Techmamas

Forbes 100 Top Websites for Women

  
I enjoy reading Forbes and Forbes Woman  (@ForbesWoman ), but today I was thrilled to find out I was included in their list of 100 Top Websites for Women. I found the list to be an interesting group of websites, some of which I was excited to learn about while reading the article.

The selection of websites for women on the web is extensive and offers diversity, information, connection, inspiration, business/tech insight and more. There is also an extensive network of "offline" organizations for women in almost every different area.  All of this makes it very easy anytime someone asks me for a women's website or organization for "x, y or z". I am feeling the power of women!

Hanging at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Line Show NYC

I am excited to be heading to NYC to attend the CEA Line show June 22/23 to listen, discuss, learn and speak on a subject near and dear to my heart: consumer electronics.

Natali Del Conte   (CBS/CNET Correspondent) is the Conference Chair and Suzanne Kantra (Founder and Editor in Chief Techlicious) is the CEA Line Show spokesperson. They will be there along with speakers on the theme "Consumer Tech Reality Check '10".

I am speaking at the CEA Line show on something I obsess, read, discuss and rant about every day: Mom Tech. Fellow mom tech Andrea Smith from ABC news is also speaking.

Using Pearltrees To Prep For BlogHer 2010

Summer is finally here and it is getting close to my favorite conference of the year (other then the Consumer Electronics Show): BlogHer . This year is "BlogHer10" and it will be held Friday/Saturday August 6/7. BlogHer conferences give me the opportunity to connect "live" with a wide range of interesting and amazing bloggers that I read about online.

I used Pearltrees to starting gathering information for the presentation:

1. A Pearltree on BlogHer Conference Info:

2. The fabulous Kimberly Blaine and Susan Getgood  - and I (Beth Blecherman) are excited to be presenting the following BlogHer10 panel:  "Integrating Your Online Presence Across All Platforms: It Can (And Must) Be Done!" that is part of the Room of Your Own Professional track.

Here is the description: Whether your brand is your personal brand, your small business or your employer's, the plethora of networking tools and opportunities can be overwhelming. Share best practices on building a consistent brand by integrating your efforts across all available platforms, including social networks, traditional media and even offline events.

August 6, 2010 - 2:45pm - 4:00pm

Conference Day: Day 1

To prepare, I am reading up on everything I can about Online Brand(s). I hope to get suggestions for more interesting online branding reads from my community. I created a Pearltree to collect the information I have found so far:

3. I am also starting to refresh my memory of last year's conference by taking a look at some of the Live blog posts from BlogHer09. I just added a few of the liveblogs from last year to start:

Disclosure: I am advising Pearltrees.com

Update on SVMomsGroup

Many of my readers know me as TechMama on Twitter and for my personal blog TechMamas.com (TechMama and TechMamas.com are a trademark of Beth Blecherman) where I discuss technology, parenting and gadgets galore. I am doing lots of other fun stuff listed on my bio page - but for now I wanted to answer the questions I have been getting about something else I was apart of.

One of my other separate businesses was the Silicon Valley Moms Group (I am one of the co-founders) . We just announced that we are in the process of shutting down (yes - it is true). I can't say how honored I am to be part of the team that managed such an amazing group of contributors. Reading their blog posts as their shared their perspectives on motherhood was not only inspiring but something I valued.

Cyber hugs to each and every one of the Silicon Valley Moms Group contributors.

Hands On: The Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z For Work At Home Moms & As Family PC

When I first received the package for my review of the Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z  All-in-One (see disclosures below), I was excited but also worried about having the time to set up a new computer. I wondered how a desktop would fit into our full house and be shared by my three boys and me, a mom working from home. I was also curious what it would be like to have a 19" screen computer in our house versus the smaller laptop screens. After unwrapping and using the Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z, my concerns were quickly put to rest as the computer is now a welcomed (and much needed) addition to our home.

TECHIE DETAILS: The Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z I am reviewing has an integrated 19” Widescreen Flat Panel Display (16:10), Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 processor, 320GB hard drive, 2 GB Ram, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, web cam, USB mouse, optional built-in microphone, DVD slot,  1.3MP webcam,  integrated speakers,DirectX® 10 integrated graphics card and 6 USB ports (3 rear and 3 side). It comes pre-installed with Windows 7 Professional 32 bit and is Energy Star 5.0 compliant.

Best yet - there is a 1 year on-site warranty which means someone will come the customer's location to fix the computer should there be a problem. Access to the hard drive and memory is well designed. The starting price is same as a netbook: $499, with the configuration above costing $729. The hard drive options are 160GB, 250GB, 320GB and 500GB. The RAM options are 1GB or 2GB with 2 slots allowing an upgrade to 4GB.  The form factor is only 2.44″ thick and it is a "all in one" so the desktop and monitor are a single unit. The A70z can be wall-mounted using additional hardware if the use prefers a fixed location for the computer.

There are  three mounting options: stand, desk arm and wall (all optional and sold separately) and Simple cable management for crowded work spaces.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z  PRODUCT FEATURE PAGE

TRANSLATION: This is a budget friendly family desktop PC, yet it can also be a solution for work at home parents. We don't have a separate work space for a desktop so we use our dining room table (the one in our living/dining room that get's used twice a year for holidays and used daily for homework). The Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z was light and compact enough to be moved when we needed the space for entertaining. The 19" screen is a welcome change  (along with crisp graphics) from a smaller laptop screen. The wired keyboard and mouse shipped with the A70z was comfortable for both my kids and me. The boot up time was quick, and the Intel Core 2 Duo processor fast enough to perform all the family computing tasks.

 
The picture above is an press kit image. I wish I had a home office that looks like this... If this was a picture of me it would include baskets of unfolded clean laundry around the desk and assorted Lego structures on the floor from my sons...But the picture does show the clean looking - slim form factor of the Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z.

HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One printer & HP ePrint Platform: No Printer Drivers Needed

Today HP announced a new category of web-enabled printing solutions designed for the cloud with their HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One printer.

 
As someone who just had to reinstall print drivers in a new computer to get it to "talk" to my printer, the HP ePrint platform is a welcome announcement. Printing from the cloud means you can print from any email device (such as a smartphone) and NO PRINT DRIVERS NEEDED (that's my favorite part).  The printing experience can be managed through the HP ePrintCenter. The HP ePrintCenter also has a directory of apps.

Link to Press Release: www.hp.com/go/hpatiwny

The announcement was made at Internet Week 2010 - NYC. Here is the Microsite: www.hp.com/go/iwny

More details to follow.

The New York City Moms Blog is having a giveaway from June 7 - June 10 of the HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One printer.