Holiday Technolo-JAY:  Black Friday and Beyond

Guest post by Laughing and Losing It, an awesome blogger who creates humorous spins on shopping, kids, cleaning, motherhood, and anything real.  Check out her blog by clicking the button below:

Here are some quick tips to get some great gadgets on the cheap during black Friday and the Holiday Season:

Think outside the (Big) box

1. Other Stores: Black Friday doesn't just belong to Target and Wal-Mart anymore.  There are many stores that have competitive sales without all the crazy people.  Drugstores like CVS, Rite Aid,  and Walgreens have awesome Black Friday deals on small gadgets and As Seen on TV items. And you won't have to pull Crazy Nancy's hair to get in the doors.  Office Max and Staples also offer great deals without the hassle of the crowd.   Go there to stock up on … Read More »

I have seen the post about “How to miss a childhood” go around Facebook and Pinterest.  I did feel a little guilty and probably need to make a few changes.

My confessions:

My phone does sometimes feel like a breathing apparatus.
My phone is by my side at all times!
I do panic if I thought I have left my phone at home.
I sometimes just stare and my phone and think, “What will you tell me to do next?”

But, then I started thinking .. my phone is not just a toy that is used to waste time!

It is the family calendar!
It is a hub for social planning!
It is financial planner!
It can help with so many things.

You just need to figure out how to use it in a productive and healthy way.  In other words ..

A Smartphone is not a bad thing
Oh how … Read More »

We have heard so much about the dangers of texting while driving.

 Please don't text while driving! 

There are plenty of apps out there that can help you create safe driving habits for you and your family.

Road Safety: Auto Respond Apps

There are many apps available that are able to provide an auto response to a text received while your phone is in 'driving' mode. Sometimes people are tempted to respond while driving because it may seem like an urgent message.  These apps will prevent the temptation to quickly reach for your phone.

Road Safety: Android Auto Respond Apps

Auto SMS – You can set your phone to auto respond.  You don't have to pull out your phone at a stop light.  Anyone that sent you a txt knows that, “Hey, I'm driving and I can't respond to your text.”  You can change the response. … Read More »

We all have cameras on our smart phones. They CAN take pretty decent pictures. It's sad that my Canon Rebel doesn't see the light of day now that I can snap a quick picture on an outing with the kids. Now you will obviously NOT get the same quality as a SLR (Single Lens Reflux) camera, but if you follow the tips below, you will be surprised at how GOOD the pictures can look.

First know the limitations for a Smartphone camera.

Smartphone Photography Tip #1: Know your limitations!
Smartphone Cameras do not like:
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Low light
Fast Motion
Sunlight into the lens

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Smartphone Photography Tip #2: Learn to work with Limitations!

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Add external light  - Open a curtain or turn on a light in the room if possible in a low light situation.  Do NOT use the flash.  I haven't see many phones with an attractive … Read More »

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I just got my reminder e-mail that the iPhone is not available at the Apple store today. Yay!!  You can expect the Apple stock to go up as Apple received 2 million orders in the first 24 hours of announcing its release date!  Well, there are some key changes to the phone and I thought I would pass on my thoughts.

iPhone 5 Pros:
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4G LTE – Where 4G is available, speeds will compare if not be better than your home wireless!  The 3g network averages speeds of 3.5Mbps, where the 4G LTE service can run as fast as 20 Mbps.  The speed of 4G LTE may depend on the support in your area.  You can stream video, have Facetime chats, etc.
Lighter – weighing almost an ounce lighter than the iPhone 4s it feels nice in the hand
Longer wider screen – … Read More »