September 2011

Post image for Waging War on Pollen, Dust, Bacteria, Mold, Germs & More with the Honeywell Air Purifier HHT-145

Sneezing, coughing and runny noses as night. Itchy eyes with tears being squeezed out. My daughters have had allergies all spring and summer and it was particularly worse this year because of the longer rainy season and the larger amounts of pollen in the air. So I brought some big air defense weaponry in to battle these tiny, annoying irritants, the Honeywell Air Purifier HHT-145.

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This Purifier packs some major defenses against all of those items that can irritate the sinuses. There are 3 levels of protections in the Honeywell purifier:

  1. Ultraviolet Power – this is the best way to take out viruses, bacteria, fungi, mold spores and germs.
  2. HEPA filters – using a HEPA filter, you can effectively remove up to 99% of airborne particles including dust, pet dander, smoke and pollen.
  3. Odor filters – as the filters work, odor particles are removed as well, controlling pet, cooking and other smells.

Homes are places that are pretty laden with allergens and irritants and other pollutants, believe it or not, even more than you experience outside. Just think about all of the dust that you see coating things around the house. And one big thing that is full of dust (and even dust mites) are stuffed animals. We have enough stuffed animals in our house to open our own store and all too frequently they get shoved under the bed or in a corner somewhere just to collect more dust.

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Post image for A Tablet for Babies? The VINCI Tablet Gives Toddlers a Jump Start on Touchscreens

A few weeks ago I received a pre-production version of a new tablet targeted toward children ages 2-4 or so called the “VINCI Tab“. I had been dying to review an Android-based tablet, but the VINCI threw me for an unexpected curve. It really is not what you might expect. While it is technically a tablet, it is really a crippled one. But it is crippled for an important reason and that is something that I didn’t immediately get.

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Typically when I get a product, I just jump right into it without reading instructions, or if I do, I try to keep that at a minimum. My goal is to see how well a product “works” without having to read a manuscript on “how” it is supposed to work. For me, the usability factor, coupled with understandability, is core to a products success. Initially, the VINCI for me failed this. But there is actually a reason why and it makes sense.

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I’m pretty spoiled by using an iPad as my primary tablet so getting to poke around the Android-based VINCI was definitely a bit of fun. However, one of the first things that I did when I turned it on, was to explore the OS a bit. The screen showed some bars for signal strength, but yet when I tried to activate the wifi, I received an error. Obviously, I was not one of the people who had actually read up about how and why the VINCI was designed.

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Post image for The Schizophrenia that is Netflix…er…Qwikster…uh…Netster…QwikFlix?

I have been a Netflix user for many many years. My account says 2007 but I actually started my service before that time, stopped and then restarted it. My family finds Netflix to be indispensable and we use both services, streaming and physical DVDs regularly. Every TV in our house has access to Netflix, in fact, we did some “cord cutting” with my children to only allow them to stream content (I love that they no longer see ads). Our Friday family TV nights typically consist of looking on Netflix for content to watch, whether it be a movie or a TV show or a documentary. It’s good stuff.

But now, Netflix is getting confusing and they seem to be doing their best at annoying their user base. And I don’t see this getting any better in the future. Recently, the things that are particularly messing with Netflix users’ minds including mine are the price change and the lack of content on both streaming and DVDs. To make matters worse, their communication policies have confused users and despite the “We’re sorry” games that they are playing now, the matter is only being made worse by the announcement that the DVD service is being sliced off into a new company with a new CEO – Qwikster.com.

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One of the great things about Netflix WAS (emphasis) the ability to have a consolidated way to get movie and TV content either via streaming or DVD. Now, as the two services are splintered off, it’s really unclear as to how much of a synergy there will be. You now will have 2 sites that you go to in order to maintain your movie queues. You will have two line items on your bill for each of the services. The companies have 2 CEOs with potentially different agendas. On the business side, there are now 2 types of contracts that need to be negotiated for content.

Netflix seems to be losing the momentum that it had in the past years. While it effectively drove Blockbuster out of business (although with DISH Networks acquisition of the Blockbuster streaming service there is possibly new competition), but mushrooms have sprouted up all over in the meantime. Let’s not forget about the powerhouses of Apple and Amazon. Their services are truly consolidated and they can leverage their power as being single entities in their negotiations regarding content media contracts. Also, there is the peripheral competition of individual media properties who are making their content available directly (think broadcasters: ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, HBO, etc.). And let’s not forget about Hulu Plus, I don’t think they are out of the game yet. Oh, and of course, there is RedBox that does DVD and Video Games. There is lots of competition now so is it really smart for Netflix to be confusing end users and investors at this time?

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Post image for “Mother Nature is in a Bad Mood” – Cast of Dads Episode #44

Ok, school has started for most of us and I realize that we have some homework to do. That is, the Cast of Dads do since we seem to be sputtering along trying to get back into a regular recording groove. “The dog ate my homework” isn’t going to work for us. Maybe, “we just had an earthquake” or “we are preparing for a hurricane” does work though. In Episode 44 of the Cast of Dads, “Mother Nature is in a Bad Mood,” we talked about how when Mother Nature decides to get upset, we all suffer.

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I think that there is a reason why they don’t call it Father Nature, and no offense to the mothers out there but, when dads get in bad moods, we normally don’t go on a rampage. And on the flip side, moms typically have a much more nurturing side to them, and bring life into existence. Dads are pretty much just there to help.

Speaking of dads, I was able to finally meet another member of the Cast of Dads, Max Kalehoff, when I was out in New York this summer. Personally I just love the carefully placement of the “and” in the photo!

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There’s an Ocean of Knowledge Out There, Be a Sponge!

September 14, 2011
Thumbnail image for There’s an Ocean of Knowledge Out There, Be a Sponge!

What is filled with holes but still holds water? Yes, you got it, a sponge. Sponges are pretty amazing creatures. They live and grow in the water, and when they are dead, they can be used to carry water. People once thought that they were plants, we now know that they are basically simple animals. [...]

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Moshi’s USB to Ethernet Adapter Makes the MacBook Air Even More Perfect

September 12, 2011
Thumbnail image for Moshi’s USB to Ethernet Adapter Makes the MacBook Air Even More Perfect

As I write this post on my Apple MacBook Air, I really struggle to think of things that would make it better. It’s pretty much a near-perfect laptop in my opinion. It’s lightweight, fast and has a good battery-life. It’s a bit pricey but it seems to be holding its own pretty well within this [...]

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“Weird But True” iOS App Educates in a Fun Way

September 2, 2011
Thumbnail image for “Weird But True” iOS App Educates in a Fun Way

Who doesn’t like National Geographic? They have been enriching our lives for over a hundred years with photos and quality content from around the globe. And they have brought this content to children of all ages as well. My daughters got copies of National Geographic Kids at school and have saved them in piles on [...]

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A Day at the Races with Cadillac – Driving the CTS-V Wagon Around the Infineon Raceway

September 1, 2011
Thumbnail image for A Day at the Races with Cadillac – Driving the CTS-V Wagon Around the Infineon Raceway

I have been to two auto races in my life, one down in Long Beach (for the Long Beach Grand Prix) and this past weekend one at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA (for the Sonoma Grand Prix). And with each race, I have been really lucky. Down in Long Beach, the buddy who took me [...]

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