BellaSugar

Bella Brand: Satellite 3

BellaSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:00:00 PST

I've gotta admit. When it comes to Sci-Fi, I deserve a "nerd alert" shout out. I've even gone as far as almost naming my cat Dr. Sam Beckett. Any fellow Quantum Leap fans out there?

So, naturally I was intrigued by Satellite 3, a quirky makeup company with an environmental mission, space-age look, and color palettes based on the planets, stars, and comets. It's all a little kitschy, and a whole lot of geek chic.

Founded by longtime British makeup artist (and owner of the London School of Fashion and Photographic Make-up) Glauca Rossi about four years ago, this futuristic line includes cheeky shades such as Absolutely Nebulous, Alien Seduction, and Fly Me to the Moon.

While the company doesn't have retail outlets in the US, their small selection of products are available via the web: Rockets ($29.85), a lipstick held in a spacecraft device; Rocket Fuel ($11.18), a selection of lipstick refills; Saucers ($46.66), a compact duo for blush and eye shadow; and Saucer Fuel ($14), for what else? To replenish your Saucer. Beam me up!

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Geek Shot: NASA's Hi-Res View of Earth

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:08:00 PST

Countless satellites hover over earth transmitting phone calls, powering GPS systems, and in the case of a new NASA satellite, measuring the planet's wide-ranging climate. The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite, which launched in Oct. 2011, is on a sun-synchronous orbit, meaning it passes over the equator at the same local ground time in every orbit. As NASA explains, "When NPP flies over Kenya, it is about 1:30 p.m. on the ground. When NPP reaches Gabon - about 3,000 kilometers to the west - on the next orbit, it is close to 1:30 p.m. on the ground."

All the photos NPP takes of earth have similar lighting, creating a panorama like the one below. Each wedge in the photo actually measures 1,900 miles of earth, within roughly the same local time for every piece of the orbit. Notice the Arctic in the north is missing from this picture, as it receives too little light in the Winter for NPP to photograph.

Imagine if this technology was used on earth's own celestial satellite - we could finally see the mysteries lurking on the dark side of the moon!

Pride of the LOLCats: Lions Now Send Text Messages

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:31:19 PST

OK, lions aren't manipulating their fuzzy paws to send text messages to the rest of their pride. Rather, scientists in Kenya have outfitted local lions with GPS tracking collars that send automated text message updates to the researchers on their locations.

Every hour, the GPS collars transmit a text message to a server, which eventually sends the data to a satellite map that shows the lions' movements so researchers know when lions come too close to farmers' livestock. In order to protect their own assets, some farmers have resorted to poisoning the lions to prevent their herds from becoming a meal. Conservationists hope by following the lion's movements on the savannah, they can turn dwindling population numbers around.

So far, 10 lions are wearing the collars, which cost $3,000 a piece and were partially funded through Kickstarter.

Recently Cut Cable or Satellite? Here's How to Stream Your Favorite Shows Online

GeekSugar — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:16:54 PDT

Nearly 200,000 Americans canceled their cable or satellite subscription this quarter. This loss comes as no surprise (since cable and satellite subscriptions have been heading downward all year), and while some folks are cutting back on monthly bills due to the down economy, some are moving to online streaming options.

If you're toying with the idea of canceling your outrageously priced cable subscription, check out these online streaming options that are just a mouse click away.

Netflix - With access via gaming consoles, TVs, iPhones, and Android smartphones in addition to computers, the popular classic doesn't look to be going anywhere despite the competition and controversial new pricing structure.
Hulu Plus - The $8 monthly subscription fee for Hulu Plus allows access to the most current episodes of TV shows and has an even larger catalog of movies available than its free Hulu counterpart. Available via iOS, Android, select gaming consoles, Samsung TVs, and computer systems.
Blockbuster Total Access - Pricing models give customers the option to rent DVDs for home delivery with a subscription plan for $10 or $15, choose to rent DVDs without subscriptions, or stream films online on demand.

For those who love the freedom of choice, check out more streaming options after the break.

How to Cash in on Spring Cleaning

Kiplinger — Mon, 09 May 2011 10:10:28 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

After about a year and a half of marriage, my husband and I have finally unpacked the boxes of his stuff and our wedding gifts that had piled up in every corner of our apartment. In doing so, we organized the whole place - finding a home within our home for all our "new" things while purging the old.

Through the whole process, we've unearthed a veritable trove of potential income sources littering our former wasteland. If you invest some time in spring cleaning, be sure to take stock of these six possible treasures disguised as trash:

1) Receipts

My level-one hoarding issues have finally paid off… big time. (Kiplinger’s does not encourage or condone hoarding in any way.) Shuffled amid our apartment’s piles and piles of papers, we located receipts we were able to use for Flexible Spending Account claims amounting to nearly $2,000.

You just missed most employers’ March 15 deadline by which you needed to spend 2010 FSA funds. But you may still have time to file your claims: My company, for example, gives participating employees until June 15, as long as the receipts show services were rendered or purchases were made before March 15. If you don’t drain the account in time, you’ll have to kiss that cash goodbye. (See ASK KIM: Make the Most of the New Flex-Account Rules for more about how FSAs work.)

Also keep an eye out for receipts you can use to claim tax deductions, such as for charitable donations or job-hunting expenses, if you itemize. For more write-offs you may have forgotten, check out our slide show: The Most-Overlooked Tax Deductions.

2) Gift Cards

Be sure to sift through your clutter for unused gift cards. Even if you don’t care to use them yourself, you can still gain value from them before they expire. Exchange sites such as Gift Card Granny or Plastic Jungle will buy gift cards for a portion of their value (see KIP TIP: Get Cash Fast for more information).

Read on to find out how to deal with your electronics.

5 Geeky LA Destinations For the Royals

GeekSugar — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:08:07 PDT

Prince William and Kate Middleton are headed to California, and while their trip itinerary is set with a polo match, charity function and BAFTA events, we'd like to pretend they are secretly interested in sneaking away from the limelight to discover Los Angeles's most geek chic destinations. Whether or not the royal couple heeds our suggestions, check out our picks for LA's geekiest Summer spots.

Gear Review: Nike+ SportWatch GPS

Susi May — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:05:35 PDT

It was only a matter of time before Nike created a GPS sports watch. The company introduced the Nike+ system five years ago, so adding a new component to the system seemed the right way to celebrate the half decade mark. And following its tradition of innovative design, this watch is good looking. Much more stylin' than other GPS watches out there with a relatively slim profile and easy-to-read face.

The company sent me a Nike+ SportWatch GPS ($200), and I've been testing it out. New gear always helps me step up my workouts. Yep, I've been running a bit more these days. The watch comes with a Nike+ foot pod and charging cable, which you will likely never use since the watch has a USB plug integrated into the band. Meaning you can plug the watch directly into your laptop to upload your workout data to the Nike web page while charging the battery of the watch, too. This is super convenient and the coolest feature of the watch, in my opinion.

The Nike+ SportWatch has the most simple user interface of any GPS watch or heart-rate monitor I have ever used. It only has three buttons. One to scroll up. One to scroll down. And one to press enter. You use the Nike website, which opens up automatically after you plug in the watch to your computer, to program your personal data: age, weight, etc., as well as preferences (sound off/on, splits, create interval workouts).

Keep on reading for more details about this watch.