As predicted Seth Mcfarlane was a Mediocre Host of the Academy Awards.

The Academy awards are the time honored, etiquette driven portrayal of Hollywood class. We connect character to actor but seldom realize their true personality and nature; sans tabloid perversions. The Academy awards give us a chance to see the grateful kind and sympathetic side of our beloved actors. We see their true emotional responses through disbelief, coy acceptance and sincere gratitude. This is one of the few nights our actors transpose their genuine character.

The host is to tread lightly as they 'Roast' winners and losers alike; maintaining the positive atmosphere that would beckon all to continue aspiring to their greatness no matter the outcome.

This being said, Seth MacFarlane may have been fooled into thinking he was fit for the job. His first couple minutes were cautiously humorous. Hope was that his 'Family Guy' persona would have been watered down to witty comments intermingled with his love for musical numbers. Unfortunately the opening number (or call to action that sets the tone of the night) was shrouded in debaucheries and confusion as to who was the true host: MacFarlane or William Shatner. Instead of invigorating our desire for exuberant musical rhapsodies, he chopped the opening into three small bits which lost the climax.

Throughout the night his comments walked a very thin line of embarrassment and entertainment. His closing number with Kristin Chenoweth brought his performance to a mediocre standard. This is funny because Seth predicted this review in the beginning.

The awards ceremony was saved due to the incumbent review of some of the greatest films of the year and well performed musical numbers. Adele and Barbara Streisand's separate performances were definite highlights and Daniel Day Lewis' well-spoken humorous acceptance speech validated his award by itself.

The Academy awards hold one of the last refuge's for celebrity class. They are inspiring, humanizing and celebrate the best accomplishments of all within the cinematic world. Seth MacFarlane failed a strong opening, cautiously maintained humor throughout and ended the ceremony with what little class he had left. Was it the freshman producers who were to blame or MacFarlane? If there is one thing to be said about Seth it's that he is always himself no matter the occasion. He may not host the Academy Awards (ever) again but his unique comedic style will never change. Unfortunately Billy Crystal's genius can only live so long and we may only cringe at what high society will be subjected to in the future.

Healthcare Providers' NurseLine; How it saves time and money

In the past when one in my family had a high fever, we would call or go to the hospital. What else can you do really? Yes you can self-diagnose online but not everything you see on the internet is true. So you drive to the hospital, wait forever, spend money you don't have but feel better that a professional helped you. Well in the past this has been a horrible experience and I have recently found a productive solution to the hospital issue. Through my healthcare provider (UnitedHealth) they offer a free NurseLine. This was an excellent service and helped us figure out our issues without the nuisance of the hospital environment. I will compare one of our recent hospital trips to the NurseLine service and let you decide for yourself.

Our last trip to the hospital was one of the worst. Our daughter was running a high fever and was not getting any better. I called the closest hospital to see if they could recomend something to us or tell me if this is really bad enough for us to come in (her pediatrician was unavailable). I spoke with a nurse at St.Mary's and she told me she couldn't help us over the phone. She told us to just come to the hospital if we think it's bad, but she cannot offer advice over the phone. Well I wasn't looking for advice, I was wondering if it was something to worry about and if we should come in.

We decided to come into the hospital because we didn't have much support.When we got there, people were everywhere! Bandages, pneumonia , and a crazed person high on something! It looked like a warzone medical tent mixed with a Salvador Dali painting.There was no place to sit and a four to six hour wait. Bye, see you never.

We drove to the next hospital. It was Childrens Hospital, one of the best in the city and it was only a little further away. We got there and it was a little busy with concerned parents and sick kids but no where near the last wait. We fillled out the paperwork and were told there would be a two hour wait. We weren't going to keep hospital jumping so we decided to stay. 4 hours later they brought us into a room. Our poor little girl was sick and tired, but we just needed to make sure she was going to be ok. They assessed her symptoms and after (what seemed) another hour, you know what they told us? Just give her some more Childrens Tylenol...really? From beginning to end we wasted almost 6 hours just to be told that?

We were happy she was going to be ok and it made us feel better but this is something that could have been answered over the phone. It would have saved us time and made things more comfortable for our daughter. Instead, we had to spend six hours and pay $200 for something we were already doing.

This seems like a first world problem but as I said, it was the most recent trip to the hospital. I vowed to never do this again. I was sick of hospitals and sick of having to pay for things I could do at home. I was able to find my solution through my healthcare provider. They offer a FREE NurseLine. This was exactly what I was looking for. A professional telling me if what we are doing is correct and if there is any need to proceed further.

I was recently able to use this feature and couldn't have been more pleased. My wife was sick with a stomach ache and had a bit of a fever last weekend. I was soo excited! Not that she was sick, but because I got to try out the NurseLine instead of wasting all our time and money. I called the line, and after giving some of my account information was on the phone with an RN. I expressed all the symptoms and what we were doing. At first she gave me a disclaimer, expressing that without being there she couldn't be certain. Then she told me that my wife had what sounds like the stomach flu. The Nurse went on to say how to best handle it and what to eat and not to eat. If the temperature went too high to immediately go to the ER. Then she asked how my daughter and I were doing and if there was any other health related questions.

I almost couldn't believe how helpful this was. I paid NO money, only spent about 15 minutes on the phone and received information and support from a healthcare professional. We applied the advice we were given and in two days my wife was better. This was an amazing feature (that I pay to have) and it was quick, concise and helpful. This nurse was caring, empathetic and wanting to know how she can help further. Is there anything better than quick and free professional help that works? Usually it is just assurance we require when there is a minor sickness and this nurse was able to provide that instead of us waiting for six hours and paying $200.

I am not saying that a service like this will apply to every symptom but it is definately the best starting point. The United Healthcare NurseLine can help you understand what is happening, offer you advice, and direct you further in case you have a bigger concern. I am thankful that something like this exists, if only for the quick response time it gave me. If you have healthcare I would suggest finding out what provider options are available to you. No one thinks they need to look into their coverage options until there is an issue. At least once a year you should check what they can provide, so that you can take advantage of great services like the NurseLine too.

Apple Theories: Tablet Computer and Smartwatch

With the Microsoft Surface Pro and Pebble Smartwatch creating popular markets for their seperate niche's, it's not going to be long before Apple comes along with their own models. That's what Apples does right? They wait for the demand to build and then create their own design that blows the others out of the water.

Lets start with the Smartwatch. In a previous article (Apple Smartwatch) I made a case that Apple will be developing one soon. This relied heavily on the release of the Pebble Smartwatch and Apples discontinuation of their square faced iPod Nano (which as many of you know, had watchband accessories). Pebble has had some issues with their product but nothing that would completely deter the consumer from buying into the market.

It wouldn't be hard for Apple to develop a smartwatch. Siri can easily be integrated and they have already moved to Bluetooth 4.0 on all of their devices. Now that the market has been created its my prediction that Apple will be working on the design and release a Smartwatch by the end of 2013 or beginning of 2014.

Evolving the iPad into a tablet computer has just recently (in the past 6-8 months) been discussed. Microsoft's Surface is paving the creation of this market and Apple is just the company to get it right. Recent developments have led to my theory that by the end of this year(or beginning of next) they will develop their iPad into a tablet computer, or at least provide the option through a partition.

Less than a week has gone by since the iPad got an upgrade to 128Gb storage. Why would they upgrade their storage capacity when they have been pushing iCloud so much? They need space on the iPad to install a proper operating system like Mountain Lion. Of course there are hacks available to install Mountain Lion on the iPad currently, but none as fluent and standard as what Apple could do. Recently, a job posting was put out by Apple (now removed) for an engineer to work on Siri for Macs. Siri is ingrained in the OS and with iPad sales exceeding the declining Mac sales it seems to make sense that they are looking to integrate Siri with Mountain Lion on a 128Gb iPad.

Other companies tend to create markets where as Apple waits for a demand before they release their new products. We had tablets before the iPad, MP3 players before the iPod and Blackberry before the iPhone. There is already a significant demand for Tablet-computer hybrids and Smartwatches are moving beyond Fads as wearable tech is becoming customary. The Apple powerhouse will lie in waiting until the demand has reached significance and then we will see a better-than-the-rest product out of them. This is a simple prediction but a likely scenario. Apple is good at two things: making durable products and money. I don't think they would pass on two of the biggest tech trends of the year.

How Neuromarketing can help your Ads.

Keywords, brick and mortar product placement and spamming are dying. Neuromarketing is now painting the future of selling. It's based on the fact that 95% of everyone's thoughts, decisions and emotions happen before we are consciously aware of it. The remaining 5% of our brain is what we are really speaking to. Scientists are able to study the effects of visual branding on the 95% of our unconscious (through MRI and EEG Scans) and depict how marketers can most effectively advertize. Knowing what it is, who does it, what tools can be utilized and its moral implications can lead your company to increased sales.

If the majority of our decisions are based on unconscious visual perceptions, then it is a delusion that the conscious mind fully guides our actions and reactions. However, without stimulation to our consciousness there is nothing to hold our unconscious attention. Visualizations and emotions are key to this effort; They are a pattern our brain is accustomed to. The idea of Neuromarketing is to study the effects of visuals on our brain and determine what arouses our interest the most.

Companies are already applying these efforts. Old Spices’ system consists of Pattern interrupts; quickly changing the scenes of their 30 second commercials to keep your brain amused and intrigued (I’m on a boat, I have two tickets to that thing, now they’re diamonds…I’m on a horse). These are some of the most popular commercials out there and they increased Old Spice sales in the first year by 27%. They are using Neuromarketing.

A blind taste test between Coke and Pepsi came back with an almost equal split. When the test was applied again (this time knowing which one was which) the subjects significantly preferred Coke to Pepsi.  It tells us that when someone has a positive perception of a brand, taste is overpowered (effects may vary).

There are many Neuromarketing tools being applied every day.

- Since we are inundated with thousands of messages on a daily basis, short pitches are best used for potential clients. Over explaining is a pattern our brains are used to, so instead it would be useful to make short impactful statements.

- Utilize visuals. They connect directly to the unconscious part of our brains.  Keep the visuals flowing and don't let one stick for too long. It bores the mind.

- An attention-getting opening and dramatic close is noticed by your brain more than anything. Shorten the body and use impactful facts.

- You may think complicated cleverness shows how much knowledge you have and how well-spoken you are.  If it’s not a language that everyone understands then the brain wants to stray from the delivery.

- Emotion creates disruption. It hits our intellect with more power than any effective argument. Use it only to strengthen key parts of your pitch.

Using these tactics to play to the unconscious parts of the brain is a market for growth.  Though, some, feel Neuromarketing could be used to manipulate consumer behavior. With knowledge comes power and the potential to abuse it. If companies know what aptly engages our attention, buying habits and perceptions then they can forecast how to persuade our behavior to their advantage (This is the basis of the 2012 movie 'Branded'). However, it's impossible to design a super ad that will make people want to buy something they don't want.

To find out what we want, marketing firms had to realize that people skew their answers based on perception, time, opinion and sycophantic behavior. Our attention span is reduced due to constant computer interaction, so marketers have to alter their strategy and feed us information in the most basic baby style way they can. Neuromarketing helps to understand what is most appealing to the human brain and many companies employ these practices already. There are numerous ways a corporation can use it, but how far will they go to understand how our brains work? (Too SciFi?)

There are many influential tools implemented in Neuromarketing. These tools are the culmination of the evolution of our society. We have progressed to a new stage of interaction and, therefore, some of the processes we used to use in marketing are no longer pertinent. Neuromarketing understands our now day decision-making processes. There may be more appealing advertisements that are funny, informative, and direct, but it is always your decision to purchase. Think logically when considering a product and remember that everyone will try to persuade you.

How Transparency Helps your Career.

Corporations are utilizing new markets for sustainable growth with methods of Transparency.  The practices of companies like Enron and WorldCom deterred our trust in major corporations. Businesses like Google who send out transparency reports quarterly have made their financials open to the public. Relaying intricate knowledge, comfortably instills an aura of respect and discourages reputation sabotage. A commitment to transparency helps build relationships, reputation and perpetuates the legitimacy of integrity and accountability. This commitment encompasses your business, customers, and your life.

Consider your co-workers for a moment. Have you ever requested something without explanation? Were they motivated to help you without reason? In my experience, they are more apt to expedite your request if given the explanation. Empathy is one of the key components to Transparency. Hold your co-workers to a higher standard and update them on the status of your project or sale. They will provide better support if they understand how and why you are requesting something from them.

Reciprocation is expected with your co-workers. Make ‘Rounds’ (like visiting patients) and ask your co-workers about issues or gratifications. Set up a suggestion box and make sure they know you have an ‘Open Door’ policy. All of these techniques will let people know that you are an honest person who will tell you if there is something important to say.

Portraying this to new customers can be a difficult priority. It is your job to build a strategic relationship of trust in an atmosphere where dishonest tactics are sometimes an unfortunate reality. Statements like, ‘That’s our policy’ or ‘it’s the best we can do’ repel clients because they feel you are being evasive. Long lasting business relationships can be facilitated by letting your clients see behind the curtain. Divulging your inner mechanics enhances their perceptions and increases your chance of future collaboration. 

On a personal note, these methods pertain to life as well.  Stress can cause bitter complaints or illegitimate assumptions. Venting out your joys or concerns makes you feel better and allows friends and family to empathize with your moods. Bottling up personal emotions is reflective to a company that does not divulge financial statements. Eventually, there will be a dramatic public display of disputes and nobody wants that.

Transparency is the full, accurate disclosure of information. Honesty and responsibility inflate empathy, reputation and the respect you vie for in your personal and professional careers. Disclosure of information extends empathy in your relationships and places you in good standing for referrals. Without an open attitude, you may be inadvertently driving people away. Protect yourself from using persuasion tactics by employing divulgence. When you do that, people will plainly see your moral character.

This is Facebook Graph

You can search Google for restaurant reviews and get answers from hundreds (nay thousands) of people you don’t know. Do you trust their opinion? What if they are nothing like you? What if you ask them what is the best animal hospital in your city? What if that review was posted by an employee to drive traffic and they accidentally neuter your dog? Don’t you want to know about these things from people you trust?

Welcome, Facebook Graph.

It’s the big announcement Facebook presented yesterday and it just might revolutionize Search. What it does, is search your Facebook Friends for answers to your questions. It brings up that they “liked” that barbecue restaurant, or that the DMV on Cherry street has the longest wait of any DMV ever. You are basically searching for answers in every post/share/like/photo/tag on every one of your friends profile page, at the same time. These are the people you have decided to trust with viewing your profile and now you are able to “poll” them for the answers you seek.

The applications of this are immense. You could find out what friends of friends are hiring. Who is interested in hockey? Who is writing political statements? Who liked the area you are moving to? Who lives in the area you are moving to? Personal interaction will be increased massively but what about professional?

With Graph, you could find out who is looking for a new iPad and send them a sales ad. Who is looking to partner with an E-Waste recycling company? Who has particular skill sets? The list can go on and on. It’s going to be a staple for businesses and their marketing schemes. You could potentially advertise to anyone your friends are friends with.

Naturally, this search feature is raising more Privacy concerns for the already skeptical user. Facebook Graph was designed with privacy in mind, so here is what I would do: Find one day out of this month and set aside 6 hours to slowly and carefully enhance your Facebook privacy settings. If you don’t, people will be able to see that picture of you doing a beer bong when they search for ‘local pubs.’


One company to think about is Google. They aren’t saying much now but in the future they may need to be on their guard. Facebook Graph is partnered with Microsoft Bing for searches that don’t come up in your social network. So if your friends don’t have anything to say about it, at least you can look it up through your profile page.

Google is prominent for ‘Web Searches’ so there isn’t much to worry about right now. But with the rise of Social networks and the importance they are exuding, these organic network searches could become an issue as more people start trusting their friends over the web.

How networking sites are like parties.

Before the days of the internet, people would host a get together, gathering, party, or gala.  They would plan outfits, practice their etiquette, write invitations and emphasize presentation.  During the event, the host would make sure to converse with all their guests and introduce people to each other. Their job was to make sure everyone was comfortable physically and mentally by providing food and drink and helping to stimulate intellectual conversation. The guest would then be obligated to complement the host and engage with the other guests.

In this day and age, these events have been lost on the technological youth (myself included). We don’t go to events and practice the customs our grandparents once did. We attend online galas and participate in RSS feeds and even chat rooms (if they are still around).

The physical ‘third place’ has been diminished to an online interaction. So, we must compare physical parties to social networking sites. Think about it, you don’t need to go to class reunions when you have Facebook. There is not much need for a corporate networking event when you can join a LinkedIn group and socialites tweet about.  So for those who miss the old style gatherings, here is a guide for social networking sites and how you can ‘attend’ them online.

Facebook: It’s like going to a high school or family reunion where you can converse with people you haven’t seen in years. It’s a more personal gathering of people and you feel more open to expressing your true self.  At first you send them messages and see what they are up to but then you realize you don’t have much in common besides the fact that you knew each other at one point. So you maintain them as your friend, read their updates, but don’t really interact with them because they keep asking you to participate in their Zynga games or continuously express their political stances. Eventually, you remove them in a mass friend cleansing. Months or a year later you see them in your ‘people you may know’ list and repeat the process, only to feel a sickening Deja’ Vu.  Soon your interactions seem watered down and you slowly stop participating as you move on to a more interesting network party.

LinkedIn: Have you ever gone to a corporate networking event where like-minded business associates collaborate to hand out business cards and vie for your partnerships? This is what a LinkedIn party is all about. Associates go around introducing themselves handing out information with the hopes that one of their new contacts will provide them with a better job or a sale. As time goes on you find answers for support issues and marketing schemes to help grow your business.  This is the party you go to, to plug yourself, your business, and your career.  Walking out of this you usually come out with a list of connections and only a handful of legitimate contacts. Not to worry! You have connected with so many people that you start to turn into a socialite! Next stop Twitter!

Twitter: Imagine going to a party of interesting people who consistently intrigue you with one-liners and quips. This is the socialite gala event where everyone has a new piece of information that is brought to you by the open-ended question, ‘have you heard about this..?’ These people know a lot but in most cases haven’t researched but one or two things beyond on what they are speaking.  There is so much information going around that you get lost in the continuous feeds. If you don’t keep up you will lose your flock and won’t get the ‘promoted’ follow-ship you were once so proud of.

At this point, you want to move on to another style of party, but are tired of the one’s you’ve already been to. Now is when you get creative and join something called:

Google+: This is the underdog of social networking parties. It combines the same setup as all the other parties you’ve been to but seems a little bit worldlier. This gathering is hit or miss. It can be like going to a banquet or casino in Monaco with interesting travelers and fun atmospheres that entice you to return. On the flip side, it can be a party where you don’t know anyone and are consistently bored throughout the evening. It’s the kind of event that depends on your mood. You could be the life of the party and stimulate others or stand in the corner and people watch. The only thing different about this gathering is that it’s hosted by one of the most important engines in the business, and you feel obligated to keep going, with hopes that your friends will follow you.

Those are the most popular events you have been to, but there are some 'other' intriguing ones as well. The ‘High Fidelity’ friends are popping up on Tumblr, Tsu or Ello. Your photography group is constantly showing you their new work on Instagram or VSCO.  Your crafty friends (who always invite you to their fairs or gallery shows) are on Etsy or Pinterest. You're 'know it all groups' are correcting your gramarr on Reddit or showing you how to do something on YouTube, Vimeo or Vevo.  

You can always find new groups of people to hang out with online, and each of them are similar to group events you have been to in real life. You get an invite, converse with others, deliberate, send thank you’s and in the future you relate to past events. 

All of these gatherings are still happening in real life, yet we attend the supplemental events that are available to us online. This, however, does not exclude us from the formalities of accepting invitations, commenting on posts, and following a person’s work. Whether in person or online, we are obligated to attend parties with some sense of formality even if it has receded beyond the norms of yesteryear. Remember that online you can hurt your reputation just as much as you could in real life. So please have a sense of decency and don’t pretend like every party is a toga party.

The Smartwatch revolution begins!

 The Pebble Smartwatch is finally coming to fruition! The company has finally entered mass production and will begin shipping on January 23rd.

The Pebble smartwatch was Kickstarter’s highest funded project, surpassing its $100,000 goal by over $10,000,000.  They are providing the first innovatively designed tech watch. Apple was rumored to be researching designs (you can find out about that here: http://tinyurl.com/apvlbhx ) but they are only rumors.

Pebble ran into some production delays which led to much criticism and considering their excelled funding, I can understand why. However, a company that wants to put out a quality product should take their time so consumers get the most bang for the buck.

Here are the features of the most exciting watch you will ever want:

- Connects to iPhone or Android via Bluetooth
- Open SDK to build your own apps
- Waterproof
-  Accelerometer
- Vibrating Motor
- ARM Microprocessor
- 7 Day Battery Life
- Control the music on your phone
- Notifications: caller ID, Email, SMS, iMessage, Calendar Alerts, Facebook Messages, Twitter updates, Weather alerts, Vibrating Alarm and Timer..


- Scratch and shatter resistant lens with Anti-Glare coating
- Backlight Display
- Interchangeable 22M watch bands.

They are in mass production and the Kickstarter contributors get first dibs. After that however, public ordering will be available form the website. For $150 you can have one of the most advanced smartphone accessories known and you no longer have to dry your hands off when doing the dishes to check your messages.  The applications will be more grand than dishwashing I'm sure. Can you think of any other uses that these smartwatch accessories would have?