Scraps of My Geek Life » twitter

Facebook Monsterizer and Twitterize Yourself

Michele — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:21:37 +0000

I’ve been playing with the Visual.ly Infographic website and created these two.

Twitterize Yourself!

Facebook Monsterizer

create infographics with visual.ly

Facebook Monsterizer and Twitterize Yourself originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

How Do Geeks Celebrate Valentine’s Day? #Win7Tech Chat Tuesdays

Michele — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:58:53 +0000

How do geeks celebrate Valentine’s Day? With a technology photo shoot of course! I always say, “Digital over Diamonds and Gadgets over Gold!” However, if you have a gold, diamond encrusted digital gadget, that would be the ultimate. Oh, sorry…back to reality!

Windows did an awesome photo shoot for Valentine’s using some gorgeous red and pink laptops. Someday, I want to do a photo shoot with lots of orange and pink technology.

Source: Uploaded by user via Windows on Pinterest

Valentine’s Tips For Techies!

Tip #1: Use Windows Live Messenger (Window’s free video chat service) to say ‘I Love You’ to your loved one’s

Tip #2: Share your latest photos with friends and family via Windows Live Photo Gallery and SkyDrive

Tip #3: Use Microsoft Paint to create and send a virtual love note, like the one we created below—all free services for you!

#Win7Tech Twitter Chat

Don’t forget every Tuesday at 12:00 pm PT, the Windows Champions gather for the #Win7Tech chat. The topic changes every week and always has lots of great tips, experts and sometimes a giveaway.

See some behind the scenes pictures from the Windows shoot on the Windows’s Facebook Page.

You could win a Sony VAIO on the Windows blog (ends at 11:59 pm PT on 2/14/12)

Windows Photo Shoot

A few more pictures from this gorgeous shoot:

Beautiful picture!

That must have been so hard to put the beautiful technology on the snow.

Awww! His & Hers computers!

Now that is love! My hubby & I met online on AOL, so I would love a shot of us like this!

Let’s Talk About Technology & Valentine’s Day!

Do you like to get technology for Valentine’s Day? What is the best Valentine’s Day tech gift you have given or received?

(Sorry, couldn’t resist the colored text today!)

Disclosure: As a member of the Windows Champion team, I received a Sony VAIO laptop to use for one year. All opinions are 100% my own.

How Do Geeks Celebrate Valentine’s Day? #Win7Tech Chat Tuesdays originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

AMD Tech Moms Holiday Twitter Happy Hour

Michele — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:59:18 +0000

Tonight is the AMD Holiday Happy Hour Twitter party hosted by the AMD Tech Moms. We will be discussing Black Friday and Cyber Monday products with AMD Technology. Did you know that AMD technology is found in more than computers? Read about last month’s AMD Tech Moms Summit for other industries where AMD technology is found.

AMD is also giving away a prize a day on their Facebook Page.

AMD Tech Moms Holiday Gift Ideas

Multitasking Mom

The 15.6” HP Pavilion dv6 laptop weight just 6 pounds and measures just 1.4” thin, yet makes no compromises when it comes to mobile performance. Its extra-long battery life (thanks to AMD AllDay™ Power) keeps mom going from morning carpool to evening recitals. Starts at $649.99

Modern Family

Needs something as versatile as they are. Serving triple duty as a computer, TV and sound system, the HP TouchSmart 320 with VISION Technology from AMD is an all-in-one, touchscreen computer that will entertain the entire family. We use our AMD HP Touchscreen computer in our kitchen as our family resource center. Starts at $599.

Gaming Guru

Look for a gaming console that does more, like the Xbox 360 Console with Kinect. Wi-Fi is built-in for easier connection to the world of entertainment on Xbox LIVE and watch HD movies and TV stream in an instant with superior graphics by AMD. Starts at $299. (Picture is affiliate link.)

Jetsetter

This road warrior deserves brilliant HD visual experience wherever life takes them. With the HP Pavilion dm1z laptop powered exclusively by VISION Technology from AMD, anywhere connectivity plus an eco-friendly platform round out this perfect little package, it is ideal for the highly mobile digital lifestyle with AMD AllDay ™ power for more than ten hours of battery life. Don’t forget, you’ll be able to listen exactly how the artist intended with Beats audio. Starts at $289.

Entertainment Enthusiast

For those of us who use our PC to watch TV shows and movies, looking at a computer screen can – and should – be as clear as watching the best HD TV. Powered by VISION Technology from AMD, the Toshiba Satellite L775D allows you to watch movies in HD exactly as the producer intended – vivid and clear. This laptop is thin and lightweight making it the perfect addition to family movie night. Starts at $538.99.

AMD Holiday Happy Hour Giveaways

What other questions do you have about holiday shopping? Join Bob Grim and Kristie Taylor from Advanced Micro Devices, me and the other AMD Tech Moms for a Twitter Happy Hour tonight! We will be discussing ways to save money during holiday shopping and sharing tips to help you choose the right computer for your family’s needs and lifestyle.

What: AMD Holiday Twitter Happy Hour party with AMD & AMD Tech Moms!

When: Tuesday, November 22 at 6 pm PST / 9 pm EST.

Who: @AMDNotebook, AMD Tech Moms @TechSavvyMama @HomeEverAfter @LittleTechGirl @ScrappinMichele

Where: On Twitter using the hashtag #AMDHoliday TweetGrid Link – http://is.gd/0FOFWi

Topic: Holiday Shopping

Party Favors: We’ll be giving away

Four (4) $25 AMEX gift cards,
Two (2) Corel Holiday Software Bundles (valued at approximately $499.94 each),
Fifteen (15) copies of vReveal software (valued at approximately $49),
One (1) HP dm1z laptop as the grand prize!

Rules to win:

Must be following @AMDNotebook @TechSavvyMama @HomeEverAfter @LittleTechGirl @ScrappinMichele
Gift card and Corel Holiday Software Bundle winners are chosen at random – each AMD Tech Mom will choose one $25 AMEX gift card winner based on the #AMDHoliday conversation. AMD will randomly select two winners to receive the Corel Holiday Bundle Software and fifteen winners to receive vReveal software.
Join the AMD Tech Mms for the #AMDHoliday Twitter Happy Hour conversation and pay attention to @AMDNotebook tweets on November 22 to find out how to win the grand prize!

Let’s Talk About the AMD Tech Moms Holiday Happy Hour!

Do you have any questions for AMD or the AMD Tech Moms?

AMD Tech Moms Holiday Twitter Happy Hour originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Back-to-School Twitter Happy Hour With AMD Tech Moms

Michele — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:53:13 +0000

This is the last week my kids are home for the summer. We are beginning our back-to-school shopping and getting organized. One thing has changed from when I was a kid….we are making sure our computers are ready for the new school year.

A Kaiser Family Foundation Study found kids ages 8 through 18 spend an average of an hour and a half a day on their computers. All 4 of my kids are in the back-to-school mode, 10th, 7th, 3rd and 2nd grades.

Back-to-School Shopping Tips

If you are looking for a computer for the back-to-school season, here are a few tips you may want to consider when shopping for the laptop:

1. Size does matter. For my kids, I like to have a smaller laptop because it is easier for them to move around the house. They are always looking for a quiet place to do their homework, so I want the laptop to be very portable. My older kids may be able to handle a bigger computer, but they may take the laptop to a friend’s to do homework.

2. Battery Life. This to me is one of the top priorities when looking for a back-to-school laptop. You can get a really awesome laptop for under $500 with a battery life that will keep your kids powered throughout the day. A laptop like the HP Pavilion dm1z, which is based on technology that enables up to 12 hours of resting battery life.

HP Pavilion dm1z with AMD Fusion

3. Usage. What else will your kids use the laptop for? My kids listen to music, catch up on TV shows, play games, import video and pictures and of course email and homework too. Often doing two or more at the same time. Laptops with VISION Technology from AMD will be able to handle the multi-tasking.

4. HD Graphics. If your kids are going to watch any videos on the laptop, then you will want to be sure the laptop has HD graphics. VISION Technology from AMD provides a combination of performance and video power for brilliant and beautiful high-definition video.

5. Comfort. Of course you want your children to be comfortable when using the laptop. If the laptop gets too hot, that could be a safety issue too. We always purchase an external mouse for the laptops. My kids each pick one that is comfortable for their hands.

Back-to-School Twitter Happy Hour

Want to get all your back-to-school questions answered? Join Bob Grim from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), myself and the other AMD Tech Moms for a Twitter Happy Hour this week! We will be talking about ways to save money during back-to-school computer shopping and sharing tips to help you choose the right computer for your family.

Join us for a chance to win an HP Pavilion dm1z laptop, as well as other prizes! That would be an awesome back-to-school win!

What: Back-to-School Twitter Happy Hour party with AMD & AMD Tech Moms!
When: Wednesday, August 24 at 6 pm PST/9 pm EST
Who: @AMDNotebook @TechSavvyMama @HomeEverAfter @LittleTechGirl @ScrappinMichele
Where: Twitter using the hashtag #AMDSchool (Tweetgrid: http://is.gd/0FOFWi)

Back-to-School Rules to win:

Must be following @AMDNotebook @TechSavvyMama @HomeEverAfter @LittleTechGirl @ScrappinMichele
Gift card winners are chosen at random – each AMD Tech Mom will choose the one $25 AMEX gift card winner to select based on the #AMDSchool conversation.
Join the #AMDSchool Twitter Happy Hour conversation and pay attention to @AMDNotebook tweets on August 24 to find out how to win the grand prize!

Disclosure: I receive compensation in the form of product and conference sponsorships in exchange for my participation in the AMD Moms program and this Back-to-School Twitter Happy Hour. All opinions are 100% my won.

Back-to-School Twitter Happy Hour With AMD Tech Moms originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Intuit Love A Local Business Twitter Party Tonight

Michele — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:13:37 +0000

Tonight I have the honor of participating in a Twitter party with @Intuit and @theblogfrog. We will be promoting Intuit’s Love A Local Business Competition.

The Love A Local Business Competition gives you the opportunity to nominate your favorite local business and they could win a a grant from Intuit.

Love A Local Business Twitter Party

Here is the info on the Twitter party tonight (and there are prizes)

Date: Wednesday, July 27

Time: 7-8 pm ET

Hashtag: #lovelocal

Follow @Intuit, @theblogfrog

Prizes: You could win Quickbooks Pro or Quicken or a $25 Visa Gift Card to support a local business

See you tonight on Twitter!

No related posts.

Intuit Love A Local Business Twitter Party Tonight originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

AMD Moms Twitter Happy Hour (Gift Cards and Sony VAIO Giveaway)

Michele — Sun, 01 May 2011 19:46:36 +0000

Spring is always a good time to renew everything in your life including your computer. Have you noticed your computer running slower lately? Seeing the hour glass more than your pointer? Cleaning up your computer will help your computer run smoothly.

As an AMD Mom, I get the pleasure of sharing information with you to get the best out of your computer and I’m so excited to be a part of the first AMD/AMD Moms Twitter Happy Hour. And the best part? You may win a Sony VAIO YB laptop.

AMD Twitter Happy Hour

Please join Advanced Micro Devices and the AMD Moms for a Twitter Happy Hour where we will be discussing ways to ensure your technology is running efficiently and cleaned up for spring!

What: Spring Cleaning Twitter Party with AMD & AMD Moms!
When: Wednesday, May 4 at 8 – 9 p.m. EST
Who: Everyone! Starting with @AMDNotebook @TechSavvyMama @HomeEverAfter @LittleTechGirl @ScrappinMichele
Where: On Twitter using the hashtag #AMDSpringClean, Tweet Grid.

To RSVP:

Follow @AMDNotebook on Twitter, if you haven’t already
RSVP on my blog by leaving a comment below to be eligible to win the prizes throughout the evening

Prizes:

Five $25 AMEX gift cards will be given out throughout the night to help with spring cleaning tools!
Grand Prize: Sony VAIO YB with AMD Fusion Technology

See you on Wednesday on Twitter!

AMD Moms Twitter Happy Hour (Gift Cards and Sony VAIO Giveaway) originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

7 Free iPhone Apps I Use Daily

Michele — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:00:54 +0000

Since Verizon starting offering the iPhone, I’ve had a lot of questions about which iPhone apps I use. I realized that I don’t write much about my iPhone apps even though I am an app junkie. I look at the new apps in the store almost every night before I fall asleep (yes, I’m not kidding!)

So, here is my list of 11 iPhone apps that I use most days. I am not including the apps that come with the iPhone like mail and Safari because that’s not any fun and you all know those.

7 Free iPhone Apps Used Daily

Twittelator Free

Twittelator Free is a Twitter app. I have tried most of the free Twitter apps and this one works the best for me. I like that I can do everything I need to without having to access many screens. Price: Free (but there is a Paid version too)

Facebook

I love the Facebook app so much that I almost exclusively check Facebook on my iPhone. I like that I can sync my Facebook friends with my contacts too. Price: Free

Instagram

I nstagram is my newest obsession. Below is a sample of a picture taken with Instagram and I added an Instagram filter. The filters are underneath the picture. You can scroll to see more.

Instagram makes just about every picture look awesome. Then you can add a note, a location and share on several sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr right in the app. And if that wasn’t enough, you can friend people and see their Instagram pictures in your stream and “like” them or add comments. It is quite addicting.

Friend me on Instagram, I’m ScrappinMichele.

Here is an Instagram Tips Free App too. Price: Free.

Path

I have not quite figured out the purpose of Path, but I like it because I can see a picture and add who was there, where I was and what we were doing. I do not share my pictures with anyone. It is more for my own purpose. You can add friends, but not many people I know are using it, so I think the true potential of the app is when you add friends. Price: Free.

IntoNow

IntoNow is a fun app. You open it up and let it listen to what you are watching on TV. It will find the show and you can share it with your friends. You will also get links to more information about the show. So far it has never been wrong. I even try to fool it during commercials and it always knows it’s not a TV show. I’m not sure how it works, but it’s fun. Price: Free

SparkPeople

I start out every morning putting my breakfast in SparkPeople with all intentions of tracking my food. Some days I make all the way, but most days, I never make it past breakfast. I’m working on this!! You can track your food, water, weight and exercise all from the iPhone app. Price: Free

WeatherBug

WeatherBug is the first app I look at after my alarm goes off. That way I know how to tell the kids to dress when I go into their room to wake them up. I also use this when I travel so I know what to pack or how much warmer it is where I am than at home. Price: Free

4 Bonus iPhone Apps Used Daily

CCal

I use Google Calendar to keep all my calendars on my dozens of places synced. For some reason it wasn’t working well with my iPhone calendar, so I downloaded CCal which syncs directly with Google Calendar. There are a lot of added features that the iPhone calendar won’t do. Price: $5.99

MobileRSS

MobileRSS is what I use to read blogs. I rarely read them on my desktop. I either use my iPhone or iPad and I use the MobileRSS app on both. I like that I can directly send any post to Evernote or in an email. Not the link to the post, but the whole post. I send myself posts that I want to either remember or that I want to follow up on or comment on later. MobileRSS syncs with my Google Reader account. Price: $2.99 (There is a free MobileRSS version)

GoodReader

GoodReader for iPhone is where I keep PDF or Word files that I want to read. I have purchased many PDF e-books and I use GoodReader on my iPhone and iPad to read. I can also add notes and organize them into folders. Price: $2.99

Momento

I use Momento for Scrapbooking. You pull many of your social feeds into Momento and you can add notes or pictures directly within the app. Then I can look at any day and see what I posted on Facebook, Flickr, my blog, etc. It’s fun to go back a year and see what you were talking about. Price: $2.99

Let’s Talk! What apps do you use every day? Leave a comment and let me know. I’m always looking for new apps.

Instagram Catapults to 1 Million Registered Users (mashable.com)
Momento 2: The Best Diary Writing App Just Got Better (iphone.appstorm.net)
New iPhone App Identifies Live TV Programs (technorati.com)
Path Finally Adds Comments to iPhone App (mashable.com)

7 Free iPhone Apps I Use Daily originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Justin Bieber Taught Me to Never Say Never (Movie Review)

Michele — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:53:58 +0000

I’m not even sure how to begin this review. I knew I was going to take my girls to see the Justin Bieber Never Say Never movie. If my mom endured Rick Springfield, I can certainly endure a few hours of Justin Bieber. Ultimately, Justin Bieber taught me to Never Say Never. I swore I’d never enjoy a Justin Bieber song, but instead I enjoyed a 105 minute movie. (Yes, I really did.)

Justin Bieber Fan?

I was the mom who would turn the Justin Bieber songs off in the car. My daughters could listen to their headphones if they wanted to hear him. I really could not stand to listen to him. So I was dreading the movie. But I did it.

I saw a side of the music industry that I had imagined, but had not seen. I saw the Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers movies and neither one shared the struggles. Justin Bieber didn’t just become an overnight success. He worked really hard to get where he is.

No, he didn’t spend decades playing in smokey bars, but instead he spent a year traveling around from radio station to radio station playing his acoustic guitar and singing for any DJ who would listen. He was going to get his music on the radio if it meant doing it station by station.

Justin Bieber & Social Media

Justin Bieber had something on his side that decades of artists didn’t have in the past… Social Media! I didn’t realize the huge part that Twitter played in getting Justin Bieber (Twitter link) to the place he is now. It was just another example of the power of social media. It puts the power back in our hands. If we (i.e. starstruck girls) want to hear Justin Bieber, they are not going to let a DJ in a radio station refuse to play him because the DJ thinks Justin is some kid with a high voice.

Social Media alone will not do it. Justin Bieber also has something that you need in order to be successful. He has determination. Maybe some of it was because he was so young and naive and therefore didn’t know that it should be hard. He just knew what he wanted and he went after it.

Justin Bieber Has Talent

I admit that I often assume that the cute kids that the girls are swooning over are lip syncing and have no talent. It was clear from watching this movie that he has talent. He’s been playing the drums since he was really young, like 2 years young. He plays the guitar, drums, piano, trumpet and a few more instruments that I don’t recall.

Justin Bieber Has Family

The one thing that I really enjoyed was listening to his family talk about Justin. He was raised by a young single mom and had the support of his grandparents. Even after he had become a success, he had to clean his room before going out with his friends. His is very close to his mom and grandparents. His management team and crew all seem to really care about him. Everyone treated him with respect, but he was also still a kid who needed guidance, structure and rules. He seemed to have all three.

Justin Bieber has Fans

Justin knows very well how he got to the place he is. It wasn’t because a record producer decided to make him a teen pop star. It was because his fans wanted to hear him. He and his crew give back to the fans. They pull fans from the concerts and put them in the front few rows. They go into the town and look for kids who don’t have tickets and give them tickets. It was very heartwarming to watch.

Megan waiting for movie to start.

This movie showed all sides of Justin Bieber and the movie industry including the tough parts. He had moments where all he wanted was to be a “regular’ kid. At the same time, he never wants to disappoint his fans. He struggles with balancing being a 16 year old boy and a business. I can’t imagine that. I struggle with being a mom and having a small business. It’s not easy.

There were times when he’d break down and cry. He’s human. I thought that was very important for my girls to see. These young kids are put on pedestals and it’s very difficult to live to the super human standards we think they possess.

Hold Your Judgement

I had a lot of people joke about how they felt sorry for me that I was taking my girls to see the Justin Bieber movie, but seriously, hold your judgment. See the movie. I enjoyed it a lot. No, I loved it!

Is this movie the real story or what they want us to think the story is? That I can’t answer. I do know that I saw a different side of Justin Bieber. I do think he is going to be around a lot longer than I thought. Who thought Madonna would still be making music today? You can’t tell me that our parents weren’t sick of hearing, “Like a Virgin.”

Here is the official trailer for the movie.

Justin Bieber in 3D

We saw the Justin Bieber Never Say Never movie in 3D. The new 3D is nothing like the old paper glasses 3D movies. I don’t feel sick to my stomach and the 3D really looks 3D. These concert movies are really awesome in 3D. It’s one of the times where I think the 3D adds to the experience. It does make you feel like you are there.

If your daughters want to see the movie, go with them. If you do not have daughters, go see it or when it comes out in video, rent it. I do think that it’s a movie worth a watch. I’m glad that I saw it.

Remember…Never Say Never!! If a kid from a small town in Canada can sell out a stadium in a few years, you never know what else can happen!! And if Justin Bieber can teach me a lesson, well…you never know!

UPDATED: I just downloaded the album from iTunes for Never Say Never. Another one of those,” I swore I’d never…”, but I’m listening to it now.

Let’s Talk! Have you seen the movie? Will you see it?

We are waiting for movie

Disclosure: I was compensated by Collective Bias for this review. All opinions are still 100% my own. (Believe me, I planned to write a bad review for this one, but I couldn’t)

Justin Bieber Taught Me to Never Say Never (Movie Review) originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Twitter Adds Follower Suggestion Feature

Michele — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:11:29 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Twitter added a new follower suggestion feature that shows up when you follow a person on their Twitter profile page. Twitter will suggest 3 other people that it “thinks” you may like.

This will show up right after you click the “Follow” button on someone’s Twitter profile page:

So far the suggestions have been hit or miss. A few times Twitter suggested someone that I did in fact follow, but most of the time I can not figure out how the people are similar and why I would want to follow them.

Let’s Talk!

Have you seen this feature on Twitter? If you are not following me, you can test it by going to my Twitter profile page, @ScrappinMichele, and click on the “Follow” button.

Did Twitter give you 3 suggested followers? Let me know who they suggested you follow when you followed me. Maybe I’d like to follow 3 people who are similar to me. LOL!

Are you finding new people to follow with this feature?

Twitter Rolls Out New Follower Tool (twitterrati.com)
Twitter Launches New User Suggestion Features (webpronews.com)
Find People to Follow on Twitter (chris.pirillo.com)

Twitter Adds Follower Suggestion Feature originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

First Friday Follow Recognition Post

Michele — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:02:52 +0000

Image by Brajeshwar via Flickr

I knew there was a reason I read Chris Brogan’s blog. It’s because he has such brilliant ideas. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner, but I love his idea of turning Friday Follow into blog traffic for 4 reasons (and I’m implementing it too).

It brings traffic to my blog (the obvious reason).
It gives me a good record of who I have given kudos to for Friday Follow.
I can explain in more than 140 characters why I think you should follow this person and give them some link love.
Often I love what people say on Twitter, but I’ve never been to their blog, so I am going to take the time to visit their blog too and spread the blog traffic wealth.

Each week I will showcase 3 – 5 people that I follow on Twitter and I think you should follow them too.

Friday Follow

@TheBudgeBunch - Cheryl is a good friend who is always there when I need support or help with anything. She doesn’t sugar coat it either. I can always get an honest opinion from her. Her blog keeps me rolling on the ground laughing. Her vlog posts are amazing! She keeps me entertained with her tweets.
@BanteringBlonde - Fiona is also a good friend and my new MomActive business partner. She loves writing and marketing and always has great ideas. She “gets” my love of gadgets and is 100% a Mac Geek too. She shares her love of working out and inspires me to get back on the healthy bandwagon.
@jenniferswilson – Jennifer is a Digital Scrapbooking Goddess. She has an amazing blog, Simple Scrapper and she hosts a weekly twitter chat on Monday nights at 10pm EST, hashtag #scrapchat. She is a wealth of information about digital scrapbooking and shares her love of the hobby with everyone. And since tomorrow is (inter)National Scrapbooking Day (#iNSD), it is only appropriate that I include her today.

Be sure to follow these 3 amazing women on Twitter.

First Friday Follow Recognition Post originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.