Ripple connects loved ones with kids through books

Ripple is an online service that connects kids with loved ones such as parents on the battlefield or grandparents in another town through the magic of reading.

Users record themselves reading books in Ripple’s online library that the child can access to hear their own story with their copy of the book in hand. Designed for kids 4-8, the service has kids listening to stories again and again.

Users can buy a single recording session for $9.95 or a package that brings the per-recording price as low as $4.58. Ripple is also supporting schools and libraries. To find out how your local school or library can take part, see www.RippleReader.com.

Another way to connect with kids this way is through recordable hardcover books available from Hallmark.

The Importance of Trust

Starting this fall (meaning now) Wikipedia will become an even trustworthier source. I mean, I’ve never had a teacher who didn’t say “wikipedia is not a legitimate source” but lets be honest, it’s usually the first stop for anyone who just wants a quick answer.

The University of California has created a system (wikitrust) that will color code newly added information on wikipedia pages. Basically the longer a piece of information has remained on the page, the more truthful it’s likely to be (as no one has taken the time to edit it).

Registered wikipedia users are able to click the “trust info” tab and see color coding on whatever page they have chosen to view. How successful this will be in appeasing a teachers mind is questionable, but it certainly can’t hurt.

New Facebook Friends

As if Facebook hasn’t already taken over our lives enough lets add animal cuteness, animal training, and animal voices.

My Desk Friend by arimaz is a small robotic penguin that connects to any computer and combines with your facebook profile to perform actions. Through your profile you can exercise, feed, and play with your “friend”. These actions control your pets mood, which you can read by the changing color of the robot’s eyes. The penguin also alerts you when friends are online, read facebook messages to you, and poke other friends.

The robot itself, other than changing eye color, can also move and interact when you pet it or shake it, or use voice commands. It sounds cool on paper, but I feel like the thing will just end up taking up more desk space than I have. I don’t need anyone to read me facebook messages, reading is one thing I can still do on my own.

A Movie of Convenience

We all know and love Fandango.  We can buy tickets (most importantly) but also read reviews.  More popular review sites include Rotten Tomatoes (they’re usually pretty accurate in their ratings).  Now there’s a new site that goes one step further in its reviews.

Runpee.com doesn’t care if the movie’s great or not, it wants the experience to be enjoyable.  In that sense this site does something no one else does, they screen for the most appropriate times in any new releases to run to the bathroom.  They list both the time (how long the movie’s been running) as well as the line/scene you’re waiting for before you run out.  That’s right, sometimes with that extra large Pepsi there just isn’t a chance you’re gonna make it to the end.  But hey, you’ve checked Rotten Tomatoes and you know the movie’s good.  Well Runpee makes sure you only miss the less than necessary parts.  How convenient.

Movie Mash

I love Youtube.  I love watching music videos full of clips of my favorite shows.  I like watching clip mashups, and I like seeing home made trailers.  Now Elgato has made it even easier for Mac users to create just such masterpieces with its video capture.

Video capture basically connects your computer to an analog video source and helps you convert video from your television to video on your computer (ready to use online, or on your ipod).  With these new files you can watch your favorite TV on the go or use it to create the next great online sensation.  It’s totally worth it for the advancement of online art.

New Notes

Tech continues to shrink, but I still find it easier to walk around with a pen and a pad of paper in my pocket than any gadget (even my cell phone).  I’ve got witnesses and ink stains to prove it.

One of the more popular portable diaries of sorts are the Moleskine (which claims to have held the ideas of both Picasso and Hemingway).  The notebooks come in all sorts of sizes and varieties, even portable portfolio folders for artists or other sets of notes.

Moleskines are a very particular brand of notebook and thus they have a particular size and page shape.  No need to guess because now, when you’re not on the go, you can print the perfect page for your notebook off the web.  MSK wizard sets up a Moleskine sized page online you can print and then take with you.  Need a picture off of google to help with the inspiration you’ve already jotted down? No problem.

It’s not a necessity obviously, part of Moleskines popularity is using it on the go when you can’t access a computer.  But if you can, this definitely enhances the experience.  Simplicity is bliss.

Summer School

I for one get enough class time five days a week and enough homework that spare time for online courses is not really available (or a priority).  But that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize a good learning tool when I see one.

Academicearth.org is the next step in intellectual growth at our fingertips.  Like iTunes U the site provides taped lectures free to the masses.  These aren’t just any schools either, but lectures from the likes of Stanford and Yale.  I can’t attest to the quality of one lecturer over another myself, but the big school names are likely to get people in the door.

It’s never to late to learn (in life, or in the day) and it’s always nice when you can work for pure interest instead of a grade and extra homework.

TV Trends

The time has come, Lost and Heroes are both going to be on Hulu!

Disney has officially joined Hulu and thus ABC shows will be available on the great legal video streaming site.  Supposedly ABC shows will start appearing this summer.  I’m all for it, Hulu is simpler, clearer, and more convenient than most other video streaming services, but the truth is, if the shows aren’t there we all find ways to watch anyway (that’s why Disney was wise to join up).

Now, many shows appear on Hulu the next day already, but not all.  House for instances does not post episodes until the week after they have aired.  I understand that this is supposed to bottleneck viewers off to the network’s official web site, but the truth is it doesn’t.  Lots of the time people don’t even wait until the next morning none the less the next week.  On other less reputable sites shows often make appearances a mere hour after they air.  When you don’t have a Tivo these sites are a big draw.

As always, as with the Disney deal, things continue to improve with network presence and availability on the internet, but if networks (and movie studios for that matter) want to really utilize the web as a distribution tool a lot of work still needs to be done.

Blockbuster to rent video games by mail

Blockbuster plans to pilot a program for Blockbuster Total Access customers to rent both video games and movies via mail this spring.

Currently  BLOCKBUSTER Total Access offers DVD rentals to customers with free shipping and in-store exchanges at thousands of participating stores.  With the new program, customers could (based on their plan) exchange DVD rentals for free in-store or games for half-price in store. According to the company’s release:

“A combination video game and movie online offering — with in-store exchange privileges — is a tremendous value and convenience offering not available through anyone other than Blockbuster.”

The games will be available for a variety of formats including Nintendo Wii™, PS2™, PS3™, Xbox and Xbox 360.

The company hopes to roll out the program nationwide by summer.

Will this be their way to outmaneuver Netflix?

Muppet Magic

I grew up on Sesame Street (the show not the place) and I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like Kermit the Frog.  Lets be honest muppets are a part of everyone’s life whether we want to admit it or not.  Well now they can become a real member of the family, and you get to design who you want to join you around the kitchen table.

FAO Schwarz now has the Whatnot Muppet Workshop where you can pick a body, eyes, hair, nose, and outfit for your own personal muppet.  It’s all online!  Think of the holiday possibilities!  Muppets have never been just any old puppet and at last it seems we the young at heart can do our childhood stories justice with the real thing.

At $90 each they’re a bit expensive, but so are a lot of things at FAO Schwarz.  What price can you put on childhood dreams anyway?  It’s the holiday season, splurge.