Category: technology

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how the iPad keeps us talking

slideshare
Our 'Slideshare ap' on the iPad

I am constantly amazed with the development of social media and the various related technologies that allows for sharing information easily and quickly. Well, in our family, we all have iPads and it has been one of the best investments each of us has made. There is one ‘ap’ (application) that allows my daughters to share presentations with others and even one lucky and ‘curious’ dad. This application is called ‘slide share.’ You tap the  SLIDESHARE  ap and a screen opens up allowing you to search for the person and their presentations, in this case I was looking for my daughter Karen.

look who is posting their presentations on slide share!
You meet the most interesting people on SLIDESHARE

From this point it works just like any other powerpoint presentation. It is wonderful to see what they are up to… professionally.

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take back the universe on september 14th 2010

Halo Reach
Halo REACH is the latest in a series of really fun games! CLICK on the picture above to be transported to their fun site and see it for yourself!

Karla was very interested in Halo Reach and so am I. The universe continues to do its thing thaks to the fact that I was able to obtain a copy. Karla loves games of all sorts and I remember the two of us standing for hours outside a Best Buy so she could get her first X-box.

Besides being a lot of fun to play with family and friends, video games are good for your brain! Now, go out and conquer the universe!

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surfs up on flipboard

flipboard for ipad
Flipboard for iPad is UNBELIEVABLE! CLICK on the picture above to read about it!

My daughter Karen  first turned me on to FLIPBOARD; but unfortunately for me, at the time, flipboard was swamped!  It was like a million people trying to rush through a very small door… and they put me on their waiting list! Today, I was sent a kind email saying that my turn came up… and I rushed to the iPad to log it all in!

With Flipboard you can read all of the social media sites you wish to keep up on! For me that is twitter and facebook! On facebook, I can keep up with friends and family… and then follow a small group of friends and other culinary folks on twitter!

reading facebook on flipboard
zooming in on a picture or a message is easy! Here I am reading a comment of Laura's

However, iPad jealousy is a sad thing! The critics of the iPad sound all too much like the folks who originally dissed the personal computer, the lap top and the smart phone. Some people just hate technology and the social connectivity that it offers all of us. Some understand that information is power and they really don’t want us to share and connect… let’s face it, some folks just don’t want you to have fun! In the meantime, flipboard for ipad is a wonderful addition to the social media experience!

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dad 1 raccoons zero

yard guard by bird-x
my new best friend is ‘yard guard’ by Bird-x — CLICK on picture

I have a beautiful grape trellis that rests about ten feet above our patio. Over, around, and through the trellis is an expansive Concord Grape plant that spans around thirty feet and is very productive now that it is mature; that is when the raccoons don’t sample it!

Over the years I have thought some very nasty thoughts about these varmits when I would chase them away at all hours of the night, but no more! Today, I have a  ‘raccoon annoyer’ ( my words) from Bird-x  that I was able to buy from the helpful folks at  Double D feed and supply  here in San Luis Obispo.

 In the past, I listened to far too many people who told me these things don’t work… these are the same sorts of people who would swerve off the road to avoid a squirrel… I should have known better! Last night I watched as the raccoons slinked by my place… it appeared as though something was ‘annoying them’… poor babies! heh heh 😉

So, it looks like we’ll have a good crop this year.

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got iPad?

got ipad?

While I was listening to Laura provide an interview to Swedish media on the positives and negatives of internet connectivity, I pondered whether or not all of this connectivity really had any negative side effects? I can’t help but see the positive aspects when one meets an old friend for coffee after reuniting first on facebook. Friendships maintained, discovered or rediscovered, no matter the form of communication are probably a good thing for both the individual and society as a whole.

My daughter posted a link to a new site for ‘foodies’ called ‘yummly’s.’ It’s an interesting site, but most if not all of the links to recipes are not from individuals but from large group recipe mills Personally, I love to search the internet and find how someone in Peoria bakes a cake or  how a home chef cooks Bobotie in South Africa. Maybe Yummly will get more useful , only time will tell.

Which all brings me to iPad. How did we get along without it?