HALO Charger – Power to Go

July 12, 2013 by 6 Comments

As the age of the smart phone marches on, more and more accessories are needed to keep ourselves active in this age. The newest accessory is a spare battery. Carrying around a spare phone battery is never easy, in order to charge and swap out batteries, face plates and cases have to removed and most times batteries are not actually accessible.

halo charger

In order to charge your phone on the go, it’s time to think outside the box a little bit. We were able to try out the HALO charger ,which is a slim battery that is charged via USB connection then also charges devices through the same. Instead of [Read more…]

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Traveling? Apps to pack to avoid summer brain drain

July 10, 2013 by 1 Comment

Warm weather and sunshine are putting families across the country in vacation-planning mode. Whether traveling by train, plane or automobile, mobile devices are typically the first thing parents and kids pack.

techy travel

In fact, American families take more than 100 million leisure trips a year and the average family juggles up to six devices – ranging from smartphones to tablets to laptops. It’s no surprise that summer is the most popular family travel time, and for many kids the school break can result in a measurable brain drain. Studies show students lose about a month of learning during the summer break. Concerned parents can dial up the learning quotient with a few well-packed apps that keep little ones engaged whether traveling far or settling in for a summer staycation.

With more than 300 new apps unveiled every day, finding the right-sized app for your child can be daunting. Skip the exhausting mind-meld. Smart parents use trusted sites like Common Sense Media to search for apps by age, theme and ratings, or pop onto a family-friendly network like Fingerprint to peruse a library of apps that parents approve and kids love.

By doing a little homework, parents can find an app for every kind of kid – world traveler, animal lover, nature explorer or inquisitive preschooler.

For your budding world traveler

Learning a second language at a young age is linked to higher test scores, greater confidence and enhanced critical [Read more…]

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Net Zero 4G Hotspot – Great for Travel @NetZero_4G

June 17, 2013 by 4 Comments

netzero

While traveling, one of the most daunting tasks can be finding a wifi connection. The internet might be the only way to reach friends and family, or maybe just update your Facebook status. There are many options available to have a constant wifi connection, most of which are quite expensive. There is one option which really stands out as not only easy to use, but also cost effective.

The Net Zero 4G Hot Spot is pretty sweet. This new device acts like a router for the Net Zero 4G cellular network. Any wifi enabled device can connect to the special portable secured wireless network. This network can give the user 4G speeds anywhere there is a signal. This might not sound very quick when compared to a wired broadband connection, but keep in mind a broadband connection is usually only available at home or work.

netzero

The device is easy to use. All you have to do is turn on the device on. Which can be powered via the internal battery or wall adapter. Once powered up, the device searches for a signal and up to eight devices can connect to one Hot Spot. The signal [Read more…]

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Ubooly- a Fun, Interactive Toy

June 7, 2013 by 2 Comments

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.
uboolyUbooly is a nifty new toy. This toy is part digital pet/ digital lab /plush/educational buddy. The plush is a wonderful protector for your iPhone or iPod Touch at the most base physical level. Both Apply products fit snugly in the zippered compartment keeping that expensive little piece of tech safe. It zips closed and stays that way, no matter hot much fun your little ones have. And fun they will have.

UboolyThe plush also acts as an all important accessory to further enhance the Ubooly app experience. The app can be used both with or without the plush, but it definitely adds to the experience when the two are use in conjunction with one another. Ubooly is an educational toy. It teaches lessons, interacts and seems to grow and learn with your child not only giving instruction or speaking to them. A key component of Ubooly is it is a vocal interactive toy. The touch screen is used but for the most part Ubooly is interacted with vocally. So the more your little one interacts with Ubooly the more fun which can develop. There are games, songs, stories, and jokes. All of which will constantly update and evolve with some help form the Ubooly Lab.
[Read more…]

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WIN Office 365 Travel Software #OfficeTravels

May 31, 2013 by 7 Comments

Disclosure- I received the Blast Zone Air Walker Bounce Castle, in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.
office365

Microsoft has been one of the innovators of Office suites with their Office line of products. This line includes: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher and Access.

The newest version of Office is called Office 365. The biggest difference between 365 and previous iterations is this version is cloud based. Cloud based means your software and documents are always at hand no matter the device or location as up to date as possible and accessible from the internet. If it can be used to type or write, then chances are it can be used with Office 365. Compatible devices include: PC’s running Windows 7 and higher, Macs running OS X 10.6 and higher and Windows Phones running Windows Phone OS 7.5 and higher. Thus opening entire worlds of data and work spaces on a plethora of devices. In addition to running on many Windows and Mac machines, your files are also accessible via free Office web apps which are linked to your SkyDrive account. This allows users to view, read, edit and share their documents from any internet connected device running a supported browser.

One of the most interesting [Read more…]

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Spring Travel with Nintendo 3DS

April 21, 2013 by 3 Comments

Nintendo Gameboy

I can remember all my vacation memories growing up started with a long car ride. These car rides would drag when we were younger and would lead to angry parents and uppity children. Then my parents found the magic charm that is the original Game boy. The grey brickish, green screened dot matrix and stereo sound emitting wonder was the first time one could bring Mario and Tetris with you everywhere. Only drawback was Mom would want the Game boy for Tetris too.

Fast forward a few decades and now the handheld of choice is the Nintendo 3DS. Instead of big and grey they are now sleek and brightly colored, with two screens and a stylus. With bright, vibrant colors and graphics that are in 3D, long gone are the black and green screens of yester year. Instead of carrying around a case of games, an entire library of stellar games are now available with a few clicks and downloads directly onto the 3DS through the Nintendo eShop.

This Spring Nintendo is releasing quite a few gems to catch your attention. We are going to take a look at two of the ever expanding online library of 3DS games.

tempoj

First up we are going to look at HarmoKnight. HarmoKnight is a music/rhythm platforming action adventure game. Yes, its a mouth full but there is one more important characteristic [Read more…]

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Wii U Review

April 21, 2013 by 5 Comments

nesNintendo has a history of making big leaps in digital home entertainment. Some great successes, like the NES, SNES, and Wii, while some have been innovative but never really taken off, like the Virtual Boy. The consistency across all of their consoles has always been innovation, ‘game changing’, well built, and timeless. After a bit of cleaning and the proper cables even an NES can be plugged in and played today, some 28 years after being released. Most importantly the games are still fun!

WiiUThe next step in the history and future of video games is the Wii U. The Wii U is the sleek new 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. As of now the Wii U is available in 2 sets. One the basic which includes a white system with 8 GB of internal storage, the Wii U Game pad, stylus, Sensor Bar, AC adapters for both the game pad and the console as well as an HDMI cable. The Deluxe includes a black system with 32GB of internal storage, as well as all the accessories of the Basic Set AND game pad stand, charging cradle, Console stand, and Nintendo Land game. The Basic retails for $299.99 and the Deluxe retails for $349.99. The Deluxe is a great deal, for the extra $50, there are 24 GB more of data, a game, easy way to stand up the console AND a charging cradle.
[Read more…]

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Should You Allow Your Child to Have a Cell Phone?

April 5, 2013 by 3 Comments

Modern parents are plagued with all kinds of technology-related issues where their kids are concerned, revolving around the dangers inherent in allowing kids to access the unlimited information and instant connectivity provided by the online arena and the mobile space. On the one hand, you don’t want to deny your children the value that modern technology provides in terms of learning and staying connected, but you also know that you can’t watch them every second to ensure that they’re exploring in a safe and healthy manner. And when it comes to giving your kids cell phones you may be even more torn. While the prospect of being able to reach them at any time is certainly appealing, the other side of the coin is that they have unlimited access to calling, texting, pixting, and in some cases, data. This is a scary thought for most parents. So should you allow your kids to have cell phones? Here are just a few things to consider before you head to the Apple or Verizon store.

kids cell phonesThe first thing to consider is the appropriate age at which to allow kids to have a cell phone. Let’s be honest, at some point you’re probably going to get them their own phone, but at what age are they prepared to take on this privilege and responsibility? Some parents provide their kids with cell phones while they’re still in elementary school, but chances are that this is a little early. Consider why your kids might need a cell phone, or why you might want them to have one. Likely it’s because they’ve reached an age where they are allowed to be without adult supervision. For [Read more…]

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