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Category Archives: Tech Fun

Dent The Future Conference 2013 Press Trip: Sun Valley

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I was lucky to be invited many years ago on a magic bus ride to CES, which was the first time I had a fun adventure with the team from Parnassus Group (Steve Broback, Jason Preston and more). Over the years they always had the pulse of social media,  organizing events such as Tweethouse and It Won’t Stay In Vegas at CES.   So when I was invited to join the (pre) Dent The Future 2013 press trip in February (to check out the location) organized by none other then the Parnassus Group, of course I said yes!

 

Dent The Future (March 24-27 in Sun Valley Idaho) is a new conference that “explores the magic and science of visionary leadership and groundbreaking success. They aim to translate the success of great leaders in business, politics, or charity into a set of lessons for those who would “put a dent” in the future.”

 

While I had some scheduling challenges (including Spring Break for my kids) so I won’t be able to attend Dent this year, I already put it on the schedule for next year. I will look forward to bringing my whole family with me to enjoy Sun Valley while I experience Dent 2014.  Those who will be following the conference from afar like me can do so by following Dent on Twitter (hashtag #Dent2013).
 

 
Listed below are some of the details from the “Pre” Dent 2013 press trip in February. We had an amazing trip that was not only filled with fascinating discussions on social media, but also with the beauty and fun of the fabulous Sun Valley Resort. I will be writing another post with more details (and sharing my pictures) about Sun Valley Resort (which was a highlight of the trip!).

 

 

This is a picture I tweeted from Sun Valley on our last night of the trip – enjoying a great dinner at a local restaurant.
 


 

#dent2013  @sbroback @bikehugger @pop17 @scobleizer  @svalleysunshine  @techmama @visitsunvalley  @shaunacausey  @jasonp
 


 

Our group lunch on Bald Mountain included yummy food, beautiful location and lots of social media talk!
 

#sunvalley @sbroback @jasonp @scobleizer @chasejarvis @pop17 @shaunacausey ..@techmama @neilblecherman #dent2013 pic.twitter.com/qyOkry58

 

Here is a summary of some of the locations we visited (post with full details will be published soon):

 

  • Yummy places we ate during our trip included: Knob Hill Inn, Della Mano Restaurant, The Kneadery and the Konditorei for breakfast. But there are many other places to eat.
  • Zenergy Health Club is a great location for a workout and spa treatments! http://zenergyts.com/
  • Here are the two websites to find out more information about Sun Valley Resort: www.visitsunvalley.com  and www.sunvalley.com. We stayed at the Sun Valley Resort Inn and it was beautiful. There is a great transportation system to go to the mountains, it is not crowded and the weather is usually sunny (per the name “Sun Valley”).  The resort is very family friendly – and even has a mountain that is perfect for beginners or family skiing called Dollar Mountain. The other mountain (Bald Mountain) is great for Intermediate to advanced skiers.  The Sun Valley Snowsports School has lessons for all levels (and even family lessons). I was excited that they have a “fundamentals” day program for kids (8:30 – 3:30) that includes lunch. There are also programs for Intermediate or Advanced kids as well. There are other winter activities such as ice skating and sleigh rides.

 

**My next post will share more details about the beautiful and family friendly Sun Valley Resort.

 

Disclosure: Travel related expenses were provided to the press covering this event.

 

New Family Fun at Disneyland: Cars Land and Buena Vista Street Now Open

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Buena Vista Street Disney California Adventure

Photo Credit: Disney

Recently, friends asked me about my summer and one of the highlights I mentioned was being invited as part of the media to cover Disney’s California Adventure Park Grand Re-opening , including two new themed lands: Cars Land and Buena Vista Street.  You just have to see it to believe it.

 

 

When visiting Disneyland Park, with Cinderella’s Castle and rides from Pirates of the Caribbean to Star Wars, it’s very clear that the park was created so that Main Street USA is the grand entrance and centerpiece that sets the stage for a great park experience. Similarly, with the recent Disneyland Resort expansion, guests enter California Adventure Park on Buena Vista Street, the striking anchor of this new park.  The shops, period costumes and architecture of Buena Vista Street were inspired by the history and experiences of “ Los Angeles in the 1920’s similar to what Walt Disney experienced when he came to America”.

 

 

Continue reading →

 

Heading to Family Fun With The Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship

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Tomorrow I am heading to Florida to join in the fun on the newest Disney cruise ship called Disney Fantasy. This is a media trip for me (and other media) to find out details about the ship to pass on to my readers.  I am braving the trip with my twin 9 year old sons (hubby and my tween are staying home). I consider myself a savvy traveler after traveling the world for business – but traveling with kids is something completely different. Honestly – traveling with kids simply makes me nervous. Which is why I love going on Disney adventures that are not only made for families and put also put nervous mother’s like myself at ease.

 

 

So check back next week where I will share my adventures and all the family fun the Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship has to offer!

 

Disclosure: My travel expenses for this media trip are covered by Disney. This is not a paid post, my words are my own.

 

New Release: “Double Fine Happy Action Theater” – A New Kinect for Xbox 360 experience for families

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Our family loves our Kinect for XBox 360 as family entertainment with a gesture tech slant. We always enjoy trying out the new activities and games that come out for the Kinect, especially ones for all ages. I just received a press release today of a new activity for the Kinect called Double Fine Happy Action Theater. The 18 new family friendly “arcade” like experiences include jumping in a ball house, hot lava, build an ice cave out of your furniture and wait out a blizzard, become a giant monster and stomp buildings and more. Up to six players at once can play with the experiences that ” intuitively respond to their body movements and react in interesting and unexpected ways”. I can’t wait to try them out.

 

PRESS RELEASE/FACT SHEET:
Double Fine Happy Action Theater Fact Sheet – January 2012
Continue reading →

 

RockSmith Video Game: Finally A Game That Uses Real Guitars!

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When Clever Girls Collective/Ubisoft asked if I was interested in trying out Rocksmith with my tween son and his rocker friends (who are in a band), I jumped at the chance. Rocksmith is the first video game where you can connect real electric guitars with a standard 1/4” input jack with a Microsoft Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation 3 entertainment system. There is also a Rocksmith bundle that includes a guitar.

 

The game has a helpful tuning process and difficulty settings that automatically adapt to your experience level. Experts can play songs from memory, experiened guitar players can play from notes on the screen and a beginner like me can follow easy color-coded strings on the screen.

 

Feel like a real rockstar with different backgrounds including a concert theme.

 

 

There are also mini-games and what the Rocksmith website explains as the ability to: “Turn your console into an amplifier and play with loads of in-game effects pedals, amplifiers, and cabinets. String pedals together with nearly infinite combinations and tweak your sound until you’re satisfied.”

 

Some of the tracks include  David Bowie – Rebel Rebel, Eric Clapton – Run Back To Your Side, Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way, Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama, Radiohead – High And Dry, The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry and The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.

 

Here are some details from the press release:

SAN FRANCISCO – October 18, 2011 – Today, Ubisoft® announces that Rocksmith™ is now available at retail throughout North America.  The standard edition of the game, available for $79.99, will include the Rocksmith Real Tone Cable™, a unique 1/4” to USB cable that is the first of its kind, developed exclusively for Rocksmith.  This revolutionary cable turns the guitar’s signal from analog to digital, allowing it to be recognized and played through video game consoles for the first time.  The guitar bundle will provide a quality entry-level option for people that have always wanted to play but don’t own a guitar. The bundle, available for $199.99, includes an Epiphone Les Paul Jr guitar, along with the Rocksmith Real Tone Cable.  Rocksmith is rated “T” for Teen.  

For more information on Rocksmith, please visit www.rocksmith.com, and follow Rocksmith on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rocksmithgame

But what did my tween son’s friends – who happen to play in a band – think about Rocksmith?

 

Not only did they say Rocksmith was enthusiastically “awesome” – but they also had been waiting for the game and were so excited it finally launched. Here are some of their comments after playing the game at our Rocksmith party:

 

  • The game is not only fun but also teaches you how to play notes & chords by showing you where to press and even how to hold the guitar pick.
  • Let’s you choose whether you play chords or notes.
  • Really enjoyed the freestyle mode.
  • Unlike other games, you can play actual notes.
  • As you learn, the game gives you more notes to play.
  • Yeah! I finally get to play Rocksmith!

 

As a mom, it was exciting to watch video game play that had learning involved and was very “cool” (hard to find that combo). Rocksmith is the type of game that either one, two or big groups of kids at a party can take turns playing and is also fun to watch and listen to for the partygoers not playing the game.

 

At the same time, it is a welcome addition to our family video game library, whether for my tween son to play during his allowed “screen” time or for the family to play together. Rocksmith was also a great fit for my 8 year old twins who are taking guitar lessons. The teen rating was not an issue for our family because it was mainly related to lyrics in the songs (which I have been listening to for years so why can’t my kids!).

 

Disclosure: Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.