As classes get into full swing, your time is suddenly filled up with reading, late nights spent writing papers, and of course, eating. If you’ve been wondering why you’re always hungry when studying for History 210, researchers have an answer.

In a recent study done by Angelo Tremblay at his lab at the Universite Laval in Quebec, it was found that those performing mental tasks like trying to solve problems (e.g. Calculus 111), while working at a computer stimulated their appetite so much that they tended to eat more calories than their bodies actually burned while performing the task.

The psychological logic for the rise in appetite?  According to the study, mental work “destabilizes” our levels of insulin and glucose, which in turn stimulates the appetite.

Is this why after a weekend of total dedication to homework, I suddenly find I’ve depleted me and my roommate’s entire snack supply?

According to Tremblay’s study, participants consumed far more calories after performing a mental task like reading for a class than relaxing for the same amount of time. In addition, they concluded that time spent surfing the Internet, as well as instant messaging, may very well be a significant factor in the obesity epidemic amongst college students.

So studying is really to blame for the freshman 15? Read More »

Dear Steve Jobs,

I have had my iPhone for almost a year now. I love it. I love how bright the screen is, I love how much it can do and I love having everything I need in the palm of my hand. In fact, I also love my MacBook. I am an Apple girl to the core (no pun intended…I am NOT in the mood for jokes right now).

At least, I was until this morning. All week everyone has been talking about 2 things: the new (faster, cheaper, better) iPhone and all the new applications that would be available for both iPhones. Being a current user, I didn’t care much about the new phone (except for the fact that it is FASTER, CHEAPER and BETTER…thankyouverymuch), but I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some of the fun new things I’d be able to download.

So, I woke up this morning, plugged in my phone and installed the new updates. As it was all loading up and getting ready I shopped the new App Store and planned what I was going to buy. Crosswords! Blackjack! So many fun games!

But wait. That wasn’t going to happen for me. No, because my phone got JACKED UP. Completely wiped. Unable to be recognized by my computer. Totally. un-useable.

I had a brief meltdown that included tears, a donut (you owe me a dollar) and a lot of profanity before I composed myself enough to get to the nearest Apple store for some Genius help. And, of course, that was a bust too. Because there were 4,000 people in line trying to buy the new iPhone and, OF COURSE, no one was able to do tech support today. Read More »

We all know that David Beckham is too. hot. for. words. And we wouldn’t turn down a romp in the sack with Brad Pitt, Will Smith or Jason Bateman. But, there is something to be said for the nerdy boys. They are sweet, smart and totally under-rated.

I have always held a soft-spot in my heart for the underdogs, and techy, nerdy boys are no exception. So, I am bringing to you the hottest nerds out there.

These boys give nerdery a verrry good name.

Read More »

So you’re ready to meet the man of your dreams…all you need to do is find him. But you’ve been hanging out at the bars every Friday and Saturday night, been attending all of your business classes, and you’ve even been hanging out at your school’s football, baseball, and track practices daily. This whole trying to find a boy thing is getting tiring, isn’t it?

Well ladies, don’t fear; because as usual, Cosmo is here to tell you how to find the man of your dreams. And they’re telling us that we need to stop going to the bars and frat houses and we need to start hanging out at our local Apple store. Read More »

I am embarrassed to admit this, but I spent a good portion of yesterday refreshing numerous technology blogs as Steve Jobs gave his keynote speech at the annual MacWorld. Please don’t judge me.

It is just that since acquiring my iPhone, I have grown more and more obsessed with Apple products. They are so white. And shiny. And pretty. Oh, and I also wanted to see if Mr. Jobs had addressed my personal iPhone issue of searching through contacts on the phone…which he did not. So, if you happen to know Steve Jobs personally, please let him know that I am still waiting.

Anyways, besides the awesome news that iTunes will now be offering movie rentals – perfect to download to your iPod video/classic/touch/iPhone/laptop for long plane rides – the Mac Daddy introduced his brand new baby: The MacBook Air.

This thing is like the Nicole Richie of laptops. Super duper skinny. And oh so chic. Read More »

When it comes to being trendy, anything computer-controlled seems to get overlooked. Usually seen as too geeky to be truly chic, when it comes to fashion, science need not apply.Until I came across Skintiles.

To be quite honest, it took me a few times reading through the write-up on these things to really get what the hell they are, so let me give you a simplified run-down:

It’s like a mood ring that you can stick on your body, much like jewelry, except instead of whatever mystery substance is in those rings, Skintiles are completely electronic!

Get it? Read More »

Hey, remember those days when you took a computer class to help you learn how to navigate the Internet and use that thing called Microsoft Word? And then there were those advanced classes (my middle school class called it Careers…ahah) that taught you how to use Excel. The best part of it all was that our woodshop class was called Technology.

I mean, did anyone else learn to use a computer on one of those really old Macs? You know the kind with the ACTUALLY FLOPPY disks that supported the original version of Oregon Trail? And they were that cream color with the black screen and blinking green cursor and the multi colored apple?

Can a sister get an Amen or am I just getting really old??

Sadly, the nostalgia days are over. I’m pretty sure that in today’s age, babies pop out of the womb typing on a keyboard and surfing the World Wide Web (Remember when you learned that that was what the www stood for?? Sigh.)

And since we’re all totally fucked up these days and kids no longer push each other on the playground but instead use their tiny little fingers to do the dirty work, schools now feel the need to implement cyber safety and ethics lessons into the US Curriculum. And this shit is funny!

Below, the guidelines that the National Cyber Security Alliance outlined in this article, called the ‘C3 Principles’ of Cyber ethics, safety and security: Read More »

I have never played Second Life, and had no idea what it was until a few months ago. Computer games aren’t my thing. They make me feel like I have anger issues, and I can’t stare at a screen for hours without going cross-eyed.

Plus, I’m not all that into living a giant lie.

But some people really dig it. They dig it so much that they spend hours and hours online, living life as an “avatar” and forming relationships with people they’ll never actually see. Like Ric Hoogestraat, a guy from Arizona who is so obsessed with his online life, he ignores his real wife for an animated one.

The Wall Street Journal (for once not being conservative and boring) recently ran an article about Ric and others like him, people so caught up in computer games that they prefer them to reality. Even though Ric insists that the women he married online is simply part of the game, his wife doesn’t like the situation one bit.

And I completely understand. Read More »