13 Things We Learned in 2013

Before we lay 2013 to rest and welcome 2014, I would like to take a moment to recap all the things that we saw in 2013: things that were good, mistakes that should not be made again, and ponderings of what the year has shown us. Unbiased politically but probably biased in almost every other way possible, here is my list of 13 Things We Learned in 2013:

1) Google Glass is for celebrities and Google tradeshows. Seriously, is that thing ever coming out on the market? Speaking of things that won't come to fruition...

2) Drones. Amazon got us all a-flutter when they made the announcement that drones were soon to be a part of the Amazon Prime package. But unless someone comes out with really great, all-encompassing drone legislation, there are just way too many problems with this. Darn you, Jeff Bezos! I will never be fooled again by one if your hare-brained marketing schemes. Until the next one rolls around. 

3) Who runs the world? Nerds. One even single-handedly took on the NSA and FBI and won. Sort of. 

4) Apple could slap gold or a fancy new color on ice and start selling it to Eskimos. 

5) The government is NOT listening to your telephone calls. Don't be ridiculous. They just know who you are calling and when and where you are located. Oh, and they also read your Facebook messages. But calls? Nah. 

6) It is now safe to search on Google! They won't give your info away to marketers! Unless, you know, they pay enough. 

7) We realized all too well that Big Data sort of sounds like Big Brother.

8) Beyoncé does not need advertising. Beyoncé can release a CD out on social media and it can be an instant best seller. It is also true that the Earth's gravitational force actually revolves around Beyoncé. 

9) Are you are a cat with a facial deformity? Congrats! Instant internet fame! 

10) We lived through the Twerkpocalypse and we survived. I tell you what, humans are a sturdy race. 

11) Farewell, honorable Nelson Mandela. We will never forget you nor the legacy that you left behind. Except for the kids that thought you were Morgan Freeman. Sigh. If you will excuse me, I have to weep for the future now. 

12) If the government gives you millions upon millions of dollars to make a website, you should probably make it suitable for, oh, I don't know, more than 10 people to be on it at one time? Maybe you could also make all the web site options work properly? Heck, just make the thing viewable for goodness sake. 

13) Pretty much the world cried when Breaking Bad ended. And I have yet to watch a single episode (at this point, it is just my pure stubbornness and a refusal to follow the crowd, although I am 'Breaking' down fast. Breaking...see what I did there?).

Tune in next time for my interview with the makers of YAPPER App, the app I will be supporting in the Student Startup Madness, a collegiate digital media tournament at SXSW! You won't want to miss it! 

#GivingTuesday: Google Hangout-a-thon

Black Friday, Cyber Monday....#GivingTuesday?

Google has partnered with Mashable to create the first ever Google+ Hangout-a-thon, where from 9am - 9pm today, you can see different charities present on why they do what they do.

Hear from charities like Charity:Water, Toms, Unicef, Save the Children, Happy Hearts Fund and many more. Google then makes it easy to donate using the Google Donation Shortlist, which you can simply click and go to the donation websites.

If you're like me and have been spending money on Christmas gifts and running around like a chicken with its head cut off, it feels great to give back to someone else and put my money toward those in need.

Check it out here. I promise you, its worth it!

Jennifer Garner presenting on Save the Children 

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HaPpY BiRtHdAy GoOgLe!!!!

Happy 15th birthday, Google! From all of us Google fans out there, you have made our lives easier and more complete.

Keep doing what you do, Google.

In honor of Google's birthday, I have decided to give you a list of my favorite Google easter eggs - that is, fun things you can do with the Google homepage, as well as some Youtube, Google Earth and Google Hangout. Seriously, pull up the Google homepage now and get to searching. You WON'T regret it.

Google Homepage

Google in 1998: In honor of their birthday, Google just came out with the "Google in 1998" easter egg. Just enter those words into the search bar and get a blast from the past.

Google Gravity: Click this link to have your Google world come crashing down: http://www.mrdoob.com/projects/chromeexperiments/google-gravity/

Askew or Tilt: Search "askew" or "tilt" then try really hard not to tilt your head. 

Barrel Roll: Search "do a barrel roll" or "z or r twice", an homage to the video game Star Fox 64.  

Google Interfaces: Google has made different interfaces over the past years. Here's one for pirates, one for the Swedish Chef from the Muppets, one for hackers, and one for those who are more pig latin inclined. 

YouTube 

Beam Me Up, Scotty: Search these words in your YouTube box for an out-of-this-world surprise.

Use The Force, Luke: Enter these words in your search bar to control your screen using the force. 

Ponies or Bronies: If you enter "ponies" or "bronies" in the YouTube search bar, YouTube will not only pull up "My Little Pony" videos, but ponies will come prancing across your screen. Ummm...yes please. 

Google Hangout 

/ponies: If you enter "/ponies" in your chat bar, a pony will run across your Google Hangout. Copy and paste for a whole stream of ponies. OR...

/ponystream: is for if you want a pony stream across your screen and your screen only. 

/shydino: "/shydino" will make a cute dino run across your chat and hide. 

/pitchforks: Like angry mobs? well "/pitchforks" is for you! Enter it in your chat, and an angry mob will run across!  

Google Play 

Unicorns: If you don't enter anything in the search box and click search anyway, Google Play will direct your search results to "unicorns".

What are your favorite Google easter eggs? Let me know! 

Opinion Time! Technology Tracking: Okay, or Just Plain Creepy?

Monday, an article came out in the New York Times about the future of apps. It stated that apps of the future will be more like "personal assistants", and will be able to instinctively know what you need, when you need it. How? The answer is simple: the app would go through your calendar, emails and personal conversations.

Apps will see that you discussed meeting up with someone, for example, will be able to recognize this, and ask you questions like "You are free Monday night, would you like to schedule this then?" or "Here are a couple of top rated seafood restaurants in your area, would you like me to make you a reservation?"

Having been both a personal assistant and techie, I was intrigued by the idea, even excited about it. After all, I had once been privy to private emails, calendars, bank accounts and passwords of someone, why would placing that trust in an app be any different? Soon after, though, the words of Mr. Weasley in the second Harry Potter book came to mind: "Never trust something if you can't see where it keeps its brain."

I emailed the article and asked for a couple of my coworker's responses. Most of them were negative. "I want to go back to writing letters", one coworker stated, "Apps can't read those." "Creepy," another one added. "Definitely creepy."

Paid or sponsored advertising, also known as direct marketing, is a big issue as well. Companies will pay Google or Facebook to advertise to those who search for certain subjects or talk about certain things on their social media profile. For example, say that you search for "pet stores". Immediately, Google will give you all the pet stores in your area (which by the way, is another way of it tracking you).

But lets say you click out of that search and go to read an article somewhere. Google still has in mind that you searched for pet stores, and ads will continue to pop up on different pages you go to. Google knows you have a pet or are interested in them, so the ads that you get will all be directed toward pet owners, or animal enthusiasts.

As privacy-invasive as this may seem, think about what you just did. You accessed a public company's website to use its resources. You used a search engine to find what you needed, a search engine that paid an employee to set up the matrices and codes in order for you to find the pet store that you wanted. You essentially waved your rights to privacy by using this resource. Think about it in terms of the law of commerce: if you want something, you have to give something in return.

My advice to people is that if you don't want to be tracked, if you don't want Facebook or Google to use your information to advertise to you, simply don't use them. They are companies trying to make money, and you are using their resources. There is no such thing as a free lunch, unfortunately. Same goes with apps. If you don't want them to track you, don't use them.

I for one am looking forward to buying apps in the future that set up my schedule. If I had a dime for every doctor's appointment I forgot....

What do you think about this issue? Is technology tracking okay in some aspects, but wrong in others? Comment below to let me know! I want to hear your thoughts! 

Little Kiddies

While in college, my naive little self wrote this paper about how technology was effecting children and why parents should stave off introducing their children to iPhones and iPads until they were out of their crucial development phase. And it was a great theory.

Let me reiterate that: THEORY.

Because when you are taking care of a little one, and that little one refuses to just sit down FOR FIVE SECONDS, that theory goes out the window. And in comes the shiny, loud, distracting and beautiful piece of machinery that will save you from having to chase the toddler away from the knife drawer for the fifth time today.

Not that I would know about such things...ahem. Moving on.


Babies

Animal Sounds for Baby (iOS) by Fisher Price is an interactive game that helps your baby learn animal names and the sounds that they make. Babies can tap, tilt or shake the screen to make the animals move.

Peekaboo Barn (iOS & Android) is another animal app that is sort of like playing hide-and-go-seek with animals. Once they see the animal, the name of the animal pops up on the screen. You can play in either Spanish or English. Check out the jungle and the forest versions too!

It's a Small World App (iOS & Android) is a beautiful app by Disney that lets your baby explore the world without ever having to leave home! Using beautiful illustrations and the familiar songs, your baby can navigate from country to country learning how to say "hello" in various different languages.


Toddlers

Toca Birthday Party (iOS) allows your child to play birthday party on your iPhone or iPad, complete with cake cutting, drink pouring, table setting, present opening, etc. Recommended for ages 3 and up, this app is perfect for the child that likes to play with their food.

Monkey Preschool Lunchbox (iOS & Android) - help the monkey pack his lunch by completing challenges. The challenges will help teach toddlers colors, motor skills, counting and will help tone up their memory. An adult might want to help though - some of the challenges can be mighty tough for little minds!


School Age

Crayola ColorStudio HD for iPad - Even though you have to buy the iMarker to work the app (it goes for around $20 in various stores), I have heard from many parents that this app is worth it. Kids can draw, paint, color and snap a picture of their face, then draw around their face. Ummm...who would judge me if I got this app for my 23-year-old self?

WATCH Disney Channel App (iOS) - Kids LOVE Disney Channel, and now they can watch it whenever, where ever they want. Download this app for at least 30 minutes of peace and quiet, guaranteed.


Preteens/Teens

Netflix - Seriously, take this time that your kids think they are too cool for you for granted and hand them a Netflix account. They will be entertained all day watching their favorite shows, season after season. Just make sure to put parental locks on it. You don't want them downloading anything they shouldn't!



For the Kid in All of Us

Candy Crush Saga (iOS, Android) is the single most addicting game. Seriously. Proceed with caution. Match up candies in a row to get rid of the candies, and advance through the 300+ levels. This game can take A LOT of your money before you know it (I kept buying lives!) so watch out!

My DisneyWorld Experience App (iOS, Android) - because you know you love Disney World. Don't lie. This app will help you navigate the park easier, will tell you when fast passes are sold out and will even find the location of your favorite characters you meet (wait up, Cinderella!). You are also able to pass information back and forth from app to app, so have the whole group download the app to stay together.


This is my niece's favorite YouTube video. I dare you to watch it and then try not to get it stuck in your head. It won't work. You will be singing "Baby Beluga" to yourself for the next five years.:

What apps do you use to entertain kids? Do you let kids play on your smartphone or tablet?

I AM UP TO 500 PAGEVIEWS! WOHOO!!!

Image from Hemaia Group

Thank you, thank you, kind readers. You are the reason that I blog and the reason for my general spike in ego in the past few weeks.

KIDDING! Sort of.

Anyhoo, in honor of my 500 pageviews, I have decided to let you in on my secret life of blogging. How do I keep track of so many apps? How did I get started? What are my next steps? I will let you in on these secrets....AND MORE.

Tools of the Trade

First, I will let you take a look at the tools that I keep in my Batman-like utility belt. I can't really show you my computer, because:
A) I switch between a Macbook and a Thinkpad, so I feel like I'm playing on both sides of the PC-Mac debate. My life is so political.
B) Neither one are anything fancy to look at. I have plain old everyday laptops. So I will show you more interesting pictures, like:

My iPhone screen. Here you can see I have sectioned my apps off into many little categories like the type-A freak that I am.

Here is my social media folder, which contains my MOST USED social media applications. I have the blogger app so that I can literally do crazy things like blog in the waiting rooms at doctors offices or in the middle of long, boring meetings. Just kidding, boss! I don't really do....that....ahem. Moving on.

Here is my pretty To-Do List book that I designed from May Designs, in my favorite chevron print. It helps me create lists of blog posts and keep track of each posting.:

And of course, my copy of the NYTimes and my coffee. There's not a better start to a morning than with a newspaper and a coffee. Especially when its the free Starbucks coffee that I get when I drop my dog off at doggie daycare.

Now there's a first world sentence if I've ever seen one.

Of course, I always trust on my handy websites for information. I would not be anywhere without my morning dose of Mashable and TechCrunch. Whether or not you work in a tech industry like me, you can greatly benefit from these two websites. TECHNOLOGY IS EVERYWHERE, people!!! Our lives have turned in to I, Robot whether we like it or not. Embrace it.

How I Got Started

In order to get the BEAUTIFUL blog background you see here today, I went to Designerblogs.com where they have many blogger templates to choose from for only $15.

To add your background:

• Get the file or the HTML code from your receipt, which Designer Blogs will email to you. 
• On your sidebar, go to "Template" 
• Then, go to the "Edit HTML" bar underneath the "Live on Blog" box. 
• Enter the HTML code you received from your blog site.
• NOW, START BLOGGING. Remember to always promote your blog on EVERY social media site you own. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (one that everyone easily forgets), Google+, etc. Make sure you keep your friends and family engaged by asking them questions, and if you ever get an idea from someone, make sure you give them credit! Don't be an idea moocher!

Coming Next: 

In order to keep my blog going, I have decided to add social media accounts. This means I will be adding a Facebook page for TKTN, adding a Twitter account, etc. that my loyal readers can follow and get tech updates on the fly. Make sure you are on the lookout for these accounts, you won't be dissapointed. I promise!  

I would like to thank everyone who takes a slice out of their day to read my blog posts. You have made this little project of mine so worthwhile, and I am humbled by each positive comment I receive. You guys are the best!

**BUT WAIT. WHOA. I WON'T JUST STOP THERE! I AM GIVING AWAY A FREE MAY DESIGNS NOTEBOOK TO ONE LUCKY FOLLOWER!

Simply input your email address in the "Follow By Email" box in the upper-left hand corner, and then comment underneath this post "chevron", "flowers" or "anchors" as to which notebook you want by Friday, June 14th. One winner will be drawn randomly! Good luck!

Health Apps

Recently I have decided to get healthy. Yuck.

All complaining aside, there are a lot of great apps out there made specifically for those that want to look decent for bathing suit season.

Now if only there was a "make me tanner" app. Sigh.

Weight Loss/Nutrition

LoseIt! (Android & iOS) is a calorie counting app that does the hard work for you. Simply put in your weight loss goals, your age and weight, etc. and it will figure out how many calories you need to intake. Enter your workout for the day and it will calculate how many calories you burned. It has hundreds of choices of brand name food and lists from restaurants, so all you need to do is search for what you ate and it will figure out your calorie count. It also syncs with your Nike+ Fuelband, will sync with apps Nike+ Running, MapMyFitness, etc. and will record your workout into the app. The more you workout, the more calories you get to eat in a day! And you know, I really like eating. I really do.

ShopWell (iOS) is an app that allows you to scan barcodes at the grocery store, and it will not only give you the nutrition information on that particular food item, but will also "match it" according to your diet and food needs. Of course, it told me that the Dove Chocolates I was about to eat apparently "wasn't a great match for my nutritional needs". Well apparently you don't know the week I had, app, so shut it.

Caffeine Zone 2 (iOS & coming soon to Android) lets you know when you need to put down that last cup of coffee. Input the time that you want to go to sleep, and what all you have had to drink for the day, and this app will tell you when to switch to water. Or alcohol. What? Who said that?

Exercise

Zombies, Run! 2: Imagine - put in your headphones, start this app up, and instantly, you are being chased by zombies. This is a game that is played by you actually running in real life, and listening to the game. It will make you think that you are actually being chased by zombies, which in inevitably will make you pick up your pace. Unless you're not afraid of zombies. In which case, I think you might be one.  

Daily Yoga (Android & iOS) is for all you yogis or wannabes. Get your yoga on with HD videos and voice instruction on how to do each pose. Namaste.

Strong Lifts 5x5 (iOS): This app is for those who are weight training. I hope that's self-explanatory. Especially since I know diddly-squat about weight training.

Sleep/Meditation

iSleep Sphere (iOS) is probably the most used app on my phone. I use the rain setting every night to fall asleep. If rain is not your thing, you can choose from waves, wind, waterfall or birds chirping. But the best thing about this app: you could choose all five if you so choose. Mix the sounds to make your perfect tune to snooze to. But no seriously, I really wouldn't recommend all five at once. Unless being on a wind-blown beach next to a waterfall in the rain while birds are going nuts is your thing.

Simply Being (Android & iOS): This app lets you choose the amount of time you want to meditate, any background noise that you want (music or nature sounds) and guides you through meditation using voice instruction.

And for those of you who want a REAL workout*:

*Thanks to Lauren Peterson for showing me this beyond amazing video. 

It's Business Time

Question: where would a modern-day tech-know be without their business apps? That's a trick question. Because the answer is: I definitely don't want to know.

I use apps all the time to make myself smarter, better, faster, stronger. Especially when it comes to the working world. But, note: these apps aren't only for those who are taking on the world one cubicle at a time. They can be used for any kind of industry.

Except miming. I mean, why have a phone when you can't talk? And if you're texting and communicating via chat as a mime...well, that's just cheating.

Communications 

I have to brag a little bit about my company now. PGi has great web conferencing tools that fit every business' needs. iMeet and GlobalMeet (Android & iOS) are web conferencing solutions that will help keep employees connected, no matter where they are. iMeet is a video conferencing service that enables you to meet with up to 15 people at a time with HD video quality, and GlobalMeet is a web conferencing service that allows you to see who is talking in a meeting, with up to 125 guests per meeting. Both have apps on Android and iOS for on-the-go, easy meetings. Check out their website at PGi.com.

Hootsuite (Google Chrome, Android & iOS) is a must-have in every social media guru's toolbox. Manage multiple social media accounts and schedule tweets or posts through this all-inclusive app. It makes social media management easier and makes you look like you're in five places at once. Magic.

MailChimp (Google, Android & iOS) is a marketing tool that allows you to reach your customers through mass email campaigns. It will let you design your own newsletters, keep track of your email lists and will track the click-through results for you.



Budgeting

Slice (Android &iOS) was made as a personal shopping app, but can be extremely useful for business. Simply input the email address that you use for your shipments, and it will track your shipments and analyze your budget for you. And anything that does the work for me is automatically my best friend.


Organization

DropBox (Google Chrome, Android & iOS) is a cloud-based storage tool that allows you to download files from your computer or mobile device and store them in one place. You can give the login information to your coworkers, and they can drag-and-drop files into your Dropbox as well. Best of all, it cost FREE.99.

CamCard (Android & iOS) saves you from being the only employee to have a Rolodex still sitting on your desk from 1998. Take a picture of a business card, and CamCard will scan the card and input all of its information into your phone's address book.

 For an easy way to sort out your email inbox, check out Mailbox (iOS). Just swipe your screen to organize each email and clean out your inbox in SECONDS.

Presentations

Skitch is one of the Evernote apps that I wrote about on a previous blog post. It allows you to edit any document on any device, and create PDFs.

Mural.ly allows you to make presentation boards by syncing a clipping tool with Google Chrome so that you can clip from any web page and drop it on your board. Makes creating presentation pages super easy, and almost does the creative work for you. Let me repeat, anything that does the work for me = instant friendage.


What do you think about these apps? What do you use for your business needs? 

Also, if you don't get the reference of the title, please see the following video. And then watch the rest of the Flight of the Conchords' videos. This is non-optional.

*Thanks to Natasha Hernandez and Kathryn Garvin for the help! Couldn't have done this post without your recommendations!

I've Been Nodding My Head and Smiling At: Google Plus

Welcome to my new segment called: "I've been Nodding My Head and Smiling At:" where I give you the low-down on things that you will hear regularly, but you may just be nodding and smiling because you have NO IDEA what it is. Google Plus (or G+ as people in the biz call it) just so happens to be one of those things.

Now, we all know that Google is run by aliens that secretly want to take over the world, one part of the internet at a time.What you may not know is the purpose of these Google applications (made by said aliens, respectively), and how you can use them in your daily life.

What Google+ Is

Google+ is Google's social media tool that can be used to chat, promote your business or share interesting articles or news bits. Part online community, part social media and a whole lot of content, Google+ can be managed easily with your existing Google account and you don't have to see your whacked-out high school friend's theories about the upcoming apocalypse strangely mixed with their political beliefs. Breathe the free air, my friend.

A Little Bit of History

Many think that Google+ is Google's answer to Facebook. However, Google had been experimenting with social media before Facebook and even before the social media dinosaur known as MySpace. Under different names, Google has been creating social media buzz (pardon my pun, or click the link to actually get my pun) since 2004. Hipster Google was social media-ing before it was cool.

Marketing Tip

One main difference between Google+ and Facebook is the way that businesses have to market to those on Google+, and gain recognition. Like Facebook, businesses can make pages that fans can then "follow" to read their posts and updates. For instance, here is my company's Google+ page.* As you can see there are two different groups of people. One is "followers" and one is people who have PGi in their "circles". When someone follows a page, they can choose to put the person or business that they are following in a category (Friends, Family, Aquaintences, etc.), or as Google calls it, a "circle". While Facebook marketing measures how many "likes" a page receives  Google reps actually measure how many people put your company in one of their circles  If you have enough people put your business in their circle (Google reps won't tell you how many it takes, but it looks like you have to have 100 or more), then you will get a badge underneath your Google Ads. This badge lets customers know how many people are looking and participating in the content you put on your page, and adds credibility to your company.


I really enjoy Google+ because I love the clarity that comes with a social media site that lets me pick and choose the content that I see. But, if you still have your reservations, always remember: the Google aliens come in peace.

*This post does not reflect the views or opinions of PGi or any of its affiliates