Techish

Sharing, Not Scaring, is Key to Managing Screen Time

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As a society, we often give information to others hoping to elicit some fear with the goal of getting a desired behavior. Think for example of schools teaching kids about cyberbullying and sexting and having police officers deliver the message so it is clear that they should be scared, really scared of consequences. Unfortunately, scare tactics for long term behavior change have proven to not be very effective. Let me give one example. Massive public health campaigns designed to combat smoking that showed images of damaged lungs and testimonials from people who were diagnosed with lung cancer from smoking were meant to scare us into not smoking. It turns out that those campaigns had ... Read more

HOW TO: Keep creepers off your smart home gadgets!

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A recent spate of high-profile smart home gadget hacks has a whole lot of us wondering what we can do to keep the creepers out. Easy to guess passwords? Oh hell no. Unsecured Wi-Fi networks? Gone. These are things I've been warning you about for years, but have you actually taken steps to make you and your family as safe as possible? Likely, the answer is, "no," and that's okay. It's not easy, and that's why we're here to help! “A smart home gadget is no different from your phone or your computer,” says Kelvin Coleman, executive director for the National Cyber Security Alliance. “If it’s vulnerable to being hacked, there are basic good housekeeping practices that should become second ... Read more

HOW TO: Hack back to school routine-rage with Alexa!

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For busy parents, back to school means back to juggling schedules, long school supply lists, and competing priorities. Luckily, Amazon's Alexa can help parents get back into the routine during that back to school transition. Here are few things to try:  ●      Stay stocked on back to school essentials and last-minute household items with Dash Buttons for things Ziplocs and Bounty. Click the button when you’re running low, and the product will be delivered right to your front door. ●      Don’t forget about that upcoming field trip, permission slip, or fundraiser. Just say “Alexa, remind me that I’m chaperoning a field trip next Monday at 8 am.” ●      Set a custom Routine for you and ... Read more

FTC Warning: Protect your child’s personal information

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***Note: The Federal Trade Commission sent out this article to sites and blogs like ours and asked that we share it with our readers. Written By Colleen Tressler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC Many school forms require personal and sensitive information. Here are some tips for keeping your child’s personal information safe — from pre-school through college. Safeguard your child’s Social Security number (SSN). Don’t carry your child’s Social Security card with you, and don’t share it unless you know and trust the other party. Ask why it’s necessary and how it will be protected. Ask if you can use a different identifier, or use only the last four digits. Know your ... Read more

Back to School Gadgets: As Seen on Good Day New York

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Here are some fun gadgets to tech kids out: 1.   Go-To Safety Gadget: Relay - For Ages 6-11: (starting at $99, plus $6.99 monthly data charge) This is a screen-less, water-resistant device that works like a walkie-talkie and puts you in direct contact with your child, but with the connection of a smartphone. You can connect to your child’s Relay whenever you want from either an app on your smartphone or from another Relay device, and they can contact you by pressing the large button in the middle of the gadget. The Relay uses 4G LTE connectivity so you can check on them, and talk with them, whenever you want – from anywhere you want. 2. Nokia “Candy Bar” 3310 3G Phone ($60) Iconic – and ... Read more

These High-Tech Home Gadgets Will Instantly Upgrade Your Life

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If you own a home, there’s a good chance you’re working on some kind of fix-up project right about now. Americans spend more than $400 billion a year on residential renovations and repairs, according to a recent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University — and June is one of the busiest times of the year for upgrades. Whether you’re fed up with a leaky washing machine, or trying to figure out which neighbor’s dog is using your lawn as a personal porta-potty, here are a handful of impressive, new AI-powered gadgets that can do most of the thinking — and even some of the heavy lifting — for you. TAKE A LOAD OFF Short of hiring a maid to do your laundry — we can ... Read more

GIFT GUIDE: Impress Pops With These Awesome Dad’s Day Gadgets!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haPuMC6Vm_0 Impressing dad is easy if you’re a kid. Just ride your bike off a three-inch ramp without crashing and more likely than not he’ll be beaming with pride. But impressing pops as a full-fledged wage-earning adult is a whole other story. Lucky for us though, new gadgets are coming out at a faster pace than ever before, and this year, some budget-friendly choices are still unique, memorable, and even super helpful too. Here are my top Father’s Day gift picks for all kinds of dads. A BETTER WAY TO RECHARGE Sometimes the simplest gifts end up being used the most, and this 3-in-1 charging station ($29) will be dad’s gadget go-to when he’s ... Read more

GIFT GUIDE: Great gadget gifts for grads that they’ll totally love!

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***This story is from Jennifer's weekly columns and video segments for the USAToday Network.*** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xooy3Gg8csk Think back to your graduation, do you remember who gave you cash? I don’t. (And not just because I graduated a million years ago.) This cap-and-gown season, Americans are expected to spend more than $5.5 billion on gifts for high school and college grads. Cash in a card remains one of the most popular gifts, but it’s not the most memorable or even most useful in the long term. With my daughter graduating from high school this month, the pressure’s on to gift beyond cold, hard cash – and to find something truly meaningful, useful and just plain smart. ... Read more

#GiftingGoals for Mother’s Day 2019: Epic Gifts For All Kinds of Moms

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpfUxJsk7Vc Most moms I know “live in service and sacrifice to their children” 24/7. (I didn’t come up with that, Oprah did, see #7 on this list.) So it never hurts to go the extra mile to make her feel loved and appreciated. Of course, she’ll love your homemade card. And cry a few happy tears if you clean the bathroom without being asked. But if you — like more than 8 out of every 10 Americans — plan to spend a record amount of money on Mom this Mother’s Day, starting with this list is a genius move. #MomLife #TechLife Why? I’m a Mom who tests gadgets for a living. I also polled thousands of other Moms across social media, and then tried every single one ... Read more

HOW TO: Kondo your E-Clutter and Spring Clean Your Digital Mess

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Thanks to decluttering diva Marie Kondo, Spring Cleaning is expected to hit an all-time high this year. A recent survey by the American Cleaning Institute shows a record 77 percent of households plan to clean-up, clear-out, and address the mess of our modern lives. Since e-waste is the world's fastest-growing trash stream, there’s an even stronger sense of renewed responsibility to declutter your e-clutter. #1. CLEAR-OUT BEFORE YOU CLEAN-UP One of the key trademarks of the “KonMari” method is to start by clearing-out everything unwanted and unused. Think about how much tech junk you have – that drawer full of dusty cell phones, charging cable chaos, and old earphones you haven’t ... Read more

Celebrate Earth Day with sustainable, Earth-friendly products from responsible companies

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Today is Earth Day, which means there's no better time to take some time out of your day to enjoy the world around you. It could be anything, like a walk through the park or even just a few moments kicking back in your yard and enjoying the warming weather of spring. It's also a great time to remember that every purchase you and I make can potentially impact the environment, and seeking out companies with sustainable, Earth-friendly approaches is one way we can all help to do our part to keep the planet from falling apart. Here's a few that I've come across. Soma   Soma makes durable, long-lasting mugs and bottles out of glass and ceramic — like the awesome Brew Bottle ($40) ... Read more

HOW TO: Clean your GROSS Gadgets

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You’ve heard by now that your smartphone is seven times dirtier than your toilet – and riddled with about 17,000 different types types of bacteria — right? I use two specific gadgets to keep my go-to tech tools pristine.  The HÄNS Swipe-Clean ($15) comes pre-loaded with tech-friendly cleaning solution, so you can just wipe down your smartphone, tablet, or other gadgets with cleaner, and then flip the HÄNS over and use the other end to dry and polish. It takes mere seconds but leaves everything squeaky clean. To go even further, I use the PhoneSoap Go (around $80), a portable, battery-powered UV sanitizer that bathes your smartphone in ultraviolet light that eliminates 99.99% of ... Read more

USA Today: Cruising into the future of travel with smart wearables, avatars, and lightening-fast WiFi

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This story originally ran in USA Today as part of Jennifer's on-going Tech+Culture column. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL90Fw_T5oE A year ago, boarding a cruise ship at the Port Everglades dock in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was an exercise in patience as passengers waited in blocks-long lines to check in. Pens and paper in hand, anxious vacationers hunched over suitcases or used walls as a hard surface to scribble down important personal information, sometimes waiting hours just to set foot on board. Today, those lines are gone – at least in front of the Caribbean Princess. That’s the first sign that a new wearable gadget aimed at fixing common travel hassles, is working. “Look at ... Read more

New study reveals 44% of Americans prefer clutter-free house over sex

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Talk about doing a little Spring Cleaning (cue bow chicka bow-bow soundtrack in the background)... New data from Decluttr — a  tech buy-back and refurbished tech seller site — found that 44% of Americans prefer a clean home over having sex. Decluttr surveyed over 1,000 Americans to better understand the importance of a clean home and cleanliness. Some highlights: 60% of people agree that a clean, organized bedroom makes them more likely to have sex 40% of respondents reporting that they’re likely to end a relationship with someone who has a cluttered and/or dirty home 56% of Americans say they’d rather live with their parents than live in a cluttered home More than 80% of ... Read more

These are the best 2019 April Fools pranks from around the web

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It's that time of the year again! No, I'm not talking about spring — although I think we can all be glad that the doldrums of winter are now behind us — I'm talking about the one day of the year where you can't believe anything you read on the internet: It's April Fools' Day! As always, the web is teeming with pranks and jokes from all of the usual suspects including Google, Spotify, and even Tinder. Here are all the best in one easy-to-browse list! Google Everyone knows that Google loves April Fools' Day, and the company always seems to have something up its sleeve for April 1st. Today is no different, with Google announcing a hilarious "Screen Cleaner" feature for Android. Check it ... Read more

WIRED WELL: Four Tips for Managing Your Child’s Screen Time

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Post submitted by Christine Kyriakakos Martin, Author/Early Childhood Educator The digital age has given new generations of parents something extra to worry about: How much screen time is too much? Physicians, teachers, and psychologists generally agree that spending inordinate amounts of time immersed in computers, smartphones or social media can negatively impact a child’s developing mind and body. A recent screen time study published in JAMA Pediatrics found "a measurable association between how much young children are using screens and how well they are meeting their developmental milestones." Researchers found that higher levels of screen time at two and three years predict ... Read more