JOIN IN A ROGUE ONE TWITTER PARTY DUEL ON 3/26

The answer to a question that has been on Star Wars fans minds since the original movie debuted in 1977 was answered last year.  How did Princess Leia get her hands on the Death Star plans that Darth Vader was chasing after in the opening sequence of that movie?  Last December, Disney released its first Star Wars standalone film, ROGUE ONE, which tells the epic story of a group of unlikely heroes who band together on a mission to steal the plans for the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction -- the Death Star. This brand new adventure expands the Star Wars universe in its own unique way yet its plot also nicely wraps into the previous movies enhancing the franchise's overall story.

 I really enjoyed ROGUE ONE when I saw it at the theater (ranking it as one of my top three favorite films in the Star Wars franchise) and have been waiting in anticipation to add it to my home video collection.  Well the wait is finally over!  ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is available TODAY (3/24/17) on Digital HD and will be available to get on Blu-ray or DVD beginning April 4th.

Disney Movies Anywhere and Roku set-up my family to enjoy a fun movie night this weekend by providing us with a free ROGUE ONE Digital HD code and some Star Wars goodies. We'll be watching ROGUE ONE on Sunday, March 26, 2017 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT simultaneously along with other social media influencers' and their families from across the country live tweeting as everyone is watching the movie at the same time. I've been designated part of #TeamEmpire and will be engaging in a Twitter Duel against #TeamRebel as we banter about whose side is superior.  We'll also be giving away some great prizes to people who RSVP for this #RogueOneDigital Twitter Party and actively participate in the conversation.

There are 10 prizes in total including the following:

• 1 Director Orson Krennic Pop! Vinyl Figure by Funko
• 1 Sergeant Jyn Erso Elite Series Die Cast Action Figure
• 1 Captain Cassian Andor Elite Series Die Cast Action Figure
• 1 K-2SO Elite Series Die Cast Action Figure
• 1 Imperial Death Trooper Elite Series Die Cast Action Figure
• 1 Imperial Stormtrooper Elite Series Die Cast Action Figure
• 1 R2-Q5 Mini Metal Action Figure by Takara Tomy
• 1 C2-B5 Pop! Vinyl Figure by Funko – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
• 1 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Journal
• 1 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Rebel Dossier Book

Winners will be randomly chosen from the RSVP list throughout the Twitter Party and must be actively tweeting using the #RogueOneDigital hashtag when selected to be eligible to win.  I'd appreciate you also using #TeamEmpire while tweeting to help my team win this Star Wars Twitter Duel but #RogueOneDigital is the only one you actually need to use to be eligible to win a prize during the party.

Give in to the power of the Dark Side! Follow @Geekdad248 along with my other #TEAMEMPIRE Twitter Party panelists on Sunday, March 26, 2017 from 7pm ET (4 pm PT) until the movie ends.  The #RogueOneDigital Twitter Party will be full of movie commentary, Star Wars trivia and prizes.  Purchase the Digital HD edition of ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story from Disney Movies Anywhere and watch it along with us as we chat on Twitter.  RSVP to join in the #RogueOneDigital Twitter Party -- it will be a blast!

The Digital HD version in addition to the feature presentation also contains never-before- seen “Rogue One” bonus material that will take fans behind the scenes with the movie’s diverse, dynamic cast and inspired team of filmmakers. An intimate collection of stories reveals how the film came to life, as well as hidden Easter Eggs and film facts that audiences may have missed in the theater.

Bonus features include*:

• A Rogue Idea – Hear how ILM’s John Knoll came up with the movie’s concept – and why it’s the right film to launch the Star Wars stand-alone films.
• Jyn: The Rebel – Get to know Rogue One’s defiant, resourceful survivor, and hear what it was like for Felicity Jones to bring her to life onscreen.
• Cassian: The Spy – Diego Luna shares insights into his complex, driven character, who becomes a hero through selflessness, perseverance and passion.
• K-2SO: The Droid – Explore the development of this reprogrammed Imperial droid, from initial pitch and character design through Alan Tudyk’s performance.
• Baze & Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills – Go deeper into the relationship between these two very different characters, with Chinese superstars Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen.
• Bodhi & Saw: The Pilot & The Revolutionary – Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed reflect on Saw Gerrera, the broken Rebel leader, and Bodhi Rook, the Imperial pilot who defects.
• The Empire – Meet a dangerous new Imperial adversary…and cross paths once more with the most iconic villain of all time.
• Visions of Hope: The Look of “Rogue One” – The filmmakers describe the challenges and thrills of developing a bold new look for the movie that can fit within the world of the original trilogy.
• The Princess & The Governor – See what it took to bring the vibrant young princess of “Star Wars: A New Hope” – as well as one of her most memorable foes – back to the screen.
• Epilogue: The Story Continues – Filmmakers and cast celebrate Rogue One’s premiere and look forward into the future, to the Star Wars stories yet to be told.
• Rogue Connections – Uncover Easter eggs and film facts hidden throughout the movie that connect “Rogue One” to the Star Wars universe.

* Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer.

AquaBall Holiday Giveaway

AquaBall, the zero-calorie, sugar-free, and preservative-free children's beverage know for packaging featuring Disney's Frozen, Disney Princesses, Marvel's Avengers and Disney Classic Characters for its Berry Frost, Fruit Punch, Grape and Strawberry Lemonade flavors is hosting a very nice holiday giveaway.  You'll want to check this out because not only are they giving away a great prize for kids, but also some things moms and dads will appreciate winning as well.

There's a prize pack just for dads with useful and fun tech items from Logitech and Ultimate Ears.  I especially like the headphones for online video game play.

A lucky mom will win a prize pack with a limited edition Laura Mercier cosmetic set, stained glass birthstone dish, and a nice scarf featuring the quote "I love you more today than yesterday, but far less than tomorrow."

Plus there is a prize pack just for kids that includes a space scooter, bell helmet, and Light Stax block set.

Get your entries in because this giveaway ends at 3pm (ET) / Noon (PT) on December 15, 2017.  CLICK HERE and fill out the entry forms for each of the three themed contests (Dads, Moms & Kids) located on the AquaBall blog for a chance to win.  Good luck!

Play Like Hasbro Twitter Party -- September 27, 2016

 **A Geek Daddy has been compensated for participating in & promoting this event **

Join A GEEK DADDY for a Twitter party on Tuesday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. EST with Hasbro! I'll be co-hosting a fun hour of fun banter about The Toy Insider's favorite holiday gift ideas from Hasbro this year. Join in this fun chat and follow along using #PlayLikeHasbro for a chance to win great prizes, including Hasbro’s latest games, My Little Pony and Transformers products, Disney Princess dolls, and much more!  Hasbro will be giving away five themed prize packs throughout the hour plus an incredible grand prize during the Twitter party.

The lucky grand prize winner will receive more than $400 worth of the hottest holiday toys from Hasbro, including the coveted new Furby Connect! The grand prize includes:

Disney Frozen Little Kingdom Elsa’s Magical Rising Castle (4+)
Littlest Pet Shop Pet Shop Playset (4+)
My Little Pony Explore Equestria Crystal Empire Playset (3+)
Play-Doh Town 3-in-1 Town Center Playset (3+)
Transformers: Robots in Disguise Power Surge Optimus Prime (5+)
DreamWorks Trolls Glitterific Guy Diamond Doll (4+)
Star Wars Blade Builders Spin-Action Lightsaber (4+)
Pie Face Showdown Game (5+)
Furby Connect (6+)

For a chance to win a prize during the #PlayLikeHasbro Twitter Party you need to RSVP in advance, follow @TheToyInsider, @HasbroNews & @Geekdad248, and actively participate throughout the hour long event using the #PlayLikeHasbro hashtag in your tweeted comments.  CLICK HERE to RSVP.

This Twitter party is open to U.S. residents only. You must be 18 or older to play. You must RSVP and participate actively in the party to be eligible for a prize pack. This event is brought to you and sponsored by THE TOY INSIDER. The event was rescheduled from Friday, September 16, 2016. A GEEK DADDY is participating as a member of 2016 - 2017 The Toy Insider's Parent Panel and has been financially compensated for being involved with and promoting the event.

September 9th is National Care Bears Share Your Care Day

As a Care Bears brand ambassador, in honor of Friday, September 9th being #ShareYourCare Day, A Geek Daddy is encouraging our blog readers and social media followers to do a nice deed for someone else just to be kind.  Simple things like treating a friend to lunch or helping an elderly neighbor with some chores may not seem like much to you but could have a big impact on the beneficiary of your kindness.  With Share Your Care Day as an inspiration, try and do something nice for others throughout the month of September then share your good deeds with the Care Bears on social media using the hashtag #CareALotChallenge to encourage others to follow your example.

The Care Bears want their fans everywhere to do something nice for someone all month long via #CareALotChallenge,  It could be simple acts such as sharing a toy with a sibling or taking out the trash for dad.  Bigger inspirations could also involve acts of philanthropy like planting a tree, serving lunch at a homeless shelter or running a 5K for a charity. Care Bears hope to embolden the nation to be kind, think of others and #ShareYourCare every day.

The Care Bears brand is all about pos­i­tiv­ity, car­ing and shar­ing.  Every day throughout September, one shar­ing or car­ing chal­lenge will be posted by Care Bears on their Facebook and Twitter pages with the #Care­ALotChal­lenge hash­tag. Chal­lenges include acts like shar­ing a high-five or a hug and much more. With the #Care­ALotChal­lenge, you can add a lit­tle extra happy to the world! It’s to show appre­ci­a­tion for the peo­ple you Care-a-Lot about! Print this calendar to track your #CareALotChallenge moments and watch online for ideas and ways to #ShareYourCare, including doing something special on Share Your Care Day!

You can also get in the spirit of the day by participating in the Care Bears #CareALotChallenge Twitter Party hosted by A Geek Daddy's friends the @BlogginMamas on September 8, 2016 to help kick off Share Your Care Day.  Dur­ing the Twit­ter Party there will be a chance to win one of the fol­low­ing prizes by answer­ing var­i­ous trivia ques­tions about the Care Bears. Win­ners will be selected at ran­dom from all eli­gi­ble entries.

Four (4) Care Bears Care Pack­ages (ARV $175, 1 per win­ner) Care Bears Care Pack­ages Include:

• Just Play — Jumbo Plush 
• Van­dor — Shop­ping Tote
• Just Play — 3 Blind Bags
• Ben­don — Art Set
• Montco Crafts — Pop Outz
• Lion­s­gate — Bearied Trea­sure DVD
• Good2­Grow — Juice and Care Bears Top­per
• Net­flix — 1 year sub­scrip­tion

Plus there will be a GRAND PRIZE consisting of One (1) Care Bears Care Pack­age and a $100 Gift Card (ARV $275).  To be eligible for the prizes you need to RSVP and participate in the party using  #CareALotChallenge.

So how are you going the #ShareYourCare on September 9th and throughout the month?

Maisto Twitter Party

 A Geek Daddy has been financially compensated for promoting and participating in The Toy Insider's #MaistoTECHRC Twitter Party.

A Geek Daddy is excited to be a panelist for The Toy Insider's MAISTO TOYS Twitter Party on Friday, May 13 from 11 a.m. - Noon EST.  Join us for an hour of chatting about cool toys, engaging in fun banter, and competing in trivia contests for some great prizes.

Maisto is a toy company that specializes in licensed die-cast cars and remote control (R/C) vehicles. The Maisto brand name was registered in 1990 by the May Cheong Group, a vertically integrated manufacturer based in Hong Kong. With a wide variety of models and styles to choose from, there are exotic cars, off-road trucks, boats, or even planes to pick up and admire. If you’re a newcomer to the hobby, or long-time collector, their ever-expanding product line will be sure to have something for you. They even have an array of play sets and R/Cs for the little ones in your life, truly providing fun for the whole family.

To get ready for the MAISTO TOYS Twitter Party, A Geek Daddy was provided some R/C Cyklone 360 Motorcycle Bikes for my kids to test out and race.  These futuristic looking motorcycles feature giant rear wheels that change colors as you race through embedded LED lighting plus the remote control lets you flip the back wheel from side to side allowing for 360 degree spins and stunts.  I'll be sharing our experience playing with the R/C Cyklone 360 Motorcycle Bikes during this twitter party with The Toy Insider and we'll be giving away five of these toys throughout the hour.  Plus one lucky grand prize winner will receive a Maisto Tech Rock Crawler 3XL.

To participate in the twitter party be sure to follow @Maistotoys and @thetoyinsider and tweet with #MaistoTECHRC.  Plus follow A Geek Daddy (@Geekdad248) and two other awesome panelists @charlenedeloach and @allmommywants! Hope you'll join us on Friday, May 13 during the #MaistoTECHRC Twitter Party!

RSVP NOW

To be eligible to win prizes you must RSVP! CLICK HERE to RSVP.

For more information about The Toy Insider visit thetoyinsider.com

Join me 4 a Fantastic twitter party

I have been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser to promote & serve as a host for the #TysonAndAMovie Twitter Party. 

Friday nights  are always board game night or family movie night at our house.  A time to unwind, spend some quality time with our kids, and tune out the rest of the world for an evening.  A Geek Daddy blog readers know that our family likes to have a blast with our movie nights adding special activities, games, and snacks themed to the feature film we've selected to make the evening extra entertaining.  Join me along with @dentistmel, @theCouponista & @ourhomemadelife for a Twitter Party on Thursday, July 9 2015 @ 3pm EST where we'll be discussing how Tyson Any'Tizers® are a fantastic treat for any family movie night.

We'll be randomly giving out more than $500 in Walmart gift cards during the #TysonAndAMovie Twitter Party to participants.  Plus since Tyson has a special promotion that using Any'Tizers® as snacks during your family movie night can get you some free tickets to go see the FANTASTIC FOUR when it arrives in theaters we'll be talking about that new movie too!

To be eligible for prizes you need to RSVP:  cbi.as/covm

Here's what you need to take advantage of the Tyson Any'Tizers® FANTASTIC FOUR deal:

• Step 1: Buy – Buy 2 participating Tyson® Any’Tizers® products at Walmart between 6/15/15 and 8/15/15.
• Step 2: Snap – Snap a picture of your receipt and text or email it to tyson@drvsusa.com by 11:59pm PST on 8/15/15.
• Step 3: Get – Receive a code redeemable for a movie ticket to see FANTASTIC FOUR while in theaters. Code must be redeemed by 9/30/15 on tysonmovieoffer.com. 

Looking forward to tweeting with you all on 7/9 from 3 to 4pm EST as a co-host during the  TysonAndAMovie Twitter Party. We're going to be clobberin tips for having a great family movie night at home, burning through FANTASTIC FOUR trivia, discussing how to stretch your grocery shopping dollar, and proving that you don't need to be invisible to get into a movie theater for free.

Enjoy some Jurassic World gear for your next adventure

  ** This post was made possible by Universal Pictures #TeamJurassic.  I was provided the featured products for free but all opinions expressed are honest and my own **

We had a fun family movie night watching the original Jurassic Park movie to get hyped about seeing the upcoming Jurassic World sequel which will be roaring into theaters on June 12, 2015.  NBC broadcast Jurassic Park and we showed our #TeamJurassic spirit while we enjoyed watching the movie on television. The only downside of the night was we just couldn't keep those darn velociraptors out of the popcorn!

Jurassic Park fell apart before it could ever be opened to the public, but John Hammond's dream didn't die. Twenty-two years after the events that transpired in the original movie, the park is now open for business! The theme park known as JURASSIC WORLD is owned by a huge business conglomerate called Masrani Corporation which bought Isla Nublar and the technology to create the dinosaurs when John Hammond's business went defunct after the events in Jurassic Park.  The initial public hype for Jurassic World is beginning to wane and Masrani Corporation is looking for a way to renew the popularity and profitability of the theme park.  When the park's operations manager takes some risks to increase its profitability by creating a hybrid dinosaur called Indominus Rex you just know that is going to lead to trouble!  

Enjoy an inside look at JURASSIC WORLD from our friends at Universal Pictures:



Plus thanks to Universal Pictures you can show some #TeamJurassic spirit during your next family adventure.  For a chance to win a JURASSIC WORLD backpack, cap, t-shirt, and key chain  you must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or both of the following entry methods to earn up to 2 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Monday June 8, 2015:

Congrats to Olivia from Atwater CA who won the Jurassic Swag!

FACEBOOK (1 Entry) Visit our Facebook page and on the contest post submit a comment sharing where you would wear this Jurassic World gear.

EMAIL (1 Entry)  E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address. Email subject line should be JURASSIC SWAG. 

All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are received and one number will be  selected to determine the winner using random.org.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

Rated PG-13, JURASSIC WORLD will roar into theaters on June 12, 2015. In addition to standard theaters, it will also be available Real D 3D and IMAX 3D.  Don't worry about annoying lines or the show you want to go to being sold out, buy your tickets online in advance today: unvrs.al/JWtix

Disclaimer & Rules:

A Geek Daddy Blog will select a random winner on  Tuesday, June 9, 2015 ( 1 winner will be selected from a random draw of all eligible entries - each submitted entry will be assigned a number and a random number will be drawn to select a winner based upon total entries ).  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this giveaway as a benefit to our readers.  Information for this post was provided by Universal Pictures.  A Geek Daddy Blog did receive items  of value in exchange for writing this blog post.  While some of the promotional information was provided by Universal Pictures the views and opinions expressed are my own. Universal Pictures is responsible for the delivery of the prizes in this promotion. 

We're Celebrating the DVD Release of Guardians of the Galaxy with a Twitter Party

RSVP for the #OwnTheGalaxy Twitter Party 12/8

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. & its advertiser

To celebrate the Tuesday, December 9th release of Guardians of the Galaxy on Blu-Ray/DVD/HD Digital, A GEEK DADDY is going to be co-hosting a Twitter Party.  Join us for the #OwnTheGalaxy Twitter Party on Monday, December 8th @ 8pm EST as we talk about the movie and all the great bonus features available on the Blu-Ray/DVD/HD Combo pack that is available at Walmart.  Plus party attendees will have the chance to win one of five $100 Walmart Gift Cards we'll be giving out as prizes during the event.  There will also be a $50 Walmart Gift Card Early Bird Prize that will be selected from everyone who RSVP's and tweets a specially designated tweet before the start of the party.

One of the things I especially appreciate about Guardians of the Galaxy and why our family is excited about adding it to our home entertainment library is that it is an original movie for a new generation to enjoy rather than a remake or sequel to a past movie.  The film is an adaptation of a lesser known Marvel comic book so for many people this is their first introduction to the characters and settings.  It is so nice to see some real originality and creativity in a movie and I really believe this is what has elevated the movie to be such a popular hit.

Join us on December 8th to share your thoughts about Guardians of the Galaxy and discuss why you really want to bring it home for your family to enjoy.  CLICK HERE for more information on the rules for the party and to RSVP for it.  On the night of the party, join in by using the  Collective Bias party grid or search for the hashtag #OwnTheGalaxy on Twitter.  I'd also encourage you to follow my party co-hosts: @Guardians, @blm03, @mausekindmom, @ReviewDadMedia, @MattDanTodd & tsue1136.  I'll be participating using my personal twitter account @Geekdad248 instead of the blog's account @Geeky_Dad.

Here are a few fun tidbits about Guardians of the Galaxy to help you get in the mood for the Twitter party and you may want to keep an eye out for as trivia questions during the #OwnTheGalaxy event:

• The movie's soundtrack album "Awesome Mix, Vol. 1" reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, the first film soundtrack to ever reach number one without a single original song.
• Vin Diesel recorded all of his "I am Groot" lines in several different languages, including Russian, Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and French so that they could use his real voice in the film around the world.  He recorded the character's iconic line over 1,000 times.
• Chris Pratt lost 60 pounds to portray the Star Lord character.  He is known for playing the part of Andy Dwyer on the NBC television series Parks & Recreation.  He will have a key role in the upcoming movie Jurassic World.
• Peter Quill's space ship in the movie is named The Milano after Alyssa Milano because the movie's director decided Quill had a childhood crush on her when developing the character's background and personality.
• Rocket Racoon was modeled after a real life racoon named Oreo.  Bradley Cooper who voiced Rocket Racoon cited Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci's character in the 1990 movie Goodfellas) as his influence for portraying the popular Guardians character.
• To prepare for the role of Nebula, actress  Karen Gillan actually shaved her head.
• Stan Lee has made a cameo in all of the Marvel movies, including the animated Big Hero Six, and was originally featured in Guardians as one of the Collector's boxed trophies giving Groot the middle finger.  Disney executives didn't like that and has the Director, James Gunn, change it to Stan Lee being an alien Casanova.
• The Collector's residence in the movie is a space station called Knowhere.  In the comic books, Knowhere is the base of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

For more fun trivia and a lively discussion about the movie, please make sure to join us for the #OwnTheGalaxy Twitter Party on December 8th (8pm EST).

Join me for a Star Wars Twitter Party

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias Inc. and its advertiser.

A GEEK DADDY is going to be co-hosting a #STARWARS Twitter Party on Friday, October 3, 2014 at 8p EST to chat about the debut of the new animated television show Disney's Star Wars Rebels and a special Walmart DVD release of the tv special that is starting off the series.  Please join me for the #SparkRebellion Twitter Party where we'll be discussing all thing Star Wars new, old and in between, as well as giving you the chance to win prizes!

You're not going to want to miss this Friday Night Twitter Party!  I am very excited to be sharing Star Wars memories and talking about the new Disney's Star Wars  Rebels DVD and toy line.  The DVD releases on October 3rd and a full line of Star Wars Rebels toys will be available at Walmart.  Some of the toys that my kids and I are most excited about are the Star Wars Rebels Millennium Falcon, Inquisitor Lightsaber, and Rebels Command Star Destroyer.

DATE: Friday, October 3, 2014 

TIME: 8:00 - 9:00 pm EST

EARLY BIRD RSVP PRIZE: 1 - $50 Walmart Gift Card

PARTY PRIZES:  5 - $100 Walmart Gift Cards

HOSTS:  @Geekdad248 , @DoDomesticDad , @outnumberedmama , @MommaDandDaBoyz , @tsue1136

RULES:  #SparkRebellion Twitter Party Rules

RSVP & PARTY GRID:  #SparkRebellion Twitter Party Page

How To Participate In A Twitter Party on SoFabChats!

TIP: How to join a Twitter Party – sign in! Before party starts, click on the green “Sign In On Twitter” bar at the top of the page!

TIP: Who to follow at a Twitter Party? Follow the Party Team by clicking on the Twitter handle links on the RSVP page!

TIP: Want to win Twitter Party prizes? RSVP by clicking on RSVP button before you join the party, follow everyone on the Party Team, and tweet with the party hashtag during the party to be eligible!

TIP: How to win the Early Bird prize? Watch for chance to share a tweet when you RSVP for chance to win!

TIP: Special deals and brand coupons? Keep that option checked when you RSVP for the party!

TIP: New to Twitter parties? Watch your column and Party Team tweet columns – they are slower paced and easier to follow!

TIP: Where to find Twitter Parties? Check out the SoFabChats Twitter Party Calendar to find more fun parties to attend!

What if we could make a Star Trek Tricorder a Reality? Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE Competition is Attempting to Make it So

In the Star Trek television shows & movies, the tricorder is a handy device that allows doctors to scan patients and receive an instant medical diagnosis. Called a "tricorder" because it is used for sensor scanning, data analysis and recording data; wouldn't it be nice if instead of this device just being a SciFi prop or a toy you can buy from ThinkGeek it was a real life medical tool?  Think of the possibilities of how this could help people.  Well now Qualcomm has partnered with the XPRIZE Foundation to try and make the Tricorder a reality!  Ten teams have been selected to compete for a $10 million prize awarded to the first to create a functional tricorder.

Imagine a portable, wireless device in the palm of your hand that could monitor and diagnose your health conditions.  That's the technology envisioned by this competition and will allow unprecedented access to personal health metrics.  The end goal of this competition:  Radical innovation in healthcare that will give individuals far greater choices in when, where, and how they receive care.  I thought the laser thermometer in my kids pediatrician's office used to take there temperatures by scanning their foreheads with a laser was incredible; this competition looks to push high-tech to make that device I considered futuristic look simplistic.  Qualcomm and the XPRIZE Foundation are asking for our help to assist these competing teams get over the finish line.  Are you up to lending a hand?!

Qualcomm is asking people to visit the competition's website tricorderfederation.org to learn more about this effort and help spread the word about it so that world encouragement will help keep these teams motivated to accomplish the goal of making a tricorder a reality.  As part of the campaign to promote awareness of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE Competition there is also a contest the rest of us can participate in.  People are encouraged to upload a Star Trek inspired photo on the website for the chance to win prizes.  Some photos will be randomly selected to win and other prizes will be awarded to those entries that get the most votes from the public.

As a parent, just think of how helpful this would be in the middle of the night when you have a crying baby or a young child throwing up or complaining of pains.  Every parent has to admit they've been in a medical situation with their child at some point where they really don't know what to do.  Do you page the pediatrician at 1am, take a trip to the emergency room or wait things out to the morning? A tricorder scan could alert you to what the problem is, suggest treatment options, or warn you that this is a situation where you really do need to rush to the emergency room.  How wonderful would that be!  J.J. Abrams who directed the recent Star Trek motion pictures addressed some of the practical applications of a real life tricorder in this interview posted by the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE Competition:

Let's wish these teams Warp Speed in completing their mission!

Two of my favorite things: BBQs & Sweepstakes

As we wrap up the last few weeks of summer, I'm going to be doing a lot of one of my favorite things: barbecuing on my back deck.  Can't beat enjoying some good food and family time lounging around on the back deck on a nice warm summer evening.  So when I saw Apartments.com is hosting a contest where you just need to take a photo of one of your summer BBQs to win prizes I jumped on the chance to snap a photo and shoot it on over to their Sizzling Summer sweepstakes.  If you want to get into the action, Apartments.com is hosting the contest through August 13th so go ahead and check it out!

To enter the sweepstakes, just send in a picture or video that shows why your grilling skills or summer party hosting put others to shame.  While you are submitting your own entry, you can also enjoy the gallery of fun pictures and videos submitted by all the entrants before you.  One grand prize winner will receive a brand-new grill, $500 Home Depot gift card and set of new grilling tools.  5 runner up winners will receive a $100 gift card.  Here are the official rules if you want to know more and to submit your photo/video go to renters.apartments.com/video.  Get those entries in before August 13th!

Good luck and good grilling everyone!  ...and if your entry beats mine than you own me dinner! I like ribs and pulled pork with some potato salad on the side  :-)