News Tips

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Let me know if there is a mysterious van roaming the streets where you live. Folks in San Francisco and New York have spotted a van sporting all kinds of instruments a number of times.

Look for vans with mounted cameras and LiDAR sensors, remote-sensing technology involving lasers. If you see one, take a photo immediately and email it to me. I will offer it to the highest bidder among photo editors at newspapers and magazines around the nation.

The speculation from USA Today is that Apple is developing a self-driving car and/or a new type of search engine. Apple won’t comment on rumors.

GoPro Becomes A Channel On Roku Player

The wonderment of innovation. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think GoPro would become a content provider to the likes of Roku.

I’m not sure if Roku approached GoPro or the other way around. All I know is that GoPro’s videos will now be seen by more than 10 million people thanks to Roku.

For more than a decade, GoPro has generated enough compelling content to launch its own channel on Virgin America, Xbox and LG. Now Roku wants in as well. This is a win-win for all because GoPro’s videos are true human interests stories.

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PhoneSoap Charger

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The PhoneSoap was one of my favorite products on Shark Tank. The inventors of PhoneSoap describe their product as a charger that “encases a phone and uses a UV light to kill any bacteria on the device.”

I am a clean freak, but to have to admit that my cell phone is probably just as dirty as the next guy, maybe more so because I use it so much. The inventors, two cousins, Wesley LaPorte and Daniel Barnes, told the Sharks that the average cellphone is 18 times dirtier than a public toilet.

They wanted a $300,000 investment in return for 7.5 percent of their company. Shark Lori Greiner gave them $300,000 in exchange for 10 percent of equity stake in the PhoneSoap company.

The PhoneSoap was created to focus on cell phones, but the inventors said anything you put inside will be safely sanitized. PhoneSoap only takes four minutes to sanitize a phone.

Amazon cells the Phonesoap for $69.00.

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Mark Your Calendar– Monday, Feb 16th, 6:00pm

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If you ever wanted to reinvent yourself on a personal or business level, or add a new dimension to what you currently do, then join us for a discussion with Deeny Kaplan Lorber, Executive Vice President of The Kitchen.

Deeny runs one of the most successful entertainment companies in the United States and is forever changing her business model. She recently wrote a book called “Waiting At Joe’s,” the inner workings and personal stories about the most adored waiters at the world famous restaurant. We will have books available.

Here is a golden opportunity to learn more from Deeney about:

· Motivating Yourself
· Confidence
· Networking
· Relocating
· Identifying New Opportunities

There will be plenty of time for questions and answers. This is a perfect session, both on a personal and business level. We all need inspiration.

The event is hosted by Lois Whitman-Hess of HWH PR and Gary Greenberg, Management Consultant.

Where:
The home of Lois and Eliot Hess
The Murano at Portofino
1000 South Pointe Drive
Miami Beach, FL
Apt 3601

When:
Monday, February 16, 2015
6:00pm

RSVP:
Loisw@hwhpr.com
(917) 822-2591

Vulnerability

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I have been thinking about posting this Ted Talk about “vulnerability” for a few weeks now. I recently got into a conversation with friends about understanding and facing vulnerability.

I found out that people in their ’60s are just beginning to understand that being vulnerable is just another situation in life that has a beginning, middle and end. My friends feel how we choose to deal with vulnerability has a lot to do with our upbringing and environment.

Researcher Brene Brown talks about “leaning into the discomfort of vulnerability and allowing ourselves to be seen. “The people who can do this the easiest are the ones who have a strong sense of love and belonging — and folks who struggle– are always wondering if they’re good enough.”

Brown said we are all imperfect. We are wired for struggle. Instead of catastrophizing what might happen, just think, “I’m just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I’m alive. When we stop screaming and start listening, we’re kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.”

Too bad many of us are just focusing on this now. We wasted a lot of time. No more please.

Adding A Digital Dimension To Your Mature Business

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Judy Graham is a wonderful example of how someone over 50 is successfully using her own website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and a blog to promote her business. Judy has had a knitting company since 1977. She had a yarn/craft shop, gave knitting lessons, and sold other craft supplies.

For the last 30 years, Judy has been designing and knitting for the top names in TV and movies including Barbra Streisand, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Diane Keaton, Whoopi Goldberg, and Kevin Costner.

In recent years, she added a digital dimension by giving online advice on how to get started in knitting by exposing the basic stitches, share some tips, and offer easy to follow instructions for simple projects.

I became aware of Judy because her son Jefferson Graham, a long-time tech writer for USA Today,, mentioned her on Facebook. Since I like to knit, I quickly researched Judy’s endeavors and was stunned to see her achievements on social media. There are so many senior folks who would also like to have a digital business in their respective fields.

I suggest that we all visit Judy’s website to find out why she continues to knit and how she is using social media to reach new audiences.

Judy points out in her website, http://www.knittingtipsbyjudy.com, “Knitting is a creative way to reduce stress and anxiety. It’s a quiet meditative activity. Like piano playing, good for keeping your hands and fingers flexible. Reading and following a knitting pattern is a good to keep your brain cells active because you’re thinking and learning all the time.”

Thank you Judy for your inspiration and guidance.

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I’ve Got A Cicret

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I was out real late tonight. I can barely keep my eyes open. I am so grateful that my brother’s friend, Marvin, forwarded this Cicret video to him, and then to me. A perfect DigiDame item.

The Cicret bracelet turns your skin into a new touchscreen. If you want to know how the bracelet works and the details on the features, click here

Just think, someday you will read your e-mails, play your favorite games, answer your calls, and check the weather, all on your arm. There’s a wild, innovative world out there and this is surely going to be a part of it. This brings a whole new meaning to the term, wearables.

Calling All Super Bowl Shoppers

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A whole new concept in shopping will be making its debut during the Katy Perry Super Bowl XLIX halftime show. This one is targeted to women.

While the singer/dancer will be showing off all of her latest moves, a company named Delivery Agent, will be pitching her limited edition branded products on Twitter, YouTube, Shazam, Roku, Samsung and LG Electronics.

Deliver Agent is an interactive e-commerce company and is the mastermind behind the sales pitch. Variety and USA Today explain e-commerce shopping works.
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The merchandise being offered this Sunday will stay on sale for a few days. If this concept is successful, expect more e-commerce specialty products to be offered on multi-platforms.

In Other News

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Image from Facebook

Experiencing Euphoria

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If you have ever experienced a big win on a computer project, then you know what euphoria feels like. I was reminded of it yesterday, when I watched The Imitation Game.

I just had to show you the euphoria in The Imitation Game. It was absolutely thrilling to watch computer scientist, Alan Turing and his team crack the Nazi Germany’s naval Enigma code. It was utter happiness.

Have a great day.

It would be so grand, if we could all feel like this all the time.

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Air Scares

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There is a new trend on Twitter that I’m really unhappy about. Pranksters, pretending to be ISIS members, are tweeting that there are bombs aboard certain flights.

NBC Brian Williams reports in the video above that 20 flights since last Saturday were detained or detoured because of security concerns. Williams names the flights and the departure and arrival cities.

Everyone knows that I’m not the greatest flyer. I act like every flight is my maiden voyage. Even though it has been explained to me 20 times, I still do not understand how airplanes stay in the air. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.

Having said that, I’m flying at least once or twice a month. If I was on an airplane and I spotted a threatening tweet about my specific flight, I was collapse in hysterics. Nothing worse than waiting it out. Thirty minutes is like 30 hours.

I proud to report that Twitter is closing down every account that makes public threats. They are screening for any mischievous acts. Nothing will be tolerated. Arrests will be made.

Social media is getting a little too anti-social for me. Stop it.

EXTRACTED FROM FACEBOOK. YES, DESPERATELY IS SPELLED WRONG.

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Turn Your Smartphone Into A Polaroid Camera

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Every once in a while, I get the urge to print out one of my digital photos. I would do it more often but it is always such a hassle.

Not anymore. A young French company, called Prynt, is very close to introducing a way to turn your smartphone into a Poloroid camera.

Prynt CEO, Clément Perrot, said that they created a smartphone case with a built-in photo printer. This is how it works. The companion app sends photos to the case via Bluetooth and then prints it by heating paper filled with ink. The process only takes about 30 seconds.

It’s quite remarkable and I was very impressed when I saw the first demonstration of this technology. Watch it on the two videos I have included here.

The case retails approximately at $99. Paper is extra. The company is currently raising money on Kickstarter and should be in full production shortly.