tulips

Science-y love blooms into 250-tulip proposal

John Gottula is a patient man. His proposal to girlfriend Kelly Voll took more than six months. No, this wasn't the slowest knee-lowering in history. It was a carefully hatched horticultural plot.

When it comes to geek love, we've come across proposals involving Super Mario, iPhone apps, "Back to the Future," and Twitter. Gottula, a graduate research assistant in plant pathology and plant-microbe biology at Cornell University, turned to his science background in horticulture for inspiration.

"I've heard of men proposing by hiring a pilot and popping the question with a banner. That's expensive; plus I don't have a flair for aeronautics," Gottula tells Crave. "Planting flowers to spell out a proposal seemed more like a horticultural way of doing it." … Read more

Create a geek's dream date

Forget the flowers this Valentine's Day. Go for a lightsaber-lit dinner, the open-source iNecklace, and the flirtatious Fingle app. Bridget Carey shows off tech to woo the nerd of your dreams.… Read more

Don't let Swarovski mess up your Valentine

It would be interesting to know how well Ego's Valentine laptops do during the rest of the year. At $13,000 apiece we can't imagine them selling out even on Feb. 14, much less in May or September.

But whatever their prospects, they just made them worse in our estimation by adding the dreaded Swarovski to the team. Last year's "Love Edition" may not have been for everyone, but there was something clean and understated--as understated as a heart computer can be, anyway--about its simple leather design and tastefully muted shades of red and pink. … Read more

'Momware' is here

Mother's Day alert! While not categorically perceived as die-hard techies, moms can be quick to pick up new tech tricks when it suits their interests. Check out this collection of mom-friendly downloads sure to make your mom forgive all of those forgotten Mother's Days of the past.

For cross-stitch crazy matriarchs, check out this handy stitch-pattern designer and creator. If your mom is of the green-thumbed variety, she'll love this garden planner. And for the budget-conscious, save money by giving your mom this virtual desktop flower bouquet.

A perfect gift if she hearts laptops

You've undoubtedly noticed a fair number of desperate Valentine's Day pitches from various companies, but this one is the real deal. Say what you will about its aesthetic properties, but Ego-Lifestyles' "Love Edition" laptop is a product designed especially for the holiday--as opposed to those that just have an inscription or some other after-market afterthought.

Finished in pink and red leather, this Ego sports an unmistakable heart on its handmade case of custom leather, according to Sybarites. It's also finished with a red bow and silver heart charm, just in case you missed the rest … Read more