Momathon Blog

Vintage Finds: Retro Beach Radio Speaker Box for iPhone or iPod

Place your iPhone or iPod inside this retro AM/FM speaker box when you want to play tunes on the beach or poolside. The case with speakers keeps your gadget free of sand and salt and sunblock. The water-resistant plastic cover on the Swansea Beach Radio snaps tight, keeping your tech toys safe and sound. Speakers by SunnyLIFE and available at Anthropologie.com. Perfect for Father's Day. $39.99

For more Father's Day gift ideas, check out Father's Day Gift Guide—Summer Styles, Gadgets, and Fun.

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(The graphic above was created by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!)

Want to create your own app? There is an app for that

 

 

Want to make your own iPhone app, but don't know all the fancy computer codes? Well, there is an app for that.

Thanks to several new apps, you can build an app without any training. Now creating an app is as easy as blogging.

Social media "drives" the apps so you will need at least one of the following: an RSS feed, blog feed, Twitter feed, Flickr feed, or videos posted on YouTube to supply the content. If you want to sell the app, after you create the app you need to register the app with iTunes or Google. These app maker apps offer the basic tools to make your app. If you want to build an app loaded with extras you will need some help from professional app creators, but the appmaker apps can offer suggestions for that too.

Research says texting, posting, and tweeting may make kids nicer

Our kids spend more time online texting, posting and tweeting than we will ever know. And I admit this worries me, but I may be over-reacting. Recent studies suggest time interacting online may help kids be more empathetic in real life and even strengthen bonds between friends. And studies suggest that shy kids may learn to be more outgoing and less anxious by spending time connecting with friends online.

Geeky mom: Why I still love my iPod Classic

It's ancient in terms of iPod technology--no touch screen capability, a funky wheel for controls, kinda bulky, and an itsy-bitsy screen.

So why do I love thee? Because my beloved iPod Classic is like my huge purse–it holds almost everything! I guess writer Tom Samiijan at WSJ.com summed it up best:

With 160GB of hard-drive space, the iPod Classic can hold around 3,200 albums...It won't let you check your email, buy more tunes on the fly or check sports scores, but in this multitasking era of tweets, Facebook feeds and other instant distractions, there's something appealing about a device that does one thing well: rock out.

Apparently plenty of people roll their eyes at this old thing because rumor has it the iPod Classic will be discontinued by Apple. I just hope my Classic lives on for a very long time.  

Clever video review of the iPad 2 shows why kids love it too!

David Pogue at the NYTimes.com talks about the new iPad 2 in his video review. What makes this clip so clever is the fact his two kids give their side of the story too.

The new iPad 2 built with kids in mind:

• lighter
• front and back facing camera
• thinner
• twice as fast
• includes a gyro for gaming
• Verizon and AT&T compatible with 3G models 

What to read before you buy your iPad 2

 

 

If you read my blog, then it is no surprise I love almost everything about my iPad. Sadly, I do not have the iPad 2–yet. The timing of the launch of the new iPad 2 conveniently fits the shopping deadline for my daughter's upcoming birthday. (And fortunately we like to share gadgets.)

The best compilation of news, reviews, both the pros and the cons, and practically everything iPad can be found in two handy dandy posts on GIZMODO by editor Rosa Golijan. Check out her take on the latest iPad 2 Reviews and iPad 2: All the Details.

Why do I like the iPad? I love ebook features (both the Kindle app and the iBook). And the ADD in me just can't get enough of the 350,000 cool apps--about 65,000 are optimized for the iPad. 

The iPad 2 pricing:

• Wi-Fi model: $499, $599, and $699 for the 16, 32 and 64GB models.
• If you want 3G then the price goes up to $629, $729, and $829.

Photo: GIZMODO: iPad 2 Reviews

Toilet seat with built-in kid seat makes potty training simpler

 

Potty training is now a bit simpler with the new convertible toilet seat featuring a built-in training seat for toddlers. The two-in-one seats are made by Kohler and Mayfair.

Convertible potty seat features:

• one ring for adults and a separate ring for children
• no need for an additional child's toilet in your bathroom
• eliminates the hassle of removing and cleaning a separate child's seat insert
• helps build your child's confidence and transition to a regular toilet
• mounts just like a regular toilet seat
• looks just like a standard toilet seat when closed

 

Photo above features the Kohler toilet seat.

(Sending a shout out to Lou Manfredini on the TODAY Show for alerting me to the Mayfair seat.)

 

Gorgeous designs in Cartolina card app makes emails and texts print-worthy!

I love getting beautiful cards via snail mail, but I admit I can't wait to receive a personalized email or text from a friend using the Cartolina app. This app includes an assortment of Cartolina artwork perfect for birthdays, special events, and holidays.

Cartolina app features:
- allows you to send to multiple recipients--useful for announcements and invitations
- includes a calendar with automatic reminders so you don't miss a birthday or anniversary
- syncs with your iPhone or iPod touch calendar
- graphics are retina display ready for the latest generations of the iPhone and iPod touch
- supports multiple languages
- app costs $2.99

Here are just a few designs you can select. A Christmas card design is coming soon!

 

This geeky mom loves Huff Post Tech

 

 

Met the talented Bianca Bosker, Huffington Post Tech Editor, at the sold-out BlogHer'10 in NYC. Bosker created a slideshow of Twitter users' reflections on BlogHer 10.

 

Seems like a new tech gadget is born every second. That's why I read the Huff Post Tech online to stay up with the latest trends. You can also keep up with tech news on Twitter: @bbosker and @HuffPostTech. 

Blogging on an iPad, or not

Blogging using my iPhone has been an adventure. Sure, using a smart phone is a fairly reliable way to post when you are on the road with barely enough room in your carry-on bag for clothes much less a laptop. However, you are on vacation, so why should you be working so hard to do anything like blogging on a teeny-tiny smart phone screen? 

Enter the iPad. Love at first sight. I felt certain our relationship would be blessed by the gods of tech. Time passes and like all relationships, I am beginning to notice some flaws in my beloved iPad. For example, the fact my iPod is a poor multi-tasker compared to my laptop. And I can't get my Typepad account to stop bickering with my iPad like a couple of siblings. 

There's got to be an app for that. 

Turns out there are more iPhone apps than iPad apps and at least as far as blogging is concerned I am still waiting for a solution. Today I am testing out a new iPad app. I am writing my TypePad post with the help of the BlogPress app. Seems to be working. I like using the larger keyboard in the app. I can even add photos easily. I can also save my post as a draft and come back to it later after I have done the research I need for writing--and that is a big deal because remember my iPad doesn't multi-task. 

I still need to learn how to add links, etc to my post. I'll save that for my bedtime reading. 

(Posted using BlogPress from my iPad)

Geeky Mom: Got iPad?

Apple calls the iPad magical and revolutionary. Without test driving it myself, I'm not so sure. Yes, the new ad shows the variety of ways the sleek iPad can be used. The features look pretty wonderful in the short ad. But an ad is only an ad. Has anyone heard from anyone who has played around on this device? All the mystery surrounding the launch makes it not so surprising that the ad above first appeared during the Academy Awards. 

Here's what I do know...
• I love the big multi-touch screen. 
• The Kindle killer e-book feature will definitely make this gadget a go-to device for students
• The plethora of amazing apps--150,000 and counting--is, well, amazing.
• Not so sure about how the iPad performs as an iPod too. And this seems odd since the iPad seems like an iPod on steroids. Too bad the new ad doesn't say much about iTunes or music features. What's up with that?

Pre-sales for the iPad begin next week. Sales of iPad begin April 3rd. Starting at $499.

Why this Geeky Mom may wait to buy the iPad

 

It's easy to fall in love with an iPad. It was love at first sight for me, the Geeky Mom. Admittedly, we have one of those awkward long distance relationships. I am hoping the two of us will get closer, but for now I adore my iPad from afar. The only problem with my tablet affair is that I keep noticing flaws.

 

iPad Cons: 

--No flash. Flash is the Adobe software plugin that handles video and animation on the web. So this means no Hulu and other web video sites do not work. (If you looked closely you would see that even the NYT app that was hyped in the intro was missing the Flash plugin icon.) This omission is not a complete disaster because alternatives are available in other browsers for video streaming including YouTube and Vimeo which use H.264 for video streaming. 

--No multitasking. The iPad is supposed to be better than a laptop or a smart phone at browsing the web, reading and writing email, watching movies, reading a book, and listening to music. BUT the iPad can only do one thing at a time. Multitasking is a big energy hog and by leaving this out of the iPad, the iPad has a super long battery life--10 hours.

--No textbooks. Yet. The iPad has an iBooks feature that makes reading digital books just like reading paper books. However, the intro to the iPad did not mention a partnership with textbook publishers. The good news is that it does offer a full-color Kindle-killer app for many other books.

--No cameras (No still camera, video cam, or webcam). Although I can't imagine using a device this size as a general use camera, I would have liked a front facing camera for web conferencing, etc. Geeky moms probably know more about gaming apps than they wish to admit, but they also know about talking on the laptop using Skype webcam calls. Moms love to see amazing connections built when kids video chat with Gramma and Grampa hundreds of miles away. And how would moms away from home on a business trip survive without video chats with their kids?

--No TV subscriptions (and no way to hook up to HD monitor via HDMI). I was hoping I could subscribe to TV programming just like a subscribing to print media. Didn't hear anyone at Apple mention this at the intro. Rumor has it that Disney will be a key player in TV and film distribution.

--No USB port. The good news is there is a way to work around this via the dock connector including the camera connection kit for photos.

--No GPS on Wi-Fi models. 3G iPads come with assisted GPS.