“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, 2013
“OnStar? I’d Like to Get a Tour of Detroit!” #ConnectedByOnStar Event
Now I get it. Now I understand why so many people choose GM vehicles like Buick. It's because these vehicles come equipped with OnStar. OnStar is like having your own personal, 24x7 co-pilot and concierge on-call. For the past couple of days, I have been not only immersed within all things OnStar and Buick, but also was able to experience…
Read more →
October 14, 2013
Watch Out SnapChat Users! SnapHack App Can Now View & Save Photos & Videos Forever
SnapChat has always, in my opinion, been a controversial app. It has a very simple model, you can take pictures and photos and send them to friends and these multimedia files only are visible for a few seconds. Once the time passes, the videos or photos can no longer been seen. Teens and tweens view this app as a lot…
Read more →
October 4, 2013
Is K-12 the Appropriate Place to Teach Children about Copyright Infringement? Huffington Post Live Interview
I remember back in the 1980's (ok I'm dating myself) when my friends and I used to make mix-tapes and music compilations and shared them amongst ourselves. It was a multi-hour process and we poured our creativity and thoughts into making the perfect tape. There was no thought in our minds about whether what we were doing was "legal" or…
Read more →
October 4, 2013
Weighing in on the Withings Smart Body Analyzer WS-50
Recent advances in personal technology are allowing individuals and families to get better analysis of their health progress or lack there of. From wearable devices that track your movement to applications that help you set exercise goals, our society now has consumer tools that remove some of the mystery surrounding personal health. Withings is a company that has been leading…
Read more →
September 19, 2013
Will You Pledge to Not Text and Drive? Do It Now! #ItCanWait
For the past couple of months, I have been writing and talking about the national campaign where you pledge to not text and drive. It's called It Can Wait (the hashtag is #ItCanWait). There is a website that you can go to to take this pledge of not texting and driving - just head over to www.ItCanWait.com and you can…
Read more →
September 5, 2013
Still Texting and Driving? This #ItCanWait Documentary Will Change Your Mind
We all know that we shouldn't text and drive, but yet even I feel sometimes compelled to glance at my phone. I don't respond to texts unless I'm fully stopped, but even that is against the law in many places. That second that you remove your eyes from the road, you become distracted, and the vehicle you are driving is…
Read more →
August 28, 2013
What is a Technology Evangelist?
I often get asked by friends, family, acquaintances and recently, companies that I’m interviewing with – what is a Technology Evangelist? While many within the technology space understand the position, it is still relatively unknown within the job marketplace. In fact, when I first started the position almost 6 years ago, it was definitely one of those niche jobs. Fast…
Read more →
August 22, 2013
The Back-To-School Hard Drive Questions: Use for Backups or Media? Size vs. Size?
Schools are booting up in the coming weeks and students are also Ctrl-Alt-Deleting their brains to get ready to upload GBs of essential data into their minds to help them maintain their upgradability down the line. As part of the back-to-school process, parents often need to think about the tech that they will provide their kids. This is particularly important…
Read more →
July 31, 2013
CrashPlan Online Backups Keep Your Digital Life #WorryFree!
Are you backing up your computer? How often do you do it? Do you do it manually or automatically? Have you ever thought about the possibility of hitting the power button on your computer and suddenly it not starting up? What would you do if that happened? What if you couldn't access all of your home movies or photos, or…
Read more →
July 11, 2013
Texting and Driving Simulator – A Scary Game to Try! #ItCanWait
We all know or have been told that texting and driving is dangerous. But yet, for some reason, many of us still do it. For those of you learning to drive or who are not yet of driving age, now is the time to learn why you shouldn't text and drive. And if you are a passenger, be sure to…
Read more →
July 2, 2013
“It Can Wait” – A Public Service Announcement Video from HighTechDad & Daughter
Last month, I announced my participation in the "It Can Wait" campaign designed to promote awareness at how dangerous it is to text and drive. I honestly don't understand why people feel the need to become even more distracted as they drive. So, to highlight the dangers of texting (and driving), I decided to enlist the help of my youngest…
Read more →
June 5, 2013
Parents Be Warned! Ask.fm is a Dangerous & Deadly Social Site for Teens & Tweens
Back in 2012, I wrote about some potential dangers surrounding the Instagram and Kik Messenger combination. By now, hopefully many parents know what to look for and how to combat this social danger. Recently, I started to investigate a new social danger for kids, specifically Ask.fm which actually has a few documented teen suicides attributed to the service. Interestingly, it…
Read more →
