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You Asked: Should She Stand Up For Herself?

DearSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

My friend hooked up with this guy who has a reputation for being a player. We warned her to be cautious, but she said the chemistry they had was different. Things were great between them for a couple of months, but then she had to unexpectedly move due to a family emergency. They tried long distance, but he gave up after making promises of waiting for her, finding her a job in his city, living together, etc., and now my friend is heartbrokenly devastated. It hurts me to see her like this, and she is thinking of sending him an email, telling him what a jerk he is. I don't think that's a good way to approach this - I say just let it be and try to move on - but what do you think she should do? She's desperately asking us for advice, and I don't know what to tell her. - Helping a Friend Heather

To see DearSugar's answer, read more.

Dear Helping a Friend Heather,

I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out between them, but I'm glad to hear that she has supportive friends looking out for her. While I don't necessarily think it's a good idea to write him an email simply to bash him, I do understand why she might feel the need to express her feelings and perhaps get some closure so she can move on.

Since you think she should take a different approach, the best thing you can do is just support whatever decision she makes. I hope she can put this relationship behind her sooner rather than later - good luck.

Source

Does It Take the Right Woman to Make a Man Settle Down?

DearSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Earlier this week Us Magazine reported the news of Kanye West's breakup with fiancé Alexis Phifer. Although I think he's an amazing performer and I respect the devotion he showed his mother, there's something about his larger-than-life demeanor that always made his long-term relationship somewhat surprising. Truth be told, I'm not all that shocked that he called things off before tying the knot.

I guess I've always wondered if the commitment phobes and players of the world are destined to be 90-year-old bachelors, or if it just takes the right woman to get them to settle down. Obviously for Kanye, the jury's still out, but as for the average guy, what do you think? Does it take the right woman or do you think once a player always a player?

Source

Strategically Placed Tattoo, Not Always A Good Thing

GiggleSugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Lower back tattoos (also offensively known as "tramp stamps") typically aren't a dude thing, but whatever. I applaud this guy for pushing the boundaries of a socialized norm, but it's the content of the tatt that would make me ban him from my "fave five" and most probably from my life altogether. He would've been better off inking "assclown" above his butt instead-- at least, he would have been taken more seriously.

Gear Review: slotRadio by Sansa

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:20:25 -0800

I love my iPod, but there is a new music player vying for my heart: the slotRadio ($79) by Sansa.

The two-inch-by-two-inch clip-on music player comes with a data card with 1,000 songs from the Billboard music charts, with prearranged playlists by music genre. I tried the additional Health and Fitness mix, which includes the mixes for warmup, cardio, roadwork (cycling), power (lifting), yoga, cooldown, and the even more mellow spa mix.

To see what I thought of this music player, just read more.

I must admit I am a bit technically challenged - ironic since I am a blogger, I know. Even with my latent Luddite ways, I found the slotRadio super easy to use. The instruction manual was simply written with helpful graphics. Open the box, charge the radio, which took about an hour, put in your music card, and go. My inaugural run with the slotRadio was great. It clips onto your clothes and is so small and light you don't even notice it. The volume button is easy to find, as is the skip button. You can easily skip genres, too. I warmed up with Lady Gaga and Nelly and moved onto cardio with a few bands I have never heard of, like VHS or Beta. The slotRadio feels like a pop music education in a good way. This little player is a great way to introduce yourself to new music. However, I had to remove the foam covers from the earbuds to keep them from falling out of my ears.

The video screen features graphics of exercises and lets you know the next song up on the playlist so you can advance easily to find motivational music. The slotRadio is also a real radio. As an NPR junkie, I love that I can switch over to radio and catch up on news or Fresh Air while working out.

I enjoyed the Health and Fitness music card much more than the standard Billboard artist music card. Thankfully, the data cards are easy to change, and there are many options to choose from, including Christmas tunes, '80s and '90s music, Latin, and classical. The extra data cards cost $40. The slotRadio bundle comes with headphones, charger, and Billboard music card. These make a great gift for the musically impaired fitness fanatic in your life.

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Lego MP3 Player: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:17:25 -0800

Is it just me, or are Lego-themed products popping up everywhere? I just spotted another: this colorful Lego MP3 player ($40) on ThinkGeek.

It has all the functionalities of an iPod, holds 2GB of music (about 500 songs), and features a digital display and USB connection. The coolest part: it's made from actual Lego pieces, so it'll snap together with any Legos you already have. Build-an-MP3-player, anyone?

What do you think?

Insignia Portable DVD Player Reviewed

GeekSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 08:00:38 -0700

I've never been the target customer when it comes to portable DVD players because I hardly ever watch movies on small screens and when I do, I'm happy just using my laptop. Having recently spent some time with my friend's four-year-old, I learned that some people - particularly those who haven't lost their two front teeth yet - rely on portable DVD players for entertainment in planes, trains and other boring locations.

I got a chance to take the Insignia 10.2" 16:9 Widescreen LCD Portable DVD Player for a spin and was pleasantly surprised. I often think of Insignia as an "inexpensive" or "affordable" alternative to more pricey gadgets, but I was immediately intrigued by the player's compact size, light weight and sleek body.

To check out additional pictures of the player and read my full review, read more

I was most impressed with the player's design and usability. It features a fool-proof control wheel (yes, it vaguely resembles the iPod's clickwheel), as well as a small remote that fits into the body of the device for storage. It weighs 2.6-pounds, which is notably lighter than my laptop. While I'm still not sure I would travel with a portable player instead of my laptop, I see where this could be good alternative for keeping yourself or the kids entertained or even as a gift for a Luddite who wants to watch DVDs but doesn't want to deal with connecting a player to a TV (say maybe your great-grandama...).

The Insignia DVD player plays DVD, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 and JPEG formats, which means you can watch videos stored on your iPod on a slightly larger screen. You can also connect to video game consoles. It ships with an A/V cable, car power adapter, AC/DC adapter and remote. At first I thought the price tag of $190 was a little steep, but discovered most of the other portable players on the market are 8-inches or less. For comparison, the Panasonic 8.5" Portable DVD Player with 12 Hour Battery is $260.

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Love at First Sight With Philips Network Music Player NP2500

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:02:17 -0800

During my adventures at the Philips event in Portugal last week, I was introduced to this tiny yet mighty device - the Streamium Network Music Player. As much as I was drooling over the touchscreen Prestigo universal remote (review on the way!), I must say that this player stole my heart. At home, I usually connect my laptop to my home stereo system to listen to tunes, or else I pop my iPod on my portable stereo's dock. The first one is usually a hassle (stereo must be changed from TV to AUX, volume must be adjusted on both laptop and stereo, etc.), and the latter usually offers a temporary fix since the sound quality isn't that great.

But now my friends, there's the Streamium network music player NP2500 which will wirelessly playback all of your tunes from your laptop or PC, and stream Internet radio stations (thousands of stations worldwide), all while utilizing the device's FullSound technology (which makes the sound amazing). The player shows off full album art in full color and you can control the player with the included remote control.

You can currently pick one up on sale from Dell for $162.

Muji Wall-Mounted CD Player: Justify My Love

GeekSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:00:24 -0700

I actually no longer have a dedicated CD player anymore; if a CD does, in fact, need to be played, it can be thrown into the DVD player or the optical drive of one of our many home computers. However, now I'm kind of lamenting the fact that I don't need a CD player, because I can in no way justify this Muji Wall-Mounted CD Player ($178).

Muji, for the uninitiated, creates spare, clean products, as is evident with this CD player, which is finally available in the US. Mounted on a wall, it's light years prettier than my big old bulky boom box I had years ago. I also love the ingenious power cord; you merely tug it to turn the player on and off.

Sadly, it shan't be mine, because I can't make a good enough excuse to own it - and it even goes with that all-white gadget color scheme I have suddenly become obsessed with.

Closer Look: Samsung's New Crystal USB Audio Player

GeekSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:30:10 -0700

I finally got the chance to get an up-close and personal look at Samsung's latest mp3 player, the crystal U3 USB digital audio player. While looks can sometimes be deceiving, I kid you not when I say this player is extremely small. The ultra slim U3 is literally a USB flash drive turned music player as the USB stick pops out so you can directly insert it into your laptop. With no wires or programs to download and a 15-hour battery life, this player is popular for those who want instant plug and play functionality. Available this August in pink, blue, green, white and black. Priced at $90 for the 2GB player.

To check out more images of the crystal player, read more

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Making a Comeback: Six Retro Chic Record Players

GeekSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:42 -0700

There's just something about sifting through stacks and stacks of records, finding a gem, and then taking it home to hear the crackle and amazing sound that a record provides. There's really nothing like it. And although I (and a majority of you) get our music digitally, old vinyl is making its comeback. Maybe it's the "full steam ahead to digital" momentum that makes people long for something a little less electronic, but I personally don't mind. I love music in all its forms, even when it comes on 45-inch discs. In honor of the record player revival, check out some of my favorites that I've found while skipping around the web.

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