FitBit Force

• Price: $130
• Features: Tracks sleep, steps, and calories; watch capability; compatibility with newer iPhone and select Android phones; mini OLED screen; water-resistant; iOS and Android apps; Bluetooth capability; coming soon “smart call notifications“
• Look: Lightweight and comfortable
• Cons: only select Android devices are compatible

Jawbone Up

• Price: $130
• Features: great mobile app on iPhone and some Android devices; measures overall movement; tracks sleep patterns; motivational tools on the app; measures mood; social component that links you to other Up users
• Look: Comfortable rubber bracelet minimalist look;
• Cons: no screen; no Bluetooth capability

Withings Plus

• Price:$100
• Features: pedometer, heart rate monitor, and sleep tracker; long battery life; small and lightweight; Bluetooth capability; and Android and iOS compatibility
• Look: It is basically just a little piece of black plastic that you can put into a watch-like case.
• Cons: not water-resistant; hard to see in the direct sunlight

Nike FuelBand SE

• Price:$149
• Features: Bluetooth capability; resistance to water (you can shower with it on!); measures sleep; Fuel activity point system; new and improved app for iOS
• Look: colorful interior in Pink, Volt, Black, and Crimson; black plastic lightweight exterior; comes in 3 sizes
• Cons: only iOS compatibility

After looking at the features and cons of each high-tech fitness tracker bracelet, you need to decide which features you can’t live without. Some important features are compatibility with iOS or Andoird devices as well as Bluetooth capability. Make sure you check these out before you fall in love with a high-tech bracelet. Personally, the new FitBit Force looks like a great option for someone like me that needs as much motivation as I can get. Good luck on your path to staying healthy and fit as the weather gets colder! And just remember, if you buy a fitness tracker bracelet, that is the first step to your healthy new life.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]

The post 4 Great Fitness Tracker Bracelets Gabriele Arenburg appeared first on Gazelle The Horn.

But let’s be real, parents, kids under the age of 12 do not need an iPhone. Cell phones for kids are not necessary. That being said, some of the better toys for kids are still technology, but technology that is educational, fun, safe and doesn’t involve unlimited texting or data plans. If your kid is constantly pestering you about getting your old smartphone when you get your new one, there are a couple of questions you should ask yourself first:

Do you want to let your kids have technology?

Parents these days complain a lot about their child’s technology use taking away from other important aspects of their lives. Things like family dinners, playing outside and doing homework are falling wayside to video games, iPad apps and text message conversations. As a parent, you need to evaluate whether buying your child a smartphone is worth taking time away from some of these other important aspects to growing up. Cell phones for kids give them access to technology, but they can receive that access in other ways.

Do your kids really need a high-end smartphone?

There are benefits to children having cell phones such as safety, GPS tracking, and being able to talk to your child any time. Giving your child a cell phone is not always a bad idea, but your 12 year old probably doesn’t need an iPhone – even if she tells you she really, really needs it (she doesn’t, by the way). It is not necessary for children to have the latest in technology, or even high-end smartphones that are a generation old. There are plenty of entry-level phones you can buy for your children that won’t run your bank account dry but still allow them to give you a call to check in.

Plus, by giving your child your old iPhone or smartphone, you are missing out on the trade-in value you could get for that smartphone. Currently, you can get around $300 for your used iPhone 5 16GB and $200 for an iPhone 4S. If you pass down your iPhone to your kid, you’re missing out on some real value, and that value only declines over time. You could pass down your phone to your child, or you could sell it and buy an age appropriate toy that they really want, or use that cash to pay for your new phone. Or, if you’d prefer to spend that cash on yourself, you could sell your old phone and use the money to treat yourself to a new pair of sunglasses.

Are there tech alternatives to a smartphone?

There are many gadgets that will give your child the features they want out of a high-end smartphone, without the calling, unlimited texting and data plans that can distract from face-to-face communication. They can still download all their favorite applications and games, and you can make sure they’re downloading some applications that can help with their school work.

Here is a list of alternative options to a smart phone:

• iPod touch: $229
• Samsung Galaxy Player: $269
• Song Walkman Z: $249
• Philips GoGear Connect 3:$179
• Kindle Fire: $199

[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]

The post Pass It Down or Sell It: Should you give your kids a cell phone? Gabriele Arenburg appeared first on Gazelle The Horn.

Can’t remember when you changed the baby’s diaper? Baby Connect will remind you! Baby Connect is an app available on Android, iPhone, and iPad and it can also be used as a web application. It allows you to track when your baby was last fed, changed, and slept. It gives parents peace of mind when they are tired and can’t remember these details or when they go back to work and want to check on their child. The app is also very safe and secure because only authorized users can access your child’s information.

WebMD Baby

Does your baby have a rash on its arm? WebMD Baby has answers to all of your health questions. WebMD Baby is an app that gives you access to trusted information to keep your baby healthy and happy. It has hundreds of articles and videos developed and approved by WebMD doctors. The app also has a number of features to keep track of how your baby is growing and capture and record your baby’s key moments and milestones and share them on Facebook.

Baby Travel

Going on a trip soon after your baby is born? Make sure you download the Baby Travel app. Baby Travel helps you prepare and pack for a trip with your baby by asking a series of questions about where you’re going, how long you’ll be gone, and how many people are going with you. The app will then generate a list based on the answers to your questions. You can also save the lists if you frequent the same location regularly.

Best Baby Monitor

Want to see your baby sleeping without waking them? Download the Best Baby Monitor app which allows you to see, hear and talk to your baby. By using two iOS devices or a Mac OS X computer, you can easily create your own baby monitor. Not only can you use this setup as a monitor, you can play your baby lullabies and tape your baby to share with your friends and family. There also is a special feature of this app where you can place it in Alert Call Mode to call your device when your baby wakes up.

Baby Shusher

Tired of singing your baby lullabies at 3 a.m. every morning? Download the Baby Shusher app ASAP and save yourself from exhaustion and a sore throat. The Baby Shusher app has several features which can calm your baby’s cries such as a rhythmic shush, which is a noise that reminds the baby of being in their mom’s tummy. This noise has been developed by doctors to mimic the sounds the baby hears in the uterus. The app also offers a Community Forum for parents to share their stories, shusher timer options to give you full control, and volume control to make sure the baby can hear it over the cries.

Now, while all these have great reviews online, its hard to judge best baby apps without experience. What are your favorite baby apps?

[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]

The post 5 Best Baby Apps Kate Middleton – And All New Moms – Should Be Using Gabriele Arenburg appeared first on Gazelle The Horn.