Digital Smarts Blog

How would you feel about a sound activated, WiFi speaker that is being touted as a device to help take care of your kids? Toymaker Mattel recently announced Aristotle by Nabi, a smart baby monitor device that has interactive capabilities. Aristotle is designed similar to an Amazon Echo or a Google Home, but programmed for children. Put another way, the hub is “an AI (artificial intelligence) to help raise your child,” as Fast Company described it. Mattel said that Aristotle could do everything from playing a lullaby for a crying baby to ordering diapers. It sounds like a device from the future and might make some people question how much is too much technology in our lives?

How would you feel about a sound activated, WiFi speaker that is being touted as a device to help take care of your kids? Toymaker Mattel recently announced Aristotle by Nabi, a smart baby monitor device that has interactive capabilities. Aristotle is designed similar to an Amazon Echo or a Google Home, but programmed for children. Put another way, the hub is “an AI (artificial intelligence) to help raise your child,” as Fast Company described it. Mattel said that Aristotle could do everything from playing a lullaby for a crying baby to ordering diapers. It sounds like a device from the future and might make some people question how much is too much technology in our lives?

Looking for free or inexpensive eBooks for you or your kids? There are three sites you might want to try: BookBub, bookgorilla and The Fussy Librarian.  All three sites can be joined for free. After signing up and taking a quick survey, you will receive a daily email with suggestions of books that fit your interests. All three sites have good ratings and reviews for both their services and for protecting your personal information.

Looking for free or inexpensive eBooks for you or your kids? There are three sites you might want to try: BookBub, bookgorilla and The Fussy Librarian.  All three sites can be joined for free. After signing up and taking a quick survey, you will receive a daily email with suggestions of books that fit your interests. All three sites have good ratings and reviews for both their services and for protecting your personal information.

One movie you and your family may be interested in if you are curious about the history of technology is Hidden Figures, a story about the African American women who conceived some of the important mathematical constructs and engineering that aided the early US space effort. The movie shows the implementation of an IBM mainframe computer as part of the effort, but what may be shocking to some younger viewers is that smartphones, computers, and even calculators today possess several hundred times the computing power of that early device.

With the amazing capabilities of technology today, many are questioning their place in high school and college classrooms. Students in many high-school math classes employ graphing calculators, but research has shown the devices are often banned in high-level math classes at large research universities. Educators and experts continue to debate whether calculators help or harm math instruction. What are your thoughts?

One movie you and your family may be interested in if you are curious about the history of technology is Hidden Figures, a story about the African American women who conceived some of the important mathematical constructs and engineering that aided the early US space effort. The movie shows the implementation of an IBM mainframe computer as part of the effort, but what may be shocking to some younger viewers is that smartphones, computers, and even calculators today possess several hundred times the computing power of that early device.

With the amazing capabilities of technology today, many are questioning their place in high school and college classrooms. Students in many high-school math classes employ graphing calculators, but research has shown the devices are often banned in high-level math classes at large research universities. Educators and experts continue to debate whether calculators help or harm math instruction. What are your thoughts?

These cold winter months when you are stuck inside more often with your technology is a good time to think about starting some new habits that will help simplify the tech in your life. Creating individual passwords is one thing to think about, and password managing apps can make it easy. Doing some device maintenance, like getting rid of those apps you never use and backing up your photos, can put your mind at ease and keep your devices running smoothly. For more ideas check out Brian Chen’s article Five Resolutions to Simplify Your Tech Life in The New York Times Personal Tech section.

These cold winter months when you are stuck inside more often with your technology is a good time to think about starting some new habits that will help simplify the tech in your life. Creating individual passwords is one thing to think about, and password managing apps can make it easy. Doing some device maintenance, like getting rid of those apps you never use and backing up your photos, can put your mind at ease and keep your devices running smoothly. For more ideas check out Brian Chen’s article Five Resolutions to Simplify Your Tech Life in The New York Times Personal Tech section.

Did your kids seem less than surprised by what they got for holiday gifts? Maybe that is because they got some clues from your browser history or those Internet ads that pop up on websites because of the searches you did. What can you do about those annoying ads? Take a look at this USA Today article entitled How to prevent ads from following you online for more complete advice on cleaning up your online trail and controlling ads you see in Facebook. In a nutshell, clear your browser history after you have finished a gift search and block those cookies. See the article for more step-by-step advice.

Did your kids seem less than surprised by what they got for holiday gifts? Maybe that is because they got some clues from your browser history or those Internet ads that pop up on websites because of the searches you did. What can you do about those annoying ads? Take a look at this USA Today article entitled How to prevent ads from following you online for more complete advice on cleaning up your online trail and controlling ads you see in Facebook. In a nutshell, clear your browser history after you have finished a gift search and block those cookies. See the article for more step-by-step advice.

Are you or your kids waiting to get your hands on a pair of Spectacles from Snapchat? Spectacles are sunglasses with an integrated video camera that makes it easy to create short videos, and marketing experts are saying the influencers your kids follow online (celebrities and bloggers who post “personal reviews” and have millions of followers online) will be using these stylish pieces of hardware in significant ways in 2017. They expect we will see more first person reviews and “unboxings” of products meant to influence teens and other consumers. They also expect that the device will be used to do more first person shoots of extreme sporting events – think of a more advanced Go-Pro. If the thought of these “glasses” is concerning to you, there are already teens posting hacks on how to disguise the spectacles to prevent others from knowing they are being filmed. This obviously raises concerns about video being used to bully and harass since the glasses will do all the work and no one will even have to pull out a phone or use their hands to point and shoot.

Are you or your kids waiting to get your hands on a pair of Spectacles from Snapchat? Spectacles are sunglasses with an integrated video camera that makes it easy to create short videos, and marketing experts are saying the influencers your kids follow online (celebrities and bloggers who post “personal reviews” and have millions of followers online) will be using these stylish pieces of hardware in significant ways in 2017. They expect we will see more first person reviews and “unboxings” of products meant to influence teens and other consumers. They also expect that the device will be used to do more first person shoots of extreme sporting events – think of a more advanced Go-Pro. If the thought of these “glasses” is concerning to you, there are already teens posting hacks on how to disguise the spectacles to prevent others from knowing they are being filmed. This obviously raises concerns about video being used to bully and harass since the glasses will do all the work and no one will even have to pull out a phone or use their hands to point and shoot.

It is estimated that 98% of millennials and teens are active on some form of social media. Ypulse, a site that reports on teen and millennial online behavior, recently posted five stats about social media that parents may find interesting. One finding states that 10-17-years-old “were really concerned” about what their parents posted about them on social media, and it was reported that kids were nearly three times more likely than parents to feel that there should be rules in place about what can be shared. When it comes to privacy, eight in ten millennials and teens would rather use a social network that only allows close friends to see their posts.

It is estimated that 98% of millennials and teens are active on some form of social media. Ypulse, a site that reports on teen and millennial online behavior, recently posted five stats about social media that parents may find interesting. One finding states that 10-17-years-old “were really concerned” about what their parents posted about them on social media, and it was reported that kids were nearly three times more likely than parents to feel that there should be rules in place about what can be shared. When it comes to privacy, eight in ten millennials and teens would rather use a social network that only allows close friends to see their posts.

Social media usage may be replacing drug use for teens, or so it appears. A Michigan University study recently revealed that in 2015 the percentage of teens using alcohol and drugs reached its lowest point since 1990, and some experts reason that the lack of offline experiences is driving the decrease. The director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains: "There may be a protective effect brought about by the fact that they don't have so many occasions to get together where the use of drugs would be facilitated." 

Social media usage may be replacing drug use for teens, or so it appears. A Michigan University study recently revealed that in 2015 the percentage of teens using alcohol and drugs reached its lowest point since 1990, and some experts reason that the lack of offline experiences is driving the decrease. The director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains: "There may be a protective effect brought about by the fact that they don't have so many occasions to get together where the use of drugs would be facilitated." 

There are thousands of apps created for kids these days, so how do you filter through them all when deciding what to download for your children? Common Sense Media takes that on with seven questions that can help you figure out how to separate the wheat from the chaff. The article 6 Ways to Download Kids' Apps Smarter (and Cheaper) can help you find apps that your kids will enjoy but will also prove to be time and money well spent.

There are thousands of apps created for kids these days, so how do you filter through them all when deciding what to download for your children? Common Sense Media takes that on with seven questions that can help you figure out how to separate the wheat from the chaff. The article 6 Ways to Download Kids' Apps Smarter (and Cheaper) can help you find apps that your kids will enjoy but will also prove to be time and money well spent.

Is threatening to take away your teen’s phone the deterrent you think it is? What is really going through the mind of your teen when you do take the phone away? Answers to those questions and more is covered in an eye-opening article on the Child Mind Institute site called When Should You Come Between a Teenager and Her Phone?

Is threatening to take away your teen’s phone the deterrent you think it is? What is really going through the mind of your teen when you do take the phone away? Answers to those questions and more is covered in an eye-opening article on the Child Mind Institute site called When Should You Come Between a Teenager and Her Phone?