» Techy Geek

5 Reasons Why the Kindle Fire is a Gem

The Cubicle Chick — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:00:17 +0000

Last month, I wrote an un-boxing post teasing you about the new Kindle Fire I purchased as a gift for that special someone in my life. I promised that I would be back to write a more complete review of the tablet and let you know my thoughts on how it compares to the other tablets that are on the market. Here are my 5 Reasons Why the Kindle Fire is a Gem: Size: When traveling, size is everything. You want to travel light when it comes to bringing equipment with you on the plane or train. The wonderful thing about the Kindle Fire is that it's 7 inches and perfect for being on the go. You can watch movies and surf the web on your flight without a big and bulky screen. It's also light enough to put in your purse or briefcase without weighing it down. If you are a heavy traveler, don't sleep on the Kindle Fire. Amazon Prime: Yes, the Kindle Fire is made by Amazon, and it's a great companion to the Amazon Prime feature which allows you to download movies, television shows, music, etc. by paying a yearly fee. Have brand new media at your fingertips! Amazon Prime is like the Android Market for media---on steroids. It will bring your Kindle Fire to life. Price Point: At 9.00, the Kindle Fire is affordable for a lot of people. Tablets are all the rage these days, but not everyone has 0 and up to spend on a tablet. I bought my S/O a Kindle Fire because he's not an early tech adopter like me (he usually warms up to things a year or 2 after they hit the market) and I didn't want to spend a mint on something he might not use. For the price, it's a great starter tablet, or perfect for that person who doesn't need all of the bells and whistles. Unlike the big name tablets, though, it doesn't have a camera or video feature, so if you must have that within your tablet, the Kindle Fire may not be for you. Wi-Fi: I've used the Kindle Fire on my own several times and I must say, I am impressed with the wi-fi capabilities. There is virtually no lagging, and easily connects to the available wi-fi in your area. There is no internal 4g wifi with the Kindle Fire, so you must use an outside wi-fi source to surf the web. If you travel a lot, you may have the option of using your smartphone to tether---or you can purchase a portable wi-fi hotspot. Android OS: I love me some Android OS. It gives you the option of personalizing your experience so much more than on the iPad. And if you already have an Android phone, you can synch your apps onto the Kindle Fire by using your Gmail address. I am definitely Team Android, so having it on the Kindle Fire is a win/win for me. The Kindle Fire is a great buy and gives you the ability to surf the web, listen to music, watch movies, check email, and more on the go seamlessly. I highly recommend this device.

12 Fab Girlie Valentines Day Gift Ideas & Fashion Finds

The Cubicle Chick — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:39 +0000

Valentines Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love spending time with my man in a romantical way, and all of the love and coupledom that goes on during Cupid's Time makes me warm and fuzzy. Valentines Day isn't just about the gifts, but it is quite wonderful when your significant other surprises you with a special gift that makes you smile. I've compiled a Cube Closet of 12 Fabulous Girlie Gift Ideas & Fashion Finds that are glamorous, fly, and oh so Chic!

Wearing a lot of red? Break up the monotony with this white nail polish from Essie---great sheen and shine w/ a hint of sparkle. .00, ULTA

MAC Red Lipstick is THE definitive red lip color. Timeless and fab! MAC Cosmetics, .50

This amazingly fly timepiece is from Tissot, and is indeed a head turner! Tissot Couturier Ladies Watch, 5

This red wireless mouse from makes it easy to compute on the go. JetTech, .99

You can't go wrong with an iPod Touch. The white finish ups its fabulousness factor. Apple.com. 9 for 32 GB

Color blocking is the rage these days. Take this red, pink, & beige number from day to evening, Old Navy Women's Color Blocked Charmeuse Dress, .99

I fell in love with this ASUS Ultrabook at CES! Thin, hip, and trendy. (Price unknown, 2nd quarter offering)

China Glaze's Eye Candy 3-D Glitters in Love Marilyn is fun, playful, and Blonde Bombshell approved. China Glaze, .00

This cute Coach wristlet has pink hearts. It had me at hello :), Coach.com, .00

Dare to be different. Instead of an all red shoe, try some polka dots. Good for outside of the bedroom as well as in! HAUTE! Bordello Shoe, .99

Monster's Beats by Dre headphones are a must have when listening to music. Experience music the way the artist intended. BeatsByDre.com. 9 and up

Lip Gloss is a girl's best friend. And with Sephora's Shimmer Harmony Gloss Palette, a little goes a long way. Sephora, .00

I hope these Fabulous and Girlie Valentines Day Gift Ideas & Fashion Finds help you and your Cupid out. I certainly enjoyed putting it together for you! :)

I, The Cubicle Chick, received promotional consideration from some of the items listed in this post. The opinions and descriptions of all items within this article are mine. Stay FAB!

Team Android: Ice Cream Sandwich Anyone?

Kid Noble Tech Dude — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:00:59 +0000

Written by Kid Noble, Tech Dude, The Cubicle Chick.com Contributor For those of you who are avid followers of The Cubicle Chick (and even some of you who may not be), you may have noticed that both the Cube and I have the Motorola Xoom Android tablets. Imagine my surprise when I picked up my tablet earlier this week and was prompted to download an update! Recently, Motorola started rolling out an update to the Xoom, which updates it from the Honeycomb tablet operating system to the more recent Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The Xoom was the first tablet in the US to be released with Honeycomb, and is the first that is receiving the update to Ice Cream Sandwich, though other tablets have been released with it pre-loaded. The first thing I noticed upon booting up after the update was that ICS made the look of everything a little cleaner. It actually reminded me of the look of the OS on the Samsung Galaxy Tablet 10.1, in that the font was a bit slimmer. It overall didn't look as "chunky" is the best way I can describe it. Lines were thinner and things ran a little smoother. Upon researching, one of the major improvements with the update include is the ability to use "zoom to fill", which allows users to basically zoom in on apps. This comes in handy for a lot of the games and apps in the market because not all of them have been optimized for tablet viewing, so when viewed on the tablet, the fonts and items within the app appear very small. Another of the major improvements with ICS is docking support. This allows the tablet to automatically detect which dock you connect it to, and launches the corresponding application or docking profile. Other improvements include rotation acceleration, enabling the device's rotation to be more sensitive, MOTOPRINT which is a printing application for the Xoom, and other tweaks here and there that improve speed, in addition to the aesthetic changes I mentioned earlier. So far, I've loved all of the improvements! If you have a Motorola Xoom, have you received the update? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Be Careful Before Using Your Tablet at Work: You Could Be Fired

The Cubicle Chick — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:22 +0000

I think we can all agree that having a tablet makes it convenient to be able to to surf the web and conduct business online while on the go. I don't know what I would do without my tablets, and I love the flexibility it gives me. Recently, I received a letter from a reader who wanted to know if they could be fired for using their tablet at work since it wasn't outlined in the Employee Handbook, and it got me to thinking. Anytime you are using technology in the office, you should do so with caution. As a former HR manager, I had to make sure that our employees adhered to our policies and procedures. We had strict rules about the use of cellphones in the office, and would discipline or terminate anyone who was caught not following these guidelines. Tablets are the newest wave to enter the workforce, but bringing it to work may not be such a good idea (unless it is work issued of course). Why? Well, if you are using your tablet with the wifi connection provided by your employer, it is almost like using your computer at your desk. Any information transmitted over this signal can be seen by your employer. They can still tell what sites you are visiting and block sites that are not work safe. Using the wifi at work on your personal device is still using work property. Emails, web visits, and other information can be visible when using your tablet at work. And if you are doing so even on your own time (lunch, breaks, etc.) still may be in breach of the rules of wifi use. So be careful when using your tablet at work. And beware that Big Brother is still watching, even when you are using your own technology.

Rate Super Bowl Commercials w/ the USA Today Ad Meter on Facebook

The Cubicle Chick — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:02 +0000

The 46th Super Bowl is almost a week away, and no matter if you are a die hard football or someone who doesn't know the difference between a punt and a kick, you will probably be watching the Big Game next Sunday. But it's not just the game or halftime show that gets us all excited. The Super Bowl is known for its commercials, complete with some of the best creativity ad companies can muster. Rating Super Bowl commercials has become a major part of the festivities, and this year, USA Today is letting everyone have an opportunity to rate their favorite Super Bowl commercials with the USA Today Ad Meter application on Facebook. Traditionally, USA Today is known for listing the top favorited Super Bowl commercials in their paper the Monday following the game. It is compiled by a group of chosen viewers who rate what was hot and what was not during the Super Bowl. This year, USA Today wants to up the ante by allowing all of us the ability to rate the commercials on Facebook. It's definitely a win/win. The app is available on Facebook HERE and will be live right before the Big Game. Currently when viewing, you may see a testing page because, well, the commercials haven't been shown yet. But it's an easy way to rate commercials using your laptop, tablet, or phone while watching the Super Bowl. I will be using the USA Today Ad Meter on Facebook to rate my favorite commercials. Will you? Super Bowl XLVI takes place on Sunday, February 5th in Indianapolis and will air live on NBC. Kick-off is scheduled for 5:30 CST/6:30 EST.

T-mobile Special Event at CES: Closing the Digital Divide

The Cubicle Chick — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:00:17 +0000

I have been a T-Mobile customer since 2007. Despite the jokes I sometimes get for being with a service provider other than AT&T and Verizon, I actually enjoy being a T-mobile customer. I usually have decent coverage and my bill is low for what I get in comparison to my other friends who use other providers. I get more bang for my buck with T-mobile, which is why I continue to sing their praises. During CES, T-Mobile invited me to a special event at The Venetian, that was hosted by T-Mobile Girl Carly, and featured singer Colbie Caillat. There was food, swag, and a presentation from T-Mobile higher ups including Philipp Humm, CEO of T-Mobile. The message of the event was pretty clear. Yes, the AT&T merger fell through, but they are moving full steam ahead with offering 4G services in more areas while offering low-cost services so that everyone can have a smart phone and be able to browse the Internet on the go. T-Mobile is paying special attention to their pre-paid division, which is pretty large in comparison to other mobile phone providers. Pre-paid services are for those who cannot afford to have a traditional account, whose credit is not up to par for approval for a regular account, or for those who don't want to sign a contract. T-Mobile wants their pre-paid customers to feel like they are important too. This really appealed to me, not because I am a pre-paid customer, but because a lot of their pre-paid accounts are held by those who are in lower socio-economic areas. I find it quite wonderful that T-mobile wants to continue to lessen the digital divide by making it affordable for everyone to have a smart phone, no matter their economic status. T-mobile will also be offering cloud services for their customers so they can have access to their contacts, photos, information, and more wherever they are. There will also be a heavy emphasis on gaming services on devices. Simply put, T-Mobile isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The AT&T merger did slow them down a bit, but they are not down for the count. There will be more announcements in the upcoming months regarding their service offerings, new phones, and company plans. Here are a few pictures from the event:

T-Mobile Carly. Sorry about the mic stand being in the way :(

Special Guest Colbie Caillat

Brand Advertising & Communication's Peter DeLuca

Disclosure: I, The Cubicle Chick, am a T-mobilizer for T-mobile and I receive special perks and phones for my participation in the program. The opinions featured in this post are mine, and have not been affected by my participation in the campaign.

2012 CES Haul Video: Tech, & Gadgets & Storage, Oh My!

The Cubicle Chick — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:37 +0000

Yes, here is yet another post about my fabulous time at last week's 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. But this time, I am bringing you a video that shows some of a amazing tech swag that I received at a few special key events I attended while I was there. The items shown in the video were given to me by Sony, Kingston, and Microsoft (Windows Phone). Peep the video and let me know your thoughts! http://youtu.be/VOY17asTxkE

Fashion Fab: Swatch Remixes Watches for 2012 Olympic Games in London

The Cubicle Chick — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:00:29 +0000

As a tween and teen in the late 80's (no laughs please), I was knee deep in Guess acid washed jeans and overalls as well as Coca Cola sweaters, slouch socks, and Keds shoes. I also was fascinated with Swatch watches, fashionable and fun watches that came in bright colors and styles. You weren't cool unless you rocked a Swatch watch, and I had three of them and would wear them all at the same time. Shameful, I know, but it was the 80's! Swatch is still on the scene and never really went away, even though in the U.S., they haven't been a part of our current pop culture. Overseas, however, Swatch is still pretty popular, and they have released a collection of watches that celebrate the 2012 Olympic games in London. Mod, bright, and totally interesting, this collection of Gents Originals Swatch Watches are definitely a conversation piece.

So says the press email I received:

Swiss fashion watch and jewelry maker Swatch kicks off the new year with a very stylish pair of sports-inspired Gent Originals, the Olympic Games Collection – London 2012. Created with one eye on fashion and the other on the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games, these stylish Gents merge pro-sport aesthetics and classic London design. The designers have given a nod both to British fashion’s mod heritage and the London 2012 Olympic Games logo by means of a two-toned palette that’s sporty on the one hand and elegance on the other.

It's kinda cool to see these watches back in the forefront after a brief hiatus of being out of the "popular" set. I can see the younger generation rocking these Swatches, alongside the jet set and extremely trendy adult group. These watches retail for .00. Do we like 'em? Are they fab or...not so much?

Olympic Brown: http://bit.ly/OlympicBrown Olympic Blue: http://bit.ly/OlympicBlue

CES ’12: Two of the Most Interesting Devices for Everyday Users

Kid Noble Tech Dude — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:00:35 +0000

Written by Kid Noble, Tech Dude, The Cubicle Chick.com Contributor Anyone who follows Internet news, as well as TheCubicleChick.com, knows about the International Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas. For those that don’t know, CES is a technology lover’s paradise. I imagine it being like Fashion Week for techies, in which you get to see and preview the newest gadgets and technologies from the world’s leading producers. I want to review two of the items at CES that I found the neatest and most interesting. One is the Powerbag (www.mypowerbag.com) and the other is Samsung’s washing machine mobile application. The Powerbag allows it’s owner to charge any of his/her mobile devices … wait for it … in their bag! How cool and convenient is that? This especially comes in handy with the smartphone becoming the norm, and batteries dying due to the frequency with which we use our mobile devices. Most people carry their mobile chargers with them, but are still grounded to a wall outlet or car jack when they [caption id="" align="alignright" width="340" caption="The Powerbag"][/caption] actually want to charge something. The Powerbag allows them to charge their tablet or phone on the go, so as to not interrupt their day. The Powerbag comes in a backpack, messenger bag, and briefcase form, so it’s suitable for the college student, as well as the everyday business man/woman. The Powerbag comes with a battery, an Apple connector, mini and micro USB cords, and can charge up to four items at once. A fully charged Powerbag can charge the average smartphone fully up to two times. The Samsung washing machine mobile application will allow users to control their laundry while on the go. The application communicates wirelessly to the wi-fi enabled washer and dryer (which Samsung will be releasing in the spring quarter). Using the application, you can pause a washing cycle, start one, and keep track of where your items are in the cycle. Initially this seemed a little gimmicky to me, but then I thought deeper into it. For one, there have been several times that I have been doing laundry and because of the fact that the washer and dryer is two floors below my main floor, I don’t hear the buzzer going off alerting me that the cycle is done. In addition to that, there have been several times I have left the house, forgetting that I had laundry in the washing machine. Now, I’m not advocating anyone to get rid of a perfectly good washer and dryer simply to have the ability to get notifications of your laundry cycle, but if you’re going to be looking for a new set, this is definitely something to consider. Again, the washer and dryer comes out in the spring. The best part about it is that Samsung has also announced that the app will not be limited to their phones, or Android. Keep an eye out for these items on the market. Go run errands, to work, or to school, and monitor your laundry on your mobile device that’s being charged by your Powerbag!

Fab Fun at the Samsung Lounge at #CES2012