Phones & Fun at Windows Open House

Earlier this week, we were invited to Windows' annual Open House event. It was held at an event space on the west side, the same space where Sally LaPointe had her NYFW debut. The open house was a fun and interesting event for me. I'm not a techie, but I love to play with new and shiny things. And I'm always excited about things that will make my life easier or more fun!


I've been curious about the Windows 7 Phone, and I was especially excited to check it out after seeing their cute commercial. Kudos to the ad agency behind that spot.

Windows 7 operating system was super smooth and seemed pretty easy to use. The graphics actually reminded me a bit of the Microsoft KIN (RIP) only way better! I imagine having a Windows 7 phone would make it easy to keep up with email and friends with Outlook and its social networking capabilities.
There were three Windows 7 phones at the event - Samsung, HTC and LG. My favorite of the bunch was the Samsung Focus. The screen was huge, and the phone itself was impressively thin and lightweight. I also liked the HTC and its extendable speaker. I was initially excited about the real keyboard on the LG, but I actually found it extremely hard to type with.

The other highlight of the night was KINECT for Xbox 360. I felt like I aged myself by saying, "Wow, technology is so amazing" because aren't Millennials suppose to be hard to impress?
Naturally the first thing I thought of when I saw Kinect was Nintendo Wii. It's similar to the Wii in that it's an interactive video game that encourages you to get off the couch, but unlike any other system it doesn't require a remote! It has a head-to-toe tracking sensor. It was pretty amazing to see the outline of my body on screen and to start a game by waving my arm in the air. I played a couple different games, one were I was floating on a raft and another where I kicked and punched boxes.
There was also a dancing game that was popular with the ladies. It seemed like a fun workout!

Windows 7 Eee PC x Karim Rashid Edition

So I’ve been using a brand new Asus Eee PC the past couple weeks thanks to the lovely folks from Microsoft. Yes, being the girly girl that I am, I chose to test drive the shiny hot pink version. It makes me feel a bit like Ms. Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. For the less girly, it also is available in a sleek coffee brown rubberized finish.

Designed by renowned industrial designer Karim Rashid, the rippling tile surface is not only distinctive but it also helps me get a sturdy grip on the machine when moving it from place to place. I love that even the bottom of the netbook although unseen while in use received the same treatment and wasn’t forgotten. The Eee PC also features hidden ports that keep the design seamless and smooth and although it takes a little more time to open them, it will keep the PC clean and random purse debris out.

Super light weight at just under 3 lbs but with a 92% full-size keyboard, it hasn’t taken much time for me to adjust to typing at all. Perhaps the most difficult element is using the shrunken arrows but that is growing on me too. Can’t wait for New York Fashion Week this September because taking this baby on the road will be nothing short of amazing.

It’s been a while since I attended the Windows 7 Launch at Saks so I had to re-learn some of the functional aspects but after watching a few seven second demos I feel like I’m well on my way. After watching the demo’s the updates are definitely more intuitive and user oriented while the overall appearance is less cluttered and cleaner.

I even tried the Windows anytime upgrade to install Windows Premium Home Edition and it was a snap! Yes, being a blogger has exposed me to tech, and I am growing pretty tech savvy when it comes to usability but at the end of the day still lacking in true technical skills! For this I usually enlist my brother’s help in exchange for hemming his pants! Anyways proud to say I upgraded the system without any help (even though in reality I just clicked a button, entered my key code and then Boom! 10 min later DONE!).

Overall, it’s been pretty smooth sailing, battery life has been surprisingly decent and the keyboard is definitely sturdy enough to keep up with even my most aggressive typing! My biggest concern is the monitor resolution that maxes out at 1,024x600. That being said this is the first netbook I am using and while I’m fine with the smaller 10.1” monitor, I really feel if the resolution was higher, I would be able to make the most of my screen space without constantly scrolling to get the full picture on most websites.

On a side note, I’m in the market for a new laptop to use for blogging at home but I’m sort of torn on the PC vrs Apple front. I’ve truthfully always been a PC girl, but working in design I’ve always been told MacBook’s are preferable and I had been aspiring to own one the last year. Lately a few of my friends, Lani and Jeff included, have been having some major issues with their MacBook's that are making me re-consider my other options.

Right now I am drawn to the sleek design element of the ASUS Bamboo. Forget wood grain and leather! I'm all about wood grain and aluminum. I love how this design element carries even to the inside! Plus I love that it incorporates sustainable design elements like super fast growing bamboo and 15% less plastic than most other laptops. The ASUS Bamboo is currently on promo on Amazon to get $150 cash back with purchase. The other PC that I’m considering is the HP TouchSmart tm2 notebook that I had the chance to play with a few months back for the incredible drawing potential!

What kind of laptop are you using and why do you like it?

Vivienne Tam for HP Digital Clutch Spring 2010

Hot off the runway from Vivienne Tam's Spring 2010 collection comes the designers latest collaboration with HP. The mini notebook PC or "digital clutch" is a match made in heaven for anyone who wants to pair sleek style with technology on the go. You might remember that Tam did a similar collaboration back in 2008 with a Peony design netbook but as technology and fashion both move forward, here is a brand new design and a more powerful little notebook.

“As a fashion designer I have always found inspiration in bringing contrasting worlds together,” said Tam. “I use computers in every aspect of my life so it seemed natural to marry fashion and technology. Together with HP, we created this movement of fashionable tech accessories with the second-edition digital clutch.”

Not only is the netbook beautiful but the it boasts a 5.5 hr battery life and super portable design at just 2.7 lbs and under 1" thick. It may be tiny, but it manages to have a 10.1" LED widescreen display and a keyboard that is 93% of the size of a standard notebook PC keyboard!

The HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam Edition comes with 2GB of memory and large hard-drive options up to 320 GB, automatic backup software and Microsoft Windows 7 Premium. It also features a built-in webcam that converts to a mirror, HP QuickWeb, which lets users post to Facebook, send a tweet, listen to music, browse the web, check an appointment, send an email or chat in seconds – saving time usually spent waiting for the computer to fully boot. Finally, this laptop also features Beats by Dr. Dre, a high-performance audio software that enables listeners to experience the way music the sounds in a professional recording studio.

This notebook was designed at the same time as Tam's Spring 2010 collection and the butterfly motifs and gold tones perfectly match the prints and fabrication from the very 70s inspired collection. Also available for purchase are matching microfiber suede sleeve, an optional Butterfly Lovers wireless mouse and Monster-branded headphones.

Reservations for the “digital clutch” begin Thursday, March 4 and will become available on March 19, 2010! U.S. customers can reserve their HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam Edition by calling +1 800 230 5752 or by visiting www.hp.com/viviennetam. The HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam Edition also will be available at U.S. retailers including Neiman Marcus, Amazon.com, Best Buy and J&R Electronics. For additional retailers worldwide check out hp.com/viviennetam.
*Please note the link won't be live until 11am today! I apologize for any inconvenience!

The HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam Edition starts at $599 while the Butterfly Lovers themed HP Wireless Mouse is $39.99. Totally adding it to my personal wish list!

Unveiled: Saks 5th Avenue Holiday Windows

It's official, the holiday season has somehow crept upon us! I feel like Halloween just passed but already candy canes are on shelves and the Rockerfeller tree has gone up!

So in keeping with the holiday spirit, I ran down to Saks 5th Avenue to check out the window unveiling ceremony sponsored in part by Windows 7. Special thanks to Jordana from Clutch 22 for the invite. I had never been to anything like this and it was a much bigger deal that I expected. They even temporarily closed down 5th Avenue so everyone could have a great view of the windows and had a fake snow machine making spirits bright!

I arrived to the amazing, inspiring voices of Staten Island's own PS22 Chorus if you haven't heard them check them out on youtube! Seriously warms your heart!

According to the press release:
This year the Saks Fifth Avenue holiday windows will be powered by Windows 7 to bring life the children’s book Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Flake with 3-D animations and interactive window displays. With dedicated PC lounge areas in-store, customers can check out chic Windows 7 PCs and share their holiday wishes with the world.

I literally ran across the street to get some shots of the windows before they were swarmed by the masses :) One random fun thing you can do, no matter where you live is have your tweets show up as part of the window displays by adding the #holidaywindows to your message.

Lani and I did have a chance to test out some Windows 7 PCs in the lounge on the 9th floor. I'm by no means super techie but it was fun to see what is offered nonetheless.

Some features I learned about Windows 7:
*is very customizable. You can make your computer feel like you by changing your computer's theme, color, sounds, desktop background, screen saver, font size, and user account picture. If you get bored easily, you can even make your background a slideshow that changes every once in a while!
*you're able to pin programs you use frequently to the task bar so they are always running and ready for you to use.
*you can easily snap 2 windows side by side when you need to see 2 things at once
*if you shake a window you need back and forth it will minimize all the rest
*viewing and organizing photos looks quite similar to the set up of Mac's iPhoto.
*you can easily save your fave TV shows without DVR