Could a student use a tablet instead of a laptop for school? That’s a question I’m hearing frequently now that elementary, middle, and high school kids will be going to school from home and attending classes virtually. Buying every student in your house a new laptop will cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars (depending on how many kids you…
Sitting in front of a computer monitor all day can eventually take its toll on our moods and psyche. Maybe your home office has no windows or you’re just sick and tired of looking out at the same old’ backyard. What if you could open a window somewhere else in the world? If you can’t travel this summer, a clever…
If your teenager is like most all other teenagers, their closet could use some minimizing. While adults use apps like ThredUp and Poshmark to sell unwanted items, teenagers have fallen in love with the app “Depop”. It’s part Ebay, part Instagram and part Pinterest. It’s one of the easiest ways to shop for clothes online and it has millions of…
A viral Facebook post is making the rounds again and cluttering everyone’s newsfeed. The post claims by copying and pasting it onto your own timeline and by commenting, liking or leaving a sticker on the friend’s post, it will trick Facebook’s algorithm into showing you posts of more friends. Here’s one variation of the post: “So I’m doing what everyone…
Because of the pandemic and changes in school calendars, parents are expected to make sure their child can go online for at least some of their classroom work. Since many homes only have a couple of computers for the family, parents are being asked to make laptops available for their child during school hours. Of course, since mom and dad…
It’s an unusual fall, to say the least. Kids are home doing attending school virtually by connecting with their teachers. Moms and dads continue to work from home. With all of that going on I’ve heard from several people who say their internet is just not fast enough. One option is to pay your internet provider for faster speeds, another…
A few years ago my kids opened an unexpected and rather odd Christmas gift; a WiFi router. I remember their puzzled faces as they tried to figure out what they’d just unwrapped. Strange as it seemed at the time, it was one of the best gifts under the tree and it was probably the only gift that has lasted 5…
As teachers and parents begin to navigate a new school year like never before, many are wondering how to engage students in class work from home while giving mom and dad time to meet with co-workers over Zoom meetings, phone calls and file-sharing. While there are many educational apps in both app stores, many of them miss the mark by…
When the pandemic and stay-at-home orders began in March many people who were laid-off or furloughed thought their job would be waiting for them when it was safe to go back to work. They’re not so confident now. According to a survey by The Associated Press-Norc, nearly half of Americans who have lost their jobs in the past 4 months…
What’s up with the mystery seeds showing up in people’s mailboxes. The seeds are shipped from China and delivered by the US Postal Service. But no one ordered them. The package doesn’t say what they are, who sent them or any other information. It’s a mystery. The Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Agriculture warn people who’ve…
