What is Power Box? Simply put a well curated resource of black owned businesses from all over. The creator, Tami Sawyer started by posting businesses on her personal Instagram page and it evolved into something much bigger. Thanks to crowd-funding via Kickstarter which was fully funded on March 22nd of this year, she was able to bring her idea to fruition www.ourpowerbox.com The site is going live this month! For consumers looking to buy from black owned businesses this should be bookmarked in your favorites. For businesses that are looking to be added you can email hello@ourpowerbox.com or check out the contact form on the site once it becomes available. Check them out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. ~ChicDivaGeek

Introducing Video Calling in Messenger from Facebook on Vimeo. Facebook has been rolling out a lot of features lately, this one much like the Scrapbook feature, makes sense. Video calling in Facebook messenger which is making the move for the messenger to be a standalone service make a little more sense. With services out there like Skype, Google Hangouts, and Hello from Firefox, this puts Messenger out there to compete. So you can open the video chat right from an existing messenger window. I think this is a great addition especially since most people maintain FB specifically for actual friends and family. Most of my family is scattered all over so sometimes a little face to face doesn't hurt.

Looking at the picture above you probably thought that was a USB stick right? Well you would be kind of right. It's fashioned like a USB stick but it has an HDMI connection on the end of it. The one on the left is Intel's Compute Stick and on the right is the Chromebit. Google and Asus' (nice partnership) Chromebit is touted as a "computer in your pocket". You can plug the little device into any device with an HDMI port TV or monitor display and boom, you've got a working computer. You can finally make use of that extra monitor you've got lying around, or if you've wanted to try out the Chrome OS and didn't really want to buy an actual Chromebook, this is a good alternative. It houses a Rockchip processor, 16GB of memory, 2GB of RAM, and a USB 2.0 port. The first one from ASUS is expected to retail for less than $100 and be available this summer. Intel, which most are familiar with if you have any kind of laptop (Windows in particular) has the Compute Stick. It's a Windows computer in the palm of your hand. Works the same way, all you need is a display with an HDMI port and voila! you've got yourself a fully functional Windows computer. The Intel Compute Stick has 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and runs a Intel Atom Z3735F processor. It also has a microSD slot on the side which supports up to 128GB cards. Not bad for something the size of a flash drive right? It retails for about $150 and is available now. Now of course both have WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth for peripherals (keyboard and mouse). Whichever you decide to go with, they are cheaper than an full-sized laptop or desktop. Also a pretty good option for those that travel a lot and don't want to carry a laptop. ~ChicDivaGeek

Photo credit: IG @cmediausa (www.cmediausa.com) On February 28, the NOBEL ( National Organization of Black Elected Legislative) Women held the first annual Girls, Gigabytes and Gadgets workshop. This was a workshop geared toward introducing young girls, ages 8-18, to the STEM field. So everything from science to of course my favorite Information Technology was covered. There were so many young girls that came out and the parents were there too. Held at the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center there were workshops on creating apps, coding, and even a workshop for the parents on how they can protect their kids online. Community partners IT Computer Wiz Kids , Excel Academy, Remixed Education HERStory Mentor Program to name a few lent their time and talents to help plug some of this scientific information into the young ladies in attendance. Did I mention that this thing was completely free? But anyway, the children got an opportunity to see first hand some of the many types of things done in STEM as well as had the opportunity to sit and listen to some amazing women in areas of science and technology. I think the picture above captured the essence of the event so well, thanks to CMediaUSA. I also had the opportunity to speak to many of the girls and the highlight of the event for me, when the high school girls presented their projects to the panel and other girls. They had come up with ideas for social apps and I was floored by the positive vibes coming from these young ladies. Two separate teams but both had ideas for apps/sites where women and girls would uplift and empower each other and that is so needed in this day age. Especially when the internet is so often used to bully people. I am going to work with these young ladies and can't wait to see what comes out of it. I am looking forward to this event next year already! I was so honored to have been apart of it. If you have young girls they should be there, you won't want to miss it! ~ChicDivaGeek

Have you ever had a text message that you wished you hadn't sent? Do you find yourself sending messages when you've had a few too many while out with the girls (or the guys)? Or you send the message meant for your significant other to your parents? Now I'm sure your situation isn't as drastic but everyone has at least had a typo courtesy of auto-correct. Well then the, On Second Thought app, is exactly what you need. This app allows you to send/receive text messages, but also to also edit them or recall a message before it makes it to the other person's phone. Funny thing is I have seen people ask for this app over and over. There is even a curfew feature, which allows you to compose messages but while curfew is in effect they won't be sent. But one of the coolest things about this app is the creator, Maci Peterson, and I got the chance to interview her! ChicDivaGeek: First off thank you for taking time out to talk to me Maci Peterson: Sure no problem CDG: How did you come up with the idea for the app? MP: "Well I was going on a first date with this guy, and we were going to get together in Maryland, but I wanted to move it to DC. So I text him and what I wanted to say was you are in DC or in MD? And he's a really strong Christian. But the auto-correct changed it to are you in DC or are you in me?" CDG: Ohhh nooo! MP: Yeah, he replied I am in MD at my grandmother's house, I'll see you in DC. CDG: Hopefully grandma wasn't over his shoulder when he read that CDG: Now that we've got the back-story on what inspired it, I wondered what inspired it, so let's get into my next question. I did a little digging on the app, I went to the site, by the way I love a functional website. I see that the app is currently in beta and is available Google Play, any plans to make it available migrate it towards iOS? Android is great but you have alot of Apple users out there, that's a huge market. MP: Yeah so there are over a billion Android users, and there are about 500 million iPhone users so we absolutely intend to be on that platform. I've been an iPhone user as long as there has been an iPhone. CDG: I know it's a little harder to get apps into the App Store so people tend to go with Google first. MP: It's not really that, but the Apple version is much more complex. CDG: Yeah, using the Apple SDK is a little more complicated. MP: Yeah, so we hope to have it out there by late spring, Memorial Day weekend. CDG: Right before all the shenanigans, that's perfectly timed! MP: Exactly, because you know people have their summer boos, things can get awkward. CDG: So how have you been spreading the word about the app, how are you spreading your message? Is it all kind of organic or kind of grown on it's own? MP: It's a bit of a hybrid, to date it's been mostly press. Thankfully we have one of those stories that people like to tell. And we're fixing a problem that pretty much everyone has. It has been a blessing, but mostly press. We have some fun new marketing strategies that we'll be deploying in the next few months but the public will see later this year. We going to be doing product placement in film and television. CDG: Owww, that is awesome! This young woman is phenomenal. She saw a need, and sought to fill it. So often we see the need or think of something and never act on it. I told her she's going to put BuzzFeed's text fails off the map with this creation of hers. Maci received 1st Place at The Kauffman Foundation and UpGlobal SXSW pitch competition in March of 2014, the app was the featured startup at The Summit conference in November 2014 as well as an exhibitor. She is also the Invited Featured BETA Startup, Collision Conference coming up in May of this year. So this young lady is on her way and I for one can't wait to see where she goes! If you have an Android device go and download the app now! ~ChicDivaGeek

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cumpsut sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Nulla onsequat mas quis enim lore. Donec pede justo, fringilla vel, aliquet nec, vulputate eget. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit pernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores. I think careful cooking is love, don't you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who's close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give. Rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer cidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. Lorem ipsum. vitae dicta sunt. Instruction Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Beat brown sugar, white sugar, and butter together Stir flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together Drop cookie dough by teaspoonful onto baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven until browned, 8 to 9 minutes. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit. Lorem ipsum dolor praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti. Rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer cidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus.

Following the release of their popular Microsoft Office apps to iOS and Android, Microsoft has followed it up by releasing it's scanning app Microsoft Office Lens to the iOS and to the test community for Android platforms as well. Initially the app was native to Windows phones only. What is Office Lens you ask? Well it's a scanner on your phone. It allows you to scan/capture images of physical documents and make them digital. You can convert the images into Word , PowerPoint, or PDF files. The files can be saved to Microsoft One Note, which I love by the way, it's basically a digital notebook. I grab all my little ideas and place them in it. But moving right along, the app also has Document Mode, so you can grab and color images precisely and there is also Whiteboard mode so you can capture those lovely ideas that go up in meetings but you didn't have time to write down on paper. Office Lens screenshot from iTunes Office Lens screenshot from iTunes This app is free by the way and for you on the go entrepreneurs and networking professionals this may come in handy. ~ChicDivaGeek

Photo credit: Facebook Newsroom Surprise! There's a new feature over on Facebook (insert sarcasm font). Facebook is famous for making changes and all to often they are not to the pleasure of it's users, but this change might actually ok. They've taken the nostalgia of scrap booking and added it to Facebook Remember in the not so distance past when people would actually print out photos and put them in photo albums, or capture those moments of the first few years of their child's life and then put them into a book? Well now of course that doesn't really make much sense, considering the way we share things is via the internet. So now with the new Facebook Scrapbook feature you can have all the digital memories of your little one(s) in one place. In order to make a scrapbook of your child, you have to have them listed in your family members on Facebook. Next you would go to the About section of your profile, and under Family and Relationships there will be an option to make a scrapbook. You can co-own the scrapbook of your child with the person you are in a relationship with on Facebook. Only you and the person you are in a relationship with can tag the child in photos for the scrapbook. Then you can share the scrapbook with friends and they can share it with theirs. Image credit: Facebook Newsroom This feature will be available on the desktop website and the app versions of Facebook. I wonder how many new moms and dads will be utilizing this feature? ~ChicDivaGeek

Thought I would share this since Game of Thrones comes back on this Sunday! One of my favorite games ever meets one of my favorite show/book series. Press play to check out Megasteakman 's mash-up. Make sure you tune in to HBO on Sunday at 9pm! ~ChicDivaGeek

Image originally appeared on CNNMoney/Gwen Sung IBM's computer Watson has went to culinary school, meet Chef Watson! Now before you go crazy no Watson won't have it's mouse and keyboard in your stew or casserole. The concept is that you tell it what ingredients you have and what type of dish you want, then it searches known recipes and then gives you a suggestion. You know for one of those nights when you forgot to go to the store and you need dinner with what you have on hand. Now of course you also may have a particular craving for let's say mushrooms, but you want a casserole,Chef Watson will try to find recipes for you, it even suggests things that will go well with it. So Watson is actually more a sous chef. IBM is currently working on an app with Bon Appetit but if you want to get early access to Chef Watson you can sign up to receive an invitation here. I've signed up, I'm no Master Chef but I definitely want to expand my culinary skills and if I can bring technology into it why not? ~ChicDivaGeek

Photo credit: Volvorii Timeless shoe site How often are we in the store and need to find shoes to go with that perfect outfit in the closet? Well the company Ishuu may have a solution to our endless racks of shoes in our closets ladies; the Volvorii Timeless Smart High Heel shoe. This shoe's design and color scheme can be controlled via an app. Can you imagine, having one shoe that matches everything?? This is fashion meets technology in a good way, because as we know that doesn't always go well. So how does this work? The shoe has embedded electronic paper display and Bluetooth LE module, and wireless charging. There are also to fasteners on the front and back of the shoe for adding on additional accessories. The company hopes to open an online shop where you can purchase add-ons for the shoe and where vendors can sell additional accessories as well. The company is based out of Vilnius, Lithuania. They are currently raising funds on IndieGoGo with just 23 days left in the campaign. They've raised over $16,000 of their $50,000 goal. You can contribute $249 and get you a pair of Volvorii Timeless shoes before they go to retail at $499. The shoe is also Dragon Innovation certified. ~ChicDivaGeek

2015 Mitsubishi Mirage in Infrared Hello to my wonderful readers! Summer is drawing to a close, and like most of you I had the opportunity to take a vacation. It was definitely needed and I had the opportunity to zip around Miami in the 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage! Now this is a subcompact vehicle but boy does it have alot packed in it! Now let me first tell you that I drive a small SUV on a normal basis so this is definitely not my normal set of wheels, completely the opposite. When I first got in, looking around and adjusting my seat I noticed no ignition, but it had "push-button" start. That made me excited! My current vehicle doesn't have it. But moving right along, I did say subcompact but I didn't feel that way at all when I sat down, there was plenty of leg room and the seats were also comfortable. Myself getting into the Mitsubishi Mirage Trunk space on the Mitsubishi Mirage I drove around for three days and the gas tank went only down to about half a tank...I wish this was something that my actual vehicle did, but alas, small SUV. It boasts 37 mpg in the city and about 44 on the highway. The handling on it was great, for moving in and out of Miami traffic and also fitting into small parking spots down on South Beach. The 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage starts at $12,995 so easy on the wallet right out of the gate. But what would a car for me be without technology in it?? It has a USB port to charge your smartphone or play music from, the touchscreen LCD display made it easy for me to access the settings for the radio, or get to the built in navigation system. Oh and it even comes with a rear view camera! You see what's behind you even when others may not see you (even though in a bright red car I find it hard that you couldn't). Touchscreen console in Mitsubishi Mirage Mitsubishi Mirage rear (about to hit streets of Miami) Overall I was pleased with the overall experience of the car. This is a great vehicle if you are just starting out so if you have teenagers out there and looking for a first vehicle this would be a great option. Especially with all the technology...oh did I mention it has Bluetooth connectivity, so your new driver can keep their concentration on the road. By it being a subcompact car it does only house a 3-cylinder engine, so has good speed, but there is a difference if you've driven a truck or a vehicle with 4 or 6 cylinders. Which with new drivers probably isn't a bad thing. It's also a good option for a secondary vehicle if you do a lot of running around or you live in a major city, such as Miami or Washington, DC. I couldn't drive it every day as my son is almost my height and I do alot of charity work, errands, and more that require me to have a tad bit more room. *Disclosure: Product or service was provided for free or at reduced cost in exchange for my review, opinions are my own*