Fashion 2.0 Meetup

I don't live in New York... but meetings like this always bring back that impending dread that I'm missing out by not being there. Thank goodness for the internet, though. This month Fashion 2.0 had a Fashion Design 2.0 Meetup in New York that included a guest panel of some really influential women in fashion and technology including: Kathlin Argior, Fashion Designer; Jen Groover, CEO of Jen Groover Productions, Trish Ginter, Co-Founder SmashingDarling.com; Karen Giberson, President, The Accessories Council; and moderator Yuli Ziv, Co-Founder of MyITThings.com (one of my favorite sites).

The discussion , as seen in the video below, gave insight to fashion and it's necessary evolution into Web 2.0. Some of my favorite points included the discussion of the impossibility of validating your business without a website, which would be like networking without a business card. However, the most intriguing point of the conversation was the discussion on web design. All the women agreed that having flashy websites can hurt sales more than help them and that "template like pages" make bigger sales.

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Career Bags For Fall

Last week, while browsing my list of StyleTwins I ran across a fellow StyleFeeder, bagguru, who had the most fabulous collection of career bags (laptop, organizers, gadget holders, etc.) that I had ever seen in one place. Of course, being the tech geek fashionista that I am, I dove right in and tracked down the link to the website that was feeding her StyleFeeder the awesome bags….the site with all the goodies was CareerBags.com.

Needless to say, it was a match made in heaven! Straight off, the site stated that it was “created by a working woman for other working women who refuse to settle for anything less than fabulous business cases, laptop bags, handbags and travel accessories”. To make a long story short, I contacted the working woman who owned Career Bags and Ellen Hart, aka bagguru, is the one of the most enthusiastic lovers of fashion and technology I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, she is president of CareerBags.com, the leading online e-tailer for laptop bags, luggage and handbags for women. With a personal goal to help every woman bring out her personal style in her business life, no wonder CareerBags Fall 2008 selection is just what I needed…here are my favorite pieces:

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My So Called Dress Collection

Being geek is chic, and being a tech geek fashionista myself, I'm so glad this trend became hot. That's why I was very excited to stumble upon miss bruno's My So Called Dress Collection! According to Shirley Bruno, a co-designer of the brand, "The collection was inspired by our Island/City Girl complex, crazy graphic patterns on vintage fabrics, and fractals. Each piece, along with our so-called scarves are limited and handcut by us. No two pieces are exactly alike, they are each one-of-a-kind. And we don’t keep stock, everything is made to order and can be customized." How exciting is that? Below are a few of my favorite pieces:

The Chou Chou Set

RaRa Dress

Mary One-Piece

Tulip Dress

Visit the collection online and let me know what you think :)

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Get Your Dollars Worth From Your Gadgets: Pt 2 iPod Touch

I've heard it before (even though for the life of me I don't see why) "I don't want an iPhone". So you want to keep your handy phone and get an iPod Touch instead? Getting the most out of your iPod Touch is just as easy! In this 2nd part of Get Your Dollars Worth From Your Gadgets, I am going to focus on how any fashionista can get the most out of your iPod Touch. If you missed part 1 mobile phones check it out here.

Show off your portfolio
Are you a designer, photographer, or an artist that is looking for a great way to make their portfolio mobile without carrying around your laptop? Try Orb, a program that can turn your home computer into a media center by beaming any content to your mobile device, your laptop, your gaming equipment.. and your iPod. All you gotta do is download the program to your computer from Orb and then go to Safari on your iPod and log in to Orb from there... and bingo... instant connection for a small fee. Let's talk about a few gliches... first your home machine has to be turned on, secondly the quality of your images for your portfolio won't be as good as your originals, and thirdly your computer has be the best to really broadcast video... but your folders are still accessible on your iPod. Who wouldn't want that? Check it out at : http://corp.orb.com/en

Store all your important document
The best thing about an iPod Touch is your ability to store all your music and videos, and word documents... wait, you can't store word documents on an iPod touch, or images, or presentations, or excel data, or.. okay you get the picture. But where there is a will there is a way. For $6.99 you can download DataCase (<----this link will open iTunes on your computer) app for your iPod touch or iPhone that will allow you transfer other doc types to your iPhod allowing you to transfer them wirelesly form computer to computer. So now your iPod is an external memory drive to! (Source: TOUCHTIP)

Watch your figure

Stop staring at the menus on your lunch date with the girls! Don't worry about trying figure out how many calories your have left for the day, let Calorie Minder on your iPod Touch worry about it! This little app is full of features:

• You can get complete nutrition reports, including calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, saturated fat, sodium, water and all vitamins and minerals.
• Identify which foods are supplying the most fat, calories, carbs etc. in your diet.
• Set goals for your weight and track all your food and exercise. Count calories burned while running, swimming, bicycling or playing golf.
• Keep track of everything you eat or drink, even when traveling. Even on an airplane.
• Works on your iTouch even when temporarily outside of WIFI range.
• Calculate and graph every calorie, every nutrient, and every gram of fat, protein or carbohydrate in your diet.
• Calorie Minder is custom made for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and intensely user tested.
• Keyboard use is minimized. You can enter each meal in seconds.

Link: http://calorieminder.com/

Stay tuned for part 3 laptops later this week.

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Haute Mimi

Haute Mimi is an online publication for the international habitue and fashion devotee! Cool new site with a great staff of hip fashionistas and fashionistos and a talented Editor in Chief Millissa Mathai! Check them out... and while you're there check out my 411 on the first adjustable-height high heel shoe!

www.hautemimi.com

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Stand out in the iPhone crowd

I had to have the iPhone. I stood in line and talked with other customers abut Apple conspiracy theories, and waited, and admired my vintage Manolo heels I haggled for online at Ebay, and waited, and chewed gum, and waited, and text messaged, and waited until I finally got inside. But when I walked out of Cingular (cough) I mean AT&T with my iPhone, I didn’t feel special.

You see, usually when I buy ridiculously high priced gadgets, the guilt quickly leaves when I hit the office, a family function, or a party and someone says “OMG, where’d you get that?” or “That must have cost a fortune”. But this time everyone had a phone like mine… my nightmare had come true… everyone had an iPhone! As the resident Gadget Hound at The Tastemaker Diares, and in life, my number one fashion rule is to stand out with my gadgets. I’m not a trend fanatic, I’m more of a classic, like Jackie O meets couture. My gadgets, however, are usually over the top, Kimora Lee Simmons, f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s.

So how do you stand out from the crowd? You pimp out your iPhone! Here are ways to stand out with yours.

Add Some Color

At ColorWare you can customize your iPhone the way you want it. Change the iPhone, the rim of the iPhone, the SIM card holder, the earphones, and the docking station to make a fashion statement all your own. To customize all of the above you’ll probably spend about about $250. Basic customizations range from $20 to $150.

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Get Your Dollars Worth From Your Gadgets: Pt 1 Mobile Phones

You get home and tear open your new mobile phone box, you are so excited! For 300 or so odd bucks you got a cell phone that can do everything you every thought a phone could do. You think to yourself… why do I need a laptop or a desktop… and promptly take your two week vacation from work leaving your laptop behind. For a total of two gadget heaven days you and your new best friend snap pictures at the park, jam on the beach to Rihanna, and take bubble baths searching Google for native hotspots.... Ahhh.

And then the unthinkable happens, a ringing sound comes from your phone… is it talking back to you? As you look more closely you realize that it’s your boss and he wants that report emailed in pdf to him, immediately. With your laptop in California while you’re in Paris you look at your new mobile phone disgusted. Discouraged you hail a cab and head to the nearest library as you call the local hottie to say the private site seeing tour is off.

It didn’t have to be like that if you had took the time out to researched your gadget and realized that it can do more than you thought it could. Did you know that non technology experts use only use 1/3 of the technology they own? In this three part series, I’m going to give you tips on how to use your mobile phone, laptop, and iPod more effectively and hopefully leave your more to shop.

Mobile Phones

Tip 1: Skype is awesome… I know I love it, but it’s not just for your PC. You can make free voice calls from your PC and your smart phone… if it’s a Windows Mobile 6.1 device. To download just select the Cab file, store it in your mobile device, and launch it locally. But from experience, don’t try this at home unless you have at least 12MB of device memory space or 6 MB of external memory card space depending on where you install Skype; otherwise you’ll be forced to delete those summer picks of your best bikini shots (the ones you starved yourself for 2 weeks to fit into). And for all you fashionistas that don’t keep up with the latest gadgets, it’s also compatible with all the old Windows Mobile device. So call your sister and California and tell her to email you that report at no cost. To download Skype to your windows mobile device visit http://www.skype.com/mobile and to learn more about making calls from your cell phone visit http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/togo.

Tip 2: You really don’t need a computer to create and send documents in different file formats. All-Format Writer a freeware Java J2ME-based application that allows you to create and send out simple documents on the mobile phone in a number formats including OpenDocument Format (ODT), Microsoft’s Office Open XML (DOCX), China’s national electronic document format Unified Office Format (UOF) and Portable Document Format (PDF). It is available for immediate download at http://teavuihuang.com/allformatwriter. It is free for personal use and supports phones with J2ME & JSR 75 (FileConnection). e.g. Nokia 6120c, Sony Ericsson W810i etc. For more info visit http://teavuihuang.com/allformatwriter.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Laptops…. As always feel free to comment below for more tips or to give me your own! Also vote for this post and many of my others at MyITThings.

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The Office Master Contest

Our friends at The Office Master: Techniques for Cubicle Survival have a neat competition coming up that I think you guys would be interested in:

How TO Enter:

• Write a post on your blog about something related to the cubicle experience (whether it be weird gadgets, funny stories, helpful tips, or outrageous pranks…it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s either useful and/or entertaining). ** Bonus points if you link back to The Office Master!

• Post a link to your blog in The Office Master comment section to notify them of your entry.

The winner will be chosen by The Office Master and will receive one of the brand new Jawbone 2 Bluetooth Headsets!!

The contest begins Tuesday, August 5th 2008, and will end at 12:00 AM on Tuesday, August 26th, which means you have three weeks to enter.

Eligible entries will be judged based on:

• Creativity/Originality
• Usefulness/Entertainment Value
• Relevancy To Cubicle Life
• Overall Quality of Writing

So get into your cubicles and get to writing!

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Gadgetize Identity Theft

With the Department of Justice recently announcing it had charged 11 people in connection with hacking identities from credit card customers of nine major U.S. retailers, I couldn't find a more perfect time for the Ziszor! to come in the mail for me to test out. Ziszor! is the first premium, hand-held paper shredder to balance security with ease of use and portability.

Just 10 inches long and under 1 1/2 lbs, it can easily fit into your office drawer at home or right by the mail pile. And don't worry about the mess, Ziszor! quickly shreds paper wherever in a disposable plastic catch-bag. It's the perfect accessory for any tech geek fashionista with a sleek, glossy-silver and red look.

Pictures below show me testing out the Ziszor in my office and I was impressed by the quality and durability of the product. It comes with a letter opener, 3 disposble bags, and AA baterries all for an introductory retail price of $39.50. The replacement catch bags are a great deal too because when you run out you can get 30 for $3.29.

The Ziszor! is marketed and distributed by Ziszor! llc, a Chicago based company. Ziszor! can be purchased exclusively from the website, visit: www.ziszor.com Like This? Love This? Let me know!

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Laptops For YOUR Fashion Style

One of the worst things you can do is spend your well earned money on a laptop that doesn’t fit your lifestyle. With all of the specs, features, prices, and colors available…choosing one of your most important companions can be a downright headache! Below are three different fashion styles and three very different laptops that can be used as a guide to help you find the right one!

The Socialite / Trendsetter
The Dell Inspiron 1526 comes with an AMD Processor and 2 GB of hard drive, which come in handy for the socialite with millions of pictures on her computer. The DVD burner is filled with features so you can burn your favorite (cough) decent movies in style on a 15.4 Wide Screen LCD. Just enough features to keep you happy no matter whose coast you’re on.

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New Book "Fashionable Technology" Coming This Summer

On Sale Starting June 18, 2008, a cool new book entitled FASHIONABLE TECHNOLOGY The Intersection of Design, Fashion, Science, and Technology. Find out more below:

From Amazon: "The interplay of electronic textiles and wearable technology, wearables for short, and fashion, design and science is a highly promising and topical subject. Offered here is a compact survey of the theory involved and an explanation of the role technology plays in a fabric or article of clothing. The practical application is explained in detail and numerous illustrations serve as clarification. Over 50 well-known designers, research institutes, companies and artists, among them Philips, Burton, MIT Media Lab, XS Labs, New York University, Hussein Chalayan, Cute Circuit or International Fashion Machines are introduced by means of their latest, often still unpublished, project, and a survey of their work to date. Given for the first time is a list of all the relevant information on research institutes, materials, publications etc. A must for all those wishing to know everything about fashionable technology."

Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/Fashionable-Technology-Intersection-Fashion-Science/dp/3211744983

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Get Cash Back For Shopping Online!

(left to right): Marie J. Toulantis, CEO, Barnes & Noble.com; Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com; Rob Norman, CEO, GroupM Interaction Worldwide; Bill Gates, chairman, Microsoft; Matt Ackley, vice president, Internet Marketing and Advertising, eBay Inc.; Patrick Byrne, CEO, Overstock.com; and Jim Barr, president, Online, Sears Holdings.

Shopping online just keeps getting better and better. Bill Gates has now joined top retailers to launch Live Search cashback. Just purchase using Microsoft's Live Search and earn money. How does it work?

Check it out for yourself at http://search.live.com/cashback . Happy Shopping!

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New Luxury Portable Hard Drive by Iomega

How would like to store 1,000,000,000 photos, 4,260 hours of music, and 375 hours of video for one price of $150?!? That's what the new luxurious storage called eGo Leather Portable Hard Drive by Iomega offers. It slides easily into a pocket or purse and is a must have for the tech geek fashionistas who wants more from their hard earned investment.

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iPod Jacket

The Kenpo Jacket for iPod at (http://www.kenpojacketforipod.com/) is a jacket that has some really cool features for iPod lovers. With a front zip and snap closure the jacket includes a detachable hood and flap pockets. It's recommended that you dry clean only because on the sleeve includes a flexible iPod control pad for easy song selection. Like This? Love This? Let me know!

When Fashion & Technology Go Too Far...

I stumbled upon this site called HTL Wireless today.. and I never thought fashion and technology could go so far...

Okay... this is just too much. I don't want to bend down to answer my phone, number 1.. and number 2.. why???

Okay, a cell phone is not a watch.. let me correct that statement: A pda cellphone is not a watch!!! Who wants something that big on their wrist? Like This? Love This? Let me know!

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Stylish new tech cases

Stylish tech accessories are hard to find, for more than one reason. In my search for fashionable technology, I’ve found that many designers think that if they just make a gadget pink, women will buy it. I’ve also come to understand that technology designers are just beginning to understand women’s fashion. And unfortunately, women who use technology everyday are not voicing their distaste with present designs

In lieu of those points, sometimes I jump for joy when I run across people who are finally getting the picture. Life! has launched a line of the cutest cases for your cameras and laptops that are stylish, cute, and will fit into any fashion style. The best part about the laptop totes is that each one has these little compartments to hold your iPods, keys, pens, and other things which allows me not to be forced to carry a laptop and a purse to a business meeting. But don’t just take my word; a representative from Life! explains the versatility of the designs:

“Our varied range of sophisticated bags enables women to make a fashion statement at work, while protecting their valuable possessions at the same time,” says Annique Roc

hecouste, national sales and marketing manager of AZDesignz, owner of the Life! brand. “The fact that major department stores such as Myer are showcasing our designer bags as fashion accessories is a strong endorsement of the high quality of our range.”

“As a global leader in the design and creation of innovative and remarkable lifestyle products, we designed the women’s laptop bags after identifying a gap in the market for bags specifically suited to businesswomen. Women no longer have to be stuck carrying around an ugly laptop bag. Now they can choose a bag that is both practical but which makes a great accessory to their outfit as well.”

I took a couple of looks around and after checking out their website, these are a few of my favorite designs:

Stud Le Clique

This cute studded design comes in black or pink with a lanyard and a belt loop for easy handling on the go.

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How to Get the Most Out of Your Mobile Phone

Women today don’t realize how helpful their cell phones can be if they just take the time to do a little research before they buy, and if they download certain little applications I like to call mobile safety nets.

I use mobile applications all the time to organize my life. For example, I have a mobile application that allows me to get my shopping list together before I go to the grocery store. I’m not talking about a little list maker either. This little application keeps inventory of what’s in my cabinets, suggest when I should buy, and allows me to add products from a database online so I don’t have to type everything in.

The great thing for me is that I an have a Apple iPhone so I have thousands of applications at my fingertips (if you have an iPhone visit http://www.apple.com/webapps/). However, I realize everyone doesn’t have an iPhone nor want one, so these applications can be used on any phone.I picked two applications that can change your week depending on if you are a stay at homer or a career chick. Check them out below.

Best Mobile Application for a Domestic Goddesses

GetMobio Recipe is an amazing application that you can use to look up recipes, ranked by users of course, and immediately view the prep work, ingredients, and step by step directions. The best part is that you can save as many as you want and generate a shopping list to take with you to the store. To view th product demo go to http://www.getmobio.com/learn/demo/recipes/.

Best Mobile Applications for Career Beauties
BalanceDo is a must for serious professionals. This new application allows you to create, send, and track invoices right from your phne. Check it out at http://www.eadiefleet.com/balancedo/.

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Beauty Gadgets For All Budgets

I’m not a huge makeup guru. I usually throw on some eye makeup, blush, and lip gloss for the day and add some dark liner and lipstick to transfer to the night. Being a techie and a fashionista, the natural question for me is: How do I look my best and what gadgets can help me do that? Surprisingly, there are a lot of gadgets out there that can add to your beauty regimen, costing anywhere from a few bucks to a few hundred. I tried two of these gadgets out; one I am absolutely in love with because it didn’t hurt my pocketbook, and one I was just curious about, so I decided to splurge.

This little baby is pretty cool. It’s surrounded by light, making lining your eyes that much easier, and you can put your picture on the mirror to make a personal photo frame. It’s powered by USB and has four feet of cable. Very cool, very chic, and very cheap… only $15 dollars from USB Brando......

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The Incredible Shrinking Tech Toy

Innovation has redefined itself as “small”; from VHS to DVD… smaller, from car phones to cell phones… smaller. Today everyone wants their gadgets to be small, compact, easy to use, and light. The only problem is sometimes you have to sacrifice power for the size.I took a look at a few ultra sleek, small, and stylish devices that could be incorporated into any fashionista’s style without sacrificing either technology or your wallet.

One of my favorite sites, ThinkGeek, features a Credit Card Size Digital Video Player for $99.99. It’s cute and sleek and big on power with an 8 hour battery life, heat-sensitive glowing buttons, 2GB of storage, expandable memory card, FM Radio, audio and voice recording, and much much more.



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Computer Games for Tech Geek Fashionistas

I love computer games, but I hate impossible puzzles, action, and seek and find games. I love strategy games, kinda like the Sims, but one I can play on my computer without pulling my hair out with download times and computer freeze up. Here are three games that deserve mention for women out there who wish there were more games that related to our specific genre. Oh, by the way, I play all my games at Shockwave.com. It's really simple because I pay $24.95 per year and get unlimited access. Email me and I'll send a guest pass to the first five people so you can check it out for yourself.

1. The Diner Dash Series
If you play computer games then you are no stranger to Diner Dash, the fun series where you help Flo, a future restauranter, design her stores and serve food to the masses. This game is so fun, but be careful, only play it at home! I found myself looking behind my back at work trying to squeeze in a few levels, before you knew it a week went by I had gotten no work done!


2. JoJo's Fashion Show
I absolutely love this game, but please be advised, you really need to have some sort of fashion sense to pay this game. The object of the game is to help JoJo regain her fashion career after her assistant stole her designs and became mega famous (sound familiar... the 2nd episode of Lipstick Jungle had the same theme). Dress models in the correct trend and get mega points, be creative and get ready for a new addiction.


3. Carrie The Caregiver 2
Think you are ready for the classroom? This game will definitely let you know. Help Carrie as she educates preschoolers through learning, feeding, tidying up and having fun. I like this version better than the 1st one because changing diapers is just not my thing, computer game or not!


There are many more "chick games" at shockwave.com. Check them out for yourself and let me know what you think.

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Greener Gadgets Conference Highlights

It's time to spring clean spring green your gadgets! The 2008 Greener Gadgets Conference, held on Feb 1st in NY, NY, had a lot of interesting booths, presentations, and designs to help all of us green up our gadgets. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the conference.

1. Mary Lou Jepsen on One Laptop Per Child

2. The Project H Booth. I love these guys, they are known for the Hippo Roller (See top picture on wall). You can donate 100 dollars to their company to give a Hippo Roller to someone in a country that needs it. Hippo Rollers help natives fetch water faster and quicker than the traditional way. Project H is a charitable organization that focuses on "product design initiatives for Humanity, Habitats, Health, and Happiness".



3. CEA Green Electronics. As you can see this is the Consumer Electronics Association own gadget recycling program. You can visit them online at My Green Electronics.



4. The Volatic Solar Backpack raffle. I wish I was there to grab this baby. This backpack uses mobile solar power generators to virtually charge all of your hand held electronics. You can get one yourself in different styles and color ranging from $199 - $599. (click link above to check it out)

5. Nokia's Eco Gadgets: The idea behind this mobile phone and watch like device is call the Nokia Eco Sensor Concept. What it is is a mobile phone that comes with a compatible sensing device that can send shared environment data like your health and local environment to people you connect with. There are two parts to the concept, a wearable sensor unit that analyzes everything and a dedicated mobile phone. The sensor is cool because it's made of solar cells. Read more about this from the source Nokia.



There is also a video about the Nokia sensor device on YouTube from the CES conference. See below.

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Inside StyleFeeder: A Discussion with Founder & CTO Philip Jacob

If you are serious about online shopping then you are no stranger to StyleFeeder, the personal shopping engine that can make your online shopping nightmares disappear. However, if you've read the About StyleFeeder page on their website then you know exactly why I was so excited to get an interview with Founder and CTO Philip Jacob... here's a quick excerpt to get you up to speed (you can read the rest here and read more about what StyleFeeder does on my earlier post here):

"...Call them Bea and Phil. Call them us, who made this site for ourselves and now for you.

In the winter of 2005, Phil noticed that Bea was spending a lot of time emailing to her friends things she had found online. Bea didn’t know what Phil knew, that although email is good for many things, it’s a private and inefficient way to share links.

And Bea finds a lot. And Phil thought it would be nice if Bea and her friends could share things online, and maybe a hundred other people could watch.

So StyleFeeder is Phil’s answer to Bea’s obsession: some things are so damn cool that the world has to know."

I can definitely see why StyleFeeder is so successful, they have a great team of laid back and fashion obsessed employees, they treat every user like a rock star or celebrity stylist, and they focus on quality. I sent Philip a couple of questions about his baby, StyleFeeder, and I'm sure you will be as delighted about the responses as I was.

1. First off, amazing application. From your point of view, what does StyleFeeder stand for?
Thanks for the compliment :) StyleFeeder is a personal shopping engine, a service that uses the intelligence of the network to help you find new products based on your preferences. StyleFeeder is to retail what blogs are to media, netflix is to movies, last.fm is to music and so forth. We're reinventing e-commerce around the individual. E-commerce today is very much based on making it easy for sellers to get in front of buyers, which seems totally backwards to us. When you're shopping, you want to see products that are relevant and interesting to you - it's a simple concept, and the way we do this is to rely on the massive amount of preference data that we've collected so far and use that to power our recommendation service.

2. One of the best qualities of StyleFeeder is the concept of user personalization and customization. Basically I felt that when Phil made this app for Bea, Bea was me! In the development stages, was there a lot of user input, especially with the strong emphasis on user personalization?
Actually, at the very beginning, I developed StyleFeeder for Bea's needs and my needs. We wanted to create a service that made sense to us, so the best way to do that was to build it around our own usage patterns. Very quickly, though, we realized that this just wasn't going to be compelling, since we still didn't have a way to help people shop outside of their own little network of friends. One night during dinner, I had a conversation with Jason Rennie about the work that he was doing on his PhD at MIT, specifically, the power of the algorithms he'd worked on to help people filter large amounts of data based on preference. He subsequently joined StyleFeeder and still works on making our algorithms perform the magic that helps you find the cool pair of shoes found by someone in Sweden.

3. Online shopping has kind of been in limbo, everyone uses the same process, social networks and web 2.0 kind of skipped over the online shopping industry. Now we've seen a large amount of developers trying to fill the void through virtual dressing rooms and social online shopping. Some people say that StyleFeeder kind of paved a path for innovating online shopping. How do you think StyleFeeder fits into the online shopping world?
What's happening is that the ownership of the store catalog, an asset traditionally owned by the retailer, has started to transition to individuals. There are a lot of reasons for this, but you see it everywhere: people creating a collection of products that is appealing to them and merchandising their own virtual storefronts. All of this product information used to be in retailer's catalogs... when you wanted to see the latest J Crew stuff, you'd typically look in the J Crew catalog. Nowadays, you're more likely to find out about new products from your friends or people you interact with online, which, frankly, is much more interesting and compelling.

4. StyleFeeder does so much, how did you guys squeeze all of that into this sleek design that can fit into the corner of a blog, a profile, the side of your browser, or as a little button on your toolbar without feeling intrusive to the user?
We are pretty vicious when it comes to being concise about what we do, especially on the UI. Some of it is process and some of it is
instinct. But thanks for noticing ;)

5. A lot of widgets, although I would not necessarily give you guys the widget label, focus on providing services to one or two popular websites, i.e Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and kind of disappear behind the big names. Was it a decision from the start to not associate StyleFeeder with any one application, but to keep the brand strong and independent?
Funny - the decision was to stay out of the way of the users and just show them cool stuff rather than to focus on beating them over the
head with our logo. We are definitely independent and offer cool, customizable widgets for any platform (or RSS feeds if you care to
develop your own...).

6. Depending on the user, StyleFeeder can mean lots of things. However I'm curious of what could it mean for business users like upcoming fashion designers or magazine editors?
For magazine editors, it's an opportunity to come down from their ivory towers and see what people are really interested in and find out what looks from the runway are actually making their way to user's wishlists. There's a difference between style and fashion: style is your "way" of doing things whereas fashion indicates the preferred way of doing things. To us, it's more important that StyleFeeder is a way for you to explore your own interests rather than learn about what someone in an office in NYC thinks you should wear.

For business owners, StyleFeeder represents a huge opportunity. If you're a retailer, wouldn't you love to get to know a few thousand of your customers on a deeper level? To know what products that you don't sell are interesting to them so you can offer them something
new? To send a discount code to someone interested in your product? We've worked with a few retailers so far on initiatives like this and we're always eager to do more in that regard.

7. I'm personally excited to watch StyleFeeder evolve in the future, are there any plans for improvement?
Yes :) In 2008, you'll see the capabilities of StyleFeeder improve, by becoming richer and offering you a much more capable shopping
experience. Among other things, the UI will become more personalized, and we're focused on improving search. Stay tuned.

8. Finally, I know everyone whose has read the StyleFeeder start up story on your website wants to know about Phil and Bea. But what I want to know is where can I find Bea's StyleFeed...?!?
Aha... Well, her blog is here:
http://www.latartinegourmande.com/

... and her StyleFeed is here:
http://www.stylefeeder.com/stylefeed/beafleur

Be sure to add her to your watchlist!

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Bond girls and Lauren Conrad… a match made in heaven?

Okay, before you look at the title of this post and wonder what in the world I’m talking about, let me explain. I love 007, but I always secretly wished that the next James Bond would be a girl! Of course, in the society we are in, that wasn’t going to happen, but there are Charlie’s Angels, Aeon Flux, and many others to focus on. But for some reason, to me, nothing is more glamorous and stylish than a Bond Girl.

So I asked myself, if I were a modern day Bond Girl, what would I wear and what gadgets would I own? The inspiration for this post came from Lauren Conrad’s new Spring 2008 Collection. I love Lauren’s style and think some of her new pieces are quite classic and would fit very well into a current Bond Girl’s Closet. Don’t believe me? Decide for yourself as you take a ride with my wild imagination and check out this modern Bond Girl’s 24 hour mission:

7:00 PM: Charity Gala
Location: New York, New York
Check out this combination from The Lauren Conrad Spring 2008 Collection which includes the Nicole Skirt, Jackie Tube Top, and the Katherine Wrap. It reminds me of a bond girl at a Charity Gala right before she runs into James Bond while tailing the bad guy. Add a secret flash drive necklace, like this Heart Beat USB Memory Key by Phillip and Swarovski and wait for love and scandal to follow.

Read more of my post at The Tastemaker Diaries

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The Evolution of Fashion PCs

I try not to brag too often, but just to set the record straight...I predicted this happening, that's why I started this blog.

"Market research firm Forrester Research has predicted that the period between now and 2012 will be the “Age of Style” for the consumer PC industry, with manufacturers weaving design considerations into every aspect of their business, including research and development, brand management, marketing and retailing."

Microsoft marketing director, Nadine Kano, made these statements recently:

"Fashion is how we express our identitites"

"Style is everywhere today. Look at house wares – everything from potato peelers to handheld vacuums have been infused with style. In the technology world, we’ve already seen cell phones reach the status of fashion accessory. The shift we’re seeing in consumer PCs is just as inevitable."

"Product differentiation in the PC industry is getting harder and harder to achieve based on technical specs"

"People have always wanted power, speed and reliability, but these days they can get comparable disk space, processor speed, and RAM from many PC manufacturers. To get something unique, people are now looking for style.”

"We’ve definitely moved beyond the days when, to paraphrase Henry Ford, you could get a PC in any color you wanted, as long as it was beige."

Read more of what Nadine Kano said here

So, words mean nothing right? Microsoft actually put their money where there mouth was and invited Nigel Barker, Tony Shellman and Misa Hylton to judge a high-tech fashion show this year at CES in Las Vegas. After looking at 12 very hip and stylish Windows-based PCs they picked a favorite.

I love two of their picks, one of them, I could live without. But the concept of each of these designs and the prospect that they could actually sit on my desk is quite intoxicating.

1.  The Sony LT, a 22-inch, wall-mountable HDTV with a transparent glass border and a VAIO PC tucked into its side panel.

2. The Signature PC from Ego Lifestyle, which has a rounded design resembling a lady’s handbag and is available in leather, chrome, titanium and lacquer finishes. (My Favorite)

3.  The Haier Notebook VM, which has its screen and keyboard connected via a rotary spindle that allows users to pull the screen both upward and forward, and has a sports-car-quality paint job.

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2008/jan08/01-07fashionpcs.mspx

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Gizmos And Things For Your Favorite Workout

As women we tend to prepare for our workouts as if we are about to go out with friends. From small studs in the ears, a slight color on the lip, a neat pony tail or bun, and a cute workout fit, showing up at the gym or the track can become a social event in itself.

Sometimes we become so involved with talking to workout buddies, sizing up the competition, thinking about the day, and enjoying the scenery that we can forget how many laps we swam, what distance we ran, how many punches we threw, how long cardio lasted, and rather or not our heartbeat was up. That’s why a gadget is the perfect accessory to help you look your best while trying to stick to that New Year’s resolution. So how do you pick the right outfit, makeup, and gadgets to go with your workout? The guide below gadgetizes my three favorite workouts: boxing, yoga, and running.

Fly Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee
Add some flavor to your boxing game with a Lover/Fighter Tank and Personal Boxing Timer from Everlast. This timer can strapped to your arm or wrist and is great for heavy bags, speed bags, jump ropes, double-end bags, or other types of interval training.

Relax, Relate, Release
My favorite workout is Yoga, not only is everybody doing it, it actually works and can increase flexibility and core muscle strength. The gadget below is unfortunately a concept gadget and doesn’t exist, but the design is amazing and it deserves a mention. The designer is Hui-Zong Chen and this wonderful yoga mat is made up of an electronic paper screen. You can play MP3, attend yoga class anywhere due to the streaming video, and even connect with friends and have a group class.

Wind Beneath Your Wings
The most important thing about running other than your shoes is your hair and your heart rate. Check out the F11 Heart Rate Monitor Watch by Polar. The quick and easy solution will make sure you don’t under or over exert yourself. Another cute idea is this On The Run gift bag for $30.00 at the studio i|m store. It has everything you need to keep your hair and shoelaces in place.

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Glamorous Tech Toys: Philips and Swarovski Active Crystals Collection

I think the CEO of Philips Consumer Electronics spoke of this collection the best... "The outcome of the alliance is a range of products that go back to the essence of what many women are looking for: the fusion of functionality and fashion through a unique combination of technology and elegance. We are combining luxurious design with the practical, everyday benefits of consumer electronics to complement Philips' brand promise—Sense and Simplicity—and Swarovski's brand promise of Poetry & Precision."

Here are three of my favorite designs, they've been in stores since Aug 2007, but they are still the breaking news in women's fashion / tech becasue it means that tech toy designers are finally getting it!

Mirage Headphones ($ 130.00)

Lock Out USB Memory Key ($180.00)

Heart Beat USB Memory Key ($180.00)

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The Tastemaker Diaries

I am very happy to announce that I am now the resident Gadget Hound at the Tastemaker Diaries, the blog at StyleFeeder, along with some other pretty saavy women. I'll be talking about gadgets as they relate to fashion so feel free to check me out with the other writers including Jackie the "College Co-Ed", Megan the "Shoe Addict", Greenloop the "Eco Fashionista", and many many more. I'll be posting a sample of each of my post here but you have to click the link to read more at the Tastemaker Diaries. Check out my current article below:

Spring 2008 Trends "Gadgetized"

Spring 2008 is coming fast and the styles range from Global (think Angelina Jolie mixed with the Queen of Sheba) to Goddess. I’m really excited about the new trends because they reflect the women of today: powerful, business-minded, eco-friendly goddesses and traveling divas. And of course, gadgets are needed to make these trends come to life! Here are four of my favorite Spring 2008 Trends and my suggestions on how to “gadgetize” (to accessorize using gadgets) them.

The Global Woman
Spring 2008 brings in a global theme that focuses on tribal-like patterns, bright colors mixed with earth tones, and natural but strong makeup! Every global woman needs a multilingual electronic talking dictionary. Try this one, the E15C800, by Ectacto which includes a car charger, headset, microphone and power converters for any country. Pair it with this cute global-inspired dress from Etro’s Women Spring 2008 Collection and you’re ready for any tribal adventure.

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