Finally, A GoPro For Me 

What took you so long GoPro? You finally created an easier way to use your cameras. For years, you had these sophisticated units  that were just too complicated for me to use. You practically had to be a professional digital editor to create a video.

I was one of your first customers. I loved the idea of wearing a camera so I could take a video of everything I saw during the day. I was so loyal. Over the years, I bought several units hoping to master your editing process. To no avail. Now, I hear you finally became user friendly. Bravo!

I’m thrilled that you now have an on-camera trimming feature that produces short clips. I can also edit on the companion mobile app. This is true for the full-size Hero4, the Hero4 Session and the other WiFi-capable GoPros. They can now produce five, 15 or 30-second videos. 

This is great news for everyone who loves to take videos. Read more about it in Digital Trends. Watch the above video, too. 

  

Kayne West Announces 2020 Presidential Candidacy At MTV Music Video Awards 

Before I get into today’s post, I wanted to show you what tropical storm Erika looked like on MacArthur Causeway today in Miami. No biggie.  Thank goodness.  

 
Eliot and I truly went out of our comfort zone tonight watching the MTV Music Video Awards. To us, it was just a lot of noise. To many of our (DigiDame readers) children and grandchildren, this is the music that inspires them. It is very difficult for us to relate to the words and the sounds of the music. We were also clueless listening to Kayne West’s speech when he accepted the mighty Vanguard Award. He ranted random thoughts with no continuity. Just when I thought I understood what he was saying, he moved on to another subject. At the very end, he announced he was running for President of the United States in 2020. Taylor Swift immediately endorsed him. On a positive note, most of the young music makers today underscored their belief in equality.  Hooray for that. 

 Miley Cyrus hosted the awards in her outrageous, see-all outfits.  
    
 
Then Kayne West with his very pregnant wife, Kim Kardashian, took center stage.
  

   
  Nicki Minaj was very much a Kim lookalike.

  
Britany Spears was tame compared to others.    
Saved the best for last–Kelly Osbourne.  Now, that’s a hairdo.  

  

Happy Birthday Eliot 💋💋💋

  August 30th.   Celebration Day.

 

I’ve been saving these videos to share with you. 

Amy Schumer and Jennifer Lawrence, who are co-writing a screenplay about two sisters, made a surprise appearance during Billy Joel’s Wrigley Field concert in Chicago Thursday.  

Are these clouds or balloons in London? Pretty miraculous. 

Bill Cunningham, of the New York Times, loves these handbags

Childhood Memories

This video is totally obscene 

NY Taxi Cabs Fight Back 

   
   
Photos provided by Arro.

I’m surprised this didn’t happen before. Crain’s New York just reported that yellow and green taxis in the city that never sleeps have a new app that will compete with Uber. Called Arro, the smartphone app promises to be less expensive and more efficient than Uber.

I immediately went to the App Store to download Arro. Oops, I found out it’s not ready yet, but will be a few weeks. Seven thousand cabs will be involved in the initial rollout and then the entire industry will join in. If successful in New York, other cities with a big taxi fleet will be using Arro as well.

The Crain’s story explains that Arro has a good chance of competing against Uber because of its partnership with Creative Mobile Technologies, the tech company that is already working with thousands of NYC taxis. 

I combed through all the news on Arro to see what their big appeal will be. I found it. If they want to be successful, they have to let potential riders know that their fares will not fluctuate in peak hours. Current meters will determine the price.

This is going to be interesting.

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Crafts And Seek 

 
Your creative side just became a bit more organized. Esty, the popular, online craft shop, just announced a major improvement to its mobile app. As of this very moment, the “shop local” feature, has been added to let users know where to find craft  products in pop-up neighborhood locations.

  
    
   
The “shop local” feature was always available on Esty’s website, but that wasn’t very convenient for crafts people who are always on-the-go, hunting for new items. The mobile app will be continuously updated so users can even find local retailers who are having special craft specials. 

Even though no one would describe me as me as a person who does crafts, I do love checking out local goods and finding unique items. I always feel like I am the last to know about a nearby arts and crafts show. We always seem to stumble upon them.

Now, all I have to do is open my Esty app and get a glimpse of every crafts event in the area. I can also use the app’s built-in map to see what’s happening in other areas of the country. Pretty cool.

I have been shopping Esty online craft products for years. I’m glad they’re progressive enough to promote live events. It just makes sense to have both options. 

Thank you 

Remarkable Photos/Videos 

Miami is the lightning capital. We had a spectacular show tonight. Intense. Photo by Eliot Hess.       

 

I found this on Facebook. It belongs to a friend of a friend. You must see the reaction of this five year old boy when he finds out his mother is pregnant. I am trying to imagine what he will be like as an adult. Amazing!


The leading lady of CES, Karen Chupka, posted this picture of a Budda made out of sardine cans. This is on display at the Hong Kong International Airport.

  

Women Who Matter

  If I ever had to picture what a DigiDame looks like, the women above capture it. High fashion after 60

 My sister-in law, Susan Schneider, modeling her new creation, a jacket scarf

Susan’s novel, “Fire in My Ears” is now available on audio and is actually spoken by her daughter-in-law Rachel F. Hirsch. Click here for further info. To hear the audio version, Click here 

Rachel with Whitney Hess

Further good news, Rachel just appeared in a TV commercial 

My Miami girl friend, Mindi Lampert, a long time educator and therapist, just published her first book about the letters she collected from young students over the years. The book is priceless and precious.

  


Google’s Solar Power Play

 
Image: Google 

If someone told me years ago that there would be a company that could possibly take a picture of every street in America, I would have said, “No way.” Now we all know that Google is that company. What we didn’t know, is just how much this powerful company is going to capitalize on their current assets. 

Google has just announced Project Sunroof, an an online tool that lets homeowners know whether they should get solar panels for their homes. Project Sunroof is capable of analyzing where you live, the measurements of your roof, how much you can expect to save each month, and the price of the solar panels you will need.

Google plans to rollout the program in Boston, San Francisco, and Fresno. Google claims that 400,000 homes were using solar panels in 2013. They hope the number will jump to millions in the next five years.

Click here to read the most frequently asked questions about residential solar panels.

Huffington Post wrote an in-depth article on this subject. 

Drones On A Stick

Here I go again. I have another selfie story to share with you. Everyone is selfie crazy. 

The Fotokite Phi is the first drone-like device that is tethered to you via a leash while it flies. It’s almost like flying a kite.

You have total control over aerial picture taking. The device doesn’t work on GPS, but rather by recognizing the tether tension as a positioning guide. 

Watch the video. The entire mechanism folds and unfolds for easy transportation. You have never seen anything like it. 

The quadcopter does not include a camera. You have to buy one on your own. The Fotokite Phi’s tether is 26 feet long, which is enough to allow you to take stunning aerial photos. 

The unit is available for preorder on the company’s IndieGogo campaign. It’s priced at approximately $500. Delivery of the Fotokite is expected to occur in March 2016.