“Application” collection
Optimize your digital experience with in-depth evaluations of the latest software and mobile applications. From productivity suites to family organization tools, these reviews focus on functional utility and user experience across various digital platforms.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →November 24, 2014
How to Fix Mac Office 2011 Crashing in Yosemite [UPDATED X3]
Recently, my version of Office for Mac (Office 2011), started crashing on my MacBook Pro. Every time I launched Word, Excel or PowerPoint, the app would crash after a few seconds with an error asking if I wanted to recover my work, reopen the Office app and send the error to Microsoft. It didn’t matter if I opened a document…
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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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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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December 23, 2013
Fantastic Fitbit Force is a Healthy Upgrade to the Flex
There is quite a rage going on now around wearable computers and devices, and Fitbit has been leading the charge of producing gadgets you wear that track your activity. A year ago, I was introduced to the Fitbit Flex, which is a rechargeable wristband that measured movements and activity as well as a whole lot more. I wore it almost…
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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…
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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…
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September 27, 2013
Site Performance Optimization: MaxCDN, Nginx, CloudFlare and WordPress Caching
My blog has a problem. Or rather it had a problem but I'm making some big improvements to it to make it perform better. For many years, my site has suffered from slow performance. Much of that is my fault though. I tend to overload WordPress with lots of plugins. Plugins are bad, but they are in many ways, quite…
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September 18, 2013
Direct Download iOS 7 Final IPSW Links for Latest iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch
The day has finally arrived! Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 7, is now available. Most people can simply connect their iOS device to the latest version of iTunes (be sure to download version 11.1 which is now available as well), update your apps, do a sync, make a backup and THEN install iOS 7. For those people who were…
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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…
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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…
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June 24, 2013
Wirelessly Control & Shoot your Canon or Nikon DSLR Remotely – iUSBportCamera Review
It seems like everyone is becoming a "professional" photographer, especially now that the technology-to-price ratio of DSLR cameras is getting truly amazing. While taking a photo really depends though on the mind's eye, the technology of the camera as a tool to capture that moment in time has made those moments even better. And there are accessories now for your…
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