Author Archives: loiswhitmanhess

Veronica Belmont And Ryan Block, Engaged

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Ryan Block & Veronica Belmont

Thirty years ago, my client at Coleco, Barbara Wruck Belmont, called to tell me she was pregnant. “Guess what?” I said. “So am I.”

We both screamed in delight. Not only were we pregnant at the same time but we were also going to share a lifetime of experiences. The business relationship only lasted a few more years but our friendship is still going strong.

We both raised sensational looking daughters who turned out to be geeks. My daughter Whitney is very well known in the field of UX–User Experience–and Barbara’s daughter is the famous Internet personality, Veronica Belmont.

Barbara just emailed me from Hartford, CT, that Veronica just got engaged to long time boyfriend Ryan Block, Founder of gdgt. I am presently touring in Croatia but my thoughts bounced back 30 years ago when we made Whitney and Veronica hold hands for a photo op. As we snapped their picture we told our daughters we would all be friends forever.

I now have the pleasure of publicly wishing my dear friend Barbara a hearty congratulations and wishing the newly engaged couple the best of everything.

Eliot and I are thrilled for all of you.

For those who don’t know Veronica and Ryan, here are brief bios.

Veronica is a technology and gaming-centric video host based out of San Francisco. Currently her projects include Tekzilla (a weekly tech help and how-to show on Revision3.com), and The Sword and Laser, a science fiction and fantasy podcast and community, co-hosted with Tom Merritt. She has also written for Slate, DoubleX, MaximumPC and PC Gamer, and was the original host of Qore on the PlayStation Network.

Veronica initially made her mark as a producer and on-air talent for CNET Networks (now CBS Interactive). She worked on such shows as Buzz Out Loud, MP3 Insider, Crave, and Prizefight. In 2007 she left CNET to host the eclectic video show Mahalo Daily, which was named one of the top new podcasts in 2008 on iTunes.

Ryan Block is co-founder of gdgt, a consumer electronics media startup (funded by True Ventures, Spark Capital, and Betaworks, among others). He was also former editor / editor emeritus of Engadget, a web magazine and network of sites focused on obsessive coverage of consumer electronics and technology.

As a technology critic and commentator, he has been quoted by the BBC, Business Week, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times, and The Wall St. Journal. Ryan also appeared on such networks as the BBC, CNN, NPR, PRI, and G4. He was also named one of Forbes’s 2007 Web Celeb 25.

The Museum Of Broken Relationships

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20120603-042507.jpgWhen I decided to write a blog about my life’s journey through technology, I never thought I would be talking about Skype as the increasingly popular way to break up a romance. A visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia showed several presentations where Skype was being used as a new stage for “Dear John” scenarios. Go to the website to read more about this.

http://brokenships.com

The museum was established after a traveling exhibition of failed relationships and their ruins. The description for the museum says, “Unlike ‘destructive’ self-help instructions for recovery, the exhibits offer a chance to overcome an emotional collapse by contributing to the collection.”

Conceptualized in Croatia by Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić, the Museum has toured internationally, amassing an amazing collection.

 

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Gadgets Are Icebreakers

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By the time you read this, I will be in Croatia. I am on the airplane now and I can’t remember an International flight being so bumpy. I tried listening to several books I’d downloaded, but I don’t have patience for them. I tried reading a play a friend wrote. I can’t concentrate on that either. I need to get my mind in a happy place because I feel trapped.

I am thinking about a cyclist I stopped on the street the other day because I couldn’t believe the contraption he had mounted on his helmet. I have been around gadgets my whole career so nothing should phase me, but this caught my eye. As far as I’m concerned, this had a big wow factor.

I saw the cyclist going West on E. 61st and Second Avenue. Lucky for me, he had to stop for a red light.

I didn’t hesitate. I went right up to him, “Hi, what is that on your helmet? At first I think I startled him because he hesitated. Then he realized I was being sincere, so he pulled his bike closer to the curb so I could get a better look.

I knew it was a camera, but it was so sexy looking I needed a better look. The cyclist told me it was a video camera made by Hero2 and sold on Amazon.  I took a picture of the him wearing the unit and then I found a close up of it on the Internet, so I could show you the intricacies. Seeing someone using a video camera is not that unusual, but seeing it mounted that way was very intriguing.

Without much coaxing, he told me he tapes his bike routes so that he can share them with other cyclists looking for interesting paths. As we know from Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, sharing on the Internet is very trendy, especially for people with hobbies. They get a real charge out of sharing their discoveries. It is very important that cyclist know scenic, yet safe roads. Manhattan is a tough course.  These videos are for all interested parties.

I guess that is why my new young friend was offering his expertise. He told me he had other video cameras before but this one was the lightest and easiest to use. “It is very important that I don’t feel off balance when I ride. The whole idea is not to be aware that it is sitting on my helmet,” he explained.

When he finally drove off toward Third Avenue, I thought to myself that gadgets are a great conversation piece. I just met a stranger and we instantly bonded over a common interest. How beautiful is that?

iPad Virtual Elementary School

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Maurice de Hond

A former client, and for the last 25 years a good friend of mine, showed me the future of online elementary education yesterday.  I first met Maurice de Hond when he worked for Vendex, a Dutch conglomerate that had interests in a computer client of mine. We became fast friends even though he lives in Amsterdam. I see him at least once a year if not more.  Maurice is now a Social Geographer, a pollster, and author of “Dankzij de snelheid van het licht” (1995).  Maurice is my age, has four grown children and a daughter Daphne, nearly three years old. Daphne has been actively using the iPhone/iPad since she was one.

Daphne

Maurice is part of a group of pioneers who believe that elementary education should be focused on individual talents and capabilities of each child. Children should be nourished by all the wonderful technology that is available today. The group is starting a new type of school that they believe will better prepare elementary students for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. You can read all about it in a manifest that spells out all of the strategies and goals on this topic. Remember, it was translated from Dutch.

 

I have also included a video of Daphne using the iPad.

This is our basic manifest

Did you see Daphne with a great writing app?

I Just Took Off 10 Pounds Last Night

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I just liberated myself. I have never done this before and I can’t tell you why. I hope it works out. If it doesn’t, I will just have to go back to my old ways. I hope no one catches me. After all, I am the DigiDame.

For the first time ever, I scanned all the paper work I usually take with me on a trip. I used the Scanner Pro app by Readdle on my iPhone. I am sure it is available on all smartphones. It is also available on the iPad.  I never used a scanner before. Not even the cutting edge, super-duper one in my office.

I leave today for Croatia. Before today, I would pack all my papers in the same carryon bag as my cosmetics. It didn’t matter how heavy it was, I had to take every last piece of paper. I didn’t want to leave home without all of my reference materials; just in case I needed to act on something while I was away.

This has been going on forever. I go nowhere without my lists. I always carry a spiral pad with me and take notes for both personal and business reminders. There is no way that I can take care of all the things I do without jotting things down. I speak to so many people in a hour, it would be impossible for me to remember all of the promises I make.

It is also impossible to take notes digitally. I just can’t type that fast. Pencil and paper are the most efficient, flexible and easy to deal with. I should know. I am in the service business and my job is to get things done. My lists have lists. Some days I look at my lists before I go to sleep and see 68 Things To Do. Multiply that by every work day and you can see why I am a busy all the time.

One could ask why I don’t just transcribe my daily notes into any of the fabulous apps that are available just for this purpose? That answer lies somewhere between why I haven’t taken off the weight I promised I would and why I haven’t read the three books I purchased on Amazon a few months ago.

Last night I got serious, because my daughter Whitney noticed my big bag of work I was packing up at the office before having dinner with her. “You are still carrying that thing? Look at me. I run an international business and all I carry is my iPhone, wallet, and keys.”

When I got home I started to scan. I couldn’t believe that I could do all these things on my iPhone.  Scanner Pro captures the image of the document with the iPhone camera and processes it to look like a scan from a flatbed scanner. The scan detects paper borders, crops unnecessary parts of the image, removes shadows and saves the result as a PDF file. Scans are stored locally on the iPhone and can be shared via email, uploaded to Dropbox or Evernote.

I have to go now. I just thought of two more things to scan.

The Next Step In Book Publishing

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Laura Huntt Foti

A year or two ago Laura Huntt Foti, a long time business friend of mine, told me she was going to write a book that included a soundtrack. I had never heard of anything like that so I was totally intrigued. Laura was a writer and she spent many years in the music business so I figured if anyone could do it, it would certainly be her. I didn’t quite understand how the words would be integrated with the music but I clearly got the premise. 

Laura said that when she read books that were influenced by music she craved to hear the piece that was mentioned. She was especially influenced by Keith Richards’ autobiography, Life.  “As I read it, several times I went to my desk to play songs that were mentioned—and even buy them when I didn’t already have them. If I’d had my Kindle Fire then, and if the music had somehow been integrated into the book, it would have been a much more satisfying experience. That became my long-term goal for book publishing.” 

Laura has just pioneered this concept with her debut novel, The Cusp of Everything, which includes a 1970s era sound track. There are references to more than 200 primarily 1970’s-era songs throughout The Cusp of Everything, setting tone and time frame. “The original concept for the book was that it would be published as an e-book on Amazon or iTunes so that you could play clips seamlessly while you were reading, and buy the songs if you liked them,” she explains. “But I couldn’t figure out how to do it without completely interrupting the reading experience. So readers can go to the book’s website, www.cuspofeverything.com, and listen from there. It’s not ideal, but it will have to do for now.” 

The Cusp of Everything is published by Prince Willow Publishing and available now from Amazonfor $11.95. The cover was designed by NorthSouth Studios. Cusp on Barnes & Noble (print): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cusp-of-everything-laura-huntt-foti/1110951939?ean=9780615628400

Cusp for iPad/iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-cusp-of-everything/id528864949?mt=11 

Since 1996 Laura has worked as an independent writer/editor, researcher and social media marketing consultant through her company Sound Input. Prior to starting her consulting practice, Laura developed interactive programs as Senior Vice President of Philips Interactive Media. Previously she was Director of Marketing for RCA Video Productions (BMG) and Video Editor of Billboard. I met her back in the early ‘80s when she was Managing Editor of Audio Times. 

In conclusion, other authors have tried to incorporate music into their fiction, but from what I can see Laura has taken it to its logical extreme. Rather than just a playlist of music to listen to, or music inspired by the book, music is almost a character in her book. It is completely integrated throughout the story in a way I don’t think has ever been done before. 

Here are some other books utilizing a playlist or soundtrack in some way: 

Leave it to Michael Nesmith: way ahead of his time! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prison:_A_Book_with_a_Soundtrack

Sex & the City 2 book/soundtrack CD: http://store.hbo.com/sex-and-the-city-2-book-and-soundtrack-set/detail.php?p=262840 

Narrows Gate by Jim Fusilli: http://www.kindlepost.com/2011/11/author-spotlight-jim-fusillis-playlist-for-narrows-gate.html 

Reversal by Eric Galvez: http://www.ericgalvezdpt.com/?page_id=6  (music starts playing immediately on this website) 

Love Is a Mixtape by Rob Sheffield: (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Is-Mix-Tape-Life/dp/1400083036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334962197&sr=8-1) 

Twilight (music that inspired author Stephanie Meyer) http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_playlist.html

What’s The Story With Facebook?

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I just found out from my girlfriend Julie Lesser that I am not the only one who suffers from Facebook confusion. The format is continually changing. Just when I think I have mastered Facebook’s navigation, it changes again. The most recent updates are: timeline, the omission of tabs, different fonts, a cover photo, what gets posted where, and the algorithms that determine the most important comments. 

I have been calling Julie a lot because Facebook has become a constant struggle to find things. “It’s a full time job just to keep up with it,” Julie admitted. “I wish I could get paid for all of the time I spend explaining the changes to everyone, from novices to the most experienced users.” 

Julie is one of those people who likes to explore by clicking on everything. She probably knows more about the user experience of Facebook than most of the people who work there. “I understand the technology landscape. Companies have to stay fresh in order to be ahead of the curve. There is no such thing as the status quo. Apple wouldn’t be Apple if Steve Jobs didn’t experiment all the time. Facebook is no different.” 

Julie first joined Facebook in 2008, has 256 friends, and spends eight to 10 hours a day on the social media platform. Julie is just like me. We take our iPhones with us everywhere, including the bathroom and  to bed. If you think we are crazy, then think again. There are more people like us every day. The smart phone is becoming the command center for everything. It allows us to keep constant tabs on business obligations and the things that interest us the most. It is no different than always reading newspapers or books. Let me correct that. There is a difference. The iPhone weighs less and can fit in the palm of our hands. 

Julie and 900 million others love Facebook, but the frustration is mounting. “What is the most disturbing thing about Facebook is the lack of communication on the part of the company. There is no one to talk to, no phone, no email, no guides. We have to rely on bloggers and non-related websites to get information. It’s insane, but that’s just the way it is.” 

Another major issue according to Julie, are the fan pages. They totally lost their focus. The most prominent postings on the page are messages from the brand itself. The whole point of the fan page is for users to express themselves and have interactive discussions. “I used to visit fan pages such as Valley Relics which gives the history of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I loved picking up tidbits about the area I live in. With the recent Facebook updates, I have to hunt to find user comments. It sucks.” 

Here are some of the sites Julie relies on to help her understand Facebook better:

1-http://www.facebook.com/KnownIssues

2-www.socialfixer.com  founded by Matt Kruse and http://socialfixer.com/about.php

You can access Matt’s Facebook page with the link at the bottom of www.socialfixer.com.  

3-www.allfacebook.com

Facebook  has been in the news a lot this week. Here are some of the stories you should know about: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bianca-bosker/facebook-advertising_b_1546186.html?ref=technology 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/27/facebook-investors-facebook-ipo_n_1548710.html?ref=technology&ir=Technology

Karen And Aaron, A Love Story

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I wanted to officially document the greatest love story of all time that just happened to take place in the consumer electronics business. Since I or others may never get around to writing a book about it, I thought my blog would be the most appropriate platform to tell the Romeo and Juliet story of Aaron Neretin and Karen Fisher. 

Aaron Neretin

Aaron was for decades a well known and highly respected editor, writer, and researcher in the consumer electronics business (Home Furnishings Daily, Fairchild Publication and Merchandising, Billboard); and Karen was a celebrated super agent for interior designers (Designer Previews) and a magazine and book author (Home Furnishings Daily, Cosmopolitan,  American Home and Esquire). They both received numerous industry awards.

Karen Fisher

They were as opposite as day and night except for their love for each other. She was tall, very thin, very statuesque, wore designer clothes, played tennis several times a week, and did the round of elegant parties in the most exclusive of places. She was never married, never had children. He was tall, big, and round. He loved the horses, Las Vegas, his children and grandchildren — not necessarily in that order. Aaron was well-read, a brilliant speaker, and loved being the life of the party. You often heard his voice before actually seeing him in a crowd. Karen was more reserved. 

They both died last year. She from brain cancer in her early 70s and he from a broken heart in his early 80s. While they became a couple late in life, they still had close to 25 years together.For a good many of those years they maintained separate apartments. They did live together most weekends and more often at the end when she was helping to take care of him after some heart issues. The irony was that she became terminally ill and he ended up taking care of her.Then he just didn’t want to live without her. He suffered a massive stroke and died a few months before her. 

The purpose of this story is to let you know their love affair can only be described as   some thing larger than their distinguished careers. Most industry people only really  knew the surface of it. I was there when they met back in 1966 at Home Furnishings Daily.We all worked together in the city news room and our desks were literally back to back. I was also lucky to have known them decades later when they reunited as the most loyal and devoted life partners. Eliot and I spent many joyous times with them both in New York City and Miami Beach where we all split our time. Karen and Aaron introduced us to a Turkish restaurant in NYC on 10th avenue in the 50s called Taboon. We still go there and start every meal with a toast to them.

It is so interesting to reflect on how these opposites expressed their true love. They shared a devotion that only the most brilliant and practical could manifest. Their life together was simple.They stuck to the true basics that can only make the most grounded happy: tons of laughs, good company, great conversations, and a steamy love life. I think they both confided in me. The thing that intrigued me most about them was the way they spoke about each other. He praised her for building a fantastic business and she praised him for just being fantastic. How refreshing!

 

 

 

Working Virtually From The Adriatic

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Croatia

Here I go. The countdown has begun. In just four days I will be traveling to Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro with Eliot and friends Ruth and Howard Greenberg. We planned this trip months ago. Little did I know that in addition to keeping up with my PR work for HWH, I would have a daily blog post to write.

Montenegro

I think this is my 43rd post. As I mentioned before, writing is the easiest part of this endeavor. Researching the facts, finding related links and photos, proofing, and finally posting, is very tedious. Maybe it’s quick and easy for others, but everything takes me a little longer. 

Slovenia

I am not looking for sympathy. I am looking for suggestions. I want to  post every day, but the rigorous schedule of touring with a group is not going to leave me a lot of time.

However, I am determined to post every 24 hours because that’s what serious bloggers do. I am enamored of Joanne Wilson, the Gotham Gal, because she  manages to post everyday no matter where she is. Wife to Fred, the super VC, mother of three and an investor herself, she writes a blog about  women entrepreneurs, food, and art.  Every morning when I wake up, Joanne’s blog is waiting for me in my email box. I am waiting for her to slip, then I can too. 

Joanne Wilson

Even though we don’t leave until Wednesday, I am all packed. At least everything is laid out on the dining room table. I learned a long time ago when we started traveling around the world not to wait until the last minute to get my things together. You can’t combine work and play without being totally organized. I have done this so many times before, but this time it seems totally overwhelming. I must get through this. I have made lists, My lists have lists. “Don’t forget iPhone, IPad, iPod, chargers, netbook, iPhone tripod, Bluetooth earpiece, Fitbit, Fitbit charger, spiral notebooks, and pens. I have to check time differences and wireless capabilities at each hotel we are staying at, My worse fear is traveling without wifi.

I can’t stand not being connected. I remember when we traveled on the Oceania Cruise Line’s Nautica to Southeast Asia six years ago, We rented a Satellite telephone so I could call the office every day. We would have to stand on the upper deck, face the sun, and tilt the phone in such a way that the call would go through. The cost of that extravagance was over a $1000. Today, I just download an app called Line2 so I can call home free wherever wireless is available.  

Working remotely from anywhere in the world now is possible, No more excuses. Maybe that is what scares me the most.

Internet Isolation Is Not Necessarily A Bad Thing

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Yesterday I hinted that many of my friends are very worried that the world of the Internet is making their children and grandchildren totally anti-social. They believe that the adults of tomorrow will be incapable of relationships, both personal and business, because they haven’t spent enough time learning interpersonal skills.

I have one girl friend who absolutely can’t stand sitting next to a family in a restaurant, where young children are watching a movie on an iPad or playing a video game on a smart phone. As a former elementary teacher, she honestly feels that parents should be engaging their children in dialogue during meals rather than using technology as a babysitter.

I have been very curious about this subject for a while because I am the mother of an adult child who spent the better portion of her life in front a computer screen. In recent years I have often heard my daughter say she doesn’t want to be anywhere near a computer when her work is done for the day. Too bad her work is never done.

In order to get a proper perspective on this, I decided to ask people under 40 how they feel about the their isolation. Here are some of the things they told me:

1-Most people piss me off. Their conversations are a waste of time. I prefer to talk online where I can instantaneously cut someone off.

2-The Internet has made me more social than ever before. I have friends all over      the world. We talk about “things,” not “people.” We see each other a few times a year, and when we do we pick up where we left off online. We are all interested in the same things. I don’t have to hear about their kids, their money woes, or their sex lives. I spend way too much time with egomaniacs who only want to talk about themselves. None of them are really interested in what I do and how I do it.

3-I am a homebody. I have many hobbies. I go out with family and friends a few times a month. I love them but they are so boring.

4-I have never been happier since the advent of the Internet. I am busy all the time doing things that I like to do. My mind is being stimulated every waking hour. I used to sit around reading comic books and watching TV.

5-Before the Internet, I spent most of my time partying and getting drunk. Now I have to stay sober because I am an app developer. I have never felt better in my life. I even got married to a girl who I met online.

6-The only one who is worried about my interpersonal skills is my mother. She nags me all the time. She needs to learn interpersonal skills. Nag, nag, nag

7-My parents’ universe is so small. My universe is so big. I love them but they are clueless about the business world and personal relationships. Most people are like me, not them.

8-My father watches sports on TV all day. My mother yaks on the telephone. They are not exactly role models.

I have to admit that there are many times that I love sitting at home alone in front of my computer. Have I found the Fountain of Youth?