Error Message: Your files are corrupt.

“What? My files? My photos? My documents for work? My whole world? Corrupt? What do you mean c-o-r-r-u-p-t? AAAARGH!!! ”

If you have experienced this error message when putting in your USD stick, you know the fear and drama that undoubtedly ensues when the thought of losing everything sets in. A common reason USB sticks fail is because the CF connection gets worn or dirty. With most USB sticks having a retractable design and coming with a key chain ring for adding to external locations, it’s no wonder they get corrupted as often as they do.

Geek Sugar found a very creative and stylish solution for protecting your USD sticks. The MoMA Store features Giorgio Fedon Mignon cases as being used to hold small items including coins, vitamins, jewelry, USB sticks and more. They come in four stylish colors, are made in Italy of aluminum and PVC with a cotton base and sell for just under $15 USD.

Rather than throwing your USB sticks into the bottom of your bag (GUILTY!), junk drawer or hanging it on your purse or key chain, this is a nice simple way to keep chic and minimize the risk of corrupted sticks.

How do you carry and protect your USB cards? Looking forward to your comments and thoughts.

It’s all over the interwebs already, but in case you haven’t heard, Dell made a pretty big –and colorful – splash today with the launch of Studio—a sleek, colorful and nicely loaded new product line designed to unleash the blogger/poet/novelist/artist/scrapbooker/YouTuber/Annie Leibovitz in all of us.

The first tranche of systems in the new line is two laptops – Studio 15 (15.4”) and Studio 17 (17”). John Biggs at the New York Times notes, “It’s summer, so why shouldn’t one’s laptop match one’s hot-pink bikini?… Optional Blu-ray or DVD recording drives ensure you can watch a movie under your beach umbrella, while built-in Wi-Fi, cellular broadband and Bluetooth keep things connected.”

For a quick overview of these systems take a look at this video with John New from Dell’s notebook team:

Of all the color options (seven different solid lids, plus four graphite with color insets), pink seems to be the most popular callout. The fashionable gearheads at GQ made note of the pink option, but were also impressed with Dell Dock, a simple, customizable task bar that replaces multiple icons on the desktop and sorts applications by category, that’s premiering with Studio. Wilson Rothman’s overview and very nice slide show on Gizmodo even hit the front page of Techmeme. To answer your question, Wilson, you can move the dock around.

For more on the Dell Dock, take a look at this vlog:

After backing in to a compliment about Studio’s “mouth watering colors” and “a few tasty extras, Charlie Sorrel at Wired also gives Dell Dock props and suggests that “The Studio is looking like a nice alternative to the MacBook.” Note to Charlie: Not exactly the way we’d put it, but thanks!

If you think beyond the box when buying a computer – read: if you accessorize whenever you can – don’t miss the color-matched Designed for Dell line of bags, mice/mouses, portable hard drives and other personalization options.

Lots of interesting ground to cover, so look for more on Studio, Dell Dock and Designed for Dell over the next few days.

In the 8th second, of the 8th minute, of the 8th hour, on the 8th day, of the 8th month, of the 8th year, the 2008 Summer Olympics will begin in Beijing, China. Far from being just a catchy marketing strategy by the many companies who are hoping to bank gold on this year’s summer games, the number 8 means quite a bit to the Chinese people.

In Mandarin, the word “eight” sounds similar to the word that means “prosper” or “wealth.” In Cantonese, another dialect in China, the words “eight” and “fortune” are even very similar. The luck that this number can bring is clearly taken very seriously. The telephone number 8888-8888 was sold to China’s Sichuan Airlines for almost $280,000USD. When asked if it was worth the high price, Xing Bing, a spokesperson for Sichuan Airlines, told the Associated Press, “The number is easy to remember. It’s a number that will make customers happy when they call.”

Jacqui Zhou, chief blogger for the Direct2Dell Chinese blog, shared an interesting perspective, “The richer you are, the more superstitious you are likely to be. Why? Because you have more things to lose as a rich person, you would rather believe in more things just to play it safe. That’s why rich people are willing to pay so much for 88888 numbers. That is my theory.”

Given the chance for luck and strong tie to prosperity and wealth, it is no wonder that a fashion designer like Gucci has designed an entire collection in honor of this year’s Olympics and all around this lucky number. Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini noted, “Not only does red evoke ‘Happiness’ and ‘Celebration’ - two emotions that couldn’t be more appropriate to describe the excitement in the world of sports - but it also happens to be a very fashionable color for 2008! I also designed just 8 products for this collection, which mirror the lucky number 8 in Chinese culture.”

The limited-edition collection includes: a watch; a bike; gorgeous GG leather luggage; a Mah Jong set covered in the famous “La Pelle Guccissima” for those who would like a break from their computers and phones; fashionable yet comfortable sneakers, and my favorite, a Gucci panda made of supple leather. What a collection for the superstitious Chic Geek, or for the gal just wanting to sport some Haute Olympic Style.

How superstitious are you? Do you have a lucky number? Looking forward to your thoughts and comments.

It’s clearly the summer of the phone. From the BlackBerry Curve to the Samsung Instinct to Apple’s iPhone 3G, the buzz is everywhere. Even Samantha and Miranda clearly positioned their phones as their fav accessory in the Sex and The City Movie. You can’t watch TV or read the paper without seeing the latest story, phone comparison or advertisement for the best deal on these new phones.  So what are the elite carrying this summer?

Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and Armani are just a few of the top designers who have recently put out a branded phone. With general prices around $5,000 USD and essential functionality including touch screens and cameras, these are starting to pop up all over Hollywood, Milan and Paris. But I’d rather showcase the crème da la crème; the ones you are most likely not seeing because only a select few can pay the price.

So let’s start at the very top with Christian Dior’s $26,000 USD Crocodile Skin “Lady Dior” Mobile Phone. Yes, you’re reading correctly, and no it’s not a typo of a couple extra zeros:

Plush crocodile skin and a colossal 640 Swarovski crystals, totaling 3,251K, make this phone a beauty.  Designed in partnership with Modelabs, the clamshell fashion phone has a 2.6” touch screen with a QVGA resolution and a 2 Megapixels camera.

Too expensive for your taste? Then allow me to introduce the $14,000 USD African Blackwood and white diamonds Cell Phones by Gresso, a Russian company that recently stunned the marketplace with the release of their new phones:

These phones are made of incredible materials such as titanium, 42K sapphire crystal glass for the display, 200-year-old African blackwood for the panels, and 18K gold and 2.53K diamond coated keys. The African blackwood and diamonds make no two phones exactly the same, or as Gizmodo puts it, each one is unique like a snowflake.

If you’re anything like me, which is someone who accidently drops, throws, and often loses their cell phone, the thought of losing or destroying one at this price would make my stomach turn. Yet the idea of touching diamonds every time I dial a number is quite intriguing…

How much is too much to spend on a cell phone? Looking forward to your comments and thoughts.

I grew up in Longview, Texas, and went to school where uniforms were the way of life. Differentiating yourself from your classmates was, well, a challenge. It’s like one of my favorite, fashionable quotes: “The only thing that separates us from the animals is the ability to accessorize.” Literally, that was really the only way to separate yourself from others. 

Today, personalization is the way of life, and companies that help us showcase our style in a unique way, well, they rule the world.

I recently had the opportunity to meet Mark Batliner, VP of direct sales for SkinIt. If you’re not familiar with SkinIt, perhaps you’ve heard the term “skins.” No, I’m not talking about a flag football team. SkinIt makes skins and provide the ultimate in personalization for your laptop, desktop or just about any electronics device.

Take a look at Mark’s vlog to get the full scoop. Oh, and for those of you who have procrastinated buying a Father’s Day gift – yep, it’s this Sunday – you may want to pay close attention to the “Create Your Own” page. You can import pictures and “create your own” skin. Enjoy! And don’t forget to come back to Your Blog and let us know what you think.

School is out and summer is almost here! From vacation plans to relaxing at home, almost every chic geek looks forward to the fun and long days that summer brings. It’s a time to kick up our heels and enjoy the weather, water and family.

One of the things we love to hate about the summer is the heat. Of Zen and Computing put together a great list of tips for Keeping Your Electronics Cool for the Summer. There are some good reminders in this list, regardless of the time of year, including keeping your vents clear and not stacking multiple electronics on top of each other.  Last but not least is my favorite: In Case of Emergency, Shut Down. Well that sounds appealing! Let’s shut down, disconnect and hit the beach!

There are many ways to go chic geek sur la plage this year. Here are seven recommendations for getting there:

(1) Hermés Printed Beach Towel (2) Hermés matching Beach bag (3) Cole Haan AIR BRIA STITCH THONG (4) Amazon Kindle (5) Burt’s Bee’s Wax Super Shiny Lip Gloss (6) Fendi Squared Frame B. Mix Sunglasses (7) Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10K Black 10.1 MP 5X Zoom Digital Camera

A balanced mix of style and technology will be key to complement the beach experience. Hermés towel with matching beach bag, Cole Haan Thong Sandals and Fendi Sunglasses will keep the chicest of chic’s style in check. Burt’s bee’s Wax Super Shiny Lip Gloss is a must to keep those lips moist and color applied. The Panasonic Lumix camera is a great addition to any vacation day, taking shots of your summer memories.

Most importantly, summer isn’t summer without a great novel. The Amazon Kindle promises to take summer reading to a whole new level. Whether you’re on the beach, a plane or relaxing at home, you can download your choice of more than 125,000 books in less than a minute! And no more huge newspaper to unfold and fold and unfold and fold, while you are eating your bagels and coffee on the beach as you await the heat of the day. This 10.3-ounce technology gem downloads national and international newspapers from around the world, right at your fingertips!

This is definitely my hot pick and must have for the summer. Looking forward to hearing what your favorite beach accessories are for the summer chic geek! 

On this World Environment Day 2008, I’m truly proud to work at a company that has an industry-leading recycling program, has commited to be carbon neutral by the end of the year, already saving 19,200 tons of CO2 emissions, and is the first in the world to partner with its customers to offset their carbon impact with the “Plant a Tree for Me” and “Plant a Forest for Me” programs. The latter already accounts for about 100,000 new trees, which will offset 225 million pounds of CO2.

This is just a snapshot into the many things Dell is doing to show serious commitment to the environment. Great post by Todd Dwyer, Dell’s Environment Community Liaison, on Direct2Dell, highlighting some of these initiatives: “Going ‘Green’ In the Connected Era.”

Exciting? Yes. Inspiring? Most definitely. But let’s get to the point of this post … GREEN FASHION!!!  From competitions, like the Earth Day 2008: Student Fashion Competition (check out the 3rd place winner’s design! WOW!) to the many designers who have shown Green Passion in their lines, it’s clear that the use of organic fabrics and recycled or repurposed materials are trendy and a sign of fashion to come.

There is a plethora of clothes, accessories and products that are creative and clever expressions of Green. Here are this week’s top 5 must-have’s:

(1) Tees for A Change - Made of 100% Organic Cotton and Bamboo  (2) Terra Plana Aguila Sandal - Made of Recycled Materials; (3) Carol Young Collection –Organic Cotton Wing Cowl Dress; (4) Ecoist Clutch – Made from repurposed Movie Billboard; (5) BTC Elements Sailor Swing Jacket – Made of 100% Organic Cotton

These are sure to make your friends green with envy and show just five more reasons why you should go Green-Chic on this World Environment Day. Looking forward to your thoughts and comments.

It’s not that I intended for this week to be themed t-shirt week, but I stumbled across a goodie mentioned by the folks on Ideas and Gadgets and couldn’t pass it up. This one may not have the fashion appeal that edoc laundry’s tee’s do, but the functionality, yes functionality, of this Animated Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt is quite intriguing. The clever folks at Think Geek have done it again. They have found a way to make a Wi-Fi detector very mobile, wearable and extremely affordable (only $29.99). No more turning on the PC to see if there is a connection. You can now light up, for all to see, when it detects a signal. Nothing says, “ I am Grand Geek Poobaa” at the local coffee shop quite like this shirt.

If you’re scoping out Father’s Day gifts, I highly recommend adding this one to your list for the Gadget-Geek Dads.  Batteries not included.  Conversation starting, guaranteed.

This definitely got me to thinking: if we can put a Wi-Fi detector on a shirt, where else could we put it?  How do we “doll up” this functionality to make it Chic-Geek friendly? First thoughts are on one of my fav Hermes scarves:

 
I would proudly wear this scarf with Wi-Fi lights without geek shame. Detect away, in haute fashion.

What accessory would you put this detector on? Looking forward to your comments and thoughts.

Ok, I’ll admit it. T-Shirts have come a LONG way. I went through a good 10-year t-shirt wearing dry spell. Maybe it’s because I have several tee’s in my closet that are destined to follow in the long line of t-shirts to become the next dust rags in our house, but have somehow avoided the scissors; probably for nostalgic reasons. Seriously, who isn’t ready to cut up the quintessential shirts, “Somebody loves you in Toledo” or “I went to Hawaii and all I got was this lousy t-shirt”? Exactly.

Today’s trendy tee’s have moved in a completely different direction. They can be chic, stylish and, yes, socially interactive. Trend Hunter Magazine stumbled across a company out of Washington called edoc laundry that takes the idea of interaction and t-shirts to a whole new level. Each t-shirt has an original design with an embedded message, which can be entered on their Web site to unlock part of the secret behind an online murder mystery, still waiting to be solved. With trendy styles and cuts for men and women combined with an interactive challenge, it’s hard to imagine consumers around the world will not be trying to unlock ‘who dun it?’ in the murder mystery before long.

As for my “Tech-cessory & Accessory” pick of the week, the mysterious nature of these shirts reminded me of Mike Ming’s inspirational designs that are available on our Inspirons. Both are departures from the tradition and standard of their counterparts and both promise to drive social interaction:

Tech-cessory

Inspiron 1525 Mike Ming ‘Bunch O Surfers’ Laptop

Accessory - For Him

Edoc Laundry ‘Warrior’ Men’s T-Shirt

Accessory - For Her

Edoc Laundry ‘Carnivale’ Women’s T-Shirt

Looking forward to your thoughts and comments on this new way to drive social interaction. What would you code or hide in a secret message on a t-shirt if you could?

Some of us can remember when a Boom Box was the hip thing to have on the streets when listening to music.  It wasn’t about ear buds and a portable MP3 player.  It was about sharing with (or annoying) others,  with the loud sounds from your favorite tape or radio station.   And it had to be blaring from the biggest box on the block.  It was about listening to Midnight Star and Jam on it Nucleus.  It was about being immersed in the beats and the sound from the streets, so to speak. =)

Well now you can enjoy that experience again, albeit in a much more discreet way tailored for the next generation.  Reebok has released the NXT Speaker Backpack, which will not only allows you to carry your notebook, spare clothes, books and snacks, but you can also carry your portable MP3 player and jack into the backpack’s external speakers.

According to Crave, the backpack is “powered by two AA batteries and will blast tunes from anything that can connect to its 3.5-millimeter jack.” As I’m “Old School,” I can see one glaring problem… the speakers are on the bottom of the backpack and pointed backward when they obviously need to be toward the top to sit on your shoulders.  Reebok are you listening?