Do you tell your kids they have to call you as soon as they arrive somewhere? Do you ever wish you had known a good friend was nearby at noon time, so you could have had lunch together? Or perhaps, you're wondering where your Aunt Tilda is, she should have arrived a half an hour ago, but you hate to call her while she's driving? If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then maybe you'd be interested in one of the location sharing services that are now available.  These services are perm... Read Full Story

For many people voice calling is not a primary method of communication on their cell phone. Text messaging is their preferred mode. For these individuals, it makes no sense to pay fees for voice services they seldom or never used.  The options for text or data only plans are somewhat limited but growing. This page will cover most of what's out there to help you in your search.   Photo by ydhsu. Read Full Story

So you (or a loved one) want a camcorder this Christmas, how do you decide which one is best? Best is kind of an elusive idea, but in general if you assess the needs of the person or how they will use the device most often, then that should guide your decision making process. For example, camcorders clearly come in a variety of formats. Some store infomation on a hard drive, some on miniDV tapes, some on DVDs, and some on flash memory. Flash memory camcorders tend to be the most por... Read Full Story

Streaming movies over the internet directly to your television has been a reality for only a short time really. Netflix for instance,  can be accessed via a handful of set top boxes, such as the Roku, a number of BluRay players, and Tivo. Last year, the Xbox 360 also became an option and now, Netflix has announced that PlayStation 3 consoles can give you this feature as well. That is of course, if you contact Netflix for the necessary disc. The game consoles will hopefully add the necess... Read Full Story

Raise your hand if you prefer text messaging to voice calling. There are probably quite a few under 30's out there who qualify as well as a number of busy business professionals. Recently, while I was on the hunt for good text only plans, of which there are a few, I found a very handy device that had slipped under my radar.  The Peek Pronto is not a cell phone. It's a small device with the primary talents of e-mail and text messaging. It gives users up to 5 e-mail accounts and unlimited ... Read Full Story

Adults enjoy music, kids love it. Music brings a smile to a baby and comforts them at bedtime, pre-schoolers love to dance, and school age kids enjoy their favorite tunes and sharing them with friends.  A kid's MP3 player is a perfect gift for these reasons.  Learn a bit about selecting a good MP3 player for a kid of any age, consider the risks and how to counteract them, and the shop for that player on this page.   Graphic illustration by: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²... Read Full Story

A few days ago I blogged a bit about looking at the numbers closely when trying to compare prepaid cell phone plans. Looking at the potential existence of a daily access fee in addition to the per minute fee is obviously important. In my investigation into plans, I also found that some of these services offer special deals that can significantly shift they way things look as far as who provides the most affordable service. As an example, I found that Tracfone per minute costs, altho... Read Full Story

Before selecting a prepaid cell phone service, you have to do quite a bit of research of course.  Looking at coverage and pricing as compared to your usage are the two most critical things.  I've tried to summarize the basic costs on a page I put together on the topic of prepaid cell phones to help in making those comparisons.  However, the numbers certainly don't tell the entire story. As a consumer myself, I'm always concerned with how happy I'll be with the service. Wil... Read Full Story

My husband, like many American men, loves beef. Not long after we met years ago, I made my first meal for him. It was beef stroganoff. Now, many years later, he still requests this dish periodically. This particular beef stroganoff has a bit more of a tomato flavor than many and is treasured in my home because the meat is consistently tender. I like it because it's preparation is easier and quicker than many others and the meat in particular is very simple to handle as it's cut up only a... Read Full Story

Kids can have a lot of fun with a camera or camcorder.  For the youngest kids, you want to be sure the device is easy to handle. Luckily there are lots of specially designed camcorders and digital cameras for kids. (Polaroid Pixie's and so forth)  For kids that are just a bit older (school age) then an affordable camera with greater photography or videography skills is usually warranted however. The pocket camcorders that have proliferated on the market are one option for those hopi... Read Full Story