GeekSugar

Do You Think Teens Sext More Than Adults?

GeekSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:50:58 -0700

On this week's "To Sext or Not to Sext" episode of 90210 Naomi considers acting out her residual prom night frustration on Annie by blasting out an explicit MMS message of Annie as payback. (To be fair, Naomi thinks Annie slept with her boo). It's a dramatic and entertaining plotline, but further reinforced the overwhelming stats and tales of teens sexting at schools.

More than 61 percent of GeekSugar readers have admitted to sexting in the past, which leads me to believe grown-ups are doing it too. Do you think teens sext more, or do you think we just hear about it from the media because of their age?

Photo courtesy of The CW

Be Honest: Have You Ever Sexted?

GeekSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:01:21 -0700

It's Wednesday, so you know what that means: somewhere Anna Faris and her fiance are sexting each other.

The actress admitted to the naughty tech act at the T-Mobile Sidekick LX launch party in LA last week. "Sexting" has been a media buzzword for the past couple years or so - mostly with people up in arms over teens sending each other the sexually charged text messages.

Faris's admission is refreshing (between this and her saying that she's fattening up for her wedding, she's pretty open). Not that I want to hear about her sex life, but it confirms to me what I've been thinking about sexting, which mainly involves sending sexy messages or photos of yourself with your phone: it's not just some debauched thing high school students do, but a modern dating trend employed by normal, healthy people. And hopefully not too soon.

So since I was impressed with the honesty of people admitting to using their cell phones on the toilet, I implore that honesty again: have you ever sexted?

Source

Would You Use a Website to Track Your Sex Life?

GeekSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:01:43 -0700

This geek may have known that gadgets in the bedroom might not do a sex life good, but she had no idea that there's a website that allows you to chronicle all of the dirty details of your sex life. I can officially say there's a website for everything, because with Bedpost, you can enter the date you had sex with someone, the time, how long it lasted, who it was with, you can include descriptive tags, and my fave - the star rating scale.

The site creators know that this info is as private as your financial data, so they swear it's kept confidential, secure, and can be deleted at anytime. In my opinion, if you're having sex that much and you need to keep track of who it was with, there may be other things you need besides this website - OK, I'll leave that for TrèsSugar - but I'm really interested in knowing if anyone would actually use this?

Does Violence or Sex in Video Games Bother You?

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:30:50 -0700

I love that nearly every night this week, Conan's done a different version of a PG-rated GTA IV, but I've also been thinking lately that not only are we at a high point of sex (Stripper Pole Wii, anyone?) and violence (got to give credit where credit's due, GTA, who's got both) in our video games, but there's also a healthy helping of family friendly and positive games - like Wii Sports.

My friends got into a heated debate the other night about the significance of violence in video games, and what it says about our society, but I definitely feel like it's your choice to buy the games. However, I really appreciate the ratings system, like in movies. Then again, I expect my opinion to change when I have kids. What do you think?

Would You Use the Internet For Sex Education?

GeekSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:12:22 -0800

Jamie Lynn Spears's pregnancy at 16 is being splashed across the internet and tabloids. It is being blamed on her upbringing and her sister's influence - but what about the sex education that American teens are failing to get in school and at home? Whether it's abstinence-only education that certain states are getting, or just an inability to effectively reach people, something's wrong if teen birth rates are up for the first time in 15 years (according to the CDC). What we do know is that teens are online more and more, and the sex educators at the ongoing SexTech conference in San Francisco want to use that to their advantage, SF Gate reports. They want to use the internet for sex ed, more than the ability to Google info, by utlizing text messages, podcasts, and computer games to exploit the comfort of anonymity to get real information about sex into kids. I think this would be useful for teens and anyone needing to know something they are reticent to call their doctor up and ask. Would you use this?
Source

Women And Tech: Parodies And Realities

GeekSugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:00:19 -0700

Women and technology is always a tender subject. Some women (and men) couldn't give a hoot about the newest downloads or gizmos, but the rest of us - specifically you readers - use technology everyday and have most of the same usage and buying habits as your male peers. We use technology to make our lives easier. We carry Smartphones, MP3 players and handhelds, use widgets, install special plug-ins and buy gadgets that fit into and enhance our digital lifestyles.

The New York Times reminds us that the idea of making gadgets female friendly has evolved a lot more than the average consumer might think in the past few years. More women are taking control of the technology they bring into their homes and lives and using that technology more often. Still, women are easy targets when it comes to parody gadgets and some manufacturers still think sprinkling a little pink on MP3 players and TVs will make women love them. So what's a girl to do?

I've compiled a list of my favorite (and least favorite) tech parodies and bizarre gadgets aimed at women, as well as a few recent articles on women and technology. My question is this: Why are women still easy targets when it comes to technology and do you think the robot that cleans your lady business is funny?

Dontcha Wish Your Cell Phone Was Hot Like Me?

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:10:36 -0700

You gotta admit it: Some gadgets are just hot. I'm talking sleek, sexy and oh so functional. Randi Jayne, who is responsible for the hilarious "Junk in a Box" parody "How To Get A Guy In Silicon Valley," sent over her latest and I think greatest creation to date. "Dontcha Wish Your Cell Phone Was Hot Like Me?" That's right baby, dontcha wish your keypad was button free? Dontcha? Dontcha?

Note: The song is first on this video, which is also filled with some funky and racy geek items. For song lyrics, visit The Dot Comix.

Who Cares More About The iPhone: Men or Women?

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 04:30:18 -0700

I'm usually opposed to dividing the sexes when it comes to gadget talk, but while wandering the line at last week's iPhone launch I couldn't help but notice the crowd was lacking a strong feminine presence. In fact, I estimate that for every 30 men in line there was one woman. It's a phenomenon I can't easily explain without falling into an archaic and general stereotype that men care more about gadgets while women care more about shopping for say, shoes. While the popularity of the iPod has proven there is no gender gap when it comes to Apple products and techie toys, I chose to think that men are more apt to be early adopters to technology while women tend to be safer tech shoppers. What do you think attributed to such a small ratio of women at the downtown San Francisco iPhone launch?

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Would You Buy A Peripheral Made For Women?

GeekSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:00:44 -0700

Designers, manufacturers and brand managers seem to be in a constant flux about what it is that makes gadgets appealing to women. Sometimes they take the pretty in pink approach, splashing Pepto Bismol-color all over mice, laptops and MP3 players. Sometimes they ignore the fact that women have different wants and needs. Either way, it's hard to find a healthy medium of a quality product that hasn't been dumbed down to suit it's audience's perceived needs.

Despite the challenge, a new company called G Cube hopes to break the traditional gender mold and create peripherals tactfully geared toward feminine tastes. Their website claims they recognize the "computer peripheral market in particular and the electronic category as a whole, has traditionally catered to the masses which results in products that leaves consumers with little choice in the aesthetics and totally expressionless."

The company's Travel Tini Collection and Lux Leopard Collection are available at OfficeMax now and other items will begin selling at Staples this fall. It includes cutesy Heart & Soul mice, colorful keyboard and mice sets and even colorful web cameras. Bright, hued gadgets seem to always be a hit with you readers so I suspect the company is on the mark.

Would You Buy A Peripheral Made For Women?

Yes. It's a fun idea.

No. What's the point.

I'm a fella, but I dig it.

Something else. See my comment below.

What Makes A Gadget Appealing To Women?

GeekSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:00:12 -0700

When I was a kid it was my father who would pick out the big ticket electronics for our house, primarily because my mother couldn't care less what size the TV was or the quality of the home's sound system. While I respect her choice to not care at all, her attitude toward technology and gadgets couldn't be more different than mine. And it makes me wonder if that's an attitude I picked up along the way because I always went to the electronics store with my dad or because technology is more geared toward women these days.

According to a New York Times article, To Appeal to Women, Too, Gadgets Go Beyond ‘Cute’ and ‘Pink’, the idea of making gadgets female friendly has evolved a lot more than the average consumer might think in the past few years. More women are taking control of the technology they bring into their homes and lives and using that technology more often. To which I smartly say: Doy! Here's more:

Only a few years ago, feminizing a consumer electronic product meant little more than creating a pink or pastel version of the same black or silvery item coveted by men. And, some retailers note, that kind of marketing still goes on. But feminizing technology is more about a product’s fundamentals, often expressed in its ease of use. It is not always aimed exclusively at women, but it is female friendly. Shoppers see it throughout electronics store from the rising popularity of digital picture frames to flat-panel televisions that are designed to fit into the cabinets and armoires that once housed smaller-screened traditional televisions by moving the TV speakers from the sides to the top or bottom of the TV.

According to the article, there are some less obvious choices that have sprung up along the way. Apparently, the spacing of the keys on a new Sony ultraportable computer notebook accommodates to longer finger nails and some recent LG cell phones have the cameras’ automatic focus calibrated to arms’ length. I think these "changes" are rather lame technique for bringing in female techies, but I guess they deserve a nod for their effort. Have you noticed any changes in technology over the last few decades that you think are a marketing ploy to attract women? And what draws you to certain gadgets and not others?