Mastering the Kindle Fire… I bought my Kindle Fire
Got a New Kindle? Get Tips for Mastering the Kindle Fire
Does Your Kid Really Need a Tablet? – #Tech
Does your kid need a tablet yet?… This is a big question, when even kids as young as 5 are getting cell phones. {20% of them, in a recent study by Norton. Totally blew me away!} And tablets are one of those things that every kid wants, and insists that they need. But for the littlest kiddos – is it truly a great learning tool that’s worth purchasing? Or just another gadget that they’ll break or lose interest in within a few weeks – becoming a big waste of money? Well, let’s look at one of the hottest gadgets of the year for 3-9 year olds, the InnoTab 2S, a new tablet for kids from VTech.
Do You Know How to Spot a Dangerous App on Your Smartphone?
Have you ever heard of madware?… Doesn’t sound real nice, does it? Well, it isn’t nice. Not at all – Madware is an aggressive mobile adware that infects your phone, and starts placing unwanted advertising on your Android phone, in places like your photo albums, calendars, and even push notifications. And if it’s really bad, it’ll even go so far as to switch your ringtone to an ad too! Yikes. This is a growing problem, and can be a super serious pain to get rid of.
Enter a Level of Geekiness – Get a Great Gift Suggestion, Slot Machine Style
“Tech the halls with gear and gadgets, Fa La La La”… Did you sing it in your head as you read that? I do, lol. Anyway, you know that I’m a gadget junkie, right? And I’ve shared some of my very favorites of this year’s hottest gifts with you the past two weeks, to help guide your holiday shopping. If you missed ’em: Best gifts for gals, Cool toys for kids, Gifts to make teens think you’re cool, and rad gift ideas for dudes. Well, if you need even MORE inspiration, this Geek Gift Guide can come to the rescue! It’s a super funny way to find the perfect gift using your receiver’s interests, your price range and their degree of geekiness – Slot machine style! Check it out: [Read more…]
Do You Really Need to Spend Big Bucks on a Camera?
“We take pictures to record our personal vision of the world.” – Nikon slogan… I’m such a photo junkie. I’ve always been known as the photographer in the family – I create new family “Year in Review” photo books for Christmas each year, I love photo gifts, and I’m always the one snapping a million pics at every outing, occasion, holiday, and event. But – as obnoxious as I might be at times, you know that everyone appreciates that someone captures all of those special memories, right? Well, to get the photos that I need, the photos that I want, the photos that everyone will cherish as the years pass on – I need more than one camera. Yes, there is a HUGE difference in all of those models that you see for sale at your local Best Buy, or online. Let me tell ya why, and give you a little guidance on choosing the right camera.
Why price matters when shopping for a camera
Ok ladies – I’m a frugal momma. I do my best to make sure that the limited budget that we have stretches as far as possible. I use survey sites, clip coupons, and other ways of earning income from home – even outside of my online work. So, when I throw down my hard-earned dollars on a major purchase {and for me, major is anything over $75-$100 bucks} – I want to make sure that I’m getting the best quality for my dollars. Well, expensive doesn’t always mean better – but quality doesn’t always come cheap. Here are a few things to keep in mind, for why some cameras perform better than others:
With a basic point-and-shoot camera, there’s just one lens built into the camera. And it’s usually a smaller lens, which doesn’t always allow a lot of light through to hit the image sensor. This is why the biggest complaint about most point-and-shoots is that they don’t perform as well as in low-light conditions. And since most point-and-shoots don’t have the option of adding more lenses, you’re limited by what that one point-and-shoot lens can do.
So, if you’re a pretty beginner photographer, this is NOT an issue for you. If you’re just a snapshot kind of gal, no biggie at all. The main reason that these lenses matter is when you get into more professional levels of photography – whether as a hobby to take serious family photos, or for your business – whether it’s blogging, an Etsy shop, cooking and baking, whatever. If you are a pro, then a more expensive camera is going to have those additional lenses, and have some additional functionality. But here’s the thing – even the most serious photographer still needs some smaller cameras – the kind to tote around in a back pocket or a purse, to catch those fun moments at times when lugging around a giant DSLR type camera is going to be hassle. If you’re looking for something like that – I have an amazingly cool new recommendation for you!
The Nikon CoolPix S01 is Smaller than a Salt Shaker
Ok, the coolest thing – the thing that sets this camera apart from every other camera on the market – is it’s super tiny size. The
Nikon – Coolpix S01 101-Megapixel Digital Camera is smaller than my salt shaker! But, super surprisingly, it’s tiny frame is still packed with serious power. Here are a few of my fave features:
- HD movie mode means that you can captures your family videos, from a super small gadget able to fit into your shirt pocket.
- Vibration Reduction mode helps prevent blurry photos and promotes sharp, clear pictures and videos, even when you’ve got a bunch of craziness going on around you.
- In-camera image editing options that iclude color options, filter effects, fisheye, miniature effect and toy camera. Super fun to play with.
There is a ton more cool stuff going on with this tiny camera too – To learn more, visit the Nikon – Coolpix page on BestBuy.com, or visit Grinning Cheek to Cheek for another really smart review of this camera. {She’s clearly more tech-savvy than I am, and offers some seriously great input on this.} Or, if you really just want to see the goods – see what type of photos this camera takes – check them out below…
Awesome special effects are possible with the Coolpix
I love, love, love this photo. This is a shot of my amazingly cool rockstar little brother during one of his recent shows. {Shameless promotion: See them here on Reverb Nation: Desert Valley Stranglehold.} The way the camera was able to perform in low light – even though it’s a smaller camera, and doesn’t have the big lenses to maximize the light available – was super cool.
Another sweet shot with the Nikon Coolpix
Do you love the way this camera takes really vibrant pictures? And – this is such a cool example of how great this teeny tiny camera can capture action shots without getting super blurry. {And yes, this is the rockstar brother again. He’s just epic levels of coolness all of the time, so he had to be my model for this review…
So – what’s the final word?
Like I said earlier – the biggest challenge with a point-and-shoot is the single lens, and it’s trouble taking great photos in low light, or capturing good action shots. That’s a big reason why people invest in more pricey cameras, like a DSLR {which can cost you $500+ and is a pretty major investment.} But – when you’re looking for a camera that’s small enough to be super portable, and ready to grab cool shots at a moment’s notice – this camera is a fantastic option! It’s small enough to fit into a front pocket, while still having the features you need. One word to some it up? Awesomesauce.
{Disclaimer: As a member of the Best Buy WOLF Blogging Ambassador team, I get access to cool products like this to try out, and share my super honest opinion with you guys. I love being able to offer you a real mom view, to help you determine whether this is right for you or not. All opinions are 100% my own.}
What the Best Buy Geek Squad and Ghostbusters Have in Common
If there’s somethin’ strange in your neighborhood – Who ya gonna call? If it’s somethin’ weird and it won’t look good – Who ya gonna call?… Nope, I’m not talkin’ Ghostbusters here ladies. I’m talking Geek Squad!! Just like the Ghostbusters are a quick phone call away when you need help – your friendly Geek Squad team will come to your rescue any time your gadgets start acting suspiciously. Get help the instant you need it – in store, online or on the phone.
How Geek Squad Tech Support from Best Buy Works
You would think that I was pretty tech-savvy, right? I’m a social media junkie, I completed my entire college degree online, and now I make a living online – which means for the past 4+ years I’ve pretty much LIVED online. But still, when it comes to trouble shooting when my computer crashes, I am totally clueless. And since working online is my job, I can’t afford for things to go down. Usually, when I would run into a problem, I would just fall back on my usual plan – Panic, smack the keyboard a few times, turn it off, turn it back on, then cry when the problem was still there. Not super effective. But just like when you see something weird in the neighborhood and the Ghostbusters show up and quickly clean things up – Geek Squad is just as fast at saving you from equally scary viruses and crashes. After purchasing your Geek Squad Tech Support Plan {Get Geek Squad plans and rates here.} – you simply log-in on the main screen, and wait a minute while you get connnected.
How the Geek Squad Magic Happens
Now, Geek Squad reps don’t use ghost-blasting plasma guns, but they are just as effective at making your life stress-free again. After logging in, you’ll be connected with an agent. They’re super friendly, and lucky for me – totally not intimidating. It seems like most of the time you deal with any type of tech support stuff, you get either people who totally talk in that secret-geek-computer code that I don’t understand, or they talk to me like I’m a child, and overly dumb it down for me. Either way makes me feel totally stupid, you know? But with Geek Squad, these peeps are totally awesome – they explain things in a way that’s easy to understand – enough info that you get what they’re doing, without overwhelming you. If you can read the pic – you’ll see that after introducing himself, my rep tells me he’ll need me to do just a few simple steps. I had to digitally sign a form giving them permission to get to work, make sure my laptop was plugged into the wall so it stayed powered up, and put my password into a little box, so he could restart when needed. After that – I was free to grab a glass {or three} of wine while he remotely worked on my computer. Easy peasy – and totally NOT stressful like I’d worried it might be!
Things got spooky – but still no need for the Ghostbusters
Now, this is where the magic happens. It might LOOK like a ghost has taken over your computer – you’ll see the curser moving around the screen, opening and closing programs, running scans, and more stuff that I was clueless about. But you still don’t need to call those Ghostbusters – it’s just the Geek Squad support rep working on your system from their office in some magical land of tech-savviness. I would peek in once in a while, and after about an hour and a half, I saw that he was done, and had left me a friendly message letting me know that there was an email in my inbox waiting for me, letting me know what he’d found during my laptop clean up and repair. Awesome. That email detailed any little changes or repairs made, let me know he’d added a really great antivirus program for me, and included this form to give feedback on how I felt about my experience. I love that they really stand behind their work like that!
Get Geek Squad Tech Support Today
This is a perfect last minute gift for ANYONE that you know this year. You can purchase it online – Geek Squad – Tech Support Membership (1 Year), and it’s super simple to set up. A couple cool other reasons why this rocks –
- You can register and use the service to fix up to three devices: Including tablets, iPad, PCs or Mac, even if you bought them somewhere else. So in my house I can call to fix any problems on either of the desktops, or my laptop – which is awesome.
- Virus removal – If your device catches a bug, we’ll eradicate it.
- System tune-ups Keep your computer running smooth and resolve any computer slowness issues.
- On-demand access to thousands of how-to videos online – Including step-by-step Windows 8 guides, tutorials on using Photoshop and creating Flash videos, and much more. {This is one of my favorite features!}
This makes it perfect for so many people – Can you imagine how much Grandma and Grandpa would love having someone that can help them remotely, so you don’t have to try – over and over – to walk them through things over the phone. {Geek Squad can even help them reset passwords, and help with things like hooking up their printer.} You could get this for a kid away at college, to make sure they can always study when needed. Any family would love it – and you definitely need it for your own house too!
To learn more about what other real moms think about the awesome services and products at Best Buy – Check out my Best Buy WOLF Ambassador board on Pinterest!
{Disclaimer: As a Best Buy Blogging Ambassador, I received a complimentary Geek Squad Membership to try out in my house for a year. But, as always, I share only my honest opinions and experience with you guys, to help you figure out which products and services are right for you. But I LOVE this, and totally know you will too!}
How Windows 8 Simplifies Life for Busy Moms
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke… Ok ladies, get ready for me to totally rock your socks off. Ready? Ok – Recently, my awesome family over at Best Buy sent each of us Blogging Ambassadors a new laptop to test out for awhile, and each one was loaded with the new Windows 8. I’m usually a little hesitant to try anything new – I’m so crazy-busy that I just don’t have time to get used to a new system, I like using what I know. But at the same time, I’m always searching for new technology that can help simplify my life, and organize the chaos in my life. Windows 8 has kind of changed my life, no lie. Check it out….
Windows 8 Works On All of Your Favorite Devices
Windows 8 is available on a ton of different devices – {watch a super sweet video here that shows off new Windows 8 gadgets like tablets, smartphones, and computers} – which is super cool. I switched from the iPhone to a Windows phone right about the same time that I got the HP – ENVY Touch-Screen Ultrabook Laptop from Best Buy, and was seriously impressed with the awesomeness of using the operating system across both devices. I love, love, LOVED my iPhone, and didn’t think I’d be happy switching to something new… But within the first DAY I was in love. For real. Like, I will never switch back.
Why it’s perfect for ME. And you. And you over there in the corner. And…
Ok, now that you’ve seen the basics – the devices that Windows 8 is available on, and a bit about the amazingly crazy-cool features, let me tell you why it will help you in your own busy life. First off, you customize your Start screen to be exactly what you want to see when you log in. You can change the location and size of all of the tiles, and the “Live Tiles” flip through updates, so you can see a TON of info at a glance. So every time you log in, you get a screen totally and perfectly customized to show you a quick snapshot of EVERYTHING important that you need to know that day – from calendars, to-do lists, appointments, urgent emails, or Facebook events and birthdays. Totally helps plan my day. It’s amazing how that big overview of things really helps get your started each morning – and it’s so cool how EVERY Windows 8 device is going to be totally different – you make it what YOU want it to be, and make it work for YOU.
Windows 8 is so perfect for moms
In the video – did you notice how you can have two apps side-by-side? Which means you can watch YouTube videos while also checking your email, party it up in a Twitter party while checking Facebook, and so much more. Awesomesauce for busy ladies like us, right? A few other cool things – I love the ability to sync my phone and my laptop together. Incredibly helpful for helping me stay organized and productive. I love the way I can use the screen of my laptop the same way that I can use my smartphone – by quickly scrolling, flipping, and tapping with one finger. You can also add a TON of apps to your Windows 8 laptop – and on your App screen, you can organize them by category. You could make categories like Family, Blogging, Work, Kids, Homemaking, etc. This makes it super easy to be in the right “mode” and grab what you need quickly. And – I love the way it’s so family friendly too!
Windows 8 for Kids
The boys loooooved Windows 8! One, the touchscreen feels to much more intuitive for them, having pretty much grown up with that kind of thing. And even Abby {at only 2 1/2} can figure out how to use the touchscreen, and get to what she wants! But by far their favorite thing was the way that this works with the XBox, and the fact that so many awesome games are available to download into your apps. Playing games on the computer with the touchscreen is like, seriously cool. Even for old people like me… Lol.
HP TouchSmart Ultrabook Rocks
So – if you’re thinking about upgrading to Windows 8, I cannot recommend enough that you also make the switch to a new tablet, phone, laptop or desk top that has a touchscreen. Windows 8 is awesome on it’s own, but it really needs that touchscreen to shine. Trust me – just go into your local Best Buy, and try one out. Once you do – You’ll be hooked, and wonder how you’ll live without it! This bad boy above is the HP – ENVY Touch-Screen Ultrabook 14″ Laptop that I’ve been using to try out Windows 8 for the past few weeks. {Handsome, isn’t he? I hate to have to give him back soon…} When I bought my current laptop {my FIRST laptop, only a few months ago, can you believe it?} I had thought that bigger meant better. But the slightly slimmer, smaller, and lighter frame of this one from HP is SO much better. And the colors are the screen are crazy-vibrant, it’s fast as can be, and just pretty much complaint-free on my end. And did you know that when you buy a new laptop at Best Buy, the amazingly smart folks at Geek Squad will walk you through how to use your new laptop? You don’t even have to have the {totally worth it, I swear!} Geek Squad service, they offer this to everyone.
You’re not going to get THAT kind of experience, expertise, or customer service on Amazon, at Walmart, or anywhere else.
Yep, I’m serious ladies. This momma is a total Windows 8 convert – which is a HUGE surprise to me! I can’t recommend it, or the super sweet laptop I’ve been using – with its awesome touch screen, enough. So – visit your local Best Buy, check ’em out, try ’em out – and fall in love.
As a Best Buy Blogging Board Member and Brand Ambassador, I get to try out super cool new products from Best Buy. But that doesn’t mean I lose my ability to “tell it like it is.” Lol. Everything I share with you ladies is my honest opinion – and I hope you love this stuff as much as I do!
