The bane of my existence is my kids’ constant battle over chargers for their portable devices. When we travel, the hassle is magnified, with fewer outlets and the need to lug around a bag of chargers. What’s the solution?
Continue ReadingGeekMom Rachel and her family go hands-on with this smartphone-enabled robot.
Continue Reading
What kid doesn’t like an R/C toy? Who wouldn’t want a programmable robot, one that learns to react to your face, recognizes colors and has its own highly animated facial expressions? What about your own mobile remote presence, complete with motion control and two-way audio and video feeds? Using your iPhone or iPod Touch as its brains, the Romo app-controlled robotic pet for iOS devices manages to pull off all these capabilities. It does so in a way that’s both entertaining and educational for kids and the icing on the cake is there are no additional batteries required (anyone who’s had to load up an R/C car then its controller knows what I’m talking about) — the Romo base recharges via USB while your iOS device recharges using your normal method.
Continue Reading
I’ve had the opportunity to play with many Sonos products over the years and have watched with interest as the company has expanded from a specialized player found mostly in independent, audiophile stereo stores to a nationally recognized brand with a growing product line. And while it still continues to offer premium equipment, Sonos has also branched out into less expensive gear. Up until a month ago, the price of entry to the Sonos streaming music ecosystem was $329 for a Play:3 speaker plus $59 for a Bridge (needed to connect the wireless speaker to your Wi-Fi network). The latest addition to the Sonos line-up makes the high quality wireless audio even more affordable. The Play:1 which hit shelves in October, goes for $219 but still offers high quality sound and the ability to be integrated (now or later) as part of a larger Sonos music network.
Continue ReadingSUPER WHY! ABC Adventures: Alphabet is the new game from PBS Kids available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. It teaches kids the alphabet through a series of mini activities that promote letter recognition and pronunciation amongst other skills.
Continue ReadingThere are three main categories of iOS speaker docks: the ones meant to replace your home stereo, the portables versions that offer sound on the go and the bedroom models that are intended to be an iPhone or iPad-friendly replacement …
Continue ReadingMy son, age eight, is quite attached to our iPod Touch. And the computer. And sometimes to the television and the Nintendo DSi. (And my iPad when I let him touch it.) For the most part, he plays educational games, …
Continue ReadingThe Avengers Origins: Assemble! and Avengers Origins: Hulk apps from Disney Publishing Worldwide, read by Stan “The Man” Lee are, in a word, glorious! For the child, both apps are the perfect introduction to the Assemble story and the Hulk story. Not only is Stan Lee a great narrator, reading in such a fashion as […]
Continue ReadingI hate to admit it, but chess hurts my head. I love playing games, finding patterns, devising strategies, but there is something about chess that frustrates me. I think it is because I end up planning elaborate schemes, having to …
Continue ReadingCoco Loco is a new game iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch developed by Twiitch and published by Chillingo. I must admit, when I first saw the game, I thought “OH NO! Another Angry Birds clone! But, then I was pleasantly …
Continue ReadingSo the new un-numbered iPad release is wowing people everywhere with its gorgeous “Retina” display, and there’s little doubt it will continue to sell well from now until whenever the next version is announced. But that awesome new screen has …
Continue ReadingEveryone longs to find their true love, and in this little app it’s your mission to help the boy get the girl. Game play is simple and straightforward with the boy running across the screen as he tries to capture his true love’s heart. But, just like in the real world, love is never that easy. […]
Continue ReadingZoo Toss – $.99 (iPhone only) In Zoo Toss, you have to feed the zoo animals by flicking food to them from a conveyor belt as it passes by. You’ve got to be quick, but you also have to aim …
Continue ReadingOf all the topics in school, my kids struggle a bit with math. It’s not an issue I worry about it – they understand the concepts – they just need a little extra practice, which is why I like to …
Continue ReadingI reviewed a very cool iOS app called Pocket Zoo just about this time last year and thought quite highly of it; Pocket Zoo subsequently made it into the pages of Wired magazine as a “must have” app, so I …
Continue ReadingTo this day, the majority of my computer and internet use is through my desktop machine. It sits there, solidly on the floor (not the desktop), not dropped, shaken, or stirred. Short of a forest fire or lightning strike, I …
Continue ReadingI’m going to start out by saying that I really dislike Wil Wheaton. Why? Because he blogged about Dungeon Raid, a $2.99 iOS app that has taken over my Friday morning… and likely many snippets of my Friday afternoon. Dungeon …
Continue ReadingWhen I was a kid, we learned about five or six different dinosaurs, with coloring pages and songs (“Triceratops with three long horns, a beak for a mouth and a frill where his neck is. Triceratops with four big legs …
Continue ReadingAs you may know from my past posts, I’m always on the lookout for math apps that are more than just arithmetic. While not a teaching app, I have found another that fits the bill. Math Formulas is a reference …
Continue ReadingiDevices allow us and our kids to play all kinds of games to test our skills or pit us against each other. But this is the first app I have seen that turned my iPod Touch into a toy. With …
Continue ReadingIt is a provocative statement given the hype, but: The iPad is not a “miracle device” for children with autism. The iPad has received evangelical coverage in the media and blogosphere, especially when it comes to autism. Parents have flocked …
Continue ReadingTennis Flirt is a new app from Personal Applets Corporation (requires iOS 4.1) that combines tennis on the iPhone and social networking via text or chat “flirts.” Voice chat with Tennis Flirt is only available when you connect through Wi-Fi. …
Continue ReadingWith the advent of the iPhone and iPad, new apps have come out of the woodwork. Educational apps for kids take up a huge piece of the market. And, I swear, half of those are ABC apps. But, among the …
Continue ReadingBetween I Spy, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir and others, I’ve played many search-and-find games. I enjoy them, but my son especially enjoys them. And since ancient Rome is one of the many topics in history we’ll tackle this year, I …
Continue ReadingWith the iPhone not yet available on my preferred carrier, I typically get my iOS on using my 4th generation iPod Touch. While not quite as elegant or functional as its big brother, it’s a fantastic device that I never …
Continue ReadingThe app space is overflowing with math-related apps for preschoolers and early elementary. Shapes, counting, very simple addition. There… are… so… many… Sigh. But what about older kids? They love to play with technology, too. And making learning more fun …
Continue ReadingI had the opportunity to spend Thursday at DIG 2010, the Digital Interactive Gaming conference, held in my home town of London, Ontario (Canada). While it’s always interesting to hang out with gamers and the people who design, build and …
Continue ReadingBrother recently sent one of their MFC-990CW multifunction printers for me to play with; considering the model supported wireless printing from an iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone now (instead of waiting a few more weeks for Apple to release iOS …
Continue ReadingGeocaching tends to have quite a few electronic helpers, based on the fact that it’s an electronic sport. Letterboxing, however, the old fashioned analog version of geocaching, has usually been a pen-and-paper kind of activity. I recently reviewed BoxFinder, an …
Continue ReadingSome video game characters are destined for greatness. Gaming standards like Mario, Sonic, Samus and Master Chief have become veritable entertainment icons in their own right, with pop culture clout that far exceeds your 42″ LCD. But not everyone is …
Continue Reading