This is Part II of my CE Week 2015 New York coverage. As I mentioned, I was invited to a couple of great events – the CE Week Parent Blogger Day and the Techlicious CE Week 2015 Lunch. I am sharing the highlights from both events below.
CE Week Parent Blogger Day (continued)
As I mentioned, I really enjoyed this breakfast event that was hosted by Rebecca Levey and Andrea Smith on behalf of CE Week.
6. Shapeways 3D Printing Workshop
My family is a big fan of 3D Printing since Michael became involved in a 3D printing club at school. I have written in the past about 5 Free 3D Printing & Design Resources for Kids. That is why the Shapeways training was so interesting. Shapeways prints products using 3D industrial printers that work with a variety of materials beyond plastic – including porcelain and stainless steel. They also sell a wide variety of 3D printed products. The way that Shapeways makes 3D printing accessible to more people is great. You can also turn a 2D design into a 3D print or create other products on the Creator section of the Shapeways site. Take a peek at an advanced use of this amazing technology:
Enid, a community manager at Pinterest, did an amazing job of covering the following points:
a. How To Improve Your Pinterest Account (what content performs well and why)
b. Ways to Make Your Blog Pin-Friendly (share buttons, pin-it button and other useful SEO tips)
c. Tools and Guides to adjust your Pinterest strategy
(I will be writing another post about my Pinterest takeaways from the workshop but meanwhile the Pinterest Guides from Pinterest for Business contain some really great information.)
Techlicious CE Week 2015 Lunch
Due to some “end of school year” obligations, I could only stop by this lunch at The Gander Restaurant for long enough to hear the brand reps speak. The event hosts, Suzanne Kantra and Josh Kirschner, are great people and have such a thorough knowledge of technology that I just didn’t want to miss it completely.
8. Philips
Philips showcased a couple of cool products – scented anti-bacterial screen cleaners and the SHOQBOX Mini. I really liked the new scented screen cleaners that are coming out in August. The mint, chamomile, lavender and rose sprays leave a light, subtle scent on your technology after you use it. This was actually the first item that my son Michael took and started using on his tech when I came home. He sprayed and wiped the family computer, his iPad and his Chromebook.
The SHOQBOX Mini Bluetooth wireless portable speaker is also very cool. During the lunch, the water resistant speaker was placed in a bowl of water and worked perfectly afterward – making it perfect for pool and beach outings as well as listening to music in the shower. You can see a video of the full-sized SHOQBOX below:
9. Panasonic
The Panasonic LUMIX G Compact System Camera DMC-G7, which takes pictures and videos using 4K technology, was showcased at the lunch. While people take photos on smartphones more frequently, there is still 20% of the time when people like to use actual cameras for photos. The rep shared the major differences between a smartphone camera and a digital camera, like the Lumix G7.
-The optical zoom on the digital camera provides full resolution.
-You are able to take shots more quickly with a digital camera.
-There is also better image stabilization (optical image stabilization) on digital cameras that compensate for user motion – like jittery hands. This is especially helpful when shooting video.
-The biggest difference is in the size of the sensor. With a digital camera, you are able to capture more light, color and contrast in your photos.
My overall takeaway was that “When the photos really matter, you want a dedicated camera!” The G7 definitely was a hit at the lunch. As my friend Cristie tweeted:
This camera is literally everything you want. Everything.
Finally, I want to thank all of the additional event sponsors. I will especially use the colorful Logitech m325c Wireless Mouse and Incipio’s OFFGRID Portable Backup Battery. I already had a Logitech mouse for the family computer. Now, I will use this one for my work MacBook Pro. You can also never have too many backup batteries. I actually used the Incipio one during the CE Week breakfast and lunch since my iPhone battery was starting to die.
The great thing about technology is that you get to pick and choose the items that work best with your lifestyle. There were several other gift bag sponsors with products that were not good fits for me but they are GREAT products. I hate to see quality items wasted, so I’m giving away the following remaining four gift bag items to one lucky Mom in the City reader:
1. A hybrid hardshell Kate Spade case from Incipio ($39.99 Value)
It’s for the iPhone 6. That is the only reason that I’m not keeping it.
2. A Home Remote Control System Starter Kit from Insteon ($119.99 Value)
If (unlike me!) you have a large or multi-level home, this kit would be so helpful.
3. A thermal imaging camera for your iPhone smartphone from Seek thermal ($249 Value)
“See the Unseen” is the tagline for this product. If you (or members of your family) use tools around your home, are “outdoors” people or just like new, techy gadgets then they will love this tool that allows you to see in totally dark situations.
Currently in pre-order, this tiny “anti-gadget” is worn closely to your body or on the included wristband. This is perfect for people with FOMO (fear of missing out) when it comes to missing calls, texts and other smartphone notices. It works with an app for iOS or Android phones.
In order to win the 4 items in this giveaway bundle, simply let me know your current favorite consumer electronic product in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email with “CE Week 2015” in the Subject line to giveaways@mominthecity.com. A winner will be chosen on July 30th at noon.
(In case you missed it, you can see Part I at 10 CE Week 2015 Highlights (Part I).
Disclosure: I received some of these products in gift bags as a guest at the CE Week Parent Blogger Day and the Techlicious CE Week 2015 Lunch. As always, all opinions are my own.