Game developer, L.A. Noire has come up with a way to enhance facial expressions in video games, this is pretty awesome!
Category Archives: Technology is Cool
The Cutest MP3 Speakers for your little ones!
Aren’t these the cutest speakers for a MP3 player? I think so! Tanga offers the best deal for these cute speakers! Tanga is offering these cute speakers for just $6.99 (+ Shipping), the normal price is $29.99! Make sure to grab a pair before it’s too late!
These speakers are easy to use and will work with any MP3 player, so load up your MP3 player with some great tunes, such as Sesame Street’s Platinum All-Time Favorites and let your kiddos rock out!
PAX Prime
PAX Prime was amazing this year! There were so many great new games demos this year. This year, more than most seemed to be about family friendly games. Granted, Gears of War 3 was out in full force, as was Fallout: New Vegas, but by and large most of the games seemed to have a family friendly spin on them. Epic Mickey, Super Hero Squad Online, Power Gig: Rise of the Six String, Just Dance 2 and many more will be featured here in the next few days.
As always, the people at PAX are awesome with kids! Sophia & Sarah danced at the Just Dance 2 booth with Frag Dolls, Fidget & Phoenix. Sophia rocked the house with Kelly from Hot Riot at the Gig: Rise of the Six String booth. Sophia also rocked at the Dungeons & Dragons gaming area. (Not bad for a 6 year old!)
Make sure to check back each day for a new review of each of the family friendly games that we demo’d at PAX this year!
The Spam Comment Laughability Factor
- Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Okay, I usually don’t take the time to read the spam comments, but every once in a while, you get one that is so off the wall! I am VERY glad for Askimet and it’s lovely spam comment killer, without it, my blog would be full of crap comments!
Then there are the comments that seem like they aren’t spam, except that they are posted for the TOTALLY wrong blog post! Oy, when are spammers going to learn to stop being SO dumb!
The New Household Toy aka a New Apple Product!
Image via CrunchBase
We bought the Apple iPad yesterday and love it! My husband has to travel next week and desperately wanted one to take on his trip. After saving our pennies, we bought it! It is really cool! When Apple first announced the iPad, I was pretty convinced that it was just a bigger iPod Touch. In a way, it is, but at the same time, it has cooler functions. Being able to watch movies off of our Netflix instant queue is pretty nice, plus the iPad games are awesome. I just wish that more of the iPod App developers will transfer over their apps to an iPad format, as they are just small on the bigger screen. While you can enlarge them, some of them get too pixelated to really see them.
Overall, I will admit, I have iPad envy, but I am cool with the iPod Touch! However, if you have the money (I would suggest using cash, not credit), then pick one up today!
Cozi, the new Family Planner!
- Image via CrunchBase
I am a reader of Seattle Business magazine. This month’s issue featured a Seattle based company called Cozi. Cozi is the best online calendar, planning and etc tool I have seen, plus it’s free! They are local to me and I am big on supporting local businesses! Cozi is also a place where you can set up your family website as well. I also love the texting feature, so if it’s late at night and I need Brad to pick up something on his way home from work, I can text him to do it! Cozi is also great at To Do Lists. I can create a To Do list for each person, for the family or etc. This has been nice since I live by To Do lists. They are also printable, which has been awesome as well, espeically for us SAHM who need to do lists to accomplish anything sometimes! Make sure to check out Cozi and start up with them today!
Netflix Instant Queue: Wii vs. Xbox 360
Recently Wii and Netflix paired up to allow Wii users to watch their Netflix Instant Queue on their Wii Console. I have to admit, I was a bit surprized at how much I liked the Wii’s Netflix interface. I do have to admit though, the Xbox 360 is a bit nicer platform for Netflix.
Xbox 360 offers party view mode, and it looks a bit better on screen, as the Xbox 360 upscales to a better picture resolution. Also, you do not need to keep the Netflix disc in the console at all times, like you do with the Wii. The Wii interface is good for kids and and people who may not be the most tech saavy.My 5 year old loves watching movies from in the Instant Queue on the Wii, because it’s easy for her to navigate, whereas the Xbox controller is still a bit confusing for her. Since we don’t have traditional TV (click link for more info) and therefore no Disney Channel, Sophia (5), can watch all the Hannah Montana she wants on the Wii!
All in all, both are good but for different reasons, if you want a better picture and party mode, go with the Xbox, however if you want a more interface friendly version, stick with the Wii.
Cool stuff from Foursquare!
For those of us who have smart phones, there is a great application for download called Foursquare. This fun app lets you check into all the places that you will go! It will also update Facebook, so you don’t have to add anything to it. This was a really fun app during our April road trip. Many of my friends felt it was like they were on the trip with us and had lots of fun seeing where we were going.
But here’s the real kicker. The other day, while stopping into the PCC Market on the way to the ferry docks, I checked into PCC with Foursquare only to discover a really cool special! On the right hand side of the phone screen was a box marked special, after clicking it, I saw that I could receive a free Seattle’s Mighty-O Donut for every third check in at PCC Natural Market! After a few Edmonds/Kingston ferry runs, I finally got to my 3rd check in and as you can see below, my daughter, Sophia loved the donut!
This was a great feature, which totally made my day! While I haven’t found a way to find more of these great specials, it’s cool knowing that they exist and now I can’t wait to find the next one! Who knows what it may bring?
Sophia with her free Seattle's Mighty-O Donut, courtesy of my Foursquare app!
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Workouts and websites: Sparkpeople
I recently joined Sparkpeople, which is a great site for workouts, diet and encouragement. Plus it’s free! Sparkpeople is a great way to workout, feel accountable, and meet some great people from all over the nation! You can set up your own website through them and track your nutrition and exercise. You can also post before and after pictures, but it’s not necessary. I love this great website and I would also suggest checking out the book The Spark by Chris Downie, the creator of this great site!
See, technology and exercise can work together!
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Skype and iPod Touch, it’s a beautiful thing!
- Image via CrunchBase
I was purusing through some of my favorite websites, when I stumbled across this bit of info: if you have a 2nd Gen iPod Touch, you can use the Skype application and use it as a phone in your wifi areas! Not bad! Especially since both Brad & I use it for our regular and business phone lines.
Just a bit of information I thought you couldn’t live without!
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