Archive for Techie Stuff

Play MG Think Christmas and Pre-Order!

Posted by Theresa Gould on September 26, 2012
in Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

Technology continues to amaze me. MG (more game) is a portable WiFi gaming system. It eliminates the need for packaged games or data plans that are required for the ever popular smartphone. It allows kids to enter the world of freemium Wi-Fi App gaming safely and affordably. Sounds like a gamers delight.

There is a new feature in The MG Family Collaboration System called “Digital Wallet” and “Remote Trust” notification functions:

The “Digital Wallet”: Parents can offer “game allowances” through a reloadable BillMyParents SpendSmart prepaid MasterCard. This is a creative way to teach pre-teens or Teens about budget and learning spend with in a budget.

“Remote Trust”: Parents can choose to receive email or text updates on MG account activity.

Here’s how it works:

When an MG gamer enters her BillMyParents account number into the MG’s Family Collaboration System app, she can see her SpendSmart prepaid MasterCard balance right on her device. The BillMyParents SpendSmart system allows parents to remotely observe how their teens are spending their game allowances via text, email or by going online, and encourages family dialogue about smart spending habits. Parents can even lock or unlock the card with a text message if necessary. MG is the first to include a BillMyParents SpendSmart prepaid MasterCard directly into the MG device, giving parents an easy, safe way to moderate teen gaming purchases, while reinforcing the concepts of budgeting and making smart spending choices.

These are features sound like they are more for a parent’s peace of mind, but I am sure kids will enjoy the freedom it allows them to experience. Plus, it is the 1st portable Android gaming system with BillMyParents SpendSmart MasterCard. I haven’t used the MG system, but have been told, “It’s a dedicated device for app gaming using the Android platform so your kids can play any game they’d download on your iPhone on their very own portable gaming system and you don’t have to worry about paying for a data plan or buying game cartridges like you would with a Nintendo DS.”

Play MG Think Christmas and Pre-Order!

MG is available to pre-order right now at a savings of $70 off the suggested retail price of $169 when it launches later this year. The first 2000 early adopters who visit Kickstarter.com (search PlayMG) will be rewarded with an MG at cost for this holiday season. Other supporters will be able to order their MG for $20 off ($149).

Sounds like gamer parents might like to pre-order this now just for the savings offered. I believe this promotion is coming to an end soon so be sure to take advantage of it now rather than later.

Disclaimer: Posted courtesy of MG and in turn I may receive a promotional item.

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Ringya iPhone App

Posted by Theresa Gould on September 25, 2012
in Organization, Reviews, Techie Stuff, Uncategorized

You all are aware of the businesses we have. A couple of our businesses have more contact lists than the others and it is time consuming to keep track of everything, to update things manually etc. So I am all for time savers…like the Ringya iPhone App.

The thing is this app isn’t just for businesses, but for coaches, PTAs, Girl/Boy Scouts, teachers and whoever has contact lists.

Ringya transforms contact lists (class lists, work contacts, sport teams) into organized, sharable, digital lists. Just snap a picture of a paper list or email the app a digital version and…voila…you’ve got it handy on your phone!

Ringya iPhone App Review

Ok, this was written on 8/3 and I just downloaded the Ringya iPhone app. It was very easy to set up. Just follow the prompts. I took a photo of a list that I wanted to be able to import to email and phone numbers so I could do follow up to a snail mail mailing via phone or email, but didn’t want to have to do the data entry for it. If this app does what I think it will do, I am excited as this could potentially be a huge time saver! It did exactly what I thought it would do. It uploaded all the contact info of about 35 contacts – name, phone number, and mailing address. Almost wish there had been email addresses on the list and my work would have been complete. Since the emails were not listed, all I have to do is go into the “edit” feature and manually add the emails of the contacts.

Easy peasy! What a neat little app! The only issue I foresee is if you do not have enough data space on your phone and have a tone of contacts. Otherwise the Ringya iPhone App receives two thumbs up from me.

You may download the Ringya for free on iTunes.

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Asurion $40 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Winner!

Posted by Theresa Gould on August 1, 2012
in Giveaways, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics

The third and last giveaway winner….

In case you missed it, congratulations to Lisa on winning the
Asurion $40 Amazon Gift Card giveaway!

Remember to stay tuned for upcoming giveaways, great reviews and more!

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My Long Lost Blackberry Smart Phone, Sniff & $40 Amazon Giveaway

Posted by Theresa Gould on July 21, 2012
in Giveaways, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

Some of you may remember the story of my long lost Blackberry smart phone (if not read about it here and here) but I’ll happily give you a brief synopsis of the story.

I loved my Blackberry. It was a cool fuschia color and I loved how fast I was getting at typing on the tiny keyboard – at least it was a keyboard, unlike my iPhone’s. But I digress. While I found certain aspects of my Blackberry mysterious to use, I was getting the hang of it and just as that was happening, the thing dies on me. Too bad objects can’t love me back and appreciate my love for them – by not breaking. Alas, they don’t and they do break.

I lost all my contacts and was unable to retrieve them. Thankfully most of the important ones were in my email files or in the hard copy address book. But what I could not retrieve are my photos. I was very disappointed. As you know photos have a lot of sentimental value in the memories they create and preserve. Another sore spot was fact I was never able to figure out how to back up my Blackberry.

The thing is the phone guys were unable to fix my phone due to not having the battery in stock. Whether that was a ploy to get me to upgrade I have no idea, but I needed my phone so I opted to upgrade. After all, you can live without their smart phone these days? I know I’d miss mine.

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Asurion.

Would you like to save yourself the trouble of all I went through and have peace of mind with the content on your smart phone?

Check with your cell phone provider for the Asurion protection package. Asurion offers smart phone/technology insurance. It protects your data, privacy, provides technical assistance and service coverage to replace your phone. Most companies do offer this when you first purchase your cell phone so be sure to ask and you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache of losing precious photos and data.

Now you have a chance to win a $40 Amazon gift code! Just see the details below.

$40 Amazon Gift Code Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have fun and good luck!

Faith and Family Review is being compensated an Amazon.com gift card in exchange for writing this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

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Band-Aid Magic Vision App

Posted by Theresa Gould on May 25, 2012
in Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics

It always amazes me that characters, TV shows and movies that I watched as a kid are usually loved by my children too. From Spider-Man and McGyver to Sesame Street and the Muppets. I always loved Kermit the Frog. How about you? Speaking of the Muppets we tried a new app this week, Band-Aid Magic Vision. This is an app to use on your iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad2 or iPad3. It as a tool to cheer up your child when they get an owie. If you like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the rest of the Muppets, you and your child will enjoy this app.

All you do is take the Muppets Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages or the box and scan it with your Apple device and in a “magical” sparkle the Muppet characters come to life. Your child will experience Kermit the Frog swinging while playing the banjo and singing “The Rainbow Connection” song (loved that song as a kid and still love it!). My little people 6 and under just smiled while watching Kermit. My 21 month old especially liked it and his grin was extra bright with the music and song – he loves music of all kinds! If you tilt your device, Kermit will swing back and forth even more! Fun!

Next your child will experience Miss Piggy in all her self-glory on the red carpet. The app allows children to take pictures, which is what Miss Piggy loves – attention! You can also take pictures of the other characters too by the push of the on-screen camera button – don’t make the same mistake I did and use the real camera button or you’ll close out the app! Yeah one of those mornings! My six year old enjoyed being able to take pictures the most!

I lost my 4 year old’s attention while waiting for Gonzo to load. There seems to be a delay in each character’s story. Gonzo gets stuck and with a little shake of your device your child can get him “unstuck”. I love the concept of using this app to divert a crying child from his or her owies to the antics and fun of these Muppet characters. After all, haven’t all of us experienced an inconsolable child at one time or another after they get hurt?

The Band-Aid Magic Vision application, uses Augmented Reality technology to merge your child’s real-life surroundings with graphics displayed on the digital screen to unlock a special world where Disney’s The Muppets characters come to life to distract your child from their boo boo.

This app is absolutely free, so download yours today! Available at iTunes.com. Simply search for Band-Aid Magic Vision or click here for the direct link.

Visit the Band-Aid website for more information about Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages www.Band-Aid.com

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages and received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

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The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Goes Digital!

Posted by Brande on February 16, 2012
in Downloads, Ebooks, Education, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, News Worthy, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, School, Techie Stuff

Homeschool parents, this one is for you! This app is available for Apple & Android devices! Now you can read “The Old Schoolhouse Magazine” at home or on the go for FREE!

These are very interactive apps. You can watch videos, zoom in on advertisers, web links to order, and more!

Here’s the links! Apple App – FREE Android App – FREE

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More Free Kids Apps, Plus One For Your Cats!

Posted by Brande on February 9, 2012
in Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Saving Money, Techie Stuff

**(When I downloaded these apps they were free, I cannot guarantee if they started charging a fee.) **

SKEE-BALL!!! I love skee-ball. We live near the east coast and head to the beach every year. After a day on the beach, we find an arcade and play skee-ball. Now, we don’t have to wait for the summer. Currently, it’s snowing and we are playing Skee-Ball in the house.

This app is only compatible for an iPad. You gain points by playing skee-ball and then you get to pick out “prizes” to spend your tickets on. This is a good one for the whole family.

SIMON’S CAT IN “PURRFECT PITCH” - If your not familiar with Simon’s Cat Cartoons. Simon’s Cat is drawn by Simon Tofield an English Animator, who can draw a cat’s temperament “purrfectly”.

This app is available for the itouch, iPhone and iPad. With this one you play the piano, but when you hit the key the cat meows. It’s really funny. Funny Quick Story – My daughter and I were waiting in line to see Santa in December and I brought along my iTouch. She started playing Simon’s Cat and the people around us started laughing. All you heard was meowing. (I guess you had to be there;-)). There are options of “Free Play, Challenge, and Play Back”. Lots of fun!

RIO THE MOVIE COLORING WITH BLU – Remember this movie? We enjoyed it and downloaded it.

This app is available for iPad, iPhone and iTouch.

You color. It’s that simple. Choose one of two birds and the background. The color pallet is at the bottom on the screen and your off and coloring! When you done you can save it and email, post it to Facebook or print it!

OK! Get your cats ready for a frenzy! I got an email earlier this week from Friskies about an app for Cats. I haven’t tried it on mine yet, they are currently sleeping (surprise, surprise). Here it is!

It’s CAT FISHING 2 BY FRISKIES -

So, you start it up and let your cat go. The fish start swimming around and your cat taps them and gets a score. The more fish you cat taps the harder the game gets. There are 3 levels and you can post their score to Facebook or the “World-Wide Leader Board”.

It’s again only available for iPhones, iTouch and iPads.

Let your kitties in on the fun too!

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Children & Technology – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by Theresa Gould on February 1, 2012
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Wordless Wednesday

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Re-Organizing: Monday Motivation

Posted by Theresa Gould on January 16, 2012
in Family Stuff, Furniture, Home, Monday Motivation, Organization, Techie Stuff

Nearly six months ago we moved into this home. It is incredible that we have lived here that long already. One of the home’s appeals was the basement, 4+ bedrooms, 2.5 baths and an office. However, by the time we moved in, settled, had our internet working and phone working, it was nearly a month later. That is when we discovered that the internet and phone jacks in the office did not work! A little disappointing to say the least. After lots of time on the phone, trying several areas of the house and getting tired of having my work in piles around the house, we talked about me taking over one of the kids bedrooms where the internet and phone connection were good. I decided on the older girls room, which meant moving the boys to another bedroom so the older girls could have their room. The girls were delighted at the prospect of getting a bigger room with a bigger closet. The boys on the other hand were not so thrilled initially, but after time to think about it and after their first night in their new room they seem to have accepted the change. Off to a good start.

Now I am re-organizing! It feels as though I have moved and I have, but you know that feeling of, “Oh there’s so much to do!” That’s the feeling I am experiencing today. Just slightly overwhelmed. It’s probably because I am tired too because I stayed up late burning photos and documents to CDs so I could delete them off my laptop and try to speed it up a bit to avoid screens freezing up on me. So far it seems to be working. Just need to run a virus scan too. Fun techie stuff.

Here are a couple of before and after photos:

Old office, now linen closet and the new office:

So obviously, my Monday Motivation is to get things a bit more organized!

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Picture Collage Maker Review & Giveaway!

Posted by Brande on November 18, 2011
in Blog Stuff, Downloads, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Giveaways, Holidays, Home, News Worthy, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Seasonal Stuff, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

CLOSED! Karen won!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

What if you could make your own photo collages, cards, calendars, and scrapbook at home, without fighting with your computer. Here’s your answer the “Picture Collage Maker” by Pearl Mountain Software.

I’m not the most savvy person when it comes to editing photos and making cards. But, this software is very user friendly. With this software you are able to print, create desktop wallpaper, and email.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, why not bring a collage or calendar for your host/hostess. With this program they have 16 different Thanksgiving templates to choose from. Here are a few.

After choosing a template, you click on photos. It brings up your computer files and you can choose which photos to use. Easily by dragging them into the photo and they “pop” in. No more extra step by having to download pictures first on the Internet. Then drag them. Then having to wait for them in the mail.

Picture Collage Maker also have many other holiday and non holiday templates in addition to Thanksgiving.

I was experimenting with the program. Here’s my Thanksgiving photo of my dog and cats! (If you notice the template is the first one in the above group of pictures)

This is a wonderful and easy program to use. The hardest part was deciding which template to use! I will be spreading the word to all my friends about this product. Here’s their website to download your own Picture Collage Maker! http://www.picturecollagesoftware.com . I had lots of fun, I think you will too!

GIVEAWAY:

Photo Collage Maker wants to give 20 readers a gift code to make your own Photo Collage! We are trying something new and using Raffle Copter to host our giveaways, so let me know what you all think ok?