Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Geeky Gift Ideas - A brief intro

With the Christmas holiday fast-approaching, I know some of us are left wondering what to get the person that has everything, or that needs that "special gift".

Throughout the month, I'll give some ideas for the geeks in your life (even if you're a geek yourself).  Whether you know a design, computer, social media, or art geek, you should find something in this series to inspire and fuel the creative fire.  You've got to love the holidays!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

What you know vs. Who you know

Since social networking has become mainstream you see more and more people extolling it's virtues and shouting that it is the future of marketing, communication, and even civilization.  That last item might be a stretch, but I do know one thing.  It works.

I've also become a believer in "it's not what you know, rather who you know" with one caveat; you need both to succeed.  Now measuring success is a belief system within itself, so I won't touch on that right now, but I can say that I've experienced both personal and professional successes by getting to know more people.

I've always felt that I need to make myself as knowledgable as possible in the topics and areas of life that interest me.  I continue to keep my ear to the ground and my head in the stream of ever flowing information, just to stay current and in top of the game.  But that's not enough.

All of the knowledge in the world won't help you if you can't share, debate, and collaborate over it.  It's all about connections and I see that now.

Finding "the right people"
Who are the people you feel you need to know?  Finding the right people, or should I say the people that you might find that are right, could be completely different than those you think you need to know.  This year I've been very fortunate (and that is the greatest understatement I've ever made) to have met a variety of people, from all walks of life, and all types of professions.  By forming these bonds and doing things as simple as getting to know them personally, professionally, and everywhere in between, opportunities have arisen that I never would have imagined.

A few tips to get started:

• Update your social bios with as much information about yourself as possible.
• Join conversations, both online and in real life.  Don't be afraid to jump in and contribute.
• Make connections, however you can and however it's comfortable for you.  If you're more comfortable communicating online more than face-to-face, then stick with that method, but try an in-person meetup from time-to-time as well. You might surprise yourself
Posted on 11/30/10 at 03:39 AM - Categories: Marketing Self-promotion Social Media

Friday, November 05, 2010

Humbled

Since increasing my output of written content (normal folks would call it blogging) I've noticed a change in my site metrics. The needle is moving upwards. People are reading, people are commenting, and I've been learning. A lot. One of the things I've learned through it all is connections are important. This year has been all about connections and I've been fortunate enough to make quite a few of them over the last 10 months.

These connections are proving to be priceless. I have a great group of people that share the same interests in design and tech and they're always available or at least it feels that way. This is a quick thank you to some people that have made the past year an amazing one! I highly recommend following, friending, and subscribing to these fine folks.

Tech experts and photography gurus
Robert Cairns Follow @robcairns on Twitter!
Marty McPadden Follow @martymcpadden on Twitter!

Design and marketing
Laura Otero Follow @lauracatherineo on Twitter!
Alicia Cardenas Follow her on Twitter!
Shelby Follow her on Twitter!
Phil Zannini Follow @phillymac on Twitter!

Life-streaming
Ross LaRocco Follow @rosslarocco on Twitter!
Tom Clifford Follow @tommytrc on Twitter!

Cooking and culinary greatness
Rebecca Hutchinson Follow @iwbadg on Twitter!
Becca Heflin Follow her on Twitter!

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Accessorizing with an iPad

One of the greatest connections I've made through social networking is actually a re-connection. An old high school classmate of mine, Rebecca Hutchinson is new to the world of Apple's iOS devices and when she told me she'd bought an iPad, I knew she'd be a great interview for my iPad owner series.

Why did you get an iPad?
I came into iPad ownership in a way that was so typically me. I had set aside some money for a handbag from my favorite designer. Naturally, for the first time ever, the spring collection for that designer did not have any bags that I loved enough to invest in. Then, like a moment of epiphany, I flipped open a magazine and saw an article on the iPad. And my mind starting a whirling and twirling, “hmm, I think I want one.” I was not one that had strong opinions on iPad when it first came out. I was not one who waited in the line outside the Apple store the day that it was released; I was not one who scoffed at it and said, “It’s just a giant iPod touch.” I really had no opinion on it. I consulted with a colleague who is my go-to resource before I make any technology purchase and he was brimming with excitement about the iPad and that I could get the 3G too!

Note: A handbag that I adored from my favorite designer went on super sale two weeks after I purchased my iPad. It now makes an excellent iPad carrying bag.

Do you like it/love it?
I love love LOVE it. Seriously. It is like an extension of me. My fifth limb. It goes everywhere with me.

What need did it fill, or was it a want?
I guess it was probably more of want but to some extent, a need as well. I am constantly on the go and the need to be in touch with my email, Twitter, and my blog was starting to exceed the capabilities of my Blackberry. If I read a Tweet that a dress at Anthropologie is on sale, the tiny screen of my Blackberry is not the best screen to pull the Anthropologie website on. And in moments of Anthropologie markdowns, I need a good view of the markdown to know if I need to sprint over to the sale.

How has the iPad changed your "normal" computer habits?
I has been trying to “unplug” earlier in the evening so that I am not blogging or online shopping right up until my bedtime. But Oh. My.Gosh., I might miss something on Twitter. Since I have bought the iPad, I turn my computer off around 8 p.m., and I quickly check Twitter on the iPad before I go to bed on 9 p.m. So it has allowed me to unplug earlier. Sort of. The iPad is like an “unplugging” safety net.

But sometimes, I also find myself multitasking among my laptop, my iPad, and my Blackberry and I need to step back and go, whoa, technology overload!

What are you doing with the iPad that has made your life easier or has surprised you?
Just the simple fact that I have instant access to have everything with it. No powering up. No signal searching. Even in the Northwoods of Wisconsin where my parents live and I visit, the Edge speed makes access to anything so easy and fun. Which is good because my mom loves watching the little blue dot move on the iPad Maps as we drive down the road.

And along those lines, I recently took a business trip to California and my iPad was the primarily navigational device for my colleagues and myself. It was so easy to combine Maps and Safari to figure out where we were going. I think my colleagues all wanted an iPad after that trip. My seat in the back of the car was navigational central.

Do you use it for personal use or have you been able to integrate its use into business?
The nature of my real-life, grown-up job means I will probably ever get to use it in the workplace so my iPad is primarily for personal use. But if I classify my blog as “business” which I am reluctant to do because that makes it sound like work and I never want it to be work. So instead, I call it my “blogness.” Then I definitely use it for blogness. When I am invited to events to cover for either my blog or other blogs, I always take notes on my iPad. It is just super easy to email myself my notes from Notably and shape it into a blog.



In September, I did a Cupcakery Tour of London and being able to pop into Starbucks and use the WiFi feature of the iPad made information so accessible so quickly even internationally. Also, I loved being to take cupcake notes on my iPad so easily.

How often do you use your iPad?
On the weekends, I use it in some form basically all day long. During the workweek, I use it much less but that is because I do not use it at the office.

Is that use more that you'd expected?
YES! Oh my gosh, I honestly thought the iPad would just be like a fashion fad and I would like it for about 2.5 seconds and then be over it. Now? I cannot imagine life without it.

Do you still use other computers as much?
I am not sure if my use of other computer has lessened but I feel like the iPad makes me use of other computer more efficient. I have no science or examples to back this up. Just a hunch.

I think if anything, the iPad has made me more inclined to make my next laptop purchase a MacBook. Despite growing up in an Apple heavy school district (Tim can attest to this as well), I made the switch to Dell and other PCs in college and have always been reluctant to switch back to Apple for no real reason except that I can be stubborn. The iPad has sort of being my starter Apple and I adore it.

What apps do you use or have you purchased?

• momAgenda – I was given the opportunity to test this app. It is the app version of the company’s paper myAgenda which I had used for years but had sadly given up when I hated carrying around the myAgenda and the ipad. This app gave me the best of both of those worlds (My review of this app.) If you are a scheduling nut like me, you will love this app even if you are not a Mom (I am not a Mom. Haha)
• Notably – I love this app for taking notes!
• Boggle – I am not a game player at all. Until Boggle. Seriously, you need to get it. It will change your life. And introduce you to more 3 letter words that don’t really seem like words than you ever knew possible.
• List n Do – As crazy go nuts as I am about scheduling, I am also a to-do list writing freak of nature. This app allows for categorizing tasks and priority setting. I love grouping projects together using this app.
• Twitter for iPad – I am obsessed with Twitter. Such a fun way to communicate! (Follow me! @iwbadg)
• Shape Pilates – I do Pilates regularly at a studio near where I live in D.C. But I also travel a lot and I am trying to be better about not letting my workouts slack off when I travel. This allows me to take Pilates with me!
• Pandora – When I am cleaning or doing twenty different things around my tiny palace in the sky at once, I love to transform my iPad into a boom box and blast the REO Speedwagon station from this app.

What would you change about it or what features would you add/take away?
I wish the screen and/or screen protector were self-cleaning.

How are you using the portability of the iPad to your advantage? Is it allowing you to write more blog posts or at least start ideas because of its mobility?
I never blog from my iPad; I am not sure why but I think the “writer” in me likes to be seated at my desk, on my laptop when I blog. But as ideas hit me, and ideas hit me with stunning frequency and force, I sometimes ‘write’ them down using the Notably app. Though full disclosure, when it comes to writing down ideas and inspiration, I am very much a paper notebook kind of girl.

Have you found any drawbacks in using the iPad? Size, power, weight, software limitations?
I wish I could upload photos to Facebook from it. (It’s weird that you can’t do that, right?)

I know Kindle, nook, and iBooks are the reading method of the future but I am such a real, tangible book person that I have just NOT been a big fan of iBooks. Also, I hate that everyone on my train commute is now using iBooks (or Kindle or Nook) because I have lost the ability to find new reads by peering at the cover of what everyone else is reading.

I have talked to a few guys who have been reluctant to buy an iPad because they don’t want to have to carry a “man bag” with it inside. But please note, I live in a major city where most people use public transportation. I think this would be less of an issue if you drove everywhere.

Are you using the iPad in any non-conventional ways? If so, how?
I sometimes think I use my iPad in only non-conventional ways. LOL! When I am baking—which, let’s face it, is about 90% of the time, I love to pull a recipe up on the iPad, use the easel feature of my iPad case and read the recipe off of the iPad. One, it is the green alternative to printing off the recipe on paper. Two, I feel very Jetsons-esque when I do this.

I also have nicknamed my iPad the “Nearest Cupcakery Locator Device.” Any time I go out to lunch or dinner with friends or my office, I have the immediate need for dessert about 3 minutes into the meal and in times of dessert, I seek cupcake. A quick Google search on Safari and a quick map search later and my group is ready to roll onto a cupcakery shortly after finishing the meal. And then after eating my cupcake, I do a quick review of it using Twitter for iPad.

My iPad also, unintentionally, keeps whoever is sitting by me on an airplane entertained for hours. Seriously. Every time I fly, I usually pass at least a portion of the time playing Solitaire and I always find the person sitting next to me completely transfixed by the iPad.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The new Twitter.com

Earlier tonight Twitter announced a major update to their Web interface once again making Twitter.com a destination, rather than a site to check every once and a while.

By beefing up the Twitter homepage, @ev, @biz, and the gang are making a compelling argument for people to not use third party Twitter apps and to stick with, what used to be, the only place to tweet.

What's new?
While not rolled out yet, screenshots of the new site have surfaced and Twitter has posted an introductory video (commercial) to get folks pumped up for the new release.

The one-pane approach that Twitter has employed for some time is now a two-pane split The thinner, two column layout is now much wider and uses some very nice visual effects taking place when you act on certain links. If you've seen or used the recently-released Twitter for iPad (iTunes link), you'll see many similarities between that app and the new site.

Photos and video are now embedded within tweets and will show up underneath the message in the "reading pane". Another cool tidbit that's been discovered is the ability to include whole Flickr sets in a tweet.

The background scoop.
With the wider interface, you'll quickly notice that background images aren't as easy to see as they once were. This change will be a challenge to online marketers, designers, and anyone else that want to display a custom background on their page that has detailed information or branding included.

Change = Good.
These are some exciting changes for Twitter and I'm looking forward to see it rolled out in the coming weeks. To see more of the changes for yourself, check out their preview page.