High Tech Mother’s Day Gifts and Giveaway – The Digital Life
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to say “I love you mom,” than to pick up a few high-tech gifts this year. If you’re looking for some inspiration, take a look at some of my top picks, right now.
Motorola RAZR
The new Motorola RAZR is the most captivating Android-powered smartphone on the scene. The RAZR can stream music, pictures and more from your home or work computer—anytime, anywhere. In the light of day or dim of night, hyper-vibrant colours keep everything looking beautiful on the Super AMOLED Advanced 4.3 display. The RAZR is even armed with Kevlar for strength.
- Lightning fast 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and a cool 1GB of RAM
- Hyper-saturated 4.3” Super AMOLED Advanced display
- Super durable Kevlar fiber and Corning Gorilla Glass screen with splash-guard coating
- The Motorola MotoCast app gives you the power to stream or download content from your PC straight to your device – no uploading to the cloud needed
- Transformative accessories like the new Motorola Lapdock 500 Pro and Motorola Lapdock 100, Smart Controller, HD Dock and HD station make Motorola RAZR a force to be reckoned with.
HP Photosmart 5510 Printer
The HP Photosmart 5510 e-All-in-One will redefine the way Mom prints, copies and scans. The printer is a perfect fit for any room in the home, and with its high-resolution touchscreen and access to HP Print Apps, Mom will be in printer-heaven. Best of all, with an MSRP of only $99.99, the printer won’t exceed your budget.
To meet the needs of the social media savvy Mom, the HP Photosmart 5510 eAiO is also packed with the latest web-connected technology. She can use HP ePrint to print from an email-enabled smartphone or tablet from virtually anywhere, directly to the printer. Need directions fast? Mom can use the MapQuest application to print directions right from the printer’s touchscreen. Does your mom love taking photos? With HP Print Apps, your Mom can make beautiful photobooks with Snapfish.
Philips Wake-up Light Plus
Waking up early and feeling energized has always felt like polar opposites for me. There is no doubt that this is a similar situation for many moms around the world, too. Studies have shown that people feel more energetic and refreshed during those sunny, bright summer mornings when the sun is shining through.
Nothing is worse than waking up in a dark bedroom, turning on your bedside lamp, and having your eyes feel disrupted from shock of the bright light. I discovered the Philips Wake-up Light Plus – got hold of it – and tested it first-hand for The Digital Life on CityLine.ca. I will admit I was really skeptical initially; doubting the product’s success and whether it would work at all. I am one who wakes up in the dark, and the Wake-up Light allowed me to have that simulated sunlight, waking up more naturally and well-rested.
The National Sleep Foundation has chosen to make Philips Wake-up Light Plus its Official Light Therapy Product, in recognition of the benefits they provide in helping you wake-up better, brighter, and more energetic throughout your day.
Blurb
Blurb allows you to create a personalized, bookstore-quality book filled with your photos and loving words. With a price tag that can be less than a dozen roses, you can create a truly original gift that will always be cherished.
With Blurb, you’ll find all the tools you need to make your own photo book, whether you’re making a personalized wedding album, cookbook, baby book, travel photo book, or fundraising book. Count on bookstore-quality printing and binding, and a range of choices from hardcover photobooks to soft-cover paperbacks in an array of trim sizes.
Holding a finished book with your name on the cover is a truly amazing feeling; it’s one of those experiences everyone should have.
YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
As Mother’s Day approaches, CityLine.ca, Motorola, HP, Philips, and Blurb want to give you a chance to win a prize pack (worth approximately $830.00 CAD) containing one of each product below:
- ONE Motorola RAZR
- ONE HP Photosmart 5510 Printer
- ONE Philips Wake-up Light Plus
- ONE $50 gift-voucher for you to create your own Blurb book
Here’s how you can enter:
1) Follow @CityLineCa and @WinstonSih, and tweet us why you want to be the ultimate connected mom!
2) Be sure to include in your tweet the hash tag #CityLineMothersDay to ensure you’re considered for the prize pack, worth approximately $830.00 CAD!
Deadline: Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 5pm EST.
The winner will be selected via the dedicated “#CityLineMothersDay” hash tag, so be sure to include it in your tweet!
Giveaway Fine Print:
1. No purchase necessary. Only one (1) entry per person.Any attempt or suspected attempt to enter more than once per person, any use of robotic, automatic, programmed or entry methods not authorized by these rules, shall be deemed as tampering and will void all of your entries. This Contest is brought to you by Citytv, a division of Rogers Broadcasting Limited (“Citytv”) and collectively the “Contest Sponsors” (Motorola, HP, Philips, Blurb)
2. The winner of the contest will be chosen on Thursday, August 25, 2011, and the selected entrant will be contacted by Twitter. The selected entrant must email back to claim prize within three (3) business days following the draw,
3. Phone will not come with a working monthly plan. Citytv assumes no responsibility of incurred charges or additional price liabilities. Entrant is responsible for providing cell and data plan for the smartphone.
4. Approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is $830.00 CAD
5. The Grand Prizes must be accepted as awarded and may not be transferred or exchanged.
6. The Contest Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of at least equal or greater value in the event of the unavailability, for whatever the reason, of the advertised prize in whole or in part.
7. By entering this Contest, entrants consent to the use of their entry, name, city of residence and/or any photograph of or that may be taken in publicity carried out by Citytv and/or its advertising agencies, without further notice or compensation.
8. This Contest is open to legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) who are over the age of majority in their province, excluding employees of the Contest Sponsors, their parent and affiliated companies, representatives, dealers and agents, Contest suppliers and judges, and those with whom they are domiciled. This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations.
9. No communications will be entered into except with selected entrants.
10. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. All entries that are incomplete, illegible, damaged, irregular, have been submitted through illicit means, or do not conform to or satisfy any condition of the rules may be disqualified by Citytv. Citytv takes no responsibility for lost, stolen, delayed, damaged, misdirected, late or destroyed entries, or for typographical or other production errors. The Contest Sponsors are not responsible for any errors or omissions in printing or advertising this Contest. All entries become the property of Citytv and will not be returned.
11. The Contest Sponsors are collecting personal data about entrants for the purpose of administering this Contest. No further informational or marketing communications will be received by entrants unless entrants provide the Contest Sponsors with explicit permission to do so as indicated on the entry forms. Please see Citytv’s Privacy Policy at www.rogerspublishing.ca/privacy.htm for information on their policies towards maintaining the privacy and security of user information.
12. By entering this Contest, entrants release and hold harmless the Contest Sponsors, their advertising and promotional agencies and the Contest judge(s), their affiliates and respective directors, officers, owners, partners, employees, agents, dealers, representatives, successors and assigns (collectively the “Releasees”) from any liability in connection with this Contest or, if declared a winner, the prize(s). Before being declared a winner, entrants may be required to sign and return, within a stipulated period of time, a Declaration of Compliance with the Contest Rules and a full Liability and Publicity Release. By accepting a prize, winners consent to the use of their name, place of residence, voice, statements, photographs or other likenesses for publicity, advertising or informational purposes in any medium or format without further compensation or notice.
13. This Contest will be run in accordance with these rules, subject to amendment by Citytv. Contestants must comply with these rules, and will be deemed to have received and understood the rules by participating in this Contest. The terms of this Contest, as set out in these rules, are not subject to amendment or counter-offer, except as set out herein.
14. Contest Sponsors assumes no responsibility for failure of the internet or the website during the promotional period, for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email or traffic congestion on the internet or at any website, or any combination thereof including any injury or damage to an entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from playing or downloading any material in the promotion. Contest Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion to cancel or suspend this Contest should a virus, bug or other cause beyond their reasonable control corrupt the security or proper administration of the Contest. Any attempt to deliberately damage any web site or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, Contest Sponsors reserve the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.
[With files from Motorola, HP, Philips, and Blurb.]
Repost from CityLine.ca
Are Tablets Really the Future of T.V.? – The Huffington Post
With the evolution of tablet computers over the past few years, it seems that notebooks have lost their top ranking as consumers’ preferred second TV. A new study released by Viacom indicates that “Tablet devices have emerged as the leading second-screen alternative to television for viewing full-length episodes, according to ‘Tapping Into Tabletomics.’”
The American study drew from an online survey of over 2,500 people between the ages of 8-54 years old, in addition to extensive interviews conducted with tablet users in New York, and Los Angeles.
Some of the results indicating that over the span of a few years, tablet computers have exponentially increased to the second preferred full-length television viewing device, behind the traditional television. The rising tablet trend accounts for 15 per cent of all full-length TV show viewing. Viacom’s press releasesays:
“Since tablets came into play, FLTV show viewing on desktops and smartphones has declined the most. Top genres viewed on tablets – comedy and music – align more with computers than the TV. Reality is the top genre viewed on television, followed by drama, science fiction and sports.”
It was found that there is a clear correlation between Netflix subscribers, Apple TV owners and AirPlay users, as they are also aggressive tablet users.
Other results from “Tapping Into Tabletomics” included that over one third of both AirPlay and WhisperSync users — 35 per cent and 34 per cent respectively — report that they watch more television shows on their tablets because of the wide availability of mobile applications.
While tablets are being reported as the second most-watched source for television shows, are the number percentages high enough to fuel the trend for the several years to come?
A large number of users are also participating in a “dual-screen” companion app experience — proving to be quite a success. Traditional television shows — a great example being Citytv’s Canada’s Got Talent – are integrating a digital interactive application. It allows viewers to interact via chat, Twitter and Facebook, into the television-watching experience acting as a complementary add-on, rather than separate television screen altogether.
“Our audiences are some of the most deeply engaged and active across social platforms,” said Colleen Fahey Rush, Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer, Viacom Media Networks. “Co-viewing apps create more meaningful ways to reach them and represent an entirely new level of engagement for fans of our content.”
With the popularity of the iPad and similar tablets, these results may appear obvious to some. The traditional television still reigns supreme when it comes to providing the best experience. While the tablets are great for providing convenient on-demand content, the reality is people are still going to desire to watch their favourite football game, or HD content. The tablet is simply too small to watch games for hours on end.
Other factors one must take into consideration would include the ISP bandwidth, data usage bucket caps, reliability of the connection, and processing power/graphics of the tablet itself.
Are you watching more content on your tablet, versus your desktop PC? In past experience, what was the selection like for you, in terms of programming? Is it comparable to a traditional cable/satellite subscription? Do you find companion-apps to be a huge distraction to the show, altogether? Sound off in the comments below.
[With files from Viacom]
Follow Winston Sih on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WinstonSih
Repost from HuffingtonPost.com
The Key to Being AWESOME with Neil Pasricha – CityLine.ca
“My marriage was heading in the wrong direction and my best friend was battling a major depression. I came home from work and said to myself ‘I need a way to focus on the positive,’” he told CityLine.ca. “So I started up 1000awesomethings.com as a way to focus on the positive – and started writing about warm underwear from the dryer, popping bubble wrap, and flipping to the cold side of the pillow.”
His solution to finding the good in his life was to write about one of his life’s simplest joys, every single day on his blog 1000awesomethings.com, eventually gaining millions of readers internationally.
Following the success of his blog and his original book, The Book of Awesome, Pasricha’s second release – The Book of (Even More) Awesome – is chock-a-block with his must-read “awesome things,” including exclusive never-before-seen moments.
“I was lucky when 10 literary agents came to me after 1000 Awesome Things ended up winning a Webby Award for ‘Best Blog in the World.’ Believe me; I was most surprised of all. I had no idea The Book of Awesome would be on the bestseller list for two straight years.”
The Book of (Even More) Awesome focuses on down-to-earth and everyday stories, highlighting the art of living well.
Readers will find the book very relatable, with many anecdotes most have experienced first-hand –including letting go of the gas pump perfectly so you end on a round number; when your windshield wipers match the beat of the song you’re driving to; waking up to the smell of sizzling bacon; and simply napping with the one you love.
When we asked Pasricha about how one can start to find the small joys in life, he said, “It’s simple.”
“Write down one awesome thing every single day. That’s it! Keep the list in your desk drawer, beside your bed, or on your fridge. Just add one a day. Did you see the same car you had as a kid on the roads? Did you get a spontaneous massage from your husband? Write it down! The list will serve as your own Book of Awesome and looking back at it will remind you of good times when you’re feeling low,” he advised.
The Book of (Even More) Awesome is also very funny, and should bring many smiles to readers. As for where Pasricha channels his humour from, he says that “perhaps growing up with a different perspective on the world lets us make fun of ourselves a little easier.”
After hundreds of blog posts, Pasricha will be bringing his blog to a close on April 19th, 2012. He says jokingly, “I plan to smash a smoke bomb into the sidewalk and disappear completely.”
“But honestly, I look forward to taking my own advice, stopping to smell the awesome, and living a simple life where, day by day, I keep focusing on awesome things.”
He’s looking forward to enjoying the small things in life like cooking, riding his bike, and spending more time with his friends.
We concluded our interview by asking him, “If there was one thing you want readers to pull out of the book, what would it be and why?”
His response was simple: “You are already living an awesome life.”
The Book of (Even More) Awesome is available in bookstores now, and you can preview the first twenty pages of it, here.
Gadgets to Kick Your Summer Off Right – CityLine
As seen on CityLine – April 16, 2012
As always, you can re-watch previous episodes of CityLine on Citytv.com, or via the Citytv Video iPad/iPhone app! CityLine airs 9am/4pm EST on Citytv in Toronto. Check Citytv.com for air times in your city.
Show Notes:
Winston’s credits:
Philips
www.philips.ca/c/light-therapy/289992/cat/en/#/cp_tab1
Wake-up Light Plus
Canadian Tire
www.canadiantire.ca
Schwinn Tango 20-in Folding Hybrid Bike
Samsung
www.samsung.ca
Samsung Galaxy Note
Motorola
www.motorola.ca
MOTOACTV 8GB GPS Watch
Future Shop
www.futureshop.ca
Logitech Harmony 900 Remote
Toshiba
www.toshiba.ca
Toshiba Camileo BW10 Sportscam (Video)
SONY
www.sony.ca
Cyber-shot Digital Camera TX20 (Photo/Video)
HomeWetBar
www.homewetbar.com
Pool Jam Waterproof iPod Ready Wireless Speaker Set
GoPro
www.gopro.com
GoPro Hero HD (Active/Wearable)
The Book of (Even More) Awesome – What I’m Currently Reading
Originating from the famous blog, 1000awesomethings.com, The Book of (Even More) Awesome (Penguin Canada) discusses the short anecdotes that author Neil Pasricha has written. Back in June of 2008, Neil’s goal was to write about one awesome thing each day – things that people often overlook or take for granted in their day-to-day lives.
This has been my go-to book for my ride into work every day – bringing many awkward smiles and bursts of laughter amongst a group of subway strangers. Pasricha’s humour and often quirky stories are extremely relatable to readers; and that success has led to more than 40 million hits, 3 “Webby Awards,” and recognition in The New York Times as a bestseller.
I strongly recommend reading the book, in addition to taking a look at his blog, 1000awesomethings.com. After four years of weekday 12:01am blog posts, April 19th will mark his final post on his website. Be sure to tune into that, too!
Stay tuned to WinstonSih.com and CityLine.ca, as I’ll be posting a one-on-one interview with author Neil Pasricha.
