FIRST SPARK: A Toshiba Laptop Designed with Kids in Mind

If you are considering a computer purchase for your increasingly tech savvy child, the FIRST SPARK™ kids PC line is contender in the family computing space thanks to child-friendly features.

Available exclusively at Best Buy, FIRST SPARK ($499) is a full-sized Toshiba L635 laptop designed specifically for kids ages 5-10. Thoughtful features such as a completely sealed rubberized wipeable keyboard are not only practical for keeping crumbs and liquid from shortening the life of the machine but are also tactile. The keys are springy and quite pleasing to the touch.

The green rubber corners provide nice contrast to the rugged gray textured case of the laptop and function to absorb some of the impact that comes with the portability of the device. While the rubber corners are a nice design feature, they seem more cosmetic than functional even though we didn’t send the SPARK on any free falls to test the bounce factor. I'd like to see rubberized corners on the bottom of the laptop too for added protection since you never know what surface might hit the ground first during a free fall

SPARK has a full size screen (13.3 inches) and a glossy display which is far trendier than matte ones standard in older laptops. When backlit, the screen looks fabulous but upon powering off, fingerprints are quite noticeable. The body of the laptop itself is fingerprint proof thanks to the matte gray textured exterior.

SPARK comes loaded with a suite of software, including NetNanny and KidZui, to help keep kids secure while playing games or browsing the Internet. While these tools are certainly helpful, they aren’t a replacement for knowing what your kids are doing while they are on the computer. I wouldn’t be doing my job for BitMoms and BitDefender if I didn’t caution parents about the fact that the portability of laptops makes kids want to squirrel them away in their rooms so you rarely see what is actually on the screen. Just be sure that you don’t use the software suite as a crutch.

Having never used NetNanny or KidZui before, I was very interested in trying them to see exactly how they worked, however, our SPARK had a barely functioning wifi connection. It wasn’t able to connect to our in-home router despite being 6 feet away from it even when I dispatched our in-home network engineer to work on a fix. Web pages only loaded about half the time and when they did, would load only a single page before the connection disappeared. Another Windows 7 laptop sitting right beside it had no trouble connecting to wifi at all.

Despite my frustration with the wifi and the disappointment that I didn’t get to do my job as a family internet safety and security expert by examining these two pieces of software, the connectivity of our SPARK might be an isolated incident as other reviewers such as BonggaMom and Goon Squad Sarah didn’t experience any difficulty connecting. Best Buy tech support is looking the wifi problems of our laptop so I can fully test and review KidZui and NetNanny in the near future!

Due to the quick turnaround time needed for this review to go live, I didn't have the opportunity to put the laptop in the hands of Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer as much as I would have liked for rigorous product testing. With a full after school schedule this week, Halloween festivities, and a trip to the grandparents’ house over the weekend, the kids’ schedules further limited any screen time. During the short time that Little Miss Techie used SPARK, we weren’t able to connect to her favorite sites due to the aforementioned wifi problem.

The FIRST SPARK features:

• 13.3 inch screen
• Intel Celeron processor
• Windows 7
  
• 2GB of RAM
• 250GB hard drive
• Built in DVD drive
• 4.6 lbs
• Built in webcam and comes automatically loaded with Skype for video chatting
• Rounded rubberized corners for durability
• A preloaded software suite that delivers parental safety and control which includes 1 year of Net Nanny (parental control and internet filtering service valued at $39.99) and 1 year of KidZui (kids internet browser) pre-loaded
• Preloaded entertainment including full length Disney movies Princess and the Frog and Toy Story 2 and a Lego Batman game
  

Summary: While the aforementioned tech specs don't make it the highest end PC on the market, the mid-range Intel Celeron, 2 GB of memory, and 250 GB hard drive make it a great entry level computer for the younger set and keeps the price point affordable. A warning if you are considering this for the tweens and teens in your live...They are likely to eschew this device for more stylish laptop or netbook.

I look forward to sharing a more complete review SPARK’s parental control software suite along with testimonial from my two little in-house reviewers will posted when the wifi issues are resolved and the kids are home!

The FIRST SPARK™ kids is available exclusively at Best Buy® and retails for $499.

I received a First SPARK kids laptop courtesy of Technorati and Best Buy for review purposes. I was not compensated for my review and all opinions are my own. Product information and some images were provided courtesy of Technorati and Best Buy.

#IntelUpgrade: Intel's Context-Aware Devices Won’t Sacrifice Personal Privacy

Last week I had the pleasure of being Intel’s guest at their #IntelUpgrade event. Held at a swanky penthouse at the Royalton Hotel near Bryant Park in New York City, I got an inside look at the thought process behind Intel’s product design, the way their research informs product development to allow people to form a strong connection with their devices, and an opportunity to preview Intel’s context-aware technology that could be woven throughout our daily lives in the near future.

Intel’s goal through the event was to help attendees realize that Intel makes more than the processors inside of our computers. Understanding what people love about technology is helping to inform their development of context-aware devices that can determine how we feel, who we are friends with, and what your preferences are in order to provide a more personal experience. Intel is currently conducting researching and developing context- aware devices to improve our relationship with the digital devices we use daily.

During the event I was treated to a demonstration of context-aware devices such as the Personal Vacation Assistant. The Personal Vacation Assistant is designed to simplify, yet maximize, your traveling experience thanks to features like built in navigation that can use your location to provide recommendations for restaurants or local sights, pull content from trusted travel sources like Fodor’s through wifi, check your online calendar and send reminders for dinner reservations or theater tickets, and has functionality to take photos and geotag them before merging them with other users’ or automatically uploading them in a timeline format to a blog.

While I loved the idea of the Personal Vacation Assistant and all the functionality that one device could provide, I was also a little wary about the device using geotagging to pinpoint my location and storing a wealth of personal information that could be harvested if not on a properly secured network.

Before I even had the opportunity to bring up privacy concerns, Intel representative Bernie Keany, said that privacy and security were incredibly important for the device and described how users would have to log in to exchange credentials before any personal information would be accessed. While we didn’t have a chance to get into where the personal information would be shared, Intel has a reputation for storing data on secure servers so I feel a more confident that my personal information wouldn’t be compromised by the use of such a robust little device when traveling.

Issues regarding privacy were also discussed when I stopped to learn about features of future cars. Intel is working with the automotive industry to design vehicles that will enhance our driving experience. By embedding technology in the framework of test cars, the Context-Aware Vehicle (aka Connected Car) uses face recognition software, environmental sensors, and personal preference to build a data profile for each driver. Such features allow the car to recognize the driver’s favorite music, preferred seat position, and preference for a warmer or cooler vehicle in order to make motorists more comfortable in the driver’s seat.

The car also features cameras throughout the interior and exterior to act as extra eyes for drivers. Cameras inside the car could recognize when a tired motorist starts to nod off and crank up the air conditioning and change the music from soothing to hard rock to help keep the driver awake. Exterior cameras would keep an eye on other cars on the road and provide warnings about who to watch out for on the road.

While some might argue that the watchful eyes of cameras seems a little too big brother-ish and the plethora of technology will contribute to unnecessary data mining, Intel says the idea of a connected car is simply about a customized driving experience. As someone who is always cautious about what I share through my use of technology, I was quite pleased to find out that information used to build a driver profile remains in the vehicle and there’s no black box in your connected car like those found in airplanes!

While Intel is probably best known for the processors that live inside our computers, it was exciting to have a look towards a future where the devices we love will become context-aware to enhance our experiences, keep us safe, and work together to streamline our already busy lives.

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that Intel Corporation has covered travel to attend Upgrade Your Life in New York City. Additionally, I received products for consideration during the event. I am not expected to return products after my review period. No compensation was received for this post nor was it an expectation that we write about the event. All opinions are my own.

Shutterfly's Holiday Cards Are Greetings That Give Back

It’s that time of the year where I begin to obsess over holiday cards. I’ve always loved sending holiday photo cards and can spend forever looking for the perfect design. Shopping for the right card is not a task I take lightly. I comb multiple sites to find the right one that is elegant yet modern, conveys the sentiment of the holidays without being specific to Christmas or cheesy, but isn’t overly formal.

As I browsed the Shutterfly site, I was pleased to find that they have partnered with organizations like Heifer International, LiveStrong, and the American Lung Association to give 10% of the net proceeds from sales of certain cards back to the organizations. I love that I can helping the American Lung Association save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease, support Heifer International’s holistic approach to building sustainable communities, and assist LiveStrong as they support people around the world who live with cancer by choosing a card that helps others.

This year I’m considering the following cards from Shutterfly because they are designs that I can feel good about sending because they give back to organizations that are helping others:

Hopeful Holiday benefits LiveStrong

Believe benefits LiveStrong

Lovingly Wrapped benefits the American Lung Association

Visit the Shutterfly site and check out their latest holiday card designs for more designs that support charitable organizations.

If you aren’t into sending holiday cards, be untraditional and send Thanksgiving, New Year’s, or even Valentine cards! Or order some personalized thank you cards to have on hand for all occasions!

Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Put LeapFrog Tags in Teacher Hands and Win for Your Family & School!

Another school year is underway, Education Nation has launched, Waiting for Superman is on movie screens, and we all want to give our children the best possible school experience. Knowing that literacy statistics in recent years have been discouraging at best, last year LeapFrog decided they had to do more to help our youngest kids get started on the right foot. LeapFrog focused on kindergarten and donated $1.5 million in Tag Readers and books.

With 10,000 students across the country using the donated Tag systems, 99% of teachers said they’d recommend Tag systems to other teachers and to parents, because it makes a real difference.

• 96% said their students’ attitudes about reading improved
• 95% said their students wanted to spend more time reading
• 97% said their students’ reading skills improved

LeapFrog’s wonderful educational products that have been proven to help kids learn and their generosity towards teachers are just some of the reasons why I love working with them.

About a month ago, LeapFrog announced a giving program to get Tag learn-to-read systems to the teachers and children who need them most. Called Tag. Give. Read, this new program is designed to empower anyone to “give the gift of reading” by putting Tag materials into the hands of 30,000 more students.

As part of the program, LeapFrog is donating $100,000 to DonorsChoose.org to match funds for teachers who want Tag Readers for their classrooms and announced that for each new Facebook fan, they’d give a Kindergarten teacher a Tag book, up to 25,000 books. The goal of 25,000 fans was reached in just 6 days and while LeapFrog increased the number of books to 50,000, they well surpassed that number with 93,112 fans as of writing this post.

While the Facebook goal has been reached, it isn’t too late for you to get involved to make a teacher’s wishes come true by doing the following:

• GIVE TO A TEACHER. LeapFrog has donated $100,000 to DonorsChoose.org, to match donations, dollar-for-dollar, made to teachers who request Tag for their classrooms. This is teachers’ opportunity to post a request for Tag Readers and books, being sure to reference “LeapFrog Tag Readers” in the request. And it’s everyone else’s opportunity to help a teacher out. Everyone can give, no amount is too little, and LeapFrog’s gift effectively doubles every dollar given.

• "LIKE” LEAPFROG ON FACEBOOK. LeapFrog’s gift of a Tag book to a kindergarten teacher for each new Facebook fan we get—it’s what they are calling their “Virtual Book Drive.” This allows someone who is unable to contribute financially to lend a hand by becoming a fan.

• SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT TAG. GIVE. READ. with the teachers and parents in their communities. Tell the other parents you see at the bus stop, at PTA meetings, on the soccer field etc. about what LeapFrog is doing and encourage them to donate too.

GIVEAWAY: Make a teacher's wishes come true and be entered to win LeapFrog products for yourself and a teacher of your choice!

By helping teachers put Tags in the hands of their students, you’ll be entered to win an amazing package that includes a Tag Reading System, United States Interactive Map, and 2 additional books for your use at home AND you will also get to choose a kindergarten teacher to receive a Tag “kit” for classroom use that includes:

• 2 Tag School Readers and headphones
• 2 copies each of 15 Tag books

Actual products for teacher may differ from those pictured above

How do you enter to win Tags for yourself and a set for a beloved kindergarten teacher?

Do any of the following:

• Give a gift of Tags by donating to DonorsChoose.org and come back and leave a link to the teacher’s wish list page in your comment as an entry. If you donate to multiple teachers’ requests for Tags, each time you donate, your donation counts as an entry. Just leave a separate comment for each donation.

• Leave a comment telling me that you Like LeapFrog on Facebook.

• Tell me how you have shared Tag. Give. Read with others in your community. Did you tell the other parents you see at the bus stop, at PTA meetings, or on the soccer field? Did you encourage your child’s teacher to visit this post and enter? Every time you tell someone about Tag. Give. Read., leave a comment telling me what you did.

Ready, set…Tag. Give. Read and donate, like, and share and continue doing so until comments close on November 15! Good luck!

Fine print: Entries must include an email address or Twitter handle to count as eligible entries. LeapFrog will directly ship all materials to the giveaway winner and their designated teacher via UPS to a US shipping address. Winner must supply name, address, phone number, and email address for themselves and the winning teacher for shipping purposes.

I am a weekly columnist for The LeapFrog Community. No compensation was received for this post but LeapFrog does provide me with products to review and write about for my column. Images courtesy of LeapFrog.

Fantasma Toys' Web Runner Remote Controlled Spider Crawls on Floor & Walls (giveaway)

Congratulations to Amy from TeachMama and WeTeach who won a Web Runner for her family!

When Fantasma Toys and AG WebRunner contacted me about reviewing the remote controlled Web Runner black widow spider, I was intrigued. I mean who wouldn’t be interested in a spider that can operate on the floor and walls! Little did I know how much fun it would be for the whole family!

Take a look at what we’ve been doing this weekend and pay close attention to the end of the video to see how you can win one for your family!

This is another lightning fast giveaway! Comments will close Sunday at 5 pm and winner will need to provide their address by Monday morning in order to ensure delivery of their Web Runner in time for Halloween.

Product sample provided for review purposes and furnished by the company as a giveaway. No compensation was received for this post.

Better Not Lay a Finger on My Butterfinger Snackerz Giveaway

Congratulations to Traci who will be feasting on Snackerz in time for Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, I’m hosting a lightning fast giveaway for their brand new Snackerz that I had the pleasure of trying at BlogHer as I ran through the expo hall. I was already a fan of Butterfingers but the new Snackerz are still “crispety and peanut buttery” like the original but also light, airy, and super portable since they are a bite size version.

The new Butterfinger Snackerz are available now at major retailers nationwide but you can win 2 boxes of full size pouches (24 pouches inside) of Snackerz in time for Halloween!

To enter, leave a comment with your family’s favorite Halloween candy along with your email or Twitter handle.

Bonus entry if you know the famous animated character who I quoted in the title of this post!

Fine print: All entries must be received by Saturday, October 23 by 5 pm. Winner be selected that night and must provide mailing US address within 24 hours to assure delivery of Snackerz in time for Halloween.

For additional information about Snackerz, please visit Butterfinger.com and Facebook.com/Butterfinger.

I received products samples at BlogHer and am receiving Snackerz to hand out at Halloween, courtesy of Butterfinger. No compensation was received for this post.

HP's "Reboot With ROI" Retreat Giveaway

This post is sponsored by HP

Remember how I said I needed a real vacation? An all expense paid vacation sounds so much better, especially when the tab is being picked up by HP and includes a technology makeover!

HP’s Reboot with ROI Retreat Giveaway grand prize is a six person getaway in Napa that includes more than the royal treatment (see details below) during your stay and upon returning home, your office will have had a tech makeover featuring HP products!

To enter, all you have to do is share a story about surprising returns on something you bought by filling out this form and sharing your ROI story.

In case you needed additional reasons to enter, here’s the list of what you can win!

Grand Prize

• A five-day trip for six to Northern California wine country, including:
• Round-trip coach class ticket to San Francisco International Airport
• Two full-size rental cars for the duration of the trip
• Five nights’ accommodation at Fairmont Mission Inn & Spa (double occupancy in a Luxury Suite with a fireplace)
• Daily breakfast
• Six-hour wine country limousine tour, with tours and tastings at three wineries
• Ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train, including gourmet lunch and wine-tasting seminar
• Hot air balloon ride over wine country with Up & Away, including brunch
• $550 gift certificate per person for winner’s choice of spa treatments
• A gift certificate for dinner for six at a fine-dining restaurant in Yountville

And, after your refreshing reboot in wine country, go back to work with new HP technology with the grand prize technology makeover including:

• Four HP ProBook computers and 1 Palm smartphone
• Two HP Color Laserjet CM2320fxi printers
• One HP Color Laserjet CP2025dn printer

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there are still plenty of prizes to be won including:

• HP ProBook 4520s computer with broadband included and free case and HP Color LaserJet CP2025dn printer as the Silver Prize
• HP Mini 5103 computer and a HP Color LaserJet CP2025n printer as the Bronze Prize

The only question is who might I take with me if I were to win the grand prize! Would I take some fellow DC blogging moms who I love to travel with, my Fill the Backpack crew to help relieve the personal stress we discuss in our daily Skype chats for a much needed reunion, or an off site for me and the BitDefender team???

Tough choices but the more you enter, the better your chances so I’m entering often! Good luck!

As part of a paid promotion, HP asked me to share this giveaway with my readers. This is a compensated post written on behalf of HP. All artwork courtesy of HP.

Giveaway: Halloween Stories Collection from Scholastic Storybook Treasures!

Yesterday I raved about The Halloween Stories Collection ($24.95) from Scholastic Storybook Treasures and today I'm offering the collection as a giveaway!

To enter, visit the Scholastic Storybook Treasures site to get a full list of all the 18 stories in the 3 DVD collection. Then leave a comment about which story is a family favorite! Please be sure to leave an email address or a Twitter handle in your comment so I can contact you when you win!

For an extra entry, do the above and then Tweet this: @TechSavvyMama is giving away @Scholastic Storybook Treasures Halloween Stories Collection 3 DVD set! Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/92iQ9x Be sure to come back and leave a comment linking to your Tweet.

Winner will be randomly chosen this Friday so you will have your own copy of The Halloween Stories Collection in time for Halloween!

Giveaway generously provided by Scholastic Storybook Treasures. No compensation was received for this post. Product received for review purposes.

New DVDs Featuring Halloween Themed Stories Are a Treat

With the arrival of fall comes the anticipation of Halloween and this year Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertaiment and Scholastic Storybook Treasures have turned favorite familiar stories into DVDs that are perfect for toddler through elementary ages.

The Halloween Stories Collection ($24.95) from Scholastic Storybook Treasures includes Where the Wild Things Are, A Very Brave Witch, and The Teacher from the Black Lagoon. The story collection features 18 slightly scary stories perfect for this time of year such as By the Light of the Halloween Moon, A Dark, Dark, Tale, Georgie, The Witch in the Cherry Tree, and The Three-Legged Cat and is narrated by stars like Elle Fanning and Calista Flockhart. The collection’s total run time is 2 hours, 55 minutes and includes extras such as author interviews and French and Spanish versions of Where the Wild Things Are! This collection would have been a dream to show my former first grade class in the days leading up to Halloween! Perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary ages. Out on DVD October 26.

Upper elementary ages who have enjoyed the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine will love The Blob That Ate Everyone and Go Eat Worms by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Each of the DVDs feature 3 haunting Goosebumps adventures based on the best selling series.

• The Blob That Ate Everything ($14.98) also features My Hairiest Adventure where Larry Boyd experiences the growth of long thick hair all over his body and disappearing friends! The third story, Piano Lessons Can Be Murder, is about a strange piano teacher who is hired to teach Jerry to play the old piano he found in the basement.
  
• Go Eat Worms! ($14.98) also includes Bad Hare Day and Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes where two hideous lawn gnomes might be responsible for the eerie sounds coming from the garden late at night. This will make you rethink garden tchotkes! Best for upper elementary ages.

What are your family's favorite spooky tales to read or watch?

DVDs provided courtesy of the companies for review purposes. No compensation was received for this post although Amazon affiliate links are included.

#BeatCancer and Use Social Media for Social Good

At Blogalicious I reconnected with James Andrews (@keyinfluencer) of Everywhere who gave an amazing keynote for the second year in a row and is always up to something fabulous. Right now he and the Everywhere team are setting out to raise money for cancer and beat their previous Guinness World Record for #beatcancer. While I know I just posted about donating directly to the American Cancer Society, it also doesn't hurt for a social media junkie like myself to tag all of my tweets to help beat cancer.

The Everywhere team is using social media for social good in order to raise money for several cancer fighting organizations. SWAGG and PayPal will donate 5 cents (.05) for every tweet, Facebook status update, and blog post that includes #beatcancer. All money raised will be donated to non-profit cancer fighting organizations including Bright Pink, Stand Up To Cancer and the LIVESTRONG Foundation.

Last year, a Guinness World Record was set by Everywhere, out of Atlanta, Georgia (raising more than $70,000) for the “Most Widespread Social Network Message” with #beatcancer. In 24 hours the one-word phrase #beatcancer set the record contributing to the 209,771 unique mentions on Twitter, Facebook and blog posts.

SWAGG’s commitment to the fight against cancer doesn’t stop there. Prior to the official product launch in November, consumers can pledge to download the app at www.beatcancereverywhere.com. SWAGG will then donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer, up to $125,000!

We all know someone who has been affected by cancer. Please take some time before the campaign ends 9 am PST to make a difference and help with the fight against cancer!

No compensation was received for this post unless you count the 5 cents it raised for the non-profit cancer fighting organizations.

Tech Savvy Guest Solomon Engel of ResumeSponge Shares Innovative Career Marketing Strategies

Today’s Tech Savvy Guest is Solomon Engel, founder & CEO of ResumeSponge. ResumeSponge is a Social Career Platform built to help people achieve success throughout their career and employment initiatives. It is designed for anyone seeking an innovative way to market themselves, stand out in the crowded job marketplace, discover and create compelling opportunities, collaborate more effectively with colleagues, classmates, business professionals, and drive results.

By Solomon Engel, CEO of ResumeSponge

No matter how much experience you have, it’s still difficult to get a good job in today’s economy. Unfortunately, there are just too many people seeking employment and too few jobs.

Four years ago, I faced this problem first-hand. From fine tuning my resume and posting it to practically every known online job board in the country, to making continuous calls and following up with potential employers, I applied for every single job based on my experience. Yet, despite all efforts, the results were slim and I received very little feedback.

At that time, I realized my approach was based on the traditional way of seeking employment. I was practically following the same standards that most follow. This left me standing in the middle of a very crowded job marketplace. I knew I needed to do something different because the traditional methods just weren’t working.

Because resumes are solely based off in-line text, alone it doesn’t tell the whole story, and it is no way for a person to show off their finest attributes. This makes it easy for potential employers to overlook your abilities. Often dealing with time constraints and the immediacy of quickly filling a position, they are sifting through hundreds and sometimes thousands of other resumes. This shotgun approach usually keeps you lost in the shuffle, leaving you to be overlooked again and again.

With all these problems, I knew something different needed to be done for streamlining the traditional, very ineffective processes of employment. I set out to build a system that would fix these issues, and bring success to the people; this system is called ResumeSponge.

Today, ResumeSponge is a social career platform that helps people highlight their finest attributes by allowing them to elaborate on their expertise and professional work. It’s for anyone seeking an innovative way to market themselves, stand out in the crowded job marketplace, discover and create compelling opportunities, collaborate more effectively with colleagues, classmates, business professionals, and drive results.

For the first timers, students, job seekers, business professionals, or stay at home moms, entering the workforce isn’t always going to be easy. To get started, I would recommend deciding what types of opportunities you’re going to seek. This decision should be based on your current interests or areas of expertise. After you’ve done this, create an account on ResumeSponge.com. It’s free and very easy to get started. After creating your account, sign-in, click on the Edit Resume link located in the top left of the page.

Once you're there, fill in all your experience and education information just as you would in a traditional resume, then upload everything you have that highlights the best of you. So for example, any work you may have created at a previous job or school such as a report or presentation, letters of recommendations you may have received, college degrees, certifications, transcripts, diplomas, professional videos you may have created, or photos you may have taken. Upload as much as you can, because the more qualities you can show of yourself, the more likely an employer can determine the qualities you posses, therefore making you far more attractive to any potential employer.

After building your profile, create a unique Public URL. The Public URL is a customized link that allows you to build your professional online presence. The link can be used when applying to jobs outside of the ResumeSponge system and it directs people to your profile. In fact, even if you are not seeking employment, this link allows you to use ResumeSponge as your online business card. Basically, when someone wants to learn more about you, give them your custom link, and they get to see all the best things you can offer.

To get started on ResumeSponge, click the link below to sign up: http://www.resumesponge.com/signup/signup.aspx

This guest post was provided by Solomon Engel. No compensation was received for this post. All images are courtesy of ResumeSponge.

Unplugging to Take Our Ultimate Family Vacation

Sponsored By


Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine and Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

Despite all of the recent traveling to attend various blogging conferences, representing BitMoms and BitDefender is work and being away from home has made me crave family time and a real vacation.

As my husband likes to point out, despite officially teaching part time, I’ve managed to work more than full time 7 days a week on various projects for the last 3 years without a real vacation. I love what I do but if there’s an internet connection, I’m always working.

My husband and I have made it a priority to see the world. Now that our kids are older, I’m ready to unplug and fill their passports with stamps from international destinations. Our kids are seasoned travelers at the young ages of 4 and 6 ½ thanks to cross country trips to visit their grandparents and a couple of trips to Hawaii but there’s an entire world out there that we want them to see.

We talk about where we might go as a family to take in the rich culture of other countries, have incredible adventures, and expose their young palettes to more incredible flavors. Little Miss Techie had her first taste of Thai food in utero when we went to Thailand when I was 5 months pregnant. We’d love to take her and her brother to eat Pad Thai that is prepared right in front of their eyes and sample the wide range of curries after a day of visiting temples and long boat riding. Captain Computer requested a ceviche dinner for his fourth birthday so perhaps a trip to Rio might be in order. We could travel north or south to snorkel in the crystal clear water around the tiny islands off the coast that we fell in love with before we became parents to enjoy time in a place where Japanese and South American cultures blend together.

I’d love to revisit the places we've been and treat our kids to the opportunity to learn about the pyramids, The Great Wall, Turkish bazaars, The Alhambra, and Taj Mahal by being right next to the things they will read about in books. It's time to unplug and fill our passports with stamps, learn about world cultures through our travels, and treat our stomachs to local flavors unlike anything we can find here.

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Think Pink in October, Give Green All Year to Support American Cancer Society

L-R: Renee Ross of CutieBootyCakes and fellow Blogger Advisory Council Member, Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society, and me

This weekend’s Blogalicious was the exhilarating whirlwind that most conferences are but on Sunday I had the pleasure of introducing Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer and executive vice president of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Dr. Brawley’s keynote came during a month where the world is turning pink in honor of breast cancer but his speech addressed more than just breast cancer as he talked about cancer prevention, early detection, and quality treatment through cancer research and education.

In his Blogalicious keynote, Dr. Brawley said that 765,870 cancer deaths were averted between 1991-2006. It’s estimated that 57,000 Americans didn’t die of breast cancer. This was due to screening, early detection, and aggressive treatment. It’s also estimated that the prevalence of mammogram screening was 45-50% where as the prevalence now is 60%.

If all women were screened and received good treatment, 450,000 women would still die over the next 10 years with our current screening and treatment technologies.

“Mammography sucks…It isn’t the greatest test. We need to support a scientific study to find a better test...We need something that is much better…They should still be used but they need to get better. Find better tests, support better treatment,” said Dr. Brawley.

He also encouraged women to be self aware and know their bodies well enough to know to go to their doctor when they find something that needs to be evaluated.

While breast cancer may be on everyone’s minds during October, Dr. Brawley didn’t limit his speech to breast cancer. He talked about research and prevention for cervical cancer and prostate cancer and concluded by urging people to get involved and spread the word through the American Cancer Society’s new social media campaigns.

This year ACS has embraced social media to mobilize the online community to help others stay well and get well, find cures, and fight back. ACS launched MoreBirthdays.com that includes buttons to post on websites and a blog whose focus is on everything "birthday", from party tips to celebrity birthdays.

The newest part of the site allows users to send birthday wishes via custom e-cards featuring artwork generously donated by famous artists like Michael Schwab and Eric Carle. Music lovers will enjoy happy birthday being sung to them by celebrity musicians such as Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Aaron Neville, Fitz and the Tantrums, Keith Urban, DEVO or other musicians dedicated to fighting cancer.

As a lover of social media, it has been very exciting for me to be involved with the ACS as they embrace social media and mobilize the online community around their new campaigns but there are also other ways to get involved not only during the month of October, but throughout the year.

While it is fine to wear pink and buy pink products (remember that very little money actually goes towards cancer research) during the month, it is far more effective to donate to trusted organizations like the American Cancer Society where all funds support the mission of saving lives and eliminating the suffering from cancer.

If you want to mobilize friends to spread awareness about cancer prevention, early detection, and quality treatment through cancer research and education, visit these American Cancer Society sites:

• Choose You encourages women to commit to put their health first.
• More Birthdays helps people stay well (prevent cancer), get well (help for cancer patients), find cures (research and fundraising) and fight back (advocacy).
• Cancer.org is a place to find out about volunteer opportunities and access accurate information
  

Also, don’t forget to call your Senator to ask the government to provide better funding for cancer research.

I am part of the American Cancer Society’s Blogger Advisory Council. No compensation was received for this post. This is also serves as my October post for Yahoo! MotherBoard where the topic is breast cancer awareness.

Blogalicious 2010- Links to Live Blogged Sessions

This weekend I'm attending the second annual Blogalicious Weekend, a conference dedicated to diversity in social media. I am excited to be back at Blogalicious representing BitMoms for BitDefender and talking to attendees about keeping themselves safe online and also in my role the behind-the-scenes editor of MyBlogalicious.com, Blogalicious' collaborative blog.

Here is a collection of links to posts housed at BitMoms to the general sessions, keynotes, and panels that I have attended throughout the weekend:

Friday:

• General Session- Unleashing the Power of Women of Color featuring Miriam Muléy
• General Session- Latinas in Social Media moderated by Kety Esquivel from LatISM.
• Lifestyle Session- Building Your Social Media Tribe with Sheila Dowd (@xiaolinmama & @CleverGirlsColl), Jennifer James of Moms Blogger Club, and Ana Flores from Spanglish Baby (@SpanglishBaby)

Session notes will go live upon their conclusion so please check back throughout the weekend!


I am a paid consultant working for BitDefender on BitMoms.com, a free site for parents who want to learn more about keeping their family safe online. Join me!

Time to Play's Most Wanted Toys 2010

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Time to Play's Holiday Showcase in New York City where the most wanted toys of 2010 were announced by founders Jim Silver and Chris Byrne, who travel the world in search of the best toys for homes all around the country.

The morning began with a press conference for the media that included print, television, and members of the online media such as myself (!). Jim and Chris started by saying that this year their focus was on value. While the recession may officially over, a majority of the toys featured had price points that were $30 and under but considered to be "the most popular, most fun" on the market and the ones that will be most talked about from now until the holidays.

Following the announcement of the Most Wanted Toys of 2010, journalists were let loose in the exhibition hall to play. Imagine a room of 37 tables featuring various toy manufacturers with a display piled high with an array of toys for different ages.

Some toys were love at first play while others made me wonder if they would really be popular among the target demographic. There were reinvented classics, new techy gadgets, and items that will be a hit for both kids and adults alike.

The items that caught my eye will be featured in my annual holiday gift guide that will be published mid-November. As usual, it will feature guides for various age ranges and include a ton of giveaways!

Here’s a peek of some of the things I saw while at Time to Play.



Hasbro has taken classic toys like Scrabble, Monopoly, and the Rubik's Cube have been reinvented for a new generation of kids. The new Scrabble Flash is a great manipulative word building tool that allows players to invent as many words as they can using the letters that appear on digital screens. Think of it like a Word Jumble with infinite possibilities! Monopoly celebrated it's 75th birthday by going round (aka Monopoly Revolution) and Rubik Slide is flat! Rubik's Slide is a single faced cube (that doesn’t make any sense!) that can be slid or rotated in order to move the blocks in the direction of your choice to get them to line up. Confused? Check out this video on Gizmodo or read Jean’s (aka Stimey) review on her Things and Stuff site.

Once I got past the remote controlled rattlesnake and made my way to Wild Creation’s table, the teacher in me was thrilled to find so many wonderful products that help foster kids’ natural interest in science. I’m intrigued but the EcoAquarium that is a full ecosystem with frog that cleans itself and fell in love with the Pocket Microscopes that are handy for any backyard adventure or walk. The remote controlled rattlesnake was a parting gift so I am now happy to say that I took a snake on a plane!

Speaking of science, The Jim Henson Company wants children to expand knowledge learned through popular shows like Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid with a line of products that allows kids act out what they know with their favorite characters, through games, and further investigate through age appropriate books. As an aside, the Fraggle Rock products made me a little nostalgic!

VTech may have redeemed themselves for the Shooting Gallery Game that ships standard with the MobiGo with the release of their kids e-book reader called vReader. I didn’t get to play with one nearly enough to give it the Tech Savvy Mama seal of approval but am hoping to give one the thorough test soon.

Oregon Scientific’s lifestyle electronics now includes laptop-like devices for kids. Barbie, Batman, Star Wars, Tinkerbell, and other characters are featured in a line of products that contain a real QWERTY keyboard, mouse, and LCD screen for little techies. Boasting games in English and Spanish, I want to explore the games more to know exactly what my 5+ old is learning. They also make Pixie Pocket Learners, devices similar to oversized Blackberries, with eight games tailed for ages 3 and up. My initial thought was that they seem overly branded but sometimes learning with your favorite character can help motivate a reluctant child towards educational game play.

Thomas & Friends Learning Curve’s Wooden Railway for Early Engineers is specially designed for the littlest train lovers. Tracks have flat edges rather than the usual joints, chunkier engines are easy for smaller hands, and easy to maneuver knobs make these perfect for ages 18 months and up. As a parent, I appreciate that the set can grow with your child so the engines from the Early Engineers line are interchangeable with other Thomas sets such as Mega Brand’s Thomas & Friends Adventures on Misty Mountain, a great set that takes the train up off the floor and through tunnels and trestles.

Crayola continues to foster creativity in kids with new products like Glow Explosion that make drawings glow for 4 hours when used with the color activator. Model Magic Presto Dots allow kids to build creatures by stamping out dots with this very tactile and malleable substance. I’m partial to the Crayola Color Explosion Spinner because I'm a fan of creating spin art!

The above mentions only represent a handful of the 37 companies who brought incredible products for all ages. The best of what I saw will be featured in my holiday gift guide that will be out before Thanksgiving. Like Time to Play’s Jim and Chris, I compile my list of favorites throughout the year!

This year I'll have more giveaways in my holiday gift guide than ever!

Be among the first to enter my holiday gift guide giveaways by leaving a comment about a toy I mentioned above, you saw in one of the slide shows, or is on Time to Play: Most Wanted Toys 2010 list that is something you would buy for your kids or give as a gift. Be sure to leave your email or Twitter handle!

Litzky PR invited me to be their guest at Time To Play and covered my travel expenses, lodging, and took us out to a fabulous relaxing dinner which was much appreciated after coming straight from Type A Mom. Product samples were received from many companies for review purposes. Affiliate links are contained in this post.

Type A Mom Conference Recap & Links to Live Blogged Sessions

Find more photos like this on BitMoms


After the madness of BlogHer, Type A Mom in Asheville, North Carolina was a breath of fresh air due to its small size, ability to learn from brands and bloggers who were respectful towards each other, and for the many new faces that I met. I went to Type A representing BitDefender for the work I do on BitMoms.com and while I have moments where I feel very divided as I try to represent the brand and my blogging self for this site, I was able to be both in a very natural way while at the conference.

One of the great things about Type A was the interaction between brands and bloggers. Brands were nice. Bloggers were nice. Everyone peacefully coexisted in this space. Brands and bloggers presented harmoniously on panels throughout the conference and even shared perspectives about the culture of entitlement that can run rampant through the blogging world at the Blogger Town Hall Meeting on Sunday. The harmony and positive interactions I had during the conference made me feel at peace as I straddle the line between both worlds.

It was a pleasure to meet a new circle of bloggers. Many of these bloggers are people I've known virtually through our tweeting and their avatars over on BitMoms but it's always nice to meet people in real life and have time to talk. While BlogHer was a series of accidental meetings in the bathroom, waiting for an elevator, or catching each other on the escalator as one went up and the other down, Type A lent itself to real interactions. Conversations over a Chik-Fil-A lunch, on the treadmill at the hotel gym on a rainy Sunday, while sampling Biltmore Wines, in the hall while munching on Little Debbies, shopping at the Mom Market for products made by blogging moms in attendance, late night talks in a friend’s hotel room, or out on a photo walk were meaningful and allowed me to get to know people previously known only virtually as the fascinating individuals that they are.

Type A was certainly memorable for so many reasons but the high quality sessions (and the fact that I fell in love with Asheville!) make me want to return next year. I learned so much throughout the weekend that I am still trying to process all that knowledge now, even a week later.

As promised, my goal in attending and representing BitDefender was to live blog as many sessions as I could to share on BitMoms.com. I know that not everyone who wanted to go could attend Type A so I made it my mission to bring back what I learned to share with you.

Here are the sessions that I've shared on BitMoms so far. Links to the posts of the individual sessions will be live as they go up so please keep checking back and enjoy!

Sunday:

• Morning Keynote- Finding and Building Success with Maxine Clark, CEO of Build a Bear (@ChiefExecBear)
  
• Keynote Panel- It’s All About Respect: Professionalism in Blogging featuring Kelby Carr (@TypeAMom), Deb Ng (@DebNg), and David Griner (@Griner)
• Closing Keynote- Looking Back, Looking Forward: Women’s Journeys Across the Web by Aliza Sherman (@AlizaSherman)
  

Saturday

• Practicalities Track- Creative Ways to Monetize Your Blog: Thinking Outside the Widget with Debbie Bookstaber and Angela England, moderated by Kim Moldofsky (@KimMoldofsky)
• Dad Track- Privacy and Security in a New Media World featuring Ryan Boyles (@TheRab) and Jim Turner (@Genuine)
• Practicalities Track- From Blog to Book: Using Social Media to Land a Book Deal with Mary Ann Soellner, Hollee Temple, Becky Beaupre Gillespie, and Sarah Pelz, moderated by Heather Solos
• Practicalities Track- Using Your Blog as a Platform to Get Gigs featuring Kim Moldofsky and Jessica Rosenberg (@Kikarose), moderated by Carol Cain (@NYCityMama)
  

Friday

• Business for Companies- Marketing to Social Media Moms featuring Amy Bair (@ResourcefulMom) and Dina Freeman (@BabyCenter)
• Business for Companies- Integrated Marketing: Maintaining Your Brand Across Media and Channels with Ilina Ewen (@IlinaP)
• Business for Bloggers- Legal Issues for Bloggers by Hollee Temple (@holleeinbalance)
• Business General Session- Social Media Success Stories with James Jarman of Avery, Andrea Scott of POM Wonderful, Kathleen Mosher of Biltmore Estates and moderated by Janice Croze (@5MinutesforMom)
  

More sessions will go live as I clean up my notes from each session!

I am a paid consultant working for BitDefender on BitMoms.com, a free site for parents who want to learn more about keeping their family safe online. Join me!

Special thanks to Mabel's Labels who printed up special Chief BitMom labels for me to ensure that my stuff will never get lost at a conference and TinyPrints who randomly selected me as 1 of 20 Type A attendees who won business cards! I'll be using both at Blogalicious next week!