Dad Blogs - Useful Parenting Tips for Dads » Technology and computers

Review: Adobe Premiere Elements 7

Eric Cooper — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:27:18 +0000

Photoshop – that single word can invoke a lot of feelings – fear (I have no idea how to Photoshop to save my life!), doubt (that’s been Photoshopped to death!), and curiosity (I wonder what I could do with Photoshop and a little time…). It’s the curiosity that will get to you and eventually [...]

Two great Father’s Day gifts for Divorced Dads

Paul Banas — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:55:15 +0000

We have plenty of other gift ideas for dads in general, but here are two good gifts for divorced dads, probably from friends or family interested in supporting dads' relationships with kids who may not even be in the same city. ... Vidtel, using broadband (cable or DSL) connections, finally makes good on that promise. Because it's broadband, rather than POTS (plain old telephone service), the picture quality and voice are as good as any online connection using Skype or one of the many online video chat services. ... The ease of use of the Vidtel system also makes this a good choice for older grandparents who may not be able to use computer videoconferencing. The second is the etendi BRIDGE,, available at etendi.com.

Stop Twittering and play with your kids!

Paul Banas — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:50:40 +0000

Today's Twitters are often tomorrow's quitters, according to data that questions the long-term success of the latest social networking sensation used by celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to Britney Spears. Data from Nielsen Online, which measures Internet traffic, found that more than 60 percent of Twitter users stopped using the free social networking site a month after joining.

...However, whenever I reached out to them with specific questions, I think they were overwhelmed with tallying their followers or lost in a pile of 140 letter haikus, because almost no one responded!

10 iPhone Apps for Parents – Reviews by PC Magazine

Paul Banas — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:42:24 +0000

Load it with the right apps and that shiny iPhone can come in handy for a great many things, including parenting. ... There are loads of apps in the App Store designed specifically for kids and parents, but surprisingly, we found the best family tools to be nonspecific to the parenting genre. Here are our top 10 iPhone app picks for parents, and how they can be adapted to make motherhood (or fatherhood) a less-complicated experience.

Pox Parties?

Paul Banas — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:25:04 +0000

A pox party is a party held by parents for the purpose of infecting their children with childhood diseases, most commonly chicken pox . Would you, could you infect your child with a disease, to avoid the controversial avoidance of childhood immunizations? {democracy:8}

Eagle Eye out on DVD on 12/28/08

Paul Banas — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:35:59 +0000

The pyrotechnics here are stunning with definitely some new car chase scene ideas you have not seen before. Directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Shia Laboeuf (Transformers) and Michelle Monaghan (Mission Impossible 3), Eagle Eye is a paranoid conspiracy movie that pits two unwitting innocents against the Department of Homeland Security when they are set up to be the agents of an assassination plot. In classic manner for this type of film, they race against time to foil the plot.

Keep computers in communal areas to avoid problems says new UK study

Paul Banas — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:14:10 +0000

Obviously, as they grow, they need more independence, but each time you leave them alone to wander the internet, or watch whatever they want to watch, you take the risk that they will see things beyond their limits. ... Mrs Byron, who is expected to publish her findings on Thursday, has talked to children, fellow psychologists, parents and industry experts after the Prime Minister expressed concern last year at the impact of violence seen by young people. While she is likely to recommend that rules on the certification of video games be streamlined - and made simpler to understand - she is expected to argue that there are benefits for young people from some games.

Parenting your kids internet activities

Paul Banas — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:58:36 +0000

First, if your kids are little, little, all this talking and communication isn't going to help them if they see something that is really way beyond their comprehension. I don't want my eight year old (or my four year old son for that matter) to be exposed to graphic sex just because she went searching for "doll toys" on the internet. ... That said, this is a good discussion on an approach for allowing 12+ kids to use the internet for free browsing, school research, and fun, without using software that takes the place of good old-fashioned parenting.

I Spy Mystery and I Spy Fantasy

Paul Banas — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:55:43 +0000

Our computer DVD has been having problems and little by little we lost the ability to run any kids games that need a DVD to run. Now that it's fixed, the kids are re-discovering their old friends, I Spy Mystery and I Spy Fantasy from Scholastic.... all the time, and it's easy, and fun, for adults to peak in and join them in their quest for objects and words hidden in fantasy landscapes and setttings.

Facebook users beware!

Paul Banas — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:19:11 +0000

However, you should be aware of privacy issues that relate to your use of facebook even if you don't think you're giving out data to more than your friends.... So as a user, you may have posted your age, favorite books, maybe even sexual preferences, thinking you are sharing with a very small group of friends.