Katy commented:

“I don’t have a smart phone yet and could care less what others think of my “retro phone”! But, I think this Captivate could actually be such a time saver. I feel like I’m always waiting…in line, for people to finish, to pick someone up, for appointments, you get the idea! I would LOVE to use Captivate to keep me calm and cool while waiting by making that “lost time” usable again! I could catch up on emails, tweet, blog, whatever I felt like! I’d also be able to stay connected to my loved ones who I miss terribly right now! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!!”

Congrats Katy! Thanks to everyone who entered! 

Check out the AT&T Power Moms community and learn more about how you can enter to win a BlackBerry Torch.

I’ve been excited to see a number of “all in one” smartphone devices come to market over the last few years that can help simplify the lives (and handbags) of busy moms. So when I had the opportunity to test-drive the new Samsung Captivate, I jumped at the chance to put it to the test.

The highlights:

-      The design is clean and thoughtful. There are almost no buttons on the device, and the USB “trap door” closes to keep it from clogging with the crumbs at the bottom of my bag

-      With the biggest touch-screen of any AT&T device on the market, it uses tap and swipe technology, which I preferred to an external keyboard (impossible to keep clean).

-      It’s like five different devices in one: Phone. Text messaging. Camera. Video. Internet Browser. Music. Email. Social Networking. Apps and games. The only thing it doesn’t do is the laundry.

-      The 5 megapixel camera was high quality and easy to use, complete with instant cropping/rotating features that made my images picture-perfect for mobile uploads. (I just wish it had a flash option.)

-      It comes loaded with a number of standard Android apps, and they’re easy to download and organize.

-      I had the phone on for 24 hours and never needed to charge it.

-      For everything it can do, it’s surprising light and slim.

-      When I unboxed it, it was covered with a powerful “It Can Wait” film…a poignant reminder from AT&T’s campaign against texting and driving. We all need the reminder, especially when we’re shuttling precious cargo (like our kids).

Overall, the Captivate really does it all (and does it all well). And it may just be the device that finally gets you out of a diaper bag…and into a fabulous clutch!

Are you “captivated” yet? Well I have good news! We have one Samsung Captivate to give away to one lucky reader

Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment here and tell us how the Samsung Captivate will help keep you calm, cool and connected. Your e-mail address and phone number must be accurate in your comment so we’re able to contact you. Make sure you double check. (Your contact information won’t be published.)

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. This sweepstakes runs from 12:01am ET Thursday, August 26 to Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 11:59 pm ET. It is open only to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older; one entry per person. Wireless service is not included with the phone. The winner will be notified via phone on or about Friday, September 17, 2010. For complete contest rules, including eligibility, click here.

About Lisa

Social/Digital communicator at Fleishman Hillard. Trend watcher. Gadget geek. Textbook Gemini. Olympic caffeinator. Shoe shopper. Crazy-busy married mom of two gorgeous boys and one miniature dachshund. Opinions my own.

I’ve been playing with the new HTC Aria and wanted to tell you guys about some of the cool things that this new Android phone can do.  

The first thing that caught my eye about the HTC Aria is the security it uses to protect your information on the phone.  The screen locks and you set up a pattern on the phone to unlock it instead of using a password with numbers –although you can do that too. 

This phone comes with custom scenes that let you create a different look and feel  for every activity.  It is like I have one phone for my work week and one phone for my weekends.   

One of my favorite past times while I’m at a doctor’s appointment or waiting in line is to catch up on my social networking sites.  With the HTC Aria, I can easily go to Facebook and Flickr in the browser or use the HTC FriendStream widget to see your friend’s latest posts at a glance.  The Aria also has HTC Peep so I can stay on top of Twitter. 

I really like the way the Aria lets me choose how to set up my email, calls and texts.  I can organize these in a logical way for me, which isn’t always the most logical for others.  So I get to keep my individuality and organize at the same time. 

As you all know I am a big fan of applications and how they can simplify your life.  With the HTC Aria I can go to an app store and get all the applications I need.     I can basically get an application for almost anything that a working Mom would need.  I can organize my notes, track my gas mileage and even find recipes for dinner all from my phone.  I can also listen to music anytime since the Aria is an MP3 player.  And of course the greatest benefit I see is that the phone has GPS and I can track my workouts as well as use it for treasure hunts. 

Lastly, the feature that really has me excited is the text to talk feature.  I can turn my voice into a text message I can talk and return a quick message.I am very impressed with it and I am actually making the switch from my old smart phone to this one.   Until next time, thanks for letting me share!

My dad, a  master electrician and historian has recently grown to love his Pantech Ease. He likes using the Ease to check and send email on the go. As well as responding to text messages from his six daughters. The Pantech Ease comes with so many great features like large fonts, large buttons, user friendly apps, and more that make the mobile phone as easy-to-use as possible.  The Pantech Ease has AT&T GPS Navigation and comes with a free 30-day trial. It also includes other handy applications such as a tip calculator, a pedometer, and video recording options.

Everyone in the family communicates differently and accommodating those needs has been trying for my parents. My son Chris is a texter, my daughter Natalia is a talker, my youngest sister Emily, well she’s a photographer. My oldest sister Angela utilizes Facebook, while I’m a Twitterer. Keeping up with all of us at times can be a trying task! So my parents were in need of a cell phone that can accommodate all of us with “Ease!”

*Free 30 Days available to new subscribers. Compatible phone required. Standard data and messaging charges apply during the first 30 days and ongoing use. You must cancel within 30 days or be automatically subscribed at a cost of $9.99 per month for unlimited routes. Click for more details on AT&T GPS Navigation.

Standard usage rates apply depending on your plan. See att.com/dataterms for terms and conditions.

Have I captured your interest? Well I have good news! We have one Samsung Strive to give away to one lucky reader

Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment here and tell us how the Samsung Strive will help keep you calm, cool and connected. Your e-mail address and phone number must be accurate in your comment so we’re able to contact you. Make sure you double check. (Your contact information won’t be published.)

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. This sweepstakes runs from 12:01am ET Tuesday, May 25 to Monday, June 14, 2010, 11:59 pm ET. It is open only to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older; one entry per person. Wireless service is not included with the phone. The winner will be notified via phone on or about Wednesday, June 16, 2010. For complete contest rules, including eligibility, click here.

For Christmas my daughter received a new phone, the Motorola Karma. In this video she shares some of the features she likes best.

Standard usage rates apply, depending on your plan. See att.com/dataterms  for terms & conditions.

Have I captured your interest? Well I have good news! We have one Samsung Mythic to give away to one lucky reader

Here’s how to enter:

1) Leave a comment here and tell us how the Samsung Mythic will help keep you calm, cool and connected.  Your e-mail address and phone number must be accurate in your comment so we’re able to contact you. Make sure you double check. (Don’t worry. These won’t be published.)

2) You can also enter by writing a post on your blog answering the same question. Just be sure to leave a comment here linking to your post so we know where to find it.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This sweepstakes runs from December 16 to Sunday, December 20, 2009. It is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older; one entry per person. Wireless service is not included with the phone. The winner will be notified via phone on or about Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009.

For complete contest rules, including eligibility, click here.

Standard usage rates apply to text messages and data usage, depending on your plan. See att.com/dataterms for terms and conditions.

Funny story: at one time I had a smartphone, but for reasons that I can’t remember, I ended up giving it to my step mom who needed a new phone.  I had to convince her to take it; she was against having to pay for a data plan.  So I told her,” just take it and see if you like it”.  I also reasoned with her that in the big scheme of things, the data plans were not much more expensive than the other rate plans available. 

I’m not sure what came over her, but once she started using it the rest was history, as they say. My dad claims that she doesn’t need a husband anymore now that she has her smartphone. He claims he’s joking, but deep down, I think he might be jealous of the smartphone!

So what is so great about this phone?  I found an article about a mom that uses her smartphone to help her with her grocery shopping and stay informed when she’s out and about with the kids. That explained it all to me and if you’re on the fence like I was this article just might change your mind. I know it changed mine. In fact, I am buying one at the end of the week.  I will follow up to let you know how the transition goes and if I can make my smartphone do all that the article says it will do.  My fingers are crossed.  Supermomdom will be mine, I can feel it!