I remember reading about Smart Homes years ago—prototypes of things that haven't yet (and perhaps never will) come to pass. One of the coolest things I read about was the ability to control your electronics from a handheld device, as well as have motion-sensor activation and notification just as easily. This may sound cheesy, but . . .the future is now! Have you checked out the capabilities of the WeMo Home Automation products? There are so many cool things you can do with the WeMo system, ...
back to school
My Devices Deserve a Smart Wireless Home Network
They work hard, they're loyal, and (because I chose them) they're awesome—my devices deserve the Linksys EA6900 Smart Wi-Fi Router. I get the best cases and covers for them—make sure they're dust-free, so this is just the next logical step in making sure my devices know that I care about them. About 10 minutes ago something exciting started—I initialized the set-up of my new Smart Wi-Fi Router. Yes, it only took that long to get everything connected, and test that it was all working (as ...
Top Home Office Essentials for Bloggers
Beautiful and useful—two reasons that I like to keep my Belkin Messenger Bag around my home office—at the ready for blogging on the go. Whether you're blogging from home or blogging from elsewhere. . .there are certain things that every blogger needs for their office. While I do most of my writing from home, I do like to treat myself to a coffee once in awhile and get some concentrated time to focus on getting things done without distractions. I have been lucky enough to take my blogging career ...
Fight Those Winter Blues with a Light Therapy Alarm Clock from Philips
Waking up to the sound of birds chirping and bright daylight is pretty sweet. Actually, looking at the picture below is making me feel more awake and cheerful. The Philips HF3520 Wake Up Light is exactly what I've been needing to wake up much more naturally (without an annoying beeping noise). Sure, it's an alarm clock, but it's also a light therapy device. You can choose how gradually the sunlight will appear - up to 40 minutes. ...
Adventures in Learning – Knowledge Encyclopedia #DKCanada
When I was younger, it was hard for me to figure out what I "wanted to be when I grow up"—since I loved reading books on a variety of subjects. The DK Canada Smithsonian Knowledge Book lets me pursues my interests in a quick and visually stimulating way. Because so many of the subjects and area of study are interlinked, having a book like this one makes it simple to switch from subject to subject. Looking at the space section and suddenly wonder about space exploration history - flip to that ...
Getting Organized with this RedBubble Calendar
Sure, I have digital calendars—on my iPad, on my cell phone, on my laptop. . .but I have to open up those programs to see what's going on on a particular day. As organized as I think I am, and with how much time I spend on my computer, I like having paper calendars to look at. I often forget what date it is, so I need to glance at a calendar on my wall to quickly be made aware. I wanted a calendar to put on my wall in my home office area of my apartment, but most calendars start in January. What ...
How to Organize your Home for Back to School
It is that time of year again. Summer is almost over and the kids are getting ready to go back to school. Many parents just focus on the kid’s rooms and play rooms when it comes to getting ready for back to school. However, back to school affects the whole house so here are some great organizing tips on how to go about organizing your home for back to school. ...
Back to School Adventures and Lifelong Learning
I associate back-to-school time with lockers, textbooks and combination locks. I'm re-living my school day memories with the Master Lock Digital Combination Lock I received. I don't know about you, but every time I went back to school after winter or spring break, I had the hardest time trying to remember my locker password. I'd stand at my locker, with my hand on the lock trying to see if I could remember the direction and maybe the full combination would come to me. Apparently, it's quite ...
Caseable iPad Custom Case Review
My iPad has been pretty happy lately—the new case from Caseable has sure made it look amazing. The case has a woodsy print on the outside with white inside and a little pocket for notes or other paper that you need to take with you. ...
ZAGGsparq 2.0 Portable Battery Charger Travel USB Review
After a long flight or drive, the first thing I do when I go to a hotel room is to take out all of my devices and start plugging them in to be charged. Of course, with limited plugs available at most hotels, it's always a struggle to figure out which items I'll need to prioritize charging. Does this happen to you, too? I usually end up choosing to plug in my laptop because I can't use it on its own, but that leaves my phone, camera, iPad and e-book reader vulnerable to being without battery ...