How to Stream Movies and TV Shows on Your Smartphone

By Paul O’Reilly

I always used to think that streaming movies or TV shows to a smartphone or tablet would be the ultimate mobile achievement. Not only would we have broken free of our landlines and desktop computers, but we would have finally cast-off that one last connection to the living room couch – the TV.

As it turns out, the reality of streaming movies and other content to our mobile devices has come about much faster than I imagined. Although the major broadcast networks may still not be ready to allow us anytime, anywhere access to live programming, we can usually see our favorite TV shows within hours of their original broadcast time. And it’s never been easier to find great movies, with a variety of services offering thousands of choices, from all-time classics to the latest new releases.

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Apps to improve your social media productivity

By Joe Linford, Kiwi Commons

Ever since Facebook became a much needed component of our personal and professional lives, it gave way to other social networks which, over time, have created the same need as Facebook. Look at Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest – isn’t it hard to imagine a life without them?

While it may not be so hard for someone whose livelihood doesn’t depend on social media, living without social media can be detrimental to a small business. What constitutes a small business? Anything that you do as an entrepreneur or with a small team, or even a home based business such as baking, quilting, or crafts.

With increasing rates of unemployment, more and more households are now developing businesses that they can run from home. Social media gives them the opportunity to market their services effectively and affordably, without burning a hole in their pocket, and giving them a strong leverage that allows them to compete with global players.

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Rated 'M' for Mainstream

By Monica Vila

At PTA and other parent forums around the country, there's an ongoing discussion around the topic of Internet safety and the ubiquitous digital world of our kids. Smartphones on school buses, iPads in the classroom, Wikis to cooperate on projects, S Drives to check for study sheets and home work... There's no choice -- technology is everywhere now, and anxious parents must garner as much information as they can. They rush home to install filters and adopt "new rules around the house" in an effort to protect their kids from inappropriate content, conduct and contact.

Along with cyber-bullying, viruses, phishing scams, sexting and Facebook, the issue of video games always comes up. Questions such as violence-induced behaviors, limitless screen time, and rising obesity abetted by endless hours of game-playing dominate the discussion. For the most part, parents adopt one of three positions:

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Keeping kids safe on the Web

The Internet is a wonderful way for children to learn about the world, to be entertained, and to communicate with friends and family. But it can also bring risks, exposing young minds to inappropriate content and strangers who may not always have the best intentions.

For concerned parents, it’s no longer possible to keep our kids away from computers and pretend the Internet doesn’t exist. Instead, we need to properly prepare them for a digital future and coach them so they can make the right decisions. That means understanding our children’s online activities and developing rules and guidelines that both the parent and child can embrace.

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App of the Week - Dummy Defense

By Sarah Combs

Save Melvin! Melvin needs your help to protect him from boulders, flying office supplies, and all kinds of other dangers. There’s no end to the crazy situations that Melvin finds himself in and you’ll be more than happy to build structures around him to save him from these precarious positions.

Dummy Defense is a puzzle-based engineering game that tasks you with protecting Melvin the Dummy (not as in intelligence level, but as in a fake human form) from bombs, hammers, and boulders.

The player has to build protective structures around this friendly dummy, using an easy touch-and-drag interaction. The really tricky part is that you only have so much money to spend on your building, so you have to construct your protective walls wisely. This makes Dummy Defense a deceptively difficult game. Beware of the upper levels – many players have commented on how difficult the game becomes (but not in a frustrating way!).

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