting boiling jars much easier.
12 Ball wide-mouth mason canning jars, 1 quart: a home canner can never have too many of these classic jars.
Le Parfait terrine canning jars: fancier French canning jars make a very special gift.
Looking for more can-do holiday ideas? Check out our favorite custom canning labels, and a complete canning set.

Lil Gift Guide: Great Gifts For 6-Year-Olds!

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:32:51 PST

Get ready for some fun! Six-year-olds are an adventurous bunch, but they have the patience needed to sit down and work on a project for some time. Satisfy your kiddo's need for stimulation with toys and games that require some thinking. They'll be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment when they complete the task!

Crayola's Model Magic Presto Benders Chameleon ($10) takes the mess out of creative playtime. Kids press model magic onto a bendable spine to create moveable creatures they can make over and over again. It's like the Fourth of July every night with Uncle Milton's Fireworks Light Show in My Room ($19). One of the most anticipated toys of the year is My Keepon Interactive Dancing Robot ($35). Originally created to help autistic children, the cute lil robot reacts to its owners movements, pokes, and music. Mama may have wasted away plenty of afternoons playing Tetris, and now her kiddo can do so without a computer. Tetris Link ($28) is the same basic game we played electronically, transformed into a tabletop version the whole family can play. Everything old is new again, and the same can be said for the POGO stick. Razor's BOGO Pogo Stick ($100) has a built in bow-assist spring for added bouncing ability!

Happy Hour: Presto Moscato Dolce

Susannah Chen — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:04:38 PDT

Ever since I was pleasantly surprised by Yellow Tail's latest wine, a well-priced Australian Moscato, the muscat grape has assumed the role of flavor of the month. Call it coincidence, but a few days later, I sampled Presto Moscato Dolce and fell hard for its flavor profile.

This Italian bottling isn't nearly as sweet (nor has the same intensity) as its Yellow Tail counterpart. Rather, it greets you with a light perfume of honeyed stone fruits and lots of effervescence. The finish, which is more off-dry than an extra dry sparkling wine, but not quite as sweet as Moscato d'Asti, isn't overly saccharine.

Presto Moscato Dolce's perfect for sipping solo, although I can't wait to try this at an outdoor concert, accompanied by brie, bread, and Summer fruit. Given that it's available nationwide at Whole Foods for around $10, I'm sure I'll be giving it another whirl soon. What's your favorite picnic wine?

Monday's Leftovers: Italian Sausage & Tomato Pasta

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:50:32 PDT

I got a little carried away at the grocery store this weekend, and as a result, I've got way too much Italian sausage left over in my fridge. So tonight, I'm going to assemble a quick pasta toss that makes the most of Italian sausage's fat and flavor without going overboard on the cased meats.

Since those links carry lots of zing, the key is to keep the rest of the ingredients sparse and simple. I'll add cooked tomatoes, red onion, and arugula to make it a balanced supper, and tie in all the elements with sprigs of basil and finely-grated Parmesan cheese. Presto: it's an alluring Monday night meal