Netgear – Step Up Your Gear

December 12, 2014 by 3 Comments

There are many ways to get onto the internet and one of the most important aspects of this is your access point. Most often your access point is through a router and one of the most prolific router companies is Netgear. Today we will be looking at two new Netgear products which are sure to get you zipping along the internet in no time, be it at home or on the go.

pic1First up is for our traveling readers- often times while traveling, a Router and Range Extender would make web surfing a breeze. The new Trek is just that. It acts as a router, range extender, access point or a bridge and it small enough to fit in a laptop bag too.

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The way it works is twofold, 1 it can take a wireless connection and create a secure wireless Wi-Fi network or it can boost an existing Wi-Fi network to cover more area. Either way the device works great. You even have the option to power it with either a wall outlet or via usb, so even when in a tight spot with a laptop and the trek it is still possible to be the internet hero of the group. With either sharing a single wired connection and prepping for a meeting or just trying to connect more than one device which paying for access to one connection. The Trek has a multitude of uses which will become more apparent as you use it more often. At home or on the go it’s the perfect Wi-Fi companion.
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Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, technology

Sprint Aquos SmartPhone

December 12, 2014 by 4 Comments

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Influence Central (#MC) for Sprint. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating.

pic2I am a Sprint Ambassador and will be sharing my experiences testing various Sprint devices and services for the remainder of the year. I bring you the hottest new Sprint devices on the market, and today we are looking at the new Sharp Aquos on the Sprint network. The Aquos has quite a few interesting characteristics to set it apart from the crowd. The most obvious is the screen. One look and you can see the screen goes all the way to the edge. No longer is there a border around your screen. This is alot more interesting and fun then you would suspect. The only downside being you will want an edgeless phone more often then not now.

pic1In addition to the new edgeless design, this phone also features an emphasis on its camera. The camera sports two 8 MP (3,264×2,448 photo resolution; 1080p@30FPS video resolution) and 1.2MP front-facing cameras (1,280×960 photo resolution; 720p@30FPS video resolution). There is also a new mode of picture taking called night shot which makes both the subject and background brighter, for those difficult nighttime shots.
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Pokemon Art Academy

November 27, 2014 by 2 Comments

Pokemon is an ever evolving universe of characters. The most recent addition has the player take on the role of an artist going to the Pokemon Art Academy. As such the player learns how to use various methods and tools to make beautiful poke-art.

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As a young artist enrolled in Pokemon Art Academy, players learn from Professor Andy to draw some of their favorite Pokemon. In lessons which get harder and harder progressing from simple shape design and coloring to shading and blending users go from basic drawing to full color shaded Pokemon in all their glory. The Pokemon come from all the known regions so your favorite is probably involved, Little Man loves drawing Pikachu and the little critter is there. There are also various tolls at your disposal as an artist from pencils to paint brushes the possibilities for the artwork is only held back by your child’s imagination. The lessons involved show step by step how to create wonderful works of art which can then be practiced in free mode which lets players draw anything they wish. The drawings themselves can be posted to the Miiverse.
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Mario Kart 7

November 24, 2014 by 2 Comments

And now, for a timely Mario Kart 7 review. Sure this review is taking place after Mario Kart 8, but something to keep in mind is that this is the 3DS’s Mario Kart, not the Wii U. So instead of huge races with tons of characters red shelling each other, you have tight turns and blood thirsty Princesses on your morning train ride.

20140919_171459Nintendo have made a new Mario Kart for every console and one of their most recent is Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS. This game sports more tracks, easy multiplayer over the internet, and a bunch of characters to zip around tracks with. As an avid Mario Kart fan, but not a very good racer, I thoroughly enjoy Mario Kart with every iteration. The fun, light hearted racing can go from item using fun at break neck speeds to nail biting close finishes in a matter of moments. Never in any series of games have I cursed so many times at so many cute characters.
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LeapTV – Learning With Video Games

November 23, 2014 by 8 Comments

Disclosure- I revived the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and honest.

LeapTV is the newest gaming console by LeapFrog. This console differs greatly from its bigger counter parts, Playstation 4 and Xbox One, in quite a few areas but most of all the LeapTv is geared toward little ones and learning. With fun characters and fun new ways to interact with them, learning is much less of a chore and much more a fun game time.

kids gaming systemLeapFrog have been making educational based games for years now and their most recent gaming console the LeapTV brings them a step further into the future. The console features three forms of input body motion, so that the kids can see themselves on TV moving around.  This is best for sports games where the user can block the soccer ball or kick a ball for examples. The second is turn, move, and twist the controller- this is much like other motion controllers, but it also includes twist capabilities which is perfect for puzzle solving or moving a character on the screen. The last way to input with the system is a classic controller, perfect for those who enjoy old school input, great for platforming games which have been classically played with a d0pad and buttons. An interesting fact about the controller is that the motion sensing and classic controller are the same controller, just in a different configuration.  Once your child is accustomed to using on controller they are used to both of them.
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Yuggler – The Family Friendly Vacation App

November 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Finding things to do with kids can be difficult, especially if you are new to an area (or if you have been in an area for a while and seem to have done ‘everything’).  That is, unless you have a friend who knows all the great spots to go to.  There is a new app that acts as that ‘friend’, Yuggler.  Yuggler is a new way to share kid friendly activities in your area with other parents.  The beauty of the new app is its price, free.  With a smooth, easy to navigate interface, it couldn’t be easier to find the best classes, events, museums, playgrounds, and more!  There are also reviews and photos available for viewing written by other parents just like you.

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The first step to using Yuggler is to download the app, which is available for iPhones, iPads, and iPods.  The nest step is to set your location then find fun things to do.  I would suggest first checking out some local stuff to get a feel for the app and what to expect.  Then bring it with you wherever you go.  On vacation, in some free time it can be interesting to check out the museums of the area or just a fun kids spot in a different state or country.  5 stars is 5 stars, especially when corroborated by others.  No matter where you are, you are almost guaranteed to find a good time for your family.  You can even promote special activities like holiday decorating, fun runs, and the like, so this acts as both a local message board as well as a reviewing platform/location sharing technique.  The possibilities are only limited by your creativity, so get looking.  The most recent update included it ability to link Pinterest to Yuggler to further expand its sharing power.
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Want to Get Your Game on? Add These To Your Holiday List

November 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and honest. Please see “Disclose” tab for more info.

mario kart wii u bundleFor many kids (and tweens, and teens…and let’s face it- parents too) gaming is a part of life.  A way to unwind, relax, and have some fun. Here in my house, it is the source of some major father-son bonding time. As you write your list for Santa this year, you might want to add a few of these as well.

Do you own a Wii U yet?  If not, you might want to check out the Wii U Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Set bundle.  It includes a copy of the Mario Kart game, Nintendoland game, the deluxe 32GB Wii U console, a MK8 steering wheel, and Mario themed red Wii Remote (or Wii-mote, as my husband likes to say).  The bundle is a good deal if you don’t have the system yet.  It come with everything you need to get started, as well as the super-fun-for-everyone and family friendly Mario Kart 8.

pic5The Wii U is the sleek, recent console made by Nintendo. The system itself has next generation graphics, comparable to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Textures are sharp, sound is clear and the characters in the games look like they will hop right out of the screen at you. Speaking of screens, the innovative game changer with the Wii U is its touch screen controller. The controller has two analog sticks, the mandatory 4 buttons to the right and a few important buttons as well, home, start, select, etc. The middle of the controller is a touch screen which not only displays game play/video/etc but also acts as an input source itself. Some examples of this are an in-game map, flinging ninja stars, a different perspective of the environment. The possibilities are only limited by the designers’ imaginations. The Wii U Mario Kart 8 Bundle is available for $299.99 on http://happyholidays.nintendo.com
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Super Smash Brothers for 3DS #VideoGames

October 31, 2014 by 2 Comments

There are many types of video games available for purchase some are ok, some are good some are stunning gems. We are going to look at one of the stunning gems for the 3DS, Super Smash Brothers. Smash Brothers is a fighting game which has a plethora of Nintendo and non-Nintendo characters who face off in multi-person fights in last man standing type battles. Each character has different special attacks; different weapons, different speeds, and different heights and weights all of which will help you decide who your favorite is and who your personal enemy is. Personally I love Link and Little Mac. Each character can be broken down into three basic fighting categories, gunner, swordsman, or hand to hand. Mega Man is a good example of a gunner, his gun arm fires bullets and charged blasts at your opponents. Link is a swordsman who caries not only his legendary sword but also a shield and other items from his game. The sword has a longer reach then hand to hand but it take longer to swing the sword leaving the player open to attacks. Hand to hand is fast and furious with fists flying at a blinding pace but a limited reach Little Mac is an excellent hand to hand fighter.
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