I was sent a Philips Digital Photo Frame to check out. I had been looking at the digital frames off and on for a while, but, couldn't decide if I wanted to get one, or not.
I gave this one to my father, and, it was a hit in a big way!
The picture quality is wonderful, it's nice looking, and, the clear frame goes with any decor (I didn't get the one with the interchangeable colors). You can download photos from a PC or a camera memory card, and, display them one at a time, or in a slideshow format. It runs on battery or AC power, and, even has a timer that you can set to turn off and on at a certain time.
While it's certainly not a necessity, it makes a wonderful grandparent gift. My father loves it! I uploaded a few pictures to the frame itself, and, I bring him a camera memory card with pictures of events from time to time, so, he can look at those for a change of pace.
The only downside is that the documentation is poor, and, it takes a bit to get the hang of the controls. I didn't attempt to teach my dad how to download pictures himself.
I received this nice looking MP3 player to try out. The first things I noticed is that it feels really good in your hand, it has a clear display, and, the menus are easy to navigate.
The sound quality is really good, especially for such an affordable device ($99 for 2GB). It comes with ear buds, but, I don't get why one side of them was longer than the other,
It plays mp3 files as well as WMA and files from subscriptions such as Napster. It doesn't play i-tunes files. I had no problems getting it working on Windows In addition, it has a FM Radio, and, you can view and store images on it.
All in all, a nice little device at a good price! Hey, I'm a poet...
If you don't know, Insignia is the house brand of electronics at Best Buy, and, we have been very pleased with their portable DVD player as well as the 2G mp3 player.
The 4GB is loaded with features:
- Holds up to 1,000 songs, 4,000 photos, 50 audiobooks or 14 movies
- Pocket-size design measures just over 0.6" thin and weighs only 2.4 ounces
- Supports MP3 formats and most image and video formats
- Bluetooth-enabled, so you can listen wirelessly through compatible headphones
- 2.2" high-resolution LCD color display
- Built-in FM tuner with 20 presets
- Features a microSD expansion slot for additional memory capacity
- Quick Start Guide
- 1-year Limited Warranty
- 2-free months of Real Rhapsody music subscription
- Coupon for free Audible.com book
The advertised carrying case isn't much, just a plastic cover, but, with all the mp3 player accessories on the market, it wouldn't be hard to find one to match your taste.
I love the rubber sport exterior of it, and, the screen is amazingly clear, and, the sound is excellent. It also comes with a USB cable, ear bud headphones, and, CD-ripping software.
The controls are pretty intuitive, the kids got it right away (so ask them if you have any questions), and, I had no problem getting it to work on Windows. It's cheaper than an i-Pod nano, and, it has video and FM radio. Seems like a pretty good deal to me!
It even comes with a few songs and videos already on it that are actually pretty good. Actually, they're pretty catchy. I had no problem getting it to work on Windows.
Best Buy’s Apple® iPod™ nano and Chocolate Gift Set
I received Best Buy’s Apple® iPod™ nano and Chocolate Gift Set for review (I know! Squee!). It is a 4G ipod Nano, and, some mighty fine chocolates in a cool polka dot patterned box inspired by all the iPod Nano colors.
From the press release:
This Mother's Day, surprise and delight mom with Best Buy’s exclusive iPod nano and chocolate gift set wrapped up in one, stylish package that is easy to give and a joy to receive. Whether your mom is a karaoke queen or a shower soloist, she will love taking her music everywhere. Her personal soundtrack - from old disco favorites to secret classic rock obsessions - will make the morning carpool, evening chores and everything in between more fun.
It retails for $214.99 and is available at Best Buy beginning May 6, 2007.
I am forever looking for something to do with the myriad of digital photos we have.
Usually, I just get paralyzed at the thought of doing something with them, so, I ignore them.
So, the digital photo frame seemed like a way to display some of my favorites without the pressure of organizing or scrapbooking them.
The white frame is very nice looking, and, it has a lot of features.
It fits both landscape, and, vertical pictures, and, the internal memory holds about 150 photos. I'd like to see future versions hold much more than that if the purpose is to display your photos.
You can also display the photos on your camera's memory card, there are a variety of formats. We gave my dad one for Christmas, and, I leave a memory card in his, and, trade another card for it when we take new pictures.
It operates on AC battery, and, has a power cord, as well. The battery life is short, so, when you look for a place to display the frame, make sure there's an outlet, and, it's in a place where the cord won't be too prominent.
It has modes to display pictures in thumbnail view, as well as the ability to create albums and slide shows. You can also set it to automatically turn display on and off at preset times
The display is crystal clear, and, once you get it up and running, it is mesmerizing. It's hard not to stop and look at the pictures all the way through every time you pass by.
It comes with a USB cable, and, a CD user guide. However, you need to plan on taking a while to get started.
The directions and controls are just not very intuitive, and, it may take several tries to get pictures in there. Once you do get it, it's not a bad idea to write down how you did it.
I promise it's worth it in the end, though, just don't be in a hurry when you sit down to transfer pictures for the first time.
At $200, it's a bit pricey, but, the display is gorgeous, and, it would make an excellent gift for far away grandparents, or, your favorite father for Father's Day.
The Rocketfish Twister Laser Mouse is a low profile laser mouse that's easy to carry in any laptop bag. It's about the size of a deck of cards, and, it goes from being flat and portable, to a traditional mouse shape with a simple twist.
It connects easily through Windows plug and play technology, and, also comes with software you can install to configure the buttons to your specifications. It installed easily, and, was simple to figure out.
I'm not terribly picky about mouse buttons, so, the four were plenty for me.
Other features:
-2.4GHz wireless optical mouse with four buttons
-Supports Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP and Vista; Mac compatible; USB connection
-Requires 2 AAA batteries (included); also includes power save function
-Connects via a small USB receiver that fits inside the mouse
It's precise, was easily detected by my computer, lightweight, and, even comes with a nifty foam case to protect it when you're on the go.
The only con, like many reviews have identified, is that it's low profile isn't as ergonomic as it could be, I'm used to a more curved, palm-shaped mouse.
But, it's still a great choice for a portable, wireless mouse, and, I really like it.
I was invited to an exclusive Best Buy Reward Zone event in the Edgewood neighborhood in Atlanta, GA on November 11, 2007.
Best Buy has a points reward program called Reward Zone, and, the good people at Best Buy invited me to a party to celebrate it (disclosure: my expenses were paid, and, they didn't request that I write anything specific about it).
I arrived in the evening as the store was closing, and, a line of hard-core Wii enthusiasts:
were lined up outside discussing store navigational strategies to acquire one of the 30 units Best Buy had on hand for this after hours Reward Zone sale.
I was greeted by the manager, Marshall Bronson:
who welcomed me in to watch the preparation for the festivities of the evening.
The store was abuzz with excitement as everyone was straightening and vacuuming to get things ready for the guests outside.
Under the watchful eye of the security force:
the employees really got into it It was a fun atmosphere, and, they even held a little pep rally to get everyone fired up. The district manager was even there, ready for action.
The big moment finally arrive, and, the doors opened. But, unlike some Black Friday sales shoppers, this crowd was orderly and calm:
There was much shopping had by all, with sales and door prizes all evening.
The Wii table ("Wii", not "wee". It was a full sized table) was even calm and orderly as people double checked that the ticket they got really enabled them to buy the coveted game system. "You mean all I need is this piece of paper? I can shop now without worrying about it?":
Man, I really, really, really want a Wii, but, cannot justify the purchase since it is worth more than my geriatric television. The television that will not die.
Anyway, I looked at nearly everything there, wishing I could have one of each. I spent at lot of time looking at cameras, and, the staff was very knowledgeable, there. I was impressed.
Everyone was so nice and welcoming, and, I really enjoyed my visit. I also came home with my wallet a little lighter as did most everyone in attendance.
You can join the Reward Zone program for free, and, make one qualifying purchase a year to keep your membership. You earn 1 point for nearly every $1 you spend at Best Buy or BestBuy.com.
Every time you earn 250 points, you get a $5 reward certificate to use in participating stores., so check it out today and start saving.
If you're in the Atlanta, GA area, Best Buy #896 in Edgewood rocks!
*or, how my already marginal photography skills are even worse at 4am.
I had so much fun at the Best Buy Reward Zone event in the Edgewood neighborhood in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, I went back for Black Friday (disclosure: my expenses were paid, and, they didn't request that I write anything specific about it).
Since I was just a couple of hours away, I drove to Atlanta from our Thanksgiving celebration, and, checked into the Sheraton, where, luckily, I didn't use any of the glasses.
After some mindless Internet surfing (yeah, me. Who knew?) I went to bed, since, I was due at Best Buy at 4am.
And, as one might suspect, 3:30 in the morning came awfully early.
I got ready, and, tried to attain some semblance of coherence, but, I think the hotel staff doubted my efforts, and, thought I had been up all night drinking.
(Note to self: check mirror more thoroughly next time)
I acquired brain fluid, and, got on the road:
When I got to Best Buy a little after 4 (shut up), the line was already down the sidewalk and around the building.
I parked and beat a hasty path to the front door to explain myself to the security guard because the $200 computer seekers in line take said line very seriously, and, I didn't want to be mistaken for a line jumper.
People were jovial for the most part, but, I did witness a little controversy when some guy joined his friends in line, and, the line neighbors took great exception to that.
Turns out I had nothing to worry about because everyone was expecting me, and, I was greeted with choruses of, "Our blogger's here!"
Many of them had been there since 2am, so, suddenly I felt like I got to sleep late. However, I do wish I had figured out that Caribou Coffee had opened at 4:30am.
Despite the early hour, everyone was so excited, it was kind of contagious. Several employees told me they had worked the sale for several years, and, looked forward to it. They were out in the cold interacting with the customers, and, having a good time.
However, I'm still glad I wasn't the employee who had to tell everyone when all the computer vouchers had been handed out.
I decided to see what made the customers in line come out so early to brave the cold and the lines, and, the answer was nearly unanimous, "the great deals".
Well, except for the guy who was last in line when I was out there. I asked him why he was there, and, he replied, "My family made me."
The lovely lady who was first in line had gotten there at 9:30 the night before, and, she was very clear she was there to get a $400 laptop. I asked her if it was going to be a gift, or, if she was going to keep it.
She just smiled, and, said it was a gift.
The employees scurried around getting everything ready, and, going over the plans to get everyone in an out. TV cameras were there, and, reporters getting ready for "live from the scene" shots.
As the big moment got closer, a staff meeting/pep rally was called to go over last minute plans:
But, first, everyone went rushing outside to give a cheer to the customers in line:
All the employees seemed genuinely fired up, but, I'm not sure what would happen to them if they weren't. I wouldn't want to take my chances, no telling what the punishment would be for lack of enthusiam, he's kinda big (kidding):
Traffic flow details were well thought out, and, everyone was ready for the big moment (my very first You Tube video, I might add):
There were lots of people, but, everyone was orderly, and, ready to go get their computers, and, $2.99 DVDs.
People sure like them some DVDs. There were two girls who, between them, had a basket full of probably 50 or 60 of them.
I was amazed at how there were employees there to help at every turn, yet, they weren't at all intrusive.
Like every store on Friday, the lines were long, but, thanks to some great planning, they moved fairly quickly.
There were some great deals, I got a few things myself, but, am kicking myself for not getting the $119 TomTom One LE GPS unit. I talked myself out of it, and, now I sure wish I hadn't.
Anyway, Best Buy store #896 in the Edgewood neighborhood in Atlanta, GA is the place to be. Do stop in, and, do your shopping there if you are in the area, it's a great group of knowledgeable people who enjoy what they do.
It's a 1gb, easy to use player with a built-in USB connector (no cables), and, there's also an FM radio with 20 preset stations. It even comes with interchangeable color caps for the USB end.
It supports MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, WAV and Audible formats.
The display is small, but, simple enough for my 5 year old to use it. As a matter of fact, we loaded it up with his songs, and, he's loving being able to listen to music on the go like the big kids.
It's small, and, easy to use, and, may not be for the hard-core music enthusiast, but, the Insignia Kix would be great to take along to the gym, or, to just keep in your pocket when you're out and about.
Posted by Busy Mom Blog on January 7, 2008 6:45 PM
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March 5, 2008
Share live video with ATT Video Share
Show other people what you see via cell phone, when you are seeing it!
ATT's Video Share enables one-way, live streaming video feeds that can be seen by both users during a two-way conversation.
You start with a normal cell phone call, and, with the push of a button, you can add live video to the call while you're talking.
ATT was kind enough to let us try it out, and, it's been a lot of fun.
We used it when I was out of town and had to miss Busy D.'s basketball game. With a simple call, I was able to enjoy some of the game as it was happening.
It also came in handy when I was at the store trying to pick up something for Busy Boy, and, I wasn't sure which one I should get. I was able to call and show him the selections and he told me which one he needed.
You could also use it as a way to catch up "Live" with family who live far away.
Video share would also be useful when you have teenagers and there might be a question about if they're where they say they are, but, I'll leave that one up to you.
To use Video Share, both the sender and the receiver must have:
Best Buy is giving $50 gift cards to some HD-DVD customers
With Blu-ray declaring victory over HD-DVD in the high definition movie format war, Best Buy, is giving $50 gift cards to customers who purchased an HD-DVD player or HD-DVD attachment from its U.S. stores before February 23, 2008.
Customers will get a gift card for each player or HD-DVD attachment that they purchased. Through this program, Best Buy will distribute more than $10 million in gift cards to customers across the country.
Most Best Buy customers won’t have to do anything to receive their gift card. Best Buy will proactively mail cards to all customers that the company can identify as having purchased an HD-DVD player.
Members of the Best Buy Reward Zone program, customers who purchased Performance Service Plans (PSPs) or who made their purchase on BestBuy.com should look for their gift cards in the mail by May 1.
Other customers who may not be easily identified can call (888) BEST BUY to receive their gift cards with proof of purchase through a credit card or their Best Buy receipt.
Also, beginning on March 21, customers who do want to get rid of their HD-DVD players can visit Best Buy’s Online Trade-In Center at www.bestbuytradein.com.
Visitors to the site will receive instant estimates of the value of their HD-DVD players and movies. Those who agree with the estimates can then ship their goods to the Trade-In Center free of charge by downloading a prepaid shipping label and will receive an additional gift card as payment for their trade-in. This service is open to HD-DVD owners regardless of where they bought their player.
Peek is a great looking and super easy mobile e-mail device.
It's not a mobile phone, it doesn't access the web, it doesn't send or receive text messages and it doesn't take pictures.
So, what does it do?
It just sends and receives e-mail.
As a matter of fact, it even says on the box that "Peek is not for hard core techies".
Today's smart phones and PDAs can be complicated and overkill for people who just need to check their e-mail and the Peek does just that.
The Peek is $99 and available at Target and Amazon (currently $79.99) and it's $19.95/mo for the service. There are no contracts, no complicated carrier agreements, data plans or hidden fees. It measures 4.0 by 2.7 by 0.4 inches and comes in charcoal gray, aqua blue and black cherry red face plates, and the rest of it is silver.
When you open the box, you'll find a power cord, a carrying case, a Quick Start Guide, and a rechargeable lithium ion battery.
It was simple to set up (actually my kids did it) and I set up my Comcast e-mail and Gmail in minutes. All you have to do is put in your e-mail address and password.
The Peek supports 3 e-mail addresses, but the messages aren't separated, they go into the same inbox. So, if you are sharing it with someone, it needs to be someone who you don't mind reading your e-mail.
The QWERTY keyboard has rubber backlit keys (a tad stiff, but not a show stopper), many functions are controlled by the thumb wheel on the side of the unit. It's really that simple.
It can be set to either vibrate, ring or remain silent when new e-mail arrives, though the alerts are a little hard to hear sometimes. It's also got nationwide (USA) coverage, so you can take it anywhere with you.
Again, The Peek isn't for everyone. It only does e-mail, so it's not for people who are hard core techies.
It's a great solution for someone who doesn't need a device with bells and whistles, but who just needs to keep in touch by checking e-mail on the go.
I received a Sony Mylo 2 personal communicator for review. Mylo stands for "my life online", by the way.
Once you understand that it works on wifi (no bills or pricey data plans!) and it's not a cell phone (though it does work with Skype) you have a cute little Internet device.
As a bonus, Sony Mylo owners receive free Wi-Fi access at over 10,000 Wayport Hotspot locations nationwide; including over 9,000 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's® Restaurants, 70 IHOP restaurants, 600 hotels, and more.
With it's backlit, full QWERTY keyboard and a beautiful 800x 480 pixel high resolution touch screen, it's a fun way to stay connected to the Internet when you're on the go.
It was easy to operate right out of the box. The first thing you need to know is the little plastic tab thingy in the packaging is the stylus, and it goes on the wrist strap. Take it from me. It's very sharp looking, it looks kind of like a PSP, and it weighs about 7 oz., so it's easy to pack in a bag or purse.
It's got lots of features such as a 1.3 megapixel camera, ability to upload and download photos, photo editing software, 1g of internal memory, a mini USB port, expandable memory via a Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo™ and it supports instant messaging.
If you want to store your music or video, the mylo comes with headphones and it supports Windows Media DRM 10 and plays MP3, AAC, ATRAC or WMA files. Video support includes MPEG4 and MPEG4/AVC.
My oldest child is a volleyball player and I spend a lot of time at the gym. The Mylo has been handy to have around since the gym has wifi. The battery life has been good and I'm looking forward to traveling with it after the first of the year.
The Sony Mylo comes in balck and white and currently retails for around $199.
For the longest time, I had a vague notion that I should look into getting a "smart phone". I saw all these people with their various devices browsing the internet, reading their e-mails effortlessly and just generally doing cool stuff.
By way of review, a "smart phone" is a mobile phone that has features beyond simply making and receiving phone calls. They often have keyboards and can do many of the functions of a PC.
I'd think about it and think about it some more, and decide, "Nah, I can do without it." While I do work full-time, I don't have a job where it's vital to keep in contact when I'm out of the office and I wondered if these phones were simply more than I needed.
But, I've learned that these phones aren't only for work.
I was given a Samsung Blackjack II to try out (pink!) I discovered (and re-discovered) so many handy things you can do with these phones that I now can't imagine not having one.
First, since I have a teenager, I've used and used and used the full QWERTY keyboard for texting. Though I can certainly text with a regular phone, I have to admit, the full keyboard sure is nice to have.
A smart phone can sometimes eliminate the need to carry multiple devices around. They have cameras (though not meant to replace your digital camera, the Blackjack II's camera is actually pretty good for quick, spur of the moment outdoor shots) and many smart phones also have enough memory (you can get memory cards, too) to hold songs, videos and lots of photos, too.
Windows Mobile is one operating system for these phones and there's lots of handy stuff to use. If you have a PC, the phone can be easily synchronized (seriously, even I can do it) with your home computer and you can take all kinds of stuff with you on the go.
With a smart phone, you can access the Internet anywhere. You can even import all your favorites from Internet Explorer.
I wondered if internet access was a luxury I didn't need, but there's been several instances where I've used it, that I really think it's worth it.
I've been able to quickly find directions to places I "thought" I knew how to get to, I've been able to quickly check the bank balance while Christmas shopping, I've looked up movie times, locations and run times while out and about with the teenager and have quickly gotten the weather radar during outdoor activities when the skies looked ominous.
I've also enjoyed being able to do things on my down time. I find myself waiting a lot of sports practices and doctors offices. I'm able to catch up on the news, my e-mail and some online work I have to do.
I admit, I also do fun things with the internet access such as keeping up with Twitter, blog reading and instant messaging (Windows Mobile supports most IM services you already use).
If you do need to take work with you or you get an e-mail with an attachment, there's Office Mobile where you can open and edit Microsoft Office Word and Excel documents, and view PowerPoint documents.
Another cool thing I discovered was Windows Live Search mobile. I admit to being unclear about all the Windows Live terminology, but this is really neat.
Windows Live Search Mobile is a search tool especially for mobile phones where you can do things like browse and search for business categories, get turn by turn directions to a location, get traffic information, gas prices, weather forecasts, movie times, restaurant reviews and more.
There's voice recognition, you can just speak the location you're trying to reach and you can even search for things near your current location (depending on phone) such as "grocery store" or "mechanic". Having had a car break down on the way to vacation this past summer, I know that would come in handy.
The one thing you must understand, though is that you need a data plan for a smart phone from your cell phone provider since the cool stuff is very data intensive and can cost a lot of money if you don't have a monthly data plan. See your service provider for details.
I'm learning there's so much you can do with a Windows Mobile smart phone, it's not just a work thing. I feel like I've only scratched the surface. But, I'm making better use of my time and have access to all sorts of useful information when I'm out and about and now I can't imagine being without it.
The D-Link DSM-210 Internet Photo Frame is a fabulous digital picture frame that allows you to manage and display your digital photos via the Internet (requires an Internet connection) and I received one to check out.
It was easy to operate and took just a few minutes to sit down and learn about it. Word of wisdom: you need the remote because the interface is mostly controlled by it, so don't put it aside in the wrappings, it's important.
You can connect it to the Internet through a wired 10/100Mbps Ethernet cable or a wireless 802.11g connection. It has 1g of internal memory, so it can also be used as a standard digital picture frame and it accepts flash memory cards including: MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick and SD Memory Cards.
It has a bright, 10 inch display and the unit can be wall mounted or displayed on a table or shelf like a traditional picture frame.
One of my favorite things about the frame is that it has a motion detector to sense when the room is empty, or when someone comes in so it's not displaying a slode show to an empty room. My dad has burned out more than one digital frame when it's been on for a long time, so this feature is important.
I only have 2 items for a wish list for the frame: it would be handy to be able to control the brightness and I wish that when you turned on the power, it would return to the last mode you had it on before it was turned off instead of having to go through the menu again.
One way to manage your digital picture frame is through the Frame Channel. It allows you to set up your frame to incorporate images from photo sharing sites such as Flickr, Picasa, Facebook and more.
You can also e-mail your photos directly to Frame Channel and you can give your friends the address of your frame, and they can add pictures, too. Don't worry, you can approve them, first.
The Frame Channel also has different modules that can display dynamic content such as news, weather and sports on your frame.
The D-Link DSM-210 Internet Photo Frame retails for around $240.00 and it would make a great addition to your digital picture collection or a gift for parents or grandparents out of town. You can manage photos remotely and they can enjoy near real time pictures of the kids, a vacation and more (Internet connection required for them to receive the pictures over the Internet).
Posted by Busy Mom Blog on December 24, 2008 4:06 PM
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June 9, 2009
Father's Day gift idea - Road Mice
Looking for a Father's Day gift idea for a "car guy"? He can "cruise the web in style" with Road Mice, optical computer mice that are car replicas.
Choose from models such as Ford Mustang GT, Chevy Corvette, Dodge Charger, and Chevy Camaro. They are wireless and the best part (at least around here, anyway) is that they have working headlights!
We received one for review, and it works well, but the shape takes a little getting used to. I can't attest to how Busy Dad liked it as the kids absconded with it immediately after I got up from using it, and it is on a laptop upstairs.
Road Mice retail for $44.95 and there's quite a few models to choose from.quite a few models
I was sent a Philips Digital Photo Frame to check out. I had been looking at the digital frames off and on for a while, but, couldn't decide if I wanted to get one, or not.
I received this nice looking MP3 player to try out. The first things I noticed is that it feels really good in your hand, it has a clear display, and, the menus are easy to navigate.
I received 
The 
I was invited to an exclusive Best Buy Reward Zone event in the Edgewood neighborhood in Atlanta, GA on November 11, 2007.
I was sent this little
Show other people what you see via cell phone, when you are seeing it!
is $99 and available at Target and 
Looking for a Father's Day gift idea for a "car guy"? He can "cruise the web in style" with 
