Tech Trends | At Home with Tech

May 15, 2016

The Best Birthday Gift for a Six Year Old?

If you’re looking for a great birthday gift for your young explorer, you might want to think about a couple of wheels. And I’m not talking about a bike…

So my little boy just turned six, and in the weeks leading up to his birthday, I thought a lot about a big present I might give him.

‘Big’ present?

My wife and I were already getting him a few fun toys, which I knew he would love, but I also wanted to give him something a little more… significant.
(Perhaps more ‘durable’ or ‘long lasting.’)

I think whole idea of one ‘bigger’ present is more of a shopping construct for me than for him.
(I’m pretty sure I got the idea from my parents’ gift-giving patterns during my early birthdays.)

When my son turned four, we bought him his two-wheel bike with training wheels. Last year, it was a microscope, which he thought was pretty cool.
(Although he was more psyched about his ‘Marbleworks’ marble-run set.)

For the big six, I scoured for ideas online, but nothing new popped out.

Scooter World
Recently, we were visiting friends and their two children, and during the afternoon my son was exposed to the wonders of a two-wheel scooter. My boy was immediately enchanted with this more advanced form of transportation.

But his first love is and always will be his three-wheel scooter, which he’s had since he was three.
It’s the Micro Mini Original for $79.99.

Did I mention my boy absolutely loves his scooter?
He named it immediately.

He calls it ‘Scammer.’

And as it turns out, my lad has technically outgrown Scammer.
(The Mini Original is only rated from ages 2 – 5, carrying a maximum of 44 lbs.)

So I knew it was time to upgrade…
(What a perfect coincidence!)

Micro makes the ‘Maxi Original,’ which holds up to 110 lbs and is recommended for ages 5 – 12. That’s the next size up.

So I was zeroing in on the Maxi for his big birthday present.
(It’s $129.99 on Amazon.)

But now, I saw my boy might be ready for a two-wheel scooter.
What about that?

Micro Kickboard makes the ‘Sprite Scooter,’ which is rated up to 220 lbs.
(That should last him for a while!)

It’s also really cool, because it’s foldable.
(So I can pack it easily for a trip.)

And the Sprite has this cute little kickstand too, which is super simple to slide in and out.

Hmmm…

Two Wheels or Three?
A next generation Scammer would be a no brainer, but the two-wheel Sprite also could be the way to go.

No, my son didn’t quite master the balance of the two-wheel scooter at our friends’ house, but he really enjoyed the challenge.

I also know that technically, he’s a little young for the Sprite.
(It’s rated 8+.)

But I figured I’d take a chance…
Click.

I picked up the cool blue Sprite on Amazon for $99.99.
(Same price as on the Micro Kickboard site)

And I was ready for his big day…

A Little Magic Goes a Long Way
I’m sure you know how these things go when there are multiple presents to open on a birthday. It’s quickly one after the other… after the other.

The wrapping paper flew everywhere like there was some sort of time limit.
When the dust settled, I was ready for the big moment…

Which present would he gravitate to first?
Drum roll, please.

…No.
It wasn’t his new scooter.

It was the ‘Ideal’ Magic Show set.
($34.95 on Amazon)

He’s always loved playing with a smaller magic set he received a couple years back. So I thought I might simply expand his performance options.

Clearly that did the trick.

But these magic sets are also rated 8+.
Even I can’t do a lot of the basic tricks without some practice. But it’s perfect to play with during some daddy and son time…

Welcome Home
The lonely, blue Sprite waited in the corner of our living room for the rest of the day. It looked like my two-wheel gamble was a misfire.
(I could always put it away for another year and try again.)

But that night, while my wife and I were in the kitchen preparing dinner, I sensed a shadow in the dining room rushing by us. And then it happened again… going the other way!

We turned around, and there was our boy trying out his new scooter.

Nostalgically, I walked up to him, remembering how he had named his old Scammer and asked if he was thinking of naming his new scooter.

“Oh, it’s already got one,” he proclaimed with a smile.

“Really? What is it?”

“Fang Chomper.”

“Fang Chopper?”

“No, Fang CHOMPER!”

“Ah!”

Great name.
I think that says it all…

Happy Daddy
So, the torch has been passed from Scammer to Fang Chomper.

Of course, my son and I still need to get the scooter outside for some serious road testing, but I’m ready to proclaim that the two-wheel scooter for my six year old is a successful ‘big’ birthday gift…

And if you would please indulge me, I need to say the name one more time.
(Because it makes me smile.)

Fang Chomper.

Thank you.

May 8, 2016

How to Get the Most Out of SiriusXM

Once you get over the sticker shock of what satellite radio costs in your car, then guess what…? You should consider spending even more…

I entered the pricey world of SiriusXM satellite radio a couple years ago, when I bought my Toyotoa RAV4 and realized its radio was SiriusXM capable. I curiously activated the free, several-month trial subscription, which of course hooked me.
(SiriusXM is way cool!)

And when the time came to pony up some real dough, I accepted the tempting offer for a discounted first year. ($111 for the XM Select plan) But the following year, the price went up to $204. (The non-discounted rate)

And last month, I shelled out $217.89 for another twelve months.

Gulp.
Isn’t that a lot of money each year to listen to the radio?

I know… a lot of you will remind me that the coverage and content is nothing like what old-school radio stations offer today, and that’s true.

Not to mention, I often enjoy taking advantage of the audio feed from CNN while I’m driving to work in the morning.

So where’s the problem?

Well, even though I absolutely love my SiriusXM feed, I’m still trying to come to terms with the fundamental idea for paying to listen to the radio.

Discovering Story Pirates
Another concern is my SiriusXM world is only available in my car. Sure, I know I can purchase a standalone SiriusXM-capable radio for my house, but I haven’t wanted to balloon my subscription plan further.
(I just got done pruning my commitment to cable TV!)

But I ran into a little problem with my current SiriusXM strategy, when my six year old became a fan of ‘Kids Place Live’ (channel 78). It’s a really great station for children with plenty of fun music and talk shows, including ‘Story Pirates,’ my son’s favorite segment.

Story Pirates is a series of short radio plays (musical sketch comedy) based on stories submitted by young children across the country. I’ve recently realized that Story Pirates is also part of a larger non-profit educational effort that includes writing workshops and interactive performances in more than 275 schools and community centers nationally.
(Plus, there are performances in New York City on Broadway on many Saturdays.)

An alternate way I’ve been serving up these wonderful episodes for my son is through downloadable free podcasts on my iPhone. I can do that anywhere, since it’s not directly connected to the Kids Place Live SiriusXM feed.

I simply connect my iPhone to my trusty Logitech UE Mobile Boombox.
(Bluetooth portable speaker)
And it’s showtime!

So, it’s all great, right? Well, yes and no…

Activate the App
I’ve been thinking how nice it would be to bring in the larger Kids Place Live feed into our home.

And that brought me back to the larger limitation of my current SiriusXM car bubble…

And then one day last week while driving to work enjoying a little SiriusXM goodness, I happened to listen to a promo, and I picked up on the phrase, “…listen on the SiriusXM app.”

There’s an app?

An app I can stream SiriusXM on?

An app I can stream SiriusXM on at home?

Whoah!
Where has Rip-Von Lester been hiding?

But there’s a catch…

There’s a Price to Pay
You need to subscribe to the most expensive ‘All Access’ plan to be able to use the app as well as access ‘Internet Listening.’

And what plan was I on…?
One step down…. ‘XM Select.’

D’oh!!

And how much more does it cost to either purchase ‘Streaming Add-On’ or simply upgrade to Sirius All Access?

Four bucks a month.

So that’s another $48 a year.
And that would bring my annual SiriusXM cost to over $265.
(Sigh)

Pay for What You Use
For me, the issue isn’t really the extra fifty bucks. It’s whether I getting value out of the new spend.

As you may know, I’ve been paying attention to that question lately and reallocating where my media consumption dollars have been going:

Cable: Reduced
Hulu: Canceled
Netflix: Maintained
Amazon Video: Exploring
(Like the mind-bending “The Man in the High Castle”)

Is the extra four bucks a month worth it to extend the reach of my SiriusXM?
If not for me… then for my son?

Well, if I’m going to put that way…

To Be Continued
Plus, It’s really only a dollar more or so a week. I think I can handle that.

But I must admit, I’ve still got some mixed feelings. The key to whether this is a good spend is how we end up using SiriusXM at home.

If it unlocks the full potential of this product, then it’s money well spent.
(Otherwise…)

So let’s get started…

May 1, 2016

Do You Need a Bluetooth Desk Clock?

You’re probably wondering, “What’s a Bluetooth clock?” Heck, I’m sure some of you are asking why would anyone even need a clock on a desk anymore. But hold on… The trick is this clock can connect to your smartphone…

I didn’t realize it, but clocks are an endangered species. To be more specific… desk clocks with digital displays have just about disappeared.

“Poppycock,” you say?

Take a look around… the time is proudly displayed everywhere.
(So where’s the conspiracy?)

Clocks are engineered into all of your tech… on your smartphone… your computer… your DVR…your stove… your car… and of course, on your watch.

And even on your cable set top box.

But time keeping as a singular function in a little box that sits on your desk or shelf doesn’t exist anymore. Maybe there’s no market for it, because that functionality is already baked into just about everything else you own.

The one exception is a clock with the old-time hands. There are still plenty of those around. Unfortunately, I usually want to know exactly what time it is, and a digital readout is more precise.

I Don’t Know What Time It Is
Remember that cable box I returned…?
(Argh….)

You’ll recall the one feature I’ve been missing from that silly box isn’t the TV programming… It’s the network-controlled digital time display!
(That bleeping clock!)

Without that constant glow of numbers, nobody knows what time it is in my home office anymore.

When you walk in, it’s like a time bubble. And that’s not so great when you’re rushing to get dressed in the morning and trying to catch the next train into the city.

So I decided it was time to buy a simple replacement clock for my office.
How hard could that be…?

Would you believe… impossible?

They Don’t Make Clocks Anymore
Sure, there are plenty of radio-controlled atomic clocks out there, which will supposedly stay in step down to the second.
(As long as they can sense that low-frequency signal from
NIST Radio Station WWVB)

The problem is these clocks’ displays are cluttered with so many other readouts… day… date… hygrometer… and temperature.

I don’t want all of that!

If you’re looking for an unobtrusive atomic clock with a digital readout that only shows the time…. I challenge you to find one!

So now what?

Near Miss
Well, I loosened up my criteria a bit.

I figured maybe I could give up the atomic piece and reset the clock every so often if I could locate the right form factor.

I came close with this Marathon LED clock for $39.95 on Amazon.
It’s technically an alarm clock, but happily, it just shows the time and not the alarm setting. Its bright display is simple and clear, and the clock’s form is sleek.

The only problem is reviewers have complained about the blinking colon between the numbers. And as I planned to place my replacement clock near my little office HDTV, I think that would also be an annoyance for me.

Pass.

Hello, Marathon!
The good news is Marathon makes plenty of other digital display clocks!

Some are atomic.
Some aren’t.
And others are…

…Bluetooth.

What?

Yes, Bluetooth-controlled.

The trick is you can pair these clocks with a companion app on your smartphone to sync the time and other functions via Bluetooth.

Huh.
That sounds pretty cool.

The only downside is these Bluetooth models also display the day and date, which I was trying to avoid.

Sticker Shock
There’s another downside… price. These Bluetooth clocks ranges from $80-$125 on Marathon’s website.

The good news is Amazon has it for less. A lot less…

I zeroed in on the $100 Marathon CL800001GH Bluetooth Panoramic Clock System in brushed graphic… for $29.00 on Amazon.

My iPhone could keep it in perfect step, and my time woes would be over.

I know… Fifty bucks is still a pretty penny to pay for a simple clock that sits in your office. I’m sure most of you would save the Ulysses S. Grant and suggest I just grow up and put my watch on.

Yeah.
(sigh)

Please don’t judge….

Click.

More than a Clock
The package arrived swiftly via Amazon Prime, and I eagerly opened it up.
What did I find…?

Well, first off, the ‘panoramic’ model I bought was a little large for my needs.
It’s fine, but bigger than I expected.
(6”x 9”)

The Marathon Watch Company does make a smaller version for $39.95.
(But I wasn’t as keen on this ‘tabletop’ model, because it looks more like an alarm clock with white and orange bars on top.)

My sleeker panoramic model is technically a ‘wall clock,’ though I didn’t know that until I discovered that detail on the box when it showed up.

All this said, my model works well enough as a desk clock, because it also sports a handy kickstand.

I skimmed the instructions, which reviewed the special sauce that the “Bluetooth Smart” technology provides…

Multiple alarms
Countdown timer
Temperature and humidity with historical chart on the app
Battery status
(No, the clock doesn’t plug into an outlet.)

But the main attraction:
“Auto time synchronization with your mobile network through your mobile device”

The Magic of a Bluetooth Clock
First, you’ve got to download the Marathon Clock app for your smartphone or iPad:

The name of the app in the Apple App Store or Google Play is “Clock System.” (That’s actually not in the instructions.)
I figured it out by going to marathonbluetooth.com…
(Which the instructions do tell you to visit.)

Then, I paired the clock to my iPhone just like you do with any Bluetooth device.
(There’s a Bluetooth button on the back of the clock to press.)

And that’s it.

Bingo… The precise time from my mobile network popped onto the clock.

Sweet!

So whenever my iPhone comes within range… Sync!
Well…not quite.

Yes, the Bluetooth automatically connects, but after a few trial runs, it looks like you’ve got to navigate into the app for the syncing process to begin.

Not terrible.

The Verdict
A few other thoughts…

-There’s no backlight for the clock’s display. So optimally, you should position the clock where another light source can reflect off of it.

-This Marathon also has a blinking colon between the numbers, but because of the clock’s size, I didn’t end up placing it near my TV.
(So problem solved there)

-The countdown timer is really interesting…

It might have some future application when it comes to managing how much time is left for my son’s ‘screen-time’ activities.

-I’ve got to say the temperature and humidity tracker on the app is the niftiest feature, although I’m not sure why I’d need to chart my home office’s comfort index.

-Ultimately, it’s okay that the clock’s screen has a minor reference to the date and day of week.
(While I usually know what day it is, I sometimes have to check the date… So having it there is kind of helpful.)

Do You Really Need One of These?
Yes, fifty bucks is still a little steep for a digital clock.
(I imagine you can find a stripped-down cousin on the bottom of a Cracker Jack box.)

But this Marathon clock certainly has lots of tricks up its sleeve.
(Not that I was specifically looking for most of them.)

And it does sync to network time.
(That’s really cool… admittedly in a geeky sort of way.)

Happily, I’ve popped my home office’s time bubble.
(I’m finally free to move forward in this dimension’s timeline.)

Tick tock.

Category: Tech Trends

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