Fitbit vs. Apple Watch: According To An Everyday Mom

I have been an avid Fitbit user for almost 5 years. Ever since my significant other bought me one, I LOVED the idea that I could not only see how my daily activity translated into me getting healthy, but it was just the thing to motivate me to want to be more active. And I had been using my Fitbit well before I became a mom (this point will be important in the next train of thought).

Some of the key features of the Fitbit and how I used it include: 

Daily Steps - I wore the Fitbit for a week just to see how my regular movement translated to my daily step count. I worked at a desk job and before even starting any workout regiment I was averaging about 6k steps (I thought this was A BIG deal at the time…lol)

Calories Burned - this portion I didn't really pay attention to too much because I was never big on counting calories.

Miles - it was nice to see that me running up and down the steps to wash clothes on the weekends actually translated into me walking a certain mileage. 

Alarm - the alarm is GREAT for anyone who has a significant other or small children because it gives you a vibration that is strong enough to wake you out your sleep, but doesn't disturb anyone else around you like a traditional alarm.

Sleep Tracker - this post was the most enlightening. It allowed me to see that even though I was in the bed at a certain time and THOUGHT I was getting enough sleep, it showed me just how much SOUND asleep I was getting (which wasn't much). I would be in bed for about 7 hours, but because I would toss and turn out get up to use the bathroom, I was averaging about 4.5 hours. 

Fast forward about 4 years later. Here comes my bundle of joy. I am now a stay at home mom who spends majority of my time running after a small child and running many miscellaneous errands. My significant other and I have a conversation about my cell phone usage when I am in the car. He wants to make sure I am not only able to be reached at all times, but he wants to make sure I'm safe while in the car. I suggest it may be a good investment to try the Apple Watch. I liked the idea that I could still use all my pedometer functions like my Fitbit, plus I could use other functions (i.e. messaging, navigation, etc.) without having to touch my phone. 

To my surprise, after purchasing my Apple Watch, I actually prefer my Fitbit over the Apple Watch. Here are a few reasons why: 

- When using the Apple Watch as a pedometer, I find my daily step count is way off (I'm talking about by hundreds of steps). And this is with me wearing my Fitbit and Apple Watch simultaneously.

- When doing specific workouts, I find that if I am in an area that has less than stellar cellular coverage, the phone and watch don't relay information to each other and it doesn't always log all of my workout (which is a bummer).

- The user interface (how the device looks and functions) is a lot more simpler on the Fitbit. This is probably largely in part because of all the other things that the Apple Watch does. When I am doing a workout I only need to push one button on the Fitbit in order for it to track my exercise. Even with Siri, there are two steps to even get into the app on the Apple Watch.

                                    

- THE APPLE WATCH DOES NOT TRACK YOUR SLEEP PATTERNS. To some, this might not seem like a big deal, but when you become accustomed to a feature and seeing a result from it, to not have it almost feels like your being slighted. And for the money of the Apple Watch, it would be a nice feature to have.

- The Apple Health app compared to the Fitbit App is very remedial and you have to enter a lot of information in manually in the Apple Health App compared to the Fitbit app's auto tracking.


All in all, the Apple Watch is a neat device which has a lot of capabilities, but when it comes to pedometer functions, the Fitbit makes more sense.

Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on how you use either device and how it works (or doesn't work) for you. Also feel free to share just what device does work for you even if it's not either of these.

Cricket Wireless Merges With AT&T

I must say that I am most pleased with this merger. I think this is an awesome way for people to get a better coverage of service without having to pay astronomical prices for their plan and have no annual contract. I have also seen first hand how the update has effected existing customers in terms of better coverage. For information regarding the merger, click here for PCMag article.

iOS8 Battery Killer

I updated my iPhone 5 to iOS 8.0.2, and as you can tell, it is only 1:25pm and for the SECOND time my phone is at 16% and I am in need of charging. This version operating system is by FAR the worst on battery life I have seen since using an iPhone more than 3 years ago. I really hope Apple gets it together because I am NOT pleased. Especially as an Apple consumer with TONS of their products.

What It Means To Mean Something

In this post, I am going to take a different approach to why it is I do what I do. This blog was created because of a passion. A passion that I believe in. A passion that I want to share with others to not only believe in my passion, but to allow others to be inspired to have their own passion.

I love all things electronics and teaching people about them. In the recent year, I have learned just how important it is to not only enjoy life, but how important it is to love what you do. I recently lost my job and wasn't really sure just how I was going to take care of my household and my family. But then once I got a chance to sit and reflect, I realized that being at my job was almost toxic to my life. I realized that I wasn't being the best me because I wasn't doing something that I loved. I was doing something that I was good at because I thought I had to in order to take care of responsibility. 

I was beginning to learn that in my walk in living a more meaningful life, I had to learn to see the blessing in all things both positive and negative. I then realized that me losing my job (though it wasn't something I wanted), could be viewed as a good thing. A good thing that would allow me to not only spend more meaningful, quality time with my family, but also allow me to focus on the things that I do love. Things like helping others understand how to live more meaningful lives. I love helping people. I love sharing and teaching things to people to allow them to live more enlightened lives. I know that me working for countless corporations that cared nothing about the people who worked for their companies, but more about the bottom dollar is not something that was condusive to my life. So with this blog post, I encourage all to do something that means something. It doesn't matter if it's just a hobby, or a life changing career. You never know. The smallest of things can make such an impact on not just your life, but someone else's life in such a positive way. Never think that your idea is too small or not worth it because you are worth it to do what you love. In my eyes, that is what it means to want to mean something!

My Preferred Mobile Document Viewer

One of my friends indicated to me that she was having an issue with the Polaris Office app on her smartphone. She had been trying to view documents from e-mails and for whatever reason, she was getting the below error message.

When I used Android, I loved Documents To Go. I loved the user interface, and I liked the fact that I was able to not only view, but edit and create Word, Excel, & Powerpoint documents as well as view PDF documents. And though the user interface has been updated since the last time I have used it, in my opinion, it is still one of the more reliable document viewers I have used.

For iOS users, I prefer Office Plus (Squared). The free version allows you to view and edit Word, Excel & Powerpoint documents, but I did an In-App Purchase for $5.99 to allow the ability to create documents. I must say it has been well worth the money because I am always updating someone's resume or creating spreadsheets for my grocery lists. And since I have taken advantage of the in-app purchase, I can use this app on any device I download it to. And instead of saving files on just your device, you have the option to select which cloud storage you would like to save to (my preference is always Dropbox).

If there is an app that you like or prefer for document viewing/editing, please feel free to share.

Mobile Apps To Help You Save Money

In my previous post "The Importance of Couponing", I referenced apps that help me with my couponing process. Listed below are the apps that I use to not only help me find the best deals, but also keep my couponing organized. I use iOS operating systems, but some of these apps are compatible with iOS & Android.

Shopkick

I like shopkick because if you are going shopping, you get points just for walking into stores as well as scanning items in the store you're in. Those points can be used towards gift cards to your favorite stores and websites. You are not even obligated to buy anything in the stores you enter.

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shopkick-free-gift-cards-for/id383298204?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shopkick.app

Groupon

Most people are familiar with Groupon, but for those who aren't, you get amazing deals anywhere from 25%-75% on item, trips, as well as activities in your area. I have used many a groupon for things like spa days, date nights, even electronics. You can even purchase them as gifts.


iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shopkick-free-gift-cards-for/id383298204?mt=8
Android: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shopkick-free-gift-cards-for/id383298204?mt=8

RetailMeNot

The awesome thing about this app is that it provides you not only with coupon/discount options for nearby stores, but you can also look for promo codes if shopping online. It will also let you know the success rate of said discount/promo code.

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/retailmenot-coupons/id521207075?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whaleshark.retailmenot

Coupons.com

Coupons.com is by far my most utilized app. I can go on my mobile device and select what manufacturers coupons I would like to use, then I can go on the website and then print out my coupons. There are different categories you can choose from, and you can even set up loyalty cards to assist you with your savings. I use this app/website almost weekly.

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/coupons.com-savings-deals/id338380654?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coupons.ciapp

Keyring

This is another app that helps me out almost on a daily basis. This app I have actually been using for years. Instead of keeping your keys with you and saving all those millions of rewards cards, you have one place where you can store them. you just enter or scan your rewards card, and whenever you enter that store, your barcode will be duplicated in the app. The store can scan your phone and you take advantage of the savings.

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/key-ring-reward-cards/id372547556?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.froogloid.kring.google.zxing.client.android

There are many other apps that can be used to help your daily savings. Please feel free to download these apps to see how they help you with your daily savings and please feel free to share how they have helped you or other apps that you use.

The Importance Of Couponing

In trying to get my life together financially, I thought it was very important to know where my money was going. I am the type of person who feels like I understand the value of my dollar. I know how hard I work to make it so I want my money to work just as hard for me. While it was important to not only pay my bills on time, I also like to track where my money goes on a monthly basis. If you manage your money online, most banks have wonderful online tools where you can categorize your spending. When I checked this for a consecutive three months, the results were ASTOUNDING. I realized once I paid my bills, more than half of the money I had left over was going to food (that includes grocery shopping as well as eating out). This was a huge shocker for me. It not only made me realize where my money was going, but it also made me see just how much money was being wasted on miscellaneous food purchases.

I had always been a fan of the show Extreme Couponing on the TLC Channel, but I never really thought it was something I could do. It was amazing to me to see just how people could get not only good deals on the things they needed, but just how much money they could actually make just off of purchasing items that they needed and wanted. I then thought to myself if they can do it, then I most certainly can do it.

I started off with the mindset that I didn't want to go into this thinking I could get everything for free. I went into this process thinking how I could save my household money just by shopping smarter. I made sure I stuck to a couple of steps just to keep me on track:

• Make a list of what I actually needed instead of spending money on things I saw at the time
• Make sure to check the weekly circulars to see what could offer me the best price for what I need
• Check in the Sunday paper and online to see if there are coupons for the things I needed on my list
• Make a budget and STICK TO IT!

These simple things made such a difference! It allowed me to be more conscious of what I was spending, as well as allowing me to understand where the best value for my dollar is. I now use coupons for non-grocery items (i.e. clothes, restaurants, and household items). 

I also use various other apps on my phone and iPad to help along with that process (please see my blog post "Mobile Apps To Help You Save Money").

Please feel free to use some of these tips as well as share your couponing and savings ideas.

My Introduction to Pinterest

One of the social sites I use daily on my quest to learn about new and exciting things is Pinterest. I was introduced to Pinterest almost a year before I actually started using it. Once I signed up for it and saw all these different categories of interest, I immediately got overwhelmed and decided this social picture board was not for me. Then I went to a family gathering and I was showing a cousin a ton of pictures I had saved in my smartphone of hairstyles that I liked. She IMMEDIATELY asked me if I was on Pinterest. I told her that I wasn't and she looked at me like I was crazy. She explained to me exactly how it works and all the wonderful things I could pin. Once I got home I logged in on my smartphone and once I set up my 5 interests, I was HOOKED. There were so many things that were on the site and what I liked was the fact that there were just as many people out there in the world who not only had the same interests as me, but it gave me a place to store all the millions of pictures I had saved on my phone (I literally had over 12,000 pictures on my phone...YIKES)!

As I started getting more familiar with the site, I felt like the possibilities were ENDLESS. I not only got to see other pins of things I loved, but it allowed me to share with others boards, pictures, and websites they wouldn't normally see. I have boards that range from hair & nail care, shoes & clothing, even crocheting. Feel free to check out my Pinterest boards by clicking on the link below or click on See My Pinterest to the right. Please feel free to repin or if you have any suggestions, comments, or would like for me to check out your Pinterest page or pins, please share in the comments section below.

My Pinterest Page

http://www.pinterest.com/ten8e3/

What It's All About

The Vision:

The vision behind this blog started when I made the decision to start living a more productive life. A life that included eating healthier, cleaning up my finances, and allowing myself to become more aware of the things I come into contact with on an everyday basis and making smarter decisions in life. I also have a fond fascination with electronics and technology and love advising people on how electronics not only work, but also allowing them to work for their everyday life. Then it hit me....

.......DING DING DING

Why not come up with a blog that allowed me to integrate the two. A blog that allowed me to share my experiences and views on how to live a smarter, healthier, productive life, but also showing that in today's world, technology can help us with getting to that better place. Whether it's understanding how your cell phone works, saving a couple of dollars for a college fund, or downloading an app for a recipe for a healthy dinner for your family. Throughout this blog you will find everything from recipes for homemade cleansers to apps that will help you become financially and physically fit. I use sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest along with many other apps and websites to help me with carrying out most of the things I try.

I hope that in reading this blog, you will not only enjoy what you're reading, but also incorporate some of the things listed on this blog to help with your day to day functions. So sit back and enjoy this first class seat with this one of a kind modern day survival guide to help you through your days.

Please feel free to follow, comment, and suggest. And as always,

HAPPY READING :)

Are We Sure About LTE for Unlocked iPhones on T-Mobile?

I think I am going to have to check this out and see just how good this works. T-mobile themselves say you will only get around 3G service with ANY unlocked phone. 

Take a look:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/5/4188044/t-mobile-iphone5-update-enable-lte

iPhone 5S/5C Rumors

Of course it's about that time of year when the rumor mill starts churning regarding new iPhones. The possible options are the iPhone 5S and/or iPhone 5C (not sure if these are one and the same as of yet). I'm interested to see how this plays out and if there will even be two phones. Seems like a lot of people are very excited about a possible Gold option for colors. Of course the most exciting difference will be iOS 7. We will see when Apple makes their "Big Announcement" sometime in September. 

Check out this link for some information on the possible options:

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=20010212&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

AT&T 4G LTE Now Available in Major Cities

I recently changed my wireless service from Verizon Wireless to AT&T and got an iPhone because I not only liked the idea that I could talk and surf the web, but i also needed a phone that was going to keep up with all my foolishness simultaneously. Since the iPhone 5 had been announced, I was seriously entertaining the idea of going back to Verizon Wireless to take advantage of their expansive 4G LTE network. Something told me to look and see what I find out about the other wireless carriers launching LTE in major cities. Low and behold, I go onto AT&T's website and I see a listing of the cities now servicing LTE, and my city (Philadelphia) is there in black and white. I do some more research to find out when this change took effect, and it looks like this was turned on September 14, 2012 (same date as the announcement of the iPhone 5 which is LTE capable).

I must say, this has probably saved me as an AT&T customer. :)

To check out which cities have launched 4G LTE on AT&T's network, check it out here:
http://www.att.com/network/?WT.srch=1&wtPaidSearchTerm=at%26t+lte+philly

New iPhone to Possibly Support LTE

Just read an article from the Wall Street Journal that suggests that the new iPhone 5 could possibly support LTE networks. Can I just tell you that would be an AMAZING thing for Apple. Now if only we could get ALL U.S. carriers to support TRUE 4G coverage.

To check out the WSJ article, check this out:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443819404577637903902952754.html

HTC One X Upset

So I was completed INFATUATED with the HTC One X. To me, it was the android phone I'd love to never have. I've used it a couple times and I just LOVE the battery life on it. Didn't really use the phone in my usual capacity (no music playing for hours on end. Just texting, web browsing, facebooking, and of course picture taking), but I knew if I didn't have my iPhone I would surely have this. One of my girlfriends tells me she is in the market for a new phone and would like to know my recommendations for a phone with AT&T. I gave her a suggestion of a low end smartphone since she has never had one before. She said she wanted a newer model phone so she didn't have to worry about her phone being obsolete in a couple of months. of course I told her about the HTC One X. She liked all the features of the phone and asked me about removable memory. I told her the phone didn't have removable memory but had more than enough space for what she is going to be using it for (16GB of internal memory). She asked if she could get the same phone with more memory like you can with the iphone. I wasn't sure, but I didn't think so. Come to find out you can't! The phone ONLY comes in 16GB. That was a MAJOR bummer for me since I'm the kind of person who is about to max out a 32GB iPhone. That just made my hope of this being an amazing phone dwindle down to just another toy to play with! :'(

For more information on the HTC One X, check out specs here:
http://www.htc.com/www/smartphones/htc-one-x/

To purchase your HTC One X, check this out:
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/htc/one-x-white.html#fbid=5K1y4jngutI

iPhone 5 Rumors

As some of you may know, I am obsessed with my iPhone. So when the rumors of the iPhone 5 started, I began to get that much more excited. We have heard MANY rumors regarding it's form and function, but it seems like some of those rumors are beginning to prove true. As of 9/4/12, Apple OFFICIALLY started releasing information indicating that the 5 is come much sooner than later.

Now I know some of you are thinking this isn't much to go off of, but to me, this spoke VOLUMES! 9/12/12 is when an Apple press release is scheduled and I am willing to be money this is where the iPhone 5 will be announced. I don't think the phone will be coming out on the 12th, but I'm sure it will be coming out shortly thereafter. Now that the word is out on the press release, we have even began to see some possible pictures and videos surface of what the iPhone 5 will look like. 

Check out this video I watched. If this is what we have to look forward to just on the form alone, there's no telling what fun goodies this phone will be packed with. 

The only thing I wish they didn't do was put that headphone jack at the bottom. I guess I just don't like certain kinds of change...lol! I'll deal with it though.

Flash Player Woes

I was recently asked a question regarding whether or not there was going to be a new type of flash player that would be available on ALL mobile phones and replace Adobe Flash Player. Now I have heard rumors about iPhone possibly coming out with their own flash player to be compatible with their Apple products, but more things are nowadays just rumors.

I go to check out some information on the internet and I come across an article on cnet.com CONFIRMING that Adobe is doing away with Adobe Flash Player for Mobile and will concentrate more on their HTML5 contributions (see article here).

Now as I'm reading the article, I'm not going to lie, I was kind of confused. The article didn't really go into detail to determine what HTML5 was. So I go digging a little deeper and find out that HTML5 is a more detailed coding on websites on the back end which allow for more digital viewing (i.e. gaming, videos, etc.) without having to use a plug-in (Adobe Flash Player, QuickTime, etc.) to view them. This effort will allow a more streamlined viewing across any operating system. There are many websites that have started to implement HTML5 (including Pandora internet radio, and Bing) which is a good thing for an iPhone user like me. Now I won't feel COMPLETELY slighted and can view more videos on my mobile device.

Check out this video I found on YouTube for a brief overview on what HTML5 is:

My Samsumg Galaxy S III Disappointment

Most of you know that I have been busting out of the seams to use the new Samsung Galaxy S III. I am just dying to find out how this phone stacks out to my iPhone 4S. I have been SSOO interested in just finding out what little quirky features they have added that will make my life that much more simpler. I decided I was going to go to my local Verizon Wireless store to go play with it and hold it in my hands. I immediately asked for assistance because I knew there were things in particular I needed to find out that the phone did/didn't do. If any of you have ever read my blog, you guys would know that I have had a bit of issues with not only Verizon phones, but Samsung phones (see my post This Samsung Fascinte!). I have had issue with call waiting and call conferencing. Now I just KNEW that since this phone is so new and innovative, that this issue would SURELY be addressed and fixed. I go to the Verizon rep and explain specifically what I need to test because this was something that was important. We test it out, and what do we find out?? That Samsung's software STILL doesn't allow call conferencing where you can switch between calls, or merging a call while using call waiting. That literally CRUSHED me! My newest most favoritest (I know that's not a word...lol) toy was gone before I even owned it. All in all I'm glad that I figured it out before I spent the money. Now I just need Samsung to work on this to make it a reality (PRETTY PLEASE w/ sugar on top)!

No Samsung for me! :(

SHE FINALLY UPGRADED!

My Mom's New Phone

My mom, my brother, and I all took a trip to our local Verizon Wireless store so I could get some information on a phone I liked. In the process, we came across a really good promotion Verizon was offering that was going to end that same night. The promotion allowed you to get any 4G phone in the store with a new 2-year agreement with $75 off the 2-year pricing. It was so weird because I literally talked to my brother no more than an hour ago about getting Cricket. Since it was a really good deal, we wound up getting him an LG Sprectrum. The phone was normally $149.99, but we paid 74.99 w/ a $50 mail-in rebate. That means his phone will come to $25! My mom was so excited she was getting a good deal, she said what the heck, I might as well get one too! I asked her if she was sure because I know how much she HATES signing contracts with the wireless companies. She said "I don't see why not?!? I'm getting a $150 phone for $25 after it's all said and done, and to be quite honest with you, we both know I'm not leaving Verizon!" I INSTANTLY got excited because I have been wanting her to upgrade to a smartphone for some time now. And the fact that she was on board just made me so happy for her.

Now my mom FINALLY has a smartphone! I know this is a good thing for her, but I also know she is going to be calling me left and right trying to figure out how to use the thing. I don't really mind because I know that it will make things simpler for the BOTH of us in the long run! :)

P.S. The first app she downloaded was Brick Breaker (she was SSOO excited for that...lol)!

For more information on the LG Spectrum, visit:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?&item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=5842&cmp=KNC-58700000019204039

The Amazing Spider Man Review

I went to see the Amazing Spider Man on Tuesday and I must say, I was NOT impressed! Unfortunately I was kind of disappointed. I don't quite know what I was expecting, but I left out of the movie thinking "how many ways can you spin the same story?" OH WELL! At least I got to have some nachos while I was there...lol! :)

Apple iOS 6 Preview

When I go onto my laptop into Safari, the Apple website is the first thing that normally pops up. Unfortunately I almost always never look at it when it first pops up because I am more than likely looking for something on the internet. This time, I stopped and looked at the website. The thing that caught my eye was the iOS 6 Preview. Now I have known for some weeks now that iOS 6 is going to be coming out sometime in the fall, but I never paid much attention to what specifically was changing or updating. As I am reading over everything, I started to get excited. Not at the fact that these were incredibly AMAZING updates, but because these updates seem like they will improve functionality tremendously!

One of the features that I'm anticipating is the updated Maps. I am SSSOOO glad that I will finally be able to get AUDIBLE turn-by-turn navigation to where I am going. For all the android users, I know they could care less because Google Maps Navigation has been doing that for some time now. And to be quite honest with you, I have been using Mapquest which provides audible navigation quite well. Another feature that I think will be used quite frequently will be the Facebook integration. iOS 5 allowed us to integrate our pictures, locations, and contacts through Twitter. Now that facebook has been added to the list, it will just make using our Apple products that more interesting and cool.

One feature I think I personally could care less about would be the updated Siri (sorry Siri). As much as  I would love to say that she has made my life more simple by having her in my life, that statement just  wouldn't be true. I have tried using Siri in my everyday life, and I find that she is really effective at only making calls and sending message at BEST! 

Overall, I think that if the iPhone 5 comes out sometime this year (fingers crossed), since I'm not eligible for an upgrade anytime soon, iOS 6 will allow me the time to just wait until my upgrade date.

For more info on the iOS 6 preview, check it out here:

http://www.apple.com/ios/ios6/