Archive for Technology/Electronics

Prevent Getting Lost With Navigation Apps

When traveling do you use GPS or do you prevent getting lost with any navigation apps? Leave me a comment if you do!

Last Saturday I started an early morning paper route – paid opps and business has been rather slow this month so I needed a back up plan that still allowed me to be at home with my children. The glories of being self-employed…work isn’t always steady or consistent. A paper route allows me to work while my family sleeps. In the spring, if not before, I plan to invite my older girls to help me so we can spend extra time together. If that goes well, then maybe the little ones can join me, but I’d really hate to get them up that early!

An early morning paper route means I have been getting up at 2:22am and am usually out the door by 2:40-2:45am to head to the warehouse to bag the Chicago Tribune, Sun Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and New York Times. Grab my route papers and be on my way. It’s very easy work. It’s finding the houses and maneuvering my town’s streets in the dark that is taking longer to get use to! I’ll admit I am not much of a navigator and while I have improved, you all know that I have used my human GPS – my travel savvy husband – many times in the past for help getting around town.

Multiple times I have got turned around or taken the wrong way as I drive my route. I have even called Mr. D, the man who’s in charge of routes, for help finding what I call “mystery” houses, the ones with no numbers, yet we are suppose to know where they are! Thankfully, Mr. D trains new drivers with half their route first so I have had the same half all week, however, there are a few new/different houses every day. This weekend he’ll probably introduce the second half, which will be interesting as the weekend routes are bigger and longer.

The past couple of days I have been using Verizon’s Navigator App to help me drive my paper route more efficiently. It has really helped, especially the voice directions on VZ Navigator. The Verizon Navigator voice guidance feature uses traffic lights and number of streets instead of feet or meters, to provide a safer driving experience.

About VZ Navigator

As I stated, VZ Navigator is an GPS or navigation app you can download to your cell phone. Verizon is offering a FREE 30-day trial, after the 30-day trial it costs $2/month or you can pay as you use for a fee of 99 cents per day (Yikes!). According to your data package you may be billed for data usage per megabyte basis.

The app also offers roadside assistance service, show traffic, a follow me option, plan a trip view, a place to store favorites, contacts, recent searches, find a place, movie or events and you can even input your preferences.

This app offers 2D, 3D, Dashboard and List view, plus so much more. From detours to weather, so far it appears to be a full service app from my initial use of it.

VZ Navigator Review

For the most part I am very hesitant to use location services and rarely have that feature turned on, but for the purpose of this post and review I turned it on. The thing I like the most is the voice guidance, which saves me from having to look down so much at the list of directions or the moving pin on the map (that’s what Google Maps provides).

Another thing I like is the convenience of it being on my phone without having to buy another device.

The thing I don’t like is the monthly charge at the end of the 30-day trial. I could buy a GPS system, you know? Time will tell on how much I use it and how attached I get to it. Ha! It’ll probably save me time on my paper route though!

Visit iTunes learn more about the VZ Navigator App.

This is a sponsored post.


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband Review and Giveaway

When we moved into our new house last year we had to change phone companies because our old one did not service the city we were moving to; and with that change came the opportunity to use what was called a “hot spot”. It was our first experience with a hot spot mobile device…and it was terrible. That device was so slow and unreliable. So much so that I finally stopped using it. It sat on our shelf for months until the phone company sent a notice saying that it was discontinuing that service/device. Sad, eh? I never did seek out a device to replace it. I really wanted it for our Zyto Compass, which I use in conjunction with our Young Living business and to avoid using public Wi-Fi.

NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband Review

Well, there’s good news. This past week I was able to review NetZero‘s 4G Mobile Broadband device.

It comes with a USB cord, wall charger, installation CD and instructions.

What’s so special about NetZero 4G HotSpot?
It can be shared with up to 8 Wi-Fi devices.
It’s super easy to use!
It’s obviously for people on the go.
No contracts or committments.
Plans start as low as $9.95/month.

I love it! It works fast. To be honest I didn’t notice any difference to our home service, but an incredible difference to the other “thing” we tried last year. This is 200% better, truly. I always have a ton of windows open and multiple browsers, to the annoyance of my oldest daughter and husband. Just how I work, but NetZero’s Mobile Broadband device worked great and I only had 1 bar…see the photo below:


On the screen of the device it gives you the name of your network and your password, which is what I covered for security reasons.

I can only imagine how fast it would have been had the strength of the signal been all four bars.

It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to use NetZero’s 4G mobile device. I am very happy to have found something so easy to use. I set it up by myself without any help from my husband – probably a first.

I look forward to being able to use it with my Zyto Compass at our educational events instead of having to use a public Wi-Fi network or wait until I get home to send Zyto Reports to my clients.

Here in the Chicago area there are still pocket areas where 4G is not available so be sure to check the coverage areas on NetZero to see what areas near you have 4G.

NetZero 4G Giveaway

For the NetZero 4G giveaway one winner will receive a NetZero 4G mobile device and 3 months of service! The giveaway value is $300 worth of NetZero’s 4G Mobile Broadband product and services. Awesome or what? Enter to win now!

Please note: This contest is only until Wednesday, December 19 at 12:00am.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and NetZero partnered in support of this campaign. NetZero

 


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

I Spy with Lola App Review

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.

 


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

TVGuardian

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.


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

TuneIn Radio – FREE Radio Online

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.


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

Play MG Think Christmas and Pre-Order!

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.


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

Fellowes Laminator Video Review

As a homeschooling mom, I have had projects over the years that needed laminating but I was rather frugal and settled for a roll of contact paper and a pair of scissors. It worked great for the first set of flash cards I made of the alphabet and numbers for our girls, but as the babies arrived and I became busier with children, the extra time I once had to sit and cut diminished, a laminator would have come in very handy.

Fellowes Laminator

The Fellowes Saturn2 95 Laminator is very small and compact. It doesn’t take up much space at all. A definite plus as I don’t have a lot of flat surface to store that and our printer. Right now it’s stored beneath my little table/desk, but we used it at the dining room table. It is also lightweight so moving from room to room it isn’t an issue at all.

The laminator came with 3 packages of laminating pouches 25 – 9 x 11.5 hot laminating pouches, 25 – 4.5 x 6.25 pouches and then 10 other laminating pouches, which I haven’t figure out what to use for yet. We used the smaller size to laminate a few farm stand signs for selling produce.

How it Works

The Fellowes Saturn2 95 is very easy to use. My girls have used it successfully. You simply put the item you want laminated between the pages of the laminating pouch and you slide it in the opening and wait for it to come out the other side fully laminated. Simple as that.


Laminator Review

We love it. It is going to be a great addition to our office equipment enabling us to laminate flash cards for the kids or signs for our businesses. There’s a photo story of how we laminated market signs above. I am pleased with the laminating results but not the type setting of the words. Those were off. But hey, it was our first time and nothing is ever perfect the first time around, right? Video review is below:

As for the laminating machine? It’s definitely a keeper. Wish I had it 15 years ago when I spent hours making our first flash cards.

Two thumbs up from me!

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


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

Hello Better Mobile Phone Service #HelloBetter

Has your mobile carrier every ticked you off? Our first cell phone was just a pay as you go. Our first mobile service provider was very dependable, service was great but they did not offer the kinds of plans we wanted so we switched. When we started with our current company it was on the recommendation of friends so you can imagine our surprise when within the first month we had trouble with my husband’s new phone. The battery had died and they could not replace it. Do you know where they sent us? Amazon. That’s right. The thing is there was no guarantee that a new battery would fix the problem, it was only what we thought might be wrong with the phone.

If I remember correctly, the customer service personnel were not clear in their instructions and it ended up taking 3x to get a phone that worked between customer service and warehouse mistakes. And of course, misunderstanding on our part. 3x shipping phones back and forth. Wouldn’t it have been easier just to have a $8 battery in stock? What bugs me about companies is when they blame you, the customer. Whatever happened to serving the customer first? Believe me I have come across more and more companies putting blame on the customer and not owning up to their own mistakes. I don’t believe consumers should just take advantage of businesses, but I still agree in “The Customer comes first,” not that they are not always right, but they should be served with respect and decency

In the case of the mobile phone, we never did complain but it has set ill with us ever since. One of those leftovers from not speaking up when we should have and it has tarnished our view of our cell phone provider. :( We put up with our carrier because of perks we don’t think are available with other service providers, which is probably the main reason most people who are frustrated with their wireless provider/experience stay with them.


Survey of Wireless Customers

Survey:
• A study conducted by U.S. Cellular indicates that 43 percent of individuals are in the ‘seven year itch’ phase with their wireless provider, noting they are comfortable but suspect they are missing out on something better.

• Out of the 1,208 participants polled across four regions of the country, 56 percent of the respondents admitted to being unhappy with their carrier over the past year but only 35 percent of all respondents have ever broken up with their provider.

• In spite of this overall dissatisfaction, respondents are hesitant to call it quits. More than one-third of respondents say they stick with their current provider because they believe all carriers are the same, it is too much trouble to switch carriers, or they don’t want to sign a new contract.

Hello Better Campaign

U.S. Cellular has introduced a the Hello Better campaign and is encouraging consumers to say goodbye to mediocre cell phone service and hello to respect and a better wireless experience. They are providing:

  • the industry’s only rewards-based program
  • no contract after the first contract ends
  • free incoming calls and texts
  • free overage protection
  • and finally, free batter swap for your phone

We’ve never used U.S. Cellular before, but from the looks of things they are gearing up to try to provide a simpler, easier wireless relationship with their customers.

Visit U.S. Cellular’s Plans and Rewards Program for more information or to take full advantage of their Hello Better campaign….and please let me know what you think of their service!

 

I participated in this sponsored post campaign for One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

Asurion $40 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Winner!

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!


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

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

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.

asurion, applications for mobile, mobile application, mobile applications, mobile app, mobile apps, phone app, phone apps, malware, spyware, security app, security apps, secure browsing, safe browsing, phone locator, find my phone, locate phone, lock phon

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.


signature

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS