Posts Tagged ‘Technology’

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Women in Tech

Friday, October 19th, 2012

History is almost always told through the eyes of men! But in today’s world women are working their way to the top. And with the quickly advancing technology, women are advancing too!

Let’s do a little time traveling and take a look at the women throughout history who have made an impact on the world of technology.

1815-1852: Ada Lovelace is often described as the first computer programmer.

1838-1914: Margaret Knight invented the first paper bag machine.

1882-1935: Emmy Noether made contributions to abstract algebra and theoretical physics.

1906-1992: Grace Hopper developed the first computer compiler and made the term “debugging” popular.

1918-Present: Katherine Johnson calculated the trajectory of the Apollo 11 moon flight.

1923-2010: Joanne Simpson was the first female ever to receive a Ph.D. in meteorology.

1933-Present: Ruzena Bajcsy created robots that could respond to their environment.

1951-Present: Radia Perlman is considered to be the “mother of the internet.”

1953-Present: Maria das Gracas Silvia Foster is the first woman to run a major oil-and-gas company.

1954-Present: Ingrid Daubechies is the first female president of the International Mathematical Union.

1955-Present: Hessa al Jaber oversaw the liberalization of Qatar’s telecommunications market.

1955-Present: Indra Nooyi is the CEO of PepsiCo.

1958-Present: Cher Wang is the co-founder of HTC Corporation and VIA Technologies.

1960-Present: Chieko Asakawa improved access to computers for the sight impaired with the invention of the voice browser.

1961-Present: Mary Lou Jepsen is the founder of Pixel Qi, creator of low-powered LCD laptop screens.

1978-Present: Rana el Kaliouby is the co-founder of Affectiva, facial recognition technology.

1978-Present: Liu Yang is the first Chinese woman to fly into space.

? -Present: Eva Chen is CEO of Trend Micro, the leading supplier of security software.

1975-Present: Marissa Mayer is the CEO of Yahoo, the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

For more information on each of these amazing women and their accomplishments, click here.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “LIKE” us on Facebook.

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Posted in Around the Office, Consider This, General Blogginess, New Media, Our Neck of the Woods, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized | No Comments »

3 Tips to Help Increase Your Memory

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

In today’s evolving world, technology has become a central part of our lives. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself these questions–When was the last time you saw someone walking around without a phone in hand? Driving without a GPS? Or better  yet, when was the last time you went without looking at your phone or computer for one whole day?

Let’s face it:  we rely on technology to keep us going. Modern conveniences have made our lives so much easier, but like anything great, there may be a downside. According to this article, while technology has helped us stay organized and efficient, it’s not always the best for our memory. Some of us rely so heavily on our smartphones, GPS and computers that we almost forget how to do things ourselves, or even worse, we never learn at all.

Here are a few tips to help you increase your memory and your independence:

-Write things down: The physical act of writing helps you learn and remember what you wrote, so when the time comes, you’re always prepared.

-Learn from technology: Instead of simply letting technology do the work for you, observe and see how it is done–this way you might not need your GPS for that next trip.

-Memorize: Make a conscious effort to remember things that are important even if it means pure memorization.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Posted in Consider This, Technology | 1 Comment »

Welcome to the World Wide Web, Google Plus!

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

Millions of technology junkies around the globe have become card-carrying members of the Social Media Age. Facebook. Tumblr. Twitter. (And in a not-so-distant past) Myspace. You name it—We’ve created a username, logged in and tried it.

However, nothing stays stagnant (especially the world of social networking), and so these multiple memberships might ultimately prove superfluous—that is if Google and its latest social networking project Google Plus (Google+) have anything to say about it.

A newcomer to the social media scene, Google+ promises to connect you to your friends and interests with a more personalized organizational system than other websites.

Its streamlining features will include:

  • +Circles: Instead of a friends list, Google+ allows you to create social circles with a list of certain people and share information with those people only.
  • +Sparks: Similar to blogging websites like Tumblr, this feature uses the resources of Google’s famous search engine to compile news and content about your passions from Harry Potter’s final cinematic chapter to the Wall Street’s dips and dives.
  • +Hangouts: Taking a leaf from video-chatting services like Skype and Oovoo, Hangouts allows you to connect with people face-to-face in a multi-person video chat. Also, this feature allows you to specifically indicate when you want to participate—so no more inconvenient instant messages at work! (Theoretically.)
  • +Mobile: This feature, like most social networking sites of merit, allows you to connect via your phone. Google+ offers instant photo uploading, location tagging and +Huddles, a feature that connects a specified group of contacts in a phone-accessed chat room.

For more information on the functions and features of Google+, click here.

Google+ seems to be accomplishing its “intuitive” design by consolidating the features of other social networking websites into one go-to mega website. What do you think: is this an ingenious idea or an unoriginal move by Google to get into the social networking world?

Regardless, the big question remains: will it topple the almighty Titan that is Facebook? Click here to find out what people have said.

So far membership to Google+ is by invitation only. Will YOU try Google+ when it becomes public?

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Posted in Around the Office, Consider This, General Blogginess, New Media, Our Neck of the Woods, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized | No Comments »

iPads, Twitter… and the Pope?

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Using the Vatican’s Twitter account, the Pope Tweeted for the first time June 28th from an iPad. Not only was this a historic moment of religion and technology’s converging, but the moment when the Pope proved himself one techno-savvy Catholic leader #colormeimpressed.

Watch the Pope Tweeting here!

The Pope actually Tweeted from an already-active account used by the Vatican.

However, technology has not always worked in the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI’s favor. Recently Apple released the Confession: A Roman Catholic App advertised as “the perfect aid for every penitent.” While the Vatican wagged its finger at the virtual penance (claiming it is in no way a substitute), Apple gets a thumbs up for continuing to live up to its advertising (and now trademarked) promise: there IS an app for that.

Click here to purchase the Confession: A Roman Catholic App.

Despite the Apple app setback, Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican will continue to connect with tech savvy users, 140 characters at a time.

What do you think about the Pope tweeting? Will you follow him on Twitter?

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Posted in Consider This, General Blogginess, Our Neck of the Woods, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Celebrate Social Media Day!

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Social media tools have become like Starbucks runs. If you don’t visit one at least once a day, something is seriously amiss.

Social media tools: we all use them. So why not celebrate them?

Mashable.com created Social Media Day to do just that.

Today, June 30, Mashable.com invited fans of social media websites and networks to join together and praise the technology that links us to each other.

Mashable.com, a website devoted to social and digital media, technology and internet cultural news, created Social Media Day in 2010. Although it is a relatively new (and unofficial) holiday in the US, Social Media Day has garnered attention and support around the world. The state of Arizona, New York City and eight other cities (Victoria and Vancouver, B.C.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; San Carlos and San Jose, California; Dublin, Ireland; and Toronto, Canada), have officially proclaimed June 30 as Social Media Day. Pretty wild, eh?

Social Media Day happened everywhere. Mashable.com’s Meetup page boasted a vast array of participating cities. From San Francisco to New York and from Antwerp to Buenos Aires, people from all over the globe showed interested in meeting (and Tweeting) in celebration of social media.


Although some city Meetups were more organized than others- San Francisco’s celebration took place at the indoor trampoline park House of Air—all social savvy tech users were encouraged to meet up in some way and say “Hooray!” to updates, virtual walls, news feeds and alerts.

The hosts of these updates go by recognizable names: Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, Foursquare, Yelp and of course, the irrepressible Facebook. These websites have become as integral to our daily communication as actual face-time conversations.

Social media not only connects us to each other in real time but also to information, events, trends and possibilities. In spite of distance, weather and time (elements that would naturally divide us), social media users remain closely knit in the bonds of community, friendship, business and common interests.

With this in mind, why wouldn’t we celebrate such a wonderful, revolutionizing tool?

Did you celebrate Social Media Day? We want to hear how social media has impacted your life and communication, so tell us about it!

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Posted in Around the Office, Consider This, General Blogginess, New Media, Our Neck of the Woods, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Mayor Jayne!

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Yesterday Jayne walked over to our office food and drink supplier, Trimana Café, for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Everyone in our office knows Trimana is a pretty tech-savvy café with its use of large screen TVs streaming Twitter and RSS feeds of national news, but what Jayne saw when she walked in nearly knocked her off her feet! Upon entering, Jayne looked up to see a picture of herself on the café’s big screen TV, announcing that she had attained the coveted position of “Mayor of Trimana Café” – courtesy of Foursquare!

Boasting more than 6.5 million users worldwide, Foursquare is a geo-social mobile application that is based on the location of the user and the registered “check-in” spots/“venues.” The location you “check-in” at can be shared with your friends and networks. Doing so allows users to bookmark future destinations of interest and assist with vacation planning and touring cities and locations unfamiliar to the user.

Using Foursquare for business is great because it creates a way for customers to interact with your brand and allows you to offer incentives to keep customers coming back. These incentives are known as “specials.” Specials can be tailored to fit the needs of the business while encouraging customers to visit your venue. In this case, because Jayne “checked-in” at Trimana a certain number of times and was designated “Mayor of Trimana Café,” the café gave her $5 Trimana Bucks for a future purchase. Way to go, Jayne!

In the past we’ve seen some epic office battles between coworkers enthusiastically trying to beat one another out for the title of “Mayor of Gunn/Jerkens.” But with Jayne’s new position, it’s only eminent that a new battle is on the horizon.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn/Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Posted in Around the Office, General Blogginess, Our Neck of the Woods, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Innovation at Its Finest!

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Gunn/Jerkens recently had the privilege of working on something quite ingenious for a special client, Shapell Homes. We like to call this project The Eco-Savings Showroom. The Eco-Savings Showroom was specially designed for Shapell’s new community, Plum Canyon Ranch. It’s filled with a multitude of energy-saving products that amount to one large eco-savings for the household!

This project was designed to emphasize the importance of living “green” and promote the unique features that can be found in the new homes at Plum Canyon Ranch. The Eco-Savings Showroom is actually a garage attached to one of the model homes. We removed the garage door and replaced it with a storefront design that greets prospective homebuyers arriving at the community and offers a preview of the savings and products to everyone who passes by.

The whole Gunn/Jerkens team worked together on The Eco-Savings Showroom. From the concept to the design, our efforts resulted in an innovative display of walls lined with lists of the eco-friendly amenities offered in these unique new homes and creative artwork of how each provides for additional savings to the homebuyer.

The displays include information on energy-saving appliances from solar energy panels to engineered heating and cooling systems, water-conserving toilets and showers and more. Each illustration articulates the specific requirements needed to receive a positive rating on the EnergySmart Home ScaleSM, a part of the Builders Challenge program for homes in California.

We owe a huge shout-out to the Shapell Homes team for this opportunity! The response to The Eco-Savings Showroom has been tremendous and we feel honored to have been a part of such a novel project.

To stay up-to-date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn/Jerkens check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

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Posted in Around the Office, Consider This, Our Neck of the Woods, Technology | No Comments »

Touch the Future

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

I tried to resist but I think I officially want an iPad (I think I can hold off until the rumored Spring 2011 release of the second generation iPad). But are the iPad and other touchscreen devices a fad or is this a technology that’s here to stay?

Check out this video from the Swedish software developer The Astonishing Tribe, a company that made headlines today when it was bought by Research in Motion, the makers of BlackBerry. In their vision of the future, touch displays expand beyond handheld devices and make their way in to all aspects of our lives.

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Posted in New Media, Technology | No Comments »

Right Before Your Eyes

Friday, November 12th, 2010

I’m kind of obsessed with projection mapping videos lately. Here’s a mindblowing one that just came out from Ralph Lauren; keep in mind that the entire thing was projected on a building in New York.

The Official Ralph Lauren 4D Experience – New York from Ralph Lauren on Vimeo.

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Posted in Branding, New Media, Technology | No Comments »

Good Grammer

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Have you seen this new music video for “Keep Your Head Up” from LA-based musician Andy Grammer? It’s basically like the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books we read in elementary school: throughout the video, you’re given choices for the action and the video seamlessly sends Andy down your desired path. Which floor will the elevator stop at and what will he see when he gets off? What’s going to happen on the rooftop? You clicks create the story.

For an unknown artist, this sort of music video will surely grab some attention just from an innovation standpoint. According to this article, the video works so well thanks to an emerging technology that preloads all of the video options so the transitions are seamless. Could this be the next generation of music video — giving more creative power to the listener?

Try it out for yourself but be warned that you may be compelled to want to play the video again to try to create new stories. And then something tells me the song will get stuck in your head…and that’s surely part of the point.

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Posted in New Media, Technology | No Comments »

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