BitDefender’s new Protecting Children Online guide is a downloadable PDF that’s designed to be shared with friends, family members, and community groups to spread the word about online safety.

Protecting Children Online provides an overview of the risks and dangers kids can be subjected to on the internet and e-threats designed to target personal data.  It also contains tips for children, teens, parents, and teachers with practical advice and easy to implement solutions that can assist you in protecting your family online.

This printable guide that can be emailed, printed, and shared with friends and loved ones alike in order to keep everyone safe in cyberspace.

This article was provided as exclusive content by BitDefender because of my role as a BitMom Blog Network Member.  No compensation was received for sharing this post however, BitMoms does provide me with a conference stipend and other materials to help me facilitate sharing topics of internet safety and security with my readers and through the BitMom Community.

About BitDefender®- BitDefender is the creator of one of the industry’s fastest and most effective lines of internationally certified security software. Every day, BitDefender protects tens of millions of home and corporate users across the globe — giving them the peace of mind of knowing that their digital experiences will be secure. More information about BitDefender and its products are available on the company’s website.

I am LONG past my days of loving math and graphs, but I still do love gadgets. So, I was happy to review the rocking new TI-Nspire Graphing calculator and give you the opportunity to win one just in time for the start of school! You can save a bundle!

This is NOT your average calculator. This massive beast has a large clear screen, interchangeable keypad, USB connector, Touchpad, and more. I won’t pretend to even remember how to do fancy graphs! It has been a LONG time. But every option you can possible need is here. It comes with a large easy to read manual to get you started. And if you are a heavy user, you can ditch AA batteries for an approved Texas Instruments rechargeable battery pack to keep the computations going.

Some other notable features include:

• Interchangeable Keypad: It comes with the default TI-Nspire keypad, but that be changed. As a matter of fact, there is a note on the package to mail in to receive the TI-84 keypad for FREE. This is what most schools are asking for, so you will meet requirements.
• USB connector: Connect your TI-Nspire to your computer to use the included software to develop your graphs, etc. even more using your PC.
• Highly customizeable: Change font size, language, sleep mode, and more
• Ability to link the TI-Nspire to another TI-Nspire to back up and share files

There is much much more that this great calculator can do. Now, how can you win it? It’s simple!

THE PRIZE PACK

• A new TI-Nspire with Touchpad – this also includes the new computer software so students can bring their graphing calculator experience to a PC or Mac.
• 60 free minutes at Tutor.com.
• Several other fun items, including T-shirts, water bottles and cell phone charms.

THE CONTEST

1. Leave me a comment telling me why you need this calculator. Are you in school? Does your kid need one? You get the point.

EXTRA ENTRIES

1. Subscribe via RSS

2. Retweet this post

3. Fan me on Facebook

IMPORTANT: Please leave a separate comment for each action.

A winner will be chosen on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 5:00 pm.

Disclosure:  I was sent a shiny new TI-Nspire in exchange for this review and giveaway post. No compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

Who is AMD?

AMD is Advanced Micro Devices. They are the #1, ok… really the only competitor of Intel. These 2 companies are the folks that make your computers run. I have always been a fan of AMD. I used to built systems for $$. I still do occasionally built a system, but usually just to kick around in the house. I have always used AMD processors. They are fast and affordable. A while ago, AMD purchased ATI. ATI has been a top competitor the the video card market for quite some time. These two merging together makes for one heck of a tech company. And this begins the well vision… behind AMD Vision.

What is Vision?

The idea behind Vision is to help non-techy folks that might not care about all the numbered specs and acronyms behind purchasing a computer. They just want to know what it will do. Will it play my music? Will it play HD movies? Can I edit video? These questions are answered clearly, so there is no doubt  in what you are getting.

Computers will only get the AMD Vision stamp if they meet certain specs. For starters, they need an AMD Processor, and ATI Video card. As you can see on the chart, computers are available in Basic, Premium, Ultimate, and Black. Looking for a new machine? You can visit the Vision helper to choose a computer.

The Event

So let’s talk about all the fun we had! The mom’s involved in the event were a nice small mixed bunch. There were 6 of us, some techy, some not. Included in the group were:

• Leticia Barr, Tech Savvy Mama
• Kris Cain, Little Tech Girl
• Tiffany Dockery, Living as Mom
• Danelle Ice, Home Ever After
• Michele McGraw, Scraps of My Geek Life
• Meredith Sinclair, Hoo-Dee-Hoo

We all arrived at varying times on a Sunday. I checked in and checked out my room. It was NICE. The view was spectacular. The view from my room was of endless trees with some mansions nestled between.

Some of us hit the spa right away. AMD generously gave us each a credit to use in the Barton Creek Resort spa. Boy did I need it! I got a full body Lavender and Salt Exfoliation with a massage and foot massage. It was heaven! I could have laid there all day.

We had great dinners, took a tour of the city, relaxed, but most of all we learned a ton. Our day on Monday was spent at the super pretty, super geeky AMD Offices tucked in the hills of Austin. We took a tour of some of the massive campus. And boy was it HOT. It was 105 degrees each day we were there WITHOUT the heat index. We heard more about Vision and what AMD hopes to accomplish. We got data on stats like the fact that 66% of all PCs are purchased by women. That is quite a number. Women make a lot of the decisions on household purchases and AMD knows it. I won’t rehash absolutely everything! And yes, some of it was top secret. But I will say that I am excited to see what all they have in store.

I am typing to you right now on the lovely, packed Toshiba Satellite T235 that was waiting for us in goody bags at the hotel desk upon check-in. So far I really like this machine. It has the Vision Premium stamp. I’ll be sure to do a review of it at some point.

Along with the laptop, we got a cool laptop case designed by Chloe Dao, winner of 2006 Project Runway. And if that was not treat enough, she actually came to meet us and show us some of the other Nuo bag designs that she has been working on.

It was a great experience.  I was very happy to be included. I love my tech stuff!! And I do love AMD.

Disclosure: AMD invited me down to Austin, TX and covered all expenses including the awesome swag and services mentioned in this post. All opinions are 100% mine as I really HAVE been an AMD and ATI user for several years.

When I first opened it, I thought that I had a dud. It did nothing when I attempted to turn it on. It just presented me with a blank screen. But a quick power cycle fixed that, it quickly installed updates, and I was ready to go.

The litl is designed to be an additional helper in the kitchen, a photo frame, a web TV or a web appliance. That’s all it does is web. And it does it fairly well. The litl is running Linux under the hood, but you will never know it. What you see is the customized interface which consists of large buttons called Web Cards. These are bookmarks to the sites that you frequent.

Adding your favorite blogs to a Web Card is really cool. When you save the address it parses it like an RSS reader and shows a slide show of the latest posts on the button. When you click it, you get a quick lists of posts to your left, an easy to read display of the post to your right, and the option to ‘go to web page’ at the top. You can also click share which brings up a window to email the page to your friends. There is also an option of just viewing the page as a slideshow which scrolls through all of the post images.

The design of the litl makes it the perfect no maintenance computer for a beginner, or a grandparent. There are no updates to worry about. It does all of that automatically when you turn it on. There are zero buttons to push to make sure that you have the latest. It’s foolproof.

Specifications:

Extras

• Automatic nightly software upgrades, plug-ins, patches, and virus protection for the life of the computer
• Patented hinge to convert to easel mode
• Built-in scroll wheel for easy navigation
• 2 GB solid state storage for operating system and caching
• 2 Internal IR receivers compatible with litl remote
• Full-sized keyboard
• 300k pixel built-in camera

One great feature of the litl is easy photo uploading. You don’t have to know anything to get it done. You plug your camera into the USB port, it shows you a slideshow of your photos, and  walks you through easily uploading them to the web. Check out this video for more:

Pros

• Light
• Easy to Use
• No Maintenance
• Unique bendable design to turn it into a display

Cons

• Since it is based on Linux, there are some drawbacks. The main one being that it cannot run Netflix! I thought it would be very cool to be able to use the litl as an additional “TV” in the kitchen. But Netflix uses Microsoft Silverlight (for some strange reason) and that does not run on the litl. However, Hulu works great!

Summary

I think the litl is perfect for a grandparent who is not that familiar with using a computer, a beginner, or anyone who wants to add a web appliance to any room of their home. There is no learning curve needed to use the litl. If you can click a button, or type in a webpage, you are good to go. Use it to quickly browse the web for recipes, or even watch how to videos on Youtube, check email, upload and view photos or browse the web.

Check out the litl site for even more information. Or view the litl Flickr stream for loads of photos of the litl. The litl maintenance-free computer costs $399.

Disclosure: The litl Webbook was loaned to me for about a month to do this review. It has since been returned.

Amy, Steph, & Kris

Two weeks ago I had a ton of fun participating in a Mommy Blogger vs. Foodie Blogger Cook-off arranged by Kenmore and Hope Bertram of Windy City Social at the Kenmore Live Studio in downtown Chicago. I let Richard talk me into it over Twitter, and I am glad that I did.

I was one of a team of 3 Mommy Bloggers (no, I don’t mind the term. I could care less really. ) going up against 3 Foodie Bloggers. We were each assigned a veggie for wish we had a create a main dish. Recipes submitted had to be healthy and worthy enough to feed our kids. The veggies were cauliflower, spinach, and carrots. I got carrots. I think it was a good race. Us Mommy Bloggers are used to throwing together a dish in a hurry to please the pickiest of kids. This often calls for being inventive. This cook-off was all about presenting or hiding veggies so that kids will eat them. And of course the Foodie bloggers are all about food!

Mommy Bloggers

1. Amy Clark
2. Stephanie Precourt
3. Kris Cain

Foodie Bloggers

1. Jen Luby
2. Heather Lalley
3. David Grotto

Round 1 was Cauliflower.  It started out good with Mommy Blogger Amy winning her round with her Trees in Your Ears Pasta. She won over Foodie Blogger, Jen Luby who made “Stoplight” Cauliflower Tacos. Both dishes were tasty!

Round 2 was taken by the Foodie Bloggers. But Steph fought a good fight. Her delicious Spinach, Lemon, & Pine Nut Pasta did impress the judges and the crowd. But, Heather Lalley’s very fun and original Spinach Braid with Bacon, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Provolone took the prize.

Round 3 was my round. Going last I was nervous as heck! It had been a long day, and I was tired, confused, dazed, and hungry. LOL! I dipped upstairs for a quick glass of wine  to calm my nerves before going on the air.  But the anticipation is always the worst. Once I was on air, I was fine! My dish, Saucy Carrot & Asparagus casserole did get a lot of good compliments. One judge thought it had too many veggies, but was good. Another said that it brought back memories of his mom. There were a couple of other good comments, and honestly… based on how they were talking, I thought I had the win! But, David pulled a fast one and won the round! That meant that the Foodies took the prize! The deserved it. Those folks basically live and breathe food and recipes! And they proved it! Each got to take home their choice of a Kenmore Induction Cooktop, Stand Mixer, or Vacuum. Our 2nd places prizes were not bad at all. We got some great utensils, a can opener, and some other goodies in a beautiful gift basket.

Kris & David (Photo courtesy of David)

Yep, in the end, the Foodie Bloggers came out on top and stole the grand prize, but it was still awesome! I always have a great time when I am at the Kenmore Live Studios. If you have not had the chance to visit the Studio, you MUST!!

Here is my recipe for Creamy Carrot & Asparagus Casserole:

Saucy Carrot and Asparagus Casserole

(courtesy of Kris Cain)

• 2 cups peeled/sliced carrots
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus
• 2 cloves thinly sliced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• Paprika

Layer vegetable ingredients in an oven safe casserole dish. Season with salt & pepper. Pour can of over mushroom soup evenly over veggies. Sprinkle a bit of Paprika over the top for color.

Bake until veggies are tender.

Serve with cooked white or brown rice and garnish with fresh parsley.

For all of the recipes for the evening, and Richard’s recap of the event, read the Kenmore blog.

(I was hoping that the video recap of the event would have been up when I did my post. It’s not yet, but as soon as it is, I will add it to this post!)

YPmobile app

About: More than a yellow pages business directory, the YPmobile app brings together comprehensive business listings, planning and sharing features and even a voice search option to help you navigate when time is tight.

For: iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Palm, and via mobile web at m.yp.com

Cost: FREE

AT&T Social Net

About: The back to school rush doesn’t mean you need to forgo your social networking. Enjoy access to Facebook^®, Twitter, MySpace and breaking news – all within a single app. View and manage your social communities, communicate and track events in real time, and get live news feeds from more than 35 leading news, sports, and entertainment sites. Once you populate the application with your information, you can see and respond to tweets, status updates, wall posts, profile comments, photo activity and friends’ news feeds.

For: Available for select BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones from AT&T; For more details please visit:http://mediamall.wireless.att.com/sf/storefront/endUserHTMLMoreInfo.jsp?dc=&refcode=&c1=CFWEB5928&prodId=CF213649&SKU=CF213649a223054v38

Cost: FREE

Shoot It

About: Shoot a photo and the Shoot It app automatically converts your digital photo into a beautifully printed postcard that is inserted into the mail the next day! Snap a photo of your child’s first day of school and send a postcard to a relative across the country, across the globe, or just across town. Great to capture those timeless moments!

For: Available for select BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones from AT&T; For more details please visit:http://mediamall.wireless.att.com/sf/storefront/endUserHTMLMoreInfo.jsp?st=jt&dc=&refcode=&c1=&prodId=CF267624&SKU=CF267624a276734v1

Cost: Free

AT&T Code Scanner

I think I mentioned this one to you in another email before, but here are the brief details again…

About: New this summer, this app allows you to scan barcodes found in magazines, stores, and online to get more information or promotions. Take advantage of those great back to school promotions right from your phone!

For: Android and BlackBerry phones (coming soon to additional devices and app stores); For more details visit: www.att.com/codescanner

Cost: FREE

AT&T Mobile Banking

About: Need to check a balance, transfer money or pay a bill on the go? Manage your finances anywhere, anytime from thousands of financial institutions. Securely view your account balances and history, make transfers, and pay bills via the AT&T Mobile Banking app. Available functionality varies per financial institution.

For: Available for select BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones from AT&T; For more details please visit:http://mediamall.wireless.att.com/sf/storefront/endUserHTMLMoreInfo.jsp?st=jt&dc=&refcode=&c1=&prodId=CF122584&SKU=CF122584a131470v47

Cost: FREE

Veronica Webb was in attendance to help promote the event. There was champagne, ice cream, lots of hors d’oeuvres and loads of bonding women. Although the event was promoted through various channels, it was open to the public. There were representatives on surrounding street corners encouraging passersby to come in and have some goodies.

Kris & Veronica

The coolest part of the event was that every woman in attendance got a professional bra measurement session, and a free bra! Well, we didn’t get the free bra on the spot, but they said to expect them in 6-8 weeks, so I was excited to finally receive mine Monday right at the 8 week mark which prompted me to finally finish this post

Ok, well the real cool part was that I had the pleasure of tagging along with Meredith Sinclair of Hoo Dee Hoo on a brief interview with Veronica.

Check out a few more photos from the event:

Then of course there’s that other life… you know.. being a Mommy. Those children insist on eating. LOL!! So, yeah…. gotta feed them.

So what’s the moral to the story? Just do it. Don’t wait. Don’t procrastinate. Just do it. After a big event, write the post while it is still fresh, while all the info is still running around in your brain, and while you can get it all down clearly. Otherwise, you just might never get it done.

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There are lots of adverts shown on television these days encouraging you to recycle your old mobile phone. A lot of people don’t think about what happens when they buy a new handset, which we as a society are constantly doing these days. New models of old phones are being released more and more frequently and we are constantly urged to buy the newer version. Additionally, we are offered new handsets when our contracts expire, or if we go onto a new phone contract or switch networks. The average lifespan of a mobile phone in our current climate is less than eighteen months, and the best way to get rid of those old handsets is inarguably recycle them.

The first obvious benefit of recycling is that it is good for the environment. Recent surveys have suggested that there are more than ninety million phones in the UK that are lying around completely redundant, which means more than one useless phone per person. Recycling those phones would reduce the waste caused by just throwing them out. Mobile phones contain a variety of potentially harmful substances, including but not limited to antimony, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc. If phones are thrown away, these substances could leak from landfill sites into the environment. Recycling also extends the lifespan of the remaining useful parts in the mobile, reducing the need for energy and resources to make new parts for new phones. It also makes mobile phones more accessible to people worldwide, as people in developing countries who cannot afford new handsets can often buy the cheaper, refurbished models.

The other little benefit of recycling mobiles, as you’ve probably noticed from the adverts, is that you can often get a little bit of cash in return! For newer models, the cash reward can be quite substantial, so be sure to visit a mobile phone recycling website to find out how much your own phone could be worth.

Check out the latest handsets available at www.phones4u.co.uk today and see what deals you can get on contract and pay-as-you-go.

If you have an opinion about your kids and how they should be using the computer, or how much time they should be spending on it. Or if they should play games, etc. you need to be there.

Date: Tonight, August 25, 2010

Time: 9-10 p.m. EST

Where: On Twitter. Connect via the custom Tweetgrid at http://is.gd/eC57o. The hastags are #T4M and #Logitech.

And guess what???  If you head on over to Tech 4 Mommies and RSVP on the linky, you will be entered to win a super cool Logitech Harmony 300 universal remote control.