Somewhere Over The Photo

Posted on December 13, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

A few years ago, when I saw the price of a birthday greeting card, I thought to myself, “Why am I spending $5.00 when my friend will look at the card for a half a second and toss it in the trash?” Admit it! You do the same thing. Okay, you display your cards for a few days and then it gets thrown out. I bet you never read it a second time. The price of cards are just getting too expensive. I would rather buy a bagel with a schmear even though I don’t need that either.

Another option is electronic greeting cards, which I really don’t like either. When I want to send one, it is so complicated that by the time I fill out all of their questions I’ve really lost interest. I close down and move on. I am also not that crazy about receiving electronic cards. You have to download the card, sometimes give them your email address and go through other hassles. Not for me. The problem with all this is that I do love sending cards and letting people know we are thinking of them. I think I found a great solution.

There is a new app strangely called “Over.” It lets you take your photos or their photos and write a caption right on the image. You can use this as a greeting card for any occasion. Simply choose your photo, touch the screen to add a personalized message, and then choose to share them on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or email. With more than 200 fonts and styles, “Over” makes it easy to turn photos into holiday cards. You can resize the photo or enlarge the caption to make it fit any situation.

The app costs $1.00. Just a dollar forever. Just think of all the trees you are saving. The whole process takes a few seconds. It is like one-stop shopping. Everything you need is on one page. No searching, waiting, or nerve racking options.

“Over” is going to become your favorite app. You are not going to be able to resist taking every photo you have and writing a comment on it.

Here is some of my handiwork.

Back to the Library

Posted on December 12, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

We all thought libraries were going to leave this earth like VCRs, Palm Pilots, and cassette players. Don’t count libraries out just yet. Many libraries across the country have jumped on the ebook bandwagon and will now allow you to borrow from their electronic catalog. How amazing is that? I love when the establishment reinvents itself to take advantage of new opportunities. Kindle is the most popular ebook at most libraries. That is because its owner, Amazon, was smart enough to team up with the majority of libraries. Some places offer books for Nooks as well. Don’t forget that you can get Kindle ebooks on your iPhone and iPad as well.

In order to take advantage of this convenience, you still have to have a library card, (you can get one from your local branch or you can obtain one online) and make sure you have their pin-code so you can access all of the available ebooks in their collection. My good friend J.D. Biersdorfer of The New York Times recently did a blog piece on how to borrow an ebook from the library, so if you click here you can follow her instructions. Each library has its own set of rules but they are very easy to follow. Also note that each library has its own loan period, so be sure to check that out. Some libraries even got wise to which titles are more in demand and put shorter time constrictions on them.

Here are some other helpful tips. You do not have to go to the library to borrow a book. You can now borrow (download) a book from the comfort of your home on the library’s website. Depending on which library that you belong to, you may have to look around a bit for the ebook link, but most sites place it right on their home page. After clicking it, you are free to browse through the available ebooks. Once you are ready to checkout, you click the Checkout button and follow the prompts, including signing in with your local library card and account information. However, if you’re not signed up, it should allow you to do so on that page.

One of the biggest advantages of downloading an ebook from the library is that it is less expensive. If you are a book collector, this is not for you. For the majority of us, borrowing ebooks from the library is now a big wow factor.

iPhoneography, an Unexpected Treat at Art Basel

Posted on December 11, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

Colleen Duffley

I had the chance to see one of the most amazing photo exhibits last week. I came across it at Red Dot, one of the many satellite shows during Art Basel. At first I thought I was looking at a wall of 8 by 10 inch photos, but as I got closer I realized the display consisted of 40 iPad 2s mounted on a free-standing structure. Entitled “Light Impressions,” the exhibit was in celebration of iPhone photography now renamed “iPhoneography.”

The new art form was conceived by Colleen Duffley, an international photographer who directs and produces many different types of creative installations. Duffley wanted “Light Expressions” to level the photo playing field by allowing people from all walks of life to capture an image on their iPhone camera that expressed their imagination, sensitivity and innovation. Each artist was assigned one iPad 2. Every iPad features 13 images continually looped at different intervals.

The metal structure that is used to showcase the 40 iPad 2s actually materials recovered from a wreckage of 1995’s Hurricane Opal. An additional iPad 2 is used to stream the entire show online at http://www.studiobthebeach.com. Studio b. is Duffley’s creative venue that brings together the world of photography, art, literature, fashion, design, music, and the culinary arts.

Duffley said, “iPhone photography is still an emerging art form. We are just discovering its capabilities. People are astounded to see what is being done with iPhone camera work. It doesn’t matter which iPhone is being used. It is all about capturing the image, the processing and publishing. It is a pure art form. It is much more about creativity than the cost of the camera. I feel that all of the artists are unique and important to the overall look of the installation. It is the coming together of a community.”

This is the list of photographers from across the globe who partcipated in the first exhibit. The artists keep changing all of the time.

Gerard Godin, Janine Graff, Nathaniel I.Cordova, T.S. Elliott, George Alexandris, Helen Breznik, Elena Herrero, Amo Passicos, Robert Herold, Aik Beng, Edina Herold, Amy Hughes, Colleen Duffley, Natali Na Prosvet, Laura Peischi, Alan Kastne, Cara Weil, Donna French, Jason Donnelly, Benamon Tame, Paul Moore, Jamie Stewart, Art Meripol, Allessandro Greganti, Jenny Markley, Jen Bianco, Elizabeth Grilli, Hans Borghors, Giuseppe Navone, Jaime Ferreyros, Catherine Restivo, Easton Reynolds, Stephane Mahe, Catriona Donagh, Alain Guerquin, Daniel Berman, Seikou Yamoka, Chris Harland, Roger Guetta, and Dan Piassick.

Here are Duffley’s comments on some of the iPhone photographers:

1. Nacho Cordova. “He was one of the original 40 . He did not use many apps to create his photography. He just had great composition and lighting. Nacho was killed shortly after the installation opened. His work is strong and timeless.”

2. Giuseppe Navone. “His images are painterly and evoke mood and emotion. He does use apps but it’s not overdone or obvious.”

3. Paul Moore. “He almost has a 3D look. Or truly HDR effect. Saturated scenic’s that still have great composition. His people are amazing.”

4. Elizabeth Grilli. “Amazing bird shots. You have to capture the image. Her birds are Cartier Bresson like.”

5. Shikoku Yamasaka. “New to the installation. He used fingerpaints on his iPhone and iPad. These are really paintings but I feel he is creating amazing images. I love them.”

6. Janine Graff. “Her images are playful and fun. And very creative using apps to mix multiple images.”

7. Edina and Robert Herald, husband and wife from Hungry. “When I chose them I didn’t know they were husband and wife. I don’t look at the names, just the images. They are hauntingly beautiful. It’s the only way I can describe them. Timeless, they stir the soul.”

Many folks who saw the exhibit at Red Dot told Duffley, “Steve Jobs would have been proud to see the iPads being used this way. He would have loved your creativity.”

Dear John, Who’s Kidding Whom?

Posted on December 10, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

If you haven’t been following the story of fugitive tech millionaire John McAfee, there are some important digital revelations that you should be aware of in case you ever decide to go on the lam. McAfee is the founder of McAfee, Inc., the gigantic anti-virus software company. He recently got caught trying to escape the police in Guatemala because a picture that was taken of him had his GPS location. The photo was published in Vice, an international arts and culture magazine. Either McAfee forgot or he wanted to be caught because he allowed a Vice editor to take an iPhone photo of him that contained the metadata location information.

McAfee knows better than that. The minute the photo was published mini-bloggers on Twitter alerted everyone to “Check the Metadata” in order to find out where he was hiding.

(Metadata describes how large the picture is, the color depth, the image resolution, when the image was created, and other data.)

The genius but bizarre software developer had invited Rocco Castoro, the editor-in-chief of Vice magazine, along with Robert King, a photographer, to chronicle his run from the police by traveling with him. McAfee is a “person of interest” in the death of his neighbor, Gregory Faull, in Belize, which is his official residence. McAfee crossed the border to Guatemala in order to avoid interrogation. McAfee and Faull are both American citizens living in Belize.

You can read all about the case here in a recent New York Times story. You can also read here about how some members of the press feel manipulated by McAfee because of prior shenanigans.

The interesting facts I want to point out are that McAfee has always been hungry for editorial coverage at any expense. How much of this photo error are we expected to believe? How legal is it for two members of the media to know about the whereabouts of a fugitive and not immediately report it? As the story continues to unfold, we will learn more about the who, what, and where of the story.

Meanwhile, the tech press is all over it. Wired.com was first to report, “Oops, Did Vice Just Give Away John McAfee’s Location With Photo Metadata?” When Vice realized the blunder they had made, they quickly tried to replace the photo without any GPS data, but it was too late. The police quickly captured the colorful computer pioneer.

The Guts of Computers Inspire Art

Posted on December 9, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

Debbie Lee Mostel is a prime example that age has nothing to do with the appreciation of technology. After years of successfully designing jewelry for Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale’s, Mostel became fascinated with the construction of technology: motherboards, heat coils, and laser pickups to name a few. She decided to use the guts of outdated computers and other gadgets to form new creations that people could cherish and display. I came across Mostel this past weekend at Red Dot, a satellite art show just a few miles away from Art Basel in Miami.

Of course, I was attracted to Mostel’s exhibit when I saw the technology angle. I loved that parts of technology inspired her to create new art forms. It is always refreshing to see a woman involved in fashion switch to electronics. I think it shows that women on the art scene are capable of developing new values that haven’t been explored before. I have included a video where Mostel talks about her art and the iPhone pictures I took of her magnificent pieces.

Eliot’s Photo Sold

Posted on December 8, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

Thank goodness for technology so I can share this news with you. Eliot’s photo that was taken in June, 2012 at Plitvice Lakes National Park, the largest national Park in Croatia, (at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina) sold during Art Basel. It was being exhibited at the Williams McCall gallery South of Fifth in Miami Beach. The buyers, originally from Boston, just bought a townhouse a few blocks from the gallery. They felt the photo was very “Zen-like.”

Here are some photos from the magical evening. Over the next few days I will show you how technology has become part of art at Art Basel, the largest art exhibition in the world.

My Friend Marc de Hond Speaks at TED

Posted on December 7, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

Marc de Hond is the son of a very good friend of mine, Maurice. They both live in Amsterdam, Holland. In fact, I featured Maurice a few weeks ago about his early education ideas in the digital world. I didn’t know then that Marc would be selected to give a speech at TED, the worldwide conference, that is well-known for “Ideas Worth Sharing.” He gave the speech in Amsterdam a few days ago.

Marc’s inability to walk due to a faulty post-surgical procedure has led him to become a super hero to all that know him. He has identified the amazing power of adaption for both his body and mind. His story of accomplishentment is a tremendous life lesson for all.

Today Marc is an entrepreneur, DJ and a dedicated player of wheelchair basketball. He also works as a television host.

Thank you Marc, for sharing this video with us.

Love,

Lois and Eliot

Crowd Pleaser–an Email Watch

Posted on December 6, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

Early adopters always get the girls. In this case, you will also get the boys. I am not talking sex appeal. I am talking attracting a crowd if you are wearing Casio’s new Bluetooth G-Shock watch.

It is the only watch that accepts email and phone-call notifications from your smartphone via a Bluetooth connection. It will also alert you when you get too far out of range from your smartphone. Casio doesn’t want you to lose your connection.

A beeping sound or vibration alerts you when a call is coming in. This can be a desired feature if you keep your phone in a handbag or briefcase. On the display of the watch, the text “Incoming Call” will scroll across the screen, but the name of the person calling the user will not be displayed on the watch.

As far as emails are concerned, the G-Shock will display the name of the email address that’s linked to the alert in addition to a flashing mail icon. In order to set up email alerts, the user is required to download the G-SHOCK+ application for the iPhone.

The Bluetooth G-Shock watch works with the iPhones 4S and 5. Android will be available soon. It retails for $180. You can buy it from Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom.

Casio says the watch battery lasts for two years, even with excessive use. This is clearly for the person who has everything.

Check Out Etsy for the Holidays

Posted on December 5, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

It’s that time again when we start thinking about holiday gifts. Many of us will be doing our holiday shopping online. As I previously reported, Black Friday generated record-breaking online sales, so it will probably happen again during the holidays.

If you don’t know about Etsy, I suggest you try it. It is perfect for unique gifts and one-of-a-kind items. It is an e-commerce website that offers items you just can’t find anywhere else. It was launched in 2005 and is one of the most successful businesses on the Internet. Etsy is a digital arts and crafts fair that provides sellers with personal storefronts that feature handmade and vintage items as well as arts and crafts. You can find all kinds of odds and ends including arts, photography, clothing, jewelry, food, bath, beauty products, quilts, knick-knacks, and toys. If you want to get creative this holiday season, you can also buy craft supplies such as beads, wire, and jewelry-making tools. I would love to make something myself, but I need a coach and no one is volunteering.

I know people who have made healthy incomes by being a retailer on Etsy. Some of them have quit their day jobs because they are doing so well. I also read that traditional retailers scout the site for unusual goods to sell themselves. It is really known as “the world’s handmade marketplace.” Etsy merchandise is also affordable, so you can always find something.

It will be interesting to find out how many of you know Etsy already. The site has been featured on many different media platforms including Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, Forbes, and dozens more.

What is even more terrific is that the famous website has pop-up locations all over the world including Paris, London, Amsterdam, and San Francisco. The big news is that Etsy has recently opened a SoHo location just in time for the holidays. This is the first-ever holiday shop in New York City from November 29 through December 8. You only have a few days left. It is next door to Dior, down the street from the Apple Store, with furniture boutiques and coffee shops nearby.

By the way, the name Etsy doesn’t mean anything. Robert Kalin, the founder, said that he named the site Etsy because he wanted a nonsense word. He wanted to build the brand from scratch.

Etsy’s head office is located in DUMBO, Brooklyn. They have an open house every Monday night.

Increasing Number of People Use a Second Screen While Watching TV

Posted on December 4, 2012 by loiswhitmanhess

I hate to admit it but I use several screens while watching TV. The truth is I don’t mind admitting it at all. I love having my laptop, iPad, and iPhone on the couch right next to me so I feel totally in control. I call it my virtual command center. All of my communications devices are now in easy reach. In fact, I am watching HGTV right now (it’s Tuesday night, Dec 4th, at 7:30pm) and I have my laptop nestled on my lap writing this blog post. I have become so Internet connected that I cannot sit for too long without checking emails, Twitter, Facebook, Words Free, text messages, and Linkedin. Some people might think that I am pathetic and there is no quality going on in my life but that it just not true.

I represent the new digital citizen who wants to be rich in information. I am living the life of several people because I can do a few things at one time. Trust me, when I need to focus, I am just as good as the rest of you. Nielson Co., the big research firm, just reported that I am not alone.

Nielsen confirms a trend among viewers that has been gaining momentum for some time: the use of a second screen while watching TV. The second screen of choice, increasingly, is Twitter, the social network that’s just six years old and limits messages to 140 characters. “Twitter has become the second screen experience for television,” said Nielsen social media Vice President Deirdre Bannon.

Associated Press reported that there is an explosive growth in people who watch TV while connected to social media on smartphones and tablets. David Bauder of the AP, said “Nielsen found that one in three people using Twitter in June sent messages at some point about TV shows. And that was before the Olympics, which was probably the first big event to illustrate the extent of second screen usage.”

The study also found almost one-third of people between 18 and 24 used social networking sites while in the bathroom. At least once per day, about 41% of tablet owners and 38% of smartphone owners used their devices while watching TV.”

Yes, the world is very different and is evolving all the time. Don’t be one of those fuddy duddy seniors who can’t appreciate change.

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DigiDame

My Life In Tech, Travel, Art, and Networking

Monthly Archives: December 2012