Presenting #SocialMedia to our Church Parish- #Technology Changes Everyone, Everywhere

I wanted to share. Last night I presented the Power of Social Media to our Parish Ministry Chairs (a project I volunteer to work on off hours over the past year). 

Our goal has been to expand the breadth and scope of diversity for the young and young at heart. #LetsGetSocial Kudos to the inspirational and forward thinking leader Sister Katherine Arseneau for paving the way and being so open minded and adventurous in this technology journey. #TheBestisYettoCome

I know when you look at the picture you will see a lot of gray hairs in the audience.  "Don't judge a book by it's cover"- that goes 10 fold for this Parish community. We all know in our Tech industry, the only thing constant is change- Social Media is fairly new for people in our industry as well, and constantly evolving so kudos to this group led by a remarkable nun who is open minded to green light all sorts of technology

Sister Kate

initiatives Mobile app, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and more! Kudos also to the engaged audience of 50 ministry chairs who listened, laughed, and came up to me afterwards to say how much they learned and were interested in learning more!

Many work in tech, are chairs of schools, run 10k's or Marathons  and are extremely wise and inspirational! Do not let the gray hairs deceive you to know their vast level of knowledge and open mindedness to try something new (we ALL could use more of that!). Someday we all will age (if we have not already), and some teen will judge us – and boy would that be wrong.  :) With their years of wisdom and experience, they could teach us a thing or 2...or 10! :)

I told this one story and will share it with you now. My grandmother at a whopping 4'11. was a mom to six- 3 girls and 3 boys (The Italian Polish Brady Bunch of Brooklyn), and extremely filled with life and love. Until the age of 87 she was active in Yoga, Tai Chi, Line Dancing and calling out Bingo # and would go to church every day if she could. She was exposed to 9/11 and ended up being diagnosed a few years later with Pulmonary Fibrosis- a crippling lung disease which required her to wear Oxygen. She got winded going a short distance so she ended up having to go to a nursing room. It was at that time she could no longer go to her Parish church, and although she watched it on TV- she missed her faith leaders and church family.

My Grandmother Teresa Ragusa

My Grandma is now passed (may she rest in Heaven), but Sister Kate and a few of us had the idea of recording the Church Homily and Gospel... so we started a YouTube Channel and post them on our Facebook page. Now people like my grandma can watch even when their home-bound/in a nursing home and can no longer come to Church- such a blessing. Not to mention busy moms with young kids, people traveling, or people who just want to re-watch and listen to the lessons they share with us each week and meditate on the message.

If interested- this was my Preso: Easier to explain as some slides are pictures which I tell a story too, but in summary we have come a long way in a short period of time.

Getting Social with Saint Michael’s Church from Michelle Ragusa

I am inspired by their desire to reach a broader and more diverse audience, and to NEVER lose the desire to learn and grow. May we all be so wise! This is the POWER of Technology- it reaches ALL People, ALL Backgrounds, ALL Religions, ALL Languages, and it lifts them, it inspires them, and it brings us closer together.  As in the words of Cisco, There has never been a better time to do something Amazing.

On a side note- I understand public speaking is the largest fear in the world, surpassing Fear of Failure, Heights and even Death-... but not for me.  I genuinely LOVE presenting it is when I feel my natural high.  Sister Kate is one of the reasons I love going to Church again.  She is one of my mentors, she is one of THE BEST speakers I have ever heard present- her messages each week  our filled with humor, inspiration and the ability to make the complex easy to understand- truly top notch! So her messaging  affirms I am following my heart and passion and means so very much to me. "Michelle, Fantastic job last night.  You are a born presenter, believe me...and I have seen a lot of presenters and teachers!"  My husband, Jay - and I mean this honestly, is also one of the BEST presenters I have ever heard speak got to hear me speak for the first time in our relationship- shocking, I know-  but  I am usually presenting to work, customers, or young women/advancing women.  His comments, "... it was a great session and Michelle knocked it out of the park. Many of the people came by to talk to her after and were really motivated." meant so much to me,as did the resoundingly wonderful feedback I received on this and all of my presentations.  An ever present reminder (God-Wink) to follow my heart, and my dreams. For every journey we take in life-following our quest for knowledge, our passions and dreams, one step at a time...

My Favorite Apps: From Apple to Android, #SocialMedia #Entertainment #Travel #Technology #Food and more!

I am reminded of the first time I told my mom to go to the App Store, and she said sure- what’s the address?  My, my how times have changed- most of us could not be found without our Smart Phones (Apple, Windows or Android) permanently affixed to our hands.  I for one am a huge fan of putting it down when there’s a place and time to be “present” ala the dinner table- but for those times where we can explore the wonder which is app world, my good friend Janet Schijns- Verizon's Global Channel Chief and fellow Chic and Geek #TechNerd recently posed a question on FB asking what our fav apps are?  I started to respond and pumped the breaks... I decided that I have WAY TOO MANY  many favs, I might as well write a blog and sort by category!  Some of these you probably know and love, others might be new (or present a new use for an old classic)- in any event hope you enjoy!

Entertainment: 

I love a good book – a real paper book- I miss the days of sitting in the aisles of Barnes and Nobles immersing myself in reading and drinking a Starbucks smack on the middle of an aisle floor.  As a technology early adopter and enthusiast I am remiss to say I have not yet fallen in love with virtual books (I have yet to give Kindle and Fire a serious try) but there is a variety of other tech ways to take in a plethora of other forms of entertainment from theatre to your home.  There are a variety of apps in this category- but these are the ones that keep me entertained when not reading my legacy but oh so delicious books.

·         Net Flix- I may never need cable or Dish- ever again.  Although I haven’t bit the bullet yet and completely severed ties- when our cable went down I was SHOCKED as to how many of my fav TV Series, movies, and kids shows are readily available.  Old school cartoon favs for Brooklyn and Cali, Orange is the New Black for Mommy, and hundreds of documentaries for Daddy and I- Tony Robbins – I am not your Guru my most recent fav.  Not to mention Cooking Shows like Cup Cake Wars, Home Shows like Property Brothers and so much more.  The only down side is they don’t always have my classic favs- and I would not be able to watch the Oscars, Tony’s, Super Bowl etc- #FirstWorldProblems but also a good excuse to go to a party and make it a social event, no?  Everything else gets Chromecasted or Apple TV’d from my phone to one of our TV’s around the house.

·         You Tube- So we have all watched it for the funny cat videos, and snickered when Charlie Bit his Brother’s finger but YouTube is more than enjoyable, original videos .  For Jay, my husband, - it is “mr fix it” where he can watch a how to tutorial and be a handyman extraordinaire and save hundred if not thousands of dollars (true story from cars, freezers, to dryers and more!).  For me, it is a way for me to watch music videos of all my fav songs – classic or yesteryear.  Plus the how to’s for make up and hair are on point! Everyone is a YouTube star, and some really make it big- such as my fav Jenna Marbles as she shares her random thoughts- sometimes vulgar, but always funny. Also- a great way to share our own content- so video upload your original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube… who knows, you may be the next “You Tube Stars”!

·         You Tube Kids- When you have children- and are cautious of what they watch I would recommend You Tube Kids.  YouTube Kids app is designed for curious little minds to dive into a world of discovery, learning and entertainment; Filtered by you, and parent & child approved.  Our personal favorite is Baby Bum videos – classic nursery songs, plus educational learning like colors, numbers for our 2 year old Brooklyn when alternating with Sesame Street and Elmo’s World.  Plus it’s ad and commercial free.

S   Snap Chat- Snapchat lets you easily talk with friends, add moments throughout your #RealLife day (exciting

or uneventful) as well as view Live Stories from around the world, and explore news in Discover. Their tag line, "Life's more fun when you live in the moment!" A super fun and silly way to send a quick photo or video to friends, and of course there are the absolutely addictive SnapChat Filters See my daughter Brooklyn and I  for exhibit A.  From a business perspective Snapchat is bringing behavioral targeting, or advertisement based on data gathered from user activity, to the app in the near future- creepy or helpful - you decide.  Personally, if you are going to advertise to me anyway, I much rather see things I might be interested in (a win win for both of us).

·         IMDB- These days as a mom of two at and under 2, I often watch more drive ins than movies.  But when I am going to the movies, or selecting what to watch- the International Movie Data Base- is the world's most popular and authoritative source (self-proclaimed, but I agree) for movie, TV and celebrity content.  As you will tell throughout this blog I am a huge fan of crowd sourcing and reviews.  Removing outliers, you often receive some great feedback, new genre fav recommendations, actor histories, and rankings on what is worth watching when there is not enough hours in the day to watch “all the things”.  Plus, I love watching movie trailers to get hyped up and find the closest theatre and movie times from one convenient app.

Photography/Videography:

  So it is no surprise I adore visual photo tools such as Facebook and Instagram- which I like to think of artistic virtual scrapbooks and time lines of my life.  In fact from the second Jay and I started dating- our first date, our proposal –skydiving video, our engagement our world travels, our wedding, the birth of our children and their FB pages starting from within the womb- every moment is captured.  I wish I could see my grandmother or great grandmother’s timelines from the time they were young women- their thoughts, their life, their love story, their struggles their journey in this crazy thing called life.  My social journey is my gift of my legacy, my children, and their children.  Plus, after relocating to 7 different cities before the age of 30, it is a wonderful way to stay connected with all of my friends and family around the world.

My secret passion is photography- others who do it professionally, and my attempts to do it myself with the same passion and magic.  I may not always have my DSLR Camera, but I always have the convenience of a phone handy with pretty darn good quality photos compared to previous versions.   I love apps who allow me to capture every day moments and make them artistic, magical or just plain fun. Of those here are some of my fav…

·         Photofy- Actually started by my friend Hazel Flores’s husband- this has become a world phenomenon.  Photofy is a super-easy photo editing app for consumers and businesses that combines all the features you need in one app: Templates, Filters, Light Effects.  A great way to capture months, moments, and decorate your images with fun flair.

·         Picstich- Sometimes I want to upload a ton of photos, and well, sometimes I just want one cohesive image to capture the day.  During those times- I love Pic Stitch because it quickly combine multiple photos into one beautifully framed picture! Be creative and get all the angles, capture all the looks, see all the faces together in one shot (And post on Instagram and share on FB, Twitter, and Tumblr of course! ;)).

·         Flipagram-  When you want to be creative, I love to create a Flipagram -especially for my fav people’s birthdays, anniversaries or special occasions- Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. Flipagram helps bring your cherished moments to Life! You can create short photo video stories with your photos, videos clips, and favorite music.  Share some memories with someone you love, extra special and customized more than a generic Card.

·         PicPlayPost- If you can’t decide between photos, and videos- why not do BOTH? Over 10 Million users have discovered this simple way to create captivating stories with photos, videos, GIFs and music.  PicPlayPost makes it easy to combine different types of media into a collage you can share to your social networks. Share your daily workout, summarize your vacation, video collage selfies, fashion and beauty tips, and your musical range in an acapella collage.

·         I Movie- So this one is strictly for fellow apple-aholics (sorry Droid fans)-  Make Amazing  movies.  No film school required.  A great movie is right at your fingertips. Simply choose the photos and videos you want to use. Then tap and swipe to edit, add effects, and create a soundtrack. With a 64‑bit architecture and 4K support on iPhone 6s and iPad Pro, iMovie makes moviemaking faster and more entertaining than ever.  iMovie is designed to take advantage of the beautiful 4K video you can shoot and edit on your iPhone 6s. In fact, it is so powerful you can smoothly edit two streams of 4K video to create effects like picture-in-picture and split screen; and 3D Touch lets you speed up common iMovie tasks.  Than watch it all in full-resolution 1080p HD viewer.  I devices- once again making the complicated oh so simple, and beautiful. I recently made one for our Cisco Talent Show- stay tuned for that share.

Food:  

I love food- all food- from Michelin Three Stars to "questionable" Street Meat and every local delicacy in-between.  Out of 75 countries I have only gotten food poisoning once- and it was a rogue ice cube that took me out. There are some great apps I rely on locally or globally to help advise, find specials, and recommendations- they are as follows...

·         Yelp- Reading and leaving reviews for extraordinary food and services I often turn to Yelp.  Local crowd sourced user Reviews and Recommendations of Top Restaurants, Shopping, Nightlife, Entertainment, Services and More.  I especially like the menu recommendations and tips on child friendly (Schmoo inclusive) vs. romantic (Schmoo Free Date Nights)- or searching a craved cuisine like Italian, Chinese or miscellaneous a certain mileage (or what’s closest)  from where we are standing when we  get hangry (hungry +angry J).

·         OpenTable- My Go To for quick and easy Online Reservations- I need a table of 4 – in this city- what times are available and what are the reviews (but I usually check that on Yelp first).  OpenTable is an online real-time restaurant-reservation service. Make online reservations, read restaurant reviews from diners, and earn points towards free meals- as my uncle Joe would jokingly say- “if it’s free, it’s for me- give me three”. According to the company, it provides online reservations for about 31,000 restaurants around the world and seats about 15 million diners a month.  Word of warning- if you are going to cancel- don’t forget to cancel your online reservation on OpenTable or you get dinged. 

·         Swarm – formerly known as Four Square is the fun way to geo tag into a place – restaurant, airport, gym and more.  Swarm turns every day into a game! Earn prizes and compete with friends based on the places you go. Jay and I jokingly competed to see who would wear the crown by checking in more to our home… for all intents and purposes, and a happy marriage – it was a tie (wink wink #LonglivetheQueen).  You can also see when your friends are hanging out nearby.  The reason I list it under food is a surprise bonus that some restaurants give you a free perk just for checking in.  In fact, I have gotten awesome free desserts, appetizers and glasses of wine!  Plus some people leave funny reviews, like- make sure to check out the delish bread pudding- you can die a happy man, or stay away from the extremely questionable “meat loaf surprise”.

·         Pinterest- is. Life. From DIY home projects, motivational quotes, tips and tricks to food and drink.  It could fit into many categories but my primary use for it is recipes.  As a reformed cook book collector addict I have saved money, time, and diversified my cooking skills by turning to pinterest for new take on classics, decadent holiday treats, festive food art- especially Christmas and Halloween, and healthy options such as 21 day fix meals to work it all off (wash, rinse and repeat).  I love the simple steps, that every recipe has a picture and that there are so many new and exciting uses for food.  For example- every time I bought a butternut squash my go to recipe was soup. Thanks to Pinterest I took the same ol’ and transformed it into a delish butternut squash and spinach lasagna- a surprising take on a classic, and a huge hit at Brooklyn’s 2^nd Birthday party!  When there is a school fundraiser, or party- this is where I turn.  I will give an honorable mention to my other favs for recipes BuzzFeed’s TASTY videos are a quick and easy way to leave your mouth watering, and Epicurious is delicious refined recipes- Epicurious has been the ultimate food resource for the home cook, with daily kitchen tips, fun cooking videos, and, oh yeah, over 33000 recipes!

·         Groupon/Living Social- For me it is a tie between Groupon and Living Social for most things (Dining, massages, concerts), but for some reason when it comes to food I tend to gravitate towards Groupon- but our relationship is not exclusive.  A great way to discover and save on 1000s of great deals at nearby restaurants, spas, things to do, shopping, travel and more.  Perhaps it is because Groupon is available in 28 countries and countless cities, and  Living Social has 70 million members around the world.  Some tips and tricks, I tend to sign up for the local deals when I have a tripped plan-for ex going to Chicago, I sign in and cancel after trip is completed,  so I can count on local deals in advance.  Even if it’s a short commute away (ie NYC for us) I always leave it populated for a good deal and an excuse to go home sweet home.  Another tip, should you find yourself at a restaurant- type in the name and see if they have any deals… if they didn’t require reservations in advance to use,  it is often a great last minute way to save some bucks- and room for dessert.

News & Media:  

What can replace your News Paper- sans paper cuts- check out these News Worthy Apps and never miss a thing!  

·         Flip Board- Flipboard created a new type of reading experience on mobile, one focused on engaging the reader with the most exhilarating stories of the day and a magazine-style aesthetic. Hundreds of publications are now available on the news reader, and Flipboard offers a generous amount of topics, whether you’re into technology or entertainment or anything in-between.

·         Buzz Feed- BuzzFeed has it all: the news you want now, the stories and quizzes that our constantly buzzing on your social networks, and the recipes – YUM- do they make you hungry, or what?  Oh, and of course the hilarious life tips you didn’t know you needed.

·         Mashable- THE source for digital culture, breaking news, innovation, inspiration and entertainment.  What was the most notable things that happened on Jimmy Fallon, Sports, Media, politics- Don’t miss it with a first glimpse and a morning read of Mashable you will have plenty to talk about what’s trending in a variety of subjects.

·         Twitter-  Twitter has a  plethora of uses from social connections to business networking- but one of my favorite uses is to see what’s trending.  Today, when someone sees or hears of something from politics to natural disasters they quickly tweet and retweet until it becomes a trending topic. With a click of the mouse the world’s news has never been more connected than it is today.

Financial:  

Working at one of the world’s most secure Internet working Companies, I realize the concern some people have putting their finances in the cloud.  Recent events have showed certain things can be hacked (celebrity selfies and retail customers would agree)- nothing is 100 % guaranteed, but there are two tools that I personally trust for my finances, as highly safe, secure and extremely beneficial in terms of financial knowledge and planning.

·         Mint- free, web-based personal financial management service for Canada and the US.  Safe and secure Mint allows you to manage your money, pay your bills and track your credit score.  Mint takes security extremely seriously and understands some people’s trepidation to share personal bank information.  In response, Mint.com recently introduced a service aimed at helping consumers reach their long-term goals that doesn’t require the entering of any financial account information.  I personally feel safe- and helps me keep track of credit, loans, banking, rental properties, all in one sweet banking stop.  If you still have concerns, read this fascinating article by the NY Times on If You Should Trust Mint? 

·         Credit Karma- Helps provide easy-to-read credit reports and personalized score insights Tools & tips to help you understand your financial situation.  Plus it gives you free credit monitoring and can help you spot potential identity theft!

      Bank XYZ- I have two banks- and two apps and honestly have non returned to a bank since getting them.  Transferring money, depositing checks, paying bills are all done in a matter of seconds from my secure, and convenient mobile banking.

      Pay Pal- PayPal is the faster, safer way to send money, make an online payment, receive money or set up a merchant account compared to checks and money orders.  Paying my nanny, handy man, or collecting rent, or buying something on Etsy I do it all from there simply and easily. 

Travel: 

Everyone who personally knows or follows Jay and I know we are huge fans of World Travel- or travel in general.  After exploring 75 countries, countless states and cities- here are some of the tools of the trade we cannot live without!

·         Hotels.Com- We use it- everywhere we GO.  The company has 85 websites in 34 languages, and lists over 325,000 hotels in approximately 19,000 locations. Its inventory includes hotels and B&Bs, and some condos and other types of commercial lodging.  Even if it has only one apartment for rent in Belarus- we were never disappointed in the accommodations, reviews- and for every 9 stays your tenth stay is free based upon the average of the 9 prior hotels.   I have tried other sites – I always come back.

·         Kayak- KAYAK, is a fare aggregator and travel metasearch engine operated by the Priceline Group. It searches hundreds of other travel sites at once to find the information you need to make the right decisions on flights, hotels & rental cars.  It even tells you the ideal times to buy or wait.  The only downside is not all airlines are on their site (IE other low fare competitors such as Jet Blue, and Southwest etc.)

·         TripAdvisor - World's Largest Travel Site (Made in America). 200 million+ unbiased traveler reviews. Search 200+ sites to find the best reviews on where to go, eat, or stay!  A live interactive forum- my fav part as we globetrot is looking at the top 10 recommended places to go!  The way we travel right now is to see as much in as many places as we can, in as little time as possible.  Stack ranked we can hit off the most popular places to visit, dine, or experience a specific place-  A wanderlust dream come true!

          Navigation:

Some people have great spatial relations and can look at the sun and know where to go, others get lost in the Aiport Parking Lot.  I am closer to B- so when in doubt I use the following logistical apps.

       Waze- Waze is the world's largest community based traffic and navigation app (More Crowd Sourcing). Join other drivers in your area who share real-time traffic and road info (construction, accidents, road work delays, police etc) , saving everyone time... and speeding tickets.;)

       MapQuest- when driving, walking, or paddling across from Hawaii- I  find driving (sometimes creative) directions, maps, live traffic updates and road conditions from this creative and accurate app.  Plus you can geo-search and find nearby businesses, restaurants and hotels.

       Tile- This is more of a Life hack but in order to drive anywhere you need to first need to find your keys!  Tile app key finder tracking device used to find lost keys and locate keys, phones, luggage, ...With a melodic sense of victory you can once again find your keys and your way.

       Uber- Growingup in NYC with the iconic stream of Taxi Cabs outside your door is nothing new but Uber raised the bar, and spiked the competition. They are finding better, cleaner, friendlier, nicer ways for cities to move, work, and thrive. Download the app and get a ride in minutes. Or become a driver and earn money on your schedule- without paying hundreds of thousands for a standard yellow cab monopoloy - which refuses to pick you up, or deliver you (safely), price gouges, and does all this with sub par vehicle conditions.  I would happily choose an uber any day!

Retail: 

I love Shopping. Cliche? Sure, but it doesn't make it any less true.  I love stores, Home Imrpovements/Goods- SuperMarkets/Specialty Foods, and a vast unending array of Clothing. I love a variety of clothing and styles.  Brands, No Brands - Bohemian Chic, Romantic, Sporty, DRESSES (I have a whole closet dedicated to dresses)- Shoes- All. The. Shoes.  So picking one app for clothing or shoes would be much too difficult, plus I feel that all depends on your personal style...but one thing I think we can all agree on is a deal! So here are my fav tools for retail deals.

·         Amazon- Everything I buy from tires- books, movies, music and games along with electronics, toys, apparel, sports, tools, groceries and general home and garden items comes two days free shipping from Amazon Prime.  There might be a slight higher cost with prime (I usually don’t notice one) but when time is money, and shipping- especially weekend shipping cost big bucks- I choose two days and free.  This is especially true with a busy working mom of two who remembers she has to send last minute presents! Plus, I actively use the QR Code reader when I go to places to price check- even Walmart!  Most of the time, people price match- so if Amazon is cheaper, I get the same price from them; and if they don’t price match I click purchase and anxiously await it in two days for free.

·         CartWheel – I grew up with a great aunt who we would visit every Sunday.  My job she assigned me was to scour the Sunday Newspaper and clip her coupons.  Well, fast forward 25+ years later since Danica, my beautiful stepdaughter became a Target Employee, I have reinvented my love of a deal and coupons.  With a Target card I get 5% off every purchase (debit or credit) + Manufacturings coupons + Cart Wheel + in store deal discounts I on average save $200 on every supermarket trip.  Target’s Cart Wheel App is especially helpful because you save on the things you already buy whole new spin on coupons. Find & share the best deals in all your favorite categories: grocery, baby, apparel, health & beauty & more - a .  You can select from hundreds of discounts ranging from 5% to 50% off, and add them to your personalized cart.  Plus, it then uses an algorithm to make suggestions on things “you might like” based upon previous purchases and sends you an email weekly.  Extreme Couponers watch out, every dollar counts and 200 buck-a-roo’s is not too shabby!

       Etsy- A virtual global marketplace is a world of vintage and handmade goods.  More than a million independent sellers from everywhere are right here.  Etsy handles and protects every transaction, so you can shop with confidence.  If you want to find something unique, and extaordinairy- Etsy is your place.  Examples of things I have bought- both girls hand-made christening gowns, cake toppers, leather personalized and engraved luggage tags, birthday posters, special  wedding decor, jewelery and so much more!

Health & Wellness:

 Born with a rare heart condition I have always taken fitness, health and wellness to heart - literally and figuratively.  Also having family members with depression, and anxiety I know the importance - sress relief, and endorphin creation fitness can give you to combat these things naturally.  With that said, these are some of my fav fitness tracking tools.

       Withings Scale- The revolutionary new scale that takes your health to heart.  Get to know a scale that coaches, rewards, and records all data automatically. And with tools at hand such as trend screens and nutrition tracking, you can set smart analytics to a healthier, happier, more self-aware you.  PS This was my Valentine's  gift to Jay! #HowRomantic

      Apple Watch/FitBit- You name it, I've worn it (Jawbone, Apple Watch, FitBit, Polar etc)..Apple Watch and FitBit are my fav because you can Track Your Sleep, Calories & Steps, All in One Device (Apple Watch being a more robust device, but JawBone being more stylish (IMO). Honestly, without a heart rate strap I have worn three at once and feel all are slightly off from one another so I am not sure who is the best source of "truth".  Maybe V2 for AW and V3 for FB will be even better. The FitBit has come leaps and bounds from the fist versions which I either lost from unclipping off my clothing, or a casualty of the washing machine and forgetfulness.... I like it MUCH better as a colorful discreet bracelet, and the battery life is 3 x's as good as Apple's Watch  #TheBestisYettoCome

      MapMy Run/Walk GPS Running, Jogging, Walking, Workout Tracking and Calorie Counter extraordinaire. Start running/walking and track and map every run with MapMyRun. For every mile you go, you'll get feedback and stats to help you improve your performance- plus the occasional applause to cheer you on and celebrate victories.

     DietBet- Perfect for anyone who needs some extra motivation to lose weight, DietBet is the fun way to get fit—and get PAID to do it. DietBet is a brand new way to lose weight and it works! Their challenges have helped 150000+ people lose weight and win over $6 million dollars- I personally have won several hundred and found it helps me saty accountable and fun to do as a challenge alone, or with my friends and family or strangers who share the same goals. #GetFitGetHealthyGetHappy

Games:

 Although I do not have the time to play that often, there is a little board game lover which lingers on in each of us.  Living in remote Albany, I get to play with my mom, family, friends and strangers some of my fav classics when I have the time and pick up in a day or two if I do not.  I also run an Employee Engagement Quarterly Bracket competition at Cisco –friendly competition and an opportunity for people to meet new colleagues and friends no matter where in the world they sit.

·         Words with Friends- Words with Friends is a multi-player word game developed by Newtoy, Inc. Players take turns building words crossword puzzle style in a manner similar to the classic board game Scrabble.  It really tests and enhance your language skills for a broader vocabulary –especially if you guess and are delightful surprised when you come up with a unique new word.

·         Trivia Crack- Trivia Crack is a mobile app that allows users to compete against friends and people around the world. Modeled after popular games such as Trivial Pursuit, Willy, the Spinner Wheel will select one of the 6 categories for you from sports, entertainment, science, geography history, and art.  Whoever has the most knowledge and useless knowledge wins- addictive and fun.

·         Song Pop- If you love music and/or movies this is another simple and fun trivia game.  Challenge your friends or play with other music fans.  Hear song clips from thousands of ORIGINAL artists in over 300 genres of songs and of movies.  Guess the artist or song faster than your friends.  If you unlock more songs, more playlists open and you become a true music master (at least at Guessing if not Singing J)!  For Song Pop- Today’s Hits to Classic Rock, Country to Rap and Hip-Hop, Young Pop Stars to Indie and Latin Hits, Collections for every decade: 2000s, 90s, 80s, 70s, 60s and more!  Plus New music & playlists added every week to keep it fresh.

·         Movie Pop- From the same makers of Song Pop- Fresh Planet challenges if you are a huge movie fan. Get some buttered popcorn and turn down the lights! Guess clips from some of your favorite movies and send challenges to your friends or fellow movie fanatics.  Choose your favorite genre of movies with thousands of titles to play with from classics to today’s blockbusters.  Y”ou want the truth? You can’t handle the Truth…The little things in life, there’s nothing bigger...  There’s no place like home”- with this app! 

LifeStreaming:

As a fan of life streaming I love all tech apps- but especially those that make my life simpler or more memorable.  There are tons to choose from, but this is my personal fav.

      TimeHop- Timehop helps you celebrate the best moments of the past. It's like #tbt every day! What were you doing a year ago today? Two years? Three years?    I especially love watching what I did on my birthday/holidays/our anniversary each year, remembering special moments with loved ones (and fur kids) I love and miss or have lost, Jay and my travels, and watching the girls grow before my eyes.  Enjoy, re-share and celebrate  the cherished memories of life.  As Dr. Seuss once said,  'Sometimes you will never know the value of something,until it becomes a memory.

I hope you give some of these apps a try.  Comment below and let me know what you use, like, or alternatives you might recommend. Have an App-filled day… but remember to turn it off and be present when it counts! 

Facebook Statistics- Where Do I Rank?

For those of you who are on Facebook and enjoy random facts and statistics (like I do), I was very excited to find out we can check our stats via a company called Wolfram, which has taken profile analysis to the next level (Thanks Jay McBain, ChannelEyes Founder and Fiance Extraordinaire for the find!).  

So what did I learn about myself, and all of you?  Well notwithstanding the clock ticking away my birthday to the hundredth decimal ;) I learned not surprisingly my highest activity this past year was in June (coincidentally the month I got engaged); as well as May 2011 (I am guessing my Birthday).  My most common posts are before 9 am and after midnight. My most common words: Love, Jay, McBain, Happy, Life... funny eh?  

My most liked post was my SMB150 Influencer Award by SMB Magazine, followed by my move back to NY from RTP NC. Out of 2,797 posts analyzed, my average "likes" are 6.67, and my average comments are 4.02 per post with an average post of 27 words and 173 characters (Take that Twitter)!  What was my most commented posts?   When I was awarded the Cisco World Wide Innovation and Growth Award, tied  with people who were asked to describe me using only one word... gulp. 

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I tower as a "chatty Cathy" with a whopping 6,092 photos in my Photo Albums!  Omitting those who doctor their age, my "oldest" friend is my Great Uncle Eugene at 77 year oldest, and the youngest is my stepdaughter Mila at 12!   Divided by sex, my facebook is shockingly almost half and half at 52% Women and 47%, and only half are married.  If you are single and looking, perhaps I can take a swing at "Match Making" :). 

Where do my friends come from? Well, the top 5 countries represented are United States, Canada, UK, Australia, and Brazil. My favorite friends political quotes?  "Conservative (just to the right of the crazy right wing lunatics" and "Can't we all just get along" (my guess not quoted from the same source ;)).  It also appears the majority of my friends are Christians, Catholics, and Atheists (there could not be a more disparate scale).  Out of all my friends the most common first and last names? John Williams.  Proving not enough of my relatives are on Facebook (My family names are more like Santino, Gieuseppi, Vincenzo and always end in a vowel- "fuggetaboutit").

The majority of my friends are made up of Cisco, School Friends and Zumba friends (makes sense I would suppose, as these are the most important aspects of my life, and as we aforementioned my family is not on facebook). 

This was an interesting way to look at my life, my friends, and myself.  If curious you too can give it a try:
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=facebook

The following is my Infographic:

Facebook: Infographics, Facts, and Figures- Oh My

When I first graduated from College, I began a career as a Stock Broker on Wall Street (before I began my beloved career at Cisco).  In the midst of studying for my Series 7, Google began to be publicly traded.  With Caviar dreams, and a tuna fish budget- I was unable to invest.  I KNEW in my soul that this was the verge of something amazing- more than data base searches and images, but to my dismay, and poverty, could not get in on it.  This was long before the phenomenon which presented such wonderful things as Google Finance, Wallet, Reader, and Docs (my personal favorite for the real time sharing)... even Google+ (despite the crickets- I have not discounted them yet).  I vowed if I ever felt that passionately about something again, and had a few bucks to invest, I would.  So when Facebook went public, I decided I was not missing out again...

 As we all know Facebook Inc. began trading publicly last Friday following one of the most anticipated stock offerings in history. Sure, there was a lot of hype. There was a superfluous range of doubting Thomas' and first time loyal FB stock purchasers. Speculations ensued and the future is not yet predicted. The initial public offering of stock priced at $38 a day earlier. It was at the top end of a projected range that Facebook had already increased just days earlier.

Although many investors had hoped for a big first-day pop, Facebook’s stock opened last Friday at $42.05 and fluctuated between $45 and $38 throughout the day. It closed barely above its IPO price, at $38.23. Here’s how Facebook’s stock has traded since the IPO:

— Friday, May 18: Closed at $38.23, up 0.6 percent from IPO price.

— Monday, May 21: Closed at $34.03, down 11 percent for the day, down 10 percent from IPO price

— Tuesday, May 22: Closed at $31, down 9 percent for the day, down 19 percent for the week, down 18 percent from IPO price

— Wednesday, May 23: Closed at $32, up 3 percent for the day, down 16 percent for the week, down 16 percent from IPO price

Jay McBain Co-Founder of ChannelEyes www.channeleyes.com and long time futurist had the following to say in FB defense: "We should be careful on making any quick conclusions on Facebook. They were priced what experts thought the market could support - then the market corrected it downwards. As of right now, Facebook is worth $67B - more than HP and Dell COMBINED. I would count that as an excellent return for shareholders and an important bellwether of the new cloud economy"

I could not agree more.  I have purchased FB Stock.  Why?  Because I believe it's full potential is limitless. One out of every 7 people on Earth are currently on FB!  Aristotle once said, "I am not a citizen of Athens or Greece, but of the world"- that statement could not be more true than it is today- thanks to social media platforms such as Facebook.  What if we can use those connections to spread awareness, unite nations, eliminate differences, share ideas, cure disease, unify societies.  What if we can use it for good?

Thanks to Mark's lovely new bride Priscilla Chan-Zuckerberg they are addressing huge health concerns in US and UK. On average, 18 people in the United States die each day waiting for an organ transplant. Zuckerberg and his wife want to use the social networking site to "help solve the crisis" by allowing users to volunteer as potential organ donors in the United States and the United Kingdom.  More than 114,000 people in the United States are awaiting organ donations, 79 people on an average day receive a transplant while 18 die, according to Organdonor.gov. The site says more than 100 million people in the U.S. are registered donors."We could save thousands more lives a year if we had another 20, 30, 40 million more people registered," said David Fleming, president and CEO of Donate Life America, which is partnering with Facebook in this effort.  More than 10,000 people in the United Kingdom need a transplant, according to the website for NHS Blood and Transplant.  A Facebook user will also see a Share Your Donor Status link when a friend's donor update hits their news feed.  "The Facebook partnership is an opportunity for people to share decisions," Fleming said. "The most important part of this is actually registering to be a donor so that your wishes can be carried out. Sharing that decision through Facebook is an opportunity to encourage your friends and family to also register."  We can save lives, we can help change the world.

George Takei, Actor, Star Trek Legend, and FB Comic Extraordinaire recently posted one of the funniest things I have read in a long time;  It said "FACT:  In the future I will tell my grandsons that I am older than the Internet and blow their minds forever".  The internet has indeed changed the world, as is the venue which I read this quote - Facebook- which has become a way of life unlike anything we have ever seen before.  Love it, or hate it, you have heard of FB. Regardless of your feelings, I have decided to share some facts that are interesting to some, unknown by most, and will enhance your knowledge of the largest social network in the world.

Here are 75 fun filled FB Facts, followed by a collection of infographics to help shed some light:

1. The initial valuation of Facebook was $75 billion to $100 billion 
2. 1 in every 7 people on Earth is on Facebook
3. 35+ demographic represents more than 30% of the entire user base
4. 71.2 % of all USA internet users are on Facebook
5. In 20 minutes 1,000,000 links are shared on Facebook
6. In 20 minutes 1,484,000 event invites are posted
7. In 20 minutes 1,323,000 photos are tagged
8. In 20 minutes 1,851,000 status updates are entered
9. In 20 minutes 1.972 million friend requests are accepted
10. In 20 minutes 2,716,000 photos are uploaded
11. In 20 minutes 2,716,000 messages are sent
12. In 20 minutes 10.2 million comments are posted
13. In 20 minutes 1,587,000 wall posts are written
14. 750 million photos were uploaded to Facebook over New Year’s weekend
15. 48% of young Americans said they found out about news through Facebook
16. 48% of 18 to 34 year olds check Facebook right when they wake up
17. 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day
18. Average user has 130 friends
19. People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook
20. There are over 900 million objects that people interact with (pages, groups, events and community pages)
21. Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
22. Average user creates 90 pieces of content each month
23. More than 30 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each month.
24. More than 70 translations available on the site
25. About 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States
26. Over 300,000 users helped translate the site through the translations application
27. Entrepreneurs and developers from more than 190 countries build with Facebook Platform
28. People on Facebook install 20 million applications every day
29. Every month, more than 250 million people engage with Facebook on external websites
30. Since social plugins launched in April 2010, an average of 10,000 new websites integrate with Facebook every day
31. More than 2.5 million websites have integrated with Facebook, including over 80 of comScore’s U.S. Top 100 websites and over half of comScore’s Global Top 100 websites
32. There are more than 250 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices
33. People that use Facebook on their mobile devices are twice as active on Facebook than non-mobile users.
34. There are more than 200 mobile operators in 60 countries working to deploy and promote Facebook mobile products
35. Al Pacino’s face was on the original Facebook homepage
36. One early Facebook function was a file sharing service
37. The first “Work Networks” as well as the original educational networks  included Apple and Microsoft
38. The meaning of the term poke has never been defined
39. There is an ‘App’ to see what’s on the Facebook cafe menu
40. Mark Zuckerburg (CEO of Facebook) calls himself a “Harvard Graduate” when in fact he didn’t graduate (apparently his reply is that “there isn’t a setting for dropout”)
41. Australian’s spend more time per month on Facebook than any other country at over 7 hours on average
42. A Facebook employee hoodie sold for $4,000 on eBay
43. Facebook was initially bank-rolled by Peter Thiel the co-founder of PayPal for $500,000
44. It is the biggest website by traffic, recently beating Google!
45. Facebook is now valued at approximately $80 billion
46. Facebook makes money through advertising  and virtual products
47. Facebook was almost shut down by a lawsuit by ConnectU who claimed that Zuckerburg stole the idea and Technology for Facebook (the issue was settled out of court)
48. The USA has the largest Facebook user base with 155 million people which represents 23.6% of Facebook’s total users
49. There is over 16,000,000 Facebook fan pages
50. Texas Hold’em Poker is the most popular Facebook page with over 41 million fans
51. Facebook was originally bankrolled by a co-founder of Paypal for $500,000
52. There is evidence that founder Mark Zuckerberg stole many of the ideas and much of the code from ConnectU. They sued Facebook and settled for an undisclosed amount.
53. 400,000,000 people log into their profile at least once a month
54. Half of those people log in every day.
55. 70% of Facebook users live outside of the US.
56. 44.1% of Denmark has an active Facebook profile.
57. It now beats Google for getting more traffic!
58. Yahoo! tried to buy Facebook in 2006 for $1,000,000,000.
59. 8,300,000,000 hours are spent on Facebook monthly.
60. The fastest growing demographic in America on Facebook: Women 55+.
61. FAD is a mental disorder – Facebook Addiction Disorder. FAD. Ironic.
62. Court notices and summons sent through Facebook are legal and binding in Australia.
63. Women age 55+ are the fastest growing demographic
64.  Facebook is worth $67B - more than HP and Dell COMBINED
65. Facebook under-indexes in visit share from the most affluent income group. With that said, Facebook’s size more than makes up the difference; the site wins 499,949,430 visits from the most affluent income group versus YouTube’s 223,732,591 visits and Twitter’s 15,166,795 visits.
66. Facebook became the number one ranked website in the U.S. on March 9, 2010.
67. The ages of Facebook ovisitors are indicative of the website’s strength in the marketplace, with relative parity in distribution of its visit share by age versus the overall online population.
68. Facebook captures one in every eleven Internet visits in the U.S.
69. One in every five page views online occurs on Facebook.
70. The average visit time on Facebook is 20 minutes.
71. Facebook.com’s audience skews slightly more female than the online population as a whole.
72. “Facebook” is the most searched-for term in the U.S. and Facebook-related terms account for 14 percent of the top search clicks.
73. Internationally, Facebook.com ranks in the top two websites in every market except China, where Sina Weibo, Baidu Zhidao and Renren are the dominant social networks.Facebook.com’s largest footprint is in Canada, capturing almost 12 percent of all visits in that market. It also recently surpassed Orkut, placing it behind only Google Brazil in market share.
74. Microsoft tried to buy FB for $15 Billion and was turned down
75. FB currently has more than 901 million active users!

How does FB stack up against other social networking sites? Well, here are some stats based upon age demographics:

The ages of Facebook of visitors are indicative of the website’s strength in the marketplace, with relative parity in distribution of its visit share by age versus the overall online population.

Facebook under-indexes in visit share from the most affluent income group. With that said, Facebook’s size more than makes up the difference; the site wins 499,949,430 visits from the most affluent income group versus YouTube’s 223,732,591 visits and Twitter’s 15,166,795 visits.

Facebook captures one in every eleven Internet visits in the U.S.

One in every five page views online occurs on Facebook.

The average visit time on Facebook is 20 minutes.

Facebook.com’s audience skews slightly more female than the online population as a whole.

Facebook became the number one ranked website in the U.S. on March 9, 2010.

“Facebook” is the most searched-for term in the U.S. and Facebook-related terms account for 14 percent of the top search clicks.

Facebook users are highly loyal to the website; 96 percent were returning visitors in January 2012.

Internationally, Facebook.com ranks in the top two websites in every market except China, where Sina Weibo, Baidu Zhidao and Renren are the dominant social networks.Facebook.com’s largest footprint is in Canada, capturing almost 12 percent of all visits in that market. It also recently surpassed Orkut, placing it behind only Google Brazil in market share.

Facebook is the largest website in the U.S. and a top performer in numerous international markets.

The fan base of the site is loyal and spends a significant portion of their time online on the social network. Facebook’s influence is seen in the presidential elections, digital shopping habits and beyond. Where will Facebook take us, it is my opinion that the possibilities are endless.  

Information sourced from:  Alex Trimpe Vimeo Video* Facebook Press Statistics* AllFacebook.com* Comscore.com* Jeff Bulles* Heather Dougherty, Hitwise North America* Dan Zarella, Science of Facebook Marketing webinar* HubSpot * Mashable