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Use Foursquare and get discounts on Back to School

by Mario Armstrong

Foursquare is going back to school in a big way! When doing your back to school shopping, be sure to check in and see if you qualify for any offers at the store you’re shopping at. Tons of retailers have lined up to offer discounts to students who check-in for their back-to-school shopping, from clothing to supplies to tech. Using Foursquare’s “Explore” feature is the best way to find deals at retailers near you. In New York City, for example, I found deals at H&M, the Gap, Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy. These deals are different depending on where you are, so be sure to search and see what offers exist in your neighborhood! Here are a few examples of current national back to school deals:

· Best Buy – Sync your American Express card with your foursquare account to save $20 off a purchase of $200 or more.

· Old Navy – Use foursquare to get 10% off your entire purchase!

· American Eagle–  Take 15% off purchases when you check-into American Eagle!

· Payless ShoeSource – On your first check in, get 10% off your entire purchase OR if it’s not your first check in, take $5 off any $25 purchase.

Foursquare is available for nearly every smartphone out there, including iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone and more. Download Foursquare today and save some money going back to school! And be sure to leave a comment below if you find any really great deals!!

5 Tips for Great Mobile Video

by Mario Armstrong

I’ve talked before about the importance of having a solid video strategy, as well how I launched a mobile video web series in 48 hours. While mobile video apps make it easy to shoot and share video, there’s always room for improvement, even if you’re just making quick and dirty videos on your phone or pocket video camera. Here are my top 5 tips to help you make great videos.

1. Don’t think—shoot! While I’m offering some solid tips today, the best thing about mobile video is that as long as you have a smartphone, you’re ready to go! There’s little need to set up and think about your shot. If you have a simple tripod for your smartphone, you can have it set up on your desk and pointed at you, ready to record in a matter of seconds.  …Read More

TODAY: The latest in tech: What to keep and what to toss

by Mario Armstrong

What’s in: 

1. Ultrabooks with new Ivy Bridge processors – these are a new category of laptops. These laptops are 0.8 inches thick or less, weigh less than 4 pounds and (generally) cost less than $1,000. Plus, they’re designed to wake from sleep in just 2 seconds. But don’t buy the ones with Intels Sandy Bridge processors that’s OUT, buy an Ultrabook with the NEW Ivy Bridge processor that’s IN.  With Windows 8 coming in October some of these Ultrabooks will be touch screen.

2. Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina Display laptop! This is the hottest laptop out!!!! This laptop has the best screen resolution and even the harshest critics fall in love.

3. Backpacks with built-in charging. Not your average backpack, the Powerbag helps to solve a major problem we all face – battery life. You can charge 4 devices at once.

4. 7 inch tablets! This smaller tablet size category is gaining a lot of momentum & consumer interest. My 2 favorites are the Amazon Kindle Fire & the Asus Nexus 7

5. Warby Parker eyewear. Fashion has gone high tech! You go online pick the 5 frames you like and they’ll ship all 5, you try them on and choose the ones you like, they then fill your prescription and send you the glasses.

What NOT to buy: 

– off brand Tablets! Buy name brand or end up with a huge doorstop

– Netbooks they’re outdated, slow and you’d be better off with a tablet or ultrabook

– Pocket Camcorders! It’s not worth it, especially these days if you have a smartphone that can shoot video.

#SocamShow Rock Center #nobody #slowcamshow #POWER

by Mario Armstrong

Live from Rockefeller Center in NYC, Mario and Shy bring you some crazy videos—a Michael Jackson cover on Kazoo, the #DkF boys tearing it up on the golf course and getting kicked out, and a dancing robot making a sandwich.

Yes, I said a dancing robot making a sandwich.

The #SocamShow airs weeks at socialcam.com/mario, check it out and follow Mario Armstrong on Socialcam today!

First look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

by Shy Mukerjee

Meet the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1″

This morning, Samsung announced their latest tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1″. The word “Note” here is perhaps the most important, as it signifies Samsung bringing their S-Pen technology to tablets from the 5.3″ phone bearing the same name. With the S-Pen, Samsung is hoping that people will be able to use the tab not just to consume content on the web and through apps, but to become producers of content as well. To that end, they brought out film director Baz Luhrmann and fashion designer Zac Posen to talk about how they have been using their tabs over the past few weeks creatively in their work.

This new tab brings a quad core processor to the table, 2GB of RAM, Ice Cream Sandwich (Google’s latest OS, Jellybean, won’t be coming until “later this year” says Samsung), font and rear facing cameras, and of course the S-Pen tech, now boasting more than a thousand levels of pressure sensitivity.

Mario and I got to spend more than an hour with the tablet, and while it wasn’t enough time to form a full opinion, we did get to test much of the hyped functionality of the tablet.  Read More

Avoid Security Holes and Access New Features by Keeping Your Apps Up-to-Date

by Mario Armstrong

Finding out about apps to boost your productivity while on-the-go is an increasingly important part of using your smartphone or tablet to better your business. While the default mail, calendar, and web browsing apps your device came equipped with are a good start, specialized apps often mean the difference between being able to work from a conference and having to wait to head back to your hotel. Whether you’re making a move in the mobile video space, trying to build a following on Twitter, or just organizing your digital life, apps can make a world of difference in your mobile productivity.

One often-overlooked feature of apps, however, is the ability to update them. Unfortunately, apps don’t update themselves—you have to manually install new updates. There are a variety of reasons we get behind in updating our apps: limited space on mobile devices, updates that require a WiFi connection, and even just forgetting to check for them. But there are some very good reasons to make sure you’re keeping your apps up-to-date. Read the rest of this article on AT&T’s Networking Exchange blog.

#SocamShow: Live from the @UniqloUSA flagship store in NYC!

by Mario Armstrong

This week, Shy and I go crazy about Japanese videogames and Japanese clothes. No place combines these two things quite like UNIQLO, a unique, affordable and very classy Japanese clothing retailer. For instance, did you know that UNIQLO sells an entire line of Metal Gear themed T-Shirts in celebration of the series’ 25th anniversary?

If you’ve never taken a #swag walk through a UNIQLO (or a Wal-Mart, as you’ll see in a video we highlight) then you have to watch this week’s episode of the #SocamShow. And be sure to follow me on Socialcam to catch each episode as it airs every Friday at 3pm!

TODAY show’s Al Roker and Mario Armstrong discuss how the 2012 Olympics are going Social—Social Media, that is!

by Mario Armstrong

It’s not enough that the 2012 Olympics simply have a social media presence. This time, social media is set to “revolutionize the way we watch the Olympics” says TODAY show host Al Roker. “These games are being called the most social games ever,” adds Roker. Want to know more? Al Roker brings in Mario Armstrong, TODAY’s Digital Lifestyle Contributor to discuss the different ways these games are going social!

How Social Media will Transform the 2012 Olympics

by Mario Armstrong

When the Olympics hit in 2008, social media was just barely breaking through into the mainstream. Today, it’s a totally different game. On HLN Morning Express I talk to Robin Meade about how this year social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook will transform the way we interact while watching the 2012 Olympics. As well, I look at how we can go even further behind the scenes and connect with teams, brands and athletes in ways we never have before. So check out the clip above, and leave me a comment about how you’ll be enjoying the games this year!