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Six Geek Movies for Your Nerdy Loved Ones

by Evan Shamoon, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 6:12PM



It's not like geeks really need another reason to stay home and watch movies in their pajamas while surfing the Web on their laptop and eating snickerdoodles on the sofa, but here are six more anyway.

The folks at Download Squad have compiled a list of six DVDs to make your favorite tech nerd happy this holiday season, ranging from the story of a robot who finds love in 'WALL-E,' to a computer hacker that finds love in 'WarGames,' to yet another young computer hacker that finds love (and Angelina Jolie) in the cult-classic 'Hackers.' They all somehow manage to save the world in the process. And they are all apparently the same movie, come to think of it.

Still, good flicks all. [From: Download Squad]

How to Avoid ID Theft (Video)

by Switched Staff, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 2:46PM

It's rare that a day goes by when you don't hear some story about somebody getting their identity stolen, and often it happens from plain old human behavior online. We've come up with a few tips on avoiding ID theft, and stuck them in the above, user-friendly video. Take a look, and, as always, let us know if you have any questions!

Where to Find Black Friday Gadget Deals

by Tom Samiljan, posted Nov 28th 2008 at 6:04AM

Whether you or not you want to spend money this year on gifts, you can't escape the fact that the official holiday shopping season kicks off today, "Black Friday," as the day after Thanksgiving is dubbed. Retailers in every category offer significant deals on this day, and the consumer electronics industry is no exception. If you're planning on buying either yourself or someone else a computer, television, MP3 player, or other gadget, you should take a look at the various sites that highlight the latest holiday sales, as well as any newspaper circulars.

Whereas in the past, Black Friday deals were mostly reserved for the Friday after Thanksgiving itself, this year the economic downturn means that the sales are likely to last well up to Christmas and beyond.

Though some deals have already been leaked or announced, many Black Friday markdowns don't get announced until today, so here are a few online places to find out about the latest sales:

Free Stuff: Not only is Engadget offering updates on the latest Black Friday Gadget deals, but will also be giving away actual merchandise, which means you may not even have to schlep to the mall this year!

Apple Deals: The Unofficial Apple Weblog will keep you up to date on any Apple-related deals, in case you're in the market for Apple software or a new MacBook, iPod, or iPhone.

What the Biggest Retailers Are Offering: Looking for the rare sub-$1,000 50-inch plasma HDTV? Hint: You can get it at Wal-Mart, but make sure to check out Walletpop's roundup of sales at all the other big stores, from Target and Circuit City to Toys R Us and Amazon.

The Best Bargains: CNET has a good roundup of which gadgets have the best markdowns, from PlayStation 3 packages to memory cards.

All Bargains All the Time: For everything else, check out DealNews.com, which offers up-to-the-minute listings of every single online and brick-and-mortar deal on pretty much everything, including, of course, consumer electronics.

15 Ways to Save Money on Gadgets

by Jon Chase, posted Nov 27th 2008 at 12:01AMFeatured Story



Getting a good deal on consumer electronics these days often seems akin to trying to time the stock market-you may get lucky every once in a while, but more often than not, it's a fool's errand. Either you find yourself faced with a dodgy no-name dealer who lied about what is actually in stock, or you get upsold by the salesperson at the local big box retailer and end up going home having paid a lot more than you were hoping. That's why we've come up with some time-tested strategies, a few insider tips and a little un-common sense for helping you to avoid buyer's remorse when shopping for gifts this year. Here are the 15 ways we know to get the best possible deal on your most coveted electronics items-hit the comments with any you think we missed.

Five Things to Consider Before Buying an HDTV

by Tom Samiljan, posted Nov 25th 2008 at 11:37PMFeatured Story



So you want to buy an HDTV? Well, if you're lucky enough to have the cash, then we have some good news. Faced with a glut of unsold televisions, manufacturers and retailers are slashing prices of TVs to previously unheard of levels. This means you can get a perfectly decent flat-panel -- that's right, the sexy thin kind -- for less than $1,000. Of course, more money will still get you thinner, bigger, and better models, but for the first time ever, flat-panel HDTVs are within reach of most folks. The best part is, no matter how much you pay for your new HDTV, you can rest assured that it will be compatible with the digital TV signals that are going to be the norm once the FCC-mandated analog-to-digital switchover takes place early next year. Nevertheless, you'll need to consider a few things before you shell out any cash for a new TV, so take a look at our Five Things to Consider Before Buying an HDTV, which starts by clicking Next below.

How to Turn Your Scanner Into a Grainy Camera

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 24th 2008 at 11:26AM


Here's a DIY project not for the weak-of-heart (or impatient). MAKE, a magazine completely dedicated to the art of DIY, has intriguing directions on how to turn your flat-bed scanner into a nifty camera capable of taking grainy black and white photos.

You probably have a scanner sitting around somewhere (likely untouched and collecting dust since 1999) and the magnifying glass can be had for $.99 from a local store, but we're pretty sure most of you don't have foam core on hand. Unless you're an arts and crafts fanatic ordering the foam core to create the focusing mechanism for this scanner-camera probably isn't worth while.

It's a neat project, but seeing as how you could probably create a similar effect with a digital camera and 'Photoshop' we cant imagine wasting the time and man hours to build this one-trick-pony. Check out the video above for step by step instructions. [From: MAKE, Via: GeekSugar]

How to Move Your Stuff From One Mac to Another With Time Machine

by Evan Shamoon, posted Nov 16th 2008 at 6:03PM




Getting your old digital life to merge with your new digital life has always been somewhat of a chore. Fortunately, things got a little easier for Mac users trying to do just that.

Using Apple's backup application Time Machine, TUAW has put together step-by-step instructions for how to go about the crucial task, with pretty much zero chance of losing your priceless data (it's already backed up, see). The guide is super-simple, but then again, so is the process. Still, having your hand held through the procedure makes the whole thing much less stressful.

Trust us, it's going to be okay. Just have faith that Jobs is watching. [From: TUAW]

Facebook 101: 25 Tips and Tricks

by Switched Staff, posted Nov 13th 2008 at 10:52PMFeatured Story




Chances are, if you're not on Facebook already, then you're likely to be getting on it pretty soon. Whether it's your kids or your next door neighbor (or those old friends you just reunited with at your high school reunion), folks around you have been hounding you to sign up, set up a profile, and start "social-networking" with all your friends, and their friends, and so on. Truth is, social-networking sites such as Facebook (and MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn, etc) are increasingly turning into the first place people go when they get on the Internet, as these services offer e-mail, chat, music players, photo sharing, and so much more beyond just staying in touch with your Friends.

But the best (or worst) part about Facebook is all the people from your past who come out of the woodwork (we're talking grade-school past). All this means you'll want to look your very best on your Facebook profile, and make the best use of all that the service has to offer, which is why we've come up with 25 tips that'll optimize your social-networking experience. Try 'em out by clicking on 'Next' below, and if you've got any tips we've missed, please let us know!

How to Modify Your Scanner to Be a Camera

by Lee Bains, posted Nov 10th 2008 at 7:19PM

Thanks to GeekSugar.com, we located this video tutorial on how to convert your flatbed scanner into a camera on Make.com.

Since even inexpensive digital cameras produce pretty good pictures these days, and since you can use a scanner to accurately scan your traditional photographs, we're thinking of this project as more of a digital party trick than anything else.

And while the folks at GeekSugar refer to the scanner-camera's pictures as "vintage-y," we think they look a lot more more like first-generation, black and white digital pictures than first-generation, black and white tin types. That, of course, begs the question: How old does something have to be in order to be classified as "vintage?" Anyway, head on after the break for a more detailed writeup on how to mod your scanner to take pictures. [From Make, via GeekSugar]

Continue reading How to Modify Your Scanner to Be a Camera

Best Election Resources on the Web

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 4th 2008 at 12:10PMBreaking NewsFeatured Story

Best Election Resoures on the Web
Regardless of your political affiliation, there's no denying the historic nature of today's presidential race. Turnout for the U.S. election is expected to reach record numbers. So how do you keep up with the election and gather relevant information without succumbing to the noise and theatrics of the 24-hour-cable news channels? Well, the Internet (and NPR) are here to help offer you more options, if not more substance, than either Fox News or CNN possibly could.
  • Information about the candidates: If you are one of those confounding people who still hasn't made up their mind, this is your last chance to pick a candidate. You can find out information about each of the candidates' positions and records at Project Vote Smart and OnTheIssues.org. However, if that's too much reading for you, you can also find out which nominee is closest to your positions by answering a few questions over at Glassbooth.
  • Where the money is coming from: Funding of presidential campaigns is always a major concern, but it's especially timely this year with Obama's groundbreaking and record-breaking fundraising efforts. You can see where the money is coming from at OpenSecrets.org and Follow the Money.
  • Fact-checking the candidates: Political campaigns are filled with questionable claims and attacks, and this year is no exception. FactCheck.org and PolitiFact evaluate claims and commercials to tell you who is stretching the truth and who is outright lying.
  • Where to vote: If you're not sure where you're supposed to vote, Google Maps and Vote411.org can help you locate your polling place.
  • Share your voting experience: PBS and YouTube have partnered to present Video Your Vote, which asks people to document their voting experience in hopes of protecting people against voting irregularities and suppression. You can also share your experiences via Twitter which is running it's own dedicated election-themed channel. Check with the Citizen Media Law Project's 'Documenting Your Vote' guide to see what the laws are in your state.
  • Get live election results: RealClearPolitics offers not just poll-watching, but election results, too, and serves to aggregate political news and commentary from various sources. You can also catch live results from AOL News (part of AOL, Switched's parent company), Google Maps and CNN, which offer an incredible amount of detail about exit polls and precinct-by-precinct results via their election maps for the truly obsessive.
  • Have a laugh: As serious as the election and its impact on America are, it's important to not get all frazzled, sweating over the live results. Check out the Indecision2008 blog from the 'Daily Show' and the Onion's War for the White House for a more lighthearted take on political news.
Now get out there and vote! If you should encounter any issues or difficulties, don't hesitate to report them to Election Protection (a non-partisan voter advocacy group) at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

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