Technology & More Archives - Page 11 of 19

10+ tips for car trips with kids

Do you have some long car trips coming up for the summer? Like most people, I will be spending quite a bit of time in my car over the next few weeks as we visit relatives, see the sights, and vacation with friends in the area, and I’m already planning ahead for the road trips with three young kiddos.

To me, road trips are a great way to bond and see the sights both near and far in ways you just can't on an airplane, and I love taking a good road trip {or three} each summer. But, because of limited space and cramped conditions, they can also be a delicate balance of having what you need with fun things to do, without packing your vehicle from top to bottom. The picture below shows a precarious suitcase tower that includes what 5 people need for a snowshoe, ski, sun, and swim trip and even with the bigger car, and all of this stuff really pushed the limits of what is manageable for a road trip.

Here are a few tips for awesome car trips with kids:

Microsoft Lumia 950 from AT&T makes it easier than ever to switch to Windows

If you’ve read any of my cell phone reviews, you already know that I’m a Windows gal through and through. It started back when I was switching from my business-issued Blackberry all those years ago and I debated whether I was going to go with an iPhone, the new Android device, or something else. It turns out “something else” is where my heart was, because I love my Windows phone.

I’ve already talked about why I love the Nokia Lumia 1520 from AT&T, but for those of you loved the features but who were worried about the Phablet size, the 5.2″ Microsoft® Lumia 950 with Windows® 10 from AT&T is definitely for you. Still not sure if Windows is the way to go? Here are just a few reasons why you should consider switching:

Preserving memories made easy with Hammacher Schlemmer’s Photo Album Scanner

Every time I visit with my mom, I am given a stack of photo albums my mom has unearthed with the instruction to scan our old family images to share with my siblings. The problem is, I never have my computer with me, let alone my scanner/copier. So, I end up either taking the whole album with me in order to pull it apart to scan, or we take the album apart and I end up leaving with sandwich baggies full of pictures, some of which are ruined during the removal process. Obviously, neither of these methods is ideal.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could scan those old pictures while you're taking a walk down memory lane? Imagine flipping through an old photo album, finding a priceless gem, and then scanning it to save it electronically – all without ever taking it out of the photo album. Dream no more, because Hammacher Schlemmer has made it not only possible, but also a ton of fun. Their new Rapid Photo Album Scanner that is exclusive to Hammacher Schlemmer does just what I've always dreamed of and converts all those old photographs into digital images in just seconds,allowing you to reminisce and relive old memories while saving them easily for future use.

RAYCOP Purifiers give you peace of mind this holiday season

Do you ever wonder what’s really on your upholstered furniture and your mattresses? Do yourself a favor and don’t look into it. Just trust the EPA findings that a single mattress may be home to as many as 10 million dust mites and a multitude of bacteria and viruses.

Clearly, that is not the clean surface you want to be laying your head on. So, what’s a girl to do if she wants to sleep in peace, knowing she’s not sharing her bed with parasites and germs? She should get a new RAYCOP unit that cleans and sanitizes those surfaces and sleep soundly. Is your interest piqued? The new RAYCOP purifiers, available for the first time in the U.S, extract more than 99% of bacteria and pollen from fabric surfaces throughout the home including bed linens, upholstery, drapes, decorative pillows, and even clothing, etc. It has three settings: delicate, normal, and heavy, which can accommodate just about any type of fabric.

Convert any surface to a standing desk with the Lift24 laptop stand from ErgotronHome

At certain times of the year {and especially during the holidays}, I feel like I’m chained to my computer. Whether it is a large amount of wedding pictures, family photo sittings, or it’s an especially busy blog month, my computer use can get out of control. And, since I’m active and on-the-go by nature, the idea of sitting at a desk or in a chair just about kills me. There are many days during the holidays that you will find me hunched over the kitchen island on my computer, so sick of sitting that I would rather stand and stoop down to see my computer.

It’s this reason that I’ve been searching for a standing desk for the past few years to give me options when I must be at the computer but just can’t sit any longer. The problem was that I wasn’t ready to fully commit to the standing desk, and I really needed a sit-to-stand desk that gave me options depending on my needs and my computer usage. Even better would be if the desk fit within my home’s décor so I didn’t end up with a huge eyesore that was only used a few times a year.

And, then I found Ergotron and my search was finally over.

Meet our new robot baby, bObsweep

Have you ever looked around your house and thought "I wonder if a robot would be able to get around that"? No? Well, then you probably don't have a robot baby in the house like we do.

Meet Bob, AKA bObsweep PetHair, the newest member of the family.
We've been robot-proofing over the last few days and I can now say that a robot would easily be able to navigate around our living areas without any problem at all. Before becoming a mom I honestly never thought I would have a robotic vacuum – I mean, really, how hard is it to run a vacuum by yourself? I'm all for outsourcing whatever I can, but do you really need that chore automated?

I'm here to tell you, yes, I definitely need that automated. You see, vacuuming has slowly been slipping down the list of chores since baby arrived. Sometimes it would be 2 weeks before I would look around at our wool rug and realize how bad it looked. Our awesome thick wool rug is super soft and cozy, but the bad part is that the wool fibers lift up in between vacuuming sessions, making it look like we have a short-haired dog in the house that sheds like crazy.

Back to School with AT&T deals

It’s back to school time, and your shopping lists probably look a little like mine do. First, the office supply store, then some clothing basics mix and match separates at the local mall, after that there is backpack shopping at the kids’ store with all three kids, then heading out for a special trip to the organizing store for some lunchbox accessories, and… I’m already glazing over just thinking about all my back to school errands. So, for my own sanity, I needed to add a fun stop for back to school.

For the fun stuff that will actually get them excited about back to school, look no further than AT&T. By now you know that the AT&T store carries everything you need to make the most of your mobile devices, and back to school time means everyone is going to be a whole lot more mobile with school schedules, sports, and extracurricular activities. Whether you are looking for a new smartphone so you can keep in touch, speakers for a dorm room, a tablet so they can do homework when they can’t be at a computer, or an activity tracker to keep up with all those extra steps they will be racking up on campus, AT&T has you covered. Ready to start the fun back to school shopping? Here are just a few great deals for back to school:

Spring clean and organize your digital life with MiMedia

I know this isn’t a popular sentiment, but I actually really love spring cleaning. Call me crazy, but I love cleaning up and clearing things out until everything is neat and organized just the way I like it. During my spring cleaning sessions, just about nothing is safe and I recycle, donate, and gift with abandon. It’s a beautiful thing.

But, until now there is one area of disorganization that was too scary for me to even begin to delve into: my digital life. We’re talking decades of pictures, music files, scans, videos, and documents that have been over-categorized and misplaced until it’s impossible to find anything or enjoy it properly.

Like this gem. Hidden away in a file called "10-26-2015-BHJLHK". Because OF COURSE I would look there first when searching for an adorable picture of the kiddos with me during our trip to Georgia. If that doesn't scream "open me for adorable pictures" I don't know what does. That’s where MiMedia comes in. MiMedia is the personal cloud you’ve been waiting for that gives you an easy-to-access, safe and secure digital home for all of your precious memories. Imagine knowing that all your files you care most about are safe in one spot where you can keep them organized and accessible on all of your devices. With MiMedia, they can be.

Find your keys, purse or phone with a Tile tracker from AT&T

Sometimes, things just happen for a reason. Earlier this month, when AT&T offered to send me a new Tile, I thought, “That’d probably be nice to have just in case”. I had no idea just how nice it would be to have.

I was literally waiting on shipment of the Tile when I truly lost my car keys for the first time in my adult life. It took over a half hour of all of us running around the house looking before I realized where they were – they were locked INSIDE my trunk sitting atop the stroller console where I had left them after shopping the previous day.

Thankfully, I have a husband who drives for work and he was able to swing by and unlock my trunk for me, because I would have had some super sad spring breakers missing a day at the Children’s Museum as a result of my forgetfulness. As it was, we had already wasted much of our day looking for keys and then waiting to be rescued.

But, what if we could have located the keys in an instant and immediately called my husband to help us out? That’s where the Tile Bluetooth Tracker comes in. The tiny Tile is the size of keychain, but it can do so much more. How much more, you ask?

What we’re playing with: The Microsoft Surface 3 from AT&T

I’ve wanted a Microsoft Surface tablet before I even knew its name. Ever since I heard rumors about this newfangled tablet that could potentially replace your laptop, I wanted it. I don’t know about you, but my laptop is starting to feel more and more like a dinosaur – something we’re going to laugh at … Read more