Randi Zuckerberg's Blog, page 22
February 1, 2016
Radio Recap: Women Gamers
According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 60% of all girls between the ages of 13 and 17 are gamers, yet 76% of solo video game protagonists are male. Over 42% of females own a console, compared to 37 percent of males, and yet for every 5 male characters in a game there is only one female. And on video game covers, men were portrayed almost four times more than female characters, given significantly more game relevant action and less objectified sexiness.
Last week on ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’, Randi talked to Lina Chen and Naomi Ladizinsky, founders of gaming firm Nix Hydra to discuss women gamers:
“We were looking at our mobile devices trying to find games to play. There was nothing we wanted so we decided to make our own.”
“We learned to code from the internet like everyone else.”
“The computer takes things literally. Learning how to code helps communication.”
“Nix Hydra is a serendipitous name for us. They’re both mythological figures. You have to guess which of us is which.”
“Before we started we saw the homogenous side of digital conferences and the lack of games on phones.”
“There was a line for the women’s bathroom at one conference and everyone in there was so excited.”
“A big part of this is that are so many types of games that are under-explored right now.”
“Egg Baby is a mobile game with eggs that you adopt, pamper, and raise. Because of your interactions, the egg will develop into one of 100 creatures that give you gifts.”
“Our next game is the newest version of Egg Baby. With Egg! it’s two-player. You can raise a baby with a friend.”
“When we first started Egg Baby we put together the fastest version we could, but it took off from there. We had to hire people to keep up.”
“Egg Baby was done with 3 people and no marketing. Now we have 25 people plus marketing. We’re hoping for a much larger adoption than 14 million downloads.”
“This shouldn’t have surprised me but thinking back, it’s amazing how viral the teen girl market is. They go to school and tell everybody about it.”
“Our first product we ever did was Hot Guy Alarm Clock. We wondered if we could make an app at all.”
“It’s hard to start a company in the US when you’re not a citizen.”
“In order to get a work visa you need to raise enough money to prove that your company is legit but you can’t make money if you’re not in the country.”
“We had a hard time finding people who have a lot of experience in the gaming industry. The tone of gaming is so established and different from what we want to do.”
“We try to hire people who have a lot of perspective and have passion for what we do. They don’t have to be a particular gender. But more women fit this bill than men.”
“Brandon Beck of Riot Games was a personal mentor before we started the company. We made the effort to keep in touch with him.”
“There’s no waiting around for people to discover you, it’s making sure you’re on the top of people’s minds.”
“Be open, friendly, and grateful when reaching out to people. One day you’ll find someone that you connect with very well and ask them for advice and keep the relationship up.”
“Everything we’re doing individually to make Nix Hydra more visible is done on an individual case.”
“We’re mostly ignored than anything. We’re so far out with what we’re doing that they’re our games aren’y even considered games.”
“There’s an entire culture around online voice chat that can be threatening. It can be a scary place.”
“I was late to the game with Instagram but I love it.”
“Protect Carrots (Carrot Fantasy) is my obsession now. It’s a fixture in my life”
“Neko Atsume is a Japanese game where you put cat treats in your tree and wait for the cats to come get them. It doesn’t sound fun, but it’s awesome!”
Find out more about Nix Hydra at eggthegame.com or nixhydra.com
Join ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ this Wednesday when Julia Wang of pregnancy / parenting site The Bump joins the show! Only on SiriusXM Business Channel 111 at 12pm.
January 20, 2016
Radio Recap: Rise of the Drones
2016 has already started out with a bang: The Powerball jackpot paid out over a billion dollars while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been down since the first of the January. We’ve lost actor Alan Rickman, American judge and first woman to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court, Marie Garibaldi, and what sadly seems like losing an old friend, the death of international icon and musician extraordinaire, David Bowie.
But another space oddity has also made its splash on 2016, and that’s the Rise of the Drones. Today on ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ Randi discussed the business of drones with drone-tech correspondent for MarketWatch, Sally French and Eddie Codel, the founder of the Flying Robot International Film Festival:
“I love how tech is moving from cool, funny apps into useful things.”
“I was a journalism at the University of Missouri and took a drone journalism class and I fell in love.”
“University of Nebraska also has a drone journalism lab.”
“I only own one drone, but I’m always testing different drones.”
“The Typhoon is the coolest drone I’ve flown. It’s my current favorite.”
“I started on the Syma. Start with a $30 drone so if it crashes in the pool it’s okay.”
“Selfie drones are all the rage recently. Any drone can be one as long as it follows you. It’s more useful than a selfie stick.”
“A lot of people are against drone registration. They don’t want their name in a database. As of January there were 181,000 registrations.”
“For commercial drones around June we’ll find out what the FAA says about the pilot license now needed.”
“So many people don’t even know that they’re supposed to be registering their drones.”
“People should register drones for education and useful stipulations. You will stay away from airports and won’t fly over people.”
“A drone is a not a toy. It’s a serious piece of equipment. You need a drivers license to drive a car. Same with a drone.”
“I can’t tell you how many times I just need butter and want a drone to deliver it to me. MatterNet and Amazon have demonstrated it works.”
“I love animal protection use for drones. Rhinos are endangered so they use drones to monitor where they are.”
“Thermal cameras can detect poachers.”
“My favorite use of drones is for whales. Certain drones have a contraption to collect a specimen and fly it back to scientists.”
“So many small businesses can use drones. Roof inspection, solar energy, there are so many ways to use drones for work.”
“People are afraid of privacy. Drones are so loud and big you’d be able to see it.”
“Last year I was the HQ for International Drone Day. This year it’s on May 7th.”
“Disney has always been on the cutting edge of technology. Drones are a lot safer and environmentally friendly than fireworks.”
“Geofencing blocks your GPS from flying over no-fly zones.”
“DJI implemented software that won’t allow drones to fly over the White House or jails to help self-police.”
“The drone space is mostly male dominated. But more women are getting involved.”
The great thing about drones is you don’t need any physical strength to fly a drone. It doesn’t matter who you are, anyone can fly a drone.”
“The drone community is very tight-knit and kind. There’s always people on the forums willing to help.”
“If you want a physical drone flying class, DartDrones is great.”
“Amelia Droneharts is a drone place for women.”
“More delivery drones will be implemented by companies.”
Read more about Sally at Thedronegirl.com
“About 3 years ago a friend of mine shot a pool by drone and I was hooked.”
“I have about a dozen drones.”
“Drone racing is taking off. It’s coming from first person view hobbyists.”
“Multi-rotors can hold more weight and are used for camera shots. Fixed wings are like airplanes, they can fly for an hour.”
“My favorite still today is the Blade Nano QX can be flown inside.”
“Follow Me Drones are smart enough to frame you, take a photo and fly back.”
“The Ehang is a fantastic idea. Imagine an emergency response use for it.”
“The FAA makes two distinctions: The Hobbyist has no test. You have to register yourself as a pilot. Do not fly over crowded areas.”
“333 Exemptions require you become an actual airline pilot.”
“People equate drone racing to NASCAR.”
“Drone delivery is great, but we’re a ways away.”
“FRiFF is the first international film festival for drones. We received over 150 entries over 7 categories. All the films we 5 minutes or less.”
“We are about drone culture, the drones people make, storytelling around drones.”
“To stand out, do something unique and different with an amazing wow factor.”
“The Syria Airlift Project was where fixed wing drones fly into war zones and drop off medical payload and flyback.”
“Industries starting to use drones: Pipeline inspections, autonomous missions like mapping, construction use, energy.”
“The technology of drones makes them smart machines, in other ways they are dumb. One of the problems is they can’t sense and avoid.”
“Drones can be deployed safely in various ways knowing they’re going to hit something.”
“Any new tech with a camera attached, people get scared of their privacy.”
“Disney is able to fly drones because it’s over their private property even if it’s national airspace.”
“Drones are great STEM education. Teach it as a core curriculum.”
“Tacocopter became a media sensation and it was a real project until the FAA got involved.”
“I tried to get as many women on our panel as men. There are plenty of women out there, it’s just making the effort.”
“We’re going to see more autonomous drones that can do things easier and cheaper than man can.”
“Drones are getting smarter and friendlier all the time.”
Read more about Eddie at Eddie.com & FRiFF.co
Join ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ next Wednesday, January 27th when she sits down with Lina and Naomi of Nix Hydra to discuss women and gaming. Only on SiriusXM Business Channel 111 at 12pm ET/9am PT.
January 15, 2016
Top 5 Digital Dad Apps
UN Foundation Social Good Fellow, co-author of Content Rules, and father of two, C.C. Chapman is a self-proclaimed Digital Dad and proud of it.
“Having two teenagers in the house, tech is a big part of our lives.”
Here are C.C.’s Top 5 favorite Digital Dad apps:
1) 
Bring! – This is a shared grocery list / shopping list app. We’re a mixed family, we have iPhones and Androids, but anybody in our family can add to the list. I can click with one button to send a note out that I’m going shopping and everyone can add what they need! Yes, I’m a Digital Dad that does all the shopping and cooking.
2) Snapchat – To keep up to date on what my kids are doing and to communicate when traveling, I use Snapchat. My kids are teenagers, they live on it, this is how they communicate with each other. If parents want to communicate with their kids, they need to be what their kids are communicating on.
3) TripIt – I travel a LOT. This app keeps me less stressed and helps my wife to always know where I am and where to find me. And it keeps me sane by arranging my travel. My wife and kids and see where I am at any given time, so can I. It’s nice having a virtual travel assistant that doesn’t make mistakes.
4) Timehop – It’s fun to look back at where we’ve been, what we’ve done and how much the kids have grown. Timehop shows what you’ve been doing one year, two years, even ten years ago—as long as your social media / photo library goes that far too.
5) Geocaching – This super fun activity gets us out and active wherever we are. While tech is awesome, you have to get outside. You can hide treasure chests and find little knickknacks. Any time we’re traveling we see if there are any geocachings around. My wife first discovered it. It’s a little secret fun app.
To discover more about C.C. Chapman, follow him @cc_chapman
January 14, 2016
DOT COMPLICATED AT CES
I was thrilled to attend CES in Las Vegas this past week in a few capacities: As radio host of “Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg” on SiriusXM, as judge and co-emcee of The Bump Best of Baby Tech Awards Show, as co-host of a lively karaoke party with AmpMe (an app that synchs the same song across your friends’ phones, turning everyone’s phones into one giant speaker!) and as tech collaborator with HSN (who I learned is the 3rd largest seller of tablets!) Yes, that’s a lot of different hats. But what I loved about approaching CES this way, (and honestly, approaching my entire life this way!) is that it gave me a unique ability to take a look at the year’s largest technology showcase from several different perspectives:
Originally posted at TechCrunch
1) XX stands for consumer power. And everyone is listening.
When I first started coming to CES years ago, if you saw another woman (a rare sight indeed!), the immediate assumption was that she was a publicist, or (gasp!) a “booth babe.” So you could imagine my delight to see a huge increase in the presence of the XX chromosome this year. It was extremely eye-opening to be at CES with HSN, a network and retailer that knows and understands women’s consumer desires better than anyone else out there, and get an inside perspective into how important technology is for their female customers of all ages and all early-and-late-adopter profiles. While there is still a very long way to go before we achieve true gender parity in the tech industry, it was evident that the massive consumer power of women is recognized across the board.
2) It’s exciting… even dare I say “cool”… to work in the automotive industry again!
Everyone was buzzing about cars. From autonomous cars. Artificial Intelligence in cars. Hydrogen power for cars. Cars that can wirelessly charge themselves and the cars around them. I did live broadcasts of my SiriusXM show from the Chrysler/Fiat booth and the Toyota booth where Jim Pisz, a Toyota executive, joined the panel to discuss Toyota’s concept cars and investments into AI and hydrogen. You could feel the palpable excitement in the air. When was the last time you could say that about the automotive industry?
3) Baby Tech
What happens when an entire generation of entrepreneurs and inventors—with access to capital, data, and engineering talent—all have babies at the same time? You get the rise of BabyTech. Two of my favorites were Mimo (a baby monitor built into a onesie) and Code-a-Pillar (a caterpillar toy from Fisher-Price that comes with different attachments for a young child to program). I expect to see much more in this space in the years to come. Especially since we still don’t have diapering robots and self-driving strollers yet…..
4) Audio will be the next frontier of innovation.
While there have been huge innovations on the visual frontier with camera technology, virtual reality, and selfie drones, the audio department really seems to be lagging behind. A well-known VR/AR blogger told me that the number one place VR is getting stuck is in the audio department. Speakers on our smartphones seem to be going, well, backwards. Can anyone else barely hear out of their iPhone 6 without headphones? Apps like AmpMe and digital sound systems like Clarion’s aim to cure the audio woes.
5) There is a HUGE market for campy products.
From the Sensorwake, which emits the smell of fresh baked croissants in the morning, to the Ripple Maker, which allows you to print photos from your photo library onto a latte, I was delighted to say that delight itself was a huge business trend at CES.
6) Caution note to budding inventors: Entrepreneurs need to make sure they are solving problems that are ACTUALLY problems.
A laundry machine that saves me 15 minutes on my laundry time is great but it isn’t exactly a problem that keeps me up at night. A fridge that orders my eggs for me or a scale that tweets out my weight left me asking, I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Do I actually need this? Does anybody?” As an entrepreneur, don’t try to solve problems that aren’t really problems.
7) Tech is as Dot Complicated as ever.
As tech advances more and more, morals and values become more complicated. What happens when a self-driving car has to make a difficult ethical decision? Can a smarthome get hacked? The world is increasingly Dot Complicated, which means that as consumers, we need to get smarter about our tech consumption and our data and truly understand the opportunities and potential costs of any new innovation we try.
Don’t forget to read my book Dot Complicated ” and listen to my weekly radio show, “Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg,” on SiriusXM Business Channel 111 at 12pm ET/9am PT.
January 13, 2016
Radio Recap: Media Moms & Digital Dads
With tech growing at an exponential rate, being a digital immigrant is no easy feat. Dr. Yalda Uhls is a researcher, Director at Common Sense Media, and she’s the author of Media Moms & Digital Dads: A Fact, Not Fear Approach to Parenting in the Digital Age.
Today Yalda’s addressed the challenges and benefits of raising digital natives:
“My job as a researcher is to see the ramifications for kids.”
“I wanted kids. I had a great job, but it’s a challenging life to be studio exec and be a mom.”
“The kinds of movies that studios make are meant to appeal to teenage boys. They’re the most enthusiastic and hard to get out the house though.”
“I got an MBA when I was 24. So I was there when I was 24 and when I was 40.”
“If you want to go to school when you’re older, go for it!”
“There is no difference between a Digital Immigrant and a Digital Native.”
“You are a Digital Native if you were born after 1980.”
“Now there’s the Mobile Generation born after 2007 when the iPhone changed the world.”
“Having kids and studying child psychology was a plus because I could see it first hand.”
“Digital Immigrants refers to anyone who was born with tech evolving in their life.”
“Digital Native is someone born with tech.”
“The internet is a culture, it’s another place.”
“Facebook is the second largest country in the world.”
“Tech is a whole different language you need to learn.”
“Common Sense Media has been around since 2003. They have 25,000 plus rating across all sorts of media: books, TV, films.”
“I’m sensitive to ratings, coming from the film business.”
“Sanity not censorship is the Common Sense Media motto.”
“I launched the Common Sense Media office in LA.”
“I focus primarily on the outreach to the entertainment industry.”
“I felt like the books that are out there were fear-based.
“The media always jumps on the scariest story.”
“Social media strategists did not happen years ago. If kids don’t know tech they’re going to be left behind.”
“There are three different kinds of parenting: Head in the Sand, the Drone Parent, then the Media Mom and Digital Dad.”
“Men, Women, and Children is a great film about parents reacting to tech.”
“Media Mom and Digital Dads are helping their kids learn.”
“It’s not important to remember and know every single app and button, it’s more important to keep the lines of communication open and be a good role model.”
“Q: What is the biggest influence on the number of hours kids watch TV? A: Amount of TV parents watch.”
“There is strong correlation between parents’ behavior and their kids’ behavior.”
“Q: At what age do children learn to drive? A: 5. They are watching you drive. They are learning the behaviors.”
“When I wrote the chapter on mobile I was surprised that the iPhone was introduced in 2007. To me it feels so much part of our lives.”
“The iPhone hasn’t even been around 10 years and it’s already been so influential in our lives.”
“The average age of female gamers is 35.”
“All over the country, usually kids spend a 2-3 day field trip with their classes. I found a class that worked with me to say no screens allowed.”
“There average use of media for 6th graders on 5 day field trip was 4 ½ hours a day.
“The ability to read non-verbal cues after 5 days of no screens improved their ability to read non-verbal cues.”
“The more time we allow to have that kind of activity in our lives, the more we will be able to adapt to real-world situations.”
“When you look at the research they found video games are excellent for spatial learning. It underlines STEM learning as well.”
“Traditionally men have tested higher on spatial learning. If you give girls video games, they got better at spatial learning almost to the level of boys.”
“I looked up images of girls playing video games and found such unappealing photos.”
“I believe in the power of pop culture media to help create change.”
“Three months of using a STEM math app every night showed an increase in math skills beyond what school could do.”
“Minecraft helps develop social skills. These technologies were developed by introverts.”
“I feel more comfortable interacting by screens sometimes.”
“It’s unrealistic for all of us to take 5 days without screens, but even a few minutes without screens makes a difference.”
“Narrate for your child that you are taking away devices and screens and why so they start thinking about it as habit.”
“When kids talk to you while you’re emailing, narrate that you are finishing then putting down your device.”
Join ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ next week when she sits down with the creator of the Flying Robot Film Festival, Eddie Codel, to discuss drones. Only on SiriusXM Business Channel 111 at 12pm ET/9am PT.
January 8, 2016
The Bump Best of Baby Tech Awards
Owlet Baby Monitor, The Bump Best of Baby Tech Audience Award Winner
The Bump is one of the largest pregnancy and parenting brands for Millennials, providing everything one needs to know about raising a baby through different websites, apps, and smart devices and Thursday at CES, The Bump, together with Living in Digital Times, producers of the new Baby Tech Summit, hosted The Bump Best of Baby Tech Awards.
The Bump Best of Baby Tech Awards ceremony was co-hosted by The Bump site director, Julia Wang and Randi Zuckerberg and awarded each winner a one-year distribution contract with Best Babie, the largest national distributor in the baby, children and toy market.
The finalists and winners represent excellence in tech innovation, design and utility for fertility, pregnancy and baby products. Results were based on a compilation of online votes, in-person votes at CES and expert judges. The judging panel included:
Randi Zuckerberg, author of Dot Complicated & Dot
Catherine McCord, founder of Weelicious.com
Jennifer Trachtenberg, pediatrician, author, cofounder of The Baby Bundle App
Julia Wang, site director of The Bump
Sharon Brown, product marketing manager at Amazon
Vanessa Miller, product manager/business development at Best Babie Inc.
Katherine Ryder, CEO of Maven
The Bump Best of Baby Tech Categories & Award Winners
Baby Eats
Freemie Freedom Pump and Collection Cups allows moms to pump hands-free.
Baby Learn & Play
The Starling by Versa Me tracks how many words a parents say to their baby daily.
Baby On the Go
Evenflo ADVANCED Evenflo SensorSafe Embrace DLX Infant Car Seat has sensors alerting the driver to baby’s presence and safety.
Baby Safety
Owlet Baby Monitor hospital-grade baby sock provides all vitals while baby sleeps.
Fertility & Pregnancy
Univfy IVF Prediction Tests online tests to provide fertility patients with personalized probabilities of success for IVF.
Healthy Baby
Kinsa Smart Ear Thermometer scan for fevers or elevated levels in baby using your smartphone and the Kinsa device.
Audience Favorite
Owlet Baby Monitor
The Bump Best of Baby Tech Award Finalists
Healthy Baby:
CliniCloud, Kinsa, and Cellscope OTO HOME
Baby Eats:
BabyNes, Freemie Freedom Pump and Collection Cups, Nima
Fertility and Pregnancy:
ReliefBand, Univfy Prediction Tests, Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor
Baby-On-the-Go:
Evenflo Sensor Safe Embrace Infant Car Seat, 4Moms Infant Car Seat, Mutsy Igo Stroller
Baby Safety:
IBaby Monitor M6T, Mimo, Owlet Baby Monitor
Baby Learn & Play:
Cognoa, Fisher-Price Smart Connected Soothing Motions Seat, Starling by Versa Me
* More can be viewed at The Bump Best of Baby Tech Awards.
January 7, 2016
Radio Recap: CES 2016
Neither rain, nor mudslides, nor flight delays have stopped the 200,000-plus attendees and over 3,600 exhibitors from around the globe from getting to this biggest consumer tech show of the year. CES 2016 has drones, virtual reality, wearables, 3D TVS, OLED laptops, and especially smarthome appliances—anything and everything related to the Internet of Things is here at this year’s CES which runs until January 9th held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Today Randi hosted ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ live from the expo floor at the Toyota booth and was joined by Jeremy Kaplan the Editor–in-Chief of Digital Trends, Martin-Luc Archambault CEO of AmpMe, Adam Freeman, Host of ‘Monday Night with Adam’ on HSN, and Jim Pisz, the North American Business Strategy Corporate Manager for Toyota Motor Sales to discuss the newest tech at CES:
“Our Kikai line means ‘machine’ in Japanese—because it’s the beauty of the machine.”
“The beauty of a machine is so neglected nowadays.”
“We believe that fuel cell cars will be the product of the future.”
“We’ll be driving cars that aid drivers and is autonomous.”
“Driving is easy but there is some uncertainty that AI can help fix.”
“Every manufacturer is building some sort of electric car.”
“Hydrogen produces all the electricity you need to fuel a car.”
“It’s been a wonderful experience to look at the other autos here. Mercedes has some really great stuff.”
“There’s all this data floating around that we’re going to have to deal with. “
“Sometimes it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.”
“Toyota is very involved at the Maker Faire.”
“We have a group of young people moving into the field, changing the way an old company can grow.”
“The pig in Japanese is a lucky animal. Our engineers put 5 of Easter eggs of pigs in the Kikai.”
“The demonstration here is that the car energy bleed off can charge the car next to it.”
“I have a smart doorbell at my house. You can click the ‘accept’ button and freak people out.”
“AmpMe is the world’s most portable sound system.”
“AmpMe is a free app to create ideally the biggest sound system.”
“I want to mobilize music.”
“This is the first tech company I’ve started up in the music space.”
“CES allows dreamers to dream and show whatever is on their mind. You can push tech further.”
“I had one of the first Teslas in Canada. The first ‘wow’ moment I had was when it started driving itself.”
“It’s important for me to come here. You need to travel to see what advancements are being made.”
“I invested in startup that uses virtual reality. Tracking the eyeball is magical.”
“We sync phones together to create a huge soundsystem.”
“Our challenge was how we create the experience in a loud expo, so we created a sound booth.”
“When you hear a song you love ten times louder than normal, it’s emotional. It gives you shivers”
“The more you talk about your idea, the better.”
“One of the things I’d like to see is speakers on phone to become better.”
“This is such a journey for me here. This year it’s seeing the advancements in wearables.”
“One of the great things about working at HSN is telling the stories.”
“I was captivated by the televisions here.”
“There’s so much concept stuff here. So many things to look at.”
“People are really motivated to be in charge of what they’re doing.”
“One of the things we found on HSN is how we’ve grow in tech. It’s bigger than it’s ever been.”
“The hardest thing to demonstrate is virtual reality on TV.”
“The viewers love to hear what’s new and what’s out there.”
“We live in such a different time now. Now it’s easy to get funding to get something going.”
“One of the best parts of my job is working with new investors.”
“Communicating your story and your advantage is something entrepreneurs need to do.”
“People walk up to me everyday saying they have the next big thing.”
“CES is crazy. There are hundreds of thousands of people here. It’s kind of overwhelming but when you push through and see the small guys it’s fascinating.”
“The scale that tweets out your weight will not sell on HSN, I’ll tell you that.”
Jeremy Kaplan“I heard the same thing from a few car companies here, and that’s the need for collaboration.”
“We’re talking about finding a parking spot next to a car that needs help recharging.”
“We’re at a pivotal point where everything about the car industry is shifting.”
“Usually you see concept cars at expos, but this is the place where great car companies are coming to show off the possibilities.”
“We take cruise control for granted. Now cars are coming out with adjustable cruise control.”
“Cars, the big thing everyone will talk about is how well represented the future of cars is.”
“4K televisions are everywhere here.”
“There was a Chinese company that has a taxi drone. It flies you.”
“Drones went from being cheap toys to big business.”
“It’s easy to Kickstart a project, but making things is really hard. Producing something is the really hard part.”
“There’s a funny dichotomy between the stuff that’s real and the stuff that might not work.”
“Imagine if phones were all being charged by just sitting there. The Cota is wireless power.”
“A lot of the trends are similar but the reality is different.”
“All of these smarthome products are real, all of them are here, but none of them are talking to each other so that’s a real problem.”
Join ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ next week when Yalda Uhls, author of ‘Media Moms and Digital Dads’ joins the show. Only on SiriusXM Business Channel 111, 9am PST/12ET!
December 31, 2015
5 Apps to Find Love on Dating Sunday
This Sunday, January 3rd will be the busiest day of the year for online dating. Every year, the Sunday after New Year’s is a reflective time for singles. Tired of flying solo during the holidays or perhaps you were in a relationship that ended.
Regardless, it’s time for a fresh start and the biggest amount of new online memberships happen on Dating Sunday.
Fulfill your New Year’s resolution using these 5 dating apps recommended by online dating expert, Julie Spira:
1. Bumble – Android and iOsBumble is the mobile dating app which gives the ladies all of the control. It’s the “Sadie Hawkins” of digital dating. Created by Whitney Wolfe, a former co-founder of Tinder, Bumble is free to join. Users sign up from Facebook and then select their photos, distance they’re willing to search up to, and age requirements in the app.
How it works: Women view profiles of potential dates and they make the first move to select who to “like” by swiping right or who to “dislike” by swiping left. A popup will appear when you swipe left just in case you want to give a second look to a potential date. If there’s a mutual like, the ladies will have 24 hours to strike up a convo in the chat bubble on the top right of the app, otherwise the match will disappear. Your chats will appear in the “Conversations” section of the app until you decide to delete them. Did you swipe left by mistake? No problem. Their “Backtrack” feature allows you to shake the phone to get that last cute guy back in the game.
Why we like it: The ladies are enjoying being the one in control and let’s face it, the guys are competitive. They want to get selected and know they won’t be rejected if she starts the conversation.
2. Tinder – Android and iOsWe featured Tinder back in 2013, before swiping right became a household term. Tinder is the fastest growing location-based mobile dating app and Tinder-like apps are being launched every day. No longer the new kid on the block and not just for hookups (I know what you’re saying, you can’t say you met on Tinder, right?), singles are swiping left and right to the tune of 16 million swipes a day.
This year, Tinder announced Verified profiles since so many celebrities had joined the Tinder bandwagon. From Hilary Duff to your next door neighbor, everyone seems to be swiping. While Tinder is free, they launched a premium service, Tinder Plus, which costs between $9.99 and $19.99/month. Singles can now “Super Like” a potential match, giving them a digital heads up that they’re more than just a swipe away. Other premium features include “Passport,” which allows you to search in another city to help you fill your date card, before you hop on a plane or travel elsewhere. Swipe regret? Premium members can also get back that last left swipe, just in case you swiped in error.
How it works. Users download the mobile app on their iPhone or Android phones and connect through Facebook to create a profile. You can set your distance and age range in the “Discovery Settings.” Users anonymously swipe through potential matches nearby. If you’re interested, you swipe right. If you’re note, you swipe left. If it’s a mutual match, you can start chatting in text message style directly through their app. Once you swipe left, that profile will never appear again. You can also decide to unmatch yourself from someone if the conversation has a lull or if you had a date that wasn’t worth repeating.
Why we like it: It’s simple to use, free, let’s you see your Facebook friends in common, and is the fastest growing mobile dating app. It’s also a fun way to make new friends, as not everyone is single. You can view a variety of potential dates in a digital moment and anonymously decide whether you’re interested in them or not. Tinder boasts 9 billion matches to date with over 10 million active users.
3. Hinge – Android and iOsHinge is a mobile dating app that will only match you with friends-of-friends on Facebook and you can see where they work, as it pulls your data from Facebook. This is appealing to daters. Singles believe this app has less of a hookup tendency than others. Coming on the scene as the more serious version of Tinder (or anti-Tinder), Hinge gives you a limit of 5 -15 matches a day and this limit creates value and appreciation for each potential match. There’s also a new feature to give you a sense of urgency, as the match will disappear if you don’t message them within 24 hours. Their new handy countdown clock will let you know how much time you have left to message your mutual match. Once you send a message through the app, you’re notified that you have 14 days left to communicate. Basically, you’ll need to exchange digits within their time limitations or the match will disappear.
How it works: Singles download the app and log in using Facebook. Once you confirm your location, you’ll start receiving matches. You can see who you are connected through on Facebook and can even ask your mutual friend what he or she thinks about your potential date. You can set your age preferences and check off some of your passions from their curated list. Once you start receiving matches, click on the heart or swipe right if you’d like to make it a mutual match or click the X or swipe left if you want to decline. When you become a mutual match, you can start communicating through the app. Once you hit your match limit, you’ll be notified to check back and are encouraged to invite a friend to join Hinge. If you recommend a friend, they’ll send you more matches.
Why we like it: Their profiles include the first and last name of the potential date. It gives you a feeling of confidence knowing the person is genuine and authentic. Women love the app because it makes them feel safer while dating. Plus: There’s a 50/50 ratio of men to women.
4. Coffee Meets Bagel – iOsCMB has won the hearts of many singles looking for love online, especially the women. Featured on Shark Tank, the creators, the Kang sisters turned down a $30 million offer from Mark Cuban to buy the company.
How it Works: Users sign up through Facebook to create their free profile. Every day at noon, you’ll receive one match (a bagel) from a friend-of-a friend. You then have 24 hours to “Like” or “Pass” on the daily bagel, or even give the match to a friend. If you miss one of your bagel dates, you can request to be rematched. Users can visit the CMB bean shop to buy coffee beans to pay for upgraded services at the cost of $1.99 to $24.99, but can also easily win free beans by recommending a bagel to a friend and liking their social media pages. Once matched, you can then start texting with your match in a private chat, but remember to act quickly, as the chat is only active for 8 days.
Why we like it: For those of you who feel overwhelmed with too many choices, or are too busy to log on regularly, this is a more manageable dating app. Users look forward to receiving their daily “bagel” at lunch time. CMB believes your dating life, including your name, birthday and email should be private. They also claim that your friends are the best conduits for your dates, and that meeting quality people doesn’t have to be so awkward or complicated. It also feels like you’re playing a fun game, as you receive coffee beans when you respond to a match.
5. Happn – Android, iOs, Windows PhoneRemember Craig’s List Missed Connections? Happn is a more modern day approach to matching with someone you’ve already crossed paths with, but never really connected. Every time you pass by a spot with another member IRL, you’ll get an instant push notification that another member is nearby and boom, you can meet instantly. Some may find it very efficient. Others may think it’s creepy, and might not want to meet after a sweaty yoga class. But then again, they wouldn’t be on this app if that were the case, so go ahead and be spontaneous. If you think you might miss out on a digital crush who hangs in the same hood as you, but are on the shy side, this app is for you. Note: The app was created in France and is available in 25 cities around the world. They are starting to expand in the U.S. and may not have rolled out in your city yet.
How it works: Download the app and log in to Facebook, where yo can edit which information in your Facebook profile that you want to appear in your bio. You must enable your location services for the app to work. Every time you cross paths with another member, it will appear on your timeline feed. You can like someone’s profile by tapping on the heart button. If the feeling is mutual, you’ll be notified and you’ll be considered in the crush stage. You can also view how many times your paths have crossed. If you want to take it a step further, men can pay to to send a charm. There is no cost to women at this point. Charms are similar to Tinder’s “Super Like” feature, except you buy them in a package. Each charm is equal to using one credit.
Why we like it: You won’t have to wonder about the one who got away. You can also now sync with Instagram to see your potential date’s feeds and interests.
Honorable Mention – Tastebuds – iOsThere was a great Shakespeare quote, “If music be the food of love, play on.” Now you can celebrate #MusicMonday every day of the week with a potential date who has the same musical interests as you do. Concert dates can be a lot of fun and sharing music is passion that many have on their list as a must-have. With this in mind, although Tastebuds is a social networking app, we feel it belongs in the dating category as you can share playlists and more with your potential date.
How it works: Users can sign up easily through Facebook or via email. You can send a message bomb for free to eight of your matches. Your music library can be added or you can add your favorite artists and bands manually. Searches can be fun as you can search by the name of the band that you’re a fan of and within a certain age criteria. Within seconds you can be matched with someone who also loves Pink Floyd and the Beatles.
Why we like it? Music is a shared experience. Who would want to go to a concert with someone who didn’t know who David Bowie was?
Read the original article HERE.
Join Julie Spira on ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ on February 10th to discuss how to find love in time for Valentines Day!
December 30, 2015
Radio Recap: Online Dating & Sex
It’s wintertime and the lovin’ is easy. With a spike in online dating from November through February and more people keeping each other warm during the cold nights, who better to guest star on ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ other than licensed sex therapist and host of TLC’s “All About Sex,” Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry and online dating expert and digital matchmaker, Julie Spira!
“I never thought I’d be a sex therapist. I didn’t know what I wanted to do as an undergrad. But I really loved to cook.”
“I didn’t see myself as someone who could or would be on TV even though in the deepest darkest parts of my heart I wanted to.”
“I took my first psychology class and totally failed. It was so much information.”
“I was a Women’s Studies minor and a light bulb went off.”
“Dr. Drew was big, Dr. Ruth was out. The whole field of sex therapy was going but nobody really knew about it.”
“People are always going to have mental issues and be sick, so if sex therapy didn’t work out I had a Masters in Psychology.”
“One of my first psych classes, the professor said people don’t get into this field to make money. I was thinking, ‘Bullsh*t!'”
“No psychiatrists wanted to talk about sex so those were the patients I got.”
“Create a niche for yourself. What are you doing that no one else is doing?”
“Tech has changed love, sex and intimacy for the good and for the bad.”
“We live in a world of tech, so embrace it.”
“No matter how bad the economy is, people will buy sex toys.”
“They have products that you can plug into your laptop.”
“Slip a lipstick sized vibrator into your bag and not let your kids know what it is.”
“Kinky Green came out of the desire to reinvent the sex toy market.”
“Off gas is something that’s in childrens’ toys and new cars. Think about putting those gasses into your vagina.”
“Parabens are linked to certain types of breast cancer. Why would I put that in my body?”
“If I’m going to recommend a product I want it to be something I would use myself.”
“All of my products are natural and organic with no batteries. They’re all rechargeable.”
“Sustainable products are glass. You can sterilize them. Or throw them in the dish washer.”
“I’ve never had someone say, “Oh no, I don’t want to use that.”
“Some topics in some communities remain taboo.”
“Women are starting to own their sexuality.”
“I don’t need a man, I got a hand. People are becoming more okay with that.”
“If you get a black woman behind closed doors, 99.998% of the time oral sex is on the menu and 80% of the time, so is masturbation.”
“I’ve had patients tell me the sex education they got at home was, “Don’t do it” or “don’t get pregnant.”
“The more we teach our kids about sex, the more they decide what they want and don’t want to explore.”
“There are so many women listening to this show just nodding their heads.”
“People are focused on their gadgets more than each other.”
“Give yourself time away from your phone. I put my phone in a completely different room.”
“I did the AVN Convention and one of the toys was something you could use overseas. I keep one at home, he takes one with him. I can put my mouth on one part and he can insert his penis and feel it. It was on The Big Bang Theory.”
“For couples, it’s and oldie but goodie: the We-Vibe.”
“HOUZZ is my favorite app to design my house.”
“HOME CHEF is my favorite app of 2015.”
“My daughter is 16 months old and tech savvy, she’s obsessed with Baby’s First Channel.”
“Don’t wait, initiate.”
“Sunday 1/3 is the busiest day of online dating. #DatingSunday is the busiest time of the year.”
“Holidays are the most emotional time of year. If you were with someone on Christmas but don’t want to be with them on New Years, this is your time to shine.”
“Digital matchmaking is going through the dating sites and picking who I think is their best match.”
Join Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg LIVE from the Toyota booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 7th at 11am PT/2pm ET. Guests include Jeremy Kaplan of Digital Trends, RJ Wafer of DoubleRobotics, Martin-Luc Archambault of AmpMe, and James Pisz of Toyota!
December 25, 2015
Apps for the Holiday Season
The kids are out of school, the presents all will soon be played with—what’s a family to do?? Here are a few family-friendly apps to use to keep your holidays stress free!
CUT THE ROPE: HOLIDAY GIFT (Free on iOS; Original version only FREE on Android)— Gamers of all platforms can enjoy this popular puzzle app where the goal is to feed a little green monster named Om Nom. Using physics and gravity, players must feed Om Nom a piece candy by slicing the ropes (or for the iOS holiday version, a string of holiday lights) it’s attached to.
WEATHER PUPPY (Free; iOS & Android)—Smile every time you check the weather with this app that partners with shelters across the country to showcase a different themed puppy each time you check the forecast. You can even add your own pooch to the mix!
FOODUCATE (Free; iOS & Android)—Staying healthy during the holidays doesn’t have to be such a challenge with apps like Fooducate which helps you create a healthy holiday shopping list while offering a nutrition grade for different foods and products.
POPCORN FLIX (Free; iOS & Android)—Watch over 700 holiday classics and B-movie blockbusters free from your digital device!
DOGVACAY (Free; iOS & Android)—It’s Airbnb for your pets! Find a pet set sitter, stay in touch through a messaging interface, and capture snapshots to share on your phone while away.
KIDSTRADE (Free; iOS & Android)—With parental guidance, kids, too, can be a part of the sharing economy. Snap a picture, give a description, and get a parent’s approval to trade amongst friends and classmates. Backpack delivery is always free.
YOUTUBE GAMING (Free; iOS & Android)— This app has a wealth of YouTube video games to choose from and allows players to connect and play for free. Each game has its own page that’s divided into live videos, reviews, and “let’s plays.”
SMILING MIND (Free; iOS & Android)—Don’t let the stress of the holidays bog you or your family down. Choose an age-appropriate meditation to listen to and alleviate anxiety instantly. The app creators specifically created Smiling Mind to help turn on young kids to meditation and make it a life long healthy practice.
HEALTH MATE (Free; iOS & Android)— This app is the new Fitbit. It tells your steps walked, calories burned, heart rate, blood pressure AND it tells the time. It also has a scale. This app is your new healthy body scoreboard!
STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT (Free; iOS & Android)—Get on the Star Wars frenzy with this free collectable card game where players can stock up on credits to spend in the main Star Wars Battlefront companion game.
Happy Holidays!!
