Tech Tips from Mom 2.0

[#1]

It’s a beautiful time to be in New Orleans,  home of the 2011 Mom 2.0 Summit.  For those of you who aren’t familiar, Mom 2.0 Summit brings together about 450 bloggers, social media influencers, industry leaders and brands once a year to share best practices.  I used to live in Louisiana, so it was good to see so many people making connections while experiencing a city I love.

HP was on-hand, showing off our latest consumer PCs. While there,  we connected with many influential and interesting bloggers throughout the event. Whether it was at our booth, “OH” (that's Twitter-ese for "overheard") during the summit or a tech roundtable with Beth Blecherman of @TechMamas, one topic kept coming up:  How technology affects the everyday life of a modern mom.  Read on for a couple great insights I picked up during the course of the 2011 summit.

-          Cindy Meltzer of www.isisparenting.com and www.thesocialcraft.com finds that Twitter is the best way to communicate with mom friends. She said “I have three active email accounts, all of which are inundated with mail. I find it comical that Twitter—a platform I resisted using at first—has become the best way to for me communicate with my mom friends, and the most immediate way for them to reach me. We use Twitter to stay in touch throughout the day and to set up in-person meetings.”

-          @Linda_ Sellers: I can easily keep in touch with kids in college, able to chat live, see uploaded photos ([and] keep tabs on them!)

-          Jodi Grundig of Momsfavoritestuff.com said technology enables her to multitask, “from writing blog posts while sitting at gymnastics to handling conference calls on the playground. With the help of technology, I can be a stay at home mom and a work at home mom at the same time!”

-          Leticia Barr of Techsavvymama.com shares “computer time” with her family each night. She says, “There isn’t one device for everyone, but a different device for every age. My seven year old uses a netbook, while my four and a half year old uses a larger computer.”

-          Jyl Pattee of MomItForward.com said that her family uses Google Calendar to keep track of family schedules. Family members can access and update the calendar while at home or on the go on using their computers or phones.

-          Stacey Nerdin of Treerootandtwig.com said that her entire family is on PCs and that even her three year old son uses a computer while she blogs. They “co-office” together.

-          @sthrnfairytale: Technology allowed my Grandfather to see and talk to his great grandchildren once more before he passed.  priceless

-          One blogger we interviewed said that her son uses her hand-me-down HP Mini to access educational sites like PBS Kids.org. Her advice to others out there – “don’t be intimidated by technology. Ask questions, and just do it.”

-          Whitney Wingerd of MommieswithStyle.com uses her HP Mini to stay connected and blog from conferences like Mom 2.0.

You can check out more photos from the event on our Flickr album here.

All in all, it was great meeting and connecting with new bloggers and some we’d met earlier this year at the Altitude Design Summit. 

I heard from Marla Trevino over at Mom 2.0 that the 2012 conference will be in Miami, so as they say in New Orleans, laissez les bon temps rouler!

Here’s my question to you: How does technology play a role in your (and your family’s) life?

[#2]

Awesome tips shared by everyone. So great to meet you at Mom 2.0 last weekend. I'm dying to get that hot pink mini! So cute!

[#3]

It was so great to talk to you and see the latest and greatest HP devices!  I've always had my eye on that gorgeous Vivienne Tam but am loving my HP dm1 for the ultimate in portability!  

[#4]

Jyl and Leticia, it was great to meet you both.  I'm glad you enjoyed checking out our products, and it's always helpful to hear your thoughts on them too.  For me, the conversations I had overall were very valuable.  See you at other events in the future I hope!

[#5]

I love my Netbook!  (Clearly!)  So great to finally put a face to your names ladies, looking forward to seeing you at all at future events.

[#6]

It was wonderful meeting the HP folks at Mom2.0...I am super excited to get my new computer.  Technology plays a role in our lives in so many ways.  We keep track of our family schedule on the calendar.  We Skype with my dad in Panama, and my family in Georgia, Arizona & Ohio.  I cannot imagine my life without technology....as well as friends all over the country.  Being a news anchor, I've lived a lot of places and the computer allows me to easily stay in touch with those I love. Also, several of the contributors on my website--aMomKnowsBest--live in different states.  Through technology,  we can have online meetings and all see the same computer screen.  It's brilliant!  And to think...I still have so much to learn!

[#7]

great info! I enjoyed meeting the team on Saturday of the conference. I have my eye on one of those minis...so cute! 

[#8]

Technology impacts everything we do. My children know how to use location based apps so I can keep up with their travels when they are away from home. We use Google maps to find everything from a gas station to a yard sale. I work on the computer during the day and my daughter sits beside me at her desk reading stories on my iPhone. She also loves playing Angry Birds...and she's 3! Even my 18 month old likes to play with the digital flash cards and watch Nick Jr. Episodes on the laptop while her older brothers watch movies.

My extended family enjoys reading my blog and facebook accounts to keep in touch; as well as watching family videos on YouTube.

When it comes to technology I'd say we are one "connected" family!

Shasta- Mom to 4 and Married to the military!

www.faithfullyfrugal-and-free.com