Family on the Phone

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a series of posts which discussed cell phones and kids.  There are other members of our family  who might be able to benefit from cell phone technology however.

In years past, when the family dog went missing, it was standard practice to post “lost dog” signs all over town in hopes that someone would help reunite the wayward pup with it’s family. Over the last few years, pet finding methods have evolved . Tags, special pet registries, tattoos  and even microchips are becoming  popular choices  for the average pet owner today.

So, is it really that odd to think Fido might benefit from sporting his own cell phone? The folks at Pets Mobility think it’s a dandy idea. They plan to offer the Pets Cell. This is a waterproof GPS and cell device that attaches to the dog’s collar. With one touch, a good Samaritan can call the dog’s owner and report its whereabouts. Or, you can even call your dog and speak to him over the speakerphone.

There will also be the ability to track the dog via their Paw Trax  online tracking software. Geo-fences can be set up so that if the dog leaves a particular area, you are notified.

Finally, Pets Mobility offers Pet Lifeline which allows you to have your pet cared for by a designated person in the event you are involved in an emergency.

Click here for a video about these and other Pets Mobility services.

So, would you purchase this for your dog? Why or why not?

photo credit: AlfredoZablah

Love it or hate it, leaving and receiving voice mail messages is a part of our  everyday lives. I’m going to share some brief video tutorials today about how to leave good voice mail messages.  Although the videos are disussing this from a business perspective, the information applies to personal messages as well.

Do you love or hate voice mail? What is your favorite tip for leaving a good message? Let me know!

How many times have you overheard someone else’s conversation and really wished you hadn’t? It is amazing to me how people seem to forget where they are and what they are saying when they are talking on their cell phones in public. I actually do plan on writing an article addressing this topic later but for now, I’ll just leave you with this video.

By the way, I am not endorsing Ameriquest here.

Has anything like this ever happened to you ? Hopefully it wasn’t THIS bad. Have you ever seen anyone else be misunderstood or misinterpreted because of a public cell phone conversation?

I just love Build A Bear Workshop.  If you have never visited one of their stores, you can locate the one nearest you by visiting their home page. It’s really a lot of fun.

You are probably wondering what on Earth stuffed animals have to do with digital devices. Well, on October 1st, Build A Bear Workshop announced it’s plans to take a bear sized bite out of cybercrime — cyberbullying to be exact. I think it is commendable that BABW is devoting their resources to help kids. Since I discussed cyberbullying last week in my series about kids and cell phones, I thought you might like to know about this.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Designates October as Stop Cyberbullying Month; Provides Activities and Materials to Promote Safe Online Play for Kids; Company to Participate in Stop Cyberbullying Coalition Event on Capitol Hill

Has your child ever suffered from cyberbullying? If so, what have you done about it?

photo credit: torisan3500

This week, all of us interns have been challenged to participate in a blog “meme”. Since I didn’t even know what a meme was before this internship, this is brand new to me. I hope I do this right.

In case you don’t know, the point of a meme is to discuss a particular topic along with other bloggers who are also participating in the meme. It can add some variety to a blog and can be a fun way for blog readers to learn more about their favorite blog authors.

I have chosen to participate in the “Thankful Thursday” meme where each Thursday, we post about something we are thankful for. I frequently ask my kids and my husband what they are thankful for and it is a good reality check as we rush through our busy days. So, for our first “Thankful Thursday”, here goes…

Today, I am especially thankful for opportunities to learn and grow. I am thankful for this not only for myself but for my children as well. When people are free to make choices and pursue interests and God-given talents that are uniquely theirs, the results can be truly amazing.

How about you? What are you thankful for this Thursday?