This weekend I was on two TV shows talking gadgets for the holidays.
First up was a show on ABC called "Ahead Of The Curve" and you can watch the clip here.
Next up I was on ExtraTV. Once the clip is up I'll post it here.
Both are filled with great gift ideas for everone in the family so check it out!
Cat
First up is a well anticipated game that has kids and parents alike rejoicing upon its release -- Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes. If you're a fan of the original Star Wars or you're more of a Clone Wars type this game will satisfy you. The game does a great job at bridging the gap between season 1 and 2 of the hit animated TV show by using the same voices and characters. It's so much fun because as a Jedi you can use your light-saber to slice and dice your way through enemy lines and blast through droids as a clone trooper So Star War fans are going to get a real kick out of this.
Let’s keep it going with the action games – from Namco Bandai
this season they’ve just released three new Dragon Ball titles.
Whether you’re into action/adventure, intense fighting, or
role-playing –gamesthere's a title for a variety of platforms. I like this game because of the variety
of game play for instance, in the game Raging Blast for example you can
choose from over 70 characters and learn some really cool signature
moves like the new “Super Rising” attack system. The boys are going to
love this one!
Now what do you get for the little ones. Check out Toy Story Mania from Disney Interactive Studios! It’s inspired by the famous Toy Story movie and theme park attraction at the Disney parks and is unique due to the fact that you can wear 3-D glasses and watch the game pop out at you! Players can join Woody, Buzz and the gang as they set up and play inside of their own fun-filled carnival just like in the attraction. I love playing this together with my family on the Wii.
If you're looking for something for the young ladies in your life I've got two ideas for ya. First is a game for their portable gaming devices, the Nintendo DS or DSi and its called Style Lab Jewelry Design by Ubisoft. Young girls will get a chance to show off the designer in them by creating virtual earrings, necklaces, cell phone charms and they'll even get to virtually try them on by uploading a picture of themselves into theDSi then seeing how they look. And check this out, the y can even upload their very own designs to a website and actually purchase it! That's right, you can actually wear your own designs!
Ok so what if she’s not into video games? Well I’m sure she’s into vampires! You definitely need to check out this latest web series craze I came across oniTunes called “I Kissed a Vampire”. It’s about a cute girl caught between two hot vampire boys, and the best part is that it’s a musical and they sing and dance their way through the story! It stars Drew Seeley and Lucas Grabeel from High School Musical and I’m telling you it’s addicting! So go to iTunes, search for “I Kissed A Vampire” and gift it to all the girls in your life, they will love you for it.
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Yes, it's that time again. I've been working with companies to get my hands on what's going to be hot this holiday and here's a look at what I've got so far.
Have you seen this thing? This is a mat that uses wireless magnetic technology to charge your devices. Think electric toothbrush charging but for your iPhone, Blackberry, Nintendo DS, even your headset! All you do is attach the adapter ( tips included) to your gadgets and from then on all you have to do is drop and charge! As a mom who has so much clutter in my life this makes things more organized and neat. Bonus features includes auto off once the device is full and quick charging speeds.
One of the items that's topping a lot of people's lists this year is a new laptop. People ask me all of the time what to look for when buying a new laptop? And I always say the same thing, “What do you want to do?” And today, for most of us it’s more and more about video and graphics like catching up on TV via Hulu HD or maybe even editing our own video from a soccer game? Then again, maybe you just want to surf the web and e-mail? So, the tip I give everyone is this: it's all about balanced performance and a great visual experience and AMD's "Vision" technology is really what you should look for because it will help you buy the machine that’s best for you based on how you or someone on your holiday list plans to use the machine, helping making sure you don’t over or under buy and bring home a system you’re really happy with
Next up is the latest and greatest in GPS tech! This is the Magellan RoadMate 1470 GPS device and it looks so cool! The screen is a really nice large size at 4.7" and it's packed with goodies. The features that I've found to be the most useful and unique to this device is the multi-destination and flexible routing, the AAA tour book that points out all kinds of places - saved me the other day when my son really needed a park!, and the clear spoken directions.
Looking for some gifts the whole family can enjoy? There's four boys in my house and they all love, love, love the new Nerf video game, Nerf "N-Strike" Elite! This was the best selling blaster game of last year for the Wii because it's just so fun to play. You put your controller in the handle, choose from one of four characters, and then you go at it blasting alone or against friends! This newest version of the bundle includes the game plus a new blaster which has a "red reveal" lens allowing players to see hidden messages, find secret paths and expose enemy weak spots! How cool is that!? The game is a must have!
Another great game that's out and is sending kids on big adventures is "My Sims Agents" for the Wii and Nintendo DS. The object here falls in line with a big trend I'm seeing, and that's becoming a special agent that solves mysteries! I like the fact that this game really encourages and enhances problem solving skills because you need to use your wit, intelect and gadget know how to solve puzzles and cases that will save the word! As you climb, balance and computer hack your way through the game you need to use your smarts once again to gather clues which lead you to exotic destinations like an icy ski chalet, spooky mansion and an ancient temple. My Sims Agents , from EA , is rated "E" for everyone and is out now!
I'll be on the TODAY Show this Thursday, 11-29, talking about Halloween gadgets! The segment is slated for right around 9:30 am, so if you're around a TV you should check it out!
I'll be showing off the following gadgets
1- Brickhouse Child Loc8tor $170
There's a new version out of the Loc8tor , a wonderful tracking device for household items like keys, the remote or your cell phone, that works great on wondering kids! On Halloween night take one of the 4 tabs and attach it to the child's costume. If some one's missing simply press the location button on the handheld device and the screen will show and arrow pointing towards the tab. A beeping noise along with the arrow will lead you to them within 600 feet. If a child is panicked they now have the ability to press the tab and it will sound a personal alarm.
Not the parent walking with the kids or have older kids out on their own? The Spark Nano is GPS enabled device that fits into a waterproof pouch that can be worn like a watch or an ankle bracelet. You can either set up a virtual force field that will email/text you when the child has gone out of bounds, or you can simply pull up an online map and actually watch as the child moves from house to house.
3- Safety Lights - $1.20 - $13.00
In line with keeping the little ones safe while hopped up on candy and running around in the dark next up is lighting, and lighting is key. Of course flashlights are an easy way to let people know your coming and now there are all kinds of cool looking ones available from Little Tikes shaped like a hippo, tiger, or a cow. Other flashing items can fit right in to a costume and keep them safe, like flashing glasses, finger tips, mouth pieces, wands and swords.
4- Sex Offender iPhone App- Free - $0.99
There are sex offenders all over the map and this iPhone application will show you exactly where they are, if at all, in your area. It uses your current location to pull up a list of offenders then maps them out in your area. If you want to know more about the offender click on the name/address and an image of the offender, a brief description of what they did and other info about them will be displayed.
This is a Gauss meter that detects electro magnetic fields. They're commonly used to detect hot spots, meaning spots that give off abnormal amounts of energy from cell phones or power outlets. Aside from helping parents make sure their family is safe from these types of fields they can also be used to detect ghosts! Once turned on in a spooky area, Paranormal activity will activate the CellSensor with a spiked needle, a beeping sound and a flashing light which corresponds to field strength.
If you;re into making spooky decorations then you'll think this is pretty amazing! It's essentially a hot glue gun that casts webs just like a spider buy using glue sticks an d compressed air. To make the mood even more intense they offer glow in the dark and day glow sticks as well.
7- Body Parts Jello Molds -$10.00
Having a party? These Jello molds are shaped like different icky looking body parts and once you add different colored Jello to them they make the perfect trick! Add all kinds of funky colors to make some really scary looking treats.
8- Electric Razor Scooters - $150-$260
Kids over 8 can get around their neighborhood in style with these scooters that are electric. All you need to do is plug 'em in and let 'em rip.
9-Web Controlled Home Decor - $Free (Donate to Celiac Disease)
Via the site www.komar.org, people can not only view this homes decorations from live web cams, but also control them! . With the flick of a mouse you can turn the 7,500+ lights on and off, inflate/deflate giant Pumpkins,Grim Reapers, SpongeBob and more. .The website is totally free and is all to raise awareness and money for Celiac Disease - almost $40,000 so far!
Do you have a kid over 21? If you do then this is a site you should check out. I can't imagine Jack at 21, he just turned 3, but the day is coming and I'm interested. From the mom behind Mothering21.com, check it out!
Hi Cat,
Mothering21.com will take a look at a wide variety of issues, from the mundane (whose wedding is it? ) to the serious (adult children moving back home for financial reasons) and everything in between.
I edit the site with a mix of links to relevant, topical pieces as well as original content. I welcome contributions from other moms (and dads too) and hope that we can provide a place where parents can openly discuss some touchy--and touching--topics.
Best, Mary
The Musical Hand Wash Timers fit on any liquid soap pump dispenser and feature kids’ favorite characters and music along with flashing lights to encourage kids wash their hands for 20-25 seconds (the recommended wash time to eliminate germs to a level that will lead to better hygiene). Best of all, parents won’t have to change the brands of soap they know and trust because the patented design fits on all standard soap brands – including wide and thin nozzle brands.
Check it out at GetHealthyHands.com!
Last night by boyfriend and I went to dinner with one of his friends and his really cool/pretty GF and we all ended up on TMZ. His friend is Marilyn Manson and recently TMZ accused him of purposely infecting people with Swine Flu at a show. They did so because he announced he had it then , umm, blew snot on the crown. Later, Manson told us he says it every night because, well, it's funny, and that this one instance just got a lot of attention. He also said he doesn't really have Swine Flu.
Take a look at how it looked on TMZ.
I love toys that fly and that can be controlled with a remote. It's a
nice little piece of freedom on a virtual leash that's impressive to
kids and dogs alike. I could play with them for hours but here's just
one problem, I stink at actually getting them from point A to point B.
I've
been playing with all different types of RC choppers, airplanes, kites,
etc. but the result is the same,I crash and burn. The problem must be my
hand eye coordination because the crafts are either too hard to
turn or too hard to move up and down...duhhhhh. The craft I've found
to be the easiest to fly is called the This baby is SUPER easy to fly because
it only has one control- a jog dial that makes the toy simply go up and
down. It's the type of toy that may get old to someone who can actually
fly the more advanced types of crafts but to me it doesn't! Because of the florescent lights on the body and wing it looks coolest spinning around in a dark environment and when they suggest only flying indoor I'd suggest listening... don't wanna share why. :-) Check for your own on eBay and God Speed!
Cat
PS:Next I'm looking at the Hoverpod which is also part of the FlyTech line over @ WowWee. Looks cool!
Here's what The Lightstar looks like:
This is a video of Jack (age 3) flying it for he first time.
One of the things I used to contribute to the TV show, Call For Help, back in the days of TechTV, was showing my co-host , Chris Pirillo, interesting sites on the web. The segment was called "Cat's Clicks" and it was a sweet gig. I just found this funny video from one of the "Cat's Clicks" where I was showing off a download that was a screen saver of a dude that would dance on the bottom of your screen. I can't find the download on the web. Send it to me if you do, please. Here I am dancing with the virtual dude.
Another REALLY funny video I just found is of The Screen Savers Wedding. The "Screen Savers" was another show on TechTV that I used to contribute to. It makes me feel really uncomfortable when I'm watching it, and I can't help but ask myself, "Did they really get married on The Screen Savers?"
We sure did have a good time!
