“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 →January 11, 2011
Ford Truly Deserves to be at CES: Ford Sync AppLink & 2012 Ford Focus EV Pave the Way!
For many, many years, I never thought much of Ford . I had been unimpressed with their cars (with a few exceptions like the Mustang) and especially with their styling and technology. In the 80's and 90's, to me, Ford was "just another American car" which said a lot. All of the technology, style and innovation had been coming from…
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December 31, 2010
Happy New Years from Cast of Dads Podcast #38 – “Metal Donkeys & Pooping Penguins”
This is actually our second New Years show with the Cast of Dads. Last year, we were just starting out with the podcast...this year, we are on a roll and definitely looking forward to a successful 2011. We wanted to wish all of our followers and listeners a Happy and Prosperous New Years! As usual, we got a little wacky…
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December 23, 2010
The Cast of Dads Podcast is now a Feisty 1 Year Old!
Episode 37 was an important show for the Cast of Dads. It represented an anniversary, or perhaps more appropriately said, a birthday. As we are all dads in the podcast, parenting is a core component of our daily lives. A year ago, the five of us gave "birth" to the podcast and almost every week or so afterwards, we got…
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December 20, 2010
HighTechDad’s 2010 Gadget Roundup & Gift Guide
Better late than never I guess! Over the past year, I have tested out and reviewed a variety of gadgets and consumer electronic devices. Most of these were hand-picked for review purposes in that they are devices that, to me, looked really interesting and intriguing. Given that there are only a few days left for shopping, I realize that this…
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December 10, 2010
Do Pop Rocks and 25 Year Olds Mix? Find out on Cast of Dads Podcast #36
It seems that we always manage to circle back to a common theme in our podcasts, that of drinks and festivities. But that is not all that makes up a Dad. We have insights and opinions on just about everything, and much of it actually makes a lot of sense! In Episode 36 of Cast of Dads, "Pop Rocks and…
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December 3, 2010
Reversible FreakyPets Give Your Kids a Toy with “Split Personalities” & a 3D Online World
A stuffed animal frequently inspires creativity and imagination within children. Entire worlds can be unleashed with just a simple plush toy and a child's brain. All too frequently, toys are manufactured with a "story line" already built in as is seen in "features" that are baked into the toy, leaving little room for your kids to explore their own creativity.…
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December 2, 2010
Isotoner Donating smarTouch Gloves to Charity via Twitter #giftoftouch
I wrote a review of the Isotoner smarTouch Gloves last month...definitely a great product. Today I learned about a pretty cool charity program that Isotoner is doing via Twitter that I thought, in the spirit of holiday giving, should be shared. I also just learned that the donation window has been extended through the holidays. The info below explains what…
Read more →November 22, 2010
“For the Love of Thighs and Breasts” – Cast of Dads Podcast #35
Well, the last episode had some gremlins doing a number with CC's voice. And there is actually now a "missing episode" of Cast of Dads that never even made it to production…the same gremlins were at play. But we recorded Episode #35 "For the Love of Thighs and Breasts" just in time for Thanksgiving. So first of all, Happy Thanksgiving…
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October 29, 2010
Lice, Facial & Chest Hair, Rockets and Halloween – Cast of Dads Episode #34
So I guess that CC Chapman finally hit puberty on this episode of Cast of Dads. We are not exactly sure what happened, whether it was the Skype "bugs" at work, the fact that Halloween is just around the corner or if CC just has an alter ego that came out when we recorded Episode #34 "Itchy Scratchy Hasselhoff", but…
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October 27, 2010
The Next Generation of Home Alarm Systems – Alarm.com & APX Alarms
When you first move into a house, one thing that you should first consider is a home alarm system. Often, various companies will have special deals for new homeowners and you should definitely consider having one installed if you have the opportunity. Typically, the "special" you will get is for a base system and then some additional monitoring points like…
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October 21, 2010
How Car Window Tinting Is Done – A Great After-Market Upgrade
Getting a new car is always fun. I personally love that new car smell that comes with your purchase. And making your car more "yours" is always important. Many people will cover their cars with bumper stickers or other types of customization. Some are purely aesthetic while others not only look good but also provide an additional function like safety…
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October 20, 2010
Ok, I Bought A New Car, Now What? But First, A Little More About The Buying Process
A few weeks ago our 2001 Honda Odyssey died. The transmission on our 10 year old family shuttle that had "only" 130,000 miles conked out, for the second time. It had served us really well until the last year or so, and then it had developed an expensive habit of relentlessly having to visit the repair shop every few months.…
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