President Obama inadvertently triggered national geek outrage, after he mistakenly mixed up the warring science fiction universes of Star Wars and Star Trek. During a press conference related to recently triggered budget cutbacks, known as the “sequester,” he said, “I can’t do some kind of Jedi Mind Meld on congressional Republicans,” referring to the partisan gridlock that has prevented Congress from passing a budget. Twitter immediately lit up with comments poking fun of the fact that Obama mixed up Star Wars’ ‘Jedi Mind Trick‘, used for mind control, and Star Trek‘s Vulcan ‘Mind Meld’, for sharing thoughts.
TechCrunch
Tag Archives: Geek
Ease The Geek Rage: Obama’s Technically Right, There Is a Jedi Meld
Posted by Gsurface
on March 1, 2013
No comments
CNET Giveaway: Geek Squad-certified refurbished Kindle Fire
Posted by Gsurface
on February 12, 2013
No comments
Tell us what you think is the best thing to do with a tablet for a chance to win. [Read more]
CNET News
Growing Up Geek: Amol Koldhekar
Posted by Gsurface
on December 26, 2012
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, a feature where we take a look back at our youth, and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. This week, we have our very own Amol Koldhekar!
My childhood may have kicked off the 1990s, but I grew up surrounded by remnants of the 80s, like the Apple II that temporarily lived in my dad’s home office or the Nintendo Entertainment System that was originally my older sister’s console. I think all younger siblings of that era can identify with having to play as Luigi on Super Mario Bros. My sister eventually lost interest in her NES, so I took claim to it. While I had loads of fun playing Excitebike and Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out, I always spent an inordinate amount of time escaped in Duck Hunt while I was busy peering through the glass end of the NES gun, trying to see how it worked. Ironically, this curiosity may have impeded obtaining better devices early on — when my NES stopped working, I tinkered with its innards and somehow got it to work, negating the need for my parents to get me a Super Nintendo. As I grew older, I grew wiser, deeming the NES a lost cause in order to convince my parents to let me get a Nintendo 64 with birthday money. How amazing that the NES was soon repaired and still works!
Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Amol Koldhekar
Filed under: Alt
Here Are The Singers Competing In Next Week’s ‘American Idol For The Geek Set’
Posted by Gsurface
on September 29, 2012
No comments
Earlier this month, I wrote about Silicon Valley Voice, a karaoke competition for the tech world hosted by Silicon Valley Bank and Coverflow (a cover band made up of techies including Mayfield Fund’s Tim Chang, Facebook’s Ethan Beard, and Fandalism’s Philip Kaplan). Now, the finalists have been selected, and you don’t even have to wait until next week’s event to hear them sing.
Coverflow member (and Mayfield managing director) Raj Kapoor tells me that all of the regular tickets have sold out, with 800 RSVPs. But the organizers convinced Silicon Valley Bank to expand the budget, which means there’s room for another 200 people.
TechCrunch
Apparently, This Is Happening: Silicon Valley Bank Hosts An ‘American Idol For The Geek Set’
Posted by Gsurface
on September 14, 2012
No comments
Not a joke, not an imaginary story: Silicon Valley Bank and Coverflow are hosting an event next month that was described in an invite as “American Idol for the geek set.”
Now, there’s nothing special about getting a bunch of startup assholes to sing karaoke. (Heck, I hear that the TechCrunch team held not one, but two karaoke parties this week.) However, Silicon Valley Voice, which will be held on Oct. 3, looks kinda-sorta legit.
TechCrunch
Covet: The Best Three Gadgets for Geek Musicians
Posted by Gsurface
on July 18, 2012
No comments
Music isn’t all strings, strumming and brassy blowing these days: the average geek can now produce the sort of tracks that would’ve previously demanded an Amon Tobin or Mr. Scruff. So what musical gadget should be on the workbench of any aspiring digital musician? Check out our top three picks after the cut, and a
Ask Slashdot: a Good Geek Project For My Arthritic Grandfather?
Posted by Gsurface
on June 20, 2012
No comments
An anonymous reader writes “My grandfather is a retired electrician whom I’ve been trying to keep mentally busy. Together we’ve gotten an Arduino kit and have been working on some simple projects. He does the wiring and I’ve been writing the code. Recently his arthritis has been getting worse and he’s been unable to work with the tiny components that the Arduino projects require. Does anyone have a recommendation for something similar we could work on together that would be easier for someone with his compromised manual dexterity?”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
DARPA Unleashes the Mother of All Geek Memes
Posted by Gsurface
on June 16, 2012
No comments
Twitter answers the question “What technology from science fiction would you most like to see as science fact?”
Friday, the skunkworks of the U.S. military, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, asked Twitter “What technology from science fiction would you most like to see as science fact?“
This week in Crave: The geek chic edition
Posted by Gsurface
on May 27, 2012
No comments
This week, a computer may have caught us faking a smile, but excavating our childhood “Star Trek” memorabilia and finding a way to experience the Samsung Galaxy S III on an S II gave us lots to be happy about.
[Read more]
CNET News
The Geek Squad: Getting the most out of your wireless network
Posted by Gsurface
on February 28, 2012
No comments
Lego geek astronaut builds Lego ISS on the ISS
Posted by Gsurface
on February 27, 2012
No comments
If you follow the ISS on you know that you all kinds of experiments aboard the space station. Most of those experiments are things that most of us consider boring. Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency flight engineer Satoshi Furukawa had a chance to do something really cool a lot Lego geeks will love onboard the ISS. [...]
SlashGear
This week in Crave: The geek love edition
Posted by Gsurface
on February 11, 2012
No comments
Too busy planning the perfect Valentine’s Day date to keep up with Crave? Well, we love you, so we’ve rounded up the week’s top stories and geeky gift ideas right here.
CNET News
5 DIY Valentine’s Day gifts for the geek at heart
Posted by Gsurface
on February 10, 2012
No comments
While the rest of America is purchasing bouquets of roses and See’s candies, take a stab at these easy, 1-hour (or less) projects that any technology-loving guy or gal would appreciate.
CNET News
The Geek Squad helps you back up, clean up, and upgrade
Posted by Gsurface
on February 5, 2012
No comments
The Geek Squad Helps You Get Connected, Shutdown Faster, and Upgrade Your Hard Drive
Posted by Gsurface
on January 13, 2012
No comments
The Geek Squad Fixes Your Hard Drive, Wireless, Sleep Issues and More
Posted by Gsurface
on November 27, 2011
No comments
Growing up Geek: Chris Pirillo
Posted by Gsurface
on November 23, 2011
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have a special guest: internet entrepreneur, tech support blogger, media personality and geek, Chris Pirillo
Before I begin, let me just say: I’m not a slave to your mental delusions of who you think I am.
I have to get that out of the way largely because I’ve been “doing things” publicly for so long that some people have already formed opinions about me and what they believe I stand for. That’s their problem, not mine.
I don’t know if there was ever a specific moment I found myself attracted to electronic objects? I certainly recall playing with my cousin’s Merlin and watching with wonder as my brother fiddled with his Alphie. I was certainly mesmerized by calculators, but that didn’t lead me to develop advanced math skills.
Continue reading Growing up Geek: Chris Pirillo
Growing up Geek: Chris Pirillo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
The Pantheon of Geek Gods
Posted by Gsurface
on November 9, 2011
No comments
The Geek Squad Solves Your Computer Problems
Posted by Gsurface
on November 5, 2011
No comments
Growing up Geek: Sascha Segan
Posted by Gsurface
on November 4, 2011
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have the lead analyst for mobile at PCMAG, Sascha Segan.
When I turned eight in 1982, we moved house, I starred on a game show and we got an Atari 800. The modem came a year later, free with the 850 serial interface. I needed it so I could print homework on my new Epson FX-80 printer.
The 830 acoustic modem had two rubber cups: you’d dial your number on a rotary-dial phone, listen for the “whee-ooo!” of the modem and slam it down into the cups, hushing everyone around you because too much noise could break the connection. One favorite game was to try to talk to the modem, figuring out which pattern of your own “whee-ooo”s would create something that looked like words. 300 baud was just about as fast as I could read.
Continue reading Growing up Geek: Sascha Segan
Growing up Geek: Sascha Segan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Growing up Geek: Dave Altavilla
Posted by Gsurface
on October 28, 2011
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have the Editor in Chief of HotHardware, Dave Altavilla.
Growing up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts has its pluses and minuses. Certainly, in the summer time, being so close to the seaside made for fantastic boyhood memories at the beach, but in the off season you need to find ways to keep yourself busy. My fascination with technology and computers began with an Atari 2600. Then it was called a “Video Computer System,” but now we all know better. That joystick marked it much more akin to a console, but don’t hold that against me. Regardless, many hours were logged in on the Atari in scenic South Yarmouth, at least when it wasn’t a beach day or if Dad wasn’t heading down to the harbor.
Continue reading Growing up Geek: Dave Altavilla
Growing up Geek: Dave Altavilla originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
The Geek Squad Solves Your Technology Problems
Posted by Gsurface
on October 14, 2011
No comments
Growing up Geek: Ben Heck
Posted by Gsurface
on October 10, 2011
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today we have Hacker Extraordinaire (and host of his own show), Benjamin J. Heckendorn!
As a kid growing up in Richland Center, WI, I sometimes had to be extra creative in finding things to occupy my time, and my creativity naturally gravitated toward all things technology. Soldering, erector sets and deconstructing toys were the epicenter of my young life. Taking things apart to find out how they worked was essentially a rite of passage for me to becoming the geeky man I am today.
I got my first taste of programming in elementary school on a collection of even-then old Apple II’s, but I really got into it wholesale when, at age 11, I got my first computer – an Atari 800. While still ancient for the time, I did a lot of programming on it and learned a lot of fundamentals that are useful to this day.
Continue reading Growing up Geek: Ben Heck
Growing up Geek: Ben Heck originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Growing Up Geek: Jesse Hicks
Posted by Gsurface
on October 3, 2011
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today we have our very own Contributing Editor, Jesse Hicks.
I’ve never been one for nostalgia, but if I I had to choose a Proustian element from my geeky childhood — a singular sense-memory that evokes a whole constellation of related feelings — I’d pick the eerie keening of a 28.8 modem. That high, quavering sound, for me, conjurs up the earliest days of my geekdom, when computers were slow, landlines were king and the internet was young.
I was twelve when my family got our first computer: a 486DX that first appeared without a hard drive. My mom had found a great deal at a computer show…or so it had seemed. That missing 120MB hard drive, as you may have guessed, severely limited functionality. But once that problem was remedied, I was off and running with DOS and XTree, happily deleting essential system files. The learning process had begun.
Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Jesse Hicks
Growing Up Geek: Jesse Hicks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz
Posted by Gsurface
on September 24, 2011
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our very own Contributing Mobile Editor, Zachary Lutz.
Welcome to 
Perhaps it requires a special breed to proudly wear the label of “geek.” No, I’m not talking about circus performers that bite heads off chickens (check the original meaning of the word), but about people like you and me, the folks who pursue their interests to a fantastic degree. It doesn’t matter whether your passion is knitting, fishing or kayaking; if you’re a curious individual who’s always thirsting to learn more, there’s a good chance we’ll get along. For me, my pigeonhole just so happens to be computers — and, more recently, mobile technology. Sure, you could blame it on way too many hours in front of the screen, but as a certain self-empowered pop star might say, I’d like to think I was born this way.
Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz
Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz
Posted by Gsurface
on September 23, 2011
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our very own Contributing Mobile Editor, Zachary Lutz.
Perhaps it requires a special breed to proudly wear the label of “geek.” No, I’m not talking about circus performers that bite heads off chickens (check the original meaning of the word), but about people like you and me, the folks who pursue their interests to a fantastic degree. It doesn’t matter whether your passion is knitting, fishing or kayaking; if you’re a curious individual who’s always thirsting to learn more, there’s a good chance we’ll get along. For me, my pigeonhole just so happens to be computers — and, more recently, mobile technology. Sure, you could blame it on way too many hours in front of the screen, but as a certain self-empowered pop star might say, I’d like to think I was born this way.
Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz
Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Growing Up Geek: Kevin Wong
Posted by Gsurface
on September 9, 2011
No comments
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our very own Contributing Editor, Kevin Wong.
Okay, so let’s get the pink pencil elephant out of the room first. Yes, that is a Superman t-shirt and yes, I thought I could fly — with some help from my pops, of course. Back then I wasn’t aware that physics had laws, and to be honest, all I thought holding me flat was my love for robots. What I did know was that Transformers were are awesome, and that ice cream was a perfect supplement for vegetables.
Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Kevin Wong
Growing Up Geek: Kevin Wong originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Recent Comments