The minute I saw this TV segment on the Ellen Show I knew I had to post it on DigiDame. Most people believe that Meryl Streep is one of the best actresses of all time. To prove it, Ellen had Meryl audition for different character roles. Don’t miss the video. One day it will be legendary.
Joaquin Phoenix
Many of my friends who have computer-related jobs are talking about Spike Jonze’s movie, “Her”. Most of them really enjoyed the movie because they can relate to having a personal relationship with a computer. Those folks who didn’t like the movie, in my opinion, probably resent the way computers have taken over our lives.
The movie explores the relationship between a male writer, Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix, and a “female” advanced operating system, Samantha, purchased and installed by Theodore on his computer. Samantha is voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
Eliot liked the movie a lot but felt it wasn’t cinematic enough. He said it would have made a great play. I don’t necessarily agree, but I was more focused on the dynamics of the relationship. Heartbroken after the end of his marriage, the writer becomes intrigued with the engaging female voice on his computer. She is bright, insightful, sensitive, and funny.
I didn’t see much difference between a man and a digital woman versus a man and a human woman. At first, everything is very passionate. Then the realities of life set in. That’s when the value of a relationship is truly measured.
While the Internet has provided all of us with a wealth of information and accessibility, I believe it has also made us much more selfish and self absorbed. “Her” touches on love in the digital arena where everyone’s favorite pastime is taking selfie photos.
However, you can’t convince me that the Internet is destroying the relationships of today. There are plenty of other distraction causing splits. Those who want to stay together make it work.
My favorite line from the movie is “Something happens every moment that changes us every moment.” That might not be the exact words but you get the drift. In the age of the Internet, we all are having difficulty identifying who we are. The world is changing way too fast.
There is a new gizmo coming out in a few weeks that reminds you to stand tall. The small electronic device, called the Lumo Lift, helps you track your posture. The unit coordinates with a smartphone app that shows you your progress and provides insight into your behavior.
Lumo Lift is a sensor that clips onto your clothes near your chest and shoulders using an interchangeable magnetic clasp. You will receive a gentle vibration when you slouch.
I first heard about the new gadget from my friend Susan Babcock. Within a few hours, I saw it advertised on Facebook. At first I thought the Lumo Lift was silly because most adults should be able to stand tall on their own. Then I remembered that many people tend to slouch so a gentle reminder was in order.
The introduction of the Lumo Lift reminded me of a predicament I encountered about 25 years ago. Eliot, Whitney, and I were staying at the Boca Beach Club hotel during a school break. Eliot and Whitney were on the beach and I was planning to meet them. When it came time for me to leave our guest room, I discovered that Eliot had taken the bag with my swimsuit coverup. In order for me to meet them on the beach, I was required to walk through the lobby. That meant exposing my chubby body to other guests. I pictured myself trying to get to the other side by putting my head and shoulders down and running fast.
I suddenly realized that my cousin Marilyn always walks with an air of confidence. As scared as I was, I decided to walk through the lobby with my tallest posture and my head high. I did that and also found myself waving to people seated nearby like I was a political candidate. It worked like a charm. People were focused on my confidence rather than my big fat tush.
The Lumo Lift can probably give all of us in our senior years that confidence we need to remain strong and happy.
The device will also give us valuable insights into our behavior. It will measure how many steps we take each day, how many calories we burn, and how much time we stand tall.
The price has not been set yet, but it should fall between $59 and $79.
Michael Connolly greeting a fan
Lisa Unger and me
So here I am in Key West, Florida at a four-day literary seminar featuring some of the most famous and respected mystery writers in America. We are hanging with Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Thomas Cook, James Hall, Alafair Burke, and Lisa Unger. We even met the former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins whom we now will follow. The only guy missing is Neil Plakcy, a personal friend who writes gay- or dog-oriented mystery novels. The theme of the Key West Literary Seminar is “The Dark Side” because most of the authors like to write about murder, hideous crimes, and troubled folks. Even Billy Collins has poems from the grave.
Eliot is one of the largest mystery book collectors in the country. We have books everywhere. He treats his books like he would a mistress. He puts them on display and stares at them every chance he gets. He also reads at least a book a week, sometimes two or three. That is why our daughter Whitney gifted the seminar to us. She knew Eliot would love meeting all of his favorite authors and I would pick up writing tips.
It was totally weird to meet 200 folks just like Eliot. They all live for the mystery, some fiction, some the real deal. While many people in the audience read e-books, they tend to prefer the paper kind. These are the folks who traveled from all over the country to be in attendance. I was really amazed how many single women in their 50s and 60s showed up on their own. Most of the audience was 50-plus. The real shocker was how many folks who are successful doctors, lawyers, teachers, and general business people want to be writers. Many have written unpublished books; others needed guidance. It was really inspiring to meet so many senior folks who still feel like they have a chance at a second career.
They are also the ones who feel that future generations will be just as interested in writing and reading as they are today. They don’t feel short forms of communication like texting and Twitter will kill the art of writing. They said that was the same question posed with the arrival of television, movies, video games, and iTunes.
There will always be many who want to read and write. Hopefully, with the advent of new delivery systems such as smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices, future writers will have greater opportunity to be published then ever before.
I still feel that Google is one of the most remarkable companies ever. Our lives have changed drastically because of the algorithm the company created. There is nothing you can’t look up in five seconds. In fact, there are certain folks who enjoy being fast-draw researchers. If someone in a crowd brings up a topic or a name that needs clarification, they have to be the first to retrieve the Google explanation. Okay by me.
Google is busy working on many other innovations that are going to be game changers. The self-driving Google automobile and Google Glasses are two inventions that we know about. Just yesterday I learned of one that will help save lives.
Google is testing a prototype constant lens that will help people manage their diabetes. Google said that the contact lens would measure glucose in tears continuously using a wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor. That would be a major breakthrough compared to current random tests.
The company explained how it would work: a chip and sensor would be embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material. A pinhole in the lens would allow fluid from the surface of the eye to seep into the sensor.
The company admitted that the development of this product is still in its very early stages, but they have every reason to believe that it will come to full fruition in a few years.
They never cease to amaze.
For some reason, friends of mine insist on shooting smartphone videos in the vertical position. I keep telling them that they are cutting off some of the subject matter by narrowing the view. They don’t care. I think they want to be obstinate.
Funny how things work out. I just found out that there is a new app that solves the vertical versus horizontal positioning problem. I can’t wait to tell some pals about it. Called Horizon, the app holds your smartphone in a landscape mode. Evil Window Dog, the development studio who built the app, explains that if you shoot video in a vertical position, it sometimes comes out with a funky letterbox effect.
The big news about the Horizon app is that it always shoots wide shots, whether you hold your device in portrait, landscape, or even askew. Now that is a big deal.
Horizon is the first app to do this on video and in real time, said Evil Window Dog in a press release.
“As the user records, Horizon autolevels videos utilizing the device’s gyroscope. The orientation of the resulting video stays corrected so that it is always parallel to the ground.”
Horizon uses a neat trick to always record in a horizontal mode.
“The app has a rectangular indicator that always stays in the center of screen. It’s within this viewport that the Horizon app is capturing. No matter how you rotate the device, this box stays centered on the screen. When you start shooting in portrait mode, for example, all you will capture is the horizontal content within the viewport.”
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Technology is used in some bizarre ways. When straphangers around the world found out that seven men removed their pants on the New York City subway in 2002, a rapid-fire email campaign started an annual tradition.
Why? I have no idea other than the world is loaded with exhibitionists. Now 60 cities with 4000 folks participate in this Improv Everywhere event. Here are some photos from the most recent event last week.
Buenos Aires
Hong Kong
New York City
Berlin
Bangalore
Kiev
The first thing I do every morning minutes after I wake up is check to see if Susan Leigh Babcock has proofed my blog post. She normally wakes up around 5am so my copy gets corrected long before you read it. She always sends me the edited and unedited versions so I can see the errors of my ways.
I get real upset when I check my copy and see that the iPhone auto-correct changed some of my words. I always check my copy but somehow I don’t seem to catch those words. I am convinced that the words were right when I typed them but somehow auto correct snuck in and changed them again after I published.
My friend Steve frequently tells me that PR people in a hurry will often send him an email saying “photo shit” instead of “photo shot.” When I see Steve in person he will lean over and whisper “I got three shits today” or “Four shits.” For a long tine, I thought he was talking about his bathroom habits.
Mashable, the tech site, just published a list of words often misspelled.
1-Misspelled: seperate
Correct: separate
Tip: There’s a rat in sep-a-rate.
2-Misspelled: definate
Correct: definite
Tip: Take a close look at the final syllable: nite.
3-Misspelled: calender
Correct: calendar
Tip: You probably pronounce the last syllable as [er], so you have to think [ar] as you write it: cal-en-dar.
4-Misspelled: mispell
Correct: misspell
Tip: You know how to spell spell; add the prefix mis- to it: mis-spell.
5-Misspelled: privlege
Correct: privilege
Tip: You might be pronouncing this three-syllable word with only two syllables. Notice the second i: priv-i-lege. Another common misspelling is privilige. Note the e in the final syllable: priv-i-lege.
6-Misspelled: arguement
Correct: argument
Tip: The verb argue ends in e, but you must drop the e for ar-gu-ment.
7-Misspelled: concensus
Correct: consensus
Tip: The sensus in consensus has nothing to do with the word census. Our word census comes from Latin censare, “to rate, assess.” Consensus comes from Latin consensus, “agreement, accord, sympathy, common feeling.” Think SSS: Con-Sen-SuS.
8-Misspelled: pronounciation
Correct: pronunciation
Tip: There’s no “ounce” in pronunciation, but there is a “nun.” The verb is pronounce; the noun is pro-nun-ci-a-tion.
9-Misspelled: accomodate
Correct: accommodate
Tip: Two sets of double letters, cc and mm: accommodate
10-Misspelled: dependant
Correct: dependent
Tip: People who misspell this one may be thinking ofdefendant, which does end in -ant (although the -ant in defendant is also pronounced [ent].) Note the final syllable in dependent: de-pen-dENT.
Book authors rejoice. There are several new digital publishing startups that will be feeding you the information you desperately need to write best sellers: the habits of readers.
For the first time ever, authors will be able to find out:
1) How long did it take most people to read your book?
2) What percentage of people actually read an entire book?
3) Did people read some chapters quicker than others?
4) How many folks skipped to the back of the book to find out whodunit?
Two of the most active new digital publishers are Scribd and Oyster. Spokesmen from both companies claim that all of their subscribers know that their data is going to be shared. Not their names, just the data.
Scribd and Oyster charge readers about $10 a month for a library of approximately 100,000 books. Fans can read as many books as they want.
Now that authors have more ammunition, they are more able to easily interact with their fans on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. The digital experience is taking market research to a whole new level.
Scribd just revealed some interesting analysis:
“The longer a mystery novel is, the more likely readers are to jump to the end to see who done it. People are more likely to finish biographies than business titles, but a chapter of a yoga book is all they need. They speed through romances faster than religious titles, and erotica fastest of all.”
Oyster claims its top book, “What Women Want,” is read cover to cover. “Everyone who starts it finishes it. On the other hand, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.’s “The Cycles of American History” blows no minds: fewer than 1 percent of the readers who start it get to the end.”
I have seen this before, but I was wondering if any of you have ever experienced a hidden TV? The vanishing TV was built into the mirror of my bathroom at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.
Unlike the other times, I decided to use it this visit. All you have to do is press the power button and a TV appears in the lower portion of your mirror. When you turn it off, the complete mirror reappears.
I liked having my own personal TV when I was brushing my teeth, washing my face, and putting on makeup. It made this usual boring routine a little more lively. One day during my stay at Trump, I watched two episodes of “Married With Children.” While the program was silly, stupid back then, I found myself laughing out loud before a long and arduous day at a trade show.
When I got back home, I decided to Google “disappearing TV” only to discover that there were several manufacturers who made these types of units.
After all my years in consumer electronics, I never knew about hidden TVs. Click here for more information.
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