holidays posts

Last-Minute Halloween Guide (Best Online Resources)

by Sara Faye Lieber (RSS feed) — Oct 30th 2009 at 12:42PM

Hand-sewn costumes, homemade popcorn balls, and bobbing for apples are all so last millennium. It's time to get with the high-tech late Aughts, our fair readers, especially since Halloween is upon us. If you still haven't settled on a costume, or done anything ghoul-related, then take a look at our high-tech DIY guide to all things crafty and creepy, and get your spook on this Halloween.

Tags: features, guides, halloween, holidays, top

Google, Webware

Google Earth Turns Heart-Shaped Island Into Tourist Destination

by Lee Bains (RSS feed) — Feb 11th 2009 at 7:15PM

Thanks to Google Earth, and a fortunate, cardioid shape, the tiny Croatian island of Galesnjak has become a lover's escape for couples worldwide, reports the Telegraph.

The owner of the island, Vlado Juresko, told the Telegraph that, though he has always been vaguely aware of the island's shape, its uncanny resemblance to a cartoonish heart didn't dawn on him until he was bombarded with booking requests from intrigued couples, who had found Galesnjak via Google Earth.

"It has been incredible. We think it is the most perfect heart-shaped island in the world," he said of the 130,000-square-yard uninhabited island, which sits in the Zadarski Kanal.

There is no word about whether or not Valentine's Day is yet booked, so you adventurous, amorous types had better go ahead and get on it. Tell ol' Vlado that Switched sent you. [From: Telegraph]

Related Links:

Tags: croatia, geography, google earth, GoogleEarth, holidays, relationships, romantic, top, tourism, travel, v-day, valentines day, ValentinesDay, web, web apps, WebApps

Computers

Workers Return to Inboxes Full of Spam

by Tim Stevens (RSS feed) — Jan 5th 2009 at 10:10AM

For those of you lucky enough to take a few weeks off at the end of the year, today may very well be your first day back to the office. If so, chances are it isn't just a case of the Mondays that's got you down this morning -- you may have found that your inbox didn't take any time off, and is now bursting to capacity with unwanted spam.

It's being dubbed a "spamalanch" by communications consulting firm Expert Messaging, who estimate that e-mail power users may have over 3,000 unread messages awaiting them this morning, 70-percent of which would be spam. That's a daunting prospect, but it seems a bit unrealistic to us -- who could really go two weeks without at least checking their e-mail? [From: Mail Online]

Tags: holidays, inbox, spam, spamalanch, vacation

Video Games

PlayStation 3 Lags Behind Wii, Xbox 360 This Holiday Season

by Joseph L. Flatley (RSS feed) — Dec 29th 2008 at 6:15PM

Considering the way that the Wii flew off shelves last month, this next item probably won't come as a shock to anyone. According to the Wall Street Journal, both Nintendo's console and the Xbox 360 trounced the PlayStation 3 in holiday sales, with U.S. sales falling nine percent from this month last year. During this same period, sales doubled for the Wii and rose eight percent for the Xbox 360. Perhaps none of this should be a surprise, as Sony declined to cut prices on their system, while a lack of exclusive game titles and a number of inexpensive Blu-ray players went a long way towards making the PS3 the least attractive option in an already difficult retail climate. If anything, it looks like Sony won't be able to rely on the console to help prop up a flagging electronics division that just announced it will be cutting thousands of jobs in a bid to boost profitability going into 2009. Happy New Year, indeed.

Tags: holidays, microsoft, nintendo, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sales, sony, wii, xbox 360, Xbox360

Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Geeky Gingerbread Creations

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Dec 20th 2008 at 8:02PM

Even geeks need to get in the holiday spirit. Just because we spend our lives playing video games, watching sci-fi movies, and Tweeting about 'Heroes' doesn't mean we don't like a little seasonal merriment. But we do have to do it our own way, like putting solar-powered LEDs on trees, sending out hand made light up cards, and instead of gingerbread houses we like to make gingerbread TIE Fighters.

Walyou has put together a gallery of some of the best and geekiest gingerbread creations around the Web. Hit the read link to check 'em all out and put yourself in the mood for a little dork-approved holiday cheer. [From: Walyou]

Tags: christmas, fun, gingerbread, holiday, holidays

Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Make This Christmas the Most Uncomfortable Yet, With a GotchaBox

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Dec 17th 2008 at 6:06PM

Believe it or not there are people out there willing to pay $8 for a box. Seriously, an empty cardboard box. It probably makes more sense when we explain that the boxes are gag gift boxes from our favorite source of satire, The Onion.

Though they went on sale in 2006, the GotchaBoxes have soared in popularity. The empty boxes are carefully designed to look like packaging for crappy gadgets that you might pick up from an infomercial, or SkyMall. Put that GPS device in the box for the USB Toaster or the iFeast pet feeder/iPod dock and watch your friends and family squirm as they try to feign appreciation.

Of course, none of these products are real. They're ridiculous, yet frighteningly plausible. Our favorite (and everyone else's apparently) is the Visor Organizer, a hat-mounted pack that advertises the ability to hold seven pounds of crap, allowing you to ditch the embarrassing fanny-pack. The Visor Organizer box is sold out, but there are still plenty of other gag gift boxes to choose from.

Give your family the greatest gift this year, uncomfortable laughter. [From: CNN and The Onion]

Tags: christmas, gag, gift, gifts, gotchabox, hgg-50, hgg-creative, hggnews, holiday, holidays, humor

Computers, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

GPS Units Loaned to Churches to Track Stolen Nativity Scenes

by Lee Bains (RSS feed) — Dec 2nd 2008 at 1:08PM

Just in time for Christmas, Lightning GPS is lending GPS units to churches and charities for those institutions to conceal in nativity scene figures, BoingBoing reports.

The company's Web site, cheekily stating that "Lightning GPS Strikes Down Sinners," explains that this program had its origins in a few victimized churches asking the company for donated GPS units in recent years. Moved by the spirit of giving, Lightning GPS will now offer this charitable service to non-profits across the country.

Thanks to these free tracking devices, those organizations, and police, can readily find the purloined ornaments and, hopefully, discourage theft in the first place.

We have a sneaking suspicion that most of the units will lead their pursuers to funny-smelling suburban basements festooned with black light posters. [From: BoingBoing]

Tags: christmas, crime, funny, gps, hggnews, holiday, holidays, nativity, top

Computers, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Give the Gift of a Subscription to Skype, Netflix, Other Services

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Dec 2nd 2008 at 8:02AM

Trying to figure out something unique to give someone for the holidays, but not quite ready to go the arts and crafts route? You could give the gift of subscription services.

For the talkative, a Skype subscription might prove useful. $60 a year will get you a phone number for accepting calls. If you spring for unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada ($2.95 a month) the price of a SkypeIn number drops to $30, a 50% discount. You could also give the gift of a Web site: $10 a year will score a loved one their own dot-com, and if you're feeling generous, hosting for a Web site often costs less than $100 a year.

Just make sure these gifts are appropriate -- your friend that still uses a rotary phone (un-ironically) may not have much need for a Skype account. [From: Download Squad]

Tags: chanukah, christmas, gift, hanukkah, hggnews, holiday, holidays, skype, web site, WebSite

Cell Phones

Salvation Army Now Accepting Donations Via Text

by Lee Bains (RSS feed) — Nov 7th 2008 at 5:22PM

Salvation Army officials in the Atlanta, Georgia area have introduced a donation-via-text drive, Textually.org reports.

By texting "TSA" to the number 90999, a donor gives $5 to the long-running charity, and the money will be charged to the donor's phone bill. Due to the economy, we can only assume that this holiday season, folks will be spending less time at the malls (where Salvation Army Santas most often set up shop), so it's good to know that donations can now be made from work, where we all need to be, anyway. And you can rest assured that the Salvation Army isn't trying to scam your hard-earned dollar in these tough times; they're just trying to provide for folks who are going through even tougher times.

We're just glad we don't have to fool with those Santas and their bells -- we always found them to be a little creepy, anyway. [From: Textually.org]

Tags: charity, giving, holidays, salvation army, SalvationArmy, text-messaging, texting

Summer Fun

Best Grill Tech, Courtesy of the BBQ Blogger

by Christine Whitney (RSS feed) — Jul 4th 2008 at 6:50AM

Barbecue season is upon us! It's Independence Day weekend and nothing says patriotism like gathering together around a smoking pile of drumsticks and hamburgers.

Robert Fernandez, editor of BBQ blog 'Get Your Grill On,' dishes about technology and barbecue, with tips on how to get the best flavor faster.

Fernandez cautions that many BBQ purists prefer simple contraptions like the traditional charcoal grill, (they just love that smoke flavor) and would not be into the new-fangled advances that may "take all the flavor and excitement out of outdoor cooking."

Now gas grills are king, but, says Fernandez "gas adds no flavor to the food." Despite this unfortunate side effect, gas grills are the biggest cash cow of the barbecue business.

Grilling monolith Weber has been tossing around ideas to help grillers get the best of both worlds -- the instant gratification of the gas grill + the flavor of the charcoal classic.

Weber came up with useful shortcuts such as "chimney starters," cylinders with sawdusty stuff in them that help get the charcoal going, and also a gas ignition system to easily light charcoal.

Another crazy innovation is the searing station, which involves 900-degree blue-flame burners and can cook a steak in a fraction of the usual time. Don't worry, it promises to keep the juices intact.

Rival company Char-Broil has unveiled infrared RED grills, stainless steel and glass contraptions that cook with evenly distributed heat and prevent scary grill "flare ups." They will cost you: $599-$899, at Home Depot. We will stick with the George Foreman thing.

(Not directly grill-related, but fascinating: Char Broil also has a product called the 'Big Easy,' which is an infrared, oil-less turkey fryer! "No oil, no mess, and great fried foods" says Fernandez, a Big Easy fan.) H.O.T.!

Fernandez is also into a few high-tech smokers, though he's really all about cooking over a trash barrel, really! But he's repping his Weber Smokey Mountain ($199 on Amazon), which he calls a "great and efficient smoker." There's another one he likes called "The Big Green Egg" which is ceramic, and expensive, but great! He affirms.

Last thing: temperature is the key to the barbecue. Many people don't know this. Their pork comes out dry and foul. Says National BBQ association prez Howard Miller, "pork is ready to be used at 145 degrees." Remember it.

Remote thermometers can help you impress friends and family with perfectly cooked meats. Fernandez recommends: On the cheap, one from Taylor ($17). Moderate Williams-Sonoma's ($50), and if you are throwing money around the Thermapen from ThermoWorks ($95) is apparently all the rage. [Source: Newsvine/MSNBC]

Tags: bbq, entertaining, holidays, household, july 4, July4, summeradvice

Summer Fun

How to Impress the Kids at the July 4 Barbeque

by Switched Staff (RSS feed) — Jul 3rd 2008 at 6:01AM

It's barbecue time. Time for fireworks, friends, beer, hot dogs, and your teenage cousins to make fun of you. Instead of trying to convince them that Winona Ryder really was the cool chick in the '80s, why not ask him or her about sites? You'll sound like the coolest, in-the-know tech-savvy uncle (aunt, grandma, etc.) at the party.

Facebook and MySpace

Let's get these out of the way. They may be obvious, but just a simple mention of MySpace or Facebook could turn your teenage friend white with fear that you've seen his or her page. Instead, mention that you know of some pretty cool template sites that can make his or her MySpace page really groovy (don't use that word).

The conversation will surely lead to the teen or undergrad saying that MySpace really isn't very cool anymore. Don't fret or sound too enthusiastic about any of your Web 2.0 knowledge -- play along and mention that you've heard Facebook, while infinitely more usable than MySpace, has probably jumped the shark. The site has become one of the world's most popular social-networking sites, and its moment of cool may have passed. Still looking for a little cred-booster? Name-drop social-networking sites like Virb, Pownce, and Flickr and see how the kids react.

Next >>

Tags: bbq, generation gap, GenerationGap, holidays, socialnetworking

Top 12 Gadget Gifts for Mom

by Evan Shamoon (RSS feed) — May 9th 2008 at 8:07PM

Mother's Day is here, as it is every year, and we've got some top picks of the latest gadgets that most Moms would like. Some of our choices save time, others just look cool while offering some basic functions that we expect of our gadgets (such as taking pictures or blasting music). We've picked some devices based on their ease of use, for those Moms who are tech-averse, as well as some slightly harder-to-use, state-of-the-art items, for moms who are tech-savvy. Either way, your Mom is bound to be a little more wired after you hand her one of the following 12 items.

This brand-new ultra compact from Samsung L210 boasts a 2.5 inch LCD display, as well as a 10.2-megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom. It uses two forms of image stabilization -- both optical and digital -- meaning it's great for those moms who always end up with blurry photos (you know who you are...mom). It also incorporates face recognition technology: This detects the subject's face, automatically adjusting auto focus and auto exposure to ensure better composition and image quality in portraits. All of this is included with 10-megabytes (MB) of internal flash memory, and the ability to record MPEG-4 movies. Oh, and it comes in a variety of mom-friendly colors, including red, black, pink, and silver.

Next >>

Tags: features, gift guides, GiftGuides, holidays, moms, mothers day, MothersDay

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'Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

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Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

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