GeekSugar

Dear Firefox: You're Becoming a Bad Boyfriend

GeekSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:46:15 -0700

For years, Firefox has been one of the most stable, trustworthy, and reliable browsers I had ever met. So much so, that I've kind of gotten attached to the guy and settled in for what was expected to be a productive, long-term relationship. That was, until the latest update hit.

What came next was crashes, news of crazy security loopholes, and bugs. And I'm not the only one. Half of Sugar HQ is experiencing the same problems, which leads me to believe that Firefox is becoming the bad boyfriend we all hate: running around on us behind our backs, without ever giving us any satisfaction. Firefox even had the nerve to disappear and leave BuzzSugar a lame "failure-to-restore" message, and then blamed the website she was on for the problem - the nerve!

So I'm sending my once trusty Firefox a message on behalf of all of us that are experiencing the same erratic and sketchy issues: let's work this out. I didn't want to have to say this, but I'll go back to Safari if this behavior continues. You've been warned.

PS3 Firmware Update 2.60 Available Today!

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:00:44 -0800

Have you been downloading your PS3 updates? Just like computers, your gaming console needs updates to remain healthy and fresh, and this new Playstation 3 firmware update brings some pretty cool upgrades to your console's photo galleries. Update 2.60 lets you browse through your photos by color, date, facial expression, age, number of people in your snapshot, as well as what camera the photos were taken on.

Not only that but you can now build slideshows and set them to music to show off at your next gathering. The update is free (natch), but you'll need to run the firmware update first, then install the gallery update by heading on over to your photo section and pressing X. Check out a walk through on the Playstation Blog.

Have You Updated to 2.1 Yet?

GeekSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:02:31 -0700

One of the announcements at the Let's Rock presentation last week was the iPhone 2.1 update. Steve Jobs boasted that this update will improve your reception, cut down on dropped calls, and exterminate system bugs.

After spending about 30 minutes updating my firmware, I can tell you that it's a vast improvement! I have all five bars almost everywhere I go in the city, and have noticed faster Internet surfing, faster downloads, and best of all - faster backups to iTunes. Have you updated your iPhone yet?

Do You Always Get Your Firmware and Software Updates?

GeekSugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:30:22 -0700

Sometimes if I'm out of time, I'll get that pop-up to update an application and ignore it for a while if I'm otherwise busy. But sometimes I'm so excited for an update, like the iPhone's 2.0 update, that I'll go to great lengths to download it. In that case, I was so eager for the App Store that I manually applied it to my phone, rather than waiting for the official go-ahead, which would have been infinitely easier (and was a semi-waste since I bought the new iPhone the next day, but it was still worth it!).

Gizmodo's got a great list of historical firmware updates that turned out to be epic failures in many cases, and an explanation of why it never hurts to wait a few days to update. This is kind of why I haven't done the iPhone 2.0.1 firmware update yet (that, or laziness).

But as for you, I want to know: Do you always update when you get prompts or when you know they're available? Or do you wait, or sometimes - gasp! - never get the update?

Macworld 2008: The iPhone Firmware Update Exposed

GeekSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:05:21 -0800

I couldn't be more stoked about the MacBook Air, Time Capsule, and the new capabilities of Apple TV, but what I was unreasonably excited about was the firmware update to the iPhone. It puts a stake through the heart of iPhone critics who have been waiting for "the next version of the iPhone" - this is it! Though it was arguably the smallest reveal of yesterday's keynote (and confirmed those prior firmware update rumors) , it was both something for my beloved iPhone and the first thing I could get my hands on. After updating my phone, I instantly added geeksugar to my home screen, so I am always one step closer to you!

View Slideshow ›

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?

Facebook Status Message Proves Teen's Innocence

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:43:52 -0800

While some may consider frivolous Facebook status updates annoying, there's definitely one New York City teen who probably doesn't agree. He was recently arrested and charged with robbery, but charges were dropped once he was able to prove his alibi - via a Facebook status message. The teen claimed he was miles from the scene of the crime as it happened, but no one could corroborate the story. . .until his lawyer mentioned the Facebook status update, posted at the time of the robbery.

The district attorney subpoenaed Facebook to verify the computer's location at the time of the status update. When his IP address was revealed proving he was indeed miles away, the charges were dropped. With the increasing popularity of sharing (and oversharing) on social networking sites, I imagine we'll be hearing more and more stories like this. According to the article:

"'This is the first case that I’m aware of in which a Facebook update has been used as alibi evidence,' said John G. Browning, a lawyer in Dallas who studies social networking and the law. 'We are going to see more of that because of how prevalent social networking has become.'"

To keep reading my thoughts about this story, just read more.

So, add "proof of innocence" to the list of things Facebook can do for you. Though I can't help but be reminded of this story from a few months ago, when a Facebook poke landed a woman in jail. And how many times have we heard of a cheating spouse or partner getting busted via Facebook? It's about time someone's Facebook use proves their innocence!

Website of the Day: DailyBooth

GeekSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:09:57 -0700

If you can't get enough social networking action (what, with your Twitter updates and Facebooking), add this service to your daily update list: DailyBooth.

DailyBooth is kinda like Twitter, where you post what you're doing and personal updates, but with the extra added feature of adding a photo to every post. Just activate your computer's on-board camera (or external camera) and snap away every day to show off your new haircut, or that shiner you got while playing volleyball with your pals.

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.

Website of the Day: Offers.com

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:45:23 -0800

If you're a regular online shopper and you want to make sure you're getting the biggest bang for your buck, Offers.com is sure to save you both time and money. Similar to Retail Me Not, Offers.com aggregates all of the best promos and deals from around the web - organizing coupons and promo codes by category and store.

I not only like the fact that the site makes sure to verify each offer before posting it, but that they also have a travel section, so you can easily search for vacation deals. And if you want to get "watch" offers or updates, you can sign up for the My Offers Locker which can send you daily or weekly emails to let you know when your favorite stores have special offers.

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.

Meet the Qooq, a Computer For the Kitchen

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:47:16 -0800

I would love to have a dedicated computer to use in the kitchen. Usually if I'm testing a new recipe from one of my favorite food blogs or websites I sit my laptop on the counter and toss a towel over the keyboard to keep it safe from spills or other kitchen mishaps. A French company decided to capitalize on the kitchen computer idea and just introduced the Qooq (warning: the site is in French), a new type of computer specifically designed to use in the kitchen.

The Qooq (pronounced "cook") features an easily-cleaned glass touch screen and comes preloaded with 500 recipes and 10 chef-provided recipe videos. It costs $515 for the device and initial recipes, monthly updates are available for $20. One downside: there isn't a web browser, so recipes are limited to those loaded onto the device - therefore, sadly no Internet browsing for recipes. I love this idea, but right now it's only available in French - time to dust off my class notes from college!

Would you buy a dedicated kitchen cooking device, or do you prefer to use your home computer?