GeekSugar

How Many Computer Monitors Do You Use?

GeekSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:43:29 -0700

I'm a busy gal, and most of the time find myself working wherever I can - on the couch, on the train, anywhere I can find a WiFi signal. But when I'm at the office, I like to not only use my laptop monitor, but hook it up to my cinema display and double my desktop real estate. When I'm at home? It's a single screen for me.

I do notice a big difference in productivity when I have more than one monitor. I typically use my laptop screen for emails and IMs while my cinema is used for blogs and writing up posts. However, one of my friends is an animator and uses three screens daily. Needless to say, he's got a huge desk. What about you - are you a single-screen gal, or do you make the most of your desk space and use multiple monitors? How many monitors do you use?

Website of the Day: KeepMeOut

GeekSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:30:38 -0700

This happens to the best of us. You get sidetracked from work and next thing you know Facebook and Twitter has sucked you in for over an hour and your boss is wondering if your Power Point presentation is ready - yikes! Well thanks to this site I saw on Lifehacker, you can get warnings to prevent you from wasting your day away on social networking sites.

Just go to KeepMeOut, enter the URL for the site that's stealing your precious time, type in the length of time between warning alerts, and then each time you visit that site, you'll be navigated away from it (it bookmarks a different URL) or it will give you a warning.

Found a cool website you want to share? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day 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 Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" 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!

Has Technology Made You More Productive?

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:30:52 -0700

With websites like Remember The Milk and devices like the BlackBerry, it's almost hard not to stay organized. Technology provides us with a bajillion useful applications and tools to help keep us on track (gotta love Google apps), but do these modern day inventions waste our time?

Many people have become social networking site addicts, online gamers, and YouTube junkies. Just like infomercials that can suck you in at odd hours of the night, I find that cell phones, games and the internet can do just the same.

What are your thoughts? Has technology been a help or hindrance to your overall productivity?

Lego USB Hub: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:44:54 -0800

We've seen Lego coffee tables, a Lego kitchen, and even a Lego house. Here's my latest Lego-themed find: Lego USB Hubs ($20).

Available in four bright colors (yellow, red, black, and blue) the hubs are four inches long and have ports for up to four USB cables or devices.

It's definitely been a Lego-overload recently, but I have to admit, I'm a fan of this product, too. What do you think?

Ikea's Affordable Cable Storing and Gadget Charging Solutions

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:43:17 -0800

In a world of expensive charging stations, it's a relief that a geek on a budget can head to Ikea to pick up a simple $3 charging dock that will do the job it was meant to preform: hold your gadgets while they're juicing up. Additionally, for all you cable-hiding freaks out there (yours truly, included) Ikea also offers simple and cheap solutions for any cable management nightmare. All of these products are $10 or less, so I know you can scrounge up the scrilla to get organized. Check them out here!

View Slideshow ›

Enchanted Woods iPod Dock: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:05:19 -0800

I've posted about wooden gadgets and accessories before, but this product is a little more rustic than most. The Enchanted Woods iPod Dock ($98) is made from authentic hickory and branches and is a docking station only - no speakers.

It's sold at Anthropologie, a store better known for its pretty dresses than gadgets. While I'm not a huge fan of this dock, I suppose it could look at home in a rustic ski lodge or cabin in the woods. What do you think?

A Mouse Pad and Weekly To-Do List in One

GeekSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:05:24 -0800

I've admitted that sometimes I prefer low tech to high tech and prefer to keep written lists instead of digital ones so this product is right up my alley.

The Taking Care of Business mouse pad ($12) is a weekly calendar (the first page starts in January 2010) with space to write your to-do list in sections labeled "high priority" to "errands" and check boxes to keep track of progress. Each Monday, you get to start a fresh week with a new sheet!

Geek Out: Do You Trust Online Reviews?

GeekSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:00:36 -0800

When buying something online, I almost always gravitate toward websites that provide me with customer reviews, like Amazon, Zappos, Overstock, etc.

It makes me feel just a little bit more secure that I'll like my purchase. But that doesn't mean I don't take each review with a grain of salt, especially since too many reviews can be overwhelming, and now I have another reason to be wary; the gadget accessories giant Belkin has been accused of paying for positive reviews of its products on Amazon.

If that's true of the retailer, then I'll experience another shock of suspicion; not only can I not trust actual reviewers because we might have different opinions, but I can't trust reviews at all because they might be fakes? Oy.

What's your opinion of online reviews, before and after the Belkin scandal?

Lego MP3 Player: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:17:25 -0800

Is it just me, or are Lego-themed products popping up everywhere? I just spotted another: this colorful Lego MP3 player ($40) on ThinkGeek.

It has all the functionalities of an iPod, holds 2GB of music (about 500 songs), and features a digital display and USB connection. The coolest part: it's made from actual Lego pieces, so it'll snap together with any Legos you already have. Build-an-MP3-player, anyone?

What do you think?

What Are The Top 10 Geek Chic Products of The Last Decade?

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 07:00:00 -0700

PC World recently submitted a list of the 50 Best Tech Products of All Time, as chosen by their readers - a list that birthed some serious jealousy from yours truly. I'm thinking if they can do it, so can we right?
So here's the deal, PC World looked at technology that has arisen since the dawn of the personal computer - I'm thinking we can compose a shorter list of the Top 10 Geek Chic Products of The Last Decade.

I've submitted some of my suggestions, but feel free to add your own in the comment section. The rules are as such: The product must be 100 percent geek chic, meaning it must be high on function and form. It must somehow contribute to our digital lives by making things simpler, better, and well, geekier. Innovative items that focus on green technologies, PC/Mac compatibility and overall quality will be weighted heavier than those that don't.