Saturday, March 21, 2009

Beware at the online games your kids play

By Harry Topper

If you have children, you probably face the challenge of them asking you to let them play online games for as long as possible. Doctors have proven that strategy games playing help the brain development, thus determining young persons learn new reasoning ways and improve their performance. Nonetheless, such games can easily develop addiction and make kids more violent.

A special category of games are the ones playable on the internet without any fee. Built in Adobe Macromedia Flash, such games are small in size, require less memory, meaning that they are working even for older systems.

For being able to play these games, you'll need to download some browser-specific add-ons which make it possible to play straight in browser, without needing to keep the game files on the hard disk. Some games can only function in Firefox or Internet Explorer and do not work in others.

When letting children to play online games, beware that they will want to play 24 hours a day. An idea could be to, limit the time they are allowed to use the PC. Check the games they like to play most. Action games can be so violent, so you need to control your child's activity online.

If used within normal limits, there's nothing wrong with playing computer games. Computer can be used for teaching efficiently, so it's all right to permit children use the computer even in early childhood. You ought to watch what they are doing as a parent.

Easy puzzle games may not be interesting for grown-ups, yet kids will find a special pleasure in playing them day and night, in every spare moment. Racing and dynamic games are better for bigger ages. Detailed flight and driving simulators are also enjoyed by elders, as well as by their kids.

Even pilots are trained on flight simulators which are similar to regular computer games. Such big flying games are the exact copy of the plane dashboard, in order to make setting the pilot familiar with flying the plane before facing the real thing. Next time your children would want to play, think that they can become pilots some day.

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Monday, March 9, 2009

Tips to Consider When Shopping for a Webkinz Toy Online

By Colleen McCullough

Webkinz toys are made available online for shoppers to enjoy. They can often be found on sale at the two of the biggest shopping stores online " eBay and Amazon.

Well, shopping for a Webkinz toy online is so easy. You just have to visit one store, say Ebay, then type Webkinz toy or other similar terms in the search box and you will get a long list of Webkinz toys which can all be your options. Then after which, choose which one/s do you like most and undergo bidding.

However, although shopping online is so easy, the challenge to get good value for your money is really great. Thus, it is important that you get to know some shopping tips.

- Try to gather information on the various shops where you can shop cheaply. Discover if aside from eBay and Amazon there are still some other places where you can find the best prices. Also it is vital that you consider the shipping cost, make sure it would be low. Some other shops offer free shipping services in case you reach certain amount.

- Get to know what are the toys that do not last long being on sale. It is a good idea to go for these toys as their price go up very quickly as time passes by. They are good options actually.

- Before shopping online, think or consider what kind of toys your kid will mostly enjoy, of course if you'll be shopping for your kid. This is indeed a good way to spare your time and money from being wasted.

- Also, if shopping for your kid, check all the toys that your kid presently owns. Of course, you need not to buy toys that he or she already owns. Get him or her other toys that he or she will enjoy.

- Try to research on the price of the toys you like. Go for sellers that offer cheaper prices. Consider also sellers that have low or free shipping cost.

- Go for legitimate sellers to be sure you won't be taken advantage. Always check the profile of the seller you like to make deals with and maybe for how long he or she has been selling or doing business online. This can really help.

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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Star Wars Starfighter Kites Bring The Force to the Skies

by John P. Barker
When I was a kid, kites were just plain lame. They were generally made of two pieces of balsa wood with crappy tissue paper stapled to these to form the generic diamond-like shape. I'd put a tail on it, attach a line, run-dragging it down the street-until it became airborne. Then I'd have roughly 2 minutes of fun until the stupid thing would careen to the ground and splinter into a wad of wood and tissue.Wheeeeeee! Fun! Yeah... right. Shoot me. I would have more fun with a fresh bullet wound.At least I didn't have to walk, barefoot through glass, to school in torrential rain. And no, I'm not quite old enough to sit in a rocker on my porch and yell at kids to get off of my lawn...Anyways, back to kites.Now you can get kites in many shapes and sizes and they are generally constructed of more durable materials than tissue and balsa wood. Take this kite, for example:Those of you who read the blog on a regular basis know that I'm a Star Wars junkie. The moment I saw that I could purchase a Millennium Falcon kite I started drooling. This thing looks sooooo sweet!

If you're not into kites that emulate YT-1300 freighters, you may find Darth Vader's TIE-fighter or Luke's X-Wing fighter more to your liking.

I'm no engineer, so I'm clearly baffled as to how these kites, shaped as abstractly as they are, can actually fly. Or how they can get in the air at all, for that matter.

I dug around a bit and couldn't find any dimensions on these things, but I would think they would be quite large... though maybe not large enough to do this:


Moe's Toys Shop

SpyBall – Remote Control Spy Camera for Kids


This sleek and shiny ball is not your average, run-of-the-mill type of ball. The super-cool remote controlled SpyBall is a spy camera disguised as a ball. It has built-in Wi-Fi and is able to rotate and turn a full 360 degrees for all sorts of 007 spying action. The soon-to-be-released SpyBall, from WowWee, was a great big hit at the recent 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.
SpyBall
When the SpyBall is connected to your wireless network, it can be remotely controlled from the Internet just by using your mouse. How cool is that? Watch what the kids are up to up in the family room while you are working in the bedroom. You can watch and listen to live, streaming video, still shots and audio from anywhere in your home.

SpyBall
And although controlling the ball from home is pretty amazing, you can even control SpyBall remotely. If you're at work and you want to check up on the frisky cat or aging pooch, now you can. If you are waiting for the delivery man to drop off an important package at home, let SpyBall take a peek for you. The simple plug-and-play unit also works with all sorts of gaming consoles that have web browsers.

Moe's Toys Shop

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Nintendo Wii For Fun

By Bruce Harry

One of the biggest game consoles to hit the shelves since the very first Nintendo gaming system is the Wii. Not only is this console amazing in every, possible way, but it has also revolutionized the gaming world as we know it! To be completely honest, the Wii is not only one of the best game consoles in the world, but it is also one of the most fun! There are however, a few tips and tricks that you need to learn in order to be safe when you are playing the Wii.

As many of you may already know, before you break out the Wii game and start playing, you want to make sure that you have plenty of room to play. Roughly five feet is normal as you will need a lot of space to move around. Keeping your gaming area clutter-free and clean is definitely one of the things you should be doing, especially if you use the Wii a lot.

You can learn a lot by watching Wii commercials and the little tutorials that come on the console and on some of the games. Most importantly, you can learn how to play safely. You need to watch these. It will show you the proper way to use the Wii remotes. Always remember, if you are not careful, you could put a remote sized hole in your TV.

In fact, let's talk about the straps attached to the Wii remotes. If you bought your console before December of 2006, you might want to buy a new strap. The ones made before then were known to be faulty. Do a search on the Internet, you will easily see how many people put holes in their walls, their televisions, or even their friends, because their Wii remotes went flying through the air due to a snapped strap.

Make sure that you use your wrist when playing, not your whole arm. Do not use the full force of your shoulders either. Both your Wii remote and the Wii itself can recognize light, careful movements.

Remember, you are supposed to have fun while playing with your Wii. It is not a battle! If you get angry at a game, you raise your chances of doing some damage with your remote. So just take a break and walk away for a while.

Without a doubt, the Wii encourages more exercise and activity than any other gaming console on the market right now. Still, playing it for long periods of time is not healthy. Your Wii itself will tell you to take a break once in a while. You should definitely listen to it. Go outside for a bit. Get some fresh air. Your Wii will still be there when you get back, so do not worry about leaving it alone for a bit.

Finally, make sure to pause your game every so often, so that you can make sure your Wii bubble is still safe. You want to take as much care as possible to make sure you do not harm any one or any thing.

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Sunday, March 1, 2009

The World's Smallest Hovercraft


Made by Takara Tomy of Japan, the Hover Q can shoot across flat surfaces on a cushion of air. Despite its size, it is a true hovercraft. No tiny wheels hide beneath the airbag.
As with all mini-RC vehicles, it sucks the life out of batteries. Luckily four AA batteries are included with a charger. A ten minute charge nets you five minutes of cruisin' time.
The Hover Q comes in four colors (red, blue, orange, and black) and utilizes two bandwidths so you can race two of them at a time. The battery charger is also the remote control unit for the hovercraft. You can increase/decrease speed and turn left or right with just a flick your fingers. Though the controls are quite obvious, all of the instructions (and the box) sport Japanese.

To experience way-cool tiny hovercraft action, simply go to Amazon.com.

Bizarre 'Sand Puppies' Could Be Next Japanese Character Sensation


Naked mole rats dig deep into Japanese hearts... in a GOOD way. What were you thinking?
The so-called "sand puppies" at the Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo, Japan, just might be the next cute character sensation, and the Zoo is helping things right along by selling plush toy versions of the bizarre, bucktoothed zoo animals.According to one sand puppy groupie, a 31-year-old woman who regularly visits the zoo (perhaps in search of a life), "It has such an awful name and appearance, but it's this dark side that, contrary to expectations, makes them attractive." There you have it, bald rats can be Bad Boys too.
Said to be popular with young women, the hadaka deba nezumi (literally, "naked bucktooth rats") were first acquired by the Ueno Zoological Gardens in 2001. Visitors enjoyed watching the 4-inch long wee beasties scuttle through a network of plastic tubes but when cartoon heroine Kim Possible got one - named Rufus - as a pet, interest in the fur-less varmints really took off.Social mammals that act more like ants or bees than rats or mice, naked mole rats live in structured underground societies led by a queen, defended by soldiers and populated mainly by workers. These weird animals are found in East Africa and are not considered endangered.
They ARE considered to be weird, though... living underground has spurred them to evolve a cold-blooded metabolism that can be slowed in tough times. This lifestyle has one benefit: long life. Naked mole rats are the longest-lived of all rodents and remain active and functional into their late 20s. That's more than some people I know!In any event, the 16 naked mole rats at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens (plus another batch at the Saitama Children's Zoo north of Tokyo) are rapidly becoming superstars and the Zoo's management are feeding into the frenzy by stocking their gift shops with sand puppy plushies, buck teeth and all.
They sort of look like tiny walruses (walri?)... now how cute is that?

Newborn Baby Gifts and Baby Shower Games Equal a Fun Time

By Edie Mindell

Although traditional baby shower games never fail and are always a success, new baby shower games are emerging and spreading across the United States. These cool, unconventional activities are different than the classics but with all the fun and more. If you are aiming for a hip, edgier baby shower with a twist from the classic, all-American baby shower, include a few of these new, trendy games that are sure to be a hit at your shower.

The "Dirty Diaper" game is one of the most clever and unusual, yet surprisingly sweet games out there. For this game, fold white cloth napkins or square pieces of white fabric into small diapers. Inside one of these mini diapers, place an unwrapped Hersheys kiss or any other chocolate bonbon. Fasten all the diapers with a baby diaper safety pin.

When guests arrive to the baby shower, hand one mini baby diaper to each person. Tell the guests to keep them closed and to not open them until instructed to do so. Then, when the time comes for all your games and activities, tell your guests that one of them has a dirty diaper. Tell them to open the diapers all at once, and whoever has the "dirty diaper," or the chocolate bonbon inside of their diaper, wins a prize.

Another game with a meaning is the "umbilical cord." For this game, you will need two spools of string or yarn, and two spoons. Choose volunteers and set up two or more teams of about eight to ten people. Attach each spoon to the tip of each string or yarn. The point of the game is to pass the "umbilical cord" through all the members of each team, by passing the string in through the neck seam and out through the opening of the skirt of each team player. This is very humorous, as you can imagine. The first team that passes the cord through all of the members wins.

A game that is becoming increasingly popular among baby showers is "Guess Whos Baby Picture?" For this game, make sure to tell guests on the invitations, and remind them before the shower, to bring in a baby picture of themselves when they were infants. Number each picture and put them up on a big bulletin board. During the games and activities session of your baby shower, give each guest a paper and pens or pencils. Have each paper numbered with the amount of pictures posted on the bulletin board.

When the game begins, tell the guests to fill in the numbers on the paper with the names of the people who they believe correspond to the baby picture. For example, if I think that baby picture #1 corresponds to Katie, I would write "Katie" after the number one on my paper. The guest that has highest number of right answers wins the challenge. If there is more than one guest with the same highest number of right answers, issue a tiebreaker.

Remember, all of these new games started as an idea. Try to come up with a few clever, never before used games. Who knows, they could potentially become a hit by the end of the year!

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