Tag Archives: Tech

6 Apps the Modern Woman Can’t Live Without

2013-metal-women-s-smart-big-screen-mobile-phone-bag-wallet-coin-purse

You’re an ambitious and stylish gal who’s always on top of the latest trends. Even waiting in line at the coffee shop is an opportunity to multitask. Whether you want to prep for a work meeting, plan a workout or see what’s hot in the fashion world, smartphone apps keep you sharp. With more than 800,000 apps in the Google Play store, which apps do you really need? We’ve compiled this overview of must-have smartphone apps for you, the busy and hip professional girl.

1. Google Keep – Free

There’s no shortage of to-do list, note-taking and organizational apps out there, but when Google makes one, it’s worth noticing. Google Keep is simple and to the point. It’s a tool for easily taking notes, typing lists, adding photos, and annotating them. You can also record audio notes to yourself that are automatically transcribed into text. There’s even a quick-capture widget for sharing content through your Google account.

2. Nike Training Club – Free

This app was developed exclusively for women by Nike. Set up a personalized workout program online and easily access it right from your smartphone. The app also includes videos to assist you with learning new exercises and techniques. You can even coordinate workouts with friends and workout partners and track each other’s progress through the app.

3. Pedometer – $1.99

An automatic pedometer, why not? See how much you’ve walked throughout your hectic day and count it toward your workout later. Aside from just tracking your steps, you can set a target number of steps per day. It includes a diary to help you stay on pace with your walking and fitness goals.

4. DailyCandy – Free

DailyCandy.com is the ultra-fab shopping, trends and modern culture resource site. It recently launched a new, cooler-than-ever website along with a brand new mobile phone app. The app gossips about fashion with you in a super-fun voice and scouts out all the latest, greatest products and services so that you don’t have to.

5. Funny Videos – Free

Life shouldn’t be all about work and no play, especially when waiting in line for your soy latte. Funny Videos has been called the number one funny videos Android app. Take a break, let loose and laugh while watching your choice of literally thousands of funny videos. You can even enhance the app by adding your own original videos. Send them to your friends via text message, Facebook or Twitter. Comment on, rate and save videos as favorites for adding fun to your hectic day.

6. Decide – Free

Waiting for that reason to finally buy the cool new tablet? Are you worried that if you buy now, you’ll be disappointed in a few months when the new, upgraded version is released? Don’t sweat it; let the Decide app make the call for you. The Decide app calculates and predicts the likelihood of price changes for electronics and knows whether a new version is on its way. It prices out buying options for you in three main categories: electronics, appliances and home and garden. There’s even a barcode scanner built in to check prices for you while you’re in the store.

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4 Smartphone Apps to Get You in Socialite Shape

4 Smartphone Apps to Get You in Socialite Shape

It’s not too late to get into serious shape for summer! If you have a smartphone, then you already have a health coach in your pocket. Your smartphone is always with you, can track how you are doing, and can make recommendations as to how to improve your health. If it gets too annoying, there is always the power button.

A 2013 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found most people are open to using personal health apps on their phones, since they offer good information about users’ current health and provide ways to track progress.

Additionally, the design and manufacturing of medical equipment is an expensive task. Smartphones can be a platform on which new medical technology can be implemented and used at a much lower cost than normal. Inexpensive, disposable sensors can be developed that plug into a smartphone to monitor everything from heart rate to blood glucose levels, according to Newsfactor. This means everyone can have a personal health-monitoring machine in their pockets.

Current personal health apps focus on recording your state of health and tracking trends. You can watch these trends to reward yourself for positive progress and make adjustments to your lifestyle to improve your long-range health outlook. Of course, these apps can also tell you how poorly you’re doing. You still have the choice of staying with your fitness program or not.

Here are some personal health apps to help you get started with your own pocket health coach, whether you’re a loyal iPhone user or love your phone with bluetooth from T-mobile.

1. Nike Training Club

This app will get your heart rate up with a set of your choice from 90 cardio workouts. You can set your own personal goals and track your progress toward them, making adjustments so you’ll see steady improvement. Once set up, several 30-45 minute sessions are created to get you to your goal. You still have to do the work, but this app takes the planning and tracking off of you. This app is free and available on the iTunes Store for iOS or Google Play for Android devices.

2. Moves

This app turns your smartphone into a device that tracks your footsteps throughout the day. It can also record miles cycled on your bicycle. This app helps you analyze your daily movement patterns and tells you where you can make adjustments for better health. After a couple weeks of collecting data, you may discover that Wednesday is normally a day of little activity for you, so you can build in a walk at lunch to balance the day out. This app is free for iOS devices.

3. UP by Jawbone

UP looks at your entire life to understand your health. Sure, you’re faithful to your circuit training, but if you’re angry all the time, your health will suffer. Using a wristband to monitor movement and sleep, this app also lets you record your eating habits and moods. The app is free, but you’ll have to buy a wristband at $129.99. The app is available for iOS and Android

4. Fooducate

Learn more about the food you eat with this app. It helps you understand food labels and tells you what is “good” and “bad” about the food. This is a free app for iOS and Android.

What health app is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Cover photo: the yoga studio at Blue Sprit from Flickr user Amanda Hirsch / creativedc.

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Be Fashionably Flexible With the HP Envy x2


HP-Intel-Project-Runway-Pin-Your-Style-HP Envy x2 (Fashionably Flexible)

Great fashion is all about flexibility. The best outfits flatter your features fabulously at a multitude of occasions all while keeping you comfortable. The HP Envy x2 holds the power of two devices in one transitioning in seconds from a vivid Windows 8 notebook with an HD Touch display into a sleek and thin tablet to keep you connected on the go. It’s an accessory that goes perfectly with any outfit giving you a stylish touch of technology all while organizing your calendar, photos, music, and more.

Like the best fashions, the best technology moves seamlessly from work to play. Though we all have those favorite office outfits that transition perfectly from work to happy hour with little to no changes, nothing transitions better from work to play or makes you feel more flexible than your yoga gear. I love yoga because it gives me the best of body and mind. While stretching into challenging poses, my mind begins to wander and I can finally organize my thoughts. Here’s some of my favorite comfortably stylish yoga gear and accessories that bring the “Namaste” into flexible fashion and versatility.

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 1. Layering Racerback Tank  2. Victoria’s Secret Pink Bootcut Yoga Pants  3. Empower Floral Yoga Mat  4. Namaste Yoga Kit Bag  5. Gaiam Thirsty Yoga Towel  6. Bend Yoga & Movement Studio Ten Yoga Classes

Show your fashionable flexibility by entering the HP + Intel + Project Runway: Pin Your Style contest!

– To enter, pin a photo of the HP Envy x2 with Intel Inside® via the Pin It button on the Pin Your Style contest page. Then, build a board that represents that week’s theme. Check out the weekly Pinsetter images on the site for inspiration.

– Submit your board’s URL into the site to enter. Then, share your board with friends to earn the most votes! Vote in the contest between April 29 – May 12 by viewing the Pinterest board submissions on the Pin Your Style contest page.

– Win prizes like an HP Envy x2 with Intel Inside® and a gift card to bring your style to life by getting the top votes for your board.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

A Touch of Luxury: Style Inspired by the HP Spectre XT Touchsmart Ultrabook

HP-Intel- Project-RunwayI’ve always felt that there was a huge correlation between fashion and technology. In the world of fashion as in that of technology, a sleek cutting edge design is the key to success. Perhaps, product 2.0s and 3.0s are the tech equivalent of the newest season in fashion? As with the latest fashion, the latest technology is the ideal touch of luxury. To me, a touch of luxury in fashion means an elegant combination of high and low fashions. Recently, we’ve been seeing some of today’s biggest celebrities such as Kate Middleton wear a Zara dress paired with a blazer straight from the runway. It’s so refreshing to see the mix of high and low in both street and celebrity fashion as its a great of medley of the attainable and unattainable.

Inspired by the HP Spectre XT Touchsmart Ultrabook™, powered by Intel® Core™ processor’s sleek silver and black design, I put together a great outfit for a spring day at the office.  It can also double as the perfect outfit for after work cocktails.  This sophisticated color combination really makes an impression.

A-Touch-of-Luxury-Fashion

1. Alexia Admor Tulip Jacquard Dress in Silver and Black  2. ELLE Sterling Silver and Black Agate Cabochon Oval Ring  3. White House Black Market Suede Trimmed Snake-Embossed Bag  4. NARS Duo Eyeshadow Compact  5. Carlos by Carlos Santana Black Suede Pumps

Want to show your sleek and sophisticated style?  Enter the the HP + Intel + Project Runway Pin Your Style Contest:

– Just pin a photo of the HP Spectre XT Touchsmart Ultrabook™ via the Pin It button on the contest page.

– Then, build a board that represents that week’s theme. Check out the weekly Pinsetter images on the site for inspiration.

– Submit your board’s URL into the site to enter. Then, share your board with friends to earn the most votes.

– You could win prizes like an HP Spectre XT Touchsmart Ultrabook™ and a gift card to bring your style to life!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.