Tag Archives: cellphone

Why Kids and Smartphones Don’t Mix

No one said using a smartphone is a sure-fire way to avoid making stupid mistakes. I’ve covered the not-so wonderful side of technology in previous posts.  However, this latest gem goes beyond falling down manholes or setting expensive texting records. If you are a parent, you now have another reason to safeguard your smartphone when your kids are around. Paul Stoute is living proof that protecting your cellphone from little fingers is one of the smartest parenting moves you can make. The Oregon dad is the new owner of a vintage car, thanks to his toddler daughter’s cellphone skills. Or, … Continue reading →

How to Have Even More Fun at Disneyland and Disney World

On average how many minutes do you spend strolling around Disneyland or Disney World trying to track down costumed characters to pose with your children for what could the family snapshot of the year? Ten minutes, 20, 30? I once went four hours walking through every land in the California amusement park before finally hooking up with Minnie Mouse on Main Street. These types of frustrating experiences may be a thing of the past thanks to a new partnership between the Walt Disney Co. and Verizon Wireless. The two mega-companies recently announced that they have reached a multiyear deal to … Continue reading →

Cellphone Movie Festival

I realize that half the world’s population owns a cellphone, but I never thought that statistic would result in the creation of cellphone movie festivals. The event debuted in France in 2005, but this year marks the first time Japan is hosting a version of the festival. The Pocket Films Festival, which organizers call a “groundbreaking event” in the nation, marks yet another use for the omnipresent portable tech device. I’m used to people using their phones to make calls, exchange e-mail, surf the Internet, read novels and navigate miniature digital maps, but to shoot legitimate movies… now I’ve heard … Continue reading →

Awesome Innovations: “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?”

How many times have you seen an infomercial for a product that seemed so practical, so innovative that you found yourself asking (out loud): “Why didn’t I think of that?” I had one of those moments when I heard about the newest umbrella headed to a store near you. It’s called the Ambient Umbrella, and it’s being billed as the world’s first umbrella that alerts users when rain is expected. Hold on! It’s a bit more advanced than that. According to its designer, the Ambient Umbrella automatically receives weather data from a national weather service and when precipitation is expected … Continue reading →

The Quest For Peace and Quiet

How many times has your family vacation been interrupted by the incessant ringing of your cellphone? What about that weekend trip that was meant to be alone time for you and your spouse… how many times was the peace and quiet shattered by an alert from your husband’s BlackBerry or cellphone? If you answered “many,” then you are clearly not vacationing in the right place. Believe it or not, there are places you can vacation that don’t allow you to reach out and touch anyone with a wireless device. Take for example, California’s Death Valley. Seriously, the place is 3,000 … Continue reading →

High Tech Stress

Have you ever been in a position where you have not been able to check your email when you wanted to? How did it make you feel? Did you break out in a cold sweat? What about the last time you couldn’t use your cellphone? Did your head start to ache? Did your body start to tremble? If you answered “yes,” you may have a dependency issue with your electronic devices. In a previous blog I listed some of the physical symptoms people who have dependency issues with high-tech gadgets suffer from, but that’s just one area of your health … Continue reading →

Say So Long To Parking Tickets

How many times have you had to pay the price because you didn’t make it back to the meter before the parking attendant could slap a ticket on your windshield? The dreaded yellow slip (it’s yellow in my state)–it burns your eyes when you see it from across the street and it burns a hole in your wallet when it’s time to pay up. I despise getting parking tickets, which is why I was elated to hear that a company has come up with a new system that allows you to park-and-pay-by-cellphone. You pull up, dial a number, punch in … Continue reading →

A Thief-Proof “Screaming” Cellphone

Save your voice. If your cellphone is snatched by a thief it will do the screaming for you. A new service launched yesterday is designed to deter cellphone theft by equipping mobile phones with an ear-piercing scream. Better yet, the screaming won’t stop unless the battery is removed. If you have ever had your cellphone snatched you know what an incredible invention this is. You can thank a British cellphone manufacturer called Sychronica for the new technology. According to their website, the company develops and markets synchronization and device management solutions for mobile operators, device manufacturers, and enterprises. Which of … Continue reading →

Pop Culture and Religion—Part 2

In my previous blog: “Pop Culture and Religion—Part 1” I discussed the news that a major Hollywood movie studio was planning to mass-market family friendly Christian themed movies. If you thought that was earth-shattering news (hey, you don’t hear the words “family friendly” being tossed around the entertainment world everyday), wait to you hear what is happening in South Africa. According to news reports, in an attempt to modernize scriptures, South African Christians seeking a quick spiritual boost will soon be able to download the entire bible on to their cellphones. (Nothing like having the Bible at your fingertips.) The … Continue reading →

A Place To Turn ON Your Cellphones… And Let Them Ring, Ring, Ring

You are told to turn off your cellphone ringer in church, in the movie theater, and in courtrooms. But now, a venue where you would expect the same rule to apply is actually encouraging you to let your phone ring. It’s a unique concert where the cellphone takes center stage. Not only can your cellphone ring—it should. Chicago newspapers are reporting that U.S. jazz composer David Baker is encouraging people to use their phones during the debut performance of “Concertino for Cellular Phones and Orchestra” that will open the 20th anniversary season of the Chicago Sinfonietta classical music festival next … Continue reading →