“Articles” collection
Access a diverse collection of expert-led technology reviews, step-by-step tutorials, and insightful commentary on the intersection of modern tech and family life. This hub serves as the primary source for hands-on evaluations and practical advice designed to help you navigate the digital world with confidence.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →January 18, 2010
Reviewing the Nokia N900 – a Smartphone with Lots of Potential
For the past several weeks, I have been doing some on and off testing of the Nokia N900, a smart phone running on Nokia's proprietary operating system, the Maemo 5. I personally have never been a Nokia follower and as I think back, the only Nokia device that I have owned was an old PacBell PCS cellphone from many years…
Read more →
January 11, 2010
How to Remove an Old Microwave & Install a New Panasonic Microwave (Model: NN-SD277WR)
Most people don't think of a microwave as a gadget, but I guess if it plugs in, has buttons and a display, it excites me a bit. But before I go in a major analysis of popcorn pop timing (or burning), I wanted rewind back. Here's the story. I had a microwave that was on its last legs, the outer…
Read more →
January 6, 2010
A USB Mic with a Great Name and even Better Functionality – the BlueMic Snowflake
Recently, I have tried to move my content beyond just the typed word (although it is my de facto method of doing a review). I have expanded to include videos using a variety of video capture devices (e.g., HD camcorders & screencasting software). Also recently, some other “daddy bloggers” and I have started a regular podcast (see CastofDads.com for the…
Read more →
January 4, 2010
Can You Do A Backup Without Touching a Button? ClickFree Can!
Backup solutions abound. Most external hard drives you buy bundle some kind of backup software with them and most of that software works pretty well. But, you have to remember to set up a backup schedule and ensure that you follow that schedule. There are also online backup solutions that you can use like Mozy or Carbonite or iDrive. I…
Read more →
January 4, 2010
Fix Mail.app Search Issues and Speed Up Apple Mail with This Simple Script
Today I was trying to find an email in my Apple Mail and went to my usual trustworthy internal mail search function only to find that the "Entire Message" field was grayed out for all of my accounts. Granted, I use a mixture of POP3 and IMAP account and my main IMAP account has about 8400 messages in my inbox…
Read more →
December 30, 2009
Cast of Dads: Podcast #4 – “Making It To Midnight”
Well, the other Cast of Dads members and I just couldn't end the year without doing ONE more podcast. Episode #4 is appropriately titled "Making It To Midnight" and if you listen to it, you will see how aptly named it is as well as what is on our minds right now! The topics of Episode #4 seemed to have…
Read more →
December 29, 2009
Announcing the New HighTechDad iPhone Application
A few weeks ago, a friend pointed out a new site to me called MotherApp. They claimed to take the pain and time lag out of creating applications for mobile devices. The MotherApp site lists three different services that they provide: Client Services - where they claim to be able to develop custom applications in as little as 9 weeks…
Read more →
December 23, 2009
Buzz! Quiz World for PS3 Gets Your Brain Buzzing with Trivia
When my wife and I first met, there was a computer game that we played with our friends called "You Don't Know Jack" (YDKJ) which has got to be one of the most fun games I have ever played. Ok, I admit it, I played it a lot more than she did. I spent hours in front of a computer…
Read more →
December 21, 2009
WARNING: WP-Polls WordPress Poll Plugin Can Be Exploited
Last week, I ran a giveaway which, because of a variety of reasons, I had to cancel and declare "null & void". While I won't go into the details, I did want to bring some actions to the forefront, especially if you are using the WordPress plugin called "WP-Polls" which is a great plugin that provides users with the ability…
Read more →
December 13, 2009
Mini Review: Keep Your Gadgets Charged in your Car with iLuv USB Car Chargers
Since everyone nowadays seems to have a USB powered device like an iPhone or Blackberry or Droid or iPod, being away from an accessible source of power is a big pain in the butt. As many of us spend time in our cars, it’s only natural to have some way to easily charge your devices there. Many new cars already…
Read more →
December 13, 2009
Mini Review: iSkin Cell Phone Cases – Soft Skin Protection AND Antimicrobial!
There are a bazillion cell phone cases on the market (yes that is a real word, bazillion, my spell checker seemed to allow it). Cases are such a subjective type of thing, it is hard to say one is much better than another. What may be great for one person is not for another. I have a bunch of cases…
Read more →
December 13, 2009
Mini Review: Homedics Restore Clean Water System Filters AND Purifies Your Water
When I was approached to review the Homedics Restore Clean Water System, I wasn’t really sure if it would be techy or geeky enough for me to review it. After all, it is just a water filter, right? The only thing that made me want to dig a bit more into it was the fact that it actually has a…
Read more →
