iPod

A Theater in a Box – BenQ JoyBee GP2 Portable Projector for iPhones, iPods & other Devices

by Michael Sheehan on March 5, 2012

in Consumer Electronics, Gadgets, General, Hardware, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Mobile, Opinion, Review, Video

Post image for A Theater in a Box – BenQ JoyBee GP2 Portable Projector for iPhones, iPods & other Devices

I would hazard to say that most of us have big screen TVs in our home. Mine is pretty darn old actually, a 60″ DLP HDTV, that, while it has withstood lengthy hours of entertainment, could start to have issues any day. I have been considering when that day comes and what I will do. Part of me thinks I will race out and get the latest and greatest LED/LCD/Plasma/OLED/whatever, but another part of me is thinking that I will just get a big projection screen and then an HD projector and rework my living room complete.

Until that day comes though, I have been thinking about solutions for those sleepover nights for my kids where I don’t really want them and their friends out in the living room but I also want to give them a good (and easy) theater-like experience for them and their friends. This is where the new BenQ JoyBee GP2 comes in to play.

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The JoyBee GP2 is an ultra-portable mini projector that is not much larger than a Roku box or Apple TV. (Oh, and guess what, you can hook those two devices right up to it!). Before I dive into the details, here’s a video review to provide some visual context (literally):

[iframe_loader width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZcvVxzIfjKA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen]

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R.I.P. Steve Jobs – Your Inspiration Lives On

by Michael Sheehan on October 5, 2011

in Apple, General, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Opinion

Post image for R.I.P. Steve Jobs – Your Inspiration Lives On

When Steve Jobs spoke, people listened.

When he innovated, markets changed.

When he had an idea, it was perfect.

And now when he quietly leaves this world, we remember his incredible accomplishments as a leader, visionary and individual.

Steve-jobs-RIP

In 2005, Mr. Jobs addressed the graduating class at Stanford University. He knew that his time was limited, but this did not stop him from living and believing.

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.

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10 Things Steve Jobs Has Done for Parents

by Michael Sheehan on August 25, 2011

in Apple, Consumer Electronics, Family, Gadgets, General, Hardware, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Opinion, Parenting, Software, Tablet

With Steve Jobs announcing that he will be stepping down as CEO of Apple, I took some time to reflect on how Steve and Apple have impacted my life as a parent, specifically, a “High Tech Dad.” In my household, Apple products reign. Each of my children use Apple laptops or desktops, and each one has either an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod Nano or a combination. My wife and I have iPhones and iPads, my primary laptop is a MacBook Pro. And much of our living room entertainment is driven by an AppleTV.

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But I wanted to think about how Steve and his vision have positively impacted families around the globe. So I compiled a quick list of hardware and software which, under Steve’s watchful eye, have enriched my and other families everywhere. Sure, I’m an “Apple fan boy” but there are not many other companies or leaders who have had as much of an impact as Apple and Steve have had.

Here’s my list of 10 Things Steve Jobs has done for Parents:

  1. Brought great computing resources into Schools & Homes – http://education.apple.com/
  2. Introduced easy ways to manage music and movies for your family via iTunes – http://www.apple.com/itunes/
  3. Made home movie creation a snap with iMovie – http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/
  4. Connected families via video conferencing with FaceTime – http://www.apple.com/mac/facetime/
  5. Made home photo management better with facial recognition and geo-location with iPhoto – http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/
  6. Put music in your and your kids’ pockets with the iPod – http://www.apple.com/ipod/
  7. Created a safe walled garden for kids to play games and consume Internet content via the App Store – http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/
  8. Crafted a revolutionary smart phone that people ages 1 to 100 could understand and use easily – http://www.apple.com/iphone/
  9. Introduced a tablet designed for all members of the family – http://www.apple.com/ipad/
  10. Brought out the creativity in us all and inspired us to “Think Different“

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‘Twas the Night Before Mother’s Day – A Poem

by Michael Sheehan on May 4, 2011

in Apple, Family, General, Humor, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Parenting, Video

Post image for ‘Twas the Night Before Mother’s Day – A Poem

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and me, being a HighTechDad, wanted to celebrate it in my own techie way. Obviously, I’m a big fan of Apple and the products that they have produced. So I thought that I would write a little twist on “Twas the Night Before Christmas” with a bit of an Apple and Mother’s Day spin!

HTD_momsday_eve_poem

Before I jump to the written words, below you can see my (feeble) attempt to read it on video. Don’t worry, I’m not going to quit my day job and read poetry for a living!

Here’s the poem for your reading pleasure:

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How To Fix “The Required File Cannot Be Found” Error When Syncing an iPhone or iPod Touch

April 22, 2011
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Every since I had to restore my iPhone 4 from a backup, I have been having a pesky error message popping up each and every time I would sync my iPhone with iTunes on my Mac. It cryptically said “The iPhone [insert your iPhone name here] cannot be synced. The required file cannot be found.” [...]

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Hey Parents, Some Kids’ TV Shows are On Sale in iTunes for the Next Two Weeks!

April 1, 2011

With the weather (hopefully) changing for the better (at least out where I live), being good parents, we are pretty much required to get our kids OUT of the house and playing outside. That means, un-plugging from the computer/game console/TV/electronic gadget. But who am I to talk, I’m always plugged in pretty much everywhere I [...]

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Apple TV – Uniting Ideas, Technology, Media and Gadgets

November 9, 2010

I think that I understand Steve Jobs’ vision of a unified multimedia experience. Apple has been steadily forging ahead creating devices and operating systems that interconnect and work to create a rich, interactive environments. The Apple TV 2 is no different, making the big screen TV the convergence of many connected devices like computers running [...]

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Apple’s iTunes App Store Hits the “Terrible 2?s” – On to the “Thirsty 3?s”

July 10, 2010

Being a parent of 3 daughters, I well remember the “terrible two’s“. Well, another child that many people play with daily has hit that milestone, the iTunes App Store. As Apple blows out the candles, I thought it important to recognize this event, especially as we move towards the “thirsty three’s“. The iTunes App Store [...]

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