TresSugar

Has Social Media Made It Too Easy to Keep in Touch?

TresSugar — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:00:00 PST

Social media gives us the opportunity to keep in touch with thousands of people - but is it also sort of a burden? Before the creation of Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking platforms, it wasn't quite so easy to keep track of old friends. Now you can communicate with that girl from your second grade class instantly across several separate mediums. It's convenient, yes, but it can also be a bit overwhelming.

Rather than shifting in and out of different relationships as time goes on, it's become easy to keep adding more friendships to the mix and expanding our social circles. Getting truly "out of touch" has become nearly impossible - unless, of course, you officially defriend people. How do you feel about it?

10 Gorgeous Gifts For the Technology-Obsessed Mom

Natasha Dantzig — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:25:49 PST

Go, gadget, go! For technology-lovin' mamas, nothing says "I love you" like a modern new gadget designed to make life easier, better, or simply cooler. Whether she's a digital music buff, is never without her iPhone, or simply must have the latest kitchen gadget, keep reading for a selection of gifts sure to delight the techie mama on your list.

5 Ways Tech Can Help You Save Money While Traveling

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:05:52 PST

Summer may seem like the biggest travel season of the year, if you're headed abroad, cross country, or to far-off locales, travel time is ripe 365 days a year. Unfortunately, traveling can also have you racking up the charges on your credit card, but with these handy tech tips, you can save money while on the road now, or any time!

Track down free WiFi - There's a number of US airports that offer free WiFi in the terminals (and more being added all the time), which can save you big money if you need to stay connected. Also, there's plenty of WiFi options getting to and from the terminal. Just don't use that mysterious "Free Public WiFi" signal - it could spell trouble.
Get a Google Voice number - Getting a Google Voice number can help you save big bucks on international and domestic calls wherever you are - rates start at just two cents a minute, and calls to US and Canadian landlines are free! Plus, you can use your laptop to make calls, no cell phone required.

Check out the rest of the tips when you read more.

6 October Managing Must Haves

SavvySugar — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 05:00:00 PDT

People have problems transitioning from paper to pixels, but tech tools are a handy way to keep you organized. Not only is it great for the environment, but it's also a lot more convenient to do all your organizing from one platform. Readers have said they wanted to become more online savvy, so I'm sharing some of my favorite websites that help me stay organized. Take the plunge this October and start organizing with just a few clicks of your mouse!

An App That'll Take the Frustration Out of Customer Rep Calls

Emily Co — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:30:21 PDT

Rude customer service flustering you? Don't fret, you're not the only one. According to the Journal of Service Research, one-third of consumers complained about receiving horrible customer service at least once a month. That's enough to get anybody down.

The study also found that those offended by the service provided are less likely to continue giving the retailer their business. Having just had an unpleasant encounter with a company's reps myself, I can totally sympathize with the upset customers.

Although we can't control the customer rep's behavior, we can now control another annoying factor of customer service - being put on hold for the longest time, stuck listening to the cheesy "hold" music. Introducing FastCustomer, an app currently available for the iPhone and Android that will help you skip the waiting time and get you to the rep whenever he's ready. Here's how the app works: you basically scroll through a menu of over 2,500 companies and call one via the app. The app will do the calling and waiting for you, and after it reaches an actual person on the line, your phone will start ringing.

What the rep hears on the other line is an instruction advising her to "Please press one for your next customer." This is one of the drawbacks of the system because the reps may hang up if they don't want to briefly wait to get to you or they are unfamiliar with this service. There are still a few kinks needed to be worked out, but this app definitely looks promising!

Reader Asks: Is There an App For Sticking to Budgets?

Savvy Community — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:00:39 PDT

Sometimes money and career questions can feel so sensitive and personal that it makes sense to stay anonymous when asking them. This is why the Savvy Confessions community group is the perfect place to vent because all postings are kept anonymous.

In the latest Savvy Confessions, a reader asks for if anyone has suggestions for apps that help you stick to budgets.

Let me start out by saying - I'm a really, really bad organizer when it comes to my finances. I have no structure right now, and as a result, I am having major issues with my budget! However, I know making a spreadsheet on Excel or Google Doc isn't for me. Is there any other way, a more . . . interesting way to remember or keep track of my finances? There has to be an app for this or something?! Help!

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and be advised by fellow Savvy readers.

Do You Pretend to Use Your Phone to Avoid Talking to People?

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 07:23:28 PDT

This week public opinion surveyors at the Pew Research Center unveiled the results of a study looking at adult Americans' use of cell phones. Responses showed that over 80 percent of Americans own some sort of mobile phone, with no distinction made for data-drive smartphones.

While the survey found fairly obvious results, for example 40 percent of cell owners have found themselves in an emergency situation where having a mobile phone helped, one factoid caught our attention. Pew found that 13 percent of all cell phone owners have pretended to be using their phone in order to avoid interacting with the people around them. Of the more tech-dependent 18-29 age group, 30 percent admitted to using their phones to avoid others.

Whether it's to escape humdrum small talk in an elevator of strangers or to pass time during a dull moment at a party, have you ever used your phone to evade chatting with others?

The Future of Safe Bicycling Technology

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:28:13 PDT

Bicycling on busy city streets can be an intimidating prospect. Dealing with fast-moving cars is stressful enough without counting the physical energy needed to stop and start at stoplights. In efforts to make sharing the road safer for cars and cyclists, Pleasanton, CA, a city of about 70,000, recently installed microwave motion sensor technology at several intersections throughout town.

The device, called an Intersector, monitors traffic in the intersection and can differentiate between vehicles and bicyclists in the street. The Intersector will extend or activate the green light if a cyclist is detected whereas, in many towns, the cyclist may have to activate the crosswalk signal manually.

While Pleasanton is the only city in the country currently using the motion sensor technology, the cycling community is inventing new ideas and technologies to stay safe on the roads. For more cycling safeguard prototypes, follow the break.

Detox Your Tech Life: 5 Tips For a Digital Diet

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:09:22 PDT

If admitting that you're addicted to your social networks isn't enough, a new book by technology reporter Daniel Sieberg called The Digital Diet ($10), wants you to admit and remedy your tech addiction (you know you have one). While technology is becoming completely integrated into our modern lifestyles, it's not always good to block out the world around you while you tweet, post to Facebook, watch movies, and check emails. Daniel Sieberg offered up some handy tips on how to break your tech addiction from his book, which you can check out below!

Avoid tech turds - One of our own favorite tech etiquette tips says that, as a rule of thumb, you shouldn't leave your phone out on the table. Daniel Sieberg has a more colorful way of saying it, calling these situations "tech turds": "Don't just dump your smart phone on the table at a restaurant or at home. Keep it in your pocket or purse unless it’s critical to have it out. If you must have it out, acknowledge its presence and inform your companions that you’ll check it only in an emergency. It’s a courtesy that you’d appreciate, too."

See more after the break.

Using Google+ to Find a Job

Emily Co — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:49:27 PDT

There's now a new social media platform that you can add to your job-hunting arsenal: Google+. Since this medium is still in its early stages, you'll probably get more exposure once you start leveraging it for your job search. Mashable came up with a bunch of great tips to using Google+ to find yourself a job:

Be seen and heard: Fill out your profile with a job-hunting angle in mind and start interacting with people and let them know you're looking for employment. Feel free to post it in your profile or even an update, but make sure you're doing it in a creative way and not spamming people. Make it cute, fun, and succinct and figure out a way to
Follow people in your industry: Google+ is a pretty open network right now, and the privacy settings are more reminiscent of Twitter rather than Facebook. Here's your chance to mix around with people in your industry and to make new friends. Start making a list of people to befriend and look them up on Google+.
Share content: Many experts provide a valuable service of sharing great and unique content on social media outlets. Try doing the same and try to stick to a niche topic.
Be careful of which circles you're posting to: Remember to filter your posts and be sure to censor your private thoughts from those in your professional circle.