Things You Can Do With Your Smartphone...

Hi All,

You've come a long way Mr. Smartphone.  No longer is the smartphone just capable of searching the web or getting email or texting.  Nope...its a whole new world out there of tools, scans, resources, fitness tools, note taking, voice operating tools and much, much more - as you'll see in this post. 

You probably know all this already...but if readers pick up even just one tip...well, then I can consider this post a success.  (But I am shooting for a bit more than just one tip being picked up by a reader!)

Mashable has a link  titled, 'Apps: 10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Your Smartphone'.  Check out #3 and #7...

Techrader.com has its own version of '10 Things You Didn't Know Your Smartphone Could Do' - article is current and interesting - check #6...you'll never need to look outside again for the weather - although that might be easier...

As if you didn't know already, there are a ton of fun things you can do with your smartphone - now this list has been organized for you in this article from Sooperarticles.com. Title of the article is 'Fun Things To Do With Your Smartphone'.

Not to be beat, Techlicious.com has come out with an article on '8 Things You Didn't Know You Can Do With Your Smartphone'.  (I had no idea about detecting leaky windows or that you can check your check engine light, or the fish finder!)

And, not to be outdone, USA Today - a mainstream newspaper - chimed in with an article as well.  They titled the article '5 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Your Smartphone'. Clever, eh?

Finally, we have a bevy of books in the library on how to use your smartphone! Click on this link which will link you to the Farmingdale library card catalog and books on the subject of smartphones!

Enjoy the links and the books and your smartphone!

Regards,
Stu

Keeping the Kids Safe When They are Online

Hi All,

The world has changed - that's for sure.  Now kids can access the internet from not just a desktop computer, but from a smartphone, tablet or even a laptop.  And, of course, they can get to the web via the 'traditional' desktop computer.  The web is everywhere - its ubiquitous!

So how do you keep kids safe when they are online?  Great question - here are some steps and some sites to help you keep the kids safe when they use the computer and the internet.

This interactive site (called Kidsmart) offers videos, tips, activities, and ideas that teach kids to be smart and be safe online. Categories such as file sharing, social networking, games, chat, safe searching, digital footprints, and competitions allow kids to learn more about the areas they use most often.  Notice the tabs at the top of the homepage for 'I work with kids', 'I have kids' and 'contact'...

PCMag had an article titled 'Keep Your Child Safe Online' back from 2011.  The article still has decent content and is helpful for parents and educators.

PCWorld (a competitor to PCMag) had an article called 'How to Child-Proof the Internet'. Its a bit more current, but again, is a decent starting point for parents.

Even the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has gotten into the act of child safety on the internet with this link. 

This comprehensive site has links to Cyberbullying, Talking to Your Kids about Being Online, Kids and Computer Security, Kids/Mobile Phones and Kids/Socializing Online, Kids and Virtual Worlds and, finally, Kids and Texting/Sexting. It is a central repository for lots of valuable (and useful) information for parents whose kids use the internet!

Enjoy the links and the sites.

Regards,
Stu

Back To School - Top 10's

Hi All,

Well, I hate to say it, but it is back-to-school time again. Yes, another summer has come and gone and we are in 'back-to-school' mode once again.  So...for long time readers, that means I'm going to generate another 'Top 10' list.  This time the list is all about 'things that relate to back-to-school'.  Here it goes!  Enjoy - and have a great school year!

Click on this link for an article from Time Magazine titled, 'Top 10 Back-to-School iPhone Applications'.  With titles of apps like CourseSmart, Stanza, Evernote and Graphing Calculator, students will have more time to study and get good grades.  Thanks technology!

From Mashable comes this article on 'Top 10 Back-to-School Brain Foods'. Note that readers might want to stock on pumpkin seeds, potatoes, chili peppers, oysters and steak - among other things. 

From Yahoo! comes an article titled, 'Top 10 School Supplies - Back to School Shopping Guide'.  Seriously, this is the most basic and useful list that I've found!  With items like lunch boxes, backpacks, flashdrives/jump drvies, locks, calculators, binders, staples and glue, this is the most down to earth, practical list I've seen for back to school supplies in a long time. 

From a legal website called 'Findlaw.com', comes this article called 'Top 10 Back-to-School Traffic Safety Tips'.  The very first entry on the list is 'Don't text while driving'....duh....'nuff said.   I'm also a fan of the fifth item in the entry, 'budget extra travel time'.  And for children the warning to 'use the crosswalk' is a very, very good starting point.

And finally, the reason why school exists is, well, learning.  So the website School Family.com should be interesting from that perspective.  But.. the article 'Better Grades - 10 Ways You Can Help' is worth reading for parents and is very helpful for students and parents alike. 

Some good ideas that appear in the article include creating routines, prepare for the morning the night before, help your child get organized, provide a quite place for homework, limit distractions, encourage intellectual curiosity, allow for free time, build a relationship with teachers, focus on effort rather than grades and learn how to step back...go figure. 

This next article is very helpful for students.  Entitled 'Get Good Grades in 10 Easy Steps' the article will help get any student on his or her way to getting good grades.  For example, a few of the very helpful hints include 'believing in yourself', 'being organized', 'managing your time well', 'being successful in the classroom (don't skip class and prepare for class)', 'take good notes', 'study smart' and of course, 'get help when you need it'.

So there you go - some links on the tools, safety and how to get good grades for this school year.

Good luck and have a great school year!

Regards,
Stu