Based on my previous blog post that addressed the benefits of online shopping, I wanted to give equal time to some negatives. After all, don’t all good things come with a few consequences?

As shoppers, we all behave differently so it’s impossible to say for sure whether online shopping decreases the time spent shopping or actually increases it. There are many ways in which online shopping technology can save you time when compared to a weekly or bi-weekly trip to the grocery store or shopping mall. But not everything is bulletproof and you have to take in the possible errors that can be made along the way. From a grocery perspective, the employees choosing your food might not actually select the right produce or brands. It’s no different with clothes – what if the wrong sizes or colors are shipped to you? You either have to take the time to ship everything back (at your expense), or travel to the store to make an exchange.

Another major factor to consider when shopping online is the “buy now” button. For many online retailers, they store your credit card information after an initial purchase. While convenient, this capability may also present a significant and potential downside. Shopping online makes it very easy to “add to cart” and “proceed to checkout” which for some, can turn out to be addictive.  In the end, people may accumulate truckloads of stuff they don’t truly need – while spending money they don’t really have.

Another very common online “trick” that consumers face is inexpensive purchases that end up costing a lot more. For example, a $10 DVD can end up doubling in price once posting and packing, a transaction fee and a handling fee are added. So despite enjoying the convenience of ordering the movie from your couch, it’s most likely double what you wanted to pay.

Probably one of the most important factors to consider when shopping online is security. Today, consumers are very concerned about privacy and data security, both of which may be compromised after hitting the “Pay” button. And while many companies say that customer credit card details and passwords are not as risk, consumers still feel the need to keep an eye out on their inbox, mainly for dubious looking links. Services like Breakaway client BillGuard are available to help consumers. BillGuard is a free, personal finance security service that alerts consumers to hidden changes, billing errors, scams and fraud on a credit card.

Overall, I think people get caught up in the idea that technology can do everything for you – all while saving time, money and energy. But is that really the case? Are mobile shopping apps really the next big thing? Or are they just an excuse to make us couch-potatoes and take our money?

So I pose the question to you.  Are you willing to skip the crowds and shop from home or are you ready to jump in and shop ‘til you drop?

So, what exactly is Facebook’s end?  According to Zuckerberg, it’s not just a social networking company; it’s a “social mission” that aims to move the human condition forward by connecting people.  Zuckerberg even compares Facebook’s impact on society to that of the printing press – a point that has not been lost on journalists.   In a recent New York Times article, Somini Sengupta and Claire Cain Miller compared Facebook’s professed goals with those of Google -  shedding light on the trend of prominent tech leaders to loudly engrain social responsibility into the DNA of their organization, rather than just making it an afterthought.

It’s important to note that as it stands, Facebook won’t conform to conventional notions of what it means to be a “public company.”  Marc Zuckerberg controls the lion’s share of the company’s voting rights - 57% - and will continue to do so after the company is public.  Under these terms, stock-holders would have a diminished role as stake-holders – they would be financially invested in the company while lacking a significant voice in how the company is run. Industry vets such as Menlo Ventures’ Mark Siegel has even been quoted saying  that the deal Zuckerberg struck is “not common at all.”  The implications of this deal require additional examination – especially from a PR perspective – and Breakaway will be doing just that in a follow-up post.

On a lighter note, Facebook is also affecting the lives of those involved in its beginnings. A graffiti artist who Sean Parker, former Facebook president, commissioned to do murals at the company’s headquarters in 2005 was paid in Facebook stock. When the company goes public, his payout may be close to $200 million.

It is crazy when you think how far Facebook has come. Who would have thought that a project inspired and named after the very traditional college “Face Books” of yesteryear would be the most-ballyhooed tech IPO and maybe even the modern spiritual successor to the printing press?

Living in New York City, I always look for a good bargain or ways to save time. Since groceries are so expensive—and getting around the city is sometimes easier said than done—I need solutions that help me save time while also leaving something in the piggybank. One of the ways I’ve been able to do this is online shopping, which has undoubtedly changed the way consumers – myself included - make purchases.

Shopping online equals an enormous amount of variety! When you shop online, you can shop from retailers in other parts of the country or even the world without being limited by geographic area. These stores offer a far greater selection of colors and sizes than you will find locally – because there is nothing worse than reaching a local shop only to find that the product you need is out of stock.

• Being the savvy shopper that I am, I have come across a couple of sites that have helped me get the most bang for my buck. My favorite includes, CouponCabin, a leading provider for online savings, provides printable and grocery coupons for more than 30 merchants. The site also offers promotional codes and deals to over 2800 online stores that can instantly save you up to 30% or more.
• I also check out various deal aggregator sites, such as Dealnews, ConsumerSearch, FatWallet and Brad’s Deals, that conveniently cut through the clutter of different sites and sales to bring consumers (like me) only the information they’re interested in.  After all, that’s the most important – no one needs a coupon for 30% ski equipment if they live in Hawaii.
• More interested in comparison shopping – Nextag is for you! The company helps find the best value for electronics, home & garden, clothing, and hotels – and tells you when the prices drop.

During the past couple of weeks, I spent a fair amount of time shopping online. While I appreciate the hustle and bustle of department stores, there’s something to be said about spending money, from the comfort of your couch!

But all good things come with a few negatives – stay tuned for my next post which will talk about some of the online shopping hazards.

Breakaway was on the scene with QNX at CES 2012, teaming up with the company to unveil its latest concept car – a snazzy Porsche Carrera – and to give attendees a preview of the company's next-generation automotive software, the QNX CAR 2 application platform.

The QNX CAR 2 application platform provides advanced support for HTML5, enabling automakers to easily create dynamic user interfaces and integrate web technologies into the car. The Porsche offered a rich, in-vehicle experience with personalized navigation, entertainment, and information services. Highlights included smartphone integration with one-touch Bluetooth pairing, tablet-based rear-seat entertainment, a reconfigurable digital instrument cluster, and high-definition hands-free communications.

QNX was the talk of the show, and everyone – from automotive, consumer electronics and business press and analysts – wanted to have their turn in the Porsche.  Top-tier meetings and coverage included Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones, CNET Car Tech, WIRED, National Post and AOL’s Autoblog.

But the icing on the CES cake came when the QNX CAR 2 application platform was awarded the CNET Best of CES Award in the Car Tech category. The official awards of CES honor the crème de la crème of products being unveiled at the show. Though it was streamed live last week, you can watch the full awards ceremony here.

Join us in raising the checkered flag to our client, QNX Software Systems. It was a great week in Vegas, and we’re already counting the days until next year when we return to the Nevada desert.

The folks at Klout just hosted their first #KloutDevNight – a networking/recruiting event. The event was a featured perk for site members who the Klout team deems are influential in areas such as apps, development, technology and social media. My friend Joanna and I were honored to receive invitations, and were excited to attend our first Klout “experience.”

When we walked in the door we were greeted by a counter full of swag and a PBR beeramid  (beer pyramid). We knew we were in for a good time! We headed to the kitchen area, which was a big open space with an enormous counter (covered with sliders), refrigerators full of tasty beverages, folks chatting about tech and social media, and a sound system blasting some classic tunes (we nicknamed the playlist “Best of the Millennium”). It was quintessential San Francisco-startup-warehouse-space that provided the perfect atmosphere for such an event.

We enjoyed meeting new people, a diverse group that ranged from developers to other communications professionals. One of my favorite discussions of the night was with some awesome folks about the growth of Twitter. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I’m a Twitter fanatic and enjoy getting the chance to talk with other tweeters about it. We spoke about how Twitter has evolved into a go-to news source. Any time something happens in the world, we go to Twitter to get the details. Last week, when there was an earthquake in the Bay Area, each one of us went straight to Twitter to validate the event and tweet about it ourselves. We also discussed the differences in tweet styles – there are those folks who just post “I’m sitting on the couch,” those who just constantly RT, and those who use more of an integrated approach – giving links to other content but still providing personality in their tweets. We enjoyed many terrific  discussions on topics as diverse as Klout and Klout scores to music and college. All in all, it was a fabulous night. Many thanks to Klout for hosting such a great event!

When my boss, Barb Hagin, asked me to go with her to Santa Clara to speak to Professor Buford Barr’s public relations class, I was very excited and also a little paranoid. When you do something for so long - like being a student - it’s weird to have the tables turn where everyone is listening to what you have to say, instead of the other way around. Would they take me seriously? Would they care? Could I give good insight into my job and offer advice that they could use? These were all questions swirling in my head before presenting.

On presentation day, my job was to share tips the students could use at their first job, discuss the top 10 things I like about tech PR and Breakaway, and also help to answer any questions they had. Once Barb completed her discussion of what Breakaway Communications does and how the PR industry has evolved, I was up.

Here was my “Top 10 Things I Like about Tech PR” list:

1. Understanding new technologies and seeing the world differently
2. Helping clients succeed – getting press coverage, developing press releases, etc.
3. Contributing to a team and an overall goal
4. The fast moving atmosphere – keeps you busy and focused
5. Interaction with high-level executives at client companies
6. Exposure to new products/announcements before they are released
7. Communications skills translate into any profession
8. Brainstorming, planning and strategizing
9. Exceeding client expectations
10. Delivering a product that you are proud of
    

Overall, being back at Santa Clara as an alumnus and speaker was a success. Although it made me feel pretty old, it also made me happy that I could provide the students with something they could hopefully use when entering the job market that I was so uneasy about entering not too long ago.

Note from Barb Hagin: Joey did a fabulous job providing insight, sharing anecdotes about “real-world” PR, and engaging the class. He also received props from Professor Barr for his terrific performance. As Joey noted, this particular class was very engaged, with most students asking questions throughout the session and several coming to talk with us after class was dismissed. I’ve had the honor of speaking to Professor Barr’s SCU classes for over a decade, and was very impressed by the energy and enthusiasm. We’ll be on the lookout for strong talent in the Class of 2012!

The passing of former Apple CEO and tech visionary Steve Jobs was not entirely a shock for those of us who sadly watched his health steadily declined over the last few years. Yet his death on Wednesday has evoked strong emotions from nearly everyone in the technology industry and beyond. For the Breakaway team, who hold technology very near and dear, Steve Jobs’ death brought out a number of reactions, stories and memories.

“I started my career in NYC, but remember being intrigued and a bit envious by the innovation and excitement coming out of Silicon Valley. There was nothing like it on the east coast, which was dominated by “old school” companies. It seemed mysterious and magical.

I read every book ever written about the early days of the PC, and was fascinated most by Steve Jobs and the story of Apple. Jobs epitomized the creativity and forward-thinking that I equated with the Bay Area. Apple - along with the excitement of other Silicon Valley hotshots back then - was among the reasons I relocated to San Francisco on New Year’s Eve 1992.

Call me crazy. The day after I arrived in the Valley, I spent the day driving around the Apple, Adobe and SGI campuses, hoping, perhaps, that some of their “magic” would rub off on me by proximity.

That magic touched me then, and it still does every day when I use my iPhone, view a Pixar movie or admire any number of truly elegantly designed devices/interfaces – Apple and otherwise – that Steve Jobs clearly inspired. Thank you, Steve.”

       Barb Hagin, San Francisco

“Having worked with the PR team at IBM throughout the 90’s, Bill Gates and Microsoft were the competitors who we were always chasing. When I walked by Gates at COMDEX one year he was surrounded by hoards of fans; that cult-following later shifted to Jobs, who at the time was completely off our radar. His technology was technology-light if you will – simpler, less powerful little computers that had a cute interface but were not about serious B2B computing. The Gates vs. Jobs debates always made me feel a little smug. Gates may have been our nemesis but at least our collective camps were backing ‘real’ technology.

Obviously as the next decade unfolded, Jobs really hit his stride as he championed some of the most beautiful technology ever created.  Every one of our clients – nearly all B2B companies – all want to emulate Steve Jobs in some sense. They don’t care that Apple is all about the consumer market. His entrepreneurship, marketing finesse and industry-changing ideas are the incredibly high standard that clients aspire to reach. He should have lived for another 30 years. Think what more he might have done.  Differently.”

    Kelly Fitzgerald, New York

“At last count, I have had three iPods, four iPhones, two MacBooks, one iMac, one AppleTV, one AirPort and one iPad. I suppose one could say I am a bit of an Apple fangirl. Apple won me over long ago, with products that were simple, beautiful, easy to use and effective. I have Steve to thank for all of that. Everything he ever did embodied his lifelong mantras: Good isn’t good enough. Be different. Find your passion. Brilliant lessons for us all . . .”

       Patty Oien, San Francisco

“What can you say about Steve Jobs that hasn’t already been said? I was truly sad when I heard the news, and since then I’ve been at a loss of words, and have turned to the experts to help find the words that I couldn’t find.  Some of the best things I read came from David Pogue who noted that he pushed us out of our comfort zone into something much more intuitive and innovative, the timeline of his staggering accomplishments in CNET , and the tribute on Wired.com including this amazing piece from Steven Levy.  But the best came straight from Steve himself.  Steve Jobs gave an amazing, heartfelt and touching commencement speech at Stanford University in June 2005 that is something that must be watched.  He changed the way we think about technology, media and so much more. He was a visionary and innovator. And he will be greatly, greatly missed.”

   Alicia Mickelsen, New York

“I’m a PC girl through and through.  But that’s irrelevant when it comes to the immense admiration I have for the genius who was Steve Jobs. It’s very rare that we come across such an engaging “geek” – one who can break through the awkwardness of say, Mark Zuckerberg, and turn users into personal fans and those fans into loyalists. It’s his charisma and no BS-type attitude, combined with such a true passion for innovation, (and as Charlie would say a desire for ‘winning!!’) that made him someone I will always remember, admire and look to for inspiration through his past work.  He’s a legend, an unforgettable legend, and no matter if you’re a ‘PC’ or a ‘Mac,’ we’ll all miss him dearly.”

    Tracey Sheehy, New York

How do you sum up the loss of someone who truly was face of technology? For many, many years I have admired the stellar work that Steve put into his products.  He was passionate, a fighter through and through, and impacted lives well beyond the Silicon Valley.

New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said it best, “America has lost a genius who will be remembered with Edison [the inventor of the light bulb] and Einstein, and whose ideas will shape the world for generations to come.”

I am truly honored to say that I lived in the Steve Jobs era and know that 30 years from now his legacy will still be going strong. Thank you Steve for bringing out the geek in all of us.

   Devan Gillick, San Francisco

“The first computer I ever touched was an Apple – it was 1990, it was HUGE, and my dad was super proud to be one of the first people to have a personal computer in the neighborhood. It didn’t look or operate anything like the Apple computers of today, and I think that’s the beauty of Steve Jobs and how he’s transformed modern computing. As a tech junkie and tech PR gal, Steve is responsible for a lot of the innovations that have helped to make technology as cool and addictive as I think it is. He’s been more than an inventor for our generation – he’s been an innovator who proved that you don’t need a college degree to achieve success if you have passion for your ideas and enough faith in yourself.  Thank you for everything you’ve done for advancing technology. And thanks for my white iPhone – it’s beautiful, inside and out.”

    Meghan Attreed, New York

“There are billions of people who live and die on earth, yet there are but a small few who touch the lives of so many in some way.  Steve Jobs entered that elite group long ago with the advent of Apple. It was not just that he invented things no one had seen before, or brought technology to the average layman. It was that his-do or-die creative spark captured the imagination of anyone he came into contact with, directly or indirectly.

I never met Steve Jobs, but yet I knew him. His original Macintosh was my first computer, and his name and products (iPod, Macbook, iPad) crossed my screen every day.  As a PR person, I cursed his company regularly for taking the spotlight away from my client’s news and at the same time I praised him daily for the inventions that brought so many cool gadgets into my everyday life and helped me (and the tech industry) change the way I think about tech. It is sad see such a visionary pass, but I know his legacy will continue in all of us for decades to come.” 

    Stacey Paris-Bechtel, New York

“I will always admire Steve Jobs for his contributions to the music industry. As I grew older and portable music technology progressed from Walkman, to Discman, to iPod, Steve really disrupted the industry by providing a digital storefront for our music. Steve said it best in an interview discussing the iTunes Music Store with Fortune in 2003: “It will go down in history as a turning point for the music industry. This is landmark stuff. I can’t overestimate it.” He was a remarkable human being. Looking back at everything he and his team at Apple accomplished, it’s truly inspiring. Reading back through his various interviews and watching his TED talk and Stanford Commencement Speech, I can only hope to one day be even a fraction as inspiring to a handful of people, as he was to the world.”

“There is no reason not to follow your heart…Stay hungry. Stay foolish” – Steve Jobs, 2005

   Stephanie Depa, San Francisco

“Steve Jobs was a technological genius, a great businessman, and an inspiration to many. Even if you don’t like or use Apple products, the reason we have alternative devices is because of his great innovations. Who’s to say there would be Droid without the iPhone? Or a Galaxy without the iPad? As with all products, Steve’s creations spawned many competitors and created a market that encompasses most of our lives. In reading the many articles about him in the last couple of days, the thing that struck me most was how much he loved what he did.

I think this quote can resonate with anyone: “And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

    Joey Telucci, San Francisco

Steve Jobs has impacted all of us in some way, and his legacy will not soon be forgotten. Thank you, Steve for your vision and passion.  Thank you for overly-hyped up press conferences, for making black turtlenecks and jeans a good look and for teaching companies around the world - and across the spectrum - how it’s done. (Except for that whole “losing prototypes in the bar” thing…that was a little embarrassing, right?)

Rest in peace Steve Jobs…

The engagement between the Prince and future Princess resulted in a media firestorm that captured the attention of the British, Americans and the rest of the world. At the time of Prince Charles’ and Princess Diana's wedding there was extensive media coverage consisting of front-page tabloid reports and even a live television broadcast of the wedding ceremony itself -and that enormous 25-foot train – but it was nothing compared of what was to come. The media attention for this year’s royal wedding was exponentially greater. This was undoubtedly due to advanced technology and social media’s invitation to the wedding.  Yahoo! created a special blog that tracked royal wedding news since February, and all international news associations, like CNN and MSNBC, had front page coverage on their websites. And clearly, the biggest technological advancement since the wedding of Charles and Diana was the emergence of the Internet as the primary media source.  Hundreds of millions of viewers watched the festivities over the Internet as opposed to traditional television.

The wedding couldn't be deemed “The Wedding of the Century” without mentioning the impact of social media, smartphones and tablets – which all received an invite to this year’s wedding ceremony.  As mentioned above, the Internet was a primary source for watching the ceremony, and with the advent of 4G technology and video-capable smartphones, millions of people were able to catch the ceremony on-the-go. Social media, specifically, had a major impact in building the hype of William and Kate’s wedding. A Facebook page was set up by the British monarchy honoring the couple, and the hashtag "#RoyalWedding" was promoted to a trending topic on Twitter. If that doesn't convince you of the impact technology made on The Royal Wedding 2.0 festivities, I don't know what will!

In the end, social media and various other technological invitees from the 21st century helped make the wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton the most talked about - and tweeted about - event in history. 

I read reports from CNET, TechCrunch and GigaOm, that gave me low expectations for Google Music. However, I was pleasantly surprised as I began playing around with it. The process for uploading music, albeit slow, is very easy, and Google Music even offers FREE MUSIC to start your cloud! What a great way to discover some new artists and be reunited with some old (like New Kids on the Block, “The Right Stuff,” no joke). It is definitely nice to be able to access my music from any computer and up to eight other Android devices!

One thing that I didn’t think about when first drooling over Google Music was the time it would take for my 29GB of music to upload to the cloud…I mean, days, really!? And every time I purchase new music, I have to remember to upload it to my cloud. These are minor annoyances, I realize, but when companies are offering similar services, it’s the minor details that lead consumers to choose one over the other. As such, this had me anxious for Apple to announce its answer to cloud music service – which was announced at WWDC.

Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed as Apple did not lead me to the Holy Grail, even going so far as to eventually charge $25 a year subscription fee for iTunes Match, the service that allows you to upload your music not purchased from iTunes. Don’t get me wrong – I pay for my music; I buy my music on iTunes and Amazon and I upgraded my Pandora account to a premium $36 a year subscription – but here’s the thing: I purchased this music once already (a lot of it in CD form), so I don’t think Apple should charge me again to listen to it, just because I didn’t buy it from them. I think it’s great that Apple has found a way to help the record industry reclaim some money from illegal downloads by signing licensing agreements with the top four labels, because as we all know the music industry has seen a huge decline in recent years and would be eternally grateful to start turning a profit from its product again.

But is the cloud the White Knight the music industry has been waiting for? In short, it may be too soon to say. In the end, the cloud will benefit the consumers, not the industry. Music lovers are greedy. We want access to our music and we want it now – MTV first empowered our Veruca Salt mentality in the 80s, encouraging us to shout from the rooftops that “I WANT MY MTV!”  Well, now we want our MP3s. I don’t think the number of people who will subscribe to a cloud music service will make a significant drop in the bucket for the industry. But for now, as I walk around the city, ear buds in, I love being able to finally access my music – anytime, anywhere – from the cloud.  And of course, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this guy puts out some new material soon so I can add his songs to my music catalog.

PS – Check out the screenshots below!

 Google Music Genre View

Google Music Playlist View

I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and lived there until I was 18 and entered college. I have always been drawn to New York City from my previous trips here, and I knew that when I had to choose between staying home and heading East, there was really no debate. So I ended up choosing Seton Hall for school, and I am now finishing up my junior year studying marketing. My time on the East Coast has been one great adventure as I have had the opportunity to do so many interesting things. Some of my favorites were attending baseball games at Yankee Stadium, going to concerts in Brooklyn, and hiking on the Appalachian Trail. I also recently had the opportunity to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea, for a semester. While there I studied the Korean language, met students from all over the world, and was able to travel around China for a few weeks.

As for my particular interest in technology, I would have to admit that this sector is a bit of an obsession. I have been enthralled with technology from a young age when I destroyed countless household appliances trying to see what was inside of them. This passion continues today as I focus on technology in my marketing studies. And now, with a job that requires me to stay up-to-date on tech news and allows me the opportunity to meet with companies that are on the forefront of technological change, I am in heaven! The environment is incredibly exciting and I look forward to my next day at the office in a way I never have before.

This is my first blog post at Breakaway, and I hope to keep you updated on all I learn and all the fun and exciting things we do this summer.

[itvt] and Breakaway – which is the conference’s exclusive media relations partner - announced the first “Breakaway Video Contest,” challenging conference attendees—and anyone else interested in participating—to provide short video clips interpreting/answering the question: “What is Interactive TV?”

All you need to do is provide us with a video clip – no longer than one minute – that displays your view on interactivity.  We’re looking for you to “breakaway” and show us your unique viewpoint and creativity. High production values are not necessarily key to winning – simply “wow” us with your creativity. Entries will be judged based on their ability to effectively express the concept of interactivity. While entries do not need to be “interactive” in the literal sense, bonus points will be added to those who choose true interactive approaches. Otherwise, basic linear videos are absolutely accepted and encouraged. 

A panel of industry luminaries will select the most creative and thought-provoking videos as finalists, and these videos will be screened during TVOT 2011. The Grand Prize winner—who will be awarded an iPad 2, 2 tickets to TVOT 2011, and a full-blown public relations campaign—will be announced during TVOT on May 18.

Click here for additional rules and regulations.

If you look back in time, 2004 was the year of the political blogging revolution.  I had a solid half-dozen political bloggers on my daily must-read list throughout the election season.  Who didn’t read Ana Marie Cox of Wonkette?  Hilarious. For those of you who were either asleep or twelve at that time, the New York Times has a great article here that effectively describes the changing media landscape during that election.

And cut to four years later: the 2008 election year was most interesting from a communications perspective for Barack Obama’s use of social media. I wasn’t surprised in the least when I learned that that the Obama for America campaign took home two top prizes at the Cannes Lion International Advertising Awards in 2009, in part because of the campaign’s use of Twitter. It was a pretty bold – and smart – move for the campaign, as Twitter was just starting to take off. 

The 2012 election is going to be even more interesting to watch. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube will, no doubt, play a key role in organizing supporters and getting the message out. Will geo-location services like FourSquare and Faceboook Places be the talked about technology applications of the day? Will the election drive paid subscriptions for the New York Times, and perhaps various political blogs as well? I guess we’ll all find out over the next 19 months, stay tuned.

• The Verizon iPhone 4 will not be compatible with Verizon’s acclaimed 4G LTE network
• Verizon iPhones will not be able to activate data during phone calls. Yes, that’s right -  no texting, checking movie times, or browsing Facebook while you’ve got your boring friend on speaker
• And finally, with Verizon’s CDMA technology, using your phone abroad won’t be as easy as popping in a different Sim card

Regardless of these major differences and limitations between the Verizon and AT&T iPhone, I’m still intrigued. I’ve waited patiently for this for last three plus years and because of that, I have to give it a thorough analysis.

I know in the end, my decision to purchase the iPhone won’t matter, as it’s believed that Verizon could expect anything from nine to twelve million iPhone users to join its network. But it’s still something to think about.

So, to buy or not to buy? To switch or not to switch – that is the question.

Luckily for me, Breakaway IS a global agency, with offices in New York, San Francisco and London, and global agency partners in nearly every other geography you can think of.  As I said, this is great for business.  When current clients or prospects come to us wanting to expand into a new market or simply step up PR in a specific region, we’re able to meet their needs and create new opportunities for the agency, as well.  By extension this makes it easier for our clients to expand their PR presence, without the hassle of having to look for an unaffiliated agency in a particular region. By leveraging our network, they know that they’ll get integrated, strategic global service regardless of where they might need it.  

So while our presence around the world is strategic for our business, it’s also a pretty good bonus for me and the other Breakaway-ians.  I was hired here in our New York office, but from day one I’ve been excited about our San Francisco office.  Now as I said, I love to travel.  I’ve been to Paris and Dublin – but oddly, never to California.  That was, until late last month…Having worked closely for several months now with some of the great folks in our San Francisco office (and in an effort to avoid yet another snow and ice storm here on the East Coast), I requested to work out of the West Coast office for a few days.  While I was out there I was able to do some wine tasting in Sonoma as well as check out the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf. In all, it was a great experience.  And while many folks might have to take several days off of work to have the kind of adventure I had, a simple half-day for a flight was all I had to take to enjoy five great days in a new city in our office across the country.

Having a Breakaway presence around the globe is great for our clients’ businesses and ours.  And it certainly doesn’t hurt our leisure travel either!  Be sure to check out some of my pictures from my trip on the Breakaway Facebook page.

After a long evaluation, I decided to stick to web content and only pick my top three.  Let me know what you think.  Are these sites you visit, or ones you avoid?  I’d love your thoughts – because, obviously, I’m always looking for more. :)

• Perez Hilton – For those of you who read this site, you must admit that since Perez recently decided to no longer criticize people, you can obtain much more “real” info here (albeit, you’re missing out on the laughs).  Not only do I hear about Justin Bieber dating Selena Gomez – which is quite helpful when I’m watching my tween cousins – but I’ve also read about state legislation, the terrible Tucson situation and even Starbucks kicking off a pilot program for customers to pay with their mobile phones.  It’s not all gossip all the time – I promise!
• MediaMemo – If there is one tech blogger who can always bring a smile to my face, it is Peter Kafka hands down.  His sarcasm and wit coupled with intellect and simple common sense make reading about Hulu’s latest copyright issue, Larry Page’s promotion or even the ever-confusing NBCU/Comcast deal seem like you’re reading a coffee table book.  It’s digestible, refreshing and informative.  Simply put, it’s my go-to in Google Reader
• Newser – There are times throughout the day that I don’t have ten minutes to stop and read a full article.  This is when Newser comes in handy.  Here I can read about anything from Sarah Palin’s latest snafu to the Australian floods to Gordon Ramsey’s last freak out in about five sentences or less.   To top it off, there’s often a funny line found in each.  It’s news on the run, with a smile.  Perfect.

Now that I’m done writing about where I read – I’m off to visit their sites.  Wish me luck!

Looking forward to hearing about your “go-tos!”

Tablet Takeover – CES has come and gone and it has officially made me look at tablets in a whole new way…Before CES even began publications were flooded with all things tablet. Last year the unofficial theme of CES was 3D. This year, it was definitely tablets, with some analysts predicting more than 100 would be announced. How many will actually survive to be adopted in the enterprise and by consumers? My guess is just a few. There is such an obsession with all-things-Apple right now that the newbies are definitely going to need something standout to compete – (see faster, impressive OS, more durable, etc).

ViPhone – Well folks, the wait is finally over. The worst kept secret in tech has officially been confirmed…Verizon is getting the iPhone. Take a minute to let your shock subside…now, I know that everyone is chomping at the bit to get an iPhone on Verizon ASAP, but if you ask me, you’re better off waiting. Besides the fact that the antenna has been redesigned (see: death grip) and that the phone will work on a CDMA network, it’s still the iPhone 4, and that’s old technology folks. Apple will likely announce a new iPhone at the Worldwide Developer’s Conference in June. Do you really want to be behind on the times right out the gate? As for me, my Verizon upgrade doesn’t kick in for about a year, but the way I see it, by then they will probably (hopefully) have an LTE-capable iPhone.

Twitter – Like any good Gen-Y’er I get most of my news these days from Twitter. Seriously, #ilovetwitter. If I could sum up everything in my life with hashtags the way I do my tweets, I would be a very happy (not to mention highly efficient) person. I love the way my Twitter feed keeps me updated on my friends (#college), world news (#Wikileaks), tech news (#VerizoniPhone) and music news (#kanyewest) all in one place! While the majority of my tweets are “I’m listening to…” from the Pandora website, I love retweeting news I find interesting and joining chats and trends with hashtags. Twitter has definitely won my love and is my personal favorite social network – take that Mark Zuckerberg!

#done
Stephannie