Thursday, February 27, 2014

Outer Banks, North Carolina

Photo Courtesy of
outerbanks.org

Outer Banks, North Carolina offers a peaceful getaway from the chaos of everyday life. With 125 miles of beach Outer Banks (OBX) is made up of six different areas; Corolla, Duck, Nags Head, Roanoke Island, Ocracoke, and Hatteras. Each of the different areas offers a unique vibe and almost feels as though you are in a new location. Colonized in the 16th century OBX is more than 400 years old. Whether you are there to relax or take in a part of history OBX is an elegant vacation with charm and character.

Being that OBX is located along the Atlantic Coast one of the main things that draws people to visit is the ocean. Many people enjoy fishing or surfing in the beautiful water. With so many scenic lighthouses and undeveloped beaches the views are truly awe-inspiring. The first Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was constructed in 1803. By the 1880’s all the lighthouses changed from whale oil to kerosene and in 1934 the beam was then replaced and electrified.
Photo Courtesy of
outerbanks.org

Another place to explore while venturing in OBX is the Elizabethan Gardens. Originally constructed as a memorial to Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colonists, the gardens give the feel of being in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. With Elizabethan-style buildings and statues that surround the gardens you will lose yourself in another time period. 

Photo Courtesy of
outerbanks.org




One of the neat things about North Carolina is that they were the first in flight. In December of 1903 the Wright brothers created the first airplane. Even though the airplane was not like anything we see in today’s aircraft the Wright brothers pioneered something that we cannot live without today. In OBX the visitor center features full-scale replicas of the planes and historical markers for the location of each of the attempted powered flights.

Social Media Monitoring

Photo Courtesy of
graphicsfuel.com

With all the different social media sites out there one of the most difficult things to keep track of is monitoring your online reputation. Many people are overwhelmed and even discouraged at the thought of this very idea. One of the best ways to keep your social media monitoring under control is to you sites such as engagor.com. Engagor even allows people do use the product on a free trial basis with no credit card required. Social media is not only here to help people but to allow people to market themselves to potential employers. Monitoring our social media is something that has become very important in recent years.

One of the best ways to market yourself and find a job is to use social media. Sites like LinkedIn and Google+ are great free sites and that can be very beneficial if used right. By monitoring these sites on a regular basis you can improve your chances of finding a job at a much faster rate. Another great opportunity that monitoring your social media allows is research.

Companies and individuals are able to learn and discover what people are interested in and what is trending. If companies use monitoring to their advantage they can better market to individuals who use their products and services. Online conversations offer more opportunities then surveys and focus groups ever could. People feel more free to communicate openly and express their opinions about what companies have to offer. This type of monitoring is benefiting companies as well. Companies are able to learn and grow. More positive things come about brands who market themselves well. For more information of monitoring your online reputation check out Brandwatch
Photo Courtesy of
communities.vm.ware.com

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Hilton Head Island


Photo Courtesy of
svnsavhh.com
Everyone loves an island getaway. With Hilton Head, South Carolina, you not only get to get away, but you also experience southern charm at its best. Hilton Head has 42 square miles of semi-tropical landscape, and over 50 miles of public pathways and nature trails. It is warm year-round by the Gulf Stream and temperatures stay mild in the 70’s. The island has its own airport as well as a bridge that connects to the mainland, with access so simple there is no reason not to explore. For active vacationers the island offers many amenities. 

One of the biggest attractions to Hilton Head are the golf courses. There are over 30 different championship courses and 24 are open to the public. One country club, Bear Creek, is a signature course designed by Rees Jones. It is designed for both carts and people who enjoy walking their rounds of golf. A nice benefit of the course is no tipping is expected. You can enjoy your time at Bear Creek and not have to worry how much you should be paying a person helping you out. Once you have built up an appetite enjoy dining at the clubhouse or the outside on the veranda, which is open for lunch and dinner.

Photo Courtesy of
bearcreekgolfclub.org
For people who enjoy the arts, Hilton Head is a great cultural community of fine art, music, and theatrical venues. The Island offers multiple ways to experience these arts and even host a month long festival called, Bravo. Presented by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce’s Arts and Cultural Committee, the event host over 25 organizations bringing an array of the arts throughout the entire month of May.

Photo Courtesy of
hiltonheadgolf.com
With so many different opportunities you are able to be adventurous without traveling hundreds of miles. Hilton Head is the place to be for all your activities. Whether it’s hiking, golfing, or playing tennis you have the variety to your vacation. Not only in the relm of sports but the arts as well. Come see what it is like to experience the island life.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Snapchat


Photo Courtesy of
play.google.com
One of the popular ways of communicating to each other nowadays involves the app Snapchat. Most prominent with teenagers and young adults, the little white ghost has created quite a buzz. So much so that Facebook recently tried to purchase the app for $3 billion. This photo sharing app lets you snap photos lasting up to 10 seconds, once the photo is gone it is no longer able to be reopened. Below is a list of 5 reasons why everyone should be using Snapchat. 

1. Good for Business 

As the business world constantly evolves with technology, Snapchat as become a great way to reach out to target customers and audience members. Snaps allow you to be creative in the way you reach out to customers and offer exclusive deals and coupons. If you are offering a new product you can allow your customers to preview the product and create conversation. For more business reasons to use snapchat check out Social Media Examiner.

2. Keep in Touch

With Snapchat staying in contact with people you’re closest to has never been easier. You can have fun conversations with friends back and forth making silly faces and videos. People are able to send great moments caught on camera that otherwise might not have been. Being able to share photos back and forth with text on them so quickly is convenient and allows you to explain your photos better. 
Photo Courtesy of
thepearlpost.com

3. You are in Control

Typically with apps you are not in control of how you use the actual app itself. With Snapchat, one of the things in your control is how long people see your photo. Even though people can take screen shots of there phones once the photo is sent, they cannot see how many seconds it will be up before the photo disappears. While it may never been smart to snap anything inappropriate. This does still give you the confidence you need to be funny with the photos you send. Click for more about the apps Privacy Policy.

4. Show your Creative Side

Anything with photos or videos will be visual to people. Within the app there are different filters and options to enhance your snaps. Snapchat allows you to be unique with the photos you take. Impress your followers and friends with photography skills you may not have realized you even had. By doing this it keeps interest in others and makes people want to see what you have created next. 
Photo Courtesy of
news.cnet.com

5. Easy to Use

Snapchat is very user friendly. By allowing you to connect with people in your contact finding friends is very easy. The user friendly interface basically does the work for you. Just touch the circle at the bottom of your screen and the photo is yours. If you appreciate the photo you have take use the arrow at the bottom right of your screen to move into your contacts. Once in your contacts simply check the circles of the people you want to send it to and use the arrow at the bottom of the screen to send.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Miami


Miami
Photo Courtesy of askaskowitz.com
Located along the Atlantic Coast of Florida, Miami offers many fun events and opportunities to explore. The bright colors and beautiful city scape will open endless opportunities and places to see. There are sixteen different beaches located in Miami. With one of the more popular ones being South Beach. Known as the American Riviera and Art Deco Playground the buildings along the strip are some of the coolest designs. With the buildings being what may attract your attention, it is what they offer that keeps you coming back.

South Beach
Photo Courtesy of clevelander.com
One of the restaurants that everyone who visits the strip should check out is News Cafe. Originally opened in 1988, you can enjoy comfort foods and people watching 24 hours a day. For those who like to stay in the action and enjoy the vibe of South Beach life, the Clevelander hotel offers great views of the strip as well as the bright blue ocean.

Even though the ocean is amazing do not be fooled to think it is all Miami has to offer. For people who enjoy the downtown vibe, Miami’s downtown offers great shops and shows. The Adrienne Arsht Center offers all types of events from theater, ballet, opera, to live music. For those into the latest fashions and brands the Mary Brickell Village offers a variety of boutique shops and restaurants local to Miami. Catch a game at the American Airlines Arena, home to the Miami Heat NBA team.

Little Havana
Photo Courtesy of miamiandbeaches.com
A trip to Miami would not be complete without exploring Little Havana. The hispanic culture comes to life on Calle Ocho, which is the main drag. Here you will find everything hispanic from fruit stands to art galleries and cigar shops. One of the neat things about little havana is the last Friday of every month, it host Viernes Culturales, a monthly gallery night showcasing cultural art scenes.

VINE

Vine Logo
Photo Courtesy of vine.co


With ever increasing popularity Vine is a combination of visual and audio communication. Vine allows people to create and share video clips that are six seconds long. With such a short amount of time, people are becoming ever more creative with how they record. What is amazing about Vine is the growth on the iPhone App store. According to BGR, it has been faster than many of the other popular apps such as WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Chrome. However, what is really impressive is the fact it has grown seven times faster than Snapchat, which is another form photo, audio, and visual communication.

For Vine the biggest competition is Instagram, which allows people to not only upload video but photos as well. In April 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion. This caught the popular social media app Twitter’s attention. They new Vine would be to good of an opportunity to pass up. Twitter purchased Vine less than a year later for $970 million according to CNBC

Vine Logo
Photo Courtesy of twitter.com
Vine got it’s name from vignette, which is “a short impressionistic scene.” Vignette is also a photo filter offered by Twitter. When the Vine logo is turned upside down it displays the number six, which is how long the video loops run. For more fun facts check out CNBC.

As the app becomes ever more popular one of the things we will start to see are improvements to the software. Some of the downsides to the app mentioned on WebTrends, is that you cannot connect to Facebook or Twitter friends making it more difficult to connect and find people on the app. Another improvement we will hopefully see is a way to connect the app with your camera roll for saving and uploading videos you shoot on your phone itself.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Seattle, Washington


Being that this years Super Bowl Champions are the Seahawks, a great place to travel and see is Seattle, Washington. The city was named after the indian chief of the Suquamish tribe, Sealth. Located 113 miles South of Canada the city has beautiful views of the Pacific Coast. Even though they city is known as the rainy city the annual precipitation is only 37.4”, which is less than many other major cities in the United States according to Visit Seattle.
Dowtown Seattle
Photo Courtesy of alexishotels.com

One of the things that attracts many people to visit the city is the Space Needle. At it’s highest point, an aircraft warning beacon, the Space Needle reaches 605 feet. At 500 feet in the air the first revolving restaurant, SkyCity Restaurant, is located with the Space Needle. 

Due to the small lot size, the Space Needle foundation must go 30 feet underground since the base is only 120 by 120 foot area. After completion of the Space Needle only took 400 days, the U.S. Steel Company dubbed the space needle as “The 400 Day Wonder.” 

Space Needle
Photo Courtesy of familyvacationcritic.com
For people who are not afraid of heights the Space Needle sways approximately one inch for every 10 mph of wind. It was built to withstand 200 mph of wind, which was double the building code requirements at the time. For more fun facts about the Space Needle check out Space Needle.

For people who would rather stay grounded. The city still has many great attractions. The Chihuly Garden and Glass is an awesome exhibit that displays artist Dale Chihuly’s works. Located in the Seattle Center the glass exhibit is home to 1,400-piece, as well as a 100-foot-long sculpture. It is a great place to spend the afternoon and admiring the works of Dale Chihuly. Check out Chihuly Garden and Glass to buy your tickets today.

Discovery Park
Photo Courtesy of cascadiakids.com
If you are on a budget, there are many free things to venture and see. Seattle is home to many different parks throughout the city. The largest, Discovery Park, is 534 acres of natural landscape. It has breathtaking views of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. It provides a great place for quiet and tranquility away from the city. With many opportunities and places to visit for free check out National Geographic for more.