Nicole Blades

We're always looking for even more new ideas on what to do with Instagram photos that will get them off of our tiny screens and into our big, real lives. Sticky9 just introduced one cool way with Magnet Wall Frames . It's just like it so…

Call Bear Grylls, people, because my iPad mini is ready for any crazy, backwoods adventure he might be going on. That's because for the last few weeks my tiny tablet has been rocking ZAGG's Rugged Folio for iPad. Bring your apple juice s…

There's a lime green folder in a top drawer in our kitchen that is spilling over with paper: artwork, drawings, little wobbly letters that are getting less wobbly day by day. I've learned to let go and throw some things away, but the res…

I'm often asked for tips for teaching kids photography, because as my friends know, it's one of my favorite things in the world. Whenever my son asks to use my camera to take a photo, I do whatever I can to maintain my chill. Meanwhile, …

The idea makes perfect sense: a portable, high performance solar charger for my smart devices that -- best part -- is actually compact enough to carry around. That's the gist behind the Solarpod Buddy solar charger . It sounds kind of ne…

I do not play Candy Crush. Hear that, Facebook friends who keep sending me invites? Not going to happen. But that doesn't mean I'm against playing games on smartphones. In fact, just last week I was playing something fun on my husband's …

Another case of style meeting substance: ONA Bags , the makers of ever-cool camera bags and accessories, has partnered with non-profit charity: water to create a new ONA camera strap called Sahel . The leather strap is of course stylish,…

The stats are sobering: Women only account for 26 percent of the STEM jobs in the U.S. So there's been a recent, nationwide nudge to get our girls and young women interested and engaged in science, technology, engineering and math, as we…

If you want to add a fun twist to your next short iPhone video, you've got to try the Silent Film Studio video app , which lets you turn it into a black-and-white silent movie clip, complete with old-timey crackle 'n' pop organ music, bl…

Yes, we take photos of basically everything in the known universe with our smartphones. It's how we roll these days, and best to just accept it. But the one persistent drawback with this is trying to get a good pic at night or in low lig…

When it comes to new motherhood and the number of helpful apps popping up, it seems the odds are ever in our favor. Whether it's tracking the size of your growing belly from bump to beach ball or keeping tabs on nursing or milestones, we…

Remember when we told you that there would be more to come on the Samsung Milk Music app ? Well, this is the more, and it's pretty darn good. Milk Music essentially combines all the good things about online music streaming services into …

What happens when 14 young designers put their heads together to figure out how to promote IKEA's newest furniture collection? The highly-innovative IKEA PS 2014 , that's what. It's the first fully-functional, interlinked web site on Ins…

With our smartphones able to do so many fun things now, it can feel like we're walking around with a party in our purses. Well, AR for Her decided to make that quite literal with this Clutch Bluetooth Speaker . As in, yes, it's designed …

Before we begin, I should tell you that I've been on the Apple cart from way back. However, since we're keeping it real, I should also share that I've been impressed with Samsung's overall smart device efforts in the last two or three ye…

After an award-winning run with the Sound Kick two years ago, our friends at Soundfreaq decided to think smaller. Meet the Soundfreaq Pocket Kick , a portable Bluetooth wireless speaker that puts the party in the palm of your hands. Like…

Everyone has a story. And one excellent nonprofit called the 100 Cameras project is using photography to help kids around the globe tell theirs. The organization is made up of a team of volunteers who work with children worldwide, teachi…

Instagram photos are fun, but staring at them on your little smartphone or tablet screen can only give you so much joy. That's why we're always on the lookout for cool professional photo printing services and unique photo gifts that let …

Just this week my 5-year-old son busted me for using my iPhone at the breakfast table. It's a no-no in our house, but I was reading something important . (It was a post ranking the Hot Guys of World Cup. See? Important.) Turns out, this …

As a longtime photo enthusiast and avid storyteller, I've been a huge fan of Instagram since it dropped three years ago. Especially as a parent who wants to get the best photos of my kids up there. That said, I take tons of pictures of l…

My dad gave me his old Canon SLR many moons ago. It was a thing of beauty. But then I got dazzled by digital and the old-school steel horse was handed down to my little sister ... and then got stolen from her college dorm. That camera de…

It's sleek, lightweight and packing some serious power. Plus, it's been personalized just for me with a photo I took of my favorite tulips. I'm talking about the PowerSound II , a brand new Bluetooth speaker and portable charger in one. …

This? Oh, nothing. It's just the Livescribe 3 Smartpen . You know, quite possibly the greatest pen that has ever penned. Seriously. This cool tool is part gadget, part accessory, part productivity app, and now my new best friend, which i…

Printing your photos has now taken a very cool turn, right in time for cool Father's Day photo gifts. But then again, the creative folks at Photojojo pretty much have the lock on anything photo and cool. Now, check out the shop's new eng…