Tag: hln

It’s hurricane season! These gadgets will keep you safe and connected during a blackout

by Mario Armstrong

With millions of Americans affected by powerful storms in recent weeks and hurricane season just starting to heat up, it’s a good time to stock up on some supplies and be prepared should the worst hit your home. In my latest piece on HLN, I take a look at a few tech products that will help keep you and your family safe during an emergency situation. Specifically, I take a look at three products:

1. Eton’s Line of Self-Powered AM/FM Radios start at $40 and are a must-own. Not only can you get important news updates during an emergency with a radio, you can also get NOAA weather updates. Plus, the hand-crank means you can power these radios on no matter what the situation. I like Eton’s models because you can get ones that charge your smartphone, there are ones with lights, and even a siren to alert rescue teams to your location. Great for the car and for home.

2. The Duracell Powermat 24-hour charging system is a great way to charge your phone without getting tangled up in wires, and it also comes with a portable backup battery that will provide power to your phone during a blackout. In an emergency, your phone quickly becomes your lifeline, so having a source of backup power for it is essential.

3. There’s no replacement for a good flashlight in a blackout, and the new Maglite models with LED lights are my recommendation. Because LEDs use such small amounts of power, you can get up to 25 hours of full intensity light with the ML125 model on just (3) C-Cell alkaline batteries.

Keep all of your travel needs in your pocket with these 3 apps!

by Mario Armstrong

HLN digital lifestyle expert® Mario Armstrong takes a look at three apps that can help you ‘live better now:’

  • Lemon – a digital wallet that organizes things like your loyalty cards, receipts and coupons to help you spend (and save!) more intelligently. For instance, Lemon lets you throw away those pesky receipts by taking photos of them, then using those pictures for tax purposes or just to track your spending.
  • TripIt – Keep all of your travel itineraries in one spot, from your hotel confirmations to your flight info. All you have to do is forward your confirmation emails over to TripIt and they automagically organize your details in their outstanding app for iPhone and Android! Then when you’re checking in you don’t have to search through your email or dig through a stack of papers—you can just pull out the app and then find your current trip!
  • Yelp – Online yelp works great, but when you’re on the go or in a city you don’t know too well the Yelp app uses your GPS location to find great places to eat or drink near you! An indispensable tool for the frequent traveler who wants more out of their meals than chain restaurant experiences.

Six Must-Have Summer Gadgets For Road Trips, the Beach, and Staying Powered!

by Mario Armstrong

On Morning Express with Robin Meade I went through a list of some of my favorite gadgets for the summer. Some of these are really cool and practical. In the video above, you can check out my roundup. Want to see a full list of the products I mention in this piece? Then head on over to HLNtv.com and check out my blog post that accompanies this video.

VIDEO: On @HLNtv I answer the burning question: Should I friend my kids on Facebook?

by Mario Armstrong

This morning, Robin Meade asked the question, “Should parents friend their kids on Facebook?” My answer? ABSOLUTELY! Just do me a favor — don’t ruin the kids conversations. You’ll just send them into online hiding if you do.

Kids today can be sneaky and they have some serious workarounds at their disposal, so I recommend a few steps you can take to better manage their computer usage:

–Put devices in your main living area. This isn’t the best way to monitor, but it’s better than them being in their room and out of view. Want the rest of my tips? Click here to read the whole article on HLNtv.com!

VIDEO: How to activate your Facebook privacy settings via @HLNtv

by Mario Armstrong

HLN digital lifestyle expert Mario Armstrong is worried about your Facebook privacy settings. He’s worried because so many of you have not bothered to set them, or even LOOK at them. It’s important to take a few simple steps to make sure people aren’t getting on your Facebook page and posting stuff you don’t want up there. For example, you can prevent someone from tagging you in that pic that makes it look like you have three chins … and you should! Continue reading this post on HLNtv.com

Are we revealing way too much info about ourselves online? Millions not using Facebook privacy settings!

by Mario Armstrong

“I can’t believe what I’m reading!” That is the feeling I got while digesting Consumer Reports’ recent “State of the Net” survey, which essentially puts our digital habits under the microscope.

The reason I was so shocked by the report boils down to these three things. Continue reading this blog post on HLNtv.com.

Put your social network on the map!

by Mario Armstrong

One trend among social-networking apps is the ability to combine all your posts and updates with your location. It’s a fantastic idea for some, terrifying for others.

I show off one app called banjo, which helps you find out who’s nearby and what they’re talking about.

Friends and strangers alike: If you are into the social aspect of social networking, you’ll geek out for this. But if you’re particular about your privacy, I will show you step-by-step how to lock these apps OUT so you can stay off the radar.

VIDEO: Share video moments quickly and easily from your smartphone or tablet with @SocialcamApp

by Mario Armstrong

If you’re just tuning in, then you maybe haven’t heard me talk about Socialcam, the mobile app that let’s you quickly make and share videos with friends, family, and your social networks. Socialcam also has video filters (think Instagram!) that let you change the way your video looks, and they’ve got everything from a retro 70’s feel, to a black and white film style, and more. They also have several themes and music options you can add, so you can make your video look like an MTV music video or appear as though you’re a television reporter. Socialcam is available from the App Store for your iPhone or iPad as well as Google Play for Android devices. And if you decide to download Socialcam, make sure to follow me! You can find me at socialcam.com/Mario or do a search for “Mario Armstrong” inside the app!

The other app I talk about is called Animoto. With this app, you can combine pictures, video and music to create a video. This is a great way to capture a vacation and share it with family, or maybe making a quick video greeting card. One of my Twitter followers used it to make a birthday present for his Grandmother, check this out:

Animoto is available only on iOS devices, and you can get it today from the app store.

Charge your cell phone by walking or running around with the nPowerPEG!

by Mario Armstrong

This morning I appeared on HLN to talk about some new and innovative ways to keep your devices charged. Here’s some of the products I talked about:

– nPowerPEG: This amazing device turns your kinetic energy, whether thats from walking, running, biking, etc. into power for your cell phone or tablet. Even better, unlike the vast majority of tech devices on the market, the nPowerPEG isn’t made in China—their factory is actually in Cleveland, Ohio!
– Power Bag: This amazingly innovative line of backpacks, luggage, and messenger bags actually has a battery inside of it, along with the plugs you need to charge your tablets, eReaders, smartphones, tablets and more! So you charge the bag, and then the bag can charge your devices when you’re on the go! You can buy one from their website, mypowerbag.com, but also find them at Amazon, Best Buy, Macys, and other major retailers.