“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 →October 18, 2010
An Interview with Ford: Understanding Safety Advances in Ford Vehicles & the Ford Focus 2012
Recently, I have been very focused on the car industry lately as I have been shopping for a new car. One of the primary items that made me want to consider a new (or newer) car as opposed to and older model is the advancement of safety features that many manufacturers have made. While many car brands have worked hard…
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October 11, 2010
Cougars, Cars, Dirty Diapers, Fighting & Shooting Pool with a Rope – Cast of Dads Podcast #33
You gotta love unscripted recordings. And how we are all at the beck & call of technology. During our live podcast, Skype decided to act like a misbehaving child and refused to let us talk. But we worked through this and just kept going with a fairly "loaded" series of topics. The result is Cast of Dads Podcast #33 "State…
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October 4, 2010
“Safety, Security and Splash?” – Hot Topics from Cast of Dads Podcast #32
We are definitely back into the swing of things with the latest episode of the Cast of Dads Podcast. And personally, I believe that the topics we covered in Episode #32 should be one that is of interest to parents across the country. Note: we are always looking for sponsors! If you would like to sponsor an individual episode or…
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September 29, 2010
Buying A New Car? Here’s My Shopping Strategy with my own Dealer Incentive!
This past weekend, the transmission of my 2001 Honda Odyssey died. The car has over 130,000 miles on it and has done a fairly good job raising our family. It sort of reminds me of the latest "Modern Family" episode (see "The Old Wagon") where they just can't seem to part with the old family "junker", at least until it…
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September 22, 2010
What Does “Silent But Deadly” Refer to in the Latest “Cast of Dads” Podcast #31?
We are still trying to get back into the regular scheduling of our "Cast of Dads" podcast. It's definitely hard to schedule 5 busy dads who are juggling family and work and play times (what's that?). But we did have our weekly virtual convention over the phone and managed to bang out another great episode titled "Silent But Deadly". Note:…
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September 20, 2010
Book Tour & Giveaway: The Klutz Book of Animation – Stop Motion Video Made Easy
Have you ever wondered about how Wallis and Grommit or Mr. Bill and Gumby or Davey and Goliath or Christmas shows like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer were made? Well it's a pretty simple but incredibly painstaking process called stop motion animation. It is sometimes known as claymation if the objects are made out of clay. Regardless, the premise is simple.…
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September 17, 2010
Hey Brands & PR Agencies – Dads are Different than Moms!
When I started blogging about 5 years ago, I had no idea what direction it would take me, nor what type of success or lack there of it would have. I must admit, I'm pleasantly surprised at the result thus far. But it wasn't easy. Having a full time job and having a full time family are two things that…
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September 3, 2010
Vacations, Teddy Bears, Breathalyzers and Pictographs – “Back From Vacation” Cast of Dads Podcast #30
We took a week or so off to enjoy time with our families and get ready for the start of the school year. But once we all got back on the phone this week, we definitely had a LOT to talk about in our latest Cast of Dads podcast #30, "Back From Vacation". Note: we are always looking for sponsors!…
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August 30, 2010
The BACtrack S75 Pro Pocket Breathalyzer – Don’t Leave Home Without One!
About a month ago, I did something pretty dumb. I had too much to drink at a neighbors house and on the way (WALKING) home at 2am, I tripped and fell in my driveway, landing on my forehead, which resulted in 18 stitches and a wonderful scar that I will use to for "crazy drinking" stories and kid lectures for…
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August 27, 2010
More Funny Car Videos: “Mom My Ride” & the “Swagger Wagon”
On Wednesday, I posted a couple of funny advertisements coming out from Nissan. It turns out, obviously, they aren't the first to do this. A co-worker, and mom, pointed me to a couple of other really funny videos that are specifically focused on "the family mini van." These two particularly hit "home" with me as we have a mini van…
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August 25, 2010
Funny New Ads Coming from Nissan – Dads, Kids and the Nissan Maxima & Altima
I don't normally post articles about advertising campaigns but this new campaign coming out from Nissan got my attention for a few reasons, but mainly because they are "family oriented" and funny. The first of these ads depicts a couple who just found out that they are going to have a child. The (typical?) dad's brain starts racing as his…
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August 24, 2010
DropCam is the Ultimate, Easy To Set Up, Security Webcam, Digital Baby Sitter & NannyCam
I have played around with a couple of IP-based Wireless Webcams (from Linksys and Panasonic), and while I'm pretty good usually at figuring out how to configure and work devices, IP webcam configurations are still a bit too complicated for the general public, in my opinion. For the most part, they are difficult to set up and harder to stream…
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