Hi. I’m Deborah Shadovitz.
Friends, clients, fellow travelers, readers, and listeners call me Deb.

Friends always teased, “Deb’s out to change the world” — and it was and still is true.

For years, I’ve shared Macintosh and Web skills— making computers easy for people so they can achieve what they seek to achieve. (Mac since 1989, web since the web started.)

I open the possibilities of world travel to people — because true travel connects you to the world spiritually and intellectually in ways that nothing else can! I particularly love helping women over 40 go traveling. That’s called Don’t Fear Travel (aka Tales Of Travel And Tech and it’s based on my own travels.

Before I continue with my regular page info, a message to the members of the Syosset High School (SHS) Class of ’75: Hard to believe but it’s time for our big Reunion. Please visit SHS75reunion.com so we can include you in the events polling and all the info so you can attend.

Quick summary of Deborah Shadovitz:

Some of what I do (or did)….

I’m a writer/author, speaker, instructor, consultant, and radio person — specializing in Macintosh, Internet, Web design/use/UI, and travel. I’ve even produced Macintosh events in LA and during Macworld — and produced my own Macintosh expo!
Radio & Public Speaking:

• Computer Talk Radio — I’m on the air weekly on this nationally syndicated radio program with computer nerd Benjamin Rockwell. (Some more about my Computer Talk Radio segments here.) However, in December, I took a hiatus due to a 10 hour time difference and freezing overnight tempertures in Israel’s high mountain area. I am not currently speaking on CTR.
• I’ve been speaking to groups about the Mac, websites, internet use and more for many years as well. If you need a dynamic speaker for any of these topics, lets talk, especially now as I am already traveling.
• For some years, I was a Mac expert on Jeff Levy’s Computer show in Los Angelese and helped with segments behind the scenes. You can hear some of my radio segments on my speaker page.
• I speak about world travel, about issues of technology during travel, and about packing and preparing wisely.
  If you want to be inspired to travel the world, I’m your person — and I am available for speaking engagements!
• Learn about me as a speaker.

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“Thank you for coming to present to us.
Everyone was very engaged and interested in what you shared. They’re rarely so enthusiastic during a presentation.  ~DK 2016
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Web Design and Website Authoring:
A website isn’t much help if the right people can’t find it or if visitors can’t quickly see what your site offers them. Frankly, I’m rather unique in that I design a clear user interface, format the pages for the best search results — and most importantly, write copy that’s right for a website as opposed to any other medium. Whether you already have a site or are just starting one, you can still benefit from my expertise. More about my website work.

Freelance writing:
I have a long history of well-received books, newspaper and magazine columns and feature articles, and web-published articles. I have written for every major Macintosh publication, been published in PC World, and been published in several countries outside of the USA as well.

After years of writing only about Mac and Web, I went back to a bit of travel and other writing. In 2009, I also did a sting as Editor of ValleyLife magazine. {PHOTO: Travel article, Laguna Beach, by Deborah Shadovitz}

My favorite focus these days is writing about travel AND THINGS RELATED. I am always free to travel and I am comfortable in any accommodation from a tent or hostel to a 5-Star hotel, in new hotels or in ancient ones, in almost any part of the world.

You can see some of this on my author page.

Macintosh Consulting & Training:

Teaching Mac, helping people with Mac and writing about it, go hand-in-hand for me. However, I’m not actively doing this any longer because I’d have to leave my clients when I travel. I did, however, help plenty of hosts, friends, and fellow travelers while on the road.

When Apple was going through its most difficult times, both the LA Times and the LA Daily News contacted me as an expert to learn from and quote. See the LA Daily News article — and where I was quoted in Women’s Day.

Events:

I am not currently producing events but these were a few of my creations.

• My Macworld Expo parties. I broke the mold by creating the first free, open-to-all-badge-holders party. People thought I was crazy when I created this party but I had faith in my fellow Mac users. The party was a huge success and more such unique parties followed until Apple opted to pull out of Macworld Expo. (I’ll be returning links to these events shortly.)
  Party for the People 2004, 2005, 2006
  The 2007 Mac Mingle, The 2008 Mac Mingle,The 2009 Mac Mingle
• MacDayLA — a one-day Mac event
• The MacGathering™ — a full-fledged Apple/Macintosh event. Custom-designed top-notch seminars & classes, plus unique social happenings.

How to contact me (updated Dec ’18):

I gave up my landline in 2011 when I gave up having an apartment. Soon after, I gave up my long-time AT&T cell number because the fees for maintaining it were insane. However, I made sure there was always some way for friends and clients to get in touch with me, no matter where I went.
Here’s how to contact me:

• iMessage — if you’re an Apple user. Unlike regular texting, Mac users from OS X 10.9 and up or iOS 6 or 7 on up can text for free — and the messages are encrypted. My email addresses are attached to my iMessage so you can text me for free no matter what country I am in. (I give my address right below.)
• Text me — only if you know my phone number and you and I are in the same country.
• Send me an email — deb at this domain.
• Have old-fashioned patience with email as I’m in different time zones when out of the country, and don’t check email often when I’m out around LA either.
• Use WhatsApp (or better, Signal)— for texts or calls. WhatsApp says it’s encrypted and it may be, but it’s owned by Facebook so I don’t trust it much.
  You will see me on it if you have my Google Voice # in your address book.
  WhatsApp enables us to text, send photos or video for free and across counties, even when I (or you) don’t have an active cell phone number. Signal is just texting (at least as I write this) but I trust it much more.
  
• Call or text my Google Voice mail — if you know my GV#
  • When I’m in the USA, it will forward your calls to my US SIM.
  • If not, it’s Voice Mail-only and you’ll hear me say to leave a message. Speaking very clearly, leave me a detailed message, but this is Google so don’t get too personal. Be sure to leave your # and email address.
    When online, I’ll see your words as text and can listen to your message. If you don’t leave a message I will not call you back because I get wrong callers seeking baby formula daily.
• Viber — Another VOIP app, it lets us call app-to-app for free. If I use it to call you, you’ll see my GoogleVoice #.
• For a while I tested Glide but just haven’t had time for it — for video talks. It works app-to-app. You’ll also fnd me on this via my GV#. The great thing about Glide is taht you can leave a video message or I can hear you and pick up — and the video doesn’t get stored on our phones killing important storage space.
• In Central America I also used Voxer but it’s not in my regular bag of tricks now, just because I have too many methods at once. I also used and loved Vonaage Mobile App while it was available.
  
  Looking for my brother, David Shadovitz, the ColdFusion software engineer and bicycle mechanic? You can reach him via this link.
  Looking for another Shadovitz?
  Chances are, he/she is a relative, so send me a note to forward.

  Thanks for visiting
  ~ Deborah (“Deb”)
  PS: that’s me in an Eskimo jacket when I came to Anchorage
  as a book author and spoke at several venues.