Category Archives: Tech Learning

Intel “What About Me?” – Picture Of Your Digital Life (Twitter Party)

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Like many entrepreneurs these days, I share my professional brand and parts of my personal life online using various social media platforms. While my main focus online is to curate the most relevant tech information , I also consider myself a fashionista who has found stylish heels that can make it through a week at Consumer Electronics Show (fashion), clueless in the kitchen and always looking for easy recipes (food) and a number one fan of her twin sons’ Little League baseball team (sports).  But I do wonder what a snapshot of my digital life would look like. That is why I was excited to try a tool created by Intel called “What About Me?”. The tool captured a snapshot of my social media life in an infographic to represent the topics and updates I share.

 

 

So, what would a snapshot of your digital life look like? Here are the steps to create your own digital snapshot:

 

Step 1: Visit the “What About Me?” page and follow the prompts and approvals to add your Twitter, YouTube and/or connect with Facebook:

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Wait until it processes – and run a mouse over the circles to have some fun while waiting.

 

 

 

 

Next, click on the results and see your digital life. There image has different areas that cover the topics, stories, popular updates, pictures, mood, connections and when you clock in.  The areas represent different types of updates – but it mainly covers Facebook. There are also buttons to share the results on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Google+ and save as an image.

 

 

 

 

What shocked me about my results? Here is a video where I talk about my “What About Me” tool results – please share yours!

 

 

 

Update 5/18: party concluded on May 17 7pm pst. Winners were announced on Twitter:  $50 Best Buy gift cards went to @simplyandreah , @immortalb4 , @helyn4, @littlecrunchy and @paramedic_mom.  $250 Best Buy gift card to @thattweetthing.

 

5/17/2012 Twitter Party info:

Please join co-hosts @IntelEdge @LittleTechGirl @TechMama as well as panelists @TechSavvyMama @Tech4Moms @scrappinmichele and @c2cmom for a Twitter Party where we share our results and discuss how we use social media.

Details:

Intel “What About Me?” Twitter Party
Date: Thursday May 17 5-7pm pst (7-9pm cst and 8-10pm est)

Co-hosts: @IntelEdge @LittleTechGirl @TechMama  Panelists: @TechSavvyMama @Tech4Moms @scrappinmichele and @c2cmom

Hashtag: #IntelSocialButterfly
Create a snapshot of your social media life by visiting this link http://bit.ly/JNQUwk  to create your own infographic. Then share your results and how you use social media during the Twitter Party.
Prizes are: Five (5) $50 Best Buy gift cards and (1) $250 Best Buy gift card will be randomly awarded.
To qualify for the prizes please follow 3 steps: (1) please RSVP here (link will be added TBD) , (2) tweet out your What About Me? image with the hashtag #Intelsocialbutterfly and (3) participate in the Twitter Party.
For details and contest rules visit Little Tech Girl and TechMamas (click to bottom of this post link for contest rules).

 

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Intel. All opinions are my own.

 

 

Also check out CoolMomTech ‘s also post on the What About Me tool

 

 

SOCIAL BUTTERFLY TWITTER SWEEPSTAKES Official Rules:

 

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Adventures in Budgeting With The American Express Prepaid Card

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see disclosures at bottom of post*

My new career blogging about technology began after I left full time employment in the field of technology consulting to focus on raising three wonderful boys. Blogging introduced me to an amazing social media community, not only online but also at meetups, conferences and social media events. Even though I had traveled plenty for business before having kids, I found traveling for my own business very different than traveling for an employer. It really started to add up. First a conference ticket, then a hotel and taxi. Add in food and a “must have” new pair of shoes, as well as other assorted travel expenses, and I seemed to always exceed my target for travel expenses. Like others who followed a passion that lead to a business, I too learned a little too late that when running your own company, budgeting is a must.

 

OK, maybe I did not need the new pair of shoes and a new outfit, but considering I spend most work days at home dressed in sweats, I like to spruce it up a bit for business conferences.

 

So instead of spending less – I increased the budget. This works for the trip – but when I return home reality takes over. I need better fiscal control.

 

Enter American Express Prepaid Card for my trip to BlogWorld LA and my first attempt to stay on budget.

 

 

Business Trip Tips Using The American Express Prepaid Card from Beth Blecherman on Vimeo.

 

For my trip to BlogWorld Los Angeles in November, I used the American Express prepaid card to manage my spending and pre-loaded it with, for the first time, only the amount in my budget. Because it is prepaid I could only spend the amount I loaded on the card.

 

 

As a first step, I estimated how much the hotel, airfare and travel expenses would cost for the trip. I even included funds for a new shirt. Next, I signed up for the American Express prepaid card a few weeks in advance so that I could load only the *budgeted* amount onto the card. Signing up for the card was easy, and although it took a few weeks to set up, I was happy that the validation steps were put in place to protect me. One feature that helped me manage my spending was not paying any fees: The American Express prepaid card has no annual, customer services, overdraft or transaction fees. No fees saves me money.

 

Before Blogworld, I used the American Express prepaid card to pay for airfare, register for an Expo pass and buy a new blue shirt.  Examining the card’s balance, I decided to close my eyes and walk past the beautiful new pair of shoes in the store window, wearing a pair from my closet instead. At Blogworld, I used the prepaid card for my hotel, meals, incidentals and taxis. Easily checking the balance online, I verified there was had enough left over to take a business associate out to lunch. Arriving home after Blogworld, trip complete and budget met, there were no remaining funds on the card. For the first time in a while, I had stuck to my budget.

 

Another neat feature of American Express prepaid card is that I can order up to three cards. if I hired a personal assistant, I can give that person a card to cover their business purchases. And when I hire a video editor (my son, he’s 12 years old and VERY talented, that is my unbiased opinion of course) – I can give him a card to buy new video editing software.  Because the card is prepaid, it would also protect me from any un-expected purchases my son may spontaneously decide to attempt (like a new video game or 2). He will need to wait for his birthday for that!

 

Disclosure: Travel Expenses for my trip to Blogworld were covered by (and on) The American Express Prepaid Card.

 

Technology Enabled Remote Working

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Like many in the technology industry, I gave up my desk long ago and adopted the lifestyle of a mobile worker. First as an international auditor for a large pharmaceutical firm and then as a consultant for Deloitte, I was frequently traveling and remote work was just part of the job.  Clients’ offices were frequently outfitted with all the technology and infrastructure to get the job done. It wasn’t a struggle at all. Now, as a work-at-home mom and entrepreneur, I continue to see the value of working remotely and the need to create a professional remote work infrastructure.

The WhiteHouse.gov recently published a study on remote work that found “Almost one-third of firms cite costs or limited funds as obstacles to implementing workplace flexibility arrangements. However, the benefits of adopting such management practices can outweigh the costs by reducing absenteeism, lowering turnover, improving the health of workers, and increasing productivity.”

My own informal study of neighborhood parents who travel each morning to work outside of the home confirms that while their companies may offer some flexibility to work remotely, they also require that a majority of the work be done at the office. Why? Can’t a video teleconference or online collaboration do the job just as effectively? Why don’t more companies save travel time and costs by offering the option to work remotely?

Collaboration is certainly important, but with many online collaboration tools now available a face to face meeting is not essential. Remote working arrangements enable working mothers and fathers with great skills and family commitments (i.e. child or elder care) to return to work.

Some of the true trailblazers for remote work are my fellow social media mom entrepreneurs. Many of them have day jobs at an office while also working at home, and all of them have harnessed the latest and greatest gadgets to make sure they can work remotely on a flexible schedule. This may even include a conference call while waiting in the school carpool lane (oh wait – I did that yesterday).

 

Kris Cain (LittleTechieGirl), Michele Rasner McGraw (Scraps of My Geek Life) and Lori Cunningham  (WellConnectedMom)  shared with me their list of remote work technologies, including online storage and productivity sites, smartphones, tablets, laptops, chargers, Bluetooth keyboards, cameras, accessories (device cases), storage (i.e. the EyeFi card) and most importantly, mobile broadband options to stay connected. Here are some of the key technologies in their and my “office on the go.”

Computers: My laptop and netbook are my workhorse devices. At home I have a laptop with a 17” screen and top features including a fast processor, lots of RAM and plenty of storage. For mobile use I have a netbook, small and light enough to fit into my purse. But after seeing the new Ultrabooks, the latest thinner and lighter laptops, I may just need to add one to my suite of mobile tools.

 

Tablet: I use my tablet mostly for media consumption and light work tasks. It also offers a wide range of entertainment and education apps for my kids.

 

Smartphone: One of my top remote work tools is a smartphone. Beyond making calls, smartphones enable work on the go with mobile productivity apps, voice dictation, internet browsing, document editing and updating of your professional network.

Online collaboration and productivity tools: I use online tools to create, store, share and collaborate on work projects. As my business grows, I realize that I also need professional suites of productivity tools for support (and recovery) of my work projects.

 

Broadband: There are multiple personal broadband devices that allow one (or more) people to connect mobile devices to the Internet on the go. While WiFi is available in many locations, mobile broadband offers access independent of location. At my home office, I upgraded the wireless router and broadband to the fastest available in my neighborhood.

 

Video conferencing: As computer features improve, so does the quality of video conferencing on computers. I use video conferencing for everything from basic meetings to paid presentations.

 

Wireless accessories: At my home office I enjoy using a big ergonomic keyboard and mouse. For remote work, I have a selection of wireless devices including Bluetooth keyboards, headsets, mouse and storage devices. Really – who needs wires anymore these days?

 

Fashionable devices bags and cases: I always say that tech is the new fashion statement so I prefer laptop bags, cases and accessories that not only protect my devices but also add a touch of my personal style. When it comes to tech accessories, I say colors and dynamic designs are the new black.

 

This commentary is part of Microsoft’s Your Office, Your Terms Forum  – http://msft.it/YOYT  #Blog #YOYT

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