[Video] St. Lucia play ELEVATE at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston via RadioBDC

I was lucky to be able to see St. Lucia play an acoustic show at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston courtesy of RadioBDC.

The entrance to the Museum gives an indication of what's inside:



This guy is cool:



I've seen him in LA. I think he flew here.



My friend Julie Kramer from Radio BDC introduced the band:



Panorama:



St. Lucia plays ELEVATE at Museum of Fine Arts:



After the show I looked around and visited the Quilt Exhibit.



I like when a museum is nice and lets you take photos without a flash. Note: I had to turn off flash focus assist. ;-)

QUILTS:





Watch more St. Lucia video from MFA: RadioBDC Presents: The MFA Sessions with St. Lucia

Nokia Disclosure:

Photos and video taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.



Affiliate Link.

tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review

Select Photos from My #TeamLumia Experience in Boston with the Nokia 1520

BEER BOTTLES


CITGO


CRANBERRY JUICE


THE OLD SPOT


SALEM OMEN CANDLES


SALEM WITCHES' CANDLES


Samantha Stevens Statue in Salem Massachusetts.


BLUE vs. GREEN


Nokia Disclosure:

Photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.

Buy Nokia Lumia 1520 on Amazon.com.

Affiliate Link.

Seriously? Can a stupid yellow looking Philips LED light bulb throw bright white light?

Call me a skeptic on this one.

I've made it a goal to change out all the lights in my house to LED. I've been doing a great job. I've got some cool LED bedroom side table lights and floor lamps. I've also got some nice outdoor Philips LED flood lights.


Philips A21 Bulb

But when I took a look at these Philips A21 Bulbs, they are described as throwing off a "Warm White Light," but hen you look at them, they're YELLOW.

How could this work?

I decided to replace one CFL with an LED as a test.


THE TEST: CFL vs LED


Bulb in lamp looking all yellow.

BEFORE with CFL:


AFTER with LED:


In daylight.

Wow.

I'm impressed.

Here's what the Philips LED looks like when it's turned on, no more yellow:


Life Based on Three Hours/Day: 22.8 Years.

Buy on Amazon:

Affiliate link


Nokia Disclosure:

Photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.

Photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520.

Affiliate Link.

tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review

NYC has 3 new Breathers

Breather, Peace and quiet, On Demand.

NYC has three new Breathers.



Our Rock Plaza Breathers are in the heart of Midtown. There are great views directly across the street to Rockefeller Plaza, home of the Today Show. Grab a break in the middle of the work day, kick your feet up after some sightseeing, or host a meeting, interview or audition.

As always, all our Breathers are centrally located and easy to access. Every Breather has free WiFi, is safe, quiet and cozy. And remember, your first hour is on us!




Book Rock Plaza 1



Book Rock Plaza 2



Book Rock Plaza 3

Disclosure: I'm an investor.

Touring Salem, Massachusetts with with #TeamLumia

Most photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520.

Affiliate Link.

Fenway Park and Boston Red Sox with #TeamLumia

Most photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520.

Affiliate Link.

Boston Craft Beer Tour With TeamLumia

Most photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520.

Affiliate Link.

How to add a three-second intro to your YouTube videos

Here's how.

Upload a video, that's 3 seconds or less long, as unlisted.

Then go to your InVideo Programming page.

CLICK add a branding video.



SELECT a video that's under 3 seconds long from those presented.



CLICK SAVE.

APPLY to videos uploaded after a specific date, OR to all videos.



CLICK update.

YouTube will then post a message saying: "Applying bumper. This may take some time to apply to all videos."

Then as it starts working another message pops up:

"Branding intros are currently being processed on 2 videos. Please wait for processing to complete before selecting a different branding intro."

PROCESSING:

Here you can see it processing on my two most recent video uploads.



Here's my example video:



Note: Based on the htime it takes to process, it looks like the intro is actually edited in to the source video, and then re-encoded for web display, vs. being implemented in a playlist mode where intros could be swapped out more quickly.

Learn more at Boost your channel’s recognition using new intro videos.

Stocking Jamaica Pond

Wegmans Chestnut Hill MA is Open!

Chris Brogan has a new book: The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators

I just bought Chris Brogan's new book The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators, because I like him, and enjoy his weekly newsletters.

Buy The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators
on Amazon.com:



Disclosure: Affiliate

The new boston.com seems to be ad supported.

Boston.com | Boston, MA news, breaking news, sports, video.

PRESS RELEASE:

Boston.com Unveils Redesigned Website

New site is faster and easier to navigate, features more visual elements for immersive storytelling
Boston (April 18, 2014) – Boston.com has unveiled a redesigned website for desktop and mobile platforms that is more responsive and easier to navigate. The mobile redesign launched last month and the desktop redesign launched in beta this week.

The new Boston.com features an elegant black and white design that is crisp and modern, with a continually updated stream of news and feature stories that focus on all things Boston.

The new site incorporates more visual elements – photos, video and graphics – to deliver news and tell stories in ways that readers have come to expect today. Boston.com content will also be easier to navigate and share from a mobile device with its responsive design that adjusts the content to your screen.

"Since it launched in 1995, Boston.com has become one of the largest regional news websites in the country, and we want it to continue to be as vibrant and dynamic as the community serves," said Andrew Perlmutter, Boston Globe Media executive vice president. “We are refining the site to improve the reader experience, making it as easy and enjoyable as possible to discover, experience, and share our content.”

The newly enhanced Boston.com will remain free for readers and will continue to appeal to those looking for a wide-ranging online experience that includes: breaking news and sports coverage; award-winning photography; entertainment and business updates; travel tips and features; lifestyle blogs; and local job and real estate listings.


About Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC
Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC provides news and information, entertainment, opinion and analysis through its multimedia properties. BGMP includes the Boston Globe, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, BostonGlobe.com, Boston.com, Telegram.com and Globe Direct.
###
Copyright © 2014 Elevate Communications, All rights reserved.

Accept credit cards and other payment options through PayPal

I accept credit cards and other payment options through PayPal.




Make it clear that you accept credit cards, other payment options, AND PayPal with a logo from the PayPal Logo Center.

Makerbot's Bre Pettis on CNBC

Makerbot CEO Bre Pettis on CNBC.





Images Courtesy CNBC.

Disclosure: I'm an investor.

Update from on the set:

On @squawkstreet this morning on @cnbc w/ @bre @MakerBotAcademy #3DPrinting pic.twitter.com/uZRUEMc9rA

— MakerBot (@makerbot) April 16, 2014

I Can Get More Power. Comcast Increases Download Speeds.

Good news everyone. Comcast Increases Download Speed.

Press Release: Comcast Increases Internet Speeds for 13th Time in 12 Years:

Comcast today announced it has increased the speeds of two of its Xfinity Internet tiers in the Northeast, at no additional cost to customers. The increase marks the 13th time in the past 12 years that Comcast has increased its speeds...

In the Northeast, the Xfinity Internet Blast tier now offers speeds of up to 105 Mbps (formerly 50 Mbps), and the Xfinity Extreme 105 tier offers speeds up to 150 Mbps (formerly 105 Mbps). This is the second time in two years that Comcast has doubled its Blast tier.

The new speed tiers will be available to customers in the vast majority of Comcast’s Northeast Division, which includes 14 Northeastern states from Maine through Virginia and the District of Columbia. To get access, most customers will just re-start their modems. Some customers may need to upgrade their modems to receive the increased speeds.

I just ran Speedtest and here are my speeds.

BEFORE:


AFTER:


Thanks.

Restart your modems. ;-)

A New Lightbulb: Philips SlimStyle LED

This bulb is really bright.

Some reviewers on Amazon.com mentioned noise, but I don't hear it.

Goodbye fluorescent. I'm going ALL LED.



Philips 433227 10.5-watt Slim Style Dimmable A19 LED Light Bulb, Soft White

Finally. Knights of Badassdom Available April 1, 2014

Red Band Trailer:


Plot Summary:

KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM follows three best friends (Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn and Ryan Kwanten) and dedicated LARPers (Live Action Role Players) as they take to the woods to reenact a dungeons and dragons-like scenario fresh out of the mythical Middle Ages. Trouble arises after they unwittingly conjure up some serious evil in the form of a blood-lusting Succubus, from the pits of hell.

Fantasy and reality collide on the Fields of Evermore in an all-out epic battle of make-believe wizards, demons and assorted mythical creatures. Their courage and friendship is put to the test as they attempt to vanquish the evil they have summoned. Will the group prove to simply be foam sword-wielding LARPers, or true “Knights of Badassdom?”

The cast includes Peter Dinklage, Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn. Summer Glau and some fun cameos.



Peter Dinklage was VERY funny in this.

I loved Summer Glau in The Terminator, and it was fun to see her in this, including the times she used some swords.

It's a comedy horror story, and fans of The Walking Dead should enjoy it.

The time flew by when I watched it. Lots of humor, suspense, and gore.

Official Site.

Available on iTunes.

Buy or Stream on Amazon.com:

Types of Online Video You Should Be Creating Today

Types of Online Video You Should Be Creating Today
Jose Castillo interviews Steve Garfield and Jeff Cutler about online video content.

Steve Garfield's WZBC Airchecks from Early 2000's

IMAGE: Steve IS A DJ Blog Header

Just saw Shakira on the Today Show with Carson Daly and he shared a photo of them together from 14 years ago.

This pic of @CarsonDaly and @shakira was taken 14 years ago! #orangeroom pic.twitter.com/CTnDUopZc0

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 26, 2014

12 years ago, I was a DJ on WZBC. I looked back at my blog from back then, Steve is a DJ, where I kept playlists, to see if I had a record of playing Shakira.

I remember a caller calling in to tell me about her. I probably didn't have her record in the studio, but I still remember that call.

I saw that I had some archived audio, but it was hosted on .mac and that is no longer with us, but the Internet Archive Wayback Machine had saved a copy of my radio archives from back then.

If you are interested, here are some sound checks of me as a DJ on WZBC.

15 Authors That Mean Something To Me

I just did that '15 authors that mean something to me' meme. Here are my 15 (+2) that I thought of later and a brief reason why I chose them.

Stephen Covey
7 Habits of Highly Effective People is one of the most influential books that I've ever read.



Three of his habits guide me through life.

1. - Seek First to Understand.

2. - Begin with the end in mind

3. - Think Win Win

Stephen King
I read many of his books. What intrigued me was his detailed descriptions of real life and locations. The Stand is one of my favorite books ever.




Dr. Wayne Dyer
Very inspirational to read, Your Erroneous Zones, in High School. One thing I took away from him was to do what you love. The other, "Worry is a worthless emotion.



Isaac Asimov
Loved his books as a kid.

Daniel Pink
One book of Dan's that I can relate to is The Adventures of Johnny Bunko.




Richard Nelson Bolles
What Color Is Your Parachute?

Richard Saul Wurman
His travel guides got me through Hawaii, Paris and London.




George S. Odiorne
My professor in college. He invented Management By Objectives. I loved the class so much, I became a TA for him. One thing he taught me was how to teach. Invaluable.

L. Ron Hubbard
Love Battlefield Earth.


Then I got into the Misson Earth series. Still haven't finished it. ;-)

Joanne Chang
One of the best cookbooks ever to teach you how to bake.



Mark Bittman
How to Cook Everything, a great cookbook. I met Mark when I was working at WFNX and he was a guest on the show.



Nina Simonds
I worked with Nina to film, edit and produce her videoblog series, Spices of Life. I learned a lot about Asian cooking from Nina.



Scott Berkun
The Myths of Innovation is a great book.




Michael Wohl
When I started editing in Final Cut Pro, Michael's book taught me a lot.




Walter Murch
I learned a lot about video editing from this book.




Plus Bonus Authors:

Douglas Adams
Loved Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.



The game too.

Tom Clancy
I used to carry his huge books to my health club to read while riding a stationary bike.

Samuel Adams Nitro Stout

Samuel Adams Nitro Stout is in limited test release and is delicious!

I was able to try it on the best day of the year, to try a new beer, St. Patrick's Day.


Brendan Behan

At Brendan Behan Pub in Jamaica Plain, I stopped in to have a Guinness.

While drinking a nice cold one, I met Rachelle Bose from Samuel Adams who asked if I wanted to try out a new Samuel Adams Nitro Stout.

Yes I would.



It was delicious with the standard chocolate/coffee notes you would expect. ;-)

It's in limited release in a few bars in the Boston and NYC area.

Bonus: Live Irish music was playing.

Massachusetts Craft Brewers Passport

Massachusetts Brewery Passport, a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

Massachusetts Craft Brewers Passport: Cool promotion from Massachusetts to visit Massachusetts Breweries!

Explore the Bay State by sampling the finely crafted ales and lagers from breweries and brew pubs, extending from Cape Cod and the Islands to the Berkshires. With over 60 breweries to visit, there is plenty of award-winning beer right around the corner.

Many of these world-class breweries feature ingredients from Massachusetts such as locally grown and malted grains, fresh hops, and indigenous yeast strains. Valley Malt, the region's first micromaltster in Hadley, works with area farmers who supply organic grains. Hops grown at Four Star Farm in Northfield and Clover Hill Farm in Hardwick are also used in many local brews. Specialty ingredients from Bay State growers include apples, blueberries, herbs, honey, maple syrup, pumpkin and even cranberries, peaches and oysters!

#SXSW 2014: A Stormtrooper Photobombed My #Selfie

Imagine Dragons at iTunes Festival At SXSW - Night 1

AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 11: Wayne Sermon (L) and Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons perform as part of the iTunes Festival at the Moody Theater on March 11, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Testing out Free photo embeds for blogs.

Stream Live TV to a Web Browser via Comcast Xfinity X1 over your Home Network

I've always wanted to be able to stream Live TV to a web browser when in my office at home.

Up until recently, my solution was Aereo TV.

Now Comcast Xfinity has come out with a new solution that lets you Stream Live TV to a Web Browser via Comcast Xfinity X1 over your Home Network.

Visit this page, Xfinity TV on X1 Platform to take a look at the TV Grid.

Then you can stream anything on your browser. Streaming also works with the Xfinity TV App.


Guide


Clicking on a program to watch or record


Watching my local CBS affiliate news, live.


Great quality.


Another view of how great the quality is.


One bonus of the Xfinity TV app is that you can download any recordings from the X1 DVR and save them TO GO on your device.

Heading to #SXSW 2014

Every year that I head down to SXSW I have to pack for all kinds of weather. This year isn't any different.


Packing.


I've got my new business cards.


My hat.


And some new shoes!

Here's my schedule.



Subject to change. Embrace Serendipity.

Meet me:

THURSDAY NIGHT
If you want to meet up, join me on Thursday night at 8:30 PM at The Gingerman for a beer.

SXSW: Calm before the storm meetup with Brian Solis.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Jeff Pulver State of Now Cocktail Party 7 PM


SUNDAY NIGHT
I will definitely be at the Wiley Author Party on Sunday night at 6:30 PM.

Meet me in Austin. Come to the #SXSW Wiley Author Party. Sunday, Mar 9 @ 6:30pm (CST) Hangar Lounge #wileysxsw
http://twtvite.com/wileysxsw14
https://www.facebook.com/events/275347972619894/

MONDAY

SXSW Photowalk with Anthony Quintano at 3:30.

The London EDITION is a great hotel

Why I love the Tate Modern Museum in London

Yuengling Launch Party for Boston

You're Better Off Manually Posting Boston.com Stories to Facebook

UPDATE BELOW: Facebook is confusing.

I liked this story, What happened when Boloco founder John Pepper became an Uber driver, on Boston.com.



I clicked the Facebook button to share the post to my timeline.

It looked like this.



This is dumb.

They made the image small AND included another story, about Avery Bradley, that I didn't want.

I deleted it.

Then I reposted it myself by copying the story title and link over to Facebook.



Now it looks better, and I had the opportunity to give Scott Kirsner a link.

UPDATE:

I just saw another image on my Facebook newsfeed and it looks like this:



Now I'm confused.

This might have something to do with viewing my own timeline vs. the newsfeed.

I'd love to hear from some Facebook experts on this.

I'm getting some coffee.

Watching the last episode of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Watching the last episode of @latenightjimmy as it was meant to be seen, on the NBC app, on an iPad, at 11:43 AM. Congrats @jimmyfallon, a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

Watching the last episode of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon as it was meant to be seen, on the NBC app, on an iPad, at 11:43 AM. Congrats Jimmy Fallon.

See you on the Tonight Show.

Ice, Art, and Valentines Day

ICE


ART

"The Hallway Gallery is excited to announce its first solo exhibition of 2014, featuring new work from Boston-based artist Clint Baclawski. Chromogenic, a site-specific installation, features a 30-foot wall photographic light mural stretching the length of the entire gallery."

Chromagenic at the hallway gallery. http://t.co/obD6VhzERN

— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) February 8, 2014

Valentines Day at CVS

HappyValentines Day at CVS! https://t.co/J3lwed0NxG

— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) February 8, 2014

I was a Joke Writer for Jay Leno

Jay Leno just ended his run as host of the Tonight Show.

I've got some great memories from being a monologue joke writer for Jay for three years in the late nineties.

RADIO PRODUCER
Back then I was a producer, on-air wacky sidekick, and writer for a Morning Show in Boston, Karlson and McKenzie. They're still on at WZLX.

When guests came in I'm greet them, get them set up in the green room, and take them on air.

I met lots of fun people. One time Eddie Money came in without a shirt. We game him a station T-Shirt. Crazy.

Here I am with Kathy Griffin.



I used to write topical jokes based on the news of the day. When comedians came in, I'd always talk to them about it.

JIMMY FALLON
One time Jimmy Fallon came in with his sister to talk about his book, that he wrote with his sister Gloria, I Hate This Place: The Pessimist's Guide to Life.



That's from when he was on Saturday Night Live. He was nice back then too.

WRITING JOKES
One time a local comedian took a look at the jokes I was writing and said that I should be writing for Jay Leno.

I asked him, "How would I do that?"

He explained that Jay have what's called Fax Joke Writers, and you were required to send in 10 jokes a day via Fax. If Jay chose to use one on the monologue, you'd get paid. He made the introductions, and I signed a contract.

One of the jokes Jay used was this one:

President Clinton was greeted by rioting citizens in Greece, who set fire to local stores.

CLINTON WAS OVERHEARD AS SAYING, "THOSE GREECE FIRES ARE HARD TO PUT OUT."

VEGAS VACATION
One time my wife and I made the not too well thought out decision to take my niece and nephew (21) to Vegas.

Coincidentally, Jay was doing a show there. I called into the show and got four VIP tickets. I was told, if there was any problem, to ask for Jay to come out to straighten things out.

My nephew hoped there'd be a problem. ;-)

There wasn't. We got center front seats in a huge banquette. It was a fun time.

Best of luck to you Jay. Thanks for the memories. ;-)

Watch the Olympics Live

Download the NBC Sports Live App to watch the Olympics.

You can temporarily watch free, or watch as long as you want, after logging in via your cable provider.

Here's this morning's slope side snowboarding.

Looks and sounds great!

Update from Comcast:

The NBC Sports Live Extra app has been added to the X1 Platform for the Olympics (so everything that’s online, including Gold Zone will be on the biggest screen in the house).  And Gold Zone: We know that football fans have grown accustomed to watching the best moments of the game with the Red Zone Channel.  Multiple events happening at the same time inspired something similar for the Olympics.  As a result, NBC created the “Gold Zone” for the Olympics which will automatically highlight Olympics events if a medal is about to be awarded.  Gold Zone is available on TV through the X1 Platform as well as through the NBC Sports Live Extra app.

 

And we're testing Instant On Demand, a new feature of our Xfinity On Demand platform that will let customers in the Boston area access NBC's primetime Olympic broadcast immediately after it starts via Xfinity On Demand.  So, if you walk in the door at 8:32 PM one night, you can start from the beginning of that night’s NBC broadcast through Instant On Demand on the X1 Platform.  You could do this up until 10:59 PM if you didn’t want to wait for NBC’s replay to start later in the evening.

 

Oh, and, we opened up our Xfinity WiFi hotspots throughout the country for all mobile Internet users so that they could enjoy the Olympics on the go.  Then, when an Xfinity Internet customer gets home they’re automatically logged in on their mobile device for the NBC Sports Live Extra app or NBCOlympics.com

Spencer Trappist Ale Beer Bread

When I heard that there was a recipe for bread that included beer in it, I was interested.

I found a recipe at Food.com: Beer Bread.

Here it is, slightly modified.

Ingredients:



3 cups Self-Rising Flour(sifted)
1/4 cup sugar
1 12 ounce bottle of Spencer Trappist Ale
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients, beer, and softened butter.
3. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.
4. Pour melted butter over mixture.
5. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

Live from Boston http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stevegarfield

Live from Boston http://www.ustream.tv_channel_stevegarfield, a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

Live from Boston on Ustream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stevegarfield



Live streaming video by Ustream

Live video via Ustream on Samsung Galaxy Camera. CC BY-NC-SA

Thanks @SamsungMobileUS for the review unit.


Samsung Galaxy Camera EK-GC100 8GB White, Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean) 3G Unlocked HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 by Samsung from New Generation Products

Correction: Steve Jobs’s address to the Boston Computer Society has been widely distributed

Boston Globe: 30 years later, Steve Jobs still inspires:

Though video of Jobs’s address to the Boston Computer Society has not been widely distributed, Dan Bricklin has his own copy that he often shows when speaking to business school students.

Time.com: Exclusive: Watch Steve Jobs’ First Demonstration of the Mac for the Public, Unseen Since 1984

Yuri Baranovsky Breaks Another Leg With Viral Super Bowl Commercial

Back in the early days of video blogging, I had a web series called Vlog Soup.

It was a show that highlighted the best of web video.

In August of 2007 I highlighted a web series by Yuri Baranovsky called Break A Leg.

I thought the show was so funny, that in my video review, I edited out one of the characters and inserted myself into the video.

Here's the episode:



Yuri is having fun again with this Super Bowl commercial satire, Swiffle. He calls it a, "faux satirically sexist superbowl ad."



Some people think it's real:

cleveland.com: Super Bowl commercials 2014: Watch early ads from M&M's, Audi, Bud Light and more

CBS New York: WATCH: Big List Of Super Bowl XLVIII Commercials And Teasers


Image: Courtesy BET

BET: Ad on the Play: Super Bowl XLVIII Commercial Preview

Some people are upset.

I told Yuri that I thought that having the actress chew gum made it look like it wasn't a real ad.

Yuri replied, "Well we really didn't think anyone in their right mind would think it's real. It's completely ridiculous..."

Ha!

Searching for Chip and Pin Credit Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fee

I'm searching for Chip and Pin Credit Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fee.

I've gotten Travelex Cash Passport Card in the past: Buying a Chip and Pin Card in the US for England.

More on the Travelex card:

Your Cash Passport Card is a prepaid card which is loaded with money prior to your trip, locking in the exchange rate of the funds you load each time you load, reload or transfer currencies on the card.

Oops: Fees & Limits for Your Multi-currency Cash Passport™ Prepaid Mastercard®:

Foreign Exchange Fee 5.50%

Researching online:
FlyerTalk Forums Thread Wiki: USA EMV cards available today (Chip & PIN -or- Chip & Signature):

What is the difference between Chip-and-Signature and Chip-and-PIN?
You insert the chipped card into the slot. The physical contact terminal will read the EMV chip and the terminal will automatically read the preferred cardholder verification methods (called CVM) for that card.

Chip-and-Signature means that the terminal will printout a receipt for you to sign. This is the most prevalent authentication for most US issued EMV cards. Chip-and-Signature helps in a way that it will get through to face-to-face merchant transactions where you and the merchant do not speak the same language.

Chip-and-PIN means that the terminal will prompt you to input a PIN for authentication. Some credit union issued credit cards will have this CVM as secondary if Chip-and-Signature cannot be done. Chip-and-PIN is the more prevalent method of authentication used outside the US, especially in transaction environments where no human interaction is needed (i.e. automated gas pumps, toll roads, train kiosks, etc.).

Using twitter to help:

AMEX - No. Chip and Signature only.

@AskAmex Do you have a card that supports Chip and Pin technology, with no foreign transaction fees?

— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) January 31, 2014

@stevegarfield chip and signature, it needs to be requested on the card. ^R

— Ask Amex (@AskAmex) January 31, 2014

@AskAmex How about Chip and Pin? When will you have that?

— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) January 31, 2014

@stevegarfield Chip and Pin we do not offer, we offer something similar, chip and signature. ^R

— Ask Amex (@AskAmex) January 31, 2014

Discover - Not yet.

@Discover Do you have a card that supports Chip and Pin technology?

— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) January 31, 2014

@stevegarfield Hi there. We don't have one available right now, but are working to add one in the future. Please continue checking! *Miranda

— Discover (@Discover) January 31, 2014

Visa - Ask a Visa Card Issuer.

@askvisa Do you have a card that supports Chip and Pin technology, with no foreign transaction fees?

— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) January 31, 2014

@stevegarfield Hi Steve. Please address your inquiry to the financial institutions as they issue & manage all Visa cards. You’ll find (1/2)

— Ask Visa (@askvisa) January 31, 2014

@stevegarfield a list of several Visa card issuers who offer the chip card program in the US at: http://t.co/uC3FHzJcjP (2/2)

— Ask Visa (@askvisa) January 31, 2014

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Chip and Signature

@ChaseSupport Does Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card have Chip and Pin technology?

— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) January 31, 2014

@stevegarfield 1/2 We offer Chip & Signature tech on Sapphire Preferred, British Airways, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott Premier & Hyatt cards.

— Chase Support (@ChaseSupport) January 31, 2014

@stevegarfield 2/2 Please click http://t.co/azT9YIDP7r to compare & apply for any of these. I will forward your feedback internally. ^DS

— Chase Support (@ChaseSupport) January 31, 2014

@stevegarfield This is something we're considering, but don't have any definitive info currently. I'll ensure your feedback is reviewed. ^DS

— Chase Support (@ChaseSupport) January 31, 2014

This is a handy Google Doc:

EMV cards available in the US

Update:



Bank of America Merrill Lynch adds Chip and Pin Technology to it's Travelcards:

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, a leader in card services for middle-market, large corporate and public sector clients, today announced that it is expanding chip and PIN technology to all purchasing and travel credit card products available to clients in the United States. This is the latest development in the company’s ongoing effort to rollout EMV^® (EuroPay Mastercard Visa) technology to its global client base.

“We’re committed to providing the most technologically advanced solutions, which our clients increasingly need to improve efficiencies while adding another layer of security,” said Kevin Phalen, head of Global Card and Comprehensive Payables in Global Transaction Services (GTS). “More of our clients are asking for chip and PIN capability – not just for their key executives but for their entire employee base – and we have directed significant investments into our card platform to meet that demand.”

BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit Card.

Great recipe from food.com, Irish Sour Cream Bread.

Great recipe from food.com, Irish Sour Cream Bread.

atmark Winter Wonderland

It's 2014, Come On Boston Globe, Link to the Main Subject of your Story!

They don't care.

Once again The Boston Globe doesn't link to the main subject of their story.

STORY:
Boston Globe: ’14 Marathon apparel draws mixed early reviews.

The 2014 Celebration Jacket made its debut last week in Solar Zest, a fluorescent orange with contrast blue and white striping around the shoulders and across the back. Boston Athletic Association officials consulted with Adidas on the colors and design, which include an embroidered BAA logo with the words “Boston Runs as One” on the back collar. The saying is an evolution of Adidas’s “Boston Stands as One” motto conceived just days after last year’s Marathon bombings.

MAIN SUBJECT:

The Boston Marathon The 2014 Celebration Jacket.

If readers want to learn more they'll have to use Google or Bing, or copy and paste, to see the source.

In this story, readers will want to see a larger image of the jacket, or buy the jacket. What's the Globe afraid of?

Linking out to the adidas site would make things a lot easier. See below.

CHANGE THIS:

The 2014 Celebration Jacket...

Ranft, who will run in support of the Brookline Teen Center, isn’t sure he will buy the $110 jacket, which is available at adidas.com. He’s seems to be in good company, given the stream of critical reviews at the sportswear company’s e-commerce site.

TO THIS:

The 2014 Celebration Jacket...

Ranft, who will run in support of the Brookline Teen Center, isn’t sure he will buy the $110 jacket, which is available at adidas.com. He’s seems to be in good company, given the stream of critical reviews at the sportswear company’s e-commerce site.