Design Redefined With Project Runway Winner Michelle Lesniak Franklin & Intel
May 20th, 2013 by ChristenWhat happens when you mix technology, fashion and Project Runway 11 winner – Michelle Lesniak Franklin an Intel Experience in NYC? A day of entertaining fun & real life talks on the importance of portable technology on the go.
Over the weekend, DivasandDorks.com was invited to attend an exclusive presentation of where technology meets design at the Experience Intel pop up shop in Chelsea. Filled with live performances, gaming experiences and more, Intel offered unique hands-on experiences for consumers and fans alike.
Project Runway 11 winner Michelle Lesniak Franklin
One of Intel’s newest fans, Project Runway 11 winner – Michelle Lesniak Franklin shared the spotlight highlighting her love for the Intel Ultrabook convertable. After winning Project Runway’s host of prizes including a $50,000 suite of Intel products Michelle shares how her world of design has been
redefined with Intel technology. Check out the video to discover more from Michelle, Project Runway and Intel.
About Michelle Lesniak Franklin: Michelle Lesniak Franklin is a designer from Portland who won Project Runway season 11. She first took interest in the world of fashion during high school when she reconstructed vintage clothing to fit her needs and quirkiness. She then studied printmaking/fine art in college as well as pattern making and draping at her her local community college. Discover more of Michelle Lesniak Franklin designs at AU-Clothing.com.
(INVITATION) Beauty Meets Technology With The New INGLOT Makeover App
May 17th, 2013 by ChristenIf you love beauty products, but hate the trial and error process or wasting countless bucks on products that don’t work for you – I’ve got news for you! Join me at INGLOT’S Pro Studio and Artist Lounge to celebrate the launch of the new INGLOT Virtual Makeover mobile app! Inglot makeover app
Inglot makeover app
The new INGLOT virtual makeover for iPad and iPhone allows you to experiment and create exciting new looks using INGLOT cosmetics famously vibrant color palette. Not only can you let your imagination run wild, but you can save yourself the agony of never having buyers remorse ever again. Simply upload your photo and try INGLOT colors directly onto your picture. Virtual color detection makes foundation matching easy and you can eve build your a custom selected Freedom palette of color.
Inglot makeover app
Want a chance to test out the app and get an accompanying makeover of your dreams? Join me on June 4th for the official INGLOT virtual makeover app launch in NYC! We’ll have makeover competitions, music, treats and great prizes including gift cards, beauty bags and more!
Space is limited and we can only accommodate the first 50 reader RSVPs today. If you’re in the NYC area and would like to attend, send your name with Subject: INGLOT Makeover App Launch via email to INGLOTstudioNYC@InglotUSA.com.
Inglot makeover app
See you there!
Swoon Dating App Makes Social Dating Easy For Apple or Android Users #SwoonUpNYC
May 16th, 2013 by ChristenAhhhhhhhh…. Spring is in the air! It’s finally time to bring on the flirty dresses, rooftop happy hours and smartphone dating? Yup, you read that right! With mobile dating being the fastest and easiest way to find and meet new singles near you, it was only a matter of time for the latest mobile app to make dating easier than ever ever before! Now available on your Android or Apple smartphone, get ready to start swooning today!
swoon app
swoon app
Swoon, a new dating app that allows users to connect with cool people nearby, has bridged the gap between smartphone platforms and debuted an iOS app, making it the first app of its kind to be available to both Android and iPhone users.
In celebration of the iOS launch, its time raise a glass and celebrate the SwoonLife at the Official NYC Launch Party. On Tuesday, May 21st, Swooners will have the chance to test their swooning skills at Haru Gramercy over lite bites and cocktails. Hopefully, Swooners will meet the man or woman of their dreams!
swoon app
Swooners can also enter for exclusive giveaways and prizes, like an Android phone, and many others!
Who: NYC’s 20-somethings now have a reason to celebrate the dating world the SwoonLife way, whether you are looking to meet new people, or are single and ready to mingle. Guests will also have the chance to meet and hang out with the Swoon Men, VIP Guests, and Dating Experts!
How: Upon arrival, guests are asked to download the app as admission into the happy hours. Swoon is the mobile app for finding cool people nearby. It’s completely anonymous until there’s a mutual match. Swoon is available on Android and iOS. Join the conversation and tweet us at the event using #SwoonUpNYC.
When: Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Haru Gramercy, 220 Park Ave South (Corner of E 18th St)
6:30pm-8:30pm
For more information, visit www.swoonapp.com.
Disclosure: Thanks SwoonApp for sponsoring this post. I was selected for this opportunity and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #SwoonApp #SwoonUpNYC
New T-Mobile Customers May Be Eligible For A “No Contract” Refund
April 26th, 2013 by Christen
t-mobile no contract refund
If you were one of the few people lured into becoming a new a T-Mobile customer based on the new “No Contract” ads seen on television in print, then you might be eligible for a serious refund. According to Washington State Attorney General, Bob Ferguson – T-Mobile has been deceptive in targeting customers with its’ “No Contract” campaign.
“As Attorney General, my job is to defend consumers, ensure truth in advertising, and make sure all businesses are playing by the rules. My office identified that T-Mobile was failing to adequately disclose a critical component of their new plan to consumers, and we acted quickly to stop this practice and protect consumers across the country from harm.” – Bob Ferguson, Washington State Attorney General
In a statement released by T-Mobile the carrier said that “As America’s Un-carrier, our goal is to increase transparency with our customers, unleashing them from restrictive long-term service contracts — this kind of simple, straight forward approach is core to the new company we are building, While we believe our advertising was truthful and appropriate, we voluntarily agreed to this arrangement with the Washington AG in this spirit.”
T-Mobile on their part has agreed to change its method of marketing their plans and offered refunds to anyone who signed up for their service between March 26 and April 25. The carrier will be contacting customers eligible for a refund or cancellation, but you can contact T-Mobile at 1-877-746-0909 or 611 on a T-Mobile phone for more info.
t-mobile no contract refund
What did you think about the no contract ads? Did you believe the hype? Are you a T-Mobile customer looking for a refund?
t-mobile no contract refund t-mobile no contract refund t-mobile no contract refund t-mobile no contract refund
The Most Tech-Friendly Cities in America
April 12th, 2013 by Nicole
PC World Magazine has released its list of America’s Most Tech-Friendly Cities for 2013 (April issue). The list is based on a compilation of tech amenities for tech savvy people that spend a large majority of their time working, playing, and shopping online. If you are at home, work, and out and about the cities should have smart phone apps, WiFi hotspots, and technological city services for your needs. So which cities are the most tech-friendly?
How Did They Rank the Cities’ Tech-Friendly Level On?
The magazine measured the cities tech-friendly based on ten factors: IT jobs, computer science graduate programs in the area, WiFi, speed of 3G/4G cell service, LTE wireless services, speed of home broadband, the number of tweets that originate from each city, and city government smart phone apps. The city government apps include apps to report potholes and paying for metered parking. Here is the rundown:
America’s Top 5 Most Tech-Friendly Cities:
Silicon Valley
1. San Jose/Silicon Valley, California – ranked high in public WiFi, IT jobs, city Apps, IT graduate programs, LTE services, and 4G download speed.
2. Atlanta, Georgia – ranked high in public WiFi, daily tweets, home broadband speed, and LTE services
3. Boston, Massachusetts – ranked high in public WiFi, IT graduate programs, and home broadband.
4. Minneapolis, Minnesota – ranked high in public WiFi, and home broadband.
5. San Francisco, California – ranked high in public WiFi, IT jobs, IT graduate programs, and LTE services.
Which of the Tech-Friendly Cities Had the Most WiFi?
Some cities ranked higher in one area over others. Minneapolis, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Boston, and San Francisco are the cities with the most publicly available WiFi Networks.
Portland, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Denver were the fastest 3G/4G wireless combo.
Is your city one of the most tech-friendly cities in America? How did your city rank? Were you surprised by cities that did or didn’t make the list?
Five Tech Tips To Beat Seasonal Allergies This Spring
April 5th, 2013 by Christenbeat seasonal allergies 
beat seasonal allergies
There’s nothing worse than the inconvenient flush of seasonal allergies. The itchy eyes, dripping nose and internal chaos that comes with Spring is just something that many of us could just do without. As a new allergy sufferer, it took me a long time to understand that never-ending nose leaks was in fact agitated allergies and not symptoms of catching a cold. More than 35 million American suffer from pollen allergies, according to the FDA . Every year, the United States spends $21 billion on health costs related to allergies.
So what can you do if you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from pollen allergies every year?
Invest in these top-rated tech products to battle allergens, germs, odors and humidity in your home.
5. Honeywell – AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner/Odor Reducer – Black ($249.99)
Designed for rooms up to 250 sq. ft.; removes up to 99.9% of microscopic airborne particles and pollutants; permanent washable filter; includes odor-reducing prefilter.
TIP: Are you suffering from allergies, but don’t know what’s causing your allergic reaction? Get tested to find out what exactly you’re allergic to.
beat seasonal allergies
beat seasonal allergies
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4. Hamilton Beach – TrueAir Room Air Purifier – White ($29.98)
Keep up to a 100 sq. ft. room smelling fresh for up to 3 months with this Hamilton Beach TrueAir 04532GM room odor eliminator that features 3 carbon filters that easily trap and neutralize odors.
TIP: Now that you have an idea of what’s causing your symptoms, consult your physician about possible treatments such as allergy shots and medication.
beat seasonal allergies—————————————————————————————————————————————
3. Germ Guardian – 3-in-1 99.97% HEPA Air Purifier – Dark Gray ($139.99)
Purifies up to 193 sq. ft. of air per hour; removes airborne allergens, odors and smoke particles from the air; digital controls; UV-C technology; True HEPA, Pet Pure and activated carbon filters.
TIP: If you spend a lot of time outdoors, wash your hair and clothes regularly to get rid of pollen build up and residue.
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2. Sharp – HEPA Air Purifier – White ($199.99)
Take a deep breath with this Sharp FP-A60U air purifier that features carbon and HEPA filters to remove particles, such as pollen, mold, dust and household odors. Plasmacluster technology helps clean and refresh the air in rooms up to 300 sq. ft.
TIP: If you have pets, groom them regularly because they can bring pollen indoors.
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1. Crane – Ultrasonic 1-Gal. Cool Mist Humidifier – Owl ($49.99)
Humidifies rooms up to 500 sq. ft.; 1-gal. reservoir capacity; 2.1-gal. output per day; adjustable mist levels; owl design; demineralization cartridge
TIP: If pollen continues to bring havoc to your body, limit your time outdoors and stay indoors as much as possible during pollen season to minimize your exposure.
Looking for more reasons to take advantage of what tech has to offer? Best Buy wants to give you a 20% off Family & Friends coupon towards your next air purification purchase!
Disclaimer: As a Best Buy Brand Ambassador, DivasandDorks.com has been compensated in the form of a BestBuy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free, however all opinions are our own.
Recreating My Signature Space With the HP ENVY x2
March 25th, 2013 by Christenhp envy x2
Last week HP invited a handfull of bloggers, designers, photographers and more for SPRING INSPIRATIONS with DwellStudio founder and creative director, Christiane Lemieux. During the preview event of DwellStudio’s spring lines, we also discovered new ways to use technology to bring ideas to life with digital design.
hp envy x2
hp envy x2
Using the HP ENVY x2 by Hewlett-Packard we were encouraged to create a themed collage as inspiration for redecorating space at home. (Participating in this project was sweet serendipity as I’ve been planning on reorganizing & redecorating my bedroom and office space as birthday gift to myself.)
hp envy x2
With the HP ENVY x2 creating a collage & presentation was easy. This laptop doubles as a tablet with a detachable keyboard that adjusts with the click of a button taking it from a laptop to tablet in a snap. With NFC technology, Beats Audio and Windows 8 Pro – this laptop comes ready to go, right out of the box.
hp envy x2
- Genuine Windows 8 32 OS, Beats Audio
- 11.6-inch diagonal HD LED-backlit IPS Display (1366 x 768), Intel Atom Z2760 (1.80GHz) + Intel Graphics
- 2GB 533MHz LPDDR2 SDRAM, 64GB (Solid State Drive), 2 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- Front-facing HP TrueVision 1080p HD Webcam with integrated digital microphone
- Bluetooth(R), 802.11a/b/g/n, Standard Keyboard
Check out more inspirational collage presentations and photos from the SPRING INSPIRATIONS with DwellStudio event below.
Are Gadgets Keeping You Up? 4 Tips to Improve Your Sleep Quality
March 14th, 2013 by Lifestyle StaffAre you guilty of it? Nestling with your phone as you get cozy in bed? You’ve probably been found with your eyes closed, phone still in hand as if you were scrolling down your Twitter timeline, until you drifted off into dreamland. Although we are all guilty of it at one point or another, the question that comes up once you’ve entered dreamland is whether or not your sleep is meeting your needs? Sleeping with our smartphones, tablets, and laptops is not healthy. All of this can be detrimental to our sleep patterns. Here are some important stats from multiple studies, and compiled by Online Psychology Degree.
Who doesn’t want to be well rested every morning? A good night’s rest is great because it allows us to feel like we can conquer the day and are less likely to have to drag ourselves out of the bed. Getting sleep of bad quality doesn’t just affect our desire to go about our day, but also creeps into other aspects of our life. When not well rested, folks are more likely to fall asleep behind the wheel, at work desks, and later in life are more likely to have a heart attack. Take these tips and decrease your risks.
1. Try sleeping with your phone, tablet, or other device on your dresser or nightstand instead of in bed with you. It will be less likely for sleepers to be woken up by texts and emails if their phone is further away from their beds.
2. Unplug from all devices an hour before sleeping. This allows people to live a bit without their devices attached to them.
3. Pick an unwind routine that works for you. If you live with people, use this time to have undistracted conversations. Or, you know that book you’ve been saying you’d read? Use this time to turn some pages in it. Maybe you could even prepare your lunch for the next day, or do some yoga.
4. Avoid caffeine within three hours of intended bedtime. That way, you won’t be wired and needing to get work done on any of your many devices.
Health.com reported on how celebrities find the time and get their rest. Check it out here!
Do you think your phone, tablet, or computer has an effect on your sleep? Have any tips to add to the list?
Women’s History Month: Celebrating Black Women in Technology
March 8th, 2013 by TiffanyWomen have excelled in science and technology for the past 20 decades. Some are responsible for breakthrough inventions or discoveries that have revolutionized the world of technology as we know it. Thus, this year’s theme for National Women’s History Month, Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is the reason for our first segment in a series recognizing the amazing African American women from way back then and today. It’s unfortunate that many of these women have been forgotten or overlooked as their inputs in technology continue to advance our society.
Then…
Miriam Benjamin
A Washington D.C. school teacher and the second black woman to receive a patent in 1888, long before technology was as vital as it is now, Benjamin received a patent for an invention she called a Gong and Signal Chair for Hotels. Her invention allowed hotel customers to summon a waiter from the comfort of their chair. A button on the chair would buzz the waiters’ station and a light on the chair would let the wait staff know who needed service. Sound familiar? Maybe something now used on airplanes?
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Patricia Bath
Ever wonder wheere the eye laser surgery revolution started? Doctor Patricia Bath, an ophthalmologist from New York became the first African American female doctor to patent a medical invention. Patricia Bath’s patent (#4,744,360) was for a method for removing cataract lenses that transformed eye surgery forever by using a laser device making the procedure more accurate. An invention we will continue to use and revolutionize for centuries to come!
Sarah Goode
Ever bought a storage or folding bed, or certainly you know someone that has? You might’ve thought this was a fairly new idea, but contrary to popular belief, this was the first patent given to an African American woman. Sarah Goode was the first to receive a U.S. patent on July 14, 1885 for a cabinet bed. She was the owner of a Chicago furniture store and birthed an idea that continued to grow decades after the issuance of her patent.
And now…
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Ory Okolloh
Kenyan blogger and indefatigable open-government activist, Ory Okolloh is a co-founder of Ushahidi, a pioneering, free open-source platform for crowd sourcing crisis information. She is now Google’s policy manager for Africa and serves as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Prior to co-founding Ushahidi, Okolloh, 34, founded Mzalendo, a website that helps Kenya’s electorate keep track of the activities of their representatives in parliament. She is known as one of Africa’s Most Successful Women by Forbes.
Ursula Burns
Burns was named head of Xerox, the $15 billion computer and office equipment company, in 2007 after beginning as an intern in 1980. She earned her title and was a natural choice for the position after leading key business units and helping her predecessor Ann Mulcahy remake the company. Burns, who earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York and a master’s in engineering from Columbia, was appointed by President Obama to vice chair of his Export Council 30 years after beginning her career.
Sandra K. Johnson
A member of the IBM Academy of Technology, the top 1 percent of IBM’s 250,000 technical employees, she has more than 40 patents and is a specialist in software and hardware research performance optimization. The Southern University-trained electrical engineer also has a master’s from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from Rice University, both in electrical engineering.
Window Snyder
Snyder picked up cryptography at a very young age, leading her to cybersecurity. Prior to working for Apple Inc., she headed security for the Mozilla Corp., which created the Firefox browser, and spent three years at Microsoft working on Windows XP and servers. She also maintains contacts with good and bad hackers. We personally owe her a lot of thanks from our continued use with the products she has worked on!
While the number of women in technology and other areas of science are growing, the number is still smaller than one might think. It is obvious, however, that the doors for African American women in the areas of science and technology are expanding beyond just simple patents. These inspiring, motivated, and intelligent women definitely deserve all the praise and recognition that this month holds for them as they continue to build and better multi-million and multi-billion dollar companies!
Multitasking On The Samsung Galaxy Note 2
February 28th, 2013 by ChristenAs a woman constantly on the go, time is always a luxury that I wish I had more of – so it’s a priority to make the most of my time everyday. Multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a amazing when you take advantage of features like Pop Up Play, Pop Up Note and the Multitask Window. Using the Samsung Galaxy Note II has opened my eyes to what multitasking on a smartphone device should be.
A few weeks ago, I announced my new Verizon Wireless mobile makeover and after a week of use – I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised on how the new Samsung Galaxy Note II has improved my life for the better. Check out a few of my favorite ways to multitask with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 below…
Pop Up Play
How often have you been forced to waste seconds or even minutes waiting for a video on your device to load? Multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a breeze with the Pop Up Play feature. Using the Pop Up Play function on my Samsung Galaxy Note II has allowed me to watch some of my favorite videos without sacrificing time to do other things. To activate pop up play, simply select pop up play in button within the player and you can easily multitask and do other things on your device while your video loads and plays. If your video gets in the way of your tasks, you can drag it anywhere out of your way on your screen. You can even resize the video by pinching the video using your index finger and thumb. (See step by step directions here.)
Just yesterday, my sister (yes, that’s my sister) sent me a link to preview her upcoming one-woman show entitled “I’mma Do Me” and I was able to watch her video on my Galaxy Note 2 without missing a beat online.
Pop Up Note
If you’ve been on a phone call and needed to take down an important note, Pop Up Note is a God-Sent app for you! Multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is easy with the Pop Up Note feature. While on the phone with my best friend, we decided to make a girl’s night out for dinner. Simply removing the S-pen from my Galaxy Note 2 device, the pop up note function appears on the screen allowing me to take important detailed notes. After I finished my note, I just returned the S-Pen to it’s rightful place and the note is saved automatically (allowing me to resume my conversation without skipping a beat). (See step by step directions here.)
Multi Window
One of the flagship features of Samsung’s Galaxy Note line is Multi-Window, which offers true on-screen multitasking by allowing you to simultaneously open two apps on the screen. Multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a super productive with the Multi Window function. Accessing Multi-Window is efficient and easy to do. Simply hold the back button and the multitask bar appears on the right side of the screen. From there you can select multitasking options for email, photo gallery, internet use, messaging and more. (see step by step directions here.)
These are just a few of my favorite features of multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and I can’t wait to discover more. But first, a girl’s gotta locate some stylish accessories for this device asap.
What do you think? Could you use the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for your day to day tasks? How would you use the Pop Up Play, Pop Up Note and the Multitask Window during your everyday activities?
Disclaimer: I am a VZW Ambassador and have received products for use, however opinions expressed are my own.
