Do You Know What You Are Eating?
Are you confused by the nutrition labels that appear on items when you go food shopping? Are you concerned about whether you are eating the right foods? Need to control sugar, artificial ingredients, additives, preservatives and carbohydrates? Well, you’re in luck – thanks to an app on my smartphone, Fooducate, I am able to scan the barcode on packages and review not only the ingredients of each item, but also learn about its nutritional value.
Fooducate works on all Apple and Android mobile devices. All you need to do is download the Fooducate app to your smartphone, scan the UPC barcode of a product in question, review and analyze the information found in each product’s nutrition panel and ingredient list, and see recommended alternatives. Fooducate has a rating system for each item based on its nutritional value.
If you want to learn more about mobile apps, do not hesitate to give me a call at 917 921-4518 or send an e-mail at jblue@bluetutor.com. Also, you can listen to my BlogTalkRadio program, “Which Mobile Apps Do You Need,” by clicking on the link below anytime.
What is Viber?
Viber is a free application for calling and texting other Viber users who have also downloaded and installed the app on their mobile phones. It works on iPhones, Androids and Blackberries. The voice quality is excellent as long as you have Internet access.
Why use Viber?
- No registration required
- Instantly integrates with your contact list
- Excellent for making phone calls and texting globally, country to country
- No need to be signed into an account – phone will ring automatically
- Free when calling from a Wi-Fi area.
- Available through a 3G/4G data network (calls use your data plan)
Excellent app for people who are traveling overseas who need to maintain contact with other Viber users in other countries.
If you have any questions about Viber or any other technology subjects, my phone number is 917 921 4518 or e-mail me at jblue@bluetutor.com. Please visit my website, www.bluetutor.com to register for my updates and special offers.
Tune in to my BlogTalkRadio Show to hear all about the relevant technology news of the day.
Are You Using a Secure Wireless Network?
What is a secure wireless network?
What You Need to Know
HOW DO YOU PLAN ON KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR COLLEGE BOUND CHILD?
DO YOU HAVE A BACKUP PLAN?
Last week, one of my computers died! Would not start up, hard drive wiped out, all documents, pictures, videos gone.
Fortunately, my backup strategy saved the day. Although having to replace the computer was a bummer, recovering all the data was a snap. Why? Because I had an external hard drive attached to the computer and had it set to backup the computer daily. Second, I had the data backed up “in the cloud.”
There are a number of web based services available for backing up your data (documents, pictures, etc.) in the cloud. Why is it important to backup your data offsite? Well, If there is a fire or robbery, just having an external hard drive onsite will not be enough if it is stolen, destroyed, of becomes corrupted.
In my case, all I did was connect the external hard drive to a new computer and restored the data.
In this week’s Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg wrote an interesting article about a few such online services for file sharing and backup.
If you don’t have a backup plan in place, I encourage you to do so ASAP.
If you need assistance in determining the best plan for you, give me a call at 917 921-4518 or e-mail me at jblue@bluetutor.com for a FREE telephone consultation.
Also, below is a link to my BlogTalkRadio site which contains archives of my weekly programs where I discuss the relevant technology issues of the day.
CHILD OFF TO COLLEGE THIS FALL? WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
As a parent, do you have the basic computer skills to maintain contact with your college student? Does your technology support your efforts, and do you have the most cost efficient systems in place?
The following are some points that you should be thinking about before the move-in date:
– Will you need to upgrade either your equipment or services?
– How do you determine your child’s equipment needs while in college?
– Does the cell phone provider that you use at home (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc.) have a strong network at your child’s school?
– What can you do to keep your communication costs down?
– What are the most cost efficient ways to stay in communication with your child in college?
– How do you keep in contact with your child who is studying abroad without incurring large telephone charges?
– Has your child’s school granted you online access to key school resources?
– Does your child know how to reach you 24/7?
The chances are that your child may be more up-to-date on the latest technology than you. It is important that you discuss a strategy to communicate in a cost efficient manner. If your child is studying thousands of miles away, or perhaps in any country, you do not want to incur telephone charges that approach the cost of tuition!
Most universities no longer provide phones in their dorms. The use of cell phones and other mobile technology tools has significantly enhanced our ability to maintain our relationships with our children in college. Are you prepared?
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DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE NEW SMARTPHONE AND iPad DATA PLANS??
Confused by the new smartphone and iPad data plans introduced by Verizon and AT&T? Do you understand the differences between the tiered data plans? Do you even know how much data you are using? How do you determine which new program is right for you?
All wireless providers are expected to convert to a similar data plan. Regardless of which mobile provider you are using, you might be able to considerably reduce your wireless bill if you select the right plan.
Here’s what you need to know:
– The new plan only applies to mobile devices such as smartphones, laptop computers, and tablets such as the iPad.
– The plan is not mandatory, current customers are not obligated to revise their existing plans.
– Based on how you use your mobile devices, you might actually save money by switching to the new plan. People who are heavy data users (e-mails, Internet browsing, streaming videos, etc.) should take a good look at the new plan.
Below is a summary of the Plans for both Verizon and AT&T:
– There is no tiered pricing for telephone calls. Under this new plan, the only choice will be unlimited minutes and free text messaging. This is a substantial savings for anyone on a plan for more minutes or an unlimited plan.
– The new data plan starts at 2GBs and goes as high as 10GBs based on your usage. If you have a family plan with several phones, the data plan is shared with each of the lines. It is possible to have up to 10 mobile devices share the same plan. According to the leading providers, most people use less than 2GBs per month per device unless they stream a lot of videos and music from the Internet. For example, if you stream 2 movies from sites such as Netflix using your Cellular network, you will use up to 90% of your allowance under the 2GB plan.
– If you change to the new plan, and are presently on an unlimited data plan, you will lose it.
– After reviewing your options, if you decide to stick with your current plan, you will have to pay full price when upgrading to a new smartphone. What that means is, instead of paying $199 to upgrade to the least expensive iPhone or Android, you will pay full retail which can be more than $600.
As I have indicated in the past, there is never a standard answer when it comes to one’s technology needs. I suggest you contact your provider (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc.) for an evaluation of your present plan and discuss whether or not a change will actually save you money.
If you need a further explanation of the new plan, need assistance analyzing your existing charges, or help deciding which plan is right for you, do not hesitate to contact me at 917 921-4518 or by e-mail at jblue@bluetutor.com.
Please feel free to click below to access my BlogTalkRadio Program which contains discussions on the relevant technology issues of the day and archives of past shows.
THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
– Do you have the right equipment to support your business and personal needs?
– Confused by all the new gadgets being introduced almost on a daily basis?
– Do you know what type of smartphone (iPhone, Android, blackberry) is right for you?
– Do you understand the new data plans that have been introduced by your wireless service provider (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc.)?
– Are you or someone you know going through career transition and need help determining their technology needs?
– Need to set up a home office?
These are just a few topics that I discuss on my weekly radio program. While the shows are aired every Thursday at 4:30 PM, you can click on the link below to access the archives of all past programs at anytime. The topics as well as the names of guest speakers are listed for each show.
If you have any questions about any of the topics discussed, please contact me at 917 921-4518 or by e-mail at jblue@bluetutor.com for a FREE telephone consultation. Feel free to visit my website, www.bluetutor.com for more information about my services.
To hear the latest program, click on the play button (>) below. To access my program site and the archives, click on my name (Jim Blue).