There are certain things you just have to do every year: Get your teeth cleaned. Change the oil in your car. Put fresh batteries in your smoke detectors. Run a security check-up on your Facebook account.

Wait, what?

That’s right, as your online life evolves, your cyber security risks grow too. But there are tools right at your fingertips that can help maintain some semblance of privacy — if you know where to find them.

Privacy Checkup

There are now 1.49 billion monthly active users on Facebook, with the average person in America spending nearly 30 hours a month hanging out on this particular site. If you haven’t gone through Facebook’s Privacy Checkup lately (or ever), this is a must-do now.

Click on the little lock symbol at the upper right hand corner of your Facebook feed. Privacy Checkup should be at the top of the drop down menu, with a little blue dinosaur right next to it. When you click on that, it walks you through the top three tools to manage who sees what via your posts, apps, and profile.

Posts: Manage What You Share

Starting with your posts, take control of everything you share when you post. You can set this to public, only friends, specific groups, or tailor it for each post if you want to get that specific.

This is important when you want to share certain photos, videos, or updates with some people, but not others. For example, I let the whole world see what I’m up to for work, but keep photos of my family more private, posting those just to closer friends. Those beer-bong championships in college? Keep that between you and your buddies, rather than something a potential boss stumbles across in a quick Google search.

Apps: Don’t Let Them Run Rampant

When you’re finished there, the Privacy Checkup tool leads you to into the apps section where you can see every app you’ve linked to your Facebook account, and manage what information you share with each app. This is huge.

More than 80% of the top 100 grossing Android and iOS apps now let you login with your Facebook account. This includes the biggies like Spotify, Pinterest, Airbnb, Etsy, Nike+ Running, and more.

Using your Facebook account to log in or sign up for new apps can save a ton of time and it’s often the most secure way to go since Facebook’s sky-high usage and engagement means much tighter and better security safeguards compared to the little guys.  But the caveat for that convenience and added caution used to mean sharing a collection of your personal information with those other apps, and even allowing them to post to your feed on your behalf. That’s no longer the case.

You can now edit who sees each app you use, what information you share with that app, if any at all, whether you want an app like Candy Crush to let the world know you’re playing it right now, and delete the apps you no longer use. When I did this recently, my apps were a hot mess. Some don’t even exist anymore. It’s good to let that old app baggage go.

Profile: Don’t Be An Easy Target

Next comes your profile. This is where to take even more caution of what you’re sharing with the general public. If someone Google’s your name, anywhere in the world, do you really want your phone number popping up? I don’t. Take a second to review some of the info on your profile and who you’re sharing it with. You can get really specific here, sharing your profile information with specific people such as your boss or parents, but not some ex-boyfriend who creeps you out.

One of the easiest ways for someone to hack your online life is by finding out your obvious data, such as your address, email, birthdate, and all that stuff we typically don’t share with strangers worldwide. This should not be information you’re just offering up to anyone.

Security Checkup

The Privacy Checkup tool has been out for a full year now, and just a few weeks ago, Facebook followed up with another new tool they’re calling the Security Checkup. It also calls-out the most important security features on your Facebook account and let’s you manage them quickly and easily in one place.

Logging Out: You Don’t Need to Be in Five Places at Once

This checkup starts with figuring out where — and on exactly what devices —  you’re currently logged into your Facebook account. For example, I know I’m logged in to Facebook on my laptop, iPhone, and iPad. But when I ran the Security Checkup, I also saw that I was still logged in from my parents computer, another tablet and an older phone that I’ve since given to other people in my family. You don’t want to stay logged-in to a device that’s not in your control, so this is an easy fix. Just checking the box next to each location you want to leave and click “Log Out of All.” No matter where in the world those computers are, everyone but you will lose access to your account in a moment flat.

Login Alerts: Be the First in the Know

Now that you’ve cleaned up where you’re logged in, the next step with Security Checkup is to opt in to Login Alerts. This is where you turn on the automated notifications from Facebook that tell you when someone’s trying to get into your account from a new device or location. If it’s you, you just ignore it, but if it’s not you, and someone’s trying to hack your account, you can shut it down instantly. Follow the prompts for “manage your alerts,” to choose how you’d like Facebook to get in touch. This can be email (the default method), or by text message if you’d added a contact number to your account. Once you turn alerts on, you’ll be able to save a list of trusted browsers and recognized devices. That way, Facebook won’t pester you if you use them again in the future.

Password: Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe

Last stop on your security tour involves your password — which should be the first word you think of when you hear someone use “internet” and “security” in the same sentence. Your password’s “strength,” or how difficult it is for a human or computer to guess it, is more important than how often you change it.

To beef up your password, make sure you’re using something unique, not the same password for every app, email, bank account, and place that you visit online. Don’t use “password,” “123456,” or something easy to guess such as your pet’s name or street you live on — especially if that information is easy to find on your public profile or posts. If you’re having remembering twenty different passwords, make sure to try out services such as 1Password, RoboForm or DashLane. Also, it’s not hot to share your password with friends or significant others. Like your social security number or the memory of what you did that one night in Vegas, there are some things that you and only you should know.
With those two checkups, you are a whole lot more locked down that you were before, and you probably learned a little something along the way. It’s great to do this annually, and since October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this is a good as a time as any to pencil it in. Remember, it’s fun to share things about yourself online with friends and family, and with just a little bit of effort, privacy and security with social media doesn’t have to be an oxymoron. Don’t be scared. Be smart.

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Posted in Connected Kids, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, In The Press, TechNow, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news, What The Tech

Most moms I know deserve a medal. But this Mother’s Day, anything totally awesome will do just fine. A homemade card. You cleaning the bathroom. A gorgeous gadget that will keep her connected with you. Here’s a veritable bouquet of the best fresh tech gifts for all kinds of moms.

START EVERY DAY WITH GORGEOUS FLOWERS

Here’s a way to let your mom wake up to fresh flowers every day of the year. The limited edition Soundfreaq Sound Rise Flower Freaq ($80) is a super modern wireless speaker, high-tech alarm clock and USB charging station bathed in a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers. Super Mom of seven — Cortney Novogratz — designed this with her business partner husband, Robert, specifically for Mother’s Day. The whole package says fun, hip, artsy and super cool. Anything that can help her manage her brood with such style, gets a huge thumbs-up from me!

FOR THE CHIEF MEMORY OFFICER MOM

Moms are often the “Chief Memory Officers” of the family. These days that means a little less scrapbooking and a little more iPhone Camera Roll organization. You can gift Mom peace of mind with this modern 1TB Vivint Space Monkey Drive ($150 for the drive plus $50 subscription). It automatically backs up photos the second she takes them on the hard drive and to the cloud. When she needs to make more space on her phone, two taps makes sure they’re safely stored, then deletes them off her phone. She can back up more than 300,000 photos and access them right from the Space Money App any time she wants to take a trip down Memory Lane.

While Space Monkey works its magic at home, the teeny-tiny 128GB Sandisk iXpand Flash Drive ($149) is small enough to slip into a purse or pocket and still hold all the photos, videos and documents near and dear to Mom’s heart. It plugs directly into an iPhone or iPad and can automatically back up an epic amount of information: 3 million documents, 50,000 photos, 18,000 videos or two years’ worth of music (played 24/7 for all 730 days). The real beauty of this device for busy moms: no more running out of space on her smartphone and missing the moment her child scores a goal. (Not that I would know about that personally or anything … cough … cough.)

Even with all these great gadgets to secure, store and save our most prized memories, there are days when we have to print out a photo right away. The new Polaroid Zip Instant Mobile Printer ($130) makes that a snap. The palm-sized printer uses Bluetoothto connect with your mobile device and prints out your favorite photos in less than a minute. It’s just like an old Polaroid, but it works with a smartphone! You don’t even have to wave the 2 x 3 print in the wind to get the picture to appear or worry about smudging it because it uses Zink zero-ink printing. There’s also peel-off backing on the prints, so you can turn them into stickers. I am in love with this gadget!

THE GADGET GRANDMAS GO GAGA OVER

Since I’m completely stuck on photos this year, let me add one more — the first Wi-Fi digital photo frame designed with complete non-techies in mind. (Hint: This is what I’m getting my own mom and mother-in-law!) With the Pigeon Frame ($119 ), you can send photos and videos straight to the digital display from an app on your smartphone. The magnetic frame displays the pictures from you, your kids or your siblings and has speakers to play video. Once it’s hooked up to Wi-Fi, you or your mom won’t have to be friends on Facebook to share photos anymore. My own daughter is very happy about that.

BLING IT ON

The Misfit Shine got a glam upgrade with the Misfit Swarovski Shine ($149, preorder). The activity tracker snaps right into the reversible crystal pendant or pairs with a bracelet. Nothing about it looks too fitness-y or techy, so it’s perfect for ladies who are not afraid of some glam. The Shine pairs with the Misfit app to log your sleep, food, weight and physical activity. Oh, and it’s solar powered, so she won’t have to worry about charging it. This is hands-down my No. 1 pick this year.

If Mom wants to track her notifications more than her fitness, Ringly ($195) is another great way to go. This statement bauble blinks and vibrates discreetly in unique ways for each different kind of notification. It looks like a stylish ring, but it’s actually a classy way for Mom to know what’s happening without staring at her phone.

HELP HER TAKE A LOAD OFF

A lot of moms tell me what they want most is a little help around the house this Mother’s Day. If you live in a major city such as San Francisco or Chicago, start-up Homejoy will help you book a certified cleaning pro in a few clicks, for as low as $25 per hour. Just tell them how many bedrooms and bathrooms, and someone can do it while you take Mom out to brunch. If Homejoy doesn’t service her city, check outAmazon Home Services. It recently teamed up with TaskRabbit and other professionals to offer everything from in-home deep cleaning to DIY furniture assembly and everything in between.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted in Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, TechNow

For parents, Spring Break is just a dry run for summer. Do you have enough activities to keep the kids occupied — in a guilt-free way — or will you have to end up at the public pool every single day? Will you be able to run errands without going absolutely nuts? If you load up your smartphone or tablet with these apps, you may just spare yourself some tantrums … from yourself and your kid.

For Ages 0-2

If you’re a parent of a newborn, you may think that putting your kid in front of an iPad is Bad Parenting 101, but with simple apps built just for little babes you can give them a few minutes of the same kind of stimulation they get from other toys — without having to bring a suitcase full of of them wherever you go.

1. Baby’s Musical Hands: Did all of that Baby Bach pay off? Is your baby showing signs of being the next musical prodigy? Do you want them to? Baby’s Musical Hands doesn’t require that your baby be a prodigy, but it may stimulate them right to the preschool spotlight. Your little one just taps on colored squares in three colors. Each color makes a different instrument sound and as your baby taps, not only do they play a symphony (probably one only a mother could love), but they leave trails of stars on the screen so it’s still fun when muted. The app is available on Android and iOS.

2. Baby Bubbles: There’s a line in the movie Knocked Up that rings true for any parent, “I wish I loved anything as much as my kids love bubbles.” Paul Rudd was spot on, which is what makes this app so brilliant. Bubbles come up from the bottom of the screen, and your baby pops them with a pleasant satisfaction of a “pop” noise. It’s kind of like Fruit Ninja without the sense of urgency or samurai swords. The app is available on on iOS for free.

For ages 2-5

There called the Terrible Twos for a reason. While your kid is enduring misunderstood years of toddler-hood, there will be moments when you want to entertain them with something that’s not TV. These apps will help them get interactive.

3. Vine Kids: There’s something that’s already so infantile about Vine. Super short videos. Easy laughs. But having your kids play with Vine is putting them within swipe’s reach of seeing something very NSFW. Vine’s solution is Vine Kids. Every video is kid-friendly cartoon or video and kids can swipe left or right to see new Vines. When they tap on the screen, they’ll hear fun noises. The app is available on iOS.

4. Disney Color and Play: Back in my day, the only way to bring our coloring book drawings to life was to make them into paper dolls. Are paper dolls still a thing? Anyway, this app from Disney works with pages from the Disney Color and Play Coloring Book. After they color a character in the book, they hover the app over their picture and watch the character come to life on screen. The app features characters from Sofia the First, Big Hero 6, Doc McStuffins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It’s available on iOS.

Ages 5-7

Too old for alphabet apps, but too young for Words With Friends? Here are some more options that will occupy your kid’s mind while also dropping some knowledge.

5. Toca Nature: I’m not sure why more adult games don’t look like this. Compared to Farmville, this is a digital masterpiece. In this fanciful pastel-colored forest, your kids build and explore with no points to be won. They can plant things and watch them grow while they create new climates for new creatures. The best part is that it’s so zen, your kids won’t get too hyped up or frustrated. The app is available on iOS for $3.

6. YouTube Kids: Children’s videos on YouTube is where the real viral action is at because kids will watch the same video over and over and over again. YouTube tapped into the kids market with their new kids app that features a collection of videos for little ones. From Sesame Street and Yo Gabba Gabba to puppet videos and train videos, your kids can surf through a simple interface with large icons and you can chill out knowing that all of the videos are okay for kids. The app is available on iOS andAndroid for free.

7. Brainzy Math and Reading Program: If you want to keep your kids learning outside the classroom, this is one of the funnest ways to do it. The program comes with 300 games and 50 songs and stories made by the people at Education.com. The games are silly enough to be fun, with the learning parts snuck in there. You can even check out your what your kid’s been up to on the Progress Dashboard. The app is availablevia any Chrome, Firefox or Safari browser for $4/month.

For Ages 7-10

These may be the final, precious years before your little ones becomes a Vine star or an Instagram master. Here are the apps that will keep them young.

8. Masterpiece for Osmo: This app/gadget will make your coloring book collection look like old news. Just snap the Osmo device onto your iPad and download the app, then your kids can take photos of people or objects and the app will change the picture into lines so it’s easy for them to trace. They trace the image on paper and as they draw, the image is filled in on screen. They can color, print and send their own artwork by themselves and before you know it, you’re raising the next Van Gogh. The app is available on iOS for free, the Osmo gadget package is $79.

9. Epic! If you can’t dish out money for all of the magazine subscriptions and books that your kids wants, this digital library is a great solution. From National Geographic Kids to Batman Vs Catwoman, they can flip through thousands of ebooks and earn badges the more that they read. If your kids are a little younger, you can choose from the read-to-me selection of narrated books instead. Your kids can rate their favorites and the app will make selections of what to read next. The app is available on iOS for free orright in your browser.

10. Dumb Ways to Die: This is one for the older kids, but this game is really clever, funny and has a really eye-catching design. It’s your simple task-based game taking your kid on new challenges to avoid uncertain cartoonish death. It’s a fun, light-hearted alternative to super graphic shoot-em-ups for your more mature kids. It’s available for free on iTunes and Android.

Full Disclosure:

***Disney has sponsored a small portion of production fees for video appearing on this blog site.***

SPONSORED POST GUIDELINES: Articles that are denoted “sponsored by” an advertiser cover topics that serve the goals of the advertiser, *but are not dictated, reviewed, or edited* by said advertiser. The editorial content therein is developed independently and does not contain opinion or marketing content from the advertiser.

Posted in Connected Kids, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, Sponsored

**I wrote this as a sponsored guest post for WorldMate and it originally appeared on their blog site.**

The best travelers are totally organized. They have their itineraries at their fingertips, like magic, and know exactly where they have to be when, every step of the way. And then, there’s me. I forget to check-in early, lose important information – like my flight number – and have even shown up at the wrong airport on the wrong day. I could blame it on mommy-brain or on being blonde, but the truth is, I’m frazzled and busy and tired – just like a lot of people traveling these days. I just need a little extra help from time to time. Or a clone.

You know that movie with George Clooney where he travels all the time, Up in the Air? That’s kind of my life, minus the grim-reaper firing people part. I travel an average of 10,000 miles a month for work as an on-air consumer technology contributor for USA Today, the Today Show, CNN, Meredith Vieira, and many others. Sounds glamorous, right? Ha!

As you may very well know, traveling for work is often downright brutal. I’m a mom first and foremost – which means that I try to make work and travel have zero impact on my family. I’ll take the red-eye to New York, appear on a show, and fly back to San Francisco that same day (unless I accidentally go to LaGuardia instead of JFK – been there, done that). Or, I’ll do 30 appearances in five cities in three days. I’m also a small business owner, so I have to run a tight ship – keep on top of everything and try to keep costs down. I not only try to find the best travel deals, but I make all my own arrangements. Nope, no assistants. Just me and modern technology … juggling it all. I like to think of myself as a Road Warrior Rockstar. (That’s what I secretly call myself to weather anything that comes my way up in the air, or on the road. Don’t judge, it helps, it really does.)

What tools do I use to stay (mostly) sane on the go? Here’s a quick list of what’s on my smartphone or in my bookmarks bar right this very second:
· I love using Hopper to predict the best time to snag a flight deal. It analyzes billions of airfares daily to sniff-out a price drop – then alerts you so that you can grab it.

· For a small fee, site Options Away basically lets you put a flight on hold. You can lock in an airfare as much as three weeks ahead of when you actually buy the ticket. Then, if the price drops, you automatically get the cheaper faire.

· For booking that trip of a lifetime, I like Zyppos – an online sight where registered experts (aka travel hackers) help you find the perfect flight, best itinerary, and lowest fare – all in exchange for a $20-$40 finder’s fee/reward.

· GateGuru always leads me right to the closest XpresSpa so that I can get a quick neck massage before jumping on the plane.

· And for traveling like a local, there’s Localeur. It solicits advice from the people who know a place best – the locals – to find awesomely authentic places to go, where to eat, and fun things to do.

And of course, there’s WorldMate. You already knew that I was going to say that because why else would they let me rant about all my travel on their blog – right? Yep, it’s true, I actually can’t imagine how I could travel so much without it. I use it to automatically organize all my flights, hotels, car rentals, meetings, and every other pesky trip detail into one single itinerary. I also rely on the abundance of other tools within the app as well, including exclusive hotel deals and car rental offers, integrated weather forecasts, local hot-spot searches, flight schedules lookup, and even social integration with LinkedIn. It’s this kind of technology that lets me navigate my always-changing, chaotic, challenging, and downright frenetic travel schedule – so that I still have time left to be hands-on mom, successful businesswoman, Road Warrior Rockstar, and generally cool human (in my own mind at least).

You’ve read this far? Well then you get a big fat reward. WorldMate is giving the first 50 readers who email them a free GOLD membership – just for reading this blog post. Email jennifergavemegold@worldmate.com with “yes,” then download the app, and you’ll be on your way to become a Travel Warrior Rockstar too. Or you can give yourself your own fierce name. Either way, it’s a cool tool that you’ve just gotten for the price of reading this post. Happy Travels!
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Be sure to follow me @JenniferJolly on Twitter.

Posted in Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, Sponsored, Tips & Tricks

I know it might not feel like it where you live — but Spring is right around the corner — and with it comes the perfect time to clean up, clear out, and de-clutter your favorite go-to gadgets. Here are a handful of top tips to tidy up your tech:

1. Free up space on your smartphone

Smartphones fill-up fast with all our photos, videos, games, music, apps — and all of that overflowing information slows your phone, and your life, down. It can even cost you big bucks, according to electronics trade-in company NextWorth, which reports that trying to keep your entire digital life on your device often “forces you to buy the larger version of your chosen smartphone or pay extra to back it up.” No thanks.

One easy way to deal with that digital deluge is to back it up to the cloud. By saving to iCloud, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Dropbox (among others), you’re giving yourself instant insurance that all your files are backed up if you lose or break your phone, and that you’re not clogging up connected life with a bunch of extra junk. You can also back up to a hard drive or right to your computer, but I like the cloud because I can still access to all my important data anytime, from any device. Setup is simple, typically accessible right through your settings menu or through an app like Dropbox.

But is the cloud safe? If you’re worried about security in the wake of that Hollywood nudey photo breach, it might be comforting to know that the popular cloud storage services like Google Drive and OneDrive encrypt files as they pass between your device and the cloud servers, so you really don’t need to worry about some creeper peeping at your photos as they zip down the information superhighway. Be sure to use two-step authentication if possible, create a complicated password (not 1,2,3,4 or your pets name), and enable a tool like Find My iPhone to wipe your device clean if it does fall into the wrong hands.

If you’re so fed up that you want to kill your phone, you can always do a factory reset after you’ve backed it up. That wipes out all of your personal data, apps, contacts, and everything else that you’ve crammed onto it since you brought it home from the store. But, this is a desperate measure, so it should be your last resort.

2. Put your start screen to work for you

If it takes you more than a few seconds or taps to find exactly what you need when you need it, you’re wasting your precious time. Organizing your start screen is simple and won’t take more than 10 minutes or so. The trick is to put the apps and tools that you use every single day on the home screen — and nothing else. Move all related apps or tiles into groups and name it something that makes sense to you, such as “everyday,” “fitness,” “shopping,” and so on. Some people create file names based on actions such as “learn,” “listen,” “watch,” “share.” That’s a good way to do it as well. The key is to figure out what works best for you. Move your most important groups to the far left, where they’re always visible. Move games and less important apps on your device to a second or third page. Take a few minutes every couple months to delete apps you don’t use anymore, and organize or re-arrange the ones you do. You’ll be amazed how much this helps your overall productivity.

3. Clean up cord chaos

It happens to all of us — messy wires, tangled chargers, and completely cluttered cords. There are a dozen simple fixes for this, starting with wireless charging plates and docks. I’ve just reviewed the Nokia DT-903 ($59), which is a colorful and powerful new version of Qi charger for Lumia phones. These kinds of charging plates have been around for a handful of years already, but the DT-903 kicks things up a notch with LEDs that let you know if when you’re getting an incoming message or alert. I’m also a big fan of several of the Quirky cord management tools like the Converge ($59.99) dock and Cordies ($4.99) organizer. Poppin ($30) makes another great hideaway cord box. I’ve also used dresser drawer organizers that I picked up at Bed Bath & Beyond to organize all my different chargers as well.

4. Disinfect your gross gadgets
You might have heard, your smartphone is bacteria-magnet. One recent study shows the average cellphone often carries 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats. Gross, but true. (And to think you put it up to your face how many times a day?!)

There are a ton of wireless wipes available to disinfect and clean your phone, but if you want to save money, using a little water and alcohol or water and vinegar mixture sprayed onto a microfiber cloth can do the trick as well.

I also just reviewed a new kickstarter-funded product called the UviCube ($199 via Kickstarter, $299 retail). It’s a new breed of appliance that can safely sanitize all your electronic gear with high-intensity ultraviolet light. It’s kind of like a mini dishwasher, minus the heat and water, for your go-to gadgets. It was originally created to sanitize baby bottles, but the makers figured out that also spiffs up remote controls, keyboards, tablets, and smartphones — effectively killing 99.9 percent of germs — without damaging any sensitive electronic components. It’s expensive now, since it’s brand new, but expect to see more and more of these kinds of supertech scrubbers popping up for gadget loving germaphobes over the new few years.

5. Clean up clutter on your computer

If your computer is crawling along at a snail’s pace, stuck on the spinning wheel of death, now’s the time to wipe out the digital dust bunnies. The first thing to do is stop putting off updates that might be critical to keeping your computer safe and sound. If you’ve been pressing “remind me tomorrow” on software or app update notifications for weeks at a time, that might be your biggest problem. Updates often fix bug or holes in security, productivity, and the overall health your programs.

Now then, what else is slowing your computer down? When’s the last time you dumped your trash? Do that now. Are you completely clogged with duplicate or junk files, or even worse, malware or viruses? That’s the next thing to check. With a Mac, you can use a free tool such as Avast, or Sophos Antivirus for Mac. For Windows, try Malwarebytes, BitDefender Free Edition, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool and SuperAntiSpyware. CCleaner is another good download that works with both Windows and Mac to clear out temp files and free up space on your laptop or desktop.

Typically when I run these scans, I have a massive mess of duplicate files. Just cleaning those up frees up tons of space and makes everything run faster right away. But, before you start wiping stuff out, back it up. Consider buying that external hard drive or added online cloud storage space and upload your old files, then delete them from your laptop or desktop to create more space.

Fresh and clean
You don’t need to wait to dig out from under snow or freezing temps to get a head-start on clearing the cobwebs from your connected life. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below.
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Posted in Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, TechNow, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news

Does what you wear on the mountain make a difference in your ability – especially if your just a once or twice a year skier in general? What’s come out in the last two years that’s blowing everyone away? We find out, in a Tech Now coming up.

Posted in Connected Kids, Digital Parenting, Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow, TechStyled, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news, What The Tech

*Sponsored Post*

It’s late. Or early, depending how you look at it. It’s edging up on two o’clock in the morning and I’m just now finally getting ready to close my laptop and my eyes for a few hours after three days of non-stop TV appearances in three different time zones across the country. It’s that time of year, when I offer up gadget gift guides far and wide, delivering advice on what to buy for every budget and everyone in the family. As soon as I finish this round of deadlines, it will be time to reflect over tech trends of the year past, and take a turn with the crystal-ball forecast of what’s in store for innovations next year. And somewhere, in the middle of all of this holiday madness, there’s me.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want this Christmas. As someone who goes hands-on with just about every tech gadget invented at some point, there’s not a lot that I want for when it comes to “stuff.” I, like so many super hard working moms (and dads) I know, would give just about anything for more time in the day, more moments of peace and pure bliss with my daughter and husband. More quiet, disconnected hours. A real vacation. But this year, there’s something I actually want to do for myself. It’s something that I’ve put on the bottom of my bucket list for too many years to count. I want to fix my teeth.

My bottom teeth are crowded in the front and they’ve ached for a good 20-years (about the time I stopped wearing my retainers from my high school metal-mouth braces). They’re not crazy crooked, and because of that, I’ve actually felt self-conscious and guilty about getting them fixed. I’ve also never been able to swallow the idea of spending $3,000-$5,000 on myself for something that isn’t life threatening. I’m sure a lot of moms feel this way. There’s college to pay for afterall, how could I spend so much on myself?

I did a story that included Invisalign* clear aligners as a high-tech alternative to traditional braces last fall, and they’ve been there in the back of my mind ever since. Many insurance plans pay around 50% of the cost. I can use my flexible spending health savings accounts for Invisalign treatment, and make my money go farther with pre-tax dollars. I even found a local orthodontist that offers financing for around $100 per month. Hmmmm. Why not wear a set of nearly-invisible braces for a few months? The trays are clear, would slip right over my teeth, and fix up the trouble in no time. Why not?

It sounds crazy, but I would love to start another year rocking a sparkling straight smile with teeth that don’t ache so often. So the next time I file a selfie-blog post like this one, all tired and all … hopefully I’ll be updating you on my newest review: Invisalign clear aligners.

*Disclosure: I’ve partnered up with Invisalign clear aligners brand, but all opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Posted in Girlfriend's Guide, Sponsored, TechStyled

Posted in Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, Health & Fitness, TechNow, TechStyled

Posted in Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechStyled

Every day is a Super Bowl for new gadgets at USA Today.com. Be sure to let us know about your game day best.
From USA Today’s Tech Now with Jennifer Jolly:
Click here to watch video:
Game Winning Gadgets

With temperatures so cold “cops yell ‘thaw!’ when chasing bad guys,” and “you’re thankful for hot flashes,” the best place to get your game on this Sunday Bowl Sunday might just be right in your own home. But before you cuddle up with a basket of chicken wings (did you know that Americans will eat some 1.25 BILLION this weekend?!), here are the top game-winning gadgets to keep you basking in glory all year long:Photo courtesy: Logitech

1.Logitech Harmony Remote
Juggling a hand full of remotes every time you want to change the channel or turn up the volume is like fumbling the kickoff. The Logitech Harmony Ultimate ($349) universal remote is that opening play you need, akin to scoring touchdown on the opening drive. The backlit touchscreen is easy to use to control every aspect of your home entertainment center, including pairing with Philips Hue light bulbs to set the ultimate mood. It’s also completely customizable, and lets anyone in the house turn their smartphone into personal universal remote, including 50 favorite channel icons and one-touch activity control.
2. Jawbone Big Jambox
When it comes to sound, why not go big or go home? The Jawbone Big Jambox ($299) has 15 hours of battery life and also manages to be a lot louder than its modest footprint would suggest, making it perfect for listening to the big game. You can connect Big Jambox to your tablet, smartphone, or computer via Bluetooth to listen to music or live game commentary, or even plug it into your portable television with a 3.5mm jack to even more sound.Funflicks large screen for parties.
3. New HDTV — Sales All Around
Hopefully you already have a superb set to catch all of the action, but if you don’t you can rent a giant movie screen from funflicks.com.

This is also a great week to score a great deal on a new TV. Amazon has Sony and Samsung HDTV’s for a $1,000 off — while Target and Best Buy have a 60-inch Vizio E-series running about $800. Costco is offering a deal on a high-end Samsung 75-inch LED TV. At $2,500, it’s not cheap by any means, but it’s about $200 less than anywhere else.
4. Coleman RoadTrip Grill LXE
Now, for the fun stuff. Food and drinks. You can’t have a proper tailgate-esque party without burgers and barbecue, so you’ll need a grill that’s easy to roll out or carry along to your Super Bowl celebration, no matter where it is. The Coleman RoadTrip LXE ($179) is powered by propane and folds up for easy transport, all while providing enough cooking space — 285 square inches — for all of your grilling needs.
5. Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker by WeMo
Okay, this is just a tease, because Belkin’s WeMo Crock-Pot Slow Cooker (available Spring of 2014 for $99.99) isn’t on the market quite yet. Still, start planning for next year’s party now with this Crock-Pot that lets you change the cooking time, set a reminder, and check on your dish — all from your smartphone. Foodini 3D Printer
6. Foodini 3D Food Printer
If you can’t be bothered to cook — at all — there’s a new 3D food printer that will soon be on the market as well. Just load the Foodini (available mid-2014 for around $1400) with capsules filled with fresh ingredients and out comes printed cheeseburgers, raviolis, chicken nuggets – even a sort of gourmet version of nacho’s. This printer doesn’t actually cook the food for you, so you will have to that yourself. Still, a gadget that preps your food for you? Score!Beer Cooling Rods
7. Chillsner Beer Cooling Rods
No one likes warm beer — unless that’s going to be some weird new trend that takes hold in the sub-zero weather expected at this year’s uber-frigid Super Bowl venue — but you’ll be super hot if you show up to a party with these Chillsner beer cooling rods ($29.95). Just freeze the rods and then drop them into a bottle of beer — they fit most 12 ounce bottles — for an icy cold brew. Seriously cool. Photo: Roddy Blelloch
8. Remote Controlled Rolling Beverage Cooler
Have a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out)? Then don’t get up to get a cold one, rely on this remote controlled rolling beverage cooler from Hammacher Schlemmer ($59.95) to save the day. This little beer-bot carries a six pack with style, rolling across a patio, rug, or kitchen floor to deliver a well-timed beverage to parched party guests. The radio remote’s simple controls send the cooler forward, backward, and left or right.
9. Grillbot
Once the Super Bowl is over, you’re left with the unfortunate task of cleanup. But why not turn to some high-tech help? The Grillbot ($119) is, as its name implies, a robot that scrubs down your grill — so you can save your energy for next football season.
10. Moneual Rydis Robot Vacuum+Mop
Even better than the halftime show, and maybe even some of the commercials, is this new Moneual Rydis H67 Hybrid Robot Vacuum Cleaner ($399). I took this little baby for a test drive in my own home recently, and it swept the competition when it came to pet hair, crushed tortilla chips, and even avoiding my rambunctious cat who likes to play aggrssive games of chicken.
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Posted in Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news