GeekSugar

Daily Tech: Microsoft Opens a Lounge in Saks Fifth Avenue NY

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:06:39 -0800

Microsoft opens a PC Lounge in NYC's Saks Fifth Avenue for the holidays - Engadget
Share the Thanksgiving love on TurkeyTwitter - TechCrunch
The new Green Robot in Google Labs tells you who is using GChat from an Android phone - Download Squad
The bigger Nintendo DSi LL gets unboxed - Kotaku
You can now download the eBay app from the BlackBerry App World - IntoMobile
Submit your Cool Captures for your chance to win a CanvasPop print - GeekSugar

Geotagging For Twitter Is Here

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:26:36 -0800

People have been buzzing about Twitter's upcoming geotagging feature for a while, and now the feature is finally here. The function is available through the API only, which means geotagging will not be available through Twitter.com. Although it will be available through Twitter clients like Birdfeed for the iPhone, Seesmic Web for your desktop, and Twidroid for Android phones, which are already supporting the new feature.

If you use one of the clients that supports geotagging, your location will be revealed with your tweets - exciting functionality for reporting breaking news, finding out what's going on near you, or just adding context to tweets from friends. Because it's an API, the functionality is only limited to developers' imaginations, so it'll be exciting to see what they come up with!

One final note (since I'm generally wary of programs that disclose my location), you have to turn on geotagging functionality when using any of these programs, so there's no chance of accidentally disclosing information you don't want anyone to see.

What's Twitter's New Question?

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:33:15 -0800

Quick - and no peeking! Yesterday, Twitter changed the question on the top of the home screen. It used to say, "What are you doing?" - what does it say now?

A Peek Inside the New Twitter Office

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:05:07 -0800

The coolest kid on the Internet has some new digs! The Twitter crew moved into their new offices in San Francisco's SOMA district yesterday, and a friend gave me a sneak peek at their new office. My favorite part: the "@" symbol light I spotted a couple months ago decorating their lounge area.

The new offices are packed with more geeky details, too. The entire office is wifi-enabled, and each of the concrete conference tables is wired for meetings. There's an arcade game in the corner, and a DJ booth (yes, DJ booth) featuring turntables, an iMac, and several Sonos music systems. And as a cute, low-tech touch, adorable "Home Tweet Home" pillows welcoming employees to the new office. Check out the evidence below.

View 5 Photos ›

Source: Flickr User the ryan king

Are You Disappointed the President Doesn't Write His Tweets?

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:33:41 -0800

While traveling in China, President Obama spoke to a group of students in Shanghai, where one of the students asked if he believed people in China should have access to Twitter. (The service has been blocked in China since July). He responded,

"I have never used Twitter but I'm an advocate of technology and not restricting internet access."

With over 2.5 million followers and counting, President Obama is one of the most popular users. New tweets are posted nearly every day, with multiple posts added during important events like House votes or special initiatives. Although the President admitted he doesn't write the tweets himself, he presumably has someone on his staff updating his feed with regularity. With a major to-do list and one of the most high-profile jobs in the world, I'm not surprised the president isn't using Twitter on his own (though I'm sure he could add a Twitter app to his much-loved BlackBerry). What about you?

Lindsay Lohan Is a Fan of Apple but Not Its Warranty

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:45:29 -0800

Although Lindsay Lohan has run the gauntlet of cell phones, she's become a BlackBerry convert and sticks with Apple for her computer needs. Lindsay recently lamented on Twitter about how her MacBook took a beating during her recent travels and ended up with a cracked screen. I know how expensive replacing screens can be, and unfortunately the star had to learn the hard way that accidental breakage isn't covered on Apple's warranty or by their protection plans.

Besides Lindsay's cracked screen, what else isn't covered through warranty or an APP? Find out when you read more.

Even if you have paid extra for an AppleCare Protection Plan, these items are excluded from your coverage:

Installation of noncovered equipment or software
Damage caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse, unauthorized modification, extreme environment (like temps and humidity), extreme physical or electrical stress, fluctuation or surges, lightning, static electricity, fire, and even . . . acts of God
Problems caused by a third-party or non Apple-branded device
Lost or stolen equipment
Cosmetic damage to your device, including scratches, dents, and broken plastic on ports
Batteries, except in respect to battery coverage under APP for iPod, or unless failure has occurred due to a defect in materials and workmanship
Preventative maintenance
Defects caused by normal wear and tear

Website of the Day: Tweeting Too Hard

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:10:57 -0800

You know those annoying tweets from someone you randomly follow describing how awesome his life is? Even worse, how awesome he is? You don't have to sit back and idly peep their self-obsessed tweets any longer. Don't unfollow; just submit the worst offenders to Tweeting Too Hard. TTH gives you a chance to laugh at others' self-importance all in one sweet little tweet-centric blog. Want to submit an annoying tweet you saw about "gassing up daddy's Airstream"? Go right on ahead. We'll all thank you later.

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.

Twitter Lists: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:05:55 -0700

After a long wait, Twitter has rolled out its Lists feature to all users.

The new feature allows you to group the people you follow into categories, which means less clutter on the homepage. Plus, you can view or subscribe to other users' lists. There's also an option to make your lists private, though they default to public. I haven't gotten a chance to play around with the lists feature yet, but I'm looking forward to testing it out. What do you think of this new feature? If you're using it, please share your favorite lists below!

If you're not already, be sure to follow me on Twitter.

Get Alerted When Anyone Tweets About Twilight, Vamps, Tech

GeekSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:06:42 -0700

The day is drawing nearer my friends: Halloween is tomorrow and New Moon hits theaters in just three weeks! It's almost too much vampire goodness to bear, but if you just can't get enough, then check out TweetAlarm.

It alerts you anytime anyone tweets about Twilight, vampires, or whatever it is you really care about, since you can customize the alert keywords. Wanting to stay on top of the up-to-the-minute Robert Pattinson news? Or maybe you're more into finding out every detail about the still unconfirmed Apple Tablet? Set an alert for "Apple Tablet," and you'll get an email alert at the end of the day, twice a day, or anytime there's a tweet about it.

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.

Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment

Do Celebs Get Preferential Twitter Treatment?

GeekSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:50:30 -0700

A much publicized post on Slate asserts that Twitter is intentionally removing unflattering tweets to celebrities from search results. The author claims that he posted a tweet "teasing" the president of CNN (which he also describes as "as nasty an item as I thought I could write" without sounding like a complete jerk). Later, he tried to search for this "hostile" tweet, but it was nowhere to be found within Twitter search results. A few unofficial experiments later, he deduced that only positive comments directed at celebs were showing in search results.

The author references another article, speculating on the connection between celebrity publicists and Twitter. That article describes detailed processes that publicists go through to create a good image of their famous clients on Twitter.

To see what I think about the whole ordeal, just read more.

If you ask me, Twitter is still a bit like the wild west. Some celebs, like Ashton Kutcher have happily adopted the 140-characters-only platform as a means to communicate with fans. Others, like Miley Cyrus, have made very public departures from Twitter, citing privacy reasons.

So, the initial question remains: does Twitter suspend negative comments about celebrities from search results? We'll probably never know for sure, given Twitter's tight-lipped nature when it comes to revealing insider details. My question: does the Internet really need another dose of negativity?