Category Archives: Technology

Solo Smart Drone at Best Buy

3D Robotics Solo Drone, Fun for the Entire Family, at Best Buy Now!

Gadgets, Technology, , ,

 

3D Robotics Solo Drone at Best Buyspacer

You might think it’s too late to get Dad a great gift for Father’s Day but think again!  It’s never a bad time to give Dad a fun gift.   Best Buy has the 3D Robotics Solo Drone, the first-ever drone powered by two integrated Linux computers, making capturing the perfect shot easy for anyone!  Imagine all the fun videos and photographs you could get with a drone like the kids swimming in the pool, practicing soccer, jumping on the trampoline, Dad mowing the lawn. 😉  Best Buy is the destination for drones, including the new Solo™ by 3DR.  Now is the time to explore for Father’s Day – and beyond!

3D Robotics’ Solo Drone, the world’s first Smart Drone, has LED lights for directional awareness, an accessory bay, and live HD streaming to your mobile device. The Solo’s familiar video game-style controller feels natural, even if you’ve never flown a drone.  The Solo controller is the only drone controller with its own 1 GHz computer giving the user extraordinary control over the drone.  Pushbutton commands on the controller put both camera and copter at your fingertips.  Take off, land or instantly pause your flight midair with a single touch. Click to start and stop recording or snap a photo, even adjust camera angle while you fly.

Solo Drone at Best Buy

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Solo’s Smart Shots feature allow users to capture speciality photographs and videos quickly and effortlessly.

Smart Shot modes include:

  • Selfie
    Automatically put yourself in the middle of a scenic aerial pullout shot. As Solo flies itself up and back, your surroundings expand, building and revealing more and more of the world around you—it’s a portrait and a landscape all at once. Record the clip directly to your phone for easy saving and sharing.

 

  • Cable Cam
    Locked on a virtual cable in the air, you’re free to pan and tilt the camera without worrying about piloting the copter

 

  • Orbit
    Get an iconic wraparound shot by locking your GoPro® onto any object with the push of a button. Orbit mode puts Solo on a circular track with an adjustable radius. Fly around the circle in either direction and Solo will keep the camera locked on your subject. You can also adjust altitude and flight speed to create dynamic and sophisticated aerial shots.

 

  • Follow
    Go completely hands-free. Whether you’re taking the road less traveled with your friends, cruising your boat around the lake or just out exploring the world, Solo will automatically follow along in the air. This mode keeps the camera centered on you at all times, capturing your every move.

 

Solo Smart Drone at Best Buy

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It seems unreal doesn’t it? 

The Solo app  (for iOS and Android) make it easy to get the most out of Solo’s smart features. 

Solo, the Smart Drone, arrived in over 400 Best Buy stores on June 8, just in time for Father’s Day. It’s .  The Solo retails for $999.  This intelligent drone is also the first to support full control of GoPro® cameras and deliver live HD video either wirelessly to your mobile device or through the controller’s HDMI port for live broadcasts.  What are you waiting for?

 

Best Buy 3DR Solo Drone Offer:

  • If you purchase a 3DR Solo Drone by July 11, 2015, you’ll get a FREE Solo Smart Battery (Reg. Price: $149.99) (Sku: 5354101).
    Valid 6/7-7/11 at Best Buy.
  • Offer valid with purchase of the 3DR Solo Drone SKU: 5351035

 

We have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

GoPro HERO+ LCD Launch at Best Buy

GoPro HERO+ LCD Launch at Best Buy = Amazing Father’s Day Gift!

Technology,

Note to readers: I have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Father’s Day is just around the corner and Best Buy is the destination for the gadgets and gear Dad loves like the latest cameras and camcorders, and the new GoPro HERO+LCD.   The new camera arrives in stores just in time for Father’s Day.

GoPro HERO+ LCD Launch at Best Buy
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My husband and I love to capture great action shots and videos of the kids enjoying their favorite activity and the new GoPro HERO+LCD makes it easier and more fun than ever to do just that!  Moments just captured can be relived on-the-spot with the LCD display.  The GoPro HERO+LCD takes 8MP photos, 1080p60 video, and has built in Wi-Fi making it easy to preview content and share favorite videos to Instagram, Facebook and more platforms.  Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® connection to the GoPro App allow for total camera control.  The curved and flat mount allow the GoPro HERO+LCD to be easily mounted to helmets, skateboards, bicycles, and more!

How excited would the Father in your life be if he received a GoPro HERO+LCD for Father’s Day?  This is a gift that the kids will enjoy as much as Dad.  That can’t be said for all Father’s Day gifts!

GoPro HERO+ LCD Launch at Best Buy
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Make it an all-in-one awesome Father’s Day.  Help Dad capture his adventures and relive them on the spot with the new GoPro HERO+ LCD! Imagine the fun videos and photos you would capture with the GoPro HERO+LCD this summer!  Surfing, kayaking, screaming on rides at amusements parks, and riding a bike for the first time are all great moments to capture.

 

GoPro HERO+LCD Offers at Best Buy Now!

  • HERO+LCD (Sku 6954009) with free 32GB Extreme Plus memory card (Sku 9387066). Valid 6/14-6/20

 

  • Free $50 Best Buy Gift Card with purchase of the GoPro HERO4 Silver (Sku 8374096) or GoPro HERO4 Black (Sku 8374078). Valid 6/7-6/20

 

Best Buy LG G4

Best Buy: LG G4 – An Exceptional Visual Experience in the Palm of your Hand

Smartphones, Sponsored, Technology,
Best Buy LG G4

The LG G4 has landed at Best Buy and it’s causing quite the excitement.  LG’s latest phone boasts an impressive camera, improved display and expandable memory making the LG G4 a great option if you’re in the market for a new smartphone.  The latest cell phone from LG features a superior camera experience, a cutting-edge 5.5″ display and an elegant and comfortable design and you can check it out now at your local Best Buy.

Best Buy LG G4

Camera & Display

The G4’s camera app has a manual mode with 15 settings and over 135 options as well as improved Laser Auto Focus so you’re always ready to capture the moment your daughter nails the pirouette she’s been practicing for months.   11% more light is brought into low-light photographs, thanks to the lens with an aperture of f/1.8, resulting in great photos of the kids playing sports in the evening.  538ppi give the screen incredible detail and sharpness and with such an impressive pixel-dense display you, and your kids, are sure to enjoy multimedia for hours.   Just what you need right?  The 25% brighter display and 50% improvement in contrast (from LG G3) makes for colors that are vibrant and eye-catching which you’ll definitely notice when you take a look at the LG G4 at your local Best Buy.  Capture a photo with the 16MP rear facing camera while you’re at the store and you’ll be captured.. by the LG G4!   Your teen will appreciate the 8MP front facing camera making selfies better than ever and photo enthusiasts (aka parents of newborns) will appreciate the G4s RAW image file capture allowing for the highest possible image quality so photos can be blown up to poster size and framed for the grandparents.  Just kidding.. I would *never* do that.   Wink.  You know those times when you’ve tried to capture a photograph of your dog catching a frisbee or your baby taking his first steps?   The G4s Optical Image Stabilization steadies the shot for a sharp, focused image while the color-spectrum sensor, a feature that adjusts the white balance according to the lighting situation, further makes the LG G4 a captivating phone.

Look & Feel

I like the LG G4’s slightly curved back.  It helps the phone feel secure in my hand.    The G4 has a 5.5″ screen and because the edges are narrower than many phones with the same screen size, the phone feels more compact.  Available back cover styles include black or brown genuine leather and metallic and ceramic style for a premium look and feel.

Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG’s new UX 4 provides familiar usability features to Android users, like Dual Window, Smart Notices, multi-tasking, Knock On/Code, which allows you to unlock the screen by tapping on it, multi-user support, and more.

Best Buy LG G4 camera

Storage & Memory

LG’s G4 has 3GB of RAM providing users with quick processing and a plethora of multi-tasking opportunities.. something parents love! 😉  The LGG4 comes with 32GB native storage and a microSD card slot.   You read that right.  Not only do you get 32GB of internal storage, you can expand the storage capability of your G4 with a microSD card.  Imagine not worrying about running out of space for photos and videos at your kids next game or recital.  Speaking of never running out.. the G4 has a replaceable high capacity 3,000mAH battery so you won’t ever run out of battery during a big game again!

Best Buy LG G4 battery

Get a $100 Best Buy® Gift Card!

Best Buy customers are guaranteed a $100 Best Buy® Gift Card when they purchase the LG G4.  Offer valid LG G4 Release Date-6/13/15

 

We have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Intel Tablet Holiday Shopping

Easy Holiday Shopping With My Intel Tablet

Gadgets, Technology,

I love shopping for holiday gifts now that I don’t have to sit in traffic, find a parking space, and wait in long lines at the store.  I’ve been shopping for my kids Christmas gifts for at least four years and wouldn’t go back to traditional holiday gift shopping for anything.  I support local shops the rest of the year , when traffic and lines aren’t a nightmare, so I don’t feel bad about shopping online for Christmas gifts.

Not only am I not going to sit in traffic and wait in long lines to shop for holiday gifts this year, I am not going to shop from my computer which stay in my home office. I am going to shop from the comfort of my favorite sitting chair in the kitchen, using my Asus MeMO Pad™ 7, an Intel Tablet.

Here is the screen I created on my Intel Tablet for my holiday shopping apps

Intel Tablet Holiday Shopping

Not only do I have big store apps on my tablet, but I also got wise and installed the RetailMeNot and Ebates app so I can save money and get money back on my holiday shopping this year!   I buy everything I can on Amazon and being able to search Amazon on the go and buy things with one-click from my tablet is such a time saver.  With the Ebates app, I can see what stores I will get the largest rebate from and click through Ebate’s link to shop and get a 4%+ cash back rebate in turn.

Intel Tablet recipe apps

Another way I can use my table to make life a little easier this holiday season is by using it in the kitchen.  I’m not much of a cook and I don’t have a plethora of cookbooks in my kitchen.  I have a few favorite recipes that I count on but I’ve been trying to break out of my comfort zone lately and cook dishes that require a few more than 3 or 4 ingredients.  My go to ingredients are, please don’t laugh, Quinoa, pepper, olive oil, and meat.   It doesn’t seem like there’s much you can do with those ingredients but a few minutes on the Cookpad, Allrecipes, or Food Network recipe apps and you’ll see tons of recipes that use quinoa for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  The problem is that most of them require the use of vegetables, most of which I despise.

I also have a few smoothie apps on my tablet.  I don’t use quinoa in my smoothies but I have been eating (drinking, really) a lot more vegetables since making smoothies.  If you’re thinking about having a try at smoothies, download a smoothie app or two onto your device so you have quick access to lots of smoothie recipes.

My Intel Tablet as well as most, if not all of these tablets, have a camera, making them a fun gift for a tween or teen who loves to snap photos and share them or for the budding photographer who enjoys playing with photo editing apps.

Read my other posts about my Asus MeMO Pad™ 7.

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel. This could include the Intel Corporation providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Sprint Sharp AQUOS Cyrstal

Sharp AQUOS® Crystal (Sprint) Review

Gadgets, Smartphones, Technology,

Influence Central

When I opened my latest shipment for the #SprintMom program I was surprised to see a small box with the Sharp logo on it.  Sharp makes smartphones? Yes, Sharp does and a very unique one at that.  The AQUOS name isn’t limited to Sharp’s beautiful AQUOS LCD televisions any longer.   The AQUOS Crystal is like a tiny version of their AQUOS televisions.

Sprint Sharp AQUOS Cyrstal

The Sharp AQUOS Crystal, offered exclusively through Sprint and its prepaid brands Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA, has great specs for the price point of around $200 with no credit check or $0 with a 2-year service agreement.  From the start I oohed and ahhed over the 5 inch edgeless screen.  A few of my other favorite features of the AQUOS Crystal are the 8MP camera, Harman/Kardon audio technology (great sound!), Wi-fi calling, many camera features and modes, and Clip Now – a feature that allows you to send a screenshot of whatever is on your screen; a photo, contact, email, or web page for example, and send it to a friend.  I can’t leave out the Speaktoit Assistant.  This fabulous assistant could be my new best friend.  Ask him/her anything and your wish is granted.  What is the weather?  What movies are playing?  What is 640-62?  You can even customize your assistant to have brown hair and brown eyes if you’d like.  With the push of a button you’re on your way to finding out what you need to know right then and there.

Sharp AQUOS Crystal Highlights

• Android 4.4.2 KitKat

• 5″ frameless LCD display

• 5.16 x 2.6 x 0.40 inches

• 8MP camera

• Speaktoit Assistant

• App Pass

• Harman Kardon audio

• 2,040mAh lithium-ion pack

• Available at Sprint

The Sharp AQUOS Crystal runs on Android™ 4.4.2, KitKat and comes equipped with Google Mobile services including Google Search, Google Maps, Google Navigation, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google+ and YouTube!  I use Gmail, Google+ for photo storage and editing and YouTube everyday, all of which work a smartphone to the bone.   Another app I use everyday that put the AQUOS Crystal to the test is TwitPro, an app that broadcasts live and recorded tech podcasts.   I watch a video podcast while waiting in the carpool line which requires the device I’m using to have a good processor, great graphics, and reliable connection, all of which Sprint and the AQUOS Crystal offer.   Streaming video podcasts is seamless on this phone.  Madelyn watches videos on Amazon Prime Instant Video when we’re on road trips and this smartphone is the perfect size for just that.

The Sharp AQUOS Crystal has a bezel-free display giving it an edge in the smartphone design space.   No bezel means you have more screen real-estate for your favorite apps.  The frame is sturdy and strong and the curved design makes it easy to hold even for tiny toddler hands.  Speaking of toddler hands, kids get bored of apps and games quickly.  Sprint has a solution for that with their new App Pass program which allows customers to download apps from the App Pass catalog for just $4.99 a month!  How many times have you purchased an app for your child and she’s over it within 3 days.  The App Pass program nixes that by allowing access to an entire catalog of premium, hand-selected apps for just $4.99 a month!  App Pass offers unlimited access to these apps and games across two devices, and additionally, customers are given a $5 credit each month to spend on in-app purchases.  There’s an app for everyone in the family with App Pass. The apps are sorted into the following categories: Games, Free to Play, Lifestyle, Media, Utilities, Kids, Productivity, Books & Reference.

A snapshot of a few of the kids apps in the App Pass catalog

Clip Now feature on Sharp AQUOS Crystal

Camera & Audio

Take pictures like a pro with the 8MP camera and it’s plethora of features and modes.  Framing advisor improves photos by doing the thinking for you, helping with the composition and framing of your shot.  The advisor has options including food, portrait and outdoor scenes.  Never take a dark nighttime photo again with the Night Catch feature which brightens both subject and background for tricky nighttime shots.  Action shots are made easy with Sequential Shots. The Sequential Shots feature catches rapid movements by using one simple button hold.  One of my favorite camera features is Shutter Detect automatically takes a photo when it detects a smile.   I was amazed the first time I tried this feature.  It really does work, even capturing a photo of my husband smiling.. it’s a miracle! 😉   I found that the AQUOS’ color temperature is truer than some smartphones I’ve reviewed.  Many times, photos taken on a smartphone will lean toward the cyan side making the photo look cold and not natural.  The AQUOS Crystal camera is best used in bright light situations and when held very still.  Capturing unforgettable moments is easy and fun with the Sharp AQUOS® Crystal.

photo taken with Sharp AQUOS Cyrstal

I’ve heard of wifi calling but never really thought about what it is exactly.  Wi-Fi Calling allows users to use their voice and messaging services over existing home, office and public Wi-Fi networks, not using their valuable minutes.

The Sharp AQUOS Crystal has and a solid list of specs for an affordable price.  The 2,040mAh lithium-ion pack will easily get you through a full 14 hour day.

Sharp AQUOS Crystal

When you’re looking for your next phone, check out the AQUOS Crystal at your local Sprint store.  It is also available through Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA.