Randi Zuckerberg's Blog, page 30

Book your Plumber or Housecleaner through Amazon

What started out as an online bookstore has since expanded into selling almost any physical good you can imagine. And now, Amazon is saying a lot of the stuff people buy on the site are things they need help assembling, installing, or learning to enjoy. That’s why the company just launched a new section in the US, Home Services, where customers can shop for professional help. AHS is launching with 700 different services that include everything from installing a garbage disposal to at-home piano lessons.

Think of AHS as a Yelp or Angie’s List with the one-click ease you’ve come to expect from any well-designed online shop. Get started by plugging in your zip code and searching for the service you’re after–anything from general handyman jobs and housekeeping to French lessons and iPhone repair.

After answering a few questions (e.g., How many hours of cleaning do you need? What type of phone do you have?), you’ll see an estimated price from a local vendor and a one-click option to schedule the service.

Prices are competitive with anything you’d book on your own and all service providers are thoroughly vetted and appropriately licensed. The best part? You pay right through the Amazon site or app.

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Radio Show Recap: New Tech Trends

Yesterday’s Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg hosted three innovators in different tech industries.  From nonverbal communication to the youth nation to online learning, these tech trendsetters are ones to watch:

Andreas Forsland CEO and Founder of Smartstones — nonverbal communication devices that fit in the palm of your hand.

*”I like knowing people more than at their face value.”

“My mom was in the ICU and couldn’t speak. She didn’t have a smartphone. So I tore one apart and used all the sensors to speak to me like a text message.”

“When we watched the product we had an outpouring of hope of people who needed it. Especially parents of autistic kids and people with ALS.”

“It looks like a river stone and uses a specific app to configure different phrases and gestures.”

“Everybody is always disengaging with each other, this keeps us always connected.”

“We have a purely Bluetooth version and one that is untethered for kids and the elderly who don’t have a smartphone.”

*”We didn’t look at crowd funding as a way to fund the company, we wanted to see where the best market fit for us would be.”

“You can build businesses that are purely profit driven or build them from the ground up to do something helpful, cool and fun.”

“There are so many people who actually recede into the shadows because they feel like they don’t fit in.”

“Braille was invented 190 years ago, Morse Code, ASL—they’re all analog. We’re creating the 21st Century’s version of nonverbal communication.”

“Knowing who you are, start with the why versus the what and how to articulate why you’re going where you’re going. You’re taking a stand for something.”

“Don’t fall in love with the solution, fall in love with the problem.”

“Prose is a gesture to speech app we just launched.”

Learn more at Smartstones.co

Matt Britton author of YouthNation : Building Remarkable Brands in a Youth-Driven Culture (out April 20th)

“CEOs of major companies have the responsibility to take a stance on social issues.”

“If you look back to the 60s and 70s the youth culture was on the fringe of society. They couldn’t influence major change. Now youth culture is the driving culture of global business.”

“The reason Bally’s went out of business was because it was about working out not the experience.”

“The Color Run is perfect for that Instagram moment. You’re covered in paint.”

“Times have changed to preferring the status update over the status symbol.”

“The financial collapse helped shift toward experiences, which means less money to buy items. Which leads people to rent as opposed at buy.”

“This generation is flocking toward festivals like Burning Man, where older generations are connecting with younger generations.”

“One major shift in the career world is the free agent economy. A specialized marketable skill to work within multiple companies at once.”

“Companies need to reframe how they recruit to young people.”

“Be passion-driven instead of financially driven.”

“Obamacare allows you to become a dependent until you’re 26. It’s a 10-99 movement.”

“Millennials will make up even a greater voting size for this next election.”

“The rise of collaborative workspaces like WeWork are becoming a huge trend.”

“Building your personal brand is more important than ever before.”

Read more at YouthNation.net

Shannon Hughes, Director of Marketing from Udemy —the world’s largest destination for online learning

“Us at Udemy and our 6 million students are passionate about the idea that you can learn anything.”

“What’s happening in traditional education isn’t necessarily aligned with what we want.”

“We’ve taken away that middle man who keeps telling you what you need to learn. We don’t put judgment on what people want to learn.”

“Courses on negotiation to how to grow a vegetable garden. There were a lot of tech related courses to start. But now it’s so diverse.”

“We have a body language class that’s very, very popular.”

“There’s a lot of emphasis now for training for soft skills.”

“Our instructors have a private Facebook community they engage with on a day-to-day basis. Any questions get real life feedback from both those teaching and those moderating the site.”

“Head to Udemy.com and click on the teaching link to get started.”

“There’s a lot of power and motivation from knowing that people are doing the same thing as you.”

“You can learn anything and you can teach anybody anything.”

“I’ve worked in brick and mortar education and saw there was a need that Udemy was fulfilling.”

“Become an expert in something to prove your core strength.”

Start learning at Udemy.com.

Join Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg next week to hear all about what’s trending in tech only on SiriusXM Business 111, 9am PT / 12pm ET.

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Apps to Make Learning Fun Outside of the Classroom

As parents it’s easy to plant our kids in front of the television for back-to-back episodes of Caillou, or let them play games on the iPad to pass time and keep them entertained. I’m guilty of this myself. There’s only so many times I can read the same book, or let my kids finger paint all over my table. I had to find other ways to keep them entertained, yet in a productive manner. I figured it was time to put technology to work in a good way. After all, it is just as much our responsibility to teach our kids, as it is their teachers.

The key to keeping your kids engaged in learning, especially if they’ve been at school all day, is to make it fun.

After scouring the Internet for the best learning programs and apps for ages 7 and under, here are some my kids personally love, and I know yours will too.

ABC Mouse – ABC Mouse offers a free month trial and is only $7.95 for a monthly subscription.  They’ve won several awards including, Parent’s and Teachers’ Choice Awards. Also, many schools and daycares already use this program in their curriculum.  This program is perfect for ages 2-7 and there are six academic levels. There are more than 450 lessons and as kids complete each level they receive tickets and a reward system. We’ve been using this program for over a year and it’s still a favorite.

Reading Kingdom – Reading Kingdom is a fun, easy-to-use online program that teaches children 4-10 years old how to read and write to a third grade level. We used this program religiously this past year to help my son prepare for charter school testing. Teachers also use this program in the classroom.  There is a free month trial and after that membership starts at $14.99.

Fun Brain – Fun Brain is rated the #1 site for online educational games for kids of all ages. They focus on math, grammar, science, spelling and history.  The American Library Association also recommends them. There is not a membership fee, however you can purchase learning materials from their site and affiliates.

PBS Kids – This is also a parent favorite. They have several apps and learning tools that coincide with your kids’ favorite shows and characters. This program is great for kids between the ages of 2-6, and also provides school readiness tools to develop skills and prepare them for Pre-K.

Starfall – Starfall is a teacher and parent favorite. The site is very easy to use and the website supports your child’s exploration. The site is kid-safe and no advertising allowed. There are many free activities and you can also get a year membership as low as $35. Starfall is perfect for preschool up through third grade, special needs students, homeschool, and English language development students.

Mathmateer  – My son loves this app because as a reward you get play money to buy parts to build a rocket ship! It encourages him to think through a problem verses just guessing so he gets his rewards. This app is $.99. Mathmateer was featured in the New York Times, and received the Editor’s Choice Award from the Children’s Technology Review, as well as was rated in the 10 best apps for elementary school kids by Appolicious.

Along with these technological ways of learning, there’s always plenty of real-life learning too. Have your child count back change at the grocery store or grab 2 x 2 apples for mommy. Let them be your Sous Chef when cooking dinner so they can help measure out ingredients. Then there’s the old favorite of playing outside.  Letting them explore and go on new adventures is timeless.

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Radio Show Recap: Gaming, Toys, & Health

From MMORPGs to toys which are immersive, interactive, and brain building (and also printer building), game- and toy-playing is considered to be one of the best tools to help increase knowledge, change behaviors, improve self confidence, boost skills, and keep healthy.

Yesterday’s Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg guests discussed the impact of toys and games on health and how they help innovation and discovery:

Joining the show was Debra Lieberman, the Director of the Center for Digital Games Research at UC-Santa Barbara, and 13-year old Shubham Banerjee of Braigo Labs.

Here are their best soundbites:

SHUBHAM BANERJEE:

“I’ve been building with LEGO since 5 years old. I think it’s a great place to start DIY projects.”

“I knew I had to start with LEGO because you can be so inventive and not follow the instructions.”

“LEGO’s been really generous, they tweeted about it. They’ve been sending me kits.”

“It’s amazing to see such a big company like Intel help me. They use a chip called Edison that’s changed my printer completely.”

On the science project he almost worked on: “I’d have 3 plants and see which light would affect plant growth but my mom said no.”

“It was amazing to be at the White House. It was such an honor to be there. I got to hear Obama’s speech about STEM.”

“I’m a normal kid. I keep a low profile. I don’t want to be a big celebrity.”

“There’s a whole coding sense to Minecraft. You can build whatever you want. It’s inventive and useful for people who want to be creative.”

“My family tries to set work aside and have normal conversations.”

“It’s important to teach kids about STEM and programming. Be creative, be innovative. Maker Faire is a great place to showcase your idea.”

“There are people with really great ideas, but you need your parents support to chase down your dream.”

“We need to help people without resources chase down the dreams the way we’re able to.”

“I asked my parents how blind people read but I feel like I should’ve know who Louis Braille was.”

“Imagine closing your eyes for 10 seconds, now imagine that for 80 years of your life.”

“If you do good you get good back.”

“Portability and mobility is what we’re working on. Our main goal is to get the printer to be light weight, very quiet and under $500.”

“I went to brazil recently to see a tiny braille printer that cost over $50,000.”

Find more about Braigo Labs HERE.

DEBRA LIEBERMAN:

“The cloud is here to stay. Someone will find a way to provide cloud gaming with micro-payments.”

“I hope that Amazon is curating, selecting and evaluating the games they are providing.”

“Games are experiences. You’re trying out skills, learning by doing, getting feedback. Health games align with health goals.”

“Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus teaches about asthma. The player must put together pieces of a wind machine to save the planet from encroaching dust but also to keep Bronkie’s asthma under control.”

“We wanted to reach our players where they already live— on consoles.”

“The American Lung Association adopted Bronkie as a mascot for young people.”

“Health games should be healthy at all levels. Video games can be healthy for social connections and other skills but video games can also teach bad things.”

“There’s all kinds of learning embedding in video games.”

“It’s very normal for game players to test the failure state of a game so you have to plan for players testing the waters and making that a teachable moment as well.”

“23 years ago there was a 40% drop in urgent care, asthma-related visits with those who had Bronkie to play on Super Nintendo.”

“Over 20 years ago, Packy and Marlon reduced urgent care visits 77% for diabetes.”

“How do you change people’s behavior with games? It’s taking the knowledge and applying it to games. It’s processing the media that rehearses new skills.”

“The percentage of gender gamers exactly equivalent but the amount of time that males spend playing games is higher for younger men.”

“I would love to see more games being  made for women.”

“Tweens, especially girls, are now targeted in health games to help self confidence and boost healthy sex relationships.”

“I’m getting calls from parents of high school students wanting to be involved at the Game Center. They help work on our research grants and projects.”

“We have a Media Arts and Tech program that’s a combo of engineering and arts to enter digital careers.”

“We have to make great health games to inspire others to do it.”

“iThrive in Utah has game challenges where people can design a game to win prize money or get mentoring by experts in the field.”

“Michelle Obama had a game challenge in her Let’s Move campaign.”

“Mobile gaming can be tremendous since you can be out and about in the world. Like fitness games sensing your speed.”

“Zombies Run is an excellent health game. It modulates your run by asking you step it up because the zombies are encroaching on you.”

“Lumosity is full of science based neuro-games that help your memory and concentration to keep your brain sharp and rehearse mental skills.”

“We’re aiming to keep Baby Boomers mentally sharp and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.”

“There’s a new game call Neuroracer that is well-tested and aimed at older players who are losing concentration. This helps them stay focused and learn how to multitask.”

“We don’t see huge demands from consumers to buy health games. With exceptions like Lumosity and DDR that are fun and yet have health benefits.”

“Health clinics, insurers, pharmaceutical companies have incentives to keep people healthy.”

“We rely on social media, websites, and our database where people can go to look up hundreds of games.”

Find more about Digital Games Research HERE.

Make sure to join Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg next Wednesday at 9am PT/12 ET when Professor Brian Little joins the show. Only on SiriusXM Business 111! 

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Rebecca Minkoff Supports Women In Tech

Rebecca Minkoff is used to integrating fashion and technology—she introduced several pieces of wearable tech in her spring 2014 collection—but the designer is taking her business ethos to a whole new level. At the UN Women’s Planet 50-50 event (where Hillary Clinton spoke about the #NotThere campaign), Minkoff announced that she’s teaming up with Intel to create new opportunities for women in tech. Intel recently pledged $300 million to get full representation of women and minorities on its staff by 2020. “I wouldn’t have this brand without technology,” Minkoff said at the event. “So if I can be helping more women to be thinking differently and creatively in that space, that’s what gets me excited.”

“Whether it’s going to college campuses or hosting hackathons, we are working hand in hand to figure out what women need and to support them. I will be traveling around the globe with Intel and working with UN Women to help find ways to expand opportunities for women in technology and engineering,” Minkoff said.

Some of these new opportunities may be at Minkoff’s own label as she continues to add new tech-driven pieces to her line. “You can look forward to some really kick-ass accessories and straps for your Apple Watch,” she said.

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How Does Your Garden Grow? With ROOT.

If you dream of having an herb gardens but don’t have a backyard, patio, or access to a super sunny climate, meet ROOT, a countertop irrigation system that uses automated lighting and watering controlled through your smartphone.

ROOT is the brainchild of organic growers Ohneka Farms. Since it’s a hydroponic design (which means the plants grow directly in nutrient-rich water) you don’t need to worry about getting dirt all over your kitchen. A sensor tells you when water’s running low and an app lets you you know when to add nutrients (i.e. no green thumbs required). ROOT takes up only a square foot of countertop space and can accommodate up to 16 seedling pods.

ROOT surpassed its funding goal on Indiegogo in January, and it’s expected the system will be available for delivery by November 2015. Order yours now!

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Get Better Skin with Spruce

Though many of us would like to think we left acne in high school, the reality is, a lot of us still suffer from breakouts. There are a million reasons zits pop up that have nothing do with hormones, from falling asleep in your makeup (yeah, we’ve all done it) to not washing your face soon enough after the gym. Whatever the reason, you’re now carrying the solution in your purse.

A new app, Spruce, lets you get prescription drugs for acne via your smartphone. Just create an account, take a few selfies, answer a short questionnaire about your skin, and include any concerns before submitting. Within 24 hours, you’ll get a personalized acne treatment plan—complete with prescriptions filed digitally to your pharmacy—from a certified dermatologist. This only costs $40 a month, the price of a dermatologist visit alone on many insurance plans.

Right now, Spruce is only available to patients in California, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania. But this is something we can definitely see catching on throughout the United States. An opportunity to skip month-long wait times, hours in dermatologists’ waiting rooms, and blank stares in the skincare aisle? Yes, please.

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Safeguard Your Smartphone Photos with Bevy

Families today often have more photo-taking devices than family members, which has led to the problem of people having massive numbers of photos and videos, none of which are properly organized and shared.

It’s time for spring cleaning, tech version. And that’s where Bevy comes in.

It’s a tiny, network-connected hard drive dedicated to nothing else but storing and serving the photos and videos taken by you, your family, and whoever else you want to include. Bevy stores up to 400,000 photos–or 62 hours of video–and organizes them by date and location (e.g., August 2015, Tuscany).

Set up the box and install the Bevy app on your phone. From there, you can back up every photo you take (either manually or automatically) to the device. And when your family members install the Bevy app, they can log in and browse the photos whenever they want.

To get started, preorder Bevy now and get $125 off. (Retail price: $349. Your price: $224.) And for everyone you refer, you’ll save another $25.

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Eero is the First Care-free WiFi System

Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, and Belkin—no matter which router you use, getting wireless internet working in your home—your entire home—is often a miserable experience.

Eero wants to make it better.

A new breakthrough in the world of routers, Eero has been dubbed the carefree Wi-Fi system–and not without reason. The startup insists it’s ready to help you prepare for a world of 4K streaming. A world where dozens of devices and smart appliances will simultaneously be relying on your Wi-Fi to function 24 hours a day.

We were previously told that a single router can cover our entire home. The folks at Eero claim that’s simply not true. Instead, they have set up a plan that informs you just how many Eero routers you’ll need to get maximum speed for the size of your space. (FYI: You would need three Eeros to outfit a 2500-square-foot home, plus the backyard.)

And get this: It takes just 60 seconds to set up, and it can all be done from your phone. No IT degree required. If there’s ever a problem, like a slow connection or your neighbor’s “Abraham Linksys” network encroaching on your space, Eero fixes itself. Meaning, it’s constantly running tests and updating security so you don’t have to. If a guest stops by, they can easily be sent the log-in credentials via text.

The one caveat is that these things can get expensive (each one starts at $199). However, preorder today and you’ll get $20 back for every friend you refer. Plus, a little peace of mind.

 

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Put the Smartphone Away and Embrace OSOM

By Amy Heinz

One night last week I caught myself cooking up taco meat, declining the fifth pitch of the week I’d received from a company who desperately thinks I need to diet and share my experience with the world, and getting a ballet demonstration from my 3-year-old daughter…all at the same time. That’s right folks, I’m a modern multi-tasking mom.

But here’s the thing. When you’re doing three things at once, is there really any chance that you’re doing them all well?  I asked myself this very question and stopped to re-evaluate the situation. The taco meat? It was fine, but it turns out it didn’t really care. The diet company? Well, I felt better having (somewhat) respectfully replied and unsubscribed, but based on the pitch email I received from them first thing the next morning, they didn’t much care either. The ballet dancer? Well, she was pretty darn annoyed. “Maaa-maaa…watch me! Right. Now!” I was failing the one part that really mattered.

As a part-time working mom, I often find myself trying to squeeze in an email or check feedback on a Facebook post I published hours earlier when my kids are home from school and needing me. And while my mind is in a number of different places at any given moment, my smartphone is almost always in the same place: my hand—or at least within reach.

So when I heard about the OSOMBOX (pronounced “Awesome Box”)—a modern, leatherette box where you put your phone to keep it Out of Sight, Out of Mind—I knew I needed to try it out. It fits right on our kitchen desk, where I usually put my phone when I’m home to charge anyway, and includes padding to help protect and soundproof the box, as well as a convenient hole for the charging cord to reach your phone inside (or up to 6 of them if you’re a truly tech-savvy family).

The first day alone, it led to an interesting conversation between my 8-year-old son and me…

Son: “Mom, what’s this Live OSOM box?”

Me: “OSOM stands for Out of Sight, Out of Mind. And it’s a place for me to put my phone when I’m home so I can focus on the things that really matter to me.”

Son: “Nice!”

Me: “You think I need it, huh?”

Son: “Yeah. Usually you’re like texting or whatever and say, ‘Just a second!’, but it’s never just a second.”

As a corporate mentor of mine once told me, perception is reality. So if my son thinks that I’m texting or playing games (and not, you know, doing very important work like declining overzealous product pitches), I might as well be. And what kind of mom does that make me? Well, at the very least, a distracted one. Right then and there, I dedicated myself to truly embracing the OSOMBOX.

It turns out, the theory of out of sight out of mind really does work for me. And when I’m tempted to peek in on something, the physical barrier of the box reminds me to take a deep breath and refocus on family (or The Good Wife, as the case may be). As far as I can tell, the main design flaw is that the box doesn’t greet me at the front door, take away my phone, and send me on my way.

While I still have work to do, I’m determined to turn using my OSOMBOX into a habit. Not just because it’s what’s right for my family, but because checking in with technology less truly seems to calm this mama’s busy mind.

Amy Heinz is a San Francisco Bay Area mom of three and the writer behind Using Our Words —a parenting blog filled with lessons she’s learned (usually the hard way), laughs she’s enjoyed (mostly at her own expense), and tears she’s shed (this mama’s got heart). You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter .

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