HiTechMommy

Last Minute Tech Gifts

Shopping days are now becoming limited but the choices are not. There are still plenty of great options out there and here's low down on last minute tech ideas.

The gift of gaming is a great escape from reality type of gift that appeals to all types.  So let's start with two potential gifts for those who game. 

The best selling PC game franchise of all time has come out with a new version, The Sims 3.  The SIMS, from Electronic Arts,  is so popular because it's game where you create a virtual life that you can live out however you desire.  There's new ways to customize everything from your Sims appearance to their surroundings and even tweak their personalities with characteristics like a kleptomaniac or evil. New goal oriented game play lets you  determine life path from a rock star or a world leader you can work hard and obtain your  goals or watch them fail miserably. Another cool new feature is the ability create and edit movies by capturing your game play then joining online community where you can show off all of your creations. You’ll also want to check out The Sims 3: World Adventures – new this season, where you can take a step further and take your SIM international and travel to exotic locations.

If you're looking for a gift for someone who's a little stressed out and needs a lighthearted break from every day life online gaming can work wonders.   The best casual game site can be found at ClubPogo .com and it's the best because it has the best game selection. You can let your mind relax with over 100 games as well as a fantastic community to socialize with.  They have the most addictive games on the site likeTri Peaks Solitaire , Monopoly , Scrabble and Bejeweled 2 Deluxe- all of which I've become really into.   I've even started playing them against other pogo members that are now my friends! It's my new favorite past time and  can be given as a great last minute gift.  Just print out the gift card from clubpogogift.com, where you can get a discounted price,  and you're set!

Next up is ideal for a whole family or a movie lover can enjoy.   Netflix is the easiest and most convenient movie rental service out there because it now delivers unlimited TV episodes and movies two ways .  Of courseNetflix will send you DVDs in the mail, which takes about one day, but now you can instantly watch movies on your web enabled device!  It's pretty rad.  Netflix offers unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs by mail for only $9 a month.  And of course there are never due dates or late fees. At this point there are several devices that you can buy that are Netflix ready, they just need a Internet connection.  Streaming is really simple and it's just so exciting when you're selection starts playing in under a minute

Here's a great one for the gadget and movie lovers - it's one of the the coolest looking video camera I've ever seen! No other camcorder on the market offers this design.Check it out- When recording video, you're  typically forced to hold a camcorder in one position,  which can get really uncomfortable. TheSamsung C10 offers an Active Angle Lens, which is angled at 25 degrees. This allows you to hold it more naturally and more comfortably, reducing the unwanted stress on the wrist.  It also offers a variety of features which help enhance the recording experience like built in software, so that you can use the C10 with any computer without having to install a CD-Rom, long battery life of 2 hrs and 40 minutes, and an awesome Time Lapse Photography feature. Lastly, I just love that it hasSamsung's signature red touch of Color, a feature found in Samsung's  high-end TVs.It comes in red, blue or gray.

Looking for a gift for someone that doesn't have a phone or for a teen who loves to talk and text?  This is the cell phone that you can actually give as a gift because you don't need to sign anycontracts!  The perfect set up is the phone, the Boost Mobile Motorola Clutch, a great $99 phone with a qwerty key board and digital camera, plus a $50 re-boost card that will pay for an entire month of unlimited calls, texts and web access. With Boost they won’t be locked into an expensive two year contract and handset is available on the amazing $50 Monthly Unlimited plan.Purrrrfect!

   

Back To School- "View From The Bay"

Today I'll be on "View From The Bay" in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It's on KGO (ABC 7) in the bay area, so tune in! UPDATE: wathch segment HERE.

I'll be talking about the following must have items for the student in your life, and some resources for Mom and Dad too.  Either read my earlier post on heading back to school, or follow the links to get more info!

Pulse Smartpen by Livescribe - Computer pen

Verizon's Thinkfinity.org/BackToSchool- Free homework help site

Learning Laptops by Oregon Scientific - Educational laptops for kids

Disney's Family.com/backtoschool - Life saver site for parents

My Virtual Tutor-Reading - Nintendo DS game that strengthens reading skills

Netbooks! - HP Mini, Dell Latitude 2100, Sony Vaio W Series - Sub $500 lap tops

AudioVox Homebase- White board of the future

Back To School

It's back to school time already and hi-tech gadgets and great websites can make our jobs, as parents, much easier!  Here's a few suggestions for ya.


One of THE most amazing tools I've ever seen is the Pulse Smartpen by Livescribe.  This little pen will change the way you take notes, forever.  Inside of this pen lives a computer that records live audio and then links it to what you write down.  When it's time to review your notes all you have to do it tap the pen on the note in question and the audio that was being heard at the time will play out of the pen's built in speaker! Not only that, but this pen can be connected to your Mac or PC and turn your handwriting into text that can be shared with other students.  With this pen you will never miss a word.


Now for an issue I'm facing, 4th grade history questions!  I'm helping 5 kids with their homework this year, OK, the 3 year old doesn't count, but the 5, 7, 10 and 15 year old do, and I'm scared!  Thank goodness for Verizon's Thinkfinity .  Verizon has teamed up with National Geographic, the Smithsonian and teachers all over the country to create this fantastic resource for homework help.  There are thousands of FREE, teacher approved interactive activities, videos and games that kids can use to help with things like book reports and science fair projects.  Again, the beauty of this site is that all of the material is safe and teacher approved so parents know it's the best place for help to go. Check it out at ThinkFinity.org/BackToSchool or take a look at the video HERE: http://thinkfinity.org/tour/


A trend I'm seeing in great learning tools for kids is making a toy that combines learning and fun wrapped up in a gadget that looks like something Mom and Dad use. That's exactly what my son loves about these Learning Laptops from Oregon Scientific.  The PC trainer and the Barbie B-Smart do an excellent job of giving kids a grown up feeling lap top packed solid with games and activities just for them. The Barbie B-Smart has over 80 games and activities in math, spelling, logic, memory and even Spanish!  I love being able to hand my son his own "big boy" computer, complete with mouse pad and headphones,  and watch him play and learn the layout of a keyboard, something that's going to be essential to his education. 


Lastly, another online resource for all of us parents out there that need just a little bit of help during this somewhat hectic time. The trusted name of Disney has put together Family.com as a complete resource for all kinds of parenting tips and information that can make our lives easier. Sections include Parenting, Food, Travel, Coupons, Games and more. I watched a video on "How to eat on $60 a week" and learned a lot!  I also found the "Stay At Home Mom's" group to be a welcome bunch of people with really interesting topic discussions.  Got a college bound student in your life? Even if they're still crawling it's never too early to start saving so make sure to check out the "$2500 College Saving Sweepstakes" to see how you can win! Go ahead, use this survival guide resource to help get through the day because, let's face it, we can all use a little help.

 

Mom's Day!

Make this mother's day different than years past, ditch the flowers and the scarfs and make Mom really happy, think tech!  Even the not-so-tech-savvy mom out there will be excited about I've got to show ya for this Mother's day.

I don't know about you but I want something that turns on and off!  This Toshiba 26 inch LCD TV with built in DVD player from Toshiba is exactly what I'm thinking! The design is sleek and compact, making it a great all-in-one entertainment experience that Mom can enjoy in the kitchen, bedroom or wherever her secret getaway area in the house may be! The fact that it's Energy star rated 3.0 is also a plus for this eco conscience mom.

Next up, what I'll be getting my Mom, a membership to the coolest online gaming site geared for her ClubPogo.com. Like millions of others my Mom uses online games to relax and unwind and even communicate!  We've actually began to connect through  the site's private chat feature and avatar  when we're both on at the same time.  There selection is just right for casual gamers like my Mom because Club Pogo features over 100 games including Monopoly, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit. One in 3 people play Internet games to reduce stress, and Pogo.com has partnered with the Stress Institute to advise players on how to deal with daily stress.Go to www.clubpogo.com to check out the games or to give as a gift, head to www.clubpogogift.com .

Practical Mom's all over the country are going to perk right up, check this out, rechargeable batteries from Energizer that are really pretty darn cool! They last up to 4times longer than regular alkalines, can be recharged hundreds of times and can hold a charge for 6 months! There are many different sets to choose from, but I love the energy star rated  Energizer Family Charger because it  charges the most commonly used rechargeable batteries – 8AA, 8AAA, 4C, 4D or 2 9V – at once and is super safe because it will only begin charging when the lid is closed. 

Lastly, Dell has come up with the ultimate touch screen computer for Mom, but really it's for everyone in the house , the Dell Studio One 19. This is truly the only PC your home needs as it assists the whole family in all kinds of ways.  Whether searching for recipes, e-mailing, organizing digital pictures, watching favorite videos, or entertaining the kids, the Studio One 19  provides a great shared computing esperience. It's a sleek, all-in-one Computer that coordinates the features of a desktop PC into one unit. 

BTS

Back to school is right around the corner and I'm looking at a few cool gadgets. 

This thing is amazing! The Diji Custom Gaming System by LeapFrog a hand held gaming system that has rad graphics and fully customizable game play.  The interface allows kids and parents to input spelling and math homework right into game!  There's a database of over 10,000 words to pull from, or enter in your own spelling bee words. In order to unlock new levels, kids have to get the questions correct!

Texas Instruments got together with teachers all across the country and asked what they wanted in a graphing calculator to came up with this device, the TI-Nspire.  This calculator allows students to actually move points along the X and Y axis to get a visual understanding of equations.  It's like a tiny computer that will truly help any math student learn in a whole new way.

This is a trend that I've seen kids going nuts over!  It's the art of "pen spinning" and it's going to be everywhere when you're shopping for school stuff, so look out.   These pens,  by Pentech called Spinz Pens are customizable pens that have weights on each end allowing spinners easily to play with this concentration tool during class. There are different difficulty levels and cool additions that you can score too.

The MSI Wind is going to be a hot seller for the back to school crowed this month!  Check eBay for some hot deals on what is an ideal system for any student. Its 10' screen and 2.6 lbs body is the perfect size, and its 80 Gig hard drive and Intel Atom 1.6Ghz processor makes for the perfect capacity and speed.