If You Want To Learn More About 3D Printing Stick With Me   

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Image: Wired. Co. UK

Image: Chemical Materials Elsevier.com

I’m hoping to learn a lot about 3D printing this summer. I want to share as much information with you as possible.

I’m working with Breakthrough Miami, an academic enrichment program for promising students from disadvantaged communities in the Miami-Dade County. The students will be working in one of the largest art/design-oriented 3D printing centers in the United States this summer. Much to everyone’s surprise, the 3D printing facility is located on Lincoln Road at the 16,000 sq. ft. FIU College of Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) | Miami Beach Urban Studios.

The program, Project Growlight, was created by Elissa Vanaver, CEO, Breakthrough Miami and John Stuart, AIA, Associate Dean for Cultural and Community Engagement, FIU College of Architecture + The Arts and Executive Director, Miami Beach Urban Studios.    

I met Elissa though her husband Roman Lyskowski, a former Miami Herald photo editor. I met Roman when I sent one of Eliot’s photos to the Herald. Eliot captured a photo of a fire downtown from the balcony of our South Beach condo. Roman published the photo and gave Eliot a photo credit. A few weeks later, I invited Roman, his wife and some of his friends, to one of our parties. Ever since then, the four of us have become friendly.

Elissa and John have been working diligently on Project Growlight. It will engage young scholars in a three-week “think-tank,” exploring the world of design, art, community building, and urbanism through hands-on work with the CARTA Innovation Lab. Through FIU’s faculty and other noted partners, the students will meet one-on-one with creative thought leaders in one of the country’s most dynamic cities, while FIU’s grad students will provide the day-to-day coaching and mentoring. 

Project Growlight, which will turn all of South Beach into a vibrant learning lab, is a unique opportunity to get involved in the rewarding work of creating diverse leadership for Miami’s future.

Breakthrough Miami is 25 years old this year and nearly 1,300 middle and high-school students benefit from the school-year and summer programs the organization runs across the county. Saturday and summer programs operate year-round on the high school campuses of Ransom Everglades, Miami Country Day, Palmer Trinity, Carrollton and Gulliver.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

Thank you.

Earpiece That Translates Foreign Languages In Real Time

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https://youtu.be/HFXPuk1Fjy0

Image: Waverly Labs

I think I imagined a gadget like this decades ago. A start-up called Waverly Labs, has created a device, The Pilot System, that translates English, French, Spanish and Italian in real time. 

I have been reading about Waverly Labs for a few weeks and then someone told me that the company will be raising money on Indiegogo. This is what I found. 

If The Pilot works, it will really be incredible. Supposedly, when someone speaks to you in a different languages, The Pilot ear device will translate what is being said. 

The device, $299, is available in three colors. 
You have to download The Pilot app in order to control languages in the earpiece. Future languages include Slavic, Semitic, Hindi and East Asian. 

The Pilot is targeted for Spring 2017. If you want more information you can contact the Founder and CEO, Andrew Ochoa, press@waverlylabs.com, 646-480-2644.

The Miami Supercar Rooms

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It’s an exotic car collection, a bar, a restaurant, a music venue, and one of Miami’s hottest attractions. Let me introduce you to the Miami Supercar Rooms. It’s located in the creative area of Wynwood, Miami, 2022 NW First Ct. 

It was started by Elo, a British automotive collector, who founded UK’s London Motor Museum, now showcasing 250 exclusive supercars.

The Miami collection keeps changing all the time. You can visit the Miami Supercar Rooms during the day for free or book one of their high end dining experiences.

If you visit Miami, we will be happy to take you to this amazing destination. You’ll get to meet Elo and talk cars with him.

Elo with me

Elo with Ruth


 The 

Happy 70th Birthday Cher 

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Cher and her Mom, the new 70 and the new 90

The Internet was filled with stories about Cher turning 70 on May 20th. We celebrate her birthday. I included several videos of Cher during the highlight of her career. This will bring you down memory lane. Sigh! 

Welcome To Fountainhead Studios 

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One of our favorite things to do in Miami is visit artists’ studios. For some reason, there seems to be a number of studios that welcome the public on a weekly or monthly basis.

The one we visited tonight is Fountainhead in little Haiti, Miami. It’s owned by Kathryn Mikesell and her husband Dan. They lease out individual rooms to artists at very reasonable rates.

We have been to Fountainhead a few times. It’s amazing to go from studio to studio and watch artists create their work. You get to see their working environments and all of their supplies. It really gives you the inspiration to go out and try something new. If they can do it, so can you. Good luck.

Fountainhead Founder Kathryn Mikesell

Howard, Ruth, Rene,Howard

Lois and Eliot


 

What’s My Hook? 

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I need your help. I am working with The Draw Shop of Salt Lake City, Utah .They specialize in creating eye-catching drawings by using whiteboard animation and videos. 

We are working on a number of assignments together. They want to get me into the swing of things by doing a story on me. I’m not sure what the hook should be. I could use your help with story ideas.

I want it to help me get new viewers for DigiDame and perhaps a sponsor. Or I can use it to help me get new business for my PR agency, HWH PR. 

If you have any ideas, please let me know. Please watch the videos. You may even want to use The Draw Shop for some event or special assignment you are working on.

Thank you all.

Welcome To Basecamp

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Most of you know that I work in a virtual office. That means my business really only exists in cyberspace. A virtual office allows me and my co-workers to work from any location by using laptop computers, cell phones and wifi.

I got really lucky at this time in my career.  It’s wonderful to be able to work from remote locations. Eliot and I can travel all over the world and I don’t miss a beat. The digital world allows me to work from an airplane, boat, train, hotel, ski top,  beach, park, a restaurant, and even the Sahara Dessert or Machu Picchu. 

Today, there are a lot of software tools that allow folks, who work remotely, to share material with others. We didn’t have anything like this in our heyday. The one program I get asked to use a lot is “Basecamp.” It’s a record keeper for many people who work on the same project. It’s pretty amazing. You open the program and see the contributions of others. Everyone is given responsibilities and has to be accountable.

Watch the video to see how people work together even when they live in different parts of the world. It’s definitely gaining more popularity in the workforce. My daughter told me that Basecamp has a lot of competition. She says some of the competitors are even better. That’s the world of the Internet. There is something new everyday.



A New Concept In Retailing 

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Friends for decades, Frankin Karp and Lois Whitman-Hess

Pirch, SoHo, image : O Group

Orit, CEO, The O Group. We worked together in the 70s and remained friends since.

It was not quite a week ago that I received a call from Franklin Karp, COO of AVS Audio Video, and Orit, CEO of The O Group, a branding and creative agency. 

I know them both since the 1970’s. Orit’s award-winning company designs websites and collateral materials for AVS.

.
They were calling me from a new store in SoHo, NYC, called Pirch. They sounded overjoyed. AVS recently became a strategic partner of Pirch and they wanted me to issue a press release. They said Pirch was introducing a new concept in retailing to NYC and it would soon become a landmark destination.

I took a few notes, Googled Pirch, and wrote the following release.  Make sure you see Pirch in person. It is quite an experience. 

PRESS RELEASE–May 17, 2016 

AVS Teams Up With Pirch To Support Innovative Retailing In Digital Times 

New York, NY — In one of the most progressive moves in the history of retailing, AVS Audio Video has joined forces with Pirch, a revolutionary provider of kitchen, bath and outdoor appliances. AVS will be offering custom networking solutions, as well as high end audio/video equipment, to Pirch customers in the new 37,000 sq. ft. store at 200 Lafayette Street in SoHo, NYC.

 Franklin Karp, Chief Operating Officer of Audio Video Systems, said, “Pirch has been making headlines in the last few days in print, broadcast and on the Internet because its retail concept is nothing NYC has ever seen before. Potential customers will be invited to test the pricey showers, soak in super expensive tubs and cook in lavish, custom-made kitchens. Major personalities, as well as customers who want the ultimate in luxury, have been signing up to experience the possible $100,000 makeovers.

 “AVS is the perfect ‘strategic partner’ in this revolutionary retail concept because we specialize in the integration of all custom systems and control technologies throughout the home. Complementing the Pirch retail concept, AVS will provide the customer with hands-on experience that will include intuitive and seamless controls at the press of a button.”

 AVS will be featuring Sonance speakers, Lutron lighting and shades, Savant control systems, Leon media decor, and Seura outdoor television viewing.

 Pirch, headquartered in San Diego, currently has nine locations throughout the U.S. Jeffrey Sears, CEO and Co-Founder, was recently named “Disruptor of the Year” by the National Retail Federation and one of the “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2014” by Goldman Sachs.  

 Audio Video Systems, Plainview, NY, has been a leading audio/video source since 1977. Karp said, “Technology has changed, but our goal has remained the same. Simplify whole house integration and provide the best customer service.”

One Year And 14 Days Ago

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I just don’t know how Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg has been able to function this year. One year  and 14 days days ago, her husband, David Goldberg, then CEO of Survey Monkey, died unexpectedly from a heart attack. The world was in shock, at least I was.

Sheryl and David were the golden couple of the tech industry, or even the world. All eyes were on them. They were happy, prosperous, and cutting edge. Stories about them always talked about their devotion to each other, their children, their extended families and friends. 

I always wondered how this powerful couple managed to be so creative and productive in the business world and yet lead a relatively normal life. I obsessively read every story about them. I couldn’t get enough until that dreadful, awful day when David died.  

I recently read several stories in Mashable that Sheryl was going to address the graduating class of 2016 at the University of California at Berkeley this past weekend.  She finally opened up about how she was able to function this past year while staying completely active in one of the most successful tech companies. 

This was the first time she publicly spoke about the tragedy.”There are three P’s—personalization, pervasiveness, and permanence—that are critical to how we bounce back from hardship,” she said.

The entire speech appears on the YouTube video above. Sheryl appears at the 1:18.54 mark.