Momathon Blog

Geeky Mom: Teach Fido some basic tricks with iPhone app

A busy dog is a happy dog. An easy and fun way to keep your dog busy is to teach your dog a few tricks. 

Of course, you can get the same tricks offered on this app for FREE on the internet, but if you want a portable version you can carry with you then the $2.99 for the Dog Tricks- Best of 101 Dog Tricks iPhone app might be worth it. The app features step-by-step instructions with a demo video featuring dog trainer Kyra Sundance for 8 tricks including sit, down, crawl, roll over, shake hands, spin circles, and fetch. (Sundance also has a series of "101 Dog Tricks" books and DVDs.)

I've decided teaching my puppy sit and down are useful, but teaching him to spin in circles might not be the smartest idea. 

 

Geeky Mom: Comparison shopping made easy with TheFind.com app

 

 

I love finding a bargain. But I hate running from store to store to find the best deal. Now you can use your iPhone to find the best deals on a specific product at nearby stores with the free TheFind.com iPhone app.

In my testing, I was able to quickly type in the product name (or even the approximate name) and the app gave me a list of possible options with store locations and prices.

So easy. Plus the TheFind has a great desktop platform that works well with the app to help you comparison shop--even locate coupons and product reviews.

TheFind features

• search for product in nearby stores
• get addresses, phone numbers and directions to nearby stores
• find prices from both local stores and online retailers
• view maps to show stores
• get product details and photos
• calculate driving cost to each store from your current location

Happy shopping!

TIME's Top 10 of practically everything

If you like lists about current events, technology, tweets, books, video games, gadgets, late night jokes, fashion faux paus, or just about any list you can imagine, then Time's The Top 10 Everything of 2009 is for you. TIME charts the highs and lows of the past year in 50 lists. Check it out TIME.com.

 

 

Geeky Mom: Free e-Books from Sesame Street

 

There is something magical about the characters on Sesame Street. Of course the TV show is great, but the Sesame Street books were a favorite with my kids too. Now you can listen to the lovable characters reading their books to your children with Sesame Street eBooks. You can read and listen to free e-book samples on this link. 

The free e-books featured this week are

• Celebrate
• Grover's Guide to Good Eating
• The Monster at the End of the Street
• 123 Count with Me

Sesame Street will sell e-books from its website. Approximately 100 titles are expected to launch this year. The books are downloadable and work with both Macs and PCs. The publisher is iPublishCentral.

Geeky Mom: Eat This, Not That app for the iPhone

You've probably already heard of the wildly successful Eat This, Not That book series by Men's Health editors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. Now you can get the book translated into an iPhone app format.

The ETNT app price at $4.99 is higher than many similar apps costing less than a buck, but the creators promise you get more.

Here is what the ETNT app offers according to their promo featured on the iPhone app store.

• complete no-diet weight loss solution
• discover thousands of simple food swaps
• track calories for over 13,000 menu items and 10,000 grocery products
• tools to build a healthier grocery list
• tools to view nutritional grades for over 13,000 adult and kid menu options at restaurants
• food comparison chart lets you put two foods head-to-toe to see which is the healthier option.

One obvious benefit of the app over lugging around the book is the fact you can take Zinczenko and Goulding's advice with you everywhere--in the grocery store, at a restaurant, or at a fast food place.

We all know that sometimes it is difficult to get kids to eat healthy, but this app could make the difference. The graphics and interactive features will make it more fun for you to help younger children decide which item is the healthier choice. Of course, older kids with an iPhone can use the app themselves--just don't tell them it was your idea.

Wow, Santa really outdid himself this year!

Kudos to all those Santas who are smart shoppers. Even when buying electronics!

I know Target has gotten more than a few complaints about their new holiday ad campaign. Is it anti-Santa? Is it sexist? In my highly opinionated opinion, I don't think the ad deserves to be the subject of controversy. In fact, I love it. Power to the smart shoppers--Santa included! 

You can check out the clever ad from Target below. 

Free shipping day? No kidding!

 

(image by mysza831)

Practically everyone on my Christmas gift list lives out of town. That's why I was so excited to discover December 17th is National Free Shipping Day for participating merchants (see partial list below). And shipped items are guaranteed to arrive by Christmas eve.

Check out their website for participating merchants. So far, Free Shipping Day includes 407 participating merchants and counting. On Thursday, December 17th at 12:00AM EST the Free Shipping Day promotions for participating merchants will be revealed.

Here are a few of the National Free Shipping Day merchants as of this post date:

• Aeropostale
• American Eagle Outfitters
• Apple Store
• ShopAddidas.com
• BabiesRUs
• BabyAge.com
• Bebe
• Borders
• Brookstone
• Chronicle Books
• Crabtree & Evelyn
• Discovery Store
• Eddie Bauer
• FAO Schwarz
• Godiva Chocolatier
• The Land of Nod
• Macy's
• Nike
• Nordstrom
• OverStock.com
• PetSmart
• Red Envelope
• Sears
• Sephora
• 7 for all mankind
• The Body Shop
• Tommy Bahamas
• Toys R Us
• and many more

 
Mark December 17th on your calendar. Happy Shopping.

How to book the best room in the hotel

Hello, my name is Chris and I am a hotel snob.  

I admit it. My family and close friends know about my little secret: I am very fussy when it comes to selecting a hotel and a room in a hotel.

 

(St. Regis, New York)

Hotel rooms are not created equal. Lucky for me and other hotel snobs, TripKick.com which launched in May 2008, makes it easy for picky travelers to find the best rooms based on your preferences. This online service features a room-by-room guide of hotel rooms in 500 hotels in more than 27 cities. Keep checking the site because the number of hotels increases each month. 

What makes a hotel room great for you? TripKick groups rooms according to criteria specified by you including room size, view, etc. If you specify your hotel room personality such as formal, romantic getaway, upscale business, elegant, TripKick will suggest hotels. How does it work? Well, if you are looking for a quiet room in the St. Regis New York pictured above, then TripKick recommends even numbered rooms which are quiet, interior facing rooms. If you want an oversized, junior suite at the St. Regis check out room 21. If you want a big bathroom at the St. Regis, you are in luck: most rooms feature oversized baths.

Some obvious deal breakers for hotel snobs are rooms with small bathrooms or rooms near noisy vending machines or near hotel renovation areas. What makes a room more desirable? The size of the room, proximity to elevators, or a great view. Travelers can add their own ratings to the TripKick website.

TripKick has only been around for a little over a year and it was once again named a "Top Website" by Travel + Leisure magazine.

Need daily updates? You can follow tripkick.com on Twitter.

Ski Bum Mum: Tweet deals just for you

 

(image by Robert Nyman)

Looking for region specific updates? Follow Liftopia.com at its market-specific Twitter handles. 

Liftopia: Colorado on Twitter

Liftopia: Utah on Twitter

Liftopia New England on Twitter

Liftopia: BC Alberta on Twitter

You can also follow a general feed of information on Liftopia on Twitter.

Ski Bum Mum: Sweet ski deals at Liftopia.com

Taking the whole family skiing for a weekend or even a day can be expensive, so I am always looking for deals on skiing. I found an online service that offers discounts on resorts and lift tickets. Now if only I could find a bargain for lunch when I easily spend $70 on burgers, chili and drinks for a family of four on the mountain.

Liftopia.com partners directly with ski resorts to provide discount lift tickets and ski deals. If you book online, you can save up to 60% or even 75%! I haven't used this service yet, but I plan on trying it out soon.

 

 (images by johnrawlinson and frozenchipmunk)

Booking early on Liftopia makes sense because tickets can sell out, but tickets can be purchased up until the night before arrival. When you purchase a ticket from Liftopia.com, you are purchasing date-specific tickets and ski deals. Prices for ski deals fluctuate based on availability, snow conditions, weather, day of week, etc.

For the 2009-2010 ski season, Liftopia includes discounts at 120 ski resorts in North America.

Some new ski resort additions this year include:

• Winter Park
• Killington
• Keystone

Wanna get the scoop on a certain resort? Liftopia.com also includes a feature for customer reviews.

Get the latest news alerts on Liftopia: 

Liftopia on Twitter

Facebook | Liftopia

Geeky Mom: What's the worst part about reading?

What's the worst part about reading? According to internet comedian Amir the answer is: the reading part.

Check out Amir's solution to the dilemma of reading without really reading in the video clip below. Warning... this is college humor. If you are seriously worried that technology is taking over our lives and spells the end of reading, then do NOT watch this video.

Jake And Amir are two friends that work together, live together, and play together. Are they best friends? Probably not. Watch more Jake and Amir video episodes to decide for yourself. 

Will e-books save the planet?

 

(image by cote)

I'm not worried about too many hardcover and paperback books filling up our landfills. I hope we keep them on our bookshelves instead. Even if e-books don't save the planet, this greener publishing alternative is a healthier option for many. Do you like to read books on your laptop or e-reader? I still like the feel of turning paper pages, but I am gradually becoming a convert. I love the convenience of digial downloads and the fact e-books are greener because they cut down on paper use.

Now more and more libraries are offering free digital downloads that reside on your laptop for a couple of weeks--the length of the paper version of a library book check-out. Digital library downloads are not currently available in all formats. 

According to a recent NYTimes.com article, e-books "cannot be read on Amazon’s Kindle, the best-selling electronic reader, or on Apple’s iPhone, which has rapidly become a popular device for reading e-books. Most library editions are compatible with the Sony Reader, computers and a handful of other mobile devices." Apple will be introducing a new e-reader tablet with a touchscreen next year. Perhaps the Apple tablet format that allows an impressive range of graphics to be displayed will change the way many of us view e-readers. This tablet sounds like a perfect fit for digital textbooks too. 

E-books could be a healthier choice for your body too. Considering how heavy a student backpack can get with bulky textbooks, consolidating all the books in a slim e-reader is really good news for keeping backs happier also. 

The cost of an e-book is often lower for customers and technically they never wear out. (With a puppy at home that chews anything made of paper or even resembling paper, this is really good news.) The average e-book sells for about $10 because online retailers subsidize their price. Unfortunately libraries can't buy a digital book for the same discounted price. 

The concept of e-books in libraries is not popular with all authors and their publishers including Stephen King and Bob Woodward. Simon & Schuster has refrained from distributing e-books to libraries. 

I am hoping more authors and readers will support e-books as the book hybrid for a healthier planet.

For more information on libraries that offer e-books check out this link on NYTimes.com.

Geeky Mom: Test the speed of your Internet connection

 

image: .faramarz

My Internet connection has been wimpy lately. So, to see if I am getting what I paid for I tried out a few broadband speed analysis tools that check my Internet connection. My favorite is Speedtest.net. Ok, I admit it, this proves I am mildly geeky: I think the test is fun. It uses an entertaining interactive Flash interface. Speednet.com performs three measurements to determine the quality and performance of your internet connection:

1) Download Speed: Tests the speed at which your data is sent from the Internet to your computer.

2) Upload Speed: Tests the speed at which data is sent from your computer to the Internet.

3) Ping (Latency): The time it takes in milliseconds for a small piece of data to be sent from your computer to the Internet and back.

What are my test results? Am I getting what I pay for in an Internet connection? Well, that discussion is for another post. Stay tuned.

Depending on where you live, here are a few other testers you might want to check out:

• Broadband speed reports
• Speakeasy - Speed Test
• PC Pitstop Internet Connection Center

Find Recipes that Match Your Ingredients at SuperCook.com

Ever look in your fridge or pantry and wonder just what you can make for dinner without making a last-minute shopping run? That's exactly the problem solved by the clever folks at SuperCook.com--a user-friendly website that does a recipe search according to the ingredients you have at home. 

To start all you have to do enter the ingredients you have at home on the website, the more ingredients you list on SuperCook, the more recipe options you will get.

Bon appetit!

Smart Shopping: School Clothes

At my house this year, shopping for school clothes involves looking for the best deals. If you want a little help finding your favorite brands on sale, then check out Shop It To Me. This website is almost as good as having your own personal shopper--and a savvy shopper that knows the inside scoop on bargain shopping at all your favorite stores. 

Social Petworking Saves the Life of Homeless Pet

Twitter a critter. Blog a dog. Chat a cat. You can help a homeless pet find a home through Social PETworking.

To see how you can help a shelter pet by posting their info onto your Facebook, MySpace or Twitter page watch the video below.

Spread the Word and Help Shelter Dogs

Pet adoption and
rescue powered by

To help find homes for millions of shelter dogs waiting to be adopted, Shepard Farley, the artist who made Barack Obama's face an icon on posters and stickers, has made an icon out of an American mutt. Are you looking for a pet? Click on Farley's and Adopt-a-Pet.com’s image above to find a shelter pet near you.

You can download the "Mutts Like Me ADOPT" image for creating posters, stickers, T-shirt, badges and more at this link.

Creative fun for your family

Spread the word about adopting shelter dogs and have fun doing an artsy family activity. Click on this link for printable PDFs, a coloring page for kids, and much more. You can post your Mutts Like Me artwork at home, work and school. Of course, ask permission before posting your the Mutts poster because posting this image where it is not welcome will only hurt homeless pets.

Real-Life Positive Parenting Ideas Online

 

Parenting is a time of rewards, laughter, and love. But we all know it can also be a time of challenges. It's one tough job.

OneToughJob.org sponsored by the Children's Trust Fund of Massachusetts has been an online source of positive parenting advice since 2006.

The CTFs OneToughJob.org  offers parents information on a variety of parenting topics from birth to age 18 including:

• positive parenting
• school and child care
• nurturing your family
• health and safety
• growth and development
• parenting tips  

Summer fun

Many of the OTJ articles focus on summer topics such as selecting a summer day camp, getting your kids to help out around the house, age-specific personal safety tips, and creative activites to do with your kids.
  

Internet safety

If your kids love technology, then check out the OTJ Technology Articles including:

• helpful internet safety websites
• how to report an incident of internet crime
• internet safety--what parents should know
• internet safety--what parents can do
• my teen and myspace
• television and video games
• the cell phone dilemma
• TV and your tot

Geeky Mom: Cool Travel Apps for iPhone

Planning a trip this summer? With an iPhone of iPod touch planning and making the trip keeps getting easier.  Here are a few of my personal faves and some recommended by The New York Times

Trip planning apps

Expedia Itinerary Viewer (free) View your saved and booked Expedia itineraries with the itinerary viewer application.

Travelocity (free) Check flight schedules, gate numbers, security wait times and -- if you booked through Travelocity -- your itinerary. Also lets you search for "Hotels Near Me" 

AAA Discounts (free) Uses GPS technology to instantly identify nearby businesses offering deals for AAA members.

Are we there yet apps

Flight Status ($3.99) Flight status, arrival gates and baggage carousels.

Google Earth (free) Show this app to your kids and ask them to figure out when you'll arrive at your destination.

FlightTrack ($4.99) Real-time flight tracking and weather reports. (See photo above.)

Getting around town apps

Mass transit and subway maps for major cities:

CityTransit (for New York City, $2.99), 

Tube London City ($9.99) 

iBart(for the San Francisco area, free).

Taxi! (free)  finds taxi services throughout the US based on your location. 

Where to eat apps

Zagat to Go '09 ($9.99) Kinda spendy for an app, but it's just like a book with lots of suggestions for where to eat. Uses GPS. Photos of restaurants. Lets you make reservations with a click. 

Open  Table (free) Incredibly easy restaurant reservations.

Yelp (free) Helps you find a nearby restaurant, coffee shop--tips for finding really almost anything.

Urban Spoon (free) recommends restaurants in more than 50 cities 

Local Eats (99 cents), an iPhone version of the guidebook series "Where the Locals Eat" -- uses the the top 100 restaurants in 50 American cities. 

Tipulator  ($1.99) No need to think after finishing a delicious meal--this app figures out your tip for you.

Find almost anything apps

Where (free) Lets you scroll through different services (coffee shops, gas stations and restaurants) and shows you where they are on a Google Map, along with your location.

International travel apps

Truphone (free) Think Skype for the iPhone. This app lets you make cheap international phone calls over Wi-Fi (about 6 cents a minute to landlines and 30 cents to mobile phones),

MOMPF Currency Converter (free), which has a funny-looking cartoon for a mascot, allows you to easily switch among currencies and to store favorites.

Lonely Planet ($9.99) helps you say it with phrasebook apps in 10 languages including Czech, Italian and Vietnamese. 

Babelingo ($5.99), this "no talking required" app makes it almost impossible to screw up the pronunciation of foreign phrases--just choose a phrase like "Where is the bathroom?" and it displays the translation in big bold type. 

Looking for more info on apps?

You can also check out more iPhone apps at the  iPhone App Store. On this link Apple makes it super easy to browse top iPhone apps in specific categories like travel, news, social networking, reference, music, sports, etc.

"Real" Bookstore Browsing Online

I am a fan of online shopping. And I love books. When I discovered Zoomii--a "real" bookstore online that replicates the browsing of bookstore--I fell deeply in love. 

The books available on Zoomii.com are Amazon.com books at Amazon's great prices, thanks to their affiliate program.

Check it out in the YouTube video below.

Are You LinkedIn?

Mompreneurs are LinkedIn. Are you? A LinkedIn mom is the one who networks on the web instead of the soccer fields or at PTO meetings. Over 40 million professionals use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. The best part of this networking site is the fact it's not just a group of connections, at LinkedIn your network is alive and easy to navigate.

According to the media gurus at wowOwow, LinkedIn is: 

"A network for professional connections, and instead of sharing info on your children and pets, you share business information. It is a fantastic networking tool for job searching and for promoting a business or service. It also doubles as a terrific database for all your business contacts."

If you know how Facebook or Twitter works, then you know how important social networking sites can be. LinkedIn offers a professional slant on networking.

Want to get started? Check out the simple step-by-step direction by the gals at wowOwow: How to Get Started on LinkedIn. You can also find out how to grow your network to help you get your message out to the appropriate contacts. Just check out this wowOwow link.

The YouTube video clip below explains LinkedIn in plain English.

Social networking can be time consuming and it would be overwhelming to join every social networking site out there. Sree Sreenivasan in a 

WSJ.com article suggests limiting your networking to two or three sites. In the same article, brand strategist Catherine Kaputa and author of "U R A Brand" says LinkedIn should be on your short list, "It is the one crucial place to be if you are a business executive, professional or entrepreneur."

Geeky Mom: Stay Ahead of Your Kids with All Things Digital App

My kiddos think they are the experts on all things tech. I admit I use them. For FREE. They are best tech consultants in my neighborhood. But sometimes I want to catch up and maybe even know something new and cool first.

I am a fan of AllThingsDigital on the WSJ.com. Sometimes I read their columns and I think tech gurus Mossberg, Swisher, Paczkowski, Kafka, and Boehret can read my mind. Has someone implanted a chip up there?

Now these clever folks offer a new cool All Things Digital app for the iPhone and iPod touch. It features their daily columns, blogs, video, product reviews, and more formatted for easy use on your iPhone or iPod. For more info on this app check out Swisher's column here.

Go get the ATD at the iTunes App Store. It's FREE!

Geeky Mom: Finding a Better iPhone Case

My latest geeky quest: finding a better iPhone case. I want something tough because as every mom knows, when kids are around no gadget is safe. 

The case I have right now is ultra tough, but at the price of making it difficult to use the iPhone. When you can't answer the phone on the go or type a text message without bruising your fingertips, then something has to go. My current case, that is.

I want a case that is durable and functional. Oh, and the cute factor helps. Here are just a few I am considering. I will let you know my choice soon. 

iCooly Clip Case

Clip it on your pocket or let it stand on your desk. Best part: the swiveling clip/stand can be rotated and positioned for standing (or carrying) horizontally/vertically. $33

 

OtterBox iPhone 3G Impact Case and iPhone 3G Defender Case // OtterBox.com

According to the OtterBox website, these cases offer impact absorbing features in a non-slip grip Silicone form. The buttons are easy to access right through the case. $49.95

iPhone Juice Pack

This one is spendy at $99, but it is a multi-tasker. Case doubles as an iPhone charger.

Uses a rechargeable lithium polymer battery in a non-slip grip case. Heres the scoop on the amount of time battery provides:

• Standby time--up to 3500 hours
• Talk time--up to 6 hours on 3G
• Audio playback time--up to 28 hours
• Video playback time--up to 8 hours

Clever Children's Book Is Also an iPhone App

Making a smooth transition back to work is not easy for new moms. The book Oscar the Pig by Megan Calhoun, the founder of Twittermoms, aims to help moms and their young kids adjust to the changes including the feelings of separation anxiety. In the book, Oscar the Pig's mom is going back to work. And Oscar is just a little worried. Fortunately, Oscar now has also has a lovable but eccentric nanny hen who takes Oscar on magical adventures to other cultures. Now Oscar has fun adventures and discoveries to share with his mom when she gets home from work.

Oscar the Pig is now available from iKids iPlay in an app format with five interactive activities on iTunes for 2.99. 

Acccording to Jenrab at blog The Next Kid Thing, with the Oscar the Pig app "kids can rub the screen to reveal hidden pages; the book becomes a coloring book with the stroke of a little finger, which can later be sent to grandma via email; storytime can enjoyed with automatic page turns and beginning readers can read, record and replay as they grasp their new reading abilities."

Here are the five app activities listed on the App Shopper:

• RUB - Rub the screen with your finger to reveal the hidden picture book pages.
• COLOR - Classic coloring book using a finger as the crayon. Save and email to mom, dad and grandparents.
• STORY - Enjoy a video story time, narration and page turns included.
• READ - Read, record and playback the picture book
• PAINT - Digital finger painting. Save and email to mom, dad and grandparents.
  

Go Green with Ecofont

Events this week celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. All week Momathon Blog will be focusing on simple ways you can celebrate Earth Day every day.

Go green with a new Swiss-cheese design font.

Use the environmentally friendly Ecofont and you will minimize ink and carbon use. The Dutch company SPRANGQ developed this green font with tiny circular holes in the letters. When you use this font you won't see the holes unless the font is too large. The font is readable because the micro holes are not visible in a smaller size (16pt or smaller). The design of this typeface cuts ink usage by 20%.

It's free. Download Ecofont here.

Geeky Mom: Cool iPhone App for Pandora Internet Radio

Earlier today I mentioned the cool factor of Pandora Internet Radio, but I forgot to mention the amazing iPhone app for Pandora. 

Remember the trusty transistor radio of your youth? Pandora Internet Radio is like that only better. Pandora only plays the music you like. You supply the names of artists or songs you like and your personalized Pandora Radio station streams their music and more music similar to your selection. Plus you can create multiple stations to suit your mood. 

Navigation on this app is so simple even us grown-ups can use it. The iPhone app doesn't require a computer the way the web version does. And it is free as a download from the iPhone App Store or at iTunes.

You can also buy any song that is playing on Pandora from iTunes immediately, if your iPhone is connected via WiFi.

You can check out a demo video clip here.

Music for Moms Can Be Cool Too: How to Get Back in the Groove

Kiddie music is definitely cooler today than when I was growing up, but I still think parents deserve a break from The Wiggles once in a while. Between diaper changes, play group dates, and running errands, who has time to find the latest cool songs for big people? But you still want to be cool. And if your kids are older tweens or teens, your kids will be so impressed if you actually know who is new and popular.

My friends at Cookie Magazine told me about these amazing music links that will help you find your new tunes.

Music Links

iTunes
Go to iTunes Store every Tuesday because that is when new music gets posted.

Pitchfork
Music-Themed blog

Pandora Internet Radio
It's a new kind of radio station that will play only the music you like. Just type in the artist you like and the Music Genome Project finds other songs you might like and creates your own unique radio station that only plays similar songs. It's free.

Muzzle of Bees.com

Picks really new music that is just emerging in the entertainment industry.

iLike

Social networking site that is based on musical tastes.

Cookie Magazine has three tailor-made plans to get you back in the groove. Check out the strategies. (See the three CD images above)

• Philosophy 1: If It's Popular, It Must Be Good
• Philosophy 2: Tell Me What I Need to Know
• Philosophy 3: I Was a Blazer of Trails

 

Geeky Mom: iPhone App Helps You Find Clean Public Bathrooms

Now here's an iPhone app moms will love. You might not like the name, but you'll love how SitOrSquat.com will help you find the cleanest public bathroom anywhere in the world. This free mobile app for iPhones and BlackBerry's is courtesy of Charmin. The app uses GPS to guide you to the nearest clean public bathroom.

You can also recommend clean public bathrooms you think should be included on the list too. If you don't have an iPhone, you can still visit SitOrSquat.com online and find a clean restroom. 

I really could have used this service when I visited London and other large cities with little kids in tow. Besides all the lovely museums, we also got to know the best McDonald's and Starbucks to visit for potty privileges. 

I never thought I would say this, "I love you, Charmin."

Come Twitter With Me

If you haven't joined Twitter yet, check it out. You might even want to create your own account. You can follow my tweets on Twitter.com/Momathon.

Julia Angwin recently wrote an insightful how-to article on Twittering at WSJ.com. Angwin, WSJ.com's senior technology editor, sums it up:

"Twitter is a mass text-messaging service that allows you to send short 140-character updates -- or "tweets" -- to a bunch of people at once. They are your "followers." It was designed to be read on a cellphone, though many people read it online, too... On Twitter, however, you do not exist without followers, who subscribe to receive your messages."

Why Twitter? I like Twitter because it allows me to tap into an amazing community of people from around the world.

Twittering can be addictive. Networking with your followers and updating your Twitter page is time consuming. Beware: Spending too much time in Twittersphere means your "real" relationships could suffer.

Will Twitter create the next wave of break ups? Today geeksugar reports that Twitter may be to blame for splitting up celebrity couple Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer. According to a post on geeksugar: 

"Mayer told Aniston that he was too busy to get in touch with her, yet he always managed to have the time to update his Twitter page. Eventually, Aniston got fed up with John putting his Tweeting priorities ahead of his relationship so she decided to call it quits."

The bottom line: Have fun on Twitter, but if you can't remember when you last talked face-to-face with your family, then it is time to take a Twitter break. A very long break from Twittersphere.

Geeky Mom: TuneJuice Battery Charger for iPhone (and iPod)

TuneJuice battery backup for both the iPhone and iPod, allows you to recharge your device anywhere--as long as you have 4 AAA batteries. ($30)

Do you need this gadget? If you travel and worry that you might run out of juice during an important call, then all you have to do is plug in the TuneJuice and your iPhone keeps running. For me, the greatest benefit would be charging the iPhone when you are not near a power outlet such as when hiking or camping.

Of course, the big question is how many gadget accessories are you willing to lug around?There are plenty of recharger options out there such as the multi-tasking solar-powered, charging capable cases for the iPhone. Solar Arcadia offers a solar-powered case so you don't have to depend on AAA batteries, but then you do need the sun ($46). The best bet is to pick a charger that fits your situation. 

According to iLounge the TuneJuice will power an iPhone for approximately one of the following activities: 

• 2 hours of talk time
• 1.5 hours of internet use
• fuels an iPod nano 3G for 24 hours of music

Look Up Recipes on Your iPhone?

Seems like we need to have our cell phones with us 24/7 because this gadget has become so important to surviving our hectic lifestyle. Hopefully we all know to set down the cell while driving because it can create dangerous distractions. And I also know from experience that cooking in the kitchen with my cell plastered to my ear can create some ugly food disasters. However, I do love the new iPhone recipe app that could supply me with a recipe while I'm wandering through the grocery aisles without a clue about what to make for dinner.

When I'm stumped for a recipe I usually call mom or my best bud Kathy. I admit sometimes I need help at the worst times and often when my cooking support network is not available. A mobile cookbook sounds very tempting. Thanks to Betty Crocker, now we can turn to a cooking expert anytime, anywhere, with the new free iPhone application. The Betty Crocker Mobile Cookbook puts more than 4,000 recipes on your phone. (This app also works with the iPod Touch and doesn't require wireless connection.)

A sampling of the mobile cookbook features:

• Recipe search
• Ingredient search
• Recipe Detail with Photos
• Favorites

Check this link to find out more about the Betty Crocker Mobile Cookbook.

wowOwow! Liz Smith and The Women on the Web

I admit I am a news junkie. My less boring side enjoys reading gossip columns and opinion pieces. This week Liz Smith, gossip's grande dame, was bumped from The New York Post due to bad economic times. Despite her age, 86, she managed to find an even better spot for writing her column in on one of my online faves wowOwow, the Women on the Web site she co-founded.

As the site promotes, the diva of dish will be "delivering daily dish as it breaks in real time." One more reason I love the web. 

If you want to read about people in business or the arts, celebrities and just interesting new trends, check out her column. Her column is addictive. She's dishy without ever being mean. And she has everyone's cell phone number.

According to Joni Evans at wowOwow, "Liz has raised more than $20 million in the fight against illiteracy and more millions in the fight against AIDS. Other causes close to her heart include The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, The New York Landmarks Conservancy, The Police Athletic League and The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders."

You can read more about her career in the NY Times article, Liz Smith Bids City’s Tabloids Goodbye.

Geeky Mom: Lego iPod Speaker

No one is ever too old for Legos in my opinion. That's why the mini Lego-like brick speaker that you attach to your iPod seems like the perfect solution to sharing your tunes with the universe. The Lego speakers with two tiny speakers hidden behind the the cross-shaped holes are really only powerful enough to entertain a small universe like your room. Speakers run off the iPod's power so no batteries are required. (The speakers do not work with first generation iPhones or the the second generation iPod touch or the iPod shuffle.) 

$25

For product details check out fredflare.com.

Does Too Much TV and Web Harm Kids?

Is it time to turn off the TV? Conflicting studies have interesting results.

First, the findings from a major study on the effect of heavy media exposure on kids was released today. The news is not good if the TV remote is permanently glued to your kid's hand. The researcher's findings don't surprise me--spending a lot of time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the web isn't good for kids. In fact, these activities can lead to a wide range of health problems including obesity and smoking according to the recent research by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Yale University and California Pacific Medical Center. The researchers analyzed 173 studies since 1980 on the effects of media consumption in children.

"In a clear majority of those studies more time with television, films, video games, magazines, music and the Internet was linked to rises in childhood obesity, tobacco use and sexual behavior. A majority also showed strong correlations--what the researchers deemed 'statistically significant associations'--with drug and alcohol use and low academic achievement," according to an article in the NYTimes.com.

I am not a scientist, but I found it interesting that the studies as reported in Reuters found the quantity of time kids spend watching TV or on the Internet to be a bigger factor than the quality of the media they are watching. I'm waiting for the next study to tell us the dangers of FaceBook and MySpace.

Don't turn off the computer yet. Another study by the MacArthur Foundation says parents should "chill out" because most teenagers steer clear of dangerous sites. Instead teens are using the Internet to connect with peers.

"One of the main things we found is that it is highly motivating for kids to learn from peers, whether it's the everyday social stuff or learning about new technology or making videos or doing creative writing," says Mizuko Ito, a University of California, Irvine researcher and the reports lead author according to an article in the Houston Chronicle.

Kid Tech Charity: Give 1, Get 1

Give a laptop.

Get a laptop.

Change the world.

Imagine a real world laptop--durable enough to function even the toughest conditions--that's brilliantly functional, energy efficient, low cost, and fun. Sound incredible? Now imagine a nonprofit program that wants to place perhaps the greenest laptop ever in the hands of children in the developing world. The XO laptop has the perfect features and software to get kids excited about learning no matter where they live.

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a nonprofit, sells the sturdy kid-friendly XO machines at a super low cost to governments in developing countries so they can give the computers to schoolchildren. These low-cost green machines use less power that regular PCs and are designed to work in demanding, rural conditions.

Want to help more needy kids get a laptop?

To foster learning in developing countries, The One Laptop per Child project has restarted its "Give One, Get One" program with a new retail partner, Amazon. 

You can buy one open-source, Linux-based XO laptop for your family for $399 at Amazon.com and the OLPC program will donate another one to a needy child in a developing country. If you don't want a laptop for yourself, you can still donate one of the devices to OLPC for $199 per machine.

"The phenomenal success of last year's Give 1, Get 1 program created tremendous demand from both the public, who wanted to give more, and from countries that saw an opportunity to attack poverty through education," said Nicholoas Negroponte, founder and chairman of OLPC, in a statement. Mr. Negroponte is also the founding director of M.I.T. Media Laboratory.

Watch Zimi's story below in the YouTube clip.

Also you can watch David Pogue at the NYT in the video clip below from last year (Oct. 4, 2007) 

Please note that the dates of the Give 1, Get 1 program have been updated since Pogue made this video. See the link at One Laptop per Child (OLPC) for all the current dates and prices.

Seriously?! I got in Alltop?

 
Yep. It's true. Momathon Blog somehow got picked for placement in Alltop.com--a cool website that features all of the top stories, websites and blogs. It's kind of an "online magazine rack" of popular topics updated each hour. If you visit the site, be prepared to stay a while. There is plenty of interesting reads for almost everyone.

This is great news. I've been a fan of Alltop and Guy Kawasaki, the co-founder of Alltop, for some time. He is one of the clever folks behind another one of my favorite websites Truemors.

So go check out Alltop.com. Momathon Blog is listed under the category: Moms. Have fun. 

Clogged: When Your Posts Are "Borrowed"

Just yesterday I wrote a Momathon Blog post about my Mom and how much her cooking inspiration means in my life. I also included a recipe that I created based on the cooking skills my Mom, the home-ec teacher, inspired.

You can imagine my surprise when this recipe and my story about my Mom turned up copied word-for-word in a post by another blogger. My husband says I was "clogged." She also included the photo of my lasagne--complete with the partially burnt cheese topping. (I warned you that I'm not Martha.)

I like to share recipes, but when my family story and my "Easy Vegie Lasagne" was copied without any mention of me and used in another blog it stung. 

I am hoping this blogger just accidentally forgot to credit me. Still, you'd think she'd ask my permission first before she copied the entire post. 

I also found some of my other Momathon Blog posts copied word-for-word with my photos to her Blog. At least the first line of the post she copied about the serious health risks of BPA also included the name of my Momathon Blog, but her post credits Susan as the writer. 

Am I missing something here? Did I accidentally join a blogging group that "shares" posts that I didn't intend to join? 

A Mom Detects Cancer in E-mailed Baby Photo

It's every parent's worst nightmare that their pediatrician might someday tell them their child has a tumor. Imagine if the pediatrician didn't notice a tumor at a 9-month check up, but a friend a continent away detected a strange white shadow behind the toddler's eye on e-mailed pictures from her first birthday.

Madeline Robb living in Stretford, the United Kingdom, isn't a doctor, she just happened to remember a news story about the unusual eye coloration that develops in children with Retinoblastoma. When she saw that the toddler's eye was reflecting light in an unusual way she sent her friend an e-mail suggesting she have her child checked. Her friend, Megan Santos of Riverview, Florida, took her daughter Rowan to the doctor the same day and the agressive form of eye cancer was diagnosed. According to the BBC, Megan says "If we had waited even one more work, the tumor could have reached her brain and her prognosis would not have been good."

Is it possible to ever thank a good friend like Megan enough? The two new moms met on the message board at the online pregnancy community BabyFit.com when their children were born on the same day.

It was very lucky that Megan had noticed the hazy, white glow in the photos of the one-year-old because the rare cancer only shows up in photographs in its early stages.

You can also go to the BBC link to watch an informative video clip on this condition and the story of the online friendship that possibly saved a toddler's life.

You Can Get Your iPhone at Best Buy Starting Sept. 7th

Cool stuff alert. Beginning September 7th, approximately 600 Best Buy stores will sell the iPhone ($199-299) in their Apple mini ships. I'm hoping the iPhone partnership with Best Buy will help us iPhone-user wannabes finally get our hands on the new iPhone 3G.

 

According to Reuters, Apple "has sold the device at its smaller network of Apple shops and at AT&T retail stores, with 1 million of the new iPhones sold in their first weekend in July." The demand for the iPhone was so intense that Apple offered online updates on availibility--customers can go online and check to see which Apple Retail Stores currently stocks the iPhone 3G. Even with the online coaching, you still had to find a way to get to the store before they sold out. With the intro of the new iPhone, the Apple retail motto--"come to shop, return to learn"--meant returning and returning and returning to the store just to find the phone.

Do you have email apnea? It's time to take a deep breath

Earlier this year I mentioned that I was going to attempt a "tech-free" Sunday. So far my plan has been pretty painless and even good for my attitude--a time to recharge before the work week begins on Monday. 

Even stepping away from the computer for a 15 minute break makes me relax and that might be because taking a short break helps improve breathing. Evidently, people hold their breath or breath shallowly when responding to email. Back in February HuffPo blogger Linda Stone issued a warning about email apnea in her post Just Breathe: Building the case for Email Apnea.

I am thinking about trying an "email free" Friday. If you are like me, the temptation to contsatantly check emails or news updates on the web is so strong that on some days I don't have the self control to walk away from my laptop even to eat lunch. 

We've all heard that constant email checking, web surfing, IM gossiping and other digital activities can lead to lost productivity. Plenty of companies are looking at strategies to changing that trend. I'm not so worried about the productivity issue, I'm thinking about the stress from infoglut.

Saturday's NY Times had a story by Matt Richtel, Lost in E-Mail, Tech Firms Face Self-Made Beast, about information overload and ending the vicious cycle of emailing and IMing that hurts productivity. Turns out some of the high tech companies who designed time-saving strategies now say that "these technology tools that have led to improvements in productivity can be counterproductive if overused if overused."

Do we suffer from digital gluttony? Do our email impulses mean we can't escape the fact that we are still hunter-gathers at the core? 

Time to get up and walk around.