We’re gettin’ goo-goo geeky-ga-ga talking about technologies surrounding birth and parenting. It’s fascinating thinking about how far technology has advanced in this area of our lives — or hasn’t in some cases. We’ve gone from polaroid pictures to online web albums; from paper journals to websites and blogs. We’re curious to know what it was like when you were having kids? What kinds of tech was available for new moms and moms giving birth 10, 20 or 30 yrs ago? We want to know what was something you thought revolutionary for its time? It’s all about Baby 2.0 Tech and how we’re ga ga for baby gear — all this week on Moms Gone Geek.
Can you identify the musical reference to a John Hughes movie at the end of the show? What was the name of the movie, song title and artist?
Pay close attention to the lyrics and I bet you can guess the geeky reference it also points to. The answer is at the end of this post for attribution. Don’t cheat now!!
Share with us something geeky you did or are currently doing as it relates to conception, pregnancy, parenting, grandparenting, etc.
For example, TheMacMommy used Apple’s iCal to track her fertility for both pregnancies. (Tip: don’t email your husband calendar invitations from your fertility calendar, it’s just not sexy.)
Uber Geeky Mom Allison Sheridan showed Melissa the spreadsheet (pre-Excel days!) she saved of her basal temperature when she was trying to conceive her daughter. What an adorable little memoir!
Baby Registries
Suggestions for Baby Registries
External Hard Drives for backing up all those precious memories and all the data our kids now generate
Special Thanks to Aaron Griffith of Baby Activity Logger for the iPhone.
TheMacMommy will be reviewing the app to report on later. Thanks for the review code!
Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
We’re drinkin the Google Juice! It’s so yummy and refreshing! Won’t you join us? We discuss GTD with Google IMAP and CalDAV along with the myriad of apps and products that go good with Google. What the heck are we talking about? Listen to this episode to find out more and get your fill of geeky goodness!
This Nuevasynchack predated Google Sync, but you might want to take a look at it for comparisons. BusyMac was another tool that predated Google Sync, but it costs $25.(whatever blows your skirt up, if you think it’s easier!)
As part of my “Nesting” phase during this pregnancy, I became very determined to find a way to easily sync the communications and scheduling information my husband and I share between several devices. Those devices being: our iPod Touch (a.k.a. “The Practice iPhone” or the “Gateway Drug to the iPhone”), MacBook Pro and my husband’s PC at work. Between the two of us, we manage several work and personal email accounts and calendars. Now with children added to the mix, they’ll also have their own calendars for scheduling information like school activities and doctor appointments. I wanted a solution that would enable us to easily see the same information no matter which device was accessed for emails and calendars. I also wanted the ability to read as well as modify each others’ calendars.
click to enlarge image Fig. 1
For example, our first son now has his own Google account with calendar. He’s only 3, so we manage it for him and share that calendar between all of us. Some time after the baby is born, I’ll likely set up an account for him so I can easily manage his doctor appointments. For the time being, a secondary calendar will work fine. We also have another secondary calendar dedicated to our activities and events — things we do together as a family. This calendar is then shared with other family members like my mother-in-law.
Either my husband or I have the ability to modify each others’ calendars so that any changes made are synced no matter which computer or device is accessed. When my husband is at work, he can easily log in to his Google account and check all our calendars to see what appointments I’ve scheduled here at home. Since he doesn’t have time to make phone calls during the school day at work, if I schedule a doctor’s appointment for him, I can put it directly onto his calendar for him to see and email him a reminder. He’s already entered his work activities so that makes it much easier for me to book appointments when needed and make sure there are no conflicts. If he has an activity that needs to happen after school like a social or after-school meeting with a parent, he can enter it on his calendar while at work and then I will see it when I log in.
Accomplishing Sync Zen
click to enlarge Fig. 2
Let’s start with Apple Mail. Here is an example of how I’ve configured my Mail application to manage several accounts at once. (See Fig. 2 and 3) Log in to your Gmail account. Click on Settings in the upper right, then click on Forwarding POP/IMAP and then click the radio button to “Enable IMAP.” You’ll need to do this before you set up accounts in Mail.
click to enlarge Fig. 3
Follow the instructions from Google on how to configure your Mail application. Be careful when reading Google’s instructions for Recommended IMAP Client Settings. I got a little confused and frustrated in the beginning when my messages wouldn’t delete when I deleted them by pressing the delete button on the keyboard or by clicking the delete icon in the tool bar. Manually dragging each message to the Trash folder was annoying. Turns out you just have to ignore the information where it talks about deleting messages off the server. Basically, just leave the Mail trash settings as they are.
click to enlarge Fig. 4
Google does not explain how to make the Inbox, Draft, Sent and Trash Mailboxes in Mail act as one — or at least not where I saw in the instructions. (See Fig. 4) For that part, I followed the advice found at 5ThirtyOne by Derek Punsalen. Thanks Derek! Here is an excerpt from his instructions: Properly sort Drafts, Deleted, and Sent mail in Apple Mail
Highlight ‘[Gmail] Sent Mail’ in the sidebar and select ‘Mailbox’ (menu bar) > ‘Use This Mailbox For’ > ‘Sent’.
Highlight ‘[Gmail] Drafts’ in the sidebar and select ‘Mailbox’ (menu bar) > ‘Use This Mailbox For’ > ‘Drafts’
Highlight ‘[Gmail] Trash’ in the sidebar and select ‘Mailbox’ (menu bar) > ‘Use This Mailbox For’ > ‘Trash’
Highlight ‘[Gmail] Spam’ in the sidebar and select ‘Mailbox’ (menu bar) > ‘Use This Mailbox For’ > ‘Junk’
click to enlarge Fig. 5
If you’re like me and are managing multiple accounts in Mail, you’ll need to repeat those instructions for each folder in each account. I took these instructions a little further and manually dragged — what Gmail calls “labels” which are actually displayed as folders in Mail — to the parent [Gmail] folder in Mail. This is also referred to as an IMAP Path Prefix in the Mail Account Preferences. I achieved it by manually dragging those folders and it was much easier than trying to figure out what to type exactly in the account configuration.
Next, let’s take a look at Google Calendar, Apple’s iCal and the iPod Touch/iPhone Calendar layouts. The colors are consistent. Whatever changes I make on one device are immediately synced to the others.
Following Google’s instructions, I was able to set up several calendars in our separate Google accounts and then manage them in iCal and on the iPod Touch using Google’s CalDAV Calendar Sync.Similar to Gmail, while logged in to your Google Calendar (or anyone else’s), you’ll need to click on Settings in the upper right, then Calendars from the tabs at the top. Once on that page, you’ll need to edit the Sharing Settings for each calendar you set up and also in each account you have access to (See Fig. 6). For my family and I, my husband and I each have access to each others’ as well as Lucian’s Google accounts. I went in to each of their calendars and shared them with myself and gave myself the ability to “make changes and manage sharing.”
Once you have your Google Calendar settings configured, you’re ready to set things up in iCal Preferences.
click to enlarge Fig. 6
Here is what that may look like. (See Fig. 6) Once you have added the “Delegates” you can then make changes, edits, additions, etc. in iCal and they will all be reflected in Google’s web UI (user interface). You’ll notice the individual calendars appear in the left sidebar in iCal. I don’t like the fact that there is a parent for each item. It’s kind of redundant to have to click another triangle down to get to the calendar, but it is what it is for now.
For example, on our iPod Touch, I have added all of the accounts for myself, Lucian, and Nate — both Gmail and Google Calendars. I’ve found it’s really pointless to use POP mail accounts because it’s a pain to have to delete messages on different devices.
click to enlarge Fig. 8
Within my own Google Calendar, I have 2 secondary calendars that I share with Nate and Lucian. One is for my freelance consulting (TheMacMommy) the other for our family activities. I also plugged in the calendar for Moms Gone Geek that I share with Naomi for scheduling. Once they are all added and configured, it’s easy to see them all at the same time and see where conflicts and scheduling might overlap because everything is a different color. I LOVE color-coding everything! It just makes things so much easier to see when you have limited concentration and lots of dis…
click to enlarge Fig. 9
This all seems like a lot of work, and it was, but when you view it in the List view on the iPod Touch or iPhone, it’s all nicely color-coded and cohesive and flows nicely. It was worth all the work and tinkering. I feel much better now! :)
I hope you’ve found this helpful. Remember, you can right-click on the images and load them into another page to see them larger. I blurred out some of the information I didn’t feel comfortable sharing, but I think you get the picture. Ha ha! Picture!! Get it?!!
This concludes my review of how Google Juice does a body good by managing all of your communications as the Household CTO. I hope it’s just as tasty for you!
Medical Records. Everyone has them. Have you ever had to go on a hunt for your shot records from decades ago because an employer or school required them? How did that work out for ya? Trying to keep track of and remember all of your family’s medical information can be a daunting task. If you’re like most of us, you’ve got a stack or stacks of papers scattered throughout the house — or in one room if you’re really organized! We’re on the lookout for an easier, more efficient way of keeping this information organized and safely accessible when needed.Whether you’re a single person or managing a family with multiple records, or traveling with the military, is an online medical record-keeping service for you? Fast, easy, secure, reliable and compliant is what we’re aiming to find out about services currently available for medical record-keeping. Anything that will help make managing a family easier and more efficient is what we’re all about, so this is what we’re discussing this week on Moms Gone Geek.
Special Note: When Googling information on this topic use the following terms and acronyms: PHR (Personal Health Records) or PHRM (Personal Health Records Management).
There are a lot of applications and services out there for managing your personal medical records at home on your computer, up in the cloud for online access or both — so much that it’s overwhelming. We’ve reviewed just a few that we’ll discuss here, but please give us some feedback on services, methods and apps you’ve tried and liked.
Melissa reviews and discusses the current state of EMR for public and private sectors and what you should consider before investing the time and effort into the task of electronically documenting your medical records for the family.
What You Need to Know About Privacy in Medical Records
Google Health is currently only available in the United States. Polka is available for registration outside U.S., however, all records are stored in the US where US privacy terms apply. (Probably a good thing?)
Use Google Health at your own risk understanding that transmission to third parties, for example, a prescription service, is governed by THOSE sites, their technologies and security methods. You’re safe with Google, but you open a hole when you share with third party services, so be sure to thoroughly review their privacy and protection policies as well before sharing information.
Section 4 Use of Your Information in the Google Health TOS states: ” Google is not a “covered entity” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the regulations promulgated thereunder (“HIPAA”). As a result, HIPAA does not apply to the transmission of health information by Google to any third party.”
Polka discloses the following in their Privacy Statement under Use of Contact Information (emphasis is our editorial): “In addition, we may use your contact information to market to you, and provide you with information about, our products and services, including but not limited to our Service. If you decide at any time that you no longer wish to receive such information or communications from us, please follow the unsubscribe instructions provided in any of the communications.”
Furthermore, they also state in their Information Sharing and Disclosure regarding Service Providers: “We engage certain trusted third parties to perform functions and provide services to us, including, without limitation, hosting and maintenance, customer relationship, database storage and management, and direct marketing campaigns. We will share your personally identifiable information with these third parties, but only to the extent necessary to perform these functions and provide such services, and only pursuant to binding contractual obligations requiring such third parties to maintain the privacy and security of your data.”
These are just some things to consider when signing up for these services. Both services are extremely similar in their TOS and Privacy Statements, just worded slightly differently. Polka clearly states they may use your information for direct marketing campaigns which may be kind of disconcerting no matter how carefully your information is closely guarded. It may be that Google Health does the exact same thing in a different way, but they have not chosen to word like this. As always, use at your own risk and know your mileage may vary.
Another thing to look for when deciding if a particular service or application is right for you is what kind of continued support you can reasonably expect. If a service loses focus or goes belly-up, where does your data go? There have been applications released in the past few years, but when I went to their site for a review, the information was grossly outdated or the link had a bad address. Look for services that have a large following, lots of reviews (and positive ones at that) and also look at their help or support section. Check to see what, if any kind of exporting features exist. If you’re able to export your data into a PDF or text file, at least you’ll have a backup in case the service fails your expectations. Think carefully about sharing your digital information with third party partners or affiliates. Do the same kind of homework on them as well. Review their privacy policies and TOS.
It would be a good idea to have a printed hard copy of the most important emergency medical information in your wallet near your ID because what good is digital data on your phone if your device is either locked or too cumbersome to access by hospital staff? Think of a mobile app as a handy way for YOU to access the information you need at the time you need it, but don’t think of a mobile app as something to be accessed by emergency personnel. Research in public forums concludes that most EMTs will not be checking your mobile device for information in a crisis situation so do not count on an app to assist in saving your life. Google Health does have a print wallet-sized feature and I thought that was handy and a good idea.
For you non-Google supporters (we still love you) there are other PHR web services out there, but we’re only going to list a couple:
Two topics tackled on this episode: Social Media fads along with tips and tools for teaching your kids about money and finances. This is what has been on our minds lately and we really want to know what you think about it.
Are we just fickle when it comes to new social networking services and apps? Do we give each one a fair shake? What makes us stick around or move on to the next new shiny thing? Developers will want to pay close attention!
Kids and money — let’s not forget about who might be deciding our living arrangements when we’re old! It’s never too early to start teaching kids about money. We’ll discuss some tools and tips we’ve discovered in our parenting journeys thus far. Let us know yours!
Dead and Abandoned Web 2.0 Services
Social Media Services that were once in the cloud but have since kicked the bucket. Pownce, Rejaw, Ma.gnolia, Dodgeball, I Want Sandy, Jumpcut and Google Video have all gone away. How do you know when to invest your time in a service? Are there any warning sings for when these apps and services will go under? What about all your data and posts?
What about those services that we in the social media world were so hard pressed to get invites for, but then abandoned them? Remember Chandler Project, Orgoo, Social Thing, 30Boxes? We were all once so excited about these services, but then dropped them off on the doorstep of a church with a note that said “sorry, we’re just not that into you anymore.” Even MySpace has taken a hit to their staff and numbers now show Facebook is King.
There isn’t just one way to do something when it comes to technology – the possibilities seem endless. In this episode, we moms put our heads together to think of alternative ways for using common devices and new technologies like: Seesmic Desktop for Twitter AND Facebook, Multimedia Centers using Hulu and/or Boxee, mobile wifi with Mifi or Cradlepoint and ways to use an iPod Touch for more than just an MP3 player. We’re thinking differently and we’d like to know your creative ideas. Leave us a comment here on the blog.
TheMacMommy Reviews Sprint’s Mobile Communications Services At-A-Glance “Can I really get the same benefits of an iPhone without having to switch to AT&T and buy an iPhone?”
Mobile Broadband is a separate service plan and you either add it on at $59.99 a month extra or you can bundle it, but only with the Simply Everything Family plan.
There are several different devices that can be used with the Mobile Broadband service. Most of them are USB modems (also called “USB sticks” or “EVDO cards”). They are limiting in that you have to plug it into a USB port and keep it connected to a desktop or laptop. The MiFi is a broadband router that you can just keep in your bag or pocket. You can connect up to 5 devices wirelessly at the same time. A USB Modem only supports one device at a time unless you use some kind of internet sharing. The connection speeds of these devices are not as fast as a cable modem but comparable to close to DSL speeds.
The Simply Everything Family plan normally costs $189.98 and you can add Mobile Broadband to it for only $50.00 (as opposed to $59.99 – the bundle saves you $9.99) a month bringing that monthly total to $239.98
So, for ~$240.00 monthly you get everything 2 people can do with a phone: unlimited voice, messaging, email, and web browsing plus the ability to connect 5 devices to the internet using wifi – for example 2 laptops and 2 iPod Touches plus share with a friend’s laptop for a family that is traveling together.
Question is this: why would you need the wifi then if your phone can do everything the laptop does when it comes to simple needs like web surfing, email and texting? Seems like an extra luxury and would really only come in handy if you’re traveling together a lot or really need to work on a laptop beyond simple browsing and messaging.
Then I got to thinking, what if we just got the simplest family plan and the simplest phones without any data or texting capabilities and just use the iPod Touch for all the extra fancy features like web browsing, texting, messaging, email, and apps? Would that get me around not having to switch to AT&T just so I can enjoy the App goodieness, web browsing and messaging capabilities? I mean, I can do all that stuff (except for the smaller footprint and portable apps) with my MacBook Pro already and if I’d switch to AT&T, we’d pay more without promise of a corporate discount and we couldn’t make phone calls from inside our house.
The simplest Family share plan is the Talk for Family 700 for $69.99 a month. Add the $59.99 Mobile Broadband and Mifi for $59.99 a month and your new total comes to $129.98 a month. (The cost of the Mifi device is a one time $99.00 with plan activation and possible upgrade fee) With this plan the major drawback of course is that you still have to carry around a cell phone to make simple voice calls so the amount of gadgets you’re carrying is more if you factor in the phone, iPod Touch, Mifi and digital camera – that’s 4 devices total and you’ll mostly interact with them at separate times so it’s not like you’re juggling them all at once, but that’s 4 different times you have to reach into a pocket or bag or go find where the kid put one of them — and the higher liability (doubles with kids) that something will get lost. With an iPhone 3Gs, you could have everything in one gadget save a high res digital camera for taking photos that you might want to get printed or enlarged later on.
I asked the Sprint guy about that and he said that the Mifi connection, being similar to that of DSL, might not support something like Skype or Gizmo for use with VOiP calls.
I asked the great Twitterverse and a few people have confirmed that you can in fact use an iPod Touch as a VoIP phone using Skype, a headset with microphone (very important – it will not work with Bluetooth) and wifi, i.e. the Mifi. It’s important to note that because Skype can not determine your location, you can not use it to make 911 emergency calls, so it can not be a true replacement for a cell phone. That being said, you still have to carry a simple (“dumb”) phone around with you for making emergency calls, which adds to the gadget load.
So, it seems iPhone is really the best when it comes down to it. Now, if only the service carrier was just as good as the device!
I did some number crunching comparing for the overall costs (approximately) that my husband and I currently pay for our entertainment and communications services. Currently we use:
basic cable TV for local channels, news and shows
DVD player to rent movies from the library or watch collection we already have
5th Gen iPod 80GB Video with AV cables and dock connected to TV for watching movies & downloaded content
MacBook Pro we sometimes use with Hulu Desktop, Boxee or Front Row to watch Hard Drive Source or Internet Streaming shows and content; sometimes we just watch it on the 15 inch screen, sometimes we hook it up to the 27 inch TV
a landline for local calls only
two cell phones with a shared minute plan (one of which my husband rarely talks on)
3 computers in the home that all connect to the internet via residential high-speed cable modem and a wireless router
Ideally we don’t currently use text messaging on our phones but would like to. We would also like to get a dedicated computer to keep hooked up to the TV like a Mac Mini, Apple TV or even another laptop so we could take it with us when we travel during the summers.
Cost Comparisons for Entertainment & Communication Services
Note: Verizon’s Mifi service plan is similar price. Prices reflected here based on information available as of the publishing date of this post and are subject to change per service provider. Check your local resources for updates.
DigitalFanGirl says “Do Your Homework, First!”
Before you run out and buy the new Disney Netpal, do your homework and compare it with the HP Mini and the Dell Mini.
There is currently some confusion I’m trying to sort out about whether or not you get a Micro USB cable with Sprint’s Mifi. It’s been reported that you do get this cable with Verizon’s Mifi. There’s also some confusion as to whether or not you can use this same Micro USB cable to charge the Mifi while also using the Wifi at the same time. The Sprint guy told me we could use the Mifi wifi connection while plugged into a power source like a cigarette light outlet converter or a laptop so the device would stay charged throughout a whole road trip. According tohttp://twitter.com/jkkmobile you can not charge and surf at the same time unless you hack the cable like so in his demonstration video:http://jkkmobile.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-usb-charger-hack-for-novatel.html
Just to clear up the confusion about which cable is a Micro and which is a Mini
USB Mini is on the Left and USB Micro is on the right
Enjoy the freedom to stay connected, even on the go. The webConnect USB Laptop Stick provides fast, easy wireless Internet access for your laptop by automatically finding the best available T-Mobile network connection (3G, HotSpot/Wi-Fi, or EDGE). Catch up on work, check e-mail, surf the Web, or connect with friends and family all while on-the-go. The exclusive webConnect data plan includes unlimited Wi-Fi access through the T-Mobile HotSpot network.
We’re still manic about mobile services and devices so we’re bringing you Part 2 of our (previous) Mobile Mania discussion about the new iPhone 3Gs, the impact of Apple’s WWDC iPhone announcement on the Palm Pre release and outraged AT&T customers.
TheMacMommy talks about her Sprint store experience and demo of the new Palm Pre. DigitalFanGirl talks about how her experience has been with the G1. We even give you a special bonus Twitter Rant at the end. You know you wanna hear it!
DigitalFanGirl protects her G1 with a rubberized snap-on cover and a mirror screen protector
Note: I purchased both the snap-on cover and the mirror screen protector at a mobile accessory kiosk in my neighborhood mall (10 minutes from my home), which was cheaper than ordering these two products online. I suggest you do a cost comparison and see if it’s smarter for you to buy from the mall or order it online.
Did you register your Facebook vanity URL?
What does this move mean for the future of Facebook?
MySpace and other sites have always had vanity URLs so what’s the big deal?
Twitter is frustrating with the overflow of annoying celebrities on it. We still use it, but this calls for a rant.
MGG 016 Special Report: Results Are In for TheMacMommy[ 13 min 37 s | 9.38 MB ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (45)
Is TheMacMommy having a Girl or a Boy? Find out by listening to this Special Report from Moms Gone Geek.
Listener Feedback Requested
We want to talk Baby Stuff 2.0 so give us your feedback and let us know your ideas and tips for all things baby in the digital age. Leave us a comment here or contact us via email.
More than 80 percent of executive and corporate recruiters turn to the Web to research job candidates, and 43 percent say they have turned down a job seeker because of information they found, according to a study released August 2008 by ExecuNet, an online social network for business professionals.
Hiring managers are increasingly using social networking Web sites to research potential employees. A survey of 3,100 employers released by www.careerbuilder.com showed 21 percent of managers searched for job candidates on sites such as MySpace and Facebook in 2008; only 11 percent did so in 2006. Another 9 percent said they planned to start using social networking sites in the hiring process.
The study also revealed that 34 percent of managers screening candidates on social networking sites reported finding information that caused them to not hire the candidate. The top reasons included information posted about alcohol and drug use (41 percent), inappropriate photographs (40 percent) and poor communication skills (29 percent).
But some experts in the field of social networking and online job search believe this survey understates the current trend. While the Careerbuilder survey is less than six months old, the exponential growth of Web sites similar to Facebook makes them an attractive destination for managers and Human Resource professionals.
“The recent case of Michael Phelps shows that students need to be mindful of what they put or allow to be put on Web sites in their name,” said Jim Brasfield, professor and chairman of the WU Management Department. “A good rule might be don’t put anything on Facebook that you would not want to read on the front page of the local newspaper.”
Naomi recently went to Word Camp Mid-Atlantic. In this show we discuss our experiences attending un-conferences and what you can do to be prepared when going to a PodCamp, BarCamp or any number of social events. We share tips, tools and networking resources to help you enjoy your camping adventures so you can focus on maximizing the learning and fun. Find out where Naomi will be next!
Check out the out-takes at the end for fun.
Preparation Tips
sign up and register accounts for services well in advance
become familiar with the user interface ahead of time
Packing List – Bring It
a comfortable bag for carrying all of your tech is essential
laptop
laptop charger
spare battery
power strip
camera
extra batteries
battery recharger
video camera
video camera charger
USB cables – wrapped neatly
pillow to sit on
business cards
snacks or beverage (check event details to see if food & drink will be provided)
Just a quick note for our readers and listeners. All 5 of them. ;)
We’re working hard to edit and produce old episodes of Moms Gone Geek that have been sitting on ice for the past several months. We’re getting very close to releasing all of the audio. As soon as our Libsyn bandwidth is renewed we’ll be uploading the audio files and they should show up in iTunes soon after that.
We’ll be making announcements on Twitter, on this blog, our own blogs — wherever we can to get the word out that Moms Gone Geek is getting back on track!
Pose, smile and say, “upload!” In this episode we discuss sharing photos online and give you some resources, tips and tricks for managing all of that data! There are so many choices for sharing your photos with friends and loved ones. We discuss our favorite services, apps and sites as well as what like or don’t like about them. So get your cameras ready for this edition of Moms Gone Geek: Pose Smile Upload.
- Think about what you should or shouldn’t share
- Which type are you? Do you manage your photo data manually or do you use a photo manager?
- Look for and be sure to consider privacy settings
- Fun things to do: tag people in facebook or tag areas of photos in facebook and on flickr
- Consider adding details now rather than later if you can
- Use the comments sections in iPhoto and Picasa or on Flickr
Haven’t tried getting prints from Picasa using their printing services, but if someone has, please let us know. They offer even more printing services now. On the list is: Photoworks, Shutterfly, Snapfish and Walgreens photo.
One thing to remember when using Picasa Web Albums is that when you upload your photos, you have a choice of which resolution to choose. Normally you might use the “faster upload” setting, but if you know you or family members might want to get prints made from your albums, you might want to invest a little longer of an upload time and choose the higher setting.
Most every Mac user’s favorite is PhotoBooth also included free on the Mac. The new Leopard version also makes movies. All kids love playing with this one. The photo are not good for printing, but for quick sharing online, it’s great and loads of fun.
iPhone, BlackBerry, G1, HTC Magic, Sidekick, T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, Verizon; How does one decide on what phone to get and what carrier to choose? Will TheMacMommy stick with Sprint? Find out why DigitalFanGirl is talking about dumping her beloved BlackBerry. We discuss it all in this episode of Moms Gone Geek.
Melissa was a guest co-host for tonight’s episode of Tech Moms Talk over on BlogTalk Radio. It was a lot of fun filling in for Lucretia Pruitt@GeekMommy and chatting with Monica Brady@MommyBrain about kids, technology, education, online safety, and our roles as geek parents. You can hear the audio using the embedded player on this post. Click the play button to hear our discussion.
Here is the link to tonight’s Tech Moms Talk Show where you can listen, download or subscribe in iTunes. Tune in to Tech Moms Talklive every Tuesday Evening at 6:30PM PT / 9:30PM ET
Tech support for your family and friends – do you love it or dread it? On this episode we try to give you some tips for dealing with the seemingly daunting task of being the resident techie to your friends and family. Listen to the tools and techniques we’ve used that have saved us from the migraine meds.
Make a list of goals or tasks to be accomplished and stay focused on completing those goals
It’s easy to get distracted, keep pen and paper handy for taking notes. Make the person a cheat sheet that covers what you reviewed so they can refer to it when they get stuck
Reassure the person that you’ll review it first and then have them try it themselves till they are comfortable with the lesson
Exercise patience! Do not condescend but tailor instructions to the individual’s learning style. If you’re not sure what their learning style is, ask them about it
Use Google Docs to collaborate
Try to draw visual analogies between familiar concepts like commonly used icons on different electronics
Are you a Mom who has gone the way of the geek? Are you friends with a geeky mom or aunt? Do you support geeky parents? Then come join us and let us know you’re out there!
We’re back from a temporary hiatus and we can’t wait to bring you our mix of tips, tricks, how-tos, and reviews on a regular basis. On this show, we re-introduce ourselves to our audience. We also talk about what kinds of tech we have in our lives. We take a trip down memory lane and explain how the three of us came together to record the podcast.
Check out our Ning page where you can join the Moms Gone Geek Community!
Do you read the Terms of Service contracts for each and every service for which you sign up? Do you just click accept and hope for the best? In this episode we discuss the Facebook TOS change debacle and why it’s so important to know your rights and be aware of how your content could be used. We delve deep into the TOS agreements for popular services and try to break it down for you. Melissa does an in-depth review of Plaxo. Naomi discusses Flickr. Tony talks about ISPs.
Recently, many in the blogosphere were all a buzz about Facebook changing their terms of service – and then back again. Why such a fuss? How does their terms of service differ from other SocMed services out there? How do you feel about it? What is in store for Facebook and other Social Media services? Better yet, what’s in store for YOU?
Is a Home Media Center right for you? Is your TV ready for the Digital Transition? Are YOU ready? Moms Gone Geek discusses alternatives to cable TV, Mac Mini or desktop PC versus the Apple TV, resolution, hardware required, and other details we ponder when thinking about replacing traditional TV with streaming internet and digital content. This episode has out-takes at the end.
Examples of Home Media Centers
HP Media Center
Apple TV
Western Digital
Cutting the Cord (instead of coax cable, use free internet TV and content for entertainment)
Using Amazon.com and the Universal Wish List service, you can make life easier by adding a Universal Wish List Button to your web browser’s bookmarks bar. Just one click and you can add items from websites that are NOT on Amazon.com to do price comparisons.
A bookmark bar just wouldn’t be a bookmark bar without one of these gems! Make it easier for family and friends to view your wish list by adding a button to your blog or website that gives visitors one-click access to your public Wish List. Click the button to the left while viewing your Wish List that says “Tell people about this list.” Just copy and paste the code to your site.
Hear us discuss our concerns, opinions and experiences on how we strive to create balance in our online social lives while staying connected and tuned in to our children and families. Moms Gone Geek chats about favorite social networking services and compare how we use those services; what is worth the time and what is not.Tony’s favorites include: Facebook and Twitter. Naomi’s favorites include: Facebook, Ning, DigitalFanGirl, Flickr and Twitter. Melissa’s favorites include: Twitter, Facebook, and Seesmic. Her complete list can be found here. We all agree we like to use Facebook primarily for family and close friends we know well and that Tumblr is a good integrated aggregator for your blog and twitter updates.
How do you create balance in your social life online?
There are many benefits to creating and maintaining relationships online. Melissa regales how she met her husband and made some quality friendships online that transferred into “meatspace.”
How does social networking affect our kids?
It’s next to impossible to know everything your kids are doing every minute, but the key is in establishing guidelines and building trust. Use a common area and set boundaries when it comes to kids’ screen time.Naomi discusses how her teenage daughters use social networking services and how they keep the lines of communication open.
Moms Gone Geek is a multi-media resource on technology from a mom's point of view. Co-hosts and comrades share their views and experiences on the latest consumer business technologies to infiltrate their respective homes and lives.
August 10th, 2009 | 
We’re gettin’ goo-goo geeky-ga-ga talking about technologies surrounding birth and parenting. It’s fascinating thinking about how far technology has advanced in this area of our lives — or hasn’t in some cases. We’ve gone from polaroid pictures to online web albums; from paper journals to websites and blogs. We’re curious to know what it was like when you were having kids? What kinds of tech was available for new moms and moms giving birth 10, 20 or 30 yrs ago? We want to know what was something you thought revolutionary for its time? It’s all about Baby 2.0 Tech and how we’re ga ga for baby gear — all this week on Moms Gone Geek.
