GeekSugar

Have You Seen Many Fake Yelp Reviews?

Emily Co — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:21:16 PDT

Sometimes, when I looking at restaurants or businesses on Yelp, the glowing five-star reviews left by users with very little history makes me a bit suspicious. A piece in The New York Times addressed the issue of people hiring themselves out as Amazon and Yelp reviewers to make some extra bucks. There are actually review factories that hire writers and other individuals to churn out positive pieces for their clients. “We were not asked to provide a five-star review, but would be asked to turn down an assignment if we could not give one,” says freelance writer Sarah Parker, who was hired to write reviews on Amazon.

Although there are researchers who are working on algorithms that may do a better job of getting rid of these spam reviews, there is still a long way to go. Apparently, one of the signs of a fake review is using "I" and "me" too much, and having a vague description as if they haven't actually used the product or been to the establishment. What do you think - have you come across a lot of dubious Yelp reviews?

Yummy Links: From French Dips to Spam

YumSugar — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:01:30 PDT

Make a French dip in honor of Bastille Day. - Food Republic
Tips for hosting a Harry Potter screening party. - The Daily Meal
Top Chef asked Texas tourism boards to pay for filming in Texas. - Eater
From nachos to pizza, creative ways to make s'mores. - KitchenDaily
See which chain restaurants are pushing healthier menu items for kids. - Grub Street SF
Expand your cooking repertoire by using farro. - The FN Dish
Yelp will go public sometime in the next year. - PC Mag
Spam: not such a mystery meat after all. - TLC

Source: Flickr User stu_spivack

My 5 Essential Tech Tools For Relocating

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:08:36 PDT

Moving can be such a hassle, but it doesn't have to be painful. Over the course of the last month, as my apartment hunt has gone into full swing, I've discovered that these five tech tools can be a lifesaver when it comes to saving up, budgeting, selling off my unused items, and even taking a virtual tour of apartments from miles away. Check out my most-used digital tools, then share with us the apps and sites you have used to help you move!

PadMapper - Recently recommended to me by a co-worker, PadMapper has helped me save lots of time by aggregating more available units (via Craigslist, Apartments.com, and other rental agencies), and placing them on a Google Map for easy location browsing.
Ustream - My husband and I couldn't make an open house at the same time, so he streamed the apartment tour on Ustream so I could see it in real time. The best part is, I could comment via the chat feature to ask questions and hear the conversations as if I were really there.
Ebay For iPhone - Since we're moving to a smaller place, some of our precious gadgets and gizmos have to go. Instead of dealing with the hassle of negotiation and no-shows on Craigslist, we started selling some of our goods on Ebay. The app has streamlined our process, since you can upload pics from your iPhone and list your item right on your mobile device. Plus, you can check on the status of your items and get alerts when someone has bid or bought instantly.

See the rest of the list after the jump.

Feeling Wronged as a Customer? Vent Online to These 6 Sites

Emily Co — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:51:36 PDT

One of the things I love about this digital age is that we have more power as consumers, because we now have a public online forum to voice our dissatisfaction. Sometimes you may feel like your complaints are going unheard. Perhaps the firm did not respond to your multiple calls and emails or maybe the customer service rep was just plain rude. As frustrating as it is, we know that the "customer is always right" adage is no longer true for many establishments. But don't worry, there are plenty of places to voice your unhappiness. Here are some of them:

Amazon: If you're unhappy with any product you have received, leave a review on Amazon.com to enlighten other customers. Amazon is the largest online retailer in the US so your review will definitely be seen by many pairs of eyes.
The Consumerist: A bulk of the posts on consumerist.com come from complaints and tips from readers. The blog also scours the news to find other examples of consumers being wronged. Some of the top posts include a customer getting banned from Best Buy after catching the store doing something illegal.
Yelp: Compelling Yelp reviews can really make a difference. I've gotten messages from shop owners thanking me for my positive review and some who requested me to take down a negative one. Remember, you're the one with the upper hand so don't be cowed by store owners who try to threaten you.

For more places to vent, read on.

Whose Review Is More Important? A Critic's or Yelp's?

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 05:17:17 PST

Chef Tyler Florence recently proposed a question to his Twitter followers that I can't stop thinking about. He asked: what's more important to you, a local restaurant critic's review or Yelp? While I've never been much of a Yelper, I've always read the San Francisco Chronicle's restaurant reviews. However, I prefer to make my own judgment about an eatery. I guess neither the critic or the Yelper has much an influence over me. How about you?

An iPad-Controlled Keg? Party Time!

GeekSugar — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 09:00:24 PDT

Yes, even geeks know how to party! Meet the Yelp KegMate, an iPad re-engineered to be your virtual bartender. Created by a team of Yelp engineers, the KegMate attaches to your keg, measures the amount of beer you (and others) drink, and keeps track of who is drinking (drinkers must scan an RFID chip to use the keg). It even allows users to rate the beer. Too bad it doesn't serve you, too!

Check out the explanatory video after the break.

Which Geo-Location App Do You Use?

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:45:19 PDT

I'm a mayor of a few locations on Foursquare, but I gotta be honest - I'm a big boss on Loopt Star. It seems that even though Loopt Star offers way more actual rewards than Foursquare (and adding more discounts at various locations every day), everyone is hooked on the latter.

Obviously, I love Foursquare (since that's where all my friends are), but I use more than one geo-location app to maximize my rewards potential. And now that Yelp has added a check-in feature to its mobile app (you can be a Duke or Duchess of a location and earn badges and royalty status), there's even more ways to rule your 'hood.

So tell me, which geo-location app do you use? Do you use more than one like me?

Daily Tech: Avoid Being a Useless Yelper With These Tips

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:00:13 PDT

Avoid being a useless Yelp reviewer with this handy guide - Urlesque
BlackBerry 6 teaser shows the social side of BB - Gizmodo
Scientists develop a breakup test. No really! - Lemondrop
Turn your monitor into a news ticker for easy consumption - Lifehacker
Bad news: the oil leak could destroy us all - Dvice

Website of the Day: FourWhere

GeekSugar — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:45:11 PDT

Location-based apps and services like Foursquare, Yelp, and Gowalla can be super helpful in finding a great place to eat or meet up, as well as tell you where your friends are. But jumping around from app to app can be a waste of time, especially now that you have FourWhere - a Google Map mashup of all three of those location-based services that tells you which joints are poppin' right now, along with reviews and tips that folks have posted in real time. Just select your location, the search criteria you prefer - by venue, by comments, or by tips - and you're sure to find an evening out WIN.

Do you have an interesting website you want to share? Join the Website of the Day group and share it for a chance to be featured on GeekSugar.

Yummy Links: From Leftover Pizza to Outdoor Dining in SF

partysugar — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 06:50:44 PDT

The best way to reheat leftover pizza. - Slice
Paula Deen has been robbed by her maid. - Huffington Post Food
The person behind Ruth Bourdain is still a mystery. - Wall Street Journal
Yelp has partnered with Opentable. - Eater
All salt is not created equal. - Chow
Is seaweed the new superfood? - The Epi-Log
The two Franks behind The Frankies Spuntino Cookbook discuss their dreams of being rock stars. - Feast
The best places to dine outdoors in San Francisco. - Grub Street SF