While we all want the children in our lives to eat apples – preferibly an apple a day, to keep the doctor away…having them chew away at our apple products just isn’t what we had in mind.

My 5 month old god-daughter – aka Julianne – the iPhone 4Slobber – is an avid lover of all apple products – her favorite being her mommy and daddy’s iPhone.  While this picture is extremely cute, and we are all patiently awaiting the arrival of her adorable teeth, having to speak into a drooled phone just isn’t cool.

Being the tech collector that I am, I was able to donate an old flip phone to the cause, but like many of us know, today’s babies are smart. They are so smart they want ‘smart’ phones – so I’m sorry Fisher Price – you just won’t cut it with my precious Julianne because she knows her divalicious mommy will not sport a highlighter yellow colored device. Right Glo?

Don’t worry, I found a solution on Amazon.com!

Did you know they sell ‘dummy’ phones (please don’t get offended) that look just like the real thing – so real they are marked as display phones? They are even sold as toys for children, so why not spend $75 on the replacement phone that you will after get from all the water damage the drool causes…just buy a display phone!

In less than 24 hours – thanks to my free 2 day shipping, our precious Julie will be chewing on her own BlackBerry Curve, for only $14.99.

I also purchased her a Palm Centro – because I rock two phones, so why shouldn’t she.

Anyway – for any parents or folks with children who love to put everything in their mouth – here is your solution.

BlackBerry or Palm, you choose. ($14.99 and $9.99 respectively)

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Starz Digital Media today announced that their iPad, iPhone and iPod touch game “Chugginton: Terrific Trainee!” is available for purchase from the Apple App Store for $1.99. The game features 16 missions and 4 levels, starting your kids favorite characters from the series.

“The Chuggington: Terrific Trainee! App is another way for fans to interact with the most loved Chuggington characters anywhere they want to play,” said Megan Buecher, director of licensing, Ludorum. “Preschoolers can play to earn badges just like the trainees do on the show.”

Wendy Wick, and her kids Elijah and Maya have been playing the game for a few days now and should have a review up tonight.

The launch price for Chuggington: Terrific Trainee! is $1.99 (iPhone) and $2.99 (iPad) at the App Store.

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Michael Reyes over at HardwareGeeks.com convinced me to install the new SRSLabs MyTunes App onto my iPod touch. He said it would deliver a music experience like nothing I ever heard before.

I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try so I downloaded the app from the App store and began to listen to my mix of music, at first I didn’t notice any real difference and realized I wasn’t using the app. I’m a brunette but I do have my blond moments.

So finally I opened up the App and began to play my music again and I heard a vast improvement. It was as if the music suddenly had soul. It didn’t sound flat anymore.

I haven’t unlocked all the features yet it cost $4.99 to do so, but I might just buy it because there are some pretty cool features such as the DJ Transition.

The App is available in the Apple App Store now. Download it!

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I stopped by the Apple store on 59th and 5th Ave. here in NYC as I wanted to pay my respect to Steve Jobs. Everyone seemed a bit somber.

Today I honor and celebrate your life. Not with sadness but with joy, because of how much you transformed the world through tech.

The tech world has lost a great man, but we have gained so much from him and he will live continue to live on, because if you own an iPod or not it is the iPod that revolutionized the music world, it was the iPhone that revolutionized the smart phone market, and it was the iPad that revolutionized that tablet market.

Thank you Steve Jobs for innovating, and forcing others to innovate as well!

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The Associated Press is reporting that Steve Jobs has died. The man was a genius we all can admit that, he brought us the iPod, the iPhone and Mac.

He was a force to be reckoned with as he brought us products that made his competitions knees buckle.

Steve Jobs you will be missed! Rest in Peace

http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/

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Thanks – my 401k probably went down another 9% this week because of you two.  How is the tech world supposed to move forward with this uncertainty of what next i-gadget is coming out, or if they will continue being cool.

And HP – damnit HP.  Can you not do such a good job at confusing the heck out of the world…

HP TouchPad…cute…not so great web OS, but still sexy…$499…and then $99…

Come onnnn…why not send a memo to your top fans, like me…now I can’t buy one anymore and I even though I signed up for the ‘please pick meeeeeeee’ website, for those that are still interested, I’m still not hopeful. I bet I was potential HP TouchPad buyer #29485723542394.

Should I stop envisioning what other coolness you’ll create? Bluetooth mouse was the thing I wanted for my new mini…but um, is that the end of an era of beautiful designs, affordable toys that instantly add value in your life use and just overall great products that last forever?

Some cool facts about HP that I didn’t know prior to this week is:
Their consumer pc business is worth over $40+ Billion
If Fortune were to rank them, as a solo company, they would be a Fortune 60 company
They have the largest supply chain in the world
They can create 2 pcs per second and they sell in over 170 countries

(impressive right? Also very reassuring…)

It means is that there are a lot of options – and like we saw with Lenovo, IBM didn’t lose it…they just transitioned their great reputation to folks that weren’t colorblind…

Oh yea – Jobs, enjoy life.  I haven’t i-fied my life, but thanks for inspiring us with your Stanford speech.  I really hope you enjoy life – I think you’ve worked hard enough, and am not sure if you should play hard, but hey, why not?  – just enjoy the fruits of your labor, you deserve it.

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Tablets, unlike smart phones, tend to be heavily shared devices and they need a ‘wardrobe’ to meet the habits and hazards of their users. I purchased an iPad2 in March of this year and was shocked to find that the only cover I could purchase at the Apple Store was the Smart Cover which only protected the screen. I left the store thrilled with my new tablet but weary of carrying it outside the home because it was under-dressed and vulnerable. At home, I only allowed the children to use it while sitting on my bed or on bean bags in an attempt to keep it safe until I could find the right case. I wasn’t the only iConsumer in this bind.

Incipio designed its ultra thin Smart Feather iPad2 case ($35) to fit with the Smart Cover and even created it in the same colors, so my tablet is lime green all around. It is thin, lightweight, durable, scratch resistant and I don’t have to forego the benefits and investment in the Smart Cover to get the ‘back end’ well dressed. Cudos Incipio!

If you already have a Smart Cover then the Smart Feather is an ideal mate for function and design. The shell clips on to the back of the iPad 2, wrapping around the aluminum rim but without covering the front bezel. Cutouts along the shell’s rim provide access to the headphone port, microphone, the sleep/wake button, side switch, volume control, speaker, 30 pin connector port and the rear camera. The case is designed to accommodate the magnetic spine on the Smart Cover. If you haven’t yet purchased the Smart Cover then consider some of Incipio’s full-bodies iPad2 cases.

Incipio also offers a full array of wardrobe options for all of your Apple gear, smart phones and tablets.

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Having recently “i-ified” my life, I am still smarting from the frustrations of duplicate photos/movies (yes, I copied them twice…sometimes thrice), multiple iTunes accounts / Apple Ids and utter confusion around what content I purchased and where it has gone off to. Worse yet, having once wiped-out my device (and um…with the help of Apple Support…overwrote my back-up with factory settings!), I live in constant fear of data loss. It can sometimes be quite a burden to be so ‘smart’…

Apple to the rescue with iCloud, a (obviously!) cloud-based content service that will store and stream all of your music and media content, not just your iTunes purchases to up to 10 devices automatically, and best of all wirelessly! No more tangles of USB 2.0 cables! Your content will automatically be available on all your Apple portable devices and computers, both Mac and Windows.

Before you get too giddy, iCloud and the Apple iOS 5 operating system for the iPhone / iPod Touch are months away from my hungering hands and won’t be available until the fall. In the meanwhile, Apple has provided a “purchases” tab under the store which shows all of your purchases on all devices synced with your current iTunes. Apple support tells me that it will actually show all content purchased on my current computer and any devices I sync to it using iTunes but I have not tested the multiple iTunes account content just yet. So, we can at least install anything we purchased on our iPad onto our iPhone or iPod with ease.

iOS 5 will offer a lot of new features, photo editing in the camera app, tabbed Web browsing, managing my To-Do lists with reminders, unlimited Wi-Fi texting for iPad and iPod Touch, Twitter integration and a host of others. We will be able to seamlessly upload photos when taken, tunes when purchased or documents as created without running for cables to sync, or texting/e-mailing to share to another device. Your calendar entries will be up-to-date and your contacts will be current on all of your devices…Nirvana!

iCloud and iOS 5 will make iOS devices provide a more seamless and personalized media experience for the individual but it may create complexities and possibly additional cost for families that associate multiple member’s devices with one master iTunes account. All content on associated with an Apple ID  (pictures, documents, pdfs as well as music and videos) is game for automatic synchronization. This isn’t so much of a problem for laptops that have profiles but iPads do not and they are often shared among family members so security and content-appropriateness is a concern. It will be great for iPhones and iPods which tend to be single person user but I am concerned about what content and apps may suddenly become available on my iPad, and to my children when I intended it for myself. I am going to believe, for now until I can test-drive the iCloud myself, that Apple has already thought out family-sharing on the iCloud and the ability to manage and secure device-specific content. In fact, I bet they are filming the on-line tutorials even as I type…

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This week on the Girls Out Loud show, Maya and Cristina discuss that whopping $50B Facebook valuation due to the new Goldman Sachs investment. Somehow it evolves into a discussion about Facebook ads, something Maya works with every day. Needless to say, there could be some improvements made. We then discuss the Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Vegas to see if it’s really as great as it once was. Brand new Apple iPad 2 casing was shown off at the event which seems to be the only highlight we could spot. The Mac App Store was released this week to many awaiting fans, some of whom were disappointed in the new model for desktop software. Take a listen and enjoy the show!

Goldman customers get Facebook financials

If Facebook is Worth $50B, Apple is Worth $1.4T

The Most Worthless Week in Tech

iPad 2 case shows up at CES, packing a mockup iPad 2

Apple’s Mac App Store Opens for Business

Why the Mac App Store Sucks

*image via Facebook’s Brand Permissions Center

Download Here: Girls Out Loud Episode 23

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Technology not only changes how we work but how we live, how we shop, and don’t forget…how we exercise!  Ever evolving technology has provided us with many tools to help us get in to shape. There is a plethora of gizmos with variating methods to help reach personal fitness goals.

Here is a list of 10 gadgets for the fitness addict on your Holiday shopping list:

1.  Apple Nike + iPod nano ($99): I know I know, many of you have heard of this or perhaps even own it. When Nike first put this on the market, I actually bought a iPod Nano so that I could use this. Back then I had just started running, I traveled a lot to various work locations and Nike+ was really useful. You can calibrate it to your running style (go to a local high school track to set it up!). It allows you to set power songs for the extra motivational push you might need and after your run you can upload your stats to the Nike website so try and beat your time or distance. I’ll let you in on a little secret…you really don’t require the specific Nike shoes.  SHHhh!! I won’t tell if you don’t! What I did was put the sensor as horizontally as possible under the tongue of my sneaker, you can hardly feel it and still works great!  The iPhone 4 has apps that track your exercise as well, but if you already have a nano and an extra 30$ you’ll save some cash instead of getting a new phone for much much more.

Fun Exercise Tip: If you want to challenge your friends and their gadgets you can set it up on Nike.com. Check this one out: “Nike+iPod vs Nike GPS”

2. Garmin Forerunner® 410 ($324.99):  If someone on your list is an avid marathon runner or is currently training, I guarantee that this is the gift they are secretly swooning after!  The Garmin Forerunner watch is GPS-enabled and accurately records your time, pace, distance, heart rate (if you purchase the optional heart rate band), elevation and more!  My best friend is buying this and after reading the description I started drooling over it myself.  The watch has a touch bezel that works in all types of weather, of course you can download the data and view it 30 different ways of your choosing. But HOW do you download it? Wirelessly of course!  It uses Garmin Connect to download data, it works via the ANT+™ wireless technology and the USB stick that comes with your watch.  Pretty impressive!  For many more details on this beauty go to the Garmin website.

3. FitBit ($99): I keep seeing these all over the intrawebs!  The gist: you wear it all day like a pedometer.  It tracks your calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled and sleep quality. It records motion using motion technology similar to the Nintendo Wii.  According to the website, you can wear it pretty much anyway you want, on your wrist (with the wrist band), in your pocket, or on your waist.  It comes with a docking station that downloads your information to a website whenever you walk by the sensor.  This little machine has sparked my interest greatly!!  I would love to get my hands on one of these to review!

4. Nike+ Sportband ($59):  This is a play on the Nike+ iPod, but sans iPod. The sportsband is water resistant for running in the rain, it links to Nike+ to save runs (plug-in the USB), features one touch start/stop, and gives feedback on easy to read screen.  You can also set up training programs online at Nike+ to track and set up progress plans.

5. Phillips DirectLife ($106 for 4 mths/ $12 monthly thereafter):  This is similar to the fitbit, except it is a 12 week program.  Your information is downloaded to a personalized website where it is reviewed by a professional (ie. coach).  The coach communicates with you through email to help you with your plan, answer questions and helps set goals.

Sidenote: Wouldn’t it be cool to set up a challenge against the FitBit and DirectLife?  See how they defer?  Compare websites? OOoo What a marvelous IDEA!

6. Phillips Activa ($130): A music player with a brain!  Activa helps you stay motivated with ‘boost’ songs, but it also analyzes your intensity with each song.  It allows you to creat playlists and TempoMusic to help maintain pace or increase pace/intensity of your workouts.  Displays distance, calories burned on the go and allows you to track progress in their simple to use application.

7. Incase Sports band ($25-40): I have one of these for an older generation nano.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! It fits, it’s washable, it’s reflective and keeps my nano from getting too beat up.  See Variations here.

8. Sennheiser MX85 Sport Series Headphones ($25-45): These twist in earbuds stay in place during your entire workout, plus they are water-proof and sweat-proof (and provide great sound…they are headphones after all).  A good set of headphones for working out is very important!  You would be surprised as to how many people complain about ill fitting styles (me included).

9. Tweet What You Eat! ($0): If you’re into social networks, facebook, twitter and the like, then you may find success with this program.  This website connects with social networks (twitter and facebook) to broadcast what you’re eating to all your friends and family.  Which, if you follow correctly may guilt you into eating better.

Have you tweeted what you ate? I want to hear if it has worked for you!

10. This last one may not count…mostly because it’s the coolest! (and also because I cannot seem to find out if it is available for purchase..yet)
Dancepants Kinetic Music Player ($ ?):  This is INGENIOUS!  When you move it plays, if you stop so does dancepants.  Talk about motivation!  I’m a person that needs tunes to exercise to, if I don’t have my mp3 player I quit (seriously…game over).  A music player that is powered by kinetic energy?  It’s a geek girl’s DREAM. hehe After searching the interwebs from end-to-end, I still could not seem to find dancepants for sale anywhere.  I’m going to make the assumption that it is still in a preliminary development stage.  Once it is released we will all be thin and eco friendly! You truly can’t beat that!

If there are any fitness gadgets I have missed or ones that you simply can’t live without,  email me!

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Have you woken up and thanked the Tech Gods for saving you during this holiday and possibly every future holiday season?

No?

Well why the heck not?

You no longer have to buy the fabulous women in your life jewelry. Haven’t you heard that the latest fad is tech?! Diamonds aren’t cool anymore (I am soooo kidding-they always will be)…but a girl’s best-friend CAN be her handy dandy Windows Phone 7, or HP’s new Palm Pre 2…

Tech gadgets?! – YEAAA!

Women are using gadgets and their wonderful cases and complements as accessories nowadays. Nerds are in, geeks are even more in…so help your lady out and get her the latest fun toys out there. In the end – girls just wanna have fun (while of course still looking absolutely fab in the process)!

Blinged out phones, phones that replace their iPods, iPods that replace their TVs/radios, shower radios, beautiful purses for their laptops, iPads, netbooks, the Slate!!!, underwater cameras for your next vacation, Microsoft’s Kinect, etc…

The options are endless – your dream of having a cute geek as a girlfriend may come true…just hold tight and wait for the gift-giving season to start. Buy her some tech and watch the dream come to life, right before your eyes.

Here are my personal thanks…

(I <3 Google Guys)

(Bill Gates)

(Bill Hewlett & David Packard – the makers of my first PC ever!)

(Michael Dell)

(Steve Ballmer)

(Last, but absolutely not least…the GREAT Steve Jobs)

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Hasbro Inc. is designing 3D binoculars that will be compatible with the iPhone and iPod.  These little puppies will be dubbed as “My3D” and  will open a 3D (Appley) universe!  iPhone and iPod users will be able to use the Apple store for My 3D apps and movies.  I wonder how fast app-makers will begin releasing 3D games and how extravagant they will get.  Personally, I’d be curious to see how good the quality would be.

As someone that travels for work, I can imagine myself strapping these beauties on right before the plane took off, then putting on some sort of suspense or thriller movie and  twitching at every 3D detail that ‘flew’ into my face.  This might discourage others to talk to me while traveling, or perhaps it would encourage them to strike up a conversation about your new sexy-specs!  This could really be an interesting addition to one’s everyday repertoire.

Available in Spring 2011, will you be getting a pair?  Or are you among those that think 3D is just another fad?

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When I first got in the Applesac/ Colcasac in the mail I was confused on why would someone need a sleeve like this till I did my research and then I understood. It is made to be a functional sleeve that is created from premium heavy natural fibers (burlap) and 100% polyester sherpa fleece. Its’ surface is meant to handle the rugged world while its’ inside provides a scratch-free protection for your Apple’s surface. It fits snugly around your MacBook and suppose to act as a theft deterrent since no one associates burlap with a portable. Interesting…but correct as I would never think of the burlap sleeve / case as having a notebook in it.

I busted out the package and fitted my Macbook in the Applesac/ Colcasac. Easy enough and as the product said it did fit great. The front pocket is made for your power cords or any other wires you may need. They also sent a cover for your iPhone in the same material.

 It retails for 34.95 and is a new way of carrying your Macbook or PC.

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The big day is coming for all you apple lovers out there. I just received an email that you can pre-order your iPad here and get free shipping on the iPad from the Apple Online Store OR reserve your iPad here and pick it up at your favorite Apple Retail Store.  I am interested to go to the Apple store here in San Francisco and check out the iPad.

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Ever had a moment when you want your friends to hear a song you have on your shuffle and oh snap you don’t have speakers with you?! Fear not my fellow music lovers! I recently got the Tune Bug Vibe and instantly fell in love with it’s sleek design! I love any technology or kitchen appliances with brushed metal and the Tunebug Vibe has a nice small brushed metal housing case.

When I unboxed the Tunebug Vibe I was pleasantly surprised; it came with a USB charging cord! NICE! I love when you can charge your devices with USB and not have to deal with AAA or AA batteries!

After I charged and plugged it into my shuffle I tried it on different surfaces around my condo (like a huge geek). I noticed that with the larger wooden surfaces the sound was much louder than my kitchen’s marble surface. I believe just like the larger speakers with the wooden casing it just sounds better acoustically on wood surfaces.  Even though the Tunebug Vibe is tiny the sound boast the quality of a larger speaker. Per my picture below you can see the speaker is definitely small (yet powerful!).

I tried it with my shuffle, my HP Glisten Smart Phone, and 3 different Notebooks one of course being a Macbook. At first I had trouble with my Macbook (I am not going to lie) however after going into the sound menu on my Macbook it worked perfectly fine. If you looking for a small yet stylish speaker for your portable devices the Tunebug Vibe is made for you!

Below are the specs and more information about the Tunebug Vibe…

Specifications:

Size And Weight
Dimensions: 2.3”x1” (58.5mm x 25.4mm)
Weight: 5.3oz. (150g)
Connectivity: 3.5mm audio jack
Power And Battery
Battery type: LiPoly (450mAH)
Playtime (5 hours)
Charging cable (USB to 3.5mm)

Includes:

Tunebug Vibe
USB charging cable
Sound Base/case
3.5mm audio cable

Price: $69.99
Website: www.tunebug.com

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Bone Collections sent me their Phone Leather 3GS Case for the iPhone recently. Have you ever been the last person on the planet to adapt to a gadget (which is rare for me)?! Admittedly I do not have an iPhone as I prefer to click actual buttons…crazy I know but I have shaky hands and it would take my friends days to decode my texts using an iPhone. Don’t get me wrong, I think the iPhone is an AMAZING product and endorse it to everyone plus the applications are phenomenal.

Fortunately I knew someone who owned one; my great pal Mel. She invited me over to make calzones with her (yes this cutegeek can also cook); I realized this is the perfect time to test this iPhone Leather 3GS case out. She currently owns a hard case which after she took it off realized it was scratching her brand new iPhone. I opened up the box for the Phone Leather 3GS case and since it’s a simple silicon case we slipped it on in no time.

I asked her what she thought and her first test was if you could access the 3.5mm audio jack since with her hard case she has to mess with it until it finally plugs in (that would annoy me BTW). With the Bone Leather Case  it was indeed easier for her to access it. She then tested the button functionality and how the case affects her usability of the iPhone functions. They worked great…She only had one complaint and it was not a big deal but the volume switch was harder to access then with her current hard case (volume buttons worked great I might add).

All and all she liked the product and thought the leather was awesome. I also think this product is much easier to use then a hard case and more stylish for your iPhone. Also I love that this product is 100% Bio-degradable!!! Cheers to you Bone!

Below are the product specs to the Phone Leather Case for your 3GS and a picture of our yummy calzones!

• Protect your iPhone 3GS away from dust
  
• Supreme genuine leather – classical fashion
  
• Leather texture for an exquisite feel
  
• Includes a free screen protector
  
• Washable silicone (Excluding the leather part)
  
• 100% Bio-degradable
  
  Dimension
  Size: 66x119x15 mm
  Net Weight: 25.5 g

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When I got the request to pick up some iFrogz Ear Pollution CS40′s at Macworld to check to them out for cutegeek; I was excited. As you may know I punctured my ear drum by a random q-tip incident a couple weeks ago therefore I am now fascinated with the iFrogz Ear Pollution CS40′s headphones. Though I love my JBL ear buds I realized it may be time to make the big switch to headphones. When I first put them on I thought to myself that these earphones feel like giant marshmallows or pillows on my ears.  I realized I look like a huge geek walking down the block but then again I am a cutegeek.  I also realized that people with headphones similar to mine give each other the eye contact high five in the city.

I decided to first try them on a plane trip out of SFO. Nothing says “do not bug me at an airport” like a set of headphones and after being on a flight with a crying baby I was lucky I got these iFrogz  Ear Pollution CS40′s headphones.  The sound almost canceled out the 2 babies in my row plus the sound quality is amazing. I have to be careful though because my ear is still ringing so even though my marsh mellow headphones have all the power to drown them out I had to keep it in the low.

Another ingenious thought (because I have so many…ha!); instead of ear buds the iFrogz Ear Pollution CS40′s headphone set clearly states I cannot hear you while walking my dog DT San Fran (laugh if you will but I get annoyed by folks who think I can hear them when I clearly am listening to my shuffle and walking Chloe the cutegeek Chihuahua).  The iFrogz Ear Pollution CS40′s headphone come in 5 colors: Pink, Bold Blue, Black, White (which is what I got), and red. They are light in weight and ultra portable as per my pixs below! They fold up pretty small which was impressive since I am use to tiny ear buds. My shuffle and I now have a mad love affair with the iFrogz Ear Pollution CS40′s and also my HP Ipaq Glisten has a 3.5mm audio jack so I use them as well (I have some music on my phone).

I have only had the iFrogz Ear Pollution CS40′s for about 2 weeks but so far they remain durable, portable, comfortable and stylish with the color personalization! They retail for 39.99 and can be used with any device with a 3.5 mm audio jack…Let’s hope the hold up to the Nina challenge!

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 This year was my first year at Macworld  as a cutegeek blogger and of course Apple didn’t even have a booth…however that didn’t stop the masses to attend the show. When I first told my friends I was going I got the immediate question; “Why are you going since Apple won’t be there?” Another friend sarcastically said “What is MacWorld without Apple…just World?” I had no idea what to expect after all my pals banter…What was MacWorld without Apple?  And where is Mr. Job’s?

My questions were answered as soon as I walked into the masses…Software, Games, and Accessories!

Anytime you walk into these shows it’s sensory overload. Each booth trying to be louder or more hip to the competing booths. What was I thinking trying to accomplish 6 meetings plus 10 booth visits in one day?!  As I walked into the Moscone Convention Center I saw the long lines and thought “Damn I am so smooth for registering early and picking up my badge early,” and breezed on past all those suckers.

My first meeting was with Atlona Technologies  where I met with Marketing Manager, Joshua (don’t we look great in this photo?).

 Atlona  is a Silicon Valley company that provides solutions typically missing in most AV systems and their product line consists of switchers, cabling, extenders, converters, and spliters/amplifyers. The product I checked out and thought was the coolest was the HDAiR which is based on UWB technology that allows users to extend high resolution content up to 30ft away. The HDAir acts as an external video card, which allows you to connect to VGA or HDMI monitors and HD TVs. The HDAir also has dual video (HDMI and VGA) and dual Audio (HDMI-Audio and 1/4″ mini stereo) outputs.  I hope to test this out in the near future though sadly my condo is not 30 feet wide/long.

Next I saw this AWESOME booth by efilliate/Bone which specilizes in an assortment of Mac accessories that I thought were perfect for Mac users and females. The item that caught my eye was the Bone collection flash drives that were encased in a soft one-piece removable water-resistant silicone shell shaped like either cute animals, doggy bones, mammals, or I believe dinosaurs. What I found interesting is that even though they were a fashionable USB key/ flash drive they remain durable per the PR manager. Apparently you do not have to worry about these breaking regardless of how frequently they are used. Aren’t they so cute?!

 After that I went to iFrogz  to pick up some CS40s head phones to test out for cutegeek (stay tuned for a review). iFrogz specializes in Apple iPod™, MP3 player, and digital media accessories. I use to be an earbuds girl till I accidentially punctured my ear drum so I was ready to embrace trying out some headphones. I loved that all the styles came in different colors plus a cord that I have yet to tangle…yet that is. I also tested out some other iFrogz  styles of headphones at the booth and decided I liked the DJ Style headphones the best (the inner hip hop girl in me).

My next stop was Western Digital where I met a female executive who knew her stuff about external portable storage and backing up your Macs/ PCs. I just love it when I run into fellow female geeks (stay tuned for a Brilliant Women of Technology interview). She explained all the external portable storage products after which I decided I liked the bold blue Passport Elite the best. The Passport Elite is a ultra-portable drive and features automatic, continuous backup, an illuminated capacity gauge, and a USB dock. You can also get cases for these so they remain shock proof but not in as many colors.  I also thought the Passport Essential  was awesome with 1 TB of storage; while I have no idea if I could find a TB worth of files having the option is nice.

She next showed me the WD TV Live HD Media Player that allows you to connect to sites like YouTube, Flickr, Live365 or stream content from your home network which you can then view on the HD TV.  The WD TV Live HD  Media Player also has full-HD 1080p video playback and navigation, can play a variety of file formats, access media files on your home network, and its WiFi ready. I was intrigued by this product and hope to test it out in the near future.

Two products that caught my eye especially after working from home was made from Fujitsu.  They had 2 scanners they demo’d for me one portable (ScanSnap s1300) and one for your desktop (ScanSnap S1500M). I have been under the belief a scanner is a scanner; anytime you make a copy of anything their is always room for error (hence why I will never be cloned). HOWEVER these little scanners from Fujitsu actually may have solved one of my biggest pet peeves of scanning; the crocked scan. As I watched the demo I was amazed; you can put the page or receipts in the scanner at any direction and it auto formats it to the correct page setup (landscape or portrait) and makes it completely straight.

The most amusing part of the show was of course the Q&A with Kevin Smith; he was hilarious BUT I think some of the questions were even more outragious. For an hour he got hit on by 2 gay guys and this girl asked for a hug (see youtube here)…Strangely not much was said about technology besides the fact that anyone can now make/edit films due to the vast array of inexpensive recording technology and social media. Unfortunately I had to leave early to make it to my next meeting but when I was walking out I noticed the room was jam packed!

After laughing my ass off at Kevin Smith’s Q&A I had a meeting with HP. I know most people are wondering…HUH? HP at MacWorld but indeed their printing and imaging department was in full effect and showcasing some new printers along with 6 new HP applications that you can use on your iphone. I met with another female executive who I also hope to interview for Brilliant Women in Technology.  

The printer that stood out to me was for the Officejet 4500 Wireless AIO  and priced inexpensively (in this economy we all need it). It can print anything from broshures to pictures plus it scans and fax plus it prints borderless.  I am anxious to test this out as I have reviewed a few HP printers and have never been disapointed.

Well this wraps up the first part of my day so stay tuned for Macworld Recap- Part 2 and also more product reviews from cutegeek!

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That’s right folks I, Nina, from cutegeek will be going to MacWorld for the very first time in my life!  I am super excited for this new adventure and all I have to do is walk two blocks to get to the Moscone Convention center! Unfortunately the only day I can go is Thursday so calling all cutegeek fans and readers give me your opinions on which booth you want me to check out.  Here is a link for MacWorld; just click on exhibitors list and pick what your interested in for this cutegeek  to check out!

http://www.macworldexpo.com/expo

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Last week I got an email inviting me to test run a newly redesigned hard shell See-Thru iPhone case from Speck. While I know that some folks (like my boyfriend) are iPhone purists, and can’t stand the thought of putting a case on their beautiful babies which takes away from the essence of these babies’ beauty, I support protective coverings for my iPhone wholeheartedly.

When I first got my 3G, I was a little bit like those loonies who don’t want a case in order to preserve the mouth-breathing “WOW” factor, but I didn’t want it to get all scratched up in my purse, so I got the next best thing– an iPhone sock, which worked well for what I needed but got kind of grimy and lost its elasticity after a bit, so I had to launder it (and lather rinse repeat.) Also it just wasn’t that cute, so after I dropped my iPhone once straight on the floor with no sock on it, I decided enough was enough and I got an Incase rubberized flexible shell. I paid $20 for it in the Apple store, and it was pink. The thing I loved about it immediately was its traction– you could put your phone down on a plane thats angled, like, 45 degrees, and it wouldn’t budge! In fact, I used that “feature” of the case often, as I take my phone with me to work out so I can listen to and watch podcasts from the “iPod part” of my phone as it is sitting nicely on whatever plane of exercise machine is in front of me.

What I did NOT like at all about my Incase cover was how grossly grimy it got! The dirt from my hands and purse, and basically anything I set it on, felt like it coated the case and got etched in the grooves (which were part of the design) and the pink color of it dulled slowly. Anytime I put it in a coat pocket or a jeans pocket and took it back out, the case would be covered in lint, which was super hard to rub off. It was getting kind of annoying.

The email from the Speck representative couldn’t have come at a better time for me– I was grossed out by my case and looking for something cooler. I was skeptical about this review unit being a hard case, because I think some of the hard cases on the market are kind of kitschy and DO take away from the glam that is the Jesus phone.

But when I got the case, and put it on, I loved it!

It came in blue, which I probably wouldn’t have picked out myself, but was a surprisingly attractive hue once combined with the actual black iPhone inside. It also came with a plastic sheet, which is supposed to be the protective overlay for the screen, which I applied and did not like at all. My boyfriend thought I didn’t like it because I couldn’t apply it correctly (bubbles, y’all?) but I could! The application of the sticky overlay wasn’t difficult, I just didn’t like it because once it was on my phone, it obsructed the clarity of the screen, to my view. It looked almost like (bear with me here) an infinitely fine clear grid had been overlaid on my screen, almost like a super thin cheesecloth. You could see everything ok, just like you always had, but the teeny tiny gridlike pattern of that clear overlay was distracting enough, so I peeled it right off and threw it away (its pretty much useless once you attempt to apply it once– it gets fingerprints and fibers on the sticky side, so it would be hard to reuse, unless you like fingerprints and fibers on your protective overlay.)

My phone, once encased in the hard shell, looked super cute! I’m not going to drop it on the floor just to “test” how well the protective aspect of the case works, I will just have to have faith. I like how it’s low profile, how the edges of the opening don’t cover up the iPhones silver lining (like my old pink Incase did) and I like how you can see the Apple logo on the backside of the phone.

I don’t think I will be reapplying my pink rubbery mess of an Incase case back onto my phone unless, for some reason, this Speck case cracks or breaks. I will miss the traction of the surface of the pink case though, as the hard shell of the Speck is smooth and will not, under any circumstances, remain stationary in the instance of movement or elevation. But hey, that’s what the case is for, right? To protect it from those spills that happen when there’s surprise motion and elevation? Mission accomplished, then.

The case retails for $29.95 which is pretty steep for an accessory, but its brand new, so we might see the price drop after some time, especially for the holidays? Ultimately, though, when you have a $300-400 baby nestled in your purse that you want to keep happy and healthy (at least for the length of your two year contract) $30 doesn’t seem like too much money to drop, especially after your phone makes a horrifying sound when you drop it on the floor…and it didn’t break!

[Note: While I did not and will not receive any payment for reviewing this product, it is mine to keep, courtesy of  Speck products.]

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I got an email last week asking that I check out this new iPhone app, with a redeem code for iTunes. My reaction? Sweet! Now I get to be added to the ranks of other such internet celebrities that have checked the app out and wrote about it, like Fake Steve Jobs, who wrote a funny little sentence about it possibly being a hoax.

Is the app, Love Vibes, a hoax? I don’t think it is. Does it have any more utility to you than a hoax would? It doesn’t.

What it is: the Love Vibes app supposedly can rate, on a scale of 1-10, how good you are in bed, using only your self-input bed hardness level and the accelerometer on your iPhone. Yes, it’s that easy. Just leave the phone on the bed when you’re doing the freak nasty, and when you’re done, it will calculate your mojo on a three dimensional scale– your levels of passion, variety, and duration.

This “data” it then compares to its backup research, which was compiled during development from “thousands” of  surveyed couples. It certainly sounds scientific.

Armed with this information, I was lacking just one thing, being as how I regularly spend half the week on the East Coast working and the other half living on the West, my boo was not on the same coast as me, let alone in the same bed. So I did the next best thing. I shook the phone up and down for a little while, left and right, some wiggling here, a jiggle there. There was no bed involved, so the following results are probably not the most accurate depiction of how awesome I am in bed. Probably. ANYWAY– this is what the app looks like:

During the shakedown.

Complex statistical analysis going on here.

Finally, my score:

Nice! Go, me.

But how awesome am I in comparison to the “thousands” of couples previously surveyed?

And that’s it, folks! I suppose you could think you have room for improvement and use the app as a gauge over time, but that would only be if you took this type of ridiculousness seriously. Otherwise, its $1.99 cost is good for a quick chuckle with friends when you tell them about it. It’s not like you would urge them to try it out, on your phone. That would be, at the very least, kind of germy. And if you know me, you know I don’t handle germs (or the thought of them real well.)

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Greetings! My name is Maya, and I am a super geek.  I’m not sure that you would be able to tell immediately that this is the case– I look and act normal (…uh, I’ve been told) and I don’t have a CS degree or a technical background. But here it is, in one sentence (with a colon, because I never do things the simple way)–

There are three things I love: my family, my boyfriend, and the interwebz.

I consider it pant-worthy when Apple unveils some new ultra-cool device after letting the public speculate themselves into the ground for many months. I consider internet people to be celebrities– once, Steve Jobs rode past me on a bicycle as I waited to cross the street after lunch in Palo Alto (along with two bodyguards). I nearly got hit by a car whipping my phone out to Twitter about it as fast as I could. My news comes from my favorite podcasts and blog networks. Oh, and Twitter, of course. Television newscasts, you ask? What is this, the 20th century?

One of my favorite things to do is go to the retail stores where new gadgets are sold and play with them. Try before you buy type of deal. Last weekend, I was at Sprint playing with the Pre and inquiring about when the Pixie gets store bound. The week before that, I was fiddling with test videos on the new nano in the Apple Store. I once made an unboxing video when I got a Kindle 2, but didn’t want to put it up until I got my own blog more prettified– the vanity!

I am all about social media, gizmos and gadgetry, and the latest internet memes. I love to write and I could read all day, whether it be on a screen or in a book.  I could probably write you a whole essay in LOLspeak.  And still, there’s so much to explore and discover!

So! When I met Radiris at work, the first thing I did after shaking her hand was Google her. And that’s when I discovered my long lost twin (or, geek sister, at least…we should start a sorority.) She was a geek too! We speak the same language (when I keep it english, and not internet meme-ish.)

So when she asked me to write for the site,

Are you kidding? Do I even need to finish that sentence?

I just hope I do the blog justice, in the name of lady geeks everywhere. A-men!

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I was born a klutz, in fact it’s rare that I will not have a bruise on me…I run into door frames frequently.  Also as I am getting older I have developed shaky hands which has been the demise of many of my tech gadgets.  If they only could build a cell phone that once you dropped it; it would bounce back up like a basket ball! Man I should patent that idea!

To be honest I can break anything and I have no idea how it happens! Somewhat like when my dog plays with bugs and then kills them and wonders why they won’t play with her, kinda the way I feel about my gadgets. Once I was vacuuming and I ran over my husband mouse (not a real mouse, computer mouse) cord and the vacuum tore it in half!  I was so distraught!

Cut to me and my pink IPod shuffle (yes I know we all say that we don’t need to have pink products but my favorite color is pink in honor of my grandmother).  My shuffle is used about 4-5 hours a day since I live in the city and walk every where.  Seriously you don’t want me driving since I am a hot mess behind the wheel (I never took the driving portion of drivers ed.).  And yeah I know its not the newest one but frankly I still love it! 

So one night I accidentally spilled “water” (take a guess what water may be) unknowingly all over my shuffle while on its dock plugged into the wall.  After realizing such I was convinced…I am going to have to go buy the new shuffle.  As many techies know if you ever spill ANY liquid on any technical device do not turn it on!  I don’t know how many times I have told this to people! (Nobody listens to turtle!)

So as a smart geek I first unplugged it immediately (for fear my condo may burn down) and let it dry off over night.  I have to give myself props for that move because it totally saved my shuffle!  The next day I stared at my shuffle for a while…afraid it wouldn’t work and I would have to deal with every homeless person that approaches me on my daily walks.  The moment came where I just bit the bullet and turned it on…”OMG it works,” I thought as I am listening to my hip hop music through my Roxy/ JBL earbuds!

So at last folks I have found a device that I have not broken and its been 6 months.  The shuffle has battled through many drops in the street (klutzy) and now emerged in “water” and the thing still works!  I love my shuffle, though I think I have a very unhealthy relationship with itunes…or maybe just technology in general!?

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3. Help! Nina is in search of a new PC!

As everyone knows who reads this blog (um anyone?!) my PC has been on the decline as posted this week. Well yesterday after pounding away for my day job my PC froze. Now this happens about 5 times a day but this time after several reboots alas it’s on its last leg. As of now my pc is running as though it’s a turtle on muscle relaxers…and I am now regretting my little minor fit I threw at CES but we can’t go back in time!

All of my friends are telling me to get an Apple Mac; small problem I have never even used an Apple unless the Oregon trail game counts from elementary school in the mid 80′s. So I am wondering how much time will I spend looking at it baffled and confused. I then have had several folks reccommend HP DV2 which is also cool but I work more then 10 hours on my PC and I am blind (try 100 x 100 vision) so I need something bigger then 13 inches and smaller then 15 inches. Ironically only one person has told me to get a Dell or a Lenovo; with so many different brands out there the most reccommended are Apple and HP.

Basically I am still clueless on what to get…HELP geeks and cutegeeks!  So EVERYONE Vote by clicking on the Vote button!

I am a hot mess without my PC:-(

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It all started at CES this year. There I am in front of the hotel after 3 days of CES boondoggles and I had this jerk of a bell hop making me wait an hour for a car that I clearly could see was not being used.

So after being told I should just walk my tootsies down the 3 mile strip; I blew up on him.

Unbelievable! I mean I was in 4 inch heals and seriously what happened to the customer is always right?! So after an hour of waiting plus a theatrical display of dissatisfaction…I threw my tote down. Accident #1!

This then busted my battery open and leaving a nice gaping hole. Accident #2!

Since it was just aesthetic damages I have been still using it BUT NOW I think I have managed to almost crash the hard drive. Accident #3!

I have always been hard on consumer goods; in fact I can always find a way to break something (mostly by accident). BUT DAMN! I managed to bust my PC after only having it less than 9 months!

So now I am on a mission and I need everyone’s participation. Calling all cute geeks and fans let me know what you think I should get.

Below is a list of what I think are critical for a mobile small business owner:
15 inches or less (I want more screen and less bezel as I am blind as a bat; so larger than 12 inches)
Optical Drive
SD Slot
Pro Duo Slot
Light in weight
Durable (Can I find something I can’t scratch?)
Windows OS
Touch pad (I cannot deal with point sticks!)
3 or more USB plugs
Long lasting battery
Camera
Personalization
No glossy screen

I don’t think I am asking for much…am I? Tell me what NB I should get!

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Apple has just introduced a new iPod shuffle that’s half the size of its previous model and get this, it TALKS to you!

It’ll tell you what song is playing, the artist and the playlist name. The functionality isn’t out of this world but its pretty cool, dont’cha think? The thought of having a little voice in your head may seem weird, but when we listen to songs on the radio we’re usually told what the song is, so I don’t think it’ll be much different.

“Imagine your music player talking to you, telling you your song titles, artists and playlist names,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPod and iPhone™ Product Marketing. “The amazingly small new iPod shuffle takes a revolutionary approach to how you listen to your music by talking to you, also making it the first iPod shuffle with playlists.”

The 4GB iPod shuffle is available in silver and black and is shipping now, you can get yours at www.applestore.com, the price is just $79. I personally like the black one, it goes well with everything

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Apple is responding to the troubling economy by giving their consumers a bang for their buck – just when we want and need it. Today Apple launched a new 24” iMac for only $1,499, the same price you would have paid for a 20” iMac with half the hard drive space and memory. The 20” iMac will now sell for $1,199. I love sales, but boy do they upset me when I have already purchased the item (sorry iMac lovers).

The 20 and 24 inch iMacs will be powered by Intel Core 2 Duo Processors 2.66 Ghz (24 inch iMac can be customized with up to a 3.06 Ghz processor). The 20 inch will be available with 2 GB of memory while the 24 inch will start with 4 GB (expandable up to 8 GB). A 320 GB hard drive will be available on the 20 inch and 640 GB – 1 TB will be available on the 24 inch. Both will feature a built in iSight video camera, mini displayport, built in AirPort Extreme 802.11 n wireless and Bluetooth 2.1.

Apple has also upgraded the cute Mac Mini, which hasn’t been one of their biggest sellers. The updated mini will include a better integrated graphics card (NVIDIA GeForce 9400M), a 2.0 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and support up to 4 GB of memory. Available with 120 GB or 320 GB Hard drive for $599 and $799 respectfully.

Both the systems are available today via Apple’s online store -> http://store.apple.com

I’m personally a PC kind of gal, but sales are sales and need to be announced.

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