Web 1.0 Marketing: How to Make Your Landing Pages Hit, Not Miss

http://www.msdev.com/Directory/Description.aspx?eventId=437

The iPad 2, I want it!

Why do I want it? It’s awesome! lol!

Beautiful iPad 2 (source: apple.com

I know, I know, “It’s awesome” is not really a very good reason. How bout, I have always really wanted one, but now they are white, thinner, and have 2 cameras! I often wonder what I will do with one, since I have an iphone, I can go on the internet all the time on my phone. My phone also takes awesome photos, (see below) and the iPad 2 will take “fun for the web, VGA” photos, but it is FAR from 5 mp. 🙂 I have a powerful macbook pro I was issued from Full Sail, which is fully loaded. So..why do I need an iPad 2? I don’t, I just want one, badly.

Come to think of it, isn’t it that way with most things in life? We don’t really need cell phones, (I know this, because I just survived a tortuous week without one). We do not need to eat out, by brand name products, go to the movies, buy new clothes, have hot water, new shoes, or use credit cards. My coffee does not have to be Starbucks. I have found first hand, that most of these things are not necessities, but luxuries.

I appreciate the tar out of technology, and I can imagine, I would die without it over an extended period of time….but through my hardships, I am re-evaluating and learning to appreciate what I do have, and they are all I NEED.

Until next time,

Natalie

Sunset on Merritt Island

Social Media: driven by women?

Do you agree that women are driving the social media revolution?
Do demographics really tell you anything about WHO a person is, or what they like?

What are “Psychographics” ?

Check out this video and tell me what you think!

Social Media and the end of a gender – with Johnanna Blakley

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

Bursting the white iphone 4 bubble.

Let’s see. I have my glass of red wine, feet are up and I am ready to write! I am finding it difficult to be in the frame of mind for writing on demand, so I don’t. I struggle with raising six kids, working full time while enrolled as a full time student. While I am not complaining, the day can sometime bring and overwhelming urge to crawl under a rock and hide away. Such is the case this evening. Nevertheless, I am going to “keep on keepin’ on” and attempt to make something interesting here for my readers.

Today I am going techie! One of my passions, and gifts, is to learn and adapt to new technology, and help others who may be more technologically challenged. I don’t pretend to “know it all”, but I do know a lot, and what I do not know, I have a way of finding out. If you know me at all, it is no secret I love all things Macintosh, ie. Apple computers, and basically anything Apple puts out. I have been :mac-happy: for more than 10 years, and although I am constantly working with PC’s, my heart, and my loyalty lie with Apple! Now, do I have one of everything Apple currently makes? No, I wish! I used to have an iphone 3G, until budget cuts in the Norris household put that on the back burner. My husband and I are looking forward to the much anticipated release of White iphone 4. We do not have the money yet, but when we do, we are holding out for the white ones…. At least that is what I used to say! Now, I find myself saying, “I don’t know if it is really worth the wait”, etc. I mean, sure they look awesome! White is the new black, and “everybody has a black phone, so I want white!”. While this is true, and let me say, the white iphone 4 is slick looking…I think my lack of drive on waiting for it has everything to do with Apple’s delay in releasing it.

First, there was the whole antenna fiasco. This apparently had nothing to do with the delay, but in hindsight, was a crazy distraction early on away from the fact that the white iphone 4 was “currently unavailable for online purchasing or in store pick-up.”

After the antenna craziness sub-sided, the “difficulty in manufacturing” delay kind of felt like a marketing ploy. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? It didn’t help that the “by the end of July” promise came and went and then Steve was quoted it would be “later this year”.  Now we are sounding a bit like we are making it up as we go along, aren’t we Steve? (P.S. I love you and I want to work for Apple! *Wink Wink*)

So finally, we come full circle, to what very well me the genuine reason for the delay. The manufacturing problems, are peeking out on various websites….but is it the dreaded antenna issue? No. Is it the battery life? No? It is all about the looks! Of course. With all of our technological advances in the world today, it seems that the entire white iphone 4 delay stems from the inability thus far to produce the exact white color for the ‘home’ button on the phone, to match that of the rest of the phone. Yes folks, it all boils down to opacity! Now, while I admire Steve’s determination to make Apple products look amazing, and “perfect” I have put up with many design flaws over the years. Just look at the power cord for any macbook or equivalent mac laptop over the last 5-7 years. Does this look like there is any room for improvement here? How can one company be responsible for two vastly different designs?

Macbook mag safe power cord. BAD DESIGN!

Various Ipods - BEAUTIMOUS!!

So, yes, I would like my home button to match the case, but is it really that big of a deal? NO! Is this absence making my heart grow fonder? NO! It is actually making it mad! I think what is even pushing me further away from the desire to hold out for white is Apple’s poor judgment on unveiling the white iphone4 in all her glory in the hand of Steve Jobs during the 2010 Keynote, all the while, knowing they were not really being manufactured yet. Steve: “Look at this beautiful ray of shining light guys! Isn’t awesome! Don’t you want one?” Crowd: cries, “YES, YES we DO want one Steve!” Steve: (flinging the white iphone 4 around as he takes video and edits it in the mobile version of imovie) “Well, too bad for you losers, because you can’t have one!!”

White Iphone 4 Delay! I'M OVER IT~

Until next time~

Peace,

Natalie

SUP Therapy!

One of my newest passions is SUP, which stands for “Stand Up Paddle-boarding”.
Being a coastal Florida native, I have grown up in and around water. I had my own boat when I was 7 years old, the canoe my dad gave me in my teenage years is still living a life of adventure as my own kids take her out on the water regularly in our back yard canal.

 

Captain of my own ship, circa 1974

 

I grew up loving the ocean and at a young age, began boogie boarding. I think I was too scared to learn to surf. That changed about 5 years ago. After my divorce, I began stirring up my roots and on the weekends I did not have my children, I got into surfing.

 

Me after a evening surf session, 2006

 

After a while, I was eventually able to get my own board! It was a great source of peace to me, paddling out and waiting for a nice smooth swell to roll in. My friend Karen and I often joked when the surf report said the waves were 1-2 feet and glassy, we said “perfect” and headed out! About 2 years ago, I tore some cartilage in my knee and my ability to “pop up” on the board diminished. I finally came to the resolve that my surfing days were over and actually sold my board just a few months ago. Since then I have enjoyed canoeing, and more recently kayaking.
Enter SUP! Stand Up Paddle-boarding reached out and grabbed me. Once I saw someone sup-ping, I knew that was for me. It was the solution to my “pop up” problem, and my “middle tire” problem, ie., it provides a tremendous workout without that “workout feeling”.
Sup is actually not a “new” sport, but it is rapidly gaining popularity in the U.S.
With ancient origins in Hawaii,  it was introduced on the mainland in 2000 as and has since become a competitive sport offering challenges and races yearly in different parts of the world.
As a full time student, my extra funds are somewhat limited at the time. My goal is for my husband and I to both have paddle-boards by January, and start a meet-up for local paddle-boarders in the fall.

 

My kids on their first SUP adventure at Karen's house.

 

SUP provides so much versatility in comparison to traditional surfing. In SUP, you can partake of the adventure on lakes, rivers, streams, canals, and coves, in addition to the swells of the ocean shores. Anyone can do it. It is not limited to the agile surfer type. Moms, dads, kids, and dogs together on the same board.
Other than providing a soothing workout, one of the things I look forward to most is taking my dog with me on my SUP!

(This is the only photo that is not mine, but it shows how you can SUP with a PUP!)

 

SUP PUP

 

Until next time,

Natalie

FAVORITE SUP LINKS:

Favorite SUP fan site: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/supatx
Workout: http://www.supsurfmag.com/features-stand-up-paddle/nrg-stand-up-fitness-by-nikki-gregg/your-core.-.-.-what-is-it?-20080917534/
My newly started SUP Enthusiast blog: http://www.suptherapy.wordpress.com

Beautiful Day…

Today was beautiful! Almost fall like, with a blue blue blue sky! We took the kids to church and then to the beach. We had a great day! I am too tired to write more, and I have to get over to Full Sail and make sure I submit my discussion post.

Peace,

Natalie

Restart…

“Restart and re-boot yourself
You’re free to go
Oh, oh
Shout for joy if you get the chance
Password, you, enter here, right now”

These are lyrics to a new U2 song, “Unknown Caller” it’s one of my favorite songs, from my very favorite band.

This is how I feel today, I need to reboot.

It’s been a long day. We had a garage sale early this am (those are never fun) and then the kids have been restless all day long. My mind is restless, and my thoughts are heavy for many reasons. We are getting ready to go to the beach for a gathering with some friends, so I think that may be my re-starting place. Being near the ocean soothes my soul.

I am really looking forward to seeing how this blog develops. I have been wanting to do my own blog for years. I manage many for others, but have had little time to think about keeping up my own. I am thankful it is required in the class I am currently taking at Full Sail, otherwise, procrastination would have prevailed.

Until next time,

Peace.

~Natalie

Hello world!

Happy to be blogging here! I have a few businesses and love wordpress for blogging!

Feel free to visit my own website @ natalienorrisdesign.com.