Google Trends and the Emmy Awards

If you have any interest in television or award shows, then you’re probably aware that the 65th Annual Emmy Awards took place last night.  Maybe you care, maybe you don’t.

Personally, I do care! I mean, I kinda have to I’m in the business! And I was fortunate to win an Emmy (here’s my Emmy nite story and acceptance speech video)

Back to last night, I personally wish that I had enough time to watch some of these shows—barring 30 Rock, I don’t know that I have seen any of them. Damn that reminds me, I need to hurry and clean up more space on my DVR for this season!

Whether you were into the Emmy’s or not last night, Google was busy doing something that you very well may find interesting.  Google has a Google Trends Top Charts Page where you can see what is trending on Google.  You can pick between different categories and topics to see what topics or phrases are trending based on search volume.  Last night they actually had the 2013 Emmys as a category where you could see which actors and shows were trending in real-time, and what position they were in leading up to the show and then again afterwards.  If you are into statistics, you might find this even more interesting than the actual show.  The only show and or actor/actress that held strong in first place from the red carpet to post-show and actually won the Emmy Award in its category was Breaking Bad.

I have listed Google’s Pre-Red Carpet and Post show trends below. Read More

TODAY: Using tech to keep in touch with your kids

So the kids have headed off to college! Are you an empty nester now or just feeling blue as you look into that empty room that was once a sea of clothes and dirty dishes? Well, fret no more! We have some fun ways for you to stay connected to your kids while they are away—and you don’t have to “friend” them either!

Google + Hangouts

This is a FREE service offered by Google. Hangouts is a fun and easy way to connect with your kids that are away at school or anywhere else for that matter. All you need is a Google account. Once you sign up for Google +, you can find the Hangout frame and begin. The service allows you to choose from either doing a texting chat or a video chat. Every kid is different—some may feel much more comfortable connecting with you via text chat and others may love to see their parents or caregivers! So video chat would be a fun solution for them. You can invite up to 10 people to hangout in your chat, so if you have other kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles and they want to join, they can! It allows you to share photos and YouTube videos as well. They also have a fun effects feature where you can add silly hats, glasses and other wacky items that can make the whole experience more enjoyable for everyone. Read the rest of this post on TODAY.com.

TODAY: How to score savings on hot back to school tech!

School is expensive — there is no doubt about that! Whether you are paying tuition or not, it has really become pricey just to buy the supplies. So, I have put together a few tips on how you can possibly save a little this back-to-school season.

Tip #1: Buy refurbished. This is a great way to save a lot of money by buying previously owned equipment. Now I know when you hear the word “refurbished” you might immediately think old or used, maybe even beat-up. That is truly not the case. First of all — and most importantly — always buy your refurbished devices directly from the manufacturer, and if you are a worry wart, you can increase your warranty protection.

For example, consider the way Apple backs its refurb program:

“Before we put a refurbished Mac, iPod, iPad, or Apple TV up for sale in Special Deals, it undergoes a rigorous refurbishment process to make sure it’s up to Apple’s tough quality standards. We back it with our standard one-year limited warranty. And you have the option of purchasing an AppleCare Protection Plan for it to extend your warranty.”

That’s one reason why you should buy from the manufacturer. Another is that refurbished doesn’t necessarily mean that the item is bad or old. Sometimes people will receive a laptop or a computer, use it for two or three weeks and then turn it in because they didn’t like it. These items also are considered refurbished, so you basically can get a new computer for a large discount. Read more on TODAY.com.

Score a great deal on some hot tech with these back-to-school offers!

The back-to-school season is upon us, and whether you’re looking to make some big purchases or small ones, this is a great time to get a deal or find a sale on the tech you’ve been eyeing! I’m going to break down some of the best deals I’ve found so far for you.

Savings on Laptops

Dell Insprion 15z-3992 sLV – Amazon – Reg $1000.00 SALE $685.00 SAVE $315.00

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 – Amazon – Reg $719.99 SALE $549.00 SAVE $170.99

Dell Inspiron 15R – Dell (direct) – Reg $799.99 SALE $599.99 SAVE $200.00

Apple MacBook Air 11” – Apple (Direct) – $949.00 + $100 App Store GC

Tablet

Microsoft Surface Pro – Microsoft (Direct) – Reg $999 SALE $899.00

Printer

Epson Workforce WF-2540 Wireless All-In-One Printer – Amazon – Reg $129.99 SALE $89.00 SAVE $40.99

Backpacks

iSafe Backpack – iSafebag.net (Direct) – Reg $59.99 SALE $29.99 SAVE 50%

Apps

TI Nspire CAS App (For iPad) – $29.99

The apps are $29.99 whereas the calculators start at $139.99–that is a HUGE SAVINGS. These are the Texas Instruments apps that you can use in place of their much more expensive Texas Instruments calculators.

Textbooks

Boundless – For Apple or Android Devices – Free app or an upgrade to $19.99

App that helps you find an online version of your textbook that can help you save money.

Best Buy College Discounts
Students just need to enter their .edu email address and receive coupon codes and discounts on all sorts of items on the site.

Microsoft

Students and staff get 10% off Surface, software and accessories at the online store. Like Best Buy, type in your .edu email address to save.

Apple Store and iTunes Gift Cards

Buy a Mac and get a $100 Gift Card to the Apple Store. Buy an iPad or iPhone and get a $50 iTunes Gift Card

Microsoft has a back to school program called “Chip In” which provides a way for friends and family to help you pay for what you need for school. Chip In is a new crowd-sourcing program from Microsoft to help you purchase a new PC. With the Chip In program, your friends and family can contribute money towards your purchase of an eligible new Windows 8 PC and Microsoft will “chip in” by discounting your chosen PC by 10%. Move fast though, this only runs until September 1st!

TODAY Show: Do we need to observe a “Social Media Etiquette”?

This past weekend on the TODAY Show, I jumped into a lively discussion about whether we’re sharing too much content online and whether or not there needs to be a so-called “Social Media Etiquette” that dictates how we behave and share content on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Oversharing updates and photos on social networks can be bothersome when someone is taking over their friend’s and family’s news feeds with their social activity. This is especially true for kids who may lack the self control or experience to make good decisions about what is worth sharing and what isn’t.

Does there need to be a Social Media Etiquette?

On the TODAY Show, I get into an fun little argument with my guest host, the lovely Faye De Muyshondt, because we couldn’t disagree more about what you should share online! She thinks there should be a set of rules around social media, what we share, and an “etiquette” to follow when deciding to hit that “share” button.

Me? I think that adults should share whatever they want on social because that’s what makes it great! The people who are following you are able to set up filters and mute buttons to control their feeds, so they shouldn’t ever have to feel overwhelmed if you’re sharing “too much”. Read More

TODAY Show: Anchors share their favorite apps

On TODAY, I talked to your favorite anchors about their phones. Specifically, what apps do they actually use that you the viewers at home might want to check out?

Savannah Guthrie’s app is White Noise (get it for: iPhone, iPad). Whether you’re having trouble sleeping or concentrating and need some sounds to drown out a noisy environment or just looking for a softer alarm in the mornings, this app is the perfect companion.

Al Roker selected the Tempo Smart Calendar that uses smart scanning of your email to integrates all kinds of great content into your calendar on your iPhone. When you’ve itineraries in your inbox they’re automatically added, or if you’ve got a meeting with a conference call email it automatically finds the call-in information and sticks it in your calendar.

Natalie Morales selected the workout app Endomondo which lets you select any sport or workout and tracks all of your history, calories burned, your progress. It builds in GPS so you track where and how far you ran as well. You can even link up with workout buddies to share progress and encourage each other to get healthy!

And remember, the TODAY Show app for smartphones and tablets was just released! You can grab it here.