Donafy App Logo (Photo: Donafy) In case you didn't know March is Women's History Month, so here at ChicDivaGeek Files we want to highlight some great technology or apps created by women. So every Thursday we will be doing just that! Well what do you know, today is Thursday! So let me introduce you to Donafy and it's founder Nikki Johnson-Huston. The App Donafy is an app that allows you to locate, donate and notify nearby nonprofits. These nonprofits server those in need of food, housing, medical, mental health, LGBT and legal services. Right now the Donafy App is limited to Philadelphia, but I think that this app is something that can be taken to metropolitan cities across the country! As a philanthropist the question often comes up, "I want to donate but can you give me some places?" This app could make that connection for alot of people. My favorite feature about the app, is that it allows you to notify organizations (if they have street teams) that someone at a location is in need of services. A lot of times those in need of the services and/or the organizations just need to be connected. Donafy Screen (Photo: App Store) Donafy Screen (Photo: App Store) The Creator Nikki Johnson-Huston (pictured left) makes sure to let you know immediately that she isn't a tech person. She is actually a tax attorney by profession, but she is also an advocate for the homeless. She was homeless at the age of 9, failed out of college by 18, but by the time she was 30 years old she had graduated law school with a J.D, MBA, and LL.M in Taxation. Nikki lost her younger brother in 2010, he suffered from a drug addiction and HIV. "I wasn't able to help him but I am hoping to help others" She uses her story to inspire others that things can be overcame, and this is what inspired her to create the app. As I mentioned before often times there those in need don't know where to go to get services, even those that want to help aren't sure where to direct people to. Nikki has a successful law practice in Philadelphia (www.phillytaxdiva.com). Nikki has been featured on the Bill O' Reilly show, Huffington Post, NPR and the Philadelphia Inquirer to name a few. Amongst her many accolades she has received the 2014 Game Changer for Black History Month by CBS3/CW Philly/KYW News Radio 1060am for advocacy work, as well as the 2015 PoWeR Award from the Professional Women's Roundtable. The hope is that the Donafy app will help give back to the city that was so good to her. The app is currently only available on iPhone but it's free so what are you waiting for go download it! Maybe we can get this app to expand to the DMV area? The need is here and so are those wanting to give! ~ChicDivaGeek

Everything nowadays when it comes to technology is thinner, faster, smarter, but what about those things that can't necessarily be upgraded when your contract is up or when the warranty runs out? Like your house for instance? I've got a few things that can help turn your home into a smart home, and seemingly won't break the bank.... USB Wall Outlets Chances are you are viewing this on your smartphone or tablet right now, right? Most of us have a smartphone, tablet or something that requires USB charging, so why not replace those boring regular outlets in your house with outlets that have built-in USB ports on them? The U-Socket Wall Outlet comes with 2 built-in USB 3.0 ports. So you can charge your devices without taking up an extra outlet, not to mention once your device is charged it shuts the power to the port, so no worries about extra electricity charges. This is even DIY, so you can run over to Home Depot, Lowes, or order it on Amazon and install yourself as there is no wiring or special tools required. They run between $25 to $30. U-Socket Wall Outlet (Photo: HomeDepot.com) Smart Locks I don't know about you but my keys look like janitor keys, meaning there are tons of them, keys, little key chain tags for rewards programs, etc. To put it mildly there is a lot going on with my keys. They have cars where you walk up to them and with your keys simply on your person, you can open the door. That same functionality can be applied to the locks on your door. The Kwikset Kevo smart lock works that way! Kevo Smart Lock (Photo: Kwikset) You can unlock the door just by touching the lock. It works in connection with a smartphone app, which is available for iPhone or Android, or with the fob that comes with the lock. But with the app, you can issue and revoke eKeys and even view lock activity. Pretty futuristic right? This works great if you have someone house sitting or just need someone to have temporary access, and guess what no more lost keys. You can even schedule times that certain eKeys are permitted to be used. Two eKeys are included with the lock and additional ones can be purchased for $1.99 from inside the app. The Kevo Smart Lock is available from retailers such as Home Depot, Amazon, Best Buy to name a few and retails for $199.00 Wireless Charging furniture What better way to show how cutting edge your house is than to cut the cords? I mean how many times have you just laid your phone on your nightstand and feel asleep because you don't want to reach out the bed to grab the charger? I know I have done this, but with some of this wireless charging furniture from Ikea, you don't have to worry about that. Now I know not all smartphones have the wireless charging capability, but Ikea also sells covers that will allow your phone to get in on the phone wireless charging fun. They are currently available for the Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, and S5 (S6 has wireless charging capability). They are also available for the iPhone 4, 5/5s, and iPhone 6. They even have lamps that have built in wireless charging, as well as wireless charging pads that can be placed pretty much anywhere as apart of the decor. Ikea-Wireless-Charging-Nightstand (Photo: Ikea.com) These are just a few ways to smarten up your home and you don't have to break the bank in the process. I can't wait until I purchase my house so I can make it into a smart house! ~ChicDivaGeek

If you use a computer at work, home or carry one to use with your laptop then you should be listening. There are some of us that still don't mind the mess of cables and peripherals running across our desk but more than likely you have a wireless mouse or keyboard. This is especially common when you are using one with a laptop, you can just connect your USB receiver and have the functionality and feel of a regular mouse instead of the touch pad. Quite frankly almost everyone should have one, Five Below sells wireless mice for $5. But did you know your wireless mouse is susceptible to being hacked due to a security vulnerability called, MouseJack? The MouseJack vulnerability is a collection of security vulnerabilities that affects non-Bluetooth mice and keyboards. It was discovered by the Threat Research Team at Bastille, a security firm. It allows the attacker (hacker) to type commands into a person's computer from up to 100 meters away with the help of a $15 USB dongle. This is possible because most wireless input devices (keyboard and mouse) transmit over a radio frequency to the USB connected to your computer. These communications are not encrypted. But most vendors make sure the communications from the wireless keyboard are encrypted while the communications from the wireless mouse are not. diagram of unencrypted mouse packet communication (Photo: MouseJack) diagram of encrypted keyboard packet communication (Photo: MouseJack) So because the mouse communications are unencrypted, any packet can appear to be coming from the user's mouse when it's actually coming from the attacker's. (see the diagram below) But the MouseJack is a collection of vulnerabilities along with spoofing (pretending) to be the user's mouse, there is also Keyboard injection, spoofing of a keyboard (although most keyboards transmit the packets with encryption, it's not required on all USB dongles). diagram of spoof attack (Photo: MouseJack) MouseJack from Bastille on Vimeo. You can check to see if your device is affected here. There is a list and also points to if the issue has been addressed by the vendor. If you have a Logitech mouse, like me (that's mine in the photo) there is a firmware update available. For vendors that haven't responded yet, it is advised to switch to a wired one until one is made.

What has all wheel drive, 29MPG, and is Dynamic Blue Mica? The 2016 Mazda CX-3 that I got to drive! When it was first dropped off it definitely caught my eye with the bold blue exterior color, that and the fact that it's smaller than what I would normally drive. Yes, I am only 5'3" but I like cars with a little weight to them, and my son is almost my size so space is a necessary thing. But good things can come in small packages right? The Mazda CX-3 houses a 2.0L engine, but like all the new Mazda models it has the SkyActiv technology. So a little pickup but not as much as the Mazda 6 but the fuel efficiency is great, especially considering the amount of stop and go traffic I deal with in the DC Metro area. $20 filled it up a couple of times, I say a couple because the tank holds 11.9 gallons and I drive quite a bit. Since we're transitioning to spring (at least that is what the calendar says) didn't really get to test out the AWD on this thing, but you don't see too many cars of this size with it either. Now about the interior, it has black leatherette sport seats that were really comfortable, and I love a push button ignition. Call it convenience or laziness, but I like it. It had a moon roof and it was right on time with the days of sunshine. You can get air in the car but not have it in your face when you're riding around the beltway. The audio controls were right in the middle console as well as accessible on the touch screen LCD display that included GPS, Sirius XM, and HD radio. So I could always find some driving or stuck in traffic tunes. Interior of Mazda CX-3 Interior of Mazda CX-3 It was fun car to drive, but I don't know think it's suited for someone with a small family and does alot of driving; i.e. Me. The trunk space is very small, so this is definitely a commuting type of vehicle or for a younger single person. On the plus side it has a built in cover so valuables are hidden tho. My gym bag took up the most of the trunk, so grocery shopping wasn't happening with anyone else in it. But oh if you are living in the city, man oh man can you fit in some parking spaces and the camera assist as well as blind spot monitoring comes in very handy! Mazda CX-3 frontview Mazda CX-3 trunk The Mazda CX-3 Touring with all that's included on this model, retails for $26,150. Oh did I mention it comes with a 5 Star Safety Rating? ~ChicDivaGeek *Disclosure: Product or service was provided for free or at reduced cost in exchange for my review, opinions are my own*

Interested in journalism, looking for a new way to connect with your audience? Or perhaps you've been thinking about starting a podcast on something that interests you, well maybe downloading the Anchor app will help with that.... Anchor The name app should have made you think of a news reporter and not a ship. Well if you were thinking news then you would be on the right track. The Anchor app allows you to broadcast audio clips globally in an instant! The audio clips can be up to two minutes. So think of it as a podcast, but on a smaller and more interactive scale. The app allows for users to respond with their voice and you can reply to them as well, kind of neat right? I think this will grow considering the way apps such as Periscope have caught fire. Anchor screen (Photo: iTunes) Anchor screen (Photo: iTunes) Those in media or looking to get into it will likely hop on it sooner rather than later. It was listed as an app to watch coming out of SXSW 2016 this year. It's currently only available for iPhone. ~ChicDivaGeek

(Photo: Uber) If you live in or around a city chances are you have taken an Uber at some point, but now they can deliver your food too! The UberEATS service has finally come to DC. So here's how it works, first you have to download the UberEATS app (which is available for iOS and Android) then..... You browse the available restaurant partners, decide what you want and place your order. The price reflected in the app includes the delivery charge already. There are currently over 100 restaurants in the DC area that are participating, everything from sushi to donuts! There is also an option called Instant Delivery that has different options daily but will have your food to you in as little as 10 minutes. The way it works is the food is prepared in waves (batches if you will) and then it's in a stored in a temperature controlled bags and the delivery drivers go to areas during peak meal times, you select Instant Delivery and your lunch could be there like that! Easy right? You see the menu options available right from inside the UberEATS app. Best part about it, you can know where your order is! UberEATS screen (Photo: iTunes) UberEATS screen (Photo: iTunes) UberEATS UberEATS is also available in Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Dallas, and New York. For the first few weeks the delivery fee is being waived so go give it a try! ~ChicDivaGeek

Flux Card (Photo: Fluxchargers.com) This looks like a mix between a battery and a credit card right? You'd be half right, it's a portable charger for your phone! Touted as the "sleekest and best designed power bank", the Flux Card is only 6.6mm thick and works for both Android and iPhone. Flux Card (Photo: Fluxchargers.com) Look it can fit in your wallet, meaning it can comfortably go in your back pocket. If you're like me then it will fit in one of those many side slots of your purse. Check out the Flux Card, the sleekest and slimmest portable phone charger on the market! It retails for $25.00 and it works for both Android and iPhone, stores over a full charge for your phone, and will charge your phone in just an hour and a half. Learn more and order online at Flux Chargers. Oh did I also mention this company selects one cause every month to donate to through their Flux Philanthropy program, how cool is that? ~ChicDivaGeek

Beyond Ink Pen (Photo: Beyond Ink Pen Instagram) You know how we all have that favorite pen that writes really smooth, feels good in your grip and looks really nice right? Well I think I may have stumbled across one that will replace that one! Beyond Ink Pen is an awesome pen and quite a few other things.... The Beyond Ink Pen is definitely more than just a pen. It also functions as a charger for your phone, a portable flash drive, and a stylus for your touch screen devices. The phone cable which can be for a micro USB phone (usually Android) or the lightning connector for iPhone. Inside the pen is a built in 1000mAh Panasonic battery that gives up to 5 hours of talk time, so think of it as your emergency charger. If you take the cap off of your pen, that's where you will find the 16GB flash drive. Pretty nice right? The Beyond Ink Pen also quickly switches between your fancy (it's made of steel and brass) pen to a stylus, so no worries ladies if you just got those nails done and can't tap the screen properly. Beyond Ink Pen (Photo: Beyond Ink.com) Beyond Ink Pen (Photo: Beyond Ink.com) Now you would think that with all of that packed in there this thing would be a little hefty right? Nope, the pen weighs just 71 grams. The Beyond Ink Pen retails for $70 and comes in black and white. It's the pen MacGyver would've used. Check it out and get you one at www.beyondinkpen.com ~ChicDivaGeek

In today's society it's common for girls to go out in groups, or meet up for drinks after work. In "walkable" cities, which DC is aiming to be, this is even more common. You can catch an Uber, a bus, train, or depending on where you live you can walk. But although we're independent navigating the city streets alone isn't always a safe option. But the AskDC app was designed to help provide an extra piece of safety right from your smartphone. The AskDC is a project of the Men Can Stop Rape and the DC Mayor's Office. With the app, you can get immediate access to emergency services in the event of sexual assault, confidentially and for free. It also provides information and access to legal services, resources and information for victims and survivors of sexual violence, as well as access to talk to real person 24/7. The app also has a panic button feature that will automatically dial 911 in case of emergency, as well as a function that will send emergency notifications and messages to selected contacts. AskDC app screen (Photo: App Store) AskDC screen (Photo: App Store) Along with the AskDC app, the UAskDC app was also developed to provide help to victims of sexual assault on any of the nine college campuses in DC. The app is practically identical to the AskDC app but is tailored with one additional feature which allows for the users to find on campus help. Like it's sister app, it offers these services confidentially and free. WPGC On-Air personality (M-F 10am-3pm), Sunni, hosted a an event at George Washington University last week centered on the app and had this to say about it "I love this app especially for women that are out and about on the social scene and dating. You have a panic button and a quick way to contact authorities in case you get into trouble. Also you can link as many friends as you want from your contacts and it will send your GPS location with the push of one button. Definite MUST download for my ladies" ~Sunni If you're near a computer you can also access these same resources online at www.assaultservicesknowledge.org. AskDC and UAskDC are available for both Android and iPhone. Just go to the Google Play store or the App Store for iPhone and search AskDC. You've got a million apps on your phone, why not actually have one on there that you need? ~ChicDivaGeek

I know you're thinking who accessorizes when preparing to work out? Why does she have a bracelet on to go jogging? No it's not a bracelet on my arm, it's my Bella Beat LEAF! This cute little accessory is actually my fitness tracker. Who says wearables can't be stylish? But let's get into what this thing really does.... So I was immediately drawn in by how pretty it was, I like pretty things I can't help it, but moving on. The LEAF tracks your sleeping habits, your activity, your menstrual cycles and even helps you practice breathing exercises. You can wear it in three different ways, on your wrist, on a chain as a necklace, or clip it on your pants or shirt. Majority of the time I wore it on the chain as a necklace, it was just easier to slip on. The leather bracelet very chic by the way, took some maneuvering to get on so it definitely wasn't my favorite way to wear it. I did wear it as a clip on when I went to the gym a couple of weeks ago and it almost ended up in the lost and found because it slid off my pants while I was burning through 3 miles on the bike. Luckily it was right there when I went back to get it. Sleeping The LEAF syncs all the activity to an app that is available for both Android and iOS. The LEAF tracks your sleeping. It helps you see how well you're actually sleeping. So essentially you are wearing it all the time (not in the shower, don't know that it's waterproof and electronics and water generally don't mix..it's just a good rule of thumb). I'll admit sometimes I would forget to put it back on at night, but it does allow for manual sleep time input, you just won't get the most accurate pattern for your sleep that way. I also like the little quips it gives if you're shy of your daily goals which for activity can be modified. Like on days I don't get enough sleep, it will say something along the lines of "today is cancelled, go back to bed" I would have to concur some days but the show must go on. In App view of Daily Goals Activity As a network engineer, I tend to do alot of computer keyboard work, loosely translated, I'm sitting in front of a computer ALOT. So I decided to join a gym and really start incorporating fitness back into my weekly routine, the LEAF logs all my activity including a breakdown of active and resting calories burned daily. It also keeps a log of distance for the day and a 7 day average. And for you pedometer users...it tracks steps too! So what's not to like? Main Daily screen on LEAF App It tracks your what?? Guys if you're still reading this part definitely isn't for you. Yes ladies, it even helps track your cycle. And after a little while will help you predict the when and the length if you are slightly abnormal. Now the part I didn't pay really close attention to was the fact that you have to tell it that your period is over, (it says end period I really just wasn't paying attention) But there have been a couple of updates to the app, since I received this last month and they are always improving. You can even set alarms in the app so that your LEAF gives you a nudge (small vibration) to remind you to take your pills or vitamins. Oh that also works to remind you to get moving. Bella Beat LEAF in Silver and Rose Gold (Photo: Bella Beat) I literally wear this thing all the time, and I like it! I make sure it's on when I do my workouts, tracking my progress puts in perspective for me. So if you're looking for a fitness tracker that looks cute but can do what the "sportier" looking ones do, then this is it. You can order yours from Amazon, it retails for $119.99 (White Ash/Silver) and $149.99 (Blackwood/Rose Gold). *Disclosure: Product or service was provided for free or at reduced cost in exchange for my review, opinions are my own. This post does contain links but are not affiliate links*

FB Pre-Live setup (Photo: Facebook) Live Streaming is becoming more and more popular so of course one of the largest platforms has to have a hand in it. Periscope is owned by Twitter, and at the end of last year Facebook rolled out Facebook Live for iOS with the Facebook Live feature rolled out to Android devices a little over a month ago. Now this isn't the breaking news if you have been on Facebook lately or at least in the past few months. What is notable right now are the new features that are being added. Now if you've done a live video or at least seen one of your Facebook friends do it, you know that you can comment and they can see your comments as well as the number of viewers, well today you can do more. At first it was limited to doing live with those you were friends with; now you can go live in groups and on Facebook Events, that's sounds like great news for marketing. I mean also if you in a group or manage a group of like minded thinkers they also don't have to download another app to join the broadcast. If you have an event, this can connect those that can't make it or you could make it an online event and connect with those people in a different way. This next feature probably excites people a little more because what are you using to watch the videos or look at photos, your eyes right? Well know you can add filters to your live videos, and eventually they will roll out the ability to draw on your video while you're live too!. They've also added the ability to use the reactions that are enabled on posts, pictures, and anything else that appears in your newsfeed to Live as well. The goal with these new features is to make it more engaging for those that use the Live feature and maybe get more people to try it. Oh and they have made it so that when you are watching a Live replay, the comments show up just as if you were watching it live. Live Filters and Drawing (Photo: Facebook) Live Playback (Photo: Facebook) Reactions on Facebook Live (Photo: Facebook) Did I mention that they are also allowing you to send invites to friends while you're live as well? So they won't miss out! Not to mention they will be including a new feed where you can find and search other live videos, so it allows you to find other great content. These features will be available on both iOS and Android soon! So, are you excited about the new Facebook Live features? Do you already use it? If so what features do you think they are missing? ~ChicDivaGeek

Remember a while back when there were rumblings of a "Yelp for people"? Well those rumblings are over and the Peeple app is here. The Peeple App was designed to allow people to give and receive recommendations on well..people. It allows you to rate people in three categories Personal, Professional, and Dating. The intent from creators, Nicole McMcullough and Julia Cordray, is "to change the way you learn about people online". You would think that with all the social media platforms out there that there are plenty of ways to learn about people, or going out to network is always an option as well. But there are some rules, this isn't just an opinionated free for all: One of the biggest concerns with this is that it would lead to cyber-bullying but there are some safeguards to this: You have to have an active Facebook Profile that has been active for more than 6 months to join. You must be 21 years or older to join Peeple. Recommendations never go live without your permission, so if the person (you) aren't on Peeple, those recommendations never go anywhere. There are no anonymous users on Peeple, so no ghost recommendations or spam profiles to worry about. Peeple Screen (Photo: App Store) Peeple Screen (Photo: App Store) Peeple Screen (Photo: App Store) There's comfort in the fact that you get to see all the reviews and approve them prior to them being live on the app, but then how authentic is that, if all you see are good things? Of course no one is going to want to post the bad reviews but then that is what makes things like Yelp, and other review processes good. The Peeple app is currently only available on iOS with an Android version expected soon. I don't think I'm signing up for Peeple, but would you? ~ChicDivaGeek