JB

J. Briganti

Thanks to advanced technology, you know longer need to be a professional photographer to capture a unique moment in time.  Although it is true that photography is an art, even those of us just snapping away as a hobby can achieve exceptional photographs with the right camera in hand.

The Olympus SP-59OUZ will provide you with photographic pleasure.  It is an affordable camera appropriate for someone taking up photography as a hobby and can also be easily enjoyed by all members of the family.  It comes complete with lots of valuable shooting features such as optical zoom, shadow ADJ for brightening the subject against backlight, exposure compensation for adjusting the brightness and macro shooting for taking great close ups.   And let’s not forget the self timer so that all of your family or friends can be in the picture.

Taking a good photo is not really as difficult as you may think.  You don’t need years of experience or the most expensive camera.  What you do need is inspiration.  Where to find it?  It’s all around.  Take time out to notice your natural surroundings including your own garden, local parks or distant landscapes.  Family pets or small animals like birds, squirrels and rabbits make wonderful photos too.   Zoom in on your own family members when they’re not looking for photos with a natural complexion.

Here are some simple steps that you can follow and you’ll be on your way to photographic bliss.

• Get up close and personal to your subject, when possible.
• When shooting animals get down low on their level.
• Hold your camera in a vertical position for a change.
• Look for a simple, uncluttered background.
• Shoot with the sun behind you.
• If your outdoor subject is in the shade, turn on the flash.
• Use a tripod for extra steadiness.
• Make use of macro shooting for great close ups.

In addition to these simple tips, take the time to read your camera’s manual; by doing so you will learn how to operate the different camera modes available.

Have fun and enjoy your photographic journey!

One of the most succinct descriptions of Twitter I’ve ever come across was from a mommy blogger who famously opined in April 2009:

“Twitter makes famous people normal and normal people famous.”

As I sat in the audience at this year’s 2nd Annual Shorty Awards at TheTimesCenter in the New York Times Tower (thanks Morris + King!), it dawned on me that her observation couldn’t have been more appropriate.

Twitterers both ‘normal’ and ‘famous’ sat side-by-side that night to celebrate the most innovative uses of the 140-character real-time update. And for an awards ceremony in only its second year of existence, I was quite impressed.

Guests ranged from Newark’s Twitter-savvy Mayor Corey Booker (who won the Government category) to the Birmingham, Alabama food lover @Foodimentary who has built up an army of over 120,000 followers to his quirky Twitter handle. Guests were even treated to a special appearance by Grover, who cheerily accepted the Best Brand award on behalf of @SesameStreet (along with @WholeFoods).

One of the weirdest highlights of the night, of course, was when Annie Scott, who Tweets on behalf of a fictional llama that tells her followers what to do (@DoWhatITellYou), got “Kanye’d” during her acceptance speech by a bearded and belligerent East Side Dave of Sirius XM’s Special Delivery show. Click here to watch the mayhem in all its glory. (Though trust me, this video doesn’t do the actual stage fiasco any justice.)

One of the most moving moments of the night, however—and perhaps the moment when everyone in the room realized the magnitude of the evening—was when Haitian-born Carel Pedre accepted his special Humanitarian Shorty for providing his 9,300 Twitter followers with up-to-the-minute information about the devastation caused by January’s catastrophic earthquake in Haiti.

Despite the few interruptions, host Rick Sanchez from CNN did a fantastic job at keeping the show rolling. And with an entire audience with a built-in 140-character attention span, it was perfectly fitting that every acceptance speech was limited to the size of a succinct Tweet.

The awards ceremony concluded with a special acceptance speech by the Latvian-born Sarasota, Florida native who was awarded with the TwitPic of the Year. Yes, it was Janis Krums who uploaded the now famous iPhone photo of U.S. Airways flight 1549, minutes after its emergency landing in the Hudson River.

So for all 12 of you out there who still think Twitter should be viewed by some as a silly microblogging tool “intended to be a way for self-absorbed egotists to share their most banal and idiotic thoughts with the world,” maybe you should give it another try.

For a rundown of the top 10 moments from The Shorty Awards, click here.
For a complete list of Shorty Award winners and finalists, click here.

After starting at Xerox as a summer intern at age 19, July 2009, brought Ursula M. Burns, through her prowess and performance, to a headline-grabbing milestone: Burns was installed as Xerox’s chief executive officer, becoming the first African American woman to take the helm of one of the nation’s largest publicly traded companies.  Recently, she was interviewed by Black Enterprise Business Report.  Says Burns: “It’s really is surprising to me just how impactful on the outside this [appointment] is, just how much responsibility therefore I have to represent well.”

To see the full interview, follow the link, here.

More women, changing history!

(Quote & video link courtesy of www.blackenterprise.com)

Startup Weekend is a grass roots organization of 15,000+ entrepreneurs/developers that rapidly develop new startups in 54 hours. Startup Weekend is a tech focused event currently operating in 60 cities spanning 18 countries and growing. During the event 75-200 attendees form 8-12 new ventures from mobile apps to web services to cupcake shops and anything between.

This is the second time that Startup Weekend is being held in Portland,Oregon. Girls In tech/Portland is a proud media supporter and sponsor. The event is open to anyone interested in the local entrepreneurial community, and it puts them in a setting where anything is possible. In the past 2 years, 280+ startups have started, 9,000+ entrepreneurs have been inspired. Teams have even started to generate revenue during the 54hr event, and others have even gone on to direct angel and VC investment. None of these stats take into account the amazing networking, ongoing professional relationships, and amazing experience that happen at every event.

Join us at Portland Startup Weekend: March 5-7, 2010 GIT members receive $10 off and use; discount code “girlsintech” register at http://portland.startupweekend.org/

Speakers & Mentors that will be there to help teams during the weekend:
Matt Compton (venture partner at Madrona and ex vp at Yahoo), Rob Wiltbank (venture partner at Montlake Capital and professor at Willamette U), Eric Doebele (Founder/CEO Reliable.remodeler.com), Nitin Khanna (Founder/CEO of MergerTech), Doug Fieldhouse (CEO of Vesta) and of course the guys from Mugasha Akshay and Justin will be there.

Learn more about Girls in Tech PDX or email ivo@girlsintech.net /tweet @mssonicflare

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Greg Mortenson speak.  Greg started a campaign 16 years ago to increase the number of rural schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which has since grown into the Central Asia Institute (among other initiatives).  I could say a lot more about him, but I’ll let you catch up with his bio.  PS I might as well tell you to read at least one of his two books, because they have a lot of really great insight (I’m sure many of you have actually read Three Cups of Tea).

There were several points during the discussion that made me think of Girls in Tech and some of the philosophies and missions we support.  I’ve listed a few of the below.

1. The importance of empowering young girls. One of the major foci of Mortenson’s work is not only to increase the educational opportunities of children in these areas, but specifically of young girls.  His idea is if you educate a girl, they effect a whole community (based on various factors such as the fact that they don’t leave for rural areas, they are nurturers, and they are generally the teachers of families, and thus communities).
2. The importance of listening to your elders. This wasn’t specific to young girls per se, but when Mortenson asks young kids whether they have regular discussions with and learn from their grandparents, maybe 10% of the kids in the US raise their hands.  It’s 80-90% in countries like Pakistan and Afhganistan.  My first thought? That’s so awesome.
3. The importance of women in terms of peace. I spent a summer in graduate school researching the Bangladeshi “terrorist scene” with the goal of identifying the threat to the US of terrorism that may or may not be coming out of the madrasa (school) system.  As I’m reaching the time for the conference report of findings, it was becoming clear that the threat to the US was in fact quite low.  However, what was more clear was that there was still domestic unrest, hostility, local acts of violence and distaste for the government…. All good ingredients for terrorism.  However, one of the most promising ways in which that could be combated based on the current system in place was to educate and empower the women in the community, who were not only the family leaders but often the teachers in these schools.  This alone could be powerful enough to quell several types of violent outburst.  Mortenson used the example of jihad: when an individual wishes to declare jihad of any sort, they must get the approval of their mother.  When the mother is more educated, they are much less likely to give that approval.  Enough said.

So much of this rings for Girls in Tech.  Empowering the next generation of women is a very important part of our mission, whether it’s locally or internationally, but also gaining valuable knowledge from the generations before us.  Both of these apply no matter what your age.  I know one of my goals in the Boston Chapter has been and will continue to be to get the involvement of all age groups, from young girls to grandmothers, because there’s so much that can be done when you can capture everything that’s in that span.

And lastly, in terms of number three, I mean, it’s simple.  Women rock in a serious way.  And the more we can all do to give them the means to rock, fantastic.  Isn’t that why we’re all here?

You are cordially invited to join Girls in Tech LA & Women in Technology International for this year’s spring mixer. Network with old friends, make new contacts and connect with WITI and GIT LA members. This year’s event will be held at the gorgeous Wokcano  Restaurant in Santa Monica, and tickets will sell out fast.

Get a $20 discount on tickets with the code GITLA. Hope to see everyone there!

Since its launch in February, Google Buzz has dominated headlines from the blogosphere to the twittersphere, and every social media sphere in between. From people decrying it as yet another nail in the coffin of personal privacy to people applauding it as a bold step forward for communication and collaboration, Buzz has certainly lived up to its name – at least in terms of all the attention its gotten in the past month.

So what is Buzz? Well, according to Google itself “Google Buzz lets you share updates, photos, links, and pretty much anything else you’d like with your Gmail contacts; it’s an easy way to follow your friends, too. When you click Buzz in your Gmail account, you’ll see the stream of posts from people you’re following, and a box for you to post your updates.” So basically, Buzz is a way for you to post items that are shared with your Gmail contacts, and people who follow you on the service. Sort of like a Facebook status update for your Gmail.

Of course, like any good web product, there’s a lot more to it than just the elevator pitch. Buzz is already proving to be a valuable tool for soliciting feedback on a project, gathering opinions on a popular topic and finding targeted information that’s relevant to you. Which, of course, makes it a social media marketer’s wet dream, and has advertisers salivating over the possibility that Google may now have yet another place to distribute its patented brand of extremely targeted ads.

But, if you’re not looking to solicit feedback from your friends or sell something to your followers, why should you use Buzz? Well, the answer lies in that whole targeted information thing. That’s right, Buzz is yet another stream of information you can tap into to find out what’s trending and what your friends are talking about. But, because it maps back to your Gmail contacts, the theory is that it’s even more targeted than Twitter, more focused than Facebook and more interesting than random RSS feeds. The idea is that if you’re subscribing to people you already communicate with regularly via email, you will be more interested in what those people have to say than what Followed #4,238 on Twitter is talking about. And, of course, there are all those nifty Google algorithms to help really steer your Buzz stream.

I’ve been using it for a few weeks now, and I have to say my feelings are mixed. Mostly because I haven’t yet been able to really slot Buzz into my daily social media habits. Between Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, Reddit, Delicious, Stumble and the occasional email update from my mom, I’m pretty well situated when it comes to keeping abreast of the news and information I care about. So far, Buzz hasn’t yet evolved from a fun distraction into a daily information addiction the way those other services have. That said, now that there’s a Buzz iPhone app, I might finally be able to find a way to fit that fun new distraction into my daily routine. If only so I can make more “I just got so buzzed” puns on Twitter.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Girls in Tech will be offering exclusive interviews with leaders in the technology field.  To start of this weekly blog post series for the month of March, we’d like to highlight Leah Busque, Founder and CEO of RunMyErrand – a web and mobile marketplace that provides people and businesses with an easy and trusted way to get everyday tasks done in their own community.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts from the likes of Danielle D. Duplin, Fidelity Center for Applied Technology; Sophie Farrell, Google; Leena Rao, TechCrunch; and Christina Wong, QinetiQ.

Cheers,

The Boston GIT Team

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made and what did you learn from it that’s worth passing along to others?

My biggest mistakes are always when I don’t trust my instincts.  I’ve learned most of my decisions, especially at the early stage of business, come down to the gut level.  I trusted myself enough to start RunMyErrand, now I need to continue trusting myself and my team to build it.  There have been a couple times when I veered away from trusting my gut, and I’ve paid each time.  I now have even greater faith in my instincts, and feel confident that I’ll make the right call.

What’s your biggest success in the workplace?

My greatest success is building a product people love and who immediately understand the value.  Another homerun is my bringing together an exceptional team of mentors, advisors, investors, and team members who both get and believe in RunMyErrand and the amazing potential we are unlocking.  For example, my advisory includes Zipcar CEO, Scott Griffith; leading communications expert, Robbie Vorhaus; wildly successful serial entrepreneur, Tom Erickson; and best-selling author, Tim Ferris.  All of whom have contributed to catapulting us to where we are today.
I was also honored winning the Facebook Fund Incubator program (fbFund REV) during the summer of 2009, where I was connected with Silicon Valley’s best and brightest.  RunMyErrand was the only east-coast company that won the competition, and it was an amazing experience for me and RunMyErrand.

What’s your life or work motto?

Work motto = Move.  Faster.

What woman in history inspires you most and why?

The woman who inspires me the most is Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.  I’ve always been passionate about our universe and outer space and as a kid I dreamed of going to space camp and becoming an astronaut.  I was just four when Sally Ride made her first trip into space, and I remember it on the news.  Sally Ride was a true modern day pioneer for women, inspiring an entire nation of young girls to be exceptional and literally reach for the stars.

What piece of technology can you not live without?

My iPhone.

What tech trend are you following for 2010?

Location and mobile based apps like Gowalla and Foursquare.  They have huge potential beyond their current feature functionality, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.  Just like RunMyErrand, they are going to be big.

What one piece of advice would you give the Girls in Tech of tomorrow?

Be passionate, confident, tenacious, and trust your instincts!

What three items do you always carry on you?

My iPhone, my MacBook Pro with its spiffy green cover and chapstick.

Girls in Tech Santa Cruz is proud to present:
She’s Savvy: SEO
with Chelsea Rustrum

What is SEO? Who uses it? Who needs to know about it?
Please join us for some refreshments and a workshop aimed to help de-mystify SEO.
Chelsea Rustrum, an expert in SEO, is going to help us understand SEO and provide us with best practices on the subject.

RSVP: http://shessavvyseo.eventbrite.com/

On Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 7:30pm, CARE will present Half the Sky LIVE in movie theaters nationwide. Inspired by the best-selling book from Pulitzer-prize winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Half the Sky LIVE will celebrate International Women’s Day with musical performances, celebrity commentary, and the world premiere of Woineshet, a powerful short film directed by Academy Award® Winner Marisa Tomei.

Broadcast to theaters across the country, this one-night-only event is the perfect way to celebrate International Women’s Day together and stand in solidarity with women and girls all over the world. Visit www.halftheskylive.com to watch the film trailer, find your local theater and purchase tickets.