5 Techie Gift Ideas for College Age Student

iClover - Bundle of 9 PCS SHORT Colorful Stylus Pen Set 

It has occurred to me that we need to talk to our older grandchildren more.  They really are very nice people. And when it comes to gift giving they know what they want...that is a good thing.

One of my teen grandsons asked for a longer cord for his iPad...who knew there even was such a thing.  That made me realize that maybe I was missing out by not just asking.  What do you think?

Here are a few ideas that my conversation with Sam sparked:

(1) 10 ft. iPad Charger Cable

(2) iPad Cover

1. 10 foot charger cords for iPhone and iPad
2. Updated ipad covers
3. Design Your Own Cell Phone Cases
4. Stylus Pen Bundle - Three 3 in 1 Laser Pointer, LED Flashlight, and Stylus Pens - Compatible with All Touchscreen Devices including iPhone, iPad, Android Phones and Tablets / plus 1 ECO-FUSED Microfiber Cleaning Cloth (Black, Red and Silver)
5. Anker Astro Mini 3000mAh Ultra-Compact Portable Charger Lipstick-Sized External Battery Power Bank Pack for most Smartphones and other USB-charged devices (Apple Adapters- 30 pin and Lightning, NOT Included) - Black




Portable Charge Stick 




(3) Design Your Own Cell Phone Cases...I have done this and it is easy,
fun and functional. No one has one just like it!

10 Easy Smartphone/iphone Apps I use for Traveling!

Image via Wikipedia

AroundMe Icon

Traveling using your iphone or Android apps can make all the difference.  You can struggle to get the information you need or you can get smart and make your smart phone work for you. You can get along without them but it will not be as easy.  Really!

1. Google Maps  Even though we have a Garmain for our car, I still find myself going to this wonderful app on my iphone.  I can find my location, enlarge the map to see the streets nearby and get directions along with the map showing my location in relationship to my destination.  I can even type the name of a store like Safeway along with the name of the city I am and it will show me all my available choices in relationship to where I am located at the moment.  We have gotten very dependent on this tool.
2. AroundMe  Have you even just wanted to get some food but couldn't seem to located the restaurants nearby?  Here is just what you need.  You click on the app and find the category your are looking for (gas, food, groceries, hospitals).  Your phone locates where you are and then gives you a list along with how far you are from the business.  You can click on the map and it will tell you where it is, the phone number and even let you click "route" and take you there turn by turn.  We have used this tool for several years.  
3. Yahoo Weather or The Weather Channel  Both of these are free to download.  I have both on my phone.  The Yahoo version is very straight forward and stores several location for you so you can just slide from one screen to the next.  The Weather Channel gives me 10 days of weather, a video if I want it.  Honestly I use them both.  Really, there is nothing worse than driving blind when it comes to the weather.  It is just a matter of being safe.
4. foursquare is a social networking app.  All my family has an account and we track where members of the family are at any given time.  Any social networking app will work but we have kept this semi-private between family members.  We just take a second and check in at the place we are having lunch or where we are staying at night.  It has turned out to be very valuable for us.
5. TripTracker is going to come in handy on our trip to the far east this next week.  It will track flight information, hotels, etc.  We need lots of back up for all our information.
6. Flashlight  I thought this was a silly app until I began using it.  I have one called "light" that uses the flash for my camera as a laser light, SOS signals, and a flashing light.  I use it in motel rooms, inside my purse, walking at night and when I drop things on the floor.  This one is just priceless.  I see that most smart phones have something that is similar.
7. RedLaser  This one of those little tools that you will use all the time.  This app will scan the bar code on items and tell you if it is available somewhere nearby for a lot less.  I tried this at Best Buy yesterday.  I don't know about you but travel and shopping go hand in hand.  I don't like buying a beach chair and walking in the next store to find it is on sale at 1/2 the price I just paid.  This is one cool little toy!
8. Password  This app will allow you to store 4 passwords for free or you can pay $9.99 a year to store all those precious keys to your world. I have used other tricky ways of storing these but I always wondered what I would do if I lost my iphone or my computer were stolen.  It is just a thought.  We are a password coded universe and no matter where we are we need a password...usually one we can't remember.
9. Currency XE  I just installed this on my phone.  We are traveling to China in a few days.  This one is will help with a quick translation of how many RMB is in the dollar.  You can add the country you are traveling to.  Shopping and bargaining is a part of this travel experience.
10. Games  I will let you name your own poison.  These just make long flight and car rides go by faster and more fun!

I just thought you needed to know.

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Technorati Tags: technology, travel, apps, smartphone, iphone

How Smart Phones Can Save You Money!

When my husband passed out in our kitchen several years ago, I realized that we were not going to live forever.  That was when I decided that getting the best in what I can afford now is a wise decision.   Tomorrow may never come!  

THOUGHTS ON THE LATEST SMART PHONES

Graph from Business Insider

Smart phones and what they can do for us is all the big buzz these days.  In fact, when I checked on what was viral online today, a headline comparing the Android to the iphone caught my interest. The Android has set the smart phone market on it's ear and has proved to be a big competitor for the always popular Blackberry. Texting, online work for the office bees and staying connected is what technology is all about today.  Grandparents are right there in the mix with everyone else.  And the iphone still stays on top in the market.

As a senior citizen I am alway thinking about what these trends have to do with my life.  Am I missing something important?  What will be the trends in the future so I don't waste my money now?  I think about the old kindle I was given when I was about to buy one for myself.  The money would have been a waste...at least I think so now. When the ipads came out with the kindle app included I saw that the $199 that the Kindle cost at the time could have been used put toward my next new computer.  Could it be that keeping track of trends is money in the bank?

That was why I was very interesting in the information from Business Insider regarding the buying trends for the smart phones.  It seems that iphones have not been hurt very much by the Android smart phone. Blackberry, on the other hand, has taken a big hit. The fact that the Android is not weakening the iphone market means that Apple will continue to be a driving innovative force in smart phone technology. This information changes my view of the Andriod completely.  See, I love the simplicity of an Apple devices and iphone is my smart phone of choice. When I put this in the mix with what may happen as a result of a new Verizon-iphone connection, I know I will stay with an iphone (even if I go back to Verizon). Why would I change when trends are showing that it is not a smart(phone) thing to do? (For those of you that are devoted PC users this does not apply to you. I hope your world is as good as mine.)

Keeping our technology simple is money in the bank too. When the Boomer Grandparent over at a website by the same name, wrote that she had too many device cords and not enough underwear, I felt a real kinship with her. Cords for phones, computer, ipods, the GPS, camera battery chargers and a Kindle is just way to much. In fact, it is a reminder for us that we probably have too much money invested in all those devices.

We have found that our iphone can serve as our phone, our ipod, our camera and our GPS. We don't even have a land line for a home phone. I can search for restaurants (Around Me app) and find the nearest grocery no matter where I am. This one device can actually replace my computer if I want to leave work behind.  I have eliminated several cords with just this one device.

The ipad (when I buy it) will eliminate my kindle and even my big computer.  I will buy a keyboard dock, use zip drives and online services to store large files of information.  Photos and word processing files will not be stored in my computer anymore.  Music will be stored on my iphone or I will use the the radio online.  Cords and big boxes to move my computer back and forth to Oregon will be eliminated.  

(I was surprised at the difference in cost 

for the ipad on Amazon...check it out)

I love a day of learning and research.  I thought this was all very interesting stuff.  Keeping it simple and keeping ahead of the trends can actually save us money in the long run.  I like that a lot.

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