Posted via email from lifestream de techyness

Since it’s valentine’s day, and on valentine’s day you post something cute about loooove.

So you want to buy a gadget, or something techy for that special someone in your life? How about taking a romantic twist on a gift?

For the past few years, I have taken on a new role… gift consultant. Sure, you might ask, how are you qualified? Maybe it’s because I watch a lot of movies, have a strong imagination, or just because I’m a hopeless romantic.

First, I’ll take you through a few Valentine’s Day gift scenarios I have passed along to close friends. I hope you’ll find some inspiration… but please leave a comment with your suggestions on cute and romantic gifts you have done for someone on Valentine’s Day.

Gift Scenario 1: Girlfriend likes to cook. Boyfriend would like to continue this hobby.

Outcome: Boyfriend purchased an apron from Williams-Sonoma ($19) in girlfriend’s favorite color along with some cooking supplies. Sounds normal right? Take it up the extra notch by writing a note and having it embroidered on the bottom of the apron. LOVE.

Online Tools: I would recommend having the apron embroidered locally. But if you want something embroidered that is “standard” you can order it from any online embroidery website.

Gift Scenario 2: Girlfriend wants a dog and something from Tiffany.  Boyfriend does not want to buy her a dog.

Outcome: Boyfriend purchases the same dog that girlfriend wants, but a stuffed animal dog, and puts the Tiffany necklace around it’s neck. Then puts it in a box with holes in it. done.

Online Tools: Stuffed Animal World has many varieties of stuffed animals (you could guess) but the dogs from Douglas Cuddle Toy (weird name) are great.

Gift Scenario 3: Girlfriend wants a digital camera. Boyfriend buys digital camera. Gift consultant (me) recommends making it a little more romantic.

Outcome: Camera is purchased. Boyfriend takes camera out of the box and charges it without disrupting the packaging. Boyfriend takes photos of clues that lead to each other and finally ends at something romantic (roses, dinner, etc.). Another suggestion is to have photos of boyfriend holding up cards saying “I love you” on the camera, so when she turns the camera on, they are there!

Of course, the inspiration for this was Love Actually, with the cards…

please share your ideas in the comments! What gifts have you passed along to someone you <3? What are your valentine’s day plans?

Skype Dates... Like the phone (but better)

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time on skype.

When I told one of my (older, non-millennial) co-workers that I had a “skype date” – he looked confused (and maybe even a little concerned for my well being?)

I didn’t tell him that it was a dinner skype date.

My good friend Urban Dictionary defines it as “an event in which people contact each other using an internet phone calling program such as Skype.”

ex: “I’ll catch up with you later. I have a skype date with Adam. This is the best time to call him because of the time change.”

But what’s funny about Skype is that it’s become the necessary evil of long distance relationships fueled by collaborative technologies (not that I’d know from experience or anything…).

While I was studying abroad in Italy, I noticed that many relationships survived on Skype alone – you would always see the girls with the long distance relationships run to the quietest corner to whisper to their boyfriends across the ocean over the interwebs.  There was no privacy (and not much bandwidth either) – so watching them run to the corner made me laugh (but I was also a little jealous of the dedication to the cause)

But the term “skype date” is popping up — not just online, take the  Skype community forum features a thread on “Skype Love and Dating,” but also in movies — Megan Fox in Transformers 2 was blown off by Shia for a scheduled video chat date and was not happy about the outcome.

Why Skype, You Say?

1) It’s Free (non committal. good for people who have different carriers or travel frequently.)

2) You can see the other person (if you have a mac, a netbook, or basically a recently purchased computer)

3) It gives you that home-away-from-home warm fuzzy feeling that you’re talking to a real person behind all of those bits and bytes.

If you’re going to take the plunge and have a Skype Date, my Advice:

1) DO NOT WEAR A CORNY GEEKY HEADSET. for real here, would you wear your headgear out on a first date? No? Then don’t wear a weird headset. Try an iPhone headset with earbuds or at least something sexy.and YES gadgets can be sexy!

2) Look nice from the shoulders up. OK, so you’re not wearing pants. WHO CARES! But at least do your hair.

3) Keep it fun. Maybe suggest that the next skype date is formal and you expect him to wear a tie. Who doesn’t like a guy in a suit!?

4) Research how it all  works. You would look up driving directions if you were going out to dinner, right? Well, do the same with skype. Make sure your camera works. Check that your headset works. Nothing’s more frustrating than seeing you but not hearing the words coming out of your mouth (unless both parties know sign language.)

So, are millennials crazy for doing this? Yes and No. It’s great to keep in touch with those in different time zones (and where it would cost a small fortune to call) and it’s always fun to make funny faces at people over skype, or use the communications channel to decide what to wear. Just don’t rely on it as your only source of “seeing” someone for a long period of time.

Lay down the law, ladies. They should come and see you. In person. Or you’re taking away the video privileges of skype

This one's for the Cinderella Reference.

If Prince Charming lived in today’s New York, he might turn to Missed Connections’ in his search for Cinderella. “We danced at last night’s ball, but you bolted at midnight,” he might write. “I didn’t even get your name, only a glass slipper. E-mail me if you get this.” -New York Times

While getting into a twitter conversation with my friend George (while simultaneously talking on gChat), I was totally making fun of him for tweeting on the hotness factor of a girl sitting next to him at a coffee house. After suggesting that he should post something on Craigslist’s “missed connections,” he immediately referred me to another way to tell that stranger you’re interested.

In order for this to work (and not be creepy)– it obviously depends on the people involved, and of course, how well you write.

If you’re going to post something on craigslist or yelp, or well, anywhere.. just don’t be creepy (please)

Ex: NYC Craigslist “Rain”
I have never done this before, but it was such a kind gesture and you were so sweet. We were both waiting outside in the rain trying to hail a cab. (on Bowery and Bleeker). I let you under my umbrella since you didn’t have one. We had some small talk while waiting, you asked where I was going (you were going to Murry Hill?) You hailed down a black car, handed me money and said “you seem like a nice girl, here is $x and please take this car home, Its all set.” After a moment of hesitation, I jumped into the car since it was so gross out. After I got in the car, I wished we had exchanged information – you were very cute and I was totally taken back by your kind gesture. Maybe you are out there? : )  [blogger's comment. <--cute, not creepy.]

Another (very creative) option: Yelp. It’s great. I love it. George’s friend took a different approach to finding that “Mr. Perfect” and posted something in her yelp review about this mystery man.

Dear hot boy in dark blazer with hat, who came in around 10pm on September 24th, 2009,
I need your # or email. Thankyouverymuch.
…what? Craigslist is so 2007.

It’s cute. She didn’t give too many details (i.e. what you were reading, exact height, web sites you were browsing, your SSN or bank account passwords, etc.) It is highly recommended that EVEN IF you know these details, you do not share them with the internet, and the other person. (ex: 6’4″ = “very tall”). AND ALSO that you require some validation in exchange. (This should help to keep desperate creepers away.)

Next question. Do people actually find each other via these types of digital, internet-assisted “missed connections” connecting sites? An article via NYT (2005) tells the story of a couple who did something about that missed connection.

It’s a different approach from going on Match.com… as you’ve actually seen the person IRL first.

[Technyess Advice: PLEASE PLEASE always be careful when meeting people you have never met before. It's fun, and sometimes super romantic - but air on the side of caution. OK thats it for the mom in me.. for now. hehe]

Celebrate Vday with a Dunk Mug... hehe

As time gets closer and closer to Valentine’s day, I’ve been noticing an increase in articles on “Top [insert number here] Valentine’s Day Gadgets for Her and Him,” and others similar.

Therefore, I have a few feelings on these lists, froma techyness point of view.

#1. Yahoo’s 10 Valentine’s Day Gadgets for Her and Him: I have a few thoughts on this one. OK, so any article that starts off with ” Two well-established facts: 1. Girls love to take pictures.  2. Girls love cute, tiny things.” makes me a little skeptical on the research done by the journalist here.

2 things, buddy. 1. I am a girl. 2. I like gadgets… so don’t advise crappy ones, ok? Sure, buying a GPS for your girl is a nice Valentine’s day present (my suggestion would be to program it ahead of time with where you are planning to meet her and leave a note telling her to turn on the device and press a preset button, because that’s really cute), but really, why are you suggesting a $200 Roomba, a robotic vacuum cleaner!??!! Not good.

Create a digital MixTape using a MixTape shaped flash drive

#2. Dvice’s Top 10 Gadget Gifts for Your Valentine: These guys are a little bit more on the money, with pointing out a Slingbox (awesome), Umbrella built for two (innovative),  a plasma tv, and even the blackberry-shaped “marziphone.” Not bad, guys.

#3. Chip Chick’s Top 12 Geekiest Gadget Gifts: This list has been the most creative thus far. Take the ping “dunk mug,” that has a dedicated area to keep your cookies. Or how about the usb flash drive shaped like a mix tape… this could be cute if you put mp3 files on it and actually give it as a digital mix tape (that would be totally cute!), which is of course, from ThinkGeek (a personal favorite).

#4. ThinkGeek, Flowers=Lame, Get Something Better for Valentine’s Day. With some uber-geeky stuff, it’ll at least make you smile. But the I <3 Geeks Handbook might come in handy for some.

In the end, I would admit that most of these are indeed much better options than what’s currently #1 on Amazon.com’s list…. the “Oxford Biscuit Jar,” only $99.99. I think I only want one if there are diamonds in it.

Or, if you really enjoyed the Tamagotchi’s from years back, and you’re lacking a date this year… there’s always the virtual boyfriend/girlfriend. With a really low total cost of ownership of ~$25 (not including future battery replacements), it’s probably cheaper than the last person you ended up dating.

credit to someecards.com

It was a stormy Sunday evening and I was hanging out at Cafe Intermezzo in Atlanta with a new friend. While discussing the dating scene as newcomers to the greater Atlanta area, she mentioned that she had been using Match.com for a few months.

Immediately, my “techyness.com is looking for new blog content” light bulb brightens immediately, and I ask her to please continue with her story.

We continue to discuss the fact that it’s often a challenge to meet classy, professional men in bars (you could say the same about women) but if you were at this club I visited on Friday, I think you’d probably be interested in analyzing the situation.

She challenged me to create an account and try it out.

So I did.

Consider this my first investigative assignment for Techyness. I have committed to a month with Match.com and will be reporting back to you, my loyal readers (love you!) on my thoughts on it’s UI (user interface), findings, and just about anything funny that happens to me while putting “techyness love” out there in cyberspace.

Let’s call it a test in social interaction over the internet.

I figure, hey, if you’re not willing to try something, you can’t make a decision on it.