It’s back-to-school time and a perfect time to take care of the files on your student’s laptop or desktop computer. You know the drill: something happens and they forgot to backup their files. They lose that important research they have done for a term paper or the notes they took in Chemistry class. Or worse yet, they lose that precious college essay they have been working on for months.

Panic ensues and there is absolutely nothing you can do except take it to a repair shop and hope they can recover the data. Not if you have Carbonite! The program automatically backs up your files so you don’t have to. No more worrying about backing up files. With Carbonite you get:

• Cloud Backup: Cloud backup not only protects your data so you can get it back in the event of data loss, but it also provides remote access to files when you’re away from your computer. Carbonite’s cloud backup plans start at just $59.99 per year, and runs in the background so new and changed files are backed up automatically. And for the student who always forgets to print out their homework or loses papers before they’re due, Anytime, Anywhere Access ensures they can download, print or email their backed up files from any computer, iOS or Android device.
• Virus Protection: While back-to-school virus protection generally consists of stocking up on tissues and hand sanitizer, the threat of computer viruses shouldn’t be ignored. Millions of computer viruses can allow someone to access your data, collect billing information, or take control of your computer, and can also slow down your computer and interfere with your programs.
• Password Protocol: Today’s youth are more connected than ever – 78 percent have cell phones, nearly one quarter have their own tablet, and more than nine in 10 teenagers have a computer or access to one. With many schools relaxing their technology policies to allow students to bring devices to school, it’s important to make sure students implement security measures like passwords to make sure that your family’s data doesn’t get into the wrong hands.
• Mobile Data Usage: Nearly three in four teens say they access the internet from their phones, tablets and other mobile devices. While on-the-go internet allows students to remotely access files, quickly look up a fact for a history paper and connect with peers, data usage fees can be expensive. Review your family’s cellular data plan to ensure your package fits your needs, and ask your family to use Wi-Fi to connect whenever possible to avoid overage fees.

I installed it on my Mac and it works fabulously. I no longer have to worry about forgetting to back up my files. Installation was easy and leaving it on overnight and my computer was backed up when I got up in the morning. It worked like a charm!

You can enter once a day for the duration of the contest. This is a $59.99 value and it’s yours if you have the most entries when the contest ends.

GIVEAWAY ENDS SEPTEMBER 1, 2013

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The entrance of smartphones in our lives brought a lot of changes in the way we do things. This is due to the fact that this small communication device can assist us to undertake a lot of activities much easier and faster than before. However, each of these activities makes your battery deplete. This means that you need to find ways to reduce the battery consumption. This article looks at the science behind the various approaches.

Manage Your Screen Settings

Your screen is one part of your smartphone that is always on when performing an activity. Every operation on the phone uses the screen in one way or another. This means that your screen is one of the components that take up a lot of battery power. The good thing is that you can change the various settings that are used in your screen to reduce consumption.

If you have no time to customize this feature, you can select a theme that automatically adjusts the features to improve battery consumption. This is achieved by selecting the ‘power saving mode’ under your display settings. The science behind this is basically a change in the screen time-out and reduction in the brightness of your screen. This most definitely reduces the power consumption.

Manage Connectivity

No other smartphone function uses up your battery like connecting to the Internet via Bluetooth, data, or Wi-Fi. You may prefer to leave the connection turned on due to the fact that some of the apps and functions use the Internet, but you need to be ready with a charging pack very soon.

If you are not using the Internet, it is better to turn off these functions so that you do not waste your battery. Additionally, the higher the level of connectivity, the faster your battery will be drained. This means that it is more economical for you to connect to a 2G network rather than a 4G network.

Avoid Using Themes/Live Wallpapers

Everyone loves to have his or her smartphone screen looking beautiful. The best part is leaving your friends and colleagues in awe due to the way your phone looks. Well, you need to know that as your friends gape at your screen, your battery is going down faster than you can imagine. The science behind the energy consumption is due to the fact that themes and live wallpapers use higher resolutions and more resources on your phone.

These features consume more power as compared to the static wallpapers available on your phone. So, before you install that app or amazing wallpaper, think about your battery life.

Kill Unnecessary Processes

Smartphones come with default apps that run in the background. You don’t need most of these apps so you need to shut them down. One of the best ways to do this is to download and install an app that can kill background tasks. However, it is you to decide the tasks that you do not need and those that are essential to your daily phone activities.

Monitor Your Battery Usage

You cannot control something that you do not know. If you know the details of your battery usage, then you will be able to manage it better. One way you can achieve this is by downloading an app that can monitor your battery status. The app shows you a breakdown of the various stages of your battery status. You will know how long you have in talk time, standby mode, use of the Internet, and more. This will assist you to budget for your battery much better.

The science that dictates the function of your smartphone is such that battery power runs the various applications. This is why you can save some power by managing applications installed on your phone. You can do this by adjusting the settings on the gadget or using apps designed for a specific purpose, such as killing applications running in the background.

 ________________

Author Bio

William Stevens is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to technology. In this article, he offers advice for saving battery life on smartphones and aims to encourage continued study through OU Online Programs

In general, a computer virus is a piece of malicious software that infects and causes damage, changes, or copies files on your computer or other software. Hackers create viruses for different purposes including stealing credit card information, intellectual property, login details used by site visitors, as well as spying on unsuspecting laptop users. According to a report published by Kaspersky Lab, the company’s antivirus software detected more than three billion attacks from infected files. If you use your laptop to surf the Internet, you run the risk of downloading malicious software unknowingly. Read on to learn how to safeguard your college laptop from malicious software.

The Email Threat

Email is one of the most widely used forms of Internet communication. However, cyber criminals have turned email into a tool for spreading computer viruses. The rule of thumb is to avoid opening unsolicited email attachments or links. Even if the email seems to come from a trusted source, be careful when opening it. For example, you might get an email that says you need to verify your bank account details by clicking open a given link.

It is advisable not to open that link straight from your email. Instead, open another browser tab and use it to visit your bank’s website. Most banks have teams of representatives ready to answer client queries via web chat, phone, or instant messaging. Find out if the information in the email is genuine.

Avoid File Sharing Sites

File sharing sites where people can access music, software, or movies have become quite popular. It is wise to stay away from such sites because there is no way of knowing if you are downloading an infected file or not. You might realize that your laptop has malicious software when it is too late and hackers have already cleared your bank account. Even if you have installed antivirus software in your laptop, it does not provide 100% protection. Take note that an antivirus program is simply a database of known viruses and hackers can create sophisticated, unknown, and undetectable viruses.

Pop-up Messages

If you come across a pop-up message warning that your computer has a computer virus, ignore it. In most cases, such pop-up messages urge web users to download software that will clear viruses or software. The truth is you will be downloading malware and not genuine antivirus software.

Social Engineering Threats

Although social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest have made it easy for people to communicate and socialize, they have also made it easy for hackers to spread malware. For example, you might receive a message from a friend on any social network site inviting you to view a video or listen to an audio message.

When you open the link provided by your supposed friend, you might get a message prompting you to update your software. If you proceed to update your software, you will likely infect your laptop with a virus. Other social engineering tricks include fake gift delivery messages, music or sports concert tickets giveaways, or messages to participate in a lottery.

USB Drives

Make it a rule to never accept and use USB drives from other people. There is no way of knowing the contents of such a drive without sticking it in your laptop. Even if you carry out a virus scan, antivirus programs can never be 100% efficient.

All college students should take steps to protect their laptops from malware. Some effective ways of ensuring Internet security goal include avoiding file-sharing sites, never opening email attachments from untrusted sources, avoiding unsolicited popup messages, and never accepting USB drives from other people.

_______________________

Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education. In this article, he offer tips of laptop safety and aims to encourage further study through Norwich University Information Assurance Degrees.

In today’s smartphone, tablet world, apps rule. Teens (and their parents) are looking for the best apps to help them organize, study, and find accurate information about colleges. After doing research over multiple websites, I’ve compiled a list of 25 apps for the college-bound student (and their parents!).

In no particular order, they are as follows:

1. Essay Starter-$.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/essay-starter/id593023126?mt=

(iPad)

Be inspired! Writing is easy when you have easy access and control of your sources. Automatic footnotes let you stop worrying about references and just write. Split screen mode lets you open and read multiple PDF files, and take notes at the same time.

2. Quad2Quad-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quad2quad-college-visit-planner/id520573900?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

Quad2Quad’s mobile app takes the hassle out of college visit planning. Quad2Quad is a virtual travel assistant, mining, curating and assembling the most important college data for the user. Quad2Quad enables families to plan college visits without spending hours combing multiple college web sites.

3. Edupath SAT Prep & College Search-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/edupath-sat-prep-college-search/id569529148?ls=1&mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

Edupath SAT Prep and College Search is like two apps in one. The free College Explorer lets you browse 1300 colleges to find the right fit. The adaptive SAT Training is optimized for short sessions so you can use it anytime, anywhere, for just $40/month.

4. College Visits-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/college-visits/id436274357?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

With the Welcome to College CollegeVisits iPhone App, you’ll get the ability to rate, take notes, and upload photos in real time or on the trip home. All of the information and photos sync with your account on WelcometoCollege.com.

5. Find Colleges-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/find-colleges/id347654402?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

The Find Colleges search application makes it easy to search for information about U.S. colleges and universities. Developed by ThinkEducationUSA.com, this innovative app enables browsing by video, majors, size and tuition, or by state. This unique multimedia app features video profiles for some schools. It also provides web links as well as the ability to request more information directly from a school.

6. School Grade Tracker-$.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/school-grade-tracker/id545880650?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

Does your teen need a certain grade point average to get into their dream school, or to receive a college scholarship? School Grade Tracker is a powerful tool for tracking, predicting, and organizing their school life. Students can easily keep track of terms, classes, mark categories, and individual marks. Highly customizable to suit all types of classes and marks. Includes a built-in calendar to keep track of upcoming marks, along with a GPA calculator and class grade prediction calculator.

7. The Homework App-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-homework-app/id561371952?mt=8

(iPod, iPad)

This course management app can replace the need for a day planner, allowing your teen to take note of all of their upcoming assignments, quizzes, and tests, with the simple click of a button. Bonus: the app can even store the teachers’ contact details–so you can easily jot off emails to your favorites when it comes time to request letters of recommendation.

8. SAT Vocab Challenge Vol. 1 and 2-$4.99 each

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sat-vocab-challenge-vol.-1/id315264996?mt=8

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sat-vocab-challenge-vol.-2/id330209840?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

Created by none other than the test prep maestros at the Princeton Review, these comprehensive apps let your teen turn any spare minute into an opportunity for vocabulary cramming. The Vocab Challenge offers a variety of timed multiple-choice vocab challenges, featuring 250 of the words most frequently used in the SAT. It’s an ineffable way to expedite your edification. (Didn’t quite get that? You need this app.)

9. Essential Essays Pro-$19.99 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/essential-essays-pro-10-apps/id318685794?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

Is your teen struggling when it comes to summing up your life story in 500 words or less? For most students, the personal statement is the most difficult part of the college application process. This group of four related apps makes it easier, providing a virtual writing tutor inside your iPhone. The tools can help your teen to define the writing assignment, and help them come up with an outline for the essay. Then, if you’d rather not type up your entire essay on your phone, you can email your notes to your home computer. It won’t actually write your essay for you, but it’s a close second.

10. College Search Guide-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/college-search-guide-handbook/id364820872?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dormmom.collegeguide&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5kb3JtbW9tLmNvbGxlZ2VndWlkZSJd

(Android)

This application is for anyone across the world looking to enroll in a college or university in the United States. Foreign students, high school students, current college students looking to transfer, parents, the working professional looking to go to grad school will find this application very useful. All information are 100% authentic from the US Department of Education.

11. The College Checklist-$.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-college-checklist/id434331732?mt=8 

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Craes.CollegeChecklistGirls102&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5DcmFlcy5Db2xsZWdlQ2hlY2tsaXN0R2lybHMxMDIiXQ..

(Android)

A fantastic compilation of 178 articles of clothing, bedding, toiletries, desk supplies, and more that young women need to pack for college. Pack what’s on the list and you’ll be all set. With this app it is very easy to track the stuff you need to pack.

12. Campus Guide-College & University-$1.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/campus-guide-college-university/id524079518?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

Powered by results from Foursquare, Campus Guide is the ideal student app to take with you to College or University. Find your way around College campuses, check-in with Foursquare and update your friends, family and other students via Twitter and Facebook. Visiting friends at a different College or University? With Campus guide there is no need to get lost or arrive late. Search for campus buildings, find address details and plan your route using the in-built map.

13. College Confidential-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/college-confidential/id416874838?mt=8 

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quoord.tapatalkcc.activity&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5xdW9vcmQudGFwYXRhbGtjYy5hY3Rpdml0eSJd  (Android)

Read and interact with other users on topics like Financial Aid, College Life, Test Preparation, and more. Check messages, search topics and exchange private messages with other members. With access to millions of posts from students, parents, and experts in 700+ forums, you’ll find answers to all of your college-bound questions.

14. Math Formulas-Reference Guide-$.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-formulas-reference-guide/id423545644?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

(iPhone, iPad)

Over 100 math formulas at high school level. The covered areas include algebra, geometry, calculus, trigonometry, probability and statistics. Most of the formulas come with examples for better understanding. Use the powerful search function to find what you are looking for and mark your favorites for easier access. A convenient tool for students and teachers and a handy reference for anyone interested in math!

15. ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/showme-interactive-whiteboard/id445066279?mt=8

(iPad)

Turn your iPad into your personal interactive whiteboard! ShowMe allows you to record voice-over whiteboard tutorials and share them online. It’s an amazingly simple app that anyone can use, no matter how young or old!

16. Asset Campus Housing-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/asset-campus-housing/id413622155?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

The Asset Campus Housing iPhone app displays information about student housing properties around the United States and it allows you to: look at floor plans, view image galleries, view the property on a map, apply on your phone, send in maintenance requests and pay your rent.

17. Note Taker-$1.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/note-taker/id342284707?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

With this full version, you can email multiple pages as a PDF. You can also create “Typed” pages with the keyboard and organize them with the ink pages. On ink pages you can bring up a keyboard later to transcribe what you wrote into contact information that can be added to the Address Book with the tap of a button or pasted into other apps. This full version does not have a limit on the number of pages and does not have a watermark on the JPEGs.

18. College-Bound-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/college-bound/id522249774?mt=8 

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kaebelharhotmail.com.kae.collegebound&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5rYWViZWxoYXJob3RtYWlsLmNvbS5rYWUuY29sbGVnZWJvdW5kIl0.

(Android)

College-Bound eliminates the college stress by providing both students and parents with useful, every day, and up-to-the-minute, information on and about the entire college process. Professionals in all areas of the college planning and preparation process provide expert information on the following topics: Athletes and Recruiting, College Admissions, College Essays, College Travel, Financial Aid, Internships, NCAA Eligibility, SAT & ACT Preparation, SAT Essays, SAT Vocabulary and Scholarships.

19. Fiske Interactive College Guide-$19.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fiske-interactive-college/id418350915?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

FISKE GUIDE TO COLLEGES has been the most trusted source of information for parents, counselors, and college-bound students. Now, the Fiske Interactive College Guide brings you every aspect of the book—plus much more—in an app! You’ll find the Fiske Interactive College Guide useful throughout the hectic, often stressful college search and selection process.

20. Evernote-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote/id281796108?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evernote&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5ldmVybm90ZSJd

(Android)

Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders–and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go.

21. Dropbox-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dropbox/id327630330?mt=8 

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dropbox.android

(Android)

Dropbox lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Access any file you save to your Dropbox from all your computers, smartphones, tablets and even the Dropbox website! Use Dropbox to save and share photos and videos in a snap or even take your work on the go. If something happens to your iPhone or iPad, your stuff is always safe in Dropbox!

22. SAT Question of the Day-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/official-sat-question-day/id361264754?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sabatini.satt_question_free&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5zYWJhdGluaS5zYXR0X3F1ZXN0aW9uX2ZyZWUiXQ..

(Android)

Tease your brain with real SAT questions and SAT preparation materials from the test maker. With the question of the day application you can answer a real SAT question each day.

23. Tutor.com To Go-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tutor.com-to-go/id382913089?mt=8

(iPhone, iPad)

The only education app that connects you to an expert tutor for real-time help. Here’s what a few students had to say about their experience with Tutor.com To Go.
With Tutor.com To Go, you can: connect to a live tutor for one-to-one help in math, science, social studies, and English; save and review past one-to-one tutoring sessions; store essays, assignments, or photos of homework problems in your Tutor.com Locker; share items in your Locker with a tutor and access thousands of educational resources from the SkillsCenter™ Resource Library

 24. StudyBlue-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/studyblue/id323887414?mt=8 

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.studyblue&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5zdHVkeWJsdWUiXQ..

(Android)

This app is made for serious studiers; flip online flashcards for fast feedback on what you know, then re-study concepts you’ve not yet mastered using Study Filters. Review class notes or make flashcards whenever you have a minute to spare. Study over breakfast or late at night – at the library or in a coffee shop. Do what works for you, whenever and wherever you are.

25. Khan Academy

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/khan-academy/id469863705?mt=8

(iPhone, iPad)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.concentricsky.android.khan&hl=en

(Android)

Khan Academy allows you to learn almost anything for free. This app is the best way to view Khan Academy’s complete library of over 4,200 videos. It covers a massive number of topics, including K-12 math, science topics such as biology, chemistry, and physics, and even the humanities with playlists on finance and history.

If you have a teen heading off to college in the fall, these upcoming weeks are a great time to get ready for college: like purchasing books and dorm room furniture and supplies to be ready for the first day of class.  And hopefully, many students received some of these supplies as graduation gifts.  One of the most necessary items to have before stepping foot on campus in the fall is a laptop.  Laptops offer supreme portability and efficiency, aspects which make them an essential item for all college students.

And parents, laptops have far more uses for your children than checking Facebook every ten minutes and playing online games.  With a laptop, students can easily and more effectively take notes during class and Skype their parents to tell them face-to-face how school’s going.  But there are so many laptops to choose from–how do you decide?

Fortunately, Parents Countdown to College Coach has a laptop comparison tool, powered by FindTheBest, that enables parents and their children to narrow down the best laptops for their needs and preferences.  With the widget below, you can sort through hundreds of laptops by price, display size, battery life, and Smart Rating (a single rating based on technical specifications and review scores from expert sources).  Also, if you want to narrow down the list, just filter the search by price range, display, battery life, and storage range, and also laptop type.  If and when you find the laptop that best fits your child’s needs (and your budget!), you can purchase it directly from Amazon, and it will be at your doorstep in a week or less.

Also, a crucial accessory to have for laptops in college are headphones.  Whether your child wants to listen to music while he’s in the library, or he needs to watch a documentary for class while his roommate is asleep, this item comes in handy very often.  Like laptops, determining which earphones are right for them is a difficult process.  Check out the widget below to find and purchase the right headphones for your kids!

Tonight’s #CollegeCash Chat was centered around available tech resources for the college-bound and their parents. Following is a short transcript of the questions and answers with all the links I provided. As a parent myself and a parent advocate I understand the frustration with the college admissions process. It’s my hope that you will find some tools here that will make the process easier.

Q. Is there a lot of technology out there that benefits students and parents when it comes to college? 

• We now have online sites for just about every part of the college admissions process and stay organized
• Multiple apps are also available to help parents and students while they are on the go
• Smartphones and portable devices like the iPad have made the college prep process easier

Q. Are SmartPhones necessary for our kids leaving for college? 

• Every college student needs a smartphone–here are some features you should look for: http://bit.ly/151BUJj
• Smartphones help them communicate, socially interact, store and process information, and enable social networking in class
• An added bonus to the smartphone is the ability to stay in touch with parents via facetime, texts, and location apps

Q. Which mobile apps do you recommend for college students?

• Students will need apps to organize class notes, keep class schedules, get tutoring and study help
• There are many apps out there; locating them can be tedious. Here’s some advice that can help http://bit.ly/qlMJAq
• Here are two short lists of mobile apps for students: http://bit.ly/11yU8xX and http://bit.ly/Lk4d9I
• Fastweb gives a comprehensive list here as well: http://mnstr.me/eQs0Ia

Q. What are some other necessary tech gadgets for students going off to college? 

• We’ve already determined they will need a smartphone; here’s a list of other items that can be helpful http://bit.ly/ZZJuAo
• Consider an iPad, Nook or Kindle to download ebooks and save money on textbooks (even FREE books) http://bit.ly/156LDK6
• Portable hard drives, flash drives, portable scanners and printers can also be added to the list

Q. What are college application programs? 

• These programs help students stay organized during the admissions process by keeping track of all aspects of the application
• One service is ApplyKit-students can search for colleges, add them to a dashboard & track deadlines: http://bit.ly/YufcH5
• College Application Wizard keeps track of your college prep to-do list in a virtual environment http://bit.ly/16hvoj8

Q. Why do students and parents need them? #CollegeCash

• It’s easy to get lost in the college application process-deadlines, application components, recommendation letters
• Parents struggle with mounds of paper and filing; having these available online helps with organization
• Everyone keeps track of contacts, appointments and schedules with mobile devices; college applications are no different

Q. What is Edupath? 

• Edupath is like three apps in one. College Explorer lets you browse 1300 colleges to find the right fit.
• SAT Training is optimized for short sessions so you can use it anytime, anywhere.
• Dashboard, an Edupath exclusive, allows parents to follow along in real-time. Here’s how it works: http://bit.ly/16v1kQ6

Q. Are there any apps that can help tutor our students?

• Most tutoring apps are focused around the SAT/ACT tests: http://bit.ly/11acibH
• Schools.com also gives a comprehensive list of test prep apps- http://bit.ly/AprvzG
• Here’s an app that allows you to get real-time tutoring in any subject http://www.motuto.com/

Q. What are some other apps students can use during the college prep process?

• Essay Starter is an app that helps students with their college essays http://bit.ly/X9k3uH
• Welcome to College offers a college visit app:  http://bit.ly/11gBSsl
• Here’s another app for keeping track of college visits from Quad2Quad: http://bit.ly/12UgFVw

Q. Is there any other resources you’d like to share with our community?

• Here are some apps for students who study abroad http://on.mash.to/Y9KFyv
• Here’s a great service that texts SAT questions to your smartphone http://smsprep.com/sat
• InstaEDU offers online face-to-face tutoring in any subject http://bit.ly/10fAllP
• Looking for scholarships? There an app for that: http://bit.ly/166MAYN
• Here’s another Online Tutoring and homework help service https://www.doesthatmakesense.com/

Peruse my blog and you will find many more online resources that will help with the college application process. And don’t forget about the old-fashioned helps–books!

These days it’s practically a given that you will send your students off to college not only with essentials like bedding and a computer, but also with a smartphone. For most parents, this is not only a way to ensure that they can get in touch with their kids at any time of day or night, but it’s also a way to put their minds at ease, knowing that kids will have a way to call for help should they find themselves in a sticky situation. However, not just any smartphone will do. And before your children are out the door with visions of frat parties dancing in their heads, you need to do a little research to figure out which smartphone options will best benefit them during their time on campus. Here are just a few essential smartphone features you might want to consider.

1. Front- and rear-facing cameras.

While you can certainly communicate with your kids via phone and email, you might want to get a look at them once in a while. Front- and rear-facing cameras mean that you can use a service like Skype to video chat with your students even while they’re miles away on campus.

2. 4G service.

Let’s be honest: there’s nothing wrong with 3G service, per se. Well, there is the fact that everyone has it now, which means that it has gotten a lot slower over the past couple of years. If you want your students to have instant connectivity and fast download speeds, 4G is where it’s at nowadays. Although coverage is spotty in some areas, many networks are diligently expanding their 4G zones in order to ensure the best service for their customers.

3. Intelligent personal assistant.

You’ve no doubt heard of Siri, the intelligent personal assistant that can seek directions and make reservations, all with hands-free functionality and a computerized wit to go with it. This type of technology is essential for student smartphones for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the voice activation and recognition means that your kids need never use their hands, a great boon if they can’t seem to disengage from a phone, even when they’re driving. In addition, it can help them to find any information at the drop of a hat without stopping to type, a handy feature for busy college students.

4. Storage.

Most savvy students these days store data in the cloud, but with a wealth of educational apps at their disposal they should also have plenty of storage space available on their device with which to run their plethora of applications. They may want to take notes, use talk-to-text functionality, keep a schedule of classes and assignments, or even share project information with group members for a specific class. All of these applications may have to be present and accounted for on the device (rather than in the cloud) in order to be useful, so phones that feature extra GB for storage are probably preferable.

5. Insurance.

In case you didn’t know, your mobile service provider (i.e. Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile, for example) can offer you insurance in case your kids’ phones are lost or damaged. While it won’t cover issues arising from unlocked cell phones, and there may be restrictions on coverage due to negligence or abuse at the hands of users, it should pay out in cases where the phone is lost, stolen, vandalized, or even damaged by the user is some cases. You could rely on a protective case and a lost device locating program like the The Find My iPhone application. But only insurance will guarantee a replacement phone or parts.