geeksugar -- Geek is chic.

Gmail Tip: Never Forget Anyone in a Group Email

geeksugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:01:11 -0800

It can be embarrassing to forget someone in a big group email — when you remember, do you forward the whole string, or resend it to everyone? To avoid alienating anyone, Gmail can help.

From home, open up Contacts. Start checking off people you'd like to add to a group (which you can edit to add more or delete later), and then click on the Groups drop-down to the right. Click Add to New Group, and a field will open asking what you'd like to name the group. Maybe you'd like a group for your book club, or everyone you usually invite to events. After entering the name, you've just created a Gmail group.

When you go to compose your next invite, just start typing the name of the group, and everyone in the group will get your email.

Geek Tip: Take Cleaner Screenshots

geeksugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:32:18 -0800

Being able to take screenshots is useful for many reasons, but no matter how practical your reasons, your shots can still be clean and aesthetically pleasing.

If you're a Mac OS X Leopard or Tiger user, you probably know to take screenshots with Shift + Command + 4, which gives you a little cross hair icon to select the area to take a screenshot of. Take that further and press that combo, and then hit the space bar. Instead of a cross hair icon, you'll get a little camera icon.

This enables you to take a perfect shot of one single application (even if it's buried under layers of windows). The resulting screenshot, like the one pictured here, gives you perfect edges, that cool shadow effect, and zero messiness.

The Martha Stewart Geek Health Tip I Can't Get Behind

geeksugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:00:42 -0800

Martha Stewart may be one of my idols, but a health tip she included in the January issue of her namesake magazine, Martha Stewart Living, has me disagreeing with her pretty profusely.

Here's what she says:
"Alongside every one of my computers, I have a pitcher of mineral water infused with lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber and mint. I find that I drink more if the pitcher is there as a reminder and I can freely pour a glass, rather than opening bottle after bottle of water during the day."

Martha, really, open pitchers of water right alongside your computers? Sure, you should drink plenty of water, but putting a large, open vessel of liquid right next to your computer is just inviting damage (don't those pitchers look foreboding rather than refreshing?). Careful as you may be, it only takes a little nudge to fry a keyboard or worse, a motherboard.

Unless you can afford to replace expensive tech easily, do as I do, and drink lots of water — just put a lid on it.

Geek Party Tip: Count Down to the New Year on Your Monitor

geeksugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:04:53 -0800

If you're having a New Year's Eve party tonight and will have a computer monitor in view, then download this free 3D New Year's Countdown.

When it comes, confetti will fall and "Auld Lang Syne" will play. Post New Year's Day, the screen saver countdown starts over (which I love, because NYE is my favorite holiday).

Your guests can stay hyped up and follow the countdown the whole night — because don't those last 10 seconds always seem to sneak up on you?!

How a Shutter Cable Will Keep Your Hands Warm in the Cold

geeksugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:35:42 -0800

Toss this Geek Tip in the "Duh, why didn't I think of that before?" file! Digital Photography School's blog has opened my eyes to many photography tricks, and this one is no exception. Here's your scenario: you've gotten your fill of food and Christmas light photos, and you want to get some nice landscape or nature pics. This, of course, would mean that you have to go outside. . . where it's likely to be 10 below, factoring in the wind chill. Even if you've bundled up enough to keep from shivering, what about your hands?!

When it's too cold to risk your appendages, try this tip I learned from DPS Online: keep your hands covered with your mittens or gloves, and still hit that shutter release button via a shutter cable. You can find them on Amazon for nearly every digital camera model, and they are pretty inexpensive. Duh, right?

Geek Tip: Put Together a Bibliography Online

geeksugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:00:52 -0800

For all my students, I hate to interrupt your Winter breaks to give you some school advice, but if I can make your upcoming semester a little less painful, then I've done my job.

My most hated task when I was in school was putting together bibliographies for papers. You had to know the format, all the book's info, where to indent. . . ugh. Thankfully, this generation gets BibMe, a website that will put together your bibliographies for free.

Input the book, magazine, film, even website, that you used to research your paper, and BibMe auto-fills all the info needed for the bibliography, in whatever format you need — MLA, APA, Chicago, or Turabian.

Last Minute Shipping For Xmas: Yes You Can!

geeksugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:00:40 -0800

I've rounded up my favorite Geeky Gift Guides and provided you with some Holiday Tips, Tricks and Ideas, but what about very last minute shopping and shipping help?! You knew I'd pull through, and here it is!

And for more gift ideas, be sure to check out HolidaySugar!

Get your Best Buy order in today by 11 a.m. ET to receive your geek goods by Christmas Eve.
Choose Next Day shipping by 6 p.m. ET today to get your tech toys from Amazon by Christmas Eve.
You've only got until 1 p.m. ET today to get your Apple treats shipped to you by Christmas Eve — but the next day shipping upgrade is free!
Hurry and get your Circuit City orders in by 1 p.m. ET today to get your gadgets by the eve of Dec. 24!
The Discovery Channel will take orders until 2 p.m. ET today for delivery of items by Christmas Eve.

For a complete list of stores that will honor delivery of items just in time for Christmas, visit dealnews.

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Cell Phone Camera Tip: Never Get Beer Goggles Again

geeksugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:00:44 -0800

Drink responsibly. Flirt responsibly. The term "beer goggles" can mean nothing to you, if you take care in making a digital memory of the person you met last night — the person you thought was amazing at the time, but then got home and realized that you couldn't really remember his face.

Even if you're not drinking, your short-term memory could still be clouded by a heady initial meeting. Snap a shot for evidence that you weren't making things up. And there's no need to be awkward about it — ask them to pose for a picture with you, so you're not creepily just circling your iPhone near his face pretending to be checking a text message.

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Geek Tip: Save Serious Cash With Amazon's Gold Box Lightning Deals

geeksugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:01:07 -0800

Although it may be too late to get free shipping and receive your Amazon goodies by Christmas, it's never too late to save some serious dough on things you crave.

Want a good way to get the most out of your Amazon gift card? Try Amazon's Gold Box Lightning Deals. Every hour on the hour, Amazon releases another item for sale at a seriously discounted price.

You'll never know what item is up next, and that's part of the fun of it. But Amazon does give you a little hint on what it could be to pique your interest so you return in an hour . . . with that gift card in hand! Yesterday I got SingStar Abba for $15 bucks (62 percent off the sticker price), which is totally going to take my SingStar New Year's Eve party to another level.

Cell Phone Camera Tip: Remember the Wine For Later

geeksugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:00:03 -0800

This is a great use of your cell phone's camera for the holiday season, since many people go out to dinner, parties, and drink wine while out. There have been many times where I tasted a new bottle of wine, decided I loved it, and tried to remember what it was called so I could purchase it later.

I never remember. I blame my bad short-term memory and the actual wine drunk.

So now I have taken to snapping a shot of the wine's label with my iPhone or BlackBerry. Now I never forget my new favorites!

Cell Phone Camera Tip: Remember Where You Parked in a City

geeksugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:00:21 -0800

Last week I told you about my geek tip for remembering where you parked in a huge parking structure or mall lot by taking a pic with your cell phone's camera, but needing to know where you parked isn't confined to being in a parking lot. Have you ever tried to park in a big city, for instance?

I happen to live in a very busy neighborhood where parking places are scarce. Once you find a place to park your car, you're pretty far away from your destination. Before leaving your car in no man's land, snap a picture of the street signs (preferably the intersection) with your cell phone's camera.

Check it on your way back, and forget about wandering the streets like some sad, lost tourist.

Geek Tip: Use Your Strap to Keep Your SLR Camera Safe

geeksugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:35:15 -0800

You know your expensive camera needs to be kept safe, but besides the obvious commonsense of wearing your camera strap around your neck, there are other precautions you can take to prevent damage to your snapper.

Wrap it: Holding the camera body in one hand, put your other hand through the strap, then twist that hand around the strap about four times. Grab the other side of the camera body with that wrapped hand. This makes it so that if someone bumps into you or you trip, your falling camera will just slowly unravel, giving you a chance to grab it. Whereas if you just had your hand through the strap, it would slip off your hand and hit the ground before you had a chance to do anything about it.

To see my other tip, just

Flying with NWA This Holiday Season? Use an E-Boarding Pass!

geeksugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:25:49 -0800

Earlier this year, Northwest Airlines announced that they would be offering E-Boarding passes to select cities offering nonstop flights.

Wondering how it works? When you check in to your flight on nwa.com, just select the E-Boarding Pass option from the drop down on the "Completing Your Check-In" page. From this page, you will be prompted to enter your cell phone information, and your E-Boarding Pass will then be sent to your phone. Once you get to the gate, you will have to show your screen with the 2D barcode and scan it right there.

So far, people have reported that it works great — minus the TSA part since they usually check your paper boarding pass with your ID as you walk through the security X-Ray Machine — something they'll have to work on improving.

8 Ecard Sites That Offer Fun Holiday Greetings

geeksugar — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:14:58 -0800

If you're a card-sending procrastinator like me, make things a little easier on yourself by sending your holiday announcements or cards online! There are so many fun and festive ecards nowadays that your recipients will instantly forget that you sent it over the world wide web instead of through the mail. Here are eight of my favorites that make card sending simple and entertaining!

Geek Tip: Send Your Holiday Cards Online

geeksugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:00:27 -0800

I'm not really good at sending out holiday cards, which is why it's still sitting on my to-do list with just two weeks to go until Christmas. If you're a card-sending procrastinator like me, make things a little easier on yourself by sending your holiday announcements or cards online!

One of my new favorite online invite sites, Pingg, isn't just for invitations — you can send cards, too! Pingg offers a beautiful selection of images to choose from, or you can upload your own images to customize your holiday cards even further.

What's more, you can send your cards out via snail mail for those relatives that aren't so tech savvy. Trust me, Pingg makes it totally painless to send out cards — no stamps or licking of envelopes required!

Cell Phone Camera Tip: Remember Where You Parked

geeksugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:30:27 -0800

Your cell phone camera is not just for making sure you get proof of celebrity sightings; you can exploit this feature of your cell phone for simple, everyday things, like using it to capture appointment cards.

Today's tip is simple but lifesaving: When you park in a large parking structure, like at the airport, take a photo of the lot's place marker (like where it says "A2", for example).

If there isn't anything like that to mark your spot, then take a pic of any nearby landmarks. Never feel like the idiot who lost her car again!

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How to Use iPhoto's Tags, Hotkeys to Make Slideshows Easier

geeksugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:01:16 -0800

The idea of tagging photos is nothing new, but most people use it for things like identification, ala Facebook or Picasa (whose face-recognition technology continues to blow me away). After having had several parties in the last few months for people, and thereby putting together slideshows featuring the guests of honor, I realized how much photo tagging could help me — but with the original files.

I'm finally putting iPhoto's tagging to use; not only will tagging the photo files by the names of the people in them to sort through later, it couldn't be easier. iPhoto lets you assign hotkeys to the names of people who frequently appear in your pictures.

To see more of how you tag and use hotkeys in iPhoto, just

Geek Tip: Keep Track of Appointments With Your Cell Phone's Camera

geeksugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:01:50 -0800

How did I not think of this sooner? I've always got several annoying pieces of 2"x3" card stock in my bag with my doctor, dentist, or beauty appointments.

One day, I'll have the time and memory to input appointments into my calendar the second I make a new one, but until now, it's appointment card city for me.

There had to be a better way — and there is! The answer was also inside my bag. From now on, I'm taking photos with my iPhone's camera of all my appointment cards. From there, I'll either email them from my camera roll, or just leave them there, because unlike a piece of flimsy paper, I know where to find it!

Have Some Holiday Fun With Google Docs

geeksugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:00:15 -0800

Why spend a small fortune on things like holiday cards, gift tags, and festive mail labels when you can get them all for free on Google Docs? Google Docs offers a great selection of holiday templates that include the holiday snowflake postcard, address labels, holiday gift tags, and video card templates. And if you're like me and you need an updated address list for friends and family members, there's even a template that makes it easy to gather addresses. Just sign in to Google Docs and click on any of the above links to get started, or click on File, then New, then Holiday to see all of the ones you can choose from.

And for gift ideas, make sure you head on over to HolidaySugar!

How to Identify Fonts — Even Easier

geeksugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:30:54 -0800

This isn't the first time I've told you how to identify fonts — What the Font can usually do the trick, but this way is even easier, and more accurate, too. Identifont is a website that identifies fonts — especially the really wily ones, and it's a pretty low-tech approach.

You "describe" what certain letters look like in a font, with their prompts of course, and then Identifont figures out what it is and tells you. You all already know of my love for fonts, so this will just increase my knowledge.

Geek Tip: Get the Retail Me Not Firefox Extension

geeksugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:30:31 -0800

Since we're shifting into holiday shopping overdrive, sales, saving money, and spending seem to top our conversations virtually every day. So I must insist that you add the Retail Me Not extension to your Firefox browser.

It's going to help you do all three: save by alerting you when there is a sale or discount available, and help you spend less than you would if just browsing online stores till all hours of the night looking for a deal. It's free to add-on, but will be worth its weight in gold once you tally up your receipts at the end of the month and see how much you've saved.

And don't forget if you're looking for a bargain, you can always check out ShopStyle's Sale Habit, where you'll find tons of deals from all across the Internet!

Geek Tip: Don't Send Money to Nigeria

geeksugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:02:14 -0800

Do you really have to read gadget blogs every day like I do to recognize that sending money to someone in Nigeria via sites like Craigslist is a terrible idea?

Because you could knock me over with a feather every time I hear another story about someone falling for a Nigerian scam, and this new one, about a women who lost $400,000 to a Nigerian racket, is a real doozie. I mean, she was promised over $20 million dollars if she just helped this stranger in Africa . . . what could go wrong?

Seriously people, you don't have to be up on the latest technology in computers, cell phones, or televisions, but listen to me here: Never send money to a stranger in another country. Never send money to a stranger who contacts you via email, period. If someone is responding to a Craigslist ad you've posted, only deal locally and in person.

You're probably savvy enough as you're reading this blog, so do your less-aware family members a favor and forward this along.

Source

Prepare Yourself For Cyber Monday: Get Your Shopping Tips Here

geeksugar — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:30:23 -0800

To be completely honest, Cyber Monday excites me more than Black Friday. I can skip the early morning wakeup call, the crowds, and the rushing around from store to store trying to get the must-have items on my shopping list. Cyber Monday means I can do all my shopping online without having to set foot in a busy mall, while still scoring some amazing deals. To make this day even more exciting, I have buckets of tips in this slideshow that will help you save even more while you're clicking away. Check them out — you can thank me later. Source

Use Dial My Calls to Send One Message to a Group of People

geeksugar — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:02:15 -0800

Ever wish you could send out a voice message to a group of people in your contacts list? Thanks to a neat site that I discovered on Lifehacker, this is now possible! With Dial My Calls, you can send one message to all your friends for things like sharing an announcement, telling them there's been a change of plans, or reminding them of an upcoming event. Kinda like sending a mass email, except this message comes with the sound of your beautiful voice.

Geek Tip: Use PicClick For Easy Ebay and Amazon Browsing

geeksugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:00:06 -0800

My number one rule for reselling an item on Amazon or Ebay is to make sure you take great photos of your item to post in your ad. Seriously, how many times have you passed up a classified because it doesn't have a photo? I do it all the time. So to make things a little easier for us visual types, there's PicClick.

PicClick pulls only those ads from Amazon and Ebay that have a picture in them, but unlike the standard CL search function, PicClick shows you all of the images at once!

How-To: Combine Photos From Different People With Picasa

geeksugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:02:13 -0800

At the end of a holiday or party, several people usually end up with photos of their own from the same event — wouldn't it be great to combine them all easily? If you're a Picasa user, you can do it!

In Picasa, go to Settings and scroll down to "Allow me to upload photos by email." Check this box, and a field will appear, prompting you to enter a secret word. I choose words relevant to the holiday, such as "thanksgiving" — and Picasa will populate a new email address that appends to your Gmail address. For instance, if your Gmail address is "jane.doe@gmail.com", your unique Picasa address would be "jane.doe.thanksgiving@picasaweb.com."

This is the address you give out to your family, instructing them to simply email their photos to this address. Once they start emailing, everyone's photos will appear in your Drop Box on your Picasa page, and from there, you can combine them all in one special album!

Geek Tip: Text Mint to Get Your Bank Account Balance

geeksugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:00:45 -0800

I regularly sing the praises of Mint, a free site that makes it easy to manage your finances online, so when I heard about their latest feature — text message alerts of your account balances — I couldn't wait to try it out.

If you're already signed-up to Mint, just text BAL or BALANCE to MyMint (696-468) and Mint will send you the balances from all of your bank accounts that you track in your Mint account.

Now you won't have any excuses about over-spending when you're out shopping!

How to Take Great Food Photos

geeksugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:03:03 -0800

With the mother of all food holidays just around the corner, I thought this would be the perfect time to discuss food photography. Whether you are a total foodie wielding a blog about your nightly experiments or are just into taking pics, I found lots of helpful tips on Digital Photography School about how to take mouth-watering food photos.

Although you can check out the full list of hints and tricks on the blog, the tip that stood out the most was one that told me to experiment with different angles. Don't get stuck taking an overhead shot, just cause you're sitting above your plate. Sometimes, the best shots are found when you're at eye level with your fluffy, carb-filled stuffing, and others are captured when you're looking straight down at your uncut pumpkin pie. Don't be afraid to move around!

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My Top 5 TiVo Tips!

geeksugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:00:51 -0800

Hearing the news about being able to order pizza from your TiVo the other day just made me swell with pride about my beloved piece of home tech. Ever since I brought home my TiVo years ago, it's done so much more than my previous DVR. Check out my 5 favorite tips to make your TiVo work overtime!

Geek Tip: How to Not Get in Trouble on Facebook

geeksugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:00:22 -0800

After hearing about the umpteenth person to lose their job or otherwise get in trouble because they posted something on Facebook, the message is clear: It's not Facebook, you may just be oversharing.

Whether it's the wrong time or the fact that you're flaunting an event that you lied about being at to someone, you are in control over whether you endure the consequences for it — from Facebook anyway. Below, a few common sense guidelines.

Don't go on Facebook drunk.
Don't post photos from events someone may not have known you attended or hosted.
Don't post photos of yourself intoxicated.
Privatize your Facebook account.
Be judicious about which people you will add as friends, and then constantly edit said list.

To see the rest of the tips, just

What's the Diff? JPEG and PNG Image Formats

geeksugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:00:45 -0800

I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly on top of it when it comes to using the "proper" image formats in stories. What am I talking about? JPEG and PNG formats. Thankfully Digital Inspiration broke it down in layman's terms so we can all figure out when and when not to use PNG and JPEG formats.

Basically, PNG files are compressed in a way that doesn't involve a loss of image data, so pictures are clear and you don't get blurring or smudging. Therefore, they are best suited for images with lots of text, line art, and pics that don't have a lot of color. The photo here is a PNG file so you can see how clear the text turned out on the left side of the picture. And if you recall the hilarious story about my mom creating a happy face in IM for the first time, what I should have done was uploaded it in a PNG format since the text from the IM convo looks blurry. Most people end up using JPEG files since they are great for photographs (good for tone and color) and don't use up as much bandwidth.

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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!

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Widgets Show What Little Time You Have Left to Shop For Xmas

geeksugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:04:34 -0800

Seriously, can this year go by any faster? I'm just getting over my candy-corn high, haven't even begun to prepare myself for the overstuffed feelings of Thanksgiving, and now I have to think about that Christmas shopping list that's already looking a bit too long for my budget!

If you're having trouble keeping track of time (like yours truly), you could paste a handy countdown widget on your blog, or on your Mac's dashboard to remind you how many days left until the big day, or the alternative: ignore the countdown altogether. But what fun is that?

There's plenty of widget options over at Widgetbox, including these two cute Santa and Christmas Tree versions and some fun holiday widgets like the Christmas Tree Decorator and the Holiday Tradition Generator.

Those last two I mentioned aren't particularly helpful, but they are pretty fun to play with . . . and they keep my mind off the shrinking size of my wallet!

Access Your Gmail Wherever, Whenever with Toolbar Plugin

geeksugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:00:52 -0800

Shakira's mantra doesn't always hold true with technology (who hasn't battled WiFi, a cell signal or less than logical download?), but most toolbar plugins offer sweet simplicity and easy access to the tools you need no matter where your surfing habits lead you.

The Google Toolbar 5 for Internet Explorer or Firefox puts a custom button to Gmail at your fingertips. You won't have to keep a window open and refresh it obsessively because you can get new message alerts, see previews of your mail and use Toolbar's search box to find any message no matter what page you're on.

How to Share Anything on the Internet in Google Reader

geeksugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:00:42 -0800

You know I'm a freak about Google Reader, and one of the reasons I love it is the Share function. I have a few buddies with whom I exchange interesting posts — for those unfamiliar with it, you can share posts from the feeds that you subscribe to with people on your shared list on Reader. I love sharing so much that I was shocked when my friend told me I could share anything, from any site, whether or not you're subscribing to that feed (or if they don't offer a feed to subscribe to).

Say you run across a video on YouTube, and want all your buddies to see. From this Notes page, drag the "Note in Reader" bookmark to your browser, and then when you find that amazing kitten-in-a-box video, just click that Note in Reader bookmark, and the sharing box pops up as if you're on your Reader page.

To your friends, it will appear exactly the same as the posts from your feeds do.

Geek Tip: Check Out YouTube Videos on a Timeline

geeksugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:30:26 -0800

The Internet can provide a wealth of knowledge these days, but sometimes I find that the news can get a little jumbled. Like searching YouTube for videos relating to the presidential election — although you can sort by when videos were uploaded (today, this week, or this month) things are still out of order and shown by how many views, not by latest video uploaded. I want up-to-the-minute results!

Which is why I think this latest YouTube mashup is pretty cool. Brought to us by Dipity, TimeTube lets you check out uploaded videos on a timeline so you never miss a beat. You can search any subject under the sun and TimeTube will show you videos dating back up to 500 years! Did YouTube exist back then? I didn't think so.

How to Zombify Your Pictures!

geeksugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:00:12 -0700

Halloween is nearly upon us, my friends, and if that doesn't give you an excuse to make yourself look like a zombie then I don't know what will!

It's super easy: Using the web-editing site I told you about before, Picnik, just upload a photo with a human face in it, then in the create tab, and scroll down to the Halloween options.

Use the zombie brush to coat your subject's face, body, and clothes, and watch as the life is drained from the face. Finish it up with some blood stains around their mouth (because that's what zombies do), and voila! Zombie youth!

Expected Holiday HDTV Price Drop Explained

geeksugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 06:00:52 -0700

If you're in the market for a new HDTV and are ready to plunk down your money for that new set — hold off! The prices of HDTVs are expected to plummet in the coming months, which can mean huge savings for you.

There are a number of factors that may lead to LCD and Plasma TV prices hitting the deck this shopping season, one of which is the economy. We're afraid to spend our money! So retailers have to make it irresistible for hesitant shoppers to hand over that credit card, while they clear out their inventory to make room for the newer models to come.

Another reason for the deep discounts? The digital signal switch. If you haven't gotten on board with digital, and are still using an analog signal TV (with the 'ole bunny ear antenna), you have until February 17, 2009 to get your hands on a converter box, or to upgrade your television. What a better way to usher in this new era of digital viewing than with a LCD TV, deeply discounted to sell?

Want to know when the best time to buy might be? Hint: it may not be when you think! Find out when you

Add Colored Cellophane to Your Flash For Spooky Effects

geeksugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:00:27 -0700

Halloween is only days away, and if you haven't already picked out your costume and carved your geeky pumpkin then I suggest you get on it! Halloween is the perfect time to take some great candid and group photos of your dressed-up pals, but if you want to add a bit more "flare" to your shots, try this tip I found on Digital Photography School online: Attach colored cellophane to your camera's flash to add a cool effect to your photos, similar to the kind you'd get on a Lomo Colorsplash Camera!

No need to rush out and buy expensive colored gels from your closest camera shop, just pick up some colored cellophane from an art supply store (I like red or orange for Halloween, of course) and tape it over your flash. It will add a spooky glow to your shots, as well as diffuse the bright flash that might otherwise be too bright for your nighttime shots.

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10 Ways to Save Time and Be More Productive

geeksugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:57:25 -0700

10 Ways to Save Time and Be More Productive Nearly every day I hear a co-worker sigh and say, "It's 5:30! OMG! How did that happen?!" Truth be told there aren't always enough hours in the day to complete your tasks.

Geek Tip: How to Build a Lego Jack-o'-Lantern!

geeksugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:25:30 -0700

If you don't have time to get out to a pumpkin patch this season and carve a geeky pumpkin, you can probably fit in a Lego Jack-o'-Lantern!

The Lego website has step-by-step instructions on how to put it together, and all you need for your own 3D Lego pumpkin is two sets of Lego pumpkin packs and some patience.

It certainly beats trying to get that pumpkin muck out from under your fingernails!

Password Quandaries and Facts You Should Consider

geeksugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:01:18 -0700

While more than 72 percent of you admit to being security junkies, the facts are clear: Our data isn't always secure. Most of us sign-up for more online communities, services and mailing lists than we can wrap our minds around so it's easy to misplace that Post-It note with all your usernames. Here are few facts and suggestions for keeping your private business private.

Namebirdie Makes Name-Changing a Breeze!

geeksugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:00:18 -0700

Recently married and stressing about the whole name-changing process? Well there's this awesome new site called namebirdie that will walk you through all the steps to change your maiden name to your new married name online!

It costs $25, but for this small fee, it will save you the hassle of finding all of the forms to fill out online, and you won't need to get a lawyer.

All you have to do is fill out the necessary forms, print and sign them, mail the forms away, and voila, your name will legally be changed! Love that!

Geek Tip: Pimp Out Your Page With Free Widgets

geeksugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:31:19 -0700

If you're into pimping out your webpage or blog with widgets (and who isn't), then you should totally check out Labpixies. It's a free site that lets you embed tons of cool, fun, and helpful widgets on your blog, Facebook or Myspace page, or anywhere you want to add a widget. Hey, you could even add one to your TeamSugar profile page!

All of the widgets are free, so go crazy! You can add a weather widget to your Facebook page, and make all those people living up in the North jealous of your fab weather down in Florida, or add an eye-catching Flickr slideshow to keep those eyeballs on your blog for longer.

Use TheFind on Your iPhone For Shopping Made Easy

geeksugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:00:09 -0700

Pair Checkout Smartshop — the app that will help you find prices of products locally and online — with the new iPhone version of TheFind and you're all set to get your shop on. With TheFind you can find any product online and not only that but it will tell you all the stores nearby that has that particular item. One click will give you prices, another directions, and another a store phone number just like that.

Source

Geek Tip: Send Empty Gmail Messages

geeksugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:30:21 -0700

Have you ever tried to send a Gmail message without a story body (you know the kind that says "I'll be right there!") and received a pop-up that prompts you to add text to the body of the email?

The Official Gmail Blog taught me you can add "EOM" or "(EOM)" at the end of the subject line (that's short for End of Message), and Gmail will silently send the message without the unnecessary prompt. Of course, you could just send a text message, but it's a helpful tip nonetheless.

As long as Gmail keeps the Mail Goggles prompts coming I'll be a happy Googler.

Use Firefox's Page Info to Recover Forgotten Passwords

geeksugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:30:07 -0700

Do you chronically blank on your passwords? If so, I have a little tip that can make things much easier on you: you can recover saved passwords from any site in Firefox in five easy steps! Ready? Here we go:

Right click anywhere on the web page you need to sign in to.
Select "View Page Info"
Click on the "Security" tab in the menu.
Click on "View Saved Passwords"
Click on "Show Passwords"

You can then view all user names and saved passwords that have been stored by your Firefox cookies.

Is this tip helpful? Yes — I have forgotten many a password in my day and this would have saved me time and frustration. Is this tip dangerous? Possibly — if your computer isn't password protected and it just so happens to fall into the wrong hands, you could be setting yourself up for a problem. My solution would be to use this little tip when you need it, but remember to password protect your computer so it's safely locked when you aren't around!

Geek Tip: Identify Fonts With What the Font

geeksugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:36:50 -0700

Even with my vast knowledge of fonts, there are just too many (and so many more created each day) to know what each and every one is. Sometimes you're either curious about what a font you see is, or you want to actually use it.

The website My Font is your new aid; they have a webapp called What the Font, which allows you to upload a JPG or enter a URL with the font, and it will try its hardest to identify it.

If the font you selected is not a known font (like the custom one created for Blueprint magazine, seen here), it will suggest a few different fonts that are close. Fontabulous!

Websites to Help Save You Money

geeksugar — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:10:49 -0700

I hate to rain on anyone's Sunday parade, but the fact of the matter is the economy is in shambles right now. You can either take the laissez-faire approach and hope for the best, or you can be proactive by being a responsible spender! Saving cash seems to be the name of the game right now, so to help you penny-pinch a bit more, I've put together some of my financial-favorite websites. Check them out below!

Get Cash Back For Your Old Cell Phone With Flipswap	Read Books For Free With DailyLit	Find Affordable Car Repair Shops in Your Area With RepairPal
GasBuddy Helps You Find the Nearest Cheapest Gas Station	Manage Your Money Online For Free With Mint	Get Coupons and Cash Back By Shopping Online With Ebates

Geek Tip: Easily Watermark Your Images with PicMarkr

geeksugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:35:17 -0700

Do you know what a watermark is? I'm sure you have seen them on a few geeksugar posts, but do you know what are they used for? A watermark is used to tell people who the photos belong to, and especially helpful if you don't want anyone else using them without your permission. But it's not only blogs or businesses that use watermarks, you can use them too — even in photos you've uploaded to Flickr — to protect your copyrights.

Which is why using PicMarkr is so easy — just upload the photo you want to watermark (from Flickr, from your TeamSugar account, or from your computer), select what type of watermark you want (either text that you type in, or by uploading a logo), and you're done! You can even send your newly watermarked photo from PicMarkr right into Flickr, making it super simple to brand your best work.