Since Digital Summit, I’ve been thinking a lot about my use of social media and what I say through the tools I use to share so I was curious about what Intel’s new What About Me site would say about my digital life.What About Me is a free site that connects to your Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts to provide a snapshot of your digital life through a tidy infograph.
What did my What About Me profile look like?
Click for a larger view in a separate window.
It’s not surprising that top three stories that I tell are centered around food (31%), technology (13%), and travel (11%)! I wish the site was pulling in my Twitter
information because I think my top 3 topics would be vastly different. Or not. I tend to Tweet a lot about food too as a chronic #FoodInstagrammer.
What will your What About Me profile say about you? Visit the site, try it out, then join me to discuss social media and our What About Me results at tomorrow’s What About Me Twitter Party! Prizes include five $50 Best Buy gift cards and a $250 Best Buy gift card as the grand prize!
Participate in the Twitter Party on Thursday and share what your profile said about you!
I am being compensated to co-host the Twitter party but was not required to share my What About Me results or post about the party on my personal site.
Have you ever given thought to the way you share the things you love with friends online? Or how you are being marketed to when on the internet? Sure cookies track the websites you visit but what about your social media presence? Or the way you use your smartphone?
From the things you talk about on Twitter, pin on Pinterest, or like on Facebook, savvy companies are taking notice of the growing digital space and seek to create personal relationships to foster brand awareness and loyalty not only through social media but also through and mobile apps on our smartphones.
Last week I attended Digital Summit in Atlanta for a day and a half long conference that was rich in content and discussed social media trends. Twitter, Pandora, Mail Chimp, DailyWorth, Coca Cola, AOL, The Huffington Post, YouTube, Google, Mashable, Turner Media Group, ESPN Mobile, and more were there to discuss the economy of the internet through a variety of sessions that made my tech savvy social media nerd heart go pitter patter. As a consumer, it was a fascinating peek into how much value brands are putting into our conversations online.
Incredible sponsors but even more amazing panels
Have you ever clicked on a shopping site because you saw a friend’s Facebook update featuring a gorgeous photo of the item they just bought?
Peer influence flows through small groups and recommendations from friends drive sales because if you love something you tend to share it. Sharing through Facebook is more likely to drive a purchase than talk over the garden fence or a mention in a phone conversations.
Someone is more likely to buy something recommended by a friend via Facebook
than in person, through an article mention, a print ad, or an online
mention by someone you don't know
In his session, CrowdTap CEO, Brandon Evans, stated 70% of 1000 people surveyed said that they made a purchase after seeing a friend or family member’s suggestion on Facebook whereas only 61% of respondents said they purchased a product via word of mouth marketing from an in person recommendation.
Before you say that you’re not an influencer, you are! Your peer influence comes from your close network of personal connections. If you have between 50-1000 Facebook friends, you’re considered a peer influencer. Those with under 50 friends are social laggards (sorry- Anatomy of Facebook word as taken by CrowdTap for their session, not mine!) while those with over 1,000 connections are viewed as social broadcasters. Social broadcasters tend to be well connected in terms of numbers but don’t have personal relationships with those in their networks.
The majority of us are peer influencers whether we believe it or not.
Given the personal influence that we have online as well as in real life, the spending of ad dollars is shifting to become capitalize on personal connections. A company like Gilt Group makes it their business to capture information about a customer’s “digital lifestyle preferences.”
In her keynote, Gilt Group Co-Founder, Alexis Maybank, shared that Gilt sends out over 3000 different emails daily, all of which are customized according to a user’s preferences and past purchases. Sending targeted personal emails based on past purchases and browsing history has proven effective for Gilt. Gilt shoppers help turn over inventory 150 times a week and have generated half a billion dollars in revenue for products that tend to sell within the first 90 minutes that Gilt’s sales open. Incredible!
Gilt Group cofounder, Alexis Maybank
Besides more personal outreach from companies, consumers will start to see an even bigger shift towards optimizing content for our smartphones. With iPads outselling laptops and the prevalence of smartphones, the market demands mobile content. Visually appealing well optimized mobile content is eye candy for our brain and what we will see more of in the near future.
What are some social media trends that you love? What do you hope will disappear in a blink of an eye? I have lots more about Digital Summit to share. This is only the tip of the iceberg of content!
I attended Digital Summit as an AMD Tech Mom and while AMD provided a conference sponsorship for me to attend and the Acer Iconia Tab to use during my trip, all opinions are my own.
PC users who desire a powerful machine with a large screen and other bells and whistles to support multitasking often compromise portability and would do well with the Acer Iconia Tab ($531.08 on Amazon) as a portable computing solution. The Acer Iconia Tab is a two part machine consisting of a touch screen tablet and a keyboard.The tablet can be used by itself or docked for full access to a keyboard.
Docking the tablet into the keyboard feels a little awkward at first. The tablet portion makes the computer feel a little top heavy once it slides on to the connectors but once it clicks into place, it feels secure while upright. The dock tilts (probably to prevent damage to the connectors when the tablet is bumped) but has one set angle for viewing that is comfortable to look at whether on your lap or flat surface, even if the surface is the tray table on an airplane.
The tablet docks into the included keyboard so no Bluetooth connection is necessary.
The tablet and keyboard fit neatly together when not docked. Laying the tablet face down the keyboard and sliding the latch connects the two pieces into a netbook-like package. Permanent printed diagrams above the keyboard remind users of the proper way to connect and disconnect the two parts.
Tablet and keyboard fit securely together into a nice neat package.
When used by itself, the tablet is a more portable version than your home PC. It runs Windows 7 and features an AMD Dual-Core Processor C-60, a netbook grade processor that won’t necessarily win any speed contests when compared to your home PC but is great for a portable machine on the go. The processor is a similar speed what is in an iPad however, the Iconia Tab is running full blown Windows 7 desktop OS whereas the iPad runs a stripped down iOS. In relation to an iPad, the Acer uses half of the available hard drive space just for the operating system and default applications.
Users who are used to an iPad will find the Iconia Tab heavier and not as sleek. The touch screen’s responsiveness depended on the tasks being performed. It does just fine when double tapping to open items and dragging but using miniaturized versions of the icons on the top right corner proved difficult.
The tiny Xs to close out windows or minimizing windows was not always the easiest given the teeny size. Instead of using the touch screen, the keyboard features a belly button style mouse in the middle of B, H, and G keys and right and left mouse buttons on the bottom edge of the computer. If you’re not great at using the belly button to navigate the screen, perhaps a stylus might help but then that’s just an extra cost and object that you need to carry around. I’d rather use a wireless mouse in favor of a stylus for precision purposes and the ability to right and left click.
Acer Iconia Tab W500 Features:
1 GHz AMD Dual-Core Processor C-50
2GB RAM
32GB Solid State Drive
10.1” HD Multi-Touch LED-backlit Display with ATI Radeon HD 6250 Graphics
Windows® 7 Home Premium
Ports include: SD card, HDMI for plugging into a TV, 4 USB (2 on the tablet, 2 on the keyboard), and a headphone jack
Summary:
For just over $500, the Acer Iconia Tab does a lot more than an iPad thanks to Windows 7, making it a great secondary machine for frequent travelers, commuters, or anyone craving a portable solution to their desktop machine or large laptop. Stick close to an outlet though since I exhausted the battery in 3 1/2- 4 hours with constant use.
As an AMD Tech Mom, I received the Acer Iconia Tab for review purposes and am compensated for my participation in the program. All opinions are my own and based on personal experience with the product. Amazon Affiliate link contained in this post. Images courtesy of Acer.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you incredible mamas out there! I just happen to love this fantastic video by my amazing client, The Mother Company, because we are all our own mother companies.
May you have a day filled with lots of love today and always!
I provide social media strategy to The Mother Company as a consultant but was not paid or required for sharing the above. I did it out of pure love for the content and my client's message that all moms can identify with.
You might not think of LG immediately when you think of cutting-edge Android phones (since that spot typically has gone to HTC or Samsung) but LG has upped the ante with a high end Android at a very competitive price.
After using the LG Nitro HD phone running on AT&T’s 4G LTE network. Two words come to mind: Fast (hardware) and fast (network).
AT&T’s LG Nitro is a powerhouse of an Android phone running on their latest 4G-LTE network. It sports a gigantic 4.5 inch HD display, compared to 3.5 inches on an iPhone. The larger screen makes it easier to read emails and web pages and convenient for looking at pictures or videos. After some use, I also realized that the larger screen was making it easier to use the touch-screen keyboard, as the buttons were larger than on phones with smaller screens.
The Nitro features an 8MP camera with an LED flash that is also capable of recording 1080p HD video. The specs are incredible especially when compared against a 720p recording on an iPhone 4S. On the LG Nitro, your photos, videos, and music can be stored on the internal 4GB of flash, or the included 16GB microSD slot. If that’s not enough, you can replace the microSD card with a 32GB card.
The LG Nitro features a speedy dual-core 1.5GHz processor, providing for a zippy user interface. Coupled with the data speeds on AT&T’s brand new LTE network, the phone is really fast. So is all of this technology really required to check email and play Angry Birds?
A practical example of where the LG Nitro really shines is when you pull up Google Maps. The application loads extremely quickly, and then scrolling around and zooming in on things happens almost immediately. Want to overlay traffic conditions? Done. Using Google Maps on the Nitro makes your current phone seem inadequate.
You may be thinking: So how much battery life am I going to get with this giant screen and brand new 4G network connection? So far, the battery life has been falling in-line with the typical Android experience. Like any smartphone, you absolutely have to plug it in every night to charge. On a typical day, you’ll run the battery down a fair amount, perhaps to 50%. But even on days of heavy use, I’ve never needed to charge the phone mid-day, which is a pleasant surprise given all of the things inside this phone that require power.
Android Version: The LG Nitro comes with a modern, up-to-date version of Android 2.3.5, aka the “Gingerbread” software. This puts it in line with most Android phones shipping now.
The LG Nitro is about as thin as any other Smartphone on the market, and comes with a nice textured plastic back cover. The texture makes the phone much less prone to slipping out of your hand versus a phone with a smooth back. For the reason, the Nitro functions just fine without the addition of a case.
Downsides
From a hardware standpoint? None. This phone delivered on all of its promises in that category. I had some pet peeves about LG’s user interface but mostly having to do with their tweaks to the Android operating system.
First off, on the Applications screen, LG has decided to sort the Android Apps alphabetically, in two different lists, Apps that shipped on it at the factory vs. Apps that you have added yourself. This is really not very helpful, and you can’t really get rid of it. For example, Gmail is nowhere near Groupon, because Gmail shipped on the phone, and I downloaded Groupon myself. Groupon is pages below Gmail, all the way at the bottom below Yellow Pages. You can define your own Application groups, but you can’t delete the two default groups. There are other ways of arranging the Application icons, such as a gigantic single-column list, but none of them really made me happy. Not a show-stopper, but certainly a nuisance to any Type A organizers like myself!
Another issue I noticed was that as my husband used the phone, he got a calendar alert every time there was a new meeting invite via Exchange, even if it was days away. If you have the calendar send you 15 minute reminders of upcoming calendar events, you get that same ringtone/alert when someone invites you to a meeting. If you are using your Android phone with your company’s Exchange server, and you get invited to a lot of conference calls and meetings, this is “feature” is highly confusing. Your phone is making the “you have a upcoming meeting” ringtone, and then upon examining the phone, you find out that it’s making noise because you were invited a meeting scheduled 3 days from today. Who asked for this feature? According to my husband, the functionality could be streamlined to put an end to the confusion and annoyance.
Lastly, and most importantly, while in the middle of a call, the LG Nitro has a small “hold” button on the top-left of the screen that was often activated by my cheek hitting the hold button mid-call. After some Google research, I found that it was likely happening because I’d put a screen protector over the phone’s proximity sensor. Removing, and trimming down the screen protector seems to have helped but it’s not 100% better because I’ve still managed to put people on hold by mistake. Not all Android phones have a “hold” button that makes you wonder if it’s necessary on this model. For what it’s worth, LG isn’t the only Android handset with a hold button and many people are complaining about accidentally putting calls on hold.
Summary
If you’re looking for a brand-new Android phone to replace your out of date one, then definitely step-up to 4G and take a look at the LG Nitro. It’s biggest advantage is price. It is currently $99 on AT&T’s website. The Nitro’s biggest (non-iPhone) competition is the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket II, which costs $100 more.
This phone was provided as part of a compensated campaign I did earlier in the year with Technorati. The stand-alone review was not required and all opinions are my own. Images courtesy of AT&T.
The award-winning Broadway musical of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast returns to Washington D.C.’s National Theater for a 2 week engagement beginning June 12. Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.
Theater goers will be treated to a new production that brings together the original creators of the Broadway production for a touring show. It will feature the animated film’s Academy Award®-winning score with music by Alan Menken.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has become an international sensation that has played to over 35 million people worldwide in 21 countries.
Tickets are available through Telecharge at (800) 447-7400, online at Telecharge.com, and will be for sale at the National Theatre Box office on Monday, May 21 and with prices starting at $56.50.
Performance Schedule
Tuesday, June 12 – Thursday, June 14 at 7:30 pm
Friday, June 15 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 16 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 17 at 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm
Tuesday, June 19 – Thursday, June 21 at 7:30 pm
Friday, June 22 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 23 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 24 at 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm
Giveaway: You can be the guest of Beauty of the Beast by winning a set of 4 for your family to attend the opening night performance on Tuesday, June 13 at 7:30 pm.
To enter: Leave the answer to this trivia question in your comment by Friday, May 18: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast won the creative Tony Award® in what category?(It's ok to Google or use Wikipedia for the answer!) Just make sure to include your email address or Twitter handle so I can contact you when you win.
For extra entries, complete the above and do any of the following:
Tweet this and leave a link to your tweet in your comment: I entered to win tickets to the #DC performance of Beauty & the Beast from @TechSavvyMama: www.TechSavvyMama.com (1 entry/day)
Subscribe to my blog via RSS, email, or Networked Blogs. Already a subscriber? That's great! You get an entry for each way you currently subscribe! Just leave a separate comment for each. (1 entry/subscription method)
Mother's Day is Sunday so if you haven't already started, get shopping to show the special woman in your life exactly how special she is. Here are 10 of my favorites that any mom is sure to love regardless of how tech savvy she may be.
iRobot Scooba
Give mom a break from cleaning with the iRobot
Scooba ($449). This amazing little robot uses a 4 part system to prep, wash, scrub, and squeegee. It motors around, sucking up crumbs
and pet hair while washing the floor as it goes. Scooba makes multiple passes over the same section of floor to ensure it cleans thoroughly. It leaves a wet shine behind but not too much water to make floors slippery and dangerous. Smart sensors help it avoid
the stairs and other obstacles such as furniture during the 45 minute cleaning
cycle. Just touch the button and leave Scooba to motor around the house on your
way out the door for fresh and crumb free floors when you return home.
Personalized cards for mom from Treat by Shutterfly
Send mom an individualized greeting card with the new Treat by Shutterfly. With over 4,500 fully customizable card
designs, including 300 from Hallmark, users can create personalized cards using
personal photos and custom messages in only minutes. Cards range from $1.99-2.99 each but for a
limited time, every new customer gets their first card for free. Order before the end of the day today for
Mother’s Day delivery.
Logitech M325 in Purple Paisley, one of the Global Graffiti prints
Cut the cord by giving her a colorful wireless
mouse. Since everything
is wireless these days, give her a mouse that suits her personality. The
Logitech Global Graffiti prints found in the M325 and M310 wireless mice ($20-30)incorporate the hottest local trends and fashions while fitting comfortably in the palm on one’s hand thanks to the ergonomic design
making them a great tech accessory. If mom prefers solids to prints, Microsoft
Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 (less than $20) come in limited edition colors that are sure to put
a smile on her face.
Chica Bag by Cuddly Monkey
Gift her with
a stylish all purpose bag to hold her laptop and more. Cuddly Monkey may sound like a stuffed animal
but it’s really a line of canvas totes created by designers who believe that
the inside of the tote should be as fashionable as the outside is functional. You
can’t go wrong with The Chica ($90), a classic beach tote with a fun lining
that features essential tech gadgets like a smartphone, iPod, and headphones
along with sunglasses. Chica is my go-to bag for travel these days. It's a good sized carry on that fits my laptop, iPad, digital camera, snacks, and leaves plenty of room for more all while fitting under the seat in front of me. I also have my eye on the The Babe ($90) which I love
for it’s contrasting handles and cheery watermelon lining.
Hello Kitty Earbuds from Sparklebee
Bling out her headphones
with a set of Hello
Kitty Earbuds($12.50). These
comfortable earbuds are sparkly, fun, and feature volume control right on the
cord to work with her MP3 player, iPod, iPhone, and computer and will be easy
to find even in the deepest depths of any bag.
Honeywell Air Genius 5 Tower
Help her breathe easy with
the Honeywell
AirGenius 5 ($239) to clear
the air of allergens, germs, and odors to keep everyone healthy. The sleek AirGenuis 5 is an easy-to-use tower
with touch screen controls that operates quietly to capture 99.9% of particles
and pollutants with a washable HEPAClean honeycomb filter that just requires
rinsing to clean and never needs to be replaced.
Olympus LS-20M compact digital recorder
Put the power of video editing in the palm of her hand with an Olympus
LS-20M ($299) that is compact enough to carry in any bag to capture all of life’s
amazing moments. Edit on the spot using
for different filters for fun effects, stream a soccer game to a far away
grandparent or a dance recital via UStream anywhere you have an internet
connection, and enjoy high definition video in an amazingly small package.
Controls are easy to maneuver when keeping your eye on the action but in case
your hand wavers, the built in electronic image stabilizer helps eliminate the
shakes. The action gets even closer with 4x digital zoom while the autofocus
lens keeps everything crystal clear on dual LCD screens.
Rayovac Rechargeable Power Pack
Keep her devices charged even when she’s
on the go with Rayovac’s
Universal USB Chargers and Rechargeable
Power Pack ($12.99). The USB
Chargers plug into a car cigarette lighter and this double pack features a
single and a double plug in one pack.
Charge the Rechargeable Power Pack by plugging into an outlet and then
tuck it into your bag to recharge your smartphone, digital camera, MP3 player,
or portable gaming devices for up to 6 hours.
The VTech Retro Phone
Decorate her desk with The
VTech Retro Phone
($59.95, Model #LS6195). It may look a little old school but the high tech
version of the phone reminiscent of yesteryear features a cordless handset with
a 500 foot range, caller ID storage of the past 50 calls, digitized and
encrypted calls to reduce identity theft and discourage anyone from listening
in, last 10 number redial, eco-mode that optimizes battery performance, digital
answering system, backlit keypad, and more!
Olympus PM-1 comes in standard black and an assortment of colors
Let her capture precious memories with an Olympus PM-1. Those
looking to upgrade their point and shoot but don’t want the bulk of traditional
DSLRs will appreciate Olympus’ PM-1 line that features compact bodies that don’t
compromise on picture quality. With the ability to interchange lenses,
capture close up stills or far away action shots with a zoom lens this easy to
hold camera features a slim body and lightweight size compared to its
competitors. Photos are crisp and built in image stabilizer helps eliminate the
shakiness that is inherent when capturing video. If you’ve ever wanted to
capture a still while shooting video, the Olympus PM-1 allows you to do so and
also features a wide variety of cool effects. Shoot right in sepia and
brighten colors as you shoot with Pop Art!
Product samples were provided by the companies to faciliate these reviews. No additional compensation was received and all opinions are my own. Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post.
I'm a DC Metro area dwelling mom of 2 and former teacher with an background in classroom technology integration & school administration. I am a family internet safety & security expert, social media consultant, regular columnist on Parents.com, Savvy Source, and Mom Blog Magazine, dog owner, car enthusiast, and an avid gardener.
