by Lori Cunningham

I have some friends who love texting Google.  Often times, they have texted Google at 466453 to get information or find an address.  I never tried it because I found it antiquated.  Who wants to text if you have a great smartphone with a data plan?  Besides, I knew I’d never remember 466453.  (I just learned in writing this article that 466453 spells Google on your keypad!)

Last weekend, we took a roadtrip with these same friends to Las Vegas.  I was enjoying the long trip as a backseat driver since I was using my Tilt2 phone with BING navigation – which told me exactly how many minutes it would be until we arrived.  As we neared Las Vegas, we decided to visit the most famous pawn shop in the world – the one the show, Pawn Stars, made famous on the History Channel.  Only, we didn’t know where it was located or what it was called.

I opened up my mobile browser to begin searching.  My friend stopped me and suggested I try using Google text instead.  Curious, I obliged, and she gave me the number.  I texted 466453 with this message:

me:     where is pawn stars las vegas

6 seconds later I received:

Google:

     Local Listings:

     Gold & Silver Pawn Shop

     713 Las Vegas Boulevard South

     Las Vegas

     702-385-7912

Wow!  Google translated pawn stars into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and it gave me an address and clickable phone number to boot!

Now, I could enter the address into my Bing Navigation, but I already was using it to get to the hotel.  So instead I texted Google:

me:     map  713 Las Vegas Boulevard South  Las Vegas

Google:

10 seconds later I received a URL.  Clicking on the URL I saw a map overview and an opportunity to receive driving directions.  I also saw a sentence that read “Selected business at this address:  Gold and Silver Pawn Shop.”  Clicking on this link I received detailed information on the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, such as its location, store hours, credit cards it accepts, it’s website, etc.  There were also 154 reviews.

More Great SMS Uses

Google SMS doesn’t stop with directions.  You can use it for all sorts of information, such as

Local info

Weather

Glossary – dictionary

Sports scores

Movie times

Stock quotes

Zip Codes

Flight status

Area Codes

Products

Q&A

Translation

Calculator

Currency Conversion

Airports

Local Time

…and more

Visit the Google Mobile SMS page to learn more on how to enter your questions more clearly to receive better Google results.  I was fascinated by the fact that you could check your flight status so I texted Google:

me:  flight aa 2111

3 seconds later Google returned:

     21 Jul 2010

     AA211

     MIA

     Depart:  11:50pm

     On Time

     Gate: D20

     LIM

     Arrive: 4:25am

     On Time

     AA:  800-433-7300

     http://m.flightstats.com

Now that’s just plain cool!  No browser to open, minimum typing, and you get results within seconds!  Try it out for yourself – remember 46653 spells out Google on your phone’s touchpad.  It’s really addictive – kinda like those Magic 8 balls where you ask a question, shake it, and wait for an answer.  Have fun!

A Favor To Ask of You

Can you please click on the big Orange “LOSE THE LAPTOP  VOTE FOR ME AND WIN” button above and vote for me on the LosetheLaptop.com site?  Every vote you give increases my chances of winning the final prize, $5,000.  And what’s even better than that?  Every vote you give also gives you for a chance to win $5,000 too!  We could both win!  Be sure to leave a comment on how you would use the Tilt2 to lose your laptop too to officially enter.  Enter daily until the end of day, July 31st.  Thanks for your support!

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 by Lori Cunningham

Today I had several appointments – one right after another.  I left my house this morning on my way to the first appointment–I was halfway there when I realized I had forgotten my phone at home.  Drat!  I have two cellphones – my Tilt2 and the older phone I was using before the LosetheLaptop.com contest.  Luckily, I had my Tilt2 with me but I left my other phone at home which had the details and the phone number of the person I was going to meet with.

Hmmmm, I wondered, how am I going to manage this one.  If neither one of us were late to the meeting or got lost on the way there, forgetting my phone wouldn’t be a problem.  But reality ranch is, the day I forget my phone would be the day I needed it the most.

Fortunately, two weeks ago I received an invitation (after signing up for it 3 months before) from Google Voice to activate an account.  I remember how excited I was to finally be able to check it out.  Google Voice is a great free service that acts as your voice-mail system and transcribes every message you receive into text and sends the message to you via e-mail and/or text.  It’s like having your own personal transcription service!  The transcription is not perfect – but you get the gist of what the caller was saying.  You can also record personalized messages for specific callers who call you.  Pretty slick!  Google Voice can be attached to any phone number.

However, to take full advantage of the  Google Voice features, I recommend you sign up for Google Voice with a Google number.  I chose this option.  You can create a new phone number within your area code or any other area code across America.  What I liked about this process is that you can choose a customized vanity number.  For example, I chose a phone number that ends in CNCT which works well with WellConnectedMom.com and theWellConnectedHome.com. 

Even better, if you choose the Google number option, you can hook up all of your phones to Google Voice so when a caller calls your Google Voice phone number, all of your phones will ring.  I have my home phone and my two cellphones hooked up to Google voice.  So, any voicemail I receive  is transcribed and texted to my both my cellphones and my e-mail account.  To learn more about the two versions of Google Voice and many other great features, watch these Google Voice features videos.

So, getting back to my day.  Guess what happened?  The person I was meeting with was running late and he called me using my Google Voice number.  I, unfortunately, was in a relatively new area of town with limited cellphone coverage, so I did not receive his call.  But thanks to my Tilt2 with data coverage and Google Voice, I received a text message with his message and phone number transcribed.  I walked out of the building I was in and gave him a call to let him know I would wait for him.  Phew!  My reputation was saved – I could still live up to my name as The Well Connected Mom, despite leaving my cellphone at home!

I have great news for you!  Google Voice just opened to the public – so you no longer need to receive an invitation to join!  Visit Google Voice  soon to snatch up your vanity Google phone number and become “well connected” today!

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by Lori Cunningham

Have you seen those new cameras that have a display on the front of the camera so you can take better self-portraits?  I recently was given the opportunity to review the Samsung TL210 camera, it’s a dual view camera with a 1.5″ LCD screen on the front of the camera as well as a 3″ LCD on the back for viewing.  I liked the camera so much, I placed it on my list of Dads, Grads, & Cool Do-Dads in June.

I haven’t bought a new digital camera in a while (other than my Sanyo Xacti mini camcorder/camera last December).  I was intrigued to learn what new features are available on cameras nowadays.   To my delight, I found a bunch of new features on the Samsung TL210 camera.

Some of the Features Include:

• 12.4 megapixals camera
• 5x optical zoom
• 27 mm wide lens
• Auto red-eye
• MPEG-4 high comparison video – can record up to 20 minutes in length
• Multi-functioning cable – connects to computer via USB and uses same USB to connect to power supply
• Smart Auto for still and movies
• Smart face recognition
• Self-timer – the countdown timer appears on the front LCD
• Couple shot – automatically shoots when heads are close together
• Children mode – engaging funny clown with funny voices to get a baby’s attention
• Automatic shutter when it detects a smiling face while using the Children mode
• You can ad a voice memo to any photo – up to 10 seconds
• The video has a pause button which allows you to record video, pause it, record some more on same video clip
• Smart Scene Auto detection mode to identify and change camera settings according to what’s being recorded – recording of landscapes, sunsets, if it’s cloudy or sunny, etc.

Using the Samsung TL210 Camera

If you’re like me, reading the directions is the last thing I want to do when I get a new gadget.  I want to figure out the gadget as I go.  For the most part, this works well for me.  However, I learned a lot by reading the TL210′s manual, which came packaged as a CD to review on the computer. 

I took a number of pictures of my kids and friends.  The camera is easy to use and fun.  One night, however, I took pictures of my kid’s programs at night and was disappointed because the SAMSUNG camera took pics similarly to my current older camera – the pictures ended up dark and it was hard to identify my kids.  For years I have been frustrated with photos I have taken during my kids performances.  Why do they turn out dark?  Why are they blurry?  Why does it take so long for the shutter to close to take the picture?  My child has moved onto picking his nose by the time my camera finally takes the shot.  Darn!  Another great photo opportunity missed.  Had I read the instructions, I would have learned about the Night mode and adjusting the exposure for a longer shutter time.  Perhaps that would have helped me.

Samsung incorporated some nice features for shots taking in daylight.  Sometimes it is not convenient to move people just  because the sun is shining behind them, which results in a dark picture.  Reading the User Guide I learned about the Backlight and the FlashFill features which help pictures turn out better in these situations.

There’s even a Beauty Shot mode you can use to  hide facial imperfections.  If only all cameras had that feature when pictures are taken of me!

Analysis of the Samsung TL210

Here are my top comments in evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of the camera:

Advantages

• a front LCD – pure brilliance!  Works well not only for self-portraits, but also for kids so they can see the picture you’re taking of them — they’re more likely to smile this way!
• what a convenience to have the self-timer appear on the front screen, so you know exactly how much time you have before the camera takes a shot.
• the pause button is very handy when recording children’s events.  You can shoot video of the beginning of your kids’ class performance, then press the pause button until your kids appears in the show, then pause again until your kid appears again.  This way you have one video of your fave parts of the show instead of a bunch of recorded bits of the show.  I love this feature!
• mini SD card – as much memory as you’d like – I used a 4GB mini SD – slides right into the drive
• the camera’s design incorporates a tilt-body feature so that when placed on the camera, instead of lying flat, it tilts up slightly, making self-portraits easier.

Disadvantages

• the instruction manual on the CD is inconvenient.  It would be easier to have a printed manual to take with the camera so as you’re using the camera you can look up certain features to learn about the camera better.
• 5x zoom is just not enough – a more powerful zoom is needed especially when zooming in on your kids during a recognition assembly or performance.
• even with  adjustments, pictures taken inside at night didn’t come out well – especially when taken from farther away.  I needed to get up from my seat and get close to the stage where my son’s class was performing to get a descent shot.

A Mom’s Perspective

Let me tell you, the Samsung TL210 is a fun camera.  I’ll tell you something else, if you have a daughter, watch out!  You may never see it again.  No matter what her age, she will be fascinated with taking self-portraits.  I was talking with a friend of mine who has a regular digital camera and her 9-year old daughter is constantly taking self-portraits.  I remember our 17-year old foreign exchange student we hosted from Germany and she too was always taking pics of herself.  My own 7-year old daughter had a field day with the Samsung TL210.  When I downloaded the pics, most of them were of her!  So my simple calculations on self-portrait cameras equate to:  DAUGHTER + CAMERA = THE PARENT ASKING “WHERE IS THE CAMERA?????”  Be advised, if you buy this camera, lock it up or hide it really well!!!

Overall, I was very impressed with the camera. It has an amazing number of features – more than I’ve seen on any other camera I’ve used.  I loved the smart face recognition feature which can recognize up to 20 faces.  So when you’re taking a picture of the kids from your son’s birthday party, the camera will recognize your son (because you’ve likely already taken endless pics of him before with this camera) and it will focus and adjust the exposure based on his face.

I really liked the children mode too where a clown made funny noises and threw balls so the baby I was taking a picture of would look up.  You can even download new children videos to your camera so your baby/child won’t get bored or used to the cartoon playing while you’re trying to snap their pic.

And how many times have you tried to take a picture of your baby or young child and you take umpteen pics and still never seem to snap a pic when your child or children are smiling?  The auto smile recognition feature is a dream – it will automatically take the picture for you once it detects a smile.  Perfect!  I needed this camera when my kids were younger – I’d have a lot more great pics now if I did!  Even better, the TL210 includes a smart album that can help you sort your pictures by face!  You can even search by face!  What a great ay to show your daughter all the pics with her face in them – it provides endless entertainment!  LOL!

My biggest disappointments were the optical zoom and light exposure at night.  It’s not just the Samsung that has a problem with these issues though.  Any digital camera I’ve owned had these issues.  Perhaps if I knew more about exposures and shutter speed, I would have had better pictures.  But the truth is, I’m a mom – as most of you are -  who has time to learn about such things?  When your kid does something special – you want to take the picture right then and not fuss with adjusting the camera.  That’s why we buy automatic cameras, right?

It’s amazing to think back to the days when we would take pictures and have to wait a while before we developed them to see how they came out (if we even remembered to develop them!).  Today, we definitely have a culture of instant gratification and our digital cameras deliver.  We can’t blame our daughters for all of their self-portraits.  Had we not had to wait so long for our pictures to be developed when we were young, I venture to bet we’d be doing the same thing!

The Samsung TL210 retails for $229.99.  But as always, go to my favorite place, Amazon, to buy it for $209, plus a great accessory kit that includes a 4 GB mini SD card, a camera pouch, a flexible mini tripod, a package of LCD protectors, a deluxe cleaning and care kit, and a coupon for 25 free photos.  Nice!

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by Lori Cunningham

I just posted the article below on AT&T’s LosetheLaptop.com website for the contest I’m competing in against 10 other bloggers.  This article gives an overview of all the ways I have found so far to use the HTC  Tilt2 — or any smartphone for that matter– to make life easier — and more fun.

Follow the links over to LosetheLaptop.com and please register and vote for me — daily if you can.  This is the last month of the contest and whoever has the most votes and creative content will win $5000!  Even better, one lucky reader/voter will also win $5000!  Vote everyday to increase our chances of winning!  Thank you!

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The 4th of July is an important holiday for our country.  It represents the birth of our nation, and the remembrance of those who shaped our country and those who died for it.  It also represents freedom.

Freedom is something Americans have sought after and savored for years.  Freedom for Americans goes well beyond freedom for our country and freedom of speech.  Remember the old days when you used to have to get up and walk across the room to change the TV station?  What about when you’d have to stay seated close to your phone when talking because the handset was attached to the phone with a cord?  Remember when you were expecting an important call and had to  stay home all day to receive it? 

Remote controls, cordless phones, and cellphones have given us a lot of freedom.  I just finished writing an article about Moen’s new ioDIGITAL shower controls  with its optional remote control.  Now you can wake up, press your custom preset button on the remote control next to your bed, and the shower turns on and warms up to your desired temperature.  No more getting out of bed, turning on the shower, and waiting for it to get warm.  You can do it from the comfort of your own bed.  What’s next???  (Curious on what’s next, check out my article on TOTO toilets!!!)

When I started AT&T’s LosetheLaptop.com contest, I was a bit nervous.  In fact, I thought the whole concept was crazy.  Would I be able to lose the laptop?  I wasn’t sure.  But as I found out, what I thought would be more like a “disability” for me, ended up giving me new freedom.  Although I don’t use my laptop very often, I do use my desktop computer daily.  And to be honest, I still do.  However, now I’m not “chained” down to my computer.  With my Tilt2 I can receive and reply to e-mail’s from the dentist office, my car (parked, of course!), the grocery store, or even in my easy chair (yes, I’m the easy chair user in our family).  I can even help a friend by watching her children and blog my article about Day 1 on Spring Break using my Tilt2 at the same time. 

Now, I shop for great cruise deals and travel deals  with ease from my easy chair, take less technology gear on vacation (no more U-haul’s!), share the fun we’re having at Knott’s with friends on Facebook, and stand in line at Sprinkles Cupcakes while finding out on Facebook the Word of the Day is to receive my free cupcake!

I have found that I can now Shop until my Cellphone Drops (the connection!).  Black and white graphs (QR codes) and bars (barcodes) have new meaning to me and can greatly aid me in investigating products and comparison shopping.

Using my Tilt2 smartphone is actually a freeing experience.  Before the Tilt2 phone, I didn’t have a data plan and used my smartphone only to sync with my Outlook calendar.  I wondered if the data plan would be worth the money.  My conclusion?  Yes!  It’s worth the money!  I have new found freedom like never before.  As a part of the LosetheLaptop.com competition, I have been pushed to use the Tilt2 in new ways according to each month’s topic.  This contest has helped me to explore and use my smartphone much more thoroughly than I would have on my own.  It is my hope that some of the things I covered in my posts on LosetheLaptop.com  have enlightened you in new ways to use your smartphone as well.

As this is the last month of the contest, I URGE you to vote for your favorite blogger.  This month one blogger and one lucky reader will win $5,000!  Not to mention a free Tilt2 phone!  Think of how many mobile apps you could buy with $5,000!  (and other stuff too!).  Please vote and leave a comment today – it makes our day!

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by Lori Cunningham

They say a picture is worth a thousand of words.  With this picture, they might just be right.  Have you seen this type of graphic before?  It’s becoming more prevalent in newspapers, magazines, the Internet, product labels, even on billboards !  What is it and what does it mean?  This graphic is called a QR code.  QR stands for Quick Response and it was developed by a Japanese company in 1994.  The QR code has content hidden in its matrix code to be decoded at high speed.   So what kind of high tech scanner do you need to decode the message?

Believe it or not, all you need is your cellphone and QR scanner software – which is available on the Internet for free.  Once you have downloaded the QR software, like this one from KAYWA, open the program.  Your camera will turn on with a red box in your camera viewfinder.  Position the red box around the QR graphic and wallah!  Your phone browser will open up and the URL webpage decoded in the QR code will appear.  Go ahead and try it with the graphic above – it’s an URL to an article I wrote on cool tech products to buy for Grads & Dads.

So the beauty of the QR code is that it can contain website addresses, geo coordinates, and any kind of text.  QR codes can provide much more information than the basic UPC code you see on today’s product labels.  Companies are developing methods now to create color QR codes so that the colors generated will match their product labels. 

You might be wondering, “OK, this is kind of cool, but how is it a new way to shop?”  Well, for starters, it will help you find information faster.  You could be looking at a newspaper article on Canada and you might notice a QR code embedded as a part of the article.  Rather than moving to your computer to look up their website, grab your phone with its QR scanner and scan in the QR code.  You’ll instantly be taken to their website to get more relevant information.  No typing required.  It also works for billboards.  If you see a billboard along the freeway with a large QR code, you can scan it (not while driving of course!)  Get information about the product being advertised instantly.

QR codes are like buying a new car.  You never noticed how many people have a car like yours until you buy one.  Look around, you’ll start seeing QR codes everywhere now that you are aware what they are.

I put together a little video showing you how I used the Tilt2 phone to read the QR code in this article.  Take a look, then download your own QR reader from KAYWA, or any other QR reader, and try it for yourself!

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