I own a bar-code scanner

It may probably be dumb and corny to you but is great for me…you see, I use the line laser as a 3D scanner to build geometry graphics.

COOL!!! ain’t it?

GeekFest is their “little get-together”, organized the world over — a celebration of the geek packs, nerd camps and those pledging their loyalties somewhere in between.

GeekFest have unique event constructs of their own, specific to each city or country, but share uniformity in their gathering of individuals who possess a developed interest in the field of science, innovation, technology or arts.

Most commonly, GeekFest-goers “dig” the latest technological gadgets, understand the techno-manic market and surely have an opinion on it, in addition to having a massive impact on online forums (who else do you think chunks out those long blogs reviewing Call of Duty, dishing out free advice on how to dodge Apple update hurdles and oh, let’s not forget the babbling on the best Android that rocks and why you should buy it!)

GeekFest is an informal, “unorganized” (yup! That’s what they called it?) networking event that attracts a crowd of techno-savvy enthusiasts.

Our very own Jeddah city organized their second GeekFest event recently on April. Yeah, more power to the geeks!

The GeekFest Jeddah concept, an offshoot of the original GeekFest Dubai format, has had similar replications throughout the MENA region, hosting a schedule of GeekTalks, ArtStuff, GameFest and TechnoCases at their event nights.

In keeping with the segregational norms of the Islamic faith, male and female dorks had to obligingly comply. Tashkeil — a Middle-East creative network platform in the field of art, design, architecture and culture — hosted the female attendees as part of their corporate social responsibility, while Fab Lab Arabia entertained the males.

“There are many intelligent and creative people that would not have had the opportunity to meet like-minded people otherwise. we are honored to host GeekFest to be able to provide them with a venue to network and share their ideas and expertise”, said Yolanda Perez, partner at Tashkeil.

“It is a great way to bring developers, bloggers, social media and online enthusiasts together in an offline social event”, she added.

GeekTalks is the time when the nerds gab off on the most wondrous topics they know better than anyone else. GeekFest nominated four guests from diverse backgrounds to engage the anticipating crowds: Sofana Dahlan (Tashkeil CEO), Dania Al-Hamrani (EggDancer Productions CEO), Eric Martin (KAUST VentureLab Manager) and Mohammed Tayeb (FabLab Manager).

“It was a great event and it was nice to see different personalities with impressive backgrounds getting together. the Saudi entrepreneurship system needs more people with unique passions to pursue start-ups and new businesses”, said Eric Martin.

While ArtStuff encouraged exhibitions of new, chosen artistic talents in town, GameFest brought hard-core gamers together to try the latest offering of virtual play-offs available in the market.

In keeping with the true spirit of these techno-manics, TechnoCases — a slot dedicated to technological companies — allows them an opportunity to market their latest gadgets to their target audience.

If you are already a geek/nerd or are looking at becoming one, then follow the twitter handle GeekFestJeddah to join their next event. for more information, visit: geekfestjed.com/

GeekFest Jeddah: For all the wits in the house

HI

I added the gadget ‘SEARCH HISTORY’ to my i google page.
it normally shows the words that i typed for searching the web.

my problem is:

This gadget still shows the words that I typed for browsing ;even after I deleted the browsing history by going through the internet options in IE toolbar

I dont want to remove the gadget, but only want to delete the typed words.

thank you

Research in Motion showed off promising new smartphone software at its BlackBerry World conference in Orlando, Florida Tuesday that has been years in the making.

RIM even handed out free phones running an early version of its new software to developers at the conference.

The problem: Apple and Google have promising modern smartphone software, too. And they’ve been shipping phones running the stuff to paying customers. For years.

RIM, meanwhile, is promising to put overhauled software into phones this year. new RIM Chief Executive Thorsten Heins showed off several clever features Tuesday, such as a keyboard with a novel predictive typing scheme.

Another trick: a camera app that lets a user dial back in time to capture that perfect smile that they might otherwise have missed. “You can see the detail of all the things our engineers are working on,” Heins told an audience of thousands of BlackBerry users and developers Tuesday.

The problem: clever touches are nice, but there’s nothing mind-blowing to this software, which was originally slated to arrive early this year. RIM shares fell 74 cents, or 5.17%, to $13.56 in Tuesday trading after Heins spoke.

RIM will also need to make up lost ground with carriers, and a public, who have been drawn to phones from Apple and Samsung. “They needed to do what they did today for this audience,” Gartner Analyst Michael Gartenberg said of RIM’s announcements. “But at the end of the day it comes down to shipping, execution, and how many carriers will pick them up.”

RIM’s biggest edge may not be what its new software can do, but what RIM already does. And that goes beyond just a slick handset. Big businesses and government agencies still trust RIM’s software and services to move data securely, lock it down tightly, and manage who has access to what.

RIM’s BlackBerry Fusion promises to bring these features to iPhones and smart phones running Google’s Android software. The software, launched earlier this year, already helps manage these devices.

Coming soon: the ability to secure communications  and lock down data stored on these gadgets, Alan Panezick, vice president product platform management, promised Tuesday. Just like a BlackBerry.

If BlackBerry 10 is a failure, this will have to be RIM’s Plan B.

RIM Finds Answer To iPhone — Five Years Later; Shares Fall 5.17%

My living room is setup such that all the A/V equipments are facing the side of the room. (there’s no TV in front of me, I use an overhead projector). So everytime I have to walk over to the side of the room to change channels, etc. Is there anything out there that can reflect my IR signals 90 degrees?

Internet telephony provider Skype released its app for the Windows Phone operating system on Sunday on the Windows Phone Marketplace, a couple of months after releasing the beta version of the app.

The app, available in 18 languages, brings users of phones running Windows Phone into the mainstream of 200 million people who use the Skype service every month on smartphones and tablets running Android, iOS, and Symbian, computers and laptops running Mac and Windows, and connected TVs, the Microsoft division said in a blog post.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Luxembourg, Skype was acquired by Microsoft in October last year in a US$8.5 billion acquisition. Microsoft said that Skype would be integrated with its products, but without affecting availability of the popular Internet telephony application on platforms from competitors. Skype functions as a business division within the company.

Available for use on 4G, 3G and Wi-Fi networks, Skype for Windows Phone has since the initial beta app added some new features including video calling in portrait mode and friend management capabilities including invite, accept invitations, block, and unblock contacts. Consumers can place calls over a Wi-Fi connection or a mobile data connection, though Skype recommends a strong Wi-Fi connection for best-quality video calling. a video on YouTube shows how the app works.

Users can download the app directly from their Windows Phone but Skype warned it may take up to 48 hours for the app to propagate in all local Windows Phone Marketplaces.

The app has also been tested and certified for performance on seven models of HTC, Samsung, and Nokia phones. These are the Lumia 710, Lumia 800 and Lumia 900 from Nokia, Titan and Radar from HTC, and Samsung Focus S 
and Samsung Focus Flash. The Lumia 900 was launched earlier this month in the U.S., but Nokia reported a software glitch that affected connectivity to AT&T’s network.

John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John’s e-mail address is

Skype app for Windows Phone released

i am looking for a device that takes grid power in small amounts and ups it into 250 volts 200 amps similar to a solar inverter and will drop the electricity bill down.

This post comes from Kelli B. Grant at partner site SmartMoney.

Earth Day celebrators and others have some new ways to go green — and get a little green — by clearing their homes of old electronics.

Electronics retailers and manufacturers increasingly encourage customers to be more responsible with their discarded devices, initiating trade-in programs and opening drop-off locations. Earlier this month, Sears opened trade-in desks at 190 Kmart stores, letting shoppers swap their old gadgets for gift cards. Amazon, Target, J&R and GameStop all launched or expanded similar programs within the past year, too.

The stores typically resell or donate gadgets when possible, and properly recycle them if not, says Tim Doyle, a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association.

The effort has paid off — somewhat. E-waste recycling jumped 53% last year, with landfills spared some 460 million pounds of consumer electronics, according to the CEA. still, many old phones, computers and gadgets continue to get thrown in the trash every day. By the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest estimates, some 75% of electronics ready for “end-of-life management” are trashed rather than recycled, leaching potentially dangerous toxins into the ground. (Post continues below.)

Experts say that as more companies offer to buy back old devices, consumers — who would otherwise throw out items or let them linger unused — might be enticed to recycle. But a glut — in terms of both the range of devices and the number of people reselling them — has pushed down some prices, says Anthony Scarsella, the chief gadget officer for resale site Gazelle.com. It’s in consumers’ best interests to shop around.

Prior to reselling old gadgets, consumers should wipe devices of personal data, says Paul Stephens, the director of policy and advocacy for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. these days, someone’s “old” device is still likely to be a smartphone rather than a basic-feature phone. “It can have a tremendous amount of data on it,” he says.

Sites like eHow.com  and ReCellular  offer instructions to clear devices, and most resale and recycling programs provide memory wipes for peace of mind.

Take these steps to maximize your returns when recycling old gadgets:

Start with resellers

Sites like Gazelle.com and NextWorth.com offer free online estimates, as do retailers including Amazon, eBay, Best buy, Target and RadioShack and manufacturers such as Apple and Dell. Condition matters, so make note of any problems like scratches or cracks. “The better condition your gadget is when you trade it in, the more value you’re going to get for it,” Scarsella says.

A 16GB iPhone 4 in “good” condition, for example, would fetch as much as $147 at Gazelle, while one that’s “flawless” might get $167. Programs typically provide a free box and cover shipping costs — and shoppers who want a faster turnaround can often find an in-store trade-in counter, Doyle says. Experts suggest getting a payout in cash. although some programs offering store credit may have slightly higher rates, studies have found that consumers redeeming store gift cards typically spend 40% more than the value of the card.

Then, try donating

Unfortunately, some older-but-functional​ gadgets aren’t worth anything on the secondary market. Donate them to charity and grab a receipt, and the transaction is potentially deductible on next year’s tax return. By Goodwill’s estimates, a computer monitor might be worth $5 to $50; a DVD player, $8 to $15.

• Smart Spending on the go: get our app for Android or iPhone

Plenty of local nonprofits may also accept working phones, computers and other electronics to resell, or for use in their own offices and programs, Doyle says. be even more careful wiping data from devices in this case, Stephens says, since charities may not have the resources to do so themselves.

Finally, recycle

Most resale sites will also take valueless gadgets to recycle, Doyle says, and GreenerGadgets.org helps people find e-cycling locations nearby. Consumers can even earn reward points for their troubles. RecycleBank.com regularly rewards consumers in 300 partner communities with points based on how much paper, plastic and other goods they recycle. Chief sustainability officer Ian Yolles says the company offers 150 points for e-cycling via partner YouRenew.com. (The site also buys some old gadgets.)

That’s enough to get rewards, including a coupon for $10 off a $50 Macy’s purchase or $10 off $30 at Bed Bath & beyond. There’s no need to live in a partner community to take advantage, he says.

More on SmartMoney and MSN Money:

Getting green for old gadgets

The question say it all.

The Vista sidebar has a game called “Bubble Breaker” (which can be addictive). I don’t understand the scoring system. Sometimes I get a high score for “breaking” only part of the bubbles and other times, I get a low score for breaking nearly all of them. Has anyone figured out how the scoring system works?

The cloud computing service, Google Drive has finally released. this cloud base computing is meant for sharing, creating and collaborating and store data up to 1TB.

According to Sundar Pichai, Google representative, Google Drive will allow users to akses and download variety of files including videos, photos, pdfs and Google Docs.

“everything could be done. you could access the file virtually anywhere. At home, office, or even when you are far away from your computer devices,” Pichai explained.

The Google Drive could also be used on Macintosh computers as well as other type of computer PCs, tablets and smartphone that have different operating system than Android. Users that have visual problem (blind or temporary blind) could also access the Drive using a special screen reader tool.

“Let’s say you upload a scanned image of an old newspaper clipping. you can search for a word from the text of the actual article.

… We also use image recognition so that if you drag and drop photos from your Grand Canyon trip into Drive, you can later search for [grand canyon] and photos of its gorges should pop up,” Pichai added.

Image & Video Courtesy: Google

Available in 5GB free space allocation for each user, you could also get between 25GB to 1TB of the Google Drive’s storage space for a monthly fee ranging between USD2.5 to USD50. side note: users that paid for the Google Drive space account will also see an increment of storage space base on the monthly fee that they pay for, i.e: USD2.49 will get 25GB for your Gmail account.

Wish to order the free 5GB cloud storage to keep your files online? Head over Google Drive, right here!

Precaution: please be reminded that Google promises a safe storage online, since their  motto for Google Drive is: “Keep everything, Share Anything!”

However, by far, no single human could ever guarantee ‘security’ of your important data, if they are uploaded to online cloud servers!

Pricing:

• 25GB= USD2.49/month
• 100GB= USD4.99/month
• 1TB= USD49.99/month

[ Source: TG Daily ; Google Drive ]

Google Drive: Cloud Base Digital Storage, 5GB Free!

I saw a commercial on TV advertising this new tool that files your pet’s nails instead of cutting them. It costs $19.95. Did anyone get the address or phone number?

I’d like to have a little space like a widget of the Seattle Live cam http://www.earthcam.com/usa/washington/seattle/ on my desktop if that is possible?
And if it is…. How?

Logitech has been making computer accessories since the earth cooled it seems. one such accessory they seemed to be known for in particular is the humble mouse. We take the mouse so much for granted but we’d be hard pressed to get along without one. think about it. the mouse is an extension of our mind’s wishes. it makes things happen with one or two clicks. the most recent incarnation of Logitech’s wireless mouse, the MX, brings high praise indeed from people who know about such things. one writer in a publication from the UK describes it as “gloriously comfortable” to use. the best thing about it, he says, is the way it fits the right hand, with apologies to lefties.The scroll wheel now has a hyper-speed mode that can zip you to the end of an overly long document or web page with a single flick. this new version doesn’t rely on Bluetooth as so many wireless mouses (mice?) presently do, as do those that now come standard with new iMacs. it has it’s own self-contained radio system which requires a tiny receiver plugged into a USB port. Another feature now is that it can be re-charged by simply plugging it in directly with its micro-USB cable. No more separate charging station or frantically searching for fresh AA batteries.

And the MX works on glass. Clever?

Digital Media Lab at Skokie Public Library » Blog Archive » ANOTHER USEFUL GADGET…….

We have been hearing rumors for some time that Google are working on their own Android tablet, in a similar way that they have done with their ‘Nexus’ branded smartphones which have been produced by various manufacturers.

Now according to a recent report by The Verge, the Google Nexus Tablet has apparently been delayed until around July of this year, and the reason for the apparent delay is to reduce the price of the tablet.

The tablet is rumored to retail for $249, and Google wants to reduced the price to the $149 to $199 range to compete with Amazon’s Android tablet offering, the Amazon Kindle Fire.

According do the report, as we have heard previously Google are working with Asus to develop the Nexus tablet, and it will be interesting to see what both Google and Asus come up with.

The $199 price would be a good move, as Amazon has had success with its Kindle Fire Android tablet that many Android tablet manufacturers have yet to do, so obviously the $199 price is important.

.

Google’s Nexus Tablet Delayed Until July?

I want one that you can use for fundraising. You can enter the goal amount of money, and how much you have, then it shows how much more you need. Something you can put in the sidebar of a blog. Please help!