2016 Judges

Noticing that there was a void of female influence in the technology blogosphere, Helena started Chip Chick in 2004. A native New Yorker, Helena holds a Master’s in Digital Imaging and Design from NYU and she has a background in the interactive and social media fields. She has been featured on MSNBC, Woman’s Day magazine, and other major news outlets. And when she is not busy testing out new gear, she can be found trotting the globe, looking for the next hot gadget.

Gloria has always been involved with technology, though initially not as a writer. She started out designing websites and running Web usability tests, where she learned to observe how people really use technology, and she continues to put that experience to use as a tech reviewer and journalist. She’s a regular contributor to Techlicious, Computer Shopper, Tom’s Hardware, Digital Trends, Shaw Media, and has previously written for ZDNet and Fast Company. She is a a frequent speaker on tech panels, and judges both the CODiE Awards for the Best Mobile App for Consumers and Mobile Apps Showdown at CES.

Michael Fisher is the reviews editor at Pocketnow, where he evaluates new smartphones, tablets and smartwatches for a YouTube audience of over a million subscribers. A lifelong Star Trek fan, he’s been captivated by mobile technology since he saw his first tricorder. After a decade of devoting his life to acting and voiceover work while following mobile technology on the side, Michael decided to invert that arrangement in 2012 – and his life has made much more sense ever since. He usually carries an Android smartphone (paired with an Android smartwatch) but often indulges his inner contrarian by also carrying one of the many Windows Phones he’s collected over the years. He makes his home in Boston, MA.

Judie Lipsett Stanford is a rancher, a blogger, a technology expert, and a gadget lover. Long before the current smartphone and tablet fever began, Judie saw a growing rift between the complexity of available technology and the ability for most people to understand, much less use it. She set out to help explain current trends and devices in language non-techies could understand, and she surrounded herself with other writers who could do the same. As the founder, Editor-In-Chief, and co-owner of Gear Diary, Judie helps introduce new technology, software, and gear to thousands of people every day. As a consumer electronics expert, Judie has been invited to consult with a number of major tech companies who value her insights and experience. As a contributing writer, she has been featured in several international publications and sites, and as an early adopter she can always be found with the newest gear.

Sukh is the Co-Founder of UCIC app, and the 2015 Live and Online winner of the Mobile Apps Showdown. UCIC (“you see, I see”) is a consumer mobile app that lets you see any place in the world real-time. Users can google map a location, find another UCIC user there, and request a quick photo or video, all in a matter of seconds. The uses include seeing if a restaurant is packed, checking out a club when deciding where to go out, finding out if the surf’s up before heading to the beach, or finding out if a store has a certain sale item left. UCIC gives consumers this type of real-time valuable information for a spectrum of uses for which there is no other substitute today. The app is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.