Browsing Tag

BlackBerry

How Michelle Obama Motivated Toronto

In university, I rushed to write an essay about Michelle Obama’s image in the media. Fast forward to last night, when Michelle came to Toronto on her book tour and spoke in front of 15,000 fans. The pre-show was a highlight reel of Michelle’s most memorable moments in the media and in the White House. Ellen DeGeneres did something similar at her show in March, without a photo with Queen Elizabeth.

A few minutes before Michelle came onstage at the Scotiabank Arena, a few Canadian stars came out to reflect on their own stories. ELLE Canada’s Editor in Chief Vanessa Craft appeared first and I just met her last week at a fashion industry event. Next, Dan Levy talked about storytelling as an actor. He has appeared on this blog a few times, so that was a fun surprise! The Property Brothers also spoke, but separately.

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Behind the Brand: Fossil

It’s one thing to shop at Fossil and follow them on on Facebook or Twitter.

It’s quite another to learn more about the accessories brand from an insider.

Lori-2

Name: Lori Petteplace

Position: PR & Marketing Manager

Employer: Fossil

Education: Psychology, McMaster University

In 140 characters or less, describe your role at Fossil:

Out-of-box promoting and event planning to increase brand awareness, sales & desire of the brand while crediting 1 of our wholesale partners

How does Fossil foster creativity at the office?

Fossil has their finger on the creative pulse for their employees. We have an open and engaged idea environment, where ‘answers are in the room’ round-table discussions are common. We sincerely and actively pursue placing people in roles that suit their personality, creativity, talents, desires and ambitions.

Fossil works with many brands, but its partnership with Michael Kors seems to be the most well known. Why do you think Michael Kors watches are so highly coveted in particular?

Michael Kors has taken aspirational ‘Jet Set’ lifestyle and presented it to the fashion-conscious individual at attainable price points. Further, he provides a head-to-toe look emphasizing not only his apparel but also his finishing accessories – the statement watch, stacked jewellery, a handbag and footwear.

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iPhone Transition and Recommended Apps

After my last exam of the semester, I took the earliest train to Toronto the next morning, eager to finally pick up a new phone. Though my excitement was interrupted by a transportation-related delay, the shopping experience that followed was unlike any other. I finally got to browse though Yorkdale’s new extension, including Canada’s first Microsoft store, which was great because I’m a PC.

Photo Source: Mashable

Buying a black 16 GB iPhone 5, which’ll be protected by a black OtterBox Defender, was a fantastic way to start my winter break. The case is so mightily thick that my friends have been teasing me about how the phone looks, but having peace of mind makes it worthwhile. During the initial activation of my phone, it was immediately apparent that using it is as intuitive as people say. Once my contacts were transferred from my BlackBerry Tour 9630 (3 years old, with a trackwheel!), I could proudly call myself an iPhone owner.

I’ve had a lot of fun downloading and testing out apps. Here’s a list of 20 apps I recommend, sorted categorically:

Social Networking & Photo: Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Skype

Entertainment & Music: Flixster (w/ Rotten Tomatoes), GetGlue, Cineplex, Shazam, IMDB

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In the News

– Nearly 250,000 Germans have requested that their houses not appear in Google Street View, which “shows that citizens want to decide which data about themselves is published on the internet”, said Peter Schaar, the head of Germany’s data protection watchdog. FULL STORY

– Bell will release the new Blackberry Bold 9780 on Tuesday November 2. T-Mobile will release the phone in the U.S. next month as well.

– Lady Gaga hit 1 billion views for her YouTube video, thus beating Justin Bieber. “We reached one billion views on YouTube little monsters!” she tweeted.

– In addition to adding more disturbing graphics to cigarette packaging, BBC has reported that the government may ban smoking in private cars in the UK. FULL STORY

– About 30 years after losing their son, Myron and Berna Garron have donated $30 million to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto for cancer research. According to The Globe and Mail, their contribution is the largest private gift in North America for pediatric cancer care.

No Apple Care for me. I’m a PC.

School’s back in session, but this blogger’s computer is still in repair!

Here’s what happened in the last few weeks: I turned nineteen, moved back to London, and then downloaded Facebook Mobile, something I said I’d never do. But as someone majoring in media studies and enrolled in a course called ‘The Brief History of Social Networking’, downloading it seemed like the natural thing to do, considering the circumstances. It’ll be the first thing to delete off my phone once I pick up my laptop next week.

Nevertheless, I am still determined to never watch Gossip Girl, no matter how often I overhear my roommate following the lives of Blair and Serena. I’ll admit that I enjoyed reading the series’ prequel, but that’s where I drew the line. I just hope Blake Lively doesn’t lose sight of the genuinely friendly, down-to-earth girl she was when I met her at a movie premiere six years ago.

Despite weekly updates from Rescue Time (which tracks your online habits), my lack of computer access has also emphasized how much time we waste casually browsing the Internet. One minute you’re checking your e-mail, and then suddenly you come across an interesting news article or click a link in someone’s tweet, without acknowledging how time consuming this process becomes. Outside of keeping up with current events courtesy of The Globe and Mail’s mobile app, I’ve also had time to read two fantastic books: plus size model Crystal Renn’s autobiography, Hungry, and The Secret Life of Bees.

I’ve also been listening to new music releases on MuchMusic and MTV and adding to my list of albums and singles to download. You can be sure Brandon Flowers’ Crossfire album is on that list, in addition to Kings of Leon and Goo Goo Dolls. Hopefully they won’t be as disappointing as Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream record. Her latest two singles may be catchy, but the rest of the album was a letdown and not what I was expecting from her follow up to One of the Boys.