Fresh Brain
Fresh Brain is a technology exploration site for teens–think building your own Facebook app or creating a video game.
Teens can explore technology, create their own projects, and connect with other teens. Topics include game design, graphics, robotics, web design and more. There is even a section on eco-friendly tech development.
Considering these will be the skills of the 21st century workforce, what a great place to play!
The New Guitar
Guitar Hero is old, not too old, but there are other guitar gadgets on the market now too.
Take Paperjamz for instance. These guitars are made out of paper but allow you to play actual cords accompanied by background music included with each guitar. There are five different guitars from a Stratocaster to an Explorer. Depending on the model you get you can accompany anything from What I like About You, to All Star. There not the sturdiest instruments I’ve ever seen but for $35 they are some of the most affordable.
Common Sense Media launches new app
One of my favorite go-to sources for staying on top of media for my kids is Common Sense Media. The website offers real-world reviews for experts, parents and kids of movies, books and video games.
You can’t possibly play every game, pre-screen every movie and read every book your child will encounter, but sometimes you do want to know what they might be exposed to. Now you can get info on the go with the site’s new iPhone app. It’s free!
This would have been really helpful the other day at the library when my son wanted to check out a book that upon getting home and reading the review was totally inappropriate.
See also:
Row Your Boat
The Wii is never at a loss for add-ons. The newest addition is the Wii Rowing Machine.
The Wii Rowing Machine looks like a less than lasting rowing machine with pedal straps for your feet and a resistance changeable pull bar. I don’t know how that pedal stand is going to stay on the ground every time I pull unless it’s full of weights, but that’s just a question. Supposedly the rower will be compatible with Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports Resort, and the Jillian Michaels work out game. I don’t know how much of a useful work out it will be …
Piano Playing
We’ve watched commercials for Nintendo DS and their new line up of games, like learning to cook, but now they’re moving on to learning the arts with Easy Piano, now available.
It’s a $40 game for the handheld device that comes with an attachable mini keyboard of 13 keys to learn and practice piano technique. The game even records up to three minutes of songs kids create themselves. It’s hardly a real piano that’s for sure, but if could inspire interest. Just remember to pack your kid headphones on long car trips or their early musical mistakes will get really annoying really quickly.
Glyde helps you resell games, cds
Glyde is a new online site to match buyers and sellers of video games, cds, DVDs, books, etc. It says that it is easier than other online marketplaces.
The company sends you pre-addressed, pre-stamped mailers to send your items to the buyer. Also, there are NO upfront fees and you can easily donate all or part of your proceeds to charity.
Looks like I’ll be listing a few of those old DVDs and books I have sitting around.
You can save up to 90% on items you were planning to buy anyway. What a deal!
Video Game Badge?
The Boy Scouts of America have introduced a new award for video gaming. Recognizing the prevalence of gaming in boys’ lives, the badge helps scouts look at games in a new way and to use their skills to be more critical users.
The belt loop and academic pin are available to Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts.
Among the requirements are to explain why rating systems are importantnf ro video games, learn to play a new parent-approved game, create a plan to buy a new game, teach a friend to play a game and install a gaming system.
Other new badges are available for Disability Awareness, Family Travel, Good Manners, Hiking, Hockey, Horseback Riding, Kickball, Nutrition, Pet Care, Photography, Reading and Writing, and Skateboarding.
Flight Entertainment
If you’re flying from Korea you no longer have to worry about packing a book for your flight, just $3.50
Jin Air (a subsidiary of Korean Air) is now offering to rent passengers PSP Go’s for $3.50 a flight. Forget packing an extra bag of game cartridges, books, and laptops for long in air entertainment, let the airline do the packing for you. They charge enough for bags anyone, who can afford to bring an extra one these days.
Game Room
With the Wii, Xbox, Playstation, and all the connections that go with them, arcades are hardly as popular as they used to be. Why leave the house to play games that aren’t as well made as the ones you play on the sofa? What need is there to leave the house to see people when you can talk to them from home on a headset?
Well, perhaps there still is something special about the arcade experience but Xbox is hoping to close whatever gap that remains with its Game Room. Opening this spring the Game Room will offer classic arcade games (for a price) that will then always be accessible on your game console as well as on your PC (if you have one). With the Xbox 360 you’ll be able to go up against friends live. But lets be honest, arcade games are much more fun with the big buttons and old school joystick than with a hand controller.
McDonald’s to train employees with Nintendo DS
The food mega-giant McDonalds will begin training part-time employees in Japan using a special program on Nintendo DS.
The game will teach the various kitchen tasks needed by employees as well as customer interaction. Each McDonald’s restaurant in Japan will receive 2 DS handheld devices and the eSMART training software.
Currently staff would shadow employees, but the new program is expected to halve training time to about 20 hours.
I guess if the military can use video games to train soldiers, why can’t a restaurant use them to train staff? The wave of the future to be sure . . .
