GeekSugar

CES '09 Recap!

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:00:26 -0800

Hey, in case you missed it, the Super Bowl(s) of the geek world took place last week here in San Francisco and Las Vegas: Macworld and CES! We saw lots of hot products (and a few unbelievable ones) being unveiled this year, and personally, I'm anxious to get my hands on a few of these beauties. You can check out my Macworld roundup here, but in the meantime, have a look at some of my favorite things from CES below!

Kodak's OLED Picture Frame	MSI Unleashes the X320	Eye-Fi Hits the iPhone
Sony's Webbie Camcorder	Peep the Palm Pre	Sony's Tiny Netbook Debut

Macworld '09 Roundup

GeekSugar — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:03:50 -0800

If you were one of the lucky ones who was still on holidays this past week, Macworld 2009 has already come and gone. I must admit, it just wasn't the same this year without Steve Jobs, but thankfully there were some interesting announcements to feed our Apple addictions. Want to find out what they were? Check out the headlines below!

iPhoto and iMovie '09	iLife and iWork '09	GarageBand '09
The 17-Inch MacBook Pro	What Macworld Is Like For a Girl	Sexy Trexta iPhone and Laptop Accessories

Where the Hell Is Matt Harding? He's at Macworld, Baby!

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:00:50 -0800

I got up bright and early yesterday morning to wait in line for the David Pogue panel at Macworld, and was pleasantly surprised to find that this wouldn't be like the other forums I've seen before - this was the David Pogue Show! Set up like a late night talk show set, David welcomed a few tech-savvy guests you may (or may not) recognize, one of them being Matt Harding.

Matt is the dancing man you (and 17 million others) have seen on YouTube, going from country to country, dancing the same little jig at each location. Matt was there to tell us all about how he started this whole adventure in the first place. Check out how it began when you read more.

After spending years as a video game designer, Matt had a change of heart:

I had just quit my job - cause I realized I wasn't very good at it - but I realized I was really good at traveling, so I made my first video in 2003, shot it on a little digital camera I kept in my pocket and was easy to carry around. In 2005, it was sorta "found" and got over a million views, and that's when Stride Gum approached me and asked me to do a video for them.

I'm totally blown away to see how someone could make a career out of dancing around the world, just by doing what they love! Enjoy Matt's latest video above, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm totally jealous.

What Macworld Is Like For a Girl

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:00:53 -0800

Now, I'm not going to reinforce the stereotype that there are NO women at Macworld. Because there are. Just not a lot. But the biggest issues of being a lady at one of the biggest tech conferences of the year have nothing to do with being outnumbered. Check out my slideshow for my experiences of being the fairer sex at this year's Macworld.

View Slideshow ›

Up Close With Garageband's Learn to Play Feature

GeekSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:03:09 -0800

San Francisco is alive with the sounds of Macworld, and the new learn to play feature for Garageband wants to add even more beautiful music. Check out my quick video of it, with the lovely Sara Bareilles giving a piano lesson.

I for one, cannot wait to get my hands on this; I've got a 10-year-old guitar sitting unplayed in my closet. I just need a little Apple prodding, and I'll be giving it my all!

Daily Tech: TiVo Shows Off a Redesigned Search Feature

GeekSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:12:32 -0800

TiVo users everywhere will be happy to know that its trusty digital video recorder has just received a new search, which offers improved search results. It is expected to roll out in beta today. - Engadget
Without Steve Jobs, or huge product announcements, is Macworld 2009 really one of the worst Macworlds ever? - Wired
Expect the BlackBerry 8900 Curve to come to T-Mobile this February. - The Boy Genius Report
If you want to upgrade your current iTunes music and video library to be completely DRM free, expect to pay 30 cents per song and 60 cents per music video. - CrunchGear
This is kinda scary. A new study shows that most teenagers talk about sex and violence on MySpace. - Switched

Trexta iPhone and Laptop Accessories Sex Up Macworld

GeekSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:00:13 -0800

My Macworld adventure continues! When I wasn't looking at hardware, I had my eyes peeled for new, stylish accessories. My favorite booth at Macworld was Trexta, a company specializing in sleek, sexy leather pieces for iPhones, iPods, and laptops.

Most of the leather accessories I end up with are ordered online, so I never get to see them and more importantly, feel, the grain and tell if it's a quality product. I've been disappointed more than once, but Trexta's stuff - in soft, buttery leather and patent leather (which I rarely see in peripheral accessories) would not let me down.

Trexta's booth reps didn't have pricing info yet, but don't worry - I'm on the lookout for these when they become available.

View 5 Photos ›

Apple's "Other" Announcement at Macworld

GeekSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:30:03 -0800

Wow, I cannot believe that I missed an Apple product unveiling during the keynote speech at Macworld yesterday. I guess between the new iPhoto and iMovie announcements and the big 17-inch MacBook Pro reveal, I got so carried away that I didn't pay attention to this revolutionary new product - the MacBook wheel. So simple, so powerful, so user-friendly - Who knew that everything could be only a few hundred clicks away!

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Dexim Helps Your MacBook Air Breathe a Little Easier

GeekSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:01:18 -0800

We all know that the drawback to owning the ultra-portable MacBook Air is its lack of ports -just one USB port is all you get with that baby. So when I saw the Dexim booth at Macworld, I knew they were onto something. The AV Dock Station is not only a place to charge and play your iPod, but it's also a USB hub that allows you to plug a few more things into your computer, like say, that USB Mini Fridge you've had your eye on.

But not only that, you can control your tunes and videos with the included remote. Cause when you're chilling in your hotel room, you really don't feel like getting up to change the song or adjust that volume, right?

Should Popular Songs Cost More on iTunes?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:30:26 -0800

One of the announcements that caught my eye from this year's Macworld event was the change in how much iTunes music downloads will cost. Starting in April, songs will cost either $0.69, $0.99, or $1.29. So far, Apple's just said the songs will be priced according to what labels charge them. But there's one theory going around that the $1.29 price will apply to "the handful of the most sought-after songs," which drive the majority of iTunes sales in the first place.

On the one hand, I don't mind paying $1.29 for "Single Ladies" if it means I can download more obscure stuff for less. But on the other hand, couldn't the most popular songs be cheaper because more people will be buying them? And what happens when last year's big single isn't so popular anymore - is it $1.29 forever?

So many questions, but let's start with the basic one: Is it a good idea to charge more for popular songs?

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