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Category: Tech Fixes

December 18, 2016

Six Boring Tech Gifts They’ll Love Getting

This could very possibly be the worst list of gift ideas you’ll ever read. But I believe these five ugly ducklings will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

This could very possibly be the worst list of gift ideas you’ll ever read. But I believe these five ugly ducklings will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

While everyone looks for the latest and greatest tech gifts to buy, I’m thinking you should take a few moments and consider the opposite side of that equation.

Don’t give your friends and loved ones what they want.
Get them what they really need… even if they don’t know it!
And sometimes, it might be a duplicate of what they’ve already got!
But get this… they’ll still thank you for it!

Worried that your gifts are boring?
I say stop worrying!
These could be the six-best uninspired tech gifts you’ll ever give…

#1
Smartphone Wall Charger
How many times a week does someone run up to you in a panic and ask if you’ve got a smartphone charger to use for a few minutes?

Exactly.

I’m not sure what that says about our high-tech society, but apparently much of our tech-enabled planet is always about eleven minutes away from running out of juice…

I’m sure most of your friends would be very pleased to have an extra smartphone wall charger to leave at work.
(So their device doesn’t have to take a mid-afternoon siesta)

Anker can sweeten the deal with a 2-port USB wall charger…
anker-powerport2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2
Portable Power
Or perhaps consider a portable battery charger to get for that someone special.
They can carry it around whenever their mobile tech needs a little pick me up.
(I know… how romantic)

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3
Extra Memory for Your Camera
How about a spare SD card for a camera?
(Don’t you always need one of these at exactly the wrong time?)
sandisk-32gb-sdhc-uhs-1-card

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • I just picked up an extra SanDisk Extreme 32GB SDHC UHS-1 Card.
    $10.62 on Amazon

When Martians land in your backyard, your family should be ready to capture the moment!

#4
Portable Storage
Some people can never have enough shoes.
Others like to collect memorabilia.
I prefer lots of storage opportunities for my media. Remember, if a digital photo file or home video doesn’t live in at least two or three separate devices/locations, it essentially doesn’t exist.
(I know… that’s deep Tech-Zen to consider)

So I say there’s always a use for another portable drive.
g-tech-3tb-g-drive-mobile-usb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, that may seem a little pricey spending almost $200 on a portable drive.
But wait a minute…
That’s less than two Franklins for three whopping terabytes!

After that, I think you’re done.
It’s a no brainer when it comes to having enough storage in one device.

#5
Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
I recently had to retire my old Oral-B electric toothbrush, because its non-replaceable battery couldn’t hold a charge anymore.

When I reviewed the newer Oral-B options online, I was overwhelmed with all of the choices. After a little research, I focused on these two models:

The reviews I read zeroed in on the ‘3000’ model as offering the best Oral-B brushing experience without all of the frills and cost of higher-end models.

That said, the ‘5000’ model is actually about the same price on Amazon.
(It was originally more expensive…)

And it’s got a longer-lasting battery and a battery indicator that gives you a better sense how much energy is left…

(Note… I’m not specifically interested in its Bluetooth functionality that can connect to an app on your smartphone… I just want to brush my teeth… not make it a big fitness-tracking project!)

So I bought the Oral-B Pro 5000, and it’s been great.
oral-b-pro-5000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I know it’s just a toothbrush… and who would ever think of buying someone a electric toothbrush as a present?

Just offering ideas.
Trying to be helpful.
Let’s move on…

#6
Seltzer Maker
I have a confession to make…
I am officially overwhelmed by all of the empty seltzer bottles and cans at home. My family just loves seltzer!
(Especially our six-year-old son)

The by-product of all of this consumption is all of the recycling of plastic bottles and metal cans. And that requires ongoing trips to the supermarket to visit the picky recycling machines… Which may… or may not… accept your offerings.
(Sometimes you’ve got the wrong ‘brands.’ Other times, the labels are damaged beyond recognition. Occasionally, the machines just say “NO”… for no good reason.)

I say it’s time to stop the madness and just make your own seltzer.
(No more seltzer can/bottle-recycling hassle… Plus it’s good for the environment. And it’s cheaper in the long run.)

When I checked out SodaStream, there were seemingly a zillion models to choose from.
(I hate that.)

But the SodaStream ‘Fizzi’ appears to be the go-to model. It’s sold with a CO2 carbonator, which you can replace with a new one when it runs out of gas. And it comes with a reusable BPA-free plastic bottle…
sodastreamsource

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make someone happy with some bubbly water.
There are worse things you could do!

The Secret to Good Gift Giving

Whether you’ve got twenty bucks to spend or two hundred, there’s a boring tech gift you can give that shows how much you care.

It’s not about the razzle-dazzle.
It’s about supporting the day-to-day.

‘Cause a lot of life is about getting through the day… hopefully with a little smile on your face.

And tech is supposed to make that a little easier.

If you can support that simple equation, however uninspired, you’re going to be a rock star.

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December 11, 2016

Which Robot for Your Six Year Old?

Is it too soon for a first grader to receive a personal robot? Perhaps he/she could just build one. On the other hand, how many humans today can construct their own toy android? So this daddy has taken a different road to introducing robotics at home…

Is it too soon for a first grader to receive a personal robot? Perhaps he/she could just build one. On the other hand, how many humans today can construct their own toy android? So this daddy has taken a different road to introducing robotics at home…

My six-year-old son is really into robots these days. He’s especially fascinated with the Zane character in the Lego Ninjago universe.
(Technically, Zane is a ‘Nindroid’… but let’s not get tripped up over details…)

Last week, my boy declared he wanted to build his own Zane.

He walked up to me with his Ninjago book in hand. He opened up the book to a page with a blueprint of Zane and pointed.
in-the-workshop-building-zane

 

 

 

 

 

Uh oh.

I suggested using cardboard, paper and paint. My response was clearly way too simple and old fashioned for him…

He declared he wanted to build his Zane out of metal.

Uh oh.

Well, I didn’t happen to have any scrap metal lying around…
(And I typically don’t ‘work’ with metal… I tend to just buy gear made out of metal!)

Nevertheless, I decided to embark on a daddy/son mission, (admittedly half baked) and I took my young Frankenstein to Home Depot to get some small metal mending plates and nuts and bolts. I figured that might do the trick.

Note to other parents out there:
Don’t try this!
Ever!!

You’ll encounter sticker shock at the checkout register and end up becoming the proud new owner of lots of scrap metal. Sure, my boy had some fun screwing sharp metal parts together, but he didn’t create anything close to a robot.

The Influence of the Lego Universe
However, he did create a Ninjago ‘Shurikan’ by bolting together three pieces of metal into a large triangular ‘tool.’
(He actually made two.)

And in that moment, he couldn’t be more proud of himself.
So perhaps I shouldn’t dismiss the entire venture so easily…
a-shuriken-built-out-of-mending-plates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But as grand as this spontaneous creation was, it’s a little too real. Much like Shurikans in the mystical Ninjago story that were so powerful and originally banished, our newly created 3-D Shurikans will need to be dismantled and made into something else.
(The parts redistributed for less ‘impactful’ purpose)

And there’s another problem… Remember, we didn’t build a robot. Perhaps if I were an AI genius, I might have had greater success, but it was time to look for help with this quest elsewhere…

Time to buy a toy robot that some other AI genius built.

Welcome to the Commercial Lab of Creation
There are a variety of aspiring toy robots out there for kids, but I quickly focused on an established solution… one of the robot toys made by a company called ‘WowWee.’

WowWee’s designers have come up with a variety of tech toys since 2004, including their WowWee MiP Robot.

The MiP is a cute little balancing guy on segway-like wheels with ‘GestureSense’ technology that allows you to control its actions with your hands. Plus you can use an app on your smartphone to control it.

There’s also a newer WowWee Coder MiP Robot, which is translucent, sports a rechargeable battery pack and comes with a cool plastic ramp to play with.
wowwee-coder-mip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ‘Coder’ version has every capability of the original MiP, but you can now also ‘code’ actions and sounds with the app based on how you interact with your MiP.
(It’s not really coding… it’s simply selecting your “when/then” choices.)

Whether my six year old is ready for even this basic kind of coding is questionable, but I figure the functionality will still be there for him in a year or two to explore.
(Assuming the Coder MiP is still a functioning member of the Lester family.)

Amazon has the Coder MiP for $44.90.
(MSRP is $99.99.)

That’s actually way less than my metal mission to Home Depot set me back.
(Let’s speak no more of that.)

Click.

Fueling the Mad Scientist
Okay. So I’ve checked the robot box.
But again I still haven’t solved the building need.

WowWee also makes mini versions of their robots, called RC Minis.
And they make sub versions of the mini robots called “Build-Up” editions.
(They come in pieces.)

There’s a small “Build Up” clone for the MiP and one for their ‘Robosapien.’

These “Build-Ups” are much simpler than their cousins, and you control forward and turning motion using an included remote.

Pretty basic.
But you do actually build them…

For my six year old, he may need some help getting it all together. So it’s probably going to be a family activity… but that’s just fine with me.
(That said, I don’t want to sell him short. He’s already a pro at building Lego Bionicles on his own.)

The WowWee Robosapien RC Mini Build-Up edition goes for $29.96 on Amazon.
Not a bad deal…
…If it gets the job done.

Click.

Daddy Time
The bottom line is there’s now a young tech builder in the family. So these two WowWee bots are just the beginning.

Any other ideas out there on technology-based building projects I can line up for my son? I’m thinking that this is where things can really start to get interesting…

Wow Wee!

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November 13, 2016

Seven Ways to Find More Time

If you think your tech wastes more time than it’s worth, you’re not alone. But if you look around, you can find suggestions on how your tech can actually improve your day. I’ve gathered seven tips to share…

If you think your tech wastes more time than it’s worth, you’re not alone. But if you look around, you can find suggestions on how your tech can actually improve your day. I’ve gathered seven tips to share…

The irony is all of your home tech is supposed to save you time and ‘enhance’ your life. But technology also can be a huge time suck.

A piece of advice…
Don’t get distracted (too much) by the many lures of your tech.
Keep it working for you!

Here are seven ways I use my own tech to help squeeze a little more time out of my week…

1. Always Know the Time as You Sleep
You wake up in the dead of night and wonder what time it is. If you’re like me, you’ve long retired your clock radio. Now, only your smartphone hangs out on your bedside table. But you’ve got to reach over and activate it if you want to see what time it is. How annoying is that? Wouldn’t it be great if you could quickly just peer up at the ceiling to see what time it is?

Well you can… with a projection alarm clock!
I’ve got one made by Electrohome.

2. More Impulse Buying on Amazon
Do you keep forgetting to get maple syrup at the supermarket for Sunday pancakes? Just putting it on a list for the next time you hit Stew Leonards will delay you until you actually make that trip.

I say order the replacement item on Amazon Prime as soon as you run out.
With ‘Prime,’ you don’t waste money on extra shipping charges with this one-off scattered shopping approach.
(Organic Maple Syrup. Click.)

So yes, this falls under the category of impulse buying…but only for your kitchen staples.

3. Keep your Home Cozy from Anywhere
Did you forget to turn down the heat before you left the house this morning?
No worries. You don’t have to turn around to check.

If you have a smart thermostat like a Nest, you can adjust the temperature from an app on your iPhone from anywhere in the world.

4. Catch the Train with Your Smartphone
Running late to your Metro North train at Grand Central Terminal for your evening commute out of New York City? And a few saved seconds can make the difference whether you make your train or not?
(Yes, that’s how I roll.)
No problem!

Your TrainTime app on your smartphone will quickly inform you which gate your train is leaving from.

And you can quickly buy a digital train ticket using the MTA eTix app, instead of waiting on line at a ticket kiosk to purchase a physical one.
(And that app is going to be especially handy in the dead of winter when you encounter an exposed and frozen ticket kiosk that’s malfunctioning.)

5. Stop Going to the Post Office
Why would you ever choose to waste even a fraction of your existence at the post office buying stamps? The lines are endless. It’s like Purgatory in there.
Even the stamp-dispensing square autobot will drain your life force.
Why not simply purchase your stamps from the convenience of your home computer?

It’s wicked quick at store.usps.com…
(Sure, you pay a $1.25 shipping charge for a roll of 100 Forever stamps. But I say that’s more than worth it for the convenience.)

6. Avoid Greeting Card Aisles
Do you still feel like you have to troll for greeting cards at the local CVS or Walgreens to get the ‘perfect card?’
Well, STOP IT!

You know what I mean… searching up and down that forest of disorganized generic thoughts. Finding that perfect card, only to realize there’s no matching envelope, and having to start all over again.

It’s no longer a badge of honor to say to your loved one… “I spent an hour looking for the perfect card!”
(My mom used to always to say that to me.)

There’s got to be a better way!
Well, of course there is…

Here are three online destinations you can visit-

These websites contain virtually all the greeting cards you could ever want.
Plus they’ll mail them for you!

Whoah…. Now that’s really a paradigm shift.

7. Get E-ZPass or Bust
All right, who here doesn’t have E-ZPass yet?
What? You’re still waiting on long lines in your car at tollbooths?
Please stand up and walk upstairs.
Now go to bed…. There’s no dinner for you.
(And here’s something to ponder as you drift off…
Technology is quickly killing off the tollbooth.)

The rest of you can sleep soundly knowing your E-ZPass is working hard to save you time. But before you start your snooze, you might want to check in on your E-ZPass account just to make sure it’s current.
You don’t want E-ZPass to list the car you owned a decade ago.

Enough said.

How Did It Get So Late So Soon?
Look, I’m not saying you should stop wasting your precious time checking Facebook twenty times or spending hours on a Sunday night combing through your weekend family photos using Lightroom.

I get it.
Believe me…

Guilty.

I’m just pointing out how you should also be very deliberate to find ways to use your tech to save you time.

And maybe… just maybe… at the end…

You’ll break even.

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