October 14, 2011

iOS 5 Tip: How to Launch the New Built-in Dictionary on the iPhone or iPad
I keep uncovering lots of little surprises in Apple's new iOS 5 software released this week for the iPhone & iPad. Yesterday, it was the activation of the camera button on the iPhone's lock screen. This one is just as useful and is extremely helpful. Included in the OS is now a full-fledged dictionary (that even looks like the dictionary…
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October 13, 2011

iOS 5 Tip: How To Activate the Camera Button on the Lock Screen on your iPhone
With iOS 5 for the iPhone launching yesterday, there are a flurry of new features that are coming to light. There has been plenty of coverage of these but I thought that I would pick a couple that are particularly cool or helpful and briefly discuss them. One of these is the camera button on the lock screen. Of all of…
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October 5, 2011

R.I.P. Steve Jobs – Your Inspiration Lives On
When Steve Jobs spoke, people listened. When he innovated, markets changed. When he had an idea, it was perfect. And now when he quietly leaves this world, we remember his incredible accomplishments as a leader, visionary and individual. In 2005, Mr. Jobs addressed the graduating class at Stanford University. He knew that his time was limited, but this did not…
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September 2, 2011

“Weird But True” iOS App Educates in a Fun Way
Who doesn't like National Geographic? They have been enriching our lives for over a hundred years with photos and quality content from around the globe. And they have brought this content to children of all ages as well. My daughters got copies of National Geographic Kids at school and have saved them in piles on their desks and bookcases. And…
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August 25, 2011

10 Things Steve Jobs Has Done for Parents
With Steve Jobs announcing that he will be stepping down as CEO of Apple, I took some time to reflect on how Steve and Apple have impacted my life as a parent, specifically, a "High Tech Dad." In my household, Apple products reign. Each of my children use Apple laptops or desktops, and each one has either an iPhone, iPod…
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June 9, 2011

How To Get the UDID/UUID of your iOS Device – Even In A Panic
Most iOS developers know that in order to "activate" your iOS device (e.g., iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) to use the latest beta of iOS 5, you need to have your UDID/UUID officially registered with Apple in their Development center. I learned this the hard way as I had not recorded it and had installed the iOS beta 1 and was…
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June 7, 2011

ClamCase Transforms Your iPad into a Netbook with iOS Benefits
I finally got my hands on a ClamCase. When it was first announced, long before there were all of the other hundreds of bluetooth keyboard cases for the iPad, the ClamCase design really intrigued me. Now I have spent a few hours testing it out and I finally have something to write about. Over the past year that I have…
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May 4, 2011

‘Twas the Night Before Mother’s Day – A Poem
Mother's Day is just around the corner, and me, being a HighTechDad, wanted to celebrate it in my own techie way. Obviously, I'm a big fan of Apple and the products that they have produced. So I thought that I would write a little twist on "Twas the Night Before Christmas" with a bit of an Apple and Mother's Day…
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May 2, 2011

10 Ways to Use FaceTime with the iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPod Touch or Mac That You Might Not Have Thought Of
If you have a Mac, or an iPhone or now an iPad 2, you probably have heard of FaceTime. This is Apple's foray into video conferencing but with a heavy consumer focus. FaceTime was first launched with the iPhone 4 and the iPod Touch, and then rolled out to the Mac as a beta. Then the Mac version made it…
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April 20, 2011

iMovie & the iPad 2 = Fun Afternoon Creativity With the Kids
What do you get when you put together 2 kids, a dad, some stuffed animals, an iPad 2, iMovie and a bunch of pent up creativity? Well, I found out this past weekend as my kids and I created an entire movie (albeit short) in just a few hours using only an iPad 2 and iMovie on it for the…
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April 1, 2011

Hey Parents, Some Kids’ TV Shows are On Sale in iTunes for the Next Two Weeks!
With the weather (hopefully) changing for the better (at least out where I live), being good parents, we are pretty much required to get our kids OUT of the house and playing outside. That means, un-plugging from the computer/game console/TV/electronic gadget. But who am I to talk, I'm always plugged in pretty much everywhere I go. So, don't be like…
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March 28, 2011

Angry Birds Always Makes Me Happy & I Can Make You Happy with an Angry Birds Rio GIVEAWAY
If you haven't heard of the Angry Birds mobile game by Rovio, then you probably don't have kids, don't have a cell phone, or simply don't really care about gaming in general. But if you have, then you know how addictive it is to play and how successful it has been as a multi-platform game. It is currently the #1…
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