Randi Zuckerberg's Blog, page 36

Stop Sharing On Thanksgiving

May I so boldly suggest that this Thanksgiving, we focus on one-on-one conversations, instead of broadcasting our lives to the masses.

Yes, I do mean eating your Thanksgiving dinner instead of live-updating from the table. And calling or Skyping a loved one directly instead of shouting “Happy Thanksgiving” to your followers.  This year, let’s take a day off from sharing our every thought and feeling with the world. Give thanks for the people in your life by giving them your undivided attention. The most meaningful thing we have to give is our time. Stop broadcasting and start listening.

In my recent book, Dot Complicated, I talk a lot about how tech brings us closer to friends but can also keep us further from friendship. Thanksgiving is a great time to let go of the constant distractions that keep us from connecting on a deeper level. When we focus on listening to others, it’s easier to break through the carefully crafted online image and get to know the actual person inside.

The tech that keeps us happily connected throughout the year can separate us come holiday season, or even get us in trouble, as I discovered this past Christmas after quickly uploading a funny family photo. I find myself robotically scrolling through my feeds rather than having a deep conversation with one of my sisters. The kids play on Mommy’s phone instead of singing karaoke or stomping on leaves outside. People share videos at the table regularly, rather than telling an animated story. And I know my family isn’t much different than anyone else in this digital era.

We spend so much of the year wishing we were together, and then spend that precious time together checking in with other people online. I don’t mean to do it, and when I catch myself I immediately put the phone down. But it’s a habit that more and more of us can’t seem to break. It’s really, really hard to stop. We’re not gonna change this behavior all at once– you might be the only one at your table who doesn’t occasionally sneak a peek at their phone. But good behavior is contagious. This year, challenge yourself to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Initially, I was going to suggest a total Internet black-out for Thanksgiving, but a tech boycott isn’t the answer. Our devices and our social networks do keep us connected, when we use them thoughtfully. It’s pretty amazing that I can see a relative’s face from across the country, or see photos instantly from a special event I wasn’t able to attend. Tech connects us when we use it mindfully.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving (and, for some of us, Hanukkah) celebrations with the people– not the things– that matter most.

 Posted on 11/18/2013

Written by Randi Zuckerberg

Randi Zuckerberg is the CEO and founder of Zuckerberg Media, a tech-savvy media company, and editor-in-chief of Dot Complicated, a modern lifestyle community. Previously, she served as a marketing executive at Facebook for six years, where she pioneered live streaming initiatives and struck groundbreaking deals with ABC and CNN. She is Emmy nominated and ranked among the “50 Digital Power Players” by the Hollywood Reporter.

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Radio Show Recap: The Art of Digital Philanthropy

Did you know Americans donate 3% of their income to charity and 38% of Americans donate only during the holiday season? That’s why the UN, in partnership with the 92nd Street Y, has created #GivingTuesday to follow hot on the heels of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, people pick the charity of their choice, go online, and donate. GivingTuesday raised more than 10 million dollars since its inception in 2012 and nineteen million in 2013.

Discussing digital philanthropy and charity crowdfunding online during today’s Dot Complicated were Danae Ringelmann, co-founder of crowdfunding site Indiegogo; Leila Janah, co-founder of Samahope, the first global crowdfunding site for medical treatments; and David Howitt, author of Heed Your Call and CEO of Meriwether Group, which provides social mission growth strategies to businesses.

This week’s Product of the Week is about the LACK of ass-kicking toys for girls as Glynnis MacNichol, co-founder of Thel.ist and author of the recent post “Where the Fuck is Princess Leia” joins later in the show.

Here are some choice quotes:

Pope Francis spoke up against the unbridled consumerism around the holiday:

Leila “The holidays are about spending time with friends and family.”

David “Consumerism is healthy if it’s done with thoughtfulness and mindfulness.”

Danae “We’ve turned money into the end as opposed to the means.”

Danae “I witnessed the struggle of raising money and realized that finance was broken. Indiegogo was born to put the power back into the hands of the people with the ideas.”

Leila ”We raised Samahope’s money on Indiegogo, the only platform that let us raise money as a non-profit.”

“99% percent of childbirth deaths of women are preventable.”

David “We believe the entrepreneur is one of the modern-day heroes to disrupt the status quo. We support them with social mission.”

“The Power of AND: You can be profitable, run a financially sound business AND have a socially responsible company.”

Danae “Giving Tuesday is the global day of giving back. We’ve raised over 5 million for social causes already.”

Ritu Sharma, CEO of Social Media for Non-Profits called in: “There’s a 60% rise in online giving. Make sure non-profits have a clear & concise campaign, editorial calendar, organized messaging, and supporters and volunteers.”

“Visual content is performing far better than just text messages for crowdfunding campaigns.”

“People aren’t interested in a lot of stats. Communicate emotions and impact in a compelling way.”

SM4NP.org 

David

“It’s never too late to incorporate service and meaning. When you adopt a social message just to check a box it doesn’t work. Businesses that are authentic from the heart will be successful. Avoid green-washing.”

“The best companies are the ones that don’t sell products, they sell experiences.”

Danae

“Four Ps of motivation for successful campaigns: 1) People. People fund People. Put yourself in the video, why you care about this project.

2) Passion. Align with values.

3) Participation. So few contributions are listed as anonymous because people want to be public.

4) Perk. Impact.”

“I donated to BeMissPossible to get girls excited about STEM.”

Leila ”We highlight doctors rather than patients. You’re funding an entrepreneurial person.”

“Honor Your Mom is for Mother’s Day to donate in mom’s name.”

“Hope Cards can save lives. We’re trying to get Jimmy Fallon to share them on his show. A $5 card funds a medical treatment for the poorest of the poor.”

David “Millennials are a great example of the Power Of And. They want to have successful careers, enjoy their lives, AND create change.”

“It’s about wanting to be in the world and be part of the solution.”

Danae “We started Indiegogo to democratize the access to funding and give everyone an equal shot.”

“The 50% of successful Indiegogo campaigns being run by women is the stat I’m most proud of.”

“When you connect anybody to anybody the biases go out the window. The ones that are successful are the ones who are willing to work hard.”

Rachel Sklar co-founder of Thel.ist and creator of the DonorsChoose campaign for Ferguson, MO which raised $25k in ONE DAY joined the show:  “Social media has been a wonderful source of information and education since the shooting of Michael Brown.”

“There’s a sense of helplessness for people who want to do something.”

“The kids of Ferguson are being affected. This campaign is about them.”

Leila ” The US is the most giving nation, tied with Myanmar which donates in Buddhist tradition and for monks who can’t work for a living.”

“We partnered with Mobile Medic that helps keep track of medical records on phones.”

David “Align what’s important to you with your giving. That’s where you see the most impact in the world.”

Glynnis MacNichol, co-founder of Thel.ist and author of the recent post “Where the Fuck is Princess Leia” spoke about the LACK of smart toys for girls.

“My nephew is drowning in Star Wars merchandise. Why can’t my niece have Princess Leia dolls? Disney is losing HALF of the market with women.”

“The girls toy department is drowning in a sea of pink.”

On the over-sexualization of strong female products: “In the 80s, the Leia Slave was never issued as a doll or a costume, and now it’s the only option. It’s revolting.”

“Even the Frozen figurines look a lot like Barbies.”

“I’ve been hearing from single fathers also on the hunt for things for their daughters that aren’t about princess-y things.”

“Hopscotch teaches your kids to code. The earlier they start the better off they’ll be.”

“I didn’t enjoy going into the toy section and having it so divided. It should be one toy section.”

Join Randi and “Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg on SiriusXM” next week as she discusses Broadway and the business of show business with the producer of Tony Award Winning Kinky Boots and new musical An American in Paris. Only on SiriusXM Channel 111 Wednesdays at 9am PST/12EST.

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Coming to Terms with Being a Multi-Tasking Mama

Maybe you can’t have it ALL. But thanks to technology, you can do a pretty great job faking it!

By Randi Zuckerberg.

Now that I have a three-year-old son who needs to get ready for school, a one-month-old baby who wants to eat every five minutes, a bleary-eyed husband who heroically takes the 5am feeding shift before going to work as a tech executive, and my own morning talk radio show on SiriusXM, mornings in my household are, well…chaotic. Happily chaotic, but chaotic nonetheless.

I think back nostalgically to all those mornings in my twenties. When I could just leisurely press the snooze button on my alarm clock, go for a jog, maybe even spend a few minutes in the sauna, come home to a hot breakfast and an even hotter shower. Sigh.

Thankfully, unless you were my mom, popping by to help out and inquire why I’m still in pajamas at 3pm (newborn baby buys me at least eight weeks of that, no?) you’d never guess that the chaos in our house was at code red level. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley, we get all the latest apps, gadgets, and sites dreamed up by some the smartest entrepreneurs on the planet. And as more entrepreneurs become parents themselves, they graduate from creating dating apps to creating…you guessed it…technology for parents. Honestly, some of these innovations make me feel like super mom; as if I’ve gained an extra set of hands in the morning. (And ok, my mom is allowed to give me grief for still being in a bathrobe at 3pm – after all, she raised four children without any of these tech innovations!)

While some moms will always want to do it all themselves, painstakingly staying up into the wee hours of the night to hand wash cloth diapers, make complicated baked goods from scratch, and braid a French braid with not a hair out of place, I fall squarely into a new generation of moms – moms who are starting to feel more and more comfortable outsourcing some “super mom” tasks to technology, so we can focus more on what really matters.

When I think about how technology has enabled me to balance focusing on my career, my children, my marriage, and ok, sometimes even myself, I think about a few different categories: Food and Health, Fun and Enrichment, Creating Good Behavior Patterns, and Being Your Best Self.

When it comes to food and health, I’d love to be able to tell you that I have time to cook my family a healthy three course meal for my family every single evening. But I’d be lying to you. Between a busy job, two young children, and the fact that I lived in New York City and had to use my oven as storage during my formative years, I often have to get creative to put a nice dinner on the table. Luckily, there is a huge trend in San Francisco, and other major cities, around restaurants that are delivery-only, they don’t even have a physical place that you could sit at and eat! Services such as Munchery and Spoonrocket bring healthy, fresh-cooked meals to your doorstep and have menus that change daily, so you can put a fresh cooked, multi-course meal on the table every night, while services such as DoorDash and Seamless enable you to order from any local restaurant within minutes, without having to pick up the phone to talk to someone. (PRO TIP: Often, I’ll throw in an extra item or two that I can serve for breakfast the following morning!) I’ve found that by giving myself the permission of “outsourcing” dinner prep, I get more minutes in the day to do the things I love, I still get to put a healthy, fresh dinner on the table, and everyone gets to choose what they want to eat. Winning all around.

In our family, we’ve also made an effort to replace the focus on the “family meal” with a focus on the “family walk.” Instead of making food and dinner the central focus of evenings in our household, we’ll go for a family stroll around the neighborhood after dinner, sometimes even making a little competition of it with our his-and-hers Fitbit.

Fun and enrichment is an area where tech can really help out. From apps that teach reading and creative skills, to sites like Pinterest that give you ideas within seconds, tech has opened up a world of ideas beyond what I could ever dream up on my own. One of my favorite sites is Red Tricycle. Via weekly newsletter, they deliver ideas of what to do with young children in your city/town that week: kid-friendly restaurants and shows, festivals, parks, etc. With zero effort, I instantly become that in-the-know mom who’s always doing something new and creative with her children. Obviously, I spend hours and hours researching these things, right? Wink, wink.

Creating good behavior patterns is something that is very important in our household. A few of my favorite apps are Morning Kids which helps turn the morning routine into a game, and Bank of Mom which allows your children to earn allowance for doing their chores in the form of monetary OR…digital time! Brilliant, right! Screen time vs. non-screen time is something many families struggle with in this digital age – so why not have your children earn those extra digital minutes they want so badly?

Finally – The Little Things – because carving out time to pamper yourself and your partner is often the first to go when you’re also juggling a career and children. Recently, I started working with Whirlpool and Procter & Gamble on their newest device, the SWASH™ System, which really embodies this philosophy of The Little Things. My closet is often full of “in between” items – not quite clean, not quite dirty. Not quite smelling their freshest, but not quite ready for the dry cleaner. Well, just like the Keurig machine has completely changed our lives by allowing us to make one cup of coffee at a time (my husband likes Donut Shop, I like Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino, in case you cared), SWASH enables you to “refresh” an item of clothing, so that you can get a few more wears out of it before it has to be officially cleaned. Put in an item of clothing – a suit jacket, a dress, a favorite blouse – and just come back ten minutes later, to find your item refreshed and ready to go. The first time I presented my bleary-eyed husband, fresh off his 5am baby-feeding shift, with a warm, nice smelling, de-wrinkled shirt for work, he looked at me like I was super wife. (I have to admit, I felt like super wife!)

I know what you’re thinking – doesn’t everyone who works in tech in Silicon Valley just wear hoodies all the time? Well – yes – but not me and my husband! You can take us out of New York, but you can’t take the New York out of us! Also, PRO-TIP time: If you’re a new mom like me who can barely manage to shower, and changing out of a bathrobe by 3pm feels like a huge accomplishment, well…there is nothing quite like putting on a pair of pajamas or using a towel that just came out of the SWASH machine. (I just won at life, didn’t I?)

So, the next time you see someone who looks like they are managing it all effortlessly, instead of seething with jealously, ask them about their favorite tech apps and gadgets they use. Because in this day and age, behind every successful mom, is lots of very helpful technology.

This post is part of a sponsored collaboration with Swash. 

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Radio Show Recap: Wine and Technology

Over 90% of U.S. marketed wines come from California. With over 110 grape varieties and 3000 wineries in California State alone, wine is a multi-million dollar industry that, too, has been affected by technology.

Here are just ten ways tech, in some form, has altered the traditional forms of winemaking:

1) Biodynamic viticulture—a.k.a. using organic methods to best harvest the crop.

2) Micro-oxygenation— introducing oxygen into wine in controlled methods to improve the flavor.

3) Robert Mondavi who started bottling wines since 1966 promoted labeling wines varietally instead of generically which is now the standard for New World wines.

4) Boxed wine.

5) Canned wine.

6) Wines on tap.

7) Turning wine into fuel.

8) Adding bubbles.

9) Diet wine!

10) Quirky wine labels.

Today Randi spoke with four experts in the wine and social media space, Lauren & Nate Belden of Belden Barns, Michelle Reeves of David Family Wines, and her father, a social media whiz and wine aficionado, Edward Zuckerberg.

First up was LIKE or DISLIKE:

KLM is turning a jet to a pop-up airbnb home.

Nate “Love it if it’s in the air. If it’s grounded, not so much.”

Edward “Sounds like a unique experience and will promote the airline.”

The Black V Club targets men in the tech space selling only one type of black V-neck tee as “billionaire chic.”

Edward  ”Where do I get it?”

Michelle “You wear what you look good in.”

Nate “Not with my coloring.”

DevBootCamp teaches coding in 6 months to become a junior developer in a fraction of the cost of college.

Nate “Love it. Especially if there’s a sliding scale for tuition.”

Michelle ” I wish these opportunities were around when I was younger.”

Edward “I’m a big believer in skill-based education.”

PACHAMAS work with your smartphone to bring your kids’ pajamas to life.

Edward “Especially helpful when kids wake up in the morning.”

Lauren “As long as it doesn’t replace mom and dad time.”

Michelle “Dislike. I love story-time with my kids. I don’t think I need my kids pajamas coming to life.”

Nate “Technology out of the bedroom.”

And onto wine!!

Randi asked how winemaking has changed in recent years:

Belden Barns: 

“Our winery is only 6 months old but technology is very relevant to our launch.”

“Social media’s role has seen labels ask for flavor profiles from their audience.”

“Technology is influencing the whole production. In California it’s tracking water usage.”

” Usually it’d be 12 people sitting on a line sorting but now an optical sorter automatically kicks the waste out.”

“It’s most important to have a website where people can buy the wine.”

“Wine is regulated and is complicated to ship so we use ShipCompliant to seamlessly understand if we can ship to a particular customer.”

Michelle from David Family Wine:

“From the consumer POV, social media allows winemakers to have a greater expression of wines they want to make. With social media and online communities people are able to find what they are looking for.”

“There are greater tech efficiencies to craft our wine, but it’s not just about the vineyards. It’s in holds and shipping. We’re able to track wine orders going out.”

Edward Zuckerberg:

“Social media is not intuitively used by most businesses. You’re getting your customers to help sell you and your brand.”

“To my great disappointment at some of these wineries I can’t post anything because there’s no signal. You need to get high bandwidth wi-fi going.”

“A boost for any winery is to give out free wi-fi and then have users automatically LIKE their page. Have visitors check in as well.”

“With David Family you have 1500 likes, but there’s no reviews or check-ins available.”

Mike from Massachusetts called asking how to capitalize and monetize using social media:

Nate: “Anytime we get some good critical acclaim or validation we blast that out. Or we take photos of our events and post them.”

“Our customers starting receiving their wine and posting pictures. All of the sudden we had 10 new members.”

Michelle: “Every time we get a new restaurant that has our wine we tell our members where to go that’s near and close to them.”

“Pinot Noir is the diva of all wine varietals. Requiring alarm systems on the vine for when the temp drops the alarm goes off.”

“It’s not about how it tastes, but how it makes you feel.”

Prabhjit from Washington DC called asking about places to further find out about wine or being able to write a review about the wine itself.

Lauren: “There are a lot of wine apps out there right now. Delectable app is most sommeliers favorite now.”

Edward: “DRYNC app searches for wine in the marketplace.”

“If you build it they will come doesn’t work for social media pages.”

“Asking questions on a post engages the community. You get a comment which is measurable.”

Michelle: “The very first thing people do in a wine store is pick up a bottle. The first bottle they pick up is usually the first one they buy.”

“Leather has a back-to-nature luxurious quality. Especially with red wine tones. At 26 I decided to be that person and make the first leather wine label.”

Lauren: “Technology played a huge role in getting us to being the wine brand we are. We used 99 Designs and put a contest out there.”

“We had a tattoo artist who hid the word WISH into the label.”

Nate: “Boxed wine is a great trend by trying to be more efficient with your packaging. Diet wine is getting away from what wine is really about.”

Learn more about our guests @BeldenBarns @DavidFamilyWine @PainlessDrz

The Product of the Week goes to the RITE FIT APP from Stride Rite.

Randi spoke with Kristen and Kieran Smith of Stride Rite to discuss:

“It allows parents to measure their children’s feet at home. It’s much more user friendly than that antiquated machine at shoe stores.”

“The other games and functionalities of the app allows kids to engage with the other interactive features like the growth chart or the virtual try-on.”

Join Randi and “Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg on SiriusXM” next week for a special Thanksgiving episode. Tune in to SiriusXM Channel 111 Wednesdays at 9am PST/12EST.

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How Tech Can Simplify Your Holidays

The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year, filled with parties, ugly sweaters, and watching the ball drop. With the season of giving quickly approaching, we’ve rounded up some unexpected ways a few tried and true sites can make your life easier—from mapping out who’s bringing what to Thanksgiving dinner to picking the perfect outfit for New Year’s Eve.

Rent the Runway. Whether it’s your office holiday party or New Year’s Eve, why buy a dress you’ll only wear once? With Rent the Runway you can seamlessly rent dresses anytime, anywhere from your smartphone. Browse through 80,000+ designer dresses, get recommendations, and organize your favorite styles into groups with specific events in mind. Afterwards, return everything for free—RTR takes care of the dry cleaning—and upload your photo and review to share your experience with others.
Mint. Get your finances in check so you don’t blow your whole holiday budget on a new flatscreen TV. Try out a financial management tool like Mint, which allows you to set and track budgets for things like holiday shopping and seasonal travel. The Mint Life blog provides useful financial tips and tricks to help you save money during the holiday season and beyond. Here’s to starting the new year on steady financial footing.
Pinterest. Wow friends with your DIY holiday decorating skills, or create the ultimate shopping list for your Christmas party. You can pull up recipes you’ve Pinned on your phone from the grocery store and easily shop for ingredients. Create a group board to plan a dinner for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or an informal potluck and have everyone Pin what they’ll bring. You can even make a playlist for your holiday party and keep track of your favorite wines. We also love Pinterest’s price drop notifications: Pin your favorite products and you’ll receive a “your pin’s price dropped!” email when the item goes on sale.
Facebook. Facebook Events   make it easy to plan holiday parties and Secret Santa/White Elephant exchanges without the hassle of an email thread. Add details, location, and even weather forecasts to your event and control who can see, and share, your invitation with customized privacy settings.  Still need a plan for NYE?  Check out popular events nearby to join in. Facebook Groups   is our secret weapon for coordinating those myriad holiday activities with friends, family, and co-workers.  Create a Secret Group with family and friends to connect on travel details and the holiday shopping game plan, or check out Public Groups to look for gift inspiration and holiday recipe ideas. And with Facebook Photos, grandma and grandpa back on the east coast don’t have to miss out on the festivities. Use shared photo albums to swap photos of holiday fun all season long with select family members and friends.
Amazon. Need a break from the fam? Or just want some downtime while the turkey cooks? Amazon’s Kindle Voyage is the perfect way to curl up by the fire and escape with a book. If you’re in the mood to binge-watch your favorite TV series, try Amazon’s Fire TV for instant access to more than 200K movies and TV episodes through Prime Instant Video, SHOWTIME, Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, exclusive content from HBO, and more. For those traveling over the holidays, keep your Fire TV Stick with you and connect it to the HDMI port on your HDTV for instant access to movies, TV shows, music, photos, apps and games. You’ll be able to watch your favorite shows and movies whether you’re at a hotel or your great aunt’s house.

 

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Use Scoopshot to Get Paid for Your Instagram Photos

You love snapping pics of your adorable five-year-old. But what if you could get paid for the 400 pictures you took at his backyard birthday party last weekend?

Meet Scoopshot, an app and crowdsourcing platform where big-name companies (USA Today and Heineken, for example) buy photos and videos from average Joe’s like us for mutually agreed-upon prices. Download the app, and then simply upload interesting images and videos that you think are media worthy. It’s a good idea to check out the “tasks” section to see what clients are looking for (which can be anything from the Eiffel Tower to a temple in Kyoto). After that, just name your price. Companies can browse your portfolio and reach out about publishing individual photos.  You’ll always be properly credited, and the money will go straight into your PayPal account.

The average photo goes for anywhere from $4 to $50, but one man in Finland (where the app was created) earned more than $20,000 (!!) by snapping businesses across the country.

It’s worth a shot, right?

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Radio Show Recap: Tech & Politics

Here’s what we learned from the voter turnout during this year’s Midterms: The last time the turnout was this low Adolf Hitler was still in power. Only 36.4% of eligible voters turned out for this year’s election! Nearly 40% of people said they used their phones to keep track of this year’s results.

So how does technology influence politics, voting, and the electoral process?

Today’s guests aimed to answer some of the questions that arise when discussing the potential of digital technology in the political realm.

Randi was joined by VP of Public Affairs at political PR firm, SKD Knickerbocker and National Spokesperson & Senior Advisor for Artist Engagement at Rock The Vote AUDREY GELMAN, and MATT MAHAN and JAMES WINDON, CEO and President of Brigade Media, a company determined to tackle the decline of citizen power while engaging a discussion in democracy.

Here are come choice thoughts from the show:

Taylor Swift pulling her music from Spotify:

MATT: Dislike. “Now I have to refresh Youtube videos to watch ‘Shake it Off.’”

AUDREY: Like. “Reminds me of the dispute with Napster. Musicians are the ones losing in this equation.”

Bono says tech start-ups are the new rock stars:

JAMES Like. “You have to feel like you’re marching toward rock star stardom.”

AUDREY: Dislike. ” I’m sick of Bono’s pearls of wisdom. He’s about 10 years behind everything.”

MATT “I wish it was as much fun as being in a rock band.”

A smell-emitting fork to flavor bland food:

AUDREY: Like. “It’s a savory Willy Wonka, applying tech to the way we eat food.”

MATT: Dislike. “I’m too into real food.”

JAMES: Like. “It’s opened up a whole new range of practical jokes I can play on people.”

Diamonds made from peanut butter:

JAMES: Like. “The more we can move on from the diamond industry the better.”

AUDREY: Like. “Whatever makes my jewelry habits more affordable is good with me.”

ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS:

MATT: “Given the incredible reach of social media, it’s surprising we haven’t seen a bigger impact with voter turnout.”

“There’s a much deeper cynicism and apathy we need to address. Brigade wants to connect voters and give them a forum to discuss the issues important to them.”

“The top of everyone’s Facebook newsfeed showed who voted resulting in a larger voter turnout and creating a stronger civic culture.”

AUDREY: “The biggest takeaway from 2014 is that when voting is made easier more people will vote.”

“Only 20 states currently allow online registration.”

“Unfortunately in many states there were places that made it more difficult to vote, not easier.”

JAMES: “The biggest hurdle is going technological.”

“The biggest piece of the solution is understanding the social dynamics of people offline and how that can be mobilized to take action during elections.”

ON BRIGADE MEDIA:

MATT: “We’re five to six months away from launch but the basic idea is to take offline social dynamics into communities where they can get things done. We want to leverage those dynamics in an online space. The issues that effect daily lives and how those tie into the political system along with their friends, family, and other like-minded people.”

“When you get down to local races, turnout is often in single digits. There’s no connection to the things that have the biggest impact in their lives.”

“Our mission is to help navigate the complex system of government.”

ON THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA DURING A CAMPAIGN:

AUDREY: “Spreading the word and increasing engagement in municipal elections are almost more important than on a federal level.”

“Get the facts out there. Information can largely be circulated off social media. You’re seeing the RNC and DNC use social media in creative ways.”

ON TECH’S ROLE IN ELECTIONS:

JAMES: “We are a tech company, half the company is engineers. The solution we are endeavoring to solve is in part a technical one.”

MATT: “Campaigns have always had a quality much like a startup. The hard thing about a campaign is that there’s always an end date.”

DOUG ELDRIDGE of DLE AGENCY called in, “Engaging the youth demographic is more done along the lines of athletes and celebrities. It’s part of the digital youth movement. Kids are typing before they’re learning cursive.”

ON CONTENT CONTROL:

JAMES: “The fact that people are consuming so much content is a huge challenge for campaigns. People no longer see where the information is coming from and they don’t put the information into different buckets. It’s all competing for attention.”

“We’re so focused on the social element because it’s a risky business to make politicians compete with digital content. What we’re focusing on is the relationship between voters, between constituents, between issues.”

For more about Brigade Media, go to BRIGADE.COM or @JOIN BRIGADE 

CHRISTINA GAGNIER called in to discuss how tech inspired her run for Congress:

“I started a company that teaches people how to use the internet to find work. I thought if I can run as a candidate and make tech a priority to people, I can move people to the poll.”

“I was a grass roots candidate, knocking on doors. Many people who are voting not around tech areas still aren’t online. 20% of our population don’t use the internet.”

The COOL GADGET OF THE WEEK goes to BLAZE LASERLIGHT

EMILY BROOKE, CEO of BLAZE:

“The biggest challenge for urban cyclists is personal safety. Side-sweeping incidents and blind spots are the biggest fatality to cyclists.”

“Last year we had 9 fatalities in London just before Christmas in a fortnight.”

“Kickstarter is new to London; it’s Silicon Roundabout here.”

“I did Kickstarter to prove the concept, people want this and will pay. This was my university project and I’m now shipping around the world.”"

“Kickstarter is not a very British concept. You need supreme optimism.”

Fave apps: Barclays app to find the nearest bike.

Recently deleted: Daily Mail app.

Learn more at Blaze.cc or @BlazeFeed

Join “Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg on SiriusXM” next week when Randi discusses how to start a winery  in the digital age, only on SIRIUSXM Channel 111 every Wednesday 9am PST/12EST.

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How to Help Eradicate Ebola Online

The deadly Ebola virus seemed like a far-off horror until it made its way to America. And while those rare cases in our country have been cured, in Africa—especially Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone—thousands continue to suffer. The World Health Organization says Ebola has already killed 5,000 people, infected twice that number, and could infect millions in West Africa in the next 12 months without quick, effective interventions. Here’s how just a few clicks can make a big difference:

UNICEF funds will be used to airlift 50,000 protection kits into Liberia to help stop the spread of the disease.
The protection kits (same as above) go directly to children who have been orphaned by Ebola.


The Red Cross, which has a history in Liberia, will send additional staff members to Monrovia and other parts of the country to help with the outbreak. A related organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, has more than 4,000 volunteers in West Africa focused on Ebola. It has reached about 40 percent of its funding goal for efforts in Liberia. Visitors can volunteer, apply for a job or donate. A $175 donation to the International Federation of the Red Cross buys one family solidarity kit that includes food, clothing, condoms, bedding, laundry supplies, tableware and a water jug.

Doctors Without Borders have been busy establishing treatment centers throughout the affected regions; a donation to their efforts is guaranteed to be an effective one. A $500 donation can provide a basic Health Kit containing drugs and medical equipment to provide health care for 10,000 displaced persons for three months.
 
TackleEbola.com, set up by billionaire Paul G. Allen, directs small donors to projects that need financing, like 6,000 hand-washing stations or beds for a center treating patients infected with the virus. The Microsoft co-founder is also underwriting the administrative costs of these initiatives. A donation of $27.50 pays for one household prevention kit, while a $55 donation provides one public hand-washing station in West Africa. A donation of $2,000 provides 27,518 rations of Supercereal for adults and pregnant women. $3,788 pays for three ground physicians and registered nurses at one center for a day.

Partners in Health is working closely with an organization in Liberia and another in Sierra Leone to combat the outbreak. The organization is looking for health care professionals to join its staff as well as volunteers for short- and long-term positions. It is also accepting donations for its Ebola programs. 92% of whatever you donate to PIH goes toward medicine and treatment centers in Liberia. Donation boxes range from $50 to $7,500, and there’s the option to give the amount of your choosing.

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Checky Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

How many times a day would you say you check your smartphone? Twenty? Fifty?

The number is probably way higher than you’d guess–and Checky, a new, free app from the makers of Calm, is here to hold you accountable.

Just download the app and allow it to run in the background of your phone, then use it as usual (if you dare). You can open Checky whenever you want to see how many times you’ve looked at your phone, and the app also tracks the locations where you check it: It’s a sobering wakeup call to learn you’ve checked your email 73 times since coming home from work, or looked at your phone multiple times while driving (yikes!).

It might seem counterproductive to check your phone to see how often you’re checking your phone, but the horrifying statistics the app generates inspired us to make a major effort to practice the art of disconnecting.

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Radio Show Recap: Virtual Reality

Virtual reality has been considered a Star Trekian impossibility with no potential societal impact. Only the very rich or the very nerdy could get their hands on a VR head-mounted display. But now, thanks to engineers, entrepreneurs, and believers in the possibility of making virtual reality well,  a reality, this emerging technology is accessible and affordable to all.

Today on Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg on SiriusXM, our host spoke with Patrick Buckley, author of The Virtual Reality Beginners Guide and VR Smartphone Toolkit and Chief Dodo at DodoCase and Kevin Burke of TwentyMilliseconds.com about the newest creations and challenges in the virtual reality space.

On Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” VR experience: “It’s a cool new way to engage the audience.” —Patrick

“You have to be able to look in all directions when you make a film. It’s interesting to see a talented director like Christopher Nolan utilize this technology.” —Kevin

On Seattle as VR hub: “Tech hubs are based where the investors are.”—Kevin

“I like anyone who is trying to figure out new ways to use this media.”—Patrick

On Londoners signing away firstborn to use Wi-Fi hotspot: “I’m like the majority of people and never read the fine print.” “It gets people thinking about these things.” —Patrick

“The smartphone is virtual reality. It has sensors, screen resolution, software capabilities.”—Patrick

On the build-your-own toolkit: “It’s similar to a View Master from your childhood. Instead of having a still photo you have a screen.”—Patrick

Listener Alex called in from Highland Capital Partners, a global venture firm:

“We believe that VR is quickly becoming the next most exciting platform out there.”

“JAUNT is pioneering cinematic VR. Cinematic VR captures the real world and allows you to experience adventures. Augmented reality has started with Google Glass. That space is growing too.”—Alex

“Synthetic experiences are what game developers are working in VR.”—Alex

“VR allows you to sit in the front row of a Katy Perry show and feel like you’re there.”—Alex

“We think there’s going to be folks who you’ve never heard to make their name in the VR medium.”—Alex

“Google Cardboard brings the VR opportunity to a lot more people. Within the next year we should see a lot more devices and games come out.”—Kevin

“Jaunt creates an experience like IMAX on steroids.”—Patrick

“It’s always challenging to write about tech because it moves so quick. We wanted to give people a teaser of what’s possible.”—Patrick

“The transitions in media formats have changed over the years, each one developing faster than the other.”—Patrick

On limits in VR: “Engineering challenges come from all directions. “—Kevin

“If the screen doesn’t update fast enough you can get sick.”—Kevin

“Messing with the horizon, low frame rate—if a game isn’t responsive enough can cause sickness.”—Kevin

“Graphics and processing together aren’t really working together right now to not make people sick.”—Kevin

“What’s possible with today’s technology already, like cinematic VR, is not needing to move your head quickly. This can solve the problem.”—Patrick

“A lot of people have been getting sick but that’s because they’re trying to figure out how to design the experience so the person doesn’t have to move.”—Kevin

“Push the boundaries and see where they are so you don’t have to cross them so abruptly.”—Patrick

“There’s an application for VR in every industry. Is there an industry that your computer doesn’t touch?”—Patrick

“Real estate, medicine—there’s a laundry list of industries that can benefit from VR.”—Kevin

“Doctors in France are capturing their surgeries with virtual reality for training purposes.” —Kevin

“Exposure therapy can help people afraid of heights or snakes. With VR you can give these treatments more accessibly.”—Kevin

“Lazy eye, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety and public speaking can all be treated with virtual reality.”—Kevin

“With VR you can take a computer model of an object and put it in an experience.”—Patrick

“The browser on mobile phone is more advanced all the time. Someone with a website can access the graphics without a native application. VR experiences are coming through just through websites now.”—Kevin

“One of the biggest problems in making content is vection, the intersection of what your eyes see and what your body does.”—Kevin

“An omnidirectional treadmill lets you walk around and accelerate but in the comfort of your own home.”—Kevin

On the Dodo Case: “When the iPad came out we wanted to keep the art of book binding alive.”—Patrick

“The mobile phone is the gateway to virtual reality.”—Patrick

“Being at the beginning of a whole new industry, technology, and a new media format is the most exciting for me.”—Patrick

“Audio is a key part of any VR experience. Where and what are the sounds? When you turn your head the sounds move.”—Kevin

“From the user interface the corners of the screen get cluttered with game points. Designers are now fixing the screen creatively by putting the user in a cockpit.”—Kevin

“People understand how their computer works, the initial transfer to mapping a VR experience is making people feel comfortable with it.”—Patrick

“I would look at mobile VR applications. It’s a green field opportunity right now.”—Patrick

“With the phone on your camera you can take a panoramic photo, but there’s not a VR Instagram to post. It’s an opportunity for mobile apps for VR.”—Patrick

“Oculus has been partnering with Playful Corp to be the flagship company for VR. They try building a new game every 3 days to see what works and what doesn’t.”—Kevin

Fave apps: “Waze for getting around and Google Images for researching.” —Patrick

Fave apps: “City Mapper for how to get places easily. I didn’t think you could get better than Google Maps.”—Kevin

“TweetBot, everyone’s been upset about what goes in your Twitter feed. The user interface is well thought out.”

“Cloud Flare, now your website can get https for free.”

Follow @PatrickBuckley @dodocase  and Kevin Burke  twentymilliseconds.com

Join “Dot Complicated with RAndi Zuckerberg on SiriusXM” next week to hear about the latest trends in tech, on SiriusXM Business 111 9am PST/12pm EST

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