How-To | Gadgets & Technology

Gloss How-To: Throw The Geekiest (And Coolest) Kids Party Ever

When your birthday is the same day as Star Wars Day, Universal Day of the Jedi, Geek Pride Day and the exact date that Return of the Jedi hit theaters, a lifetime of Star Wars geekery is simply your destiny. So you can understand why these Star Wars party photos e-mailed to me by Jenn at justJENN Designs sent me into warp speed geek-out overdrive.

Jenn, an awesome geek-tastic artist and crafter I met at Comic-Con, recently took part in a challenge presented by Frigidaire for Save the Children to create the coolest, most epic kids party ever, and what better inspiration for a truly epic party than everyone’s favorite space opera?

“I have done Batman parties, Elmo parties, you name it. But I have always wanted to do a Star Wars party,” Jenn said. “The kids love Clone Wars and I am a huge fan of the original movies from the ’70s – or as the Baby calls them, ‘Movies 4, 5, and 6.’”

The result? Impressive. Most impressive. Even the official Star Wars Blog took notice, saying it may just be the coolest Star Wars party they’ve seen yet! When asked why Jenn thinks fans of all ages should throw their own Star Wars parties, she said, “The movies provide so many references, the theming is endless! I don’t think it matters how old you are, Star Wars is fun for everyone. While this was a kids party, it was the adults who got the biggest kick out of all the recipes I came up with.”

Creating a spread of Princess Leia Cupcakes, matcha green tea Yoda Oreos, and more, Jenn’s ultimate Star Wars party has struck a chord with fans, casual and hardcore alike. So, how can you throw the geekiest and let’s face it – coolest – kids party ever? You don’t have to follow Jenn’s menu to a T — just pop in a DVD and find your own inspiration, keeping a few points in mind:

Getting Started – Use Visuals

Jenn skips a written-out list, and instead opts for thumbnail sketches when brainstorming initial menu ideas. When your theme is based on cool visuals, why stick to boring ol’ shopping lists?

Have Fun With the Theme

“I wanted it to be very Star Wars, with lots of fanboy references, just because that’s what makes party themes so much fun,” Jenn said. Case in point: The oft-parodied ‘Blue Bantha Milk’ that Jenn served. ”What made this party so easy was my love the original movies,” she said. “I had ideas for about 20 more dishes but I had to stop myself.”

MORE on GLOSS: Gloss Find – Star Wars Cookie Cutters from Williams-Sonoma

But serving Lomin-Ale and “Panna” Cotta? Go too obscure and you risk alienating any guests who don’t live, breathe and eat the Star Wars trilogy, which depending on your crowd could be uh, everyone. So, while Jenn included a few fanboy-worthy nods, she stuck mostly to iconic images that everybody recognizes, like Princess Leia, for example.

Rein In Your UberGeek

Candy-dipped pretzel rod “lightsabers” — great. But chocolate-dipped pretzel rod “lightsabers” complete with Mike n’ Ike Adegan crystals and fruit leather inert power insulator? While your commitment to authenticity is commendable, in reality, focusing so much time and energy on so many details will make you go crazy.

Though her menu included a few more time-intensive items like the Leia Cupcakes and Yoda Oreos, Jenn rounded it out with dishes that required less detail-oriented preparation. With creative names like “Han Burgers” and “Vader Pataters”, even “regular” dishes like sliders and french fries are elevated to fanboy-worthy geekiness. ”My kids were disappointed that I didn’t carve Vader’s face into these,” joked Jenn.

Play With Your Food

Like Star Wars, your set-up should appeal to the perpetual kid in everyone. That said, an expertly posed action figure goes a long way, and is to be expected at any geek-themed party. I can’t get enough of Jenn’s ‘Carbonite Jell-O’!

I love this. (“I know.”)

For more information on justJENN and her awesomely geeky party ideas, visit justjennrecipes.com. A geekGLOSS request? I’d love to see her take Wonder Woman — share your own ideas below!

Images Credit: justJENN Designs

Gloss How-To: Ditch Your Office Cubicle And Go Mobile

Fantasize about taking conference calls from home as you prepare lunch for the kids or leading meetings with clients while lounging on a sandy beach somewhere tropical? If analyst’s predictions are correct, those dreams may be closer to reality than you might think…

By 2013, a third of the world’s workforce will work somewhere other than a traditional office, 119.7 million people in the U.S. alone, according to a study released by IDC earlier this year.

Experts say that the idea of “working from home” is still viewed unfavorably by some but the stigma is changing. Thanks to technologies like cloud computing, supercharged smartphones, and devices with 3G access, a growing number of professionals are ditching cube life for the opportunity to go mobile.

But stigma or not, when it comes to working outside the office, it’s all about results — said one expert, “Study after study shows you’re more productive working from home… I don’t care if you’re doing it in your underwear at 2 in the morning.”

Think your boss will be skeptical of the idea? Play up the benefits of employing people who work from home such as lower health insurance costs and expenses like rent, parking, utilities, etc. When your boss hears how your plan can help the bottom line, hopefully he or she will at least give it a thought. Showcase your stellar ‘problem-solving skills’ and ‘enthusiasm for teamwork’ by offering a few ‘out-of-the-box’ suggestions:

Video Conferencing Tools – Conduct Meetings From Virtually Anywhere

I told you about Google video chat and the latest version of Skype that can accommodate 10-way video calling but there are a few other Web conferencing options that let you connect instantly without having to rely on teleportation.

GoToMeeting Use your computer, phone or iPad to pow-wow with up to 14 of your colleagues. You’ll be able to hear other attendees and respond via the device’s mic or headset. Users can also view slide presentations, spreadsheets, reports, etc. – anything presenters choose to share on-screen.

ooVoo , While ooVoo doesn’t yet support VoIP calling, it does provide video conferencing for up to 6 people and great for those who prefer chat-based meetings. Users can send files, texts, share desktops for collaborations, and record/post HD videos in a private chat room, on Facebook or YouTube. A bit barebones compared to some of the other business software out there, it’s more along the lines of Skype, although ooVoo claims 8 out of 10 users prefer their messaging tool.

Fuze Meeting This feature-rich software lets you host HD Web conferences from your computer, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, and any other Wi-Fi enabled or 3G device. Unlike most of its competitors (including GoToMeeting), Fuze allows users to organize meetings from the device (as opposed to a desktop interface) and ‘lag’ is eliminated thanks to a patent-pending synchronization, Fuze says. With options to add Keynote or PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, PDFs, movies, images and any other content stored on the device or in your Fuze library, you can conduct meetings from literally any location with an Internet connection.

There may be monthly fees ranging from $30-$50, depending on how many bells and whistles you need but free, stripped-down versions are also available.

MORE on GLOSS: How-To Avoid Making a PowerPoint Presentation of Death

Collaborate As A Team, Eliminate E-Mail Overload with Social Software

There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’ – even if everyone if scattered across the globe. There’s some cool social software out there that let’s you manage projects and teams efficiently, from virtually anywhere!

Social software also has another major benefit: inbox minimization. Back in the day, business e-mail was a necessary tool but nowadays – not so much. Woohoo, right? Just think of how many ‘quick question’ or ‘yes/no’ e-mails and one-sentence messages clog your inbox on a daily basis. By openly sharing work-related data, notes, questions, etc., you can sharply reduce inbox clutter, and sensitive or confidential information is kept safe, secure and password-protected.

ProjectTurf Whether your team is in another country or the offices next door, you’ll want to check this software out! Collaborate on documents, presentations, or files in real time, add sticky notes, control privacy settings, assign tasks, or use a timer to track what projects are sucking up your time.

Central Desktop Like ProjectTurf, this intuitive software is easy-to-use. Open, save, edit and co-author files stored online in Central Desktop directly from Office, making collaboration on Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files super easy and convenient. Also cool: a Wiki feature for real-time brainstorm sessions, a Forum and “CEO Blog” for general announcements or questions, and “Check out” – a feature that allows users to check out documents (like a library book!) to prevent editing conflicts with another user who may be working simultaneously.

Still Too Many E-Mails?
Gmail users can manage their inbox using Priority, a new feature that splits your inbox into three sections: “Important and unread,” “Starred” and “Everything else.” Gmail or not, grouping e-mails together by category – personal, newsletters/mailing lists, work messages, etc. should help.

Do you currently enjoy the freedom of working from home? Leave your tips in the comments section – we’d love to hear ‘em!

Your Desk’s Dirty Secret – 6 Ways to Clean Your Workspace

popsci 300x210 Your Desks Dirty Secret 6 Ways to Clean Your Workspace Filthy, germ-ridden desks at the office certainly aren’t breaking news but that doesn’t mean it’s any less gross. The desk, in terms of bacteria, is 400 times more dirty than your toilet, according to Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Of course, the major culprits are the germs from people not washing their hands after using the restroom and eating food at their desks. But considering that most people spend 8+ hours a day at said desk, these facts are especially shudder-inducing.

So how can you protect yourself from illness and general desktop ickiness? Aside from washing your hands and not eating at your desk, a new high-tech solution is to use products that have antimicrobial protection built right in. Microban, for example, is built-in to a number of products during manufacturing and claims to provide continuous protection without washing out or wearing off.

However, products with Microban are not a substitute for soap or hand sanitizer. These are engineered to protect the product – a bacteria-free keyboard and phone means the less likely it is for you to transfer and spread germs. Microban reports everything is totally safe and that they’re even approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), but if you prefer a greener route, we have some “clean” ideas for you, too…

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For PCs
Slimline Cordless Combo with MicrobanThis ultra-thin keyboard (60% thinner) features Scissor-Switch technology for higher quality tactile feel with faster key response, and the 2.4Ghz wireless connection has reception for up to 15 feet. Includes an ergonomic mouse with 600 dpi optical readability.

Slimline Cordless Combo is $125.99 at fellowes.com.

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For Macs
ProTouch Protectors with Microban by iSkiniSkin’s ProTouch Keyboard Protectors are designed for a normal, non-obtrusive typing experience and work with all MacBook models (released after late 2008). Available in three styles: Classic, FX (with LED/glow-in-the-dark features) and Vibes (colorful graphic print, enlarged key characters).

For the Mighty Mouse: ProTouch is also available. 6 colors: Blush, Kiwi, Blue, Black, Arctic and Orange.

ProTouch Protectors for MacBooks and Apple Keyboards are $25 – $35. The ProTouch for the Mighty Mouse is $20, all on iskin.com.

MORE on GLOSS: yumGLOSS – How to Declutter Your Kitchen

Experts don’t recommend you use hand lotion at work because its moisture attracts and clings onto germs, and can transfer them to other surfaces you touch. Luckily, our fitGLOSS guru, Jeannine Morris, found the perfect solution: CLEAN Antibacterial Moisturizing Hand Cream!

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CLEAN Antibacterial Moisturizing Hand CreamThis advanced hand cream kills 99.9% of germs on contact for continuous four-hour anti-bacterial protection. Skin stays moisturized with Vitamin E, avocado, jojoba, grape seed oil and patented cotton seed extracts. Unscented and alcohol-free.

CLEAN Antibacterial Moisturizing Hand Cream is $10 at sephora.com.

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Henry Hoover USB VacuumTidy up with this silly desktop vacuum. Simply plug it into your USB drive – and watch Henry will go to town on crumbs, dust, dirt, or any other unfriendly mini particles.

The Henry Hoover USB Vacuum is $24.59 at stupid.com.

A Greener Solution?

Try making this sweet-smelling surface cleaner at home – the alcohol, vinegar and essential oils in the liquid soap kill bacteria naturally and effectively. Protect your keyboard from crumbs, spills and germs by buying a keyboard cover and wiping it down regularly.
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DIY Antibacterial Lavender Surface Cleaner

2 cups of warm water
2 teaspoons of Dr. Bronner’s liquid Lavender castile soap
1 teaspoons vinegar
2 teaspoons rubbing alcohol
Optional: 8-10 drops of lavender essential oil

Mix all ingredients well and pour into a spray bottle. (Pictured: Get Clean Spray Bottles, $8 for three at myshakelee.com.)

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All-Natural Hand Sanitizer by CleanWellThe only all-natural and alcohol-free hand sanitizer, CleanWell products are non-toxic and made with a formulation of patented essential plant oils that they say, has been proved to kill over 99.9% of germs. Available in foaming desktop bottles, sprays or wipes.

Sanitizer Pack (pictured) is $17 at cleanwell.com.

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Gloss How-To: Take Photos of Fireworks That Don’t Suck

04fireworks 480 300x247 Gloss How To: Take Photos of Fireworks That Dont Suck Based on the photographic evidence (below), July 4 means a sky full of blurry apocalyptic-y black holes. What gives? How do you take a photo of fireworks without it looking like a solar mass of doom? To help us properly capture the beauty of tonight’s rocket’s red glare, the photography pros are sharing their expert advice and although these techniques may vary, everyone had some basic recommendations.

NOTE: Some digital cameras come with a Fireworks setting for this very purpose. If you have it, use it!

Location, Location Location

First consider your viewing location. “Have something in the photo that’s identifiable,” advises Smithsonian Institution photographer Eric Long. This could be the horizon, landscape, buildings, or people. Try a unique position, like the roof of a building. Get a shot of someone by couching low to the ground and shooting upward, positioning them in the foreground.

You also want to make sure you in a position where you can see the action without worrying about being bumped or having people block your shot. “Steer clear of artificial light sources such as streetlights to avoid the possibility of light flare,” says Jim Barthman of the NY Institute of Photography. “Watch out for tree branches that can sneak into your composition too.”

Equipment

“Fireworks create a very bright light source, and cameras set for automatic exposure will miss the exposure every time,” notes Long. While a pricey digital SLR is the universal recommendation, the kind of camera you use really doesn’t matter as long as you can manually control and set the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.

Use a tripod to ensure your camera doesn’t move when you’re taking shots, says Darren Rowse of digital-photography-school.com. “This is especially important in photographing fireworks simply because you’ll be using longer shutter speeds which will not only capture the movement of the fireworks but any movement of the camera itself.” Also, consider purchasing a wireless remote or shutter release cable so that you can take a photo without touching the camera and jiggling it.

Slow shutter speed = Aperture open longer = Long Exposure

Access the camera’s settings/menu and turn the flash off. Make sure you use the camera’s highest quality setting (so bring extra memory cards, just in case). Turn off automatic focus and set the camera’s focus to infinity. If you don’t have a manual focus control, use the camera’s landscape mode (usually depicted with the mountain icon).

Choose the B (Bulb) shutter speed setting, if you have it. This control will keep the lens open for as long as you press the shutter. “The trick is to open the shutter right at the beginning of the burst and close it when it reaches its peak,” suggests Barthman. He recommends a slow shutter speed of anywhere between 1 and 4 seconds, but play around with longer lengths beforehand. The longer the exposure, the more fireworks you’ll capture and the longer the streaks of light. No B (Bulb) setting? Choose a fixed setting, such as 1 second.

Most of the experts recommend starting with the slowest ISO setting, which is usually about 100. A higher ISO like 200 or 400 will mean more digital “noise” (tiny dots) in your photos. Turn on noise reduction, if your camera has it but note that some cameras can take a few seconds to reduce noise after each shot, preventing you from snapping another photo immediately.

The aperture you use will be based on the ISO setting of your camera. The general recommendation is to pick an aperture somewhere between f/8 and f/16 for an ISO of 100, and between f/11 and f/22 for an ISO of 200, to help prevent overexposing the shot.

And Remember:

Get creative and experiment with shorter and longer exposures. Take a few shots early in the show so you can refine and tune the settings. Take tons of photos – you can always Photoshop or delete the bad ones out of existence later!

Below: July 4 fireworks or gamma ray burst?
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Gloss How-To: Ask Someone Out Online

In the Dark Ages before the Internet, it used to be that if you wanted to date, you had to leave the house and go socialize with other human beings face to face. But as reported by fitGLOSS, a recent study found that nearly a quarter of couples met online and that number is expected to only grow.

But with the Internet comes a new set of dating rules, thanks to an age where potential relationships are further complicated by Facebook drama and Google search. While a recent survey showed that many experts think the Internet has actually improved relationships, the virtual world is still fraught with etiquette landmines. Here are a few ways to help you avoid unnecessary drama so you can safely navigate the world of online dating:

E-mail

Online flirtation via Facebook messages is fine for a little while but you’re ready to take this relationship to the next level: E-mail. Thanks to Google, it’s pretty easy to find people’s contact info but unless an e-mail address was given to you directly, it’s best to not use it. It’s a good chance they probably won’t appreciate your mad detective skills as much as you hope they would. When do you e-mail, remember: Brevity. Skip the e-mail novellas and stick to just a few sentences.

So while you haven’t exchanged e-mail addresses, you did finally schedule a date to meet face-to-face. Once you establish the basics, make the date and avoid long pre-date chat sessions. It’s not a mind game! No amount of AIM exchanges and emoticons can tell you if you’ll actually click with someone.

It’s been almost 24 hours and you still haven’t received a response. Resist the temptation to send a follow-up email. This isn’t a mind game – there’s a definite risk of coming off as desperate, clingy and/or co-dependent so resist the temptation if you can!

When you’re sitting behind a computer in relative anonymity, it’s easy to forget that behind the emails is a real person with feelings. If someone came up to you at a party and introduced themselves, would you just turn around and ignore them? Probably not. The same rules of etiquette that apply offline are valid online, too.

Facebook

Thanks to “Facebook stalking,” the social network seems to be known more for the dissolution of relationships than the catalyst. But considering that almost half a billion people are on Facebook (and they probably check their pages a billion times a day), it would be crazy to rule it out completely. But how do you make your move?

- ‘Poking’ someone who caught your eye is like calling them, breathing heavily into the phone for a few seconds then hanging up. Poke Wars with your best friend is one thing, but poking a potential date — good chance that won’t win their attention.

- Even if their phone number, e-mail and street address are listed on their profile page, it’s probably best to ask before using that info.

- Just like e-mail, keep Facebook exchanges short and sweet. If Friend Requests have been exchanged and accepted, then communicate via quick, lighthearted messages posted on the Wall. Otherwise, you’ll have to use Facebook messages. However, if you are Facebook friends, think before you send private messages Because messages are private, even if your message was totally lame, the implication is there — for some reason, your message couldn’t be shared in public.

- Facebook is notorious for opening up privacy settings when they add new features so if you’re account is private, you’ll have to go into your account and reset the settings. Otherwise, your potential date might have access to information that you would have preferred to keep from him until you at least met him.

Twitter

Twitter is great for re-tweeting the latest “Sh** my Dad Says” quotable and staying on top of that #JustinBieber trending topic, but as far as establishing any sort of date potential? While brevity is key, is 140 characters or less too… brev? According to dating site OK Cupid, the ideal message length is between 200-300 characters – just two Tweets. There’s even a Twitter dating service called Radaroo.

If not, there’s always the mix-tape.

Gloss How-To: Best View Tonight’s “Supermoon”

supermoon 300x169 Gloss How To: Best View Tonights Supermoon With all the buzz about tonight’s super perigee moon — aka “Supermoon — many across the world are wondering when is the best time to see the once in 2 decades event. First — what is a super perigee moon? A super perigee moon is a full moon at it’s most closest point to earth. Tonight, March 19th, 2011, the moon will appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than in the last 20 years.

“The last full Moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993,” said Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC. “I’d say it’s worth a look.”

OK, so how do you take a good look at the super perigee moon?

The best time to look is when the Moon is near the horizon — or at sunset. And that brings us to yet another question — what time is sunset? Here’s a handy link to find out the exact time the sun will set tonight — so you can to get out there and take a look at tonight’s bright moon.

Here’s a video from NASA that explains the perigee moon:

Are you planning to view tonight’s supermoon?

Gloss How-To: Manage Your Chaotic Inbox

Oh. Em. Gee.

gmail 300x199 Gloss How To: Manage Your Chaotic Inbox Nothing’s worse than Gmail gone wild. With all the daily forwards from friends, online sale reminders, Facebook updates and messages from whatever mailing lists your address has found its way on, an overflowing inbox can make email communication overwhelming and frustrating.

Sure, there’s Priority Inbox, but if you’re like me and your idea of organization is throwing everything into the junk drawer, you may need a few more tools to help control the chaos.

Using a potent (and functional) combo of Gmail’s coolest features — Filters, Labels, Multiple Inboxes and the new Desktop Notification — even the most haphazard of users can keep their email organized.

Want to save time and space and keep unread messages to a minimum, without missing another important message ever again? Here’s how:

Set Up Filters

After weeks of waiting for a reply to an important email I had sent, an unrelated inbox search confirmed that I had indeed received a response — over two months ago. How did I miss that?! Never again.

Make monitoring your inbox easier by setting up Filters to manage your incoming messages.

1. Click Create a Filter, located at the top of the inbox, next to the “Search the Web” button. Or, just click Settings > Filters.

2. Specify the search criteria, whether it’s an email address or word(s). Use Test Search to see which messages would have been filtered using these criteria.

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4. Click Next Steps to choose the action(s) applied to incoming messages that fit the criteria: automatically archive, delete, star, mark as important/unimportant, forward, keep it out of Spam, or label (more on that later).

5. Tick the box at the bottom to apply your new filter to both new incoming messages as well as any from the past that also fit the criteria.

Helpful Hint: When specifying more than one word or name, use Boolean search operators, just as you would for a Google search. Using a space for AND will filter messages that use both of the specified termsAnne Smith AND annesmith@email.com. Using OR includes messages that contain either of the words you type in: Victoria’s Secret OR VictoriasSecret.com. Using “-” for NOT narrows a search by filtering messages that contain one of the terms, but not the other: Google -Voice -Alerts.

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Labels

Think of Gmail Labels as “folders”; sort messages by sender, subject, importance — whatever you want! But unlike folders, messages can have multiple labels, making your organization process a bit more flexible.

1. Click Create a New Label located in the drop-down menu to the left of the page or just click Settings > Labels.

2. Type the name of your new label then click OK.

View your labeled messages by searching or by clicking the label name in the menu to the left of any Gmail page.

To label a message while you’re reading it, click the Labels drop-down menu located at the top and select the label name from your list.

You can also label a message in your inbox by dragging it to the label name in the menu to the left.

Multiple Inboxes

Filters and labels are a great way to sort messages, but Multiple Inboxes really punches up their functionality and makes monitoring for important emails even easier. Instead of switching between labels, use Multiple Inboxes to view more than ‘inbox’ at a time.

To enable Multiple Inboxes, click Settings >Labs, then
Save Changes. You can also configure your settings — the number of messages displayed, the positioning of the panels, etc.

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Desktop Notification

gmail notification1 300x203 Gloss How To: Manage Your Chaotic Inbox I could do without Outlook but I must admit the pop-up email notifications are helpful. Thankfully, managing your Gmail inbox no longer requires constant vigilance. Get pop-ups whenever a new email or chat message arrives by using the newly launched Desktop Notification for Google Chrome.

1. Click on Settings. Scroll down to the Desktop Notifications section.

2. Customize settings for your notifications and click Save Changes when you’re done.

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Got Chrome? Install the Google Reader Unread Count extension to keep a running tab of unread messages displayed in the browser tool bar.

MORE on GLOSS: 6 Gmail Features That Will Rock Your Inbox

Implement these tools and you’ll never lose a message to a black hole again. Now if only Google had a solution for organizing my handbag…

Gloss Tips: Fall Back Successfully with Daylight Savings Time

daylightsavings 300x200 Gloss Tips: Fall Back Successfully with Daylight Savings Time Daylight savings time is upon us — at 2am Sunday, November 7th, 2010, we’ll turn back the clocks. While this time change is far better than when we lose an hour in the Spring, there are still some tips to help make this change go smoothly.

Firstly, thanks to technology, most of our devices — cell phones, computers and almost all DVR / cable boxes will auto-adjust to accommodate for the change. Here are a few devices to check in the morning tomorrow when you rise:

- Microwave ovens / conventional ovens
- Coffeemakers: you want to make sure your coffee isn’t sitting for an hour before you want it ready!
- Car radio / clock: alas, our high-tech cars can download directions and tell us where to go, provide us the latest traffic details and more…but we still need to manually turn back the clock.
- MP3 Players: another high-tech must-have that still needs your manual input on the time.

Second, don’t rely on our trusty gadgets to auto-update. Double check them all in the morning to make sure they’ve updated correctly. Also, sometimes our computer calendars can go haywire with the time change — double check your Microsoft Outlook calendar and others to make sure the times for your scheduled appointments are still as they should be.

And finally, enjoy your extra hour! While many of us may use the hour for sleep, let us know if you decided to take the gained 60 minutes for something more productive!