The Flying Hoverboard

Posted on December 27, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Just when you were ready to eliminate hoverboards as a product that you may try in your future because of all of the explosions, along comes the “ArcaBoard.” The new product is a fan-powered rectangle that can lift a person off the ground by almost a foot. It’s a six minute flying machine.

I have to admit that it would be pretty awesome to be able to fly. I doubt I would try it, but many of my friends would.

The ArcaBoard gets its power — 430 pounds of thrust, or 272 horsepower from 36 electric fans. Watch the video that company provided.

Dumitru Propescu, ArcaSpace’s CEO, is the one riding the hoverboard in the video. “For the first time, every person will be able to fly anytime, anywhere. The world, your world, will change forever.”

At a $19,900 price tag for the flying hoverboard, there better not be too many of these in the air. No traffic jams please. Arcaspace has no idea when the product will be introduced in the retail marketplace.

If you want more information about this product, click here. The Verge, the tech site, really spells it out.

Spot The Panda

Posted on December 25, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

If you’re on social media, you have seen this illustration a number of times over the last few days. Many folks are passing it around because everyone is on the hunt to find the panda in a sea of snowmen.

Hungarian artist Gergely Dudás, professionally known as Dudolf, recently posted the image of the snowmen on his Facebook asking his friends to find the panda.

Many reported that this wasn’t as easy find.

A more friendly image was posted by Dudolf a few days ago of a cat hiding in an army of owls. This one was much easier to find.

Have fun!!!

WARNING: Spoiler. Click here.

Spontaneous Combustion

Posted on December 22, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

The older I get, the more impatient I get with people.

The other day I was walking along Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, Florida, when I saw a 10 year old boy practicing to ride a hover board.

I refused to believe that his parents, who were standing nearby, would allow their son to be placed in such danger. For the last few weeks, newspapers and TV news shows everywhere, have warned Americans about the dangers of hover boards. Some of the hover boards are literally experiencing spontaneous combustion.

Hover boards are no longer allowed on major airlines, including Delta and JetBlue. Amazon has pulled them from their “online shelves. ” It seems that the lithium batteries are the cause of fires.

Watch the video above for a quick explanation of what is going on. The next person you see on one, yell “fire.” You won’t regret it.

Presidential Candidates Tweets

Posted on December 21, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Since many DigiDame readers are not on Twitter, I thought it would be interesting to post the tweets of the two leading Presidential candidates. I tried to do an equal number from each, but Trump tweeted more often in a 24-hour period.

It’s interesting to see how Twitter has become the official platform for comments. In many cases, Twitter has replaced press conferences, media alerts, and the distribution of official statements.

It’s just too simple to tweet.

Netflix Socks

Posted on December 20, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

If you’re like me, you fall asleep a few minutes after you start watching a Netflix movie. The convenience of watching one of your favorite show in the comfort of your home is the perfect recipe for zzzz. This is what I call the “ultimate relaxation situation.”

Apparently, I’m not the only one who can’t keep their eyes open. Netflix must know that this happens to thousands of others because the entertainment company created something called ‘smart’ socks.The socks sense when you fall asleep and automatically pause the show you’re watching.

This sounds impossible, but Netflix explains that the socks use an accelerometer to tell when you’ve stopped moving. The socks contain an LED light in the cuff of the sock which begin to flash red toward the screen when you are immobile. If you move at all, it cancels the countdown.

This is going to change TV viewing forever.

Watch the video for a detailed explanation.

You And Your Personal Medical Records

Posted on December 19, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

I started a new assignment as a publicist recently. The topic is so important that I wanted to share it with you.

Imagine going to your local healthcare provider 10 times this year and discovering that on only eight of those visits was your provider able to correctly match you with your personal medical record. Such instances increase the risk that your doctor is making healthcare choices based on inaccurate information. Additionally, identification errors contribute millions of dollars in waste to the healthcare system.

This problem can’t be allowed to persist. The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, in partnership with HeroX, is ready to announce the official launch of the CHIME National Patient Identification Challenge. Through a $1 million global competition, they aim to find a patient identification solution that is private, accurate and safe.

I will be organizing a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. this January so CHIME can announce the challenge.

Here are their official corporate descriptions:

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is the professional organization for Chief Information Officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. CHIME enables its members and business partners to collaborate, exchange ideas, develop professionally and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve.

HeroX exists to enable anyone, anywhere in the world, to create a challenge that addresses any problem or opportunity, build a community around that challenge and activate the circumstances that can lead to a breakthrough innovation.

I will let you know our progress.

Max’s Take Away

Posted on December 18, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Our friend, Max Kahn, A student at Drexel University, visited with us today. We were discussing camera editing options on a smartphone, when Max reminded me to explore several selections I often forget about.

The three of us after breakast at Joe’s Stone Crab.

First click on the button on the lower right hand side. Then press the box with the lines right above the strip of pictures on the right side.

Then this will pop up.

You get to play with a bunch of new choices.

Check out contrast.

You probably never played with saturation before.

Black point was new for me.

Exposure brings new dimension.

Shadow gives you the final touch.

If anyone reading this can suggest available mobile apps for photo editing, please share. This is a new option for many of us. We are all taking more photos than ever before.

Tech College Students Try To Stop ISIS Recruitment

Posted on December 16, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Image: ist.pdu.edu

DigiDame readers are so removed from college life that we have no idea what is going on campuses these days. I recently read a post on Re/code, a leading tech site, that was a real eye opener and I wanted to share it with you.

College students are being asked by the U.S. Government to help them with an anti ISIS plan on Facebook and YouTube.

The program is called Peer to Peer and students are asked to use “the same digital tricks of the trade to reach those at risk of being seduced by the camaraderie or sense of adventure or purpose that groups like ISIS promise.”

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter don’t actively search for ISIS content. Re/code said “they respond aggressively once they’re alerted to a threat or to a user promoting terrorism.”

Something has to change, quick.

You can read the Re/code story here.

I’m Finally A Bartender

Posted on December 16, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Images from Perfect Drink 2.0 Smart Scale and App

I know some people are going to find this a bit strange, but I always wanted to be a bartender. I thought it would be fun to stand behind a bar, mix and serve drinks, and meet lots of new people.

One big problem. I don’t drink, and I don’t know anything about making cocktails. My daughter took a bartending course years ago. I get a bit envious when I hear people talking about cocktail ingredients because I’m clueless.

That’s why my ears perked up when I saw Steve Greenberg, the Innovation Insider, demo the Perfect Smart Drink Kit on the Today Show yesterday.

The Perfect Smart Drink kit tells you exactly how to make each cocktail, step by step. The kit contains a smart scale and app which lets you choose from hundreds of recipes. It retails at $49.99. All you do is follow the real-time pouring instructions and watch as a virtual glass fills on your smartphone or tablet. The app tells you when to stop pouring and it automatically adjusts all the ingredient amounts for you.

It’s as easy as that. I can become Joe, the Bartender, in no time.

Image: freerepublic.com