Choosing a Smart Phone

They are all the rage nowdays. You know what we’re talking about – smartphones. From iPhones, Androids and the popular blackberry smartphone, it seems the most exciting technological device on the market is the smartphone. And why not? Smartphones allow you to do much more than just talk on the phone. You can surf the Internet, keep track of your email, get directions, find a restaurant, and even update your Facebook status. Smartphones are certainly a very cool tool that are changing the way telephones work. When it comes times to choose a smartphone, you might be a little bit confused. There are a lot of options to choose from. If you know you want a smartphone, but you’re confused about how to choose a phone, read below for some tips.

1.       Think about your carrier. You may be limited by the smartphone you can buy depending on your carrier. Some carriers have exclusive contracts with phone manufactures. So the first thing to think about is your cell phone carrier.

2.       Make a list of what you want out of a smartphone. Forget for a minute about all the features some types of smartphones offer. If you aren’t ever going to use those features, why do you need them on your phone? You’ll want to make a list of the items that are most important to you.

3.       Decide what you can afford. Not only will you have to pay for the phone, but you’ll also need a data package added on to your cell phone plan in order to fully utilize your smartphone. Decide how much you can afford up front to avoid making impulse purchases.

Smartphones are really amazing and definitely a great device to have, especially when you are a mom on the go. If you are a businessman who needs to finish a presentation or a mom simply trying to keep track of your busy schedule, a smartphone is the right move.

Staying Safe on Facebook

When you think about the Internet and all of the cool things you can do online nowdays, there’s certainly one thing that comes to mind – Facebook. Being on Facebook is a great tool for keeping track of friends, reconnecting with those you’ve lost track of, and even a great business tool. However, with all fabulous things in the world, there’s also a negative side to Facebook. With so much information available at just the click of a mouse, some people have chosen to use Facebook as a place to take advantage of others. If you enjoy using Facebook, but you’re worried about security, take a look at these tips for staying safe on Facebook.

1.       Watch your settings. You can control who sees your photos, status updates, and even your wall. You just have to control your settings. Best practice suggests setting your security to “friends only” meaning only those people on your friends list can see the things you post on Facebook.

2.       Only friend people you know in real life. You don’t want anyone on your friend list that you don’t actually know in real life. If you get a request from someone you don’t know, don’t accept it. This is likely someone who is trying to access your account for spamming purposes.

3.       Be careful what you post. While it’s fun to let other people know what you are doing and when, be very careful about what you actually post on your Facebook page. For example, if you are going on vacation, don’t post that you are leaving town and how long you will be gone. This is just an open invitation for thieves.

Facebook is a lot of fun! You just need to exercise a little bit of caution in order to stay safe online.