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More Apps for Your Entertainment

January 24, 2012 By

Have you been looking for apps for your new Android device, but are having a hard time finding the right ones? Though the Android marketplace has a huge number of apps, there are always more out there, although they’re a little bit more difficult to find. Most people don’t know that you can take your search off the marketplace.

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Have you found an app on the web that you would love on your phone? With a guide to non-market Android apps, you can use anything you find on the web, on your Android based device. There are a few reasons that an app may not be on the Android marketplace. First, it may not have been approved yet. Once an app has been submitted, it has to go through an approval process before it ends up on the market. It may also never have been submitted for one reason or another – some publishers like to keep their apps quiet.

Once you have found an app that you want on your device, it’s actually fairly easy to use. Follow the steps below to download and install your new app.

1) Find your app. This is the most difficult step for most people. You can find these apps in a variety of ways – you may have heard of the app from friends, you may have stumbled upon it while browsing the Internet, or while reading an article.

2) Download the APK file to your computer. This is the application package file, and holds all of the information for the app.

3) Connect your phone to your computer through the USB cord. If you get asked whether you want this as a hard drive or a charging connection, select hard drive. This will allow you to put the file onto your phone.

4) Check if your settings allow you to download apps from sources other than the Android marketplace. Most phones are factory set with this not allowed. This should be an option in your device’s security setting options.

5) Find the file on your computer. Copy this file, and paste it into your device’s drive.

6) From here, you should be able to run the file from your file manager. If you do not have a file manager already downloaded, it is highly suggested to get one from the Android marketplace before beginning this process.

 

Though there are other ways to find and download off market apps, this is generally thought to be the easiest. When looking for great apps, don’t hesitate to look off market.

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How to Eliminate That Expensive Cell Phone Bill

May 8, 2011 By
Day 35_ students for Humanity!! 

Image by Frerieke via Flickr

Cell phone bills have become almost as expensive as they are ubiquitous. Almost everybody has a cell phone, after all. But just like with gasoline, no matter how much one may complain about its price, the fact remains that it isn’t really optional. However, there are ways to get around having a cell phone bill larger than your house payment. That way is by being very choosy, and making your choices based on what you actually need.

When you compare cell phone plans, you are going to find a ton of options available to you. You will find everything from prepaid plans where you get a certain number of minutes, all the way up to plans with unlimited texting, unlimited talk and even unlimited downloads. And as tempting as it will initially be to simply choose the cheapest plan and be done with it, that may end up not being the best plan for you. Remember, there is a difference between value and price. And when it comes to your family’s cell phone plan, you need to keep your actual needs in mind.

Allowing your kids to text their friends 5,000 times per day is not a need. Your kids may complain when you tell them that after a certain number they’ll either pay for their usage or get their texting dropped, but ultimately this will be a lesson to them. If nothing else, they’ll learn to get out with what they’re trying to say to their friends, instead of just texting ad nauseum whenever they get bored or have chores. At any “rate,” choose your plan carefully.

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When teens text and drive

March 25, 2011 By

A major problem has occurred because teens are testing while they are driving. The Allstate Foundation has conducted a study that has shown that 82% of teens are using their cell phone while they are driving a car. Of those 49% have admitted that they also text while driving.According to this study the teens had admitted the reason they were texting was to flirt, find friends, and even to get driving directions.

According to research that was conducted by Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute driving and texting can increase the chances of a accident occuring by twenty three times. It has been advised to everyone not just teens to learn the risks of texting while driving and to stop texting.

A person may want to consider these suggestions to stop texting and driving. If you are driving switch off your phone altogether. Resist the temptation if you feel it is necessary to send a text to someone. You can always wait until you can pull over somewhere when it is safe and then send your message. Be sure to turn the phone back off once the message has been sent. You can always ask a passenger if you have one to call or text someone for you .

We can take action to improve driving safety conditions. If you text while driving there could be serious consequences to face. It could kill you or someone else. You would not want to play with anyone’s life just because you wanted to call or text someone would you?

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Cell Phone Rules: Talking to your Teenager

December 23, 2010 By

Many parents find their teenagers attached to their cell phones at all hours of the day. Setting some basic rules about usage can help to prevent this from intruding on family life or putting their safety in danger. All families should have talks about usage based on what kind of phone plan they have, but they should also consider talking about when and where cell phones are appropriate.

Cell Phones in the Car
Talking to your teenager about cell phone usage while driving should be part of learning safe driving habits. If your teenager needs to make a call while on the road, be sure that he or she knows to find a place to stop and park while the call is made. Incoming calls and text messages can wait until the car is parked. Many states have laws about phone usage behind the wheel and it is important to further enforce these within your family of drivers.

Cell Phones during Family Time
Whatever your family understands as family time–birthdays and holidays, gatherings with grandparents, or dinner together every night. When it’s time to talk as a family and spend time together, cell phones–both children’s and parents’ phones–should stay away. Teenagers will often need reminders that in most cases, phones come secondary to people who are in the room with them and it is important to always keep that in mind.

Cell Phones and Sleep Schedules
Many teenagers sleep with their cell phones near their bed, a habit that could actually be harming their sleep cycle. Studies have found that cell phones can interfere with sleep, cause insomnia, and contribute to anxiety. Keeping cell phones charging in the kitchen or office overnight is one way to discourage late night text sessions or teenagers who are gripped to their email at all hours of the night.

Setting a few phone guidelines can help your whole family to live a little better.

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Helping your Child Prepare for the SAT

December 8, 2010 By

There are many great options out there for your child as he or she prepares to take the SAT. Practice books, SAT workshops, test prep programs, and plain old studying can all help to improve test scores. The best thing parents can do is to provide a strong support system and few basic things to teenagers preparing for the biggest test of their life so far.

Stress Management
teaching your teenager good stress management skills will help them for the SAT and in everything else that they do. If you’re raising a worrier or a teenager who frequently lets stress get them down, this is the time to chat about ways to manage it. Encourage them to take frequent study breaks, get outside, and find out what helps them to control their anxiety leading up to test day. Remind them that they get more than one chance, if it doesn’t go well the first time, they can always take the test a second time to improve the scores.

A Little Enforcement
Helping your child to stick to a test prep schedule can be an important role for parents. Set up a calendar early in the process and encourage your teenager to stick to it. Check in along the way to make sure they are staying on task and feeling good about the progress they have made. Taking practice tests at regular intervals can help to improve confidence and give them goalposts to work towards on the way to test day.

24-Hour Preparation
This is the time to focus on confidence and going into the test feeling good. Be sure that your teenager does some studying the day before, then puts the books away and focuses on something else for a little while. Encourage them to get a good night’s sleep and prepare breakfast the next morning before leaving for the test. Double check that they have everything they need as you head out the door.

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Avoiding Common Driving Distractions

December 3, 2010 By

When your teenager is learning to drive, it pays to be more vigilant than ever about avoiding unnecessary distractions in the car. New drivers need to focus all of their energy and attention on learning to drive and keeping their eyes on the road. As their teacher, you can help to prevent distractions that could result in reckless driving or accidents.

Cell Phones
Cell phones should always stay away while you are driving and it is important to model this behavior for your new driver. Don’t take calls behind the wheel and don’t allow your child to keep the phone out during a driving practice session. This behavior is easier to manage if rules are enforced from the very beginning. Talking, even on a hands-free phone, can be distracting early in the learning process. Many states have different rules limiting phone usage behind the wheel and some have stricter rules for young drivers.

Music Options
While most drivers are fine listening to music while driving a car, new drivers may want to keep the radio off at first. During early driving sessions, this will allow you to communicate with your teenager and give directions without having to speak over the music. Once your new driver is ready to have the radio on during driving practice, keep the volume low and set the station before leaving home. Fiddling with the radio while driving can be dangerous, especially for inexperienced drivers.

Passengers
While your teenager is learning to drive, it is important to limit the other people in the vehicle to just your teenager and the parent or adult doing the teaching. Other passengers, particularly friends or siblings, can create a distraction for the new driver. After your son or daughter gets a drivers license, continue to monitor the number of passengers and set rules as safety guidelines for your teenager.

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