So after much thought - we decided to talk to our daughter and let her know that we wanted to get her a laptop - but that we also have concerns about her use of technology - and that we would only do this with a contract. I'm going to be working on the contract for a while - and would welcome any ideas. So far, I know it will include that I have administrative control of the laptop - which will be used to update programs, run antivirus and antispyware - and generally ensure me that I have access (unlike her ipod which she changed her password on so I don't have access). It also includes that all technology (ipods, laptop, etc) will be in the parent's bedroom - from when it's time to get ready for bed - until after school the next day (or the next morning if there's no school). (not having it in the kitchen over night bc. she'll sneak down and get it if she's awake in the middle of the night. She won't sneak into our bedroom to get it.) This will prevent her from using it in the middle of the night (esp. tempting when her friend lives in Vietnam is is available to chat at those times) - and thinking she can have the laptop open in the bathroom while she's getting ready for bed. For now, I am not setting time limits - but will include that those could get added in the future if we think she's using it too much. The reason to not add it now is that she is using it a bit too much. BUT - that's bc. she loves her new Sims game - which is actually motivating her to do her homework as soon as she comes home. For the first time ever, I do not have to monitor her homework and keep asking her to do it (I still pay attention to what she's doing, but it's nice that the impetus to do it and stay organized is now coming from her). She's also coming out of a serious depression - and having some pretty terrific, responsible behavior - so any limits on amount of her free time spent on the computer - when she's meeting all her responsibilities - isn't as pressing for right now. She's also healing form a broken ankle - so in fairness to her, there's not as much active stuff she can do with her free time. ------------------------------- I have some questions about how to set up her computer so I have administrative control. I have that set up on my computer now - and she can use it as a guest. But if my computer is off - and restarts, she needs the password to get on. She doesn't have the password to my computer (which is how I want it). But I do want her to be able to log into her own computer without me giving her the administrator's password. Is there a way to do this? Set it up so she can start the computer and log in as a guest? Thanks. Lynn.

imsoconfused- That is soooooo gross. balego- Stay away from water. rilie- THAT is the funniest thing ever. As for me. Recently... I took home some ham from Easter at sis house. I planned to make split pea soup. I put it in freezer so that morning I took it out to thaw. I spent all day thinking about that ham and how yummy the soup would be. I made the soup. I had a recipe out to make sure I did all that I was supposed to. Ate the soup, everyone loved it. At last spoonful I realized I forgot the ham. DH laughed. He didn't want to say anything but figured it was just "chemo brain". To prevent forgetting things from now on I write notes as soon as I think of them. My dh asked our really skinny neighbor when she was expecting. She wasn't, she was just wearing a babydoll top. He has never asked a woman since. Almost every time I go to store to get something specific I get tons of other things and not the specific item. Hence then need to now make notes. Oooooooh, now I remember something good. At work we have three buildings. The bathrooms are womens on north end, mens on south end. I went into another building and realized I needed to go. I headed to the womens room and as soon as I opened the door I saw a man at the urinal with his back to me. Of course, proper male ediquitte is that they don't turn and look at each other when at the urinals. Thank goodness!! I let go of the door and literally ran down the hall and slipped into another suite to hide. I think it was a guy from a unit I don't go to so I am pretty sure he would not know me even if he did look. Later on I realized who he was and was right, he does not know me and from now on when I have to go I go back to my own building.

I have a Surface Pro3 at work. I use it pretty much as a laptop, not a tablet but at times it's nice to have the touch screen functionality. I think it would be better for personal use as it doesn't have a network jack, you have to have an accessory to plug it into a projector and it only has one USB port. It's also VERY Microsoft centric - for example you can't change your search engine default to Google. It's somewhat buggy even with Microsoft applications which you'd think would be the one thing they'd get right. I had to return my keyboard under warranty as one of the keys stopped working. I have considered buying one for personal use but more as a laptop not tablet though I'm not sure how well the keyboard would stay attached if not on a hard surface. I know another person whose Surface was slipping off his lap and he grabbed the keyboard which of course easily detached which resulted in a fatality for Surface. I might rather have a real laptop with a real keyboard. I use a Ipad mini for my tablet at home and I have a desktop computer for when I want a real keyboard. At some point I will want a laptop type device with a keyboard.

What you've pictured is a 12 volt male "plug" with USB sockets on the back side. There are many, many kinds of electrical do-dads, ranging from spotlights to tire pumps to vacuums to coolers , fans and what not that use 12 v male plugs (but without USB slots) for the connection to the 12V sockets often found in RVs and boats as well as cars. The socket used to be called a cigarette lighter socket in cars, now just 12 v. Cars always have one or more. Those work, of course. The limitation you have with using a thumb drive in the car's USB slot for audio books is this - there's no way to have personal mobility to listen to the book when you leave the car. Imagine a Kindle or book copy that can't be used outside of a car. And when you remove it from the USB socket, you lose your place. For those for whom reading a book is a continuous process of repeated sessions, one of which may be in a car but the next one out of the car, audio books are more easily listened to if on a smartphone (and most will play in the audio system over Bluetooth) or using a small MP3 player. I choose the latter, they're smaller than my smartphone and I can use them all over. If they fall or get damaged, I don't worry about them because they're inexpensive. Sandisk still makes and sells MP3 players. not sure for how much longer. WIth a spring loaded clip on the back that will clip onto your top when exercising, working indoors or out, etc., that you can use cheap earbuds with. Go in the car, use the 3.5mm cord instead. Leave the car, disconnect, plug ear buds back in to keep listening. Lots of choices, each with advantages and disadvantages