Review: The iPhone 7 Plus - Does Size Matter?

Compared to my iPhone 5s,  the iPhone 7 Plus is a beast of a phone and when I was given the opportunity to review one by Three.co.uk, I couldn't say no.

Spotted in a Devonshire garden

The biggest reason for this was that, being in the 'varifocal years',  mobile phone screen size has come to matter - A LOT.

Recently I've found myself accidentally deleting important lists from Evernote because I can't darn well see what I'm doing on the rather small iPhone 5s screen.

Cwm George, Dinas Powys

There's another reason too - I HATE using mobile phones at my ear because I hate that 'hot ear' thing and having the useful combination of Tinnitus and mild hearing loss, I either have to risk a Tinnitus spike as I invariably leave the volume up too high or I can't hear the caller on the speaker.

No such problems with the iPhone 7 Plus.  It offers brilliant (and nicely loud) speaker quality for calls - as good as any of the conference calls I had to sit in on during my marketing past.

And yes, I can see what I'm doing now, although arguably this problem could have been sorted by resorting to my iPad when out and about.

The 7 Plus is a big phone though and my question is whether the extra size of the handset would be a help or a hindrance.

Caitlin in Thurlestone Village, Devon

I already have an iPad Air and the iPhone 5s and whilst all Apple products link seamlessly together, there is a risk of duplication or even overkill.

I want something which I can carry about with me and blog on the go without going skewy eyed or having to shout.  Arguably the iPad should be enough but I recently tried the MacBook Air which offers even greater versatility and the ability to take the whole office with me if needed.

Ieuan on Thurlestone Beach, Devon

The major downside of course is the cost of Apple's products.  Top of the range they may be but that does come with a price premium which, when you're a one woman business means you have to take some hard decisions when it comes to financial outlay.

In case you aren't familiar with the iPhone 7 Plus's main features, these are:-

*Display

The iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch Retina HD display which Apple says supports a wider range of colours for cinema standard display.

The iPhone 7 Plus

*Storage

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus come with three storage options, 32GB, 128GB and 256GB but there is no expandable storage.  The iPhone 7 is, however, 25% faster than the iPhone 6 due to the new A10 fusion chip.

*New Home Button

On this model there is force sensitive button rather than one which has to be physically pressed in.  It is similar to the Force Touch trackpads on MacBook laptops.

My current phone, the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 7 Plus

*No Headphone Jack

On this model you use the lightning port to connect your headphones.  Not a problem for me since, as a Tinnitus sufferer, I avoid headphones like the plague.  The phone does, however, have immersive stereo speakers.

*Splash and Water Resistant

An extra level of comfort this may offer but independent reviewers are still advising you to avoid your local swimming pool.

*Camera

The iPhone 7 has an upgraded camera with a f/1.8 aperture, a six element lens and a larger sensor. There is also a flash with four LEDs.  The iPhone 7 Plus has a dual camera set up with two 12-megapixel cameras.  One lens is a wide angle 28mm and the other is a telephoto 56mm lens which enables 10x optical zoom.  The front camera also has a bump to 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera for selfies and FaceTime video calling.

*Battery Life

It has the longest ever battery life in an iPhone. Apple claims that the iPhone 7 gives at least 2 more hours of battery as compared to iPhone 6s, while the bigger iPhone 7 Plus will offer at least 1 hour more of battery life than the 6s Plus.

*Colour Options

There are five colour choices - Black, Jet Black, Silver, Gold and Rose Gold.

Of course with the iPhone 8 launch imminent, it will be interesting to see how these features adapt and change in the new model.

It looks like an upgrade for me has to be on the cards because Apple now say that iPhone 5's will not support the next version of ios - ios11. The iPhone 5s will support it but some older apps will no longer work.

I found that whilst my 5s slips easily into a pocket when I grab it for the school run, the 7 Plus was less manageable without a proper carry case.

It is also a phone that I would not be happy to take on without decent mobile phone insurance. Currently I have my secondhand 5s covered by the home insurance.  This would be an extra, but necessary cost.

The main strength of the iPhone 7 Plus, as I see it, is the camera which makes it a definite go-to phone for bloggers - particularly for those with a major focus on Instagram.  The faster processor also means that this model is very quick indeed.

Storm clouds over Barry Island Beach

I suspect I will bite the bullet (or Apple) and swop to the iPhone 7 Plus.  Big thanks too, to Three.co.uk for the loan.  I had no coverage issues at all whilst in the wilds of Devon - not even on a particularly windy Thurlestone Beach.

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Keep Track Of Your Kids With The dokiWatch 3G Enabled Smartwatch For Kids

A couple of years ago we lost Caitlin.  A family squabble over lunch in Cardiff Bay led to an act of defiance and our feisty little daughter marching out into the thronging crowds whilst we scrabbled after her.

For a few, heart stopping minutes, we couldn't see her but luckily she hadn't wandered too far.  I can still remember the sickening lurch in my stomach as I realised she was completely out of sight and anything could happen to her.

Which is why I was happy to road-test the dokiWatch, the world's most advanced smartwatch for kids aged 6 to 12 which is both a wearable phone and a tracking device. If I had had one of these finding Caitlin would have been quicker and far less stressful.

Whilst the jury is still out on the safety of kids using mobile phones and the inevitability of our children having them at some point continues to be a major point of parental discussion, the dokiWatch offers a kind of half way platform which allows both child and parent the comfort that comes with being able to stay in touch.

The dokiWatch is the first ever 3G enabled smartwatch for children and it has video calling, voice calling and messaging.  Not only does it have GPS tracking but there's an electronic 'dokiPet' which acts as a fitness tracker and awards achievement badges.

So what exactly does it do?

Connectivity

To use the dokiWatch you need a Nano SIM with a voice and data service from your mobile provider. It is incredibly easy to set up - just insert the sim, turn the watch on and scan the QR code with the doki app.

Functions

Voice Calling - parents and kids can call each other and you can also have a preset friends list when contacts can be called at the touch of a button (for example grandparents).

Voice Messaging - parents and kids can send each other voice messages up to 30 seconds long.

Text Messaging & Emojiis - great for sending reminders to your kids.

Emergency SOS Mode - a red SOS button on the side of the watch will send an emergency notification to designated contacts including 60 seconds of your child's voice and any background noise.

Smart Locator - you can track the position of your child on the doki app which uses GPS, GSM and WiFi to pinpoint their location.

Alert Area - you can configure the watch to alert you when your child leaves a designated area.

Classroom Mode - you can turn the watch off so that it doesn't interrupt lesson.

What we liked

Caitlin and Ieuan took turns wearing it and loved the messaging function and being able to call me every five minutes with an update on their location.  In turn, I could see their location on the doki app.

The watch is bright, colourful and comfortable to wear. Ours was 'Sonic Blue' but there's also Dazzle Pink, Shark Grey and Mango Yellow. I worried initially about the watch falling off when the kids ran about but it fits quite securely without being uncomfortable or irritating to the skin.

It gives you the confidence of knowing where your kids are within a set radius and encourages a little more independence in your kids.

Caitlin also liked that the watch is a bit of a head turner and attracted quite a few admiring glances!

What we didn't like

Nothing, in all honesty.  For the less than tech-savvy, a basic 'quick start' guide would be a handy addition to the pack and our only other niggle was that the charging cable is magnetic and will fall off the watch if you knock it whilst it is charging.  I would have preferred a charging cable that could be actually inserted into the watch.

We gave our dokiWatch a thorough road test on our holiday in Devon and the only problem we had was that it was tricky to get the video messaging to work due to the poor signal in some parts of the countryside - a problem which afflicts all mobile devices.

We had absolutely no problem with voice calling or messaging.

If you would like to try the dokiWatch, the manufacturers, Indiegogo.com are holding a flash sale for 48 hours only starting from 12 AM GMT on June 5th where the starting price will be $119 USD (40% discount) for the first 50 purchasers and $139 thereafter (30% discount).  The Doki Web Store is also selling the watch and will ship to over 30 countries.

Sale Link: 

www.indiegogo.com/projects/dokiwatch-world-s-most-advanced-kids-smartwatch#/

I have to say that, having lost Caitlin once, we will be keeping our dokiWatch charged and certainly ready for use on holiday and trips to town.  We used a free pay-as-you-go SIM from GiffGaff which offers a data / call bundle for £12.

Not all schools, of course, will permit the wearing of gadgets but given the number of parents I see speeding to pick up their kids on the school run, this particular one would be a great help when you're stuck in traffic (again!) or, like me, have got distracted leaving the house and can't find your keys! One quick call and you can let your child know where you are and tell them what you need them to do.

The only function the dokiWatch lacks is getting your kids to do what you ask.

In some case I fear we're a few years off that yet.

*a PR sample was received for the purpose of this post.

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Are Your Kids Ready For Their Own Phone?

Kids are growing up faster than ever. You only have to switch on the news to hear of another child subjected to online bullying, or being pressured by social media posts. 

And while we all want to protect our children from online horrors, we have to accept that they’re growing up in a world very different to our own - one where technology rules. 

Image credit: Anthony Kelly

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when a child should get their first smartphone, but one thing’s for sure: acceptable ages are getting younger and younger. And this isn’t a surprise - in fact, it’s a good thing. 

Our children will work in a world where digital is key, and if they aren’t digital-savvy, they could miss out. Schools all over the world are putting more and more emphasis on using IT in lessons, even introducing coding lessons. 

So, if you know it’s going to happen anyway, it’s time to start weighing up when your kids are ready to get a phone. 

How responsible are they?

This is the most important question to ask yourself. If you can trust your children to use their phone sensibly, and give you complete access to apps, websites and passwords, then you’re onto a winner. NSPCC.org.uk has some great resources for parents and children alike, to help teach your kids the dangers of going online, and how to stay safe. 

Nearly all phones come with parental locks and controls, so before you pick a phone, see which has the best ratings for enforced security and passwords. 

How financially savvy are they?

We all hear about the kids who accidentally spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on sneaky in-app purchases, so it’s vital that your children have a good grasp about money. This is a two-fold approach really. They need to know the consequences of just clicking ‘buy’ when they need help in a game. And they need to know the average running costs of a phone. 

You might not ask them to contribute towards their plan, but it’s good to sit down together to see what the costs are. 

Sites like SimOnlyDeals.co.uk are good to give your children an idea of what they can get for their money. You could also explore comparison sites for phones too. 

You could use this helpful infographic to explain the details of budgeting and finances, in an easy-to-understand way. 

How good are they are prioritising?

Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/squirrel02/12631904423/

Smartphones give children an endless source of amusement. From going on sites like Facebook.com to sending funny pictures to each other on SnapChat, it’s easy to get sucked into spending hours in front of the screen. 

If you can trust your children to enjoy their off-screen lives as much as their on-screen ones, then it’s time to consider letting them have their own phone. There are some great ideas in this article, about how to balance time on and off screen. And if you think you’re guilty of too much screen time, you might find them quite helpful too!

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Review: Always Have Your Favourite Shows To Hand With The Amazon Fire TV Stick

You wouldn't expect Amazon to offer a product that wasn't a) innovative, b) well made and c) reasonably priced (eventually -  the launch price of the latest Kindle Fire was a bit of a shock).

And so it is with the very nifty Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote.

We were sent one to review from Maplin.co.uk and we opted for the Alexa Voice Remote version as we have recently purchased an Amazon Echo Dot and have been impressed with it.  Plus, not only have the kids had fun with it, it's company for me when they're at school and far less trouble than a pet.

I should explain here that you don't need an Amazon Echo or Dot for this as the Fire TV Stick already has Alexa installed.

What does it do?

Basically the Fire TV Stick is a plug in and go way to access on demand TV and stream your favourite subscription TV shows and movies.

This is the second generation of the Fire TV Stick and with it you can access over 7000 apps, games and Alexa skills.

It has 8 GB of storage and 1 GB of memory for apps and games, a quad-core processor, plus 802.11ac Wi-Fi for fast streaming and smooth performance.

You can give Alexa commands such as "Launch Netflix" or "Skip ahead 5 minutes" and of course other commands such as "search for local restaurants" and "remind me why I had children again". Actually Alexa doesn't seem to be able to answer that one. She will, however, tell you a joke if you ask.

You can even pick up where you left off and bring hit shows and movies with you when you travel. All you do is plug your Fire TV Stick into a TV's HDMI port, connect to Wi-Fi and continue watching.

And you can quickly play your current favourites or find something new to watch from the home screen.

Connection

The Amazon Fire TV Stick connects via a USB cable to the HDMI port on your TV and the box contains a handy HDMI extender to improve Wi-Fi and remote performance.

Power up your Alexa Voice Remote by simply inserting the batteries and then complete the on-screen set up by selecting your Wi-Fi network from the networks displayed on the screen. You'll need your network password to hand.

There's a little voice button at the top of the Fire TV stick which allows you to ask Alexa to find your favourite TV show or movies.

And that's it. Simple, speedy and easy to understand.

It's better with Amazon Prime

We have been members of Amazon Prime for several years now and not only do you get the unlimited one-day delivery, but you can watch thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video, listen ad-free to hundreds of hand-built playlists and access two million songs with Prime Music. You can also safely store an unlimited amount of photos. (Current fee is £79/year).

The Amazon Fire TV Stick has obviously been designed to complement this service and we found that whilst on-demand TV is free and services such as Netflix would obviously be covered by a separate subscription, lots of the Amazon programmes are free to Prime members but otherwise incur a charge (albeit generally a very reasonable one).

What if you already have a Freeview Digital Recorder?

Now if you have a Freeview Digital Recorder (we have a Humax) you might think you won't need one of these and, if all you watch is on-demand TV to catch up with your favourite shows with the occasional Netflix movie, then it may be a bit of a duplication.

Even so,  I found accessing programmes via the Fire TV Stick far quicker and easier than using the Humax remote.

Take your favourite shows and movies with you

It is surely the portability of the Amazon Fire TV Stick that is one of its greatest strengths and for parents the ability to take their little ones' favourite shows with them will be a great help on holidays (you know on those rainy staycation days!) always assuming there is a compatible HDMI TV.

However annoying Spongebob Squarepants may be, he beats the sound of children bickering any day.

Or it's great if you work away on business or to make your uni digs feel a little more like home with the familiar films you love.

I was really impressed with the Amazon Fire TV Stick. It's simple enough for even the most technophobic to use. The instructions were clear and the buttons big enough for less agile fingers to cope with and there really is a vast choice of entertainment to choose from.

And for £39.99 it's a bit of a bargain.

You can find out more at Maplin.co.uk.

*collaborative post

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Research Finds 50% of Kids Aged 11 Own a Mobile, But a Quarter of Parents Regret It

Almost daily, on our walk home from school, Caitlin and Ieuan will mention mobile phones. Already, even though they are only in years 4 and 3, some of their friends have their own phones.

We have told our kids that the jury is still out on the potential harmful effects of mobile phone usage on young brains and that we will make a decision when Caitlin goes to secondary school a year before Ieuan, meaning two separate school runs to two different schools.

But, I do have some sympathy with parents who have given their kids a phone.  Some children walk to school unaccompanied.  Still others attend breakfast club and / or after school club because their parents work.

As a stay at home mum, I recognise that I am in the privileged position of being able to take my kids back and forth to school but I can see that the need to know your child is safe when you're not around is an extremely strong reason to cave in and buy one for them.

In fact, recent research carried out by the Nationwide Building Society discovered that half of British children will own a mobile phone by the age of ELEVEN.

The study of 2,000 parents shows the average child will receive a phone worth £120 on their eleventh birthday, and will then spend two hours every day glued to the device.

But four in 10 parents end up regretting giving their youngster a phone at such a young age – as by their teenage years the child is transfixed by the likes of social media, texts, and computer games.

Incredibly, researchers found one in 20 children will own a mobile handset by the age of SIX as parents give in to primary school peer pressure.

Owning a mobile phone comes at a price for parents – in addition to the £120 upfront fee, mums and dads will be expected to replace the phone at least twice due to it being lost, stolen or damaged.

The study, which considers mobile phone ownership amongst children, reveals two thirds of parents will allow their child to have internet access on their device as soon as they get it.

And 28 per cent of kids are then allowed to use their phone all day without any supervision from an adult – despite 46 per cent have access to social media channels.

A third of parents fear their children spend far too much time on their phone – with one in eight kids spending more than four hours a day chatting to mates and playing games.

According to the data, one in 10 children will use their mobile during the school day, and 12 per cent will log in to their phone as soon as they get home from school.

Just 10 per cent of children can wait until after dinner before checking their phone.

That’s on top of the £163 parents spend on securing a new mobile phone deal or device for themselves.

Just one in six parents will limit their child’s phone usage to emergencies only – with many admitting their child uses their phone for a range of activities.

Six in 10 children use their phone to play popular computer games, while 54 per cent will watch videos on the likes of YouTube and other social media channels.

More than half of youngsters will spend much of their time surfing the internet, and 49 per cent regularly listen to music.

But many parents purchase a phone for their children because they want them contactable at all times – 55 per cent want the flexibility to stay in touch and more than a third cite safety fears as a reason for getting a handset for their children.

Unfortunately, the research discovered that purchasing a phone only ADDS to the worry parents have.

A fifth of parents are concerned their child’s phone has now led to them not enjoying enough quality time with the family, and 16 per cent are concerned their child is missing out on face-to-face interactions with others.

One in five mums and dads understandably worry about how much they are having to spend on phone calls, apps, music and games.

As a result, two thirds of parents control how long their child spend on their phone by limiting their credit (42 per cent), confiscating the device in the evenings (21 per cent) and introducing strict rules on phone use (16 per cent).

So not only do you need to fund the cost of the phone but you'd be pretty daft not to talk out mobile phone insurance as well.

The problem is that once your child has a phone, monitoring what they get up to on it is well nigh impossible - at least without some kind of additional monitoring software or limiting their credit.

I am still in two minds when it comes to mobile phones for kids but for many parents like me, I suspect that we're fighting a losing battle when it comes to the ever-growing intrusion of mobile technology into our lives.

Where do you stand on mobile phones for kids?

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Lost Childhood: Wish You Could Give Your Child The Upbringing YOU Had?

As a parent, I often find myself trotting out those well worn phrases such as "we never had those in my day" or "money doesn't grow on trees" or "we had to make our own fun".

This whilst my two are impersonating couch potatoes with their tablets resisting every attempt I make to get them into the garden on their bikes.

Photo courtesy of Rodolfo Mari

As we get older, our positive childhood memories take on a golden haze and we remember simpler, happier times involving mud, fresh air and hours spent playing in woods, quarries or by rivers - places which, these days, would give most parents the vapours.

Yet, despite the fact that many children have toys and gadgets we could only dream of, we read that the pressures on our youngsters are, in fact, mounting.

Our children are being subjected to increased stress at school with longer hours and less time with their parents who are frazzled from juggling a work and home life.

A recent survey by My Voucher Codes asked parents whether they thought their children's upbringing is better or worse than their own.

And the results were very interesting.

A large proportion of parents (46%) said they wished their children's upbringing was more like their own. Some wished they had been stricter (28%).

57% of parents felt children are growing up too quickly, possibly because of technology such as smartphones and social media.

The sexualisation of children is another large concern with kids thinking about relationships and other activities much earlier than their parents ever did.

42% of parents thought that children have much higher expectations which leads to them putting more and more pressure on themselves.

32% of parents worried about their kids reliance on mobile technology although 59% felt that this offered them more opportunities.

Today stay at home parents, like myself, are in the minority and 31% of parents said they regretted not being able to be a stay at home parent.

On the other hand 54% felt that the extra income from two salaries allowed the kids to have more luxuries than they did and 48% thought their kids would find life much harder without the extra money.

Blaming technology is a little too easy though, isn't it?  And we have to be realistic.  Developments in the fields of science and technology are surely only going to get faster and most sophisticated.

Our challenge is to adapt our parenting to ensure that our children grow up knowing how to balance technology with good, old-fashioned childhood fun.

On the one hand we may moan that Social Media is turning our youngsters into screen obsessed, uncommunicative zombies but on the other, how many of us are guilty of letting our kids use social media under the age of 13 (this is Facebook's requirement)?

It is too easy to say "oh, but all their friends are on it".

We don't have to give in and buy our youngsters mobile phones either.

As parents we DO have a choice.  We hold the purse strings and we can say no.

Easier said than done, I know, but who said parenting was easy?

Whilst we are reliving our own childhoods in romantic flashback, we might consider how it was for our parents.

My parents were born in 1939,  In fact my dad was born on 4th September, the day after World War II broke out.  We like to remind him of that quite often.

Despite this, they remember their childhoods with equal amounts of affection and have happy memories of simpler,and much less affluent times, even whilst dashing to the air-raid shelter during night-time bombing raids on Plymouth.

Rather than beating ourselves up and wishing our kids could have the kind of childhood we did, we just need to balance our use of technology with quality time with our children.

And make sure that technology becomes our servant rather than letting our kids become its slave.

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Review: Time Tokens - A Great Way To Control Your Child's Screen Time

We recently had the opportunity to test Time Tokens - a brilliantly simple solution to weaning kids off a growing dependence on their tablets and screen time in general by putting the control in their hands.

Counter intuitive though it may sound, Time Tokens aims to give children the power to manage their own screen time in a way which avoids arguments, teaches them new skills and encourages them to actively seek out family time which is NOT screen based.

The brain-child of mum of 2 Amanda Bucknall, Time Tokens were born when she found it increasingly difficult to get her 7 year old son Harry to turn off the TV or get off the i-pad.

It was easier to persuade him to do his homework, go to bed or eat veggies!

Fed up with emotionally draining battles over screen-time, Amanda and Harry set about inventing a system that would work for both of them – Time Tokens was born.

It worked so simply and effectively, soon temper tantrums were a thing of the past and Harry was actually using less screen-time and was happier and calmer as a result. After trialing it with friends and family Amanda realised they had hit on something really special.

So how does it work?

Each child is given a Time Token wallet which contains a selection of tickets each worth a certain number of minutes.  The parents decide how many tickets they are allowed and the children hand them in to gain the appropriate number of minutes of screen time.

There is also a Golden Ticket which the children get as a reward for sticking to their side of the bargain and which they can exchange for a non screen-based family activity (an ING) of their choice.

The pack also contains a timer so they can check they are sticking to the number of minutes they have 'bought' and a contract which the child signs to say they promise to stick to their side of the bargain by not going over their allotted time.

They must also promise to switch off once their timer says their time is up and not complain!

Friday is Time Tokens day when they'll get their next allowance.

There is also a range of cute cartoon characters called the Frazzles, Sparky, Splodge, Whizz, Wiggle and Pickle, each of whom has a different interest and idea of how to spend that Golden Ticket, painting, singing, exploring, making things - absolutely nothing to do with typING!

Every Friday you receive a newsletter which features a Time Tokener of the week and artwork the kids have produced of the Frazzles, together with tips and advice to help parents maintain a calmer and less 'frazzled' household.

The minimum age is 5 years old and I would say the top age range is about 8-9.

So what did we think?

The Time Tokens themselves are a breeze to use and the kids grasped the concept immediately. What was interesting from our point of view as parents is that the exercise forced us to recognise our part in the kids' rather excessive amount of screen time.

I think we are all guilty of using screen time as a babysitter and general calming activity when, ironically, it is often anything but.

Time Tokens actually makes adults discuss appropriate limits on screen time and encourages you to focus more on non-screen-based activities.

Caitlin was happy to stop using her iPad when her allotted time was up as she enjoys reading more than her brother.  (She's 8, he's 6).  She'll happily take herself off to her room and read.

Ieuan, on the other hand, requires rather more coercion to give up his tablet but was very keen to take control of planning the family outing.

We are addressing our other bad habits too - for example taking iPads to restaurants to keep the kids quiet.  Now we are encouraging them to talk about their day and making plans as a family.

We had noticed the beginning of a definite spiral of moodiness linked to iPad usage - I hesitate to use the term addictive behaviour but it can be pretty close.

We make sure that the iPads stay downstairs and don't find their way up to bedrooms (or get hidden under duvets!).

Time Tokens may not work for older, more sophisticated kids but it is a great tool for at least beginning to tackle the problem of excessive screen time and to help set more realistic limits.

I loved the idea of the contract / promise the child signs up to and the Willy Wonka Golden Ticket reward.

If it does nothing other than get the adults to address the problem then it's worth the very reasonable price of a pack of tokens.

And if it gets children reading (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory for example), instead of playing Hay Day or watching endless Kinder Egg videos on YouTube, that's a great step forward.

Time Tokens are available at a special launch discount of £10.95 from www.TimeTokens.com

I think they're well worth a try.

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Review: Kiss The Cartridge Goodbye! - The Epson ET-2500 Ecotank Printer

For many years, it could be argued that investing in a printer was a luxury.  Times have changed of course and now many home offices boast a printer of varying levels of sophistication.

The Husband has a home office where he works when not travelling the globe and his work requires the production of complex, technological documentation for clients and for sales presentation materials such as hand-outs and printed slides.

The Epson ET-2500 Ecotank Printer

My printing needs are simpler - the odd e-book (I still love to read hard copy!), maps, e-tickets, order confirmation slips and invoices.

Our existing printer, a small Samsung black and white laser printer, has worked well, if temperamentally for over 5 years.

You can bet that it will have a paper jam when you really need to print out something urgently - an e-ticket or map, for example - or that it will announce it needs a cartridge change on a Sunday at 4 pm.

According to Epson, we're not alone - with 56% of us having had 'printer panic'.  I don't know about you but I have quite enough to worry about as it is!

We were recently given the opportunity to review the Epson ET-2500, one of Epson's new EcoTank printers which can save you up to 70% of your printing costs due to its integrated high capacity ink tanks.

The Epson ET-2500 is a 3-in-1 inkjet printer with print, copy and scan features.  It's the first time we have had a photocopying facility at home, having previously had to trudge over to our local library with a pocket full of 5p pieces and a prayer that the machine was actually working.

Finally, a photocopier at home!

This printer also comes supplied with 2 years of ink having four colour 70ml Epson genuine ink bottles in the box, which make it easy, clean and quick to fill the ink tanks.

The printer comes with four bottles of ink to add to the tank

Best of all you can say goodbye to ink cartridges.

The ink supplied is sufficient to print up to 4,000 pages in black and 6,500 pages in colour at just a fraction of a penny per page.

Because the ink tanks are high volume and refillable, the ink should last you far longer than the traditional ink cartridges.

The printer also has mobile printing.  It is equipped with Wi-Fi, so that you can use the Epson Connect features.

These allow you to print quickly and easily over Wi-Fi from a smartphone using the free Epson iPrint app, print remotely or email the ET-2500 a print job from anywhere.

The ET-2500 uses Epson's own Micro Piezo technology for excellent-quality print-outs.

Mono prints are delivered at a rate of 9.2 pages per minute while it can issue 4.5 colour pages per minute.

The Epson ET-2500 retails at £229.99.

So we gave the Epson ET-2500 a thorough road test over the period of one week to see how it compared with our old printer.

What we loved

• Compact
• Easy to maintain
• Pulls in paper without a hitch  (unlike our old printer)
• Good quality printing in both mono and colour
• 3 year extended warranty
• Lots of ink compared to other printers and cartridge designs - will last a long time 
• Refill costs currently look well priced making this a cost effective printer 
• Connects over Wifi - no need to use cables
• Reasonable speed for an ink-jet
• Multi-function printer - In built scanner and copier facility

What we loved less

• Slower than a laser
• Does not automatically wake up once the printer has gone into sleep mode (Wifi) 
• Needs manual intervention to print duplex 
• Slow print time for detailed graphics
• Long set-up time - 20 mins to charge the ink.
• Needs Epson driver

This is a great multi-functional printer which would suit a home office where bulk printing is an occasional, rather than a constant event.  If you need to print out a set of hand-outs and produce a high-spec technical document, it is ideal.  Having the photocopying and scanning functions included is an added bonus.

I think that if you are constantly churning out multi-page documents then you may be better off considering a laser printer - and possibly asking your boss for an office!

There is an Epson Easy Photo Print tool which allows you to correct and position your photos, plus add frames but I was unable to print out a photo of suitable quality using normal copying paper (not surprisingly).  Ultra glossy paper is recommended so this function was not fully tested.

The price of the Epson ET-2500 is very reasonable, in our view (£229.99), especially when you factor in the savings you'll make from not having to buy and replace ink cartridges.

It's a great, economical and environmentally friendly home office printer, best suited for daily correspondence, small scale bulk printing and family printing.

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Are You Kept Awake At Night By The Hum?

For the last three nights, I have been woken around 5:30 am by a hum.  On the first night, I was so convinced there was a noise indoors, that I walked around the house in the dark checking to see if there were any fridge/freezers buzzing or machines left on.

Nothing.

Do you hear strange noises in the night?

It was windy outside so I wondered if the sound was coming from the vibration of  the cables criss-crossing our street.

Or was it emanating from next door's newly installed solar panels?

The Husband, who I regularly drive insane with my health niggles, says it is just a new tinnitus tone and I need to stop focusing on it and switch off.

Easier said than done.

It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't recently read about "The Bristol Hum", a low droning noise audible at night which has been plaguing some residents since the 1970s.

Then, experts were drafted in who put the hum down to factory noise, electricity pylons or tinnitus, although some suggested flying saucers or secret military activity. Eventually, the hum stopped as abruptly as it began, but by then there were reports of equally unidentified hums in other towns across Britain.

French scientists now say that the hum is caused by continuous waves causing the ocean floor to vibrate - a sound which apparently only 2% of the population can detect.

That, in my case, is a theory which doesn't, if you pardon the pun, hold any water.

Trying googling electromagnetic fields - EMF (yes I know I shouldn't) and you'll find loads of sites telling you how bad these are for your health.

Among the symptoms exposure to EMF is claimed to have caused are unexplained headaches, fatigue, digestive problems and sleeping disorders. Even the increase in immune deficiency disorders has been linked to EMF.

The most likely culprits for an increase in EMF exposure include wireless power meters (so-called smart meters), cell phones, cell towers, wireless routers, and cordless phones. Most of these types of technologies expose you to both electric and magnetic fields.

I have seen several reports recently in the tinnitus forums online about the negative effect smart meters and water meters have been having on the dreadful buzz sufferers have to live with 24/7.

Many of us are constantly exposed to WiFi.  Sleep problems, hypertension and depression are just three of the symptoms linked to our seeming inability these days to put our phones, PCs and tablets down.

The adoption of WiFi based gadgets and its infiltration into many aspects of our daily lives seems to be an unstoppable juggernaut.  We want cleaner, quicker, smarter and we want it now.

But I suspect that there may be an untold price to pay in the effect of this technology on our health.

It is possible, of course, that what I have is hyperacusis - defined as a reduced tolerance to normal environmental sounds. Sufferers also struggle to deal with quick shifts in sound loudness. Hyperacusis often accompanies tinnitus.

I have, despite my hearing loss at medium frequency, always had good hearing at low frequency.  I can hear a boiler come on next door and find the throb of a sound system's bass beyond annoying. The sound of our neighbours' washing machine which backs on to our lounge in the spot where the TV sits drives me nuts.

When these machines are designed, are the engineers actually taking the noise these things generate into account?  Hair driers, coffee machines, blenders - louder seems to be better.  But why?

Have we lost the ability to sit in silence?  (Those of us with tinnitus lost that ability ages ago sadly).

As for me, I am still not sure whether what I am hearing is external or a development in the musical cacophony of tinnitus sounds it is possible to experience.  It is also possible that my insomnia is caused by the approach of the menopause.

One thing is for certain, I won't be having a smart meter, or solar panels (please stop phoning!) and I won't be moving anywhere near a mobile phone mast or electricity pylon.

That might sound neurotic but trust me, when you feel as if you're vibrating like a tuning fork, it makes perfect sense!

I just hope I can reclaim my sleep because if I wasn't a 'morning person' before, I'm certainly not one now!

Have you experienced the 'hum'?

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What's On Your TV Box Set Wishlist?

I have to confess that the Husband and I are hopelessly behind when it comes to watching box sets. But now that I am practically word perfect on all the Midsomer Murders reruns I think it's time for us to get up to speed.

And there's no doubt that we have been missing out since we have not yet subscribed to Netflix and, should we want to watch 'TV for grown-ups", we usually have to arm-wrestle the remote off Ieuan whose obsession with watching Star Wars and Harry Potter is still in full force. Given the fact that the TV bears the brunt of many years of yoghurt and pasta sauce abuse, it may also be time to upgrade to a more state-of-the-art TV like the Panasonic Viera 4K TV .

In fact, the choice is enormous and I don't really know where to start.  But these are my top 3 choices to start off our collection.

1.  Game of Thrones

An American fantasy drama television series which is an adaptation of "A Song of Ice and Fire", George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is titled A Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones - Season 1-4 [DVD] [2015] 

Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, there are several plot lines, including a civil war among several noble houses for the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, the attempts to reclaim the throne by the exiled last scion of the realm's deposed ruling dynasty and the rising threat of the impending winter and the legendary creatures and fierce peoples of the North.

The series has won 26 Primetime Emmy Awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2015—when it set a record for most wins for a series in a single year.

The sixth season will premiere on April 24th this year.

2. Orange Is The New Black

This is Netflix's most watched series and is an American comedy-drama series based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison.

Orange is the New Black - Season 1-2 [DVD] [2015]

The fourth season of the series will be released on June 17 this year.

3. House of Cards

This is an American political drama television series which is an adaptation of the BBC's mini-series of the same name.  It is based on the novel by Michael Dobbs.

The series is set in present-day Washington, D.C., and is the story of Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), a Democrat from South Carolina's 5th congressional district and House Majority Whip. After  being passed over for appointment as Secretary of State, Underwood initiates an elaborate plan to get himself into a position of greater power and enlists his wife, Claire (Robin Wright) to help him.

House of Cards - Season 1-3 [DVD]

House of Cards was renewed for a fourth season, which will premiere on March 4, 2016.

There are so many others - Breaking Bad, Mad Men, House, Dexter, Entourage.......  arguably there's no need to ever go out again.

And given, the volume cinemas insist on playing their films out (i.e. unnecessarily loud), us Tinnitus sufferers are happy to enjoy movies in the comfort of our own home.

The popcorn is a heck of a lot cheaper too!

Which box sets do you think I should have on my 'must-watch' list?

*collaborative post

** contains affiliate links

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CyberSense - The New Online Safety App For 8-10 Year Olds‏

Pocket App, the UK’s largest independent app developer, has announced the launch of CyberSense, a new app developed for Internet Matters, an independent not-for-profit organisation set up by BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin to help parents keep their children safe online.

Available immediately on iOS and Android, the app has been created as an innovative new way to educate children about online safety.

Created specifically for tablets, CyberSense is a fun and engaging app that children aged 8-10 can use to learn good online practices and features a slick split-screen quiz that allows parents and children to select one of nine topics they would like to learn more about, such as cyberbullying, advertising and web-chatting.

The app is unique in that it doesn’t simply teach children about online safety, it encourages parents to use the app as a tool to be actively involved with the teaching process. When a quiz category is launched, the tablet screen splits into two, so that parents and children can answer the multiple-choice questions simultaneously. The parent is able to see which answers the child chooses, and so will be able to clearly see which subjects need further explanation.

In order to further encourage young audiences to engage with the quiz, users will be rewarded with a bonus game at the end of each quiz which involves tilting the screen to guide a character through a series of challenging obstacles. By answering quiz questions correctly, users will be rewarded with more time in which to play the game.

Paul Swaddle, CEO of Pocket App says that "... the questions are tailored to the knowledge of an eight year-old, but the use of a tablet app also encourages children to learn about the internet and mobile technology by experience, all in a safe environment and under the supervision of an adult.”

Since being released to the app market, CyberSense has had a great deal of positive feedback from parents who have found it a useful and highly engaging tool to help teach their children about online safety. The app featured in Virgin Media’s Christmas marketing campaign and has also been praised in an article in national newspaper, The Mirror, by Ulrika Jonsson as a fantastic way for parents to discuss with their children how to use the internet safely.

CyberSense is available from iTunes and Google Play.

More information about Pocket App at www.pocketapp.co.uk or @PocketApp.

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New software helps alert schools to cyber bullying, sexual abuse & radicalisation

Our children are spending increasing amounts of time online, particularly in school and, whilst we can protect our kids at home, it has crossed my mind on more than one occasion to wonder what they get up to whilst using the internet away from home.

Whilst we have signed internet 'policies' and permission forms to agree to this use at school, it's good to know that software is being developed to help schools and colleges with their duty to protect their students' online safety.

Located near Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, UK software developer NetSupport Ltd, has developed new technology that not only helps to keep students safe on the web by monitoring and restricting the scope of their internet use, but also provides them with an avenue to report any concerns they may have – in confidence – to a trusted member of staff.

And with children aged between 8 and 15 now spending more than twice as much time online at school and at home as they did a decade ago, there is now more of a need for this kind of protective measure than ever.

The software’s release supports the new Government proposals announced on 22nd December 2015 to strengthen the current Prevent duty legislation – obliging schools to introduce filtering technology and monitor pupils’ internet use more closely to safeguard and promote their welfare and prevent them “from being drawn into terrorism.”

Using advanced neurolinguistics technology, the product’s comprehensive keyword monitoring feature provides schools with an insight into what students are typing (both online and in programs such as Word) and draws on an extensive database of keywords and phrases covering the spectrum of safeguarding topics: from cyber bullying, sexual abuse, eating disorders and pornography to the potential for radicalisation.

This means staff can be alerted to activity by students who are potentially open to physical or emotional harm and allows them to take the appropriate action.

Ensuring students can report any anxieties they might have is key to an effective safeguarding policy. The new “Report a concern” feature of NetSupport DNA’s safeguarding module provides a simple and accessible way for students to initiate contact with trusted members of staff for help or guidance.

NetSupport has worked with internationally-operating organisation, the Internet Watch Foundation, to ensure the keywords supporting the technology are as comprehensive and relevant as possible. In addition, the company has collaborated closely with its local authority, Peterborough City Council, and school safeguarding leads, as well as conducting its own research with groups of students on the language that they use every day.

To learn more about NetSupport DNA,visit www.netsupportdna.com/education where product video tours, walk-throughs and a range of supporting resources are available.

Any advance in the technology needed to keep our children safe online is surely to be applauded and it will be interesting to see what level of adoption software such as this attracts - and what level of reporting is acted upon and shared with parents.

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Review: The KidzInMind App - A Safe Digital Playground For Kids

There's no denying that iPads and tablets are a permanent fixture of the parenting landscape.  They can be a brilliant resource for education and hands-on learning.  Equally, and more contentiously, they are often used as a babysitter and a distraction when in restaurants and doctors' waiting rooms.

Ieuan testing the KidzInMind app

I'm sure that iPads, tablets and gadgets in general will feature heavily on many parents' shopping lists this Christmas, but how many of us think about our children's privacy and the risks they may be unwittingly exposed to?

Our two have had tablets for several years and we soon learned that children today are incredibly IT-savvy. Very quickly apps were discovered and played with and we found that Caitlin (aged about 4) was already trying to memorise passwords (with some success, I might add).

Both adored YouTube videos of Kinder Egg openings and the unveiling of the latest Marvel Superhero merchandise. Then there are many, many videos of people popping balloons.  Everyone needs a hobby, I suppose.

There have been one or two occasions though where we've caught them watching stuff like Annoying Orange and a Buzz Lightyear video in which the language was definitely inappropriate.

And it's not surprising.  In a recent GPEN report on children’s privacy online, the results showed that nearly 60% of websites and apps redirect children away from the site or app, meaning there is a greater chance of discovering inappropriate content. It also found that only 22% tailored content specifically for children.

So I was pleased when we were recently invited to review KidzInMind which is described as "a safe digital playground filled with fun and educational apps for the growing minds of little children".

The KidzInMind app offers a safe 'digital playground' for kids to play in.

Available on iOS and Android (sadly not on Windows), KidzInMind claims to offers parents peace of mind with age appropriate and approved educational apps, videos and games for kids on smartphones and tablets.

There are no adverts, no hidden payments and parental device controls are included.

Kidzinmind is an app containing apps which have all been vetted for the educational suitability and safety. The recommended age range is 1-6. Parents are able to control what the kids see and the kids are given access to a playground of icons such as a book, an easel and so forth.  Clicking on each of these take the child to a range of themed apps.

Every app has been selected and approved to meet strict criteria.

● Safe and secure - no inappropriate language, no advertising, no hidden payments and a baby safe mode.

● Educational - all apps have been evaluated to ensure that they are engaging, educational and appropriate to the child’s stage of learning.

● Time alert play - you can relax in the knowledge that your child is learning within a safe and secure environment and control the amount of play time your child is allowed with the parental control timer.

● Restrict activity – you can use the parental control feature to specify exactly what your kids can do whilst using the KidzInMind e.g. no internet or other app access.

● Approved by parents – KidzInMind has received the kidSAFE Seal, Mom’s Choice Award and was nominated Best Mobile App for Children and Toddlers in 2014

He's very thorough.

The games are varied in their age appeal.  There are some really sweet simple games where the child can create their own aquarium.  Ieuan (6 last June) really loved the camera templates where you can take a selfie and superimpose funny glasses or a santa hat on to your photo.

There are also some age appropriate videos, including one of our favourites - Larva (you may have caught it on CITV).

I think 6 is definitely the top age for this app and it was interesting to see that, despite the relative sophistication of some of the games Ieuan plays, for example Spiderman, he was just as happy with a simpler, less noisy, less intrusive game where he could fully understand what he was doing.

I would definitely feel confident letting the kids play with KidzInMind without having to dash back and forth checking that they aren't watching something adult rated.

I really liked the handy parental control features and there is a good choice of games to play. KidzInMind say that the value of the educational games and apps is well over £50. The types of app you can expect (all fully vetted) are nutritional, (in collaboration with Parma University), handwriting and brushing your teeth correctly.  In fact, KidzInMind has worked closely with experts in paediatrics, nutrition and education to curate a unique selection of the best apps for children.

Ieuan says "It's amazing. My favourite is Dino Lab and I love watching Larva" - he's currently assembling the ingredients to make a cake via the Families 2 app. Prior to that, he reassembled a dinosaur skeleton in an online jigsaw.

KidzInMind is more than just an app too. The KidzInMind blog, the Facebook page, the Twitter profile and the YouTube channel offer parents access to a wealth of information about different services or products for their children and discussions with other mums and dads.

KidzInMind is available to download on Android from Google Play and iOS from the App Store.

The app is subscription-based and after the first week, which is free, KidzInMind is priced at 79p per month for limited in-built apps and features. Parents can pay £2.99 per month for unlimited access to the full app, video and game catalogue and all the parental safety controls.

I think this very reasonably priced, given the quality of the apps contained within KidzInMind and it is certainly worth if for the peace of mind and educational content.

For more information about KidzInMind please visit www.kidzinmind.com/uk.

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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Technology - Does It Bring Families Together, Or Push Them Apart?

Having a husband who works in the telecommunications industry means that our house possibly has more laptops, phones and things with screens than the average home.  It also means that our kids have been able to become IT savvy in a way those of us born in the 60's could only dream of.

I remember starting work for a shelving & racking company in the late 1980's and finding a brand new word processor sat on a desk with a dust cover on it because nobody knew how to use it.  I also remember the thrill of moving from a black and white television to a colour one.  Yes I am that, er, mature.

Technology has become so ingrained in our daily lives that we barely look up from our mobiles to see what's going on.

Last weekend, I attended a blogging event at a local hotel.  This was basically three tables of women all looking at their phones and photographing each other.  We are all now apparently obsessed with recording every detail of our lives to make it look #instacool.

And it's the same for kids.  Every restaurant, waiting room, in fact anywhere where people congregate will contain parents looking at their phones and children being kept mute by an iPad or Nintendo DS.

On the other hand, there is no denying that social media is a great uniter of people.  How many of us now talk to friends and relatives we have lost touch with over the years?  We can keep in touch via SKYPE.  There is actually, today, no excuse NOT to keep in touch.  And, conversely, no hiding place if you embrace as many social media platforms as I do.

The dark side of this is the danger it puts our children in. The temptation for parents to avoid the minimum age for Facebook is strong (it's 13 by the way) - and I know parents who start accounts in, say the pet's name so that the child can have a social media presence.  Peer pressure is usually cited as the reason the child has to have a presence.  Cyber bullying is a growing problem as is sexting with children as young as 11 and 12 sending indecent pictures of themselves, not realising that these snaps will never vanish from the internet.

Then there's the pressure from children to have a mobile phone.  The jury is still out on whether or not mobiles can cause brain cancer but the advice is not to let children have mobiles near their still developing brains. Because we play on our phones we think of them are toys.  But toys they most certainly are not.

Parents need a new set of skills to teach children how to deal with these issues - not always so easy when you are not particularly good at understanding social media yourself.  We are being forced to address issues such as sex education and pornography much earlier than in previous decades.  In many ways our children's innocence is being eroded by the advancement of technology and it is becoming harder to protect them.

In the evening, how many families now sit around a dining table to eat together and talk about their day?  And how many are sat on sofas in front of the TV?  When the kids are in bed, having spent the last hour of the day on their iPads or gaming in their bedrooms, how many couples sit and chat and how many have a PC on their lap and are in their own social media worlds?  I have to confess that the Husband and I are guilty of this.

We know that excessive screen use before bed interferes with our ability to go to sleep and that's without the stress of exposure to bad news on TV or the pressures of work and school.

There's no denying that technology has revolutionised almost every aspect of our daily lives.  Our kitchens are groaning with gadgets to make food production quicker.  We have fridge / freezers you could hide an ox in.  Our cars are now basically mobile computers which move fast.  We read books on screen.  Films and TV are always available on our phones.

But what are we doing with the time we've saved?

Mostly spending more time on the internet, creating our own little worlds where interaction seems real, but is not.  Where we kid ourselves we have lots of friends and followers, many of whom we will never meet and who certainly would not recognise us in the street.

And we are teaching our kids that this is an effective use of their spare time, instead of playing with them, talking to them, encouraging them to play outside.  We are failing to teach them the skill of making 'real' friends, making small talk and taking an interest in what is really going on in their lives.

I have a love / hate relationship with technology.  It's brought me great friends and great experiences. But I am well aware that this has come at a cost, that cost being less time spent with my kids creating memories in the real, rather than the virtual, world.

I think we need to learn how to control the technology in our lives, before it starts to control us.  And, given Professor Stephen Hawking's fear, voiced just yesterday, that we need to get to grips with Artificial Intelligence before it out-thinks humans, now may be a very good time indeed to switch off and have a reboot - in the good old-fashioned sit-down-with-the-kids-and-chat type of way.

This article first appeared as a guest post for Hello Mamas, the US mum meet mum website coming to the UK very soon.

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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