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Buzz News Roundup, 6/6

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:45:20 PDT

Hayden Panettiere has signed a deal with Candie's in which the fashion brand will help promote the Heroes star's first single "Wake Up Call", Billboard reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison will produce a thriller called Shortcut under the name Scary Madison.
The Associated Press has a report about this weekend's academic conference studying Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Variety has the news that Tucker Max's bestselling book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell will be adapted for the big screen.
Zap2it has Fox's updated Fall premiere dates, with shows now starting in September, not August.
Brittany Murphy and Thora Birch will star in an indie psychological thriller titled Deadline, ComingSoon reports.
Variety writes that F. Gary Gray will direct a biopic of Marvin Gaye called Marvin.
Van Halen brought in more than $93 million touring with David Lee Roth, Reuters reports.

Download of the Day: Pizza Hut Shortcut

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:30:52 PDT

Ordering your medium stuffed-crust pizza just got a whole lot easier. (Goodbye, Wii Fit training progress!)

Pizza Hut has just introduced a Pizza Hut shortcut tool that sits right on your desktop and allows you to build customized orders. It's both Mac and PC friendly and makes online ordering a breeze.

To install, just click on the "Get it Now" button, then"Yes" for Adobe Air (it will skip this step if you already have), then click "Install," "Continue," then "Agree." And voila, you're all set to get started on your yummy pizza ordering frenzy!

Do you have a cool download like this one to share with geeksugar readers? To learn how to post your favorite sites to the Download of the Day group,

read more.
I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Download of the Day group
Click "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
Choose "Blog"
Give your photo a Title
Leave the category as "general"
Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Download of the Day")
Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture telling me why you love the download, do it before the code that has appeared.
Click Submit

So join the Download of the Day group and share information about all your favorite downloads! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

No More Waiting for Butter

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:58:17 PST

Have you ever decided to make a batch of cookies only to realize that the butter is cold or frozen? Waiting for butter to come to room temperature can take forever (and ever and ever and ever... believe me I've timed it). If you don't have the time to wait forever, you might want to try this trick: grate the butter into a large mixing bowl. This way you'll increase the surface area and the individual pieces will come to room temperature faster.

Geek Tip: Use Keyboard Shortcuts For Twitter

Kristen Hawley — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:07:39 PST

Last year, Twitter completely revamped its web interface, adding helpful features and making it easier to use. Despite the number of apps across different platforms, Twitter.com is still the most popular way to use Twitter. If you (like me) prefer to use the web interface, there are a number of keyboard shortcuts you can use to navigate the page, message, reply, or favorite a tweet, view user profiles, and more.

For example, to favorite a tweet, select that tweet and press "f." To compose a new tweet, type "n," or compose a direct message using "m." The shortcuts are intuitive enough to pick up quickly, and after using them for just a few hours, I got the hang of it.

Check out the full list of shortcuts in the footer on the Twitter homepage, or after the break.

For the Mac Office: Mac Shortcut Posters From Etsy

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:21:12 PDT

Whenever I come across something like these adorably geeky Shortcut Posters ($20 each) from Etsy shop birdAve, it makes me want to redecorate my home office ASAP.

Although I have most of these Mac shortcuts memorized, I wouldn't mind them hanging on my wall to add a touch of tech flavor and color to an otherwise bare room. I'll admit that I haven't done much in the way of decorating my own home office, but I'd love to get some inspiration from you - won't you share your home office (or work office) designs with me in our Capture Your Cube group? Also, if you have any office design tips, leave 'em here in the comments!

Handy Everyday Gmail Tips and Tricks

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:01:03 PST

If you've moved to Gmail recently (congratulations!), it's possible that you could get overwhelmed with all of the options, settings, and possibilities at your fingertips. We've got a ton of tips to share, but let's start with a few basic and handy tips that you could use every day. Check them out below!

Make voice calls - You can easily make voice calls in Gmail on the cheap. In the "Chat" section, just click the "Call Phone" button and enter the digits. You'll then be able to make free calls to landlines the US and Canada, and for super cheap you can call cell phones and landlines worldwide.
Search with options - If you haven't discovered the "Show Search Options" link to the right of the Gmail search bar, you're in for a treat. Clicking it reveals a host of helpful options, including the ability to search by sender, date, attachment, subject, and more. It's extremely helpful if you are less than diligent about labeling and filing emails in your inbox.
Use rich text signatures - Tired of those boring text-only signatures or canned responses coming from your Gmail account? Take note: Gmail supports rich text signatures! Add links, colors, images, or formatting to your Gmail account signature, or any other account you've set up to send from Gmail. It's super easy to set up - just head to your settings page, scroll down to the Signature section, and design away!
Use keyboard shortcuts - First, enable keyboard shortcuts in your Settings menu. Then, use these fast and easy keyboard shortcuts to navigate!

See the rest of the list after the break.

Sisters of DC Cupcakes Share Valentine's Day Baking Tips and Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:16:28 PST

What's sugar and spice and everything nice? Cupcakes! And no one knows more about our obsession with the lil confections than Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes. The sisters, who learned their kitchen skills from their grandmother ("We followed her around the kitchen and always begged to help"), have been known to bake up to 10,000 lil cakes a day, much to the delight of the patrons who line the block of their Washington DC store. The duo - who just opened their first outpost in New York City - gave me a few minutes of their time to discuss their tasty desserts.

LilSugar: Cupcakes have moved from kiddie birthday party staple to a favorite of adults and kids alike. But kids aren't always willing to try new flavors. Which are most popular with kids?
Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis: Our Vanilla Birthday (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), Chocolate Birthday (chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), and Milk Chocolate Birthday (vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate buttercream and rainbow bobbles) are the most popular with kids. We think it's the color rainbow bobbles!

LS: Moms are busy; what shortcuts can you recommend to making delicious, beautiful cupcakes without spending the whole day baking and decorating them?
SL and KK: Try to keep a stash of baking staples - butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, all purpose flour, baking soda/powder, salt, and cocoa powder/chocolate on hand in your kitchen at all times and you can make almost any flavor! Our recipes are very simple - we don’t use cake flour or pastry flour - just all purpose - we find that works best. Also, we're big fans of chocolate ganache icing. It's so easy - just two ingredients - chocolate chips and heavy cream. You just melt them down (two cups of chips to one cup of cream), and dip your cupcakes in and you've got a super fast and unbelievably delicious frosting.

LS: Do you ever make "healthy" cupcakes for those who want to skip some of the sugar? If so, what goes into it?
SL and KK: We have a carrot cake cupcake, which has fresh carrots and fresh apples grated in it. We skip the walnuts, to save on calories, and it's a light and delicious cupcake!

The new season of DC Cupcakes begins on Feb. 25, but if you're looking to create their Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes for Valentine's Day,

Link Time: Victoria Beckham's Quirky-Cool Video, Dree Hemingway Designs For Sandro, and More

FabSugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:56:49 PST

Watch Victoria Beckham's awesomely quirky video for her new line - Fashionista
Anna Wintour tops the list of Barack Obama's biggest fundraisers - Styleite
Madonna talks Lady Gaga, W.E., and her new album - The Daily Beast
Five fun ways to wear a bright, ladylike skirt - Stylelist
Jonathan Saunders wins the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund - The Cut
Mena Suvari stars in Christian Siriano's Spring '12 campaign - HuffPo Style
10 totally fast beauty shortcuts - Real Simple
A Victoria's Secret model with and without Photoshop - Jezebel
Gucci vs. Ferragamo: old-school faceoff - Bag Snob
From PR to design, an industry insider crosses the aisle - Style.com
Preview Dree Hemingway's complete collection for Sandro - Fashionologie

Go Ahead, Cheat a Little: 4 Easy Diet and Fitness Shortcuts

Michele Foley — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:31:45 PDT

Sometimes being healthy can be a major time suck. There's hitting the gym every day, making sure to cook healthy, and so much more that goes into maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But it doesn't always have to be that way. Between eating right and fitting in exercise, there are a few shortcuts you can take when being perfect seems unthinkable. Best of all, none of these shortcuts skimp out on health. Here's a look at the standard gold rules of a healthy lifestyle and the shortcuts that go with them!

1. Eat Fresh Fruits and Veggies
When it comes to diet, the ideal is to eat as close to the natural source as possible: fresher is better, and organic rules all. Let's be real though, sometimes prepping fresh veggies seems like a pain or we're not able to fit in enough fresh fruit between meals.

The shortcut: Rather than forgoing fruits and veggies altogether, always keep frozen produce stocked. In the morning, throw some frozen berries in a smoothie or on top of cereal or yogurt. At night, quickly heat up a serving of frozen veggies to go with any meal. Still without your fruit and veggie fix? Have a snack of unsweetened dried fruit and stock your pantry with canned fruits and veggies that haven't been doused in salt and sugar - think unsweetened applesauce and sugar- and salt-free stewed tomatoes. Even if it didn't fall off of the farmer's truck, these are all ways to get the nutrients that veggies and fruit provide.

2. Get Enough Sleep
Wouldn't it be great if eight hours of sleep each night was a reality? Proper sleep increases brain function and promotes weight loss. But if you miss out on a good night's rest, it may result in a host of problems including irritability, heart disease, and overindulging.

The shortcut: On days when you're short on sleep, make like your 5-year-old self and grab a nap. Studies show that naps lower the risk of heart disease and naps also help with memory. To help increase the amount of deep sleep you're getting, start small by getting to bed 15 minutes earlier than you normally do. Continue this pattern for a few weeks to add a full hour onto your sleep schedule! If the above still seems unimaginable, find a few minutes throughout your day to meditate; this will help clear your mind while also helping to decrease stress.

See how to shave hours off of your workout after the break!

5 Time-Saving Products For Busy and Overtired New Moms

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:54:45 PST

You can't add more minutes to the day, but you can certainly make the most of the ones that are already there! Once baby arrives, it can feel as if the hours fly off the clock as mama tries to cram everything into the day. Thank goodness for shortcuts designed to give mom more time with her tot. Take a look at five items specifically created for the busy new mom.