“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 →March 20, 2015
NETGEAR Arlo Security Camera – Look Ma, No Wires and It’s Super Easy to Install
Review of the NETGEAR Arlo video security system, an easy-to-setup, no-wires, HD camera security system for your home or business.
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March 10, 2015
“Reading” – What You Need to Know about Reading by my 11-Year-Old
My 11-year-old daughter recently wrote an essay on Reading. She has posted it to her blog: Words by Sally - www.wordsbysally.com
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January 22, 2015
Blogger Warning: LLT Consulting Banner Ad Scam
I receive a lot of advertising and guest blogger solicitations on my site. To set the record straight, I don’t currently allow guest blogging and the advertisers I choose must be reputable, well-known, and/or part of a network. This morning I received an email via my contact form from a “Josephine Bergson” from "the LLT Consulting company” who said they…
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December 24, 2014
Kids on Cell Phones Too Much? “Lock” Them in a Book #LifeHack
As like many other parents out there, my wife and I constantly battle with our kids about their cell phones and when it is ok to use them. If left to roam freely, I’m sure our kids would be glued to the tiny glowing screens 24/7 with bits of their mushy brain running out of their ear as they turned…
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September 27, 2014
Parents Guide to Social Media Apps Used by Kids
I was recently asked by a reader of my site (Denise) if I could put together a chart that lists out some of the main social media sites used by tweens and teens and if I could provide some commentary on how they are dangerous (or not) for kids - essentially, a Parents Guide to Social Media apps used by…
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September 11, 2014
How to Turn Off Facebook’s Auto-Play Videos & Save Data
If you are anything like me, you watch your cell phone's data consumption very closely. And given that I have 4 other people on my family shared plan (3 of them being teens & almost a teen), there are some apps that simply gulp down data. Tweens and teens absolutely LOVE image and video apps (think Instagram, Vine, SnapChat and…
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August 28, 2014
HighTechDad Does the ALS “Ice” Bucket Challenge – #IceBucketChallenge
The ALS #IceBucketChallenge has been spreading like wildfire across the Internet and honestly, I think it is brilliant. Supposedly, it wasn’t even a campaign thought up by the ALS Association which is a non-profit organization working to fight Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Regardless, the #IceBucketChallenge has done wonders to raise awareness of the disease…
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June 30, 2014
Has the Magic Kingdom lost its Magic?
My family and I headed down to Disneyland a few weeks ago. It was to reward my kids for a successful year at school and a way for all of us as a family to do something together before we splintered off in different directions during the summer and even the coming years. So, I figured it would be good…
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June 24, 2014
15 Things Families Can Like about the 2015 GMC Yukon Denali
I decided to take a slightly different approach to this automotive review. For a week (which included a road trip down to LA to Disneyland), my family and I experienced the 2015 GMC Yukon Denali. We compiled our thoughts and came up with a list of about 15 features of the Yukon that we particularly enjoyed. For our trip, we…
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June 23, 2014
A Quick Neighborhood Adventure Video – “Helping Echo” #EarthToEcho
I remember when I was a kid, we used to go outside and have adventures. Sometimes these adventures were simple, but many times they had complex plots and ran well into the night. We were not tethered to our homes in any way other than how far our parents’ voices could carry. Often, we simply gave a time when we…
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May 20, 2014
Less “Stranger Danger” – Kik Messenger Updates App Over Privacy Concerns
Back in mid-2012, I wrote an article about the "dangerous" combination of Kik Messenger and Instagram. The article turned out to be quite popular (and controversial) in a few ways. Parents didn't know about Kik nor how the "Kik me at" functionality was working with Instagram. Over 2 years later, Kik Messenger has taken a new approach to privacy and…
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April 9, 2014
Your Young Scientist Could Win $25,000 from Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge
If your middle-schooler has an aptitude for science, you might want to consider having them enter the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Not only do they get the opportunity to dive deeper into scientific concepts that they may be interested in, they also have a chance of winning the $25,000 grand prize and claim the title of "America's Top…
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