NerdAlert: My name is Daria, and I am a Domain Name Hoarder.

that's right, i said it. for a long time, i've had this secret problem with coming up with what i deem to be clever URLs/domain names, and when i look them up on godaddy and they are available and reasonably priced, i buy them. and then, sometimes i do something with them, like i did with this blog and my SundayLA site, and other times, well, i just have these names sitting there.

but this, my friends, is not a case of that! this post has dual purpose: first and foremost, i bought a new domain name for this blog. i've never LOVED the fact that "knows" is at the end of this blog url, because when i say it out loud to people sometimes they think i mean "nose". and of course, just plain geekgirl was never available to begin with, so recently, i purchased geekgirldotcom.com, and with the redesign of my blog to a full blown site in the works right now, i wanted to come to you guys for a gut check. vote in the poll below and let me know what YOU think!

which URL do you prefer?

and the second purpose of this post was to give you guys a sneak peek of what the new site will look like. i was so stoked at finding this amazing new web design tool that is TOTALLY free, that i was inspired to redesign GeekGirl. so in the meantime, here's a tiny sneak peek at what the new site will look like, and i promise that its inaugural post will be about this rad website design software is, and how easy it is to use!

until then, cheers!

GeekGirl Call to Action: Twitter!!!

Hey GeekGirlGang!

As you've probably noticed, Twitter is ALL over the place lately and everyone is talking about it!

So I've been trying it out too! I'm even thinking about doing a GeekGirlPodcast about it. What I want to know is how many of YOU out there would benefit from it?

Do YOU want desperately to know what this Twitter thing is all about? Do you hate Twitter and wish that everyone would stop talking about it? Tell me your thoughts on Twitter in the comments section below, and while you are at it, follow me on Twitter and we can learn together!

http://twitter.com/GeekGirlKnows

To check out my YouTube Channel, click HERE.
To check out my MySpace and become my friend, click HERE.

And make sure to subscribe to my videos on iTunes (click HERE for my iTunes Podcast Home Page, and then click "subscribe")...they are FREE and you can take me with you on your iPod. :)

Cheers,

GeekGirl

GeekGirl Episode 8.1: CES is fun!

Finally! Here's Part 1 of my 2-part GeekGirl, behind-the-scenes, CES (Consumer Electronics Show) extravaganza from Las Vegas! I had a coveted all-access pass to the industry-only show floor and brought back LOTS of video and pictures for all of my beloved GeekGirl followers! Get in on the action here (and if you are at a computer with a good internet connection, make sure to watch the video in High Quality by clicking the "HQ" in the bottom right-hand corner!) Remember this is just Part 1-in Part 2, I show you lots more including the MyVu booth, the new Blackberry Storm and all sorts of awesome new technology (including big companies taking exciting GREEN initiatives that mix technology and help our environment at the same time) from the show floor!



To check out my YouTube Channel, click HERE.
To check out my MySpace and become my friend, click HERE.

And make sure to subscribe to my videos on iTunes (click HERE for my iTunes Podcast Home Page, and then click "subscribe")...they are FREE and the quality on iTunes is way better than on YouTube. Plus, you can take me with you on your iPod. :)

Last but not least, keep those emails coming to geek.girl@earthlink.net!

Cheers,

GeekGirl

New GeekGirl URL Poll! I need YOUR help picking the best new website name!

Hey Geek Guys and Gals!

Soooo, you guys have BLOWN ME AWAY with all the iPhone iLikes and iGripes that I've gotten! So much so, that it's taking me a while to edit down the podcast because I can't possibly include them all, but they are all so good it's making it hard to choose! (A great dilemma to have). I am almost done with the editing (I'm also experimenting with a fancy new GREEN SCREEN for my podcasts, so that's adding edit time as well! fingers crossed. if anyone ever wondered how a green screen works, I can explain that to y'all as soon as I'm sure my effort was successful. :)

Anyway, in order to tide you over, as I know you are all eager to hear your emails/comments read on the iPhone podcast, I have a quick little video announcing my new GeekGirl blog URL here, followed by a poll, because I need YOUR help in deciding whether or not I picked the right name! First, watch this (it's super-short, I promise):A URL is a fancy name for a web address (i.e., www.GeekGirlKnows.com or Apple.com or Google.com, etc. etc.). You can actually have your website/blog "living" on one website addy, and then have a "Vanity URL" (a fancy word for a simpler web address) for which you just purchase the domain name, and simply have it "point" or "redirect" to where your website actually lives. (Maybe I'll do a GeekGirl Quickie on how this works if anyone out there is actually interested or curious! Let me know if you are).

To make a long story short, (or rather, a short story long!) since my original URL was really hard to describe to people (http://geekgirlpodcast.blogspot.com) my best friend/co-worker/officemate at the Tonight Show, Ross (check out his blog HERE), and I were brainstorming the other day on a website name that would be super easy and also fun and applicable to me and what I do here around the old GeekGirl blog. SO, we came up with GeekGirlKnows! Just imagine me saying, "You have questions? GeekGirlKnows!" How's that for a tagline? Fun, right?

There's only one slight problem...before we came up with GeekGirlKnows.com, I had purchased the domain GeekGirlPodcast.com. Both of them work right now (watch, open up a new window and type them both in...they magically go to the same place!) Now I'm not sure which one I like better! Here's where YOU guys come in! Below is a poll... give me your input on what name is better for my new URL!

So vote vote vote and tell me what YOU think! The winning name will be used in all of my GeekGirl graphics and promotions!

Stay tuned for the iPhone iLikes and iGripes video podcast starring YOUR questions and comments!!!

Cheers,

Daria aka GeekGirl

Episode 4.2: Geek Gads-The Finale!

Hey Everyone! So, as promised, here is part 2 of my TOP 5 FAVORITE GEEK GADGETS. At the end, I read some of your emails! Check out the video here:

Tomorrow I will post a follow-up blog with a text recap complete with links to all of the products so that you can explore them further if you are interested. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, please email me or post them in the comments below!

Production starts next week on the next video podcast...I won't reveal the topic just yet, but I promise it will be fun and, well...geeky!

Email me at: geek.girl@earthlink.net.

To check out my YouTube Channel, click HERE.
To check out my MySpace and become my friend, click HERE.
And make sure to subscribe to my videos on iTunes...they are FREE and the quality on iTunes is way better than on YouTube. Plus, you can take me with you on your iPod. :)

Cheers!

Geek Girl

A Few Good Gads

Greetings!

So, I am in production RIGHT NOW on Episode 4 of the video podcast. It will be completed tomorrow (Monday 11/12) night, and should be live on Tuesday morning. I am going to give you a bit of a sneak-peek here by giving away the topic because I need to hear from YOU about something that I will then reveal in the new podcast. Here's what I need to know:

What is your favorite gadget?

I am going to talk about 5 gadgets that I love, and expect the unexpected here. I'm sure lots of people will say their iPhones, iPods, etc., which is great, but I want to also hear about other things that you all love. Then, I want to reveal to you all if there is one response that is overwhelmingly universal, or if I get any wacky responses, I might share those as well!

Email me your answer to geek.girl@earthlink.net. Put the word "GADGET" in the subject line. OR, post it in the COMMENTS section below. Hope to hear from you!

Otherwise, come back for the new podcast tomorrow night/Tuesday morning!

To check out my YouTube Channel, click HERE.
To check out my MySpace and become my friend, click HERE.
And make sure to subscribe to my videos on iTunes...they are FREE and the quality on iTunes is way better than on YouTube. Plus, you can take me with you on your iPod. :)

Cheers!

Geek Girl

You Asked, I Answer! iPod on the Radio: Transmitters

Hello web friends!!

So many of you have been emailing me over the last two days about the iPod transmitter that I recommended to Ross "the Intern" Mathews after he mentioned it on his blog (click HERE to check it out), that I decided to post a whole blog about it. Also, Episode 3 of my Video Podcast, which is coming up soon, is going to feature all of my favorite gadgets, and I will be including this transmitter in that video as well.

First things first, in case you missed it, here's Episode 2 of my Geek Girl Podcast:




Ok, now, for the piece de resitance...




Before I tell you all about this transmitter and where to find it, I have to give you all a quick brief about how these things work. Lots of people have emailed in about problems with transmitters and the static and interference and plain non-functionality of the devices that they have bought. What you need to know is that there isn't a device (yet) that is external (plugs INTO your car as opposed to having it wired inside of your car radio, which I had done and I LOVE) which will cut out ALL of the static from the airwaves. The way that these transmitters work is like this:

• your car cigarette lighter acts as the power source for the transmitter.
  
• you plug the transmitter into your iPod (which also, as a bonus, charges your iPod via the cigarette lighter)
• you turn on your car radio and scan for a station that is nothing but static...in this case, the more static the better
• you program this station on your car stereo, and then you turn on the transmitter and program that same station on it as well (the transmitter that I'm recommending actually has 3 channel pre-set buttons, so that's a plus, because you can have different stations for different areas you drive in)
• you turn on your iPod and play it, and the transmitter actually transmits what your iPod is playing via the preset station you have selected, and your car radio receiver picks it up. It's like your own mini-broadcast radio station in your car!

But here's the drawback: no matter how good a transmitter you get, you are still dealing with radio waves. Radio waves, even on the best, biggest stations cut out when you are out of the area (i.e. when you go on road trips and there are long stretches of road where you can't get ANY reception). Lots of environmental factors also influence radio waves, such as weather and clouds (random fact: did you know that at night, if the cloud coverage and temperature are just right, you can pick up AM stations over the radio that you couldn't pick up normally? The radio waves actually bounce off the clouds and reflect back down to earth in places they wouldn't normally transmit. Neat, right? Actually, if anyone reading this knows more about that phenomenon, please post about it in the COMMENT section below...I'd love to hear more about it!).

Anyhow, the moral of the story is that you will never get perfect reception with a transmitter. But the one that I show you above has some advantages that help minimize the interfering factors. It's a Kensington Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger, and you can buy it at the Apple store HERE. The advantages are:

1. It is digital, which transmits a clearer signal
2. It has 3 programmable stations, which allow you to switch stations depending on the area you are in
3. And it has a Patented Aerielle wireless technology, which enhances noise reduction and stereo separation.

So there you go, blog buddies. Everything you wanted to know about the transmitter. I personally think it's also worth it, if you have the money and a car that will allow for this type of hook up, that you have your iPod cord installed in your car. Then you just plug in your iPod like you would to your computer, and control it via your car CD control buttons, as opposed to the radio. If you do it this way, there is absolutely no radio interference because the car stereo treats the iPod input like a CD, as opposed to a radio wave.

Lastly, a few of you have asked about an iPod cassette adapter. I've found one HERE, however can't personally vouch for it's effectiveness since I don't have a tape deck. Make sure you check out the specs, because you have to have a front loading tape deck, etc. The reviews for this one look pretty good, but make sure to always do some online investigating before you buy any electronics products. Or, check with me. :)

Ok fellow geeks and geeks-in-training...that's all for now! To email me your questions, or even video questions for a chance to be featured in a future podcast, email me at geek.girl@earthlink.net.

To check out my YouTube Channel, click HERE.
To check out my MySpace and become my friend, click HERE.
And make sure to subscribe to my videos on iTunes...they are FREE and the quality on iTunes is way better than on YouTube. Plus, you can take me with you on your iPod. :)

Cheers!

Geek Girl

Testing, Testing, 1..2..3..

This weekend is going to be filled with lots and lots o'testing and learning for Geek Girl! I am in the process of creating a test video Podcast and hopefully will post it by Monday to see how it works with this Blog tool. Stay tuned! I'll need all of YOUR comments and feedback in order to create the most helpful, informative Podcast EVER. (Ok, not EVER, but close).

Just one quick note...I've changed the settings to allow you all to post comments, questions, and/or suggestions without having to give any info. You can remain Anonymous, just how some of you like it. :)

Lastly, I'm putting out a call to ALL of YOU to send me your questions and suggestions on video podcast topics. They can be questions about anything from using software to email to internet to digital cameras to iPod's to peripherals to fonts! Anything that you struggle with in daily life, even if you think it's silly; I bet you it's not, and I bet you I've been asked about it before! I've got most of the season mapped out, but I'd love to do a few episodes that are "BLOGGER's CHOICE" topics. You can also email me reasonably sized questions as video files...I'm hoping to gather enough video questions from you all to dedicate a special Podcast to you all at the end of my "season" that will feature your "live" questions! What do you think? I think it will be really fun and exciting. But then again, I am a geek. ;)

Post your topics, questions and suggestions in the COMMENTS section or email me at geek.girl@earthlink.net. To those of you who have already emailed me, thanks for the feedback!! For the rest of you, let's talk!

Cheers and happy weekend,

Geek Girl