Techish

Can you go a year without your smartphone for $100,000?

  ·

New year, no phone? Cutting down on screen time likely tops many New Year’s resolutions lists, but do you think you could go a full year without a smartphone? It's a massive challenge, but you might have a real reason to consider doing so.  How does $100,000 sound? Would that be enough incentive to stop the mindless scrolling? That's how much beverage brand Vitaminwater is offering one lucky Luddite to go completely smartphone-free in 2019. Obviously you'll need to meet some criteria first, which is why they're asking you to share why you'd be a good candidate for the challenge in a post on social media. You'll need to post your plea on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags ... Read more

How to use Facebook to make sure friends and family are safe

  ·

With wildfires still raging out of control in California, this seems like as good a time as any for a little refresher on one of Facebook's most useful features: Crisis Response. Crisis Response is Facebook's way of helping you and your friends and family keep tabs on each other and confirm that you're safe after any major disaster or ongoing crisis. Here's how it works: First, Facebook activates a Safety Check alert when it identifies an event that could put lots of lives in danger. Everyone in the Safety Check area gets an alert and can mark themselves as okay with an "I'm Safe" button. You'll see "I'm Safe" alerts from friends on your Facebook news feed, but you can also ... Read more

New phone scam targets Social Security recipients, so be alert!

  ·

Phone scammers will target just about anyone they think they can exploit, and the government is now warning that Social Security recipients are their newest target. This scary scam works a lot like those in the past, with anonymous callers claiming to be employees of the U.S. government, but shortly after you pick up the phone things take a dark turn. According to the FTC, callers use "spoofed" phone numbers that show up on your caller ID as the official number of the Social Security Administration. The callers identify themselves as Social Security workers and ask you to verify your Social Security number in order to talk about your benefits. If you hand it over, they'll use it to steal ... Read more

12 Things you may not know about Bird Scooters (and why I love them)!

  ·

I love the Bird electric scooter rental service. There are dozens of them in and around my neighborhood in Oakland, California, and they just make getting around so much easier. The influx of scooters by companies such as Bird, Lime, and others, are causing quite a bit of controversy in major cities, especially along the coasts. Some people think they're an eyesore — as though some electric scooters lining the sidewalk is somehow worse than anything else a big city has to offer — while others think they're inherently unsafe or annoying to deal with when driving or walking. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about them, at least at first. I didn't think they were bad, but I also ... Read more

Is your iPhone safe from hackers and prying eyes? 7 settings to check now!

  ·

Apple’s latest mobile software, iOS 12, tightens up security and privacy issues on iPhones. To get the most out of the updates though, you might have tweak a setting or two. Here’s how to take full advantage of the latest bug-fixes and make sure you’re keeping your device as safe as you can from hackers and prying eyes. #1. Take Advantage of Stronger Passcodes Apple didn’t change the default lock screen from a four-digit code to six digit one just to mess with you. The longer your device passcode is, the harder it is to hack. Hackers often use software to cycle through every possible passcode combination — known as a brute-force attack — and since a four-digit passcode has just 10,000 ... Read more

How to kick your smartphone addiction once and for all

  ·

My 17-year old daughter is infinitely better at all things tech than I am. Even disconnecting from it. While I was on a work trip last year, she created a "no-phone zone." When she comes home from track practice, she switches her phone into "do not disturb" mode and sticks it in a drawer right by the front door. Out of sight, out of mind, for pretty much the entire school night from now on, she told me, and it’s already working wonders. She said it’s helped her concentrate on her homework more, focus on what she needs to get done every night, and best of all, reclaimed more of her precious time. Now, could I do the same thing, she challenged? I made it less than an hour. "I just ... Read more

This magical robot vacuum empties its own dust-bin and I freaking love it.

  ·

The newest Roomba robot vacuum can empty its own dustbin! The iRobot Roomba i7+ robot vacuum with Automatic Dirt Disposal  ($950) can learn, adapt and remember a home’s floor plan, which lets you clean specific rooms by name. You can control it from an app on your smartphone, set it to clean at certain times, or on a specific schedule. It also works with Alexa and the Google Assistant, so you can just tell it what to do using voice commands. The little robot empties whatever it picks up into the Clean Base, which also doubles as the charging dock. The base can hold up to 30 full bins — so you can go for months without worrying about lifting a finger. I have it at home with me ... Read more

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

  ·

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

  ·

***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

Teen Speak Decoded: What does “I’m finna dip” mean?

  ·

If it feels like you need a translator to talk with your teenager, you’re not alone. Between all the shook’s, lit’s, fire’s, and fam’s I’ve overheard my own teen and her friends saying lately — I’m lost too.  Every generation has its own particular lingo that adults aren’t really supposed to understand. Think about how many words have meant “great,” throughout the years like aces, swell, keen, groovy, rad, bad. Nowadays, it’s “lit” or “fire.” For the most part, teens use slang as a way to create their own identity, fit into specific social groups, and express independence. “Language is a lot like fashion,” says Mary Kohn, an associate professor of English at Kansas State University who ... Read more

BACK TO SCHOOL: Helpful Tech-Life Hacks for Busy Families

  ·

It’s been more than twenty years since I’ve gone to school, and yet every August without fail, I have classic back-to-school anxiety dreams: There’s a big test and I forgot to study. I can’t remember my locker combination. I’m in gym class — naked. Sound familiar? Turns out back to school season can be just as stressful for parents as it is for some students. A slew of recent surveys show parents are increasingly anxious about back to school shopping costs, getting kids ready and out the door on time, screen-time, busy schedules, homework, and bedtime, among many other nagging concerns. While new technology might be to blame for some of the stress — like kids playing Fortnite when ... Read more

Plugged-In Families: How to Create Healthier Tech Habits

  ·

Today's kids are totally connected — to surfing, scrolling, snapping, gaming and ‘gramming. According to new Pew Reseach, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly.’  Stats like those give way to rising concern over the addictiveness of constantly checking for social media updates, watching videos and playing games. Some studies tie extended screen time to distraction in classrooms, symptoms of ADHA, sleep deprivation and depression. But what we’ve learned as digital parenting evolves is that the challenge is less about how much screen time our kids have and more about the quality of time they spend online. Research also shows that when you ... Read more

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

  ·

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

Prime Day is almost here, so use these tips to avoid package thieves!

  ·

Even if you're not a big Amazon shopper, there's a good chance you're going to be loading up on big discounts when Prime Day hits on July 16th. That means there's probably going to be one, two, or even three or more Amazon boxes headed for your house in short order. According to a recent survey by Wakefield Research, 30% of Americans say they've had a package stolen from their own home, and over half say they know someone who was a victim of such a theft. That's nearly one-third of Americans! If you want to make sure your precious Amazon Prime Day purchases aren't nabbed by pesky "porch pirates" before you get a chance to grab them, here's what you should do: Hello Neighbor! Have a ... Read more

HOW TO: Amazon Prime Day 2018 Do’s and Don’ts

  ·

Black Friday might be the biggest shopping day of the year, but Amazon’s exclusive annual sale, Prime Day, has just as many huge discounts and deals. Prime day started off in 2015 — and in a few short years has become a sort of national holiday — for bargain hunters at least. 2018’s Prime Day is expected to be nothing short of epic. When is it? It's official -- Prime Day starts at noon on July 16th. It runs for a day “and a half,” which means exactly 36 hours -- making it  the longest Prime Day ever, beating out 2017’s which was roughly 30 hours. Avoid Price Scams Just like with any big sale day — including Black Friday and Cyber Monday — there will be a ton of products ... Read more

How to keep in touch with kids too young to own a smartphone

  ·

https://vimeo.com/277168596 Let’s face it, parents, most of us lose our kids at least once or twice while they’re growing up. Sometimes they just get a little too good at hide-and-seek, as my then-four-year-old daughter did for a few heart-stopping moments inside a department store several years ago. Or maybe they just aren’t where we expect them to be — even for a minute or two — and it’s absolutely terrifying. Apps on smartphones like Life360 and even Find My Friends work great to help track down teens and older kids mature enough to manage the responsibility of owning a smartphone. But what about for younger ones? What’s the best way to keep a watchful eye — that isn’t a ... Read more