Techish

We tried dozens of travel apps. These 10 will save your trip!

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Gone are the days of money belts, maps, travel guides, and standing in line. You can use your phone to do most of that. But which apps will get it done? We tried dozens of them, hit the road, and learned from our mistakes. All you have to do is spend ten minutes downloading apps and you will be ready to roll. Dosh (iOS/Android), free Travel is spendy. So you get out a laptop and research every hotel, flight, and restaurant before you decide. Oh, stop! Get Dosh. Need a hotel? Fly through a list of deals, right in the app. Tap, buy, and earn reward Dosh you can spend later.Time for lunch? Everyone else throws fiscal caution aside when tummies growl in an unfamiliar town. Not you. You ... Read more

Reader Question: How Do I Track the Time My Son Spends in Snapchat?

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While pouring through our virtual mailbag here at Techish, I happened upon this fantastic question about coaching a kid to self-regulate phone use. Tamara asks, “What are some good apps to track the amount of time spent on a phone? I want to help my son become more aware of the hours Snapchat is sucking up.” Teaching kids to regulate their media intake is an important part of parenting in the digital age. But, given recent data from Nielsen that shows smart phone users spend 65 percent more time each month using apps than just two years ago, this might be a case where managing a media diet could become a family affair. Either way, awareness is the first step. Especially when you are ... Read more

7 of the best high-tech tools for keeping tabs on kids:

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When my son turned eleven, he announced, “I want to stay home alone!” And that was a new phase in parenting. It started with the question, “At what age is it okay to leave the kids home alone?” And it won’t end until I am sitting on an empty nest. In between, there have been (and will be) more questions, worries, unplanned events, proud moments, messes, broken trusts, and parties that any parent ever wants to stop and add up. Modern times, though, bring some slick tools that do more than their intended purpose. No, you can’t turn your microwave into a camera. But some technologies – even those you already have  -- do double duty as robot babysitters for kids who are ready to stay home ... Read more

Best online tech tools to help get into college:

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My son was overwhelmed by the college choice portion of life. I suspect anyone who doesn’t miraculously already know where they want to go to college and what they want to study is. One day you are too young to stay home alone, the next day the entire world is asking, “You are grown up! What are you going to do?” These are big questions. It’s a good idea to give them some serious thought. I let him flounder for a bit, then I sat him down in front of a computer and suggested, “You ask Google where to eat dinner. Maybe the Internet can help with this, too?” It can. We found many valuable resources and – even better – answers. What’s Best for Me What’s Best for Me is like a canned ... Read more

How To: Clean a Dirty Gadget

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Here’s one for the Hall of Ironies: I stand in my just-cleaned-by-me house, proudly snapping a pic of the spotless interior. But did I clean the phone I took the picture with? I did not. And that thing – according to the experts – is the dirtiest thing in here. “The layer of grime on your smartphone harbors more bacteria than toilet seats or the bottom of your shoe,” says Todd Gabel, CEO and Founder of smart-phone accessories company Toddy Gear. My phone, they say, is even dirtier than it looks. I can see it is covered in greasy fingerprints, makeup, and…who knows what that is? (Hopefully food.) But it’s the stuff I can’t see that is truly gross. “I tell my 16-year-old that the ... Read more