1. Aug
    4

    Welcome Our New Blogger Joey

    Hello, Calm, Cool & Connected readers! My name is Joey and I’m a self professed tech-geek Dad of two who spends way too much time reading about gadgets and surfing the hyper web. I’m a 12 year veteran of AT&T and have a beautiful wife, Amy, and two awesome kids, Mary and Henry.

    Everyday is an adventure in our family! Trying to manage the hectic schedules of life and work is a challenge, and my wife and I rely heavily on technology to make sure we stay aware of the day’s activities. I’ve been known to carry more than one mobile device and to try new technologies purely out of curiosity, much to my families dismay at times. Texting, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, etc., it’s all a part of our lives.

    Posted by Digital Admin in Uncategorized
    Comments (0)

  2. Jul
    20

    Safety when using geolocation based apps

    With a family vacation coming up soon and my addiction to social media, social networking, and geolocation based apps in full swing, I thought it would be a good time to reiterate some of my helpful tips that I use to keep me and my family safe when sharing information and whereabouts online.

    It’s best not to broadcast details of an upcoming or in progress trip via Twitter, Facebook, or other social networking outlets unless you’re perfectly comfortable with the possibility of those statements becoming public knowledge. Don’t promote when you’ll be away or where you’ll be going.

    When using geolocation based apps such as Foursquare, Gowalla, and Yelp, I recommend not doing the following:

    Check-in at home – there’s no sense broadcasting where you live to those that don’t already know (and honestly need to know) where you live.

    Check-in at someone else’s home – if you shouldn’t check-in at your home, it’s a given that you shouldn’t check-in at someone else’s.

    Check-in at your children’s school – this is more the paranoid first-time father in me talking, but it makes sense not to broadcast where your children are if they’re not with you. It also makes sense not to broadcast where they might be when they’re not with you.

    When sharing your information online, treat that information just as you would something you’d yell across a crowded street to a friend passing by. If you’re not comfortable with the possibility that anyone could find out what you’re doing and where you are (or perhaps more importantly, where you’re not), don’t share it online.

    cory.bennett  cory.bennett

    Posted by Cory in Cory, Uncategorized
    Comments (0)

  3. Jun
    18

    Father’s Day Gift Idea: Pantech Ease

    Just in time for Father’s Day, the Pantech Ease will be available Sunday, June 20 for new and existing AT&T customers online and in AT&T stores nationwide. Now the entire family can stay connected, from the novice to the pro, with this quick messaging phone from AT&T. It offers menus and features designed for users seeking an “Ease”-y to use mobile device.

    While the device has features that appeal to those looking for simplicity, it is not just a basic phone. Features include a streamlined, targeted menu, easy-to-use buttons and specialized tools such as Readout mode and Voice Mode.

    When switched to Easy Mode, AT&T customers can enjoy the AT&T mobile browser which combines full HTML browsing with unique customization features.  To help keep you connected, the AT&T address book syncs contacts to an online address book making it easy to access and manage contacts.

    To learn more, visit www.wireless.att.com.

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Uncategorized
    Comments (0)

  4. May
    25

    Samsung Strive Review and Giveaway! CLOSED

    Hey!  I was recently given the opportunity to review the Samsung Strive, and wanted to share with you some of the features my daughter and I thought were the best.

    Get the Flash Player to see this content.

    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.

    michael.fields  michael.fields

    Posted by Michael in Contests, Michael, Reviews, Uncategorized
    Comments (73)

  5. Apr
    20

    Winner of White BlackBerry Bold Giveaway!

    Congrats to Diane V. for winning the white BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 signed by Rascal Flatts in our March giveaway!

    Diane commented: 

    “The BlackBerry Bold 9000 would keep me calm, cool & connected because I would be so HAPPY to win an AT&T phone. I do not have a smartphone and I feel I would be much smarter and my life would be easier and complete. Oh please pick me!! ”

    Congrats Diane!

    Thanks to everyone who entered! We’ll have more of these giveaways in the future so check back to see what other cool prizes we’ll be giving away.

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Contests, Uncategorized Tags:
    Comments (0)

  6. Apr
    19

    Timing My Contractions with an Application

    Before deciding on a guest post this week, I read through the comments on my last Calm, Cool, Connect blog post and found the perfect suggestion for connecting technology with my last month of pregnancy – thank you!  I had not thought to download an application for timing contractions. 

    Naturally once I searched “pregnancy” on my phone, a plethora of options came forward.  I opted for Contraction Master , which seemed worth the $0.99 investment.  Childbirth class taught us to wait for 5-1-1, contractions lasting for 1 minute, 5 minutes apart for at least 1 hour.  And now I have the perfect tool to track the timing and frequency of my contractions.  My husband walked by as I was downloading the app, and commented that he needed it on his as well.   This app will definitely eliminate the guesswork and provide a history of the contractions that can be emailed or at least shown to my nurse and doctor when I finally do arrive at labor and delivery.

    I also downloaded the What to Expect app.  Even though I only have a few weeks left, it’s calming to read that if I went into labor now, the baby is considered full term.  And fun to know that moms expecting boys experience more of an increased appetite in the third trimester.  Does that excuse the incredible sweet tooth I’ve developed as of late?

    Nicole Anderson

    Nicole AndersonHello, everyone! I’m Nicole, an AT&T employee and soon-to-be-mom of a baby boy. My husband, Justin, and I are expecting our first child at the end of April. It’s been a year of big changes for us, as I relocated with the company last April from the San Francisco Bay Area to Dallas. Thankfully, my husband was able to maintain his career, working remotely from Dallas. I’m jealous he gets to go back to California every month or so, especially during the summer to beat the heat! Just as we started getting settled in Dallas – learning the neighborhood, what road led where, and I was getting up to speed on my new job – we found out we were pregnant! It has been an exciting, if overwhelming, journey for us. Critical during our relocation was the use of our smartphones. If we got lost, or if we needed to find a restaurant, e-mail our realtor or send a quick text, our smartphones didn’t let us down. Now with the text4baby program, I can get quick and informative baby advice sent directly to my phone. With all the hecticness in our work and lives, these texts create a quick moment to reflect on the big change coming in our lives and learn something about the new life we are forming. I look forward to sharing this experience with you through my blog posts, and learning more about how to use technology as a new mom. Is there an app that helps your baby sleep through the night?!

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Applications, Guest Blogger, SmartPhone, Uncategorized Tags: , ,
    Comments (0)

  7. Mar
    30

    Texting While Driving – The Wrong Decision for Anyone

    As the parent of a child that drives and another that will be driving soon, texting while driving is a subject that keeps me awake at night.  I have talked to my kids about the risks and remind them constantly never to text while driving.  However, I am concerned if their friend’s parents are sending the same message to their children who drive.   Remember, our children may be riding in a car as a passenger with a friend who is texting while driving.

    The question that comes to my mind is how we show our kids, as well as anyone, how dangerous texting while driving really is.  I realize you cannot keep focused on driving an automobile while trying to send or read a text message.  As parents hopefully we all understand this.  But how do we get our children and their friends to understand how distracting this really is?

    Instead of lecturing them, let’s just show them how you cannot text and stay focused on something else. Here is an experiment I tried with my children.  While at home I had them turn on and play their favorite video game.  Once they were playing the game for a few minutes, I handed them their mobile phones and asked them to text me something.  Of course, they told me they couldn’t  right then  since they couldn’t concentrate on the game. Once I received their message, I  immediately sent a text message back to them.  I kept up with the text messaging, which turned out to be too much for the kids to handle, focusing on both the game and the texting. As a result, they quickly ended their video game.  They were annoyed that I  made them end their game.  However, the point I was able to make with them was a strong one, if they were texting while driving a car they may have ended someone’s life and not just a video game. 

    The point to make with your children or anyone is that no one can focus on driving an automobile while texting – it can wait!  Please help keep our children safe and show them texting while driving is not safe for anyone.

    You may have seen our post earlier about AT&T recent educational initiative to help end texting while driving . This is just the beginning and AT&T see this as an on-going initiative to start an open-dialogue about the dangers associated with texting while driving, especially with teens and young adults. As part of the program, AT&T created a Facebook application that let’s fans sign a pledge to support this issue. Visit the Texting & Driving tab within the AT&T Facebook page and take the pledge now and most importantly, share it with your friends and family. If you or your kids aren’t on Facebook, no problem there, AT&T also created a resource center filled with tips, info, and where both you and your kids can test your Texting & Driving IQ together. You can also print out copies of the pledge and sign them with your kids.

    michael.fields  michael.fields

    Posted by Michael in Uncategorized
    Comments (8)

  8. Mar
    26

    White BlackBerry Bold Giveaway! (Closed)

    You may have seen your favorite celebs carrying the white BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 smartphone, while at awards shows, grabbing coffee or at the hottest clubs.

    The smartphone offers a full-QWERTY keyboard, as well as voice-guided GPS with turn-by-turn driving directions, local business search and more (additional charges apply). Plus, never miss an opportunity to capture the moment with the two megapixel camera, which features a built-in flash and 5x zoom.

    Here is your chance to feel like a celebrity in your own right  – we are giving away the white BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 smartphone signed by top country artist Rascal Flatts!

    Here’s how to enter:

    1) Leave a comment here and tell us how the white BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 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.)

    2) You also can 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 to enter or win. Void where prohibited. This sweepstakes runs from 12:01am ET Friday, March 26 to Monday, April 5, 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, April 7, 2010. For complete contest rules, including eligibility, click here.

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Contests, SmartPhone, Uncategorized Tags: ,
    Comments (347)

  9. Mar
    23

    U-verse Kids Programming

    Hey! I wanted to share with you a video showing how our family, including out of town company, enjoys AT&T U-verse On Demand kids programing.

      Get the Flash Player to see this content.

    Free on Demand programming varies by package subscription.

    becky.woodworth  becky.woodworth

    Posted by Becky in Becky, Uncategorized Tags: ,
    Comments (37)

  10. Mar
    19

    Staying Connected in the Delivery Room

    It’s hard to believe that my guest blogging is one month old and that I’m heading into the final 5 weeks of my pregnancy!  In preparation, I’ve been checking out what to bring to the hospital and packing my bag.  All the books refer to bringing coins for the payphone, extra film for your camera, address lists and phone numbers, and my personal favorite, a cassette player to listen to music!  Clearly, the pregnancy books are filled with good health advice but obviously a little outdated when it comes to technology. 

    When we toured our hospital’s labor and delivery wing, they pointed out the docking station where we could hook up our smartphone or mp3 player to play our songlist during labor.  The hospital is wirelessly enabled so you can send emails of your great news right away, and of course my smartphone already has all the phone numbers and contact info that I need to share the event.  I can even text photos, and post up to the minute updates on Facebook. However, I may decide that just for a few moments, I’ll enjoy the birth of my son with my husband, and hold technology at bay until the amazement has soaked in a little and I can imprint the memories of the phenomenal experience in my own mind’s eye. 

    In the meantime, I better figure out what kind of soundtrack to select to usher in the birth of my son – feel free to send any playlist recommendations my way!

    Nicole Anderson

    Nicole AndersonHello, everyone! I’m Nicole, an AT&T employee and soon-to-be-mom of a baby boy. My husband, Justin, and I are expecting our first child at the end of April. It’s been a year of big changes for us, as I relocated with the company last April from the San Francisco Bay Area to Dallas. Thankfully, my husband was able to maintain his career, working remotely from Dallas. I’m jealous he gets to go back to California every month or so, especially during the summer to beat the heat! Just as we started getting settled in Dallas – learning the neighborhood, what road led where, and I was getting up to speed on my new job – we found out we were pregnant! It has been an exciting, if overwhelming, journey for us. Critical during our relocation was the use of our smartphones. If we got lost, or if we needed to find a restaurant, e-mail our realtor or send a quick text, our smartphones didn’t let us down. Now with the text4baby program, I can get quick and informative baby advice sent directly to my phone. With all the hecticness in our work and lives, these texts create a quick moment to reflect on the big change coming in our lives and learn something about the new life we are forming. I look forward to sharing this experience with you through my blog posts, and learning more about how to use technology as a new mom. Is there an app that helps your baby sleep through the night?!

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Guest Blogger, Uncategorized Tags:
    Comments (9)