Ode To BlackBerry.

This one's for all you BlackBerry users out there.

My favorite part is at the end when he has the blackberry in one hand and a bottle of beer and a kid's bottle in the other.

A Week Without Technology?

I found this video on YouTube after doing a random search for "crackberry." I'm a new user (I purchased the new 8830 world edition over Thanksgiving break and I love it.

Due to my newfound addiction, I have started to run into things while walking. This could become a problem.

Anyway- back to the video. This video features Dennis Neal, managing editor of Forbes Magazine. He volunteered to "go without" email, cell phones, and his blackberry for a week.

Is it possible? Could you do it? I couldn't.

I love that he could "hear" the cell phone ringing- and also that he went through withdrawl. Another reason why it's a "crack" berry.

He brought up some interesting points though- in Today's society we are very demanding and expect instantaneous communication. Cutting off our "connection" (literally) may be liberating at first but I don't think I could do it. Similar to Dennis Neal, I'm living a "wired" existence in a "wireless world."

Dennis lasted 40 hours.

[On life, love &] Accolades.

iSchool Senior Received Honorable Mention in CRA’s Outstanding Undergraduate Award Competition
http://ischool.syr.edu/about/news.aspx?recid=491


Hi, I'm Alana, and that iSchool senior is me. Yesterday, I was walking home from pilates and the trusty (and new) BlackBerry (8830 world edition) was buzzing feverishly. I looked down, expecting a new facebook wall post or perhaps an email from a group project member and read this:

"We are very pleased to inform you that you have been selected for Honorable Mention in the Computing Research Association's Outstanding Undergraduate Award competition for 2008.

This year's nominees were a very impressive group. A number of them were commended for making significant contributions to more than one research project, several were authors or coauthors on multiple papers, others had made presentations at major conferences, and some had produced software artifacts that were in widespread use. Many of our nominees had been involved in successful summer research or internship programs, many had been teaching assistants, tutors, or mentors, and a number had significant involvement in community volunteer efforts. It is quite an honor to be selected for Honorable Mention from this group. A list of the winners, the runner-up, finalists, and honorable mentions appears below.

A copy of the announcement as it will appear in the January 2008 issue of Computing Research News will be posted on CRA's website (www.cra.org) next week. On behalf of the Computing Research Association, we are pleased to have you as a member of the computing research community, and wish you the best for the future."

I'm pleased too! Honestly, I can't believe I received an honorable mention out of the pool of applicants. The winners were from Princeton, Cal Tech & Stanford. Check out the complete list here.

As stated in the iSchool news article, I must take this time to dedicate this award and the other honors I have won to those who have guided and mentored me throughout my academic career.

To all of you. My most sincere thanks. I couldn't have done it without you.

What a girl needs to survive…

I was planning my journey home to Ohio for Thanksgiving break when my mom called and suggested that I stop somewhere and stay the night (mainly as I am a terrible nighttime driver)

Anyway, I went online and started to check out my options- I usually check out sidestep.com first and then go for your normal expedia’s and so forth.

What I came to realize as I was scrolling through my options of Country Inn’s, Hampton Inn’s and the like is that I didn’t want to stay there. Sure, they had high speed wifi and a fitness center and probably lots of channels… but I’m sick of those places. Yes, I’m 21 and sick of those places.

I know what you’re thinking. She’s totally spoiled.

But it’s not that. I decided to check out b&b’s in the greater Erie, PA area (it’s my halfway point). I stumbled upon a chamber of commerce site and caught myself- again realizing the power and reach of the Internet. The chamber of commerce site was bad- it didn’t even have websites listed!!

Here I am, a 21-year old student traveling home from Syracuse on home and refusing to settle for the average, common place hotel stay.

Instead, I checked out b&bfinder.com and wished they had more funding to make their site easier to use and browse. Regardless of the technical capabilities of the site, I found the Grape Arbor Bed & Breakfast. (grapearborbandb.com) located in North East Pennsylania.

The only word I can use to describe this place is perfect. I’m sitting here, the only guest in this mansion (they own two), drinking green tea, eating chocolate and sitting on this bed that is probably about three times to large for me with homework strewn about it.

Anyway, the point of this is that I realized that there are a few things that will make me happy no matter where I am. And I found them here, about 5 miles off Westbound I-90. My MacBook (now with parallels, why did I wait so long!?), headphones, a nearby outlet, a fireplace, low lighting, tea and chocolate. So what I’m really trying to say is that I’m thankful for these things. Really, really thankful.

So, it makes me sound a little techy. I’m kindof over it ☺

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

Published in the Daily Orange!

After noticing the new "technology" section in the Daily Orange, Syracuse University's campus newspaper, I decided to email the editor and ask if they were looking for any contributing writers.

The result: a feature article in the "technology" section based on my previous blog entry on coupon codes.

Check it out here.

Article Text below:

With winter right around the corner, students might not be as likely to make the trek to Carousel Center for a shopping spree. But unlike students of years past, there's one major resource today that transcends barriers of precipitation and physical space: the Internet.

The Internet can be used for investigative work on Facebook, research on Wikipedia, finding a place to live on Craigslist and even gossip with friends abroad on Skype. But what about shopping online?

The same Web 2.0 premise of user collaboration aided by the Internet applies to the online distribution of Internet coupons - also known as promo, discount or key codes. Usually transmitted via e-mail to mailing lists, discount codes award loyal customers additional discounts to be applied on future purchases.

Interactive marketing expert and adjunct professor Sean Branagan said he believes that discount codes follow a "natural progression of coupons."

"From UPCs to printed coupons and now, discount codes in an online shopping environment, these codes are the next organic step in couponing," Branagan said.

However, with online databases distributing the codes for free, online shoppers are no longer restrained to the offers targeted directly at them. Sites such as RetailMeNot.com and currentcodes.com offer bargain hunters a chance to browse codes in an easy-to-use interface as well as vote on which codes work. This interactivity encourages online collaboration to ensure that discount codes are freely available to all.

For example, if one searches RetailMeNot for Sephora codes, free shipping, extra samples and free gifts pop up. After visiting the site, a junior supply-chain management and marketing major Alyxa Lease said she thought the site was a great resource.

"I'm going to check this site before I commit to any online purchases. It's a useful resource that appears to be improving and expanding," Lease said.

The number of online shoppers who take advantage of sites like RetailMeNot continues to grow. Data from Alexa, the Web Information Company, reports that the site's Internet reach has increased 43 percent during the past three months.

On the consumer side, Mark Frantz, a dedicated Internet bargain hunter and vice president of technology at Internet Consulting Services, based in Syracuse, said "if there's a box, I search for codes. It's an extra 10 minutes to save money that you wouldn't have saved in the store."

But the use of retail codes is not restricted to the tech-savvy. "It's mainly classic bargain hunters, not more or less technical," Branagan said. "The advantage is to a technical bargain hunter," a hybrid style of consumer "who would know how and where to search."

Some wonder whether the effect of increased distribution of discount codes will be positive or negative.

"It's viral," Branagan said. "I would reward it. I would send these people more codes. It's a new way to gain customers with a low cost of acquisition."

Jeff Rubin, president and founder of Internet Consulting Services, said it would be in the best interests of businesses to look at these code distribution sites as opportunistic.

While browsing through RetailMeNot, many offers are posted by the companies themselves, most likely trying to gain usable data on the number of users who go to the site to find deals.

"Marketers must take into consideration the market diffusion of the codes," Rubin said. "Customers enjoy saving money. If the end result of using discount codes is that customers feel better about their purchases, then I don't see an issue."

Chris Kirkegaard, a graphic artist and adjunct professor at School of Information Studies, said he believes discount code users come from all walks of life. "My mom uses them and she can barely turn on her computer."

For discount updates, download the cross-platform RetailMeNot desktop widget or Mozilla Firefox add-on.

Just in time for the holiday season.


...I wish I could have added a shoutout to techyness.com to this article! Maybe next time ;-)

Retail Codes: Internet Shoppers Unite.

An Internet connection + a computer - free time + a love for shopping = online shopping!

Yes, I love to shop online. Not as much as shopping in a physical retail environment, but it's a quick fix when driving to the mall is not an option. In exploring this increasingly evolving retail "place" (One of the "Marketing P's").

For me, it's mainly things that I can't find in the greater Syracuse area that I want anyway. Like Sephora, Patagonia, pearls from China (ebay) or my newest purchase- headphones by skullcandy (review to come at a later date).

A few weeks ago, I was buying myself a post-breakup gift: (Patagonia's Re-Tool Snap T Pullover) and decided to google "retail codes" or "coupon codes" just to see if I found anything.

I stumbled upon Retail me Not- an online catalog filled with these codes. (& there are many others out there just like it, like (currentcodes, etc.) Simply stated, you just enter in the URL of where you're looking to find deals, and then the current results will display.


The best part about this site is that users vote on what works and what doesn't- so it wastes less of your time.

On a recent Sephora purchase, I searched the site and used "FREESHIP25" ... free shipping with a $25 order. Kinda sweet if you don't have a store nearby.

I have to admit- while entering the sephora code, i felt a little guilty- mainly for those who spend time analyzing data and sending out strategic emails to certain market segments with pre-determined offers. But then I was like- hey- i'm saving some money here. Still, that Whitman School of Management marketing minor in me feels a little for this current situation. However, if it means one more transaction, or a client to buy more or buy more often- does it really matter?

My conclusion: It must just affect the end data that marketers collect on the number of codes used for online transactions-- if you were to compare this data to the number of codes that were emailed out- it's a worthless figure. Maybe they'll come out with something new... but then again, someone will figure out a way to work around it. god bless the internet.

Want to ensure you get the best deal always? Download the Retail Me Not desktop widget or firefox add-on... but proceed with caution. There's no turning back once you begin to install firefox add ons. If you don't watch out, you'll turn out like me and have lots of them. I'm actually using ScribeFire to write this post.

10% of our Brains, 10% of our Hearts, 10% of our Computers?

We all remember the line from wedding crashers, "You know how they say we only use 10% of our brains? I think we only use 10% of our hearts."

Well I was sitting in class today, and somehow this concept came to mind- mainly it was during a presentation given by a representative from Harris Interactive and also due to watching the girl sitting close to me in class work on her computer (I'm often easily distracted).

I've come to realize, mainly through observation, that although a great number of people today use computers and technology, that the overall knowledge tends to peak at a certain point. I'm not sure if it has to do with a general disinterest in computers/technology, a lack of knowledge on the subject, or a type of "fear" that just keeps people away from learning about it.

On campus I have been working as an undergraduate research associate on the Syracuse Information Systems Evaluation (SISE) projects- one project that I have assisted with is the IT Workforce project, where we explore perceptions of IT and IT-related careers in society. One interesting topic was the Geek vs. Nerd stereotype research- the quotes from the surveys were hilarious. However, not all of the research had a humorous edge- one research angle came from discussing how IT professionals are regarded in the US vs. other countries- we found that in India, IT professionals are regarded almost as highly as doctors and lawyers. A strong differentiation from the United States, where IT professionals are frequently stereotyped as being antisocial and working in an otherwise undesired field. Although these are two distinctly separate countries (and cultures), I believe that it proves that the US needs to change perceptions on technical related professions.

I disagree. Not only are graduates from the iSchool at Syracuse University the highest paid graduates of the University, but more importantly, we have the chance to make a strong impact in a society that runs in an online environment.

So, let's try to use more of our brains, hearts... and our computers :-)

My New Guardian Angel: Where & When?

As I wrote in a previous post, my research on technology modifications inspired me to do the same- take my own advice and make my stuff really "mine." So, I checked out Adafruit's wiki and did a little searching... eventually I found Tech-Tattoos. I noticed in the Adafruit forum, someone from my hometown who was starting up a new laser etching business. Excited but a little nervous, I immediately fired off an e-mail to Jen Horvath, the co-founder of Tech-Tattoos, where they will "zap your crap." Immediately, she emailed me back, a little surprised and impressed that I found her- as she didn't have a website yet. The whole process was amazing, and painless (no needles- i don't like people tattoos).



She even let me press the button- as you can see from this image, I watched the laser etching machine take my clean, untouched MacBook Pro and turn it into my guardian angel :-)


The guardian angels of life fly so high as to be beyond our sight, but they are always looking down upon us. ~Jean Paul Richter

My New Guardian Angel: Inspiration

While studying abroad in Italy over the course of a semester, I was able to see some pretty cool stuff, to say the least. Taken near the Pantheon in Rome, these wings were featured in the window and I fell in love with them. I don't even want to know how much they cost. I've always loved the complexities of angel wings in art- and my time in Rome increased this fascination.




Raphael's angels. Need I say more? The wings on this angel are beautiful and exactly what I wanted to put on my untouched macbook pro. It just seemed so perfect- the macbook needed something, something that didn't hide the glowing apple, something timeless, something very "Alana."

It reminds me of a book a friend purchased for me as a 21st birthday gift. Unfortunately Italian customs didn't want me to receive this book, so I waited until my return to the United States.

It's called "Quintessence, the Quality of Having "IT" and I love it. I'll write a post about it later and scan one of the photos in. It was the nicest birthday present I've received in a long time- mainly because the gifter said that I, like the book "transcend form and function."

So, the wings on the macbook mean more to me than something cliche.. it's a reminder that no matter where I go (since the macbook goes with me nearly everywhere) that there is always someone looking out for me. Not to be corny or anything.


It is not known precisely where angels dwell - whether in the air, the void, or the planets. It has not been God's pleasure that we should be informed of their abode. ~Voltaire

My New Guardian Angel.

In August, I bought a MacBook pro.

I know what you're thinking.

"Alana, you're a PC-girl." Well, hey now--- don't jump to conclusions or categorize/stereotype me just yet, I like to keep people guessing.

Actually, one of the biggest reasons I bought my new baby because of my earlier post on laser etching. I was fascinated and wanted something (or many things) laser etched.

I know that this post is sortof backwards- as in I shouldn't be posting the finished product first. So my next post will explain how I found the company and how I was inspired to create wings on my new, 2k+ baby. Who needs a boyfriend when you have something this pretty? That's what I'm thinking.


Angels have no philosophy but love. ~Adeline Cullen Ray

Confessions of a Pandora Addict

A few weeks ago, I was in the computer cluster here at Syracuse University and the worst thing happened in the middle of creating a ERD. my ipod died. Upon realizing I was a bit frustrated at this situation, my friend turned to me and said "Alana, have you tried Pandora?"

Being the geeky person that I am, my thoughts turned to Greek mythology and Pandora's role as the keeper of the world's evils... and of course that she was the first woman created by Zeus, and gifted by all of the gods (I guess you could call her the Greek's "Eve") and she was also considered to be something "beautifully evil" hummm...

Anyway, thinking this about Pandora, the last thing on my mind was music. So of course, I was fascinated, not only by the concept of this (commercial) free Internet radio, but why the name "Pandora?"

So after analyzing it, I thought of a few answers before I went on the site to find the "real answer" :

• Music isn't evil, unless you think of some of the songs on pop radio, such as Britney Spears' "Gimme More." Then it's evil. So one assumption in this post is that most music is not evil, so this is not the answer where I want to place my faith.
  
• According to the myth, Pandora opened the box of evil, but kept Hope inside. The name "Pandora" could mean, simply, that there is always hope. Not just hope for music, but hope that there will always be new music.
  
• I read that Pandora is based off of the Music Geonome Project- where songs have been analyzed, categorized & "ized" in many ways.. therefore linking songs to different consumer preferences. Seriously, I would love to get ahold of the data this site gets. I hope they make a lot of money selling it. So I'm thinking it might be that their huge database...er..."box" of music data has been "opened" for everyone. I kindof like this conclusion.
  

drumroll, please....

and according to the Pandora website, the real reason for the name is:

"The name Pandora means "all gifted" in Greek. In ancient Greek mythology, Pandora received many gifts from the Gods, including the gift of music, from Apollo. She was also, as we all know, very curious. Unlike those Gods of old, however, we celebrate that virtue and have made it our mission to reward the musically curious among us with a never-ending experience of music discovery."

hummm... I guess I was kindof close. I'm just glad they left out the whole woman is evil part. Thanks Pandora.