“General” collection
Access a diverse collection of miscellaneous technology reviews, specialized DIY tool assessments, and unique lifestyle articles. From niche electrical equipment to general digital organization tips, this section covers the broad spectrum of a tech-focused life.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →November 12, 2010
There’s a Glove for That! Gloves that Work with Touchscreens – Isotoner smarTouch Gloves
As the seasons change and the Fall and Winter outfits come out to combat the cold and other elements, your touchscreen devices start to get some neglect, but only when you are outside. There is a reason for that. You either have to remove your gloves to use your cell phone or tablet and freeze your fingers off, or...well, there…
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November 11, 2010
Introducing the HighTechDad Product Review Rating System
I have been doing product reviews for several years now and have gotten some pretty good response to the reviews. However as I spoke with people and as I cranked out more and more reviews, I realized that I needed to "take the next step" with my review process. I have seen many sites that have some sort of rating…
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November 10, 2010
Zap Those Nasty Germs from your Cell Phone with the Violight UV Cell Phone Sanitizer
If you are a germaphobe, you probably wipe down your cell phone many times a day with some sort of sanitizing wipe. If you aren't doing that, your cell phone or MP3 player is probably covered with lots of wonderful, potentially infectious germs. Having 3 kids in school, germs are pervasive on all types of surfaces around our house. When…
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November 9, 2010
Apple TV – Uniting Ideas, Technology, Media and Gadgets
I think that I understand Steve Jobs' vision of a unified multimedia experience. Apple has been steadily forging ahead creating devices and operating systems that interconnect and work to create a rich, interactive environments. The Apple TV 2 is no different, making the big screen TV the convergence of many connected devices like computers running iTunes, the iPhone, the iPod…
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November 8, 2010
A Convergence of Offices – Office for Mac 2011 & Office 2010 for Windows
I must admit, I’ve been pretty lucky when it comes to getting early access to the latest versions of Microsoft Office. Earlier this year, I participated in a program set up by Microsoft called “Office 2010 Real Life Stories”. Leveraging the success of that program, I was able to get involved in the tail-end of the Office for Mac 2011…
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November 4, 2010
A Tradeshow or On-The-Go Savior – Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4 Battery Case
I am writing this review on day three of an expo. One of the biggest issues with going to any type of a trade show or traveling or simply being active on your iPhone is that of not having access to a power supply. As I write this, I'm sitting in the back of a darkened room, with my chair…
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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 25, 2010
Get Beyond those Home Video Style Webcams & Move to HD with the Microsoft LifeCam HD Cinema
Let's face it, when you buy a laptop, you don't usually think about the built-in webcam. But if you look at many of the laptops out there, you will see that the built-in webcams are dramatically underpowered and are pretty much like using a really old camcorder to do video calls or webcam-related actions. Many netbooks, for example, come with…
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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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October 19, 2010
Calculating Speeds of Objects On The Go with Pocket Radar
A few months ago I received a really cool and pretty useful gadget. About the size of a cell phone or a compact camera, the Pocket Radar is a nice gadget to throw in your bag, especially if your kids are in sports, or learning about physics. The Pocket Radar allows you to quickly and easily determine the speed of…
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