The Remote to Rule All Remotes – Logitech Harmony Ultimate

I'm not sure how much further Logitech can go with their Harmony universal remote line. With the new Logitech Harmony Ultimate out (which is a great Father's Day gift, by the way), I'm really curious what the next generation Harmony remote would bring. I'm thinking that it will have some sort of mind reading integration or something because the new Logitech Harmony Ultimate is pretty much as full featured as it can go. The Harmony Ultimate remote is truly that...the ultimate remote. It is not only… [more]

The Remote to Rule All Remotes – Logitech Harmony Ultimate The Remote to Rule All Remotes - Logitech Harmony Ultimate

Instagram Users – How to Clear the Instagram Cache & Save Space on your Smartphone

If you are a heavy Instagram user, you might not know this but the more you use Instagram, the photo-sharing service and mobile application, the more space the app will consume on your iOS or Android device over time. Originally, when you install Instagram, it only uses about 24 MB (on iOS), but it can grow to use up literally gigabytes of space. This article shows you how to clear the Instagram cache so that you can easily and quickly save space on your mobile device.While Instagram is a… [more]

Instagram Users – How to Clear the Instagram Cache & Save Space on your Smartphone Instagram Users - How to Clear the Instagram Cache & Save Space on your Smartphone

Apple WWDC 2013 – HighTechDad’s LiveStream

In anticipation of the Apple WWDC 2013 event, I thought that I would test out something new by trying to cover some of the event via a live stream. Note, this is completely an experiment. You probably can get faster live stream feeds from some of the other major sites or directly on the WWDC event page (provided you have Safari on a Mac, and iOS device or AppleTV).But for those who want to get my 2 cents on what Apple has to say on today's event, you can watch my commentary.Excited… [more]

Apple WWDC 2013 – HighTechDad’s LiveStream Apple WWDC 2013 - HighTechDad's LiveStream

Parents Be Warned! Ask.fm is a Dangerous & Deadly Social Site for Teens & Tweens

Back in 2012, I wrote about some potential dangers surrounding the Instagram and Kik Messenger combination. By now, hopefully many parents know what to look for and how to combat this social danger. Recently, I started to investigate a new social danger for kids, specifically Ask.fm which actually has a few documented teen suicides attributed to the service. Interestingly, it was my teenager and my wife that introduced me to Ask.fm. My teen wanted to join and my wife said absolutely not!Before… [more]

Parents Be Warned! Ask.fm is a Dangerous & Deadly Social Site for Teens & Tweens Parents Be Warned! Ask.fm is a Dangerous & Deadly Social Site for Teens & Tweens

To Boldly Go Where No MSP Has Gone Before

I'm a big Star Trek fan. I have watched reruns of the original Star Trek series many times over. I liked Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space Nine, and, most obviously, Star Trek The Next Generation. (Oh, and I do recommend the latest Star Trek movie.) Where am I going with this? Ideas evolve. Technology improves. New strategic teams are created. New dynamics are explored. Much the same way that Star Trek has modernized (yet still sticks to the original themes), the Managed Service Provider (MSP) has… [more]

To Boldly Go Where No MSP Has Gone Before To Boldly Go Where No MSP Has Gone Before

The Remote to Rule All Remotes – Logitech Harmony Ultimate

by Michael Sheehan on June 15, 2013

in Android, Apple, Application, Consumer Electronics, Gadgets, General, Hardware, iOS, iPhone, iPod, Mobile, Opinion, Review, Software

I’m not sure how much further Logitech can go with their Harmony universal remote line. With the new Logitech Harmony Ultimate out (which is a great Father’s Day gift, by the way), I’m really curious what the next generation Harmony remote would bring. I’m thinking that it will have some sort of mind reading integration or something because the new Logitech Harmony Ultimate is pretty much as full featured as it can go. The Harmony Ultimate remote is truly that…the ultimate remote. It is not only the last remote you will probably need, but also has the ultimate in configuration and control, making it head and shoulders about the competition.

Logitech Harmony Ultimate remote

Logitech Harmony Ultimate remote in dock

I seem to have a passion for collecting remote controls…not by choice, mind you. They come with every lazy person’s device that you get: TVs, DVRs, DVD players, receivers, streaming players, gaming systems, etc. And what starts to happen is that you get a pile of remotes. That wouldn’t be that bad if you didn’t have to remember which remote controlled what device. And, as more and more TVs and HiFi receivers have multiple types of connections (HDMI, component, composite, coax, etc.), it is practically impossible to remember which input you need to select to have your TV light up with the proper A/V content that you want. And, to top that off, try explaining to someone how to get everything running properly. I used to print out cheatsheets that I would leave for my family, guests or babysitters that would explain how to do it all, but it always ended up with the same thing, a frustrated phone call.

Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub

Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub

A few years ago, I reviewed the Logitech Harmony One, which at that point, I thought would be the remote to end all remotes. This month, thanks to Logitech, I got my hands on the new Harmony Ultimate. This is a universal remote control on steroids and it extends well beyond the remote that comes with it. Let me explain. With the Ultimate, you do get a remote (obviously) but you also get what they call the Harmony Hub. The Hub is what brings the “ultimate” power to your system. The Hub is an RF (Radio Frequency) Receiver. That means that it can receive commands without having line-of-sight and can go through walls. The Hub also has 2 IR (Infra Red) “blasters” that you put in your A/V cabinet. The Remote transmits an RF signal which the Hub then translates into IR commands.

[click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Instagram Users – How to Clear the Instagram Cache & Save Space on your Smartphone

by Michael Sheehan on June 14, 2013

in Android, Apple, Application, Cellular, Fix It, Gadgets, General, Google, How To, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Mobile, Software

Post image for Instagram Users – How to Clear the Instagram Cache & Save Space on your Smartphone

If you are a heavy Instagram user, you might not know this but the more you use Instagram, the photo-sharing service and mobile application, the more space the app will consume on your iOS or Android device over time. Originally, when you install Instagram, it only uses about 24 MB (on iOS), but it can grow to use up literally gigabytes of space. This article shows you how to clear the Instagram cache so that you can easily and quickly save space on your mobile device.

Instagram become bloated over time

Instagram become bloated over time

While Instagram is a great service, for some reason the developers crafted their app to have a cache of photos. So the more you share and use the app, the bigger that cache become. For example, I checked my daughter’s iPhone yesterday and she only had a few MBs left of storage. When I checked to see how much space she had consumed (by application), I found that her Instagram instance was at 1.4 GB!

How to tell how much space Instagram is using

It’s really easy to check to see how much space your Instagram is using on your device.

[click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Apple WWDC 2013 – HighTechDad’s LiveStream

by Michael Sheehan on June 10, 2013

in Apple, Consumer Electronics, Event, General, Hardware, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Opinion, Tech News

In anticipation of the Apple WWDC 2013 event, I thought that I would test out something new by trying to cover some of the event via a live stream. Note, this is completely an experiment. You probably can get faster live stream feeds from some of the other major sites or directly on the WWDC event page (provided you have Safari on a Mac, and iOS device or AppleTV).

wwdc13-about-main

But for those who want to get my 2 cents on what Apple has to say on today’s event, you can watch my commentary.

Excited to find out what Apple has in store…literally! [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Parents Be Warned! Ask.fm is a Dangerous & Deadly Social Site for Teens & Tweens

by Michael Sheehan on June 5, 2013

in Family, General, How To, HTD Tech Tip, Opinion, Parenting, Safety, Security, Social Media, Social Networking

Post image for Parents Be Warned! Ask.fm is a Dangerous & Deadly Social Site for Teens & Tweens

Back in 2012, I wrote about some potential dangers surrounding the Instagram and Kik Messenger combination. By now, hopefully many parents know what to look for and how to combat this social danger. Recently, I started to investigate a new social danger for kids, specifically Ask.fm which actually has a few documented teen suicides attributed to the service. Interestingly, it was my teenager and my wife that introduced me to Ask.fm. My teen wanted to join and my wife said absolutely not!

Before I go into this social danger, I do want to point out that I am an avid Instagram user and do like the service. I allow my kids to use it, with some guidance, and my wife and I feel pretty comfortable with how it is being used by them. In both this case (with Ask.fm) and with Kik Messenger, the linkage (literally) is via Instagram. With Kik, many tween and teen Instagram users were putting their Kik Messenger user name in their Instagram profiles or picture messages (e.g., “Kik me at…”). The linkage with Ask.fm is similar – tweens and teens are putting their Ask.fm profile links in their Instagram profile. That’s the only connection with Instagram…it’s a springboard to these other dangerous social sites. But Ask.fm is prevalent in many other social media sites (so just to be clear, I’m not picking on just Instagram).

Ask.fm Danger

Ask.fm Danger

So what is Ask.fm? It is a social site where users can ask other users questions, and responses are limited to 300 characters. The questions can be from a named user, or completely anonymously asked. It is unmoderated (unless a user reports something), has no parental controls, and is an over-seas company (based in Latvia). If you look at their Terms of Service (TOS), it says “Terms of use are governed by Latvian laws and disputes are solved in Latvian courts.” Now THAT’S comforting.

The concept seems harmless enough. You register, create a profile, and ask/answer questions that are posted to you. The problem is around the anonymity of the messaging. While in the settings, you do have the ability to block anonymous questions, from what I have seen, most users do not do this. You do have the ability to blacklist users, assuming you know who they are. The TOS does say that you need to be 13 years old or older to join the site, but that is something that I’m sure is bypassed regularly.

[click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

To Boldly Go Where No MSP Has Gone Before

June 4, 2013
Thumbnail image for To Boldly Go Where No MSP Has Gone Before

I’m a big Star Trek fan. I have watched reruns of the original Star Trek series many times over. I liked Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space Nine, and, most obviously, Star Trek The Next Generation. (Oh, and I do recommend the latest Star Trek movie.) Where am I going with this? Ideas evolve. Technology [...]

Read the full article →

Multiple Uses Make the LG 23ET83 Touchscreen Monitor a Winner in HighTechDad’s Home

June 3, 2013
Thumbnail image for Multiple Uses Make the LG 23ET83 Touchscreen Monitor a Winner in HighTechDad’s Home

My family always seems to get excited when a new piece of technology arrives…well, at least I do. My goal has always been to see how technology can be best integrated into the family lifestyle. And then I share the experience. When I received the LG 23ET83 touchscreen monitor a few weeks ago, at first [...]

Read the full article →

Staples Provides Tools for the Next Great American Novel

May 31, 2013
Thumbnail image for Staples Provides Tools for the Next Great American Novel

A few weeks ago, I was asked if I wanted to get some products from Staples to write about. Sure, I said, thinking it would be a box of paper or a crate of paper clips or an assortment of binders. Traditionally, when I thought about Staples, visions of boring office supplies came to mind. [...]

Read the full article →

It Can Wait – Texting Ends Lives – #ItCanWait Campaign (Sponsored)

May 29, 2013
Thumbnail image for It Can Wait – Texting Ends Lives – #ItCanWait Campaign (Sponsored)

Technology is a great tool when used properly. But as it becomes ever prevalent in our day-to-day lives, it can move from being simply useful to life-ending. With all of our connected gadgets, we are in constant communication via social networking, phone calls and texting. And now this is moving into our vehicles. As we [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries