Why? Why? Why?
Any parent of a preschooler knows the drill? Why is the sky blue? Why do we have to wear shoes? Why are oranges orange? The endless list of questions can become mind-numbing.
I just stumbled upon Whyzz – a website that helps parents answer kids’ “whyzz, whatzz and howzz” with child-friendly answers. From simple questions like “where do rabbits live?” to more complex issues like the recent Iranian elections or same-sex marriage, the site is an interesting place to find answers to questions your kids ask–whatever their ages.
Whyzz is also available on-the-go on your mobile.
Found via Mashable
Universal Mobile Phone Charger on the Horizon
The mobile phone industry has finally decided to create a universal phone charger by 2012, according to GSMA, an industry organization.
Currently, chargers can be brand or phone specific, generating more than 51,000 tons of waste as consumers get new phones that are incompatible. For more information on recycling phones, click here.
Another aim is to create an energy-efficient charger to reduce stand-by or “vampire” energy consumption by 50%. The group wants to create the “UCS” or universal charging solution to use Micro-USB for charging.
Among the companies involved in this initiative are LG, Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and T-Mobile.
Now if we can just get the printer companies to standardize those blasted ink cartridges.
Safe Eyes Mobile keeps kids safe
So you have protected your home computer with filtering software to keep kids safe from viewing objectionable sites, but what about their iPhone or iPod touch?
Internetsafety.com will offer Safe Eyes Mobile to fill the gap in these mobile devices. The application will be available from the iTunes store. You can view a demo here.
Keeping kids safe in the face of fast-changing technology is one of our toughest jobs as parents, but fortunately tools are being created to help us keep up.
Found via Kids@Play
Inauguration Day
Without a doubt, tomorrow is an amazing day for our nation. Regardless of your political affiliation, you can’t help but appreciate our nation’s continual re-invention every four years when we choose our leaders.
Inauguration day will mark many firsts. Among them will be the extent to which mobile and Internet technologies will capture and shape the day and, in fact, the presidency itself.
From the Obama’s own Blackberry obsession to the millions of mobile users who will undoubtedly jam the circuits on the National Mall, this is a plugged-in presidency. Not so much by wires, but by a constant connection from the top down and across the nation and world.
The major cell phone providers have beefed up their capabilities (adding “lanes” to the information superhighway in Washington, D.C.) They have brought in COWs (Cell on Wheels) to boost their ability to carry the million+ users in the area. A test run at the Lincoln Memorial concert Sunday showed some flaws in the plan, but providers are sure they have pulled out all the stops. The president-elect won’t have to worry about the traffic jam if he wants to make a call though–his phone has access to the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) so he always gets through.
Here are some of my picks for a tech-friendly inauguration:
Watch the Inauguration from your iPhone via Ustream
Help write a People’s Inaugural Address using collaborative writing tools at Mixedink.com
Free Inaugural Guide map App for your iPhone
The Inauguration Report 2009 requests you tag your tweets with “#inaug09″ and your Flickr or YouTube photos and videos with “inaug09″. Follow along with their widget you can add to your website.
Tech Savvy Mama also has a long-list of kid-friendly inauguration links.
Thanks to NTEN for some links.
Shepard Fairey’s Obama HOPE Image via Flickr
School of Tech
Mobile technology will one day play a major role in learning, says a new study on the untapped potential of mobile learning by The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (Yes, the Sesame Street People) .
Called “Pockets of Potential:Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children’s Learning,” the study outlines a national mobile learning strategy and calls upon the incoming Obama administration to invest in digital learning and teacher training.
Among the recommendations are to build a digital teacher corps and to change school policies which ban cell phone use in schools to enable them to be used within appropriate boundaries for learning.
“Mobile devices are part of the fabric of children’s lives today: they are here to stay,” said Dr. Michael Levine, Executive Director of The Joan Ganz Cooney Center. “It is no longer a question of whether we should use these devices to support learning, but how and when to use them. Sesame Street introduced children to the educational potential of television. A new generation of mobile media content can become a force for learning and discovery in the next decade.”Exciting days ahead!
Cozi adds new features
In September I highlighted Cozi–an online planner for families on the go. They have recently added a few new features.
With the new year just around the bend, now might be a good time to start using it to keep everyone’s schedules in sync and more.
Coupons go mobile
The days of clipping coupons are numbered. First there were printable coupons, and now there are digital coupons downloadable directly to your cell phone.
Cellfire deals can be downloaded from your PC directly to your phone or even your store rewards card. In addition, if you see an ad online with the Cellfire logo you can click on it to save or if you hear or see and ad on TV, print or radio where Cellfire is a sponsor, you can “text to save” the deal. When you get ready to use the deal, you access the saved deal from your phone and view the code needed by the retailer. It’s that easy!
Cellfire deals are available from regional and national stores like Kroger, GameStop, Hardees, Ralph’s, Hollywood Video, Fry’s, KFC, and more.
I hope this catches on. I always finding myself at the store and my coupon at home!
What’s a Mom To Do?
You try to keep your children safe, but who can you really trust when it comes to sorting through the “alphabet soup” of chemicals in children’s products. BPA (bisphenol-A) is the latest acronym to strike fear in the hearts of moms everywhere, and the government really isn’t being much help.
Take for instance, these conflicting reports from the FDA and government scientists who disagree. The chemical is found in food containers and children’s items like bottles and some toys. Walmart and Toys R Us have already pledged to not sell items containing the chemical by the end of the year.
For moms who are like me and can’t keep track of what has BPA and what doesn’t, the blog Z Recommends has a wonderful on-the-go resource so you can check from the store via cell phone.
Just text “zrecs” plus a company name and/or a product category to 69866. Categories include bottles, sippys, pacifiers, and tableware. You will receive a text back with the BPA-free status of products by that company or in that category.
You can also read the blog’s detailed resource all about who’s in and who’s out in infant and child care items.
Thanks to Z Recs for this awesome resource!
Blogging on the go
I have a personal blog through Google’s Blogger and I recently learned some new tricks to make it even easier to use.
I have trouble using Blogger at times on my Mac so I usually post from my PC, but since all my pics are on my Mac this is a real pain. It involves way more steps than it should. But now I have a new option.
Blogger has a Mail2Blogger option that lets you post automatically from email. Within your settings you create an address that is your username1.secretword@blogger.com. Now you can email updates and pics directly to your blog for immediate updates or save as drafts for later posting.
You can also send posts to Blogger via your mobile device by sending text or photos to go@blogger.com. You can send an MMS or email to Blogger and it will reply with the address of your new mobile blog, plus a claim code. You can then post or link your phone phone to a different blog.
Now you can keep your blog up-to-date when you are on-the-go!
Back to School Week: Getting Cozi
Are you getting Cozi? Cozi is the latest attempt to manage family schedule madness–an online calendar-list manager-message minder-family scrapbook.
As the school year begins and the family calendar kicks into overdrive, Cozi may be the last, best hope for keeping track of it all. Unlike the time-tested family wall calendar, Cozi goes with you via the Web so it is accessible wherever you are.
The site, which is free but with advertiser content, offers two versions: web and PC based. Mac users can access the web version with Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later, or Internet Explorer 7.0 or later.
From the site you can see a family calendar with each members information color-coded. The calendar can be printed and synced with Microsoft Outlook via phone or computer to keep everyone in the loop. Business appointments that affect the family or family outings that need to be noted for work can be synced to mom and dad’s Outlook calendars.
Also, you can manage lists such as groceries, birthdays, gifts, or anything else you can come up with. With Cozi you can then send the list to your phone or even call its toll free 1-888-808-COZI number and have the list read to you. As the site says, “never be caught without your grocery list again!”
Other features include a family journal interface (kind of like a “light” blog) that is currently only accessible by the family, but later versions will make it available to other invited guests. Also, the site has a photo screensaver feature that turns your computer into a photo gallery/calendar update when it is standing by.
The Betty Crocker edition (I can’t figure out if they actually are behind the site or just a sponsor) provides a quick search field for recipes to help plan dinner as well.
In all, this looks like a wonderful option for busy families–especially those with older kids and teens who can update their own calendars and use this to stay in touch. You can also use the site to easily send text messages to family members reminding them of events or to-dos (like “Dad–pick up milk”). Of course, standard messaging rates apply.
Here are other ways Cozi can help you stay on top of life.Take a tour! Let me know how it works for you.
