Category Archives: digital

Turning Water Into Wine

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Did you ever notice that a growing number of older folks consider themselves wine connoisseurs? Sometimes I feel like I missed the memo. “Go to wine school.” I find myself wondering how these people learned so much about something that is so costly. There must be a secret society that teaches people to be so cool.

If you are not cool yet, you may want to consider the new Miracle Machine, a brand new device actually helps you to create wine right in your own kitchen. It takes a few days. Oh, I forgot one thing. You need to coordinate the wine-making device with the accompanying smartphone app.

The app helps you select the type and style of the wine you want and also explains which ingredients you need. The app connects to the cooking device via Bluetooth and monitors the maturity,

News about the Miracle Machine is spreading quickly through the tech industry. Lots of the big tech sites, like Mashable, have been writing about this new invention. It was created by Napa Valley sommelier Kevin Boyer and wine website entrepreneur Philip James. Together they say the device can make a wine that would normally cost more than $20. The Miracle Machine does it for a few dollars.

The Miracle Machine itself is not cheap at $499.00. You have to make a lot of wine to in order to make a return on your investment for the device.

The product is not quite ready for market. Click on the video below to hear the whole story.

Your Smartphone Can Turn Into A Microphone

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I am not sure why, but many people who host events always treat the microphone as an after-thought. It is so frustrating. I have been to weddings, book readings, political discussions, lectures, and charity functions and time after time, I have missed important presentations that I was looking forward to because the microphones didn’t work properly. Each time this happens, I mentally give a demerit to the event organizers.

I know that many of my contemporaries enjoy running charity events in their homes and community centers. They don’t plan on using a mic. They shout to make themselves heard. By the end of the event, they are exhausted and frustrated.

I knew there was a solution, somewhere, somehow. I finally bring some good news. A new app, called the Crowd Mics app, turns attendee smartphones into microphones. When I first heard about this, I couldn’t believe it. Another digital sensation.

This is how it works. Crowd Mics, for iOS and Androids, connect smartphones to the room’s sound system. Every smartphone owner has his or her own microphone. In order for the app to work, the presenter and all audience members have to be connected to the same wireless router, which is possible through Wi-Fi or a stand-alone wireless router device. Crowd Mics doesn’t require an Internet connection because it only uses the router to push data back and forth.

The whole process is pretty easy. I first learned about it from BizBash Media.

“The speaker on stage plugs a smartphone into the room’s sound system and creates a name and access code for the event in the Crowd Mics app. Audience members download the app and enter the code to join the event. When they want to ask a question or make a comment, they tap their phones.

“The presenter will see a list of people who want to talk in the order they came online. The presenter can enable an individual microphone, mute a microphone, or put the system in ‘open mic’ mode so anyone can comment. Audience members can also submit text comments to the presenter through the Crowd Mics app, and the system offers basic polling functions.

“Crowd Mics is free for audience members. The event organizer, presenter, or venue pays for access to the system based on the size of the crowd. It’s free for 20 people or fewer, and then starts at $25 for 50 participants.”

I’m still amazed!

One Dollar Changes Everything

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If you would have told me a few years ago that a website devoted to crowdfunding would have surpassed $1 billion in public pledges, I would have told you that you were crazy. Nevertheless, Kickstarter announced on Monday it did just that. Here’s another startling fact, more than half of the pledges were received in the past 12 months. This must be a good thing.

I have talked about Kickstarter a number of times before, but now more than ever, I urge you to pick a few projects and donate a buck a piece. I think it would add a whole new dimension to your life if you checked out several business prospects on a regular basis (you decide the frequency) and contribute to their causes. For your token gesture, you get to be part of their growth.

You don’t get to own a piece of the company but you do get bragging rights. Most projects usually send donors a little something as a symbol of their appreciation.

Before Kickstarter and other crowd sourcing sites, the general public was not privy to startups like these. I think as older Americans we should help them. You can search by product category, city, and other key words.

You won’t be alone, Kickstarter pledges came from 5,708,578 people in 224 countries across seven continents.

Wednesdays are also the best day for pledging. I don’t know why.

You Saw It “Hear” First

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The next step in computing is almost here. Kazuhiro Taniguchi, a Japanese engineer in the Hiroshima City University, has developed a tiny personal computer that is worn on the ear. The ear computer can be controlled with the blink of an eye or the click of a tongue.

The 0.59-ounce wireless ear device has bluetooth capability, a GPS compass, gyro-sensor battery, barometer, speaker and microphone.

Called the the Continue reading →

Ellen DeGeneres Made Twitter History At Oscars

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Ellen DeGeneres made twitter history tonight at the Oscars. She actually scored a new record high for the most re-tweeted tweet.

This title was formerly held by President Obama’s “Four More Years” message on the night of his re-election.

Ellen grabbed a bunch of the big name actors in the front few rows of the Oscars for the “best selfie ever,” and tweeted the pic — which now has over 2 million re-tweets.

The photo was taken by Bradley Cooper and included Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Kevin Spacey and a few others.

Bravo to Ellen who made the Oscars a happening event.

My Very Own Tiny Hand Vac

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As I am getting older, I want more and more of my possessions to feel like they are brand new. This holds true for my handbags, shoes, luggage, books, electronic devices, etc. When things look brand new, I feel younger.

The trouble is that nothing stays brand new forever. I try my best to maintain that brand new look by frequently cleaning all of the personal objects I care about. I was on a Baby Wipes kick for a while but some things started to look yellow and faded.

Then someone told me about the Orb Vac from Black and Decker. It’s been around for a while but I never came across it. The Orb Vac Is the tiniest hand vacuum you have ever seen. It is designed for quick pick-ups of crumbs, dust, and other kinds of residue.
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The Black & Decker Orb Vac is so cute. I can carry it around everywhere to help clean up whatever irks me, even on road trips. It converts from a palm-sized sphere to a mini-hand vac with the touch of a button. It has a nozzle and handle that flips open to clean up small messes. Then it easily retracts back to a sphere shape for easy storage. It features a charging base with an LED light.

This is so perfect for me. I have no idea why I didn’t know about it before. I love using it for cleaning out my handbags and luggage. Finally, they look fresh again.

You can buy the Black & Decker Orb Vac on Amazon for $35.00.

The Perfect Time To Take a Pee At The Movies

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Rob Calem

My life on the Internet never ceases to amaze me. One of my very conservative friends, Rob Calem, emailed an article he recently wrote that he thought would interest me. Topic: an app that tells you the best time to take a pee during a movie.

You have to know Rob to appreciate how out of character it was for him to even bring up the subject to me. Congrats Rob for finally being a little zany with a personal topic.

Read Rob’s post about the app called RunPee which, in his words, helps relieve the stress of relieving yourself at the movies. To find out the perfect time to take a pee at the movies click here.

A special message to Rob: thanks for sharing. You’re a good friend.

Hashtags Defined By Me #4U

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I am always getting questions about what the hashtag sign, #, on Twitter really means. It’s good to know the answer because more and more Internet platforms have started using hashtags as well.

Definition: The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. Twitter users use it as a way to categorize messages.

The hashtag symbol # also makes the keywords readily searchable. Just click on a hashtagged word in any Twitter message and you will easily find all other Tweets marked with that keyword.

It’s as simple as that!

Now that you understand what the so-called mighty hashtag # stands for, watch the Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake video above. It has been viewed 22 million times. You will never forget what a hashtag means again.

A Little Trick to Avoid Jet Lag

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Just got back from London this afternoon. The 10-hour flight from London to Miami was amazing because I actually had Wi-Fi access for the entire trip. Yes, across the Atlantic ocean. I was entertained for 10 hours reading all of my favorite newspapers, magazines, yakking to friends on email, playing Words with Friends, and doing a little work.

Apparently, I didn’t have all of my facts straight when I told you a few blog posts ago that international Wi-Fi was coming soon. American Airlines has it in all of their new aircrafts crossing the ocean. I opted for the maximum plan at $19.00. Ten hours divided into $19.00 is not a bad deal to make the time fly.

For all of you who suffer from jet lag, here is a little tip from motivational speaker Brain Tracy. Two friends actually followed these instructions and they said it worked.

London Cabs Offer Free Charging Stations

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The Brits are so civilized. Vodafone, the European telecommunications company, believes in capitalizing on the digital advantage. Vodafone has actually installed free cell phone chargers in the back of more than 500 black cabs in London. All types of mobile phones are included in the program.

This is a real blessing for Londoners who need to charge their cell phones when they are on-the-go. We wish American cabs offered cell charging stations as well.

We created a quick video to show you how it works. The charging station opens and closes with just a press of a button. It houses multiple charging cords. It’s very simple to use.

Vodafone also allows passengers to pay for their rides by using their phones at no extra charge. Registered users just text the word ‘Taxi,’ plus their taxi’s number and the amount they want to pay, to 31255.

This all seems so natural.

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