GeekSugar

Quarterlife . . . May Not Have a Life

GeekSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:10:14 -0800

Look, I'm great at suspending my disbelief for TV shows - I am an avid Lost viewer, after all. But the portrayal of the Internet and blogging in new show Quarterlife is just too much.

I was so excited when I heard that this show (which I'd never watched on MySpaceTV before) would feature the main character as a blogger - a lot of people have personal blogs nowadays, and I was hoping the show could explore the impact of a female blogger who blogs about her friends and personal life. Sadly, the show opens with the terrible line "Why do we blog? We blog to exist." Really?! What does that even mean? Dylan Krieger - the main character and blogger - has a MacBook. Our similarities end there.

For what I think about Dylan and the hilarious Internet portrayal, read more.

Dylan is a self-absorbed, insecure voyeur who watched one too many episodes of My So-Called Life as a teenager and now suffers from tortured artist syndrome. Not a starving artist, of course, because Dylan is obviously a college grad from a nice, rich suburb. Her problems are as annoying as she is: She's upset that, as a recent graduate who's landed an amazing job as an editorial associate at a magazine, one of the ideas she spouted off in a (very common) moment of self-righteousness has been stolen by another employee. Dylan also suffers from "I'm a writer" syndrome (you know, where she can't stop saying it aloud so everyone knows how much better than them she is) and the illness in which one is convinced other people are not worthwhile unless they're artists.

Now, let's discuss the blogging. Dylan uses a MySpace-like profile on the not-so-fictional Quarterlife social network (which they dismiss as being "in beta," like that matters anymore). From her profile, she takes a video of herself and makes a video blog. I hate the word "vlog," but was anyone else annoyed that they never brought the term up? It also killed me when they said things like, "Are you upset that I blogged you?" At one point, one character says "You have my face all over the frickin' net!" Since when is it called the 'net? Since that Sandra Bullock movie came out?

And what about this weird importance they seem to place on blogging? All of Dylan's friends are very impressed that she has a blog on a social network site at a time when everyone and their mother has a personal blog. They are also very upset that she's saying personal things about them on her "blog" - what, do they think she's getting picked up on digg?

This show has tons of cred - as far as TV goes, Buzz reported that these are the producers of My So-Called Life (and the writing team includes Devon Gummersall, aka Brian Krakow), and as far as geekery goes (Macs and Final Cut Pro, oh my!), this show should have been a shoe-in to my TiVo schedule. Bitsie Tulloch, who plays Dylan, was even a cast member on Internet sensation lonelygirl15!

I'm really disappointed with this first episode, but I'm no quitter. I also remember the terrible pilots of some of my other favorite shows, so I'll give this a chance to find itself. And hopefully the writers will find themselves in front of a browser in 2008, figuring out "the 'net" for today's audience.

Website Of The Day: Your Truman Show

GeekSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:00:07 -0700

If you're interested in video blogging and lifecasting, but the around the clock Justin TV Network isn't your style, consider checking out Your Truman Show, a new personal video site that launches today. Obviously inspired by the 1998 wonder Truman Show, the site hopes to become the "place for personal videos on the web" and offers a free platform where anyone can share their life with the rest of the world.

The creators are asking for "your stories, your friends’ sagas, the compelling tales of the random people you come across everyday. True stories, fictional tales…and even quasi-fictional accounts of things that may (or may not) have happened."

Unlike the Justin TV Network, which was born out of now famous lifecaster Justin's antics, Your Truman Show seems as if it was created with women in mind and allows you to upload edited, controlled video. The site is clean white and gray (save for a small dose of pink) and doesn't overwhelm viewers with theatrics. Of course, you can always film your own videos with your camera and put them on TeamSugar. Hint. Hint.

To learn how to post your favorite sites to the 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 "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
Choose "Blog"
Give your photo a Title
Leave the category as "general"
Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day")
Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture telling me why you love the website, do it before the code that has appeared.
Click Submit

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!

Digg Partners With Toms Shoes For Charity

GeekSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:50:26 -0800

Internet giant Digg recently announced they have joined forces with TOMS Shoes, the charitable shoe company who donates one pair of shoes to a child in need each time a pair is purchased. According to the Digg blog, the special-edition shoes were designed by a Digg designer, and feature the company's logo on the interior, zigzag stitching, and an orange sole.

Digg Founder Kevin Rose and TOMS Chief Shoegiver Blake Mycoskie announced the partnership via video, explaining the TOMS Shoes One to One program (one pair donated for each pair bought). The shoe company already operates exclusively on this business model, but this is the first time they're partnering with a social media company to reach a new audience. I already own one pair of gold, sparkly TOMS, but I think I want another pair! It's a great idea - and a feel-good way to kick off the holiday season.

Would you sport a pair?

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?

Do You Watch Video Tutorials?

GeekSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:44:32 -0700

I generally like to troubleshoot my own tech problems, but after downloading a new program the other day, an instructional video started to play - and I found myself watching the entire thing. As long as they're short, sweet, and informative, I have admit - I'm a convert!

I've noticed them on two sites I visit regularly: Google uses them on their blog when explaining new features and Apple also includes instructional videos for new products on their site. Do you find them helpful?

December Issue of GQ Is Headed For Your iPhone

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:45:15 -0700

I love the Kindle because I can not only read books and blogs, but I can download newspapers and magazines. The downside? They don't have some of my favorite periodicals, and let's face it - it's a pretty pricey gadget whose only function is reading. These drawbacks help make the latest news on digital magazines pretty exciting - Condé Nast will be releasing the December issue of GQ on newsstands and in the App Store. Set to launch in November, GQ will be available as a $3 app, and will contain the same content you'll find in the print version. In addition to the editorial, you can find corresponding videos, photos, and audio right there in the app.

I'm stoked about this because it paves the way for other magazines to follow, so I can catch up on my magazine reading from anywhere. But what about you - would you read magazines on the iPhone?

Have You Ever Blogged TMI?

GeekSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:00:50 -0700

Last week's article in the NY Times about women posting their grievances online about their exes made me wonder where people are drawing the line at privacy anymore. One woman made a YouTube video divulging way too much information about her soon-to-be ex, and others are blogging about their breakups as they happen.

I'm all for catharsis, and these women may get some needed support, but I think they're revealing too much and putting themselves up for close scrutiny. I've always been cautious about even changing my relationship status on MySpace or Facebook, and not because I'm a commitment-phobe, but because it encourages an outpouring of messages and posts asking me about it, and you know what? It's exhausting and I don't feel like sharing these kinds of details with people I haven't seen in years - aside from their changing profile pictures.

But have you? Fess up - have you ever over-shared on your blog, social networking profile page, or gasp! YouTube?!

Daily Tech: Nokia Booklet 3G Only Coming to Best Buy

GeekSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:05:39 -0700

The only retailer in the US to get the 10-inch Nokia netbook will be Best Buy - Gizmodo
Google Mobile now remembers what you've searched on your desktop and displays starred map locations - Lifehacker
Sony is planning on releasing Blu-ray movie titles, which can only be watched on PSPs - Kotaku
Tomorrow's Martha Stewart show will be entirely dedicated to talking about Twitter and live-blogging - Switched
Sony's PSP Go hits store shelves today for $250 - Engadget
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar

Daily Tech: Google Sync Comes to the iPhone and Windows Phones

GeekSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:05:11 -0700

Google Sync with push Gmail functionality can now be used on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Windows Mobile devices. - Google Mobile Blog
To compete with Google Docs, Microsoft will soon be launching Office Web Apps - USA Today
Louis Vuitton has just released laptop sleeves with their classic damier canvas design - Chip Chick
Here's how you can use GarageBand to autotune your voice to sound like T-Pain - Download Squad
Amazon is selling AT&T phones for only one cent today, and it'll even waive the activation fee - The Boy Genius Report
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game ever bracket! - GeekSugar

Daily Tech: The Pure Sensia Touchscreen Radio With WiFi

GeekSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:10:15 -0700

The Pure Sensia radio offers a touchscreen, social networking apps, WiFi, an on-screen keyboard, and it will cost around $406 - Slashgear
Griffin's new kid-friendly headphones include volume-limiting settings to protect them from hearing loss - Popgadget
President Barack Obama is worried about people getting their information from blogs and not newspapers - The Silicon Alley Insider
Check out this solar-powered Bluetooth headset that is juiced up from the sun's rays - Gizmodo
Tweet Scenes designs customized Twitter backgrounds for $129 - TechCrunch
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game ever bracket! - GeekSugar