Miss Techyness is blogging to you live from sunny Key West, Florida — and so I’d like to share a warm “Happy Easter” greeting to all.
Regarding techyness levels here on the island, I’d have to say the foursquare use is pretty low, as I am continuously adding new venues — while simultaneously explaining to my 8 family members what exactly foursquare is and why I use it.
One venue that I added today (with plans to be mayor!) is bésame mucho. This wonderful store embodies everything I’d ever want in a real-life, physical store. And it’s more than just the name, which means “kiss me often” and comes from a 1940′s spanish song.
The store owner and I had a few techy conversations, first- regarding our love for florence and then regarding my “Keep Calm and Carry On” print purchase from sfgirlbybay on Etsy, and then about our favorite blogs, including sea of shoes and sfgirlbybay’s blog. I’m hoping she takes my advice and starts up a blog!
If you’re interested in the song that inspired the store name, check out the video below with bocelli singing (love it)
(a few lines from the song)
Bésame, bésame mucho,
Como si fuera esta noche la última vez.
Bésame, bésame mucho,
Que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte después.
So you want to buy a gadget, or something techy for that special someone in your life? How about taking a romantic twist on a gift?
For the past few years, I have taken on a new role… gift consultant. Sure, you might ask, how are you qualified? Maybe it’s because I watch a lot of movies, have a strong imagination, or just because I’m a hopeless romantic.
First, I’ll take you through a few Valentine’s Day gift scenarios I have passed along to close friends. I hope you’ll find some inspiration… but please leave a comment with your suggestions on cute and romantic gifts you have done for someone on Valentine’s Day.
Gift Scenario 1: Girlfriend likes to cook. Boyfriend would like to continue this hobby.
Outcome: Boyfriend purchased an apron from Williams-Sonoma ($19) in girlfriend’s favorite color along with some cooking supplies. Sounds normal right? Take it up the extra notch by writing a note and having it embroidered on the bottom of the apron. LOVE.
Online Tools: I would recommend having the apron embroidered locally. But if you want something embroidered that is “standard” you can order it from any online embroidery website.
Gift Scenario 2: Girlfriend wants a dog and something from Tiffany. Boyfriend does not want to buy her a dog.
Outcome: Boyfriend purchases the same dog that girlfriend wants, but a stuffed animal dog, and puts the Tiffany necklace around it’s neck. Then puts it in a box with holes in it. done.
Gift Scenario 3: Girlfriend wants a digital camera. Boyfriend buys digital camera. Gift consultant (me) recommends making it a little more romantic.
Outcome: Camera is purchased. Boyfriend takes camera out of the box and charges it without disrupting the packaging. Boyfriend takes photos of clues that lead to each other and finally ends at something romantic (roses, dinner, etc.). Another suggestion is to have photos of boyfriend holding up cards saying “I love you” on the camera, so when she turns the camera on, they are there!
Of course, the inspiration for this was Love Actually, with the cards…
please share your ideas in the comments! What gifts have you passed along to someone you <3? What are your valentine’s day plans?
Techyness tips her hat to the classy ladies of social media
Nice girls are hard to find.
When I was at my (all girls, catholic) high school, I was (already) little miss techyness.
Even my “computer skills” teacher would often pull me out of my other classes to give demonstrations/help out.
Sure, even the teacher called me “computer geek,” but I had a hard time finding and meeting other females working in the tech sector back home in Perrysburg, Ohio.
So, I taught myself web development. I still have flashbacks to my first web site, which I called “Shooting Stars.” Humm. Yes, it was complete with everything, especially tables, a “hit counter” and graphics from flamingtext.
oh (internet.) how far we’ve come.
Things have changed since my time in high school, mainly the rise in interactive social media, and the fact that I ended up going to school with boys again.
Sometimes I think about what I could have learned about the tech industry if the blogs of today were around when I was in high school… and I believe that the vocal female bloggers from today would have been a pivotal group to reach out to for advice on college programs, jobs, and one’s experience as a female in the tech industry.
So, I’d like to give a shout out to a few females out there who serve as examples to all of us that women in tech are… both hot and smart, and aren’t afraid to show their techy side. [thanks to george for some insight on these ladies]
Sarah Evans: PR Sarah Evans is, honestly, one badass chick. She started her own PR firm, Sevans and shows that entrepreneurial thinking isn’t just left to the boys.
Ladies of Mashable: If Pete was my boss, I’d be happy too (kidding ladies). But in all serious, these girls give us our daily fix on what’s going on in the social media world.
For additional links on blogs of the female kind, check out blog her.
Gone are the days where it was uncool to be a girl in tech. Live it up ladies!
+ to the readers out there… please comment with links to your favorite female bloggers
Over the past 5 days, I have attended two meetups.
What is a meetup? It’s an online social networking portal that facilitates offline (gasp!) group meetings in various localities around the world.
Meetup allows people to join groups based on a comment interest in something (really, there’s a group for everyone on the site!)
So what about Alana? Well, given my life scenario (moving every 6 months, oftentimes forgetting what state I live in, anyway) sometimes I’m looking for other techies/social media geeks in my current location.
I’ve had a few friends say to me – “Alana, would you recommend match.com? what about eharmony? How can I meet other single young professionals in my city?!”
To this I say – try meetup.com first before you go the online dating route. At least you’re making an in-person connection first, and you are meeting other like minded people who can immediately connect on a common interest/hobby. Continue reading ‘Want to Meet People? Try Meetup Before Match.com.’
In my previous posts on the subject, I have compared headphones to boyfriends. This metaphor lives on.
Crappy headphones are easy to come by.
Great, even wonderful headphones tend to be few and far between [Bloggers Note: This also applies to boyfriends.]
For example, take the pink skullcandy TI’s that have recently passed (RIP). After these pink beauties moved on to that “better place” where many of our gadgets are sent, I realized something.
It’s time to buy a new pair and not feel guilty about it! So I rallied up the tech recessionista in myself and picked out a pair that won’t break the bank, and will allow you to still get your hair colored this month.
When I told one of my (older, non-millennial) co-workers that I had a “skype date” – he looked confused (and maybe even a little concerned for my well being?)
I didn’t tell him that it was a dinner skype date.
My good friend Urban Dictionary defines it as “an event in which people contact each other using an internet phone calling program such as Skype.”
ex: “I’ll catch up with you later. I have a skype date with Adam. This is the best time to call him because of the time change.”
But what’s funny about Skype is that it’s become the necessary evil of long distance relationships fueled by collaborative technologies (not that I’d know from experience or anything…).
While I was studying abroad in Italy, I noticed that many relationships survived on Skype alone – you would always see the girls with the long distance relationships run to the quietest corner to whisper to their boyfriends across the ocean over the interwebs. There was no privacy (and not much bandwidth either) – so watching them run to the corner made me laugh (but I was also a little jealous of the dedication to the cause)
But the term “skype date” is popping up — not just online, take the Skype community forum features a thread on “Skype Love and Dating,” but also in movies — Megan Fox in Transformers 2 was blown off by Shia for a scheduled video chat date and was not happy about the outcome.
Why Skype, You Say?
1) It’s Free (non committal. good for people who have different carriers or travel frequently.)
2) You can see the other person (if you have a mac, a netbook, or basically a recently purchased computer)
3) It gives you that home-away-from-home warm fuzzy feeling that you’re talking to a real person behind all of those bits and bytes.
If you’re going to take the plunge and have a Skype Date, my Advice:
1) DO NOT WEAR A CORNY GEEKY HEADSET. for real here, would you wear your headgear out on a first date? No? Then don’t wear a weird headset. Try an iPhone headset with earbuds or at least something sexy.and YES gadgets can be sexy!
2) Look nice from the shoulders up. OK, so you’re not wearing pants. WHO CARES! But at least do your hair.
3) Keep it fun. Maybe suggest that the next skype date is formal and you expect him to wear a tie. Who doesn’t like a guy in a suit!?
4) Research how it all works. You would look up driving directions if you were going out to dinner, right? Well, do the same with skype. Make sure your camera works. Check that your headset works. Nothing’s more frustrating than seeing you but not hearing the words coming out of your mouth (unless both parties know sign language.)
So, are millennials crazy for doing this? Yes and No. It’s great to keep in touch with those in different time zones (and where it would cost a small fortune to call) and it’s always fun to make funny faces at people over skype, or use the communications channel to decide what to wear. Just don’t rely on it as your only source of “seeing” someone for a long period of time.
Lay down the law, ladies. They should come and see you. In person. Or you’re taking away the video privileges of skype
Sometimes, when you’re passionate about something, you just have to share it. Henceforth the birth of a new monthly post – techyness’ monthly crushes. They may or may not be of the techy variety, but that’s what keeps it interesting.
3) Information Mashups: Can it get better than a bunch of information displayed visually?
Probably not. Check out trendsmap, real-time twitter trends on a map; spell with flickr, a web app that spells your name with flickr photos (who would have guessed it?).
You by Crocs - Conse
4) You by Crocs Heels: Most comfortable shoes, ever. And yes, crocs makes these (people always ask me). And these are on their way to me
5) Piano Bars. I visited two in the matter of a few weeks (one in Austin and the second in Houston). Sheer entertainment. Especially when college rivalries get involved, and people spend all their money to represent in front of a crowd.
6) American Apparel. Found the houston store while exploring the area for good coffee shops.
What’s interesting to me about Sockington’s growth on twitter is that it just showcases our interest in animals that can talk and have distinct personalities.
Sockington answers that lifelong question: if cats could talk, what would they say? what are they thinking? (this is very Dr. Doolittle).
LOL cats, a site that features funny pictures of cats with speech balloons showcasing their “thoughts” on a situation, proves this theory as well. Check out what these LOL cats are thinking: anything from spiders and gravity to dating.
Background on this infamous feline: According to his homepage, Sockington / Sockamillion (“socks” for short) was first spotted next to a T stop outside of Boston, where he was meowing and hoping someone or something would feed him. After being adopted, he now lives a life of luxury, tuna and cat toys while occasionally destroying things precious to everyone else but himself.
Photo: Me (miss techyness) worried about all the flirtexters out there...
Cancel your plans. I just got you better ones.
Flirtexting(flûrteksting) v. : The art of cell phone, Blackberry, or Gchat flirting, typically involving a new prospect. Short and sweet, slight innuendo, and rendez-vous invitations characterize the “flirtexter” at his or her best. (via urbandictionary).
It’s just one example of a newly coined term that’s starting to receive national attention.. and some love on my new podcast, Millennious.
We all know that SMS (text messaging) plays a major role in today’s culture- and is inherently a part of the new digital dating regime… But what about a strategy on how to succeed in this age of “digital dating?”
Properly structured text messages and playing the “flirtext” and “flirtweet” (flirting via twitter) game right can have very positive effects, according to Debra Goldstein and Olivia Baniuszewicz , authors of Flirtexting: How to Text Your Way Into His Heart.
This CNN video featuring the authors gives an overview of flirtexting as well as a few tips.
bloggers note: Debra & Olivia- I’m waiting for Volume II: How to TWEET your way into his heart
Probably not. Check out
