It’s common knowledge that the youth of today are far more technologically minded then we used to be. For one, they don’t need to queue at school for 15 minutes of grace on an outdated dial-up Gateway computer, and two; they’re dazzled with gadgets that connect them to the web and are heavily involved in social networking. There’s no denying that in ten years time our knowledge will becomes outdated, if not obsolete, with fresh faced twenty something’s running rings round us with intuitive understanding of the latest developments in touch and 3D technology.
It seems manufacturers agree with this idea, as they’ve decided to target kids early. This year has seen the rise of the e-reader, the actualization of 3DTV and Android OS taking off, but it’s also seen a wide range of tech products created which TARGET TWEENS. But what’s so weird about this strategy is that the products they’re using to tempt children into tech are actually really good and well thought out. They’re not just slapping a can of pink/blue paint on a toy, adding in batteries and expecting impressionable youths to be wowed, we’re talking his spec Disney themed netbooks and headphones created to fit the miniature proportions of children’s ears. Read more…
Isn’t this stunning? When I first spotted it I did a double take when I saw a price next to it- as something this funky, unusual and beautiful normally falls into the realms of the prototype design. But no, investigation revealed this intriguing pop-up book lamp is actually for sale- and isn’t it gorgeous!
Details on quite how it works ate a little vague, but I can tell you that you can choose between a red or gray linen book that pops out a pretty lamp when it opens. There are two styles of lamp to choose from- Parisian style or Streetlamp, but whether it runs off batteries or electrical impulses isn’t clear.
Due to the fact the dimensions are 41×30 inches I’m guessing they could fit some sort of battery, but who knows? It’s gorgeous, its affordable and it’s seriously quirky!
It’s an all to familiar occurrence- a night out with multiple vodka shots and strange coloured shooters, and you and your mates decide you simply must capture the rather unflattering moment. You squish your heads together, pull a cheesy face and the camera operator/mobile phone holder desperately tilts her arm at an unnatural angle to fit you all in the frame. And snap- you’re blinded by the flash and a head is out of frame. Sound familiar?
Enough practise and you’ll have mastered the art of getting heads in the picture, but angles are still tricky and you may find your look ruined by unfortunate double chins/blinking.
So what’s one to do? Other than risk your precious cam with a total stranger, options have been fairly limited.. till now. Samsung have just released new of two cameras that come with a dual LCD screen- one on the back and ONE ON THE FRONT to make taking that self portrait easier than ever. A timer counts down till the image is taken, or you can switch on the smile shutter mode, which will automatically take a pic whenever you beam at it. Read more…
Games and kids. They go together like Ribena and Hobnobs or anything of the confectionery nature, but all too often parents tend to regard console antics equal to truancy in terms of desired activities for their lil ‘uns. But I don’t think this is necessarily fair or wise, and think the perception that games ares somehow wasteful, pointless and a bad influence should be counteracted.
I’d go so far as to say kids should be actively ENCOURAGED to pick up a Playstation pad as there is wealth of learning to be had from gametime that will be invaluable to their future development.
And here’s why.
-They teach you patience and reward you with bonus levels
How many hours did you have to play Zelda before you learnt the moves that would unlock the realm? It wasn’t just handed to you on a plate now was it- to succeed in games takes time, skill and dedication, all qualities we should want to foster in the youth of today. Magical realism now, surgeons of the future in ten years?
-They improve hand eye co-ordination
Team games are great but not every kid has the skills or the confidence to run straight into rounders or tennis. The majority of games require you to be very dexterous with your fingers which will improve your ability to react and interact with moving objects. Naturally the Wii takes this to a whole new level, and should boost confidence and aptitude when playing IRL. Read more…
Shopping channels, aren’t they soo not great? They waste valuable airspace trying to tell you how an ‘oxygen infused cream’ is going to melt fat from your thighs, and that using a cheap looking piece of exercise equipment for just five minutes day will change you life. Add to that a carpet fluffer you don’t want, some cheap nasty jewellery that supposedly uesd to cost a zillion and some American accents, and well-FLICK. Yup, you’d have to be really bored to spend anytime watching these channels, and buying something, um no- you realize they CHARGE like £1.80 a minute for you to call and order??
However amongst the huge, HUGE pile of dross do exist some gadgets that look like they might be worth the P&P cost, and here are five I think would come in very handy (or maybe they’ve just suckered me in).
Genius! This solves the whole ‘is the back of my hair straight’ issue, and it’s also detachable so you can pop it in your purse and travel with it. Read more…
I’ve long since stop being surprised at the vast array of paraphernalia on offer for the pink obsessed woman/girl/ confused boy, but when a store such as Toys’R'Us actually starts to categorize their gadgets by colour, well that’s whole new level of incredulity- even for me.
After all, it’s not like they have made a category for ‘pink’ Barbie dolls, or associated toys, but instead they have a whole pinks section for games that don’t need to be pink. Why does Twister or Jenga need a blushing makeover? It’s simply not right. And then you notice they have a pink ouija board in that category as well- so not only are they preying on those that buy into the whole ‘pink’ trend, but they’re also subjecting them to supernatural mumbo jumbo. Read more…
It’s common knowledge that the youth of today are far more technologically minded then we used to be. For one, they don’t need to queue at school for 15 minutes of grace on an outdated dial-up Gateway computer, and two; they’re dazzled with gadgets that connect them to the web and are heavily involved in social networking. There’s no denying that in ten years time our knowledge will becomes outdated, if not obsolete, with fresh faced twenty something’s running rings round us with intuitive understanding of the latest developments in touch and 3D technology.
