Yeah, that's my life savings right there.

Because I’m making six pennies a year in my job after taxes, I follow a very strict budget that allows me to afford a moderate amount of food and a moderate amount of fun. There is no room for a savings plan in my budget so I just figured if I was extra careful nothing would ever go wrong.

Then last week everything went wrong.

I spilled sangria (or water according to the troubleshooting report I made to Apple) on my laptop, I dropped my straightener one time too many and it broke, and I found out my parent’s insurance company is onto me no longer being a student and has dropped me. For those of you non-accounting majors out there, that’s about 5 billion dollars worth of problems.

I had a minor panic attack. And by minor I mean I opened my window, stood on the ledge for a few moments, and thought about who I would haunt if I came back as a ghost. Then logic hit me and I realized that because I’m only one floor up I would just break a bunch of bones, sending me to the hospital and making my lack of insurance problem even worse.

So instead of jumping I thought of my other options. Luckily my grandparents who live in the city had a laptop I could borrow until I figured you out what to do about my laptop-turned-coaster. Unluckily it was designed for the partially blind. I’ve seen desktop computers more portable than this laptop. Hell, I’ve seen elephants smaller than this thing. The screen was about a football field long and the font was visible from space. This proved to be more than an inconvenience when I was blogging at WiFi cafes.  I was writing about STDs for one blog and let’s just say the employees at the cafe did not enjoy being able to read about gonorrhea while serving coffee. So not only did I have to blog from home all week, but I’m pretty sure I’m on a sex offender list now. Read More »

We college students are pretty accurately stereotyped.  We party hard, sleep late, and cram for finals until the wee hours of the morning.  Luckily for us and the environment, a lot of these common habits can be easily “tweaked” in order to save energy and resources.  And as a college student myself, I give you my solemn oath that these steps will not affect your party or study life in any way.

Here are some of the most well-known college kid characteristics and how you can change them to better our earth:

We are constantly glued to our laptops. And no matter whether you’re Facebooking or researching the native crops of Haiti, you’re still using lots of energy.  Now I’m not stupid – I wouldn’t dare suggest that you cut down your Skype time just to save the Earth.  Really all you have to do is cut down your energy usage when you’re not actually on the computer (i.e. sleeping or boozing).  How do you do this?  Unplug your electronics!  Computers practically use as much energy when they’re in standby mode as they do when they’re actually in use.  So if you’re leaving the room for a good amount of time, turn off your computer and unplug all of the plugs in your outlet if possible.

We are messy and we have our clothes to prove it. I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to eat or drink anything without staining whatever I’m wearing.  This is especially tragic when you happen to be wearing one of those “dry clean only” numbers, which of course, are always the cutest.  But don’t run off and spend last night’s tips on pricey dry cleaning before you try some other easier, cheaper, and more eco-friendly tactics.  Believe it or not, some “dry clean only” garments (such as silk and wool) can actually be hand washed with cold water.   Of course, give it a test run before you wash and potentially ruin your favorite silk dress.  If that doesn’t work, seek out “wet cleaning” or “green dry cleaning” locations by searching at GreenEarth Cleaning’s website. Read More »

We’ll be honest, as much as we love getting (presents, sexual favors, free drinks…) around here, it’s the act of giving that really gets us excited. And the bigger the give the better we feel. So we’re pretty sure the feeling we’re getting from this latest CollegeCandy giveaway is pretty similar to sniffing 100 bottles of White-Out.

Yeah, we feel goooood.

With school rapidly approaching, CollegeCandy has teamed up with Ivy Worldwide and Hewlett Packard to give away a back-to-school computer bundle that’s better than a large pack of Sharpies and Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper. Because we love our readers so much and want you to do well in school (duh!), we are giving away a package of goodies that is sure have you ready to go for the fall. Read More »

Is your computer making that weird noise that sounds like it’s about to blow up mid-Facebook wall post? Does it totally burn your legs when you have it on your lap? Maybe it just totally sucks?

If so, it might be time to start a-lookin’ for another. And with school starting right around the corner, what better time to begin the search?

Here are a few affordable laptops that are out there on the market now and our breakdown of their perks and flaws to help you out in your search: Read More »

Is your laptop running at the same speed your grandma’s motor scooter at Wal-mart?
Or do you have one that’s about as heavy as carrying your BFF to class in your messenger bag?

I think it’s time for a new laptop, lady.

Too bad your bank account is about as full as your stomach after surveying the slop in the dorm cafeteria, right?

Not so fast. Our BFFs at HP are offering huge savings on a new laptop bundle!

From August 13th to August 15th, receive $500 when you purchase a bundle of a new HP HDX 18T Premium laptop + HP mini 110 XP netbook. Read More »

You may not use your computer for memory-eating gaming or need it for its high-power computing capabilities, so when it comes to watching videos on our computers, chances are, we don’t put much thought into just how powerful our laptop is. But, we’re in college! You can’t say you don’t use YouTube, play an online game here or there…or at the very least, appreciate some good graphics.

Like many of us,  your computer was probably your graduation present so it won’t be you forking over your hard-earned cash (lucky!) for an upgrade. But if a brand new PC wasn’t waiting for you on graduation day or you just need something a little smaller/faster/better, it’s time to start thinking about what you need in a laptop. (There is more to them than Facebook and AIM.)

When you watch videos you probably take for granted what it takes to get them there so allow us to break it down for you:

Every computer has a video card which determines the quality and capabilities the machine has to display images. So, why should you care? Because even if you’re not editing feature-length films on your PC, you’re going to want a decent video card to do the regular stuff (like a DVD or YouTube or Hulu…) Read More »

Remember when you started college and you got a bunch of cool new stuff? Everything was shiny and new and you were off on a great adventure. A lot has changed since then. Now you’re all disillusioned by jerky professors and “real world” problems. Oh, and your laptop is an antique.

Many of you are thisclose to the end of your college days [weep], which means it’s time to upgrade your shiz for the next phase of your life. But what do you need? And which products are the best?

Look no further; I’m here for your graduating shopping needs. I can’t teach you how to survive out there – because I’m a few credits away from that awful place – but I can help you with that graduation wish list to hand off to the parentals.

Please hold your applause until the end. Read More »

Poor Brit-Brit has to tighten security after death threats!

Remember the brand new car Lindsay Lohan bought last week? Well, today her assistant crashed it.

What’s the deal with invitation only shopping websites?

Audrina Patridge is looking hot!

Give a cop the finger, go ahead, its legal now.

Is it weird to be jealous of the Marc Jacob’s future children?

Seven and a half years later, Harrison Ford may have finally popped the question.

What would you do for a little publicity?

Anne Hathaway will be playing legendary star Judy Garland on stage and in theater.

Check out the end to split ends.

Maybe this will help separate you from the the Ebay pack.

[Like a magpie, you gravitate towards things that are shiny: cell phones, TVs, anything that allows you to play Rock Band. But just because you love ‘em doesn’t mean you know much about ‘em. That’s where we come in.

Every week we will be highlighting the best, coolest and shiniest in technology. Consider us your personal Geek Squad. And let us tell ya; with CC on your side, geek has never looked so chic.]

So it’s March. Time of leprechauns and half-nice weather. It’s also a time of sales. Tech sales. So here’s some sites to find some cool stuff for cheap. Because everyone loves cheap.

Outlet PC

So maybe you’re not quite ready to sit on your floor and build yourself and an awesome machine, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need stuff for you current comp. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not but cables for your comp are EXPENSIVE and get lost every time you move. This site isn’t flashy but it does have all your basics on it for really cheap.

Newegg.com

Slightly prettier site with a much larger variety of things to shop. Not just PC, but everything tech. From XBox 360 products to new TVs to laptops, this site has it all. The prices are REALLY reasonable making that decision on whether or not to get that extra controller just that much easier. Not to mention the phones. So if you’re plan is coming up on it’s two years you can shop an upgrade from your house. Or you can check out if you can get a better deal by going elsewhere. Read More »

With the economy suffering, a lot of airlines have slashed their baggage allowances.  This season, more than ever, it’s important that you pack wisely when you’re heading out to the golden coast of Spring Break wonderland.  And, really, there’s no reason you should be packing everything but the kitchen sink, because each morning the  “what to wear” dilemma probably consists of the options, “solid bikini,” “patterned bikini,” “string bikini” or “tankini.”

No matter where you’re headed for a week-long holiday this spring, there are a few things you definitely DON’T need to bring.

1. Your laptop. If you can’t go a week without updating your Facebook status or checking out Perez, it’s sad.  And if you can’t go a week in paradise without updating your Facebook status or checking Perez, it’s scary.

2. Your entire shoe collection. Shoes can take up the most room in your luggage, and if you’re heading to a beach resort, you really only need a pair of flip flops for the beach, a cute pair of strappy heels for partying, and a pair of sneakers for touristy excursions.  You’re not going to miss your knee-high boots. Read More »