Blog: Tech News & Tips

When we moved last year we hired movers, I got a little nervous (paranoid, really) about my stuff getting lost. We got a bunch of AirTags and placed them into random boxes and pieces of furniture, and waited for the movers. Moving with Apple Airtags added a little bit of extra techy fun to the adventure!

When we hired the movers, we were under the impression that they would come, load our things into a truck, drive that truck cross-country, and then unload. That’s not what happened. Once we realized what the process would be, we were even happier that we got the AirTags. (This is why you should read the fine print before you sign EVERY contract. ALL the fine print!)

Five guys came and loaded our stuff. They brought all of it to a warehouse where the truck was unpacked and then reloaded into a different truck with other people’s stuff that was also going to the East Coast.

That truck was driven to a warehouse in NJ, where it was unpacked, reloaded into a smaller truck, and brought to our new home. (See photos of the trip below.) Everything arrived with very little damage, and we were relatively happy with the process.

We’ll often recommend products and services. Sometimes we’ll earn a small commission if you purchase something through our links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Conclusion

Getting the Apple AirTags to help us keep track of our boxes while moving was one of the best things we did during that process. Now that we’re settled in, we’ve found other uses for the extra Airtags. We’ve even given our kids an AirTag so they can keep track of their keys as well.

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a free report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial.  If you’re a college student, click here for a 6-month trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• Looking for the Best Car Mount Phone Holder?
• How do you choose a great STEM toy?
• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac or a new PC?
• Ready for winter storms knocking out power? Here’s our review of  Digital Clocks.
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

Earlier this year we took a road trip and used our phones for directions. I remembered that I had gotten a car mount phone holder a few years ago and searched for it in our Sprinter camper’s “junk drawer”. We mounted it on the windshield so we could easily see the map and where our next turn would be.

Sure, it was convenient to have it right there, but putting it on and taking it off was a hassle every time. You had to fiddle with the arms to make sure the holder held the phone tightly and wouldn’t fall out going over bumpy roads.

YOU TOO?

My experience has told me that when I’m having an issue with something, other people are as well. I decided that before our next trip I’d find a better solution. I eliminated all the models which mounted on the car’s vent. We had one of those in the past with an ultra-strong magnetic holder. The magnet part was great. It held even over the bumpiest of roads. But, every time we needed to move it, we broke off one of the vents.

So: window or dash mount with a magnetic holder. (I wanted to make picking the phone up and putting it back as easy as possible while driving.) Plus I only selected holders with 4+ star reviews on Amazon.

We’ll often recommend products and services. Sometimes we’ll earn a small commission if you purchase something through our links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

I tried out four different models. Here they are my order of preference:

PKYAA Magnetic Car Mount Phone Holder – NOT Recommended

The PKYAA is the smallest one and it folds flat when not in use. It lists at $7. The Amazon page said it could mount on the Dashboard or Windshield which is what I was looking for. However, when I received it, the box indicated that it was mounted on the air vent. It came with a metal pad to install on the back of the phone to work with the magnetic holder. My iPhone comes with MagSafe, so it SHOULD work without the metal pad.

This one never even made it to the car. It magnetically attached to the MagSafe on my phone, but when I shook it a little to emulate normal driving, it fell right off. It was returned to next day.

Note that when I purchased this one, it had 4 stars. I’m writing this two months later and it’s down to 3.3 stars.

Talk Works Magnetic Window/Dash Mount

The Talk Works car mount phone holder is also a MagSafe charger and is listed for $25. I liked that it charged my iPhone while I was driving. (Map programs use a LOT of juice!) I liked that I could stick it to the windshield or the dashboard. But the gooseneck was very wobbly.  Too wobbly. I returned this one too.

Note that this one also had over 4 stars when I purchased it 2 months ago. Today it’s down to 3.2 stars.

OtterBox Performance Car Dash & Windshield Mount for MagSafe

The OtterBox is the only name-brand model I looked at. It lists for $50. Was it worth it?

I liked that it held firmly to the windshield and didn’t bounce around under normal driving conditions. You could position it easily which was a nice touch. What I didn’t like is that it didn’t have built-in charging capability like others that I reviewed. This one was kept as a backup for the other car.

The OtterBox received an average rating of 4.3 stars from over 1000 reviewers.

We’ll often recommend products and services. Sometimes we’ll earn a small commission if you purchase something through our links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Conclusion:

After trying out all four of these Car mount phone holders, I like the MagSafe Charger the best.

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a free report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial.  If you’re a college student, click here for a 6 month trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• How do you choose a great STEM toy?
• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac or a new PC?
• Ready for Daylight Savings Time? Here’s our review of  Digital Clocks.
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

If you’ve been looking for the best router for streaming or the best long-range wifi router, then you don’t want to scroll by. When you’re trying to get a good WiFi signal in your backyard, here are 3 easy steps to take.

• Firstly, purchase a mesh router. Mesh routers have “satellite routers” to spread the signal evenly throughout your home (and yard). If your home is large, consider getting more than two or three satellites.
• After that, test putting the satellites in different rooms to check signal strength. If you have brick or metal in your home construction, you may need to play with many locations to find the best one.
• Finally, ensure at least one of the satellites points towards the backyard from the basement or first floor.

Recently a customer asked us which mesh router he should purchase.  So, Chris responded with this email. It includes links to the best WiFi router that Chris knows of.

We’ll often recommend products and services. Sometimes we’ll earn a small commission if you purchase something through our links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Chris’ email about the best long range WiFi Router:

“Here are some purchase links for the different 2-pack and 3-pack versions of the Orbi wifi router.  Note that my rule of thumb for Wifi is that it will have a service radius of about 50 feet; the better routers and equipment will have more usable distance.  I have gotten exceptional distance using the Orbi 5 series (about 100 feet), and the new 6 series of Orbi is supposed to go farther.

The top two are the “older” technology models, which work very well.  We have a 2-pack of this, and we like it a lot.  The bottom three use the new AX6000 wifi technology, which is reported to travel a little further and transmit faster than the earlier wifi technology.

I have generally had good luck getting “refurbished” equipment from Amazon sellers.  If the equipment (new or refurbished) is defective, the Amazon return policy allows the equipment to be returned painlessly, but the installation time to determine that something is actually defective is still billable.

WiFi 5 System:

This 5-series model uses the “older” wifi technology, which I use and really like a lot:

Netgear RBK50 2-pack  – New – List =$330:

RBK53 3-pack – New – List = $700:

WiFi 6 System:

For the best long range wifi router, this 6-series model uses the “new” AX6000 wifi technology. Consequently, it is reported to give better performance and more distance. It’s probably the best router for multiple devices.

RBK852 2-Pack – Refurbished – List $700

RBK853 3-pack – Refurbished – List = $980

RBK853 3-Pack – New – List = $1000

Hope this helps.

Chris

Conclusion

Chris likes the Netgear Orbi Mesh Routers best. Here’s an article we wrote about why a Mesh Router may be a good choice for you. These ORBI WiFi routers are if you have a medium to large house, and one router won’t provide enough wifi coverage.  These mesh routers are ideal for “pushing” the wifi coverage through your house and have a separate WiFi radio for the dedicated “back haul” that provides low latency and high bandwidth.  If you have a medium-sized house or larger and have internet service that is faster than 300Mbps, these WiFi mesh routers are the best solution that I know of yet.

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a free report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• How do you choose a great STEM toy?
• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac or a new PC?
• Tired of winter power outages? Here’s our review of  Digital Clocks.
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

2022 is almost here! I asked Chris what everyone should do on a regular basis to stay outrageously happy with your computer system. These are easy resolutions to keep. Here are his suggestions:

Once a Year:

• Test your UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) once a year. Unplug the UPS from the wall, and plug in your computer. How long does the computer run before it’s out of power? Is it 15 minutes? Is it 4 hours? If it’s not as long as you’d like, look into replacing the UPS battery. It’ll cost around $50. A UPS battery typically lasts about 2-4 years.
• If you have a laptop computer, check the health of the battery. If you get less than an hour of work time every time you give it a full charge, it’s time to replace the battery. Start checking when the notebook is about 2.5 – 3 years old.
• Give your machine a tuneup to make sure everything continues to run smoothly.

Once a Quarter:

• Test your internet speed every few months. Chris likes Speedtest and DSL Reports. If it’s not as fast as you’re expecting it to be, test it again at different times of day over the next few days. Keep a careful log of the results by taking a screenshot each time. Once you have the data to back up your findings, contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
• Check your social media privacy settings. Make sure your account is locked down! Here are some suggestions to keep your Facebook account safe.
• Check your email settings every few months as well. Especially make sure that your recovery email is set up properly. Check out these tips from an article about email hacking.
• Disconnect totally from technology for a full day. Do this more frequently if you’d like!

Once a Month:

• Back up your data to an external SSD (Solid State Drive) at least once a month.  Keep that drive in a different physical location than your computer.

Once a Week:

• Turn your computer off at least once a week. Don’t click on the “restart” button; totally turn it off. Wait a minute or overnight, and restart it. This helps to make sure your machine can clean up any weird problems that it finds and allows the bios to retest the hardware.

Conclusion

It’s easy to stay outrageously happy with your computer system. There aren’t a lot of things on this list. Print it out and check off the items when you’ve got them done! (Of course, if you need help with anything, let us know.)

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a free report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• How do you choose a great STEM toy?
• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac or a new PC?
• Tired of winter power outages? Here’s our review of  Digital Clocks.
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

The past year has been all about how to work more efficiently away from the office, primarily at home. Faster internet is more commonly available, and people are springing for better equipment for their new home office. Here’s our take on the 2021 Tech Year in Review.

Supply Chain

But, this has contributed to the supply chain crisis. Each year, companies will look at the upcoming year, looking at forecasts for customer growth and the probability of ordering new equipment. Then they’ll go to their suppliers and place orders for the upcoming year so that they can manufacture the proper amount of their products. In 2020, many companies felt that by early in 2021, the Covid crisis would be well behind us and purchasing patterns would be “back to normal”. As a result, manufacturers either ordered too much or not enough. Luckily, Geek For Hire is seeing a slight delay of a few months for our customers ordering new equipment.

Electric Vehicles

2021 also saw an increased acceptance of electric vehicles. More EVs are being ordered and delivered. But, again, the supply chain crisis is hitting EV manufacturing as well. Both Ford and Tesla are experiencing delays in delivering their EVs due to supply chain issues.

More EVs mean more families upgrading the electrical service to their homes. So look for local electricians getting busier than ever. It also means that more rest areas along major highways are installing EV recharging stations. If you’re a road warrior like me, you’ll see more Service Areas temporarily closed for construction while they install new charging stations.

New Year, new Operating System

Microsoft Windows 11 was released on October 5^th. Apple released MacOS12 (Monterey) on October 25^th. Before you upgrade to either of these new operating systems, give Chris a call to see if your current machine is compatible.

Zoom Fatigue

It’s a thing. A recognized disorder. (Check out articles on Healthline.com, Psychiatrictimes.com, or even NationalGeographic.com.) Working from home so much and participating in online calls is stressful and exhausting. Some common recommendations are to:

• Limit the number of Zoom calls
• Turn off the video and just participate via audio
• If you can, schedule the calls for times that work best for you.

The Space Race

This year not one, not two, but three billionaires went up to space in their own rockets. Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk. For anyone keeping track, that would be Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX.

Less well-known is the Breakthrough Starshot project. Its goal is to gain first-hand information about the Alpha Centauri system which is 4.4 light-years away.

“In the last decade and a half, rapid technological advances have opened up the possibility of light-powered space travel at a significant fraction of light speed. This involves a ground-based light beamer pushing ultra-light nanocrafts – miniature space probes attached to light sails – to speeds of up to 100 million miles an hour. Such a system would allow a flyby mission to reach Alpha Centauri in just over 20 years from launch, beaming home images of its recently-discovered planet Proxima b …..”

Contactless Payments

This has always been an option. In fact, every time you make an online purchase you are using a form of contactless payment. But, I have a lot of friends that live a cash-based life. The last year and a half has been hard on them. More and more businesses don’t take cash at all. On a recent road trip, I noticed that most of the toll plazas are “interaction-free”! Most highways have installed overhead toll readers to capture your info as you drive by.

Robotic Food Delivery

One fun thing that’s expanded this year is robots delivering take-out. Since the pandemic, more robots are showing up on college campuses and city streets. They show up at their destination with a single order. The person enters a code and the robot heads back to home base for a charge before heading out again for its next delivery. While the robots seem to be proliferating on college campuses, several cities (including New York and San Francisco) have moved to ban them from sidewalks and bike lanes.

2021 Tech Year in Review Conclusion

Lots happened in the Tech World in 2021. What did I miss? Let me know in the comments below.

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a free report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• How do you choose a great STEM toy?
• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac or a new PC?
• Tired of winter power outages? Here’s our review of  Digital Clocks.
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

I frequently have a nature video running on my 2nd monitor while I’m working. Lately, I’ve been doing more things that require a back-and-forth between two different windows, and the nature video has been buried. Chris wanted me to have another monitor – mounted on the wall so I could watch movies on as well. A monitor big enough to watch movies on would be cost-prohibitive. Enter the concept of using a TV as a monitor!

Just so you know, when you purchase anything from the links on this page we may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

6 Easy Steps to Using a TV as a monitor:

Getting a new TV to use as a monitor with your Windows 10 computer is relatively easy to do. There are only a few steps to get it up and running:

• Determine where in your office the monitor will sit. If you want it on the wall, you’ll need to get a Wall Mount. (Some things to keep in mind when purchasing a wall mount include maximum TV size/weight, and the distance between wall studs.)
• Make sure the HDMI cable and power strip are long enough to reach. We purchased an extra-long HDMI cable and power strip so that we’ll have enough length to hide the cable along the wall and floor.
• Plug the TV into wall power
• Connect the HDMI cable from the TV to the computer
• At this point, while your computer should automatically detect the new monitor through the HDMI cable, you may need to configure the monitor settings in your computer:
  • Click on the settings wheel on the taskbar
  • Type “Monitor” in the search bar
  • Click on “Rearrange multiple displays”. .
  • and make sure your primary monitor is still identified properly
  • Open up a new window, log into Netflix or Amazon Prime, and play a movie!

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a free report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac or a new PC?
• Want to find out more about Puzzle Cubes?
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

We don’t have kids in our home anymore, so when I want to get a gift for a little one, I go online. We’re a tech company so my favorite gift is almost always a STEM toys for kids. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Generally, I’ll do some research to see which toys have won awards, which are well-liked by parenting magazines, which are highly rated online, and which my friends or family may have told me about.

Yup, I’ve done the work so you don’t have to! And, just so you know, if you purchase anything from the links on this page we may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Why are STEM toys good for kids?

STEM toys help kids develop a love of learning while they figure out how things work. Some people think that STEM is only about teaching kids how to code, but it is so much more than that. These toys help kids develop:

• Spatial awareness
• Reasoning skills
• Engineering thinking
• Critical thinking skills
• Engineering design
• Problem-solving skills

Think about an infant playing on the floor with pots and pans. Can this bowl fit into this pot? Can this pot go on top of this plastic container? How high of a tower can I make with all of these cookbooks? That’s the learning process in action! STEM toys build on that early learning.

What are examples of STEM toys?

• Legos and plain old building blocks
• Puzzle cubes
• Science books with experiments, explaining concepts, for reference, or just telling a good story.
• Marble runs teach design, trial & error, and are a lot of fun
• Scientific websites like NASA and National Geographic are great for learning about the world
• Robot kits
• Coding kits for all ages
• Simple Circuit kits so they can learn about engineering and electronics
• Jig-saw puzzles teach spatial awareness
• Even a spinning top!

Learn more about the benefits of STEM toys for your kids:

• Here’s a great (short) article about why Artificially Intelligent Robot Toys are good for kids. Dr. Anna Koop of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute says “If a human expert can do it, AI probably can. But if a baby or puppy can do it, AI probably can’t.”
• Here’s more about the benefits of STEM toys.

The Best Tablets for Kids

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a free report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac?
• Looking for White Elephant gifts?
• Want to find out more about Puzzle Cubes?
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

It’s that time of year where we are getting invited to lots of parties and they all seem to be having a White Elephant gift exchange. ** (And it’s not the kind where you can bring a toilet plunger that looks like a shotgun…) What are the best White Elephant gifts under $30? Well, Geek For Hire has some ideas!

Just so you know, if you purchase anything from the links on this page we may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Creative White Elephant Gift Ideas:

Portable Power:

I don’t know about you, but our family always seems to be running out of juice. That’s where a portable battery pack comes in handy. What to look for:

• Charging ports – It’s handy to have two or more ports to charge your devices.
• Milliamp Hours – more is always better, 10000mAh should be the minimum you consider.
• USB-C – Do you need a USB-C port? Not all portable chargers have one. Read the description carefully.
• Size – The most useful charger is the one you use. I keep one in my purse that is teeny. It’s a square about four inches long and ½” per side. It’s useful for 1 phone charge when my battery is running low. When I travel, I carry a slightly larger one with 20000mAh that can totally charge a device 2 or 3 times.
• Weight – is it light enough to carry around? My favorite one with the most charging power feels like a brick. The one I use most often can go in my front pocket.
• Reviews – even if you’re not buying on Amazon, it is helpful to look at the reviews there. Remember, a rating of 4.8 stars with 1000 reviews is better than a rating of 5 stars with one review.

Smartphone Screen Magnifier:

Who else is watching videos on their smartphone? A screen magnifier is a fun way to watch Netflix when you don’t have access to a tablet or laptop. Here are some things to look for:

• Screen size – most are 12”, but some are a little larger.
• Does it come with a flat screen or is the screen curved? Some even provide a 3D experience.
• Does it appear to be sturdy and easily portable?
• Speaker – do you need or want a Bluetooth speaker? This will add complexity and require power. It will probably add to the price as well.
• Read the Reviews!

Wearable sound:

You’ve got a whole bunch of options here. I have a headband with Bluetooth speakers that I use to help me fall asleep at night. If you like to listen to music or podcasts when you’re hiking or running, a hat with speakers built right in could work very well.  Or, you also check out earbuds:

• How will they be used? Earbuds are more versatile if they can be used to make and answer phone calls. Some are made just for listening to music or an audiobook.
• Many earbuds come with a storage case that is also used for charging. See if you can get a set with a fast-charging USB-C.
• Controls – can you increase/decrease the volume from the earbuds, or do you need to do that with your smartphone? How large are the control buttons? Can you adjust by feel or do you need to take it out of your ear?
• Interchangeable buds? Does it come with different-sized earbuds to provide a perfect fit?
• Remember to check the reviews!

Portable Cord Organizer:

One of the best gifts I gave this year was a portable cord organizer for my nephew in grad school. He loves it because it fits easily in his backpack with his laptop, and helps keep everything protected and organized. (It’s pictured below.) Here’s what to look for:

• Weight – you want something that doesn’t add measurably to your backpack or suitcase.
• Size – how big does it need to be? Will it hold your phone, portable battery pack, and earbuds, or just your cords?
• Closure – Do you want a zippered case to keep everything inside or something with strong elastic to keep it all in place.
• Remember to read the Reviews!

Conclusion:

Have I given you some creative White Elephant gift ideas? It’s easy to get a useful item for a gift exchange with just a little bit of research. It’s a lot of fun when it’s your gift that keeps getting “stolen”. Now you know how to pick white elephant gifts everyone will fight for!

** There are so many options for gift exchanges. Whether you call it the Yankee Swap, a Chinese Gift Exchange, Dirty Santa, or White Elephant, you’re sure to have a lot of fun. Make sure the White Elephant gift rules are established in advance, with a dollar amount, process for exchanging the gifts, and a theme. Your basic White Elephant Gift exchange is where everyone brings one wrapped gift that is under a certain dollar limit. Each person then draws a number out of a hat and they select a gift in order. Each person can select one of the unwrapped gifts, or “steal” one from one that has already been opened. Here are the “official” White Elephant rules.

There’s also the White Elephant Dice Game. It’s a little more complicated – you roll the dice and follow the instructions. Rules here.

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac?
• Ways to bring more gratitude into your life.
• Want STEM toys for your kids?
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!

Ahhhh, November. The month for giving thanks and appreciation for all we have. A whole month given over to feeling grateful! Do you ever need a little help feeling gratitude? Would a gratitude app help? Even with social media overrun with “ThankfulThursday”, “MondayMotivation”, and “GratitudeAttitude”, sometimes it’s hard to remember to count our blessings. What are the best Gratitude Journals? I think the best gratitude journal is the one that works the best for you. Here are some ideas.

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Marcus Tullius Cicero

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” Ralph Waldo Emerson 

I’m grateful that I was able to spend some time in Maine recently and could take these amazing photos with my iPhone!

Smartphone Apps:

We’re an IT company, so of course, my first suggestion involves technology! I’ve found several Gratitude apps which can help you make practicing gratitude a part of your daily life. Each of these apps will remind you to start your gratitude practice unless you turn the notifications off.

If you’ve been thinking about a Gratitude Journal for kids, they might be more comfortable starting with one of these apps

All of these apps can be found in the App Store or Google Play, or both.

Gratitude:

The Gratitude app has over 17,000 ratings with an average rating of 4.9/5 stars. It uses “Identifiers” to track you but says it doesn’t link “Identifiers” to a specific user, so that’s a little confusing. The app gives you a place to write a daily gratitude journal with a prompt, in case you need it. It can also prompt you with daily affirmations and has daily memes for motivation, thinking better, and, of course, gratitude. I like that it lets me start using the app without registering. I think this is the best gratitude app. Gratitude is $30/year.

Morning!:

This app only has 123 ratings with an average 4.7/5 stars. It doesn’t explicitly say what data it uses to track you, but it does link your contact info and “identifiers” to you. They have a place for you to record entries in the morning and at days end. It also has a Quote of the Day which you can click on. I liked the simplicity of this one. Morning! is $6 as a one-time purchase.

Grateful:

I’m not recommending the Grateful app even though it has 2700 ratings and 4.6 stars. It links your purchases, usage data, and identifiers to you. The free version limits you to 15 entries which is probably enough time to figure out if it works for you or not. (Then it’s $15 year.) When you open the app, you’re prompted to answer a new question each day. When you complete that, you’re asked to sign up again. All of my attempts to move around the app to learn more about it were met with a request to sign up.

365 Gratitude App:

When I opened this app, it started by asking me a whole bunch of questions; my mood, relationship status, parental status, work, etc. I found it a little intrusive. Once I answered all the questions if presented the “perfect plan” for me. Then it presented several messages as if it were a friend texting me, ending with asking me to select the emoji which represented my mood today. This app has 2100 ratings with an average of 4.7 stars. They link your contact info, identifiers, user content, and usage data to you. They also use usage data to track you. 365 Gratitude is $35/year.

5 Minute Gratitude Journal:

This app has 14,000 ratings with an average of 4.8/5 stars. It does require you to create an account before you can use the app. Once you log in, you’re presented with a journal prompt for what you are grateful for, what you plan to do today, and what your daily affirmations are. It tracks your contact info and user content. It gives you the option to add another entry for the evening. This app is $25/year.

Reflectly:

This app is $30 for the first year and $60 per year after that. They have 78,000 ratings of 4.6 stars. This app has you select a mood emoji and then emoji’s for the things you are grateful for. This app will automatically send you quotes and affirmations throughout the day unless you turn notifications off. The data they link to you includes purchases, contact info, identifiers, and usage data.

Meditation:

If you want to start a gratitude meditation practice rather than journaling, many of the meditation apps include guided meditations for gratitude in their free versions.

• Calm is a great app for morning meditations. They have several apps which focus on gratitude. The meditation leads you through prompts of things you might be grateful for. This app has 1.4million ratings with 4.8 stars. It links contact info, identifiers, purchases, health & fitness info, and search history to your identity. $60/year for the premium version. (This is the meditation app I use.)
• 10% happier has 100,000 ratings with an average of 4.8 stars, and they link the same information to you as the Calm app. It has meditations for relaxation, sleep, focus, happiness, health, and gratitude. It costs $100/year.
• Simple Habit has 75,000 ratings with an average of 4.8 stars. Again, they link the same info as the Calm app. The premium version is $90/year. They have meditations for gratitude, focus, self-confidence, etc. I like Simple Habit primarily because of the calming voices of the people doing the meditations.

Old School:

Of course, you can always go old school and just grab pen and paper. Write down one or more things that you’re grateful for each day. In support of Small Business Saturday, head over to your favorite bookstore and pick up a beautiful new gratitude journal to help with this new habit.

You can also look online for a gratitude journal template, a printable gratitude journal, or gratitude journal prompts. These are all great ways to get started.

I start a new list every month on a fresh piece of paper. I write a short blurb every morning of what has brought me joy that day or the day before. Looking over those lists at the end of the month, or even months later fills me with gratitude for my family, my home, my community, and, of course, my Geek!

Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a free report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime, we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More Tips Here:

• Looking for gift ideas under $50?
• Thinking about getting a new Mac?
• Ready for the DSTime change?
• Has your email been hacked?
• And here are the 10 Password Mistakes you don’t want to make!