Cybercrime is No Treat This Halloween

Cybercriminals are full of tricks and won't give out any treats this Halloween.  

This infograph from Trend Micro illustrates the rise in security risks for online consumers online along with more advanced scare tactics being used by cybercriminals. It also provides helpful tips to help consumers stay safe online this Halloween, during the holiday shopping season, and throughout the year.  

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Click on the infograph to view a full size version of it. 

This infograph was provided by Trend Micro.  No compensation was received for this post.

Jesse Jones' Blogalicious 2011 Keynote Inspires Making Masterful Connections

When Blogalicious comes around, I can always count on a classy well run conference that brings together an incredible community during a weekend of fun events, inspiring sessions, networking, and delicious food.

This year's conference theme was Making Masterful Connections and began with a keynote by Jesse Jones who spoke about U-ology 101, “the science behind what it takes to find what you’re passionate about” and bringing those ideas to fruition. 

Jesse is inspiring not only because of his impressive accomplishments and his young age but because his words really resonated with me and hit me at a time when they were needed.  He spoke about identifying the things we are deeply connected to and building connections.  Here are some key points that really inspired me:

We're all sharing the same fears, desires....We all have things we want to create.
How do we identify the things we feel we are deeply connected to?
Make what you do become a habit.
Most important connection we will make is from within.
Ask yourself if you are really connected, what you want to do with your blog, if you’re paying attention to readers versus worrying about statistics.
Answer emails, pay attention to your readers, who you are talking to on Twitter…“It builds the house”
Your job is to develop an army of the people who want to build with you.
Don't ever enter into a relationship with someone for what they can do for you right now. It’s not about right now.
Understand why you’re in a room, why you’re here, what you are trying to create.
Make the relationships you’re building really important.

This weekend was just what I needed to help me refocus.  There are good things to come and while I’m going to have to make some hard decisions about current projects and ones on the horizon, I know the decisions I make will ultimately help lead me to where I want to be.

Jesse Jones’ key takeaways from his Blogalicious Keynote are available on U-ology 101. I’ll be sharing more inspiring moments from the conference in future posts.

I am the MyBlogalicious Editor in Chief and received a complimentary conference pass for my work, however, it is a conference I’d happily attend on my own dime.

Parental Controls: A Survey of Awareness, Attitudes, and Use

To see a larger version, click on the infographic.

Wordless Wednesday: Babble Top Twitter Moms 2011

For the complete list, visit Babble's Top Twitter Moms of 2011.

AMD Tech Moms Visit Austin: Inside Look at Graphics and Video Processing For Consumers and Producers

I recently had the opportunity to go back to Austin for some time with AMD as one of the AMD Tech Moms.  Between enjoying delicious food and lusting over amazing cowboy boots, there was a lot of learning in an intimate environment that allowed me to get to know more about AMD’s video and graphics processing capabilities but also about the initiatives the company supports. 

What is AMD?  In your PC, you either have Intel or AMD inside your machine. If you’re asking why one over the other, AMD Vision technology combines cutting edge processing and video power that allows you to experience vivid web and video content and crisp photos thanks to dual graphics that work together for a better overall experience.

Here are 5 things I learned while in Austin about how AMD technology not only helps consumers, but also producers of video content.

1.  If you love your Wii and Xbox, thank AMD.  AMD technology is inside these gaming systems powering not only the computer, but also the crisp graphics that are essential to game play.

2.  AMD has software called Steady Video that is designed to remove the shake and wiggle from home movies and streamed video content.  This exclusive technology to VISION Technology can be turned on and off and truly does help combat the feeling of motion sickness when watching someone’s home movies on YouTube! Take a look at this video from PC Perspective to see how it works!

3.  Statistics show that consumers are becoming increasingly visual.  AMD Marketing Director, Bob Grim shared the following statistics:

• 48 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute
• 52 millions of internet-based video calls are placed per day
• 1.2 million videos are being viewed right now
• 50 million+ digital media files are added to personal libraries every day

4.  AMD's Charlie Boswell evangelizes AMD technology to the entertainment world.  He has the pleasure of working with Hollywood types such as Director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Desperado, Spy Kids, From Dusk Til Dawn) who uses AMD when creating his films.  Charlie "wants to make sure that our technology works at the speed of thought."

5.  And if you’re a Futurama fan, you’d probably be interested to know that the season premiere featured AMD technology!

I'll be sharing how AMD encourages the learning of science, technology, math, and engineering through video gaming in an upcoming post about their education initiatives!


As an AMD Tech Mom trip, AMD covered my travel arrangements and accommodations for my visit to Austin. I am also compensated with products for review purposes and stipends towards conference sponsorships but all opinions are always my own.  

Computer Games and Learning

Today I have a freelance piece on JenAndBarbMomLife.com about the topic of computer games and learning. From preschoolers to high school students, online games can often be cleverly disguised as educational experiences that can reinforce classroom learning.  Here's an excerpt from my post, Computer Games & Learning: 

While it is important to limit screen time, many websites feature educational games designed to reinforce developing skills for all ages. 

The interactive nature of computer games appeals preschoolers through high school students. Preschoolers love to learn with favorite characters as they guide them through learning games designed to foster beginning literacy and math concepts.  Elementary ages use interactive websites to reinforce concepts they are learning in school while virtual simulations assist middle and high schoolers better understand more abstract concepts. 

For the younger ages, content from well designed websites can reinforce beginning math and reading skills.  Elementary ages benefit from the interactive nature of computer games because while some children learn best through paper and pencil, others require the auditory and visual stimulation that comes from playing games online.  Besides playing games, the computer is often used for virtual simulations in middle and high school.  Think virtual frog dissection!

My post on accompanies an episode where Jen and Barb interview Eric Klopfer, father and Director of MIT Teacher Education Program, about the same topic.  I love how they address inappropriate websites and the way screen time differs according to the devices being used and what they're doing.  

And if you've ever wanted to rationalize endless playing of Angry Birds, Eric provides the justification you're looking for.  Take a look!

I was compensated for my freelance article on JenAndBarbMomLife.com.

Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show Develops Emotional Literacy in Preschoolers (w. DVD giveaway)

How do we create caring individuals who know how to be a good friend and can verbalize their feelings?  It’s a constant challenge to parents and educators alike, especially with preschoolers.

Moms Sam and Abbie are the founders of The Mother Company, a Southern California based business devoted to helping kids develop social and emotional literacy through their line of products.  Their first product is a DVD called Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show.

Geared towards preschoolers, this 45 minute DVD features Ruby— a universally appealing teacher figure who is artistic, magical, positive, fun, and pretty. To say I fell in love with Ruby is an understatement!  The parent in me loves how calming, creative, and nurturing she is.  I liken her to a modern day Mr. Rogers but without the cardigan and Land of Make Believe!  The former teacher in me is a little jealous of her since she’s the teacher every kid would adore!

"Ruby's Studio: The Feelings Show" - Sneak Peek Trailer from The Mother Company

Ruby guides children through art projects to explore their feelings. I love how the show incorporates old school animations, music, and a diverse group of kids. The segments are the right length and a great pace, meaning that they’re gentle and calming.  Watching Ruby’s Studio is like a mini escape during a hectic day!

If you need a mini escape with some quality programming for your preschooler as they learn to verbalize their emotions and become a good friend, Ruby’s Studio is for you!

GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show by leaving a comment about the most challenging parenting issue you’ve encountered with your preschooler along with your Twitter handle or email address.

For extra entries, complete the above and do any of the following:

• Visit The Mother Company’s blog and leave a link to a post that you found helpful in your comment.

• Follow The Mother Company on Twitter @TheMotherCo and let me know.

A winner will be selected on Monday, October 31 and must provide a U.S. mailing address for shipment purposes.

If you happen to be in the greater Los Angeles area, you are invited to attend The 3Ts: Tantrums, Testing, and Talking Back on Thursday, October 20 at 7:30 pm at The Pump Station in Santa Monica.  Jennifer Waldburger, LCSW will help you learn how to safeguard your sanity!

I am working as a social media consultant to The Mother Company but was not compensated for writing this post or hosting a giveaway.  All opinions are my own and those of my children!

Cerra Dissolving Notes: Taking a Tech Break to Melt Stress Away

I know it’s only October but now is the time of year that I am absolutely swamped in the best way possible.  Amazing items arrive daily for me review for my upcoming holiday gift guides (coming in November before Black Friday!), pre-holiday campaigns are in full force, I’m working on a presentation for the National Association for Education of Young Children’s upcoming November conference, and getting excited about attending Blogalicious next week!

But I have this habit of not taking care of myself when I get busy.  I stay up too late working, am too exhausted in the morning to get up and run, and feel like a frazzled mess as I balance work, home, and family. I need a way to melt away stress but don’t have time.

While I was rummaging through a pile of papers to find a document for a meeting, I stumbled across some samples from Cerra that I had gotten and shoved aside. I opened the box and found some Dissolving Notes. 

Cerra Dissolving Notes Set

"Dissolving Notes help you fully appreciate positive thoughts while allowing you to release negative ones. By writing down what's on your mind and watching it dissolve away, Dissolving Notes become more and more helpful in dealing with your thoughts and feelings."          ~Cerra.com

I pulled out one note and wrote down one source of stress, then another and another. Before long I had a little collection. I filled a glass bowl with water and took it back to my computer where I dropped one in and watched it dissolve before repeating the process until all were gone.

I probably should have been doing 10 other things at the time but those little notes were just what I needed in that moment. Watching them dissolve was mesmerizing. 

By taking a short break from technology and watching my stress melt away helped to refocus me. While it didn't eliminate the long to do list, I felt more centered and less frazzled as I plowed ahead, continuing to cross items off my to do list.

I received a Cerra Program Kit from SheSpeaks Me Time program. No compensation was received for this post.

Apple Crepes with Melt Buttery Spread and $500 Mingle with Melt Contest

Melt and our apple crepe recipe

Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer’s latest obsession is to print out recipes that they earn through game play on PBS Kids’ Fizzy’s Lunch Lab. Earlier this week they came to me incredibly excited about their latest find- apple crepes! I couldn’t resist their sweet faces and them telling me they wanted to make something delicious, nutritious, easy, and seasonal with ingredients I already had at home. Plus it gave me the opportunity to try cooking with Melt buttery spread.

Melt? Melt is a butter alternative made of healthy cooking oils including virgin coconut oil, flax seed oil, palm fruit oil and canola oil. I know it sounds like something that is too healthy to be delicious but we’ve been slathering it on homemade bread and bagels that I needed to capture our cooking project before our last tub disappeared!

My resident chefs wanted to share their thoughts about Melt and show you how we were it using in our apple crepe recipe. In their latest video, Little Miss Techie tells you all about Melt while Captain Computer performs a taste test as they help prepare apple crepes with this butter substitute. And the results? Simply delicious! Take a look!

Melt is plate licking delicious! It provides the good fats your body needs when you take out other fats in your diet. As we demonstrated, it cooks just like butter with good-for-you ingredients. Spread it on. Bake with it. It’s also gluten free!

Mingle with Melt contest!

Win a $500 Mingle With Melt VISA gift card to put on a party for 10 friends! Put the gift card towards the purchase of cooking supplies, food, decor, a cute dress, and whatever else you'd like for your party. You'll also get 3 packages of Melt! As the referring blog, if you win, I win and get to throw a party for my friends too!  Fun, right?  To enter, visit the Mingle with Melt contest page.

Melt is also going to feature each winner's party photos and original recipes that use Melt on their Facebook page and website! The contest lasts through October 31 so enter now for your chance to Mingle with Melt!

I received samples of Melt to facilitate my review. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are my own and those of my two taste testers.

New Balance Fitness Evolved Headphones: Easy to Use Device Provides Instant Workout Stats Mid-Song

I always find it’s helpful to have goals when I run. Being able to see how far I’ve gone or my pace using an app on my phone is helpful but recently I’ve been using the NewBalance NB639 Fitness Evolved Headphones ($99) to get instant feedback.

New Balance NB639 Fitness Evolved Headphones

Manufactured in conjunction with iHome, a company that specializes in home audio products, the Fitness Evolved Headphones work with your iPhone or iPod and allows you to play music through it while functioning as a heart rate monitor and a pedometer and couldn’t be easier to use.

After charging the thumb size device by plugging it into the enclosed USB, it’s ready to use.  Flip the device over and locate the small triangular button located beneath the clip to turn it on. Press your thumb on the oval to take your resting heartrate that will be read back to you through the over-the-ear headphones.  

Clip the device to you while you’re exercising and listening to music.  For mid-workout statistics such as caloric burn, step count, and npexercise time, place your finger on the speech bubble above the New Balance logo and it will pause the song and read workout statistics back. This is a convenient feature for mid-workout feedback and to help maintain motivation!

Fitness Evolved Headphones plug into any headphone jack so it can be used with any a mobile phone or MP3 player. It comes with over the ear headphones and a couple of sets of earbuds to customize the fit.

Another great feature is the ability to track workout data online using the HeartPal monitoring tools by plugging in the device to transfer stored information to your profile. The device comes with HeartPal for Windows software already loaded on the USB but Mac users will need to download the software from the iHome site.

As someone who is always looking for a way to keep track of my workouts, I love the simplicity and size of the New Balance Fitness Evolved Headphones.  Easy to use right from the box, they can even be used by itself if you want to track your exercise without listening to music. You may not be able to get instantaneous feedback about your current workout but the added flexibility of just tucking the device in your pocket without having to run it through your MP3 player is quite nice.

I received the New Balance NB639 for review purposes.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

3 Things Parents Can Do About Bullying and Bullying Stats from 2011 State of the Kid Report

October is National Bullying Prevention Month with today being Unity Day, a day to unite against bullying, I wanted to reinforce the message that whether in real life or in cyberspace, bullying causes hurt that is real.

Did you know that 61% of children have been bullied?  87% of children who admit to bullying have also been bullied bullied themselves?

These findings were shared at last month’s 2011 State of the Kid Report press conference held by Highlights Magazine. In the past the annual survey focused on asking kids ages 2-12 questions about themselves and their preferences, worries, and aspirations whereas this year the one of the focuses was on bullying.

State of the Kid also found a difference between the definition of bullying according to age group. 48% kids ages 2-8 defined bullying as “being mean,” whereas 34% of ages 9-12 agreed.  The older age group further defined bullying as a behavior that is unprovoked, repetitive, or intense.

According to the children surveyed, being bullied means:

• To be bossy
• To be mean to someone
• To bully means to beat up or hurt someone
• It’s when you be (are) mean to someone and you do it every day
• To repeatedly hurt or embarrass someone on purpose
• To physically or emotionally hurt someone
• To bully means that they just want to hurt you for no apparent reason
• You bully someone when you’re PURPOSELY doing it MORE THAN ONCE

Certainly kids have a good understanding of what bullying is but how do they deal with it?

28% tell a teacher, 15% report it to a parent, and 13% share with another adult but 14% said that they tried to handle the situation themselves by telling the bully to stop.  Kids also stick up for each other by stepping in to help.  Only 2.1% of respondents admitted to walking away or ignoring the situation.

“Boys were significantly more likely than girls to say that they bullied the person back, while girls were more likely to say that they told the bully to stop or ignored the bully. Younger kids were more likely than older kids to say that they bullied back or tried to be friendly, while older kids were much more likely to tell a parent or an adult or to ignore it.” ~2011 State of the Kid Report

So what can we do about bullying?

1.  Know what bullying is.  If you are ashamed to not be current on all the information, StopBullying.gov has information on what bullying is, recognizing the signs, and how to get help.  

2.  Create open lines of communication.  Many parents don’t talk about it and that makes kids not want to discuss it.  Let your children know it is something that you are concerned about and they need to tell an adult.  Your kids may not tell you directly but perhaps they will tell another family member. Or a sibling. 

Last year when Captain Computer was being called names at school, he didn’t come to me or my husband. He told his sister one night before we put them to bed.  Being worried, she told me. I was proud that she recognized the importance of the situation and was concerned about her brother’s hurt feelings to tell us so we could have a conversation with the teacher.

Parents of preschoolers will appreciate my post, Resources for Dealing with Preschool Bullies, written to help families after we learned Captain Computer had been bullied.

3. Acknowledge that emotional scars that come from bullying are as harmful as the physical ones.  While being punched or kicked leaves bruises and scars that can be seen on the outside, the internal hurt from bullying is also real.

Let's make a pledge to empower our kids to put a stop to bullying.

I was invited to attend the Highlights State of the Kids Press Event and received magazine subscriptions and a game for attending but all opinions are my own.

7 Photo Tips for eBay Listings

Now that you’ve purged your home of items to list on eBay and you’re ready to get started, how do you ensure that the items you’re listing will fetch top dollar?  Great photos.  In the case of eBay listings, a photo is indeed worth a thousand words.

While at eBay On Location as part of the eBay Parent Panel, I picked up some tips on how to make your items look the best to entice buyers.  

Here are 7 simple photo tips that will help you get more for your items even if you are just starting out.

• Photograph your item in front of a solid, neutral colored background. Grey, white, and black are the best.

• If using a backdrop, use black velvet. Velvet prevents a problem called backshine since it doesn’t reflect the flash. A backdrop also helps hide whatever clutter might be visible in the room and keeps the buyer’s attention on the item.

• Use the right lighting setup to depict the item’s actual color. Strong, overcast daylight provides the best light although the next best is fluorescent light. Softbox lights were also suggested. They can be purchased or made for about $20 each using this DIY softbox tutorial courtesy of Photo Tuts+.

• Adjust the white balance of your camera to ensure the color in your photos match the color of the item.

• Take multiple photos. At least one photo of each aspect of the item helps buyers understand what they’re bidding on from different perspectives.  Photos of the front, back, top, bottom, and interior are helpful.  Close ups can also be helpful in showing the condition of the item along with any identifying marks, such as labels for designer items.  

• Recommended photo size is 1000 pixels to ensure clarity for potential buyers.

• Consider video. If you can’t properly convey the item through photos, you can always shoot a video and upload it to YouTube and embed the link in your description to help your buyers better understand what they’re bidding on.

I hope the above tips are helpful and if you have eBay success stories, I’d love to hear them!

For additional tips on eBay, visit my previous posts:

• 5 Quick Tips for Getting Started on eBay
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with eBay to Declutter and Reclaim Money 

I am part of the eBay Parent Panel and am compensated for my participation in the program.  All opinions about my eBay experience are my own. Amazon affiliate links are included in this post.

Marble Jar App Rewards Positive Behaviors Instantly

I’m often wondering why some mornings and afternoons feel so hectic when we’ve been in school for almost two months and have our routines in place.  In the morning after breakfast it always seems like little glitches occur to throw us off schedule and make it hard to get out the door. In the afternoon, I find I’m still reinforcing where to put items like lunchboxes, water bottles, papers that come home, and homework that are extracted from the kids’ backpacks.  I admit that it’s not a complete disaster. There are many things that we do right but it could feel more streamlined.

In order to recognize the positives in our home and not dwell on the negatives I set up jars using the Marble Jar app for each child.  Marble Jar bridges education and fun by empowering families to meaningfully collaborate with their children.  It breaks everyday tasks into small, achievable steps for families to track progress, instill confidence, and recognize a child's accomplishment. 

Parents work with their children to determine goals and a small reward for filling the jar.  Each goal has a marble jar to which marbles are added every time the child practices a positive routine.  Marbles are deposited into the jar every time the positive behavior occurs until the jar is full and the celebration is unlocked.

I love that I can set up separate jars for the tasks that Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer are working on at home and on the go.  Since Marble Jar is portable, kids can get the instant gratification of adding a marble to the jar for positive behaviors that they are working on.  I also like the ability to customize jars for each child, This is helpful because kids of different ages are often working on different goals.

While our morning and afternoon routines are familiar to the kids, I’d really like to stop nagging and recognize them for the things that they do well as they leave and come home from school.

Little Miss Techie, our second grader who is almost 8 years old, is great about organizing herself and her things in the morning before she goes to school. She never forgets her lunch or her library books on the day that they’re due but she will often come home and sit down to do her homework where it sits upon completion. Since second grade is working on increasing personal responsibility, I’d like her to work on making sure her homework gets put away after it is finished.

Captain Computer, our 5 year old kindergartner, isn’t new to the expected routines since they’re the same as preschool but today is the first day of homework.  While his sister is working on her homework, I want to make sure that we are reading through his book club books that come home each day from reading group to ensure that his reading skills progress.  Captain Computer also reports that on some days he doesn’t have a snack. Since he likes to pick out his own snack for the morning, I’m going to add that task to his morning routine so he’s never without.

Will Marble Jar be helpful as we look to streamline parts of our day?  I think it will be because the easy to use app and concept is simple to understand yet it serves as a way for us work together towards these goals.


This post is part of a Marble Jar sponsored post series. 

Amulet- Sophisticated Graphic Novel Series Perfect for Older Readers (w. giveaway)

Little Miss Techie loves to read everything from the American Girl doll historical fiction books, fun series like Rainbow Magic Fairies, nonfiction texts, graphic novels like the potty-humor filled Super Diaper Baby graphic novels, and revisiting favorite picture books.  Exposing children to a variety of different kinds of literature not only serves as a way to motivate them but also keeps them reading.

We were recently introduced to the New York Times bestselling series, Amulet.  Written by Kazu Kibuishi, Amulet books are a graphic novel series intended for ages 9-12.  

The longer books with more sophisticated fantasy-themed content are perfect for more mature readers who love the graphic novel format.  Vivid illustrations and a fascinating, yet mysterious, storyline keeps elementary ages coming back to hear more about Emily’s journey.

Amulet Book 4: The Last Council was released last month to the delight of fans.  Here’a little bit about the most recent book in the series:

Emily and her friends think they’ll find the help they need in Cielis, but something isn’t right.  Streets that were once busy are deserted, and the townspeople who are left live in fear.  Emily is soon escorted to the Academy, where she’s expected to compete for a spot on the Guardian Coucil, a group of the most powerful Stonekeepers.  But as the number of competitors gets smaller and smaller, an awful secret is slowly uncovered – a secret that, if left buried, means the certain destruction of everything Emily fights for.

Amulet proves that while graphic novels may look like longer comic books, there’s a level of sophistication and imagination that captivates fluent readers and could be scary to younger ages who happen to come across the series thinking that the books are for them. 

GIVEAWAY: Win 1 of 5 copies of Amulet Book 4: The Last Council.  To enter, leave a comment about a favorite book that your child recently read with your email address or Twitter handle.

Winners will be selected next Saturday, October 15 and will be contacted via email or Twitter.  This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States.

I received the series of Amulet books to facilitate my review. No compensation was received for this post. Images courtesy of Scholastic.

Binggo: Mobile Deal Apps for Deals You Want to Use According to Where You Are

These days it isn't uncommon to use the geolocating service on our mobile phones to help navigate but do you ever use your phone to pull up deals in your immediate area?  

Today's guest post is by Christian Florensa, the CEO of binggo. Binggo is a company that helps people find relevant deals nearby and today he's here to share more about location based mobile apps.

If you are like me, you have a bunch of purchased coupons (from Groupon® and all of its copycats) lying around that you never remember to use.  Combine that with the fact that you do not look at the multiple deal emails that you receive on a daily basis.  And what’s worse when you look, you realize that you were just at a place that had a great deal going on and you didn’t even know it.  

Had you used a “location based mobile app” that focuses on deals, you would have avoided that last disappointment. These kind of mobile apps are helping to change the landscape of the daily deals marketplace.  Yet there are still some things to consider.

The essence of a good location based app is that it’s smart enough to use information about you (your location in this case) to help you filter the clutter and give you only relevant information.

At the same time, one of the issues about location based apps is that you may have to give up a bit of your privacy. When the app communicates with the server it may transfer information that makes your phone identifiable. Some people do not have a problem with that but others do, including myself.

Some applications actually demand that you login or link the app with your Facebook® profile before they give you any information or make it more difficult to get the info if you don't. I do not see why anybody would need to have my Facebook information to give me information about relevant things nearby.

It is important therefore that when the app is requesting information, it is doing so anonymously - no personally identifiable information about you or your smartphone should be transferred. Naturally, when you want to buy something you will have to provide personal information - as you do in any physical store - but when you are just "looking" you want to remain anonymous.

Another cool feature of some location based apps is that you can also plan ahead if you want. You can tell them where you plan to be and they will return information as if you were already there. This is great when you are planning a shopping afternoon, but it is even better if you are going on a trip and you want to squeeze in a lot of activities during a short timeframe while maximizing savings.

There are a lot of deals out there, even if you use geo-location you'll be amazed of how much stuff you can find that is nearby. And a smartphone has very limited screen space, so another important aspect about looking for deals when you are out and about is simplicity and speed. You want to get to the deals quickly, and you want to be able to filter them according to what you are looking for: is it clothing for you, something for the kids, or a good deal at a nearby restaurant or spa? And all of that needs to be quick and easy.

By morphing daily deals market into the location based app business you can find out what deals are close to you when you need them. The iPhone and Android app, binggo™ for instance helps you find the best deals around.  With binggo you can buy coupons right when you need them because binggo searches on all the major deal providers and shows you everything available, sorted according to how far they are and filters further by category. binggo is a location-based app.

All in all, location based apps such as binggo, bring you the ability to get relevant information around you, including the best deals, but still you want to be a smart user and watch out for their privacy management.

You can watch binggo’s demonstration video at: www.binggodeals.com and you can get the iOS version here and the Android version here.

Christian has spent 15 years in hi-tech product management, marketing and operations. He is passionate about his family, nature and technology but 

especially using technology to improve our daily lives. 

No compensation was received for this post.