“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
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November 17, 2011
Giveaway and Review: Modernizing Monopoly with Electronic Banking
Show me a family who hasn't played Monopoly before and I will let you see the dinosaur I keep in my back yard. I would hazard to guess that pretty much any family has, at one point of time or another, played Monopoly. It's a rite of passage and part of growing up. You have to go through the pains…
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November 15, 2011
Getting Scruffy for Movember – “Real Men Will Grow a Mo” – Cast of Dads Podcast #46
We are halfway through November, I mean "Movember," and I've got this itchy feeling on my face, as do a few of the other dads on Cast of Dads. Why? Because we are donating our liplines and faces to the Movember effort. You can see my post about it here. While I definitely am not quite sporting the crazy mustaches…
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November 1, 2011
Growing a Mustache in November for #Movember (Or in my case – Facial Hair) – Men’s Cancer Awareness
Facial hair has not really been my big thing. I have sported a goatee a while back and even a "soul patch" but I always ended up shaving it off to the cheers of my wife, parents and even my kids. But for the month of November, I'm getting scruffy again but this time for a cause – to raise…
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October 25, 2011
How Ford is Saving Teenage Lives, One Person at a Time – “Driving Skills for Life”
I'm scared. In 1 year, I will have a teenager. In 4 years, I will have a teenage driver. And I have two more daughters after that. Just writing the past few sentences has given me a few more grey hairs. While automobile safety has improved dramatically over the past few years, so have distractions. It's a leapfrog race to…
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October 6, 2011
Getting Saucy on Cast of Dads Episode #45 “Dads CAN Cook Even When Sauced”
We had quite a few topics stewing to be discussed on Cast of Dads Episode #45 "Dads CAN Cook Even When Sauced". For starters, we had a conversation about a social media campaign that tried to use modern day social media tactics but using a very old and outdated stereotype, that of Dads not being able to cook and having…
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September 26, 2011
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,…
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September 23, 2011
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…
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September 19, 2011
“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…
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September 14, 2011
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. I read that some sponges…
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September 2, 2011
“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 their desks and bookcases. And…
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August 25, 2011
10 Things Steve Jobs Has Done for Parents
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…
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August 17, 2011
“ESV” Really Stands for “Entertainment System Vehicle” – 2011 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Edition
There seems to be some confusion about what the ESV means in the name Cadillac Escalade ESV. Some people on the Cadillac forums have said "Escalade Stretch Vehicle" or "Extended Service Vehicle." I actually think that it means "Entertainment System Vehicle" or at least that is what I would call the 2011 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Edition. My family and…
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