Lala Bella The Blogger

She’s an SMU student, she’s a world traveler, she’s an art lover, and now she’s Lala Bella The Blogger

Less than one month ago, international fashion expert turned blogger Isabella Sanchez launched her Lalabellaa Instagram page to document her daily outfits, her style inspirations and her fashion events in her ever-changing Dallas social scene. Today, with more than 25o Instagram followers, the Brazilian-American fashion expert launches the official Lala Bella website!

The lively and interactive webpage exposes the blogger’s unique fashion choices as she travels the Dallas scene-and the rest of the world. As of now, the site only takes us through one of Lala Bella’s international trips (to Mexico), but we should expect that to change very soon.

“Traveling is one of my passions”, the versatile Latin beauty notes, “it’s part of who I am and I just thought it would be interesting for people to see how my fashion sense is inspired by and mixes with the different places I go to. In the end, fashion and travel are a big part of who I am as a person.”

The Lala Bella post to Mexico City covers Sanchez’ visit to La Basilica de Guadalupe (the sanctuary for the Patroness of all Mexicans), her trip to Xochimilco (a boat ride with Mexican food and music), her stay in Polanco (the neighborhood with the internationally acclaimed food) along with her final departing outfit at the airport. Lala Bella’s post-graduation visit back home to Sao Paolo and the beaches of Brazil is next, along with her summer vacation travels.

Lala Bella The Blogger and Lala Bella photographer MJP

Lala Bella The Blogger and Lala Bella photographer MJP

“We try to combine the best of both worlds-the fashion and the travel scene-in the website because in the end they both compliment each other. As we searched for scenic locations for our photo shoots, we came to the conclusion that the background and the scene is as much a part of the outfit as the outfit pieces themselves”, the Lala Bella co-founder and photographer, MariaJose Padgett, explains.

You can expect to see very different sides of Dallas featured in the website-from the popular Uptown spots to the not-so-well-known Downtown sites along with Highland Park locations and the Dallas Art District scene. Visit www.lalabella.me and be a part of the Lala Bella experience!

Mobile Payment Becomes the Newest Trend in the Fast-food Industry

Burger King and Wendy’s  Introduce  Mobile Payment Apps 

Having the ability to pay for things via smartphone has become a somewhat common phenomenon.  However, in recent weeks fast-food restaurants have been jumping at this trend.  Burger King and Wendy’s, popular fast-food chains, have recently announced plans for mobile payment of fast food via smartphone. Continue reading

Anti-Social-Network Apps

Ever feel ANTI-social-network? Need to get some work done, but can’t stop checking Facebook? No need to smash your phone Bourne Identity style. Forget having to spend hours deactivating your numerous online profiles. These new apps are leading the way in the anti-social-network movement. Give yourself all the tools you need. Feel like you’ve jumped back to the pre-internet era!

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Meet The Latest in Anti-Social Media named Cloak

The Cloak App : The Newest Way to Avoid Your Friends and Frenemies

We’ve all had those days. The days you leave your house and, for whatever reason, you don’t want to see anyone you know. You don’t want to see your best friend, significant other, and especially not someone you kind of, sort of know or met a couple times. Well, now theres an app for that and it’s name is Cloak.

Cloak uses geo-location technology to help you avoid your friends.

Cloak uses geo-location technology to help you avoid your friends.

The latest IOS-app on the market uses geo-locaiton technology to track Cloak, a new IOS App operates using geo-location technology to track your friends so you can avoid them. Culling information from apps like Instagram and Foursquare, this app will tell you where your friends, enemies and frenemies are so you can avoid them.

The latest in the burgeoning anti-social media trend, Cloak allows those who would like to keep their life more private the chance to remain relatively anonymous. In an age where everyone publicizes their meals, drinks, social calendar and whereabouts, Cloak is a nice change of pace.

As good as the cloak app is in helping you avoid your friends, it is equally as good at helping you find them. Cue the stalkers. When we instagram, or check in on Foursquare we are virtually opening ourselves up to visitors and attention (wanted or otherwise). With Cloak, our friends, ex’s and even acquaintances have access to our exact location. Scary? Maybe a little bit. Although it is now the norm to post pictures and statuses with geo-tags, Cloak takes it one step further.

So, avoiding friends and becoming a stalker now comes in a tiny green package. Can it be used for good? of course. Will some people take it to a new level of creepy? most definitely.

For more information on the app visit: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/cloak-app-helps-avoid-friends-article-1.1728048

Cyber Dust App Deletes Messages After Reading

Snapchat meets WhatsApp in Cyber Dust app’s message-disappearing app

CyberdustParenting in the modern world encourages kids to be in person, face-to-face with someone when telling something secretive, possibly inappropriate, or desirably “off the record.” Anything digital can be traced back to the source. There are deep, dark corners of the Internet, but The Silk Road was still uncovered. There are privacy promises made, but Snapchat was still hacked. There are emails that are encrypted, but still, people gain access to confidential information. Imagine never leaving a digital footprint again. Cyber Dust, an app that automatically deletes every message, picture, emoji, and interaction as soon as it is read, is one of the first apps to completely delete any traceable messages (unless someone takes a screenshot, of course). Continue reading

Samsung’s Curved TV Will Change The Way You Watch TV

Samsung is raising the bar when it comes to TV innovation and design with the launch of their curved TV.

The launch of the curved TV is changing how we watch TV and is challenging the stereotypical flat screen design. What is so great about the curvature design is the curved ends create a panoramic effect that makes the display appear to be bigger than it really is. The curved TV gives the viewer an encompassing feeling and enriched viewing experience.

The curvature of the design is challenging our previous notions of a flat screen TV

The curvature of the design is challenging our previous notions of a flat screen TV

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Social Media as Alert Systems

Keeping Communities Aware through Social Media

Police Departments have started using social media as alert systems to keep communities aware. They have learned the importance of social media in connecting with their community and keeping them aware. Using social media creates a positive relationship between the police department and its community. It also allows the community to be involved and assist their department by providing information to help in certain cases.

 

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Hemingway App Helps Create Clear, Succinct Writing

Hemingway App helps writers clean clutter from their work

American novelist Ernst Hemingway revolutionized writing with his “blunt, descriptive, concise prose.”  Today, however, clear and bold writing is hard to come by, replaced instead with verbose, over-saturated writing.  Brothers Adam and Ben Long recognized society’s departure from clear, succinct prose, and decided to create a free web app to help writers simplify their work.  Launched in late 2013, the Hemingway App allows users to enter a body of text into its processor and then analyzes the text, highlighting areas that can be simplified.

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VIVA MEXICO CITY!

When it comes to Mexico, D.F. there is much more than meets the eye

There's nothing like Mexico City

There’s nothing like Mexico City

When you think of visiting Mexico, Cabo San Lucas or Cancun are usually the first places that come to mind. These well-known beach locations are top tourist destinations and although they have a lot to offer, I am now convinced they cannot compare to the beauty of the city of Mexico.

When my roommates suggested going to Mexico City for our last college Spring Break I was a little hesitant.  I honestly did not think there was much to do there for 10 days. But after our vacation this month, all I have to say is I wish we had 10 extra days!

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Harmful Digital Communications Bill

Black and grey laptop with clear blue screen

Purpose of the Harmful Communications Bill 

The Harmful Digital Communications Bill of New Zealand in 2013 main purpose is to reduce harm from harmful digital communication caused to individuals. The bill aims to provide victims of digital media a means of redress. The Bill reflects the Government’s decision to address digital communication that harms others. The Bill states that the courts must act consistent with the rights and freedoms of New Zealand’s Bill of Rights act and its 10 principles found on their website, which are the following:

 

  • a digital communication should not disclose sensitive personal facts about an individual (Principle 1);
  • a digital communication should not be threatening, intimidating, or menacing (Principle 2);
  • a digital communication should not be grossly offensive to a reasonable person in the complainant’s position (Principle 3);
  • a digital communication should not be indecent or obscene (Principle 4);
  • a digital communication should not be part of a pattern of conduct that constitutes harassment (Principle 5);
  • a digital communication should not make a false allegation (Principle 6);
  • a digital communication should not contain a matter that is published in breach of confidence (Principle 7);
  • a digital communication should not incite or encourage anyone to send a message to a person with the intention of causing harm to that person (Principle 8);
  • digital communication should not incite or encourage another person to commit suicide (Principle 9);
  • digital communication should not denigrate a person by reason of his or her colour, race, ethnic or national origins, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability (Principle 10) (Part 1, Subpart 1, Clause 6).

Guilty of Disobeying Harmful Communications Bill

Someone commits offense of this Bill if the person posts a digital communication with intent to cause harm to victim, posting the communication would cause harm to an ordinary person in the victims position, posting the communication causes harm to the victim. The courts determine if the post would cause harm by taking in several considerations. These considerations are: the language being used, the age and characteristics of the victim, if the digital communication was anonymous, if the digital communication was repeated, the circulation of the digital communication, if the digital communication is true or false, and the context that the digital communication appeared. The penalty of committing this crime can be up to 3 months in jail or a fine up to $2000.

Problems With Harmful Digital Communications Bill

The problem some people are having with this Bill is that some cases are not as straight forward as teens harassing other teens with negative comments. This subject is discussed by Thomas Beagle in The Harmful Digital Communications Bill and criminalizing free speech. One example he shares of a case where this law doesn’t fit is, if someone took a photo of a corrupt politician taking bribes and posted the picture online they would technically be committing a crime under this law. They person posting the picture is posting with intention to harm the politician, the politician would be harmed by the act, and any reasonable person would be harmed by losing their job due to the picture being posted. However by not allowing the photo to be published the public doesn’t have the knowledge they need to know about their politicians to vote to the best of their ability. Some harmful digital communication is essential to the society and their freedom of speech.

Digital communication is contributing to cyber bullying and abuse that is significantly effecting teens. There is fast growing concern about new communication technologies that are causing harm to people, which need to be addressed. Cyber bullying needs to be controlled and restricted but the law should take in account these outliers that are disobeying the digital communication law but for the good of society.

High-profile and High-tech: SXSW is the Place to be in the World of Tech

The South by Southwest Festival, a weeklong event in Austin bringing together some of the most talented individuals in music, film, and interactive media, now has a lot more to offer than a good time. Today SXSW is one of the premiere annual events for media members, entrepreneurs and investors in the world of tech.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OTrIIe4cBg?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

The place to be for cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity is none other than SXSW Interactive Festival.  The rise of social media and startup launch success are two of the most prominent factors of analyzing the expansion of the SXSW Interactive over the past decade.
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Yik Yak

Social media applications usually are there to aid us in conversation, make our lives easier and more enjoyable. Some apps however do the opposite and whether its their intention or not, they are being used to bully other kids. The new application in question that is doing just this is called Yik Yak.

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A New Way to Customize Your Wardrobe

A True One of a Kind

Moda Operandi, the online designer trunk show site founded by Icelandic fashion investor Aslaug Magnusdottir, revolutionized the way luxury clothes are sold. The site allows customers to buy designer looks straight from the runway following their debuts at various fashion weeks before it is even been produced. Now, Ms. Magnusdottier has another venture up her couture- clad sleeve.  Continue reading

The Ethics of Death on YouTube

A diver’s death captured on camera has more than 8 million views on YouTube Blue Hole

Earlier this week, Slate published an article entitled, “Diver’s Cemetery: The Blue Hole of Dahab.”  The article details the story of Yuri Lipski, a Russian diver who lost his life in Egypt’s infamously dangerous “Blue Hole” sinkhole in April 2000.  When Lipski’s body was retrieved, it was discovered that a helmet camera he was wearing during the dive captured his last minutes.  And thanks to YouTube, this footage has been viewed over 8 million times around the world.

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