The CycleNav Lets You Know Where You Are Going

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A lot of my friends are riding bikes. Some of them hadn’t been on a bike for 40 years, but they were willing to start all over again. They love it. Not only are they getting good exercise but many of them said it’s the best way to explore new neighborhoods when they are on vacation or visiting the country. If the land is relatively flat, they can go on for miles and miles.

The one big obstacle on these bike trips is getting lost. Somehow, when you are younger, getting lost is very exciting. When you hit your 60’s and you are lost on a bike, it is less than a funny matter. We require sudden trips to the rest room and frequent rest stops. Even if we end up not using them, we like to know where they are.

That why when I saw the CycleNav, I knew I wanted to write about it. Priced at $59.99, the CycleNav from Schwinn clips on to any handle bar and tells you what direction to turn to by flashing its lights.

It’s really very simple. You are required to set it up before you start your ride. You simply open up the Android or iPhone app, type in where you want to go, and check the route out to make sure you know the roads well. The CycleNav receives all information via Bluetooth.

A big green light flashes to indicate which way you want to go: left, right, straight ahead. This is backed up by a speaker that provides — and repeats — directions.

Another great feature is that the CycleNav keeps track of trips and feeds the information back to the smartphone. You can also share the information about your ride on Facebook and Twitter making the CycleNav a true social media experience.

The Age of Renewal

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New friends with common interests

I just finished day two of a three day blogger conference. I am more convinced than ever that most of you who read DigiDame should be writing your own blog.

There are just too many of my readers who have knowledge, interests, or hobbies that are not being taken to their fullest potential, especially since we are living in the digital age. If you did use the Internet to further expand your horizons , you would be:

  1. Getting involved in more discussions that you truly enjoy.
  2. Meeting new people who can add new and exciting dimensions to your life.
  3. Learning things that make your interests more fruitful and rewarding.

Our twilight years are supposed to be spent doing things that we didn’t have time to do before, even if we’re still working. Don’t have any regrets about not taking that step out of your comfort zone. The clock is ticking. It’s now or never.

Because of work, I am constantly being forced to do things that are a little unnerving at first. Then once I get into the full swing, I actually start enjoying myself. I had an exhilarating day today. I met several people who are going to help me get involved in projects I never thought I would be able to touch: a different level of charity work, art, politics, and travel.

This all happened because I blog. I learned how to take my expertise and turn it into value added for others. In return, I will receive information and guidance from the leaders in the categories I am interested in.

All you have to do is write a few lines about whatever you are interested in. Post an accompanying photo as well. Try to do this several times a week. Then in order for you to make connections with others, you have to post authoritative comments on their blog sites hoping to spur a conversation. Once that starts, keep the dialog going with your thoughts. Before you know it, respectable and reliable people will be contacting you to join online discussion groups, meet up for events, and participate in special activities.

You don’t know it now, but it won’t take long for you to feel 20 years younger. Humor me. Try it.

Blogging Is in My DNA

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Over a decade ago, no one had heard of a “blogger.” Today, millions of Americans are blogging. Because I have been blogging for almost two years, I decided to attend a conference on blogging in Las Vegas called New Media Expo. I just wanted to see if there were tips I could learn in order to attract more eyeballs. This is what I found out:

  1. Very few people make money blogging.
  2. The most successful blogs are written by people who are passionate about the topic they are covering. They live to blog, not the other way around.
  3. One of the best ways to gain traction is to visit other blog sites, post comments, and hopefully they will recommend your site to their readers.
  4. Offer to be a guest blogger on other sites for exposure to new readers.
  5. Attend live events where you can promote your blog.
  6. Be super active on social media sites so the name of your blog becomes more familiar to big groups of people.

Like others, I am at this conference to find easy answers. There are none in the world of blogging. It takes hours out of your day to promote your blog.

If devotion to your blog is cramping your social calendar, it was strongly recommended that you make a choice. One way or another. Writing eats up a lot of your time. Promoting it takes up more.

On My Way to CES

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Security camera captures the activities of a friend’s driveway in NJ

My plane takes off for Vegas Saturday morning at 7 am. I am lucky that I’m not in Manhattan because the snowstorm could have screwed up my flight plans. I spent the entire day organizing my schedule and files for the week.

I also had to pack, answer 60 last minute emails for CES, write posts for clients on their social media platforms, partake in an hour long conference call, check my “to do” list, download everything I need to refer to on the plane, charge all my devices, and write this blog post. Somehow I also managed five personal calls and to inhale ten snacks as well.

Of course, I spent the day checking the snow levels back in NY. Knee deep in thought, I get an email from my friend which contained a picture of his driveway in NJ being shoveled.

That normally would have been routine except my friend is here in Miami, nowhere in the vicinity to take that picture. My friend’s D-Link camera is strategically hooked up outside of his home so he can monitor his driveway. He also was able to capture a still picture from the video recording being shot. He sees everything on the D-Link app he installed on his smartphone.

Even though I’m about to embark on the biggest innovation show ever, my pal’s email still blew my mind. The ability to see your home in the north while you sip iced tea in the south for a mere $150 still has a wow factor for me.

Trust me, I have seen security cameras and smartphones work together before. My nephew had a security camera focused on his dog just to make sure she was happy while the family was away for a few hours. I was flabbergasted the first time I saw that capability. And I still am.

I may be jaded about a lot of things, but when it comes to the digital world, I continue to remain in a euphoric state.

Women-Over-40 Talent Show

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The FIRST Talent Show for Women Over 40!
January 21, 2014 — 7 to 9 pm
Stage 72 – The Triad NYC

Cheryl Benton, creator of “The Three Tomatoes” website and newsletter, asked if we could spread the word about “Tomatoes Got Talent.” It’s the first talent show dedicated to women over 40.

The event will take place at Stage 72 – The Triad NYC from 7 to 9 pm on January 21, 2014. It will showcase 10 over-40 finalists (singing executives, dancing lawyers, shower opera singers, piano-playing doctors, dining room magicians, funny ladies) who always wanted to perform. The evening will be a great showcase for talented women who will inspire others to never give up on their dreams.

Auditions will be held on January 11 at Stage 72 from 10 to 1 pm.

Cheryl is also looking for event sponsors:

Premium Sponsor, $1000. Here’s what you’ll get:

• Logo and link in four dedicated emails about the event to their subscriber base mailing list (15,000)

• A 25-word write up on the event page, with photo and link (website receives 30,000 monthly page views)

• Introduction and acknowledgement from the podium

• A dedicated email that is exclusively devoted to your company and sent to the entire Three Tomatoes mailing list after the event.

Supporting Sponsor, $500. Here’s what you’ll get:

• Logo and link in four dedicated emails about the event to their subscriber base mailing list (15,000)

• A 25-word write up, with photo and link

Sponsors will be featured in the left- and right-hand columns of the event page. See example from the recent event, “The Face“.

Contact: Cheryl Benton, cbenton@thethreetomatoes.com, 646-470-6693

The term “tomato” was used by Cheryl’s father’s generation. Instead of saying a woman was “hot,” they would call an attractive woman a “tomato.”

When Cheryl launched the newsletter, it was inspired by conversations with two of her best friends. “The Three Tomatoes” was a retro wink at “women who aren’t kids” anymore. They never use the terms boomers, seniors, or age.

Showstoppers

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Every year at this time, friends and family start asking me what I think will be the hottest products at CES.

There are so many this year, I don’t know where to start. I will be reporting from the show floor so expect to relay the greatest innovations as I find them.

I do expect a lot of attention on Samsung’s new 110-inch TV. The 110S9 features an ultra high definition (UHD) 800MP display. According to Samsung, the 110S9 will be targeted to high-end consumers in China, Europe, and the Middle East. Expect the unit to be sold here midyear. The 110S9 can be customized to individual consumer needs.

Industry sources said the unit is priced at over $150,000, although no one knows for sure. Samsung said they expect orders from companies, governments, and other enterprise customers before households.

What do you think?

CES and Me, Part Two

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It is very strange to be attending the International CES as a senior. After all, just 47 short years ago I was the cute, effervescent junior reporter who got all of the news scoops. My older men friends in the industry helped me succeed by getting inside information that turned into my page one stories.

There was no pillow talk going on. These guys were just friends, and I had plenty of them. Some were fellow journalists, others were owners of mom-and-pop electronic stores. The mom-and-pops were the independent neighborhood store owners.

Richard Ekstract, the Hugh Hefner of the electronics industry, labeled me “Queen of the Sweaty Arm Pits Crowd” because I found my calling amongst hundreds of retail entrepreneurs who I knew on a first name basis. I spent 11 years telling their stories, collecting news from them, going to their weddings and parties. I was in my element.

I didn’t know it at the time, but covering the retail beat all those years provided me with a strong business sense. I can deal at any level and know if something will work. The indie retailers taught me why a product sells and what it takes to get it sold.

It was great being a part of a segment of the industry that made things happen. When my retail friends walked into a booth at CES, you would think Frank Sinatra showed up. All of the manufacturers would lay out the red carpet and want to wine and dine them. I miss the excitement of watching all of this take place.

It’s a different world at CES today. Everything is impersonal. The place is so large that it’s like going to a foreign country. You have to learn a new language and customs every year. Everything changes very quickly.

I’m totally up for it, but i can’t possibly be as engaged as I used to be. At 66, I am not hanging out in lounges until two in the morning, nor am I participating in a round of shots. Unfortunately, that is where a lot of the business takes place at a trade show. I think back to the many nights when I had one or two hours of sleep and then had to get up early for a full day of business. What was I thinking?

I am no longer popular and very few people know my name. If I want to stay in the game, I have to make adjustments. I swallow my pride and watch others get all the glory. At the end of the day, I shouldn’t really care. It’s really about the journey, not the round of applause.

CES and Me, Part One

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From this: Laura Foti, then of Billboard Magazine, and me in the early days of CES

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To this: The years of walking the show floors of CES is embedded in every line

Forty seven years ago, I attended my first CES. I believe I am the only living soul who has attended every show. The founder, Jack Wayman, who is now in his 90s, missed one year due to an illness. There will be older people than me at the show next week, but no one with my attendance record.

Does anyone give a hoot? Not really. Ever since I started HWH PR 37 years ago, I really have been a Lone Ranger, promoting everyone but me. Before that, I was a trade journalist covering the CE industry. I was also a columnist for Home Furnishings Daily (HFD) for eight years, then editor of Consumer Electronics Monthly for three. During that time I was the top editor of CE Show Daily, the magazine that was issued every day at the show. I controlled the most important editorial coverage that was distributed on the show floor.

Those were the days. I would walk the show floor and exhibitors would call my name. Everyone knew each other. Even though 20,000 people attended the CES, it was like one big fraternity. Today, at 150,000, it has turned into a transient major city. People come and go faster than some folks change sheets on their bed. It’s no longer called the Consumer Electronics Show but rather the International CES because of the significant number of tech innovators who show up from around the world to exhibit year after year. The majority of the products shown now are not even in the consumer electronics category.

You have to be “strong like bull” to cover the entire show floor. Everywhere you turn there are gadgets and gizmos that are product category game changers. All of these innovators come together once a year in Sin City to strut their stuff. Who ever knew the world could be so creative?

I have been fortunate and privileged to be a part of this evolving world. When I think of all of the people I started with in this industry who are either dead or retired, I get very weepy. I am the last of the charter members who helped build this industry. I don’t need others to praise me. I have my memories to keep me going.

I plan to devote the next few posts to stories untold. Some of them are X-Rated, so stay awake.

From My Camera Roll

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The closer we get to New Year’s Eve, the more I reflect about my life and the people in it. Here are some digital mementos I wanted to share with you.
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Happy 91st birthday to Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and Thor.

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Naked Habits

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Ever since we decided to work remotely, my wardrobe of choice has been interesting. If I don’t have an outside appointment, I wear sweats, long t-shirts and jeans and tops. I thought I was being pretty casual until I learned that there are people who sit in front of a computer nude. Yes, naked.

A recent PayPal survey revealed that there are people who actually like to shop online in the nude. Must people would agree that there is no reason to be totally covered up but what is the purpose of being naked?

PayPal also said people prefer to sit in front of a computer in total freedom. That means nothing touching their skin. PayPal said there are several stages of risque online shopping behavior.

Thirty three percent explained they shop in their pajamas. The survey didn’t tell us what time of day or night they were shopping. Here’s another strange statistic: 15 percent said that they like to have an alcoholic beverage to help in their decision-making. Researchers didn’t dig deeper into whether people are naked in bed when they are doing this online shopping.

A spokesperson at PayPal said the only explanation they can give for the nudity is that naked shoppers believe that they could be more readily available to try on clothes through their computer or phone if they are already disrobed. That sounds insane to me.

PayPal thinks “there may be a certain lifestyle segment in the U.S. that drinks and takes clothes off, then lies on the sofa or in the bath (or elsewhere), in order to have the perfect online retail experience.”

I think this is more information than any of us care to know,