GeekSugar

Would You Take a Virtual Vacation?

GeekSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:15:34 -0700

There's nothing like feeling the warm sand under your toes as you step out onto a beach during the first few moments of a vacation. You know you're really on vacation. That is, of course, if you have saved up enough vacation time and money to go. But what if you could take a virtual vacation anywhere in the world with just a few clicks of your mouse instead of worrying about all the hassles of planning a real vacation?

Websites like Vizzera let you travel to far reaches of the globe in a 3-D interactive tour of the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu, whereas Wonder Rotunda - which is aimed at kids - takes you on underwater and high-flying adventures around the globe.

Geek Tip: Let TiVo Help You Plan Your Vacation

GeekSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:32:51 -0800

Now's about the time I start thinking about planning a vacation for next year. Even if I can't afford to go anywhere, I love to research places I would want to go. You know where to look - books, magazines, the Internet, and TiVo! Yes, TiVo!

This ingenious and innovative tip is made possible by the Wishlist function (Wishlist, if you don't know, can be accessed when you're in the Find Programs & Downloads menu).

Add the name of a city you're interested in as a Wishlist, and set it to automatically record programs. TiVo will present you with shows that feature your possible vacation place, and you can bone up on your destination while relaxing on your couch!

Source

Do You Like Being Disconnected?

GeekSugar — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:12:44 -0700

One of my best friends recently went on an exotic vacation to Guatemala and Belize and I was jealous for a variety of reasons. But mainly because she was totally out of reach. Her BlackBerry was barely functional, and most of the places she stayed had little or no electricity. Now I know that sounds like a nightmare for a geek and in general it would be, but I think about getting away from it all - no Internet, no email, no phone calls, and no TV, and I can feel myself start to decompress just thinking about it.

I think it's healthy for all of us to let go of everything once in a while, don't you? Or do you hate any disconnections from your gadgets?

Vacation Gadgets: Don't Forget To Make A List!

GeekSugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:00:27 -0700

I'm taking a mini vacation this three-day weekend and was inspired by FabSugar's geek gear packing list for her trip to New York Fashion Week. While I won't be hitting up NYC, I will be catching some rays at my friend's cottage in Northern California and hope to get some work and photography done. As always, I'll probably be packing last minute and realized I should create an organized packing list. If you're traveling by plane you probably can't lug all these items with you, but rest assured I'll be loading up my trunk!

There are really only three gadgets I can't leave home without: My phone (I'll be taking my iPhone on its maiden voyage!), my charger (I really wish I had the wireless charging pad) and a set of headphones, which I use to drown out unwanted noise and have a few minutes of downtime. Of course, if you're traveling out of your home country you might want to pick up an outlet adapter.

Scroll through the widget below for the most important traveling gadgets!

American Airlines Wants You To Log On In-Flight

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:00:58 -0700

While American car rental service Avis has been offering WiFi for their customers for some time, logging on in-flight isn't an amenity most American travelers have been able to savor - until now. Just days after Virgin America showed off its new, tech-infused planes, AirCell, a provider of aviation communications systems, announced it will join forces with American to test its new system for providing on-board Internet access.

According to Reuters, American will test the service on its 767-200 aircraft, which mainly flies transcontinental routes. Apparently Boeing has halted the use of its Connexion unit, which allowed airlines to provide high-speed Internet service to passengers, because it was too expensive and customers didn't want to pay for the usage. According to AirCell, its system will be less expensive - likely $100,000 per plane or $10 per flight.

Source

15 Geekiest Vacations List - Time To Plan A Trip

GeekSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:00:50 -0700

Say what you will about geeks, but we know how to have fun. I think it's the shared love for detail, adventure and gadgetry combined with a thirst for knowledge that makes most of the geeks I know fun party-goers and dates. So where is the best place to take a geek on vacation? I say the list starts with Hawaii and ends with Paris, but the folks over at EWeek have compiled a list of techie delights I wouldn't pass up either. From the National Computer Museum to a Star Trek bar in Vegas Geek - it's all geek to me. The list includes:

The Queen Mary 2 - You might not have expected this famous ship to be home to true geekery, but apparently it features "first-class network architecture," "100-megabit Ethernet cables and a network switch between every pair of cabins." You can enjoy the luxurious boat and still log on to geeksugar 10 times a day.
The Quark Bar - The Quark Bar in Las Vegas offers the "geek nirvana" (their words, not mine) - "getting served by a Borg." Enough said.
National Computer Museum - Learn all about the PDP-1 restoration project, and expand your knowledge of microprocessors. You certainly won't be the only geek in the crowd.

For the rest of the list, read more

International Spy Museum - Located in downtown Washington, the International Spy Museum, includes exhibits such as "The Secret History of History" and a "School for Spies." It also houses 200 spy gadgets from microdots and invisible ink, buttonhole cameras and submarine recording systems.
The Geek's Baseball Stadium Tour - You may not care about Wrigley Field, but boy will you love National Historic Landmark HP Garage, in Palo Alto, Calif., followed by a peel at the Googleplex or Yahoo's headquarters in Mountain View. Perhaps you'll have a geek celebrity sighting.
Geek Cruises - Imagine a relaxing cruise where you can geek out with your laptop by the pool. Called Java Jam, Opera Odyssey, Mac Mania VII and the Perl Whirl there's no denying the appeal of geeks in a boat.

For the complete list, visit EWeek.

Cool Capture: Mediya's Philippines Vacation

Geek Community — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:07:46 -0800

GeekSugar reader Mediya used her phone camera to document Philippines vacation, and posted photos in our Cool Capture group:

Rather than being caught without a camera on a vacation, I decided to take pictures with my My|Phone Dual-Sim Phone, taking advantage of my 2GB memory card storage. The resolution is a very low 96 dpi with image sizes of 352-x-288 pixels, but I sharpened my images using Paint.net, a free download. I must admit that I am a newbie at photography, but I enjoyed my vacation, and Puerto Princesa City in Palawan Islands is still one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines, if not the world.

View the rest of Mediya's vacation photos in her Cool Capture slideshow.

Do you have a photo you absolutely love? Join our Cool Capture group and share your image, the model of camera used to take the photo, and a little about the image or moment you captured and it 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.

Geek Tip: Make and Share Lists Online

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:56 -0800

Now is the perfect time for me to introduce you to Listography - it's going to become so helpful when you're shopping for holiday gifts. The question "What do you want for Christmas?" is so five years ago when you have a network of family on Listography, since it lets you create your own wish lists and share with your friends online. No more tracking down that toy robot for your cousin Nate; since he's got an online list, he can share what he wants, and where to buy it.

But even after the holidays, Listography can be helpful when planning vacations, moves, or tackling that bucket list, which you can access from anywhere online.

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.

Charge Gadgets in a Pinch With a Travel-Sized Solio

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:30:58 -0700

Traveling soon? Don't let powerless gadgets leave you in the dark again! (Get it? Dark? Solar Power?)

Perfect for travel, vacations, camping, or just a day in the park, the Solio Emergency Charger ($60) charges your gadgets using solar power. A travel-sized version of the Solio charger used by the president (and loved by yours truly), this gadget comes equipped with a smaller price tag than the full version, a USB adapter and charging cable, a 12V adapter, and universal tip cable so all of your gadgets will be covered. A full charge takes 2 1/2 hours when plugged into the wall, and 20 hours in direct sunlight.