In a world connected by computers it is important to not only teach our kids how to use them, but also about internet safety. Chatman is a fun and innovative tool that will help educate and protect kids online.

Chatman looks like a cute toy and hooks up easily to your computer through a USB cable. Your child can name their new friend, give it its own personality and interact with it. While your child is chatting with friends, playing games or doing homework, this new toy will monitor all of their online activities. Your child is protected and you can now have peace of mind because this device will protect your child by monitoring the sites your child goes to and steering them away from any inappropriate websites that may inadvertently pop up. As a further protective measure, it is programmed to recognize familiar slang terms, so that if your child’s communications with others becomes inappropriate, you will be alerted.

Aside from protecting your child, homework and other online activities will now be fun and entertaining for your child. Your child’s new computer buddy can communicate with your child and help them with their homework. Because it can recognize over 15,000 words, your child’s new computer friend, Chatman, can either answer your child’s questions or help steer them to a website that can assist them. Through its huge vocabulary, movements and ability to convey up to 30 emotions, it will also help your child figure out the tone of emails or chats.

Chatman can set reminders for your child, so that they will be able to remember birthdays, homework assignments or whatever else your preteen is prone to forget.

Chatman is an essential tool in creating a safe, fun and entertaining online experience for our kids.

I feel more confident in my children’s online safety since they are using Chatman.

Chatman a great gift for kids 6-12 and sells for $74.99.  He is now available for the first time in the US, and is available at toysrus.com, hsn.com, target.com and bestbuy.com.  He is also available in-store only at Toys R Us Times Square in New York City.

Connect with Chatman:

Chatman – Your Child’s Internet Safety Buddy is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

3 Must-Have Gadgets for New Moms

Technology can be a wonderful learning tool for your child – Not only can they learn, they can show off their creative abilities, play games, and have fun with the plethora of new games, apps, and accessories made especially for kids. Not only does Griffin put out great kid-friendly products for the iPad, but also includes great accessories for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Here are a few of my favorite Griffin iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch accessories.

3 Griffin iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch Accessories for Kids

Technology can be a wonderful learning tool for your child – Not only can they learn, they can show off their creative abilities, play games, and have fun with the plethora of new games, apps, and accessories made especially for kids. Not only does Griffin put out great kid-friendly products for the iPad, but also includes great accessories for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  Here are a few of my favorite Griffin iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch accessories.

5 Gadgets that will Help Busy Moms

Next to her family, the most precious thing in a busy mom’s life is time. Devices that help moms organize their lives better and help them save time are indispensable. Below are five relatively inexpensive time-saving gadgets that every busy mom will love.

The Latest our Gadget Blog, GadgetGoddess.com is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

This is an anonymous guest post but reflects my opinions exactly!

As a busy mom blogger I absolutely love my new iPhone 4s.  There is no way that I would be able to run my blog, get my kids to their activities and still have time for myself. Before I got the iPhone 4s, I was running around like a toddler on a sugar high, I was making unnecessary trips to the store as I would get there and realize my list was still on the table, or missed appointments as I wrote them down in different places. Being able to set up reminders has really made a difference in my life. I guess you have to admit to yourself first that you just might not be able to remember everything anymore, and make a quick reminder to yourself. If anything, there is a greater chance you will remember it if you make a reminder as you are subconsciously writing it again into your memory. My husband laughs at how many reminders I have, and my kids joke that I should set a reminder to remember to set up reminders. I let them laugh, but they are the ones who benefit when I don’t forget to pick up their favorite treats at the store, or when they forget their uniform at home, but due to one of my reminders I grabbed off the table for them. Then they love my reminders.

I’m an Organized Mom & Blogger with the iPhone 4s

Since I got my iPhone 4s I have been able to organize not only my life, but my family and my blogging too. I thank Apple’s Siri entirely for this. With Siri, Apple’s voice activated personal assistant, I can change appointment times simply by speaking to Siri. I can also find addresses or even make reservations at my favorite restaurant all with a few simple voice commands. The best part of Siri is that I don’t have to use robotic commands for it to understand me, but rather I can almost carry on conversations with Siri. It is bad when I find myself talking to Siri because my kids no longer want to listen.

Siri on iPhone 4S lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk. Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean, and even talks back. Siri is so easy to use and does so much, you’ll keep finding more and more ways to use it.

I’m a Multitasking Mom & Blogger with the iPhone 4s

I love the fact that I am back in control of my life and able to manage my blog and my family at the same time. I am no longer ignoring one or the other. Perhaps more important than any of these is the fact that I am able to be flexible and take my blogging along on the road with me. I don’t mind sitting outside my daughter’s school waiting for her to get done with practice as I am able to do my research or reviews while sitting in the van. Do to the fact that the new iPhone 4s increased speed, I now can get a lot more done in a short time. It is sad how I no longer have the patience to “waste” 30 seconds while waiting for my kids to climb in the van, as now this is time to quick edit a blog I had just submitted. Life flies by at top speeds, I really needed a phone that could work as fast as I do. As a busy mom multitasking is a necessity and my iPhone 4s allows me the freedom and flexibility to do just that.

I’m a Photo Taking Pro with the iPhone 4s

One of my favorite features is the new camera as it makes my blog come to life. I am able to snap pictures of new products that I want to add to my blog, with a few simple swipes of my finger I can have it uploaded to my blog ready for my viewers in no time at all. I always have my iPhone 4s along so I can capture the memories as they are happening and don’t miss an opportunity to share my family’s adventures with my blogging family.

This is an anonymous guest post but reflects my opinions exactly!

Submit a guest post for consideration by emailing alicia @ themommyinsider.com.  Byline must be included in your email exactly as you would like for it to appear in your guest post.

Do you own an iPhone 4s? Are you a blogger? How has the iPhone 4s helped you or has it?  Please share your thoughts with us on the iPhone 4s and it’s contribution to your mom/blogging life in the comments below.  Thank you!

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I was not compensated in any way for this post.

The iPhone 4s, a Great Tool for Mom Bloggers is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I work from home and it can get really quiet around here when the kids are in school.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.   I do get lonely though and I feel a little disconnected when there’s no sound around me so I like to have music or a TV show on in the background while I’m working.  I don’t watch TV but hearing it makes me feel less alone. The TV is actually in another room. I can’t even see it.

I was when I received an App-Enhanced Docking Station from Acoustic Research to review.   I ripped the box open, set it up, and was listening to music within minutes of getting the delivery from FedEx.

When I plugged my iPad in to the docking station for the first time, I was prompted to download the free Dock Plus app from the app store.  Dock Plus brings the ultimate in functionality to the docking station.  The app allows me to listen to local FM stations, set my favorite stations, and play and control my iPod/iPhone/iPad music library.  It’s also an alarm clock and has a snooze function.

My 5 year old daughter loves to dance and so she’s always asking me to play songs that are on my iPhone. I love that I can plug my iPhone into this docking station and blast the music super loud so she can dance all over the house and still hear the music!

The Acoustic Research iPad Docking Station:

• Charges your iPod, iPhone or iPad
• 5 adapters included for iPod, iPhone and iPad
• Rotates 90 degrees for two portrait and landscape viewing options – I love this!
• Comes with a remote control
• Emits high performance sound
• Will enable you to view iPod/iPad video content on your TV
• Comes with an iPad, iPod, iPhone, and iPhone 4 adapter

Here is a very brief (20 second) video demonstrating two features: rotating and song switching.

You can buy the App-Enhanced Docking Station on Amazon.com or on the Acoustic Research website.

Disclosure: I was provided a unit for review purposes, free of charge. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by compensation.

Review: Acoustic Research App-Enhanced Docking Station for iPad – On My Things I Use Everyday List is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I love music and all of my favorite music is on my iPhone which is fine when I’m in the car because I can use the FM Transmitter but at home, it wasn’t very easy to listen to music from my iPhone.. that is until I got a Memorex TagAlong™ Portable Boombox.  The TagAlong Portable Boombox moves with me from room to room so I can bring my tunes with me.  Naturally I have the fun, kids music playing on it when I’m downstairs with them, the relaxing music plays when I’m in the office, and I have a ‘sleepy time’ music playlist and I play via the TagAlong when I’m in bed.

The Memorex TagAlong Portable Boombox is small, lightweight, and easy to carry (note the convenient handle) and is available in black and white.

Memorex TagAlong Features:

• The TagAlong Powers and charges your iPhone & iPod devices.
• Line-in jack to connect other audio devices
• Digital FM radio with station presets, includes FM antenna
• Option to use with 4 AAA batteries (sold separately)
• Includes AC adapter

Learn more and buy the Memorex TagAlong at Amazon.com.

The Memorex TagAlong has an MSRP of $59 but can be bought at Amazon.com (link above) for $49 now.

Disclosure: I received a Memorex TagAlong Portable Boombox to try out for this review.  My opinions are 100% my own. You can read my full Disclosure Policy here.

Take Your Music With You With The Memorex TagAlong Portable Boombox for iPod & iPhone is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Do you want to give friends and family a gift that you know they won’t return or re-gift this year?  Look no further than a NAVTEQ in-dash navigation system map update.   Did you know that NAVTEQ is the company whose technology and maps power most of the in-dash navigation systems and GPS-powered devices in the US?

Unfortunately my 2006 Nissan Quest is not equipped with in-dash navigation but chances are that if you, your friends, or family have an in-dash navigation system, it’s powered by NAVTEQ so giving them a NAVTEQ Map Update is a no-brainer.

Holidays = Travel, right?
Well, that doesn’t apply just to you or me.. It applies to millions of people who like to share the highways with us.  If you have kids and will be travelling.. between traffic, accidents, construction, and much needed ‘pit-stops’, you’ll be very grateful for your GPS system this year.  However, if your navigation maps aren’t updated your GPS system isn’t going to help you as much as it could if it was updated.

The world changes, so should your maps. You don’t want your family, your parents, or teenage kids to be stuck somewhere that you aren’t familiar with so it’s really important to have a GPS navigation system and NAVTEQ’s map updates make the perfect gift!

The holiday season is in full swing, which means a lot of running around and a lot of trying to figure what to get for that hard-to-shop-for loved one. A nav system map update from NAVTEQ can help save time when it comes to both of these issues. Whether store hopping to find that sold-out toy, or need to find a place to pick up a hostess gift on the way to the holiday party, an updated map will get you there.

NAVTEQ website

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NAVTEQ.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Give the Gift of Getting There Safely and Efficiently with a Map Update from NAVTEQ is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!