Could you be having more fun with your camera? Always. Here are seven great options for getting started:

You've tweeted and retweeted but still haven't won a coveted iPad. Don't despair. You still have one last chance to win an iPad from your friends at My Life Scoop. Enter now!

Most people peg techies for indoor types. But in actuality, much of the latest technology is meant to improve user experience in the great outdoors.

It's easy enough to gauge your kid's learning when it comes to concrete skills. Walking, talking, reading...the "evidence" of progression is right there for you to see. It's much more difficult, however, when your kid struggles with invisible skills such as empathy, perception of personal space, and frustration tolerance. These are skills, to be sure, but not ones we usually "teach" -- we expect our kids to pick them up on their own. When they do, we call them "good," "well-behaved," and "sweet." When they don't, they get labeled with much less forgiving terms: "selfish," "rude," and "bad." Sadly, kids who lag behind in social skills are often judged before they are helped.

We have a drawer at our house with a collection of slightly broken things -- a fully functional iPhone with a shattered screen, a point and shoot that sometimes deletes entire memory cards on a whim, etcetera.

The average desktop computer has a useful life of five years (on an asset sheet, anyway).  Real-life experience has shown that many of them don't even make it to two years before their owners trade them in or give up on them completely. 

There are so many kitchen gadgets out there that can change the way you cook. They can make a tedious task easier, faster and more fun. Or they can do things to food you didn't know were possible. 

You don't have to master Photoshop or take fancy art classes to create great looking original art. Here are 5 low-cost super easy apps for creating artistic and fun images in just a few minutes.

From eating out to cooking at home, foodies have it made thanks to the large number of delicious iPhone apps available to help them find, order, and make tasty meals.  From locating the hottest new restaurants to reserving a seat at a local favorite, from tracking down farm fresh produce to cooking a five-course meal, the following selection of foodie-centric iPhone apps will make your life positively scrumptious. 

Most of us clean our computers about as often as we spill something on the keyboard. But to keep your computer in good working order, you should scrub it down about twice a year--more often if you like to eat chips at your keyboard. Before you start, you'll need some supplies: a large microfiber cloth, a can of compressed air, and a solution of 50 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol and 50 percent mineral water, and a pair of tweezers. Once you have everything together, shut your computer down (if you're cleaning a laptop, remove the battery as well).

What in the world is this guy doing?

Join My LifeScoop and NOTCOT as we look for the funniest, most creative or craziest caption you can muster.

I've been doing my own taxes for about 5 years now. Even as my needs have changed (I've gone from a simple 1040EZ to a more complex small business partnership structure), I've found that the tax software available on the commercial market has grown to meet my needs. While many of us DIY'ers love the control we can have over our filing, there are many other valid reasons to giving it a try. With over 36 million people using tax software for last year's taxes, we're convinced it may be a good investment for you, too. Here are the most compelling reasons to break out of your rut and give it a go!

With the budding leaves of spring comes the desire to clean. We all want to enter the warmer seasons feeling refreshed, reinvigorated and renewed, right? Fortunately, the internet offers a host of resources to transition into the flower season more organized than ever.

Got your creative game on?

In this week's My LifeScoop Caption Contest, we invite you to come up with your funniest, clever or wackiest caption for Parent Hack's author Asha Dornfest's son playing a mad scientist in the photo above.

Here are the deets:

The most creative, funny, and otherwise awesome response in the comments wins a $50 Amazon gift card! Asha and her son will choose a winner in 72 hours (that would be Thursday 3/11/10 at about 11:30AM PST). 

Check out the contest here.

Want to see the competition you're up against -- see what we've got so far here.

Full rules here: http://mylifescoop.com/mylifescoop-photo-caption-contest---official-rules.html

Remember, you've got to be in it to win it!

Before ditching expired electronics like laptops, cell phones and televisions, know this: All those gizmos are loaded with toxins like cadmium, mercury and lead. When those electronics sit around in landfills, substances can leak out into soil and waterways, wreaking havoc on ecosystems. As for recycling programs, much of consumers' electronic waste, or e-waste, gets shipped to developing nations with lax laws. Workers disassembling the  devices expose themselves to all kinds of noxious poisons. But just as e-waste's dirty secrets continue to come to light, many safe, eco-friendly disposal options also appear. Read on for the best ways to get rid of old electronics.

We're a completely connected family.  We have a business from home, homeschool our kids, and center much of our entertainment around digital and web-based content.  Not only does staying "online" keep us current on what's going on around us, it has helped keep some of the best resources affordable to our remotely-located rural family.  So what does it take to set up an effective home network for work and entertainment in your household? These 5 tips and not much else!

The iPod Touch is known for two things: its ability to store and play back music, and its large library of apps. The iPhone is the same device but with phone functionality and a 3G data connection. If you have either, you've probably guessed that they're great for apps that enhance your music-listening experience.

There are at least hundreds or maybe thousands of music apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. Some of them are fantastic -- some not so much. Consider this list of 10 apps a sampler of the best the Apple App Store has to offer.  Each one is both popular and highly rated by iPhone and iPod Touch owners like you, but we'll admit we've also selected some personal favorites!

This list wouldn't be complete without feedback from you, our readers, so be sure to tell us which apps you'd add in the comments.

"We all live in a yellow submarine" says the popular Beatles tune. In an age of encapsulating iPhones and captivating computer screens, it is easy to forget that there is such a thing as the outside world. If you're stuck indoors, however, there are still many ways to get reminders of the natural life that exists on the other side.

I rent a little writing office, and I recently acquired an office mate. She was all set to move in when I realized I was embarrassed to have anyone see my workspace, let alone share it. At the time, it was a barren closet packed with boxes and junk I'd dragged in from the car.

It's truly a great time to be a music lover online, as a host of startups, independent musicians, and creative thinkers are increasingly banding together to re-invent the music industry for the digital age. More mainstream artists and labels, although slower to catch on, are also stepping in to solve lingering licensing problems and legal disputes that have plagued music's transition to the online world.


With all the new gadgets and gizmos flooding the market daily, it's easy to understand why some folks think technology is totally overwhelming. But au contrair, technophobes: Their are plenty of products and services that can actually declutter your life, cut back on waste and help you live a greener, cleaner and more stress-free lifestyle. Read on for the green tech that can help organize even the most cluttered life.

I'm no iPhone evangelist. I acknowledge it's groundbreaking technology, it's extremely useful, fun, beautiful, etc., etc., but I can't seem to get past what it does to its owners. I'll spare you the full-on soapbox, but I believe that people's love affairs with their iPhones -- complete with the stroking and the fawning and the moon-eyed gushing -- tend to interfere with their real-life activities. Things like walking. Looking at people. Noticing what's happening right next to them. The iPhone is just TOO fun and useful. It competes a little too successfully with real life.




Have you ever spent a half hour decoding a weight and time chart that promise to help you perfectly roast that $100 prime rib, only to discover, a few hours later when guests arrive that the only person with teeth strong enough to cut through the dry, overcooked boulder in the kitchen is the family dog?

There are many of us who are bound to a Dilbert-like office setting and only occasionally get a chance to stretch our legs and work outside of the break room. If you're lucky, however, you may be able to freelance, telecommute, work from the road, or manage an occasional "work from home" afternoon. These 7 tools can help make that dream a reality - and may put your productivity on par with those who never leave their desks!