Can Gamification Help Solve the Kids’ Privacy Problem?
Sigh. We’ve seen this one before. The stage is set for the next bout between concerned parents and watchdog groups and web and mobile sites that cater to kids. Because it’s so easy to glean information about kids habits, whereabouts and friends using the technologies in today’s smartphones, there’s a movement to look for ways to, an minimum make kids …
Read More
Perpetual Gaming: At Toy Fair Your Games are Never Far From Your Side
Microsoft Kinect did an awesome job of making indoor play a physical sport. Nintendo rocked the world when it let kids take their favorite games with them. With video game sales down this holiday, the new object of the game is a seamless play, one that goes with you wherever you are in all sorts of manifestations. Skylanders Gen II: …
Read More
What Does an Augmented Reality Book Look Like?
Popar (www.popartoys.com) is in Pop plus “AR”) has an idea about how to fuse books with augmented reality digital experiences to create a deeper, richer, more multifaceted read. The results are pretty spectacular and may do more to add new life to traditional printed books. The idea is pretty simple. You buy a big ‘ole picture book (about $27) wherever books …
Read More
Joan Ganz Cooney Center Releases Study on Apple’s App Store and Kids Content
One of the most engaging of our Kids@Play sessions this year took a look at “screentime” and how much is too much (or too little) for young kids. One of the presenters, Carly Shuler, of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, focused her study on the Apple iTunes “educational marketplace.” The study, “ iLearn II: An Analysis of the Education Category …
Read More
How Social Networking Wrecked My CES Events
I am not a newbie – I’ve been at CES for an eternity, as the emcee and creative force behind the Last Gadget Standing and the Mobile Apps Showdown – two events at CES that both rely heavily on the people’s vote to decide on a winner. There was a time when the people’s vote meant something. Either it meant …
Read More
Wearable Fashion that’s Cutting Edge
It’s not denim or lace. It’s not midi or mini. The future of fashion is all about integrating technology to create a beautiful and unique experience. These fashions were created by a group of young designers who know that the body is the mobile device of choice. Take a peek at their creations. A new piece of conceptual fashion FURver …
Read More
Trendy 2011: Tablets Up, 3D Down
Industry watchers like nothing better than to observe as trends come and go. A site that I love, The Crystal Ball Society, started by Jesse Schell, lets you record these predictions for posterity. A good thing, since most of us will forget our own predictions in matter of days. Sometimes predications are a matter of WHEN not IF. As mom …
Read More
Vita PlayStation
I learned to be a gamer with a proverbial gun to my head. If you’re going to be in the tech business, you’d better learn your way around a gaming machine. But nothing prepared me for my hands-on session with Vita yesterday. Vita is SONY’s newest hand held gaming device. What’s unique about it is the variety of play experiences …
Read More
The Future of Higher Ed?
Salman Khan is the brain behind the Khan Academy, a series of simple video lessons that teach math, physics, astronomy and more. Currently, his collection of 700 videos has over 1 million users. And Khan knows a great deal about the users educational stumbling blocks and successes. Inside Higher Ed has a good summary of what Khan is doing today and what …
Read More