Lyft And Uber Share Drivers

Posted on January 16, 2016 by loiswhitmanhess

I was clueless until a Lift driver in Miami confessed to me last week that a growing number of drivers work for both Uber and Lyft. I don’t know why I ever thought each transportation company had their own exclusive group of drivers, but that’s not the case.

“Everyone I know, works for both,” said a driver who drove me from my hairdresser last Thurdsay back home along Alton Drive. “I keep both apps open and answer the one that calls first. This way, I get the maximum number of requests a day and do not ride around for too long without a customer.”

The other surprising fact I learned last week is that most drivers refer to themselves as “Uber” because most doormen and valet parking staff never heard of Lyft. “It’s just easier to announce ourselves as an Uber car when we arrive to pick up a passenger. The folks we are picking up know who to look for and the hotel or condo staff recognize the Uber name more, so they tell us almost immediately if someone is waiting for a car. If we said we were from Lyft, hotel and housing staff give us a puzzled look.

Lift is trying to work on its branding by dropping prices in 33 cities. Some of the cities with reduced rates include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington DC. New York and Chicago are still at full prices. Lyft is still determined to be the most affordable option for passengers.

Let the price wars begin!

The Death Of Conversations

Posted on January 15, 2016 by loiswhitmanhess

Thank you Todd Smith For Sharing

Mind Games for Your Pet

Posted on January 15, 2016 by loiswhitmanhess

This post should get a lot of attention. It’s about dogs. One of the most talked about products at CES was an interactive educational device for bow wow. Called CleverPet, the product keeps a dog’s mind stimulated and active all day and night. I call this an educational dog sitter.

In order to active, all you have to do is fill the CleverPet dispenser with dog food. Then your pet is ready to start playing games. CleverPet says, “The unit has three touch-sensitive pads that light up in colors inside a dog’s visual spectrum and a microphone to detect barks.”

CleverPet sets a series of challenges for your dog. All Fido has to do is hit the right pad to receive a reward. “The device adjusts the level of difficulty in real time to match the dog’s performance. The games include teaching the dog to detect changes in color, pressing a sequence of lights, and responding to commands pre-recorded in the user’s own voice.”

The best part of CleverPet, in my opinion, is that it regulates the amount of food your dog eats at one time. I like the idea of eating smaller portions several times during the day.

So how much would you pay for a product like this? Retail price is approximately $275. Not much for dog lovers.

Hazel, A Musical Maid In America

Posted on January 14, 2016 by loiswhitmanhess

It’s not often that you get to see the makings of a Broadway Show. I thought I would share this video of Hazel, a musical maid in America, because it shows the humble beginnings of what could possibly be a Tony award winner. Eliot and I are involved in the musical. The video is an interview with the creators. The show is based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post comic strip, and the 1960’s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth.

Hazel is debuting out-of-town at the The Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, IL. on April 6, 2016. Next stop Broadway.

The New York Times mentioned Hazel yesterday in an article that talked about how Chicago is becoming a sophisticated show-going town before Broadway. See it here.

Our good friends Ron Abel, composer and musical arranger and Chuck Steffan, lyricist, are the original creators of the show. Actress Klea Blackhurst is Hazel. The story was written by Lissa Levin and Joshua Bergasse, well known for his work on NBC’s SMASH, will direct and choreograph. He also was the recipient of a 2015 Tony nomination for Best Choreography for his Broadway debut in ON THE TOWN.

This video could be the start of something big.

#SOTU Tweets

Posted on January 13, 2016 by loiswhitmanhess

Tweets in no particular order. All were posted during and after State Of The Union
















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My CES Favorite

Posted on January 11, 2016 by loiswhitmanhess

When I walked past the iHealth Lab booth at the CES, I just stopped and stared. I felt like I walked into a candy store for seniors.

The company was offering every product you could ever want in order to maintain good health for years to come. The one that amazed me the most will be ready in just a few months. It’s an ambulatory ECG device. You wear it under your clothes. iHealth is still waiting for FDA clearance.

iHealth claims this is the “first of its kind wearable, ambulatory ECG that monitors heart activity continuously without cumbersome wires or connections. The electrodes and monitor are ergonomically designed into a single, lightweight device that attaches directly to the users chest.

“The data can be transferred directly to a user’s mobile device that automatically pushes data to the cloud, allowing for easy access by health care professionals.”

I know a lot of people who would love a device like this because they want to monitor their heart rate or rhythm (arrhythmia). Many folks believe a unit like this can save their lives. All they have to see is a small abnormality and they immediately call their doctor who can view it too. iHealth explains what to look for.

How amazing it that?

The ECG uses Bluetooth 4.0 BLE to transfer data to an IOS device or can transfer data to a PC using an USB cable. The product uses a rechargeable battery and stores up to 72 hours of data.

I will let you know when the unit becomes available.

The Most Expensive Restaurant In The World

Posted on January 11, 2016 by loiswhitmanhess

Whitney has been telling us about Jiro Ono ever since she and Fredrick decided to live in Japan. Jiro is an 85 year old sushi master and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a Michelin three-star restaurant. It’s the most expensive restaurant in the world because it costs 30,000 yen ($300) per person for a 30 minute meal.

Why am I telling you all this?

It still amazes me that all I have to do is “Google” the name “Jiro Ono,” and everything I want to know about the restauranteur pops up. I will never get over that. I can get instant access to all of the information I need to know so I can appreciate Whitney and Fredrick’s sensational experience.

Master chefs from all other world agree that Jiro’s has the best sushi you can ever eat. There is month wait for a reservation. Of course, Whitney and Fredrick nailed one and they said the experience was absolutely thrilling. Hence, the above picture.

Whitney told us that there was a documentary made about Jiro, so once again, we had electronic access to his life story. “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” a 2011 documentary film totally profiles Jiro. We learned that Sukiyabashi Jiro is a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station. Jiro serves a tasting menu of roughly 20 courses. No menu. You eat what you are served.

And I bet sushi lovers everywhere would love every morsel served to them. I definitely would.

Here are more photos of Whitney and Fredrick in Japan.

The CEO Of CES

Posted on January 10, 2016 by loiswhitmanhess

It’s not often that you get to hear the head of the world’s largest trade show give you specific details on the making of CES 2016. Robert Scoble, a tech futurist, spontaneously interviewed Gary Shapiro at one of the keynote CES sessions last week. I enjoyed the interview because it was the first time I got to hear the enormity of CES and the reason why the parent association’s name was changed from the Consumer Electronics Association to Consumer Technology Association.