Category: Guides

  • Communication Alternatives: Voice vs. Text

    Communication Alternatives: Voice vs. Text

    Forms of communication come in all types of technology. There are computers, cell phones, landlines, “telephones” made of tin cans and twine, and, of course, actual face-to-face talking. While each method holds its own unique traits, they all allow us to talk, listen, and create conversations. But as gadgets continue to advance, these virtual interactions…

  • My first month with the Nintendo Wii U

    The launch day for the new Nintendo Wii U saw my wife and I rush out to buy one like excited children. As committed Nintendo fans we had waited eagerly for our chance, and we were lucky enough to find one in the first shop we visited. With time off work booked in advance, specifically…

  • Get back into comics with comiXology

    Growing up, I was never a big comic book fan, partly due to limited options. The small towns I lived in didn’t have comic book stores, so I would only occasionally get a copy of X-Men or Batman at one of the local gas stations when they happened to have them. The writing and stories…

  • Great PBS Kids apps for your preschooler

    In this guide, I’ll show you some great apps for iOS published by PBS Kids. These are all winners and based on current PBS Kids shows. Some are free while others are not. PBS Kids Video I have to start with a great free app called PBS Kids Video. This app requires an internet connection,…

  • How to rip DVDs to your iPad

    Watching movies or TV episodes is probably one of the top things most people do with the iPad. You can rent or purchase movies through iTunes, but what if you want to watch a DVD on your iPad that you already own? You can convert your existing movies into a file format that is iPad friendly.There…

  • Manage your gift cards with Gyft app

    Manage your gift cards with Gyft app

    Gift cards can be a convenient gift for the holidays, but who likes carrying around all those useless, environmentally unfriendly plastic rectangles? Certainly not me, which is why the free application Gyft is perfect, an application that not only aggregates our gift cards, but allows us to buy and gift others with gift cards from a variety of major…

  • The last missing iPad feature: pressure sensitivity

    Every time a new iPad (or any Apple device) is released, people ask, “What can Apple do better?” This often happens within 30 seconds of the new product announcement. With the iPad people are usually expecting a thinner and lighter device, a better camera, a faster processor, and possibly better speakers. Nothing too spectacular or…

  • Holiday Gift Guide 2012: What the Kids Want Edition

    Sometimes, kids can be the worst people to buy for.  Because of their constant exposure to the media and marketing, their desires and wants change from one fad to another almost instantaneously and always at the most inopportune time.  Of course, one can always go the route of buying them clothes (they grow up so…

  • How to create Instagram-style photos without Instagram

    Instagram is a sinking ship. Don’t worry, I don’t mean that Instagram is going anywhere. After their $1 billion acquisition from Facebook (well, it ended up being more like $741 million after Facebook’s stock price tanked), they don’t have much to worry about anymore. Now that Instagram is financially secure and under the protective wing…

  • Holiday Gift Guide 2012: Creativity and Digital Artist Edition

    When I am not writing I am an art teacher and an illustrator, and I am always looking for cool toys to help me with my artwork. Here’s a few that I have tried that could make great gifts for the creative person in your family. Wacom Input Tablets One of the best investments I…