“Family” collection
Navigate the intersection of family life and technology with expert advice on household gadgets, digital parenting, and home safety. This section focuses on tools and strategies that enhance family connections and simplify domestic logistics in a digital-first world.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →November 12, 2012
Get Your Game On with the PlayMG, an Android-based Gaming Device (#Giveaway Too!)
I would be surprised to find a kid that doesn't play games on some sort of an hand-held device. They are either borrowing their parents smartphones or tablets and playing game apps there, have their own smartphone or hand-held gaming device devoted purely to gaming, or using some sort of other gaming outlet like a gaming console or a computer.…
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October 30, 2012
Zombies, Bots and Trojans are Trick or Treating in your Computer!
Did you know that it is basically Halloween each and every day in your computer? That digital doorbell is ringing every time you visit a website, get an email or download an application. How is your computer greeting those Zombies, Bots and Trojans? Are you giving them treats and sending them on their way? Or are they preparing to trick…
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October 29, 2012
Want to Fold Some Crazy Paper Airplanes? Get Some Klutz Help!
I would like to call myself almost an expert at making paper airplanes. As a kid, I made hundreds of them, but they were always one of two types, either a glider or a stunt plane. When my kids were younger, I tried to teach them the art of folding the perfect plane. I had their attention for a few…
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October 25, 2012
Huffington Post Launches “Screen Sense” – A Site for Parenting & Tech
Yesterday, the Huffington Post launched a new property called "Screen Sense" which is a new resource designed to help parents understand and learn how to work with technology in their lives as well as their children's. As part of the launch event, I was invited to participate in discussing this exact topic on Huffington Post Live (a live video stream…
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October 5, 2012
Hands-on with the Nintendo Wii U
This past weekend, my kids and I were invited to a private event hosted by Nintendo to get some hands-on game play with the new Nintendo Wii U, due out on November 18, 2012. When the Nintendo Wii first came out, it was revolutionary. It got gamers out of their seats and active when playing games. You could create your…
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September 25, 2012
How to Be a Kid Again – An Adult’s Primer with Some Help from Klutz!
I will bet you that I can read your mind...even via a blog post. Quick, think of a country (English name only) that starts with the letter "D." Now take the last letter of that country and think of an animal that starts with that letter. Ok, now take the last letter of that animal, and think of a fruit…
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September 19, 2012
Why It’s Important to Teach your Kids How to Cook and Use Social Media
A recent post of mine which focused on an informal and potentially dangerous marriage between Instagram and Kik Messenger seems to have gotten quite a bit of attention lately. I'm always excited when I can share my ideas, opinions, insights and personal recommendations when it comes to educating kids about the evolution of social media of many legs. And what…
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September 14, 2012
7 Unique Ways my Kids Use the iPhone
The Apple iPhone is a necessity in our household, at least my kids tell me it is. It seems that the iPhone is practically grafted to the hands of my children as they walk around the house. I almost think that they are going to grow another appendage for them to simply carry it and use their other two hands…
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September 10, 2012
The Logitech Alert 700n Indoor Camera Gives You a Day or Night View into your Home or Business
I'm all about wiring my home up for security and peace of mind. Whether you are on vacation or just want to check in to see if your pets are on the furniture or your kids are doing their homework, it's simply convenient to be able to open the digital eyes of your home from wherever you are. A few…
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August 30, 2012
10 Tips on How to Avoid Losing your Digital Identity
Our society is made up of all types of information. And the amount of "stuff" that is known about us is growing as speeds never before seen. Think back 50 or 100 years. What identified a person? Their names, their ancestry, their address and their bank. Eventually phone numbers and a few other bits of personally identifiable information made it…
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August 1, 2012
A New Olympic Sport? The Orangutan Hang! – Cast of Dads Podcast #53
As the summer starts to wind down, the Cast of Dads convened via the phone waves again to record another laughter-fill and educational podcast, "Orangutan Hang and the Olympics." With just days to the start of the Summer Olympics 2012 in London, we believe we might have figured out another Olympic sport - the Orangutan Hang - but you will…
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July 28, 2012
Phishing for Your Olympic Spirit – Buyer Beware!
With the Olympics right around the corner, the last thing that you want to think about is security. Well, let me rephrase that, there is plenty of security at the Olympics itself and I'm one of many who sincerely hopes that the 2012 Olympics in London goes smoothly and safely. Go Team USA! But, if you are traveling or thinking…
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