Jenda Lifetime Voice Calendar

While the profusion of smartphones, PDA devices, and laptops can make the wall calendar seem like a quaint relic from yesteryear, a busy family schedule can quickly derail without a reliable central message center to keep everyone on track.

If you're tired of looking for appointments scribbled on scraps of paper but cringe at the thought of learning how to use another complicated electronic gizmo, a Jenda may be just the ticket. The folks at Finger-String, Inc. (get it?) have designed this low-tech voice calendar to record reminders and appointments with such simplicity that anyone can use it - and its undeniable fun factor will ensure the kiddos are on board with keeping Mom and Dad up-to-date on their activities.

Measuring just 9x11 inches, the Jenda mounts easily on a wall, desk, or refrigerator (magnets are attached). It operates on three AAA batteries (included), and even tells you when fresh batteries are needed. Set-up couldn't be easier; users are walked through the process with the help of electronic voice prompts in English, Spanish, or French.

After setting the current time and date, you're ready to start filling the perennial calendar with your own voice-recorded messages for daily, weekly, and yearly events. Written instructions and tips are included, but Jenda's color-coded buttons for months, days, and recording commands are self-explanatory. We immediately recorded our young thespian's rehearsal and performance schedule for an upcoming play, along with doctor appointments, homework reminders, and funny messages to other members of the family. A "Today" light blinks to alert users of that day's messages, which are easily reviewed, skipped, repeated, stored, or erased. Each date can hold multiple event recordings and stores them for 30 days past the event.

One of our favorite features is the yearly messaging. Enlist the kids to help you record the birthdays and anniversaries of friends and family members using the annual message command and receive timely reminders for years to come! Grocery lists, chores, and other temporary notes are easily stored with the To Do List button - and the Jenda is completely portable, so you can simply throw it in the car and refer to it as you run your errands.

The Jenda would make a perfect gift for grandparents, especially those who know their way around an answering machine but aren't necessarily inclined to use a computer program for their organizational needs. The device's large, easy-to-read buttons are a nice change from the tiny screens on handheld devices - no reading glasses required.

We're already dreaming up more creative uses for our Jenda, like recording daily observations for science experiments, keeping oral journals while on vacation, tracking medication doses during cold and flu season, and providing an uplifting thought for the day. It will be a while before that "Today" light stops blinking at our house!