1. August
    27

    Samsung Captivate Giveaway – Guest Blogger

    Admit it: Since you had kids, your purse has only gotten bigger and heavier. And not just because of all the bottles, blankies and transformers you’re lugging around. The REAL headache (or should I say backache) is all the DEVICES a mom needs to carry just to get through her day: Phone. MP3 Player. Camera. Video Camera. eReader. The kids’ video games.

    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.

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Contests, Guest Blogger, Reviews Tags: ,
    Comments (22)

  2. August
    19

    HTC Aria by Effie

    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!

    effie.forehand  effie.forehand

    Posted by Effie in Effie, Reviews, SmartPhone Tags: ,
    Comments (1)

  3. July
    28

    Pantech Ease

    Life has been insane with the daily ins and outs of my life. With my recent divorce, keeping in touch with my parents has become more important to me now that I’m a single mom. My parents have stepped back into my life to help out with the tweens and play a more active role in all of our lives, but staying connected has been an issue at times.  

    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.

    Get the Flash Player to see this content.

    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.

    stephanie.turner  stephanie.turner

    Posted by Stephanie in Reviews, Stephanie Tags: ,
    Comments (1)

  4. June
    10

    Motorola BackFlip

    I was recently given the chance to review the Motorola BackFlip. Check out the following video where I talk about the features I like best:

    Get the Flash Player to see this content.

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

    cory.bennett  cory.bennett

    Posted by Cory in Cory, Reviews Tags: ,
    Comments (3)

  5. April
    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)

  6. March
    26

    Twitter Party Tonight!

    Please join us tonight from 9:00 to 10 p.m. EDT for the rescheduled Twitter Party with Resourceful Mommy. We’ll be chatting about everything from how to use our smartphones to keep our busy lives organized to how technology can help new parents!

    As part of tonight’s Twitter Party some amazing prizes will be given away including the new Motorola BackFlip™. Check it out here, and let us know what you think!

    What feature would help keep you calm, cool, and connected if you had a BackFlip? Is it the never-before-seen QWERTY flip design? Or the PC-like web browsing? Or that you can sync with Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter from the home screen?

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Contests, SmartPhone Tags: , ,
    Comments (64)


  7. 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 (346)

  8. March
    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)

  9. March
    11

    Mom Learns to Send Text Messages from her AT&T Mobile Phone

    Getting a new phone is always exciting, especially when you get your hands on one of the many exciting options offered by AT&T.  That is doubly true for my mom and sister.  Not long before the holiday season, they both were in need of a new phone.  They weren’t ready for a smartphone, but liked a number of the new touch-screen phones available.  After watching Stephanie’s Samsung Solstice review, and trying it out for themselves, both decided to go with the Solstice.

    Then, the unexpected happened – my mom signed up for her first text messaging plan.  Now, instead of a phone call asking us what new clothes Fiona needs, we get a SMS message requesting size and color preferences. Sometimes we get MMS messages detailing the day’s purchases. We’ve decided that my mom is officially dangerous when in close proximity to anywhere that sells baby apparel. 

    My mom even invents her own shorthand, apparently not happy with this generation’s LOL, TTYL, and L8Rs.  I always knew I had a cool mom.  Now, she further proves the point via SMS.

    Message & data rates may apply. 

    cory.bennett  cory.bennett

    Posted by Cory in Cory, SmartPhone Tags: , ,
    Comments (9)

  10. March
    9

    What I learned on my Smartphone: My baby is a 2 lb cucumber

    With a hectic schedule at home, it was not realistic that my husband and I would be able to pick up any of the volumes of books published to help new moms and dads navigate through their first pregnancy.  Not that we didn’t want to soak up knowledge, we just needed a better way to get the information that we needed.  Thanks to the AT&T Smartphone app Pregnancy Tracker, we now track our baby’s development on a weekly and daily basis.  The app also provides us information on the radical changes my body is going through.

     As a first time Mom, I have heard of all the expected symptoms during pregnancy but not much is said about some symptoms that can make anyone worry.  Thanks to the Smartphone app, I knew that during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy it is common to have your heart race periodically.  This is due to your heart pumping blood for two.  Trust me, if my heart started to race and I did not have advance warning of the possibility of this occurring, I would have thought I had a heart problem. 

     The app also provides me great analogies for what is happening to my body – inside and out.  I knew when in the development stages my little bundle could hear me and when taste buds were developing.  This is when I knew to sing the Eyes of Texas and to be sure to eat my favorite veggies in abundance – brussel sprouts anyone?  Speaking of vegetables, according to the app, our baby is about two pounds and is about the length of a cucumber.  That is a mighty big cucumber.

    Laura HernandezLaura Hernandez

    Hello, my name is Laura, and I am a wife and working mom who has been with AT&T for 13 years. I am a mom who is about to be a mom for the first time – sounds confusing. I have a stepson with a disability who lives with us, and my husband and I are expecting our first child together in May. My stepson is completely dependent on technology to communicate, so if we want to communicate with him when we are not at home, e-mail and texting is the way to go.  I use technology in every aspect of my life. Aside from using my Blackberry to stay connected to work issues, I use Navigator to get around my new city of Dallas, and I use multiple smartphone applications to manage grocery lists, get restaurant reviews or find important locations, like the shoe repair, tailor and, yes, even clean bathrooms. As two working parents juggling the demands our stepson presents us, we use technology to coordinate social schedules and yoga classes and to keep our friends and family up-to-date on happenings in our lives. More recently, I have used the internet to track how my pregnancy is progressing.

    Message & data rates may apply. 

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Applications, Guest Blogger Tags:
    Comments (8)