1. 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 (3)

  2. 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 (0)

  3. March
    5

    App Addict

    After many months of trying to convince Amy that she needed a smartphone, the birth of our daughter Fiona became the deciding factor.  Now, instead of sending SMS messages using a T9 interface, she’s tapping away at a touch-screen interface, texting faster than I could ever hope to.  Her phone has become her go-to camera to take pictures of Fiona, and it’s how she checks her email.

    Then there are the apps.  Amy is officially ‘addicted’ to apps.  She uses her smartphone to keep up with Facebook, check the weather, hunt for a new house, track workouts and food intake, play games, share pictures from our Flickr account, and keep up on parenting information, among other things.  She just might be on her smartphone more than I’m on mine, which is saying something.

    Fiona and Smartphone by Cory 3.2.10

    Does anyone else have a significant other who fought the transition to a smartphone, only to become ‘addicted’ to mobile apps?

    Message & data rates may apply.

    cory.bennett  cory.bennett

    Posted by Cory in Applications, Cory, SmartPhone Tags: ,
    Comments (4)

  4. March
    2

    Mark the Spot App

    Hey! I wanted to share with you a great app, Mark the Spot,  that gives AT&T customers a way to provide feedback on network user experience to AT&T. Check out  how  it works:

     

    Get the Flash Player to see this content.

    Get the Flash Player to see this content.

    Standard charges apply to text messages, depending on your plan.

    cory.bennett  cory.bennett

    Posted by Cory in Cory, How To Tags: ,
    Comments (2)

  5. February
    24

    AT&T Team USA Soundtrack

    TEAM USA FANS!  The 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver are in full swing. AT&T is supporting our athletes with the exclusive AT&T Team USA Soundtrack featuring songs from top artists like 3 Doors Down, The All-American Rejects remix by Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, Mariah Carey, Gloriana, Green River Ordinance, Honor Society,  Hoobastank, Puddle of Mudd, Rascal Flatts,  Sugarland and Train.

    The soundtrack songs are available exclusively via download from the iTunes Store, and AT&T wireless customers can snag ringtones and answer tones through AT&T MEdia Mall (AT&T App Center). And, best of all, all proceeds from content purchases between now and March 1 will go to the U.S. Olympic Committee to benefit Team USA.*

    Check out music videos and info on how to download here:  http://soundtrack.att.net/.

    *All proceeds from the purchase of participating ringtones and answer tones from February 12, 2010 through March 1, 2010 will be donated by AT&T to Team USA. All proceeds from the purchase of musical compositions from February 9, 2010 through March 1, 2010 will be donated by the record labels to Team USA. For more information about Team USA, visit www.teamusa.org. Standard data transport charges apply (and are not included in proceeds paid to Team USA).

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Just for fun, Uncategorized Tags:
    Comments (20)

  6. February
    22

    Learning how to take a picture on my Smartphone the hard way

    I may be the only person on earth that never knew this, and if so,  I have a ton of people to yell at!  Like most people, I love the self-portrait. You know the one, where you are doing a big ol’ cheese for no one but yourself and take a photo and retake it until you are satisfied with it, then post it to Facebook, Twitter or in an mms to someone.

    Well, I have always struggled with taking self-portraits using my Smartphone. I would think I know where the button is and then end up only capturing my chin, then go the opposite direction and only capture my forehead. (Maybe it should have been a clue to just stop taking pictures of myself, but that would be way too easy!) So I learned something new today and can’t imagine I’m the only one that did not know this piece of valuable information. When you go to take a self-portrait, press and hold, the key word is hold, the button down that captures the picture. It actually doesn’t take the picture until you release your hold! Uh -huh! Go ahead…try it now! 

    So, you can look at your device, get your finger in the right spot by placing it on the capture button and holding it down, turn your device and release when you are ready Bam! The picture has been captured.  Genius, I tell ya! And I thought I knew a ton about the Smartphone. 

    Friday night, just to name one time, I carried two devices because I can’t leave home without my Smartphone, but also needed my Blackberry to capture self-portraits of me and my girlfriends. My life just got simpler as I continue to stay calm, cool and connected (or so I think on the cool part). Happy photo-taking!

    Message and data rates may apply.

    brandy.perez  brandy.perez

    Posted by Brandy in Brandy, How To, Photos, SmartPhone Tags: , ,
    Comments (12)

  7. February
    11

    Our Sweet Little Valentine

    Fiona by Cory 2.8.10When I see this picture, I can hear Frank Sinatra singing “My Funny Valentine.”  This Valentine’s Day is like no other before it, because with Fiona around, every day is Valentine’s Day. While we make our plans to surprise each other in some small way, we conspire as to what we’re going to do for our little valentine: What will she wear? Where will we take her? What should we get her?

    We plan on visiting family this coming weekend to share our little valentine in person versus through the cameras on our phones as we so often do. Though Sunday is Valentine’s Day,  for us, every day before and after will still be Valentine’s Day.

    And if you are at a loss for what to get for your Valentine (or better yet, would like to “gently suggest” a Valentine gift for yourself!), check out or share the following link, to get a new red phone – FREE on att.com through Monday, February 15: bit.ly/Free-Red-Phones!

    A two year service agreement is required.  Other restrictions apply. A $30/month data plan required for all Smartphones.

    cory.bennett  cory.bennett

    Posted by Cory in Cory, Photos, SmartPhone, Uncategorized Tags: , ,
    Comments (11)

  8. February
    8

    Text4baby Update (Guest Blogger)

    As you may have read in last week’s post, I am one of the new mommy-to-be bloggers who will be posting on Calm, Cool & Connected from now through Mother’s Day. I was invited to join the blog for the next few months to share my experience as I prepare to become a mom for the first time. Part of the preparation process is being informed. AT&T just announced its support of the new Text4baby service, so I thought I’d check it out. Text4baby made it easy to sign up: After texting “baby” to 511411 and providing my due date and zip code, the text messages began!  It started, of course, with a welcome message that wished me a happy and healthy pregnancy.  Now I receive a new text message each day with a reminder (take my prenatals, schedule a doctor’s appointment) or advice about my pregnancy (don’t smoke or drink).  The texts also provide links to other resources, like the Center for Disease Control to check on getting a seasonal flu shot or H1N1 vaccination or a number to call to find an OB or nurse practitioner. These texts coincide nicely with the start last Monday of the four Prepared Childbirth classes my husband and I are attending each week at our hospital. Between the messages on my smartphone and the classroom learning, I feel better prepared as I approach this life-changing event. Spending time each day, even briefly, learning and thinking about my soon-to-be son is calming. Work and deciding what’s for dinner can gobble up mindshare rapidly – but a quick focus on what’s growing in my belly helps ground me and balance priorities.

    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 SmartPhone, Uncategorized Tags: ,
    Comments (2)

  9. February
    2

    Film Awards App

    Hey! With the awards season in full swing thought you might be interested in viewing a great app that keeps you up to speed on all of the action.

    Get the Flash Player to see this content.

    cory.bennett  cory.bennett

    Posted by Cory in Cory, How To, TV, Vlogs Tags: ,
    Comments (6)

  10. January
    29

    There is an App for That (Guest Blogger)

    I am amazed at the apps available today.  Not just for work – but for our time outside work. For those who are practically minded there are apps that help you maintain your car, track your bills and ones that even act as personal assistance. There are sport apps that help improve your golf swing or track the results of baseball and football games.  For travel bugs, there are language translators and assistance with the conversion of money.  Concerned about keeping your mind active after massive amounts of time watching Barney with your kids? You can use your mobile phone do Sudoku and brain teasers to keep your mind active.  Even the White House launched an app that can be used to access streaming video of President Obama’s upcoming State of the Union address.

    My husband writes computer software — for fun.  Go figure…  The last time I wrote a computer program it was in graduate school and it was in Assembly Language.  This was just shortly after the Jurassic period.  I remember clearly when I erased my back up file, around 3 AM, for a key project.  That was when I determined that I, indeed, had a more colorful vocabulary than I realized — even if I did not actually say the words out loud.  More importantly, I found   I did not have the passion I needed to be a really good programmer.  Without passion, your job is just work.  I am glad that there are opportunities for programmers with a passion, like my husband, who can use their creativity to create applications and share them with others.  Sometimes they are silly, but sometimes they are very useful.

    There are apps on cell phones today that help people with Autism communicate and ones under development that may help older people anticipate when a fall is likely so they can prevent injuries.  This means that older people may be able to stay in their own homes longer rather than go to a assistive care or a nursing facility.  There are applications like Dragon that enable you to dictate your emails – useful to people with conditions such as arthritis and those over forty who do not have their reading glasses!  The work being developed today that is often offered at no cost by online good citizens who just want to help their virtual neighbors, is truly inspiring.  Many applications are accessible for people who have  vision loss like me and there are groups that talk just about those applications. 

    For those trying to juggle home and work, you can find healthy recipes and menu planners for shopping. And on the lighter side, or hopefully lighter side, you can find several programs that count or track calories or carbs. There are applications related to wellness as a whole and, I am told, ones that will help track your workouts as well. I should probably check into those…

    Of course, there are games for kids of all ages. The handset vendors I’ve met say these help people to use a keypad more quickly and efficiently.  I am skeptical.  I think they are really just for fun. And, if my observations are correct, they are there to help people waiting in airports pass the time without becoming belligerent.  For kids, there are educational applications that teach things like phonics and counting. There are even apps that provide a virtual experience of things we ACTUALLY did like skee ball, board games and spin art.  The only application that I have not been able to find is one that will soothe the overtired toddler.  But then, there is a nap for that…

    Susan PhotoAbout the author: Susan Mazrui, who just celebrated her 15th anniversary with AT&T, has two daughters, Sarah (23 years old) and Nicole (3 years old).  Sarah works full-time and goes to Law School part-time.  Nicole is a part-time preschooler whose current career aspirations include medicine and firefighting.  Married to Jamal, a brilliant software developer and civil servant, Susan enjoys listening to books, described videos and international travel.  Susan and Jamal also have a Cavapoo named Ginger (1 year old).  Ginger initially aspired to become a guide dog for Susan but later decided to become a watch dog as she thoroughly enjoys people watching and really did not want to work that hard.

    Posted by Calm, Cool & Connected in Applications, Guest Blogger, Just for fun, Organization, Shopping, Uncategorized Tags:
    Comments (2)