Category Archives: senior lifestyle

The Apple Of My iPhone

Posted on by
3

Image: Gizmodo

Eliot and I spent almost six hours today at our local Apple Store on Lincoln Road on Miami Beach. I needed a new phone because my battery wasn’t charging on my iPhone 6 Plus. We are leaving for Japan in a week, and I wanted to make sure I have a fully functional smartphone. 

We thought buying a new phone would be pretty routine. Just the opposite. First of all, we both were not feeling well. Eliot caught a cold our last day in New York earlier this week and then I caught it from him. I was coughing so hard yesterday, I thought my insides were going to come out. 

I was feeling better this morning so we decided to venture out. Our first trip to the Apple Store lasted over two hours because it took that long to take advantage of the new Verizon plan that allows for monthly payments plus a trade in program. Then it took time to transfer all of the content.

I was thrilled when I got home.  I upgraded to an iPhone 7 Plus and I was exploring the new features. Then all of a sudden, I realized the battery wasn’t charging. “Oh, not again.” I couldn’t believe it. Old phone, new phone, the same problem. We proceeded to call Apple customer service. After an hour of investigation with two different agents and no results, we got disconnected. 

Exasperated, we headed back to the Apple Store. We were handed off to four different Apple personnel: one to check the battery, one to deal with the Verizon payment, another to exchange the iPhone via the service desk, the next to download the content. The last one tried to switch us to another Apple helper but I demanded that she stayed with us until everything was transferred. Compared to the others, she seemed most competent. She said she had another appointment, but I told her she couldn’t leave us. She saw the horror on my face, noticed my exasperated coughing, and decided to stay. 

For some reason, she had trouble getting my emails to download. There was no problem with the installation that morning but something got scrambled on our second visit. Another 45 minutes added to the journey. 

We finally headed home around 8pm. We started this mission at 11:30am. The good news is that it’s 12:09am and I’m writing to you on my new iPhone 7 Plus with a battery that  took a full charge. 

—————————————————————————

The following was posted on Facebook by my friend Bobby.  My troubles today pale in comparison to the miseries of war. Thank you Bobby for remembering. 

The Talk Of The Toy Industry

Posted on by
2


It’s not even the gift-giving holidays, yet many Americans are talking about the Fidget Spinner. It’s a palm-sized device that helps deal with their nervous energy.  

Instead of tapping our feet, cracking our knuckles, or picking at our skin, we can all play  with the Fidget Spinner. Watch the video.

The press reviews say this little gizmo is perfect for those with autism, ADD, or ADHD or general nervous energy. 

According to Mashable, the original fidget spinner is a three-pronged plastic device that uses ball bearings to enable motion and balance weight. “Holding the smooth, stationary center of the spinner between two fingers, users can flick the prongs, causing them to spin around in mesmerizing and methodic circular motions.”

Spinners come in all shapes and designs. You can buy one  through Amazon or Etsy for around $5 to $20. .

So why the sudden boom in popularity?  We are living in tough times.

CNET Tracks Storm Chasers

Posted on by
1

I’m not exactly sure why tech publications are so fascinated by storms, but they seem to be posting more and more lately. I have to admit that I love looking at them too. I guess I’m an online storm chaser. CNET just posted 20 amazing shots. Here are a few. Click here to see all of them..  

————————————————————————

Facebook Dominates

Of all the social media accounts I use, I am most comfortable with Facebook. I have no idea why. It must be their setup. 

I’m not alone. I just read in Engadget that Facebook remains the most popular social platform for millions of people around the world. “First quarterly earnings report for 2017, the company reported that it has 1.94 billion monthly active users as of March 31st, which is a nearly 300 million user increase from this time last year. What’s more, an average of 1.28 billion people use Facebook products every single day.”

In the first three months of 2017, the company made $8 billion in revenue, an increase of 49 percent from just a year ago.  Profits specifically   increased over $3 billion, that’s an impressive 76 percent growth. Mobile advertising, is now around 85 percent of Facebook’s advertising revenue.

Quite astonishing!  

Imagine  

Posted on by
3

Photos by Eliot Hess

The other exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) that I wanted DigiDame readers to know about is the American Counterculture show. It will bring a smile to your face if you were a hippie, a flower power child, or just a free spirit in the 1960s and 1970s. The exhibit focuses on handmade fashions that featured sewing, embroidering, quilting, patch-working, and tie-dyeing. 
I forgot how fabulous some of the outfits were during the time of self-sufficiency and self-expression. Those were the days when the country’s focus was beginning to be on racial and gender equality.  Many more folks were spiritual and peaceniks. A growing number of Americans just wanted to get along.

I certainly long for days of harmony right now.



Judith Leiber at MAD

Posted on by
2

Cecile Lemley and me at MAD

After a great brunch at Robert in Columbus Circle, New York City, our friend Cecile Lemley took us to the Judith Leiber exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). They are both in the same building. If you haven’t seen it, be sure to go.

Judith Leiber has been in the handbag industry for 64 years. MAD actually displayed a timeline to show visitors how she became one of the most successful and respected designers in the ultra expensive handbag business. 

Her evening bags are considered pieces of art. They cost thousands of dollars and rich women collect them as huge status symbols. A Judith Leiber handbag is to be cherished. 

The exhibition was amazing because the collection on display really exemplified the gamut of her work. The color, the shape, the material and the structure of each handbag is still one of the most unique you will ever see. 

It makes you smile.

Eliot Hess photographed the bags. I did the timeline. It was an intricate cut and paste job to get every detail noted. I wanted you to see it all. 

  


S



I

Architecturally Stunning 

Posted on by
1

Eliot and I went to see the Oculus today in New York City. It’s the glass-and-steel structure on top of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub. It’s quite magnificent. At first, I got a little dizzy because we entered the Oculus from the street level which overlooks the entire lobby of the building, I thought I was flying. It took me a while to adjust to the space. Once I did, I really enjoyed the entire experience. It’s a must see.

Photos by Eliot Hess 

Facing Old Age 

Posted on by
2

 “I’m angry that it’s almost over.”

That’s the famous line (at least for me) from Sheila Nevins, the executive who has been in charge of HBO’s documentaries for over 30 years. She was recently interviewed by Lesley Stahl on “60 Minutes” about how she feels at this stage of her career. 

You can see very clearly that she is not happy that her career is very much behind her. There is no talk about Nevin retiring soon, but you can tell that the thought of it is really upsetting. She loves her life at HBO. 

When Stahl asks Nevin to describe how she feels she says, “I’m angry. It just seems unfair.” Like many people her age she wants to work forever. There are those who can’t wait to retire, and then there are those who fear it. 

There’s no right, or wrong on this subject. It’s just what a person wants to do. I feel Nevins’ pain. I hated watching her hurt. She was brutally honest.

Stahl is 75 and Nevins is 78. They both look great, but it probably takes them longer each day to make themselves appear younger than they really are. We just finished watching “Feud” about Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon). Heartbreaking as well. 

If I was a true positive thinking person, the spin on this blog post would have been, “How wonderful it is that they all had such long, wonderful careers.” No, that’s not me. My take is, “We want more!” 

.

.
.

      

        

Airbnb For Cars

Posted on by
2

I was amazed to learn from my girlfriend Dana, that when she wants to rent a car in her hometown of San Francisco, she uses a service called Getaround. Just like Airbnb, people are privately renting their 🚗 cars in an on-demand car-sharing app. 

Dana said people are renting cars from a Prius to a Tesla, all from a smartphone. They are renting cars for a few hours to a few weeks. It’s all up to the arrangements made between the owner and the person renting.

I asked Dana why she rented cars from Getaround as opposed to Hertz or Avis. She said Getaround usually has an available car within a few blocks from her home, she can use a car for an hour or two, and she gets to pick a new type of car each and every time she rents. I was truly astonished by the whole concept. I couldn’t understand why car owners would want to rent their automobiles. The app explained car owners can make thousands of dollars a year. 

With that in mind, expect a whole new industry to pop up.


Color Me Red 

Posted on by
3

Amy Errett, founder of Madison Reed


First Day Of Color

The Color Red Fades Fast

 

Shhh, I color my hair. Even though I’m a natural redhead, I have been coloring my hair for more than 25 years. Truth be told, I know, you know, that I dye my hair. 

I look for grey hairs in the big magnifying  mirror I use every morning when I apply my makeup. I used to snip the grey hair out of my head as I saw them. Now, there are just too many to snip. I have to go to the salon every four weeks to get a complete dye job.

My hair coloring routine has recently changed thanks to Facebook. I finally ordered the Madison Reed Root Touch Up kit.  I ignored the hundreds of Madison Reed ads on Facebook for a long time.  I finally decided to try the oil-absorbing powder which covers roots and greys.

The powder actually stays in my hair until I shampoo it out. It is formulated with a triple care complex of keratin, argan oil, and ginseng root to help hair lock in color. The powder formula does not require drying time and is available in a mirrored compact and wide brush for application.

I have to say, the powder is amazing and I don’t have to rush to the hair salon as often as I did before. It’s very easy to use and the results are just what I wanted. 

Coincidentally, the New York Times did a story about Madison Reed and the founder today.  I didn’t know the company was so big. Click here. The timing was perfect for all DigiDame readers to know more about this company. As they say, timing is everything.