Archive for Techie Stuff

I Spy with Lola App Review

Posted by Brande on December 12, 2012
in Downloads, Education, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics

Meet Lola the Panda Bear.  Are you ready for your little ones to go on a searching adventure with her?  Great! Don’t tell the the kids but I’m sure they will learn a few things along the way too.

I Spy with Lola App

There are 3 different levels with I Spy with Lola – Easy, Medium, and Hard. BUT, you need to get through the easy level before you can move on.

Lola flies in her airplane to a destination in the world that your child will pick. Watch out because some are locked because they are higher levels. For example, if you child picks Hawaii on the map the app will tell you it’s Hawaii. Once the destination is picked Lola flies in and will tell you to find the sunglasses, boat, dolphin, etc. If you choose the wrong one, it will tell you the object but will not cross it off Lola’s list.

Once you complete the first level, the second level or medium level are about things that begin with ….  For example – things that being with “B”. The Hard Level is “a hat that shades your eyes” – along the lines of a riddle.

I Spy with Lola App Review

My 4 year old daughter loves this app. It’s teaching her new objects and helping with “things that begin with the letter …”.  She’s working on the  “riddle” or hard part with some help.

Download I Spy with Lola from iTunes.  It’s available for iPhone and iPad. You can also get a free version to try out before you buy!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

 


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TVGuardian

Posted by html404 on December 5, 2012
in DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Movies, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, TV Shows

I don’t know about you but if I had the opportunity to have a filter for foul language and sexual content I’d probably watch more TV with my family. The American Family Association just sent out an email featuring TVGuardian, a filter doing exactly what I want it to do. However, it is not available for online streaming (Netflix, Hulu etc.). We don’t have cable or satellite, or even a TV for that matter, as we do most of our movie/TV watching online from our computer. So in an appeal to garner more interest in sites offering online streaming I am blogging about TVGuardian to recruit any of you using online streaming to contact the sites you use to ask them if they would consider getting TVGuardian. I have tried contacting ClearPlay to see if this is something they would be able to do but have never, ever even received a response. :(

So if you are a person who utilizes online streaming sites, please appeal to those sites to offer TVGuardian as a choice because until there’s a need these sites are not going to do anything. IMHO. (in my humble opinion.)

Nope this is not a review or paid ad. I wrote about this out of my own interest. I have no idea how well it works but if it filters out any foul language I’m in, as film producers are slipping more and more into movies these days. It isn’t cheap but I think the cost is worth it in the long run.

Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.


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Maddie and Matt Happy Earth App Review

Posted by Brande on November 29, 2012
in Eco Friendly Products, Education, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Techie Stuff

 

The Maddie and Matt Happy Earth App is a free earth friendly app. It is a wonderful tool for teaching your kids about recycling and helping the Earth.

There are 5 different activities. “Spot the Difference” is 2 pictures side by side and you tap where is the difference is. Is it actually tricky, but fun. Below is my Maddie and Matt Happy Earth App review.



Maddie and Matt Happy Earth App Review

 

Here is “Create your Own Happy Earth”.  Which you drag and drop face parts to make a happy Earth.

 

 

Then there is “Segregation Game”.  This one you drag and drop the trash into the correct can. If you choose the wrong can, it “throws” the trash back.

 

 

With “Choose a Screen” you select a bubble. When the screen changes it take you to Matt and/or Maddie and teaches you about conservation. For example, if you chose “Conservation of Water” – Maddie and Matt would tell you to turn off the faucet when washing dishes.

 

“Earth Facts” is very cool. By giving you 10 fact.  When you select a fact it will show more about that fact.

 

 

 

Did you know the Earth is 4.6 Billion years old? Now, that’s what I call a bonfire! (Editor’s note: The Gould family does not believe the earth is 4.6 billion years old. That is what evolution teaches. We hold to the biblical view of creation which teaches the earth is actually only 7,000-10,000 years old.)

As an adult I really enjoyed learning more about the Earth and Conservation. This type of app I would suggest for kids 6 years or older. My daughter is 4 and doesn’t understand all of this information yet. But, this is a fantastic app for your older kids.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

 

 


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National Do Not Call Registry

Posted by Brande on October 7, 2012
in Business, Community Issues, News Worthy, Techie Stuff

Lately, I’ve been getting lots of unwanted calls on my house and cell phone. So, I headed over to the National DO NOT CALL Registry and signed up my phone numbers. You will need to enter a valid email address, they will send you an email for EACH phone number you register and you MUST click each link to activate the registry for each number. So, my fingers are cross this works. It’s so annoying to receive unwanted calls!

Editor’s note: It’s also worth having an unlisted/private number as well. It is a nominal fee each month for the additional privacy and the phone company does not include you in any phone listings on or off line. Since moving to our new home a year ago we have enjoyed a relatively quiet phone line since having an “private” number.

We also exercise caution when giving out our number, especially our cell phones. It’s not easy because you still have companies who will sell, rent or give out your number.


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TuneIn Radio – FREE Radio Online

Posted by Brande on October 4, 2012
in Deals, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Music, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Thrifty Thursday

Music is such a huge part in our lives. It cheers us when we are down, it relaxes us when we are tense and it allows us to create new memories with family. Talk radio also use to be such a huge part of family lives. Remember the Waltons gathering in their livingroom around the radio? Before television that’s what families did for home entertainment.

Looking for a free radio source you can listen to online? I discovered TuneIn Radio. It is free local, international and Internet radio.

Head to TuneIn, where you can listen to radio stations for FREE on your computer! No money, No accounts needed.  Of course, you can sign up for an account to save your favorite stations. They have local radio to your area, music, talk and sports! This is one of my new favorite sites! They also have apps to download as well.

Check it out at TuneIn.


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Play MG Think Christmas and Pre-Order!

Posted by html404 on September 26, 2012
in Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

Technology continues to amaze me. MG (more game) is a portable WiFi gaming system. It eliminates the need for packaged games or data plans that are required for the ever popular smartphone. It allows kids to enter the world of freemium Wi-Fi App gaming safely and affordably. Sounds like a gamers delight.

There is a new feature in The MG Family Collaboration System called “Digital Wallet” and “Remote Trust” notification functions:

The “Digital Wallet”: Parents can offer “game allowances” through a reloadable BillMyParents SpendSmart prepaid MasterCard. This is a creative way to teach pre-teens or Teens about budget and learning spend with in a budget.

“Remote Trust”: Parents can choose to receive email or text updates on MG account activity.

Here’s how it works:

When an MG gamer enters her BillMyParents account number into the MG’s Family Collaboration System app, she can see her SpendSmart prepaid MasterCard balance right on her device. The BillMyParents SpendSmart system allows parents to remotely observe how their teens are spending their game allowances via text, email or by going online, and encourages family dialogue about smart spending habits. Parents can even lock or unlock the card with a text message if necessary. MG is the first to include a BillMyParents SpendSmart prepaid MasterCard directly into the MG device, giving parents an easy, safe way to moderate teen gaming purchases, while reinforcing the concepts of budgeting and making smart spending choices.

These are features sound like they are more for a parent’s peace of mind, but I am sure kids will enjoy the freedom it allows them to experience. Plus, it is the 1st portable Android gaming system with BillMyParents SpendSmart MasterCard. I haven’t used the MG system, but have been told, “It’s a dedicated device for app gaming using the Android platform so your kids can play any game they’d download on your iPhone on their very own portable gaming system and you don’t have to worry about paying for a data plan or buying game cartridges like you would with a Nintendo DS.”

Play MG Think Christmas and Pre-Order!

MG is available to pre-order right now at a savings of $70 off the suggested retail price of $169 when it launches later this year. The first 2000 early adopters who visit Kickstarter.com (search PlayMG) will be rewarded with an MG at cost for this holiday season. Other supporters will be able to order their MG for $20 off ($149).

Sounds like gamer parents might like to pre-order this now just for the savings offered. I believe this promotion is coming to an end soon so be sure to take advantage of it now rather than later.


Disclaimer: Posted courtesy of MG and in turn I may receive a promotional item.


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Ringya iPhone App

Posted by html404 on September 25, 2012
in Organization, Reviews, Techie Stuff, Uncategorized

You all are aware of the businesses we have. A couple of our businesses have more contact lists than the others and it is time consuming to keep track of everything, to update things manually etc. So I am all for time savers…like the Ringya iPhone App.

The thing is this app isn’t just for businesses, but for coaches, PTAs, Girl/Boy Scouts, teachers and whoever has contact lists.

Ringya transforms contact lists (class lists, work contacts, sport teams) into organized, sharable, digital lists. Just snap a picture of a paper list or email the app a digital version and…voila…you’ve got it handy on your phone!


Ringya iPhone App Review

Ok, this was written on 8/3 and I just downloaded the Ringya iPhone app. It was very easy to set up. Just follow the prompts. I took a photo of a list that I wanted to be able to import to email and phone numbers so I could do follow up to a snail mail mailing via phone or email, but didn’t want to have to do the data entry for it. If this app does what I think it will do, I am excited as this could potentially be a huge time saver! It did exactly what I thought it would do. It uploaded all the contact info of about 35 contacts – name, phone number, and mailing address. Almost wish there had been email addresses on the list and my work would have been complete. Since the emails were not listed, all I have to do is go into the “edit” feature and manually add the emails of the contacts.

Easy peasy! What a neat little app! The only issue I foresee is if you do not have enough data space on your phone and have a tone of contacts. Otherwise the Ringya iPhone App receives two thumbs up from me.

You may download the Ringya for free on iTunes.


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Asurion $40 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Winner!

Posted by html404 on August 1, 2012
in Giveaways, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics

The third and last giveaway winner….

In case you missed it, congratulations to Lisa on winning the
Asurion $40 Amazon Gift Card giveaway!

Remember to stay tuned for upcoming giveaways, great reviews and more!


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My Long Lost Blackberry Smart Phone, Sniff & $40 Amazon Giveaway

Posted by html404 on July 21, 2012
in Giveaways, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

Some of you may remember the story of my long lost Blackberry smart phone (if not read about it here and here) but I’ll happily give you a brief synopsis of the story.

I loved my Blackberry. It was a cool fuschia color and I loved how fast I was getting at typing on the tiny keyboard – at least it was a keyboard, unlike my iPhone’s. But I digress. While I found certain aspects of my Blackberry mysterious to use, I was getting the hang of it and just as that was happening, the thing dies on me. Too bad objects can’t love me back and appreciate my love for them – by not breaking. Alas, they don’t and they do break.

I lost all my contacts and was unable to retrieve them. Thankfully most of the important ones were in my email files or in the hard copy address book. But what I could not retrieve are my photos. :( I was very disappointed. As you know photos have a lot of sentimental value in the memories they create and preserve. Another sore spot was fact I was never able to figure out how to back up my Blackberry.

The thing is the phone guys were unable to fix my phone due to not having the battery in stock. Whether that was a ploy to get me to upgrade I have no idea, but I needed my phone so I opted to upgrade. After all, you can live without their smart phone these days? I know I’d miss mine.

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Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Asurion.

Would you like to save yourself the trouble of all I went through and have peace of mind with the content on your smart phone?

Check with your cell phone provider for the Asurion protection package. Asurion offers smart phone/technology insurance. It protects your data, privacy, provides technical assistance and service coverage to replace your phone. Most companies do offer this when you first purchase your cell phone so be sure to ask and you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache of losing precious photos and data.

Now you have a chance to win a $40 Amazon gift code! Just see the details below.

$40 Amazon Gift Code Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have fun and good luck!

Faith and Family Review is being compensated an Amazon.com gift card in exchange for writing this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own.


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Band-Aid Magic Vision App

Posted by html404 on May 25, 2012
in Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics

It always amazes me that characters, TV shows and movies that I watched as a kid are usually loved by my children too. From Spider-Man and McGyver to Sesame Street and the Muppets. I always loved Kermit the Frog. How about you? Speaking of the Muppets we tried a new app this week, Band-Aid Magic Vision. This is an app to use on your iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad2 or iPad3. It as a tool to cheer up your child when they get an owie. If you like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the rest of the Muppets, you and your child will enjoy this app.

All you do is take the Muppets Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages or the box and scan it with your Apple device and in a “magical” sparkle the Muppet characters come to life. Your child will experience Kermit the Frog swinging while playing the banjo and singing “The Rainbow Connection” song (loved that song as a kid and still love it!). My little people 6 and under just smiled while watching Kermit. My 21 month old especially liked it and his grin was extra bright with the music and song – he loves music of all kinds! If you tilt your device, Kermit will swing back and forth even more! Fun!

Next your child will experience Miss Piggy in all her self-glory on the red carpet. The app allows children to take pictures, which is what Miss Piggy loves – attention! You can also take pictures of the other characters too by the push of the on-screen camera button – don’t make the same mistake I did and use the real camera button or you’ll close out the app! Yeah one of those mornings! ;) My six year old enjoyed being able to take pictures the most!

I lost my 4 year old’s attention while waiting for Gonzo to load. There seems to be a delay in each character’s story. Gonzo gets stuck and with a little shake of your device your child can get him “unstuck”. I love the concept of using this app to divert a crying child from his or her owies to the antics and fun of these Muppet characters. After all, haven’t all of us experienced an inconsolable child at one time or another after they get hurt?

The Band-Aid Magic Vision application, uses Augmented Reality technology to merge your child’s real-life surroundings with graphics displayed on the digital screen to unlock a special world where Disney’s The Muppets characters come to life to distract your child from their boo boo.

This app is absolutely free, so download yours today! Available at iTunes.com. Simply search for Band-Aid Magic Vision or click here for the direct link.

Visit the Band-Aid website for more information about Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages www.Band-Aid.com

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages and received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”


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