GeekSugar

Gadgets Found in Chinatown: Downright Shocking

GeekSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:00:31 -0700

The touristy shops in San Francisco's Chinatown are teeming with gadgets, but it's usually overpriced cameras and items of questionable authenticity. But in one of my favorite fun crap stores, I found a variety of gadgets that will shock you - literally.

I knew the geek prank of late was shocking gadgets, but I had only seen the games, as evidenced by the Sugar office showdown! I didn't know there was a whole world of punkings to be had with hand-shocking gadgets, but in Chinatown, I found them.

Boss bugging you? Give him a USB stick with your latest "project" on it and watch his palm buzz. IT guy making fun of you again? Put this mouse on your pad and shut him up right away. Annoying little brother that keeps asking for an iPod? Give him this one!

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Shocking Gadgets

GeekSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:55:28 -0700

Shocking Gadgets

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Carry Your Kindle in a Stylish Clutch

GeekSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:47:24 -0700

Janine King Designs really knows how to hit a home run when it comes to designing some geek chic accessories for our gadget gear! I've already drooled over her floral print Kindle case, and now she's just come out with these fashionable Kindle clutches!

Designed to fit both one and two gen Kindles, these handmade bags feature a layer of foam padding on their interior that's shock absorbent and water resistant, so you can be rest assured that your eReader stays nice and protected from the elements.

What's great is that they are so cute that you could even use it as a mini purse or camera bag. And the best part? They only cost $30.

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Do You Have More Than One Cell Phone?

GeekSugar — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:00:50 -0700

It always amazes me at how many gadgets women can stuff in their purses (I'm just as guilty as the next person). But, what shocks me even more is how many people have more than one cell phone! Right now, I just have one on the go, but I have lots of friends who have a cell phone for work and one for personal use. And then there are those who have two different handsets - one for going out or everyday use - that they regularly swap their SIM card between.

Now most of you said you have more than one camera, so do you have more than one cell phone (that are in use) as well? And if you do use two or more, do you actually keep them on you?

What Recession? Shockingly Priced Gadget Accessories

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:03:09 -0700

There are plenty of computers whose prices reach into the thousands, cell phones that cost several hundreds, but we geeks justify these purchases because we believe in the quality (or the OS, natch) of the technology. The accessories you buy for your gadgets, though, shouldn't cost nearly as much as the gadget itself - especially not in these times. For your viewing pleasure, check out some recent tech accessories that inspire some serious sticker shock.

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Your Keyboard and Mouse: The Germiest Things on Your Desk

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 06:00:41 -0700

Yuck! This month's Marie Claire pinpoints the dirtiest things on your desktop, and what were at the top of the list?

Your mouse, at 846 germs per square inch, and your keyboard, at 719.

It's not that shocking considering that these are the two things you constantly have your hands on all day (minus points if you, like me, ever eat at your desk). And if you ever sneeze or cough with your hand over your mouth while sitting at your computer, you can't always get up and wash your hands right away - but the polite move of covering your mouth just became a germ-spreader when you put that hand back on your mouse and keys.

Are you a little bit leery to click and type now? Bust out some baby wipes and use my other gadget cleaning tips and keep your area germ free!

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?

Obama Hides His BlackBerry in a Cell Phone Holster

GeekSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:00:45 -0800

Well wouldn't you know. President-elect Barack Obama was snapped this past weekend in Hawaii sporting not only his beloved BlackBerry 8830 World Edition Smartphone, but more shockingly, it was in a belt holster!

Considering a majority of you don't wear a cell on your belt - and let's be honest, we can't all be as stylin' as David Beckham - I'm surprised the trend-setting Obama is a holster kinda guy. But then again, he was our favorite BlackBerry obsessed cell phone celeb of 2008, and it's still up in the air whether he'll be able to keep it, so for now, we can't blame the guy for keeping the gadget goods glued to his side.

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Apple Pulls Out of Macworld: Do You Care?

GeekSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:00:15 -0800

Yesterday some shocking Apple news was announced that had the entire geek-filled blogosphere up in arms; Macworld 2009 would be Apple's very last Macworld. I was seriously stunned when I heard the news, but another Sugar peep summed it up best by saying, "That's like Santa announcing it's his last Christmas." Steve Jobs won't even be delivering the opening keynote this year, it'll be Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, which is going to be very strange, especially if he wears a black mock turtleneck and jeans.

Since Steve Jobs, Apple announcements, and big unveilings have played a huge part in my-past-two Macworld experiences, I can't imagine what Macworld will be like without any shiny and new Apple gadgets and Steve Jobs kicking off the week with a big bang. What are your thoughts? How do you feel about the announcement?

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Website of the Day: Got Reception?

GeekSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:00:29 -0800

This may come as a shock to some of you, but sometimes cell phone shopping is not based on what someone can afford - no, sometimes people have to decide based on what service is best for them. Since I have crying jags when I'm in deadzones, I can empathize with the need for the very helpful website Got Reception?

Using a Google map and your zip code (or a zip code you might be visiting often), Got Reception tells you which cell phone company's service is strongest - or weakest - in a given area. This goes way beyond my problems with the 3G hogging of San Francisco, so for those of you who need this, I salute you!

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!