Gadgette - Tech, Fashion & Lifestyle Magazine

Tech, Fashion & Lifestyle Mag

January 2015 vol. 3 iss. 1

pronouncing

tech terms a “me-me” or “meem”?

Navigating Social Media

in defense of the

selfie stick is it really that bad?

iPhone 6 Review

the future of

Wearable • Tech •

Yahoo’s

MARISSA MEYER the CEO discusses office life and motherhood

can fashion save it... or is it destined to stay ugly??

Interview: Drea Chong

8

9

20

Start Tech News

iPhone 6 Review

15

The Latest in Gadgets

Tech Talk: How Do You Say It?

tech

13

pg. 4 | gadgette

14 Quirky Gadgets: Kitchen Edition

In Defense of the Selfie Stick

32

Interview: Drea Chong

25

The Future of Wearable Technology

style

35

36 What’s a Headphone Friendly Hairstyle?

Marissa Meyer: Hail to the Chief

life

55

App Spotlight: Carrot Fit

d

en

52

49 Navigating Social Media

Tweets for the Soul: New Year’s Edition gadgette | pg. 5

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from the editor

te get gadn o t e

Happy 2015! The beginning of a new year always brings with it new resolutions and goals. For us at Gadgette, it also brings an anticipation for the new gadgets that will be released in the new year. Who knows what 2015 will bring?

As always, Gadgette blurs the line between fashion and technology this issue. Proving that these can complement each other very well! Just like how a palette of blush, putty, peach and rose, highlighted by magpie embellishments, could create a girlish effect, but instead conjures images of a woman in complete control – a woman who knows her allure is a combination of confidence, awareness and mystery.

Embodying exactly that spirit for us this issue is Marissa Mayer. After starting off as employee number 20 at Google, she is now the CEO of Yaoo and tells us about how tech and fashion, beauty and the geek all merge together for her!

Plus, read the story behind the latest in wearable technology and discover why the selfie stick deserves to be defended. We guarantee you’ll be enlightened!

Jolynn Jolynn Tan, Senior Editor

January 2015, volume 3 issue 1

Editorial content pg. 15 credit: mashable.com/2014/10/21/ mispronounced-words-tech/

pg. 28-29 credit: www.seveninchstilettos.com/10qq-with-drea/

pg. 18-19 credit: medium.com/why2015-wont-suck/26-you-will-mockthen-purchase-a-selfie-stick/

pg. 32-44 credit: www.vogue. com/865211/hail-to-the-chief-yahoosmarissa-mayer/

Editorial design

pg. 21-27 credit: www.digitaltrends.com/ wearables/now-wearable-technology/

pg. 46-49 credt: www.theverge. com/2014/9/16/6154975/iphone-6-review

pictures

pg. 52 credit: www.huffingtonpost.com/ tania-yuki/5-tips-for-professionals-navigating-social-media_b_5780414.html

Jolynn Tan, for MAD School assignment

from freepik.com, misc internet sources

gadgette | pg. 7

Notes to Gadgette

WRITE TO US!

701, P.O. Box 20 0782 Singapore 52

BE SASSY I just want to say that I love Gadgette for its sharp-witted sarcasm - when I read your magazine, it talks back to me, unlike all of those other, brainless fashion mags. Thanks for the sassiness!

Rachel Stiles, Singapore

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE I just received the latest issue of Gadgette, and I’m looking forward to enjoying it from cover to cover!

The section on how to save someone’s life in an emergency, the delicious-looking tech toys and the fashion suggestions I can actually afford are among the many standouts. It’s the best issue I’ve

GWEN STEFANI I loved your decision to put Gwen Stefani on the October cover, and I really enjoyed reading Aaron Gell’s article about her, “Underneath

gotten in a long time. Style and substance-that’s why I subscribe!

Keep up the good work.

Kerrie Smothers, Kuala Lumpur

It All.” She is an accomplished and multitalented woman, taking on both the music and fashion industries and becoming an icon in the process. I appreciated her delving deep into the internal struggle she faces while attempting to successfully balance a home and work life. I commend her for her honesty and the bravery it took to do an interview during such a trying time in her life.

Lauren Lim, Malacca

pg. 8 | gadgette

REDESIGN REACTION I just got your latest issue. I was worried when I saw you were changing it because I loved Gadgette so much the way it was — why change a good thing?

But I love the new layout, and the articles are fantastic! Thanks for keeping the magazine great while updating the look.

Kristi Moss, Singapore

BIOLOGICAL CLOCK I enjoyed the article about when a woman reaches her peak [“The Perfect Age,” April]. When I was 20, no one believed my age; most

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

people said, “You’re not 20, you’re

I have a lot of goals. Some of them

16.” Now I’m 40, and most people say, “You look 20 years old.” Life is

are outrageous, and some are less

good.

extreme. People are always raising their eyebrows when I share these goals, and it’s disconcerting. I put

Jana Ong, Singapore

your article up on my wall and will remember its advice; it’s just what I needed to hear!

Hilary Gim, Jakarta

LIFE LESSONS “5 Things I Wish I Knew” was a real eye-opener. No matter how busy or stressful my life is, now I’ll think twice before cracking open that bag of chips so I don’t regret it later in life. Thanks for this article and for a fantastic magazine in general.

THE TECHNO GAP I applaud Katie Drummond [“The

Sarah Ha, Penang

Facebooking Mother-in-Law,” October 2009] for exposing the secret hostility I feel. Let’s face it: No one wants her technological kingdom taken over by nosy parents. We don’t want to have to censor our language or delete pictures of blackout moments. Give us back our Facebook!

Kara Jenkins, Singapore

gadgette | pg. 9

n etech ws It’s just the start of the new year but already so much has happened! With CES 2015 taking place this month in Las Vegas the buzz has started for sure! We bring you the new, the viral, what everyone is talking about.

China’s Christmas present to Google? Blocking Gmail

Screens mess with your sleep, first-ever automatic security even if you’re getting 8 hours. upgrade for Mac.

The Chinese government has not acknowledged the censorship but a Google spokesperson confirmed that “there’s nothing wrong on our end”.

Using your iPad or smartphone right before bed causes periods of rapid eyemovement sleep to be shortened and the effects could be long-term.

Xiaomi Confirms It Raised $1.1B Facebook says sorry for ‘Year in Review’ At $45B Valuation.

Xiaomi, the fast-growing Chinese hardware company best known for its low-cost smartphones is now valued at $45 billion - a whopping increase over its previous valuation of $10 billion in August 2013.

pg. 10 | gadgette

The auto-generated sequence has left at least one Facebook user distraught after it included an image of his daughter who died in June following a battle with cancer.

New feature comes as apple’s increased market share means that hackers aren’t just targeting Windows anymore.

Health professionals see uptick in technology related health issues.

Poor posture from technology use can lead to damaging effects. Every inch your head moves forward is an extra 10 pounds your neck holds up!

the

h t e cp i n g p sho

latest

in

This month, we bring to you the latest in tech gadgets!

Let us know on twitter which you’re craving, buying or think are downright useless! Let’s begin!

Arc pendant This British smart pendant, due to hit kickstarter around now, hangs unseen below your neckline, quietly doing very clever things like optical heart-rate sensing, posture monitoring and activity tracking. There is also the ARC Explore feature that translates navigation instructions from your phone into subtle haptic pulses to guide you along.

SGD$tba | arcwearables.com

google nexus 6 Phableteers of the world, charge your glasses and welcome the newest member of our (already ample) family. This is a 493ppi, 2560x1440-screened Motorola-made phone with a 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 and 3GB of RAM. But tastiest of al lthe stats, perhaps, is that it’ll be running the latest version of Android - Android 5.0 Lollipop.

SGD$496 | google.com/nexus

gadgette | pg. 11

lomo l-ca 120 The L-CA 120 isn’t like other Lomography cameras. It uses 120mm medium format film which translates to images with crisper detail and a shallower depth of field. If you like that idea, you’d better hurry as only 500 are being manufactured in the first production run.

SGD$700 | lomography.com

HTC Re camera, desire eye HTC has joined the unusual camera bandwagon with this periscope-shaped action-cam.

It knows when it’s been picked up and takes either 16MP photos or 1080p/30 videos. It’s waterproof and shockproof, you can stick it to a variety of things and control it with your phone!

SGD$264 | htc.com/sg

bang & olufsen beoplay a2 Battery-powered portable speakers might not be anything to get excited about but these speakers are still enough to raise an eyebrow or two. Indeed, the 180W-power A2 looks gorgeous and produces surprisingly room-filling sound that emerges from both sides so that you can put it where you like. Did we mention that the battery lasts for up to 24 hours?

SGD$617 | bang-olufsen.com

pg. 12 | gadgette

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro This tablet attempts to be the answer to focus groups led

by Ashton Kutcher. According to Lenovo, the statistic is that 80% of people don’t ever take theirLenovo tablet outside the house. And thus, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro is born with a 13.3in 2560x1440 screen. Its 9600mAh of battery and built in projector make it great as a “staytainment” device!

SGD$1199 | lenovo.com/sg

parrot zik 2.0 The latest cersion of these well-reviewed headphones are designed once again by Philippe Starck. They come in lighter, more leathery and zanier-coloured forms. The app that lets you customise what you’re hearing has also been upgraded. Everything else you love about it remains the same!

SGD$589 | parrot.com

gadgette | pg. 13

www.chanel.com La Ligne de CHANEL Tel: 67335120 Ngee Ann City • Marina Bay Sands

h tecl i g h t t spo

~ Kitchen Edition ~

Egg Minder wirelessly connects to your mobile device to track the number of eggs you have and tell you when they’re going bad. In-tray LED lights indicate the oldest egg, while push notifications alert you when you’re running low. You’ll never be in a scramble for a good egg again.

Egg minder

SGD$66 | quirky.com

Umbra ispoon

SGD$6.60 | umbra.com

Designed by Jordan Murphy, the Umbra iSpoon is essentially a traditional wooden tasting and mixing spoon that has been tweaked to have a handle that ends in a stylus. This new staple will ensure that tablets and other devices in the kitchen are safe from bacon grease, garlic and more.

Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker The Breakfast Sandwich Maker helps take the annoyance out of assembling meat, eggs, and wwwcheese on a bagel or English muffin. The device, which includes a cooking plate for eggs, toasts your bread and melts your cheese while the egg cooks.

hapifork

igrill

The HAPIFork tracks your eating time, including the number of times the fork hits your mouth per minute, the duration of your meal, and the time between fork scoops. There are mobile apps to help you track your fork progress and work toward slower, healthier eating time.

The iGrill uses a BlueTooth-enabled thermometer to monitor the temperature of grillables and send the information back to your mobile device.

IPhone users can even integrate it with Facebook to join a worldwide community of grillmasters, letting the world know what’s cooking.

gadgette | pg. 15

c u tech rre nt

“THE SELFIE STICK IS AN OLD-FASHIONED SOLUTION FOR MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY”

pg. 16 | gadgette

The first time I saw a selfie stick

stick parade. Japanese people had

arm,” the goal being to slightly bend

in action, I was wandering around

been using these things for years.

your elbow enough so that your up-

Brooklyn Bridge park down by the

Finally, our hoverboard had arrived.

per arm wouldn’t show in the photo.

water. Two young tourists pivoted

(“You can see yourself, and you look

their rod into the sky, a smartphone

Back to The Future is just a movie, I

prettier,” Tarsila Ferreira told the

perched on top. It was perfect: They

thought to myself, adding the selfie

New York Post. She’s not wrong!)

smiled; they made silly faces; they

stick to my Amazon cart. It joined

held up peace signs. New Yorkers

a four-pack of Five Hour Energy,

looked on and scoffed. I can say that

All of this, plus the fact that the

a 3-cup rice cooker, Mario Bades-

because I scoffed — and I even took a

selfie stick is made for vacationing.

cu Drying Lotion, and a Himalayan

photo, posting it straight to my Ins-

Never again stop to ask a stranger

air-purifying salt lamp. All the type

tagram with a simple (but essential-

to take your photo. For one thing,

of things you add to your Ama-

ly mocking) caption: “selfie stick lol”

people hate being asked. With the

zon cart after 12 A.M. All things I

(Yes, I am very good at Instagram).

selfie stick, you can completely

needed, desperately. With the self-

“Ha-ha, wait ‘til my followers get a

eliminate strangers fumbling with

ie stick, I expected was a conver-

load of that,” I thought to myself,

your phone or camera, while they

sation piece; I got a conversation

like the biggest asshole in the en-

try to figure out how to focus be-

pièce de résistance.

fore ultimately catching some sort

tire universe. But those two happily ignored me, snapping away and giggling as they arranged the perfect shots. It looked like so much fun.

of glare that makes everyone look Pulling out a selfie stick first involves

like garbage. Or! They run off with

a big risk. You will elicit groans or

your brand new iPhone 6.

heavy sighs—or maybe nothing at all if this is the kind of thing

About four hours and 14 likes later (a

your friends expect of you (in that

pretty pathetic amount, so much for

case, go you!) You might even get

the cynicism), I was Googling “self-

called…a millennial. (Which, oops,

ie sticks,” curious about their me-

you definitely are.) You’ll have to

chanics, curious about how I could

prod a little, show off the device’s

buy one. It’s a genius item really:

mechanics to your confused aunt

A retractable rod (think the base

and uncle, even move to a room

of a tripod), with a flexible mount

with slightly higher ceilings. But as

that expands to fit whatever smart-

soon as you get snapping, the self-

phone you’ve got. (You can even

ie stick automatically becomes the

upgrade “premium” sticks with built-

event’s main attraction. Group shots

in Bluetooth buttons that connect to

become easy to arrange, no need

your phone’s shutter. I recommend

to worry about anyone’s height

this one.) I learned that while TIME

differentials if you get your angles

named the selfie stick one of 2014’s

correct. And speaking of angles, if

best inventions, it also popped up on

you remember your MySpace days,

old lists like “The 23 Craziest Japa-

you silly millennial, the selfie stick’s

nese Inventions You Never Knew

natural top-down vantage is quite

Existed” alongside a “book-shaped

flattering. It also solves the age-old

pillow for sleepy students” and

dilemma of extended arms acciden-

“a square watermelon”. Per usual,

tally appearing in selfies. In college,

Americans were late to the selfie

we called this phenomenon “fat

Despite the endless cycle of trendspeak, selfies have really been around forever. And it’s pretty great that we continue to advance them.

Because basically as soon as the camera were invented, we’re still figuring out more and more ways to take flattering photos of ourselves.

Still not into it? Well, Beyoncé uses selfie sticks. So now you have to.

Lindsey Weber is the associate editor of NY Magazine’s vulture.com. @lindseyweber

gadgette | pg. 17

The precise colour saturation and the high contrast of 5.7’’ Quad HD Super AMOLED display will drive you to feel the fluent and vivid colour as if you are looking with the naked eye.

h tecv i a tri How are tech words meant to be pronounced? Sometimes, they aren’t so cut-and-dry. We conducted a poll to track how tech words are pronounced across different ages, locations and occupations, identifying 6 controversial tech words. In the end, more than 30,000 respondents from 191 countries responded to the simple question:

meme 82% “meem”

GIF 70% “ghif”

“jiff”

“day-tuh”

wifi

“me-me”

5%

30%

95%

“wee-fee”

“why-fy”

How do

~you~

data 66%

18%

linux

say it?

21%

34% “dat-uh”

“lie-nux”

cache 20% “cash”

79% “linn-ux”

80% “cash-ay”

gadgette | pg. 19

+65 67355255 prada.com

r e vtech iew

Everything you need to know about the latest iPhone and the big job it has to do.

There is explosive demand for big-

The whole time I’ve had the iPhone

slightly cold and unapproachable.

ger smartphones. A 4-inch smart-

6, I’ve been playing a game. I hand

The iPhone 6 is far friendlier and far

phone feels small now; somewhere

the phone to someone, and guess

more usable. Mixing form and func-

around 5 inches is the new normal.

what phone they use based on their

tion this way is hard to do, and Ap-

Yet too many large-screen phones

immediate reaction. iPhone users

ple gets it largely right.

are cumbersome, awkward, and

are always shocked by the sheer

often just plain bad. And Apple has

size of the 6; they all think it must

a long history of taking good ideas

be the 6 Plus. Android users, on the

with obviously huge markets and

other hand, are unfazed. “This looks

being the first manufacturer to real-

just like my phone,” they all say.

ly nail the execution.

It’s simply and cleanly designed, with a metal back that curves cleanly around the sides. There are few seams and no ugly clutter. The only real flaw is the antenna design: Ap-

They’re not wrong. The iPhone 6

ple opted to essentially outline the

Add those three things together, and

is 5.44 inches tall and 2.64 inches

top and bottom of the phone’s back

this phone on my desk isn’t at all

wide, which slots it right in between

with small plastic stripes where

surprising. It’s the iPhone 6: a bigger,

last year’s Moto X (also a 4.7-inch

wireless radios can transmit signal.

brighter, badder iPhone designed to

phone) and the new HTC One. It’s al-

It just looks bad, like someone drew

appeal to the customers for whom

most exactly the same size as Sam-

on my phone with a marker. HTC’s

the iPhone 5S and its 4-inch screen

sung’s Galaxy S5, just a little thinner

simple, striped design on the One

now seem adorably antiquated. It’s

and a little lighter. And it shares

M8 is far better, and even Apple’s

full of new technology and crafted

more in common with the world’s

glass-strip-on-the-top-and-bottom

from a new mold. Apple intends for

many Android phones — and the

approach for the 5S looked nicer.

it to be the new standard in a new

original, curvy iPhone — than with

type of smartphone, to be the big-

the sharp, rectangular iPhone 5S.

The screen, of course, is the whole reason the iPhone 6 exists. It’s 4.7

screen phone that anyone can handle. Not the first big phone, but the

The iPhone 5S was a stark piece of

inches diagonal: 1334 pixels tall by

best. The big phone for everyone.

jewelry, a gorgeous object that was

750 wide. It’s not the pixel density

pg. 22 | gadgette

Design Tech Specs Value for $

3DMARK ICE STORM

iPhone 5s iPhone 6/6+ HTC One M8

gadgette | pg. 23

curve-breaker that the Samsung

The 6 Plus at least gestures in this

what the iPhone 6 uses to passive-

Galaxy Note 4 is, but it’s an ex-

direction. A few apps work in land-

ly track your steps, elevation, and

tremely good display. The glass on

scape, with handy two-pane modes,

much more.

the front slopes ever so softly into

and even the home screen rotates

the curved metallic edge, giving

on its side.

the iPhone 6 a sort of infinity pool effect: the screen just never seems to end.

NFC finally comes built in, which enables the upcoming tap-to-buy Ap-

In many ways, of course, a bigger,

ple Pay system. There’s also support

better iPhone is a pretty remark-

for faster LTE and Voice over LTE,

able thing. Everywhere you look,

plus new Wi-Fi standards and even

With only a couple of small excep-

it’s clear that Apple spent the last

Wi-Fi calling. The bottom-mounted

tions, this is the right way to build a

year tweaking and improving every

speaker is louder and brighter than

larger phone. It’s thinner, more com-

square inch of the iPhone. There’s

on the 5S. These subtle improve-

fortable, more friendly to the touch.

the new A8 processor, which makes

ments don’t feel significant or obvi-

But what Apple didn’t do was come

everything from launching apps to

ous individually, but taken together

up with a way to take advantage of

playing games to switching home

they make the iPhone feel more re-

the new screen’s real estate. Apple

screens noticeably faster than even

liable and more polished.

is clearly saying a big phone is bet-

the 5S. The A8 also comes with a

ter, but it doesn’t answer the critical

new bundle of sensors called the

There’s one feature that stands out,

question: how is it different?

M8 “motion co-processor,” which is

though, the one that most strongly

pg. 24 | gadgette

makes the iPhone 6’s case as the

Yet there’s nothing truly ambitious

best smartphone on the planet: the

here, no grand vision of the future

camera. It still shoots 8-megapixel

or of a new way of living. Apple

images, but this time does so with

doesn’t have better ideas about

a new sensor. I move the phone

how to make use of more display

around and it never appears to be

real estate, or how to help users

focusing, yet everything is always

navigate a bigger device. The latest

crisp and ready. I’ve already shot

iPhones could have been a chance

and shared far more pictures and

for Apple to really re-examine what

videos on the iPhone 6 than on any

smartphone hardware should be,

smartphone I’ve ever used.

but Apple just built a bigger iPhone.

“

...Apple just built a bigger iPhone. because that’s what people wanted

”

Because that’s what people wanted.

That’s the story of the iPhone 6. Apple took this opportunity to upgrade

For a variety of reasons, from the

nearly everything about the device,

camera to the app ecosystem to

from Wi-Fi to LTE to build quality to

the hardware itself, the iPhone 6

the already remarkable camera. And

is one of the best smartphones on

since it has a big-enough screen but

the market. Maybe even the best.

still works well in one hand and fits

But it’s still an iPhone. The same

snugly in my pocket, this is a device

thing Apple’s been making for seven

that almost every phone buyer on

years. A fantastically good iPhone,

the planet will at least consider.

but an iPhone through and through.

David Pierce Deputy Editor at The Verge. Formerly an analyst at PCMag. Known to eat ramen. @piercedavid

gadgette | pg. 25

le styt u r e fea

Smart insoles, inseams, and inner layers. Smart swimwear and underwear. Wearable technology is exploding. Can it shed it’s ugly steorotype and transform the fashion industry?

gadgette | pg. 27

The first annual FashioNXT Weara-

or live experience? Their stage light-

ble Technology Contest, presented

ing is amazing. How can you bring

by Digital Trends in partnership with

projection onto your body?”

Nike, Intel, and Project Runway, concluded last week in Portland, Ore. Through the contest, we sought to push the boundaries of wearable tech, merging fashion with features to avoid the chunky, sometimes preposterous designs that characterize nearly all contemporary wearable tech.

“

The winning entry, by 20-year-old

it’s emblematic of where wearables could go

”

Pratt industrial design student Dillon Chen, is nothing you’d ever wear.

But it’s emblematic of where wearables could go.

“I wasn’t trying to be super creative or anything,” Chen told me. “It just happened all of a sudden.”

While intriguing, it is most likely unbuildable with today’s technology.

But it’s a vision of where tech could go, one I and the other judges found exceptional. Other finalists offered glossy products that seemed shooins to become real products. Theodora Koullias, a recent MIT grad who designed The 314 handbag, flew to Portland for the awards ceremony last Thursday. Poised and prepped, she seemed ready to establish a company and begin production.

Her design incorporated swappable fuel cells with a purse to recharge a phone or other device; we’ve seen backpacks with similar function that are more function than form,

Chen designed an outfit called The

but few fashion-forward designs

Killers Suit for musicians; it responds

like hers. But the judges — includ-

to the sound of the band and its

ing Intel’s Mark Francis, Nike’s Matt

fans, using microphones to detect

Rhoades, and Project Runway’s Seth

sound level and quality, then emit-

Aaron Henderson — felt the de-

ting lights that change and pulse

sign didn’t go far enough for them.

in response. His garment would be

Likewise, the QBracelet by James

made of OLEDs and controlled by

Kernan, a fresh take on portable

an Arduino microcontroller. Chen, a

power, doesn’t move technology far

fan of the band he named the entry

enough — although it’s so slick that

after, said he was inspired after a

Henderson said he had preordered

recent concert.

one in every color.

“I thought about the concerts I’ve

“When I clicked into his page, I was

been to. I’m a big fan of The Killers.

like wow, this guy’s serious. I was

I saw them last year at the Barclays

really scared,” Chen agreed.

Center and they were so great — I

pg. 28 | gadgette

just thought, what would Brandon

The popular vote, in a poll on Digital

Flowers wear on stage? What would

Trends, picked The 314 as the winner.

bring a new dimension to the music

But the judges like the ideas Chen

My Intelligent Communications Accessory (MICA), a collaboration between Opening Ceremony and Intel, celebrates what can happen when beauty meets intelligence.

gadgette | pg. 29

Crafted from premium finishes, 18k gold coating and a curved sapphire glass touchscreen display.

One style features black water snake skin, pearls from China, and lapis stones from Madagascar, while the other style features white water snake skin, tiger’s eye from South Africa, and obsidian from Russia.

pg. 30 | gadgette

presented, which evoked the union

4, Google recently partnered with

of fashion and tech in the true spirit of

Diane Von Furstenburg to release

the contest.

fashion-first versions of its wearable tech, Google Glass.

For winning the contest, Chen earns a check for $1,000, a computer sys-

But these are tiny steps forward.

tem with Intel’s latest technology,

The fashion industry needs to step

and more.

in with gusto, to bring fresh thoughts to new technology. The Killers Suit is

The idea of fashion-first tech is

the future. Now let’s get there.

expanding beyond the FashioNXT show, and with good reason. As wearables and tech have exploded, designs simply haven’t kept up, partly because tech is so dominated by dudes.

“The issue right now is that 99 percent of wearables are geared toward the Silicon Valley male,” said Ayse Ildeniz, the spokesperson for Intel’s new and wide-ranging fashion initiative, according to

“

99 percent of wearables are geared toward the Silicon Valley male.

”

a recent Style.com feature. Intel’s plan includes a style lab where designers and artists can experiment with integrating tech into their work, Ildeniz noted, in addition to MICA, a luxury smart bracelet with a 1.6-inch touchscreen built into it.

It features a curved sapphire-glass touchscreen and a 3G radio, and sends alerts and messages.

Next week, at the Wearables + Things conference in Washington D.C., we’ll see another wearable tech fashion show, with a runaway full of the latest high fashion. And companies like Intel continue their own push into the space, through partnerships with Fossil and designer Opening Ceremony. On Sept.

Jeremy Kaplan is Editor in Chief of d i g i t a l t re n d s . co m and keeps the site pretty awesome! @smashdawg

gadgette | pg. 31

pg. 32 | gadgette

SGD$659 | barneys.com

gadgette | pg. 33

s t atlyle k

8 Questions Meet Andrea Chong, a 21 year old fashion blogger/model/extraordinaire from Singapore – aka one of the most gorgeous people I know; inside and out. She is in her third year of university studying Literature as an undergraduate at Nanyang Technological University as well as the host of online fashion TV show, “That F Word” on clicknetwork.tv. Andrea loves to spend her time at traveling (she recently came back from a trip to Paris, where most of the images below were shot), reading, cooking, and trying to get her nonchalant cat to love her. I’m a huge fan of her distinctive personal style, outgoing, bubbly presence and swvtunning modelling pictures!

pg. 34 | gadgette

Something most people don’t know about you:

Your least favorite food:

Your favorite designer label and why:

I’m such a “housewife”. I love cook-

Hmmm, I don’t like steak, is that

I’m not really into designer labels,

weird?! There’s just too much meat

but I’ve seen a couple of Elie Saab

and I can never finish any steak if

gowns on celebrities which I really

I tried!

love! There is this Elie Saab lilac lace

ing, and cleaning the house gives me so much satisfaction. Going to the household section in departmental stores actually makes me more happy than shopping.

How you started modelling and blogging: I started modeling with online clothing store, Tracyeinny, in 2010.

I guess other online shops took notice of me then and I’ve been modeling ever since! I started blogging in September 2012. The producer for my fashion show “That F Word” encouraged me to set up a blog so that I will have an increased online

chiffon dress Mila Kunis wore to the 2011 Oscars which I cannot stop stop

“

obsessing over. I would love to have

I think if you start being contented and stop wanting to improve, something is definitely wrong.

”

it as my wedding dress!

Name something about yourself that you are constantly striving to improve: I guess I would have to say everything? I’m always striving to be a better blogger, model, student, daughter, sister, girlfriend. I think if you start being contented and stop wanting to improve, something is definitely wrong. I believe in hard

presence – I was a real social media

work and improvement – by want-

noob back then, I had no blog, no

ing to better yourself, you bring in

instagram, and no twitter account.

fresh ideas, stay on the competitive

The blog also served as a good way

edge, love and give more, and be

for my readers to get to know me

the best person you can.

and my style a little better!

Someone who always gives you a lot of support: Definitely my parents and my boyfriend. They are always supportive of what I do, and are always there to give sound and rational advice, and emotional support. I don’t know what I’d do without them!

A place you’d love to visit:

A beauty product/tip you swear by: Benefit Cosmetics’ Hello Flawless Foundation for it gives my skin such a natural finish. But I swear by my Bosch 2-in-1 Hair Curler/ Straigtener the most, it is hands down the best

I’d love to spend a month trave-

hair curler and straightener I have

ling around Switzerland and visiting

used, and I don’t think I can use any

all their famous nature spots. I’m a

other brand. I am contemplating

sucker for nature-focused, beautiful

buying 5 of them just in case Bosch

travel destinations!

decides to discontinue the product.

Veena McCoole is a fashion, style and travel blogger based in Singapore. She can be found at: seveninchstilettos.com

gadgette | pg. 35

I ntercha n g e a b le je w el l er y- i n s p i r e d caps to m a t c h y ou r e v e r y o u t f i t !

le stye l p h

it’s about the Curls

wear a headband

use styling products

Nestling your headphones into a mess of hand-curled locks guarantees a stylish look for any audiophile. If you use a flat iron and take bigger sections, you can achieve beachy waves that’ll do a great job concealing the dreaded crease.

If you’re scared of damaging your style, just pre-damage it on your own terms so you’re immune to the evil ways of the headset. Clear your hair away from your ears before you put the phones on so there isn’t any hair getting creased in between!

Sometimes, it might just be a matter of a little hairspray or a little paste to fluff your style back up and kill the crease.

You might use the products to just rearrange your hairstyle or smooth it back into a ponytail, but it’s all about being prepared.

gadgette | pg. 37

s p el i f e cia l

As she works to reverse the fortunes of a failing Silicon Valley giant, Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer has fueled a national debate about the office life, motherhood, and what it takes to be the CEO of the moment.

“I really like even numbers, and I like

pink, teal, red, and royal blue, and

a gorgeous new weather app for

heavily divisible numbers. Twelve is

adds new colors every season. She

mobile phones, a relaunch of the

my lucky number—I just love how

was hoarse from a cold she picked

photo-sharing site Flickr, and an up-

divisible it is. I don’t like odd num-

up flying to New York and back, and

date of Yahoo Mail, all of which are

bers, and I really don’t like primes.

it was eight-thirty in the evening,

drawing the first positive reviews

When I turned 37, I put on a strong

with hours’ more work ahead. But

the company has seen in ages. By

face, but I was not looking forward

she burbled with excitement as she

acquiring Tumblr, the hippest of the

to 37. But 37 turned out to be a pret-

talked about her job. “I’m having the

social-media sites, Mayer solved

ty amazing year. Especially consid-

time of my life,” she told me.

the problem of Yahoo’s aging de-

ering that 36 is divisible by twelve!”

mographics and lack of cool with a It might also strike you that the par-

single billion-dollar stroke.

A few things may strike you while

adox of being both glamorous and

listening to Marissa Mayer deliv-

a geek explains Mayer’s rapid pro-

er this riff, prompted by a question

gress in reviving what only a year

about how her life has changed since

ago looked like a moribund giant.

her son, Macallister, was born last

Before her arrival in July of last year,

fall. The first is that she’s not kidding

Yahoo was being written off by the

about being a geek. Mayer talks

tech industry, investors, even its

about numbers as if they were peo-

own staff. A series of failed CEOs—

ple, refers casually to x- and y-axes,

non-techies from Hollywood, adver-

and drops terms like stochastic fac-

tising, and finance—had gotten little

”

tor (it means a random distribution)

purchase on the fading technology

in conversation. On business issues,

brand. It was far from clear that a

If Yahoo’s bottom-line growth is

she speaks awkwardly, piling as

six-months-pregnant,

many likes into a sentence as Alicia

Google engineer and first-time CEO

Silverstone in Clueless. But when

could remove the air of irony that

she gets on to technology, she turns

had attached itself to Yahoo’s purple

effortlessly articulate.

exclamation point.

The next is that she is an unusually

A year later, the punctuation no

for tech codgers, is returning to its

stylish geek. The day we had that

longer looks so absurd. Adam Ca-

role as a company that matters in

conversation in her white, glossy,

han, Yahoo’s head of mobile and

Silicon Valley—able to compete for

minimally appointed office in Sun-

another ex-Googler, told me, “Ya-

top engineering talent and acquire

nyvale, California, she was wearing

hoo has released more products in

start-up companies without smoth-

a red Michael Kors dress with a gold

the last six months than probably

ering them. “She is really talented.

belt and a brown Oscar de la Ren-

in the last five years.” But it is the

She is really aggressive,” says Hen-

ta cardigan. This cashmere bolero

products themselves that repre-

ry Blodget, whose Business Insider

is her work uniform—she has the

sent what he describes as “a dra-

site is a partner with Yahoo Finance.

same one in ivory, navy, black, hot

matic cultural shift.” These include

“She is extremely driven, and that

37-year-old

“

I’m having the time of my life!

still modest, investors are optimistic: The stock price is up almost 60 percent since Mayer joined. But the most important aspect of the transformation she’s leading may be the least tangible. Yahoo, a brand of early adopters before it became one

gadgette | pg. 39

inspires people. Developers are

praise

Mayer’s

excited about working for a leader

most

contro-

like her, someone who says, ‘I’m in;

versial decision

who’s with me?’ And they’re excited

to date: a ban

about working for an underdog.”

on

the

prac-

tice of employIt’s a midsummer evening in Mayer’s backyard in Palo Alto. A green lawn large enough to accommodate a skating rink for holiday parties is framed by an irregularly shaped flower border and shaded by a spectacular live oak tree. To one side stands a work of sculpture: a three-foot-tall bronze frog. From the house comes a tinkle of Mozart, playing on a computer-driven baby-grand piano.

Mayer is hosting a cocktail party for entrepreneurs invited to Silicon Valley by the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers program. The guests are already sipping strawberry margaritas when she makes her entrance with a sleepy ninemonth-old baby over her shoulder.

As Macallister, who has inherited his mother’s pale-blue eyes and flaxen hair, yawns and nuzzles her neck, Mayer calls him an “easy baby.”

At the end of a week of late-night preparations for a board-of-directors meeting and an annual shareholders’ meeting, the 38-year-old Mayer might be the one ready to be tucked into bed.

Instead she finds a central spot on the patio and graciously fields comments on the company, about which everyone has an opinion. Esther Dyson, a well-known Internet pioneer and investor, comes over to

pg. 40 | gadgette

ees’

working

at home. The ban

prompted

a national debate and some angry criticism that lacks

Mayer empathy

for women who can’t afford the resources

she

herself enjoys: a private nursery in her office, a personal staff, and all the child care she needs.

Mayer

elab-

orates, a little defensively, on her reasons for the change. She never meant it as any kind of larger statement about society, but simply as the right decision for Yahoo, where by various accounts working from home often meant hardly working.

Teams are happier now that absent participants don’t teleconference in for meetings. Messages on Yahoo’s “devel-random” e-mail list, the company’s informal forum, have lately turned positive. And in perhaps the clearest sign of support, employees have, she tells Dyson, “stopped leaking my e-mails” to the press.

As entrepreneurs from Japan, India, and upstate New York approach to

“

he’s an easy baby

”

The world’s slimmest and lightest interchangeable lens camera

A quick look at the strategic acquisitions and controversial decisions Marissa Mayer has made so far that is helping Yahoo turn around.

Mergers & Acquisitions Summly Acquires Summly, a mobile content reading assistance tool and will use the technology to improve how information is accessed across services.

Tumblr “Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be indepently operated as a seperate business”

Ghostbird Yahoo acquires the photo app maker Ghostbird.

rondee Yahoo acquires conference call company, Rondee.

Qwiki Yahoo adds a short-video service in response to the success of Vine and Instagram.

pg. 42 | gadgette

changes

ended work from home Mayer institutes a policy that says Yahoo’s employees can no longer work from home.

home page streams ads Introduces Yahoo Stream Ads and an interactive billboard ad.

Upgrades flickr Image-sharing service Flickr received a major hi-resolution makeover with a new app for Android users.

yahoo mail classic closes Yahoo Classic Mail is discontinued.

Alta Vista Shuts down Yahoo shut down the search engine Alta Vista.

of the garden of a two-story, miniaturized model of Palo Alto’s Peninsula Creamery, a local diner where Stanford students go for milk shakes (the pineapple malts are Mayer’s favorite). She and her husband, Zachary Bogue, a venture capitalist who invests in start-ups focused on “big data,” bought the fifteen-foot, redand-white playhouse at a benefit auction and had a forklift deposit it over their redwood fence the previous week.

Macallister won’t be old enough to introduce themselves, Mayer quietly

“

inquires about their companies with

If you’re still having a terrible time at time x, you can leave.

”

the discerning focus of someone who might one day write a check to buy them. Usually, she finds some point of personal connection—an engineer they both worked with at Google, or a tech lab they both know overseas.

She suffers from shyness, she says, and has had to discipline herself to deal with it. For the first fifteen minutes she wants to leave any party, including one in her own home. “I will literally look at my watch and say, ‘You can’t leave until time x,’ ” she says. “ ‘And if you’re still having a terrible time at time x, you can leave.’ ” She has learned that if she makes herself stay for a fixed period, she often gets over her social awkwardness

play in the structure for a while, but Mayer seems to have bought it just as much for herself. Her taste runs to the brightly colored and lighthearted—“happy art,” she calls it— like the plate-mounted Jeff Koons balloon dogs in her airy kitchen and the Roy Lichtenstein print in the front hall of her cheerful, comfortable, but not especially grand Craftsman-style house. In the dining room, an entire wall is covered with purple-and-gold

marquees

that

Mayer and Bogue had made for the tabletops at their wedding, printed with words representing their favorite things. These include on her side PEPPERMINT, COLORS, PARIS, and ETRO. Tonight she is wearing an Oscar de la Renta dress, with daubs of yellow, blue, and green on a white field, reminiscent of her most famous product: the Google home

and ends up having fun.

page. At some point, the guests

That seems to be the case tonight.

this her “CEO exit,” disappearing up-

Mayer turns more gregarious as she

stairs without good-byes while the

explains the presence at one edge

party carries on.

notice that she’s vanished. She calls

gadgette | pg. 43

Mayer’s bright-color and bold-pat-

vision computer-science classes.’

tern aesthetic comes from her

And I was, like, I’m a woman in the

Finnish mother, an art teacher who

upper-division

surrounded her with Marimekko

classes—I should know this person!

prints she can still cite by name.

I really had just been very blind to

The love of science comes from her

gender. And I still am.”

computer-science

father, an environmental engineer who worked for water companies.

“They’re definitely in the camp of allies, not adorers,” she says.

“They’ll tell me when they think I did something amazing, but they’ll tell me when they think I could do better. I think like my dad, but I have a huge kinship with my mom.”

This insensitivity can sound retrograde, especially when paired with stereotypes of feminists as “militant,” “negative,” and having “the chip on the shoulder,” which Mayer repeated in a PBS documentary about the women’s movement that aired in February. Of course, in the male-dominated culture of Silicon

Growing up with a younger brother

Valley, gender blindness, willed or

in Wausau, Wisconsin, she never had

otherwise, is one way of fitting in.

fewer than one after-school activity

At Google, Mayer’s approach was

per day: ballet, ice-skating, piano,

the opposite of her friend Sheryl

swimming, debate team, Brownies.

Sandberg’s. As employee number

She still talks to her best friend from

20, she was often asked how it felt

junior high every few weeks. “It

to be the only woman on engineer-

was a very well-rounded childhood,

ing teams. She’d answer truthfully:

with lots of different opportunities,”

She hadn’t noticed.

she says. “My mom will say she set out to overstimulate me—surround me with way too many things and let me pick. As a result, I’ve always been a multitasker; I’ve always liked a lot of variety.”

Mayer describes herself as naive— which only fuels the fascination surrounding her fourteen-year rise. Did she pile up a reported $300 million in wealth and become a CEO of one of the world’s top digital brands by

At Stanford, she majored in Sym-

accident? “I didn’t set out to be at

bolic

combines

the top of technology companies,”

philosophy, cognitive psychology,

she insists. “I’m just geeky and shy

linguistics, and computer science.

and I like to code,” she says. “Once,

Once, reading The Stanford Daily,

Eric Schmidt [then Google’s CEO]

she was laughing over a column

pointed out to me that at Google,

about campus icons—the local man

when you want to have an impact

who abuses passersby, the guy in

that’s bigger than just you, you

the sandwich shop who always

move from being an individual con-

gets your order wrong. “And there

tributor to managing a team. . . . And

was literally a line in there that said

I was like, Oh, right, it would be nice

‘the blonde woman in the upper-di-

to have an impact that’s bigger than

Systems,

pg. 44 | gadgette

which

“

i really had just been very blind to gender.

And i still am.

”

THE WIRELESS HiFi SYSTEM. ALL THE MUSIC ON EARTH, IN EVERY ROOM, WIRELESSLY

just me. It’s not like I had a grand

write a personal note in each of the

plan where I weighed all the pros

200 commemorative photo books.

and cons of what I wanted to do—it just sort of happened.”

Mayer has a taste for the comfort-

That is subject to debate. At Google, Mayer drove the rigorous testing and analytics that perfected search and other offerings—and she helped invent the matching algorithm that has made Google AdWords arguably the most successful product in the history of advertising. Some at the company saw her as relentless

“

in her ambition and publicity-seek-

it’s not like i had a grand plan...it just sort of happened.

”

ing, and sniped that she’d been effectively demoted shortly before her exit to Yahoo. Other colleagues, who

remain

ardent

supporters,

point out that she’s earned every success by working unbelievably hard. Among the roles that helped her develop her reach beyond Google was running the Associate Product Manager program, a twoyear course that grooms future tech leaders. Its more than 300 graduates have gone on to lead some of the Valley’s most closely watched start-ups and constitute an informal network of protégés.

One of the program’s alumnae, Jess Lee, the CEO of the fashion site Polyvore, describes Mayer as a perfectionist. “She’ll spot a lot of little

able and familiar as well as gloss and glamour. Most days she drives herself back and forth to work in an eighteen-year-old BMW, but she has also attracted attention for a high-profile social life, including glitzy parties she and Bogue threw at their penthouse apartment atop the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco.

The couple met in 2007, via a mutual friend. A former football and rugby player at Harvard, Bogue, who has a chiseled jaw, tousled brown hair, and a big, athletic build, shares his wife’s taste for physical challenges.

They run half-marathons together and love hiking, skiing, travel, and good restaurants.

These days, though, she’s lucky to squeeze in a round of her favorite Bejeweled Blitz or Candy Crush Saga on her smartphone. With less time, the couple is more focused on “walking to our local park and pushing Macallister in the swing,” Bogue tells me, seated on a sofa in the living room as the party winds down.

“It was clear sailing for both of us when the baby was conceived. Let’s just say it’s been a lot busier since.”

details other people might not no-

pg. 46 | gadgette

tice,” she says. “But when you add

How do people misunderstand his

them up in aggregate, it’s the differ-

wife? I ask. “Marissa doesn’t really

ence between a beautiful, polished

like cupcakes,” he says, referring to

product and one that feels more

the legend that she once created

awkward.” Lee notes that when

a spreadsheet of different cupcake

Mayer recently hosted an APM re-

and frosting recipes. “She just called

union at her house, she took time to

the trend early.”

And what does Mayer misunder-

columns. Working through a pea-

ity. “I’m not sold on this,” she tells

stand about herself? “I think she’s

nut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and

the team. “I’m not ready to green-

not as shy as she thinks she is,”

a cup of pretzels from the cafeteria,

light it.”

he says.

she disarms confrontation with an easy, whinnying laugh.

I get a sense of Mayer’s profession-

After running through three CEOs in less than a year, Yahoo’s revenue

al style in a product-review meet-

When one of the project managers

was shrinking, and it was being val-

ing where I am allowed to be a fly

notes that a design change is likely

ued at little more than the sum of

on the wall on the condition that I

to harm advertising revenue, May-

its key Asian assets: its stake in the

not talk about unreleased products.

er makes it clear that the product

Chinese Internet giant Alibaba and

About 25 of Yahoo’s top designers

comes first. “I just want to make

Yahoo Japan. Its user base was more

and engineers crowd into a dark-

sure it’s user-experience positive,”

than 700 million, but unlike Face-

ened conference room on the Sun-

she says. “I’m worried that we’re

book, Google, and Apple, Yahoo had

nyvale campus to present updates

making trade-offs that are negative

no fundamental function—e-mail,

on a project code-named Grand

to users.”

search, photo-sharing—that wasn’t

Slam, an effort to bring a more co-

done better by others. In Silicon Val-

herent look and identity to Yahoo’s

What might otherwise look like a

ley, there was much residual loyalty

pages. For an intense 80 minutes,

crazed level of micromanagement

to the company, where according to

Mayer does most of the talking,

serves a purpose. In the past, Ya-

Mayer, half the industry’s engineers

getting deep into the weeds about

hoo’s CEOs were routinely ignored

have worked at some point in their

the size of navigation buttons, back-

by the engineering staff. But Mayer

careers. But it had turned into a

ground colors, and spacing between

speaks with a decisive air of author-

place where no one wanted to go.

gadgette | pg. 47

There’s an Apple Watch for everyone.

Selecting a watch is very personal. As with all things you wear, how it looks is at least as important as what it does. So we set out to make Apple Watch something you’ll love to use every day. As well as something you can’t wait to put on every morning.

It was at that point that Daniel Loeb,

best possible time. When Zack and

elsewhere,

an activist investor now battling

I were brushing our teeth in the

BlackBerrys, and the elimination

Sony’s Japanese management, got

morning, he was like, ‘Where were

of turnstiles that were costing em-

control of several board seats and

you last night?’ ”

ployees an average of six minutes

pushed the idea of hiring Mayer.

She was, somewhat inconveniently, newly pregnant, and much ink was spilled critiquing her plan to take a short maternity leave. Could she nurture a new baby and a corporate turnaround at the same time?

iPhones

instead

of

a day going in and out of buildings.

She set up a nursery next to her office, and for several months after Macallister was born, he and his nanny came to work with her. Business problems were much more se-

While insisting that everyone show up for work, she also began removing cubicle barriers and office walls to foster a more collaborative work environment.

rious. She was shocked to learn how little interaction Yahoo executives

Mayer has applied this democratic

Thanks to Mayer’s financial re-

had with their employees. In her

thinking to her board presentations

sources and physical capacity, this

first weeks on the job, Mayer sought

as well. Every quarter, she offers

turned out not to be much of an is-

to change that, responding to ques-

highlights and lowlights as voted by

sue. In fact, the combination of the

tions on “devel-random” and taking

the employees. At the most recent

pregnancy and the new job gave

her lunch in the cafeteria.

board meeting, the top vote-getters

her even more energy than usu-

included the weather app, the Tum-

al. “One night I looked up and was

She also instituted a weekly all-

blr acquisition, the Flickr relaunch,

like, ‘Oh, my God, it’s midnight and I

hands meeting and added new

moving into the old New York Times

have a husband and I’m, like, eight

perks with symbolic importance:

building near Times Square, as well

months pregnant. I need to leave!’

free food in the cafeterias, on par

as Yahoo’s new family-leave policy,

I was just here working, having the

with the standard at Google and

which went a long way to assuage

gadgette | pg. 49

employees still stewing over the

For his part, Karp says he was won

amid this transition by going back to

ban on working from home. All re-

over not just by Mayer’s commit-

its roots as the “daily habits” compa-

cent parents—male, female, adop-

ment to keep running Tumblr as an

ny, providing the best tools for what

tive, or biological—get eight weeks

independent company but by what

people do digitally every day.

anytime during their first year with

a happy and optimistic person she

a new child. Biological mothers get

is. “That’s something I’ve always

an additional eight weeks.

valued, and I think it’s kind of a unique sensibility in the tech indus-

Buying Tumblr represents Mayer’s boldest step to position Yahoo for growth again. She first met David Karp, Tumblr’s 27-year-old founder, in December. They met again in February to pursue partnership ideas. “That’s when I really started to use the site a lot more and try to understand it,” she says. “We start-

try,” he says. Karp points out that in a rapidly changing tech landscape, many of the biggest players are now playing defense, looking for acquisitions that help protect their empires. “Meanwhile, Yahoo, out of left field, is in attack mode. There was nothing defensive about Yahoo buying Tumblr.”

ed meeting more intensely in April.

That’s when we said, ‘My gosh, if

Tumblr, of course, is far from prof-

we’re going to do all this, it makes

itable, and with a user base deeply

sense to merge.’ I loved David’s

resistant to commercial messag-

perspective on the products, and I

es, there’s no clear path to take it

think he respected mine. We had a

there. While Mayer and Karp figure

tremendous meeting of the minds in

out how to turn it into a business,

terms of what we wanted to build

it will be a burden on Yahoo’s bot-

and what we wanted to do.

tom line. The company can afford

“Close your eyes and listen to this list,” she says. I close my eyes and hear her recite: “E-mail, maps, weather, news, stock quotes, share photos,

group

communication,

sports scores, games.

“You’re listening to what people do on their mobile phones,” she says.

“And it sounds like a list of what Yahoo does.”

“

...it sounds like a list of what yahoo does

”

it—Yahoo is currently cash-rich—but “I’ve done now between three and four dozen acquisitions in my career,” she goes on, “and I’ve never seen this kind of lock-and-key fit between two companies. Our demographic is older. Theirs is the youngest on the Web. We pride our-

growth has so far been slow: a mere 2 percent in 2012. As advertising revenues continue to show declines, Mayer has tried to set expectations appropriately, telling investors that exceeding industry growth levels is going to be the work of years.

selves on publishing at scale—they have some of the best publish-

In reviving Yahoo, Mayer faces the

ing tools available. We’re strong in

challenge of a diffuse set of prod-

news and sports and finance. They

ucts and a business model based

are strong in all the different com-

on advertising. Audiences are mov-

plementary pieces—fashion, food,

ing quickly from desktops to small-

and architecture. They need mone-

screen mobile devices, where mar-

tization. We have monetization that

keters struggle to capture attention,

can be turnkey for them and not

and revenue per user is much less.

very obtrusive.”

Mayer’s bet is that Yahoo will thrive

pg. 50 | gadgette

Jacob Weisberg runs the Slate Group, reads a lot, and writes about politics. @jacobwe

lifet e s o qu

“

What did you accomplish in 2014? personally I spent the entire year staring at my phone.

“

Didn’t think Times Square during New Years could get more aggravating...

Then God created the “selfie stick” @jen_cody

@socarolynsays

“

”

new year’s resolution: get rich or cry tryin @tinatbh

”

“

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.

” “

2015: be more of a khloe and less of a kourtney @jessicaKRoy

@liliths_lair

”

” gadgette | pg. 51

FOR EVERYBODY WHO’S

NOT JUST ANYBODY.

501 JEAN AS PERSONAL AS YOU ARE

h elife lp Whether you’re looking for a new position, making a career move or just wanting to increase your own value within your existing role, social media such as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook all provide powerful platforms to gain the visibility, credibility and access required to get to that next level. Here are five tips to help you thrive in the increasingly complex world of social media, and to stand out from the crowd in your area of expertise online:

DECIDE WHO YOU ARE What do you want to be known for?

Define your area of expertise, own it, and then ensure that you brand yourself accordingly.

Don’t be a Social Media Snob

The next question is -- as you work to position yourself as an expert, how are you creating value for your community?

Create Consistent Profiles across all Channels

Connect with the people you meet at work, at conferences, at networking events, over lunch. Don’t agonize over whether it is appropriate to connect via social channels -- it is, and you never know how your paths might cross in the future to be valuable on both sides.

Once you’ve settled on how you want to depict your bio, keep it consistent.

The ‘real’ you can’t be too far from the ‘business’ you, or else it seems like an uncomfortable disconnect.

Be a Good Online Citizen and Give Back Participate in group and page discussions, help out with your expertise any time you can. Give away what you know; reciprocity is the currency of the social web, which has a perfect accounting system.

pg. 54 | gadgette

Are you the Curator, the Commentator or the Creator?

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lifep s ap

CARR

T

We’re fans of the CARROT apps, which include a to-do list and alarm clock because they manage to make unwelcome tasks a little more fun by shaming you into getting things done. CARROT Fit does the same thing for weight tracking.

At its core, CARROT Fit is really nothing more than an app where you track your weight. Each day, you enter in your weight and as you lose it, you’re rewarded with in-game points (and threats if you gain some). CARROT Fit logs you weight and shows you a graph that tracks your losses, but otherwise it’s a pretty straightforward weight tracker. Except for the AI that harasses you around every turn anyway.

SGD$3.98 | iOS App Store

gadgette | pg. 57

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te get gadn e x t Thanks for reading this month’s issue of Gadgette! To round things up, let’s look at what’s coming up next. From soon-to-be-released gadgets to a sneak peek at we’ll be covering in our next issue, there’s lots to be excited about!

next month’s feature: sheryl sandberg The Facebook COO talks to us about gender discrimination at work. Find out why she says: “When more women lead, performance improves”. We want to see these biases vanish, and we know you do, too.

bragi’s the dash wireless headphones with built-in fitness tracking and a personal trainer

Misfit Swarovski Shine a line of solarpowered crystalbejeweled fitness trackers

next month’s special: emoji?

It’s easy to dismiss emoji. They are, at first glance, ridiculous.

But is there an undispensable role that they play? Find out all about the rapid evolution of this wordless tongue, from its Japanese origins to its use all over the world today.

gadgette | pg. 61

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