Computers – Family Tech

When I was first discussing a review opportunity with Cisco, I mentioned that I probably wasn’t the best person to try out their new Cisco Valet, which is touting itself as the easiest home wireless setup ever. Since I would already know exactly what I was doing when setting up the router, I couldn’t be a very good job at figuring out how “easy” it was to set up. What I approached Cisco with was a “home wireless makeover” for a local friend of mine so I could see if one of my non-techie friends could figure it out all on their own. They were definitely on board!

I approached my friend Katie, who actually didn’t even have a wireless network in her home at all. Just the thought of that is shocking to me, since I’ve had Wi-Fi for a VERY long time. She is a stay at home mom to 2 small boys (toddler and a preschooler!). She has no idea what she is doing when it comes to technology and computers. She even told me that her husband asked her if she wanted any pointers before I came over so she could at least have a little bit of tech smarts before we got started. She kindly refused, as she knew that this was all part of the experiment.

When she opened the box, she asked me if this was all there was. I told her to tell me if that was all there was. She knew right then that there would be no help coming from me on this setup. Right on the box top it says exactly what the first three steps are, which are plug the Easy Setup USB Key into the computer and click “Connect”. Once she did that the Cisco Connect software told her to plug the router into the wall for power, and then plug the “internet” cord into the “internet” port on the router. After that step was done it told her to plug the cable in from the router to the computer. She thought she had already done this and so we continued.

At first the software couldn’t find the router. So I peeked in the back and noticed that while she had plugged the cord into the router, she forgot to put the other end in the computer. I had her attach that cord to the computer and the software was able to find the router, and before we knew it the router was securely set up and she was connected to the internet! As she was looking at the Cisco Connect software she even said “Oh wow, this thing has Parental Controls?… Cool!”

Our next step was to get their laptop connected to the network. She took the Easy Setup USB Key and plugged it into the laptop. Again she clicked connect from the USB Key. The computer found the network and connected itself to it, and was up and running on the internet literally in seconds.

I checked out the network, and it’s secure. It created a unique SSID (the name you see when you are trying to connect to a nearby network) so that it doesn’t say “Katie’s Network” or something to that effect. It generated a password for the router, so it’s not the standard username: admin, password: password. This way anyone trying to get on her network wouldn’t be able to connect to the router’s administration page without knowing it’s unique password.

So, I’m happy to say that the “Easy Wireless Setup” truly lived up to the hype. This stay at home Mom was able to figure the whole thing out with little to no help from me or her husband! I will be talking more about what a quality router can do for your home network tomorrow in my review of the Linksys E3000 (also made by Cisco).

Cisco was not only kind enough to provide me with a router to give a friend, but they have given me one to give away right here on my blog as well! To enter to win a Cisco Valet, simply leave a comment on this post. As always only one entry is allowed per person. Giveaway will close at 8 PM MST on October 24th. Good LUCK!

*Thank you to my friend Katie who put her technical skills (or lack thereof) on the line to help me with this review.

Sarah Kimmel

Sarah Kimmel is a digital parenting coach and family tech expert. She has spent the last 16 years of her career as a Microsoft Certified IT Manager supporting over 100 small businesses. During that time she started Family Tech LLC to help families understand and manage the technology in their home. She has regularly appeared as a family tech expert on KSL News, BYUtv and Studio 5, and has been invited all over the world from tech companies like Lenovo, Verizon, Microsoft, Dell, and Samsung. Find out more on her website SarahKimmel.com

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Since I wasn’t the right candidate to review the Cisco Valet, Cisco also decided to send me a router that was more up my alley. Enter the Linksys E3000 (also made by Cisco). I was so excited when this came in the mail. Our previous router was also a Linksys, and it was still working perfectly, despite being a few years old.

I plugged in the router, and was really amazed at how easy the initial setup was. I put the CD in my computer and it connected to the router and configured a secure network with a unique SSID (again the word you see when searching for networks to connect to on your wireless laptop). Since I’m a more advanced user though, I immediately went to the web interface of the router to configure the network to MY specifications.

I logged on to the web interface, and was very familiar with it already as it was quite similar to our old router’s web interface. The first thing I do when configuring a new network is change the Subnet. This is the IP address range of the network. So typically it will default to 192.168.0.1. The network will then follow suit and assign IP addresses (the unique identifier to each device on your network) according to that range, so the first device on the network would be 192.168.0.100, then 192.168.0.101. I like to change the range to make the network more secure, and to make sure it won’t conflict with other networks when I try to connect to a VPN (Virtual Private Network, which means I’m adding my computer to a network at my place of business even though the computer is still at my house).

After I change the subnet, I change the administrator password, and then I changed the SSID because while I love that they gave me a network name of SillyMonkey, I would rather have something different. I set up everything exactly the way I wanted to, and then is when I ran into trouble.

The router defaults to having a guest network enabled. Not that I don’t love my neighbors, but I wasn’t interested in handing out internet to my street. So I went to turn off the guest network. You can not do this from the web interface. I remembered seeing it in the Cisco Connect software, so I went to that. Except now I was no longer able to get into the Cisco Connect software because I had changed too many things in the advanced configuration. This is a major flaw in the setup. If the setting is not available in the Advanced Web interface, and I can ONLY set it in the software, I should be able to access the software to set it. OR I should be able to change the setting in the advanced area. I informed my contact at Cisco that this was a major flaw, and they informed me that they were aware of the issue, and were working on a fix for it. I did, however, find a workaround on the internet (that is probably not the most recommended way to go, but it totally got me in).

Linksys E3000 Turn Off Guest Access after Advanced Setup…

(this is for advanced users only who will no doubt find this post when searching Google for a solution)
Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Cisco Systems\Cisco Connect\Settings (on a Windows 7 machine) right click on “settings.xml” and edit it in a notepad. Change the SSID, WirelessPassword & Admin Password to whatever you set yours to in your advanced setup.
Save the file and you should be able to get back into the Cisco Connect software to turn off the Guest Network.

Now onto what the router does well! First, before I plugged the router in, I downloaded the latest Pink album from my Zune Software. It took 4 minutes for the entire album. THEN I plugged the router in, and got it all set up. I deleted the album from my computer and then downloaded the Clean Version of the album (that way it wasn’t the exact same download, but it would have the exact same file sizes. I downloaded again… this time it took 2 1/2 minutes! A FULL minute and a half quicker!

The E3000 has SIX internal antennas. My previous router looked like an alien head with 2 antennas sticking out of the top. The device itself looks GORGEOUS, and easily blends into the furniture so it’s not completely obvious that there is a router there. We have several devices connected to this router including… Wii, PS3, Xbox, DirecTV, 4 (yes, even the 1 year old has his own computer, none of which are wired with a cord to the internet), and my daughter’s Blu-Ray player in her room, on the complete other side of the house and upstairs from the router. All of the devices connected easily to the new router, and all have seen an internet performance increase.

I have been very happy with the E3000, and it works perfectly for the amount of traffic we send it’s way. Don’t forget to enter the Cisco Valet giveaway!

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

I know you’ve heard me say it over and over again. You KNOW you have to backup your computer. Hardware fails every single day, and if you don’t have a plan in place to backup your computer you are just asking to lose all of your pictures/videos/documents etc! I prefer backing up to an external hard drive. I currently use a Western Digital Passport. Online backups (to me) take too long, and I don’t like the idea that I have to be online to restore. What if my internet is down when I need to restore my files? What if something gets corrupted in the transfer? I just prefer to have my backups with me at all times. Here are some of my “best practices” for having a good backup at all times.

Do NOT leave your external hard drive plugged into your computer at all times, or plugged into power at all times. Typically an external hard drive has the same kinds of parts as your internal hard drive. It’s just in a nice plastic casing to protect it. Would you leave your PC turned on ALL the time, even when you are sleeping? There is a reason that PC’s have a sleep or hibernate setting. You want to rest your hard drive, and the rest of the pieces of your computer from time to time. You wouldn’t leave your car running at all times either, right? So it is with an external hard drive. If it is constantly plugged in, it is constantly spinning the disk inside. that takes power and causes wear and tear on the internal parts. An external hard drive running in this manner will fail sooner than later. Best practice is to plug in the hard drive during the backup. When the backup is complete then unplug and store it in a safe place.

Offsite backups. Companies do this, and you may not have to be super crazy about it, since it’s just your personal data, but a good idea is to have your backup stored in a place that can’t be damaged when your home gets damaged. Two good places for this is to either store your backup at a friends house, or in your car. If you are getting out of the house during a fire, you may not remember to grab your hard drive. So to save you the hassle, backup to two different hard drives. Store one near your computer for easy file retrievals (say you accidentally deleted that file you’ve been working on for months, luckily your backup is there to save you), and store the other one in the car or at your friend’s house.

Come back tomorrow for the rest of the best practices for backing up your computer!

Western Digital was kind enough to give me an external hard driveto use with my review. It’s ultra portable, and can hold up to a TB of data (that’s 1,000 GB). My backup transferred to the hard drive lickity split and it’s a sleek black and blends in nicely with my desktop. I hardly know it’s there! They also offered to give two of my readers a 500 GB Passport! To enter to win the external hard drive simply leave a comment on this post. As always, only one entry per person. Giveaway will end on Sunday November 21st. Again there will be 2 winners!

Sarah Kimmel

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I absolutely hate being limited to the area of a mouse pad. I have a glass desk though, so I had to use a mouse pad. That is until I received the Logitech Performance Mouse MX. This mouse has Darkfield Laser Tracking, which enables the mouse to track, even on glass surfaces. Microsoft’s mouses can’t even do that yet! Not only does it track on my glass desk surface it has tons of other great features!

First the ergonomic design of it makes it very comfortable to use. There was a time a few years ago that a few of my fingers were twitching. I found that after I switched to a Logitech mouse, they stopped. This was because the design of the mouse allowed my hand to be positioned naturally instead of twisting to conform to the mouse.

At first my husband did not like the mouse. The center scroll wheel in particular. I on the other hand LOVED this feature, but what we found was that it was easily turned on and off. They way I like the center scroll wheel is the free flowing scroll. This means with one little flick of my finger it will scroll itself automatically to the bottom of the page, unless I stop the wheel with my finger. This feature is incredible for forums, amazon.com pages, wikipedia, and other long web pages. The button directly underneath the scroll wheel is what will toggle the feature off, and the scroll wheel will track down the page one “click” at a time.

The mouse has a removable, rechargeable battery. This is great, because a while back my old Logitech mouse stopped holding a charge. Next time I can just replace the battery instead of the entire mouse. Recharging is also a piece of cake. When I first got the mouse I was a bit disappointed, since my old mouse had a docking station that would charge it. I was disappointed until the first time I had to charge this mouse. It’s a simple cord that plugs in, which just makes it more like a wired mouse. You can still use the mouse when it’s charging, and when it’s finished, you just unplug the cord and your back in wireless action! With my old mouse in it’s little convenient dock, I was unable to use the mouse while it charged. For the record, I consistently get about a week of extremely heavy use before I have to recharge.

My last favorite button/feature on this mouse is the Windows Selector. It’s right by the thumb and when I press it, all of my Windows appear on the screen so I can easily select the screen I need to get to. I remote control computers for work, and there are times when I want to see all the windows on my screen, but don’t want to move my mouse because it will move something on the other person’s screen. When I use this button it helps me get to exactly where I want to be without disturbing the other computer. I also like it a bit better then Window’s Alt-Tab when it’s not the last screen I was viewing that I want to return to.

The little USB key that connects the mouse to the computer is called the Logitech Unifying receiver. This is great especially for laptops and netbooks. It’s very small and can connect several Logitech devices, such as a keyboard, number pad, or even another mouse, without the use of an additional USB key.

Definitely the best mouse I’ve used, and Logitech was kind enough to give me one, and one to give away to one lucky reader! Simply leave a comment on this post to be entered. One entry allowed per person. All the giveaways in my month of giveaways are ending on December 24th. Good luck!

Sarah Kimmel

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Unfortunately there is not a review portion of this post, since I don’t actually have the product… but ooo baby will I be jealous of my winner! Friday I’m posting my review of the Dell Inspiron One, so make sure to check back in for that and the link to enter the giveaway for one of those, which will let you know all the fun features of the Dell Stage. The Dell Stage is loaded on all Dell Touchscreen computers, and has a fantastic paint program, drum kit, and many more things! You’ll find out all about it on Friday. Today though it’s ALL about the Inspiron duo.

The Inspiron duo is a 10″ tablet/netbook. So the device is about the size of the iPad. The device is touchscreen, but flip the screen around and there is a keyboard. I may have mentioned this before, but a friend of mine, who is a huge Apple fanboy and who also has an iPad one day was caught using a Netbook. I asked this friend where his iPad was, and he replied, “sometimes you gotta get some work done”. HA! One of the reasons I believe it’s harder to work on an iPad is that there is no physical keyboard, and you have to rely on “apps” to get the job done. With the Dell duo you have the full power of Windows 7 at your finger tips. It also has the Intel® Atom Processor N550 which gives it great performance.

So the question is… do you prefer a touchscreen or a physical keyboard? Now, with Dell’s new Inspiron duo convertible tablet you don’t have to choose between a touch screen or keyboard, you can have both!

Answer the question of what you prefer (touchscreen or keyboard) in the form of a comment to enter for the chance to win a brand new Dell Inspiron duo with Intel Atom Processor N550. Visit Dell’s Inspiron duo page here, http://dell.to/91zPAJ, and come back and leave a second comment telling us your favorite thing about the product. (each comment will gain you an entry).

I usually don’t do this, but for a THIRD entry into the giveaway you can send the following tweet…

Have you seen the new #Dellduo, the tablet/netbook hybrid! Check it out and enter to win one from @Tech4Moms! http://bit.ly/eUpvgY

Don’t forget to come back and leave a comment about your tweet, or you won’t get credit!

Good luck to all!!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the giveaways for this month. All giveaways will end on December 24th! So get those entries in! (there are 15 total)

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

While at CES my husband and I were walking around the different booths when I saw out of the corner of my eye a gorgeous booth with the Swiss Army Knife logos everywhere…. I thought to myself… “What the heck is Swiss Army doing at CES?” I had to go check it out! Little did I know how much I would like their booth and their products.

So to answer my initial question, apparently Victorinox (the company that makes Swiss Army Knives) has ventured into some awesome technology.

First up is their USB drives! They have these super slim USB drives that come in an assortment of colors. The size on these drives is amazing too! They have 32 GB and 64 GB drives. Plus they have a Duo which has 2 drives (either 2 32’s or 2 64’s). That’s a ton of space to carry around on your keychain!

The security on their drives is incredibly advanced as well. Located on the drive when you plug it in is a secure.exe file. When you run this file you can set up the USB drive for security. When someone else goes to plug the drive into their computer they will not be able to access the files until they enter the correct password. They believe in the security of this device so much that they offered a 250,000 cash prize to anyone able to crack the device in 2 hours, using any method. You can check out the details http://www.victorinox.com/content/news_page/nc_NEW_secure_contest_20101112. The prize money has gone unclaimed 3 times now!

The security software allows you to store various passwords so you always have them with you, and backup your outlook and other data automatically. You know what a fan of backups I am! This way your backup is always close AND secure!

For an added level of security some of their USB drives even have a fingerprint scanner so you can only access your data with your fingerprint!

Then we get to the grand daddy of USB drives… the Presentation Master. When this device becomes available I’ll be doing a full review of it, but here’s the nutshell…

It’s got bluetooth so you can track forward a Powerpoint presentation. It’s got a laser pointer. It’s got the fingerprint scanner to secure your USB drive. It’s got a knife. It’s got scissors. It’s got a nail file! THIS is a Swiss Army USB drive! Beat THAT Leatherman!

*Disclosure – Victorinox was kind enough to put their press kit on one of their Slim USB 32 GB Drives, and so I am now the proud owner of that device, but they did not pay me or compensate me in any way for this post. I just thought it was super cool, and wanted to talk about it.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

For a few days I had been trying to figure out an issue in my home. It was really bugging me, and I just couldn’t pinpoint the source of the problem! I was trying to get my downstairs computer to communicate with my upstairs computer, and namely the printer upstairs. The printer itself is wireless, so there should be no reason the computers couldn’t talk to it. All computers involved had Windows 7, and all computers were on the internet just fine. Each computer could see the wireless router, each computer could see the Xbox and the DirecTV (both of which are plugged directly into the router). Yet, none of them could see each other!

I tried changing which computer was the host for the Homegroup, nada. I tried to find each computer based on their IP address, nada. No matter what I did, all computers could see the router and the internet, but none could see the other computers on the network. If the computer can see the router, and access the internet, the router couldn’t be the problem… could it? The answer was YES! I started researching a new router and came across the Linksys E4200 by Cisco. Admittedly, I drooled a little when I came across it. It looks really gorgeous, it’s thin and black and sleek looking, and would look perfect with all of my other entertainment related hardware.

The router arrived, and I was excited to see if it really was going to fix my network issue in my home. I plugged it in and started to configure it. I had a complaint about an earlier version of the Linksys router, that I was unable to turn off the guest access after I had configured the router using the web interface of it. I’m happy to report that this has been resolved, and the guest access has been added to the web interface. Whenever I get a new router, I change the default IP address of the router. Typically they ship with an IP address of 192.168.1.1. I like to change it so that it doesn’t conflict with other networks, and so it is harder to discover from the outside. I do a different one each time, like 192.168.30.1 or 192.168.35.1. Just whatever I’m feeling. I was able to set everything up exactly the way I wanted to. If you don’t have the extensive networking knowledge that I do, there is a simple CD that you put in your computer and it will set up your network, securely, for you!

So the question on everyone’s mind…. did it fix my networking problem? YES it did! As soon as I got the network all set up, I went back to my computer to see if it was finally able to see the other computers on the network, and especially the printer, which was the whole point to begin with. I was able to see the router, the Xbox, and all those computers that were missing from my network before. I was able to set up my Homegroup in Windows 7, and they are all communicating perfectly!

I had a good router before, so the difference in the internet connection is hard to say. It’s a bit faster, but I’m not blown away by the speed. I’m still able to watch Netflix in HD just fine, and YouTube videos playback quickly without a need for the download to “catch up” with the video.

Another fun thing about the router is that you can plug in an external hard drive. Here is what’s great about that. You can put all of your videos, music, pictures, etc on the external hard drive and plug it into the router. Every computer and device on your network will be able to access your music no matter which computers are turned on. In a normal network, in order to access the music on one computer, it has to be turned on. This way you can save power by not having to keep your desktop computer with all the music files turned on, and just access them all from the router!

As opposed to last time, I really don’t have any complaints about this router. It’s been quietly working for me, AND resolved my issue!

Disclosure: I contacted Cisco to see if they would send me the router to help resolve my issue, and they (thankfully) obliged. So, I was given the router for free, but no other compensation for this post was given, and all opinions and networking issues were my own.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

Thank you to Kingston for sponsoring this review. Please click here to learn more about Kingston. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

As a professional blogger that attends several events and conferences, there is no shortage of USB drives in my home. Most PR companies will place their information and pictures of their products on an easy to transport USB drive. It’s definitely genius for them, as it gives me easy access to their product information. Really though, we are swimming in USB drives. So I was definitely skeptical about yet another USB drive, this one promoting the ACTUAL USB drive.

First, the USB drive itself (the DataTraveler 109) is SUPER teeny tiny. I love that it’s the perfect size to keep right on your keychain and not take over the whole thing. It’s got a convenient circle that is big enough to get it onto your key ring without much trouble. The concern I have when I decide to store a USB drive with my keys is damage to the USB drive. This drive doesn’t have moving parts that break easily, and feels sturdy enough to withstand a beating. It also doesn’t stick out too far from my laptop, so it won’t get in the way as I bring my laptop to each room of the house trying to work and watch the kids at the same time!

The second part of this review is about the software that comes preloaded on the Kingston USB Drives called urDrive. There are 2 main purposes for carrying around a USB drive. First, it is used to transport files from one computer to another. The second reason is so that you can access your important files no matter where you are, or what computer you are using. Having access to these files in any location is one reason cloud computing is gaining such popularity. People are no longer tied to using one computer to accomplish their tasks.

With urDrive you have access to your own little mini computer. There are applications stored within the drive for you to access no matter what applications are already loaded on the computer you plug it into. For example, say we head over to Grandma’s house with the kids. The adults are cleaning up dinner, and the kids are starting to get bored (sometimes Grandma’s don’t have toys readily available). I could pop my Kingston DataTraveler into Grandma’s computer and have my kids sign into our FoozKids account to allow them to play games and browse the web safely (protecting both Grandma’s computer from the kids, and protecting the kids from the internet at Grandma’s house).

There is also a browser so you can sign into your Facebook account without entering your login information into a strange computer. This is perfect for if you take the kids to the library for story time, and you want to either get a little bit of work done, or you want to check your friends Facebook updates.

There are several more apps and games available on urDrive, including free online backup, it’s own picture viewer and music and video player. My only issue with trying to use the programs on urDrive was that either they took a while to load or it kept changing what it wanted from me. I’d double click and nothing would happen, but then I’d right click and it would pull up. Other than that it’s a great little program! You don’t have to be tied to having all of your files and personal information on one computer, you can carry them around wherever you go. For a busy mom, student, or business person, this is definitely a great solution.

Want to win a 5-pack of USB drives from Kingston, with urDrive installed? Simply leave a comment on this post. Only one entry allowed per person. Giveaway will be open until 11/15/2011 at 8 PM MST. Thanks!

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

Looks like the latest cell phone doesn’t it?

Nope. It’s actually the coolest new way to tote around storage my friends.

This is the Kingston Wi-Drive.

It’s a portable hard drive, with w-fi capabilities.

It’s works with the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. The Wi-Drive has 16 or 32 GB of storage, which means it can hold tons of extra photos, videos, music, and more.

The Wi-Drive works with just downloading a simple free app from the App Store, plug it into your computer to add your files, and your good to go.

The Wi-Drive can be used simultaneously with up to three devices, and can work within a 30 foot range of devices.

Still wondering what the heck you would use this for? Let me tell you friends. Ever heard of Air Video? Air video is what we use in our home to stream movies from our computer hard drive to all of our Apple devices. We have an entire hard drive full of movies for kids and adults. With the Air Video app, we can wirelessly stream all of our stored movies on any Apple device in our home. This has come in handy on multiple occasions. For example, when my kids crawl in bed with me before dawn I just pick one of their favorite movies and stream it to my iPhone.

So here’s what that has to do with the W-Drive. The Kingston Wi-Drive is just like Air Video on the go. In the past when we travel I throw on about half a dozen movies on my iPad for the kids, and then my iPad is full. Now I can load up the Wi-Drive with tons more videos and music, and actually have room for a few movies and TV shows for me as well. All I have to do is use the Wi-Drive App, make sure the Kingston Wi-Drive device is within 30 feet, and then the magic happens! My iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone can stream the files where ever I am.

Cool, no?

I tried out the Wi-Drive with 3 different movies on 3 different devices, and it ran perfectly without a single buffer problem. Nice Kingston!

Here’s the downers:

-There are no security settings by default so anyone nearby can connect to the drive. Not a big deal if you are in the car or visiting family away from home. Also not a big deal in public if your kids are watching movies. If you have photo files or music that you want to keep private, it’s something to think about.

-The device is finicky if you want to use it and charge at the same time. Just make sure you turn it on first, let it establish a signal, then plug it in to charge and continue using.

-3 hours was about the max I got out of the Wi-Drive while streaming to multiple devices. I would love to see it make it to at least 6. I do however love that the LED light changes color letting you know how much battery life is left. Green, fully charged. Orange, half way. Red, it’s time to plug in.

-This device does create an unauthorized WiFi access on an airplane. Check with your stewardess before using it in the air.

Overall, we have been very happy with the Wi-Drive and I really look forward to future traveling with it.

The 16 GB Wi-Drive retails for $100 , and the 32 GB retails for $177 here. Check Amazon though, prices seem to be much better there.

Thanks Kingston for letting me try out the 16GB Wi-Drive! Though the device was given to me to try out, I was not financially compensated for this post, and the opinions are all mine. I was also not financially compensated for traveling with my children, an act that in itself is often not worth any form of financial compensation.

Natalie Wright

Natalie Wright is a contributing writer at Organized Mom and Tech4Moms. You can also find her DIY blog online at natalme.com.

www.natalme.com/

A few weeks back, my awesome friends at Dell asked me if I had gotten myself a Dell XPS13 Ultrabook yet, and if not, was I interested in getting one? I of course responded with the fact that they must not know me as well as I thought they did, as I am ALWAYS down for some new tech toys! Shortly thereafter it was sent and I was basking in Ultrabook glory! Although Dell approached me first with this device, it does not mean that I wasn’t already chomping at the bit to get my hands on one. Because I was. It did not disappoint! As full disclosure, they did provide me the ultrabook, but I was under no obligation to write/video or talk about it in any way. Dell just loves me, and that’s that. The feeling is totally mutal, cause I mean really… have you SEEN this picture of me sitting with Michael Dell!?!

So, on to the actual computer! You can see my full review in the video located above, but I’m also going to type out my thoughts for those that don’t really feel like watching me.

First impressions: This computer is LIGHT and SMALL. When I opened up the box, I don’t know what I was really expecting from at 13 inch computer, but I am so used to working on my 15 inch computer that this felt extremely tiny, and super light.

First, I took in the outside of the machine. I noticed 2 USB ports, one on either side of the ultrabook. Accompanying these ports was a headset jack (both for headphones and a microphone) on one side and a mini DisplayPort on the other. This means that the device does NOT have an HDMI connection. I also noticed a lack of an ethernet port. I know that in order to accommodate the size of the machine you have to leave some things out. I’m ok with having wifi only on the laptop (but would have liked to see included in the package a USB to ethernet adapter). Something else I would have liked to see in the package is an external DVD drive. If you are purchasing this from Dell’s website, these are all options though. You can buy the adapter for the ethernet port, the mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, and an external DVD drive. Again, I’m ok with these items NOT being integrated into the main build of the ultrabook if it means that it’s going to be ultra portable. I RARELY use my DVD drive in my main laptop. The other thing I noticed it was lacking was an SD Card reader (again you can purchase this as an attachment), but I almost always take images from my camera by just popping out the card and putting in my laptop. I use this constantly, and would have liked to have seen it in the main chassis of the ultrabook.

There is a vent along the bottom of the Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook, and when I had read about that, I was concerned that there wouldn’t be enough room for the air to really move away from the machine. There are long rubber feet along the bottom that make the computer feel sturdy when placed on a desk, and raises it up a bit so the air can escape from the bottom vent. I am still a bit concerned that it is on the bottom, and the machine does get a bit warm, but upon examining the computer, I really don’t see another place it could go. The sides are so thin that a vent on the side would almost have no room. Definitely something for the designers to think about. Maybe more of a wrap around vent would be better, where it starts on the bottom and then moves around and takes some of the side as well?

When you open the device there is a nice magnetic “tug” you feel. I really liked this, because it felt very secure. I didn’t feel like the laptop would just open if I turned it the wrong way, or if it was bouncing around in my bag. (not that I make my laptops bounce… I’m actually quite a stickler about protecting my devices) I did have issues opening it with one hand though, but that may be more of a testament to how much of a weakling I am. The bottom also has this nice looking checkerboard pattern to it that makes it easy to grip.

Once opened the computer has a sleek black wrist rest, keyboard and touch pad. The touch pad is very large, and is not separated by buttons at the bottom. Although you can still right and left click as though they were different buttons. They keyboard isn’t “clacky” and has a back light so you can see the keys when you are working in the dark. I especially like this when I’m tweeting away during The Voice.

I installed Windows 8 on the ultrabook, cause I’ve been dying to check it out, and haven’t felt like setting my computer up for dual boot, and was DEFINITELY not going to just full on upgrade my own system. I’ll be doing a full video review/written review of the Windows 8 on the XPS13 Ultrabook next week.

Boot time was extremely fast. In the video above I count it out at just about 14 seconds. I did not time boot up when it had Windows 7 on it, but it is possibly even less than that. From down to login in 14 seconds is pretty amazing. It has a solid state hard drive, which definitely helps with that boot time. The machine I was sent has 4 GB RAM, and an Intel Core i5 Processor. On Dell’s website you can select a Core i7 if you want a faster processor.

PROS: Super light and small, but not too small that it loses usefulness. Sturdy build. Fast boot and general speed. Great battery life.

CONS: No SD Card slot, ethernet jack or HDMI port. Vent probably doesn’t allow for optimal heat release.

OVERALL: So, do I think I will use this as my main machine? Probably not. Mainly because the specs on my Dell XPS 15z are better (namely the Core i7 and 8 GB RAM I’m currently rockin), and I’m a total specs fanatic (even if I don’t need them all to be top of the line). So what WILL I use this machine for? Definitely it will be my main machine when I’m traveling. So much more convenient then my honkin 15 inch. When I’m on the road I’m not using the computer to get a ton of work done, which usually consists of a lot of coding, and signing into servers and workstations. So when I’m on the road I’m heavily using social media, keeping notes, and writing. This ultrabook will serve that purpose immensely. I am also planning to use it as my “down time” computer. Meaning, if I bust out my main computer during my TV shows, I may end up working. Using the Ultrabook while I’m watching TV and other things like that somewhat disconnects me from work and allows me to just enjoy the other things (again, such as tweeting during The Voice).

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

I have made the joke often that there are more computers in the house than people. It’s kinda easy to do when there are only 4 people in the house, and I personally use 3 computers. I have my work desktop, because I work from home full time, and I have my main personal laptop where I do all my personal work, and last I have my XPS 13 Ultrabook, that I use when I travel or when I’m downstairs and I just want to keep up with my emails and what not. We also have a Dell Inspiron 23 that is the main family computer and sits in our kitchen.

When I was given a new Dell Inspiron 14z as part of the #DellDozen program I’m a member of (a group of 12 social media savvy women brought together to help get the word out about Dell products), I was curious if I REALLY needed another computer. The answer has become a resounding YES! Especially now that school has started, I had no idea that even in 1st grade, my daughter would benefit greatly from having a laptop.

We went to the “meet your teacher” the day before school started for my daughter, and to my pleasant surprise the top of one of the sheets we took home said “We are excited to tell you that as a First Grade team, we are going paperless (as much as possible) this year!!!” My daughter’s math homework will be done online, there is a reading program online, and they have even set up a blog to send out announcements! So now that my daughter was going to be spending a good portion of homework time on the computer, in addition to the typing software I got so she can start learning how to “touch type”, it was time to set up the laptop to be strictly for the kids. Daddy ends up taking a lot of the computer time on the Inspiron One 23 playing Diablo anyway.

So, now I need to set up this new Inspiron 14z as the main computer for the kids! What steps do I usually take?

Step One, setup my own account as the administrator account and create accounts for each kid. I do this by going to the start button, then click on Control Panel. From here you want to access the computer’s User accounts. If there isn’t already a password on your account (which should say “administrator” underneath it) then create a password by clicking “create password”. Now add accounts for each of your children. I like to make their profile picture be a picture of them, but you can have them select their own picture if you want.

Step Two. Now that they have their own accounts, set up the Windows Parental Controls on their accounts. This is where you can lock them out of specific programs, such as Quicken, or even lock their account entirely during certain time frames.

Step Three. Install programs from your administrator account. Next thing you will want to do is go find the programs they use, and install them from your account. So if you need to install KidZui, or FoozKids now is a good time to install those while you are signed in with administrator access.

Step Four. Now that all the programs are set up and installed, switch over to their account and enlist their help setting it up. I like to create bookmarks to their favorite websites on the task bar of the computer. This is easy to do in Internet Explorer. You just visit the site (such as www.starfall.com) and then click the tab that has starfall listed on it and drag it to the task bar. Now they have an easy way to access their favorite websites, and won’t have to go searching around Bing for them. Make sure to include shortcuts to the sites they will need to get their homework done!

Step Five. Education! Teach them how to take care of the computer. Tell them where it is acceptable to use the computer (such as not in your room with the door shut). Explain to them your families technology contract* and make them sign it before you hand over the reigns to the computer.

My kids are really excited about their Inspiron 14z from Dell! My husband is excited to not have to share his computer anymore, and I’m excited that the kids are learning more about technology!

I was given an XPS 13 and an Inspiron 14z in conjunction with my participation in the DellDozen campaign. I was not told what to write, and all thoughts an opinions are my own.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

I spend a great deal of time in my home office. I work from it full time from 8-5, Monday – Friday. Then after I get off work, I spend time with my family, until I am right back up in my office after bed time, working on my blogs and setting up my social media for the next day. I also check out my schedule and get organized for the following day. So my office not only needs to be super functional, but it also needs to have some personality. If I’m going to be spending most of my days there, it need some stuff to make it feel like “home”.

The first thing I set up is spots for everything to go. This not only means physical things, but digital things as well. The icons in my taskbar need to be arranged just so, my computers and monitors need to be in locations that feel most comfortable to me, etc. I have my desk set up in 2 “sections”. The left section is where I do my day job. The right section is for my “other” jobs (including www.BloggersHelpDesk.com, this blog, and my other blog www.OrganizedMom.net). Basically I’m surrounded by screens. There are two monitors connected to my work computer, a monitor connected to my main laptop, plus the laptop screen, and then the other more portable XPS13 Ultrabook running Windows 8. I’ve been doing a lot of playing around on the XPS13 to get a better feel for Windows 8, and the latest version of Office. When I’m going to go downstairs I will sometimes take the XPS13 to write posts away from my office (such as downstairs, so I can hang out with my husband instead of up in my office all night). So, what needs a home?

Computer
Monitor
Supplies
Inbox
Processing location (when paper goes from inbox to bills to be paid, phone numbers to enter, permission slips to sign..)
Decorations
Printer
Keyboard and Mouse
etc

So check out my Pinterest board on Home Office Essentials to see exactly what I use to #DoMore in my home office, then check out the video to see how it all lays out in my office and how my kids get more work done in their homework stations.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

I’ve gotten this question so many times in the last little while, that I finally just decided to write a post about it. “What kind of laptop should I buy?” The problem with the question is that it will be different for everyone. So here are the questions you need to ask yourself when picking out a brand new laptop for yourself!

1. What is the screen size I’m most comfortable with?

In this case size really does matter. If you get something too small for your needs then you may get frustrated with trying to work on such a small screen, but if you go with too big of a screen you may curse yourself when trying to travel or be “on the go” with it. Personally I use a 15″ screen. I don’t travel with it a ton, and do most of my work from a desk. The extra space really helps. When I AM traveling though, I prefer about a 13″ screen size. The 2 inches makes a huge difference in portability. When I’m on an airplane, the 15″ laptop feels HUGE, but the 13″ feels just right. Screen size is measured diagonally across the screen, so do some measurements on what you currently use and ask yourself if you want to go smaller and more portable or bigger and more productive/functional. Also keep in mind your own size. I used to have a 17″ laptop, and while it was nice on my desk, any sort of travel with it became a huge pain in the rear since I’m such a small person. For my size a 17″ screen would just be too big to work for my lifestyle, it would end up acting like a desktop more than a laptop, because I’d never want to take it anywhere.

2. What will you be using the laptop for?

Is it going to be a family laptop? Are you just going to browse the internet, edit photos and post to your blog with it? Are you going to work it till it cries out in mercy day in and day out (the last one would definitely be me). I’m on my laptop at least 9+ hours a day. I am often switching between several different applications, while listening to music and remote controlling computers and servers. My laptop needs to be able to handle all that I will put it through. The more tasks you expect your laptop to do at the same time, the more RAM you should have.

3. How important is the laptop?

This question may sound a little strange, but it’s definitely an important one. If the laptop is going to be used just as an internet browser, and some basic tasks, if the device crashes or is out of commission for a few days, it’s not going to be the end of the world. If a piece of hardware fails on MY laptop even for a day I would be losing money. I need to purchase a laptop with the absolute best hardware components. I typically purchase Dell’s XPS line of products. Yes, they are more expensive, but the support and the hardware that comes inside reflects that high price. Dell also has an Inspiron line of products that are less expensive, has less expensive hardware inside which reflects the lower price. What it boils down to, is that if you will lose money if your hardware fails, you want to purchase something more expensive that is less likely to fail. If you could do without your computer for a couple days here and there, then you can probably find something around 500-900 that would meet your needs.

4. Do you want to use it like a tablet?

There are several convertible models out these days, so this is a brand new type of question. There are really 2 types of “convertible” devices. One is a Tablet running Windows 8 RT, and snaps into a keyboard of some sort, but can completely detach from it’s keyboard and be used as a tablet. The other is a Laptop that can flip over on it’s keyboard to hide it so you can use the touch screen on the laptop just as you would a tablet. These models are usually running the full version of Windows 8 and offer you more robust options such as being able to install programs you used in your Windows 7 devices.

So, once you figure out the screen size, how much RAM you need, and your price range, it’s time to get shopping! Argos are offering competitive laptop deals or you can go into your local Best Buy and play around with the laptops on display to really get a feel for which brand/model you want to purchase.

As always feel free to ask me which brand/model I would purchase, but make sure you clarify those 4 questions before you ask.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

Alright ladies. Let’s talk hardware.

Sometimes with our laptops, and netbooks, and notebooks we fill up our hard drives and need a little extra room, am I right?

Here’s where Kingston comes in.

Kingston makes multiple products that give your tech devices more space. Some are installed internally (which means they go inside your computer or laptop), and some externally (which means they just plug in via a USB cable to the outside of your computer or laptop). The thing I love about the Kingston SSDNow V300 is it can actually do BOTH.

The Kingston SSDNow V300 is an SSD or Solid State Drive. (This can be confusing because SSD’s are still hard drives.) SSD’s are a fabulous new form of storage for computers that work very fast. They typically cost more than standard hard drives because they take so much less time to access the data they store. Trust me, they are worth it.

The way a regular hard drive works is that there are discs that spin inside the hard drive. A computer has to search through the disc to find exactly the right spot for your data. The speed of the hard drive depends on how fast it can spin the discs. With a solid state drive the data is all just right there on the chip. No spinning required. It’s has internal parts similar to a USB thumb drive. This makes it extremely reliable because it takes the spinning discs out of the equation. Have you ever had a hard drive fail, and all you hear coming from it is clicks? That’s the hard drive trying to get the disc to spin and being unable to do so. The less moving parts there are, the less likely your drive will fail.

The Kingston SSDNow V300 is an SSD drive, and the reason I love it is that it actually comes as an external drive case. I have always preferred purchasing external drives. If you are like me, and taking your computer apart and installing a new internal drive scares the crap out of you, then this is a fabulous device for you!

I tried out the Kingston SSDNow V300 that is intended for a notebook, and it has 120 GB of storage space. This particular drive retails for around $195 directly from Kinston here. (You can also purchase is for much less on Amazon or at Best Buy.)

Everyone uses hard drives differently. For myself I tend to have two different purposes: Movies and photos. I love having a portable hard drive for when I travel and want to take extra movies for the kiddos. Like, lots of extra movies. I also love having a portable hard drive for when I take professional photos and want to transport them without filling up the hard drive on my notebook. I am a firm believer in backing up, so an external hard drive is a fabulous way to place store your important files and documents too.

I love that the SSDNow V300 is so thin and sleek-looking. I can personally testify that it fits perfectly in your purse too. It really is a powerful upgrade solution for cost-conscious consumers. If you are looking to upgrade your existing desktop or notebook PC it’s a really great fit!

Here’s some specs on the new SSDNow V300:

Fast – 10x faster than a 7200RPM hard drive.

High Quality – features a LSI SandForce controller customized for Kingston.

Reliable – with no moving parts, solid-state drives are less likely to fail than standard hard drives.

Economical design optimized to make migrating to an SSD more affordable.

Convenient – all-in-one kits with all the components for easy installation.

Multiple capacities – to fit your workload.

Comes with Installation Kit for Notebooks.

If you are interested in learning more about the Kingston SSDNow V300, or other fabulous Kingston products, go here.

Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post, however I was provided with a Kingston SSDNow V300 for review purposes. All opinions and hard drives filled with an insane amount of Barbie movies are my own.

Natalie Wright

Natalie Wright is a contributing writer at Organized Mom and Tech4Moms. You can also find her DIY blog online at natalme.com.

www.natalme.com/

2013-01-11 13.44.06 I have 3 computers. I use them all. My kids share a laptop (I have 2 kids) and then my husband uses the downstairs computer. That’s 5 computers, for a 4 person household. Not to mention phones (I currently have 2 that I use regularly), tablets, the Roku, Playstation, xbox, you are getting the idea, right? So I need solutions that not only go to my phone, but my PC, and my other PC, and my tablet, etc. So I’ve been thinking about what are the tools that I use that can span multiple platforms. Cause once I go all in with a tool, I need to be able to access it anywhere.

To Do Lists

I use ToodleDo.com for my to do lists. Not only can I access the list from my PC, from Chrome, from my Android device (with an app called Due Today) and from my Windows Phone (with an app called Viperal Tasks) device (I’ve heard they have an iOS app too, but who can be bothered with those sorts of things). My To Do list is robust with recurring tasks, categories, etc. This is the best solution I have found, and of course it spans all platforms.

Calendar

All praise to the Google Gods for these calendars. I seriously have at least 20 calendars associated with my Google account. The day I figured out how to sync my Windows 8 calendar with all my Google Calendars was such a blessed and happy day. Not only can I access it (with a little hacking trick) from my Windows 8 PC and my Windows Phone 8, it syncs BEAUTIFULLY with my Android devices. Obviously it would, considering the source.

Notes

Evernote. There is really nothing more to say about this. It is available on EVERY SINGLE PLATFORM known to man. Plus it’s an incredible way to store your notes. It’s searchable, and extremely easy to find things you have added. I can store everything in there from recipes to articles I want to reference for future posts, even to voice memos from my phone. It really is the ultimate place for a paperless person.

Music

Here’s where I’m not quite where I want to be yet, but it’s getting there. I tried to like xbox music. I really did. I put ALL of my thousands of songs on my Windows 8 computer. I created playlists (as difficult as it was to do so) in the xbox music app on Windows 8. It’s just not there yet. The Zune software was fantastic. THIS? Not so much. I’m planning on a whole post about what a fail it is (and this coming from ME… diehard Microsoft fangirl!) While I am loyal… I’m not going to promote something terrible, or have the blinders that Apple fans seem to wear. I’ll call it what it is… an impressive fail. So, what I’ve done is upload everything to Google Play. It’s fantabulous!! I mean it. I could not ask for a better system. My songs uploaded perfectly, playlist creation was a breeze, I can pin various playlists to my phone so I don’t have to stream them when I’m in the car, it’s seriously great. Plus with the desktop application in Windows 8, I can listen to the music on my Windows 8 PC. The only place I can’t access the music is my Windows Phone 8. It’s not a super big deal to me though for 2 reasons, 1) my xbox music playlists weren’t syncing properly ANYWAY, so it’s not a huge deal that I can’t get my Google Music either. 2) I wasn’t able to “pin” my playlist from xbox music to the phone so that I wouldn’t have to stream it, so trying to listen to it on the road was near to impossible (since it’s been super stormy here in Utah and the cell service has been extremely spotty). So as soon as Google creates an app on Windows Phone 8 I’m kinda stuck on that one (for the record, I don’t see them creating an app for a while, if ever)

Exercise/Diet Tracking

Currently I’m using MyFitnessPal. I love it for many reasons… first it syncs with my fitbit (which I’m totally going to write another post about, because I LOVES it!), it also syncs with Runtastic Pro, which I use to track my running. There is a Windows Phone 8 app, and android app, and I can hop online to track it too.

File Storage/Sharing

I am a huge fan of Dropbox. When I take a picture from either my Samsung Galaxy Camera, or my HTC EVO 4G LTE, it automatically gets uploaded to Dropbox! I love that i don’t even have to plug my phone or my camera in to be able to put a picture into a post. It automatically syncs up with my Dropbox folder on my desktop, even on ALL of my desktops. Skydrive is coming up there too. I like that Skydrive is available on both Android and Windows devices, and if you are exclusively using a Windows Phone, Skydrive is going to be your best option, as it automatically uploads the photos to skydrive from your phone.

So basically there it is. All of the applications you need to live a cross platform life! I love competition in the tech space, and when these companies allow YOU the choice of what platform you prefer, everybody wins (except of course for those people who make junky products )

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

First I want to say… pardon my dust around here. You may see the design of my website change from day to day as I try to perfect my new design. I had a great one, but it started crashing my site, so I’m back to the drawing board. While it’s not perfect yet, it’s kinda getting there. I don’t expect to have it all complete until the end of January, so just bear with me.

Today I will be on Studio 5 talking about the gadgets and apps that can help you keep your New Year’s resolutions. I researched what some of the most common resolutions were, and came up with…

1. Spend more time with family

2. Get fit

3. Maintain a budget

4. Organize your home

5. Learn something new

So I am going to talk about each of these in the next few posts.

First up is to spend more time with your family. You may be thinking that technology is the thing that is driving your family apart! I am definitely here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way! I have found the ultimate family computer! (and I’ll even explain how it can actually hit all FIVE of the top New Year’s resolutions.

The Lenovo Horizon and the Lenovo Flex (Horizon having a 27″ screen and the Flex using a 20″ screen, but both have the same features). I really love an all-in-one for a family computer because the footprint is small. You can put it on a kitchen counter or on a desk in the family room, and it’s not going to require a lot of cords or space. Especially now, with Windows 8, it’s essential to have a touchscreen to get the most out of the operating system. You CAN use Windows 8 with a mouse, but it’s designed for touch, so that’s what works best with it.

So not only is this a family computer that can allow the kids to do homework, you to pay bills (and maybe browse a little Pinterest), and do everything else you need a computer for these days (which almost feels like EVERYTHING), but drumroll please………..

It lays down flat and becomes a gaming device that the whole family can come together to play. It comes with a few pieces that work with the device like a die, and There are board games like Monopoly with an actual dice that registers on the screen when you roll it in real life, or my kids favorite… Air Hockey…

There are also coloring pages and educational apps in the Lenovo Aura interface, but one of my favorite things to do is to pull up pictures from the computer and “pass” them around on the table. It’s just like when you sit down with your family with a big box of pictures and pass them around and start telling stories about the photos and reminiscing. I would say that most people don’t print out a lot of their pictures anymore (myself VERY much included) so this is the best way for everyone to enjoy looking through all of these pictures together.

Like I mentioned though, it’s not only a gaming device, here are some other ways you can hit the rest of your Resolutions.

Get Fit – There are several apps in the Windows Marketplace that can help you with your fitness goals. Some of my favorites are Bing Health and Fitness, FitBit’s app, and Bodee Fit. With Bing Health and Fitness you have fitness and health trackers, PLUS it’s got various videos on exercises you can do, and a symptom checker (kinda like webmd, but better). Plus it’s a great way to learn all about the anatomy, since it’s got information on all of that.

Maintain a budget – Since this computer has full Windows on it, really, any program you use for budgeting will work like Quicken or even if you just use an Excel sheet. There are also a couple apps in the Windows marketplace such as Mint and MoBu.

Screenshot.273089.100000

Organize Your Home – Like I mentioned earlier, having an all-in-one PC for your family computer really eliminates the clutter that usually surrounds a family computer. Cords, and various pieces that plug into a full computer tower with a monitor can really clutter up a counter or a desk. With an all-in-one, it can look a lot cleaner and definitely more organized.

Learn Something New – With apps like Bing Health and Fitness, and Bing Food and Drink, there is definitely a lot to learn. I have also started to re-learn French (I took several years of French when I was in school, but heck if I can speak it now), so I’m using a website called Duolingo. I can access it from the Lenovo and do my lessons right there. There are typing programs you can install, and everyone knows how much I need to learn how to cook better, so Bing Food and Drink and All Recipes Video Cookbook are definitely helping with that.

As I dig into the other devices, I’ll also point out how most of them can be used for the other areas as well. There are so many tools available to us now, that we should be able to keep our resolutions this year!

Disclosure: I was given a Lenovo Horizon as part of my participation in the “Lenovo Moms” campaign. I am also being compensated as part of this program. I was not told what to write about or even the features of the computer to highlight. All thoughts and Air Hockey losses are my own.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

When I went to CES last month, I didn’t actually have a chance to do everything I wanted to do. There were some thing I was not going to miss though, and hanging out in a hotel room with all the latest products was definitely something I made sure to include in my schedule.

As soon as I walked in, I went straight for the Horizon 2. I love the current Horizon, which is my favorite family computer right now. It’s a great size, perfect for gathering around the computer to play games or just to browse through pictures as a family. The Horizon is the perfect device for this. With the Horizon 2, not only have they made some great improvements in the Aura interface, but they have also made this new version thinner and lighter than it’s predecessor. This is a big improvement for me, since I’m usually the one that has to lug the current Horizon around. As the Lenovo rep was demonstrating the new interface for the Horizon, she displayed a feature where she would just shake her cell phone and essentially “throw” pictures from the phone to the computer. This device just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait until it comes out later this year.

Now, when I think about Lenovo, I don’t automatically think external hard drives, since they are the #1 PC vendor in the world. They have something new up their sleeves this year, though, with the Lenovo Beacon. Think about Dropbox. With Dropbox I can take a picture with my phone and have it automatically upload to the service. The downside is that what happens to you if Dropbox ever goes out of business? The other problem is that with Dropbox, depending on how much space you are taking up, you are going to have to start having a monthly fee to store your precious files and photos. Lenovo Beacon acts just like Dropbox, but it’s a device that lives inside your home. You have full control over the data on the device, and you won’t have a monthly fee to store it there. The other awesome thing, is that not only can it act like a personal cloud storage, but it can also act as a local media server. What this means is that as you start having more and more digital media, when you are in your home, you need a centralized location to access that media. Whether it’s streaming your UltraViolet movies, or streaming your music to your web enabled TV, you can access it all from the local device.

I’ve always had a problem with just keeping my data in one location. External hard drives fail, cloud storage companies can go out of business, and I’m a huge stickler for backups. One thing I love about the Beacon is that you can set it up with a RAID configuration which can mirror multiple hard drives to each other. So if one hard drive fails inside the device, the other hard drive still has all of your data in tact. You then have some time to replace the failed hard drive and mirror the data back. It happens automatically in a RAID configuration, and automatic is the best way to go.

One of the most exciting devices I saw at the Lenovo suite (while of course not quite as exciting as my fav, the Horizon 2) was the ThinkVision 28 (image at top) It’s the first full blank monitor, and can act as a touch screen monitor for your new computer, or an external monitor for your laptop. The added bonus on this device is you can switch it’s mode, and access a full Android interface. All the apps you love on your tablet, on a huge interface, with the option to switch to a plugged in PC. It’s literally the best of both worlds. The screen resolution on this thing was out of this world amazing. We watched a full HD video, that made me feel like I was right there inside the screen.

The last device that really got my attention was this new Miix 2. Some devices that are built to be tablets (that just happen to have a keyboard to double as a laptop) focus too much on the tablet part, and don’t put the specs to make it a great laptop. Other devices that are built to be laptops but can remove the keyboard to double as a tablet fail a little bit on the tablet part as far as battery life and weight. This is the device that gets the mix exactly right. First, it closes just like a regular clamshell laptop with some magnetic help, for easy portability. It clicks into the keyboard dock extremely fast and easily. Then you can flip it around to be more of a stand mode, and the speakers for the device are right there in the bottom bar. I have definitely given Lenovo credit lately for turning space in devices into something functional. Like in their Yoga Tablets, the large battery becomes a great handle for the tablet, which makes it feel really great to hold. I just love the way they take something that could be a great design element, and then make it totally functional, like this speaker.

So, there are a lot of exciting things coming out from Lenovo, and I couldn’t be more excited about this year! What would have been your favorite device of the above?

Disclosure: This post was written while part of the Techlicious Lenovo Moms program, for which I was compensated, but was not told what to write about or what to covet, which was pretty much everything in the suite.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

It’s the conundrum we all face. Tablet or Laptop or both? Buying a tablet will set you back $500 on average. Now a days the really nice ones run closer to $850—plus you’ll want a keyboard, and case and everything. A decent laptop (Not talking about a chromebook. I’m talking about one with a usable amount of RAM and a processor with a decent amount of power) will be an additional $1000. At least. This is why a couple years ago I opted to buy the biggest, nicest, most powerful tablet I could find and add a docking keyboard so that I could use it as a tablet and a laptop.

So, I recently destroyed that tablet.

Don’t ask.

But, because I used it as both a tablet and a laptop, I was doubly devastated when I had to start speaking of it in the past tense. I may or may not have cried, and been a moody wreck for two days, until I passed into the giving-up-on-life stage for a week. Or two.

But in this dark period in my life, there came opportunity. I wasn’t completely happy with my previous set up. The docking keyboard wasn’t staying docked very well after a year of heavy use, and the screen was cracked and a little smaller than was enjoyable for productivity (10.1 inch). Plus, because it was only a tablet, I couldn’t use it for any “real” programs—like Photoshop Elements and Word, which I use. A lot.

So it was time to start the shopping process all over again. Tip: I love www.CNET.com. I will not buy any major tech without consulting CNET editor’s review on the product first. In fact that’s usually where I start my search. I look at their editor’s picks for the type of item I’m looking for. I totally geek out over the advances in technology and fantasize about the stuff that I’ll be able to do with my new tech, once I have it in my hot little hand.

This time I discovered that there is actually a class of machines that are built to be used as both a laptop and a tablet. I had no idea. They are called “convertibles”. Fitting, right? I determined which one made me salivate the most after my long process of due diligence. It was the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro.

Why the Lenovo Yoga 2? Because look at this commercial for it.

Did that not make you wild to have one of your very own? I’ll admit I was a little surprised that it was Lenovo that made me drool. They are very well known in the business world for solid heavy-duty machines and secure servers. But in the consumer world? They are slightly less well known. Turns out they win all sorts of awards for innovation and quality and whatnot on a regular basis. The Yoga 2 Pro really is the best of both worlds, laptop and tablet alike.

Properties that made me drool:

It has the resolution and touch capability of a high end tablet screen, but it’s the size of a laptop screen.
It runs on Windows 8.1—so that you can install and run real software, like the Office suite and Photoshop Elements. It’s so important for me to not have to run off only mobile apps, which are fantastic for squeezing in a little time with Word while you wait at the doctor’s office, but not ideal for productivity time when you happen to be away from home. And you can still install your favorite apps from the Windows Store to play when you aren’t being as productive.
Nice processor. It would be overkill for just surfing the web, or running small games or apps, but it’s perfect for doing actual computing. 4^th Generation Intel processors automatically overclock when the processor is backed up and the core temperature is okay. This translates to faster processing times for your heavy duty processes. Ahem. Like high resolution photo and video rendering. Which would be difficult on a regular tablet. Especially since you can’t even install the real photo editing software on Android or iOS.
Solid State Drive. Most tablets and phones have small solid state hard drives, which is why they work silently, and quickly. SSD’s are less common in laptops and computers, mostly because they are more expensive than regular hard drives and don’t have as much storage space. But, solid state drives are sooooooo much faster than regular hard drives. So I loved that they went with the SSD and it’s a decent size. I save most of my stuff to the cloud so that I can access it on all my devices, so really, all I need room for is my software and apps.
9 hour battery life. Have you ever heard of a laptop with that much battery life? Or seen it in real life? A tablet, maybe. But definitely not a laptop.
With the versatility of the keyboard folding options, I can use it for everything.

These were some of the main reasons I began pestering Lenovo to send me one to try. You know. Just to make sure this wasn’t false advertising. I had no ulterior motives whatsoever. Or maybe just one. It took a few months and a lot of begging, but they did send me one for free. And after a few more weeks of convincing they let me keep it.

Can I just say the Yoga 2 Pro is so very, very worth those weeks of begging? Holy smokes. My favorite thing (besides the keyboard being firmly attached) is that it takes a whopping 8 seconds to boot up—thanks to the solid state drive. I actually count when it starts booting, because it’s so thrilling, and I’m cool like that. Anyway, it’s way faster than my phone, and it really puts my desktop to shame.

My second favorite feature is the hands free operation capability. When I’m using it in the kitchen to show me recipes while I cook (in stand mode or tent mode), my hands are constantly slimy and coated with whatever I’m cooking. I don’t want to transfer the mess onto my screen. I just motion with my hands in front of the screen and it changes pages, or pauses the video, or increases the volume. Yay! Problem solved.

After spending about a month with the Yoga 2 Pro I’ve been very pleased with how quickly it opens my software applications, and with the quick processing time for photo and video rendering. It’s faster than my now ageing PC, so I prefer using this baby for those heavy duty needs, even when I’m near the desktop. Especially because my PC monitor has nowhere near the same resolution, and I really need high resolution to edit my high resolution photos. There are very few things in the world that are more frustrating than editing a masterpiece on the computer, only to print it out and discover it wasn’t quite the masterpiece I thought it was on my low resolution screen.

The other thing I love, and this might sound a little strange, is the typing texture of the keyboard. What in the world is that? It’s the feel of the keys when you type. It just feels high quality. The keys are perfectly sized and spaced, and just firm enough to feel stable but not stiff. And it has a back-lit keyboard. I just love typing on this thing.

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro

In fact, everything about it feels high quality. It is super thin, sleek and lightweight. I just love the overall design. Yummy! It’s everything I hoped it would be.

And, the Yoga 2 Pro runs from $1400 to $1750 (depending on the amount of RAM, hard drive space, and Processor). That’s less or equal to what you would pay for a tablet and a laptop both. I’m all about saving the space and the money to have one really nice piece of tech that does all of the above.

Cecilia Harvey

I’m a technological enthusiast with a completely unrelated degree in English Literature. I’ve also been known to dabble in photography and DIY furniture refinishing, with occasional stints of fitness sprinkled among all of the above.

My blog post was written as part of my collaboration with eBay.

We all know that Father’s Day is just around the corner, and we all know that what Dad’s REALLY want for Father’s Day is another tie, right? Well, today we are going beyond the tie, and letting you know what Dad really wants for Father’s Day is an upgrade in technology. This isn’t going to be your typical Father’s Day gift guide, this gift guide isn’t for the faint of pocketbook. Most of the Dad’s I know, would love to have the latest and greatest technology has to offer, and this is the guide that will help you get them there.

Even though this stuff won’t come on the cheap, you can actually find super great deals right on eBay! They have even put together a great gift guide of their own located at http://www.ebay.com/rpp/gifts-for-dads. Right now you can also enter to win $500 to shop on eBay by creating your very own #eBayDad collection (hurry though sweepstakes ends on June 1st http://www.ebay.com/celebratecollections). You can easily purchase these items by checking out my own Tech Dad Makeover collection on eBay. So let’s see what kind of technology needs upgrading in Dad’s life?

PHONE – One of the pieces of technology that Dad uses constantly. The latest and, in my opinion, greatest smartphone on the market right now is the Samsung Galaxy S5. This phone is SPEE-DY! My Husband was recently playing with mine and kept commenting on just how darn fast the phone is compared to his old phone (and his old phone is only a year old). The S5 has a great back to it that won’t show every single fingerprint and smudge that comes it’s way, and the screen just can’t be beat. Plus it’s water resistant, so it’s going to survive if Dad is testing out the sprinklers getting ready for spring. It can also connect with other super cool tech items like the Galaxy Gear watch and the Gear Fit to round out the whole tech package.

LAPTOP – Aside from the phone, the laptop is probably what gets used more than any other technology item that Dad has among his technology products. Whether Dad travels often, or just moves around the house a lot, the Lenovo Ideapad 11s is the perfect device. It’s actually the device I’m using to type up this list right now! The screen can flip all the way around so that the laptop can become a tablet to use to browse through magazines with Next Issue, or just watch videos through Netflix. Windows 8 devices work best on a touch screen and the 11s delivers! Although it is a teeny device, it packs some serious power into it’s tiny body, making it great for productivity AND for playing around on the internet. Is there a Pinterest for guys?

TABLET – If Dad needs a tablet that can be a productivity workhorse, and his company uses several Microsoft products (including Outlook for email) a windows based tablet is going to be your best bet. Some office places need to have a Windows machine to run certain applications as well. A Dell Venue Pro will definitely fit the bill for this type of Dad. Others could want the benefit of the Google Play store with it’s plethora of apps to choose from. A new Samsung Galaxy Pro is going to be what you should go with in that situation. Either way, a brand new tablet is sure to put a smile on Dad’s face!

TV – 3D is the wave of the future, and more and more TV’s are going to be 3D capable. Dad wants to see all of the action from the Avengers in glorious 3D! If you’ve got the wall space I recommend an Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 2000

Seriously, who needs to go to the movie theater with one of these at the house! With the ever increasing cost of going to the movies as a family, this is such an awesome solution! Plus, there is nothing like an outdoor movie night in the summer!

If you want to go with a standard TV though, the rule to follow is “there is no such thing as too big” A 64″ Samsung Smart 3D TV will guarantee access to Hulu, Netflix, Vudu and all of the other great streaming services without the need to plug it into anything else.

GAMING SYSTEM – Much can be said about PS4 vs. XBOX One, but seriously what can I say that hasn’t already been said better by Sheldon Cooper…

The truth is, if the Dad in your life is a hard core gamer, go with the PS4, if he is a casual gamer and likes several other forms of entertainment, it’s probably best to go with the xbox. We have a PS4, but my hubby is a total gamer.

PRINTER – While often it can be cheaper to just go out and buy a new printer than it is to purchase ink for your old printer, everyone could use a little upgrade to their printing capabilities. A nice photo quality printer will help Dad whether he’s printing off March Madness brackets, or his favorite picture of him and his dog. Also, it’s best to get a printer/scanner/copier all in one unit like the Canon PIXMA MG6320, so there should be no need to stop at the FedEx store to make a few copies.

CAMERA – GoPro is to Dad’s what DSLR’s are to Mom’s. If you don’t believe me, head to any preschool graduation/elementary school event/dance recital, an count just how many moms are sporting a DSLR camera. Dad’s on the other hand don’t want to be bogged down with a large camera, they want to capture the action as it happens, and therefore they need a GoPro. This small, light weight camera can go down the river, on the ski lift, camping, etc and with it’s protective covering there is no worry about the camera getting damaged. Plus the picture quality is truly no joke. This thing takes FABULOUS videos!

We’ve hit just about every area of tech where Dad could use an upgrade, so hopefully you can see where his tech is lacking and get him the latest and the greatest this Father’s day. If you want to go a little more traditional (and maybe just a bit cheaper) check out my other eBay Collection featuring all the things that the guys in my life would love to get (maybe I’d love to get them too, but SHHHHHHH)

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

It’s August, and while I’d say a good deal of people actually go back to school in September, our school district only starts a couple weeks from now! So with all the school supply lists making their way to your shopping list, I’m going to let you know the things that won’t exactly be on the list, but could definitely be beneficial for your back to school needs.

High School and College Age

A Tablet/Laptop Hybrid – Something like the Lenovo ThinkPad 10 (which is very similar to the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2 that we are giving away right now!) is a perfect device for students. It’s more like a tablet making it super light and portable, but you can purchase an additional keyboard to make it just as functional as a laptop for all those papers you need to write. The best part for a student about the Lenovo is that it comes with a digital pen, which will make taking notes of diagrams from teachers and professors so much easier!

High Tech Calculator – You know at some point in your children’s educational career a graphing calculator will end up on the list. The good news it’s a great investment. Heck…. I STILL have my TI-82 from when I was in high school (almost 20 years ago), and it STILL works! There is a great little comparison chart on the Texas Instruments webpage to help you decide which calculator is right for your student’s needs.

A Student Planner App – I’m sure your high school bound or even college bound student already has a phone, which is why it’s not included here as a “new purchase” need. What they may NOT have though, is a killer student planner app. The My Homework app is the BEST student planner available. One of my favorite things about it, is that it’s available cross platform (meaning they have Apple, Android, Windows and even web based ways to access your information)

Portable Power – With all these high tech devices, power is something we are always trying to get more of. A portable charger is basically an essential now. You could chose something super functional and powerful like the myCharge, or something stylish and fun like the Halo Pocket Charger.

For All Ages

Storage – As you create papers, and do research projects, you are going to start amassing files. Lots and lots of files. I carry a USB drive on my keychain to have my important files available to me at all times. Even if you use a service like Dropbox or OneDrive, it’s nice to have physical copies, just in case there ever is a reason you can’t access the files from the web. USB drives are very in-expensive now, and you can get 16 GB for around $20 or less! Once you get into college though, and you need more storage (maybe your entire ripped DVD collection, or your vast array of music?) something like NetGear’s ReadyNAS might be just the ticket. NAS stands for Network Attached Storage, meaning exactly what it sounds like.

For the Younger Folks

A Computer – Now you don’t have to go out and get your child their very own computer, BUT I do recommend having a computer that is mainly for the children’s use. Many schools have homework that is online. For example my daughter’s math assignments are located on a website and she does all the problems through the web. When you have several children, and they all need to get online to get their homework done… one family computer just isn’t going to cut it. I recommend something smaller, so in case they need to spread all their books out on the kitchen table, the computer is able to come with them. My favorite right now is the Lenovo Yoga 11s. You can stand it up in “tent mode” while you are looking through books, use it as a tablet, or just use it as a regular laptop go write a paper. It’s a great little device that will be powerful enough to handle all of your kids’ needs.

A Form of Communication – Parents these days get really nervous about when their child isn’t in their care. I guess parents were probably ALWAYS nervous, but now with constant access to technology, we want to know their every move… because we CAN. If sending your child off to school all day, or to sports practice, or to any other extra curricular activities (even just going to a friends house after school) makes you break out in hives, then maybe it’s time to get them a way to communicate with you. Sprint offers a great little device called WeGo that will definitely help ease your mind. Gone are the days of carrying a quarter with you “just in case” (do payphones even still exist??)

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

I don’t know about you, but I paid my own way through college. As a college student, you learn fast that money certainly doesn’t grow on trees, and hopefully start looking for ways to utilize technology on the cheap. Well, look no further cause I’ve got the roundup you are looking for to get your frugal tech on!

Cell Phone – So I’m sure you’ve had a cell phone for a while, but you may be branching out and paying for your own service now. It can get pretty pricey! Luckily there is a phone service I think is just exactly right for you. It’s called Scratch Wireless.

You purchase your phone through them (like you would on any other carrier), but the trick is that the service is absolutely FREE! How it works is that when you are connected to a wifi network, you may receive phone calls, and do all the wonderful things a data plan can do. When you are away from a wifi network, the data and the phone stop working, but you are still able to text. If you really need data for some reason for a day or even for a weekend, you can pay for a “day pass” to get access to the data network.

Entertainment – You don’t have to spend a fortune on a smart TV. You can give any TV the ability to stream all of your favorite shows and movies… and even more with a Roku streaming stick.

It will plug into the back of any HDMI capable TV (so you could definitely find a TV in your price range that should work with it). Since dorm rooms are pretty small, and likely lacking in a ton of outlets, the stick doesn’t need to be plugged into anything else but the TV. You wouldn’t need a cable subscription or even a DVD player to enjoy a ton of entertainment. Perfect solution for dorm room movie night!

Power – speaking of lack of power outlets, the Pivot Power Jr. is the perfect surge protector for tight quarters like a dorm room.

The flexible nature of the power strip lets you put it wherever you need it, instead of just where it will fit best.

Laptop – When I was in college many moons ago, I did have a computer. It was a beast of a tower that took up my entire desk, but I was definitely one of the few people in the dorms that had one. Now it seems like a requirement to have some sort of laptop when attending college (side question… do people even still go to the computer labs? Do they still HAVE computer labs?) A GREAT laptop, that isn’t going to break the bank too much, and can double as a tablet and much more is the Lenovo Yoga 2.

The size of this laptop is perfect for toting around in a backpack all day long, awesome for reading books in tablet mode, and of course it’s main purpose, to help you write those papers!

Sound – Last but not least, you’ll definitely want a way to blast that music while you are working on a project. For this you will need a portable Bluetooth speaker. You can stream the music right from your phone or your laptop so there is no need for another device to play all your favorite “study songs”. The Oontz is the absolute perfect device for you! Not only is it inexpensive (some models are only $30), but they have great reviews on Amazon and elsewhere!

They come in a variety of styles and colors, so it’s sure to match your dorm room no matter how you’ve chosen to decorate it.

I must warn you though. Nothing you buy will ever top what I had in MY dorm room…

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

How many times have you attempted to connect to a WiFi network only to be presented with a list of random router makes and numbers? How in the world can you know which router your friends and family members have? And when you ask which one is theirs, they don’t even know.

Well, you can’t name your friends’ networks for them, but you can be courteous and name your own network something distinguishable. Some people have lots of fun with this. At the very least you can change the network name from Netgear51 or CenturyLink22 to your surname—just to mark your territory.

How do you change your network name?

As with all your other router settings, these are accessed through your router admin page. Most routers have a sticker somewhere on its body that will tell you all the pertinent information you need to access the admin page. If you removed that sticker for some reason, try Google. Google knows everything.

Type your LAN IP into your browser’s address field like you would any other web address. It starts with http://, and is followed by numbers separated by periods, something like http://192.168.0.1
You will be prompted to input the default admin ID and password, which should also be listed on the sticker on your router. If you’ve set up your own password and ID to get into the router admin page…hopefully you remember what it is or have it written down somewhere.
Once you type in the correct credentials, you should have complete access to all your router settings.

Every router make has a different page, but all you need to know is that you need to change the SSID (service set identifier) or Wireless Network ID. The SSID is the name of your network, and what will be broadcast when people are in range to see your wireless network. You can choose not to broadcast your SSID, and it won’t show up at all, but that definitely makes connecting new gadgets to your network a little bit more of a pain. I can change this in several places, but if you’re having trouble finding it, look under Advanced Settings> Wireless.

What should you name your network?

Some people like to use their network name as an indicator of their personality, to hint at their sense of humor or make pop culture references. Others use their network ID to discourage interlopers and freeloaders. There is no limit to what you can name your network, although I would definitely refrain from using expletives if your have your network set as visible. Some of my favorite network names I’ve seen out there are:

Wutang Lan

Mordor

This Lan is my Lan

This Lan is your Lan (to distinguish the guest network from your home network)

The Promised LAN

The LAN Before Time

The router Gotham deserves (this MUST belong to Bruce Wayne. Who else could it be?)

Tell my wifi love her

Pretty fly for a wifi

Hide Yo Kids Hide Yo Wifi

It hurts when IP (hee hee, a little geek pun for you)

Drop it like it’s hotspot

Mom use this one (this one was no doubt lovingly named by her helpful offspring)

My son is smarter than me (ditto)

Abraham Linksys

Nacho WiFi

You’re music is annoying (not a recommended way to make friends with the neighbors)

Your grammar is annoying (if you go the insult route, you can expect a rebuttal)

404 Network Failure (not going to deter an actual hacker, who would know this is a ruse, but it just might prevent freeloaders or annoying relatives from trying to connect)

Also, there are a bunch of FBI Surveilance, SWAT type names out there but they are getting way overused. Try to come up with something else.

Anyway, have fun with it because every time anyone within a one block radius connects to a WiFi network they will bear witness to your creativity and awesomeness via your Network name. Just another way to win friends and influence people.

Cecilia Harvey

Back in January, during CES, a nice lady from Lenovo and I were chatting over lunch. She says to me, “we have this huge collection of Baby Einstein DVD’s, but we have no way to play them on the go!” I thought about it for a second, and instantly knew the answer to her question. I told her I’d write about it (I gave her the solution right then and there too), and now, ummmm 10 months later, I’m making good on my promise.

The answer is a Plex server. A Plex server is basically a personal cloud storage for all of the DVD’s and other media that you own. Back when I was younger, and was trying to imagine the future of media, I thought what we would have is a large jukebox type thing where you just select which movie you want to play. It would grab the disc and play it in the DVD player without you having to touch it. Mainly I just didn’t want my kids to touch my DVD discs. I didn’t imagine how wonderful having ALL of your movies right there and easily selectable with a remote control could be.

So, how do you set up a Plex server? I’m so glad you asked.

The first thing I did, was I set it up on one of the computers in my house. I was not happy with the performance of this setup. The computer was on the wifi, the playback device (typically my Roku) was on the wifi, and playback was spotty at best. So, I knew I wanted a device that was a computer that we wouldn’t use on a regular basis, that I could plug directly into the wifi router. It needed to be small, so it would fit on top of the cabinet where my wifi router was, and it needed to have plenty of space. I researched, and finally settled on a Lenovo Tiny. It had everything I needed. I did make sure to get the 2TB model, so I could have enough space for the movies I’d put on it.

Once I got the computer, I went to the Plex website and downloaded the free software. When you are putting it on a Windows machine, it’s really just as simple as an install to get it running. If you are going to put it on something like a NAS device though (stands for Network Attached Storage, which just means a whole lot of digital space that is attached to your home network) the setup could get a little tricky. Luckily they have tutorials for you for each type of device.

They also have this great get started video.

As mentioned in the video, you can choose your media library, but if you are sitting on a mountain of DVD’s, how do you get those into files for importing into Plex? I’ve used DVDFab, Freemake, and MakeMKV. I like them all for various reasons, but my favorite one to use is DVDFab.

If you are going to be ripping a Blu-Ray, you will need to have a Blu-Ray drive for your computer, otherwise a regular DVD drive will be just fine. You simply put the disc in the drive and tell the software what kind of compression you want. Since I’m a total snob when it comes to video quality, I usually select “Passthrough” which means it’s not going to compress the file at all. It definitely takes up more space, but the quality is fantastic.

***Please note I DO NOT ADVOCATE STEALING! I only approve of making digital copies of DVD’s and media that you OWN.***

Plex is absolutely free if you are going to use it just on your home network. If you want access to your media remotely, you can purchase a monthly Plex Pass, which will also allow you to share your library with other people. I recently got my entire collection of Boy Meets World episodes up on my Plex server so a friend of mine could check them out! It’s awesome!

I still love my Vudu account for any movies I buy now, which is where I store all of my Ultraviolet movies. I love Plex though, especially for those movies that are not yet available digitally through vudu or Netflix, especially my vast collection of exercise DVD’s.

Please feel free to ask me any questions about getting your own Plex server set up!

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

CES is an insane place to be. There is SO much to see. So much innovation, so much technology, so much of everything I want and need in my life. It’s insane, but it’s super fun! This month I had grand plans to feature a new product every day, and here we are halfway through the month. Catching up from being away for the week has really taken it’s toll. BUT I’m now ready to feature all of the fantastic things I saw at CES. So get ready!

We are starting out with the awesome things I saw from Lenovo. First up is probably one of my favorite innovations of the show. That is the AnyPen technology from Lenovo. I ~~want~~ NEED this technology in my life. I’m a stylus girl at heart. I’ve mentioned it before. It must be due to the fact that I’ve been using a digital planner since the invention of the Palm V (I actually worked for Palm during the Palm 3 days, but I didn’t actually get one of my own until Palm V). Those early Palm Pilots came with a stylus, and I was hooked. Since I was coming from a paper planner obsession, the stylus was essential for me, and I find that I still prefer using a stylus with my tablets (which is why I currently carry the Lenovo ThinkPad 10). So picture this, a tablet that you can use ANYTHING to write on it. The pen from the bottom of my purse, the pencil in my daughter’s backpack, the knitting needle I have nearby (totally kidding…. I do NOT knit), anything can be used to write on this tablet! Although, I probably wouldn’t recommend writing on it with a sharpie, permanent ink is still permanent ink.

Here’s a video of me testing it out…

Check out the Any Pen technology from @lenovo use any pen, pencil, knitting needle, etc on the tablet! #lenovoIN #ces2015 #lenovoCES

A video posted by Sarah Kimmel (@tech4moms) on Jan 7, 2015 at 12:31pm PST

Then they went and took it a whole step further. They introduced a program called WRITEit, which will take your handwriting and turn it into text in ANY field you are trying to type in. So, for example, I’m using my tablet with AnyPen technology, and I open up my web browser, I can tap in the search field and start writing like I normally would write on paper, and it will add the text to the search field.

These two things combined just opened the door for all of those people clinging to their paper notebooks and planners with their ninja like grip. This can totally bridge that gap for them so they can see how much more useful carrying a tablet is than that pad of paper! I literally can not wait to get my hands on this device.

Lenovo also announced the Lavie laptop. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but this laptop is AMAZINGLY light weight. I’m not even kidding. When I picked it up it felt like it was a toy, or something like a display model that doesn’t actually turn on… but it DOES!

The other tablet that blew me away was the Yoga Tablet 2 (10 inch model) that has a projector INSIDE the tablet!

This is seriously one of the ultimate mom devices. Throw on a movie for the kids from your tablet ANYWHERE! Plus with the other modes (stand, hang, tilt, etc) there will not be a shortage of ways to utilize this device.

Of course there were also a great deal of things to see from Motorola (who is now owned by Lenovo), and I’m itching to get my hands on a Moto 360 SmartWatch, and the MotoX with it’s custom designs. But the last device to blow me away from Lenovo was the ThinkPad Stack.

It’s hard to tell from this image, but the stack of accessories fits in your hand and pulls apart and connects with magnets to make it super easy to use. The stack contains an external hard drive, a power bank to charge your devices, a mobile hotspot, and a Bluetooth speaker. You can mix and match the accessories, and purchase as many or as few of them as you wish. I love that they all work together and only need one connection to your laptop.

Needless to say I had SO much fun checking out the latest tech from Lenovo! I am dying to get my hands on all of the above!

Disclaimer: I am a member of Lenovo Insiders, and am not compensated for my participation in the program. However, this post is also written as part of a campaign through Techlicious. All drooling and opinions are my own though.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

At the end of November I got a fun package in the mail courtesy of Lenovo….

I was SO excited about this new machine. I had been using the older version of the Yoga, and was really excited to try out this thinner, sleeker device.

The first thing that will stick out to you when using looking at this computer is the awesome new “watchband hinge” they utilize. Not only is it pretty cool to look at it feels super solid as it moves through the various modes the YOGA has made famous. Here are my favorite uses in each mode…

In laptop mode, I’m a powerhouse of productivity. I connect it to my external monitor, because once you go dual screens, you can’t go back. I typically have web on the left screen, because most of the stuff I do is on the internet (my to do list, my blog, calendar, etc etc), on the right I have my email, so I can make sure to grab important messages as they come in. No matter how great they make tablets, they can’t make them into the productivity powerhouse that a laptop can bring you.

In the kitchen is where I use tent mode almost exclusively. I open up Pepperplate and find my favorite recipe, and I’m all set to start cooking.

I’m a total movie and TV junkie. I LOVE my entertainment. In stand mode is where I use Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Plex. Each app fills a specific need, and yes, I pay for them all.

Then comes the times when I’m sitting and waiting for swim practice to finish, or just lounging around the house. This is when I get to catch up on all my magazines in tablet mode. Next Issue is my absolute favorite app. I pay $16/month and have access to ALMOST all of the magazines I could ever want to read (they are still missing Women’s Running, and a couple others that I’d love to read, but all the important ones are already there. The best part of the app is that I don’t have to get a whole bunch of paper copies in the mail, that I almost never read, that just end up as clutter.

Of course, last but not least, my favoritest thing to do with my YOGA is … Yoga!

What would be your favorite thing to do with a YOGA?

Disclaimer: I received the YOGA 3 from Lenovo, but was not compensated in any other way for this post.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

We’re coming down to the wire on Christmas! If you haven’t found that perfect gift for the people on your list yet, this week, I’ve got you covered. Every day will be the top 5 tech gifts to give to the different people in your life! Today we start out with the Babies/Toddlers!

Tiggly – There is a great deal of toys that are coming out that interact with devices. The Tiggly is by far one of my favorites for Toddlers. There are currently 3 packs you can purchase. One for learning Math, one for Shapes, and the other for words. I have always been such a sucker for educational electronics, and Tiggly does not disappoint. One of the great things about the Tiggly sets, is that they aren’t limited to a single app. Each set has several different apps to choose from, and they are continuing to develop more, so there is always something new on the horizon once you have the core set. Tiggly works with both Android and iOS devices, which makes it awesome in my book.

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Incredbooks – Again we are talking about virtually interacting with real objects. Incredebooks are really very fun. You have a real book, that you can read all on it’s own, but if you have your tablet handy, pages of the book can come to life! My Son, who’s Mickey Mouse obsession truly knows no bounds, is seriously in LOVE with his “Mickey and Donald’s Rhyme Time” book. They also have a Frozen book, but our house isn’t that into Frozen.

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Tag Jr. – What I love about the entire LeapFrog line, is that it really doesn’t expect your child to just learn everything through the device. It encourages parents to get involved with the systems. I fully credit LeapFrog devices as what had my Son reading like a champ at age 3. I’m not even kidding.

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Nabi Jr. – If you are looking for a starter tablet for your children, the Nabi devices are by far the best suited for the job. They have a ton of parental controls baked right in, and has an AMAZING educational system called Wings.

Osmo – My ONLY complaint about the Osmo is that it only works with iOS. If that wasn’t the case I would be have the biggest crush on this product. I already have such a crush on it, that I’ve lifted my “no talking about your product until it’s available for both Android and iOS” rule for it. It’s a lot like the Tiggly, but definitely more for the older kids! The Tangrams are probably my favorite because it teaches problem solving skills, but I really love all of the apps. My kids use the drawing app the most, as you can take a picture of something in real life and then be able to “trace” the image onto real paper. My daughter especially likes to use it to make mashups of Pokemon and How to Train Your Dragon characters. She’s really very talented at it, and this is just helping her increase her skills.

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Kano – I am SO excited about this product. On my Son’s Christmas wish list he wrote “My Own Computer”. Now, he’s 6… I’m not going out and buying him a brand new desktop or a laptop. I DID think this was the perfect opportunity to give him a computer that he can MAKE himself! Both of my children are very into coding… what can I say… they have me for a mom, it’s in their blood. So, I’m super excited about teaching my Son all about the inner workings of a computer and how to create things with it!

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Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

This post is sponsored by Lenovo

Lenovo is already well known as a company that makes amazing PC’s, but they also have some great accessories that I was completely blown away by! What really made me fall in love with Lenovo to begin with was they way they make awesome enhancements to their products. Such when they made a handle on a tablet, which secretly holds a larger battery to give the tablet amazing battery life! It’s that little something extra that completely sets Lenovo apart from other companies. This year at CES they continued to show that they are still thinking of ways to add innovation to every day products. Check out my video of my favorites

The first product that blew me away was the Lenovo Link.

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I currently use Push Bullet to get text messages and other phone alerts on my computer while I’m working. I can respond to text messages from my computer, but any other alerts I need to pick up my phone to deal with. Lenovo link is a device you plug your phone into, and then plug into your computer and it will bring your phone’s screen onto your computer screen. The most awesome thing about this device is the price! It’s only going to be about $40 and available in March. You better believe I will be purchasing one on release day!

Next I was able to play with the Lenovo Yoga Mouse.

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The mouse can flatten out for portability, like some other mouse models out there, BUT the Yoga mouse will display some controls on the flattened mouse so you can use it to control a presentation or your media files!

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Lenovo released the ThinkPad Stack last year, but this year they have added a few more pieces! In addition to the Bluetooth speaker, the wireless hotspot, the hard drive, and the mobile charger, they have added a projector to the mix, AND a wireless charger! I love it!

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I have spoken before about how much I love my Lenovo Tiny, which runs my Plex server, and our Minecraft server. I have now met the upgrade I will be purchasing to replace it. The ideacentre 610S is the perfect device to run your media components like a Plex server. First the design is fantastic, and will integrate nicely with your entertainment center. It doesn’t LOOK like there’s a computer sitting up there, it looks more like a speaker. The other awesome thing, is you can purchase a projector that fits right on top of it! If it’s running something like your Plex server, you won’t even need a TV to hook it up to!

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Lenovo is seriously just hitting it out of the park with it’s attention to detail and constant innovation, that really makes me a Lenovo customer for LIFE!

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

Disclaimer: I was given a Yoga 910 by Lenovo as part of my involvement in their Insiders program, which is an unpaid position.

People are always asking me what computers I recommend, and it usually depends on their situation, and what they will use the computer for, BUT almost always it comes back to a Lenovo Yoga. For a family computer I recommend the Yoga Home, for more of an individual computer or laptop the Yoga 910 is an AMAZING device. The Yoga 910 is perfect for students, business professionals, parents, and frequent travelers.

The Screen:

I am definitely in love with the 13.9″ Multi-touch Ultra HD screen on the Yoga 910. It’s crystal clear and has gorgeous dark black colors. The bezel is minimal, except at the bottom where it’s a bit wider. The reason being that the web cam is at the bottom of the screen. I’m not so sure I love the camera being at the bottom though, as I feel like I’m not looking at the person on the other end of the conversation. It’s not shooting up my nose though, so it’s not terrible.

That Hinge Though:

The hinge is what really sets the Yoga apart from all of the other 2 in 1 devices out there. Not to mention the Yoga was the ORIGINAL 2 in 1! The hinge is not only BEAUTIFUL, it’s really functional (which is what I love most about Lenovo products! They take something and put form and function into the design). The hinge is extremely sturdy, but silky smooth when flipping the screen around to use it in tablet mode. The screen never falls down when I want it to stay up, and that’s really all it needs to do.

Hard Drive:

The model I was given has a 1 TB solid state hard drive. I have SO much space compared to my last laptop! It responds extremely quickly. With so much living in the cloud these days, you can get away with having a smaller hard drive, but I do have to say, it’s really nice to be able to keep my entire Dropbox folder in sync!

Memory:

Again, the model I was given has specs to die for, so I have 16 GB of RAM. I constantly run at least 3 different Chrome windows (with 3 different Google accounts), each with their own plethora of tabs. I also run screen capture software, and video editing, and photoshop, and dreamweaver, and etc etc. I haven’t seen the laptop slow down yet. Especially during times when other computers I’ve had have slowed down like when using Google Hangouts.

Battery:

I LOVE the battery life on this! I had to go to a blog conference, during which I ran a help desk for other bloggers. I took a chance and did not bring my charger. I didn’t even need it by the end of the night! Woot! It’s great to not have to worry about it dying in the middle of the day.

Keyboard:

So, I do have one complaint about the keyboard. I don’t know if it’s because my fingers are so used to my last laptop, but the shift key on the right side is further away than I’m used to. I CONSTANTLY push page up when I mean to press shift, messing up whatever I’m typing. Other than that small complaint, I really like the keyboard. The keys press nicely and it’s not overly loud. The keys are also backlit. The way to activate the backlight is to hold the Fn key down and tap the spacebar. There are 3 levels of brightness to the backlight, which is really nice for all kinds of situations.

The keyboard also features a fingerprint reader. It’s really responsive and I have yet to use my finger more than once to unlock the computer. It’s also more like the phone fingerprint readers, in that you don’t have to swipe your finger over it (like you used to do with older fingerprint readers), you simply press your finger on the square and the computer unlocks right away.

Ports:

There is one USB-C port, and another USB-C port for charging. There is also a regular USB 3.0 port on the opposite side of the other ports, and a headphone jack. I really do wish the laptop included an SD card reader, but they have removed that feature in this model.

Speakers:

The speakers on this laptop are fantastic. It has 2 JBL^®stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium. It’s immersive and really clear. I was able to watch some movies from my Vudu account, and it ALMOST sounded as good as my home theater surround sound (not QUITE that good yet though)

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

I’ve really loved using this laptop. It has quickly become my workhorse machine. I had an older laptop, but I found that I used my desktop more for my daily work. That has changed, and now I use the 910 more for my daily work and the desktop has become secondary. I am starting to get used to the right side shift key placement, and it’s not as much of an issue as it was in the beginning, although it still throws me a few times a day. My only other complaint is that it can be a bit loud at times. It doesn’t overheat (as in it’s never been hot to touch), but it sounds like the fan or hard drive is running a bit overtime. It doesn’t sound like that ALL the time, but it’s definitely noticeable when it does. I say it’s not too bad of a trade off for the amazing specs packed inside such a small frame.

And what laptop is complete without a kick butt sticker collage…

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

If I see one more person blindly tell someone on Facebook to buy a Mac when they specifically said their laptop died and they can’t spend a lot on a new one, I’m just going to go ballistic.

The reason it drives me crazy is that they obviously make a lot of assumptions that may or may not be true. Mac’s are extremely expensive, and not everyone can afford a one.

Many people will cite the problems they have had with various Windows computers. What they don’t understand is that they are rarely comparing apples to apples (if you will excuse the pun!)

While Mac computers generally come in one flavor… expensive, Windows computers can span the full gambit from super affordable to ridiculously expensive. Someone will purchase a $500 budget laptop, have a ton of issues with it, then purchase a Mac and never have any issues. They aren’t comparing the same kind of laptop, they are comparing a Motel 6 to a luxury suite at the Venetian.

What people don’t know is that most computer manufacturers have multiple product lines to help you decide on what you want. Getting to know these product line names will help you understand exactly what you can expect from the laptop you purchase.

While I prefer Lenovo products, I will also list the product line names for Dell, who is probably my #2 choice if I absolutely could not pick a Lenovo.

High-End Product Lines

For Lenovo products, the Yoga line is the high-end consumer brand. Yoga laptops (which is what I currently use) are built with really high-quality parts and gives you a 2-in-1 experience as you fold it around to use it in a tablet mode. This machine would be a great comparison to a Mac (and in my opinion is even way better than a Mac… once you go touchscreen, you can’t go back!)

Dell also has a high-end consumer product line called XPS.

Business Laptops

Along the same lines as the high-end consumer product lines, companies will also have a business-grade product line. For Lenovo, it’s the extremely popular business line of products called ThinkPad. The X1 Carbon is one of the most popular high-end business level laptops available today, and Lenovo keeps improving on this model.

Dell’s business line of products usually fall under the name Precision.

Gaming Laptops

In the gaming laptop category, you won’t find more high-end parts than in a quality gaming system like the Legion line of products from Lenovo. In this comparison, the Mac might be the Motel 6 since the Legion will have far superior specs than the Mac. Dell also has a gaming brand called Alienware.

Gaming laptops are built for amazing graphics, great sound, and speed. Gamers won’t tolerate lag while they are playing, so their system needs to be able to handle a pretty good beating for hours at a time. Really the only huge downside to most gaming laptops is their size. These are powerful machines and they have the weight to prove it.

Budget Laptops

If you are looking for a budget laptop though, you won’t find amazing specs like in the previous product lines, but you will find a quality system that will get the easy jobs done like web browsing and streaming videos.

Lenovo’s budget line of devices goes under the name IdeaPad. Some of the IdeaPad models even start at $200! Obviously, the processors, hard drives, memory, etc will all be lower quality to be able to get that price down as low as they possibly can. So you may encounter issues with your device down the road, and it may need to be replaced sooner. The Dell budget brand goes by the name Inspiron.

When you do decide to get an affordable laptop, don’t expect it to be as fast, as portable, as amazing as the higher-end brands. I usually tell people that if their current device is over 10 years old, the cheapest laptop they can buy is probably already better than their current system. However, if your laptop is between 3-5 years old it might be time to start shopping for a new one before it dies at an inconvenient time.

Now that you understand the different product lines, make sure you are comparing Motel 6 to Motel 6, and the suite at the Venetian to a suite at the Venetian. When you are able to set your expectations to the appropriate level you won’t need to default to just recommending something that the person doesn’t want or need.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com

I have heard so many parents asking about Chromebooks this year, and it seems like a pretty hot gift to give your tweens and teens. It is understandable, for sure. They are inexpensive, they are great for doing homework and playing games, and work great. Chromebooks are even permeating our schools, and many schools even give them out to every student!

With all of these parents able to grab some killer Black Friday deals on a Chromebook, they want to make sure they get it all set up with Parental controls before they hand it over to their kids on Christmas Day.

The good news is there are a lot of options for you when it comes to protecting a Chromebook. I prefer to layer my parental controls, as I’ve stated many times. So I will touch on a few different ways you can protect your kid’s Chromebook. You can choose to use one method or ALL OF THE ABOVE!

Use Google Family Link

A lot of parents still don’t know about Google Family Link, especially if they typically use iOS devices. They haven’t ventured very far into the world of Google, and this might be their first device with a Google-owned operating system.

Google Family Link is a great utility that allows parents to control Android devices or Chromebooks. You can set up times the entire device is completely locked, control the ability to install apps, and even control what kind of apps, games, movies, and books your child can see in the Google Play store.

Even if you don’t have an Android device, you can download and install the Google Family Link app and control your child’s device. For Android users, just make sure you are downloading the correct one. There are 2 apps in the store. One is made to be installed on your child’s device, and one is the management tool for parents. The single kite icon is the one you are looking for.

If your child doesn’t already have a Google account, I would create one for them through the app. As a word of warning. Children who are over 13 years old will have the ability to “opt-in” and “opt-out” of supervision. You will be notified if your child chooses to opt-out. In our house, you opt-out of supervision, you opt-out of having a device.

Once you have created their account, you can login to the Chromebook with their Google account. Since you have already set up the supervision inside the Family Link app, the device will ask you to get “your parent” Go ahead and login with your own Google account credentials.

As you can see, you will be able set up various website restrictions by manually blocking specific apps within the Google Family Link app (I recommend blocking at least these 10 sites). You can also turn on the setting to “try to block mature sites”. Nothing is foolproof, so that’s why it says “try”.

To access this location open the Family Link app on your phone and click on the child you are trying to manage or set up. Scroll down to “manage settings” and tap on it. From here you have a ton of options. I recommend tapping on each one individually so you can see exactly what you can control.

You can also set up “whitelist only” where you have to manually enter each website you will allow to be visited from the device. This is obviously the most restrictive and sometimes can cause issues with certain sites you do want to allow. However, if your children are only allowed access to a few very specific websites, this is a great option for you.

The great thing about having the Family Link account on the Chromebook is your child will not have access to use “incognito mode” in Chrome. They also will not be able to add any accounts to the Chromebook without a parent’s permission. If they try to add a new user to the device they will be greeted with this message.

Once Family Link is all configured, there are still a few things you can add to make the device even safer.

Protect the device on the router

I use the Gryphon router, which is by far the best router with integrated parental controls. I can get reports of all of the sites my child has visited on the Chromebook and shut down the internet whenever I want (granted, I can also shut down the entire device at any time through Google Family Link too).

Gryphon will also filter the web content that the device will try to access, so you get the benefit of having 2 filters just in case one of them misses something.

Protect the whole network

One thing I recommend everyone do (if your router is compatible) is to add OpenDNS to your wifi network. It’s free, it’s easy to set up, and it can filter out a LOT of bad stuff.

Essentially what OpenDNS does is filter all traffic going out and into your network through their servers. It will block access to anything it has deemed inappropriate. You can set all sorts of different categories for it to block that broadens the categories already blocked by Google Family Link and Gryphon. Through OpenDNS you can block lingerie sites like Victoria’s Secret and other more specific categories, that aren’t necessarily harmful, but kids likely don’t need to be browsing it.

With these controls in place, a Chromebook is probably one of the safest devices you can give your child. I would still make sure to have frequent conversations with them about the dangers that lurk online, because kids will always find a way around controls, and there will always be cracks in the system that accidentally let something through.

Sarah Kimmel

sarahkimmel.com