Just in time for Memorial Day weekend

Chris McGinn posted a blog on Digital Landing! Read about fun gadgets to take with you to make a day out more enjoyable.

GeekSugar has a rundown on some interesting gadgets for the beach like waterproof cameras, flash drives and speakers. There is also a set of sunglasses from Oakley with built in mp3 player.

I think my favorite thought is this cooler bag from Pottery Barn with built-in speakers. Perfect for some poolside tunes or beachfront book reading. The bag runs $79 and runs on 4 AA batteries.

Go, Go Gadget Mom

Chris McGinn posted a blog on Digital Landing! Read about a camera every mom can enjoy for her special holiday.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and gadget gifts aren’t just for dad.



The new Canon Powershot SD780 IS Digital Elph or its better-equipped siblings would make a great gift for the mom-on-the-go. For just $250 (with rebate) the 12.1 megapixel camera is a great option for a grab and go camera. It also has HD movie capabilities. The higher zoom options are $299 and $379, respectively.

I have a nice DSLR but it isn’t something I can stick in my diaper bag and have with me everywhere. A camera like this though could really help a mom be sure to capture all the shots she wants.

Oh, hubby . . .

Deck the Halls

Jessie Atkin posted a blog up on Digital Landing! Read about how you can make a gingerbread house, one you can't eat.

It’s almost Christmas and the holiday season is in full swing. Gingerbread houses are a winter holiday tradition. But just as toy fads and fashion change, so too has the art of gingerbread architecture changed.

This year it’s not just about gum drops and snow covered roofs, but motherboards and Star Wars. In this new age of gingerbread anything’s possible, even a gingerbread man with LED eyes. From star destroyers, to laptops, to mansions with working lights, gingerbread isn’t just a kids activity anymore.

Never Miss a Smile

Chris McGinn posted a blog up on Digital Landing. Read about the camera that snaps the shot when your teeth show.

We finally took our holiday photo this weekend. It turned out cute despite ending in tears and a few drops of blood when my littlest took a header off the bench he was sitting on with his brother while I snapped away with my camera. Ah, holiday memories . . .

Sony has a new camera technology to make sure you never miss the smile when you take pictures. The Cybershot’s Smile Shutter feature actually recognizes the human smile to click at the precise moment a grin appears. It’s really pretty neat stuff.

The feature lets you set the sensitivity so you are sure to get just what you are looking for. You can also turn the feature off since not all pictures have to have smiling subjects.

Here is a video showing it in action.

For other great holiday tech gift ideas, check out our wi-fi gift guide.

Holiday Card Slacker

Chris McGinn posted a blog up on Digital Landing. Read about the electronic way to send holiday cards.

Every year I love getting photo cards from friends around the country showing their families as they grow. Usually, I am ready to go with my own photo that I usually print at Sam’s Club. This year, however, I have been very slack. I’m hoping to still get something out before it is too late, but the clock is definitely ticking.

For those of you who don’t like the photo card route, or who just want to take the whole thing digital, you might be interested in a You Tube greeting card that I found via Lifehacker.

You can pick a video or record your own and add it to a background with a message and email it to up to 25 friends via You Tube.

Another favorite is Elfyourself from OfficeMax and JibJab. Create a stunningly hilarious elf-version of yourself or even your whole family dancing disco, The Charleston, country or classic and send to friends or embed on your blog or Facebook or whatever else you want. This year you can also download the file to save for posterity for just $4.99.

A Snow Improvment

Jessie Atkin posted a new blog up on Digital Landing. Read about the new device that will make you the MVP in snowball fights.

Lets be honest, its started to snow (in most places that get snow anyway) and it is time for outdoor winter activities. No, I’m not talking about skiing, or snowboarding (I don’t even get snow shoeing) I’m not even referring specifically to sledding, I’m thinking more snowball fights.

It’s difficult enough to pack a correct projectile (not any simple powder will work) add to that the awkwardness of gloves and the sensibility of fingers, and snowball fights become an all out battle of endurance and perseverance. Technology helps in all other areas of our lives, why not in the winter wonderland? (Especially in time for the holidays)

That’s where the Snowball Launcher comes in. It’s exactly what it sounds like. This particular advancement to extreme winter sports can shoot snowballs up to 50 feet (no mere athletic skill can give you the upper hand anymore) . Add to that the fact the launcher will pack snowballs for you (3 at a time) and it’s like a dream come true. See who doesn’t want you on their team now

Muppet Magic

Jessie Atkin posted a blog up on Digital Landing. Read about how you can create your own muppet online.

I grew up on Sesame Street (the show not the place) and I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like Kermit the Frog. Lets be honest muppets are a part of everyone’s life whether we want to admit it or not. Well now they can become a real member of the family, and you get to design who you want to join you around the kitchen table.

FAO Schwarz now has the Whatnot Muppet Workshop where you can pick a body, eyes, hair, nose, and outfit for your own personal muppet. It’s all online! Think of the holiday possibilities! Muppets have never been just any old puppet and at last it seems we the young at heart can do our childhood stories justice with the real thing.

At $90 each they’re a bit expensive, but so are a lot of things at FAO Schwarz. What price can you put on childhood dreams anyway? It’s the holiday season, splurge.

Holiday Tech–Digital Photo Ornaments

Chris McGinn posted a blog on Digital Landing! Read about a new digital ornament for your Christmas tree or Hanukkah bush.

I love this idea–digital photo ornaments that play a slideshow of up to 50 (8MB) worth of photos. While I’m not sure they will last as long as your favorite traditional photo ornament, it is a clever way to share your favorite pics from the year with family or on your own tree.

Amazon lists several options that are on sale for the holidays (about $20). Photos are easily downloaded from your computer to the ornament’s 1 1/2″ LED screen. You can then view photos individually or as a slideshow. Maybe start a tradition of adding a new ornament to the tree each year with your favorite photos from throughout the year.

Holiday Tech Week–Christmas Light Control

Chris McGinn posted a blog on Digital Landing! Read up on the great invention of timed lights for your holiday decorations.

Tis the season to ring up big energy bills! Do you forget to turn off your outside holiday lights before you go to bed? Do you dislike going out in the cold to plug them in every night? Let technology make your life easier and add to your Christmas cheer.

Explore the wide range of timers from 24 hour to 7 day timers available at local home improvement stores. Some are set to come on at a particular time of day. Others come on as the sun goes down. You can also find options with remote controls so you can turn them on when you want, but you still don’t have to go outside to do it.

What’s your favorite holiday tech?

Black Friday

Chris McGinn posted a blog up on Digital Landing about Black Friday. There are multiple sites out there that let you see the best savings in advance.

Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving that kicks off the holiday shopping season) is nearly upon us. Thanks to over-eager deal seekers you no longer have to wait to get the paper next week to see the greatest sales. A flurry of sites–www.bfads.net, www.black-friday.net, www.theblackfriday.com, www.tgiblackfriday.com, and www.blackfriday.info.– have popped up to give you the details and even ad scans for all your favorite stores and seasonal must-haves. (Thanks to Consumer Reports’ Tightwad Tod for the list)

I have to confess that in general I try to avoid the insanity of shopping on Black Friday, but I have ventured out a few times. A couple of years ago I went to Kohl’s on a mission to get a very well priced heated mattress pad. I saw people jumping out of cars on the interstate and darting through chainlink fences to get to the door quicker–insanity. However, I did get my prize–even if it was in the absolute furthest corner of the store from where I came in.

Happy Hunting!

A Modern Day List for Santa

Chris McGinn has a new blog post on Digital Landing called A modern day list for Santa.

For the past few years, I’ve been trying out various online wish lists to organize the grandparents, aunts and uncles on how to buy for my son.

Originally, I used Wishlist but now I have moved to Kaboodle. The genius of both of these sites is letting you choose gifts for your site from any retailer rather than just one like Target or even Amazon.

I prefer Kaboodle now because it is part of a whole community so it is easier to see what everyone else has on their lists, making it easier to get ideas that might work for me. I also like having my own Kaboodle lists to keep track of things I find online that I might like to buy one day or so my husband can see what I have my eye on.

Kaboodle is easy to use with their helpful toolbar add-on so you can quickly add items you find online to your list complete with pricing, picture, and description. You can also add things you find on other people’s lists directly from the site without having to locate them online.

On Kaboodle you can create multiple lists under your account so you can have wish lists for various holidays or topics like “If I Had A MIllion Dollars” or “Baby Shower.” You can also create Polls if you can’t decide what you want and let others make the choice for you.

Another cool trick is a widget to add the list to your blog or MySpace page–perfect for advertising it to potential gift buyers.

If you’re just someone who likes to shop anyway and stay up on the latest styles, Kaboodle is a great way to keep up. It has featured Kaboodlers and continually updates with what’s hot on people’s lists.

For those with older children, they can add their own wishes as they browse the web–a modern Santa’s list.

This holiday season I highly recommend Kaboodle to keep track of everyone’s wishlists.