secret messages

The Kids are Back in School, Now What?

August 18, 2016 By Matt Raithel

The first days of school are a flurry; everyone is adjusting to the new schedule, parents are purchasing more school supplies and clothes, teachers are readying their classes for the year to come. Once the school bus dust settles and all begins to feel routine, we suggest Snotes to shake things up.

Check out this blog sharing fun ideas using Snotes for parties, scavenger hunts, a special night out or for education purposes.
Make “Thank You” Snotes for teachers, friends and family members.
Guess who will win an upcoming sports game, whether it’s a professional team or hometown team, and have kids include their prediction in a Snote.
Create a game where kids write poems about their pet, a favorite sport or a memory of a family vacation or celebration.
Have kids provide 4 clues about an animal they are thinking about in a Snote, once everyone knows the clues, they then guess the animal.

Recently, we shared some compliments to share, including some of the fun and quirky sort. Here a few for the kids, include them in their lunchbox or backpack:

You’re special in every way, I love you more every day!

You are sweeter than candy and more fun too!

We are very proud of everything you are and do

Since the dawn of time, the world has waited for you

You are amazing, smart and magical!

Educators take note! We’ve created templates just for you. These templates are ideal for creating flashcards, but flashcards with a twist that is sure to keep kids attentive to the lesson at hand. Check out this page for more information on SmartSnotes.

Happy School Year to all the students, educators and parents; may this be your most successful school year to date!

Spies and Secret Messaging – now it’s your turn

July 7, 2016 By Matt Raithel

spy4 In our past couple of blogs we have shared with you some known tools of the spy trade. In our own research we found that many of these items can be found on display at the Spy Museum, which is fittingly located in Washington, D.C.

But you don’t have to leave your home to get your spy on. Snotes provides an easy and fun way to create your own secret messages to send to friends and family. Here are some examples of how you can spy with Snotes:

Spy Party: Create and print up Snotes invites and deliver them in envelopes marked “Top Secret.” Invite guests to show up in disguise. Activities could include fingerprint artwork, a physical training course for spy training, car chase practice using remote-controlled cars and a target practice area with hoops and balls or bullseye posters and Frisbees. Food could include pizza with pepperoni formed into question marks and a cake with “hidden secrets.”
Scavenger Hunt: Scavenger hunts are popular for kids and adults. Create Snotes with clues on what participants are to find, adding a whole of layer of challenge and intrigue.
Night Out: Make a night out even more fun! Share the date, time and disguise (dress code) with your guests, but tell them that the location will be shared through a secret Snote on the day of the event, leaving them to wonder all week about what interesting destination you have chosen for the adventure.
Engage Them: People have come up with some amazing ways to become engaged. We have our own amazing way – send your love a Snote revealing the location of a secret surprise. Leave another Snote at the location asking for their hand in marriage – and make sure to show up at the same time with a ring!
Educate Them: Whether you are educating children or adults, it is a known fact that students are more receptive to learning and retention if they participate in the process. Use Snotes to create learning games. For example you could 1) include quiz questions on Snotes, 2) include quotes on Snotes and have them guess the author or 3) play a trivia game and include the clues on Snotes.

Snotes Premium users can not only make Snotes progressively harder to read, but can also download and print Snotes, as well as choose from the hundreds of animations – which create a great end frame for your Snotes message – something you can’t do if you’re just a regular user.

The Spy aspect is fun – but unless you have a Snotes Premium account, you’re missing out on some really cool Snotes-style spyware.

Spies and Secret Messaging – Part 2

June 22, 2016 By Matt Raithel

spy2 In our previous blog we shared spy technologies of days gone by. Today we reveal a bit more of the tools utilized by the spies of yesteryear. Read on!

Cipher Disk: Developed by Italian architect and author Leon Battista Alberti, this device consisted of two concentric circles; each circle included the alphabet, one circle moved, while the other remained stationary. Though a simple device, it was used in a variety of ways.

Pigeon Camera: Just as it sounds, a small time-delayed camera was attached to a homing pigeon. These mini-aerial-photographers were amazing; some were even awarded for their bravery.

Tree Stump Bug: US Intelligence Agents once placed a bug inside a tree stump, which was then hidden in a forested area in Moscow. The bug picked up and transmitted satellite communications. In order to forego battery changes and potential discovery, the device was solar powered; sunlight came through the top of the stump, which appeared to be opaque, but was actually transparent. It may have stumped the KGB for a time, but it was eventually discovered.

Dog Doo Transmitter: This transmitter looked like dog doo, but was actually a rather complex device. Since it did look like doo-doo, the likelihood was high that folks would steer clear, though there was always the chance that a clean up crew would come along.

Hidden Cameras: Candid Camera was a popular television show that involved a hidden camera catching some funny practical and harmless jokes played on unsuspecting folks. Spy Cameras were quite the opposite; they were meant to catch unsuspecting folks in order to gather information about sinister and secret goings on. Such mini-cameras were hidden in numerous items like buttonholes, fountain pens, key chains, briefcases, cigarette cases, cigarette lighters and rings.

Cyanide Glasses: If the future is not looking so bright, these specs may come in handy. Hidden inside the tip was a cyanide pellet that could be used if the future looked a bit more bleak and torturous.

Now it’s your turn to play spy! With a Snotes Premium Account you are provided with even more options for creating truly secret notes. There is a “Line Jumble” option, which allows you to change the order of appearance of the lines of your message, making it more difficult to figure out. For example, “THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPED OVER THE LAZY DOG” could be rearranged to: “JUMPED OVER BROWN FOX LAZY DOG THE QUICK”. The key is to make sure that you have only one number assigned to each line.

There is also an option for changing the “Axis” or reference line, which causes the lines to appear at different angles and make reading the Snote even more challenging.

While creating your Snote, you can always click on the “Help” button, located in the upper right hand corner of the Snotes Generator page, for more information on how to make the most of Snotes. Find you inner spy today and make some secret message Snotes!

Licensing Expo 2016

June 9, 2016 By Matt Raithel

Snotes is setting the stage for our next appearance on the show floor of Licensing Expo 2016. Last year marked the beginning of an amazing journey for us. While at the Expo we met several key companies, one of which resulted in a partnership with Regiolatina, our exclusive agent for marketing Snotes products in the country of Mexico.

This year’s Expo will take us back to Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The show runs from June 21 – 23, 2016. Licensing is a significant avenue for Snotes and we have identified three key areas of focus, all of which we believe have major opportunities just waiting to unfold.

You can see several examples of what some of those opportunities are by visiting our website and clicking on our licensing opportunities for Business, Consumer Products and Education:

Businesses will be interested to learn how Snotes can help extend their corporate brand by adding a layer of interest in items as simple as a coupon, to website drivers, contests, in-store promotions and employee recognition awards.
In the Consumer Products world, there are endless possibilities for Snotes – including jewelry, pendants, home items, coloring books, games, accessories and even temporary tattoos. We are especially excited about Snotes on all things wedding – invitations, glassware and gift items. Our Snotes LoveKnots monograms represent a unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity for wedding planners and paper companies catering to the bride and groom.
For Education, Snotes has already experienced an influx of attention from educators involved in GAFE (Google Apps for Education) and Breakout EDU; two groups that champion the use of innovation to engage and challenge students. We are ready to demonstrate how Snotes can engage and inspire students and make learning a little more fun in the process.

Last year, Snotes spent time observing and learning about the licensing industry. This past year, we have positioned ourselves to take our Snotes licensing opportunities to the next level. During the three-day Expo, we have targeted several impressive companies and organizations and have arranged meetings where we’ll get the opportunity to meet one-on-one to demonstrate how the power of Snotes can benefit their business. We also are expecting quite a crowd at our Snotes booth that highlights Snotes technology in a colorful and attention-getting way.

Stay tuned for more to come as we venture into the next exciting chapter for Snotes. We thank you for taking this journey with us!

Spies and Secret Messaging

May 26, 2016 By Matt Raithel

spy1 The very idea of “spies” conjures up sleek daredevils ready to jump from a plane at any given moment or masterminds creating innovative spy technologies used to listen in on an enemy’s secret conversations.

Movie spies like James Bond have plenty of interesting spy gadgets at their disposal. Spy gadgets are not just the things of movies; some such gadgets actually did (and do) exist! Let’s take a look back and find out some old school tools spies used to gather intel and send their own secret messages.

Lipstick Pistol: Used in the 1960s by the KGB, these lipstick cases delivered a “kiss of death.” The case contained a 4.5mm single shot weapon. Sure to help any lady spy find a quick way to deliver some real lip service.

More Ways to Pack a Pistol: Packing hidden heat came in many other interesting forms including gloves, tobacco pipes, and mobile phones.

Spy-Coins: Not a form of payment accepted only by spies, instead spy-coins provided an ingenious way to send secret messages, hold suicide poisons and transfer microfilms.

Transmitter Shoes: Get Smart fans will immediately think of Maxwell Smart’s shoe phone, but transmitters in shoes were a real “heel” deal. A conversation could be transmitted to a monitoring station, leaving the shoe-wearing spy to walk all over his enemies.

Spy Umbrella: It’s sure to be a rainy day for the target that meets up with this umbrella. AKA the Bulgarian Umbrella, the shaft of the umbrella was modified to deliver poison via a tiny pellet. One was used to assassinate Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian dissident.

Enigma Cipher Machine: Invented by the Germans, the Enigma Cipher Machine was essentially used to create secret messages through letter substitution; another letter would be substituted as each letter was typed – the one who knew the deciphering code could retrieve the resulting message, leaving the rest to only imagine.

During World War II, and quite possibly the event that finally helped to end the war, the Enigma Code was cracked by a mathematician named Alan Turing. You can get your own taste of creating coded messages – then challenge your friends to crack the code.

A Snotes Premium Account provides users with themed animations that offer a special twist – your Snote message will be automatically scrambled so that the individual you’re sending it to will have to type in the letters shown on each line and use our Secret Decoder to unscramble it for them! Get started creating your own secret messages today!

Snotes are Secret Notes

May 12, 2016 By Matt Raithel

Secrets are intriguing; from celebrity beauty secrets to hidden messages in famous pieces of artwork, we love to learn about secrets. The internet is filled with revealing secrets found in logos, nature, songs and more. Let’s take a look!

Logos: You may know that Amazon has everything from A – Z, but did you notice that their logo actually spells it out for us? Have you ever noticed the arrow in the FedEx logo? There’s some rather ingenious design in the logos we see everyday. See the thought behind these two and learn about many others here.

Ads: For decades, advertisers have worked to capture our attention. But have they also attempted to make impressions that dig a bit deeper into our psyche? Check out these ads.

Songs: Some of those beloved tunes may not be about what they seem to be on the surface. We leave you to be the judge. While you’re at it, here are a few more.

Movies and TV Shows: What we watch on both the big and small screens are often filled with a variety of secret messages. The hidden messages may be to show gratitude, share an inside joke, or just be plain fun. The practice has been around for a long time, even the infamous Alfred Hitchcock is said to have taken a part in it. Also, check out a few more of these secret messages hidden in the background.

Artwork: Secret messages have even shown up in some of our most treasured pieces of art like the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, the Sistine Chapel and more.

Social Media: Facebook has a secret message folder – you could be receiving messages and have no idea. This folder is meant to keep spam at bay, but you may want to take a peek; you never know if someone you wish to connect with has sent along a message. Some other social media sites have a few secrets of their own as well.

Remember Magic Eye? Intrigued by Optical Illusions? Did you love finding the hidden objects in Highlights? If so, then you’ll love Snotes!

Snotes stands for “Secret Notes”. At first glance, a Snote looks like some form of art, but in reality it is a secret message where the “art” is actually an interesting configuration of letters. In order to read the secret message, you’ll need to be shown. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to learn.

Create some Snotes today and have fun sharing your secret messages with friends and family! Who knows, you might figure a way to use them to create your own da Vinci code.

Happy Mother’s Day from Snotes!

April 28, 2016 By Matt Raithel

Throughout history we have celebrated mothers. Anna Jarvis, who in 1908 held a memorial ceremony in honor of her own mother as well as all mothers, created the holiday. She wrote numerous letters to businesses, various churches and politicians to promote the day. Her efforts led people in the United States to begin to recognize Mother’s Day, and the celebration spread to other countries. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson made it official and declared the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day in the USA.

Mothers nurture us, teach us, feed us, clean up after us, fund our fun and education, and put us before themselves. They ask for little in return. Moms tend to see your happiness and well-being as payment for all their hard work. Of course, they deserve at least one day of recognition, and this year we will do so on May 8, 2016.

So how will you celebrate your mother this year?

In the USA we make mom breakfast in bed or take her to brunch. Many times there are flowers, if not jewelry involved. Mom is to do no work on this day. Other countries, like France for example, celebrate Mother’s Day in much the same way.

In Mexico, Mother’s Day is serious business. It is by far the busiest day of the year for restaurants. The day is filled with great food, much celebration, flowers (an absolute must) and music by way of serenading mariachis.

Brazilians will tell you that Mother’s Day is second only to Christmas when it comes to gifts, church gatherings, and performances. Moms can expect a fabulous barbecue in their honor on this day.

In Japan, moms are given carnations, which represent the gentle strength of mothers. Children will typically create a drawing for mom; several areas even hold art contests. Of course, kids do the chores for the day, leaving mom to rest and relax.

Australians also present carnations to mom. Mother’s Day in Australia is also a day for raising funds for women’s causes.

Ethiopians celebrate mothers as part of a three-day festival, which celebrates clear skies after the rainy season. Daughters traditionally gift mom with vegetables, butter, spices and cheese, while sons bring meat.

In Serbia, lots of rope sales take place in December, which is also when the holidays of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Children’s Day are celebrated. Children are tied up and must agree to behave before being let loose on Children’s Day. Next it’s mom’s turn; on her day she is tied up and must supply treats and gifts to the children before being untied. Dads are also tied up on their day and not set free until they provide Christmas gifts to their family.

No matter your way of celebrating Mom, a few loving words from you, and crafted into a colorful and animated Snote, is a great way to celebrate and honor her.

With a Snotes Premium account, you can create and print your own customized greeting card with a true message from the heart. Or you could get really creative and print out all kinds of Snotes to Mom – leaving them taped to the refrigerator, at the kitchen table, on top of the washer or dryer or delivered on a tray when you serve her breakfast in bed – all with the message of no cooking, no cleaning, no washing or drying – today all you do is get loved.

The wonderful thing about Snotes is that we supply the canvas and leave you to come up with more creative, unexpected ways to surprise Mom and to let her know again and again just how much she means to you.

Learn how easy it is to make a Snote, and send along your love to mom today!

Welcome to April!

April 14, 2016 By Matt Raithel

earth+day+2016 April showers bring May flowers, but with Snotes you can bring flowers any time of year. Our animations include flowers with butterflies, fairies, dragonflies and humming birds. Help your friends welcome in this lovely month of spring by sending them a Snote. Remind them they are a breath of fresh air, that they put a spring in your step and that being with them is like walking on sunshine.

April also brings Earth Day on April 22. As the stewards of this planet, we certainly need at least one day to tip our hat, take a bow and go outside to be with our home and thank the earth for providing us with everything we need to be happy, healthy and wise.

Snotes animation themes provide you with several ways to share your celebration of earth; a view of our lovely blue planet from space or several themes that feature natural scenes and earth’s amazing animals. We also have animations depicting some of earth’s popular places to visit; New York, London, China, Paris, Egypt, San Francisco and Snote’s own hometown of St. Louis. Plus, since Snotes are created and can be delivered digitally, you will not need paper resources or transportation. Look at you – reducing your carbon footprint – way to go!

Here are some other ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day:

Step up your recycling program with these apps.
Plant a tree! Trees for the Earth is the theme for Earth Day 2016.
Vow to give up bottled water; fill and carry your own water with you.
Remember to turn off the lights when you leave a room.
Don’t leave the faucet running when brushing teeth and fix leaky faucets.
Attend an Earth Day Fair.
Buy local as much as possible.
Choose to pay bills the paperless way.
Organize a community cleanup.

Just a few easy ways to go green and celebrate our Earth!

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