The Flip is Dead: Long Live PlayTouch!

I won a Kodak PlayTouch off of a TravelingMom.com Twitter Party.  I'm not sure how, but showing up was a big part of it.  They give away great swag. When I first used it -- before I won it -- at the TravelingMom.com conference at Disney World in Orlando, I didn't really understand why it was so great. Now that I own it, it took me about five minutes total to figure it out.  It's super easy to use.  I've been using my new camera, which is sort of like Kodak's version of the Flip, on my recent travels.

When I was skiing in Schweitzer, I would just whip it out of my pocket on the slopes and the buttons were big enough that my frozen hands (after taking off my gloves to operate the camera), could maneuver.

There's something about the touch of this camera (hence the name?) that I really like.  I like that it's... vertical.  I know that's hard to appreciate when reading online, but I would encourage people who are buying new cameras not only to do online research, but also to go into a store and touch the camera.  How does it feel?  Is the interface easy for you to use?  What about transferring your photos after you get back to your computer?  This is just as important as price and theorizing about important features.

One of the best things about the camera, that seemed trivial when I first saw it, is that it has a USB connection built in.  How many times have you had to search for the cable to your camera to download your photos?  That annoyance is gone with the Kodak Playtouch.

I will say that I wish the LCD screen was bigger, but it's not a deal-killer for me.  Still shots are just so-so, but hey, it's a pure consumer camera.  This camera is for the video equivalent of snapshots -- and the video part is great.

How to Sync Your Data: Android, Gmail, Cloud Computing

Until about three months ago, I used an iPhone, even though my desktop is a PC. I would sync everything through Outlook -- connected with a wire. Problem was, if I forgot to sync at my desk, I would be without some important information on certain days. I also got an out-of-my-home office. Remembering to sync all of my tasks/notes/calendar items started to become crucial. If I forgot, it became a real problem.

By means of some goading from my husband, I made the switch to Gmail as my primary source of email/calendar/tasks/notes/life. I did not change my email address: I just got a gmail account and had my existing email pop into that account. I could answer my emails from either the new gmail or the existing account.

Now, the good stuff: because I've switched entirely from Outlook (Calendar, notes, tasks, email), I have all my information in real time, synched anywhere I go. Because all of my information lives in the cloud, I no longer depend on getting back to my desktop so that my phone/notebook/desktop all have the same information. They just do, because I'm doing everything with Google.

I used to be as sharp as a tack. I'm a little duller now (I blame the kids). I would like to take as many duties off my plate as possible. By having my data live in the cloud, it's one less thing I have to think about.

Admittedly, the Google package is not as elegant as Outlook: getting graphics on signatures is less than easy, the calendar doesn't have color coding like Outlook and the tasks are surprisingly awkward. Still, they all work and only take a little getting used to. I have augmented some of the things that are lacking by picking up anEvernote and a Reqall account, to manage Notes and Tasks, respectively on my computer as well as my phone.

I just got a flashy new Android G2 phone, very geeked out, still easy to use. When I switched from my old Android Phone to this new one, I didn't have to load in my information. All I did was tell it my gmail account and brilliantly, it was all there. Because it lives in the cloud. (Are you still confused about this "cloud"? Clickhere.)

If you travel, or even if you have both home and work offices, this is the way to go. Let me rephrase that: this is the way you will eventually go, so you might as well start testing out the waters. You could also have your documents live either on Google Docs or on Evernote.

You want more reasons to abandon your current tools:

• Outlook is very difficult to back up, especially as your data grows. What would happen if you lose your archived emails?
• Yahoo mail gets hacked a LOT, not to mention it's very ad-centric (yes, Google survives on ads, but not in your email, like Yahoo)
• MobileMe is extremely buggy, as of this writing. My's husband's IT service business struggles on a daily basis with its clients' issues with their MobileMe accounts.
• Gmail search engine is quite robust in finding archived emails
• Gmail has its own hardware: The Android Phone -- this means that the software and the hardware are meant to work together and there are added fluencies if you are on gmail and use the android
• Android phones are much less expensive than iPhones and have the same apps -- the app issue is over.

If you take away anything from this blog, I would hope it's this: DUMP OUTLOOK/yahoo/mobileme/hotmail and get on the Gmail package.  (Google does not pay me. But listen up Google: I'm not above getting paid.)

Never be without your information again!

ESRB: Choose the Right Video Game For Your Child

Do your children play video games.  Does a Hawaiian vacay sound perfect right around now?

Although I am the tech tips traveling mom, I am loathe to spend an extra two seconds even talking about video games with my 7 year old son.  Nothing interests me less.

But here's the reality:I have to get interested (very soon!) because there will be a lot more tension in our house if this boy doesn't get some video games.  And I don't want him going to the neighbor's house for video games because I have no idea what they're playing over there.  I'd rather have him play a game we can pick out together.  Yes, it's a dialogue -- even with a 7 year old.

So, I can do all of the research I want to, but when I'm in the store with him, I need a quick education. If I'm on the fence about buying him a game, I need some answers -- fast.  Can't rely on a 7 year old to tell me what's appropriate for him with regard to a video game, right?

The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) has had a mobile app since 2008, but it just got a lot easier to use with photo recognition software.  I just take a photo of the box of the game and it connects me to a ratings summary.  NOT reviews, just whether or not this game will be appropriate for my kid.

Of course the box has a rating already on it, but if I care more about mature content than foul language, I might not care if the rating is high solely because of language.  The ESRB rating explains why each game got its rating.  This is crucial information.

The app is free, easy to use and... just get it while you're reading this and thinking about it.  You'll forget later.  Takes 2 minutes.

Ski Lake Tahoe for Mother's Day!

This year, there has been such an incredible amount of snow that skiing and snowboarding at Squaw Valley continues through May 30! Skiing in California in May is astounding. I like to plan for Mother's Day. Squaw Creek Resort in Lake Tahoe is offering The Momentous Mother's Day Escape!

Wake Up Call: Alarm Clock App For the Android!

To paraphrase Aretha: I have never loved a phone the way I, I love my Android. I like having an alarm better than setting up an appointment ("wake up") on my calendar.  More reassuring.  Can't trust the hotel wake up call 100%, am I right?  In the Android Market, I like twofree alarm apps.  I'll tell you which one I like best:

Alarm Clock Xtreme!  Because all alarm clocks should be extreme, right?  Anyway, the reason I like it is because I can choose songs from my playlists on my phone to wake me up.  OR, I could (and I tested this), record my voice saying "Wake up Elizabeth!"  Not that I want to wake up that way, but knowing I could wake up to just about anything makes me feel very powerful.

I also like AlarmDroid, which has some snazzy features whereby you shake the phone to go to snooze.  It has a power nap mode so that you can set the alarm to go off in 1 hour and 12 minutes and 5 seconds -- if you can't deal with figuring out the time, I guess.  It also let's you record your voice and stuff like that.  Why is this one number 2 in my book?  Honestly, who can remember?  As I write and play with this version, I'm liking it more than Xtreme.

It's FREE!  Get both.

There are paid versions of these apps as well, but you really have to geek out to care.  I just want it to work.  And they do.