Apologies to all our readers for making them wait so long to conclude this really interesting episode of our Cool Geek Series. But as they say, ‘ Better late then never,’ so, here we are with all the geeky & chic answers from the 2 GeekSugar ladies, Angelica Marden & Heather Dale.

1. Badgerfactory: Hi ladies, do you have a DVR? I’m looking to get one, but I’m scared of letting some giant company know exactly what I’m watching all the time. What kind of data does Tivo, etc. collect? Do they sell info about which shows I watch?

Heather: I had a Replay TV DVR, which basically functions the same as any other DVR unit. Although it lacked storage capacity and multi show recording at one time, I managed to get my money’s worth by taping at least seven hours of TV a day (now if only I had the time to watch all those shows!) My Replay DVR is now on the fritz, which means I have the perfect excuse to make the jump to TiVo.

As for TiVo selling your personal viewing information, they claim ‘no personally identifiable information associated with the viewing information that could identify the viewing information as coming from you or your household’. This may be true, but TiVo’s new Audience Research and Measurement division does provide corporate customers with information about specific ad viewing to help commercial guru’s combat the problem of commercial skipping - something I have become an expert at btw! No need to worry, as TiVo maintains its data will not be tied to any specific demographic details.

Angelica: I’m a TiVo girl and I’m no more worried about TiVo selling my preferences to someone than I am with any other service I use. To be fair, the only data TiVo could get from you is your account data, which would be illegal for them to share with anyone else, and a list of the shows you record. So long as you don’t have the worst taste in TV history, I can’t imagine how that information could be harmful. I’d say the benefits outweigh the worries in this case.

2. Vikas: Who do you think is the “Sexiest Geek Alive”?

Angelica: I really look up to John Stewart, Steven Colbert and the Google guys. If we’re taking sexy, I guess Stewart takes the cake - - although he’s a little older than me. Heather is going to say Sergey Brin - she saw him at Macworld and flipped.

Heather: No one believed me that it was Sergey and yes, I got all ‘googley’-eyed when I saw him!

Angelica: Translation: She looovvveess him.

3. Sweety: Can one really be both geeky and sexy at the same time? How would you portray yourself?

Angelica: Yes, our site is named ‘geeksugar’ and we so play up the geek jokes, but I don’t think either of us is this ridiculous geek that’s socially awkward. I don’t think it’s necessarily important to be ‘geeky’ or ’sexy,’ but a natural mixture is nice. Hopefully I’m a mixture.

Heather: Most definitely. It’s called intelligence, confidence and wetting yourself when someone mentions the iPhone. I’d like to think I’m both geeky and sexy, such a fabulous ying/yang combo!

4. Angela: You’re guilty of hording loads of designer gadgetry, is it an obsession, a need or your way just to show off?

Angelica: Both Heather and I are guilty of loving designer gadgetry, but it’s our job and our interest and in no way a means to show off. I love reading about immerging technologies and researching and comparing gadgets. As for being a hoarder, I’m not at all. We get sent a fair amount of goodies, and we both pick up great items we want to share with our readers along the way, but we rarely keep them. The gadgets I ‘horde’ are the ones I use everyday: my computer, my Blackberry and my iPod, and that’s because I need them for work.

Heather: I’m the same as Angelica, most of the fun gadgets I have serve a greater purpose - too keep me connected, organized and sane! Now if I kept my Blackberry Pearl in a clip on the side of my jeans that would be a different story!

5. Rishi: The way you approach life, as perceived by the way you present things on your blog, you seem to give wings to your femininity, isn’t it? Why, what makes you proud to be women?

Angelica: I’m especially proud to be a woman in this century, proud Heather and I have access to the industry we’re in and pleased that we don’t have to play the ‘have your boyfriend program your TiVo for you’ card. Our readers make it very clear that they are in control of the technology in their life and are eager to learn more about it. That being said, all the male techies have welcomed us as equals - us being female rarely comes up. Just as tons of guys love pink Hello Kitty slippers, tons of girls love playing Xbox. It’s not a competition.

Heather: The internet has been one of the greatest tools of empowerment for me, providing a breadth of information and endless opportunities. As a woman living in North America, I am proud to have the freedom of choice: If I want to listen to Britney Spears on my iPod, or spend the afternoon defragmenting my hard drive, the choice is all mine and I have access to pretty much whatever I want.

6. Stella: Do you vie anybody, I mean any archrivals that you want to out-geek?

Angelica: Not at all. The tech world is vast and made up of so many amazing characters. I learn about great new sites everyday and fall in love with their features, ideas and insight. There are some great female tech sites like Shiny Shiny, Gadget Candy and Popgadget that both Heather and I really look up to and we’ve become friends with their editors. It’s not a ‘geek out’ competition at all, although that might be funny.

Heather: We’re a really new site, but we are growing and coming up with great new ideas everyday. Angelica and I strive to carve our own mark in the blogosphere. Our site is diverse and has a lot of great features including how-to’s, websites of the day, weekly chats and fun user groups. Rather then ‘out-geeking’ other sites, we choose to join forces and help each other out in anyway we can.

7. Nina: How do you spend your time when you’re not busy giving geeky tips?

Angelica: I love reading books and magazines (both geeky and glamorous), sailing, watching TV shows on DVD, hanging out with friends. I am a vegetarian and Heather is amazingly healthy so we like to scope out fun restaurants and markets. Nothing too geeky.

Heather: Being a new San Franciscian, I spend a majority of my time exploring this fantastic city. Whether it be feeding the parrots near the ferry building, attempting to blade down Lombard street or enjoying an aromatic tea at an outdoor cafe, I always seem to fill my days with fun adventures.

Angelica: In case you haven’t been to San Francisco, Lombard is the ‘crookediest street in the world’ and she’s crazy for rollerblading down it.

8. Mariana: Hey! When is the iPhone going to be available on the market? and do you recommend buying one or would it be smarter to wait for the second, improved version?

Angelica: The iPhone comes out in June, although the official date hasn’t been released yet. If you really want to count down the days until it’s released, there are some great widgets available online.

Heather: Great question! I often ask myself this question, especially since my co-worker has the archaic first iPod and we all know how fast technology changes! Definitely give it some thought. Sometimes it’s worth splurging and having the latest gadget with all the bells and whistles. Steve Jobs has put his blood, sweat and tears into this model, so I’m sure it will be another year or so before we see a Zoolander-sized iPhone!

9. Claire_Eileen: Is it really chic to be geek? How do I flaunt my inner geekiness?

Angelica: I think it is chic to be geek.

Heather: Always be yourself and your inner geek will shine. Geek is totally chic!

10. Claire_Eileen: I’m in the market for a new phone, but I need it to be pink. What are my best options out there? At what point do I sacrifice fashion for function?

Angelica: I’d go with the pink RAZR. I say if you’re not living on your phone you can sacrifice fashion for your phone. At the end of the day, you’re the only person that uses it, so as long as you’re happy and like it.

Heather: The LG Pink Chocolate phones are really cute. When it comes to gadgets, you really need to consider function over fashion. There’s no sense having a pink phone that has horrible reception, short battery life and lacks features. If you have a phone you really like, why not opt for a pink case? I’ve seen a ton that look great and will add that splash of girlieness to any phone!

11. Viking100: What were your first geeky toys when you were kids?

Angelica: I’m not sure I can remember. A remote controlled car, maybe?

Heather: I remember my older sister picking out a cabbage patch walkman from Toys R Us. Life as I knew it was officially over!

12. MichaelScott: I have a crush on a friend who is definitely a chic geek. What’s a surefire way into a geeks heart? Are there any tactics that you would recommend, or recommend I avoid for that matter?

Angelica: Anytime you have to bring the word ‘tactics’ into the equation you might want to step back and consider what you doing. I don’t think geek chic women are any different from chic or geek women...Perhaps you should just tell her you have a crush on her?

Heather: Buy her the latest Prada cell phone - joking! Chic geek or not, your only human and so is she. If she’s a techie diva, she would probably appreciate a personalized e-card, or maybe a short silly video. Or better yet, ask her for some computer help so you get the chance to spend some time together one on one.

13. Finally, your views on BornRich & newly-launched Instablogs Network?

Angelica: BornRich is one of my favorites because it’s entertaining and always up on the coolest luxury gadgets - often even before the gadget sites. I love the look of the Instablogs Network, but I might be partial since we come from a community too. It looks great.

Heather: BornRich is such a great site. Although I drool over a lot of the gadgets, I love seeing what’s new in the world of pure luxury living. Hey, every girl deserves to live like a princess right? The Instablogs Networks is really cool - I had no idea there were so many sites in the network! Kudos!

Finally, we thank Angelica & Heather for this lovely interview and wish them success in all their future endeavors!57314