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IM Gives Shy Guys a Chance

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:55:15 -0700

Do you know many guys who are socially awkward in person, but once they're in front of a computer they transform into confident ladies' men? Well for Roger Hobbs, a total nerd away from the computer, the Internet became his alter ego. This past weekend, the New York Times showcased the story of Roger, from the trials and tribulations of his Love 2.0 experiences, to the power of online conversation in allowing him to "escape his loser identity and become the super-cool cyber Casanova he thought he deserved to be."

With technology giving him the confidence boost he needed, Roger felt that he had mastered his love life, and knew the secret recipe for getting girls to like him - online that is. As soon as he got a girl's IM name, the words and seduction poured out on the screen.

He says: "Nothing was too challenging. I first seduced my best friend’s girlfriend and, when they broke up, I seduced his new girlfriend. I had a girlfriend in New York and one in Philadelphia. I had a girl I met on a train and a girl I met in a nightclub. I had a Republican and a Democrat, an artist and an engineer, a Christian and an atheist."

Have you heard of this happening very often? Are these the same guys who think it's OK to break up via email?

Source

Mouse Pad Love: Pads With A Romantic Flair

GeekSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:00:55 -0700

Black and white desk top items might be the most obvious and subtle choice, but if you are trying to add some sweet, lovable flair to your workspace and only want to change one thing consider a romantic mouse pad.

Vintage-inspired prints with deer, owls, Victorian prints, fairy-tale scenes and enchanting images allow you a tiny dose of fantasy throughout your very real work day. I adore this I like your scarf mouse pad, $14, which features two dreamy kids holding hands and being adorably moody.

For the rest of my fun and romantic mouse pad favorites, scroll through the widget below.

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Website of the Day: Classic Cinema Online

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:06:21 -0800

Don't you just love being able to watch movies online and for free thanks to websites like Hulu and Fancast? But what if you love classic old movies from the '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s that are practically impossible to find online - let alone on DVD! Well the Classic Cinema Online website is the place to visit when you want to access hundreds of films across many different categories including drama, musicals, and romantic comedies. If you're grandma is still on the fence about talking the jump into the online world, show her this site and she'll never leave her computer again!

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.

Retro Chic: 13 Gorgeous Vintage Typewriters

GeekSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:05:00 -0800

I love vintage geek gadgets almost as much as I love my brand new tech goodies. From typewriters to Polaroid cameras, these retro goodies are as stunning as they once were useful. My laptop is great and I appreciate it completely, but there is something so dreamy and romantic about typing on an old-fashioned typewriter. In homage to one of my favorite retro gadgets, check out this gallery of beautiful vintage typewriter photos.

Are you a fan of vintage and retro gadgets? Join our Vintage Geek group and share your favorite finds or photographs - you 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.

Source: Flickr users termie, jetheriot, mpclemens

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Survey: Romantic Text Use On The Rise

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 07:03:09 -0800

Cingular Wireless commissioned a survey of adult cell phone users to determine how cell phones have affected their romantic lives and the results are pretty much as expected. Thirty-three percent of people surveyed say they communicate with their date or mate via text messaging in 2007, an increase of six percentage points from last year. Twenty-eight percent of users also report using text messaging to flirt...does that mean people are sending dirty text messages?

Survey Findings Include:

Thirty-eight percent of respondents said that a date answered his or her wireless phone in the midst of a great dinner conversation while 31 percent said they had done the same
Twenty-eight percent have used text messaging to avoid long conversations
Seventeen percent reported that a wireless phone has saved them from an
uncomfortable date

For the rest of the survey results, just read more

Twelve percent have used text messaging news as a conversation starter
with a date or mate
Eight percent of respondents say they have ended a relationship over
rude/offensive wireless behavior
Five percent of respondents have called someone else he or she was interested in from a wireless phone while on a date and seven percent reported that their date had done so
Six percent have judged a prospective date by the phone they use

Also significant in the survey results, 59 percent of active daters use text messaging to communicate with their dates, while only 30 percent of those who are married, in a committed relationship or not dating do the same with their partners.

Couples Pics: Does a Stranger Take or Do You Take Yourself?

GeekSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:05:38 -0700

You finally get whisked away to that tropical island you've been fantasizing about behind your cubicle, but once you get there, you're forced to ask strangers to take some romantic shots of you and your beau. Other options include setting up a mini tripod, do the "hold out the arm and hope for the best shot," find a steady surface and 10-9-8 run to get that perfect picture, or you can get a random to play paparazzi.

When the adorable Seal and Heidi Klum attended the Emmys on Sunday, Seal got creative by capturing the photo himself on his iPhone as the two shared a kiss. But while watching the French Open (yes they managed to tear themselves away from their laptops), Eva Longoria and Tony Parker asked a total stranger to do the honors for them. I'd say I'm a good combo of both methods, what about you?

Tech Dating 101: He Quotes My Tweets, What Does That Mean?

GeekSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:06:56 -0700

A gal pal recently divulged that she had a dinner date with a single male friend and when conversation turned to Twitter and the Internet, he proved to be a studied student in her tweets. In fact, he quoted a few of them verbatim. He presented the homage to her updates in a humorous way, ("so why didn't you tweet that?" "I think your exact Tweet was. . .") so she wasn't overwhelmed, but wondered what that could mean and what she should do. It wasn't an explicitly romantic date, but there were flirtatious undertones and his extensive knowledge of her updates make her wonder.

I've tackled a similar conundrum in my Tech Dating 101 series when we discussed people using Facebook to get to know one another. To see what my advice for this similar Twitter situation, just read more.

He's probably into you: He may not want to have babies and run off into the sunset, but Twitter is updated every millisecond and it is hard to keep up even when using a Twitter management system. It sounds like he is paying close attention to your activity because he wants to get to know you better, cares what you think, and likes you whether as a friend or girlfriend.
Are you into him? If so, Tweet back: If he is reading your updates close enough to quote them he is asking to be interacted with and trying to show you he's interested. If you want to explore where this real/tweetlationship might head, retweet his witty updates or reply back to him. Both will flatter him. If things get really flirty, take it to your direct message inbox. You don't want anyone else to be able to quote your interactions.
Just not that into him? Take heed!: If you decide you don't want to get too friendly with him, pay attention to your interactions and updates. Don't engage with him daily - that could be perceived as misleading. If he gets annoying and continues to parrot your tweets when you see him in person, block him or send him off-guard with tweets about your dates or crush.

It's a cruel Internet world out there, and it can be hard to decode people's intentions. Check out my Tech Dating 101 series, where I help disperse a double whammy of tech and relationship advice, for a little support.

What's Steampunk, You Say? This Is Steampunk!

GeekSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:00:35 -0700

Doesn't it seem like Steampunk just appeared on the scene and suddenly was everywhere in the geek world? Seeing enough steampunked items gives you a mild understanding of what it is, but whenever I've been asked to describe what Steampunk is, I kind of sputter and stutter. Papermag, on the other hand, describes it more eloquently, as a "retro design movement that's all about the future," in which steampunkers refashion pieces of modern technology with Victorian-era flair. Steampunk Workshop founder Jake von Slatt calls it "the intersection of technology and romance." Sigh. Check out my slideshow for some awesome examples of Steampunk love!

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Tech Dating 101: He Pays More Attention to His Phone Than Me

GeekSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:05:58 -0700

Not to be a total Debbie Downer with this week's Tech Dating 101 topic, but there are many people who wish they could pull a hocus pocus move and make their significant other's cell phone magically disappear. Sound familiar?

The worst is when you're trying to enjoy a romantic moment - maybe while watching a sunset, or sitting under the stars - and wham! buddy pulls out his phone, or in my case, the attention-grabbing iPhone 3GS. And at that very instant, the romantic moment fizzles, and you're left wondering if this guy would rather play with an app than be with you.

Along the same lines as the gadgets in the bedroom post, I definitely think there's a time and place for gadget use. If you're just dating or starting out as a new couple, you should get the message across without sounding like the gadget police. Maybe tell them that you were really looking forward to spending time together, and it's good to be away from gadgets and distractions. . . nudge nudge, hint hint.

To see what else I suggest, just read more.

If the guy you're dating continues to ignore the fact that his cell phone obsession is bothering you, I'd be persistent about trying to get the point across, and if he is still glued to his cell phone during dates, kick this guy to the curb.

Now if you're in a serious relationship and he's reverted back to his ways because he thinks the honeymoon phase is over, address the situation as soon as his attention strays. And maybe on really romantic outings, suggest that he leave his cell phone at home!

Match.com Posts Fake Profiles, Man Sues For Humiliation

GeekSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:33:02 -0700

One of the reasons some people are wary of online dating is that people tend to stretch the truth when describing themselves. Perhaps you can build up a BS detector for embellishments of electronic personalities, but what if the dating prospects were not even real?

That's what happened to New Yorker Sean McGinn, who's suing dating site Match.com for keeping around profiles of former users so that it would look like the site had far more romantic prospects than it did. McGinn is suing over deception, because he sent out many emails to profiles that were essentially dead. Match.com caused him "humiliation and disappointment," and he wants to stop Match from hurting the feelings of singles "who feel rejected when their e-mails get no reply."

For some people, it's a big leap to start online dating, and knowing that you may be signing up for even more rejection (however genuine) is a total deterrent.

So aside from McGinn, I know plenty of people with horror stories about love and the laptop. What's your worst online dating story?