Friday, April 27: Tech Hacks and How To’s

Tech Hacks and How To’s

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When: TODAY, Friday, April 27, 2018
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm PT
Join host @RickGriffin and the #MobileLiving team at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) on Friday, April 27 as we share our favorite Tech Hacks and How To’s!
Join @RickGriffin and the MobileLiving team as we share those little tech tricks and shortcuts that can simplify our lives and make us more productive!
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win a Google Home Mini assistant or a JBL Pulse 2 portable splashproof Bluetooth speaker!
Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. (You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: MobileLiving) indicating your Twitter ID.
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: https://bit.ly/2r1ka16
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#MobileLiving) on Friday, April 27 between 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET.
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

Tackle Those Home Chores with TAKL

By Tracey Dowdy

Remember the old iPhone commercial, “There’s an app for that”? Well, we may have finally hit peak “app for that,” as there’s now an app for hiring someone to change a lightbulb, hang your flat screen TV, fold your laundry, or even get rid of the bird’s nest in your dryer vent.

Takl, a home services on demand app that launched in Nashville back in 2016, continues to expand across the country. Available for Android and Apple devices, Takl is aimed at homeowners – or renters – who need someone to take on those jobs around the house we never get around to because of time or talent.

Jack Johnson, vice president of PR for Takl, suggests thinking of Takl as we do other on-demand services. “So just like today we use Uber or Lyft, or Delivery Dudes, or GrubHub to get something on demand, whether it’s to get a ride or food delivered, Takl provides an on-demand platform for people to be able to get their lawn mowed, house cleaned or maybe some garbage hauled away. All kinds of jobs and chores at a pre-set price.”

Jobs range in price from relatively inexpensive – as low as $40 to have someone come over and read to you – up to $400 for bigger, more complex jobs.

The app’s interface is user friendly and straightforward. Once downloaded, users open the app and list the task to be completed. Prices are preset, so there’s no haggling with the service providers.

“We don’t talk price. I go, I agree to do the job. Once it’s done, they pay Takl, Takl pays me. No hidden fees. It gives the customer a sense of security knowing that ‘Hey, this is what it’s going to be, no questions asked,’” Landry said.

The app has over 400 pre-priced jobs and thousands of custom jobs you can select. Users can opt to search for the job they need and schedule the specific time they would like it completed

If you have an unusual request or custom job, providers can bid against one another and consumers can choose who to go with. For example, setting up your home entertainment system may involve drilling a hole in the drywall or ceiling to re-route wiring. That’s more complex than opening a box and plugging cords into the correct ports. If your request doesn’t receive a response within a set period of time, you’ll receive a push notification your project has been submitted for counter-bids by providers. Again, users can then choose their providers based on price, rating, bio and distance.

Users pay and tip the service provider through the app, eliminating the need for cash or checks. All providers undergo a background check, ID verification and Takl service orientation before being listed on the site.

To see if Takl is available in your city, click here.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Law Enforcement Turns to Social Media

By Tracey Dowdy

You and your kids aren’t the only ones using social media. More and more often, law enforcement is turning to apps like Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter to fight crime in the communities they serve.

Recently, police in Bridgend, Wales used a fingerprint pulled from a WhatsApp photo to identify drug traffickers. The photo, when added to further evidence the police had gathered, led to the conviction of eleven drug traffickers.

The photo was discovered when police raided a home after receiving a tip about possible drug-related activity at the address. According to Dave Thomas of the South Wales Police, the phone turned out to be a valuable resource. “It had a number of texts such as, ‘What do you want to buy?’ on it. There was then the photograph of the hand holding pills that seemed like it was sent to potential customers saying, ‘These are my wares, I’m selling these.’”

Police have been utilizing social media in their investigations for years. Back in 2012, self-proclaimed criminal mastermind James Tindall used his Facebook page to berate Judge Eric J. Bloch. Keep in mind, this is the same judge who had shown mercy and offered Tindall probation rather than prison time during his 2010 robbery trial. Tindall even goaded his probation officer Todd Roberts posting, “Fresh out of another state,” “Catch me if you can,” and “I’m in Alabama.” Because Roberts was monitoring Tindall’s social media, he noticed the posts along with a sonogram photo of Tindall’s unborn son that included the name of the hospital. Soon after, Tindall was stopped for speeding. When the officer ran his driver’s license, he discovered the warrant and Tindall was arrested.

According to research by the  International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Urban Institute, law enforcement is increasingly active on social media.

  • 90% use social media to notify the public of safety concerns
  • 89% for community outreach
  • 86% use it for public relation and reputation management
  • 59% have contacted a social media company to obtain information to be used as evidence
  • 58% use it for recruiting and vetting new applicants

The report says, “Social media has the potential to help agencies manage their own reputation and contact community members directly to bolster community-police relations.”

Sheriff John Tharp from the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office outside Toledo, Ohio says it’s also an effective tool in building morale within a department. “By acknowledging employees or people who help the agency on social media, it makes them feel appreciated.”

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Friday, April 20: Keeping It Green

Keeping It Green
(Celebrating Earth Day)

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When: TODAY, Friday, April 20, 2018
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm PT
Join host @joycecherrier and the #MobileLiving team at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) on Friday, April 20 as we chat about Keeping It Green!
Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day. Join @joycecherrier and the team as we explore our options for recycling personal technology, and consider the many other steps we can take to support a greener, more environmentally friendly lifestyle!
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win a JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth speaker or a Google Home Mini assistant!
Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. (You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: MobileLiving) indicating your Twitter ID.
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: https://bit.ly/2EXcilj 
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#MobileLiving) on Friday, April 20 between 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET.
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

Hulu and Spotify Launch Entertainment Bundle

By Tracey Dowdy

In a bid to compete in the ever-deepening pool of streaming subscription services, Hulu and Spotify just announced a $12.99 a month subscription bundle.

The deal allows users to combine their $9.99 a month Spotify Premium account with Hulu’s lowest tier priced at $7.99 a month (includes commercial breaks), so subscribers save $5 by bundling. As an incentive, the first month will cost $10.99 and the next two months drop to $9.99. The offer is available only to current Spotify Premium members but will be available to new subscribers starting this summer.

Spotify Premium users who’ve never had a Hulu account can opt for a three-month trial of Hulu for an extra $0.99 / month to allow users to decide if they want to go all-in on the $12.99 plan. Note, you have to be new to Hulu or have canceled your subscription at least 12 months ago.

The two services were bundled back in September and offered exclusively to students in the U.S. for just $4.99 a month. It’s like signing up for Spotify and getting Hulu for free. Back then, Hulu and Spotify called it the “first step” in bundling the two services and promised “offerings targeted at the broader market to follow.”

They are the first to buddy-up and offer a deal to consumers. Back in September, T-Mobile started offering free Netflix for life to customers with the unlimited Family Data plan, Verizon has the NFL on board, and Sprint is pushing Tidal with six months of free Hi-Fi streaming to both new and current customers.

Spotify became a  publicly traded company last September and rumor has it they’re about to announce in-car streaming at a press conference on April 24th. They sent a “save the date” notice to journalists last week but there were no official details included with the message. The Verge reported that “Spotify has been working on an in-car controller — or even a stand-alone player — for the streaming service that would allow drivers to control music playback with their voice.”

Spotify’s approach seems to be paying off for more than just consumers. Its streaming approach has been credited with reviving a flagging music industry. “Spotify was not the first streaming service but it is the most important,” said Mark Mulligan, managing director of music and tech researcher at Midia Research. “Without Spotify, the music business would not be growing.”

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Setting Up Your Kids for Success

By Tracey Dowdy

There are as many different parenting styles as there are parents in the world. The one thing we have in common is that we want our kids to succeed and we do our best to ensure our kids are set on the right path. Success will look different for everyone, but we all want our kids to grow up to be happy and fulfilled and make the world a better place.

Remember, you’re not raising children – you’re raising adults. The tools you give them now are what will be in their kit later when they’re grown and outside your sphere of influence. In her TED Talk, “How to Raise Successful Kids — Without Over-Parenting,” author Julie Lithcott-Haims says, “My job is not to make them become what I would have them become, but to support them in becoming their glorious selves.”

  • Following these tips will set your child on the road to success.Look for teachable moments. A teachable moment is simply a real-world opportunity for learning, whether it’s being patient when you don’t feel like it or the consequences of not putting away a toy that’s now lost or broken. It’s an ideal moment to not only satisfy a child’s natural curiosity with a life lesson that lasts much longer than the moment.
  • Praise them the right way. Of course your son is the most handsome little man in the world and your daughter is the world’s most beautiful astronaut-ballerina-warrior-princess. But it’s far more important to praise your children for their hard work and accomplishments than their talent. Carol Dweck’s research on fixed mindset vs. growth mindset will change the way you parent. A fixed mindset believes talent and skill are inherent and cannot be changed. Those with a growth mindset believe talent can be developed over time and that it’s possible to develop skills if you try hard enough. So, instead of praising your children for their talent, praise them for their efforts and accomplishments.
  • Teach them to set goals. Teach your kids to set goals: short term – study for my spelling test; and long term – score 10 goals this season. By setting small goals, they’ll learn the value of perseverance and pushing through, even when they want to quit.
  • Show them it’s okay to fail. Building on goal-setting, show them it’s okay if they fall short. Marilyn Price-Mitchell writes, “Children who develop resilience are better able to face disappointment, learn from failure, cope with loss, and adapt to change. We recognize resilience in children when we observe their determination, grit, and perseverance to tackle problems and cope with the emotional challenges of school and life.”
  • Encourage their passions. Success isn’t solely defined by money and power – it’s also defined by fulfillment. People who have discovered what they’re passionate about and have somehow found a way to make it a part of their life either as a profession or as a hobby are the happiest and most successful adults.
  • Be a lifelong learner. Set an example by creating an environment that encourages a love of learning and discovery. Be open to learning opportunities and exploring the world together.
  • Assign them chores. Chores mean much more than just help around the house. Lythcott-Haims says “If kids aren’t doing the dishes, it means someone else is doing that for them. And so they’re absolved of not only the work, but of learning that work has to be done and that each one of us must contribute for the betterment of the whole.”
  • Show them the value of healthy relationships. According to research by Harvard University, children who lack close, meaningful relationships are more prone to poor academic performance, are more likely to get into trouble with the law and are more likely to develop psychiatric and mental health problems. “Young children experience their world as an environment of relationships, and these relationships affect virtually all aspects of their development.” Teach your kids how to make friends, be compassionate, and how to manage their emotions.
  • Teach them the importance of finishing. Educational psychologist, parenting expert, TODAY show contributor and author Michele Borba says it’s important to “Teach your children to hang in there when the going gets tough, but know when to let them throw in the towel. You’ll need to weigh which lesson is more important: Helping your child learn to stick it out, or the realization that some activities just aren’t the right match. And you’ll need to decide on a case-by-case situation.”

We can’t promise success for our children, but we can help our kids define what success looks like for them and equip them for their journey.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

YouTube Restricts Videos with Firearms Content

By Tracey Dowdy

In the wake of repeated criticism of turning a blind eye to “gun culture,” YouTube has updated its policies surrounding acceptable content, banning videos promoting or even linking to sites selling firearms and accessories, including bump stocks, which allow a semi-automatic rifle to fire more quickly.

My search for “How to Build a Gun” returned over 25,600,000 results on YouTube, although the first instructional video in the list is “How to Build Coca Cola Spy Gun,” so it’s unclear how many of these videos would actually be banned under the new guidelines.

“We routinely make updates and adjustments to our enforcement guidelines across all of our policies,” a YouTube spokeswoman said in a statement. “While we’ve long prohibited the sale of firearms, we recently notified creators of updates we will be making around content promoting the sale or manufacture of firearms and their accessories, specifically, items like ammunition, gatling triggers, and drop-in auto sears.”

This isn’t the first time they’ve updated their policy surrounding firearms. Just last fall, after the Las Vegas mass shooting where 58 people were killed, YouTube banned videos providing instructions and advice on how to make weapons fire more quickly, including videos about bump stocks.

YouTube states its policy updates are the result of four months of discussion by their team working alongside outside firearms experts. Video creators have received a 30-day notice giving them time to delete or edit their videos.

Of course, this just the latest example of YouTube trying to clean up its reputation and take control of the content being posted. Last year, after Logan Paul posted a controversial video featuring a dead body, Ariel Bardin, Vice President of Product Management at YouTube, announced action would be taken against “rule breakers including those who sensationalize the pain of others in an attempt to gain views or subscribers.”

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun industry lobbying group, called YouTube’s new policy “worrisome,” saying “We suspect it will be interpreted to block much more content than the stated goal of firearms and certain accessory sales,” the foundation said in a statement. “We see the real potential for the blocking of educational content that serves instructional, skill-building and even safety purposes. Much like Facebook, YouTube now acts as a virtual public square. The exercise of what amounts to censorship, then, can legitimately be viewed as the stifling of commercial free speech.”

According to Bloomberg News, “The new YouTube policies will be enforced starting in April, but at least two video bloggers have already been affected. Spike’s Tactical, a firearms company, said in a post on Facebook that it was suspended from YouTube due to ‘repeated or severe violations’ of the video platform’s guidelines.”

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Friday, April 13: The Connected Life

The Connected Life

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When: TODAY, Friday, April 13, 2018
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm PT
Join host @RickGriffin and the #MobileLiving team at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) on Friday, April 13 as we chat about The Connected Life!
Smartphones, activity trackers, home assistants, smart appliances…these are just a few of the many devices that are changing the way we live. Join us as we chat about the benefits of an always-connected lifestyle and explore the possibilities for the future!
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win a Nest Learning Thermostat or a Google Home Mini assistant!
Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. (You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: MobileLiving) indicating your Twitter ID.
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: https://bit.ly/2INR0sP
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#MobileLiving) on Friday, April 13 between 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET.
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

Friday, April 6: Mobile Health & Fitness

Mobile Health & Fitness

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When: TODAY, Friday, April 6, 2018
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm PT
Join host @joycecherrier and the #MobileLiving team at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) on Friday, April 6 as we chat about Mobile Health & Fitness!
Dozens of connected devices and a host of innovative apps are encouraging us to become more active. Join @joycecherrier and friends as we look at the ways we can use mobile technology to seek a healthier lifestyle!
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win a Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker or a Google Home assistant!
Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. (You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: MobileLiving) indicating your Twitter ID.
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: https://bit.ly/2q9CJPi
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#MobileLiving) on Friday, April 6 between 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET.
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!