Seeing (RED) this month

 

Nope I'm not talking about Christmas decorations or the stress while trying to find a car park when Christmas shopping.  I'm talking about (RED) and the amazing work that is being done in Africa; as well as December 1st being international AIDS day.  I first discovered this movement about 5 years ago, however I have been a long supporter of International AIDS day for many years.  The great thing about (RED) is the product(red) part of this movement.  

Its pretty simple.  Many companies have created special red products (like red ipods from apple) and the profits from these sales go to the global fund to help others.  The products range from shoes to technology, music and coffee.  In my opinion all of these products are things most of my peers and I would purchase anyway so why not pick the specific products that can help others.  

Here is just a little bit of info from the join(red) website about what its all about.   

Every Generation is known for something.

Let's be the one that delivers an AIDS Free Generation.

We all have tremendous power. What we choose to do or even buy, can affect someone’s life on the other side of the world.

In 2010, 1,000 babies were born every day with HIV.

In 2011, that number was down to 900.

By 2015 it can be near zero. We can stop the transmission of HIV from moms to their babies.

In the fight to eliminate AIDS, 2015 could be the beginning of the end – it’s the year we can deliver an AIDS Free Generation.

(RED) can’t accomplish this alone. It will take all of us to get there –

governments, health organizations, companies, and you.

When you DO THE (RED) THING, a (RED) partner will give up some of its profits to fight AIDS.

It’s as simple as that.

BE (RED). Start the end of AIDS now.

So if this sounds interesting please jump on the site and see what little changes you can make in your purchasing to get the things you were already going to buy and support others.

do androids dream of electric sheep?

As much as I adore my pen and paper I do also have a weakness for technology.  Within my friends and family we call it the 'shiny thing' competition, as we are all a bit techie.  At this time of the year I keep seeing ads for all the new 'toys' which may have inspired me to have a look, dangerous but hey a gal can look.  

Some of my new toys I'd love are ........

First up, which is no real surprise, is a 21.5" imac.  Having been a dedicated lover of mac since the early 1980's I do easily fall in love with their products.  My main reasons for lusting after this is because it has a 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor and 1TB hard drive.  Yes, it would be a change from my laptops which I've been on for the last 7 or so years but  I think maybe its time to add a desktop to my family of mac's.

 

Ok so number two isn't exactly a shock either.  Now there is still a part of me that is still unsure about needing an ipad but this is a wish list so here it is.

Thirdly I've been seduced by the newest camera by Nikon, the D5100.  Now I've always adored Nikon, there is just something about their camera's that I like.  Partly its the ease of use but mostly its the results the lens can produce.  With 16.2 mega pixels and the ability to use it out of the box with minimal training its great for first timers, or with so much control as you could want even the more experience users will be happy.

Forth and by no means last I still crave a robo dog of my very own.  This little craving was re-born after watching Stephen Fry's 100 greatest gadgets, and I remember how much they made me smiled when I saw them in stores.  Although I'm not quiet sure where to get them from, if only they had a pound for robo dogs like they do real ones.

So while I dream of cool tech I hope you are all happy reading this blog on what ever piece of technology you like; maybe its your laptop, phone, tablet or who knows what.  This little gal is off to dream of electronic sheep.

 

AppTastic!

I have been a mac gal since '81 so its but no stretch of the imagination I have an iPhone.  It may sound cliche but my iPhone is more than a phone its....everything to me.  It lets me keep in touch, entertains me when I get bored on train rides, knows my fav songs and even guides me when I'm lost.

With all this in mind I thought I'd share a few of my current favorite apps in no particular order

Make Up For Ever Professional

Looking for hints, tips or inspiration?  Then this might be the app for you.  Not only can u find new styles you would like to try it also includes little videos so you can see exactly what to do.  It may not be the bible for beauty but it does offer a bit more fun and holds your hand when you want to experiment with new looks.

Public Transport Victoria

If you live in melbourne this is a must; especially as it covers trams, trains and buses.  This has come in very handy while out on adventures as you can plan your journey including any walking that may need to be done.  You also have access to maps so you can see what bus or train line your on.  Another great feature is the next 5 function for trams, a perfect to see which trams are coming and if they are useful to you.  Overall for a free app its really great.

Draw Something

Most likely you have already heard or even played this app.  I picked it up for 99c on a bargain weekend and it has been a good time killer.  Only downside is waiting for your friends to respond with their drawings.  It will make you laugh and at times wonder what goes on in your friends mind when their drawing.  

Guitar Hero

If you ever played the game on your gaming console you will already understand why you can loose hours of your life playing this.  Sadly there are only a few songs that come with the base package however its enough to get you playing.  For me its also a great chance to hear songs I may not have heard before.    

Guidebook

Yet another free app which I actually needed to download a few weekends ago, as opposed to my "this looks cool" app downloading.  Why I needed this you may be asking; simply it was my guide to the recent Supanova event I attended.  This was the best thing I have ever had when going to an event as it included a full day by day schedule which I could then specify what items I was attending.  As well as maps, information about the sessions, transport and pretty much everything you could need to attend.  I really hope more conventions use the application here in Aus as it really helped me navigate all seminars, photos and shopping.