2009: A look at looks

As we wrap up 2009, here's a fun look at my show: TopTenREPORTS. It's basically a look at my hair. So feel free to give me your feedback. Which outfits, hair etc you liked or didn't like. :)

My Take on the Kindle DX and Other eBook Readers

I had it the Kindle DX in the office a couple of days ago to look over and its pretty sweet. I really liked the product but the price tag is what will stop many of us from purchasing right away (especially my friends still in college rt?). I admit, I really liked using it but ouch the price ($489.00) is just a little out of reach for some.

I attached my video review of the DX at the bottom so you can get a real look at it. Overall though, I think most of us would like it, especially those of us who had to make that hike up to BYU every day –ugh. If we only had the Kindle-it would have saved our backs from feeling sore so many times from a heavy backpack filled with books.

I do think that eventually eBook readers like the Kindle DX will take the place of text books. However, I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon. For those of you who don’t know what an eBook reader is, it’s a device that holds at least 1,500 books, magazines, newspapers and so on.

I read an interesting report from The Democratic Leadership Council regarding the Kindle. The report went into why we need to transition from heavy, sometimes out-dated textbooks to Amazon’s Kindle. The report gave many reasons to do this: eBook readers are relatively easy and cheap to update. Plus there are many health and environmental reasons as well. I encourage you to read A Kindle in Every Backpack –it may become the stepping stone to having an eBook reader instead of textbooks.

Eclipse: Fresh and Cool-Really?

I know another gum review but I can't help it-their so fun to do! I swear I'll write a real blog post soon. As for now-you can know if I really like this gum...

The Fresh and Cool Gum by Eclipse was very good when the taste first reached my palate.
I could smell and taste the gum before I even chewed into it (which was a good thing because a sometime “inconvenient” coworker tried to intervene my trying the gum).

The reason that I only gave this gum a 3.9 out of 5 was because I’ve been chewing it for at least twenty minutes and I’m ready to spit it out. So is it just another mint flavored gum? This is an average mint gum but if you expect a mild taste-think again.

It’s very powerful-it cleared my sinuses right up. I have to admit I’ve now spit out the gum and the mintyness still resonates in my mouth which is a good sign for those of us who like strongly flavored gum that lasts even after you’ve spit it out. In that regard it does live up to its name Fresh and Cool.

So this gum is great if you’re going out in a date. You’ll have fresh breath long after you spit out the gum. This is also great for when you eat at your favorite Italian restaurant. You want to eat that delicious garlic bread and not feel guilty about making your friends pass out afterwards- chew this gum.

But I have to say this gum isn’t nearly as savory as some. It just doesn’t stick out in my mind as a great flavored gum but it still does the job-if the job is giving you great breath and not a great mouth watering - chewing experience.

Mango Smoothie Downs the Competition

So some friends at work and I try out new gum all the time and then have to rate them. We try to be unique and this review I thought was really great about Extra's Mango Smoothie:

"The Wrigley’s Extra Fruit Sensations Mango Smoothie Gum really does have it all. Fruity gum isn’t usually my typical choice when running down the super market aisle. However, when I was given a piece of this Mango Smoothie by the wonderful Mr. Zabel I was pleasantly surprised. The minute you open up the package, the mango-strawberry aroma rises up pleasantly to my olfactory senses. The gum chewing experience got even better as I popped it into my mouth. Hmmmm. It was Gum Heaven!

Since the gum makers began to create fruity flavors beyond the typical spearmint, bubble gum, hot, and peppermint flavors I haven’t really branched out. Fruity to me is well fruity. But this Mango Smoothie Gum really does have it all. I give it a 5/5 rating. It’s beyond delicious it’s heavenly. The flavor lasted for a long time and the gum didn’t lose its form after chewing it for a long time.

If you’re looking for a smooth, relaxing bit of heaven for your mouth-try Mango Smoothie Extra Fruit Sensations Gum."

Pretty Funny. What's your favorite flavor of gum?

Softball Funnies and Lame Umpires

Our company has a softball team and I along with another co-worker are the el capitans. It’s so funny being on a work team. We’re not the best but we’re not the worst team in the league, but every game has offered some sort of hilarious act.

One of our first games, we had one of the more petite women I work with out in center field. It was a terrible game we were losing 30 min into the game by twenty. It was bad (r u rethink the whole “we’re not the best, but we’re not the worst statement now?).

Anyways- the other team hit a great beautiful pop fly right to this petite coworker. I was thinking this would be great because then we’d finally have 3 outs with her catch. She puts her mit up-ready to catch it and THUD! The ball bounced off her glove and hit her square in the forehead.

Running through me head were these thoughts: Dang it-now we have to keep playing in this crappy inning (first thought); Oh crap is she OK???? (2nd thought-is that bad that I first think of winning?-just goes to show how competitive I am and that I hate to lose!)

I’m playing second base, so I start running towards her when I hear the ump yelling “That’s Game.” What?-we’re in the middle of a play. Everyone on the field is confused-we want to see if she’s ok but we still need to finish the play. No one understood why he called the game. The ball was still in play, and the man who hit the ball was still running around the bases. Everyone is confused but basically the ump decided that our injured player was enough to call the game in the middle of a play and decided then and there to in-act the slaughter rule (I told you the score was definitely not in our favor).

So this poor co-worker is dazed, running around looking for the ball as she tries not to cry still in an effort to help the team get an out. But the dumb ump called the game-but heck she can’t hear him out in the outfield-plus she just got knocked in the head-I mean jeez ump give us a break!

It’s was so funny. The poor co-worker had a huge goose bump on her head and got a black eye from it. I have no doubt that this hilarious softball moment will be talked about for a long time at work.

California Vacation

There is nothing better than a vacation is there? I recently went to Southern California with family. It was our last hurrah before my brother Jay leaves for Fortelaza, Brazil. We did the typical trip of visiting all the theme parks and spending a day at Newport Beach. There is just something about California that I love. I hope that in the next 10 years I find my way there. I would love to live there and experience the California living.

We like to pose...My mom wanted this to be the best picture. I think we talked about what we would do for a half an hour. She wanted it to be perfect.
Nothing better than spending a day at the happiest place on earth.
I've been to Sea World a lot in the past 2 years. I made everyone do this park in 1/2 a day. You can only look at Penquins for so long...But of course the whales get all the attention anyway.
I love Lucy! It was great to see my idol as not my idol but hey I can't help it. My fav episode is when they eat all the chocolate in the factory. LOL
3D Glasses-so sexy right?

F is For Foust. Its one of the best letters in the alphabet.
I only got this pic because a coworker of mine likes him. He kinda smelled funny-not the coworker but Beetle Juice. Anyways it was a fun vaca and it was great to get out of town for a week.

Remembering BYU

It’s been just over a year since I graduated from BYU. I wish I was still there. So to commemorate my time at BYU, I’ve made a list of just some the good times that I had during my four years of living in Provo, Utah.

Tennis Games-Made a lot of friends playing tennis with Squires. Did I mention we are women’s doubles intramural champions?

Nicmo Prank: Sophomore year. Boys wanting + Girls with water balloons at Kiwanis Park=Getting chased around Provo at 3 a.m….great prank.

True Blue Football: There is nothing better than rolling around in blue foam commemorating Homecoming Week.

Hiking the Y: I hiked the Y several times. I’ve done it in the middle of the night and in the middle of the day. Great hike to show you’re a real cougar.

Liberty Square Polar Bear: Ok we made this up when I lived there. Here’s how it works: Make snow angels outside in the well you know snow, and then run and jump into the pool (it’s in an icky bubble thing). We were frozen but the video we have from this is excellent.

Shaving Cream War: Let’s just say spectacular time.

Reporting Live From BYU: Reporting, anchoring, weather, executive producing was a blast. Living in the Brimhall building while working on stories from that lady who won prizes on Price is Right wearing a BYU shirt, to a dog that saved its family, to how firefighters save lives, and of course Miley Cyrus coming to Stadium of Fire.

Tuna/Cat Food Prank: 40 cans of tuna and cat food +FHE bro’s weren’t home + we had a key to their apt. Their apt stank so bad! This started a semester long prank war.

Park City Concerts: Nothing better than going to a concert in the middle of winter outside and drinking hot chocolate in the greatest ski city in the US.

Campouts: Gosh too many memories of these even to start listing. Bonfires, waking up at 4 a.m. to hike, rafting the Colorado River, and playing games in the tent are priceless.

Squaw Peak: Need I say more?

Utah Lake: Holds many memories from having fires on the beach to making Jen paddle me everywhere in our canoe on the lake.

Floating the Provo River: I swear no matter what time of year you go the river is always freezing. Fav memory from doing this is when Mark went under the bridge-a current took him under and ripped all of his clothing and popped his tube. He was so not happy. Ok one more for this-we took Megan’s truck up and we tried to put 5 tubes in the back. Obviously we can’t pack very well because the tubes kept flying out.

There are so many more but these are what comes to mind right now. Everyone should live in Provo for some serious good ole fashion BYU fun!

Purple Snot

I went to Holi: The Festival of Colors again this year in American Fork. There is something to be said for getting dirty... You start throwing the chalk after they symbolically burn a women (manekin) at the stake to somehow celebrate the coming of Spring.

Once everyone starts throwing the chalk, you can hardly breathe in the huge crowd. I think I had purple snot for over a week-I know your thinking gross but seriously who doesn't love snot that isn't green right?!

Mike and I. Ok seriously I couldn't get this stuff out of my clothes, nose, or hair.

Me and my bf Katie. See that pink on my scalp...ok it never came out. Its like once I tried to wash my hair, the pink decided to stick instead of wash out. I tried everything from washing my hair in baking soda amongst other things. Finally I was desperate so I called my friend Holly for an immediate hair session. Thankfully, I am now blonde again-but it was touch and go there for a while.
Pure Pandemonium and Pure Joy at Holi. We chanted Hara Krishna, Hara Krishna-oh the joy of celebrating other cultures. I love it.

The Weekend Warrior

As I’m winding up this work week I can’t help but think about the weekend that is fast approaching. We may all love our jobs-however there is something to be said for enjoying the weekend.

I am a weekend warrior. I’m a typical person who according to Wikipedia does recreational activities like skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and swimming solely on the weekends since I work Monday through Friday. So from now on expect weekend updates because I seriously believe that you should have at least one fun activity in your week or else you’re very boring and need to get a hobby.

So this weekend it’s skiing (uh in between conferences of course-guilty laugh hehehe). But really I am going to the morning session so don’t worry I’m legit. So in between doing my taxes (ya the deadline is fast approaching) watching conference, and skiing-I think I’ll have a very fulfilling weekend. Hopefully I won’t get any injuries but instead am wishing for a sweet goggle sunburn/tan-I love those. Although I don’t think it would look very good on cam but eh whatev that’s why some dude created makeup.

Oh and here is my plug for General Conference: Watch it! You’ll totally learn at least one thing (if not many) by the time it’s over.

TopTenREPORTS March 27th

Need I Say More?

Facebook App That Knows What You Look Like

There are about one billion pictures uploaded to Facebook each month. With this staggering amount of photos people put on the web, it’s hard to keep up. There might be pictures lingering out in the Facebook world of you that you don’t even know about. But how do you find these pictures?

The answer: Photo Finder by Face.com. It’s a Facebook application that became available Tuesday (to some) that can find those unknown pictures of you or your friends. Photo Finder uses photo recognition technology that may even be smarter than the technology your favorite TV detective uses. It’s able to recognize faces even if they’re not head on. So even if the picture has bad lighting or is blurry - Photo Finder should be able to figure out who is in the picture.

Once Photo Finder recognizes the faces of your friends it will automatically tag them for you. The app also lets you have face galleries. This is the feature that allows you to find unknown or lost photos of yourself by searching your friend’s galleries.

I’m looking forward to using this app but unfortunately Face.com only released it to a few people Tuesday because it’s in Alpha mode. I tried to sign up for it the minute I heard about it, but their limit was already full. :( It should be available to the public later this year, but for now you can register for the waiting list.

I'm Addicted to Sudoku

Hi my name is Jessica and I am addicted to Sudoku. It’s crazy I know, but it’s true.
I was first introduced to Sudoku in college. It came in the Daily Universe (BYU’s newspaper). I would see my friends and other students rip the Sudoku section out of the paper and play it in class-secretively of course. I never knew what it was until a guy I worked with at BYU’s Lost and Found taught me how to play. I can’t say I was hooked right away…but before long I too was playing secretly in the back of class.
Now while I eat my breakfast (most important meal of the day!) I play Sudoku. I wish I could say that every morning while I eat breakfast I read the Deseret News (local newspaper) all the way through. But I can’t-I glance at the headlines, knowing that I’ll read more news at work. So I go immediately to the section with Sudoku. While I’m eating my bowl of Trail Mix, I search for the right number in the right box.
I seriously play Sudoku every day. On Monday, it’s an easy one, but it progressively gets harder as the week goes on. By Sunday it takes me about 30 minutes to an hour to finish just one Sudoku puzzle. Some may think it’s a waste of time, while others think that it’s a great way to get your brain working. I’m agreeing with the last because I need to tell myself I’m making myself smarter by playing Sudoku every morning.
For those of you who were like me, and don’t know what Sudoku is-you should download the Sudoku app for the iPhone. Then you can become addicted like me! I work at TopTenREVIEWS so of course I have a video on the app-check it out:

TopTenREPORTS March 11th Episode

In this episode of TopTenREPORTS, I discuss how Barnes and Noble have entered the eBook market, watch NBC content on your PS3, and a new teacher in Japan that's creating quite a stir. Watch it and let me know what you think!

My New Webcast

At work, we’ve just launched a new webcast called TopTenREPORTS. It’s a tech news show without all the nonsense. It delivers the technology news you need/want. You can find TopTenREPORTS, and thus me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on toptenreviews.com or as a video podcast in iTunes.

We’re still trying to figure out some of the basics of the show, but here’s this episode for March 4, 2009. It covers everything from friends of a lost snowboarder using Twitter to try and find him, to rumors that Microsoft will stop using its Live Search. TopTenREPORTS Webcast

Give me all the comments and feedback you have. If you don’t know what some things we talk about are (like Twitter), email me and I’ll fill you in the best I can!

Snow

It’s been snowing all day here in Utah. I woke up to snow and it just hasn’t stopped. I love to ski, but even then I’m getting sick of driving to and from work in the snow. Not to mention that the traffic is terrible when it snows. But the snow amongst other things has made me contemplate the wonder that is snow.

I love how quiet everything around me is when it snows. Whether you’re walking outside your house, or in the woods, snow makes the world quiet. Many stay home and wait out the weather, which is one reason the world grows quiet during a snow storm. Either way, the storm blankets the earth with a white, cold dust. After a storm, the snow dusted mountains here in Utah look amazing against the bright blue sky. It truly is a beautiful sight.

But the snow does not stay that pristine white for long. After a few days, people and animals alike trample through the snow, making it a dirty slush. I’ve been thinking about this fact all day. Much of the snow that falls does not stay white for long. So how can we stay white as snow and not let others, things, or circumstances make us become unclean? I think this can apply to each of us in all aspects of our lives. It can deal with work ethics, personal ethics, religion, and so much more.

Each of us live our lives to certain guidelines, whether their your own or not. As children we were taught to have manners. As adults we are given a set of guidelines for work and other aspects of our lives. So the question remains: how do we make sure we lead our lives in an untarnished manner?

It’s a personal question and I’ll leave that answer up to you. For me, if anything I would like to make sure my ethics and reputation stay untarnished as white as a fresh snowfall. The obvious answer for me is to never do anything that would create a disturbance to fresh fallen snow. I hope that each of us can come up with ways to make sure our reputations and personal ethics stay as pure as this fresh snowfall I’m getting right now in Utah.

Even Google has a Heart

The wildfires plaguing southeastern Australia have left thousands of people homeless. According to CNN the fires have killed at least 173 people. Even worse, some investigators believe the wildfires were started by arson.

Now Google has stepped in to help in the fight against the fires. Google Maps have created a flash map to help keep track of the blazes. Google Maps have created this to decrease traffic on official emergency service sites. Those of us who are following the fires have essentially clogged the tubes. So out of the goodness of its heart, Google created the flash map to hopefully reduce the traffic burden on those emergency websites.

The fires are being tracked in real time by the State of Victoria’s Country Fire Authority via RSS feed. The numbers on the map show the amount of fires at a location. The colors indicate the current containment status of the fire site. I hope that this map will all soon have green markers everywhere-because that means the fires are safe and not ravaging people’s homes and land. Check out the link to keep track of the Australian Wildfires. http://www.gmodules.com/ig/creator?url=http://mapvisage.appspot.com/fires/vicfiresgadget.xml&synd=open&w=550&h=400&title=Victoria+Fires+Map&border=%23ffffff%7C3px%2C1px+solid+%23999999

Koi Pond

For those of you who own an iPhone or an iPod Touch, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Koi Pond app. I know it sounds ridiculously simple and boring. However, after doing this review months ago, I can’t stop singing Koi Pond’s praises.
Koi Pond is a lifelike simulation app complete with feeding, sounds, and water interaction. Sounds stupid right? I know I thought the same thing when I found out what Koi Pond was. I thought for sure there would be more of a game or something than just putting your finger in some water and playing with fish.
It’s a very simple app, but it does its job very well. Whenever I’m stressed, or just need a break from work-this app is one of the first I turn to. Playing with the fish, even if the “bite” my finger. I shake my device to feed the fish, or just hang out in the pool. So check out Koi Pond-you just might be pleasantly surprised.

Best Movies of All Time?

I know we all have our favorite movies. But the classics remain the same-at least on my works website :) But I do think that a challenge is in order. Can you guess the top ten movies of all time? I bet you can name a few, but how about 10?
I'm sorry but I really don't feel like naming the answers right now. If I'm feeling particularly nice, I might list them tomorrow. In the mean time guess away!

Don’t Run to Sundance Unless You're Star Gazing

It’s Sundance Film Festival time in Park City, Utah. For me, I love going to Park City to walk the classic main street and occasionally see someone really famous. But for those of you who don’t like the cold, there is another option to enjoy Sundance without going to the snowy resort town that is Park City.

If you have access to iTunes, (which I think is safe to say that most of us do) then you have a front row seat to some of the indie woks of the Sundance Film Festival. Apple is allowing you to download up to ten short films for free. What’s the catch you ask? Nothing. The ten film downloads are free during the ten days of the festival. That means you have seven days left to download from today, or until January 25th.


As a snow lover and ski addict, I’ll probably head up to Park City anyways to see some of the films or at least to experience the Sundance atmosphere. If you’re a “star gazer” then you definitely want to head to Park City, instead of watching your fav’s on iTunes. But Kudos to Apple for making the Sundance Film Festival a little easier to experience if traveling to Utah isn’t an option.

Do You Have Brain Power???

Beyond messing up my hair, Mattel Mind Flex uses some interesting technology to have your brain power adjust a floating ball. You can move the ball up and down and through an obstacle course. Sounds a little bizarre? Check it out in action as I give it a try.

Ozaki iUFO Speakers & More

Here's a quick look at a unique speaker set designed for your iPod Touch/iPhone. But lets face it, the fuzzy speaker covers are what really caught my attention. Who wouldn't want a big animal playing their music?????

CES

This was my first experience at the Consumer Electronics Show. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work. Walking all over the Las Vegas Convention Center was a feat in itself. Between the convention center and the Venetian there were 2,700 exhibitors in many different product categories from audio to digital imaging, gaming, home theater, and in-vehicle technology.

We (my coworkers and I) searched the show for the best and most interesting products. I checked out 3D TVs, OLED TVs, software, gaming chairs, to batteries that run on water. It was all very interesting and informative and I got more nerdy the longer I was there. I’ll post the most fun products I saw in the next couple of days. You’ll see me racing a car in a sweet gaming chair that shakes when I crash (that happens a lot-only when I’m gaming of courseJ), to having a piece of equipment wrapped around my head where it uses my “brain power” to move a ball.

I hope you enjoy some of these videos from CES, even if it will take months to years to get our hands on the actual products!

LG Watch Phone

It's one of the most talked about products at CES. The LG watch phone will keep you in the know, even if you look a little nerdy using it. Check out this new product LG is getting ready to launch!

Sweet Headphones at CES!

Sleek Audio offers several options of headgear to compliment your favorite digital music player. I look forward to seeing more from this company. But seriously if you want wireless headphones that block out all noise-these are perfect! I tried them out and couldn't hear a thing the Sleek Audio rep was telling me-it was great.

Kid Zui-Protect Your Kids From Internet Predetors!

Kid Zui is a browser that parents can customize for their children. This provides an easy solution to ensure that your children are viewing safe material when you're not available to supervise. Check out the interview!

Golfer's New Best Friend

Garmin introduces a new product focused on the golfing community. This video explains its hardware and functionality. With golfing maps, resorts, directions, and the like on the device, they've also included a golf club selection based on your position on the course.

Internet Security---protect your children!

Internet Security is always important. InternetSaftey.com takes some time to explain some of the common threats that are out there and what steps they can take to prevent and protect your family from the internet security concerns.

Garmin Edge 705

This is the first of many CES videos we did while in Vegas. If you like to bike, this GPS system is for you!
The EDGE 705 from Team Garmin focuses on the bike traveling friends who might need a map on the go. The EDGE maintains data such as distance traveled, speed, and destination to assist during your travels and training practices for your records. It's flexible to work with other cycling hardware specifically.