“Review” collection
Discover rigorous, hands-on evaluations and real-world testing of the latest consumer electronics and household tools. These “Dad Approved” assessments provide factual, objective insights into device durability, performance, and value to help you make informed purchasing decisions.
October 15, 2009
A “Wall Plug” To Go – HyperMac External Battery Juices up your MacBooks
Batteries don't last long enough. While the technology is getting better, and they can pack more juice into smaller spaces, unfortunately, for most people like me, this is just still long enough. Macs are no different than PCs. Both run on batteries that use similar technology. Recently, with the MacBook Pro Unibody designs and MacBook Air, while Apple did increase…
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October 12, 2009
Music of the World Packed into a Small Device – the MYINE Ira Internet Radio
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing the Livio Radio which streams Internet music but also has the built-in functionality of Pandora. I was sad to see it go at the end of the review, but I was lucky to get my hands on another music streaming device (this time sans-Pandora) called the Ira Wi-Fi Internet Radio,…
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October 6, 2009
Beyond the “100 Faces of Fall” with the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX1 & A330 DSLR Cameras
So I'm now pretty deep into this Sony "DigiDads" program (see the Sony Electronics Community site for more details). My kids are already used to watching the big BRAVIA in my oldest daughter's room, I have been using the HD Camcorder for a few of my recent product reviews as well as filming some of my middle daughter's gymnastics meets,…
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September 30, 2009
The Portable HD Video Recorder Smackdown: Flip UltraHD vs Kodak Zi8
I came across a realization a few weeks ago. When doing a product review, it helps to supplement the writing with video. The problem was, I didn’t have a good way to capture high-quality video with any of the older devices I have. I had tried with a built-in iSight as well as an external one, an older Sony camcorder…
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September 28, 2009
The AT&T HomeManager Consolidates your Family’s Telephony & Internet Information in one Device
There is a niche out there between the techno-savvy and technophobes. It's a market where the members see the value in technology and gadgets but might not adopt it quickly or readily. They may have a computer or laptop but only use it periodically to pay bills, check news or weather or do email. If they have kids, their kids…
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September 22, 2009
I Got My iPhone “Branded” using Coveroo!
Last week I had a blast at TechCrunch 50, an annual conference where 50 technology companies are launched, presented, judged and potentially take home a huge pot of gold if they are selected as winners by the judges. My company, GoGrid, a Cloud hosting provider, had a booth there and I spent two full days there staffing the booth, talking…
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September 16, 2009
Storytelling in the Digital Age
Every family has a story teller. It's the person who can captivate an audience as they lead them down a path of words, memories and emotions. We do have to admit, some people are much better at doing this than others. I, for one, have an absolutely horrible memory. The only stories I tell are ones that I really know…
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September 10, 2009
Cut the Cords to your iPhone with Altec Lansing’s BackBeat 903 Bluetooth Stereo Headset
I must say, I had been waiting for the iPhone to support A2DP for a while. When it finally rolled out, I was excited but I didn't have a set of headphones with which to test it. I just hadn't made the plunge to buy a set. The promise of having stereo audio from my iPhone, all via a Bluetooth…
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September 2, 2009
IOGEAR KVM via USB: Troubles At First, Great in the End
About half a year ago, a PR firm sent me out what I thought would be a very good device to have in my tool chest. This was a device designed to facilitate connecting, viewing and sharing data and desktops between Windows PC all via a USB connection. The device, the IOGEAR "USB Laptop KVM Switch with File Transfer," (Product…
Read more →August 27, 2009
The Sony Connected Bedroom – My Kids Jump for Joy!
This is my first article from the Sony DigiDads Project that we kicked off last week. You can read more about it here. Our first mission (that I definitely decided to accept) was to do an article on a Sony "Connected Living Room Experience." Well, I ran into a problem right from the start. I already have a huge HDTV…
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August 24, 2009
If You Aren’t Using DropBox, You Are Really Dumb!
Honestly, DropBox has got to be one of the best services I have ever come across, and if you don’t have DropBox account by the end of this article, I will be shocked. DropBox’s service offering is incredibly straight forward and simple. It is a file sharing and back-up program and system that allows you to sync the personal files…
Read more →August 21, 2009
Open Pandora’s Box with The Livio Radio
Everyone loves Pandora right? How can you not. These are the guys giving you the Music Genome Project where they are mapping out music, one song at a time. Pandora is a fantastic way to get commercial-free music from a browser or application, all based on a single song, artist or genre. Simple create a station and start immediately enjoying…
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