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Tag Archives: technology

On Audiobooks

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Rob Flood Posted in Books .

On AudiobooksI have been doing a lot of reading lately. I finished 3 books just this weekend. While I love reading books both on my Kindle, and physical books that I can hold in my hand, I have been listening to audiobooks a lot lately. Why do you ask? Is it even reading? My short answer to that second question is a resounding..YES!

The reason I have turned to audiobooks as of late is because I am getting frustrated with the lack of good music and all the talk with the morning shows of my radio stations. It is just mind numbing. I have been wanting to do a lot more reading so I decided to take advantage of an Audible trial recently (thank you Toast Pop) and decided to continue by subscription. I am glad I did. The books I have downloaded and listened to so far have been wonderful. I am currently listening to Prince Lestat by Anne Rice which is great so far.

When it comes to audiobooks, it is important to have a great narrator. If the narrator is bad, or even just not great it can drag the whole experience down for me. Thankfully, I have not run into that yet. Most of the time, narrators are chosen because the author or publishing company believes they will be a good fit. Sometimes they are correct, other times they are not. It really can be hit and miss.

Another reason I enjoy audiobooks is because it reminds me of being read to as a child. Something I loved growing up was having one of my parents read to me at night before going to bed. It was a cherished time in my life and listening to books brings that feeling back in spades. When I settle in to listen to an audio-book I frequently close my eyes and allow those happy memories to flood my mind.

I mentioned earlier in this post that some people do not qualify listening to books as reading them. I have to disagree. I think that whether you are physically reading or listening to that same book, you get an enjoyment out of it. I would even argue that listening to books can evoke more emotions than simply turning a page. I experienced that recently with a few books I had not liked reading in physical form. The amazing thing was that when I listened to them, I loved them! Listening is no different than putting your eyes on a page when it comes to qualifying it as reading a book. I know this is going to cause some contention, but this is simply my opinion and I welcome the comments for discussion:)

On a closing note, I just want to say that audio-books have their place in the pantheon of reading. They should be thought of as books in their own right, added to your Goodreads accounts, and enjoyed for the awesomeness that they are. Next time you have an issue reading the physical copy of a book, try picking up the audio version if it is available, you just might like it better!

 

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Tags: audiobooks, books, fun, library, literature, novel, shop, technology, YA, young adult .

How to Blog a Book by Nina Amir Book Review

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Rob Flood Posted in Books .

How to Blog a Book by Nina AmirThis will not be a normal fiction review. I wanted to shake it up a bit, and share a review of a non fiction piece that I just finished.

I bought this book as research on a new project. As even a self published writer, I love getting material from Writer’s Digest to help me in my craft, and this book is another that did not disappoint. It was full of helpful and user friendly tips and tricks to turn a blog into a book. It gave great insight for not only creating and managing your blog when you start the process, but also how to think of blogging a book as a business (because when you turn it into a book, you want it to sell, right?) I found the book easy to read, and even though I don’t usually do it, I ended up highlighting some of the material to go back to later on because I will have to go back and re-read certain sections, and even some entire chapters when I finally start the project.

There is really nothing that I did not like about this book. It was a great intro for me, and with all the information given, I truly believe with the right content and posting schedule, I can create a blog to book that people will want to read. I feel this way because this book started out as a blog and was submitted to many publishing companies until Writer’s Digest picked it up. This fact alone has given me the gumption to start this new endeavor, and hopefully follow in the footsteps of some of the success stories mentioned at the end of the book. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a great way to get started in writing and has something to say! 5/5 Stars!

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Tags: amir, author, blogging, book, book review, business, how to blog, how-to, info, lesson, life, nina, non-fiction, review, reviews, technology, tutorial, writing .

How to Write a Book Review

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Carl McKever Posted in Books .

How to Write a Book ReviewBeing a book reviewer for the last two weeks and having many of my books reviewed by others, I tend to see a lot of commonality in reviews. Mistakes, gestures, and things that are just inappropriate for a book review. It is one thing to tell someone that their book is great and others should read it. It’s practically a cliché at this point. Reviewers have to make prospective readers thirsty and energized in interest to the point where they want to purchase the book. Book reviews have the same flavor and sensitivity as a sales pitch.

How do I write a book review? Where do I start? How long should it be? Common questions with various answers! I only speak, in this blog post, from personal experiences as a book reviewer. When you begin writing a book review, start off thanking the author for their publication. You can include if you won the book through a giveaway, but know that this is a necessary evil. After being complimentary, start addressing the overall design of the book. What feeling did you get when you looked at the front cover? Does the title give off the main idea? Are the designs on the front and back covers an act of symbolism? Does the small wording on the back cover heighten your interest to open the book? These are the things prospective readers want to know.

The next portion of your book review should address the grammar and punctuation. Yes, something not often placed in reviews. It’s imperative that you get someone else to check your grammar and punctuation. Go through an editor or agent, if you have to. You’ve read the book. So, did you have to stop and almost stutter because the fragments were not revised properly in the sentences? Did the author wean off topic for a long time without reeling you back into his/her main purpose? Prospective readers and book reviewers look for the author’s purpose, focus, and moral in every story. At this point, you can begin considering the format and layout of the book. Was the table of contents outlined correctly? Were page numbers included? Was the book entirely too long with unnecessary information in chapters? Was the font and alignment of each page hard to conceptualize? Think about this when writing your book review.

How to Write a Book ReviewThese pieces to a book review are great, but the most crucial and last component of the book review should be recommendations. Make the sales pitch! State the type of audience who should be reading the book and address any internal/external feelings they may run into. Is the book full of adventure and suspense? Is it religious? Are profane words and derogatory remarks made in the book? Why is this so important? The prospective reader wants to know if they’re the right audience! For instance, I’m a poet and when I read reviews for poetry books, I want to know if the books are centered on the same themes I write about and read about. If I was a counselor and the book is full of adventure, but doesn’t hold a dramatic event requiring counseling for someone, this may not be the book for me. Make your recommendations and state why such audiences are the right candidates.

In closing, have fun with your book reviews! Don’t make it into an assignment or required duty. Don’t treat it as some book report or an exhausting activity one does when they finish a book. Write your review while you’re in a happy mode and when you think and concentrate about the interesting pieces of the book. Even if the book is terrible, don’t come right out and say, “this is the worse book to buy.” Mention the author’s weaknesses and give suggestions on how they could become strengths. Don’t tear down your author publicly, but address horrible matters through private communications.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing some of your book reviews out there!

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Tags: authors, book, books, college, easy, guide, high school, how, how-to, howto, lesson, literature, online, review, reviews, school, simple, technology, to, tutorial, university, wirte, writing .

Nyon Estylo

Posted on February 13, 2014 by James Agee Posted in Tech .

Nyon EstyloWhen we think of technology, we think of wires buzzing and high speed information traveling through cables and connections that we can’t even see. It’s all fascinating, but what if we merged technology with basics that we are already familiar with and materials that we can fully trust and rely on? NYON is a company that is doing just that by creating wooden styluses that not only work, but that look good too!

The Estylo, a.k.a. The Pencil of Now, is a wooden dual tip magnetic stylus that was designed to work with the iPhone, iPad, Android, and any other touch screen device. The tip works in a variety of angles and it has been designed so that it will never scratch your screen. Aside from the super sleek design and functionality that the stylus offers, it comes in brilliant and vibrant color choices.

Most all styluses work and look the same. Chances are, you’ve come across or maybe even own a circular stylus that is heavy and made of metal or a cheap plastic material. Why settle for the same thing that everyone else has when you can own something special and unique. Stand out and get a product worth having. It’s stylish, sleek, and does its job.

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Tags: eco, electronic, estylo, friendly, ipad, iphone, ipod, magnetic, mini, nyon, Nyon Estylo, planet, stylus, tablet, tech, technology, touch, Wood, wooden, world .

Outdoor Tech Privates Wireless Headphones

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Toast Pop Posted in Tech .

Outdoor Tech Privates Wireless Touch Control HeadphonesDo you ever look at the selection of headphones and earbuds and think to yourself, “What year is this? I still have to control my music experience from my phone or device?” We wonder that ourselves sometimes. It seems like the majority of headphones on the market are dull bland colors and lack some of the most basic of features. We’re not asking for the world here, just a pair of headphones that makes listening to our music enjoyable!

Outdoor Tech has a revolutionary new line of headphones called the Privates that not only enhances the quality of your music, but gives you some really intuitive ways to control your music! These headphones have so many unique features and you will probably be left wondering why you don’t already own a pair after reading about them. Does it sound too good to be true? Trust us, it’s not.

The first thing that we noticed about the headphones was how crisp and clear the audio was, and if you like bass then you will be able to appreciate the crystal clear mids and solid bass that these headphones offer. Obviously, the sound is very important, but so are the additional features and ergonomics.

These headphones are comfy on your head and they even fold up so that you can take them with you anywhere! We’ve saved the coolest part for last, the touch controls. Controlling your music is as easy as swiping your fingers up and down on the side of the headphones to adjust the volume and swiping left or right to change tracks. It’s a much appreciated addition that makes us wonder why other companies don’t seem to care about adding it to their products. We believe that the difference in other companies and Outdoor Tech is that other companies are more concerned with making a billion different headphones that do the same thing and only sound average in order to maximize their profits. Outdoor Tech actually cares about the products that they make.

Check out their witty video featuring the Privates by clicking here! Stop wasting your precious money on headphones that don’t satisfy your need for great audio quality and brilliant controls. These headphones offer everything from wireless connectivity via bluetooth, a built-in mic, to all new features like the touch controls. We highly recommend that you get a pair.

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Tags: audio, bluetooth, earbud, earbuds, headphone, headphones, ios, iphone, ipod, mp3, outdoor, outdoor tech, privates, review, tech, technology, wireless .

Just A Rather Very Intelligent System for Your Phone

Posted on September 28, 2013 by kejohns323 Posted in Pop Culture, Tech .

Just A Rather Very Intelligent System for Your Phone

I’m not sure if Iron Man is my favorite Avenger, or if Robert Downey Jr. is, but one thing I know for sure is that JARVIS is my new favorite app! Tony Stark’s artificial (super) intelligence personal assistant can be yours for free on any Apple iOS device. It’s a voice command app (similar to Siri), and the program will respond with dialogue voiced by Paul Betteny, the voice of JARVIS in the Marvel movies. To the best of his ability, JARVIS will do a host of tasks for you. With a touch or a command, JARVIS reads out the current date and time, describe the weather conditions for the day and forecast for the following days, acknowledge reminders and alarms you set on the program, and even notify you of incoming calls or messages. JARVIS can connect you to Facebook or Twitter, and even control your Blu-Ray copy of Iron Man 3. JARVIS also holds a gallery of the forty-two different marks of Iron Man suits—which you might consider using when the weather is nice, as JARVIS might  suggest—and other cool things to be unlocked with a purchase of the movie! This app is the first to provide a second screen experience through voice command. The reviews on the on the app are very positive and praiseworthy, so any Iron Man/Marvel fan will be satisfied with it. JARVIS is just one of the tricks and toys that make Tony Stark the awesome and invincible Iron Man. (And unless something happens to your phone, it won’t be taken away from you) You can feel the same with your own app today!



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Tags: alarm, app, clock, free, IM3, info, ios, iphone, Iron Man, Iron Man 3, JARVIS, Marvel, modern, new, reminder, review, Robert Downey Jr., technology, Tony Stark, weather .

Astronomy is Awesome!

Posted on September 12, 2013 by kejohns323 Posted in School .

Astronomy is Awesome!I can’t decide whether stars are overrated, underrated, or cliché. The celestial activities in the wild blue yonder had some very important bearings on life and culture in world history. In early centuries—before GPS, MapQuest, and even commonplace physical maps—sailors, merchants, explorers—anybody who took to the open seas—navigated their way with what was in the sky. Before eclipses were recognized, ancient cultures feared that a great monster or other being was swallowing up the sun. If you know the religious accounts to the history of Christmas, you probably know that the Protestant Bible speaks of wise men following a bright star which led them to Bethlehem where Jesus Christ was born. (The story is detailed in Matthew, chapter 2) Also, Greek and Roman culture named star clusters and planets after their gods and goddesses.  Philosophers like Aristotle and Plato proposed theories about the universe that were studied, challenged, approved, and adapted by the scientists of the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution. Men like Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler, helped shape the field of Astronomy (and even some other sciences) to what is had and known today.

Does it all mean as much to us today? Just seeing a few stars in the night sky can be difficult when we live in and around big, bright-lit cities (or just any bright-lit area for that matter).  They’re white dots on a black backdrop for things that occurred long ago in a galaxy far away, and sometimes the subject of pop songs; we all know “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “Airplane” by Rihanna and B.o.B. The definition of “star” these days isn’t limited to celestial bodies anymore. Stars are all over Hollywood, and signal fortune or trouble (if you follow astrology). We see stars (the idiomatic reference is not intentional) and the skies so much differently in this day and age, even though we can see more than ever before. You don’t have to be an astronaut or work with NASA to see all the amazing wonders beyond our planet. There are many ways the info gathered by the experts is readily accessed by the general public. If you’re a college student, enroll in an Astronomy class if your school offers one. Participate in an Astronomical group if there’s one in your community. Or, even simpler, find some resources through the internet. Seeing and understanding the universe for what it really is great for personal enrichment. Here’s what can come of it:

  • You’ll gain a sense of direction-Technology will never fail us, and we may never find ourselves in uncharted wilderness. But in the off-chance our modern devices are unreliable in the middle of nowhere, knowing some things about the orientation of the stars and the sun might help you get from that kind of situation to assistance and safety.Astronomy is Awesome!
  • You’ll better understand the universe-The galaxy, the universe, and the solar system are all different terms and concepts. Earth’s distance from the sun has nothing to do with the four seasons. Milky Way is more than a candy bar, and outer space is not just some white light in black nothing-ness. These are but a few things that the average person misunderstands or is ignorant to in the subject of astronomical matters. Astronomy teaches the truth about these things, and you’ll be amazed by what is really out there beyond our planet!
  • You can see other worlds…quite literally!-A study in Astronomy wouldn’t be complete without a look at the planets. Satellites and spacecraft have made it possible to have a look at them, and the images developed can be accessed quite easily. If you don’t have an astronomy textbook to look at, Google Images and even Google Earth can help you get closer to our solar system.
  • You’ll discover Astrophotography-This happened to me in my own engagement in an Astronomy course. Simply put, it’s Astronomy in art form. Astrophotographers are connected with the scientific community; so much of what is seen and known about the subject is made possible by them. Search astrophotography on Google images, or even on other platforms like Pinterest or Tumblr, and you’ll find some pretty incredible sights captured by them!

For centuries, civilizations have thrived on and marveled at the phenomena of the universe; and centuries of study and technological advances have brought about greater understanding of the skies we see. The world is our oyster, as it’s been said, but the universe which holds our world is a deep sea full of many other wondrous things to know and explore. If you’re interested in learning about Astronomical subjects, here are some other resources to help you get started:

websites

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD): Every day, NASA posts interesting new pictures of sky and celestial phenomena. This collection has been running for eighteen years. There’s an (APOD) app available for most personal devices. While most images have come from NASA and astrophotographers, you could make a submission if you wanted. (info on that here.)

Hubblesite.org-This site has all things related to the ventures of the Hubble Telescope. You can find authentic pictures from the spacecraft, information on its discoveries, resources for more research and study, and even news on Hubble’s future replacement spacecraft, the Webb Telescope.

magazines

Astronomy.com-Check out the world’s best-selling Astronomy magazine. Subscribe to a newsletter, get a digital, or physical copy.

Skyandtelescope.com-an affiliate of the PBS program SkyWeek.

programs

Google Earth-Google Earth has features that can let you look at the constellations, the moon, and Mars. Like on the Earth setting, there’s a lot to interact with.

StarofBethlehem.net-If you’re interested in the Biblical account of the star I mentioned earlier, this DVD and project explains the significance and Biblical references relating to the stars.

 

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Tags: Airplane, Aristotle, astrology, Astronomy, Astrophotography, Bethlehem, Bible, celebrities, christmas, Copernicus, culture, eclipses, galaxy, Galileo, Google, Google Earth, greek, hollywood, Hubble, jesus, Kepler, magazines, Milky Way, NASA, outer space, planets, Plato, programs, Renaissance, resources, Rihanna, Roman, Satellites, science, scientific, Scientific Revolution, season, seasons, sky, Sky and Telescope, solar system, songs, spacecraft, stars, sun, technology, telescopes, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Universe, Webb Telescope, When You Wish Upon a Star .

How Technology Fixed My Terrible Memory

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Toast Pop Posted in Uncategorized .

How Technology Fixed My Terrible MemoryWhenever I was growing up, I was notorious for losing things. I mean seriously, my parents would get so angry at me and I would go through multiple lectures a day about how I needed to grow up and be more responsible. Which is totally fine, all those loud yelling matches really helped… NOT. I still lose things all the time! Which I’m not proud of in anyway! I have gotten extremely good at it though. Good at NOT losing things that is. This one time I left my car on… while I was at work. That’s a whole 8 hour shift… My car was on and running.. and the keys were in it. I got in the car and started laughing. It wasn’t funny at all but there was literally nothing I could have done. I knew at that point I needed to really watch it… It wasn’t up until I started searching on the internet how I could keep up with my self when I started getting better. That whole car thing was a real huge mess up and a wake up call. So I found a couple ways technology helped me out. Hopefully they can help you too!

Tile 

Tile is probably one of the coolest things to ever be invented. I honestly do not know how this has not been tried before. It’s essentially an app/hardware/service that helps you find things you have Tile installed on. And don’t worry its nothing that you have to actually install physically with nails and stuff. From what I can tell its just a small little sticky device. I love it. So basically you attach it to your phone and if you leave it somewhere, you can hop on a friends phone and tell it to start beeping, when you find it you just turn it off! Its perfect!
Alarm.com

Remember how I forgot to turn my car off? Well sometimes I forget to even turn my house on. You must be thinking, “How does he turn his house on? What does that even mean?” Well folks, welcome to the 21’st century. I have one of those “Smart Homes” and my smart homes I mean… “I don’t have to do anything homes”. This is amazing. If I leave my house with out locking anything (which I do all the time) the app reminds me and I can even turn off my lights, lock my doors, and arm/watch my house from miles away all through my phone. That’s amazing! All of you really need to look into home security systems. Getting a home security system set up in my home was really helpful.

About The Author: Ronak Kallianpur is a writer for Smith Monitoring. Ronak is also an avid blogger and musician. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and check out his music on Soundcloud.

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Tags: fix, help, lesson, memory, story, technology .

Tamagochi L.I.F.E

Posted on March 29, 2013 by kejohns323 Posted in Tech .

Who reading this post remembers the Tamagochi? It was one of the earliest forms of virtual pet-keeping in the nineties, characterized by an incessantly beeping little creature that lived in a little pedometer-like gadget. As awesome as they were when tamagochiwe were kids, you probably never got it to shut up or it died within a few days. Whether you loved it or left it, the Tamagochi has made its return as a free smartphone app! It’s the same cyber-creature we had years ago, but with much more! Tamagochi can be enjoyed in bright new colors and graphics on the app, and it’s easier than ever care for now with a tap on the screen! You can turn off the beeping too!

The old fad has also sparked Tamagochi L.I.F.E, an online community and an eventual line of fun lifestyle products. Tamagochi L.I.F.E says that love is fun everywhere! Their trends and blogs show a few ways of how you can add lovable pizazz to your life. Fall in love with the Tamagochi all over again! Download your own app for free and check out Tamagochi L.I.F.E for the latest in lifestyle fads and products.

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Tags: app, blogs, fad, fun, life, lifestyle, Love, modern, new, nineties, online, products, Tamagochi, Tamagochi L.I.F.E, technology, toy, trends, young adult .

Tutoring is SmarThinking

Posted on March 21, 2013 by kejohns323 Posted in School .

Smart Thinking Smart Thinking

Tutoring is a smart idea if you’re struggling at a particular subject in school. The personal interaction and guidance of a teacher or more competent student can make study and homework sessions very productive. A tutoring service that’s available anytime and anyplace is SmarThinking. It’s used by many colleges and universities, particularly to provide academic assistance when and where they can’t.  This “virtual teaching assistant” is easy to use and caters to every subject. SmarThinking gives many options for interaction: you can immediately contact a tutor with drop-in tutoring, or schedule to meet one at a later date, or submit a question offline. (They try to answer within 24 hours) You can even get writing help for any subject or a resume and cover letter. The service is prompt and personable, and the program even saves your activity so you can refer to it again later. Having difficulty in a class? Smart students take advantage of tutoring, and its SmarThinking to use a good service online.

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Tags: assistance, assistant, college, drop-in, online, schedule, school, service, smarthinking, study, subject, teaching, technology, tutor, tutoring, university, virtual .
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