Global warming: 10 million Facebook votes wanted

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Atmospheric CO2 levels measured at Mauna Loa.

Campaign targets action at  COP 17 in Durban

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A new initiative launched in Germany this week aims to harness the power of social media, and Facebook in particular, to show world leaders that citizens of the world want action, and not just words, on climate change.

The Climate Vote Project website went live Aug. 15, steering people toward a Facebook page, where organizers are hoping get 10 million “Likes” by the time government ministers assemble in Durban, South Africa in late November for the COP 17 UN climate conference. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, global warming, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Denver: New smart phone app for the Mile High City

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Travel in Denver just got easier thanks to a new mobile smart phone app from the visitor and convention bureau

A new mobile app for smart phones will help locals and visitors find the best of Denver.

Deals, meals and more are easy to find with the new Denver smart phone app.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Travelers in Denver, Colorado will be able to use their smart phones to find restaurants, events, hotels and shopping options thanks to a new mobile app launched by the city’s visitor and convention bureau.

The one-stop app also includes Facebook and Twitter connections, as well as articles about the city. All of the information  is also included in a mobile-enabled website.

“Today’s visitor wants instant access to destination information on their smart phones, tablets and mobile browsers,”  Justin Bresler, vice president of marketing and business development for VISIT DENVER, said in a press release. “We created these new tools so that we can stay on the cutting edge of this rapidly growing market, providing people with instant information about every aspect of things to see and do in Denver.”

In addition to dining, shopping and attraction listings, the new tools have maps that make navigating the city easier than ever. Bargain shoppers will find more than 50 discount offerings, including “Two-for-One” admission deals. Hundreds of event listings include art exhibits, festivals, sporting events and theater performances and can be searched by category or by date. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Summit County: Walk-in video rental options dwindle fast

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Where do you get your movies? Click on the inage to see the Facebook discussion.

Dillon Blockbuster closing down; many locals get movies via the web

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — A combination of factors, including the lousy economy of the past couple of years and the growing availability of on-demand movies via the web, took another bite out of local brick and mortar stores.

The Dillon Blockbuster closing is related to an overall recapitalization process. Here’s a short statement from Blockbuster:

“As part of the recapitalization process, Blockbuster will be evaluating its U.S. store portfolio with a view towards enhancing the overall profitability of the store operations.  No decisions have been made at this time.  Decisions will be made on a store-by-store basis over the next several months.  More information is available at http://www.blockbuster.com/recapitalization.”

The Dillon Blockbuster is not renting movies any more and is in the process of liquidating all its inventory and Dillon’s Hole In The Wall video rental store recently converted to an army surplus store, according to Summit Voice reader Fiona Leaver Kennard, who said the shop will continue to carry a few rental videos.

“I have and will still continue to go to Hole In The Wall video  … I will always support the locals. I will not get my movies from RedBox or Netflix,” Leaver Kennard said via Facebook.

A shift lead working at Blockbuster Sunday said the high rent — $17,000 per month — charged by Dillon Ridge shopping center management didn’t help matters. The Blockbuster property is not owned by Miller-Weingarten Realty LLC, the company that manages most of the commercial space at Dillon Ridge. (more…)

Filed under: business, economy, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Egyptians protest, the world watches

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Internet, social media playing key role in uprising

Most of the information coming out of Egypt is changing so fast that the new social media streams are the best way to keep up. Traditional news sources are doing a decent job of tracking events, analysis and background, but live streaming of news and information is dominating the coverage. Even these bits from Twitter will be old by the time you read them. For the latest, click here.

http://twitter.com/#!/AJEnglish/status/31077388750168064 (more…)

Filed under: world news | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Skiing mag launches new online-only version

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Powder at A-Basin, Colorado.

Digital magazine includes interactive features on every page, with a vintage A-Basin slideshow in the first edition

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Amidst all the discussion about the future of print journalism, some magazines are not hanging on to the good old days, but are charging into the digital age without looking back.

Skiing Magazine, long a mainstay on magazine racks, is one of them. The print edition is no more; instead, owner Bonnier Corporation this week launched an ambitious interactive digital version that includes among its features a vintage slide show from Arapahoe Basin, along with playful interactive graphs comparing snowfall and terrain at popular resorts and even an interactive Epic Pass ad that allows readers to pick the pass best suited to them by adjusting on-screen sliders. (more…)

Filed under: Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Top Stories: Oct. 7-9

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Roadside rainbows arcing over Dillon Reservoir.

SUMMIT COUNTY — An interesting mix in the most-viewed story list for the past few days, with a water story in the number one spot. University of California researchers said they measured an astounding 18 percent increase in the amount of fresh water reaching the Earth’s ocean via rivers in a study covering a 13-year span, a clear sign that something is amiss with the water cycle. Naturally, a weather story about the first valley snow of the season also made the list, along with one of our morning photoblogs on searching for the last few patches of aspen color. Click the headlines below to view the stories, and don’t forget to share them with your friends by using the Twitter, StumbleUpon, Digg and Facebook buttons at the bottom.

Filed under: Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Vail going big with on-mountain social media app

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Vail to launch nw social media app for tracking ski stats and connecting with friends.

Tracking stats and sharing them is at the heart of the new EpicMix pachage

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Vail Resorts this week launched a new integrated social media app that could become the virtual equivalent of the apres ski lodge, as a place to share stories about a day on the slopes.

EpicMix will track skiers and riders on the company’s five mountains via radio-frequency scanners installed on lifts. The scanners  read chips embedded in passes to calculate vertical footage and other on-mountain stats. That information can then be shared via Facebook and Twitter.

The mobile application will work across the company’s five resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly Valley, in California. The app will go live when Keystone opens just a little more than two months from now, on Nov. 5.

The app will enable guests to send messages to their private groups of Facebook friends on the mountain and will alert guests when any of their Facebook friends are skiing and where they are on the mountain. Guests will be able to create special EpicMix leader boards with their Facebook friends and get grooming updates, snow and weather reports, as well as resort news and traffic information. (more…)

Filed under: Keystone, ski industry, Ski Resorts, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado software expert working on Facebook alternative

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Click on the image to visit a preview of zeldaB.com

New website could offer online social networks with fewer privacy concerns

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — As the controversy over Facebook‘s new tagging feature grows, an Eagle-based software developer thinks he might have an answer for people who want to control the privacy of their online social networks.

Paul Kulas, a 20-year veteran of computer programming and software design, says online communications should be moving toward more privacy, not less. That’s why he’s putting blood, sweat and tears into developing zeldaB. Designed from the ground up to protect our privacy, the new website allows users to share thoughts, information, photos and video without the “gotcha” that comes automatically with other online communities. Watch a short video interview with Kulas here.

“We’re not trying to replace other networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google,” Kulas said. “But … zeldaB is a different class of social networking,” he added. (more…)

Filed under: Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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