Author: Liz Gumbinner

One more reason to go Spotify: Radio on the go

We’re already serious Spotify evangelists around here–this streaming, social music service is changing the way so many of us find and listen to new music. And the finding part is important, especially post-parenthood when I realized that sadly, seeking out new artists was kind of low on the priority list for me. Now with today’s announcement, there’s one more reason to jump on the train: free mobile radio. If you’ve got the free Spotify iOS app (sorry Android folks; hopefully yours is coming soon) for iPhone or iPad, you can now get unlimited access to radio as you can...

Unblock Me – You’ll be fighting over it with your kids

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | Fun Apps for Kids

Recently a smart reader recommended the Unblock Me app when I was looking for something new to play around with, and boy was she right. What I didn’t realize however is the educational value for kids. Unblock Me is a series of outrageously addictive puzzles that it turns out are doing wonders for my 6 year-old’s logic, problem-solving, and spacial relations skills. (To say nothing of her ability to share. Ahem.) The goal is to slide the blocks around until you clear a straight path between the red block and the exist. It sounds easier than it is, and...

Colorforms comes to the iPad. (Yay, Colorforms!)

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | Fun Apps for Kids

As a huge Colorforms fan as a kid (really, who wasn’t?) I squealed when I learned they had turned that clever little design and creativity toy into an iPad app. And what an app it is. The Colorforms Revolution App (wow, mighty big promise there) is developed around the same basics as the original colorforms, but with lots more ways to play with it. There is a lot to do here with both easy and hard levels, so both my preschoolers and my nearly seven-year old are fighting for a turn. That’s a win, in a way. There are...

Surviving the lines at Disney World? Undercover Tourist is the app for that

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | Travel Apps

This past weekend, I got through four fun-filled days at Disney World and emerged relatively unscathed from the perils of long lines and the whining that ensues on them. In part I have to thank the temperate weather, but I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the free Undercover Tourist Disney World app which I couldn’t have lived without. The Undercover Tourist app for Disney World is seriously a godsend. While it has a lot of helpful features, the most useful are the up-to-the-minute, accurate wait times for every ride and attraction. If you’re in Fantasyland, it can...

Computer printer storage in a most surprising space

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | DIY

Not all of us have a huge house with a separate office and loads of room for computer gadgets. So speaking as a city-dweller, I was blown away by this hideaway printer storage idea at PB&J stories. Whether your home office is a teeny corner of your bedroom, or you simply don’t want to have a giant printer out on display in the living room, I think this is pretty brilliant. Of course you don’t want to be hacking up your Roche-Bobois bureau, but if you’ve got an IKEA Hemnes dresser or even something scavenged from a tag sale,...

Piquing Our Geek: Nest Learning Thermostat

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | Smart Appliances

I do my best to turn off light switches and turn down our thermostat, especially on our other floors at night and when we’re out of the house. But that’s only when I remember. Which, as a busy mom, is not as often as it should be. That’s why I was intrigued by this new thermostat that actually does all the remembering for you. The Nest Learning Thermostat is apparently as easy to install as a light bulb, and once it learns your typical settings after about a week, it does all the thinking for you. Meaning it turns...

8 hot new Kinect games for family fun with younger kids

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | Games + Gaming

By now, the Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 family competitions have become a big part of holiday time rituals. If not, it totally should be. Do you know the photo opps you can grab of one precocious 4 year-old making a go of an Abba Dance game? If you’ve got an XBox with Kinect, you’re in luck. They’ve got a slew of new games to consider stocking up on for those chilly indoor days with family over the coming weeks (some of which I’ve indicated are also available for other gaming systems). You still have time to hit...

ABBA You Can Dance! And you totally will, despite yourself.

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | Games + Gaming

I’d hardly consider myself a video gamer, but give me a dance game and you’ll have to rip that Wii remote out of my hand. So when I discovered that the makers of my all-time favorite game Just Dance released a new one dedicated to the best band ever well, I had to check it out. And, I love it. I do, I do, I do, I do, I do. ABBA You Can Dance is a new family favorite and my guess is that it will be yours too, even if you’re not the biggest fan of the Swedish...

Snapseed: making iPhone photos as beautiful as can be

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | Photo Apps

Recently, I was looking at a friend’s amazing Instagram stream and I asked how she got her photos looking so gorgeous. She said one word: Rosebud. Then she died. No, just kidding. She said Snapseed. Within moments I had it downloaded. And let me say, this is one fabulous photo editing app for iPhone or iPad. It is super easy to enhance your photos just with basic tapping or sliding and I love that you have options like adjusting only a small part of a photo–say you want to blur everything in the background behind your perfect child. Of course there are some...

Cool tech from PRODUCT (RED) to help support World AIDS Day

Posted by Liz Gumbinner | Causes and General Do-Gooding

While the idea of shopping to help eradicate AIDS may seem a little incongruous, the truth is, The PRODUCT (RED) program has raised nearly $200 million for the UN Global fund over the years. A lot of that comes from company donations. Here, just a few of the awesome tech goodies you can grab this holiday to help support the fund. Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD Headphones (above) Mophie juice pack boosts for smartphones and tablets Apple (RED) Nano Shazam (RED) App–today only it’s $1.99, down from $5.99 and all profits go to the charity. Nanda Home Tocky Alarm...